Israel has allegedly breached the US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza at least 497 times since it took effect on 10 October, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians, the Gaza Government Media Office said on Saturday.
According to the office, 342 civilians have been killed in the assaults carried out during the truce period, with women, children and elderly people making up the majority of the victims.
In a strongly worded statement, the media office condemned what it called “serious and systematic violations” of the ceasefire agreement by Israeli forces, describing the actions as blatant breaches of international humanitarian law. The office said 27 violations were recorded on Saturday alone, leaving 24 people dead and 87 wounded.Officials also accused Israel of bearing “full responsibility” for the worsening humanitarian and security situation in the besieged enclave.
The office said that Israeli restrictions continue to severely limit the entry of urgently needed aid and medical supplies—terms supposedly guaranteed under the ceasefire.
Ceasefire In Name?
Hamas, meanwhile, demanded that Israel disclose the identity of the fighter it claims attacked Israeli forces. Senior Hamas official Izzat al-Risheq urged US mediators to pressure Israel to uphold the agreement, accusing the Israeli government of inventing excuses to undermine the ceasefire deal and resume large-scale military operations.
“Israel is fabricating pretexts to evade the agreement and return to a war of extermination,” al-Risheq said, rejecting reports that Hamas had withdrawn from the truce.
On the ground, Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum reported from Gaza City that the arrangement has amounted to little more than a truce “in name only.” Despite the declared pause, he said, Israeli airstrikes have continued across the Strip, leaving Palestinian civilians with “a shattered sense of safety.”
According to Abu Azzoum, many in Gaza believe the ceasefire has been treated as a temporary tactical move rather than a binding commitment to halt hostilities.