Displaced Palestinians began returning to Rafah on Sunday after the Israeli military’s ground offensive, which began on May 6.
An Israeli sniper shot and killed a Palestinian child in central Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip despite a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
The child, Zakaria Hamid Yahya Barbakh, was killed near Al-Awda Square in central Rafah on Monday when Israeli forces opened fire. Another Palestinian was injured while attempting to retrieve Zakaria’s body, according to the agency.
💢 The Israeli army violates the ceasefire in Gaza ⤵️
📹 The footage shows the army opening fire on a person trying to retrieve the body of a Palestinian child near Al-Awda Square in central Rafah pic.twitter.com/SwbPQRIfVB
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) January 20, 2025
On Tuesday, one Palestinian was killed by Israeli occupation forces west of Rafah city, WAFA reported. The agency cited local sources as saying that Salem Abu Shabeika was killed in the Tal al-Sultan neighbourhood.
More Killings
Earlier on Monday, two Palestinians were killed and several others injured by Israeli occupation forces in Gaza.
Sources told the Anadolu news agency that Israeli tanks breached a buffer zone and opened heavy fire on civilians. The sources said the military advanced 850 meters (2,789 feet) into the area, exceeding an agreed 700-meter limit outlined in the ceasefire agreement.
Two Palestinians Killed, Dozens Injured in Gaza on Second Day of Truce
The killing marked a significant violation of the truce. No comments have been issued from Gaza authorities, ceasefire mediators in Egypt, Qatar and the US, or Israeli officials, reported Anadolu.
Three Injured in Drone Attack
Also on Monday, the agency reported, a medical source at the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Younis said that three Palestinians were injured when an Israeli drone dropped an explosive device near their homes in eastern Rafah.
The agency cited witnesses as having confirmed that Israeli forces stationed along Rafah’s eastern border have been preventing residents from approaching the buffer zone, in line with the ceasefire agreement.
🔴 UPDATE #Israel #Palestine
Three people injured in an Israeli drone attack on Monday arrived at the European Hospital in southern Gaza.
The attack reportedly took place while Palestinians were checking on their homes in Rafah city.
More here ⤵️https://t.co/8tHmbcST5x
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) January 20, 2025
Displaced Palestinians began returning to Rafah on Sunday after the Israeli military’s ground offensive, which began on May 6.
Under the truce, the buffer zone comprises Palestinian land controlled militarily by Israel, with no clear plans for withdrawal, raising concerns about long-term violations and instability
The ceasefire agreement took effect on Sunday, with the first phase set to last 42 days, during which negotiations are to take place on the second and third phases, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the US.
Staggering Death Toll
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, at least 47,035 Palestinians have been killed, and 111,091 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
The toll is expected to rise further, with at least 11,000 people still unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes across Gaza.
🔴 Day 3 of Gaza’s ceasefire:
137 bodies recovered in Rafah.
Hamas confirms Saturday’s prisoner exchange (Jan 25).
Israel tightens restrictions in the West Bank as operations loom.#Gaza #WestBank #MiddleEasthttps://t.co/GvL6q9cWmf pic.twitter.com/BmwKJLWZzg— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) January 21, 2025
The war, which Palestinians call “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” began after a military operation carried out by Hamas on Israeli territory. Israel reports that 1,139 of its soldiers and civilians were killed during the initial attack on October 7. However, Israeli media have raised concerns that a significant number of Israeli casualties were caused by ‘friendly fire’ during the assault.
Millions Displaced
Human rights organizations, both Palestinian and international, have reported that the overwhelming majority of the casualties in Gaza are women and children. The ongoing violence has also exacerbated an acute famine, with thousands of children among the dead, highlighting the severity of the humanitarian disaster.
A displaced Palestinian man returns to Rafah in Gaza to find his home totally destroyed by the israelis, salvaging what few belongings he could pic.twitter.com/OjHVNAw9f1
— Sarah Wilkinson (@swilkinsonbc) January 21, 2025
The war has displaced nearly two million people from their homes across Gaza, with the majority of the displaced forced into the already overcrowded southern region of the Strip. The population in Gaza remains trapped in the ongoing conflict, with little access to basic necessities such as food, water, and medical care.
(Anadolu, PC)
