GAZA CITY, Palestine

A newly-married couple in Gaza are still alive contrary to reports that earlier announced their death in an Israeli airstrike on Rafah, southern the Gaza Strip, two days after announcing their marriage.

"I got married last Friday, I am still alive, thank God," bridegroom Mahmoud Khzeiq told Anadolu reporter.

He clarified that "the news that was circulated on social media was about another newly married bride and bridegroom, from the family of Abu Nahl in Rafah city, may Allah have mercy upon them."

Mahmoud also said he still lives in a tent in a shelter, and that his joy is not completed, as he hopes that the war on Gaza ends soon.

"God's willing, after the war ends, me and my groom will go for Umrah pilgrim (in Saudi Arabia) to have our honeymoon there, and to compensate for our incomplete joy," the bridegroom added.

Last Friday, Mahmoud Khzeiq had a small wedding party in a shelter for displaced people in Deir al-Balah city, central the Gaza Strip, with the participation of his neighbors and friends in the shelter.

At that time, he told Anadolu that he hoped that the situation in Gaza was better and calm to have his wedding in a better place and a big wedding hall.

He said he left Gaza City under the Israeli bombing, and sought refuge in Deir al-Balah city, pushing him to delay his marriage which was scheduled for October.

"We can't keep our marriage suspended, so we decided to have a small wedding party in the shelter to bring happiness to our displaced neighbors and friends," Mahmoud said.

On Monday, several accounts on social media circulated a photo for Mahmoud and his groom, from their wedding, saying they were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Rafah.

Shortly after that, it appeared that the two newly married couple were Abdullah Abu Nahl and his groom Maryam Deeb who also announced their marriage on Friday.

The Israeli strike on northeastern Rafah also left six members of the bridegroom family killed and three others injured.

Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7. The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed at least 29,092 and injured about 69,028 with mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has 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.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara.