23 killed in Israeli attack on Gaza comedian’s family home: ministry

Palestinian Territories:

An Israeli airstrike on Friday destroyed the home of a famous Palestinian comedian in Gaza, killing at least 23 people and injuring dozens of others, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

It said the family home of Mahmoud Jueter in the Deir al-Balah area of ​​central Gaza was destroyed, with most of the victims being women and children.

Zueter, who was injured in the attack, has more than 1.2 million fans on Instagram while his videos are widely viewed on YouTube.

Belgian martial artist and actor Jean-Claude Van Damme was interviewed by AFP in early 2014 after a Palestinian parody of a car advertisement went viral.

The advertisement shows Van Damme walking on two moving trucks. The Gaza version is similar but involves pushing two cars due to lack of petrol.

In a video posted online after Friday’s attack, Zueter, who is in his 30s, is seen holding an injured child.

He can be heard saying, “I have spoken out strongly against anyone leaving Gaza and I was praying to God, please don’t force me to leave Gaza… because I love Gaza and its Love people very much.”

“But it seems they want us to leave Gaza.”

Then he starts crying bitterly.

AFP contacted the Israeli military, which asked for coordinates and the timing of the attack, without providing any further comment.

The attack marked no end to Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip as it seeks to destroy Hamas following October 7 attacks on Israeli communities near the border with the Palestinian territories.

According to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures, about 1,160 people were killed in Israel, mostly civilians, while about 250 others were taken hostage.

Israel’s retaliatory strikes have killed at least 29,514 people across Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the territory’s health ministry.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)