Israeli forces have killed at least two Palestinians in the Gaza Strip amid continued violations of a ceasefire agreement and ongoing restrictions on humanitarian aid entering the besieged enclave. According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, the two people were shot and killed on Monday when Israeli troops opened fire in the Shujayea area of eastern Gaza City. Their deaths raised the number of Palestinians reported killed in Gaza over the past 24 hours to at least 12, including eight bodies recovered from rubble across the territory.
The latest incident comes as part of what Palestinian officials describe as repeated breaches of a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which took effect on October 10.
Gaza’s Government Media Office accused Israel of carrying out “serious and systematic violations” of the truce, claiming Israeli forces have breached the agreement 875 times since it began. These violations reportedly include air and artillery strikes, demolitions of civilian property, and hundreds of incidents in which Palestinian civilians were shot.
The office said at least 411 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,100 wounded in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire came into force.
Humanitarian Conditions Continue to Deteriorate
At the same time, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinian families are facing worsening living conditions due to shortages of food, medicine, and shelter. Humanitarian organisations say aid access remains severely restricted, despite Israel’s obligations as the occupying power under international law.
The crisis has been compounded by recent winter storms, which have damaged makeshift shelters and flooded displacement camps. Rights groups argue that restrictions on essential supplies such as tents, blankets, and heating materials are placing civilian lives at risk.
Gaza authorities said that since October, only 17,819 aid trucks have entered the territory out of the 43,800 that were supposed to be allowed under the ceasefire agreement. This averages about 244 trucks per day, far below the 600 daily trucks Israel committed to permit.
The United Nations has renewed calls for unrestricted humanitarian access. A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said reports of air strikes, shelling, and gunfire continued across all five Gaza governorates over the past 24 hours, disrupting relief operations and causing further casualties.
UN officials said aid efforts are focused on addressing severe shelter shortages, particularly for displaced families living in unsafe and flood-prone areas. While some deliveries of tents, mattresses, blankets, and winter clothing have reached Gaza, humanitarian partners say the scale of need remains overwhelming.
Health conditions are also deteriorating. Gaza’s Health Ministry warned that critical shortages of medicines and medical supplies are undermining patient care. Nearly all hospitals and healthcare facilities in Gaza have been damaged during Israel’s military campaign, with at least 125 facilities affected, including 34 hospitals.
Palestinian officials say more than 70,000 Palestinians—mostly women and children—have been killed since the war began in October 2023, with more than 170,000 others injured.