Israeli drone strikes kill at least 14 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including several during a funeral procession in the Nuseirat refugee camp.
Israeli military strikes killed at least 14 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, with a drone strike on a funeral procession in the Nuseirat refugee camp accounting for more than half of the casualties. The strike targeted mourners gathered outside the Ahmad Yassin Mosque as they prepared to begin a procession for a person killed earlier that day. While the Israeli military confirmed the strike targeted a "terrorist" cell, it acknowledged that several uninvolved civilians were harmed and stated the results are under review. These attacks occur despite a nominal ceasefire with Hamas that began last October. Although the heaviest fighting has subsided, the Gaza health ministry reports that at least 1,123 people have been killed since the ceasefire took effect. The military maintains that its strikes are necessary responses to violations by militants, who have killed five Israeli soldiers during the same period. The research group ACLED noted that Israeli attacks on the enclave have increased since May, reaching a monthly high of over 40 strikes last month.