An Israeli airstrike killed 12 members of a family, including seven children, in the northern Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Civil Defense rescue service. The bombing, which took place in Jabalia, resulted in victims being pulled from the ruins of the Khallah family’s home.
“All the witnesses are from the same family, including seven children, the oldest of whom is six years old,” Mahmoud Basal, a spokesman for Civil Defense, told AFP. He added that 15 others were injured in the airstrike.
The Israeli military confirmed the strike, saying it targeted “several terrorists operating in a military structure belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization and posing a threat to IDF troops operating in the area.”
“According to an initial examination, the reported number of casualties resulting from the strike does not line up with the information held by the IDF,” an army spokesman added.
The attack came as Pope Francis condemned the bombing of children in Gaza, calling it “cruelty”. “Yesterday the children were bombed. This is cruelty, it is not war,” he said. “I want to say it because it touches my heart.”
Israel’s assault on Gaza continues as the conflict enters its 14th month. On Friday, a drone missile struck a residential building in the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least eight people, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. In Beit Hanoon, four people, including two girls and their parents, were killed in an airstrike. Meanwhile, the bodies of three brothers were recovered from the rubble of a house near Kamal Adwan Hospital.
Gaza is now a ‘Graveyard’, UNRWA warns
Gaza has turned into a “graveyard”, with worsening conditions including hunger, heavy rain and ongoing attacks, warned Louise Waterridge, Senior Emergency Officer for the UN Refugee Agency (UNRWA). He added that “over two million people are trapped” in the area, struggling in makeshift shelters as most buildings have either been damaged or destroyed.
“It is impossible for families to escape in these conditions,” said Wateridge, speaking from the Nuseirat camp. “Most people live under cloth, they don’t even have waterproof structures, and 69 percent of the buildings here are damaged or destroyed.”
UNRWA, which helps nearly six million Palestinian refugees across Gaza and beyond, is facing a lack of resources as Israeli law has barred the agency from operating in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem. This move prompted Sweden to announce that it would stop funding UNRWA but double its aid to Gaza through other groups. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini described the decision as “disappointing” given the dire situation in Gaza.
Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly has asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to issue an advisory opinion on Israel’s humanitarian aid obligations to the Palestinian territories. This follows previous ICJ rulings urging Israel to end its assault on Rafah and allow safe passage for humanitarian aid, with which Israel has failed to comply.
The ongoing crisis continues to strain international efforts to provide assistance to those affected by the violence.
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