October 30, 2025

Israel announced on Wednesday it will hold on to the ceasefire deal with Gaza, even after launching heavy airstrikes that killed 104 people, said Gaza health officials. The military struck again in northern Gaza, targeting weapons storage, killing two more people. Despite the deadly blow, Israel says it still wants peace. The killing of an Israeli soldier in Gaza on Tuesday caused the worst conflict surge since the ceasefire started on October 10, brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump. Israel says the soldier was killed inside the "yellow line," an area where troops had pulled back under the truce. But Hamas denied this claim. Israel called Wednesday’s attack a “targeted strike” near Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, aimed at weapons. It vowed to keep the truce but warned it would respond strongly to any new attacks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "We want to ensure that the goal that President Trump and we agreed on of disarming Hamas and demilitarizing Gaza is ultimately achieved." He spoke during a visit to a military base in southern Israel where U.S. forces watch the truce. "There is a real effort here in cooperation, with security being maintained in our own hands," Netanyahu added. Israel’s military said it hit 24 Hamas targets, including a commander involved in the October 7 assault on southern Israel that started the war. Gaza’s health ministry reported 46 children and 20 women among the dead. Hamas-run Gaza media slammed Israel's list of targets as "systematic misinformation" to hide crimes against civilians. In the central Gaza Strip, the Abu Dalal family was wiped out in a night airstrike that destroyed their home. A boy in a wheelchair mourned as family members’ bodies were moved in white bags through the streets to a cemetery. Despite attacks, Trump said the ceasefire remains safe. "As I understand it, they took out an Israeli soldier," Trump told reporters on Air Force One. "So the Israelis hit back and they should hit back. When that happens, they should hit back." He insisted, "Nothing is going to jeopardise" the ceasefire and called Hamas "a very small part of peace in the Middle East, and they have to behave." Trump has praised the truce and hostage exchange as top achievements and wants to keep peace from falling apart. But big questions stay: will Hamas disarm, will Israel withdraw more troops, and who will govern Gaza next? Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, a mediator, called the soldier’s killing and Israel’s response "very disappointing and frustrating for us." Many Palestinians fear the ceasefire will break. Ismail Zayda, 40, shelters in tents in Gaza with his large family. "The sounds of explosions and planes made us feel as if war had started again," he told Reuters. Under the truce, Hamas freed all living hostages for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, while Israel pulled back troops and stopped fighting. Hamas agreed to hand over the bodies of dead hostages but said it will take time. Israel accuses Hamas of delaying this process. The tense events show how fragile peace remains in this troubled land, where hopes clash with harsh reality.

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Tags: Israel, Gaza ceasefire, Hamas, Airstrikes, Benjamin netanyahu, Donald trump,