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Deadliest Gaza strikes since ceasefire kill 25 as tensions surge
At least 25 Palestinians died in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, marking the bloodiest day since a ceasefire took effect five weeks ago, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. The violence followed claims by Israel's military that Hamas fighters violated the truce by opening fire near Israeli troops in Khan Younis.
Strikes target Gaza City and Khan Younis
Rescue teams reported 10 fatalities after an Israeli strike demolished a religious endowments ministry building in Gaza City's eastern Zeitoun neighborhood. Gaza's Civil Defence agency shared footage of workers extracting two bodies from rubble at the site, while images from Anadolu news agency showed the remains of three children recovered from the wreckage.
Separate attacks in Gaza City left one dead and multiple wounded after a drone hit Shejaiya junction on Salah al-Din Street, the territory's main thoroughfare. Another fatality occurred when a tank shell struck a residential home on Mushtaha Street, also in Shejaiya, according to Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal.
In Khan Younis, 13 more deaths were recorded, including three killed in a strike on a UN-run sports club for Palestinian refugees, Bassal added.
Israel cites ceasefire violation; Hamas denies claims
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that "several terrorists opened fire toward the area where IDF soldiers are operating in Khan Younis," calling it a "violation of the ceasefire agreement." No Israeli casualties were reported. In response, the IDF launched strikes on what it described as "Hamas terrorist targets" across Gaza.
Israeli public broadcaster Kan, citing a security source, claimed the strikes targeted the commander of Hamas's Zeitoun Battalion and the head of its naval forces. Hamas dismissed Israel's justification as a "dangerous escalation," accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to "resume the genocide against our people."
"This action constitutes a violation of the ceasefire agreement. No IDF injuries were reported."
Israel Defense Forces statement
Ceasefire strains amid UN resolution on Gaza peace plan
The surge in violence follows this week's UN Security Council resolution endorsing a Gaza peace proposal backed by former U.S. President Donald Trump. The plan, adopted Monday, establishes a transitional governance body-chaired by Trump-and an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) to oversee Gaza's demilitarization.
Hamas reiterated its refusal to disarm without a Palestinian state, framing its armed resistance as legitimate. Israel's UN ambassador countered that disarmament remained non-negotiable: "We will not stop or let up until Hamas no longer presents a threat."
A U.S. official told Reuters that Hamas was attempting to "break the ceasefire" and avoid disarmament commitments. Hamas, in turn, urged Washington to "honor its stated commitments and exert immediate pressure on Israel to enforce the ceasefire."
Broader regional tensions flare
Wednesday's strikes extended beyond Gaza. The IDF confirmed separate attacks in southern Lebanon, targeting what it described as Hezbollah weapons storage sites. Israel accuses the Iran-backed group of rebuilding capabilities after last November's conflict.
The latest Gaza casualties bring the ceasefire-period death toll to 280, per the health ministry. Since October 7, 2023-when Hamas-led attacks killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages-Israel's offensive has claimed at least 69,500 Palestinian lives, the ministry reported. The IDF has lost three soldiers to Gaza attacks during the truce.
"Supplies have stabilized, but conservation remains essential."
Hamas statement on ceasefire violations
What's next
The UN's newly approved governance body is expected to convene within weeks, though Hamas's rejection of disarmament without statehood complicates implementation. Analysts warn that without rapid de-escalation, the ceasefire-already tested by Wednesday's strikes-could collapse entirely.
