Seven killed in Gaza on Nakba Day amid Israeli military operations

Seven Palestinians have been confirmed dead and dozens injured in two recent air strikes by Israel on a residential building and a civilian vehicle in Gaza City. The attacks occurred on Friday, according to medical sources.

The Israeli military stated that it targeted Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the head of Hamas’s armed wing in Gaza, as part of an operation aimed at disrupting terrorist activities. Haddad was identified by Israel as one of the architects of recent attacks on October 7.

Medical sources reported that three Palestinians were killed in a strike on a civilian vehicle and four others died in an attack on a building in the Rimal neighborhood of western Gaza City. Three women and a child were among those confirmed dead, according to Anadolu news agency.

At least 45 people were injured, with several reportedly in critical condition, according to Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Gaza, Ibrahim Al Khalili. The attack involved at least four missiles, which caused a massive fire that engulfed the residential building. Witnesses described the scene as chaotic, with many Palestinians forced to flee due to panic.

The attacks occurred on the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, a day commemorating the estimated 750,000 Palestinians who were displaced from their homes during the 1948 war. The area targeted by the Israeli military is densely populated, with hundreds of people living in the residential building that was struck.

Gaza’s civil defense spokesman, Mahmoud Basel, stated that the missile was fired without prior warning or notification, resulting in significant casualties. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement accusing Haddad of being responsible for the murder, abduction, and injury of thousands of Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers.

Source: Al Jazeera