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

*** 

As the Genocidist Israeli Regime Intensifies Starvation in Gaza

 82 Palestinians Killed and 262 Injured, Which Brings the Death Toll of the Israeli Genocidal War on the Gaza Strip to 53,655 and the Injuries to 121,950

May 21, 2025

***

Editor's Notes:  

Here are some initial (not final) statistics, which show the Israeli war crimes against humanity, during the current Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, based on the reliable data reported by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza:

By May 21, 2025, the initial death toll of Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip is 67,123+.   

This includes the accounted for deaths (53,655) and those who are still missing under the rubble (an estimate of at least 13,468+). 

By May 21, 2025, the documented injuries exceeded 121,950.

By May 21, 2025, according to news report, 970 Palestinians who were killed, 6,768 who were injured, and 12,113*, who were abducted by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank, since October 7, 2023.   

***

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

Note About the Missing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip:

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

***

82 Palestinians were killed, 262 were injured, mostly children, women, and elderly, by the Israeli genocidal air strikes on the Gaza Strip, which brings the death toll to 53,655 and the injuries to 121,950, by May 21, 2025.	The starvation policy imposed by the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip has led to 58 deaths due to malnutrition and 242 deaths due to food and medicine shortages, by May 21, 2025 pic
The Israeli occupation army is deliberately targeting hospitals’ power generators along with fuel storage tanks, such as at the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, May 21, 2025.	The  Israeli systematic starvation policy against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip may result in the deaths of around 14,000 infants over the next few days unless urgent  food aid is delivered, May 21, 2025 pic
The Israeli occupation forces opened fire at a delegation of European and Arab diplomats visiting the area near Jineen refugee camp in the occupied West Bank earlier today, May 21, 2025 pic	As the Israeli-imposed starvation reaches the highest level, Palestinian women and children lining up to get some of the food from a local charity in the Gaza Strip, May 21, 2025, pic
With the Israeli-imposed starvation on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip reaching its highest levels, few local charities in Gaza City are still capable of providing some food to the starving population, May 22, 2025.	Displaced, starving, and tired Palestinian families are forced again and again from the Jabalya refugee camp, under fire by the Israeli occupation forces, on May 22, 2025.
Performing funeral prayer at Shuhada Al-Aqsa hospital, in Dair El-Bala'h, on some of the Palestinian martyrs who were massacred by the Israeli genocidal air strikes on central Gaza Strip, on May 22, 2025.	With the Israeli-imposed starvation on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip reaching its highest levels, few local charities in Al-Nusayrat are still capable to provide some food to the starving population, May 22, 2025.

***

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

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

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

"إِنْ أَحْسَنتُمْ أَحْسَنتُمْ لِأَنفُسِكُمْ ۖ وَإِنْ أَسَأْتُمْ فَلَهَا ۚ فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ الْآخِرَةِ لِيَسُوءُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَلِيَدْخُلُوا الْمَسْجِدَ كَمَا دَخَلُوهُ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَلِيُتَبِّرُوا مَا عَلَوْا تَتْبِيراً ‎(الإسْرَاءُ ، 17: 7). 

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

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

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

"If you do good, you do good for yourselves; and if you do evil, (you do it) to yourselves. Then, when the latter (final) promise came, they (your enemies) will sadden your faces, and to enter the Masjid (in Jerusalem), as they entered it the first time, and will destroy what they had taken over with (total) destruction (Al-Isra, 17: 7). 

***

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

***

Gaza: Hospitals receive over 82 martyrs, death toll climbs to 53,655

Wednesday 21-May-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

Over the past 24 hours, hospitals in the Gaza Strip received the bodies of at least 82 martyrs, as well as 262 of people suffering from different injuries following Israeli attacks.

Since the Israeli occupation army resumed its genocidal war on Gaza on March 18, 2025, over 3,509 people have been killed and about 9,909 others have been injured, according to medical and media sources from Gaza on Wednesday.

The new fatalities increased the death toll from the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, which started on October 7, 2023, to over 53,655 martyrs. The number of the wounded also surged to about 121,950 people.

Meanwhile, efforts are underway to recover the bodies of more martyrs who are still missing in different areas of the Gaza Strip.

***

Six civilians killed in Israeli airstrikes on two homes in Gaza

GAZA, May 21, 2025 (WAFA) –

Six civilians were killed on Wednesday in Israeli airstrikes that targeted two homes in the southern and northern Gaza Strip.

WAFA correspondent reported that three civilians were killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting the home of the Abu Shammala family in Al-Amal neighborhood west of Khan Younus, in the southern Strip.

The Israeli warplanes also struck the home of the Al-Nadir family in Jabalya in the northern Strip, resulting in the killing of three civilians and the wounding of others.

T.R.

***

UN: 14,000 infants could die in Gaza within 48 hours due to blockade

Wednesday 21-May-2025

LONDON, (PIC)

Humanitarian organizations have warned that Israel’s systematic starvation policy against more than two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip could result in the deaths of around 14,000 infants over the next two days unless urgent and adequate food aid is delivered.

Despite the announcement that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had allowed five aid trucks loaded with food and aid for children to enter the besieged Gaza Strip, experts described the move as “a drop in the ocean.”

UN humanitarian official Tom Fletcher said that the amount that entered the Strip falls far short of the required response, adding that Gaza is experiencing “very high levels of acute malnutrition,” with hunger threatening a quarter of a million people suffering from severe food deprivation.

In an interview with the BBC, Fletcher explained that relief teams estimate that 14,000 infants could die within 48 hours if they do not receive immediate food aid.

He also pointed out that the trucks that entered through the Karm Abu Salim crossing on Monday, a small number compared to the 600 trucks that entered daily during periods of calm, had not yet reached the population.

On Tuesday, Israel allowed 100 additional trucks to enter, but Fletcher expressed fears that these trucks could be looted amid growing chaos and despair in the besieged enclave.

This comes amid a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip since March 2, with food stocks running out at international organizations after 79 days of blockade.

For his part, Wissam Mushtaha of Oxfam said that “Israel has deprived the people of Gaza of food, water and medicine, and continues its indiscriminate and brutal bombardment,” adding that “There are two million people on the brink of starvation, suffering from hunger, disease, trauma and displacement.”

Mushtaha considered that the limited access to aid does not represent real progress, but rather a “narrow concession” reflecting mounting international pressure on Israel.

In a notable political development, the UK, Canada, and France issued a joint statement on Monday condemning the “unacceptable level of human suffering” in Gaza and threatening to impose specific sanctions on Israel if the blockade continues.

British Foreign Secretary David Lamy announced before Parliament the suspension of trade negotiations with Israel, while his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barou stated that Paris supports a review of the partnership agreement between the European Union and Israel, saying, “Blind violence and the blockade imposed on aid have turned Gaza into a cemetery. This must stop immediately. It is a flagrant violation of all international laws.”

These European positions mark a departure from the prevailing Western discourse since October 7, 2023, which considered Israel’s war of extermination on the Gaza Strip to be “self-defense.”

As the scale of the humanitarian disaster grows, human rights organizations and Western lawmakers are increasingly calling for an end to military and political support for Israel, which faces a genocide case before the International Court of Justice.

For her part, Oxfam’s policy officer for the Palestinian territories, Bushra Al-Khalidi, stressed that what is needed now is “the immediate opening of all crossings to ensure a comprehensive and safe humanitarian response that respects international law.”

She also stressed that “a symbolic convoy does not represent progress” and that “ending the bombardment and achieving justice and accountability” are essential conditions for ending the escalating tragedy.

***

PGMO: 326 Palestinians in Gaza died due to malnutrition, food and medicine shortages

Wednesday 21-May-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

The Palestinian Government Media Office (PGMO) in Gaza revealed that the starvation policy imposed by the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip has led to 58 deaths due to malnutrition and 242 deaths due to food and medicine shortages, including 26 kidney patients and 300 miscarriages among pregnant women during 80 days of Israeli siege following the occupation’s violation of the ceasefire agreement.

In a report issued on Wednesday, the PGMO expressed “grave concern and condemnation of the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip as a result of the occupation’s continued implementation of a systematic starvation policy and preventing the entry of food, medical supplies in addition to fuel for 80 consecutive days, in a clear and complete crime amounting to genocide and heralding a major humanitarian catastrophe that threatens the lives of more than 2.4 million Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.”

Since March 2, 2025, Israel has not allowed any humanitarian aid or fuel trucks to enter the Gaza Strip, despite the urgent need for at least 44,000 trucks during this period to meet the minimum basic needs of the population, the PGMO explained.

“This is accompanied by a complete closure of all crossings, in flagrant violation of all international laws and norms, and in full view of the international community,” it added.

It further explained that “the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has really reached catastrophic levels, with this dangerous situation reflected in the number of deaths.”

The PGMO called on all countries of the world, the international community, the UN, and humanitarian and human rights organizations to take urgent and immediate action to open all crossings and allow food, medicine, and fuel into the Gaza Strip, and to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians before it is too late, as the Gaza Strip needs 500 aid trucks and 50 fuel trucks daily for vital and medical supplies.

It also called on the International Criminal Court and human rights and legal organizations to “assume their moral and legal responsibilities to prosecute the Israeli leaders as war criminals, bring them to justice before international courts, and stop these massacres and violations that exceed all limits of humanity.”

The Israeli occupation forces resumed their aggression against the Gaza Strip on March 18 with airstrikes across the Strip, killing and injuring more than 12,000 Palestinians, in violation of a ceasefire agreement with Palestinian resistance factions that had lasted for about 60 days.

***

‎***

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

***‎

Palestinian injured, others kidnaped following IOF raids in W. Bank

Wednesday 21-May-2025

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) injured a Palestinian teenager and kidnapped other citizens during raids in the West Bank last night and on Wednesday morning.

According to local sources, the IOFs kidnapped two citizens, including a woman, after ransacking their homes in Qalqilya City.

In Ramallah, the IOFs kidnapped 10 citizens, including a prisoner’s mother and relatives, following raids on homes in Baitounya town and Al-Jalazoan refugee camp.

During the IOFs raid in Jalazoan refugee camp, Israeli occupation soldiers reportedly assaulted local residents, prevented others from going to a mosque for the Fajr prayer, and detonated a store’s doors.

The IOFs also raided homes in Silwad town, northeast of Ramallah, with no reported kidnappings.

In Jineen, a teenager suffered a bullet injury in his abdomen after Israeli occupation forces stormed Qabatya town. The Red Crescent said it transferred the wounded boy to the hospital for medical assistance.

IOFs bulldozers reportedly wreaked havoc on roads and infrastructure during its campaign in the town, amid drone overflights.

Five citizens, including two fathers and two sons, were taken prisoners during the IOFs raid in Qabatya.

In Salfeet, Israeli occupation soldiers broke into and ransacked a kindergarten and demolished parts of its walls.

The IOFs also stormed other areas of the West Bank and raided several homes, without making any kidnappings.

***

IOF demolishes Palestinian property in West Bank

Wednesday 21-May-2025

WEST BANK, (PIC)

Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) demolished a room inside a commercial facility and re-demolished a park in the town of Na'haleen, west of Bait La'hm (Bethlehem), on Wednesday.

The IOFs stormed the Qurnet al-Demes area south of the town of Na'haleen and demolished a room inside a commercial facility belonging to citizen Ibraheem Abu Dayya.

The occupation forces also re-destroyed a park under renovation after it had been demolished four months ago.

In Bethlehem, the IOFs seized three vehicles during a raid on the town of Al-Khadhir, south of the city, belonging to A'hmed Isma'eel 'Awadh Sala'h, Yousuf 'Hasan Isma'eel 'Eisa, and Mu'hammed Khalid 'Ali Ghunaim.

In Ramallah, the occupation forces demolished a facility in the village of Dair Jarir, east of the city, and raided the towns of Kafr Malik, Silwad, and Baitounia.

Meanwhile, a number of settlers raided the Jabal al-Tal area in the town of Sinjeel, north of Ramallah.

***

 IOFs destroys Palestinian house in Al-Khaleel (Hebron) City

Wednesday 21-May-2025

Al-Khaleel (Hebron), (PIC)

The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) detonated on Wednesday morning a house belonging to a Palestinian martyr in the West Bank City of Al-Khaleel (Hebron).

According to local sources, a large number of Israeli troops stormed different neighborhoods of al-Khalil City and detonated, for the second time, the house of martyr Abdu-Qadir Al-Qawasmi.

The sources added that the IOF detained a number of local residents in the neighborhood where the detonation took place and set up a checkpoint at the northern entrance of al-Khalil City.

The IOF already demolished the house of martyr Al-Qawasmi on January 21, 2024. He was martyred on November 16, 2023.

***

***

Aggression and Attacks by Illegal Israeli Settlers and Soldiers

*** 

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

***

Dozens of the illegal Israeli settlers defile Al-Aqsa Mosque

Wednesday 21-May-2025

Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem), (PIC)

Scores of the illegal Israeli settlers desecrated Al-Aqsa Mosque in Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem) on Wednesday morning and later in the afternoon, amid tight restrictions on the entry of Muslim worshipers to the holy site.

According to local sources, dozens of settlers entered the Mosque through its Maghariba Gate and provocatively toured its courtyards under police protection.

During their tours at the Islamic holy site, the settlers received lectures from rabbis about the alleged temple mount and a number of them provocatively performed Talmudic prayers.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation police imposed movement and entry restrictions on Muslim worshipers at the Aqsa Mosque’s entrances and gates and prevented many of them from entering the holy site.

In a related context, Palestinian religious and national figures and institutions have urged Palestinian citizens to intensify their presence at the Aqsa Mosque and protect it against desecration by Jewish settlers.

***

Illegal Israeli settlers set fire to lands south of Nablus

NABLUS, May 21, 2025 (WAFA) –

A group of the illegal Israeli settlers Wednesday set fire to agricultural lands on the outskirts of Madama village south of Nablus, according to local sources.

Sources reported that groups of colonists launched an attack on civilian-owned lands near the village and deliberately ignited fires.

This incident forms part of a broader escalation in settler violence across villages in the Nablus Governorate, marked by a growing pattern of arson targeting agricultural lands and systematic assaults on civilian property.

T.R.

***

Illegal Israeli settlers attack home east of Bethlehem and steal agricultural produce in Hebron

Bait La'hm (Bethlehem), May 21, 2025 (WAFA) –

A group of the illegal Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian home in the Khalayil Al-Loaz area east of Bait La'hm (Bethlehem) on Wednesday evening, forcing its residents to leave at gunpoint, according to security sources.

Sources said that a group of colonists stormed a house in the said area and forced the family to leave at gunpoint.

Colonists and Israeli occupation forces have escalated their attacks on the Khalayel Al-Loaz area, targeting homes, opening fire, and uprooting land.

In a separate incident on Wednesday, colonists erected a tent on Palestinian residents’ land in the eastern part of the archaeological site of Tell Ma’een near Yatta, raising fears among local residents that the colonists intend to seize the area and establish a new settlement outpost.

Furthermore, colonists stole agricultural crops, including wheat and barley, from a local Palestinian farmer’s land and transported them to one of the colonial outposts, illegally established on Palestinian land in the village of Ma'een in the Hebron Governorate.

The settler violence against Palestinians and their properties has dramatically increased since the onset of Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people on October 7th, 2023.

The indiscriminate violence by Israeli colonists against Palestinian civilians and their properties has been widely condemned.

Several countries have imposed sanctions against Israeli colonists accused of committing acts of violence against the Palestinian people in the West Bank.

T.R.

***

Illegal Israeli settlers set up mobile homes on Salfeet-governorate town’s land

Salfeet, May 21, 2025 (WAFA) –

A group of the illegal Israeli settlers on Wednesday set up mobile homes on the lands of the Bruqeen town, west of the occupied West Bank city of Salfeet, according to a local source.

Mayor of Bruqeen, Faed Sabra, said that colonists, under Israeli army protection, erected makeshift houses on the villagers’ lands, several days after they laid the groundwork for this step, razing the lands and uprooting trees.

He considered this step as part of Israel’s larger scheme to take over Palestinian-owned land and build colonies.

Salfeet Governor, Mustafa Taqatqa, slammed this step as a part of the colonists’ scheme, with the direct support of the occupation authorities, to annex Palestinian land in violation of international law.

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

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

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

K.F.

***

***

News Related to the Israeli Genocidal War on the Palestinian People

***

UN condemns the Israeli mass starvation of Palestinian children amid ongoing aid blockade in Gaza

GENEVA, May 21, 2025 (WAFA) –

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child strongly condemned the Israeli ongoing obstruction of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Committee expressed grave concern over reports indicating that more than 14,000 babies could die within hours if life-saving supplies are not allowed into the besieged Strip.

The Committee urged the international community to exert immediate pressure on the Israeli occupation authorities to ensure the sustained and unimpeded delivery of essential food and medical aid.

Citing data from UNICEF and the World Health Organization, the Committee stated that more than 11 weeks of blocked humanitarian access have exacerbated the food security crisis in Gaza. Over 50 children have already died from starvation, with many more at imminent risk. The Committee warned that if the blockade persists, additional child deaths are inevitable, and up to 71,000 children under the age of five could suffer from acute malnutrition within the next year.

It added that the right to food is a fundamental human right, intrinsically linked to the right to life, and is therefore non-derogable under international law.

The Committee also condemned the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip, adding that the attacks are killing and maiming women and children, including the killing of at least 116 children last week, even before accounting for casualties from today’s airstrikes.

The Committee stated that there is no justification for actions that blatantly violate international humanitarian law, as well as international human rights law, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

The Committee reiterated the importance of the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on July 19th last year, along with its orders issued on January 26th and May 24th of the previous year, in the case of South Africa against Israel, regarding the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip.

T.R.

***

 Italy, Spain and Belgium condemn Israeli forces' shooting at diplomatic delegation in Jineen refugee camp

ROME, May 21, 2025 (WAFA) –

Italy, Spain and Belgium strongly condemned the Israeli occupation forces' use of live ammunition against a diplomatic delegation while they were at the entrance of Jineen refugee camp to witness the dire conditions within the camp.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani condemned the attack on Wednesday, calling on Israel to provide an immediate explanation and emphasizing that threats against diplomats are unacceptable.

The Spanish Foreign Ministry also condemned the attack, as reported by France Press. The Ministry confirmed that one Spanish diplomat was part of the group but assured that they were unharmed. Spain further stated that it is in contact with other affected countries to coordinate a joint response to the incident, which they strongly denounce.

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxim Prevost expressed his shock at the Israeli forces' assault on the diplomatic delegation, noting that the convoy was clearly identifiable. He called on Israel to provide a convincing explanation and confirmed that the Belgian diplomat in the delegation was unharmed.

A diplomat present during the visit told France Press that they heard repeated gunfire coming from within the Jenin refugee camp.

T.R.

***

EU’s Kallas urges Israel to investigate shooting at diplomats in Jineen refugee camp

BRUSSELS, May 21, 2025 (WAFA) -

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, called on the Israeli occupation authorities to investigate the live fire directed at a diplomatic delegation while it was present at the entrance of the Jineen refugee camp.

Kallas also urged Israel to hold those responsible for the incident accountable, emphasizing that any threat to the lives of diplomats is unacceptable.

She said that, as a party to the Vienna Convention, Israel has an obligation to ensure the safety of all foreign diplomats.

T.R.

***

World Health Assembly adopts decision health conditions in occupied territories

GENEVA, May 21, 2025 (WAFA) –

 The World Health Organization on Wednesday adopted a decision on the health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

The World Health Assembly adopted the decision titled the Health Conditions in the Occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan, during its seventy-eighth session, held under the theme “One World for Health”, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

104 WHO Member States voted in favor of the draft decision, which highlights the deliberate targeting of hospitals and medical personnel, the obstruction of the passage of ambulances, and denying patients access to treatment, 14 WHO Member States abstained, and four others voted against it.

The WHO Member States that voted against it were Germany, Israel, the Czech Republic and Hungary.

K.F.

***

European outrage after Israeli army targets diplomats in Jineen

Wednesday 21-May-2025

WEST BANK, (PIC)

Italy, France, Spain, and Belgium have all summoned Israeli diplomats in protest after Israeli forces opened fire on a delegation of European and Arab diplomats visiting the area near Jineen refugee camp in the occupied West Bank earlier today. No injuries were reported, but the incident sparked strong condemnation.

Italy

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced on Wednesday that he instructed the Secretary-General of the Foreign Ministry to summon the Israeli ambassador to Rome for an official explanation. Tajani described the warning shots fired by the Israeli army as “unacceptable threats” and said they targeted diplomats visiting the West Bank.

He confirmed that Italian Deputy Consul Alessandro Totino, who was part of the delegation, is safe and well.

France

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot also said he would summon the Israeli ambassador to Paris for clarification. “A visit to Jenin involving one of our diplomats came under fire by Israeli soldiers. This is unacceptable,” Barrot wrote on X, expressing full support for the French team on the ground and commending their work under difficult circumstances.

Spain

Spain’s Foreign Ministry summoned Israel’s chargé d’affaires in Madrid shortly after strongly condemning the incident. According to a statement cited by AFP, a Spanish diplomat was among the delegation and is safe. The ministry said it is coordinating with other concerned nations to issue a joint response.

Belgium

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot demanded “credible explanations” from Israel after what he described as warning shots aimed at “twenty diplomats” in the occupied West Bank, including one Belgian national. He stated on X that the visit had been coordinated in advance with the Israeli army and involved a convoy of clearly marked diplomatic vehicles.

Background

The diplomatic visit, organized by the Palestinian Authority, was aimed at assessing the humanitarian situation in Jenin. The Israeli military’s opening of fire — even as warning shots — on an officially coordinated diplomatic mission has been widely condemned as a dangerous escalation and a breach of international norms protecting diplomatic personnel.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the West Bank, as military operations by Israeli forces continue to intensify, drawing growing international scrutiny.

***

Diplomatic delegation visits  Jineen to witness firsthand impact of ongoing Israeli military onslaught

 Jineen, May 21, 2025 (WAFA) –

A diplomatic delegation, including ambassadors and consuls from over 30 countries and international organizations, as well as foreign media representatives, visited the city and refugee camp of  Jineen on Wednesday to assess the dire situation resulting from the ongoing Israeli military onslaught, now in its 121st consecutive day.

The delegation was received by Ambassador A'hmed Al-Deek, Political Adviser at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Mayor of Jenin Kamal Abu al-Rub, and other key officials.

During the visit, the delegation came under fire from Israeli military forces while attempting to observe the devastating impact on the camp. This alarming and unprecedented incident underscores the brutality of the occupation and its blatant disregard for international norms and humanitarian law.

The Governor of  Jineen provided a detailed briefing to the delegation on the extent of Israeli violations in  Jineen and its refugee camp. He emphasized that since 2023, Jenin has endured 16 Israeli incursions, with the current offensive being the most intense and destructive.

He also briefed them on the impact of these incursions, which have caused extensive damage to infrastructure, the demolition of hundreds of homes, and significant loss of life. Forty residents have been killed and 200 others wounded by Israeli gunfire.

The Governor further highlighted the mounting humanitarian crisis, with over 22,000 displaced individuals, including 17,000 from the Jenin refugee camp alone. He urged the international community to urgently intervene to halt the ongoing aggression.

He confirmed that the Palestinian government, under the guidance of the president, is working to secure support and assistance for the displaced and to develop a plan for their resettlement and reconstruction, in partnership with the private sector.

During the visit, the delegation was briefed on the economic consequences of the Israeli siege, particularly the closure of the Al-Jalama military checkpoint, which is considered the economic lifeline of the city of  Jineen. Its prolonged closure has effectively paralyzed commercial activity in the city. Officials called for an immediate lifting of the siege and urgent support for the sectors most affected across the governorate.

A video prepared by the  Jineen Municipality was presented to the delegation, documenting the extensive destruction inflicted on the city. The footage highlighted widespread damage to infrastructure and property, with direct financial losses estimated at 298 million shekels.

The delegation included ambassadors from Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, the European Union, Portugal, China, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Turkey, Spain, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Japan, Romania, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Canada, India, Chile, France, and the United Kingdom, among other representatives from various countries.

T.R.

***

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

Editorial Notes about terms & names of people and places:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

***

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

Al-Khaleel (Hebron)

Al-Nusayrat

Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem)

Aree'ha (Jericho)

Al-Zaytoun (al-Zeitoun)

Bait (Beit)

Bait La'hm (Bethlehem)

Dair El-Bala'h

Jineen (Jenin)

Khan Younus (Khan Younis)

***

Person's names as pronounced in standard Arabic:

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

'Hasan Mulai'hat,

***

Conflict terminology

The Israeli occupation apartheid regime (the Israeli government)

Illegal Israeli settlers (instead of settlers, colonists)

A group of the illegal Israeli settlers

***