An Israeli air strike struck a crowded market area in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on Friday, killing eight people, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency and local hospitals. The Israeli military said the operation targeted a “terrorist cell” belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group.
The strike took place near the Al-Balata market during a funeral procession, authorities from Gaza’s civil defence, which operates under Hamas, reported. Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesman for the agency, confirmed that the attack was on a gathering of civilians and resulted in multiple casualties. Al-Awda hospital in the vicinity received eight dead and 22 wounded from the strike.
The Israeli military acknowledged carrying out the attack, stating it had targeted a terrorist cell in the central Gaza Strip. The military said it was reviewing reports that uninvolved civilians might have been affected by the strike.
In addition to the fatalities reported near the market, the civil defence and hospital authorities cited five other deaths from separate Israeli strikes during the same day, including two women and the man whose funeral was underway at the market. Since a truce took effect in October 2025, at least 1,127 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority and is widely considered a credible source by the United Nations.
On the Israeli side, the military reports that five soldiers and one civilian contractor have died in Gaza over the same period. Media restrictions and limited journalist access continue to complicate independent verification of casualty numbers and the overall scope of violence in the region.
Meanwhile, in Paris, around 50 demonstrators including doctors, trade unionists, and pro-Palestinian activists gathered outside France’s foreign ministry calling for the release of Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan hospital. Abu Safiya has been detained by Israeli authorities since December 2024 amid reports he has endured torture and sustained life-threatening injuries while in custody. The protest, organized by hospital unions, featured chants demanding his release.
International organizations, including the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and Amnesty International, have all called on Israel to free Abu Safiya, highlighting concerns over his treatment and ongoing detention. Efforts to reach a durable ceasefire agreement remain stalled, even as intermittent violence continues to claim lives on both sides.