Five missiles hit almost simultaneously from different directions
In the crowded hours before a holy day, missiles fell on a Gaza City market building, killing at least three and wounding dozens more — a moment that distills the enduring tension between a state's declared right to pursue its enemies and the ancient human cost of war waged in inhabited places. Israel named a Hamas commander as its target, a man it holds responsible for the October 7 attacks, yet whether he perished in the strike remains unconfirmed. The attack arrives not in the silence of open conflict but during an active ceasefire, deepening a dispute over what peace, in this particular corner of the world, is permitted to mean.
- Five missiles struck the upper floors of a residential building almost simultaneously as families shopped for Eid al-Adha, turning a moment of festive preparation into catastrophe.
- Israel named Hamas commander Mohammed Odeh — described as a chief architect of the October 7 attacks — as the target, yet neither side has confirmed whether he was killed.
- The strike mirrors one just days earlier that killed Odeh's predecessor in identical fashion, signaling a deliberate and continuing campaign of targeted killings inside Gaza.
- Hamas is accusing Israel of shredding ceasefire terms, pointing to over 800 Palestinian deaths recorded since the truce officially began in October.
- Israel insists it retains the right to hunt those responsible for October 7, framing each strike not as a breach of peace but as the unfinished business of justice.
On a Tuesday afternoon in Gaza City, as streets filled with shoppers preparing for Eid al-Adha, an Israeli air strike destroyed the upper floors of the al-Kayali building in the territory's busiest market district. At least three Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded. Witnesses described five missiles arriving almost simultaneously from different directions, and one resident recalled hearing a helicopter circling overhead just before the attack.
Israel's government said the strike targeted Mohammed Odeh, a senior Hamas military commander it identified as one of the principal architects of the October 7, 2023 attacks — the assault that killed roughly 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. The operation followed a near-identical strike days earlier that killed Odeh's predecessor and also claimed at least three civilian lives. Whether Odeh survived Tuesday's attack remains unconfirmed by either side.
Rescue teams and civil defence crews picked through the rubble as crowds gathered in the surrounding streets. The destruction was severe enough to render the upper floors largely unreachable. The scene unfolded against the backdrop of a ceasefire that has been formally in place since October, yet under which, according to Gaza's health ministry, more than 800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes.
Hamas has accused Israel of systematically violating the truce and targeting civilians. Israel counters that Hamas has failed to disarm as required and that it will continue pursuing those responsible for October 7. The strike is one thread in a conflict of enormous scale: Israeli military operations have killed more than 72,744 people in Gaza according to figures the United Nations considers credible, and displaced the vast majority of the territory's 2.1 million residents. A US-brokered ceasefire framework envisioned reconstruction and transitional governance — but for now, the missiles keep falling.
An Israeli air strike tore through a residential building in the heart of Gaza City's market district on Tuesday, killing at least three Palestinians and wounding dozens more. The al-Kayali building, situated in one of the territory's busiest commercial zones, was struck during the afternoon hours when streets were crowded with shoppers preparing for Eid al-Adha, the major Islamic holiday. Witnesses reported seeing at least five missiles hit the upper three floors of the structure almost simultaneously, arriving from different directions. One resident recalled hearing a helicopter circling overhead moments before the attack began.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the military had been targeting Mohammed Odeh, a commander within Hamas's armed wing. The statement described Odeh as one of the principal architects of the October 7, 2023 attacks that killed roughly 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages taken. According to Israeli officials, Odeh bore responsibility for deaths and injuries among Israeli civilians and soldiers. Neither Hamas nor Israel has confirmed whether Odeh was killed in the strike. This attack followed a similar operation just days earlier that killed Odeh's predecessor in the same manner—a targeted strike on a residential building that also claimed at least three lives.
Rescue teams arrived at the scene to find the building severely damaged, with upper floors largely inaccessible due to the scale of destruction and the congestion of the surrounding market area. Ambulances and civil defence crews worked through the rubble as crowds gathered in the streets nearby. The strike represents the latest in a series of Israeli military operations conducted since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas officially began on October 10. Despite the truce agreement, such strikes have continued regularly across Gaza.
The attack has intensified the dispute over ceasefire compliance. Hamas has repeatedly accused Israel of violating the terms of the agreement and targeting civilians indiscriminately. According to Gaza's health ministry, more than 800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes during the ceasefire period. The Israeli government maintains it retains the right to pursue individuals involved in the October 7 attacks and has countered that Hamas itself has breached the agreement by failing to disarm as required. In a statement released Tuesday, Israeli officials said they would persist in hunting down anyone who participated in what they termed the October 7 massacre.
The broader context frames this strike within a conflict of staggering proportions. Israel's military campaign in Gaza, launched in response to the October 7 attacks, has reduced much of the Palestinian territory to ruins. According to figures from Gaza's health ministry—which the United Nations considers reliable—Israeli forces have killed more than 72,744 people in the territory. The campaign has displaced many of Gaza's 2.1 million residents. A ceasefire plan announced by the United States in January envisioned a second phase involving transitional governance, demilitarization, and reconstruction of Gaza, yet the strikes continue. The latest attack on Gaza comes amid broader regional tensions, following Israeli strikes in Lebanon that killed 11 people.
Notable Quotes
Israel said it would continue to pursue anyone who took part in the October 7 massacre— Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office
Hamas has repeatedly accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire terms and attacking civilians— Hamas
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does Israel keep striking during a ceasefire? Doesn't that break the agreement?
That's the central dispute. Israel says the ceasefire allows it to target Hamas members involved in October 7, and that Hamas is the one breaching terms by not disarming. Hamas says Israel is simply using the ceasefire as cover to keep killing civilians.
But this building was in a market. Were they certain Odeh was there?
Israel says he was. But they didn't confirm he was actually killed. The building was hit during afternoon shopping before a major holiday—the timing and location made civilian casualties almost inevitable.
How many people have actually died since the ceasefire started?
Gaza's health ministry reports over 800 deaths from Israeli strikes alone. That's during what's supposed to be a truce.
Is this pattern—targeting a commander, hitting a residential building, killing civilians—is this how it's been?
Yes. The previous commander was killed the same way just days before. It's become a repeating cycle.
What does the ceasefire actually require?
Demilitarization of Gaza, transitional governance, reconstruction. But none of that can happen if strikes keep happening. The agreement feels theoretical at this point.
So what changes this?
That's the question no one seems to have an answer for. Both sides accuse the other of bad faith. Meanwhile, the territory stays broken.