Israel reaffirmed its commitment to the US-backed ceasefire in Gaza on Wednesday, even as it launched a series of retaliatory airstrikes that Gaza health authorities said killed 104 people, including 46 children and 20 women.
The escalation followed the death of an Israeli soldier on Tuesday in what Israel described as an attack by gunmen near the “yellow line,” where its troops had withdrawn under the truce agreement. Hamas has denied responsibility for the attack.
Despite affirming its intention to uphold the ceasefire, Israel’s military said it carried out additional strikes in northern Gaza targeting what it claimed were weapons storage sites. Medics reported two deaths from one such airstrike.
The Israeli military announced that its operations focused on Hamas militants, weapons depots, and tunnels, naming 24 militant targets. Among them was a Hamas commander accused of taking part in the October 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel that ignited the current conflict.
In the central Gaza Strip’s Nusseirat area, residents said the Abu Dalal family — nine members in total — was wiped out when an airstrike flattened their home overnight. “It was erased from the civil registry,” said neighbour Wael Najem.
US President Donald Trump defended Israel’s response, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that “Israel should hit back” but maintained that “nothing is going to jeopardise” the ceasefire.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, a key mediator, expressed disappointment over the renewed violence, calling it “very frustrating.”
In Gaza, displaced residents feared the fragile truce could collapse. “The sounds of explosions and planes made us feel as if war had started again,” said Ismail Zayda, who is sheltering with 25 relatives in western Gaza City.
