‘Run! Get away!’: witnesses recount Israeli ‘double tap’ strike that killed child and medic in Gaza

by | Sep 18, 2026 | Top Stories

‘Run! Get away!’: witnesses recount Israeli ‘double tap’ strike that killed child and medic in Gaza

An explosion in northern Gaza City on Salah Khalaf Street resulted in the injury of Sharif Shadi Labad, a paramedic whom Israeli forces identified as a Hamas operative. The initial blast drew nearby residents, including Mohammad Abdul Zinati, a teenager who had been at a local supermarket. As Zinati approached to assist the wounded man, an Israeli drone released a munition that struck him fatally, killing him and Labad.

Witnesses to the incident described seeing the drone approach before the second strike. Mohammed Rajeh Zinati, Mohammad’s cousin, reported attempting to warn the teenager but being unable to prevent the attack. Video documentation of the aftermath showed Mohammad’s body at a hospital, where his father performed religious rites. Residents described the teenager as helpful and respected within the community, known for assisting elderly neighbors.

Weapons experts who examined video of the strike identified the munition as a Mikholit glide bomb deployed from an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle. Analysts noted that such systems typically feature high-resolution cameras capable of identifying individuals and, in some cases, can be redirected mid-flight. The sequence of events—an initial strike followed by a second strike at the same location after civilians arrived to help—follows a pattern commonly referred to as a “double-tap” attack.

Israeli military authorities stated that Sharif Shadi Ibrahim Labad was a member of Hamas’s Nukhba forces and had participated in operations on 7 October 2023. When asked about the second strike occurring when a minor was visible at the scene, the military did not provide a response but acknowledged that an uninvolved individual was harmed and stated it works to minimize civilian casualties. The incident remained under review.

Other recent strikes in Gaza have resulted in additional civilian casualties, according to medical and humanitarian sources in the territory. The health ministry reported that since a ceasefire took effect on 11 October 2025, 1,369 Palestinians have been killed and 4,627 wounded. Since the conflict began on 7 October 2023, the toll has reached at least 73,783 dead and 174,738 wounded among Palestinian civilians, according to official sources.

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