Israel launches airstrikes in Gaza, at least 24 killed as fragile ceasefire is tested – Firstpost

Israel launched airstrikes on Hamas targets in Gaza on Saturday, testing a fragile ceasefire that has been in place since October 10. Health officials in Gaza reported at least 24 dead and 54 injured, including children.

These attacks coincide with increased international efforts to stabilize Gaza. On Monday, the UN Security Council approved a US-backed blueprint to secure and control the territory, which includes authorizing an international force, a transitional authority overseen by President Donald Trump and a possible path towards an independent Palestinian state.

Israel has previously carried out similar attacks following alleged attacks on its forces. Earlier this week, at least 33 Palestinians, mostly women and children, were killed in a 12-hour period, according to health officials.

Rami Manna, managing director of Shifa Hospital, said an attack on Saturday hit a vehicle in the Rimal area of ​​Gaza City, killing 11 people and wounding more than 20. Director Mohammad Abu Selmiya said most of the injured were children. Video footage shows children inspecting a black vehicle with its top blown off.

Other attacks included an attack on a house near al-Awda hospital in central Gaza, which killed at least three people and wounded 11, and a house in the Nussirat camp, which killed seven people, including a child, and wounded 16. Three people, including a woman, were killed in an attack in Deir al-Balah, according to Al-Aqsa Hospital.

Khalil Abu Hatab in Deir al-Balah said, “Suddenly, I heard a powerful explosion. I looked outside and saw the entire area covered in smoke. I couldn’t see anything. I covered my ears and started yelling to the other people in the tent to run.” “When I looked again, I realized that the upper floor of my neighbor’s house was gone. This is a fragile truce. This is not a life we ​​can live. There is no safe place.”

The Israeli military said the strikes targeted Hamas after an “armed terrorist” crossed into Israeli-held territory and fired on troops in southern Gaza. No soldier was injured. The army said the man used a road designated for humanitarian aid, calling it a “gross violation” of the ceasefire.

In separate incidents, the army reported killing five “terrorists” in Rafah and two others in the north after crossing into Israeli-occupied areas.

The conflict began with a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. Most of the hostages or their remains have since been returned under ceasefire agreements or other deals.

Gaza’s health ministry reports that 69,733 Palestinians have been killed and 170,863 injured in Israeli retaliation. Casualties continue to rise during the ceasefire due to new attacks and the recovery of earlier victims. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but notes that women and children disproportionately constitute those killed. Its detailed records are generally considered reliable by independent experts.