Israeli fire kills 2 Palestinian children in the latest test of Gaza ceasefire

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli fire killed two Palestinian children in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, a hospital reported, marking the latest deaths of Palestinians as a shaky ceasefire with Hamas held.

The two 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 did not immediately comment on the killings.

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 a Hamas-run government, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, though it is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by the international community.

Israel says the strikes are aimed at militants violating the truce, but the deaths have increasingly tested the fragile ceasefire. Both Israel and Hamas have accused the other of violating the deal.

Hamas once again called mediators on Saturday to pressure Israel to stop what it called ceasefire violations in Gaza following the killing of the two children.

Israeli forces have also pushed forward on a number of other fronts 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 militant opened fired at troops, injuring six.

Israel also has escalated strikes in Lebanon, saying it was targeting Hezbollah sites as the militant group attempted to rearm.

In the 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 appear to surrender. The Israeli military said it was investigating.

Israeli settler violence has also continued to shoot up in the West Bank. On Saturday the Palestinian Red Crescent reported that 10 Palestinians were injured from beatings and live ammunition during settler attacks in the Khallet al-Louza village, close to Bethlehem.

At the same time, a U.S. blueprint outlining the future of Gaza, which has been devastated by two years of war, is still in its 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.

———

Magdy reported from Cairo.

___

Find more of AP’s Israel-Hamas coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war