Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire killed at least 63 people in Gaza on Sunday, according to hospital officials in the enclave, as Israel’s “tactical pause” in fighting came to an end.
According to Al Jazeera, heavy bombardments were reported in the al-Tuffah and Shujaiya neighborhoods in eastern Gaza City, despite Israel’s announcement earlier in the day of temporary daily pauses in military activity in parts of Gaza for what it described as humanitarian purposes.
The Israeli military had said it would implement “tactical pauses” from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in designated areas, including al-Mawasi, Deir al-Balah, and Gaza City. The measure, it said, was intended to allow aid to reach civilians and support relief efforts.
However, by Sunday evening, dozens of Palestinians had been killed in continued strikes across the territory. Gaza health officials also reported that six more Palestinians had died of starvation, underscoring the growing humanitarian catastrophe in the besieged enclave.
Meanwhile, Israeli authorities continue to detain 11 of the 21 international activists who were aboard the Handala, a ship with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition that was seized Saturday as it attempted to breach the Israeli naval blockade on Gaza. The group has called for an end to the siege and greater access for humanitarian aid.
Since the start of the war, at least 59,733 people have been killed and 144,477 wounded in Gaza, according to figures from the territory’s health ministry. In Israel, the Hamas-led October 7 attacks left 1,139 people dead and more than 200 taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which coordinates humanitarian operations in Gaza, said its teams are prepared to deliver aid if access is granted.
“Our teams are ready,” UNRWA said in a statement on social media. “We have over 10,000 staff in Gaza. When aid gets in, they will give it directly and with dignity and safety to the communities we serve.”
UNRWA again urged for a long-term ceasefire and a comprehensive agreement that would include the release of all hostages, a sustained flow of humanitarian supplies, and relief for a population facing mass displacement, starvation and ongoing bombardment.
