Israeli strikes kill 3 people in Gaza

GAZA CITY: Israeli airstrikes killed at least three Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, health officials reported. Basir Al-Bursh, the son of Munir Al-Bursh, director-general of the territory's health ministry, was among those killed. The Israeli military confirmed striking several militants, including Basir Al-Bursh, but provided no further details. Hamas, the ruling militant group in Gaza, did not comment immediately.

Basir Al-Bursh had lost his daughter in an Israeli airstrike in December 2023 and was wounded in that attack. In a video, he was seen carrying his son's body to the hospital, with other mourners accompanying them. In the video, Al-Bursh expressed his acceptance of martyrdom, stating he would go to heaven with his son.

At Al Shifa Hospital, Al-Bursh was barely able to stand as mourners arrived to pay their respects. In addition to Basir Al-Bursh, a man in Shejaia, east of Gaza City, and a vehicle in the Sheikh Radwan district of Gaza City were killed in separate Israeli strikes. The Israeli military claimed that the Sheikh Radwan strike targeted a Hamas militant, reducing the vehicle to a mangled wreck.

According to Palestinian authorities, over 73,000 people have been killed in Israel's offensive on Gaza since October 2023, when Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 Israelis. The territory's health officials noted that more than 1,300 Palestinians, mainly civilians, have been killed since the US-brokered ceasefire took effect last year. The Israeli military reported four Israeli soldiers killed during the conflict.