Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday left at least 28 Palestinians dead, marking the latest surge in violence since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was initiated.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the attacks were launched in response to gunfire from “several terrorists” who allegedly targeted Israeli troops operating in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
The IDF described the incident as a breach of the truce, saying, “This action constitutes a violation of the ceasefire agreement,” while noting that no Israeli personnel were harmed.
Hamas denounced the airstrikes, calling them “a dangerous escalation” and disputing the IDF’s version of events.
The group accused Israel of attempting to “justify its ongoing crimes and violations,” and urged the United States to apply “immediate, serious pressure” on Israel to “respect the ceasefire and halt the aggression against our people.”
The renewed violence erupted just days after the UN Security Council backed US President Donald Trump’s proposal aimed at transitioning from the shaky truce to a long-term peace arrangement and facilitating reconstruction in the war-ravaged territory.
Separately, Israel also hit what it said were Hezbollah weapons depots in southern Lebanon.
Wednesday’s bombardment was the third significant flare-up since the October ceasefire took effect, each following alleged assaults on Israeli forces.
The earlier escalations on October 19 and 28 resulted in about 150 Palestinian deaths and the loss of three Israeli soldiers.
Despite these incidents, the ceasefire has largely remained in place.
Health authorities in Gaza reported that nine children were among those killed on Wednesday, with at least 77 additional people wounded.
CNN video from Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City captured scenes of chaos as stunned residents gathered around ambulances bringing in the injured.
The footage showed grieving relatives sitting beside bodies inside the facility, with some opening body bags in anguish. One bag reportedly contained three dust-covered children.
The most lethal strike occurred in Gaza City’s Zaytun neighborhood, where 10 people, including a woman and a child, lost their lives, according to Gaza Civil Defense.
Another strike hit an area west of Khan Younis, targeting what officials described as “a group of civilians inside the UNRWA club.”
Israel’s military offensive in Gaza began after Hamas-led fighters attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages. Since then, Gaza’s health ministry estimates over 69,000 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, have been killed.
Under the first phase of the US-brokered ceasefire framework, Hamas committed to releasing all remaining hostages, both living and deceased, while Israel agreed to partial troop withdrawals and the release of Palestinian detainees. Hamas has since freed all surviving hostages and returned the bodies of all but three who had died.
The strikes on Wednesday followed an Israeli attack the previous day on a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon that left 13 people dead, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
The IDF said it had targeted “a Hamas training compound” allegedly used to “plan and carry out terrorist attacks against the IDF and the State of Israel.”
A day later, Israel launched additional strikes in southern Lebanon aimed at “several weapons storage facilities belonging to Hezbollah’s rocket unit.” While no casualties were reported, Lebanon’s state news agency said several homes were damaged.
For more than two years, Israel has regularly struck targets in Lebanon linked to Hezbollah and Palestinian militant groups.
These attacks intensified after the Iran-backed Hezbollah began firing on Israel in support of Hamas following the October 7 assault. The latest operations occurred despite the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that began in November 2024.
