Israeli strikes kill 25 in Gaza despite ceasefire, Hamas condemns escalation

Israeli military operations have resumed across the Gaza Strip, resulting in significant Palestinian casualties despite an ongoing ceasefire agreement. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 25 people were killed and 77 others wounded in a series of airstrikes that targeted multiple locations Wednesday, marking a serious violation of the fragile truce that had held since last month.

Multiple locations targeted

The attacks began with artillery shelling in Gaza City's Shujaiya neighborhood, where a residential building was struck, killing one Palestinian. Subsequent strikes hit civilian gatherings in the same area, causing additional casualties. Israeli warplanes also bombed the headquarters of Gaza's Endowments Ministry in the Zeitoun neighborhood, killing five people including a pregnant woman and a young girl. In southern Gaza, three Palestinians died in an attack on a group of civilians in Khan Younis.

Genocide claims and responses

The Israeli military claimed the operations were retaliation for gunfire directed at its forces in Rafah, southern Gaza. However, Hamas immediately rejected this justification, describing it as "a weak and exposed attempt to justify its crimes and violations." The group characterized the attacks as a "horrific massacre" and accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking "to resume the genocide against our people" through what it termed a "dangerous escalation."

Appeal to international mediators

Hamas has called upon the ceasefire agreement guarantors - Türkiye, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar - to apply immediate pressure on Israel to halt its violations and preserve the truce. The strikes reportedly targeted areas from which Israeli forces had previously withdrawn under the ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10, raising concerns about the durability of the peace arrangement and potential further escalation in the genocide.