Gaza strikes kill 27 as fragile truce strains
Gaza strikes kill 27 as fragile truce strains
27 people killed in Gaza as a fragile ceasefire faces renewed testing, with casualties split between Gaza City and Khan Yunis amid broader regional tensions.
Israeli air strikes in Gaza killed 27 people on Wednesday as the fragile ceasefire that began last month faced another test. Officials said 14 died in Gaza City in the north and 13 in Khan Yunis in the south, with two hospitals confirming the toll. The civil defence agency, which operates under Hamas authority, reported the figures as authorities grapple with maintaining the pause in hostilities.
The Israeli military said the strikes targeted Hamas after militants opened fire toward troops in the south, accusing the group of violating the ceasefire. Hamas denied the accusation, denouncing the strikes as a dangerous escalation that could jeopardise the truce, which has largely held since October 10 despite flare-ups.
Displaced residents described the shattered home life and the constant fear of renewed bombardment. Ahraf Abu Sultan, a Gaza City resident, said he had just moved back after months in the south, only to face fresh destruction. "We barely managed to repair one room in our destroyed house to try and settle down just two days ago, and the bombing and death has started again. They don't even give us a chance to breathe," he said.
Another resident, Nivine Ahmed, recalled the moment the city shook: "We heard the sound of explosions and saw the smoke rising. People were running and the ambulance sirens were wailing." The human toll underscores how civilians continue to bear the brunt of the fighting while political calculations persist.
Simultaneously, reports from across the region described attacks in Lebanon as well, with authorities noting Israeli strikes near Sidon that killed people there, drawing broader regional concern about the potential collapse of restraint even as a long-standing ceasefire with Hezbollah remains fragile.
International aid groups warn that civilians remain at grave risk and that humanitarian access is constrained by ongoing fighting and restrictions. Analysts say the path to a durable peace is blocked by deep mistrust and competing political objectives, making daily life in Gaza a precarious balance between survival and the next flare-up.
Cover image source: Israeli strikes hit Lebanon after evacuation warnings 🔗
