Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip resulted in significant casualties over the weekend, with at least 10 Palestinians killed in a series of airstrikes. The attacks, occurring from late Saturday into Sunday, targeted multiple locations across the besieged territory according to reports from Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The strikes concentrated on both northern and southern regions of Gaza, with four fatalities reported in an attack on a tent shelter housing displaced families near Jabalia. Another five casualties occurred in the Khan Younis area, as confirmed by Palestinian news agency Wafa and Al Jazeera, citing medical sources. Emergency response teams faced substantial challenges reaching affected zones due to the intensity of ongoing bombardments.
Israel Defense Forces issued a statement characterizing the operations as ‘precise strikes’ conducted in accordance with international law. Military officials claimed the actions responded to what they described as a ‘ceasefire violation’ by Hamas fighters, specifically referencing an incident where ‘terrorists emerged from a tunnel east of the yellow line’—a unilaterally imposed military boundary established by Israeli forces within Gaza.
These developments occur just days before the inaugural meeting of the ‘Board of Peace’ initiative chaired by US President Donald Trump, scheduled for February 19th. The meeting is expected to include Israel’s foreign minister but will notably lack Palestinian representation. President Trump is anticipated to unveil a multi-billion-dollar reconstruction plan for Gaza and detail proposals for a United Nations-mandated stabilization force.
The ongoing violence highlights the fragile nature of the current ceasefire arrangement. Palestinian authorities report that Israeli forces have committed over 1,600 violations since the October ceasefire agreement, resulting in 601 Palestinian fatalities. Cumulative figures since the conflict’s escalation in 2023 indicate more than 72,061 Palestinians killed and 171,715 wounded.
A particularly contentious aspect of the Israeli military strategy involves the continuous westward expansion of the ‘Yellow Line’ boundary, which now encompasses approximately 58% of Gaza’s territory. This advancing demarcation, marked by yellow concrete blocks placed within civilian districts, has triggered repeated displacement of Palestinian families and drawn condemnation from human rights organizations.
The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has characterized Israel’s use of the boundary system as ‘illegal seizure and systematic plundering of the resources of occupied territory’ in violation of international law. Concurrently, Wafa reports continued demolition operations by Israeli bulldozers in Gaza City, with artillery shelling targeting the al-Tuffah neighborhood in the city’s eastern sector.