Two Palestinians were martyred on Friday evening after an Israeli drone strike targeted a group of civilians in central Gaza, in what local sources described as a flagrant breach of the ongoing ceasefire agreement.

Eyewitnesses reported that an Israeli drone fired missiles toward civilians near the Al-Qastal Towers area, east of Deir al-Balah, killing two people instantly and wounding several others. The victims were among those attempting to return to their homes after weeks of displacement.

The attack marks yet another violation of the fragile ceasefire, which officially came into effect on October 11. Since then, Israeli occupation forces have continued their aggression across the Gaza Strip, killing at least 90 Palestinians and injuring more than 130 others despite international calls for restraint.

Local observers condemned the strike as part of Israel’s ongoing policy of targeting civilians under the guise of “security operations,” accusing the occupation of deliberately sabotaging efforts to maintain calm in Gaza.

“This attack proves that the so-called ceasefire exists only in name,” said a local journalist in Deir al-Balah. “Israel continues to bomb our neighborhoods while the world watches in silence.”

Palestinian resistance factions also denounced the incident, warning that continued Israeli violations would have consequences and that the occupation bears full responsibility for undermining the ceasefire.

Meanwhile, humanitarian groups operating in central Gaza renewed their appeals to the international community to intervene and hold Israel accountable for its repeated attacks on civilians, which have only deepened the suffering of a population already devastated by months of war, siege, and displacement. (ILKHA)