An Israeli airstrike on a funeral in the central Gaza Strip killed seven people and wounded 22 on Friday, according to local health officials.

An Israeli airstrike targeting a funeral in the central Gaza Strip resulted in at least seven deaths and 22 injuries on Friday. The Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp reported the casualties occurred during a service for a Palestinian killed in an earlier strike that same day. The Israeli military stated it had targeted a Palestinian Islamic Jihad base and acknowledged the possibility of civilian harm.

Casualties and Military Response

The funeral was held for an individual killed in an earlier Israeli strike on Friday that resulted in two deaths. The Israeli military stated that the earlier attack targeted a Hamas member. In addition to the funeral strike, separate Israeli military actions across northern Gaza, Gaza City, and Khan Younis resulted in five more deaths, including two women.

Context of the Conflict

Israel and Hamas entered a cease-fire in October intended to end a two-year war. Despite this, the Gaza Health Ministry reports that at least 1,123 people have been killed in the territory since the agreement began. Israel maintains that its ongoing strikes are a response to cease-fire violations by Hamas, while the monitoring group Armed Conflict Location & Event Data noted that Israel conducted 40 attacks in June, the highest monthly total since the cease-fire's inception.