Relatives of Palestinians those who killed in Israeli attacks perform funeral prayer after Israeli airstrike on tents (Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty)
Israel has killed over 100 people in Gaza since this week’s announcement of a landmark ceasefire deal.
The agreement, which is in its initial stage will see 33 Israeli captives held by Hamas released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and is set to be approved by the Israeli cabinet on Friday.
According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, medical sources report that the death toll in Gaza has risen to 103 since the ceasefire was announced, with 264 people wounded as of Friday morning.
The majority of casualties – 82 in total – were killed in northern Gaza, while 16 were killed in the south and five in the central part of the Strip. Among the victims, 27 were children and 31 were women.
Earlier today, Israeli quadcopter drones dropped grenades and bombs over buildings in the Jabalia camp in northern Gaza Strip, while air strikes intensified in the Zeitoun neighbourhood on the southern side of Gaza City.
Drones and fighter jets continue to hover over Gaza, indicating that military operations will persist until the ceasefire is implemented on Sunday.
Doubts over ceasefire as extremist Israeli ministers threaten to resign
The Israeli cabinet is scheduled to meet today to approve the ceasefire and captive exchange deal, following a delay.
The cabinet was  previously expected to vote on Thursday but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s extreme-right allies have threatened to withdraw from government if it is approved.
However, Netanyahu‘s office confirmed on Friday that approval is imminent, with the restricted security cabinet due to meet before a full cabinet meeting which is not expected to happen until Saturday evening.
This may mean that the ceasefire, which is due to take effect on Sunday, could be delayed.
The ceasefire, if successful, would end fighting that has claimed over 46,000 lives and displaced most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.
However, there is a lot of doubt about its ability to take hold and persist, with extremist ministers in Netanyahu’s coalition opposing the deal, calling it a capitulation to Hamas.
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has threatened to resign if the deal is approved but said he would not bring down the government.
Another extremist, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has also expressed opposition, demanding that the war resume after the first six weeks of the ceasefire.
Despite these divisions, a majority of ministers are expected to back the agreement.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken indicated that a “loose end” in the negotiations, concerning the release of certain prisoners, needed to be resolved.
US officials are working with mediators in Qatar and Egypt to address the issue, according to Reuters.
Trump tries to take credit
In the US, President-elect Donald Trump claimed that the ceasefire deal would not have been reached without his administration’s involvement.
He criticised President Joe Biden for taking credit, stating that without his pressure, the deal would never have materialised.
Biden, however, praised his administration’s “intensive diplomacy” in brokering the deal, stating that the framework mirrored a proposal he introduced in May 2024.
Hamas senior official Izzat el-Reshiq confirmed the group’s commitment to the ceasefire.
A group representing families of Israeli hostages, 33 of whom are set to be freed in the first phase of the deal, urged Netanyahu to act swiftly.
In Jerusalem, protests erupted against the ceasefire agreement, with some right-wing Israeli protesters marching through the streets carrying mock coffins and clashing with police.
Other protesters blocked traffic until security forces dispersed them.
The ceasefire agreement, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, calls for a six-week initial ceasefire and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces.
The deal also paves the way for an increase in tightly restricted humanitarian aid to Gaza, where the population has been severely impacted by the conflict, facing hunger, illness, and cold.
