Gaza City airstrike destroys home minutes after couple escapes

A Palestinian couple, Neveen and Mohammed Abu Hatab, both 28, narrowly escaped death in Gaza City after neighbors alerted them to imminent danger. They fled their apartment in the Zeitoun neighborhood with only a few personal belongings and a laptop, minutes before a missile strike reduced the building to rubble.

The couple had married only months ago after years of delaying their ceremony due to the conflict. Neveen expressed profound loss, stating, “I cried without being able to stop because I lost everything in an instant.”

The Israeli army justified the strike, claiming it targeted facilities used by Hamas to store weapons and military equipment. Israeli forces maintained they take measures to minimize civilian impact. Despite recent ceasefires, strikes and clashes continue across various areas of the Gaza Strip as negotiations for a second phase of an agreement remain stalled.