A fragile ceasefire purportedly in force in the Gaza Strip has already been pushed to its limits as enduring artillery fire, drone strikes and home demolitions continue unabated from the occupying forces. Reports from eastern Gaza City, Jabalia and other northern camps document at least three deaths and multiple injuries, even as civilian neighbourhoods remain under heavy shelling and bombardment. The violence marks a stark departure from the pause that was meant to signal relief for a besieged population.

Witnesses describe scenes of destruction across eastern Gaza: tanks and military vehicles opening fire on homes, drones delivering explosives near schools, and long-range artillery tearing through refugee areas. In one account, a medical worker at a city hospital noted that though the ceasefire was announced months ago, the level of violence had scarcely diminished, the bombardments and shelling seem now to be part of a continuation of the genocidal war, rather than an interruption of it.

These developments raise a troubling question: if the occupying power continues to disregard the terms it accepted, allowing arms to thunder across civilian zones and access to humanitarian aid to remain constricted, is the cessation of hostilities merely a façade? With thousands already killed and wounded since the truce commenced, the prospects for sustained peace appear precarious at best. Without robust monitoring, accountability or a genuine shift in conduct, the cycle of destruction will likely resume unabated.