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.

 

A Silent US-Backed Israeli Genocide by Hunger Is Happening in Gaza, Which May Lead to More Deaths than the Genocidal Air Strikes

February 23, 2024 

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The famine in Gaza, A silent Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people

Friday 23-February-2024

GAZA, (PIC)

Has death by starvation become a familiar occurrence? With this question, Palestinian Osama Hameed began his discussion about the facts of the famine striking the Gaza Strip and its northern regions, due to the criminal acts of Israel, amidst the silence and incapacity of the entire world.

Hameed told the Palestinian Information Center’s correspondent: “Here in northern Gaza, people die daily, especially children and the elderly, from hunger. Yes, from hunger and the absence of any food. No one knows anything about them because there is no media coverage and no organizations documenting these events.”

After 140 days of the start of the Israeli bloody war on the Gaza Strip, and the tightening of the blockade on Gaza and its northern regions, and the prevention of any aid from entering, levels of hunger and famine reached a terrifying level.

Hameed explained: “Even animal fodder has run out. Here, we barely get a limited meal every two or three days. We rely on herbs, grasses, and mixing contaminated water with salt.”

Until safe conditions are available

Amidst this suffocating crisis, the World Food Program announced, in a tweet on its official account on the “X” platform on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, the suspension of humanitarian aid entry into the besieged northern Gaza Strip, after only 3 days of attempts to resume it, citing “pending the availability of safe conditions.”

This followed a complete cessation of all types of aid for a period of 3 weeks after the Israeli occupation army bombed a relief aid truck on the coastal road southwest of Gaza City before entering the besieged area.

The statement by the World Food Program coincides with statements on the same day by UNICEF, which said that the death threatens 600,000 children in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, living without food or medicine and in extremely dangerous conditions in the city’s camps.

Between the north and the south, dark contours emerge, outlining the fate of hundreds of thousands threatened by the danger of famine, squeezed by hunger and the lack of food supplies in the Gaza Strip, which has been under Israeli aggression since October 7 of last year.

How did the famine begin?

The famine began 48 hours after the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, when Israeli War Minister Yoaav Galant announced his decision to prevent “food, water, and fuel from entering the enclave.” This official decision signaled the use of starvation as a weapon of war, violating international law from the outset.

Israeli forces closed all crossings with the Gaza Strip, through which 600 trucks entered daily via the Karm Abu Salim crossing. Humanitarian aid that flowed to the Egyptian airport in El-Areesh remained detained for a full 15 days before an American-Egyptian-Israeli agreement was reached to allow limited entry, meeting only 1% of the Strip’s needs under normal circumstances.

The Israeli army began its ground invasion of northern Gaza on October 27, 2023, after allowing regulated entry of aid for a few days, limited to Khan Younus in the south of the Gaza Strip.

The occupation forces divided the Gaza and North Gaza governorates from the central governorate by cutting off Salah al-Din Street and advancing towards the coastal Rashid Street in the west to tighten the siege on Gaza City and the northern cities. The same applied to the south, which faced similar ground advances.

International organizations hurried to withdraw from northern Gaza amid Israeli eviction orders targeting Gaza and its north, leaving over 1.5 million citizens under the control of the Israeli war machine.

Under threat and bombardment, hundreds of thousands fled to the south, but around 700,000 Palestinians remained in Gaza and its north, refusing the idea of displacement.

Food supplies began to run out gradually as the north was besieged from all four corners, with the continued prevention of any aid entry and the deliberate destruction of residential neighborhoods, markets, stores, and bakeries. Citizens faced immense difficulties in compensating for the lacking supplies.

In the first few weeks, the north of the Gaza Strip exhausted its stockpiles of food in houses and shops, and residents resorted to searching destroyed or abandoned houses for canned goods.

Some residents recount how they were forced to remove the doors of abandoned shops to find food for themselves and their families after their own supplies ran out.

According to a report published by Al Jazeera, the signs of famine began to appear among the remaining population of the northern Gaza Strip, with Israeli insistence on preventing any food aid entry amid waves of intense airstrikes and fierce ground confrontations with the resistance.

In the south of the Gaza Strip and the central area, living conditions remained relatively better than the north, with limited aid trucks entering. However, the influx of hundreds of thousands of displaced persons from the north exerted pressure on the stock of food supplies in these areas, increasing the need for larger amounts of humanitarian aid that remained inadequate. Prices skyrocketed to levels that most families couldn’t afford.

The Gaza Strip became two

At the beginning of December last year, the occupation army launched its ground operation to invade the city of Khan Younus in the southern Gaza Strip, resulting in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of its residents mainly towards Rafa'h and to a lesser extent towards the central camp areas. Consequently, the Gaza Strip turned into three population blocks: Rafah, Central, and North.

Three full months into the aggression, the separation of the north from its center and south persisted. As the battles reached the heart of Khan Younus city, Rafa'h remained connected to the central area via the coastal road, which was subject to attacks by land, sea, and air.

Northern Gaza remains under strict siege, estimated to be inhabited by about 700,000 citizens, entirely deprived of any food support or access to humanitarian aid, which was completely cut off according to a statement by the World Food Program.

In the south of the Gaza Strip, humanitarian aid trucks continue to enter intermittently, contributing to the provision of canned goods and flour in quantities insufficient to meet the needs of more than 1.6 million inhabitants residing in Rafa'h and the central governorate.

Hunger as a weapon

The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Michael Fakhri, affirmed that Israel is using hunger as a weapon to harm and kill civilians in Gaza. This echoes the findings of a December report by Human Rights Watch, which stated that the Israeli government “uses civilian starvation as a war tactic in the Gaza Strip, constituting a war crime.”

The report served as legal evidence of the new blockade pattern that Israel imposed on the Gaza Strip. Observers note the continued exacerbation of famine in the north.

Traps for murder

The siege on northern Gaza took on a new form beyond the prevention of humanitarian aid entry. It extended to redirecting the few trucks allowed access to become traps for sniping and assassination of civilians who gathered to await truck arrivals and aid distribution.

The occupation forces directly targeted the aid trucks heading to the besieged north, leading to decisions to stop aid shipments to the area, as announced by the World Food Program.

Journalists’ cameras in Gaza City documented dozens of video clips showing citizens being targeted by gunfire from tanks, drones, and even naval vessels, resulting in casualties and injuries in pursuit of a bag of flour or a box of canned food.

Starvation tactics in the south

In the central and southern parts of the Strip, Israeli blockade tactics have taken on new forms, including:

An agreement to allow initial aid entry through the Rafa'h crossing between Egypt and Gaza, after inspection at the Nitzana crossing between Egypt and 1948 occupied Palestine (Israel). This allowed limited aid to enter, meeting only a small percentage of the Strip’s needs.

A new agreement in December allowed aid to enter Gaza through Karm Abu Salim crossing, following its entry from Egypt into Israel through Nitzana. While the UN stated this aimed to accelerate aid entry into the Strip and increase its quantities by including aid from Jordan in the agreement, it made little significant difference. Instead, it granted Israel absolute control over aid entry to the southern part of the Strip.

The full complicity of Israeli authorities in preventing aid from entering Gaza was evident when settlers were allowed to protest in February of this year in front of the roads leading to Karm Abu Salim and Nitzana crossings, obstructing truck passage.

Northern Strip residents resorted to exhaustive searches for any available food, including grinding animal feed and poultry feed for consumption, and scavenging agricultural lands for edible plants.

In the south and central areas of the Gaza Strip, residents face extreme difficulty in obtaining food supplies due to shortages and skyrocketing prices, amidst extremely poor living and economic conditions.

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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 February 23, 2024, the initial death toll of Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip is 36,514+.   

This includes the accounted for deaths (29,514) and those who are still missing under the rubble (Corrected on February 7, 2024: 7,000+).   

By February 23, 2024, the documented injuries exceeded 69,625, and more than 2,520 civilians have been abducted from Gaza Strip.

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

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

By February 23, 2024, there were 416 Palestinians who were killed, 3,655 who were injured, and 7,181, 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.

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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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An injred Palestinian child, who survived an Israeli genocidal air strike on Gaza Strip, on February 23, 2024	Site of an Israeli genocidal air strike on a house in Gaza Strip, on February 23, 2024
The famine in Gaza, A silent Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people, February 23, 2024	Hungry Palestinians crowd to get the little food that sporadically reaches Jabalya, northern Gaza Strip, February 24, 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, 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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Haniyya concludes visit to Cairo

Friday 23-February-2024, CAIRO, (PIC)

The 'Hamas leadership delegation, led by Isma'eel Haniyya, the head of the 'Hamas political bureau, concluded a two-day visit to Cairo, Egypt on Thursday.

'Hamas said, the Movement’s delegation held talks with Major General 'Abbas Kamil, head of the Egyptian Intelligence, along with other officials.

The meetings discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip, with big emphasis on stopping the brutal aggression against civilians, the return of the displaced to their places of residence, and the mechanism to provide relief and shelter to the trapped people especially in northern Gaza.

The talks also tackled a prisoner exchange agreement between 'Hamas and Israeli, as well as the Israeli plans aimed at banning Muslim worshipers from praying at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Al-Quds (Occupied Jerusalem), during the holy month of Ramadhan. 

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Well-informed source: Israel did not provide any positive step towards reaching an agreement

Friday 23-February-2024, GAZA, (PIC)

A well-informed source in the 'Hamas Movement revealed that Israel did not provide any positive steps towards reaching an agreement in the Cairo negotiations.

The enemy wants to release its captives held by the Palestinian resistance at a cheap price, the source was quoted by Al-Aqsa TV Channel.

The source further stressed that “the Hamas Movement is keen to reach an agreement that satisfies the aspirations of our Palestinian people in releasing prisoners, speeding up reconstruction, lifting the siege, and Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.”

Earlier Tuesday, a high-level delegation from the 'Hamas Movement led by the head of its political bureau Ismail Haniyya arrived in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, to discuss the political and field situation in Gaza and the efforts being made to end the Israeli aggression and provide aid for the civilians.

Since last October, the Israeli occupation army has been waging a genocidal war on Gaza, killing and injuring over 110,000 civilians and destroying hundreds of thousands of housing units. 

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'Hamas calls for holding Israel accountable over its crimes against civilians in Gaza

Friday 23-February-2024, GAZA, (PIC)

'Hamas Movement called on Friday for holding Israel accountable over its horrific crimes against children and civilians in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, Hamas urged human rights institutions around the world to record the Israeli occupation army ongoing crimes of horrific killing of children and defenseless civilians, which are committed with a green light from the US administration.

'Hamas stressed that “continuing the Nazi Zionist enemy’s criminal bombing of civilians’ homes in the Gaza Strip is an expansion of its war of genocide and ethnic cleansing,” referring to the barbaric bombing that targeted a residential neighborhood in the city of Dair El-Bala'h, on Thursday evening, resulting in the martyrdom of about 40 civilians the majority of whom children and women.

On Thursday evening, a horrific massacre was carried out in Dair El-Bala'h in Central Gaza, as Israeli warplanes bombed four homes, leaving 40 martyrs and more than 100 injured. More than 90% of them were children and women. 

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UNRWA on the verge of collapse, warns agency’s chief

NEW YORK, Friday, February 23, 2024 (WAFA) –

The UN Relief and Works Agency for the Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is on the verge of collapse due to Israeli calls for its abolition and the sudden freeze in funding to the agency by donor countries, the UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has warned.

In a letter addressed to the President of the UN General Assembly, which provides the agency with its mandate, he said the agency's ability to fulfill that mandate "is now seriously threatened".

"In just over four months in Gaza there have been more children, more journalists more medical personnel and more UN staff killed than anywhere in the world during a conflict", he said.

He noted more than 150 UNRWA premises have been hit by bombardment, killing over 390 and injuring 1,300. "According to UN experts, famine in imminent", he reminded.

Lazzarini said that the resulting suspension of aid by 16 donor countries totaling $450 million means that without new funding UNRWA operations across the Middle East will be severely compromised from March.

"I fear we are on the edge of a monumental disaster with grave implications for regional peace, security, and human rights," he warned.

M.N.

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IOFs withdraw from Nasir Hospital, continues to besiege it

Friday 23-February-2024, GAZA, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) withdrew from inside the Nasir Medical Complex in the southern Gaza Strip but continued to besiege the building, the Palestinian Health Ministry said on Thursday.

“Israeli occupation forces are preventing movement to and from the Nasir Medical Complex,” the ministry added.

Adding that sewage water had flooded the hospital’s first floors, it said: “The occupation still prevents the repair of water tanks, sewage network, and the operation of the electric generator in the hospital.”

It noted that medical staff had buried 13 patients killed in Nasir Hospital due to the generators and oxygen supply being shut down as a result of the Israeli attack and siege.

On Al-Amal Hospital, the ministry said Israeli forces “continue to besiege it and target it repeatedly.”

It warned that “occupation forces are endangering the lives of medical teams and patients in the hospital due to the lack of water, food, oxygen, and treatment.”

For weeks, the IOFs has escalated its military campaign against the healthcare system in Khan Younus, forcing thousands of displaced Palestinians to leave Al-Amal Hospital and Nasir Medical Complex in recent days.

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

On February 22, 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 10 massacres, in which  104 Palestinian civilians were killed, and 160 were injured, in the past 24 hours. This increased the death toll in Gaza Strip to 29,514 and the injuries to 69,625, since October 7, 2023.   

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Israel commits 10 massacres in Gaza, resulting in 104 Palestinian casualties in 24 hours

GAZA, Friday, February 23, 2024 (WAFA) –

Israeli occupation forces committed a total of 10 massacres against families in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, resulting in the tragic killing of 104 Palestinians and leaving 160 others injured, according to medical reports.

Local health authorities confirmed that the death toll from the Israeli onslaught since October 7 has risen to 29,514 reported Palestinian fatalities, with an additional 69,625 individuals sustaining injuries.

The number of victims is expected to increase further as rescue and emergency teams face challenges in accessing the affected areas, with hundreds more feared buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings.

Earlier today, Israeli warships opened fire off the coast of Rafa'h, while fighter jets carried out an airstrike targeting the western areas of the city of Khan Younus in the southern Gaza Strip. Additionally, the Israeli occupation army detonated and destroyed residential neighborhoods in the same region.

M.N.

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The Israeli genocidal war on Gaza enters Day 140

Friday 23-February-2024, GAZA, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation forces continue its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip for the 140th consecutive day Friday, through dozens of air strikes, artillery shelling, and the use of fire belts, while carrying out bloody massacres against civilians and committing horrific crimes in infiltration areas. This is happening amidst a catastrophic humanitarian situation resulting from the siege and the displacement of more than 90% of the population.

The PIC correspondent reported that the Israeli aircraft and artillery continued their intense airstrikes and shelling on various parts of the Gaza Strip, targeting houses, displaced people’s gatherings, and streets, resulting in hundreds of casualties.

Our correspondent added that the Israeli aircraft launched an airstrike on Friday morning simultaneously with heavy gunfire towards western areas of Khan Younus.

The Israeli warships targeted the coast of Al-Nusayrat in central Gaza Strip at dawn Friday, and the Israeli artillery shelled the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in southern Gaza City and east of Khan Younus in the southern Gaza Strip.

Seven citizens were martyred, including a paramedic, in a new massacre committed by the occupation forces at dawn Friday, east of Rafa'h, after they targeted a house belonging to the Abu Mu'ammar family.

Areas east of Rafa'h were also subjected to Israeli artillery shelling, while the Israeli navy vessels opened fire towards the beach of Rafa'h.

A young man was martyred as a result of the Israeli occupation’s shelling of his family’s house in the Yibna camp in the middle of Rafa'h city.

Martyrs were reported and others were injured in the Israeli occupation’s shelling of the tents of displaced people west of Al-Durra Stadium in Dai El-Bala'h in central Gaza Strip.

A number of citizens were injured as a result of the Israeli occupation’s shelling of a displaced people’s camp in the Al-Zawayida area in central Gaza Strip.

The Israeli aircraft carried out intense airstrikes on Dair El-Bala'h city in central Gaza Strip.

Last night, 40 citizens, mostly children and women, were martyred, and others were injured, as a result of the Israeli warplanes’ bombardment of the homes of citizens in central area of the Gaza Strip. 

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Casualties in a series of Israeli genocidal airstrikes across Gaza

GAZA, Friday, February 23, 2024 (WAFA) –

Dozens of civilians were killed and others injured over the last few hours as Israel continued its relentless genocidal onslaught on the Gaza Strip from the land, air and sea for the 20th consecutive week, according to local and medical reports.

In Gaza City, an Israeli airstrike targeted a group of civilians in the Da'hdou'h Square, killing and injuring dozens of innocent civilians.

Additionally, several civilians sustained various injuries due to intense Israeli shelling targeting the Industry Street in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the south of Gaza City.

Israeli occupation forces also targeted displaced individuals in Al-Fala'h School with smoke bombs, forcing them to evacuate the area to the western areas of Gaza City. The developments coincide with continuing excavation works and destruction of residential homes by the invading Israeli army east of the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood.

In southern Gaza, medical sources reported that nine fatalities and several injuries were brought to the European Gaza Hospital, after a group of civilians had been targeted by an Israeli strike near the 'Asqalan School east of Khan Younus.

Local health authorities in Gaza reported that the Israeli occupation is placing Gaza's population in a triangle of death, characterized by continuous shelling, starvation, and the spread of diseases.

The health authorities confirmed that half a million citizens in northern Gaza are experiencing a famine that is claiming lives amid the Israeli military siege on the region— blocking the entry of essential supplies, including food and medicine.

Reports indicate that around 350,000 patients with chronic diseases, 60,000 pregnant women, and 700,000 children in the Gaza Strip are in critical condition due to malnutrition, drought, and the lack of medical resources as a result of the continued Israeli aggression.

M.N.

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Six Palestinians killed in an Israeli genocidal airstrike in Rafa'h

GAZA, Friday, February 23, 2024 (WAFA) -

At least six Palestinian civilians were killed and others wounded last night in an Israeli airstrike targeting a house east of Rafa'h in the southern Gaza Strip, according to local sources.

The sources reported that the occupation forces targeted a house in the Zalata area east of Rafa'h with an airstrike, resulting in its complete destruction and the murder of all the civilian occupants who were there.

Ambulance and rescue teams recovered the bodies of six martyrs and several injured individuals from the targeted house, and were then transported to Abu Yousuf Al-Najjar Hospital in the city.

Additionally, an Israeli airstrike targeted a civilian house in the Yibna refugee camp in central Rafa'h, causing several injuries among Palestinian civilians.

Simultaneously, Israeli naval boats fired on the shores of Rafah, while the occupation's artillery shelled various areas in Khan Younus in the southern Gaza Strip.

By February 22, 2024, in a preliminary toll, the Palestinian death toll from Israel's deadly offensive against the Gaza Strip since October 7th, 2023, has now soared to 29,410, according to the latest update by the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

M.N. 

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

 

Child injured by Israeli occupation forces' gunfire in Qalqilya

QALQILYA, Friday, February 23, 2024 (WAFA) –

A Palestinian child was wounded by live ammunition today after being shot by Israeli occupation forces in the town of Jayyous, in the occupied West Bank province of Qalqilya, according to medical sources.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said the child sustained a gunshot wound to the thigh during confrontations with Israeli occupation forces near the Israeli segregation barrier adjacent to the town. The child was taken to hospital for medical attention.

In a separate incident west of Nablus, a 27-year-old man was shot with live ammunition during confrontations with Israeli forces in the village of Telt.

Medical sources reported that the young man suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

M.N.

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The Israeli occupation forces abduct three siblings in Bait La'hm (Bethlehem)

Bait La'hm (Bethlehem), Friday, February 23, 2024 (WAFA) –

The Israeli occupation forces abducted three siblings today from the town of Na'haleen, in the southern West Bank province of Bait La'hm (Bethlehem), according to local sources.

The mayor of Na'haleen, Jamal Najajrah, reported that Israeli occupation forces detained three siblings while they were working on their land near the town. The detained individuals were identified as Mu'hammed, Waleed, and Ma'hmoud Ali Najajrah.

M.N.

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A new large-scale raid abduction campaign in West Bank

Friday 23-February-2024, WEST BANK, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) carried out a large-scale raid and arrest campaign across the West Bank at dawn Friday.

In Nablus, the IOFs stormed several neighborhoods and were deployed in the Old City which led to the outbreak of violent clashes.

The IOFs also broke into Bait Iba town, west of Nablus, and raided two local houses.

In Toulkarm, the IOFs abducted the journalist Sami Al-Sa’i and his brother Osama after breaking into their family homes.

Another Palestinian was also rounded up in the nearby town of Far'oan.

In Ramallah, a 19-year-old young man was injured as clashes erupted in the Jalazoan refugee camp after being stormed by the IOFs.

Similar clashes also erupted in Salfeet, where several teargas inhalation cases were reported.

Meanwhile, the IOFs carried out a large-scale abduction campaign in several towns in Bait La'hm (Bethlehem). At least eight people were detained during the campaign.

Similar raids were also reported in different parts of al-Khaleel.

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Palestinian prisoner from Gaza dies in Israeli prison

Friday 23-February-2024, RAMALLAH, (PIC)

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) and Palestinian Prisoners’ and Ex-Prisoners’ Affairs Authority announced on Friday the martyrdom of a prisoner from the Gaza Strip in the Israeli prison of Ramla, with ongoing efforts to inform his family prior to officially declaring his name.

This brings the number of detainees who have died in Israeli jails since October 7 to ten.

The Society said the identity of the martyred prisoner was not revealed yet, pointing out that he was arrested after October 7, without further details.

In a joint statement, the two advocacy organizations affirmed that according to available information, the detainee suffered from a mobility disability before his arrest. About a month ago, he was transferred to Ramla Prison in a serious health condition because of torture which left severe wounds on his body, as reported by one of the lawyers who visited the detainees on Thursday.

The statement explained that legal attempts were made to visit the martyred detainee, but the prison administration did not allow it.

The detainees told the lawyer that the deceased detainee had passed away last Tuesday after being transferred to the hospital. Subsequently, the prison administration notified them of this without an official announcement, reflecting the continued crime of enforced disappearance that the Israeli occupation has been implementing against detainees from Gaza since October 7.

The statement of the two groups said the escalating number of martyrs in Israeli prisons after October 7, due to torture, systematic retaliatory measures, and medical negligence crimes, constitutes a clear decision to kill them.

It added that this crime comes in light of the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the comprehensive aggression against the Palestinian people, in addition to the crime of enforced disappearance, which today constitutes one of the most prominent systematic and serious crimes that the occupation insists on carrying out against Gaza detainees.

The number of detainees who have died in Israeli detention centers since October 7 has mounted to 10 martyrs, including three Gaza detainees, one of whom remains unidentified. 

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Aggression and Attacks by Illegal Israeli Settlers and Soldiers

Israeli occupation forces beat up Palestinian Muslim worshipers, deny them entry into Al-Aqsa Mosque

WAFA Archive

GAZA, Friday, February 23, 2024 (WAFA) –

 Israeli occupation forces assaulted worshippers today near the Asbat Gate, one of the main entrances to Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, beating up and preventing them from entering the mosque for the Friday prayers. Similar assaults occurred in the adjacent Wadi Al-Joaz neighborhood, where a child was arrested.

Local sources reported that the forces stopped and searched Palestinian civilians, preventing them from entering the Old City of Jerusalem and reaching the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Police checkpoints were set up, and some individuals were assaulted and mistreated, particularly at the Asbat Gate. A child was arrested after being attacked near the adjacent Yousufiya Cemetery.

Despite the restrictions imposed by Israeli occupation forces at the gates of the Mosque, a small number of worshippers managed to perform Friday prayers there, amid ongoing assaults and mistreatment of those arriving, marking the twentieth consecutive Friday with such incidents.

The Islamic Waqf stated that a small number of worshippers managed to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque due to the restrictions imposed by the Israeli occupation and the checkpoints erected by Israeli police in the Old City of Jerusalem.

The Israeli occupation forces had been deployed since early morning at the entrances to the Old City, including Al-Aqsa Mosque, intensifying their presence around the gates leading to the holy site. They also stormed the Dome of the Rock compound in an attempt to hinder the arrival of worshippers.

M.N.

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Israeli occupation forces assault Palestinians outside Al-Aqsa Mosque

Friday 23-February-2024, Al-Quds (Jerusalem), (PIC)

Israeli occupation forces assaulted Palestinian worshipers at the entrance to Al-Aqsa Mosque amid tight restrictions on Palestinian entry into the holy shrine.

Videos posted on social media showed Israeli forces obstructing the entry of worshipers to the Mosque in Al-Quds (Jerusalem).

The videos documented the moment when the occupation forces attacked a number of Palestinians by pushing them away from the vicinity of the Asbat Gate area.

Local sources affirmed that a child was detained at the Asbat Gate.

Only some Palestinian worshipers were allowed to perform Friday prayer in Al-Aqsa Mosque, as Israeli police banned the entry of hundreds of people into the holy site.

Ahead of the Friday prayer, the Israeli police blocked several roads leading to the Old City of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and hindered the movement of Palestinian citizens, as Israeli police have continued to besiege the Old City since the October 7 events.

The Israeli occupation regime police forces set up dozens of roadblocks, conducted extensive searches and checks on Palestinians and their ID cards and prevented dozens of them from reaching the holy Islamic site.

A group of Maqdisi (Jerusalemite) campaigners and activists earlier called for intensifying Palestinian presence at Al-Aqsa Mosque and staying at the holy site to demand lifting the siege imposed on it. 

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The Israeli occupation-apartheid regime considering plan for 3,000 new illegal settlement housing units in the West Bank

TEL AVIV, Friday, February 23, 2024 (WAFA) –

The Israeli occupation-apartheid regime is pushing ahead with a plan to build more than 3,000 new housing units in the Israeli colonies of the occupied West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

Israeli media reported on Friday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a session to discuss advancing the construction of thousands of housing units in the Israeli colony of Ma'ale Adumim, built on stolen Palestinian lands east of Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem).

The session was attended by War Minister Yoav Gallant, ultranationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.

According to the reports, the Israeli government plans to invite the so-called Higher Planning Council to hold a session in the next two weeks to approve the new colonial plan.

The plan includes the construction of 2,350 settlement units in the Ma'ale Adumim colony, 300 units in the illegal settlement of Kedar, built on Palestinian lands southeast of occupied Jerusalem, and 694 units in the Efrat colony, built on Palestinian lands south of occupied Jerusalem.

A report released last month by the Israeli human rights group Peace Now documented a rise in colonial activity in the occupied West Bank since the start of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip in October last year.

The report pointed out the establishment of nine new colonial outposts in about three months, in addition to 18 illegal colonist-only roads. It also highlighted the closure of roads by colonists and the restriction on Palestinian movement. The report confirmed that a significant portion of these outposts and roads were established on private Palestinian land.

M.N.

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Illegal Israeli settlers open gunfire on a vehicle south of Nablus

NABLUS, Friday, February 23, 2024 (WAFA) –

Armed illegal Israeli settlers opened gunfire today on a Palestinian vehicle near the village of Yanoun, located south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, according to local sources.

The head of the Yanoun village council, Rashid Murrar, reported that colonists fired shots on a Palestinian vehicle near the village, causing it to overturn. Fortunately, he added, no injuries were reported.

In a separate incident, colonists attacked Palestinian vehicles near the village of Nasariya, east of Nablus, pelting them with stones. This resulted in damage and the shattering of windows of several vehicles but no injuries.

M.N.

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Illegal Israeli settlers set fire to vehicle near Nablus

NABLUS, Friday, February 23, 2024 (WAFA) -

In an attack late last night, a group of illegal Israeli settlers set ablaze a private Palestinian vehicle in the village of Burin, located south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.

Local sources reported that a group of colonists sneaked into the village, setting fire to a parked vehicle, resulting in its destruction. The attackers fled the scene shortly following the assault. 

No Palestinian casualties were reported in the aftermath of the attack.

The incident is the latest in an ongoing pattern of state-sponsored violence by Israeli colonists, a pattern that has seen exponential growth over the last year with the rise of hard-right Zionist nationalism to the Israeli government coalition.

M.N.

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