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A Gaza ceasefire anniversary strike killed at least six Palestinians over the weekend, including a Christian mother and daughter in Gaza City, as Israel marked the two-year anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack by closing all crossings into Gaza and the West Bank. The Israeli military said it killed a Hamas official in an overnight strike on an apartment building, but gave no further detail on the civilian deaths that accompanied it.
The weekend violence is not an aberration. Since the ceasefire took effect roughly a year ago, at least 1,446 Palestinians have been killed and more than 5,060 injured, according to figures compiled after the latest strikes — a toll that sits uneasily alongside the word “ceasefire” itself.
What happened over the weekend
Israeli strikes killed at least five people on Saturday, including four women, in an apartment building attack in Gaza City. A family member, Fouad Al Najjar, said he lost his mother and grandmother in the strike, calling it “the worst day of my life.” A separate strike in Deir al-Balah on Sunday killed one person and injured ten more. The Israeli military said the Gaza City strike targeted a Hamas official, but did not address the other casualties in the building.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered all crossings into Gaza and the West Bank closed to mark the anniversary of the October 7 attacks, a move that compounds the humanitarian strain already facing the territory a year into a ceasefire that was supposed to have ended large-scale fighting.
The Gaza ceasefire anniversary strike and what “ceasefire” has actually meant
The ceasefire that took hold roughly a year ago substantially reduced the scale of fighting compared with the earlier phases of the war, but it did not end Israeli strikes inside Gaza, which have continued at a steady pace against targets the military describes as Hamas operatives or infrastructure. The result is a running toll that, over twelve months, has reached 1,446 deaths — a figure that complicates any account of the ceasefire as a durable end to hostilities rather than a lower-intensity continuation of them.
Palestinian and international aid officials have repeatedly flagged the gap between the ceasefire’s formal terms and conditions on the ground, particularly around crossings and humanitarian access, which open and close depending on the security situation Israel determines on any given day.
Why the anniversary mattered this year
October 7 remains the most sensitive date on the calendar for both sides of the conflict — the anniversary of the attack that triggered the war, and now also a flashpoint within the ceasefire period itself. Israel’s decision to close all crossings on the anniversary reflects persistent security concerns even a year into the truce, while Palestinian officials and residents have pointed to the closures as evidence the ceasefire has not meaningfully changed daily conditions in Gaza.
What happens from here
Mediators involved in the original ceasefire agreement — reportedly including the United States, Qatar, and Egypt — have periodically pushed for a “next phase” intended to formalize longer-term arrangements around governance, reconstruction, and security guarantees. Those talks have moved slowly, and incidents like this weekend’s strikes tend to harden positions on both sides rather than accelerate them. Whether the anniversary becomes a turning point toward a more durable arrangement, or simply another entry in a year-long pattern of strikes inside a nominal truce, will depend largely on decisions made in the coming weeks rather than the ceasefire’s original terms.
Common questions about the current situation
How many people have died since the Gaza ceasefire began?
At least 1,446 Palestinians have been killed and more than 5,060 injured in the roughly year since the ceasefire took effect, according to tallies compiled after the latest weekend strikes.
What happened on the anniversary of October 7?
Israel closed all crossings into Gaza and the West Bank, and carried out a strike that killed a Hamas official along with several civilians in Gaza City.
Is the ceasefire still technically in effect?
Yes, in the sense that large-scale fighting has not resumed, but strikes have continued throughout the ceasefire period, raising questions about what the term means in practice.
Who confirmed the identity of the Hamas official killed?
The Israeli military said it killed a Hamas official in the overnight strike but did not release further identifying details in the initial reporting.
What role are mediators playing now?
Reports indicate the US, Qatar, and Egypt remain involved in talks aimed at a further ceasefire phase, though progress has been slow.
See our coverage of the Palestinian legislative elections scheduled for November 28 and Canada’s asylum waiver for Israeli and Palestinian applicants. For broader sanctions context, read about the ICC’s contract termination under US sanctions threat.
Sources
- The National News — Six Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza. https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/04/six-palestinians-killed-in-israeli-strikes-across-gaza/
- The Japan Times — Israel targets top Hamas leader in deadly Gaza strike on anniversary. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/10/04/world/israel-hamas-leader-gaza-strike/
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