An Israeli airstrike on Wednesday struck a family home in the central Gaza Strip city of Deir al-Balah, killing a man, his wife, and their six-year-old daughter, according to Palestinian health officials. The attack also left a three-year-old boy injured but alive. Palestinian medics identified the deceased as Omar Abu Qassem, his wife Asma, and their daughter Habeeba. The child survivor, Sami, was reportedly wounded in the strike.
Friends and relatives gathered at Al Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah to mourn the family before burying the bodies. Relatives expressed grief over the loss and the ongoing violence affecting Gaza's civilian population. Palestinian health authorities said that, since an October 2025 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, more than 1,100 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have died in Israeli strikes, with thousands more wounded. The number of children in Gaza who have lost one or both parents has surpassed 58,000, according to United Nations figures released last year.
In Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, another individual was killed in an Israeli airstrike, medics reported. The Israeli military confirmed conducting an air operation in Deir al-Balah, stating it had targeted a Hamas militant but did not provide further details. Palestinian health officials also reported that 12 fatalities and 18 injuries occurred over the preceding 24 hours due to Israeli attacks, noting that some victims remained trapped under rubble.
The renewed violence comes amid faltering ceasefire negotiations mediated by Egypt, Türkiye, and Qatar in Cairo. Discussions focused on implementing the second phase of a US-brokered Gaza peace plan advanced under former President Donald Trump. Key provisions under consideration include disarming Hamas, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and empowering a US-backed Palestinian technocratic committee to govern the enclave. An international security force, pledged by five countries—Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Albania—would oversee stability and assist reconstruction efforts. However, deployment of these troops has not yet occurred, as talks between Hamas and the US-backed Board of Peace remain stalled amid deep distrust.
Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace envoy, acknowledged that while the October ceasefire is technically still in effect, violations continue regularly and Hamas has not committed to a formal negotiation road map. The ongoing hostilities reportedly have also resulted in the deaths of four Israeli soldiers since the ceasefire was enacted.
The violence persists despite the ceasefire, which brought a halt to major combat operations in October 2025 after nearly two years of conflict. According to Palestinian sources, Israeli attacks have resulted in over 73,000 Palestinian deaths and more than 173,000 injuries since the war began in late 2023. The situation remains volatile, with daily reports of casualties and widespread hardships in the Gaza Strip.