Israeli occupation forces have killed at least 63 people in Gaza overnight, including 24 children, according to medical sources, in violation of the US-brokered ceasefire.
The killings in Gaza come after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered “powerful” strikes following an exchange of gunfire in Rafah in southern Gaza. The Israeli military later said an Israeli soldier was killed.
Hamas has denied any involvement in the attack in Rafah.
The attacks on Tuesday marked the most significant flare-up in violence since a ceasefire brokered by United States President Donald Trump came into effect in the genocidal war-devastated territory on October 10.
Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, accused Israel of violating the truce and said it would postpone the planned handover of the body of a missing captive.
In a statement, it also warned that any Israeli escalation “will hinder search, digging, and retrieval operations of the bodies, which will lead to a delay in recovering the bodies” of the remaining 13 captives in Gaza.
The US president has addressed questions from reporters over the deadly Israeli attacks on Gaza, on board Air Force One as he travelled from Japan to South Korea.
“As I understand it, they took out an Israeli soldier,” Trump told reporters. “So the Israelis hit back and they should hit back. When that happens, they should hit back,” he added.
“Nothing is going to jeopardise” the ceasefire, Trump said. “You have to understand Hamas is a very small part of peace in the Middle East, and they have to behave.”
