GAZA CITY
Five Palestinians were killed, including four from the same family, and 27 others injured early Thursday in fresh Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, the Health Ministry said.
An Israeli airstrike targeted a house in Tal al-Sultan neighborhood in western Rafah town, southern Gaza Strip, leaving four Palestinians dead and 27 others injured, ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qodra told Anadolu Agency.
“The bodies arrived in Abu Youssef al-Naggar Hospital in Rafah in pieces,” al-Qodra said.
An eyewitness told AA that the Israeli raid on the house of Younes family completely destroyed the building and caused serious damage to five other houses nearby.
Earlier in the day, an Israeli raid on Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza Strip left a Palestinian dead.
The fatalities raised the Palestinian death toll from Israel's ongoing military onslaught on the Gaza Strip to 2054 since July 7, ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qodra told Anadolu Agency. He added that some 10,251 people have also been injured.
They also brought to 29 the number of Palestinians killed since Israeli resumed its airstrikes on the small, densely populated strip on Tuesday.
Violence flared in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday following the collapse of Egypt-hosted indirect talks between Palestinians and Israel for reaching a permanent ceasefire deal.
Israel claims it pulled its negotiators from Cairo after rockets were fired from Gaza on Tuesday at Israeli cities.
Hamas, for its part, denies any knowledge of Tuesday's alleged rocket barrage, accusing Israel of seeking to derail the indirect negotiations in Cairo aimed at reaching a permanent ceasefire arrangement.
Since hostilities began, at least 67 Israelis – 64 soldiers and three civilians – have been killed, according to Israeli figures.
By Mustafa Haboosh
englishnews@aa.com.tr
www.aa.com.tr/en
