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 153 of the US-Backed Israeli Genocidal War on Gaza Strip, 9 Massacres, 83 Palestinians Killed, 142 Injured, with a Death Toll of  30,800 and 72,298 Injuries

March 7, 2024 

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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 March 7, 2024, the initial death toll of Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip is 37,800+.   

This includes the accounted for deaths (30,800) and those who are still missing under the rubble (Corrected on February 7, 2024: 7,000+).   

By March 7, 2024, the documented injuries exceeded 72,298, 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 March 4, 2023, the death toll included 13,420+ children, 8,900+ women (more than 72.8% of the accounted for victims), 364 doctors and medical staff, 132 journalists, and 48 civil defense workers . 

By March 7, 2024, 435 Palestinians who were killed, 3,675 who were injured, and 7,482, 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.

By March 4, 2024, the Government Media Office (GMO) said that the Israeli occupation forces killed 364 health personnel, destroyed 155 health institutions, 32 hospitals, 53 health centers, 126 ambulances, displaced 1.9 million Palestinians, and destroyed 360,000 housing units, about and 60% of the buildings and infrastructure in Gaza Strip.

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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.

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China's Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, calls Israeli war on Gaza 'disgrace for civilization', March 7, 2024	Prayer and bidding farewell to the Palestinian martyrs, who were killed by Israeli genocidal air strikes and bombardment on Gaza Strip, March 7, 2024
Scenes of death and destruction inflicted by Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip, March 7, 2024	This Palestinian child was injured by an Israeli occupation forces bombardment of her home in Gaza Strip, on March 7, 2024
A mass grave in Rafa'h for Palestinian martyrs who were killed and kept by Israeli occupation forces, then released, on March 7, 2024	Grief over the death of family members, who were victims of the Israeli genocidal air strikes on Dair El-Bala'h, March 7, 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). 

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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.

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 (October 7, 2023-Fruary 26, 2024), 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/


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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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China's Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, calls Israeli war on Gaza 'disgrace for civilization'

Thursday 7-March-2024, BEIJING, (PIC)

China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, has condemned Israel’s war in Gaza as a “disgrace for civilization” and reiterated Beijing’s calls for an “immediate ceasefire.”

“It is a tragedy for humankind and a disgrace for civilization that today, in the 21st century, this humanitarian disaster cannot be stopped,” Wang told journalists at a press conference on Wednesday.

“No reason can justify the continuation of the conflict, and no excuse can justify the killing of a civilian population,” Wang said.

“The international community must act urgently, making an immediate ceasefire and the cessation of hostilities an overriding priority, and ensuring humanitarian relief an urgent moral responsibility.”

Beijing’s top diplomat also said China supports “full” UN membership for a Palestinian state. “We support Palestine becoming a formal UN member,” Wang said.

“The catastrophe in Gaza once again reminds the world that the fact that the Palestinian territories have been occupied for a long time can no longer be ignored,” he said.

“The long-cherished wish of the Palestinian people to establish an independent country can no longer be evaded, and the historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people cannot continue for generations without being corrected,” he added.

Beijing has been calling for an immediate ceasefire since the start of the current Israel war on Gaza in October 2023.

China has historically been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and supportive of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

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'Hamas: Israeli plan to build new settlement units in Al-Quds (Jerusalem) defies international community

Thursday 7-March-2024,

Al-Quds (Jerusalem), (PIC)

'Hamas Movement said in a statement on Wednesday, “the Israeli occupation authorities’ approval to build about 3,500 new settlement units south of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) indicates that it is planning to seize more of the Palestinian land and isolate our people with settlements across the occupied territories, to prevent potential establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.”

“This declaration is illegal and nothing but a message of defiance and recklessness by the Zionist government, headed by war criminals and fascist terrorists, to the international community, which is content with condemning without taking deterrent steps against Israel, which has been carrying out the crime of ethnic cleansing on a daily basis against our people throughout all occupied territories,” the Movement added.

'Hamas called on the United Nations to take “punitive measures against this criminal entity and its Nazi leaders”, warning of the repercussions of “remaining silent towards the Israeli violations which are triggering more tension and escalation in the region.”

Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli occupation apartheid regime approved the construction of about 3,500 new illegal settlement units in “Maale Adumim”, “Efrat,” and “Kedar” illegal settlements south of Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem). 

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UN aid coordinator warns of 'serious acute malnutrition' in Gaza

RAMALLAH, Thursday, March 7, 2024 (WAFA) –

The UN’s humanitarian coordinator ad interim for the Occupied Palestinian Territory James McGoldrick warned Wednesday of “serious acute malnutrition" in northern parts of Gaza. 

"I do believe that conditions that people face in the north -- lack of access to clean water and sanitation, lack of adequate health care and lack of food supplies on a regular basis -- especially target some of the people who are the most vulnerable," said McGoldrick, speaking to reporters virtually after a two-day visit to Gaza.

In response to a question from Anadolu Agency on the rising death toll from hunger in Gaza amid Israel’s siege of the enclave, McGoldrick said he has seen various reports of emaciated children in Gaza, including a 14-day-old infant who died from starvation.

"I think it's quite predictable to see that there will be really serious acute malnutrition in these areas," he added.

Deaths due to starvation were also noted in McGoldrick's report, but also in the reports of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other UN organizations.

McGoldrick further emphasized that there are a lot of preventable deaths.

On US officials' emphasis on the need to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza before the start of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan later this month, he said: "Your point on Ramadan was well taken. In a camp, I met yesterday with a woman who stressed how unhappy and concerned they were that they were unable to celebrate Ramadan properly."

"I think it's something that will cause a real degree of consternation, shall we say, for families throughout (the enclave), and so many if not all families in Gaza will struggle to celebrate Ramadan in any normal way," he added.

McGoldrick emphasized that there are "enormous and growing needs for over 2.3 million people living in appalling conditions."

While preparing for a cease-fire on one hand, he said that on the other hand, the people of Gaza also need to plan what they would do in the event of a military operation against Rafah.

He noted that chronic diseases are becoming more prevalent, the health care system is collapsing and the lack of clean water and hygiene poses a significant problem.

"We have to fix things so much in the context of Gaza for women, for children, for vulnerable groups, the disabled and others," he said, while warning of "catastrophic levels" of hunger in northern parts of Gaza.

"We have to get up to at least 300 trucks a day. Right now, we're lucky if we're getting about 150," he said.

Asked about the difference that humanitarian aid via airdrops make, McGoldrick said they do help, but they are "no alternative to food trucks, to road transport. We're talking about bulk requirements."

Noting that aid trucks provide approximately 10 times more assistance compared to airdrops, he emphasized that aid trucks directly reach those in need.

McGoldrick further pointed out that some of the airdropped aid ends up in the sea and some is seized by the powerful instead of reaching those who truly need it.

K.T.

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Due to famine, Gaza women give birth to stillborn babies, says ActionAid

RAMALLAH, Thursday, March 7, 2024 (WAFA) – 

ActionAid International said that women in the Gaza Strip are giving birth to stillborn babies due to the increasing risk of famine and the collapse of humanitarian operations.

With one-quarter of Gaza’s population being one step away from famine and more than a dozen children dying from malnutrition in the north of the enclave, ActionAid is warning that an already extremely strained humanitarian system will face total collapse amidst the apparent looming offensive of Rafa'h. 

"Over the last week, aid distributions across Gaza have come under attack, claiming lives while further endangering aid operations," the organization said in a statement. "As a result of the growing attacks on paramedics in Gaza, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society announced last week that it was suspending its medical missions across the Strip. On top of this, UNRWA, the largest aid agency in Gaza, is facing an uncertain future after seeing its budget severely slashed as many large donors and donor nations have withdrawn their financial support."

“Many cases were recorded in government hospitals of children who died due to malnutrition. There are many operations that have been performed, like caesarean sections to remove fetuses, [which] died due to malnutrition among women. More than 95% of women [who] come to the hospital and undergo the necessary medical examinations [are suffering] from anemia," the statement added.

As western nations increase aid drops of aid into Gaza, ActionAid quoted Amjad Al-Shawwa of the Palestinian NGOs Network in Gaza, who explained why it will not be enough to reliably meet the needs of Gazans.

His explanation comes as a 14-truck aid convoy was turned away by Israeli forces yesterday in northern Gaza, the first attempted delivery in two weeks by WFP.

“The airdrop [of humanitarian aid] is not enough at all in such conditions; there is a need for land transportation of aid. “Every day we’re in [dire] need of 4,000 truckloads in order to cover the basic needs of these people."

K.T.

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

On March 7, 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 9 massacres, in which  83 Palestinian civilians were killed, and 142 were injured, in the past 24 hours. This increased the death toll in Gaza Strip to 30,800 and the injuries to 72,298, since October 7, 2023.   

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Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip, in the past in 24 hours

Thursday 7-March-2024, GAZA, (PIC)

The Ministry of Health announced on Thursday that the Israeli occupation army committed 9 massacres against the Palestinian families in the Gaza Strip, claiming the lives of 83 people and wounding 142 others in the past 24 hours.

The Ministry said in its daily report, a number of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads, as Israeli occupation forces have been banning ambulance and civil defense crews from reaching them.

This brings the toll of the Israeli aggression on the blockaded Gaza Strip to 30,800 martyrs and 72,298 injuries since October 7 of last year.

Since then, the Israeli occupation forces have been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties, in addition to the displacement of two million people and massive destruction of homes and infrastructure, causing an unprecedented stifling humanitarian crisis and famine. 

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Israel's aggression against Gaza so far kills 30,800 Palestinians

GAZA, Thursday, March 7, 2024 (WAFA) –

The Palestinian death toll from Israel's deadly offensive against the Gaza Strip since October 7th, 2023, has now soared to 30,800, medical sources confirmed on Wednesday.

They said that at least 72,298 other people have also been injured in the onslaught.

“At least 83 people were killed and 143 others injured in Israeli attacks in the last 24 hours,” they added.

“Many victims are still trapped under rubble and on the roads and rescuers can’t reach them,” the sources noted.

K.T. 

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38 civilians killed and others injured in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip

GAZA, Thursday, March 7, 2024 (WAFA) –

At least 38 civilians were killed and dozens of others were wounded in Israeli genocidal airstrikes that targeted different areas across Gaza Strip, according to medical sources.

Medical sources reported that 35 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes that targeted multiple homes in the Al-'Hasayna area, west of the Nusayrat camp, and Al-Baraka in the city of Dair El-Bala'h.

The Israeli occupation apartheid regime fighter jets struck a house in the Al-Junaina neighborhood, east of the city of Rafa'h in the south of Gaza Strip.

 Furthermore, Israeli tanks and military vehicles fired artillery shells towards civilians in the Kuwait roundabout while they were waiting for aid trucks loaded with flour, resulting in the killing of three persons and causing 15 others to sustain injuries.

Y.S. 

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

 

Palestinian shot at by IOF dies of injury in Nablus

Thursday 7-March-2024, NABLUS, (PIC)

A Palestinian young man was proclaimed dead on Wednesday evening after he succumbed to a bullet injury he sustained a few days ago after the Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) stormed Burin village in southern Nablus.

Medical sources at Rafidia Hospital said that 19-year-old Mohamed Eid died of a serious bullet injury in his chest.

Eid was critically injured during clashes last Monday between local youths and Israeli forces in Burin village.

10-year-old Amr Najjar was also shot dead in his head and another one was severely injured in his head after Israeli soldiers beat him during the same events in the town.

Since the war on Gaza started last October, the IOFs has killed at least 424 Palestinian citizens in the West Bank. 

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37 Palestinians, including four women, detained by occupation forces, says PPS

RAMALLAH, Thursday, March 7, 2024 (WAFA) – 

The Israeli occupation forces today detained 37 Palestinians, including four women, during large-scale campaigns across the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS).

PPS said that Israeli occupation army detained at least 12 Palestinians from different areas across the occupied West Bank city of Toubas.

In Nablus, Israeli forces detained a former prisoner, while undercover Special Forces detained another Palestinian while he was inside a commercial store in the city.

It said that at least six people were detained by occupation forces in Bait La'hm (Bethlehem) city, in the south of the West Bank.

In Ramallah, Israeli forces rounded up ten Palestinians, including four women, after raiding their houses.

From Jenin, the occupation forces conducted a military raid into the the town of Zababda, resulting in the detention of a Palestinian.

Two Palestinians were rounded up from the city of Hebron.

From Toulkarm, the occupation army detained two siblings from the village of Kafr 'Abboush in the south of the city.

Y.S.

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IOFs carries out large-scale kidnapping campaign in the West Bank

Thursday 7-March-2024, WEST BANK, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) carried out last night and at dawn Thursday a large-scale kidnapping campaign in the West Bank, kidnaping several citizens including four women from Ramallah.

According to local sources, the IOFs kidnaped journalist Bushra Al-Taweel following a raid on her house in Al-Teera neighborhood in Ramallah City.

The sources said that Israeli occupation soldiers brutally beat journalist Tawil and verbally attacked her during her detention.

The IOFs also kidnaped activist Sumoud Mutair after raiding her home in Ramallah City. She is the sister of 'Aahid Mutair who was killed last January by IOFs gunfire in Dura town, south of Al-Khaleel.

Two other women identified as Ra-ida Ghanim and Handar Rashad and one young man were taken prisoners during an IOF raid in 'Abboud town, west of Ramallah.

Four citizens, including a father and his son, were also kidnaped by the IOFs from their homes in Al-Jalazoan refugee camp in northern Ramallah.

In Toubas, Israeli occupation forces with one bulldozer stormed the city and Tamoun town, amid drone over flights.

Al-Qassam Brigades of 'Hamas said that a group of its fighters clashed with Israeli forces in Toubas City and attacked them with explosive devices.

Local sources said that the IOFs raided homes of some wanted young men in Toubas and kidnaped a number of their relatives to pressure them to turn themselves in.

Nine citizens were also kidnaped by the IOFs from Tamoun town, south of Tubas.

Last night, resistance fighters opened fire at the Tayaseer checkpoint in eastern Tubas.

In Nablus, the IOFs kidnaped two citizens, including a businessman, from 'Amman street in the city.

Local sources reported hearing sounds of heavy gunfire in the western area of Nablus City during the IOFs raid.

Meanwhile, resistance fighters showered IOFs vehicles with bullets upon their withdrawal from Iraq Al-Tayih village in eastern Nablus.

In Qalqilya, the IOFs kidnaped a young man after ransacking his home in the city and raided several homes in 'Izbat Jal'ud town, south of the city.

The IOFs also stormed Bait Ummar town in Al-Khaleel, where they kidnaped a young man from his home, and raided homes in Kafr 'Abboush town in Toulkarm.

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Five Palestinians assaulted by Israeli forces in Tubas

TUBAS, Thursday, March 7, 2024 (WAFA) – 

Five Palestinians were Thursday morning injured after being beaten by Israeli occupation forces in Tubas, sources confirmed.

The Red Crescent Society said that its crews dealt with five citizens who sustained injuries after occupation forces beat them during a raid on citizens’ homes in Tubas.

The same sources added that the occupation forces obstructed the work of the Red Crescent crews and prevented them from moving.

Last night, large forces from the occupation army stormed the city of Toubas and the town of Tammoun, and launched a massive detention campaign among citizens.

K.T. 

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Aggression and Attacks by Illegal Israeli Settlers and Soldiers

Will international sanctions curb settler violence in the West Bank?

By Zahran Maali

RAMALLAH, Thursday, March 7, 2024 (WAFA) – 

Spain has joined France, Britain, Canada, and the United States in imposing sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank due to acts of terrorism against Palestinians. Meanwhile, discussions are underway within the European Union to make similar decisions in the near future.

On February 2, the U.S. administration imposed sanctions on four Israeli settlers, followed by Canada imposing sanctions on another four, and two weeks later, Britain imposed sanctions on four more settlers. Subsequently, France barred 28 settlers from entering its territory. Last Thursday, Spain announced sanctions on 12 Israeli settlers in the first batch due to their attacks on Palestinians.

Observers consider these sanctions a precedent, the first of its kind, coming after a remarkable rise in settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank. However, questions have arisen about the impact of these measures on the settlers' behavior and whether they will deter their assaults.

To the east of the city of Nablus, in the Al-Atmawiya area of the Central Jordan Valley, it seems that the echo of these sanctions has not reached settler Moshe Sharvit yet. His name was included among the four settlers on the British sanctions list for threatening, harassing, and attacking Palestinian shepherds and their families in the Jordan Valley.

In October 2023, Sharvit forced a community of 20 Palestinian families to evacuate after assaulting them and giving them a 5-hour ultimatum to leave, according to the British Foreign Ministry.

Yacob Abu Kabash, one of the 60 Palestinians living in the community, tells WAFA that Sharvit, whose attacks were limited to expelling shepherds and assaulting them before the sanctions, has escalated his attacks noticeably and criminally.

"Today, we cannot reach pastures just 20 meters away from our tents. Sharvit closed all pastures to us. Every day, he and his gangs enter the gathering with hilltop youth riding horses from 9 am to noon, engaging in violence against the residents," adds Abu Kabash.

He points out that over the past week, Sharvit's attacks and his colonial gangs against the community's residents have escalated. Not a single night passes without their raids on the gathering and directly launching illumination bombs towards the tented homes with the intention of burning them.

Abu Kabash emphasizes, "We can't do anything. For seventy years, we've been living in this community, and what's happening in the Jordan Valley is very dangerous, a confiscation of lands and closure of pastures. The goal is to force us to leave and look for other places. There must be urgent international and local action to stop what is happening in the Jordan Valley."

Sharvit, listed for sanctions, established a farming center named Moshav Moshe in 2020 in the Central Jordan Valley. He faced charges of committing two attacks against Bedouin communities in the region, preventing Palestinian shepherds from herding their livestock, according to the settlement affairs official in Tubas and the Northern Jordan Valley, Mutaz Bisharat.

Sharvit and his associates from the settlers of Moshav Moshe are accused of carrying out stone-throwing operations, threatening with stabbing, beating, and burning, threatening with dogs, driving vehicles into herds, nightly raids on shepherd communities, and carrying out attacks against human rights activists accompanying the shepherds.

Bisharat says that settler Sharvit erected tents with his family in the colonial center when it was established, gradually turning the tents into ready-made rooms. He expanded after joining hilltop youth gangs and the Regavim organization, with unlimited support from the settlers' council and members of the Knesset and the far-right government. Eventually, he took control of 12,000 dunums, preventing Palestinians from entering and grazing their livestock.

He notes that four citizens were injured in Sharvit's attacks on Palestinian shepherds, three of them after the war on Gaza. Also, 13 sheep were attacked.

Sharvit and his gangs carry out 4-5 attacks on Palestinian farmers in the area daily, ranging from attacks on shepherds to nighttime invasions of citizens' homes," confirms Bisharat.

He points out that the attacks intensified after the British sanctions were imposed on Sharvit. Since October 7th, 138 attacks have been carried out, including 46 attacks after sanctions were imposed, especially after receiving support from members of the Israeli Knesset and the head of the settlers' council. They openly expressed that the sanctions were insignificant and would not affect their plans. They encouraged him to continue his attacks.

In the northern Jordan Valley, settlers from the colonial gangs, numbering about 300 settlers aged between 15-21, established six new centers. They committed severe violations and attacks against Palestinian residents, closed the area to Palestinians, estimated at 85,000 dunams, took control of most springs, renovated and fenced them, turning them into tourist parks off-limits to Palestinians.

An article by independent journalist Zack Beauchamp in The Guardian describes the imposition of U.S., British, French, and Spanish sanctions on over 30 Israeli settlers for committing violence and incitement against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank as a historic step.

However, the writer believes that these sanctions on a few settlers will not solve the fundamental problem, as they are part of a long-term systematic policy of the Israeli government aiming to expel Palestinians from their lands to expand settlements. He describes it as a flawed policy that only produces corrupt individuals.

Amir Dawood, the documentation director at the Wall and Settlement Resistance Authority, believes that the American, British, French, and Spanish positions imposing sanctions on settlers are important and unprecedented. He sees potential for accumulation and future investment in these decisions, confirming that this is the first time such resolutions have been taken.

He explains that the sanctions targeted 47 settlers involved in serious attacks and violations against Palestinians. Although a small number, he considers this a decision that can be invested in. However, the authority estimates that more than 20,000 settlers have committed crimes against Palestinian communities.

Dawood confirms that settler attacks, especially those subjected to sanctions, have escalated after their imposition. This is a clear challenge to the world under an extreme right-wing government protective of colonial projects and settlers. It also emphasizes to the world that sanctions will not deter the audacity of the settlers.

M.N.

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