A young boy and a paramedic were killed in northern Gaza City when an Israeli drone reportedly carried out a ‘double tap’ strike, a tactic involving an initial attack followed by a second strike on the same location shortly after. The incident, which occurred on Salah Khalaf Street, saw 13-year-old Mohammad Abdul Zinati killed while attempting to help a man injured in the first explosion. The man was later identified as Sharif Shadi Labad, a paramedic whom the Israeli military identified as a Hamas militant involved in the October 7th attacks.
Witnesses Describe Chaotic Scene
The sequence of events unfolded shortly before 3:30 PM. Mohammad Abdul Zinati was walking home from school through debris-strewn streets when he stopped at a supermarket. An initial explosion occurred nearby, drawing Mohammad and others into the street to investigate. They discovered a man, later identified as Labad, lying wounded and calling for help.
Tamer Lubbad, a witness who filmed the aftermath of the first explosion, recounted the scene: “We heard a loud explosion and tried to make our way to the scene to find out what had happened. We found a man lying on the ground. He was still alive and calling for help.”
As civilians, including Mohammad, moved towards the injured man, Mohammad’s cousin, Mohammed Rajeh Zinati, spotted an Israeli drone overhead. He began shouting warnings to his cousin.
“I ran from the house towards the street to find out what had happened,” Mohammed Rajeh Zinati stated. “On my way, I saw my cousin coming out of the supermarket. He was running towards the site of the strike. I started shouting at him: ‘Mohammad, stop!’ but he didn’t hear me and kept going. Then I saw a drone in the sky. I started shouting: ‘Run! Get away!’ At that moment, Mohammad had reached the injured man. As soon as he got there, the drone struck him.”
Mohammed Rajeh Zinati added, “Mohammad was hit directly in the chest and abdomen and was killed almost instantly. I couldn’t do anything to rescue him.”
‘Double Tap’ Strike Pattern
The attack on Mohammad and the paramedic fits the description of a ‘double tap’ strike. This tactic involves an initial missile or bomb strike, followed by a second strike targeting the same location shortly thereafter, often when first responders or bystanders have arrived to assist the wounded.
Weapons experts who reviewed footage of the incident suggested that the death of the teenager may have been preventable. Trevor Ball, a conflict researcher and drone expert at Bellingcat, identified the munition as a Mikholit, deployed by Israeli unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). “These UAVs have high-quality cameras that would have been able to see the teenager and the man approaching the body,” Ball explained. “Some variants of the Mikholit at least are capable of being redirected to a different target/point while in flight.”
Military Response and Civilian Casualties
In response to inquiries, the Israeli military stated that Sharif Shadi Ibrahim Labad was a Hamas terrorist belonging to the Nukhba forces and had participated in the October 7th attacks. They claimed he was targeted because he was planning new operations.
When questioned about the second strike hitting a minor, the military did not provide a specific explanation but issued a statement: “We are aware of reports indicating that an uninvolved individual was harmed as a result of the strike targeting the terrorist. We regret any harm to uninvolved individuals and make every effort to minimize such harm.” The military confirmed that the incident was under review.
The Israeli military has consistently denied deliberately targeting civilians, asserting that it takes precautions to minimize civilian harm during its operations. However, the incident involving Mohammad Abdul Zinati highlights the devastating impact of the conflict on children in Gaza.
Broader Context of Gaza Conflict
The killing of Mohammad and the paramedic occurred amidst a period of intense conflict in Gaza. Recent reports indicate a significant number of civilian casualties, including children.
- In a separate incident on Tuesday, an Israeli strike on the al-Bureij refugee camp reportedly killed an adult and a five-year-old child, identified as Udai al-Muridi.
- On Saturday, a pregnant Palestinian woman, Iman Shalouf, 27, died from injuries sustained after being shot by Israeli forces south of Khan Younis. She was nearly eight months pregnant and was inside her family’s tent when the incident occurred.
- According to UNICEF, numerous other children have been killed in recent Israeli attacks, including two sisters (aged six and 12) killed with their parents in an airstrike, and three other girls (aged three, eight, and nine) killed by gunfire.
Official figures from Gaza’s health ministry, prior to the current reporting period, stated that 1,369 Palestinians had been killed and 4,627 wounded since a fragile ceasefire took effect on October 11, 2025. Since the start of the war on October 7, 2023, health officials report that at least 73,783 Palestinians have been killed and 174,738 wounded.
A Community Mourns
Mohammad Abdul Zinati was remembered by his cousin and neighbors as a kind, helpful, and respectful boy. “He would help elderly to collect water from the water trucks,” his cousin recalled. The community’s grief was palpable, with neighbors taking to the streets in tears following the news of his death. Footage later showed Mohammad’s body being prepared for burial outside al-Shifa hospital, where his father recited verses from the Quran.
The incident underscores the profound human cost of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, particularly for its youngest inhabitants.
