International Calls for Ceasefire Observance in Gaza Escalate

The Gaza ceasefire collapsed briefly yesterday when Israeli forces launched deadly strikes after claiming a soldier was killed, then resumed operations under the truce agreement. Palestinian civil defense reported over 100 deaths from the overnight attacks, while international leaders called for restraint to prevent the fragile peace deal from unraveling completely.

The Israeli military said it would continue honoring the ceasefire agreement but would respond firmly to any violations. In a separate statement, Israeli forces claimed they targeted dozens of Hamas militants across Gaza, along with weapons storage facilities and tunnels belonging to the group.

Palestinian civil defense officials reported at least 100 Palestinian deaths from the Israeli strikes overnight. Gaza's civil defense spokesperson said hospitals received more than 101 people, including 35 children, women, and elderly civilians. He called the attacks "dozens of airstrikes and artillery bombardments" that represented a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement.

Around 200 people were wounded across Gaza, with officials describing the situation as "catastrophic and terrifying."

The UN described the casualty numbers as "horrific" and urged all parties to stick to the peace agreement. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk released a statement about "horrific reports of more than 100 Palestinians killed overnight in a wave of Israeli strikes targeting residential buildings, displaced persons' camps, and schools throughout Gaza, following the killing of an Israeli soldier."

The European Union called on "various parties" in Gaza to respect the ceasefire, while European Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera condemned the strikes that killed more than 100 people. Germany's foreign minister urged Israel to show military restraint to avoid new suffering in Gaza.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the ceasefire was under threat and needed to be restored "as quickly as possible."

But President Donald Trump said the ceasefire agreement was "not in danger." He explained: "From what I understand, they killed an Israeli soldier, so the Israelis responded to the strike." Trump added that nothing would put the ceasefire at risk, calling Hamas "a very small part of Middle East peace" that must comply with the agreement.

The Israeli military confirmed the soldier's death yesterday. An Israeli military official said Hamas violated the ceasefire by attacking Israeli forces positioned behind the Yellow Line - the agreed deployment line under the ceasefire deal.

Hamas denied responsibility for the attack on Israeli forces in Rafah and reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire agreement. The group agreed to hand over the remains of all hostages who died and haven't been found yet, but said locating and recovering all the bodies would take time.