Gaza ceasefire in place, but Palestinians are still being killed
GAZA CITY — At least five Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli air strike on an apartment in Gaza City, according to medical sources, as Israeli attacks continued across the enclave despite renewed international efforts to sustain the ceasefire.
The strike hit a residential apartment in the city’s Remal neighbourhood on Saturday, killing five people and injuring others, Al Jazeera reported, citing medical officials. Rescue workers searched the damaged building following the attack.
The Israeli military said the strike targeted a Hamas member it accused of planning an imminent attack against Israeli forces. It said precautions were taken to reduce the risk to civilians, including the use of surveillance and what it described as precise munitions.
Palestinian officials said civilians were among those killed. The identities and status of all the victims had not been independently established by Saturday.
The attack comes as the ceasefire that took effect in October 2025 remains under pressure from repeated Israeli strikes and incidents involving Palestinian armed groups. Both sides have accused the other of violations.
Gaza’s Government Media Office says hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire began. Israel says its forces have responded to threats and attacks against troops and has accused Hamas of repeatedly violating the agreement.
The continuing violence has complicated efforts to move the ceasefire into its next phase, which is expected to address the withdrawal of Israeli forces, reconstruction, governance arrangements in Gaza and the future of Hamas’s weapons.
Gaza remains heavily damaged after years of war, with much of its housing, medical infrastructure and public services destroyed or severely affected. Humanitarian agencies continue to report major needs for shelter, food, medical supplies and reconstruction assistance.
International mediators have continued efforts to prevent the ceasefire from collapsing while negotiations over its unresolved provisions continue.
Saturday’s Gaza City strike adds to the death toll recorded since the truce and highlights the fragility of an agreement that has reduced the scale of fighting without bringing Israeli military operations in Gaza to a complete end.
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