The uneasy calm in Gaza shattered overnight as Israeli airstrikes ripped through the enclave, killing at least 50 Palestinians, including 22 children, according to the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency and local hospitals.
Israel launched the strikes after accusing Hamas of violating the US-brokered ceasefire, claiming the group was behind an attack that killed an Israeli soldier in southern Gaza. Hamas denied the accusation, insisting it remained committed to the truce.
‘Forceful Strikes’ After Red Line Crossed
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered “forceful strikes” on Tuesday night, following what his Defence Minister Israel Katz described as a serious breach.
“Hamas crossed a bright red line,” Katz said. “They will pay many times over for attacking our soldiers and violating the agreement to return the fallen hostages.”
Hours later, the Israeli military confirmed the death of Master Sergeant Yona Efraim Feldbaum, a reservist killed when his engineering unit came under fire near Rafah, close to the boundary known as the “Yellow Line” which marks Israeli-controlled territory under the ceasefire deal.
Witnesses in Gaza City described scenes of chaos as strikes tore through homes, schools, and residential blocks. “Pillars of fire and smoke” rose into the night sky, one resident told AFP. Entire families were wiped out: the al-Banna family in Sabra, the Abu Sharar family in Bureij, and several others near Khan Younis, where a vehicle was hit by an airstrike.
Rescue teams worked frantically through the rubble. “We’re working in impossible conditions,” a Civil Defence spokesman said, warning that more victims were likely buried beneath the debris.
Blame, Denial and Retaliation
Hamas rejected Israel’s claims, calling the bombardment a “criminal act” and a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement.
Its armed wing announced it would delay the return of a hostage’s body, accusing Israel of breaking the deal first.
Meanwhile, Israel accused Hamas of staging a “fake recovery” of hostage remains earlier this week, releasing drone footage which it claimed showed militants planting a body before summoning the Red Cross.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) later confirmed its staff were misled, saying they had been invited to witness what they believed was a genuine recovery. “It is unacceptable that a fake recovery was staged,” the ICRC said. “So many families are still waiting for real answers about their loved ones.”
US Urges Calm, But Defends Israel’s Response
From Air Force One, US President Donald Trump tried to downplay fears that the ceasefire was collapsing. “Nothing is going to jeopardise it,” he said, before adding pointedly: “If they kill an Israeli soldier, Israel should hit back.”
Vice-President JD Vance echoed that the truce was still “holding”, describing the recent clashes as “little skirmishes”.
A Fragile Peace at Breaking Point
The latest escalation threatens to unravel a delicate peace deal brokered by the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, part of Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan.
Under the agreement, Hamas was to return 48 hostages, alive or deceased, within 72 hours of the ceasefire starting on 10 October. The majority of living hostages were freed in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners and over 1,700 detainees.
But disputes over the return of bodies have reignited mistrust. Netanyahu accused Hamas of breaching the deal after handing over remains that forensic tests showed belonged not to one of the 13 deceased Israeli hostages still in Gaza, but to Ofir Tzarfati, whose body was recovered by Israeli forces in 2023.
Hamas’s chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya said recovering some remains had become difficult because Israeli strikes had “altered the terrain” and because some fighters who buried the bodies had since been killed. Israel, however, insists Hamas knows exactly where all hostages are buried.
The Cost of Conflict
The war, which began with the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks that killed around 1,200 Israelis, has since left more than 68,500 Palestinians dead, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Tuesday night’s bombardment marks one of the deadliest nights since the ceasefire began, a grim reminder that peace in Gaza still hangs by a thread.
