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Israeli Strikes Kill at Least 23 in Gaza Amid Rising Ceasefire Tensions
At least 23 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, according to hospital officials, underscoring the fragility of the ongoing ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The attacks occurred just a day before the planned reopening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, a development seen as a crucial humanitarian step for Gaza’s war-hit population.
Hospital authorities said the strikes targeted multiple locations, including an apartment building in Gaza City and a tent camp sheltering displaced families in Khan Younis. Among the victims were two women and six children from different families, highlighting the continued toll on civilians. A separate airstrike on a police station in Gaza City killed at least 11 people, including police officers and detainees, according to Shifa Hospital director Mohamed Abu Selmiya. The Hamas-run Interior Ministry claimed civilians were also among the dead.
Nasser Hospital reported that the strike on the Khan Younis tent camp triggered a fire, killing seven members of one family, including a father, his three children, and three grandchildren. In Gaza City, an apartment strike killed three children, their aunt, and grandmother.
The escalation followed Israel’s accusation that Hamas had violated the ceasefire a day earlier. An Israeli military official, speaking anonymously, said the strikes were carried out in response to alleged violations, though specific targets were not disclosed. The Israeli army stated on Friday that it had killed three militants emerging from a tunnel in an Israeli-controlled area of Rafah.
Despite the ceasefire, Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that 509 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since October 10. The ministry’s casualty figures are generally regarded as credible by UN agencies. Hamas condemned Saturday’s attacks as a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire and urged mediating nations, including the US, to intervene and halt further strikes.
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