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The ceasefire in Gaza was breached yet again by Israel. 11 members of the Abu Shaaban family were deliberately massacred by the Israeli occupation on Friday evening, October 17, in the Al-Zaytoun neighbourhood of Gaza City.
Ceasefire in shatters: a deliberate, unprovoked attack on civilians by Israeli occupation
A tank fired directly at their vehicle, while they were attempting to check on their home. The dead include seven children and three women.
Those killed were Ihab Shaaban, his wife Randa, their seven children — all aged 13 years and under — and Ihab’s sister and brother- in- law. Palestinian rescue workers, coordinating with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), were unable to retrieve the bodies until the following day due to the ongoing Israeli attacks. But, according to Civil Defense Spokesperson Mahmoud Basal, the remains of two of the children are still missing, as their bodies were torn apart by the ‘intensity of the bombardment’.
Basal said in a statement that no warning had been given before the attack, and ‘what happened confirms that the occupation remains thirsty for blood and determined to commit crimes against innocent civilians’.
Many Palestinians unaware of the position of the ‘yellow line’
Israeli media reports that Israeli occupation forces (IOF) fired at a ‘suspicious vehicle’ which had crossed the so-called ‘yellow line’, behind which the IOF were required to withdraw as part of Phase 1 of the ceasefire terms. There are currently no physical markers to show where this line is. In a report on Al Jazeera, Hind Khoudary said many people in Gaza do not have internet, so are unaware of the position of the yellow line or the occupation forces, and their lives are put at risk. Defence Minister Israel Katz is also calling for markers to show its position, saying they will serve as a warning to ‘Hamas terrorists and Gaza residents that any violation or attempt to cross the line will be met with fire’.
Zionist regime breaks another ceasefire and continues with its crimes against Palestinians
The Israeli regime has not only systematically violated international law throughout the past two years, but has also broken the ceasefire agreement and continued with its wholesale slaughter of Palestinians across all governorates of the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire was implemented on October 10, confirming it has no intention of stopping the genocide.
Hamas is calling on Trump and the ‘ceasefire’ mediators to pressure the Israeli occupation to abide by the terms of the ceasefire, and asks the international community to fulfil its legal and moral obligations to prevent and also to stop the genocide, and hold the Israeli regime accountable for its many crimes.
Although the first phase of the ceasefire plan states that the IOF must withdraw its troops to the yellow line, Israeli forces are permitted to remain in several Palestinian neighbourhoods, and are still in control of 58 percent of the Gaza Strip.
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By Charlie Jaay
This post was originally published on Canary.