Israeli forces continued their relentless assault on the Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing at least six Palestinians in multiple airstrikes across the besieged territory, while armed Israeli settlers carried out a deadly attack in the occupied West Bank, shooting dead a young Palestinian man defending his home. These latest killings bring the number of Palestinians martyred by Israeli fire since the October 2025 ceasefire to more than 660.
Pre-Dawn Carnage in Khan Yunis and Gaza City
In a pre-dawn strike on the southern city of Khan Yunis, Israeli warplanes targeted a police vehicle, killing two policemen and a civilian who happened to be nearby, according to Gaza's civil defense agency. Hours later, another strike on a group of civilians in the Tuffah neighborhood of eastern Gaza City killed three more people, whose bodies were transported to Al-Shifa Hospital as rescue workers pulled the wounded from the rubble. The attacks occurred as families were sleeping, with no prior warning issued by the Israeli forces, in clear violation of the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
The Nuseirat Massacre
The killing did not stop there. In a separate incident, Israeli warplanes bombed a residential home in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing four members of the same family. Hospital officials at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital identified the victims as Kamel Ayash, his pregnant wife Halima, their 10-year-old son Ahmed, and a 15-year-old neighbor, Ibrahim Hasanat. Halima was expecting twins at the time of her death, making this attack the killing of at least six lives in a single strike. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem condemned the attack as a "horrific massacre" and a "blatant violation" of the ceasefire, emphasizing that civilians, including women and children, continue to pay the price for the Israel's belligerence.
Settlers Open Fire in Qusra
In the occupied West Bank, on Saturday evening, armed Israeli settlers stormed the village of Qusra, south of Nablus, attacking residents who had rushed to defend their homes and land. During the assault, the settlers opened fire indiscriminately, killing 28-year-old Amir Moatasem Odeh with gunshot wounds. Two other residents were injured, one critically, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. Qusra's mayor, Hani Odeh, confirmed that the settlers operated under the protection of Israeli military forces, who did nothing to stop the attack and instead detained three Palestinians while allowing the armed settlers to continue their rampage. The killing of Amir Odeh is part of a staggering wave of settler violence that the United Nations has documented in over 1,800 incidents in 2025 alone, resulting in deaths, injuries, and the displacement of hundreds of families.