Israeli Drone Strike Near Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital Kills Palestinian Doctor in Deir al-Balah

An Israeli drone strike near Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, killed Dr. Jamal Abu Aoun, head of the anaesthesia department at Al-Yafa Medical Hospital, on May 30, 2026. Several other people were wounded in the attack. The strike was confirmed by Al Jazeera correspondents on the ground. The attack came during the fourth day of Eid al-Adha, which Israeli forces also marked with artillery shelling in eastern and southern Khan Younis and a separate drone strike near the Firas Market in Gaza City that killed one and wounded several others. The killing of a department head at a functioning medical facility drew immediate condemnation from the Palestinian health ministry and WHO. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah is one of the few hospitals still partially operational in Gaza, and Dr. Abu Aoun's death adds to the estimated 1,000+ healthcare workers killed since October 2023.