Israel’s deadly Gaza strikes cast doubt on ceasefire progress days after Kushner visit

Deadly airstrikes in Gaza on Wednesday cast a sharp shadow over fragile ceasefire negotiations, just two days after U.S. negotiators reportedly asked Israel to draw down attacks in the Palestinian territory. Local hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent confirmed that at least 10 people were killed Wednesday across two distinct strikes. Witnesses and a Hamas official also reported that Israeli troops crossed the ceasefire line in southern Gaza at dawn and detained a Hamas police colonel.

Targeted Strikes and Mounting Casualties in Gaza City and Nuseirat

The Israeli military stated that one Wednesday strike in the area of the Nuseirat refugee camp targeted a Hamas commander who participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in southern Israel. A second strike in the Tuffah area of Gaza City hit a Hamas commander planning attacks against Israeli troops, according to the military. An earlier Tuesday strike targeted a meeting of four Hamas commanders and additional militants.

The military identified the commanders killed in the operations as Muhammad Hamdi Ahmad Al-Masri, Muhammad Attar, and Muhammad Fathi Hussein Nasser, alongside Samed Samir Harb Abu Habal, who had infiltrated Israeli territory during the 2023 assault.

Casualty figures from local authorities detailed further loss of life. The Hamas-run Interior Ministry reported that the Wednesday strike in Gaza City hit a police station, killing eight police officers—including two women—and a 13-year-old girl. One person died in the Nuseirat strike, while a Tuesday evening strike on a busy seaside cafe killed seven Palestinians, including a child, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Raid in Khan Younis and Military Conduct Reviews

In the early hours of Wednesday, at least 15 Israeli troops entered the Muwasi coastal area west of Khan Younis, according to two residents and a Hamas official. Accompanied by armed men, the soldiers stormed the tent of Sabri Abdel-All, a colonel for the Hamas-led Blue Police in Khan Younis, and detained him alongside another resident identified as Nashat Ezzat Zaarab.

Amid the ongoing fighting, Israel’s military announced Wednesday that it had completed reviews of 150 incidents of troop conduct during the war. The military said it will launch criminal investigations into the killings of a 5-year-old girl and her family, as well as the deaths of 15 Palestinian paramedics.

More than two million Palestinians live in the tiny enclave. Since a ceasefire took effect in October, Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,273 people, according to health officials in Gaza. The nearly three-year war has claimed the lives of more than 73,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. While the ministry does not distinguish between civilians and militants, U.N. agencies and international organizations generally view its detailed records as reliable and note that women and children make up around half of the total toll.

Stalled Diplomacy Following Kushner Meetings With Netanyahu

Diplomatic efforts led by Washington offer few concrete commitments. Jared Kushner, a U.S. negotiator and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, held a marathon meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. A person familiar with the meeting, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Kushner asked the Israeli leader to draw down attacks on Gaza.

President Trump’s initial ceasefire plan outlined a broad vision for ending Hamas rule and rebuilding the heavily damaged territory. However, major sticking points persist regarding Hamas disarmament and Israeli withdrawals, specifically concerning which step should happen first.

Earlier this month, Trump announced that Hamas had agreed to disarm. Hamas countered that it would begin disarming only if Israel halts strikes and withdraws, with the surrender of heavy weapons contingent on the creation of a Palestinian state—a condition rejected by the Israeli government. Netanyahu maintained that Israel will not withdraw from its current lines in Gaza until Hamas has completely disarmed.

Following the Wednesday strikes, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem criticized the Board of Peace, the body established by Trump to oversee the ceasefire.

Qassem added that the board has provided a cover for Israel to escalate attacks rather than compelling it to abide by the agreement.