Day: 15 March 2024

JERUSALEM: This morning, Israeli occupation forces blocked the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) teams from entering the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem to provide medical services to worshippers on the first Friday prayer of the holy month of Ramadan.

The PRCS said in a press statement that Israeli occupation forces further prevented its teams from bringing in their equipment and setting up their medical stations in the courtyards of the mosque, a practice that it has observed annually during Ramadan.

The Red Crescent added that the Ministry of Awqaf and the International Committee of the Red Cross attempted to intervene to allow the PRSC to bring in its necessary equipment and complete its preparations to receive worshippers and provide humanitarian and medical services.

However, all these attempts failed due to the refusal of the Israeli occupation authorities to allow the Society’s teams to carry out their humanitarian work as usual during the holy month.

The occupation fo
rces also prevented PRCS ambulance crews from being present at the Israeli military checkpoint of Al-Zaytouna, east of occupied Jerusalem, and providing medical services to worshippers heading to the holy city through this checkpoint.

The Society considered this prevention a serious precedent aimed at blocking its ambulance teams from operating within East Jerusalem, which, according to all international agreements, is considered part of the occupied Palestinian territory. The Society reaffirmed that it is responsible for providing medical and humanitarian services within the geographic scope of occupied Jerusalem.

The Society emphasized that there is an international agreement allowing its ambulance teams to provide humanitarian services in occupied Jerusalem, and the prevention of its teams from carrying out their humanitarian work constitutes a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.

The PRCS stated that preventing its teams from working in the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, as is custom
ary every year during Ramadan, poses a danger to the safety of the large numbers of worshippers, especially on Fridays for prayer.

Furthermore, the Society noted that this Israeli measure also affected all ambulance crews affiliated with other medical institutions in Jerusalem.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

NABLUS: A group of Israeli colonists cut down trees and demolished an agricultural room today on the outskirts of the town of Qusra, located south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, according to local sources.

Hani Odeh, the mayor of Qusra, reported that a number of colonists from the Israeli outpost of Yesh Kodesh, built on stolen Palestinian lands near the town, cut down several olive, almond, grape, and fig trees from the land of the citizen Aahed Mahmoud Odeh, which covers an area of four dunums.

He added that the colonists also demolished an agricultural room, uprooted the surrounding fence, destroyed retaining walls, and stole a plowing tool. Local sources pointed out that the assailants opened fire towards the landowner when he attempted to access his land.

The mayor pointed out that the lands southeast of the town are subjected to daily attacks by Israeli colonist militias, with hundreds of trees cut down between Qusra and the neighboring village of Jalud over the past few days.

Source: Palesti
ne news & Information Agency – WAFA

GAZA: Israeli occupation forces committed 13 massacres against families in the Gaza Strip over the last 24 hours, resulting in at least 149 Palestinians killed and 300 wounded, according to medical sources.

Local health authorities confirmed that the Palestinian death toll from the Israeli onslaught since October 7 has risen to 31,490 reported fatalities, with an additional 73,439 individuals sustaining injuries.

Meanwhile, ambulance and rescue teams were unable to reach the casualties and dead bodies still trapped under the rubble or scattered on roads as Israeli occupation forces continue to obstruct the arrival of civil defense teams.

Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescue teams are unable to reach them, according to the sources.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

HEBRON: Israeli occupation forces intensified their military measures today around the centuries-old Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, south of the occupied West Bank, coinciding with the first Friday prayer of the holy month of Ramadan.

Local sources informed WAFA that the occupation forces tightened their military measures in the Old City of Hebron and on streets leading to the Ibrahimi Mosque.

The forces conducted searches on civilians and scrutinized their identities at the entrance to the mosque.

Additionally, Israeli colonists attacked worshipers at the Abu al-Rish military checkpoint in Hebron while the former were heading to the mosque to perform prayers, preventing them from reaching their destination.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

HEBRON: Armed Israeli colonists attacked Palestinian shepherds and farmers in the Masafer Yatta area, south of Hebron.

The colonists prevented shepherds’ access to the grazing fields and destroyed large areas of crops.

According to local sources, armed colonists attacked and physically assaulted the shepherds in the Al-Ain Al-Baida area in Masafer Yatta and prevented their access to the grazing fields. A Fourteen-year-old boy was injured in the colonists’ attack.

The colonists also destroyed large areas planted with wheat and barley in the Masafer Yatta area. The crops belonged to several Palestinian farmers.

Sources said that colonists grazed their livestock in the area, destroying the crops.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

RAMALLAH: The Palestinian Presidency has expressed deep concern over an imminent Israeli military offensive in Rafah, which could result in a new massacre and further displacement of the Palestinian people in Gaza.

The Presidency underscored the urgency for swift intervention by both the US administration and the international community to avert this military attack which could add to the already immense suffering of the Palestinian people.

The Presidency reiterated its unwavering stance against any form of forced displacement of the Palestinian people, stating that such action crosses a red line.

Furthermore, the Presidency stressed the imperative need for an immediate cessation of the Israeli aggression and withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from Gaza, as well as for Israel to abide by international legitimacy resolutions.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

GAZA: Thirteen civilians were killed tonight in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp and the Tuffah neighborhood, in the Gaza Strip.

Local sources said that Israeli warplanes shelled several houses in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Strip, killing seven civilians and injuring several others.

Five civilians were also killed and dozens of civilians, mostly children, were wounded in a strike on a house in the Tuffah neighborhood, northeast of Gaza City.

A civilian was also killed and several others were injured by the occupation’s shelling of a house belonging to the Abu Dawabeh family in the village of Al-Masdar, in the central Gaza Strip.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

HEBRON: A young Palestinian man died this evening from critical wounds he sustained by the Israeli forces’ live bullets during a military offensive against the al-Fawwar refugee camp, south of Hebron, in July of last year.

Medical sources at the Ahli Hospital told WAFA that Mahmoud Nassim al-Anati, 26, succumbed to his serious wounds this evening.

Anati was hit in the abdomen and critically injured by several live bullets during an Israeli military offensive against the al-Fawwar camp in July of last year.

The occupation forces stormed the camp on July 17, shooting and seriously wounding the young man. Anati remained in the hospital ever since his injury and succumbed to his wounds today.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA