At least 104 Palestinians, including 46 children and 20 women, were killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes across Gaza on Tuesday night, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. More than 250 others were injured.
Israel said the strikes targeted “dozens of terror targets” in retaliation for what it called Hamas violations of the US-brokered ceasefire, including an attack in Rafah that killed an Israeli soldier. Hamas denied involvement and reaffirmed its commitment to the truce.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned the group would “pay many times over” for breaking the agreement, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered “forceful strikes” on Gaza.
US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire remained intact but insisted Israel had the right to “hit back”.
The latest escalation comes amid disputes over the return of deceased hostages’ bodies, with Israel accusing Hamas of staging a “fake recovery”, a claim rejected by the group. The Red Cross condemned the alleged incident, saying it acted “in good faith” as a neutral intermediary.
The ceasefire deal, part of Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, has seen the release of living hostages and prisoner exchanges, but delays persist in recovering the remains of those still held in Gaza.
