Israeli airstrikes kill 25 Palestinians in Gaza

At least 25 Palestinians have been killed in four Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday in a part of Gaza under Hamas control since a shaky ceasefire took effect in October, local health authorities said.

The Israeli military said its forces struck Hamas targets across Gaza after members of the Palestinian militant group fired on its troops in violation of the nearly six-week-old ceasefire.

Hamas condemned the Israeli strikes as a dangerous escalation, and urged the United States to "honour its stated commitments and exert immediate pressure on Israel to enforce the ceasefire and halt its attacks."

No Israeli forces were injured.

But a U.S. official, who spoke anonymously, said Hamas was aiming to break the ceasefire and not fulfill its commitment to demilitarise.

"These desperate tactics will fail," the official said.

Medics said 10 people were killed in the Gaza City suburb of Zeitoun, two in the Shejaia suburb to the east, and the rest in two separate attacks in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.

Repeated shooting incidents have pointed to the fragility of the ceasefire. Israel and Hamas have traded blame for what both call violations of the U.S.-brokered truce, the first stage of President Donald Trump's 20-point plan for a post-war Gaza.

Israel says three of its soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire began and it has targeted scores of fighters.

Copied