Ceasefire restored after Israeli strikes kill 104 in Gaza, including 46 children

Israel said Wednesday that the fragile ceasefire in Gaza was back in effect after its military carried out a series of heavy overnight airstrikes that killed at least 104 people, including 46 children, according to Palestinian health officials.

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The attacks, the deadliest since the truce began on October 10, marked the most severe test of the ceasefire so far.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the strikes in response to what he described as violations of the ceasefire by Hamas. He accused the group of returning partial remains of a hostage earlier in the week and of being responsible for the killing of an Israeli soldier in Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city.

"The return of body parts was a clear violation of the agreement," Netanyahu said, adding that the deal required Hamas to return all remains of hostages held in Gaza. Israeli officials also accused Hamas of staging the recovery of some remains, releasing a 14-minute edited video taken by a military drone to support their claim.

An Israeli military official identified the slain soldier as Master Sgt Yona Efraim Feldbaum, 37, who was killed when his vehicle came under "enemy fire" on Tuesday.

The official, speaking anonymously, said Israeli troops had been working to destroy Hamas tunnels and infrastructure when they were attacked.