Two sibling children were killed on Saturday after Israeli occupation forces opened fire on them in the town of Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, a new incident that reflects the ongoing targeting of civilians, especially children, despite the ceasefire that has officially been in place since 11 October.
Their killing coincided with intense artillery shelling on multiple areas east of Khan Younis, alongside renewed airstrikes on the city of Rafah and gunfire from Israeli naval vessels toward Rafah’s coastline, conditions that have kept the humanitarian situation in the south under constant threat and prevented residents from finding shelter or moving safely.
With the deaths of the two children, the toll since the ceasefire began has risen to 354 killed and 896 wounded, in addition to the recovery of 605 bodies from beneath the rubble and from targeted areas.
The killing of the two siblings underscores the persistence of a dangerous pattern of lethal force used against protected groups, foremost among them children, in clear violation of international humanitarian law, which demands strict distinction between civilians and combatants and prohibits direct or indiscriminate attacks on civilians.
The fact that the incident occurred in an area devoid of direct clashes, combined with a pattern of gunfire aimed at those living in open surroundings or agricultural zones, points to the absence of proportionality and the use of excessive force despite the absence of any threat justifying live fire.
This comes amid continued artillery shelling and airstrikes despite the ceasefire, revealing a disregard for essential obligations and turning civilian areas into permanently unsafe environments where residents, especially children, remain under constant threat.
Moreover, the rising number of those killed and wounded since the ceasefire began, along with the ongoing recovery of bodies from hard-to-reach areas, signals an accumulation of violations, deepening humanitarian consequences and highlighting the absence of any guarantees for civilian protection.
The killing of the two siblings constitutes yet another episode in a sustained pattern of violations against civilians in southern Gaza, confirming that the ceasefire has not translated into actual protection on the ground. The repeated targeting of children, alongside continued shelling and airstrikes, reflects a collapse of basic protective norms and underscores the urgent need for accountability and for ensuring the protection of civilians without exception.
