Israeli Strike Kills Family of Six in Gaza City
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- Firas al-Masri, his wife Salsabeel, and their four children (Faryal, Salma, Amira, Naim) were killed in an Israeli air strike on their apartment in Gaza City's al-Sabra neighbourhood overnight, his brother told the BBC.
- The Israeli military said the strike targeted a Hamas operative and that it is "still looking into the results."
- The UN human rights office condemned the intensification, noting at least 57 Palestinians — including six children and eight women — were killed between 13 and 20 July, with 34 of them "far away" from the Yellow Line marking Israeli-controlled territory.
- Spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan declared "nowhere is safe for Palestinians in Gaza" nine months after the ceasefire and warned of potential "war crimes and other possible atrocity crimes."
- Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry reported at least 1,168 Palestinians killed by Israeli attacks since the October ceasefire, while four Israeli soldiers were killed in Palestinian attacks over the same period.
Why it matters: The UN's finding that 34 of 57 recent Palestinian deaths occurred beyond Israeli-controlled territory directly undercuts the Israeli military's framing that strikes target Hamas operatives in active zones. With 1,168 Palestinians killed since October's ceasefire against four Israeli soldier deaths, the disparity reinforces the UN's warning that civilian protection in Gaza has effectively collapsed.
