DOZENS of Palestinians in Gaza City gathered on Thursday for funeral prayers for 10 people killed in Israeli strikes the night before, including five children and an elderly person, as well as a Hamas fighter.

More than 20 people were injured in the strikes, according to al-Shifa Hospital. Video from the scene showed flames pouring from an upper-floor window of a building, while bystanders rushed to carry wounded people, including children, to ambulances.

Mohammed Shawish, who was wounded and lost his wife in the strikes, broke down in tears as he held her body at the hospital morgue, saying, “I married my wife for love. For God’s sake, I chose her because of love.”

The strikes took place on the first day of Eid al-Adha, or the “Feast of Sacrifice,” a major Islamic holiday. 

The Israeli military said Wednesday evening it had launched strikes in the northern Gaza Strip targeting two Hamas militants.

Among those killed was Hamas fighter Imad Isleim. On Thursday, mourners carried his body wrapped in a white shroud with a Hamas flag draped over it. 

His death came as a “shock” to the family, even though they knew it could happen at any time, his cousin Nidal Isleim said.

The strikes came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was expanding its control in Gaza.

He said: “Right now, we are tightening the grip on Hamas. 

“We are now in 60 per cent of the territory of the Gaza Strip. You know that? We were at 50 per cent, we moved to 60 per cent.”

He said the next step was to move to 70 per cent control, with Israel “tightening the grip” on Hamas “from every direction.”

Mr Netanyahu added: “The most important thing is to continue leveraging our power, to increase it.”