In a severe breach of the ongoing ceasefire, Israeli military strikes across the Gaza Strip on Thursday resulted in the deaths of at least 13 Palestinians, among them five children. The attacks have cast a dark shadow over the fragile peace brokered by the United States.
Details of the Deadly Strikes
According to reports from Gaza's civil defence agency and local medical personnel, one of the Israeli airstrikes targeted a tent in the western part of Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza. This attack alone killed a minimum of four individuals and left three others wounded, some of whom were children.
Another strike was reported east of Khan Younis, near zones where Israeli forces are active, claiming one more life. The cumulative death toll prompted a strong statement from Gaza's civil defence spokesperson, Mahmud Bassal, who told AFP that the fatalities had risen to 13 due to Israeli actions, which he labelled a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement.
Israeli Military's Justification
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement on Friday morning defending its actions. It stated that the strikes were a precise response targeting "Hamas terrorists and terror infrastructure" in both northern and southern Gaza. The military's action was framed as a direct retaliation for what it described as a "failed projectile launch" from within the enclave earlier on Thursday.
The IDF, in a joint communication, asserted that the rocket launch from Gaza constituted a blatant breach of the ceasefire. "The IDF and the Shin Bet view any breach of the agreement with the utmost severity and will continue to act against any attempt by terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip to carry out terrorist attacks," the statement read. Earlier reports from the Times of Israel indicated that a projectile launched from the Gaza City area had fallen inside the Strip itself, after which the IDF conducted a strike on the alleged launch site.
Ceasefire Context and Mounting Toll
The violence erupts against a complex backdrop. A US-mediated ceasefire, which took effect on October 10, has largely but imperfectly halted the intense fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas. Both parties have regularly accused each other of violations since the truce began.
The human cost since the ceasefire started is staggering. Data from Gaza's health ministry reveals that at least 425 Palestinians have been killed in the period following the truce. Notably, November 22 was one of the deadliest single days, with Israeli strikes killing at least 21 people.
In a related development, Bulgarian politician and former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov was appointed as the director-general of a new US-led Board of Peace in Gaza. Mladenov, known for his efforts to reduce Israel-Hamas tensions, will lead this untested international body tasked with governing the Strip, adding another layer to the region's fraught political landscape.
