Israeli strikes target residential areas across Gaza despite ceasefire

Israeli military forces have launched renewed attacks across the Gaza Strip, targeting residential areas in both southern and northern regions in violation of ceasefire agreements. Witnesses reported extensive airstrikes and artillery shelling during overnight operations, with particular intensity in eastern Rafah and Khan Younis in the south.

Targeted Areas and Military Tactics

According to local sources, the Israeli army employed a combination of airstrikes and controlled detonations to destroy residential buildings and facilities in areas designated under Israeli control. Similar operations were reported in Gaza City's eastern neighborhoods of Al-Tuffah and Shujaiya, where artillery shelling and gunfire from military vehicles positioned along demarcation lines created extremely hazardous conditions for civilians.

Ongoing Occupation and Demarcation Lines

The attacks occurred in the context of Israel's continued occupation of approximately 50% of Gaza territory under current ceasefire arrangements. The "yellow line" separating Israeli-controlled zones from Palestinian-inhabited areas has become a focal point of recent military escalation, with the Israeli army intensifying operations east of this boundary and systematically destroying wide swathes of territory.

Historical Context and Cumulative Impact

The latest military operations continue a pattern of violence that began in October 2023, during which Israeli forces have killed nearly 70,000 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, and injured over 170,800 others. The sustained bombardment has reduced much of the coastal enclave to rubble, creating what international organizations have described as one of the most severe humanitarian crises in modern history.