Israeli Airstrike Rocks Busy Gaza Market Area, Kills Three Amid Fragile Ceasefire

At least three Palestinians were killed and dozens injured after a major Israeli airstrike struck a residential building in one of Gaza City’s busiest commercial districts, according to local medics and eyewitnesses.

The strike targeted the upper floors of the al-Kayali building in central Gaza City on Tuesday as large crowds gathered in the area ahead of the Muslim Eid al-Adha celebrations.

Witnesses described scenes of panic and chaos as multiple missiles reportedly hit the building almost simultaneously from different directions. Rescue workers and civil defence teams rushed to the scene, struggling to reach trapped victims because of severe structural damage and heavy congestion in the crowded market area. One resident said helicopters were heard hovering over the area moments before the explosions.

Footage circulating online showed ambulances, rescue personnel and civilians searching through debris as smoke rose from the damaged structure.

Shortly after the strike, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the operation targeted Mohammed Odeh, described as a senior commander within Hamas’s armed wing. Netanyahu’s office accused Odeh of involvement in the October 7 attacks on Israel.

“Odeh was responsible for the murder, abduction and wounding of many Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers,” the statement said.

 Neither Israel nor Hamas has officially confirmed whether Odeh was killed in the operation.

 The attack comes despite an existing ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which took effect in October. Hamas has repeatedly accused Israel of violating the ceasefire through continued strikes on Gaza, while Israeli authorities insist they reserve the right to target Hamas members and infrastructure.

 According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 800 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire began. The latest strike follows the killing of Hamas armed wing commander Izz ad-Din al-Haddad earlier this month in another Israeli airstrike on a residential building.

The broader conflict traces back to Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, during which around 1,200 people were killed and hundreds taken hostage. Israel’s military response has since devastated large parts of Gaza, with the Hamas-run health ministry claiming over 72,000 Palestinians have died during the war.

Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts surrounding a US-backed peace plan for Gaza have stalled, particularly over disagreements concerning Hamas’s disarmament and the future governance of the territory.