Israeli air strikes across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday killed at least 25 Palestinians and wounded dozens more, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said, in the latest flare-up that has shaken a fragile ceasefire in place since last month.
According to statements and preliminary tallies released by Gaza health authorities, some of the dead were civilians, including women and children, and dozens were treated for injuries — with reports of about 77 people wounded in the wave of strikes. Local medics and officials said multiple sites in Gaza City were hit.
News agencies reported slightly differing casualty figures as information continued to be collected from hospitals and emergency responders on the ground. International outlets monitoring the situation described the strikes as one of the more serious breaches of the U.S.- and Qatar-brokered truce that had brought a relative lull to large-scale combat in recent weeks.
The incidents sparked alarm among aid groups and foreign governments already concerned about civilian harm and the strain on Gaza’s medical infrastructure after nearly two years of conflict and repeated rounds of bombardment. Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that continued strikes and restrictions on movement hamper medical care and the delivery of essential supplies to the densely populated enclave.
Israeli military spokespeople were not immediately quoted in the initial health ministry releases cited by regional media. International reporting noted that both casualty counts and the precise targets of the strikes were still being verified by independent sources. Journalists on the ground and hospital staff described scenes of chaos in emergency wards as medical teams tried to cope with the influx of wounded.
This latest violence follows months of back-and-forth strikes that have repeatedly tested the ceasefire arrangements and complicated diplomatic efforts to stabilize the situation and expand humanitarian access. Observers say that unless political and security channels are quickly re-engaged, localized escalations like Wednesday’s attacks risk undoing recent de-escalation gains and producing a fresh surge in civilian suffering.
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