In brief
Three Israeli air and drone strikes in Gaza on 21 July 2026 have left 12 Palestinians dead, including a family of six who perished in the blaze that consumed their apartment. The attacks were conducted by the Israeli military, which claims it struck a Hamas operative. Gaza’s health ministry reports over 1,168 Palestinians killed since the October ceasefire, while the UN has condemned the escalating violence.
At least 12 Palestinians, including six members of one family, were killed in three separate Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip, according to local medics.
Video footage captured the al‑Sabra apartment set ablaze overnight, revealing the tragic fate of Firas al‑Masri, his wife Salsabeel, and their children – daughters Faryal, Salma, Amira, and son Naim – who were burned to death in the building.
A second air strike on a home in the al‑Samar area of central Gaza City claimed the lives of four more residents earlier on Tuesday. A drone hit a vehicle in the al‑Zahra neighbourhood to the south of Gaza City, killing two additional people.
Gaza’s Hamas‑run health ministry estimates that at least 1,168 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire that took effect last October. Four Israeli soldiers have died in Palestinian attacks over the same period.
The United Nations Human Rights Office criticised the intensification of Israeli military operations, warning that the killings “raise concerns about possible violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes.”
Since the October 7 Hamas‑led assault that killed about 1,200 Israelis, Israel has maintained a massive military campaign in Gaza that the territory’s health ministry reports has resulted in over 73,290 casualties to its residents.
