The Israeli army launched intense airstrikes and heavy artillery shelling in the Gaza Strip on Thursday on the second day of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, despite the Oct. 10 ceasefire agreement, witnesses said.

Israeli fighter jets carried out heavy strikes on eastern neighborhoods of Gaza City in the north, alongside artillery shelling in the surrounding areas, witnesses told Anadolu.

The Israeli army also fired illumination flares east of the Shujaiya neighborhood in eastern Gaza City.

In the southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah, witnesses reported at least two Israeli airstrikes in eastern areas under Israeli military control.

Artillery shelling also targeted the al-Mawasi area west of Rafah, the witnesses said.

It was not immediately unclear whether the Israeli shelling caused casualties among Palestinians.

Palestinians in Gaza are observing Ramadan this year amid widespread destruction following a two-year Israeli offensive, which left infrastructure devastated and living conditions severely strained despite the ceasefire.

With US support, Israel began its war in Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023, resulting in more than 72,000 Palestinian deaths and over 171,000 injuries, most of them women and children, and damage to 90% of civilian infrastructure.

Despite the ceasefire, the Israeli army continued its attacks, killing at least 611 Palestinians and injuring 1,630 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.(AA)