Israeli airstrikes have persisted despite a US-supported ceasefire that took effect in October 2025
According to local health authorities, thousands of Palestinians have been killed or injured in Gaza since October, when a US-backed truce was announced, while Israeli airstrikes have carried on.
The ceasefire, negotiated as part of a proposal supported by US President Donald Trump, was introduced as a measure to decrease violence in Gaza and permit reconstruction efforts to start. Since then, both Israel and Hamas have frequently traded accusations of breaching the deal.
On Monday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that 603 individuals had been killed and over 1,600 wounded since the truce began on October 11. Officials further stated that an undetermined number of casualties “remain under the rubble and in the streets,” because rescue crews are unable to access many locations safely.
According to local media, Israeli forces killed a minimum of ten Palestinians in airstrikes from late Saturday through Sunday. One attack was said to have struck a tent housing displaced families west of Jabalia in northern Gaza.
The Israeli military stated that the “precise” strikes were conducted in compliance with international law and characterized them as a reaction to a “ceasefire violation” by Hamas. An Israeli official was quoted as saying that “terrorists emerged from a tunnel east of the yellow line,” alluding to a unilaterally established military boundary inside Gaza following the truce.
Reportedly, the majority of fatalities after the ceasefire have taken place along this ‘Yellow Line’, a designated exclusion zone that prevents Palestinians from entering large portions of the territory. Human rights organizations have denounced ongoing Israeli actions in the area as violations of the truce, reporting that the barrier has extended westward and currently encompasses approximately 58% of Gaza’s land.
These recent strikes occur just days before the first meeting of Trump’s newly created ‘Board of Peace’, set for February 19. Formed in mid-January, the US-led organization is designed to supervise reconstruction, security, and political change in Gaza.
As per the plan, daily governance of Gaza will be transferred to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a 15-member Palestinian technocratic group that will function under the Board of Peace’s authority. Trump has portrayed the board as a semi-replacement for the UN, with planned influence extending “far beyond” the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hamas has expressed willingness to transfer governance to the NCAG but stated it will only lay down its weapons if Israeli forces completely pull out of Gaza.
Trump appointed himself as chairman of the Board of Peace and extended invitations to dozens of foreign leaders to participate. Israel has apparently accepted the offer, while a number of European nations – such as France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and the UK – have refused. Russia has acknowledged receiving an invitation and is reviewing the plan. It is reported that permanent membership after an initial three-year term will necessitate a $1 billion contribution.
Trump announced that Board of Peace members have committed “thousands of personnel” and billions of dollars, framing the deployment as an initiative to uphold “security and peace” in Gaza.
The truce halted a war that started on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched an assault on Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages. The Israeli government retaliated with a blockade and military campaign in Gaza, which health officials in the enclave say has resulted in over 72,000 Palestinian deaths.