In brief
Israeli aircraft carried out three separate strikes in Gaza City, causing the deaths of 12 Palestinians and the destruction of a family home. Medics detail the impact on a local family whose apartment caught fire, resulting in the loss of the parents, their children and the son. The Israeli Defence Forces say the strikes targeted Hamas operatives and are continuing their investigations. The incident adds to an already high number of civilian casualties since the cease‑fire agreement.
Three Israeli strikes on Gaza City properties caused the death of 12 Palestinians, including a six‑member family, according to local medics.
The first attack targeted a family’s apartment in the western Al‑Sabra neighbourhood, setting the building ablaze while the occupants were inside. Video footage showed the home on fire overnight. A brother of the family told the BBC that the fire claimed his life, that of his wife Salsabeel and their children Faryal, Salma, Amira and Naim.
The Israeli military says it intended to hit a Hamas operative and is still reviewing the outcome of the strike. Reports from Gaza’s Hamas‑run health ministry indicate that 1,168 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the cease‑fire took effect last October, and four Israeli soldiers have died in Palestinian strikes on Gaza during the same period.
The UN Human Rights Office condemned a recent intensification of military actions, and between 13 and 20 July at least 57 Palestinians—including six children and eight women—were killed in attacks on residential areas and a tent camp for displaced families. A spokesman for the UN said “nine months after the cease‑fire, still nowhere is safe for Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel has launched a series of attacks against members of Palestinian armed groups, citing their involvement in the Hamas‑led assault on Israel on 7 October 2023. In response the Israeli military has carried out a large scale campaign in Gaza, claiming a toll of 73,290 people killed according to the territory’s health ministry.
