Gaza residents reeling from deadly residential area air strikes

Residents of two densely populated areas in the Gaza Strip are reeling from Israeli attacks that killed at least 14 people late on Saturday as funerals were held on Sunday morning. 

Monira Nofal, aunt of Khalil Abu Hamada, 19, is still in shock after the death of her nephew, who was killed along with five others, including four children, in a suspected Israeli attack on Jabalia camp, north of the Gaza Strip.

"He was his parents' only child, they had him after trying to have a baby for more than 12 years," Nofal told Middle East Eye's correspondent Mohammed al-Hajjar.

Israel said it wasn't behind the air strike, but Palestinian sources say it could not have come from anywhere else. 

Abu Hamada's father had been preparing a new apartment for the 19-year-old to help him get married. He had gone outside his home late on Saturday to check a problem with his father's car, parked outside the house when the shell hit, Nofal said.

"He was was good boy, spoiled and beautiful, and everyone loved him," she added.

Elsewhere, rescue workers continued their work to pull out bodies trapped under the rubble in Rafah city, in the south of the Gaza strip, where another Israeli air strike killed at least eight people, including a 14-year-old boy.

Adeeb Ahmad, an eyewitness to the attack, told MEE the attack came with no warnings. 
 
"The house was hit without any prior notice," Ahmad said. "Homes are overcrowded here, housing seven to eight people each, and they are so close to each other, so when one house is hit several houses around it are impacted.

"This arrogant enemy deepens its crimes against our people."