Gaza Airstrikes Kill 50 as Israel, Hamas Trade Blame Over Ceasefire Violation

Gaza’s civil defence agency reported on Wednesday that overnight Israeli airstrikes killed at least 50 people, including 22 children, after a deadly attack on Israeli troops reignited tensions despite an existing ceasefire.

Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal described the strikes as “a clear and flagrant violation of the ceasefire agreement,” accusing Israel of targeting tents for displaced people, homes, and the vicinity of a hospital. About 200 others were wounded in the attacks.

The Israeli military said the strikes were launched in response to Hamas fire that killed a 37-year-old soldier, Yona Efraim Feldbaum, in Rafah. According to an Israeli official, several anti-tank missiles were later fired at another armoured vehicle in the area.

Hamas denied responsibility for the attack, saying its fighters had “no connection to the shooting incident in Rafah” and reaffirmed its commitment to the US-brokered truce.

US President Donald Trump, speaking during a trip to Asia, defended Israel’s military response, saying, “They killed an Israeli soldier. So the Israelis hit back. And they should hit back. But nothing’s going to jeopardise the truce.”

Hospitals across Gaza reported severe casualties. Al-Awda Hospital said it received several bodies, including four children killed in Nuseirat refugee camp, while Al-Shifa Hospital confirmed that one of the strikes hit its backyard.

Residents described the renewed bombardment as devastating. “We had just started to breathe again, trying to rebuild our lives, when the bombardment came back,” said Khadija al-Husni, who lives in a tent at Al-Shati refugee camp. “It’s a crime. Either there is a truce or a war it can’t be both.”

Hamas said it had delayed handing over the body of a hostage due on Tuesday, blaming the Israeli escalation. The militant group took 251 hostages during its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which triggered the ongoing conflict.

Disputes over the return of the remaining hostage bodies have strained the fragile ceasefire. Israel accused Hamas of breaching the agreement by handing over partial remains of a hostage already identified two years earlier. Hamas denied the allegation, claiming that Israel’s extensive bombardment made it difficult to locate the bodies.

“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 said.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, Israel’s military campaign has killed at least 68,531 people since 2023. Despite the ceasefire, the death toll continues to rise as more bodies are recovered from the rubble.

On the ground, Gaza resident Jalal Abbas said the return of airstrikes was expected. “I knew the bombardment would resume because Israel always creates pretexts,” he told AFP. “Every day they threaten to bring back the war, using the issue of the bodies as an excuse.”