After Israeli airstrikes killed 42 Palestinians in Gaza, a fragile ceasefire was hastily restored through US, Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediation to avert renewed war.
News Desk
GAZA: Calm returned to Gaza on Tuesday after a brief but devastating flare-up that left at least 42 Palestinians dead, in what was described as one of the bloodiest days since the truce took effect earlier this month.
The ceasefire was restored following an intense round of diplomacy involving the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, whose envoys worked through the night to salvage the agreement and prevent the fighting from spiralling into a wider conflict. Palestinian officials confirmed the renewal of the truce to Arab media, saying further discussions were under way to establish a more reliable mechanism to monitor future breaches.
The renewed violence erupted when Israeli forces carried out heavy airstrikes on southern Gaza, striking what they said were Hamas-linked facilities. According to the Israeli military, around 120 rockets were fired during the operation, hitting areas in and around the Nuseirat refugee camp and the southern city of Khan Younis. Witnesses reported that several of the strikes landed near civilian tents and displacement camps, causing extensive casualties and destruction.
Palestinian health authorities said the death toll from the morning’s bombardment had reached 45, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed since the truce began on 10 October to 98. Hospitals, already struggling with shortages of medicine and fuel, were overwhelmed with the influx of wounded.
Hamas dismissed Israel’s assertion that the attacks were directed at its operatives, accusing Tel Aviv of deliberately staging an escalation to undermine the fragile ceasefire. “This was a calculated provocation,” a Hamas spokesperson said, calling the strikes a “clear breach” of the truce terms.
Hours after the raids, the Israeli military confirmed that calm had been restored and that the ceasefire was “back in effect.” While both sides appeared to be observing the renewed truce by late evening, diplomats warned that the situation remained volatile, with deep mistrust and the risk of renewed fighting looming over the enclave.
The episode underscored how precarious the truce remained, despite international efforts to prevent Gaza from sliding back into another catastrophic round of conflict.
