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Israeli forces kill dozens in Gaza despite ongoing ceasefire agreement
By isabelle // 2025-10-17
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  • Israeli forces continue to kill Palestinians despite the declared ceasefire.
  • At least 23 Palestinians have been killed since the truce began.
  • Israel justifies some killings by claiming people approached its ceasefire positions.
  • Humanitarian aid is flowing in but remains insufficient and faces obstacles.
  • A major point of contention is the return of deceased hostages' bodies.
A fragile ceasefire in Gaza is proving to be tragically porous, as Israeli forces continue to kill Palestinians despite the truce designed to halt two years of devastating warfare. The temporary peace, which took effect on October 11, has allowed desperately needed humanitarian aid to begin flowing into the shattered enclave, but it has not stopped the violence entirely, raising fears that the calm may not last. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 23 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks since the ceasefire began. Another 122 have been wounded in the same period. The circumstances of the attacks vary, but the death toll underscores the precarious situation on the ground. Just today, reports from the Strip detailed new fatalities. A source in Gaza’s ambulance service told Al Jazeera that at least one person was killed in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza. Separately, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that two brothers were killed by an Israeli drone to the east of Khan Younis.

Tensions at the "yellow line"

The Israeli military has attempted to justify some of these shootings by claiming that Palestinians have ignored warnings not to approach Israeli ceasefire positions. Israel has threatened to kill anyone who crosses a unilaterally declared "yellow line," the boundary to which its forces withdrew when the truce began. In one incident in Gaza City’s Shujaiya neighborhood, the IDF claimed five Palestinians who were killed had crossed this line and posed a "threat," although it did not allege they were armed. Palestinian reports, however, said the individuals were in the neighborhood simply inspecting their homes, a common scene as residents return to see what remains of their properties.

Aid and obstacles

The primary benefit of the ceasefire has been the increased, albeit still insufficient, flow of humanitarian aid. For months, Gaza has been on the brink of a mass famine, with aid groups reporting that hundreds of thousands face acute hunger. The World Food Programme has resumed support for bakeries, and dozens of trucks are now entering daily with flour and essential goods. However, the process remains fraught. The Israeli military aid agency COGAT confirmed that preparations are ongoing with Egypt to open the Rafah crossing for the movement of people, but a specific date has not been set. Aid workers report that Israeli inspections are causing significant delays, limiting the number of trucks that can enter.

The unresolved issue of the dead

A major point of contention threatening the truce is the return of the bodies of hostages who died in captivity. A senior Hamas official accused Israel of flouting the ceasefire by "killing at least 24 people" since Friday. He stated, "The occupying state is working day and night to undermine the agreement through its violations on the ground." Meanwhile, Israel is demanding that Hamas fulfill its obligation to return the bodies of all deceased hostages. The armed wing of Hamas has said that retrieving more bodies from beneath Gaza's vast rubble would require the admission of heavy machinery and excavating equipment, which remains blocked by Israel. This standoff highlights the fragility of the current agreement. While the ceasefire has provided a critical window for aid and a respite from the large-scale bombing, the underlying tensions and sporadic violence suggest a return to the pre-war status quo is a very real possibility. Can this temporary calm evolve into a lasting peace, or will it become just another brief intermission in a long-running conflict? Sources for this article include: News.Antiwar.com TheGuardian.com AlJazeera.com AlJazeera.com
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