Air Strike Hits Gaza City Building and Kills Five Palestinians
Maysa Abu Daoud and her daughter Mary al-Najjar were among five Palestinians killed when an Israeli air strike hit the ground floor of a building in Gaza City’s Remal neighbourhood on October 2, 2026. The attack struck the al-Asala building at approximately 1:30am local time while residents slept, penetrating the targeted apartment and tearing through the floors below, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency and staff at al-Shifa Hospital. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, expressed deep sorrow and grief over the tragic killing of the two Christian women in a statement released by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The strike occurred during a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that took effect in October 2025.
Funeral Held at Saint Porphyrius Church as Family Mourns
Mourners gathered for the funeral of Maysa Abu Daoud and Mary al-Najjar on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza City’s Old City. The two Palestinian Christian women had devoted their time to helping parishioners and displaced people sheltering at the Holy Family Church, according to Palestine’s Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs. Ramzi Khoury, chairman of the committee, described their deaths as a painful loss for their families and the church community. Fourteen-year-old Fouad al-Najjar, Mary’s son, told the Anadolu news agency that he lost both his mother and grandmother in the strike. We are exhausted by this war and have endured so much,
al-Najjar told Anadolu, noting that the community has faced destruction and grief for nearly three years.
Ceasefire Violations and Growing Casualties Across the Enclave
The strike on the Remal neighbourhood compounds ongoing violations of the October 2025 ceasefire agreement. Daily violations have resulted in at least 1,445 Palestinian deaths and 5,072 injuries, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry data. Anadolu reported additional incidents involving Israeli fire across the Gaza Strip, including strikes in Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, and northern Gaza City that killed and wounded multiple civilians. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization reported that the Rafah crossing is only opened by Israeli forces for limited movements of people, especially patients needing medical treatment abroad, while repeated delays in bringing life-saving medicines, prosthetics and other supplies into Gaza continue to cause devastating consequences for local families.
Israeli Military Targets Hamas Official Amid Regional Conflicts
Israeli media sources reported that the military operation aimed to target Ali al-’Amoudi, described by Channel 12 as the deputy head of Hamas’s political bureau and the successor to Yahya Sinwar, though the precise outcome of that target remains unverified. Across the Middle East, military operations are occurring concurrently: Yemen's internationally recognized government announced a major offensive against Houthi forces in Taiz, and commercial vessels reported explosions near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Church leaders continue to monitor the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the local Christian population has dropped to fewer than 1,000 residents amid sustained military actions affecting homes and church compounds throughout the enclave since October 2023.
Who Were the Victims of the Gaza City Air Strike?
Who were the victims of the October 2 2026 Gaza City air strike?
The victims included Palestinian Christian women Maysa Khader Ibrahim Abu Daoud and her daughter Mary Hafez Michel Najjar, who were among five Palestinians killed when an air strike hit the ground floor of a building in the Remal neighbourhood, according to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
Where did the funeral take place?
The funeral was held on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza City’s Old City.
How many casualties have been recorded since the October 2025 ceasefire?
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Israeli attacks have killed at least 1,445 people since the start of the ceasefire in October 2025.
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