A newlywed Palestinian couple was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting a shelter camp in Rafah city in southern Gaza.

Abdullah Abu Nahel and his bride tied the knot on Friday but lost their lives two days later after an Israeli fighter jet struck a camp housing displaced Palestinians in Khirbat al-Adas northeast of Rafah, Turkey’s Anadolu News Agency reported. 

Six other Palestinians were killed and three injured in the same strike.

The attack came amid Israeli preparations for a ground attack in Rafah, home to more than 1.4 million residents seeking refuge from war.

Palestinians have sought refuge in Rafah as Israel has been pounding the rest of the territory since October 7. 

The Israeli war on Gaza has displaced 85% of the territory's population amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine. 60% of the territory’s infrastructure has also been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.