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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On Day 457 of US-Backed Israeli Genocidal War on Gaza Strip, 5 Massacres, 88 Palestinians Killed, 208 Injured, in the Past 24 Hours, with a Death Toll of  45,805 and 109,064 Injuries

by January 5, 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 Gaza Strip, based on the reliable data reported by the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza:

By January 5, 2025, the initial death toll of Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip is 55,805+.   

This includes the accounted for deaths (45,805), those who are still missing under the rubble (an estimate of at least 10,000+). 

By January 5, 2025, the documented injuries exceeded 109,064.

By January 5, 2025, 842 Palestinians who were killed, 6,634 who were injured, and 10,746*, who were abducted by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank, since October 7, 2023, including 310 women and 640 children (Some of the detainees have been released).

* The number of the Palestinians detainees who remain in the Israeli occupation prisons has been updated today (December 5, 2024), by Wafa, to be 10,300.

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The Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip entered Day 457, on which the death toll rose to 45,805 and the injuries to 109,064, by January 5, 2025.	88 Palestinians were killed, 208 were injured by the Israeli genocidal air strikes on the Gaza Strip, in the past 24 hours, January 5, 2025.
40-year-old 'Hasan Rabayi'a was critically injured before he died of his injuries later by the Israeli occupation sources, during the raid on his house, in Maythaloan, south of Jineen, on January 5, 2025.	184 Palestinians were martyred, in 94 Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip, over the past 72 hours, January 5, 2025.
Israeli occupation soldiers kidnapping a Palestinian young man in the West Bank, in violation of the international law, as they have no jurisdiction on the Palestinian territories, January 5, 2025.	A group of the armed illegal Israeli settlers, who are protected by the Israeli occupation forces, attacking Palestinian villagers in the West Bank, in violation of the international law, file, January 5, 2025.
Grieving, at Shuhada Al-Aqsa hospital in Dair El-Bala'h, the death of family members who were killed by the Israeli genocidal air strikes on central Gaza Strip, January 5, 2025.	Grieving, at Shuhada Al-Aqsa hospital in Dair El-Bala'h, the death of a family member who was killed by an Israeli genocidal air strike on a vehicle in central Gaza Strip, January 5, 2025.
Four Palestinians were martyred by an Israeli genocidal air strike on their vehicle, in Dair El-Bala'h, in central Gaza Strip, January 5, 2025.	Carrying, to Shuhada Al-Aqsa hospital in Dair El-Bala'h, some of the injured and martyred Palestinians, who were killed by the Israeli genocidal air strikes on central Gaza Strip, January 5, 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 ۚ " (الإسْرَاءُ ، 17: 7). 

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

"Because of that, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul, unless for a soul, or for corruption in the land, it is as if he had killed humankind entirely" (The Holy Quran, Al-Ma-ida, 5: 32).

"And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally, and Allah has become angry with him, and has cursed him, and has prepared for him a great torment" (Al-Nisa, 4: 93).

"If you do good, you do good for yourselves; and if you do evil, (you do it) to yourselves" (Al-Isra, 17: 7). 

***

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

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Note: These figures only include the dead and injured Palestinians who have  been accounted for by the Palestinian hospitals. The victims who are not carried to the hospitals are not accounted for.

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88 Palestinian martyrs in 5 Israeli massacres in Gaza in the past 24 hours

Sunday 5-January-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Sunday that the Israeli occupation army committed 5 massacres in different areas in the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours, noting that at least 88 martyrs and 208 wounded were transferred to hospitals.

The ministry confirmed in a statement that the death toll from the ongoing Israeli aggression has risen to 45,805 martyrs and the number of the wounded has surged to 109,064 since October 7, 2023.

“A number of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads, as ambulance and civil defense crews have been prevented by the Israeli occupation forces from reaching them,” the statement added.

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Israeli genocidal war on Gaza enters Day 457

Sunday 5-January-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

In the midst of catastrophic humanitarian suffering for more than two million Palestinians — half of them children, the Israeli occupation army continued, for the 457th consecutive day, to pound and target different areas and massacre more civilians in the Gaza Strip, especially in the northern areas.

Reporters for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said on Sunday that the Israeli occupation army carried out attacks on several homes, civilian targets and shelter centers in different areas of Gaza during the past 24 hours, killing and injuring dozens of citizens.

The Israeli army’s large-scale genocidal campaign in northern Gaza, especially in Jabalya and Bait Lahya, has entered day 93, where its forces continue to intensively bomb homes and shelters and attack civilians while imposing a tight siege on the entire area.

Deliberate Israeli attacks on ambulance and civil defense workers already deprived northern Gaza of any rescue services.

Local sources said that a number of civilians suffered injuries when an Israeli quadcopters attacked them with live ammunition and bombs in Al-Saftawi area and Al-Saroukh junction in the west of Gaza City.

A citizen was martyred following an Israeli genocidal attack on Al-Musbbi'h area in Rafa'h, south of Gaza.

Palestinian writer and journalist Mu'hammed 'Hijazi was also martyred in an Israeli strike in Bait Lahya, north of Gaza.

Two other people were injured in an Israeli airstrike on a house near the Sultan Mosque in Al-Shawwa plaza in Gaza City.

More casualties were reported in other areas of Gaza following Israeli aerial, artillery and shooting attacks last night and today.

In a related context, the health ministry said on Sunday that the Israeli army committed five massacres in different areas of the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours, and killed and injured at least 296 civilians, while a large number of victims are still under the rubble of bombed buildings or lying on roads. 

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184 Palestinian martyrs in Gaza over 72 hours

Sunday 5-January-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

The Palestinian Government Media Office (PGMO) announced in a statement on Saturday night that 184 Palestinians were martyred in 94 Israeli raids on Gaza Strip over the past 72 hours.

It added that dozens were wounded in the Israeli violent raids that targeted unarmed civilians and shelters in the beleaguered enclave but could not be evacuated.

The PGMO said that the bodies of dozens of martyrs could not be retrieved in various areas of the Strip due to the devastated infrastructure and the difficulty in reaching them under the rubble of destroyed houses in addition to the Israeli army’s prevention of rescue teams from moving freely in the Strip.

Such Israeli crimes represent a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms and constitutes a clear war crimes and crimes against humanity, the Office underlined.

The PGMO called on the United Nations to dispatch independent investigative teams to document those brutal crimes and bring their perpetrators to account.

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Five Palestinians killed after Israeli drone bombed site northwest of Gaza's Khan Younis

Gaza, January 5, 2025 (WAFA) –

Five Palestinians were killed and others were injured on Sunday evening after the occupation forces bombed Asdaa Entertainment City Police Station, northwest of Khan Younus, south of the Gaza Strip.

Local sources said that the occupation drones bombed Asdaa Entertainment City Police Station, northwest of Khan Younus, which led to the killing of four people and the injury of others.

They added that the occupation warplanes bombed the village of Al-Musaddar in the central Gaza Strip, which led to the injury of a number of citizens.

The Israeli occupation forces burned dozens of houses at Abu 'Aita junction in the Jabalya refugee camp, north of the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, a citizen was killed and others were injured when the occupation aircraft targeted a group of citizens near Al-Sayyid 'Ali Mosque in al-Shuja'iyya neighborhood, east of Gaza City.

The number of people killed since the start of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip on October 7th, 2023, has surged to 45,805, the majority of whom are children and women. Some 109,064 others have been wounded.

Thousands of victims are still trapped under the rubble or scattered on the roads, as ambulance and civil defense teams are facing difficulties in reaching them due to the continued Israeli attacks, the massive amount of debris and the shortage of fuel and heavy equipment.

K.T.

***

Nine civilians killed, others injured by the Israeli genocidal airstrikes on different parts in Gaza

Gaza, January 5, 2025 (WAFA) –

Nine civilians were killed and several others were injured on Sunday in Israeli airstrikes and shelling across northern and central Gaza.

Local sources reported that four people were killed and others were wounded in an Israeli shelling that targeted a group of civilians in the Jabalya area in the northern Strip.

Several civilians were also injured in Israeli quadcopter drone attacks in the Saftawi area, as well as on Jalaa Street northwest of Gaza City.

Israeli artillery also shelled the southern parts of the al-Sabra neighborhood in southern Gaza City.

Furthermore, Israeli warplanes struck a home belonging to the Abu Jarbou' family in Al-Nusayrat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing five civilians and injuring several others.

In addition, Israeli artillery targeted the vicinity of Al-Mufti land and a residential building near the camp’s entrance.

Israeli warplanes also bombed a house belonging to the Abu 'Amra family in Dair El-Bala'h, in the central Gaza Strip.

T.R.

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Palestinian citizen killed in Israeli drone strike in Rafa'h

GAZA, January 5, 2025 (WAFA) –

A Palestinian citizen was killed early this morning in an Israeli drone strike that targeted the Al-Shaboura refugee camp in central Rafa'h, located in the southern Gaza Strip.

The attack, which took place at dawn, resulted in the immediate killing of the individual, whose identity has not yet been released.

The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 2023 has so far resulted in at least 45,717 documented Palestinian fatalities, with over 108,856 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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Two killed, including journalist, in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza

GAZA, January 5, 2025 (WAFA) –

Two Palestinians, including a journalist, were killed and several others injured on Sunday as Israeli airstrikes targeted northern Gaza and the southern city of Rafa'h.

Local sources reported that writer and journalist Mu'hammed 'Hijazi was killed in the strikes on northern Gaza. Civil defense teams later recovered the body of another victim in Al-Musabbi'h area, north of Rafa'h, following heavy Israeli bombardment.

Israeli warplanes also bombed an area near the bike market in the Qizan Rashwan region, south of Khan Younus, coinciding with intense shelling across various parts of the province.

The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 2023 has so far resulted in at least 45,805 documented Palestinian fatalities, with over 109,064 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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Several injured, including children, in Israeli genocidal airstrike on Al-Nusayrat refugee camp in Gaza

GAZA, January 5, 2025 (WAFA) –

Several civilians, including children, were injured last night in an Israeli airstrike targeting Al-Nusayrat refugee camp in central Gaza.

According to local sources, Israeli warplanes struck a house belonging to the Timraz family, near the 'Ain Jalout Towers in the camp. 

The attack caused injuries among residents and inflicted significant damage on the targeted house, as well as a neighboring home belonging to Al-Subakhi family.

The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 2023 has so far resulted in at least 45,805 documented Palestinian fatalities, with over 109,064 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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Killing, Injuring, and Abduction of Palestinians in the West Bank by Israeli Occupation Regime Forces 

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Palestinian killed during IOFs raid on a house in the West Bank town

Sunday 5-January-2025

WEST BANK, (PIC)

A Palestinian citizen was martyred on Sunday morning when the Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) opened fire at him after storming his house in Maythaloan town, south of Jineen.

The IOFs informed the Palestinian Authority liaison office that 40-year-old 'Hasan Rabayi'a was critically injured during the raid on his house before he died of his injuries soon later.

Earlier, the Red Crescent said that the IOFs prevented its ambulances from evacuating the wounded citizen.

Local sources said that a large number of Israeli troops besieged the house of Rabayi'a after special forces infiltrated into the town before raiding it and opening fire at him, adding that the IOFs kidnapped him as he was still bleeding.

Meanwhile, armed clashes reportedly took place between resistance fighters and Israeli occupation forces in Maythaloan town.

Martyr Rabayi'a had a teen son who had been shot dead in the town by Israeli occupation forces on July 11, 2024.

Last night, a Palestinian teenager was injured by IOFs gunfire in Bait Ummar town, northern al-Khalil.

The Red Crescent said that one of its ambulance crews evacuated from Bait Ummar town a teenager suffering from a bullet injury in his thigh to the hospital.

Local sources said that Israeli occupation forces stormed Al-Dthahir area of the town and occupied the rooftop of a house, which provoked clashes with local youths, adding that one kid was injured by a bullet and others suffered from their exposure to tear gas during the events.

In a separate incident, several citizens suffered from inhaling tear gas during evening clashes yesterday between Palestinian youths and Israeli soldiers in Sa’ir town, northeast of Al-Khaleel (Hebron). 

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Two people injured by Israeli forces in Nablus

NABLUS, January 5, 2025 (WAFA) –

Two Palestinian youths were injured by Israeli occupation bullets on Sunday evening in the city of Nablus.

Medical sources reported that a young man was injured by live bullets during the occupation forces' storming of Khalet Al-'Amoud area east of the city, where the occupation army fired live bullets, sound bombs and tear gas.

Later, medical relief sources said that another injured person was transferred to the hospital after being shot in the feet with live bullets.

This was confirmed by the Ministry of Health, which indicated that two people injured in the lower limbs arrived at Rafeedya Governmental Hospital, saying that their condition was described as stable.

K.T.

***

Israeli occupation forces physically assault a Palestinian teenager during raid on town west of Ramallah

RAMALLAH, January 5, 2025 (WAFA) –

Israeli occupation forces briefly kidnapped and assaulted on Sunday evening a Palestinian teenager during a military raid on the town of Ni'leen, west of Ramallah, according to local sources.

Sources reported that Israeli occupation forces briefly detained a 17-year-old teenager after beating him up while he was present in the center of the town.

The Israeli occupation army and police continued today their military incursions into the villages of Ni'leen and Al-Midya, west of Ramallah, where they searched commercial shops and seized surveillance camera recordings, under the pretext of an attempted stabbing attack against a colonist in the area.

Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces assaulted a health department employee from Hebron Municipality after briefly detaining him at the Al-Salayma military checkpoint in the Old City of Al-Khaleel (Hebron).

T.R.

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Four Palestinians injured in Israeli military raid on Old City of Nablus

NABLUS, January 5, 2025 (WAFA) –

Four Palestinian citizens were injured early Sunday by live ammunition fired by Israeli occupation forces during a raid on the Old City of Nablus.

According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, its medical teams treated four individuals who sustained gunshot wounds to the abdomen and hands. All injured individuals were transferred to a nearby hospital for further treatment.

Witnesses reported that large numbers of Israeli military forces stormed Nablus from multiple directions, surrounding the Old City and imposing a military blockade near Martyrs Square and the National Hospital. 

The incursion extended to the 'Askar refugee camps, both old and new, where several homes were raided and searched. However, no detentions were reported.

M.N.

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IOFs kidnap 20 Palestinians in West Bank raids

Sunday 5-January-2025

WEST BANK, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) kidnapped last night and on Sunday morning at least 20 Palestinian citizens, including children, in West Bank raids.

According to the Palestinian Commission of Detainees’ and Ex-Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS), the IOFs kidnapping campaign happened mainly in the provinces of Al-Khaleel (Hebron), Bait La'hm (Bethlehem), Toulkarm, Aree'ha (Jericho), Ramallah, and Al-Quds (Jerusalem).

Meanwhile, the Red Crescent said that its ambulance crews provided first aid for four citizens and evacuated them to the hospital after they suffered bullet injuries during an IOFs raid in the Old City of Nablus.

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Aggression and Attacks by Illegal Israeli Settlers and Soldiers

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Note: Despite the Biden administration total support for the Israeli genocidal war on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, the U.S. official policy is still considering the Israeli settlement activities in the Palestinian territories as illegal.

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IOFs storm Bardala high school in Jordan Valley

Sunday 5-January-2025

TUBAS, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) stormed on Sunday morning the village of Bardala, in the northern Jordan Valley and raided its high school.

According to local sources, Israeli soldiers raided the high school of Bardala after extremist Jewish settlers living in a nearby illegal outpost claimed one of their cars were pelted as it was traveling near the school.

There was no information if the soldiers assaulted students or teachers or made threats against them.

Last night, settlers from the same outpost tried to break into a house in village of Bardala, but local residents managed to fend them off.

Two weeks ago, settlers set up a new illegal outpost in the west of the village and have used it since then as a center to launch attacks on Bardala villagers and harass them.

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Five teachers struck and injured by Israeli military vehicle in northern Jordan Valley

JORDAN VALLEY, January 5, 2025 (WAFA) —

Five teachers sustained bruises and injuries today after their vehicle was struck by an Israeli military vehicle in the northern Jordan Valley, according to local sources.

The incident occurred when an Israeli military jeep, traveling through the area, crashed into the vehicle of Mu'hammed Sawafta, a teacher from Bardala Secondary School. He was accompanied by four other teachers when the collision took place near the village of 'Ain Al-Baydha.

Local sources reported that the group of teachers had been stationary in their vehicle when the Israeli military jeep rammed into them. Following the crash, the five teachers were immediately transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

The attack comes just hours after Israeli forces raided Bardala Secondary School, during regular school hours. The raid was reportedly incited by colonists from a newly established colonial outpost to the west of Bardala village.

M.N.

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Illegal Israeli Jewish settlers set up two illegal outposts on Palestinian West Bank lands

Sunday 5-January-2025

WEST BANK, (PIC)

A horde of extremist Jewish settlers set up on Sunday a new illegal outpost on swaths of Palestinian land in Qaryout village, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.

Deputy chief of the village council Yousuf Al-Hajj Mu'hammed said that a number of settlers pitched tents in Silon area of the village as a prelude to replacing them later with mobile homes and then concrete houses.

Al-Hajj Mohamed added the seized swaths of land belong to Palestinian citizens and expatriates

For its part, the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission warned of an Israeli plan to seize vast tracts of Palestinian land in the same area of the village in order to build settler outposts.

In another incident, a group of settlers set up today a herding outpost for themselves on a tract of Palestinian land they seized under military protection in Na'haleen town, west of Bethlehem.

Na'haleen mayor Jamal Najajira said that settlers put two large livestock structures on a swath of land in 'Ain Faris area of the town as a prelude to establishing a bigger outpost.

Najajira added that this settler outpost would deprive local farmers and shepherds from reaching their agricultural and pastoral lands in 'Ain Faris area, which stretches over 2,000 dunums of land.

He pointed out that this area of the town had been exposed to repeated attacks and violations by settlers from the illegal Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit.

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Israeli forces assault farmers, prevent them from plowing their land in Al-Khaleel (Hebron)’s Masafir Yatta

Al-Khaleel (Hebron), January 5, 2025 (WAFA) –

Israeli forces assaulted on Sunday several Palestinian farmers, beating them up and preventing them from plowing their lands in Masafir Yatta, south of Al-Khaleel (Hebron), according to a local activist.

Activist Osama Makhamra said Israeli forces assaulted several farmers in the Masafir Yatta area and prevented them from plowing their lands and planting them with winter crops.

Furthermore, the forces damaged the tires of three agricultural tractors to prevent farmers from continuing their work on land threatened with confiscation by Israel.

T.R.

***

Israeli occupation forces demolish two water harvesting ponds east of Nablus

NABLUS, January 5, 2025 (WAFA) –

Israeli occupation forces demolished on Sunday two water harvesting ponds used for agricultural purposes in the village of Furoush Bait Dajan, east of Nablus, according to local sources.

Sources reported that Israeli forces, accompanied by a bulldozer, stormed the village of Furoush Bait Dajan and demolished two water harvesting ponds belonging to local residents.

T.R.

***

***

News Related to the Israeli Genocidal War on the Palestinian People

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Brazilian court orders arrest of Israeli soldier accused of war crimes in Gaza

BRASÍLIA, January 5, 2025 (WAFA) –

A Brazilian court has issued an urgent order for police to arrest an Israeli soldier and investigate allegations of war crimes committed in Gaza. The order follows a criminal complaint filed by a Palestinian human rights organization.

According to Brazilian media, the judicial order was prompted by a complaint submitted last week by the Hind Rajab organization. The soldier, currently in Brazil on a tourist vacation, is accused of participating in the systematic destruction of civilian neighborhoods in Gaza. 

The acts are described as part of a broader effort to create unbearable living conditions for Palestinian civilians, constituting genocide and crimes against humanity under international law.

The complaint includes evidence such as videos, geolocation data, and photographs showing the soldier planting explosives and participating in the destruction of entire neighborhoods. The organization claims these materials irrefutably link the soldier to the alleged atrocities.

The destroyed homes, according to the organization, had served as shelters for displaced Palestinians. In addition to submitting the evidence, the organization provided over 500 documents in support of its request for the soldier's arrest, expressing concerns that he might leave Brazil before legal proceedings advance.

The Hind Rajab organization, named in memory of six-year-old Hind Rajab—killed by Israeli forces alongside her family in the Tel Al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza in January last year—aims to pursue legal action against perpetrators of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and human rights violations committed by Israeli forces against Palestinians.

In a related development, a group of 620 Chilean lawyers filed a lawsuit yesterday against Israeli soldier Sar Hirshorin of Battalion 749, accused of crimes against humanity during the Gaza war. Hirshorin is reportedly in Chile at present.

M.N.

***

Gaza Governorate remains under intense Israeli shelling for third day

GAZA, January 5, 2025 (WAFA) –

For the third consecutive day, the Gaza Governorate in the northern Gaza Strip has been plunged into days of horror as Israeli occupation forces escalate their campaign of genocide and ethnic cleansing in the region.

Since Thursday, January 2, Israeli occupation forces have expanded the deadly attack that initially began in the North Gaza Governorate in early October 2024, with the aim of wiping out entire communities and displacing thousands of Palestinians from the region.

The expansion of the offensive has now brought the onslaught to Gaza Governorate, home to approximately 550,000 people–nearly a quarter of the total population of the Gaza Strip. This includes around 180,000 people who were forcibly displaced from North Gaza due to three months of relentless Israeli attacks.

According to medical sources, at least 184 people, including children and women, have been killed in the past 72 hours. Dozens more have been injured in a barrage of 94 airstrikes and artillery shellings carried out by Israeli forces in the last three days. On January 4 alone, more than 45 civilians were reported killed in the latest wave of attacks targeting Gaza City and surrounding areas.

The situation has grown increasingly dire as Israeli warplanes intensify their airstrikes, targeting entire residential blocks. These aerial bombardments have led to the destruction of buildings and the killing and injuries of many residents, while numerous individuals remain trapped under rubble, awaiting rescue.

As the war intensifies, many Gaza residents are fearful of being forcibly relocated to the area known as Al-Mawasi – a region located in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, extending from the western outskirts of Rafa'h to the west of Dair El-Bala'h and Khan Younus.

Israeli forces have been demanding people to move there, despite the fact that the area already suffers from a severe lack of basic resources such as food, water, and medical supplies. This has compounded the already dire humanitarian conditions.

The journey to Al-Mawasi is a dangerous one, with limited access via sea routes and the main Salah al-Din road, both of which are heavily impacted by the ongoing air and ground assault. Once there, displaced families are forced to confront even harsher living conditions as they struggle to find food and medical care amidst a collapsing infrastructure.

With each passing day, the death toll rises, and the suffering of Gaza’s residents deepens. Human rights organizations and international observers have warned of a looming humanitarian catastrophe, with no end in sight to the Israeli occupation’s relentless campaign against Gaza’s civilian population.

M.N.

***

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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,

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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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