Ceasefire Violations and Continued Casualties in Gaza

A ceasefire agreement that took effect in October has not prevented continued military actions in Gaza resulting in fatalities, with multiple sources reporting casualties among civilians, medical personnel, journalists, and security forces.

Reported Casualty Figures

Gaza's health ministry has reported varying cumulative death tolls since the ceasefire began. Sources cite figures including 425, 484, 566, 786, 830, 984, and over 310 Palestinian fatalities during the ceasefire period.

The overall death toll in Gaza since October 2023 is reported by Gaza's health ministry as exceeding 71,000 to over 72,500, without distinguishing between combatants and civilians.

The Israeli military has reported that four of its soldiers were killed by militants during the same period.

Specific Incidents Reported

Civilian Fatalities

Gaza's civil defence agency reported 13 fatalities on one Thursday, including five children. Specific incidents included:

• Four people (three children) killed when a drone reportedly struck a tent sheltering displaced individuals in southern Gaza
• An 11-year-old girl killed near the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza
• One person killed in a strike on a school
• One man killed in a drone incident near Khan Younis
• Four people killed in an airstrike targeting a house in eastern Gaza City

In a separate incident, two Palestinian boys, Mohammad (14) and Suleiman Al Zawaraa (13), were reportedly killed by Israeli fire while collecting firewood in northern Gaza, according to their families and hospital authorities.

An Israeli air strike in Beit Lahia killed five Palestinians, including three children, according to local health officials.

Medical Personnel Fatalities

Intisar Nizar Salah Al-Rubaie, a doctor and pharmacist, was reported killed when residential buildings in Gaza City's Al-Tuffah neighborhood were struck. Hussain Al-Sumairi, a paramedic with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), died after his ambulance was hit while responding to casualties in the Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis.

Journalist Fatalities

Three Palestinian journalists were reported killed while traveling in a car to film a displaced persons camp in central Gaza. The Committee to Protect Journalists has documented 206 journalists and media workers killed in Gaza since the conflict began. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate reports over 260 journalists killed.

Security Force Fatalities

Naseem al-Kalazani, a colonel in the Gaza police force, was killed in an Israeli air strike on his vehicle in western Khan Younis. Multiple police officers were reported killed in separate attacks, including eight individuals (three civilian bystanders and police officers) killed in an attack on a police vehicle in Khan Younis, and two police officers killed in Gaza City.

Military Accounts

The Israeli military has stated that its operations target combatants and military sites. In specific incidents, the military reported:

• Troops identified "several suspects who operated a drone affiliated with Hamas" in central Gaza and struck them
• Troops operating in northern Gaza identified "several terrorists" who crossed the Yellow Line, planted an explosive device, and approached troops
• A projectile launched "from the area of Gaza City toward the state of Israel" landed within the Gaza Strip, prompting a strike on the launch point

The Israeli military stated it was investigating reports of fatalities in multiple instances.

Ceasefire Allegations

Both Israeli and Hamas representatives have accused each other of violating the ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10.

Allegations against Israel:

• Gaza's Government Media Office stated that Israel committed over 1,500 ceasefire violations, including targeted strikes, arrests, destruction of buildings, and restrictions on aid and shelter materials
• Hamas called attacks "a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement"
• UN Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory noted repeated Israeli military operations west of the redeployment line leading to civilian displacement and demolition of residential buildings

Allegations against Hamas:

• Israel stated that Hamas violated the ceasefire by sending an individual into Israeli-held territory to attack IDF soldiers
• UN Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory recorded at least 80 reported killings of Palestinians by Hamas since the ceasefire, primarily in clashes with rival families and summary executions

Humanitarian Situation

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported deteriorating humanitarian conditions. The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli agency managing aid to Gaza, stated that 600 to 800 trucks, mainly carrying food, enter the Gaza Strip daily and rejected UN claims of nearly 80% of the population facing hunger.

Peace Plan Context

The ceasefire is the first phase of a US-sponsored peace plan that initially involved the release of Israeli hostages captured by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian detainees.

Future phases include Hamas disarming, further Israeli troop withdrawal, and establishment of an internationally supported administration for rebuilding Gaza. No timeline has been established for these phases.

Hamas has stated it would not relinquish its weapons without the establishment of a Palestinian state. Israel has stated that progress to the second phase can only occur after Hamas returns the remains of the last Israeli hostage.

Background

Israel initiated its air and ground operations in Gaza following a Hamas-led cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken, according to Israeli figures.