Gazan Sole Fatality in Iran's Missile Attack Buried Amid Rising Conflict

A 38-year-old Gazan, the sole known casualty in Iran's missile attack on Israel, was buried on Wednesday. Sameh Khadr Hassan Al-Asali was killed by missile debris while staying in a Palestinian security forces compound in the occupied West Bank. Around 200 mourners attended the funeral.

A 38-year-old Gazan, the only known fatality in Iran's missile attack against Israel, was buried on Wednesday.

Sameh Khadr Hassan Al-Asali had been staying in a Palestinian security forces compound in the occupied West Bank when he was killed by falling missile debris during Tuesday's attack, which Israel said was largely thwarted by its air defence systems. Security forces personnel carried the body draped in the red, green, white, and black Palestinian flag. Around 200 mourners, including fellow Gazans in Jericho and local residents, attended the funeral.

A large section of the rocket lay on the ground outside the compound. About 700 workers from Gaza have been residing in Jericho since the onset of the Gaza war nearly a year ago. Unlike Israelis who sought shelter after warning sirens, many Palestinians in the West Bank watched the missiles and explosions. CCTV footage showed a large metal tube falling from the sky, fatally striking a man walking across a street.

Reuters confirmed the location from the road layout, buildings, utility poles, and ground markings, which matched satellite imagery. The date was verified by a timecode. The missile attack by Iran signals a potentially more dangerous phase in the conflict, which was triggered by the Hamas-led assault on Israel on Oct 7 the previous year, followed by an Israeli invasion of Gaza. The conflict has since escalated, with Iranian-backed Hezbollah firing missiles at Israel from Lebanon, leading to daily cross-border attacks.

(With inputs from agencies.)