Israeli strike in Gaza kills family of 4

On Thursday, an Israeli strike in Gaza claimed the lives of a family of four, including two young children, according to Palestinian hospital and security sources. The victims were identified as Ahmad family members, aged 12, 8, and two others. Their bodies were recovered in pieces from a house in the Beit Lahia Project area in northern Gaza Strip, reported Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. The Israeli military, contacted by AFP, stated they are investigating the incident.

Palestinian security sources in the Gaza Strip, controlled by Hamas, reported that Israeli warplanes targeted the area after midnight, with strikes also occurring in the heart of the Jabalia refugee camp. Israeli forces reportedly fired on tents of displaced people and ambulances.

Israel has been advancing further into Gaza since agreeing to a ceasefire brokered by the US in October last year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue strikes targeting Hamas, which initiated the October 7, 2023, attack against Israel, and refuses to withdraw from Gaza until Hamas surrenders all its weapons. Israel often identifies its targets after the fact.

Since the ceasefire was announced, Israeli strikes have killed over 1,300 people, according to the Gaza health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN. The Israeli army has reported five deaths among its own forces during the same period, along with the death of one civilian contractor.