Israel continues bombing Gaza despite launch of second ceasefire phase

Israeli forces continued bombing and demolishing buildings in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, despite the announcement of the second phase of the ceasefire process, as casualties from ongoing attacks continued to rise.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the Israeli army has violated the ceasefire for the 97th consecutive day. The ministry said that two Palestinians were killed and five others injured over the past 24 hours, with additional victims believed to be trapped under rubble or lying in streets inaccessible to rescue teams.

The ministry reported that the total death toll since the start of the Israeli offensive on 7th October 2023, has reached 71,441, with 171,329 wounded. Since the ceasefire came into effect on October 11, at least 451 people have been killed and 1,251 injured, amid ongoing difficulties faced by ambulance and civil defence crews in reaching targeted areas.

On the ground, Israeli forces continued to breach the ceasefire despite an announcement by US envoy Steve Witkoff that the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza had begun. Israel has maintained that it will not withdraw from the so-called “yellow line” east of the enclave unless progress is made on the disarmament of Hamas.

Early on Thursday, new Israeli violations were reported, particularly in southern Gaza City. These included the demolition of homes east of the city, naval fire from gunboats along the coast, and artillery shelling from Jabal al-Rais east of the Tuffah neighbourhood. Shelling was also reported in the northeastern area of the Bureij refugee camp, while air strikes destroyed residential buildings east of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.

The continued attacks have raised renewed concerns over the durability of the ceasefire and the worsening humanitarian situation across the Gaza Strip.

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