Scores of Palestinian children killed in overnight bombing onslaught

ISRAEL insists the Gaza ceasefire is still in place despite killing at least 104 people - almost half of them children - in an overnight bombing onslaught.

- BY CHRIS HUGHES

The raid was sparked by militants opening fire on Israeli troops and killing a soldier who also held US citizenship.

Israel blamed Hamas for the shooting but the terror group denied responsibility, in turn accusing Israel of breaking the October 10 deal.

The strikes on Gaza were ordered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire by delaying the release of hostages' body parts.

That was compounded by the killing of an Israeli-US soldier in Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza. US President Donald Trump defended the strikes, saying Israel was justified in taking action after the shooting.

Hamas said it would delay handing over the body of another hostage to Israel because of the strikes. On Monday, it had returned partial remains of a hostage recovered earlier, which Mr Netanyahu said was a “clear violation” of the ceasefire, which required Hamas to return all remains of hostages as soon as possible.

The Palestinian Health Ministry reported the overall death toll of 104 from the overnight strikes and said a further 253 were wounded, most of them women and children.

BODIES

Mohammed Abu Selmia, director of Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, said 45 - including 20 children - were in a critical condition.

He said they received 21 more bodies, including seven women and six kids.