Human Rights & Public Liberties

Human Rights & Public Liberties

Newsletter
Published on: 13 Jan, 2021

Gaza Ceasefire/ Israeli Strikes Kill 26 Palestinians, Escalating Gaza’s Humanitarian Crisis

Published on: 19 January, 2025
Archive/Al Jazeera.

Archive/Al Jazeera.

The death toll in Gaza has risen to 26 Palestinians following Israeli airstrikes across various parts of the enclave, despite a ceasefire agreement taking effect at 6:30 PM UTC, as mediated by international negotiators.

According to the Palestinian Civil Defense and medical sources speaking to Anadolu Agency, 19 Palestinians were killed in Israeli shelling targeting multiple areas of Gaza. Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesperson for the Civil Defense, detailed that one person was killed in Rafah, and six others in the eastern part of Khan Younis, located in the southern Gaza Strip. He added that nine fatalities occurred in the Gaza governorate and three in the northern governorate.

Bassal also reported that over 36 Palestinians were wounded due to Israeli bombardments and drone fire in neighborhoods east of Gaza City.

A medical source confirmed that seven people were killed when an Israeli airstrike targeted a vehicle in central Khan Younis. Witnesses told Anadolu Agency that Israeli drones fired on Palestinians returning to their homes in Gaza City after the ceasefire was meant to begin.

In addition to the attacks on Gaza City, Israeli forces shelled areas east of Khan Younis and continued demolitions of residential buildings north of the Nuseirat refugee camp.

The ceasefire, which was set to begin at 6:30 PM UTC on Sunday, was delayed after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated that it would not start until Israel received the list of three female prisoners Hamas had committed to releasing. Hamas later explained that the delay in submitting the list was due to “technical field reasons.” Once the list was provided and published, Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the first phase of the ceasefire would take effect at 11:15 AM Palestine time (09:15 UTC).

Since the outbreak of violence on October 7, 2023, with U.S. backing, Israel has been accused of committing genocide in Gaza, leaving over 157,000 Palestinians dead or injured, the majority of whom are women and children. More than 11,000 people remain missing, while the region faces widespread destruction and famine, resulting in one of the worst humanitarian crises in history.

Anadolu Agency.