As the World Governments Continue their Capitulation Towards the Israeli Genocidal War on Gaza, Starvation Intensifies, 42 More Palestinians Massacred by the Israeli Air Strikes, on May 2, 2025

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

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As the World Governments Continue their Capitulation Towards the Israeli Genocidal War on Gaza, Starvation Intensifies, 42 More Palestinians Massacred by the Israeli Air Strikes

May 2, 2025

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91 Percent of the Gaza Population Facing Food Crisis, 18 Palestinians Killed, 77 Injured, Which Brings the Death Toll of the Israeli Genocidal War on the Gaza Strip to 52,418 and the Injuries to 118,091, May 1, 2025

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

By May 1, 2025, the initial death toll of Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip is 65,922+.

This includes the accounted for deaths (52,418), those who are still missing under the rubble (an estimate of at least 13,504+).

By May 1, 2025, the documented injuries exceeded 118,091.

By May 1, 2025, according to news report, 957 Palestinians who were killed, 6,729 who were injured, and 11,987*, who were abducted by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank, since October 7, 2023.

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(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.

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At least, 17 Palestinians were killed, scores were injured, mostly children, women, and elderly, by the Israeli genocidal air strikes on the Gaza Strip, on May 2, 2025. Based on hospital records only, at least, 17 Palestinians were killed, scores were injured, mostly children, women, and elderly, by the Israeli genocidal air strikes on the Gaza Strip, on May 2, 2025.

A Palestinian man, 'Omar Mustafa Abul Lail, was shot and killed by the Israeli occupation forces during a raid on his home in Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, May 2, 2025.

Resumed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, coupled with a complete ban on the entry of aid for two months, have deprived Palestinian civilians of the basic necessities they need to survive, May 2, 2025.

A vessel of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an international movement dedicated
to ending the Israeli blockade of Gaza, was attacked by an Israeli drone while sailing in international waters off Malta, May 2, 2025. Louis Theroux documentary, 'The Settlers, A truth the world ignores' sheds the light on the extreme Israeli settler mentality, May 2, 2025, illustration by Zainab Al-Hajj of Al-Mayadeen

Grieving the death of the Palestinian martyrs who were massacred by the Israeli genocidal air strikes on Gaza City, on May 2, 2025. Grieving the death of a Palestinian martyred little girl, who was massacred by the Israeli genocidal air strikes, at Al-'Awda hospital, in Al-Nusayrat, in central Gaza Strip, on May 2, 2025.

Neighbors trying to retrieve bodies of Palestinian family members, who were massacred inside their home, which was destroyed by an Israeli genocidal air strike on Al-Buraij refugee camp, on May 2, 2025. Rescue workers trying to retrieve bodies of Palestinian family members, who were massacred inside their homes, which were destroyed by the Israeli genocidal air strikes on Jabalya refugee camp, on May 2, 2025.

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بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

"مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَٰلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَىٰ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنَّهُ مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا" (الْمَائِدَةُ ، 5: 32).

"وَمَنْ يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُّتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَغَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُ عَذَابًا عَظِيمًا" (النِّسَاءُ ، 4: 93).

"إِنْ أَحْسَنتُمْ أَحْسَنتُمْ لِأَنفُسِكُمْ ۖ وَإِنْ أَسَأْتُمْ فَلَهَا ۚ 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).

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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 (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.

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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Israeli warplanes bomb target near Syrian presidential palace in Damascus

Friday 2-May-2025

DAMASCUS, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation apartheid regime army launched on Friday an attack on Syria, targeting the vicinity of the presidential palace in Damascus, in an escalation of its policy of bullying and international terrorism.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the army attacked a target near the presidential palace in the Syrian capital, vowing to continue the aggression under the pretext of “protecting” members of the Druze minority.

This is the second time in two days that Israel has launched an attack on Syria as part of its intervention in Syrian affairs and its efforts to stir up chaos, under the pretext of “defending” the Druze minority.

“Last night, Israel carried out an airstrike near the presidential palace in Damascus,” Netanyahu said in a joint statement with his war minister, Yisrael Katz.

He added, “This is a clear message to the Syrian regime: We will not allow (Syrian) forces to deploy south of Damascus or pose any threat to the Druze.”

Last Wednesday, Israeli aircraft bombed what Israel claimed were three “security targets” inside Ashrafiyat Sa'hnaya, allegedly in “defense” of the Druze, as part of Israel’s attempts to exploit the Druze to consolidate its violations of Syrian sovereignty, at a time when Damascus affirms that all sects in the country have equal rights without any discrimination.

These strikes come amid recent tensions in Jaramana, in the Damascus countryside, which ended with an agreement between the government and the city’s religious leaders allowing the General Security Forces to enter Jaramana.

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Drone strike targets Gaza-bound aid ship in international waters off Malta

MALTA, May 2, 2025 (WAFA) —

A vessel of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an international grassroots movement dedicated to ending the Israeli blockade of Gaza, was attacked by an unmanned drone early Friday while sailing in international waters off Malta.

The targeted ship caught fire and is now nearly submerged. Thirty international activists — from various European countries — remain aboard. They were en route to deliver urgently needed aid to Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Despite repeated distress calls, no nearby nations responded with assistance. The PLO’s Department of Human Rights and Civil Society described the inaction as a serious humanitarian failure and a blatant violation of international law and the duty to protect human life.

The department held the international community, particularly the United Nations and European nations, fully responsible for the safety of the aid workers. It called for the immediate formation of an independent and transparent international investigation committee to uncover the details of what it called a “cowardly attack” and to hold those responsible accountable.

The PLO also demanded urgent international protection for humanitarian convoys bound for Gaza and the enforcement of safe passage for aid missions under international humanitarian law.

It also urged global civil society and human rights advocates to act swiftly to rescue the activists and to break the ongoing silence over what it described as a "new crime against humanity and human dignity."

M.N.

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Israeli aggression targets Freedom Flotilla Ship en route to break Gaza siege

Friday 2-May-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

An Israeli drone struck one of the ships of the Freedom Flotilla on Thursday night near Malta, causing a fire to break out on board.

According to Al Jazeera, the vessel "Al-Dhameer" (Al-Dhamir), which had set sail from Tunisia carrying 30 international human rights activists, was targeted by Israeli drones in international waters off the coast of Malta.

A spokesperson for the Freedom Flotilla explained that while the ship was anchored in international waters, several miles off Malta’s coast, it was attacked by drones, which carried out two strikes, one of which hit the ship’s generator, igniting a fire at the bow and causing structural damage. Fortunately, no activists were physically harmed.

Organizers of the Freedom Flotilla shared a video on social media showing the fire raging on board.

One of the international activists also posted footage confirming the ship had been targeted by two drones and issued an urgent distress call.

CNN reported that, according to the Freedom Flotilla media officer, the Israeli attack had punctured the vessel’s hull, causing it to begin sinking.

The officer added that distress calls were made, but only the authorities in southern Cyprus responded, dispatching a rescue ship to assist.

Activists from Malta were due to join those already aboard the ship, which was intended to carry tons of humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip.

Last year, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition had also planned to send aid ships to Gaza from countries including Turkey and Libya.

It is worth noting that Israel has repeatedly threatened to use force to intercept any vessels attempting to reach Gaza and previously attacked the Mavi Marmara — part of the Freedom Flotilla — off the Palestinian coast in 2010, killing ten Turkish nationals and detaining the remaining activists onboard.

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Louis Theroux’s The Settlers: A truth the world ignores

By Siraj Ghassani

Al-Mayadeen English, 2 May 2025

Louis Theroux’s documentary, The Settlers, exposes the violent truth behind "Israel’s" settler movement, land theft, armed ideology, and silenced Palestinian voices.

Louis Theroux: The Settlers is a powerful exposé that forces viewers to confront the harsh reality of the Israeli settler movement. More than a travelogue or a neutral survey, this 61‑minute film shines a spotlight on an extremist, hardline ideology that grabs land, pushes out Palestinians, and rejects the thought of peace.

Illegal Israeli Settler Violence

Theroux opens the documentary in Al-Khaleel (Hebron), one of the oldest cities in the world, but also a center point of occupation. Armed settlers move freely through Palestinian neighborhoods while residents live in fear of violence, subjected to arbitrary curfews. Concrete barriers and barbed wires cut through streets once shared by families of different faiths. By showing these barriers up close and watching settlers patrol with rifles, Theroux makes it clear that these outposts are built by force, not by any rightful claim.

The film then travels north to an Israeli settlement known for its hard‑line activists. Here, we meet young men who celebrate violence as a way to protect what they claim is their homeland. These interviews are chilling: settlers speak freely about expanding settlements into the West Bank and even Gaza, believing that their interpretation of divine law outweighs all human rights. Theroux doesn’t conceal his disgust, calling out extreme comments as he hears them, demanding that these settlers explain how they can justify taking other people’s land.

The miracle of the illegal Israeli settler mindset

Theroux’s interviews also shed a bright light at the contradictions, on one hand interviewed settlers claim that they are armed to protect themselves from Arabs who lust for blood, but minutes later we discover that it’s the other way around; these very same people express their intent to take over land and kick out all the Palestinians just because they are “Arabs”.

Similarly, the British-American journalist made a point of asking each settler he met where he was originally from; the answers varied, but none said they were “from here”. This is a technique often used by the 54-year-old filmmaker, as he would ask subtle questions that seem very casual, often letting his interviewees speak for themselves, revealing their true nature without any pressure.

This ingenious trademark was used multiple times in previous Theroux documentaries. Notably, it worked very well when he went to South Africa and interviewed the Boer leader in the country back in 2008.

Perhaps one of the most chilling ‘characters’ in this documentary is Daniella Weiss, one of the founding mothers of the Israeli settler movement in Occupied Palestine. Watching her interviews was like watching a Disney villain, the evil laughs, the exclusionist mentality, and the unapologetic monstrosity; Theroux managed to get away with calling her a sociopath with just a little violent push, but an extremely telling one.

The Palestinian Voice

At the same time, Theroux gives Palestinians the space to share their stories. We hear from 'Eisa 'Amro, an activist in al-Khalil, who describes his day-to-day life among the IOF and Israeli settlers. These personal accounts bring home the daily humiliation and danger Palestinians face under occupation. Water and electricity are cut without warning; olive groves are ripped up; people of all ages risk being shot just for being Palestinian. By listening to Issa and others, Theroux paints a picture of what it is like to live under a brutal occupation that disregards you as a human being.

Still, one hour can only scratch the surface of an occupation rooted in a century of history and politics. The documentary touches on the 1967 war, but does not fully explain how international law regards these settlements as illegal; viewers who want deeper context on the 1948 Nakba, or United Nations resolutions, will need to look elsewhere. Additionally, due to the Israeli never-ending need for blood, the documentary was shot before the Israeli aggression on the West Bank began this year. Since January 21, 2025, daily incursions, killings, and arrests have taken place in the West Bank as laws get enacted and approved by the Israeli cabinet to further steal land from Palestinians.

Who will finally listen?

While the documentary offers amazing insight into the reality of the occupation of the West Bank and the expansionist settler movement, does it say anything new?

As Theroux’s camera rolls and the settlers excitedly articulate their expansionist vision, there lingers the tragic cry of Palestinians who have been calling out these very injustices for more than 75 years, with little to no response from the outside world. Since the Nakba in 1948, when more than 700,000 Palestinians were uprooted from their homes, survivors and their descendants have carried first-hand testimonies of loss and displacement into international forums, newspapers, classrooms, and courtrooms. UN resolutions, human rights reports, and documentary films have detailed mass expulsions, land seizures, and genocides unfolding, only for mandates to be ignored or suppressed by political vetoes and strategic alliances. The result is a deafening silence in which the Palestinian narrative becomes just “background noise”.

Activists like 'Eisa 'Amro remind us that these ongoing sufferings are not relics of a distant past but living realities: families still separated by checkpoints and children coming of age knowing nothing beyond the walls they’re confined in. Yet every call for intervention winds its way through the maze of geopolitics, where oil, arms deals, and allegiances continue to outweigh basic human rights.

Voices raised in Palestinian towns and refugee camps have, over and over, fallen on deaf ears in world capitals; petitions to the International Criminal Court stall in a bureaucratic void, while high-profile media coverage too often focuses on episodic violence rather than decades-old systematic dehumanization.

What Louis Theroux achieves in The Settlers is a momentary reminder of the Palestinian cause, by showing Palestinian testimony alongside unvarnished settler rhetoric, he forces viewers to reckon not only with what is being done, but with how long these actions have gone unchallenged.

Yet even these powerful testaments can’t alone break through the stagnation that’s allowed the settler project to endure, and the genocide in Gaza to continue. Unless international law is enforced, unless media coverage shifts from “clashes” to the raw realities on the ground, and unless audiences actively seek out the voices that have for so long been marginalized, Theroux’s film risks becoming another testimony archived, and then forgotten, like so many that preceded it. In that sense, The Settlers both illuminates injustice and echoes a long-asked melancholic question Palestinians have been asking since 1948: Who will finally listen?

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

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Israeli genocidal air strikes kill at least 42 Palestinians in Gaza

The New Indian, AFP, May 2, 2025

GAZA STRIP:

Gaza's civil defense agency said the Israeli genocidal air strikes killed at least 42 people Friday, in the Palestinian territory, devastated by war and under a total Israeli aid blockade for two months.

Israel resumed its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip on March 18 after the collapse of a ceasefire that had largely halted the fighting.

Nine people were killed when an Israeli air strike hit a home in Al-Buraij refugee camp in central Gaza, civil defense official Mu'hammed Al-Mughayyir told AFP.

AFP footage in the aftermath of a strike on Al-Buraij refugee camp showed Palestinians searching for casualties in the rubble of a flattened building.

"They gave us no warning, no phone call -— we woke up at midnight to smoke, rubble, stones, and shrapnel raining down on us", said Mohammed al-Sheikh, standing amongst collapsed concrete slabs.

"We pulled out martyrs -- bodies and limbs from under the rubble."

Another six people were killed in a strike targeting Al-Masri family home in the northern city of Bait Lahya, civil defense official Al-Mughayyir added.

In Gaza City, a strike on a community kitchen claimed the lives of six more, the civil defense agency reported.

Across the Gaza Strip, at least 21 other deaths were reported in similar attacks, the agency said.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Thursday that at least 2,326 people have been killed since Israel resumed its campaign in Gaza, bringing the overall death toll since the war broke out to 52,418.

Israel halted aid deliveries to Gaza on March 2, 2025, days before the collapse of the ceasefire which had come into effect on January 19, 2025.

The United Nations has repeatedly warned of the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe on the ground, with famine again looming.

On Friday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said the humanitarian response in Gaza was on the "verge of total collapse".

"This situation must not -- and cannot -- be allowed to escalate further," its deputy director of operations, Pascal Hundt, said in a statement.

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On day 574: Key updates on the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza

Friday 2-May-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation forces continued their genocidal war against the Gaza Strip, having resumed full-scale aggression 46 days ago, and 574 days since the onset of the assault, following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s violation of the ceasefire agreement.

This escalation has been fueled by unwavering political and military support from the United States, amidst unprecedented international silence and abandonment.

The PIC reported that Israeli forces have carried out dozens of airstrikes. At the same time, the ongoing blockade on essential food supplies since early March has painted an increasingly dire picture of famine for Gaza’s besieged population.

Latest developments

Since the early hours of Friday, at least 17 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes across various parts of Gaza.

This morning, brothers A'hmed and 'Ali Musli'h Al-Najjar were killed in an Israeli strike near the College of Science and Technology in Qizan Al-Najjar, south of Khan Younus.

Also this morning, a drone strike killed the child Rasheed Mu'hammed Rasheed Al-Najjar in the same area.

Our correspondent reported that Israeli aircraft launched several strikes on residential homes in the Al-Manara neighborhood of Khan Younus.

Five-year-old Murad 'Alaa Abu Mughaiseeb succumbed to his wounds after being injured in an Israeli strike on a displacement tent in Dair El-Bala'h yesterday.

Mu'hammed A'hmed Abu Ghali from Rafa'h also died of injuries sustained in a previous Israeli attack on Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younus.

This morning, Mu'hammed Sulayman Mustafa Al-Najjar died from wounds sustained days earlier when Israeli strikes targeted his family’s home in Qizan Al-Najjar, joining his mother, Khuloud, and his brother, 'Aasif, who were also killed.

Israeli forces also demolished residential buildings in Rafa'h this morning.

Israeli artillery bombarded the northern outskirts of Al-Nusayrat refugee camp in central Gaza.

Airstrikes targeted the town of 'Abasan Al-Kabeera east of Khan Younus and Qizan Abu Rashwan south of the city.

Nine Palestinians, including two women, were killed in a pre-dawn Israeli airstrike on the Abu Zaina family home in the Al-Buraij refugee camp, central Gaza.

An Israeli airstrike also hit farmland west of Bait Lahya in the north.

Israeli warplanes re-bombed the Madhi family home in Qizan Al-Najjar, south of Khan Younus.

Three civilians (a man, a woman, and an infant) were wounded when an Israeli helicopter struck an apartment in the Sheikh Nasser neighborhood, eastern Khan Younus.

Israeli jets carried out two additional strikes in Rafa'h at dawn.

Two members of the 'Hammouda family were killed following a strike on their home in Al-Shaikh Radhwan neighborhood of Gaza City.

The grim toll

According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, the death toll from the Israeli genocide since 7 October 2023 has risen to 52,418 martyrs while 118,091 others were wounded as of 1 May 2025.

Since Israel resumed its genocidal campaign on 18 March 2025, 2,326 Palestinians have been killed and 6,050 wounded, bringing the total number of victims over the past 18 months to 170,509 dead and injured.

Many victims remain trapped beneath the rubble of destroyed buildings and on the streets, inaccessible to rescue and civil defense teams.

In early March, the first phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel, mediated by Egypt and Qatar with US support, had concluded. Despite Hamas’s full compliance with the agreement, Israel reneged on the ceasefire on 18 March and resumed its genocidal war on Gaza.

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Nine Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes on two homes in central and northern Gaza

GAZA, May 2, 2025 (WAFA) —

At least nine Palestinians, including women and children, were killed and several others injured in the early hours of Friday as Israeli warplanes bombed residential homes in central and northern Gaza, according to local sources and medical reports.

Two civilians were confirmed killed and others wounded when an Israeli airstrike targeted a home in Al-Shaikh Radhwan neighborhood, northwest of Gaza City. Simultaneously, Israeli warplanes struck an agricultural land west of Bait Lahya, while surveillance drones, including quadcopters, hit multiple areas in the Al-Zaytoun and Turkman neighborhoods in Gaza City.

One of the deadliest attacks occurred in the central Gaza Strip, where an Israeli airstrike leveled the home of Khaleel Abu Zaina in Al-Buraij refugee camp. The strike claimed the lives of seven people: Khaleel Abu Zaina, his wife Ni’ma, A'hmed Abu Zaina, Islam Dahbash, elderly woman Huda Fayid, and two others whose identities remain unknown.

Israeli artillery also shelled areas east of Al-Buraij and northern parts of Al-Nusayrat refugee camp.

In Khan Younus, an Israeli helicopter strike targeted an apartment in the Sheikh Nasser neighborhood, injuring three civilians, including a woman and an infant. Another woman and two children were injured in a separate airstrike on a house in the nearby town of 'Abasan Al-Kabeera. Meanwhile, another home was bombed on the outskirts of Al-Manara neighborhood in Khan Younus.

In Rafah, Israeli forces demolished several residential blocks in the Musabbi'h neighborhood, in a systematic effort to destroy infrastructure and displace civilians.

Earlier last night, multiple civilians were killed and others wounded after Israeli warplanes bombed the Abu Daqqa family home in northern 'Abasan Al-Kabeera, east of Khan Younus.

According to medical sources, the total death toll in Gaza over the past 24 hours has risen to 38, including the nine killed since dawn today.

The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 2023 has so far resulted in at least 52,418 documented Palestinian fatalities, with over 118,091 others injured.

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

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

M.N.

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Israeli strikes kill three more Palestinians, including a child, in southern Gaza

GAZA, May 2, 2025 (WAFA) —

Three Palestinians were killed this morning, including a child, in separate Israeli attacks targeting multiple areas in Rafa'h and Khan Younus in the southern Gaza Strip, according to local sources.

The sources reported that one civilian was killed in an Israeli strike on a group of people in Al-Tina Street, southeast of Khan Younus. In a separate incident, an Israeli drone targeted the Qizan Al-Najjar area, also southeast of Khan Younus, resulting in the killing of 10-year-old Rashid Mohammad Rashid al-Najjar.

Meanwhile, a Palestinian youth identified as Mohammad Suleiman al-Najjar succumbed to injuries he sustained days earlier in an Israeli airstrike that hit his family's home in the same area. His mother and brother were also killed in that earlier attack.

In Rafa'h, medical sources confirmed that a Palestinian, identified as Mohammad Ahmad Abu Ghali, died from wounds he had sustained during a previous Israeli bombing in Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younus.

The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 2023 has so far resulted in at least 52,418 documented Palestinian fatalities, with over 118,091 others injured.

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

M.N.

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Seven Palestinians killed in Israeli drone strike on mourning tent in Beit Lahiya; child dies from earlier attack

GAZA, May 2, 2025 (WAFA) —

At least seven Palestinians were killed and several others wounded on Friday when an Israeli drone targeted a mourning tent in the town of Bait Lahya, in the northern Gaza Strip.

Local sources reported that the drone strike hit near Al-Nadi area in Bait Lahya, where people had gathered in a mourning tent, resulting in the killing of seven civilians.

Meanwhile, five-year-old Murad Alaa Abu Mughaiseeb died today from wounds he sustained during an Israeli airstrike on the Al-Baraka area in Dair El-Bala'h the previous day.

The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 2023 has so far resulted in at least 52,418 documented Palestinian fatalities, with over 118,091 others injured.

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

M.N.

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Nine killed in Israeli strikes on displacement camp and charity kitchen in Gaza

GAZA, May 2, 2025 (WAFA) —

At least nine Palestinians were killed and others wounded on Friday in two Israeli drone strikes targeting a displacement camp in southern Gaza and a food kitchen in the north, according to local sources.

The sources reported that the first strike hit an encampment of tents sheltering displaced families near Asdaa City, in the northern area of Al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younus. Three civilians were killed and several others injured in the attack.

In a separate incident, an Israeli drone bombed a charity kitchen near the Abdul 'Aal intersection on Al-Jalaa Street in northern Gaza City. The strike killed six people and injured others who had gathered to receive food assistance.

Medical sources confirmed that a total of 30 Palestinians have been killed since dawn in various Israeli airstrikes across Gaza, as the humanitarian crisis deepens and safe zones continue to be targeted.

The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 2023 has so far resulted in at least 52,418 documented Palestinian fatalities, with over 118,091 others injured.

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

M.N.

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Israeli airstrikes kill 9, including children and siblings, in Gaza

GAZA, May 2, 2025 (WAFA) — N

Nine Palestinians, including two children and two siblings, were killed and dozens injured — most critically — in two separate Israeli airstrikes targeting a home and a community center in the Gaza Strip on Friday.

According to WAFA correspondent, six civilians were killed and dozens more injured, including women and children, after Israeli warplanes bombed a residential home in Jabalya Al-Balad in northern Gaza. The home was reportedly fully occupied at the time of the strike.

In a separate attack, three children, including two siblings, were killed when an Israeli drone targeted a group of civilians gathered inside a tent at Al-Buraij Services Club in the central Gaza Strip. Several others were wounded in the strike.

The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 2023 has so far resulted in at least 52,418 documented Palestinian fatalities, with over 118,091 others injured.

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

M.N.

***

Two, including child, killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City

GAZA, May 2, 2025 (WAFA) –

A child and a young man were killed on Friday evening in Israeli airstrikes on Al-Zaytoun and Al-Shuja'iyya neighborhoods in Gaza City.

WAFA correspondent reported that a child was killed and his grandfather was injured in an Israeli airstrike on Al-Sikka Street in Al-Shuja'iyya neighborhood east of Gaza.

Another citizen was killed and several others were wounded after Israeli warplanes targeted a barracks in Al-Zaytoun neighborhood south of Gaza City.

T.R.

***

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

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Palestinian citizen killed by the Israeli occupation forces during raid east of Nablus

NABLUS, May 2, 2025 (WAFA) —

A 39-year-old Palestinian man, 'Omar Mustafa Abul Lail, was shot and killed by Israeli occupation forces on Friday morning following a raid and siege on his home at the entrance of Balata refugee camp, located east of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian General Authority for Civil Affairs informed the Ministry of Health of Abul Lail's killing, confirming he was fatally shot and that Israeli occupation forces took away his body following the deadly incident.

According to local sources, Israeli special forces stormed the vicinity of the camp early in the morning and surrounded a house, before they were later reinforced by a convoy of military vehicles. The assault involved heavy gunfire and loud explosions.

Israeli troops prevented ambulance crews from reaching the home where Abu Leil was located and sealed off all entrances to the camp, restricting movement in and out.

Since Abul Lail's body was withheld and taken away by the Israeli occupation army, his family will not be able to bid him a final farewell look and give him a proper burial.

M.N.

***

Israeli forces open fire on residents attempting to retrieve belongings from demolition-threatened homes in Toulkarm

Toulkarm, May 2, 2025 (WAFA) —

Israeli occupation forces opened fire Friday morning on displaced Palestinian residents as they attempted to enter Toulkarm and Nour Shams refugee camps to retrieve belongings from their homes, which are under imminent threat of demolition.

According to local sources, the residents had been previously granted permission by the Israeli military to access the camps. However, upon arrival, they were met with live gunfire, forcing many to retreat in fear for their lives. No injuries were reported.

The incident follows demolition orders issued by the Israeli military on Thursday night, giving residents just 24 hours to retrieve their belongings before the destruction of a total of 106 structures — including 58 buildings in Toulkarm refugee Camp and 48 homes in Nour Shams Camp.

Since January 2025, the Israeli occupation military has intensified its assaults in the northern West Bank, particularly targeting the Toulkarm, Nour Shams, and Jenin refugee camps. The offensive, initiated on January 21, began with the siege of Jenin and rapidly expanded to encompass Toulkarm and Nour Shams.

By mid-February, over 90% of the residents in these camps had been displaced, with more than 20,000 people fleeing their homes. During the ongoing offensive, Israeli forces have demolished hundreds of homes, destroyed essential infrastructure, and imposed sieges that hinder access to basic services.

M.N

***

Israeli forces besiege home in Balata refugee camp, block access to medics

NABLUS, May 2, 2025 (WAFA) —

Israeli occupation forces besieged a home at the entrance of Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus, early Friday morning, amid a heavy military presence and restrictions on movement in and out of the area.

According to local sources, an undercover Israeli military unit infiltrated the vicinity of the camp and surrounded a house, and was later reinforced by military vehicles and troops. All entrances and exits of the camp were subsequently sealed off by the Israeli military, effectively placing the area under lockdown.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported receiving information that a young woman inside the besieged home had been injured. However, Israeli forces were preventing medical teams from reaching the scene to provide aid.

M.N.

***

Israeli occupation forces detain hundreds trying to retrieve belongings in northern WB camps

Toulkarm, May 2, 2025 (WAFA) –

Israeli occupation forces on Friday detained hundreds of Palestinians trying to retrieve their belongings from their houses in the Toulkarm and Nour Shams refugee camps ahead of expected large-scale demolitions, according to WAFA correspondent.

She said that the occupation forces pursued hundreds of Palestinians whilst they were rushing to their houses to save their belongings in both refugee camps, opening intense gunfire at them and injuring a journalist by shrapnel in the foot.

The journalist, identified as Row’a Duraydi, was rushed to a hospital in light condition.

The gun-toting soldiers escorted dozens of youths to interrogation centers in the refugee camps. They rounded up photojournalist Fadi Yaseen from the vicinity of Bilal Mosque on the outskirts of the Toulkarm refugee camp.

Meanwhile, the occupation forces put up signs reading “No entry! – A closed military zone” at the entrances of the Toulkarm refugee camp.

This came as a large crowd gathered at the Jamal Abdul Nasir Square in Toulkarm in protest of the systematic Israeli policy of the demolition, torching, and blowing up of hundreds of apartments in both of the refugee camps.

Protestors affirmed their categorical rejection of Israeli plans to displace the inhabitants of the refugee camps and their commitment to their right to return given the fact that they and their fathers were originally driven out of their homes by the establishment of Israel in 1948.

On Thursday evening, the occupation forces issued demolition orders for 106 houses and buildings in the Nour Shams and Toulkarm refugee camps.

'Abdullah Kameel, governor of Toulkarm, confirmed the orders target 58 buildings in Toulkarm refugee camp and 48 houses in Nur Shams camp. Kmeil described the intended demolitions as a crime against humanity and asked the international community and human rights organizations to intervene immediately.

The occupying forces have given residents a 24-hour deadline to evacuate their properties in the Toulkarm and Nour Shams refugee camps via notices given to the Palestinian Coordination and Liaison Office. Targeted houses have been outlined in red maps that were given along with the notices. The demolitions are being carried out for “military purposes.”

The occupation forces have been waging an offensive on both camps for 96 consecutive days, forcibly displacing more than 4,200 families, comprising over 25,000 people, completely demolishing 396 houses, destroying 2,753 others and imposing a suffocating siege on them.

K.F.

***

Aggression and Attacks by Illegal Israeli Settlers and Soldiers

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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.

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Israeli forces assault worshippers during raid on Bait Fajjar, south of Bait La'hm (Bethlehem)

Bait La'hm (Bethlehem), May 2, 2025 (WAFA) —

Israeli occupation forces stormed the town of Bait Fajjar, south of Bait La'hm (Bethlehem), on Friday and assaulted worshippers near the town’s main mosque.

Local sources reported that Israeli troops stormed the town and deployed in the vicinity of the Grand Mosque. During the incursion, soldiers fired stun grenades and tear gas canisters toward worshippers, causing panic among the worshipers and local residents.

M.N.

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Illegal Israeli settlers attack Palestinian vehicles south of Nablus

NABLUS, May 2, 2025 (WAFA) —

Israeli colonists attacked Palestinian vehicles on Friday, throwing stones at them along Road 60 near the illegal Israeli settlement of Yitzhar, located on Palestinian land south of Nablus.

Local sources reported that the colonists targeted passing vehicles. The incident occurred near the settlement, which has been a hotspot for frequent violence and provocations against Palestinians in the area.

While no injuries have been reported immediately, such attacks are part of a larger pattern of violence by Israeli colonists against Palestinian civilians, contributing to insecurity for those living near illegal settlements and for commuters in the occupied West Bank.

M.N.

***

News Related to the Israeli Genocidal War on the Palestinian People

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ICRC: Humanitarian response in Gaza on the brink of total collapse

Friday 2-May-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned that the humanitarian response in Gaza is on the brink of total collapse as a result of the ongoing Israeli war of genocide.

“Six weeks of intense hostilities, coupled with a complete ban on the entry of aid for two months, have deprived civilians of the basic necessities they need to survive,” the committee said in a statement on Friday.

It warned that if aid delivery is not resumed immediately, the ICRC will not be able to procure food, medicine and life-saving supplies needed to ensure the continuity of many of its programs in Gaza.

“Every day, civilians in Gaza endure tremendous suffering to survive the dangers of hostilities, cope with relentless displacement and bear the consequences of being denied urgent humanitarian assistance. No further escalation of this situation should be allowed, nor can it be allowed,” Pascal Hunte, Deputy Director of Operations for the ICRC, said.

If the blockade continues, the ICRC will not be able to continue programs such as supporting community kitchens, which often provide the only meal people receive each day.

According to the statement, food and medical supplies at the Red Cross field hospital in Gaza are running out to a critical level, with some essential medicines and consumables already exhausted. Hospitals and other medical facilities are reorganizing stocks and using supplies on a priority basis to be able to continue life-saving activities.

The committee stressed that if these facilities are unable to replenish their stocks, they will face great difficulty in continuing to provide medical care to patients in need.

It noted that the water, sanitation and hygiene situation is deteriorating sharply. Disruption of water systems – including the closure of water pipelines and the destruction of essential sanitation trucks – has raised the risk of waterborne disease outbreaks to unacceptable levels.

The situation is exacerbated by repeated attacks affecting the functioning of health care facilities and medical personnel, it added, noting that last month saw the killing of 15 medical, civil defense and humanitarian personnel, including eight paramedics from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, in a particularly horrific manner.

Damage to health facilities such as the Kuwait Field Hospital and the Al-Ahli Hospital in recent weeks has further crippled the health system in Gaza, which is on the verge of collapse, according to the statement.

The ICRC reaffirmed its commitment to serving civilians in Gaza, but said the deteriorating security situation severely limits the work and movement of its staff and partners.

It stressed that international humanitarian law is clear: medical personnel and medical facilities must be respected and protected in all circumstances, calling for hospitals and medical facilities to remain safe havens where people’s lives can be preserved.

The ICRC warned that if immediate action is not taken, Gaza will slide into further chaos and humanitarian efforts will be unable to mitigate the consequences.

***

Day five of ICJ hearings in The Hague on Israel’s obligations in occupied Palestinian territories

THE HAGUE, May 2, 2025 (WAFA) —

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague continues its public hearings for the fifth day in a row on Friday, as part of a week-long session examining Israel's legal obligations toward the United Nations and its agencies operating in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The hearings, which began Monday, focus on Israel’s humanitarian responsibilities toward Palestinians, particularly in the Gaza Strip, where over 50 days of a complete blockade have severely restricted the entry of humanitarian aid amid the ongoing Israeli genocidal war.

A total of 44 countries and four international organizations have expressed their intent to participate in the proceedings. This week alone, 38 nations — including the United States, China, France, Russia, Saudi Arabia — as well as the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the African Union, are delivering oral arguments.

The ICJ hearings follow a December 2024 resolution passed by the UN General Assembly, initiated by Norway, requesting an advisory opinion on Israel's obligations to facilitate the delivery of urgent humanitarian supplies to Palestinians and to avoid obstructing such efforts.

M.N.

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UNRWA: Israeli siege on Gaza silently killing more children and women daily

NEW YORK, May 2, 2025 (WAFA) —

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) warned on Friday that the ongoing Israeli blockade of Gaza is silently killing increasing numbers of children, women, and the elderly each day, beyond those already dying from airstrikes.

In a post on X, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini condemned the situation, stating, “Today marks two months of siege on the people of Gaza. It is a siege on children, women, older people and ordinary men. They are collectively punished for being born & living in Gaza, something not of their making.”

“With every additional day, the siege will silently kill more children and women in addition to those killed by bombardments,” Lazzarini wrote. “The State of Israel must lift the siege + allow a flow of basic supplies.”

Since March 2, Israeli occupation authorities have completely closed all border crossings into Gaza, blocking humanitarian aid and fuel deliveries. The World Bank has described the population as having been “plunged into poverty” by over 19 months of relentless war.

The humanitarian crisis is further exacerbated by mass displacement. More than 90% of Gaza’s population has been forced from their homes — many repeatedly — and now live in overcrowded shelters or in the open without adequate shelter, leading to the rapid spread of disease and worsening public health conditions.

M.N.

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EU calls on Israel to lift Gaza blockade immediately, allow humanitarian aid access

BRUSSELS, May 2, 2025 (WAFA) -

The EU Spokesman for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Anwar (Anouar) El-'Anouni, urged Israel, the occupying power, to immediately lift its blockade on the Gaza Strip and allow the entry of humanitarian aid.

“We do repeat our call on Israel to lift the blockade on Gaza to allow these humanitarian aid to start flowing at scale into, and throughout the Gaza Strip,” Anouar El-'Anouni said, speaking at the EU Commission’s daily press briefing in Brussels.

El Anouni voiced deep concern about the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza, stating: “We are extremely concerned by the reports of the humanitarian situation, which suggests that food supplies brought in during the ceasefire are running out.”

He recalled the European Union's position that the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in need must be carried out in accordance with international humanitarian law.

Since March 2, Israel has blocked the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, despite the fact that the vast majority of Gaza’s population now relies almost entirely on such aid. According to data from the World Bank, ongoing genocide over the past 19 months has plunged most residents into poverty.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a relentless aggression on the Gaza Strip, resulting in more than 170,000 Palestinians killed or wounded, the majority of whom are children and women. Over 11,000 are reported missing. The sustained bombardment has also caused massive destruction across the Strip.

T.R.

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UNICEF warns Gaza children face the growing risk of starvation, illness and death

NEW YORK, May 2, 2025 (WAFA) –

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned on Friday that Gaza children face the growing risk of starvation, illness and death.

“For two months, children in the Gaza Strip have faced relentless bombardments while being deprived of essential goods, services and lifesaving care. With each passing day of the aid blockade, they face the growing risk of starvation, illness and death – nothing can justify this,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a press statement.

“Families are struggling to survive. They are trapped, unable to flee in search of safety. The land they used to farm has been destroyed. The sea they used for fishing has been restricted. Bakeries are closing, water production is declining, and market shelves are almost bare. Humanitarian aid has provided the only lifeline for children, and now it is close to running out,” she added.

“In the past month, over 75 per cent of households have reported deteriorating access to water – they don’t have enough water to drink, are unable to wash their hands when needed, and often forced to choose between showering, cleaning, and cooking,” she elaborated.

“Vaccines are quickly running out and diseases are spreading – especially acute watery diarrhea, which now accounts for 1 in every 4 cases of disease recorded in Gaza. Most of these cases are among children under five, for whom it is life-threatening.”

“Malnutrition is also on the rise. More than 9,000 children have been admitted for treatment of acute malnutrition since the beginning of the year. Hundreds more children in desperate need of treatment are not able to access it due to the insecurity and displacement.”

She stressed that Israel, the occupying power, is required by international humanitarian law to “ensure that the population under their control is treated humanely. This not only includes ensuring that civilians have the food, medicine, and essential supplies they need, but also ensuring sufficient hygiene and public health standards.”

She urged all parties to the conflict to “allow and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance” as well as “allow and facilitate all relevant UN entities to carry out those activities for the benefit of the local population.”

She reiterated UNICEF’s call “for the aid blockade to be lifted, for the entry of commercial goods into Gaza, for the release of the hostages, and for the protection of all children.”

K.F.

***

UNICEF warns Gaza children face the growing risk of starvation, illness and death

NEW YORK, May 2, 2025 (WAFA) –

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned on Friday that Gaza children face the growing risk of starvation, illness and death.

“Vaccines are quickly running out and diseases are spreading – especially acute watery diarrhoea, which now accounts for 1 in every 4 cases of disease recorded in Gaza. Most of these cases are among children under five, for whom it is life-threatening.”

She reiterated UNICEF’s call “for the aid blockade to be lifted, for the entry of commercial goods into Gaza, for the release of the hostages, and for the protection of all children.”

K.F.

***

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Editorial Notes about terms & names of people and places:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Al-Khaleel (Hebron)

Al-Nusayrat

Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem)

Aree'ha (Jericho)

Al-Zaytoun (al-Zeitoun)

Bait (Beit)

Bait La'hm (Bethlehem)

Dair El-Bala'h

Jineen (Jenin)

Khan Younus (Khan Younis)

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Person's names as pronounced in standard Arabic:

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

'Hasan Mulai'hat,

***

Conflict terminology

The Israeli occupation apartheid regime (the Israeli government)

Illegal Israeli settlers (instead of settlers, colonists)

A group of the illegal Israeli settlers

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