Pregnant Palestinian woman dies after being shot near Khan Younis

A fatal shooting in al-Mawasi

A pregnant Palestinian woman and her unborn child died after she was shot near Khan Younis in southern Gaza, according to reporting based on accounts from her family, witnesses and medical workers. The Guardian identified her as Iman Shalouf, 27, and reported that she was nearly eight months pregnant when gunfire hit her while she was inside her family’s tent in the al-Mawasi area on Saturday.

Shalouf was taken to Nasser hospital, where doctors initially detected a heartbeat from the unborn baby. Both later died. Relatives subsequently held funeral prayers at the hospital and buried mother and child beside one another. The Israeli military told the newspaper that it was examining the incident; its responsibility therefore remained under review rather than independently established in the available reporting.

Violence across the territory

The shooting occurred during another deadly period across Gaza. The territory’s health ministry reported that 10 Palestinians were killed and 56 wounded over the preceding 48 hours amid shelling and gunfire in northern, central and southern areas. Those figures included four members of one family reportedly killed when their Beit Lahiya home was struck on Thursday night and additional deaths in Khan Younis and Gaza City.

Separate violence continued on Sunday, when a vehicle was struck in Gaza City’s Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood, killing two people and injuring others, including passengers on a nearby bus. That strike has been treated as a previously covered development rather than the basis of this article. The distinct news here is Shalouf’s death after the al-Mawasi shooting and the Israeli military’s acknowledgement that it was reviewing what happened.

Civilian protection remains unresolved

The latest incidents come despite the ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025. United Nations humanitarian reporting earlier in September documented continuing air attacks, armed clashes and civilian casualties, and reiterated that civilians, aid workers and essential facilities must be protected. The UN material does not independently confirm Shalouf’s shooting, but it establishes the broader protection crisis in which the incident occurred.

Humanitarian conditions also magnify the consequences of renewed violence. UN reporting says much of Gaza’s population remains displaced, with many people living in crowded, poorly equipped sites as the rainy season approaches. Restricted access, shortages and inadequate funding have constrained preparations for flooding and disease. Immediate questions are whether Israel’s review identifies the unit or fire involved, whether further evidence emerges, and whether ceasefire mechanisms can prevent additional civilian deaths.