Israeli strike kills five, including four women, in Gaza, health officials say

CAIRO/GAZA (REUTERS) -- An Israeli airstrike killed at least five Palestinians, including four women, in an apartment building in Gaza City early on Saturday, health and civil defense service officials said.

Among the dead were a Christian mother and her daughter, medics said. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

The strike destroyed the apartment building and started a fire.

“We were asleep and suddenly heard continuous strikes, and heavy explosions, the children woke up startled and started running and screaming,” said eyewitness 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.

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.

“We are Muslims and these are our Christian brethren, who are not involved in anything, they are peaceful people, and everybody loves them, and now we pulled out their bodies, a mother and her daughter,” said Dahdouh.

Israel, which says Hamas has been rearming and launching attacks in violation of the ceasefire, has stepped up 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.

Gaza health officials have said at least 1,400 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since last October’s ceasefire. Israel says four of its soldiers have been killed by Hamas in Gaza over the same period.