Despite the ceasefire, the killing of civilians continues in Gaza and a UN warning against “ignoring the right to life”

The Human Rights Office stressed – in a statement issued today, Friday – that the international community must intensify support and pressure to stop the bloodshed and advance a human rights-based approach to recovery and reconstruction.

Ajith Songai, Director of the United Nations Human Rights Office in the occupied Palestinian territory, said: “The crisis in Gaza is not even close to over. People are dying every day, whether in Israeli attacks, or because of the continued Israeli restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid, especially with regard to shelter, which has led to deaths due to the cold and the collapse of buildings on those inside them.”

The number of journalists killed increases

The January 21 attacks, according to the Human Rights Office, included an Israeli raid that targeted a car and resulted in the killing of three Palestinian journalists near the Netzarim area in central Gaza, after they were carrying out a filming mission for the Egyptian Relief Committee.

The killing of Anas Ghoneim, Abdel Raouf Shaath, and Muhammad Salah Qeshta brought the number of journalists killed in Israeli military attacks since October 7, 2023 to 292, according to what was verified by the Human Rights Office in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The Human Rights Office explained that Palestinian journalists are being killed and international journalists are still prohibited from entering Gaza.

The killing of civilians continues in all five governorates of Gaza

Israeli ground forces reportedly opened fire and fired artillery on three occasions on 21 January around their line of deployment, known as the “yellow line,” which remains not clearly defined on the ground.

According to reports, these attacks resulted in the killing of a 13-year-old boy east of Khan Yunis, and three members of one family, including a father and his 13-year-old son, in central Gaza. It was also reported that an Israeli artillery shelling killed three Palestinian brothers northeast of the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza.

The Human Rights Office explained that the patterns it has documented since the ceasefire entered into force on October 11, 2025 show the continued killing of civilians in Israeli air attacks, shelling and shooting in all five governorates of Gaza, including incidents that occurred far from the “yellow line” as well as in its vicinity.

Overall, 477 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since the ceasefire according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, most of whom appear to be civilians.

The United Nations Human Rights Office indicated that it recorded the killing of at least 216 Palestinians since the ceasefire until January 21, 2026, including at least 46 children and 28 women, in Israeli attacks that occurred far from the so-called “yellow line” and mainly targeted displacement shelters and residential buildings.

This included 126 reported attacks carried out by Israeli drones across Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least 87 Palestinians, including 12 children and seven women.

During the same period, at least 167 Palestinians were reportedly killed near the Yellow Line, including 26 children and 17 women. Repeated Israeli military operations in areas west of the deployment line also led to the displacement of civilians and the demolition of residential buildings in those areas.

“Ignoring the right to life”

The Human Rights Office warned that the continued occurrence of civilian casualties raises concerns that the Israeli army continues to ignore its obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, including the right to life. It also appears that the killings that occurred around the so-called “yellow line” included the targeting of civilians not directly participating in the hostilities, simply because of their proximity to the deployment lines, “which may constitute a war crime.”

Deaths due to cold continue

The Human Rights Office explained that other civilians are dying as a result of harsh man-made humanitarian conditions, including the death of at least nine Palestinian children due to the extreme cold since the ceasefire.

The Human Rights Office in the occupied Palestinian territory has also recorded at least 80 reported killings of Palestinians by Hamas since the ceasefire, most of them during clashes with rival families and in the context of field executions.

The UN office said that Hamas must respect international human rights protection for people under its control, and prevent and suppress any violations of these rights committed by its members.