Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

 

On Day 169 of the US-Backed Israeli Genocidal War on Gaza Strip, 7 Massacres, 72 Palestinians Killed, 114 Injured, with a Death Toll of  32,142 and 74,412 Injuries

March 23, 2024 

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Editor's Notes:  

Here are some initial (not final) statistics, which show the Israeli war crimes against humanity, during the current Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip:  

By March 23, 2024, the initial death toll of Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip is 39,142+.   

This includes the accounted for deaths (32,142) and those who are still missing under the rubble (Corrected on February 7, 2024: 7,000+). 

By March 23, 2024, the documented injuries exceeded 74,412, and more than 2,520 civilians have been abducted from Gaza Strip.

By March 8, there were 8,900 Palestinian women who were killed, 23,000 who were injured, but there are 2,100 women who are unaccounted for (whither they are dead, injured, or abducted).

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

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

By March 23, 2024, 454 Palestinians who were killed, 3,691 who were injured, and 7,678, who were abducted by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank, since October 7, 2023 (Some of the detainees have been released).

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

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

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

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GMO reveals latest statistics on Israeli genocidal war on Gaza

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Two Palestinian little children who were murdered by Israeli genocidal air strikes and bombardment on Gaza Strip, March 23, 2024	Mujahid Barakat Mansour was killed by Israeli occupation forces, on March 22, 2024
30 Palestinians were martyred and 100 were injured in an Israeli massacre targeting them while waiting for food aid at the Kuwait Roundabout, in Gaza City, March 23, 2024	A Palestinian mother grieving over the death of her 9-day-old son, Bassam Al-Muqawusi, who was killed by Israeli genocidal bombardment on Dair El-Bala'h, on March 22, 2024
Five Palestinian family members were killed and others were injured  by an Israeli genocidal  airstrike on a north Rafa'h residential neighborhood, March 23, 2024	UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, arriving at the Rafa'h crossing, calling for ceasefire and acceleration of the humanitarian aid to Gaza Strip, March 23, 2024
Searching for victims of an Israeli genocidal air strike on the Barakat family, in Rafa'h, March 23/24, 2024	Carrying the wounded, who were victims of Israeli genocidal air strikes on Rafa'h, to Abu Yousuf Al-Najjar Hospital, March 23/24, 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 (October 7, 2023-Fruary 26, 2024), which has culminated a blockade of Gaza since 2007. In addition, the Israeli occupation and apartheid regime launched so many covert operations, raids, and air strikes on many Arab states since 1948.

The following news stories are just examples, not a systematic record, of the Israeli occupation government abuse, mistreatment, and violations of Palestinian human rights, on daily basis.

More detailed news stories can be found at the following sources:

http://english.wafa.ps/, https://english.palinfo.com/, https://imemc.org/, https://paltoday.ps/ar/


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Editorial Notes about terms & names of people and places:

1. Names of people and places have been standardized to match standard Arabic grammatical rules.

2. Underlined letters and letters preceded by an apostrophe are references to Arabic letter sounds, which does not exist in the English alphabet.

3. The English letter i is equivalent to the Arabic short vowel known as kasra, as in Ibraheem and Qasim as well as in the English words sit and bit. So, it is incorrect to use it as a long vowel for such Arabic names as Jameel and Jibreel.

4. The English letter e is equivalent to the Arabi short vowel known as fat'ha, as in A'hmed and Mu'hammed.

5. It is more accurate to refer to the land-grabbing Israelis, who establish illegal settlements in the Palestinian territory of the West Bank, as illegal Israeli settlers, than referring to them as colonists.

The term colony is a reference to a large entity or a country, such as American states before independence. It was also a reference to Egypt, and India, when they were British colonies.

In addition, the term "colony" represents a positive nostalgic theme, in the minds of native speakers of English, particularly in America and Britain.

6. It is more accurate to use the verb "abduct" than the verb "detain," in reference to taking Palestinian citizens by force to prisons and interrogation centers, by Israeli occupation regime soldiers. This is because the presence of the Israeli occupation regime forces is illegal in the Palestinian territories, and they have no jurisdiction over the Palestinian people.

Click here for more about using the apostrophe and the underlining of letters in the transliteration of Arabic names.

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GMO: Israeli army intends to bomb Shifa Hospital and kill people inside it

Saturday 23-March-2024, GAZA, (PIC)

The Government Media Office (GMO) in Gaza said that the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) threatened to bomb the remaining medical staff and displaced and wounded civilians inside Al-Shifa Hospital’s buildings if they did not leave the facility.

“We received reports from inside Al-Shifa Hospital saying that the occupation army threatened the medical crews and displaced citizens inside the facility’s building,” GMO said in a statement at dawn Saturday.

GMO strongly denounced the Israeli army for its persistence in committing what it described as its “systematic crime” and its “brutality” at Al-Shifa Hospital.

GMO held the US administration and the international community fully responsible for the ongoing Israeli aggression against Al-Shifa Hospital and called on the world to condemn Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza and work on stopping it.

Last Monday, the Israeli army started to bomb and massacre civilians and medical workers inside and in the vicinity of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

It has since ordered the evacuation of the facility in order to demolish it. However, it killed dozens of civilians and wounded people after they left the hospital and kidnaped dozens more, with media reports saying that Israeli soldiers shot dead civilians after kidnaping them from the hospital.

This is not the first time the Israeli army has attacked Al-Shifa Hospital. In November, the army stormed the medical complex, killing dozens and wounding dozens more. Israeli forces also kidnaped a number of doctors, medical workers, patients and displaced persons, stole dead bodies from within the hospital grounds, and defiled graves of those buried in its courtyards. 

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UN chief Guterres arrives at Egypt’s al-Arish Airport as Israel's onslaught enters its 169 day

CAIRO, Saturday, March 23, 2024 (WAFA) –  

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, arrived today at al-Arish International Airport in the Egyptian North Sinai Governorate, with the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, and the Egyptian Minister of Health, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar.

During his visit, Guterres plans to reiterate his call for a humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that has been witnessing a bloodbath and an onslaught for six months, which resulted so far in the tragic killing of 32.000 people, mostly children and women.

Upon his arrival, Guterres headed to Al-Arish General Hospital to examine the health condition of the wounded in the Gaza Strip, who are receiving treatment in Egyptian hospitals.

Guterres is scheduled to hold a press conference in front of the Rafah crossing, and will speak to the world about the necessity of a ceasefire and accelerating  the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

Over one million people are sheltering in Rafah amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.

Y.S.

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UN chief: Palestinians in Gaza remain stuck in a non-stop nightmare

RAFAH, Saturday, March 23, 2024 (WAFA) –

UN chief Antonio Guterres, on a visit to the doorstep of Gaza, said today that the world has seen enough of the war's horrors and appealed for a ceasefire to allow in more aid.

"Palestinians in Gaza – children, women, men – remain stuck in a non-stop nightmare," he said on the Egyptian side of the Rafa'h border crossing where truckloads of aid trickle into Gaza but the population is stalked by "hunger and starvation".

"I carry the voices of the vast majority of the world who have seen enough," Guterres said, deploring "communities obliterated, homes demolished, entire families and generations wiped out".

He reiterated that "nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people," the United Nations secretary-general said. "A long line of blocked relief trucks on one side of the gates. The long shadow of starvation on the other," said the UN chief, describing the situation as "a moral outrage."

Guterres emphasized "it is more than time for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire" and appealed to Israel for "total, unfettered access for humanitarian goods throughout Gaza."

M.N. 

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'Hamas lashes out at Israeli restrictions at Al-Aqsa Mosque

Friday 22-March-2024, GAZA, (PIC)

The Islamic Resistance Movement, 'Hamas, described the strict measures taken by the Israeli occupation authority against the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and the assault on worshipers as a continuation of Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, their land, and their holy sites.

In a statement issued on Friday, 'Hamas said that the restrictions imposed by the Israeli occupation forces on the Palestinian people in Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem), and the prevention of hundreds of them from reaching the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque on the second Friday of the holy month of Ramadhan, and the attacks against them, “are a continuation of the comprehensive aggression carried out by the Zionist enemy against our people, our land, and our holy sites, which our people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank confront with courage and bravery.”

On the second Friday of Ramadhan, the occupation forces imposed a tight cordon around the city of Jerusalem and set up checkpoints at all entrances leading to the Old City and Al-Aqsa Mosque. They also obstructed the arrival of hundreds of worshipers to the Al-Aqsa Mosque to perform the Friday prayer.

'Hamas extended its greetings to the steadfast individuals who defied the occupation’s restrictions and broke its measures aimed at keeping them away from Al-Aqsa Mosque, by insisting on remaining present in the holy site.

The Movement also warned of the danger of the Israeli escalation in Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem), Al-Aqsa, and all occupied territories, calling on the international community and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, in particular, to take serious action to protect Al-Aqsa and the Islamic and Christian holy sites against the Israeli plots, according to the statement. 

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UNICEF: It is a “war on children” in Gaza

Saturday 23-March-2024, GAZA, (PIC)

UNICEF spokesman James Elder has called the events unfolding in Gaza a “war on children,” saying the situation in Gaza is absolutely devastating for children.

In recent remarks to Anadolu news agency, Elder said he visited Gaza for the second time since the October 7 attacks, pointing out that there is a lot of desperation and exhaustion among people.

Elder emphasized the dire situation of the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, which particularly deals with wounded children, affirming that it is no longer operational.

“I have visited two more hospitals today, and the hospitals are very busy. Hospital staff always talk about lack of medical supplies,” the UNICEF spokesman said, pointing out that “more than 20 out of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are simply not functioning.”

“UNICEF called this ‘a war against children.’ Normally, in all wars, children are the most vulnerable. Around 20 percent of casualties are children in wars, but in Gaza, it is close to 40 percent. More than 10,000 children have been killed, and the numbers keep going up. We do not know how many are under the rubble. This is absolutely devastating for children. Many children are hungry, and a famine is imminent,” Elder said.

Elder noted that children in Gaza are exposed to a lot of psychological stress, stating that the only way to treat these children starts “with a ceasefire.”

“Until a ceasefire, these children will continue to live in a war zone. Gaza is not a place for children right now, but there are more than a million children here. So, we have to get a ceasefire, and then ensure that they get all the care they need,” Elder added.

“The aid is coming in, just not to the level needed. There is no doubt that UNICEF is distributing aid. World Health Organization (WHO), World Food Program (WFP), and other agencies are on the ground. But the need is outstripping the supply,” Elder said.

Elder mentioned that the sounds of unmanned aerial vehicles could be heard in Rafah and fear is always prevalent.

“[Rafa'h] is overcrowded, people are on the ground, people are in tents. The real problem is sanitation. It is a very difficult place for people to be,” he said. 

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GMO: The number of journalists killed in the Israeli aggression on Gaza reached 136

Saturday 23-March-2024, GAZA, (PIC)

The Government Media Office (GMO) in Gaza said that the number of journalists killed in the ongoing Israeli aggression has risen to 136 journalists.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the GMO added that the Israeli occupation army recently killed three journalists, bringing the number of journalists who have been martyred since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on Gaza to 136.

It clarified that one of the three journalists who were recently martyred is Mohammed Al-Rifi, a photojournalist affiliated with several media outlets. He succumbed to serious injuries sustained near Al-Kuwait Roundabout in the southeast of Gaza City.

The second martyr is Abdul Ra'hman Sayimah, a photojournalist and producer at Rakmee TV channel. He was martyred in the Israeli shelling of a house in Al-Buraij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip.

The third martyr is Dr. Ma'hmoud 'Imad 'Eisa, a presenter of religious programs on Al-Quds Al-Youm satellite channel. He was martyred in the Israeli shelling of his house, which also led to the death of several members of his family.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in tens of thousands of civilian casualties, mostly children and women, as well as an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe and immense destruction of infrastructure. 

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UN rapporteur Mary Lawlor decries ongoing arms sales to Israel

Saturday 23-March-2024, NEW YORK, (PIC)

The UN special rapporteur on human rights defenders has accused the countries that provide Israel with weapons to kill more Palestinian civilians in Gaza of waging a “war on human rights.”

“There exist no moral arguments that can justify the continued sale of weapons to Israel by states that respect the principle of the universality of human rights,” the British daily The Guardian quoted UN rapporteur Mary Lawlor as saying on Thursday.

Saying that Israel has demonstrated over time that it will use such weapons “indiscriminately against Palestinians,” Lawlor noted that any claims by Israel of self-defense in reaction to the October 7 attacks by Hamas have long since been “invalidated” by the disproportionality of the response.

Noting that the concept of proportionality in conflict is included in Article 51 of the First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions, however, the UN official stressed that now there are “ideological arguments” for continued weapons sales, “which I can only conclude place the value of Israeli lives over and above the value of Palestinian ones.”

“This is unconscionable,” Lawlor added, recalling that some Western countries including the US, the UK, Germany, France and Canada all highlighted their support for human rights defenders while continuing to arm Israel.

Citing data, she pointed out that between 2013 and 2022, 68 percent of weapons sales to Israel came from the US.

Lawlor mentioned the human rights defenders, journalists and health care workers that have been killed in the besieged Palestinian enclave over the past few months, recalling that this is a “war on women and children,” who account for a reported 72 percent of the nearly 32,000 Palestinians deaths in Gaza.

She highlighted UN reports saying that more than 122 journalists and media workers had been killed by the Israeli army in Gaza since the war started last August.

“Recently, in remarks celebrating the work of Ukrainian journalists, the US undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs said: ‘[I]t is our commitment to continue to lift up, empower, advocate for, and resource the voices that are showing what is happening on the ground.’”

“Not, it would seem, if those voices are Palestinian,” she said.

Health workers are another category of human rights defenders who have been killed or wounded by Israeli weapons in alarming numbers, Lawlor added.

“Israeli attacks on hospitals, medical facilities, ambulances and now aid convoys continue as if there were no international legal prohibitions, including in the first and fourth Geneva conventions, against such attacks. This is a war against humanitarian personnel: 162 staff members of UNRWA have been killed, as have 404 internally displaced persons sheltering in their premises,” she said. 

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Family in Jabalya chooses to live among the rubble instead of displacement

Salma Najjar, 64, sits outside a makeshift tent on the rubble of her home in Khuzaa in the southeast of the Gaza Strip. Credit: The New York Times

GAZA, Saturday, March 23, 2024 (WAFA) –

Amidst the ruins of her home in Jabalya, the northern Gaza Strip, Um Na-il Al-Ka'hlout and her family have erected a temporary shelter atop the remnants of what was once their sanctuary. This decision comes in the face of relentless Israeli war of genocide that has ravaged the region since October 7th.

A copy of the Holy Quran in hand, Um Na-il sits atop the rubble of her home, where she and her family have chosen to stay rather than seek refuge elsewhere in a territory where vast swaths have been turned into complete devastation.

"Where else can we go?" Um Na-il ponders, adding, "We were shocked to find our entire home demolished—all five floors. We pitched a tent and settled amidst the debris."

Um Nael narrates how she and her husband, Sa'eed Isma'eel, decided to build a shelter above the rubble—a challenging experience, yet one less bitter than the prospect of displacement and homelessness.

Sitting on a salvaged couch, Um Na-il explains how one of the floors housed a studio equipped with cameras, equipment, and computers—all now buried under the rubble. "No one can simply abandon their memories and home. We labored here for thirty years," the sixty-year-old woman laments.

The family chose not to leave because "there is no shelter. All the houses are destroyed," Um Na-il explains, listing the names of relatives whose homes met a similar fate.

In their makeshift shelter, they arranged some stone blocks into steps. They hung a shattered clock face on a surviving column and created a basin of green plants. A string of red plastic cups adds a touch of cheer amidst the surrounding destruction.

Everything has been reduced to rubble due to the relentless Israeli airstrikes on Gaza.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reports that "the destruction in Gaza has left behind 23 million tons of rubble" in this narrow coastal strip.

In their exposed shelter, buffeted by wind and rain, Um Na-il and her husband face the daily challenge of finding sustenance. "There is no aid. We haven't received any assistance. We collect grass from the ground and make soup," she says.

Meanwhile, her husband, Sa'eed Isma'eel, explains, "We go to charity centers, stand in queues, maybe get a plate of cheeseweed soup or some other dish... everything is cheeseweed; we eat nothing else."

The humanitarian situation has reached catastrophic levels, particularly in northern Gaza, where the couple resides. Between 400,000 and 600,000 people remain in this area out of Gaza's total population of 2.4 million. The United Nations estimates that over 1.7 million people have been displaced, seeking refuge in schools, international organization premises, or pitching tents in public spaces within the enclave.

Specialized UN agencies have warned of an imminent famine in northern Gaza unless urgent measures are taken to deliver and distribute sufficient aid.

M.N. 

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

On March 23, 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 7 massacres, in which  72 Palestinian civilians were killed, and 114 were injured, in the past 24 hours. This increased the death toll in Gaza Strip to 32,142 and the injuries to 74,412, since October 7, 2023.   

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72 Palestinians killed in seven massacres by Israel in Gaza in last 24 hours

GAZA, Saturday, March 23, 2024 (WAFA) –

Israeli occupation forces perpetrated seven massacres against families in the Gaza Strip over the last 24 hours, resulting in the documented killing of at least 72 Palestinians and the injury of 114 others, according to medical sources.

Local health authorities confirmed that the Palestinian death toll from the Israeli onslaught since October 7 has risen to 32,142 reported fatalities, with an additional 74,412 individuals sustaining injuries. The majority of the victims are women and children.

Meanwhile, ambulance and rescue teams 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 and medical and civil defense teams.

M.N.

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US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza enters day 169

Saturday 23-March-2024, GAZA, (PIC)

As the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip entered day 169 on Saturday, massive aerial and artillery strikes continued to pound neighborhoods, homes, shelter centers and aid convoys, and massacre more civilians, mostly children and women.

A reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said that the Israeli occupation army continued to attack different areas of Gaza, killing and injuring hundreds of citizens.

According to media sources, two civilians were martyred when the Israeli army attacked a group of citizens in Bait 'Hanoun in northern Gaza, while 30 others were massacred and about 100 others were injured in another attack on civilians waiting for aid trucks at the Kuwait rotary in Gaza City.

Casualties were also reported following Israeli attacks in the east of al-Bureij refugee camp and in the south of Dair El-Bala'h in central Gaza.

An elderly woman and four child brothers from the family of Kawari family were killed and seven others were injured during a dawn airstrike on the north of Rafa'h, south of Gaza.

Meanwhile, the health ministry in Gaza stated that five wounded people died as a result of the siege imposed by the Israeli army on Al-Shifa Hospital for the sixth consecutive day and the absence of water, food and medical services.

It stated that the remaining patients are in very critical health conditions.

A medical source at Al-Shifa Hospital reported that the Israeli forces set fire to all the floors of the facility’s surgery building, detonated the main gate of its emergency building and burned its drug stores.

The source also said that Israeli soldiers herded all the remaining patients and displaced civilians into the Hospital’s Prince Nayif building, which is dilapidated and lacks any medical service, adding that soldiers cold-bloodedly killed many civilians, doctors and medical workers inside the complex.

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Thirty martyrs, 100 wounded in new Israeli massacre targeting people waiting for aid in Gaza

Saturday 23-March-2024, GAZA, (PIC)

About 30 citizens have been martyred and 100 others injured in a new Israeli massacre that targeted Palestinian citizens waiting for aid at the Kuwait Roundabout, southeast of Gaza City, on Saturday afternoon.

Eyewitnesses said that Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) bombed the people gathering at the roundabout to receive humanitarian aid, resulting in the death of about 30 citizens and the injury of 100 others. The martyrs and wounded were taken to the Baptist Hospital.

The IOFs deliberately target Palestinians awaiting humanitarian aid, especially in Gaza City and the north, committing several massacres that have become known as the flour massacres, which have claimed the lives of and injured hundreds of people.

The IOFs has been continuing its crimes of genocide in the Gaza Strip for the 169th day, by launching dozens of airstrikes, artillery shelling, and fire belts, committing bloody atrocities against civilians, and carrying out horrific crimes in areas of incursion, amid a catastrophic humanitarian situation as a result of the siege and the displacement of more than 90% of the population.

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Seven Palestinians killed, others injured in an Israeli airstrike targeting a house in Dair El-Bala'h

GAZA, Saturday, March 23, 2024 (WAFA) –

At least seven Palestinian civilians were killed and others wounded this evening after Israeli warplanes bombed a residential house in Dair El-Bala'h, located in the central Gaza Strip.

Eyewitnesses and medical sources reported that seven fatalities and a large number of injuries were transported to hospital following the intense Israeli airstrikes concentrated in the Hikr area of Dair El-Bala'h.

Additionally, Israeli artillery shelled areas southeast of the Khan Yunis governorate, in the southern Gaza Strip.

Earlier today, local health authorities in Gaza reported that Israeli occupation forces perpetrated seven massacres against families in the war-torn region over the previous 24 hours, resulting in the documented killing of at least 72 Palestinians and the injury of 114 others.

This brings the Palestinian death toll from the Israeli onslaught since October 7, until March 23, 2024 to 32,142 reported fatalities, with an additional 74,412 individuals sustaining injuries. The majority of the victims are women and children.

M.N.

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At least two civilians killed, others wounded in Israeli genocidal airstrikes in the central Gaza Strip

GAZA, Saturday, March 23, 2024 (WAFA) – 

Two civilians today were killed and others were wounded in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Al-Birka area, south of Dair El-Bala'h in the central Gaza Strip.

In central Gaza Strip, Israeli fighter jets bombardment an inhabited house east of the city of Dair El-Bala'h in the middle of the Gaza Strip, resulting in the injury of a woman in the foot.

Simultaneously, dozens of displaced people also were wounded by occupation intense gunfire in the Mawasi area near the town of Al-Qarara, northwest of the city of Khan Younus, in the south of the Gaza Strip.

Search and rescue operations are still underway to extract victims from under the rubble of the targeted homes.

Many people are still trapped under the rubble or scattered on roads, as Israeli occupation forces continue to obstruct the movement of civil defense teams.

By March 22, 204, the Palestinian death toll from the Israeli onslaught since October 7 has risen to 32,070 reported fatalities, with an additional 74,298 individuals sustaining injuries. The majority of the victims are women and children.

Y.S.

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Israeli genocidal airstrikes north of Rafa'h claim the lives of five civilians, including children, wounding dozens

GAZA, Saturday, March 23, 2024 (WAFA) - 

Five civilians, including children, were killed and others were injured at dawn in an Israeli genocidal  airstrike that targeted the north of the city of Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip.

Medical sources reported that Israeli warplanes bombed a two-story house in the Mirage area, north of the city of Rafa'h, killing five civilians and causing several injuries.

Meanwhile, Israeli fighter jets conducted genocidal airstrikes at the town of Al-Qarara, north of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, causing significant damage.

By March 22, 2024, the Palestinian death toll from the Israeli onslaught since October 7 has risen to 32,070 reported fatalities, with an additional 74,298 individuals sustaining injuries. The majority of the victims are women and children.

Many people are still trapped under the rubble or scattered on roads, as Israeli occupation forces continue to obstruct the movement of civil defense teams.

Y.S.

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

 

Palestinian dies of bullet injury sustained eight months ago in Nablus

Saturday 23-March-2024, NABLUS, (PIC)

A Palestinian young man was pronounced dead on Friday evening after he succumbed to a serious bullet injury he sustained several months ago in the northern West Bank.

According to local sources, Ameed Jaghoub died of a critical head injury he had suffered eight months when the Israeli occupation forces stormed Baita town, south of Nablus.

Jaghoub was injured by Israeli sniper fire during violent clashes with Israeli forces in Baita town on August 21, 2023. He lost part of his skull and suffered from severe health complications.

His martyrdom has brought to 12 the number of Palestinians killed in less than 48 hours by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank.

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IOFs kill Palestinian resistance fighter after hours of clashes in western Ramallah

Friday 22-March-2024, RAMALLAH, (PIC)

Local sources revealed on Friday the identity of the martyr who carried out the resistance operation in Ramallah, before being gunned down by the Israeli occupation forces (IOFs).

The sources said that IOF soldiers raided the village of Dair Buzai', west of Ramallah, on Friday afternoon, and stormed the house of the martyr Mujahid Barakat Mansour, the executor of today’s operation in western Ramallah. They arrested several members of his family and unleashed a barrage of sound bombs and tear gas in the vicinity of the house.

The resistance fighter was martyred on Friday morning after carrying out a shooting attack against a bus carrying settlers near the town of Kafr Ni’ma, west of Ramallah. He then withdrew and engaged in a five-hour clash with IOF soldiers, resulting in seven injuries among the soldiers and settlers.

Mansour was martyred after a pursuit operation carried out by the Israeli forces, which involved a helicopter and a drone, with the presence of ambulances, in an area located between the villages of Dair Buzai' and Kafr Ni’ma.

An Israeli aircraft fired a missile at the clash area, while the Israeli army admitted that seven of its soldiers and settlers were injured, including serious and critical injuries.

The shooting attack was carried out by the resistance fighter against a bus carrying settlers in an area near the Dolev and Talmon settlements, which are built illegally on Palestinian, prompting the Israeli occupation army to deploy large military reinforcements to the area. They initiated extensive search operations, prevented journalists from approaching, and fired warning shots at them.

A military helicopter participated in the search operations, firing at unspecified targets, while armed clashes erupted between the resistance fighter and the IOFs soldiers in the area, continuing for hours.

The IOFs imposed a security cordon in the area of the shooting operation near the town of Dair Buzai' and the adjacent town of Kafr Ni’ma. The military tower in the village of Ras Karkar witnessed an intense presence of Israeli soldiers. 

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IOFs carry out raid and kidnapping campaigns in the West Bank

Saturday 23-March-2024, WEST BANK, (PIC)

Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) launched overnight a large-scale raid and kidnapping campaigns across the West Bank, resulting in confrontations and injuries.

In Toulkarm, a number of IOFs patrols stormed the southern area of the city, passing through Pharaoh Street, where the patrols roamed the streets of the suburb and the vicinity of Al-'Oqda Roundabout, Dthinnaba Mosque, and the adjacent Al-Salam neighborhood.

Meanwhile, the IOFs were deployed on the outskirts of Nour Shams camp, east of the city, specifically in the vicinity of the Al-Sali'heen and Al-Nasr mountains.

Local sources reported that the IOFs detained citizen Amjad Abu Safaqa after raiding his house in the eastern neighborhood of the city and subjected him to interrogation before setting him free. They also broke into the home of the former prisoner Suhaib Abu Sa'da on Al-Sikka Street in the city, assaulted him, and wreaked havoc in his house.

In the same context, the IOFs stormed the towns of Kafr Al-Labbad and 'Anabta, east of Tulkarem and Qaffeen town in the north, amid clashes that erupted between Palestinian young men and IOFs amid intensive shootings.

The Red Crescent Society reported that it transferred a child injured by live bullets from the town of 'Anabta, east of Toulkarm, to the hospital.

On Friday evening, the IOFs stormed several villages and towns north of Jineen, Ya’bad, 'Arraba, Al-Jalama, Faqou’a, Bait Qad, and Jalboun, and launched a massive search campaign.

Israeli troops set up mobile military checkpoints in the area and seized an agricultural bulldozer from the lands of the village of Zibda, south ofJineen.

Meanwhile, a young man, Adil Sa'ada, was kidnapped from the town of Burqin, southwest of Jineen after he was reported missing for hours.

As for the town of 'Osireen, south of Nablus, three citizens were injured by Israeli gunfire during confrontations that broke out in the town. Sources of Palestinian Red Crescent reported that the three citizens were injured by live bullets, two in the foot, and the third in the pelvis. They were taken to hospital to receive treatment, the sources added.

In Ramallah, the IOFs stormed last night the town of Turmus Ayya, northeast of the city, and drove their military vehicles through its streets. No kidnappings have been reported.

On Friday afternoon, the IOF stormed the town of Dair Ibzai’, west of Ramallah, and raided the house of martyr Mujahid Mansour, kidnapping a number of his family members. Mujahid carried out a resistance operation west of Ramallah, targeting a bus of illegal Israeli settlers near the town of Kafr Ni’ma, west of Ramallah. He was martyred after clashing with Israeli troops for 4 hours, injuring 7 among the IOFs and illegal Israeli settlers. 

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Aggression and Attacks by Illegal Israeli Settlers and Soldiers

Israeli occupation army forces Palestinian farmers to leave their lands near Ramallah at gunpoint

RAMALLAH, Saturday, March 23, 2024 (WAFA) –

Israeli occupation army forced today Palestinian farmers to leave their lands in the village of Al-Mughayir, east of Ramallah at gunpoint.

Sources reported that occupation army forced dozens of farmers in the Jabal Hashim and Al-Mughayir areas to leave their lands at gunpoint.  

The soldiers further fired alloys of gunfire towards farmers in an attempt to force them to evacuate their lands and properties.

Y.S.

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In preparation of punitive demolition, Israel takes measurements of slain Palestinian's house near Ramallah

RAMALLAH, Saturday, March 23, 2024 (WAFA) – 

Israeli occupation forces predawn Saturday took the measurements of a slain Palestinian's family in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah in preparation of punitive demolition.

Sources said that an Israeli occupation army force barged its way into the village of Dair Buzai', raided the family house of Mujahid Barakat Mansour and took measurements of it in anticipation of punitive demolition.

The house consists of four floors, each of which is 100 square meters, noting that the slain’s apartment is located on the first floor.

Confrontations broke out between young men and the occupation forces following their offensive against the village, however, no injuries were reported.

Mansour, 32, was killed yesterday following a manhunt and confrontation that lasted up to five hours involving a helicopter and drone in an area located between the villages of Dair Buzai' and Kafr Ni’ma.

The soldiers later withheld Mansour’s body, raided his house in the village, and detained his wife and brother.

Mansour is a father of four children, according to local sources. 

Y.S.

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Israeli occupation forces intensify restrictions at military checkpoints in the Palestinian Jordan Valley

JORDAN VALLEY, Saturday, March 23, 2024 (WAFA) –

Israeli occupation force tightened today their military measures and movement restrictions at the Tayaseer and 'Hamra military checkpoints in the northern Palestinian Jordan Valley, blocking movement of the Palestinian traffic.

Sources said that the occupation stopped the movement of vehicles through the two checkpoints and checked their ID cards, causing traffic jams and long queues of vehicles.

Over the last few months, the two checkpoints have witnessed a surge in military restrictions and closures by the Israeli army, hampering civilians` freedom of movement and causing significant economic difficulties.

 Y.S.

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