Gaza After the Ceasefire: Ongoing Extermination and an Unprecedented Humanitarian Collapse
The announcement of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip did not bring an end to the suffering of its residents. Instead, it exposed the scale of the catastrophe left by the Zionist war of extermination that has continued since October 7, 2023. The enemy has persisted in daily violations of the agreement, causing further deaths and injuries and deepening the humanitarian collapse across all aspects of life—amid international silence and the inability of the international community to enforce any genuine commitments.
Extermination Escalates Despite the Truce
Gaza’s Ministry of Health announced that the death toll from the Zionist aggression has risen to 71,395 martyrs and 171,287 wounded since the start of the assault. It confirmed that four martyrs and seven injured were received by hospitals in the Strip over the past 24 hours as a result of shelling and direct gunfire.
The ministry also stated that since the ceasefire came into effect on October 11, 425 martyrs and more than 1,206 injuries have been recorded, in addition to the recovery of 688 bodies from beneath rubble and from the streets, under extremely difficult field conditions.
Ongoing Violations and an Agreement Without Guarantees
Zionist occupation forces continue to violate the ceasefire agreement through airstrikes, artillery shelling, and fire from military vehicles. These violations resulted in the killing of a child in northern Gaza, the killing of a civilian east of Khan Younis, and additional martyrs and wounded in shelling that targeted inhabited homes east of Gaza City.
In recent hours, the enemy also carried out demolition and blasting operations against residential homes using booby-trapped armored vehicles, in a blatant breach of the agreement’s terms. This coincided with the continued obstruction of most humanitarian aid deliveries, exacerbating civilian suffering and leaving the Strip in a state of near-total paralysis.
Thousands of Bodies Still Beneath the Rubble
The Director of Gaza’s Civil Defense, Brigadier General Raed Al-Dahshan, confirmed that the agency is currently operating at only 5–7% of its capacity due to the destruction of most of its equipment and centers during the aggression, the killing of 142 of its personnel, and 352 others sustaining permanent disabilities.
Al-Dahshan indicated that thousands of bodies remain trapped beneath the rubble of destroyed homes, explaining that the recovery of approximately 10,000 bodies could be completed within three months if heavy machinery were allowed in. He warned that continued restrictions could turn this tragedy into a crisis lasting for years.
Amputees: Wounds That Do Not Heal
In a related development, the Ministry of Health announced that more than 6,000 amputations have been recorded in Gaza, a quarter of them children. It described the conditions of amputee patients as “shocking,” given the absence of long-term rehabilitation programs, the shortage of psychological and social support services, and the near-total collapse of the healthcare sector.
Gaza on the Brink of a Comprehensive Disaster
For his part, UNRWA media advisor Adnan Abu Hasna warned of a severe and rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation. He noted that approximately 1.5 million Palestinians are living in dilapidated tents that provide no minimum level of protection, while the Strip urgently needs hundreds of thousands of tents.
Abu Hasna revealed that thousands of trucks loaded with food and medical aid remain stranded outside Gaza, despite carrying supplies sufficient for three months. He warned that ongoing Zionist restrictions are pushing the Strip back to “square one” and threatening a wide-scale humanitarian, environmental, and health disaster.
A Ceasefire on Paper, Extermination on the Ground
Despite months having passed since the ceasefire was announced, field realities confirm that the Zionist war of extermination against the Gaza Strip has not truly stopped. Rather, it has taken new forms—slow killing, siege, obstruction of relief, and the targeting of life’s essentials. As more than two million Palestinians remain under the weight of hunger and destruction, the agreement remains without real guarantees, and Gaza stands alone in the face of ongoing aggression—amid international silence.