Israel said Wednesday that the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip was back on after 100 people, including children, were reported killed by intense strikes it carried out across the Palestinian enclave.
The Israeli military said it had “begun the renewed enforcement” of the fragile ceasefire after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered “powerful” strikes on the territory as Israel and Hamas traded accusations of ceasefire violations.
Dozens of targets were struck in the attack, it said, the most serious threat yet to the truce partly brokered by President Donald Trump.
Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense agency, told NBC News on Wednesday that more than 100 people, including more than 30 children, had been killed since Tuesday night in the deadly strikes.
NBC News was not immediately able to independently verify the death toll and the health ministry in Gaza did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Basal said the strikes “targeted homes, tents and gatherings in various cities,” with heavy shelling He added that the assault had continued into the morning, with the death toll “expected to rise.”
An official from the Israel Defense Forces told NBC News that the command to carry out the strikes was a result of Hamas allegedly attacking soldiers in the southern Gaza area of Rafah in an Israeli-controlled area. NBC News could not independently verify the claim.
The IDF announced that an Israeli reservist soldier identified as Master Sergeant (Res.) Yona Efraim Feldbaum had been killed in Rafah. Hanan Greenwood, a spokesperson for the Binyamin regional council, told NBC News on Wednesday that Feldbaum, 37, held an American passport.
Hamas denied any involvement in the incident, calling Israel’s strikes a “flagrant violation” of the ceasefire deal as the group urged mediators to step in and pressure Israel to halt its attacks.
Israel had previously accused Hamas of a similar attack in Rafah that saw two soldiers killed earlier this month, with the militant group also denying involvement at the time.
President Donald Trump voiced support for Israel’s actions, telling reporters on Air Force One, “the Israelis hit back, and they should hit back when that happens.”
Still, he maintained that the truce in Gaza was not at risk, adding that Hamas was a “very small part” of peace in the Middle East.
“They said they would be good, and if they’re good they’re going to be happy,” he said. “And if they’re not good, they’re going to be terminated.”
Vice President JD Vance similarly maintained that the “ceasefire is holding,” adding: ” That doesn’t mean that there aren’t going to be little skirmishes here and there.”
Tensions have also been mounting over the return of hostage remains.
The militant group returned all living hostages who remained held in Gaza, but has failed so far to return the remains of all the deceased hostages in the enclave.
Both Hamas and the International Committee of the Red Cross, which has helped facilitate the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners and detainees held by Israel, had warned it would be difficult to locate bodies under the Gaza rubble.
But on Tuesday Hamas was accused by Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement after returning body parts that were identified to belong to Ofir Tzarfati, whose remains were already returned to Israel about two years ago in a military operation.
The Israeli military also released footage that it said showed Hamas staging the recovery of hostage remains, with the footage appearing to show people carrying what appeared to be a white shroud from a building and covering it with dirt before then uncovering the area in front of a recovery team.
In a statement Wednesday, the ICRC addressed the incident, saying its teams “were not aware that a deceased person had been placed there prior to their arrival, as seen in the footage” and that it was “unacceptable” for a “fake recovery” to be staged. Hamas has yet to publicly address the matter.
Matt Bradley, Paul Goldman and Omer Bekin contributed.
