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 31-10-2024 STAAN HIER

Ospaca Nieuwsdienst, 12.

DEEL II

ANTISEMITISMEBESTRIJDINGSBELEID BESTAAT NIET, ZOLANG EEN DELICTSOMSCHRIJVING VAN ANTISEMITISME ONTBREEKT.

AFGELOPEN MAANDAG 25 NOVEMBER 2024 KWAM DE NRC LIKKEBAARDEND OP DE PROPPEN MET EEN GLOEDNIEUWE RUBRIEK. MET ALS TITEL “ANTISEMITISMEBESTRIJDING”. WANT DIT DOOR EN DOOR RACISTISCHE KABINET–WILDERS 1 MOET VOORAL OOK VERDER IN FASCISTISCHE RICHTING GESTUWD WORDEN,  - ZO VAN ‘WILD, WILDERS, WILDST’ - EN DEZE BARBAARSE MAINSTREAM-KRANT WIL DAARIN EEN PROMINENTE ROL GAAN SPELEN. HET SCHIJNT IMMERS DAT DE NRC MET RECLAME NA RECLAME IN DE KRANT NIET LANGER VOLDOENDE WINST KAN MAKEN. EN DUS MOET HIER UIT EEN ANDER VAATJE WORDEN GETAPT. VANDAAR DAN OOK DEZE NIEUWBAKKEN ORIËNTATIE OP EEN ONDERWERP, DAT INMIDDELS AL EEN TOPPER IS GEWORDEN EN WAARVAN EEN NOG UITBUNDIGER TOEKOMST VERWACHT WORDT:

“ANTISEMITISMEBESTRIJDING”.

ALLEEN, VEEL TE MELDEN VALT ER NIET, ONDANKS DE INSPANNINGEN VAN DEZE KRANT. DAT WORDT BIJ EEN VLUCHTIGE BLIK OP DE EEN HELE PAGINA OMVATTENDE KOP VAN DEZE KRANT METEEN AL DUIDELIJK. DIE KOP LUIDT HIER IMMERS: “WEINIG AANDACHT VOOR ONLINE ANTISEMITISME IN PLANNEN KABINET“ EN VERVOLGENS WORDT ER DAN OOK NIETS ANDERS WEERGEGEVEN ALS EEN AANTAL STAALTJES NIKSERIGHEID. DIE MOETEN VERHULLEN DAT DE KEIZER GEEN KLEREN DRAAGT, ALS HET OM “ANTISEMITISMEBESTRIJDING” GAAT. DE EERSTE VOLZIN VAN DIT ARTIKEL BRENGT ONMIDDELLIJK DIE ARMOE TREFFEND IN BEELD:  “TOEN ZE VRIJDAG DE KABINETSNOTA OVER DE BESTRIJDING VAN ANTISEMITISME LAS, DACHT NAOMI MESTRUM, DIRECTEUR VAN HET CENTRUM INFORMATIE EN DOCUMENTATIE ISRAEL (CIDI):‘OUDE WIJN IN NIEUWE ZAKKEN”.

HET ARTIKEL GAAT DAN ALS VOLGT VERDER:

“IN DE DERTIG PAGINA´S VAN DE NOTA STAAN TAL VAN OVERHEIDSMAATREGELEN ROND DE JOODSE GEMEENSCHAP EN ANTISEMITISME. VEEL DAARVAN WAREN BEKEND EN SOMS ZELFS AL INGEVOERD”. VERVOLGENS KOMT DAN EEN PERSBERICHT VAN HET MINISTERIE VAN JUSTITIE EN VEILIGHEID AAN BOD EN “..DAARVAN LAAT EEN WOORDVOERDER WETEN DAT ER “GEEN SPRAKE IS VAN NIEUW BELEID”.

DE KERN VAN DIT NRC-ARTIKEL IS DAN OOK HELDER: ANTISEMITISMEBESTRIJDINGSBELEID  BESTAAT NIET. ZOLANG NIET DUIDELIJK OMSCHREVEN WORDT WAT ANTISEMITISME IS.  HET ARTIKEL EINDIGT DAN OOK ALS VOLGT: “HET CIDI KRIJGT VEEL MELDINGEN VAN ANTISEMITISME, MAAR NEEMT DIE NIET OP IN ZIJN JAARLIJKSE MONITOR. BINNENKORT GEEFT HET CIDI EEN ONDERZOEKSBUREAU OPDRACHT SPECIFIEK NAAR ON LINE ANTISEMITISME TE KIJKEN OVER DE JAREN 2023 EN 2024, DAARNA MOETEN WE HET JAARLIJKS DOEN”.

MET DEZE SLOTWOORDEN IN DIT ARTIKEL WORDT ALLES OP SLAG KRISTALHELDER:  HET CIDI IS NIET IN STAAT OM NOTA TE NEMEN VAN ZOIETS ABSTRACTS ALS  “MELDINGEN VAN UITINGEN VAN ANTISEMITISME”.

SCHELDPARTIJEN OP ISRAËL KUNNEN BIJVOORBEELD IMMERS ONMOGELIJK SERIEUS ALS “ANTISEMITISME” GEBOEKSTAAFD WORDEN. DUS WORDT AAN ZULKE “MELDINGEN” NU AL JAREN DOOR HET CIDI MAAR LIEVER GEEN REGISTRATIE GEGEVEN. EN ZO STORT HET KAARTENHUIS VAN ZOGENAAMDE “ANTISEMITISMEBESTRIJDING” OOK VAN DEZE KANT VOLLEDIG IN ELKAAR.

OSPACA NIEUWSDIENST

INFO@KAPITALISMEOORZAAKOSPACA.ORG

30 november 2024

Today's headlines

Diaries from north Gaza: one woman’s story of survival

Sondos Sabra

Since October 7, 2023, Sondos Sabra has kept a diary of the genocide. These entries serve as a window into her life and the universal Gazan story of what it means to survive. "I remember that I remember, and I will not have that memory erased."

Palestinians in Gaza are forced to make life-or-death decisions following Israeli evacuation orders. There is no right choice.

This week, families in Gaza City followed orders to evacuate to a nearby school, and then Israel bombed it, killing 18 people. There is no safe choice for Palestinians when they are forced to decide whether to leave their homes.

West Bank Annexation: Will Israel finally do the deed?

Qassam Muaddi

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced that 2025 will be the year Israel annexes the West Bank. With the Trump administration entering the White House, the stage is set for Israel to finally take total control over the occupied territory.

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Humanitarian Situation Update #242
West Bank

An elderly woman stands amid the ruins of her home, destroyed during a 46-hour Israeli operation in the Jenin refugee camp that began on 18 November 2024. Photo: OCHA.

Key Highlights

• Between 19 and 25 November, Israeli forces killed nine Palestinians, including one child. Seven of them were killed during a 48-hour Israeli operation in Jenin.
• The UN Human Rights Office stated that severe human rights violations have increased in frequency over the past months, including in Israel’s recent operations in Jenin.
• Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians that resulted in casualties or property damage at least tripled during the 2024 olive harvest season compared to each of the preceding three years.

Humanitarian Developments (19 - 25 November)

• During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed nine Palestinians, including one child, and injured 37 others, including 12 children, across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. For more information on casualties and further breakdowns of data, please see the monthly snapshot. All the incidents resulting in Palestinian fatalities and other key incidents are as follows:  
  • On 19 November, Israeli forces shot and killed three Palestinians and injured two others in Ash Shuhada village, southwest of Jenin city. According to the village council, Israeli forces raided the town and surrounded an agricultural house where exchanges of fire were reported between them and armed Palestinians, and Israeli forces fired off-shoulder missiles at the house. During this operation, a confrontation occurred, where Palestinian villagers threw stones at Israeli forces who responded by firing live ammunition. The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that one of the two injured Palestinians was a 16-year-old child. Video footage showed Israeli forces’ bulldozers carrying at least two casualties from the village as all three bodies are being withheld. 
  • On 19 November, Israeli forces shot and injured a 15-year-old Palestinian boy with disabilities at the Shu’fat refugee camp checkpoint. According to local sources, the boy was frequently seen in the vicinity of the checkpoint taking a role in facilitating traffic movement in the area. According to Israeli media, the boy had put a bag down in the vicinity of the checkpoint and was shot when he refused to stop when ordered by soldiers to do so while walking towards them in the vehicle lane of the checkpoint, which is prohibited for pedestrians. Eyewitnesses reported that the boy was left bleeding on the ground before being transported by an ambulance. 
  • On 20 November, an Israeli airstrike struck and killed two Palestinians and caused damage to a building under-construction and at least four vehicles in Kafr Dan town, northwest of Jenin city. Israeli forces subsequently carried out a three-hour operation in the town where they exchanged fire with armed Palestinians. A third Palestinian was shot and killed during this exchange. Israeli forces took the bodies of the two Palestinian that were killed in the airstrike.
  • On 21 November, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man in Ein Beit el Mai refugee camp, west of Nablus. According to UNRWA, undercover Israeli forces raided the camp using a civilian bus and arrested a Palestinian man from his home. Israeli forces in military jeeps followed, leading to an exchange of fire between Palestinians and Israeli forces, at which point the man was shot and killed. 
  • On 24 November, Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinians, including a 16-year-old child, who were throwing stones at Israeli forces that entered Ya'bad town, in Jenin governorate. 
• Following an Israeli forces’ operation in Jenin between 18 and 20 November where eight Palestinians were killed, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) stated that severe human rights violations are taking place as part of Israel’s militarized operations in Jenin and have been documenting these with increasing frequency over the past months. According to OHCHR, they have “received alarming reports of serious violations of international law including extrajudicial killings, the use of Palestinians to shield Israeli security forces, damage to infrastructure such as water tanks, sewage systems, electricity and roads, the desecration of bodies, and the withholding of the bodies of Palestinians who were killed. There also needs to be an immediate halt to all similar militarized operations in the occupied West Bank, which have applied military means and tactics during law enforcement operations. These operations have violated international human rights law’s strict limitations on the use of force, leading to the unlawful killing and injury of so many Palestinians.”   
• During the reporting period, OCHA documented 15 settler attacks against Palestinians that resulted in casualties, property damage or both. In total, seven Palestinians were injured by Israeli settlers and one by Israeli forces, all during attacks perpetrated by Israeli settlers. About seven of these incidents took place within the context of the olive harvest season, which resulted in the injury of five Palestinians and vandalism of at least 150 olive trees. The following are some of the key settler attacks that took place during the reporting period which entailed intimidation, harassment, physical injury, property damage or a combination thereof, and include cases where Israeli forces were present:
• On 19 November, Israeli settlers physically assaulted and injured four Palestinians, including a woman, in the Um Nier community, near Susiya, south of Hebron, while harvesting their olives. The incident occurred in two rounds of attacks. In the first attack, settlers assaulted and injured two farmers, forcing them to leave their land, which they had accessed following prior coordination with the Israeli authorities. Israeli forces subsequently arrived and dispersed the settlers, which allowed the families to continue harvesting. However, the settlers returned, assaulting another farmer, a 65-year-old man, and vandalizing a parked vehicle by smashing its windows and slashing its tires. The settlers also broke into a Palestinian home, destroyed a solar panel unit, and threw stones at the house, causing damage to its ceiling. Israeli forces subsequently intervened and dispersed the settlers.
• On 23 November, a group of armed settlers dressed in what appeared to be military uniforms stopped a Palestinian man driving near Al Karmel village (Hebron). According to the man’s family, the settlers dragged him out of his vehicle and physically assaulted him. They pushed him back into his vehicle and drove it to Susiya settlement, where they left the unconscious man by the side of the road. Local residents discovered the injured man and called an ambulance, which transported him to the hospital for treatment. The man’s vehicle has not been recovered from the settlers.

• On 22 November, a group of Israeli settlers, believed to be from multiple outposts near the Itamar settlement were observed stealing olives from the nearby Palestinian farmland in Yanun, southeast of Nablus city. According to the village council, the affected farmer witnessed a group of five settlers, one of whom was armed, harvesting Palestinian olive trees, and allowing livestock to eat the remaining crops and damage some trees. The farmer reported seeing settlers at least twice harvesting his olives. It is estimated that at least half of his 300 trees were harvested. Notably, access to this land requires prior coordination for Palestinians by Israeli authorities, which had not been granted. 
• Since the start of the olive harvest season in October, Palestinian farmers have faced a sharp increase in settler-related violence, severely jeopardizing their livelihoods and personal security. Between 1 October and 25 November, OCHA documented 250 settler-related incidents across 88 West Bank communities that were directly related to the season, the majority of which (195) resulted in casualties, property damage or both. This marks at least a threefold increase in incidents resulting in casualties or property damage compared to each of the preceding three years. These incidents resulted in 57 Palestinians injured by settlers, 11 injured by Israeli forces, over 2,800 trees - mostly olive trees - burned, sawed-off, or vandalized, and significant theft of crops and harvesting tools. Nearly 60 per cent of these incidents occurred in the northern West Bank, with Nablus governorate alone accounting for almost half. The central West Bank, mainly Ramallah governorate, witnessed roughly a quarter of the incidents, while about 15 per cent took place in Bethlehem and Hebron governorates in the south. This geographic distribution aligns with previous years' trends; however, the volume of incidents has significantly increased.

• The Israeli authorities demolished, forced people to demolish, or seized 28 Palestinian-owned structures across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. This resulted in the displacement of 27 people, including 15 children, and otherwise affected the livelihoods, or access to services, of over 200 others. All the structures were in Area C or East Jerusalem and were targeted due to a lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain. 
• Twenty-two of the structures were in eight Area C communities. Two of the structures were provided as humanitarian aid, one of which was demolished in Hammamat al Maleh- Al Burj in Tubas, a Bedouin community located in Israeli-designated ‘firing zones.’ Nearly 30 per cent of Area C is designated as such, and the Palestinian communities in these zones are among the most vulnerable in the West Bank, with limited access to essential services and basic infrastructure. In the herding community of Hammamat al Maleh- Al Burj, the Israeli authorities demolished a residential structure provided as humanitarian assistance in response to previous demolitions. As a result, seven people, including three children, were displaced. 
• The remaining four structures demolished in East Jerusalem included three demolished by Israeli authorities and one by its owners in Jabal al-Mukkabir; displacing 12 people, including eight children. The affected family in Jabal al-Mukkabir had been pursuing legal efforts through their lawyer to obtain a building permit, but all petitions were repeatedly rejected by Israeli courts. According to the affected family, Israeli forces reportedly threatened to fine them if they did not complete the demolition quickly. While the family was in the process of demolishing their home, Israeli forces stormed the site, demolished the remaining parts of the house, and destroyed most of their furniture and personal belongings.

Funding

• As of 28 November, Member States have disbursed about US$2.37 billion out of the $3.42 billion (69 per cent) requested for January – December 2024 to meet the most critical needs of 2.3 million* people in Gaza and 800,000 people in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. For funding analysis, please see the Flash Appeal Financial Tracking dashboard.  (*2.3 million reflects the projected population of the Gaza Strip upon issuance of the Flash Appeal in April 2024. As of July 2024, the UN estimates that about 2.1 million people remain in the Gaza Strip, and this updated number is now used for programmatic purposes.) 
• As of October 2024, the occupied Palestinian territory Humanitarian Fund (oPt HF) has prioritized support for the olive harvest season through a series of resilience-building projects. Approximately 17 per cent of the Fund’s overall US$60 million allocation has been directed toward critical interventions in the West Bank, aligned with the 2024 Flash Appeal. Through the Emergency Reserve Allocation (48-Hour), $5 million was mobilized, including $750,000 allocated to two local partners specifically for the olive harvest. These projects focus on expediting the harvest by providing essential tools, clearing groves to reduce fire risks, and upgrading storage facilities to enhance food quality. An additional $5 million was allocated through the Standard Allocation mechanism, with the aim of rapidly scaling up relief efforts to address immediate needs of affected populations. Of this amount, $1.5 million was specifically earmarked for food security projects to improve household income and promote sustainable agricultural practices, including olive harvest support, to strengthen long-term food security and resilience for vulnerable populations. 

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Achtergrond
Het advies van de advocaat-generaal (AG) betreft de uitspraak van het gerechtshof Den Haag van 12 februari 2024 in een door Oxfam Novib, PAX en The Rights Forum tegen de Nederlandse Staat aangespannen rechtszaak. Wij eisten een verbod op de uitvoer van onderdelen voor F-35-gevechtsvliegtuigen waarmee Israël sinds 7 oktober 2023 de Palestijnse Gazastrook bombardeert. Het gerechtshof stelde ons in het gelijk en zette een streep door de uitvoer.

De Staat ging tegen de uitspraak in cassatie bij de Hoge Raad. Op 6 september zetten zowel de Staat, als de drie organisaties daar hun standpunten uiteen. Op basis daarvan volgde vandaag het advies van de AG om het oordeel van het gerechtshof in stand te laten.'

Duidelijk risico'
Het advies luidt dat 'er een duidelijk risico bestaat dat met de F-35-gevechtsvliegtuigen van Israël ernstige schendingen van het internationaal humanitair recht worden gepleegd in de Gazastrook'. Als er zo'n duidelijk risico is 'moet de uitvoer van militaire goederen worden verboden'. De bezwaren van de Staat werden door de AG van tafel geveegd.
 
De Hoge Raad doet zo spoedig mogelijk uitspraak. Het advies van de AG is niet bindend, maar dermate sterk onderbouwd dat moeilijk valt in te zien dat de Hoge Raad er van afwijkt. Mocht de Raad het advies overnemen, dan is het verbod op de levering van vliegtuigonderdelen aan Israël definitief. Bovendien zou zo’n uitspraak consquenties kunnen hebben ten aanzien van andere wapenleveringen.

Solidariteit
Bijzonder is dat de AG zijn advies uitbrengt op 29 november, de ‘Internationale dag van solidariteit met het Palestijnse volk’. Het is te hopen dat deze dag zal bijdragen aan verdere maatregelen om de Israëlische genocide op de Palestijnen te beëindigen en bestraffen.

Cyber(on)veiligheid | Ondanks rampen en risico’s bleef Nederland Israëlische technologie kopen

Aan het schandaal rond de aankoop van telefoon- en data-aftapsystemen door Nederland is een nieuw hoofdstuk toegevoegd. Dat blijkt uit maandag gepubliceerd onderzoek door NRC. Zo blijkt een in 2019 aangeschaft systeem nog steeds niet te werken, waardoor de opsporings- en inlichtingenautoriteiten leunen op een systeem uit 2010, waarvan de risico’s al jaren bekend zijn

De overeenkomst: Israël
De falende systemen hebben gemeen dat ze werden geleverd door Israëlische techbedrijven. Vanwege het hoge risico op spionage en wanprestatie – en in toenemende mate betrokkenheid bij schendingen van de mensenrechten – wordt al sinds 2002 voor die bedrijven gewaarschuwd. Maar ondanks de zich opstapelende waarschuwingen en problemen bleef Nederland kiezen voor Israëlische leveranciers. Dat fenomeen is dermate hardnekkig en onlogisch dat sprake is van een cultuur van vooringenomenheid, met een opvallend dominante rol van VVD-bewindslieden.

Teken de petitie | Bescherm het Strafhof

Ons land is niet veilig voor medewerkers en getuigen van het Internationaal Strafhof. Dat is onacceptabel. Daarom startten wij deze week een petitie.

We roepen het Openbaar Ministerie op: doe onderzoek naar de Israëlische bedreigingen en vervolg de daders!

Het Internationaal Strafhof moet zijn werk in vrijheid en veiligheid kunnen doen. Stop de Israëlische inmenging!

Leestips | Verdiep je in Israëls aanvallen op het Strafhof

Israël zet zijn inlichtingendiensten in om personeel van het Strafhof te bespioneren en hacken, onder druk te zetten, te besmeuren en te bedreigen. De campagne is gericht op het ondermijnen van het onderzoek door het Strafhof naar de ‘Situatie in de Staat Palestina’.

Nieuw rapport | Nederlandse banken en pensioenfondsen blijven de Israëlische bezetting faciliteren

Agenda | Read Palestine Week, 29 november–5 december 2024

Vanaf vandaag, vrijdag 29 november, de International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, biedt het mondiale collectief Publishers for Palestine een week lang gratis downloads aan van enkele tientallen boeken over Palestina van Palestijnse en andere auteurs. Ook is het online magazine And Still We Write, met recent werk van schrijvers en dichters uit Gaza, gratis te lezen. Tenslotte organiseert het collectief een aantal online activiteiten, te beginnen vrijdag om 16.00 uur met een online 24-uurs voorleesmarathon onder de titel Global Reading for Freedom of Expression and Solidarity with Palestine and Lebanon.

‘Business as usual’ in tijden van genocide

Hoe dan ook sijpelt de kwalificatie genocide langzaam door in het Nederlandse publieke debat. Alleen slaat de toevoeging ‘inmiddels’ in de kop van Trouw wel de plank mis. Al zeker een jaar zijn er aanwijzingen dat Israëls aanvallen op Gaza neerkomen op genocide.

Uit onze agenda

zaterdag 30 november t/m zaterdag 7 december

Neem deel aan wakes en demonstraties
• Wake op zaterdag 30.11 in Nijmegen, Koningsplein - Marienburg (14.00 uur)
• Demonstratie ‘Wij zijn allemaal Palestijnen – Stop de criminalisering en repressie’ op zaterdag 30.11 in Amsterdam, De Dam (14.00 uur)
• Wake op zondag 01.12 in Haarlem, Grote Markt (14.00 uur)
• Wake op zaterdag 06.12 in Amsterdam, Spui (12.45 uur)

Verdiep je in de Palestijnse realiteit
• Seminar ‘The ICJ Ruling on Palestine: Between International Law and Politics’, op maandag 02.12, Universiteit van Amsterdam (17.00 uur)
• Seminar ‘Gaza at the ICC; Denial of the Palestinian’s Right to Return under International Criminal Law’, op dinsdag 03.12, International Institute for Social Studies, Den Haag (18.30 uur)
• Lezing: Rivalen in het beloofde land, een geschiedenis van Joden en Palestijnen, op dinsdag 03.12, Café Belcampo, Amsterdam (19.00 uur)
• Paneldiscussie: NGO’s put Dutch government on trial over Gaza Genocide, vrijdag 06.12, Pakhuis de Zwijger, Amsterdam (20.00 uur)

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Today's headlines

Inside the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire

Unpacking the ceasefire deal reached between Israel and Hezbollah and what it means for a potential regional war and the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Israel’s Genocide Day 419: UNRWA warns conditions for survival are ‘diminishing’ for Palestinians in north Gaza

Qassam Muaddi

Israeli bombings erased 1410 Palestinian families from the civil registry, reports the Palestinian health ministry.

Do not support the first genocide carried out by Big Tech

This Black Friday, boycott Amazon to end Big Tech’s complicity in the mass murder of Palestinians.

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De al langer bestaande grassroots campagne voor een boycot van Coca Cola wordt nu ook officieel gedragen door de internationale BDS beweging. Lees hier het hoe en waarom.

Verder delen we twee acties uit Nederland: voor personeel in het primair en secundair onderwijs en MBO een brief aan het ABP en één van The Rights Forum, voor bescherming van het ICC.

Tot slot wijzen we jullie op de nieuwe editie van het Don't Buy Into Occupation rapport.

Een strijdbare groet van het docP team; blijf BDS-en!

Coca Cola lest bloeddorst

Waarom boycotten?

Omdat Coca-Cola betrokken is bij Israëlische oorlogsmisdaden.

Volgens onderzoek van WhoProfits exploiteert de Central Beverage Company, bekend als Coca-Cola Israel, de exclusieve franchisenemer van de Coca-Cola Company in Israël, een regionaal distributiecentrum en koelhuizen in de Atarot Settlement Industrial Zone.” Bovendien produceert haar dochteronderneming, Tabor Winery, “wijnen van druiven afkomstig van wijngaarden op bezet land in nederzettingen op de Westelijke Jordaanoever en de Syrische Golan.”

Docenten voor Palestina heeft een petitie uitgezet met als doel dat ABP alle investeringen in Israëlische apartheid en genocide opgeeft. Eerder al schreven docenten uit het hoger onderwijs een brief aan ABP. Deze brief van docenten uit primair, secundair en MBO is steun aan die eerdere.

Het rapport Don't Buy Into Occupation 2023 stelt dat ABP "voor US$ 2,8 miljard heeft belegd in bedrijven die betrokken zijn bij de Israëlische nederzettingeneconomie. Het betreft onder meer beleggingen in Cisco Systems, Motorola, Caterpillar en Booking Holdings."

ABP zou internationaal niet het eerste fonds zijn dat desinvesteert, in Noorwegen en het Verenigd Koninkrijk wordt dit al gedaan. Help ABP dit ook te doen!

The Rights Forum vraagt om steun aan ICC

Het Internationaal Strafhof in Den Haag werd bedreigd, afgeluisterd en gechanteerd door Israël. De aanklager van het Hof kreeg de Mossad op bezoek. Bij het Strafhof loopt de zaak tegen Netanyahu e.a. voor oorlogsmisdaden.

Nederland bleek niet veilig voor medewerkers en getuigen van het Strafhof. Al eerder in 2016 werd een jurist met de dood bedreigd. Dat is onacceptabel. The Rights Forum roept op het Openbaar Ministerie op om een onderzoek te starten en de daders te vervolgen.

Don't buy into occupation

De coalitie “Don’t Buy into Occupation” (DBIO) is een gezamenlijk project van 24 Palestijnse, regionale en Europese organisaties gevestigd in België, Frankrijk, Ierland, Nederland, Noorwegen, Spanje en het Verenigd Koninkrijk (VK). Vanuit Nederland nemen Pax voor Vrede, The Rights Forum en ELSC deel.

De coalitie wil de financiële relaties tussen bedrijven die betrokken zijn bij de illegale Israëlische nederzettingenonderneming in het bezette Palestijnse gebied (OPT) en Europese financiële instellingen (FI's) onderzoeken en benadrukken. Deze week heeft de coalitie een nieuw rapport gepubliceerd.

Het rapport onthult dat tussen januari 2021 en augustus 2024  822 Europese financiële instellingen financiële relaties met 58 bedrijven hadden, die actief betrokken zijn bij illegale Israëlische nederzettingen in de bezette Palestijnse gebieden (OPT).

Gedurende deze periode werd 211 miljard USD verstrekt in de vorm van leningen en underwritings aan deze bedrijven. Vanaf augustus 2024 hielden Europese investeerders ook 182 miljard USD aan aandelen en obligaties in deze bedrijven.

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In today's Daily Brief:

• Gunfire Gone Wrong in Chad
• Quick Takes: Myanmar/ICC; France/ICC; Uganda/China; Afghanistan
• Readers’ Recommendations
• Videos: Afghanistan; Israel/Lebanon; Haiti; UK; Saudi Arabia

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

Celebration or Intimidation?

Quick Takes: Myanmar/ICC; France/ICC; Uganda/China; Afghanistan

Readers’ Recommendations

Videos: Afghanistan; Israel/Lebanon; Haiti; UK; Saudi Arabia

Recent daily videos have looked at…

• When violence against women is a system: Twitter/X; Instagram.
• War crimes weapons – made in the USA: Twitter/X; LinkedIn;  Instagram.
• Escalating sexual violence in Haiti: Twitter/X; LinkedIn; Instagram.
• The UK’s two-child limit: Twitter/X; LinkedIn; Instagram.
• What would you do with a trillion dollars?: Twitter/X; LinkedIn; Instagram.

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In today's Daily Brief:

• Quick Takes: France/ICC;
• Videos:  Israel/Lebanon

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Today's headlines

Ceasefire in Lebanon, and the future of resistance to Israel

The ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel has accomplished Israel’s goal of decoupling Gaza from Lebanon. But while the future of the Axis of Resistance remains unclear, so does Israel’s own strategic path forward.

Tense calm returns to Lebanon as ceasefire with Israel takes hold

Qassam Muaddi

A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah took hold on Wednesday. As both sides halted their military operations, thousands of displaced Lebanese began returning to their homes and villages that had been under a months-long Israeli bombardment.

My stories as an OB/GYN in Gaza reveal the truth of the Gaza genocide

Areej Hijazi

I am an obstetrician and gynecologist who has worked in Gaza throughout the Israeli genocide. I have seen the destruction.

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This is huge: Arrest warrant issued for Netanyahu.

Tell the Senate: Stop repressing the Palestine movement.

Power Half Hours for Gaza.

Having hard conversations about Palestine.

Moving into the holidays, we may struggle to talk to our family members and loved ones about Israeli genocide.

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OPROEP: Bescherm het Internationaal Stafhof!

Het Internationaal Strafhof doet onderzoek naar de zware oorlogsmisdaden in Gaza. Vorige week vaardigde het een arrestatiebevel uit tegen Netanyahu.

Het Hof wordt al jaren bedreigd, afgeluisterd en gechanteerd door Israël. De aanklager kreeg de Mossad op bezoek. Dat gebeurt allemaal in Nederland, het Hof is gevestigd in Den Haag. Ons land is dus niet veilig voor medewerkers en getuigen van het Strafhof. Dat is onacceptabel. Daarom starten wij vandaag een petitie.

We roepen het Openbaar Ministerie op: doe onderzoek naar de Israëlische bedreigingen en vervolg de daders!

Het Internationaal Strafhof moet zijn werk in vrijheid en veiligheid kunnen doen. Stop de Israëlische inmenging!

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"I was born in the camp, and I won’t say I'll stay here my whole life... maybe, one day, we will return to our hometowns. The camp, however, is truly beautiful—far better than life outside, in the city. It holds a warmth and sense of belonging that the city could never offer." — Tamer Hammad, (Al-Am'ari local, and host of this month's virtual delegation).

Located east of Ramallah, Al Am'ari Camp is one of the smallest refugee camps in the West Bank, with a registered population of 15,315, including 5,048 children. Despite its small size, the camp encapsulates the severe challenges faced by Palestinian refugees living under Israeli military occupation.

Learn more about Al Am'ari Camp!

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In today's Daily Brief:November 27, 2024

Readers’ Recommendations

• Videos: Israel/Lebanon

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Today's headlines

U.S. lawmakers condemn ICC warrants targeting Israeli leaders

Michael Arria

The White House condemned the ICC's arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, joining lawmakers across both parties. Senator Tom Cotton went as far as to imply the U.S. should take military action against the court over the warrants.

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Every fourth Thursday of November, Indigenous peoples who are native to Turtle Island—otherwise known as the settler colonial United States—spend their day fasting and mourning.

This Thursday is not a holiday for all who are native to this land. Rather, it is a National Day of Mourning. It is a day to grieve the ongoing genocide colonizers committed to steal the sacred land that Indigenous peoples have tended and defended for generations.

Over 400 years later, the settler colonial United States has hardly changed.

Even today, as Biden announces a ceasefire with Hezbollah, Israel has been heavily bombing Beirut in the worst attacks of this U.S.-funded war on Lebanon. The assault will no doubt continue until the last hour—and that’s if the ceasefire holds, which remains uncertain.

Such a move is a calculated distraction to appease Americans ahead of the holiday spending season. As the world turns away, Biden is giving Israel a free pass to “focus on Gaza”—or in other words, finish wiping out Palestinians and complete the genocide.

We live under an empire that funnels $18 billion of our tax dollars to the Israeli military to mass murder Palestinian people. An empire that constructs 80+ militarized Cop Cities across the country to repress communities of color. An empire that continues to steal and abuse Indigenous lands and water.

We live in an empire built upon genocide. The only option is to resist, in solidarity with Indigenous peoples around the world.

When you gather with family this week, encourage them to take action using this National Day of Mourning resource prepared by USCPR and the new Indigenous frontline storytelling group Seven Sisters Collective.

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26 november 2024

AJP Action Demands Unified Ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza, Criticizes U.S. Complicity In Undermining Peace

[WASHINGTON D.C., NOVEMBER 26, 2024] – Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action) cautions against the newly announced ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, warning that it fails to address the region's instability and perpetuates Israeli impunity. The agreement, announced by President Biden, does not ensure an immediate end to Israel’s occupation in parts of southern Lebanon, instead allowing a 60-day transition period for withdrawal. Moreover, the U.S. has reportedly provided Israel assurances, promising support for Israel to commit future attacks on Lebanon under the vague justification of perceived threats, undermining the very premise of the ceasefire.

Most importantly, the ceasefire announcement decouples the wars in Lebanon and Gaza and treats them as if they are unrelated, providing an insufficient response to the region’s instability and violence. AJP Action calls on the Biden Administration to quickly end its complicity in Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and urgently secure a comprehensive, immediate, and unequivocal ceasefire in both Lebanon and Gaza. For the past year, the two have been inextricably connected, driven by Israel’s overarching strategy of oppression and regional domination. Any agreement that does not address this reality will only deepen suffering and prolong instability for millions across the region.

“Today’s ceasefire is, unfortunately, not a reflection of progress toward peace. Israel’s agreement with Lebanon comes just six days after the Biden administration vetoed its fourth UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. While the administration now claims to be a neutral mediator, its actions tell a different story,” said Osama Abuirshaid, Executive Director of AJP Action.

“By brokering an insufficient biased ceasefire in favor of Israel in Lebanon ceasefire in Lebanon while continuing to openly enable Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, the Biden administration is endorsing a divide-and-conquer strategy that perpetuates Israeli impunity and widespread devastation across the region.”

Israel’s actions in Lebanon and Gaza are not isolated conflicts but manifestations of the same strategy of systemic violence and occupation. Over the past year, Israel’s assaults in Lebanon have killed more than 3,700 people, including at least 230 children, and injured more than 15,000. This devastation has displaced at least 1.3 million Lebanese, destroyed entire villages, and destroyed critical infrastructure vital to societal life in Lebanon. Meanwhile, in Gaza, Israel’s siege and relentless bombardment continues to decimate entire communities, killing and maiming hundreds of thousands and perpetuating what many international institutions and human rights organizations recognize as a genocide.

To separate these atrocities into different narratives is a cynical ploy to shield Israel from accountability. There can be no real ceasefire in Lebanon without an immediate and simultaneous ceasefire in Gaza. These are not two wars—they are one campaign of state violence targeting Palestinians and their neighbors.

The Lebanese and Palestinian people deserve more than fleeting pauses in violence—they deserve justice, dignity, and an end to occupation. “It is time for the United States to stop funding and enabling Israel’s war crimes and to align its policies with human rights and international law,” Abuirshaid concluded. A true ceasefire must respect the sovereignty of Lebanon, end the occupation in Gaza, and confront the unified nature of Israeli state violence.

In solidarity,
Americans for Justice in Palestine Action

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Humanitarian Situation Update #241
Gaza Strip

Displaced Palestinians in a makeshift site of Al Mawasi, in Khan Younis, where tents were flooded by rain and high tides overnight on 25 November. Photo by OCHA

Key Highlights

• In North Gaza governorate, more mass casualty incidents are reported, and Kamal Adwan Hospital continues to come under attack.
• Of the UN’s 41 attempts to support people besieged in North Gaza so far in November, all were either denied (37) or impeded (four). 
• Families recently displaced from North Gaza governorate to Gaza city are facing critical shortages of supplies and services, severe overcrowding and dire hygiene conditions.
• With the onset of heavy rains, over 1.6 million people living in makeshift shelters — nearly half a million of whom are in flood-prone areas urgently need adequate shelter.
• Of the total number of children admitted for outpatient treatment of acute malnutrition since the beginning of 2024, two thirds were recorded in the past five months, signalling a worsening nutritional situation across Gaza.

Humanitarian Developments

• Israeli bombardment from the air, land and sea continues to be reported across the Gaza Strip, resulting in further civilian casualties, displacement, and destruction of civilian infrastructure. In the North Gaza governorate, the Israeli military has been carrying out a ground offensive since 6 October 2024, with fighting reported between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups. Israeli forces have continued to impose a tightened siege on Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and parts of Jabalya and humanitarian assistance has been largely denied (see data below).
• On 21 November, the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) for the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), Muhannad Hadi, warned that the humanitarian operation in the Gaza Strip could come to a standstill due to insecurity that has constrained the ability of humanitarian agencies to deliver critical aid supplies, including food, water, fuel and medical supplies to two million people. Describing the situation as an “unparalleled humanitarian catastrophe,” the HC stated that at the same time that civilians are struggling to survive amid relentless hostilities, the Israeli authorities have banned commercial imports for over six weeks and armed looting of humanitarian convoys has surged. “In 2024, UN trucks have been looted 75 times – including 15 such attacks since 4 November alone – and armed people have broken into UN facilities on 34 occasions. Just last week, one driver was shot in the head and hospitalized, along with another truck driver. This Saturday, no less than 98 trucks were looted in a single attack with trucks being damaged or stolen,” Mr. Hadi added. Reiterating the UN’s call for creating conditions to facilitate “safe and unimpeded humanitarian access across Gaza,” Mr. Hadi emphasized that humanitarian agencies “remain committed to staying and delivering, but … [their] ability to do so is increasingly being called into question.”
• Between the afternoons of 19 and 25 November, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, 277 Palestinians were killed and 738 were injured. Between 7 October 2023 and 25 November 2024, at least 44,249 Palestinians were killed and 104,746 were injured, according to MoH in Gaza.
• Between the afternoons of 19 and 26 November, two Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza and one soldier succumbed to wounds sustained on 7 October 2023, according to the Israeli military. Between 7 October 2023 and 26 November 2024, according to the Israeli military and official Israeli sources cited in the media, more than 1,578 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed, the majority on 7 October 2023 and its immediate aftermath. The figure includes 378 soldiers killed in Gaza or along the border in Israel since the beginning of the ground operation. In addition, 2,456 Israeli soldiers were reported injured since the beginning of the ground operation.
• The following are some of the deadliest incidents reported between 20 and 23 November:  
  • On 20 November, at about 23:30, around 66 Palestinians, including women and children, were reportedly killed and others injured when a house was hit with an explosive barrel that destroyed it along with six neighbouring houses near Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya (North Gaza). Due to the lack of ambulances, tools and Civil Defense crews, community responders reportedly struggled to recover bodies and rescue the injured from under the rubble.
  • On 20 November, at about 20:50, 21 Palestinians including at least four women and five children, were reportedly killed when a residential building was hit in Abu Iskandar area in northwestern Gaza city. 
  • On 20 November, at about 16:40, 12 Palestinians including five children were reportedly killed and others injured when a location sheltering Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) was hit in Al Mawasi area in western Khan Younis.
  • On 20 November, during the morning hours, 12 Palestinians, including women and children, were reportedly killed and others injured when a house was hit in Jabalya Al Balad in southern North Gaza governorate. 
  • On 20 November, at about 16:05, eight Palestinians, including two children and two women, were reportedly killed and 15 others injured when Khaled Bin Al Walid School was hit in An Nuseirat refugee camp in Deir al Balah. The attack affected 200 people sheltering in the damaged rooms and tents in the school.
  • On 20 November, at about 22:40, at least six Palestinians including two children were reportedly killed and several others injured when a tent sheltering IDPs was hit in one of the sites in Al Mawasi area in western Khan Younis.
  • On 21 November, at about 22:00, at least eight Palestinians, including women and children, were reportedly killed when a residential building was hit in Ash Shuja’iyeh, east of Gaza city.
  • On 21 November, at about 9:00, at least seven Palestinians were reportedly killed in the centre of Rafah city.
  • On 22 November, at about 23:45, at least six Palestinians, including three children and two women, were reportedly killed and others injured when a house was hit in Al Buraq area in western Khan Younis.
  • On 22 November, at about 23:55, seven Palestinian family members, including three children, were reportedly killed and others injured when a house was hit in Az Zeitoun neighbourhood in southeastern Gaza city.
• On 23 November, at about 19:10, six Palestinians were reportedly killed and others injured when a house was hit in An Nuseirat refugee camp (Deir al Balah).
• On 20 November, the Palestinian Civil Defense (PCD) reported that one of its teams was directly hit while trying to rescue people under rubble in As Sabra area southwest of Gaza city, resulting in the death of a PCD member and the injury of three others. The PCD added that this was the eighteenth incident in which rescue teams had been hit during rescue missions, with a total of 87 PCD members killed to date. In a subsequent update on 21 November, the PCD reported that 304 of its members had been injured and 21 detained, and a total of 17 PCD centres had either been damaged or destroyed, along with 56 firefighting, rescue and ambulance vehicles. The statement highlighted that all Civil Defense activities remained blocked in North Gaza governorate. In a further update on 26 November, PCD announced that all of their fire, rescue, and ambulance vehicles have stopped working in Gaza governorate due to the lack of fuel.
• Also on 20 November, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported that an Israeli drone strike almost hit five Palestinian and international MSF staff while on the way home from the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, although the team was travelling in a clearly-marked MSF vehicle and the movement had been notified to the Israeli military. While the MSF team survived, the attack killed 20 people and seriously injured 10 others, added MSF, citing MoH figures. Since October 2023, at least 337 aid workers, including 330 Palestinians and seven foreigners have been killed; this includes 251 UN staff (of whom 247 were UNRWA staff members), 33 Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) staff and volunteers, and at least 53 other aid workers with national and international NGOs.
• On 23 November, the Israeli military issued an evacuation order for parts of eastern Gaza city, covering an area of 1.9 square kilometres that was included under previously-issuedevacuation orders. Initial estimates indicate about 15 per cent of each of Turkuman al Jadeeda and Al Zeitoun neighbourhoods are affected by the order. Since October 2023, about 79 per cent of the Gaza Strip’s territory has been placed under evacuation orders that remain active, excluding orders that were subsequently rescinded. 
• Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza has continued to come under attack, with at least seven attacks  recorded through open sources  by the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) in OPT between the onset of the most recent Israeli military operation in North Gaza on 6 October and 21 November. On 21 November, a drone attack reportedly damaged the hospital’s electricity generator and water tank and resulted in the injury of four hospital staff and two patient companions. Expressing deep concern for the safety of patients and medical staff, the chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) urged “an immediate end to hostilities in the vicinity of the hospital and sustained access for humanitarian missions to provide lifesaving support.” In its statement, OHCHR stressed: “The UN Human Rights Office has received no reports suggesting combat in the vicinity of Kamal Adwan hospital or the use of its facilities for any military purposes. But even if Palestinian armed groups had failed to comply with international humanitarian law's prohibition on using the presence of civilians to prevent the targeting of a military objective, Israeli forces are still bound by their obligations under international humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack.” On 23 November, the hospital, which is already facing a dire lack of food, drinking water, medical staff and supplies, was reportedly hit once again, resulting in the injury of its director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya. On the same day, the Israeli military coordinated the transfer of 17 patients and caregivers from Kamal Adwan to other hospitals in Gaza. According to the Health Cluster, as of 26 November, there are 55 patients in Kamal Adwan Hospital, including five in the intensive care unit. 

• Skin and respiratory infections, acute diarrheal illnesses and other viral diseases continue to rise across Gaza, with over 300 children treated daily at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported on 22 November. Between June and October 2024, the NGO treated 3,421 babies and other children under the age of five at the inpatient pediatric ward of Nasser hospital, 22 per cent of them for diarrhea-related illnesses and nearly nine per cent for meningitis. During the same period, about 1,294 children between one and five years of age were admitted to the facility for lower respiratory tract infections, including pneumonia, while more than 10,800 children between one and five years of age and 168 newborns under one month old were treated in the emergency department due to upper respiratory tract infections. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also reported that, in the six months between 9 May and 9 November, 31 per cent of all patients seen in the outpatient department of the Red Cross Field Hospital in southern Gaza were children under the age of 14, with respiratory infections, injuries and burns constituting the bulk of all cases treated.
• On 19 November, WHO reported that, with the support of Saudi Arabia, it has rehabilitated and expanded the warehouse at the Nasser Medical Complex, in Khan Younis, after it was severely damaged by a fire caused by nearby hostilities in April 2024. This will enhance storage capacity for essential medical supplies, benefiting both the Nasser Complex and other hospitals in southern Gaza. Moreover, while all regular medical evacuation corridors outside Gaza remain suspended, on 21 November, WHO and its partners evacuated six critical patients suffering from cancer or conflict-related injuries, including three children, alongside their seven companions, from Gaza to Jordan. Two patients were also planned to be  further transferred to the United States, while four have remained in Jordan for specialized care. Overall, only 335 patients have been exceptionally evacuated outside the Strip since the closure of Rafah crossing in early May. 
• There are clear signs of a rapidly worsening nutritional situation across Gaza, with two-thirds of the children admitted for outpatient treatment of acute malnutrition since the beginning of 2024 recorded in the past five months alone. According to the Nutrition Cluster, between 1 and 23 November, 3,410 children were admitted for outpatient treatment of acute malnutrition, and an average of 4,700 children were admitted for outpatient treatment of acute malnutrition each month between July and October. This is a total of 22,210 cases, or 67 per cent of the 32,817 cases admitted since the beginning of 2024. Moreover, between 10 and 31 October, the Nutrition Cluster has observed a significant increase in the admission of children suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) with nutritional edema, where patients show swelling caused by fluid retention in the tissues, which is an indicator of lack of protein in diets.  Cases have surged from 10 per cent before October to 74 per cent of admitted cases in the two stabilization centres (SC) in the Deir al Balah governorate, highlighting a worsening in the nutritional situation and the urgent need to scale up interventions.
• WHO and Relief International have recently established a new SC for the treatment of SAM in Deir al Balah, bringing the total number of SCs presently operational throughout the Strip to four: one in each of Khan Younis and Gaza city and two in Deir al Balah. As of 13 November, 344 children suffering from SAM and complications had been admitted to the SCs, representing a 50 per cent increase compared with the 229 cases reported as of 2 October. Meanwhile, the SC at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza remains closed since the intensification of hostilities in the governorate in early October 2024, despite spiraling needs in the governorate and the appeal by the hospital director for the immediate opening of a humanitarian corridor through which medical supplies, surgical medical delegations, baby food and therapeutic milk could enter North Gaza.
• Heavy rains hit the Gaza Strip on 25 November, marking the onset of the winter season and further worsening people’s vulnerability amid limited response capacities. The heavy rains are estimated to affect over 1.6 million people living in makeshift shelters across the Gaza Strip, with thousands of displaced families living in tents along the coast in southwest Gaza being particularly affected by flooding and rising seawater. According to preliminary assessments by humanitarian partners, about 7,000 families residing along the shoreline were affected by recent rains, with thousands of tents flooded, belongings destroyed and shelters damaged. This has been particularly the case in the Al Mawasi area, which hosts several hundred thousands of displaced people. In Deir al Balah, a partner managing 19 sites reported that 60 shelters were destroyed and 120 were damaged at two shelter sites, adding that flooded roads and pathways have created significant access challenges and resulted in further displacement of some families to nearby sites. Some other families had moved in anticipation of the heavy rain; for example, on 24 November, 150 families had already moved to a newly established site in Hamad City, in Khan Younis. Moreover, an assessment by OCHA in the southern area of Al Qarara seaport in Khan Younis, where more than 600 tents were reported to have been flooded by high tides, showed an urgent need for shelter and non-food items such as tents and clothing, as well as food assistance.
• Harsh winter temperatures compounded by heavy rains and rising sea tides are further exacerbating sewage accumulation, the spread of disease, and risk of collapse of damaged buildings where many families have sought refuge. Unlike last winter, when the majority of IDPs managed to find shelter with host families or in schools, hospitals and public buildings, hundreds of thousands of Palestinian families are surviving in small, overcrowded tents or makeshift shelters made of tarpaulins, blankets or cardboard that “will not keep them safe from strong winds, heavy rains and cold temperatures,” reports the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). Moreover, 14 months into the conflict, people have been forcibly displaced multiple times and over 60 per cent of all buildings have been damaged or destroyed. Some families have sewn together old rice sacks to add a layer of protection to their shelters, but the first heavy rains of the winter that struck Gaza in recent days have demonstrated how precarious conditions are.  On 24 November, PCD reported that “rainfall had caused severe damage to tents housing thousands of displaced people, with water flowing inside the tents and damaging luggage and mattresses.” In a subsequent statement on 25 November, the Government Media Office (GMO) estimated that about 10,000 tents had either been “washed away or damaged by the winter storm.”

• In August, the Inter-Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG), chaired by OCHA, developed and activated a comprehensive winterization plan targeting 2.1 million people and requiring US$242 million. To prioritize the response, since August 2024, humanitarian partners have identified 100 flood-prone areas hosting over 450,000 people across Khan Younis, Deir al Balah, and Rafah, ninety per cent of which lacked contingency plans in case of flooding. During these assessments, it was identified that 1,093 tents are at risk in Deir al Balah city, 4,420 in Khan Younis - Mawasi, 730 in Zawaida (Deir al Balah), and 705 in Nuseirat (Deir al Balah), amounting to a total of 6,948 tents at risk across these areas. Yet, implementation of the plan has remained contingent on funding and facilitation by Israeli authorities to ensure the entry of supplies and equipment into Gaza. For example, sandbags have been installed at only 20 locations to mitigate potential damage, and there is a large caseload of outstanding needs that necessitate the expansion of stocks and pre-positioning of supplies. The Site Management Working Group (SMWG) and the Shelter Cluster estimate that makeshift sites require at least 3,000,000 sandbags to mitigate the risks of rain and flooding. This would necessitate 100 trucks solely dedicated to transporting sandbags, which is a logistical challenge given existing access impediments, including active hostilities, ongoing insecurity, armed looting, access restrictions, damaged roads, lack of fuel, and unexploded ordnance. Without immediate facilitation and resolution of these supply bottlenecks, the ability to respond effectively to current and future shocks will remain critically compromised.
• People across Gaza are in dire need of adequate shelter, while hundreds of thousands of tarpaulins, critical for providing temporary shelter and protecting existing structures, remain stuck outside Gaza. Despite efforts made by the Shelter Cluster to scale up assistance and shelter items continuing to be prioritized for entry into Gaza via the Fence Road, an average of 11 trucks per week have been entering southern Gaza since the beginning of September, which is far below the Cluster’s target of 25 trucks per week. As a result, only 154,000 people could be provided with shelter assistance in Khan Younis, Deir al Balah and Rafah in the past three months; 846,000 people are still in need of urgent assistance in these governorates. More than 36,000 tarpaulins and some 58,000 sealing-off kits – which would be enough for over 76,000 families or roughly 400,000 people – are currently outside the Strip, awaiting entry, with the Cluster continuing to procure more items. At a rate of 11 trucks per week, the Cluster estimates that it will take at least another eight weeks to bring these vital items into the Strip. Meanwhile, in northern Gaza (north of Wadi Gaza), 66,300 people have been assisted by Shelter cluster partners with shelter items, excluding bedding sets, since September 2024, with efforts now focused on scaling up assistance to the tens of thousands of people displaced to the Gaza governorate since October 2024, while access to North Gaza remains heavily restricted. In November, Shelter Cluster partners were able to distribute 700 tents in Gaza city, with the shelter supplies entering through Erez West crossing deeply insufficient to meet the rising needs. As a result, response is far from sufficient for displaced families, who continue to face “appalling conditions,” having no safe place where to seek shelter and lack everything, including clothes, closed shoes, blankets and mattresses, highlighted UNRWA on 25 November.    
• Between 9 and 12 November, the UN and its partners conducted an inter-agency needs assessment mission to Gaza city, where more than 100,000 people have been displaced from North Gaza governorate since early October. The assessment team visited nine collective IDP centres, including two UNRWA schools-turned-shelters, hosting 2,094 households. The two UNRWA-managed shelters additionally had 698 families sheltering outside. The assessment recommended key actions to further scale up humanitarian assistance across all sectors Key observations and findings include:  
  • Lack of shelter, NFIs and personal belongings — Across all sites, there is a critical lack of shelter materials and NFIs, particularly mattresses, blankets, winter clothes and shoes. Many newly displaced households fled without any belongings and are in urgent need of all essentials. 
  • Overcrowding — Families are crammed in overcrowded, damaged buildings and tent sites, with conditions being particularly dire at the Palestine Stadium Collective Centre, which saw an eight-fold increase in its population size (from 100 to 800 households) in November. The majority were initially displaced from Jabalya to Beit Lahiya before arriving in Gaza city. As a result, 700 newly displaced households are living in tents in the football pitch, with up to 25 people sharing the same tent and men reportedly sleeping outside at night to leave space for women and children. 
  • Insufficient and inconsistent access to drinking water — Most sites rely on water trucked by humanitarian partners, but it is insufficient to cover growing needs. Although in some cases water wells are available, people cannot utilize them due to damage to water pumps or lack of fuel to operate generators. 
  • Dire hygiene conditions — Across all sites, extremely poor environmental hygiene conditions are contributing to the spread of skin diseases, pediculosis, hepatitis A and B, gastroenteritis, and respiratory tract infections. In most sites, sewage systems are nonfunctional, leading to overflows and posing public health risks. At Ramez Fakhra School, IDPs were forced to construct an open drainage system to flush wastewater in the open following the destruction of the school’s sewage system in the hostilities. The lack of adequate toilet facilities further compounds sanitation conditions. While most sites have gender-segregated toilets, the availability of toilets varies considerably. For instance, at Musaab Bin Omeer Centre, up to 125 people are sharing one toilet while at Fahed al Ahmad, there are 20 gender-specific toilets serving about 220 households, or an average of 55 people sharing one toilet. Families also face inadequate access to hygiene products, such as soap, menstrual hygiene items and diapers, forcing them to endure substandard hygiene conditions that increase their vulnerability to communicable diseases. 
  • Lack of food aid and means to cook — Families across all sites face limited access to nutritious food. At Az Zahraa School, for instance, only ready-to-eat hot meals are distributed once a week, and at the Palestine Stadium, the distribution of food assistance by local charities has met only a fraction of needs, generating tensions among families. Women consulted through focus group discussions also highlighted a critical lack of infant milk and nutrition supplements. Due to the lack of both cooking gas and firewood, families across all sites are forced to rely on plastic and cardboard as combustibles to cook, resulting in cases of burns, eye injuries and respiratory problems. 
  • Shortage of medication and health supplies — While all sites have access to basic medical points, including some set up by volunteer nurses sheltering inside the camps themselves, there is a severe shortage of health supplies and medicine, including for chronic diseases. 

• In November, OCHA OPT launched the Humanitarian Service Directory for Palestinians, which it developed based on consultations with a wide range of humanitarian stakeholders. The directory aims to address identified gaps in the provision of key data on humanitarian services in the OPT, enhance existing accountability and community engagement mechanisms, and strengthen collective Accountability to Affected People (AAP) initiatives. The tool is part of the AAP project implemented by UN Women and funded by the Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) to strengthen the collective gender-responsive and inclusive accountability to people affected by the crisis in the OPT. The directory provides helpline operators with instant information on questions frequently asked by people contacting them on a range of issues, including where they can receive a certain type of assistance, thereby enabling on-the-spot closure of cases, reducing the need for individual case referrals, and easing the burden on sector resources. It allows humanitarian actors to constantly develop and update relevant content related to their specific sector, contributing to the effective execution of accountable, real-time community engagement activities.
• Between 1 and 25 November, out of 456 planned aid movements across the Gaza Strip that were coordinated with the Israeli authorities, 40 per cent (184) were facilitated, 35 per cent (158) were denied, 16 per cent (73) were impeded, and nine per cent (41) were cancelled due to logistical and security challenges. Of the 99 aid movements needed to pass through the Israeli military-controlled Al Rashid or Salah ad Din checkpoints to reach areas north of Wadi Gaza, only 25 per cent (25) were facilitated by the Israeli authorities, 25 per cent (25) were impeded, 40 per cent (40) were denied, and nine percent (nine) were cancelled. Aid missions to the North Gaza governorate were particularly disrupted, especially those seeking to reach Jabalya, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun. Between 1 and 25 November, the UN attempted to reach these besieged areas 41 times. Thirty-seven of these attempts were outright denied, while four were initially approved, but then severely impeded on the ground such that the assistance could not be delivered to people trapped in the besieged area. Since the tightened siege started in early October, none of UN’s attempts to support besieged people in that area has been fully facilitated. Coordinated aid missions to areas in Rafah governorate, where there has been an ongoing Israeli military operation since early May, have faced similar challenges. Twenty-four out of 28 coordinated requests submitted to the Israeli authorities to access Rafah governorate were outright denied, one was cancelled, one was impeded and two were facilitated. This excludes 63 coordinated movements to Kerem Shalom crossing, of which 67 per cent (42) were facilitated, 17 per cent (11) were impeded and 16 per cent (10) were cancelled.  

Funding

• As of 26 November, Member States have disbursed about US$2.37 billion out of the $3.42 billion (69 per cent) requested to meet the most critical needs of 2.3 million* people in Gaza and 800,000 people in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, between January and December 2024. For funding analysis, please see the Flash Appeal Financial Tracking dashboard. (*2.3 million reflects the projected population of the Gaza Strip upon issuance of the Flash Appeal in April 2024. As of July 2024, the UN estimates that about 2.1 million people remain in the Gaza Strip, and this updated number is now used for programmatic purposes.)
• The oPt Humanitarian Fund (oPt HF) is currently managing 90 ongoing projects, totalling $79.6 million. These projects aim to address urgent needs in the Gaza Strip (91 per cent) and the West Bank (nine per cent) and are strategically focused on education, food security, health, protection, emergency shelter and non-food items, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), coordination and support services, multi-purpose cash assistance and nutrition. Of these projects, 49 are being implemented by international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), 29 by national NGOs and 12 by UN agencies. Notably, 32 out of the 61 projects conducted by INGOs or the UN are being implemented in collaboration with national NGOs. Moreover, in addition to the four other reserve allocations for 2024, the oPt HF is currently finalizing its critical and time-sensitive First Standard Allocation of $30 million, aligned with the 2024 oPt Flash Appeal, aiming to rapidly scale up relief efforts to meet the immediate needs of affected people in Gaza and the West Bank. The allocation includes 16 fast-tracked projects, prioritizing critical winterization preparedness and addressing urgent shelter, WASH, and other emergency needs of IDPs and other vulnerable groups in Gaza. Monthly updates, annual reports, and a list of all funded projects per year, are available on the oPt Humanitarian Fund webpage, under the financing section.

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HRW MONTHLY DEFENDER

26 november 2024

Gaza: Israel’s Crimes Against Humanity in Gaza

This is the story of two Palestinian residents, Ghassan and Sara, who sought to escape the violence in Gaza but were trapped in the hostilities and their lives irreversibly changed.

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26 november 2024

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War Crimes Weapons: Made in the USA

- EU/ICC: When the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants against Israeli leaders and a Hamas official, the EU’s foreign policy chief made clear ICC “decisions are binding on all States party to the Rome Statute, which includes all EU Member States.” Good. However, Hungary has now promised to welcome one of the wanted.

Readers’ Recommendations

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Osama Shaheen was sitting quietly at home when Israeli soldiers broke in, smashed his furniture and kidnapped him. He was blindfolded, threatened and beaten, and taken to another house with 21 other detained men from Dura in Hebron. To the soldiers, Osama was not human—he was simply detainee number 17 – and they wrote the number on him with a black marker. Our team on the ground reached out to Osama and helped him share this horrifying story with the world.

Support us lifting up the stories of other marginalized Palestinians like Osama!

Donate now!

Protect a Family for Giving Tuesday!

December 3rd is Giving Tuesday and will mark the start of our new campaign to protect Palestinian families from settler violence. With the upcoming Trump administration, we expect to see a wave of Israeli settler violence all over the West Bank. In Hebron, we will help fortify the houses of the families who live near settlements to ward off attacks.

Our team on the ground will place fences around the homes of vulnerable Palestinian families and secure their doors and windows against projectiles and break-ins. Security cameras are also a valuable source of protection that empower families to retake control of their own homes. Fire alarms protect the families from arson and prevent a repeat of the Duma tragedy where Israeli settler extremists burned a baby and his parents to death.

Attacks from Israeli settlers have already begun! Three days ago, Israeli settlers threw beer bottles toward Palestinian houses, including the house of our Executive Director Issa Amro.

On the Jewish holiday of Shabbat Chayei Sarah, the Israeli military imposed a curfew on Palestinian families in the H2 area of Hebron. The army closed all checkpoints for two days to let Israeli settlers celebrate at the expense of basic Palestinian freedom of movement and daily life.

If you missed the news, our Executive Director Issa Amro won this year's Right Livelihood Award, often referred to as the "alternative Nobel Prize." Make sure to watch the ceremony live on December 4th! It takes place at 7pm Central European time (1pm ET).

With peace,

Friends of Hebron

Working for Peace and Justice

www.hebronfriends.org/

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Today's headlines

The ICC warrants: Palestinian skepticism and the glimpse of justice

Abdaljawad Omar

Palestinians hold deep skepticism of courts based on generations of Israeli abuse. But the ICC warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant are a moment to expose the contradictions of the American Empire and PUT A CRACK IN THE VENEER OF IMPUNETY

Israel’s genocide Day 416: UNRWA says the amount of food aid being allowed into Gaza meets less than 6% of the need

Qassam Muaddi

In Gaza, floods caused by heavy rainfall devastated thousands of families living in displaced tents in southern Gaza. Meanwhile, UNRWA says that all aid entering Gaza is less than 6% of what is needed.

Hezbollah and Israel escalate fighting as reports say a ceasefire deal is close

Qassam Muaddi

According to Israeli reports, Israel and Lebanon are very close to concluding a ceasefire deal, after two days of intense fire exchange between Hezbollah and the Israeli army over the weekend.

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Check the report & databaseWatch  Launch event livestream starting 13:30 Geneva Time

Keep fighting,

Inès

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25 november 2024

Today's headlines

In Gaza, fear is inescapable

Ahmed Mohammed Jnena

When the Gaza genocide began, I put my trust in God and dismissed fear altogether. But then, trapped under the rubble of my destroyed home, I felt true fear. And it hasn’t left me since.

Book Review: The answer to what comes after Zionism may lie in what came before it

What comes after the supremacism and apartheid of Zionism? Ariella Aïsha Azoulay’s substantial new work, The Jewellers of the Ummah: A Potential History of the Jewish Muslim World, looks to dormant histories for visions of justice and repair.

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Quick Takes: Gaza

Gaza: Last week, the International Criminal Court (ICC) judges’ issued arrest warrants against senior Israeli leaders. This move deserves international support !!

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Stay focused on Gaza

The week’s news surrounding the incoming Trump administration continues to be deeply concerning. The indications from his cabinet picks and rhetoric are clear: civil rights, human rights, and international law are at risk. Trump’s alignment with far-right nationalism and unwavering support for Israel’s actions in Palestine foreshadow a dangerous period ahead. These developments demand vigilance and robust, independent journalism to expose the consequences of such policies. As noted in our last briefing, we can’t count on Democrats to protect us right now.

Meanwhile, Gaza remains under brutal siege, with the world standing aside or actively participating in the continuing atrocities.

Israel is also expanding the violence of its attacks on Gaza into the West Bank, where escalations in raids, arrests, and settler violence have intensified over the last several weeks. The same forces driving the destruction in Gaza—colonialism, impunity, and the dehumanization of Palestinians—now threaten to engulf the West Bank. This widening scope of aggression underscores the urgency of holding Israel accountable for its actions before it commits further atrocities.

Mainstream media often avoid naming Israeli apartheid and genocide, but Mondoweiss exists to confront that silence. Our mission is to shine a light on the systemic violence there, amplify the voices of the oppressed, and challenge the narratives that normalize their suffering.

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Ospaca Nieuwsdienst, 11.

DE STAPELGEKTE VAN “ANTISEMITISME” ALS JURIDISCH BEGRIP

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LAAT JE NIET IN DE LUREN LEGGEN, ANTISEMITISME BESTAAT NIET ALS JURIDISCH AFGEBAKENDE RECHTSCATEGORIE! EN ALS ER VAN DE TERM “ANTISEMITISME” NERGENS EEN JURIDISCH ALGEMEEN AANVAARDE DELICTSOMSCHRIJVING TE VINDEN IS, DAN MIST ZO’N TERM ALS “ANTISEMITISME” ALS BEGRIP IEDERE CONSISTENTIE. EN DAARMEE OOK ELKE BETEKENIS RECHTENS!

LAAT JE DUS NIET BELASTEREN MET HET ZOGENAAMD PLEGEN VAN EEN NONDESCRIPT “MISDRIJF” WAARVOOR ELKE DELICTSOM-SCHRIJVING TOTAAL ONTBREEKT, NAMELIJK HET NONEXISTENTE “MISDRIJF” VAN “ANTISEMITISME”.

EN DOE, ZODRA JE BELASTERD WORDT MET HET WOORD “ANTISEMITISME”, DAARVAN ONMIDDELLIJK AANGIFTE WEGENS SMAAD EN LASTER!! ELKE KEER WEER. ALS JE VAN “ANTISEMITISME” WORDT BESCHULDIGD! LAAT DAT NIET OVER JE KANT GAAN! BIJT VAN JE AF!

WAARVAN AKTE!

OMDAT IEDERE DELICTSOMSCHRIJVING VOOR WAT BETREFT DE TERM “ANTISEMITISME” ONTBREEKT, IS DAN OOK NOG NOOIT IEMAND HIER TE LANDE WEGENS “ANTISEMITISME” VEROORDEELD.

WAARVAN WEDEROM AKTE!

EN ZAL DAARVOOR OOK NOOIT IEMAND VEROORDEELD KUNNEN WORDEN. ZOLANG EEN FATSOENLIJKE DELICTSOMSCHRIJVING VAN “ANTISEMITISME” ONTBREEKT. EN ZOLANG EEN DERGELIJKE DELICTSOMSCHRIJVING TOTAAL BLIJFT ONTBREKEN.

DAT LAATSTE ZAL HIER HET GEVAL ZIJN. EN ZAL HIER OOK – ONONTKOOMBAAR - HET GEVAL BLIJVEN! AL WAS HET ALLEEN OOK MAAR OMDAT ISRAEL INMIDDELS AL ALLES WAT DEZE GENOCIDALE KUTSTAAT MET ZIJN BEESTMENSEN NIET BEVALT INMIDDELS UITDRUKKELIJK HEEFT GEMONOPOLISEERD ALS ZIJNDE “ANTISEMITISME”.

ALS OOIT ENIGERLEI TERM ZICH OP DIE MANIER TOT EEN LAAGST DENKBAAR NIVEAU HEEFT GEDEVALUEERD EN ZICH VOLSLAGEN ONBRUIKBAAR HEEFT WETEN TE MAKEN, DAN IS HET WEL DE MANIER WAAROP HET GENOCIDALE ISRAEL DE TERM “ANTISEMITISME” VAN HET STEMPEL “TOTAAL KRANKZINNIG” HEEFT WETEN TE VOORZIEN. KNETTERGEK IS ALLES WAT UIT DIE HOEK KOMT.

ALLEEN MENSBEESTEN DIE NIETS ANDERS DOEN DAN ACHTER ISRAËL AANLOPEN, TENEINDE ALLEEN AL BIJ HET HOREN VAN DE TERM ISRAEL HIJGEND KLAAR TE KUNNEN KOMEN, ZULLEN DE TERM  “ANTISEMITISME” MET GEJUICH BLIJVEN CELEBREREN.

GEESTELIJK GEZONDE MENSEN TIKKEN HIERBIJ ALLEEN AAN HUN VOORHOOFD.

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Today's headlines

The Martyr

Nargol Aran

On the martyrdom of Ismail Haniyeh as Iran inaugurated a new president, and the ways the Martyr may enable us to see a path forward to break a siege that stretches from Tehran to Gaza.

Inside Project Esther, the right wing action plan to take down the Palestine movement

The Heritage Foundation's "Project Esther" claims to combat antisemitism but in fact, aims to destroy the Palestine solidarity movement as a first step in a crusade against all domestic dissent in the U.S.

Israel kills nine Palestinians in 48-hour raid on Jenin

Qassam Muaddi

Israeli forces killed nine Palestinians in a two day military raid on the West Bank city of Jenin. The raid completely destroyed areas of the city as Israel detained an unspecified number of Palestinians.

Israel’s Genocide Day 412: Israel kills 87 Palestinians in Gaza as the ICC issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant

On the heels of the ICC issuing arrest warrants for Israeli officials, Israel killed at least 87 Palestinians on Thursday in strikes across the Gaza Strip, as well as nine Palestinians in Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank.

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Director

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In times of turbulence and uncertainty, one thing remains steadfast: our unshakable commitment to a free Palestine. Here’s where things stand:

Coalition action at Capitol Hill

This week, we supported action on Capitol Hill to demand an arms embargo on Israel and push senators to support Senator Bernie Sanders’ Joint Resolutions of Disapproval, which sought to block $20 billion in weapons sales to Israel. The vote on Wednesday nigt didn´t pass, but it marked an unprecedented rupture within the Democratic Party. Despite intense lobbying by the Biden administration 19 Democratic senators voted to block the $20 billion arms deal. That’s nearly 40% of Democratic Senators!!

Though 31 Democratic senators voted to continue weapon sales, this moment shows that the needle is shifting. This is a testament to the power of our organizing. Now, we must continue to push for a full arms embargo on Israel and end the U.S. complicity in these crimes.

                                    ICC TAKES ACTION

On Thursday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

This is the first time the ICC has taken such action against Western-allied officials. States party to the Rome Statute are now obligated to arrest these individuals if they step foot on their soil. While the Biden administration called the ruling “outrageous”, countries like Canada and most of the EU have pledged to abide by it.

This ruling highlights the critical role U.S. support plays in enabling Israel’s ongoing genocide. Without U.S. backing, Israel would not be able to continue its war crimes unchecked. Our work here, at the heart of this imperial power, remains essential to creating the global pressure needed to bring about justice.

                            What’s next for our movement?

We may not know when the turning point will come, but one day, we’ll look back and see that our efforts in moments like this made all the difference.

Thank you for standing with us. Together, we’ll make the vision of a free Palestine a reality.
 

In solidarity and with determination,

Izzy M.
Adalah Justice Project

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This year's Palestine Convention entitled "Gaza: Outlasting Genocide," will act as a testament to the steadfastness of the Palestinians in Gaza, and their determination to live in the midst of death and destruction. The convention will demonstrate our commitment as American citizens to amplify their voices and plight, and our determination to end the U.S.'s complicity in this genocide.

Our Palestine Convention promises an array of sessions, taking into consideration all the hardships, challenges, and pain that the Palestinian people are experiencing.

The basic message is simple: we must keep working for Gaza and EVERYONE is invited. Do not miss the largest gathering for Palestine in the U.S.

See you all next week in Chicago…
 

Sincerely,
American Muslims for Palestine

Palestine Convention 2024

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Today's headlines

The ICC has finally issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders. The fight is far from over.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes committed in Gaza. As a result, the two will be unable to travel to at least 124 countries.

Israel steps up attacks on displaced Palestinians living in tents

Between November 9 and 20, Israel carried out at least six airstrikes targeting tents housing displaced Gazans in so-called 'safe zones.' According to locals, most of the casualties were women and children.

House passes dangerous bill that targets nonprofits, pro-Palestine groups

The House has passed H.R. 9495, a bill that would allow the Treasury Secretary to strip tax-exempt status from nonprofits.

Many view the draconian legislation as an attempt to crack down on the Palestine movement.

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Humanitarian Situation Update #240
West Bank

A Palestinian boy standing in front of his house that was under construction but was demolished by Israeli forces for lack of an Israeli-issued building permit, in Beit Ummar. Photo by OCHA, 14 November 2024.

Key Highlights

• Three Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank every week on average since 7 October 2023, marking a four-fold increase compared to the first nine months of 2023.
• Students are dropping out of schools in the Israeli-controlled H2 area of Hebron due to increasing access restrictions. There are about 13,065 students residing in H2 who have not attended school in-person between October 2023 and May 2024.
• Twenty-five (25) Palestinians, including children, were displaced citing settler violence between 12 and 18 November. Since 7 October 2023, settler violence, intimidation and harassment have displaced 1,722 Palestinians, including 835 children, in Bedouin and other herding communities.

Latest Developments (after 18 November)

• On 20 November, Israeli forces launched multiple air strikes against Kafr Dan (Jenin). Shortly after, Israeli forces raided the town and an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Palestinians was reported. Three Palestinians were killed during the three-hour operation, and Israeli forces withheld the bodies of two of them.
• On 21 November, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man following a raid on Ein Beit el Ma’ refugee camp (Nablus). Exchanges of fire were reported between armed Palestinians and Israeli forces.
• On 20 November, Israeli forces concluded an operation in Jenin and the Jenin refugee camp that lasted about 46 hours. During the operation, two Palestinians were killed, residential shelters were damaged, displacement of residents was reported, and over four kilometres of roads and underlying civilian infrastructure were affected. OCHA and UNRWA, in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority and humanitarian partners are currently assessing the humanitarian needs of the affected population.

Humanitarian Developments (12-18 November)

• During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed four Palestinians, including one child, and injured 43 others, including 25 children, across the West Bank. All the incidents resulting in Palestinian fatalities by Israeli forces took place in the northern West Bank, as follows:
• On 12 November, Israeli forces shot and killed an 18-year-old Palestinian man near Deir Sharaf checkpoint, northwest of Nablus city. According to eyewitnesses, the Palestinian man was walking near the checkpoint when Israeli soldiers called him and ordered him to lift his shirt to check for weapons and shot him. According to the Israeli military, the man attempted to stab the soldiers.
• On 13 November, Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinian men in Ezbet al Jarad, east of Tulkarm city. Undercover Israeli forces surrounded a building where two men and a two-year-old child were present, and an exchange of fire was reported. An eyewitness reported that as one of the two men attempted to surrender and put the child aside, he was shot. The child was injured in the face by shrapnel from live ammunition. Israeli forces withheld the bodies of the men and took the injured child with them. After about an hour, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) received the child from the forces and transported him to the hospital. An additional Palestinian was injured by live ammunition, while he was in the vicinity of the house.
• On 18 November, Israeli forces shot and killed a 17-year-old Palestinian child in Nablus city. Israeli forces raided the Al Masaken neighbourhood, east of Nablus city, and set up a checkpoint to search Palestinian vehicles. After about an hour, the military began withdrawing towards Huwwara checkpoint. During the withdrawal, a confrontation erupted between Palestinians and Israeli forces, with Palestinians throwing stones and Israeli forces firing tear gas and live ammunition, during which the child was shot. The ambulance was delayed for five minutes by the military before it could proceed to the hospital, where the child was pronounced dead upon arrival.
• During the reporting period, 25 of the 43 total Palestinian injuries reported (58 per cent) were children. Among these, 19 schoolgirls were treated for tear gas inhalation after Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters in two separate incidents on 13 and 17 November near their school compound in Al Khadr (Bethlehem). In two other incidents on 13 and 14 November, Israeli forces shot and injured three boys (aged 14 to 15) with live ammunition after forces raided Beit Furik (Nablus) where Palestinians reportedly threw stones at Israeli forces, who fired live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas canisters.
• Since 7 October 2023, a total of 166 Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli forces, up from 40 children killed during the first nine months of 2023. This is an average of three Palestinian children killed every week in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem—a four-fold increase compared to the first nine months of 2023. Over 60 per cent of these fatalities occurred in Jenin, Tulkarm, Tubas and Nablus governorates, areas that have witnessed intensified Israeli operations over the past year. Among them, 35 children were killed in airstrikes, during which Israeli forces employed lethal, war-like tactics, raising serious concerns about the excessive use of force. Additionally, 1,132 children have been injured, with nearly half (48 per cent) sustaining injuries from live ammunition.
• During the reporting period, OCHA documented 47 incidents involving settlers and affecting Palestinians, including 25 attacks that resulted in casualties, property damage or both. In total, three Palestinians were injured by Israeli settlers, and more than 200 trees were damaged. Since 1 October 2024, OCHA has documented 225 incidents involving settlers directly related to the olive harvest in 82 communities across the West Bank, the majority of which (171 incidents) resulted in casualties or property damage. In this period, eleven Palestinians were injured by Israeli settlers, 55 by Israeli forces, and more than 2,500 mostly olive trees and saplings burnt, sawed-off or otherwise vandalized, and many crops and harvesting tools stolen. Furthermore, during the reporting period, five Palestinians households, comprising 25 people, were displaced citing settler violence between 12 and 18 November, from two Bedouin communities in Nablus and Ramallah. Since 7 October 2023, some 295 Palestinian households comprising 1,722 people, including 835 children, have been displaced in Bedouin and other herding communities, primarily citing attacks by Israeli settlers and access restrictions.

• The following are some of the key settler incidents that took place during the reporting period, which entailed intimidation, harassment, physical injury, property damage or a combination thereof, and include cases where Israeli forces were present:
  • On 12 November, Israeli settlers, believed to be from the Sde Efraim settlement outpost, physically assaulted and injured a Palestinian man in the village of Kafr Ni'ma, near Ramallah. The man was working in Area B on the northern side of the village when armed settlers approached and attacked him with the butt of their guns and beat him, breaking two of his fingers. Palestinian villagers transported him to the hospital for treatment.
  • On 14 November, armed Israeli settlers displaced two families in Arab al Ka’abneh, near Duma, southeast of Nablus. According to the affected families, a father and his son were at their houses when they were attacked by settlers. They then forced the families to leave at gunpoint, threatening to set them on fire if they stayed. During the attack, settlers broke the windows and physically assaulted both the father and his son. The father later reported that his family was traumatized and had to leave without gathering their belongings. In total, 16 people were displaced, taking only their 80 sheep with them. No injuries required medical intervention. The family reports that since 7 October, settlers have been harassing them on a regular basis.
  • On 16 November, Israeli settlers believed to be from Itamar settlement, burned three agricultural rooms in Beit Furik village, east of Nablus. According to Beit Furik municipality, around 30 masked settlers attacked the area with stones, sticks, Molotov Cocktails and incendiary materials. Israeli settlers set fire to three agricultural rooms, completely burning them, and caused partial damage to another. During the attack, a Palestinian vehicle was completely burned and the windows of at least three residential houses were broken from stone-throwing. Confrontations ensued between villagers and settlers, who ultimately left toward Itamar settlement.
  • On 17 November 2024, three Palestinian Bedouin households (all registered Palestine refugees), comprising nine people, including three children and three women, dismantled their structures on the eastern outskirts of Area C in Ni'lin village, Ramallah. According to the families, the decision was made due to ongoing intimidation and threats from Israeli settlers from the Magnazi Farm outpost and its extension. Since its expansion at the top of Jabal al Alem three months ago, the families have faced frequent attacks and intimidation by settlers. These attacks intensified this month, with armed Israeli settlers breaking into their shelters, threatening the community at gunpoint to leave, damaging property, and attempting to steal livestock. Furthermore, Israeli settlers have prevented the families from accessing grazing areas around the community. In addition, Israeli settlers also frequently vandalized agricultural lands; causing damage to Palestinian property and restricting Palestinian access to their agricultural lands and olive groves.
  • On 17 November, Israeli settlers physically assaulted and injured a Palestinian truck driver, leaving him injured along a road near Ramallah. The driver was traveling from Jericho to Ramallah along Road 449, also known as Al Mua'rrajat Road, where his vehicle broke down on the road. According to the driver, he was fixing his truck, Israeli settlers attacked him using metal poles and stones. Israeli forces and police arrived at the scene and arrested the Palestinian man, prevented an ambulance from treating him and issued a 1,000 shekel fine before releasing him. Afterwards, the injured man sought medical attention at a nearby hospital.
• During the reporting period, Israeli forces demolished or forced the demolition of 32 Palestinian-owned residential structures due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits in Area C and East Jerusalem. As a result, 21 people, including seven children, were displaced. Four residential structures were demolished in East Jerusalem, including three demolished by their owners, and one demolished by the Israeli authorities in the Al Bustan in Silwan, displacing ten Palestinians. The remaining 28 structures were demolished in Area C, of which 11 were demolished in Rafat (Jerusalem).

Access and Education

• Students are dropping out of schools in the Israeli-controlled H2 area of Hebron city due to intensified access restrictions. Humanitarian actors have assessed that there are about 13,065 students residing in H2 who have not attended school in-person between October 2023 and May 2024. Student enrollment at the Qurtuba School (one of 34 schools in H2) dropped by nearly one-third, decreasing from 157 to 110. The school is located on Ash Shuhada Street, which has been closed for Palestinian access since 7 October 2023, and has historically seen heavy access restrictions imposed on Palestinians. Teachers and students are now forced to take a detour through an olive grove, which is also used by settlers and has increased the feeling of insecurity of the students and staff. Seventy out of 285 students at Ziyad Jaber school have either transferred to other schools or have relocated out of H2 with their families. The checkpoint was closed on 7 October 2023 and students who live behind the checkpoint (inside the restricted area) are forced to take a four to five-kilometre detour to reach the school. The Ministry of Education in Hebron city shifted some of the schools to online classes, but families have had limited or no access to the internet or remote electronic devices. These schools have reported a 25-per-cent online attendance rate since October 2023.
• On 7 October 2023, Israeli forces placed the H2 area under full closure and imposed a curfew on its residents until 22 October 2023. Since then, Israeli forces have imposed a new system regulating the movement of Palestinian residents in H2 through designated checkpoints. This has deteriorated residents' access to basic services, further exacerbating the already difficult living conditions. The imposed system of access restrictions continues to prohibit movement between Palestinian neighborhoods within the closed areas of H2, as well as to the Ibrahim Mosque and its charity soup kitchen. Since 7 October, at least 330 Palestinians, including 40 children, across H2 have been detained at checkpoints, during search-and-arrest operations, or by ad-hoc detentions by Israeli forces.

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Vandaag maakte het in Den Haag gevestigde Internationaal Strafhof bekend arrestatiebevelen uit te vaardigen voor de Israëlische premier Benjamin Netanyahu, voormalig minister van Defensie Yoav Gallant, alsmede voor Hamasleider Muhammad al-Masri (aka Muhammad Deif). Het verzoek tot de arrestatiebevelen werd op 20 mei ingediend door de hoofdaanklager van het hof, de Brit Karim Khan. Dat is door de rechters nu unaniem gehonoreerd. Twee door Israël op 26 september opgebrachte bezwaren werden van tafel geveegd.

Partners in crime: de Israëlische premier Benjamin Netanyahu en voormalig minister van Defensie Yoav Gallant. Om sancties tegen zijn leiders te voorkomen voerde Israël een jarenlange tegen het Internationaal Strafhof gerichte campagne van beïnvloeding en ondermijning. Tevergeefs, bleek gisteren. © Al-Jazeera

Nederland werkt mee
Concreet betekent het besluit dat de 124 staten die het aan het Strafhof ten grondslag liggende Statuut van Rome hebben geratificeerd, verplicht zijn de drie te arresteren als die hun grondgebied betreden. Ook dienen zij niet-essentiële contacten te vermijden. Tot de 124 verdragsstaten behoren vrijwel alle Europese landen, waaronder Nederland, maar bijvoorbeeld ook de door Israël bezette staat Palestina. Israël en de VS zijn geen verdragsstaat.

Het nieuws werd bekend terwijl in de Tweede Kamer de begrotingsbehandeling van het ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken plaatsvond. Minister Caspar Veldkamp stelde daarin dat Nederland als verdragsstaat voor ‘honderd procent’ zal voldoen aan het Statuut van Rome, en zich dus gehouden voelt om aan de arrestatiebevelen gehoor te geven en niet-essentiële contacten te vermijden.

Overwinning voor rechtsorde
Met de uitvaardiging van de arrestatiebevelen is sprake van het eerste concrete resultaat in een onderzoek van het Strafhof dat inmiddels bijna tien jaar loopt. Dat moet worden gevierd als een belangrijke overwinning voor de internationale rechtsorde.

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

Ja, ik help mee

Israëlische propaganda-moties aangenomen in Tweede Kamer

De Tweede Kamer heeft deze week op basis van een Israëlisch 'special report' over de onrust in Amsterdam twee moties aangenomen met mogelijk ernstige gevolgen voor Nederlandse organisaties die kritiek hebben op Israël. Daarmee laat het parlement zich opnieuw voor het Israëlische propagandakarretje spannen.

Organisaties onder de loep
SGP-voorman Chris Stoffer kreeg voldoende steun van de Kamer voor zijn motie waarin hij de regering oproept om organisaties en personen die volgens het Israëlische rapport ‘banden hebben met Hamas’, door de veiligheidsdiensten onder de loep te laten nemen. Die zouden het stempel ‘terroristisch’ moeten krijgen.

In de tweede motie, ingediend door BBB-leider Caroline van der Plas, wordt de regering verzocht om te ‘bevorderen dat organisaties die de vernietiging van het Israëlische volk, de Israëlische staat en daarmee het Joodse volk propageren, op de nationale sanctielijst terrorisme kunnen worden geplaatst’.

Caroline van der Plas (BBB) wappert tijdens het Tweede Kamerdebat over de onrust in Amsterdam met het Israëlische 'special report'.

Gelijke rechten
De moties hebben de potentie om belangrijke grondrechten te ondermijnen, zoals dat op de vrijheid van meningsuiting, het demonstratierecht en het recht op vereniging. Zo zou het pleiten voor de eenstaatoplossing, waarin Joodse Israëli’s en Palestijnen op basis van volledig gelijke rechten samenleven, uitgelegd kunnen worden als propaganda voor ‘vernietiging van de Israëlische staat en daarmee het Joodse volk’.

Ook het oproepen tot respect voor het internationaal recht inzake Palestina en Israël, bijvoorbeeld middels een boycot van Israëlische producten of het stoppen van wapenleveranties, zou gecriminaliseerd kunnen worden.

Knip-en-plakwerk
En dat alles op basis van een pak papier dat de naam 'rapport' niet waardig is. Erwin van Veen, senior onderzoeker bij het Clingendael Instituut, over het rapport: ‘Vintage Israëlische psy-ops: een suggestieve knip- en plakverzameling van quotes, plaatjes en aannames zonder enige context die een basisschoolleerling beter in elkaar had kunnen zetten. Er is nergens bewijs te vinden, slechts impliciete aannames en beschuldigingen.’

Uitnodiging | Ontmoet dokter Izzeldin Abuelaish uit Gaza

PFZW trekt zich terug uit Israëlische bedrijven, maar investering in nederzettingen groeit hard

Goed nieuws: pensioenfonds Pensioenfonds Zorg en Welzijn (PFZW) heeft zijn beleggingen in Israëlische beursgenoteerde bedrijven beëindigd. Dat besluit is verheugend. Het verdient waardering dat het fonds niet investeert in conflictgebieden – de reden van de desinvestering.

Mediakritiek | Waarom Maccabi Gate voor de media een keerpunt moet zijn

Direct nadat Israëlische supporters van Maccabi Tel Aviv begin november Amsterdam terroriseerden en zich tegen Nederlandse burgers keerden, overspoelde een (pro-)Israëlische propagandacampagne de wereld. Daarin werden de gebeurtenissen geduid als een ‘antisemitische pogrom’ en een ‘Jodenjacht’ op de Israëlische supporters, door ‘Arabieren’ en ‘moslims’.

De propaganda had effect. Niet de Israëlische aanstichters kregen de schuld, maar de Nederlanders die er zo heftig op reageerden. Het voorlopige resultaat van de Israëlische campagne is een nationale heksenketel gekoppeld aan internationale reputatieschade, beide van ongekende proportie.

Minister van Buitenlandse Zaken Caspar Veldkamp (NSC) ontvangt zijn Israëlische ambtgenoot Gideon Sa’ar op 9 november. Sa’ar maakt deel uit van de Israëlische regering die in Gaza genocide pleegt, en speelde een ontwrichtende rol in 'Maccabi Gate'. © ANP / Alamy

Falende media
De kwestie toont onder meer het falen van de media, waaraan het nachtelijke geweld vrijwel voorbijging, om bij het opstaan in de opengesperde bek van de Israëlische propaganda te stappen. Tien dagen later is de gepresenteerde desinformatie nog niet hersteld. Intussen wordt er door het kabinet repressieve wetgeving op gebaseerd. Zelden zal het verband tussen schokeffect en repressie beter zijn geïllustreerd.

Als excuus stellen sommige media dat ze door de gebeurtenissen werden verrast. De bewuste donderdagnacht lag de waakhond van de democratie te slapen, is het verhaal, en bij het ochtendgloren was de Israëlische propaganda er met zijn kluif vandoor. Die uitleg schiet echter tekort. Wie het mediafalen rond Maccabi Gate wil duiden, zal dieper moeten graven dan slapende journalisten.

Lees verder >

Israël-lobby | PVV en VVD regelen lobbybezoek van lasterfabriek NGO Monitor aan Tweede Kamer

Op 21 november bezocht NGO Monitor de Tweede Kamer voor een gesprek met Kamerleden. Het werd daarbij vergezeld door het Centrum Informatie en Documentatie Israël (CIDI), dat de bijeenkomst heeft gefaciliteerd. De ontvangst werd doorgedrukt door de PVV en VVD.

Het CIDI had de bedoelingen van NGO Monitor niet valser kunnen voorstellen. Die organisatie geeft niets om ‘het welzijn van de Palestijnen’. Integendeel, NGO Monitor komt juist naar Nederland om mensenrechten-, ontwikkelings- en VN-organisaties te delegitimeren – organisaties die Israëls genocidale geweld in Gaza bekritiseren en het kolossale menselijk leed van de Gazaanse burgerbevolking proberen te lenigen.

Het is schokkend dat deze aan de Israëlische overheid gelieerde lasterfabriek een podium krijgt in ons parlement. Juist in een tijd waarin Israël zich mengt in Nederlandse binnenlandse aangelegenheden en Nederlandse burgers en organisaties belastert.

Lees verder >

Uit onze agenda

zaterdag 23 november t/m zaterdag 30 november

Neem deel aan wakes en demonstraties
• Wake op zaterdag 23.11 in Groningen, Waagplein (13.00 uur)
• Demonstratie ‘Wij zijn allemaal Palestijnen – Stop de criminalisering en repressie’ op zaterdag 30.11 in Amsterdam, De Dam (14.00 uur)
• Wake op zaterdag 30.11 in Nijmegen, Koningsplein - Marienburg (14.00 uur)

Verdiep je in de Palestijnse realiteit
• Theatervoorstelling The Horse of Jenin, op woensdag 27.11, Theater De Schuur, Haarlem (20.00 uur)
• Avond Don’t Stop Talking About Palestine, op woensdag 27.11, De Melkweg, Amsterdam (18.00 uur)
• Filmvertoning Where Olive Trees Weep, op donderdag 28.11, Kromme Nieuwegracht 80, Utrecht, ruimte 006 (17.15 uur)
• Dialoogavond ‘Palestina: 1 jaar later’, op donderdag 28.11, Jan Tooropstraat 6A, Amsterdam (19.00 uur)

Bekijk hier de hele agenda >

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21 november 2024

Today's headlines

Senate rejects effort to block arms sales to Israel

18 lawmakers voted for Bernie Sanders’ effort to block arms sales to Israel, but the vast majority of the Senate voted against the measure.

Congress is set to vote on the most dangerous domestic antiterrorism bill since The PATRIOT Act

If passed, the anti-charities bill would be the most dangerous piece of domestic antiterrorism legislation since the PATRIOT Act and it would take direct aim at the Palestine movement.

No Child Should Be A Target: International campaign launched to protect the children of Lebanon and Palestine

Palestine-Global Mental Health Network

The Palestine-Global Mental Health Network is now launching an international campaign to demand world governments hold Israel accountable for its war crimes against Palestinian and Lebanese children.

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21 november 2024

AMP Welcomes The ICC Arrest Warrants as Landmark for Justice in Palestine

American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) celebrates the International Criminal Court's (ICC) historic issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. These individuals are charged with war crimes, including the use of starvation as a method of warfare and crimes against humanity targeting Palestinians in Gaza. We hail this decision as a long-awaited step toward justice and accountability for decades of systemic human rights abuses committed by the Israeli state.

The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber’s decision highlights the grievous actions taken by Netanyahu and Gallant during their tenure, including deliberate deprivation of food, water, medicine, and electricity, causing widespread civilian suffering in Gaza. These acts, confirmed to have violated international humanitarian law, resulted in mass civilian casualties and constitute both war crimes and crimes against humanity.

"This is a monumental moment in the pursuit of justice for Palestinians," said AMP executive director Dr. Osama Abu Irshaid. "The ICC’s action underscores the global community’s recognition that Israel's apartheid policies, illegal blockade, and systemic oppression of Palestinians are not above the law."

The ICC has reaffirmed that it holds jurisdiction over crimes committed in the occupied Palestinian territories, including Gaza and the West Bank. By rejecting Israel’s challenges to the Court's jurisdiction, the ICC has set a precedent that no leader, regardless of political power, is immune from accountability under international law.

Call to Action
AMP calls on the United States and all nations to uphold their commitments to international law by cooperating with the ICC and enforcing the arrest warrants. The Biden Administration must abandon its long-standing practice of shielding Israel from accountability and instead lead the international community in ensuring that these warrants are executed without delay.

"It is hypocritical for the U.S. to champion human rights globally while providing billions in military aid to Israel, which uses these funds to perpetuate the subjugation and suffering of Palestinians," the statement continues. "By enforcing these warrants, the U.S. can stand on the side of justice and restore its moral credibility."

AMP further calls on Congress to support legislation such as H.R. 3103, which conditions military aid to Israel based on compliance with international human rights standards. We also urge the UN Security Council to adopt measures ensuring that the arrest warrants are respected and that justice is served for the victims of these heinous crimes.

Background
For decades, Israel has implemented policies amounting to apartheid and systematic violence against Palestinians, including the illegal blockade of Gaza and the expansion of settlements in the West Bank. These actions have drawn widespread condemnation from human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which classify Israel’s regime as apartheid.

The ICC’s landmark decision confirms the necessity of holding individuals accountable for these crimes, ensuring that victims’ voices are heard and their suffering addressed.

In solidarity,

American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)

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

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20 november 2024

BLOCK WEAPONS FOR GENOCIDE

BLOCK WEAPONS FOR GENOCIDE

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20 november 2024

De BDS-beweging is officieel een samenwerking aangegaan met Boycat, een innovatief platform en toepassing voor ethisch winkelen, zodat je effectiever kunt deelnemen aan consumentgerichte BDS-campagnes. Downloaden dus!

Wij maken ons grote zorgen om de staat van de rechtsstaat en om de directe inmenging van Israël daarin. De schandalige steun van de Nederlandse regering en bijna hele westerse wereld aan de routineus moordende, liegende en manipulerende staat Israël is ongelooflijk.

Een aantal Palestijnse en Nederlandse organisaties hebben de Nederlandse regering voor de rechter gedaagd wegens medeplichtigheid aan de Gaza-genocide. Kom aanstaande vrijdag nog een keer in solidariteit met de Palestijnen naar de Haagse rechtbank! En op vrijdag 6 december zullen verschillende sprekers in Pakhuis de Zwijger achtergronden over dit proces delen.

Wij blijven oproepen tot geweldloos verzet en op te staan voor vrijheid, gelijkheid en internationaal recht.

Met strijdbare groet van het hele BDS team!

Boycot beter met de boycat app

De BDS-beweging is officieel een samenwerking aangegaan met Boycat, een innovatief platform en toepassing voor ethisch winkelen, zodat je effectiever kunt deelnemen aan consumentgerichte BDS-campagnes.

Via de app blijf je op de hoogte van actuele BDS-targets, kun je producten scannen, en meer te weten komen over bedrijven.

Kom naar de hoorzitting over medeplichtigheid regering aan Gaza-genocide

Een aantal Nederlandse organisaties waaronder en Ander Joods Geluid (EAJG), het European Legal Support Center (ELSC) SOMO, en St. Kifaia hebben samen met Palestijnse mensenrechtenorganisaties Al Haq en Al Mezan de Nederlandse regering voor de rechter gedaagd wegens medeplichtigheid aan de Gaza-genocide.

Dus kom asjeblieft aanstaande vrijdag nog een keer in solidariteit met de Palestijnen naar de Haagse rechtbank!

Waar: Prins Clauslaan 60, Den Haag
Wanneer: 22 november 9-12 uur

Vrijdag 6 december in Pakhuis de Zwijger:  Informatie achter het proces tegen de Nederlandse staat vanwege het falen om genocide in Gaza te voorkomen. 

Tijdens dit programma in Pakhuis de Zwijger zullen sprekers informatie delen over de rol van de Nederlandse regering in de vermeende oorlogsmisdaden van Israël, het doel van de nieuwe rechtszaak, het verband met de F-35-zaak en de volgende stappen in beide zaken.

Daarnaast zal het evenement een fondsenwerving bevatten om de juridische kosten voor de zaak te dekken.

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20 november 2024

Today's headlines

The massacres that tore my life apart

Hala Ahmed

Over the last year, I have lost many of my relatives and friends who have been victims of horrific Israeli attacks. Four massacres that tore my life apart.

How my family has survived the famine in Gaza

Soha Ahmed Hamdouna

It is a daily struggle for survival under the Israeli-imposed siege on Gaza. Families are surviving on scraps of bread and contaminated canned food, and my children dream of a simple chicken meal. In a land once full of life, only ashes.

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20 november 2024

Readers’ Recommendations

  Videos: Gaza

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In today's Daily Brief:

• What Would You Do with a Trillion Dollars?
• Quick Takes: Syria; Russia; Tajikistan/Germany; Landmines; Children
• Readers’ Recommendations
• Three Questions: Bracing for Trump
• Videos: Ukraine; Sudan; Gaza; Asylum; Jobs
• Support Our Work!

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

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (center) heads a meeting of the Council of Economic Affairs and Development in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on May 29, 2018. The council is responsible for oversight of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF). © 2018 Balkis Press/ABACA/Shutterstock 

Listen to the top story

One Man, One Fund, Countless Abuses

What would you do with a trillion dollars? Would you try to use it to do some good in the world? Or would you use it to commit serious human rights abuses?

Today, we’re looking at Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), how it’s essentially under the control of one man, and how it has facilitated human rights abuses and benefited from them.

The PIF is what’s known as a sovereign wealth fund. A lot of countries have such funds, often built on oil wealth. It’s basically a pile of surplus money a government has gathered over time and then invested domestically and abroad. The earnings from these investments could be used to help citizens through spending on health care, for example, or education or infrastructure.

In the Saudi case, however, things don’t quite work that way. The Saudi sovereign wealth fund does originate from the country’s vast fossil fuel resources, but it’s often not used to benefit people in Saudi Arabia.

It’s called the “Public Investment Fund,” but it’s not there helping the public.

The nearly one-trillion-US-dollar fund is essentially controlled by one person, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He wields this enormous economic power in a highly personalized manner, and the PIF is used to commit serious human rights abuses. It’s also used to try to whitewash reputational harm from those abuses.

It’s all described in Human Rights Watch’s newest report, The Man Who Bought the World.

It scrutinizes a vast array of Saudi and international documents and concludes the PIF has benefited directly from serious human rights abuses linked to its chairman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS.

This includes the crown prince’s 2017 “anti-corruption” crackdown that consisted of arbitrary detentions, abusive treatment of detainees, and the extortion of property from Saudi Arabia’s elite.

The PIF has facilitated serious human rights violations linked to MBS through companies it owns and controls.

One example is the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a key critic of the anti-corruption crackdown. Sky Prime Aviation, one of the companies transferred to the PIF during the crackdown, owned the two planes used in 2018 by Saudi agents to travel to Istanbul, where they murdered Khashoggi.

MBS also unilaterally directs enormous sums of state wealth to megaprojects that have hit Saudi Arabia’s most marginalized people hard – migrant workers, rural communities, and poor and working-class residents. Projects have forcibly evicted residents, razed neighborhoods, subjected migrant workers to serious abuses, and silenced communities.

Remember, this is supposed to be state money. It’s harming the public instead.

So, what can be done?

Some international caution would be an absolute minimum. The PIF has investments around the world, and MBS uses sports in particular as a tool for his influence. Just think of the LIV golf tour, the  FIFA 2034 World Cup, and Premier League football club Newcastle United.

Any business with ties to the Saudi Public Investment Fund should re-examine those links and make sure they are not also connected to serious human rights abuses.

Quick Takes: Syria; Russia; Tajikistan/Germany; Landmines; Children

Readers’ Recommendations

Three Questions: Bracing for Trump

I asked US Program Director Tanya Greene, to help explain how Human Rights Watch is preparing for the coming years in the US.

1) What kind of work does the US team do? 

Tanya: The US Program leads with the understanding that racial justice and equity is the fundamental human right providing the foundational, over-arching, and unifying throughline for all our research and advocacy work in the US. Our strategic work priorities embrace criminal justice, immigration and border rights, and democracy, operationalized by a theory of change that centers our partnerships with the most impacted people and incorporates a historical understanding of systemic violations. We advocate for the US to meet its international human rights obligation to end all forms of racial discrimination.

2) How is our US team preparing to respond to the next administration?

Tanya: We anticipate, for starters, our immigration and border rights work may become more critical in the coming months and years as mostly Black and Brown migrants are being increasingly targeted for doing something many, many people in the US have done historically, coming to the US to escape violence, seek protection, flee the effects of climate change, find work, return to locations where their communities have resided for many years, and reunite with family members.

3) Where do you see the hope in the country right now?

Tanya: It is inspiring to see people in the US recognize they are part of a global human rights movement to ensure basic protections for all. It is very hopeful that more and more people understand that we are all entitled to human rights and are committing to work in whatever way they can to protect those rights.

Want to know more? Listen to “Now What?” – the latest episode HRW’s Rights & Wrongs podcast on Spotify and  Apple Podcasts.

Videos: Gaza

Recent daily videos have looked at…

Israel’s crimes against humanity in Gaza.

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19 november 2024

Humanitarian Situation Update #239
Gaza Strip

On Salah Ad Din Road in Deir al Balah, Gaza, two children collect flour spilled from a humanitarian truck, barefoot amid the remnants of war, 5 November 2024. Photo by OCHA

Key Highlights

• For over 40 days, people besieged in North Gaza governorate have been facing diminishing conditions for survival.
• All attempts by the UN to support people in North Gaza have been denied or impeded: bakeries and kitchens have shut down, nutrition support has been suspended, and the refuelling of water and sanitation facilities remains restricted.
• Efforts are ongoing to scale up services in Gaza city, where more than 100,000 people displaced from North Gaza have relocated.
• There is a stark increase in the number of households experiencing severe hunger in central and southern Gaza, Food Security Sector partners warn.
• Eight children were medically evacuated outside the Gaza Strip, bringing to 329 the number of patients who have been exceptionally evacuated abroad since early May.

Humanitarian Developments

• Israeli bombardment from the air, land and sea continues to be reported across the Gaza Strip, resulting in further civilian casualties, displacement, and destruction of civilian infrastructure. In the North Gaza governorate, following military operations that began in October 2023, the Israeli military has been carrying out a ground offensive since 6 October 2024, with fighting reported between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups. Israeli forces have continued to impose a tightened siege on the area and humanitarian assistance has been largely denied; between 1 and 18 November, 27 out of 31 coordination requests by the UN to access the besieged areas were denied and the remaining four were initially approved but then impeded on the ground. No fuel was let in for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities (see more below).
• Briefing the Security Council on 12 November, then Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC), Joyce Msuya, described the latest offensive in North Gaza as “an intensified, extreme and accelerated version of the horrors of the past year.” The Acting ERC stated: “Shelters, homes and schools have been burned and bombed to the ground. Numerous families remain trapped under rubble, because fuel for digging equipment is being blocked by the Israeli authorities and first responders have been blocked from reaching them… Supplies to the north are being cut off and people are being pushed further south.” Highlighting the scale of death, destruction and suffering throughout the Strip, the UN official warned that “[c]onditions of life across Gaza are unfit for human survival,” with food being insufficient, shelter items extremely scarce and violent armed lootings of humanitarian convoys becoming “increasingly organized along routes from Kerem Shalom [crossing], driven by the collapse of public order and safety.”
• Between the afternoons of 12 and 19 November, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, 307 Palestinians were killed and 932 were injured. Between 7 October 2023 and 19 November 2024, at least 43,972 Palestinians were killed and 104,008 were injured, according to MoH in Gaza.
• Between the afternoons of 12 and 19 November, three Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza, according to the Israeli military. Between 7 October 2023 and 19 November 2024, according to the Israeli military and official Israeli sources cited in the media, more than 1,576 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed, the majority on 7 October 2023 and its immediate aftermath. The figure includes 376 soldiers killed in Gaza or along the border in Israel since the beginning of the ground operation. In addition, 2,440 Israeli soldiers were reported injured since the beginning of the ground operation.
• Due to the suspension of the Palestinian Civil Defense (PCD) services in North Gaza governorate, community responders with limited expertise have reportedly been trying to recover casualties using available unsuitable tools, with limited success. The following are some of the deadliest incidents reported between 11 and 18 November:
  • On 11 November, at about 20:45, 11 Palestinians, including two children were reportedly killed and others injured when a tent, reportedly operating as an internet service point and café, was hit on the coastal road in Al Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis.
  • On 12 November, at about 11:30, at least 15 Palestinians were reportedly killed, with corpses remaining under the rubble and in the street, when two houses were hit in Beit Hanoun, in North Gaza.
  • On 12 November, at about 10:45, at least six Palestinians, including two girls and an elderly man, were reportedly killed and several others, including children, injured when a group of Palestinians was hit near the UNRWA clinic on the coastal road west of Deir Al Balah.
  • On 13 November, at about 9:00, six Palestinians were reportedly killed and others injured when a group of people was hit at the gate of Kamal Adwan Hospital, in North Gaza.
  • On 15 November, at about 13:20, at least seven Palestinians including five females were reportedly killed and others injured when a tent used by internally displaced persons (IDPs) was hit near Al Eqlimi Park near Pier 19 in Al Mawasi area, in western Khan Younis.
  • On 16 November, at about 16:35, 10 Palestinians, including at least one girl and two women, were reportedly killed and others injured when Abu Asi School was hit in Ash Shati (Beach) refugee camp, in western Gaza city.
  • On 17 November, at about 0:30, 15 Palestinians were reportedly killed and others injured when a house, hosting IDPs, was hit near Al Shawa clinic in Beit Lahiya Project area in North Gaza. Injured people reportedly remained under the rubble.
  • On 17 November, at about 8:00, approximately 50 Palestinians, including women and children, were reportedly killed and others injured when a five-storey building hosting tens of IDPs was hit in Beit Lahiya Project, in North Gaza.
  • On 17 November, at about 15:25, six Palestinians were reportedly killed and others injured when a group of people was hit near Al Fizab Market in Qizan an Najjar village, in southern Khan Younis.
  • On 19 November, over 20 people were reportedly killed by armed men in an operation said to be led by the Gaza Ministry of Interior to target alleged looters of humanitarian aid.
• The UN and its partners estimate that between 100,000 and 131,000 people have been displaced since 6 October 2024, arriving at various locations in the west and north of Gaza city, where essential resources such as shelter, water, and health care are severely limited. This influx has raised the population in Gaza governorate from around 250,000 estimated to have been present as of the end of September 2024 to approximately 375,000 people. Movement towards southern Gaza remains limited, with about 700 people having moved southward since 6 October 2024. It is estimated that only 65,000 to 75,000 people remain in North Gaza governorate, less than 20 per cent of the population on the eve of 7 October 2024. On 17 November, Israeli air forces dropped leaflets in Beit Lahiya, ordering an immediate evacuation and reportedly triggering further displacement.
• On 15 November, Israeli forces released 20 Palestinian detainees through Kerem Shalom Crossing, most of whom had been reportedly detained from North Gaza since 6 October 2024, according to media sources. The detainees were subsequently transferred to the European Hospital in Khan Younis for medical evaluation and care. Some of the detainees reported to the media that many children, older people, and seriously injured individuals taken from hospitals in North Gaza remain in Israeli custody. Detainees reported being subjected to systematic torture within Israeli prisons, including physical assault, sleep deprivation, prolonged periods of handcuffing and blindfolding, and severe deprivation from food, water, and medical care, as media highlighted. On 15 November, the Palestinian Prisoner’s society announced the death of a detainee from Gaza on 14 November while being transferred from a prison in southern Israel to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba after his medical situation deteriorated. The society added that the prisoner had been detained since December 2023 and was in good health according to his family. As of November 2024, according to data provided by the Israel Prison Service (IPS) to Hamoked, an Israeli human rights NGO, there are 10,091 Palestinians in Israeli custody, including 3,443 administrative detainees held without trial, 1,997 sentenced prisoners, and 1,627 people held as “unlawful combatants”. These figures do not include Palestinians from Gaza who have been detained by the Israeli military since 7 October 2023 and their number remains unknown.
• Humanitarian operations across Gaza have continued to be significantly hampered by ongoing access restrictions, severely limiting the critical delivery of food, medical aid, and fuel supplies and exacerbating already dire humanitarian conditions. Between 1 and 18 November, out of 319 planned aid movements across the Gaza Strip that were coordinated with the Israeli authorities, 41 per cent (132) were facilitated, 33 per cent (105) were denied, 16 per cent (51) were impeded, and 10 per cent (31) were cancelled due to logistical and security challenges. This includes 120 coordinated aid movements intended to provide humanitarian assistance in governorates north of Wadi Gaza, of which 65 needed to pass through the Israeli military-controlled Al Rashid or Salah Ad Din checkpoints. Of those using the checkpoints, only 24 per cent (16) were facilitated by the Israeli authorities, 32 per cent (21) were impeded, 34 per cent (22) were denied, and nine percent (six) were cancelled. Aid missions to the North Gaza Governorate were particularly disrupted. Between 1 and 18 November, 41 coordination requests for humanitarian missions in North Gaza governorate were either denied (17) or impeded (18), while seven per cent (3) were facilitated. Specifically, 31 of these 41 requests were made for the besieged areas of Jabalya, Beit Hanoun, and Beit Lahya, with all but 4 attempts being denied during this period. These four attempts were severely impeded and could only accomplish limited objectives. Coordinated aid missions to areas in the southern, western, and central Rafah governorate, which has been under an ongoing Israeli military operation since early May, have faced similar challenges, with 26 of the 63 coordinated missions (41 per cent) either denied or impeded between 1 and 18 November.

Health

• In North Gaza, where mass casualty incidents and bombardment continue to be reported, access to the Kamal Adwan, Al Awda and Indonesian hospitals remains severely restricted amid severe shortages of medical supplies, fuel and blood units. All attempts by the Health Cluster to deploy an international Emergency Medical Team (EMT) to scale up capacities continue to be blocked by the Israeli authorities. On 17 November, the World Health Organization (WHO), jointly with OCHA, the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), reached the Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza, delivering 10,000 litres of fuel to the facility and transferring 17 patients, three unaccompanied children, and their 22 caregivers to Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza city. Overall, between 1 October and 17 November, WHO and its partners planned 10 missions to the Kamal Adwan Hospital but were only allowed to reach the facility on five occasions, under restrictive conditions. On 18 November, the unaccompanied children were further transferred, with the support of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), to the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, where they were reunited with their families. While the WHO-led mission was also meant to deliver food and medical supplies to Kamal Adwan, Israeli forces compelled aid workers to offload the food at an Israeli military checkpoint, before reaching the patients and medical staff at the hospital, and only some of the medical supplies could be handed over to the facility, according to the hospital’s director Dr. Husam Abu Safiyeh and the Health Cluster. On the evening of 18 November, the Director of Kamal Adwan reported that the facility had once again been hit, with shrapnel hitting personnel in the intensive care unit. In a separate mission, the ICRC and PRCS reached the Al Awda Hospital in Jabaliya, delivering fuel and medical supplies, and transferring 15 patients to Al Shifa Hospital. The Israeli authorities, however, blocked the provision of food and water to the facility. In a statement, Al Awda Health and Community Association warned that Al Awda Hospital is operating only four hours a day to continue providing essential health services despite the critical shortage of fuel and is in dire need of food, water, blood units, and oxygen supplies.
• In Gaza governorate, efforts by the Health Cluster are ongoing to scale up health services given the continued influx of displaced people from North Gaza. Between 27 October and 9 November, two new surgical Specialized Care Teams were deployed to the Public Aid and Al Ahli Arab hospitals in Gaza city. Sexual and Reproductive Health supplies and equipment, as well as individual kits, were also delivered to support 15 health facilities and serve 20,000 people. On 18 November, ICRC and PRCS transferred antibiotics, emergency medications and other medical supplies to Al Shifa, Al Ahli and Al Hilu hospitals in Gaza city, with additional missions planned by the Health Cluster to the area to further increase capacities.
• In central Gaza, with support from Germany, WHO has expanded inpatient capacity at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, setting up 13 specialized tents with 88 additional beds in the hospital’s backyard. This extension is expected to ease congestion in the emergency room, enhance trauma care for complex cases, and improve the management of mass casualty incidents. The hospital, however, continues to face shortages of blood units and on 14 November, it organized an urgent blood donation campaign jointly with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Doctors of the World. Meanwhile, Emergency, an international NGO, reported that its team has started providing healthcare services in a field clinic set up by a local association in Al Mawasi, receiving an average of 160 patients a day, more than a third of whom are children, and finding that one in ten patients is malnourished.
• On 14 November, WHO and its partners supported the medical evacuation of eight children suffering from conflict injuries and metabolic conditions, alongside their six companions, from Gaza to Jordan, for onward travel to the United States to receive advanced medical treatment. Four days earlier, MSF reported that the Israeli authorities had blocked, without explanation, the medical evacuation to the MSF hospital in Jordan of eight children and their caretakers, including a two-year-old with leg amputations. MSF added that it had applied for 32 children and caretakers to be medically evacuated from Gaza to Jordan in recent months, but only six have reportedly been allowed to leave. In total, according to the Health Cluster, since the closure of Rafah Crossing on 7 May, only 329 patients have been exceptionally evacuated outside Gaza, while all regular evacuations of critically ill and injured patients remain suspended.

Food Security

• The food security situation continues to worsen by the day across the Gaza Strip. More than one million people have not received any food parcels since July or earlier, with the majority being in central and southern Gaza. Many kitchens have already closed, none are operational in North Gaza governorate, only 18 in the Gaza governorate, and approximately 120 remain open throughout central and southern Gaza, of which 100 are producing about 330,000 meals per day but face the constant threat of shutdown amid persistent and increasing shortages of supplies. As of 18 November, only eight out of 19 bakeries supported by WFP remained operational across the Strip – four in Gaza city, three in Deir al Balah and one in Khan Younis; none in Rafah or North Gaza. The deepening energy crisis is only exacerbating this dire situation across the Strip, with no cooking gas having entered northern Gaza for more than 13 consecutive months, and firewood or wood logs being increasingly scarce in highly congested areas of central and southern Gaza, forcing people to continue relying on burning waste to cook and venture into high-risk areas in search of firewood.
• Access to North Gaza continues to be heavily restricted, with all except two missions by Food Security Sector (FSS) partners to deliver food aid (both missions were also rendered incomplete) consistently denied since 6 October and kitchen and subsidized bakeries having completely shut down. Moreover, all Nutrition Cluster partner activities remain suspended, including the treatment of children with acute malnutrition, as well as supplementary feeding for children and pregnant and breastfeeding women. Briefing the Security Council on 12 November, the Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Office of Emergencies and Resilience, Rein Pulsen, stressed that “men, women, boys and girls are effectively starving as the conflict rages, with humanitarian organizations blocked from delivering assistance to those in need,” warning that the window of opportunity to save people’s lives is now – tomorrow will be too late. He explained that people would have already been dying from hunger by the time famine is declared and this would have “irreversible consequences that can last generations.” In a video statement issued on 15 November and in a subsequent update provided on 18 November, the Director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital warned that signs of famine are being recorded in North Gaza, with acutely malnourished children and adults arriving to the hospital and four children being now in critical conditions at the facility.
• In Gaza city, FSS partners are doing their utmost to support the increasing number of people displaced from further north. So far in November, more than 200,000 people have received at least one food parcel, with many having also received one 25-kilogram bag of wheat flour, which continues to enter almost regularly through the Erez West Crossing. About 10,000 cooked meals prepared in 18 kitchens are distributed daily to households, alongside 9,800 bread parcels produced by the four subsidized bakeries.
• Food security conditions are alarmingly deteriorating in the central and southern governorates of Gaza, with a limited amount of food aid trickling through the Kerem Shalom crossing, a high rate of convoys being looted, and a near halt to commercial supplies. On 16 November, a UN convoy comprising 109 trucks of food supplies was violently looted by Palestinians, with 97 trucks lost and drivers forced at gunpoint to unload aid. As of mid-November, only some 270,000 people - 16 per cent of the estimated 1.7 million people in Deir al Balah, Khan Younis and Rafah - had received their reduced monthly food rations. Dire shortages of wheat flour have forced the closure of four bakeries in Deir al Balah in the space of one week, with only three bakeries in the governorate and one in Khan Younis remaining operational as of 18 November. Many community-led baking initiatives have equally been forced to suspend their activities since early October. The four still functional bakeries are operating at 100 per cent of their capacity, but risk shutting down if no additional flour is received within five days.
• A remote monitoring exercise conducted by FSS partners in central and southern Gaza in October revealed a stark increase in the number of households experiencing severe hunger, with people increasingly relying on the most severe coping strategies to survive, such as reducing adults’ food intake in favour of children. Wheat flour is also extremely scarce, with the price of a 25-kilogramme bag of flour having skyrocketed to 400 NIS (over US$100), compared with 40 NIS (about $10) prior to October 2023. The situation on the ground is “unbearable,” highlighted UNRWA, with “people fighting over bags of flour and surviving on tinned food” and protests demanding the entry of flour and food supplies being increasingly frequent. The Nutrition Stabilization Centre operated by the International Medical Corps (IMC) in Deir Al Balah has also reported to the Nutrition Cluster an increase in admissions of children with oedema, a sign of worsening malnutrition, with six boys and four girls admitted between 10 October and 12 November.

Water and Sanitation

• WASH conditions remain critical across Gaza, particularly in the North Gaza governorate, where approximately 65,000 - 75,000 people face immense challenges in securing access to clean drinking water and where no fuel has been allowed into the area, halting the operation of the remaining water wells, amid ongoing power cuts from Israel and the Gaza power plant. According to the WASH Cluster, since the onset of the Israeli military operation in North Gaza on 6 October 2024, all requests submitted by aid partners for the delivery of supplies and fuel to operate WASH facilities denied, heightening the risks of dehydration and disease outbreaks while about half of Gaza city wells have been inaccessible. In southern Gaza, fuel and equipment shortages are also having a detrimental impact on WASH conditions. Calling for the urgent delivery of fuel ahead of the winter season, on 16 November, the Municipality of Khan Younis reported that the lack of fuel is severely hindering its ability to collect and transport waste as well as clear stormwater trains in over 60 identified locations at high risk of flooding, among other essential services, further exacerbating the challenges faced by residents in these vulnerable areas.
• On 13 November, the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) said that it has received from UNICEF a shipment of 20,000 litres of chlorine for drinking water and necessary chemicals, which are sufficient for one month to operate seawater desalination plants and water wells in southern Gaza. Chlorine stocks had been depleted for months, leaving the water supply system vulnerable to contamination and public health risks, while the destruction of water and sanitation infrastructure, particularly water networks and distribution systems, has resulted in unprecedented levels of water pollution, CMWU highlighted. While none of these supplies have yet been authorized for delivery to WASH facilities in North Gaza, received supplies are expected to help mitigate the risk of water contamination and alleviate parts of the public health concerns including at displacement sites.
• On 14 November, the Israeli authorities enabled power through a single electricity line dedicated to the UN-supported southern Gaza central seawater desalination plant, connecting it to Israel’s power grid, which is anticipated to contribute to improving the water supply. However, the overall amount of water produced and pumped remains unclear, as water pumping continues to be severely hindered by the ongoing destruction of WASH infrastructure. This marks the first time the Israeli authorities have allowed any electricity connection to Gaza since it cut off all the supply from Israel of approximately 120 Megawatts in October 2023. Combined with the forced shutdown of Gaza's sole power plant, Gaza has been suffering from a near complete blackout, and full reliance on alternative power sources such as backup generators or solar panels, severely disrupting the provision of basic services and aid operations.

Funding

• As of 19 November, Member States have disbursed about US$2.12 billion out of the $3.42 billion (62 per cent) requested to meet the most critical needs of 2.3 million* people in Gaza and 800,000 people in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, between January and December 2024. For funding analysis, please see the Flash Appeal Financial Tracking dashboard. (*2.3 million reflects the projected population of the Gaza Strip upon issuance of the Flash Appeal in April 2024. As of July 2024, the UN estimates that about 2.1 million people remain in the Gaza Strip, and this updated number is now used for programmatic purposes.)
• The oPt Humanitarian Fund (oPt HF) is currently managing 90 ongoing projects, totalling $79.6 million. These projects aim to address urgent needs in the Gaza Strip (91 per cent) and the West Bank (nine per cent) and are strategically focused on education, food security, health, protection, emergency shelter and non-food items, WASH, coordination and support services, multi-purpose cash assistance and nutrition. Of these projects, 49 are being implemented by international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), 29 by national NGOs and 12 by UN agencies. Notably, 32 out of the 61 projects conducted by INGOs or the UN are being implemented in collaboration with national NGOs. Moreover, in addition to the four other reserve allocations for 2024, the oPt HF is currently finalizing its critical and time-sensitive First Standard Allocation of $30 million, aligned with the 2024 oPt Flash Appeal, aiming to rapidly scale up relief efforts to meet the immediate needs of affected people in Gaza and the West Bank. The allocation includes 16 fast-tracked projects, prioritizing critical winterization preparedness and addressing urgent shelter, WASH, and other emergency needs of IDPs and other vulnerable groups in Gaza. Monthly updates, annual reports, and a list of all funded projects per year, are available on the oPt Humanitarian Fund webpage, under the financing section.

766.

19 november 2024

I’m here with over 100 activists holding a sit-in on Capitol Hill to demand our senators block $20 billion in weapons for genocide and war. Capitol police are currently arresting faith leaders alongside climate, housing, Indigenous, Jewish, and Palestinian activists participating.

Our message is clear: The time to act is NOW.

For every martyr we have lost, and every genocide survivor enduring unthinkable horrors, time ran out a long time ago. Palestinians in Gaza cannot wait another day. We need an arms embargo NOW to cut off the endless supply of U.S. weapons and military funding to Israel.

In the next 48 hours, the joint resolutions of disapproval (JRDs) to block $20 billion in deadly weapons to Israel are expected to come to a vote. That's why we're disrupting loudly in the halls of power right now.

Each senator will be forced to go on record with where they stand. Pressure them to pick a side: Justice not genocide.

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19 november 2024

At this moment police are arresting dozens of activists who are trying to block a $20 billion weapons sale to the Israeli military. Protestors have filled the halls of US Senators and are refusing to leave until their demands are met.

Tomorrow the Senate is expected to vote on blocking arms sales to Israel for the first time in history. For more context on tomorrow’s vote and how you can help, see yesterday’s email below.

Sandra Tamari

Adalah Justice Project

On Wednesday, the Senate is expected to vote on a historic set of bills to block a $20 billion weapons package to Israel. Sen. Bernie Sanders, along with Sens. Merkley and Welch, introduced joint resolutions of disapproval (JRDs) to stop the $20 billion sale.

This is the first time in U.S. history that the Senate will vote on blocking weapon sales to Israel.

Over the last month, the Israeli military has launched “a genocide within a genocide” - a campaign of mass slaughter and ethnic cleansing in northern Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in northern Gaza are being starved. Essential aid like food and medicine hasn’t entered the north in weeks, and the hospitals are under siege.

According to multiple U.S. laws, the U.S. cannot provide weapons to any country that violates internationally recognized human rights or to any country that “prohibits or otherwise restricts, directly or indirectly, the transport or delivery of United States humanitarian assistance. Israel is clearly in violation of these laws.

As the Palestine movement is increasingly under attack, we need to show our representatives that we have the masses on our side.

Poll after poll shows that the majority of Americans want arms sales to Israel to end.

Our movement is only growing in power and numbers.

With determination,

Sandra Tamari

764.

19 november 2024

Readers’ Recommendations

Videos: Gaza

763.

19 november 2024

Today's headlines

 As U.S. ambassador, Rev. Mike Huckabee will push for ‘end times’ in Palestine

As U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee will likely go further in advocating for the destruction of Palestine, stepping up the holocaust in Gaza and pushing for the annexation of Gaza and the West Bank.

Israel’s Genocide Day 408: U.S. envoy to visit Lebanon and Israel to discuss ceasefire deal as confrontations heat up

Qassam Muaddi

The US and Israel say ceasefire negotiations with Lebanon are progressing, but Lebanon says negotiations still have a long way to go. Meanwhile, Israeli strikes intensify in Gaza, killing 111 Palestinians in a single day in the northern Gaza Strip.

762.

18 november 2024

On Wednesday, the Senate is expected to vote on a historic set of bills to block a $20 billion weapons package to Israel. Sen. Bernie Sanders, along with Sens. Merkley and Welch, introduced joint resolutions of disapproval (JRDs) to stop the $20 billion sale.

This is the first time in U.S. history that the Senate will vote on blocking weapon sales to Israel.

Over the last month, the Israeli military has launched “a genocide within a genocide” - a campaign of mass slaughter and ethnic cleansing in northern Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in northern Gaza are being starved. Essential aid like food and medicine hasn’t entered the north in weeks, and the hospitals are under siege.

According to multiple U.S. laws, the U.S. cannot provide weapons to any country that violates internationally recognized human rights or to any country that “prohibits or otherwise restricts, directly or indirectly, the transport or delivery of United States humanitarian assistance.”

According to the United Nations and every humanitarian organization on the ground in Gaza, Israel is clearly in violation of these laws. There is vastly documented evidence that Israel is committing genocide, war crimes, and other mass atrocities with U.S. weapons in violation of U.S. law.

As the Palestine movement is increasingly under attack, we need to show our representatives that we have the masses on our side.

With determination,

Sandra Tamari

761.

18 november 2024

Today's headlines

Palestine against an eco-apartheid world

Asmaa Ashraf

In coming years, eco-apartheid will become more prominent worldwide as colonial violence is used to maintain and safeguard Western interests and profits. We are seeing this future in Gaza today.

Two months on: Reflections at the grave of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi

Sam O’Neill

I visited Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi's grave two months after she was murdered by Israeli forces in the West Bank village of Beita. It is easy to feel hopeless as the U.S. government ignores her killing, but Palestinians don't, and neither should we.

760.

17 november 2024

17 november 2024

760A.

Today's headlines

The future is the oldest Arab prisoner: On Walid Daqqah’s eulogies of hope

Mohamad Kadan

17 november 2024

Walid Daqqah's writings were fundamentally linked to a deep-seated worry about the future. While he mourns our collective Palestinian condition, Daqqa also reminds us that the future carries hope.

Read more

Escaping through the walls in Gaza

Sami A. Akkeila

This is the story of one family, and their desperate attempts to flee to safety under the bombardment of Israeli tanks. It is but one story among millions.

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17 november 2024

759B.

16 november 2024

Today's headlines

Recent events in the Middle East show regional leaders shifting positions and alliances as they prepare to stave off a regional war under the unpredictable incoming Trump administration.

Fighting a rare illness while surviving genocide in Gaza

Noor Alyacoubi

Rana Nabeel Baalousha is fighting a rare illness while also struggling to survive the genocide in Gaza. Her only hope of survival is a medical transfer out of Gaza, but Israel won’t allow it. Her story is one of many.

Hezbollah demystified

Despite relentless Israeli attempts to misrepresent and dismantle Hezbollah, the organization has endured. A look at the group's history and goals explains its enduring power and shows how much of what’s said in Western media is not true.

Resistance to colonialism, from Derry to Palestine

Eman Mohammed

A delegation of Palestinian activists and movement leaders visited the north of Ireland to ground ourselves in its history of anti-imperialism. Derry was more than a city for us—it mirrored our shared history of colonial oppression and resistance.

759.

16 november 2024

Ingrid Jaradat, co-founder of the Palestinian-led global BDS movement, passed away on this date last year. Ingrid worked tirelessly, until the last moment, in support of the Palestinian struggle for liberation and particularly the right of return of the Palestinian refugees.

To commemorate Ingrid’s unique contribution, the global BDS movement is launching the Ingrid Jaradat Award (IJA). We will soon start welcoming submissions for the most inspiring BDS initiatives, and sharing further details.

The award is in the spirit of the text engraved on Ingrid’s tombstone near Bethlehem which says:
 

“We promise you to smile whenever we can, like you did; to keep on going no matter what, struggling, reflecting, defending hope despite the pain, falling, standing up again, modifying the path, resuming the struggle, and ultimately winning our liberation!”

The symbolic IJA is a basket of Palestinian fair-trade products (olivewood, olive oil, olive oil soap, zaatar, freekeh, etc.) for the winning groups to enjoy in community. The olive oil is donated by Ingrid’s life partner, Muhammad Jaradat, and it is all from olive trees that they both planted and nourished for many years.

758.

15 november 2024

Your Activist Scoop

• The Biden administration’s 30-day deadline for Israel to stop blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza has passed with zero action. Biden has refused to follow through on an arms embargo, making endless excuses to avoid it.

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15 november 2024

Today's headlines

Israel’s Genocide Day 404: Israel is committing ethnic cleansing, says Human Rights Watch

Qassam Muaddi

Israel and the U.S. are reportedly preparing another ceasefire proposal in Lebanon. Human Rights Watch joins the chorus of international rights groups and experts condemning Israel's ethnic cleansing of Gaza.

Activists call on Irish government and EU to denounce Germany’s role in Gaza genocide

Irish Bloc Berlin

Activists in Ireland and Germany are calling on the Irish government and EU to publicly denounce Germany’s repeated contraventions of international law and active role in the Gaza genocide.

Academic Boycott Now: It is time to end the UC Davis-Hebrew University Professional Veterinary Exchange

Hebrew University is part and parcel of apartheid Israel’s regime of terror and control. We must end the exchange program between the University of California Davis and Hebrew University.

The road to Egypt goes through Gaza

Egypt is complicit in the genocide in Gaza, but any Egyptian who engages in even mild protest is arrested. How did we get here?

756.

15 november 2024

Over het geweld dat vorige week in Amsterdam plaatsvond kunnen we kort zijn: dat wijzen we af. Geweld is geen oplossing. Wat The Rights Forum vooral diep schokt, is de manier waarop de gebeurtenissen door het merendeel van de politici zonder meer worden geframed als antisemitisch geweld, zonder een bredere context te schetsen.

Genocidale context
Die context betreft niet alleen de ernstige provocaties van de Maccabi Tel Aviv-supporters voorafgaand aan het geweld van Amsterdamse jongeren. Nog belangrijker is het buitenproportionele Israëlische geweld in Palestina, met etnische zuiveringen op de Westelijke Jordaanoever en een genocide in Gaza.

Maccabi Tel Aviv-supporters kwamen voorafgaand aan de wedstrijd tegen Ajax samen op De Dam, 7 november 2024. © Alamy

Nederland steunt dat geweld en doet niets om het te stoppen. Sterker nog: Nederland steunt Israël onvoorwaardelijk, wil wapens aan Israël blijven leveren en weigert gehoor te geven aan de oproep van het Internationaal Gerechtshof om alles te doen om een einde te maken aan de genocide.

Nederlanders eisen verandering
Nederland kan dit niet blijven doen zonder te denken dat dit geweld vroeger of later als een boemerang terugkomt. Dat de Nederlandse regering stelselmatig de ogen sluit voor Israëlische oorlogsmisdaden en misdaden tegen de menselijkheid, is voor een groot deel van de Nederlanders onaanvaardbaar.

Zij eisen verandering, zij eisen respect voor Palestijnse levens, zij eisen een beleid dat aansluit bij de gruwelijke werkelijkheid. Zij eisen dat er naar hun oprechte pijn en wanhoop wordt geluisterd. The Rights Forum sluit zich onomwonden bij hen aan.

Op 10 november werd er in Amsterdam, ondanks een noodverordening die demonstraties verbiedt, toch geprotesteerd tegen de genocide in Gaza. De politie arresteerde ruim honderd demonstranten. [c] Alamy

756A.

14 november 2024

We Keep Fighting, a pivotal online gathering on Monday, November 18, 2024, at 8 PM ET. This call will be an opportunity to reflect, strategize, and commit to the path ahead as we continue our efforts to end the U.S.-funded genocide in Gaza and strengthen the Palestinian movement.

In solidarity,
Sandra Tamari

755.

14 november 2024

The US deadline to improve humanitarian conditions in northern Gaza has expired, and the IDF's mass bombing and starvation campaign to expel its residents has worsened. The IDF clearly stated - residents won’t be allowed to return.

This is completely ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian Land !!

After the IDF already split Gaza in two with an ever expanding Netzarim corridor (named after a settlement evicted from Gaza in 2005), it built another corridor in the north, cutting Gaza City off from Jabalya, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia. A siege within a siege within a siege.

In October the IDF drastically decreased the amount of aid entering northern Gaza, publicly stating none would enter north of Gaza City for over a month. Attempting to justify this to the public, the IDF claimed there were no civilians in the area - a blatant and abhorrent lie.

Adding to this, the mass-bombing campaign in northern Gaza has killed dozens on average every day over the past month. The so-called “precise” bombings were made worse by the use of imprecise-by-definition artillery shells. A deliberate intent to destroy, as much as possible. 

Last week, IDF Brig-Gen Itzik Cohen, who currently commands the division holding Jabalya, told Israeli news outlets “there are no civilians left” north of the new corridor, yet 36 Gazans were killed in an IDF strike on Sunday in Jabalya. The UN estimates tens of thousands of civilians are still there. Photos show masses fleeing.

The IDF tendency to consider an area “empty of civilians” once it calls citizens to evacuate is not new, and shouldn’t be treated as such. We saw similar “kill zones” in 2008 and 2014. Once the leaflets are dropped, anyone left in the area essentially becomes a legitimate target.

"[Our brigade commander] went so far as to say this was war and in war as in war, no consideration of civilians was to be taken. You shoot anyone you see. I'm paraphrasing [...] but the gist of the matter was very clear."
Operation “Cast Lead” | Testimony 10 | Gaza | 2009

"They told us: “There aren’t supposed to be any civilians there. If you spot someone, shoot.” Whether it posed a threat or not wasn’t a question. [...] they made it clear that there were no uninvolved civilians.”
First Sergeant | Infantry | 2014

“This is the default. No civilians are supposed to be in the area, that’s the perspective. We spotted someone in a window, so they fired and killed him,” one soldier told Oren Ziv for +972 Magazine in July. Kill zones are nothing new, all that’s really changed is the scale.

Brig-Gen Itzik Cohen also made clear that there’s “no intention of allowing the residents of the northern Gaza Strip to return to their homes.” Forced transfer, which also lays the groundwork for possible resettlement.

The IDF is ethnically cleansing northern Gaza.

Over the past month and a half, and indeed since the start of the war, the IDF spokesperson has barely given any information regarding the relentless aerial bombardments that have claimed the lives of so many. Yet when the IDF does comment on specific incidents, their statements are often telling.

At least 100 people were killed in a single IDF strike last month on a residential building in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza. The IDF said the building was bombed after 4 soldiers were killed by an IED nearby, and a “lookout” was detected on its roof. A 5-story building, around 200 people - bombed for a “lookout.”

About 20 of those who died in the bombing were children. Dozens were trapped under the rubble, some of whom were taking shelter after being driven out of the bombed areas of Jabaliya and Beit Hanoun. For a lookout. But what does the IDF mean when they say someone is a “lookout”?

A soldier who took part in the 2014 ground invasion of Gaza, told us how two women in an orchard were targeted and killed for allegedly being "lookouts," because they were seen "with cellphones, talking, walking" and it was assumed that they could see the forces.

“... They check the bodies, and it was two women [...] and they were unarmed. He came back and we moved on, and they were listed as terrorists. They were fired at – so of course, they must have been terrorists.”
Infantry | Southern Gaza Strip | 2014

We see the same posthumous branding of people as terrorists today, too.

“The feeling in the war room, and this is a softened version, was that every person we killed, we counted him as a terrorist,” one IDF officer told +972 Magazine in July.

The IDF also claimed the casualty numbers from Beit Lahia are unreliable and "do not match the information in the IDF's possession." The justifications never change, nor do the claims of inflated numbers of casualties, only the dates and locations do.

Children were wiped off the face of the earth, rescuers desperately worked to move rubble by hand, and the IDF responded that "a number of photos that were broadcast on media channels were published in the past and are unrelated to the current attack."
100% audacity, 0% shame.

We are seeing the results of years of dehumanization in which people are reduced to numbers. Reduced to "lookouts" killed in "precision strikes" with “conflicting reports” of mass "collateral damage." Just a few of the myriad phrases and concepts we use to try and clean our conscience.

Our Executive Director, Nadav Weiman, recently spoke at a conference dedicated to testimonies from the war in Gaza. The conference was held by The Partnership for Peace and Local Call, in Tel Aviv, October 2024.

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14 november 2024

344 young Palestinian footballers have been killed during Israel’s ongoing, livestreamed Gaza genocide.
 

That’s almost one per day since Israel began its genocidal assault on 2.3 million Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip.
 

Meanwhile, Israel is still allowed to participate in FIFA matches.
 

Last week, mobs of racist Israeli fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv football team incited to genocide and went on a violent rampage in Amsterdam ahead of and after the Europa League match against Ajax.
 

The criminal Israeli gangs violently attacked persons appearing to be Arab and homes displaying support for Palestinian rights.
 

It shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Maccabi Tel Aviv team itself has sent “care packages” to Israeli soldiers committing genocide in Gaza and organized “motivational” videos of its many employee soldiers in Gaza.
 

Genocidal apartheid Israel should not be playing in any FIFA matches.
 

FIFA has been shielding Israel’s brutal, decades-old regime of apartheid, and now genocide, from accountability for years. But pressure is mounting and we won’t be silent.
 

Thanks to our incessant calls and even official pressures, FIFA was forced to vote on banning Israel. While it ultimately voted to once again delay a decision, it is a sign that our pressure is having an effect.
 

Today, during the France vs Israel Nations League match, let’s maintain our commitment of #NoRestForFIFA.

­

Tell FIFA: genocide and genocide-inciting teams and fans have no place in football

More than 12,000 sports fans and people of conscience have signed a petition protesting the match between France and Israel. More than 500,000 have called on FIFA to #BanIsrael.

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14 november 2024

Humanitarian Situation Update #238
West Bank

A demolished residential building in Al Bustan area of Silwan, East Jerusalem, hosting a community centre that served about 1,000 people. Photo by OCHA

Key Highlights

• Between 5 and 11 November, Israeli forces in the West Bank killed 11 Palestinians, including three in airstrikes. One Palestinian was shot and killed by an Israeli settler after perpetrating a ramming attack and another was killed while handling an explosive device.
• Fifty Palestinians, including 23 children, were displaced as nine residential structures were demolished in East Jerusalem.
• The UN Human Rights Office has condemned Israeli forces’ “mass arrests, ill-treatment, and gratuitous humiliation of Palestinians during raids in refugee camps and towns” over the past month.
• In recent weeks, Israeli authorities have reopened multiple checkpoints in the Ramallah governorate for a few hours per day, yet access restrictions remain severe.

Latest Developments (after 11 November)

• On 12 November, initial reports suggest that Israeli forces shot and killed an 18-year-old Palestinian man near Deir Sharaf checkpoint (Nablus). According to eyewitnesses, the man was walking near the checkpoint when Israeli soldiers called him and ordered him to lift his shirt to check for weapons and shot him. The Israeli military claims that the man was attempting to stab soldiers.
• On 13 November, demolitions in Al Bustan area of Silwan, East Jerusalem – which had displaced dozens since 5 November (see below) – included the local community centre, previously serving over 1,000 people with youth education programmes, legal workshops, scouting activities, and supporting sports teams, cultural groups and women’s groups.
• On 14 November, initial reports indicate that two Palestinian men were killed by Israeli forces in Tulkarm.

Humanitarian Developments (5-11 November)

• During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed 11 Palestinians, including three in airstrikes, and injured 52 others, including 16 children, across the West Bank. Another Palestinian was shot and killed by a settler after he perpetrated a ramming attack which injured two settlers including a child, and one was killed in Tulkarm while handling an explosive device. All the incidents resulting in fatalities by Israeli forces took place in the northern West Bank, as follows:
  • On 5 November, Israeli forces killed eight Palestinians and injured 11 others in three raids in Qabatiya town, Ash Shuhada (Jenin) and Tammun village (Tubas). According to the Israeli military, these operations were carried out against armed Palestinians who were using explosive devices.

    • In Qabatiya, Israeli forces conducted an operation which included airstrikes. During the operation, the forces shot and killed four Palestinians, including an 18-year-old Palestinian who according to eyewitnesses, was observing the forces from a rooftop. Two others were shot in a vehicle, and a fourth person was shot near a mosque. Reportedly, Israeli forces prevented Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) paramedics from reaching those injured for almost half an hour. During the operation, Israeli forces surrounded a house, reportedly firing at least ten shoulder-fired explosive projectiles at it before demolishing it with a bulldozer. Palestinians and Israeli forces exchanged fire around the besieged house, and Palestinians reportedly used explosive devices. Three families comprising 12 people were displaced.

    • In Ash Shuhada, an Israeli airstrike hit a house, killing two Palestinians, an uncle and his nephew. According to local sources, Israeli forces, using jeeps and bulldozers, raided the village, where they and Palestinians exchanged fire.

    • In Tammun, an Israeli airstrike killed a 52-year-old man during an operation in the village. The PRCS reported that they transported his remains, which were found in multiple pieces, to the hospital. The Ministry of Health announced that another Palestinian was shot and killed during the raid. Video footage shows an Israeli bulldozer taking his body, which was subsequently withheld, leaving the circumstances of his death unclear.

  • On 6 November, Israeli forces shot and killed a 53-year-old Palestinian man during an operation in Jenin city and its refugee camp. During the operation, Israeli forces detonated explosives in a house within the camp and bulldozed streets, causing significant infrastructure damage. Exchanges of fire between armed Palestinians and Israeli forces were reported. As a result of the operation, seven residential structures were damaged, where eleven Palestinian families, comprising 53 people were displaced, including 22 children.

  • On 6 November, a Palestinian man from Deir al Ghusoun (Tulkarm) rammed his vehicle into Israeli settlers waiting at a bus stop at Shilo junction (Nablus), before being shot and killed by a settler. According to Israeli media, a woman and a 15-year-old boy were injured by the ramming. The man was shot when he got out of his vehicle, reportedly carrying a knife, and chased a settler.

• • On 7 November, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man while operating in Tulkarm city and its refugee camps. During the operation, exchanges of fire between Palestinians and Israeli forces were reported, as well as the use of explosives by Palestinians and airstrikes by Israeli forces. Two Palestinians, including a woman and her son, who is a person with disabilities, were injured by airstrike shrapnel. In Tulkarm refugee camp, the operation displaced seven families, comprising 26 people. In Nur Shams camp, the operation displaced four families, comprising 11 people. In both camps, damage from airstrikes and bulldozers disrupted access to water, electricity, and education services during the operation, while water was disconnected for a further two days with some areas are still experiencing shortages as of the time of reporting. Several road sections within and around the camps were bulldozed and flooded with sewage.

    On 9 November, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian during an operation after besieging his house in the village of Aqqaba, north of Tubas. According to the head of Aqqaba municipality, undercover Israeli forces entered the village and surrounded a building where they forced the family to leave, with one member staying behind. A human rights organization reported an exchange of fire between the Palestinian and the forces. The body of the man has been withheld by Israeli forces. After this, Israeli forces continued to raid the village from all sides. PRCS reported additional injuries during the military operation: one Palestinian was shot in the chest by live ammunition, another was physically assaulted by Israeli forces, and a Palestinian woman fell and was injured while trying to flee from Israeli forces during the operation.

• During the reporting period, OCHA documented 39 incidents involving settlers and affecting Palestinians, including 23 attacks that resulted in casualties, property damage or both. In total, six Palestinians were injured by Israeli settlers, and about 600 trees, mainly olives, and five Palestinian-owned vehicles were vandalized. Since 1 October 2024, OCHA has documented 203 incidents involving settlers directly related to the olive harvest in 79 communities across the West Bank, the majority of which (151 incidents) resulted in casualties or property damage. In this period, 69 Palestinians were injured by Israeli settlers, 13 by Israeli forces, and more than 1,600 mostly olive trees burnt, sawed-off or otherwise vandalized, and many crops and harvesting tools stolen.
• The following are some of the key settler incidents that took place during the reporting period, which entailed intimidation, harassment, physical injury, property damage or a combination thereof, and include cases where Israeli forces were present:

  • On 5 November, settlers believed to be from Otniel settlement (Hebron) attacked tens of farmers from four different villages (As Samu, Karma, Umm al Amad and Adh Dhahiriya) while they were harvesting the olives and forced them to leave their land. The Israeli military had previously allowed the farmers to harvest the olives between 5 and 7 November. As a result of the attacks, the farmers were unable to harvest, and hundreds of dunums of olive groves remained unharvested.

  • On 7 November, Israeli settlers attacked and injured two Palestinians while they and others were harvesting olives in Area B and Area C of Ein Yabrud village (Ramallah). The settlers proceeded to destroy at least 100 olive trees. According to eyewitnesses, Palestinian families were granted access by Israeli forces to their lands for one day to complete the harvest. Upon arriving, they discovered that settlers from nearby outposts had already harvested most of the olive trees, chopped down numerous others, and flooded parts of the land with sewage from the nearby Ofra settlement. The Palestinians began harvesting the remaining olive trees, after which two groups of masked and armed settlers attacked them with stones. The assailants also destroyed a vehicle with sticks and stones. The Palestinians called the Israeli police for assistance, but the latter proceeded to expel the Palestinians from their land.

  • On 7 November, an Israeli group demonstrated against the UN, damaging vehicles entering or exiting UNRWA’s compound in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem. Demonstrators hung posters against the United Nations on the external walls of the compound. This incident is part of a series of ongoing attacks against UNRWA staff and facilities in Jerusalem.

  • On 8 November, Israeli settlers believed to be from Maale Ahuvia, accompanied by Israeli forces, physically assaulted and injured a Palestinian, while Palestinian families and Israeli activists were harvesting olives on the eastern outskirts of Deir Jarir (Ramallah). According to video footage and local sources, Israeli settlers threw stones at the families and assaulted them with sticks; forcing them to leave. Subsequently, Israeli forces confiscated two Palestinian-owned cars and arrested three Israeli activists, while settlers stole olive harvesting tools.

• During the reporting period, Israeli forces demolished or forced the demolition of 30 Palestinian-owned residential structures due to the lack of Israeli-issued permits in Area A, Area C and East Jerusalem. As a result, 62 people, half of whom children, were displaced. Nine residential structureswere demolished in East Jerusalem, including five demolished by their owners. This led to the displacement of 50 people, including 23 children. Forty-two of the 62 were displaced on 5 November in Al Bustan neighbourhood of Silwan, where the Israeli authorities demolished the homes of nine Palestinian households. Twenty additional structures were demolished in Area C, including: three donor-funded caravans in Ar Rakeez herding community (Hebron), displacing seven people; and 13 other structures in Jaba' (Tajammu' Badawi) Bedouin community (Jerusalem), displacing five people. In Area A of Al ‘Auja (Jericho) - where the Palestinian Authority is the designated security and civil authority- the Israeli authorities demolished a water well that lacked an Israeli-issued permit and was used to irrigate 760 dunums of cultivated palm groves.

Movement and access

• On 7 November, Israeli forces reopened the Birzeit/Atara gate (Ramallah). However, the opening is limited to a few hours every day. This is the latest in a series of reopenings of Israeli checkpoints and gates in the Ramallah governorate which had been kept closed since 7 October 2023. Beit El/DCO checkpoint, which reopened on 3 June 2024, and An Nabi Salih checkpoint, which reopened on 27 October, similarly operate for a few hours every day, during which vehicles are checked intensively, and delays are caused. Intensive checks have also been observed at intermittently staffed checkpoints, such as those at Ein Siniya and Jaba', which remain open after operating hours and where travellers have been physically assaulted by Israeli forces. Access to and from Ramallah governorate has been severely restricted and has caused significant disruption to the movement of tens of thousands of Palestinians. These restrictions have caused congested bottlenecks of traffic that are affecting people’s daily routine and access to services. Ramallah city is the central hub for nearly all other governorates in the West Bank, all of which are also affected by these restrictions. Many checkpoints, which had previously been fully open, were shut on 7 October 2023 and are now being reopened with new restrictions.

Arrests

• On 11 November, the UN Human Rights Office condemned Israeli forces’ “mass arrests, ill-treatment, and gratuitous humiliation of Palestinians during raids in refugee camps and towns across the West Bank” over the past month. The office reports that “a pattern of unnecessary, disproportionate and otherwise unlawful force used ... despite in many cases there being no apparent threat to public order or the security of the occupying forces.” Between 5 and 11 November, OCHA has documented the detention of at least 41 Palestinians, including two children, across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. In the past five months, October marked the highest number of Palestinians detained (696) whereas the average number of Palestinians detained every month between June and October 2024 stands at 612.

Funding

• As of 14 November, Member States have disbursed about US$2.124 billion out of the $3.42 billion (63 per cent) requested to meet the most critical needs of 2.3 million* people in Gaza and 800,000 people in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, between January and December 2024. For funding analysis, please see the Flash Appeal Financial Tracking dashboard. (*2.3 million reflects the projected population of the Gaza Strip upon issuance of the Flash Appeal in April 2024. As of July 2024, the UN estimates that about 2.1 million people remain in the Gaza Strip, and this updated number is now used for programmatic purposes.) 
• As of October 2024, the occupied Palestinian territory Humanitarian Fund (oPt HF) has prioritized support for the olive harvest season through a series of resilience-building projects. Approximately 17 per cent of the Fund’s overall US$60 million allocation has been directed toward critical interventions in the West Bank, aligned with the 2024 Flash Appeal. Through the Emergency Reserve Allocation (48-Hour), $5 million was mobilized, including $750,000 allocated to two local partners specifically for the olive harvest. These projects focus on expediting the harvest by providing essential tools, clearing groves to reduce fire risks, and upgrading storage facilities to enhance food quality. An additional $5 million was allocated through the Standard Allocation mechanism, with the aim of rapidly scaling up relief efforts to address immediate needs of affected populations. Of this amount, $1.5 million was specifically earmarked for food security projects to improve household income and promote sustainable agricultural practices, including olive harvest support, to strengthen long-term food security and resilience for vulnerable populations. 

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In today's Daily Brief:

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Today's headlines

Northwestern’s campaign against Palestine and anti-Zionist Jews

Northwestern University tore down a sukkah I built with other students, supposedly under the guise of fighting antisemitism, because it said “Stop Arming Israel” on it. The school is using Jewish identity as cover for repressing Palestine solidarity.

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No More Weapons to Israel: Demand your members to fall in line with U.S. and international law now!

This week, the U.S. Senate is set to make history by voting on the Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRD) introduced by Senators Bernie Sanders, Peter Welch, and Jeff Merkley, aiming to block over $22 billion in arms sales to Israel. This vote marks the first time Congress will consider halting a major weapons sale to Israel, an act of opposition to ongoing human rights violations against Palestinians. Israel’s use of U.S.-supplied weapons has fueled its devastating and ongoing genocide in Gaza, where 10’s of thousands of civilians have been killed, injured, or displaced​.

In solidarity,
Americans for Justice in Palestine Action

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New Series from Gaza

Onwards,

Inès Abdel Razek

Co-Director

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Lebanon: The civilian death toll from Israel’s ongoing strikes across Lebanon continues to mount as the fighting between Israel a

Quick Takes: Lebanon

. Despite having no control over the warring parties, the Lebanese government is not powerless. There are important steps it can take to ensure documentation of abuses and advance the possibility of accountability.

Videos from around the Globe

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• US warns Israel on Gaza aid blockage

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13 november 2024

Today's headlines

Israel and the U.S. are interfering in Lebanese politics to oust Hezbollah — here’s why it won’t work

Qassam Muaddi

Israel and the U.S. are trying to install an anti-Hezbollah leader as president of Lebanon, hoping to eliminate the military presence of the resistance in southern Lebanon. But it's not the first time Israel has interfered in Lebanese politics.

After bearing witness to crimes against humanity, I could not vote for the starvation and killing of Palestinians

After working with Palestinian medical colleagues who face the horrors and brutality of the Israeli regime on a daily basis, I could not vote for those who have supported, aided, and abetted the ongoing crimes against humanity and genocide.

Photo Essay: The silent displacement in the West Bank

David Lombeida

As the world has focused on the Gaza genocide, a massive Israeli campaign of violence and displacement has taken place across the West Bank. Photojournalist David Lombeida tells the stories of families in the South Hebron Hills and Jordan Valley.

NYC activists join international hunger strike for an end to Gaza genocide

NYC Hunger Strikers for Gaza

Activists in New York City have started a hunger strike for Gaza outside the United Nations in solidarity with hunger strikers in Jordan. Organizers say that the strike will continue until the siege on Gaza is lifted.

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Gaza Humanitarian Response Update

27 October - 9 November 2024

Vaccination against polio in the Gaza strip. Photo by UNRWA

Health

Response

• The second round of the emergency polio vaccination campaign has been completed, reaching 94 per cent of all children under the age of 10 throughout the Gaza Strip.
• On 6 November, WHO and its partners medically evacuated 90 critical patients, alongside their 139 companions, outside Gaza; 84 patients were transferred to the United Arab Emirates and 20 to Romania to receive necessary health care. This was the largest medical evacuation in one day outside Gaza since the closure of the Rafah crossing in May 2023.
• On 3 November, critical medical and surgical supplies and medications, including 150 units of blood, 20,000 litres of fuel and 60 boxes of dry food and water, the latter provided by the World Food Programme, were delivered to the Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza.
• During the reporting period, a total of 55 patients and their 67 companions were transferred from the Kamal Adwan and Al Awda hospitals in North Gaza to the Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza city in two consecutive WHO-led missions. Five patients and three companions were also transferred from Al Shifa Hospital to Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis to receive higher-level care.
• A scale-up plan for health services in the Gaza governorate is ongoing to support the influx of displaced people, including patients, from North Gaza. During the reporting period, two new surgical Specialized Care Teams were deployed to the Public Aid and Al Ahli Arab hospitals in Gaza city. Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) medical supplies and equipment as well as individual kits were also delivered to the Gaza governorate to support 20,000 beneficiaries and 15 health facilities.
• Field visits were conducted to the Al Mawasi area to identify all SRH service providers and strengthen mapping and referral services.

Challenges

• Active military operations in the North Gaza governorate and lack of access have prevented the conduct of the second round of the polio vaccination campaign in the area. The Cluster estimates that between 6,800 and 13,700 children across northern Gaza may have been missed in the second round of the polio vaccination campaign.
• Due to ongoing hostilities, access to the Kamal Adwan, Al Awda and Indonesian hospitals in North Gaza remains restricted; the three facilities are barely managing to continue providing health services amid major supply shortages and lack of fuel.
• Efforts to scale up health services in the Gaza governorate are hampered by unpredictable access between the areas north and south of Wadi Gaza.

Nutrition

Response

• The findings of a recent UNICEF survey on dietary diversity among children and pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW) in Gaza highlights the severe impact on nutrition of shrinking humanitarian aid and commercial truck entries into the Strip. The data collected between 18 and 24 October reveals a significant decline in dietary diversity. Ninety-five (95) per cent of parents with children aged 6 to 23 months reported that their children had consumed only two or fewer types of food the day prior to the survey. This is compared with 90 per cent in September, 79 per cent in July, and 94 per cent in May when nearly the entire population in Rafah was displaced to Deir al Balah and Khan Younis.
• Throughout the second round of the polio vaccination campaign, UNICEF facilitated the distribution of Vitamin A supplements to address the growing scarcity of Vitamin A-rich foods in the Gaza Strip. Accordingly, between 10 October and 5 November, 448,425 children aged between two and ten years, 92.4 per cent of the target, received Vitamin A supplements.
• In Gaza city, nutrition services continue to be scaled up in response to increasing displacement from North Gaza. Juzoor for Health and Development, a local NGO, opened a new medical point and plans to open three additional points while UNRWA is in the process of re-opening one health center that had been closed since October 2023.
• WFP and its partners are scaling up the Blanket Supplementary Feeding Programme (BSFP), with 102,000 children and 45,000 PBW reached in October 2024 across the Strip. They also successfully resumed the BSFP in the areas of An Nuseirat and Al Maghazi refugee camps in Deir al Balah during the second half of October, following months of restricted access by Israeli authorities.
• During the reporting period, UNICEF’s partners distributed Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements (LNS-SQ) to 24,200 children across the Gaza Strip.
• In October, 4,107 children were admitted for outpatient treatment of acute malnutrition. Between July and October, more than 18,800 children were admitted for outpatient treatment of acute malnutrition, or 65 per cent of the total number of children admitted for treatment since the beginning of 2024 (29,054), reflecting a marked increase in cases in recent months.

Challenges

• In North Gaza, due to the escalation of hostilities, evacuation orders and tightened siege, Nutrition Cluster partners had to stop all their activities, including the treatment of acutely malnourished children and supplementary feeding for children and PBW. The massive displacement of people from North Gaza to Gaza city has caused delays in detecting and initiating treatment for malnutrition cases and compromised required follow ups for children already under treatment. 
• The drastic reduction of commercial trucks entering the Gaza Strip has not only driven commodity prices up and threatened market stability but also worsened the nutritional status of vulnerable children and women, who for months have faced severely limited access to adequate food, water and hygiene products.
• Shrinking humanitarian space and continued supply chain complications, including the inability to reliably pick up supplies from the Kerem Shalom crossing due to insecurity and the risk of looting, have prevented full coverage of the needs, despite the prepositioning of adequate quantities of supplies outside the Gaza Strip.

Food Security

Response

• As of the end of October, approximately 460,000 cooked meals prepared in 140 kitchens were distributed daily to families across the Strip except in North Gaza. This represents a 25 per cent decrease in meal production compared to late September. As supplies continue to dwindle, more kitchens will be forced to close, and for those that remain operational, partners have had to adjust the meal content or reduce the number of meals prepared to cope with supply shortages.
• On 7 November, following a month of impediments that have thwarted all attempts by humanitarian partners to gain access to and deliver food to the besieged areas of North Gaza, a convoy comprising 10 trucks of food and one truck of bottled water departed from Gaza city to reach Beit Hanoun in the North Gaza governorate. Along the route, some of the food was spontaneously distributed to crowds of people who surrounded the trucks; the mission was then forced to offload the rest of the food before reaching its final destination. Although the food did not reach the intended shelters in Beit Hanoun, this delivery marks the first time in weeks that food has entered North Gaza. There is an urgent need for continued, sustained, and safe access to deliver life-saving food to families facing an imminent risk of famine in North Gaza.
• As of 11 November, 12 out of 19 bakeries supported by WFP remained functional across the Strip – four in Gaza city, seven in Deir al Balah and one in Khan Younis. All the eight bakeries in central Gaza, however, are operating at 70 per cent of their capacity due to supply shortages and remain at risk of shutting down within days if no additional flour is received. 
• In Gaza city, more than 150,000 people received at least one food parcel in October, including some who also received a 25-kilogramme bag of wheat flour. As of 10 November, food parcel distributions by multiple partners continued, with at least 5,000 people assisted daily in Gaza city, prioritizing the needs of those newly displaced from North Gaza. Moreover, every day, partners serve about 100,000 cooked meals prepared in 15 kitchens and 9,800 bread parcels from the subsidized bakeries are also delivered to some of the shelters and community kitchens to be distributed along with cooked meals.

Challenges

• Insecurity and looting, fueled by the breakdown in public order and safety, in the area around the Kerem Shalom crossing, combined with access impediments within the Strip continue to significantly disrupt the supply chain, causing reverberating impacts:
  • More than 100 kitchens producing about 400,000 meals per day in central and southern Gaza are at constant risk of shutdown.
  • Bakeries have had fluctuating production levels since early October, and many community-led baking initiatives have already been forced to suspend operations.
  • Due to very limited distributions of food parcels and fresh produce in the central and southern governorates, monitoring data by partners showed a growing number of households experiencing severe hunger, with people increasingly relying on the most severe coping strategies, such as reducing adults’ food intake in favor of children. Partners have also had to prioritize households that have not received any assistance for over two months.
  • Overall, in October, around 1.7 million people, or 80 per cent of the population, did not receive their monthly food rations across the Strip, compared with 1.4 million people in September and one million in August. People have run out of ways to cope, food systems have collapsed, and the risk of famine persists, necessitating an immediate, at scale resumption of humanitarian supply flows into the Strip.
  • The ongoing lack of food assistance is exposing the most vulnerable groups to heightened protection risks and psychosocial distress. Protection partners report that children are now increasingly searching through piles of solid waste for food scraps, which places them at a higher risk of not only contracting diseases but also encountering explosive ordnance. Unaccompanied or separated children are particularly at risk of being neglected as, with many mouths to feed, caregivers tend to prioritize their own children over extended family members. According to Education Cluster partners, living in a state of persistent food insecurity, alongside ongoing violence and displacement, has had profound psychological effects on school-aged children who are experiencing heightening levels of anxiety, depression, and trauma, making it increasingly difficult for them to focus and engage in learning activities. Hunger also contributes to absenteeism due to fatigue or illness, which in turn disrupts children’s educational progress.
  • Food scarcity is also having a severe impact on pregnant women, with their babies more likely to be born with health complications. Moreover, this is fueling an increasing inability of new mothers to breastfeed, placing infants at higher risk of contracting infectious diseases, particularly as the winter approaches.
• Local markets across the Gaza Strip are facing a severe crisis as many goods are on the brink of running out. Nearly all the trucks that entered Gaza in October were humanitarian, with extremely few commercial trucks crossing into the Strip. It is vital to urgently resume commercial deliveries at scale to complement humanitarian efforts, increase dietary diversity, stimulate the local economy by increasing the affordability and availability of goods, and improve cash liquidity.
• The energy crisis is further worsening, with a growing reliance on burning waste for cooking fuel in northern Gaza, where cooking gas has not been entering for months. This continues to hinder proper food preparation and the intake of nutritious food, exacerbates health and protection risks, and causes environmental hazards. In central and southern Gaza, firewood is increasingly scarce in highly congested areas along the coast, so women and children venture into the eastern parts in search for firewood, being particularly exposed to explosive ordnance risks.

Logistics

Response

• Between 27 October and 9 November, five direct convoys comprising a total of 80 trucks were dispatched from Amman to Gaza via the Erez West entry point. To date, the Logistics Cluster has successfully facilitated 80 humanitarian inter-agency convoys through the Jordan Corridor, dispatching a total of 1,046 trucks comprising 10,736 metric tonnes of aid into Gaza on behalf of 23 partners. Detailed convoy information is available on the interactive dashboard.
• Logistics Cluster cargo transport operations to collect aid supplies from the Erez West crossing point are ongoing amid significantly deteriorated security and access challenges in northern Gaza. Cargo from the Kerem Shalom crossing point was collected on 2 and 5 November, despite access and security challenges.
• Since December 2023 and as of 9 November, the Logistics Cluster has consolidated 20,236 cubic metres of humanitarian cargo at the common warehouse in Amman, and 48,372 cubic metres at the common storage warehouse in Gaza. As of 7 November, 735 UN and International NGO trucks were awaiting in Al Arish, ready for dispatch into Gaza.

Challenges

• Across Gaza, transport operations face increasingly severe security challenges, including in relation to access to northern Gaza. These constraints are significantly hampering the Cluster’s logistics operations and creating a high risk of violence against truck drivers, vehicle damage, and loss of commodities.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

Response

• Between 26 October and 8 November, the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) and Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) reported that, on average, a total of 96,394 cubic metres of water was produced daily across the Gaza Strip. Of this quantity, an average of 38,424 cubic metres of drinking water were produced from the two operational seawater desalination plants and the three Mekerot supply lines. Municipal ground water wells produced an average of 57,970 cubic metres. The total quantity of water produced declined in the first week of November compared to the last week of October due to the drop in water production in the North Gaza governorate and variations in fuel availability.  
• In October, WASH Cluster partners received only 28 per cent of the minimum daily requirement of 70,000 litres to meet critical WASH and public health needs, including water production and distribution, sewage management, repair works and solid waste management.
• During the reporting period, 20 WASH Cluster partners reported the distribution, by trucking, of a total of 9,794 cubic metres of water per day to 503 water collection points. Water distribution in Gaza city has been impacted by the cessation of operations by private sector suppliers due to the lack of suitable and affordable fuel. The repercussions of this critical service gap are even more severe considering the large influx of IDPs from the North Gaza governorate. The remaining water produced is either distributed at the point of production or supplied through the remaining distribution networks with a high percentage of losses due to leaks and damages.  
• Following a preliminary assessment of the scale of support required, WASH Cluster partners are distributing hygiene kits and water through trucking to address the needs of newly displaced people in Gaza city. To date, 5,500 hygiene kits have been distributed and there is a gap of 20,000 kits due to supply shortages and the inability to systematically collect supplies from the Kerem Shalom crossing.
• Winterization preparedness activities, including the clearance of stormwater drains, the unblocking of manholes, and removal of debris and solid waste are taking place in accessible locations throughout the Gaza Strip. Large earthworks at three critical wadis are ongoing to clear drainage channels so that water can flow smoothly. The Hygiene Promotion Group is finalizing a flood risk matrix to help partners prioritize activities with communities.

Challenges

• Lack of fuel supplies is hampering WASH sector activities for which fuel is principally, but not exclusively, required for water production and distribution, sewage management, repair works and solid waste management. Cluster partners continue to advocate for the provision of at least 70,000 litres of fuel per day to ensure minimum WASH operations across the Strip, as well access to spare parts and consumables for generators and vehicles, and a sustained inflow of commercial goods, including hygiene items.
• Amid active military operations in the North Gaza governorate, all regular requests to deliver fuel to water production points and conduct solid waste and sewage management have been consistently denied since the beginning of October. This is having a catastrophic impact on basic WASH services to maintain public health.  
• Supply constraints continue to have an enormous impact on critical WASH service delivery; 20,000 hygiene kits and 20,000 jerry cans are urgently needed as part of the WASH response to the large displacement influx into Gaza city.
• The winterization response is severely constrained both by limited entry of required equipment and materials into Gaza and challenges in moving stocks from southern to northern Gaza. Consequently, the critical dewatering of the Abu Rasheed, Sheikh Radwan and Al Amal lagoons is lagging ahead of the rainy season. Additionally, the relocation of IDPs from flood-prone shelters and the transfer of waste from 10 critical temporary solid waste sites is not progressing.  
• Critical challenges to solid waste management persist although related activities continue to be conducted at the community level in key locations and many areas have mechanisms for primary collection and transfer to temporary collection sites. The absence of spare parts and consumables for the equipment fleet and the lack of access to final safe disposal sites are significant risks to the well-being of the population. Moreover, the lack of a separate medical waste management system means that medical waste, including sharps (a form of biomedical waste) and infectious waste, are being integrated into domestic solid waste, exacerbating the volume of harmful waste.  

Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFI)

Response

• Between 27 October and 9 November, Cluster partners distributed at least 100 family tents, a few sealing off kits (SOKs), as well as other critical NFIs to households in need in the Gaza governorate, particularly important following the new waves of displacement from North Gaza to Gaza governorate.   
• In southern Gaza, about 206 families were provided with tents. These families were affected by the targeting of schools or other sites being used as shelters for displaced people.   
• As part of winterization preparedness, during the reporting period, the Cluster distributed SOKs or tarpaulins to 200 people living in substandard shelters in southern Gaza.

Challenges

• In northern Gaza, Shelter Cluster partners are continuing to face critical shortages due to access impediments and escalating hostilities. While some shelter items entered the Strip during the reporting period, looting of such high value items continues to be a challenge, as does access to people most in need in North Gaza. 
• While shelter items are being prioritized via the Fence Road, the Cluster's target of ensuring the entry of 25 trucks a week for eight weeks since September has not been met. In the eight-week period between 10 September and 4 November, around 90 trucks in total have entered – an average of 11 a week.  
• Between 10 September and 4 November, in southern Gaza, only about 44,300 people have been assisted with shelter materials – around four per cent of those identified as in need of winterization-related shelter assistance. 
• In Khan Younis, some partners are piloting a shelter response in damaged buildings with sealing off materials through both cash and in-kind support. However, they are facing challenges related to the lack of availability of materials in Gaza, access impediments, and the danger of operating in unsafe buildings. 

Site Management Working Group (SMWG)

Response

• During the reporting period, SMWG partners conducted 30 site assessments in the Gaza, Khan Younis and Deir al Balah governorates, with findings highlighting a priority need for winter items, including clothing and shelter materials.
• SMWG partners have started winterization preparedness activities across 75 IDP sites in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah that host approximately 75,000 people, supporting site-level committees with financial, technical, and in-kind support for maintenance and repairs.
• To support scaled-up service delivery in Gaza city, the SMWG produced static maps of IDP site locations, regular updates on displacement figures, as well as a live IDP site list to improve service delivery to the over 100,000 people displaced from North Gaza to Gaza city.
• SMWG partners supported at least 63 households (214 people) moving to southern Gaza via check points on the Al Rasheed and Salah al Din roads with water and referrals.
• SMWG partners have started the pilot test for the Gaza Strip site mapping exercise. The SMWG also trained 54 UNRWA Designated Emergency Shelter managers from Deir al Balah, Khan Younis, Rafah, and Gaza city on the new site assessment platform in preparation for a site baseline assessment initiative.

Challenges

• The skyrocketing prices of common winterization items on the local market have made assistance to communities nearly impossible. The prices of shovels and plastic rope have increased by 300 and 345 per cent, respectively, while the price of a single bag of cement has risen by 1,900 per cent.
• UNRWA collective shelters continue to be impacted by ongoing hostilities, resulting in deaths, injuries, destruction, and further displacement. Partners continue to call for the protection of civilian infrastructures, including IDP shelters.

Protection

Response

• During the reporting period, the Protection Cluster (PC) carried out a participatory Protection Assessment exercise, engaging with affected communities across Gaza through key informant interviews (KIIs), focus group discussions (FGDs) and direct observations as part of the Protection Monitoring System (PMS), while conducting parallel consultations with Protection partners, OCHA and other Clusters to discuss protection priorities and protection risks and outcomes. Since the roll-out of the PMS, a total of 960 KIIs and 45 FGDs have been conducted across all five governates of Gaza, providing critical insights into the protection environment and enabling evidence-based adjustment of programmatic steering.
• During the reporting period, UNRWA’s protection teams conducted 181 observations in shelters and IDP sites in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah, including Al Mawasi, undertook 15 FGDs, 14 KIIs, and continued to follow up on vulnerable cases. Beyond monitoring learning activities in UNRWA shelters and delivering BBC Lifeline podcast activities to 1,263 children, the teams conducted awareness raising sessions on explosive ordnance, gender-based violence (GBV) and prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) in both UNRWA shelters and IDP sites, reaching 193, 68 and 199 people, respectively. A total of 4,300 child identification bracelets provided by UNICEF were also distributed across Gaza, 3,000 of them in Gaza city, and awareness raising sessions were conducted on the purpose of such bracelets and on preventing and dealing with family separation. Furthermore, in coordination with Première Urgence Internationale (PUI), UNRWA’s protection teams supported 304 households with vulnerable individuals, including 299 cancer patients, in obtaining multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA).
• Between 27 October and 1 November, in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), UNRWA provided immediate assistance to eight Gaza detainees released at the Kerem Shalom crossing, ensuring the provision of medical support at the European Gaza Hospital, facilitating contact with families, and providing referrals for additional food, shelter, hygiene, NFI and mental health and psychosocial support.
• GBV partners oversaw the distribution of 786 dignity kits in Gaza city, including 250 to forcibly displaced girls living with disabilities. An additional 987 dignity kits were distributed in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis, and 65 were delivered to the Bureij Camp. Moreover, a total of 1,592 women received cash assistance across Gaza in October.
• A GBV Risk Mitigation Taskforce (RMTF) has been established to carry out assessments of GBV risks and support mitigation measures across Clusters. With support from UNRWA, the RMTF has been trained to support Women Groups in IDP sites and shelters, to help them identify risks in their environment, take preventive action and safely report any GBV incidence.
• GBV response services continue operating in Gaza city, Deir al Balah and Khan Younis, but there is a need to scale up existing capacities, which are near exhaustion, to provide specialized services.
• During October, Child Protection (CP) partners reached more than 22,000 children and nearly 9,000 caregivers with community-based Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services in the Gaza Strip.
• The CP Case Management Task Force finalized its trends analysis for the third quarter of 2024. Overall, more than 11,000 cases were reported, with the majority of children aged between 7 and 12 years, and equal gender breakdown. Data indicated that girls are more likely to face psychological trauma and emotional distress, sexual assault, and sexual exploitation, while boys are more frequently involved in cases related to physical abuse, child labour, and legal issues. The number of cases related to deprivation of basic resources, including food, healthcare and shelter, neglect and family separation, have increased significantly since the previous trend analysis carried out in July.
• The joint CP and GBV Task Force on Prevention and Care for Child Survivors, which is led by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), rolled out a six-day training on caring for child survivors, reaching over 30 CP and GBV case managers. There was a high demand to register for this training, indicating that the case management workforce is facing increasingly complex cases for which they need additional capacity building.
• To-date, Mine Action partners have conducted over 209 Explosive Hazard Assessments (EHAs) across 101 sites in Gaza. Between October 2023 and October 2024, partners also reached 790,000 people with in-person Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE), prioritizing displaced communities and children who are most at risk, and over 1.3 million people across the Strip with digital EORE messaging using SMS, radio, and social media.

Challenges

• The protection environment in northern Gaza remains dire, with vulnerable people facing heightened protection risks and often being unable to evacuate due to health conditions and disabilities. Lack of access has left many of those in northern Gaza without support, amid critical shortages of food, water and medications, compounded by the acute lack of NFIs, especially tents, tarpaulins, mattresses and cleaning materials, across UNRWA shelters and IDP sites. Safe access to services remains a critical concern across all Gaza governorates. With scarcity of aid, distribution points are becoming hotspots of violence and pose particular risks for women and girls, especially those with disabilities, female heads of households and elderly women. Women report being forced by men within their households to go out searching for food and water, under the threat of violence if they do not find any.
• Privacy and dignity continue to be one of the greatest concerns of women and girls in Gaza. Tents are improvised and host in most cases two or sometimes even four or six families. Congestion and overcrowding, coupled with the lack of clean water, hygiene items and safe ablutions, seriously hamper women’s ability to access critical resources, including food, and maintain personal hygiene practices. Women report a lack of sanitary pads and soap, including the inability to wash cloth/material used in lieu of sanitary pads, leading to increased infections and other negative health complications.
• North Gaza remains inaccessible for GBV service providers, and populations displaced to Gaza city are particularly vulnerable to GBV, from psychological/emotional abuse to sexual exploitation and physical violence.
• Continued evacuation orders, the ongoing siege on parts of northern Gaza, as well as poor communication networks are exacerbating child protection risks, including family separation and direct conflict-related violence. The difficulty in bringing supplies into Gaza is a critical concern as winter approaches.
• With regard to Mine Action, restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities on the entry into Gaza of both specialized personnel and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) equipment continue to curtail efforts to assess the large scale of Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) contamination across the Strip, and to protect the population from ERW, while ensuring safe delivery of humanitarian assistance. Specific regulations imposed by the Israeli authorities preventing the movement, removal, or destruction of unexploded ordnance (UXO) restrict mine action organizations’ activities to marking UXO sites instead of demolishing or removing these hazards.

Education

Response

• During the reporting period, 14 additional Temporary Learning Spaces (TLS) were established in informal IDP sites, primarily in Khan Younis. These spaces have benefited approximately 2,500 students, allowing them to engage in foundational learning, with a focus on literacy and numeracy, and take part in structured recreational and MHPSS activities.
• Communities also continue to endeavor to create learning opportunities for children, with 53 new initiatives led by 554 volunteer teachers mapped by the Cluster between 27 October and 9 November in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis governorates, benefiting over 9,900 children. Cluster partners continue to assess needs and extend support to these initiatives, ensuring that the activities delivered at these sites meet Cluster standards.
• With support from the WASH Cluster, the training of teachers on good hygiene practices continues, including alternative hygiene practices given shortages in water and hygiene supplies, with an additional 70 teachers engaged in learning activities in shelters managed by the Palestinian Authority (PA) in Khan Younis trained during the reporting period. These trainings are designed to have a cascading effect: trained teachers will directly share their knowledge with children in learning spaces, with over 50,000 students reached with hygiene messaging to-date. Children, in turn, are expected to pass on the hygiene messaging to their families. This initiative is especially critical given the forecasted floods, which heighten the risk of communicable disease outbreaks.

Challenges

• Due to the continuous targeting of schools, parents, children, and teachers are increasingly fearful about enrolling in, or participating in, educational programs. This pervasive fear has severely impeded the scaling up of education-in-emergency responses across the Gaza Strip and led to the suspension of all interventions in the North Gaza governorate. During the reporting period, six new incidents were reported, five in Gaza city and one in North Gaza, three of them affecting UN-run schools. Airstrikes and shelling impacting these facilities sheltering displaced persons have resulted in significant infrastructural damage and tragic losses of lives. As of 5 November, 11,119 students and 441 education personnel had been killed, and 17,115 students and 2,491 education personnel had been injured since the onset of the conflict. Scaling up advocacy on the imperative to ensure the safety of educational spaces, students, and education personnel is now more urgent than ever.
• The ongoing shortage of educational supplies continues to hamper the response in Gaza, with the urgent need for tents to establish TLSs compounded by restrictions on the entry of educational supplies, including stationery.
• A mapping of partner capacities conducted by the Education Cluster in preparation for the winter season reveals that resources are extremely limited. Due to shortages of winter-proof tents, warm clothing for children, and other essential supplies, there are growing concerns that fewer children will be able to access the TLSs during the winter months. Only a small number of partners with limited funding are in a position to procure and distribute the necessary winter supplies and, while efforts are ongoing among the Education and Shelter clusters and the Child Protection Sub-Cluster to coordinate the distribution of winter clothing, realistic targets considering all constraints fall far short of meeting the actual needs. Increased funding is urgently needed to enable partners to implement the Winterization Plan. 

Emergency Telecommunications

Challenges

• Due to increased restrictions on the movement of commodities, damaged infrastructure and lack of fuel and availability of spare parts, local Mobile Network Operators and Internet Service Providers in the Gaza Strip continue to experience network outages and are unable to conduct the necessary repairs. Severely limited availability of telecommunications equipment is hampering the delivery of ETC services. A significant amount of equipment has been damaged or destroyed, and the import of new equipment is lengthy and challenging. Only 20 satellite phones, 25 Track24 devices, 30 VHF digital radios, and four solar power solutions have been imported into Gaza since 7 October 2023, following coordination with the Israeli authorities.  
• Increasing insecurity, displacement, and relocation of staff from Rafah to Deir al Balah have rendered it difficult to deploy shared ETC communications services or provide face-to-face technical support for humanitarian responders.  
• The lack of funding has limited the ETC Cluster’s capacity to address immediate communications needs for humanitarian responders in Gaza. Thus far, only 45.8 per cent of funding requested by the Cluster ($1.8 million) under the updated OPT Flash Appeal has been received.

746.

13 november 2024

Het zal jullie niet ontgaan zijn dat Israëlische hooligans hebben huisgehouden in Amsterdam en vervolgens slaag hebben gekregen. Zelfs president Biden bemoeide zich ermee! Wij reageren op de ophef. Als de UEFA zich aan hun beginselen hield was dit nooit gebeurd. Net als wanneer de Vervoersgregio Amsterdam iets meer principes had gehad, dan hadden we geen campagne hoeven voeren tegen EBS (MeerPlus). Ondertussen gaan we ook door met de AH Apartheidvrij campagne, met op 23 november.

De internationale BDS beweging roept op tot een actieweek om regeringen en de VN te bewegen in te stemmen met sancties tegen Israel.

Tot slot kijken we terug op een succesvolle Palestine Cinemadag.

Een strijdbare groet van het docP team; blijf BDS-en!

 Veiligheid geofferd: hoe gemeente en UEFA buigen voor Israëlische druk

Het is werkelijk onbegrijpelijk en onverantwoordelijk dat de gemeente Amsterdam de wedstrijd Ajax – Maccabi Tel Aviv heeft laten doorgaan, wetende welke risico’s dit met zich meebrengt voor de openbare orde en de veiligheid van haar inwoners. Gegeven de reputatie van Maccabi Tel Aviv heeft de gemeente het opvijzelen van Israëls reputatie hoger staan dan […]

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Vervoersregio Amsterdam moet stoppen met EBS

Het moederbedrijf van EBS, Egged, staat op de VN-lijst van bedrijven die bijdragen aan en profiteren van de illegale kolonisatie door Israël van Palestijns gebied en die daarmee handelen in strijd met internationaal recht. Egged is een belangrijke logistieke schakel in het illegale Israëlische nederzettingenbeleid. Egged verzorgt busvervoer van, naar en tussen de illegale […]

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Nieuwe actie voor AH Apartheidvrij

Zaterdag 23 november is de volgende landelijke actiedag om Albert Heijn apartheidvrij te krijgen. Dan zullen we op meerdere plaatsen in het land weer AH filialen bezoeken om druk uit te oefenen voor een boycot van Israëlische producten.  Op 14 november kun je meer info krijgen. Registreer je hier!

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Nooit meer is nu. Sancties voor Israelisch apartheidsregime

In september passeerde de Algemene Vergadering van de VN een resolutie die staten opriep Israël te sanctioneren. Deze resolutie bevestigde dat het ICJ oordeel van juli dit jaar voor alle staten de wettelijke verplichting triggerde om een einde te maken aan medeplichtigheid aan Israëls illegale bezetting en apartheidsregime. 124 staten over de hele wereld committeerden zich hieraan.

Palestijnse Cinema Dagen groot succes

Zaterdag 2 november staat in het teken van de Palestijnse Cinema, dit jaar op de dag van de Balfourverklaring die in 1917 het weggeven van Palestijns grondgebied inluidde. Waren het vorig jaar alleen Amsterdam en Rotterdam, dit jaar is Wageningen erbij gekomen samen met Groningen, Utrecht en Nijmegen. In totaal 33 landen deden mee met […]

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745.

Ospaca Nieuwsdienst, 10

Hooligans Maccabi oorzaak van geweld in Amsterdam. 12 november 2024

Politiecommissaris Holla spreekt koning en premier van Nederland tegen.

Het hoofd van de Amsterdamse politie noemde Israëlische fans de oorzaak van de chaos: “Ze gedragen zich alsof ze in Gaza zijn”

Politiecommissaris Peter Holla van Amsterdam bevestigde dat het gedrag van de Israëli's de oorzaak was van het uitbreken van het geweld in de stad.

Volgens Holla gedroegen Israëlische fans zich agressief, omdat ze vóór het incident Palestijnse vlaggen neerhaalden, beledigingen over Palestijnse kinderen schreeuwden en een taxiauto in brand staken, wat deed denken aan de situatie in Gaza.

Ondanks de verklaring van het hoofd van de politie van de hoofdstad zijn de koning en de premier van Nederland er echter al in geslaagd zich bij Netanyahu te verontschuldigen voor wat er is gebeurd.

Israëlische media hebben Peter Holla al beschuldigd van antisemitisme en geëist dat de Nederlandse autoriteiten hem ontslaan.

12 november 2024

Humanitarian Situation Update #237
Gaza Strip

People newly displaced from North Gaza governorate staying in a stadium in Gaza city, 10 November 2024. Photo by OCHA

Key Highlights

• So far in November, every attempt by the UN to access besieged areas of North Gaza governorate with food and health missions to support tens of thousands of people remaining there was either denied or impeded.
• Between 100,000 and 130,000 people have been displaced from North Gaza amid intensification of attacks and Israeli evacuation orders.
• The Famine Review Committee has warned that famine thresholds may have already been crossed in northern Gaza, or else will be in the near future, urging action within days, not weeks.
• Schools, the majority sheltering displaced people, continue to be attacked with a total of 64 attacks against schools recorded in October, according to UNICEF.
• Access to health care across Gaza remains precarious, with partners of the UN Population Fund reporting a recent rise in premature births and maternal deaths.

Humanitarian Developments

• Israeli bombardment from the air, land and sea continues to be reported across the Gaza Strip, resulting in further civilian casualties, displacement, and destruction of civilian infrastructure. In the North Gaza governorate, the Israeli military has been carrying out a ground offensive since 6 October, with fighting reported between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups. The tightened Israeli siege imposed since then has hindered humanitarian access to Jabalya, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya. At the same time, the area has seen severe disruptions in communications, including internet. On 10 November, Israeli military operations in An Nuseirat refugee camp in Deir al Balah intensified considerably, with people reportedly appealing to rescue teams to be evacuated following the sudden advancement of forces amid heavy fire. On 10 and 11 November, at least 14 Palestinians, including four children and three women, were reportedly killed in western An Nuseirat and 30 others were reported injured or missing. On the night of 11 November, the ground incursion in Beit Hanoun in North Gaza also reportedly intensified, with accounts that Israeli forces ordered the evacuation of hundreds of civilians from the area, according to Palestinian Civil Defense (PCD).
• On 8 November, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee (FRC) issued an alert, warning about an imminent and substantial likelihood of famine occurring in areas within northern Gaza because the worst-case scenario the FRC had warned about is already unfolding. The recent IPC analysis for the Strip had projected that under a worst-case scenario, involving inter alia an intensification of hostilities, growing displacement, and a reduction in humanitarian assistance, a risk of famine existed for the whole of Gaza between November 2024 and April 2025. Based on rapidly deteriorating humanitarian conditions, the FRC noted that it can now be “assumed that starvation, malnutrition, and excess mortality due to malnutrition and disease, are rapidly increasing” in areas of northern Gaza and that “[f]amine thresholds may have already been crossed or else will be in the near future.” The FRC further warned: “Immediate action, within days not weeks, is required from all actors who are directly taking part in the conflict, or have influence on its conduct, to avert and alleviate this catastrophic situation.”
• Between the afternoons of 5 and 12 November, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, 274 Palestinians were killed and 729 were injured. Between 7 October 2023 and 12 November 2024, at least 43,665 Palestinians were killed and 103,076 were injured, according to MoH in Gaza.
• Between the afternoons of 5 and 12 November, five Israeli soldiers were reportedly killed in Gaza, according to the Israeli military. Between 7 October 2023 and 12 November 2024, according to the Israeli military and official Israeli sources cited in the media, more than 1,573 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed, the majority on 7 October 2023 and its immediate aftermath. The figure includes 373 soldiers killed in Gaza or along the border in Israel since the beginning of the ground operation. In addition, 2,425 Israeli soldiers were reported injured since the beginning of the ground operation.