Israeli strikes across Gaza leave 25 Palestinians dead as ceasefire strains under new violence

At least twenty five Palestinians were killed on Wednesday as Israeli strikes hit several areas across the Gaza Strip, according to the health ministry run by Hamas. It was one of the deadliest days since the fragile ceasefire began five weeks ago, and it quickly revived fears that the calm could collapse.

Rescue teams said ten people died when a building belonging to the ministry of religious endowments in the eastern Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City was struck. Videos shared by the Civil Defence showed workers digging through rubble and appearing to uncover two bodies buried beneath fallen concrete. Photos taken at the scene showed the bodies of young children being carried away.

Israel said it launched the strikes after gunmen opened fire toward soldiers operating in the southern city of Khan Younis, calling the incident a violation of the ceasefire. No Israeli soldiers were hurt. Hamas rejected the claim and denounced the strikes as a serious escalation that threatened the agreement.

Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesperson for the Civil Defence agency in Gaza, told the BBC that Israeli air, drone and artillery fire hit multiple sites in Gaza City and Khan Younis soon after sunset. He said the sudden intensity marked a sharp shift after several days of relative quiet.

In Gaza City, one person was killed and several others were wounded when a drone struck a group of civilians at Shejaiya junction on Salah al Din Street, the main road that runs through the territory. Another person died when a tank shell hit a home belonging to the Balboul family in Shejaiya.

In the Khan Younis area, the Civil Defence said thirteen people were killed. Three of them died after a strike hit a group inside a sports club operated by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

Israeli media reported that the strikes were aimed at senior Hamas commanders, including a leader of the Zeitoun Battalion and a commander from the group’s naval unit.

Hamas condemned the attacks and accused the Israeli government of trying to restart the war. It urged the United States to pressure Israel to respect the ceasefire. A US official told Reuters that Hamas was attempting to break the deal by refusing to fulfil its commitment to disarm.

Earlier this week, the UN Security Council approved a resolution designed to stabilise the ceasefire. It called for the creation of a transitional governance body and an international force tasked with supporting efforts to demilitarise Gaza.

Israel insists it will not stop its operations until Hamas can no longer pose a threat. Gaza’s health ministry says more than sixty nine thousand five hundred people have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 2023, including hundreds during the ceasefire period.