Palestinian child killed, siblings injured in Israeli bombardment of Gaza Strip

Yasin Abu Hussa died in an air raid on the town of Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza Strip in the early hours of Saturday morning, Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said.

The Palestinian boy's six-year-old sister, Isra', who suffered serious head injuries, was taken to hospital for treatment, while his brother Ayoub, 13, sustained moderate injuries to his face, Arabic-language Safa news agency reported.

Israeli officials say they conducted the air raids after several rockets allegedly fired from Gaza late on Friday landed in an open terrain in the south of the occupied Palestinian territories.

The Israeli military frequently bombs the Gaza Strip. The disproportionate force is always used in violation of international law, and civilians are often killed or injured.

A deadly 50-day offensive against the Palestinian coastal sliver ended in late August 2014 with a truce that took effect after indirect negotiations in the Egyptian capital Cairo. Nearly 2,200 Palestinians, including 577 children, were killed in the Israeli onslaught. Over 11,100 others - including 3,374 children, 2,088 women and 410 elderly people - were also injured.

Gaza has been blockaded since 2007, a situation that has caused a decline in the standard of living, unprecedented levels of unemployment, and unrelenting poverty.

The apartheid regime of Israel denies about 1.8 million people in Gaza their basic rights, such as freedom of movement, proper job, and adequate healthcare and education.