400 killed as Israel shatters Gaza ceasefire

A BARRAGE of Israeli airstrikes has killed more than 400 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to shatter the fragile ceasefire brought in two months ago.

- By Rebecca Robinson

The assault, targeting Hamas, was the heaviest since the peace plan began on January 19 and was trig- gered by Israeli frustration at the terror group delaying the return of the remaining 59 hostages.

However, civilian infrastructure was also hit, with homes and tent encamp- ments struck in the south and north, while tanks shelled the east.

The death toll stood at 416 last night with 660 injured, many of them children, the Hamas-run health ministry said.

Mother-of-four Rabiha Jamal, 65, described the ordeal, coming during the holy month of Ramadan, as "a night of hell" that "felt like the first days of the war".

She said: "We were preparing to have something to eat before starting a new day of fasting when the build- ing shook and explosions began. We thought it was over but war is back."

Hell

Another Palestinian resident said: "They unleashed the fire of hell again on Gaza."

Hospitals in the enclave are already under huge strain from 17 months of bombardment since the October 7, 2023, attacks.

The latest onslaught saw bodies lined up outside crumbling facilities covered in white sheets.

The International Red Cross said healthcare centres were "overwhelmed" in the aftermath of the Israel Defence Forces airstrikes.

Dr Tanya Haj Hassan, a volunteer with Medical Aid for Palestinians based at Nasser Hospital, said the "level of horror" was indescribable after she witnessed at least five patients die following treatment.

She added: "The ER was just chaos, patients everywhere, on the floor.