Israeli airstrikes kill at least 32 Palestinians in Gaza amid ceasefire dispute

At least 32 Palestinians were killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip late Friday and into Saturday, according to Palestinian sources, as Israel and Hamas traded accusations over an alleged breach of the ceasefire.

The strikes hit multiple locations, including a police station, residential apartments and displacement tents, Palestinian officials said. One of the deadliest attacks targeted tents sheltering displaced families in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.

Relatives and eyewitnesses described scenes of devastation and loss following the strike on the tent area, which they said occurred in the early morning hours while families were asleep.

“I searched for my daughters and their brother. I called out to them, but no one responded,” said Hanan Abu Hadid, a relative of the victims. “I tried to cover them with blankets to put out the fire, but they were all burned. I saw my granddaughter and grandson among the victims, and after that, I don’t remember what happened.”

Eyewitness Mazen Abu Hadid said the area was engulfed in flames moments after the strike. “Young men tried to rescue the children and women. It was an extremely difficult scene, impossible to describe or imagine,” he said.

Another relative, Mohammed Abu Hadid, said the attack occurred around five in the morning. “We never imagined they would target children while they were asleep in their tents,” he said, adding that the strike came despite what he described as the second phase of a ceasefire meant to allow civilians to live in safety.

Israel’s military said on Saturday it carried out strikes across Gaza targeting “four commanders and additional militants,” as well as weapons storage and manufacturing sites and two launch sites belonging to Hamas in central Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces said the strikes were launched in response to what it described as a ceasefire violation on Friday, when eight militants were identified exiting a tunnel in eastern Rafah.

Hamas rejected the accusation, calling Israel’s claims “false and misleading,” and said they reflected disregard for mediators and guarantor states involved in the ceasefire process.

The group called on the international community and the United Nations to condemn the attacks and take steps to halt them, urging accountability for Israeli leaders and an end to what it described as a policy of impunity.

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