The violence marks the most significant breakdown of the October 10 cease-fire, which was intended to halt months of bloodshed following one of the region’s deadliest cycles in decades. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, 97 Palestinians have been killed since the truce took effect.
Israel disputes those figures, claiming most casualties were militants, though independent verification remains difficult amid widespread destruction and restricted access for journalists.
Witnesses in central and southern Gaza described entire residential blocks leveled overnight.
Israel said its strikes were “precise responses” to cease-fire violations, citing an alleged attack by Hamas militants near Rafah that killed two soldiers. Hamas has denied involvement. The Gaza Government Media Office accused Israel of breaching the truce more than 80 times since it began, targeting homes, schools, and medical facilities.
Humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain dire. The Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza—a lifeline for food, medicine, and fuel—was closed for much of the weekend after Israel temporarily halted aid deliveries. Hundreds of trucks reportedly waited near the border as negotiations between Israel, Egypt, and the United States sought to reopen the route.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner arrived in Israel on Sunday to stabilize the cease-fire and push forward discussions on a post-conflict governance plan for Gaza. Talks in Cairo have focused on a potential international framework to disarm Hamas and rebuild civil infrastructure under regional oversight.
Analysts warn that without sustained humanitarian relief and clear accountability, the fragile truce may follow the pattern of previous agreements that collapsed under renewed violence. Each major escalation since 2021 has resulted in a rising civilian death toll in Gaza—climbing from roughly 260 in 2021 to more than 36,000 in last year’s war, according to U.N. and Palestinian health data.
“This latest round shows how little protection civilians actually have,” said a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council. “Cease-fires mean nothing if they’re not respected or enforced.”
While Israeli officials maintain that Hamas bears responsibility for continuing hostilities, humanitarian groups stress that the overwhelming majority of those killed remain non-combatants. Satellite imagery shows more than half of Gaza’s housing units destroyed or severely damaged since the conflict’s start, displacing over a million people.
As of Sunday night, sporadic shelling continued in southern Gaza despite renewed calls for restraint. Negotiators in Cairo said progress would depend on both sides honoring their commitments—a task that has historically proved elusive.
