DARK SMOKE OVER GAZA: Nuseirat Airstrike Deepens Doubts On Fragile Truce
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An Israeli airstrike hit a building in Nuseirat in central Gaza, and video of the moment shows a bright explosion in the night sky followed by a huge plume of dark smoke rising over the surrounding buildings. Gazans report that the Israeli military issued an evacuation notice before the strike. Israel has long said such warnings are meant to get civilians out of harm's way, and its Arabic-language military spokesman has previously told Nuseirat residents to move "for your safety." The strike came on the same day Reuters reported that Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least four people in separate incidents across Gaza, including a man near the Nuseirat camp. The Israeli military said it had struck Hamas militants in Khan Younis, Nuseirat and Gaza City that day, though the video and local accounts of this particular strike do not make clear who or what was targeted.
The incident adds to growing doubts about the ceasefire that took effect in October 2025 and halted major fighting but never ended the strikes. Israel says Hamas has been rearming and launching attacks in violation of the truce, and it has stepped up strikes in recent weeks. Hamas denies trying to rebuild its arsenal or carry out attacks and accuses Israel of undermining the peace deal. Gaza health officials say more than 1,500 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began, a figure that does not separate combatants from civilians, while Israel says four of its soldiers have been killed in that time. Warnings do not always settle the matter either, because in an earlier Nuseirat strike this year, a relative of a family killed in their home told Reuters they received no warning at all. The open questions are how much time residents were given to leave this time, what the target was, and whether the truce can survive the pace of strikes.