UN condemns deadly Israeli strikes that killed more than 100 Palestinians a day earlier as fragile truce falters.
GAZA CITY, October 29, 2025 — The Israeli military launched another airstrike in northern Gaza on Wednesday evening, killing at least two people, hours after it claimed to have resumed enforcing a fragile ceasefire that has been repeatedly violated since its start earlier this month.
Health officials at al-Shifa Hospital said the latest casualties occurred in the Beit Lahiya area, north of Gaza City. The Israeli army said it targeted what it described as “a weapons storage site posing an immediate threat to Israeli troops.”
The strike comes less than 24 hours after one of the deadliest nights in Gaza since the ceasefire was declared on October 10. On Tuesday, Israeli air raids across the enclave killed 104 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Israel said the bombardment was retaliation for the killing of an Israeli soldier in Rafah earlier that day.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the strikes “powerful and necessary” but later insisted that Israel would recommit to the truce on Wednesday afternoon.
International Condemnation
The United Nations sharply condemned Israel’s actions, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calling the strikes “unacceptable violations of international law.” His spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said Guterres “strongly condemns the killings due to Israeli air strikes of civilians in Gaza, including many children.”
UN human rights chief Volker Türk described the reported death toll as “appalling” and urged both sides not to “let peace slip from our grasp.” Similar appeals came from the European Union, Germany, and the United Kingdom, urging all parties to recommit to the ceasefire framework.
Despite the violence, U.S. President Donald Trump said the ceasefire “is not in jeopardy,” telling reporters in Seoul that “progress continues toward a long-term solution.”
Qatar, one of the key mediators of the truce, expressed frustration over the escalation but said it remained “committed to advancing the next phase of talks,” which include plans for Hamas’s gradual disarmament and humanitarian reconstruction in Gaza.
‘Calm Turned Into Despair’
In Gaza, survivors described scenes of renewed horror.
“A brief hope for calm turned into despair,” said Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City. “For many residents, the intensity of the airstrikes recalled the first weeks of the war.”
Khadija al-Husni, a displaced mother in Gaza’s Shati refugee camp, said the attack shattered what little sense of safety her children had.
“Either there is a truce or a war — it can’t be both,” she said. “The children thought the war was over.”
Hamas Responds
Hamas denied any involvement in the Rafah shooting incident that Israel cited as justification for Tuesday’s air raids. The group reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire, but said it was postponing the transfer of a captive’s remains in protest of Israel’s renewed attacks.
In a statement, Hamas warned that “further Israeli escalation” could delay or hinder ongoing recovery efforts and the search for bodies in the rubble.
Meanwhile, Israel officially barred International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) visits to Palestinian prisoners, claiming that such inspections could pose “security threats.” Human rights groups condemned the move as a violation of international humanitarian law.
Calls for Prisoner Releases
The Elders, a coalition of prominent former world leaders including Ban Ki-moon and Mary Robinson, renewed calls for the release of Marwan Barghouti, the jailed Palestinian leader and longtime advocate of a two-state solution.
“Barghouti remains the most popular Palestinian political figure and a crucial voice for peace,” the Elders said in a statement. “We urge President Trump to ensure his release as part of the ceasefire framework.”
Barghouti, often described as the “Palestinian Nelson Mandela,” is serving multiple life sentences for alleged involvement in attacks against Israeli civilians — accusations he denies.
Background
The latest strikes mark another blow to the two-year-long Gaza war ceasefire, negotiated earlier this month through Qatari, Egyptian, and U.S. mediation. The truce was meant to facilitate humanitarian aid and pave the way for gradual prisoner exchanges, but repeated violations threaten to unravel the deal.
As of Thursday morning, the Gaza Health Ministry reported that more than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war in 2023, with the majority being civilians. Israel has lost about 1,800 people, including soldiers and civilians.
Key Points
- Israeli strike kills two in Beit Lahiya, despite claims of ceasefire enforcement.
- UN, EU, and human rights groups condemn Israel’s latest attacks as violations of international law.
- 104 Palestinians, mostly women and children, killed Tuesday night in Rafah and Gaza City.
- Hamas denies involvement in Rafah shooting, remains committed to truce.
- Calls grow for the release of Marwan Barghouti, seen as key to lasting peace.
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