Daijiworld Media Network - Gaza
Gaza, Dec 23: At least two Palestinians were killed in fresh Israeli firing in the Gaza Strip as Israel continued to violate a ceasefire agreement and restrict the flow of much-needed humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged enclave.
According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, Israeli troops opened fire in the Shujayea neighbourhood of eastern Gaza City on Monday, killing two people. With this, the number of Palestinians reported killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza over the past 24 hours rose to at least 12, including eight bodies recovered from rubble.
The latest incident is part of what Gaza authorities describe as hundreds of violations of a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that came into effect on October 10.
Condemning Israel’s actions, Gaza’s Government Media Office said Israeli forces have committed at least 875 ceasefire violations since the truce began. These include air and artillery strikes, demolition of civilian homes and infrastructure, and at least 265 incidents of Israeli troops firing at Palestinian civilians.
The office said that since the ceasefire took effect, at least 411 Palestinians have been killed and 1,112 others injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in the Strip remains dire, with hundreds of thousands of displaced families facing severe shortages of food, medicine and shelter. The situation has been further aggravated by recent winter storms battering the enclave.
Humanitarian agencies, including the United Nations, have repeatedly accused Israel of failing to allow unimpeded aid deliveries into Gaza. The Gaza Government Media Office said only 17,819 aid trucks have entered the territory since October, out of the 43,800 trucks that were supposed to be allowed under the ceasefire agreement — an average of just 244 trucks per day, far below the agreed 600.
On Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ spokesperson Stephane Dujarric reiterated calls for the lifting of all restrictions on aid entry, including shelter materials.
“Despite the ceasefire, we continue to receive reports of air strikes, shelling and gunfire in all five governorates of Gaza, resulting in casualties and disruption to humanitarian operations,” Dujarric said.
He added that humanitarian partners are working to address urgent shelter needs for nearly 1.3 million people, including thousands of families living in flood-prone areas. While aid deliveries have included tents, blankets, bedding and winter clothing, the needs remain overwhelming.
The appeals come amid warnings from Gaza’s Health Ministry that shortages of medicines and medical supplies are severely hampering patient care. Nearly all of Gaza’s healthcare facilities were damaged or destroyed during Israel’s prolonged bombardment, including 34 hospitals.
Since October 2023, Israeli military operations in Gaza have killed at least 70,937 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured over 171,000 others, according to Palestinian authorities.