An Israeli airstrike in Gaza City has resulted in the deaths of six members of a single family, according to local medical officials. Video footage from the overnight incident depicted the family's apartment in the western al-Sabra neighborhood engulfed in flames. Firas al-Masri, his wife Salsabeel, and their four children – Faryal, Salma, Amira, and Naim – were killed in the attack.
The Israeli military issued a statement saying its objective was a Hamas operative and that it was investigating the aftermath of the strike. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry reported that at least 1,168 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks since a ceasefire with Hamas took effect last October. Over the same period, four Israeli soldiers have died in Palestinian attacks in Gaza.
Following the recent strike, the UN's human rights office condemned the escalating intensity of Israeli military operations in Gaza. A spokesperson for the office, Thameen Al-Kheetan, stated that between July 13 and July 20, at least 57 Palestinians, including six children and eight women, lost their lives in strikes targeting residential buildings, a camp for displaced families, and other densely populated areas. Thirty-four of these individuals were killed a significant distance from the "Yellow Line," which delineates territory in Gaza under Israeli military control.
"Nine months after the announcement of a ceasefire, still, nowhere is safe for Palestinians in Gaza," Al-Kheetan said, warning that the civilian deaths raise concerns about ongoing violations of international humanitarian law, potential war crimes, and other atrocity crimes in the region.
The Israeli military has recently carried out a series of operations aimed at members of Palestinian armed groups, which it alleges were involved in the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. That attack resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and 251 hostages taken. In response, Israel initiated a large-scale military campaign in Gaza, which the territory's health ministry states has led to over 73,290 deaths.