CITIZENS NEWS

Israeli forces massacre 11 members of Palestinian family in deadliest Gaza ceasefire violation

By isabelle // 2025-10-20

• A fragile Gaza ceasefire was shattered by a deadly Israeli attack.
• Eleven members of the Abu Shaaban family, including seven children, were killed.
• Israel justified the strike by labeling the family's bus a suspicious vehicle.
• Gaza officials state Israel has broken the truce dozens of times since it began.
• The U.S. faces criticism for its complicity in funding and arming the Israeli offensive.

In a brutal reminder that no Palestinian is safe from Israeli aggression, a fragile weeklong ceasefire was shattered by the deadliest single violation to date. Israeli forces killed 11 members of the Abu Shaaban family, including seven children, on Friday evening as they traveled to inspect their home in Gaza City’s decimated Zeitoun neighborhood. This massacre, involving a tank shell fired at a bus, underscores a continuing campaign of violence that persists even during periods of supposed peace, funded by American taxpayer dollars. Gaza Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal detailed the horrific event, stating that the family was targeted while in a bus. Among the 11 victims were three women and seven children whose ages ranged from 5 to 13. These individuals were not combatants but a family seeking to assess what remained of their home in a territory where more than 85% of the population has been displaced and entire neighborhoods have been flattened. The Israeli military offered a cold justification, labeling the bus a "suspicious vehicle" that crossed a so-called "yellow line." They claimed warning shots were fired before troops acted to "remove the threat." This language dehumanizes Palestinian life, reducing a family of 11 to a mere "threat" that must be eliminated.

Israel is racking up ceasefire violations

Basal rejected the IDF's narrative, asserting that "the family could have been warned or dealt with in a way that did not lead to murder." He added, "What happened confirms that the occupation remains thirsty for blood and determined to commit crimes against innocent civilians." This was not an isolated incident. Gaza’s Government Media Office stated that Israeli forces have broken the truce 47 times, killing 38 Palestinians and wounding 143 others. The United States, which brokered the ceasefire, faces sharp criticism for its complicity. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said, "The Israeli government’s massacre of a family traveling to assess the remains of their home is the latest deliberate and blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement." They called on the administration to demand Netanyahu "stop using American taxpayer dollars and American weapons to sabotage the ceasefire agreement." The situation deteriorated further on Sunday, when Israel launched large-scale strikes on Rafah in southern Gaza. The IDF claimed this was a response to alleged militant attacks, including an anti-tank missile and gunfire toward its troops. Defense Minister Israel Katz warned, "Hamas will learn today the hard way that the IDF is determined to protect its soldiers," vowing that the group would "pay a heavy price." Hamas’ military wing denied any involvement in the Rafah incident, stating it was "unaware of any events or clashes" and had lost contact with factions in that area months ago. A senior Hamas official, Izzat al-Risheq, accused Israel of violating the truce and "seeking excuses for its crimes." This cycle of accusation and denial highlights the fundamental lack of trust and the fragility of any agreement. The human cost of this conflict is staggering. Since October 2023, Israeli forces have killed at least 68,116 Palestinians in Gaza, with leaked IDF data suggesting more than 80% of those killed were civilians. These are not just numbers; they represent a generation lost, families annihilated, and a society pushed to the brink of collapse through a strategy that has deliberately destroyed life-sustaining infrastructure. The Abu Shaaban family massacre is a microcosm of the entire war. It reveals an Israeli military policy that shows little distinction between combatants and civilians, a reality confirmed by the overwhelming civilian death toll. Sources for this article include: AntiWar.com RT.com NYTimes.com

national security terrorism Israel violence genocide tyranny big government chaos dangerous resist humanitarian ceasefire WWIII Gaza