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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UNGA adopts resolution backing Palestinian membership in the UN

Friday 10-May-2024

NEW YORK, (PIC)

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday overwhelmingly backed a Palestinian bid to become full member of the international organization.

The UNGA adopted a resolution with 143 votes in favor and nine against, including the US and Israel, while 25 countries abstained. It does not give the Palestinians full UN membership, but simply recognizes them as qualified to join.

The resolution, tabled by the Arab group along with other countries, “determines that the State of Palestine … should therefore be admitted to membership” and it “recommends that the Security Council reconsider the matter favorably.”

It also renewed backing for the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination including the right of having an independent Palestinian state.

The resolution called on the international community to exert renewed and concerted efforts to end the Israeli occupation that started in 1967 and to reach a peaceful, just and lasting settlement to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in accordance with the international law and relevant UN resolutions.

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South Africa submits urgent request for additional provisional measures in ICJ genocide case against Israel

Saturday 11-May-2024

THE HAGUE, (PIC)

South Africa submitted on Friday an urgent request for additional provisional measures in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) genocide case against Israel.

The ICJ said in a press release that “South Africa filed an urgent request with the Court for the indication of additional provisional measures and the modification of provisional measures previously prescribed by the Court in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel).”

ICJ pointed out that in its new request, South Africa states that the provisional measures previously indicated by the Court “are not capable of ‘fully address[ing]’ the changed circumstances and new facts on which [its] Request is founded”.

South Africa further stated in the new request that “the situation brought about by the Israeli assault on Rafah, and the extreme risk it poses to humanitarian supplies and basic services into Gaza, to the survival of the Palestinian medical system, and to the very survival of Palestinians in Gaza as a group, is not only an escalation of the prevailing situation, but gives rise to new facts that are causing irreparable harm to the rights of the Palestinian people in Gaza”.

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Al-'Hayya: Israel is turning against mediators’ truce proposal

Saturday 11-May-2024

DOHA, (PIC)

Deputy Chairman of the Hamas Movement in the Gaza Strip, Dr. Khaleel Al-'Hayya, confirmed that all mediators’ initiatives and offers failed due to Netanyahu’s intransigence.

'Hamas wants a real captives-for-prisoners swap, but Netanyahu instead wants the war on Gaza to continue to achieve his personal goals and political ambitions, Al-'Hayya said in comments to Al Araby TV.

“'Hamas did not suspend nor withdraw from the [ceasefire] negotiations. The occupation turned against the mediators’ proposal,” he added.

He pointed out that the US administration could stop the war, but “it does not want to do so.”

The 'Hamas Movement said earlier efforts to agree to a Gaza truce are now “back at square one” after Israel effectively rejected a proposal by international mediators this week.

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'Hamas: Israel rejected the ceasefire proposal & we maintain our position

Friday 10-May-2024

GAZA, (PIC)

The 'Hamas Movement said Israel refused the ceasefire proposal submitted by the US, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators and raised objections to it on several central issues, stressing that “the ball is now entirely in Israel’s court.”

“Our position is to adhere to the national position which agrees to the mediators’ recent proposal,” Hamas added in a message addressed to the factions and broadcasted by Al-Aqsa TV on Friday.

Hamas underlined that “the next step is understudy and will be based on adhering to the last proposal, taking into account the Israeli recent attack on Rafa'h and occupying the Rafa'h crossing.”

The Hamas negotiating delegation had reportedly left Cairo heading back to Doha a couple of days ago.

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PGMO: Due to the Israeli blocking of humanitarian aid and fuel, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital runs out of fuel within 48 hours, heralding humanitarian crisis

Friday 10-May-2024

GAZA, (PIC)

The administration of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the Central Gaza Governorate announced that the fuel in the hospital is about to run out, threatening a humanitarian crisis and cessation of health service.

The hospital administration explained that the main medical facility is about to run out of fuel within the next 48 hours, demanding immediate fuel supply, noting that it is the last remaining hospital that provides health services in the Gaza Strip, after Israeli occupation warplanes had destroyed the health sector in the Strip, knocking 33 hospitals completely out of service.

For its part, the Palestinian Government Media Office (PGMO) in Gaza held Israel, the US administration, and all competent and relevant authorities fully responsible for any calamity that may result from fuel stoppage.

The PGMO added, in a press statement on Friday, “There is a real crisis looming, threatening the lives of patients and children, especially the wounded and those who are receiving intensive healthcare as well as those in nursery departments.”

The PGMO urged all UN organizations and international institutions to bring in fuel to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital as quickly as possible before it is too late.

The Office also called for immediate and urgent intervention to rehabilitate and restore all hospitals in the Strip and to supply them with fuel, warning of a looming humanitarian catastrophe that would kill thousands of people.

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Euro-Med: The US administration calling Rafah invasion a “limited operation” is misleading

Friday 10-May-2024

GENEVA, (PIC)

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor described the US administration’s announcement that the Rafa'h operation was “limited” as misleading, stressing that Palestinian civilians have been paying a heavy price for the ongoing Israeli military attack on the city for the fourth day in a row, amid US support and global silence.

The Euro-Med said in a press statement on Friday that the death toll from the Israeli attack on Rafa'h since the beginning of this month had risen to 97 martyrs, including 35 children and 17 women, the majority of them were killed after the ground invasion of Rafa'h and occupying Rafa'h border crossing with Egypt on May 7.

The human rights organization expressed its concern over the fact that the US President Joe Biden and his administration are misleading world public opinion by promoting that the Rafa'h operation is limited and that there are red lines put for Israel, and that the Karm Abu Salim crossing is open to the movement of humanitarian supplies.

Euro-Med, however, explained that what is happening on the ground is an all-out invasion of all Rafa'h neighborhoods, similar to what happened previously in the cities and neighborhoods invaded by the Israeli army across the Gaza Strip.

It recalled that Rafa'h is the center of humanitarian relief operations and the outlet for life-saving humanitarian aid, noting that it is the place where dozens of humanitarian relief organizations store supplies provided to civilians throughout the Gaza Strip including food, water, health aid, sanitation, and hygiene supplies. The ground invasion warns of an escalation in the Israeli starvation policy pursued against residents of the Gaza Strip and heralds a spread of diseases and a humanitarian crisis.

The Euro-Med Monitor renewed its call on the international community to intervene urgently and decisively to stop the military attack on Rafah, its residents and those displaced there, and to stop the crime of genocide committed by the Israeli occupation army in the Gaza Strip.

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Kuwait Hospital: Fuel is running out, real catastrophe in the offing, due to the Israeli blocking of humanitarian aid and fuel,

Friday 10-May-2024

GAZA, (PIC)

The director of the Kuwait Hospital in Rafa'h, Suhayb Al-Hams, has warned in a statement on Thursday evening of a real catastrophe in Rafa'h, in the southernmost tip of the Gaza Strip, within the few coming days.

He said in a press statement that fuel is running out and whatever is left could barely meet the hospital’s needs for the coming three days.

He appealed to the international organizations to immediately intervene to save the Rafa'h Governorate from a health disaster.

“We are working with the minimal requirements of what is needed in a hospital and we lack enough staff to deal with the catastrophic conditions in Rafa'h,” Al-Hams underlined.

The hospital director pointed out that the quantity of internationally-banned missiles that fall on Rafah is big, calling on the World Health Organization to act immediately to save the hospitals in Rafa'h.

The overcrowded city of Rafa'h has come under intensified Israeli artillery and aerial bombardment over the past two days that was coupled with Israeli closure of the Rafah Crossing restricting the entry of fuel and aid trucks.

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Gaza Crossings Authority refutes US claims about opening crossings, bringing in aid

Friday 10-May-2024

GAZA, (PIC)

The Palestinian Crossings Authority in the Gaza Strip refuted the US State Department claims about “opening crossings and bringing humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.”

The Authority confirmed, in a statement on Thursday evening, that “the Gaza Strip crossings are still closed and under the control of the Israeli occupation army,” adding that no aid has been brought in since the commencement of the ground invasion of Rafa'h governorate, taking over Rafa'h border crossing, and closing Kerem Shalom crossing.

On Tuesday morning, the Israeli occupation army announced launching a military operation in Rafa'h, claiming it was “limited in scope”. Evacuation notices were also handed to 100,000 Palestinians to forcibly evacuate the eastern side of the city and to move towards Al-Mawasi area, southwest of the Gaza Strip.

At the same time, Israeli warplanes began launching raids on the eastern districts of the city of Rafa'h, amid random artillery shelling, targeting a number of homes, resulting in martyrs and injuries, while medical teams were unable to reach them due to heavy shelling.

By May 9, 2024, and since October 7, the Israeli occupation army has been continuing its aggression against the Gaza Strip, with US and European support, leading to the martyrdom of 34,904 people and the injury of 78,514 others, in addition to the displacement of about 1.7 million people of Gaza population, according to UN data.

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UNRWA shuts down its office in Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem)

Friday 10-May-2024

Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem), (PIC)

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) decided to temporarily close its headquarters in Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem), after a number of attacks by the illegal Israeli settlers.

The head of the UN’s largest aid agency in Gaza, Philippe Lazzarini, said Israeli settlers twice set fire to the compound’s perimeter on Thursday evening.

Lazzarini said on X that while there were no casualties among the staff, the fire caused “extensive damage to outdoor areas.”

“Our director, with the help of other staff, had to put out the fire themselves as it took the Israeli fire extinguishers and police a while before they turned up,” he added.

Calling the arson “an outrageous development,” Lazzarini says he has “taken the decision to close down our compound until proper security is restored.”

“I call on all those who have influence to put an end to these attacks and hold all those responsible accountable,” he continued. “The perpetrators of these attacks must be investigated and those responsible must be held accountable. Anything less will set a new dangerous standard.”

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Despite the Israeli restrictions, 30,000 of the Palestinian Muslims managed to attend Friday prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem)

Friday 10-May-2024

Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem), (PIC)

At least 30,000 Palestinian worshipers performed Friday prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem), despite Israeli restrictions.

According to the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem, around 30,000 Muslims performed the Friday prayer today at the holy shrine.

The Israeli occupation forces attacked a number of young men near Al-Aqsa Mosque, and prevented their access to the Mosque, including Turkish worshipers.

A heavy contingent of the Israeli occupation apartheid regime police was deployed at the entrances, surroundings, and alleys of the city, as well as at the external gates of the Mosque.

The Israeli occupation apartheid regime blocked several roads leading to the Old City of Jerusalem and hindered the movement of Palestinian citizens.

The Israeli occupation apartheid regime also imposed more restrictions on West Bankers’ entry to Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Earlier Friday, thousands of Maqdisis (Jerusalemites) performed the Fajr prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque despite the Israeli security restrictions at its gates.

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In response to the Israeli aggressive and criminal policies against the Palestinian political prisoner, 'Hamas says that the Prisoners’ determination is unyielding, their freedom is near

Friday 10-May-2024

Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem), (PIC)

The Islamic Resistance Movement, 'Hamas, affirmed that the escalation of Israeli prison administration’s “aggressive and criminal policies against our brave prisoners will not weaken their determination, but rather it will be a catalyst for further explosions against the occupation.”

In a press statement on Friday, the Movement emphasized that the Palestinian people will not allow their prisoners to become victims of the “Nazi-like brutality of the occupation, and our resistance will remain committed to achieving their imminent freedom.”

The Movement stated that the testimonies and evidence of the mistreatment and torture suffered by the captive leader Ibraheem 'Hamid and his fellow prisoners, in addition to the isolation and repression still endured by the captive leaders of the Movement in prisons, which has led to the martyrdom of a number of prisoners, indicate that the occupation government adopts a policy of deliberate attacks against the brave prisoners.”

The Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Authority and the Palestinian Prisoners Society held the Israeli occupation prisons fully responsible for the fate and life of leader Ibraheem 'Hamid, 59 years old, from the town of Silwad, northeast of Ramallah in the West Bank, in light of preliminary testimony provided by a released prisoner from Gilboa prison, who reported that the prisoner 'Hamid was subjected to terrifying acts of torture and abuse.

In a joint statement on Friday, the authority and the society stated that the horrifying details endured by prisoner 'Hamid are among many testimonies documented by institutions and heard from released prisoners since October 7, continuing until today, more than seven months after the genocidal war that reflected an unprecedented level of brutality. Such practices resulted in the martyrdom of at least 18 prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons and detention camps, not to mention detainees from Gaza who were martyred inside the army camps, and the occupation continues to refuse to disclose their identities.

The statement considered what happened to prisoner 'Hamid as an attempted murder, as has happened to thousands of prisoners over the past period. It emphasized that time plays a decisive role in the fate of prisoners due to the dangerous and terrifying measures that the prison administration continues to implement against them, including torture and starvation.

One of the recently released prisoners stated in his testimony, “Prisoner 'Hamid was subjected to an assault in Gilbo’a prison, and there is no part of his body without bruises, scratches, or wounds. He was bleeding heavily from his head, and after the assault, he was left unable to stand on his feet, and his health condition is very critical.” He added, “No matter how I try to describe the condition in which I left prisoner 'Hamid, I cannot fully describe the current situation. He is in an extremely difficult condition, and there is a great danger to his life and the lives of prisoners due to the brutal beating they are subjected to in Gilboa prison.”

Prisoner 'Hamid was born in 1965 in the town of Silwad, Ramallah, where he began his resistance against the occupation at an early age. He has been arrested multiple times before his latest arrest in 2006. The occupation sentenced him to 54 life sentences, the second highest sentence in the history of the prisoner movement.

After completing his high school education, 'Hamid joined Beer Zait University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in political science. Later, he pursued a master’s degree in international relations and worked in research centers, where he was able to publish several studies and research papers on the history of the Palestinian issue.

He was chased for eight years, during which his family faced various forms of persecution and threats, and all members of his family were subjected to arrest, including his wife and children at the time. 'Hamid endured solitary confinement for nearly eight years, seven of which were consecutive.

Hamas called on international and human rights organizations to fulfill their responsibilities regarding the slow death endured by the Palestinian prisoners inside the occupation’s prisons, and the violations of all international conventions and norms, especially those stipulated in the Geneva Convention concerning prisoners of war.

It called upon the masses of the Palestinian people, their factions, and their rebellious youth to escalate their revolutionary and resistance movement in support of the prisoners, in all fields and by all means.

The Movement warned the fascist occupation government of the dangers of continuing this criminal policy, holding it fully responsible for the lives of every prisoner in its prisons.

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WHO: Healthcare in Gaza on the brink of collapse

GEVENA, Friday, May 10, 2024 (WAFA) –

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned today that the healthcare system in the Gaza Strip is on the brink of complete collapse due to the halt in fuel flow following the closure of the Rafah and Harm Abu Salem border crossings.

Margaret Harris, spokesperson for WHO, made the remarks during the weekly press briefing at the United Nations office in Geneva, addressing the dire situation in the besieged Gaza Strip, which is currently facing a devastating Israeli onslaught.

Harris stated that the WHO has supported some health centers in Gaza, including Nasser Hospital, following Israel's ground attack on Rafa'h on May 6th. She emphasized that this action was carried out "as part of an emergency plan" despite the ground attack on Rafa'h in the southern part of the territory.

Highlighting the importance of fuel entering the Gaza Strip, Harris said, "Without fuel, everything in our hospitals will stop, and life-saving treatments will no longer be possible here."

She further added, "Without fuel, the entire healthcare system will collapse," stressing that the destruction of access to healthcare "will be catastrophic for everyone."

The Israeli occupation forces have continued to close the Karm Abu Salim commercial crossing for the sixth consecutive day and the Rafa'h crossing for the fourth day.

In a preliminary toll, the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Strip since October 7th has resulted in 34,900 documented Palestinian fatalities, with over 78,514 injured.

M.N.

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Escaping the inferno: Gaza's displaced in Rafa'h fear the unknown

RAFA'H, Friday, May 10, 2024 (WAFA) –

Life has completely vanished, and the displaced wander with uncertainty, not knowing where to go as there is no safe place in the Gaza Strip. This is how Marwan El Masri, a displaced Gazan, described the situation in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, since the Israeli occupation tanks invaded the eastern part of the city.

Rafah is considered the last refuge for the displaced in the besieged enclave. Since the beginning of the ground operation launched by the occupation forces on the Gaza Strip on October 27th, citizens have been demanded to head from the northern and central regions of the Strip to the south, claiming it to be a "safe zone."

Today, Rafah, with its narrow area of ​​approximately 65 square kilometers, accommodates over 1.5 million Palestinians facing dire conditions inside thousands of tents scattered throughout the city, while Israeli military vehicles move southward from the northern coastal area.

Thousands have fled to Rafah several times since the beginning of the occupation's aggression last October, and they are currently returning north after the occupation forces demanded their evacuation from the eastern part of the city.

Marwan, 35, who fled from northern Gaza, reported, "Life has completely vanished in central Rafah. The streets are empty, and there is paralysis in the markets."

He added to AFP, "We fear any advancement in the invasion, as happened in the eastern areas, which are now completely empty of civilians."

Ibtihal Al Arouqi, 39, who fled from the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza to Rafah and underwent a cesarean section just two weeks ago, found herself displaced once again.

"We came out from under the rubble of our home in Bureij, and now, due to intense shelling in Rafah, my children and I are on the street. We don't know where to go; there is no safe place," she remarked.

While western Rafah remains relatively calmer than the eastern part, which witnesses intensive shelling, it has also been targeted, according to an AFP correspondent.

Both Marwan and Ibtihal confirmed that continuous shelling has filled the air with dust and smoke, leading to breathing difficulties.

Mohamed Abu Mughayyib, a medical coordinator for Doctors Without Borders in Rafah, reported, "The situation in Rafah is chaotic."

Abu Mughayyib, who also fled from Gaza City, spoke of "people carrying their belongings, mattresses, blankets, and kitchen utensils aboard trucks" to flee from eastern Rafah.

He added that Al Najjar Hospital was "closed, and the medical team was evacuated to avoid what happened at Al Shifa or Al Nasser," referring to two medical complexes in Gaza that were raided by the occupation forces during the aggression.

With Israeli bombardment from the east, the Egyptian border to the south, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, many citizens have fled from Rafah to the north.

These individuals headed towards the nearby city of Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, where thousands of tents have filled the coastal area.

Ahmed Fadel, 22, was among those who returned to northern Gaza from where he fled earlier during the aggression.

Fadel, originally from Gaza City, initially fled from the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza before being asked to leave when the occupation forces invaded the nearby Bureij camp.

"We left and moved to Rafah, but they bombed and threatened the city, so we came to Deir al-Balah, which was already overcrowded," he said.

A video clip from AFP on Wednesday showed thousands of tents and shelter centers set up along the coastal area in Deir al-Balah.

Merchant Abdul Majid Al Kurd told AFP, "Deir al-Balah is a small town. It's now very overcrowded, with no place or facilities enough to accommodate this number."

Israeli occupation forces seized control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing on Tuesday, halting the flow of aid to the Strip.

With their control of the Rafah crossing, the occupation forces have closed the main land crossing through which aid enters and wounded and sick individuals leave the Strip for treatment abroad, signaling a worsening humanitarian catastrophe, especially as food and fuel stocks in Gaza are depleted.

The Israeli occupation continues its aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7th, resulting in the murder of 34,904 civilians, mostly children and women, and the injury of 78,514 others, with thousands of victims still under the rubble.

M.N.

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Several American students detained as protestors block parking garage at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Story by Steve Leblanc

The Independent, May 10, 2024

Police detained several people Thursday at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology after demonstrators blocked a parking garage in their ongoing protest movement connected to the Israel-Hamas war.

Tensions have ratcheted up in standoffs with (students who protested against the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip) on campuses across the United States and increasingly in Europe. Some colleges cracked down immediately, while others have tolerated the demonstrations. Some have begun to lose patience and call in the police over concerns about disruptions to campus life and safety.

In Boston, the U.S. city most identified with higher education, students have set up encampments on at least five campuses, including MIT, Northeastern University and Harvard University.

At MIT, protesters have been asking administrators to end all research contracts with Israel’s Ministry of Defense, which they estimate total $11 million since 2015. On Thursday, the school issued an alert just before 2 p.m. saying protestors were blocking the entrance to a campus parking garage and spilling onto a nearby street.

About two hours later, authorities split protesters up and pushed them away from the garage. At least three people were detained. Protesters walked away continuing to chant “free Palestine” after the three were detained and police pushed them back. The crowd dispersed and the garage was reopened by 5 p.m., the school said.

The pro-Palestinian protest movement began nearly three weeks ago at Columbia University New York City. It has since swept college campuses nationwide, with more than 2,500 people arrested.

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Slovenia to recognize Palestinian state by mid-June

Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic

Editing by Andrea Ricci

SARAJEVO (Reuters) -

The Slovenian government on Thursday initiated the procedure for the recognition of a Palestinian state as a form of leverage to end the conflict in Gaza, a move it announced in March, Prime Minister Robert Golob said.

"The horrors we see every day in Gaza are inadmissible and must stop," Golob was quoted as saying on the government X platform. "I call on Israel to put an immediate end to its attacks on Gaza and to use the negotiating table."

Golob said he would like his country´s recognition to be "an incentive for these negotiations to proceed more quickly" and speed up the dialogue in the United Nations on an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages and the security and existence of Israel through a two-state solution.

The announcement came as Ireland, Spain and a number of other European Union member states are reportedly considering recognizing a Palestinian state on May 21, according to a report by Ireland's national broadcaster.

The date of Slovenia's recognition will depend on the success of the progress in peace talks, with June 13 at the latest, Golob said. If progress is accelerated, Slovenia will complete the recognition procedure faster.

He said the decision to initiate the recognition procedures contained expectations for all those involved in the conflict - the progress in peace talks, release of hostages and in the reform of the Palestinian Authority.

The ruling coalition agreed unanimously on this decision, Golob said, expressing hope that the recognition would inspire other countries to follow in Slovenia´s steps.

Spain, Ireland, Malta and Slovenia said in March they had agreed to take the first steps towards recognizing a Palestinian state. The countries reportedly have been waiting for a vote by the United Nations General Assembly on May 10 which could lead to the recognition of the Palestinians as qualified for full U.N. membership.

Since 1988, 139 out of 193 U.N. member states have recognized Palestinian statehood. 

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