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Middle East conflict

Gaza authorities record over 730 cases of Israel violating ceasefire

The Gaza Strip authorities also accused Israel of "rude and systematic" violations of the agreements reached, as well as of international humanitarian law

CAIRO, December 9. /TASS/. Israeli servicemen have violated the ceasefire that took effect in Gaza on October 10 a total of 738 times, the Palestinian authorities reported.

According to a statement published on the authorities' Telegram channel, most of the incidents were airstrikes and shelling of civilians in the enclave, as well as incursions of Israeli equipment into civilian areas and the unlawful demolition of houses and other civilian buildings.

The authorities noted that since October 10, over 30 Palestinians died in the Gaza Strip, 980 were injured, and another 43 detained by Israeli servicemen.

The Gaza Strip authorities also accused Israel of "rude and systematic" violations of the agreements reached, as well as of international humanitarian law.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from Gaza, killing residents of Israeli border settlements and taking over 250 hostages, including women, children and the elderly. Hamas described its attack as retaliation for the aggressive actions taken by Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. In response, Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million Palestinians before the crisis, launching air strikes on Gaza as well as some parts of Lebanon and Syria before starting a ground operation in the Palestinian enclave. According to the latest data from the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed in the enclave as a result of the fighting, over 171,000 have been injured.

On October 9, Israel and Hamas, with the mediation of Egypt, Qatar, the US, and Turkey, agreed to implement the first phase of the peace plan presented by US President Donald Trump. The ceasefire in Gaza came into effect on October 10.

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