Israeli strikes in Gaza overnight have killed at least 60 people, including many children, local hospital officials reported Wednesday.
The attacks follow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s directive for “powerful strikes” in Gaza, citing Hamas’s violations of the fragile ceasefire.
The ceasefire, which began on Oct. 10, has been unstable, with previous flare-ups, and tensions remain high.
According to hospital reports, the Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah received at least 10 bodies overnight, including three women and six children, after two Israeli airstrikes in the area. In southern Gaza, Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis reported receiving 20 bodies following five Israeli strikes, 13 of whom were children and two women. Meanwhile, Al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza received 30 bodies, including 14 children.
Netanyahu’s order for the strikes came after an Israeli official said Hamas had fired on Israeli forces in southern Gaza. The militant group has also delayed returning another hostage’s body in response to Israel’s planned attacks.
On Monday, Hamas handed over body parts identified by Israel as belonging to a previously recovered hostage, an act that Netanyahu described as a breach of the ceasefire.