Gaza raid kills 10 as ceasefire compliance stalls at 36 per cent
Health officials confirm at least 10 deaths, including four children, in Gaza City attack hours after Mohammad Odeh’s funeral, while Gaza’s Government Media Office cites over 3,000 alleged violations of the nominal truce.
An Israeli air raid on a residential building in Gaza City late on Wednesday killed at least 10 people, including four children, and injured more than 20 others, according to health officials. The strike occurred hours after the funeral of Mohammad Odeh, the newly appointed head of Hamas’s armed wing, who was killed in a separate Israeli attack on Tuesday.
The timing of the raid intensified fears among residents already on edge following the death of Odeh. Al Jazeera reporter Hind Khoudary, reporting from Gaza City, observed that parents were reluctant to leave their homes or tents with their children due to the persistent risk of Israeli attacks. She noted that several children were playing in a nearby park when the strike took place.
Odeh’s death marks the second senior Hamas leadership figure eliminated by Israel in as many weeks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Odeh served as Hamas’s head of intelligence during the October 7, 2023 attacks and was appointed to his current role last week, following the killing of his predecessor, Izz al-Din al-Haddad. Abu al-Abd Odeh, a relative of the deceased commander, told Reuters that living conditions in the enclave remained dire, disputing claims that the war had ceased.
Tensions remain high despite a nominal ceasefire that has been in place since October. Gaza’s Government Media Office released a statement on X claiming that Israel had committed 3,005 violations of the ceasefire agreement since it entered into force. The office reported that only 49,973 of the agreed 135,600 aid trucks had entered Gaza, representing a compliance rate of no more than 36 per cent.
Both sides continue to accuse each other of undermining the truce. Israel cites Hamas’s refusal to disarm as a key obstacle to progress, while Hamas states that negotiations have stalled due to continued violations and restrictions on aid entry. Local authorities allege that Israel has committed more than 3,000 violations of the ceasefire terms, raising concerns that the conflict could escalate back into full-blown war.
