Gaza City: The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian factions has once again been shattered, as Israeli forces carried out a deadly airstrike in Gaza, killing eleven members of a single family — including seven children and three women. The attack marks one of the deadliest violations of the truce since it was announced, drawing widespread condemnation from across the region.
According to local media reports, the strike targeted a civilian vehicle in the Al-Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City. Witnesses said the car was returning home when an Israeli fighter jet launched a precision-guided missile, instantly obliterating the vehicle and killing all passengers on board. Rescue teams and residents rushed to the site but found no survivors.
Medical authorities in Gaza confirmed that among the martyrs were several children and women from the same household. “It was a horrific scene — the bodies were burned beyond recognition,” said a paramedic who participated in the rescue operation.
The Israeli military has not issued an official statement regarding the incident, but Palestinian sources report that the attack took place despite the ongoing ceasefire agreement that had been brokered to halt weeks of escalating violence. The truce, reached through international mediation, was meant to provide relief to Gaza’s besieged population and allow humanitarian operations to resume.
In response, the Palestinian resistance group Hamas strongly condemned the Israeli assault, calling it a “gross violation of the ceasefire and a continuation of Israel’s policy of collective punishment.” In an official statement, Hamas said:
“Even during declared truces, the occupation continues to shed the blood of innocent civilians. This latest massacre is further proof that Israel cannot be trusted to honor any agreement.”
The group warned that such actions could “destroy the remaining chances for calm” and that the resistance reserves the right to respond.
International observers and humanitarian organizations have also expressed alarm over the renewed violence. The Gaza-based Ministry of Health reported that Israel’s latest strikes have pushed civilian casualties to alarming levels, with many victims being women and children.
