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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94 Palestinians Killed, 367 Injured, Mostly Children, Women, and Aid Seekers,

Which Brings the Death Toll of the Israeli Genocidal War on the Gaza Strip to 58,667 and the Injuries to 139,974

by July 17, 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 July 17, 2025, the initial death toll of Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip is 72,064+.   

This includes the accounted for deaths (58,667) and those who are still missing under the rubble (an estimate of at least 13,397+). 

By July 17, 2025, the documented injuries exceeded 139,974.

By July 17, 2025, according to news report, 1,003 Palestinians who were killed, 6,951 who were injured, and 12,720*, 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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94 Palestinians were killed, 367 were injured by the Israeli genocidal air strikes, mostly children, women, and aid seekers, which brings the death toll in the Gaza Strip to 58,667 and the injuries to 139,974, by July 17, 2025.	94 Palestinians were killed, 367 were injured by the Israeli genocidal air strikes, mostly children, women, and aid seekers, on July 17, 2025.
Two Lebanese people were martyred and two injured by Israeli air strikes on the towns of Kfour and 'Houla, in southern Lebanon, on July 17, 2025.	By Day 650 of the Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, the death toll rose to 58,667 and the injuries to 139,974, by July 17, 2025.
Palestinian political prisoner, Sameer Mu'hammed Al-Rifa-i, from the town of Rummana, west of Jineen, died in an Israeli occupation apartheid regime prison, just days after kidnapping him, July 17, 2025.	Two Palestinian Christian elders, Sa'd Salama and Fumya 'Ayyad, were killed, seven more were injured by an Israeli air strike on the Holy Family Church, in Gaza Strip, on July 17, 2025.
The Israeli genocidal air strike on the UNRWA Al-'Hilu School, sheltering displaced Palestinian families, in Al-Buraij refugee camp, in central Gaza Strip, on July 17, 2025.	Grieving the Palestinian family members, who were massacred by the Israeli genocidal air strike on the UNRWA Al-'Hilu School, sheltering displaced families, in Al-Buraij refugee camp, in central Gaza Strip, on July 17, 2025.
Two Palestinian Christians were killed, seven were injured by the Israeli genocidal air strike on the Holy Family Church, in Gaza City, on July 17, 2025.	Palestinians trying to get some fresh water in Gaza City, amid a severe shortage of water, due to the Israeli bombing of water wells and desalination facilities in the Gaza Strip, July 17, 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.

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

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Gaza death toll surges to 58,667 amid ongoing Israeli genocide

GAZA, May 18, 2025 (WAFA, Anadolu) –

At least 94 Palestinians were killed and 367 others were injured, over the last 24 hours, as a result of the ongoing Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.

The Ministry confirmed that the Palestinian death toll from the Israeli onslaught since October 2023 has risen to 58,667 fatalities, with an additional 139,974 people sustaining injuries. The majority of the victims are women and children.

The Ministry noted that 26 Palestinians were killed and over 32 injured while trying to get humanitarian aid in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed while seeking aid to 877, with over 5,666 others wounded since May 27.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, the death toll since Israel’s resumption of the genocide on March 18 after a two-month truce has also climbed to 7,843, in addition to 27,933 others injured.

Emergency services are still unable to reach many casualties and dead bodies trapped under the rubble or scattered on roads across the war-torn enclave, as Israeli occupation forces continue to target ambulance and civil defense crews, according to the health authorities.

The Israeli genocidal onslaught continues undeterred despite calls from the United Nations 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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On day 650: Key developments in Israel’s ongoing genocidal war on Gaza

Thursday 17-July-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation forces continued their genocidal war on the Gaza Strip for the 650th day, through air and artillery bombardment, killing starving civilians and displaced people with full political and military support from the United States, amid international silence and unprecedented failure by the international community.

The PIC correspondents reported that the Israeli occupation has carried out dozens of airstrikes and committed more massacres as the displacement crisis worsens, affecting more than two million people amid severe famine.

Latest Developments

Medical sources reported that many civilians were killed and dozens injured in Israeli airstrikes across various parts of Gaza since dawn on Thursday.

Five civilians were killed this morning when Israeli forces bombed Abu 'Hilu School in Al-Buraij refugee camp in central Gaza.

At dawn today, Israeli warplanes also launched several genocidal air strikes east of Gaza City and demolished multiple homes in the area.

The Israeli forces also demolished more homes in central Khan Younus.

Three civilians were killed and others injured in an airstrike shortly after midnight on an apartment near Imam Al-Shafi’i School in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, southeastern Gaza City.

The Israeli army also carried out demolitions in Jabalya town, northern Gaza.

Ongoing Genocide

The Israeli occupation forces, with absolute US backing, are waging a genocidal war on Gaza. According to the Ministry of Health, the aggression has so far resulted in over 58,573 martyrs, 139,607 wounded, and more than 11,000 missing, while famine has claimed the lives of dozens. More than two million Palestinians now endure forced displacement amid widespread destruction.

Since Israel reneged on the ceasefire agreement on March 18, 2025, 7,750 martyrs and 27,566 wounded have been recorded.

Since May 27, when Israel turned limited aid distribution points into death traps, approximately 851 martyrs, more than 5,634 wounded, and 39 missing have been documented. The so-called “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation,” an Israeli-American entity rejected by the UN, has been used as a tool to enforce a deadly formula of submission under the guise of “humanitarian work.”

The Israeli forces have killed 1,582 medical staff, 115 civil defense personnel, 220 journalists, and 754 police and aid security personnel.

Israeli forces have committed over 15,000 massacres, targeting more than 14,000 families, with approximately 2,500 families completely erased from the civil registry.

According to figures from the Government Media Office and UN sources, the war has destroyed more than 88% of Gaza’s buildings, with total losses exceeding $62 billion, while occupation forces now control 77% of Gaza’s territory through invasion, bombardment, and mass displacement.

The Israeli occupation has also totally destroyed 149 schools, universities, and educational institutions; partially damaged 369 others; completely destroyed 828 mosques and partially damaged 167 more; and destroyed 19 cemeteries out of Gaza’s 60 cemeteries.

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Several Palestinians killed, dozens injured in Israeli strikes on displaced people's tents in Gaza

GAZA, July 17, 2025 (WAFA) –

Two Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured today as Israeli forces launched fresh attacks across various areas of the Gaza Strip, targeting civilians and displaced people's tents.

Meanwhile, one Palestinian was killed and many others were injured when Israeli warplanes bombed a group of civilians near Al-Quds Tower in the Al-Daraj neighborhood, located in central Gaza City.

In a related development, 23-year-old Majdi A'hmed Abu Mustafa from Al-Nusayrat refugee camp succumbed to injuries sustained during an Israeli airstrike that struck the camp a week ago. His death brings the toll of that particular attack to even graver levels, as reports of casualties continue to emerge.

Meanwhile, another civilian sustained serious injuries after Israeli forces opened fire on a group of people near the Wadi Gaza Bridge, south of the Al-Shuhada Junction in central Gaza. The wounded individual was transferred to Al-'Awda Hospital for treatment.

Elsewhere, dozens of displaced persons were injured in Israeli bombardments targeting makeshift tent encampments. 

The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 2023 has so far resulted in at least 58,667 documented Palestinian fatalities, with over 139,974 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 elderly Christians killed, seven injured in Israeli strike on church in Gaza

Thursday 17-July-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

Two elderly Palestinians were killed and several others injured—including Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest of the “Holy Family Church”, on Thursday following an Israeli airstrike that targeted the church in eastern Gaza City.

Mu'hammed Basal, spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense, said, “Two martyrs passed away following the Israeli strike on the Holy Family Church. They had been in critical condition.”

The victims were identified as Sa'd Salama, around 60 years old, and Fumya 'Ayyad, approximately 80, both killed by the direct hit on the church.

Basal added, “Today we bid farewell to two of our Christian brothers who did nothing wrong. The occupation makes no distinction, it targets Christians and Muslims alike, churches and mosques alike.”

He noted that the church had been sheltering about 400 displaced Christians who sought refuge there after their homes were destroyed during the ongoing war that has now lasted 22 months.

The displaced believed the church was a safe place, “but unfortunately, it was targeted by Israeli forces for the third time since the war began.”

Basal urged the international community and human rights organizations to “take immediate action to protect civilians,” asking in outrage, “Why are these people being killed? The world must take responsibility for protecting civilians.”

Earlier, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem confirmed in a press statement that the “Holy Family Church” had been attacked by Israeli forces, injuring several Palestinians including Father Romanelli.

The airstrike caused damage to the Holy Family Church, the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip, according to the Latin Patriarchate.

In response to the attack, Pope Leo XIV expressed his sorrow in a statement, saying he was “deeply saddened by the killing of two people in an attack on a Catholic church in Gaza,” and reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire.

The Israeli army had previously targeted the Holy Family Church, which shelters displaced people, causing significant damage. It also struck St. Porphyrius Church, one of the oldest churches in Gaza and the third oldest church in the world, resulting in deaths and injuries.

The church is considered one of the most important religious centers for Christians in Gaza, used for prayer and spiritual support for the Palestinian Christian community.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel, backed by the United States, has been committing genocide in Gaza involving killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring international pleas and International Court of Justice orders to halt the violence. The genocide has resulted in more than 198,000 Palestinians killed or injured, mostly children and women, over 10,000 missing persons, hundreds of thousands displaced, and a famine that has claimed countless lives.

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Five Palestinians killed, dozens injured as Israeli assault on Gaza continues

GAZA, July 17, 2025 (WAFA) –

Five Palestinian civilians were killed and dozens more injured on Thursday amid the ongoing Israeli military assault on the Gaza Strip.

According to WAFA correspondent, three people were killed and several others wounded when Israeli warplanes targeted the town of Jabalya Al-Balad in the northern part of the enclave.

In a separate incident, two more civilians were killed and dozens wounded when Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid northwest of Gaza City.

The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 2023 has so far resulted in at least 58,573 documented Palestinian fatalities, with over 139,607 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 man dies from Israeli gunshot wounds; body withheld by the Israeli occupation forces

TOUBAS, July 17, 2025 (WAFA) –

A 47-year-old Palestinian man from Toubas, Firas A'hmed Raja Sub'h, died Thursday from critical gunshot wounds sustained earlier in the day after being shot by Israeli occupation forces in Wadi Al-Far'a area, in the occupied West Bank district of Tubas.

According to the Palestinian General Authority for Civil Affairs, the Palestinian Ministry of Health was officially informed of Sub'h's death. Israeli forces are reportedly withholding his body.

Earlier today, Israeli special forces infiltrated the area and surrounded a house in Wadi Al-Fari'a. During the raid, Sub'h was shot inside the house and subsequently detained while severely wounded.

M.N. 

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After only seven days of detention: Death of detainee Sameer Al-Rifa-i from Jineen

Thursday 17-July-2025

Jineen, (PIC)

The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society have announced the death of detainee Sameer Mu'hammed Al-Rifa-i (53 years old), from the town of Rummanah/Jenin, in Israeli custody.

In a joint statement on Thursday, the two organizations said that Al-Rifa-i, who was married and a father of five, had been arrested by Israeli occupation forces from his home on July 10. He was scheduled to appear today for his first session at Salem military court.

They added that, according to medical reports provided by his family, Al-Rifa-i had been suffering from heart problems prior to his arrest and was in urgent need of consistent medical care.

With his death, the total number of known Palestinian detainees who have died since the beginning of the ongoing Israeli war of genocide almost two years ago has risen to 74, while many others remain forcibly disappeared, making this period one of the bloodiest in the history of the Palestinian prisoner movement.

Since 1967, the number of documented prisoner martyrs has now reached 311.

The statement stressed that the rising number of detainee deaths has become an inevitable consequence, growing ever more dangerous as thousands remain held in Israeli prisons and are subjected constantly to systematic abuses, including torture, starvation, all forms of assault, medical crimes, sexual violence, and the deliberate imposition of conditions that lead to severe and contagious diseases, particularly scabies. This comes alongside unprecedented policies of deprivation.

The two organizations affirmed that the death of detainee Sameer Al-Rifa-i constitutes a new crime added to the record of Israeli brutality, which seeks to kill prisoners by all means, a continuing aspect of the ongoing genocide.

They held Israel fully responsible for his death and reiterated their call to the international human rights organizations to take concrete steps toward holding Israeli leaders accountable for the war crimes they continue to commit against the Palestinian people. They called for the imposition of sanctions that would place Israel in clear international isolation and restore the original role of the international human rights system, which has been paralyzed during this genocidal war. They also demanded an end to the exceptional impunity that has allowed Israel to act as if it is above accountability, justice, and punishment.

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'Hamas: Martyrdom of prisoner Al-Rifa-i reflects the slow execution policy in Israeli prisons

Thursday 17-July-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

The 'Hamas Movement mourned Palestinian political prisoner Sameer Mu'hammed Al-Rifa-i (53 years old) from the town of Rummana, west of Jineen, who died in the Israeli occupation apartheid regime prisons just days after kidnapping him. 'Hamas held the Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for his death.

In a press statement issued Thursday, the Movement said that Al-Rifai’s martyrdom “reveals the extent of the Nazi-like crimes inflicted on Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli prisons, in blatant violation of all international and humanitarian conventions.” It pointed out that the policy of torture and abuse constitutes “a full-fledged war crime” practiced by the extremist occupation government against detainees.

The statement stressed that the Palestinian prisoners are subjected to deliberate medical neglect and systematic torture, describing this as a form of “slow execution.” 'Hamas called on human rights and humanitarian institutions to assume their responsibilities and urgently pressure Israel to stop these violations.

'Hamas also called on the Palestinian people, especially in the West Bank, to escalate resistance and confrontations at all points of contact in support of the prisoners and in defense of the Palestinian people’s rights and sacred sites.

It finally emphasized that “the free prisoners’ will shall not be broken, and their people and resistance will remain faithful to their cause until their complete liberation.”

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More Israeli kidnappings of Palestinians in the West Bank

Thursday 17-July-2025

WEST BANK, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) kidnapped several Palestinian citizens, including one individual who was wounded in Wadi Al-Fari’a, south of Toubas, during a raid campaign across the West Bank on Thursday morning.

Local sources reported that the IOFs kidnapped Firas A'hmed Raja Sob'h from Wadi Al-Fari’a despite his injury.

The sources added that earlier at dawn today, the IOFs stormed the “Jabal Al-Thoar” area in Wadi Al-Fari’a, after Israeli special forces infiltrated the area and surrounded a house.

In the same context, the IOFs carried out a raid campaign, on Thursday morning, in the villages of Kafr Jammal and Kafr Zibad, southeast of Qalqilya.

Local sources said that the Israeli occupation army set up a military checkpoint at the entrance of Kafr Jammal, with troops stationed inside and around the village.

The IOFs also raided several homes in the village, including the home of the family of 'Uday Al-'Hamid, following an earlier raid on the home of citizen 'Hasan Al-Mazati.

In the same vein, the IOFs stormed the neighboring village of Kafr Zibad and raided the home of Dr. 'Hosam Ghanayim, turning it into a closed military outpost, which disrupted residents’ movement to and from their workplaces.

In Bait La'hm Bethlehem, the IOFs kidnapped two citizens after raiding and searching their homes.

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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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Illegal Israeli settlers steal Palestinians’ property, set up mobile homes near Ramallah

RAMALLAH, July 17, 2025 (WAFA) –

A group of the illegal Israeli settlers on Thursday stole Palestinians’ property and set up mobile homes in the occupied West Bank governorate of Ramallah, according to eyewitnesses.

They said that Israeli colonists used a forklift to dismantle the steel frame of greenhouses, including steel posts and supports, set up by Palestinian farmers on their land at 'Ain Samiya, east of the village of Kafr Malik.

They added that another group of the illegal Israeli settlers set up mobile homes on a tract of land belonging to the villagers of Sinjil, north of the village, to serve as a nucleus of the Givat Haroeh colonial outpost.

Meanwhile, the illegal Israeli settlers attempted to attack houses on the outskirts of the Jiljilya town, north of Ramallah, but their attack was fended off by Palestinian villagers.

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

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

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

K.F.

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'Hamas: Illegal Israeli settlement projects in the West Bank are an attempt to impose Israeli sovereignty

Thursday 17-July-2025

WEST BANK, (PIC)

The 'Hamas Movement affirmed that the Israeli occupation apartheid regime intensifying their settlement projects in the West Bank with the aim of imposing new facts on the ground and displacing Palestinian residents from their lands.

In a press statement on Wednesday, 'Hamas leader 'Abdul Ra'hman Shadeed said that the Israeli escalation in the West Bank governorates, accompanied by confiscation, bulldozing operations, and repeated settler attacks on Palestinian lands and properties, “represents a systematic attempt to change the geographic reality and impose full Israeli sovereignty over the area.”

Shadeed warned of the dangers of the new settlement and military project in the town of Raba, southeast of Jenin, pointing out that it is part of a series of similar projects being carried out by the occupation authorities in Toubas, Nablus, Tulkarem, and al-Khalil, all aiming to empty the land of its indigenous inhabitants.

He praised the steadfastness of the residents of Raba, along with the people of Palestinian cities, villages, and refugee camps in the West Bank, who continue to resist settlement and Judaization policies, stressing that “this land will remain Palestinian in identity and will not accept invaders.”

Shadeed called on the Palestinian masses, especially the youth, to widely participate in the popular events scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, and to escalate field confrontations with the occupation forces and settlers by all possible means.

The illegal Israeli settlement expansion has clearly escalated in recent years. The Israeli organization Peace Now revealed in statements based on data from the Israeli Higher Planning Council that “in 2022, Israel approved 4,427 construction plans across the West Bank, rising to 12,349 in 2023. After decreasing to 9,971 in 2024, in the first three months of 2025 alone, 14,335 settlement construction plans have already been approved in the West Bank.”

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IOF blows up two homes in Qabatya, south of Jineen

Thursday 17-July-2025

Jineen, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) detonated two homes belonging to the families of two martyrs during a raid on the town of Qabatya, south of Jenin, on Thursday.

Local sources reported that a large Israeli military force, accompanied by a bulldozer, stormed the town, raided several homes, and ransacked their contents.

The sources added that the IOFs evacuated a number of homes in the Zakarna neighborhood and the Al-Jalama area, turning them into military posts. They also raided the home of 'Abdullah Al-Jazra, arresting him after searching and vandalizing the property, and carried out a wide campaign of detentions targeting young men in the town.

The Israeli occupation soldiers stormed the homes of the two martyrs, Wa-il Idrees La'hloo'h and Mu'hammed Nazzal, rigging them with explosives before detonating them. The demolition came after prior demolition notices had been issued on June 20.

The IOFs had assassinated martyr Wa-il Idrees La'hloo'h along with three others on December 1, 2024, by bombing a farming hut they were inside in the village of Sa’ir, south of Jenin.

As for martyr Mohammed As’ad Nazzal, the IOFs assassinated him along with martyr Qutayba Al-Shalabi after besieging them in a house in Burqeen, west of Jineen, bombarding it with shoulder-fired missiles, and then demolishing it with bulldozers while they were still inside.

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Israeli occupation forces set up roadblocks east of Bait La'hm (Bethlehem)

Bait La'hm (Bethlehem), July 17, 2025 (WAFA) –

The Israeli occupation forces on Thursday set up roadblocks close to the Al-Fureidis village and Qabr El-'Hilwa bridge to the east of the occupied West Bank city of Bait La'hm (Bethlehem), according to WAFA correspondent.

He said that the occupying forces erected two checkpoints, stopping Palestinian-licensed vehicles and checking passengers’ ID cards.

The occupation forces have been tightening military measures across the occupied West Bank since hours after the release of the first batch of Palestinian prisoners as part of the Gaza ceasefire went into effect in January 2025, dismembering and isolating cities and governorates from one another using military gates, barriers, and concrete blocks.

They have severely restricted Palestinians’ freedom of movement within the occupied West Bank through a complex combination of approximately 898 fixed and flying checkpoints and gates, including 18 gates that have been installed since the start of 2025 and 146 others installed in the aftermath of October 7, 2023, settler-only roads, over 200 military bases, and various other physical obstructions.

The Israeli military measures are in parallel with ongoing attacks by the illegal Israeli settlers across the West Bank to terrorize Palestinians and displace them from their lands to seize them and build illegal Jewish colonies that separate Palestinian communities.

Closures, besides other measures, taken under the guise of security, are intended to entrench the Israeli 58-year-old military occupation of the West Bank and its illegal settlement project, which it enforces with routine and frequently deadly violence against Palestinians.

K.F.

***

 Israel issues notices of demolition against home of detainee near Toulkarm

TOULKARM, July 17, 2025 (WAFA) –

The Israeli occupation apartheid regime, on Thursday, notified the demolition of the home of prisoner 'Abdullah Dthafir Khadhir Bushnaq in the village of Kafr 'Abboush, south of Toulkarm.

Local sources told WAFA that the occupation forces delivered the Bushnaq family a notice ordering the seizure and demolition of the apartment belonging to prisoner Abdullah. The notice, accompanied by an aerial photo of the building housing the apartment, gave the family a 72-hour deadline to appeal.

Israeli occupation forces detained Bushnaq from his home in the village in June of last year.

This step comes amid the ongoing escalation of the occupation authorities' crackdown on residents in Toulkarm, which includes daily raids, detentions, and incursions targeting citizens and their property.

K.T.

***

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News Related to the Israeli Genocidal War on the Palestinian People

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Amnesty: EU decision on Israel is shameful and betrayal of innocent lives

Thursday 17-July-2025

BRUSSELS, (PIC)

Amnesty International has described the European Union’s decision not to suspend its association agreement with Israel as a “cruel and unlawful betrayal” of EU principles and human rights, especially in light of Israel’s ongoing violations against Palestinians.

Agnes Callamard, Amnesty’s Secretary General, said in a statement following the EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, “The EU’s refusal to suspend the agreement represents a betrayal of the very project of the Union, which is founded on respect for international law and opposition to tyranny. It is also a violation of the EU’s own rules and an affront to the human rights of Palestinians.”

“This day will go down as one of the most shameful moments in EU history,” she added.

Callamard noted that the EU squandered the opportunity to take a principled stand against “Israel’s crimes” and instead gave it a green light to continue “the genocide in Gaza, the illegal occupation of Palestinian land, and the apartheid system against the Palestinian people.”

She pointed out that even the EU’s own review concluded that Israel is breaching its human rights obligations under the agreement, yet member states chose to maintain the preferential trade deal rather than uphold their international obligations and save Palestinian lives.

“Each time the EU fails to act, the risk of complicity in these crimes increases,” Callamard stressed.

She called on member states to take individual steps to suspend all forms of cooperation with Israel that may contribute to its serious breaches of international law, including imposing a comprehensive arms embargo, banning trade and investment in Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Yesterday’s meeting of EU foreign ministers reportedly discussed several options, including full suspension of the agreement, an arms embargo, halting research and trade cooperation with Israel, and sanctioning certain Israeli officials, but none of these options garnered sufficient support.

Amnesty urged member states to now act independently or collectively to align their policies with international law, as clarified by the International Court of Justice in its 2024 advisory opinion on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.

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 ICC rejects request to cancel arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant

Thursday 17-July-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

The Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday rejected Israel’s request to cancel the arrest warrants issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Army Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as its request to suspend investigations related to the situation in Palestine.

The ICC clarified that Israel had submitted two separate requests: one seeking to cancel, withdraw, or nullify the arrest warrants, and another aiming to suspend the investigation being conducted by the Office of the Prosecutor into crimes committed in the Palestinian territories.

The Chamber stated that Israel’s justifications, which were based on the claim that the Court lacks jurisdiction, did not meet the legal requirements stipulated in the Rome Statute.

It further noted that the suspension of an investigation under Article 19(7) requires a challenge by a state to the admissibility of the case, something Israel has not done, leading to the rejection of its requests both procedurally and substantively.

The ICC had ruled on February 5, 2021, that Palestine is considered a State Party to the Rome Statute and that its jurisdiction extends to all Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, including the West Bank and Gaza.

In March of the same year, the Office of the Prosecutor announced the opening of a formal investigation into crimes committed in the Palestinian territories. Israel later objected to this in September 2024, but the Court reaffirmed its legal jurisdiction over the matter.

On November 21, 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant on charges of involvement in grave violations of international law against Palestinian civilians in Gaza, a move that sparked mixed international reactions ranging from praise to condemnation.

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UNRWA says it continues to support displaced families in the West Bank

JERUSALEM, July 17, 2025 (WAFA) –

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced on Thursday that it continues to support refugee families who were forcibly displaced from camps in the northern West Bank or whose homes were damaged during the Israeli occupation army's aggression, through the cash assistance program implemented by the Relief and Social Services Program.

“Rental assistance cash assistance is a lifeline and a lifeline for Palestine refugees who have been forcibly displaced from their homes,” said Roland Friedrich, Director of UNRWA Affairs in the West Bank. “Access to safe shelter is a human right and a basic need in emergencies.”

He added, “Our program is not limited to rental subsidies alone, but also includes direct cash assistance to families whose homes were damaged as a result of the violence, enabling them to meet their basic needs and live in dignity.”

During the current month of July, 7,647 families from various governorates of the West Bank received cash assistance totaling approximately 23 million shekels (equivalent to 6.6 million US dollars). This assistance was provided under two main types of support: cash assistance for damages, which included families from all over the West Bank, and cash assistance for rent, which was allocated to families displaced from camps in the northern West Bank (Jineen refugee camp, Nour Shams camp, and Tulkarm refugee camp).

K.T.

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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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