Israeli Airstrikes Kill Dozens in Gaza in Major Ceasefire Breach

Gaza casualties rise despite ceasefire

At least 23 Palestinians have been killed in a new wave of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip.

Gaza’s Health Ministry and civil defence teams say the dead include children and women sheltering in already-displaced families’ homes.

The attacks struck several neighbourhoods on Wednesday, shattering a ceasefire that was meant to quiet the front lines.

Medical officials report that between 22 and 28 people were killed, with more than 70 wounded, as casualty figures continue to change.

The latest deaths are among more than 300 Palestinians reported killed in Israeli strikes since the truce took effect in October.

Ceasefire violations and competing narratives

The recent barrage is one of the deadliest single days since the United States-brokered ceasefire began on 10 October.

Palestinian officials accuse Israel of repeated violations, saying hundreds of attacks have been recorded since the deal was announced.

Israel, however, insists its forces are responding to Hamas gunfire and other “terrorist activities” that break the agreement.

The Israeli military says Wednesday’s airstrikes targeted militants who opened fire on troops near Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

No Israeli soldiers were reported injured in that incident, but officials argue the response was needed to deter further attacks.

Palestinian factions deny using the ceasefire to launch new assaults, calling the strikes an unjustified escalation.

Displaced families hit in supposed ‘safe’ areas

Many of the latest strikes hit areas packed with people already driven from their homes by earlier phases of the war.

Local officials say homes, temporary shelters and crowded streets in Gaza City’s Zeitoun district and in parts of Khan Younis were among the targets.

Witnesses described families digging through rubble with bare hands as civil defence crews searched for survivors.

Some of these neighbourhoods were previously designated as relatively safer zones under earlier Israeli evacuation maps.

Residents say they moved there after repeated military orders to leave other districts, believing they would be less exposed.

As a result, each new strike spreads renewed fear among displaced communities who feel nowhere in Gaza is truly safe.

Regional and international reaction to strikes

The attacks come as regional leaders and international mediators struggle to keep the ceasefire from collapsing entirely.

United Nations officials warn that continued Israeli strikes and Palestinian rocket fire could unravel months of fragile diplomacy.

Rights groups have called for independent investigations into civilian deaths, especially in areas hosting displaced people.

Meanwhile, foreign governments are under renewed pressure from their publics to limit arms sales and push harder for accountability.

Some Western states argue Israel has a right to respond to attacks, but they also urge “maximum restraint” and protection of civilians.

Palestinian officials say such statements fall short, insisting that only firm sanctions and legal action will change Israeli behaviour.

Humanitarian situation in Gaza remains desperate

Humanitarian agencies say the latest strikes further strain an already shattered health system and aid operation.

Hospitals damaged during earlier months of fighting now struggle with fuel shortages, staff exhaustion and a constant flow of trauma cases.

Food, clean water and medicine remain scarce, especially in overcrowded camps and informal shelters.

Since the Gaza war began in October 2023, more than 69,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 170,000 wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry figures cited by Al Jazeera.

Israeli officials contest some of these numbers but acknowledge that civilian casualties are high.

For families in Gaza, however, the statistics translate into constant mourning and uncertainty as they wait to see whether the ceasefire still has meaning.

Sources: Al Jazeera/Reuters

Image: Reuters

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