Nearly 500 Gaza ceasefire violations by Israel in 44 days

Israel has reportedly breached the US-mediated Gaza ceasefire at least 497 times over a 44-day period, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians since the truce began on 10 October, according to the Gaza Government Media Office.

Authorities say 342 civilians have been killed in these incidents, with most of the victims being children, women, and elderly people.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the media office strongly condemned what it described as Israel’s ongoing and “systematic” violations of the ceasefire.

“These actions represent a clear violation of international humanitarian law and the humanitarian protocol included in the agreement,” the statement said. It added that 27 of the reported violations occurred on Saturday alone, causing 24 deaths and injuring 87 others.

The media office also held Israel fully accountable for the humanitarian and security consequences of its actions and accused it of maintaining strict limits on the movement of essential aid and medical supplies into the heavily damaged enclave, despite the terms of the ceasefire.

On Saturday, Israel conducted a new round of air strikes across Gaza, killing at least 24 Palestinians— including children— in what was described as the latest breach of the six-week-old truce.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the strikes were launched in response to an alleged attack by a Hamas fighter on Israeli soldiers inside Gaza’s “yellow line,” a zone Israel controls.

‘A ceasefire in name only’

Hamas demanded proof of the identity of the fighter Israel claims carried out the attack.
Izzat al-Risheq, a senior Hamas political bureau member, urged the mediators and the US to pressure Israel to honor the agreement.

He accused Israel of creating false justifications to abandon the deal and resume full-scale military operations. “It is Israel that violates the agreement every day and in a systematic manner,” he said, rejecting reports that Hamas had withdrawn from the ceasefire.

Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Gaza City, said the so-called truce has amounted to little more than “a ceasefire in name,” noting that Israeli air strikes have persisted despite the declared pause. He said these attacks have left Palestinians feeling deeply insecure.
“They reinforce the perception that the Gaza deal is being treated as a tactical pause rather than a meaningful, binding commitment,” he said.

Local authorities reported that dozens of Palestinian families in northern Gaza remain under siege as Israeli forces have moved deeper into the area, violating the terms of the ceasefire.

Under the agreement, the “yellow line” marks an informal boundary where Israeli forces were meant to reposition themselves when the truce took effect. The zone has allowed Israel to maintain control over more than half of Gaza, and Israeli troops have been known to open fire on Palestinians who approach the area.

Hamas says Israeli forces have advanced westward beyond this line and are altering the boundaries set out in the agreement.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Gaza’s Forensic Evidence Department told Al Jazeera that the office lacks proper laboratories and tools to analyze fingerprints and DNA from the bodies of Palestinians returned by Israel as part of the truce exchange. Many of the corpses reportedly show signs of torture, mutilation, and execution.

“We depend on forensic photography and family observations, but face major challenges,” the spokesperson said, urging international organizations to provide the necessary equipment.

A total of 330 bodies have been returned, the spokesperson added, but only 90 have been successfully identified so far.