GAZA STRIP (Dispatches) -- Intense Israeli air and artillery strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 22 Palestinians, including children, local hospital sources reported on Saturday, highlighting continued violations of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire signed 43 days ago.
A civilian car and four residential buildings were among the targets, with Israeli forces using explosives to demolish homes east of Gaza City. In one attack, an Israeli “kamikaze” drone struck a vehicle on a busy street, killing five people and critically wounding seven others, including children.
The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed that at least 318 people have been killed and 788 injured since the truce went into effect on October 10, despite the agreement aimed at ending hostilities. 
UNICEF officials underscored the ongoing toll on children, reporting that at least 67 children have died in conflict-related incidents since the ceasefire, with many more wounded. 
“These are not statistics,” UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires said in Geneva. “Each child had a story, a family, and a future that was stolen from them.”
Hamas condemned Israel’s repeated violations, accusing Tel Aviv of undermining the ceasefire under “fabricated pretexts.” The movement said the attacks have altered the agreed-upon withdrawal lines and called on mediators and the U.S. administration to exert immediate pressure on Israel to stop the violence.
The Israeli aggression has caused widespread civilian suffering, with children reportedly living outdoors or in makeshift shelters, some with amputated limbs. Local sources described Gaza hospitals overwhelmed by casualties, while destruction of homes has left hundreds displaced.
Despite international agreements, the Trump administration reportedly supported the attacks. A U.S. official told Axios that Israel’s policy is to respond immediately to any perceived violations of the truce, effectively backing repeated strikes against civilians.
Human rights groups and UN observers have repeatedly warned that these strikes constitute violations of international law and could amount to war crimes, given their targeting of civilian infrastructure and the disproportionate impact on non-combatants.
The ongoing violence exposes the fragility of international mediation in Gaza and the failure of global powers to hold Israel accountable. With civilians continuing to bear the brunt of military operations, humanitarian organizations warn of an escalating crisis that threatens the lives and future of Gaza’s population.