Israeli Air Attack on Gaza City Apartment Kills at Least Five
An Israeli air attack on a residential apartment in western Gaza City killed at least five people and severely wounded several others, Gaza's Civil Defence agency and al-Shifa Hospital staff said. Hospital sources told Al Jazeera that eight Palestinians died across the Gaza Strip on Saturday.
What Happened in Gaza City
The Israeli air attack hit the al-Asala building in the Remal neighbourhood of Gaza City while residents were asleep in the early hours of Saturday. Al Jazeera's Hani al-Shaer, reporting from Gaza, said the strike came without prior warning.
Remal is one of Gaza City's most crowded residential districts. Thousands of displaced Palestinians have been sheltering there in makeshift camps after being forced from other parts of the Strip.
"We heard fighter jets getting louder, then three strikes followed, hitting the apartment and killing those inside," al-Shaer said. The munitions penetrated the targeted apartment and tore through the floors below, causing destruction across the multi-storey building.
Fires burned for at least an hour before Palestinian Civil Defence crews managed to put them out. Rescue teams then spent the early morning searching the rubble for missing people and bodies, while Israeli drones continued to fly overhead.
The strike was not the only deadly incident of the day. Al Jazeera's Hind Khoudary described it as "another terrifying night" in Gaza City, reporting that Israel targeted a separate building with two explosive drones near the al-Haid roundabout — killing at least three women, a child, and a young man.
Related: World News — continuing coverage of the Middle East.
Attack Timeline — How the Night Unfolded
The sequence of events below is drawn from Al Jazeera's live reporting and eyewitness accounts from Gaza City. Times are local.
🕐 Show Attack Timeline
- Around 2:00 AM: Two large explosions shake the al-Haid roundabout area of Gaza City.
- Minutes later: Three Israeli strikes hit the al-Asala building in the Remal neighbourhood. The munitions penetrate the targeted apartment and collapse the floors beneath it.
- Shortly after: Fires burn for at least an hour before Palestinian Civil Defence crews extinguish them.
- Early morning: Civil Defence teams search the site for missing people and bodies. Israeli drones continue flying over the area throughout the operation.
- Later on Saturday: Al Jazeera's Hind Khoudary reports "another terrifying night" and describes a separate drone strike on a building near the al-Haid roundabout that killed at least three women, a child, and a young man.
- Saturday afternoon: Funerals are held at the Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City for two Christian women killed in the attack on the al-Asala building.
Victims Identified in the Attack
Hospital sources and Gaza's Civil Defence agency provided the figures below. Names are included only where they have been publicly confirmed.
👥 Show Victim Details
- At least five people were killed in the initial strike on the al-Asala building in western Gaza City.
- Three women, a child, and a young man were killed in a separate Israeli drone strike that hit a building near the al-Haid roundabout.
- One person was killed in Beit Lahiya, in northern Gaza.
- Two more people died from wounds sustained in earlier Israeli attacks.
- Maysa Khader Ibrahim Abu Daoud (Ayyad) and her daughter Mary Hafez Michel al-Najjar (Abu Daoud) — two Christian women killed in the attack on the al-Asala building. Their funeral was held at the Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City.
Total death toll across Gaza on Saturday: At least eight Palestinians, according to hospital sources.
The deaths were confirmed by relatives and by church officials. Fouad Al-Najjar, a relative of two of the victims, described the personal cost in stark terms: "Today is essentially the worst day of my life. I lost my mother and my grandmother today."
The Israeli Military's Claim
The Israeli military said it targeted the building in an attempt to kill Ali al-Amoudi, whom it described as the deputy chairman of Hamas's political bureau in Gaza. It claimed the apartment was "used by Hamas".
The military said the results of the attack were still "under review" and did not confirm whether al-Amoudi was killed.
This is a standard formulation in Israeli military statements about targeted strikes: the intended target is named, the operation is justified by reference to the target's role, and confirmation of the outcome is deferred pending an internal review. Until that review concludes, the question of whether the intended target died remains officially open.
🎯 Show What "Targeted Strike" Means in Practice
- Stated objective: The Israeli military says it was attempting to kill a named individual it identifies as a senior Hamas political figure.
- Stated justification: The military claims the apartment was "used by Hamas" — a phrase that signals a claim of military use of a civilian structure.
- Outcome: Not confirmed. The military says results are "under review".
- Reported result on the ground: At least five people killed in the apartment, including two named Christian women, and severe injuries to several others.
- Why the distinction matters: Under international humanitarian law, a strike on a military objective must still respect proportionality and precaution. The presence of a military target does not, by itself, settle the legal question.
What Is the Remal Neighbourhood?
Remal — also spelled Rimal — is the commercial and administrative heart of Gaza City, located in the western part of the city near the Mediterranean coast. Before the war it was known for its office blocks, shops, restaurants, and mixed residential buildings.
The neighbourhood has historically housed professional families, journalists, and international organisations. Several media offices and aid agency premises were based in or near Remal.
Why Remal Keeps Appearing in Strike Reports
Remal has been struck repeatedly across multiple rounds of fighting. Its density, its central location, and the presence of government and media infrastructure have made it a frequent target area.
Since the current war began, Remal has also absorbed large numbers of displaced families from northern and eastern districts. The result is a neighbourhood that is both heavily built-up and unusually crowded — conditions that magnify the human cost of any strike.
The UN and aid agencies have repeatedly noted that Gaza is one of the most densely populated places on earth. Roughly 2.2 million people live in an area of about 365 square kilometres.
Who Is Ali al-Amoudi?
Ali al-Amoudi is identified by the Israeli military as the deputy chairman of Hamas's political bureau in Gaza. The political bureau is the movement's top decision-making body.
Israel has not publicly confirmed whether al-Amoudi was killed in the strike. Independent verification of his status has not been possible from the information available.
What the Political Bureau Is
Hamas's political bureau functions as its governing and political leadership structure. It has historically included figures based inside Gaza, elsewhere in the region, and in exile.
Israel has targeted political bureau members during the current war, arguing that the political and military wings of the movement are inseparable. Critics of that position argue that political leadership roles do not automatically make an individual a lawful military target, and that any strike must still satisfy the rules of proportionality and precaution.
This is a live legal and ethical dispute. It is not resolved by any single strike, and it is likely to be examined by international bodies for years.
Medical and Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera's Hind Khoudary said the situation for the injured is dire. "According to doctors, it is very, very hard to save the lives of those who are injured, because Israel continues to restrict medical supplies and instruments," she said.
"A lot of people are queueing to leave the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing," Khoudary added.
The Strain on Gaza's Hospitals
Gaza's health system has been under sustained pressure. Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City — once the largest medical complex in the Strip — has been at the centre of that strain.
Doctors quoted in the reporting describe a situation where the limiting factor is not only the number of casualties but the shortage of the tools needed to treat them: surgical supplies, anaesthetics, blood products, and prosthetics.
🏥 Show Aid and Medical Access Barriers
- Medical supplies: Doctors say it is "very, very hard" to save injured patients because medical supplies and instruments remain restricted.
- WHO warning: The World Health Organization said on Saturday that repeated delays in bringing life-saving medicines, prosthetics and other supplies into Gaza are having "devastating consequences".
- Patient evacuations: Large numbers of people are queueing to leave through the Rafah crossing, particularly patients needing treatment abroad.
- Crossing restrictions: According to the WHO, the Rafah crossing is opened by Israeli forces only for limited movements of people.
- Cumulative toll on the system: Gaza's Health Ministry reports at least 175,000 injured since October 7, 2023 — a caseload far beyond the remaining capacity of the health system.
The WHO's intervention is significant because the organisation rarely issues direct statements on the mechanics of aid entry. Its language — "devastating consequences" — reflects a judgement that the delays are producing measurable harm to patients.
The Rafah Crossing, Explained
The Rafah crossing sits on Gaza's southern border with Egypt. Historically it was the Strip's only crossing not directly controlled by Israel on the Gaza side, and it functioned as the primary route for people leaving and entering Gaza.
According to the World Health Organization, the crossing is now opened by Israeli forces only for limited movements of people — particularly patients needing medical treatment abroad.
Why Rafah Matters for Patients
For patients with injuries or illnesses that cannot be treated inside Gaza, evacuation through Rafah is often the only option. When that route narrows, the practical effect is that treatable conditions become untreatable.
The WHO's statement about "queueing" reflects a bottleneck: demand to leave far exceeds the number of people permitted through. Each day of delay carries clinical consequences for patients whose conditions worsen while they wait.
Egypt has consistently resisted large-scale displacement of Palestinians into its territory, viewing it as a threat to the prospect of a Palestinian state and to its own internal security. That position shapes how the crossing operates in practice.
International and Religious Reactions
The attack drew responses from religious leaders and international health bodies. The statements below are drawn from the reporting.
💬 Show International Reactions
- Fouad Al-Najjar (relative of victims): "Today is essentially the worst day of my life. I lost my mother and my grandmother today."
- Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem: Expressed "deep sorrow and grief" over the "tragic" killing and extended "heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the families of the deceased and to the Christian community in Gaza".
- Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem: Mourned the women and said, "We pray for an end to the war and bombardment, for the protection of civilian lives, and for a just peace in which the people of Gaza can feel secure for their children and loved ones. May their memory be eternal."
- World Health Organization (WHO): Warned of "devastating consequences" arising from delayed aid entry into Gaza.
The involvement of both the Latin Patriarchate and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate reflects the fact that Gaza's small Christian community is served by multiple historic churches, and that deaths within that community resonate with Christian institutions worldwide.
Gaza's Christian Community and the Church of Saint Porphyrius
Gaza's Christian population is small — historically around a thousand people, overwhelmingly Greek Orthodox, with a smaller Catholic presence. It has been shrinking for decades through emigration, and the current war has accelerated that decline.
The Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City is one of the oldest churches in the world. It is named after Bishop Porphyrius of Gaza, a fifth-century figure, and the present structure dates largely to the twelfth century, built on far older foundations.
Why This Church Keeps Appearing in War Reporting
The church compound has served as a shelter for displaced families during the fighting. Its historic status and its role as a refuge have made it a recurring reference point in coverage of civilian harm in Gaza City.
The funeral of Maysa Khader Ibrahim Abu Daoud and her daughter Mary Hafez Michel al-Najjar was held there — a detail that locates the strike within the life of a specific, long-established community rather than in the abstract.
⛪ Show Gaza's Christian Institutions
- Church of Saint Porphyrius: Greek Orthodox church in Gaza City, among the oldest in the world, named for a fifth-century bishop. Site of the funerals for two women killed in the al-Asala building strike.
- Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem: The Catholic diocese for the Holy Land, led by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who issued condolences to the victims' families and to Gaza's Christian community.
- Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem: One of the oldest Christian institutions in the world; it mourned the women and called for an end to the war and bombardment.
- Community size: Gaza's Christian population numbered roughly a thousand before the current war, predominantly Greek Orthodox, and has dwindled further through displacement and emigration.
Gaza's Death Toll — What the Numbers Show
Since Israel's war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023, at least 74,000 Palestinians have been killed and 175,000 injured, according to the enclave's Health Ministry.
The ministry says the true toll is likely much higher, because many people remain missing beneath the rubble and have not been formally recorded.
Since last year's ceasefire, at least 1,400 people have been killed and nearly 5,000 injured, according to the same source.
How to Read These Figures Responsibly
Gaza's Health Ministry figures are the only systematic, continuously updated casualty count available for the Strip. They are compiled from hospital admissions and body registration, not from field surveys.
Because of that, they are widely cited by the UN, the WHO, and international media, while also being contested by Israel. The practical position most researchers take is: cite the figures, attribute them clearly, and note that independent verification is constrained by access.
The gap between recorded deaths and actual deaths is a specific, well-documented problem in Gaza. When buildings collapse on families, bodies may not be recovered for weeks or months — or at all. Those deaths enter the count late, or never.
📊 Show Casualty Figures (Attributed)
All figures below are attributed to Gaza's Health Ministry via Al Jazeera, unless stated otherwise.
- Killed since October 7, 2023: at least 74,000 Palestinians.
- Injured since October 7, 2023: at least 175,000.
- Killed since last year's ceasefire: at least 1,400.
- Injured since last year's ceasefire: nearly 5,000.
- Killed on Saturday alone: at least eight across the Gaza Strip, per hospital sources.
- Killed in the al-Asala building strike: at least five.
- Killed in the separate drone strike near al-Haid roundabout: at least three women, a child, and a young man.
- Caveat: The ministry states the true toll is likely higher, as many people remain missing under rubble.
Background: How Gaza Reached This Point
Understanding Saturday's strike requires context that stretches back well before the current war. The timeline below covers the documented milestones that shaped Gaza's present conditions.
🗺️ Show Historical Background
- 1948: Following the establishment of Israel and the war that followed, hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees settle in the Gaza Strip, transforming its demographics.
- 1948–1967: Gaza is administered by Egypt. It does not become part of any Palestinian state.
- 1967: Israel occupies the Gaza Strip, along with the West Bank and East Jerusalem, during the Six-Day War.
- 1993–1995: The Oslo Accords establish the Palestinian Authority. Gaza falls partly under PA administration.
- 2005: Israel unilaterally disengages from Gaza, withdrawing its settlements and troops.
- 2006: Hamas wins the Palestinian legislative elections.
- 2007: After violent clashes with Fatah, Hamas takes control of Gaza. Israel and Egypt impose a blockade on the Strip.
- 2008–2009: Major Israeli military operation in Gaza.
- 2012: Further escalation and airstrikes.
- 2014: A seven-week war causes extensive destruction in Gaza.
- 2018–2019: Mass protests along the Gaza perimeter fence.
- 2021: An 11-day escalation with heavy rocket fire and airstrikes.
- October 7, 2023: The current war begins, setting the conditions for the events described in this report.
Why the Blockade Matters to This Story
The blockade imposed in 2007 has shaped Gaza's economy, health system, and infrastructure for nearly two decades. Restrictions on imports of construction materials and medical equipment have left hospitals dependent on a fragile pipeline of approved goods.
That dependency is the structural reason why a single round of strikes can overwhelm the health system. It is also why the WHO's warnings about delayed supplies carry such weight.
What International Humanitarian Law Says
International humanitarian law — the body of rules governing conduct in armed conflict — applies to the events described in this report. The core principles are worth understanding clearly, because they are frequently invoked and frequently misunderstood.
⚖️ Show Key Rules of International Humanitarian Law
- Distinction: Parties must distinguish between civilians and combatants, and between civilian objects and military objectives. Attacks may only be directed at military objectives.
- Proportionality: An attack on a lawful military objective is prohibited if the expected incidental civilian harm would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated.
- Precaution: Parties must take all feasible precautions to avoid, and in any event minimise, harm to civilians. This includes effective advance warnings where circumstances permit.
- Indiscriminate attacks: Attacks that are not directed at a specific military objective, or that employ methods whose effects cannot be limited as required, are prohibited.
- Civilian infrastructure: Hospitals, places of worship, and cultural property receive special protection and may not be attacked unless they become military objectives — and even then, only under strict conditions.
- Who decides: Determining whether a specific attack violated these rules is a matter for courts, investigative bodies, and independent fact-finding missions — not for media outlets or governments alone.
Two points are worth keeping separate. The first is whether a strike had a lawful military objective. The second is whether, even with a lawful objective, the incidental harm to civilians was proportionate and whether sufficient precautions were taken.
A strike can satisfy the first test and still fail the second. This is why military statements that name a target do not, on their own, settle the legal question.
Why This Matters — Analysis
1. The Pattern, Not the Incident
A single strike on a single building is not the story on its own. The story is that eight deaths in one day across Gaza is now reported as a comparatively quiet day.
When a baseline becomes this severe, individual incidents stop registering as shocks. That normalisation is itself a significant development, and it shapes how the war is discussed internationally.
2. The Christian Community as a Marker
The presence of two named Christian women, with funerals at one of the world's oldest churches, matters for how this story travels. Gaza's Christian community is tiny and historic, and its losses draw attention from institutions with global reach.
That attention is real, but it also raises a question worth sitting with: the vast majority of those killed in Gaza are Muslim, and their deaths rarely attract the same institutional response. Analysts have noted this asymmetry in coverage for years.
3. Aid as a Weapon of War Debate
The WHO's language about "devastating consequences" from delayed medical supplies moves a long-running argument forward. Restrictions on aid entry are increasingly framed not as administrative bottlenecks but as a component of the conflict itself.
That framing has legal implications. Under international humanitarian law, parties are obligated to allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of relief supplies for civilians in need.
4. The Verification Problem
Independent journalists and investigators have extremely limited access to Gaza. Almost all reporting from inside the Strip comes from a small number of Palestinian journalists and aid workers.
That constraint shapes what can be known with confidence. It does not mean the reporting is unreliable — but it does mean that claims from all parties should be read as claims, and attributed as such.
What to Watch Next
Four developments will determine how this story evolves over the coming days and weeks.
First, whether Israel confirms the status of Ali al-Amoudi. A confirmed killing would be presented by Israel as a significant operational success; a confirmation that he survived would raise questions about the strike's targeting.
Second, whether the aid pipeline through Rafah changes. The WHO's statement is the kind of intervention that often precedes further warnings or formal assessments.
Third, the trajectory of casualty figures. The pattern in recent months — significant deaths continuing through a period described as a ceasefire — is a key data point in how the war's current phase is characterised.
Fourth, international institutional responses. Statements from the UN, the WHO, and religious patriarchates have so far been condemnatory but non-binding. Watch for any shift toward formal investigative or legal processes.
Related: Defence coverage — military programmes, procurement, and strategy explained.
Key Takeaways
- An Israeli air attack on the al-Asala building in Gaza City's Remal neighbourhood killed at least five people.
- A separate Israeli drone strike near the al-Haid roundabout killed at least three women, a child, and a young man.
- Eight Palestinians died across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, according to hospital sources.
- The Israeli military said it was targeting Ali al-Amoudi, described as deputy chairman of Hamas's political bureau in Gaza, and has not confirmed whether he was killed.
- Two named Christian women were killed in the al-Asala strike; their funerals were held at the Church of Saint Porphyrius.
- The WHO warned that delays in bringing medical supplies into Gaza are having "devastating consequences".
- Gaza's Health Ministry reports at least 74,000 killed and 175,000 injured since October 7, 2023.
- The strike came without prior warning, according to Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ How many people were killed in the Gaza City apartment attack?
At least five people were killed in the Israeli air attack on the al-Asala building in the Remal neighbourhood of Gaza City, with several others severely wounded, according to Gaza's Civil Defence agency and staff at al-Shifa Hospital.
❓ How many Palestinians died across Gaza on Saturday?
A total of eight Palestinians died across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, according to hospital sources. This includes one person killed in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza and two who succumbed to wounds sustained in earlier Israeli attacks.
❓ Who did the Israeli military say it was targeting?
The Israeli military said it targeted the building in an attempt to kill Ali al-Amoudi, whom it described as the deputy chairman of Hamas's political bureau in Gaza. It claimed the apartment was used by Hamas and said the results of the attack were still under review. It did not confirm whether al-Amoudi was killed.
❓ Where is the Remal neighbourhood?
Remal, also spelled Rimal, is a neighbourhood in western Gaza City near the Mediterranean coast. It is one of the city's most crowded residential areas and has absorbed thousands of displaced people sheltering in makeshift camps. Before the war it was known as the commercial and administrative heart of Gaza City.
❓ Did Israel give warning before the strike?
No. According to Al Jazeera's Hani al-Shaer, reporting from Gaza, the attack came without prior warning. Residents were asleep in the early hours of Saturday when the strikes hit the al-Asala building.
❓ Who were the two Christian women killed in the attack?
They were Maysa Khader Ibrahim Abu Daoud (Ayyad) and her daughter Mary Hafez Michel al-Najjar (Abu Daoud). Both were killed in the strike on the al-Asala building, and their funeral was held at the Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City.
❓ What is the Church of Saint Porphyrius?
The Church of Saint Porphyrius is a Greek Orthodox church in Gaza City, named after Bishop Porphyrius of Gaza, a fifth-century figure. It is among the oldest churches in the world, and its compound has served as a shelter for displaced families during the fighting.
❓ What is the total death toll in Gaza since October 2023?
According to Gaza's Health Ministry, at least 74,000 Palestinians have been killed and 175,000 injured since October 7, 2023. The ministry says the true toll is likely much higher, as many people remain missing beneath the rubble. Since last year's ceasefire, at least 1,400 people have been killed and nearly 5,000 injured.
❓ Why is medical aid not reaching Gaza quickly?
According to the WHO, repeated delays in bringing life-saving medicines, prosthetics and other supplies from Israel into Gaza are causing "devastating consequences" for Palestinians who urgently need them. Doctors in Gaza City say it is very hard to save injured patients because medical supplies and instruments remain restricted.
❓ What is the Rafah crossing and why does it matter?
The Rafah crossing is on Gaza's southern border with Egypt. According to the WHO, it is opened by Israeli forces only for limited movements of people, particularly patients needing medical treatment abroad. Large numbers of people are queueing to leave through it, making it a critical bottleneck for medical evacuations.
❓ What is Gaza's Civil Defence?
Palestinian Civil Defence is Gaza's emergency response service, handling firefighting, rescue, and ambulance operations. Its crews responded to the al-Asala building strike, extinguishing fires that burned for at least an hour and then searching the rubble for missing people and bodies while Israeli drones flew overhead.
❓ What is al-Shifa Hospital?
Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City was historically the largest medical complex in the Gaza Strip and the backbone of its health system. Staff at the hospital provided casualty figures following the al-Asala building strike. The facility has been under sustained pressure throughout the current war.
❓ What is the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem?
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem is the Catholic diocese for the Holy Land. Its head, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, expressed "deep sorrow and grief" over the killings and extended condolences to the victims' families and to Gaza's Christian community. The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem also mourned the women and called for an end to the war.
❓ What rules of international law apply to strikes like this?
International humanitarian law requires parties to distinguish between civilians and combatants, to ensure any incidental civilian harm is not excessive relative to the anticipated military advantage, and to take all feasible precautions to protect civilians. Whether a specific strike violated these rules is a matter for courts and independent investigative bodies.
❓ Where is Beit Lahiya?
Beit Lahiya is a city in the northern Gaza Strip, near the border with Israel. One person was killed there on Saturday, according to hospital sources, as part of the total of eight deaths recorded across Gaza that day.
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