Israeli forces conducted multiple airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing at least 11 Palestinians. These attacks targeted a tent in Khan Younis, a school sheltering displaced families in Jabalia, and residential areas in Gaza City and Deir al-Balah, resulting in numerous civilian casualties, including children. The Israeli military justified the strikes as a response to a failed rocket launch from Gaza, which it attributed to Hamas. However, this incident marks another violation in a relentless pattern: since the October 2025 ceasefire took effect, Israel has attacked Gaza on 74 out of 89 days, killing at least 424 Palestinians. A spokesperson for the Gaza Government Media Office stated that Israel has violated the ceasefire agreement at least 969 times through air raids, artillery shelling, and shootings.
The current "cessation of hostilities" has failed to meaningfully alter the realities of life, death, and siege for Palestinians. The agreement, a U.S.-brokered 20-point plan, led to a signing ceremony in October 2025, though both Israel and Hamas were notably absent. While the first phase halted major fighting, Israel maintains control over more than half of Gaza's territory, severely restricting humanitarian aid and preventing the return of displaced people to their homes. International bodies report that Israel continues to block vital supplies, allowing in only 42% of the planned aid trucks and prohibiting nutritious food essential for a population recovering from famine. This has led Amnesty International to warn that "Israel’s genocide is not over," as it continues to deliberately inflict conditions calculated to bring about physical destruction.
The human cost of the ongoing strikes is devastating. In the two months following the October ceasefire, at least 347 Palestinians were killed, including 136 children. The strikes on Thursday are part of this deadly continuum. Israel's rules of engagement during this period have been widely criticized; for instance, its forces killed two Palestinian boys, aged 9 and 10, near Khan Younis after claiming they conducted "suspicious activities" by gathering wood. United Nations experts have condemned similar "near daily" attacks in Lebanon, which are undermining ceasefire agreements there, and have expressed alarm at Israel's disregard for international law and the safety of civilians. This pattern suggests a systematic policy rather than isolated defensive actions.
The path forward outlined in the U.S. plan is at a standstill. The next phases, which envision Hamas disarming and an international administration rebuilding Gaza, are rejected by the resistance group. Hamas officials argue that any international force tasked with disarming Palestinians would lose neutrality and become "a party to the conflict in favor of the occupation". While senior Hamas figures have signaled a conditional willingness to discuss laying down weapons for a period of years, they tie this directly to negotiations for a Palestinian state and reciprocal security guarantees, a condition Israel rejects. With Israel insisting on complete demilitarization and Hamas viewing its arms as a legitimate means of resistance against occupation, the diplomatic impasse ensures that fragile ceasefires will continue to be shattered by violence.
The broader U.S. strategy, often called the "Trump Plan," appears designed to favor Israeli interests while imposing terms on Palestinians. The plan was constructed without the involvement of Hamas or other Palestinian representatives and leaves ultimate authority over continued occupation and military action in Israel's hands. This approach has not only failed to secure peace but has also made it difficult to recruit nations for a proposed international stabilization force, as many are reluctant to engage in disarming Hamas amidst ongoing hostilities. The result is a grim status quo: a divided Gaza Strip under permanent threat, where ceasefires serve as brief interludes in a prolonged conflict, and the root issues of occupation, sovereignty, and the right to self-determination remain unaddressed.