An Israeli airstrike on an apartment building in Gaza City killed at least five Palestinians early on Saturday, 3 October, according to Palestinian health and civil defence officials.
Al-Shifa Hospital said four women were among those killed, including a Christian mother and daughter. The Associated Press reported that the casualties were taken to the hospital. apnews.com
The attack struck the al-Asala building in the western Rimal neighbourhood. Anadolu reported that medical sources identified two other women killed as university lecturer Yasmin al-Boubou and her mother, Halloum. aa.com.tr
Mother and Daughter Mourned
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem named the Christian women as Maysa Khader Abu Daoud and her daughter, Mary Hafez Najjar.
In a statement, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa expressed condolences to their relatives and Gaza’s Christian community. lpj.org
Their funeral took place on Saturday at Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza City. Mary’s son, Fouad al-Najjar, told Anadolu that he had lost both his mother and grandmother and appealed for an end to the war. aa.com.tr
Reported Target Remains Unconfirmed
The Times of Israel, citing an unnamed security source, reported that the strike targeted senior Hamas official Ali al-Amoudi.
That account has not been publicly confirmed by the Israeli military. Amoudi was not named among the reported dead, and his fate remained unclear. timesofisrael.com
Al Jazeera’s correspondent Hani al-Shaer reported that residents received no warning before the attack. aljazeera.com
Reuters reported that the strike caused a fire. Its latest account also said there was no immediate Israeli military comment. reuters.com
Deaths Amid Continuing Ceasefire Tensions
The attack came nearly a year after the October 2025 ceasefire.
Israel says Hamas has been rearming and preparing attacks in breach of the agreement. Hamas denies those allegations and accuses Israel of undermining the deal. reuters.com
The deaths also come as Gaza’s hospitals face prolonged shortages. At a UN briefing on Friday, the World Health Organization said no hospital in Gaza was fully functional.
WHO warned that delays in bringing medical supplies into the territory were restricting treatment and making disease outbreaks harder to detect and contain. It called for faster, predictable access to essential equipment and medicines. unognewsroom.org
