Palestinian relatives of the Abu Shaban family mourn at Al Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, on Saturday. At least eleven members of the family were killed a day earlier when their car was hit by an Israeli army strike in the Al Zaitun neighbourhood, east of Gaza City. Photo by Mohammed Saber/EPA
Eleven people in the same family, including seven children, died when their bus was hit by an Israeli tank shell after crossing a demarcation zone in northern Gaza, the Hamas-run civil defense said.
On Friday night, members of the Abu Shaban family were attempting to reach their home in the Al Zeitoun neighborhood east of Gaza City, the agency told The New York Times.
Mahmoud Basal, a spokesman for the emergency service, which is part of the Interior Ministry, said rescue workers had reached the scene on Saturday after coordinating their movements with the United Nations.
“This constitutes a full-fledged crime that reveals the occupation’s premeditated intent to target defenseless civilians without any justification,” Hamas said in a statement.
The BBC reported this was the deadliest incident involving Israeli soldiers since the start of the cease-fire eight days ago.
Israel Defense Forces said troops fired “warning shots” at a “suspicious vehicle” that crossed into the so-called yellow zone that separates an area still occupied by Israeli forces under the terms of the truce.
“The troops fired warning shots toward the suspicious vehicle, but the vehicle continued to approach the troops in a way that caused an imminent threat to them,” the military said in a statement. “The troops opened fire to remove the threat, in accordance with the agreement.”
The IDF has warned Palestinians not to enter areas in Gaza still under its control.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the military would set up visual signs showing the line to “warn Hamas terrorists and Gaza residents that any violation and attempt to cross the line will be met with fire.”
The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt remains closed.
The World Health Organization said Saturday that the crossing would reopen Monday to transfer sick and wounded, Haaretz reported. Also, Gazans in Egypt would be able to return through the crossing.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu originally said the crossing would “remain closed until further notice.”
But on Saturday, the prime minister’s office said the crossing will reopen based on Hamas’ progress in returning hostages as part of the cease-fire.
On Friday, Hamas released the body of 75-year-old Israeli hostage, Eliyahu Margalit, to the Red Cross, which sent the remains to Tel Aviv for identification.
Margalit was killed at Kibbutz Nir Oz in the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
“The IDF expresses deep condolences to the family and continues to make every effort to return all the deceased hostages to their families for a proper and dignified burial,” IDF posted on X.
IDF representatives informed the family of Eliyahu Margalit that he has been brought back for burial.
According to the information and intelligence available to the IDF:
Eliyahu Margalit, 75, was murdered by the Hamas terrorist organization on October 7th, 2023, and his body… pic.twitter.com/4blCMx5E1D— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 18, 2025
His daughter, Nili Margalit, 40, was also kidnapped on released from Hamas captivity one month later on Nov. 30.
IDF said his death was announced on Dec. 1.
“Our beloved Eli has returned home, 742 days after he was murdered and kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz,” the family said. “We thank the people of Israel and the Hostage Families Forum for their support in the long struggle for his return, and promise that we will not stop or rest until the last of the hostages is returned for burial in Israel.”
Since the truce arrangement was approved by both sides, 10 bodies have been returned but 18 others believed to be deceased have not been returned.
Hamas said some of the bodies are buried under rubble.
On Monday, Hamas returned all 20 living hostages to Israel. In the deal, Israel freed 250 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and 1,718 detainees from Gaza.
Before the cease-fire, 138 hostages had been released, including during truces, while eight have been rescued by Israeli military.
Hamas took 251 people hostage and more than 1,200 Israeli were killed. The Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll has passed 68,000, including militants and civilis.
Elsewhere, six Palestinians were killed and 21 wounded in the past 48 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said Saturday. Four died in an IDF airstrike, and two died after succumbing to their wounds, the ministry said.
