Israeli occupation forces once again violated the fragile ceasefire on Monday, launching a deadly drone strike that killed two Palestinian civilians and injured several others in the town of Abasan al-Kabira, east of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.

According to medical officials at the Nasser Medical Complex, the victims were among a group of residents targeted by an Israeli drone while they were gathered in a civilian area. The attack adds to the growing list of ceasefire violations by the occupying forces, who continue to bombard and fire on Gaza’s besieged communities.

Witnesses reported that Israeli forces also opened heavy machine-gun fire toward eastern Khan Yunis throughout the day, creating panic among residents already suffering from months of relentless aggression. Meanwhile, Israeli gunboats shelled the coast of Rafah, intensifying the pressure on displaced families sheltering near the southern border.

Since the ceasefire announced on October 11, 2023, at least 93 Palestinians have been martyred, 324 wounded, and the bodies of 464 people have been recovered from the rubble of demolished homes and public facilities.

Medical authorities in Gaza confirmed that the overall death toll from Israel’s genocidal war on the enclave has now reached 68,519, with 170,382 others wounded since the beginning of the onslaught on October 7, 2023.

Human rights groups have repeatedly condemned Israel’s ongoing attacks on civilians, calling them clear violations of international law and evidence of collective punishment against an already starved and displaced population.

Despite global outrage and repeated calls for accountability, Israel’s military continues to act with impunity, while Gaza’s hospitals struggle to operate amid shortages of fuel, medical supplies, and staff — the direct result of the 17-year-long blockade and the devastation of the past year’s bombardment.

The residents of Khan Yunis and Rafah, already enduring famine conditions, face yet another wave of fear as the occupation persists in targeting civilian areas, underscoring what Palestinian officials describe as the continuation of a systematic campaign of extermination against the people of Gaza. (ILKHA)