Truce Breached, 11 Palestinians Killed in Israeli Strikes Across Gaza, Says Civil Defence

At least 11 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, February 15, according to the Civil Defence agency in Gaza, which updated its earlier death toll of nine. Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said Israeli aircraft carried out strikes from dawn until midday in multiple areas across the enclave, as reported by Xinhua News Agency.

Basal said one person was killed and several others were injured when a drone targeted a group in the Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood west of Gaza City. Local sources identified the deceased as Sami al-Dahdouh, described as a member of the Islamic Jihad movement. The group did not immediately issue a statement.

In a separate drone strike west of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, three people were reported to have sustained serious injuries.

Earlier in the day, 10 people were killed in two airstrikes, one targeting a tent sheltering displaced people in the Jabalia refugee camp in the north, and another striking a gathering in Khan Younis in the south, Basal said.

Residents also reported that Israeli forces demolished homes near the Sheikh Zayed area north of Jabalia, with artillery shelling and gunfire accompanying the operation. Additional artillery shelling was reported in the al-Tuffah neighbourhood in eastern Gaza City.

Ceasefire Tensions And Rising Casualty Figures

There was no immediate comment from Israel regarding Sunday’s strikes. On Saturday, the Israel Defence Forces said its troops had identified ‘several armed terrorists’ emerging from underground infrastructure in northern Gaza and carried out strikes, killing two and possibly others.

The military described the incident as a ‘blatant violation’ of the ceasefire. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem accused Israel of carrying out ‘massacres’ in what he called a ‘serious breach’ of the truce.

Since the ceasefire took effect, Gaza health authorities say 601 Palestinians have been killed and 1,607 wounded. They place the overall death toll since October 7, 2023, at 72,061, with 171,715 injured.

Although a US-brokered truce entered its second phase last month, violence has persisted, with Israel and Hamas accusing each other of violating the agreement.

Media restrictions and limited access to Gaza have prevented international news organisations from independently verifying casualty figures or freely reporting from the ground.