Israeli airstrikes continue as fragile Gaza ceasefire struggles to hold

At least 27 people were killed in a wave of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, according to local authorities, in what Palestinians described as the heaviest attacks since the second phase of the ceasefire came into effect earlier this month. Gaza’s civil defence agency said women and children were among the dead, adding that one strike hit a tent sheltering displaced people in the southern city of Khan Younis.

Israel and Hamas agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire in October following months of intense fighting that devastated much of the Gaza Strip and displaced large sections of its population. The truce was aimed at halting major hostilities, facilitating humanitarian relief and opening the door to longer-term political negotiations. However, the agreement has remained fragile, with both sides repeatedly accusing each other of violations.

The war began after Hamas-led militants launched a cross-border attack on southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking hostages, according to Israeli figures, prompting Israel to launch a large-scale military offensive in Gaza. Palestinian health authorities say the offensive has since killed more than 30,000 people in Gaza, displaced nearly the entire population of around 2.3 million, and destroyed or damaged large parts of the enclave’s housing, hospitals, roads and basic infrastructure, triggering a severe humanitarian crisis.

The Israeli military confirmed that it carried out a number of strikes on Saturday, saying they were in response to what it described as a Hamas violation of the ceasefire agreement a day earlier. Israel has said it retains the right under the truce to strike targets it considers immediate security threats, particularly if militants are operating in restricted or Israeli-controlled areas. Officials have cited alleged militant activity near the ceasefire line and the killing of three militants emerging from a tunnel in Rafah on Friday.

Hamas rejected Israel’s account, accusing it of using the ceasefire framework to justify continued military action. The group said the strikes hit civilian locations, including homes, tent camps sheltering displaced families and a police station, and called the attacks a “flagrant violation” of the agreement. It urged the United States, Egypt and Qatar, the main mediators, to intervene to stop further strikes.

International reactions have remained cautious, with the United States reiterating calls for restraint and urging both sides to preserve the ceasefire. Humanitarian agencies warned that continued airstrikes risk worsening an already dire situation in Gaza, where hospitals are barely functioning and hundreds of thousands of people remain in makeshift shelters.

The latest escalation comes at a sensitive moment as the ceasefire moves into its second phase, which focuses on reopening border crossings beginning with the Rafah crossing with Egypt to allow medical evacuations and increased humanitarian aid. The phase also includes difficult negotiations on the demilitarisation of Gaza, the territory’s future governance after nearly two decades of Hamas rule, and plans for reconstruction, underscoring how violence on the ground continues even as diplomatic efforts inch forward.