Israel Pounds Gaza Despite Truce as Death Toll Nears 69,000
GAZA STRIP (Dispatches) --
Israeli forces launched a new round of attacks on the Gaza Strip on Sunday, carrying out home demolitions and airstrikes despite the ongoing ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
According to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, heavy gunfire was reported east of Gaza City, where troops simultaneously demolished several residential buildings in the neighborhoods of Zaytoun and Shuja’iyya, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky.
In Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, Israeli artillery shelling and gunfire were also reported, accompanied by the destruction of multiple homes.
Further south, Israeli warplanes carried out three airstrikes on Rafah, though there were no immediate reports of casualties or the extent of the damage.
On Saturday, Israeli jets, tanks, and artillery had already targeted areas near Khan Younis and destroyed homes east of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.
The Palestinian Health Ministry announced that the death toll in Gaza since Israel began its campaign in October 2023 has reached 68,865, with 170,670 injured—the vast majority women and children.
Over the past 24 hours, seven more bodies were brought to hospitals, including three recently killed Palestinians, three recovered from under the rubble, and one who succumbed to wounds.
Since the ceasefire took effect on October 11, Israeli attacks have killed 236 Palestinians and injured at least 600 more.
Despite promises made under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, Israel has allowed only a fraction of the agreed-upon humanitarian aid into Gaza—an average of 145 trucks per day, far below the pledged 600.
Palestinians continue to suffer from severe shortages of food, water, and medical supplies. The United Nations confirmed that aid operations have been further hindered by rerouting restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continued their raids across the occupied West Bank. In Nablus, troops stormed the city from the Beit Furik checkpoint in what local reports described as the second assault within an hour.
In Kafr Ein, northwest of Ramallah, soldiers broke into a home, assaulted a family, and arrested 14-year-old Abdullah Malik Dar al-Eis.
Since October 2023, Israeli military and settler violence has killed more than 1,000 Palestinians and wounded over 10,000, according to the Health Ministry.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees documented over 2,400 attacks on Palestinian property in the past two years, displacing more than 3,000 people.
In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Al-Quds.