DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israel’s military announced on Wednesday that the ceasefire in Gaza has been reinstated after a night of heavy airstrikes across the territory that killed 104 people, including 66 women and children, according to Palestinian health officials.
The attacks, the deadliest since the ceasefire began on October 10, have posed the most serious test yet to the fragile truce. Israel said the strikes were in response to alleged Hamas violations of the ceasefire, while the militant group denied responsibility and accused Israel of breaching the agreement.
Shortly after announcing the restoration of the ceasefire, the Israeli military confirmed another airstrike in northern Gaza targeting what it described as a site used to store weapons for an imminent attack. Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City reported receiving two bodies from that strike.
Israel said the overnight bombardment was retaliation for the shooting and killing of an Israeli soldier in the southern city of Rafah. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also accused Hamas of violating the deal by failing to return the remains of Israeli hostages. Hamas denied involvement in the shooting and in turn accused Israel of committing “a blatant violation of the ceasefire.”
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 104 people were killed, including 20 women and 46 children, and 253 others were injured, most of them women and children. Many of the victims were displaced families living in tent camps. In Deir al-Balah, bodies were carried into hospitals on stretchers and mattresses as ambulances crowded the entrances.
The Israeli military said in a statement that it targeted dozens of Hamas facilities, including command centers, weapons depots, mortar positions, and tunnels. Among those killed, it said, were 21 Hamas commanders of varying ranks, including Hatem Maher Mousa Qudra, the Nukhba company commander who led the October 7, 2023, attack on the Ein Hashlosha Kibbutz.
Israel’s military vowed to “respond firmly and act decisively to eliminate any threat to the State of Israel.” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein blamed Hamas for the civilian death toll, accusing the group of using civilians as human shields.
The slain soldier in Rafah was identified as Master Sgt. Yona Efraim Feldbaum, 37, was killed when his vehicle came under enemy fire. A military official said Israeli troops were repeatedly attacked on Tuesday while working to destroy tunnels and Hamas infrastructure in the area, much of which has been leveled in recent months.
Marmorstein said the United States had been informed of the strikes, which were carried out “in full coordination” with Washington.
U.S. President Donald Trump defended Israel’s actions, saying the country had the right to retaliate after Hamas killed an Israeli soldier who also held U.S. citizenship. He said he remained confident the ceasefire would hold despite the escalation, calling Hamas “a small part of the overall Middle East peace” that “has to behave.”
Israel and Hamas continued to trade blame over ceasefire violations. Netanyahu accused Hamas of breaching the deal by handing over partial remains of a hostage earlier in the week, while Hamas said Israel’s strikes showed “a clear intention to undermine the ceasefire and impose new realities by force.”
Qatar, which helped broker the ceasefire alongside the U.S. and Egypt, confirmed a violation of the truce “by the Palestinian side,” though it was unclear whether Hamas was responsible. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani described the renewed fighting as “very disappointing and frustrating” after weeks of mediation.
In Gaza, residents were still reeling from the destruction. At dawn, displaced Palestinians dug through the rubble of destroyed tents and found the body of a small child. “What kind of ceasefire is this?” asked Amna Qrinawi.
At Al-Awda Hospital, dozens of bodies wrapped in white shrouds were laid out for funeral prayers as grieving families wept. Yehya Eid, who lost his brother and nephews, sobbed over the small, bloodstained body of a child. “These were children. What did they do wrong? Did they fight in the war?” he cried.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israel’s nearly two-year campaign has killed more than 68,500 Palestinians. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but its records are widely considered credible by U.N. agencies and independent experts. Israel disputes the figures but has not provided its own count.
