Tragic Incident in Gaza: 11 Family Members Killed by Israeli Shelling

Mon Oct 20 2025 19:42:34 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A devastating attack in Gaza has left eleven members of the Abu Shaaban family dead when their bus was struck by an Israeli tank shell, marking one of the deadliest incidents since the recent ceasefire.

On Friday night, the Hamas-run civil defense reported that an Israeli tank shell hit a bus carrying the Abu Shaaban family in northern Gaza, resulting in the tragic deaths of all eleven occupants. The family was attempting to return home after days of conflict when the incident occurred in the Zeitoun neighborhood. The Israeli military justified the action, claiming the bus was deemed a 'suspicious vehicle.' This incident is the deadliest since a temporary ceasefire began eight days ago, as the ongoing conflict continues to claim lives in the region. Hamas has condemned the attack, asserting that the family was targeted unjustly.

Gaza's Hamas-run civil defence says 11 people were killed, all from the same family, after the bus they were in was hit by an Israeli tank shell in northern Gaza.

The Abu Shaaban family, it said, were trying to reach their home to inspect it when the incident happened in the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City on Friday night.

This is the deadliest single incident involving Israeli soldiers in Gaza since the start of the ceasefire eight days ago.

The Israeli military said soldiers had fired at a 'suspicious vehicle' that had crossed the so-called yellow line demarcating the area still occupied by Israeli forces in Gaza.

Israeli soldiers continue to operate in more than half of the Gaza Strip, under the terms of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.

Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP news agency the victims were killed while 'trying to check on their home' in the area. The dead included women and children, according to the civil defence.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) mentioned that a 'suspicious vehicle' was identified crossing the yellow line and approaching IDF troops operating in the northern Gaza Strip, prompting them to fire 'warning shots' towards the vehicle.

Hamas asserted that the family had been targeted without justification, and the IDF has warned Palestinians against entering areas in Gaza still under its control.

With limited internet access, many Palestinians do not know the position of Israeli troops as the yellow demarcation line is not physically marked. During the ongoing conflict, there has been significant loss of life, with Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry reporting over 67,900 deaths since the start of intensified attacks.