Updated at 7:57 pm EST on October 9, 2025
An Israeli airstrike in the al-Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City on Thursday night killed at least four Palestinians and buried dozens under the rubble.
According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, about 40 people were missing after the strike, and rescue efforts continue. The strike on Thursday came despite President Trump’s announcement the night before that Israel and Hamas agreed to the “first phase” of a Gaza ceasefire deal. Early Friday morning, the Israeli government formally approved the deal, meaning the ceasefire has officially taken hold.
WAFA also reported that the airstrikes in Gaza City brought Thursday’s death toll to 29, though the number includes bodies of Palestinians killed in previous attacks that were recovered from the rubble.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said in its daily update on Thursday, which it releases about midday Gaza time, that at least 10 Palestinians were killed and 49 were injured over the previous 24-hour period. Among the dead were two Palestinians killed while attempting to get aid.
Israeli attacks on Thursday included strikes on Gaza City and Khan Younis. According to WAFA, at least one Palestinian was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis and another was killed by a drone attack in the city. Another person was killed by Israeli gunfire to the northwest of the city.
In Gaza City, several people were injured by a drone attack near the al-Yarmouk School in the western part of the city. Airstrikes were also reported in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood, which Israeli forces have turned into a wasteland since launching an offensive in the area in early August.
The Health Ministry said that its total violent death toll since October 7, 2023, has reached 67,194, and the number of wounded has climbed to 169,890. Studies have found that the ministry’s numbers are likely a significant undercount.
