Palestinians on Saturday buried a woman pregnant with twins and two of her children who were among at least 13 people killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza. The funeral took place at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, where mourners gathered to pay their last respects to Islam Karsou, who was expecting twins, and her children Hamza and Naya Al-Tanani.
Details of the Strikes
The Israeli strikes on Friday resulted in the deaths of at least 13 individuals, including two men killed in Gaza City and eight others in the southern city of Khan Younis, according to local hospitals. Officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis reported that among the eight dead were four police officers, who were killed when Israel targeted a police vehicle.
Khalid Al-Tanani, a resident of Beit Lahiya, recounted the series of strikes that claimed the lives of his wife and two of his four children in the northern Gaza Strip. “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. I went inside and found my wife, Islam Al-Tanani, martyred, and my son, Hamza, and Naya in her mother’s arms. I found them martyred,” he said.
The children were aged 4 and 13 years old. Hamza’s 13-year-old twin survived, along with another of the couple’s children. Al-Tanani mentioned that they had just begun discussing gathering baby items and clothes for the expected twins.
Family Grief and Military Response
Family members wailed over the bodies during the funeral. “You took my soul with you, Hamza, you took me with you and broke me, Hamza,” his grandmother sobbed. Israel’s military stated that several militants had threatened troops in the area and that they targeted them in an airstrike after warning civilians. However, Al-Tanani insisted that the strikes came without prior notice.
Israel’s military confirmed it had targeted two militants that threatened its troops in Gaza City but did not comment on the third strike in Khan Younis that killed eight people.
Ceasefire Under Strain
While the heaviest fighting has mostly subsided, deadly Israeli strikes have repeatedly disrupted the truce since it took effect on Oct. 10. The escalating Palestinian toll has led many in Gaza to feel that the war has continued unabated. Israeli forces frequently fire on Palestinians near military-held zones, and militants have carried out shooting attacks on troops. Israel says its strikes are in response to those attacks and other violations.
Four Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire began. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israeli attacks have killed more than 790 people since the fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was put in place six months ago. The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are considered generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts, though it does not provide a breakdown of civilians and militants.
Overall Casualties
Overall, the health ministry reports that 72,300 Palestinians have been killed since the war in Gaza began with the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel. That attack saw Hamas-led militants storm into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
