In news that will surprise absolutely no one monitoring the situation, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reports that more than 900 people have been killed in Israeli attacks this year - despite the ceasefire that was supposed to stop such things. The ministry's latest figures bring the total death toll since the 10 October ceasefire to over 1,300, including 301 children. The ceasefire, part of President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan, explicitly called for a suspension of "all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment." Apparently, the fine print allowed for exceptions.
BBC Verify has been busy analyzing dozens of videos showing the aftermath of Israeli strikes on a beachside cafe, tents housing displaced people, and a funeral procession in central Gaza. The months between April and August were particularly deadly, with over 100 deaths recorded each month. The health ministry attributes these deaths to Israeli military action but does not distinguish between civilians and combatants - a nuance the IDF is quick to point out.
The UN considers the ministry's figures reliable, and independent experts have told BBC Verify their analyses align. The IDF, however, disputes the numbers, saying there's "no basis to assume" all those listed were killed by its actions. It insists it operates "in a precise manner to remove threats" and mitigates civilian harm "to the greatest extent possible." Because precision and mitigation clearly have worked wonders.
Israeli media reported at the start of the year that a security official acknowledged over 70,000 deaths in the war, including more than 20,000 combatants. Since the ceasefire began, the ministry recorded 251 deaths in October alone. The deadliest month was July, with 152 killed, including 21 children. The IDF says five soldiers and one contractor have died since the ceasefire, while claiming to have killed hundreds of military operatives.
Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (Acled) has recorded around 200 Israeli strikes during the ceasefire, reportedly targeting Hamas operatives or other armed militants. This includes commanders involved in the 7 October 2023 attack that killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostage. Hugh Lovatt of the European Council on Foreign Relations described the situation as "a ceasefire in name only," with almost daily strikes and civilians bearing the brunt. He warned this could become a "central stumbling block" in implementing Trump's deal.
BBC Verify's analysis of videos reveals the grim reality: a strike on a beachside cafe in Gaza City on 18 August killed six; the next day, nine people, including a 13-year-old, died in a strike on a police headquarters. The IDF claimed both targeted Hamas commanders. In July, a funeral procession in Nuseirat was hit, killing seven and injuring 22, according to Al-Awda Hospital. The IDF said it was targeting a "significant military operative" of Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
On 1 August, an apartment block strike killed a pregnant woman, her husband, and their young son, with footage showing an unborn baby in the rubble. The IDF said it targeted an acting Hamas commander. Unicef reports over 300 children killed since the ceasefire, calling the numbers "absurd and devastating." The agency also reports Israeli strikes on its workers, including two water truck drivers killed in April. The IDF claims they hadn't coordinated in advance.
The Aid Worker Security Database has recorded 22 aid workers killed since 10 October. Airwars, an independent research group, says its tracking aligns with the health ministry's data, recording over 60 deadly incidents in July - the highest since the ceasefire. Professor Michael Spagat from Royal Holloway notes the ministry's figures are "testable" because they include names and ID numbers, and that monthly death tolls since April have been roughly double those in December. July was the worst, but even August's lower toll remains high.
So, as the world moves on, Gaza continues to bleed. A ceasefire in name only, indeed.