Over 100 killed in Israel’s largest Gaza strikes since truce
GAZA CITY
Israel's military said on Oct. 29 that the ceasefire was back on in Gaza after it carried out heavy airstrikes across the Palestinian territory that killed more than 100 people, including women and children, according to local hospitals.
The strikes — the deadliest since the ceasefire was enacted on Oct. 10 — marked the most serious challenge to the tenuous truce to date.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to conduct “powerful strikes” over Gaza after accusing Hamas of violating the ceasefire. Hamas said in response that that it would delay handing over the body of another hostage.
U.S. President Donald Trump, currently on a trip to Asia, defended the strikes, saying Israel was justified in carrying them out after what he said was an incident in which Hamas killed an Israeli soldier during an exchange of gunfire in Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza.
Hamas denied any involvement in that deadly shooting and in turn accused Israel of violating the ceasefire deal.
"At least 101 fatalities were brought to hospitals, including 35 children and a number of women and elderly, as a result of Israeli air strikes in less than 12 hours," said Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for Gaza’s civil defense agency.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "strongly condemned" Israel's latest deadly military strikes, his spokesman said Oct. 29. "The Secretary General strongly condemns the killings due to Israeli airstrikes of civilians in Gaza on Oct. 28, including many children," spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
Netanyahu's order to launch strikes came after an Israeli official said its forces were fired upon in southern Gaza and after Hamas handed over body parts on Oct. 27 that Israel said were the partial remains of a hostage recovered earlier in the war.
The Israeli prime minister called the return of these body parts a “clear violation” of the ceasefire agreement, which requires Hamas to return the remaining hostages in Gaza as soon as possible.
Israeli officials also accused Hamas of staging the discovery of these remains on Oct. 27, sharing a 14-minute edited video captured by a military drone in Gaza.
Israel notified the United States before launching the strikes on Oct. 28, according to two U.S. officials.
The Israeli military said its forces struck “30 terrorists holding command positions within terrorist organizations” operating inside the Palestinian territory.
Later, it said Israeli forces would continue to uphold the ceasefire agreement but would “respond firmly” to any violation of the deal.
Katz: Hamas leadership will have no immunity
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Hamas leaders that they would have no immunity after a wave of Israeli air strikes on Gaza that followed an attack on its troops.
"There will be no immunity for anyone in the leadership of the terrorist organisation Hamas -- neither for those in suits nor for those hiding in tunnels," Katz said, referring to several Hamas political leaders residing in Doha.
"Whoever raises a hand against an [Israeli] soldier will face severe consequences. The [Israeli military] has been instructed to act decisively against every Hamas target and will continue to do so."
