Gaza’s civil defence agency reported 21 people killed and dozens injured in multiple Israeli air strikes on Saturday. The attacks marked one of the deadliest days since the US-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas began on October 10.
The Israeli military said an “armed terrorist” crossed the so-called Yellow Line and fired at soldiers, prompting retaliatory strikes. Spokesman Mahmud Bassal confirmed five separate Israeli air strikes, describing them as a “clear violation of the ceasefire in Gaza.”
Seven people were killed and over 16 wounded in a strike on a house in Nuseirat, central Gaza, he added. Four were killed in an air strike on an apartment in Al-Nasr, west of Gaza City, with additional injuries reported.
A strike also hit a house in Deir el-Balah, where children were brought to Al-Aqsa hospital in ambulances and on stretchers. Health ministry spokesman Khalil al-Daqran said most of the more than 20 injured were women and children with severe head and chest wounds.
An earlier strike targeted a vehicle in Al-Rimal, west Gaza City, killing five and wounding several, witnesses said. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu accused Hamas of violating the truce and said Israel eliminated five senior Hamas terrorists in response.
Hamas described the Israeli strikes as “attempts to undermine the ceasefire” and called on mediators to intervene immediately. The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned the attacks and urged the international community to pressure Israel to stop the “massacres.”
UN agency OCHA said aid deliveries remain limited by visa restrictions, import approvals, and too few operating crossings in Gaza. Displaced residents described life under the truce as “pointless,” struggling for food and basic necessities amid ongoing restrictions. The conflict began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, killing 1,221, while Israeli retaliation has killed at least 69,733 Palestinians, UN-verified figures show.
