Israeli military operations resumed with intensity across Gaza on Wednesday, resulting in at least 21 Palestinian fatalities including five children and seven women, according to hospital authorities. The strikes targeted multiple locations including the Tuffah neighborhood and Khan Younis, where residential structures and temporary shelters were hit.
The violence represents the most significant breach of the October ceasefire agreement to date, with Palestinian health officials reporting 556 deaths since the truce began. Among the casualties were two infants from the Khabbaz family—10-day-old Wateen and 5-month-old Mira—killed alongside their grandmother in a single strike. Hussein Hassan Hussein al-Semieri, an on-duty paramedic, also perished in the attacks.
Israeli military officials, speaking anonymously, justified the operations as responses to militant gunfire that seriously wounded one reservist soldier earlier Wednesday. This pattern of response has characterized the fragile ceasefire period, with both sides accusing the other of violations.
The humanitarian situation at the Rafah border crossing remains problematic despite its recent reopening. Only 40 Palestinians managed to cross into Gaza throughout Tuesday, with three women reporting being blindfolded, handcuffed, and interrogated by Israeli forces for several hours. European Union officials monitoring the crossing acknowledged operational challenges but denied knowledge of specific mistreatment incidents.
While some ceasefire provisions have advanced—including hostage exchanges and increased aid delivery—key elements like international security deployment and reconstruction efforts have stalled. The United States has provided no timeline for implementing these critical components, leaving Gaza’s future governance uncertain amid continuing violence.