Israeli air strikes kill at least 28 Palestinians in Gaza
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The civil defence agency in Gaza reported that one of the attacks involved helicopter gunships striking a tent that was sheltering displaced families in the southern city of Khan Younis. Residents described the latest bombardment as the most intense since the second phase of the truce, which was brokered by US President Donald Trump in October, began.
The Israeli military confirmed that it had carried out several operations, stating that the strikes were launched after what it called a violation of the ceasefire agreement by Hamas on Friday. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the actions were aimed at preventing further threats from militant groups operating in the area.
IDF statement, “eight terrorists were identified exiting underground terror infrastructure in eastern Rafah,” a region where Israeli troops remain deployed under the terms of the October agreement. The military added that, alongside the Israel Security Agency, it targeted multiple sites, including what it described as four commanders, weapons storage facilities, a manufacturing site, and two launch locations in central Gaza
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Hamas strongly condemned the attacks and called on the United States to intervene, arguing that the latest air raids represented a continuation of what it described as ongoing violations of the truce. The group claimed that several residential apartments, tents, shelters, and even a police station were hit during the strikes.
Medical officials at Gaza City’s Shifa hospital reported that one air strike destroyed a residential building, killing three children and two women. Family members of the victims expressed shock and anger, questioning how civilians could be caught in the crossfire despite the existence of a ceasefire.
Footage circulating on social media and through international news agencies showed rescue workers pulling bodies from collapsed structures and large sections of buildings reduced to rubble across different parts of Gaza.
The renewed violence comes at a sensitive time, as the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt is scheduled to reopen on Sunday. The reopening follows Israel’s recovery of the body of what it said was its last remaining hostage earlier this week, a development that had raised hopes for improved humanitarian access.
Egypt’s foreign ministry issued a statement condemning the strikes and urged all sides to show maximum restraint, warning that further escalation could undermine regional stability and disrupt aid efforts.
The conflict began on 7 October 2023, when a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel left around 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage. Israel responded with a large-scale military campaign in Gaza, which has continued, with intermittent pauses, since then.
Hamas-run health ministry, more than 71,660 Palestinians have been killed during the war, including at least 509 people since the current ceasefire took effect on 10 October 2025. Four Israeli soldiers have also been reported killed in recent months.
While Israel has previously challenged casualty figures provided by Gaza’s health authorities, a senior Israeli security source was quoted in local media as acknowledging that the total number of Palestinian deaths is likely above 70,000. The United Nations and several international human rights organizations have said the ministry’s data is generally reliable, and the figures are widely cited by global media outlets.
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