Israel kills three Palestinians in fresh Gaza ceasefire violation
Israeli forces killed at least three Palestinians, including a child, in attacks across the Gaza Strip within 24 hours, in the latsest violations of the ceasefire.
On Wednesday, an air strike hit a home in the Tuffah neighbourhood, east of Gaza City, an area outside Israeli control.
The attack killed two people and wounded others, according to local media, which reported that the house belonged to the Alwan family.
On Thursday morning, Israeli forces killed 11-year-old Hamsa Nidal Samir Houso in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.
Gaza emergency services said the attack also took place outside the Israeli-controlled western part of the territory.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
In Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, local media reported the death of a child, identified as Farah Muhammad Shaqfa, who succumbed to wounds sustained in an Israeli attack several days earlier.
Injuries were also reported in multiple areas across the besieged enclave, as Israel continues to escalate its attacks and demolitions.
An air strike also targeted the area surrounding Hamad Hospital, northwest of Gaza City, though no immediate injuries were reported.
The attacks are the latest violations of the ceasefire agreed in October, which was meant to end two-years of Israeli genocide.
Israeli forces have killed at least 425 people in Gaza since the ceasefire began, in more than 1,000 violations of the agreement.
Overall, Israeli forces killed at least 71,395 Palestinians in Gaza since 7 October 2023, and wounded 171,287 more.
Thousands more are missing under the rubble. Gaza's civil defence and rescue services lack the heavy equipment to retrieve the bodies.
Severe weather continues
Meanwhile, severe weather continues to batter shelters housing tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians in the war-torn strip.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, warned that the conditions are worsening an already dire humanitarian situation, with flooding and collapsing shelters placing vulnerable families at greater risk.
"What should be a seasonal storm is becoming a life-threatening crisis," Unrwa said.
According to a December report by the inter-agency Shelter Cluster, Storm Byron affected about 65,000 families, with more than one million people in need of emergency shelter assistance.
The cluster warned that tents cannot serve as a long-term shelter solution in Gaza, citing substandard materials, prolonged overuse, overcrowding, poor anchoring and unplanned sites with unstable ground and inadequate drainage.
The UN humanitarian affairs office (Ocha) said on Tuesday that recent storms have also damaged temporary learning spaces and roads used by humanitarian organisations to deliver aid.
It added that continued attacks have destroyed key equipment across Gaza, while ongoing Israeli import restrictions are severely limiting efforts to restore and deliver essential services.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.