Gaza Families Killed in Airstrikes Despite Nominal Ceasefire

The family was sleeping in their Sabra neighborhood home when the bombing occurred. Palestinian Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal reported that the victims were trapped in a blaze that rescue crews could not reach, noting that survivors heard the family’s final pleas for help. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the strike, stating it aimed to neutralize a Hamas member. Under current rules of engagement adopted after October 7, 2023, the military permits high levels of civilian collateral damage to target individual combatants.

This incident follows a string of recent violence, including a missile attack on the al-Yemen al-Saeed Hospital in the Jabalia refugee camp that wounded 16 people. On Saturday, an airstrike in the al-Nasser neighborhood killed five members of the Nasman family, while a separate drone attack on a funeral in the Nuseirat camp resulted in eight deaths. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 1,160 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began last October. UN human rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan stated that the deliberate targeting of civilians constitutes a war crime, emphasizing that no part of the Gaza Strip remains safe.