The military claimed responsibility for an airstrike in the central Gaza Strip on Sunday, stating that it targeted a significant Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative. However, the strike resulted in the deaths of a Palestinian woman, Hala Khattab, and her six children, including young quintuplets, which was reported by Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. The incident occurred in Deir el-Balah, and the bodies were counted by an Associated Press reporter at the hospital.
The children’s grandfather, Mohammed Awad Khattab, expressed disbelief and grief over the attack, noting that his daughter was a teacher and her children were innocent. The hospital mentioned the children’s ages, with the youngest being 18 months and the eldest reportedly 15 years old according to the New York Times. The father, Ashraf Attar, narrowly survived the strike, but sustained injuries. The family insists that Attar, a nurse, was not involved in any terrorist activities, questioning the justification for the airstrike.
Airstrike in Gaza Strip Targets Operative but Kills Woman and Children Amid Controversy
In response, the IDF stated that the operation was based on precise intelligence and was aimed at an Islamic Jihad terrorist involved in attacks against IDF troops. The IDF emphasized that the strike was conducted with precision, following aerial surveillance, and claimed that warnings had been issued to civilians to evacuate the area. However, the family refuted the claim that any evacuation order was received.
In a related incident, a Palestinian journalist, Ibrahim Muharab, was killed by Israeli fire while covering the advance of Israeli forces in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis. His death was reported by the Hamas-run health ministry and the Palestinian Daily News. Muharab’s body was found in the ruins of Hamad City, and two other journalists were wounded in the same attack. Videos online, although unverified, appear to show the moments leading up to the attack on the journalists.
The Israeli army denied targeting journalists deliberately and stated it would not comment on Muharab’s death without further information. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned Muharab’s killing, accusing the Israeli army of targeting journalists in Gaza. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, the current conflict has been the deadliest for journalists, with at least 113 journalists and media workers killed since the start of the war following the Hamas-led attack on October 7.
