Eleven members of a Palestinian family were killed on Friday afternoon after Israeli troops fired on their vehicle as it entered eastern Gaza City, where the Israel Defense Forces is deployed, Hamas authorities said.

The IDF confirmed in response to a query that it targeted a vehicle that crossed the so-called Yellow Line — to which the military withdrew under the terms of the ceasefire — in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood.

The “suspicious vehicle” had been identified crossing the line and approaching Israeli forces in the area, the army said. According to the IDF, warning shots were first fired toward the car.

After it continued to approach troops, “in a way that threatened them,” the forces struck the vehicle “to remove the threat,” the military said.

Hamas, in a statement, said that the Abu Shaban family was attempting to check their home in eastern Zeitoun when an Israeli tank shelled their vehicle, “resulting in the killing of 11 family members, including 7 children and 3 women.”

“This constitutes a full-fledged crime that reveals the occupation’s premeditated intent to target defenseless civilians without any justification,” Hamas said.

هنا ارتكبت مجزرة الاحتلال أمس ..

11 شخصاً ارتقوا بينهم أطفال ونساء جراء قصف مركبة لعائلة أبو شعبان في حي الزيتون شرق مدينة غزة. pic.twitter.com/NrDzNYaQpI

— فضائية النجاح – An-Najah Nbc (@newsnajah) October 18, 2025

The Hamas-run Gaza Civil Defense agency said on Saturday that the bodies of the 11 Palestinians had been recovered in cooperation with the United Nations.

The IDF has repeatedly warned Palestinians not to enter areas in Gaza currently under Israeli control or approach troops. Defense Minister Israel Katz said Friday that he instructed the military to place physical markers along the Yellow Line so that the boundaries of IDF control are clearly visible.

He said the markers will serve as a warning to “Hamas terrorists and Gaza residents that any violation or attempt to cross the line will be met with fire.”

The Yellow Line, as drawn out by........

© The Times of Israel