Israeli Airstrikes Kill 25 Palestinians Amid Mounting Fragility of Gaza Ceasefire

Israeli Airstrikes Kill 25 Palestinians Amid Mounting Fragility of Gaza Ceasefire
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At least 25 Palestinians were killed in four Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday in Gaza since a fragile October ceasefire took effect, according to local health officials, Reuters reported. The strikes came nearly six weeks into a truce intended to curb hostilities in the two-year conflict.

The Israeli military said its forces targeted Hamas positions across the Gaza Strip after militants allegedly opened fire on Israeli troops, an act Israel described as a violation of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement. No Israeli soldiers were injured in the incidents. Hamas denounced the airstrikes as a “dangerous escalation” and urged the United States to pressure Israel to uphold the truce and halt its operations.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, countered that Hamas was attempting to undermine the ceasefire rather than comply with its commitments, including demilitarization. The official said such efforts were unlikely to succeed. The latest exchanges reflect ongoing disputes between the parties over responsibility for repeated breaches of the agreement, part of President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for post-war Gaza.

Medical workers said 10 people were killed in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, two in the nearby Shejaia district, and the remainder in separate strikes in Khan Younis. Witnesses and Palestinian media reported that the attacks occurred beyond an agreed “yellow line” demarcating areas under Israeli and Palestinian control. The targeted sites included a building used by Muslim religious authorities and a U.N.-operated club sheltering displaced families.

While the October 10 ceasefire has allowed some humanitarian access and facilitated the return of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to damaged neighborhoods, sporadic violence persists. Palestinian health authorities say 305 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the truce began, nearly half in a single day last week. Israel reports three military fatalities during the same period and says it continues to strike what it identifies as militant operatives.