GAZA CITY(National Times)- Gaza’s civil defence and hospitals said Israeli attacks on Saturday killed 10 people across the territory, among them three children and their parents.
A ceasefire remains in place between Israel and Hamas, but it has not halted the violence in Gaza, and efforts to secure a lasting agreement to end the war have stalled.
A family of five — three children and their parents — were killed when an Israeli strike hit a residential apartment in northwest Gaza City, according to the territory’s civil defence agency, which operates as a rescue service under Hamas.
“The family’s only surviving member is one child, who was not inside the house at the time of the strike,” Mahmoud Bassal, spokesman for the agency, said. Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital confirmed it had received the five bodies.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said a strike had been carried out in Gaza City on Saturday “targeting a Hamas terrorist”. She said the military was still assessing the results.
Gaza resident Mousa Al-Aimawi said the strike came without warning. “Suddenly there was a missile hitting the building. No one knew, no one, no warning, nothing,” he said. “They hit it without caring that there are civilians, children, women, girls.” Mohammed Kali, who lives in the same building, said he saw several people lying on the ground.
“There were bodies scattered on the ground — women and children dead, and elderly people too,” he said.
Footage from the scene showed large sections of the building’s facade torn away, as rescue teams helped the wounded.
Onlookers picked through shattered concrete blocks and twisted metal, searching for any belongings that could be salvaged. Three more people were killed when an Israeli air strike hit a group of civilians in the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City, the agency reported.
Al-Shifa hospital confirmed it had received the three bodies.
Health officials said two other people were killed elsewhere in Israeli attacks in Gaza. The military did not offer an immediate comment on those attacks.
Violence has persisted despite the ceasefire. Before Friday’s casualties, at least 1,144 Palestinians had been killed since the truce took effect last October, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority and whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.
The Israeli military says it has lost five soldiers in Gaza over the same period, as well as one civilian contractor.
Restrictions imposed on media outlets and limited access in Gaza prevent from independently verifying tolls or freely covering the violence there.
