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

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)

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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

1125.

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.

1124.

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?

1123.

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.

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12 maart 2025

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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

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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)

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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.

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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.

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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

1096.

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

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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

Today's headlines

Ramadan in Gaza: painful memories of the past, and a lingering hope for the future

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 is still facing imminent danger of ethnic cleansing

Mohammad Hesham Huraini

Ramadan in Gaza: painful memories of the past, and a lingering hope for the future

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 is still facing imminent danger of ethnic cleansing

Mohammad Hesham Huraini

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.

Read more

Israel continues sabotage of ceasefire deal with suspension of aid into Gaza

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.

Class action lawsuit against California Congress members over Gaza genocide goes international

One northern California activist’s idea of bringing a class action lawsuit against their local congressperson over support for the Gaza genocide has become a nationwide movement.

1090.

4 maart 2025

In today's Daily Brief:

• On Pointing Out the Obvious
• Quick Takes: US; Bangladesh; Thailand/China
• Readers’ Recommendations

Help promote human rights – forward this email to others & encourage them to sign up here.

Students take part in a protest march to demand justice for those killed during anti-quota protests in Dhaka, Bangladesh, August 3, 2024. © 2024 KM Asad/LightRocket via Getty

 

 Listen to the top story

 

Why Should We Even Have to Say This?

In human rights work, we say what needs to be said. Sometimes, we say it for those who are unable to speak out at the moment – or speak at all anymore.

Yet, sometimes, it seems as if we shouldn’t have to say what we say. What we’re saying seems so fundamental, so obvious, that no one should have to say it at all.

For example…

We shouldn’t have to say to Australia, “Don’t jail ten-year-old kids.” That should be clear enough to anyone.

We shouldn’t have to say to Israel, “Don’t starve children.”

We shouldn’t have to say to the US, the UK, Germany, and Iran: “Don’t keep sending weapons to warring parties committing atrocities.”

We shouldn’t have to say to Israel, “Stop torturing people.” , etc.

 “Don’t give Nazi-style salutes.” ”

All these things should be so obvious that no one should need to say them. Governments and government leaders should know their legal and moral obligations without being reminded.

Yet, here we are.

We face governments that often willfully ignore their obligations to serve the powerful at the expense of the powerless. So, human rights groups and activists often have to say what is simply obvious.

It’s important that we do so. Because if no one pointed out the obvious, it would gradually become less obvious. Human rights abuses would seem not worth mentioning, become “normal.”

Yet, however common they are, human rights abuses should never be considered normal. We all need to remind those in power of the standards humanity expects every day. We need to say what has to be said – even when no one should have to say it.

 

1089.

4 maart 2025

The U.S. Senate is considering making Mike Huckabee U.S. Ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a former governor of Arkansas who believes that Israel should take over all of Palestine, that all Christian evangelicals will be transported to Heaven, and that Israel should be invaded by the world’s armies, culminating in Armageddon and the return of Jesus Christ. Presumably, supporters of this vision in Israel are bargaining only on the first part of it.

Click here to tell your Senators to reject Mike Huckabee’s nomination for Ambassador to Israel.

Huckabee is a passionate supporter of the current genocidal campaign. His nomination will be a step toward more death and destruction.

Write to your Senators here and urge them to oppose this nomination.

 

Take Action Now

 

Thank you for taking a stand for peace!

— World BEYOND War

Background:
>> Mike Huckabee’s old-school Christian Zionism is bad news for anyone who wants Middle East peace

 

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World BEYOND War is a global network of volunteers, chapters, and affiliated organizations advocating for the abolition of the institution of war.
Donate to support our people-powered movement for peace.
 
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1088.

3 maart 2025

The truth has finally come to the surface: leaked documents¹ published in January confirm a clear partnership between Microsoft and Israel’s military operations throughout Israel’s nonstop assault on the people of Gaza. These documents show that Microsoft has supplied a range of tech tools, from cloud systems to millions of dollars in engineering support, to the IDF as they carried out genocide.²

Join the Microsoft workers³ organizing to cut ties with the IDF and demand that Microsoft sever their ties with Israel's genocide.

TAKE ACTION

 

Without accountability to their workers or consumers, Big Tech companies will do almost anything for the most profitable contract—including facilitating the slaughter of Palestinians and the enforcement of occupation. If they don’t experience counterpressure, Microsoft and its peers will keep producing code that kills kids and refusing to answer for it.

 

Thanks for taking action.

In solidarity,

Sarah at Fight for the Future

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Footnotes:

1. Drop Site: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/microsoft-azure-israel-top-customer-ai-cloud

2. The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/23/israeli-military-gaza-war-microsoft

3. No Azure for Apartheid: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/microsoft-end-complicity-in-apartheid-and-genocide/

4. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DGfM3VrR8XB

1087.

3 maart 2025

Gaza is still standing. And so are we.

Dear Reader,

The world is finally seeing the truth that Israel tried to hide for 15 months. With the ceasefire in Gaza taking effect on January 19, 2025, the scale of destruction is unfathomable:

• 61,000 Palestinians were martyred—including nearly 18,000 children and more than 12,000 women.
• 38,000 children orphaned.
• Over 2 million forcibly displaced, left to suffer hunger, thirst, and disease.
• A landscape that was once home turned into rubble.

This genocide was committed in our name as Americans—funded by $24 billion in U.S. military aid, armed with American weapons, and protected by Washington’s diplomatic cover.

And now, under President Trump, this complicity continues. He aligns with the extreme Zionist right, pushing for further annexation of Palestinian land and the forced removal of Palestinians from the West Bank.

But Gaza is still standing. And so are we.

If the past year and a half has shown us anything, it is that determination, faith, and resilience are stronger than brutality. Gaza is not gone. Gaza is rising. And we must rise with it.

For nearly two decades, American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) has led this fight—with your support. Through mass mobilizations, pressuring elected officials, and spreading awareness, we have cracked the wall of complicity and shifted the narrative in the U.S.

Now is the time to intensify our efforts—not to succumb to despair.

THIS RAMADAN, TAKE ACTION !

 

In solidarity,

Osama Abu IrshaidExecutive Director, AMP

1086.

3 maart 2025

AJP Action Condemns Israel’s Violation of Ceasefire Terms and Trump Administration’s Role in Enabling Gaza’s Continued Suffering

Washington, D.C. – The latest reports of Israel preparing to resume its aggression against Gaza represent yet another blatant retreat from the original ceasefire terms that had been agreed upon by both parties. The original agreement, established to halt 15 months of Israeli aggression and genocide, facilitated the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, increased humanitarian aid, and initiated a partial Israeli troop withdrawal. However, the proposed extension of the first stage of the ceasefire by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, aiming for a temporary truce over Ramadan and Passover, has been met with complications. Witkoff’s new unreleased plan deviates from the framework negotiated for de-escalation. Instead, it sets the stage for Israel to further entrench its occupation, siege, and genocide with full U.S. complicity and partnership.

This moment directly results from the Trump administration’s reckless and deliberate policy choices. Trump and his officials not only emboldened Israel’s most extreme elements but also dismantled even the pretense of a U.S. commitment to a just resolution. If Israel resumes its assault on Gaza, the Trump administration will own it—this is the legacy of its unconditional support for Israeli aggression.

Beyond the betrayal of ceasefire commitments, Israel is yet again violating international law. As the occupying power, Israel is legally obligated under the Fourth Geneva Convention to provide for the well-being of the occupied population. Instead, it continues to deny humanitarian aid to the over 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, using starvation as a weapon and perpetuating mass suffering, even during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The deliberate blockade of life-saving resources is not just an affront to human dignity—it is a war crime. Israel is further escalating its violations by threatening to cut off water and electricity in Gaza, compounding the already dire humanitarian crisis it has created throughout its genocide. Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, Israel has intensified its violent occupation campaign, forcibly displacing nearly 90% of the Jenin refugee camp’s population while escalating home demolitions, mass arrests, and deadly raids across Palestinian communities. These actions are not isolated incidents but part of a broader strategy of ethnic cleansing and systematic oppression that must be confronted with international accountability immediately.

The international community cannot afford to ignore Israel’s calculated violations, starting with the U.S.. The Trump administration must reject the dangerous precedent set by its predecessor and take immediate action to prevent further Israeli war crimes. Ceasefire agreements cannot be rewritten to fit the political interests of Israel and its allies; they must be upheld as binding commitments to prevent further devastation. If Israel launches another assault on Gaza and lifesaving humanitarian aid continues to be blocked, the consequences—and the blood—will be on the hands of this administration. The U.S. cannot continue claiming to support peace while enabling war crimes; it has a duty and a legal obligation to stop Israel’s aggressions and ensure immediate, unrestricted aid access to Gaza.

AJP Action demands accountability and an immediate end to the blockade of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Palestinians in Gaza cannot endure another round of Israeli aggression while Washington enables and excuses war crimes. We urge the Trump Administration and Congress to take a stand against these violations and refuse to be complicit in Israel’s systematic oppression of the Palestinian people.

 

In solidarity,
Americans for Justice in Palestine Action

1085.

3 maart 2025

Gaza: Israeli authorities denied an orthopedic surgeon entry into Gaza, preventing her from providing crucial treatment to children with disabilities. One of her patients, Minah, a 3-year-old girl with a clubfoot condition, has been left without necessary treatment for months. Her case is one of many.

1084.

3 maart 2025

Today's headlines

Prominent St. Louis rabbi’s genocidal, anti-Palestinian statements reflect the broader Jewish community

Michael Berg

Prominent St. Louis rabbi Jeffrey Abraham recently wrote there are "no 'innocent civilians' in Gaza," and endorsed the belief that Palestinians are "animals." The lack of uproar in the Jewish community shows how widely accepted these views are.

The global community must do more to demand justice for Palestinian journalists in Gaza and beyond

Yasmeen Abed

There is a well-established pattern of Israeli forces targeting Palestinian journalists. We must break this cycle of impunity by transparently investigating Israel’s crimes.

1083.

2 maart 2025

Today's headlines

Book Review: Scenes from a failed indoctrination

Jonathan Ofir

Liz Rose Shulman’s new book, Good Jewish Girl: A Jerusalem Love Story Gone Bad, provides a close-up view of one American Jew's "perverse initiation into Zionism" and why these indoctrination efforts fail.

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P.O. Box 442380

Detroit, Michigan 48244 USA

1082A.

1 maart 2025

Today's headlines

Illinois man who killed 6-year-old Palestinian boy found guilty of murder, hate crime

Joseph Czuba, 73, was convicted on Friday for the murder of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, in October 2023. Czuba, who was the boy's landlord, faces life in prison after a jury found him guilty of committing a hate crime.

The Trump administration has no plan for Gaza other than supporting Israel’s perpetual war

Mitchell Plitnick

As the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire comes to an end it is clear the Trump White House has no substantive policy for the region. Israel is filling that vacuum with perpetual war.

Israel is stepping up its military aggression across the region. But is it out of strength, or weakness?

Qassam Muaddi

In the midst of fragile ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, Israel is escalating its military aggressions in the region, begging the question: is Israel experiencing a moment of unprecedented force, or is it afraid of betraying unprecedented weakness?

1082.