Israel's latest aerial attack on Wednesday evening has once again brought uncertainty to Gaza's fragile ceasefire, despite the government claiming it had resumed. At least two people were killed in Beit Lahiya area of northern Gaza, with reports emerging that Israel targeted a site storing weapons deemed an immediate threat to its troops.
The attacks add further fuel to the tensions that have been simmering since Tuesday night, when Israel launched one of the most intense bombardment episodes on Gaza since the ceasefire took effect on October 10. The ensuing violence claimed the lives of 104 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Israel maintained its claims that it had targeted senior Hamas fighters but said it would resume observing the ceasefire.
Despite claims from US President Donald Trump that the ceasefire remains intact, regional mediators Qatar expressed frustration over the ongoing violence. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric condemned "the killings due to Israeli air strikes of civilians in Gaza" on Tuesday, and rights chief Volker Turk called for all sides not to let peace slip away.
However, Israel's actions have raised concerns that it is undermining the truce. The country has officially barred Red Cross representatives from visiting Palestinian prisoners, citing security threats. Hamas warned any further escalation would hinder the search, excavation, and recovery of the bodies of its captives.
The Elders, a group of former world leaders, called on US President Donald Trump to ensure the release of Marwan Barghouti, who is serving several life sentences in Israel despite being included in Hamas's list of prisoners for release as part of the ceasefire deal. The group condemned the ill-treatment and torture of Palestinian prisoners and demanded that Israeli authorities abide by their international law responsibilities.
The latest attack comes as a stark reminder to Gazans, who have been retraumatized by renewed violence after months of relative calm. "A brief hope for calm turned into despair," said Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza City, Hani Mahmoud. The Palestinian people are desperate for an end to the two-year war and urge all parties to commit to the ceasefire.
For Gazans, it's not clear how much longer they can tolerate the back-and-forth violence that threatens their lives and livelihoods. "Either there is a truce or a war – it can't be both," said Khadija al-Husni, a displaced mother living in a refugee camp. The children couldn't sleep; they thought the war was over.
The international community must continue to push for an end to this violence and ensure that all parties adhere to their commitments under international law.
The attacks add further fuel to the tensions that have been simmering since Tuesday night, when Israel launched one of the most intense bombardment episodes on Gaza since the ceasefire took effect on October 10. The ensuing violence claimed the lives of 104 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Israel maintained its claims that it had targeted senior Hamas fighters but said it would resume observing the ceasefire.
Despite claims from US President Donald Trump that the ceasefire remains intact, regional mediators Qatar expressed frustration over the ongoing violence. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric condemned "the killings due to Israeli air strikes of civilians in Gaza" on Tuesday, and rights chief Volker Turk called for all sides not to let peace slip away.
However, Israel's actions have raised concerns that it is undermining the truce. The country has officially barred Red Cross representatives from visiting Palestinian prisoners, citing security threats. Hamas warned any further escalation would hinder the search, excavation, and recovery of the bodies of its captives.
The Elders, a group of former world leaders, called on US President Donald Trump to ensure the release of Marwan Barghouti, who is serving several life sentences in Israel despite being included in Hamas's list of prisoners for release as part of the ceasefire deal. The group condemned the ill-treatment and torture of Palestinian prisoners and demanded that Israeli authorities abide by their international law responsibilities.
The latest attack comes as a stark reminder to Gazans, who have been retraumatized by renewed violence after months of relative calm. "A brief hope for calm turned into despair," said Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza City, Hani Mahmoud. The Palestinian people are desperate for an end to the two-year war and urge all parties to commit to the ceasefire.
For Gazans, it's not clear how much longer they can tolerate the back-and-forth violence that threatens their lives and livelihoods. "Either there is a truce or a war – it can't be both," said Khadija al-Husni, a displaced mother living in a refugee camp. The children couldn't sleep; they thought the war was over.
The international community must continue to push for an end to this violence and ensure that all parties adhere to their commitments under international law.
. I mean, how can he just ignore the reality on the ground? If Israel is indeed targeting civilian sites, then it's not a matter of the ceasefire holding up - it's more like the ceasefire has already been breached 
. And what's with the Elders group demanding Marwan Barghouti's release? Shouldn't they be focusing on getting the prisoners out safely instead of just making another point about Israeli policy? 
The fact that Gazans are re-traumatized after months of relative calm is a huge red flag 
. We need to see some concrete action from the international community, not just more empty words 
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I'm so worried about Gaza right now, it's like they're stuck in a never-ending nightmare 
. The fact that Israel keeps saying the ceasefire is intact but then just goes ahead and attacks again is really frustrating. It's not fair to those innocent civilians who are already going through hell. 
The international community needs to step up and do something about this, it can't keep happening like this. We need to see some real action from world leaders to put an end to this violence once and for all 
. But at the same time, I don't want to be too optimistic here... history has shown us that these kinds of agreements often fall apart 
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at least 2 people lost their lives in Beit Lahiya and reports say they were targeting some site that was storing weapons for Hamas not sure if that's a good enough reason for an attack though 
Gaza is one of those places where you just want to see some peace and stability but it feels like that's never gonna happen 
we need more voices speaking out against this senseless violence and pushing for real change rather than just saying that everything is fine when it's far from it 
another aerial attack by Israel just when we thought things were calm 
Gaza is really suffering from the constant bombardment. It's heartbreaking to see women & kids lose their lives 
. What's going on with the Israeli gov't? They're basically torturing Palestinian prisoners in exchange for "security threats" 
. It's time for the international community to step up & demand a ceasefire 
No more back-and-forth violence, it's killing people 
