Gaza City — Israeli forces launched a new wave of air and artillery strikes on Gaza City overnight, defying U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for a ceasefire after Hamas reportedly accepted the terms of a peace proposal.
According to Gaza’s Civil Defence Agency, dozens of air raids and artillery bombardments hit several parts of Gaza City and other locations across the enclave in the early hours of Saturday.
“It was a very violent night,” said Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for Gaza’s Civil Defence, which operates under Hamas authority. “The Israeli army carried out dozens of attacks despite President Trump’s call to halt the bombing.”
Bassal said at least 20 residential buildings were destroyed overnight, warning that the situation in Gaza City remained “extremely dire.”
“Our rescue teams cannot reach all the victims because of ongoing shelling and the presence of tanks in several areas,” he added.
The Israeli military, when contacted, said it was “checking” reports of overnight bombardments in Gaza City.
Hospitals across the region also reported fresh casualties. The Baptist Hospital in Gaza City confirmed receiving victims from an airstrike on a home in the Tuffah neighbourhood, including four fatalities and several injuries.
In southern Gaza’s Khan Yunis, the Nasser Hospital said two children were killed and eight others injured after a drone strike hit a tent sheltering displaced families.
The renewed hostilities come just days after President Trump unveiled a Gaza peace plan, endorsed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which called for:
An immediate ceasefire,
The release of hostages within 72 hours,
Hamas’s disarmament, and
A phased Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
On Friday, Hamas announced it had agreed “in principle” to the framework of Trump’s plan but requested further negotiations over the implementation details and the political future of the Palestinian territory.
Despite the tentative diplomatic progress, Saturday’s airstrikes highlight the fragile state of the truce efforts, with humanitarian agencies warning of worsening conditions for civilians trapped in the conflict.
The escalation threatens to derail renewed hopes for peace in the region, raising concerns among global leaders that the violence could spiral further if both sides fail to implement restraint.
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