Fresh Israeli Airstrikes Kill Five in Gaza as Qatar Warns Ceasefire Could Collapse

Fresh Israeli airstrikes on Thursday killed five people in Gaza, officials said, prompting Qatar — a key mediator of the fragile ceasefire — to warn that renewed attacks risked undoing weeks of fragile calm between Israel and Hamas.

The strikes came the morning after one of the deadliest days in the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire began on October 10 and followed Israeli operations targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon, despite a near year-long calm along that frontier.

Qatar described the strikes as "a dangerous escalation that threatens to undermine the ceasefire agreement." Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for Gaza's civil defence agency, said five people were killed and several others wounded in strikes and artillery shelling east of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.

The Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis reported that three of those killed were members of the same family, including a one-year-old girl. Grieving relatives recounted the shock and loss. "We were sleeping peacefully," said Sabri Abu Sabt, who lost his son and granddaughter. "We are peaceful and we don't want war."

Tala Abu al-Ala, who lost her sister, said: "Every day there are martyrs. Every day we lose a relative. When will we find relief? Don't we have the right to live?" She added, "I'm afraid I'll die without achieving any of my life's dreams."

'Nothing has really changed'

Despite the ceasefire, Israel has carried out strikes it says target Hamas positions. Gaza's health ministry reports that more than 312 Palestinians have been killed in strikes during the truce period. Residents voiced growing fear that the pause could unravel.

"We are worried about the war returning," said Lina Kuraz, 33, from the Tuffah neighbourhood east of Gaza City. "Every time we try to regain hope, the shelling starts again. When will this nightmare end?"

Mohammed Hamdouna, displaced from northern Gaza to a tent in the south, said: "Nothing has really changed. The intensity of the death toll has decreased, but martyrs and shelling happen every day. We are still living in tents. The cities are rubble, the crossings are still closed, and basic necessities remain lacking."

Recent deaths and the 'Yellow Line'

Figures from civil defence reported that strikes on Wednesday killed 14 people in Gaza City and 13 in Khan Yunis. In Gaza City, Ahlam Halas held her late nephew's four-month-old daughter after the nephew was among those killed. "He didn't even get the chance to rejoice in her birth and hear her call him 'papa'," she said.

Under the US-brokered ceasefire, Israeli forces withdrew behind a boundary commonly referred to as the "Yellow Line." Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian accused Hamas of "continuing to violate the ceasefire," alleging fighters had crossed the Yellow Line. She said Israel acted independently in ordering the airstrikes "to protect ourselves and our people" and did not seek permission before carrying them out. A US official said Washington was notified in advance of the strikes.

United Nations officials urged all parties to preserve the ceasefire and to spare civilians. The UN spokesperson said the organization was "deeply concerned about the airstrikes in which civilians were reportedly killed and injured."

Appeals to mediators and wider context

Hamas appealed to international mediators, including the United States, to pressure Israel to halt the attacks. Hazem Qassem, a Hamas spokesman, called for "serious and effective action" by mediators to enforce the ceasefire agreement.

The current conflict traces back to Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people. Gaza's health ministry reports that Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 69,546 people; the United Nations regards those figures as a reliable source of the humanitarian toll.

Security analysts note that international pressure is pushing for the preservation of the truce and broader diplomatic efforts in the region. Retired Brig. Gen. Eran Ortal observed that while Hamas remains armed and disarmament appears unlikely in the near term, the immediate potential for a full-scale return to war in Gaza appears limited — though the risk of escalation remains.

The situation remains volatile. Humanitarian and international actors continue calling for protection of civilians and sustained diplomatic engagement to prevent a wider collapse of the ceasefire.