Israel says it is probing deadly Gaza air strike

Shortly before the ceasefire went into effect on Thursday, the IDF struck a home belonging to Rasmi Abu Malhous, killing eight members of his family, including five children.

A Palestinian militant walks past the home of Islamic Jihad field commander Baha Abu Al-Atta after it was hit by an Israeli strike that killed him in Gaza City (photo credit: REUTERS/MOHAMMED SALEM)
A Palestinian militant walks past the home of Islamic Jihad field commander Baha Abu Al-Atta after it was hit by an Israeli strike that killed him in Gaza City
(photo credit: REUTERS/MOHAMMED SALEM)
The IDF said on Friday it has opened an investigation into an air strike it carried out in Gaza that killed eight members of one family.
Shortly before the ceasefire went into effect on Thursday, the IDF struck a home belonging to Rasmi Abu Malhous, killing eight members of his family, including five children.
The IDF said that “Islamic Jihad military infrastructure” in the central Gaza town had been hit, but following the strike the IDF admitted that the target, a PIJ commander of a rocket squadron in the central Gaza Strip, was not the man killed in the strike in Deir al-Balah.
“According to intelligence available to the IDF at the time of the attack, no civilians were expected to be harmed by the attack,” the military said in a statement, adding that an investigation into the harm caused to civilians has been opened.
"There is no justification to attacking civilians in #Gaza, or elsewhere! Such a tragedy! My heartfelt condolences to the family of Al-Sawarkah & I wish a speedy recovery to the injured. I call on #Israel to move swiftly with its investigation," Mladenov tweeted.

Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report