TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) – On Saturday, Palestinians held a funeral for a woman who was pregnant with twins and her two children, among the at least 13 individuals killed in recent Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. The casualties from the previous day included two men in Gaza City and eight others in Khan Younis, according to local hospital reports. Officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis confirmed that the eight victims, which included four police officers, were targeted when Israel struck a police vehicle.
Khalid Al-Tanani, a resident of Beit Lahiya, recounted the harrowing events that led to the deaths of his wife, Islam Al-Tanani, and two of their four children in the northern Gaza Strip. He described the chaos of the initial airstrike, stating, “With the first shell, thank God we all survived and were calling out to each other. Then they fired the second, third, and fourth shells one after the other. Their voices fell silent.” Al-Tanani found his wife and children, Hamza and Naya, both dead, with Naya being just four years old and Hamza at 13.
Al-Tanani's family mourned deeply during the funeral, with his mother expressing her grief, saying, “You took my soul with you, Hamza, you took me with you and broke me.” The couple's 13-year-old twin survived the attack, along with another child, highlighting the tragedy of a family that had recently begun preparing for the arrival of their new twins.
In response to the airstrikes, Israel’s military stated that they aimed to neutralize several militants who had allegedly threatened troops in the Gaza area. However, Al-Tanani refuted this, claiming the strikes occurred without prior warning. The Israeli military also announced that they had targeted two militants in Gaza City and did not provide additional comments regarding the strike that resulted in the deaths of eight individuals in Khan Younis.
Even as heavy fighting has decreased, deadly Israeli airstrikes have consistently interrupted a ceasefire that came into effect on October 10. The rising death toll among Palestinians has led many to express that the war feels ongoing. Since the ceasefire was established, Israeli attacks have reportedly resulted in the deaths of over 790 people, as per the Gaza Health Ministry, which is under the Hamas-led government. The ministry maintains reliable casualty records acknowledged by U.N. agencies and independent experts, albeit without distinguishing between civilians and militants.
The overall count of Palestinians killed since the war began with the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel stands at approximately 72,300, according to health ministry reports. The conflict erupted when Hamas militants launched an assault into southern Israel, causing the deaths of around 1,200 people, predominantly civilians, marking a significant escalation in violence in the region.
