An Israeli airstrike on Tuesday in Gaza City killed six members of a single family, including a father, his wife, and their four children, according to Gaza health officials. The attack, which set the family’s home on fire in the Sabra neighborhood, is among the deadliest incidents reported since a ceasefire agreement was reached more than nine months ago.

Medics identified the victims as Firas Al Masri, his wife Salsabeel, and their three daughters and son. The Israeli military confirmed conducting an airstrike at the location, stating that the intended target was a Hamas militant. Officials added they were still assessing the aftermath of the operation.

Video footage from the scene showed emergency responders working to extinguish flames engulfing the house and recovering bodies covered in white shrouds. Abu Yusuf Al Masri, father of Firas, told reporters the strike occurred while the family was asleep. He described the loss as merciless and without prior warning.

“We were unable to save our grandchildren and children from the flames and the devastation,” Abu Yusuf said. “Around five or six were killed, most of them children and women. There is no relative calm and there is no safe place, at all,” he added, standing outside the damaged home.

This attack is part of a series of four strikes by Israeli forces since Friday, which the military says have targeted and killed four militants affiliated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Three of those militants reportedly participated in the October 7, 2023, raid on southern Israel, in which over 1,200 Israelis were killed and approximately 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities.

Since the ceasefire brokered in October, Gaza health officials report more than 1,150 Palestinians have died in Israeli operations, the majority being civilians. Hamas, for its part, typically does not release casualty figures. On the Israeli side, four soldiers have been killed by militants in Gaza during the same period.

Despite the truce halting full-scale hostilities, near-daily Israeli airstrikes have continued, with Israel stating that militants remain the primary targets. Diplomatic efforts involving Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United States aim to advance a peace plan originally proposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump. This plan calls for the disarmament of Hamas and phased Israeli withdrawals, but progress remains stagnant.

The broader conflict traces back to Hamas-led attacks in October 2023, which triggered a war that has since resulted in extensive casualties and ongoing instability in the region.