At least 22 Palestinians have been killed in a series of Israeli air strikes across northern and central Gaza, Hamas medical and civil defense officials have reported.
The strikes hit five locations, including residential homes. Among the casualties was a senior Hamas commander, according to local sources.
The Israeli military stated the strikes were a response to an incident earlier on Saturday, claiming an armed terrorist had fired at its soldiers after crossing the so-called yellow line—a demarcation of areas under Israeli control. However, Hamas denied these allegations.
Both parties have accused each other of breaching the ceasefire agreement established six weeks prior.
Since the ceasefire took effect, Gaza's health ministry reports that over 310 Palestinians have died in Israeli attacks.
On Saturday, strikes reportedly targeted Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, and the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. Officials noted that five individuals were killed at the Abbas junction in the heavily populated Rimal area, where an Israeli strike ignited a vehicle.
Additional casualties included three near a mosque in Deir al-Balah and others at two residential sites in Nuseirat, where multiple families were affected.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later asserted that Hamas had again violated the ceasefire, highlighting the need for mediators to ensure compliance from both sides.
Hamas condemned the Israeli strikes, characterizing them as an attempt to advance its military presence while undermining the ceasefire.
The intensified conflict follows a marked escalation in violence since a Hamas-led offensive on October 7, 2023, which claimed about 1,200 lives and resulted in 251 kidnappings.
Reports indicate that at least 69,500 people have died in Israeli attacks on Gaza since then, with many fatalities occurring during the ceasefire.
