By: The Trek News Desk
At least 28 Palestinians were killed on Saturday in a series of intense Israeli air strikes across the Gaza Strip, according to local emergency services. Authorities said that women and children were among the victims, with several areas witnessing heavy destruction.
Palestinian civil defence officials reported that one of the deadliest strikes hit a tent sheltering displaced families in the southern city of Khan Younis. Residents described the attacks as the most severe since the second phase of a ceasefire agreement, brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, came into force earlier this month.
The Israeli military confirmed carrying out multiple air strikes, stating that the operations were launched in response to what it described as a Hamas violation of the ceasefire agreement on Friday. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that eight suspected militants were spotted exiting an underground facility in eastern Rafah, prompting immediate military action.
In a statement, the IDF said it conducted coordinated strikes with Israel’s security agency on several targets across Gaza. These included senior commanders, additional fighters, weapons storage facilities, weapons manufacturing sites, and two Hamas-linked launch positions in central Gaza.
Hamas strongly condemned the strikes and called on the United States to intervene, accusing Israel of repeatedly breaching the ceasefire and continuing what it described as a relentless military campaign against Gaza.
Civil defence officials said that seven members of a single displaced family were killed in Khan Younis. Air strikes also caused damage to residential buildings, temporary shelters, tents, and a police facility in different parts of the enclave.
Doctors at Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital said an air strike destroyed a residential apartment, killing three children and two women. Footage circulating on social media showed rescue teams pulling bodies from rubble and widespread destruction of buildings across several neighbourhoods.
The ongoing conflict began on October 7, 2023, after a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel killed about 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken. Israel responded with a large-scale military campaign in Gaza.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, more than 71,660 people have been killed since the start of the war. The ministry says at least 509 Palestinians have died since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025, while four Israeli soldiers have also been killed. The casualty figures have been cited by the United Nations and several human rights organisations.
Israel continues to restrict independent international media access to Gaza, making on-the-ground verification of events difficult.
The latest strikes come as preparations are underway to reopen the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Sunday, following Israel’s recovery of the body of its last remaining hostage earlier this week.
Source: News Agencies
