Fatima Marouff’s death in Beit Lahia underscores a pattern of Israeli violations, humanitarian collapse, and systemic impunity.

GAZA – An 11-year-old Palestinian girl, Fatima Marouff, was shot dead by Israeli forces on Saturday, January 3, 2026, in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, medical sources confirmed. The girl was reportedly in a designated safe area from which Israeli troops had withdrawn under the October 10, 2025, ceasefire agreement, a zone that was meant to be protected from hostilities.

“Safe zones should be for civilians. Today they are just words on paper,” said Dr. Samir al-Khatib, emergency physician at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. “We see more guns than ambulances.”

Since the ceasefire came into effect, Gaza’s Health Ministry reports at least 418 Palestinians killed and 1,171 wounded in Israeli attacks. These figures include dozens of children, the elderly, and patients in medical facilities. Similar violations occurred earlier in the week when another 11-year-old girl was killed in Jabalia al-Nazla, and four civilians were wounded near the Nemsawi Cemetery in Khan Younis.

Ceasefire Violations: Patterns And Numbers.

Independent monitoring by Quds News Network and Gaza’s government media office indicates Israel has violated the ceasefire nearly daily, totalling 738 documented breaches in the first 60 days, including gunfire at civilians, airstrikes, and ground incursions.

“Israel has violated the Gaza ceasefire at least 738 times in 60 days… these violations include gunfire at civilians, raids beyond designated lines, bombardments and demolitions,” reported Quds News Network.

Analysts note these violations highlight systemic disregard for civilian life under the guise of security operations.

“When a state uses its own civilians as the barometer for ceasefire success, the result is the continuation of war under the guise of peace,” said Khaled Elgindy, senior fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.

Children, Winter, And Displacement:

Gaza’s humanitarian crisis has intensified. Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians live in tents and temporary shelters following the destruction of residential areas during the two-year war that killed over 100,000 people, mostly women and children, and wounded over 400,000.

Winter storms and freezing temperatures have already claimed lives. Local media reports that at least one child died from cold complications. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell warned:

“All parties must ensure that UN humanitarian operations can immediately and safely resume at scale… With winter coming, there is limited time left to ensure children and families have access to essential supplies.”

Fire hazards in overcrowded shelters also continue. On Thursday, a mother and child died in a blaze at the Al-Yarmouk shelter in central Gaza City, Civil Defence reported.

“The needs are immense, and the harsh weather only deepens the suffering of families living in tents or war-damaged buildings,” said a UN spokesperson.

Humanitarian Access Under Threat:

Israel has revoked licenses of 37 international NGOs, including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Mercy Corps, and Oxfam, citing alleged links to Hamas. Humanitarian and rights organisations warn this will have “dire consequences” for civilians.

“These restrictions don’t protect civilians, they harm them,” said a senior EU diplomat.
“Limiting principled humanitarian access during a fragile ceasefire undermines the very purpose of the agreement.”

MSF International President Dr. Javid Abdelmoneim echoed the warning:

“Palestinians in Gaza are enduring genocide. The health system lies in ruins… The ceasefire is not the end of the extreme suffering in Gaza.”

Deaths In Detention And West Bank Repression:

The crisis is not limited to Gaza. On Thursday, Hassan Issa al-Qasha’leh, a Palestinian detainee from Rahat, died in Beersheba Prison after 13 months in administrative detention. Palestinian authorities estimate over 11,000 Palestinians remain imprisoned in brutal conditions, including over 350 children and 50 women.

Simultaneously, Israeli forces conducted raids in multiple West Bank cities, detaining at least 50 Palestinians, including women and former prisoners, with violent home invasions and property destruction.

Since October 2023, Israeli forces and settlers have killed 1,105 Palestinians in the West Bank, injured nearly 11,000, and detained 21,000, including in East Jerusalem. The International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation illegal and called for the evacuation of settlements, yet the violence persists.

International And Expert Reactions:

UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the ceasefire as “fragile, repeatedly violated, but holding”, urging full implementation.

Amnesty International’s Agnès Callamard condemned ongoing restrictions on aid:

“Israel continues its ruthless policies, restricting access to vital humanitarian aid and essential services… calculated to physically destroy Palestinians in Gaza.”

The UK, Canada, and France jointly warned that Gaza’s humanitarian situation is deteriorating rapidly:

“Urgent action is needed to allow NGOs and the UN to operate effectively, lift restrictions on vital imports, and increase humanitarian aid flow.”

Conclusion: Ceasefire Or Continuing Siege? Gaza’s Structural Violence And Genocidal Reality.

The killing of Fatima Marouff highlights a harsh and undeniable reality: for Palestinians, the ceasefire is largely a paper promise. Civilians remain exposed to gunfire, bombings, mass displacement, cold, and starvation, while humanitarian aid is systematically restricted. Safe zones have proven unsafe, hospitals and shelters remain under threat, and winter storms compound the suffering of families living in tents that are themselves deadly. Children, like Fatima, are not collateral damage; they are the human cost of a deliberate and coordinated strategy of systemic violence.

“We are overwhelmed, understaffed, and running out of supplies, and every time we rebuild a ward, it gets hit again,” said a surgeon at Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital, capturing the daily reality faced by medical staff amid repeated ceasefire violations.

The violence in Gaza is not random; it reflects a broader pattern of ethnic cleansing and genocidal tactics, designed to forcibly displace populations, destroy Palestinian communities, and restrict access to life-saving resources. Since October 2023, Israel’s military campaign has caused mass displacement of nearly two million Palestinians, with entire neighbourhoods flattened, civilian infrastructure decimated, and basic services systematically denied. Humanitarian and legal institutions have meticulously documented these violations, exposing patterns that many experts and activists classify as war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Yet without meaningful accountability, monitoring, and unhindered access for aid organisations, the ceasefire risks becoming an instrument of deception rather than protection, leaving Gaza’s children, families, and displaced populations vulnerable to ongoing death, injury, and despair. For Palestinians, the war has never truly ended. Each bullet fired in a “safe zone,” each child lost to cold or fire, each NGO prevented from delivering aid, underscores a brutal truth: the so-called ceasefire is a façade, and Gaza’s civilians remain trapped in a persistent, engineered catastrophe.

Fatima’s death is not an isolated incident; it is emblematic of a systematic campaign of violence, ethnic cleansing, and genocidal intent, and a stark warning to the international community. Words alone are insufficient. What is required now is enforceable accountability, protection of civilians, and immediate humanitarian intervention to prevent further destruction of life and community in Gaza.

“A ceasefire that kills children is not peace, it is war by another name.” — Human rights activist, Gaza.