Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip killed at least eight people on Thursday, according to a spokesperson for the civil defence agency in the Palestinian territory. Mahmoud Bassal told AFP that the victims included seven people killed in residential building strikes in Gaza City and one person killed in the Al-Shati refugee camp located west of the city.
Medical officials at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City reported that at least 15 others were injured in the same wave of attacks. Emergency services said rescue operations continued in damaged areas as families searched through rubble following the early morning strikes.
Despite a ceasefire agreement that is technically in place since October, violence has continued across the Gaza Strip. Reports indicate that more than half of the territory remains under Israeli military control, raising concerns over repeated violations of the truce terms and ongoing instability in the region.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 936 people have been killed since the ceasefire began. The ministry, which operates under Hamas authority, provides figures that are widely regarded as credible by United Nations agencies, although they remain disputed by Israeli officials.
Hamas has accused Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire, while Israel maintains that its military operations are necessary to target armed groups operating in civilian areas. The situation has further complicated efforts to move toward the next phase of the truce agreement.
The ceasefire plan originally included the exchange of Israeli hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners detained in Israel. However, the second phase—intended to include Hamas’s disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal—has stalled for months amid rising tensions and renewed military activity.
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