UN condemns 'appalling' deaths in Gaza as Israel resumes airstrikes amid fragile ceasefire

The United Nations on 29 October condemned Israel’s overnight airstrikes on Gaza, calling the deaths “appalling” and warning that the fragile peace achieved through a ceasefire earlier in the month was in danger of collapsing.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, 104 Palestinians were killed in the strikes, including 66 women and children, and more than 250 others were injured. The bombardment came in response to the shooting death of an Israeli soldier in Rafah, southern Gaza.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said reports indicated that schools, homes, and tents sheltering displaced families were hit.

“The laws of war are very clear on the paramount importance of protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure,” he said, urging Israel to comply with international humanitarian law.

Türk added that the renewed violence came just as Gazans were beginning to hope that peace might be within reach.

He called on all parties to act in good faith and for international actors to ensure the ceasefire’s implementation.

Israel’s military confirmed it carried out strikes on dozens of Hamas targets, including tunnels, weapon depots, and command posts.

It said the operation killed 21 Hamas commanders, among them Hatem Maher Mousa Qudra, accused of leading the 7 October 2023 attack on Ein Hashlosha Kibbutz.

A military spokesperson said the attacks were “in full coordination with the United States” and were a direct response to Hamas’s violations of the ceasefire agreement. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields, blaming it for the high civilian toll.

Hospitals across Gaza were overwhelmed as ambulances and private vehicles brought in the dead and wounded.

At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, grieving relatives gathered in overcrowded morgues. Witnesses described families being killed as they slept.

Hamas denied involvement in the Rafah attack that killed Israeli Master Sergeant Yona Efraim Feldbaum and accused Israel of “a blatant violation of the ceasefire deal.”

The group said it would delay returning the body of an Israeli hostage because of the new strikes.

The Israeli government maintained that Hamas had already breached the truce by returning partial remains of hostages instead of complete bodies, accusing the group of staging the recovery to manipulate public perception.

US President Donald Trump, who is currently on an Asia trip, defended Israel’s actions, saying it had the right to retaliate.

He expressed confidence that the ceasefire would survive, but warned Hamas to “behave” or be “terminated.”

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, one of the key mediators of the truce, said there had been a “violation by the Palestinian party” but added that it was unclear who was responsible for the shooting in Rafah.

He described the renewed fighting as “very disappointing and frustrating,” noting that talks were ongoing to preserve the ceasefire.

The agreement, brokered by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, required Hamas to return all the remains of Israeli hostages promptly.

Hamas claimed difficulties locating the bodies amid the extensive destruction across Gaza, while Israel accused the group of deliberate delay.

According to UN-verified figures, Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza has killed at least 68,643 people since October 2023, following Hamas’s initial attack that left 1,221 dead in Israel.

With the ceasefire now under renewed strain, international observers warn that both sides face growing pressure to prevent a return to full-scale hostilities that could erase months of diplomatic progress.