Deadly Israeli airstrikes in Gaza on Wednesday have deepened concerns that recent U.S. diplomatic moves are failing to sustain the tenuous ceasefire that has held since October. Local hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent reported at least ten fatalities in two separate strikes.
Casualties and targets
One strike hit the Nuseirat area, where the Israeli military said it targeted a Hamas commander involved in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack that killed 1,200 people and abducted 251. A second strike in the Tuffah district of Gaza City was said to have hit another Hamas commander planning attacks against Israeli forces.
The Palestinian Red Crescent added that a police station in Gaza City was hit, killing nine and wounding 15. An earlier strike on Tuesday at a busy seaside café killed seven Palestinians, including a child, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
U.S. diplomatic push
Jared Kushner, a senior U.S. negotiator and son‑in‑law of President Donald Trump, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. According to an anonymous source familiar with the talks, Kushner urged Netanyahu to scale back attacks in the Gaza Strip.
Despite the appeal, Israeli forces crossed the ceasefire line in southern Gaza on Wednesday, detaining a Hamas police colonel and entering the Muwasi coastal area west of Khan Younis. Witnesses said troops stormed the tent of a Hamas‑linked police colonel and detained another resident.
Investigations and broader context
Israel’s military announced it had completed reviews of 150 incidents involving troop conduct and would open criminal investigations into the killing of a five‑year‑old girl and her family, as well as 15 Palestinian paramedics.
Since the ceasefire began, Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,273 people, according to Gaza health officials. The overall war, now in its third year, has claimed more than 73,400 Palestinian lives, with women and children comprising roughly half of the fatalities.
Stalled ceasefire negotiations
President Trump’s ceasefire plan envisions ending Hamas rule in Gaza and rebuilding the territory, but disagreements persist over the order of Hamas disarmament and Israeli withdrawal. Earlier this month, Trump announced Hamas had agreed to disarm, a claim Hamas rejected, stating it would only do so if Israel halted strikes and withdrew.
Netanyahu has pushed back, insisting Israel will not withdraw from its current lines until Hamas is fully disarmed. The impasse leaves the ceasefire’s future uncertain as both sides remain entrenched.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
