Israeli Airstrike Kills Five in Gaza City Apartment Building

An Israeli airstrike destroyed an apartment building in western Gaza City early Saturday, killing at least five Palestinians, including four women, and injuring several others. The attack occurred during the early hours while residents slept, prompting swift condemnation from Palestinian officials and mourning from local Christian communities.

Airstrike Hits Remal Neighborhood Apartment Building

The airstrike hit the al-Asala building in the crowded Remal neighborhood of Gaza City without prior warning, according to Al Jazeera’s reporting from the ground. The blast tore through the targeted apartment and ripped into the floors below, sparking a fire that burned for roughly an hour before Palestinian Civil Defense crews extinguished the flames.

Witnesses described chaotic scenes in the darkness. We were asleep and suddenly heard continuous strikes and heavy explosions. The children woke up startled and started running and screaming, local resident Ahmed al-Dahdouh told Reuters. Neighbors rushed outside to find adjacent structures heavily damaged and victims scattered beneath the debris.

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Medical staff at al-Shifa Hospital confirmed that four of the five dead were women. Rescuers continued searching the rubble for missing individuals as military aircraft remained active overhead.

Across the wider coastal enclave, additional military operations unfolded on the same day. In northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya area, an Israeli drone fired at a group gathered in Abbas Kilani square, killing a 35-year-old man identified as Mahmud Ibrahim Aliyan. Another man sustained gunshot injuries in the western part of Beit Lahiya and was evacuated to the American field hospital operating in northern Gaza. In southern areas, artillery bombardments struck Khan Younis, al-Bureij, and western Rafah, while military helicopters opened fire in the same sectors. Additional ground operations took place near the Abbad al-Rahman College in northern Gaza City, leaving several people injured, and a drone projectile struck the Arnaut family home courtyard in Beit Lahiya during the early morning hours, wounding three individuals.

Israeli air attack on Gaza City apartment kills at least five — Photo: Aljazeera

Identities of the Victims and Community Mourning

Among those killed in the strike were a Christian mother and her daughter, identified by family, medics, and church authorities as Maisa Abu Dawoud (also referred to in reports as Misa) and her daughter Mary. Officials also identified another victim as female academic Dr. Yasmin Al-Bobo, as detailed by the National Council.

The loss struck deeply at the enclave’s minority Christian population.

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The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem issued a statement mourning the two victims and offering condolences to their relatives. Concurrently, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa expressed profound sorrow over the deaths and offered his prayers for the protection of civilian lives and a just peace. Meanwhile, Palestinian National Council President Rawhi Fattouh and the National Council emphasized unity across faiths, stating that Palestinian blood is one and does not differentiate between Muslims and Christians, while denouncing the assault as part of a campaign targeting an entire people regardless of religion, age, or profession.

Israel Targets Hamas Official as Hamas Denies Claims

The Israeli military stated that the overnight operation targeted an apartment in Gaza in an attempt to kill Ali al-Amoudi, a high-ranking official of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).

Israeli Airstrike Kills Five in Gaza City Apartment Building — Photo: The Hindu

Hamas denies these accusations, asserting that Israel is systematically undermining the peace accord and using the agreement as a cover to continue attacks on the densely populated territory.

Diplomatic and institutional reactions quickly followed the escalation. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the strike as part of an annihilation campaign, called for global accountability mechanisms, urged the United States administration to exert its influence to curb military actions, and demanded the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid and a complete Israeli withdrawal. According to figures compiled by the Gaza Government Media Office, military forces have breached the ceasefire terms more than 5,147 times, resulting in the deaths of 1,421 Palestinians and wounding 4,983 others since the arrangement took effect in October 2025. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that the broader offensive launched on October 7, 2023, has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and injured over 174,000 others, while destroying ninety percent of the enclave’s infrastructure.