Israeli Strikes Kill 70+ in Gaza on Eid, 16 in One Home

Israeli airstrikes killed more than 70 Palestinians across Gaza on the second day of Eid al-Adha, including 16 members of a single family in Gaza City, according to Palestinian officials. The attack on the Abu Sharia family home was described by the Palestinian Civil Defence as a “full-fledged massacre,” as rescue workers searched through the rubble for survivors.

Al Jazeera reported that the strike in the Sabra neighborhood occurred without warning on Saturday. Mahmoud Basel, a spokesperson for the Civil Defence, said around 85 people were believed to be trapped beneath the debris.

“This is truly a full-fledged massacre… a building full of civilians,” Basel said.

“We woke up to strikes, destruction, yelling, rocks hitting us,” said Hamed Keheel, a displaced resident who witnessed the devastation. “Instead of dressing our children for Eid, we are pulling bodies from the rubble.”

Local resident Hassan Alkhor confirmed the targeted building belonged to the Abu Sharia family. “May God hold the Israeli forces and Netanyahu accountable,” he said.

The Israeli military claimed responsibility for the strike, stating it had killed Asaad Abu Sharia, a senior commander of the Mujahideen Brigades and alleged participant in the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Hamas confirmed his death, along with his brother Ahmed, and called the strike "part of a series of brutal massacres against civilians."

Aid Line Turns Deadly in Rafah

In a separate incident Saturday, at least eight Palestinians were shot and killed while queuing for food near an aid distribution site in Rafah, southern Gaza. The site is run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which has faced criticism for replacing traditional UN-led aid networks and operating under Israeli military protection.

Gaza resident Samir Abu Hadid told AFP that thousands had gathered at the al-Alam roundabout when Israeli forces opened fire. “They fired into the air and then at civilians,” he said.

One woman told Al Jazeera her husband was killed trying to bring home "a handful of rice for our starving children." She added, “He said he felt he was walking toward death. I begged him not to leave.”

GHF announced it had suspended operations that day due to "direct threats" from Hamas—a claim the group denied in comments to Reuters.

Famine, Miscarriages Signal Growing Crisis

As the war grinds on and humanitarian access remains restricted, the UN warns that Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are facing extreme risk of famine. Medical sources report more than 300 miscarriages in just the past 80 days, underscoring the impact on pregnant women and newborns.

Dr. Brenda Kelly, a consultant obstetrician at Oxford University Hospital, told Al Jazeera that Gaza is “losing a future generation of children.”

“Israel’s weaponising of hunger is directly impacting babies’ growth,” she said. “Growth restriction is a leading cause of miscarriages and stillbirths.”

Dr. Kelly also warned of long-term health consequences for babies born under such conditions, citing risks of chronic illness and mental health disorders in adulthood.

As airstrikes continue and humanitarian aid remains limited, health experts and aid workers are sounding the alarm on a deepening crisis with generational consequences for Gaza’s civilian population.