DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza (AP) — An Israeli strike early Saturday killed at least two children in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian health officials said.
Despite an October ceasefire between Israel and the militant group Hamas, the enclave has seen near-daily Israeli attacks that have killed over 1,007 Palestinians, the Gaza Health Ministry said.
Saturday's strike hit an apartment in Gaza City around 2 a.m local time, according to the ministry, with the death toll expected to rise as rescue teams work on recovering more bodies. There was no immediate information on the number of the wounded.
At the site of the attack, an Associated Press reporter saw scattered rubble and chunks of concrete stained with blood.
The bodies of the two sisters, 4-year-old Zina and 14-year-old Lana, were sent to Shifa Hospital's morgue, where they lay shrouded in white hospital bags, surrounded by family members.
“I was sitting at home. The rocket fell on us without a warning,” said their cousin, Mohammad Safadi, who had a forehead wound.
He said both he and his wife were wounded in the attack.
“This ceasefire the occupation and the negotiation team speak of … is this really a ceasefire? We are civilians. I never held a weapon,” Safadi added.
The Israeli military didn’t immediately issue a statement, but said it was looking into the incident. Israel says it is targeting Hamas and other militants who pose a threat.
Five Israeli soldiers have been killed since the truce.
The war erupted when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel's retaliatory military offensive in the Gaza Strip has since killed 73,018 Palestinians, including those slain since the ceasefire, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Saturday.
The health ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records that are generally considered reliable by United Nations agencies and independent experts. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants but says women and children make up around half of all fatalities.
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