Israeli attacks kill at least five Palestinians in Gaza despite ‘ceasefire’ 

At least five Palestinians have been killed in attacks across the besieged Gaza Strip as Israel continues to violate an October “ceasefire” on a near-daily basis.

Palestinian health officials reported several aerial and artillery attacks across the enclave on Thursday, including an Israeli air strike near the northern neighbourhood of Tuffah in Gaza City that killed two people.

One person was killed and several were injured when a tent encampment housing displaced Palestinians was bombed in western Gaza City. Elsewhere, a fourth person was killed by Israeli tank fire in eastern Gaza City while a fifth was killed in the southern city of Khan Younis when a car was attacked.

The strikes highlight the poor adherence to the “ceasefire”.

Since Israel and Hamas signed a US-backed agreement to end the war, little progress has been made in implementing the deal, raising questions about its credibility. Israeli strikes have continued unabated with more than 1,100 Palestinians killed since the truce began. Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis remains unchanged because of Israeli restrictions on the amount of aid entering the enclave, in further violation of the “ceasefire”.

Jibril Khattab, whose relative was killed during the truce, told the Reuters news agency that the cessation of hostilities is an “illusion”.

“The entire people of Gaza have not lived a single day or a single moment of ⁠ceasefire. This ceasefire is an illusion,” Khattab said.

“No place in all of Gaza is safe.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government has prevented any reconstruction work in Gaza despite the “ceasefire”. Elections are due to be held in Israel on October 27, and Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, risks losing power. As a result, concerns are growing that the 76-year-old could escalate attacks on Gaza in a bid to win over voters.

Israel’s international reputation has suffered severe damage during Netanyahu’s tenure as alleged war crimes in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran have continued to mount.

Despite killing tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, Netanyahu has failed to achieve his stated goal of destroying Hamas. Meanwhile, the war with Iran, which Netanyahu reportedly persuaded United States President Donald Trump to join, has caused economic hardships across the world.

Many analysts said the war has strategically empowered Tehran rather than weakened it while also exposing growing divisions between the US and Israel.

Rebuilding Gaza is expected to take at least 10 years and cost more than $70bn. However, reconstruction is unlikely to begin before Israel’s elections. Even then, it is likely to be delayed by the next prime minister as no top Israeli politician supports an independent Palestinian state or a roadmap to achieve one.