Seven Killed in Gaza City Strikes on Nakba Day

At least seven Palestinians were killed and dozens injured in two Israeli strikes on a residential building and a civilian vehicle in Gaza City on Friday, according to medical sources. The deaths occurred on the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, the day marking the expulsion of an estimated 750,000 Palestinians from their homes during the 1948 war that led to the creation of Israel.

Medical sources told Anadolu news agency that three of the victims died in a strike on a civilian vehicle while four others were killed in an attack on a building in the Rimal neighbourhood of western Gaza City. Three women and a child were among those killed, sources told Al Jazeera.

Anadolu reported at least 45 others were injured, several in critical condition.

Jazeera correspondent Ibrahim Al Khalili reported that the attack on the building involved at least four missiles. A massive fire then engulfed the residential building, he said, adding that panic spread at the scene as residents fled. The area west of Gaza City is overcrowded because many people had moved there from eastern areas seeking refuge from ongoing Israeli military operations, Al Khalili explained.

Mahmoud Basel, Gaza’s civil defence spokesman, told Reuters that hundreds of people were living inside the targeted building. “The missile was fired without any pre-warning or notification. We are talking about a number of [dead]. We are talking about a big number of wounded, among them families,” Basel said.

“The missile was fired without any pre-warning or notification. We are talking about a number of [dead]. The statement did not indicate whether the target was killed. Hamas has not commented on the strike and Al Jazeera has not independently confirmed the Israeli account. The officials said the targeted individual was responsible for the murder, abduction and injury of thousands of Israeli civilians and soldiers. They also accused him of obstructing a peace deal by refusing to disarm Hamas and demilitarise the Gaza Strip.”

Despite a ceasefire established last October, fighting has continued in Gaza. Close to 850 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since then, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Al Khalili said many Palestinians had expected the ceasefire to bring relief but that it had instead continued to bring tragedy.