Palestinian girl killed in Gaza strike on first day back at school

GAZA CITY

A Palestinian girl and her father were killed in an Israeli strike on their car in western Gaza City on Sept. 6, the day she returned to school for the new academic year, Palestinian medical officials said.

The victims were identified as Wafaa Akila and her father, Youssef. Their bodies were taken to Al-Shifa Hospital.

Images circulated after the strike showed Wafaa’s schoolbooks, notebooks and other supplies scattered beside the wreckage.

The Israeli military said its forces had targeted a Hamas militant and were examining the outcome of the strike.

Although formal classes in Gaza are scheduled to begin later in September, some schools and alternative learning centers had already reopened.

Many school buildings remain unusable, leaving children to attend lessons in temporary facilities, often in tents.

Palestinian killed in West Bank settler attack

Separately, an Israeli settler attack on the village of Hajja, east of Qalqilya in the occupied West Bank, killed a Palestinian man and wounded two others late on Sept. 6, Palestinian officials said.

Omar Mohammed Toubasi, 20, died after being shot in the head, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said another man was shot in the chest and a 17-year-old boy in the thigh.

In East Jerusalem, two Israeli settlers assaulted a Palestinian man, breaking his arm and seriously injuring one of his eyes, the Jerusalem Governorate said.

He underwent surgery following the attack.