The al-Najjar family had fled their homes in Khuzaa, just east of Khan Younis, earlier in the day after Israeli artillery shelling there killed dozens, and they were hoping to find shelter somewhere further from the border.

Their refuge in Khan Younis, however, turned out to be anything but, as missiles fired from Israeli warplanes just before 8 a.m. completely leveled the four-story building they were sleeping in.

The airstrike killed eleven children, four women, and five men from the family, according to Palestinian medical sources.

Spokesman for the Palestinian Ministry of Health Ashraf al-Qidra named some of the children killed in the strike as Khalil al-Najjar, Jana al-Najjar, Samir al-Najjar, Ikhlas al-Najjar, Husam al-Najjar, Aminah al-Najjar and Eiman al-Ruqab.

The killing of the al-Najjar family brought the death toll in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict 18 days ago to 940, with 35 killed on Saturday morning alone, according to al-Qidra.

The toll includes at least 40 bodies recovered from the rubble since the ceasefire began on Saturday morning and medical authorities were able to access areas that had been off-limits due to shelling.

More than 5,700 Palestinians have been injured during the same period, while Israeli attacks on solidarity protests in the West Bank have left 11 dead in the last four days, including nine in early Saturday.

The deaths have led to an international outcry and pressure on the Israeli regime to agree to a ceasefire, but late Friday the Israeli cabinet rejected the idea hoping to secure a truce that would allow it to continue operations inside Gaza.

NTJ/MB