Summary: Israeli strikes struck parts of Gaza outside areas under Israeli ground control, undermining the U.S.-brokered October ceasefire. Medical sources report at least three killed in Khan Younis and multiple wounded near Bureij; northern Gaza neighbourhoods including Tuffah, Shujayea and Zeitoun sustained demolitions and shelling. Gaza's Health Ministry cites more than 71,000 deaths and 171,000 injuries since October 2023. Large volumes of aid remain blocked at the border and several major NGOs have been barred from operating.
Ceasefire Violated: Israeli Strikes Hit Gaza Areas Outside Ground Control
Displaced Palestinian children watch as the first supermoon of the year, the ‘Wolf Moon’, rises over the Bureij refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip, on January 3, 2026 [Eyad Baba/AFP]
Israeli forces carried out strikes in parts of Gaza beyond areas under their direct ground control, in apparent breaches of the U.S.-mediated ceasefire agreed in October.
Casualties and Damage
Medical sources speaking to Al Jazeera reported at least three Palestinians were killed on Sunday in separate attacks in the Khan Younis area: a 15-year-old boy, a fisherman, and another man shot east of Khan Younis. Israeli fire also wounded several people east of the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza.
In northern Gaza City, forces continued to demolish homes and civilian infrastructure in the largely destroyed Tuffah neighbourhood. Drones reportedly dropped explosives on several homes in eastern Gaza City. The Shujayea and Zeitoun neighbourhoods were also struck with artillery shelling after more than two years of intense conflict.
Official Statements and Humanitarian Impact
The Israeli army said it was removing infrastructure in northern Gaza to target "terrorist infrastructure above and below ground," including tunnels in Beit Lahiya. Gaza's Ministry of Health reports at least 71,386 Palestinians killed and 171,264 injured since the war began in October 2023, with at least 420 deaths recorded since the ceasefire was signed less than three months ago.
Humanitarian relief continues to face severe constraints: Israeli forces are reportedly withholding large volumes of international aid amassed at the Gaza border, while maintaining there is no shortage of assistance. United Nations agencies and aid workers on the ground report shortages and significant access problems. Israeli authorities have also moved to bar several prominent international relief organisations from operating in Gaza, including Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the Norwegian Refugee Council.
Sources: Medical sources speaking to Al Jazeera; Gaza Ministry of Health; statements from the Israeli military.
Help us improve.
