Israel resuming ceasefire after strikes in Gaza kill 104 : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8640x5760+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F37%2Fc1%2Fc72c7f6445028787f62e77c84503%2Fap25302214800081.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8640x5760+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F37%2Fc1%2Fc72c7f6445028787f62e77c84503%2Fap25302214800081.jpg" class="img" alt="Displaced Palestinians inspect the damage after an Israeli army strike on their tent camp in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Wednesday." fetchpriority="high"/> Displaced Palestinians examine the injury after an Israeli military strike on their tent camp in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Wednesday. Abdel Kareem Hana/AP cover caption

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Abdel Kareem Hana/AP DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israel's navy stated Wednesday that the ceasefire was again on in Gaza after it carried out heavy airstrikes in a single day throughout the Palestinian territory that killed 104 individuals, together with 46 kids, based on native well being officers.

The strikes — the deadliest for the reason that ceasefire started on Oct. 10 — marked probably the most severe problem to the tenuous truce so far.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated he had ordered the strikes after accusing Hamas of violating the ceasefire for handing over physique elements this week that Israel stated had been partial stays of a hostage recovered earlier within the struggle. That was compounded by the capturing and killing an Israeli soldier throughout an alternate of gunfire in Rafah, the southernmost metropolis in Gaza.

U.S. President Donald Trump, on a visit to Asia, defended the strikes, saying Israel was justified in carrying them out after Hamas killed the Israeli soldier, who additionally held U.S. citizenship.

Hamas denied any involvement within the lethal capturing and in flip accused Israel of "a blatant violation of the ceasefire deal." It additionally stated it might delay handing over the physique of one other hostage to Israel due to the strikes.

Buying and selling accusations Netanyahu referred to as the return Monday of physique elements a "clear violation" of the ceasefire settlement, which requires Hamas to return all of the stays of hostages in Gaza as quickly as attainable. Israeli officers additionally accused Hamas of staging the invention of among the stays on Monday, sharing a 14-minute, edited video from a navy drone in Gaza.

Israel's Overseas Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein stated Hamas was chargeable for the results of its ceasefire violation and attributed the excessive loss of life toll from the strikes to the militant group utilizing civilians as human shields.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8640x5760+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8b%2F89%2F83ec3d5a4950b268d4c9cc3620b6%2Fap25302214789112.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8640x5760+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8b%2F89%2F83ec3d5a4950b268d4c9cc3620b6%2Fap25302214789112.jpg" class="img" alt="Displaced Palestinians inspect the damage after an Israeli army strike on their tent camp in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Wednesday." loading="lazy"/> Displaced Palestinians examine the injury after an Israeli military strike on their tent camp in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Wednesday. Abdel Kareem Hana/AP cover caption

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Abdel Kareem Hana/AP Marmorstein stated Washington was knowledgeable concerning the strikes and that they had been carried out in full coordination with the US.

Hamas has stated it's struggling to find our bodies of the hostages amid the huge destruction in Gaza, whereas Israel has accused the militant group of purposely delaying their return.

There are nonetheless 13 our bodies of hostages in Gaza and their sluggish return is complicating efforts to proceed to the ceasefire's subsequent phases, which addresses even thornier points, together with the disarmament of Hamas, deployment of a global safety power in Gaza and deciding who will govern the territory.

Marmorstein stated Hamas was "attempting to do every part attainable to keep away from" disarming.

Mounting loss of life toll The Palestinian Well being Ministry reported the general loss of life toll of 104 from the in a single day strikes and stated that 253 individuals had been additionally wounded, most of them ladies and kids. It stated the lifeless embody 46 kids.

Mohammed Abu Selmia, director of Shifa Hospital in Gaza Metropolis, stated 45 individuals — together with 20 kids — had been in crucial situation on the hospital. He stated the hospital acquired extra 21 our bodies, together with seven ladies and 6 kids.

First, the Aqsa Hospital in Gaza's central metropolis of Deir al-Balah reported no less than 10 our bodies, amongst them three ladies and 6 kids. In southern Gaza, the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis stated it acquired 20 our bodies after 5 Israeli strikes within the space, of which 13 had been kids and two had been ladies.

Elsewhere in central Gaza, the Al-Awda Hospital stated it acquired 30 our bodies, together with 14 kids.

Trump defends Israel Trump informed journalists aboard Air Drive One on Wednesday that Israel "ought to hit again" when its troops come beneath assault.

However he stated he is nonetheless assured the ceasefire would stand up to the escalation in violence as a result of "Hamas is a really small a part of the general Center East peace. They usually must behave."

If not, they are going to be "terminated," Trump added.

An Israeli navy official stated Wednesday that the soldier in Rafah — recognized as Grasp Sgt. Yona Efraim Feldbaum, 37 — was killed by "enemy fireplace" that focused his automobile on Tuesday.

The official, who spoke on situation of anonymity to debate confidential navy operations, stated Israeli troops within the space got here beneath assault quite a few instances on Tuesday as they labored to destroy tunnels and Hamas infrastructure.

Hamas insisted it was not concerned within the Rafah gunfire, reiterated its dedication to the ceasefire and referred to as on mediators to strain Israel to cease.

The Israeli navy stated its forces struck "30 terrorists holding command positions inside terrorist organizations" working contained in the Palestinian territory. It stated Israeli forces would proceed to uphold the ceasefire however would "reply firmly" to any violation of the deal.

Funeral prayers at Gaza hospitals Ambulances and small vans carrying our bodies crowded hospital entrances in a single day throughout Gaza. In Deir Al-Balah, our bodies had been wheeled in on stretchers, and others carried in on mattresses. One man walked into the hospital carrying the physique of a younger youngster.

"They struck proper subsequent to us, and we noticed all of the rubble on prime of us and our younger ones," stated a girl standing outdoors of the hospital.

At daybreak, displaced Palestinians on the camp cleared stays of a destroyed tent subsequent to a crater the place the strike hit. They discovered the physique of a small youngster and wrapped it in a blanket.

"What sort of a ceasefire is that this?" Amna Qrinawi stated.

On the Al-Awda Hospital, scores of individuals gathered round dozens of our bodies wrapped in white shrouds for funeral prayers. Relations wept as they bade farewell to their family members.

Yehya Eid, who stated he misplaced his brother and nephews, wept over a small physique in a bloodied white shroud outdoors the hospital. He stated the strike got here with out warning.

"These are kids who had been killed. What did they do incorrect? Did they battle within the struggle?" Eid requested.

Funeral prayers had been additionally held outdoors Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

"These are massacres," stated Haneen Mteir, who misplaced her sister and nephews. "They burned kids whereas they had been asleep."

Najwa Erian stated she was fortunate her kids survived when their constructing collapsed in one of many strikes.

"It was due to the younger males from the neighborhood who all got here to verify on us and had been in a position to save the youngsters," she stated.