Israeli air strikes killed at least 11 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, according to medical officials, underscoring the fragility of a ceasefire that has stalled after its initial phase. The Israeli military said the strikes were carried out in response to a failed rocket launch by militants in Gaza, which it said violated the truce agreed in October.
Civilians Hit in Tents and Shelters
Among the dead were civilians sheltering in tents and schools. Medics reported that an airstrike killed four people, including children, in a tent in western Khan Younis, while other strikes hit Jabalia, Deir al-Balah and Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood. The locations tents and school shelters housing displaced families highlight the humanitarian toll of continued military action in a territory where nearly the entire population has already been uprooted.
Israel Cites Rocket Launch, Hamas Pushes Back
The Israeli military said it targeted Hamas militants, rocket launch pits and what it described as “terror infrastructure” after a rocket launched from Gaza City fell short and landed near a hospital inside Gaza. Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire, an allegation a source within the group said it was still examining. Hamas has repeatedly denied responsibility for actions it says could invite renewed Israeli strikes.
Ceasefire Stuck in First Phase
The ceasefire agreed in October has failed to progress beyond its initial phase, which halted major fighting and enabled limited Israeli withdrawals and prisoner-hostage exchanges. More ambitious next steps including Hamas disarmament, further Israeli pullbacks and an internationally backed reconstruction plan supported by U.S. President Donald Trump remain unresolved, with negotiations effectively frozen.
Mounting Casualties Despite the Truce
Since the ceasefire took effect, more than 400 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers have reportedly been killed, raising questions about how meaningful the truce remains. Nearly all of Gaza’s 2 million residents are living in damaged buildings or makeshift shelters, concentrated in areas where Israeli troops have pulled back and Hamas has reasserted control.
Hostage Issue and Political Deadlock
Israel is awaiting the return of the remains of the final Israeli hostage due under the first phase of the agreement and has linked further steps including opening the Rafah crossing with Egypt to that handover. Officials close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have said Israel will not advance to the next phase until the remains are returned, further entrenching the deadlock.
Ceasefire Looking Increasingly Fragile
Israel and Hamas accuse each other of repeated violations. Israel has continued targeted strikes, saying it views any militant attack attempt with “utmost severity.” Hamas, meanwhile, claims it has documented more than 1,100 Israeli violations of the ceasefire, including killings, air strikes and detentions, and has urged mediators to intervene.
Personal Analysis: A Ceasefire in Name More Than Reality
What this episode reveals is a ceasefire that exists largely on paper. While large-scale ground fighting has paused, the continuation of air strikes, targeted killings and retaliatory exchanges suggests a conflict merely dialled down, not resolved. Each incident whether a failed rocket launch or an Israeli strike on civilian shelters chips away at an already thin layer of trust.
The linkage of humanitarian measures, such as opening border crossings, to hostage returns further politicises civilian suffering and locks both sides into rigid bargaining positions. For Gaza’s population, the distinction between war and ceasefire has become increasingly blurred, as displacement, insecurity and death continue unabated.
Unless mediators can break the political deadlock and enforce accountability on both sides, the current truce risks collapsing entirely not in a dramatic return to full-scale war, but through a slow erosion marked by periodic strikes, mounting casualties and a humanitarian crisis with no end in sight.
With information from Reuters.
