Gaza: Israel Again Violates Ceasefire, Killing Two Palestinians

Gaza (Quds News Network)- Two Palestinians were killed on Sunday morning in an Israeli attack on the Shujaiyya neighborhood east of Gaza City, marking another violation of the ceasefire agreement.

Local sources confirmed that two people were killed and several others injured in an Israeli artillery shelling in the Shujaiyya neighborhood. They were trying to assess the damage inflicted on their homes. The Israeli military claimed the bombing targeted several people laying explosives near Israeli soldiers in northern Gaza.

More than 116 Palestinians have been killed and over 490 others injured in direct Israeli attacks in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect on January 19, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The death toll from Israel’s genocide in Gaza has reached 48,458, with 111,,897 wounded, reported the Health Ministry, adding many bodies remain trapped under debris and in the streets, where rescue teams cannot reach them due to ongoing Israeli restrictions.

Israeli Violations

Since the first phase ended on March 1, Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza, preventing food, water, fuel, and medicine from entering the enclave.

Israel’s decision came after Hamas refused to accept the extension of the first phase of the ceasefire deal, noting it will only release captives in phases, per the ceasefire agreement, which Israel is now refusing to continue.

Israel said that it had accepted a last-minute proposal put on the table by the US president’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, for a temporary ceasefire over Ramadan and Passover.

According to Israel, the proposal also outlined the release of all captives still in Gaza in two stages, with the second stage contingent on negotiating a permanent ceasefire.

Hamas said it would only accept moving to the second stage, which was supposed to guarantee the definitive end of the assault, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of remaining captives.

Hamas also slammed Israel’s decision to block the entry of aid and adopt the US proposal. In a statement, the movement said this “is a blatant attempt to renege on the agreement and evade negotiations for its second phase.”

“Netanyahu’s decision to block the entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza is a cheap blackmail and a war crime in an appalling violation of the ceasefire deal. Mediators and the international community must act to place pressure on the occupation and put an end to its punitive and immoral measures against more than two million people in the Gaza Strip.”

Hamas stated that Israel has continued to violate the ceasefire, which has resulted in the killing of over 100 people in Gaza and the disruption of the humanitarian protocol. This includes blocking the entry of sheltering and relief aid, further aggravating the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, Israel has committed around 962 violations of the ceasefire agreement.

“Weaponizing Starvation”

Israel’s blockade of aid has been met with widespread condemnation and accusations of using starvation as a weapon of war.

Several Arab countries, including ceasefire mediators, and international humanitarian organizations slammed the move, expressing rejection of using food as a weapon of war and starving civilians.

A group of more than 30 UN human rights experts said Thursday that Israel has resumed “weaponizing starvation” in Gaza.

The move “flagrantly breaches international law and any prospects of peace”, the independent UN experts said in a statement on Thursday.

“We are alarmed by Israel’s decision to suspend once again all goods and supplies, including life-saving humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip,” they added.

“As the occupying power, Israel is always obliged to ensure sufficient food, medical supplies and other relief services. By deliberately cutting vital supplies, including those relating to sexual and reproductive health, and assistive devices for persons with disabilities, Israel is once again weaponizing aid.”

The statement added that such blockades violate international humanitarian and human rights laws and are considered war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute.