Fresh violence has continued to rock Gaza despite the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, as the death toll rises and humanitarian conditions worsen across the besieged territory.
According to figures from Gaza’s Health Ministry, 29 more Palestinians were confirmed dead in the last 24 hours, including victims of new Israeli airstrikes and those who succumbed to earlier injuries. This pushes the overall death toll since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, to 67,967, with more than 170,000 people wounded. The ministry revealed that at least 23 Palestinians have been killed since the truce took effect.
While the ceasefire was expected to bring relief, aid delivery has fallen drastically short. The agreement initially allowed 600 trucks of humanitarian supplies daily, but Israel has reportedly reduced the number to about 300, citing delays in retrieving the bodies of Israeli captives trapped beneath rubble.
Data from the UN’s monitoring platform showed that only 216 trucks successfully reached their destinations inside Gaza between October 10 and 16, largely due to prolonged Israeli inspections. Satellite images captured over the Rafah crossing revealed long queues of aid trucks waiting for clearance to enter Gaza, leaving many communities cut off from essential food and medical supplies.
A few bakeries supported by the UN World Food Programme have resumed limited operations, but widespread hunger persists. The Gaza Water Authority has also warned of an escalating water crisis, disclosing that its crews are distributing minimal quantities through emergency tankers amid severe equipment shortages. It called on international organizations to speed up the repair of damaged infrastructure, particularly in Khan Younis and other hard-hit regions.
As humanitarian agencies struggle to respond, tensions flared again on Wednesday when Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, warned that the military would resume operations if Hamas fails to fully comply with the US-brokered ceasefire. His statement came shortly after Hamas handed over the remains of two Israeli hostages, saying it lacked the necessary tools to recover more.
So far, Hamas has released 20 living hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and returned the bodies of seven deceased captives. The group’s military wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said it had fulfilled its part of the deal and would need “special equipment” to recover the remaining bodies.
Despite Israel’s threats, US officials told reporters that Hamas still intends to uphold the agreement. However, rising tensions on the ground — including clashes between Hamas fighters and rival Palestinian groups — have cast doubt on the ceasefire’s durability.
