Gaza's 'Ceasefire' Anniversary Marked by Continued Israeli Violence and Health System Collapse

The first anniversary of the Gaza "ceasefire" on October 10 has been overshadowed by continued Israeli actions, with over 100 humanitarian and human rights organizations stating the truce exists "in name only." Islamic Relief reported that Israeli forces have killed or wounded a Palestinian in Gaza approximately every 90 minutes since the ceasefire began. Gaza's Health Ministry recorded 1,493 killed and 5,299 wounded as of October 12, bringing the cumulative death toll since October 2023 to 74,382.

Recent fatalities include four Palestinians killed in a drone strike near Panda Mall in western Gaza City on Saturday, which Israel claimed targeted Hamas's Nukhba force. Also on Saturday, eight-year-old Shahd al-Najjar was killed by Israeli fire while inside her tent in western Gaza City. Seven-year-old Jihad al-Ghandour died from wounds sustained in a separate shooting near Jabalia camp north of Gaza City on Sunday. A child and his mother were killed Thursday when Israeli warplanes struck a home in Gaza City’s al-Sabra neighborhood following an evacuation warning. A drone strike west of Khan Younis on Sunday killed four people, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Two more men were killed in a strike near a mosque in al-Mawasi on Monday.

Israel's military stated that some of those killed were Palestinian fighters. The military claimed two men killed near the Jordanian Field Hospital were Islamic Jihad operatives, while Wafa identified one as a former prisoner. A civil defense worker killed near Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza was identified by Israel as a Hamas sniper, a claim rejected by Hamas and unverified.

Gaza's health system is in severe decline, with the Ministry of Health reporting a 44 percent stockout of essential medicines. A Physicians for Human Rights Israel report indicated that none of Gaza's 36 hospitals are operating at full capacity a year into the ceasefire. Over 18,500 patients require medical evacuation, with more than 1,000 having died while waiting, according to a joint NGO statement. The Health Ministry noted that no patients had been permitted to leave through Rafah crossing in the past week.

Israeli forces have continued to push the