Dr. Jom’a Al Saqqa, head of the public relations office at al Shifa Hospital in Gaza, reported on Wednesday that the Israeli army shelled a Palestinian house in Gaza city killing a husband, his wife and their seven children.
Dr. Al Saqqa identified the killed family members as Nabil Abu Salmiya, his wife Salwa, both 39, and their seven children were identified as Nasrallah, Basima, 16, Sumayya, 12, Huda, 8, Eman, 11, Aya, 7, and Yahia, 13.
At least 37 residents were injured in the attack, three seriously. Most of the injured residents are children.
The building was targeted by two missiles fired from an F-16 fighter-jet. It was completely demolished while damage was reported to several surrounding houses.
Dr. Al Saqqa added that the bodies of the killed family members were severely mutilated and burnt which made it difficult to identify them. Two members of the same family were rescued after civil defense teams managed to evacuate them after they were buried under the rubble for four hours.
None of the killed and injured residents is affiliated with any resistance group.
Army claimed targeting a senior leader of Hamas’ armed wing, Mohammad Deif, and several leaders of the Al Qassam Brigades, several leaders of Hamas’ armed wing were present at the targeted house, according to army sources.
The army added that Deif was at the house of Abu Salmiya, one of the leaders of the Hamas movement.
Meanwhile, Abu Obeida, media spokesperson of the brigades, said that Deif was unharmed in the attack.
Also on Wednesday, Israeli air force fired missiles at a Palestinian vehicle in Gaza, several residents were injured.
Abu Obeida, media spokesperson of the Al Qassam Brigades, denied the Israeli claims adding that Israel it attempting to “cover its crime after targeting a civilian house”.
Six Family members Killed in pre-dawn air strike in Gaza
George Rishmawi – IMEMC & Agencies, 09:48
Six Palestinian civilians, including a husband, wife and four children were killed Wednesday morning after an Israeli F-16 jet fighter fired a one-ton bomb at their house in
Palestinian medical sources said the bodies Dr. Nabil Abu Salmiya and his wife and children were severely mutilated as a result of the bomb that hit their three-story house in Sheikh Radwan neighborhood north of
The source added that 15 others were wounded, some of which are in a critical condition, including women and children. One of the wounded picked alive from the rubble is the only surviver of Abu Salimiya family.
Israeli military sources said the attack targeted Mohammad Deif and Ahmad Al-Ghandour, leaders of the Qassam Brigade, the armed wing of Hamas, and claimed that the shelled house was used as hiding place for Hamas operatives.
Abu Obaida, spokesman of Al-Qassam brigade, said Deif and Al-Ghandour are safe and were not harmed and vowed a painful revenge.
The Israeli Air Force carried out a similar attack on a house in
After bombarding the house, which was leveled to the ground, eyewitnesses said the same warplane fired a missile at a car in an attempt to kill Raed Sa’ad, another Qassam brigade operative. Sa’ad managed to jump out of the car before it was hit by the missile, witnesses said.
In a separate incident, a Palestinian security force member was killed and three others wounded near the Kissufim crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip after they clashed with an Israeli force who invaded the area east of Khan Younis in the central Gaza Strip.
Dozens of Israeli military vehicles entered the strip from the Kissufim crossing point and positioned themselves on Salah Iddin road, the main highway connecting northern and southern Gaza Strip.
Troops were also positioned on the rooftops of houses in the town of Deir Al-Balah. Soldiers opened fired at a Palestinian security checkpoint, killing Ziad Abu Mugheisib, 20, and wounded three others.
