Israeli Strikes Kill 239 in Gaza Since Ceasefire Began, Health Officials Say

Health officials in Gaza said 239 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the ceasefire began, despite ongoing cross-border clashes and fragile calm.

Gaza’s health authorities said on Monday that 239 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire took effect on October 9, underscoring the fragility of the truce. Nearly half of those deaths occurred in a single day last week after Israel said it was responding to an assault by militants on its troops.

Medical officials in Gaza said three more people were killed when Israeli forces opened fire in northern Rafah. The Israeli military said its units had targeted armed fighters who crossed the “yellow line” along the buffer zone and posed an “immediate threat.”

The Israeli army confirmed the deaths of three soldiers during recent clashes, adding that dozens of militants were killed in retaliatory operations. Both sides have accused each other of violating the terms of the ceasefire.

Despite the pause in large-scale fighting, violence has persisted around flashpoint areas. Israel says its forces will continue to act against hostile fire from Gaza, while Hamas has accused Israel of undermining the truce with repeated air and ground raids.

The exchange of hostages and prisoners has continued under international mediation. The body of Itay Chen, the last Israeli-American hostage, was returned this week through the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Hamas said it has freed the remaining 20 Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. It has pledged to return the bodies of 28 others but says extensive destruction has made recovery operations difficult — a claim Israel disputes.

Thousands of displaced Palestinians have since begun returning to shattered neighborhoods, with aid agencies warning that basic services remain crippled and access to food, water, and medical care is dangerously limited.

Israeli forces have pulled back from most urban zones, regrouping behind the marked “yellow line.” However, analysts warn that continued tit-for-tat strikes risk reigniting full-scale hostilities, threatening to unravel the already fragile ceasefire.

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