Key facts
- An Israeli airstrike killed at least eight Palestinians and wounded 20 attending a funeral in central Gaza.
- The funeral was for a person killed in an earlier Israeli strike on the same day.
- Hamas condemned the strike as a 'brutal massacre' and called for international intervention.
- The Israeli military stated it was investigating the incident.
- The deaths contribute to a toll of over 1,100 Palestinians killed since the October ceasefire.
An Israeli airstrike killed at least eight Palestinians and wounded 20 attending a funeral in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on Friday for a person killed by another Israeli strike earlier that day, Gaza health officials said. Hamas condemned the strike as a 'brutal massacre' against mourners and urged mediators and the United Nations to act to halt Israeli attacks in Gaza. The Israeli military said it was checking a Reuters request for comment but did not immediately provide one.
Residents in an area east of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip said Israeli forces used drones to broadcast audio messages ordering them to leave their homes, forcing some families to flee. These deaths add to a toll of more than 1,100 Palestinians, mostly civilians, killed by Israeli attacks since an October ceasefire between Israel and Hamas militants took effect, according to Gaza health officials. The truce has not stopped near-daily Israeli strikes, with Israel stating it is targeting militants. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed by militants in Gaza over the same period.
Conflict monitor ACLED reported Israeli airstrikes against Hamas and other militants rose to more than 40 in June, the highest monthly total since the ceasefire. The war began when Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent offensive has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. Nearly all of Gaza's 2 million people now live on a tiny strip of land along the coast, mainly in makeshift tents or damaged buildings, under Hamas control.