In the hazy dawn of Thursday, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah, Gaza, became a somber sanctuary for the wounded—an all-too-familiar scene in this volatile region, where even children find themselves caught in the crossfire of conflict. [Ashraf Amra/Anadolu]
In a chilling spiral of violence, Israeli forces have reportedly taken at least 82 lives in Gaza, according to medical sources that spoke with Al Jazeera. Among the victims, 30 were lost in Gaza City alone, all within just hours after a ceasefire agreement was allegedly reached between Hamas and Israel. The tragedy deepens as the details unfold.
A particularly devastating strike occurred near the Engineers Union Building in Gaza City on Wednesday night, claiming the lives of at least 18 individuals, as reported by Al Jazeera Arabic’s correspondent. The Palestinian Civil Defence also reported retrieving 12 more bodies from the war-torn Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood in Gaza City—a grim testament to the ongoing bloodshed.
Central Gaza wasn’t spared either. A deadly drone strike in the Karaj area of the Bureij camp claimed five more lives, targeting an unsuspecting gathering of people.
The tally of casualties, which began at the break of dawn on Wednesday, has only climbed higher. This rise comes in bitter contrast to the tentative celebrations that erupted among the Palestinians, who had briefly found solace in the news of a fragile ceasefire agreement negotiated the previous evening between Israel and Hamas.
“It’s as if the whole area transformed into a joyous festival,” reminisced Al Jazeera’s reporter Hani Mahmoud, standing amid the once-funereal lands of Deir el-Balah in central Gaza. “Here, where grief has carved its permanent niche, was suddenly alive with unbridled joy. But alas, it wasn’t meant to last.”
The ceasefire, which dangles like a carrot not set to begin until Sunday, has left many with a persisting fear of impending doom rather than relief, as pointed out by Mahmoud. “We brace ourselves for an uptick in drone attacks and heavy artillery, the kind of which ended our fleeting two-hour celebrations,” he lamented.
Echoing the sentiment, Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif, reporting from Gaza City amidst fierce bombardment, noted that the brief spark of hope brought by the ceasefire announcement was swiftly quenched. “The joy was palpable when the ceasefire was declared from Doha,” al-Sharif recalled. “Yet, no sooner were the words uttered than strikes from Israeli warplanes turned hope into despair, targeting hospitals, shelters, and homes.”
Both Israel and Hamas have publicly acknowledged reaching a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement. However, the Israeli side indicates that some final hurdles remain in the negotiations before sealing the accord. In a statement, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reported that he had been in talks with Israel’s negotiating team in Doha at the crack of dawn on Thursday. Discussions revolve around nitty-gritty details, such as which Palestinian prisoners will be released in the deal’s first stage.
As of January 1, 2025, a staggering number—at least 10,221—of Palestinian prisoners languish in Israeli jails, excluding countless others unaccounted for, including those captured from Gaza. This number encompasses prominent figures like Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, a facility reduced to rubble by Israeli forces.
Hamas’s politburo member, Izzat al-Risheq, previously declared triumph in the ceasefire negotiations, proclaiming that all of the Palestinian factions’ conditions were met, including the total withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, allowing displaced persons to return home, and a permanent cessation of hostilities in the enclave.
While the clock ticks toward Sunday, the precise moment when silence will replace the roar of missiles is yet cloaked in uncertainty. The assurance, however, stands that the agreement’s implementation will unfold in three strategic stages.
The human cost has been heavy and the scars are deep. But in this complex tapestry of war, where hope and despair weave indefinitely, perhaps Sunday will bring the first stitch towards peace.
Report By Axadle
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
