Saturday, the fourth day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, saw attacks across Palestine as Israel continued to violate a U.S.-backed ceasefire that took effect in October to halt its genocidal war in Gaza.
Dr. Jamal Abu Aboun, head of anesthesiology at Yafa Al-Yafa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, was killed in an Israeli airstrike near Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, also in Deir al-Balah, on Saturday. A medical source at Al-Aqsa Hospital said his body and three wounded individuals, including a child, were brought to the facility after an Israeli drone targeted a group of civilians nearby.
Earlier, Israeli artillery shelled eastern and southern areas of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Another artillery attack targeted the al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza. According to the Gaza Media Office, at least 922 Palestinians have been killed and 2,786 others wounded in Israeli attacks since the October ceasefire.
Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, killing at least 72,000 Palestinians and wounding over 172,000, according to Palestinian figures. In testimonies to the Associated Press, Israeli soldiers described a dehumanizing atmosphere, permissive rules of engagement, and frequent killing of Palestinians during the ceasefire period. One reservist said comrades celebrated after an attack on a vehicle carrying Palestinians, killing everyone inside, calling it "a jungle" and stating the order was "if someone crosses the line, you shoot them." Another said commanders constantly emphasized holding territory at all costs, with a prevailing feeling that "human life has no value."
In the occupied West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked several homes in the town of Beita, south of Nablus, on Saturday morning, throwing stones at houses and smashing multiple vehicles, according to the Wafa news agency. Voice of Palestine radio reported Israeli forces fired flares over the town. In the southern West Bank, settlers attacked farmland and destroyed numerous trees in Khirbet el-Muraq, Masafer Yatta.
According to a monthly report by the Palestinian Committee for Resisting the Wall and Settlements, Israeli settlers carried out at least 540 attacks in April against Palestinians and their property in the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem, ranging from direct violence, uprooting trees, burning fields, preventing farmers from accessing land, confiscating property, to destroying homes and agricultural structures. Israeli military raids, arrests, and settler attacks have escalated across the West Bank since the start of the genocidal war in Gaza. According to Palestinian figures, Israeli forces and settlers have killed 1,168 Palestinians, wounded 12,666, displaced about 33,000, and detained nearly 23,000 in the West Bank since October 2023.
