More than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
The death toll has continued to rise since a ceasefire took effect on October 10, with Israel carrying out air strikes for what it claims are violations of the truce — while bodies continue to be retrieved from under the rubble.
Recent reports reveal that two young boys, identified as Fadi and Juma Abu Assi, were killed during an Israeli drone strike while they were gathering firewood. Their family expressed their grief over the tragic loss.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated they had targeted two suspects who crossed a designated military boundary. The line marks the area where the Israeli military agreed to withdraw under a ceasefire brokered by the United States.
The boys, aged eight and approximately ten or eleven years, were searching for firewood to support their family in the southern Gaza Strip when the incident occurred.
Their funeral was conducted at Nasser Hospital, drawing attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region.
Data from the Gaza Ministry of Health, often regarded as reliable by international observers, reports the grim toll of 70,100 deaths, with over 350 occurring since the ceasefire began. However, the Israeli government has consistently challenged these figures.
Due to restrictions on journalistic access, independent verification of casualties remains a significant challenge. Gaza's Health Ministry continues to assert the high toll amid the relentless conflict, which erupted following a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
