Gaza’s Fragile Ceasefire: 1,300 Israeli Breaches and Rising Death Toll
Despite the ceasefire agreement, Israel continues drone strikes, sniper attacks, and humanitarian blockades, leading to growing casualties and a worsening crisis in Gaza.
Watan-Five Palestinians were martyred on Tuesday near what was formerly known as the Netzarim Axis in central Gaza, along with a Palestinian woman east of Rafah in the southern sector, due to shelling and drone fire. This marks the latest Israeli violation of the ceasefire agreement signed on January 19 between Hamas and the occupation, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States. The total number of martyrs since the start of the Gaza truce has now risen to 151.
According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, the death toll in Gaza has reached 48,503 since the beginning of the aggression on October 7, 2023, with 111,927 injuries recorded.
Violations of the Ceasefire Agreement
In addition to direct killings and ongoing attacks, Israel continues to violate the humanitarian protocol and has not withdrawn from the Salah al-Din (Philadelphi) corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border, despite it being the 42nd day since the agreement took effect on March 1. The withdrawal was supposed to be completed by the 50th day of the truce (Sunday), but it has yet to happen. Hamas has condemned this as a “blatant breach of the agreement and an open attempt to undermine and nullify it.”
Eyewitnesses reported that an Israeli drone struck the five young men as they collected stones near the Netzarim Axis. They were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City. Anadolu Agency cited a medical source saying that a Palestinian woman was martyred by an Israeli drone strike in Al-Shawka, a border town east of Rafah.
On Monday, three siblings from the Ahmed family were martyred in an Israeli drone strike east of Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza. The occupation has also targeted farmers in the eastern and southern parts of the sector. Since the ceasefire agreement, Israel has committed numerous violations, including daily killings through direct drone strikes and sniper fire near eastern areas.
Israel’s Breach of the Humanitarian Protocol
Israel has failed to implement key aspects of the ceasefire agreement, particularly the humanitarian protocol. It has prevented the entry of mobile homes explicitly mentioned in the agreement, reduced the number of wounded Palestinians allowed to travel for treatment, and even blocked some under security pretexts. Additionally, border crossings were shut again on March 2, just one day after the first phase of the agreement ended. Israel claims this was due to Hamas refusing to extend the initial phase, though Netanyahu’s government has yet to commit to the second phase, which includes a complete halt to the war.
The agreement clearly states that if the second phase is not initiated, the first phase will continue, including its provisions, without requiring further releases of Israeli detainees. However, Israel refuses to comply with this, despite signing the terms.
Since the truce began, Gaza has witnessed near-daily Israeli attacks, including drone strikes, artillery fire, and sniper activity, particularly in the eastern regions. Khan Younis and Rafah in the south, as well as central areas and neighborhoods like Shuja’iyya in Gaza City, have been frequently targeted. The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor reported that since the ceasefire, an average of seven Palestinians have been killed every 48 hours, either by sniper fire, quadcopter drones, or aerial strikes, often while inspecting their homes near the buffer zone in the north and east. Israel is also using siege and starvation as methods of slow killing, amounting to genocide.
The monitor called for urgent international action to stop the ongoing genocide, warning that Rafah has been the most targeted city, followed by repeated attacks on Shuja’iyya, central Gaza, and Beit Hanoun in the north. A humanitarian catastrophe is looming as crossings remain closed, leading to dwindling supplies, the shutdown of relief centers, and an impending famine.
Israeli Violations Since the Start of the Truce
Salama Marouf, head of the Gaza government’s media office, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Israeli violations of the ceasefire have been ongoing since the first day, resulting in dozens of martyrs. “In the past week alone, we have seen a significant increase in attacks, with 20 Palestinians martyred by Israeli gunfire or airstrikes across Gaza,” he said.
He added that “since January 19, Israel has committed more than 1,300 violations of the ceasefire, demonstrating a clear disregard for the agreement.” These violations include attacks on civilians, military incursions into areas where Israeli forces were not supposed to be present, particularly in Rafah and eastern Gaza, and failure to withdraw from the Salah al-Din corridor as required by the agreement.
Political Implications and Israeli Motives
Hossam al-Dajni, a political science professor at Al-Ummah University in Gaza, stated that Israel’s military escalation is aimed at appeasing far-right parties eager for more violence. “Part of the escalation is linked to Netanyahu’s desire to maintain his governing coalition, which is under pressure from extremist religious-nationalist factions. At the same time, Israel is using aggression as leverage in negotiations, attempting to force Palestinian concessions,” he said.
According to al-Dajni, Israel seeks to establish a new status quo in Gaza, similar to what it has done in the occupied West Bank and southern Lebanon—where it retains the ability to strike at will and conduct military incursions at its discretion. He emphasized the need for mediators to pressure Israel into halting its increasing violations and for broader resistance across other Palestinian fronts to prevent Gaza from being isolated.
