By Elham Asaad Buaras
London, (The Muslim News): Israeli airstrikes killed at least ninety Palestinians, including 24 children, in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, marking a significant escalation and a direct breach of standing ceasefire agreements. The attacks followed an order from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for “immediate, powerful strikes” in response to alleged violations by Hamas. The Israeli military later said an Israeli soldier was killed.
The latest killings brings the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli indiscriminate bombings in Gaza since October 2023 t0 68,527 people and wounded 170,395 .
The strikes targeted areas previously withdrawn from by Israeli forces under the truce, known as the “yellow line.” A home in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City was hit, killing four, with several others reported missing under the rubble. A separate strike on a vehicle in Khan Younis killed five more.
The Israeli military confirmed a series of air and artillery strikes across the enclave, with reports indicating hits on the Shati refugee camp, areas east of Deir al-Balah, and near the Shifa Medical Complex. These events followed a separate incident on Monday in which a Palestinian was killed in southern Gaza and two brothers were killed in Lebanon.
US President Donald Trump says Israel “hit back” after a soldier was “taken out” but claims “nothing is going to jeopardise” the ceasefire. He also says Hamas has “to behave”.
Concurrently, the public broadcaster KAN reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu decided to expand the territory under the army’s control behind the “yellow line,” a zone stretching from southern North Gaza Governorate to the outskirts of Rafah. While KAN stated the premier was coordinating with senior US officials, Netanyahu’s office declined to comment.
The United Nations expressed grave concern over the developments. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a news conference, “I just saw the press reports as you came in. I can tell you that those reports are extremely concerning.” He stressed the importance of adherence to the ceasefire, stating, “We don’t want the situation to be set back… We don’t want civilians to be bombed again.”
This latest violence compounds a fraught security situation. According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, Israel has committed 125 violations of the ceasefire since it came into effect on 10 October.
Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, a separate wave of violence unfolded as three Palestinians were injured in attacks by illegal Israeli settlers targeting olive harvesters. Local sources reported that settlers assaulted farmers near Ramallah, Qalqilya, and Nablus, preventing them from reaching their groves and, in some cases, beating them.
These incidents are part of a sharp rise in settler violence during the annual olive harvest. According to the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, its head, Muayyad Shaaban, reported that Israeli forces and settlers have carried out 259 attacks against olive pickers since the start of this year’s season.
[Photo: Palestinian boy mourns the loss of his family members during the funeral held at Nasser Hospital for those who were killed in the Israeli attack on Khan Yunis, despite the ceasefire in Gaza on October 29, 2025. At least 91 people were killed in the attack, including children. Photojournalist: Abdallah F.s. Alattar/AA]
