After killing 104 in massive Gaza strike, Israel says ceasefire still holds

The Israeli military on Wednesday said it had resumed enforcing a ceasefire accord in Gaza even as health officials in the enclave reported that Israeli airstrikes had killed at least 104 people overnight. Both sides traded blame for violating the truce, with Israel accusing Hamas of launching an attack that killed an Israeli soldier.

Israel said it carried out the strikes late on Tuesday “after Palestinian militants killed one soldier”, calling it a response to a “clear violation” of the ceasefire. The military added in a statement that it would continue to uphold the agreement but would respond firmly to “any violation”.

The airstrikes, according to Gazan health authorities, killed at least 104 people, including five in a house in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, four in a building in Gaza City’s Sabra neighbourhood, and five in a car in Khan Younis.

The Israeli military confirmed the soldier’s death on Wednesday. An Israeli military official said Hamas had breached the ceasefire by attacking Israeli forces stationed within the “yellow line”, the deployment boundary set under the deal.

The ceasefire, brokered by the United States, took effect on October 10, halting two years of war that began with Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.

US President Donald Trump insisted the truce was “not at risk”, even as Israeli planes struck across Gaza. “As I understand it, they took out an Israeli soldier,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “So the Israelis hit back and they should hit back. When that happens, they should hit back,” he said.

“Nothing is going to jeopardize the ceasefire,” Trump added. “You have to understand Hamas is a very small part of peace in the Middle East, and they have to behave.”

Hamas denied responsibility for the attack on Israeli forces in Rafah, in southern Gaza, saying it remained committed to the ceasefire. Under the accord, Hamas had agreed to release all living hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and wartime detainees, while Israel withdrew its troops and halted its offensive.

The deal also required Hamas to hand over the remains of all deceased hostages. Israel has accused the group of delaying the process, saying it has access to most of the bodies.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that human remains recently handed over by Hamas belonged to an Israeli killed during the October 7 attack.

The Israeli military claimed that Hamas had planted the remains at an excavation site before calling in a Red Cross team to create a “false impression of efforts to locate bodies”.

A 14-minute video released by the military showed three men placing a white bag at a site and covering it with earth and rocks. Reuters confirmed the location but could not verify the date or Israel’s account. Hamas did not respond to requests for comment.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said its team was unaware that the remains had been staged before their arrival. “It is unacceptable that a fake recovery was staged, when so much depends on this agreement being upheld and when so many families are still anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones,” the ICRC said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz signed an order banning visits by Red Cross officials to terrorists imprisoned in Israel.

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