Gaza woke before dawn to the familiar sounds of explosions and gunfire, despite a ceasefire that many here say exists only on paper. Air attacks and ground shelling struck multiple areas across the territory, reinforcing a growing belief among residents that the pause in violence has failed to bring even minimal security during a genocidal war that has reshaped daily life.

In the south, shells landed in coastal and open areas near Rafah, while strikes were reported over eastern districts of Gaza City. Elsewhere, gunfire echoed near residential zones in central Gaza, sending families once again into moments of fear and confusion. These incidents unfolded quietly in the early hours, when streets are usually still, amplifying the sense that nowhere remains untouched by the instability.

Local accounts describe these attacks as part of a wider pattern rather than isolated incidents. Since the ceasefire was announced, violations have been repeatedly reported, with hundreds killed and many more wounded over the past months. For people in Gaza, the language of agreements offers little reassurance when nights continue to be punctuated by fire from the sky and the ground.

As the toll rises, so does scepticism. Residents speak of a ceasefire that fails to protect civilians or halt destruction, leaving communities trapped between official statements and lived reality. In the absence of accountability or enforcement, each new strike deepens the conviction that the suffering has merely changed pace, not direction.