Deir Al-Balah: Israeli fire killed two Palestinian children in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, hospital officials reported, marking the latest casualties amid a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The victims, brothers aged 11 and 8, died when an Israeli drone struck near a school sheltering displaced people in the town of Beni Suhaila, according to staff at Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the incident.
Since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on October 10, at least 352 Palestinians have been killed across the territory, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, run by Hamas, does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, though its detailed records are widely regarded as reliable by international observers.
Israel maintains its strikes target militants violating the truce, but civilian deaths have increasingly strained the fragile agreement. Both Israel and Hamas continue to accuse each other of ceasefire violations. Following the killing of the two children, Hamas again called on mediators to pressure Israel to halt actions it described as breaches of the truce.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have intensified operations on multiple fronts. Syrian officials reported that Israeli troops raided a Syrian village on Friday, opening fire when confronted by residents, killing at least 13 people. Israel said the operation targeted suspects from a militant group planning attacks inside Israel, and claimed the militants fired on Israeli troops, injuring six.
Israeli strikes have also escalated in Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah positions as the group allegedly attempted to rearm.
In the occupied West Bank, Palestinians accused Israeli soldiers of executing two men on Thursday, following footage broadcast by Arab TV showing the troops shooting the men after they appeared to surrender. The Israeli military said it is investigating the incident.
Settler violence in the West Bank has also surged. On Saturday, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported that 10 Palestinians were injured from beatings and live ammunition during attacks by Israeli settlers in the village of Khallet al-Louza, near Bethlehem.
At the same time, the US is drafting a blueprint for Gaza’s future, which remains in its early stages. The plan envisions an international stabilization force to maintain security, a transitional authority overseen by US President Donald Trump, and a potential path toward an independent Palestinian state, aiming to rebuild and govern the war-torn territory.
With PTI inputs