Israel launched a series of strikes on Gaza on Wednesday, killing at least 25 people and essentially blowing a hole in the cease-fire that has mostly held for the past six weeks. This deadly escalation is awful for anyone hoping that President Trump’s ambitious vision for lasting peace in the territory would finally take hold.
The Israeli military stated that the strikes were a response to several militants who opened fire on their forces near Khan Younis in southern Gaza, as per The New York Times. The military said that no personnel were injured in that initial incident, but Israeli forces immediately began “striking Hamas terrorist targets across the Gaza Strip” in response. Predictably, Hamas rejected this claim, calling it a “transparent attempt to justify its ongoing crimes.” The Palestinian militant group publicly urged the United States to step in and control Israeli military actions.
The death toll from Wednesday’s violence is mounting quickly. Gaza’s Civil Defense emergency workers reported that they recovered 10 bodies after one strike hit a building in Gaza City, located in the north of the territory. The agency also confirmed that another strike in southern Gaza killed a woman and wounded two other people.
This new outbreak of violence puts a dent in the Trump administration-backed diplomatic efforts
The original truce was brokered back in mid-October after more than two years of devastating war, with the help of the Trump administration, along with Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. Even though the truce hasn’t decisively ended the conflict, both sides have said they are still committed to maintaining the cease-fire agreement.
As part of that initial deal, Hamas turned over the remaining hostages it had held in Gaza in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli forces also pulled back to a new withdrawal line that left them in control of about half of the enclave.
Now, the administration and its partner mediators are trying to push toward the next, much harder phase of President Trump’s peace vision. That ambitious plan includes Hamas completely laying down its weapons, a full Israeli withdrawal from the territory, and the deployment of an international security force to maintain order. However, many observers are seriously concerned that the current cease-fire is going to completely fall apart long before those lofty next steps can ever happen.
Sadly, the truce has been far from peaceful since it was signed. Sporadic violence has erupted several times, punctuating the overall calm. Israeli forces have come under fire multiple times since mid-October, resulting in the deaths of at least three soldiers. Israel has responded to these attacks with great force, blaming Hamas for the incidents. Since the truce began, the Gaza health ministry reports that more than 280 Palestinians have been killed. We should note that the ministry’s toll doesn’t differentiate between combatants and civilians.
Published: Nov 20, 2025 04:30 pm