GAZA CITY, Palestine / ISTANBUL

The Israeli army committed 194 violations of the Gaza ceasefire agreement that came into effect on Oct. 10, the Government Media Office said Sunday.

Ismail al-Thawabteh, the office director, told Anadolu that the violations included Israeli incursions beyond the so-called “yellow line,” the blocking of medical supplies, medicines, tents, and mobile homes, as well as gunfire, shelling, and military incursions.

“So far, the occupation forces have committed 194 violations against the Palestinian people since the agreement took effect, an agreement we hoped would bring relief,” Thawabteh said, adding that his office submits daily reports to mediators regarding these breaches.

Thawabteh said Israeli forces have repeatedly crossed the “yellow line”, sending in vehicles into residential areas, carrying out airstrikes and demolitions, which have resulted in civilian deaths and injuries.

He warned Palestinians against approaching the “yellow line” for fear of being targeted without warning, noting that Israel had previously killed civilians attempting to inspect their homes near the area.

The “yellow line” refers to the zone to which Israeli forces have withdrawn under the ceasefire agreement that took effect on Oct. 10. It is a non-physical partition that runs through the Gaza Strip, dividing the Palestinian territory in half, south of Gaza City and north of Khan Younis.

Israel has not allowed full entry of aid convoys, nor reopened the Rafah crossing with Egypt for the evacuation of patients for treatment abroad, Thawabteh said.

“Israel has also blocked the entry of medicines and medical equipment,” he added.

Since May 2024, Israel has controlled the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, after destroying and burning its buildings and banning Palestinians from traveling through it.

According to the media office, from Oct. 10 to the end of the month, only 3,203 trucks entered Gaza out of the 13,200 that were supposed to enter under the deal, a 24% compliance rate.   

Israeli restrictions

The media office noted that the ceasefire protocol includes a provision for hundreds of heavy machines to be allowed in to recover bodies from under the rubble.

“This has not been implemented, except for a limited entry of equipment used to search for the remains of Israeli captives,” Thawabteh said.

Last week, Israel allowed in some machinery to recover the bodies of dead Israeli captives, according to Israeli media, while continuing to ban heavy equipment from entering Gaza to retrieve thousands of missing Palestinian bodies trapped beneath destroyed homes.

The media office estimates that around 9,500 Palestinians are still missing, either under the rubble or unaccounted for.

The protocol, Thawabteh said, also calls for the entry of over 300,000 tents and mobile homes to shelter displaced families.

However, Israel has not complied, leaving 288,000 Palestinian families living in streets and public areas, he added.

The Gaza government’s data shows that Israel destroyed about 90% of the territory’s civilian infrastructure, causing initial losses estimated at $70 billion.

Thawabteh accused Israel of deliberately worsening the humanitarian crisis by blocking more than 6,000 trucks on the Egyptian side of Rafah.

He called on US President Donald Trump and international mediators to intervene urgently to compel Israel to stop its violations and fully implement the agreement.