More than 1,400 Palestinians killed: “And yet, they claim there is a ceasefire.”

Since the 'ceasefire' agreement came into place, Israeli forces have killed more than 1,430 Palestinians in Gaza, including at least 300 children, and injured over 5,000, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Below are the words of Nawraz, a Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) staff member in Gaza.

"A year has passed since the announcement of the so-called 'ceasefire'. A year that has proven to be nothing more than a lie and false hope.

We thought we had hope for life again. For the first time in two years, I was able to get my children back into education, at a nearby makeshift school. Some people began trying to earn a living again, finding ways to hold on to some sense of normality. For a moment, it felt like a pause from the starvation and siege we had endured.

But as soon as people began to believe we might have peace, the bombardment returned, death returned, and the scenes that had so recently haunted us returned. This time it was worse, because the attacks came without warning. It happened night and day; it made no difference.

The ceasefire was announced a year ago, but Israel’s message to the people of Gaza has been clear: you will not return to life. Close your schools, your kindergartens, and your restaurants. Do not celebrate."

"Less than a month after the ceasefire announcement in November 2025, we lost my niece's husband and her three children. In August 2026, we lost my brother-in-law’s granddaughter, Amal. She was a beautiful child, struck by a stray bullet from a ‘crane’, from which soldiers fire randomly at midday.

All of them were innocent children, helpless and defenseless. What injustice is this? What kind of life is this? And yet, they claim there is a ceasefire.

In another tragic incident a month ago, just after midnight, an apartment only 20 metres from where I’ve been sheltering with my family ever since we were displaced, was bombed. Shrapnel flew over where I was staying. I heard people screaming in the street, shouting: "Ambulance! Ambulance! There are body parts!"

It was an emotionally devastating experience. We sat trembling, unable to act. It was pitch black; we didn’t know where the screams were coming from. All we could smell was the strong odour of gunpowder and smoke.

Later, we learned that a woman and her child had been killed. And yet they claim there is a ceasefire. What kind of lie is this?

The sound of the drones never leaves Gaza's sky. At night, we feel it hovering above our heads, with loud and terrifying noises. It feels as though it could enter the tents because they are so close. Their constant presence causes severe headaches. Most of us now rely on painkillers. I consume around 30 painkillers a month just to get through my days, to focus on my work and care for my children.

The feeling of helplessness in trying to meet our children's needs is devastating. The feeling of having no answers to children's questions is devastating. Being afraid to go out because a bombardment could happen on the very street you are walking on is devastating."

"Today, as I write this, a cart being pulled by a civilian vehicle was bombed near the MAP office in Gaza. All the passengers were civilians. Seven of them were killed, and the others were wounded, some required amputations.

And yet, they claim there is a ceasefire.”

Despite the so-called 'ceasefire', Israeli military attacks on Gaza's healthcare system continue. No hospital in Gaza is fully functioning, and half remain completely out of service. Since the 'ceasefire' agreement, at least 10 Palestinian healthcare workers have been killed and 49 injured. Since January 2026, there have been at least 56 attacks on healthcare across Gaza.

Healthcare is a human right – but in Gaza, even during a 'ceasefire', it’s under attack.