Israeli strikes continue in Gaza despite ceasefire, with more than 1,400 killed

Israeli strikes in Gaza continue almost daily despite a ceasefire intended to end the war. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says more than 1,400 people have been killed since the truce began.

More than 30 people were killed in the past week alone, the ministry says. Israel says it is targeting Hamas operatives and accuses the group of violating the ceasefire.

The family of 31-year-old Fida al-Toutah said she was shot in her tent in central Gaza. The mother of five died on 21 September from a gunshot wound to the head; the Israel Defense Forces told the BBC they had no record of the incident.

Civilian deaths near the dividing line

Fida’s relatives showed holes in the tent which they said were made by Israeli gunfire. Her brother Ibrahim said the family had moved seven times but had been unable to find safety.

Fourteen-year-old Ismail al-Bardawil was also shot dead on the same day in the al-Mawasi area of southern Gaza. His family told the BBC that Israeli forces shot him and his brothers while they were fishing about 20m (66ft) from the shore. The IDF said it had no information about the incident.

Both victims lived near the so-called Yellow Line, separating areas held by Israeli forces from areas controlled by Hamas. Gaza’s health ministry says more than 300 children have been killed since the ceasefire began.

Ceasefire has not brought rebuilding

The end of large-scale bombardment brought increased humanitarian aid and medical supplies into Gaza. But most of the territory’s 2.1 million people have been displaced repeatedly, with many living in tented camps or unsafe structures.

The health ministry says the overall death toll from Israeli attacks since the war began has exceeded 74,000. At least seven Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire started.

Reconstruction has not begun because of an impasse over the second phase of the agreement. Israel restricts the entry of construction materials and machinery, citing security concerns; Hamas has linked the handover of heavy weapons to an end to Israeli aggression and a withdrawal of Israeli forces.

A Gaza recovery plan proposed by US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace is valued at $2.45bn (£1.85bn). People living in tents, however, say they see no safe conditions for a return to ordinary life.