At least 25 Palestinians lost their lives in four separate Israeli air attacks on Wednesday in a region of Gaza controlled by Hamas since a ceasefire was established in October, according to the local Health Ministry. Medics reported that 10 individuals were killed in Zeitoun, Gaza City’s suburb, two in the Shejaia suburb to the east, and the remaining casualties in two separate incidents in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military stated that it targeted Hamas sites throughout Gaza in response to the group’s members firing on Israeli troops, breaching the nearly six-week-old ceasefire. Hamas denounced the airstrikes as a dangerous escalation and called on the U.S. to pressure Israel to uphold the ceasefire.
A U.S. official, speaking anonymously, accused Hamas of attempting to disrupt the ceasefire and failing to demilitarize as agreed. The official asserted that such tactics would not succeed.
Kifah Mahmoud, aged 58, recounted the chaos and devastation caused by the attacks in Khan Younis, where she was sheltering with her orphaned grandchildren. She described the frantic scene at Nasser Hospital where the injured were brought for treatment.
Recent incidents of gunfire have strained the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with both sides blaming each other for violating the truce brokered by the U.S. The attacks exceeded a designated “yellow line” separating Israeli and Palestinian territories, according to medics and witnesses.
The ceasefire in the two-year conflict in Gaza has allowed many Palestinians to return to the war-torn region, with Israel withdrawing troops and aid efforts increasing. However, violence persists, with Palestinian health authorities reporting casualties from Israeli strikes since the ceasefire began.
Meanwhile, a Gaza water desalination company resumed operations after a staff member detained by Hamas was released. The company expressed regret over the incident and reaffirmed its cooperation with the Hamas-led government in Gaza.
Hamas officials declined to comment on the arrest, while Israel partially lifted the blockade on water and electricity supplies to Gaza following the conflict sparked by Hamas in 2023. The water and sanitation infrastructure in Gaza remains severely damaged, with limited access to clean water, making the company’s desalination operations crucial for the population.
