The Israeli army continued to shell and demolish buildings in areas under its control on Saturday, with the latest destruction reported in eastern Gaza City, amid ongoing concerns over a possible breach of the ceasefire agreement.
According to Turkey's Anadolu Agency, Israeli forces levelled homes in the Shejaiya neighbourhood after detonating several residential blocks, sending powerful explosions and smoke across the area.
Citing local eyewitnesses, Anadolu said thick plumes of smoke rose from the demolition sites, while shrapnel from the blasts flew across multiple neighbourhoods of Gaza City due to the force of the explosions.
The agency also reported that Israeli bombardment struck additional locations, including the town of Beit Lahia in the north, the eastern areas of Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, the city of Rafah, and the towns of Al-Qarara and Bani Suhaila east of Khan Younis in the south.
The latest attacks follow weeks of devastating Israeli operations in army-controlled areas within the military-designated yellow zone.
Under the fragile, US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Israeli forces had withdrawn to positions behind the so-called Yellow Line.
Since the ceasefire took effect on 10 October, there have been dozens of deadly incidents in which Israeli forces opened fire on people near the Yellow Line.
The most recent incident involved the killing of two Palestinian children in Gaza by an Israeli drone strike, which occurred around the Yellow Line on Saturday.
The victims, identified as brothers aged eight and ten, had been searching for firewood when they were hit.
Their uncle, Alaa Abu Assi, told AFP that they were "innocent children who have no rockets and no bombs".
"They were gathering firewood to help their disabled father, who has platinum plates in his legs. We went and found them in pieces, and we brought them back," he said.
Abu Assi explained that the boys’ father had sent them to collect firewood "because he has absolutely nothing... and if my brother were able, he would have gone himself, but he cannot".
Mahmoud Bassal, spokesperson for Gaza's civil defence agency, later confirmed that the two brothers were killed in Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, at around 8:30 am (0630 GMT), identifying them as Fadi and Jumaa Tamer Abu Assi.
Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said it had received the bodies of the children and that their funerals were held later that afternoon.
The Israeli military claimed it had identified two suspects "posing an immediate threat".
In a statement, it further alleged that "following the identification, the IAF (Israeli Air Force) eliminated the suspects in order to remove the threat."
Meanwhile, Gaza’s health ministry said on the same day that more than 70,000 people have been killed since the war on the Strip began over two years ago.
The ministry reported a death toll of 70,100, noting that the sudden increase was due to the processing and verification of data relating to 299 bodies.
The newly updated death toll comes amid warnings of ceasefire violations, with continued airstrikes, artillery fire, and direct shootings reported, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office.
Up to 26 November, the office said Israel had breached the ceasefire at least 497 times between 10 October and 22 November.
During this period, Israeli forces allegedly fired on civilians 142 times, carried out 21 incursions into residential areas beyond the Yellow Line, conducted 228 air and artillery attacks, and demolished property on 100 occasions.
According to the health ministry, 354 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire began.
The latest figures come as the United Nations marked the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on Saturday, observed annually on 29 November.
"In so many ways, this tragedy has tested the norms and laws that have guided the international community for generations," UN chief Antonio Guterres said in a statement.
"The killing of so many civilians, the repeated displacement of an entire population and the obstruction of humanitarian aid should never be acceptable under any circumstances," he continued.
"The recent ceasefire offers a glimmer of hope. It is now vital that all parties respect it fully and work in good faith towards solutions that restore and uphold international law."