DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israel’s army 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 youngsters, in response to native well being officers.

The strikes — the deadliest for the reason that ceasefire started on Oct. 10 — marked essentially the most critical 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 battle. That was compounded by the taking pictures 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 taking pictures and in flip accused Israel of “a blatant violation of the ceasefire deal.” It additionally stated it will 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 a number of the stays on Monday, sharing a 14-minute, edited video from a army drone in Gaza.

Israel’s International Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein stated Hamas was liable for the results of its ceasefire violation and attributed the excessive demise toll from the strikes to the militant group utilizing civilians as human shields.

Marmorstein stated Washington was knowledgeable in regards to the strikes and that they had been carried out in full coordination with the USA.

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 world safety pressure 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 demise toll

The Palestinian Well being Ministry reported the general demise toll of 104 from the in a single day strikes and stated that 253 individuals had been additionally wounded, most of them girls and youngsters. It stated the lifeless embrace 46 youngsters.

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

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

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

Trump defends Israel

Trump informed journalists aboard Air Pressure One on Wednesday that Israel “ought to hit again” when its troops come below 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. And so they should behave.”

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

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

The official, who spoke on situation of anonymity to debate confidential army operations, stated Israeli troops within the space got here below assault quite a few occasions 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 army 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 lady 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 youngsters who had been killed. What did they do fallacious? Did they combat within the battle?” 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 youngsters whereas they had been asleep.”

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

“It was because of the younger males from the neighborhood who all got here to examine on us and had been in a position to save the kids,” she stated.