Gaza health officials said on Friday that at least eight Palestinians were killed and 20 others were wounded in an Israeli airstrike targeting a funeral procession in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. According to the officials, the funeral was being held for an individual who had previously been killed in another Israeli strike in the same area.
Doctors in Gaza also reported that at least four more Palestinians were killed in separate Israeli attacks across different parts of the Gaza Strip. This brings the total number of people killed in Israeli strikes on Friday to at least 12, according to Gaza health authorities.
Hamas described the attack on the funeral procession in Nuseirat as a “brutal massacre” and called on international mediators and the United Nations to take action to halt Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.
In response, the Israeli military said that the target of the strike was a group affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an armed faction that operates alongside Hamas in parts of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military also said it was aware of reports that several civilians had been harmed.
According to figures released by Gaza health officials, more than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was established in October. Gaza authorities say that the majority of those killed were civilians.
The U.S.-based conflict monitoring group Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), which tracks political violence worldwide, reported that Israeli airstrikes targeting Hamas and other armed groups exceeded 40 incidents in June. The organization said this represented the highest monthly level since the ceasefire was implemented.
The group also reported that additional attacks had taken place near the front lines between the two sides, resulting in the deaths or injuries of several civilians, including women and children.
According to Gaza health authorities, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel began its military operation in the Gaza Strip in October 2023.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
