At least seven Palestinians, including an eight-year-old girl, were killed in renewed Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, marking exactly one year since a United States-backed ceasefire ostensibly took effect. The fatal strikes struck residential sectors of Gaza City as well as the southern enclave of Khan Younis, according to regional medical officials and hospital authorities.
The diplomatic truce has existed largely in name only.
In western Gaza City, an Israeli quadcopter drone strike in the al-Jawazat area killed eight-year-old Shahd Abdul-Razzaq al-Najjar, emergency ambulance personnel confirmed. Four additional civilians were killed and several wounded in a separate bomb attack near the Haider Abdel Shafi roundabout, according to staff at al-Shifa Hospital. Medical teams at the same facility reported that an Israeli drone strike in the northeastern neighborhood of Tuffah claimed another life. Further south, a Palestinian woman succumbed to severe trauma sustained during an earlier bombardment in Khan Younis.
Civilian casualties have continued unabated throughout the year.
The Gaza Ministry of Health reported Saturday that at least 1,481 Palestinians have been killed and 5,254 wounded since the ceasefire went into effect on 10 October of last year. The broader military campaign launched in October 2023 has caused at least 74,370 fatalities and left 175,371 people injured across the besieged territory. Health officials noted that within the preceding 24 hours alone, Israeli bombardments killed nine individuals and wounded 65 others, alongside another patient who died from earlier injuries.
Correspondents on the ground noted that the nominal cessation of hostilities has failed to alleviate the daily peril faced by residents. The operational tempo of military actions continues to destabilize local communities, leaving civilians exposed to persistent strikes.
The assessments align with a joint declaration issued Friday by more than 100 humanitarian, human rights, and civil society organizations. The coalition warned that the truce offers no practical protection, with Israeli forces inflicting daily casualties while rigid restrictions on medical provisions, aid, and reconstruction materials obstruct recovery.
