An Israeli air strike has killed six members of one family in Gaza City, according to local medics.

Video footage showed the family’s apartment on fire overnight in the western al-Sabra neighbourhood.

The brother of Firas al-Masri told the BBC that he had been burnt to death along with his wife, Salsabeel, and their three daughters and son, Faryal, Salma, Amira and Naim.

The Israeli military said its target was a Hamas operative and that it was still looking into the results of the attack.

According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, at least 1,168 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect last October.

Four Israeli soldiers have been killed in Palestinian attacks in Gaza over the same period.

Following Tuesday’s strike in Gaza City, the UN’s human rights office condemned the recent intensification of Israeli military attacks in Gaza.

Between 13 and 20 July, at least 57 Palestinians, including six children and eight women, were killed in strikes on residential buildings, a tent camp for displaced families, and other crowded areas, spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan said.

Thirty-four of those people were “killed far away” from the so-called Yellow Line, which marks territory in Gaza controlled by Israeli forces, he added.

“Nine months after the announcement of a ceasefire, still, nowhere is safe for Palestinians in Gaza,” Al-Kheetan said.

He also warned that the killing of civilians “raises concerns of continuing violations of international humanitarian law, war crimes and other possible atrocity crimes in Gaza”.

The Israeli military recently announced a series of attacks targeting members of Palestinian armed groups, who it says were involved in the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.

Israel responded by launching a massive military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 73,290 people have been killed, according to the territory’s health ministry.

Last week, a US-based human rights group, HRANA, said it had received information that Craig Foreman had lost about 16kg (35lb) and Lindsay Foreman was suffering from dizziness and body tremors.

Their family now says that a letter written to them asking them to end their hunger strike had not been delivered, nor had medication and other basic supplies.

“My mum and Craig are 18 months into an ordeal they should never have known,” said Bennett.

“They are weak, they are hungry, and now Craig is being punished simply for being heard. To add two more years to an innocent man’s sentence, in secret and with no chance to defend himself, is a flagrant abuse of the most basic rights any person is owed.”

Last month, two United Nations human rights experts called on Iran to release the couple, saying that proceedings against them had been marked by grave irregularities.

“Lindsay and Craig Foreman should not be in prison,” said UN special rapporteurs Dr Alice Edwards and Mai Sato.

“They appear to have been wrongfully detained, prosecuted on highly questionable grounds, and sentenced after proceedings that failed to meet basic fair trial guarantees.”

The Foreign Office has advised against all travel to Iran since 2022, saying that people can be detained there for simply for having a British passport or connections to the UK.

It has previously said it is working to ensure the Foremans are returned safely to the UK, and stressed the couple’s health and welfare was its “priority”.

The couple’s family have welcomed the appointment on Monday of the UK’s first ever envoy to support British nationals detained abroad in complex cases where there are concerns about welfare, due process or human rights.

The role will be held by the former Conservative MP and Middle East minister Alistair Burt.

Lindsay and Craig Foreman’s family said they look forward to meeting him and hope his appointment will have a positive impact on their case.

Since the deadly Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, which triggered the Gaza war, UN agencies and Israeli rights groups have reported an increase in claims of abuse of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including routine beatings, sexual violence, starvation and severe medical negligence. Dozens of Palestinians are reported to have died in detention as a result.

Negar, who lives in Toronto, Canada, says her family have been managing to make short calls to reassure her they are okay, knowing how anxious she was during the deadly anti-government protests in Iran in January. These have done little to allay her worries.