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A four‑year‑old Palestinian, Osama Ahmed Abed, died after an Israeli attack on the Al‑Zawaida neighbourhood, a tragedy that highlights the ongoing civilian toll despite the cease‑fire declared in October 2025. The strike also wounded two people in Khan Yunis and saw three drivers detained at the Karm Abu Salem crossing. The death comes amid a broader humanitarian crisis: over 90% of Gaza’s schools are damaged or destroyed and more than 600,000 students remain out of school.
Recent testimonies from Israeli soldiers reveal that orders were given to bomb inhabited buildings without evacuating civilians, with an intelligence estimate foreseeing 250‑300 casualties being passed directly to the chief of staff for approval. Meanwhile, illegal Israeli settlers, some wearing army uniforms, violently attacked Palestinian families in the West Bank, beating residents in Talfit and targeting a school‑children vehicle in Masafer Yatta, while dozens of families face forced displacement in Khirbet Ras al‑Ahmar.
Why it matters: The child’s death underscores how the cease‑fire has failed to protect civilians, while evidence of deliberate targeting and settler violence suggests a pattern of policy‑driven harm. International scrutiny is intensifying, with calls for accountability over both military orders and settler attacks.
What to watch next: Monitoring investigations into the soldiers’ orders, potential UN or ICC actions, and any diplomatic pressure on Israel to halt settler assaults and ensure humanitarian access to Gaza’s schools and displaced families. [[1]]