An Israeli air strike on a residential building in western Gaza City has killed at least five people and severely injured six others, according to medical personnel at al-Shifa Hospital. The attack targeted the al-Asala building in the Remal neighborhood early Saturday morning without any prior warning.
Al Jazeera correspondent Hani al-Shaer, reporting from Khan Younis, stated that the strike occurred in the middle of the night while residents were asleep. “We heard fighter jets getting louder, then three strikes followed, hitting the apartment and killing those inside,” he said.
The projectile penetrated the targeted unit and tore through the floors below, causing extensive damage to the multi-story structure. Fires burned for approximately an hour before Palestinian Civil Defence teams were able to extinguish them. Al-Shaer described the aftermath as “horrific,” noting that many victims were buried under rubble while they slept.
Remal is one of the most densely populated areas in Gaza City, housing thousands of displaced individuals in makeshift camps. Emergency crews continued searching the debris site for missing persons and bodies, while Israeli drones remained overhead and fighter jets were heard flying at low altitudes across the Strip.
Al-Shifa Hospital reported that the deceased included four women, among them an elderly Christian woman and her daughter. The six injured were transported to the hospital for treatment.
Four women killed, including an elderly mother and daughter. The details from the hospital are chilling. How does this keep happening?
Why was there no warning given to civilians in such a densely populated area? This seems like a clear violation of international law.
This is absolutely heartbreaking. The fact that they were asleep when it happened makes it even more tragic.