GAZA CITY/TEL AVIV, Oct 29: Israel carried out airstrikes on dozens of Hamas targets overnight, killing more than 100 people in Gaza — including at least 35 children — in what officials described as the deadliest night since the US-brokered truce came into effect earlier this month.
The Israeli military said the attacks were in response to the death of a soldier, Master Sergeant Yona Efraim Feldbaum, who was killed in Rafah after his engineering vehicle was struck by enemy fire. Following the strikes, Israel announced it had begun “renewed enforcement of the ceasefire,” though explosions continued across Gaza, according to an AFP live feed.
Gaza’s civil defence agency confirmed the casualties and said the strikes hit residential areas and hospitals, including the backyard of Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest medical facility. “We had just started to breathe again, trying to rebuild our lives, when the bombardment came back,” said Khadija al-Husni, a displaced resident sheltering in the Al-Shati refugee camp. “Either there is a truce or a war — it can’t be both.”
US President Donald Trump, who helped broker the three-week-old ceasefire, said the truce must not be jeopardised but supported Israel’s “right to hit back if attacked.”
Israel says Hamas violated ceasefire
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said “dozens of Hamas commanders were neutralised” and warned that “whoever raises a hand against an IDF soldier, his hand will be severed.” The military said 30 senior militants were targeted.
Hamas denied involvement in the Rafah incident, calling it a “pretext” for renewed bombardment. The group reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire but delayed handing over the remains of a deceased hostage, saying the escalation would hinder recovery efforts.
The fragile truce, brokered by the US, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, has been strained by disputes over the return of hostage remains. Hamas had agreed to return 28 bodies under the deal but has struggled to locate them amid the devastation.
‘Fake recovery’ controversy
Tensions spiked after Hamas returned partial remains of a hostage already identified and buried in Israel two years ago. Israeli officials accused the group of staging a “fake recovery.” Government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said, “Hamas dug a hole, placed partial remains inside, and handed it to the Red Cross as if newly discovered.”
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called the alleged deception “unacceptable,” saying its team was unaware the site had been staged.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem denied any wrongdoing, saying Israel’s bombardment has made it impossible to locate remains accurately.
The ongoing war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants killed 1,221 people in Israel, most of them civilians. Israel’s retaliatory assault on Gaza has since killed at least 68,643 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, figures the UN considers credible.
Civilians in Gaza described the latest attacks as the “collapse” of the fragile truce. “We want an end to the war and the escalation,” said Jalal Abbas, sheltering near Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital. “We’re exhausted and on the verge of collapse.”