Israeli Strikes in Gaza Kill 12, Marking One of Deadliest Days Since Ceasefire

Hospital Officials Report Casualties Include Women and Children in Attacks on Gaza City and Khan Younis

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Saturday killed at least 12 Palestinians, including several children, in one of the single deadliest days of violence since a tentative ceasefire agreement was reached in October, according to local hospital officials.

The strikes targeted locations in both northern and southern Gaza. In Gaza City, an attack on an apartment building killed a mother, three of her children, and a relative, according to records from Al-Shifa Hospital. In the southern city of Khan Younis, a strike hit a tent camp, igniting a fire that killed seven people from an extended family, including a father, three children, and three grandchildren, the Nasser Hospital reported.

The Gaza Health Ministry, which operates under the Hamas-led government, stated that more than 500 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the October 10 ceasefire began. Its casualty records are widely considered reliable and are routinely cited by United Nations agencies and independent humanitarian monitors.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not immediately issue a statement or respond to specific queries regarding Saturday’s strikes. The military has previously stated it targets Hamas militant infrastructure and operatives, accusing the group of using civilian areas as cover.

The violence underscores the fragile and tense state of the ceasefire, which has failed to bring sustained peace to the besieged coastal enclave. The high death toll marks a significant and deadly escalation, raising concerns of a potential broader return to hostilities.