Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

 

On Day 79 of the US-Backed Israeli Genocidal War on Gaza, More Death, Destruction, Starvation and Thirst, with 20,424 Palestinians Killed, 54,072 Injured

 December 24, 2023 

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Editor's Notes:  

Here are some initial (not final) statistics, which show the Israeli war crimes against humanity, during the current Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip:  

By December 24, 2023, the initial death toll of Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip is 27,424+.   

This includes the accounted for deaths (20,424) and those who are still missing under the rubble (Corrected on December 23, 2023: 7,000+).   

The documented injuries exceeded 54,072, and more than 2,600 civilians have been abducted from Gaza Strip.   

By December 24, 2023, there were 304 Palestinians who were killed, 3,495 who were injured, and 4,695, who were abducted by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank, since October 7, 2023.

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By December 24, 2023, the death toll included 8,200+ children and 6,200+ women.   

By December 24 2023,  there was a complete destruction of 55,000+ housing units, and a partial destruction of 258,000+ housing units (60% of Gaza housing units). This forced about 1.5 million people to become homeless, taking refuge in crowded UN schools and ultimately sleeping in the streets.  

The Israeli refusal to allow international aid caravans to enter Gaza freely led the Palestinian population to be on the verge of mass extermination for the lack of food, water, medicine, and fuel.  

By December 21, 2023, 99 health personnel were killed and hundreds were injured, 102 ambulances were destroyed while on duty, killing and injuring their crews, and destroyed 56 health institutions. As a result of the strikes and lack of fuel, 23 hospitals and 53 primary care centers are not functioning.  

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A Palestinian young man grieving a family member, as reports showed that Israeli occupation soldiers executed 137 Palestinian civilians in northern Gaza Strip, December 24, 2023	Palestinians looking for dead relatives in Tel Al-Za'tar area in Jabalya, after the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces, December 24, 2023

A mother carries her little child, who was injured by an Israeli bombardment, to a hospital in Gaza Strip, file, December 24, 2023	Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians taking refuge in UN schools, after escaping the Israeli genocidal air strikes on their neighborhoods, in Gaza Strip, file, December 24, 2023
Family members sitting beside corpses some of the children who were killed by Israeli genocidal air strikes on Gaza Strip, on December 24, 2023	Some of the Palestinian children who were killed by Israeli genocidal air strikes on Gaza Strip, December 24, 2023
Shortage of drinking water in Jabalya, as a result of the destruction of the infrastructure by the Israeli genocidal air strikes on northern Gaza Strips, December 24, 2023	Entire families are massacred inside their homes by the Israeli genocidal air strikes on Khan Younus, in southern Gaza Strips, December 24, 2023
Palestinian child return from a UN school refuge to their home, which was destroyed by an Israeli genocidal air strike on Al-Maghazi, in central Gaza Strips, December 24, 2023	Some of the injured Palestinians, who were abducted by the Israeli occupation forces in northern Gaza Strip, were released after interrogation, arriving for treatment at Abu Yousuf Al-Najjar hospital, in Rafa'h, in southern Gaza Strip, December 24, 2023

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

"مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَٰلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَىٰ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنَّهُ مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا"  (الْمَائِدَةُ ، 5: 32).

"وَمَنْ يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُّتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَغَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُ عَذَابًا عَظِيمًا" (النِّسَاءُ ، 4: 93).

"Because of that, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul, unless for a soul, or for corruption in the land, it is as if he had killed humankind entirely" (The Holy Quran, Al-Ma-ida, 5: 32).

"And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally, and Allah has become angry with him, and has cursed him, and has prepared for him a great torment" (Al-Nisa, 4: 93).

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While brutal force has been used to create Zionist Israel and sustain it thus far, Zionist claims to Palestine are false. Actually, from the five thousand years of known written human history, there has been a continuous Palestinian-Canaanite presence in the Holy Land. Despite the Zionist false claims, the ancient Israelites ruled part of the land for only 85 years (during the reign of Prophets David and Solomon , peace be upon them, and Solomon's son).

 After that, the Egyptians conquered Palestine-Canaan in 925 BC, followed by Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans, before the Arab Muslim rule, starting from 636 AD.

By the Time Jesus, peace be upon him, started his mission, the three population groups of Canaanites, Palestinians, and Israelites were melted together in religion and language. Most of them became Christians when Constantine converted in 313 AD. Then, most of them became Muslims in the 7th and 8th centuries AD.

So, Palestinian Muslims, Christians, and Jews are the ones who have the right to claim descent from ancient Israelites, Palestinians, and Canaanites, not Zionists from other continents.

No matter what the Zionists and their supporters do, they cannot change the will of God, Who promised the Holy Land to Abraham and his descendants, basically the Palestinian Muslims and Christians.

No matter how much persecution and aggression the Zionists and their supporters inflict upon the Palestinian people, they will never be able to force them out of the Holy Land, which Allah, praise to Him, promised for them, and kept His promise ever since.

The following news stories are just examples, not a systematic record, of the Israeli occupation government abuse, mistreatment, and violations of Palestinian human rights, on daily basis.

More detailed news stories can be found at the following sources:

http://english.wafa.ps/, https://english.palinfo.com/, https://imemc.org/, https://paltoday.ps/ar/


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Editorial Notes about terms & names of people and places:

1. Names of people and places have been standardized to match standard Arabic grammatical rules.

2. Underlined letters and letters preceded by an apostrophe are references to Arabic letter sounds, which does not exist in the English alphabet.

3. The English letter i is equivalent to the Arabic short vowel known as kasra, as in Ibraheem and Qasim as well as in the English words sit and bit. So, it is incorrect to use it as a long vowel for such Arabic names as Jameel and Jibreel.

4. The English letter e is equivalent to the Arabi short vowel known as fat'ha, as in A'hmed and Mu'hammed.

5. It is more accurate to refer to the land-grabbing Israelis, who establish illegal settlements in the Palestinian territory of the West Bank, as illegal Israeli settlers, than referring to them as colonists.

The term colony is a reference to a large entity or a country, such as American states before independence. It was also a reference to Egypt, and India, when they were British colonies.

In addition, the term "colony" represents a positive nostalgic theme, in the minds of native speakers of English, particularly in America and Britain.

6. It is more accurate to use the verb "abduct" than the verb "detain," in reference to taking Palestinian citizens by force to prisons and interrogation centers, by Israeli occupation regime soldiers. This is because the presence of the Israeli occupation regime forces is illegal in the Palestinian territories, and they have no jurisdiction over the Palestinian people.

Click here for more about using the apostrophe and the underlining of letters in the transliteration of Arabic names.


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Israel systematically destroys Palestinian infrastructure with traditional weapons

By Huda 'Habayib

TULKARM, Sunday, December 24, 2023 (WAFA) –

It has become evident that the frequent and sudden incursions conducted by Israeli occupation forces, employing heavy machinery, bulldozers, and military vehicles into cities and refugee camps in the West Bank, primarily aim at killing, destroying infrastructure, and vandalizing homes and properties of Palestinian civilians.

Locals believe that such attacks and provocative practices, along with the resulting tense atmosphere, fear, and disruption of daily life in cities, towns, and refugee camps, are geared towards imposing a policy of fait accompli and extinguishing any hope for the end of the occupation.

These assaults, executed with significant force and military presence, include the intensified deployment of Israeli military vehicles in refugee camps around cities and intensive patrols along the Israeli segregation barrier, particularly in the northern West Bank.

Invariably, these raids commence in the early hours of the morning but, in recent times, have extended into late-night hours, lasting for several hours or even days. During these incursions, Israeli forces engage in bulldozing, destruction, firing live ammunition, house invasions, detaining residents, physical assaults, frequent arrests, and, at times, casualties.

The city of Tulkarm, housing the Tulkarm and Nour Shams refugee camps, situated at the eastern main entrance of the city, has become a consistent target for Israeli assaults. The Israeli occupation continuously directs its aggression and violence towards these camps, considering them symbols of resistance.

In these camps, scenes are mixed as the deafening sound of the well-known armored D9 bulldozers echoes, recently used by the occupation. Citizens witness the aftermath: destruction, indiscriminate firing, house invasions, detainment of residents, verbal abuse, physical assault, recurring arrests, and sometimes casualties.

The D9 bulldozer is one of the massive armored bulldozers used by the Israeli occupation during its incursions into West Bank camps, following its aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7. It is a destructive vehicle used to destroy the infrastructure of roads and clear paths for other military vehicles and soldiers.

Last night, the Nour Shams refugee camp experienced a harrowing night as more than 50 Israeli vehicles invaded its neighborhoods. This marked the second invasion within a week, the third within the current month, and the fourth since the Israeli aggression on Gaza, where 18 of the camp's residents lost their lives.

The problem lies in the fact that Nour Shams camp is situated on the main road connecting the city to the towns of 'Anabta and Bala'a and the other villages and towns east of Tulkarm. This location has turned it into a route for Israeli military vehicles and destructive bulldozers, intentionally wreaking havoc, demolishing streets, vehicles, and damaging the water supply network.

The destruction extends to the commercial shops and the walls surrounding homes. Deadly stray bullets fired by Israeli soldiers penetrate windows, walls, and doors, not to mention the missiles launched by drones towards homes and gatherings of youth within the neighborhoods.

The occupation makes no distinction between one citizen and another; everyone is a target, whether stationary or in motion. Hence, the majority of residents cannot remain in their homes, especially those situated along the main street of the camp or at its entrance. They are forced to seek shelter in distant homes within the camp.

M.N.

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No safe places in Gaza, says UN in response to Israel's evacuation orders in central Gaza

JERUSALEM, Sunday, December 24, 2023 (WAFA) –

 Israel's latest evacuation order for thousands of civilians in the central Gaza Strip would force them to relocate to areas where there are ongoing air strikes, the UN Refugee and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees said last night.

In the evacuation order issued on Friday, the Israeli occupation army demanded residents in the Bureij refugee camp and surrounding communities to "leave immediately for their own security" and head towards the city of Dair El-Bala'h further south.

"People in Gaza are people. They are not pieces on a checkerboard–many have already been displaced several times," Thomas White, Gaza director for the UNRWA wrote on X, previously Twitter.

"The Israeli army just orders people to move into areas where there are ongoing air strikes. No place is safe, nowhere to go."

UNRWA tweeted that the latest order would affect more than 150,000 people. An estimated 1.9 million have been displaced by the ongoing Israeli aggression, according to the UN.

M.N.

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UNRWA says an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza is a must

JERUSALEM, Saturday, December 23, 2023 (WAFA) -

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has urgently called for an immediate and humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing the need for aid flow without preconditions for political negotiations.

Speaking at a press conference, UNRWA spokesperson Tamara Al-Rifa-'i expressed deep concern about the grave situation in Gaza, stating, "It is extremely tragic that politics stand in the way of 2.3 million people's survival in Gaza."

Al-Rifa-'i stressed the "crucial necessity for an immediate and humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, along with the unimpeded flow of aid, without setting conditions for political negotiations."

Earlier, the UNRWA Gaza operations director reported that the Israeli occupation regime forces issued additional evacuation orders for residents in the central Gaza Strip (Al-Buraij and Al-Nusayrat) to relocate to Dair El-Bala'h. 

Over 150,000 individuals are estimated to be affected by the decision, particularly concerning given the area's existing high population density, including UNRWA-run shelters.

Highlighting the plight of the people of Gaza, Al-Rifa-'i underscored that these people "are not pawns in a chess game, having been displaced multiple times... There are no safe havens and nowhere for them to go."

M.N.

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Israeli aggression on Gaza destroys about one fifth of the agricultural land, says PCBS

RAMALLAH, Sunday, December 24, 2023 (WAFA) – 

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) has Sunday issued an updated press release on the impact of the Israeli occupation aggression on the agricultural sector in Gaza Strip.

The PCBS relied on the Agriculture Census 2021, which shows the cultivated agricultural areas and the composition of the agricultural sector in Gaza Strip, and matched it with the satellite imagery that demonstrate the 3rd agricultural damage assessment for Gaza Strip, which was conducted by UNOSAT, to updated the damages based on the effects highlighted by this map on the agricultural areas. The update shows the changes that were monitored via satellite in the agricultural areas in Gaza Strip as a result of the deterioration of the agricultural sector and the decline in the health and density of crops due to the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza Strip.

The health and density of the agricultural crops during the month of December 2023 has declined compared to the preceding six seasons spanning from 2017 to 2022. It should be noted that the analysis took into account the damage caused on active crop fields, fallow lands, and a multitude of household gardens, and did not include permanent croplands, forests, as well as protected crops and animal production. This decline is due to the impact of activities such as razing, heavy vehicle activity, bombing, shelling, and other conflict-related dynamics.

39% of the affected agricultural area is in North Gaza Governorate

Data indicate that 18% of the agricultural areas in Gaza Strip were damaged, and the direct and greatest damage was in North Gaza governorates, as the damage affected 39% of the agricultural areas in North Gaza Governorate and 27% in Gaza Governorate.

The agricultural census 2021 data indicated that 32% of the cultivated area in Gaza Strip is in Khan Younus Governorate, and 29% in North Gaza Governorate.

Areas cultivated with vegetables are the most affected

Looking at the composition of the cultivated areas in Gaza Strip and matching them with the most affected areas according to the satellites imagery, indicators show that vegetables are the most crops susceptible to damage, as vegetables constitute 53% of the cultivated area in Gaza Strip. Thus, it can be considered that about 21% of cultivated area with vegetables have been exposed to damage, where it affected 19% of the cultivated area with tree horticulture and 18% of the cultivated areas with field crops.

Among the most susceptible vegetable crops to damage are strawberries and potatoes in North Gaza Governorate, where the cultivated areas with them constitute 44% of the cultivated area with vegetables in North Gaza Governorate, while tomatoes and potatoes were the most susceptible to damage in Khan Younus Governorate, where the cultivated areas with them constitute 31% of the cultivated area with vegetables in Khan Younus Governorate.

Wheat is the most susceptible field crops to damage

Based on linking the Agricultural Census 2021 data with the satellite imagery, the analysis indicates that for the type of field crops, wheat is suffering the most damage among field crops, as it exceeds 69% of the cultivated area with field crops in Khan Yunis, and 52% of the cultivated area with field crops in North Gaza Governorate.

Damages in Olive crops in Khan Younus and North Gaza Governorates

The agricultural census 2021 data indicated that the most crop within tree horticulture, based on its contribution to the total cultivated areas with tree horticulture, is olive crop, where the areas cultivated with olive represent 68% of the cultivated area with tree horticulture in Khan Younus Governorate and 47% of the cultivated area with tree horticulture in North Gaza Governorate.

K.T.

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Monitor: Israeli army deliberately attacks UNRWA schools housing displaced people

Sunday 24-December-2023, GENEVA, (PIC)

Euro-Med Monitor for Human Rights has said that Israeli occupation forces (IOF) continue to violate schools that have been converted into shelters for tens of thousands of displaced people, committing grave violations including extrajudicial killings, arrests, harassment, and intimidation of civilians.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Euro-Med Monitor documented the Israeli forces’ raid on Al-Rafi’i School in Jabalya, which houses thousands of displaced people, and the arrest of males aged 15 and above after forcing them to strip down and remain in their underwear. The soldiers then took them to an unknown location while forcefully displacing women amidst gunfire.

The Monitor highlighted that the Israeli forces have targeted shelter centers, most of which are established in schools managed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which bear the United Nations logo. These centers have been targeted since the early days of the extensive Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, which began on October 7th.

It also noted that the Israeli military attacks have taken multiple forms. Initially, shelter centers were repeatedly targeted by aerial bombardment, resulting in the death of hundreds of civilians and the injury of hundreds more. This occurred on several occasions at Al-Fakhoura School and dozens of other schools in Gaza and its northern areas, as well as in Khan Younus in the southern part of the Strip and Al-Buraij in the central area.

Preliminary information gathered by the Euro-Med Monitor indicates that these attacks were unjustified and targeted innocent civilians who had sought refuge in shelter centers after receiving Israeli evacuation orders from their homes and residential areas.

The Monitor reported that the second phase of targeting schools and shelters accompanied the ground invasion. It revealed that dozens of testimonies were received regarding the Israeli army’s storming of those schools after destroying their walls and gates with tanks, amidst intense gunfire and tank shells.

It also highlighted that the IOF carried out field executions in several of those schools, as was the case in the “Shadia Abu Ghazala” school in Jabalia, where, after the IOF withdrew from the area on December 13th, nine bodies, including women and children, were found.

In his testimony about what happened, the elderly man, Yousuf Khaleel, told the Euro-Med Monitor that after the Israeli forces stormed the school, two soldiers opened fire directly at his family members while they were in one of the classrooms.

Khalil pointed out that after his family members were killed, he was arrested by the Israeli forces along with others for several days, during which he was subjected to beatings and torture before being released later on.

After the Israeli occupation forces withdrew from the vicinity of the school where they were stationed for a week, Khalil returned to the school only to find the bodies of his family members in an advanced state of decomposition. Among the victims were a woman, her husband, and several of their children.

Video clips monitored by the Monitor from the school, which were filmed between December 13th and 15th, showed classrooms that had been damaged, at least two bodies on the ground, and a number of bodies, including a woman, as well as a bed soaked in blood, bullet holes, and blood stains on the ground.

Euro-Med Monitor underlined that alongside the killings in shelter schools, Israeli forces are working on detaining males aged 14 and above, forcing them to strip and transferring them to other sites where inhumane torture and abuse take place. As for women, they are subjected to investigation and interrogation, with some being arrested and others released.

Eyewitnesses informed the Euro-Med Monitor team that Israeli forces have looted the personal belongings and money of the displaced, including confiscating golden jewelry from women in several instances.

The Monitor mentioned that the third stage of violations against these schools and shelter centers focuses on transforming them into military barracks as temporary headquarters for the occupying forces and centers for investigating and tormenting civilians.

It also indicated that the fourth stage of targeting shelter centers involves their destruction, either by planting explosives and completely demolishing them as happened when a school was destroyed on December 12th near the Indonesian Hospital in Bait Lahiya, northern Gaza.

The Monitor emphasized that while these schools are under the supervision of the United Nations and many of them have been built with European funding from taxpayers in European Union countries, they are supposed to enjoy special protection during the peak of military attacks. However, in reality, Israeli forces continue to target and celebrate their destruction in many cases that have appeared in recorded videos.

It pointed out that the deliberate targeting of shelter centers and the commission of killings, destruction, and torment are a natural result of the policy of impunity and the international silence that encourages Israel to commit more war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The ongoing operations of killing, physical elimination, and systematic destruction of buildings and facilities have no explanation or justification other than being part of deliberate acts of revenge, with civilians who are supposed to be protected under international humanitarian law paying the price.

The Monitor called for an urgent international investigation into the horrific crimes committed by the Israeli army in its incursions into the Gaza Strip, including extrajudicial executions, arbitrary arrests, and widespread torture of men and women, as well as the unnecessary destruction of schools.

It affirmed that according to international humanitarian law, Israel is obliged to take all possible precautions to avoid harming civilians and ensure their ability to provide safe conditions for their safety and shelter. It also emphasized that civilians choosing to remain in evacuation areas do not lose their protection and it is prohibited to target them under any pretext.

Euro-Med Monitor for Human Rights stressed that an immediate ceasefire is the essential demand that everyone should work towards achieving, in order to save what can be saved from the genocide targeting 2.3 million people in the Gaza Strip. This should be followed by activating all international mechanisms to investigate the committed crimes, leading to accountability, justice, and fairness, it concluded.

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Killing and Injuring of Palestinians in Ghazza (Gaza) by Israeli Occupation Regime Forces

Dozens of civilian casualties in Gaza over last few hours amid nonstop Israeli strikes

GAZA, Sunday, December 24, 2023 (WAFA) –

In the past 24 hours, at least 166 civilians were confirmed killed and over 384 others injured as a result of the ongoing Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip, according to medical sources.

The Israeli occupation military continued its relentless airstrikes, targeting residential areas across various regions of the Gaza Strip, particularly in Khan Younus, northern Gaza, and Jabalya, where ground forces and artillery have been advancing.

In the northern region, Israeli warplanes targeted the Saftawi and Sheikh Radwan neighborhoods in Gaza City, resulting in destruction to public and private properties and infrastructure.

Israeli fighter jets carried out airstrikes on Jabalya refugee camp and Jabalya town, accompanied by heavy shelling from Israeli artillery on the northern areas.

Local sources reported dozens of casualties in an Israeli strike which targeted the Al-Rafii School area and the Namaa Association in Jabalya town.

The Israeli occupation military also conducted aerial raids on the neighborhoods of Tuffa'h, Daraj, and Rimal in Gaza City.

In the central Gaza Strip, a civilian was killed, and others were injured as Israeli warplanes targeted a house in Al-Buraij refugee camp.

Furthermore, Israeli artillery shelled several houses in Block 1 near the Al-Maqadima Mosque in Al-Buraij refugee camp, including residences belonging to the Noafal, Abu Hujayr, and Shaheen families.

In the south, medical sources reported that 19 civilians were killed in Khan Younus, as a result of continuous Israeli shelling since Saturday evening. Among the casualties, two were killed, including a child, during an airstrike targeting a group of civilians attempting to access water in eastern Khan Younus.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported the murder and injury of citizens due to Israeli shelling in an area adjacent to the Karm Abu Salim crossing in southern Gaza, where Israeli forces prevented ambulance vehicles from reaching the area.

A PRCS spokesman said that the number of patients leaving through the Rafa'h crossing is minimal, ranging from 20 to 25 per day, significantly lower than the number of injured individuals. Israeli forces also continue to block the arrival of medical and relief aid to the northern Gaza Strip.

In a separate development, Israeli occupation forces ordered the evacuation of eight neighborhoods in the central governorate, instructing residents to relocate to the Dair El-Bala'h area.

Within 48 hours of this directive, five massacres were committed in the Dair El-Bala'h region, according to media and medical sources, resulting in the murder of 28 individuals and the injury of 88 others.

Journalists Mu'hammed Younus Al-Zaytouna and Mohammad Abdul Khaliq Al-Af were reported killed due to an Israeli airstrike on the Al-Zaytouna family home in Gaza, bringing the total number of journalist killed to 103 since the start of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

In a preliminary toll, the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7 has resulted in the tragic loss of 20,424 lives and left around 54,072 wounded, with over 70% of them being women and children. Nearly 7,000 people are also unaccounted for beneath the debris.

M.N. 

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Gaza: 166 Palestinians martyred in last 24 hours

Sunday 24-December-2023, GAZA, (PIC)

The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said on Sunday that the Israeli occupation army committed new horrific massacres in different areas of the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours, killing at least 166 civilians and injuring over 384 others, while a large number of victims are still under the rubble of bombed buildings or on roads.

In a statement, the health ministry added that the death toll from Israeli bombardments in Gaza has risen to 20,424, mostly women and children, while the number of the wounded climbed to over 54,036 people.

Every day, the Israeli army escalates its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless bombardment since a cross-border operation by Hamas’s armed wing, al-Qassam Brigades, on October 7.

Besides the large number of casualties and the huge displacement of people, basic food, fuel, water and medical supplies have run out for the 2.3 million residents in Gaza due to the tight Israeli blockade and the massive destruction of infrastructure and facilities.

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US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza enters Day 79

Sunday 24-December-2023, GAZA, (PIC)

As the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip entered Day 79 on Sunday, massive aerial and artillery strikes continued to pound and level whole blocks and homes and massacre more civilians, mostly children and women.

A reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said that the Israeli occupation army continued to attack different areas of Gaza last night and on Sunday morning, targeting homes, civilian gatherings and shelter centers, and massacring dozens of citizens.

According to local sources, a teenager identified as Mohamed Abu Anza was killed when an Israeli drone fired one missile at him near the 'Abasan junction in the east of Khan Younus.

Two journalists Mu'hammed Al-Zaytouniyah, from Al-Ray Radio, and Mu'hammed Al-Af, from Al-Ray Agency, were martyred when the Israeli occupation army attacked a house belonging to the family of Al-Zaytouniyah in Gaza City.

Casualties were also reported when the Israeli occupation army bombed displaced civilians in Al-Mughraqa area, southwest of Gaza City.

The Israeli army also attacked a group of citizens in Al-Sunniyya Mosque in central Khan Younus, killing two of them.

One woman was reportedly martyred and others were injured following an Israeli attack on Al-Buraij refugee camp in central Gaza.

In Jabalya, Israeli forces stormed Al-Rafi’ie School, which houses hundreds of displaced people, rounded up the men and forced the women and children to leave the compound while firing gunshots.

According to Al-Ray Agency, wounded civilians and bodies are lying on roads in Jabalya, while ambulance crews are unable to reach the victims as a result of the intensive bombardment.

A citizen (Mustafa Mahmoud) was also martyred along with his child during an Israeli attack near the customs office in Khan Yunis. The father and his son were looking for drinking water when the Israeli army bombed the area.

A 13-year-old child identified as Ameer 'Awdah was shot dead by Israeli gunfire from a drone during his presence inside Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younus.

Last night, three citizens were martyred when an Israeli warplane bombed them during their presence near Abu Hamid junction in central Khan Younus.

Dozens of casualties were also reported in Israeli aerial and artillery attacks on different areas of Gaza last night and today.

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Day of 79 of the genocide: Dozens of civilians killed by indiscriminate Israeli bombardments

GAZA, Sunday, December 24, 2023 (WAFA) –

Dozens of innocent civilians, including children and women, were brutally murdered over the last few hours across the Gaza Strip, as the Israeli genocide campaign persists for the 79th day in a row. The casualties occurred as air and artillery strikes targeted multiple residential areas across the enclave.

In northern Gaza, local sources reported that Israeli occupation forces targeted civilian homes in the town of Jabalya with air and artillery strikes. Additionally, the occupation forces stormed the Al-Rafii School in the town, arresting several displaced youths and forcibly evacuating women amid intense gunfire.

Israeli warplanes also threw dozens of smoke and phosphorus bombs over multiple areas in Jabalya and the adjacent Al-Jurn neighborhood, coinciding with an attempt by ground troops to advance into the town's center.

Scores of dead bodies and wounded individuals are scattered across the streets, with Israeli forces preventing ambulance crews from reaching them for treatment and transporting martyrs for burial.

In central Gaza, the occupation's artillery intensified its shelling of wide areas east of the central governorate, while Israeli helicopters fired barrages of gunfire towards the east of Dair El-Bala'h.

Media reports pointed out that 40 martyrs and dozens of injured civilians have been pulled out from homes targeted by Israeli air and artillery strikes in the central region of Gaza since yesterday evening.

In southern Gaza, Israeli warplanes targeted the Abu al-Awf family home west of Rafa'h, resulting in dozens of civilians sustaining various injuries.

Furthermore, a civilian was killed, and four others were injured as the occupation targeted the home of the Nibras family in Khan Younus.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that 13-year-old Ameer Rami 'Awda, a displaced child at the Al-Amal Hospital, was killed when an Israeli drone targeted him inside the hospital building.

WAFA correspondent reported the arrival of three martyrs at Nasir Medical Hospital in Khan Younus after they were targeted by an Israeli strike the previous night near the Abu Hameed roundabout in the center of the city.

Israeli occupation forces also shelled the Ma'an area east of Khan Younus, leading to the murder of two civilians and the injury of others.

In a preliminary toll, the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7 has resulted in the tragic loss of 20,424 lives and left around 54,072 wounded, with over 70% of them being women and children. Nearly 7,000 people are also unaccounted for beneath the debris.

M.N

***

Dozens killed in Gaza amid nonstop Israeli aerial, artillery strikes

GAZA, Saturday, December 23, 2023 (WAFA) –

Dozens of innocent civilians, including children and women, were brutally murdered this evening across the Gaza Strip, as the Israeli genocide campaign persists for the 78th day in a row. The casualties occurred as air and artillery strikes targeted multiple residential areas across the enclave.

In the southern region of Gaza, three civilians were killed and others injured in an Israeli airstrike which targeted a house in the Yabani neighborhood, west of the city of Khan Yunis.

Israeli fighter jets and artillery have been carrying out intense shelling on Khan Younus since the morning, resulting in the murder and injury of dozens of civilians, local sources told WAFA. Israeli occupation forces also fired flares northeast of the city amid the ongoing ground offensive in the area.

In central Gaza, the Israeli occupation military carried out a series of airstrikes on multiple areas.

Warplanes targeted a residential block in Dair El-Bala'h, in central Gaza, resulting in the tragic deaths of at least six civilians and injuries to dozens, with many still trapped under the rubble.

Israeli warplanes also struck a house in the Zawayida neighborhood in central Gaza, leading to the deaths and injuries of dozens of innocent civilians.

The Israeli artillery further targeted the home of the Yaseen family in the nearby Nusayrat camp, causing injuries, including a pregnant woman, coinciding with the Israeli forces launching flares north of the camp.

Simultaneously, Israeli occupation forces continued their ground invasion of several neighborhoods of Gaza City, the northern regions of the Gaza Strip, and the surroundings of Khan Younus in the south.

In a preliminary toll, the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7 has resulted in the tragic loss of 20,258 lives and left around 53,688 wounded, with over 70% of them being women and children.

M.N.

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 Israeli occupation army executes 137 civilians in Gaza

Sunday 24-December-2023, GAZA, (PIC)

The Government Media Office (GMO) revealed that the Israeli occupation army committed field execution crimes against 137 Palestinian civilians in the governorates of Gaza and the north.

The GMO Director-General, Ismail Thawabta, said in a press conference on Saturday evening that he received testimonies about the Israeli occupation army establishing detention camps east of Gaza City, where large pits were dug and dozens of Palestinian citizens were placed alive, and then they were shot dead in cold-blood before being buried using army bulldozers.

He confirmed that these crimes were repeated in Gaza and the north by executing dozens of civilians in front of their families. The occupation soldiers also executed pregnant women who were on their way to Al-'Awda Hospital in northern Gaza, raising white flags, but the soldiers shot them at close range and then bulldozed them.

He added that they will later reveal field execution crimes committed by the Israeli occupation army against dozens of those who were arrested and buried in mass graves.

In addition to these crimes, which make one’s blood run cold and which are part of the genocide being carried out by the occupation army, Thawabta said that the Israeli occupation army also completed today the killing of journalist number 100 within the framework of its brutal war on the Gaza Strip, and on journalists and media personnel, whom he also destroyed dozens of their headquarters and media institutions.

He pointed out that 78 days have passed since the genocide war, during which the occupation army committed 1,720 massacres, resulting in 27,258 martyrs and missing persons, including 20,258 martyrs who reached hospitals. The martyrs include 8,200 children, 6,200 women, 310 medical personnel, 35 civil defense crews, and 100 journalists, he added.

The GMO head said that 7,000 civilians are still missing, either under the rubble or their fate is still unknown, and 70% of them are children and women.

He confirmed that the number of injured has risen to 53,688, while the number of arrests carried out by the occupation army during this aggressive war has been estimated at more than 2,600 so far, including 40 medical personnel and 8 journalists.

Thawabta reviewed the suffering of 1.8 million displaced Palestinians living in extremely difficult conditions in hundreds of displacement and shelter centers.

He pointed out that there are 355 documented cases that have become infected with infectious diseases as a result of displacement.

Regarding the destruction operations, the GMO official confirmed that the occupation destroyed 126 government headquarters, 92 schools and universities that are completely out of service, and 285 schools and universities that were partially damaged. The occupation army also completely destroyed 115 mosques, and 200 mosques were partially demolished, in addition to 3 damaging churches.

Regarding the damage to residential units, the Office director said that the occupation forces demolished 55,000 housing units completely, and 258,000 others partially, with a total of 313,000 housing units.

Regarding hospitals, the Israeli occupation forces targeted more than 23 hospitals and put them out of service, and also put 53 health centers out of service, while the health services in 140 clinics were affected, he said, adding that 102 ambulances were completely damaged.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced on Saturday evening the martyrdom of 201 Palestinians and the injury of 368 in the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours as a result of the Israeli aggression.

Since October 7th, the Israeli occupation forces have continued to launch thousands of bloody attacks by air, land, and sea on the Gaza Strip.

The Ministry of Health has previously confirmed that more than 70% of the victims are children and women.

These large numbers of martyrs, injured, missing, and displaced people require a radical solution to end their ongoing suffering, and they all need urgent assistance and supplies, the ministry said, adding that it is the duty of all international institutions to fulfill their responsibilities immediately.

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Massive destruction, corpses in the streets found in several Gaza Strip areas

Saturday 23-December-2023, GAZA, (PIC)

Aljazeera TV channel published horrific scenes of massive destruction in several areas in the besieged Gaza Strip as a result of relentless Israeli airstrikes and ground war.

Aljazeera correspondent Anas Al-Shareef managed to reach Tel Al-Za'tar camp in Jabalya after Israeli occupation forces (IOF) retreated from the area, leaving it in immense destruction whereas bodies of martyrs were left in the streets after the IOF blocked the movement of ambulance crews.

Al-Shareef also recorded the situation in Al-'Awda Hospital and the Indonesian Hospital, which were completely destroyed, and listened to testimonies documenting the atrocities committed by the IOF.

Furthermore, the video demonstrated the catastrophic situation in Al-Jurn area in Jabalya, after the IOF targeted residential neighborhoods with successive raids, completely destroying them.

Aljazeera tv also published pictures showing the massive destruction inflicted on the downtown area and Brikh neighborhood in the city of Khan Younus due to the Israeli bombardment that turned it into a ghost town.

Following the IOF’s withdrawal from Palestine Roundabout area, in the center of Gaza City, on Friday, some residents returned to inspect their homes and to check on their families who had been besieged and stranded in the camp for almost an entire month. They were shocked at the massive destruction that took place in the area.

In a statement on Friday, Hamas Movement condemned the Israeli occupation army for carrying out liquidations and executions by shooting entire families in certain areas in the Gaza Strip as part of its ongoing aggression on Gaza for the 77th day.

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Day 79, Israeli Missiles And Shells Continue To Strike Homes, Buildings In Gaza

 IMEMC, DEC 24, 2023

Earlier Sunday, Israeli missiles and shells continued to strike civilian areas of the Gaza Strip, hitting dozens of homes and buildings, including media facilities, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians, including women and children.

In Rafa'h, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, the army killed at least two Palestinians and injured many others after firing missiles and shells in the western part of the city.

At least three Palestinians were killed and many injured in an Israeli bombing of the Japanese neighborhood west of Khan Younus, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

A Palestinian father and his child were killed by an Israeli missile east of Khan Younus after the army targeted Palestinians trying to fill some gallons with drinking water.

Israeli missiles and shells have killed at least nineteen Palestinians, including children and women, in several parts of Khan Younus.

In the Al-Buraij refugee and the Nusayrat refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip, the army fired many missiles and shells at homes and buildings, killing at least five Palestinians, including a woman and a child, and wounding dozens.

The army also fired shells at a home for the 'Hamad family in Nusayrat and a home in the Zawayida area in central Gaza, killing more than 40 Palestinians, including women and children, while many remain buried under the rubble of bombarded homes and buildings.

In addition, the army fired shells at homes in the Shati’ refugee camp, west of Gaza City, killing at least six Palestinians and wounding many others.

In Bait Lahya, in northern Gaza, the corpses of dozens of slain Palestinians were found in several neighborhoods after the Israeli tanks and soldiers withdrew from the area and redeployed around it.

In Jabalya, in northern Gaza, at least twelve Palestinians from the Al-Bursh family were killed and dozens injured by Israeli missiles and shells.

The Israeli army also bombed the Al-Aqsa Satellite TV and News Agency and destroyed it; thirteen Palestinians who work for the news agency have been killed since October 7.

In addition, the army bombed the building of Palestine Satellite TV, Shawwa, and Hosary Tower, which houses several Arab media agencies, including Al-Manar TV, Al-Quds Today Satellite TV, and Al-Quds Radio.

It is noteworthy that Israel bombed the office of the Ma'an News Agency on the first day of the Israeli onslaught when the army bombed Watan Tower in Gaza.

Israeli missiles and shells destroyed more than 55,000 residential units and homes in the Gaza Strip since October 7.

The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, said its fighters fired many mortar shells at soldiers who gathered near a mosque east of Khan Younus.

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said its fighters fired shells at two Israeli tanks and soldiers in Jabalya, in northern Gaza.

Three soldiers were killed, and two were seriously injured when a shell struck their vehicle, while at least ten soldiers were killed, three seriously, when Palestinian fighters detonated a home where the soldiers barricaded themselves during the gun battles.

In addition, the director of Abu Yousuf Al-Najjar Hospital in Rafa'h said dozens of Palestinians who fled to the city are suffering various infectious diseases, smallpox, skin conditions, and various abdominal and intestinal diseases.

He added that the army released twenty of the detained Palestinians who were moved to the hospital, suffering various bruises, fractures, and other signs of extreme torture.

On its part, the Israeli army said eight soldiers were killed in battles with Palestinian fighters in the central and southern parts of the Gaza Strip, and on Saturday, the army said five soldiers were killed.

The soldiers who were killed were from the Combat Engineering Corps; at least 44 Israeli soldiers have been injured.

The number of Israeli soldiers who were killed since October 7 has reached 485, including 156 killed since the ground invasion of Gaza began on October 27.

In the opening of the weekly meeting of the Israeli government, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the fight in Gaza is causing enormous losses, especially after the deaths of the soldiers over the last two days.

He added that the decision to continue or stop the war is only in Israel’s hands and the evaluations of its military and added that no government or any foreign entity can dictate that decision.

Netanyahu stated he informed U.S. President Joe Biden that “Israel will fight until victory,” adding that “Biden understands the Israeli position.”

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said the Israeli missiles and shells have killed 201 Palestinians and injured at least 368 in the Gaza Strip in less than twenty-four hours.

The Health Ministry added that Israeli has now killed at least 20.258 Palestinians, including 8200 children, 6200 women, 375 medical staff, including doctors, nurses, medics, and Civil Defense volunteers, and more than 100 journalists, and injured at least 53.688 Palestinians in the coastal region since October 7. More than %70 of the slain and wounded Palestinians are women and children.

At least 7000 Palestinians, %70 of whom are children and women, remain either buried under the rubble of bombarded homes and buildings, or their fate and location are unknown due to the intensity of the Israeli bombing and shelling.

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Abduction of Palestinians by Israeli Occupation Regime Soldiers

Israeli Occupation Forces abduct eight members of Al-Agha family in the besieged city of Khan Younus

Sunday 24-December-2023, GAZA, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) abducted last Friday eight members of Al-Agha family in Khan Younus after they had besieged its homes and prevented anyone from leaving them since December 4.

In a statement on Sunday, the family explained that the IOF bombed a number of its homes in the eastern and western areas of Khan Younus City and prevented ambulance and civil defense crews from reaching these homes to recover bodies of the martyrs from under the rubble and evacuate the wounded and other members of the family who were still alive.

According to its statement, a large number of Israeli occupation soldiers stormed on Friday afternoon the house of 'Aatif Ali Al-Agha in Al-'Abbara street, which is located between the eastern and western areas of Khan Younus, and kidnaped eight members of the family, including four brothers.

The soldiers also detained and interrogated children, women and elderlies during the raid, but they released them after searching 'Aatif’s house for long hours.

There are still a number of trapped citizens, including women and children, from Al-Agha family inside their homes in the area, which is surrounded by tanks and soldiers and exposed from time to time to sniper fire and artillery strikes.

Several members of the family were reportedly killed and injured after their homes were recently bombed by the Israeli army, while a number of the wounded succumbed to their injuries after ambulance crews were barred from evacuating them.

Al-Agha family held the Israeli occupation army fully responsible for any harm coming to its members who were kidnaped from their homes.

The family said that it had appealed to the Red Cross several times to reach their area to save them, but to no avail.

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Nearly 4,695 Palestinians abducted by Israel since October, say prisoner advocacy groups

RAMALLAH, Sunday, December 24, 2023 (WAFA) –

The Israeli occupation forces have reportedly abducted approximately 4,695 Palestinians in the West Bank since the outbreak of the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people on October 7, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) and the Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Authority.

In a brief statement released today, the PPS outlined that the tally includes individuals abducted from their homes, at military checkpoints, those who surrendered under pressure, and those taken hostage.

The statement further pointed out that Israeli occupation forces continue to carry out widespread acts of abuse, brutal assaults, on-field interrogations, and threats against the abductees and their families.

Additionally, there have been reports of extensive sabotage and destruction of homes belonging to Palestinian civilians, coupled with the confiscation of their properties, added the statement.

M.N.

Including one Woman, Army Abducts Twelve Palestinians, Shoots One, In West Bank

 DEC 24, 2023

On Sunday dawn, Israeli soldiers invaded several communities across the occupied West Bank, stormed and ransacked homes, causing damage, and abducted at least twelve Palestinians, including a husband and his wife, and shot a young man.

In Hebron, in the occupied West Bank’s southern part, the soldiers invaded Beit Ummar town, north of the city, searched homes, and abducted Mu'hammed Raji'h Abu 'Ayyash and his wife, Siham Mu'hammed Khadir Abu 'Ayyash, 50.

Siham is a retired teacher; during the violent search of their home, the soldiers confiscated two computers and several mobile phones.

In Bait 'Awwa town, west of Hebron, the soldiers abducted former political prisoner Mousa Mu'hammed Sweity, Ala’ Yousuf Sweity, and Hayil Mu'hammed Sweity, after storming their homes and ransacking them.

The soldiers also invaded homes and Shiyoukh and Sa’ir towns northeast of Hebron before withdrawing.

In Bethlehem, south of occupied Jerusalem, the soldiers invaded the City Center area, especially Saff Street, searched homes, and abducted Nayif Nasir Al-Wa'hsh, 61.

In Tulkarm, in the northwestern part of the West Bank, the soldiers invaded the Dthannaba suburb, searched and ransacked homes, and abducted Rami Ahmad Fouda, 41, from his home in the Rashid neighborhood.

The soldiers also invaded many neighborhoods in Nour Shams refugee camp, east of Tulkarm, and searched homes.

During the invasion of the refugee camp, Israeli military bulldozers demolished and caused damage to streets, infrastructure and buildings.

In Nablus, in the northern West Bank, several military jeeps invaded the city, especially the Aseeda Street area, before searching and ransacking homes and abducting Tariq Al-'Arayshi, Jamil Al-'Arayshi, 'Arab Fuad Bastami, and 'Hamad Khalid Jamous.

During the invasion of Aseeda Street area, the soldiers fired many live rounds at homes and buildings, causing damage.

The soldiers also invaded Tal village, southwest of Nablus, searched home and shot a young man with a live round during ensuing protests.

In Jenin, in the northern West Bank, the soldiers invaded Barta’a town, west of the city, searched homes, causing damage, and abducted a young man, Arafat Mustafa Qabha.

In addition, the soldiers invaded the Al-Jalama and 'Arrana villages, north and northeast of Jenin, and conducted massive searches of property and lands before withdrawing.

On Saturday evening, Israeli soldiers invaded Jalboun village, northeast of Jenin, and conducted massive searches.

Furthermore, Israeli soldiers stationed in Mirav illegal colony, built on stolen lands in Jalboun, fired live rounds at homes and several flares over nearby neighborhoods.

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Aggression and Attacks by Illegal Israeli Settlers and Soldiers

Israeli occupation forces storm the city of Tulkarm

TULKARM, Saturday, December 23, 2023 (WAFA) -

Israeli occupation forces stormed the city of Tulkarm in the northern occupied West Bank overnight, according to local sources.

Reports indicate a significant incursion by the Israeli occupation forces, accompanied by two military bulldozers, into the city from its western axis. 

The sources added that reconnaissance aircraft are hovering over the city and the adjacent Tulkarm and Nour Shams camps. The purpose and extent of this military attack remain unclear.

M.N.

Illegal Israeli settlers set up mobile homes west of Bait La'hm (Bethlehem)

Bait La'hm (Bethlehem),  Sunday, December 24, 2023 (WAFA) – 

Illegal Israeli settlers Sunday set up two mobile homes “caravans” on Palestinian-owned lands in the town of Batteer, west of Bait La'hm (Bethlehem).

The director of the Office of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission in Bait La'hm (Bethlehem), Hassan Barijiyah, told WAFA correspondent that colonists set up two “caravans” in the “'Hanjaliyah” area on lands owned by local resident Mu'hammed 'Uwaina, northeast of the town, adding that this is the fifth time that mobile homes have been set up in the same area.

Its area is about 100 dunams, with the aim of seizing it for settler-only purposes, he added.

K.T. 

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