Gaza death toll surpasses 70,000 as Israeli attacks continue despite ceasefire

The death toll from Israel’s war in Gaza has surpassed 70,000, the enclave’s Health Ministry reported on Saturday (29 Nov), as Israeli military operations continue despite a US-brokered ceasefire.

The ministry said at least 70,100 people have been killed across the Gaza Strip since the conflict began on 7 October 2023, with more than 170,900 others injured.

The milestone comes amid continued attacks by Israel, despite a ceasefire with Hamas that came into effect last month.

Earlier on Saturday, medics reported that two Palestinian children were killed in an Israeli drone strike on the town of Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Witnesses told Al Jazeera that a drone struck a group of civilians near al-Farabi School, killing brothers Juma and Fadi Tamer Abu Assi.

The boys were taken to the Nasser Medical Complex with critical injuries, where they were later pronounced dead, according to medical sources.

Israel’s military said it killed two people who had crossed into an Israeli-controlled area and were conducting “suspicious activities.” A separate incident in the south also resulted in one death. The military did not mention the deaths of children in its statement.

Continued Strikes Across Gaza

On Saturday, the Israeli military carried out ground, naval, and air attacks on several parts of Gaza.

Medical sources reported three Palestinians injured in Israeli artillery and air strikes in al-Qarara, northeast of Khan Younis.

Israeli aircraft also targeted the Tuffah neighbourhood in eastern Gaza City and areas in eastern Rafah city.

Ismail al-Thawabta, director of Gaza’s Government Media Office, said that 535 Israeli violations had been recorded since the ceasefire began.

The health ministry reported that at least 352 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the truce, without distinguishing between civilians and combatants.

Palestinians Killed After Surrender in Jenin

The UN human rights office (OHCHR) condemned the “brazen killing” of two Palestinian men by Israeli border police in the West Bank, describing it as “an apparent summary execution.”

The two men, 39-year-old Yusef ’Asa’sah and 26-year-old al-Muntaser bel-lah ‘Abdallah, were killed during an Israeli Defence Forces operation in the Jabal Abu Dhahir area of Jenin on 27 November.

Video footage shows the men emerging from a building with their hands raised, kneeling, and showing they were unarmed before being shot at close range. The footage indicates the men posed no threat to soldiers at the time.

In a statement, the Israeli military said the men had been involved in “terror activities”, including throwing explosives and firing at security forces.

It said a “surrender procedure” had been initiated, lasting several hours, and that after the suspects exited the building, “fire was directed toward the suspects.”

The military said the incident is under review by the relevant professional bodies.

OHCHR spokesperson Jeremy Laurence criticised the Israeli government for statements seeking to absolve security forces, raising doubts over the credibility of any future investigation.

He noted that killings of Palestinians by Israeli security forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank have been surging without accountability.

OHCHR has verified that Israeli forces and settlers have killed 1,030 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 233 children, since 7 October 2023.

“Impunity for Israel security forces’ unlawful use of force, and ever-growing Israeli settler violence, must end,” Laurence said.

Lockdowns and Raids in the West Bank

Human rights groups warn that entire Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank have been forced into lockdown as the Israeli military carries out wide-scale raids.

Save the Children said on Friday (28 Nov) that families in the northern West Bank have been forced to shelter inside their homes amid fears of violence from Israeli forces.

The lockdowns are “keeping children out of school, jeopardising family incomes and increasing the risk of physical violence and child detention,” the group added.

On social media, a video circulated showing Israeli forces storming a home in the West Bank.

Israeli troops laid siege to large areas of the northeastern Tubas governorate starting on Wednesday (26 Nov) and conducted major raids in other towns across the West Bank, including Jenin.

Dozens of people have been injured in Tubas since the raids began, while more than 160 others have been detained, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Israel said the operations aim to target armed Palestinian groups, but residents say the military has carried out indiscriminate attacks on civilians, blocked journalists and ambulances, and damaged infrastructure.