At least 104 Palestinians were killed in a wave of Israeli airstrikes across Gaza on Tuesday night, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry. The escalation comes despite a US-brokered ceasefire deal, which now appears to be under severe strain.
The Israeli military said it struck “dozens of terror targets and terrorists” in response to what it described as Hamas violations of the ceasefire, including an attack that killed an Israeli soldier and breaches concerning the return of deceased hostages’ bodies.
Israel’s Defence Minister accused Hamas of being directly responsible for the attack, while Hamas denied any involvement, insisting it remained committed to the terms of the truce.
US President Donald Trump maintained that “nothing” would jeopardise the ceasefire but added that Israel had a right to “hit back” when its soldiers were attacked.
The overnight strikes hit homes, schools, and residential blocks in several parts of the enclave, including Gaza City, Beit Lahia, Bureij, Nuseirat, and Khan Younis. Witnesses in Gaza City reported seeing “pillars of fire and smoke” rising as multiple explosions shook residential neighbourhoods.
Gaza’s health ministry reported that among the dead were 46 children and 20 women, with over 250 people injured.
Rescue efforts continued into Wednesday, with the Civil Defence agency saying that three women and a man were pulled from the rubble of the al-Banna family’s home in the Sabra area of Gaza City.
In Bureij refugee camp, five members of the Abu Sharar family were killed when their home in the Block 7 area was hit, while another five people died after an airstrike targeted a vehicle north-west of Khan Younis.
The renewed violence has deepened fears that the fragile ceasefire could collapse entirely, plunging Gaza back into another round of devastating conflict.
