On Thursday, a mother and her child were killed and a third person was injured after a fire broke out in a tent sheltering displaced families in Gaza City.
A young Palestinian man was killed, and others were injured after Israeli occupation forces opened fire in western Khan Yunis, outside areas where the Israeli army is deployed in the Gaza Strip, according to reports.
A woman and child were among those injured by Israeli army gunfire, Al-Jazeera reported, citing sources at the Nasser Medical Complex in southern Gaza. The woman’s injuries were described as critical.
Heartbreaking scenes of a mother bidding farewell to her son, who was martyred by occupation gunfire in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/YierQnjdcN
— TIMES OF GAZA (@Timesofgaza) January 2, 2026
The Anadolu news agency cited a medical source at the Nasser Hospital as saying the man was pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital with gunshot wounds caused by Israeli gunfire.
Launching Point for Attacks
The Murad axis, which separates Rafah from the rest of the Gaza Strip, has become a launching point for military operations targeting Rafah and surrounding areas, including the southern and eastern borders of Khan Younis, according to an Al-Jazeera Arabic correspondent.
The correspondent added that Israeli artillery positioned along this axis fired shells at the southern and eastern areas of Khan Younis, and explosions were heard. He also explained that gunfire on Thursday from military barracks established within the remaining residential buildings north of Rafah city resulted in injuries to four occupants of nearby tents housing displaced persons.
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Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces carried out incursions into the eastern area of Khan Younis, the most volatile front, given the presence of six towns occupied by Israel, the report stated. These towns constitute more than 50 percent of the city’s area and are home to approximately 150,000 people.
Al Jazeera’s correspondent reported that occupation soldiers erected earthen barriers and placed yellow concrete blocks east of Salah al-Din Street, extending the so-called yellow line.
Tent Fire Kills Mother, Child
On Thursday, a mother and her child were killed and a third person was injured after a fire broke out in a tent sheltering displaced families in Gaza City, Civil Defense said.
Relatives of Palestinian Amal Abu Al-Kheir bid farewell after her death, along with her five-year-old grandson Saud, following a nighttime fire that broke out in their tent at the Yarmouk displacement camp in Gaza City. pic.twitter.com/FcQ8JWke4O
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) January 2, 2026
The organization said in a statement that its teams recovered two bodies and evacuated an injured person after the fire in the Al-Yarmouk shelter in the Al-Daraj neighborhood in central Gaza City. The cause of the fire was not yet clear.
Lack of Shelter Supplies
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are living in tents and temporary shelters amid a severe lack of safe shelter supplies, after Israel’s two-year war destroyed entire residential areas and forced mass displacement.
Most tents lack basic safety measures, making them vulnerable to fires, especially as people rely on primitive means for heating and cooking due to power outages and severe fuel shortages.
After Israeli forces destroyed almost 70% of Gaza’s built-up landscape, many Palestinian families have been forced to move back into damaged and partially collapsed homes due to the lack of any alternatives, despite the risks associated with living in these ramshackle structures. pic.twitter.com/U8jwoSlRsJ
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) January 2, 2026
Heavy Rains
Al-Jazeera Arabic also reported that heavy rains from the recent storm caused widespread flooding of displaced persons’ tents in the al-Mawasi area, which hosts the largest number of displaced people.
The channel’s correspondent said that the accumulation of large quantities of rainwater led to the formation of pools and swamps, while municipalities were unable to provide any services.
Heavy rainfall has caused widespread flooding across the Gaza Strip, submerging main roads and inundating the makeshift tents of thousands of displaced Palestinians. pic.twitter.com/2zzVEpSXm4
— Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) January 2, 2026
The correspondent said that although the current weather system was less severe than previous ones, the heavy rainfall was enough to flood roads and tents of displaced people, particularly in the Al-Mawasi area.
Israel continues to prevent the entry of materials needed by Gaza residents to protect themselves from winter rains or to repair their damaged homes, the report added.
Over 71,000 Killed
Starting on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military, with American support, launched a genocidal war against the people of Gaza. This campaign has so far resulted in the deaths of over 71,200 Palestinians, with more than 171,000 wounded.
Israel has killed 416 Palestinians and injured more than 1,100 since a fragile US-brokered ceasefire came into effect on October 10.
The vast majority of the population has been displaced, and the destruction of infrastructure is unprecedented since World War II. Thousands of people are still missing.
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In addition to the military assault, the Israeli blockade has caused a man-made famine, leading to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians—mostly children—with hundreds of thousands more at risk.
Despite widespread international condemnation, little has been done to hold Israel accountable. The nation is currently under investigation for genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.
(PC, AJA, Anadolu)
