Israeli spoiler
The announcement of the second phase of the ceasefire – a move that should have been seen as a sign of positive improvement – seems disconnected to the reality on the ground for Palestinians in Gaza.
“There is more fear than hope,” said Hussaini, from the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor. “Not because people in Gaza lack resilience or imagination, but because experience has taught them that moments labelled as ‘turning points’ rarely translate into real protection or accountability. Hope exists, but it is fragile and constantly undermined by the absence of justice and by decisions imposed from outside.”
And the most influential outside force is Israel – the power that has bombarded Gaza not just in the last two years but in several previous wars, and controls access to Gaza, and the air and sea that surrounds it.
“I think Israel tries its best to distance Gaza from any political solutions, which would end with Palestine’s right to self-determination,” said the analyst Fayyad. “Israel wants Gaza to be a disarmed zone; its people’s biggest concerns are the daily struggles of life, without caring about any political solutions.”
“Israel doesn’t want any future political solutions for Gaza. These are the concerns of the Authority and the Palestinians. Israel doesn’t want independence in decision-making in Palestine,” he concluded.
Announcement of second phase brings more Israeli attacks
Israel has scaled up its attacks across Gaza. The latest air strikes were concentrated on the central city of Deir el-Balah, killing at least six Palestinians and wounding many more.
The recent attacks underscore that Israel is trying to keep military options on the table despite the talk of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement starting.
As these attacks happened, panic broke out among residents. They were hoping the second phase would bring more aid and that border crossings would be opened by Israel.
But they found the reality is different. Drones are hovering above at a very low altitude, spreading panic. The situation for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians remains dire. The shadow of war shows no sign of easing in light of these attacks.
Palestinian woman killed by Israeli fire in southern Gaza
A 62-year-old Palestinian woman has been killed by Israeli gunfire in al-Mawasi in southern Gaza, an Al Jazeera team on the ground is reporting. Injuries have also been reported in the attack.
The killing comes after 10 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza on Thursday. The latest incident on Friday brings the number of Palestinians killed since the October ceasefire to 452, according to data from Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Gaza death toll rises
At least 12 Palestinians have been killed and 18 injured in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, up to 09:00 GMT on Friday, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry.
Two more bodies were recovered from the rubble of previous Israeli attacks, the ministry said in a statement published on Telegram.
Israel has killed 463 and injured 1,269 Palestinians in Gaza since October 10 ceasefire, it added. Since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza broke out in October 2023, at least 71,455 Palestinians have been killed and 171,347 injured, the ministry concluded.
