An Israeli airstrike killed at least five Palestinians, including four women, in an apartment building in Gaza City early on Saturday, health and civil defence service officials said.
Among the dead were a Christian mother, Maisa Abu Dawoud, and her daughter Mary, medics and the church said.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
“We were asleep and suddenly heard continuous strikes and heavy explosions. The children woke up startled and started running and screaming,” said witness Ahmed Al-Dahdouh.
“We ran out and found that our neighbour’s house was struck and there were dismembered martyrs, women, men and children. We started to pull them out, they were scattered under the rubble,” he told Reuters.
Israel, which says Hamas has been rearming and launching attacks in violation of the ceasefire, has stepped up, opens new tab strikes on the group in recent weeks.
Hamas has denied trying to carry out attacks or rebuild its arsenal and accuses Israel of undermining the Gaza peace deal.
Last year’s US-brokered Gaza ceasefire calls for eventual reconstruction of the territory. But little progress has been made towards implementing a deal to end the conflict that includes terms for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw its troops.
