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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On Day 435 of US-Backed Israeli Genocidal War on Gaza Strip, 2 Massacres, 55 Palestinians Killed, 170 Injured, in the Past 24 Hours, with a Death Toll of  44,930 and 106,624 Injuries

by December 14, 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 in Gaza:

By December 13, 2024, the initial death toll of Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip is 54,930+.   

This includes the accounted for deaths (44,930), those who are still missing under the rubble (an estimate of at least 10,000+). 

By December 13, 2024, the documented injuries exceeded 106,624.

By December 13, 2024, 813 Palestinians who were killed, 6,588 who were injured, and 10,423*, 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).

* The number of the Palestinians detainees who remain in the Israeli occupation prisons has been updated to 11,900 by Wafa, on December 9, 2024.

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The Israeli occupation forces assassinated the mayor of Dair El-Bala'h city, Dthiyab Al-Lou'h, in a genocidal airstrike that targeted the municipality building, on December 14, 2024.	Palestinian journalist Mu'hammed Ba'lousha, who worked for for Al-Mashhad Channel, was assassinated by an Israeli genocidal air strike, in Gaza city, December 14, 2024.
55 Palestinians were killed, 170 were injured, mostly children and women, by Israeli genocidal air strikes and bombardment on the Gaza Strip, on December 14, 2024.	By Day 435 of the Israeli genocidal war on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, the death toll rose to 44,930 and the injuries to 106,624, December 14, 2024.
A displaced Palestinian uses a bucket to clear water from a tent drenched by heavy rain, at a makeshift camp in southern Gaza, file, December 14, 2024.	Students and professors at New York University closed the Bobst Library on the university campus in Manhattan to protest the ongoing Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, December 14, 2024.
Carrying the martyred and injured Palestinians to Shuhada Al-Aqsa hospital, who were were victims of an Israeli genocidal air strike on a tent, sheltering a displaced Palestinian family in Dair El-Bala'h, December 14, 2024.	Palestinian rescue crew members searching for victims under the rubble of the Dair El-Bala'h municipality building, which was destroyed by an Israeli genocidal air strike, on December 14, 2024.
Grieving the death of the Palestinian martyrs, who were killed by an Israeli genocidal air strike on the Dair El-Bala'h municipality, on December 14, 2024.	Site of the Israeli genocidal air strike on the municipality building of the Dair El-Bala'h city, on December 14, 2024.

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

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Death toll across Gaza Strip surges to  44,930, over 106,624 injured

GAZA, December, 14, 2024 (WAFA) – 

Israeli occupation forces committed two massacres against families in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, resulting in the killing of at least 55 Palestinians and the injury of 170 others, according to medical reports.

They confirmed that the Palestinian death toll from the Israeli onslaught since October 7, 2023 has risen to 44,930 reported fatalities, with an additional 106,624  individuals sustaining injuries. The majority of the victims are women and children.

According to the same sources, emergency services are still unable to reach many casualties and dead bodies trapped under the rubble or scattered on roads across the war-torn enclave, as Israeli occupation forces continue to obstruct the movement of ambulance and civil defense crews.

Israel's genocidal onslaught continues unabated despite calls from the United Nations Security Council for an immediate ceasefire and directives from the International Court of Justice urging measures to prevent genocide and alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Y.S.

***

Israeli genocidal war on Gaza enters Day 435

Saturday 14-December-2024

GAZA, (PIC)

In the midst of catastrophic humanitarian suffering for more than two million Palestinians — half of them children, the Israeli occupation army continued, for the 435th consecutive day, to pound and target different areas and massacre more civilians in the Gaza Strip, especially in the northern areas.

Reporters for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said on Saturday that the Israeli occupation army carried out attacks on several homes, civilian targets and shelter centers in different areas of Gaza during the past 24 hours, killing and injuring dozens of citizens.

The Israeli army’s large-scale genocidal campaign in northern Gaza, especially in Jabalya and Bait Lahya, has entered day 71, where its forces continue to intensively bomb homes and shelters and attack civilians while imposing a tight siege on the entire area.

Deliberate Israeli attacks on ambulance and civil defense workers already deprived northern Gaza of any rescue services.

Local sources said Israeli warplanes bombed the municipality building in central Gaza, killing seven citizens, including Dair El-Bala'h mayor Dhiya Al-Jaro, and injuring two others.

Journalist Mu'hammed Ba’lusha, a correspondent for Al-Mashhad satellite channel, was also martyred in an Israeli strike on his home in A'hmed Yaseen street in as-Saftawi neighborhood in northern Gaza.

The Israeli army also bombed a school sheltering displaced families in the west of Gaza City, killing seven people and injuring 20 others, mostly women and children.

Two brothers were martyred when the Israeli army bombed a group of citizens in 'Abasan Al-Jadeeda town, south of Gaza.

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

In a related context, the health ministry in Gaza said on Saturday that the Israeli army committed two massacres in different areas of the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours, and killed and injured at least 225 civilians, while a large number of victims are still under the rubble of bombed buildings or lying on roads.

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11 martyrs, including mayor of Dair El-Bala'h & journalist, in Israeli raids on Gaza

Saturday 14-December-2024

GAZA, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) assassinated the mayor of Dair El-Bala'h city, Dthiyab Al-Lou'h, in a genocidal airstrike that targeted the municipality headquarters of Dair El-Bala'h city, in Central Gaza on Saturday.

The PIC correspondent reported that Israeli warplanes bombed Dair El-Bala'h municipality building, which led to the martyrdom of 10 citizens, including the mayor, and the injury of others.

Since the start of the Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, many mayors and municipality employees were killed and wounded in an attempt to obstruct municipal services in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, the journalist Mu'hammed Ba'lousha was martyred in an Israeli bombing that targeted him directly by a military drone.

Local sources explained that a quadcopter drone bombed the journalist Ba'lousha on A'hmed Yaseen Street in Al-Saftawi neighborhood, in the northern Gaza Strip, which led to his immediate death.

Ba'lousha has been working as the correspondent for Al-Mashhad Channel since the start of the war on Gaza, and was previously injured on December 12, 2023, by an Israeli sniper.

His body was brought to Al-Shaikh Radhwan Clinic Center, northwest of Gaza City, the sources added.

On Friday morning, the photographer Shadi Al-Salafeeti was martyred in an Israeli attack that bombed a group of citizens in the vicinity of the industry area west of Gaza City.

With the martyrdom of Ba'lousha, the death toll of journalists has risen to 195 martyrs since October 7, 2023, according to data of Government Media Office in Gaza.

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Israeli airstrikes kill 10 Palestinians and injure dozens in Dair El-Bala'h

GAZA, December 14, 2024 (WAFA) –

At least 10 Palestinians were killed and many others injured on Saturday in Israeli airstrikes targeting the municipality building in Dair El-Bala'h, central Gaza Strip.

WAFA correspondent reported that Israeli warplanes bombed the building, which was sheltering dozens of displaced persons. The attack resulted in the murder of 10 Palestinians and injuries to many others. Civilian vehicles and ambulances transported the injured to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital for treatment.

In a separate attack, one Palestinian was killed and several others were injured when Israeli forces bombed a group of civilians near the Abu 'Attaya roundabout east of the Al-Buraij refugee camp in central Gaza.

The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 2023 has so far resulted in at least 44,930 documented Palestinian fatalities, with over 106,624 others injured.

Thousands of victims are feared trapped under rubble, inaccessible to emergency and civil defense teams due to Israeli attacks.

Israel's genocidal attacks continue unabated despite calls from the UN Security Council for an immediate ceasefire and directives from the International Court of Justice urging measures to prevent genocide and alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

M.N.

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Israeli genocidal airstrike kills several Palestinians in Dair El-Bala'h, central Gaza

GAZA, December 14, 2024 (WAFA) –

Several Palestinians were killed, including a child, on Saturday evening when Israeli warplanes targeted a tent sheltering displaced people in Dair El-Bala'h, central Gaza.

WAFA correspondent reported that four Palestinians, including a child, were killed, and several others were injured in the airstrike that hit a tent near Al-Asar Mosque to the south of Dair El-Bala'h.

In a separate incident, Israeli occupation forces demolished several residential buildings in the town of Bait Lahya, in the northern Gaza Strip.

The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 2023 has so far resulted in at least 44,930 documented Palestinian fatalities, with over 106,624 others injured.

Thousands of victims are feared trapped under rubble, inaccessible to emergency and civil defense teams due to Israeli attacks.

Israel's genocidal attacks continue unabated despite calls from the UN Security Council for an immediate ceasefire and directives from the International Court of Justice urging measures to prevent genocide and alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

M.N.

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Two Palestinians killed in Israeli genocidal airstrike in Gaza City

GAZA, December 14, 2024 (WAFA) –

Two Palestinians were killed and others were injured on Saturday evening after an Israeli genocidal airstrike targeted a group of civilians in Gaza City.

Medical sources confirmed that at least two Palestinians were killed, and several others were injured when Israeli forces launched an airstrike on a group of civilians in the Al-Nasr neighborhood, west of Gaza City.

In a separate incident, rescue teams recovered the body of a woman who had been killed by Israeli gunfire in the Al-Mawasi area of Rafa'h, in the southern Gaza Strip.

The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 2023 has so far resulted in at least 44,930 documented Palestinian fatalities, with over 106,624 others injured.

Thousands of victims are feared trapped under rubble, inaccessible to emergency and civil defense teams due to Israeli attacks.

Israel's genocidal attacks continue unabated despite calls from the UN Security Council for an immediate ceasefire and directives from the International Court of Justice urging measures to prevent genocide and alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

M.N.

***

Seven civilians killed and others injured in Israeli genocidal airstrikes west of Gaza City

GAZA, December, 14, 2024 (WAFA) – 

Seven civilians were killed and others were injured today when Israeli genocidal airstrikes bombed a school housing displaced persons west of Gaza City.

Local sources reported that the occupation warplanes bombed Al-Majida Waseela School in the northern Al-Rimal neighborhood west of Gaza City, which led to the killing of seven Palestinians and the injury of others, including women and children.

One civilians was killed and another was injured when the occupation warships bombed displaced persons west of Al-Nusayrat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, five citizens were injured when Israeli drones launched shells towards Al-Shalh Chalet area in Al-Mawasi area west of Rafa'h city.

The Israeli occupation forces have continued their aggression on the Gaza Strip by land, sea and air since October 7, 2023, which resulted in the killing of 44,875 people, the majority of whom were women and children, and the injury of 106,454 others.

Y.S.

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Israeli drone kills female civilian and injures others in Gaza City

GAZA, December, 14, 2024 (WAFA) – 

A Palestinian female civilian was killed and others were injured on Saturday when an Israeli occupation drone targeted a group of citizens in Gaza City.

Local sources said  that medical crews transferred the body of a slain Palestinian and a number of wounded to the Baptist Hospital in Gaza City after an occupation drone targeted a group of citizens at the Jalaa Junction, northwest of the city.

Meanwhile, five other civilians were also injured, including one critically, when the occupation bombed a house belonging to citizen Samee'h Al-Heesi in the vicinity of 'Hamza Mosque in Jabalya Al-Nazla, north of the Gaza Strip.

By December 13, 2024, the Israeli occupation forces have been waging a bloody aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, which resulted in the killing of 44,875 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children, and the injury of 106,454 others.

Y.S.

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Several civilians killed and others injured in Israeli airstrikes on different areas in Gaza

GAZA, December, 14, 2024 (WAFA) – 

Several citizens were killed and injured, at dawn on Saturday, in the ongoing occupation bombing of several areas in the Gaza Strip.

In the town of Jabalya, north of the Gaza Strip, four citizens from the Sa'dallah family were killed after the occupation bombed their home in Jabalya Al-Nazla, and two other citizens were injured after an occupation raid on a house in Abu Warda Street in Jabalya Al-Balad.

Two citizens were killed and others were injured in an occupation raid on Yafa School, northeast of Gaza City.

A female citizen was also killed in the occupation bombing of a tent sheltering displaced persons south of Khan Younus.

The occupation forces continued to blow up buildings and target others with shelling in the Bait Lahya project, and burned dozens of homes in the Abu Al-Jidyan area between Jabalya and the Bait Lahya project, while the occupation tanks opened fire towards Kamal 'Udwan Hospital.

The occupation artillery fired its shells towards the Sabra neighborhood south of Gaza City, the town of 'Abasan Al-Kabeera in Khan Younus, and Al-Maghazi and Nuseirat camps in the central Gaza Strip.

Y.S.

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

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Israeli occupation forces injure Palestinian youth in northeast of Ramallah

RAMALLAH, December 14, 2024 (WAFA) –

A Palestinian youth was injured by Israeli occupation forces on Saturday evening during an Israeli military raid on the village of Al-Mughayir, northeast of Ramallah, according to Palestinian security sources.

The sources told WAFA that confrontations broke out between local residents and Israeli forces in the village, during which Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition at the protesters. A 26-year-old man was shot in the shoulder and was later transported to the hospital, where his injury was described as moderate.

In a related incident, Israeli forces stormed the town of Turmus 'Ayya, northeast of Ramallah. No detentions or further confrontations were reported.

M.N.

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Over 15 Palestinians kidnapped by Israeli forces in West Bank, including children

RAMALLAH, December, 14, 2024 (WAFA) – 

Israeli occupation forces have kidnapped at least 15 Palestinians from various areas of the West Bank since yesterday evening, continuing their ongoing crackdown on the local population.

According to the Palestinian Authority's Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Commission and the Palestinian Prisoner's Society, The detentions were distributed among the governorates of  Ramallah, Toulkarm, Al-Khaleel (Hebron), Jineen, and Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem). The raids were accompanied by assaults, threats against detainees and their families, and widespread destruction of property, including damage to homes.

TThis latest wave of kidnappings is part of Israel's broader campaign of suppression that has escalated sharply since the beginning of its ongoing genocidal onslaught on Gaza in October 2023. Since then, over 11,900 Palestinians have been detained from the West Bank and Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem), according to local authorities.

The systematic nature of these kidnappings is a key component of Israeli policy, with large-scale detentions being carried out as part of the ongoing military attacks.  

It is important to note that the figures provided here refer only to detentions made in the West Bank, not including Gaza, where the number of detentions is also significant.

Y.S.

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Aggression and Attacks by Illegal Israeli Settlers and Soldiers

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Illegal Israeli settlers attack Palestinian vehicles on Ramallah-Nablus road

RAMALLAH, December 14, 2024 (WAFA) –

A group of the illegal Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian vehicles on the road connecting the cities of Ramallah and Nablus in the occupied West Bank on Saturday evening, according to Palestinian security sources.

The sources told WAFA that the colonists threw stones at the vehicles of Palestinian citizens near the illegal settlement of Eli, which is adjacent to the road.

In the same incident, a Palestinian man from the Salfeet governorate was attacked by the colonists, causing bruises and injuries to him. He was later transported to the hospital for medical treatment.

Such attacks by the illegal Israeli settlers on Palestinian vehicles along this road have been frequent and ongoing.

MM.N.

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Illegal Israeli settlers attack Palestinian house, hurl stones towards it south of Nablus

NABLUS, December, 14, 2024 (WAFA) – 

A group of the illegal Israeli settlers today attacked a Palestinian  house on the outskirts of Burin town, south of Nablus.

Local sources reported that a group of a group of the illegal Israeli settlers attacked the house of Ibrahim Eid in the eastern area of ​​Burin and targeted him with stones, but the residents confronted them.

It is noteworthy that colonists have recently escalated their attacks against local residents and their properties in various areas of the West Bank,  including attacking homes and vehicles and firing bullets.

Y.S.

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Illegal Israeli settlers seize a herd of cows east of Toubas

Saturday 14-December-2024

TUBAS, (PIC)

A group of the illegal Israeli settlers seized on Saturday a herd of cows east of Toubas city in the West Bank and brought it to a settlement outpost in the northern Jordan Valley.

Local sources reported that the settlers seized 25 cow heads belonging to the citizen Jamal Daraghma, near the village of Tayaseer, east of Toubas.

The sources explained that the settlers brought the flock of cows to the 'Hamma outpost area of the northern Jordan Valley.

In conjunction with the ongoing aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, settlers’ attacks on the Bedouin communities in the Jordan Valley region have escalated, with about 1,396 attacks carried out at the hands of settlers and the IOF during the month of November, according to data of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission.

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The Israeli occupation apartheid regime forcibly demolish Palestinian property and issue demolition orders in ilwan

Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem), December 14, 2024 (WAFA) –

The Israeli occupation apartheid regime on Saturday forced a Palestinian resident to demolish his storage facility and issued a demolition order for a mosque in the Silwan neighborhood, located south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem).

Local sources reported that Israeli authorities compelled Yousuf Al-Taweel, a Palestinian citizen, to demolish his storage facility, which had been standing for 43 years.

Additionally, the occupation authorities issued an order for the demolition of Al-Isra Mosque in Silwan within 21 days, and imposed a fine of 40,000 shekels.

Silwan, situated just one kilometer south of Al-Aqsa Mosque, is home to tens of thousands of Palestinians who face the ongoing threat of forced displacement due to Israel's efforts to alter the demographic and geographic makeup of the area through settlement expansion and policies of Judaization.

M.N.

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News Related to the Israeli Genocidal War on the Palestinian People

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Students and professors close New York University library in protest of aggression on Gaza

NEW YORK, December, 14, 2024 (WAFA) – 

Students and professors at New York University closed the Bobst Library on the university campus in Manhattan to protest the ongoing Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, and to demand severing ties with companies and educational institutions in the occupying state and withdrawing investments from companies that support it.

Local sources reported that the protesting students tied each other with plastic cylinders to tightly close the library doors.

The students confirmed that they will continue their protest activities until the end of the aggression on the Gaza Strip.

Y.S.

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PFB calls for protests against the ongoing genocide in Gaza and Israeli aggression

Saturday 14-December-2024

LONDON, (PIC)

The Palestinian Forum in Britain (PFB), in collaboration with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War Coalition, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Friends of Al-Aqsa, and the Muslim Association of Britain, calls on Palestinian and Arab communities, along with all supporters of Palestine, to join in large numbers for the protest outside the British Parliament in Westminster and in major public squares across various British cities on Saturday.

These protests aim to condemn the ongoing genocide in Gaza, particularly in its northern region, where over 4,000 lives have been lost in under 70 days. This tragic toll is in addition to the tens of thousands of martyrs, injured, and missing since the onset of Israeli aggression in October 2023, all of which add to the decades-long bloodshed inflicted on Palestinians since the occupation of Palestine began in 1948.

As these atrocities persist, the UK government, led by Keir Starmer, remains preoccupied with protecting the Israeli Chief of Staff from accountability during his recent visit to London, rather than working to bring him to justice. Meanwhile, Israeli aggression against Syria is escalating, as Netanyahu and his regime exploit Syria’s focus on consolidating its political stability following the Syrian revolution for freedom and dignity. The occupation seeks to take advantage of this moment to claim new territories in Syria and intensify its brutal assaults.

Speakers at the Rally for Palestine:

Brian Eno – Musician and Visual Artist Leanne Mohamad – British Palestinian Activist Michael Rosen – Author and Poet

The program will commence promptly at 2:30 PM in front of Parliament, followed by participants laying memorial flowers for the martyrs at 10 Downing Street.

The PFB statement read, “We call on freedom advocates around the world to stand united against this unjust global system and to bring an end to the criminal Zionist actions that destabilize the region, threaten security, and terrorize innocent civilians.”

“Our protests and demonstrations will continue until the occupation ends, war criminals are held accountable, and Palestine is once again free and sovereign,” it concluded.

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UNICEF calls for global action to stop the bloodshed of Gaza's children

NEW YORK, December 14, 2024 (WAFA) –

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell has called for urgent global action to halt the daily suffering of Gaza's children, who continue to face bloodshed, hunger, disease, and cold amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

In a statement released on Saturday regarding the developments in Gaza, Russell stated that the world remains indifferent while Gaza's children are daily victims of violence and deprivation.

She particularly referred to the recent Israeli attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on Thursday, which pushed the number of children killed in Gaza in the past month to over 160, averaging four children per day since November.

The airstrike on Thursday killed 40 people, including children and women, and left dozens more injured. Russell emphasized that children in Gaza are "not responsible for the situation, nor do they have the ability to change it, yet they are paying the highest price with their lives and futures."

She also pointed out that over 14,500 children have been killed in the past 14 months, and 1.1 million children urgently need protection and psychological support.

Russell stressed that the threat of famine remains severe in northern Gaza, with humanitarian aid access being extremely limited. Children are facing shortages of food, clean water, medicine, and winter clothing, while preventable diseases like rashes and respiratory infections spread rapidly.

She concluded, "The world cannot remain indifferent while such a large number of children suffer daily from bloodshed, hunger, disease, and cold."

M.N.

***

Gaza's displaced: Trapped between the sea and the scars of war

By 'Hatim Abu Daqqa

GAZA, December 14, 2024 (WAFA) –

For 14 months, the people of Gaza have endured an unrelenting and brutal assault by the Israeli occupation forces, an onslaught that has destroyed homes, shattered lives, and forced thousands of families to flee.

As winter rains batter the coastal region, the plight of the displaced in Gaza grows more dire, with their flimsy tents failing to protect them from the cold, and the rising sea threatening to swallow them whole.

Among the many affected is Sanaa Abu Lahya, a displaced woman from the town of Al-Qarara, who spoke to WAFA about the agony of living in the wake of the destruction wrought by Israel’s continued bombardment.

Her family, like so many others, was forced to abandon their home when it was reduced to rubble by Israeli airstrikes. Now, along Gaza’s coastline, Sanaa and her family live in constant fear—not just of the waves and rain, but of the memories of their lost homes.

"The displaced along the beach are like the living dead, existing in a state of suspended life. We endure the bitter cold, and the rising sea waves threaten to pull our tents into the water," Sanaa said.

Her voice trembled as she recalled the suffering of her 75-year-old husband, Mu'hammed Abu Lahya, who has a medical implant in his right leg after an injury sustained two years ago.

The trauma of the war was compounded by the harsh winter. "Last night, I didn’t sleep a wink. The wind howled, the rain poured, and the sea’s waves rose high, nearly swallowing our tent."

The destruction of Gaza, caused by Israel’s genocidal onslaught, has left hundreds of thousands homeless, and the displaced face a daily battle against the elements. With no choice but to take refuge along the sea, families live in shelters that offer no protection from either the harsh winter cold or the waves that creep ever closer.

Sanaa shared her deep frustration with the aid organizations that had visited her and others like her. "They promised to give us new tents and relocate us to safer areas, but nothing has changed. They left us here to fend for ourselves," she said. The broken promises only add to the burden that displaced families carry.

A few meters away, we found an abandoned tent, its owner forced to leave after the first drops of rain. With nowhere else to turn, he sought shelter with relatives, knowing that his tent, ravaged by the weather, was no longer safe.

As the day began, displaced resident A'hmed 'Ulaiwa, 40, worked tirelessly to rebuild sand barriers that had been washed away by the rising tide. "The situation keeps getting worse with every storm," 'Ulaiwa said, his face etched with exhaustion. "Our tents, already worn out, can't withstand the rain or the rising sea levels. This will only get worse. If things continue this way, we will face a disaster, and hundreds will die on this beach."

'Ulaiwa, like many of the displaced, fears the dangers posed by the sea. "Some of the older residents remember when the tide once reached all the way to Al-Rashid Street. The ocean has always been a threat, but now it feels like it’s closing in on us. And we’re trapped between the sea and the aftermath of the war," he added.

The fear of the sea is not the only terror that these families face. They are also haunted by the brutal violence they fled. For over a year, Israel’s relentless bombardment has not only destroyed homes but has also devastated the infrastructure, leaving nothing but rubble in its wake.

Families who once lived in homes are now living on the edge, trying to survive in makeshift tents, constantly under the threat of both nature and military aggression.

"The beach, once a place of peace, has now become a living nightmare," 'Ulaiwa continued. "We fled our homes when they were bombed, only to find ourselves trapped here, unable to escape the fear of the waves or the violence that forced us from our homes in the first place."

The displaced families of Gaza, particularly those along the beach, live in a constant state of vulnerability. They are caught between the ravages of an ongoing war, the relentless pressure of the elements, and the cruel indifference of promises that go unfulfilled. With winter storms upon them and the sea rising ever higher, they continue to wait for help that never arrives, their lives hanging in the balance.

'Ulaiwa called on international organizations and the global community to urgently intervene. "We need alternative shelters, safer places away from the sea. The ocean has become a nightmare, a constant reminder of the violence we fled. We cannot live like this anymore," he said, his voice filled with desperation.

As the world watches, the displaced in Gaza continue to suffer, not only from the violence of war but from the relentless forces of nature. Their survival depends on more than just a change in the weather—it requires a change in the world’s response to their suffering. Until then, they remain trapped between the sea and the scars of an ongoing war that shows no sign of ending.

M.N

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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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