12 Palestinians Martyred in Israeli Occupation Airstrikes on Gaza

Twelve Palestinians were martyred today, Tuesday, six of them from a single family, including four children, in Israeli occupation airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, according to the Gaza Civil Defense.

Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for the Civil Defense, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that “12 martyrs fell in the Gaza Strip today in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, including a complete family of six individuals, among them four children.”

The agency stated in a bulletin that its teams managed to retrieve six martyrs—a couple and their children—after a house belonging to the al-Masri family was targeted opposite the Chamber of Commerce on al-Thalathini Street in southern Gaza City early today.

The Gaza Civil Defense also announced that four martyrs and several injured were killed following an Israeli airstrike that targeted a house near the General Service Hospital in the Samer area in central Gaza City.

In a statement, Hamas described the brutal airstrikes carried out by the “terrorist occupation army” on the al-Masri family’s home (...) as a true embodiment of the occupation’s brutality and its detachment from all human values, as well as its determination to continue its war of extermination against innocent civilians and its disregard for the ceasefire agreement signed in Sharm El-Sheikh under international sponsorship.

In response to an AFP question regarding the targeting of the al-Masri family, an Israeli military official stated that an airstrike was carried out on a Hamas site in the area.

Hamas and Israel are exchanging accusations of violating the ceasefire announced in October, following two years of war that erupted after an unprecedented attack by the movement against the Jewish state on October 7, 2023.

Israel continues its near-regular aerial and artillery bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which it occupies more than 60% of its area, resulting in casualties, injuries, and further destruction amid a severe humanitarian crisis.

Since the announcement of the ceasefire agreement, at least 1,168 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, whose data the United Nations considers reliable.

In contrast, the Israeli military announced that five soldiers and one civilian contractor were killed during the same period.