Israeli strike kills four women as Gaza ceasefire comes under strain
A Palestinian Christian mother and daughter who helped displaced families were among four women killed in an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in Gaza City early Saturday, according to Palestinian medical sources and church officials.
The strike hit the ground floor of the Al-Asala 1 building near Haidar roundabout in the western Rimal neighborhood at about 1.30 a.m., killing five Palestinians, the sources said. The attack was reported as the latest violation of the ongoing Gaza ceasefire.
The victims were identified as Maysa Abu Daoud, known as Umm Michel, her daughter Mary Najjar, known as Umm Fouad, university lecturer Yasmin al-Boubou and her mother, Halloum al-Boubou.
The deaths of Maysa and Mary drew mourning from Palestinian Christian institutions. The two women had devoted their time to assisting parishioners and displaced people sheltering at the Holy Family Church, according to Palestine’s Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs.
Committee chairman Ramzi Khoury described their deaths as a loss for their families, the church and its parishioners. Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church and Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa also expressed condolences.
The four women were buried Saturday at Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza City’s Old City following prayers and religious readings.
14-year-old loses mother and grandmother
Mary’s 14-year-old son, Fouad al-Najjar, said the strike killed both his mother and grandmother.
“We are exhausted by this war and have endured so much,” he said, describing years of destruction and loss.
Fouad said Israeli attacks had killed both Muslims and Christians in Gaza and appealed for an end to the war.
Palestinian Lutheran pastor Munther Isaac also mourned the victims, writing on X that the killing showed, in his words, that “the genocide continues in Gaza.”
Christian places of worship have previously been hit during the war. An attack on the Saint Porphyrius Church compound in October 2023 killed at least 18 people, according to Palestinian church officials. In December that year, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said an Israeli sniper killed a woman and her daughter inside the Holy Family parish compound.
An Israeli strike on the Holy Family Catholic Church compound in July 2025 killed three people and wounded others, including parish priest Father Gabriel Romanelli.
Lecturer and mother killed together
Yasmin al-Boubou, another victim of Saturday’s strike, was a lecturer in multimedia at the University of Palestine’s College of Intermediate Studies in Gaza. She had previously headed the university’s Multimedia Technology Department.
University records show that al-Boubou held degrees in management information systems, computer science and information technology, as well as sustainable development. She was also pursuing doctoral studies in computer science and artificial intelligence.
Her 2021 master’s thesis examined students’ perceptions of Palestinian universities in Gaza and the factors influencing those views.
Palestinian academics and rights advocates mourned her death and that of her mother, Halloum, who was killed alongside her.
Al-Boubou’s killing adds to the growing number of academics and education workers reported killed during the war. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights said in a report issued Sept. 28 that it had documented the deaths of about 194 intellectuals, academics and researchers.
More than 800 teachers reported killed
The wider education sector has also suffered heavy losses.
The Palestinian Education Ministry said Sunday that more than 800 Palestinian teachers had been killed and more than 3,300 injured since the war began in October 2023. More than 170 teachers remain detained, the ministry said.
In a statement ahead of World Teachers’ Day on Oct. 5, the ministry said educators across the occupied Palestinian territories were facing what it described as a struggle for survival while trying to preserve access to education.
The ministry also reported movement restrictions and harassment affecting teachers in parts of the West Bank, including Masafer Yatta, al-Mughayyir and the Jordan Valley.
It linked the financial pressure on educators to Israel’s withholding of Palestinian tax revenues, known as clearance revenues, which are collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestinian Authority under arrangements established by the 1994 Paris Protocol.
The ministry called on the international community, the United Nations and human rights and education organizations to act to protect students and education workers. It also urged international unions to press for the release of detained teachers and the payment of withheld financial entitlements.
Palestinian authorities say more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 175,000 wounded in Gaza since Oct. 8, 2023. They also estimate that about 90% of the territory’s infrastructure has been destroyed.
Source-Photo:AA
