GAZA — The Palestinian death toll in Gaza has exceeded 70,000 since the Israel–Hamas war began, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Saturday, as Israeli fire killed two children in the territory’s south despite a ceasefire in place since Oct. 10.

The ministry said the toll has continued to rise due to ongoing Israeli strikes it describes as responses to alleged truce violations, as well as the recovery of bodies from earlier stages of the conflict.

Gaza’s Health Ministry — operating under the Hamas-run administration but staffed by medical professionals — is widely viewed by the international community as maintaining detailed and generally reliable casualty records. Its latest update places the death toll at 70,100.

Medical staff at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza said two brothers, aged 8 and 11, were killed Saturday when an Israeli drone struck near a school sheltering displaced families in Beni Suhaila.

Israel’s military said it killed two people who crossed into an Israeli-controlled area and “conducted suspicious activities,” without mentioning children. It also reported killing another person in a separate incident.

Gaza’s Health Ministry says 352 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, noting that its figures do not distinguish between civilians and militants.

Israel says its strikes target militants violating the truce, while both Israel and Hamas accuse each other of breaking the agreement.

Hamas urged mediators Saturday to pressure Israel to halt what it called ongoing violations.

Meanwhile, a U.S. blueprint for Gaza’s future — still in early stages — proposes an international stabilization force, a transitional authority overseen by U.S. President Donald Trump, and a possible pathway toward an independent Palestinian state.

Across the region, Israeli operations have intensified. Syrian officials said Israeli forces raided a village Friday, killing at least 13 people after residents confronted the troops.

Israel said it acted to detain suspects linked to planned attacks, adding that militants opened fire and wounded six soldiers.

In Lebanon, Israel has escalated strikes against Hezbollah, accusing the group of attempting to rearm. Hezbollah appealed to Pope Leo XIV, who is visiting the region, to condemn what it described as Israeli aggression despite a ceasefire that ended their 14-month war last year.

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinians accused Israeli soldiers of executing two men Thursday after Arab broadcasters aired footage showing troops shooting them after what appeared to be a surrender. The Israeli military said it is investigating.

The Palestinian Red Crescent also reported 10 Palestinians injured Saturday in Khallet al-Louza near Bethlehem during settler assaults involving beatings and live fire. — Agencies