Documentation of the Israeli abuse of power, mistreatment of humanity, and perpetration of the genocidal war on the Palestinian people in the  Gaza Strip.

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As the US-Backed Israeli Genocidal Air Strikes Continue on Lebanon and Gaza, More than a Million Lebanese are Now Displaced

October 4, 2024

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On Day 364 of US-Backed Israeli Genocidal War on Gaza Strip, Four Massacres, 14 Palestinians Killed, 50 Injured, in the Past 24 Hours, with a Death Toll of  41,802 and 96,844 Injuries, by October 4, 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, based on the reliable data reported by the Palestinian Health Ministry:

By October 4, 2024, the initial death toll of Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip is 51,802+.   

This includes the accounted for deaths (41,802), those who are still missing under the rubble (an estimate of at least 10,000+). 

By October 4, 2024, the documented injuries exceeded 96,844.

By October 4, 2024, 742 Palestinians who were killed, 5,804 who were injured, and 11,152, who were abducted by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank, since October 7, 2023, including 310 women and 640 children (Some of the detainees have been released).

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By October 3, 2024, the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that 101 Lebanese civilians were killed, 250 were injured, by the Israeli genocidal raids on Lebanon, in the past 24 hours. Thus, the Lebanese death toll, since October 8, 2023, has surged to 1,974 fatalities and 9,384 casualties.

Since September 23, 2024, the Lebanese death toll rose to 1,174 and the injuries to 3,205 , including 127 children and 261 women.

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US, UK launch fresh airstrikes on Yemen, in support for the Israeli war on Gaza and Lebanon, October 4, 2024.	A number of the Israeli genocidal air strikes on the southern suburb of Beirut, led to the assassination of a civil defense member, injuries, and destruction of buildings, October 4, 2024 pic
All Lebanese government shelters are full of hundreds of thousands of displaced families, while thousands are in streets, due to ongoing Israeli genocidal air strikes, October 4, 2024.	Israeli bombardment kills nine Palestinians, injures others in the Gaza Strip, file, October 4, 2024.
Funeral of 18 Palestinians who were massacred at Al-Hamam cafe, by an Israeli airstrike on the Toulkarm refugee camp, on October 4, 2024.	Palestinians examine the damage of Al-Hamam cafe, which was attacked by an Israeli airstrike on the Toulkarm refugee camp, which killed 18 people , Oct. 4, 2024.
Performing funeral prayer on the Palestinian martyrs who were massacred by the Israeli genocidal air strikes on Dair El-Balah, October 4, 2024.	Displaced Palestinian families set up their tents directly on the Mediterranean beach, west of Al-Zawayida, in the central Gaza Strip area, October 5, 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 (Since October 7, 2023), 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.

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Israel continues attacking Beirut southern suburb for the 12th consecutive day

Friday 4-October-2024

BEIRUT, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation army launched at dawn Friday the most violent bombing on the southern suburb of Beirut, amid news of a new assassination crime.

Lebanese sources said the Israeli airstrikes on the southern suburb of the capital resulted in complete destruction of several buildings.

In a statement, Hezbollah’s media relations office said that Israeli warplanes targeted civil defense teams while working on removing the rubble and recovering the injured, following overnight raids that led to the destruction of several buildings.

The Israeli strikes led to the martyrdom of a civil defense member of the Islamic Health Authority and the injury of a number of others, it added.

The Hezbollah’s media relations office called on the Lebanese government and international institutions to condemn this barbaric act that violates all international humanitarian laws and UN resolutions, urging for exerting every effort to allow humanitarian teams and civil defense crews to carry out their duties.

Security sources told Reuters that the Israeli strike on the southern suburb of Beirut was larger than the one that killed Hassan Nasrallah, during which 83 bunker-busting bombs were launched.

Al Jazeera’s Beirut bureau chief, Mazen Ibrahim, described the attack as the most powerful offensive in terms of its destructive force and the huge explosion sound that reached areas outside Beirut.

Ibrahim added that the targeted area was a square in the Mareija area which is located in the heart of the southern suburb, describing the attack as unusual and similar to the attack that led to the assassination of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.

The Lebanese state media reported on Thursday night that a series of Israeli raids targeted the southern suburb of Beirut, in one of the most violent strikes on the capital city since Israel began its bombing on the country on September 23.

For his part, a Hamas official source said that “the heroic performance of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon confirms the strength and power of the resistance fighters in Lebanon.”

He added that “the successive losses of the Zionist enemy prove that the Israeli occupation is unable to resolve the battle on all fronts.”

“We trust the Lebanese Islamic Resistance’s fighters and believe in their power of achieving a new historic victory that will break the arrogance of the Israeli occupation,” he added.

For the 12th consecutive day, Israel has been continuing its bloody war on Lebanon, as the Israeli occupation army has been launching since September 23, a large-scale offensive on Lebanon, which has so far resulted in the martyrdom of about 1,200 people and the injury of more than 3,000 others, in addition to the displacement of 1.2 million people inside Lebanon and to Syria.

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Israeli forces continue assault on Lebanon, resulting in casualties and destruction

BEIRUT, October 4, 2024 (WAFA) –

Israeli occupation forces continued their aggressive operations today across several regions of Lebanon, leading to the murder of multiple Lebanese citizens and injuries to others, alongside extensive destruction of buildings, facilities, and infrastructure.

Local sources reported that a series of Israeli airstrikes targeted the southern district of Beirut, specifically in the areas of Hadath, Hay al-Sullum, and Lailake, resulting in casualties among civilians and paramedics.

Israeli warplanes also conducted strikes in various towns, including Deir Qanoun al-Nahr, Borghliyeh, Shoukin, Yaron, Toul, Ayta al-Shaab, Kafr Sir, Kawthariyat al-Siyad, Ghassaniyah, Burj al-Shimali, Taria, Adloun, Tayr Debba, Kafra, Zawtar al-Sharqiya, Zabdine, Maifadoun, and Burj Rahal.

Airstrikes were also reported in the towns and villages of Kherbet Selm, Badyas, al-Dweir, Ansar, Majdalzoun, Bint Jbeil, and Adaisseh in southern Lebanon. Additionally, strikes were reported in Taria, Hermel, Halabta in the Bekaa Valley.

M.N.

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All government shelters in Lebanon are full due to ongoing displacement

Friday 4-October-2024

BEIRUT, (PIC)

The border towns in southern Lebanon are witnessing a continuous wave of displacement, as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported that about 900 government shelters for the displaced in Lebanon have been completely filled due to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Lebanese fleeing the Israeli occupation’s bombing.

The Minister of Social Affairs in the Lebanese caretaker government, Hector 'Hajjar, announced that there are about 200,000 displaced people in the shelters, and that a large number of displaced people of different nationalities are now sleeping in the streets and roads, while the rest of the displaced Lebanese have sought refuge with their relatives.

For its part, the United Nations Population Fund expressed its deep concern about the safety of 520,000 women and girls affected by the escalation of the conflict in Lebanon since September 27, including more than 11,000 pregnant women in dire need of health care and other basic services.

The UNFPA Regional Director for the Arab States, Layla Bakr, described the increasing violence and displacement of civilians in Lebanon as “heartbreaking,” stressing that the disruption of essential life-saving health services for women and girls “is deeply worrying, and the need to provide protection is an urgent and life-or-death matter, including for UN staff.”

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

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On October 3, 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 the Gaza Strip resulted in two main massacre, in which 14 Palestinian civilians were killed, and the 50 others were injured, in the past 24 hours (from a specific time of yesterday to a specific time of today). This increased the accounted for death toll in Gaza Strip to 41,788 and the injuries to 96,794, since the start of the Israeli genocidal war on October 7, 2023.

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One year of Gaza genocide: 41,825 killed, 96,910 injured by 'Israel'

By Al-Mayadeen English

October 5, 2024, at 12:47 pm

A number of the victims were transported to the few semi-operational hospitals, while others are still stuck under the rubble as Israeli occupation forces continue to block their path.

On the one year mark of the Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation committed three massacres against Palestinians and their families, murdering 23 and injuring 66 more, in the past 48 hours. 

A number of the victims were transported to the few semi-operational hospitals, while others are still stuck under the rubble as Israeli occupation forces continue to block their path and obstruct all rescue efforts. 

For 365 days, the Israeli occupation has been massacring Palestinian civilians and wreaking havoc in Gaza, raising the death toll to 41,825 civilians killed, and 96,910 more injured. 

'Israel' killed almost 17,000 children in Gaza in less than a year

"Israel" has murdered around 17,000 children since it launched its genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, local authorities revealed on Sunday. 

Ismail al-Thawabta, the head of Gaza’s Government Media Office, told Anadolu that at least 16,859 children, including 171 infants, have been killed by the Israeli war machine since October 7. 

He further added that "around 25,973 Palestinian children now live in Gaza without one or both parents due to the Israeli aggression."

The Israeli war on Gaza has left an unbearable mark on the enclave's children, ensuring a lifetime's worth of challenges if they survive.  

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US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza enters day 364

Friday 4-October-2024

GAZA, (PIC)

As the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip entered day 364 on Friday, aerial and artillery strikes continued to pound and target different areas and massacre more civilians.

Reporters for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said that the Israeli occupation army continued to bomb homes and shelter centers and attack citizens in different areas of Gaza during the past 24 hours.

The Israeli forces opened fire at the eastern areas of Al-Maghazi camp in the central Gaza Strip.

Medical sources reported that three citizens were killed and a number of others were injured in an Israeli airstrike on a residential house east of Dair El-Bala'h city in the central Gaza Strip.

The Israeli forces also bombed a number of homes housing displaced families in Dair El-Bala'h in the central Gaza Strip and Khan Younus.

In Khan Younus, Israeli warplanes bombed several sites and targeted a house belonging to the Abu Jazar family in the Ma'an area east of the city, resulting in several casualties.

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Israeli bombardment kills nine Palestinians, injures others in Gaza Strip

GAZA, October 4, 2024 (WAFA) –

Israeli bombardment Friday killed nine Palestinian civilians and injured others in the cities of Gaza and Khan Younus, according to WAFA correspondent.

He said that Palestinian Red Crescent (PRC) paramedics transported five fatalities and a number of casualties to Al-Shifa Hospital in the aftermath of Israeli bombardment that targeted a house of the Hamdona family in the vicinity of the Tamwin ash-Shati Center, west of Gaza City.

He added that paramedics pulled out the bodies of four fatalities, including two women and a toddler, out of the rubble of a house of the al-Farra family after it was targeted by Israeli bombardment in the Khan Younes city neighbourhood of al-Manara in the southern Strip.

Meanwhile, Israeli artillery shelled the area south of al-Ja‘farawi, southeast of Deir al-Balah in the central Strip, resulting in a number of casualties.

The casualties were evacuated to Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital in the city.

Israel has proceeded with its genocidal offensive on the war-torn Strip in complete disregard of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered Israel in a legally binding decision to halt its military offensive in Rafah, which may violate its obligations under the Genocide Convention.

Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7, killing at least 41,788 Palestinians and injuring over 96,794 others.

Moreover, at least 10,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.

Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.

The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.

K.F.

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

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20 Palestinians killed in an Israeli genocidal airstrike on a cafe, in Toulkarm refugee camp

Friday 4-October-2024

GAZA, (PIC)

20 Palestinians have been confirmed killed by an Israeli genocidal air strike on the Toulkarm refugee camp, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported on Thursday evening.

The airstrike targeted a popular café in the Al-'Hamam neighborhood in the 'Ain Shams refugee camp in Toulkarm in the northern West Bank.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said, in a brief statement, that its crews pulled out 20 martyrs following the bombing.

Many of the casualties have been brought to Toulkarm Governmental Hospital, it added.

Israeli media sources reported that the bombing is the first of its kind to be carried out in Toulkarm since the second intifada.

The sources said that the attack was apparently aimed at assassinating the resistance fighter Ghaith Radhwan, one of the leaders of the Toulkarm Palestinian resistance Battalion.

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‎Israeli genocidal air strike massacres 18 Palestinians in a cafe in Toulkarm refugee camp

‎ Toulkarm 3-10-2024 Wafa -

18 civilians were killed and others were injured on Thursday evening in a raid launched by the Israeli occupation aircraft on a popular café in  Toulkarm refugee camp in the northern West Bank.‎

‎Our correspondent reported that the occupation warplanes bombed with at least one missile a popular café in Al-'Hamam neighborhood in Tulkarm refugee camp while a number of citizens were present, killing 18 citizens and wounding others, according to the Ministry of Health.‎

‎Civil defense vehicles and ambulances rushed to the scene, where the martyrs and wounded were taken to the Thabit Governmental Hospital in  Toulkarm, she said.‎

‎The Governor of  Toulkarm, Mustafa Taqatqa, stressed that the heinous massacre of the occupation in  Toulkarm refugee camp, targeted by a warplane of a popular café in the camp, is added to a long series of crimes targeting our Palestinian people everywhere‎‎.‎

‎Taqatqa paid tribute to the souls of the martyrs, conveying the condolences of President Mahmoud Abbas to their families, all our people in  Toulkarm Governorate and our people for this great injury, stressing the follow-up of Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa to all competent authorities from the medical teams, ambulance and emergency teams of the Red Crescent, Civil Defense and all relevant authorities to find out the effects of this crime‎‎.‎

‎Taqatqa pointed out that this crime will not undermine the determination of Tulkarm Governorate and the free will of the Palestinian people to end the occupation and establish our independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.‎

‎Taqatqa called on international and human rights institutions to take immediate and urgent action to stop the crimes of the occupation, which flouts all international conventions, human rights laws and international humanitarian law, by insisting on committing such crimes‎‎.‎

‎Faisal Salama, head of the popular committee of  Toulkarm refugee camp, described what happened in Toulkarm refugee camp as a criminal series and massacres committed against our people, carried out by warplanes targeting a residential neighborhood in the center of the camp, which led to the death of dozens and very serious injuries that were transferred to the hospital‎‎.‎

‎Among the martyrs whose identities have been identified, he said: Ghaith Radhwan Salama, Tariq A-Dash, Nasir Khuraiwish, his wife and children because his house is adjacent‎‎ ‎‎to the targeted café, Ayman A-Tangier, and martyrs from the Nafi' and Al-Awfi families, including children and the elderly living in 'Al-Hammam neighborhood that was targeted‎‎ in the strike‎‎.‎

‎Salama pointed out that the number of martyrs and injured is increasing, describing the situation of the camp as tragic and a state of grief for the youth and residents of the camp who rose as martyrs‎‎.‎

‎Diyala 'Hudaida, a volunteer paramedic with the Red Crescent Society, said: "We saw difficult scenes after the bombing, where the remains of children and the elderly were scattered and flew on electricity wires, in addition to the presence of a number of citizens under the rubble."‎

‎According to local sources, civil defense and ambulance crews are working to recover a number of citizens from the rubble.‎

‎The national and Islamic forces announced a comprehensive strike in all governorates, on Friday, to mourn the souls of the martyrs of Toulkarm refugee camp.‎

‎Since the beginning of the war of genocide and the occupation's comprehensive aggression against our people in October last year, the city of Toulkarm and its two camps, Toulkarm and Nour Shams, have been subjected to several incursions by occupation vehicles and bulldozers, and by aircraft bombardment, resulting in the death of a number of citizens, the injury of others, and extensive destruction of infrastructure. ‎

‎The number of martyrs in the province before this massacre reached 152, including 21 children and 4 women, according to data issued by the Ministry of Health.‎

‎H.H‎‎./‎‎A.F.‎

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15 workers injured in assault by Israeli forces near Jericho

JERICHO, October 4, 2024 (WAFA) –

Fifteen workers sustained injuries and bruises today following an assault by Israeli occupation forces north of the city of Jericho in the occupied West Bank.

Local sources reported that Israeli police intercepted a vehicle in the town of Al-Auja, which was carrying workers returning from their jobs in the Dead Sea area. The officers reportedly subjected the workers to severe physical assault.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society confirmed that its teams responded to treat the fifteen injured workers, who suffered injuries due to the violent attack by the Israeli forces near Jericho.

M.N.

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Occupation forces assault citizens during home raids in Kafr Qaddoum

QALQILIA, October 4, 2024 (WAFA) –

Israeli occupation forces violently assaulted several Palestinian citizens today during a raid on their homes in the village of Kafr Qaddoum, east of Qalqilia in the occupied West Bank.

Local sources reported to WAFA that the raid occurred following the weekly anti-colonization protest in Kafr Qaddoum. Israeli troops stormed multiple homes, physically assaulting a citizen, his wife, and their son, as well as another citizen, after searching their homes and tampering with their belongings.

Additionally, the sources indicated that Israeli forces obstructed worshippers from reaching the 'Omar Bin Al-Khattab Mosque in the village to perform Friday prayers, surrounding the mosque area. This led to confrontations, during which the Israeli occupation soldiers fired stun grenades and tear gas, although no injuries were reported.

M.N.

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Young man injured by Israeli occupation forces in 'Oureef

NABLUS, October 4, 2024 (WAFA) –

A Palestinian young man was shot and injured today by Israeli occupation forces in the village of 'Oureef, located south of Nablus.

Ahmad Jibril, spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, reported that emergency crews transported the 29-year-old man to a hospital after he sustained a gunshot wound to the thigh during confrontations in 'Oureef.

M.N. 

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A large-scale raid, kidnapping campaign in the West Bank

Friday 4-October-2024

WEST BANK, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) launched a large-scale raid and kidnapping campaign of Palestinians, in various areas of the West Bank early on Friday.

The IOF arrested a young man from his family house in Ramallah, while four others were detained in al-Khalil, including three elderly.

Meanwhile, more than 35 Palestinians were kidnapped from Bait Ummar town, north of Al-Khaleel.

The IOFs also raided several local homes belonging to martyrs and prisoners’ families.

In Qalqilya, the IOFs kidnapped a young man from his family house and carried out a large-scale raid campaign.

Similar raids were carried out in Nablus, where at least one young man was kidnapped.

Earlier Thursday, 20 people were confirmed killed by Israel’s aerial attack on the Toulkarm refugee camp.

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Aggression and Attacks by Illegal Israeli Settlers and Soldiers

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Israeli forces and colonists attack Palestinian’s house near Bethlehem

BETHLEHEM, October 4, 2024 (WAFA) –

Israeli occupation forces and colonists Friday evening attacked a Palestinian’s house in Khalayel al-Louz, southeast of the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, according to an anti-settler-colonialism activist.

Hasan Breijah said that the occupation forces and colonists mounted an attack on a Palestinian’s house, ransacking it.

He added that the assailants also broke into a livestock barn belonging to another Palestinian, simultaneously while firing concussion grenades.

Colonists’ violence against Palestinians and their property is routine in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities.

Colonists’ violence includes property and mosque arsons, stone-throwing, uprooting of crops and olive trees, and attacks on vulnerable homes, among others.

Over 700,000 Israeli colonists are living in colonies across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law.

K.F.

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Israeli colonists assault shepherds northeast of Jerusalem

JERUSALEM, October 4, 2024 (WAFA) –

Israeli colonists Friday evening assaulted Palestinian shepherds in the Hizma town, northeast of the occupied West Bank city of Jerusalem, according to local sources.

They said that the colonists beat up and opened fire towards several shepherds in the eastern Hizma, forcing them to leave the pastoral area.

Colonists’ violence against Palestinians and their property is routine in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities.

Colonists’ violence includes property and mosque arsons, stone-throwing, uprooting of crops and olive trees, and attacks on vulnerable homes, among others.

Over 700,000 Israeli colonists are living in colonies across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law.

K.F.

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Colonists force farmers to leave olive groves in Sebastia, north of Nablus

NABLUS, October 4, 2024 (WAFA) –

Today, Israeli colonists forced farmers and olive harvesters to leave their lands in the town of Sebastia, located northwest of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.

Mohammad Azem, the mayor of Sebastia, reported that colonists chased after farmers and olive pickers in the plains of the town, compelling them to vacate the area. He noted that attacks by colonists have increased as the olive harvest season approaches.

In a related incident, colonists assaulted shepherds in the town of Hizma, northeast of occupied Jerusalem, later this evening. Local sources reported that colonists violently attacked the shepherds in the eastern area of the town and fired live ammunition at them to force them to leave the region.

The olive harvest season is one of the most important seasons for thousands of Palestinian families, many of whom make their living from this harvest.

M.N

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Israeli forces attack farmers harvesting olives near Salfit

SALFIT, October 4, 2024 (WAFA) –

 Israeli occupation forces attacked Palestinian farmers harvesting olives in the Hares village, west of the occupied West Bank city of Salfit, according to local sources.

Ahmad Daoud’s family said that the occupation forces physically assaulted the family members while the latter were picking their olive trees in their land near the western entrance of the town, inflicting bruises across the bodies of two of them.

With more than 12 million olive trees planted across 45% of the West Bank’s agricultural land, the olive harvest constitutes one of the biggest sources of economic sustainability for thousands of Palestinian families.

According to UN OCHA, the olive oil industry supports the livelihoods of more than 100,000 families and accounts for a quarter of the gross agricultural income of the occupied territories.

But, as local NGO MIFTAH notes, “olive trees carry more than an economic significance in the lives of Palestinians. They are not just like any other trees, they are symbolic of Palestinians’ attachment to their land. Because the trees are drought-resistant and grow under poor soil conditions, they represent Palestinian resistance and resilience. The fact that olive trees live and bear fruit for thousands of years is parallel to Palestinian history and continuity on the land.”

K.F.

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Palestinians suffocate in Israeli army raid south of Bethlehem

BETHLEHEM, October 4, 2024 (WAFA) –

Several Palestinians Friday evening suffocated in an Israeli army raid in the al-Khader town, south of the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, according to local sources.

They said that Israeli occupation forces barged their way into the southern West Bank town and fired volleys of teargas and concussion bombs towards the villagers’ houses, causing several suffocation cases.

The occupation forces frequently raid Palestinian houses almost daily across the West Bank on the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians, triggering clashes with residents.

These raids are conducted with no need for a search warrant, whenever and wherever the military chooses in keeping with its sweeping arbitrary powers.

Under Israeli military law army commanders have full executive, legislative and judicial authority over 3 million Palestinians living in the West Bank. Palestinians have no say in how this authority is exercised.

K.F.

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News Related to the Israeli Genocidal War on the Palestinian People

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99 US doctors call on Biden to cease military support for Israel

Friday 4-October-2024

NEW YORK, (PIC)

A group of 99 American physicians and medical professionals who volunteered to work in Gaza said they saw no signs of militant activity in the enclave’s hospitals, calling on the Biden administration to immediately cease military, economic and diplomatic support for Israel.

In a letter Thursday to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the group, who collectively spent 254 weeks volunteering at Gaza’s health care facilities, shared their firsthand experiences of the dire humanitarian conditions amid Israel’s ongoing offensive, saying they had “witnessed crimes beyond comprehension.”

“We wish to be absolutely clear: not once did any of us see any type of Palestinian militant activity in any of Gaza’s hospitals or other health care facilities,” they said in the letter, which was published on the website “Gaza Healthcare Letters.”

“We urge you to see that Israel has systematically and deliberately devastated Gaza’s entire health care system and that Israel has targeted our colleagues in Gaza for torture, disappearance, and murder,” they added.

The letter details the suffering of women and children in hospitals, including widespread malnutrition, and a lack of essential medical supplies in Gaza. They also cited a study published in the medical journal Lancet in July that said the death toll in Gaza has already surpassed 118,000, more than 5% of Gaza’s population.

“Every day I saw babies die. They had been born healthy. Their mothers were so malnourished that they could not breastfeed, and we lacked formula or clean water to feed them, so they starved,” said Asma Taha, a pediatric nurse practitioner, as quoted in the letter.

“Gaza was the first time I held a baby’s brains in my hand. The first of many,” Dr. Mark Perlmutter, an orthopedic and hand surgeon, said in the letter.

Doctors said in the letter that Israel’s “continued, repeated” displacement of the malnourished and sick population of Gaza, half of whom are children, to areas without running water or even toilets available is “absolutely shocking.”

“It is impossible that such widespread shooting of young children throughout Gaza, sustained over the course of an entire year, is accidental or unknown to the highest Israeli civilian and military authorities,” they said.

The group demanded that the Biden administration support an international arms embargo on both Israel and Palestinian groups until a permanent cease-fire is reached and both Israeli and Palestinian hostages are released. The signatories also asked for a meeting with Biden and Harris to discuss what they saw and why they feel American policy in the Middle East “must change immediately.”

They also reiterated their calls for reopening the Rafa'h crossing to allow humanitarian aid, including water and medical supplies, into Gaza.

“Every day that we continue supplying weapons and munitions to Israel is another day that women are shredded by our bombs and children are murdered with our bullets,” they said.

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UN expert: Universities must respect peaceful activism and revise repressive policies targeting pro-Palestine solidarity movement

GENEVA, October 4, 2024 (WAFA) -

Universities must take immediate steps to safeguard the right to protest peacefully on campuses in the context of international solidarity with the Palestinian people, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of assembly and association, Gina Romero, said Friday.

“After reviewing persistent allegations, and talking with around 150 people from 30 countries, including students and faculty members, I can conclude that the situation surrounding protests and international solidarity with the Palestinian people and victims within university environments, coupled with inadequate institutional responses, reveals a widespread hostile environment for the exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association,” she added.

“Now that peaceful assemblies in universities worldwide have resumed after holidays, re-joining the growing global movement to safeguard Palestinian rights and lives, and anticipating commemoration mobilisations by both Israeli and Palestinian solidarity groups in October, I urge academic institutions to recognise and respect the importance of youth meaningful and free engagement, and their valuable contributions for human rights, dignity, peace, and justice, including through exercising their public freedoms,” she added.

She also urged academic institutions to “immediately cease the stigmatisation and hostilities that silence members of the academic community and discourage the exercise of their rights; and actively facilitate and protect peaceful assemblies, including by prioritising negotiation and mediation where necessary, and refrain from calling on law enforcement to disperse peaceful protests.”

She also urged them to “refrain from and cease any surveillance and retributions against students and staff for expressing their views or participating in peaceful assemblies; ensure transparent and independent investigation into human rights violations that occurred in the context of the camps and other peaceful assemblies, revoke sanctions related to the exercise of fundamental freedoms, and provide effective and full remedies to affected students and staff; and ensure that their regulations are in line with international standards.”

She elaborated that: “Universities and other educational institutions have an important window of opportunity to learn from the experiences of the university-based pro-Palestine solidarity movement and repair the harm.”

“They must recognise that their responsibility extends beyond campus borders – their actions have the potential to shape political discourse, culture, civic education, and ultimately, the future sustainability of democracy, freedoms and human rights. Respecting and guaranteeing dissent is essential to ensure the universities remain spaces for free thought, speech and academic freedom, as well to guarantee freedom of expression, assembly and association,” she explained.

“The brutal repression of the university-based protest movement is posing a profound threat to democratic systems and institutions; it risks alienating an entire generation, damaging their participation and perception of their role in democratic processes, in addition to failing the responsibility to prevent atrocity crimes and to contribute to peace,” she concluded.

K.F.

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Middle East: ICRC urgently urges all parties to protect civilians

GENEVA, October 4, 2024 (WAFA) –

As tensions escalate across the Middle East, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned about the potential for a region-wide armed conflict and the dire consequences for civilians.

In a press statement released today, the ICRC emphasized the urgent need for all parties involved to adhere to international humanitarian law, particularly in protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure.

"The risks are massive. If the violence continues to escalate, the potential harm to civilians is incalculable," said Nicolas Von Arx, the ICRC’s regional director for the Near and Middle East. He urged all parties to uphold their legal obligations, asserting that reducing civilian suffering is essential for paving the way toward a more stable and peaceful future.

The statement highlighted that civilians have already suffered greatly from ongoing conflicts, adding that the situation has deteriorated further with the recent Israeli assaults on Lebanon. "Dehumanization that fuels more cycles of violence must be shunned by all sides,” Von Arx added, stressing the importance of mutual respect in conflict situations.

The ICRC underscored the need for safe passage for those displaced by conflict. "People displaced from their homes must be allowed to flee in safety and be able to access humanitarian assistance," the statement read. It noted that vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities, are at increasing risk as healthcare services and essential supplies become increasingly strained.

The ICRC also stressed the necessity of protecting ambulances, healthcare facilities, and first responders. "Parties to the conflict must ensure the basic needs of civilians, including water, food, and medical care," Von Arx stated. The organization called for the rapid and unimpeded passage of supplies and personnel for humanitarian aid.

M.N.

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FAO: War has destroyed two-thirds of agricultural land in Gaza

Friday 4-October-2024

NEW YORK, (PIC)

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said that the ongoing Israeli genocide against Gaza for the past year has destroyed more than two-thirds of the agricultural land in the region, “increasing the risk of famine among the population,” according to an assessment.

In a report prepared in collaboration with the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT), released on Thursday, the organization indicated that as of September 1, the war had caused damage to 67.6% of agricultural land (more than 10,000 hectares), whereas the percentage was 57.3% in May and 42.6% in February.

The report noted that 71.2% of orchards and fruit trees were damaged, along with 67.1% of field crops especially in the Khan Yunis area and 58.5% of garden crops, based on satellite imagery.

The FAO report also stated that more than half of the water wells designated for agricultural use (1,188) and 577 hectares of agricultural greenhouses suffered severe damage, as images showed signs of heavy vehicles, bombings, or sites leveled to the ground.

The report recorded the death of about 95% of livestock, with 43% of sheep (fewer than 25,000 heads) and 37% of goats (three thousand heads) surviving, while most fishing boats in the port of Gaza city were severely damaged.

Beth Bechdol, the FAO’s Deputy Director-General, warned that “the extent of the damage has reached unprecedented levels. This raises serious questions about current and future production capacities, as food assistance alone cannot meet the daily needs of Gaza’s residents.”

In a press statement, she added, “The damage inflicted on agricultural land exacerbates the imminent risk of famine throughout the Gaza Strip.”

The organization confirms that the population of the Gaza Strip, which exceeds two million, is in urgent need of food, while strict restrictions continue to be imposed on the entry of aid into the besieged area.

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UNRWA: Gazans living in indescribable terror for a year

Friday 4-October-2024

GAZA, (PIC)

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said that the people of the Gaza Strip have been living in indescribable terror under Israeli attacks for a year.

UNRWA Communications Officer Louise Wateridge said on X on Thursday, that the Gaza Strip has been enduring ongoing Israeli attacks since October 7, 2023.

Wateridge added that the war on Gaza has been going on for 12 months, resulting in the displacement of 1.9 million Palestinians and the killing of more than 41,000.

“I cannot quantify the horrors that people have endured relentlessly for 12 months. I cannot fully portray the fear instilled upon an entire population, every hour, of every day. I cannot share the overwhelming smell of blood in hospitals surrounding doctors in despair, unable to save countless children,” Wateridge said.

With unlimited US support, Israel has been waging a devastating war in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving more than 137,000 Palestinian martyrs and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10,000 missing, amidst massive destruction and deadly famine. 

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MSF: 12,000 injured people in need of medical evacuation

Friday 4-October-2024

GAZA, (PIC)

Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) estimated that 12,000 patients and injured people in the Gaza Strip are in need of medical evacuation.

Israel’s all-out war and punishing siege have destroyed Gaza’s already fragile health system, repeatedly displaced people who have been forced into smaller and smaller areas, and choked off access to desperately needed food, water, and medicines, MSF said in a statement issued on Thursday.

The Israeli military launched a horrific assault on Gaza that has so far killed more than 41,500 people, wounded 96,000, and displaced approximately 1.9 million people. Violence has since surged in the West Bank, in Lebanon, and across the region.”

“This has been a year of unrelenting horror and violence against civilians, with no end in sight,” said Avril Benoît, chief executive officer of MSF USA. “As this conflict spreads across the region, we repeat our urgent call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. This is the only way to stop the spiraling violence and bring lifesaving care to people who are struggling to survive.”

Palestinians in Gaza are suffering from war wounds, infectious diseases, malnutrition, and mental trauma while living in overcrowded and inhumane conditions. MSF medical staff have treated patients on a daily basis with wounds caused by bombings.

People have extensive burns, crushed bones, and amputated limbs—all of which require intensive and long-term care that is not possible under current conditions. Since the escalation of war last October, MSF teams have treated more than 27,500 patients for violence-related injuries, with more than 80 percent of the wounds linked to shelling.

“Israeli bombardments of densely populated areas have repeatedly caused injuries on a massive scale,” said Dr. 'Amber 'Alayyan, MSF medical program manager. “Our teams have been forced to perform surgeries without anesthesia, witness children die on hospital floors due to a lack of resources, and even treat their own colleagues and family members. Meanwhile, the health care system in Gaza has been systematically dismantled by Israeli forces,” he added. 

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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 verbs "abduct" and "kidnap" than the verbs "detain" and "arrest," 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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Names of some of the Palestinian cities, as pronounced in standard Arabic, and their foreign names in parentheses: 

Al-Khaleel (Hebron)

Al-Nusayrat

Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem)

Aree'ha (Jericho)

Al-Zaytoun (al-Zeitoun)

Bait (Beit)

Bait La'hm (Bethlehem)

Dair El-Bala'h

Jineen (Jenin)

Khan Younus (Khan Younis)

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Person's names as pronounced in standard Arabic:

A'hmed, 'Hasan, Mu'hammed, Younus, Yousuf,  

'Hasan Mulai'hat,

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Conflict terminology

The Israeli occupation apartheid regime (the Israeli government)

Illegal Israeli settlers (instead of settlers, colonists)

A group of the illegal Israeli settlers

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