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An Israeli airstrike killed at least five Palestinians, including four women, in Gaza City, according to Palestinian health and civil defence officials.
The strike hit an apartment building in the Rimal neighbourhood early on Saturday.
Among those killed were a Christian mother, Maisa Abu Dawoud, and her daughter, Mary, according to medics and church officials.
The attack destroyed the building and started a fire. Israel did not immediately comment on the strike.
Witness Ahmed Al-Dahdouh said residents were asleep when a series of explosions struck the area.
He said children woke up frightened and began running and screaming.
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Residents then found people trapped under the rubble of a neighbouring building, he said.
“We started to pull them out,” Al-Dahdouh said, describing the scene after the strike.
Israel says Hamas has been rebuilding its military capabilities and launching attacks despite the ceasefire.
Hamas denies the allegations. The group has accused Israel of violating the Gaza peace agreement.
A US-brokered ceasefire agreement last year called for the eventual reconstruction of Gaza.
However, negotiations over the next phase have made limited progress. The proposed deal includes provisions for Hamas to disarm and for Israeli forces to withdraw from Gaza.
Al-Shifa Hospital said it received five bodies and several wounded people after the airstrike.
The hospital said the victims included two women and their daughters, along with a young man.
Mahmoud Bassal, a civil defence spokesperson, said rescuers recovered five bodies from the damaged building.
He said two missiles directly hit the apartment and caused a fire.
Hospital officials later confirmed that two of the victims were Christians.
Their funeral took place at the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City.
Relatives and friends gathered at the church to mourn Maisa Abu Dawoud and her daughter Mary.
Muslim friends also attended the funeral.
Around 1,000 Christians live in Gaza, most of them members of the Orthodox community.
Fouad Al-Najjar, a relative of the victims, described the deaths as one of the worst days of his life.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem also mourned the mother and daughter.
It called for an end to the war and attacks on civilians. The Patriarchate also appealed for a just peace that would allow Gaza’s residents to live safely.
Gaza health officials say at least 1,400 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire began last October.
Israel says four of its soldiers have been killed by militants in Gaza during the same period.
The latest strike adds to concerns over the fragile ceasefire and the lack of progress towards a lasting settlement.
[…] Gaza Israeli Strike Kills Five Palestinians in Gaza City […]