Palestinian medical sources announced the death of a young Palestinian man on Thursday evening, shot by Israeli occupation forces in the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. This incident further exacerbates the already fragile security situation in the Strip and represents a new violation of the ceasefire agreement brokered by regional and international parties, which came into effect last October.
According to sources, another Palestinian was wounded by Israeli artillery shelling that targeted the Tuffah neighborhood east of Gaza City. These attacks coincided with the ongoing demolition of residential buildings in the eastern areas of the Gaza Strip, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and increasing the suffering of the civilian population.
Background of ongoing tension
The Gaza Strip, home to more than two million Palestinians, has been under a tight Israeli blockade since 2007, leading to a catastrophic deterioration in economic and humanitarian conditions. Over the years, the Strip has witnessed several rounds of violent military escalation, resulting in thousands of deaths and injuries, and widespread destruction of infrastructure. The ceasefire agreements that follow these rounds remain extremely fragile, as any security incident, such as the killing of the young man in Khan Younis, threatens to reignite the conflict at any moment. The border areas are constant flashpoints, with Israeli forces frequently firing on Palestinian farmers and demonstrators.
Regional and international impacts
The repercussions of these events are not limited to the Palestinian territories but extend to affect regional and international dynamics. Every escalation in Gaza or the West Bank puts pressure on diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving stability. In this context, the Saudi position reflects Arab and Islamic rejection of Israeli practices. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reiterated its strong condemnation of the Israeli occupation authorities' decisions regarding settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.
The Saudi condemnation came during the extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah, where Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed bin Abdulkarim Al-Khuraiji criticized Israel's decision to designate Palestinian land as "state land" and the Knesset's resolutions aimed at accelerating settlement construction. Al-Khuraiji emphasized that these unilateral measures seriously undermine efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace and constitute a flagrant violation of international law and UN resolutions, which deem settlements illegal and a major obstacle to the two-state solution.
