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

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On Day 464 of US-Backed Israeli Genocidal War on Gaza Strip, 2 Massacres, 28 Palestinians Killed, 89 Injured, in the Past 24 Hours, with a Death Toll of  46,565 and 109,660 Injuries

by January 12, 2025 

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Note: The Health Ministry stated in its Saturday update that 499 additional Palestinians, whose names were documented and verified by the ministry's relevant committee, have been added to the overall death toll, bringing the total to 46,537.

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Editor's Notes:  

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

By January 12, 2025, the initial death toll of Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip is 56,565+.   

This includes the accounted for deaths (46,565), those who are still missing under the rubble (an estimate of at least 10,000+). 

By January 12, 2025, the documented injuries exceeded 109,6601.

By January 12, 2025, 847 Palestinians who were killed, 6,652 who were injured, and 10,831*, who were abducted by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank, since October 7, 2023, including 310 women and 640 children (Some of the detainees have been released).

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

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28 Palestinians were killed and 89 were injured, in the past 24 hours, by the Israeli genocidal air strikes and bombardment on the Gaza Strip, January 12, 2025.	The Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip resulted in an accounted for death toll of 46,565 and injuries of 109,660, mostly children and women, by January 12, 2025 pic
The tight Israeli restrictions led to a severe shortage of food supplies in Gaza Strip, as seen above in Palestinian children competing to receive food meals from ocal charities, January 12, 2025.	Israeli prisons and detention centers constitute a systematic framework inherently aimed at torturing and mistreating Palestinian prisoners and detainees, as reported by Euro-Med, January 12, 2025.

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بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

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

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

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

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Gaza: Death toll surges to 46,565 martyrs

Sunday 12-January-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

The health ministry in Gaza said on Sunday that the Israeli army committed two massacres in different areas of the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours, and killed and injured at least 114 civilians, while a large number of victims are still under the rubble of bombed buildings or lying on roads.

In a statement, the health ministry explained 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 28 martyrs and 89 wounded citizens arrived at hospitals.

The health ministry added that the death toll from the ongoing Israeli bombardments and shooting attacks climbed to 46,565 martyrs and the number of the wounded surged to 109,660 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, 2023.

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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Israeli genocidal war on Gaza enters Day 464

Sunday 12-January-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

In the midst of catastrophic humanitarian suffering for more than two million Palestinians — half of them children, the Israeli occupation army continued, for the 464th consecutive day, to pound and target different areas and massacre more civilians in the Gaza Strip, especially in the northern areas.

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

The Israeli army’s large-scale genocidal campaign in northern Gaza, especially in Jabalya and Bait Lahya, has been ongoing since October 5, 2024, where its forces continue to intensively bomb homes and shelters and attack civilians while imposing a tight siege on the entire area.

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

Local sources said that a number of civilians suffered injuries when an Israeli warplane attacked them near Al-Shawwa plaza in Gaza City.

Another airstrike on a group of citizen in Baghdad street in Al-Shuja’iya neighborhood, east of Gaza City, injured a number of them.

Two people were also martyred in an Israeli airstrike in the northwest of Gaza City.

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

In a related context, the health ministry said on Sunday that the Israeli army committed two massacres in different areas of the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours, and killed and injured at least 114 civilians, while a large number of victims are still under the rubble of bombed buildings or lying on roads.

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Two Palestinians killed and others injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City

GAZA, January 12, 2025 (WAFA) –

Two Palestinian civilians were killed and several others were injured today in Israeli airstrikes targeting the Al-Shati refugee camp and the Shujaiya neighborhood in Gaza City.

WAFA correspondent reported that one Palestinian was killed when an Israeli drone struck a group of people in the al-Shati refugee camp, located west of Gaza City.

Additionally, another Palestinian was killed, and several others were injured when Israeli forces targeted a group of civilians in Baghdad Street in Al-Shuja'iyya neighborhood, east of Gaza City.

Meantime, several Palestinians were injured with varying degrees following Israeli artillery shelling which targeted the Al-Buraij refugee camp, located in the central Gaza Strip.

The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 2023 has so far resulted in at least 46,565 documented Palestinian fatalities, with over 109,660 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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Three Palestinians, including a paramedic, killed in ongoing Israeli genocidal airstrikes on Gaza

GAZA, January 12, 2025 (WAFA) –

Three Palestinians, including a paramedic, were killed last night as Israeli occupation forces continued their bombardment of various areas in the Gaza Strip, according to local sources.

WAFA correspondent reported that two of the victims, along with several injured individuals, were transferred to Al-'Awda Hospital in Al-Nusayat following an artillery strike by Israeli forces targeting residential homes in Al-Buraij and Al-Nusayrat refugee camps in central Gaza.

Meantime, Israeli military vehicles continued to fire heavily towards the northwestern regions of Gaza City, further escalating the attacks.

In a related incident, paramedic 'Hasan Al-Ka'hlout, from the Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza, succumbed to his injuries after being wounded in an earlier Israeli airstrike on the northern Gaza region.

The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 2023 has so far resulted in at least 46,537 documented Palestinian fatalities, with over 109,571 others injured.

Thousands of victims are feared trapped under rubble, inaccessible to emergency and civil defense teams due to Israeli attacks.

Israel's genocidal attacks continue unabated despite calls from the UN Security Council for an immediate ceasefire and directives from the International Court of Justice urging measures to prevent genocide and alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

M.N.

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Several Palestinians killed and injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City and Jabalya

GAZA, January 12, 2025 (WAFA) –

Several Palestinians were killed and others were injured this morning in Israeli airstrikes that targeted areas in Gaza City and the town of Jabalya, according to local sources.

Sources reported that Israeli fighter jets bombed the Al-Mukhabarat area, northwest of Gaza City, resulting in the killing of two civilians.

Additionally, a number of Palestinians were killed, and others sustained injuries, in a drone strike that targeted a gathering of people in Jabalya, located in the northern Gaza Strip.

The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 2023 has so far resulted in at least 46,537 documented Palestinian fatalities, with over 109,571 others injured.

Thousands of victims are feared trapped under rubble, inaccessible to emergency and civil defense teams due to Israeli attacks.

Israel's genocidal attacks continue unabated despite calls from the UN Security Council for an immediate ceasefire and directives from the International Court of Justice urging measures to prevent genocide and alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

M.N.

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

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Two children injured by Israeli occupation forces near Jaba', south of Jineen

Jineen, January 12, 2025 (WAFA) –

Two children were injured by live ammunition fired by Israeli occupation forces early this morning near the town of Jaba', to the south of Jineen in the occupied West Bank, according to medical sources.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that its emergency teams transported the two injured children to medical facilities. One child, a 15-year-old boy, sustained a gunshot wound from live ammunition, while the other, a 13-year-old, was injured by shrapnel in his foot.

The incident occurred during an attack by Israeli colonists on a site near Jaba', which is close to the village of Silat Al-Dthahr. Israeli forces had stormed the village in the early hours of the morning to secure the way for Israeli colonists to reach a location on the outskirts of the village, near Jaba'.

M.N. 

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Israeli occupation forces kidnap three children and tighten restrictions in Al-Khaleel (Hebron)

Al-Khaleel (Hebron), January 12, 2025 (WAFA) –

 Israeli occupation forces kidnapped three children on Sunday during an early morning raid in the town of Bait Ummar, north of Hebron in the southern West Bank, according to local sources.

Mu'hammed 'Awadh, a local activist, reported that Israeli occupation soldiers stormed the Safa neighborhood in the town of Bait Ummar and conducted a raid on several homes, where they ransacked the properties, damaged furniture, and detained three minors.

The three were identified as Mus'ab Khalid Ikhlayil, 15, 'Hamad Ra-id 'Adi, 16, and Qais Mu'hammed Al-Teet, 15.

In addition to the detentions, Israeli forces continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinians throughout the region. The entrances to various refugee camps, towns, and the city of Hebron have been closed off with metal gates.

Military checkpoints were also set up at the entrances to the Old City of Hebron, near the Ibraheemi Mosque, and at several locations such as Ras Al-Joura neighborhood in the north and Farsh Al-Hawa in the west. Israeli soldiers stopped and searched vehicles, verifying the identities of passengers and causing further disruptions in daily life.

M.N.

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Palestinians kidnaped, others injured, in IOFs raids in the West Bank

Sunday 12-January-2025

WEST BANK, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) stormed last night and Sunday morning different West Bank areas and kidnaped and injured a number of Palestinian citizens.

According to local sources, the IOFs kidnapped at dawn a young man from his home in Al-Ma'hawir area in Al-Khaleel (Hebron).

The IOFs also raided an apartment building and forced its residents to leave it in Al-Kassara area in southern Al-Khaleel (Hebron).

Last night, a young man suffered a bullet injury in his leg when the IOFs opened fire at him during his presence near a military gate at the entrance of Al-Samou' town, south of Al-Khaleel (Hebron).

Another young man also suffered a bullet injury in his thigh during clashes between local youths and Israeli forces in Doura town, south of Al-Khaleel (Hebron).

One young man was reportedly kidnapped during the IOFs raid in Doura town.

Israeli occupation forces also stormed Al-Majd village in western Al-Khaleel (Hebron), where they forced storeowners to close their businesses, fired stun grenades and tear gas canisters, intercepted cars, and detained and interrogated a number of citizens.

In Aree'ha (Jericho), the IOFs stormed 'Aqabat Jabr refugee camp and ransacked a house, with no reported kidnappings.

In Nablus, Israeli occupation forces carried out raids in the villages of Badthan and Kafr Qalleel and Nablus City, without making arrests.

One young man was taken prisoner after he suffered a bullet injury during an IOFs raid in eastern Nablus on Saturday evening.

In Salfeet, the Israeli occupation soldiers went on the rampage through several homes in Dair Istya town.

For several days, the IOFs have been blocking the main entrance of Dair Istya with mounds of dirt and rocks and preventing Palestinian citizens from entering and leaving it.

In Ramallah, the IOF stormed Baitounya town and patrolled its streets, while a number of citizens suffered different injuries when extremist settlers escorted by the Israeli occupation soldiers attacked Turmus 'Ayya town and clashed with local residents. One citizen was kidnapped by the IOFs during the events in Turmus 'Ayya.

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Aggression and Attacks by Illegal Israeli Settlers and Soldiers

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

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Dozens of the illegal Israeli settlers defile Aqsa Mosque

Sunday 12-January-2025

Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem), (PIC)

Dozens of the illegal Israeli Jewish settlers escorted by police forces desecrated the Aqsa Mosque in Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem) on Sunday morning.

The settlers entered the Mosque in different groups through its Maghariba Gate and toured its courtyards under tight police protection, according to local sources.

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 Al-Aqsa Mosque’s entrances and gates.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is exposed to daily desecration by Jewish settlers and police forces in the morning and the afternoon except on Fridays and Saturdays.

Recent months have seen an unprecedented increase in settler break-ins at the Aqsa Mosque and an increase in settler violations against the Islamic holy sites, especially during Jewish holidays.

Meanwhile, Maqdisi (Jerusalemite) figures and activists have urged Muslim worshipers to intensify their presence at the holy site all the time to protect it against desecration and Judaization. 

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Illegal Israeli Jewish settlers attack homes, cars in the West Bank

Sunday 12-January-2025

WEST BANK, (PIC)

A group of the illegal Israeli extremist Jewish settlers attacked homes in Madama town in southern Nablus on Sunday as well as cars on the road between Nablus and Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

According to local sources, settlers from the illegal settlement of Yitzhar attacked Palestinian homes on the outskirts of Madama town in the presence of Israeli soldiers, who prevented local residents from reaching the area to fend off the attackers.

Meanwhile, another group of settlers hurled stones at Palestinian cars traveling on the road between Nablus and Ramallah and pepper-sprayed passengers after forcing some cars to stop.

Settler violence against Palestinians is a daily issue in the West Bank. Instead of taking action to combat their crimes, the Israeli military and security authorities aid and abet settlers in harming Palestinians, destroying their property and seizing their lands.

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Illegal Israeli Jewish settlers attack Palestinian vehicles on Nablus-Ramallah road

NABLUS, January 12, 2025 (WAFA) –

 A group of the illegal Israeli extremist Jewish settlers attacked Palestinian vehicles today on the road connecting the cities of Nablus and Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, causing widespread fear and disruption, according to local sources.

Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli colonists ambushed vehicles near the Zaatara military checkpoint, forcing Palestinian drivers to stop. They proceeded to spray the vehicles with pepper gas. No injuries have been reported so far.

The Palestinian Authority’s Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission has reported that Israeli colonists committed over 2,971 violations against Palestinians and their property throughout 2024. These actions resulted in the killing of 10 Palestinian citizens.

The commission also highlighted that the colonists set fire to 373 properties and fields across the Nablus, Ramallah, Jenin, and Tulkarm districts. In addition, they uprooted or damaged 14,212 trees, including 10,459 olive trees, which are crucial to the livelihoods of Palestinian farmers.

These attacks are part of a broader pattern of violence and intimidation by Israeli colonists, which often targets Palestinian civilians, their homes, and agricultural lands. The consistent rise in settler violence is part of an ongoing strategy to displace Palestinians and expand Israeli settlement activities in the occupied West Bank.

M.N.

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IOAR delivers demolition order against a Maqdisi (Jerusalemite) home in Silwan

Sunday 12-January-2025

Bait La'hm (occupied Jerusalem), (PIC)

The Israeli occupation apartheid regime (IOAR) delivered on Sunday morning a demolition ultimatum against a Palestinian house in the east Bait La'hm (occupied Jerusalem) district of Silwan, south of the Aqsa Mosque.

According to local sources, employees from the Israeli municipality and police officers stormed Wadi Rababa neighborhood in Silwan and handed the family of Baidhoun a notice ordering it to demolish parts of its home it had built recently and to pay a financial penalty for not obtaining a construction permit.

Two days ago, a Maqdisi (Jerusalemite) citizen demolished his house that was overlooking the Aqsa Mosque to avoid paying fines and demolition costs if a municipal crew carried out the measure.

The Jerusalemites have no choice but to build without licenses because there are no structural maps that respond to the natural increase in their numbers.

The IOA also imposes building restrictions on the Palestinian natives in Occupied Jerusalem and makes it hard for them to obtain construction licenses.

Israel’s systematic demolition of Palestinian homes in the holy city is believed to be aimed at psychologically destroying the Jerusalemite families in an attempt to force them to move from their city.

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Israeli occupation forces tighten restrictions at checkpoints in northern Jordan Valley

JORDAN VALLEY, January 12, 2025 (WAFA) –

Israeli occupation forces intensified their restrictions today at the Tayaseer and 'Hamra military checkpoints in the northern Jordan Valley, northeast of the West Bank, leading to severe traffic congestion and hindering the movement of Palestinian citizens.

Local sources reported that the increased restrictions at both checkpoints since the early morning hours caused long traffic delays, obstructing the daily movement of residents.

The Israeli military has been tightening restrictions at these checkpoints for over a year, with frequent closures, but the measures have significantly escalated over the past week.

These checkpoints are key transit points for Palestinians in the area, and the heightened restrictions exacerbate the difficulties faced by locals in accessing essential services and moving freely within the occupied territory.

M.N.

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News Related to the Israeli Genocidal War on the Palestinian People

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Statistical data show a sharp contraction of 82% in Gaza’s GDP

Sunday 12-January-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

Recent data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics has shown a severe contraction in the gross domestic product (GDP) of the Gaza Strip, exceeding 82%, amid the continued Israeli war of extermination for the second consecutive year.

According to the data, which documented the economic reality during 2024, unemployment rates have risen to 80% among the population, the majority of whom were daily wage workers or employed by the government in Gaza or affiliated with the Palestinian Authority.

Throughout 2024, most economic activities in Palestine declined compared to the previous year. Construction activity in the Gaza Strip saw a decrease of 98%, amounting to a value of $332 million, followed by industrial activity which declined by 90%, and agricultural activity which fell by 91%.

Furthermore, the services sector declined by 81%, reflecting a sharp and unprecedented drop in the history of economic and commercial sectors, marking the first of its kind in the history of the conflict.

During the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, which began on October 7, 2023, the majority of commercial activities halted in the early days of the war, while the occupation targeted industrial, commercial, and economic facilities through aerial bombardments and ground military operations.

Even before the war, the unemployment rate ranged between 49% to 52%, rising among graduates and university degree holders to over 60%, and reaching about 80% among females.

The Gaza Strip has suffered for many years from a harsh Israeli blockade that has caused rising rates of poverty and unemployment among the population, leading to increased levels of deprivation and a decline in daily income to about $1. Additionally, food insecurity has risen, with around 80% of the population receiving aid from international and relief agencies.

The occupation has placed dozens of materials and goods on lists prohibiting their entry into the Strip, under the pretext of their use in military industries for Palestinian resistance, depriving the industrial sector of many raw materials and causing the shutdown of dozens of factories. As the war enters its second year with unprecedented negative indicators, the economic and commercial future of the Strip, as well as its industrial sector, appears uncertain and challenging due to the complete destruction of all infrastructure.

Economic experts anticipate further economic contraction if radical and comprehensive interventions continue to be absent, with expectations of worsening economic deterioration and rising rates of unemployment and poverty, especially in Gaza.

Experts also predict an increase in Gaza’s reliance on external aid due to the erosion of the local productive base and the collapse of most economic and commercial sectors, which will deepen the dependency of the Palestinian economy. Additionally, the threat to social and political stability is expected to escalate due to rising unemployment and poverty rates, particularly among youth who face uncertainty about the future and are overwhelmed by frustration and despair.

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Shocking details of torture and medical neglect of Gaza prisoners in Israeli detention

RAMALLAH, January 12, 2025 (WAFA) –

In a harrowing report, the Palestinian Authority’s Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Commission, along with the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, revealed new testimonies from detainees in Gaza who were recently visited in the Israeli prisons of Al-Naqab and Naf'ha.

The testimonies highlight a range of shocking abuses, including systematic torture, severe mistreatment, medical neglect, and brutal beatings, with many detainees continuing to suffer from lasting physical and psychological trauma.

Over two days, 23 detainees from Gaza were visited, revealing chilling details about their experiences. According to the testimonies, the abuse began immediately upon arrest, particularly during the initial period and interrogation.

Nearly 464 days after the start of the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza, and more than a year since the detention of many of these detainees, the accounts continued to detail torture, starvation, medical malpractice, violent beatings, and severe repression. The reports also highlighted the spreading of the highly contagious skin disease scabies among prisoners.

These latest revelations add to a growing body of evidence documenting systematic violations committed by Israeli forces against Palestinian detainees from Gaza. While Sde Teiman military camp was previously known as a major center for torture and mistreatment, detainees' accounts show that similar abuses have now been reported across various prisons and detention centers, including Naqab and Ofer.

Notably, extremist Israeli Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir recently revealed in a video from Rakefet Prison – a facility beneath the infamous Nitzan Ramla prison – that several other new detention camps had been established post-war, including Ofer, Naf'ha, Anatot, and Sde Teiman, to detain prisoners from Gaza. These camps and detention centers are known only to specialized institutions, and detainees from Gaza are scattered across various Israeli prisons.

The testimonies gathered from Gaza detainees describe a pattern of systematic abuse and dire living conditions.

They burned me with hot water

One detainee, 45-year-old K.N., detained in December 2023, recounted his horrifying experience: "I was severely beaten to extract confessions, leaving me with fractures. After 58 days in a camp in the Gaza perimeter, I was transferred to Naqab Prison, where they burned me with hot water. The burn marks are still visible on my body. We live in tents, which are torn, and we suffer from extreme cold and hunger."

I go to bed hungry and wake up hungry

21-year-old A.H. shared his suffering: "I was detained in February 2024, during the evacuation process, and taken to several camps before reaching Naqab. I have developed boils, sores, and holes all over my body due to scabies – I go to bed hungry and wake up hungry. I also suffer from high eye pressure, and my left eye is in serious danger."

We were beaten for an entire day

21-year-old M.H. described his brutal first days of detention: "The first days of my detention were horrifying. I was subjected to brutal torture, including a full day of beating, followed by being doused with sewage and urinated on by the soldiers. Then we were transferred to another camp for 27 days, where we were kept kneeling, blindfolded, with hands and feet shackled. We live in constant suffering and torment."

We live in hell

Another detainee, K.J., recalled: "In the beginning, we lived in hell. We didn’t know our fate or legal status. We endured every form of abuse, and now we face hunger. The food portions are minimal and inedible. Many of us collect crumbs to make one meal, and since our arrest, we’ve been deprived of sugar and salt. Our living conditions are unbearable."

Prisoners are hungry and shivering from the cold

25-year-old M.A. recounted his experience: "I was detained from a school and subjected to physical abuse, nakedness, and field interrogation. I was later transferred to various camps before reaching Naqab. Today, most of the prisoners are suffering from extreme fatigue and weight loss. Many faint due to the severe conditions. The hunger, diseases, and cold are unbearable."

My artificial eye fell out due to severe beating

Detainee M.D. shared his painful story: "I was detained while with my family and taken to Gaza’s frontier before being moved to Naqab. The severe beating caused me to lose my artificial eye, and I now have a hollow socket. The soldiers also confiscated my glasses."

The testimonies also highlighted the dire health needs of many detainees. One of the detainees had cancer and had undergone several surgeries before his arrest, but now his condition has worsened due to lack of proper medical care. Many other detainees are also suffering from serious health issues and are being denied medical treatment.

The report also revealed that some detainees lost family members in the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza. One detainee had lost his wife and several relatives, and later, his father passed away, leaving him to cope with unimaginable grief while in detention.

M.N. 

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Euro-Med: Israeli prisons and detention camps designed to torture Palestinian detainees

Sunday 12-January-2025

GENEVA, (PIC)

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor stated in a statement on Saturday that Israeli prisons and detention centers, by their very design and structure, constitute a systematic framework inherently aimed at torturing and mistreating Palestinian prisoners and detainees, while depriving them of their most basic human rights.

Israel’s establishment of an underground prison in the city of Ramla, along with the display of images of prisoners and detainees there in appalling humanitarian conditions that gravely violate international standards for detention conditions, shows disdain for the global justice system but is a logical outcome of a long history of impunity made possible by the complete impunity that Israel enjoys from the United States of America and many European governments.

Video clips released by Israeli media showed Palestinian detainees and prisoners chained inside underground cells without mattresses or blankets, enclosed by iron gates, and not exposed to sunlight. The Israeli Broadcasting Authority reports that detainees are shackled and kept in a tiny cell for twenty-three hours every day, with only one chance to leave the cell during the day to enter a tiny, dark courtyard.

The Israeli claim that the prison is reserved for the most dangerous detainees—whom Israel says are members of the Hamas elite and the Hezbollah-affiliated Radwan Forces—does not excuse the violation of international law’s regulations regarding the treatment of detainees and prisoners. These regulations stipulate that all prisoners and detainees must be treated humanely, and they forbid attacks on their lives and physical integrity, including torture, mutilation, cruel treatment, and all forms of killing, regardless of the circumstances that may be used as an excuse.

Given Israel’s treatment of prisoners and detainees, it is reasonable to doubt its assertions that the individuals it holds there are elite members and are therefore not entitled to even the most basic legal protections under Israeli law. This claim is untrue and frequently used as a pretext for torture and retaliation, as evidenced by the fact that thousands of detainees from the Gaza Strip were released after being subjected to cruel torture and unlawful detention conditions under the pretext of elite membership.

The remarks made by the Israeli Minister of National Security during his tour of the new prison, which calls for his trial and accountability at all levels of the legal system, are in addition to earlier racist remarks that declare an official Israeli intention to commit and incite the commission of the crime of genocide against the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip, including prisoners and detainees.

This prison serves as an example of the systematic Israeli policy of designing prisons and detention facilities to serve as instruments of torture, punishment, and maltreatment through the layout and form of the cells or detention rooms and the amenities provided within.

Israel deprives Palestinian detainees and prisoners of their humanity, violates their rights, and diminishes their dignity by using prisons as part of a systematic process.

At least thirty prisons and detention facilities are known to exist, in addition to a different set of camps set up during the genocide in the Gaza Strip. The Sde Teiman military base’s detention center is one of these facilities; like the Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo prisons, which are infamous for grave human rights abuses, it has come to represent the torture and murder of Palestinian detainees and prisoners

According to the testimonies of Palestinians who were released, the Israeli army and the Israeli Prison Service share responsibility for the administration of the prisons, and both parties alternately abuse and torture detainees and prisoners.

According to the dozens of testimonies that the Euro-Med received from detainees who have been released, they are being held in open spaces encircled by barbed wire in desert regions, or they are being held in cramped cells with no ventilation, subpar detention conditions, and virtually no facilities or services, including water cutting off for extended periods of time.

In addition to thousands of Gaza Strip residents whose numbers or detention locations are unknown and who have been forcibly disappeared, Israeli occupation forces are detaining over 10,400 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in their prisons.

All states and relevant international organizations must act swiftly and forcefully to prevent Israel’s systematic and pervasive crimes of murder, torture, and other grave violations against Palestinian detainees and prisoners; to guarantee that they are held in conditions that ensure their humane treatment and respect for their inherent human dignity; to immediately and unconditionally release those who are arbitrarily detained; to permit visits from competent local and international organizations, and ensure access to legal representation.

Israel needs to be pressured by the international community to immediately cease the crime of enforced disappearance against Palestinian prisoners and detainees from the Gaza Strip, uncover all secret detention camps, reveal the identities of all Palestinians it is holding from the Strip, their whereabouts and fates, and take full responsibility for their safety and well-being.

In addition to conducting an immediate, independent, and unbiased international investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of all Palestinian prisoners and detainees who perished in Israeli prisons and detention facilities, Israel must return the remains of Palestinian prisoners and detainees who perished there and take the necessary actions to hold those responsible accountable and bring justice to the victims.

All states involved must assist the International Criminal Court (ICC) in its efforts to look into these crimes and provide the court with specialized referrals on the crimes against Palestinian detainees and prisoners in Israeli jails and detention facilities, particularly after October 7, 2023.

It urged all relevant parties to work collectively to activate the mechanism of universal jurisdiction to hold perpetrators of crimes against Palestinian prisoners and detainees accountable before the national courts of countries that apply universal jurisdiction. These crimes, for the most part, constitute violations of peremptory norms of international law and are classified as grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and their First Additional Protocol. This legal basis enables the activation of universal jurisdiction, regardless of the location of the crime or the nationality of the perpetrator and/or the victim, in accordance with the laws in force in those countries.

International and UN inquiry and inquiry committees, such as the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel should be permitted access to the area in order to look into sexual violence crimes against Palestinian detainees and prisoners.

The international community should carry out its legal responsibilities to prevent the crime of genocide and all other crimes committed by Israel against all Gaza Strip residents, including prisoners and detainees, since October 7. It should also use effective pressure tools to compel Israel to immediately cease these crimes, adhere to international law, and protect Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.

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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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