An Israeli airstrike struck a funeral in the Gaza Strip on Friday, killing at least seven people and wounding 22 others, according to Al-Awda hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp. The funeral was for a Palestinian who had been killed in an earlier Israeli attack that same day. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the incident.
Ceasefire context and ongoing casualties
The strike comes despite a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that took effect in October, aimed at ending a two-year-long war. While heavy fighting has subsided, Gaza's health ministry reports that at least 1,123 people have been killed since the ceasefire began. The ministry maintains detailed casualty records that are considered generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts.
Accusations and violations
An independent UN inquiry has found that Israel continues to commit genocide by deliberately targeting Palestinian children in Gaza. Militants have carried out shooting attacks on Israeli troops, and Israel states its strikes are in response to those and other violations. Since the ceasefire, five Israeli soldiers have been killed.
Broader war toll
The war started after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Israel's subsequent offensive in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, including those killed since the ceasefire, according to Gaza's health ministry.
