DEIR EL-BALAH – As the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, the Gaza Health Ministry reported on Saturday that the Palestinian death toll has now exceeded 70,000. Meanwhile, a local hospital confirmed that two Palestinian children lost their lives due to Israeli fire in the southern part of the territory.

Despite a ceasefire that took effect on October 10, the number of casualties continues to grow. Israel has conducted strikes, citing breaches of the truce, and recovery efforts are still uncovering bodies trapped under rubble from earlier attacks.

The official death toll, as stated by the Health Ministry, stands at 70,100. This ministry operates under the governance of Hamas and is staffed by medical professionals, maintaining records that are generally considered credible by international observers.

The conflict was ignited on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an assault on southern Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and the abduction of over 250 hostages. Most hostages have since been returned, either alive or deceased, through ceasefires or negotiated agreements.

According to Nasser Hospital, the two children, aged 8 and 11, were brothers killed when an Israeli drone targeted an area near a school that was serving as a shelter for displaced individuals in the town of Beni Suhaila.

The Israeli military reported eliminating two individuals who had crossed into a territory under Israeli control, engaged in “suspicious activities,” and approached military personnel. Their statement did not specify any children. Additionally, the military mentioned another fatal incident involving a separate individual 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, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.

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 more than two years of war, is still in the 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 that 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, wounding six.

Israel also has escalated strikes in Lebanon, saying it’s 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 men on Thursday after footage aired by two Arab television stations showed troops shooting the men after they appeared to surrender. The Israeli military said that it was investigating.

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

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Samy Magdy reported from Cairo.

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