KEY POINTS
- Israeli strikes in Gaza kill over 104 people, including 35 children
- Gaza’s civil defence described the situation as “catastrophic”
- Trump defended Israel’s right to respond, while Vice President JD Vance called the violence “skirmishes.”
- Pakistan condemned Israel’s attacks as violations of international law and urged an immediate halt.
- Israeli Defence Minister warned Hamas leaders that none would have immunity.
- Pakistan’s Foreign Minister will attend a meeting of Muslim countries to sustain the Gaza ceasefire.
TOKYO, Japan: US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that “nothing” would jeopardise the Gaza ceasefire, as fresh Israeli air strikes on the Palestinian enclave killed more than 104 since Tuesday.
Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli attacks overnight killed at least 104 people, 35 children and a number of women and elderly, and wounded over 300. The strikes followed Israeli accusations that Hamas had violated the truce by killing an Israeli soldier — a claim the Palestinian group denied.
“At least 101 fatalities were brought to hospitals, including 35 children and a number of women and elderly, as a result of Israeli air strikes in less than 12 hours,” said Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for Gaza’s civil defence agency. The spokesman described the situation in Gaza as “catastrophic and terrifying”.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military had launched “powerful strikes” in response to the killing of a soldier in southern Gaza.
Hamas said it had “no connection to the shooting incident in Rafah” and reaffirmed its commitment to the US-brokered ceasefire.
The Israeli military said it had targeted “dozens of targets” and claimed to have struck “30 fighters holding command positions” within Palestinian groups in Gaza.
Trump defends Israeli aggression
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One during his Asia tour, Trump defended Israel’s right to respond while maintaining that the ceasefire would hold.
“They killed an Israeli soldier. So the Israelis hit back. And they should hit back,” he said. “Nothing’s going to jeopardise the truce.”
US Vice President JD Vance also downplayed the violence, describing it as “skirmishes” that would not derail the peace agreement.
“We know that Hamas or somebody else within Gaza attacked an IDF soldier … but I think the president’s peace is going to hold,” he said.
Civilian toll and ceasefire strain
Gaza hospitals reported a surge in casualties following the renewed Israeli bombardment. Al Shifa Hospital said one strike hit its backyard, while Al Awda Hospital received several bodies, including four children, from the Nuseirat refugee camp.
Hamas announced it would delay handing over the body of another Israeli hostage due to the “escalation”, saying it would hinder recovery operations.
The dispute over the remaining bodies of deceased hostages has threatened to derail the ceasefire agreement reached on 10 October.
Hamas said it had located the remains of two hostages on Tuesday but did not specify when they would be returned.
“The movement is determined to hand over the bodies of the Israeli captives as soon as possible once they are located,” Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told AFP, adding that Israel’s two-year bombardment campaign had left parts of Gaza “unrecognisable”.
Since October 2023, at least 68,531 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry.
Pakistan condemns Israel’s ceasefire violations
In Islamabad, Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) strongly condemned the renewed Israeli “aggression” in Gaza and called for an immediate halt to Israel’s ceasefire violations.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the renewed attacks by the Israeli occupying forces in Gaza, which have reportedly resulted in civilian casualties,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
“These actions constitute a clear and flagrant violation of international law, as well as a breach of the recently concluded peace agreement.”
Pakistan urged the international community to act swiftly to prevent further Israeli violations and reiterated longstanding support for an independent Palestinian state based on pre-June 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital.
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Pakistan Strongly Condemns Israel’s Violations of the Gaza Peace Agreement
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— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 29, 2025
Gaza’s health ministry reported that at least 104 people, including 35 children, were killed in less than 12 hours.
“The Israeli strikes targeted tents for displaced people, homes, and the vicinity of a hospital,” said civil defence spokesman Bassal.
Israel warns Hamas leadership
Following the renewed strikes, Israeli Defence Minister Katz warned Hamas leaders that they would have “no immunity”.
“There will be no immunity for anyone in the leadership of Hamas — neither for those in suits nor for those hiding in tunnels,” Katz said. “Whoever raises a hand against an [Israeli] soldier, his hand will be severed.”
Qatar, which has mediated between Israel and Hamas since the start of the war, remains one of the guarantors of the fragile peace deal alongside the United States, Egypt, and Turkiye.
Regional diplomacy
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is scheduled to travel to Turkiye next week to attend a meeting of foreign ministers from the eight Muslim countries that helped broker Trump’s Gaza peace plan.
The ministers will discuss next steps to sustain the ceasefire and stabilisation efforts.
Officials said Pakistan is also considering whether to contribute troops to the proposed International Stabilisation Force for Gaza, though no final decision has been announced.
