Israeli bombing in Gaza kills Palestinian family preparing for Eid
Israeli air strikes struck a Palestinian family of six in Gaza on Tuesday, killing the father, mother and three children, as they were getting ready to celebrate the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.
The deaths are the latest since Israel broke a ceasefire that temporarily halted its war on Gaza, which began in October 2023 and has killed at least 50,000 Palestinians so far.
The family had been living in a tent, seeking refuge in a so-called humanitarian zone in the Hamad area of Khan Younis.
That evening, they had shared their Ramadan iftar meal before going to bed, but in the dead of night, they were bombed.
Bassam al-Ajrami, the grandfather of the children, struggled to make sense of the tragedy.
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"They were a normal family. Mostly children," he said.
“We don’t know why,” Ajrami told Middle East Eye, his voice filled with confusion and grief.
"I don’t understand. They were in a tent in a humanitarian zone.”
The strike killed the father Mohammed Ibrahim Inchasi, 40; the mother Angham al-Ajrami, 38; and three children: Ibrahim, 14, Mohammed, 10, and Ahmad, four.
There was only one survivor, Maria, 13, who was wounded and taken to hospital.
'These children are innocent. What is their fault?'
- Anaam Inchasi, aunt
"They had nothing to do with anything," Ajrami said, emphasising that his son-in-law was a man of peace.
"The father was an exemplary man, everyone knew him. He was not associated with any of the political factions."
Mohammed’s sister Anaam Inchasi described her brother as a peaceful, hardworking man.
"He's a well-known athlete, a gym instructor and a school teacher," she said, pointing out that Mohammed had never done anything to be targeted by Israeli forces.
Eid joy shattered
Days before their death, the family had been preparing for the upcoming Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. Angham, Mohammed’s wife, had bought new clothes for their children to mark the holiday.
Ahmad, their four-year-old son, was particularly excited, jumping up and down as he tried on his new clothes, according to Anaam.
The day before the bombing, she had seen them one last time.
"I told Angham that Ahmad’s new shirt was too small, but she insisted it fit him perfectly," Anaam remembered.
Ahmad had been playing and riding on her shoulders.
"These children are innocent. What is their fault?" she asked, struggling to comprehend the senseless loss of her family.
Ajrami’s frustration deepened as he expressed the painful reality of Gaza’s ongoing suffering with no end in sight.
"The world watches the siege and brutal war against us in silence," he said, his tone heavy with disillusionment.
"There’s nothing more to say to the world."
The Israeli army renewed its bombardment of Gaza last week after it broke the ceasefire agreed with Hamas two months earlier.
The ceasefire was shattered when Israeli fighter jets bombed dozens of homes and shelters on 18 March as people were waking up to eat pre-dawn meals during Ramadan, killing 400 civilians, including nearly 200 children.
Since then, the continuous Israeli attacks on the Strip have killed a further 400 Palestinians.
Overall, Israeli forces have killed more than 50,000 Palestinians since October 2023, including nearly 15,000 children, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. More than 113,000 have been wounded.
The ceasefire that Israel violated was a three-phase agreement, starting with a temporary cessation of hostilities and intended to lead to a permanent end to the war and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
However, Israel refused to move to the second stage of the deal as agreed and instead sought an extension of the first phase, delaying the end of the war and a complete withdrawal.
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