Why Strikes Continued in Gaza’s Nuseirat and Bureij Camps Despite the October 2025 Ceasefire

The ceasefire that began on 10 October 2025 between Israel and Hamas was intended to reduce hostilities in Gaza and allow humanitarian aid to flow into the enclave. Yet reports from UN experts, humanitarian agencies, and media accounts indicate that airstrikes, artillery shelling, and gunfire continued during the truce, including incidents around the Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps in central Gaza.

While the ceasefire reduced the scale of fighting compared with earlier phases of the war, the evidence shows frequent violations, mounting casualties, and persistent humanitarian concerns.

Strikes Reported in Nuseirat and Bureij During the Truce

Multiple reports during the ceasefire period describe Israeli strikes or shelling in central Gaza refugee camps.

Witness accounts and local reports said residential areas in Nuseirat and Bureij were hit despite the truce, injuring several Palestinians and damaging buildings. Similar incidents involved artillery shelling and airstrikes in and around the Bureij camp and other central Gaza areas during the ceasefire period.

Additional reports described demolitions and strikes near Nuseirat and other central camps, with humanitarian workers saying the attacks made rescue operations and aid delivery extremely difficult.

These incidents form part of a broader pattern of reported attacks across Gaza during the ceasefire months.

Hundreds of Reported Ceasefire Violations

UN human rights experts warned in late November 2025 that Israeli forces had committed at least 393 violations of the ceasefire since it took effect. According to their statement:

• 339 Palestinians were killed, including more than 70 children.
• More than 870 people were injured.

These figures refer to injuries, not deaths, clarifying widespread claims that “870+ deaths” occurred during the truce.

Other documents circulated at the United Nations also described “hundreds of violations” since the ceasefire began, including 211 Palestinians killed within a three‑week period following the agreement.

Casualty Numbers Continued to Rise

UN and humanitarian reporting shows that the death toll linked to attacks during the ceasefire continued to increase over time.

Key milestones cited in UN‑linked reports include:

• 339 killed and 870+ injured in at least 393 violations reported by late November 2025.
• 786 fatalities reported by Gaza’s health authorities by 21 April 2026, according to an OCHA humanitarian situation report.
• 824 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire announcement by the end of April 2026, according to a UN‑posted human rights bulletin citing the Gaza Ministry of Health.

Separate media reports citing Gaza health authorities have suggested even higher totals in some cases, but the UN‑linked figures above are among the most widely documented benchmarks for the period.

How Often Attacks Occurred

Sources consistently describe the violence during the ceasefire as frequent and persistent.

Humanitarian reporting states that airstrikes continued “almost daily” during the early months of the truce.

UN and related reporting in 2026 likewise described airstrikes, shelling, and gunfire continuing daily across Gaza, even while the ceasefire technically remained in effect.

Some local accounts also characterized Israeli actions during the truce as “near‑daily” violations, reinforcing the picture of sustained low‑intensity hostilities rather than a complete halt in fighting.

UN Reactions and Calls for Compliance

United Nations officials and independent experts repeatedly warned that the ongoing attacks threatened the fragile ceasefire.

Their key demands included:

• Immediate cessation of attacks on civilians and full respect for the ceasefire agreement.
• Unhindered humanitarian aid delivery, including medical supplies and reconstruction materials.
• Expanded humanitarian access and operational freedom for aid agencies inside Gaza.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said aid operations were still being restricted by visa limitations, import approvals, limited crossing points, and movement constraints for humanitarian teams.

Security Council briefings also described the ceasefire as “fragile,” warning that continued strikes and hostilities could undermine diplomatic efforts to stabilize Gaza.

A Ceasefire That Reduced—but Did Not End—Violence

Taken together, UN statements, humanitarian reports, and local accounts indicate that the October 2025 ceasefire did reduce the scale of the conflict but did not fully halt attacks.

Strikes reported in places like Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps illustrate how violence persisted during the truce period. Meanwhile, casualty totals continued to rise, and the United Nations repeatedly urged all parties to respect the ceasefire and allow aid to reach Gaza’s civilian population without restrictions.