DEIR EL-BALAH – Palestinian health authorities said an Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip early Saturday left at least two children dead.
The attack came despite a ceasefire reached in October between Israel and Hamas. Since then, the Gaza Health Ministry said, almost daily Israeli strikes across the enclave have killed more than 1,007 Palestinians.
According to the ministry, the strike targeted an apartment in Gaza City at about 2 a.m. local time. Officials warned the number of dead could increase as emergency crews continued searching through the wreckage for additional bodies. Details on how many people were injured were not immediately available.
At the scene, an Associated Press journalist reported seeing debris strewn across the area, including blood-marked pieces of concrete.
The two victims, sisters Zina, 4, and Lana, 14, were taken to the morgue at Shifa Hospital, where their bodies lay in white hospital shrouds as relatives gathered nearby.
“I was sitting at home. The rocket fell on us without a warning,” said their cousin, Mohammad Safadi, who had suffered a wound to his forehead.
Safadi said he and his wife were both injured in the strike.
“This ceasefire the occupation and the negotiation team speak of … is this really a ceasefire? We are civilians. I never held a weapon,” Safadi added.
The Israeli military didn’t immediately issue a statement, but said it was looking into the incident. Israel says it is targeting Hamas and other militants who pose a threat.
Five Israeli soldiers have been killed since the truce.
The war erupted when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel’s retaliatory military offensive in the Gaza Strip has since killed 73,018 Palestinians, including those slain since the ceasefire, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Saturday.
The health ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records that are generally considered reliable by United Nations agencies and independent experts. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants but says women and children make up around half of all fatalities.
