In one of the bloodiest days since an October “ceasefire” took hold, at least 31 Palestinians – including six children – have been killed in multiple Israeli air raids on northern and southern Gaza.
Israeli forces have now killed at least 509 Palestinians and wounded 1,405 others since the start of the “ceasefire”.
Hamas's Spokesman Hazem Qasim suggested that
The crossing should have been opened at the beginning of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
Israel delayed the opening of the crossing throughout this period and arbitrarily linked its opening to the handover of the last Israeli captive’s body in the Strip.
Our people in Gaza have the right to enter and exit with complete freedom; this right is guaranteed by all international laws.
Any obstacles or conditions imposed by Israel on travellers to and from the Gaza Strip will be considered a breach of the ceasefire agreement and a violation of all laws relating to the freedom of people to enter and leave their homelands.
We call on mediators and guarantor states to continue monitoring Israel’s behaviour at the crossing.
Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has killed at least 71,769 people and wounded 171,483 since it began in October 2023. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led, October 7, 2023 attacks, with about 250 taken captive.
The head of the Palestinian National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), Ali Shaath, has called for the immediate adherence to the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza, saying Palestinians have paid a heavy price to live in a secure environment, the Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.
The US-backed technocrat noted that as the NCAG prepares to take its position as the governing board on the ground in the besieged enclave, the commission has called for Palestinians to be protected after Israeli attacks on Gaza killed at least 31 people on Saturday.
He stressed that the future pathway in the enclave should be based on full respect for civilian lives and consolidating the basis of peace and stability for Gaza.
The foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have “strongly condemned” Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement, which have led to the killing and injuring of “more than a thousand” Palestinians.
In a statement published by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on X, the ministers said the violations risk “escalating tensions and undermining efforts aimed at consolidating calm and restoring stability”.
“The ministers consider that these repeated violations constitute a direct threat to the political process and hinder ongoing efforts to create appropriate conditions for transitioning to a more stable phase in the Gaza Strip, both in terms of security and humanitarian conditions,” the statement reads.
The officials also called on both Israel and Hamas to uphold their responsibility and “exercise the utmost restraint”.
“As well as advancing a just and lasting peace grounded in the Palestinian right to self-determination and statehood in accordance with international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the Arab peace initiative,” it added.
Nahed Hajjaj, 26, has already survived Israeli bombings and lost close friends. But he is determined to keep reporting as a journalist in Gaza.
“I wanted to work in media because, to be honest, this country needs me,” Hajjaj told Al Jazeera.
The International Federation of Journalists reports that Palestine was the deadliest place to work as a journalist in 2025, with 56 Palestinian media professionals killed. Since Israel’s war broke out, nearly 300 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza.