Five Palestinians reported killed in Gaza attacks during ceasefire

Israeli attacks killed at least five Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, Palestinian health officials told Al Jazeera and Reuters. The deaths add to doubts over a US-backed ceasefire agreement that Israel and Hamas signed in October, which Al Jazeera reported has made little progress in practice.

Health officials said the attacks included air and artillery fire in several parts of the enclave. In northern Gaza City, an Israeli air strike near the Tuffah neighbourhood killed two people, according to the officials cited by Al Jazeera.

One person was killed and several others were wounded when a tent camp for displaced Palestinians was hit in western Gaza City, the officials said. They reported a fourth death from Israeli tank fire in eastern Gaza City and a fifth in Khan Younis, where a car was struck.

Al Jazeera reported that the incidents underscored what it described as repeated Israeli breaches of the ceasefire. Since the truce began, more than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks, according to Al Jazeera.

The ceasefire deal was backed by the United States and signed by Israel and Hamas in October, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet reported that restrictions imposed by Israel on aid entering Gaza have left the humanitarian crisis largely unchanged and have also violated the agreement.

Gaza residents question the truce

Jibril Khattab, whose relative was killed during the truce, told Reuters that people in Gaza had not felt a real halt in fighting. “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,” he told Reuters.

Al Jazeera reported that Israel’s coalition government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has blocked reconstruction work in Gaza during the ceasefire period. Israeli elections are scheduled for October 27, and Al Jazeera reported that Netanyahu, 76, faces the possibility of losing power.

Al Jazeera said there are concerns that Netanyahu could intensify attacks on Gaza as he seeks support from voters. The outlet also reported that Israel’s standing abroad has been badly damaged during his time in office as allegations of war crimes linked to Gaza, Lebanon and Iran have increased.

Reconstruction remains distant

Netanyahu has not achieved his stated aim of destroying Hamas despite the killing of tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet also reported that a war with Iran, which Netanyahu was said to have encouraged US President Donald Trump to join, has brought economic strain worldwide.

Many analysts said the Iran war strengthened Tehran strategically rather than weakening it, while revealing wider strains between the United States and Israel, according to Al Jazeera.

Rebuilding Gaza is expected to take at least 10 years and cost more than $70bn, Al Jazeera reported. The outlet said reconstruction is unlikely to begin before Israel’s election and may face further delays afterward because no leading Israeli politician supports an independent Palestinian state or a plan to create one.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.