“Israeli” Soldiers Torch Gaza Homes After Ceasefire Deal

By Staff, Agencies

“Israeli” soldiers launched an arson spree in Gaza immediately after the signing of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, torching civilian homes, infrastructure and food supplies, according to a report by Drop Site News.

The report, published Sunday, said "Israeli" troops from several brigades set fires across Gaza City on the night of October 9 and early morning of October 10—hours after the ceasefire took effect. Images and videos posted by soldiers showed buildings, homes and warehouses engulfed in flames during their withdrawal to the so-called “yellow line” demarcated in the agreement, still deep inside Gaza’s territory.

One “Israeli” soldier from the “Kfir” Brigade posted a photo of himself in front of burning wooden pallets with the caption: “On Friday, just before departure. Burning food so that it won’t reach the Gazans, may their names be erased”.

Other soldiers shared images of torching Palestinian houses, describing the acts as “finishing touches” before withdrawal. Some mocked their destruction with sarcastic remarks such as, “Goodbye and never to be seen again to [what was] my home recently,” while others vowed to return, writing, “It was brief but high-quality [stay], we shall come back”.

Among the targets was the Sheikh Ajlin Sewage Treatment Station, a key facility in Gaza City’s sanitation network. Soldiers posed in front of the burning plant, captioning their photos with “[One] last memory”.

Monther Shoblaq, Director General of the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility [CMWU], warned that the attack could cripple the city’s wastewater system. “This could push us to point zero,” he said. “I mean, they signed a ceasefire—why set it on fire?”

The burned structures had been among the few still standing in Gaza City, spared earlier because "Israeli" troops had used them as temporary military positions. Their deliberate destruction before withdrawal marks a continuation of a long-standing "Israeli" pattern during the war.

In July, “Israeli” journalist Yuval Abraham published testimonies from soldiers describing how they routinely set Palestinian homes ablaze. “Every Arab house we entered had olive oil,” one said. “We poured the oil on the sofas, on anything flammable in the apartment and then we ignited it or threw in a smoke grenade”.

The latest wave of destruction follows nearly two years of systematic devastation across Gaza, where “Israeli” bombing campaigns and ground invasions have destroyed an estimated 80% of the enclave’s infrastructure. In September, “Israeli” minister Gila Gamliel told Channel 7 News, “We have already completely annihilated 75% of the entire [Gaza] Strip”.

Despite the ceasefire, the scale and brazenness of the arson suggest that the “Israeli” entity’s war on Gaza has not truly ended—but merely changed form.