Israel’s military announced Wednesday that the ceasefire in Gaza has been reinstated after a night of intense airstrikes that killed 104 Palestinians, including 46 children, according to local health authorities.
The overnight bombardment — the deadliest since the ceasefire began on October 10 — has raised serious doubts about the durability of the fragile truce.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the “powerful strikes” after accusing Hamas of breaching the agreement by returning what Israel described as partial remains of a hostage from earlier in the war. Netanyahu called the handover a “clear violation” of the truce, which requires Hamas to promptly return all remaining hostages. Israeli officials also accused Hamas of orchestrating the discovery, releasing a 14-minute drone video they said showed the incident.
In retaliation for the Israeli attacks, Hamas said it would delay the return of another hostage’s body.
While traveling in Asia, U.S. President Donald Trump defended Israel’s response, claiming it was justified following an alleged incident in which Hamas militants killed an Israeli soldier during an exchange of fire in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city. Hamas denied involvement, instead accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire terms.
Hamas has said efforts to recover hostage remains have been hampered by widespread destruction in Gaza, while Israel claims Hamas is intentionally delaying the process. Thirteen hostages’ bodies are still believed to be in Gaza, slowing progress on the next phase of the truce — discussions on Hamas disarmament, international security deployment, and post-war governance of the territory.
Rising Death Toll
The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed that 104 people were killed and 253 injured, most of them women and children. Shifa Hospital in Gaza City reported 45 critical cases, including 20 children, and received 21 bodies overnight. Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, and Al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza all reported dozens of additional casualties, many of them children.
Trump Defends Israel
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said Israel “has the right to hit back” when attacked, though he expressed confidence the truce would hold, adding: “Hamas is a very small part of the overall Middle East peace. And they have to behave — or be terminated.”
An Israeli military official, speaking anonymously, said the soldier killed in Rafah — Master Sgt. Yona Efraim Feldbaum, 37, who also held U.S. citizenship — died when his vehicle came under “enemy fire.” Israeli forces were reportedly targeting tunnels and Hamas infrastructure in the area at the time.
Hamas reiterated that it had no role in the Rafah shooting and called Israel’s airstrikes a “blatant violation of the ceasefire.”
According to U.S. officials, Israel informed Washington before launching the air raids. The Israeli military claimed to have struck 30 senior militant targets in Gaza but maintained it would continue to honor the ceasefire while responding “firmly” to any breach.
Gaza Hospitals Overwhelmed
Hospitals across Gaza struggled to handle the influx of bodies and wounded. At Deir al-Balah, stretchers and makeshift carts carried victims into overcrowded facilities. “They struck right next to us — rubble fell over us and our children,” said one woman outside a hospital.
At dawn, displaced residents searched through debris at a destroyed camp and recovered the body of a small child, wrapped gently in a blanket. “What kind of ceasefire is this?” asked survivor Amna Qrinawi.
At Al-Awda Hospital, mourners gathered for funeral prayers over dozens of white-shrouded bodies — nearly half of them children. Among the grieving was Yehya Eid, who lost his brother and nephews. Holding a blood-stained shroud, he wept:
“Why? These were children — what did they do wrong? They’re just like any children in the world.”