By Middle East Correspondent
London, (The Muslim News): Five Palestinians, including a woman, were killed in a fresh wave of Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, with several others wounded, in what medics say marks another breach of the ceasefire agreement.
The renewed violence came as Israeli forces stepped up demolitions and advanced sweeping land policy changes in the occupied West Bank, underscoring rising tensions across both territories.
In central Gaza, two men were killed when an Israeli drone struck an electric bike in al-Masdar village. In a separate incident in the same area, a drone opened fire, killing a woman.
Further south in Khan Younis, Israeli gunfire killed one man and injured four others in the al-Satar district. In northern Gaza, another Palestinian was shot dead near the Halawa displacement camp in Jabalia. Two children were also wounded after a drone-dropped munition exploded in a residential area.
The Israeli military said the strikes targeted Hamas operatives. However, medical sources said the incidents occurred in areas classified as civilian under the terms of the truce. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 581 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire came into effect last October, raising concerns over its durability.
At the United Nations, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric warned of continued airstrikes, shelling and naval fire over the past 24 hours, placing civilians at “grave risk”. Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, he stressed that international humanitarian law requires constant care to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, particularly in residential neighbourhoods.
While UN agencies delivered emergency shelter supplies to more than 5,600 displaced families last week, Dujarric said longer-term reconstruction (estimated at $70 billion) remains obstructed by Israeli restrictions on the entry of heavy machinery and building materials.
In the occupied West Bank, Israeli bulldozers demolished three homes in Barta’a, southwest of Jenin, citing the absence of building permits. In Silwan, East Jerusalem, four Palestinians were injured during demolition operations that also saw walls and commercial premises torn down. Two people were detained.
Israeli authorities frequently invoke permit violations to justify demolitions, particularly in Area C, which remains under full Israeli control. Palestinian officials say more than 1,000 demolitions have been carried out across the West Bank and East Jerusalem since October 2023.
The demolitions follow recent decisions by Israel’s Security Cabinet to repeal Jordanian-era land laws, paving the way for Israeli citizens to purchase land in the West Bank and transferring certain planning powers from Palestinian municipalities to Israel’s civil administration, moves widely seen as further entrenching annexation.
The developments come despite a landmark advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice last July declaring Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and calling for the evacuation of all settlements.
With more than 1,112 Palestinians reported killed in the West Bank since October 2023, the combined toll of military operations in Gaza and escalating measures in the West Bank continues to test international efforts to stabilise the region, leaving civilians caught between a faltering ceasefire and deepening occupation.
[Photo: Palestinian woman sits on the debris after Israeli army demolishes her home claiming it is “unlicensed” in the village of Beit Awwa near Hebron, West Bank on February 11, 2026.
Photojournalist: Mamoun Wazwaz/AA]
