Full Breakdown
Israeli Airstrike in Gaza City Kills Five, Including Two Christian Women
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The Strike and Immediate Casualties
An Israeli airstrike hit the ground floor of an apartment building in Gaza City’s Remal neighbourhood on Saturday morning. Health and civil-defence officials said the blast destroyed the structure, ignited a fire and left at least five Palestinians dead, four of them women. Among the dead were Maysa Abu Daoud and her 14-year-old daughter Mary al-Najjar, members of Gaza’s small Greek Orthodox community.
Background & Context
The strike occurred under a U.S.-brokered cease-fire that began in October 2025. Gaza’s Christian minority—fewer than 1 % of the Strip’s more than 2 million residents—has previously suffered attacks on places of worship, including the July 17 2025 strike on the Holy Family Catholic Church and the October 19 2023 assault on the Saint Porphyrius Church compound.
Data & Statistics
- Gaza health officials report at least 1,400 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire since the cease-fire.
- The Ministry of Health in Gaza cites at least 74,228 deaths overall since the war began.
Official Statements & Responses
- The Israeli force claimed to have used “precise munitions” and expressed regret for civilian casualties.
- Hamas: identified al-Amoudi as the head of its political office in Gaza but did not confirm his death.
- Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa: expressed “deep sorrow and grief” over the killing of the two Christian women and extended condolences to their families and the broader Christian community.
- Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem: issued a statement of condolence.
- Civil-defence spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal: confirmed that five bodies and several wounded were taken to hospital after two missiles struck the apartment, causing a fire.
Why It Matters
The loss of two Christian women highlights the vulnerability of Gaza’s already-small Christian population and raises concerns about the cease-fire’s durability. Civilian casualties among minority groups challenge the credibility of the October 2025 agreement and the feasibility of protecting non-combatants in densely populated urban areas.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Casualty totals differ: Gaza health officials cite >= 1,400 deaths since the cease-fire, while the Ministry of Health gives a broader figure of >= 74,228 overall.
- Target outcome remains unclear: Israeli statements claim the strike aimed at al-Amoudi, yet Hamas and independent observers have not confirmed his death.
- Independent verification of the strike’s civilian impact is limited, leaving gaps in the factual record.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Since the ceasefire was signed back in October 2025, nearly a year now, we’re looking at more than 5,000 violations by the Israeli military,” — Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud
- “We are Muslims and these are our Christian brethren, who are not involved in anything, they are peaceful people, and everybody loves them, and now we pulled out their bodies, a mother and her daughter,” — Dahdouh.