Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday killed four Palestinians and injured 18 others, according to Gaza health authorities, deepening concerns about the durability of a nearly six-week-old ceasefire brokered by the United States. The latest attacks hit residential areas in and around Khan Younis, an area that has seen repeated flare-ups despite the truce intended to halt major hostilities.
Health officials reported that one strike on a home in the Bani Suhaila district killed three people — including an infant girl — and left 15 wounded. A separate strike in Abassan, a nearby town, killed one man and injured three others. The Israeli military confirmed it carried out the operations but said it had no verified information on casualties.
The escalation follows heavy bombardments a day earlier, during which Israel said it targeted militants who had opened fire on its forces. Gaza medical teams recorded at least 25 deaths in those earlier strikes. Hamas condemned the renewed attacks as a “dangerous escalation” and urged mediators — including Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the United States — to intervene quickly to prevent a collapse of the truce.
CIVILIANS FEAR TRUCE IS UNRAVELING
In Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood, residents were still searching through the remains of a building hit on Wednesday, where at least 10 displaced Palestinians were killed. Many who returned to salvage belongings say the recent flare-ups contradict official claims of calm.
“They insist there is a ceasefire, but what we see every day proves otherwise,” said resident Akram Iswair, describing the impact of the strikes on families who had already been displaced multiple times during the conflict.
The ceasefire, implemented on October 10, had initially reduced large-scale fighting and allowed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to ravaged neighbourhoods. Israeli forces withdrew from several urban areas, and humanitarian groups noted an increase in aid deliveries. But sporadic clashes and airstrikes have continued, raising fears that the territory could slip back into full-scale war or become permanently divided.
HEAVY CASUALTIES DESPITE TRUCE
Gaza’s health authorities report that 312 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the ceasefire began, with nearly half of those fatalities occurring last week after Israel retaliated for an attack on its troops. Israel says three soldiers have been killed during the same period and that it has targeted dozens of Hamas fighters it claims are exploiting the pause in fighting.
The broader conflict erupted after the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led assault on southern Israel, which killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and resulted in 251 hostages being taken into Gaza. In response, Israel launched an offensive that Gaza health officials say has killed more than 69,000 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians.
HOSTAGE EXCHANGES CONTINUE UNDER TRUCE
Despite mounting tensions, elements of the negotiated prisoner-exchange agreement are still being implemented. Hamas has released all 20 living Israeli hostages it held in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees released by Israel.
Under the same deal, Hamas agreed to return the remains of 28 deceased hostages in exchange for 360 Palestinian fighters killed during the conflict. So far, Hamas has handed over 25 sets of remains, while Israel has returned 330 bodies to Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry.
As mediators attempt to preserve the fragile ceasefire, residents across Gaza say the latest strikes demonstrate how quickly the situation can deteriorate — and how uncertain the path to lasting stability remains.
Source:Africa Publicity
