Israeli strikes Gaza kill five in Gaza City and Tuffah
Israeli strikes on Gaza killed at least five Palestinians on Saturday, health officials said. Four people died near Panda Mall in Gaza City, and one person was killed in the Tuffah neighbourhood.
The two strikes were separate but struck within hours of each other, underlining how fragile the October ceasefire has become. Gaza’s health officials say the violence has continued at a steady pace despite the truce.
Israel says Hamas is rearming; Hamas denies it
Israel says Hamas has been rearming and carrying out attacks in violation of the October ceasefire. Israeli officials have pointed to these alleged violations as the reason for stepping up strikes across the strip.
Hamas denies the charge. The group accuses Israel of undermining the Gaza peace deal and says Israel’s continued attacks are the real violation of the truce.
The two narratives have hardened in recent weeks. Each round of strikes deepens the gap between the parties and makes a return to calm harder to achieve.
Death toll since the ceasefire crosses 1,400
Gaza health officials say at least 1,400 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire took effect in October. Israel claims four of its soldiers have been killed in the same period.
The figure sits on top of a far larger toll. More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its assault on Gaza in October 2023, according to Gaza health authorities.
These numbers make the ceasefire one of the most fragile in the conflict’s recent history, with international monitors struggling to hold either side to its terms.
Pakistan’s position on Gaza
Pakistan has long called for a just settlement of the Palestine question and the right of self-determination for the Palestinian people. Islamabad pressed the case again at the United Nations, where it linked the plight of Gaza to the broader demand for self-determination in Kashmir and Palestine.
Public anger in Pakistan has stayed high through the war. Earlier this month, thousands marched in Karachi on the October 7 anniversary in a Jamaat-i-Islami protest against the war on Gaza, one of several large rallies held across the country, while pro-Palestinian marches across European cities showed the same anger abroad.
The cycle of strikes has continued despite repeated international calls for restraint, including a deadly Israeli strike on a Hamas figure in Gaza reported earlier this month.
What happens next for Gaza
The October ceasefire was meant to freeze a war that has already killed more than 74,000 Palestinians. Instead, the steady stream of strikes has turned it into a truce in name only, with both sides trading blame after every new killing.
Diplomats now face a hard question: whether the ceasefire can be rescued or whether it will collapse into open warfare again. For the people of Gaza, each strike brings that answer closer.
How many people were killed in Saturday’s Israeli strikes on Gaza?
At least five Palestinians were killed, four near Panda Mall in Gaza City and one in the Tuffah neighbourhood, according to Gaza health officials.
Why does Israel say it is striking Gaza?
Israel says Hamas has been rearming and attacking in violation of the October ceasefire. Hamas denies this and accuses Israel of undermining the Gaza peace deal.
How many Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire?
Gaza health officials say at least 1,400 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the October ceasefire. More than 74,000 have been killed since the assault began in October 2023.
What is Pakistan’s position on Gaza?
Pakistan supports the Palestinian right to self-determination and a just settlement of the Palestine question, a position it has pressed repeatedly at the United Nations and echoed in public rallies across the country.
