LUISTER NAAR DE JOODSE STEMMEN OVER

DE ISRAELISCHE MEGA-MISDRIJVEN TEGEN

HET INTERNATIONAAL HUMANITAIR RECHT

JEGENS DE PALESTIJNEN !

THE JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE - JVP

  LEES "THE WIRE" !

BERICHTEN NA 28-02-2025 STAAN HIER

31 maart 2025

Today's headlines

The first responders massacre: 14 aid workers found dead and buried, hands bound

Tareq S. Hajjaj

A group of Civil Defense and Palestinian Red Crescent crews in Gaza disappeared when they went to Rafah on a rescue mission. A week later, the bodies of 14 first responders were found dead and buried in the sand by the Israeli army.

Eid in Gaza: Joy tainted by blood

Hala Al Khatib

For Palestinians in Gaza, this Eid was supposed to be a symbol of resilience and hope after months of war. But Israel's renewed attack, which broke the ceasefire, has crushed even our smallest dreams.

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31 maart 2025

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31 maart 2025

Here in our end of March newsletter, we wish you a happy Eid from Hebron and bring you the news that our Director Issa Amro is

            Nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize!!  

Issa has been active as a human rights defender on the ground in Hebron for more than 20 years.

“Our nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize will both protect us as we confront the military and settlers in the West Bank and provide a powerful platform for advancing a just peace between our peoples.” Halper stated. “At this political moment, when colonization, occupation, ethnic cleansing, genocide and the prospect of internationally-sanctioned apartheid and permanent war is upon us, nominating a Palestinian Muslim and a Jewish Israeli for this year’s Peace Prize sends a powerful and timely message.

Palestinian children live in the heavy shadow of the occupation during their formative years. Surrounded by violence, restrictions and segregation, these children are denied a normal childhood. The most vulnerable families are those who live directly next to illegal Israeli settlements, checkpoints and closed streets and experience the heaviest psychological impacts from the occupation. Living in a heavily restricted area, these children are deprived of a healthy social life.

‏We also received a delegation of American activists. Our Executive Director Issa Amro explained the policy of displacement in Hebron city and the daily suffering of Palestinians living with violence from Israeli settlers and soldiers.

Another area heavily hit by the occupation is in the South Hebron hills. Our Executive Director took visitors to families living in the town of Yatta and visited the homes of those at heavy risk of displacement. This is the area in focus of the Palestinian documentary No Other Land who just won an Academy Award.

Help us promote Palestinian human rights globally by showing people the situation in Hebron city!

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31 maart 2025

Readers’ Recommendations

• • Israel’s PM Netanyahu to visit Hungary despite ICC arrest warrant (Al Jazeera)

• Red Cross outraged over killing of eight medics in Gaza (BBC)

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30 maart 2025

On this Land Day, Palestinians Remain Steadfast in the Midst of the Genocide

On March 30th, 1976, Palestinians who remained in 1948 Palestine called the first general strike that developed into mass demonstrations against Israel's large-scale land seizures and policy to “Judaize” the Galilee and thereby further marginalize and dilute the indigenous Palestinian minority. On that day, 6 unarmed Palestinians were killed, close to 100 were wounded, and 100s of others were arrested. For the first time since 1948, an organized general strike was called against Israel’s policy of land expropriation and emphasized the collective consciousness of the Palestinians throughout all of historic Palestine and beyond. Every year, Palestinians throughout the world commemorate March 30th as “Land Day” (Yom Al-Ard).

In honor of Land Day, on March 30th, 2018, 40,000-50,000 Palestinian men, women, and children took to the perimeter fence separating Gaza from Israel, in popular protest, to demand an end to the Israeli siege and blockade, and their right of return. This became known as the Great March of Return. Over 200 Palestinians were killed, including 46 children. An independent Commission of Inquiry found that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that Israeli snipers targeted children, health workers, journalists, and the disabled.

Israel’s brutality and bestiality knows no bounds. Whether during peaceful marches or otherwise, our brothers and sisters in Palestine, especially in Gaza, continue to live under Israel’s inconceivable oppression, with unconditional U.S. support. As we celebrate our blessed day of Eid and spend time with our loved ones, let us remind ourselves that our struggle for justice goes beyond our immediate circles. Fighting for justice is a duty of our faith, so let us fulfill it.

In solidarity,
American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)

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30 maart 2025

Today's headlines

Why are Palestinians not allowed to survive?

We had just begun rebuilding our lives when Israel shattered the Gaza ceasefire. Now we are once again on the edge of death and I can only ask, Why are we not allowed to survive?

Gaza will still be here when the nightmare ends

Driving through Gaza for the first time since the war started, nothing was recognizable anymore. But Gaza was still there, making me realize that it was stronger than the war. It will still be there once the darkness passes.

Israel’s war on Gaza was never about Hamas

Qassam Muaddi

The voices of Palestinians who protested in Gaza are not only a reminder of the unbearable suffering that has been inflicted upon them, but also of the fact that those subjected to that suffering are an entire people. And it is the genocidal fascist state of Israël that is the only guilty for making the hell out of Gaza.

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30 maart 2025

In solidarity,

Yuval Green
Refuser Solidarity Network

 Support Gaza War Refusers

We were ordered to burn the house; I notified them that I was not willing to comply. I left Gaza and never returned
 
Yuval Green, Haaretz, March 21 2025

Like many Israelis, I enlisted in the military out of a sense of loyalty to the state and a willingness to sacrifice. After a challenging combat service, I continued to serve as a reserve soldier. On October 7th, I was called, along with my comrades, to defend the borders of the country. That very evening, I arrived at the supply warehouses of my reserve unit. There, we received old and faulty equipment and witnessed how the military, on which we relied, failed to prepare for an extreme scenario.

In the following days, we entered the affected settlements around the Gaza Strip. I saw the deserted paths of Gaza villages, corpses lying in them, cars riddled with bullets, destroyed homes.

After the first days of the war, my unit entered a period of waiting and training. During that time, doubts began to take root in me. I believed that Israel's primary commitment should be toward the hostages, who had been taken cruelly from their homes due to the security failure. I thought that there was no military solution to the hostage problem.

Beyond the consequences of the war for us, Israelis, I watched in pain what was happening in Gaza. Already in the early days of the war, there were thousands of casualties, thousands of destroyed homes, displaced persons, suffering, and pain.

A few weeks later, 50 days after entering Gaza, we received an order from our company commander: after we leave the house we are staying in, we must burn it. The order left me in shock. I asked the commander why we were burning the house. His first response — which, in my eyes, exemplifies the indifference to Palestinian lives — I will never forget: "We are burning the house because we don't have a D9 bulldozer available." After I insisted on understanding, he added: "We burn every house we leave." My requests to reconsider the act went unanswered, and that evening, around four buildings were burned in Khan Yunis. I witnessed those fires, the black smoke. How many families lost their homes that evening?

I informed my commander that I was not willing to cooperate with this action, and I was leaving the fighting. I set a clear moral boundary in the face of immoral actions. I left Gaza in the first supply vehicle and never returned, five days before my unit withdrew from the fighting.

The war in Gaza continues primarily because of a rotten and corrupt political culture, where cynical and unworthy politicians are dragged into a messianic struggle led by religious fanatics, who view settling the land as a higher value than human life.

I believe that Israeli culture, which blindly elevates military service above any other human value, is what allows extremists to lead us down this path. I see many people around me who recognize reality as I see it. They understand that the military pressure is killing the hostages, understand that the war is killing soldiers, understand that we are fighting mainly due to pressure from extreme elements.

We are often accused, those of us who refuse to participate in the war, of harming the army and thereby endangering the security of the state. However, I believe that in a country walking the path of fascism, where ending the war is seen as a "painful concession" in negotiations, there will never be enough soldiers. Even if we recruit all the yeshiva students, send all the youth to the front, and even mobilize the Arab population, there will always be more land to conquer in Syria, another enclave in the West Bank to seize.

In my opinion, strengthening the security of the state lies in a firm opposition to the war that endangers our soldiers, harms our economy, kills many Palestinians, and thus sows deep seeds of hatred.

My comrades and I in the organization "Soldiers for Hostages" declared that we will not be willing to continue cooperating with the abandonment of the hostages. If the government does not change course, we will not continue to serve. In such an extreme political climate, our role has become more important than ever. In recent months, since the publication of our letter in an article by Liza Rozovsky ("Haaretz", 9.10.2024), we have received significant responses that indicate how much our movement is troubling the leadership. This, despite the fact that at the time of publication, we were only 130 soldiers. The Prime Minister addressed our group in a cabinet meeting and said about us: "They've lost their national compass." In addition, each signatory of the letter received a personal phone call from their battalion or brigade commander, demanding they remove their signature.

It is important to clarify that we, the signatories of the letter, now more than 200 soldiers, are neither deserters nor evaders. Among us are fighters and officers who fought in Gaza and Lebanon. We choose this path not out of a desire to evade our duties and not because of the burden of reserve duty, but precisely because of our deep commitment to the state.

Just as we were willing to risk ourselves, strive, and fight in battle, today we believe we must give of ourselves to stand up to social pressure. We do this because we think it's time to draw a red line for the war.

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30 maart 2025

As we practice the Sunnah of celebrating Eid, we stand in solidarity with our people in Gaza, the West Bank, and all of Palestine. It is part of our collective responsibility to never waiver on their rights, work to end this genocide, and demand their liberation from Israel’s settler-colonial apartheid regime.

Next week, we are mobilizing for a national march in Washington, D.C. Join us as we carry the spirit of Ramadan into action and demand an end to the genocide in Gaza.

In solidarity,
The AMP Family

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The Hind Rajab Foundation has filed a criminal complaint in Germany against Barel Kriel, a German-Israeli tank commander in the IDF, for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Kriel is documented shelling civilian areas and targeting non-military structures, with videos and photos submitted as evidence.
Despite his German nationality, which establishes clear jurisdiction, German prosecutors refuse to investigate.
Even without citizenship, Germany would still be obligated under universal jurisdiction due to Kriel's presence on its soil.
This refusal reflects a political choice to protect an Israeli soldier rather than uphold international law.
Chairman Abou Jahjah denounces the inaction as a betrayal of justice and legal principles.
The Foundation vows to continue pursuing accountability for war crimes wherever perpetrators may be found.

Full statement available below

Support Our Work

Barel Kriel Bombing a civilian car and filming it burn from his tank.

Brussels, March 29, 2025 –

The Hind Rajab Foundation has filed a criminal complaint in Germany against Barel Kriel, a German-Israeli dual national and a tank commander in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), for his involvement in serious war crimes committed during Israel’s military assault on Gaza. Despite the visual and testimonial evidence submitted, the German Prosecution has so far refused to open an investigation—failing to apply both German national law and its obligations under international law.
​
Kriel served in the 188th Armored Brigade (Barak Brigade) of the IDF, a unit that has been heavily involved in operations in the Gaza Strip. Verified videos and images—many recorded and shared by Kriel himself—show the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure, indiscriminate shelling of residential neighborhoods, and the glorification of destruction in urban areas, all of which may constitute war crimes under the Geneva Conventions.
In one video, a civilian vehicle is seen burning in a schoolyard-like setting, targeted by a Merkava tank’s gunnery system. No military threats or combatants are present. Other footage captures Kriel’s unit shelling residential buildings in civilian zones—actions that clearly violate the principles of distinction and proportionality under international humanitarian law.
Germany’s refusal to investigate is even more alarming considering that Barel Kriel holds German citizenship. This fact alone firmly establishes German jurisdiction under its domestic laws, which allow prosecution of German nationals for international crimes committed abroad. Even if Kriel were not a German citizen, his presence on German soil would still trigger Germany’s duty to investigate under the principle of universal jurisdiction, as enshrined in the German Code of Crimes against International Law (VStGB).
“The refusal of the German prosecution to act is a political decision, not a legal one,” said Dyab Abou Jahjah, Chairman of the Hind Rajab Foundation. “Germany has both the jurisdiction and the legal obligation to investigate. By failing to do so, it is signaling that some perpetrators of war crimes enjoy protection—not because of the law, but because of geopolitics.”
Germany’s selective application of international law not only erodes its credibility as a defender of human rights but also emboldens impunity. The principle of universal jurisdiction was established to prevent precisely this type of selective justice, where political interests override legal responsibility.
The Hind Rajab Foundation calls on German civil society, legal experts, and human rights organizations to demand that the German prosecution fulfill its legal obligations. War crimes must not be ignored—regardless of who commits them or where they are committed.
The Hind Rajab Foundation continues to pursue legal action in multiple jurisdictions against individuals implicated in war crimes in Gaza and will not relent until justice is served for the victims

Support our work

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29 maart 2025

Colonial violence is on display from Gaza to U.S. universities

As global attention is drawn elsewhere, Israel has resumed its full-scale assault on Gaza. Tareq Hajjaj reports on the deepening catastrophe: water and electricity have once again been cut off to over 2 million Palestinians, plunging Gaza into darkness pierced only by the flash of Israeli bombs. On the ground, Palestinians face a grim ultimatum: death or displacement. Chris Hedges describes it as the “final stage of genocide”—a campaign of total erasure.

This push is not just military. Qassam Muaddi unpacks Israel’s latest plan to facilitate the “voluntary emigration” of Palestinians from Gaza—another euphemism for ethnic cleansing. The world must not be fooled by the language of bureaucracy.

In the West Bank, Israeli forces are intensifying violence, turning refugee camps into battlefields. Felix Nobes documents how even Palestinian sports, a source of pride and resistance, are being systematically dismantled.

In parallel, the Trump administration is accelerating its domestic war on dissent. Michael Arria gives a detailed breakdown of the growing number of lawsuits targeting Trump’s sweeping efforts to criminalize Palestine advocacy. Among these is the alarming creation of the “Joint Task Force October 7,” which Arria says is designed to hunt down pro-Palestine voices under the pretense of national security.

At universities, students and faculty are being surveilled, silenced, and, in some cases, deported. D. Musa Springer interviews Momodou Taal, a campus activist facing deportation for his Palestine solidarity work. And an open letter this week calls on universities to refuse cooperation with the Trump regime’s agenda targeting not only critics of Zionism, but immigrants, queer and trans people, and communities of color.

Michael Arria also reports on Trump’s nomination of Mike Huckabee—a Christian Zionist hardliner—as ambassador to Israel. It’s yet another signal that this administration is doubling down on far-right alliances and apartheid policies.

Sahar Aziz argues that this is not just about Palestine—it’s about the larger backlash against social justice movements in the U.S. The attacks on DEI and Palestinian rights are two sides of the same coin.

The threads are clear: from Gaza to U.S. campuses, this is a coordinated war on Palestinian life and solidarity. But resistance continues—on the ground, in the courtroom, and in the streets. A major protest march has been called for Washington, D.C., on April 5th.

In solidarity,

David Reed, Publisher

Must Read: The Gaza demonstrations, and the desire for certainty

Abdaljawad Omar: The protests in Gaza calling for Hamas to step down are fueled by a desire for certainty — that if Hamas simply surrenders, Israel’s genocide will stop. The tragedy is that these cries will go unheard or, even worse, will further fuel the war machine.

Catch-up

= Here is a rundown of all of the lawsuits that have been filed aimed at halting the Trump administration’s draconian crackdown on constitutional rights when it comes to Palestine. Also, Michael reported on Mike Huckabee’s nomination as ambassador to Israel.

= Qassam Muaddi: Israel announced that it would set up a bureau for the “voluntary emigration” of Palestinians out of Gaza. This isn’t the first time Israel has done it, and it won’t work this time either.

= Open Letter: Universities are serving as staging grounds for the Trump regime’s attacks on immigrants, people of color, trans and queer people, and critics of Zionism. Universities and campus communities must refuse to cooperate with this fascist agenda.

= An Israeli conference on antisemitism has come under fire due to the participation of far-right European politicians, many with a history of anti-Jewish racism. While this invite list is offensive, it should not be a surprise given Zionist history.

= The Trump administration’s new “Joint Task Force October 7” appears to be yet another weapon in the White House’s war on Palestine activism.

= Hossam Shabat and Mohammad Mansour were the latest Palestinian journalists to be assassinated in Gaza. Responsibility for their killings rests in part on their Western colleagues who have failed to accurately cover Israel’s genocidal assault.

= In an interview with Mondoweiss, Momodou Taal discusses the threat of deportation for his Palestine activism, Cornell’s cooperation with the government crackdown on free speech, and what is at stake in his fight against the Trump administration.

=  The IMF and World Bank are conditioning reconstruction funds on Lebanon’s normalization with Israel and disarming Hezbollah. In the Dahiya suburb of Beirut, the people who’ve lost their homes in the war think this is unacceptable.

= Israel has begun the final stage of its genocide. Palestinians are being forced to choose between death or deportation. What we are witnessing dwarfs all the historical assaults on Palestinians.

=  Donald Trump has ushered in his second term with a full-fledged assault on DEI programs and advocates for Palestinian rights. Both attacks should be understood within the long history of White backlash to movements for social and racial justice.

= Before the war resumed, I was able to visit my old neighborhood in Gaza City. Nothing of it was left.

= Palestinian refugee camps are known for producing resistance fighters and footballers. But Israel’s ongoing onslaught in Gaza and the West Bank is erasing every aspect of Palestinian life, including sports.

= Tareq Hajjaj: Israel resumed its genocidal war on Gaza by cutting off water and electricity to 2.1 million Palestinians, threatening a humanitarian disaster.

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29 maart 2025

Today's headlines

Anti-Hamas Gaza demonstrations reflect desperation as Israel strangles and bombards the Strip

Tareq S. Hajjaj

Anti-Hamas protests this week in Gaza reflect widespread Palestinian desperation amid the Israeli genocide. The figures behind the protests might also indicate that external actors are now seeking to exploit Gaza's pain for political gain.

Why the UAE is working to thwart Arab unity on Gaza

It appeared that Arab states would present a united front to avoid widespread ethnic cleansing in Gaza, but the United Arab Emirates is undercutting those efforts with the Trump administration in order to cement its future influence in Palestine.

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28 maart 2025

Let's rise to the challenge and finish Ramadan strong

And just like that, the holy month of Ramadan comes to a close. For decades, Palestinians have endured intensified attacks during this sacred month. But this year was worse. This Ramadan marked the second consecutive year of genocide and ethnic cleansing in both Gaza and the West Bank. Meanwhile, here in the U.S., Trump has escalated the war on Palestinian voices, targeting activists, organizations, and universities alike.

As we mark the end of Ramadan, we know the challenges are only growing — in Gaza, in Jerusalem, and even here in the United States. That is why we must recommit ourselves to the struggle for Palestinian rights right here at home. 

For more than a decade and a half, AMP has been at the forefront of the movement for Palestine in America. Our work is not seasonal and does not take breaks.  Despite the enormous challenges facing our advocacy, we remain steadfast, knowing that our cause is just, blessed, and a moral obligation for all people of conscience. Today, more than ever, we are committed to ensuring that the work for Palestine not only continues but grows.

Even now, AMP is actively preparing for upcoming national actions and campaigns, beginning with next week’s National March on Washington.

Our movement will only grow stronger — in the streets, in the halls of power, and in every heart that refuses to turn away. And we invite you to join us on this path, as we carry forward the struggle for justice.

In solidarity,

Mohamad Habehh

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28 maart 2025

Your Activist Scoop

• The Trump administration has abducted multiple student activists under threat of deportation after they spoke out against genocide. Yesterday Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he’s revoked 300+ student visas.

• The nomination hearing for Christian Zionist politician Mike Huckabee has begun, demonstrating his extreme, genocidal anti-Palestinian racism.
  

BLOCK THE WEAPONS

TAKE ACTION THIS TAX DAY 

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28 maart 2025

Carte blanche voor Israël
Waar de reactie van de premier op neerkomt is ‘Laat de hel maar losbarsten, van ons zul je geen last hebben’. Het is een carte blanche voor de Israëlische genocide die zich onder onze ogen voltrekt, en een nieuwe bevestiging van Nederlands medeplichtigheid. Want Schoof weet heel goed dat Israël zich helemaal niets van zijn rituele ‘oproep’ zal aantrekken. Zo werkt het spel tussen Nederland en Israël al decennia.

Daarom ook rept de premier met geen woord over het internationaal recht, noch over de door het Internationaal Gerechtshof tot drie maal ingestelde bindende maatregelen om genocide te voorkomen. Laat staan dat hij Israël aanspreekt op de schending ervan. Het vastpinnen van Israël op zijn verplichtingen wordt uit alle macht vermeden.

Wij strijden helemaal niet tegen oorlogsmisdaden, annexatie, bezetting en onderdrukking. Helpt u mee?

Nee, ik steun The Rights Forum van geen kanten, ze weigeren daar bij TRF  om sancties jegens Israel door Nederland te eisen, het enige dat echt  gewicht in de schaal zal kunnen leggen. En gooi onze grenzen dicht  voor  de Israelische genocidale beestmensen!
Het is om te kotsen dat TRF geen echt voelbare actie jegens de genocidale israëlische verdierlijkte colonnes wenst te ondernemen!

Kolonistengeweld | No Other Land: boycot en meer geweld

Op maandag kwam het nieuws naar buiten dat Hamdan Ballal, co-regisseur van de met een Oscar bekroonde documentaire No Other Land, in elkaar was geslagen door Israëlische kolonisten, en daarna gewond uit een ambulance werd ontvoerd door het Israëlische leger.

In een interview met The Guardian na zijn vrijlating een dag later, zei Ballal dat de soldaten vanaf het begin bij het incident betrokken waren, en dat ze hem met de dood bedreigden. Volgens Ballal ging het om een wraakactie vanwege de film: 'Ik hoorde de stemmen van de soldaten, ze lachten me uit, ik hoorde het woord “Oscar”.’

De Palestijnse regisseur Hamdan Ballal (links) wordt bij zijn terugkeer in het dorp Susya, na mishandeld en ontvoerd te zijn, begroet door familie en vrienden, 25 maart 2025. © dpa picture alliance / Alamy Stock Photo

Ontspoord geweld
Het is precies het volledig ontspoorde geweld van kolonisten en soldaten tegen Palestijnen dat No Other Land zo onverbloemd laat zien. De film gaat over het kolonisten- en legergeweld tegen de Palestijnen van Masafer Yatta op de bezette Westelijke Jordaanoever, en de verdrijving van de Palestijnse bevolking.

De Oscar-winst begin maart gaf de film vleugels. Zelfs in de VS, waar nog altijd geen grote distributeur bereid is de film naar de bioscopen te brengen, doet hij het relatief goed: volgens de New York Times staat No Other Land deze maand al drie weken in de nationale Top 25. De film draait inmiddels elf weken in de Nederlandse bioscopen.

Kritiek
Tegelijkertijd stuwde de Oscar ook de kritiek op de film weer op. Die gaat onder meer over de productie achter de film. Er werd samengewerkt met Close-Up, een organisatie die volgens de BDS-beweging de Israëlische bezetting actief normaliseert en daarom door veel filmmakers al wordt geboycot.

Maar er is meer. Hoe kon het dat juist déze Palestijnse film zo’n belangrijke prijs kon winnen? Het antwoord luidde: omdat het geen Palestijnse film is, maar een Israëlisch-Palestijnse film. Het is juist die combinatie die zo’n film behapbaar maakt voor het grotere publiek.

Palestijnse films gratis online beschikbaar

Commentaar | Geef 4 mei zijn betekenis terug

Wat was de les ook alweer? We gingen niet meer toekijken als er genocide dreigt of plaatsvindt, laat staan dat we er aan bijdragen. Als houvast bij het naleven hiervan werd na de Tweede Wereldoorlog onder het motto ‘Nooit meer’ de internationale rechtsorde opgetuigd. Eerbiedig die, was de opdracht.

Vragen
Dat roept de vraag op hoe je de ene genocide kunt gedenken terwijl je medeplichtig bent aan de andere. In 2024 werd 4 mei al overschaduwd door die tegenstelling, die voor een deel van de samenleving onverkropbaar en onhanteerbaar is. Desondanks is de vraag niet beantwoord.

Er resten nog zes weken tot 4 mei 2025. Dat geeft media en talkshows de tijd om de vraag alsnog aan onze bestuurders voor te leggen. Leg maar uit hoe dit zo heeft kunnen ontsporen. En verantwoord je voor de gevolgen die dat heeft voor de Palestijnen, de rechtsorde en alle Nederlanders die daar niet mee kunnen leven.

Alleen zo krijgt 4 mei zijn betekenis terug.

Wordt UNRWA in Libanon ten grave gedragen?

Demonstraties | 'Dag van het Land'

30 maart is de Dag van het Land, de jaarlijkse herdenking van de gruwelijke gebeurtenissen op die datum in 1976. In protest tegen de confiscatie van Palestijns land in de noordelijke streek Galilea (Al-Jalil) door de staat Israël vonden op meerdere plaatsen stakingen en demonstraties plaats. Daarbij werden zes ongewapende Palestijnse vrouwen en mannen doodgeschoten en raakten zo’n honderd Palestijnen gewond. De onteigende grond werd in het kader van de ‘judaïsering’ van Galilea gebruikt voor de bouw van ‘joodse nederzettingen’.

Ook in Nederland wordt dit weekend stilgestaan bij de Dag van het Land. Op zaterdag 29 maart organiseert de Palestijnse Gemeenschap in Nederland een protestmars om 17.00 uur vanaf het Spui in Amsterdam, gevolgd door een iftar op De Dam. In Nijmegen wordt op zondag 30 maart een demonstratie georganiseerd op Plein 44, vanaf 14.00 uur. Uit onze agenda
zaterdag 29 maart t/m zaterdag 5 april
 Demonstraties en wakes
• Wake op zaterdag 29 maart in Groningen, Waagplein (13.00 uur)
• Wake op zaterdag 29 maart in Nijmegen, Koningsplein - Marienburg (14.00 uur)
• Demonstratie en Iftar rondom Dag van het Land op zaterdag 29 maart in Amsterdam, Spui (17.00 uur)
• Demonstratie in het teken van Dag van het Land op zondag 30 maart in Nijmegen, Plein 44 (14.00 uur)
• Maandelijkse herdenking van zorgmedewerkers op dinsdag 1 april in Rotterdam, Amsterdam en Nijmegen (12.30 uur)
• Sit-in rijksambtenaren op donderdag 3 april in Den Haag, Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken, Rijnstraat 8 (12.00 uur)
• Wake op vrijdag 4 april in Amsterdam, Spui (12.45 uur)
• Wake op zaterdag 5 april in Maastricht, Markt, achter het Stadhuis (16.00 uur)
• Wake op zaterdag 5 april in Utrecht, Domplein (20.00 uur)

Culturele evenementen
• Lezing ‘Het (falen van) internationaal recht’ op maandag 31 maart in Amsterdam, Pakhuis de Zwijger (20.00 uur)
Theatervoorstelling The Horse of Jenin op donderdag 3 april in Deventer, MIMIK (20.00 uur)

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Hey Reader,

There should be a global movement building to fight back against Musk’s tyrannical takeover by hitting him where it hurts— his Tesla billions.! Tomorrow is a Global Day of Protest. Where thousands of people will take to the streets, showrooms, and charging stations and bite back.

Thanks for supporting,

In solidarity,

Alex at Fight

1184.

28 maart 2025

Today's headlines

The Gaza demonstrations, and the desire for certainty

Abdaljawad Omar

The protests in Gaza calling for Hamas to step down are fueled by a desire for certainty — that if Hamas simply surrenders, Israel’s genocide will stop. The tragedy is that these cries will go unheard, or even worse, will further fuel the war machine.

Explainer: The lawsuits aiming to stop Trump’s assault on free speech and Palestine activism

Michael Arria

Here is a rundown of all of the lawsuits that have been filed aimed at halting the Trump administration's draconian crackdown on constitutional rights when it comes to Palestine.

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27 maart 2025

Humanitarian Situation Update #276
West Bank

Displaced Palestinian families in Jenin seeking humanitarian services – including medical consultations and recreational activities. Photo by Oday AlShobaki/MSF

Key Highlights

• The number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank in 2025 has risen to 99, with 60 per cent killed in just four localities, including Jenin and Nur Shams refugee camps.
• Israeli operations continue in the northern West Bank, leaving tens of thousands unable to return to their homes. In Tulkarm city alone, 850 people were forced to leave in just two weeks. Ten UNRWA schools serving over 4,400 students remain closed.
• The number of people displaced by the demolition of homes lacking Israeli-issued building permits this year has reached 431 – twice the figure recorded over the same period in 2024 (219).
• The UN and its partners continue to respond to the deepening needs of displaced families in affected areas in the northern West Bank, including by providing water trucking, food parcels, hygiene kits and other essential items.

Humanitarian Developments

• Between 18 and 24 March, two Palestinian adults were killed and 33 were injured, including four children, across the West Bank. Fatal incidents following that week are listed further down, under “Developments in the northern West Bank.” For more information on casualties and further breakdowns of data, please see the monthly West Bank Snapshot.
  • On 18 March, undercover Israeli forces raided Qalqiliya city, surrounded a café, and fired live ammunition and tear gas cannisters, killing a Palestinian man whose body was later withheld. Three other Palestinians were injured by the forces, including two who were shot with live ammunition and one who was physically assaulted. Two Palestinians were arrested. The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that its ambulances were unable to immediately reach the wounded due to intense fire and Israeli-imposed access restrictions. According to the Israeli military, forces shot at Palestinians who had opened fire at them.
  • On 19 March, Israeli forces, including undercover troops, operated in Ein Beit el Mai refugee camp, in Nablus governorate, for 14 hours, killing a Palestinian man and injuring two others. The forces withheld the man’s body and arrested another Palestinian. During the operation, troops forced multiple families out of their homes and turned the houses into military posts. They were able to return once Israeli forces withdrew.
• On 18 March, one Palestinian man died in a hospital in Beit Jala, in Bethlehem governorate, from wounds sustained on 22 February 2024, when he and two other Palestinians carried out a shooting attack near Az Za’ayem checkpoint, in Jerusalem governorate, killing one Israeli settler and injuring at least six others. At the time, Israeli forces wounded him at the scene and killed the two other Palestinian perpetrators. He remained in a coma and in Israeli custody at a hospital until 27 February 2025, when he was released as part of the hostage-prisoner exchange under the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire. Another Palestinian, a 17-year-old child from Silwad town, in Ramallah governorate, was declared dead on 23 March by the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, under unclear circumstances, after being held in an Israeli detention centre since September 2024. According to Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCIP), a Palestinian human rights organization, the boy is the first Palestinian child known to have died in an Israeli prison.
• Between 18 and 24 March, OCHA documented seven incidents involving Israeli settlers affecting Palestinians that led to casualties or property damage. Six Palestinians and one foreigner were injured, and three residential structures, four animal structures, two water tanks and three vehicles were vandalized. Additionally, in one incident, Palestinians threw stones at an Israeli settler’s bus travelling near Hizma village, in Jerusalem governorate, causing damage but no casualties. In one incident on 24 March, armed Israeli settlers, believed to be from Susya settlement, raided the nearby Palestinian community of Susiya, in the Hebron governorate, and reportedly attempted to steal sheep from an animal shelter. When a scuffle erupted between them and residents involving mutual stone throwing, more Israeli settlers arrived, damaged two water tanks and three vehicles, and physically assaulted and injured six Palestinians and one foreigner. Three Palestinians were subsequently arrested by Israeli forces. In another incident, in Salfit on 19 March, a group of Israeli settlers raided Al Matwi area, set fire to four animal tents, attacked the Palestinian owner and ordered him to evacuate the area within two days, a demand he refused.
• On 23 March 2025, Israeli settlers took over a two-storey building located outside the closed military area of Tel Rumeida neighbourhood in the Israeli-controlled H2 area of Hebron city. While the Palestinian family, who lives in two apartments on the first floor, was away visiting relatives, settlers forcibly broke into the building, effectively displacing a Palestinian man, his wife, and three children, and his elderly mother. Upon returning, the family found settlers inside, but Israeli forces prevented them from approaching the building. The settlers claimed to have purchased the property, a claim the Palestinian owners refute. Two days after the takeover, on 25 March, the son’s family of five was able to return to their apartment, while settlers remained in control of the other apartment, where the elderly mother lived, in addition to the second floor which is under-construction. The settlers also sealed the original entrance connecting the two apartments and opened a new external entrance. The newly established settlement raises fears of additional movement restrictions on Palestinians, who already face severe movement restrictions in the H2 area of Hebron.
• Between 18 and 24 March, OCHA documented the demolition of 27 structures across the West Bank for lacking Israeli-issued building permits, which are nearly impossible to obtain. All the structures were in Area C, except one in East Jerusalem. While no displacement was reported, these demolitions affected 167 people, including 90 children. In one incident, on 18 March, in Rafat village, in Area C of the Jerusalem governorate, Israeli forces demolished six agricultural structures, uprooted hundreds of mature trees and saplings, and destroyed farming equipment. On the same day, they also demolished two animal pens and two solar panel systems consisting of 18 solar panels in Al Mu’arrajat East Bedouin community, in Jericho governorate. Since the beginning of Ramadan on 1 March, 106 structures were demolished across the West Bank for lacking Israeli-issued building permits, compared with 77 structures demolished during all of Ramadan in 2024. Moreover, this year’s lack-of-permit demolitions and displacement have so far surpassed the equivalent period in 2024, with a 33-per-cent increase in the number of structures demolished (363 vs. 273) and a two-fold increase in displacement (431 vs. 219).
• On the third Friday of Ramadan, 22 March, it is estimated that about 10,000 Palestinians holding West Bank ID cards crossed through checkpoints to reach Al Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem. This figure matches the number of people who crossed on the third Friday of Ramadan in 2024 but is only one quarter of the estimated 40,000 who accessed East Jerusalem on the third Friday of Ramadan in 2023, before 7 October. As in previous years, access to holy sites during Ramadan, particularly to Al Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem and Al Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, is facilitated by Israeli authorities but remains limited to Fridays and is subject to gender and age restrictions. In addition, access to East Jerusalem requires an Israeli-issued permit, which is often difficult to obtain for nearly three million Palestinians holding West Bank ID cards, and not possible for 2.1 million Palestinians in Gaza. According to measures announced by Israeli authorities, men over 55 and women over 50, with a valid magnetic ID card and a one-day Israeli-issued permit, and children under 12 accompanied by a parent with a birth certificate, were eligible to cross into East Jerusalem through two Barrier checkpoints – Qalandiya in the north and Gilo/300 in the south. Access was permitted only between 5:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., with mandatory entry and exit registration at the checkpoint. In Hebron’s restricted H2 area, it is estimated that 3,500 Palestinians performed Friday prayers at Al Ibrahimi Mosque on the third Friday of Ramadan, compared with about 7,000 people in 2024. Israeli forces allowed men over 50 and women of all ages to enter without inspection, while men between 27 and 50 years of age were subject to inspection. Males under 27 were generally denied entry unless accompanied by family members. Access was only permitted via Al Ibrahimi Mosque Entrance checkpoint. Abu Rish and As Salaymeh checkpoints (CP 160), which are usually open throughout the week, remained closed for the third consecutive Friday, hindering access to the mosque especially for the residents who live outside the restricted area of H2, forcing them to make a detour to reach the mosque.

Developments in the northern West Bank

• For more than nine weeks, Israeli forces have been carrying out a large-scale operation in the northern West Bank, particularly in Jenin refugee camp (since 21 January) and Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps (since 27 January). As a result, tens of thousands of people have been displaced, including about 16,600 people from Jenin camp, 12,100 people from Tulkarm camp, and 10,000 people from Nur Shams camp as of 28 February. On 18 March, Israeli forces launched an operation in the Ein Beit al Mai refugee camp, in Nablus governorate, which lasted about 14 hours and resulted in one fatality (see above).
• On 25 March, undercover Israeli forces surrounded a shop in Qalqilya city where a Palestinian man wanted by Israeli forces was present. Additional forces arrived, ordering the man to surrender, after which armed clashes ensued between the forces and Palestinians. Israeli forces reportedly used an explosive drone inside the shop, which killed the man, whose body has been withheld by the forces. Another Palestinian man was injured by live ammunition. On 26 March, in Beita village, in Nablus governorate, Israeli forces shot and killed an 18-year-old Palestinian man who was reportedly throwing stones at Israeli settlers’ vehicles travelling on Road 60. Israeli forces have withheld his body.
• In total, since the beginning of 2025, 99 Palestinians, including 17 children and three women, have been killed by Israeli forces across the West Bank, the majority within the context of the ongoing Israeli forces’ operation in the northern West Bank. Of the total number of fatalities, 60 per cent were in four localities: Jenin camp (25 fatalities), Tammun town in Tubas governorate (15 fatalities), Jenin city (12 fatalities), and Nur Shams camp in Tulkarm governorate (8 fatalities). In addition, two Palestinians succumbed to wounds sustained in 2024 when they were injured by Israeli forces, including one in Bethlehem (see above) and one in Nur Shams refugee camp. Seven Israelis, including five members of Israeli forces, were killed by Palestinians in the West Bank so far in 2025, all of them in the northern West Bank. These include: three Israelis shot and killed near Al Funduq village, in Qalqilya governorate; one Israeli killed during an exchange of fire in Jenin camp; one Israeli killed by an improvised explosive device that detonated next to an Israeli military vehicle in Tammun town, in Tubas governorate; and two Israelis shot and killed at Tayasir checkpoint, in Tubas governorate. In Israel, there have been no Israeli fatalities by Palestinians from the West Bank so far in 2025.
• On 22 March, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini marked 60 days since the start of the ‘Iron Wall’ operation by Israeli forces, calling it the “longest and most destructive operation in the occupied West Bank since the second intifada.” He added that the operation “has caused systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure and homes, aiming to permanently change the character of Palestinian cities and refugee camps at a scale unjustifiable by any purported military or law enforcement aims,” warning that displaced Palestinians face “uncertain prospects for return.” UNRWA continues to provide emergency assistance, urging immediate action to facilitate the return of displaced families and restore essential services, including education and health care.
• Since February, Israeli forces have demolished dozens of homes and infrastructure across the northern West Bank, which humanitarian actors have been unable to systematically assess due to the lack of access. In Jenin camp, according to initial estimates by local authorities, more than 600 residential units have been rendered uninhabitable, in addition to an estimated 66 residential structures that have been slated for demolition by an Israeli military order for military purposes that affects about 280 families. In Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps, local sources reported multiple explosions and bulldozer activity by Israeli forces, with at least 40 homes either demolished or slated for demolition since 18 February and many families prevented from returning. In addition, according to PRCS, its teams have helped about 200 families comprising nearly 850 people from the northern neighbourhood of Tulkarm city to evacuate their homes over the past two weeks, following Israeli forces’ orders to the families to leave their homes including through notifications communicated by the Palestinian District Coordination Offices (DCOs). Most of these displaced people have been staying with relatives, and about 27 have reportedly returned in the last two days.

• The UN and its partners continue to respond to the deepening needs of displaced families in affected areas in the northern West Bank, including by providing water trucking, food parcels, hygiene kits and other essential items. On 24 March, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported that tens of thousands of Palestinians displaced by the Israeli forces’ operation in the northern West Bank are in an “extremely precarious” situation, lacking adequate shelter, essential services, and access to health care. MSF highlighted the growing mental health crisis among those affected, with many suffering from stress, anxiety, and depression. MSF teams are providing mobile medical services, distributing hygiene kits and food parcels, and supplying water to the main hospital in Jenin. The NGO called for an immediate halt to the forced displacement of Palestinians, noting that “needs in the West Bank are only getting worse.”
• The ongoing Israeli operation in the northern West Bank has severely disrupted access to education. Ten UNRWA schools, serving over 4,400 students, remain closed; these include four schools in Jenin refugee camp which have been closed since early December during the Palestinian forces’ operation, four schools in Tulkarm refugee camp, and two in Nur Shams refugee camp. As of 23 February, UNRWA has activated remote learning for its students who have been displaced. Furthermore, since 21 January, some government schools in surrounding areas have shifted to remote learning due to insecurity or because they have served as shelters for displaced families. As of 25 March, there are 40 government schools, including 32 in Tulkarm and eight in Jenin, that have been implementing remote learning modalities, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Education (MoE). Movement restrictions, forced displacement, and the destruction of learning spaces have further limited access to education. A multisectoral needs assessment conducted on 25 and 26 February found that nearly 12,000 displaced children have been affected, some staying in public shelters with no access to learning spaces or school supplies and many facing limited public transportation options to reach schools amid access restrictions. According to MoE, since the beginning of 2025 and as of 21 March, 3,752 incidents involving Israeli forces affecting governmental schools were reported across the West Bank, along with 25 incidents involving Israeli settlers, 77 per cent of which took place in the northern West Bank. These incidents included forces or settlers breaking into schools, weapons firing, detention of students or school staff, and delays or harassment on the way to school. These figures mark a sharp increase compared with 2024, when 2,274 incidents were recorded throughout the year, according to MoE.

Funding

• As of 27 March 2025, Member States have disbursed approximately US$175.4 million out of the $4.07 billion (4.3 per cent) requested to meet the most critical humanitarian needs of three million out of 3.3 million people identified as requiring assistance in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in 2025, under the 2025 Flash Appeal for the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). Nearly 88 per cent of the requested funds are for humanitarian response in Gaza, with just over 12 per cent for the West Bank. Moreover, during February 2025, the OPT Humanitarian Fund (oPt HF) managed 87 ongoing projects, totalling $62.6 million, to address urgent needs in the Gaza Strip (86 per cent) and the West Bank (14 per cent). Of these projects, 50 are being implemented by international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), 25 by national NGO´s.

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27 maart 2025

Readers’ Recommendations

= Columbia student hunted by ICE sues to prevent deportation (NY          Times)

= Netanyahu repeats threat to seize territory in Gaza as anti-Hamas protests continue (The Guardian)

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27 maart 2025

Today's headlines

Why Israel’s plans to forcibly depopulate Gaza won’t work

Qassam Muaddi

Israel announced that it would set up a bureau for the "voluntary emigration" of Palestinians out of Gaza. This isn't the first time Israel has done it, and it won't work this time either.

Call to resist repression: Universities must refuse cooperation with the Trump regime

Open Letter

Universities are serving as staging grounds for the Trump regime’s attacks on immigrants, people of color, trans and queer people, and critics of Zionism. Universities and campus communities must refuse to cooperate with this fascist agenda.

An Israeli conference on antisemitism is falling apart…because they invited too many antisemites

An Israeli conference on antisemitism has come under fire due to the participation of far-right European politicians, many with a history of anti-Jewish racism. While this invite list is offensive, it should not be a surprise given Zionist history.

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27 maart 2025

Do Not Let This Night Pass Without Standing For Justice

On the Night of Power over 1,400 years ago, the Divine command was given: “Iqra”—Read. One word that ignited a mission of mercy, justice, and liberation.  One word that changed the course of history, but it came with a price in order for it to prevail.

For the second Ramadan in a row, the people of Palestine are commemorating this sacred night under siege and in genocide.

In Gaza, our brothers and sisters are fasting through famine.
Over 1.7 million people have been displaced.
In just one week this Ramadan, more than 700 have been killed.
In the West Bank, families are being uprooted, homes demolished, and lives shattered.
Masjid al-Aqsa—our holy sanctuary—is under siege.
And here in the U.S., students who dared to speak out against these atrocities are being abducted off the streets.

Throughout these trials, the resilience of the Palestinian people has been unwavering. Their refusal to surrender in the face of despair inspires our work.  Their courage fuels our determination not to lose hope—and to continue fighting for their rights and dignity.

From leading impactful advocacy that brought thousands into the halls of power in Washington, D.C., to organizing massive demonstrations across the country—our commitment has never wavered.

On this 27th night of Ramadan, we urge you to recommit to this cause.

Let this be the night we rise for Gaza.The night we say: We did not turn away...

In solidarity,

Dr. Osama Abu Irshaid
Director, AMPJoin AMP and partners from across the country in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, April 5th at 1 PM EST as we demand an end to the genocide in Gaza and stand united against Trump’s dangerous plans. This is your moment to show up.

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26 maart 2025

State Repression in Plain Sight: AMP Condemns the Abduction of Rumeysa Ozturk, PhD Student at Tufts University

[Washington, D.C. - March 26th, 2025] The Trump administration is escalating its war on pro-Palestinian voices. On March 25th, in broad daylight and without any warning, half a dozen ICE agents surrounded Turkish national, Rumeysa Ozturk, who is here on a legal student visa pursuing her PhD, as she was walking to meet her friends to break their fast on the evening of March 25th. Camera footage shows ICE agents stopping and forcefully detaining Ms. Ozturk unwarrantedly. Her lawyer is unaware of her whereabouts and remains unable to contact her.

Rumeysa’s disappearance follows a string of ICE abductions of students across the country. However, a federal judge has ordered that she not be removed from Massachusetts without prior notice.

The Trump administration has made it their mission to go after students who are vocally against the genocide in Gaza. In fact, the New York Times reports that prior to the abduction of Ms. Ozturk, the doxxing site Canary Mission profiled her just weeks before and made her a target of government agencies eager to boost their deportation numbers.

  From executive orders to recently introduced pieces of legislation, the US government has unleashed an all-out war against students and universities. What we’re witnessing is a disturbing escalation in the criminalization of free speech, dissent, and peaceful assembly as thousands of students and faculty across the country have engaged in powerful protests against the genocide in Gaza over the last 17 months, making it the largest mass movement for Palestine in the history of the United States.

Targeting students like Rumeysa isn’t just an attack on individual voices–it’s a direct reversal of centuries of American values rooted in free expression and civil liberties, all to appease a foreign government, Israel. The way ICE ambushed and detained a peaceful scholar in unmarked cars feels less like law enforcement and more like a political kidnapping.

American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) strongly condemns the Trump administration’s enablement of this crackdown on dissent and demands the immediate release of Rumeysa Ozturk. This administration is empowering secret police-style tactics against students who speak out against war crimes. Detaining peaceful scholars in the dead of night, surveilling campuses, and fast-tracking deportations to silence criticism of a foreign government is not only authoritarian — it’s un-American. It’s as if the rule of law has been suspended, and nobody with a differing political opinion of the administration is safe.

We refuse to accept a future where speaking out against genocide is treated as a criminal act. We demand accountability, transparency, and justice — starting with the release of Rumeysa, Mahmoud, Leqaa, Badar Khan Suri, and others as well, as an end to the political persecution of pro-Palestinian students across the country.

In solidarity,
American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)

American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to engaging & educating Americans on Palestinian rights and the Israeli occupation. AMP is a premier national organization in the Palestine solidarity movement. 

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26 maart 2025

This is an Adalah Justice Project endorsed mutual aid fundraiser

Since our last email from Drs. Ayman and Mohammed, the situation in Gaza has become even more urgent. Israel has renewed their attacks, and the Al-Mawasi region has been hit particularly hard.  In the midst of relentless bombings and devastation, the volunteer healthcare workers at the Al-Mawasi Clinic continue their mission—treating the wounded, caring for the sick, and saving lives with whatever limited supplies they have.

We recently spoke with Dr. Mohammed Al-Farra, the son of the clinic’s founder, who is doing everything he can from exile in Egypt to support his father’s work in Gaza. His words are powerful and full of hope—please take a moment to watch the video and share it with your friends and family:

We have an obligation to stand with the people of Gaza. This is one small, powerful way you can help

With gratitude,

Rand J.
Creative Advisor
Adalah Justice Project

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26 maart 2025

As Israel expands the genocide, repression mounts in the U.S.

Tell Congress: Act now to secure Mahmoud’s release.

Tell the Senate: Oppose Mike Huckabee's nomination.

What we're reading: Report from the frontlines of Israel's war of annihilation.

What we’re reading: ‘Racists and antisemites posing as protectors of the Jewish people’

Support The Wire

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26 maart 2025

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26 maart 2025

Today's headlines

Trump launches ‘October 7 Joint Task Force’, as war on Palestine protesters widens

The Trump administration's new "Joint Task Force October 7" appears to be yet another weapon in the White House's war on Palestine activism.

How Western media silence enables the killing of Palestinian journalists

Ahmad Ibsais

Hossam Shabat and Mohammad Mansour were the latest Palestinian journalists to be assassinated in Gaza. Responsibility for their killings rests in part on their Western colleagues who have failed to accurately cover Israel's genocidal assault.

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26 maart 2025

Hello. This week, we turn our attention to relatives and colleagues remember Hossam Shabat, a journalist with Al Jazeera Mubasher, who was killed in an Israeli air attack on his vehicle in the Gaza Strip

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26 maart 2025

Humanitarian Situation Update #275
Gaza Strip

UN personnel inspecting damage at the Naser Medical Complex (Khan Younis) following an attack that killed a child and an adult, injuring eight others. Photo by OCHA

Key Highlights

• Intense hostilities in Gaza continue amid devastating humanitarian conditions.
• Gaza's health-care system is struggling to cope with hundreds of casualties, a severe drop in medical stocks, and a lack of equipment, blood units, and personnel.
• Within just the last week, eight aid workers have been killed in Gaza, bringing the total to 399.
• Over 142,000 Palestinians have been displaced between 18 to 23 March.
• Communication with first responders dispatched to Rafah has been lost for the past three days.
• Humanitarian efforts are crippled as the ban by Israeli authorities on the entry of any supplies has now entered its fourth week. Most movement requests requiring coordination with Israeli authorities are denied.

Humanitarian Developments

• Since the early morning hours of 18 March, Israeli forces have escalated airstrikes and bombardment across the Gaza Strip, killing and injuring hundreds, including civilians – among them humanitarian workers and journalists. Civilian infrastructure was damaged and destroyed, including homes, schools serving as shelters, hospitals, and tents of internally displaced people (IDPs). On 20 and 24 March, Palestinian armed groups fired rockets towards Israel, with no casualties reported. On 20 March, the Israeli military re-deployed along the eastern and central part of the “Netzarim corridor,” and announced that movement between the north and south of Gaza was only allowed via Al Rashid (coastal) Road. Military activities and the issuance of displacement orders by the Israeli military has triggered new waves of displacement across Gaza, with over 142,000 people estimated to have been displaced between 18 and 23 March. Since 2 March (for more than three weeks), the Israeli government has banned the entry of humanitarian aid and any other supplies via all land crossings into Gaza – the longest such closure since October 2023. Gains made during the ceasefire to support survivors have been reversed. On 24 March, the UN Spokesperson for the Secretary-General (SG) stated that the SG “has taken the difficult decision to reduce the Organization's footprint in Gaza, even as humanitarian needs soar and our concern over the protection of civilians intensifies,” emphasizing that “the UN is not leaving Gaza” and “remains committed to continuing to provide aid that civilians depend on for their survival and protection.”
• According to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, between the 18 and 25 March, as of 12:00pm, 792 Palestinians were killed and 1,663 were injured. Many bodies remain under the rubble of destroyed structures, according to MoH. Since the 19 January, and as of 25 March, a total of 897 bodies were retrieved from areas that were previously inaccessible, the MoH reported. Since 7 October 2023 and as of 25 March 2025, the MoH in Gaza reported that at least 50,144 Palestinians have been killed and 113,704 Palestinians injured.
• The number of children reported killed by MoH on 18 March marks one of the largest single-day death toll in the past year, says UNICEF. In reference to Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) emphasized: “Using explosive weapons with wide-area effects in such densely populated areas will almost certainly have indiscriminate effects and is very likely to be in violation of international humanitarian law rules on the conduct of hostilities. Conducting hostilities using such means and methods in densely populated areas causes civilian casualties at a mass scale and is not consistent with Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law, including abiding by the fundamental principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions in attack.” In reference to Palestinian rocket fire, OHCHR said that “the targeting of civilians or launching of indiscriminate attacks amounts to a war crime.”
• Between 18 and 25 March, at least eight aid workers were killed, and two humanitarian facilities were hit in Gaza. On 18 March, a staff member working for Al Awda Health and Community Association was killed. On the same day, one of the staff members of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) was killed — the tenth MSF colleague killed in Gaza since the start of the escalation of hostilities. On 20 March, the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) confirmed the death of its staff member when UN accommodation was hit by an explosion in Deir al Balah on 19 March. The strikes, which according to information currently available were caused by an Israeli tank, left six others with severe injuries, some of them life-altering. Three of those injured worked in support of the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS). The SG and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (USG-ERC) Fletcher condemned the strikes and emphasised that the premises are known to the parties to the conflict, who are bound by international law to protect them and maintain their absolute inviolability. The USG also called for a genuine investigation and accountability. On 20 March, UNRWA said that, over the past few days, another five of its staff members were killed, bringing the death toll among the agency’s employees since 7 October 2023 to 284 – including teachers, doctors and nurses. On 24 March, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) office in Rafah was “damaged by an explosive projectile despite being clearly marked and notified to all parties.” ICRC reported that no staff were injured, but the attack has had a direct impact on the organization's ability to operate. In total, since 7 October 2023, at least 399 aid workers, including 289 UN staff, 34 Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) staff and at least 76 other NGO staff have been killed in Gaza.
• The Palestinian Journalists Protection Committee (PJPC) strongly condemned the killing of two journalists in Gaza on 24 March, stating that this brings the total number of Palestinian journalists killed this month alone to seven. The Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS) stated that, “these attacks are part of a systematic policy against Palestinian journalists, who have become direct targets as they fulfil their duty of reporting the truth.” Since the beginning of the escalation, more than 206 journalists, media professionals and media workers, including 27 female journalists, have been killed, according to PJS.
• Between 18 and 24 March, other incidents resulting in fatalities were reported across the Gaza Strip, include the following:
  • On 18 March, in the morning, 26 Palestinians including 15 females were reportedly killed when two houses belonging to a single family were hit in eastern Az Zaytoun neighbourhood, in southern Gaza city.
  • On 18 March, between 2:10 and 2:45, ten Palestinians were reportedly killed when a house was hit near Al Aqsa Hospital in Deir al Balah.
  • On 18 March, at about 2:20, 16 Palestinians from a single family, including at least two children, were reportedly killed and dozens injured when IDP tents were hit in Al Mawasi area, in western Khan Younis.
  • On 18 March, at about 2:50, nine Palestinians were reportedly killed and eight others injured when a house was hit in Abasan al Kabira in eastern Khan Younis.
  • On 18 March, at about 2:40, 17 Palestinians including at least ten females were reportedly killed when a house was hit in Tabat Zare’i area, in eastern Rafah.
  • On 18 March, before 4:50, ten Palestinians including at least six women and one girl were reportedly killed when a house was hit in Rafah.
  • On 18 March, at about 2:00, 25 Palestinians were reportedly killed and others injured when Al Taba’en School, designated as an IDP shelter, was hit in Ad Daraj neighbourhood in central Gaza city.
  • On 19 March, at about 17:35, 24 Palestinians including at least two children were reportedly killed and others injured when a residential building was hit during a funeral in As Salateen area in western Beit Lahiya, in North Gaza.
  • On 20 March, at about 8:10, at least 15 Palestinians including at least six children and two women were reportedly killed when a residential building was hit in Beit Lahiya, in North Gaza.
  • On 20 March, at about 2:30, 12 Palestinians, including at least one girl, were reportedly killed and others injured when a residential building was hit in Abasan al Kabira, in Khan Younis.
  • On 20 March, at about 3:20, ten Palestinians including two females were reportedly killed and others injured when a residential building was hit in Msabbeh area, in northern Rafah.
  • On 20 March, at about 15:25, at least nine Palestinians, including a man, his wife and several of their children were reportedly killed when a residential building was hit in Bani Suheila, in eastern Khan Yunis.
  • On 22 March, at about 13:00, two Palestinians, including a man and his daughter, were reportedly killed and others injured when a group of people was hit while evacuating Ash Shima area in Beit Lahiya, in North Gaza.
  • On 23 March, at about 10:20, three Palestinian men working for municipalities in Khan Younis were reportedly killed while on duty when a sewage vehicle belonging to the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) was hit in Abasan al Kabira, in western Khan Younis.
  • On 24 March, at about 11:54, four Palestinians, including one child, were reportedly killed and 18 others injured when a tent in the yard of the UNRWA Al Razi School was hit in An Nuseirat Camp 2, in Deir al Balah.

• On 24 March, the MoH in Gaza published a list of 50,021 people killed in Gaza between 7 October 2023 and 22 March 2025. According to the list (also available on the Health Cluster’s Unified Dashboard here), 15,613 children (31 per cent), 8,304 women (17 per cent), 22,265 men (44 per cent) and 3,839 elderly (eight per cent) have been killed. In addition, MoH reported that 33,900 or 30 per cent of the total injuries were children. Among the children killed, 825 were under 12 months of age while 274 children were born and killed during the escalation, the ministry reported. MoH General Director, Dr. Munir Al Bursh, stated that 7 per cent of the total population in Gaza have been either killed or injured. Dr. Al Bursh also noted that over 25,000 injured people require rehabilitation and long-term treatment while amputation cases have reached 4,700 cases, including 850 children. The previous age-and-gender breakdown by MoH had been published on 20 October 2024; the earlier dataset covered 40,717 out of 42,010 fatalities as of 7 October 2024 for whom full details had been documented by MoH, including 13,319 children (33 per cent), 7,216 women (18 per cent), 3,447 elderly (8 per cent), and 16,735 men (41 per cent).
• Between 7 October 2023 and 25 March 2025, according to Israeli forces and official Israeli sources cited in the media, more than 1,607 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed, the majority on 7 October 2023 and its immediate aftermath. This includes 407 soldiers killed, in addition to 2,583 soldiers injured, in Gaza or along the border in Israel since the beginning of the ground operation in October 2023. As of 25 March, it is estimated that 59 Israelis and foreign nationals remain captive in Gaza, including hostages who have been declared dead and whose bodies are being withheld.
• On 21 March, Israeli forces destroyed the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital in Al Mughraqa area of southern Gaza city. The hospital – the only specialized cancer hospital in Gaza – became non-operational i\n November 2023 after running out of fuel and sustaining significant damage. It was accredited to treat up to 30,000 patients annually, according to Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP). On 23 March, a strike on the surgical ward of Naser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, currently the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip, killed two patients, including a 16-year-old boy, and injured eight others. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the surgical ward went out of service and 35 in-patient beds were destroyed. The Director of Naser Medical Complex, Dr. Atef Al Hout, informed WHO that patients were relocated to other departments, including to a recently established field unit. MSF, which is supporting the emergency, paediatric, and maternity departments at Nasser, and running a burn and trauma unit there – reported that two of their staff described panic among medical staff, patients and caretakers at the time of the incident and one MSF nurse working in a nearby ward said that they were close to the explosion. According to WHO, between October 2023 and 14 March 2025, there were 670 attacks on health care in the Gaza Strip, affecting 122 health facilities and 170 ambulances.
• USG-ERC Fletcher expressed deep concern over the ongoing attacks, stating: "Horrific reports from Gaza indicate that health workers, ambulances, and hospitals are being targeted as they strive to save lives.” He stated that we must all demand the unequivocal protection of medical personnel and facilities. Also, the ICRC issued a statement and emphasized: “International Humanitarian Law affords special protection to humanitarian relief and medical personnel, medical facilities, and objects used for humanitarian relief operations. They must be respected and protected in all circumstances to ensure the continuity of care. They must never be attacked. The parties must do their utmost to ensure their safety by providing clear and strict instructions to weapon bearers.”
• Gaza's health-care system is under immense strain, struggling to provide the needed treatment for patients amid a sharp increase in casualties, a severe drop in medical stocks due to the halt in the entry of supplies, and a lack of medical equipment, blood units, and specialized medical personnel. During the ceasefire, health partners delivered life-saving medicines and medical consumables for primary health care, management of non-communicable diseases, trauma, and surgical supplies along with supplies required for hospital level care. Yet, with the escalation of hostilities, the needs have been overwhelming. More than half of hospitals that are receiving trauma cases now have a bed occupancy rate of over 80 per cent and calls for blood donations have been ongoing. Less than 500 blood units are available at the blood banks in Gaza, while according to MoH, 8,000 blood units for hospitals are required per month to cover the needs of the injured and thalassemia patients. Furthermore, the existing stock of anaesthesia medications – which are critical for surgeries, labour and delivery, pain management, and ICU care – is running low, along with key medical supplies required for safe labour and deliveries. For the vaccines, there is zero-stock of Rota vaccine and approval for shipment from Israeli authorities is urgently needed.
• According to the Health Cluster, despite the urgent need for additional Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) in Gaza to support the ongoing response, the planned entry of EMT teams has been severely restricted, with only four out of seven newly registered EMTs approved by Israeli authorities. Since 18 March, no EMTs have been able to enter Gaza and an inbound rotation on 25 March included only six EMT members, leaving 34 EMT members on the waiting list for entry. Overall, in recent weeks, the denial rate for EMTs entering Gaza, which previously ranged between 20 to 30 per cent, has surged to between 40 to 50 per cent, particularly affecting highly specialized personnel such as vascular surgeons and severely undermining the continuity of EMT operations inside Gaza.

• The UN Population Fund (UNFPA), which has activated urgent delivery services at 14 primary health-care centres and medical points for pregnant women unable to reach hospitals, warned that lifesaving maternal health medicines and critical supplements, such as folic acid and multivitamins, have nearly run out. Portable incubators, ultrasound devices, and oxygen pumps, among other equipment essential for newborns, who are born with complications, also remain stalled at the border, UNFPA added. Emphasizing that civilians must have access to the essentials needed to survive, UNFPA noted that one in two pregnant women in Gaza face a high-risk pregnancy, malnutrition is high among pregnant and breastfeeding women, and at least one in five newborns in February were born with complications, including low birth weight. According to the UNFPA, about 50,000 pregnant women are in Gaza, with about 130 women giving birth daily, including an estimated 35 daily caesarean sections, amid extreme stress levels that significantly heighten the risk of a growing number of premature births.
• In a positive development, PRCS announced the reopening of its Al Quds Hospital in the Tal al Hawa neighbourhood of Gaza city, and the resumption of services on 21 March 2025. Despite significant challenges, including severe shortages of medical supplies and equipment, efforts have been made over the past few weeks to rehabilitate the hospital. Two operating rooms, an emergency department, outpatient clinics, an intensive care unit, and diagnostic departments such as radiology and laboratories have been set up to ensure comprehensive medical services. Al Quds Hospital had completely shut down, and its vicinity endured heavy bombardment, causing widespread destruction, including damage to emergency departments and laboratories. Additionally, on 17 March 2025, HH The Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics in Gaza, funded by Qatar Fund for Development, has resumed its out-patient services in Gaza despite having sustained destruction of its infrastructure, equipment and departments. Albeit at a reduced capacity of 70 per cent, the hospital's services are being resumed in three phases. Across Gaza, it is estimated that 4,500 new amputees require prosthetics, in addition to the 2,000 existing cases requiring maintenance and follow-up care, while about 24,000 injured people require rehabilitation services. It was reported that the hospital ceased operations on 20 March. According to the Health Cluster, 22 hospitals and five field hospitals are now partially functional, four field hospitals are fully functional, and 13 hospitals and five field hospitals are non-functional.
• On 19 March, WHO and partners, with the support of the European Commission (ECHO) under the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, evacuated 22 patients from Gaza via Kerem Shalom crossing for medical treatment in France, Italy, Norway and Romania. The patients were accompanied by 49 caregivers. No additional medical evacuations were reported since then. Between 1 February and 19 March, 1,724 patients, including 632 children, were evacuated along with 2,606 companions to receive specialized care in Egypt and other countries. According to WHO, about 11,000 to 13,000 people, including more than 4,500 children, remain in urgent need of medical evacuation. “Lives hang in the balance. We urgently call for the immediate resumption of daily medical evacuations through all possible routes, including the restoration of medical referrals to the West Bank and East Jerusalem," WHO added.
• Ongoing displacement is predominantly driven by displacement orders, destruction of private and public infrastructure and homes, and widespread fear of ongoing hostilities. In 2024, the UN and its partners had estimated that at least 1.9 million people were internally displaced within Gaza, meaning that nine out of ten people had already been displaced, many multiple times. As of 23 March, the Site Management Cluster (SMC) estimated that over 142,000 people have been newly displaced across Gaza between 18 and 23 March. Fleeing with only a few personal belongings, many people are now staying on the streets, in desperate need for food, drinking water, and shelter essentials.
• Since 18 March, the Israeli military issued six displacement orders, placing about 55 square kilometres, or 15 per cent of the Gaza Strip, under active displacement orders. It is estimated that 250,000 people were in the areas slated for evacuation in Rafah, Khan Younis and North Gaza, including over 50,000 people at 240 IDP sites according to the SMC. In addition to the 18 March order, five additional displacement orders were issued by the Israeli military between 20 and 24 March, ordering residents to evacuate immediately to Al Mawasi area and known shelters, as follows:

• • On 20 March, a displacement order was issued for parts of Bani Suhaila, Al Qarara and eastern Khan Younis, covering approximately 12 square kilometres in five neighbourhoods. An estimated 40,000 people were in the designated area, including over 6,600 people sheltering at makeshift IDP sites in Al Qarara and Bani Suheila. Around 150 families have reportedly been displaced from northeast Bani Suhaila to southern Bani Suhaila. In addition, three water wells, two water reservoirs, one dumpsite and one medical point were within the designated area while two primary health care centres (PHC) and three medical points are within 600 metres of it
  • On 21 March, a displacement order was issued for parts of Beit Lahia and Jabalya in North Gaza covering approximately 5.6 square kilometres in four neighbourhoods. An estimated 10,000 people were in the designated area, including about 3,600 people sheltering at ten IDP sites. The affected facilities include one desalination plant, one dumpsite, two wastewater pumping stations, one water well and one water reservoir. In addition, one hospital and two medical points were within the designated area, while two hospitals, two PHCs, and four medical points are within 1,000 meters of it.
  • On 23 March, a displacement order was issued for parts of Rafah, covering approximately nine square kilometres in five neighbourhoods. An estimated 50,000 to 60,000 people were in the designated area, including about 800 people sheltering at one IDP site. The affected facilities include 13 water wells, two desalination plants, one dumpsite, one wastewater pumping station, one stormwater basin and two water reservoirs. In addition, one medical point was within the designated area while two field hospitals, one PHC, and five medical points are within 1,000 meters of it. Furthermore, four Outpatient Therapeutic Feeding (OTP) sites, treating people for malnutrition, were in the designated area, leading to the discontinuation of treatment for 142 acutely malnourished children. Two additional OTP sites are adjacent to the area. About 1,200 people have reportedly evacuated from Rafah to Al Mawasi area in Khan Younis.
  • On 24 March, two displacement orders were issued for parts of Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and Jabalya in North Gaza covering approximately 8.1 square kilometres in 10 neighbourhoods. An estimated 100,000 to 120,000 people were in the designated area, including about 27,257 people sheltering at 47 IDP sites. Two hospitals, one PHC and one medical point were within the area, while one hospital, three PHCs and three medical points are within 1,000 meters of it.
• On 23 March, shortly after issuing a displacement order for people in Tal as Sultan area of Rafah to immediately leave on foot to Al Mawasi area (see above), the Israeli military announced that it was operating in the area and had encircled it. Other areas in Rafah – including Al Mawasi (east), Al Muharrarat, Rafah Al-Gharbieh, and Tal as Sultan (north) – were also affected by the order. The Palestinian Civil Defense (PCD) reported that over 50,000 people were trapped and surrounded by Israeli forces. Rafah Municipality stated that people have been left without water, food or medicine under continuous bombardment and communication with them has been lost.
• Also on 23 March , in response to an Israeli strike on Al Hashasheen neighbourhood, in Rafah, PRCS reported that one of its ambulances heading to the area to evacuate the wounded came under fire from Israeli forces, and the crew were injured. In response, three additional ambulances were dispatched to evacuate the wounded, including the injured PRCS team. However, Israeli forces besieged the area, leading to the loss of communication with PRCS teams. On the evening of 23 March, Israeli forces released one PRCS team member after severely assaulting him, according to PRCS. On 24 March, PCD said that six members of its rescue team went to Al Hashasheen area in Rafah on the morning of 23 March, upon receiving distress calls from people following the Israeli incursion. PCD reported that its team members have not returned since and communication with them has been lost. On 25 March, PRCS stated that “for the third consecutive day, the fate of nine Palestine Red Crescent ambulance crew members remains unknown after they were besieged,” adding that Israeli forces had targeted the teams. PCRS further said that Israeli authorities continued to reject “coordination attempts by international organizations to facilitate the rescue team’s access to the site.” PRCS expressed concern for the safety of its teams and said it held the Israeli authorities responsible for their fate.
• The Food Security Sector (FSS) reports that cooking gas remains available only in extremely limited quantities at exorbitant prices. This is limiting food preparation by families and increasing their reliance on community kitchens, FSS added. A surge in demand for bread has also been observed in recent days given the soaring prices of fuel and wheat flour. Amid dwindling supplies, widespread insecurity and critical supply shortages, FSS partners are working to maximize the production of cooked meals across Gaza and increasing bread production at bakeries that remain operational. Between 18 and 24 March, about ten kitchens have been closed across Gaza, due to hostilities and energy shortages. As of 25 March, 18 FSS-supported bakeries are operational and approximately 740,000 cooked meals prepared in about 170 kitchens are being distributed daily, compared with over 820,000 meals in about 180 kitchens prior to the latest escalation of hostilities. To maximize capacity and respond to the needs to new IDPs, partners have increased bread production by more than 20 per cent, from 160,000 to 193,000 bundles per day and are working to utilize the remaining cooked meal stock in the Strip to scale up meal provision by at least 200,000 additional meals per day in the coming two weeks. However, the remaining flour stock can only sustain this increased production for a limited time period.
• Since the latest escalation of hostilities, Nutrition cluster partners have continued screening children for malnutrition and have distributed ready-to-use complementary food to more than 7,000 infants and young children. However, the closure of 21 outpatient malnutrition treatment sites, due to insecurity or because they were located within areas placed under displacement orders, has disrupted life-saving assistance for roughly over 350 acutely malnourished children who were receiving treatment at these sites, and hindered the detection and treatment of new cases. In comparison, in the first two weeks of March, partners screened over 29,000 children under five years old across Gaza and identified over 750 children with acute malnutrition, including 85 with severe acute malnutrition. Meanwhile, the SMART survey, which was scheduled to be launched last week has been suspended. With the depletion of food supplies and deterioration of water and sanitation conditions situation, there is high concern of increased malnutrition, warns the Nutrition Cluster.

• Since the breakdown of the ceasefire and the escalation of hostilities on 18 March, the conditions for women and girls in Gaza have grown increasingly dire, UNFPA warns. The Beit Hanoun Women and Girls’ Safe Space (WGSS) has been forced to close due to displacement orders, while several WGSS services across the Gaza Strip have been suspended, with efforts now focused solely on urgent case management. The risk of gender-based violence (GBV) has escalated amid mass displacement, inadequate shelters, and the collapse of basic protection systems, leaving women and girls increasingly vulnerable to violence, abuse, and exploitation. Worsening living conditions – characterized by poverty, overcrowding, limited privacy, poor sanitation, and continuous exposure to violence and insecurity – are creating significant barriers for women and girls to seek help and access critical protection services. Recently, partners addressing GBV suspended the distribution of dignity kits for a week due to the volatile security situation but have resumed limited distributions where conditions allow. Yet, hygiene supplies – on the local market and as aid stocks – are rapidly running out.
• Since the escalation of hostilities on 18 March, Israeli forces have expanded the areas within Gaza where they require humanitarian organizations to coordinate their movements with them in advance. Between 18 and 24 March, out of 49 planned aid movements across the Gaza Strip that were coordinated with the Israeli authorities, 82 per cent (40) were denied, four per cent (two) were impeded, and 14 per cent (seven) were facilitated. Out of 26 planned humanitarian assistance missions in northern Gaza that were coordinated with the Israeli authorities, only four were facilitated and 22 were denied. These include 10 aid missions that needed to pass through the Israeli controlled Wadi Gaza area between southern and northern Gaza; of these, four were facilitated by the Israeli authorities through Al Rashid Road while six movements were denied. No humanitarian movements crossed between northern and southern Gaza via Salah Ad Din Road since the redeployment of Israeli forces in this area. In southern Gaza, out of the 23 planned humanitarian assistance missions, only three were facilitated, 22 were denied and two were impeded.

1172.

25 maart 2025

19 years of truth-telling—powered by people like you.

Nineteen years ago, Phil Weiss started Mondoweiss as a personal blog. He never imagined it would grow into a global news operation with 11 staff members reporting from Palestine and the U.S.—or that millions of readers would come to rely on our work for honest, unflinching reporting on Palestine.

Phil used to say, "When Western media starts doing its job, there will be no need for Mondoweiss."

That day still hasn't come—and right now, it feels farther away than ever.

As we mark our 19th anniversary, the truth is under siege. Free expression is being silenced. Activists are being arrested. And the corporate media? They're parroting state talking points and burying the real story.

While corporate outlets run headlines about "resuming war" and "targeting Hamas," over 200 children were killed in Gaza in a single day.

That's not war. That's mass murder!!!

This is why Mondoweiss exists. We refuse to wait for corporate media to grow a conscience. We report directly from the ground—unapologetic, and unafraid.

Now is that critical time. We can’t let up. The attacks on journalism, speech, and solidarity are only intensifying. They will come for all of us. We must be louder and bolder than ever before.

The Mondoweiss Team

1171.

25 maart 2025

Readers’ Recommendations

• Oscar-winning Palestinian director is attacked by Israeli settlers and detained by the army (AP) 
• Israeli airstrikes kill at least 65 people in Gaza in 24 hours, says health authority (The Guardian)  

1170.

25 maart 2025

Today's headlines

‘This fight is bigger than me, and we can’t afford to lose it’: Momodou Taal on his fight against the Trump administration

In an interview with Mondoweiss, Momodou Taal discusses the threat of deportation for his Palestine activism, Cornell's cooperation with the government crackdown on free speech, and what is at stake in his fight against the Trump administration.

As reconstruction stalls in Lebanon, victims of Israeli strikes say they won’t bow to U.S. pressure to normalize with Israel

The IMF and World Bank are conditioning reconstruction funds on Lebanon’s normalization with Israel and disarming Hezbollah. In the Dahiya suburb of Beirut, the people who’ve lost their homes in the war think this is unacceptable.

1169.

24 maart 2025

Join AMP as we combat misinformation and educate a nation

Israel is attempting to silence the truth. Today, it targeted and killed two journalists in Gaza during one of the bloodiest weeks of attacks in the past year and a half. Their deaths bring the total number of media workers killed in Israeli assaults on Gaza since October 2023 to 208.

As Israel intensifies its genocide during Ramadan, the Trump administration is escalating its crackdown on students, universities, and activists. Anyone who speaks out for Palestine is being targeted. It is no coincidence that these efforts are happening simultaneously. As American public opinion shifts on this issue, both Israel and the Trump administration are working to suppress the truth. But as we’ve seen time and again, you can silence a voice, but you can never silence the truth.

At American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), we believe that education is the foundation of advocacy. In a time when disinformation spreads unchecked and Palestinian voices are silenced, our work has never been more urgent or more impactful.

Over the past year, AMP has led educational and awareness efforts across the country. We have organized events in community centers, universities, mosques, libraries, and churches, reaching thousands of people with programming designed to inform, inspire, and mobilize. We have worked to ensure that the public understands both the historical reality of Palestine and the role of U.S. policy in sustaining the ongoing genocide.

This kind of work—changing minds, building awareness, and challenging dominant narratives—is the foundation of every protest, every shift in public opinion, and every policy breakthrough. Education is where change begins.

At a time when so many are trying to silence the truth, we must raise our voices with even greater strength and clarity.

1168.

24 maart 2025

Today's headlines

The Last Chapter of the Genocide

Israel has begun the final stage of its genocide. Palestinians are being forced to choose between death or deportation. What we are witnessing dwarfs all the historical assaults on Palestinians.

Donald Trump has ushered in his second term with a full-fledged assault on DEI programs and advocates for Palestinian rights. Both attacks should be understood within the long history of White backlash to movements for social and racial justice.

When you can’t recognize home anymore

Aya Al-Hattab

Before the war resumed, I was able to visit my old neighborhood in Gaza City. Nothing of it was left.

1167.

24 maart 2025

CONTACT YOUR SENATORS NOW

CONTACT YOUR SENATORS NOW

1166.

24 maart 2025

Mike Huckabee Is An Extremist and Racist—Tell Your Senators to Vote NO on His Nomination

Mike Huckabee, an extremist, racist, Christian nationalist, who once claimed “there’s really no such thing as a Palestinian” has been nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to Israel. His nomination is up for a hearing in the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee tomorrow March 25, 2025. 

TAKE ACTION: TELL THE SENATE TO OPPOSE HUCKABEE’S NOMINATION

Huckabee has openly denied the existence of Palestinians, dismissed the occupation of the West Bank as fiction, and publicly called for a “Palestinian state” to be created somewhere outside of historic Palestine. In his own words:

“There’s no such thing as a West Bank—it’s Judea and Samaria… There’s no such thing as an occupation… If there’s a two-state solution, the Palestinians’ state needs to be outside the boundaries of the nation of Israel. There’s plenty of land in the world where we can find a place.”

These are the words of an extremist, not a diplomat. Confirming Mike Huckabee would mean legitimizing a worldview that calls for the erasure of the Palestinian people and encourages apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and permanent occupation.

The role of the U.S. Ambassador should be to uphold international law, promote diplomacy, and advance human rights—not to serve as a megaphone for racist, settler-colonial propaganda.  We cannot allow a man who denies our very existence to be elevated to a position of diplomatic power.

Thank you for taking action for Palestine.

In solidarity,
Americans for Justice in Palestine Action

1165.

24 maart 2025

Readers’ Recommendations

= Gaza’s Health Ministry says Israel has struck the largest hospital in the territory’s south (AP)

= Gaza medics issue malnutrition alert as total Israeli blockade enters fourth week (The Guardian)

1163.

23 maart 2025

Join thousands as we march to demand an end to the slaughter in Gaza

Enough is enough! The horrifying images coming from Gaza prove yet again, that the US-Israeli war machine is determined to exterminate the Palestinian people. We cannot sit idly by as this continues for a year and a half. The people of Palestine are counting on us to take immediate action to end their suffering. Gaza cannot endure this any longer. The onus is on us to respond effectively.

Join us and partner organizations from around the country as we demand an end to the genocide in Gaza and stand against Trump’s plans.

• When: Saturday, April 5th, 2025
• Time: 1 PM EST
• Where: Washington, D.C.

Look out for bus information here. For regular updates on the march and logistics, please visit: marchforpalestine.org
 

In solidarity,
American Muslims for Palestine

1162.

23 maart 2025

Today's headlines

Israel aims to kill a Palestinian football ‘revolution’ — along with its players

Palestinians refugee camps are known for producing resistance fighters and footballers. But Israel's ongoing onslaught in Gaza and the West Bank is erasing every aspect of Palestinian life, including sports.

The only visible light in Gaza is coming from Israeli bombardment

Tareq S. Hajjaj

Israel resumed its genocidal war on Gaza by cutting off water and electricity to 2.1 million Palestinians, organising a humanitarian disaster.

1161.

23 maart 2025

We are on the brink of mass refusal. Our organizers on the ground are working to bring in more potential refusers to our movement, and we are counting on our supporters across the world to continue funding this work and even expand it. We need to seize the moment now, and fast, in order to put a stop to the killing of hundreds of Palestinians daily. More soldiers are questioning, resisting, and refusing to take part in war crimes. But they cannot do this alone.
 

Your donations make our work possible. Your support will help us to maximise the potential of this turning point and end the genocide. We cannot stress this enough. Our field organizing is a direct result of your backing. Right now, we need our organizers in the streets and on the phone, talking to protesters and reservists who are disillusioned with the government’s decision to break the ceasefire and sacrifice the hostages while murdering dozens of children in their sleep everyday. Join our efforts by donating today. Encourage your friends to match your support if possible.
 

The Israeli government has made its choice. Now we must make ours. Stand with those resisting from within. Stand against genocide. Stand for a real future, not more war.

In solidarity,
Mattan Helman
Refuser Solidarity Network

1160.

22 maart 2025

Genocide in Gaza resumes

Israel resumed its assault on Gaza this week with a devastating wave of airstrikes, killing more than 400 Palestinians in a single night. The attacks, which reportedly target Hamas's civil leadership, are part of a strategy Haaretz described as designed to sow chaos by dismantling social order and paving the way for criminal gangs to take control. Mondoweiss's Gaza Correspondent Tareq Hajjaj reported on the scale of the destruction and filed this searing story about the lives lost to Israel's indiscriminate bombing, writing: "The war is back, and with it, the screams under the rubble."

Prime Minister Netanyahu's rejection of the ceasefire reveals a deepening commitment to war, shaped by both ideology and political survival. He and his far-right coalition partners are united in their goal of destroying Hamas and displacing Palestinians and have vowed to continue the assault until those aims are met. Facing domestic unrest and an ongoing corruption trial, Netanyahu is also using the war to deflect growing criticism and cling to power. His decision to blow up the ceasefire marks not just a military escalation, but a willful rejection of diplomacy. For deeper analysis, don't miss the reporting from Qassam Muaddi.

Meanwhile, violence in the West Bank is intensifying. Leila Warah reports from Tulkarem, where Israeli forces have shattered daily life and displaced families in yet another wave of military aggression. Qassam Muaddi outlines four key reasons why the world continues to tolerate Israel's ethnic cleansing campaign in the West Bank.

And here in the U.S., the Trump administration is using Palestine as a pretext to escalate its crackdown on free speech and academic freedom. Palestinian journalist Mahmoud Khalil, still detained in a Louisiana immigration facility, penned a powerful letter declaring, "I am a political prisoner." In the second issue of Power & Pushback, Michael Arria documents the enormous pressure being placed on Columbia University to suppress pro-Palestinian students. One chilling example: Jelani Cobb, dean of the journalism school, told a Palestinian student, "Nobody can protect you. These are dangerous times."

Dangerous times, indeed.

In solidarity,

David Reed, Publisher

Must Read: Why Netanyahu chose to blow up the ceasefire and return to war

Qassam Muaddi: Israel was backed into a corner on the eve of its return to war because Hamas was forcing Netanyahu to honor the ceasefire deal he had signed. Confronted with his own internal political challenges, Netanyahu’s only choice was to blow up the deal.

Catch-up

= Progressive International’s Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla talks to Mondoweiss about the creation of the Hague Group, a campaign of global south nations to uphold the ICJ and ICC rulings on Palestine, and international efforts to hold Israel accountable.

= Qassam Muaddi: Political conflict was never the choice of Palestinians. It was and still is the ocean that separates them from their houses, their trees, and the graves of their elders, from Gaza all the way to Jenin.

= Trump’s motivations are often unclear, but the recent U.S. bombing campaign on Yemen was clearly meant to stop Ansar Allah’s attacks on Red Sea shipping — and to send a message to Iran.

= As Israel’s genocidal war resumes in Gaza, entire families are being exterminated amid the bombardment, with family homes becoming family graves. Survivors tell Mondoweiss that most of the dead are women and children.

= Mahmoud Khalil: Writing from an ICE detention facility, Khalil says: “The Trump administration is targeting me as part of a broader strategy to suppress dissent.”

= Mahmoud Khalil’s detention follows decades of targeted harassment, imprisonment, and deportation of Palestinian students, scholars, and community leaders in the U.S.

= Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner’s call to strip a local movie theater’s funding and lease over showing the film “No Other Land” is just the latest authoritarian example of how the U.S. government is attempting to censor criticism of Israel.

= Qassam Muaddi: Israel is erasing the Jenin refugee camp because of its role in Palestinian collective memory and resistance. It might destroy the camp, but it can never extinguish what it represents.

= Early this year investment research firm Morningstar caved to a multi-year ADL pressure campaign and exempted Israel from its socially responsible investing ratings. This success in exempting Israel from investor accountability is just the beginning.

= Ziyad Motala: The Trump administration’s extraordinary and unprecedented move to effectively expel South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool was done for one reason: South Africa had the audacity to hold Israel accountable for the Gaza genocide.

1159.

22 maart 2025

What makes local divestment so powerful?

All over the country, people like you and me are discovering they have more power than they realized over how their tax dollars are invested at the local level.

In Cleveland, local organizers packed county council meetings and organized community pressure that's building real momentum for divestment. In Florida, a coalition uncovered that the state had $700 million invested in Israel bonds, leading to a precedent-setting lawsuit gaining national attention.

Here's how you can drive change in your community:

Each time a city, county, or state divests, we move closer to making genocide economically unsustainable. BDS creates ripple effects internationally that build to huge changes.

GET INVOLVED NOW

1158.

22 maart 2025

Today's headlines

Why was I investigated for sharing an article critical of Zionism by the ‘free speech’ organization PEN America?

Working at PEN American has given me a firsthand look at how liberal institutions suppress pro-Palestinian voices.

Four reasons why Israel’s ethnic cleansing of the West Bank is being accepted by the world

Qassam Muaddi

Israel's ethnic cleansing campaign in the West Bank is being accepted by the international community because it has already allowed genocide in Gaza and the forced displacement of Palestinians since 1948. But there is hope a new world is being born.

‘Collective action is the only antidote’: Progressive International, the Hague Group and the global movement to hold Israel accountable

Progressive International's Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla talks to Mondoweiss about the creation of the Hague Group, a campaign of global south nations to uphold the ICJ and ICC rulings on Palestine, and international efforts to hold Israel accountable.

1157.

21 maart 2025

It will remain at the center of our demands

We are witnessing a historic moment—where faith is being tested, where oppression is being normalized, and where silence is complicity. Those who oppress understand the power of breaking spirits—that’s why, even during Ramadan, we witness attacks on Masjid Al-Aqsa, the relentless assault on Gaza, and the deliberate starvation of its people.

But what does this mean for us? It means we cannot sit back and wait for morally bankrupt politicians to act. It means we must mobilize, educate, and advocate louder than ever before.

AMP is on the frontlines of this fight, ensuring that our community is deeply committed to Palestinian liberation. By organizing protests, lobbying Congress, and equipping communities with the tools to resist the Zionist narrative. Your support allows them to keep pushing forward—to make sure the world does not forget, that Palestine is not erased and that our voices are not silenced.

 But AMP needs your help to do this effectively. Your support will allow AMP to expand its organizing, raise awareness, and strengthen its advocacy on behalf of Palestine.

Let us use our strength to stand for Palestine and work for a future where peace and dignity prevail.

BarakAllahu Feekum,

Imam Omar Suleiman

1156.

21 maart 2025

This year, Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) begins differently. Students resisting Israel's genocide in Gaza planned to launch IAW 2025 from the the rubble of their university.

The Secretariat of Student Frameworks in Gaza had planned to commence IAW 2025 from the destroyed campus of the Al-Aqsa University, a site that once stood as a symbol of Palestinian resilience, but has now been reduced to rubble. This year IAW cannot be launched with an event from Gaza due to Israel’s intensified genocidal bombardment, which has murdered hundreds of Palestinians since Israel shattered the fragile ceasefire in the early hours of Monday, 17 March.
 

“Yet, this must not be a moment of resignation - it must be one of escalation!”

­

Share their call on social media now!

In a statement Palestinian students in Gaza call on people of conscience to make IAW 2025 starting today, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, a pivotal moment in the joint struggle to dismantle the Israeli regime of settler-colonialism, genocide, and apartheid towards Palestinian liberation.

The Secretariat of Student Frameworks in Gaza calls on supporters to:

Resist. Rise!

Decolonize by:

=Shutting it Down - No business as usual under genocide.

 =Expanding Apartheid-Free Zones.
= Pressuring Governments for Sanctions.
=Organizing Mass Mobilizations around March 21 and beyond.

  =Demanding Israel’s immediate suspension from the UN, FIFA, the Olympics, and all international institutions.

Together we can end this complicity and show how people power makes apartheid history!

1155.

21 maart 2025

Het staakt-het-vuren dat 19 januari inging heeft definitief plaatsgemaakt voor hervatting van de Israëlische genocide op de Palestijnse bevolking van Gaza. Volgens de gezondheidsautoriteiten in Gaza zijn sinds maandagnacht meer dan 590 Palestijnen omgekomen en blijft het dodental stijgen. Zeker 200 van de doden zijn kinderen, meldt Unicef.

Intussen worden de Israëlische aanvallen via de lucht en op de grond steeds heviger. Op het moment van schrijven voert het Israëlische leger grondoperaties uit in Rafah, een stad in het zuiden van Gaza, en Beit Lahiya in het noorden. De Palestijnse bevolking in Gaza is bovendien nergens veilig voor het constante gevaar van bombardementen. 

Palestijnse kinderen vechten voor een plek bij een van de gaarkeukens in de Gazastrook. Intussen zijn veel van die keukens gesloten als gevolg van de Israëlische blokkade van voedsel, brandstof en elektriciteit. © Jehad Alshrafi / Alamy

Israël geeft Palestijnen de schuld
Israël en zijn bondgenoten proberen de Palestijnen met een campagne van desinformatie de schuld te geven van de hervatting van de genocide.Trap daar niet in!

Het traject om tot de tweede fase van het staakt-het-vuren te komen is door Israël structureel gesaboteerd. Met steun van de Verenigde Staten. Eerst door terug te komen op de terugtrekking van het Israëlische leger. En vervolgens door Gaza hermetisch af te sluiten van de aanvoer van water, voedsel, medicijnen, brandstof, humanitaire hulp en elektriciteit.

Om dit aan de wereld te kunnen verkopen lanceerden de Amerikanen vlak voor het einde van de eerste fase van het staakt-het-vuren een ‘oplossing’, die neerkwam op de verdere uitwisseling van gegijzelden zonder de eerder afgesproken voorwaarden. Hamas ging niet akkoord en kreeg vervolgens de schuld van het mislukken.

ik steun The Rights Forum niet

VN-resolutie | Israël heeft nog zes maanden om zich uit Palestina terug te trekken

Israël dient zich daarom volledig terug te trekken uit bezet gebied, dat te herstellen naar de situatie van voor de bezetting, en de Palestijnse bevolking schadeloos te stellen. Door de VN werd daar in de resolutie de deadline van 18 september 2025 aan gekoppeld – deze week over zes maanden.

VN-rapport | Israël pleegt genocidale daden en seksueel geweld in Gaza

Het rapport trekt niet de conclusie dat Israël genocide pleegt, benadrukte de Australiër Chris Sidoti, lid van de onafhankelijke VN-commissie die het onderzoek uitvoerde. Dit onderzoek richtte zich alleen op de daden, terwijl voor het vaststellen van genocide ook moet worden onderzocht of die daden worden gepleegd met de intentie de Palestijnen uit te roeien. Daar werkt de commissie nu aan.

Lees hier meer over de conclusies van het VN-rapport 

Uit onze agenda
zaterdag 22 maart t/m zaterdag 29 maart
 Demonstraties en wakes
• Landelijke demonstratie tegen racisme en fascisme op zaterdag 22 maart in Amsterdam, de Dam (14.00 uur)
• Landelijk protest Stop de genocide op zondag 23 maart in Amsterdam, de Dam (14.00 uur)
• Emergency protest tegen de genocide op zondag 23 maart in Enschede, Oude Markt (13.00 uur)
• Sit-in rijksambtenaren op donderdag 27 maart in Den Haag, Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken, Rijnstraat 8 (12.00 uur)
• Wake op zaterdag 29 maart in Groningen, Waagplein (13.00 uur)       

1154.

21 maart 2025

Today's headlines

The real reason Donald Trump is bombing Yemen

Trump’s motivations are often unclear, but the recent U.S. bombing campaign on Yemen was clearly meant to stop Ansar Allah’s attacks on Red Sea shipping — and to send a message to Iran.

Lives shattered in Tulkarem amid Israel’s escalating military assault in the West Bank

Inside the human toll of Israel's campaign of forcible displacement in the northern West Bank's refugee camps.

1153.

21 maart 2025

Humanitarian Situation Update #274
West Bank

Palestinians make their way through the remains of a bulldozed road in Jenin city following an operation carried out by Israeli forces on 11 March 2025. Photo by Jenin municipality. 

Key Highlights

• A total of 849 Israeli movement obstacles are placed throughout the West Bank, OCHA finds in a new rapid survey. A third (288) of the obstacles are road gates, most of which are frequently closed. 
• Israeli settlers injured 23 Palestinians in one week, mainly in Bedouin and herding communities in Area C, and Palestinians injured two Israeli settlers including one in a shooting attack.
• The operation carried out by Israeli forces in the northern West Bank has entered its ninth week. On 18 and 19 March, Israeli forces raided Qalqiliya city and Ein Beit al Mai refugee camp in Nablus, killing two Palestinians. In Jenin, over 600 residential units have been rendered uninhabitable, and 66 residential structures face imminent demolition according to local sources.

Humanitarian Developments

• Between 11 and 17 March, five Palestinians were killed, and 82 were injured, including 13 children, across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. For more information on casualties and further breakdowns of data, please see the monthly West Bank Snapshot. Following are the incidents resulting in fatalities during the reporting period:  
  • On 11 March, four Palestinians, including a woman, were reported killed by Israeli forces during a 10-hour operation in Jenin city, mainly in the eastern neighbourhoods of the city, during which armed clashes were reported between Palestinians and Israeli forces who reportedly used shoulder-fired explosive projectiles. The identities of three fatalities were announced by Israeli officials a day after the incident, based on information provided by the Israeli District Coordination Office. The body of the 58-year-old woman was handed over to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) at Al Jalama checkpoint on 11 March while the bodies of the three other fatalities remain withheld by Israeli forces. According to community sources, Israeli forces arrested the woman’s son, and her two grandchildren (aged 7 and 12 years) were detained for a few hours. 
  • On 12 March, a Palestinian man from the West Bank died when he fell from a five-storey building while escaping from Israeli forces, who raided his workplace in West Jerusalem in search for Palestinians who lacked permits to work in Israel (not counted in the total number of fatalities). The man’s body was withheld by Israeli forces. Recently, Israeli forces have stepped up operations in Israel to detain Palestinian workers who do not possess the required work permits, with hundreds reportedly detained.
  • On 14 March, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man during a raid into Salem village, in Nablus, where Palestinians threw stones at Israeli forces. PRCS transported the fatality to hospital. 
• Between 11 and 17 March, OCHA documented 34 incidents involving Israeli settlers that led to casualties, property damage or both. In 32 incidents perpetrated by settlers against Palestinians, 27 Palestinians and one Israeli settler were injured, two Palestinian families were displaced, and at least two houses, eight vehicles and 180 Palestinian-owned trees and saplings were vandalized. Of the injured Palestinians, 23 were by Israeli settlers and four by Israeli forces. Additionally, in one of two incidents perpetrated by Palestinians against Israeli settlers, one Israeli settler was injured by an unknown perpetrator believed to be a Palestinian. Following are some of the key incidents involving Israeli settlers that took place during the reporting period:  
  • On 11 March, five Palestinians, including two women, who were driving on Road 60 near Huwwara town, in Nablus, were taken to hospital after settlers threw stones at their car, forcing them to stop, and pepper sprayed them.
  • On 11 March, two elderly Palestinian men were taken to hospital after being physically assaulted and injured by Israeli settlers. The assailants grazed their sheep in the Palestinian community of Haribat an Nabim, in southern Hebron, and raided houses, attacking residents with stones and clubs. They were reportedly armed and are believed to be from a settlement outpost that was newly established near the community. 
  • On 11 March, Israeli settlers, accompanied by Israeli forces, attacked Palestinian herders while they were grazing their sheep in the southern pastures of Hammamat Al Maleh – Al Meita herding community, in Tubas, in the northern Jordan Valley. Israeli settlers severely assaulted and injured two Palestinian herders with metal sticks and left them unconscious. Israeli forces subsequently sealed off the area, preventing Palestinians from reaching the injured men for about an hour, after which they allowed a Palestinian ambulance to transfer the injured men to Tubas Hospital. 
  • On 12 March, an 18-year-old Israeli settler was shot and injured while driving near Ariel settlement, in Salfit. He was reportedly taken to a hospital in Israel. According to Israeli media, the assailant first used laser to temporarily blind the driver before opening fire. Subsequently, Israeli forces set up roadblocks and erected flying checkpoints to search for the assailant. Palestinian sources indicated that all entrances to Salfit city, and road gates at the entrances of east of Haris, Bruqin, Yasuf, and Qarawat Bani Hassan villages were closed. Moreover, Israeli settlers believed to be from a settlement outpost established in November 2024 attacked and physically assaulted residents of Abu Atiyah Bedouin community, in Salfit, resulting in the injury of two Palestinians. One of the two was an elderly man who sustained a brain hemorrhage and is, according to medical sources, in a critical condition. Two other Palestinians who were driving near the community were injured when Israeli settlers threw stones at their vehicles. Four days later, three Palestinians were pepper sprayed by Israeli settlers believed to be from the same settlement outpost and required medical treatment.
  • On 13 March, about 50 Israeli settlers set fire to houses in Khirbet Al Marajim Bedouin community, in Nablus, and attacked Palestinians with sticks and stones, with no injuries reported. They threw a Molotov cocktail, setting a room on fire while a baby and a toddler were inside, but they were unharmed after the settlers carried them outside and left them about 50 meters away. One house was burned down, another was damaged and rendered temporarily uninhabitable, and a third was significantly damaged but remained inhabitable. Consequently, two families, comprising seven people including two children, were displaced. During the same incident, a Palestinian-owned tractor was damaged, a horse was stolen, and 18 olive saplings were vandalized.
  • On 16 March, an 18-year-old Palestinian herder was beaten and pepper sprayed by Israeli settlers while he was grazing his sheep near Umm Ad Daraj Bedouin community, in Hebron, causing him to lose consciousness. The assailants are believed to be from a settlement outpost that was newly established near the community.  
• All Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are illegal under international humanitarian law. They deepen humanitarian needs by affecting livelihoods, food security and access to essential services. In October 2024, Peace Now, an Israeli NGO, reported that 43 new settlement outposts, primarily farm outposts, had been established in the West Bank since October 2023, compared with an annual average of seven outposts in the nearly three decades prior. Settlement outposts, considered illegal under Israeli law, have been associated with a growing number of attacks on nearby Palestinian communities, primarily Bedouin and herding communities in Area C.
• On 17 March, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) warned that the humanitarian context in the occupied West Bank, “is characterized by heightened volatility and a severe increase in protection risks,” noting the growing involvement of Israeli forces in settler violence incidents that have increased in severity and frequency. According to OHCHR, this has, “triggered a convergence between state and settler violence, particularly in Area C, where systemic discrimination, discriminatory zoning and planning laws, and violence against Palestinian agricultural and herding communities exacerbate displacement and dispossession.” 
• Between 11 and 17 March, OCHA documented 12 demolitions across the West Bank due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are nearly impossible to obtain. These included an agricultural structure in Al ‘Isawiya, in East Jerusalem, and 11 other structures in Area C. No displacement took place but about 100 people, including 61 children, were otherwise affected. In one incident on 11 March, eight livelihood structures were demolished in Surda (Ramallah). Among them were offices, a car exhibition, wash facilities, and resting rooms. The livelihoods of 11 families, comprising 83 people, was affected.  
• On 12 March, Israeli forces in Qalqiliya city demolished, on punitive grounds, a four-storey residential building belonging to the family of a Palestinian who was accused by Israeli authorities of shooting and killing an Israeli settler in June 2024. The alleged shooter was killed in an Israeli airstrike in August 2024. As a result of the demolition, two households comprising seven people, including two women and three children, were displaced.

• On the second Friday of Ramadan, 14 March, it is estimated that less than 10,000 Palestinians holding West Bank ID cards crossed through checkpoints to reach Al Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem. This is on par with the number of people who crossed in March 2024, but is a ten-fold reduction compared with the estimated 100,000 people who crossed checkpoints into East Jerusalem on the second Friday of Ramadan in March 2023, prior to 7 October 2023. Like prior years, access to holy sites during Ramadan, particularly to Al Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, and Al Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, is facilitated by Israeli authorities but continues to be limited to Fridays and based on gender and age. This is in addition to the possession of Israeli-issued permits to access East Jerusalem, which is an often-difficult-to-obtain, year-round requirement for nearly three million Palestinians who hold West Bank ID cards. According to measures announced by Israeli authorities, men over 55 and women over 50, with a valid magnetic card and a one-day Israeli-issued permit, and children below 12 years of age are eligible to cross through two out of 13 checkpoints along the Barrier that continue to separate East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank, namely, Qalandiya checkpoint in the north and Gilo checkpoint in the south. For Al Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, according to announced measures by Israeli authorities, access was limited to men between 27 and 50 years of age, with inspection, and men over 50 years and females of all ages without inspection, with one out of three checkpoints designated for access. It is estimated that about 3,500 Palestinians accessed the restricted H2 area in Hebron and performed prayers in Al Ibrahimi Mosque on the second Friday of Ramadan.
• According to UN monitoring teams, additional procedures and movement obstacles have been put in place by Israeli authorities to control access into East Jerusalem on Fridays during Ramadan. Fingerprints at checkpoints for entry and exit are required during the designated access times between 5:00 and 17:00 on Fridays. Moreover, all the main vehicular roads leading to the Old City of Jerusalem are largely blocked with police tapes and flying checkpoints on Fridays, with people forced to walk through narrow lanes marked by movable, metal barriers leading to the gates of the Old City, where Israeli forces deploy additional mobile checkpoints to conduct ID checks. Dozens of people have been observed being turned away before even reaching the gates of Al Aqsa Mosque.
• At present, there are 849 movement obstacles which are permanently or intermittently controlling, restricting and monitoring Palestinian movement in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the H2 area of Hebron. A rapid survey conducted by OCHA in January and February 2025 found that 36 new movement obstacles have been set in the past three months, the majority following the announcement of the Gaza ceasefire in mid-January 2025, further impeding access by Palestinians to basic services and workplaces. Other closures, believed to have been set up in 2024, were documented. Significantly, a total of 29 new gates have been installed across the West Bank, either as new stand-alone closures or added to existing partial checkpoints, bringing the overall number of open or closed road gates across the West Bank to 288, constituting a third of movement obstacles. Of these, about 60 per cent (172 out of 288) are frequently closed gates. Coupled with an increase in the number of installed obstacles, the intensification of movement restrictions has entailed prolonged delays at checkpoints, the intermittent closure of key access points connecting population centres across the West Bank, and an increase in the number of closures that are frequently closed. In total, documented obstacles include: 94 checkpoints staffed 24/7; 153 partial (intermittently staffed) checkpoints (of which 45 have frequently closed gates); 205 road gates (of which 127 are frequently closed); 101 linear closures (such as earthwalls and trenches); 180 earthmounds; and 116 roadblocks. Checkpoints on the Green Line are not included in this data, nor are restrictions – such as the closure of Jenin refugee camp for returnees or the declaration of “closed military zones” – which do not necessarily have a physical element on the ground.
• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between January and 28 February 2025, 64 attacks on health care were documented across the West Bank. These attacks resulted in four deaths and 11 injuries, affected seven health facilities, in addition to 43 ambulances. Furthermore, at least 14 health care staff were detained or arrested while on duty. Most attacks (78 per cent) where reported in Tulkarm and Jenin governorates.

Developments in northern West Bank

• On 18 March, undercover Israeli forces raided Qalqiliya city, surrounded a café, fired tear gas canisters and live ammunition, killing a Palestinian man, injuring three others, and arresting two Palestinians. According to PRCS, ambulances were hindered from treating the wounded due to Israeli access restrictions and gunfire.
• On 19 March, the Israeli military issued an order announcing an imminent demolition of dozens of homes in Jenin refugee camp for military purposes. According to the order, residents have 24 hours to submit a request to evacuate their personal belongings from their homes that have been slated for demolition. According to local sources, 66 residential structures are affected and are home to an estimated 280 families.  The camp's popular committee, in coordination with the Palestinian District Coordination Liaison (DCL), is working to assist affected residents in evacuating some of their belongings. In Jenin, over 600 residential units have been rendered uninhabitable by demolitions or explosions, according to initial estimates by local authorities.
• Operations carried out by Israeli forces in the northern West Bank have severely damaged water, sanitation, and road infrastructure, disrupting essential services and raising public health concerns. In Jenin refugee camp and other areas, ongoing demolitions of residential structures primarily seem to be aimed at expanding roads. The Jenin Municipality reports that, since the operation began on 21 January, approximately 15.63 kilometres of roads have been bulldozed, and nearly 21 kilometres of water networks have been destroyed. The Jenin Municipality reported severe water shortages in the western neighbourhoods of Jenin city, affecting nearly 15,000 people. The disruptions are primarily caused by repeated bulldozing of infrastructure, particularly pipelines supplying water from the "Saadeh" cistern, forcing residents to rely on water trucking. In response, the municipality, with NGO support, has repaired the urban water distribution system from Al Saadeh well, restoring services to approximately 5,000 people. Water trucking operations by humanitarian organizations are also ongoing in Tulkarm and Jenin. Furthermore, more than 2,000 hygiene kits have been distributed, with over 2,000 additional kits in the pipeline, while over 200 water storage tanks have been provided to support affected communities.
• The operation by Israeli forces in the northern West Bank has now entered its ninth week. In Tulkarm city and its two refugee camps (Tulkarm and Nur Shams), the operation has been ongoing for a month. So far, tens of thousands of people have been displaced from Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps, which have become almost deserted. In Nur Shams, demolitions were reported on 19 March, with Israeli forces destroying at least six residential structures, affecting at least 30 households.
• On 18 March, official Israeli sources announced that they began operating in Nablus as part of the ongoing large-scale operation in the northern West Bank. On 19 March, undercover Israeli troops, followed by other Israeli forces, raided the Ein Beit al Mai refugee camp, in Nablus, in an ongoing operation, that has resulted in the killing of a Palestinian man, whose body has been reportedly withheld, and the injury of two others. Israeli forces instructed five families in Ein Beit al Mai to leave their homes, which were converted into military posts. In total, nearly 80 families have reportedly been forced to leave their homes, the majority after being instructed to leave by Israeli forces and the rest fled their homes fearing the operation would last for several days, but all have returned once Israeli forces withd

1152.

20 maart 2025

Today's headlines

A child in Gaza watched his mother burn alive. Then he died too.

Tareq S. Hajjaj

As Israel’s genocidal war resumes in Gaza, entire families are being exterminated amid the bombardment, with family homes becoming family graves. Survivors tell Mondoweiss most of the dead are women and children.

Now that Israel has resumed bombing Gaza, Itamar Ben-Gvir is back in the Netanyahu government

n January, far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir left the Israeli government in protest of the Gaza ceasefire. Now that the genocide has fully restarted, Ben-Gvir is back and his shared interests with Benjamin Netanyahu have never been clearer.

1151.

20 maart 2025

Israel’s Deadly Cruelty in Gaza Hospitals

Ceasefire deal or no ceasefire deal, the slaughter in Gaza goes on.

This week, the Israeli military launched a new wave of airstrikes and artillery fire across Gaza. This has killed more than 400 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, the most reliable source for such numbers.

Since March 2, the Israeli government has also again been blocking all aid entering Gaza. This is in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.

For nearly a year and a half now, the Israeli authorities have been committing war crimes, crimes against humanity – including forced displacement and extermination – and acts of genocide in Gaza.

Since the Hamas-led atrocities of October 7 , 2023, Israeli forces have repeatedly carried out unlawfully indiscriminate airstrikes. In doing so, they’ve killed and maimed thousands of civilians, including wiping out entire families. They’ve reduced much of Gaza’s infrastructure, homes, schools, and hospitals to rubble.

Attacks on healthcare facilities deserve special mention. Human Rights Watch has reported on unlawful Israeli attacks on hospitals and ambulances . We’ve also documented the arbitrary detention and torture of healthcare workers.

A new report details how, while occupying hospitals in Gaza during the current hostilities, Israeli military forces caused deaths and unnecessary suffering of patients.

Witnesses at three hospitals described how Israeli forces denied electricity, water, food, and medicines to patients – leaving sick and wounded people to die. They shot civilians , mistreated healthcare workers, and deliberately destroyed medical equipment. Forced evacuations put patients at grave risk.

Such acts are not only brutal and cruel. They are also war crimes.

Israeli authorities have not announced any investigations into these actions by Israeli ground forces in control of these or other hospitals.

The list of atrocities by the Israeli military in Gaza simply keeps growing. Many around the world have been expressing their outrage.

However, we’ve yet to see the kind of political and diplomatic pressure and action needed to get Israeli authorities to stop committing atrocities.

What that international action might look like essentially comes down to three things.

First, other countries should suspend arms transfers to Israel.

Second, they should support the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued arrest warrants for top Israeli leaders. Members of the ICC, which includes all EU countries, should state clearly they are obligated to – and will – arrest anyone wanted by the ICC on their territory.

Third, other countries should impose targeted sanctions on officials responsible for war crimes and other atrocities across Israel and Palestine.

Until there’s this kind of international action, it’s hard to see when Israeli officials will stop their slaughter and brutality in Gaza.

1150.

20 maart 2025

1149.

20 maart 2025

Early on Tuesday morning, the IDF began a renewed aerial assault on Gaza, killing hundreds of Palestinians. Many were civilians. Children, men, women - gone. A one-sided violation to bury the ceasefire deal. Yesterday, IDF soldiers and tanks marched back into Gaza to reestablish part of the massive “kill zone” that was the Netzarim Corridor. Netanyahu has again chosen war.

Nothing can justify this, and we find the usual excuse of "defeating Hamas" entirely unconvincing. Hamas’ manpower has reportedly bounced back to over 25,000 combatants, around the same as was estimated before October 7th. 15 months of all-out destruction, countless thousands of innocent deaths written off as “collateral damage” - military pressure has been a resounding failure in the quest to “defeat Hamas.” No, this assault is a part of one man’s quest to hold on to political power.

We say this since until Tuesday, Netanyahu’s government was in danger of dissolving. To stabilize his chances at political survival, he needed far-right messianic settler Itamar Ben-Gvir back in his coalition. And one of Ben Gvir’s conditions for this return was a renewal of fighting in Gaza. The strikes started on Tuesday morning, and by the end of the day, Ben Gvir was back in the government.

Palestinians bake bread under rubble in Jabaliya, February 5th, 2025.
Photo: Yousef Zaanoun, Activestills

Ben-Gvir’s ally, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, said in January that his party would leave the government if Israel follows through with the 2nd stage of the ceasefire deal. He said back then that Netanyahu had agreed to this condition, adding that Netanyahu also agreed to reduce the aid to Gaza.

And so, about 2 weeks ago, Israel didn’t follow through with the deal’s 2nd stage. All food, medicine, fuel, and electricity to Gaza were reportedly cut off, and the few international aid and healthcare workers Israel used to allow into Gaza have had their access increasingly restricted.

The remaining Israeli hostages are expected to suffer as a direct result. The hostages and their families have been saying this for a while - military pressure kills many more hostages than it saves. Over a dozen could’ve been home today had the deal continued into its 2nd phase.

Instead, the hostages remain in Gaza, possibly injured or dead from Israeli missiles, alongside so many innocent Palestinians. Netanyahu’s political career survives another day, backed by a settler movement hellbent on reoccupying Gaza. Ben Gvir returns, the hostages don’t. 

Captivity survivor Ilana Gritzewsky on Begin road, in calls for ending the war and bringing all remaining hostages home, March 18th, 2025.    Photo: Yoav Loeff

Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, and the rest of the messianic settler movement they represent have long excused their ideology of displacement with “security concerns,” allowing them to use the IDF and Israeli police as a tool to advance their political agenda.

We saw this with our own eyes last month, after similar “security concerns” prevented us from showing the reality of apartheid in Hebron to a group of 200 Israelis and foreigners on an “emergency solidarity tour.”

Though it had been planned and coordinated long in advance, as all of our larger tours are, our tour buses were nevertheless denied entry into Hebron by IDF and police forces. As the army and police waved the magic wand of “security concerns” at us, settlers freely came and went as they liked.

The 5 buses full of people who joined us that day received a small glimpse into the movement restrictions experienced daily by Palestinians in the West Bank. Furthermore, they also saw something fundamental about the occupation: it’s not about security. 

Police block our tour buses from entering Hebron, February 28th, 2025.
Photo: Yahel Gazit

As Israelis, we can never fully grasp the impact of these tactics on Palestinians—routine violence, endless restrictions, arbitrary arrests. Many of us were sent to serve in Hebron ourselves. We as Israelis fund this reality in Hebron with our tax money—all to support a messianic agenda. But actually seeing what we’re paying for? That, apparently, is “none of our business.”

They stopped us at the entrance because they fear we’ll talk about Hebron. They fear more Israelis will learn the truth about what’s happening there. And they should be afraid. Because once you see the reality of the occupation, you cannot stay silent.

We’ve been bringing tours to Hebron for over 20 years. Yesterday, as IDF airstrikes rained down on Gaza, we were in Hebron, this time successfully showing 3 new groups of Israelis the only Palestinian city with a settlement at its heart, meeting with and listening to our Palestinian partners at Youth Against Settlements. We have no intention of stopping. 

Our Executive Director, Nadav Weiman, explains one way in which the "Gazafication" of the West Bank has affected Hebron during a tour of the once-lively city center.

Help us expose the realities of IDF practices in Gaza

How we fought in Gaza

 Hundreds of soldiers have given us their testimonies on previous Israeli military campaigns they took part in, in the Gaza Strip. Looking back can help understand the reality we see unfolding and the choices we face today.

1148.

19 maart 2025

‘Nobody can protect you’

Last week Columbia University's Interim President Katrina Armstrong sent an email to students and faculty saying she was "heartbroken" to learn that federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had showed up at two University residences.

"I understand the immense stress our community is under," wrote Armstrong. "Despite the unprecedented challenges, Columbia University will remain a place where the pursuit of knowledge is cherished and fiercely protected, where the rule of law and due process is respected and never taken for granted, and where all members of our community are valued and able to thrive. These are the principles we uphold and that guide us every day."

It might be difficult for the Columbia community to interpret Armstrong's sentiments as genuine.

Before ICE agents showed up, the school modified its protocol for such a development and reversed its previous status as a sanctuary campus. According to the new rules, ICE would be allowed at Columbia without a warrant in "exigent circumstances."

Not long after that announcement Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia graduate and lead organizer during last spring's Gaza protests, was arrested by ICE in front of his pregnant wife, who pleaded with the agents to explain the charges.

Khalil was a permanent resident with a current green card, but it was revoked by the federal government along with his student visa. The Trump administration moved to have Khalil immediately deported, but the effort was blocked by a federal judge in New York. No one knew where Khalil was for an extended period of time, but we eventually learned that he is being held in a detention facility in Louisiana. At his first court hearing, we learned that his attorneys had not been able to communicate with him.

The Trump team immediately celebrated Khalil's ordeal. "This is the first arrest of many to come," wrote the president in a Truth Social post. "We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it. Many are not students, they are paid agitators."

The administration has not accused Khalil of committing any sort of crime. Instead, they have basically implied that pro-Palestine protests impair the foreign policy objectives of the United States and that participants can be targeted as a result.

Court documents revealed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio wasn't relying on anti-terrorism law when he chose to arrest Khalil, but a provision from the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which was wielded at the height of the Red Scare to target Holocaust survivors suspected of being Soviet agents.

"An alien whose presence or activities in the United States the Secretary of State has reasonable grounds to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States is deportable," reads that provision.

Last week two more Columbia students were targeted.

A DHS press release announced that Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian woman from the West Bank, was arrested by Newark, New Jersey ICE agents for allegedly overstaying her F-1 student visa. She is currently being held at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. Kordia reportedly participated in last spring's Gaza protests.

Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian national and Fulbright Scholar at Columbia, fled the U.S. over fears that she would be taken into custody. She's been in the United States for nearly a decade. "Having my visa revoked and then losing my student status has upended my life and future — not because of any wrongdoing, but because I exercised my right to free speech," she told CNN in a statement.

These certainly aren't the only reasons that Armstrong's email might have been met with some skepticism.

On the same day the campus heard about ICE showing up, we learned that Trump had sent Columbia's administration a letter suggesting that the president might revisit his recent decision to cut $400 million to the school if it agreed to quell student protests in a specific set of ways. The White House's multiple demands included the suspension of the students involved in the Hamilton Hall occupation last April.

"We expect your immediate compliance," read the letter.

In the case of the suspensions, it seems that Trump did immediately get Columbia's compliance. Shortly after the New York Times reported on the letter, we learned that the school was issuing suspensions, expulsions, and temporary degree revocations to a number of students allegedly connected to the Hamilton Hall occupation.

This clampdown included the firing and expulsion of Grant Miner, President of UAW Local 2710, who was scheduled to begin contract negotiations with the school the next day.

"The shocking move is part of a wave of crackdowns on free speech against students and workers who have spoken out and protested for peace and against the war on Gaza," said the union in a statement. "As the UAW has emphasized, the assault on First Amendment rights being jointly committed by the federal government and Columbia University are an attack on all workers who dare to protest, speak out, or exercise their freedom of association under the US Constitution."

In a Twitter thread, Miner explained exactly what happened:

Thousands of students across the country have been exercising our First Amendment rights to oppose genocide. Standing against genocide is not just a moral imperative—it is an act of anti-racism and solidarity. Columbia's response? Expulsions, suspensions, and retaliation.

The Trump administration claims the student movement for Palestine is antisemitic and violent. They sent the DOJ to crack down on universities, kidnapped Mahmoud Khalil and other students, and are trying to silence us with fear.

I am Jewish, I work in Jewish studies, and I am not alone in opposing the ongoing genocide. The Jewish people know what genocide is. That's why so many of us, alongside people of all backgrounds, are standing up against what's happening in Palestine.

In its proudest moments, the labor movement has stood firmly on the side of the oppressed, and therefore on the side of justice. As president Student Workers of Columbia,, I had an even greater responsibility to stand with my members who were beaten by the police just for protesting.

Columbia has caved to Trump's demands at every turn. They have brought the NYPD onto campus to brutalize students. Now, they've let DHS terrorize students in their own dorms.

Our union is here to defend student workers, and we won't stand for this blatant repression from Columbia and Trump. Firing and expelling me just before bargaining is a transparent attempt to dodge accountability for endangering students.

At the same time, we are facing over $400 million in politically motivated cuts to vital research, all in the service of suppressing pro-Palestine protest. Both our local and the UAW will fight to get these cuts reversed and ensure our members can continue their work.

The Trump admin crackdown has already failed. Last week, massive protests took place every single day. We are organizing. We are fighting back. This movement isn't going anywhere. Release Mahmoud Khalil! Reinstate all students and workers. And as always, #FreePalestine

None of these developments shouldn't have been surprising to anyone who has followed the situation at Columbia over the past year. Unfortunately, the detention of students should not have been shocking either, as Trump was promising such action before he even won the election.

After Khalil's arrest adjunct professor Stuart Karle instructed students to refrain from posting about Palestine. "If you have a social media page, make sure it is not filled with commentary on the Middle East," he told them.

When a Palestinian student objected to the idea of Columbia promoting censorship and cowering to the Trump administration, the journalism school's dean, Jelani Cobb, was even more direct.

"Nobody can protect you," Cobb told the student. "These are dangerous times."

There are at least a few big-picture stories developing rapidly here.

One is the ongoing attacks on the U.S. Palestine movement, which have been amped up in recent years whether through anti-BDS laws or efforts to equate antisemitism with anti-Zionism. Another is the wider issue of Trump's anti-immigrant policies, which are certainly not limited to Palestinians or student protesters.

However, we also have to confront higher education in the United States. What is its role in 2025? What kind of responsibilities does it have to its students, its faculty, or society at large? Columbia is a private institution, which means that it's not technically bound by the First Amendment, but is it committed to First Amendment principles in any capacity?

Last October, I spoke with Maura Finkelstein, who was the first tenured professor to be fired over a pro-Palestine speech.

She told me that the neoliberal university model has undoubtedly contributed to such repression.

"I think this is the worst-case scenario of what we've been seeing for decades: a rolling back of federal funding for higher education, which has been replaced with a donor model," she explained. "This is what happens when schools become a marketplace and not a space for education. In some ways, I don't think we should be surprised."

Much of the recent focus has understandably been on Columbia, but it's certainly not an isolated incident.

This month Helyeh Doutaghi, a scholar of international law and geopolitical economy at Yale Law School, was placed on administrative leave following an AI-generated article falsely accusing her of "terrorist" connections.

"What is clear is that YLS actions constitute a blatant act of retaliation against Palestinian solidarity—a violation of my constitutional rights, free speech, academic freedom, and fundamental due process rights," said Doutaghi. "I am being targeted for one reason alone: for speaking the truth about the genocide of the Palestinian people that Yale University is complicit in."

I asked Doutaghi's attorney, Eric Lee, what he thought about the actions of Columbia, Yale, and other schools bending the knee to Trump on this issue.

"Future historians will treat the role of the American universities as an example of collaborationism, like we view the Vichy government today," he told me. "The role played by the vast majority of professors is absolutely shameful."

"People with and without tenure are afraid to speak up because they are worried about their own salaries," he continued. "Professors and graduate students who are not speaking out publicly and loudly are actively facilitating Trump's effort to overthrow the constitution and establish a dictatorship. It is not too late to speak up."

Sadly, examples of this "collaborationism" can be seen all over.

Swarthmore College has suspended a student for their involvement in the Gaza protests last year. They are just one of 25 who have been charged with violations of the Code of Conduct over their involvement in the protests.

The student, a second-semester senior two months away from graduation, was charged with assault for the use of a bullhorn indoors, the first suspension of its kind nationally. The school also recently banned the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).

In an Instagram post, the group Swarthmore College Alumni for Palestine said: "The sanctioned students are predominantly students of color and first-generation, low-income students, with the most severe sanctions issued to Arab and Muslim students."

"Swarthmore issued sanctions against student protestors just days after Trump threatened student protestors with incarceration and deportation," it continues. " In this moment of increasing political repression nationwide — including the recent ICE abduction of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, it is extremely disturbing that Swarthmore College would align itself with the Trump administration in its crackdown of student protestors."

Finally, a Cornell professor and two graduate students are suing the Trump administration over its push to deport student protesters.

One of the plaintiffs, Momodou Taal, was suspended for participating in a pro-Palestine protest last year and was nearly deported over it.

"Today, on the advice of counsel, we have sought a national injunction against Trump's executive orders. This is because we cannot allow international students, faculty, immigrants and people with conscience to live in perpetual fear, with the threat of illegal detention hanging over our heads," said Taal in a statement.

Mahmoud Khalil and 7 current Columbia students are suing the school and Representative Tim Walberg (R-MI) to prevent private disciplinary records from being handed over to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. The committee has repeatedly targeted schools over pro-Palestine protests, claiming that the universities are failing to stand up to antisemitism.

The lawsuit states that the private information could be used to target students "whose personal privacy and safety would be jeopardized by the committee's politically charged investigation."

It calls the request a "naked attempt to attack and harass individuals who expressed viewpoints critical of Israel."

Michael Arria, U.S. Correspondent

1147.

19 maart 2025

Israel has shattered the ceasefire.

Israel launched dozens of airstrikes on Tuesday, killing over 400 Palestinians — half whom were women and children. In doing so, they shattered the tenuous ceasefire in Gaza, one they have routinely broken since signing on January 18.

For the last two weeks, Israel has completely blockaded Gaza, using starvation as a weapon of war as it continued to kill Palestinians with impunity. And now, with the Trump administration’s greenlight, Israel has resumed its genocidal assault on Gaza.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is waging an all-out war against our communities and our movements for justice. These attacks have left many of us feeling demoralized and overwhelmed. That is intentional: Fascists thrive when we are isolated, too terrified or hopeless to resist...

Here's a list of actions you can take:

1. Take action: Tell Congress to block $12 billion in weapons to Israel.

2. Take action: Tell Congress to demand Mahmoud's release.

3. Take action: Demand the U.S. media stop taking it's cues from Israeli propaganda.

4. Take action: Donate to support Palestinians on the ground

5. Take action: Boycott, Divest, Sanctions.

                               Break the Bonds                                                                                                  Boycott Chevron

What we've won: No pride in genocide.

What we're reading: 'I am a political prisoner'

This week, student activist Mahmoud Khalil broke his silence, dictating a letter from the ICE detention facility in Louisiana where he is being held.

"Who has the right to have rights? It is certainly not the humans crowded into the cells here. It isn’t the Senegalese man I met who has been deprived of his liberty for a year, his legal situation in limbo and his family an ocean away. It isn’t the 21-year-old detainee I met, who stepped foot in this country at age nine, only to be deported without so much as a hearing."

1146.

19 maart 2025

Today's headlines

Why Netanyahu chose to blow up the ceasefire and return to war

Qassam Muaddi

Israel was backed into a corner on the eve of its return to war because Hamas was forcing Netanyahu to honor the ceasefire deal he had signed. Confronted with his own internal political challenges, Netanyahu's only choice was to blow up the deal.

Read more

Letter from Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian political prisoner in Louisiana

Mahmoud Khalil

Mahmoud Khalil writes from an ICE detention facility: "The Trump administration is targeting me as part of a broader strategy to suppress dissent."

Mahmoud Khalil is a Palestinian political prisoner, and he is not the first in the U.S.

Mahmoud Khalil’s detention follows decades of targeted harassment, imprisonment, and deportation of Palestinian students, scholars, and community leaders in the U.S.

Read more in our site

Miami Beach mayor’s censorship of ‘No Other Land’ is yet another authoritarian move to shield Israel

Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner's call to strip a local movie theater's funding and lease over showing the film "No Other Land" is just the latest authoritarian example of how the U.S. government is attempting to censor criticism of Israel.

1145.

19 maart 2025

Quick Takes: Gaza

1144.

19 maart 2025

1143.

19 maart 2025

Humanitarian Situation Update #273
Gaza Strip

Medical personnel evacuating a casualty in Gaza, 18 March 2025. Photo by PRCS 

Key Highlights

• Israeli airstrikes and bombardment on Gaza result in hundreds of casualties and trigger new waves of displacement amid devastating humanitarian conditions.
• Over one million people risk being left without food parcels in March, if supplies are not allowed into Gaza, compared with more than two million people reached during the first 42 days of the ceasefire, the Food Security Sector warns.
• Between 10 and 20 per cent of 4,500 surveyed pregnant and breastfeeding women are malnourished, a recent analysis by the Nutrition Cluster reveals.
• With the closure of crossings for incoming cargo, for the seventeenth consecutive day, UN agencies warn that life-saving health equipment, including 20 ventilators for neonatal intensive care units and nine portable newborn incubators, alongside other aid supplies, are stalled at the border.

Humanitarian Developments

• Since the early morning hours of 18 March, Israeli airstrikes and bombardment were reported across the Gaza Strip, resulting in civilian casualties, displacement and destruction of property. According to initial reports, among the areas and facilities hit are At Tabeen Governmental School in Ad Daraj area of Gaza city, Az Zawayda area in Deir al Balah, a site for internally displaced persons (IDP) in Al Mawasi area, in western Khan Younis, and IDP tents in Tal as Sultan area, in western Rafah. In a statement, the Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Muhannad Hadi, described the situation as “unconscionable.” UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, and Mr. Hadi called for a return to the ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian access and the unconditional release of hostages.
• According to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, as of 12:00pm, 404 people were killed and 562 were injured since the early morning hours, when Israeli airstrikes and bombardment intensified. Many bodies remain under the rubble of destroyed structures, according to MoH. The Palestinian Civil Defense (PCD) stated that among the over 400 people killed, there were more than 170 children and 80 women. PCD and medical teams report that they have responded to the best of their ability, amid the lack of equipment and an inability to reach the targeted areas due to the lack of vehicles and heavy machinery. MoH has urgently appealed for blood donations at all functional hospitals after the stock was depleted from the blood bank. MoH General Director, Dr. Munir Al Bursh, stressed the need for field hospitals, beds and operation rooms. According to the Health Cluster, 13 hospitals and four field hospitals remain non-functional, 22 hospitals and six field hospitals are partially functional, four field hospitals are fully functional and no hospitals are fully functional.  
• In a media interview, Dr. Mohammed Abu Silmiyeh, the Director of Al Shifa hospital in Gaza city, described the situation as “catastrophic,” with a very high number of casualties, resembling the first days after 7 October 2023. Highlighting the challenges facing the hospital in handling the influx of casualties, Dr. Abu Silmiyeh stated: “This morning, there were 50 bodies at the emergency department and another 30 at the morgue refrigerator. Operation rooms were full, and many injured people have died in front of our eyes while we couldn’t treat them.” The health system in North Gaza has largely collapsed with only one oxygen generator, one computerized tomography (CT) scanning machine, and one X-ray machine, according to Dr. Abu Silmiyeh, and there are shortages of medicines and consumables such that the exhausted medical teams had to wash and sterilize gauze to use it again. Some casualties were brought to the hospital by animal carts and the hospital received several cases of amputees as well as beheaded and ripped bodies, Dr. Abu Silmiyeh added. 
• The destruction of critical medical infrastructure in Gaza, particularly oxygen generation stations that used to serve vital departments in hospitals, such as operating rooms, intensive care units, and neonatal units, has severely affected the ability of the health system in Gaza to deliver life-saving services. On 13 March, Mr. Bassam Al Hamdeen, Deputy Director-General of the MoH, said that 10 oxygen generation stations had been destroyed during the escalation, of which four were located at Al Shifa Hospital and two at the Indonesian Hospital. Mr. Al Hamdeen added that the ongoing electricity outage is a significant barrier to the restoration of hospital operations and primary health care centres. Furthermore, on 17 March, Dr. Alaa Hiles, Director of the Pharmaceutical Care Department at MoH, noted that there is a critical shortage of drugs and medical consumables, including essential items for basic surgeries, which are insufficient for scheduled procedures, open heart surgeries, the treatment of kidney patients, and cardiac catheterization procedures, among others. 
• Between the afternoons of 11 and 17 March, the MoH in Gaza reported the killing of 74 Palestinians and the injury of 114 others; this includes 44 newly retrieved bodies. Since the ceasefire came into effect on 19 January, and as of 17 March, a total of 889 bodies were retrieved from areas that were previously inaccessible, the MoH reported. Since 7 October 2023 and as of 17 March 2025, the MoH in Gaza reported the killing of at least 48,577 Palestinians and the injury of 112,041 others. 
• Between 10 and 17 March, incidents resulting in fatalities were reported across the Gaza Strip, including the following:  
  • On 10 March, at about 13:50, three Palestinian brothers were reportedly killed when a group of people was hit in Al Bureij refugee camp, in Deir al Balah. 
  • On 11 March, at about 18:40, a Palestinian girl was reportedly shot and killed in southeastern Deir al Balah.
  • On 13 March, at about 18:30, a Palestinian boy was reportedly killed, and his mother seriously injured, when an IDP tent was hit in Beit Hanoun, in North Gaza.
  • On 13 March, at about 17:00, a Palestinian boy was reportedly killed when a group of young people was hit in Ash Shuja’iyeh area of Gaza city.
  • On 14 March, at about 18:00, a 22-year-old Palestinian fisher was reportedly killed when a shell was fired at a boat off the coast of As Sudaniya, northwest of Beit Lahiya.
  • On 15 March, at about 13:00, 10 Palestinian men were reportedly killed when a group of Palestinians and a vehicle were hit northwest of Beit Lahiya, in North Gaza. According to Al-Khair Charity foundation, eight of its staff including cameramen, were killed in the incident. The Palestinian Journalists Protection Center (PJPS) reported that three journalists were killed in the airstrike while documenting humanitarian relief efforts in northern Gaza. According to the Israeli military, Israeli forces targeted a “terrorist cell” operating a drone.
  • On 15 March, at about 17:00, a Palestinian child was reportedly killed when IDP tents were hit near Erez Crossing in Beit Lahiya, in North Gaza.
  • On 17 March, at about 9:30, three Palestinian men, from the same family, were reportedly killed and several others injured when a group of people collecting firewood was hit near Wadi Gaza in northeastern Al Bureij refugee camp.
  • On 17 March, at about 14:45, a Palestinian man and his child were reportedly killed and others injured when a group of people was hit inside an UNRWA school used as an IDP shelter in eastern Al Bureij refugee camp.

• Between 7 October 2023 and 18 March 2025, according to Israeli forces and official Israeli sources cited in the media, more than 1,607 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed, the majority on 7 October 2023 and its immediate aftermath. This includes 407 soldiers killed, in addition to 2,584 soldiers injured, in Gaza or along the border in Israel since the beginning of the ground operation in October 2023. As of 18 March, it is estimated that 59 Israelis and foreign nationals remain captive in Gaza, including hostages who have been declared dead and whose bodies are being withheld.
• Since 2 March, the entry of all humanitarian supplies, alongside any other cargo, into Gaza has been halted by the Israeli authorities. This has severely affected humanitarian operations and exacerbated the already dire humanitarian situation. On 18 March,  the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the medical evacuation planned for the day through Rafah Crossing had been denied and called for the resumption of such evacuations. Between 1 February and 17 March, 1,702 patients, including 616 children, were evacuated along with 2,557 companions to receive specialized care in Egypt and other countries. According to WHO, about 11,000 to 13,000 people, including more than 4,500 children, remain in urgent need of medical evacuation.
• On 18 March, the Israeli military issued an evacuation order for areas in North Gaza and eastern Khan Younis, ordering residents to evacuate immediately to shelters in Gaza city and Khan Younis. In total, 19 neighbourhoods were directly affected, including 13 in North Gaza and six in eastern Khan Younis, affecting an estimated 30,000 and 35,000 people, respectively. According to the Site Management Cluster (SMC), affected areas in Beit Hanoun in North Gaza comprise 19 makeshift displacement sites, four UNRWA collective centres, of which two are active, and one non-UNRWA collective centre. In Abasan al Jadida and Khuza’a, east of Khan Younis, according to SMC, there are five makeshift displacement sites. According to the Health Cluster, three primary health care (PHC) facilities and one field hospital are within the areas placed under evacuation. Additionally, within 1,000 metres of these areas, there are four PHCs, two hospitals, one field hospital, and four medical points. According to initial information, the displacement of people has been reported from multiple areas across the Gaza Strip, including from Beit Hanoun and eastern Khan Younis.
• The Israeli halt to all incoming humanitarian and commercial aid since 2 March threatens to rapidly reverse the hard-won food security gains achieved during the 42-days of ceasefire. The fragility of these improvements underscores the critical need for sustained aid, with food assistance remaining a lifeline for 2.1 million people.  Food Security Sector (FSS) partners are now entirely dependent on stocks brought in during Phase One of the ceasefire to sustain their activities, but these supplies are rapidly dwindling. To cope with shortages, FSS partners are drastically reducing food assistance to families, suspending flour distribution to families to prioritize supplies for bakeries, pausing the distribution of fresh produce, and scaling down hot meal preparations at some community kitchens. FSS warns that over one million people risk being left without food parcels in March, and at least 80 of the 170 community kitchens may be forced to close in one to two weeks, if supplies, including cooking fuel, are not allowed into Gaza. The FSS estimates that more than 50,000 metric tons (MT) of food supplies are required monthly to assist everyone with full rations, in addition to 9,700 MT of flour needed monthly to keep the subsidized bakeries running.
• The abrupt disruption in food assistance in being compounded by a surge in local market prices. According to a market survey carried out by the World Food Programme (WFP), covering key developments during the first half of March, commercial food prices have surged, with some fruits and vegetables increasing by over 200 per cent compared with levels prior to the closure of the crossings. Traders have begun withholding goods due to uncertainty over when new supplies will arrive, while some shops are unable to replenish stocks. Furthermore, the closure of crossings for cargo has further worsened Gaza’s severe energy crisis, with diesel prices rising by up to 105 per cent and cooking gas prices soaring by up to 200 per cent, compared with February, significantly limiting access to essential fuel amid a continued electricity blackout. This comes at a time when cash liquidity shortages remain a major challenge and purchasing power is extremely limited.  

• Between 7 October 2023 and 18 March 2025, according to Israeli forces and official Israeli sources cited in the media, more than 1,607 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed, the majority on 7 October 2023 and its immediate aftermath. This includes 407 soldiers killed, in addition to 2,584 soldiers injured, in Gaza or along the border in Israel since the beginning of the ground operation in October 2023. As of 18 March, it is estimated that 59 Israelis and foreign nationals remain captive in Gaza, including hostages who have been declared dead and whose bodies are being withheld.
• Since 2 March, the entry of all humanitarian supplies, alongside any other cargo, into Gaza has been halted by the Israeli authorities. This has severely affected humanitarian operations and exacerbated the already dire humanitarian situation. On 18 March,  the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the medical evacuation planned for the day through Rafah Crossing had been denied and called for the resumption of such evacuations. Between 1 February and 17 March, 1,702 patients, including 616 children, were evacuated along with 2,557 companions to receive specialized care in Egypt and other countries. According to WHO, about 11,000 to 13,000 people, including more than 4,500 children, remain in urgent need of medical evacuation.
• On 18 March, the Israeli military issued an evacuation order for areas in North Gaza and eastern Khan Younis, ordering residents to evacuate immediately to shelters in Gaza city and Khan Younis. In total, 19 neighbourhoods were directly affected, including 13 in North Gaza and six in eastern Khan Younis, affecting an estimated 30,000 and 35,000 people, respectively. According to the Site Management Cluster (SMC), affected areas in Beit Hanoun in North Gaza comprise 19 makeshift displacement sites, four UNRWA collective centres, of which two are active, and one non-UNRWA collective centre. In Abasan al Jadida and Khuza’a, east of Khan Younis, according to SMC, there are five makeshift displacement sites. According to the Health Cluster, three primary health care (PHC) facilities and one field hospital are within the areas placed under evacuation. Additionally, within 1,000 metres of these areas, there are four PHCs, two hospitals, one field hospital, and four medical points. According to initial information, the displacement of people has been reported from multiple areas across the Gaza Strip, including from Beit Hanoun and eastern Khan Younis.
• The Israeli halt to all incoming humanitarian and commercial aid since 2 March threatens to rapidly reverse the hard-won food security gains achieved during the 42-days of ceasefire. The fragility of these improvements underscores the critical need for sustained aid, with food assistance remaining a lifeline for 2.1 million people.  Food Security Sector (FSS) partners are now entirely dependent on stocks brought in during Phase One of the ceasefire to sustain their activities, but these supplies are rapidly dwindling. To cope with shortages, FSS partners are drastically reducing food assistance to families, suspending flour distribution to families to prioritize supplies for bakeries, pausing the distribution of fresh produce, and scaling down hot meal preparations at some community kitchens. FSS warns that over one million people risk being left without food parcels in March, and at least 80 of the 170 community kitchens may be forced to close in one to two weeks, if supplies, including cooking fuel, are not allowed into Gaza. The FSS estimates that more than 50,000 metric tons (MT) of food supplies are required monthly to assist everyone with full rations, in addition to 9,700 MT of flour needed monthly to keep the subsidized bakeries running.
• The abrupt disruption in food assistance in being compounded by a surge in local market prices. According to a market survey carried out by the World Food Programme (WFP), covering key developments during the first half of March, commercial food prices have surged, with some fruits and vegetables increasing by over 200 per cent compared with levels prior to the closure of the crossings. Traders have begun withholding goods due to uncertainty over when new supplies will arrive, while some shops are unable to replenish stocks. Furthermore, the closure of crossings for cargo has further worsened Gaza’s severe energy crisis, with diesel prices rising by up to 105 per cent and cooking gas prices soaring by up to 200 per cent, compared with February, significantly limiting access to essential fuel amid a continued electricity blackout. This comes at a time when cash liquidity shortages remain a major challenge and purchasing power is extremely limited.  

• Since the ceasefire took effect on 19 January, and as of 15 March, 4,646 children have enrolled in malnutrition treatment programmes, 672 of whom were diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. The Nutrition Cluster notes a decrease in monthly enrolments in such programmes from about 5,000 in the month prior to the ceasefire to a monthly average of 2,500 in Phase One of the ceasefire. This is attributed to improvements in food accessibility conditions and to limited screening and detection due to massive population movements and the time needed for partners to re-established services in new locations. The cluster warns that the current closure of crossings for cargo may derail some of the achieved progress unless urgent action is taken to improve the availability of food, dietary diversity, and access to water, sanitation and hygiene services. At the same time, Nutrition Cluster partners observed a rising number of pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW) with mid-upper arm circumference measurements below 23 cm, indicating acute malnutrition. The most recent comprehensive analysis using Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions (SMART) methodology, with data covering nearly 4,500 PBW, show that between 10 and 20 per cent of them were malnourished. To urgently address this, the Nutrition Cluster, in collaboration with WFP, has initiated a programme for targeted supplementary feeding for PBW, in addition to the blanket supplementary feeding programme covering all PBWs and children under five months.
• “Without aid entering the Gaza Strip, roughly 1 million children are living without the very basics they need to survive – yet again,” stated the UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Regional Director, Edouard Beigbeder, stressing that large quantities of critical supplies are stalled just a few dozen kilometres outside the Gaza Strip, including 20 ventilators for neonatal intensive care units and more than 180,000 doses of essential childhood, routine vaccines, enough to fully vaccinate and protect 60,000 children under the age of two. UNICEF stressed that these life-saving health supplies must be allowed to enter, warning that any further delay risks reversing the gains made for children during Phase One of the ceasefire. “Tragically, approximately 4,000 newborns are currently unable to access essential lifesaving care due to the major impact on medical facilities in the Gaza Strip. Every day without these ventilators, lives are lost, especially among vulnerable, premature newborns in the northern Gaza Strip.” Moreover, according to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), nine portable incubators intended to support premature and low-birth-weight newborns are being held at the Zikim Crossing, further endangering neonatal survival rates. In February 2025, 3,540 deliveries (an average of 126 per day) were reported in Gaza. At least 20 per cent of newborns are low birth, preterm or face other complications, requiring advanced medical care that is now largely unavailable in Gaza, UNFPA reported.

Findings of an inter-agency mission to eastern Khan Younis

• On 11 March, UN agencies and humanitarian partners carried out a join assessment mission in Al Rabee and An Naem neighbourhoods of Abasan al Jadeda, located in eastern Khan Younis. This area was placed under evacuation orders by the Israeli military on 18 March (see above), triggering displacement.
• During the 11 March visit, Al Rabee area had approximately 1,600 households, including about 1,200 returnees. The majority (76 per cent) of households were scattered in makeshift shelters, which posed challenges to organized humanitarian response efforts. An additional 18 per cent were living in damaged and structurally unsafe buildings. Another five per cent were sheltering in UNRWA schools, and a small number were living in tents.
• Al Naem area had approximately 800 households spread over 300,000 square metres, where 95 per cent of structures had been destroyed. The majority (over 80 per cent) of households were living in makeshift shelters next to their destroyed homes, a small portion were living in tents, about 13 per cent were living in two UNRWA schools-turned-shelters, and five per cent were living in damaged buildings.
• At both sites, poor shelter conditions were observed, including overcrowding in collective shelters, generally substandard conditions, and the continued use of tarpaulins and plastic sheeting that have exceeded their intended short-term use period or have been reused multiple times due to repeated evacuation orders. The need of shelter rehabilitation and the provision of prefabricated shelter units and latrines was identified as a critical need, in addition to meeting critical shortages of bedding items, kitchen sets, clothing, water tanks, hygiene kits and dignity kits for women and girls. Moreover, both neighbourhoods lacked essential services and health points, including sexual and reproductive health services, while services addressing gender-based violence were absent. 
• While households in both neighbourhoods had received some food assistance, distribution points were far away, and there were no community kitchens, UN-supported bakeries, or bread-selling points available. Cooking fuel shortages were severe, with many families relying on burning wood, if available, to cook or using plastic waste and garbage, posing health and environmental hazards.
• Both communities depended on municipal generators, which operated only a few hours per day, as their primary source of electricity. As a result, residents had to travel to charge devices such as phones and batteries. Failure to charge devices limited their ability to communicate, access information, or even register for aid online.
• Agricultural facilities in both neighbourhoods had been largely destroyed, including 1,400 dunums of open land, 150 greenhouses, 90 poultry farms, and dozens of livestock and dairy cattle farms. The remaining cultivated land did not exceed 70-80 dunums. There were no functioning irrigation systems, and agricultural wells had been damaged or destroyed. This was compounded by the critical shortage of seeds, fertilizers, and other agricultural inputs, leaving farmers able to grow only a few rainfed crops, mainly peas, wheat and leafy greens. Explosive ordnance remained present in both neighbourhoods, with hazardous areas marked, yet they still posed a life-threatening risk, particularly to children.
• Schools and kindergartens in both neighbourhoods had sustained varying levels of damage and lacked furniture, educational supplies, and internet and IT devices, with some schools being used as shelters. In Al Rabee neighbourhood, learning activities had been established at one government school and through a community-led initiative for young children. 

1142.

18 maart 2025

Since 2 am last night, Israel has been carpet bombing Gaza, violating the ceasefire agreement with a green-light from the Trump administration. These attacks have killed more than 400 Palestinians in just the past few hours, making it one of the largest single-day death tolls since the start of the genocide 17 months ago.

This is not just another escalation. Even during the ceasefire, the Israeli military killed more than 150 Palestinians in Gaza, demonstrating a blatant disregard for the agreement. This is a continuation of a systematic campaign of genocide, funded by the U.S. government.

Since his inauguration, the Trump administration has approved $12 billion in weapons to Israel, adding to the $18 billion that Biden funneled in the final year and a half of his term. This is not aid. This is complicity in war crimes.

For years, our government has put the interests of the Israeli regime and corporate elites before those of everyday, working class people. Now as Israel renews its genocidal attacks in Gaza, annexes more Palestinian land, and pushes the U.S. towards escalation with Iran on their behalf, we are closer than ever to another catastrophic regional war that would have devastating impacts for us all. We must not let this happen

In the last few weeks, progressives in the House and Senate have introduced Joint Resolutions of Disapproval to block $12 billion in deadly weapons sales to Israel by the Trump administration.

Our communities here at home are struggling to survive. Families can’t afford groceries or basic medical care. People are being evicted. Our infrastructure is crumbling. And yet, both parties in Congress continue to use billions of our tax dollars to arm a genocidal regime instead of investing in the needs of our own people

TAKE ACTION NOW

Enough is enough. Stop arming Israel. Stop the genocide. Our communities deserve more than a government funding destruction abroad and ignoring suffering at home.

We are all in this together, and we won’t back down or let up.

With urgency,

Sandra Tamari

Adalah Justice Project

1141.

18 maart 2025

TAKE ACTION TODAY: MASK OFF MAERSK

Anticipating the people’s reaction to Israel’s massive violence, the U.S.-Israel settler colonial alliance thinks it can intimidate the student movement into submission by disappearing one of its leaders.

They’re wrong. Trump says Mahmoud Khalil’s political imprisonment “is just the beginning” of attacks on our movement, but we are a people who have inherited steadfastness for generations.

Our enemy will never understand why our movement cannot be stopped, no matter how many of us they abduct or kill. Our allegiance to humanity and fury for each other’s suffering will fuel the fight that will bring liberation to our people.

Our movement has been sharpening our strategies for months. We’re doubling down on the tangible Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) actions we can take to divert dollars away from the genocide machine—the very same time-honored tactics used to bring an end to apartheid in South Africa.

Here’s how we can fight back:

If you do anything today in protest of the escalating genocide, participate in the Maersk Global Day of Action. Show up to a protest or in-person meeting. Write an email to the board.

AHMAD ABUZNAID

USCPR Action

1140.

18 maart 2025

Israel has once again escalated its genocidal assault on Gaza, killing over 419 Palestinians in a single night, including at least 174 children. This massacre is not an isolated event—it is part of a calculated campaign that the Israeli government has openly admitted it intends to continue.

Take action now to stop U.S. partnership of Israel’s war crimes. Contact your Members of Congress today and urge them to support the Joint Resolutions of Disapproval.

For weeks, Israel has violated international law (and the ceasefire brokered by the U.S.) by blocking humanitarian aid, cutting off electricity, and refusing entry to doctors in Gaza. The Israeli government made clear it had no intention of honoring the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, instead preparing for a full-scale reoccupation of Gaza. Now, with U.S. weapons and political backing, it is carrying out more mass killings with impunity.

The Trump administration is a facilitator of these war crimes. Within just 60 days, Trump has bypassed Congress to approve over $12 billion in weapons for Israel—including 500-pound bombs and Hellfire missiles, the very weapons used in apparent war crimes against civilians. His administration has also rolled back safeguards meant to prevent U.S. arms from being used in violations of international law.

Congress CAN, and should, stop this. Joint Resolutions of Disapproval have been introduced in the U.S. Senate and House to block these arms transfers. We must demand our elected officials uphold U.S. and international law by stopping these weapons from being used to massacre Palestinians. 

Palestinians are being slaughtered with our tax dollars. We cannot afford to stay silent. Take action and ensure everyone you know does the same.

In solidarity,
Americans for Justice in Palestine Action

1139.

CARE

18 maart 2025

Na een korte periode van staakt-het-vuren, schrokken we vanochtend weer wakker met hartverscheurende berichten uit Gaza: één van de zwaarste aanvallen sinds het begin van de oorlog. Een humanitaire catastrofe.

Slechts één op de tien mensen heeft toegang tot schoon drinkwater. Honderdduizenden mensen zitten zonder sanitaire voorzieningen. Gaza is volledig afhankelijk van noodhulp. Uw gift maakt het verschil tussen leven en dood.

GEEF OM GAZA

“Zonder toegang tot schoon water, medische zorg en basisvoorzieningen wordt de situatie voor de meest kwetsbaren, waaronder zwangere vrouwen, kinderen en ouderen, onhoudbaar. Hulpverlening wordt regelmatig belemmerd, maar CARE en haar Palestijnse partners geven niet op,” benadrukt CARE Nederland directeur Reintje van Haeringen.

Met hartelijke groet,

J. Spoor
Hoofd humanitaire actie bij CARE Nederland

1138.

18 maart 2025

Today's headlines

Israel resumes its war on Gaza, killing over 350 people in one night

After two weeks of systematic Israeli violations of the tenuous ceasefire agreement, Israel has officially resumed its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip. Despite Israel's killing of over 350 people, Hamas remains committed to completing the ceasefire.

‘An identity that we carry with us’: What Israel couldn’t destroy in Jenin refugee camp

Qassam Muaddi

Israel is erasing Jenin refugee camp because of its role in Palestinian collective memory and resistance. It might destroy the camp, but it can never extinguish what it represents.

1137.

18 maart 2025

Israeli forces, fully supported and armed by the US and other western powers, have massacred within hours over 400 Palestinians–most murdered while sleeping. In a grave escalation of their genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians, they have shattered the recent, already fragile ceasefire, carpet bombing the illegally occupied and besieged Gaza Strip. Entire families have been wiped out. Hospitals are overwhelmed. Gaza is burning once again. The humanitarian situation is dire. People of conscience around the world must act NOW!
 

All across the West Bank, as well as in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, the US-Israeli genocidal axis is escalating its crimes and its simultaneous destruction of international law.
 

Mass Mobilizations and Pressure Campaigns. Organize now!

March 21 is the anniversary of the Sharpeville Massacre—when the South African apartheid regime gunned down 69 Black protesters. It is also the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the start of Israeli Apartheid Week 2025.

We call for global mobilization on or around this date! Organize and join protest marches and other peaceful actions to end state, corporate and institutional complicity in Israel’s genocide and apartheid. From Sharpeville to Gaza, we know that their atrocities and crimes can be stopped and their regimes of colonial violence and oppression defeated!

We. Can. End. This.
 

TAKE ACTION:

Pressure your government to impose lawful sanctions on Israel, including a comprehensive military embargo !!

1137.

18 maart 2025

Readers’ Recommendations

• At least 326 killed as Israel unleashes attacks on Gaza, breaking ceasefire (Al Jazeera) 
• Between lifeline and frontline at the Egypt–Gaza border (Le Monde Diplomatique, English)

1136.

  DeGoedeZaak

18 maart 2025

De angst van velen is uitgekomen: Israël heeft het staakt-het-vuren in Gaza geschonden. In één nacht tijd zijn er meer dan 330 mensen gedood door Israëlische luchtaanvallen en mogelijk loopt het aantal nog op. [1] Nadat het staakt-het-vuren enige hoop op perspectief bood, zijn we nu weer terug bij af.

De wereld kan en mag niet stil blijven. Als we nu niet ingrijpen, dan is dat een vrijbrief voor de Israëlische regering om door te gaan met het plegen van genocidale daden. [2] Nederland moet sancties instellen en stoppen met het nieuwe defensieverdrag met Israël.

Nederland staat, ondanks de niet aflatende genocide waaraan Israël zich schuldig maak,  op het punt een defensieverdrag aan te gaan met deze pure en niet te beschrijven massamoord bende. We zullen ons tot het uiterste inspannen om deze ‘dans met de duivel’ te blokkeren!

Onze gedachten gaan uit naar de slachtoffers en hun nabestaanden.

Met solidaire groet,

Mika van DeGoedeZaak

[1]: Israël schendt staakt-het-vuren met grootschalige aanval Gaza, meer dan 300 doden gemeld - NOS

[2]: VN-commissie: Israël pleegt genocidale daden en seksueel geweld in Gaza - The Rights Forum

[3] Eerder al oordeelde de rechter dat Nederland moet stoppen met het leveren van F-35 onderdelen, vanwege mogelijke facilitering van ernstige schendingen van het oorlogsrecht.

[4] Deel de video over het defensieverdrag op Instagram of LinkedIn.

DeGoedeZaak is de burgerbeweging voor een progressiever Nederland.

Onze burgerbeweging bestaat uit meer dan 120.000 leden. We ondersteunen en voeren campagnes die Nederland eerlijker, duurzamer, inclusiever en rechtvaardiger maken.

1135.

18 maart 2025

AMP Demands an End to U.S.-Backed Genocide and Global Accountability for Israel and the U.S.

American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) denounces the Trump administration’s flagrant betrayal of its moral and legal commitments: a betrayal that has set the stage for renewed genocide in Gaza tonight. Over the last 17 days, Israel was granted impunity to enforce a brutal siege, cutting off water and electricity and depriving Palestinians in Gaza of life-saving humanitarian aid –a deliberate and blatant violation of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that was supposed to safeguard Palestinian lives. This calculated abandonment of American leadership has now emboldened Israel’s renewed assault, culminating tonight, in the massacre and injury of dozens of Palestinians in yet another calculated Israeli escalation of unconscionable violence.

As Palestinians in Gaza once again find themselves under the shadow of systematic aggression, the resumption of the Israeli genocidal campaign is a direct consequence of U.S. policies that have forsaken justice and human dignity. This is not a sudden lapse but a predictable outcome of an administration that backtracked on a critical ceasefire agreement, leaving a vulnerable population exposed to relentless military aggression.

AMP demands President Trump to immediately halt the flow of U.S. weapons and political backing that are actively fueling Israel’s ongoing genocide. By continuing to arm Israel and abandoning its ceasefire commitments, his administration is not just complicit– it is directly enabling and facilitating war crimes and crimes against humanity. Trump’s policies have rendered U.S. promises any legitimacy, exposing them as empty rhetoric while Palestinian lives continue to be sacrificed

Trump's direct role in the unfolding tragedy in Gaza must be fully acknowledged and unequivocally condemned. AMP demands that the international community hold both the  Trump administration and Israel accountable for their crimes and take immediate action to restore humanitarian aid and protect Palestinians in Gaza and across occupied Palestine from the U.S. and Israel’s violence. Silence and inaction are not options.

In Solidarity,
American Muslims for Palestine

1134.

17 maart 2025

Readers’ Recommendations

= UN experts accuse Israel of sexual violence and “genocidal acts” in Gaza (BBC)

= Yemen’s Houthis and US launch new attacks amid Red Sea shipping threat (Al Jazeera)

1133.

17 maart 2025

We are reaching out to invite you to join us  in Study & Action for Palestine, a space for deepening our political education and sharpening our strategies for Palestinian freedom. Right now, the Palestinian people are resisting one of the most brutal escalations of U.S.-backed violence we’ve seen, while movements at home continue to fight against state repression, corporate greed, and rising fascism. Our struggles are intertwined, and understanding those connections is critical if we’re going to build the power we need to win. That’s exactly what we’ll be exploring in our upcoming session, U.S. Imperialism, Zionism & Capitalism on April 6.  But this course is bigger than just our session—we’re learning from some of the sharpest organizers, legal experts, and movement strategists in the fight for Palestine.

If you’ve been looking for a place to not just learn but also strategize, build, and take action, this course is for you. You’ll be in community with others committed to Palestinian liberation and the broader fight against imperialism and fascism.

Though the course has already begun, it’s not too late to join! Late registration is open through April 4, and if you sign up now, you’ll have plenty of time to catch up before our second session on March 30.

At this moment, we don’t just need solidarity—we need strategy. Join us !.

Looking forward to learning with you,

Sumaya Awad

Adalah Justice Project

1132.

16 maart 2025

Today's headlines

Marco Rubio’s diplomatic attack on South Africa is punishment for standing up to Israel

The Trump administration's extraordinary and unprecedented move to effectively expel South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool was done for one reason: South Africa had the audacity to hold Israel accountable for the Gaza genocide.

1131.

15 maart 2025

Crackdown on Pro-Palestinian Activism Escalates

The big story dominating U.S. news about Palestine this week is the arrest, detention, and attempted deportation of Mahmoud Khalil. By now readers of Mondoweiss likely know about this story. Khalil is a recent graduate of Columbia University, having finished a Master’s degree. He was a prominent figure in the student protests that erupted last year, first on Columbia’s campus, and then spreading around the country. He was one of the main student negotiators meeting with university officials to work out how the protest would proceed, and he appeared as a spokesperson for the students, including here in Mondoweiss.

Khalil’s arrest and disappearance into the federal immigration deportation system is a direct attack by the Trump administration on the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. There should be no confusion about that point. It is also a clear effort to use the brute force of the state to frighten students into submission and drive universities into collaboration with an increasingly authoritarian regime.

We’ve reported extensively on this case, and there are several stories linked below that we strongly encourage you to read and share with your networks.

The Trump administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism isn’t just about silencing dissent on Israel—it’s part of a broader, cynical assault on liberal education and liberal institutions. By framing student protests as dangerous, un-American, and antisemitic the administration is exploiting the bipartisan support for Israel’s occupation, apartheid, and genocide of Palestinians to carry out their wider campaign against free speech and academic freedom.

Yet the Democratic Party, long an enthusiastic supporter of Israel’s oppression of Palestinians, is largely incapable of, or unwilling to, mount a meaningful defense. Its deep political, financial, and ideological entanglements with pro-Israel interests have left it paralyzed, unable to push back against this authoritarian overreach without exposing its own complicity. As a result, the broader assault on basic U.S. civil rights and civil liberties proceeds with little resistance from the very party that claims to defend them.

We’ve also published several important pieces about events in Palestine. I encourage everyone to read Qassam Muaddi’s powerful interview with Amir Abu Raddaha, who was released in a prisoner exchange after 23 years in Israel’s prison.

In solidarity,

David Reed, Publisher

Must Read: The Shift: The detention of Mahmoud Khalil

Michael Arria: Mahmoud Khalil’s case represents a horrifying precedent, but it is not developing in a vacuum. The Trump administration’s unprecedented assault on Khalil is one of many efforts to stifle dissent and stave off justice for Palestine. Read Michael’s first report on Khalil’s arrest here.

Catch-up

= Michael Arria: Columbia University issued suspensions, expulsions, and temporary degree revocations to students connected to the April 2024 occupation of Hamilton Hall, as part of an intensifying crackdown by the Trump administration on student activists.

= Palestinians in Gaza’s border areas have continued to be killed and injured on a daily basis since the ceasefire began in mid-January. A resident of Shuja’iyya tells Mondoweiss, “The war has not stopped, quite the opposite. The war intensified.”

= Yale Law School placed Helyeh Doutaghi on leave after she was falsely accused of “terrorism” over her support for Palestine. She says her case reflects the new era of Zionist McCarthyism and that this repression reveals an empire in decline.

= Michael Arria: In a hearing in New York City on Wednesday, Mahmoud Khalil’s attorneys said they have not been allowed to contact him since his detention. Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s rationale for detaining Khalil continues to change.

= Mitchell Plitnick: The Trump administration’s direct negotiations with Hamas have broken precedent and angered Israel. Envoy Adam Boehler defended them to CNN saying the U.S. is “not an agent of Israel,” but how much daylight exists between the allies?

= Qassam Muaddi: As part of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, Amir Abu Raddaha was freed from Israeli prison after 23 years. He spoke to Mondoweiss about his time behind bars and the horrific conditions of Palestinian prisoners since October 7.

= The fight to free Mahmoud Khalil is not merely about preserving First Amendment rights, it is about whether we will allow our government to criminalize resistance to its complicity in human rights abuses and genocide.

= Anonymous Contributor: They can deport every last one of us, but they cannot erase the spirit of Palestinian resistance. That is what they fear.

= As prices soar and essential goods disappear, famine conditions threaten to return to Gaza following Israel’s closure of the border and the suspension of the delivery of fuel and aid.

= Alice Rothchild: False charges of antisemitism in the U.S. healthcare community are spreading anti-Palestinian racism and doing irreparable harm to our work and obligation as healers.

= Israel’s founding myth of “making the desert bloom” could only work if it eliminated all traces of the society that came before it. That’s why Zionism has always sought to erase the Palestinian people, from the Nakba to the genocide in Gaza.

1130.

15 maart 2025

Today's headlines

New bombshell UN report accuses Israel of sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinians

A new UN report found that Israel carried out “genocidal acts” by deliberately targeting fertility facilities with the intention of preventing births among Palestinians in Gaza. The report also detailed systematic sexual abuse against Palestinians.

Why Hamas just agreed to release an Israeli-American captive, and why Netanyahu is furious

Qassam Muaddi

Hamas said that it would release Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander and the bodies of four deceased Israeli captives. The announcement has backed Israel into a corner in the ongoing ceasefire negotiations.

Columbia University expels student protesters, fires union president amid ICE raids

Michael Arria

Columbia University issued suspensions, expulsions, and temporary degree revocations to students connected to the April 2024 occupation of Hamilton Hall, as ICE agents reportedly arrested a second Palestinian Columbia student on Friday.

1129.

14 maart 2025

Het op 19 januari van kracht geworden staakt-het-vuren tussen Israël en Hamas is door Israël ondermijnd. Na afloop van de eerste fase van 42 dagen weigert Israël te voldoen aan de voorwaarden voor de tweede, die onder meer voorziet in de terugtrekking van het Israëlische leger.

Amerikaans opzetje
Het schenden van de staakt-het-vuren-overeenkomst werd begin maart ingeluid met een last minute opzetje van de Amerikaanse regering voor de verlenging van de eerste fase. Dat werd door Israël aanvaard, maar door Hamas afgewezen omdat het Israël van de mogelijkheid voorzag om de oorlog later voort te zetten. Zo kreeg Hamas de schuld in de schoenen geschoven. 

Een Palestijn zit tussen de ruïnes van Gaza in wat ooit zijn huis was. Israël heeft de ruim twee miljoen Palestijnen in de Gazastrook afgesloten van humanitaire hulp, brandstof en elektriciteit. © UNRWA

Daarop besloot de Israëlische premier Netanyahu om de Gazastrook volledig af te sluiten van humanitaire hulp, voedsel, water en brandstof. Vorige week zondag werd ook de aanvoer van elektriciteit gestaakt. Daarmee is de nog deels functionerende ontziltingsinstallatie lamgelegd, waardoor de productie van drinkwater is stilgevallen. Ook medische instellingen, gaarkeukens en bakkerijen worden door de maatregel getroffen of lamgelegd.

'Vermijdbare genocide'
Hoewel Israël als bezetter verantwoordelijk is voor het welzijn van de Palestijnse burgerbevolking, worden door Israël nu opnieuw omstandigheden gecreëerd die willens en wetens haar (over)leven bedreigen. Op X waarschuwde Francesca Albanese, Speciaal VN-Rapporteur voor de mensenrechten in Palestina, voor het risico op genocide. Staten die nu nog geen sancties tegen Israël instellen, dragen bij aan ‘een van de meest vermijdbare genocides in de geschiedenis!’, schrijft zij.

Belactie Amnesty | Laat de Israëlische ambassade weten: no more genocide

Na een kort staakt-het-vuren gaat de nachtmerrie voor Palestijnen in Gaza weer door. Israël gaat verder waar het gebleven was. De Israëlische autoriteiten blokkeren weer opzettelijk levensreddende hulp en basisvoorzieningen. De adempauze is voorbij, de genocide gaat door.

Daarom organiseert Amnesty een belactie naar de Israëlische ambassade met de boodschap: 'Het is genoeg. No more genocide!'

Deelnemers hoeven niet zelf te bellen - dat doet Amnesty voor je. Je hoeft alleen je gegevens door te gegeven, en Amnesty belt namens jou de ambassade.

Al ruim 17 duizend bezorgde Nederlanders gingen je voor! Help je mee de genocide te stoppen en levensreddende hulp weer mogelijk te maken? Ik doe niet mee, want dit is een buitengewoon zwakke vertoning! Wat moet gebeuren weet ook The Rights Forum maar al te goed. De aanval op Israël moet nu eindelijk eens van stal worden gehaald! Israël moet tot vijand worden uitgeroepen. Als dat ook jegens Rusland wordt verklaard.  En Israël moet zware sancties worden opgelegd. Sancties van hetzelfde kaliber toegepast jegens Rusland. Maar daar wil TRF niks van weten. Daarom komt die club met zogenaamde akties, die geen moer kunnen opleveren. En lult ook maar liever over moord op boeken door Israël, dan over de moord op 60.00  Palestijnen, zoals hieronder.

Censuur | Nieuwe inval bij Educational Bookshop in Oost-Jeruzalem

De Educational Bookshop is gespecialiseerd in Palestijnse literatuur en boeken over de geschiedenis van Palestina en de Israëlische bezetting. De zaak staat zowel in Palestina als internationaal in hoog aanzien.

Onrechtmatige inval
De politie beschikte niet over een huiszoekings- of arrestatiebevel, maar reageerde naar eigen zeggen op een telefonische klacht dat zich in de winkel ‘boeken met opruiende inhoud’ zouden bevinden, schrijft dagblad Haaretz. Interessant is dat alle boeken die de Educational Bookstore aanbiedt ook in Israëls Nationale Bibliotheek staan, en stuk voor stuk zijn gepubliceerd door gerenommeerde uitgevers.

De Israëlische officier van justitie uitte eerder scherpe kritiek op het politie-optreden van vorige maand. Toen werden de twee eigenaren van de boekwinkel gearresteerd en twee dagen vastgezet, en werden vuilniszakken vol boeken in beslag genomen. Dat was onrechtmatig en mocht niet nog eens gebeuren, was de boodschap aan de politie. Toch is het nu weer gebeurd.

Universiteit van Amsterdam stopt uitwisseling met Hebreeuwse Universiteit van Jeruzalem

Israel first' | Hoe de VVD de Israëlische inmenging in de Nederlandse politiek faciliteert

Een belangrijk element in de werkwijze van de VVD is dat de positie van de partij vaak wordt gebaseerd op 'rapporten', aangeleverd door Israël of pro-Israëlische lobbyorganisaties, waarvan de inhoud er niet toe doet of ronduit misleidend of onjuist is.

Geen normale politiek
Het ondermijnen van Palestijnse rechten en bestaanszekerheid, en het criminaliseren en belasteren van kritische organisaties en personen is geen normale politiek, concluderen wij. Daarnaast hoort de VVD buitenlandse inmenging tegen te gaan en pal te staan voor de rechtsorde. Maar als het om Israël gaat falen die systemen en wordt de veroorzaakte schade voor lief genomen.

Het is even verbijsterend als alarmerend dat binnen de Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie geen woord van kritiek hoorbaar is – of wordt toegestaan – over deze destructieve rol. Kennelijk wacht de partij op druk vanuit de samenleving om haar handelwijze tegen het licht te houden. Dat moment is gekomen.

Amsterdam | Landelijke demonstratie tegen racisme en fascisme

Op zaterdag 22 maart organiseert het Comité 21 maart een landelijke demonstratie tegen racisme en fascisme, en vóór vrijheid, gelijkheid en menselijkheid. De demonstratie begint om 14.00 uur en vindt plaats op de Dam in Amsterdam. Een groot aantal organisaties heeft zich bij de demonstratie aangesloten.

Meer informatie >

Berber van der Woude | 'Te politiek'

Berber van der Woude, bestuursvoorzitter van The Rights Forum, zou vandaag een lezing geven in de Titus Brandsma Parochie in Wageningen. Een week geleden kreeg zij echter het bericht dat de lezing niet doorging. Ze zou 'te politiek' zijn. In reactie op de annulering schreef zij een blogpost, die hier te lezen is.

'Kennelijk is het ‘te politiek’ om, vanuit je professionele ervaring als diplomaat te vertellen over hoe ons land zich medeplichtig maakt aan de systematische, grootschalige mensenrechtenschendingen van een bondgenoot. Er worden met onze steun mensen verdreven, dakloos gemaakt, vermoord, gemarteld, uitgewist. Maar we mogen het er niet over hebben, want dat is ‘te politiek’. Letterlijk vloeken in de kerk.'

Lees verder >Uit onze agenda
zaterdag 15 maart t/m zaterdag 22 maart
 Demonstraties en wakes

• Sit-in rijksambtenaren op donderdag 20 maart in Den Haag, Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken, Rijnstraat 8 (12.00 uur)
• Landelijke demonstratie tegen racisme en fascisme op zaterdag 22 maart in Amsterdam, de Dam (14.00 uur)

Culturele evenementen
• Palestine Emergency Reading Group op donderdag 20 maart in Tilburg, Universiteit Tilburg (13.00 uur)

1128.

14 maart 2025

NPK-NIEUWSBRIEF - MAART 2025

Ter lancering van de dichtbundel Marwan Makhoul – een bloemlezing van zijn
gedichten - organiseerde het NPK met de Palestijnse dichter Marwan Makhoul eind-februari poëzieavonden in drie grote steden,  Rotterdam, Utrecht en Amsterdam.

Een video-opname van de avond kunt u zien via deze link:
https://dezwijger.nl/programma/palestijnse-dichter-marwan-makhoul

­

NPK-voorzitter Robert Soeterik sprak de volgende inleidende woorden:

Ook op een avond als deze moéten wij stilstaan bij de acute noodsituatie in Gaza.

Allen hebben wij – ongetwijfeld geschokt en met verbijstering – de afgelopen anderhalf jaar de ontwikkelingen in de Strook van Gaza via de media gevolgd.

Ik sta hier stil bij slechts één van de zeer bedreigende ontwikkelingen: de politiek van het Israelische regime – inderdaad regime, waarom zouden wij nog langer over de Israelische regering spreken – om 2,3 miljoen Palestijnen uit de Strook van Gaza te verdrijven.

Op 7 oktober 2023 bleken de plannen daarvoor al klaar te liggen. In juridische en volkenrechtelijke termen hebben wij het hier dan over etnische zuivering – een oorlogsmisdaad op grond van de Conventies van Genève, de hoogste rechtsregels die onze internationale rechtsorde kent.  

Het in gang zetten van de etnische zuivering na 7 oktober is gepaard gegaan met systematische, grootschalige verwoesting van hun  leefomgeving. In dat proces zijn tienduizenden Palestijnen door Israelisch geweld omgekomen. Grote delen van Gaza zijn daarbij in een maanlandschap veranderd. Zozeer dat veel ontheemden die recent van het zuiden weer naar het noorden van Gaza konden terugkeren – dat was mogelijk in het kader van een  staakt-het-vuren tussen Israel en HAMAS – eenmaal daar aangekomen volkomen gedesoriënteerd raakten: nauwelijks nog konden zij materiele aanknopingspunten terugvinden op de plaatsen waar zij vóór 7 oktober hadden  gewoond – een straat, een gebouw, een toren, een grote boom ….

Het militaire werk voor etnische zuivering was met deze systematische grootschalige verwoestingen door het Israelische regime gedaan. Maar omdat buurland  Egypte de grenzen voor Palestijnse ontheemden gesloten hield, is het Israelische regime er – vooralsnog – niet in geslaagd om de Palestijnen de Strook van Gaza uit te werken.

Het volgende scenario is denkbaar:

• Gaza ligt volledig in puin
• miljoenen Palestijnen zijn verstoken van adequate huisvesting
• andere elementaire voorzieningen zijn niet langer aanwezig
• productiemodellen zijn de Palestijnen uit handen geslagen
• men zal lang volledig van hulpgoederen van buiten afhankelijk blijven
• Israel controleert wat er aan goederen Gaza ingaat
• Israel zal het noorden van Gaza militair bezet houden

Dit alles zal de Palestijnen in Gaza in de praktijk nauwelijks ruimte laten om te overleven, om opnieuw een bestaan op te bouwen.

De situatie roept een uitspraak van de Israelische oud-generaal en politicus Moshe Dayan in herinnering. Die zei in 1970 – drie jaar na de verovering van de Strook van Gaza en de Westelijke Jordaanoever: ‘Palestinians will live like dogs, and whoever wishes, may leave’.

Laten wij in deze barre tijden inspiratie putten uit de bewezen sumud (standvastigheid) van de Palestijnen – zoals opnieuw gebleken is uit de overlevingsstrijd van miljoenen Palestijnen in Gaza in de afgelopen anderhalf jaar.

Palestijnen in Gaza en elders hebben onze steun hard nodig.

Help hen !

Verhef uw stem tegen schrijnend onrecht !­ 

­De reactie in de regio en die van de Nederlandse politiek

De Nederlandse regering blijft zich als vanouds pal achter Israel scharen. Dit geheel en al in strijd met de internationale rechtsorde en het internationaal recht  Daarnaast bracht de partijleider van de grootste regeringspartij, Geert Wilders van de PVV, in de huidige aangescherpte crisis een steunbezoek aan joodse kolonisten op de Westelijke Jordaanoever – weliswaar niet namens de regering, maar wie in het buitenland zal dat onderscheid maken ?

En dan is er ook nog het lawaai rond het bezoek aan Nederland van Francesca Albanese, de Speciale Rapporteur van de Verenigde Naties inzake de Bezette Palestijnse Gebieden. Eerst wilde de regering haar niet ontvangen vanwege vermeende ’antisemitische uitspraken’ naar aanleiding van de aanval van HAMAS in Zuid-Israel op 7 oktober 2023. Daarover zou zij gezegd hebben dat de joods-Israelische slachtoffers niet vanwege hun joods-zijn zijn gedood, maar dat het hier ging om een reactie van Palestijnen op hun jarenlange onderdrukking door Israel.

De opstelling van de Nederlandse regering ten aanzien van Albanese is overgenomen door de Vaste Commissie Buitenlandse Zaken van de Tweede Kamer. Uiteindelijk is er alleen een informele bijeenkomst geweest met enkele Kamerleden die openstaan voor kritiek op de (Gaza-)politiek van de Staat Israel.

­

­Agenda maart

 Zaterdag 22 maart, 21 Maart Comité, Landelijke demonstratie     - ----     tegen racisme en discriminatie; vanaf de Dam, Amsterdam, aanvang: -----------14:00 uur;

• Tot 14 mei, fototentoonstelling Yawm al-Firak; werk van de Nederlands-Palestijnse fotograaf Sakir Khader; Foam Foto Museum, Keizersgracht 609, Amsterdam; voor meer informatie klik hier 
• Zondag 23 maart, Gaza/Café Culemborg; Kattenstraat 12, Culemborg; thema: het belang van voedsel; aanvang: 14:30 uur; voor meer informatie klik hier
• Zondag 23 maart, televisiedocumentaire van Argos met Francesca Albanese; NPO2; voor meer informatie klik hier

Palestijnse films – Movies that Matter-festival:

The Bibi Files: https://moviesthatmatter.nl/festival/film/bibi-files-the  (docu over corruptiezaken Netanyahu, 120 min.)
Data: za 22 mrt om 20:30 - 23:00 in Filmhuis Den Haag + nagesprek met Thomas van Gool (PAX) en Erella Grassiani (UA); zo 23 mrt om 20:15 - 22:45 + nagesprek met Jelle Zijlstra en Lievnath Faber van Oy Vey in Theater aan het Spui Den Haag;
do 27 mrt om 19:30 - 22:10 + inleiding door Marieke de Hoon en na afloop panelgesprek met o.a. Marieke de Hoon, Simbarashe Maguchu (VU A'dam) en Nani Jansen Reventlow in Theater aan het Spui, Den Haag.

From Ground Zero: https://moviesthatmatter.nl/festival/film/from-ground-zero. (Mozaïek van docu's over Gaza-oorlog door 22 kunstenaars, 112 min.).
Data: Zo 23 maart 2025 15:15 -17.42 + nagesprek met Anisa Boonman/Thomas van Gool in Filmhuis DH;  vr 28 mrt 19:00 - 21:27 + nagesprek met Rami Ashour/Ahlam Benali in Filmhuis Dakota; za 29 maart 15.15 - 17.22 met inleiding Marianne Dagevos in Filmhuis Den Haag.

The Diary of a Sky: https://moviesthatmatter.nl/festival/film/diary-of-a-sky-the/. (44 min. essayfilm over Israels oorlog in Libanon, onderdeel shortprogramma On Borders: https://moviesthatmatter.nl/festival/film/shorts-on-borders).
Data: za 22 mrt 15:30 - 16:39; zo 23 mrt 16:30 - 17:39; di 25 mrt 20:30 - 21:39; do 27 mrt 14:45 - 15:54; vr 28 mrt 19:00 - 20:09; za 29 mrt  16:15 - 17:24. Alle films in Filmhuis Den Haag.

The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing: https://moviesthatmatter.nl/festival/film/flowers-stand-silently-witnessing-the. (17 min, onderdeel shortprogramma https://moviesthatmatter.nl/festival/film/shorts-facing-the-past).
Data: za 22 mrt 13:45 - 14:56; zo 23 mrt 12:15 - 13:26; di 25 mrt 18:45 - 19:56; wo 26 mrt 20:45 - 21:56; vr 28 mrt 17:15 - 18:26; za 29 mrt 10:30 - 11:41. Alle films in Filmhuis Den Haag.

Happy Holidays: https://moviesthatmatter.nl/festival/film/happy-holidays. (Fictie 124 min.).
Data: zo 23 mrt 17:30 - 19:34 in Filmhuis Den Haag; ma 24 mrt 17:45 - 19:49 in Theater aan het Spui Den Haag; za 29 mrt 14:30 - 16:34 in Filmhuis Den Haag.

Man Number 4: https://moviesthatmatter.nl/festival/film/man-number-4. (9 min, onderdeel shortprogramma On Censorship: https://moviesthatmatter.nl/festival/film/shorts-on-censorship).
Data: za 22 mrt 10:00 - 11:20 en 20:45 - 22:05; ma 24 mrt 20:00 - 21:20; wo 26 mrt 17:00 - 18:20; do 27 mrt 18:15 - 19:35; za 29 mrt 12:15 - 13:35. Alle films in Filmhuis Den Haag.

There is Another Way: https://moviesthatmatter.nl/festival/film/there-is-another-way (Docu 67 min over Combatants for Peace).
Data: zo 23 mrt 20:45 - 22:30 in Filmhuis Den Haag + Q&A met prof. Jonah Schulhofer-Wohl, ma 24 mrt 17:15 - 19:00 in Theater aan het Spui Den Haag + Q&A met prof. Jonah Schulhofer-Wohl; vr 28 mrt 14:00 - 15:07 in Theater aan het Spui Den Haag.

Yalla Parkour: https://moviesthatmatter.nl/festival/film/yalla-parkour (Docu 89 min. over Gaza voor 7/10-'23).
Data: za 22 mrt 14:45 - 16:45 in Filmhuis Den Haag + Q&A met regisseur Areeb Zuaiter/producent Basel Mawlawi; do 27 mrt 17:30 - 19:30 in Theater De Vaillant Den Haag, + na afloop gezamenlijke Iftar; vr 28 mrt 17:30 - 19:30 in Theater aan het Spui Den Haag + nagesprek met Students for Palestine-beweging, georganiseerd door film070; za 29 mrt 10:15 - 11:44 in Theater aan het Spui Den Haag.

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14 maart 2025

Today's headlines

The war never ended for Palestinians in Gaza’s border areas

Tareq S. Hajjaj

Palestinians in Gaza's border areas have continued to be killed and injured on a daily basis since the ceasefire began in mid-January. A resident of Shuja'iyya tells Mondoweiss, "The war has not stopped, quite the opposite. The war intensified."

Suspended for Pro-Palestine Speech: My statement on Yale Law School’s embrace of AI-generated smears

Helyeh Doutaghi was placed on leave by Yale Law School after being falsely accused of “terrorism” over her support for Palestine. She says her case reflects the new era of Zionist McCarthyism and that this repression reveals an empire in decline.

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14 maart 2025

Your Activist Scoop

= For the past 13 days, Israel has completely blocked all aid from entering Gaza. No food. No water. No medicine. No electricity. This is a deliberately manufactured crisis and an act of genocide. = The Trump administration abducted Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil and prevented him from speaking privately with his lawyer. = Now Trump is threatening to kidnap and deport more student activists across the country. = The UN just released a new report finding that Israel’s systematic destruction of reproductive healthcare in Gaza amounts to genocidal acts.
 

 WHAT YOU CAN DO NEXT

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13 maart 2025

Humanitarian Situation Update #272
West Bank

Suliman Zaid, from Ras 'Ein al 'Auja, with an injured goat in front of his animal shelter, where Israeli settlers stole over 1,000 livestock from the Palestinian community. Photo by OCHA

Key Highlights

• The ongoing Israeli operation in Jenin has intensified. On 10 and 11 March, Israeli forces killed five Palestinians and over 500 people were displaced from eastern Jenin city.
• On 10 March, Palestinian forces shot and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian child in Jenin city.
• Israeli settler attacks result in more than 1,400 sheep and goats stolen or killed, and over 380 olive trees and fruit trees vandalized.
• Between 4 and 10 March, Israeli forces raided at least 10 mosques, damaging one and seizing equipment in two, while settlers vandalized electronics in another.
• Sharp increase in demolition of Palestinian-owned structures during first 10 days of Ramadan compared to previous years.

Humanitarian Developments (4-10 March)

• Between 4 and 10 March, Israeli forces killed four Palestinians, and injured 62 others, including 12 children, across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. In the same period, Palestinian forces shot and killed one Palestinian child in Jenin. For more information on casualties and further breakdowns of data, please see the monthly West Bank Snapshot. Following are the incidents resulting in fatalities during the reporting period:
  • On 4 March, Israeli forces shot and killed an 18-year-old Palestinian man near Homesh checkpoint, between Nablus and Jenin governorates, and withheld his body. According to the Palestinian District Liaison Office, the man was shot when he reportedly approached the checkpoint with a knife.
  • On 4 March, Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinians in Jenin city as part of the ongoing operations in the area. One of those killed was reportedly trying to return home and the second was reportedly engaged in an exchange of fire with Israeli forces, who withheld his body.
  • On 10 March, an Israeli armoured military vehicle struck and killed a Palestinian man driving a motorcycle in Jenin city. Surveillance footage shows the military vehicle striking the man at an intersection.
  • On 10 March, Palestinian forces shot and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian boy in central Jenin. They pursued him in civilian vehicles, shot him in the head and chest, and arrested him. They then took him to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead. According to Palestinian forces, the boy fired live ammunition at them, prompting their response. According to eyewitnesses, the boy did not shoot at the forces during the pursuit.
• Between 4 and 10 March, OCHA documented 16 incidents involving Israeli settlers that led to casualties, property damage or both. In those incidents, two Palestinians were injured, more than 1,400 sheep and goats were stolen or killed, and over 380 olive trees and fruit trees were vandalized. In one incident perpetrated by Palestinians, an Israeli infant was injured. Following are some of the key incidents that took place during the reporting period:
  • On 6 March, Israeli settlers were grazing livestock on farmland near Rantis village (Ramallah), when Palestinians arrived, drove them off the land and inspected the damage. According to the community, Israeli forces arrived afterwards and shot one of the Palestinians in the leg.
  • On 7 March, in the Ras 'Ein al 'Auja Bedouin community (Jericho), dozens of Israeli settlers, some armed, attacked Palestinian residents under the protection of Israeli forces. According to eyewitnesses, settlers physically assaulted and injured a Palestinian man, stole approximately 1,400 livestock, killed 12 goats, and damaged at least three houses and several solar panels. Additionally, several Israeli settlers broke into the western residential area of the community and attempted to mix their sheep with livestock owned by Palestinians. The Palestinian man who was injured in the incident, attempted to stop the settlers, was restrained by Israeli police while settlers beat him. He was detained and accused of stealing 50 sheep, owned by settlers. After two days, he was released and transported to a hospital for medical treatment. Residents, particularly women and children, remained inside their homes fearing further violence.
  • On 9 March, armed Israeli settlers, believed to be from Itamar and dressed in what appeared to be military uniforms, attacked Palestinian worshipers while they were praying in a mosque in Khirbet Tana, Nablus. According to the village council and eyewitnesses, the settlers assaulted the villagers while they were praying and ordered them to present their ID cards for inspection. They then forced the worshipers out of the mosque and vandalized the mosque's electrical system.
  • On 9 March, perpetrators believed to be Israeli settlers from an expansion of Itamar settlement, vandalized at least 300 olive trees on agricultural land in the eastern area of Rujeib village (Nablus). According to the Head of the Village Council and those affected, settlers cut the trees with an electric saw. One of the affected villagers reported losing at least 35 olive trees that were approximately 70 years old. Another affected villager reported that, in addition to having 200 olive trees cut down and vandalized, Israeli settlers also threw stones and soil into a water well. During this attack, Israeli settlers damaged a stone wall approximately 30 metres in length. The Head of the Village Council noted that these settler attacks have increased over the past three months, coinciding with the establishment of a new outpost in the area.
  • On 10 March, perpetrators believed to be Palestinians threw stones at a vehicle traveling near Odala (Nablus) and injured one Israeli infant passenger. According to the Israeli military, the infant was treated by Israeli medical teams at the scene.
• Since January 2024, the Ras 'Ein al 'Auja Bedouin community has witnessed a sharp escalation in settler violence, with OCHA documenting over 110 incidents, 45 of which resulted in casualties or property damage. This marks a stark increase compared with the five incidents, two of which resulted in casualties or property damage, recorded over the previous decade. Surrounded by multiple Israeli settlements, the community has endured persistent intimidation and physical assaults on shepherds; forcing them to reduce grazing and rely on costly fodder. Settlers have also repeatedly raided the community, in some cases setting fire to structures, cutting water pipes, and allowing their livestock to consume Palestinian-owned fodder. Residents seeking access to the Al 'Auja water spring have been physically assaulted, further restricting their ability to sustain their flocks and livelihoods. Attacks particularly intensified following the establishment of a new settlement near the community in May 2024. These conditions are undermining the community’s ability to sustain traditional livelihoods, heightening the risk of displacement, and contributing to broader pressures on Palestinian herding communities in Area C.
• Between 4 and 10 March, OCHA documented the demolition of 51 Palestinian-owned structures (including 17 doner-funded ones) across the West Bank due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are nearly impossible to obtain. These included eight structures in East Jerusalem (of which seven were homes) and 43 structures in Area C. In total, 44 people, including 22 children, were displaced, and 2,000 people were otherwise affected. Almost half of the structures demolished in Area C (21) were in a single incident in the Tell al Khashaba herding community (Nablus). Four families were displaced (19 people, including 11 children), each of their homes destroyed. In addition, 12 livestock structures, four latrines and the communities’ electrical network were all damaged. Of the 25 families living in the community, 44 per cent have been affected by these demolitions.
• On 5 March, the Israeli authorities demolished three Palestinian-owned homes on punitive grounds; displacing ten people, including two children. The structures were in Rafat (Jerusalem) belonging to the family of a Palestinian who rammed soldiers with his vehicle at Beit El checkpoint in September 2024, and two others in Hebron, belonging to the families of two Palestinians who shot and killed seven people in Jaffa (Israel) in October 2024.
• The number of structures demolished, due to a lack of an Israeli-issued permit or punitively, during the first ten days of Ramadan in 2025 (71) exceeded the demolitions during the entirety of Ramadan in 2024 (69 structures) and the previous three Ramadan periods, between 2021 and 2023, combined (32 structures). Historically, Israeli authorities have reduced demolitions during Ramadan, but since 2024, there has been a sharp rise.
• On 7 March, the first Friday of Ramadan, access restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities prevented thousands of Palestinian worshipers from reaching holy sites. While the Israeli authorities have allowed Palestinians access to East Jerusalem and the H2 area of Hebron, they have imposed restrictions based on age and gender, with the condition that people entering East Jerusalem possess Israeli-issued permits. Israeli authorities have also set up hundreds of metal barriers to tightly control people’s movements. OCHA has deployed teams to monitor people's movements through the checkpoints to identify potential protection risks and possible measures for Palestinians seeking to cross, with particular attention to the most vulnerable such as children, pregnant women, and older people. Initial information indicates fewer people crossed and fewer checkpoints opened this year, compared with Fridays in 2024. In the Old City of Jerusalem, Israeli forces were deployed into the streets and at the gates leading to the city. Israeli forces conducted ID checks and body searches on Palestinians at the entrance of Al Aqsa Mosque and denied access to hundreds of people. Young men were systematically stopped, some were rejected from entering the Al Aqsa Mosque with no clear reasons given. In Hebron, access to Al Ibrahimi Mosque was channelled through one of three checkpoints, admitting males between 27 and 50 years, with inspection, and males over 50 years and females of all ages without inspection. The Al Muhtaseb neighbourhood roadblock was shut for the second year in a row, creating congestion at other checkpoints. In previous years, the roadblock would be open for men to cross for Friday prayers during Ramadan and other special occasions.

• Between 4 and 9 March, Israeli forces raided at least 10 mosques across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. On 4 March, Israeli forces raided and confiscated security camera records from a mosque in Bruqin village (Salfit). On 7 March, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Endowments, Israeli forces raided eight mosques in Nablus city. In the An Naser mosque, in the Old City of Nablus, a fire was reported after Israeli forces left the premises. Firefighting crews were denied access to the mosque for almost an hour until the forces withdrew, at which point the mosque was engulfed in flames. On 9 March, Israeli forces raided the Al Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem and confiscated two loudspeakers in the Al Marwani prayer hall; disrupting the call to prayer.
• Attacks on health facilities continue across the West Bank: on 8 March, Israeli forces raided Al Ahli Hospital in Hebron city, temporarily detaining several of the hospital’s security guards, arresting the chief security guard and confiscating the hospital’s surveillance equipment. From 1 January 2025 until 28 February 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) verified 64 incidents of attacks on health care. These have affected seven health facilities including hospitals, and 43 ambulances. Of the incidents, 48 involved obstructions to health care delivery, 37 attacks involved use of force, while 12 attacks involved the search of health-care personnel, facility, or transport, and 14 involved the arrest or detention of health-care personnel or of patients.
• On 11 March, Israeli forces raided the Educational Bookshop in East Jerusalem for the second time in just over a month. They searched it, confiscated dozens of books, and arrested one of the owners. Between 4 and 9 February, Israeli forces raided two bookshops and sealed off a library in East Jerusalem; the Educational Bookshop was raided back then, with two of the owners detained and books were seized.

Developments in northern West Bank

• The Israeli operation in the northern West Bank, which began in Jenin on 21 January, has entered its eighth week, making it the longest operation in the West Bank since the early 2000s. In Tulkarm city and its two refugee camps (Tulkarm and Nur Shams), the operation has been ongoing for a month. So far, tens of thousands of people have been displaced from Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps, which have become almost deserted. On 12 March, the operations returned to Qabatiya (Jenin governorate) for one day, following previous operations between 23 and 25 February. The municipality reports that the bulldozing of structures and infrastructure caused the whole town to lose water connectivity for ten hours. On the same day, Israeli forces expanded operations to Arraba (Jenin governorate) for 12 hours, where the municipality reports that at least 70 people were detained and interrogated.
• Local sources in Tulkarm city have reported hearing multiple explosions and seeing Israeli military bulldozers activity in the camps. Humanitarian actors have been unable to verify demolitions in the refugee camps due to lack of access. This follows the Israeli forces’ announcement of the demolition of at least 41 residential structures since 18 February. Dozens of families have reported that they have tried to return to their houses inside camps, but they were either denied access or forced to leave again by Israeli forces.
• Since 10 March, the ongoing operations in Jenin city have intensified. Israeli forces killed five Palestinian, including one woman and over 100 families, comprising more than 500 people, have been forcibly displaced from three neighbourhoods in the eastern part of the city, according to the municipality. In addition to the previously listed incidents, on 11 March (outside the reporting period), Israeli forces shot and killed three men and a woman during exchanges of fire in several parts of the city. In an eastern neighbourhood, Israeli forces surrounded a building and exchanged fire with armed Palestinians, killing two men and withheld their bodies. In another eastern neighbourhood of Jenin, Israeli forces surrounded a building, launched shoulder-fired explosive projectiles, and fired live ammunition at it, killing a Palestinian man inside and withholding his body. Near an industrial zone in eastern Jenin, Israeli forces surrounded and launched shoulder-fired explosive projectiles at a greenhouse and a residential building, killing a 58-year-old Palestinian woman with the shrapnel of the explosive. They also detained the son of the killed woman and his two sons (aged 12 and seven) before releasing the children a few hours later. Israeli forces took the woman’s body and later handed it over to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) at Al Jalameh checkpoint.
• Since 21 January, 74 Palestinian fatalities by Israeli forces were documented, of whom 61 were in Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas governorates, including eight children (6 boys and 2 girls) and two women, the majority within the context of the ongoing Israeli forces’ operation. Three Israeli soldiers were killed by armed Palestinians, including one during an exchange of fire in Jenin and two due to a shooting attack by an armed Palestinian at Tayasir checkpoint (Tubas).
• On 7 March, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) released a statement regarding the killings in the ongoing operation, stating that: “The killings increasingly demonstrate an alarming disregard for Palestinian lives with high prevalence of unlawful killings. As there are no hostilities in the West Bank, the international human rights law standards on the use of force in law enforcement operations apply. Instead, Israel now routinely resorts to using tactics and weapons developed for war fighting, including the deployment of airstrikes and tanks.” On 12 March, OHCHR stated that the Palestinian Authority continued to use force unlawfully against Palestinians in the West Bank during demonstrations and other law enforcement situations. OHCHR called upon it to prevent, repress and punish all violations and abuses of international human rights law.
• Access to water remains precarious, especially in Jenin city, due to extensive damage to water infrastructure in the ongoing Israeli forces’ operation. According to the Jenin municipality, 30 per cent of the eastern neighbourhoods (about 3,000 people) were cut off from water for a week, as attempts were made to repair the damage to water networks. Furthermore, the municipality reported that the western neighbourhoods have been subject to intermittent water cuts, where the municipality estimates that 15,000 people now rely on water trucking.
• During February, protection partners continued to provide essential child protection prevention and response interventions in the northern West Bank. These services included psychosocial first aid, case management, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), child protection awareness sessions, referrals to specialists, recreational activities for children, and legal services, to more than 2,400 children and 2,300 caregivers. The psychological impact of the escalation and displacement has resulted in very high MHPSS needs for children and caregivers. Many of the displaced families are struggling to cover basic needs – including food, shelter, water, and clothes – which increases child protection risks, including child labour and child marriage. Due to these multiple, high needs, scale-up of case management services is required to further support families and children. However, partners face challenges in delivering these services due to a lack of access to communities and a lack of information on where to find the displaced communities, which are spread out across different locations in collective shelters, rented accommodation and with host families.
• Access to health services and medicine in areas under ongoing operations continues to be restricted, as the WHO reports that these restrictions continue to hinder the movement of ambulances and health care workers. In addition, damage was reported to 20 non-functioning health points and other critical infrastructure, leading to water contamination with sewage and water shortages in some areas. Furthermore, the persistent lack of electricity and water at health facilities in Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas have disrupted health responses and are compromising the cold chain of storing medicine. Health partners have identified urgent health needs in these areas including essential medicines, localized trauma capacities and supplies, access to sexual, reproductive, and maternal health services and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and respiratory illnesses.

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13 maart 2025

Today's headlines

Mahmoud Khalil will remain detained in Louisiana following brief court hearing

In a hearing in New York City on Wednesday, Mahmoud Khalil's attorney's said they have not been allowed to have contact with him since his detention. Meanwhile, the Trump administration's rationale for detaining Khalil continues to change.

‘We’re not an agent of Israel’: Unpacking the growing daylight between the Trump administration and Israel

The Trump administration’s direct negotiations with Hamas have broken precedent and angered Israel. Envoy Adam Boehler defended them to CNN saying the U.S. is “not an agent of Israel,” but how much daylight exists between the allies?

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12 maart 2025

Our pressure is working. Today at 11:30am ET a federal judge in New York will hear Mahmoud Khalil’s case.

After immense public outrage, a federal judge barred Khalil’s deportation pending this hearing, and we’ve seen many representatives in Congress - including the highest ranking Democrats in the country - speak out in support of Mahmoud since then.

Last night, another 29 New York elected officials signed onto a letter to DHS calling for Khalil’s release. Meanwhile, Columbia University has refused to help the Trump administration identify more students for deportation because of their pro-Palestinian activism - representing a clear reversal of policy.

None of this would have happened without public pressure.

It is imperative that we keep up the momentum and demonstrate mass support for Mahmoud’s release on this critical day.

See our email from Monday below with more context and information about Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest, and what this moment means for all of us.

Let’s keep going,
Sandra Tamari

Over the past two days, we have seen a deliberate and dangerous escalation in the suppression of free speech targeting our movement.

On Saturday, ICE arrested and detained Columbia University student organizer Mahmoud Khalil in a calculated attempt to instill fear, and silence those speaking out against Israel’s genocide and apartheid. Within 24 hours of being detained, Mahmoud was transferred to a Louisiana ICE facility more than 1,000 miles away from his home and wife who is eight months pregnant.

Since Mahmoud’s detention, President Trump and his administration have taken to social media to openly support his deportation and declare that this arrest is just the beginning. This is not speculation—this is a direct warning that Palestine solidarity activists, and anyone who dares to speak out against Israel’s crimes, are targets.

We cannot allow this to become the new normal.

Demand that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) release Mahmoud Khalil from detention and that Columbia reverse its policy of cooperating with and permitting ICE agents on campus immediately.

If we don’t stop this now, this persecution will expand.

The Trump administration is doing the bidding of Israel’s right-wing, fascist government—advancing policies that suppress dissent, persecute activists who speak out, and strip non-citizens and citizens alike of their constitutional rights.

Columbia University has a choice: Will it stand by and allow its students to be persecuted? Or will it uphold its responsibility to defend the right to organize and the right to free speech?

We have already seen where Columbia’s complicity can lead. After violently suppressing constitutionally protected protests earlier this year, the university allowed ICE onto campus and remained silent as students faced the threat of deportation. Undocumented students and students on visas are especially vulnerable, but this crackdown will not stop with them. Now, Mahmoud—a green card holder—is being targeted, proving that no one is safe. It is clear that anyone who the Trump administration perceives as a threat to his fascist, white supremacist agenda is at risk.

We must demand the release of Mahmoud, a Palestinian student activist, and put an end to the Trump administration’s plans for a new codified McCarthy era. Add your name now.

Analysts are warning that Trump’s administration is moving toward invoking the Insurrection Act, which would allow him to deploy the military and National Guard against its own people. We saw the same weaponization of the state against protestors who took to the streets in 2020 after the brutal murder of George Floyd. What we are witnessing today is an escalation of this ongoing war on dissent, using pro-Palestine activism as the first battleground to normalize repression and expand the mass deportation machine.

Palestinians and immigrant rights activists have warned for decades that the surveillance, censorship, and stripping of due process we endure will be expanded.

We are at a tipping point. The majority of Americans across party lines support a ceasefire. Polls show that Americans’ support for Israel is at the lowest it has been in 25 years. The majority of people in this country reject genocide. Our numbers are massive, but we must organize to make it clear: We are the many. We stand by our message for freedom for all.

Columbia and all universities across the country must act now. They must take a stand to protect their students and uphold our fundamental rights. The next 48 hours are critical—if Mahmoud is not released, it will set a new precedent for us all.

What is the point of a university that claims to be a beacon of free speech and learning if it persecutes its own students for asking questions and exercising their rights?

We must act now. Demand Columbia defend and protect its students, and reject the criminalization of protest. Demand that the DHS release Mahmoud Khalil now.

With urgency,

Sandra Tamari

Adalah Justice Project

Adalah Justice Project is a Palestinian-led advocacy organization based in the U.S. that builds cross-movement coalitions to achieve collective liberation.

1122.

12 maart 2025

A Historic Step toward Justice

There’s hugely positive news for a change today: Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been sent to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

Acting on an arrest warrant from the ICC, Philippine authorities arrested Duterte in Manila yesterday and put him on a plane to the Netherlands.

It is a historic step toward justice.

The ICC sought Duterte’s arrest on a charge of crimes against humanity in relation to alleged extrajudicial killings between 2011 and 2019. This covers both his years as mayor of Davao City and the brutal nationwide “war on drugs” after he became president in 2016.

The killings generally followed a pattern. National police officers or their agents would raid homes at night without warrants. They would arrest suspects and then execute them. They frequently planted evidence to justify their murders.

The scale of these killings was staggering . More than 6,000 Filipinos were killed in the “drug war” – that’s according to official police statistics. Human rights groups in the Philippines say the number is more than 30,000.

Most of the victims were impoverished people in urban areas. Many children were among those killed. Others were orphaned in drug raids.

Those seeking justice for these crimes have had little luck until now. Only a very small number of the thousands of cases have been investigated or prosecuted. Only four cases, all of low-ranking police officers, resulted in convictions for extrajudicial killings.

Yesterday’s arrest of former president Duterte and his departure for The Hague mark “a long-overdue victory” that could bring victims and their families a step closer to justice.

It’s also an encouraging moment for international justice generally. Lately, the ICC itself has been under attack by some governments, most recently by US President Donald Trump’s decision to sanction the court’s prosecutor.

The arrest of Duterte and his transfer to The Hague remind the world of the court’s relevance and its significance in ensuring accountability for grave crimes.

Of course, in the Philippines there is still much to be done. There have been recent extrajudicial killings and attacks against activists and civil society groups. Current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. needs to address continuing human rights violations in the country. The Philippines police need to be comprehensively reformed.

However, today let’s savor this moment and enjoy seeing justice take a step forward.

Such moments don’t come around often enough.

1121.

12 maart 2025

Today's headlines

The bittersweet taste of freedom: an interview with a former Palestinian prisoner

Qassam Muaddi

As part of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, Amir Abu Raddaha was freed from Israeli prison after 23 years. He spoke to Mondoweiss about his time behind bars, and the horrific conditions of Palestinian prisoners since October 7.

Read more on our site

When speaking up for Palestine becomes a crime

The fight to free Mahmoud Khalil is not merely about preserving First Amendment rights, it is about whether we will allow our government to criminalize resistance to its complicity in human rights abuses and genocide.

1120.

12 maart 2025

1120.

11 maart 2025

Humanitarian Situation Update #271
Gaza Strip

Children gather around water trucks in Rafah. Photo by UNICEF/El Baba

Key Highlights

• The halt on aid, now in its tenth consecutive day, is severely impacting humanitarian operations, as partners struggle to sustain bakeries and begin reducing rations. Meanwhile, UNFPA warns of far-reaching consequences for women and girls.
• The UN Children’s Fund warns that severe water shortages in Gaza have reached critical levels, with only one in 10 people currently able to access safe drinking water.
• The widespread presence of explosive ordnance in Gaza continues to pose life-threatening risks and hinder access to essential services.

Humanitarian Developments

• Since 2 March, and for the 10th consecutive day, the entry of all humanitarian and commercial supplies into Gaza has been halted by the Israeli authorities, severely impacting humanitarian operations and exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation. In a statement, Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Mr. Muhannad Hadi, stressed that “humanitarian aid in Gaza is a lifeline for over two million Palestinians who have endured unimaginable conditions for many months. A sustained supply of aid is indispensable to their survival.” Calling for the immediate resumption of life-saving aid, he added that "any delays will further reverse any progress we have managed to achieve during the ceasefire."
• Between 1 February and 10 March 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) has supported the medical evacuation of 1,473 patients, including 579 children, and 2,223 companions from Gaza, to receive specialized care in Egypt and other countries. About half of evacuated patients suffer from trauma injuries (30 per cent) or cancer (21 per cent). On 4 March, WHO reported the first WHO-supported medical evacuation to Jordan since the ceasefire, where 29 child patients were evacuated for specialized treatment, along with 43 companions. About 12,000 to 14,000 people, including more than 4,500 children, remain in urgent need of medical evacuation, according to the Health Cluster.
• Between the afternoons of 4 and 11 March, the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza reported the killing of 98 Palestinians and the injury of 92 others; this includes 74 newly retrieved bodies. Since the ceasefire came into effect on 19 January, and as of 11 March, a total of 845 bodies were retrieved from areas that were previously inaccessible, the MoH reported. Since 7 October 2023 and as of 11 March 2025, the MoH in Gaza reported the killing of at least 48,503 Palestinians and the injury of 111,927 others.
• Between 7 October 2023 and 11 March 2025, according to Israeli forces and official Israeli sources cited in the media, more than 1,607 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed, the majority on 7 October 2023 and its immediate aftermath. This includes 407 soldiers killed, in addition to 2,583 soldiers injured, in Gaza or along the border in Israel since the beginning of the ground operation in October 2023. As of 11 March, it is estimated that 59 Israelis and foreign nationals remain captive in Gaza, including hostages who have been declared dead and whose bodies are being withheld.
• Food security in Gaza remains highly dependent on the continued entry of aid supplies, rendering improvements achieved during the ceasefire period fragile, warns the Food Security Sector (FSS). According to the findings of recent post-distribution monitoring by FSS partners, improvements in dietary diversity and food consumption frequency were observed among assisted people between December 2024 and February 2025, particularly following the surge in the entry of aid supplies after the ceasefire came into effect on 19 January. The previous Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analyses for Gaza showed that food security and malnutrition can deteriorate, and also recover, swiftly in response to the amount of food supplies that are permitted to enter into, and be distributed within, the Gaza Strip. On 7 and 8 March, six out of 25 bakeries supported by the World Food Programme (WFP), including five in Khan Younis and one in Deir al Balah, had to close due to the lack of cooking gas and the halt in supply since 2 March. As of 11 March, 19 WFP-subsidized bakeries are currently operational across Gaza, including one in North Gaza, eight in Gaza, five in Deir al Balah, four in Khan Younis and one in Rafah. FSS reports that while some flour and food parcel distributions from previous dispatches are ongoing, available flour has been prioritized for use at functional bakeries to sustain their operation. Partners are also assessing prioritization strategies to allocate the remaining food parcels to the most vulnerable, with reduced rations. On 9 March, WFP underscored that "unimpeded humanitarian access is the only means of survival for many families.”
• The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) warns that the ongoing blockage of aid entry into Gaza is jeopardizing progress made since the ceasefire in terms of expanding sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and scaling up gender-based violence (GBV) prevention, mitigation and response. In February 2025, UNFPA supported thousands of women, girls and infants across the Gaza Strip by expanding maternity services, strengthening protection services, and increasing the distribution of medical supplies, hygiene and postpartum kits, as well as winterization and sheltering items. At the same time, UNFPA notes that more than half a million women remain without adequate access to family planning, treatment for sexually transmitted infections and postnatal care, cautioning that high levels of need persist. Furthermore, despite efforts to address the dire hygiene needs since the ceasefire, UNFPA estimates that at least 690,000 women and girls lack sustained access to essential hygiene items, with the majority also deprived of privacy, clean water, and secure sanitation facilities, heightening risks of infections and worsening health conditions.

• Since the escalation of hostilities began in October 2023, Palestinian women in Gaza have endured immense hardships. Representing nearly half of Gaza’s population, women have faced a relentless struggle for survival, with many losing husbands, homes, and access to basic services, according to a new report issued on the eve of International Women's Day on 8 March by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS). About 13,900 women have become widows, who are solely responsible for their families, after losing their primary breadwinner. They now bear the burden of providing for their children amid worsening economic conditions and widespread destruction. According to PCBS, “mothers in [the] Gaza Strip live between daily nightmares and entrenched depression,” and are “struggling to secure their basic needs such as food and water, while being also unable to provide the necessary healthcare for their injured children due to the collapse of Gaza's health system.” Thousands of Palestinian women have been displaced and are now living in temporary tents after losing their homes.
• Despite ongoing efforts to restore the health system across the Gaza Strip, the North Gaza and Rafah governorates remain the most impacted in terms of the percentage of health facilities that remain non-operational. Both governorates sustained severe damage during the escalation, including damage to health facilities, rendering many health service points non-functional. Following the ceasefire, and as of 9 March, only 16 per cent of health service points in North Gaza governorate are fully or partially functional; this includes three out of five (60 per cent) hospitals, six out of 50 (12 per cent) medical points, and four out of 26 (15 per cent) primary health care centres (PHCs). Similarly, in the Rafah governorate, only 11 per cent of health service points are functional, including two out of six (33 per cent) field hospitals, four out of 68 (six per cent) medical points, and four out of 15 (27 per cent) PHCs, while none of the governorate’s three hospitals are operational.
• On 10 March, the Director of the Medical Imaging Unit at the MoH, Mr. Ibrahim Abbas, stated that ill and injured patients are deprived of diagnostic medical imaging services, since related equipment has been largely destroyed during hostilities, including four magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, four computed tomography (CT) scanners, 16 fixed X-ray machines, 17 mobile X-ray machines, 20 ultrasound machines, and other imaging equipment used in operating rooms. Mr. Abbas warned that this situation presents a significant challenge for medical teams and deprives patients of essential imaging services. The MoH explained that some X-ray machines have been relocated from various service sites to address urgent needs, prioritizing emergency services, intensive care, and surgeries. Coupled with the dearth of medical equipment, the Health Cluster reported that the healthcare system in Gaza faces a severe shortage of in-patient bed capacity, particularly in adult and paediatric intensive care units (ICUs), specialized medical personnel, essential medical supplies and consumables including those for laboratory services, and ambulances for patient referrals.
• On 9 March, the Israeli Minister of Energy and Infrastructure announced an order to cut off electricity to Gaza with immediate effect. The Gaza Strip has been under an electricity blackout since October 2023, after the Israeli authorities cut off the electricity supply, except for the South Gaza Desalination Plant which was reconnected to the electricity grid in November 2024. The latest decision will exclusively affect the operation of the South Gaza Desalination Plant supported by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which has been able to supply up to 18,000 cubic metres of water of drinking quality per day since November 2024. Without electricity, the plant can only provide about 2,500 cubic metres of water per day and the amount of drinking water available in southern Gaza will be substantially reduced, affecting approximately 600,000 people in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis. According to the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) cluster, restoring this connection is vital for thousands of vulnerable families and children. UNICEF has warned that severe water shortages in Gaza have reached critical levels, with only one in 10 people currently able to access safe drinking water.

• According to the WASH Cluster, between 16 February and 1 March, 135,232 cubic metres of water was produced on average per day across the Gaza Strip. This is about a third of water produced prior to October 2023 but is a substantial increase compared with the pre-ceasefire water production level of about 80-90,000 cubic metres per day. The Cluster attributes this increase, primarily, to a rise in water production from groundwater wells, owing to the increased availability of fuel during the ceasefire. However, approximately 70 per cent of water that goes through the dilapidated and heavily damaged distribution networks is lost due to leakages and is not available for end users. Persistent constraints remain on bringing in the appropriate materials and supplies needed to conduct repairs to the network.
• Gaza continues to grapple with major challenges in solid waste management that create unsanitary living conditions and exacerbate public health risks. According to the WASH Cluster, primary collection and the secondary transfer of solid waste from households and sites is heavily constrained due to damages and loss of 80 per cent of the vehicles (over 200) and containers (about 6,000) required to run solid waste collection services, with spare parts unavailable to repair remaining vehicles. Within this context, WASH partners continue to use 30 temporary dump sites, most of which are full, and to empty 70 spontaneous dump sites. Meanwhile, negotiations with Israeli authorities continue to gain access to the two main landfills (Juhor ad Dik and Sofa), necessary to enable the critical safe disposal of solid waste, and to import appropriate equipment and supplies for solid waste management and pest control. The WASH Cluster warns that inadequate management of infectious medical waste and the mixing of solid waste with debris contaminated with explosive hazards can further aggravate environmental conditions and public health risks, noting that urgent funding is needed to ensure that primary solid waste collection activities in southern Gaza can, at minimum, continue in the coming months.
• The extensive destruction of buildings and infrastructure in Gaza has resulted in vast amounts of debris, estimated to be between 41 to 47 million tons, primarily from the residential and road sectors. According to the World Bank’s Interim Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (IRDNA), issued in February 2025, 81 per cent of the classified road network (primary, secondary, and tertiary roads) and 62 per cent of the total road network (including agricultural roads) have been damaged or destroyed. Additionally, 292,000 housing units have been destroyed, representing a staggering 61.8 per cent of the total housing stock. Since the ceasefire, rubble and debris removal has become critical to reopening blocked roads, facilitating the movement of people, reducing potential hazards, and enabling the effective delivery and resumption of humanitarian aid. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been supporting these efforts but has identified several challenges that continue to hinder debris removal operations. These include, inter alia, a severe shortage of heavy machinery and space to store and operate equipment, a critical shortage of lubricants, rubble volume that exceeds existing clearance capacity, and contamination with explosive ordnance or asbestos. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that 2.3 million tonnes of debris may potentially be contaminated with asbestos. Furthermore, according to the IRDNA, a critical aspect of debris clearance is the dignified removal and documentation of an estimated 10,000 bodies buried under the rubble, along with the disposal of exploded ordnance (EO), as thousands of bombs and ammunition remain deeply buried or unexploded.
• The widespread presence of EO continues to pose life-threatening risks to people across Gaza. According to the Mine Action (MA) Area of Responsibility (AoR) group, a sharp increase in reports of EO victims have been reported to the UNMAS-managed incident database. Notwithstanding the limited data, during 2025, and as of 10 March, 18 explosive incidents were recorded, resulting in three people killed and 38 injured. This includes two children killed and 18 injured, highlighting the increased vulnerability of children. In response, the MA AoR is working in close collaboration with Child Protection actors to scale up explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) and awareness raising activities for children, to ensure they have the knowledge required to conduct safe practice when confronted with EO. The majority of incidents in the post-ceasefire period resulted from displaced people returning to damaged buildings and previously inaccessible areas. To mitigate risks and enable the scale-up of humanitarian response, MA partners responded to 138 requests for explosive hazard assessments (EHAs) from partners since the ceasefire. EHA priority is given to sites highlighted as critical for the scale up of humanitarian aid delivery and designated as low, medium or high risk following the EHA. However, MA actors remain unable to conduct clearance and disposal of EO due to the lack of necessary resources and lack of permission from the relevant authorities.

• In March 2025, Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children (ASDC) conducted a needs assessment to evaluate the needs and priorities of conflict-affected people in Gaza, both with and without disabilities. ASDC reported that several rehabilitation-focused organizations providing critical support for people with disabilities (PwD) have been directly attacked, with at least five major organizations specializing in disability services sustaining irreversible damage. This has affected the provision of physical therapy, assistive devices, and psychosocial support services, leaving thousands of people, particularly PwD, without essential care. The assessment, which surveyed 456 parents and people – 63 per cent of whom had a disability or lived in households with at least one member with a disability – highlighted several critical barriers to accessing assistance. For example, about 90 per cent of interviewed PwD reported that displacement sites or current residences had serious accessibility barriers, while 86 per cent of families with disabilities stated that the needs of PwD were not considered or met in an accessible or inclusive manner. Moreover, 81 per cent of respondents indicated that displacement sites or current residences did not offer a safe environment for girls with and without disabilities, exposing them to further psychological harm. The spread of rubble was also considered an impediment, with 91 per cent of respondents, both with and without disabilities, reporting that it hindered movement, creating crucial accessibility barriers to services and posing dangers to families, especially children. The survey also revealed that 67 per cent of respondents felt that PwD were a burden on those around them under current circumstances, while 63 per cent observed that PwD were being subjected to psychological harm through offensive and hurtful language. Finally, the survey highlighted key impacts of the conflict on children, with 75 per cent of respondents reporting a noticeable deterioration in the health condition of their children, such as a significant increase in crying and panic during sleep or an inability to express emotions due to extreme fear. Furthermore, 81 per cent reported increased violent behaviour and hyperactivity in children due to the ongoing crisis.
• Since the ceasefire took effect on 19 January, and as of 6 March, Education Cluster partners continued to establish Temporary Learning Spaces (TLSs) across the Gaza Strip to expand the engagement of children in learning activities. Some 214 new TLSs, including UNRWA-led TLSs, were established serving more than 21,785 children. As of 11 March, according to the Education Cluster, about 65 per cent of nearly 658,000 school-aged children have access to some form of learning, including TLSs, schools that have been re-opened by the Ministry of Education (MoE), as well as remote learning programmes, managed by the MoE and UNRWA, to mitigate learning losses. Overall, about 631 TLSs are now operational throughout Gaza, supporting more than 172,871 students. Moreover, about 70 per cent of over 250,000 children who have registered to enrol in UNRWA’s distance learning programme are currently utilizing the digital platform, reported UNRWA’s Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. Notwithstanding all the efforts made, the Education Cluster estimates that one-third of children are believed to remain completely cut off from any type of formal, informal, or distance learning activities.

1119.

11 maart 2025

1118.

11 maart 2025

Join us live tomorrow, March 12th, at 12pm EST to hear from Hussam Al-Zaanin about his experience being held in Israeli dungeons for more than a decade without charges, and his recent return to Beit Hanoun, Gaza in the second prisoner exchange of Toufan al-Ahrar (“the Flood of the Free”). We will also be joined by Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association to learn more about their important work.

1117.

11 maart 2025

This is an Adalah Justice Project endorsed mutual aid fundraiser

My name is Dr. Ayman Al-Farra, and alongside my son, Dr. Mohammed Al-Farra, we are doing everything we can to keep the Al-Mawasi Clinic running for our community in Gaza.

Though the ceasefire has given us some relief, we are now faced with another dire situation this Ramadan. Israel has blocked nearly all humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza.

Food is scarce, medicine is running out, and electricity has been cut off completely. Every day, we see more people coming to us in desperate need—children weak from preventable diseases, mothers searching for antibiotics, elders needing urgent care.

Despite all of the challenges, we continue to press on. I remain in Gaza, leading a team of mostly young, dedicated healthcare workers who refuse to give up. Many of them have lost colleagues, homes, and loved ones, yet they continue to serve because they believe in rebuilding Gaza’s healthcare system from the ground up.

They are not throwing in the towel—on the contrary, they are working tirelessly, showing us what resilience and hope look like in real time.

One of these dedicated young healthcare workers is my son, Dr. Mohammed, who is displaced in Egypt, where he continues his medical studies, and is still with us in every way that matters—helping to organize medical shipments, raise funds, and ensure that this clinic remains a lifeline for our people.

This is a mutual aid initiative, not a large organization with overhead costs. Every dollar goes directly to keeping this clinic running—to buying medicine, medical supplies, and installing water purification systems so that our community can have access

With gratitude,

Dr. Ayman Al-Farra
Founder, Al-Mawasi Clinic

Dr. Mohammed Al-Farra
Medical Student from Gaza

1116.

11 maart 2025

They can't deport half of all Americans.

Take action to demand Mahmoud's release.

Take action to block $8.5 billion in weapons to Israel.

Israel has now cut off electricity to Gaza, one week after it blocked the entrance of all humanitarian aid — basic supplies like food, medicine, and water.

The genocide never ended in Gaza. Even as the Israeli government uses starvation as a weapon of war, a blatant war crime, Trump is moving to authorize a $8.5 billion weapons shipment to the Israeli regime. Congress must act.

1115.

11 maart 2025

“Even the mountains refuse a life of servitude”

Palestinian political prisoners are on the frontlines of our struggle for liberation.

In our new YouTube series, Freedom Breakers, former political prisoner Lama Ghosheh meets with recently freed Palestinian hostages to expose the reality of captivity in the colonizer's jails.

These stories are not just testimonies, they are acts of defiance.

Watch the first episode now and help us amplify their voices. Share the video, amplify the message, and join the struggle.

1114.

11 maart 2025

Today's headlines

We are international students organizing for Palestine, and we won’t be deterred

Anonymous Contributor

They can deport every last one of us, but they cannot erase the spirit of Palestinian resistance. That is what they fear.

Bakeries go dark in Gaza as Israel cuts off fuel to 2.1 million people

Tareq S. Hajjaj

As prices soar and essential goods disappear, famine conditions threaten to return to Gaza following Israel's closure of the border and the suspension of the delivery of fuel and aid.

1113.

10 maart 2025

The U.S. Government Is Targeting Palestinian Activists—Mahmoud Must Be Released NOW

On Saturday, March 8, DHS agents stormed the New York home of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student activist and U.S. permanent resident, and abducted him in front of his family. His 8-month pregnant wife, a U.S. citizen, was denied the chance to see him, and ICE has refused to disclose his whereabouts. Mahmoud has already been moved out of New York and could face imminent deportation.

Take Action: Demand that Congress, the DHS Secretary, and the State Department take immediate action to secure Mahmoud’s release and protect student activists and immigrants.

Mahmoud was targeted for his activism and calling for an end to Israel’s genocide in Gaza. He has no criminal record, yet he is being illegally detained in an ICE facility in a blatant act of political repression.

This is not just an attack on Mahmoud—it’s a crackdown on free speech, due process, and the right to dissent, and it won’t stop at this one individual. Secretary of State Marco Rubio openly confirmed that the U.S. government is revoking legal residency status and deporting individuals for their political views—a direct violation of the First Amendment and an alarming escalation of political repression. The Trump administration does not have the legal authority to revoke his green card, but that hasn’t stopped them from disappearing a Palestinian activist to silence the growing movement for Palestinian liberation.

This is the same administration that slashed over $400 million in funding to Columbia University, claiming the school hasn’t done enough to fight antisemitism—when in reality, this is about punishing those who refuse to be silent on Palestine. Columbia has expelled, suspended, and even physically assaulted students for protesting genocide, yet even their bowing to Zionist pressure wasn’t enough to protect them from Trump’s crackdown. Now, the university is actively collaborating with the U.S. government to target its own students.

This is state-sponsored political persecution. These are the actions of a fascist government, and we need to generate overwhelming public outrage and pressure to ensure Mahmoud's release immediately. The U.S. government is setting a dangerous precedent—anyone who challenges its unconditional support for Israel will be targeted, detained, and disappeared.

Take action now and demand the immediate release of Mahmoud Khalil so that he can return to his young family:

In solidarity,

Americans for Justice in Palestine Action

Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization advocating for legislation supporting the human rights of the Palestinian people and endorsing candidates for office who support those rights.

1112.

10 maart 2025

Over the past two days, we have seen a deliberate and dangerous escalation in the suppression of free speech targeting our movement.

On Saturday, ICE arrested and detained Columbia University student organizer Mahmoud Khalil in a calculated attempt to instill fear, and silence those speaking out against Israel’s genocide and apartheid. Within 24 hours of being detained, Mahmoud was transferred to a Louisiana ICE facility more than 1,000 miles away from his home and wife who is eight months pregnant.

Since Mahmoud’s detention, President Trump and his administration have taken to social media to openly support his deportation and declare that this arrest is just the beginning. This is not speculation—this is a direct warning that Palestine solidarity activists, and anyone who dares to speak out against Israel’s crimes, are targets.

We cannot allow this to become the new normal.

Demand that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) release Mahmoud Khalil from detention and that Columbia reverse its policy of cooperating with and permitting ICE agents on campus immediately.

If we don’t stop this now, this persecution will expand.

The Trump administration is doing the bidding of Israel’s right-wing, fascist government—advancing policies that suppress dissent, persecute activists who speak out, and strip non-citizens and citizens alike of their constitutional rights.

Columbia University has a choice: Will it stand by and allow its students to be persecuted? Or will it uphold its responsibility to defend the right to organize and the right to free speech?

We have already seen where Columbia’s complicity can lead. After violently suppressing constitutionally protected protests earlier this year, the university allowed ICE onto campus and remained silent as students faced the threat of deportation. Undocumented students and students on visas are especially vulnerable, but this crackdown will not stop with them. Now, Mahmoud—a green card holder—is being targeted, proving that no one is safe. It is clear that anyone who the Trump administration perceives as a threat to his fascist, white supremacist agenda is at risk.

We must demand the release of Mahmoud, a Palestinian student activist, and put an end to the Trump administration’s plans for a new codified McCarthy era.

Analysts are warning that Trump’s administration is moving toward invoking the Insurrection Act, which would allow him to deploy the military and National Guard against its own people. We saw the same weaponization of the state against protestors who took to the streets in 2020 after the brutal murder of George Floyd. What we are witnessing today is an escalation of this ongoing war on dissent, using pro-Palestine activism as the first battleground to normalize repression and expand the mass deportation machine.

Palestinians and immigrant rights activists have warned for decades that the surveillance, censorship, and stripping of due process we endure will be expanded.

We are at a tipping point. The majority of Americans across party lines support a ceasefire. Polls show that Americans’ support for Israel is at the lowest it has been in 25 years. The majority of people in this country reject genocide. Our numbers are massive, but we must organize to make it clear: We are the many. We stand by our message for freedom for all.

Columbia and all universities across the country must act now. They must take a stand to protect their students and uphold our fundamental rights. The next 48 hours are critical—if Mahmoud is not released, it will set a new precedent for us all.

What is the point of a university that claims to be a beacon of free speech and learning if it persecutes its own students for asking questions and exercising their rights?

We must act now. Demand Columbia defend and protect its students, and reject the criminalization of protest. Demand that the DHS release Mahmoud Khalil now.

With urgency,

Sandra Tamari

Adalah Justice Project

Adalah Justice Project is a Palestinian-led advocacy organization based in the U.S. that builds cross-movement coalitions to achieve collective liberation. Our work is rooted in the conviction that drawing the linkages between US policy abroad and repressive state practices at home is crucial to shifting the balance of power.

I

Our mailing address is:
Adalah Justice Project

1111.

10 maart 2025

Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil at Columbia University has been abducted by the Department of Homeland Security.

When he returned to his campus apartment from iftar on Saturday night, plainclothes ICE agents forced their way into his home. Upon finding out that he was a permanent resident, they declared his green card had been revoked—which is blatantly unconstitutional. They even threatened to arrest his 8-months-pregnant wife.

The fascist Trump administration has abducted Mahmoud—and Columbia University hasn’t said a word in his defense.

Just a couple hours ago, Trump threatened to ramp up his attacks and arrest student activists across the country.¹ We must raise the pressure on all universities to fight back and protect their students.

SEND A MESSAGE TO UNIVERSITIES NOW 

This is happening in real time. Within days of Trump's executive order targeting campus speech:

 =  Trump has cancelled $400 million in federal funding² to Columbia University, explicitly targeting student protests for Palestinian rights, with more cuts threatened.       = Barnard College has expelled multiple students for protesting Israel's genocide against the Palestinian people = The Trump administration has stated this is "the first round of action" with more to come = The Department of Justice is now investigating 10 universities over student protests

These are the first expulsions for protest at Columbia in almost 60 years. Even during Vietnam War protests, when students occupied buildings, Columbia's president advocated for "maximum leniency."³

But when it comes to Palestine solidarity, the rules are different. Students are facing unprecedented repression.

National Students for Justice in Palestine has called on the public to rise up against these fascist attacks through mass walkouts and demonstrations tomorrow, Tues. March 11 at 12 PM. Together, we demand universities establish themselves as sanctuary spaces and take measures to protect students, faculty, and staff against the Trump Administration’s crackdown on the Student Movement for Palestinian liberation on campus.

TAKE ACTION NOW

1110.

10 maart 2025

Demand the immediate release of Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent resident, from ICE Detention

The Trump administration has crossed a dangerous line. On Saturday night, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents abducted Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student activist and recent Columbia University graduate, from his home. They raided his home, tore him away from his family, and denied his 8-month pregnant wife the chance to see him. He is a lawful permanent resident, yet he has been illegally thrown into and is being held in ICE detention.

This is not just an attack on Mahmoud—it’s an attack on the basic freedoms that this country claims to cherish. The Trump administration does NOT have the legal authority to revoke his green card. This is illegal, blatant political persecution. And it is proof that when it comes to Israel, both Republican and Democratic administrations have no regard for the values they pretend to champion.

The extent to which this administration is willing to trample on people’s basic rights is scary and should be a worrying sign for all Americans. The detention and possible deportation of a legal permanent resident who has no criminal record is a precedent that can set in motion the brutal targeting of political dissidents in the United States.

Columbia University has been no friend of Palestinians. Since students began protesting, the university has suspended, expelled, and physically beaten students. They’ve forced professors to retire and ended contracts with others. Despite Columbia’s knee-bending to Zionist pressure, the Trump administration still decided to cut more than $400 million in funding through federal grants claiming that the university has failed to counter antisemitism on campus.

It is now actively collaborating with the U.S. government to go after its students. Shame does not even begin to describe how treacherous the actions of the university are.

The message that this administration is sending is clear: Speak out for Palestine, and the U.S. government will come for you. Sign this petition demanding Mahmoud's release ASAP, and share it with everyone you know.

We will not be silenced, and we demand the immediate release of Mahmoud Khalil so that he can return to his young family.

In solidarity,

American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)

American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) is a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to engaging & educating Americans on Palestinian rights and the Israeli occupation. AMP is a premier national organization in the Palestine solidarity movement.

1109.

10 maart 2025

Readers’ Recommendations

       Israel cuts off electricity supply to Gaza, minister says (BBC)

• US: ICE arrests Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia student protests (CNN)

1108.

10 maart 2025

Today's headlines

ICE arrests Palestinian activist for involvement in Columbia protests

In a stark escalation in the Trump administration's campaign against Palestine activism, on Saturday night, ICE agents raided the home of Mahmoud Khalil and detained the activist who had been among the leaders of Gaza protests at Columbia University.

The fabricated panic over antisemitism in the U.S. medical community conceals an attack on Palestinians

False charges of antisemitism in the U.S. healthcare community are spreading anti-Palestinian racism and doing irreparable harm to our work and obligation as healers.

Making the bloom a desert

Israel's founding myth of "making the desert bloom" could only work if it eliminated all traces of the society that came before it. That's why Zionism has always sought to erase the Palestinian people, from the Nakba to the genocide in Gaza.

1107.

10 maart 2025

Ramadan in Gaza, repression on campus, and an Oscar controversy

This week brought increased repression of the pro-Palestine student movement. The Trump administration canceled $400 million dollars worth of grants and contracts to Columbia University, where last year’s student encampment protests started.

The Department of Justice released a list of ten schools, including Columbia, that the Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism will be visiting to look into allegations of antisemitism on campus.

As we have reported extensively for years, Zionist organizations and the Israeli government have worked hard to conflate criticism of Israel and Zionism with antisemitism. Tamara Turki reported on nine students at Barnard College, affiliated with Columbia University, who were arrested at a sit-in protesting the recent expulsion of three student protestors.

To track this increased repression, we launched a new email newsletter this week from our U.S. Correspondent, Michael Arria. He’ll be writing the Power and Pushback newsletter twice a month, focusing on the Palestine movement and growing efforts to stifle dissent and Palestine solidarity.

I want to direct your attention to a couple of pieces about Gazans celebrating Ramadan amidst the devastation left by Israeli bombardment. Tareq Hajjaj wrote about how his family celebrated Ramadan in the past and what his relatives in Gaza are doing this year. Hend Salama Abo Helow says her family will cherish this Ramadan as proof they are still alive.

Lastly, the film, “No Other Land,” which tells the story of Masafer Yatta, a Palestinian village struggling against Israeli colonization, won the Oscar for best documentary this year despite having no U.S. distributor. This week, the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel issued a statement clarifying that it believes the film “violates the BDS movement’s anti-normalization guidelines.” Nada Elia said the Oscar win was “well deserved”, but Israeli co-director Yuval Abraham “center[ed] the needs of Israelis over Palestinian freedom” in his acceptance speech. Mohammad Hesham Huraini, a journalist and activist from Masafer Yatta, says that despite the attention the film’s win brings, the village is still facing imminent danger of ethnic cleansing.

David Reed, Publisher

Must Read: Nine students arrested at Barnard during pro-Palestine sit in

Tamara Turki: Nine students were arrested after Barnard College called police onto campus to break up a sit-in staged by pro-Palestine demonstrators over the recent expulsion of three student protesters.

Catch-up

= Qassam Muaddi: The Arab states are assuming responsibility for the Palestine question not just because their plans for the region’s future are at stake, but because the very stability of Arab regimes is on the line. But is the Arab plan good for Palestinians?

= Palestinians show the world what it means to develop a culture that fiercely defends and values their political prisoners. Our survival as Black people inside the U.S. relies on us seriously heeding this lesson.

= A new Gallup poll shows that support for Israel among Americans has dropped to its lowest level in at least 25 years, while sympathy for Palestinians is at a record high.

= While Israel and the United States are working together on a plan for Gaza, they have slightly different interests. This gap is opening space for regional Arab leaders to propose an alternative vision that avoids full-scale ethnic cleansing.

= Residents across five towns in Vermont voted to cut ties with Israeli apartheid making the state the first in the country where municipalities have voted to cut economic ties with Israel.

= When I ask my family members in Gaza how they’re spending Ramadan this year, they answer it’s just like any other month of deprivation in the past year and a half of genocide.

= The Israeli army has resumed random shelling and airstrikes against Palestinians in Gaza, marking the latest Israeli attempt to sabotage the ceasefire following Netanyahu’s violation of the agreement by stopping the flow of humanitarian aid.

= When Donald Trump proposed turning Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East” by forcefully removing its indigenous Palestinian population, he was not introducing a new idea but following an American tradition as old as Manifest Destiny itself.

= “No Other Land” won a well-deserved Oscar, but co-director Yuval Abraham’s speech epitomized liberal Zionist hasbara, centering the needs of Israelis over Palestinian freedom, while undermining the resistance of the Palestinian subjects of the film.

= The one-sided ‘New York Times’ coverage of the latest news from Israel and Palestine continues, unchanged.

= For families who lost loved ones, Ramadan is a seat left empty at the Iftar table, and the unbearable weight of being the ones left behind.

=  Masafer Yatta, the Palestinian community at the center of the Oscar-winning film ‘No Other Land’, is still at imminent risk of forcible displacement. An activist from the community writes about the daily settler pogroms targeting his people.

= Qassam Muaddi: Israel has suspended the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and resumed targeting Palestinian civilians, bringing the ceasefire with Hamas the closest it has even been to collapse.

1106.

9 maart 2025

Today's headlines

What the Arab summit’s plan for Gaza means for Palestine

Qassam Muaddi

The Arab states are assuming responsibility for the Palestine question not just because their plans for the region’s future are at stake, but because the very stability of Arab regimes is on the line. But is the Arab plan good for Palestinians?

Read more

If we abandon our political prisoners we abandon ourselves—Palestine shows us why

D. Musa Springer

Palestinians show the world what it means to develop a culture that fiercely defends and values their political prisoners. Our survival as Black people inside the U.S. relies on us seriously heeding this lesson.

Read more

Before you go

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1105.

8 maart 2025

Today's headlines

New Gallup poll shows support for Israel at record low

A new Gallup poll shows that support for Israel among Americans has dropped to its lowest level in at least 25 years, while sympathy for Palestinians is at a record high.

Slight rift between Trump and Netanyahu leaves opening for Arab states to avoid ethnic cleansing in Gaza

While Israel and the United States are working together on a plan for Gaza, they have slightly different interests. This gap is opening space for regional Arab leaders to propose an alternative vision that avoids full-scale ethnic cleansing.

1105A.

7 maart 2025

Een dag later stuurde Heller een reactie op de brief, waarin hij schrijft dat de inhoud ervan hem 'onwillekeurig [aan] de situatie in Gaza' deed denken. Hij vestigt de aandacht op de 15 duizend kinderen die Israël in Gaza heeft vermoord, en herinnert de briefschrijver aan de ‘ernstige voedselarmoede, zoals dat eufemistisch heet’. ‘Ik hoop dat u mijn reactie wilt delen met de Ambassade van Israël in Nederland’, sluit Heller af.  Lees de reactie van Heller en zijn ontslagbrief aan de gemeente Hilversum op onze site!

Israël-lobby
Al gauw ontving de (partijloze) Hilversumse burgemeester Gerhard van den Top een telefoontje van opperrabbijn Binyomin Jacobs. Waar Heller de Israël-lobby niet meteen in de brief had herkend, liet het Hilversumse college van burgemeester en wethouders (B&W) zich door die lobby vérgaand intimideren. Hellers mail, vonden de leden van het college, was ‘problematisch’.

Op maandagochtend diende Heller zijn ontslag in. Zijn antwoord aan de familie was ‘een wethouder onwaardig en had niet verzonden mogen worden’, schrijft hij. Hij noemt ook de dreiging van mogelijke publicitaire acties van pro-Israël-organisaties CIDI en Christenen voor Israël. Van de inhoud van zijn schrijven wil hij geen afstand doen, dus rest hem niets dan ontslag.

Vervolg
Inmiddels is bekend dat Bart Heller zal worden gevraagd om terug te keren als wethouder. Op een later moment zal de gemeenteraad van Hilversum hierover in de debat gaan.

Lees meer over de kwestie op onze site.

Opine | Gemeente Hilversum moet openheid geven over bemoeienis Israël-lobby

Veel wijst erop dat de Israël-lobby een belangrijke rol speelde in het recente aftreden van de Hilversumse wethouder Bart Heller, en daarvoor medewerking kreeg van het college van B&W. Het is essentieel dat deze kwestie wordt opgehelderd, schrijft Hilversummer Martijn de Rooi in een open brief aan het gemeentebestuur.

'Het valt ernstig te betreuren dat het college van B&W naar het zich laat aanzien welwillend heeft toegestaan dat de Israël-lobby een boosaardig stempel op de kwestie-Heller drukte, in ieder geval in de persoon van rabbijn Jacobs. In plaats van zich luid en duidelijk tegen diens aantijgingen en inmenging in de lokale politiek uit te spreken, is het daar ogenschijnlijk in meegegaan en gebogen voor de dreiging van ‘mogelijke publicitaire actie

Gevaarlijk woordenspel | ‘Een genocide moet eerst door een rechter worden erkend’

De term ‘genocide’ werd ooit gemunt om genocides te voorkomen, niet om staten een excuus te geven om weg te kijken tot het te laat is. Toch is dat precies wat er in Gaza gebeurt, schrijft Irene van Wilgen, journalist voor The Rights Forum met een MA in Genocide Studies.

'De vernietiging van Gaza is een doelbewuste strategie om het Palestijnse volk te laten verdwijnen, geframed als een existentiële dreiging voor Israël, waarmee publieke en politieke steun voor de uitroeiing wordt gecreëerd.' [c] Imago / Alamy

Benoemen van genocide essentieel
Voorwaarde voor het ‘succes’ van genocide is het gedogen ervan, schrijft van Wilgen. Genocidepreventie faalt niet door een gebrek aan bewijs, maar door een gebrek aan politieke wil. Dat is goed zichtbaar in de opstelling van premier Dick Schoof en minister van Buitenlandse Zaken Caspar Veldkamp (NSC) die hun onwil om de Israëlische genocide te bestrijden framen als juridische objectiviteit. ‘We willen niet op de stoel van de rechter gaan zitten’, luidt hun excuus.

Zo leidt wegkijken opnieuw tot vernietiging. In Gaza vindt genocide plaats, maar uitholling van het begrip staat die conclusie in de weg. Of biedt, bij veel quasi-juridische interpretaties, zelfs de ruimte voor medeplichtigheid. Het verdrag ter preventie van genocide wordt zo een toetssteen nadat de misdaad al heeft plaatsgevonden.

Documentaire | De kunst van het wegkijken

In de Gazastrook zijn door Israël sinds 7 oktober 2023 bijna 50 duizend Palestijnen gedood en ruim 110 duizend verwond. De voorwaarden voor het bestaan van de burgerbevolking zijn goeddeels vernietigd. Humanitaire hulp wordt tegengehouden. Ontmenselijking en de dreiging met verdrijving zijn aan de orde van de dag.

Maar ondanks deze niet mis te verstane tekenen van genocide kan de dader zijn gang blijven gaan. Hoe kan dat? En waarom wordt zelfs het internationaal recht – na de Tweede Wereldoorlog opgesteld om herhaling van de verschikkingen te voorkomen – ook door Nederland ondermijnd om de genocide in Gaza te faciliteren? De schade die nu aan de rechtsorde wordt aangericht is permanent, en levert ook onszelf uit aan het recht van de sterkste.

Deze vragen staan centraal in de zondagavond uitgezonden documentaire De kunst van het wegkijken van VPRO Tegenlicht. Aan de documentaire werd meegewerkt door Berber van der Woude (voorzitter bestuur van The Rights Forum), Liesbeth Zegveld en Jan Pronk (leden Raad van Advies van The Rights Forum), Angélique Eijpe en Alma Mustafić. De documentaire is online terug te kijken. Daarnaast worden meet-ups georganiseerd in Amsterdam (5 maart) en Utrecht (10 maart).

Opinie | Alleen een einde aan de straffeloosheid van Israël kan voor verbinding zorgen

Er is geen gebrek aan erkenning van Israëlisch slachtofferschap, maar aan erkenning van Israëls straffeloosheid, schrijft Nikita Shahbazi in een opiniestuk op onze website. Zij reageert daarin op een stuk in de Volkskrant van 4 maart, waarin Tjeerd Ritmeester, Keren Hirsch, Hanna Luden, Caroline Diepeveen en Louis Plas betogen dat hun partij GroenLinks-PvdA zijn energie moet steken in het ‘erkennen van Israëlische slachtoffers’. Dit om polarisatie in de samenleving tegen te gaan en een verbindende rol in het debat te spelen.

'Aandacht voor de Israëlische slachtoffers – van de kant van Nederlandse partijen en op het wereldtoneel – was er vanaf het begin en is er nog steeds. In tegenstelling tot wat de auteurs beweren, is juist het gebrek aan aandacht voor de Israëlische straffeloosheid het – inmiddels structurele – probleem.'

Israël keert Oekraïne en de EU de rug toe in de VN – en wordt beloond

De tegenstem van Israël is een nieuw moreel dieptepunt, schrijft het dagblad Haaretz in zijn redactioneel commentaar. Het land vreest de consequenties van zijn eigen full-scale invasion van Palestina, en keert Oekraïne, de EU en de internationale rechtsorde daarom de rug toe.

Associatieverdrag
Op diezelfde maandag nam de EU tegen Rusland al het zestiende sanctiepakket sinds 20

Ook werd op diezelfde  maandag 24 februari werd  in Brussel besloten om het EU-Israël Associatieverdrag, dat Israël belangrijke diplomatieke- en handelsvoordelen biedt, intact te laten. Dit ondanks het feit dat het verdrag in artikel 2 stelt dat 'de betrekkingen tussen de partijen [...] gebaseerd [zijn] op de eerbiediging van de mensenrechten'.

Uit onze agenda

zaterdag 8 maart t/m zaterdag 15 maart
Culturele evenementen

• Tegenlicht Meet Up Utrecht: ‘De kunst van het wegkijken’ op maandag 10 maart in Utrecht, Bibliotheek Neude - Huis van Actief Burgerschap (begane grond) (20.00 uur)
• Justice for Palestine – de stilte in de GGZ doorbreken op dinsdag 11 maart in Amsterdam, Pakhuis de Zwijger (19.30 uur)

1104.

7 maart 2025

Visit the new BDS website!

Our website has seen an unprecedented surge in visitors, particularly during Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Our new website makes sure we're more resilient in fighting attempts to silence us and more capable of nurturing and guiding our fast expanding.
 

And we have you to thank for it! Your contributions support the rapid growth of the global BDS movement led by the Palestinian BDS National Committee—the largest coalition in Palestinian society.

Help us spread the word!

1103.

7 maart 2025

Today's headlines

Nine students arrested at Barnard during pro-Palestine sit in

Nine students were arrested after Barnard College called police onto campus to break up a sit-in staged by pro-Palestine demonstrators over the recent expulsion of three student protesters.

Vermont towns vote to cut ties with Israeli apartheid 

Residents across five towns in Vermont voted to cut ties with Israeli apartheid making the state the first in the country where municipalities have voted to cut economic ties with Israel.

1102.

7 maart 2025

Palestine is in crisis, and the U.S. President has just issued a death threat against the people of Gaza after airing a dystopian vision of turning Gaza into a playground for billionaires. We fear that the worst violence and mass killings of innocent Palestinians is yet to come, and we need to do whatever we can to protect them. We need your help! Tell Trump that "Gaza is not your playground!"

Trump posted a public "warning" that extended to the civilian people of Gaza directly: "you're DEAD!" This is a terrifying call for collective punishment and the death of destruction of a whole population. It threatens the ceasefire that has been in place since January, bringing a much-needed pause to more than a year of bombardment and military operations against civilians amounting to genocide. We fear that the U.S. and Israeli is getting ready for another, more intensified round of bombardment and destruction of Gaza.

Platforms like Meta are happily circulating the AI-generated video cruelly satirizing the pain and suffering that families in Gaza have experienced at the hands of Israel's military supported financially, materially and politically by the U.S. government.

Meta and other big social media platforms are now rolling back their safety policies against hate speech and incitement, and this video may spearhead a campaign of genocide that supersedes the destruction that we have witnessed so far.

The threat over Gaza looms and the situation is also intensifying in the West Bank. Please also consider making a donation to our work at Friends of Hebron to support the Palestinian community in Hebron!

A Message from Issa Amro:

I opened my phone and saw that the President of the United states had posted the most disrespectful video about Gaza that I have ever seen. Trump presented a bizarre imperial “vision” for Gaza, turning a year of genocide into a callous joke.

While Palestinian mothers are still lying in bed every night mourning their dead children, burying their loved ones and ripping out their hair in despair… while whole families have been eradicated with the financial and political support of the US… Trump has the audacity to make fun of us, the people of Palestine, and to make fun of our dead.

How dare you, Mr. President!

It is clear that the “leader of the free world” has thrown away any pretense of diplomacy. I ask the global community to send a strong rebuttal and shout back at Trump that GAZA IS NOT YOUR PLAYGROUND- please sign this pledge. We need world leaders to seek real accountability and to work with us for an end to the genocide, apartheid and occupation.

The reason this offensive video has gone viral is that the US President shared it on his official Instagram account to his 32 million followers. Instagram is owned by Meta, so I am calling on Meta to take down the video — if it recognizes the people of Gaza as humans.

What's Next?

While the ceasefire in Gaza is on shaky ground, the Israeli military has intensified its assaults on the West Bank. In Hebron, the restrictions are getting worse and families expect a new wave of violence from Israeli soldiers and settlers.

1101.

6 maart 2025

Humanitarian Situation Update #270
West Bank

Palestinian observing his destroyed property following the demolition of 12 structures by Israeli forces in Az Za’ayyem Bedouin community, Jerusalem, on 3 March 2025. Photo by OCHA

Key Highlights

• At least 30 families were reportedly displaced, as operations by Israeli forces expanded in Jenin city on 4 March. At least 41 residential structures have also been slated for demolition in Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps in the past two weeks.
• Attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian communities in the West Bank over the past week have resulted in the injury of at least 11 Palestinians, widespread damage to property and the displacement of at least five Palestinian families.
• Israeli authorities demolished 15 homes and 44 other structures in Area C and East Jerusalem for lacking building permits, displacing more than 80 Palestinians.
• Over 60,000 Palestinians have had their movements between the northern Jordan Valley and the remainder of Tubas governorate restricted for over a month due to Israeli forces’ closure of Tayasir checkpoint, following an armed attack by a Palestinian against Israeli forces at the checkpoint.

Humanitarian Developments

• Between 25 February and 3 March, Israeli forces killed three Palestinians, including one child, and injured 64 others, including 14 children, across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. In addition, one Palestinian succumbed to wounds sustained in December 2024 and another Palestinian died in Israeli custody in unclear circumstances. For more information on casualties and further breakdowns of data, please see the monthly West Bank Snapshot. Incidents resulting in fatalities during the reporting period include:
  • On 25 February, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man and injured 31 others, including three journalists and an infant, during a 14-hour raid in Nablus city. During the raid, Palestinians threw stones at Israeli military vehicles and Israeli forces fired live ammunition and tear gas cannisters. According to local sources, the killed Palestinian was passing by the vicinity of the area of confrontations when he was fatally shot. Of those injured, seven were by live ammunition, five were by rubber-coated metal bullets, and 19 were due to teargas inhalation. The operation also led to widespread disruptions, with checkpoints around Nablus city closed for several hours and a local kindergarten evacuated by the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS).
  • On 26 February, a Palestinian man succumbed to injuries sustained during an Israeli airstrike on Nur Shams refugee camp on 24 December 2024 when one Palestinian man was killed and four others, including a child, were injured.
  • On 26 February, Israeli forces shot and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian boy during a raid in Qalqiliya city that involved confrontations between Israeli forces and Palestinian stone throwers near Qalqilya North checkpoint.
  • On 3 March, the Palestinian Commission of Detainees Affairs announced the death of a Palestinian man from Jenin refugee camp while he was held in Israeli custody in unclear circumstances. The man reportedly died on 23 February 2025 and had been held under administrative detention since November 2023. As of March 2025, according to data provided by the Israel Prison Service (IPS) to Hamoked, an Israeli human rights NGO, there are 9,406 Palestinians in Israeli custody, including 1,486 sentenced prisoners, 2,960 remand detainees, 3,405 administrative detainees held without trial, and 1,555 people held as “unlawful combatants.”
• Between 25 February and 3 March, OCHA documented 24 incidents involving Israeli settlers that led to casualties, property damage or both. As a result, 11 Palestinians were injured and about ten olive trees and nine vehicles were vandalized. The following are some of the key settler attacks that took place during the reporting period:
  • On 28 February, Israeli settlers, accompanied by Israeli forces, entered Palestinian-owned land near Halhul town, in Hebron governorate. Israeli forces physically assaulted and injured two Palestinians when they refused to leave their land after the forces and settlers demanded that they do so.
  • On 2 March, Israeli settlers, accompanied by Israeli forces, physically assaulted and injured three Palestinian men while they were picnicking on agricultural land in Shuqba village, in Ramallah governorate. One of the Palestinians suffered a broken arm due to the assault and one Palestinian-owned vehicle was confiscated by Israeli forces.
  • On 2 March, Israeli settlers carried out two separate raids into two communities in an Israeli-designated firing zone in Masafer Yatta area of southern Hebron: Isfay al Fauqa and Khirbet al Fakheit. During the raids, settlers assaulted and injured four Palestinians with sticks, stones and pepper spray, one of whom suffered bone fractures. The settlers also brought their sheep to graze on the community’s land, killed two of the community's sheep and stole sheep and donkeys. Communities located in the Israeli-designated firing zone in the Masafer Yatta area of southern Hebron have experienced a two-fold increase in documented settler incidents resulting in casualties or property damage, rising from an average of three incidents per month in 2024 to nearly six incidents per month in the first two months of 2025. The most significant rise has been in incidents causing property damage, particularly targeting agricultural and animal-related structures. These incidents have entailed near-daily intimidation, night raids, threats and property destruction, creating a coercive environment that pressures Palestinians to leave their current locations.
• Between 25 February and 3 March, five Palestinian herding families, comprising 39 people, including 19 children, were forcibly displaced due to recurrent settler violence, raids by Israeli forces, and access restrictions.
  • On 25 February, a Palestinian herding family of five people began dismantling its tents and animal shelters near Rantis village, in Ramallah governorate, fearing further violence by Israeli settlers and forces. Alongside semi-daily raids and restrictions imposed by Israeli forces on their access to surrounding grazing areas, the family reported frequent assaults by Israeli settlers in recent months; these include an incident on 27 January when about 20 armed Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian herders in the area with sticks and batons and injured a Palestinian man.
  • On 28 February, four Palestinian households comprising 34 people, including 19 children, were forcibly displaced from Ein al Hilwa - Wadi al Faw herding community, in northern Jordan Valley, citing daily violent attacks and intimidation by Israeli settlers following the establishment of a settlement outpost near the community about one month ago. Incidents include Israeli settlers grazing their livestock on the community’s lands, attacking Palestinian herders when they graze in nearby pastures, attempts to steal livestock, and harassment of children as they wait for school buses at the community’s entrance. Four other Palestinian households, comprising 30 people, had been forcibly displaced from this community on 16 October 2023 and 5 September 2024 following a surge in settler attacks, while only four families currently remain in the community. Between 1 January 2023 and 31 January 2025, OCHA documented the displacement of 2,275 Palestinians, including 1,117 children, across the West Bank, citing heightened settler violence and access restrictions.

• Between 25 February and 3 March, OCHA documented the demolition of 59 Palestinian-owned structures (including nine donor-funded structures) across the West Bank due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are nearly impossible to obtain. These included two homes in East Jerusalem and 13 residential structures in Area C, displacing 84 people, including 41 children, and otherwise affecting over 180 people. More than half of displaced people (46, including 24 children) were in Khallet Athaba' community, in Masafer Yatta area of Hebron, where eight residential structures were demolished. The eight tents were all donor-funded and provided as humanitarian assistance in response to a previous demolition incident in the community on 10 February 2025. Moreover, in two separate incidents, the Israeli authorities demolished 33 structures in Az Za'ayyem Bedouin community, in Area C of Jerusalem governorate, and blocked the community’s access to surrounding agricultural land with an earth mound. As a result, 22 people, including nine children, were displaced and 117 people were otherwise affected. The structures included four residential structures, 27 agricultural and livelihood structures, and a water network. Between 1 January and 3 March 2025, OCHA documented the demolition of 273 structures (including 36 donor-funded) due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits and the resultant displacement of 385 people, including 198 children.
• Since 4 February, following a Palestinian shooting attack that killed two Israeli soldiers and injured six others, Israeli forces have closed Tayasir checkpoint, which connects the northern Jordan Valley with the remainder of Tubas governorate. The checkpoint’s closure has severely restricted the movement of over 60,000 people, while thousands of others traveling between Nablus and Jericho have also been impacted. The closure has particularly disrupted access to education, with more than 100 teachers and school staff forced to take a longer alternative route via Al Hamra checkpoint, extending their travel time by at least 90 minutes. Access to healthcare has also been severely affected; residents who previously relied on medical services in Tubas must now travel to Jericho, the closest alternative, with detours extending the journey for up to two hours instead of the usual 20-minute trip. Additionally, local community sources report that the closure has negatively affected economic activities, leading to increased transportation costs and higher commodity prices.

Developments in the northern West Bank

• The Israeli operation in the northern West Bank, which began in Jenin on 21 January, has entered its seventh week, making it the longest operation in the West Bank since the early 2000s. In Tulkarm city and its two refugee camps (Tulkarm and Nur Shams), the operation has been ongoing for about a month. So far, tens of thousands of people have been displaced from Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps, which have become almost completely deserted. Since 18 February, Israeli forces have notified the residents of at least 41 residential structures in Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps via the Palestinian District Liaison Offices to evacuate their belongings from their homes ahead of their demolition. These include 16 structures in Nur Shams camp that were slated for demolition by Israeli forces on 5 March. Armoured vehicles and bulldozers have been reported to be active in the camps, but the exact number of structures already destroyed remains unknown thus far.
• On 4 March, Israeli forces expanded the operation in Jenin, deployed armored carriers, and intensified movement restrictions on access to and from the city. Israeli forces bulldozed infrastructure, resulting in electricity outages for at least five hours, mainly in the eastern neighbourhood of Jenin city. At least 30 families were reportedly displaced from the area, including three families who were previously displaced from Jenin refugee camp. On the same day, Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinians, including one who was reportedly trying to return home and another who was reportedly engaged in an exchange of fire with the Israeli forces, who withheld his body. Three other Palestinians were physically assaulted and injured by Israeli forces. Also on 4 March, Israeli forces shot and killed an 18-year-old Palestinian male near Homesh checkpoint, located between Nablus and Jenin governorates, and withheld his body. According to the Palestinian District Liaison Office, the man reportedly approached the checkpoint with a knife and the forces shot him, with no reported injuries among Israeli forces. Since 21 January, 68 Palestinian fatalities by Israeli forces were documented, of whom 56 were in Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas governorates, including eight children (6 boys and 2 girls) and two women, the majority within the context of the ongoing Israeli forces’ operation. Three Israeli soldiers were killed by armed Palestinians, including one during an exchange of fire in Jenin and two due to a shooting attack by an armed Palestinian at Tayasir checkpoint, in Tubas.
• On 25 and 26 February, OCHA, UNRWA and other partners conducted needs assessment of internally displaced people (IDPs) in 11 public shelters and held four focus group discussions with displaced people in rented accommodation in Jenin and Tulkarm. Key assessment findings include:
  • Due to the substantial number of displaced people and the fluctuation of people present in shelters, people in most of the visited shelters reported a need for essential items, including bedding, dignity, and cleaning kits. In addition, 70 per cent of shelters reported a lack of hygiene materials.
  • All displaced people in public shelters are relying on external food support, with most receiving at least one hot meal a day from community service and humanitarian actors. While 87 per cent have access to the market, of those surveyed in the shelters, more than half are unable to afford food. As a result, many have been forced to reduce food consumption or skip meals.
  • Access to water remains precarious, both inside and outside public shelters, due to extensive damage to water infrastructure in the ongoing Israeli forces’ operation, with IDPs reporting increased dependence on bottled water. In more than a third of the public shelters visited, people reported a need for more water and sanitation facilities.
  • In public shelters, many children have had their education disrupted due to limited space at alternative schools, the lack of school supplies, and lack of public transportation to reach schools amid access restrictions. UNRWA has launched a remote learning approach on 23 February to cover eight weeks of curriculum content in five weeks, but some students have limited or no ability to access remote learning due to the lack of access to internet services and remote devices. Furthermore, about half of the IDPs reported protection concerns, including a lack of privacy in public shelters due to the lack of gender partition. None of the shelters are accessible to people with disabilities, while almost half of the shelters reported having children with disabilities present.
  • Medications are both scarce and unaffordable despite some access to medical clinics. In 37 per cent of shelters, people reported a need for childcare and maternity services. Mental health distress was also underlined as a major concern.
• Since the beginning of the operation on 21 January, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) partners have distributed 219 water storage tanks, 10 mobile latrines, over 2,000 hygiene kits, and delivered 4,654 cubic metres of water through water trucking to Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas. Moreover, partners have continued to provide food assistance in the form of food parcels and daily meals; this includes 450 meals per day provided by PRCS to families displaced from Jenin refugee camp and the surrounding areas. Humanitarian partners have also provided displaced people with at least 2,000 bedding kits and over 1,100 dignity kits, in addition to assisting over 5,500 families from Jenin and Tulkarm camps with multi-purpose cash assistance to support them in meeting some of their basic needs. In addition, UNRWA social workers have continued to provide Psychological First Aid (PFA) through the hotline, referring calls to specialized psychological interventions and are assisting displaced people in finding their family members who have been missing.

Funding

• As of 6 March 2025, Member States have disbursed approximately US$158.1 million out of the $4.07 billion (3.9 per cent) requested to meet the most critical humanitarian needs of three million out of 3.3 million people identified as requiring assistance in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in 2025, under the 2025 Flash Appeal for the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). Nearly 90 per cent of the requested funds are for humanitarian response in Gaza, with just over 10 per cent for the West Bank. During February 2025, the oPt Humanitarian Fund (oPt HF) managed a total of 87 ongoing projects, totalling U$62.6 M million. These projects aimed to address urgent needs in the Gaza Strip (88 per cent) and the West Bank (12 per cent). The projects were strategically focused on Education, Food Security, Health, Protection, Emergency Shelter & Non-Food Items (NFI), Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), Coordination and Support Services, Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance and Nutrition, and Camp Coordination & Camp Management. Of these projects, 50 projects are being implemented by international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), 25 by national NGOs and 12 by UN agencies. Notably, 37 out of the 62 projects implemented by INGOs or the UN are being implemented in collaboration with national NGOs. For more information, please see OCHA’s Financial Tracking Service webpage and the oPt HF webpage.

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6 maart 2025

Quick Takes: Gaza/Israel

Gaza/Israel: Since March 2, the Israeli government has again blocked all aid entering Gaza, including fuel, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.

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6 maart 2025

Today's headlines

‘We thought the war had started again’: Israeli killings in Gaza resume as ceasefire hangs by a thread

Tareq S. Hajjaj

The Israeli army has resumed random shelling and airstrikes against Palestinians in Gaza, marking the latest Israeli attempt to sabotage the ceasefire following Netanyahu's violation of the agreement by stopping the flow of humanitarian aid.

Manifest Destiny and Zionism, a legacy of ethnic cleansing

Alexander Shelby

When Donald Trump proposed turning Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East” by forcefully removing its indigenous Palestinian population, he was not introducing a new idea but following an American tradition as old as Manifest Destiny itself.

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CARE

5 maart 2025

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5 maart 2025

We are excited to announce our virtual delegation for this month, a rare opportunity to travel virtually with us to a beautiful city that has held an important role in Palestinian history, cultural identity, and resistance: Umm al-Fahm.

History of Umm al-Fahm

According to local lore Umm al-Fahm, meaning "Mother of Charcoal" in Arabic, was given this name because the village was surrounded by forests which were used to produce coal. Located about 20 kilometers northwest of Jenin and 40 kilometers southeast of Haifa, the city is home to luscious greenery and ecological wonders, including Mount Iskander.

In 1945, the Palestinian village of Umm al-Fahm had a population of 5,490. They were not displaced during the 1947-49 Nakba; however, Israel occupied the city following the Lausanne Conference of 1949 . As of 2016, Umm al-Fahm had grown into a city with a population of 53,300, all of whom were Palestinian.  It is the social, cultural and economic center for residents of the Wadi Ara and Triangle regions. (The Triangle region, also known as Little Triangle, refers to a cluster of Palestinian-majority cities along the Green Line which has been annexed by Israel).

While Palestinians in Umm al-Fahm technically have Israeli citizenship, they are treated like second class citizens. There have been attempts to strip the people of Umm al-Fahm of their citizenship, as several Israeli politicians have suggested the Triangle should be transferred to Palestinian governance in exchange for Israel retaining control over its illegal settlements in the West Bank—a proposal that Palestinians have rejected as an act of ethnic cleansing.

Umm al-Fahm has been a site of extraordinary resistance to the occupation. Naji al-Ali, the legendary Palestinian caricaturist, once praised its tradition of resistance by saying, “Umm al-Fahm is the code name for Palestine.” In 1998, Palestinians there forced Israel to return confiscated “Al-Roha Lands” to their original owners. Today, Herak Umm al-Fahm (the Umm al-Fahm movement) has mobilized against the indiscriminate killing of Palestinians by Israeli police, holding mass demonstrations and even shutting down main streets.

UPCOMING EVENTS

GAZA SPEAKS OUT: Released after 13 years in Israeli dungeons

EYEWITNESS PALESTINE'S 2ND ANNUAL BENEFIT

LEARN MORE ABOUT UMM AL-FAHM

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5 maart 2025

Our U.S. Correspondent, Michael Arria, launched a new email newsletter called Power & Pushback. This twice monthly email tracks the rise and repression of the Palestine movement.

Click here to instantly subscribe to it!

Today's headlines

Liberal Zionism steals the show at the Oscars

“No Other Land” won a well-deserved Oscar, but co-director Yuval Abraham’s speech epitomized liberal Zionist hasbara, centering the needs of Israelis over Palestinian freedom, while undermining the resistance of the Palestinian subjects of the film.

In the ‘NYTimes,’ Israeli captives are ‘hostages.’ But Palestinians are ‘prisoners.’ The biased coverage continues

The one-sided ‘New York Times’ coverage of the latest news from Israel and Palestine continues, unchanged.

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5 maart 2025

Tracking One Year on Israeli Violations of ICJ Genocide Order 

 A Brief

As the Israeli colonial regime continues its genocidal acts without interruption—violating the ceasefire terms by blocking all aid to Gaza and deliberately inflicting conditions to destroy the Palestinian people—while blaming the failure of negotiations on Hamas (the victim-blaming and gaslighting familiar tactics), it makes clear its intent to trample on international law and defy binding court orders it is obligated to uphold.

From January 2024 to January 2025, we tracked one year of Israel’s blatant disregard of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) provisional measures, which obligated Israel to prevent genocidal acts, punish incitement to genocide, and ensure humanitarian aid reaches Palestinians. With it comes the complicity and failure of third states to fulfill their obligations to use all measures at their disposal to prevent the genocide.

These briefs total 44 pages of violations, and the list of crimes continues to grow.

Read the latest brief covering violations from July 2024 to January 2025, along with all previous briefs:

HERE

When the ICJ issued its order in January 2024, we saw it as an important additional tool to press political action against genocide. After a year of compiling evidence—documented on the ground by brave Palestinians and partners—it is clear that the global system is more invested in shielding Israel, sustaining its impunity, and repressing accountability efforts than in stopping a live-streamed genocide, despite overwhelming, well-documented facts.

For Palestinians, policy and legal avenues are instruments in our political struggle, but when the system fails to prevent genocide, new paths must be forged. We have ended our ICJ briefs and will continue advocating through other disruptive tools.

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5 maart 2025

Gaza Humanitarian Response Update

Animal feed provision aimed at helping families sustain their surviving livestock and thereby contribute to local food production. Photo by FAO

Food Security Sector (FSS)

Response

• Between the onset of the ceasefire on 19 January and 1 March, FSS partners have brought in over 78,000 metric tons (MT) of food into the Gaza Strip. Preliminary analysis indicates that food parcel distributions by key partners are largely complementary, reaching a combined total of over two million people across Gaza.
• As of the third week of February, approximately 860,000 cooked meals were prepared in around 180 kitchens supported by humanitarians and distributed daily to families across the Gaza Strip. This represents an increase of over 35 per cent compared with the 630,000 meals prepared in about 160 kitchens before the ceasefire. Throughout February, the number of kitchens in Rafah doubled from four to eight and eight new kitchens were set up in Gaza city, increasing meal deliveries to North Gaza.
• During February, FSS partners re-established at least seven food distribution points in North Gaza, including five in Jabalya and two Beit Lahiya. In total, over 200 food parcel distribution points are currently operational across Gaza, with efforts underway to establish additional points to minimize distances that families need to travel, thereby reducing costs and protection risks.
• Since late January, FSS partners have established at least one help desk in North Gaza and six in Gaza city to assist people with food assistance registration and information updates.
• As of 2 March, 25 WFP-supported bakeries are operational across Gaza, including one in Rafah, six in Deir al Balah, nine in Khan Younis, eight in Gaza city, and one in North Gaza. These bakeries are producing more than 150,000 bread bundles per day – five times more bread than prior to the ceasefire.
• Bread is also available for purchase at 24 retailers, including 17 in Deir al Balah and seven in Khan Younis, to increase bread coverage, mitigate overcrowding and ensure families have safe access. FSS partners are working to establish similar bread-selling points in northern Gaza and east of Salah al Din Road to further expand coverage and reduce overcrowding, especially during the month of Ramadan.
• FSS partners have also scaled up free bread delivery, allocating 30 per cent of the bakery production to selected shelters and community kitchens, where it is distributed alongside cooked meals. Since the start of Ramadan on 1 March, partners have been adjusting their operations to accommodate Ramadan-specific food consumption patterns.
• Since mid-February, more than 3,000 vegetable seed kits have been distributed in Rafah, Khan Younis and Deir al Balah to promote diet diversity and improve nutrient intake through home and community gardening. Distribution of the remaining 7,000 kits that entered the Gaza Strip is underway.
• Since 19 January, approximately 3,000 livestock holders in Deir al Balah, Khan Younis, and Gaza city have received over 1,000 MT of animal feed during two distribution rounds. Additionally, by the end of February, about two MT of feed was also distributed to a poultry farm in Khan Younis. This critical support helps livestock-keeping households sustain their surviving animals and contributes to local production of fresh, nutritious food—such as meat and dairy products—essential for a healthy diet, particularly for children.
• FSS partners are conducting a joint quantitative assessment to better understand the needs and challenges faced by farmers, breeders and fishers. Data collection and analysis have been ongoing since the last week of February.
• FSS partners are exploring ways to support agricultural wells with fuel to help resume local food production. This effort is being closely coordinated with the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) Cluster, which provides fuel to private wells for non-agriculture use, ensuring effective collaboration, monitoring and accountability.

Challenges

• Recent market monitoring analysis indicates that while key food prices decreased between January to February, many commodities remain priced 100-200 per cent higher than before the escalation of hostilities. Although half of surveyed households reported a slight improvement in food access compared to January 2025, overall consumption remains below pre-escalation levels. Overall, following months of severe food shortages, compounded by recent mass population movements, families continue to have minimal levels of food stocks and very limited purchasing power.
• Lack of cash liquidity and insufficient access to financial services continue to hamper partners' day-to-day operations. Additionally, the delivery of cooked meals and free bread to North Gaza remains challenging due to the poor conditions of roads and infrastructure.
• Cooking gas is available but remains insufficient for most households.
• Incident reports continue to indicate that fishers have been fired at while fishing just meters from the shore. For partners to support the resumption of fishing activity, fishers must be granted safe access to fishing waters without fear of harm, along with the resumption of imports of essential fish production inputs and tools.
• Restrictions on the entry of most emergency agricultural and livelihood inputs, except for some seeds and animal feed, are hindering the resumption of agricultural activities. This includes the reactivation of vegetable and fruit production and support for small-scale home, community and school gardening. The entry of agricultural inputs, such as seed kits, organic fertilizers and nylon sheets for greenhouses, is urgently needed through both humanitarian and private sector channels. These humanitarian items are key for supporting emergency livelihoods, enhancing dietary diversity and reducing food gaps in Gaza.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

Response

• Between 16 February and 1 March, the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) and Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) reported that a daily average of 135,232 cubic metres of water was produced across the Gaza Strip. About 38 per cent (51,707 cubic metres) of drinking water was produced from the two operational seawater desalination plants or supplied through two out of three Mekorot supply lines from Israel, while about 62 per cent (83,526 cubic metres) was produced by municipal ground water wells. CMWU are compensating for the lack of water from the Bani Said Mekorot water supply line by increasing production from groundwater wells in Deir al Balah.
• As of 1 March, partners reported that over 1,300 water points are operational across the Gaza Strip, more than 95 per cent of which are used to support water trucking activities.
• During the reporting period, WASH Cluster partners continued essential WASH interventions across Gaza, including water trucking, distribution of hygiene items, waste collection and installation of latrines continued throughout the Gaza Strip, as follows:
  • In Rafah governorate, CMWU and three WASH partners trucked a total of 298 cubic metres of drinking water to returning internally displaced persons (IDPs) across 39 locations. Additionally, two partners distributed 13,100 hygiene supplies at 10 IDP sites. Currently, one municipal water desalination plant is operational to help address critical shortages caused by extensive damage to water facilities and the inaccessibility of infrastructure located in the buffer and no-go zones.
  • In Khan Younis governorate, 13 partners trucked 958 cubic metres of drinking water and 4,276 cubic metres of domestic water to 217 locations, including displacement sites, schools-turned shelters, and humanitarian service delivery points. During the same period, partners also distributed 196,000 hygiene items and supported solid waste management by collecting 400 cubic metres of solid waste from sites and shelters. While the transfer of solid waste to temporary waste sites is increasing, about half of these sites are already full, and there is no access to landfills (see challenges below). Additionally, two partners installed 552 communal latrines.
  • In Deir al Balah governorate, 14 partners trucked 664 cubic metres of drinking water and 2,531 cubic metres of domestic water to 164 locations, including displacement sites, schools-turned shelters, healthcare facilities and humanitarian service delivery points. Eleven partners distributed more than 286,000 hygiene supplies while 533 cubic metres of waste were collected, and 492 cubic metres of waste were transferred to dumping sites. The Al Amal temporary waste site is nearly full.
  • In Gaza governorate, 15 partners trucked 1,851 cubic metres of drinking water and 759 cubic metres of domestic water to 338 locations, including displacement sites, schools-turned shelters, and humanitarian service delivery points. Additionally, partners distributed 47,000 hygiene supplies, collected 4,265 cubic metres of solid waste and transferred 1,253 cubic metres of solid waste to temporary dump sites. Planning is underway to scale up solid waste collection to 2,500 cubic metres per day in Gaza city.
  • In North Gaza governorate, nine partners trucked 1,153 cubic metres of drinking water and 3,219 cubic metres of domestic water to 210 locations, including displacement sites. In addition, partners distributed 7,300 hygiene supplies and transferred 326 cubic metres of solid waste to temporary dump sites. Two UNRWA wells are operational in Jabalya and work is underway to repair two additional wells.

Challenges

• Energy remains a considerable challenge for the WASH partners. Since October 2023, the Israeli authorities cut off the electricity supply and fuel reserves for Gaza’s only power plant (GPP) were depleted, forcing it to shut down, with electricity generation largely dependent on the entry of fuel for smaller generators. This has severely affected water production and distribution, as well as sewage and solid waste management, which now rely heavily on back-up generators operating long hours. The limited entry of generators, and spare parts, along with restrictions on vehicle spare parts and consumables, has necessitated careful management of WASH systems to sustain a minimum of operations. While improved access conditions following the ceasefire have enabled WASH services to be provided in more locations, the low importation rate of appropriate equipment and materials to Gaza remains a critical challenge.
• The WASH sector supply chain remains a key challenge for an effective response for several reasons. First, a broad range of critical WASH equipment are classified by Israeli authorities as “dual-use” items—goods that are considered useable for either civilian or military purposes—and are subject to entry restrictions. Second, WASH items, such as pipes, generators and prefabricated structures, are bulky, making them difficult to transport and screen, further limiting their availability. To address these challenges, the WASH Cluster urges donors to recognize the risks and impact associated with restrictions on the entry of WASH materials on response timeframes.
• The continued denial of access by the Israeli authorities to the Sofa and Juhor al Dik landfills, which fall within the “buffer” and “no-go” zones, is preventing agencies from transferring solid waste from the 30 temporary dump sites and numerous persistent ad-hoc sites. Approximately half of the temporary dump sites are already full and unable to receive additional amounts of solid waste. Access is needed to the two landfills to ensure a sanitary environment in southern and northern Gaza. Furthermore, the primary solid waste collection South of Wadi Gaza is expected to come to a halt by mid-April due to funding constraints. The WASH sector urgently requires new donors to support this critical activity.

Health

Response

• The mass polio vaccination campaign was successfully concluded on 27 February, immunizing a total of 602,795 children under the age of 10 within five days. This total includes 101,777 children from the North Gaza governorate, 210,279 from Gaza governorate, 100,279 from Deir al Balah governorate, 143,931 from Khan Younis governorate, and 46,529 from the Rafah governorate, surpassing the target with a coverage rate of 102 per cent.
• Between 1 February and 2 March, 1,136 patients, including 451 children, and 1,720 companions have been medically evacuated outside Gaza.
• During the reporting period, Health Cluster partners continued to restore and support health services across Gaza, including by re-opening previously closed primary health care centres (PHCs), restoring services at out-patient departments (e.g. Kamal Adwan Hospital), and expanding emergency services and bed capacity at hospitals and PHCs. In total, there are currently 63 PHCs that are full or partially operational across the Gaza Strip, up from 53 prior to the ceasefire.
• During the reporting period, WHO provided medical supplies to three hospitals and five partners across the Gaza Strip, benefiting approximately 250,000 people. Moreover, UNICEF provided the Ministry of Health with medications and supplies for maternal, neonatal, and child health, including the delivery of 30 continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines—which are used to treat pre-term infants with under-developed lungs—to neonatal units at Al-Aqsa, Nasser, Rantisi, Sahaba, and Patient friendly hospitals. UNFPA has also distributed 2,385 postpartum kits to hospitals and 27 Sonicaid ultrasound devices to three partners to support maternal health services.
• On 21 February, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) opened a field hospital at Saraya Square in Gaza city, equipped with 70 beds, an emergency department, two operating theatres, and seven intensive care unit (ICU) beds. PRCS also established three Primary Health Care Centers (PHCCs) in Rafah and North Gaza and activated emergency medical services in both areas. In total, there are currently nine field hospitals operational across Gaza, including one in Gaza governorate, three in Deir al Balah, three in Khan Younis, and two in Rafah.
• Between 19 January and 1 March, 12 health facilities—five in the north and seven in the south—have been supported in establishing Early Warning, Alert, and Response Systems (EWARS) to enhance disease surveillance.
• During the last week of February, UNFPA trained 20 moderators online, with support from international and national consultants, on conducting focus group discussions and key informant interviews for the Maternal and Neonatal Health Study.

Challenges

• Restrictions by Israeli authorities on the importation of certain items persists, including generators, spare parts, oxygen plants, medical equipment, reagents and laboratory equipment, negatively affecting the ability of partners to further scale up health interventions and expand service delivery. As of 1 March, 15 out of 35 hospitals, 82 out of 145 PHCs, and 194 out of 360 medical points across the Gaza Strip remain non-functional.

Nutrition

Response

• During the reporting period, more than 33,400 children were screened for acute malnutrition, bringing the total number of children screened since the ceasefire took effect on 19 January to about 119,600 — one third of the target for the first quarter of 2025. Among those screened, 3,423 children were diagnosed with acute malnutrition, including 498 with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), and were enrolled in treatment programmes. During the same period, partners screened at least 6,713 pregnant and breast-feeding women (PBW), bringing the total number of screened PBW since the ceasefire to 23,412, of whom 1,112 were diagnosed with acute malnutrition. As of 1 March, Nutrition Cluster partners provided services at four in-patient Stabilization Centres for the treatment of SAM with medical complications, 135 sites provided out-patient treatment of acute malnutrition, about 180 sites provided nutrient supplementation, and over 320 sites provided Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) services.
• During the reporting period, WFP and partners provided specialized nutrient supplements to more than 36,000 children and 15,000 PBW as a preventative measure for acute malnutrition. Since the start of the ceasefire, nearly 230,000 children and 90,000 PBW received these supplements, representing 80 per cent and 60 per cent of the estimated 290,000 children and 150,000 PBW requiring micronutrient supplements.
• To improve dietary diversity among infants and young children, UNICEF is providing ready-to-use complementary foods, such as jars of mixed fruit, mixed vegetables, and mixed meat options. Since the start of the ceasefire, more than 19,590 infants and young children benefited from this assistance, including about 8,820 reached in February.
• Preparations are underway to conduct a standard nutrition assessment (SMART) survey across the Gaza strip to better assess the prevalence of acute malnutrition and guide response efforts.

Protection

Response

• During the reporting period, the Emergency Protection Responder (EPR) network and the Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) volunteer network continued to deploy mobile protection teams at multi-sector distribution points, where people receive humanitarian assistance, to promote safeguarding and dignity practices. Currently, there are 100 mobile protection teams across the Gaza strip. On 16 and 17 February, the Protection Cluster conducted training sessions in Gaza city to strengthen the capacity of the EPR network in northern Gaza, focusing on protection case identification and safe referral pathways. Between 19 January and 1 March, 152 distribution sites were monitored and PSEA messaging reached over 4,400 community members.
• During the reporting period, three Mine Action (MA) actors conducted 102 Explosive Hazard Assessments (EHAs), including four for access roads, 27 for shelters and camps, 11 for UN facilities, 21 for medical facilities, and seven for public places, among others. MA partners also participated in 43 inter-agency missions to ensure safe access. Furthermore, between 19 January and 1 March, more than 1,690 Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) sessions were delivered for about 41,000 people, including over 2,760 children.
• Between 16 February and 1 March, UNRWA protection teams continued to identify and respond to protection risks and needs of displaced people across the Gaza Strip, focusing on identifying vulnerable people and facilitating their referral to specialized services. During this period, UNRWA's protection team conducted protection observations in 15 shelters and IDP sites. On 15 February, UNRWA teams coordinated the provision of assistance to at least 343 former detainees released at the Kerem Shalom crossing.
• During the reporting period, the Child Protection (CP) actors:
  • Conducted two rounds of training of trainers (TOT) sessions on mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) for CP service providers, targeting 50 frontline workers.
  • Organized two training sessions on case management for 40 frontline workers and three sessions on safe identification and referral pathways for 75 frontline workers.
  • Established eight new child-friendly spaces (CFS) in northern Gaza as part of efforts to scale up child protection activities there.
  • Distributed 45,000 winter clothing kits and 47,000 winter jackets for children across the Gaza strip.
• During the reporting period, the Housing, Land and Property Technical Working Group (HLP TWG) continued to coordinate with the Palestinian Authority (PA) Joint Operations Room and PA ministries to assess the status of digital land records, analyze and identify the challenges facing HLP issues (e.g. erasure of property boundaries, loss of documentation, debris accumulation), and develop recommendations. Among others, this includes enhancing public awareness on negotiations with landlords on land use, developing a guidance note on debris management that takes into account HLP challenges, and advising humanitarian frontline workers on how to address and channel HLP concerns when they arise.

Challenges

• Child protection actors continue to face challenges in establishing new Child Friendly Spaces due to limited space and the need for large winter tents.
• The rising prices of limited Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices available on the local market are increasing the cost of providing case management services and managing sensitive data.

Education

Response

• On 23 February, the Ministry of Education (MoE) announced the start of a new semester, marking the beginning of a compressed academic year for 2024-2025 and the first time some students return to some form of in-person learning at schools in 17 months. As of 3 March, according to the MoE, over 150,000 students have enrolled in 165 governmental schools across Gaza, more than half of which are operating on three shifts a day, and over 7,000 teachers have been mobilized to support teaching. Of the total, 30 schools are in Gaza governorate, 52 in Deir al Balah, 57 in Khan Younis, and 26 in Rafah.
• Education Cluster partners continue to support these schools through cleaning efforts and teacher orientation initiatives. More than 658,000 school-aged children lost their access to formal education since October 2023 and at least 88 per cent of school buildings require either full reconstruction or major rehabilitation to be functional again.
• Moreover, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has registered approximately 32,600 students to take their final high school matriculation exams (Tawjihi), while more students are yet to enroll, as Grade 12 enrollments stood at around 39,000 in 2023. While three Cluster partners have committed to providing about 6,000 tablets, these remain in the West Bank; the tablets are needed to meet the minimum requirement of a three-shift daily exam schedule to accommodate all students.
• Over the past two weeks, at least 10 Temporary Learning Spaces (TLS) have been established, primarily in Gaza city and North Gaza governorates, providing educational access to more than 2,500 learners. The Education Cluster continues to mobilize partners to scale up and establish additional TLS, particularly in these areas, which remain underserved despite increasing school-aged children relocating from southern Gaza.
• Currently, about 460 TLS are accommodating more than 152,000 students across different grades. During the same reporting period, two Education Cluster members, in partnership with World Central Kitchen, distributed fresh fruits to 832 children enrolled in TLS in northern Gaza city. This initiative aims to promote enrollment and regular attendance while also supporting children’s nutritional needs.

Challenges

• Ongoing restrictions on the entry of education supplies, such as large tents as well as recreational, student and psycho-social support kits, continue to hamper the education response. In February, at least 10 pre-approved trucks carrying basic education supplies were denied entry into Gaza. Between 19 January when the ceasefire took effect and 1 March, only 100 out of an estimated 600 special tents needed to serve as temporary learning spaces entered Gaza.
• Anticipated delays in the entry of tablets for high-school examinations, the need for prior orientation on tablet use, lack of internet access and limited charging stations are some of the challenges facing Tawjihi students in taking in their high-school matriculation exams, the exact timing of which remain uncertain. Additionally, while the MoE has identified at least 85 schools/hubs to host the exams, these locations lack basic furniture, and many have WASH facilities in poor condition that require urgent repairs. The ongoing shortage of construction materials is preventing critical minor repairs in schools that sustained damage during hostilities and/or had been used as IDP shelters and have become worn down. This includes damage to WASH facilities, as well as the loss and destruction of furniture and teaching materials.
• On 25 February, the UNDSS reported that the Al-Qadisiya School in Tal As-Sultan neighborhood, west of Rafah, was hit by gunfire. This incident is concerning, as schools in Rafah are set to reopen this week. Over the past 15 months of hostilities, schools – many having to serve as emergency shelters – have repeatedly come under attack, instilling fear among children, teachers, and parents and severely disrupting education-in-emergency efforts within school environments.
• Funding remains insufficient to meet the massive levels of education needs, hampering the ability of education partners to expand access to education and mitigate the long-term impact of this crisis.

Site Management Cluster (SMC)

Response

• During the reporting period, SMC partners have continued the identification of sites that require decommissioning in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis, from which people have fully or largely left. Since the ceasefire took effect, people have left from a total of 105 sites.
• Since the ceasefire took effect on 19 January, SMC partners have identified 91 newly established IDP sites in North Gaza and Gaza governorates. As of 3 March, partners are managing a total of 162 active sites for displaced people across the Gaza Strip.
• SMC partners continue to provide site planning support to organizations engaged in setting up sites, ensuring adherence to minimum standards. While sites are a last resort, proper site-planning can significantly improve the living conditions and dignity for displaced people. Guidance can be found here.
• During the reporting period, one SMC partner delivered a two-day training course in Gaza city for 18 participants from local and international NGOs on core activities of site management as well as key principles of site planning.

Challenges

• Coordinated approaches to site planning remains a challenge given the involvement of a multitude of organizations who are not SMC members, which limits the ability to systematically adhere to minimum standards, including proper Explosive Hazard Assessments, land preparation (levelling), and adequate space for infrastructure.
• While 58 sites have been established on land allocated by municipalities, SMC reports that some sites have been set up on privately-owned land, which often lack formal land usage agreements and could potentially fuel Housing, Land and Property disputes.
• Only a small percentage of the overall number of IDP sites are managed by SMC partners due to limited funding, leaving many sites without adequate support or oversight. SMC is currently conducting site assessments to determine the number of sites not currently supported by SMC partners.

Shelter

Response

• Between 19 January, when the ceasefire took effect, and 2 March, the UN and its partners brought into Gaza more than 130,000 tents, of which about 112,000 tents were distributed, including more than 97,000 tents in the north and about 15,000 in the south. These figures only relate to shelter materials provided or facilitated through UN coordination. As of 2 March, about 59,000 tents are in the pipeline to enter Gaza when the crossings reopen.

Challenges

• Identifying safe and accessible locations to set up shelters remains a critical challenge due to widespread damage, rubble, explosive remnants of war and the lack of essential services. There remains an urgent need to bring in construction materials, particularly cement, to scale up shelter response by preparing foundations for sites.
• During the reporting period, some Shelter partners were forced to delay distributions because the shelter materials they received were missing some of their parts, such as receiving framing kits without sealing-off materials.

Logistics

Response

• Between 16 and 28 February, the Logistics Cluster facilitated 10 Government-to-Government and three Back-to-Back convoys of 308 trucks from Amman to Erez West/East on behalf of 14 partners, carrying 2,242 metric tonnes of food, health, nutrition, shelter, and WASH items. As of 1 March, the Logistics Cluster has facilitated 140 humanitarian inter-agency convoys through the Jordan corridor, dispatching 2,163 trucks with 20,332 metric tonnes of aid into Gaza on behalf of 27 partners.
• During the reporting period, 21 organizations participated in the fourth round of the Gaza Humanitarian Storage Capacity Survey, providing information on 72 warehouses. As needed in the future, the survey enables the Logistics Cluster to further assist warehouse sharing among partners.
• The Logistics Cluster's new 3,500-pallet capacity consolidation warehouse in Amman is now operational and is open to receiving partner cargo.

Challenges

• During the reporting period, Israeli authorities introduced the requirement to use curtain-sided trucks for deliveries to Erez crossing, but very limited quantities are available on the local market.
• During the reporting period, a technical issue with the scanner at Nitzana, used for inspecting trucks delivered to the Kerem Shalom-Karem Abu Salem crossing, has resulted in trucks having to return to Al Arish, Egypt, adding to the growing backlog of trucks awaiting entry into Gaza via the Egypt route.

Emergency Telecommunications (ETC)

Response

• The ETC has continued to support humanitarian operations of UN agencies and the Gaza Security Operations Centre (GSOC), including the delivery on 25 February of a solar-powered solution to ensure uninterrupted power for critical operations. This is one of four solar solution kits that had been brought into Gaza in July 2024. ETC also provided one agency with two satellite-based tracking devices to support staff safety and security; these devices were part of the final batch of 15 devices delivered to Gaza on 13 January.
• For more information on ETC activities, please visit:Palestine: Conflict | Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) (etcluster.org).

Challenges

• A significant amount of equipment has been damaged or destroyed due to hostilities, and the import of telecommunications equipment remains restricted and challenging, including after the ceasefire. This continues to limit the delivery of planned ETC services and improvements in the accessibility of telecommunications and internet services across Gaza.
• Insufficient funding has limited the Cluster’s capacity to address immediate critical communications needs for humanitarian responders in Gaza. The Cluster continues to appeal to potential donors for funding.

1092.

4 maart 2025

Humanitarian Situation Update #269
Gaza Strip

Jabalya, February 2025. Photo by OCHA/Olga Cherevko

Key Highlights

• On 2 March, Israeli authorities announced a halt to humanitarian aid entering Gaza, jeopardizing progress made in delivering vital, lifesaving assistance since the ceasefire took effect on 19 January.
• In February, a slight improvement was found in dietary diversity and since the ceasefire, over 3,000 children and 1,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women have been referred for acute malnutrition treatment.
• Over 150,000 students have enrolled in 165 schools since the Ministry of Education launched the new, compressed academic year on 23 February, marking the first return to some form of in-person learning at schools since October 2023.
• Two months into 2025, less than 4 per cent of the US$4 billion in funding required to meet the most basic humanitarian needs of people across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, especially in Gaza, has been secured.

Humanitarian Developments

• On 26 February, Palestinian armed groups returned to Israel the remains of four deceased hostages, through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). On 26 and 27 February, the Israeli authorities released a total of 642 Palestinian detainees, including 491 who were reportedly detained from the Gaza Strip after 7 October, among them 44 children, and 151 others. In total, 97 detainees were reportedly released to Egypt. Since 19 January, 25 Israeli and five Thai hostages, the bodies of eight Israeli hostages, two of whom were children, and 1,777 Palestinian detainees have been released.
• As of 25 February, it is estimated that 59 Israelis and foreign nationals remain captive in Gaza, including hostages who have been declared dead and whose bodies are being withheld.
• On 24 and 26 February 2025, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society announced the death of two detainees from Gaza while in Israeli custody, which raised the reported number of Gaza detainees who have died in custody since October 2023 to 40. As of March 2025, according to data provided by the Israel Prison Service (IPS) to Hamoked, an Israeli human rights NGO, there are 9,406 Palestinians in Israeli custody, including 1,486 sentenced prisoners, 2,960 remand detainees, 3,405 administrative detainees held without trial, and 1,555 people held as “unlawful combatants.” These figures do not include Palestinians who have been detained from Gaza since 7 October 2023 and are still held by the Israeli military.
• Between the afternoons of 25 February and 4 March, the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza reported the killing of 57 Palestinians and the injury of 74 others; this includes 49 newly retrieved bodies. Since the ceasefire came into effect on 19 January, and as of 4 March, a total of 771 bodies were retrieved from areas that were previously inaccessible, the MoH reported. Since 7 October 2023 and as of 4 March 2025, the MoH in Gaza reported the killing of at least 48,405 Palestinians and the injury of 111,835 others.
• Between 26 February and 2 March, several incidents resulting in fatalities were reported across the Gaza Strip. On 28 February, an 18-year-old Palestinian man was reportedly killed in Rafah and a boy was reportedly killed in North Gaza. On 2 March, a young Palestinian man was reportedly killed while on the roof of his house in central Rafah and a woman was reportedly killed and others injured in Khan Younis. Moreover, the widespread presence of explosive ordnance continues to pose risk to people in Gaza. On 26 and 27 February, two people were reportedly killed and five others injured by explosive ordnances in North Gaza and Rafah, where people were reportedly digging to erect tents.
• Between 7 October 2023 and 3 March 2025, according to Israeli forces and official Israeli sources cited in the media, more than 1,607 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed, the majority on 7 October 2023 and its immediate aftermath. This includes 407 soldiers killed, in addition to 2,582 soldiers injured, in Gaza or along the border in Israel since the beginning of the ground operation in October 2023.
• Between 1 February and 2 March 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) has supported the medical evacuation of 1,136 patients, including 451 children, and 1,720 companions from Gaza to receive specialized care in Egypt and other countries. About 12,000 to 14,000 people, including more than 4,500 children, remain in urgent need of medical evacuation, according to the Health Cluster.
• On 26 February, the polio vaccination campaign concluded, reaching 602,795 children under 10 years of age. Among them were 101,777 children in the North Gaza governorate, 210,279 in Gaza, 100,279 in Deir al Balah, 143,931 in Khan Younis and 46,529 in Rafah. Noting that the “ceasefire allowed health workers to reach more children than during previous vaccination rounds,” Director-General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, emphasized that ending “polio hinges on fully vaccinating every last child and ensuring uninterrupted access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene, and proper nutrition.”
• On 23 February, the Ministry of Education (MoE) launched the new, compressed academic year for 2024-2025, marking the first return to some form of in-person learning at schools since the escalation of hostilities in October 2023. As of 3 March, according to MoE, over 150,000 students have enrolled in 165 governmental schools across Gaza, more than half of which are operating on three shifts a day, and over 7,000 teachers have been mobilized to support teaching. According to the Education Cluster, 30 of these schools are in Gaza governorate, 52 in Deir al Balah, 57 in Khan Younis, and 26 in Rafah. Most schools were severely damaged due to hostilities and/or used as shelters for displaced people and have become worn down, the Cluster added, noting that at least 88 per cent of school buildings still require full reconstruction or major rehabilitation. Yet, shortages in construction materials are preventing essential repairs, and the lack of capacity to clear explosive ordnance is preventing the use of some damaged buildings and increasing the need for temporary learning spaces. At the same time, between 19 January, when the ceasefire took effect and 1 March, only 100 out of an estimated 600 special tents needed to serve as temporary learning spaces entered Gaza and the entry of educational supplies continued to be limited, making it difficult to re-establish an effective learning environment with the required equipment and materials, particularly in North Gaza, where damage levels are especially high.

• On 2 March, Israeli authorities announced a halt to humanitarian aid entering Gaza, including fuel. Describing Israel's decision to halt aid into Gaza as “alarming,” Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, stated: “International humanitarian law is clear: We must be allowed access to deliver vital lifesaving aid. We can’t roll back the progress of the past 42 days. We need to get aid in and the hostages out. The ceasefire must hold.” Also, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that the stoppage of aid deliveries into Gaza will quickly lead to devastating consequences for children and families who are struggling to survive.
• According to the Food Security Sector (FSS), if the disruption to aid entry continues, at least 80 community kitchens may soon run out of stock. Among the kitchens that remain operational, some will need to start to adjust meal content or reduce the number of meals prepared to cope with anticipated shortages. Additionally, FSS partners would be forced to reduce food rations. While the distribution of previously dispatched food parcels is ongoing, these remaining supplies, which will support 500,000 people, will soon run out. Furthermore, household-level flour distribution will have to be suspended to prioritize the available flour stocks for sustaining bakery operations.
• Beyond the critical need to ensure the continued flow of food assistance, in line with the 2025 Flash Appeal for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, FSS partners are supporting the restoration of local food production systems and agricultural livelihoods in Gaza. These efforts are seeking to complement general food and bread distributions and healthy cooked meals. By providing the necessary resources to small-scale farmers, livestock herders and other agri-food actors, FSS partners aim to enhance access to a diverse and highly nutritious diet, including fresh milk, meat and vegetables. For example, since 19 January, FSS partners have distributed over 1,000 MT of animal feed to approximately 3,000 livestock holders in Gaza city, Deir al Balah, Khan Younis and more than 3,000 vegetable seed kits to support home and community gardening in Rafah, Khan Younis and Deir al Balah. The distribution of the remaining 7,000 vegetable seed kits that have entered the Gaza Strip is underway. However, according to FSS, even before the halt to the entry of humanitarian supplies to the Gaza Strip, the re-activation of agricultural activities was constrained due to restrictions on the entry of most agricultural inputs, such as seed kits, organic fertilizers and nylon sheets for greenhouses, through both humanitarian and private sector channels. These humanitarian items, FSS emphasizes, are critical to supporting emergency livelihoods, enhancing dietary diversity and reducing food gaps in Gaza.
• In addition, FSS highlights that safe access of farmers, breeders, and fishers to their lands, livestock and the sea is critical for resuming agricultural activities and restoring the food supply chain. Yet, an estimated 50 million tons of debris are scattered across Gaza, large swathes of agricultural land have sustained damage, and incidents of fishers being fired at while fishing just metres from the shore continue. To enable the resumption of safe agricultural practices and fishing activities, FSS emphasizes that the import of agricultural and fish production inputs and tools needs to resume, the removal of hazardous materials, including unexploded ordnance, should continue, and fishers must be granted safe access to fishing waters without fear of harm. According to the Interim Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (IRDNA) issued by the World Bank, European Union, and UN on 18 February, economic losses in the agricultural sector are estimated at US$1.3 billion, and US$1.06 billion is required to address agricultural and food systems needs in the immediate and short terms (up to three years), with a focus on stabilizing infrastructure and basic needs to achieve 70 per cent functionality of critical assets in the first year and increase local food production by 40 per cent.
• Data collected by the Nutrition Cluster in February showed a slight improvement in the number of children and pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW) consuming the minimum required food groups, with about eight per cent of children consuming four or more food groups, and a noticeable increase in the consumption of fruits, vegetables, eggs and dairy products, which can be attributed to the then increased availability of goods on the local market. Within this context, Nutrition Cluster partners continue to support the scale-up of screening processes of children and PBW to identify acute malnutrition cases that need to be enrolled in treatment programmes. Overall, since the ceasefire took effect on 19 January, more than 3,000 children and 1,000 PBW have been diagnosed with acute malnutrition in the Gaza Strip and referred for treatment. As of 1 March, Nutrition Cluster partners provided services at four in-patient stabilization centres for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition with medical complications and 135 sites currently provide out-patient treatment of acute malnutrition, compared with 120 sites prior to the ceasefire. To strengthen preventative measures, partners have also scaled up the blanket distribution of nutrient supplements, reaching nearly 230,000 children and 90,000 PBW since 19 January, in addition to providing more than 19,000 children with ready-to-use complementary foods (e.g., jars of mixed fruit). At present, about 180 sites across Gaza are providing nutrient supplementation, compared with 151 sites prior to the ceasefire, and over 320 sites are providing infant and young child feeding services compared with 160 prior to the ceasefire.
• On 4 March, WHO warned that the, “lack of water and sanitation threatens the health, dignity and, survival of women and girls in Gaza … [as the] inability to maintain hygiene increases anxiety and stress, deepening the mental health crisis among those displaced.” A female doctor displaced from North Gaza and interviewed by WHO described witnessing women cutting up their clothes to provide their daughters with makeshift sanitary pads in displaced sites, stressing that "only a woman can truly understand this suffering – lack of necessities, underwear, sanitary pads, and hygiene.” In response to the dire hygiene needs, since the ceasefire took effect, partners addressing gender-based violence have distributed 90,000 dignity kits, compared with 2,388 prior to the ceasefire, and WHO provided hygiene and sanitation supplies to meet the needs of over 77,000 women and girls.
• Drawing attention to the devastating mental health consequences if the ceasefire does not hold, a child psychotherapist and mental health activity manager for Médecins Sans Frontières stated: “The mental health of both children and adults in Gaza has been severely affected. They have gone through immense trauma, worrying about their lives for more than a year. We see depressive symptoms in adults and children … because they can’t take it anymore … The ceasefire needs to hold because without it, these children will once again be trapped in extreme survival mode … the uncertainty, fear and trauma have lasted too long for anyone to bear.”

Funding

• As of 3 March 2025, Member States have disbursed approximately US$156.4 million out of the $4.07 billion (3.8 per cent) requested to meet the most critical humanitarian needs of three million out of 3.3 million people identified as requiring assistance in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in 2025, under the 2025 Flash Appeal for the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). Nearly 88 per cent of the requested funds are for humanitarian response in Gaza, with just over 12 per cent for the West Bank. Moreover, during February 2025, the oPt Humanitarian Fund (oPt HF) managed 87 ongoing projects, totalling $62.6 million, to address urgent needs in the Gaza Strip (86 per cent) and the West Bank (14 per cent). Of these projects, 50 are being implemented by international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), 25 by national NGOs and 12 by UN agencies. Notably, 37 out of the 62 projects implemented by INGOs or the UN are being implemented in collaboration with national NGOs. For more information, please see OCHA’s Financial Tracking Service webpage and the oPt HF webpage.

1091.

4 maart 2025

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