Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are living in fear and questioning the effectiveness of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, now in place for more than a year, as continued Israeli strikes have caused mounting civilian casualties despite the truce.
The latest violence came on Sunday, when at least eight Palestinians were killed across Gaza in two separate Israeli strikes, including a four-year-old child, according to local and Palestinian medical sources.
In Gaza City, an Israeli missile struck a group of Palestinians near the al-Quds School in the al-Rimal neighborhood, killing three people, including the child.
In southern Gaza, five Palestinian police officers were killed in an Israeli drone strike in the al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis. Palestinian officials say the officers were carrying out routine duties when they were targeted.
The Israeli military acknowledged both strikes and said it had targeted military operatives, but provided no evidence to support those claims.
More than a year into the ceasefire, the suffering has not eased. For many Palestinians in Gaza, the truce has brought no real sense of safety, and each new strike deepens doubts about whether the agreement can protect civilians at all.
"The shelling is constant, and the explosions are extremely powerful and terrifying. Several missiles struck this area, affecting the entire neighborhood. All our neighbors' homes were damaged, and our house was destroyed and is no longer fit to live in. Our neighbors, like us, have been left homeless on the streets," said Alaa Mansour, a displaced Palestinian.
"I was outside with my family when I received a call saying that evacuation orders had been issued for our neighborhood. I rushed back home, but there was no time to save our belongings. We couldn't even take our food or clothes out of the house before the bombing," said Fadl Al-Qirnawi, another displaced Palestinian.
"The war is still ongoing and has never stopped. This ceasefire agreement is fragile and exists only on paper. In reality, the war has never truly stopped," said Hatem Azizi, another displaced Palestinian.
Gaza's health authorities reported 1,580 Palestinians killed and 5,711 wounded in the enclave since the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel took effect in October 2025, bringing the cumulative toll since Oct. 7, 2023 to 74,594 dead and 175,834 wounded.
Gaza civilians question ceasefire as casualties mount from Israeli strikes
Gaza civilians question ceasefire as casualties mount from Israeli strikes
Gaza civilians question ceasefire as casualties mount from Israeli strikes
