Israeli strike in Gaza kills at least eight, officials say
An Israeli airstrike in central Gaza killed at least eight people and wounded 22, local authorities reported. The Israeli military said it targeted a Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist cell and is reviewing claims of civilian casualties.
An Israeli airstrike in central Gaza killed at least eight people and wounded 22 others on Friday, according to local officials.
Gaza's civil defense agency, which operates under Hamas, reported that Israeli warplanes struck a gathering of civilians in the Al-Balata market area of the Nuseirat refugee camp. Al-Awda hospital confirmed receiving eight dead and 22 wounded.
The AFP news agency, citing civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal, reported that the strike occurred during a funeral procession.
Israel's military (IDF) said it had struck a "terrorist cell" of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group and acknowledged that civilians may have been harmed. "The IDF is aware of the claims that several uninvolved individuals were harmed as a result of the strike. The results of the strike are under review," the military stated.
A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas was agreed in October, aimed at ending a two-year conflict sparked by the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Since the truce took effect, Gaza's Health Ministry (Hamas-run) reports at least 1,127 Palestinians killed, while the IDF says at least five soldiers have been killed in Gaza over the same period.
