Multiple Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip killed at least 14 Palestinians on Friday, more than half of them in a targeted drone strike on a funeral procession, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. The deadly drone strike hit a gathering of civilians in the Al-Balata market area of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. According to officials from Al-Awda Hospital, at least eight people were killed instantly and 20 others sustained severe injuries during the afternoon assault. The casualties were immediately transported to nearby medical facilities, with several reported to be in critical condition.
Eyewitnesses stated that the drone targeted Palestinian mourners gathered outside the Ahmad Yassin Mosque as they prepared to begin a funeral procession. The funeral was being held for another Palestinian who had been killed in a separate Israeli military attack in the same area earlier in the day. The missile struck the crowd directly as people were emerging from the mosque, causing widespread chaos and panic throughout the busy market area. Al Jazeera correspondents reporting from Gaza City emphasized that the continuous military operations demonstrate a complete disregard for the standing ceasefire agreement.
What remains unclear is how long the highly fragile ceasefire agreement, which has been technically in place since October 2025, can survive amid near-daily military violations. Hamas strongly condemned the Nuseirat strike as a brutal massacre against civilian mourners and urged international mediators and the United Nations to intervene immediately. The Gaza Media Office released a statement indicating that the Israeli military has killed more than 25 Palestinians over the past 72 hours. The office expressed grave concern over the systematic escalation targeting open markets, funeral processions, and peaceful residential apartments.
The latest fatalities add to a rising toll of more than 1,100 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since the truce took effect last year. While the Israeli military maintains that its operations strictly target active militant factions, conflict monitors have reported a sharp increase in airstrikes over the past two months. In addition to the strike in Nuseirat, separate Israeli airstrikes in northern Gaza City and southern regions killed at least three more civilians. Concurrently, residents east of Deir al-Balah reported that Israeli forces used tactical drones to broadcast audio messages ordering families to evacuate their homes immediately.
The overall death toll from the long-standing military campaign in the Gaza Strip has now surpassed 73,000 individuals, with over 173,000 others injured. Local medical authorities warned that the continuous blockade and lack of critical surgical supplies make it difficult to save the lives of those wounded in recent attacks. International humanitarian organizations have repeatedly stressed that civilian gatherings and healthcare facilities must never be targeted under international humanitarian law. Despite these global appeals, the military escalation continues to displace thousands of families across the besieged enclave.
