An Israeli airstrike on Friday killed eight people near a crowded market in Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency and Al-Awda hospital. The Israeli military said the strike targeted a “terrorist cell” belonging to Islamic Jihad.

The civil defence agency reported that the attack struck civilians gathered in the Al-Balata market area during a funeral procession. Al-Awda hospital confirmed receiving eight bodies and 22 wounded.

Mahmoud Bassal, spokesman for the civil defence agency, told AFP the strike occurred as mourners accompanied a funeral. The Israeli military acknowledged the operation, stating: “The IDF struck a terrorist cell of the Islamic Jihad terrorist organisation in the central Gaza Strip.” It added that claims of civilian casualties were “under review.”

Additional strikes on Friday killed five more people, including two women and the man whose funeral was underway when the market was hit.

Despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, violence continues. Gaza’s health ministry says at least 1,127 Palestinians have been killed since the truce began last October, figures considered reliable by the United Nations. Israel reports five soldiers and one civilian contractor killed in the same period.

Media restrictions and limited access prevent independent verification of casualty figures in Gaza.