Gaza City: A new wave of Israeli airstrikes killed more than 100 Palestinians, including 35 children, in what Gaza’s civil defence agency described as the deadliest night since the truce brokered by the United States earlier this month.
According to Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for Gaza’s civil defence, 101 fatalities were brought to hospitals within 12 hours, many of them women and children. The death toll was confirmed by medical reports from five major hospitals across the territory.
The Israeli military said the strikes targeted Hamas sites after the death of an Israeli soldier in Rafah. However, the renewed bombardment has shattered the fragile ceasefire, which was meant to hold following mediation by the US, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.
Residents described scenes of chaos and despair. “We had just started to rebuild our lives when the bombing returned,” said Khadija al-Husni, a displaced mother at Al-Shati refugee camp. “It’s a crime — either there’s a truce or a war.”
Meanwhile, the Al-Shifa Hospital reported one strike landing in its yard, intensifying fears over the safety of medical facilities. Local witnesses described overnight explosions lighting up Gaza’s sky despite Israel’s claims of “renewed enforcement of the ceasefire.”
US President Donald Trump, who helped broker the truce, reiterated Israel’s right to respond but urged restraint, saying the agreement “must not be jeopardized.”
In Deir al-Balah, residents accused Israel of using the death of one soldier as a pretext to resume attacks. “Trump gives them cover to kill civilians,” said Jalal Abbas, a displaced resident. “We’re exhausted and on the verge of collapse.”
Hamas denied involvement in the Rafah attack, calling the escalation “unjustified” and warning it could delay the recovery of hostage remains. Israel accused Hamas of stalling the return process, deepening tensions over the truce implementation.
GRY News Analysis:
The latest escalation underscores the fragility of ceasefire diplomacy and the human cost of ongoing hostilities in Gaza. As both sides trade blame, civilians continue to bear the brunt of renewed violence. The situation may further strain US mediation efforts and widen regional instability.
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