At least 28 Palestinians have been killed in a new series of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, according to medical sources speaking to Al Jazeera. The attacks represent one of the most significant violations of the United States-brokered ceasefire that came into effect last month.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that at least 77 additional Palestinians were injured in the bombardment, based on initial assessments.
Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said that Israel targeted three locations, including the al-Mawasi area in southern Gaza near Khan Younis.
Another strike hit a crowded junction in Shujayea in eastern Gaza City, where many displaced families had gathered, while a separate attack destroyed a building in the Zeitoun neighbourhood, killing at least 10 people—including an entire family.
“A father, a mother, and their three children were killed inside this building,” Mahmoud said, adding that the intensifying attacks have sparked widespread fear throughout the besieged territory.
“Palestinians across Gaza are already living through daily horror,” he said, noting that Israeli strikes have continued despite the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that was announced on October 10.
“The war has not stopped, and Palestinians continue to die from ongoing violence,” Mahmoud added.
Israeli Military Response and Hamas Rejection
The Israeli army stated that Wednesday’s attacks were directed at “Hamas targets” across Gaza in retaliation for what it claimed was gunfire directed at its forces in Khan Younis.
The army said it would “continue to act forcefully” against perceived threats to Israel.
Hamas dismissed Israel’s justification as “a weak and transparent attempt to cover up its crimes,” accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking escalation.
“This is a dangerous attempt by Netanyahu to resume genocide against our people,” the Hamas statement said.
Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh, reporting from Ramallah, said Israel effectively positions itself as “judge, jury, and executioner” in interpreting the terms of the ceasefire.
She explained that Israel determines on its own whether Hamas has violated the truce and then launches attacks “against what it identifies as specific targets.”
Regional Escalation Beyond Gaza
The renewed assault on Gaza coincided with Israeli strikes in Lebanon, where tensions have risen sharply following an attack on a Palestinian refugee camp in the south that killed more than a dozen people.
The escalation comes just days after the United Nations Security Council approved a resolution supporting a US-backed peace plan for Gaza. The plan includes deploying an “international stabilisation force” and establishing a “board of peace” to oversee governance of the enclave—conditional on Hamas relinquishing control.
Hamas and other Palestinian factions have rejected the proposal, calling it contrary to Palestinian national aspirations.
The Palestinian rights group Al-Haq urged UNSC members to oppose the resolution, warning that it could undermine Palestinian self-determination.
‘A Continuation of War Under the Label of Ceasefire’
Khaled Elgindy, a senior fellow at the Quincy Institute, said Israel’s actions directly confront both the credibility and limits of the UN-backed ceasefire.
“This is a real test for the Security Council, the United States, and the international community,” he told Al Jazeera. “Will they uphold the ceasefire they’ve been celebrating for weeks?”
He noted that supporters of the resolution argued it would end Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 70,000 Palestinians since October 2023.
“But what we see instead is the absence of genuine compliance—Israel has not adhered to the terms of the ceasefire,” Elgindy said.
“If the United States chooses not to intervene, then what we’ll have is simply a continuation of the war under the guise of a ceasefire and peacemaking—when the reality is the opposite.”