Israeli Strikes Kill 25 Family Members in Gaza City

Israeli Strikes Kill 25 Family Members in Gaza City

At least 25 members of the same family were killed when Israeli warplanes bombed a cluster of homes in Gaza City’s Sabra neighbourhood early Sunday, amid intensifying attacks across the besieged territory.

The strikes coincided with an Israeli ground advance into Sabra, part of a broader operation to seize control of the area. Rescue teams pulled at least 17 people from the rubble, while family members feared that as many as 50 others remained trapped, with survivors reporting they could still hear voices beneath the debris.

“We keep hearing their screams from under the rubble, but we cannot reach them,” a relative pleaded. “I appeal to the whole world: please help us. Our relatives are buried alive.”

Rescue efforts were hindered by Israeli drones firing at those attempting to dig through the debris. “For every five men making an attempt, four are killed and only one survives,” a relative said.

Footage circulating online showed casualties being carried away in small vehicles, including a grieving mother who cried that she had lost “all of my children” in the attack.

Israeli forces also conducted air raids on the Shati refugee camp in western Gaza City, the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood to the southwest, as well as Laval Tower in the Nasr district and a nearby house.

Separately, seven Palestinians, including four children, were killed in a strike on the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, near a United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) clinic, according to emergency sources.

Medical officials reported at least 68 people had been killed across Gaza since dawn on Sunday. The Gaza Health Ministry said overall casualties since October 2023 have reached 65,283 dead and 166,575 wounded. It also confirmed four more deaths from Israeli-induced starvation, bringing that toll to 440, including 147 children.

Israel continues demolishing buildings and forcing residents to flee as it presses its ground assault. The military said three divisions are advancing in Gaza City and northern Gaza, while another is operating in Khan Younis, claiming its forces killed “many terrorists” in the past 24 hours.

Gaza authorities estimate nearly 900,000 people remain in Gaza City, although Israel says more than 450,000 have been displaced since early September.

Amid the humanitarian crisis, Pope Leo condemned the forced displacement of civilians, stressing: “There is no future based on violence, forced exile, and revenge.”

Meanwhile, Britain, Canada, Australia, and Portugal announced formal recognition of Palestinian statehood just days ahead of the 80th United Nations General Assembly. Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin called Israel’s actions “a systematic assault on the very fabric of humanity, designed to erase the Palestinian people’s existence, culture, and future.”