Gaza Ceasefire on Brink of Collapse: 21 Killed in Israeli Strikes Amid Fresh Tensions
Image Source: Internet
A fragile ceasefire in Gaza is facing its biggest test yet after 21 people were killed and dozens more injured in a series of Israeli air strikes on Saturday. The violence marks one of the deadliest days since the US-brokered truce came into effect on October 10, following two years of war between Israel and Hamas. According to Gaza's civil defence agency, five separate Israeli air strikes targeted various locations, including a house in Nuseirat and a residential apartment in Gaza City. The strikes also hit a vehicle in western Gaza City, killing five people and injuring several. The Israeli military claimed that an armed individual crossed into southern Gaza, where Israeli forces have withdrawn, and fired at soldiers. In response, the military said it launched strikes against terror targets in the Gaza Strip. However, Hamas and the Palestinian health ministry dispute this account, saying the strikes were a clear violation of the ceasefire. The health ministry has reported at least 312 Palestinian fatalities since the truce took hold, while Israel has killed at least 69,733 people in its retaliatory assault on Gaza. The tensions come as Hamas accused Israel of breaching the truce agreement and called on mediators to intervene. "We affirm our rejection of all attempts" by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government "to impose a de facto reality that contradicts what was agreed upon," Hamas said in a statement. The conflict began in October 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,221 people. Israel's retaliatory assault has had devastating consequences, with the UN considering the health ministry's figures to be reliable.
