International Desk | PNN:
Despite the declaration of a ceasefire two days ago, Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have continued. From early Friday morning (October 31), Israeli warplanes and artillery carried out strikes in various areas of Khan Younis in southern Gaza and northern Gaza City, sparking renewed panic among residents.
Residents of Gaza City reported that Israeli forces have continued intermittent heavy shelling and drone strikes even after the ceasefire announcement. Ordinary people, already suffering from severe shortages of food and shelter, now fear that full-scale bombing may resume at any moment.
Field correspondents reported that on Friday morning, Israeli forces bombed the Shujaiya and Tuffah neighborhoods in eastern Gaza City. Continuous attacks had also been ongoing in Khan Younis since the previous night. According to Al-Ahli Arab Hospital sources, at least one Palestinian was killed and his brother seriously injured in the attacks.
According to The Washington Post, a classified report from the U.S. State Department has accused several Israeli military units of committing hundreds of human rights violations in Gaza. Under the Leahy Law, U.S. military aid is prohibited to any foreign military unit implicated in such abuses. The report stated, however, that in Israel’s case, this review process is being handled under a “special exemption.”
UN Special Representative on Women and Children Reem Salem said in a statement, “The atrocities taking place in Palestine are eroding the world’s sense of humanity. Even after thousands of women and children have been killed, the world remains silent.” She added, “The current legal frameworks are incapable of describing the scale of this massacre.”
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s national news agency reported that an Israeli drone strike injured several people in Kounine, a town in southern Lebanon. Israel has been repeatedly accused of violating the ceasefire agreement signed between Israel and Lebanon in November 2024.
The Senate of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, issued a statement strongly condemning what it called “scholasticide” — the deliberate destruction of Gaza’s education system. The statement noted that all of Gaza’s universities have been destroyed, and 97% of schools have been either damaged or completely leveled. Between October 2023 and August 2025, at least 17,000 students and 226 teachers and academics have been killed.
Journalist Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City, said that even three weeks after the ceasefire, adequate humanitarian aid is still not being allowed through border crossings. Food shortages have reached extreme levels. “The markets are full of chocolates and biscuits, but people can’t get protein or medicine,” he said.
Middle East analyst Luciano Zakara commented, “These Israeli attacks are utterly unnecessary and inhumane. They only target innocent civilians — children and families — in Gaza.”
Under the current circumstances, the ceasefire in Gaza has become merely symbolic. Although the international community has voiced concern, there is still no sign that Israeli aggression is coming to an end.
