Israeli Airstrike In Rafah Kills Nine Palestinians, Including Six Children

An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, including six children. Hospital authorities confirmed the casualties as Israel continued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.

The strike late Friday targeted a residential building in Rafah's western Tel Sultan neighborhood, as reported by Gaza's civil defense. The bodies of the six children, two women, and a man were transported to Rafah's Abu Yousef al-Najjar hospital, according to The Associated Press.

Among the casualties were Abdel-Fattah Sobhi Radwan, his wife Najlaa Ahmed Aweidah, and their three children, as confirmed by his brother-in-law Ahmed Barhoum. Barhoum himself lost his wife, Rawan Radwan, and their 5-year-old daughter Alaa.

"This is a world devoid of all human values and morals," Barhoum told The Associated Press Saturday morning, crying as he cradled and gently rocked the body of Alaa in his arms. "They bombed a house full of displaced people, women and children. There were no martyrs but women and children."

No casualties were reported from a second overnight strike in the city.

Despite urging for caution from various quarters of the international community, including from Israel's strongest supporter, the United States, the Israeli government has maintained its stance for several months, expressing its intention to initiate a ground offensive into the city. The rationale behind this decision is the Israeli assertion that numerous Hamas militants are currently situated within the city's confines.

The Gaza Health Ministry reported on Saturday that hospitals in Gaza received the bodies of 37 individuals killed in Israeli airstrikes over the past 24 hours, along with 68 wounded. This brings the total Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Hamas conflict to at least 34,049, with 76,901 wounded, according to the ministry. While Hamas-affiliated health authorities do not distinguish between combatants and civilians in their tally, they note that at least two-thirds of the casualties have been children and women.

On Friday, both Iran and Israel downplayed a reported Israeli airstrike near a significant air base and nuclear facility in central Iran, suggesting that the two sides were stepping back from a potential full-scale conflict. In recent weeks, an alleged Israeli strike resulted in the deaths of two Iranian generals at an Iranian consulate in Syria, which was followed by an unprecedented missile barrage on Israel from Iran.