Latest from Days of Palestine
Days of Palestine
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
UN: Over 737,000 Displaced in Gaza Since March
DaysofPal – The United Nations said Thursday that more than 737,000 people have been displaced in Gaza since the latest wave of Israeli attacks began in March, highlighting the worsening humanitarian crisis across the Strip. Quoting figures from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay told reporters that over 11,500 people were newly displaced between July 8 and July 15. 'This brings the total number of displaced since March 18 to more than 737,000 — about 35% of Gaza's population,' she said. 'And over the past 21 months, nearly everyone in Gaza has been displaced — most of them multiple times.' Tremblay noted that Israeli airstrikes in the past 24 hours hit locations sheltering displaced civilians, resulting in casualties and further exacerbating the situation. While humanitarian needs continue to soar, she said that only minimal aid is making it into Gaza. She welcomed the first delivery of benzene in over 135 days as 'a small but significant step,' given its importance for operating ambulances and essential services — but stressed that 'it's not enough.' Tremblay also addressed an Israeli airstrike on Gaza's Holy Family Church, condemning the attack on a house of worship that had been serving as a shelter. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, she said, 'strongly condemns today's reports of an Israeli strike on the Holy Family Church in Gaza, a place of worship and a sanctuary for civilians.' 'Attacks on religious sites are unacceptable,' she added. 'People seeking refuge must be protected — not targeted.' She once again reiterated the UN's call for an immediate ceasefire and for all parties to respect civilian life and allow unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. In response to a question from Anadolu about reports that Israel has transferred administrative control of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron to a settler council, Tremblay said the UN had not reviewed the report but emphasized: 'We always call for the protection of all religious sites.' Earlier this week, Israeli media reported that Tel Aviv had removed the Hebron municipality's authority over the mosque — also known as the Tomb of the Patriarchs — and handed it to a settler-run body. The mosque, sacred to both Muslims and Jews, has long been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The recent move marks the most significant change to its status since 1994, when the site was divided under the recommendations of the Shamgar Commission, following the massacre of 29 Palestinian worshippers by extremist settler Baruch Goldstein. Currently, 63% of the site is allocated to Jewish worshippers and 37% to Muslims. The mosque lies in Hebron's Old City, in an area under full Israeli military control, where around 400 settlers live under the protection of 1,500 Israeli soldiers. Shortlink for this post:
Days of Palestine
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Evacuation Orders Followed by Deadly Strike in Gaza's 'Safe Zone'
DaysofPal- On Thursday, the Israeli military issued fresh evacuation orders to Palestinians living in six neighborhoods of Jabalia, in northern Gaza, directing them to move south to Al-Mawasi, a coastal zone west of Khan Yunis that Israel has repeatedly labeled a 'safe area.' Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee announced the warning on social media, stating, 'Residents in the Jabalia area in blocks 602, 606, 699, 713, and 718 must evacuate immediately.' He claimed armed groups were using these neighborhoods for military operations. The evacuation order was accompanied by a map identifying the targeted districts in Jabalia, which have endured months of bombardment by Israeli warplanes and artillery. Many of the residents had already been displaced multiple times since the start of Israel's campaign against Gaza in October 2023. Despite Israeli claims that the Al-Mawasi area is a designated humanitarian zone, the army continues to target it. On Friday, less than 24 hours after the evacuation orders were issued, Israeli forces struck tents housing displaced families in Al-Mawasi, killing at least five people, including infants, and setting the shelters ablaze. The attack is the latest in a series of strikes on areas to which Palestinians were previously ordered to flee. These include hospitals, schools, aid distribution centers, and tent camps, all repeatedly hit in Israeli assaults. The evacuation order comes amid a renewed push by Israeli officials to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip forcibly. On Tuesday, Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Kahlon openly called for accelerating the process of removing Gaza's population. For many Palestinians, the warnings are part of a broader campaign to empty the Strip. More than 2 million people remain trapped under total siege, with food, water, medicine, and fuel either scarce or nonexistent. Starvation is spreading rapidly, with aid agencies reporting widespread child malnutrition and dehydration-related deaths. Friday marks the 651st day of what Palestinians describe as a war of extermination. Every day brings more bombings, more displacement, and a worsening humanitarian catastrophe. Gaza's people, already pushed to the edge of survival, now face the unbearable: being bombed while fleeing the very places they were told would protect them. Shortlink for this post:
Days of Palestine
6 hours ago
- Days of Palestine
Israeli Settlers Slaughter 117 Sheep in Northern Jordan Valley Attack
In a violent escalation overnight, extremist Israeli settlers killed 117 sheep and stole dozens more in the northern Jordan Valley, specifically in the Al-Sheq area near the village of Al-Malih, according to local sources. The settlers reportedly used knives and live ammunition to slaughter the animals, in what residents described as a deliberate and brutal attack targeting both their livestock and their livelihoods. The village of Al-Malih witnessed a night of extreme tension as armed settlers stormed the area, attacking the tents of Palestinian residents, assaulting them, and looting their herds. A large number of animals were either killed or taken during the raid. Local residents say the attack is part of a broader campaign of intimidation and forced displacement carried out by settlers across the Jordan Valley. Shortlink for this post:
Days of Palestine
6 hours ago
- Health
- Days of Palestine
69 Children, 620 Patients Dead Amid Ongoing Israeli Blockade
The Government Media Office in Gaza has released a grim update on the deepening hunger crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip, as Israel's closure of all border crossings enters its 139th consecutive day. In a statement issued Friday, the office reported that 69 children and 620 patients have died due to severe malnutrition and lack of food and medicine, as the Israeli blockade tightens and no effective international intervention has been made to stop the worsening humanitarian disaster. The report warned that 650,000 children are at risk of death from hunger and malnutrition, while 12,500 cancer patients are in urgent need of treatment. Additionally, 60,000 pregnant women face life-threatening conditions due to the collapse of health services and the lack of adequate nutrition. The office also accused Israeli forces of killing 877 starving civilians at what it called 'death traps' — a reference to the so-called U.S.-Israeli aid distribution points. According to the statement, 5,666 others have been injured, and 42 people remain missing after attempting to access aid. It further noted that aid convoys were targeted 121 times, and 57 food distribution centers and 42 community kitchens (known locally as Takiyas) have been attacked in what it described as part of Israel's 'deliberate starvation policy.' Since the start of the current blockade, Israel has prevented the entry of 76,450 aid and fuel trucks, the office said, warning of an 'unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe' in Gaza. The Government Media Office condemned these actions, holding Israel fully responsible for what it called war crimes, and also blamed the countries complicit through silence, direct support, or inaction. It urged the international community and 'free nations of the world' to act immediately to end the starvation campaign and save the remaining innocent lives being exterminated in plain sight. The office reiterated its demand to open the border crossings, lift the blockade, and allow the immediate entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Shortlink for this post:
Days of Palestine
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Hamas to Arab World: Break Gaza Siege, End the Silence
DaysofPal – The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) issued a severe warning on Thursday that famine in Gaza has reached 'dangerous levels,' calling for urgent international and regional intervention to break the Israeli siege and allow humanitarian aid into the Strip. The group accused Israel of using hunger as a weapon of war in its 22-month-long assault, which has devastated the civilian population and crippled essential infrastructure. In a statement published on Telegram, Hamas condemned the international community's 'shameful silence,' saying it amounted to complicity in a war that has pushed over two million Palestinians into starvation, displacement, and death. 'The famine in the Gaza Strip has reached dangerous levels,' the statement read, urging Arab and Islamic nations to 'take urgent action to break the siege and allow aid to enter.' Hamas also called on the United Nations to fulfill its responsibilities and end what it called 'a vicious cycle of killing, extermination, and starvation.' The group said Israel's deliberate use of hunger and denial of basic necessities constitutes one of 'the most heinous crimes in modern times,' particularly against children. Human rights organizations have consistently warned that Israel's continued obstruction of aid and systematic targeting of civilians may amount to war crimes. The situation on the ground confirms those fears. On Saturday, the Gaza Government Media Office warned that more than 650,000 children under the age of five are at risk of starvation due to the ongoing blockade, now entering its second year. International voices echoed the alarm. At a UN Security Council session on Wednesday, Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, gave a grim account of conditions in Gaza. 'We cannot describe the situation in Gaza with words,' he said. 'Food is running out; those who ask for it risk being shot, people are dying trying to feed their families, and field hospitals are receiving bodies.' Fletcher emphasized that humanitarian needs must be met without endangering the lives of those seeking aid. 'Civilians are facing death, injury, forced displacement, and deprivation of dignity,' he warned. Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' spokesperson, added to the sobering picture on Tuesday by stating that at least 875 Palestinians have been killed while attempting to obtain food, with 674 of those deaths occurring close to humanitarian aid centers. Shortlink for this post:
