Israel launches strikes in Gaza ceasefire’s latest test as hospitals say 24 killed

Israeli airstrikes have once again tested the fragile Gaza ceasefire, killing at least 24 Palestinians and wounding 54 others, including children, according to local health officials. The Israeli military claims the strikes were launched in response to gunfire directed at their troops from within Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that five senior Hamas members were killed in the operation. The Saturday attacks represent the latest in a series of similar military actions that have occurred during the ceasefire period that began on October 10.

One strike targeted a vehicle in Gaza City’s Rimal neighborhood, killing 11 people and wounding more than 20, according to Rami Mhanna, managing director of Shifa Hospital. Hospital director Mohamed Abu Selmiya reported that the majority of those wounded were children.

Additional strikes hit houses in central Gaza. Near Al-Awda Hospital, at least three people were killed and 11 wounded. In Nuseirat camp, seven people, including a child, were killed with 16 others wounded. A separate attack in Deir al-Balah killed three people, including a woman, according to Al-Aqsa Hospital.

“Suddenly, I heard a powerful explosion. I looked outside and saw smoke covering the entire area. I couldn’t see a thing,” recounted Khalil Abu Hatab, a resident of Deir al-Balah. “When I looked again, I realized the upper floor of my neighbor’s house was gone. It’s a fragile ceasefire. This is not a life we can live. There’s no safe place.”

The Israeli military stated it launched the attacks after an “armed terrorist” entered an Israeli-held area and fired on troops in southern Gaza. No soldiers were reported injured in the incident. According to the military, the individual used a road designated for humanitarian aid, which they described as an “extreme violation” of the ceasefire agreement.

In additional military operations, Israeli forces reported killing 11 “terrorists” in the Rafah area and detaining six others attempting to flee an underground structure. They also claim to have killed two individuals who crossed into Israeli-held areas in northern Gaza and approached soldiers.

Since the ceasefire began, Israeli forces have withdrawn from some areas but still maintain control over just over half of the Gaza Strip.

Izzat al-Rishq, a senior member of Hamas’ political bureau, accused Israel of “fabricating pretexts to evade the ceasefire agreement and return to the war of extermination.” He indicated that Hamas had urged the United States and other mediators to compel Israel to implement the agreement. The Hamas statement did not address Netanyahu’s claim about the five senior members killed.

The ongoing conflict takes place against a backdrop of international diplomatic efforts. The UN Security Council recently approved a U.S. blueprint for securing and governing Gaza. The plan authorizes an international stabilization force, approves a transitional authority overseen by President Trump, and outlines a potential path to an independent Palestinian state.

The war began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in over 250 hostages being taken. Most hostages or their remains have since been returned through various agreements, though the remains of three are still in Gaza.

On Saturday night, Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv demanding a state commission of inquiry into the events surrounding the October 7 attack. “The government of Israel failed in its most important mission: to protect its children, to protect its citizens, not to abandon soldiers on the battlefield without rescue and without assistance,” said Rafi Ben Shitrit, whose son Staff Sgt. Shimon Alroy Ben Shitrit was killed in the attack.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, 69,733 Palestinians have been killed and 170,863 injured in Israel’s retaliatory offensive. The death toll has continued to rise during the ceasefire period, both from new Israeli strikes and from the recovery and identification of bodies from earlier in the conflict.

The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government but staffed by medical professionals, does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its figures. However, it has consistently reported that women and children make up the majority of those killed. Independent experts generally consider the ministry’s detailed records to be reliable.