TEHRAN — The death toll in Gaza continues to climb as Israeli forces intensify military operations despite the ceasefire agreement with Hamas that came into effect on October 10. Israel’s army has advanced beyond the designated “yellow line,” pushing tanks and armored vehicles into areas where displaced Palestinians had cautiously begun to return.

The incursion has triggered renewed displacement, with families fleeing once again toward the western parts of Gaza City. Aid agencies report that the advance has disrupted critical access routes, forcing them to reassess safe corridors and slowing the delivery of humanitarian assistance to civilians already living under extreme instability.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, Israeli strikes between Wednesday and Thursday killed at least 32 Palestinians, including 12 children and eight women. The latest escalation brings the total Palestinian death toll since the ceasefire began to over 310. UNICEF confirmed Friday that at least 67 children have been killed by Israeli fire since October 10, averaging two child deaths per day during the truce.

In southern Gaza, Israeli forces have intensified attacks on Khan Younis from both land and sea. On Friday, Palestinian media reported heavy gunfire from Israeli vehicles east of the city, while warships targeted the Khan Younis beach. Al Jazeera documented artillery shelling, air strikes, and tank fire inside the yellow line east of Khan Younis. The Health Ministry said Israeli troops killed a displaced Palestinian outside the yellow line south of the city and demolished residential buildings nearby.

The Israeli army claimed the strikes targeted Hamas fighters after they fired on Israeli soldiers in Khan Younis, calling the incident a violation of the ceasefire. Hamas condemned the attacks as “a dangerous escalation,” accusing Israel of fabricating justifications for ongoing violations and urging the United States to apply “immediate, serious pressure” to halt the aggression.

The latest strikes come just days after the UN Security Council endorsed US President Donald Trump’s plan for moving beyond the fragile truce toward what was described as a “sustainable peace” and reconstruction of Gaza. Yet on the ground, Palestinians say the plan has functioned as little more than a diplomatic cover for Israel to advance its war. Instead of easing tensions, Israeli forces have expanded their operations, undermining the very ceasefire the resolution was meant to protect.

Despite repeated violations of the truce, the international community has failed to hold Israel accountable. The US-drafted resolution passed by the Security Council lacks enforcement mechanisms, meaning Israel faces no sanctions for breaches. The resolution does not compel Israel to halt its strikes or adhere to the ceasefire. As a result, Palestinians continue to suffer without meaningful repercussions for ongoing attacks.

The absence of accountability underscores a wider problem: while resolutions call for calm, they do not prevent Israel from escalating violence. For Gaza’s civilians, the promise of a ceasefire has proven hollow, replaced instead by renewed displacement, destruction, and grief.