An Israeli airstrike killed at least eight Palestinians and wounded 20 more on Friday when it hit mourners attending a funeral in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, according to Gaza health officials.

The dead were gathered for a person who had been killed in an earlier strike on the same area hours before, making the funeral itself another site of violence in a conflict that has continued despite a nominal ceasefire.

Al Jazeera later reported at least 14 Palestinians had been killed across multiple Israeli attacks in Gaza, including those at the funeral procession.

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Solemn rites, shattered silence

Witnesses said the strike targeted mourners gathered outside the Ahmad Yassin Mosque as they prepared to begin the funeral procession in Nuseirat.

Gaza’s civil defense agency and Al-Awda Hospital said eight people were killed in the market area nearby and that at least 20 others were injured.

Al Jazeera reported that its correspondent on the ground said there was “no regard for the ceasefire,” while describing how a drone struck people in the procession as they came out of the mosque.

Hamas condemned the attack as a “brutal massacre” and called on mediators and the United Nations to intervene to stop the assaults on Gaza.

The official word

The Israeli military said it struck what it described as a cell belonging to the Islamic Jihad militant group in central Gaza.

The military said it was “aware of the claims that several uninvolved individuals were harmed as a result of the strike.” The army added that the results of the strike were under review.

Beyond one tragic afternoon

The funeral strike was one of several reported attacks across Gaza on Friday.

Earlier strikes killed a 52-year-old woman in Beit Lahia, another Palestinian in Az-Zawayda, one person in al-Sawarha west of Nuseirat, and a Palestinian in Gaza City, while another woman died from wounds sustained in gunfire southwest of Khan Younis.

Residents east of Deir al-Balah also reported drones broadcasting evacuation orders, forcing some families to flee.

Since the ceasefire that took effect in October, Gaza health officials say more than 1,100 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israeli attacks, while ACLED has reported a rise in strikes in June to more than 40, the highest monthly total since the truce began.

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FAQs

Q1: Why were mourners targeted in the Gaza funeral strike?

According to the Israeli military, the strike targeted an Islamic Jihad cell, while Palestinian officials said it hit civilians attending a funeral.

Q2: How many people were killed in the Gaza attacks on July 17?

Reports said at least 14 Palestinians were killed in multiple Israeli strikes across Gaza, including mourners attending a funeral.