Deir al-Balah (Gaza Strip), Oct 29, 2025: Overnight Israeli airstrikes across Gaza have killed at least 60 people, including numerous children and women, according to hospital officials on Wednesday. The strikes mark a severe escalation in violence just days after a fragile ceasefire appeared to calm weeks of deadly confrontations.
The attacks followed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s directive to carry out “powerful strikes” in response to what Israel described as a Hamas violation of the truce agreement.
Residents across Gaza reported heavy explosions through the night, lighting up the sky as Israeli jets targeted multiple areas in the north, center, and south of the besieged territory.
Hospitals Overwhelmed Amid Rising Toll
Medical staff in Deir al-Balah’s Al-Aqsa Hospital said they received at least 10 bodies, including those of three women and six children, after two major airstrikes in the city. Doctors described the situation as “catastrophic,” with emergency rooms overflowing and shortages of medical supplies worsening by the hour.
In Khan Younis, southern Gaza’s Nasser Hospital confirmed the arrival of 20 more bodies, including 13 children and two women, following five separate strikes overnight. Witnesses described entire residential buildings reduced to rubble, with rescuers digging through debris in search of survivors.
Elsewhere in central Gaza, Al-Awda Hospital reported receiving 30 bodies, among them 14 children. Health officials said the majority of casualties were from densely populated neighborhoods hit without prior warning.
Ceasefire in Ruins
The fragile ceasefire, brokered only days ago through international mediation, now appears to have completely collapsed. Israel accused Hamas of launching renewed rocket attacks toward its southern border towns late Tuesday, prompting the overnight retaliation.
The Israeli government has maintained that it will “continue to act decisively” until all threats are neutralized, while Palestinian authorities condemned the strikes as “collective punishment” against civilians.
International Reaction and Growing Concern
Global reaction has been swift, with the United Nations and several humanitarian groups calling for an immediate end to the hostilities. Aid organizations warned that Gaza’s already strained healthcare system is nearing total collapse, as fuel shortages and communication blackouts hinder relief operations.
UN officials expressed alarm over the rising civilian death toll, particularly among children, urging both sides to return to dialogue to prevent further loss of life.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
The renewed fighting adds to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where thousands remain displaced and access to basic needs like water, food, and electricity remains severely limited. Local residents say fear and uncertainty dominate daily life as airstrikes continue to pound densely packed neighborhoods.
For many in Gaza, the night’s destruction serves as another grim reminder of a conflict that has left the enclave reeling from years of warfare, displacement, and despair.
As the death toll climbs and diplomatic efforts falter, Gaza finds itself once again at the epicenter of a worsening crisis. The renewed airstrikes have reignited fears of a prolonged conflict, threatening to undo fragile hopes for peace in the region.