At least 90 people, including 24 children, were killed overnight in Gaza after Israeli forces carried out heavy strikes across the region, according to medical sources. The attacks came despite a US-brokered ceasefire that was still in place.
The violence began after an exchange of gunfire in Rafah, southern Gaza, where an Israeli soldier was reportedly killed. Following the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered “powerful and immediate” strikes on Gaza. The Israeli military blamed Hamas for the attack, while Hamas denied involvement and said it remained committed to the ceasefire.
US President Donald Trump spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One, saying Israel had the right to respond. “As I understand it, they took out an Israeli soldier. So the Israelis hit back, and they should hit back,” Trump said. “Nothing is going to jeopardise the ceasefire. Hamas has to behave.”
Hamas, however, rejected the accusation and said it was not behind the shooting. “We remain committed to the ceasefire deal,” the group said in a statement.
The renewed strikes also come amid growing pressure from families of Israeli captives who are demanding the return of the bodies of their relatives still held in Gaza. Israel has accused Hamas of delaying this process, while mediators have said that recovering the bodies will take time.
President Trump added that if Hamas “does not behave,” its members will face consequences. “If they are good, they will be happy, and if they are not good, their lives will be terminated,” he said.
Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, which began in October 2023, has so far killed more than 68,000 people and wounded over 170,000, according to Gaza health authorities. Around 1,100 people were killed in Israel during the October 7 Hamas-led attack, and about 200 people were taken captive.
