Israeli attacks kill at least five Palestinians in Gaza

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - JERUSALEM — At least five Palestinians have been killed in attacks across the besieged Gaza Strip as Israel continues to violate an October “ceasefire” on a near-daily basis.

Palestinian health officials reported several aerial and artillery attacks across the enclave on Thursday, including an Israeli air strike near the northern neighbourhood of Tuffah in Gaza City that killed two people.

One person was killed and several were injured when a tent encampment housing displaced Palestinians was bombed in western Gaza City.

Elsewhere, a fourth person was killed by Israeli tank fire in eastern Gaza City while a fifth was killed in the southern city of Khan Younis when a car was attacked.

Since Israel and Hamas signed a US-backed agreement to end the war, little progress has been made in implementing the deal, raising questions about its credibility. Israeli strikes have continued unabated with more than 1,100 Palestinians killed since the truce began.

The humanitarian crisis remains unchanged because of Israeli restrictions on the amount of aid entering the enclave, in further violation of the “ceasefire”.

Jibril Khattab, whose relative was killed during the truce, told the Reuters news agency that the cessation of hostilities is an “illusion”.

“The entire people of Gaza have not lived a single day or a single moment of ⁠ceasefire. This ceasefire is an illusion,” Khattab said. “No place in all of Gaza is safe.”

Meanwhile, Israel continues to kill children in Gaza as a “matter of routine,” with 274 children killed since the Oct. 10 ceasefire took effect, an Israeli newspaper said on Friday.

The Haaretz daily said the figure means an average of one child has been killed each day since the ceasefire began.

It added that more than 21,000 children have been killed in Israeli attacks since Oct. 7, 2023.

According to Haaretz, the vast majority of the children were killed in airstrikes, while others died from sniper fire, collapsing buildings or shrapnel.

Some children also died from wounds that Gaza’s collapsed healthcare system could no longer treat, while others died from hunger and disease, although they were not included in the reported death toll, the newspaper said.

Haaretz also highlighted Gaza’s worsening humanitarian crisis, saying homes remain destroyed and about 1.7 million people are still living in tents without electricity, running water or sanitation.

Rats and mosquitoes are widespread, infectious diseases are spreading, and tens of thousands of people are suffering from skin infections amid intense heat and harsh conditions inside the tents, the newspaper added.

Israel has continued to violate the ceasefire agreement, which took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, killing 1,127 Palestinians and injuring 3,643 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry on Thursday.

Since Israel's genocide began on Oct. 8, 2023, at least 73,250 Palestinians have been killed and 173,751 injured, according to the ministry. It added that about 90% of Gaza's civilian infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.