At least ۷ Palestinians killed by Israeli forces over past ۴۸ hours in Gaza

A further nine bodies were recovered from under rubble, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.

At least ۱۶ Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks or recovered from beneath rubble over the past ۴۸ hours in Gaza, according to health officials.

Gaza’s Ministry of Health said on Saturday that hospitals across the besieged enclave had received the bodies of ۱۶ Palestinians, seven of whom had been killed in recent attacks by Israeli forces, while nine were recovered from under the rubble of destroyed buildings.

The ministry said that ۱۶ people had been injured over the same period, adding that more victims remain under the rubble as ambulance and civil defence personnel have been unable to reach them.

The ministry did not specify the circumstances surrounding the deaths and injuries.

The latest killings come despite Israel and Hamas agreeing to a United States-brokered “ceasefire” in October. Although large-scale fighting has largely paused, Israeli attacks on Palestinians in the enclave have continued.

According to the ministry, Israeli army violations of the ceasefire have killed ۱,۰۶۶ people and wounded ۳,۴۴۵ others since the truce took effect.

The latest casualties bring the overall death toll from Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since October ۲۰۲۳ to ۷۳,۰۹۰, with ۱۷۳,۵۵۰ others injured, the ministry added.

During the nominal ceasefire, the Israeli military has also continued expanding the area under its control inside Gaza while issuing forced displacement orders.

In late May, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had instructed the military to expand its control to more than ۷۰ percent of the Gaza Strip.

Under the ceasefire deal, the parties were expected to move to a second phase after Hamas released the remaining captives covered by the first-stage deal in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

That phase was meant to include disarmament by Hamas and a gradual Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza.

However, negotiations have remained stalled for months, with Hamas’s disarmament and the scope of an Israeli withdrawal continuing to be the main obstacles.