By Nadine Osman
London,(The Muslim News): Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man Saturday and wounded two others at the Meitar-Tarqumiya crossing near Hebron in the southern occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. The humanitarian organisation confirmed the casualties but provided no details about the circumstances of the shooting.
The official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that the deceased was a young man whose identity had not yet been confirmed, citing unnamed medical, local, and security sources. The two injured individuals were from the town of Idhna, west of Hebron, and sustained moderate injuries. Forces reportedly opened fire with live ammunition at the trio near the separation barrier in al-Dhahiriya, southern Hebron.
West Bank raids spread
Elsewhere, Israeli forces carried out a series of raids across the occupied West Bank, injuring multiple Palestinians and causing widespread disruption.
In the village of Azzaba Shufa, southeast of Tulkarem, a Palestinian man was shot in the thigh during a military incursion, the Palestinian Red Crescent said. He was taken to hospital for treatment.
In the northern city of Tubas, six Palestinians suffered tear gas inhalation during confrontations with Israeli forces, WAFA reported. Red Crescent crews treated the casualties at the scene.
Troops also stormed the northern town of Qabalan, near Nablus, firing sound grenades and tear gas towards residents and homes. In Attil, northern Tulkarem, military vehicles blocked roads and restricted movement. Ground forces raided several shops, detaining and interrogating workers, though no arrests were reported.
Since Israel’s military campaign in Gaza began on 7 October 2023, at least 974 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in the West Bank by Israeli forces and illegal settlers, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Meanwhile in Gaza, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that at least 54,772 Palestinians have been killed in what it describes as Israel’s genocidal war since October. The total number of injuries has reached 125,834.
Over the past 48 hours alone, 95 bodies were taken to hospitals and 304 people were wounded. “Many victims remain trapped under the rubble and on the roads, as rescuers are unable to reach them,” the ministry stated.
Saturday’s Gaza strikes
Israeli airstrikes and gunfire killed at least 72 Palestinians and injured approximately 100 more in Gaza on Saturday, according to local sources.
On the second day of Eid al-Adha, 15 Palestinians—including six children—were killed and over 50 wounded when Israeli warplanes struck a residential home with two missiles in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City. Medical staff told Anadolu Agency that rescue teams fear the death toll could rise above 30, as many victims are believed trapped under the rubble.
In the southern Gaza Strip, 12 people, including four members of one family, were killed and more than 40 injured when Israeli shelling targeted tents housing displaced Palestinians west of Khan Younis.
Additional strikes throughout Gaza resulted in multiple casualties:
• Seven Palestinians killed in a strike on a house sheltering displaced persons west of Gaza City
• Two killed by artillery in the al-Saftawi neighbourhood in northern Gaza
• Three killed in an airstrike on a civilian gathering near Jabalia refugee camp
• Three more, including a child, killed in a strike near the al-Mujayda fuel station
A medical official at Nasser Hospital confirmed that six individuals were killed when an Israeli drone struck Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis. In the al-Amal neighbourhood of the same city, one person was killed and another injured in a separate drone attack.
In the Jabalia al-Nazla area, eight civilians were killed in a strike, with two more deaths reported in al-Faluja, Jabalia. A drone strike killed five more in the al-Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza City.
In central Gaza, two Palestinians were killed in an attack on a tent near Al-Durra Stadium in Deir al-Balah. Six Palestinians were shot dead near an aid distribution centre west of Rafah.
Nine civilians were killed in two separate airstrikes targeting Jabalia and Deir al-Balah. WAFA reported that six people died when Israeli jets bombed the Abdullah family home in Jabalia. Three others died after a strike on a tent sheltering displaced persons in the Al-Bassa area of Deir al-Balah.
Media ban condemned
The Commissioner-General of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, condemned Israel’s ongoing ban on international journalists entering Gaza on Saturday.
“This is unprecedented in any other conflict in modern history,” he said in a statement. “It is a ban on the truth. It is a ban on reporting the facts. It is the perfect recipe to fuel misinformation, deepening polarisation and dehumanisation.”
He urged the Israeli government to allow independent reporting and to support local journalists. “Nearly 200 of them were reported killed since the war began,” he added. “The ban on international media must be lifted.”
Regional response
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman marked Eid al-Adha with a message condemning the war in Gaza and calling for lasting peace for Palestinians.
“Eid al-Adha comes this year while the suffering of our brothers in Palestine continues as a result of the Israeli aggression,” he said in a public address. “We stress the role of the international community in ending the disastrous repercussions of this aggression, protecting civilians and innocents, and creating a new reality in which Palestine enjoys peace.”
[Photo: Palestinians wait to receive hot meal, distributed by charity organizations, as people spend Eid al-Adha in the shadow of Israeli blockade and attacks in Gaza City, Gaza on June 7, 2025. Photojournalist: Moiz Salhi/AA]
