Gaza’s media office has accused Israel of violating the ceasefire with Hamas 47 times since the truce began in early October, killing 38 Palestinians and wounding 143 others. The violations include direct gunfire, deliberate shelling, and arrests of civilians, according to a statement.
Authorities in Gaza called on the United Nations and guarantor parties to intervene urgently to protect unarmed civilians. The deadliest single incident occurred on Friday when 11 members of a Palestinian family were killed in an attack on their bus in the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City. The family had allegedly crossed the “yellow line” demarcating areas of Israeli army control, though no physical markers exist on the ground.
The Israel Defense Forces said troops fired warning shots at a suspicious vehicle approaching them, then opened fire when it continued, deeming it an imminent threat. Israel and Hamas continue to trade blame over truce breaches, with Israel accusing Hamas of failing to return all deceased hostages' remains. As of Saturday, Hamas had returned 12 of 28 deceased captives, citing a need for specialist equipment to retrieve the rest.
Turkey has deployed disaster relief specialists to help search for bodies under rubble. Gaza’s civil defence agency estimates about 10,000 bodies remain trapped under debris across 60 million tonnes of rubble. The Palestinian death toll has exceeded 68,000, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated the Rafah crossing would remain closed until Hamas returns all deceased hostages. Meanwhile, Israel returned 15 Palestinian bodies to Gaza on Saturday, with doctors at Nasser hospital reporting signs of torture and execution. Aid remains critically scarce as Israel delays food convoys.
