Eight dead in Gaza despite one-year-old ceasefire

Israeli airstrikes killed at least eight people in Gaza on Saturday, including one child, according to hospital officials. The strikes occurred in the northern and southern parts of the territory, marking another instance of violence despite a ceasefire that took effect in October of last year.

In the Al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, a missile struck a group of civilians near Cairo School. Hospital officials reported that three people died in the blast, among them a four-year-old boy. Video footage taken outside Shifa Hospital showed a crowd of men praying beside two body bags and the small body of the child, which was wrapped in a white towel.

Ali Oweis, a family member of the victims, told AFP news agency that his son and his child were killed while sitting in their tent. "There is no ceasefire; the war is ongoing, don't you see?" he said. He noted that the area was quiet before the missile hit.

Simultaneously, a drone attack targeted a group of police officers in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, according to the Hamas-run ministry of interior. The ministry stated that the officers were performing routine duties when they were killed. The five victims were between the ages of 23 and 53. At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, video showed women grieving as body bags lay on the floor. The interior ministry described the incident as a "horrific massacre."

The Israeli military confirmed it conducted two attacks on targets it described as military operatives. However, the military has not yet released evidence or additional details regarding the specific units struck in either location.

Gaza's health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations, reports that 1,580 people have been killed since the ceasefire began. Israeli air strikes have continued nearly every day during this period. Israel maintains it is targeting Hamas, though civilians are frequently killed in these operations.

A peace plan for Gaza, brokered by the Trump administration, has stalled. The current ceasefire involved the release of thousands of Palestinians held by Israel in exchange for the 48 remaining hostages. The conflict began with a Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken. Since the war started, 74,594 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory's health ministry.