Israeli forces have killed five Palestinians, including an infant, who were sheltering in a school in Gaza City, hospital authorities confirmed on Friday. The attack brings the total number of Palestinians killed by Israel to 400 since a ceasefire took effect in October.
Details of the School Shelter Attack
The incident occurred on 19 December when Israeli troops opened fire across a designated ceasefire line. The target was a school building being used to house displaced families in Gaza City. Among the dead was five-month-old Ahmed Al-Nader, whose body was carried by his older brother in a poignant image captured by photojournalist Omar Al-Qattaa.
Palestinian civil defence teams stated they could only recover the bodies after coordinating with the United Nations, to avoid coming under Israeli fire themselves. The Israeli military justified the action by saying its soldiers had observed “a number of suspicious individuals” and fired upon them.
A Fragile Ceasefire Under Strain
This latest violence poses a direct challenge to the fragile ceasefire, now in its third month. The agreement, brokered in October, initially halted major hostilities between Hamas and Israel. Its first phase mandated an Israeli troop withdrawal to a specific yellow line, a boundary marked on maps and with physical yellow concrete blocks on the ground. Despite this, Israeli forces still control approximately 53% of Gaza and continue airstrikes in other areas.
The ceasefire's second phase, intended to pave the way for a permanent peace, remains stalled. Key disagreements persist: Israel demands Hamas disarm and cede power to a transitional civilian authority, accompanied by an international stabilisation force, before a full Israeli withdrawal. Hamas has not agreed to these terms.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio highlighted the difficulties on Friday, noting that potential contributing nations to an international force need clarity on its mandate and funding. Qatar's Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani, warned that further delays “endanger the entire process.”
The Wider Context of the Conflict
The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Under the ceasefire deal, all but one of the hostages have been returned in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
The human cost in Gaza has been catastrophic. According to the Gaza health ministry, more than 70,925 Palestinians have been killed, nearly half of them women and children, with many more feared dead under rubble. While the UN says famine conditions have eased, hunger levels are still critical after earlier Israeli aid restrictions.
Major human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, alongside a UN commission, have accused Israel of committing acts of genocide in Gaza—a charge Israel strongly denies.
