Israel killed scores of Palestinians despite a ceasefire deal being reached [Getty]
Israel has ramped up attacks on Gaza since a ceasefire deal was agreed on Wednesday evening with Hamas, killing at least 40 Palestinians as people expressed cautious relief amid the fragile situation.
The strikes targeted various areas across the Gaza Strip, including Gaza City.
The deal, which will see 33 captives released from Gaza and over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners freed from Israeli jails, will come into effect on Sunday.
Palestinians on the ground say Israel has carried out waves of attacks killing scores since dawn on Thursday, with the skies filled with fighter jets and drones.
The Gaza government media office on Wednesday evening advised people to be cautious and avoid going back to the destroyed homes they had been displaced from and only follow official guidance.
The truce deal was announced by Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani, triggering celebrations in Gaza.
A senior US official confirmed on Wednesday that five female Israeli soldiers currently held in captivity would be among those released on Sunday.
Officials added that mediators will be meeting in Cairo on Thursday to further discuss the implementation of the deal.
Many in Gaza were overwhelmed with grief, stating they were waiting for a cessation in bombardment to be able to bury their dead, search for loved ones and assess the damage to their homes.
Leaders from around the world welcomed the deal, urging for further emergency assistance.
Last minute ‘crisis’
Despite the celebrations of the deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement on Wednesday morning accusing Hamas of trying to “go back on the understandings” on the release of Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
“Among other things, in contrast to an explicit clause that gives Israel the right to veto the release of mass murderers who are symbols of terror, Hamas is demanding to dictate the identities of these terrorists,” the statement read, according to Israeli media.
“The prime minister instructed the negotiating team to uphold the understandings that were agreed upon, and to reject outright the last-minute attempts at blackmail by Hamas,” it added.
Netanyahu said this was causing a last-minute “crisis” however Hamas reiterated on Thursday they are committed to the deal which was announced by Qatar.
On Tuesday, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz accused Netanyahu of prolonging the war on Gaza to preserve his political career.
“A deal for releasing the hostages has been on the table for an entire year, and Netanyahu has repeatedly scuttled it to preserve his government, which is dependent upon his criminal alliance with the Kahanist right-wing” an editorial from Haaretz read, in a reference to Netanyahu’s coalition government with the extreme-right Religious Zionism and Jewish Power parties.
Humanitarian aid
Many UN agencies and aid groups have issued statements saying they are prepared to increase aid into the Gaza Strip, including the World Food Programme (WFP) which called for all border crossings to be opened and for aid workers to be able to move freely in the enclave without being targeted by Israel.
The truce deal will allow 600 aid trucks a day to be allowed into Gaza.
The deal however remains fragile, with a security cabinet meeting on the deal set to take place today in Israel.
According to Israeli media, Netanyahu said he will not convene the cabinet until the head of the Religious Zionism party, Bezalel Smotrich, gives him an answer on whether his party will leave the coalition over the deal.
A minister from the party said he would likely resign from the government in protest of the deal; however, even if the seven members of the Religious Zionist party resigned, the governing coalition would still have a small majority of 61 seats.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed over 46,707 Palestinians since 7 October 2023 and wounded over 110,265 others in the same time frame. The war has levelled entire neighbourhoods and plunged the Strip into a deep humanitarian crisis.
