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Israeli Air Strike on Gaza City Apartment Kills at Least Five — AI-generated representative image: Civil Defence crews search a damaged residential building in Gaza City following an air strike.

Editorial Team

Residential building in Remal district hit without warning as casualties mount at al-Shifa Hospital

An Israeli air attack on a residential apartment in western Gaza City killed at least five people and severely wounded at least six others early on Saturday, according to medical staff at al-Shifa Hospital. The strike hit the al-Asala building in the Remal neighbourhood without prior warning.

The attack underscores the continuing danger faced by civilians in Gaza City, where thousands of displaced people have sought shelter in makeshift camps across one of the strip's most crowded residential areas. The timing of the strike, carried out in the middle of the night, meant most residents were asleep when the building was hit.

Night Strike on Residential Building

According to Al Jazeera correspondent Hani al-Shaer, reporting from Khan Younis, the attack occurred while residents were asleep. "We heard fighter jets getting louder, then three strikes followed, hitting the apartment and killing those inside," he said.

The strike penetrated the targeted apartment and tore through the floors below, causing further destruction throughout the multi-storey building. Fires burned for at least an hour before Palestinian Civil Defence crews managed to put them out.

Al-Shifa Hospital reported that the dead included four women, among them an elderly Christian woman and her daughter. The six wounded were taken to al-Shifa Hospital for treatment.

Remal: A Crowded Refuge for the Displaced

Remal is one of Gaza City's most crowded residential areas and has become home to thousands of displaced people sheltering in makeshift camps across the neighbourhood. This concentration of civilians has made the district particularly vulnerable to the consequences of air strikes on residential structures.

The attack on the al-Asala building follows a pattern of strikes on residential buildings in Gaza that have drawn international concern over civilian casualties. Medical facilities such as al-Shifa Hospital have repeatedly received the wounded and dead from such incidents throughout the conflict.

Witness Accounts and Casualty Details

Al-Shaer described the scene as "horrific", with people buried under the rubble as they slept. The correspondent reported that civil defence crews were still searching the site for missing people and bodies following the strike.

The absence of any prior warning before the attack was highlighted in the reporting, with residents given no opportunity to evacuate the building before it was hit. Medical staff at al-Shifa Hospital confirmed the casualty figures, including the four women among the dead.

Search and Rescue Underway

Palestinian Civil Defence crews continued searching the site for missing people and bodies as Israeli drones flew over the area and fighter jets were heard flying low across the strip. Additional information on the full extent of casualties and any further recoveries from the rubble has not yet been officially confirmed.