DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli fire killed two Palestinian children in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, a hospital said, as a shaky ceasefire with Hamas held.
The brothers, aged 11 and 8, died when an Israeli drone struck close to a school sheltering displaced people in the town of Beni Suhaila, according to staff at Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies.
The Israeli military said it killed two people who crossed into an Israeli-controlled area, “conducted suspicious activities” and approached troops. The statement didn’t mention children. The military said it also killed another person in a separate but similar incident in the south.
At least 352 Palestinians have been killed across the territory since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on Oct. 10, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. It is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by the international community.
Israel says its strikes are aimed at militants violating the truce. Both Israel and Hamas have accused the other of violating the deal. Hamas again urged mediators on Saturday to pressure Israel to stop what it called ceasefire violations in Gaza.
A U.S. blueprint outlining the future of Gaza, which has been devastated by two years of war, is still in early stages. The plan to secure and govern the territory authorizes an international stabilization force to provide security, approves a transitional authority to be overseen by U.S. President Donald Trump and envisions a possible future path to an independent Palestinian state.
Israeli forces have pushed forward on a number of other fronts in the region in recent weeks.
Syrian officials said Israeli forces raided a Syrian village on Friday and opened fire when they were confronted by residents, killing at least 13 people. Israel said it conducted the operation to apprehend suspects of a militant group planning attacks in Israel, and that the militants opened fired at troops, injuring six.
Israel also has escalated strikes in Lebanon, saying it is targeting Hezbollah sites and asserting that the militant group is attempting to rearm.
Hezbollah called on Pope Leo XIV to “reject injustice and aggression,” in reference to the near-daily Israeli strikes despite a ceasefire that ended the 14-month war between the two sides a year ago. The pope is visiting the region on his first foreign trip.
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Israeli soldiers were accused by Palestinians of executing two Palestinian men on Thursday after footage aired by two Arab TV stations showed troops shooting the men after they appeared to surrender. The Israeli military said it was investigating.
Israeli settler violence has continued to rise in the West Bank. On Saturday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said 10 Palestinians were injured by beatings and live ammunition during settler attacks in Khallet al-Louza village close to Bethlehem.
___
Magdy reported from Cairo.
___
Find more of AP’s Israel-Hamas coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
By WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMY MAGDY
Associated Press
