GAZA CITY: At least 20 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza during the past 24 hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered “immediate, powerful strikes” in response to what he called Hamas’s violation of the US-mediated ceasefire.
Israel accused Hamas of “staging” the recovery of a deceased hostage and claimed its forces came under fire in Rafah, charges the Palestinian group denied. Hamas condemned the attacks as a “criminal bombardment” and reaffirmed its commitment to the truce, accusing Israel of deliberately sabotaging the fragile calm.
The Gaza Civil Defense reported multiple civilian casualties, including families in Khan Younis and Gaza City. Hospitals described scenes of devastation as bodies of children were pulled from rubble.
Hamas later postponed the scheduled handover of an Israeli hostage’s remains, blaming Israel’s “ceasefire violations.” The group warned that any further escalation would disrupt efforts to recover additional bodies.
The Israeli military also released a video claiming to show Hamas operatives faking the recovery of remains in front of the Red Cross — a claim rejected by Hamas and met with concern from the humanitarian organization, which said it had acted “in good faith” and condemned any misuse of its presence.
Analysts say Israel’s renewed offensive — launched barely three weeks into the ceasefire — risks unraveling months of negotiations and deepening Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. The enclave’s health ministry said more than 68,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, with thousands still missing under the rubble.
Critics have accused Israel of exploiting isolated incidents to justify renewed aggression, undermining US diplomatic efforts and prolonging Gaza’s suffering.
