Tel Aviv, 24 Nov

Israel has violated the United States-brokered Gaza ceasefire almost 500 times in 44 days, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians since the truce took effect on 10 October, according to the Gaza Government Media Office, cited by Al Jazeera.

The office said 342 civilians had been killed in these incidents, with children, women and older people making up most of the victims.

“We condemn in the strongest terms the continued serious and systematic violations of the ceasefire agreement by the Israeli occupation authorities,” the office said, adding that the breaches amounted to a “flagrant” violation of international humanitarian law and the humanitarian protocol attached to the agreement. It said 27 violations had occurred on Saturday, causing 24 deaths and 87 injuries.

The office added that Israel bore full responsibility for the humanitarian and security repercussions arising from its actions.

Israel continues to restrict the flow of aid and medical supplies into Gaza, despite the ceasefire agreement mandating unrestricted access.

On Saturday, Israel launched a series of air attacks across Gaza, killing at least 24 Palestinians, including children, in what local authorities described as another violation of the six-week-old ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the strikes followed an incident in which a Hamas fighter allegedly targeted Israeli soldiers inside Gaza’s so-called “yellow line”, a zone under Israeli control. “In response, Israel eliminated five senior Hamas fighters,” the statement said.

Hamas disputed the claim and demanded proof. Izzat al-Risheq, a senior official in Hamas’s political bureau, urged the mediators of the Gaza deal and the United States to pressure Israel to substantiate its account and comply with the agreement.

Local authorities said dozens of Palestinian families had been besieged in northern Gaza as Israeli forces repositioned deeper into the enclave, again in violation of the ceasefire.