Ceasefires fray as Israel kills six in Gaza, Lebanon

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Palestinian boys carry pieces of wood as they make their way through the rubble of destroyed buildings in the Al-Shatee refugee camp, east of Gaza City.—AFP
Palestinian boys carry pieces of wood as they make their way through the rubble of destroyed buildings in the Al-Shatee refugee camp, east of Gaza City.—AFP

• Hamas returns Israeli prisoner’s body; gets 15 Palestinians’ bodies in return
• US coordinates Gaza aid flow but Israel maintains oversight, officials say

JERUSALEM: Israeli forces continued to wage deadly assaults across the Palestinian territories and southern Lebanon on Saturday, in a series of air and artillery attacks that violated ceasefire agreements on both fronts.

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli troops shot dead two 16-year-old boys, adding to the mounting number of Palestinian children killed by Israeli forces.

The Palestinian health ministry in Ramallah identified the victims as Mohammed Abdullah Moham­med Ateem and Muhammad Rashad Fadl Qasim, both from the village of Judeira. The ministry said Israeli forces were withholding the boys’ bodies.

The Israeli military acknowledged the killings, referring to the teenagers as individuals it had “eliminated” — a term frequently employed by Israeli authorities to obscure civilian deaths and dehumanise Palestinians.

At the same time, in the besieged Strip, Israeli gunfire killed one Palestinian and wounded another near the Bureij refugee camp.

A separate attack in western Khan Younis left another Pales­tinian wounded, medics reported.

Three killed in Lebanon

In a separate escalation, Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed three people and wounded several others on Saturday.

Lebanon’s National News Agency said two brothers from the town of Shebaa were burned alive when an Israeli missile hit their SUV. A separate strike in Baraashit killed one person and wounded four. Another Israeli strike on Saturday morning on a car near a hospital in the southern city of Bint Jbeil wounded seven people, according to the ministry.

The latest attacks came as the European Union voiced concern. “Focus by all parties must be on preserving the ceasefire and the progress achieved so far.”

Body exchange

Simultaneously, under the cea­­sefire’s prisoner exchange plan, for every one dead Israeli prisoners returned, the bodies of 15 slain Palestinians are handed back by Israel.

On Saturday, Israel identified the latest prisoner remains sent back from Gaza as those of Lior Rudaeff. Meanwhile, the Nasser Medical Centre in Khan Younis reported receiving the bodies of 15 Pales­tinians.

US, Israel coordinate aid

Meanwhile, according to the Washington Post, US forces are now involved in coordinating aid through the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) that will replace Israel in overseeing aid into Gaza. It cited a US official and people familiar with the matter as saying Israel was part of the process but that CMCC would decide what aid enters Gaza and how.

However, an Israeli security official confirmed that Israel remains part of the supervision and monitoring process, with decisions made jointly. This suggests little change to the stifling Israeli control over what aid enters Gaza.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2025

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