Fresh Gaza casualties despite Israel-Iran ceasefire

Tuesday 24 June 2025 - 14:34

By: Zahouani Ilham

Fresh Gaza casualties despite Israel-Iran ceasefire

At least 40 Palestinians were killed on Tuesday as Israeli forces continued operations in Gaza, according to medics and residents, despite a newly announced ceasefire between Israel and Iran. The agreement, confirmed by U.S. President Donald Trump, had sparked brief hope for an end to more than 20 months of warfare in the region that has devastated Gaza and led to mass displacement and widespread malnutrition.

Adel Farouk, a 62-year-old from Gaza City, voiced frustration: “Enough! The whole universe has let us down. Hezbollah reached a deal without Gaza, and now Iran has done the same. We hope Gaza is next.” His remarks came shortly before explosions were reported in Tehran, prompting Trump to accuse both sides of breaching the ceasefire, although he expressed particular discontent with Israel.

Violence persisted on the ground. Marwan Abu Naser of Al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza’s Nuseirat reported 19 deaths and 146 injuries from gunfire near a humanitarian aid center run by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The Israeli military acknowledged an overnight gathering near the Netzarim Corridor, where its forces are active, and said it was reviewing casualty reports.

GHF denied any incident near its distribution center, stating it is located several kilometers away from the area mentioned. Meanwhile, Palestinian accounts described Israeli attacks on civilians waiting for flour deliveries from U.N. trucks. Israel has routed much of its aid through the GHF, whose centers are under Israeli military protection.

The U.N. has rejected this system, citing risks and violations of humanitarian neutrality. Philippe Lazzarini, head of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), condemned the arrangement as “a death trap.”

Further casualties were reported across Gaza: 10 people died in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City, while another 11 were killed by gunfire in Khan Younis, according to medics.

As frustration deepens, Israel dropped new leaflets urging evacuations in northern Gaza, suggesting impending military actions. Sources close to Hamas told Reuters that there were renewed efforts to revive ceasefire talks. Hamas expressed willingness to consider any proposal that would end hostilities and prompt an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. However, these demands echo longstanding positions Israel has consistently rejected.

Hamas has offered to release remaining hostages as part of any agreement. Israel insists that the war will end only with the group’s disarmament and dissolution—conditions Hamas has refused.

The conflict began with a Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages. Since then, Israel’s military campaign has killed an estimated 56,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, displaced nearly the entire population of over 2 million, and pushed the territory into a severe hunger crisis.