Israeli strikes across Gaza overnight resulted in the deaths of at least 100 people, according to local health officials. This grim toll marks what appears to be the most devastating day since Israel and Hamas had agreed to a cease-fire three weeks prior.
The barrage of strikes commenced late Tuesday, shortly after the Israeli government accused Hamas of breaching the truce. Allegations included Hamas’s failure to return the bodies of deceased captives and an attack on Israeli forces in Rafah, located in southern Gaza. The Israeli military confirmed that one of its soldiers, Master Sgt. Yona Efraim, was killed during the Rafah assault.
On Wednesday, Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, stated that the overnight strikes had eliminated “dozens of Hamas commanders.” The military later announced that the cease-fire had been reinstated at 10 a.m. local time.
Health authorities in Gaza reported that the Israeli strikes tragically killed at least 100 individuals within the enclave, with approximately 250 more sustaining injuries.
Munir al-Bursh, director general of Gaza’s health ministry, noted that 35 children were among the deceased, though his data does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. He highlighted the severe challenges hospitals in the enclave continue to face, grappling with critical shortages of resources and medicines.
Gaza’s Civil Defense emergency rescue service corroborated the health ministry’s report, also confirming at least 100 fatalities.
On Wednesday, President Trump publicly supported Israel’s actions in Gaza. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One during a trip to South Korea, he asserted that Israel “should hit back” when its soldiers are killed, but emphasized that “nothing is going to jeopardize” the cease-fire, which is based on a peace plan he introduced last month.
“Hamas is a very small part of peace in the Middle East, and they have to behave,” he warned, adding that “If they’re not good, they’re going to be terminated.”
In response, Hamas issued a statement accusing Israel of attempting to sabotage the cease-fire and criticized the U.S. administration.
At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, a reporter for The New York Times witnessed women grieving over the bodies of children. Dr. Ahmed al-Farra, a hospital official, confirmed that the facility had received the bodies of 21 people killed in the strikes, including 13 children.
These recent strikes followed a week of escalating tensions, fueled by delays in the exchange of deceased captives between Israel and Hamas – a crucial component of the fragile cease-fire deal implemented earlier this month.
Tensions reached a boiling point on Tuesday when gunmen in Gaza attacked Israeli soldiers in Rafah. The military reported that militants opened fire on Israeli troops who were actively dismantling a Hamas tunnel in an area under Israeli military control in eastern Gaza.
Additionally, the Israeli military released drone footage on Tuesday, alleging that it depicted Hamas attempting to “create a false impression” regarding its efforts to locate deceased captives.
Hamas, however, denied any involvement in the Rafah attack. The group maintained its stance that it is acting in good faith to find and return the remains of individuals taken from Israel during the October 7, 2023, attack that initiated the conflict.
The drone footage, according to the Israeli military, showed alleged Hamas members staging the discovery of a deceased captive while Red Cross observers were present. The aid organization stated that its staff was unaware of any body movement prior to their arrival, condemning the incident: “It is unacceptable that a fake recovery was staged,” the Red Cross affirmed.
When questioned about the video on Tuesday, Hamas directed The Times to an earlier statement accusing Israel of fabricating pretexts for military operations.
Following the Israeli government’s decision to launch strikes on Gaza, David Mencer, a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, cited both the shooting incident and the events depicted in the drone video as clear violations of the cease-fire agreement.
Gabby Sobelman, Rawan Sheikh Ahmad Abu Bakr Bashir and Iyad Abuheweila contributed reporting.