Israel continues to violate Gaza ceasefire, kills eight Palestinians in 48 hours

GAZA, Palestine (MNTV) — Israeli forces have killed at least eight Palestinians and wounded 13 across the Gaza Strip over the past 48 hours, despite the ongoing ceasefire, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Civil Defense teams also recovered four bodies from the rubble, while one more person died of wounds sustained earlier. Officials said identification efforts remain difficult due to a lack of DNA testing equipment and other forensic tools.

The Gaza Government Media Office accused Israel of committing 125 violations of the ceasefire since it took effect on October 10, resulting in 94 deaths and hundreds of injuries. Israeli authorities deny targeting civilians, saying their operations respond to “security threats.”

Civil Defense units in Gaza City reported recovering more than 50 bodies from a makeshift grave near the al-Shifa Hospital compound. Most of the bodies remain unidentified.

Khalil Abu Alrish, the director of Civil Defense operations, said the bodies had been hastily buried during last year’s Israeli siege of the hospital. Without DNA analysis tools, each body will now be marked with a code and reburied in a special cemetery.

Human rights monitors say the discovery adds to mounting evidence of war crimes committed during the assault on medical facilities in Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of breaching the truce by returning the remains of a previously recovered Israeli captive. He called it a “clear violation” of the agreement and said Israel would decide on an appropriate response.

Palestinian officials dismissed the claim, saying Israel is using it as a pretext to justify further military actions. The sound of explosions and drones continues to echo across parts of Gaza, underlining the instability of the ceasefire.

Observers warn that any escalation could collapse the already fragile truce, which was brokered to allow humanitarian aid and prisoner exchanges.

Humanitarian crisis deepens

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that over one million hot meals have been distributed in southern Gaza through 170 community kitchens. However, only 300 aid trucks entered the enclave over the weekend — half the amount required daily to sustain life.

OCHA also noted that about 470,000 displaced Palestinians have returned to northern Gaza since the truce began, many to find their homes destroyed and basic services collapsed. Water, fuel, and medical supplies remain critically short, with hospitals operating at minimal capacity.

Since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023, at least 68,527 Palestinians have been killed and 170,395 injured, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Most of the victims are civilians, including thousands of women and children.

For many Palestinians, the ceasefire has brought some relief, but sporadic strikes, continued restrictions on aid, and the discovery of mass graves have reinforced the belief that the war’s end remains distant.

While international mediators call for restraint and expanded aid, civilians continue to bear the brunt of violence and deprivation. The discovery of mass graves, the ongoing attacks, and the shortage of humanitarian access all point to a crisis that is far from over.