ISLAMABAD: Nearly 100 Palestinians have been killed and more than 230 others injured since a US-brokered ceasefire took effect on October 10, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office, as both sides trade accusations of violating the fragile truce.
In a statement, the office said Israel has violated the ceasefire 80 times, citing “direct gunfire at civilians, deliberate bombardment, the execution of fire belts, and arrests of civilian citizens.” The statement called the actions “grave and repeated breaches” of international humanitarian law.
On Monday, Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that four people were killed by Israeli forces in Gaza City.
“They were returning to check on their homes in the Al-Shaaf area, east of the Al-Tuffah neighborhood,” said Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for the rescue service, which operates under Hamas authority.
He said the victims were killed in two separate incidents “by Israeli gunfire.”
The Israeli military said it fired at armed militants who crossed the so-called “Yellow Line,” the boundary where Israeli troops remain positioned under the ceasefire. The army said the individuals “approached troops in the Shujaiya neighborhood,” adjacent to Al-Tuffah.
Several similar confrontations have occurred since the truce began, resulting in repeated casualties and heightening concerns over its durability.
On Sunday, Israel carried out a series of airstrikes across Gaza after “two of its soldiers were killed in combat.” The military called the operation a response to “a blatant violation” of the truce.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told parliament that Israel dropped 153 tons of bombs on Hamas positions.
“One of our hands holds a weapon, the other hand is stretched out for peace,” Netanyahu said.
Hamas denied responsibility for any attacks, accusing Israel of fabricating “pretexts” to resume fighting.
The fragile ceasefire has allowed hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, where many have found their homes reduced to rubble.
With additional inputs from AFP
