Gaza Genocide · updated 1h ago · 3 min read
Israeli Strike Kills Wafaa Akila and Father in Western Gaza on First Day of School
Israeli strike killed Wafaa Akila and her father in western Gaza on first school day. Their car was hit by the strike, killing both occupants.
Whether responsibility is directly assigned to US and Israel.
8 of 10 outlets skipped it: the car was struck on Al-Nasr Road/Al Shifa Street.
Reuters was read line by line by the Watchdog: 1.1. See the score →
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Same story, two versions
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The North Star with Shaun King
“the United States and Israel obliterated her - blowing her to bits in the middle of the street.”Read the original ↗
The North Star and Palestinian outlets use emotive language and broad blame, while Reuters and Al Jazeera report Israel’s claimed targeting.
First day, fatal strike
An Israeli strike killed Wafaa Akila, an eight-year-old Gaza girl, and her father in western Gaza on Sunday, the first day of school for Wafaa, according to Al Jazeera.A
“Eight-year-old Gaza girl killed by Israel on first day of school”
Reuters reported that Mohamed Abu Selmia, head of Al Shifa Hospital, said the airstrike hit a vehicle in western Gaza City, killing Youssef Akila and his daughter Wafaa and wounding six others.
The New Indian Express identified Wafaa as Wafaa Yousef Nabil Akila and her father as Youssef Nabil Rabah Akila, saying they were killed after the civilian vehicle they were travelling in was struck in western Gaza City on September 6.
Hürriyet Daily News said the victims were identified as Wafaa Akila and her father, Youssef, and that their bodies were taken to Al-Shifa Hospital after an Israeli strike on their car in western Gaza City on Sept. 6.
Reuters added that an Israeli military spokesperson said forces targeted a Hamas militant and were still looking into results of the attack.
Competing accounts and outrage
Al Jazeera framed the killing as an Israeli strike on their car in western Gaza that killed Wafaa and her father, while Reuters said the Israeli military spokesperson stated the forces targeted a Hamas militant.A
The New Indian Express said the Israeli military said the strike was aimed at a Hamas militant, and that Wafaa was reportedly killed instantly while casualties from the strike were taken to Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Hürriyet Daily News reported that the Israeli military said its forces had targeted a Hamas militant and were examining the outcome of the strike.
In a commentary shared through The North Star with Shaun King, Shaun King said, "Her name was Wafaa Akila. TShe was just a little girl. And this morning in Gaza the United States and Israel obliterated her - blowing her to bits in the middle of the street."
The North Star with Shaun King also asked, "How Do You Justify This? It’s Utterly Evil and Despicable."
Education, funerals, and toll
Roya News said Wafaa was nine years old and that an Israeli rocket targeted the car they were in in the al-Nasr neighborhood of Gaza City on Sunday, killing Wafaa and her father while others were injured.
“An Israeli rocket targeted the car they were in in the al-Nasr neighborhood of Gaza City”
SANA reported that Wafa Aqila, nine, and her father, Yousef, 36, died in an Israeli attack on a vehicle in the western part of Gaza City, and said a medical source at Al Shifa Hospital told Anadolu Agency that the bodies of both were brought to the medical center along with several others wounded.
SANA also said the Palestinian Ministry of Education set September 16 as the official start of the 2026-2027 school year in Gaza, while some private schools and educational centers began activities over the weekend after completing preparations.
Roya News described Wafaa’s story as ending with her being carried on shoulders, and it said the road she took with her father was the last road she would travel.
Reuters said that after the October 2025 U.S.-backed ceasefire halted major fighting, it failed to end strikes, and it reported that more than 1,300 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect last October, according to the territory's health officials.