Israeli attacks across Gaza killed at least 20 Palestinians and wounded at least 50, according to medical sources cited by Al Jazeera, in the largest escalation since a US-brokered ceasefire took effect on October 10. The violence followed an exchange in southern Rafah that injured one Israeli soldier.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to conduct forceful strikes. Defence Minister Israel Katz blamed Hamas for the Rafah incident and said the group would face consequences. Hamas denied taking part in the gunfire and accused Israel of breaching the truce. Israel notified the United States before beginning its operation, the Associated Press reported through two unidentified American officials.
Medical sources said four people died when a residential building was struck in Gaza City's Sabra district, while five others were killed in Khan Younis. A missile landed behind al-Shifa Hospital, creating panic among staff and patients as aircraft and drones remained overhead. In Sabra, rescue personnel searched by hand for people trapped beneath debris. Medics said children and women were among the wounded, but the supplied evidence did not provide a complete demographic breakdown of fatalities.
The Qassam Brigades, Hamas's armed wing, postponed a planned transfer of a missing captive's body. It argued that renewed bombing obstructed excavation and recovery work for the remains of 13 captives still in Gaza. The group said it had located the bodies of Amiram Cooper and Sahar Baruch during searches that day. Netanyahu said remains delivered a day earlier belonged to a captive whose body Israel had already recovered nearly two years before.
US Vice President JD Vance maintained that the ceasefire continued despite the fighting and mutual accusations. He said isolated clashes were possible without ending the wider agreement. Hamas likewise said it remained committed, while demanding that Israeli attacks stop.
The dispute over remains added pressure to an already fragile process. A US official described recovery among widespread destruction as difficult and time-consuming. A US-led coordination centre had helped Egyptian technical teams enter Gaza for that work. Meanwhile, members of Netanyahu's cabinet advocated stronger measures, including restricting aid or taking further military action.
As of the event date, the evidence supported a death toll of at least 20 from Tuesday's attacks, not the higher figure in the initial event lead. The ceasefire had survived formally, according to Washington, but combat, delayed handovers and disagreement over responsibility placed its implementation in immediate doubt.
Continued diplomatic supervision was therefore essential. Without an agreed account of the Rafah incident or reliable procedures for recovering remains during attacks, another confrontation could quickly produce further casualties and reciprocal accusations.
