Israel's attacks in Gaza kill 123 Palestinians since ceasefire announcement

GAZA CITY, Palestine

The number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since the announcement of the ceasefire rose to 123, according to the Gaza Civil Defense Directorate on Saturday.

In a written statement, the directorate reported that Israeli airstrikes and attacks across all areas of the Gaza Strip have killed 123 Palestinians and injured 270 others since the ceasefire was announced on Wednesday.

The victims included 33 children and 33 women.

The latest fatalities were five Palestinians, including women and children of the same family, who were killed when Israeli forces bombed a tent sheltering displaced civilians in the Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

The Al-Mawasi region, designated by the Israeli army as a "safe humanitarian zone," has seen repeated attacks on displaced civilians despite such assurances.

Israeli forces also launched artillery and aerial strikes in other parts of Khan Younis, according to eyewitnesses.

In central Gaza, an Israeli drone dropped a bomb on a home near Al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp setting the building ablaze. Sporadic shelling was also reported in northwestern Nuseirat.

Northern Gaza saw a continuation of heavy bombardment, particularly in Jabalia, where Israeli forces have destroyed residential buildings and conducted an intensive military operation for over three months.

The violence came amid preparations for the implementation of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US.

Qatar announced a three-phase ceasefire agreement on Wednesday to end more than 15 months of deadly Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip with the ceasefire set to take effect on Sunday at 0630GMT.

Nearly 46,900 Palestinians, mostly women and children were killed and more than 110,600 injured in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, according to local health authorities.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi.