Conflict & Security
Gaza rescuers and witnesses say Israeli strikes killed 12 people
Gaza's civil defence agency and witnesses said Israeli strikes killed 12 people, including a family of six, in the Palestinian territory on Tuesday. A fragile ceasefire remains in place between Israel and Hamas, but violence has continued in Gaza and efforts to reach a lasting agreement to end the war have stalled.
One airstrike hit a house belonging to the Al-Masri family in central Gaza City, according to the civil defence agency, which operates as a rescue service under Hamas authority. Witnesses said six members of the family were killed, including four children. Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital said it received the bodies and wounded.
An Israeli military source told AFP that a strike in the area had targeted a Hamas member, but did not give further details. AFP journalists at the scene saw extensive damage to the burned multi-storey house, with the roof almost completely collapsed.
Ahmed al-Masri, who identified himself as a survivor, said his brother, his brother's wife and their four children were killed. He said he helped his own children escape through a window as the building burned. Another witness, Youssef al-Masri, said the strike happened at about 2:00 am while people were asleep.
The civil defence agency said six other people were killed on Tuesday in another Israeli strike in Gaza. The Israeli military said it had carried out an airstrike against several armed people who it said were transferring weapons in a vehicle in southern Gaza.
The United Nations said on Tuesday that Israeli attacks killed at least 57 Palestinians from July 13 to 20. Thameen Al-Kheetan, a spokesman for the UN rights office, said Israeli military attacks in Gaza had intensified in recent days and that nowhere was safe for Palestinians there.
The Israeli army has recently announced several strikes in Gaza targeting Hamas and Islamic Jihad members who it said were involved in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel or in holding hostages afterward. Gaza's health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority and whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations, says at least 1,168 Palestinians have been killed since the truce took effect last October. The Israeli military says it has lost five soldiers in Gaza over the same period, as well as one civilian contractor.
Restrictions on media outlets and limited access in Gaza prevent AFP from independently verifying tolls or freely covering the violence there.
Update
Witnesses said the family killed in central Gaza City included four children.
Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital said it received the bodies and wounded from the strike on the Al-Masri family home.
An Israeli military source told AFP a strike targeted a Hamas member in the area but did not give further details.
AFP journalists observed extensive damage to the house, including a near-total roof collapse.
A survivor, Ahmed al-Masri, said his brother, sister-in-law and their four children were killed.
Another witness, Youssef al-Masri, said the strike happened around 2:00 am.
The Israeli military said a separate southern Gaza strike targeted several armed people transferring weapons in a vehicle.
The UN said Israeli attacks killed at least 57 Palestinians from July 13 to 20.
The Gaza health ministry said at least 1,168 Palestinians have been killed since the truce took effect last October, while the Israeli military said it lost five soldiers and one civilian contractor in Gaza over the same period.
Source note: AFP news report published on 21 July 2026 at 17:26:31 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The reported death tolls could not be independently verified by AFP because of restrictions and limited access in Gaza.
The Israeli military source did not elaborate on the claim that a Hamas member was targeted in the central Gaza City strike.
Accounts of the strikes come from Gaza authorities, witnesses, the Israeli military and UN officials, and not all details are independently confirmed.
Source
AFP news report published on .