GAZA STRIP — At least 11–12 Palestinians were killed and several others wounded on Sunday, February 15, after Israeli forces carried out a series of air and ground strikes across the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian civil defence and health officials. The attacks mark one of the deadliest incidents in recent days under a fragile ceasefire that has been in place since last October.
Palestinian medical workers and rescue teams said the strikes hit multiple areas across the densely populated coastal territory. In the northern city of Jabaliya, one airstrike struck a tent encampment sheltering displaced families, killing at least five people and injuring others. In the south, in Khan Younis, another strike killed at least five more, while shelling and gunfire in Gaza City and Beit Lahia claimed additional lives.
Bodies of victims were taken to major hospitals including Al-Shifa and Nasser, where family members and mourners gathered in shock and grief. “We were sleeping when the explosion came,” one resident told reporters from outside Nasser Hospital. “Now so many lives have been torn apart.”
The Israeli military said the strikes were carried out in response to what it described as violations of the existing ceasefire agreement by Hamas militants. According to a military official, undercover gunmen were observed emerging from tunnels near Israeli positions, prompting defensive action. Israel maintains that its operations target militants and infrastructure linked to armed groups.
A Hamas spokesperson condemned the attacks as a “massacre” and a serious breach of the truce, accusing Israeli forces of targeting civilians, including displaced families. Both sides have repeatedly traded blame for violations of the ceasefire, which was meant to reduce hostilities following more than two years of devastating conflict.
The violence comes just days before the inaugural meeting of a U.S.-led initiative known as the Board of Peace, which aims to support reconstruction and long-term stability in Gaza. Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who heads the group, has secured pledges of over $5 billion for rebuilding efforts, though key elements of the peace plan—including disarmament of militant factions—remain deeply contentious.
Since the start of the October 2023 conflict following the Hamas attack on Israel, the Gaza Health Ministry says that more than 72,000 Palestinians have died, and thousands more have been wounded. Despite the cease-fire agreement, intermittent outbreaks of violence continue to claim lives on both sides, with Israeli forces asserting their actions are necessary for security and Hamas denying responsibility for armed provocations.
International humanitarian agencies have expressed deep concern about the ongoing civilian toll and the already dire conditions in Gaza, where widespread destruction and shortages of basic services have compounded the suffering of residents. With the latest round of violence underscoring the fragility of peace efforts, observers say that prospects for a lasting truce remain uncertain.
