Gaza experienced its deadliest night of bombing since the US-brokered ceasefire began, with Israel confirming strikes on dozens of Hamas targets following the death of an Israeli soldier in Rafah. Gaza's civil defense and medical sources tallied over 104 people killed, including at least 35 children.
The strikes occurred despite US President Donald Trump endorsing the truce but also supporting Israel's right to "hit back." Defense Minister Israel Katz maintained that the military "neutralised dozens of Hamas commanders," asserting there would be "no immunity" for the group's leadership.
Hamas denied any connection to the soldier's killing and reaffirmed its commitment to the truce, but delayed the return of deceased hostage remains, citing the "escalation."
The ceasefire, which had facilitated the return of 20 living captives and the process of returning 28 bodies, is highly fragile.4 The truce was severely strained after Israel accused Hamas of a major breach: handing over the partial remains of an already-returned hostage and staging the recovery.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called the staged recovery "unacceptable." Hamas rejected claims it knows the exact locations of the remaining bodies, stating they are buried in Gaza's ruins.
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