CAIRO/JERUSALEM – Israel on Wednesday reaffirmed its commitment to the US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, even as it launched retaliatory airstrikes that killed 104 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. The escalation followed the death of an Israeli soldier in what Israel described as an attack by gunmen in a designated buffer zone.
Read More: Israel upholds Gaza ceasefire despite deadly airstrikes
The Israeli military said it conducted a “targeted strike” in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahia against weapons depots, insisting it was responding to ceasefire violations by Hamas. Medics reported that two people were killed in the latest strike.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a visit to a military base in southern Israel, said that while the truce would hold, his country would “respond firmly to any provocation.” He reaffirmed that the goal of the agreement, reached with US President Donald Trump, was to ensure the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza.
Read More: Air strikes, shooting kill at least 57 people in Gaza
According to the Israeli military, 24 Hamas-linked targets were hit, including a commander allegedly involved in the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. Gaza’s health ministry said the dead included 46 children and 20 women, while the Hamas-run media office accused Israel of spreading “misinformation” to justify civilian deaths.
Despite the violence, Trump maintained that the ceasefire remained intact, telling reporters aboard Air Force One, “They took out an Israeli soldier, so the Israelis hit back — and they should hit back. Nothing is going to jeopardize the ceasefire.”
Read More: Israel resumes Gaza ceasefire enforcement amid renewed tensions
The Qatari Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who has mediated between the sides, called the renewed violence “very disappointing and frustrating.” Displaced residents in Gaza, meanwhile, described a night of fear as explosions echoed across the enclave, raising concerns that the fragile truce could collapse.