Israel announced Wednesday that the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip was reinstated after intense strikes reportedly killed over 100 people, including children, across the Palestinian enclave.
The Israeli military stated it had “begun the renewed enforcement” of the fragile ceasefire following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s order of “powerful” strikes on the territory. This came as Israel and Hamas exchanged accusations of ceasefire violations. According to the military, dozens of targets were struck in what it called the most serious challenge yet to the truce, which was partly brokered by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense agency, told NBC News that more than 100 people, including over 30 children, had been killed since Tuesday night due to the deadly strikes. NBC News was unable to independently verify the death toll, and the Gaza health ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Basal said the strikes “targeted homes, tents, and gatherings in various cities,” accompanied by heavy shelling. He added that the assault continued into Wednesday morning, with the death toll expected to rise.
An official from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told NBC News that the order to carry out the strikes followed an alleged Hamas attack on Israeli soldiers in the southern Gaza area of Rafah, which is controlled by Israel. NBC News could not independently confirm this claim.
The IDF also announced that Israeli reservist Master Sergeant (Res.) Yona Efraim Feldbaum, 37, was killed in Rafah. Hanan Greenwood, spokesperson for the Binyamin regional council, informed NBC News that Feldbaum held an American passport.
Hamas denied any involvement in the alleged attack, condemning Israel’s strikes as a “flagrant violation” of the ceasefire. The group called on mediators to intervene and pressure Israel to halt its military actions. Earlier this month, Israel accused Hamas of a similar attack in Rafah that resulted in the deaths of two soldiers, a claim Hamas also denied.
President Donald Trump expressed support for Israel’s response, stating on Air Force One, “The Israelis hit back, and they should hit back when that happens.” However, he affirmed that the truce in Gaza was not at risk, describing Hamas as a “very small part” of peace efforts in the Middle East. “They said they would be good, and if they’re good, they’re going to be happy,” Trump said. “And if they’re not good, they’re going to be terminated.”
Vice President JD Vance echoed this sentiment, maintaining that the “ceasefire is holding,” while acknowledging that minor skirmishes might continue.
Tensions have also grown around the return of hostage remains. Although Hamas returned all living hostages held in Gaza, it has yet to return the remains of all deceased hostages. Both Hamas and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which facilitates hostage exchanges for Palestinian prisoners and detainees, warned of difficulties in locating bodies amid Gaza’s rubble.
On Tuesday, Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire after the militant group returned body parts identified as belonging to Ofir Tzarfati. Notably, Tzarfati’s remains had already been returned to Israel about two years ago during a military operation.
The Israeli military released footage it claimed showed Hamas staging the recovery of hostage remains. The video appeared to depict individuals carrying a white shroud from a building, covering it with dirt, then uncovering the area just before a recovery team arrived.
In a statement Wednesday, the ICRC addressed the incident, saying its teams “were not aware that a deceased person had been placed there prior to their arrival, as seen in the footage.” The ICRC described the alleged “fake recovery” as “unacceptable.”
Hamas has yet to publicly respond to these allegations.
https://www.nbcnews.com/world/gaza/israel-gaza-strikes-ceasefire-hamas-trump-netanyahu-rcna240428
