Tijjani Usman MuhammadAt least 33 Palestinians were killed on Tuesday night in a series of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency and local hospitals.
Israel said the strikes were carried out in response to alleged ceasefire violations by Hamas, following an attack in southern Gaza that killed an Israeli soldier earlier in the day. Hamas denied involvement in the incident and insisted it remained committed to the US-brokered truce.
US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire remained intact, but maintained that Israel had the right to respond when its soldiers were targeted. “Nothing is going to jeopardize the ceasefire,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “But if Hamas kills an Israeli soldier, Israel should hit back.”
Witnesses reported heavy bombardments in Gaza City, Beit Lahia, Bureij, Nuseirat, and Khan Younis, with homes, schools, and residential buildings hit. The Civil Defence said 14 people were killed in Gaza City alone, including four members of the al-Banna family. Five members of the Abu Sharar family were killed in Bureij, while another five people died when a vehicle was struck near Khan Younis.
Rescue teams worked through the night in difficult conditions, with fears that more victims remained trapped beneath the rubble.
A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that he had ordered “forceful strikes” in Gaza. Defence Minister Israel Katz accused Hamas of crossing “a bright red line” by attacking Israeli troops and breaching the agreement to return the bodies of deceased hostages.
The Israeli military later identified the slain soldier as Master Sergeant Yona Efraim Feldbaum, who was reportedly ambushed in Rafah by gunmen emerging from underground tunnels.
Hamas issued a statement denying responsibility for the attack, calling the Israeli bombardment a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire. The group also said it would delay returning a hostage’s body due to Israeli “violations.”
Tensions escalated after Israel accused Hamas of staging a “fake recovery” of hostage remains earlier this week. The International Committee of the Red Cross condemned the alleged incident, saying it had participated “in good faith” and was unaware of any prior deception.
The ceasefire, mediated by the US, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, is part of the first stage of Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan. Under the agreement, Hamas was to release 48 living and deceased hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. So far, 20 living hostages and 13 bodies have been returned.
Israeli authorities claim Hamas still holds 13 bodies, including 11 Israelis, one Tanzanian, and one Thai. Most were among the 251 people abducted during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, which killed around 1,200 people.
Israel’s military campaign launched in response has since killed more than 68,000 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
