DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza — Two children lost their lives in an Israeli strike on a Gaza City apartment early Saturday morning, Palestinian health officials reported.
Even with a ceasefire in place between Israel and the militant group Hamas, the Gaza Strip has experienced near-daily Israeli attacks that have collectively killed more than 1,007 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The strike hit a residential apartment in Gaza City at approximately 2 a.m. local time, the ministry said. Rescue crews were still working to recover additional bodies, and the death toll was expected to increase. No immediate figures were available for the number of injured.
An Associated Press reporter who visited the scene observed broken rubble and large pieces of concrete covered in blood.
The two victims were identified as sisters — 4-year-old Zina and 14-year-old Lana. Their bodies were taken to the morgue at Shifa Hospital, where they were wrapped in white hospital bags as family members gathered around them.
Their cousin, Mohammad Safadi, who suffered a wound to his forehead, described the moment of the attack. “I was sitting at home. The rocket fell on us without a warning,” he said, adding that both he and his wife were also injured.
Safadi questioned the validity of the ongoing ceasefire. “This ceasefire the occupation and the negotiation team speak of … is this really a ceasefire? We are civilians. I never held a weapon,” he said.
The Israeli military did not immediately release a statement but indicated it was looking into the matter. Israel has maintained that its operations target Hamas and other armed groups that pose a security threat.
Five Israeli soldiers have died since the truce went into effect.
The conflict began when Hamas-led militants launched an attack into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Israel’s military response in Gaza has since resulted in the deaths of 73,018 Palestinians, including those killed after the ceasefire began, the Gaza Health Ministry reported Saturday.
The Health Ministry operates under the Hamas-led government but is staffed by medical professionals who maintain detailed casualty records. United Nations agencies and independent analysts generally regard its data as reliable. The ministry does not separate civilian deaths from militant deaths, though it notes that women and children account for roughly half of all fatalities.
