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 142 of the US-Backed Israeli Genocidal War on Gaza Strip, 7 Massacres, 86 Palestinians Killed, 131 Injured, with a Death Toll of  29,692 and 69,879 Injuries

February 25, 2024 

***

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 February 25, 2024, the initial death toll of Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip is 36,692+.   

This includes the accounted for deaths (29,692) and those who are still missing under the rubble (Corrected on February 7, 2024: 7,000+).   

By February 25, 2024, the documented injuries exceeded 69,879, and more than 2,520 civilians have been abducted from Gaza Strip.

By January 17, 2024, about 661 detainees from Gaza are currently languishing in Israeli prisons as “illegitimate combatants” (the Israeli term for Palestinian fighters) in addition to more than 50 women from Gaza, who are detained in the Damon prison, noting that 8 women of whom have been recently released.

By February 8, 2023, the death toll included 12,150+ children and 8,300+ women (more than 73% of the accounted for victims). 

By February 25, 2024, there were 416 Palestinians who were killed, 3,657 who were injured, and 7,225, who were abducted by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank, since October 7, 2023 (Some of the detainees have been released).

About 12,091 Palestinians, from both the West Bank and Gaza, have been detained in 2023. About half of them were detained after October 7. This included 1,085 children and 300 women.

The total number of detainees in the occupation prisons until the end of December was 8,800, and the number of administrative detainees was 3,484.

*** 

***

GMO reveals latest statistics on Israeli genocidal war on Gaza

Saturday 3-February-2024, GAZA, (PIC)

The Palestinian Government Media Office (GMO) in the Gaza Strip revealed on Saturday the latest and most significant figures on the Israeli ongoing genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since October 7.

This announcement comes as the latest updates from the GMO, showing the scale of human and material damage that resulted from the Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, on its 120th day.

The statistics demonstrated latest updates on the numbers of martyrs, missing, and wounded people in addition to the sick, displaced and prisoners as well as numbers of damaged structures and infrastructure.

Below are figures released by the GMO about Israel’s violations over the period of 120 days since the start of its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

(2,325) Massacres (34,238) Martyrs and missing people. (27,238) Martyrs who arrived in hospitals. (12,000) Child martyrs. (8,190) Female martyrs. (339) Martyrs of medical staff. (46) Civil defense martyrs. (122) Journalist martyrs. (7,000) Missing, 70% of whom are children and women. (66,452) Wounded.

(11,000) Wounded people in need of travel abroad for treatment, (life-saving and critical cases). (10,000) Cancer patients facing the risk of death. (700,000) Wounded with infectious diseases as a result of displacement. (8,000) Cases of viral hepatitis infection due to displacement. (60,000) Pregnant women at risk due to the lack of health care. (350,000) Chronic patients at risk due to blocked medications.

(99) Cases of arrest among health personnel. (10) Cases of arrests among identified journalists. (2 million) Displaced people in the Gaza Strip.

(140) Government headquarters destroyed. (100) Completely destroyed schools and universities. (295) Partially destroyed schools and universities. (183) Completely destroyed mosques. (264) Partially destroyed mosques. (3) Destroyed Churches.

(79,200) Completely destroyed housing units. (290,000) Partially destroyed and uninhabitable housing units. (66,000) tons of explosives dropped on Gaza. (30) Hospitals knocked out of service. (53) Health centers knocked out of service. (150) Partially targeted Health institutions. (122) Destroyed ambulances. (200) Destroyed archaeological and heritage sites.

***

A Palestinian girl grieving the death of family members who were killed by Israeli genocidal air strikes and bombardment on Gaza Strip, on February 25, 2024	86 Palestinians killed, 131 injured in Gaza Strip by Israeli genocidal air strikes, on February 25, 2024
Unprecedented levels of destruction inflicted by the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip, October 7, 2023-February 25, 2024	A view of the destruction of a mosque in Gaza city by the Israeli genocidal war, waged on Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023-February 25, 2024
Dozens of civilian casualties in Gaza as Israel’s genocide marks 142 days, February 25, 2024	Night Israeli genocidal air strikes on Rafa'h city, in southern Gaza Strip, February 25, 2024
Bidding farewell to the martyrs, who were killed by the Israeli genocidal air strikes on Rafa'h, on February 25, 2024	A view of Rafa'h after a night of Israeli genocidal air strikes on the Gaza Strip southern city, February 25, 2024

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).

"إِنْ أَحْسَنتُمْ أَحْسَنتُمْ لِأَنفُسِكُمْ ۖ وَإِنْ أَسَأْتُمْ فَلَهَا ۚ " (الإسْرَاءُ ، 17: 7). 

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

"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).

"If you do good, you do good for yourselves; and if you do evil, (you do it) to yourselves" (Al-Isra, 17: 7). 

***

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.

This is a necessary brief background to understand the US-Backed Zionist Israeli continuous wars against the Arab nation generally, and the Palestinian people in particular, which included the wars of 1948, 1956, 1967, 1978, 1982, the brutal crushing of the two Uprisings (1987-1993 and 2000-2004), 2009, 2012, 2014, 2021, and the current genocidal war on Gaza, which has culminated a blockade of Gaza since 2007. In addition, the Israeli occupation and apartheid regime launched so many covert operations, raids, and air strikes on many Arab states since 1948.

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/


***
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.

***

***

The Israeli genocidal war on Gaza has resulted in unprecedented levels of destruction: WHO

RAMALLAH, Sunday, February 25, 2024 (WAFA) –

World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic has reported that the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, going on since October 7 of last year, has caused unprecedented destruction, according to a report by Anadolu agency.

The war in Gaza has resulted in unprecedented levels of destruction, Jasarevic said, stressing that between 70 to 80% of civilian infrastructure, including homes, hospitals, schools, water, and sanitation facilities, has been destroyed or severely damaged.

Jasarevic said it will take decades to repair the infrastructure in Gaza, including the health system that is barely surviving.

The UN Environment Program estimates that it will take anywhere between three to 12 years to only clear the debris and explosive remnants of the war, Jasarevic recalled, and continued: “United Nations Conference on Trade and Development estimates that it will take tens of billions of dollars and decades to reverse the overall economic damage, including to rebuild the health system which is on its knees.”

“Only 13 out of 36 hospitals are partially or minimally functioning in Gaza, the majority of them being located in the south of Gaza,” he further said.

Jasarevic, citing a UN report, noted that if the fighting were to stop immediately, reconstruction were to start right away, and the 2007-2022 growth trend were to persist, it would take until 2092 just to restore Gaza’s gross domestic product levels in 2022.

The Israeli aggression on Gaza has pushed 85% of the besieged territory’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

For the first time since its creation in 1948, Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, the highest judicial body of the United Nations, over its Gaza war.

An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza, a prerequisite that Israel has failed to comply with so far.

M.N. 

***

Gaza Municipality: Israeli army destroyed the waterfront area in Gaza City

Sunday 25-February-2024, GAZA, (PIC)

During its ongoing Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, the Israeli occupation army has destroyed the waterfront area along the Gaza City seashore, including the corniche and tourist and service facilities.

“The occupation deliberately destroyed the city’s waterfront, its various tourist structures, hotels and service facilities, al-Rashid street, and its corniche, and caused extensive damage and destruction to citizens’ tourist and service businesses,” the Gaza City municipality said in a statement on Sunday.

The municipality added that the Israeli army also destroyed important public facilities and infrastructure belonging to it, including the Sea Club, the beach park, different recreation facilities, kiosks, and walkways.

***

B’Tselem says Israeli buffer zone in Gaza war crime

Saturday 24-February-2024,

Al-Quds (Jerusalem), (PIC)

An Israeli human rights group said the Israeli army’s buffer zone in Gaza constitutes a war crime.

B’Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, said in a report issued on Saturday, Israel has begun working on establishing a buffer zone which will extend over more than 60 kilometers (37 miles) with a one kilometer width, by which “the area will be off limits to Palestinians – even those who lived or cultivated fields in it before the war.”

“To create the planned buffer zone, Israel is currently destroying almost everything in the area it has designated for it, including residential buildings, public structures such as schools, medical clinics and mosques, fields, groves and greenhouses,” B’Tselem’s report said.

B’Tselem quoted Israeli soldiers, who were in Gaza, as saying that “the demolitions are carried out to clear the way for a security zone rather than as a response to intelligence information or findings in the field.”

The rights watchdog also quoted a study by Adi Ben Nun of the Geography Department at the Hebrew University, who said, “By 17 January 2024, the Israeli military demolished 1,072 of 2,824 structures located a kilometer or less from the border, most of which were homes.”

For 141 days in a row, the Israeli occupation army has been waging a heinous bloody aggression on the Gaza Strip, with US and European support, bombing houses, hospitals, civilian facilities and infrastructure and destroying residential buildings and homes on top of its residents, in addition to preventing the entry of water, food, medicine, and fuel. 

***

***

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

On February 24, 2024, Dr. Ashraf Al-Qidra, the Spokesperson of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that the Israeli genocidal air strikes and bombardment on Gaza Strip resulted in 8 massacres, in which  92 Palestinian civilians were killed, and 123 were injured, in the past 24 hours. This increased the death toll in Gaza Strip to 29,606 and the injuries to 69,737, since October 7, 2023.   

*** 

Ministry of Health: 86 Palestinians killed in the Israeli aggression in the past 24 hours

Sunday 25-February-2024, GAZA, (PIC)

The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced on Sunday morning that 86 Palestinian citizens were killed and 131 others injured in 7 Israeli massacres committed in the past 24 hours.

It said that some of the victims are still under the rubble of destroyed buildings or in the streets but could be retrieved by ambulance or civil defense due to the Israeli shooting at anyone or any vehicle approaching them.

It said that the number of casualties since the Israeli aggression started on October 7 last year had reached 29,692 martyrs and 69,879 injured other than thousands others missing and not accounted for.

The Israeli relentless bombing of the besieged enclave has destroyed 50% of its buildings and led 90% of its population to forced displacement amidst an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and famine. 

***

Death toll in Gaza climbs to 29,692 as Israel’s genocide goes on for fifth month

GAZA, Sunday, February 25, 2024 (WAFA) –

The Israeli occupation forces committed seven massacres against families in the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours, resulting in 86 documented Palestinian fatalities and 131 others wounded, according to medical sources.

Local health authorities in Gaza confirmed that the death toll from the Israeli onslaught since October 7 has risen to 29,692 reported Palestinian deaths, with an additional 69,879 individuals sustaining injuries.

Meanwhile, ambulance and rescue teams are facing difficulties reaching the casualties, with many dead bodies still trapped under the rubble or scattered on roads as Israeli occupation forces continue to target civil defense and medical personnel.

In addition, the Israeli aggression on Gaza has pushed 85% of the besieged territory’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

For the first time since its creation in 1948, Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, the highest judicial body of the United Nations, over its Gaza war.

M.N. 

***

US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza enters Day 142

Sunday 25-February-2024, GAZA, (PIC)

As the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip entered Day 142 on Sunday, massive aerial and artillery strikes continued to pound neighborhoods, homes and shelter centers 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, killing and injuring dozens of citizens.

According to local media sources, Israeli warplanes bombed a residential block in Al-Shaymaa street in Bait Lahya, north of Gaza, killing and injuring a number of civilians.

Three other citizens were martyred when the Israeli army bombed a house belonging to the family of Kali in as-Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City.

Casualties, including one martyr, were reported following an Israeli airstrike on a house in Al-Shaghaf area, east of Gaza City.

The Israeli army also bombed the house of the Qashqash family in Bait Lahya, north of Gaza, killing and injuring a number of citizens.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army carried out multiple aerial and artillery attacks on Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the south of Gaza City and detonated some houses in the area.

Gunfire and artillery attacks also targeted the eastern neighborhoods of Gaza City.

Other casualties were reported in different areas of Gaza following Israeli aerial, artillery and shooting attacks last night and today. 

***

Dozens of Palestinian civilians killed by Israeli genocidal airstrikes on Gaza Strip

GAZA, Sunday, February 25, 2024 (WAFA) –

Dozens of Palestinian civilians were Sunday killed and others were injured in the ongoing Israeli genocidal bombing on various areas of the Gaza Strip, mainly on the neighborhoods of Gaza City.

Local sources said that occupation artillery targeted the northern areas of the Gaza Strip, injuring dozens of citizens as a result of the occupation forces targeting residents of Al-Mustasfa Street in Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City.

A huge explosion occurred in Ju'hr Al-Deek area, south of Gaza City.

More than 10 citizens were killed, and more than 50 were injured, as a result of the occupation forces bombing citizens’ homes in the neighborhoods of Gaza City, especially Al-Zaytoun and Al-Sabra.

The occupation artillery bombed citizens who were trying to reach crops north of Bait Lahya, in the northern Gaza Strip, killing two citizens.

Civil Defense crews retrieved the bodies of eight Palestinians from Al-Satar area, east of the city of Khan Younus, south of the Gaza Strip.

Local sources said that the occupation artillery launched intense bombardment on the eastern areas of Khan Younus Governorate. A citizen was killed in a bombing that targeted citizens in the town of Al-Qarara, north of Khan Younus.

Medical sources indicated that the occupation forces withdrew from the Nasir Medical Complex, but were still stationed in its vicinity and imposing a strict siege on it.

They added that the staff and patients of the Nasir Medical Complex are without water, without food, without electricity, without oxygen, and without therapeutic components, noting that the medical teams were able to bury 13 dead Palestinians inside the complex, who were patients who died as a result of the cessation of generators and oxygen.

The occupation forces have continued their brutal aggression against the Gaza Strip by land, sea and air since the 7th of last October, killing 29,692 citizens and injuring 69,879 others, most of them children and women, in addition to thousands of people missing under the rubble.

K.T

***

Israeli genocidal airstrike on Gaza City kills three Palestinians

GAZA, Sunday, February 25, 2024 (WAFA) –

As Israel’s relentless war of genocide continues for the 142nd day in a row, three Palestinian civilians were confirmed killed this morning in an Israeli airstrike targeting a house in Gaza City.

Local sources reported that Israeli warplanes bombed a residence belonging to the Kali family in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City, resulting in the tragic killing of three Palestinians there.

By February 24, 2024, in a preliminary tally, at least 29,606 Palestinians have been killed and 69,737 others injured, predominantly women and children, since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on Gaza on October 7th of last year. Nearly 8,000 people also remain unaccounted for, and are feared dead under the rubble of destroyed buildings.

M.N. 

***

 

 

***

 

 

***

 

 

***

***

Killing, Injuring, and Abduction of Palestinians in the West Bank by Israeli Occupation Regime Forces 

 

Two Palestinian young men injured in IOF raid near Ramallah

Saturday 24-February-2024, RAMALLAH, (PIC)

Two Palestinian young men were injured on Friday night during an Israeli occupation forces’ (IOFs) raid in Jalazoan refugee camp near Ramallah.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said that its crews evacuated two injuries during the IOFs raid, adding that two young men were hit in their thighs with live bullets fired by IOF soldiers.

Local sources said that IOFs stormed the camp while firing live and rubber-coated bullets.

***

Israeli occupation forces storm Jineen sparking confrontations

JENIN, Sunday, February 25, 2024 (WAFA) – 

Israeli occupation forces Sunday stormed the city of Jineen. Local sources said that an Israeli special force surrounded a house near 'Horsh Al-Sa'ada, west of the city, where confrontations broke out between young men and the occupation forces, who sent in military reinforcements.

The Red Crescent Society said that its crews dealt with two assault victims, who were taken to the hospital.

The occupation forces detained two youths during the raid.

K.T.

***

15 Palestinians kidnapped by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank

RAMALLAH, Sunday, February 25, 2024 (WAFA) –

The Israeli occupation forces detained at least 15 Palestinians since yesterday evening across the occupied West Bank, including journalist Sami al-Shami, according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS).

PPS said in a statement that the arrests took place across various West Bank governorates, including Hebron, Nablus, Jericho, Jenin, and Ramallah.

Simultaneously, the statement added, Israeli occupation forces continue to carry out widespread acts of harassment, brutal assaults, and threats against the detainees and their families. There have also been reports of extensive vandalism and destruction of homes by Israeli soldiers.

The organization reported that the total number of Palestinians arrested since October 7th of last year has reached approximately 7,225. This includes individuals arrested from their homes, at military checkpoints, those who turned themselves in under pressure, and individuals taken as hostages.

M.N. 

***

IOFs kidnap several Palestinians during West Bank raids

Sunday 25-February-2024, WEST BANK, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) kidnaped last night and at dawn Sunday a number of Palestinian citizens during raids in different West Bank areas.

According to local sources, the IOFs stormed Nablus City, ransacked many homes, and assaulted and interrogated some of the residents.

The IOF also kidnaped journalist Sami Al-Shami and another young citizen during raids on their homes in 'Aseera Al-Qibliya town, south of Nablus.

Two other citizens were taken prisoners during IOFs raids on homes in Bait Wazzan village, west of Nablus, and Al-Masakin Al-Shabiyah neighborhood in Nablus City.

In Jineen, the IOFs stormed Seer village and kidnaped a young man identified as 'Hamza 'Imran to pressure his brother to turn himself in.

The IOFs stormed other villages in Jineen, while resistance fighters opened fire at Israeli army vehicles upon their withdrawal from Sir village to Al-Zababida village.

In Bait La'hm (Bethlehem), the Israeli occupation forces kidnaped two women identified as the sisters of the three young men who recently carried out a shooting operation near east Jerusalem.

In Al-Khaleel (Hebron), an unidentified number of young men were kidnaped by Israeli forces from their homes in Al-'Arroub refugee camp.

Meanwhile, the IOFs reportedly detained eight citizens in Al-Khaleel (Hebron) City and assaulted and interrogated them before releasing them.

The IOFs also carried out violent raids on houses and property in Bani Na’eem town in eastern Al-Khaleel (Hebron) and kidnaped one young man from his home.

In Qalqilya, a large number of Israeli occupation troops raided several homes in the city and cordoned off the southern neighborhood of Dawoud.

Local sources in Qalqilya City said that resistance fighters opened fire at the Israeli occupation forces and their vehicles during the raid and detonated some pipe bombs at them.

***

***

Aggression and Attacks by Illegal Israeli Settlers and Soldiers

Shaikh Kamal Al-Khateeb: Palestinian Muslims will continue to visit Aqsa and will not leave it alone

Saturday 24-February-2024, Al-Quds (Jerusalem), (PIC)

Shaikh Kamal Al-Khateeb, deputy head of the Islamic Movement in 1948 occupied Palestine, has affirmed that the Aqsa Mosque belongs solely to the Muslim nation and no one else has the right to a single iota of its soil.

“Our people, who love and adore Al-Aqsa Mosque, will not leave it alone and will continue to march en masse to it throughout the year in general and during Ramadan in particular,” Shaikh Al-Khateeb said in press remarks on Saturday.

“How small and foolish those who make such decisions thinking they could prevent us from and deprive us of enjoying to be and sit in AlAqsa Mosque’s courtyards, while we are the closest Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims to it,” he added, commenting on the restrictions the Israeli occupation government intends to impose on the access of Muslims to the Aqsa Mosque during the holy month of Ramadhan.

***

West Bank town of Qusra under Israeli occupation forces' siege for 70 days

Sunday 25-February-2024,

The Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) have been laying siege on Qusra town in southern Nablus for over two months.

According to local sources, the IOF has been blocking the entrance to Qusra town with mounds of rocks and dirt for about 70 days ago.

Qusra town, which is located near the illegal Israeli settlement of Migdalim, has been for years a site of repeated Israeli violations, including large-scale land grabs, demolition campaigns, settlement expansion, and attacks on the local residents and their property.

Qusra is well known for olive cultivation. It is flanked by three illegal Israeli settlements, Migdalim, built in 1981, Esh Kodesh, in 2000, and Ahiya, in 2001.

Qusra covers an area of 17,000 dunums, including over 9,000 olive-cultivated dunums that were seized by Israeli occupation authority to build and expand settlements and settler outposts. 

***

Illegal Israeli settlers raid a Bedouin community, stealing livestock near Aree'ha (Jericho)

JERICHO, Sunday, February 25, 2024 (WAFA) –

 A group of illegal Israeli settlers today stormed the Bedouin community of 'Arab Al-Mulai'hat, located northwest of Aree'ha (Jericho) in the occupied West Bank, stealing a significant number of sheep owned by a local resident.

'Hassan Mulai'hat, supervisor of the Baydar organization defending Bedouin rights, told WAFA that a group of colonists forcefully entered the community and stole nearly 30 sheep belonging to Suleiman 'Atallah Mulai'hat.

Bedouin communities residing in the region east of the occupied West Bank heavily rely on livestock breeding and herding. These activities are essential for their livelihoods in regions where Israeli restrictions hinder the development of infrastructure.

Statistics indicate that in the past year of 2023, Israeli occupation forces and settlers seized 43 agricultural tractors, 293 vehicles, and 296 sheep in similar attacks against Bedouin communities in the region.

M.N. 

***

Israeli occupation forces build illegal settler roads, uproot trees near Salfeet

SALFIT, Sunday, February 25, 2024 (WAFA) – 

Israeli occupation forces Sunday continued to build illegal settler roads and uproot more than 50 trees from the lands of the village of Sarta, west of Salfeet.

The head of the Sarta Village Council, 'Alaa Sala'h, told WAFA that the occupation forces began bulldozing citizens’ lands east of the village about a week ago, demolishing tree chains, uprooting old olive trees, and destroying several citizens’ agricultural crops with the aim of constructing colonial roads for the “Barkan” colony.

Sala'h stated that the occupation forces prevented farmers from reaching their lands in that area.

K.T.

***

Occupation forces shut down major checkpoint in southern West Bank

Bait La'hm (Bethelehem), Sunday, February 25, 2024 (WAFA) –

Israeli occupation forces today shut down the Container military checkpoint which straddles the only road connecting the southern regions of the occupied West Bank with the central and northern regions of the territory.

Palestinian security sources reported to WAFA that the occupation forces completely shut down the checkpoint ahead of the Palestinian vehicles, causing a traffic jam and unexpected delays.

The latest closure comes in the context of the escalating Israeli restrictions on the Palestinian freedom movement in the occupied West Bank, which have seen exponential growth since the outbreak of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.

M.N.

***

 

 

***

***