GAZA CITY, Palestine: Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip have killed at least four Palestinians in the past two days, health officials said, as Israeli strikes and aid restrictions continue despite a ceasefire agreed with Hamas more than three months ago.
Medical officials said four people were killed in the al-Sanafour area of Gaza City, while 12 others were wounded over the past 48 hours.
They added that a number of victims remained trapped under rubble or lying in streets, as ambulances and civil defence teams were unable to reach them due to widespread destruction and shortages of fuel and equipment.
According to Gaza health authorities, the overall death toll from Israel’s offensive since October 7, 2023, has risen to 71,654 Palestinians, with 171,391 wounded.
Since the ceasefire took effect in October, 481 people have been killed and 1,313 injured, while 713 bodies have been recovered from beneath the rubble.
Meanwhile, Gaza health officials said a three-month-old baby died from exposure to cold at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, bringing the number of infant deaths linked to winter conditions to 10 this season.
Aid agencies warn that without sustained access through crossings and a lasting halt to Israeli attacks, civilian suffering in Gaza will continue to worsen.
Strikes despite truce
Israeli artillery shelling and air strikes continued across several parts of Gaza, Al Jazeera reported, citing witnesses.
Al Jazeera reported that Israeli shelling and tank fire hit areas east of Khan Younis in the south, while fighter jets carried out air raids on evacuated homes east of Deir el-Balah in central Gaza.
In northern Gaza, local sources reported explosions as Israeli forces carried out demolitions in Jabalia and shelled neighbourhoods east of Gaza City.
Israeli shelling and drone activity continued overnight, residents said, heightening fears over the fragility of the ceasefire.
Medical sources said four Palestinians were killed earlier this week in Gaza City’s Tuffah neighbourhood, where Israeli forces had conducted an operation to recover the remains of an Israeli captive, Ran Gvili.
Closure of Rafah crossing
Israeli media reported that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt could reopen in the “coming days”, potentially as early as Sunday.
Israel Army Radio said travellers would require prior Egyptian approval and would be subject to strict Israeli security checks.
The Rafah crossing has been mostly closed since May 2024, severely restricting the movement of people and humanitarian aid.
There has been no official confirmation from the Israeli government, despite repeated international calls to reopen the crossing.
UNICEF and other aid agencies have warned that Palestinians are “desperate” for Rafah to reopen.
UNICEF spokesperson James Elder described the crossing as a “lifeline” for medical evacuations, family reunification and essential services.
‘Dire’ humanitarian situation
The United Nations said the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains “dire”, with children among the worst affected.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said more than one million people still require urgent shelter support amid winter cold and rain.
He said daily bread rations were reaching about 43 percent of Gaza’s population, while monthly wheat flour distributions had reached 1.2 million people.
UN health partners have expanded basic services, including a catch-up vaccination campaign that has reached more than 6,000 children under the age of three.
Despite these efforts, the UN said shortages of shelter, food, water and medicine remained acute.
Destruction of fertility clinics
Gaza medical workers said nine out of 10 fertility clinics in the territory have been destroyed by Israeli strikes, severely affecting reproductive healthcare.
They said fuel shortages and the lack of liquid nitrogen continue to threaten stored embryos.
UN investigators last year said attacks on healthcare facilities, including maternity and fertility centres, had affected around 545,000 women and girls of reproductive age in Gaza.
A UN Commission of Inquiry concluded in 2024 that the destruction of Gaza City’s Al-Basma IVF clinic in December 2023 was carried out despite Israeli authorities being aware of its function.
The Gaza Ministry of Health reported a 41 percent drop in births in the first half of 2025 compared with the previous three years.
