Funerals Held in Gaza After Israeli Strikes Kill Pregnant Woman and Her Children
Tel Aviv — Palestinians in Gaza on Saturday held funerals for a pregnant woman carrying twins and two of her children who were killed in Israeli strikes, as renewed attacks continued to test a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that has repeatedly been punctuated by deadly violence.
Medical officials said at least 13 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Friday across the Gaza Strip, including Islam Al-Tanani, who was pregnant with twins, and her children Hamza and Naya in the northern town of Beit Lahiya.
The deaths added to mounting civilian casualties despite the truce that took effect on Oct. 10, with residents and aid workers warning that daily strikes continue to make the ceasefire feel largely symbolic for many Palestinians.Khalid Al-Tanani, the husband of the deceased woman, described a series of strikes that hit their home in quick succession.
“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,” he said.“I found my wife, Islam Al-Tanani, martyred, and my son Hamza, and Naya in her mother’s arms.”Hamza was four years old and Naya was 13.
Islam was expecting twins, family members said.Hamza’s 13-year-old twin brother survived, along with another child of the couple. Relatives said the family had recently begun preparing for the arrival of the newborns.
Mourners gathered at the funeral on Saturday at Al-Shifa Hospital, where grieving relatives wept over the bodies before burial.In southern Gaza, officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said eight more people, including four police officers, were killed when Israel struck a police vehicle.
Two other men were reported killed in Gaza City, bringing Friday’s total death toll to at least 13, according to local hospitals.Israel’s military said several militants had threatened troops operating in the area and that forces carried out an airstrike after warning civilians to leave.
Al-Tanani disputed that account, saying no warning had been issued before the strikes.The military separately said it had targeted two militants who posed a threat to Israeli troops in Gaza City but did not comment directly on the strike in Khan Younis that killed eight people.
Although large-scale fighting has eased since the ceasefire began, Israeli forces continue to fire near military-held zones and militants have launched attacks on troops, contributing to repeated violations of the truce.Israel says its strikes are responses to militant activity and security threats. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire took effect, according to Israeli officials.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said more than 790 Palestinians have been killed since the truce began six months ago. The ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government, says 72,300 Palestinians have been killed since the war began.The war was triggered by the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, in which around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed, according to Israeli authorities.
The continued bloodshed has deepened concerns among international mediators that the ceasefire remains highly vulnerable, with civilians bearing the heaviest cost of repeated breakdowns in calm.
