On Thursday, 16 January, Gaza's Civil Defence reported that 73 Palestinians, including 20 children and 25 women, were killed in what its spokesperson described as a "significant escalation" of Israeli military bombardments following the previous day's announcement of a ceasefire agreement set to commence on Sunday.

Mahmoud Bassal, spokesperson for the Civil Defence, stated that the Israeli occupation forces have targeted areas primarily in Gaza City, as well as Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. He reported that 230 individuals have been injured in these ongoing bombardments.

These developments have raised concerns among Gaza residents and international observers about the durability of the ceasefire agreement and the immediate humanitarian impact on the civilian population in the Gaza Strip.