Gaza Under Genocide: The Occupation Continues Killing as Cold Claims the Lives of Children
At a time when calm was supposed to prevail with the start of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, a stark reality is unfolding in the Gaza Strip: a genocide that has not stopped, an aggression that has not been lifted, and tools of killing that shift between bullets, bombardment, siege—and cold.
The death toll continues to rise and Zionist violations deepen on the ground, while civilians—especially children—face a slow death inside tents that neither shield them from winter nor protect them from the bullets of the occupation.
A Heavy Toll of Genocide: Numbers Beyond Disaster
The death toll from the Zionist aggression on the Gaza Strip rose on Saturday to 71,548 martyrs and 171,353 wounded since October 7, 2023, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.
The Ministry reported that hospitals received one martyr and six wounded over the past 24 hours, while the bodies of many victims remain trapped under rubble and in the streets due to the inability of ambulance and civil defense crews to reach them.
It further stated that since the ceasefire took effect on October 11, 464 martyrs have been killed by enemy fire and 1,275 injured, in addition to 712 martyrs recovered from beneath the rubble. Moreover, 92 martyrs were verified and added to the cumulative toll after their data was completed between January 2 and 16—an indicator of the depth of the tragedy and the scale of deferred crimes that continue to surface.
Daily Targeting of Civilians: Gunfire After “Ceasefire”
Despite the ceasefire agreement, the Zionist occupation army continues to directly target civilians. On Saturday evening, a Palestinian child and a young man were injured by occupation gunfire in central and southern Gaza—one in the Garage area of Rafah south of Khan Younis, and the other east of Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza.
This coincided with occupation forces detonating residential buildings east of Khan Younis, in a clear continuation of systematic destruction and a flagrant violation of the agreement that entered into force on October 10, following a genocidal war that lasted two consecutive years.
Death by Cold: Another Infant Added to the Record of Crime
In one of the most horrific scenes of the humanitarian catastrophe, the infant Aisha Ayash Al-Agha (27 days old) died on Saturday morning in Khan Younis as a result of severe cold inside displacement tents.
With her death, the number of children who have died from cold since the beginning of winter has risen to eight, amid restrictions on the entry of caravans and adequate tents and the absence of minimum living necessities—turning cold into yet another killing weapon in the hands of the occupation.
Shelling, Airstrikes, and Heavy Fire: Violations Without End
Early Saturday, the Strip witnessed a new field escalation as enemy aircraft carried out airstrikes east of Deir al-Balah and Al-Bureij refugee camp, and targeted the Al-Tuffah neighborhood east of Gaza City with two airstrikes. This occurred alongside intense artillery shelling and gunfire from military vehicles east of Khan Younis and Jabalia, as well as helicopter fire toward Rafah.
Despite the second phase of the agreement entering into force, the enemy army has committed massacres over recent days resulting in 20 martyrs, reaffirming that “de-escalation” for the occupation is merely a cover to continue aggression.
Bombardment Thirsts Gaza: A Manufactured Water Crisis
The Gaza Municipality confirmed that enemy shelling broke the “Mekorot” water line east of the city, causing a severe water crisis across wide neighborhoods including Al-Zaytoun, Al-Shuja’iyya, the Old City, Tal Al-Hawa, and parts of Al-Sabra.
The municipality explained that its crews are working to repair the line, but continued shelling exacerbates the crisis, turning water into another weapon within the policy of collective punishment.
UN: Gaza Still on the Brink of Famine
The United Nations acknowledged that, despite the ceasefire, the majority of Gaza’s population remains entirely dependent on aid to survive. It stated that the World Food Programme provides approximately 400,000 meals daily through 45 kitchens, stressing that safe and sustained access to aid is vital, as the occupation continues to block the entry of most humanitarian needs.
Palestinian Positions: Warnings of Undermining Phase Two
The Islamic Jihad Movement stated that the composition of the so-called “Peace Council” was formed according to Israeli specifications, constituting a dangerous indicator of premeditated intentions to obstruct the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine affirmed that Israeli fascism is engaging in organized lawlessness to sabotage the second phase of the agreement, attempting to impose new facts on the ground