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

*** 

As the Israeli Genocidal War on the Gaza Strip Continues by Imposed Starvation, 48 Palestinians Are  Killed by Israeli Occupation Soldiers, Including 23 at Aid Distribution Centers

on June 20, 2025

***

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 the Gaza Strip, based on the reliable data reported by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza:

By June 19, 2025, the initial death toll of Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip is 69,101+.   

This includes the accounted for deaths (55,706) and those who are still missing under the rubble (an estimate of at least 13,425+). 

By June 19, 2025, the documented injuries exceeded 130,101.

By June 20, 2025, according to news report, 982 Palestinians who were killed, 6,886 who were injured, and 12,384*, who were abducted by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank, since October 7, 2023.    

***

(The Palestine Information Center reported that there were 925 deaths and 14,500 kidnappings but without mentioning how many were released, by February 27, 2025).  

Note About the Missing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip:

On February 26, 2025, the Palestinian Center for Political and Development Studies announced that the number of the missing in the Gaza Strip has exceeded 14,000 people, including 2,000-3,000 held in Israeli occupation prisons, without releasing any information on their fate.

***

During an artificial intelligence conference in Seattle, protesters accused the American tech giant, Microsoft, of supporting the Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.	In its annual report on Children and Armed Conflict, the UN placed Israel on its list of shame, for committing grave violations against children, as a result of its ongoing genocidal war on Gaza, June 20, 2025.
At least 48 Palestinians have been killed today, as Israeli genocidal air strikes and gunfire continue to pound various areas across the Gaza Strip, on June 20, 2025.	Displaced Palestinian families setting their tents in the court of a UNRWA, school turned-shelter, marking the UN refugee awareness day, June 20, 2025.
The Israeli occupation forces continued their genocide in the Gaza Strip for the 623rd consecutive day through relentless aerial and artillery bombardment, systematic killing of starving civilians, June 20, 2025.	Starving Palestinians humiliated at the Israeli-controlled aid distribution centers, as only few of tem manage to get a bag of flour, for making bread, while many are massacred by Israeli forces, June 20, 2025.
Scenes from the difficult daily life of displaced Palestinian families, which lost their homes, and suffer from shortages of food, water, and medicine, due to the ongoing Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, June 21, 2025.	Grieving, at Al-Shifa hospital, the Palestinian family members, who were massacred by the Israeli occupation forces in Gaza City, June 21, 2025.

***

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 ۚ فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ الْآخِرَةِ لِيَسُوءُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَلِيَدْخُلُوا الْمَسْجِدَ كَمَا دَخَلُوهُ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَلِيُتَبِّرُوا مَا عَلَوْا تَتْبِيراً ‎(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. Then, when the latter (final) promise came, they (your enemies) will sadden your faces, and to enter the Masjid (in Jerusalem), as they entered it the first time, and will destroy what they had taken over with (total) destruction (Al-Isra, 17: 7). 

***

While brutal force has been used to create Zionist Israel and sustain it thus far, Zionist claims to Palestine are false. Actually, from the five thousand years of known written human history, there has been a continuous Palestinian-Canaanite presence in the Holy Land. Despite the Zionist false claims, the ancient Israelites ruled part of the land for only 85 years (during the reign of Prophets David and Solomon , peace be upon them, and Solomon's son).

 After that, the Egyptians conquered Palestine-Canaan in 925 BC, followed by Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans, before the Arab Muslim rule, starting from 636 AD.

By the Time Jesus, peace be upon him, started his mission, the three population groups of Canaanites, Palestinians, and Israelites were melted together in religion and language. Most of them became Christians when Constantine converted in 313 AD. Then, most of them became Muslims in the 7th and 8th centuries AD.

So, Palestinian Muslims, Christians, and Jews are the ones who have the right to claim descent from ancient Israelites, Palestinians, and Canaanites, not Zionists from other continents.

No matter what the Zionists and their supporters do, they cannot change the will of God, Who promised the Holy Land to Abraham and his descendants, basically the Palestinian Muslims and Christians.

No matter how much persecution and aggression the Zionists and their supporters inflict upon the Palestinian people, they will never be able to force them out of the Holy Land, which Allah, praise to Him, promised for them, and kept His promise ever since.

This is a necessary brief background to understand the US-Backed Zionist Israeli continuous wars against the Arab nation generally, and the Palestinian people in particular, which included the wars of 1948, 1956, 1967, 1978, 1982, the brutal crushing of the two Uprisings (1987-1993 and 2000-2004), 2009, 2012, 2014, 2021, and the current genocidal war on Gaza (Since October 7, 2023), which has culminated a blockade of Gaza since 2007. In addition, the Israeli occupation and apartheid regime launched so many covert operations, raids, and air strikes on many Arab states since 1948.

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

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

***

***

Dozens killed and injured in Israeli bombing west of Gaza

GAZA, June 20, 2025 (WAFA) –

Dozens of Palestinian civilians were killed and injured in Israeli bombing to the west of the city of Gaza, according to WAFA correspondent.

He said that Israeli bombardment targeted civilians near the Darabiya circle, west of the city, killing and injuring dozens.

Viral video footage of the bombing shows dismembered and charred bodies lying on the ground due to the heavy bombardment that destroyed the area.

Their deaths bring the number of Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip since dawn to at least 48.

Israel unilaterally ended the Gaza ceasefire agreement and resumed its aggression on the Strip on Tuesday, March 18, carrying out a wave of bloody airstrikes across the Strip and killing hundreds of Palestinians.

The death toll reached at least 5,401 with 18,060 others wounded, according to medical sources. Since the morning hours of today, the bodies of 69 slain Palestinians, including two retrieved from the rubble, and over 172 casualties have been admitted to Gaza hospitals.

Israel has waged a military onslaught on the Strip since October 2023, killing 55,706 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 130,101 others.

Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.

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

K.F.

***

Day 623: Key developments in the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza

Friday 20-June-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation forces continued their genocide in the Gaza Strip for the 623rd consecutive day through relentless aerial and artillery bombardment, systematic killing of starving civilians and displaced persons, all under US political and military backing, amid international silence and unprecedented failure by the global community.

The PIC reporter said that the Israeli occupation army has launched dozens of airstrikes and committed further massacres as the displacement crisis intensifies, affecting over two million people suffering under a severe famine.

Latest Developments:

Medical sources confirmed that 34 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since dawn today, including 23 victims who were waiting for the so-called US aid.

11 civilians were killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting the 'Ayash family home in the Al-Mu'askar area, west of Dair El-Bala'h in central Gaza.

23 others were killed when Israeli forces opened fire on starving civilians waiting for American aid on Sala'huddeen Street in Al-Nusayrat area, also in central Gaza.

The Israeli army carried out extensive demolitions of residential homes in the Al-Shuja’iya and Al-Tuffa'h neighborhoods in central Gaza.

Israeli drones fired live rounds at civilian homes in the center of Jabalya town.

Local sources reported hearing large explosions in Bait Lahya, northern Gaza Strip, due to the Israeli demolition of residential homes.

Local sources also reported the death of young man Karam Mu'hammed Al-Najjar, who succumbed to wounds sustained in a previous Israeli attack on Khan Younus.

The Al-Shifa Medical Complex issued an urgent appeal to citizens for blood donations due to a severe shortage of blood units needed to save the wounded.

***

Palestinian civil defense: Israeli occupation army intensifies bombing of displaced persons in Gaza

Friday 20-June-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

Israeli warplanes have deliberately targeted tents of displaced Palestinians and gatherings of civilians across various areas of Gaza City in what is being described as the deadliest escalation in recent days, resulting in dozens of martyrs and injuries, most of them women, children, and the elderly.

Speaking to the PIC, spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense, Major Ma'hmoud Basal, said that Israeli forces have focused since dawn on intense and direct bombardment of densely populated areas and displaced persons’ encampments within Gaza City.

Basal confirmed that the death toll has exceeded 55 so far, with more than 180 wounded, including many in critical condition who cannot be adequately treated due to the complete collapse of the healthcare system.

Since early Thursday morning, the Israeli military has intensified its deadly air raids on tent encampments and civilian gatherings throughout Gaza City, resulting in numerous casualties. Among them were 19 martyrs in a horrific massacre caused by the bombing of a tent near Al-Sousi Mosque in Al-Shati refugee camp in western Gaza.

This massacre is part of a repeated pattern of violations against civilians in the Gaza Strip, where even temporary shelters are no longer safe but have become direct targets of shelling, amid a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation and continued Israeli attacks on essential infrastructure and population centers.

On day 621 of the ongoing aggression, Israel continues to commit war crimes and massacres against civilians in Gaza, alongside a policy of siege and starvation, all while the world turns a blind eye to the suffering of two million Palestinians facing hunger and death on a daily basis.

***

48 Palestinians killed since dawn in ongoing Israeli strikes on Gaza

GAZA, June 20, 2025 (WAFA) –

At least 48 Palestinians have been killed since the early hours of Friday as Israeli airstrikes and gunfire continue to pound various areas across the Gaza Strip, according to medical sources.

In one of the latest incidents, a father and his young son were killed when Israeli warplanes struck their home in the Al-Tuffa'h neighborhood, east of Gaza City. The victims were identified as Abdul Majeed Al-Sharafi and his child, Basim.

In the central Gaza Strip, two more civilians were killed and others injured in an airstrike targeting the Al-Adaini family home near Al-Mazra'a Street, south of Dair El-Bala'h.

In the southern part of the Strip, five people were shot and killed by Israeli occupation forces while waiting for aid distribution near the northwest area of Rafa'h.

Earlier in the day, at least 35 Palestinians were killed in two separate Israeli massacres in the war-torn enclave.

The Al-'Awda Hospital in Al-Nusayrat refugee camp reported receiving the bodies of 23 victims and dozens of injured people after an Israeli strike targeted a crowd waiting for humanitarian aid near Al-Shuhadaa Junction in the northern part of the camp.

Additionally, medical sources from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society confirmed the killing of 12 individuals and injuries to others after Israeli occupation forces bombed a home belonging to the 'Ayash family in the Al-Mu'askar area west of Dair El-Bala'h. The victims were transported to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.

The death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue under difficult and dangerous conditions.

M.N.

***

 Israeli airstrike kills three civilians, injure others near Gaza Eye Hospital

GAZA, June 20, 2025 (WAFA) –

Three Palestinian civilians were killed and several others were injured today in an Israeli airstrike targeting a group of people near the Gaza Eye Hospital intersection in central Gaza City.

According to medical sources, a total of 48 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip since early dawn today.

The ongoing aggression has resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe, with approximately 186,000 Palestinians killed or injured, mostly women and children. More than 11,000 others remain missing, and hundreds of thousands have been displaced.

Worsening famine conditions have led to additional loss of life, including among a significant number of children.

T.R.

***

‎***

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

***‎

Three Palestinians sustain injuries in colonist attack near Nablus

NABLUS, June 20, 2025 (WAFA) –

 Three Palestinians on Friday sustained injuries in an attack by Israeli colonists in the town of Beita, south of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, according to a Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) source.

The director of the PRCS’s Emergency and Ambulance center in Nablus, Amid Ahmed, said that three civilians sustained injuries after being shot by live ammunition when they were attempting to fend off a colonist attack on Baita.

He added that one of the three civilians sustained a live gunshot injury in the chest and that a fourth civilian sustained fractures due to falling. All of the casualties were rushed to a hospital.

WAFA correspondent said that Israeli colonists, under Israeli forces’ protection, attacked Qammas Mount between Baita and 'Osareen, triggering confrontations, with the civilians attempting to repel the attack.

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

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

Approximately 1 million Israeli colonists are living in colonies in the West Bank and Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem) in violation of international law.

K.F. 

***

Two Palestinians injured after being assaulted by Israeli forces east of Tulkarem

TULKAREM, June 20, 2025 (WAFA) –

A Palestinian man and woman sustained injuries this evening after being physically assaulted by Israeli occupation forces in the town of Bal’a, east of Tulkarem, as part of the ongoing military aggression on the area since early Friday morning.

According to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) in Tulkarem, its medical teams provided treatment to a 27-year-old woman and a 57-year-old man who were beaten by Israeli soldiers. Both were subsequently transferred to the hospital for further medical care.

Israeli forces continue their large-scale onslaught on villages and towns in the northern and eastern parts of the Tulkarem Governorate, with a particular focus on Bal’a, 'Atteel, Dair Al-Ghusoun, and Zaita. The ongoing military operation includes storming homes, vandalizing their contents, and converting several residences into military outposts. Troops have also sealed off entrances to these areas and blocked several sections of internal roads with earth mounds.

T.R.

***

4 Palestinians injured in new Israeli military raids across West Bank

Friday 20-June-2025

WEST BANK, (PIC)

Four Palestinian civilians were injured between Thursday evening and early Friday in fresh Israeli military raids in various areas of the occupied West Bank, including Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem). The raids involved live fire, home invasions, arrests, and turning civilian homes into military outposts.

In the town of Al-Ram, north of Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem), a 42-year-old man was shot in the leg near the separation wall. In a separate incident at the same location, a 57-year-old man was injured after falling from the wall and was also hospitalized.

Israeli forces also raided the towns of 'Anata and Al-'Eisawiya, firing tear gas and stun grenades toward civilian homes. However, no injuries were reported.

The Israeli occupation forces continued to pursue Palestinian workers along the separation wall north of Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem), regularly causing injuries and arrests in a systematic policy of harassment across the West Bank.

In 'Aqraba, south of Nablus, two civilians were lightly injured when their vehicle was targeted by Israeli gunfire. Several others suffered from tear gas inhalation as clashes erupted during an Israeli military raid.

Local sources reported that Israeli soldiers opened live fire and fired tear gas during the incursion into 'Aqraba.

Additionally, the Israeli occupation forces raided the towns of 'Aseera Al-Shamaliya (north of Nablus) and Talouza (east of Nablus) early Friday morning. Military vehicles entered both towns, searched numerous homes, and interrogated several residents on-site. No arrests were reported.

In Jineen, simultaneous raids were carried out across the towns of 'Arraba, Qabatya, 'Anza, Ya'bad, Jaba’, Beer El-Basha, Maythaloun, and Ajja. Homes were ransacked, and two houses were turned into temporary military outposts.

Sources said Israeli forces imposed a curfew in Qabatya after storming the town with several military vehicles and raiding multiple homes. A similar incursion was reported in 'Arraba, where military vehicles patrolled the streets and enforced curfews.

The Israeli forces arrested two people in Qabatiya, and another man in Ya'bad, after surrounding their homes.

In 'Anza, south of Jineen, Israeli infantry units raided homes in the Tal’at El-Bustan area, converting two of them into military positions after forcing residents to evacuate.

Israeli occupation forces later stormed Ya'bad again, raiding several homes, coinciding with similar incursions into Jaba’, Beer El-Basha, and Maythaloun.

On Thursday evening, the Israeli forces entered 'Ajja (south of Jineen), deployed infantry units, and searched several homes. No arrests were reported.

After midnight, Israeli forces stormed Tubas city from the Tayaseer checkpoint, deploying infantry units and surveillance drones across residential neighborhoods and raiding homes.

In the village of Al-Lubban Al-Sharqiya, south of Nablus, Israeli soldiers detained seven young men after raiding a restaurant and a coffee roastery. Infantry units also stormed and occupied two homes for several hours.

Since the outbreak of the genocide in Gaza on October 7, 2023, the Israeli army and settlers have intensified their assaults across the West Bank. According to Palestinian sources, at least 978 Palestinians have been killed, around 7,000 injured, and more than 17,500 arrested during this period.

***

Palestinians suffocate during Israeli forces' raids into two West Bank towns

HEBRON, June 20, 2025 (WAFA) –

Israeli occupation forces launched sound bombs and tear gas canisters at Palestinian civilians and their homes in the towns of Idthna and 'Hal'houl in the Hebron Governorate, resulting in multiple cases of suffocation among residents.

The assaults also caused damage to several vehicles, as troops stormed residential homes and extensively ransacked their contents.

Local and security sources told WAFA that Israeli forces detained a child and two young men from Idthna and 'Hal'houl, whose identities have not yet been confirmed.

Additionally, Israeli troops detained a resident at a military checkpoint set up at the entrance to the village of Zeef, south of Al-Khaleel (Hebron).

The town of Sa’ir, northeast of Hebron, was also declared a closed military zone, as occupation forces raided, searched and wreaked havoc in several homes.

Meanwhile, colonists from the illegal Israeli outpost of Avigayil, built on Palestinian-owned land south of Hebron, chased after Palestinian shepherds in the eastern area of Tel Ma’een near Sha'b Al-Butum in Masafir Yatta.

The colonists attempted to steal livestock, stole the mobile phone of a resident, and allowed their herds to graze on Palestinian farmland.

T.R.

***

For sixth time today: Israeli army raids village south of Nablus

NABLUS, June 20, 2025 (WAFA) –

 Israeli occupation forces conducted their sixth raid today on the village of Al-Lubban Al-Sharqiya, south of Nablus, according to local sources.

Sources reported that since dawn, the occupation army repeatedly stormed the village, detaining several young men amid the firing of live bullets and stun grenades.

Meanwhile, colonists attacked shepherds in the southern plains of the village, forcing them out.

T.R.

***

Several Jineen-governorate towns under curfew as Israeli forces turn houses into army outposts

Jineen, June 20, 2025 (WAFA) –

Several towns in the occupied West Bank governorate of Jenin remain under complete curfew as Israeli occupation forces continued to turn houses into army outposts, according to local sources.

They said that a convoy of Israeli army vehicles stormed the town of Fa'hma, south of Jineen, where the soldiers imposed a curfew on the whole population of the town until further notice.

The occupying forces stormed Marka village, broke into dozens of civilians’ houses, and turned them into army outposts, as the soldiers held and interrogated many youths.

In the Zababda town, south of Jenin, the gun-toting soldiers announced that a curfew would continue in effect until further notice. They broke into the civilians’ houses, ordered at least a family out, and turned their house into an army post.

In Qabatya town, the occupation forces have also ordered a curfew until further notice and served demolition notices to three families, informing them of their intention to tear down their houses. Concurrently, the soldiers have been conducting house-to-house raids, searching houses and wreaking havoc inside.

As the 'Arraba town was still placed under curfew, the occupation forces stormed and searched the civilians’ houses, interrogated the occupants, and turned at least one house into a military outpost, holding the entire family hostage.

Meanwhile, the soldiers displaced 16 families out of their houses and turned them into observation points in Anza village, which remains under a tight military closure, with media personnel denied access to it.

K.F.

***

 Israeli occupation forces intensify destruction and blockade in Toulkarm and Nour Shams camps amid ongoing military escalation

Toulkarm, June 19, 2025 (WAFA) -

Israeli bulldozers continued today to demolish additional residential buildings in Nour Shams refugee camp, east of Tulkarem. The area has witnessed, over the past few weeks, military operations that have so far resulted in the demolition of more than 20 buildings.

Over the course of 14 days, Israeli bulldozers demolished more than 50 buildings in Toulkarm refugee camp, creating large, wide roads through various neighborhoods.

These demolitions are part of a plan announced by the occupation authorities in May, targeting the destruction of 106 buildings across both Tulkarem and Nur Shams camps, including 58 buildings in Tulkarem camp, under the pretext of opening roads, an action aimed at altering the camp’s character and erasing its physical structure.

 The targeted structures comprise more than 250 homes and dozens of commercial establishments.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces maintain a complete blockade on both camps and their surrounding areas. Infantry units and military vehicles are stationed throughout the alleyways, neighborhoods, and access points, preventing residents from accessing their homes to inspect or collect their belongings. Live fire has been used against anyone attempting to get close.

The Israeli occupation forces’ escalation against the city of Tulkarem and its refugee camp has persisted for the 145th consecutive day, and for the 132nd day in Nur Shams camp.

This ongoing offensive involves continued home demolitions, a tightened siege, and heightened military measures at the checkpoints around Tulkarem, frequently blocking passage and fully closing the gates.

To date, the offensive has resulted in the killing of 13 Palestinians, including a child and two women, one of whom was eight months pregnant. Dozens more have been injured or detained, with widespread destruction inflicted on homes, infrastructure, commercial properties and vehicles.

According to recent estimates, over 5,000 families—more than 25,000 people—have been forcibly displaced from the two camps. Approximately 400 homes have been completely destroyed, while another 2,573 have sustained partial damage. Both camps remain sealed off by earth mounds, effectively turning them into areas nearly devoid of life.

T.R.

***

***

Aggression and Attacks by Illegal Israeli Settlers and Soldiers

*** 

Note: Despite the Trump administration support for the Israeli occupation apartheid regime, the U.S. official policy is still considering the Israeli settlement activities in the Palestinian territories as illegal.

***

Illegal Israeli settlers ignite massive fire near Bethlehem as IOFs block efforts to contain blaze

Friday 20-June-2025

BETHLEHEM, (PIC)

A group of the Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian agricultural land in the town of Nahaleen, west of Bethlehem, on Friday evening, sparking a massive blaze that ravaged hundreds of dunums of olive groves and farmland.

Local sources reported that the fire spread rapidly due to the lack of immediate firefighting response. The damage intensified as Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) prevented Palestinian residents from extinguishing the flames. Witnesses say IOF fired live ammunition and tear gas at anyone who approached the area to assist in putting out the fire.

The blaze raged unchecked for more than two hours, with no intervention from firefighting teams. Instead, witnesses reported that IOFs actions—including firing tear gas canisters into the area—worsened the situation by helping spread the fire to new locations.

Residents noted that the affected land had been declared off-limits to its Palestinian owners since October 17 under a military order. As a result, the land was left uncultivated, with overgrown weeds fueling the spread of the flames and increasing soil erosion and agricultural destruction.

This attack is part of a broader pattern of settler violence across the occupied West Bank, where coordinated arson, land seizures, and assaults on Palestinian property often occur under IOFs protection or direct involvement. Human rights groups have repeatedly warned that such acts are aimed at driving Palestinians off their land and expanding illegal settlement activity.

***

Illegal Israeli settlers uproot centuries-old olive trees in Sinjil village under IOFs protection

Friday 20-June-2025

RAMALLAH, (PIC)

A group of the Israeli settlers, under the protection of Israeli occupation forces (IOFs), continued on Friday their systematic destruction of ancient olive groves in the Palestinian town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah, for the third day in a row.

Local activist 'Aayid Ghafri reported that settlers, escorted by IOF, bulldozed approximately 10 dunums (nearly 2.5 acres) of land. The targeted area stretched along a 1,200-meter path, with a depth between 10 and 15 meters, and included locations such as Namoura, Shi'b Al-Nimr, and Al-Mazra’a neighborhood along the old Ramallah-Nablus road.

Ghafri emphasized that the destruction was deliberate and calculated. “They are completely destroying the trees before uprooting them, so that the residents can’t replant or salvage them,” he said. Many of the trees uprooted were olive trees dating back to the Roman era—an irreplaceable part of Palestine’s agricultural and cultural heritage.

This latest escalation is part of a broader wave of settler activity in and around Sinjil. On Tuesday, settlers began constructing a new illegal outpost in the Jabal al-Tal area, south of the town, erecting wooden structures. The same area contains an archaeological site that has been repeatedly targeted by settlers, who have pitched tents there in previous attempts to claim the land.

In August 2023, the IOF issued a military order to seize additional land in Sinjil and nearby Turmus 'Ayya, citing plans to reroute a barbed-wire fence through the area. In February, another seizure order affected 29 dunums of local farmland. The fence will block residents from accessing large portions of their land and cut off direct routes to the main road, deepening the displacement and restrictions already faced by Palestinian farmers.

Elsewhere in the West Bank, settlers attempted to dismantle and steal a metal shed early Friday morning in the 'Arab Al-Mylai'hat community, northwest of Jericho.

According to Al-Haq, a human rights group focused on Bedouin communities, settlers entered the area at dawn and began removing parts of a 150-square-meter iron structure belonging to 'Atallah Sulayman Ka'abna. Residents confronted the settlers and managed to force them to retreat before they could take the structure.

These incidents come amid an intensifying campaign of settler violence and land seizure across the occupied West Bank, often carried out with the tacit approval—or active support—of the IOF. Rights organizations warn that such actions are part of a broader strategy of ethnic cleansing, aiming to displace Palestinians and solidify control over key parts of the territory.

***

Israeli occupation forces close Al-Aqsa Mosque for second consecutive Friday, restrict worshippers

Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem), June 20, 2025 (WAFA) –

Israeli occupation forces on Friday closed all gates leading to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem, barring worshippers from entering to perform Friday prayers for the second consecutive week.

According to the Palestinian Authority's Jerusalem Governorate, Israeli forces sealed off all mosque entrances, including the Hitta and Chain Gates, after allowing a limited number of worshippers to pass through. Troops were heavily deployed at the gates and in surrounding areas.

In addition, Israeli forces stopped worshippers at the Herod's Gate (Bab Al-Sahira), obstructing their access to the Old City and the mosque compound ahead of prayer time.

Since June 13, Israeli occupation authorities have imposed severe restrictions on access to Al-Aqsa. The mosque was fully closed for six consecutive days before a new policy of limited admittance began last Wednesday, under what Israeli forces described as a “regulated entry system.”

The Governorate stated that only 450 worshippers were allowed to enter for the noon prayer on Thursday through the Hitta Gate, after which the gate was immediately shut to prevent further access. Employees of the Islamic Waqf were permitted to enter through the Hitta and Chain Gates under tight surveillance. In contrast, Israeli authorities opened the Moroccan Gate for settlers to enter and tour the compound.

Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem) Governorate described these actions as a "dangerous escalation" aimed at altering the historical and legal status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque. The statement accused Israel of exploiting regional conflict to implement plans that would change the character of the holy site.

The restrictions have paralyzed daily life in the Old City, where only residents with local ID cards were permitted entry. Meanwhile, Jewish synagogues and markets remained open as usual, highlighting the disparity in access and mobility under the current closures.

M.N.

***

 Israeli occupation forces continue closure of Ibraheemi Mosque for eighth consecutive day

Al-Khaleel (Hebron), June 20, 2025 (WAFA) –

 Israeli occupation forces have continued the closure of the Ibraheemi Mosque in Al-Khaleel (Hebron) to Muslim worshippers for the eighth consecutive day, according to a statement released by the Hebron Directorate of Awqaf on Friday.

The statement noted that the mosque, located in the heart of Hebron's Old City, remains inaccessible as Israeli occupation authorities continue to prevent the performance of prayers.

The Directorate of Awqaf further reported that Israeli forces are also preventing mosque employees, caretakers, and local residents from entering the site, citing security concerns as the pretext for the ongoing restrictions.

M.N.

***

 Israeli occupation forces prevent Friday prayers at village mosque near Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem)

Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem), June 20, 2025 (WAFA) –

Israeli occupation forces today prevented Palestinian residents from holding Friday prayers at the mosque of Nabi Samweel village, located northwest of Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem).

According to the Palestinian Authority's Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem) Governorate, Israeli forces barred worshippers from entering the mosque under the pretext of "security concerns."

Nabi Samweel, home to around 350 residents, is surrounded by Israel’s separation wall and expansionist settlements. The village has long been subject to land confiscations, with hundreds of duuams seized for settlement construction. Residents also face repeated harassment and violations by Israeli forces and settlers.

M.N.

***

Israeli occupation forces close southern entrance of Al-Jaba' village, isolating community

Bait La'hm (Bethlehem), June 20, 2025 (WAFA) –

Israeli occupation forces closed the southern entrance of Al-Jab'ah village, located southwest of Bait La'hm (Bethlehem), on Friday, effectively isolating the village.

Dthiyab Mash'alah, head of the village council, told WAFA correspondent that the southern entrance, which serves as the only access point for neighboring villages and the center of Bethlehem city, was shut with an iron gate. As a result, the village has become completely besieged, with no way to enter or leave.

He added that the eastern entrance of the village had already been closed previously with dirt barriers, along with a secondary road linking Al-Jib'ah to the nearby town of Nahaleen to the west. According to Mash'alah, Israeli forces fire live bullets at anyone attempting to approach this route.

The closure has severely restricted movement for residents and disrupted access to essential services, raising concerns about humanitarian conditions in the village.

M.N.

***

 Israeli occupation forces seize 15 homes in a Jineen village, turn them into military posts

Jineen, June 20, 2025 (WAFA) –

Israeli occupation forces have seized 15 homes in the village of Anza, south of Jenin, turning them into military outposts after forcibly evicting the residents, according to local sources.

Tayseer Sadaqa, head of the Anza Village Council, told WAFA that Israeli troops forced 15 families out of their homes under threat and converted the houses into military barracks amid an ongoing military offensive that began Thursday evening.

Sadaqa added that the occupation forces have been carrying out large-scale raids across the village, detaining and assaulting several residents, and detaining a number of them.

The incursion into Anza coincided with similar raids in other nearby towns and villages in southern Jenin, including Qabatya, 'Arraba, Maythaloun, and Ajja.

M.N.

***

Israeli forces prevent Civil Defense from putting out fire near Bait La'hma (Bethlehem)

Bait La'hma (Bethlehem), June 20, 2025 (WAFA) –

Israeli occupation forces on Friday prevented the Civil Defense (CD) from putting out a fire in the lands of Nahhaleen town, west of the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, according to a local source.

Mayor of Nahhaleen, Jamal Najajra, said that a fire broke out in a large tract of olive-cultivated land between 'Ayn Faris and Al-Balad areas, located on the outskirts of the town and close to the Beitar Illit settlement, and the CD crew and local volunteers rushed to the area to put out the fire, but the occupation forces and colonists prevented them.

He added that the gun-toting soldiers fired live ammunition and tear gas canisters at the CD crew and volunteers, without resulting in any injury.

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

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

Approximately 1 million Israeli colonists are living in colonies in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in violation of international law.

K.F.

***

***

News Related to the Israeli Genocidal War on the Palestinian People

***

Millions rallies in Yemen in solidarity with Gaza and Iran

Friday 20-June-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

Millions of Yemenis rallied on Friday afternoon in Sana’a and other cities in support of the Palestinian people and their resistance in the Gaza Strip and in protest at the Israeli aggression against Iran.

The rallies were organized under the slogan “We will continue to stand firm with Gaza and Iran against the Zio-American crimes.”

In a statement, organizers of the rallies affirmed, on behalf of the participants, their support and blessing for the “powerful, decisive and effective” Iranian response to the Israeli aggression.

Their statement stressed that the Iranian military response was a legitimate right and a necessary action that received support from the entire Arab and Islamic nations.

The statement called on the Muslim Ummah and the world’s free people to boycott all the US and Israeli products and companies and to support the Palestinians’ steadfastness in the face of the Israeli genocidal crimes in Gaza. 

***

UNRWA renews commitment to Palestinian refugees until just solution is found to their plight

NEW YORK, June 20, 2025 (WAFA) –

UNRWA renewed on Friday its commitment to Palestinian refugees until a just solution is found to their plight.

“We, UNRWA, renew our commitment to Palestine Refugees,” UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini posted on X on the occasion of World Refugee Day.

 “We continue providing services and assistance against all odds despite massive adversity especially in Gaza and the West Bank,” he added.

He asserted: “It's our mission. It's our commitment. It's our mandate entrusted to UNRWA by the UN General Assembly.”

The UN Agency drew a stark comparison between the current mass forced displacement in the war-battered Gaza and the 1948 Nakba (Catastrophe), when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were ethnically cleansed by Zionist militias during the creation of Israel.

“In 1948, more than 700,000 Palestinians were displaced from their towns and villages. 77 years later, Palestinians continue to be forcibly displaced. Since the war in Gaza began, around 1.9 million people have been forced to flee their homes,” it posted on X.

K.F.

***

Palestine welcomes EU ministers’ letter urging implementation of ICJ Opinion,  which demands an end to the Israeli occupation

RAMALLAH, June 20, 2025 –(WAFA) –

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomed the letter sent by the foreign ministers of nine European countries to the High Representative of the European Union on June 16, calling for the implementation of the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which demands an end to the Israeli occupation.

In an official statement released on Friday, the ministry praised the commitment of the nine countries: Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden, for upholding international law and the United Nations Charter and supporting mechanisms of accountability and justice.

The ministry considered the ministers' call for tangible and practical steps to ensure the European Union's compliance with the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion of July 19, 2024, an important move toward accountability and upholding the rule of law.

The ministry stated that the ministers' emphasis on the obligation not to recognize, aid, or support any actions that would contribute to the entrenchment and continuation of Israel's unlawful and illegitimate occupation of the Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, reflects the growing international consensus on the need to end impunity and to uphold the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, particularly their right to self-determination in an independent and sovereign state.

Palestine urged EU institutions and member states to act swiftly and decisively by adopting practical policies, including a timeline for implementing the ICJ advisory opinion and UN General Assembly Resolution ES-10/24, issued on September 18, 2024, which calls for ending the occupation within 12 months.

The statement concluded by reaffirming Palestine’s commitment to work with international partners to uphold international law and advance a just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution.

T.R.

***

===============================================================================================================================

Editorial Notes about terms & names of people and places:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

***

Names of some of the Palestinian cities, as pronounced in standard Arabic, and their foreign names in parentheses: 

Al-Khaleel (Hebron)

Al-Nusayrat

Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem)

Aree'ha (Jericho)

Al-Zaytoun (al-Zeitoun)

Bait (Beit)

Bait La'hm (Bethlehem)

Dair El-Bala'h

Jineen (Jenin)

Khan Younus (Khan Younis)

***

Person's names as pronounced in standard Arabic:

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

'Hasan Mulai'hat,

***

Conflict terminology

The Israeli occupation apartheid regime (the Israeli government)

Illegal Israeli settlers (instead of settlers, colonists)

A group of the illegal Israeli settlers

***