At least 25 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, the Hamas-run health ministry has reported, marking one of the deadliest days since the ceasefire came into effect five weeks ago.
Among those fatalities, ten individuals lost their lives when a religious endowments building in the eastern Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City was hit, according to rescuers. The Israeli military stated that the strikes targeted 'Hamas terrorist targets' following a violation of the ceasefire by gunmen firing at their soldiers in Khan Younis.
Hamas has contested these claims, calling the strikes a 'dangerous escalation' that jeopardizes the existing ceasefire.
This spike in violence follows a recent resolution from the UN Security Council that endorsed a peace plan for Gaza, indicating the fragile nature of the current ceasefire.
Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesman for Gaza's Hamas-run Civil Defence agency, shared details of hits on various locations across Gaza City and Khan Younis shortly after sunset on Wednesday, which he stated represented a sharp escalation following a period of relative calm.
Reports indicated that the strikes caused severe damage, with rescue operations revealing buried victims.
In a response, the Israel Defense Forces asserted that their actions were justified due to the threat posed by Hamas, while Hamas insisted that their resistance, including the maintenance of its weapons, remains legitimate until a state of Palestine is recognized.
The continued violence raises questions about the future of the ceasefire and peace efforts on the ground as tensions between Israel and Hamas escalate.
