An airstrike carried out by Israeli forces struck an apartment building in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza, killing a man, his wife, and their six-year-old daughter on Wednesday, Palestinian health officials reported. The victims were identified as Omar Abu Qassem, his wife Asma, and their daughter Habeeba. Their three-year-old son, Sami, survived but sustained injuries during the attack.

The Israeli military stated that the strike targeted a Hamas militant in the area. The incident comes amid faltering efforts to advance a US-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Relatives and friends gathered at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah to perform prayers and say their farewells before burying the three victims. Abu Anas Shahin, a relative of the family, expressed anguish over the loss, highlighting the broader human toll in Gaza. He questioned the absence of compassion and humanitarian consideration amid ongoing violence. According to United Nations data, more than 58,000 children in Gaza have lost one or both parents as of November 2025.

In a separate incident on Wednesday, another airstrike in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City killed one person, medical officials said. The Israeli military had not provided immediate comment on that attack.

Since the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas took effect in October, over 1,100 Palestinians—mostly civilians—have been killed in Israeli strikes, according to health authorities in Gaza. Hamas does not typically release information on its casualties. Israeli forces have also reported four soldiers killed by militants in Gaza during the same timeframe.

The ceasefire, though it stopped major hostilities, has not prevented near-daily Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip. The recent violence coincides with renewed negotiations in Cairo on Tuesday, where Hamas leaders engaged with mediators from Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar to discuss implementing the second phase of a peace plan initially introduced by former US President Donald Trump.

Sources close to the talks indicated that discussions have focused on the disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli military forces from Gaza. However, they acknowledged little progress has been made due to deep-seated mistrust between the parties, leaving the future of the ceasefire uncertain.