Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

On Day 227 of the US-Backed Israeli Genocidal War on Gaza Strip, 10 Massacres, 106 Palestinians Killed, 176 Injured, with a Death Toll of  35,562 and 79,652 Injuries

May 20, 2024 

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Editor's Notes:  

Here are some initial (not final) statistics, which show the Israeli war crimes against humanity, during the current Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip:  

By May 20, 2024, the initial death toll of Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip is 42,562+.   

This includes the accounted for deaths (35,562) and those who are still missing under the rubble (Corrected on April 18, 2024: 7,000+). 

By May 20, 2024, the documented injuries exceeded 79,652 and more than 2,520 civilians have been abducted from Gaza Strip. 70% of deaths were for children and women.

By May 20, 2024, 507 Palestinians who were killed, 4,367 who were injured, and 8,880, who were abducted by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank, since October 7, 2023 (Some of the detainees have been released).

By January 17, 2024, about 661 detainees from Gaza are currently languishing in Israeli prisons as “illegitimate combatants” (the Israeli term for Palestinian fighters) in addition to more than 50 women from Gaza, who are detained in the Damon prison, noting that 8 women of whom have been recently released.

By March 4, 2023, the death toll included 13,420+ children, 8,900+ women (more than 72.8% of the accounted for victims), 364 doctors and medical staff, 132 journalists, and 48 civil defense workers. 

By March 4, 2024, the Government Media Office (GMO) said that the Israeli occupation forces killed 364 health personnel, destroyed 155 health institutions, 32 hospitals, 53 health centers, 126 ambulances, displaced 1.9 million Palestinians, and destroyed 360,000 housing units, about and 60% of the buildings and infrastructure in Gaza Strip.

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GMO reveals latest statistics on Israeli genocidal war on Gaza

Saturday 3-February-2024, GAZA, (PIC)

The Palestinian Government Media Office (GMO) in the Gaza Strip revealed on Saturday the latest and most significant figures on the Israeli ongoing genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since October 7.

This announcement comes as the latest updates from the GMO, showing the scale of human and material damage that resulted from the Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, on its 120th day.

The statistics demonstrated latest updates on the numbers of martyrs, missing, and wounded people in addition to the sick, displaced and prisoners as well as numbers of damaged structures and infrastructure.

Below are figures released by the GMO about Israel’s violations over the period of 120 days since the start of its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

(2,325) Massacres (34,238) Martyrs and missing people. (27,238) Martyrs who arrived in hospitals. (12,000) Child martyrs. (8,190) Female martyrs. (339) Martyrs of medical staff. (46) Civil defense martyrs. (122) Journalist martyrs. (7,000) Missing, 70% of whom are children and women. (66,452) Wounded.

(11,000) Wounded people in need of travel abroad for treatment, (life-saving and critical cases). (10,000) Cancer patients facing the risk of death. (700,000) Wounded with infectious diseases as a result of displacement. (8,000) Cases of viral hepatitis infection due to displacement. (60,000) Pregnant women at risk due to the lack of health care. (350,000) Chronic patients at risk due to blocked medications.

(99) Cases of arrest among health personnel. (10) Cases of arrests among identified journalists. (2 million) Displaced people in the Gaza Strip.

(140) Government headquarters destroyed. (100) Completely destroyed schools and universities. (295) Partially destroyed schools and universities. (183) Completely destroyed mosques. (264) Partially destroyed mosques. (3) Destroyed Churches.

(79,200) Completely destroyed housing units. (290,000) Partially destroyed and uninhabitable housing units. (66,000) tons of explosives dropped on Gaza. (30) Hospitals knocked out of service. (53) Health centers knocked out of service. (150) Partially targeted Health institutions. (122) Destroyed ambulances. (200) Destroyed archaeological and heritage sites.

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A Palestinian father grieving his martyred daughter who was killed by Israeli genocidal bombardment on Gaza Strip, on May 20, 2024	An injured Palestinian father and his injured son were among the 176 who were injured, and 106 killed by Israeli genocidal air strikes and bombardment on Gaza Strip, on May 20, 2024
South African FM Naledi Pandor said that her country will go ahead with the genocide case against Israel before the International Court of Justice, May 20, 2024 pic	Prosecutor of the ICC, Karim Khan, is seeking to arrest warrants against Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and DM Yoav Galant, for committing war crimes in Gaza Strip, May 20, 2024 icc
Death and destruction inflicted on Tel Al-Sultan, in Rafa'h, by Israeli genocidal air strikes, on May 20, 2024	Injured Palestinian children arriving to the Kuwaity hospital, as a result of the Israeli genocidal air strikes and bombardment on Rafa'h, May 2024
Martyrs and injured Palestinians arriving to the European hospital, as a result of the Israeli genocidal air strikes and bombardment on Khan Younus, May 2024	Charitable soup is distributed to some children in Rafa'h, in absence of food supplies as a result of the Israeli closure of the two Rafa'h border crossings, May 20, 2024

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

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

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

"إِنْ أَحْسَنتُمْ أَحْسَنتُمْ لِأَنفُسِكُمْ ۖ وَإِنْ أَسَأْتُمْ فَلَهَا ۚ " (الإسْرَاءُ ، 17: 7). 

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

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

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

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

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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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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 verb "abduct" than the verb "detain," 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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ICC seeks to issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant for war crimes

RAMALLAH, Monday, May 20, 2024 (WAFA) – 

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, said that he is seeking to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister, Yoav Galant, on charges of committing war crimes.

Khan explained in a press statement published on the court’s official website, that “taking into account the evidence collected and examined by his office, he has good reason to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant bear criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.

He confirmed that the evidence it collected, including interviews with victims and direct witnesses, documented audio and video documents, satellite images, and statements made by members of the group that allegedly committed these crimes, proves that Israel deliberately and systematically committed the deprivation of civilians.

He pointed out that the occupation imposed a complete siege on Gaza, by completely banning access to the three main border crossings, Rafa'h, Karm Abu Salim, and Bait 'Hanoun and arbitrarily restricting the delivery of basic supplies  such as food and medical supplies.

Khan also highlighted the issue of  closing the water lines connecting Israel to Gaza – the main source of drinking water for the citizens of Gaza – for an extended period, starting on October 9, 2023, and interrupting and obstructing the electricity supply from at least October 8, 2023 until today.

The Office of the Prosecutor confirmed that these actions were part of a joint plan to deliberately starve civilians as a means of war and resort to other acts of violence against civilians in Gaza.

He stressed that the use of starvation as a method of war, along with other attacks and collective punishment applied to civilians in Gaza, led to severe, clear and well-known repercussions.

He pointed out that this method of warfare led to problems of malnutrition, dehydration, painful suffering, and an increasing number of deaths among Palestinian civilians, including newborns, children and women.

Y.S.

Background:

Surprisingly, Karim Khan is also seeking arrest warrants to three Palestinian leaders. Thus, he is equalizing the Palestinian victims who are defending themselves against the Israeli occupation apartheid regime and its occupation forces, a right acknowledged by the international law.

Here's the link for the full text of his statement:

Statement of ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC: Applications for arrest warrants in the situation in the State of Palestine | International Criminal Court (icc-cpi.int)

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'Hamas extends condolences over passing of Iran’s president and his companions

Monday 20-May-2024

Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem), (PIC)

The 'Hamas Movement has conveyed its leadership’s “deepest condolences and solidarity” to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the Iranian government, and the Iranian people over the death of President Ebrahim Raisi and senior officials in a helicopter crash on Sunday.

Hamas praised the deceased Iranian leaders for supporting the Palestinian people’s legitimate struggle and resistance against the Israeli occupation, and expressed its confidence that Iran’s “deep-rooted institutions” will be able to overcome “the repercussions of this immense loss.”

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, his foreign minister Hussein Amir Abdollahian and other senior officials were found dead early Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in a foggy, mountainous region of the country’s northwest, state media reported. 

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Mohammad Mokhber takes over as Iran's new president for a 50-day-period

TEHRAN, Monday, May 20, 2024 (WAFA) – 

Mohammad Mokhber, who has served as the first vice president since 2021, will take over as the new president of Iran for a period of 50 days.

Following the death of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and his companions in a helicopter crash in the mountains of northwestern Iran, his deputy is now set to take the helm.

According to the Iranian Constitution, the first vice president assumes the charge in the event of the death of the sitting president of the country for 50 days.

During this period of 50 days, a temporary presidential council comprising the first vice president, the speaker of parliament, and the chief of the judiciary will work together to hold a fresh presidential vote.

Mokhber, who was chosen by Raisi to be his first deputy following his landslide win in the 2021 presidential elections, previously headed the Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order (EIKO), also known as Setad, a social welfare organization under the direct control of the Supreme Leader’s office.

K.T.

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South Africa: We will continue our efforts to apply the Genocide Convention to Israel

Monday 20-May-2024

GENEVA, (PIC)

South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said that the massacres committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip are a reality before the entire world, affirming that her country will go ahead with the case against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

“We want to apply the Genocide Convention to Israel regarding its behavior against the Palestinians,” she added.

She described what is happening in Palestine as apartheid, stressing that South Africa is seeking to activate the United Nations Committee against Apartheid to investigate Israel’s behavior.

For his part, South African Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola confirmed that the ICJ genocide case filed by his country against the Israeli occupying entity helped influence public opinion and increase international support for the Palestinian cause.

In its plea before ICJ, South Africa called on the court on Thursday to take immediate steps to stop the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, stressing that “nothing justifies genocide, not even the right to self-defense.”

The South African delegation explained at the court that civilians are being pushed from one place to another in the Gaza Strip and the court must act now, calling for urgent aid delivery to save the lives of the people in Gaza. 

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Al-Hams: Contact with Al-'Awda Hospital is almost lost

Monday 20-May-2024

GAZA, (PIC)

Marwan Al-Hams, the head of the emergency committee in the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, said on Sunday that contact with Al-'Awda Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip, is almost lost, expressing his concern for the lives of the medical staff and patients inside.

Al-Hams explained in television statements that the Israeli occupation army continues its approach of disabling the healthcare system, pointing to the deliberate disruption of Al-Awda Hospital, which serves the areas of Jabalya, Bait Lahya, and Bait 'Hanoun.

According to Al-Hams, the Israeli occupation army shelled the vicinity of Al-'Awda Hospital, and its shells reached inside the hospital.

He confirmed that people are prohibited from entering or leaving the hospital amid the besieging of medical teams.

Al-Hams said, “Medical teams are suffocated; there is no electricity, and fuel cannot reach them because they are now considered (tapped) in a combat zone.”

He noted that “medical supplies and medical equipment cannot reach the hospital”, describing the situation there as a result as “catastrophic”.

He warned of the arrest, killing, and displacement of medical teams.

Al-Hams pointed out that “the only hospital remaining in the north is Kamal 'Udwan Hospital, which is a small hospital barely providing service.”

Israeli occupation forces besieged Al-'Awda Hospital in Jabalya, northern Gaza Strip, on Sunday, coinciding with the escalation of intense shelling in various parts of the Gaza Strip.

Media sources said that the Israeli genocidal artillery shelled the hospital with several shells before besieging it, preventing citizens and medical staff from entering or leaving, which made it difficult to provide medical services to the injured and patients.

Since the start of the Israeli aggression on October 7, 2023, the occupation army has deliberately disrupted the healthcare system in the Gaza Strip, targeting hospitals, including Al-'Awda Hospital in the north, through threats of closure and shelling.

Al-'Awda Hospital is the only hospital that provides orthopedic, women’s and maternity services in the northern Gaza Strip, in addition to general surgery, reception and emergency services, specialized clinics, radiology, and laboratories.

On May 11, the Israeli occupation army launched a wide-scale attack on Jabalia city and its camp in the northern Gaza Strip after asking residents to evacuate the area and head west of the city.

The Israeli occupation army continues its brutal aggression on the Gaza Strip for the 226th consecutive day, coinciding with the continued aerial and artillery bombardment of the homes of civilians and displaced people in various parts of the Strip, committing, in the process, new massacres against civilians.

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

On May20, 2024, Dr. Ashraf Al-Qidra, the Spokesperson of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that the Israeli genocidal air strikes and bombardment on Gaza Strip resulted in 10 massacres, which resulted in the killing of 106 Palestinian civilians, and the injury of 176 others, in the past 24 hours. This increased the accounted for death toll in Gaza Strip to 35,562 and the injuries to 79,652, since the start of the Israeli genocidal war on October 7, 2023.   

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Gaza: Death toll surges to 35,562 martyrs

Monday 20-May-2024

GAZA, (PIC)

The health ministry in Gaza said on Monday that the Israeli occupation army committed 10 massacres in different areas of the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours, killing at least 106 civilians and injuring over 176 others, while a large number of victims are still under the rubble of bombed buildings or lying on roads.

In a statement, the health ministry said that the Israeli army killed and injured a large number of civilians in different areas of Gaza during the past 24 hours, but at least 282 of them, including 106 martyrs, were transported to hospitals.

The health ministry added that the death toll from the ongoing Israeli bombardments and shooting attacks, which started on October 7, climbed to 35,562 martyrs and the number of the wounded surged to 79,652 people.

The Gaza Strip has been under brutal bombardment since a cross-border operation was launched by Hamas’s armed wing, al-Qassam Brigades, on October 7.

Besides the large number of casualties and the huge displacement of people, basic food, fuel, water and medical supplies have run out for the 2.3 million residents in Gaza due to the tight Israeli blockade and the massive destruction of infrastructure and facilities.

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US-backed Israeli genocidal war on Gaza enters day 227

Monday 20-May-2024

GAZA, (PIC)

As the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip entered day 227 on Monday, aerial and artillery strikes continued to pound and target different areas and massacre more civilians, especially in northern Gaza.

Reporters for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said that the Israeli occupation army continued to bomb homes in different areas of Gaza during the past 24 hours, amid ongoing attacks in Rafa'h and Jabalya.

According to media sources, five martyrs were evacuated to the Kamal 'Udwan Hospital after an Israeli attack on a house belonging to the family of Ka'hlout in Bait Lahya, north of Gaza.

Another attack on a neighborhood near the Kamal 'Udwan Hospital in northern Gaza claimed the lives of a number of citizens and injured others.

The Israeli army also bombarded the Abu Iskandar area in the Shaikh Radhwan neighborhood, north of Gaza City, killing at least eight civilians and injuring others, while casualties, including one martyr, were reported in another attack near the 'Ali Mosque in Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the southeast of Gaza City.

Two women from the family of Da'hdou'h were also martyred in an Israeli genocidal attack on Al-Zaytoun neighborhood.

Two civilians were martyred and three others were wounded in an Israeli artillery attack on the entrance of 'Izbat 'Abd Rabbo in the east of Jabalya.

Israeli genocidal drone strikes also targeted a group of civilians near the Namaa Club in Jabalya, killing one child and injuring two others.

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

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

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Ex-detainee Farouq Al-Khateeb dies of cancer five months after his release

Monday 20-May-2024

RAMALLAH, (PIC)

A few months after his release from an Israeli jail, ex-detainee Farouq Al-Khateeb, a 30-year-old from Abu Shukhaidim town in Ramallah, died of cancer in a Palestinian hospital on Monday.

Al-Khateeb was released about five months ago while suffering from life-threatening health issues, including cancer, due to his exposure to abuse and medical neglect during his detention.

Al-Khateeb had been kidnaped in August 2023 and soon later administratively jailed for six months, but he was released earlier on December 20 due to his serious health condition.

In 2020, he was diagnosed with a slow heart rate (bradycardia), but Al-Khateeb did not suffer from cancer when he was detained

His family affirmed that the Israeli prison authority deprived him of medication and treatment and provided him with poor food until his body became a skeleton, adding that he was savagely beaten in his chest and abdomen during his transfer from 'Ofer jail to another one by Israeli forces a few days following the October 7 events of 2023.

Later, he suffered from acute dehydration and severe pains his intestines that developed into intestinal cancer before he underwent surgery to remove parts of his intestines. Following the operation, he was exposed to deliberate medical neglect in his detention, according to the family.

Al-Khateeb died leaving behind his wife and daughter. He had been detained in 2019 and jailed for four years on allegations of his affiliation with the 'Hamas Movement, but he was released in November 2022.

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IOFs kidnap several Palestinians, carry out demolitions in the West Bank

Monday 20-May-2024

WEST BANK, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) kidnapped a number of Palestinian citizens and demolished an apartment building and a commercial facility during raids in the West Bank.

According to local sources, the IOFs kidnapped at least 14 citizens during raids on different areas of Al-Khaleel province.

Israeli forces also carried out raids in Ramallah and kidnaped two citizens from Al-Teera neighborhood in the city and Budrus village.

In a separate incident, the IOFs demolished a four-story house belonging to Yousuf al-Tarsh in Artas village, southwest of Bethlehem, at the pretext of unlicensed construction. The house had been built over 20 years ago.

The IOFs also demolished a car wash belonging to a Palestinian citizen in the town of 'Aqraba, south of Nablus, claiming it was built with no permit.

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Israeli occupation forces detain 26 Palestinians across the West Bank

RAMALLAH, Monday, May 20, 2024 (WAFA) – 

Israeli occupation forces Sunday evening and dawn Monday detained at least 26 Palestinians, including several former prisoners, from various parts of the occupied West Bank, according to the Commission of the Detainees and the Ex-detainees Affairs and the Palestine Prisoner’s Society (PPS).

They said that the occupation forces rounded up at least 26 Palestinians, with the majority of the detainees coming from the West Bank district of Hebron, where Israeli soldiers detained 21 people after breaking into their homes.

The other detentions took place in Ramallah and Al-Berih districts. They added that as part of the raids, the occupation forces usually practice torture, beating, destruction of Palestinian property and confiscation of cash savings on a large scale.

The statement added that the occupation forces stormed and searched the home of the family of prisoner Islam 'Hamid in the town of Silwad. He has been detained since 2015 and sentenced to 21 years in prison, as part of the collective punishment policy used by the occupation against prisoners and their families.

According to the Commission and the PPS, the occupation forces have detained over 8,880 Palestinians since October 7, 2023. Such prisoners were detained from their houses, at checkpoints, were forced to turn themselves in or were held as hostages.

They added that the occupation forces are responsible for the forced disappearance of the detainees from the Gaza Strip following 223 days of the Israeli genocidal war on the Strip.

Y.S.

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Day 227 of Genocide: Dozens of civilians killed, others injured, in ongoing Israeli bombardment of Gaza

GAZA, Monday, May 20, 2024 (WAFA) –

For the 227th day in a row, the Israeli occupation forces continue to bomb several areas in the Gaza Strip, killing dozens and wounding others.

Local sources said that Israeli occupation artillery stationed in the “Netzarim” axis, south of Gaza City, fired shells at the eastern areas of the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City.

The Israeli occupation warplanes launched at least two raids on Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City.

Yesterday, three people were killed, according to Al-Baptist Hospital, as a result of an Israeli aircraft bombing on the vicinity of Sheikh Zakaria Mosque in Al-Daraj neighborhood in central Gaza City.

The occupation warplanes carried out a raid on a house in Al-Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City.

Three citizens were killed, and others were injured, when occupation aircraft bombed a house owned by Al-Attar family in Abu Iskandar area in Al-Shaikh Radhwan neighborhood, north of Gaza City.

WAFA correspondent reported that occupation artillery bombed the eastern areas of the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, coinciding with Apache warplanes firing at Jabalya camp in the north.

Six citizens were killed as a result of the occupation targeting a residential apartment owned by Labad family in the town of Bait Lahya in the northern Gaza Strip.

He added that the occupation warplanes launched a raid on Abraj Al-Qastal area, east of the city of Dair El-Bala'h in the central Gaza Strip, and targeted a house east of the Buraij camp.

In the south, the Israeli occupation warplanes targeted a residential apartment belonging to Khafaja family in Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, west of the city of Rafah, killing one man, his wife and their 15-month-old daughter.

WAFA correspondent pointed out that the occupation gunboats fired several shells and opened fire with machine guns off the coast of Rafa'h.

The occupation artillery bombed the outskirts of the town of Al-Qarara, north of the city of Khan Yunis, in the south of the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli occupation continues a brutal aggression against the Gaza Strip, by land, sea and air, since October 7, 2023, which resulted in killing of 35,456 Palestinian civilians, the majority of whom were children and women, and injuring 79,476 others, in an infinite toll, as thousands of victims are still under the rubble.

K.T.

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Aggression and Attacks by Illegal Israeli Settlers and Soldiers

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Dozens of the illegal Israeli settlers defile Al-Aqsa Mosque under the Israeli occupation apartheid regime police guard

Monday 20-May-2024

Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem), (PIC)

Hordes of the illegal Israeli extremist Jewish settlers escorted by police officers desecrated Al-Aqsa Mosque’s courtyards on Monday morning, amid tight restrictions on the entry of Muslim worshipers to the holy site.

According to local sources, dozens of the illegal Israeli extremist Jewish settlers entered the Mosque in different groups through its Maghariba Gate and toured its courtyards.

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 apartheid regime police imposed movement and entry restrictions on Muslim worshipers at Al-Aqsa Mosque’s entrances and gates and prevented many of them from entering the holy site.

In a related context, Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem) sources warned of settlers’ intents to smuggle sacrificial animals into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound to slaughter them next Wednesday to mark the second Passover festival (Pesach Sheni).

The sources urged the Palestinian citizens to march en masse to Al-Aqsa Mosque nowadays and intensify their presence in its courtyards to protect it against settler desecration.

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Illegal Israeli settlers set fire to a Palestinian used car garage south of Nablus

Monday 20-May-2024

NABLUS, (PIC)

A group of the illegal Israeli fanatic settlers set fire on Sunday evening to a used-car garage in the town of Yetma, south of Nablus, in the northern occupied West Bank, burning a number of vehicles.

Local sources reported that dozens of extremist settlers in the Avitar settlement, illegally established on the top of Mount Subai'h, attacked the town of Yetma and set fire to a vehicle shed near the main road, setting a number of vehicles ablaze. They added that the fire spread to nearby olive fields.

The illegal Israeli fanatic settlers also attacked a number of nearby houses and tried to set them on fire before being confronted by residents.

Violent confrontations broke out between the residents and settlers as well as Israeli occupation soldiers who fired stun and tear gas grenades at the citizens.

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Illegal Israeli settlers attack a Bedouin community near Aree'ha (Jericho)

Aree'ha (Jericho), Monday, May 20, 2024 (WAFA) – 

Illegal Israeli settlers attacked the Bedouin community of Arab Al-Malihat community, located to the west of Aree'ha (Jericho) in the occupied West Bank

'Hasan Mulai'hat, a local activist who is an advocate of the rights of Bedouins, said that a group Israeli colonists broke into the he community, grazed their sheep on agricultural crops and assaulted two local residents.

Illegal Israeli settlers, protected by the Israeli soldiers, have escalated their attacks against Palestinian and their properties in multiple towns, villages and on roads in the West Bank.

They also attacked trucks transporting goods and humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, at the Tarqoumiya military checkpoint in Hebron.

Y.S. 

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Israeli occupation forces demolish building near Bait La'hm (Bethlehem)

Bait La'hm (Bethlehem), Monday, May 20, 2024 (WAFA) –

 Israeli occupation forces Sunday morning began demolishing a building in the village of Artas, south of Bait La'hm (Bethlehem), under the pretext that it was built without a permit.

Local sources told WAFA correspondent that the Israeli bulldozers began demolishing a four-storey building located in Atan area, owned by local resident Yousuf Al-Atrash from Al-Wallaja.

The head of the Artas Village Council, Lutfi As'ad, pointed out that the building was built more than 20 years ago, noting that there has been a clear recent escalation by the occupation forces against the people of Arta.

Such escalation includes demolishing a number of homes and other notices to stop construction, as well as the demolition of agricultural rooms, in addition to providing protection to colonists when they storm lands opposite the village and attempt to seize it, as happened in Khallet Al-Qatoun area.

K.T.

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