27 Killed in Israel Gaza Strike Amid Ceasefire Tensions

Israeli air strikes on Gaza killed 27 people on Wednesday, officials in the Palestinian territory said. The attacks were among the deadliest since a ceasefire came into effect last month. Both Israel and Hamas accused each other of violating the fragile truce.

According to Gaza’s civil defence agency, 14 people were killed in Gaza City in the north, and 13 were killed in Khan Yunis in the south. Two hospitals in the territory confirmed the same numbers. Israel said the strikes targeted Hamas after militants fired at areas where Israeli troops were operating in the south, which Israel said was a violation of the ceasefire. Hamas denied the accusation and called the attacks a “dangerous escalation” that could threaten the truce.

The strikes caused panic and destruction among civilians. Ahraf Abu Sultan, 50, returned to his home in Gaza City after being displaced for a year, only to face new bombings. “We barely managed to repair one room in our destroyed house to try and settle down, and the bombing and death has started again. They don't even give us a chance to breathe,” he said. Another resident, Nivine Ahmed, described the chaos: “We heard explosions and saw smoke rising. People ran, and ambulances carried away the martyrs.”

The ceasefire, largely holding since October 10, is part of a US-brokered deal that also oversaw the return of the last 48 hostages held by militants. While living hostages were returned, the bodies of three hostages remain in Gaza. The second stage of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, including disarming Hamas, creating a transitional authority, and deploying an international stabilisation force, has not yet been implemented. The UN Security Council recently endorsed Trump’s plan, but Hamas rejected it for not meeting Palestinian political and humanitarian demands.

The violence in Gaza comes two years after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which killed 1,221 people. Israel’s retaliatory assault has so far killed at least 69,513 people in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Israel also carried out strikes in southern Lebanon targeting Hezbollah weapons storage sites. The military said Hezbollah, backed by Iran, was trying to rebuild its capabilities. These raids occurred despite a ceasefire in Lebanon, which began last November. The strikes followed a deadly attack a day earlier in a Palestinian refugee camp that killed 13 people, the deadliest in Lebanon since the ceasefire.

On the same day, Israel’s top leaders visited troops stationed in a Syrian buffer zone. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called their presence “immense for Israel’s security,” but Damascus condemned the visit, calling it a “serious violation of Syria’s sovereignty.”

The recent attacks highlight ongoing tensions in the region and the fragility of ceasefires. Civilians in Gaza and Lebanon continue to bear the brunt of military operations, while efforts for a lasting peace remain uncertain.