An Israeli airstrike killed at least five Palestinians, including four women, after hitting an apartment building in Gaza City early Saturday, according to Gaza health and civil defence officials.
The strike destroyed the residential building and sparked a fire, with rescuers recovering five bodies and several wounded people from the site. The attack occurred in the Rimal area of Gaza City, according to Palestinian officials.
Among those killed were a Christian mother, Maisa Abu Dawoud, and her daughter, Mary, medics and church officials said. Their deaths were later mourned during a funeral service at Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza City, where relatives, friends and members of the local Muslim community gathered.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem also expressed condolences to the family and called for an end to the violence and the protection of civilians. Christians represent a small minority of Gaza’s population, with most of the territory’s Christian community belonging to the Orthodox tradition.
Witness Ahmed al-Dahdouh said residents were asleep when they heard repeated explosions. He described people rushing from their homes as children became frightened and neighbours attempted to pull victims from the rubble.
The Israeli military later said it had carried out an overnight strike against an apartment in Gaza in an attempt to kill Ali al-Amoudi. Hamas sources described al-Amoudi as the head of the group’s political office in Gaza. However, it was not immediately established whether the military’s stated target was located in the same apartment building where the five Palestinians were killed. The military said the results of its operation were under review.
The incident comes amid renewed Israeli strikes in Gaza despite a ceasefire that was intended to halt the fighting and create conditions for reconstruction. Israel has accused Hamas of rearming and launching attacks in violation of the ceasefire, while Hamas has denied those allegations and accused Israel of undermining the agreement.
Gaza health officials said at least 1,400 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire took effect last year. Israel has reported four soldiers killed by militants in Gaza during the same period. The figures are claims from the respective sides and have not been independently verified in full.
The continuing violence has complicated efforts to implement the broader ceasefire framework, which includes provisions concerning Hamas’s disarmament, an Israeli military withdrawal and the eventual reconstruction of Gaza. Little progress has been made on some of those elements, according to the report.
The deaths of the mother and daughter have also drawn attention to Gaza’s Christian community, which has remained a small but longstanding part of the territory’s population. Their funeral at Saint Porphyrius Church became a gathering point for mourners from different religious backgrounds amid renewed fighting in Gaza City.
