605 Palestinians Massacred in Gaza by the Israeli Genocidal Air Strikes in 3 Days, Genocide Also Perpetrated by Starvation, as Bread Flour Is Only Enough for Six Days, March 21, 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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605 Palestinians Massacred in Gaza by the Israeli Genocidal Air Strikes in 3 Days, Genocide Also Perpetrated by Starvation, as Bread Flour Is Only Enough for Six Days

March 21, 2025

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Israeli Air Strikes Resumed for the Second Day, Coupled with Imposed Starvation, Bringing the Death Toll of the Israeli Genocidal War on the Gaza Strip to 49,617 and the Injuries to 112,9 50, March 20, 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 March 20, 2025, the initial death toll of Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip is 63,155+.

This includes the accounted for deaths (49,617), those who are still missing under the rubble (an estimate of at least 13,538+).

By March 20, 2025, the documented injuries exceeded 112,950.

By March 20, 2025, 935 Palestinians who were killed, 6,917 who were injured, and 11,628*, who were abducted by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank, since October 7, 2023, including 310 women and 640 children.

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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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The UNRWA warned that it only has enough flour to distribute for the next six days, which means that starvation will intensify in the Gaza Strip if the Israeli regime continues to block aid, March 21, 2025.
Mourners carry the bodies of Palestinian family members, including children who were massacred by an Israeli genocidal airstrike, at the Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, on March 21, 2025.

Israeli occupation forces continue their assault on the city of Toulkarm and its
refugee camps, resulting in the demolition of dozens of homes and the
displacement of nearly 24,000 Palestinian refugees, March 21, 2025. The Israeli occupation forces continued their bloody aggression against the Gaza Strip, launching several airstrikes and conducting a ground incursion west of Bait Lahya, north of the Strip, March 21, 2025.

An injured Palestinian boy, who was one of the victims of the renewed Israeli genocidal attacks on the Gaza Strip, waits to be treated at the Indonesian
hospital in Bait Lahya, March 20, 2025.
Palestinians mourn loved ones, who were massacred by the Israeli genocidal air strikes on Khan Younus, in southern Gaza Strip, March 20, 2025.

Grieving the death of a child and an adult, who were killed by the Israeli occupation forces fire in Gaza City, on March 21, 2025. Displaced Palestinian families setting up their tents on area of the Islamic University, which was destroyed by the Israeli genocidal air strikes, in Gaza City, on March 21, 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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Egypt denies claims on temporary relocations of half million Gazans to North Sinai

CAIRO, March 21, 2025 (WAFA) –

Egypt Friday denied claims on its willingness to temporarily relocate half a million residents from Gaza to a designated city in the northern Sinai, according to Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS).

“Egypt has resolutely and definitively rejected any attempt to forcibly or voluntarily displace Palestinian brothers and sisters to any location outside Gaza, especially to Egyptian territories, as this would represent the liquidation of the Palestinian cause and pose an imminent threat to Egypt’s national security,” the SIS said in a press statement.

It affirmed in the press statement the falsehood of these baseless allegations, which fundamentally and completely contradict Egypt’s firm and principled stance declared from the early days of the genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023.

It concluded its statement by emphasizing that Egypt’s steadfast and clear position forms the basis of the plan it presented at the recent Cairo-hosted emergency Arab summit for Gaza’s reconstruction.

“This plan, which Egypt proposed to support Gaza’s rebuilding without relocating a single Palestinian brother or sister from the Palestinian territories, was unanimously approved by the summit.”

K.F.

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Israeli occupation issues new evacuation orders for civilians in northern Gaza

GAZA, March 21, 2025 (WAFA) –

The Israeli occupation issued new evacuation orders on Friday, instructing civilians in northern Gaza to immediately relocate to the southern part of the Strip.

The orders targeted the areas of Al-Salateen, Al-Karama, and Al-'Awda in northern Gaza and were accompanied by threats from the occupation to bomb these locations.

Israeli army minister, Israel Katz, announced that he had directed his forces to seize new areas in Gaza, forcibly displacing Palestinians and expanding the so-called "buffer zones" around these territories under the pretext of "protecting Israeli communities."

Katz further threatened to occupy more land in Gaza and intensify military aggression until all Israeli captives are released.

In the early hours of last Tuesday, the Israeli occupation resumed its genocide in the Gaza Strip, killing nearly 600 civilians and injuring over 1,000 by Thursday evening, 70% of whom were children, women, and the elderly.

The occupation expanded its aggression through a ground incursion into the Al-Shuhada Junction area, advancing toward Salah al-Din Street, which connects northern and southern Gaza. Additionally, the invasion extended to Al-Shaboura refugee camp in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, as well as the northwestern area of Beit Lahia in the northern part of the Strip.

Since October 7, 2023, the occupation has been carrying out relentless genocide in Gaza, resulting in more than 162,000 civilians killed and wounded, the majority of whom are children and women, in addition to over 14,000 missing persons.

T.R.

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Israel will permanently seize and annex territory in Gaza, ‘Defense’ Minister says

TEL AVIV, March 21, 2025 (WAFA) –

Israeli ‘Defense’ Minister Israel Katz said on Friday that the army will permanently seize and annex territory in Gaza if captives are not released.

“The more Hamas persists in its refusal to release the hostages, the more territory it will lose, which will be annexed to Israel,” he stressed.

“I have directed the IDF (the Israeli occupation forces) to expand the manoeuvre, take control of more ground and hold it permanently to protect Israeli communities and soldiers.”

Annexation of occupied territory is illegal under international law.

Israel unilaterally ended the Gaza ceasefire agreement and resumed its aggression on the Strip on Tuesday, March 18, carrying out a wave of bloody airstrikes across the Strip and killing hundreds of Palestinians, including over 100 children.

It has started a ground invasion of areas in the Strip, moving into Bait Lahya in the north as well as the so-called Netzarim Corridor that bisects the Palestinian enclave.

The death toll has reached over 590, including more than 200 children, since Tuesday with over 900 others wounded, according to medical sources. Emergency teams are attempting to recover victims still trapped beneath the rubble.

The aggression was resumed amidst concerns over the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Strip given the ongoing siege and ban on the entry of medical and humanitarian aid.

Israel has waged a military onslaught on the Strip since October 2023, killing over 49,617 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring over 112,950 others.

Moreover, at least 10,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.

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

K.F.

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UNRWA: Only six days of flour left to distribute in Gaza

Friday 21-March-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

One of the largest providers of food aid in Gaza has warned it only has enough flour to distribute for the next six days.

“We can stretch that by giving people less, but we are talking days not weeks,” Sam Rose from the United Nations’ Palestinian relief agency UNRWA told reporters in Geneva.

“Six of 25 bakeries that the World Food Program was supporting had to close down. There are larger crowds on streets outside bakeries.”

Israel in early March blocked the entry of goods into the territory in a standoff over the truce that halted fighting for the past seven weeks. The move has led to a hike in prices of essential foods as well as fuel, forcing many to ration their meals.

Israel resumed its relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday after refusing to advance to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, drawing widespread international condemnation.

The first phase of the ceasefire, under which Israeli captives held by Hamas were exchanged for Palestinian prisoners, expired earlier this month. Since then, Israel has refused to advance to the second phase, instead imposing preconditions, restricting humanitarian aid, and stalling negotiations to avoid discussions on a full military withdrawal and a lasting end to its war on Gaza.

Hamas had sought to uphold the terms of the initial deal, which outlined a phased captive-prisoner exchange followed by negotiations for a permanent truce.

However, Israel has blocked progress toward the second phase and instead renewed its assault on Tuesday, refusing to commit to its implementation despite the agreement being signed by Tel Aviv.

Hamas has said it remains open to talks but insists no new agreements are necessary.

At least 591 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,042 injured in Gaza since Israel resumed its war, Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Thursday, adding that 70 percent of the casualties were women and children.

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'Hamas criticizes US statements that equate the Israeli executioners with the Palestinian victims

Friday 21-March-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

'Hamas affirmed that the Palestinian resistance is exercising its legitimate right to defend its people, land, and holy sites in the face of the Israeli occupation and aggression, and that the attempt to change facts will not succeed in exonerating the Israeli occupation regime from its crimes, nor will it give Washington a moral cover for its biased policies.

This came in a statement on Friday in response to the biased statements of the US National Security Advisor, which equate the Israeli executioners with the Palestinian victims and fully adopts the Israeli narrative.

Hamas stressed that talking about “Israel’s right to defend itself” is a blatant falsification of reality, as the occupier does not have the right to defend its occupation, since it is the aggressor in the first place.

“The decades-long Zionist aggression against our people and the genocidal crimes in Gaza call for condemnation and accountability, not justification and support,” Hamas said.

It pointed out that the claim that “Hamas chose war instead of releasing the hostages” is a reversal of the facts, as the Palestinian resistance presented clear initiatives for reaching a ceasefire and a comprehensive exchange deal, but Israel, led by Netanyahu, rejected them and deliberately thwarted them to achieve his political interests, as admitted by Israeli security service officials themselves.

The Movement stressed that talking about the possibility of extending the ceasefire once the resistance releases all prisoners is a deliberate disregard for the fact that Israel was not serious in implementing the terms of the ceasefire agreement, and did not abide by any of its terms; rather it continued killing, starving the people through tightening the siege, which failed the understandings and torpedoed the chances of an extension.

“The US statements reveal once again the full US partnership in the aggression against our people, and its complicity with the occupation in committing crimes of extermination, starvation and tightening the siege against more than two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including thousands of children, women and innocent civilians,” Hamas said.

It concluded by emphasizing that attempts to change facts will not succeed, and history will record who stood with truth and who colluded with murder.

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

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605 Palestinians killed in Gaza as 'Israel' continues its massacres for the third day

By Al-Mayadeen English

March 21, 2025

"Israel" continues its aggression on Gaza, targeting different parts of the Strip with indiscriminate airstrikes, drone strikes, and artillery strikes.

The Israeli assault on Gaza continues on its third day, killing civilians in widespread attacks across the Strip as "Israel" continues to evade and violate the ceasefire deal. The Israeli aggression on Gaza has killed 605 people across the strip since last Tuesday, according to Palestinian media.

The Israeli occupation army launched an artillery barrage on Friday targeting northwestern sections of Gaza, including Al-Sudaniya, Al-Karamah, and Bait Lahya, which has been subject to artillery strikes that injured several Palestinians since Friday morning.

The Israeli army issued a "final warning" earlier to Palestinians in the Sultan, Karama, and 'Awda areas in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, urging them to "immediately move south."

Several Palestinians were injured in the afternoon after an Israeli airstrike targeted a house in the Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza, hitting an abandoned home near Al-Yemen Al-Sa'eed Hospital in central Jabalya, causing multiple injuries among passersby in the area.

Local sources reported that several injuries, including one in critical condition, were transported to the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, while six children and several injuries were recorded following an Israeli airstrike that targeted a residential apartment in Gaza City.

WAFA news agency reported that Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes at an apartment on Al-Jarou Street in the Al-Tuffa'h neighborhood, northeast of Gaza City, killing six children and injuring several others.

An Israeli artillery strike killed a mother and her daughter and injured several others after the house they had taken shelter in near a press in the town of 'Abasan Al-Kabeera, east of Khan Younus, in southern Gaza was hit.

Several civilians were injured, some critically, after an Israeli drone strike targeted a group of people in northern Al-Mughraqa, while a young man with disabilities was wounded when Israeli army snipers opened fire on him in the same area, south of Gaza City, with all the injured transported to Al-'Awda Hospital in central Gaza.

Related News

At the same time, Al-Mayadeen's correspondent reported that the Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) shot illumination munitions north of Al-Nusayrat refugee camp in central Gaza, adding that several Palestinians were injured in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a tent sheltering refugees in Dair El-Bala'h.

Israeli occupation demolishes only cancer hospital in Gaza

Earlier, Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) rigged and demolished a specialized hospital for cancer in Gaza on Friday, as "Israel" continues to ramp up its attacks on the Strip, which have killed hundreds and injured thousands.

The IOF demolished the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, which was completed in 2017 and was the only hospital in Gaza dedicated to cancer patients.

During the Israeli war on Gaza, the hospital was shut down after being hit by an airstrike, and the IOF later converted it to a military base.

Katz explicitly threatens Gaza with genocide, ethnic cleansing

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday threatened the Palestinians in Gaza with the complete destruction of the besieged enclave and signaled the imminent resumption of the forced displacement of its people.

“For Gazans, this is the latest warning ... The air force attacks on Hamas were only the first step. What comes next will be much harder, and you will have to pay the price in full. The evacuation of the population from the war zones will soon begin again. If all kidnapped Israelis are not released and Hamas is not forced out of the Gaza Strip, Israel will act with a force you have never seen before,” Katz said in a direct address to the people of Gaza.

The statement signals a further escalation in the Israeli occupation’s brutal onslaught in the Gaza Strip, which has already killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and displaced the overwhelming majority of the enclave’s residents.

Katz also urged the people of Gaza to follow the advice of former US President Donald Trump, claiming that compliance with Israeli demands could lead to alternative “options” for them, including the forced displacement from Gaza permanently.

“Return the kidnapped and get rid of Hamas, then other options will open up for you, including passage to other parts of the world. The alternative is total destruction and devastation,” he added.

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Civilian killed in Israeli airstrike targeting a home in northern Gaza

GAZA, March 21, 2025 (WAFA) –

A civilian was killed and several others were wounded in an Israeli shelling that targeted a residential home in the town of Jabalya, in northern Gaza.

In a related development, a child sustained critical injuries after Israeli forces targeted a tent inside a shelter center in Dair El-Bala'h, in central Gaza.

Meanwhile, medical and emergency teams successfully recovered the bodies of six civilians killed in an Israeli airstrike that shelled the Al-'Hattab family home two days ago.

T.R.

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The Israeli occupation forces resume attacks on Gaza for fourth day

Friday 21-March-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation forces continued their bloody aggression against the Gaza Strip for the fourth consecutive day, launching several airstrikes and conducting a ground incursion west of Bait Lahya, north of the Strip.

Several people were killed and injured in the renewed attacks overnight and at dawn Friday, mostly children.

Early today, the Israeli forces carried out a ground invasion into the western camp in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood, amid artillery shelling and heavy gunfire.

The Israeli forces shelled Bait Lahya, north of the Gaza Strip, coinciding with the ground incursion into the western part of the city.

The director of the Indonesian Hospital said that 43 martyrs and 82 wounded were received in the hospital following “a difficult night” in the northern Gaza Strip.

Israeli warplanes launched fire belts to cover their ground incursion west of Bait Lahya.

Israeli forces also bombed Khuza’a and 'Abasan towns, east of Khan Younus, in the southern Gaza Strip, while several airstrikes were reported west of Rafa'h and Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, southeast of the city.

Shortly after midnight, Israeli warplanes launched an airstrike west of Bait Lahya, north of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli warplanes also bombed Al-Sina’a Street in the Tel Al-Hawa neighborhood, southwest of Gaza City.

Since the Israeli occupation resumed its genocide on the Gaza Strip at dawn on Tuesday, 591 civilians have been killed, including more than 220 children and 115 women, and 1,042 have been injured, mostly children and women.

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Israeli tanks invade the western areas of Bait Lahya, northern Gaza

GAZA, March 21, 2025 (WAFA) –

In an escalation of the ongoing Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip, Israeli army tanks have invaded the western areas of Bait Lahya, in the northern part of the enclave. This assault was accompanied by heavy artillery fire and shelling targeting the area.

Eyewitnesses reported to Anadolu Agency that the Israeli tanks pushed further into the region, unleashing a barrage of gunfire and shells, causing significant destruction to the city, which had already been devastated during the ongoing genocide.

Simultaneously, Israeli warplanes struck a house in the industrial street of Tel Al-Hawa neighborhood, located in the southwestern part of Gaza City. Local sources confirmed the bombing and indicated extensive damage to the building.

Medical sources in Gaza reported that since early Thursday morning, 95 people have been killed and 133 others injured as a result of the ongoing attacks by Israeli occupation forces. These fatalities are part of Israel's resumption of the genocide in Gaza after a two-month hiatus, with over 591 people killed since the genocidal campaign was resumed earlier this week. The majority of the casualties are women and children, and hundreds more have sustained various injuries.

Israel's resumption of the genocide has triggered widespread concerns about the worsening conditions for Gaza's population, especially as the blockade continues to block the supply of medical and humanitarian aid.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation military announced yesterday the commencement of a ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafa'h, expanding its military activities in the southern Gaza Strip and targeting infrastructure.

The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 2023 has so far resulted in at least 48,572 documented Palestinian fatalities, with over 112,032 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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The Israeli occupation forces launch ground invasion on three fronts in the Gaza Strip

GAZA, March 21, 2025 (WAFA) –

Since the resumption of its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, the Israeli military has significantly expanded its ground incursion into three key areas of the Gaza Strip.

According to eyewitnesses, local sources, and official statements, the Israeli occupation army has advanced on three fronts: the Wadi Ghazza (Netzarim) axis, Al-Shaboura refugee camp area in Rafa'h in the southern Gaza Strip, and the northwest of Bait Lahya in the northern region.

Netzarim Axis

The Israeli forces made significant incursion into the Wadi Ghazza (Netzarim) axis, advancing from the eastern border of the Gaza Strip toward Salah al-Din Street, the main north-south highway in the enclave. The army later expanded its ground offensive to the western side of this axis, targeting anyone attempting to cross the coastal Rashid Street. This has effectively separated the Gaza Strip into two halves, with transportation blocked in both directions.

The Wadi Ghazza (Netzarim) axis, established by the Israeli military in early November 2023 at the onset of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, was designed to isolate Gaza City and the northern districts from the central and southern areas. The axis extends from the easternmost border of Gaza all the way to the western coastline, intersecting with Salah al-Din Street. The Israeli army withdrew from the axis in February 2025 as part of the fragile ceasefire agreement.

Rafa'h Axis

Simultaneously, as the ground offensive in central Gaza continued, Israeli forces mobilized troops stationed along the Philadelphia axis. The Israeli military announced the initiation of a ground offensive in the city of Rafah, claiming to have entered Al-Shaboura refugee camp, located near the Philadelphia axis. Several infrastructure structures were reportedly destroyed during the incursion.

The Philadelphia axis, controlled by the Israeli military in the southern Gaza Strip, extends over about a third of the Rafah city area. While the army's movements in the Shaboura area were described as limited, the ongoing offensive continues to devastate the region.

The Wadi Ghazza (Netzarim) axis

On Thursday, the Israeli military launched a third ground offensive along the coastline of the Wadi Ghazza (Netzarim) axis in northern Gaza, coinciding with intensive airstrikes targeting several areas across the Gaza Strip.

Israeli military vehicles expanded their incursion into the area on Friday morning, marking a limited ground advance, accompanied by heavy gunfire and artillery shelling.

The northern Gaza region has witnessed extensive destruction, with much of it reduced to rubble over the course of the ongoing genocide. Civilians who have remained in the area are facing an extreme siege, with many losing their lives due to famine and lack of basic necessities.

The intense military assault has triggered a large-scale displacement of Gaza's residents, with many fleeing their homes in fear of further escalation. As the siege continues, the humanitarian crisis worsens, and the civilian population suffers from the devastating impact of the Israeli invasion.

M.N.

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Renewed Israeli bombardment kills several civilians, injures others in Gaza City

GAZA, March 21, 2025 (WAFA) –

Several Palestinian civilians, including five minors, Friday were killed and others injured in an Israeli airstrike targeting a residential apartment in Gaza City, according to WAFA correspondent.

He said that Israeli fighter jets conducted an airstrike targeting an apartment on Al-Jaru Street in Al-Tuffa'h neighborhood, northeast of the city, killing six minors and injuring others.

Meanwhile, Israeli artillery shelled a house sheltering displaced people in 'Abasan Al-Kabeera town, east of Khan Younus in the southern Strip, killing a mother along with her daughter and injuring others.

This came as an Israeli combat drone fired a missile at a group of citizens, north of Al-Mughraqa, resulting in a number of casualties. They were subsequently transferred to Al-Awda Hospital in the central Strip.

In the meantime, a young disabled man sustained an injury after being shot by Israeli snipers in the village of Al-Mughraqa, south of Gaza City. He was subsequently transferred to Al-'Awda Hospital.

The death toll reached over 590 since Tuesday with over 900 others wounded, according to medical sources. Emergency teams are attempting to recover victims still trapped beneath the rubble.

The aggression was resumed amidst concerns over the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Strip given the ongoing siege and ban on the entry of medical and humanitarian aid.

Israel has waged a military onslaught on the Strip since October 2023, killing over 49,617 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring over 112,950 others.

Moreover, at least 10,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.

Y.S./ K.F.

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

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Israeli occupation forces block street, seize vehicles in Toulkarm

Toulkarm, March 21, 2025 (WAFA) –

Israeli occupation forces Friday blocked a street and seized several vehicles from the northern occupied West Bank city of Toulkarm, according to eyewitnesses.

They said that Israeli army bulldozers sealed off parts of Nablus Street with earth mounds, obstructing the movement of Palestinian-registered vehicles.

They added that the bulldozers destroyed traffic signs and trees along the street, as the gun-toting soldiers inspected passing vehicles and tightened up movement restrictions.

Meanwhile, the occupying forces seized and used several vehicles to close Nablus Street after inspecting them, confiscating their keys, and holding their owners.

They broke into an electrical appliance store on Al-Haddadeen Street in the city's northern neighborhood, conducted a thorough search, and interrogated the owners.

The occupation forces have been waging aggression on the city of Toulkarm and the adjoining refugee camps for 54 consecutive days, imposing a tight siege, conducting house-to-house raids, breaking into residential buildings, and forcing families to flee their houses at gunpoint.

K.F.

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IOFs carry out fresh raids and kidnappings across the West Bank

Friday 21-March-2025

WEST BANK, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) launched a large-scale raid and arrest campaign across the West Bank at dawn Friday.

This comes as thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank flocked to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem), on the third Friday of Ramadan.

The Israeli forces deployed 3,000 police forces throughout the occupied city amid tight restrictions.

In Ramallah, the IOFs raided Qarawat Bani Zaid, Turmus 'Ayya, and Kafr 'Ain villages. kidnappings were reported during raids.

At least four youths were detained in the IOFs Toulkarm raid.

In Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem), the Israeli occupation forces kidnapped two Palestinians, including a child.

Two other people were rounded up in Al-Khaleel.

In Nablus, the Israeli occupation forces stormed Balata refugee camp, Burqa, Qablan, and Yatma towns amid heavy gunfire. No kidnappings were reported.

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The Israeli occupation forces continue their wide-scale offensive in Toulkarm for 54th day

Toulkarm, March 21, 2025 (WAFA) –

Israeli occupation forces continue their wide-scale assault on the city of Toulkarm and its refugee camps for the 54th consecutive day, so far resulting in the demolition of dozens of homes and the displacement of nearly 24,000 Palestinian refugees.

Last night, Israeli forces raided three residential buildings in the northern neighborhood of Toulkarm. The buildings, named Al-Firdaws, Al-Sawsana, and Al-'Hamdallah, were stormed by soldiers who forced the residents to vacate their homes within two hours, converting the buildings into military outposts.

Video footage captured the harrowing moments when residents, including women, children, and elderly individuals, were seen leaving their homes carrying some of their belongings. The families were forced out in the midst of rain and cold weather.

In a further escalation, Israeli forces intensified their assault in the Toulkarm refugee camp, specifically targeting the Al-Matar and Al-'Hadaida neighborhoods. Soldiers raided homes and forcibly displaced the remaining residents, transforming the area into military positions, including sniper posts.

Israeli forces also occupied several empty houses, intensifying their tactics with the use of stun grenades and live fire to terrorize the remaining residents in the vicinity of the camp. Over the past few weeks, a significant exodus has taken place during the Israeli onslaught, as more than 12,000 refugees have been displaced, leaving the camp nearly empty.

Meanwhile, the situation in Nour shams refugee camp to the east remains dire, as Israeli forces continue to tighten their siege on the camp. The military also demolished homes and buildings in the Al-Manshiya neighborhood, citing the need to establish new roads through the area. This destruction has led to widespread displacement, leaving the camp in ruins and further erasing its historical landmarks.

The Israeli military has also deployed additional forces to the city of Toulkarm, with armored vehicles patrolling the streets, disrupting traffic and restricting the movement of civilians.

These actions are part of a broader escalation that has already led to the killing of 13 Palestinians, including a child and two women—one of whom was pregnant. Dozens more have been injured, and many others have been detained. The military offensive has also resulted in the forced displacement of over 24,000 people from both Tulkarm and Nour Shams refugee camps.

The destruction has extended beyond homes, with significant damage to infrastructure, businesses, and vehicles, including complete and partial demolitions, arson, and looting. The entrances to both camps have been blocked off with earth mounds, further isolating residents from any hope of escape or assistance.

M.N.

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For 2nd day: An Israeli occupation soldiers force residents in Toulkarm to evacuate buildings for military use

TToulkarm, March 21, 2025 (WAFA) –

Israeli occupation forces escalated their military measures in the city of Toulkarm on Friday night, ordering more residents of several buildings in the city's northern neighborhood to evacuate.

Dozens of families were forced to leave their apartments and were given less than two hours to vacate their homes, as the occupation prepared to convert them into closed military outposts.

Volunteers from the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and local committees rushed to Toulkarm’s northern neighborhood to aid residents in evacuating and salvaging belongings before the occupation's deadline expired.

This escalation is part of the occupation’s wider measures in Toulkarm, involving home seizures along Nablus Street and the northern neighborhood to establish military outposts, further deepening residents' suffering under siege and daily raids.

Simultaneously, Israeli forces raided Fawal Al-Sham restaurant on Nablus Street, wreaking havoc inside, throwing food and oil on the floor and assaulting the restaurant's workers with verbal and physical abuse.

Earlier today, occupation bulldozers closed parts of Nablus Street near the entrances to Tulkarem refugee camp with earth mounds. Meanwhile, forces seized several civilian vehicles passing through the street, using them to block parts of the road after searching them, confiscating their keys and detaining their owners.

Additionally, one of the traffic lights in the area, specifically near Al-Firdows Mosque, was vandalized, and ornamental trees along the street were uprooted. The occupation soldiers further searched passing vehicles and tightened movement restrictions on residents.

T.R.

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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 set up tent near Palestinian lands in northern Jordan Valley

JORDAN VALLEY, March 21, 2025 (WAFA) –

A group of the illegal Israeli settlers Friday set up a tent near residents’ lands in Al-'Ain Al-Hilwa hamlet in the northern Jordan Valley, according to a local official.

The head of the al-Maleh Village Council, Mahdi Daraghmeh, reported that a group of colonists set up a tent near citizens' tents in Al-'Ain Al-Hilwa, amid fears of surging attacks by colonists together with the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinians in the area.

The area for years has been a target of attacks by the illegal settlers against Palestinians and their proprieties.

Y.S.

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IPS tortures Palestinian prisoners with tight shackles

Friday 21-March-2025

RAMALLAH, (PIC)

The Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS) said on Thursday that handcuffs is one of the most prominent means used by the Israeli prison service (IPS) to abuse and torture Palestinian prisoners.

The PPS added in a statement, “the administration of Ganot prison, formerly known as Naf'ha and Ramon prisons, recently unleashed Yamas unit members in one of the prison’s sections. The unit members assaulted detainees, and tied them tightly, which opened wounds in their hands.”

The statement explained that “the Yamas members fired stun grenades inside the section, in one of hundreds of raids on prisoners, which have escalated since the start of the genocidal war (on Gaza).”

The PPS said, “Acts of repression in various prisons are carried out at an increasing pace to tighten control on and torture prisoners, with escalated use of stun grenades, rubber bullets and police dogs.”

“The issue of handcuffs is one of the most prominent tools used by the IPS to abuse and torture prisoners, as well as many other tools,” it stated.

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News Related to the Israeli Genocidal War on the Palestinian People

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Situation in Gaza gravely concerning as aid massively reduced, UNRWA Says

GENEVA, March 21, 2025 (WAFA) –

The situation in Gaza is gravely concerning due to massive reductions in aid distribution, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said, as reported by Reuters.

Senior Deputy Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza, Sam Rose, explained that the progress made during the six-week ceasefire has been reversed. He warned that without a ceasefire, there would be a massive loss of life, destruction of infrastructure and property, an increased risk of infectious diseases and immense psychological trauma for two million civilians in Gaza, including one million children.

The UN official stated that bombardments across the Gaza Strip over the past four days have caused large-scale loss of life. According to medical sources, around 600 people have been killed, including 200 children and women.

He stressed that desperate tragedies are unfolding across Gaza, exacerbated by the fact that no aid has entered the Strip since the beginning of March. He added that this marks the longest period without aid since the war began in October 2023, noting that UNRWA currently has only enough flour to last six more days.

He added that evacuation orders issued by the Israeli occupation army are ongoing, forcing large-scale displacement as many civilians flee their homes.

T.R.

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France opposed ‘any form of annexation’ of Gaza, states minister

PARIS, March 21, 2025 (WAFA) –

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot Friday stated that his country opposes ‘any form of annexation’ of the Gaza Strip.

"France is opposed to any form of annexation whether it concerns the West Bank or the Gaza Strip,” Foreign Minister Barrot told reporters in the eastern city of Dijon.

“We have a very clear vision of the future of the region -- a solution of two (Israeli and Palestinian) states living side-by-side in peace," he added.

His remarks came in response to Israeli ‘Defense’ Minister Israel Katz’s warning that the occupation forces would permanently seize and annex territory in Gaza purportedly if captives were not freed.

K.F.

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UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese: What’s happening in Palestine is genocide

NEW YORK, March 21, 2025 (WAFA) –

Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestine, has condemned Israeli attacks and practices in Palestinian territories, describing them as "genocide."

Speaking at a conference organized by "Academics for Palestine" at Trinity College in Dublin last night, Albanese addressed human rights violations in Palestine within the context of international law.

She emphasized that humanity must come together to discuss the ongoing situation with sincerity and place the facts in the light of science and knowledge. Albanese pointed out that individuals from all walks of life, especially students and young people who stand against the injustice in Palestine, are the cornerstone of this struggle.

She described those involved in the quest for justice as the "protective force of a sound social system," calling for increased support for Palestine.

In response to a student's question about whether international law still holds relevance, Albanese stated that the issue does not lie within the law itself, but in the mechanisms for its enforcement and the "betrayal of politicians" responsible for its implementation.

Albanese stressed the need to strengthen international law by purging it of its flaws rather than completely rejecting it.

The conference attracted significant attention from academics, students, and human rights activists, who listened attentively as the UN Special Rapporteur described the ongoing events in Palestine as genocide.

M.N.

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'Hamas denies cutting off contacts, halting talks on prisoner swap deal

Friday 21-March-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

The Hamas Movement denied what Hebrew newspaper Yediot Aharonot has reported about cutting off contacts or halting talks related to prisoner exchange.

The Movement confirmed in a press statement on Friday that it “is still at the heart of the negotiations, and follows up with all responsibility and seriousness with the mediators, and is still deliberating on the Witkoff proposal and the various ideas put forward, in order to achieve a swap deal that secures the release of prisoners, ending the war, and the Israeli army’s withdrawal from Gaza.

Since Israel resumed its aggression on Gaza Strip at dawn Tuesday, March 18, 591 citizens, including more than 220 children and 115 women, have been martyred and 1,042 others injured, most of them children and women.

Since October 7, 2023, Israeli occupation forces have been carrying out a genocidal war in the Gaza Strip, which has left more than 160,000 Palestinians martyred and wounded, most of them children and women, thousands of missing people, two million displaced people, and the destruction of more than 70% of the buildings in the Gaza Strip.

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'Hamas: Shin Bet chief’s statements reveal Netanyahu’s intent to thwart the ceasefire agreement

Friday 21-March-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

'Hamas said the statements of the head of Shin Bet reveal Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu’s deliberate manipulation of the negotiations file, and his efforts to thwart any agreement for his own political goals.

In a press statement on Friday, Hamas added that these confessions from within the occupation leadership confirm that Netanyahu was and still is the real obstacle to any exchange deal.

It pointed out that Netanyahu’s attempts to exclude influential security figures from the negotiations reflect his internal crisis and the worsening crisis of trust between him and his security system, and reveal his lack of seriousness in reaching a real agreement.

The Shin Bet chief’s statements emphasized that Netanyahu sought to to stall and gain time, without achieving tangible results.

Hamas called on American officials to stop holding Hamas responsible for disrupting the agreement, and to accuse Netanyahu of being directly responsible for the continued suffering of the Israeli captives and their families.

The Movement held Netanyahu and his extremist government fully responsible for prolonging the suffering of their prisoners and their families, stressing that the only way to release the captives is to stop the aggression, return to negotiations, and implement the agreement away from political maneuvers.

On Thursday evening, Israeli Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar confirmed that the decision to exclude him from the negotiating team did not lead to the liberation of captives, stressing that the goal behind the decision was to conduct negotiations without reaching a deal.

Last Sunday, Netanyahu summoned Bar to his office and asked him to announce his resignation of his own accord, but the latter refused, so Netanyahu decided to dismiss him.

In a letter to the ministers, Bar said the allegations that Netanyahu relied on against him in the dismissal decision are just a cover for other rejected motives, indicating that the decision came to prevent an investigation into the events of October 7.

“Contrary to the allegations, there has been cooperation between the agency I run and the prime minister since the start of the war,” he added in his letter, elaborating that Netanyahu prevented him from meeting with the government ministers during the past year.

“Israel is going through a difficult and complex stage and 59 prisoners are still in Gaza and we have not defeated Hamas,” he added.

Hebrew Channel 12 announced that Netanyahu’s government decided to postpone the dismissal of the Shin Bet chief for a month, and if a replacement is appointed, he will be dismissed before the end of the month.

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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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