Israeli airstrike in Gaza breaks week-long lull, killing one worker

Israeli airstrike in Gaza breaks week-long lull, killing one worker

Israel on Wednesday launched its first airstrike in Gaza in more than a week, killing one Palestinian and wounding five others in northern Gaza, both sides confirmed. The strike broke a period of relative calm as the United States continues to push forward with a peace plan aimed at ending the conflict.

The Israeli military said it targeted a Hamas commander in the Beit Lahia area, claiming he had been planning attacks against Israeli forces operating in the territory. "The terrorist was struck in an aerial strike in order to remove the threat to IDF troops," the military said in a statement, adding that efforts were made to minimize civilian casualties.

Gaza's civil defence agency reported that the strike hit civilians riding in a tuk-tuk. The victim, identified as Mohanad Saada, was among a group of workers repairing a wall damaged by earlier Israeli shelling, according to a witness at the scene. The civil defence agency said Saada's body was "torn to pieces" in the attack, and five other people were wounded. Al-Shifa Hospital confirmed receiving the casualties.

"It is true that Israeli airstrikes and assassinations had almost completely ceased for over a week, but today the occupation resumed its aerial bombardment," said Mahmoud Bassal, spokesman for the civil defence agency, which operates under Hamas.

Background to the ceasefire

The last Israeli airstrike in Gaza occurred on August 3, following US President Donald Trump's announcement of what he called a "major milestone" in efforts to end the war. The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect on October 10, 2025, as part of Trump's 20-point peace plan, which received support from UN Security Council Resolution 2803 passed that November.

Under the agreement announced in late July, Hamas committed to disarming by transferring its weapons to the Palestinian National Committee for Administration of Gaza, a nascent governing body. Trump's Board of Peace, chaired by the president himself and including senior US officials, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and Jared Kushner among its executive members, initially announced that Israel would begin a phased withdrawal from much of Gaza in return.

Netanyahu rejects withdrawal plan

However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly rejected the deal on Sunday, vowing no Israeli pullout despite reassurances from the Board of Peace that Israel would not need to withdraw until Hamas completed its disarmament. The disarmament process is tied to a phased Israeli withdrawal under the roadmap, with an International Verification Commission overseeing the process and progression between phases contingent on verified completion of commitments.

Netanyahu faces considerable pressure from his right-wing political base over Gaza policy ahead of Israel's October 27 elections. The upcoming vote will mark the first time since 1988 that Israeli elections are held on schedule following a full parliamentary term, raising the political stakes for the prime minister.

Despite Netanyahu's statements, Israel had been seen as largely adhering to the Trump plan by refraining from major strikes until Wednesday's attack. The two sides agreed to the Trump-brokered ceasefire in October 2025, after which Israel reduced but did not end military operations in Gaza.

Casualty figures

Since the ceasefire took effect, Israeli operations have killed 1,259 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority. The United Nations considers the ministry's figures reliable. The Israeli military has reported five deaths among its forces during the same period.

The conflict began after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, in which approximately 1,195 people were killed, including about 815 civilians, and around 250 people were taken captive. By January 2026, all 20 living Israeli hostages had been released back to Israel, along with the remains of deceased hostages, as part of the first phase of Trump's peace plan. More than 67,000 Palestinians were killed in the overall war from October 2023 through the ceasefire in October 2025.