Documentation of the Israeli abuse of power, mistreatment of humanity, and perpetration of the genocidal war on the Palestinian people in the  Gaza Strip.

*** 

As World Governments Are Either Accomplices, or Continue to Watch the Israeli Genocidal War in Gaza Without Taking Any Actions to Stop it,

*** 

76 Palestinians Killed, 298 Injured, Mostly Children, Women, and Aid Seekers,

Which Brings the Death Toll of the Israeli Genocidal War on the Gaza Strip to 62,895 and the Injuries to 158,927

by August 27, 2025

***

Editor's Notes:  

Here are some initial (not final) statistics, which show the Israeli war crimes against humanity, during the current Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, based on the reliable data reported by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza:

By August 27, 2025, the initial death toll of Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza Strip is 75,922.   

This includes the accounted for deaths (62,895) and those who are still missing under the rubble (an estimate of at least 13,027+). 

By August 27, 2025, the documented injuries exceeded 158,927.

By August 27, 2025, according to news report, 1,021 Palestinians who were killed, 7,041 who were injured, and 18,729, who were abducted by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank, since October 7, 2023.                                       

***

Note about the number of Palestinians, who were kidnapped by the Israeli occupation forces in the Wet Bank:

Palestinian Prisoners’ institutions reported that 662 Palestinians, including 39 children and 12 women, were kidnapped by the Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank, including Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem), during July 2025.

The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS), and Al Dhameer Association for Human Rights stated in a report issued Sunday that the total number of kidnappings of Palestinians in the West Bank, since the start of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, has risen to more than 18,500, including over 570 women and about 1,500 children.

Source: Palestine Information Center, August 10, 2025.

***

Note About the Missing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip:

On February 26, 2025, the Palestinian Center for Political and Development Studies announced that the number of the missing in the Gaza Strip has exceeded 14,000 people, including 2,000-3,000 held in Israeli occupation prisons, without releasing any information on their fate.

***

*** 

A wounded Palestinian girl is brought to the Kuwaiti hospital for treatment, after an Israeli air strike on tents of displaced Palestinians, in Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younus, southern Gaza Strip, on August 27, 2025.	76 Palestinians were killed, 298 were injured by the Israeli genocidal air strikes, mostly children, women, and aid seekers, bringing the death toll in the Gaza Strip to 62,895 and the injuries to 158,927, by August 27, 2025.
10 Palestinian citizens, including two children, died of starvation and malnutrition in the Gaza Strip, which raises the total number of hunger-related deaths there to 313 people, including 119 children, August 27, 2025.	76 Palestinians were killed, 298 were injured by the Israeli genocidal air strikes, mostly children, women, and aid seekers, by August 27, 2025.
Four Palestinian civilians were killed, others were injured by the Israeli occupation forces, who opened fire on people waiting for humanitarian aid in the Al-Soudaniya area, northwest of the Gaza Strip, August 27, 2025 (file photo)	HRW held US military personnel legally responsible for assisting the Israeli occupation army in committing war crimes in the Gaza Strip, due to being directly involved in operations against Palestinians, August 27, 2025 (file photo)
UNRWA Chief, Lazzarini, said that Palestinians in the Gaza Strip now face an impossible choice, death by Israeli bombing or slow death by Israeli- enforced starvation, due to the blockade, August 27, 2025. (file photo)	Three Palestinian journalists, Mu'hammed Fayiq, Jamal Baddah, and 'Hatim 'Omar, suffered life-threatening injuries, from an Israeli air strike, they need an immediate medical evacuation, August 27, 2025.
Performing funeral prayer on Palestinian martyrs, who were massacred by the Israeli occupation forces in Khan Younus, in southern Gaza Strip, on August 28, 2025.	Grieving the death of Palestinian family members, who were massacred by the Israeli occupation forces in Gaza City, on August 28, 2025.

***

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

"مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَٰلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَىٰ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنَّهُ مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا"  (الْمَائِدَةُ ، 5: 32).

"وَمَنْ يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُّتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَغَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُ عَذَابًا عَظِيمًا" (النِّسَاءُ ، 4: 93).

"إِنْ أَحْسَنتُمْ أَحْسَنتُمْ لِأَنفُسِكُمْ ۖ وَإِنْ أَسَأْتُمْ فَلَهَا ۚ فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ الْآخِرَةِ لِيَسُوءُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَلِيَدْخُلُوا الْمَسْجِدَ كَمَا دَخَلُوهُ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَلِيُتَبِّرُوا مَا عَلَوْا تَتْبِيراً ‎(الإسْرَاءُ ، 17: 7). 

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

"Because of that, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul, unless for a soul, or for corruption in the land, it is as if he had killed humankind entirely" (The Holy Quran, Al-Ma-ida, 5: 32).

"And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally, and Allah has become angry with him, and has cursed him, and has prepared for him a great torment" (Al-Nisa, 4: 93).

"If you do good, you do good for yourselves; and if you do evil, (you do it) to yourselves. Then, when the latter (final) promise came, they (your enemies) will sadden your faces, and to enter the Masjid (in Jerusalem), as they entered it the first time, and will destroy what they had taken over with (total) destruction (Al-Isra, 17: 7). 

***

While brutal force has been used to create Zionist Israel and sustain it thus far, Zionist claims to Palestine are false. Actually, from the five thousand years of known written human history, there has been a continuous Palestinian-Canaanite presence in the Holy Land. Despite the Zionist false claims, the ancient Israelites ruled part of the land for only 85 years (during the reign of Prophets David and Solomon , peace be upon them, and Solomon's son).

 After that, the Egyptians conquered Palestine-Canaan in 925 BC, followed by Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans, before the Arab Muslim rule, starting from 636 AD.

By the Time Jesus, peace be upon him, started his mission, the three population groups of Canaanites, Palestinians, and Israelites were melted together in religion and language. Most of them became Christians when Constantine converted in 313 AD. Then, most of them became Muslims in the 7th and 8th centuries AD.

So, Palestinian Muslims, Christians, and Jews are the ones who have the right to claim descent from ancient Israelites, Palestinians, and Canaanites, not Zionists from other continents.

No matter what the Zionists and their supporters do, they cannot change the will of God, Who promised the Holy Land to Abraham and his descendants, basically the Palestinian Muslims and Christians.

No matter how much persecution and aggression the Zionists and their supporters inflict upon the Palestinian people, they will never be able to force them out of the Holy Land, which Allah, praise to Him, promised for them, and kept His promise ever since.

This is a necessary brief background to understand the US-Backed Zionist Israeli continuous wars against the Arab nation generally, and the Palestinian people in particular, which included the wars of 1948, 1956, 1967, 1978, 1982, the brutal crushing of the two Uprisings (1987-1993 and 2000-2004), 2009, 2012, 2014, 2021, and the current genocidal war on Gaza (Since October 7, 2023), which has culminated a blockade of Gaza since 2007. In addition, the Israeli occupation and apartheid regime launched so many covert operations, raids, and air strikes on many Arab states since 1948.

The following news stories are just examples, not a systematic record, of the Israeli occupation government abuse, mistreatment, and violations of Palestinian human rights, on daily basis.

Killing and Injuring of Palestinians in Ghazza (Gaza) by Israeli Occupation Regime Forces

***

Gaza death toll nears 62,900 as brutal Israeli war continues unabated

Betül Yılmaz  |27.08.2025 -

Anadolu, ISTANBUL --

At least 62,895 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since October 2023, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Wednesday. 

A statement from the ministry said 76 people were killed and 298 others injured in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of injuries to 158,927. 

The Ministry also reported ten new fatalities from starvation and malnutrition, including two children, raising the total famine-related deaths to 313, among them 119 children. 

“Many victims remain trapped under rubble or on the streets,” the ministry said, noting that rescue teams are still unable to reach victims due to ongoing Israeli bombardment and lack of equipment. 

Since March 18, when Israel resumed its military campaign after breaking a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement, the Health Ministry said 11,050 Palestinians have been killed and 46,886 injured. 

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation forces continued to target civilians seeking humanitarian aid, killing 18 people and injuring 106 others in the last 24 hours. 

According to the ministry, 2,158 Palestinians have been killed and more than 15,843 injured while seeking aid since May 27. 

Israel’s full blockade of the Gaza Strip, in place since early March, has created catastrophic conditions for the enclave’s 2.4 million residents, leading to famine, widespread disease, and the collapse of essential services. 

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. 

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its war on the enclave.

***

Dozens killed and injured in nonstop Israeli attacks in Gaza

Wednesday 27-August-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation army continued, last night and on Wednesday, to carry out intensive deadly strikes and target civilians in different areas of the Gaza Strip.

According to local media sources, Israeli forces also continued today to detonate and bomb more homes and displace families in different areas of the Gaza Strip, further deepening the dire humanitarian crisis as the population grapples with worsening famine.

According to the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) reporter in Gaza, Israeli attacks have continued across the Gaza Strip, including a drone attack on tents in the west of Khan Younus that killed at least three people.

Another drone strike on tents killed a four-year-old girl child and a woman near Al-Tayba apartment buildings in the west of Khan Younus.

Casualties were also reported following an airstrike on a tent near Al-Shaikh Radhwan cemetery in the northwest of Gaza City.

Two people were killed and others were injured following an Israeli strike on a house belonging to the family of Al-Bayed, near the Hajani Mosque in Gaza City’s Al-Daraj neighborhood.

The Israeli army also launched attacks on other areas of the Gaza Strip last night and today, killing and wounding more civilians, including children and women.

Meanwhile, dozens of people were martyred or injured in Israeli attacks on aid seekers near distribution points in separate areas of Gaza.

Ten people, including two children, were also proclaimed dead due to starvation and malnutrition, while other Gazans were pronounced dead after they succumbed to injuries they sustained in recent attacks, according to Gaza’s health ministry today.

***

4 Palestinians killed, others injured while waiting for aid in northern Gaza

Wednesday 27-August-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

Four Palestinian civilians were killed and several others injured on Wednesday evening when Israeli occupation forces opened fire on people waiting for humanitarian aid in the Al-Soudaniya area, northwest of the Gaza Strip.

The PIC correspondent reported that four people were killed and others wounded by Israeli gunfire while they were awaiting aid distribution in the Al-Soudaniya area.

Israeli violations against civilians in aid collection zones are escalating, with these sites repeatedly targeted for months. Human rights organizations have described this pattern as a “deliberate policy of starvation and collective humiliation.”

The death toll from attacks on the US-Israeli aid distribution centers in Gaza has now reached 2,158 martyrs and over 15,843 injuries, all of them starving civilians seeking basic sustenance under siege and enforced starvation. 

***

 Israeli occupation forces kill four aid seekers in northern Gaza Strip

GAZA, August 27, 2025 (WAFA) –

Israeli occupation forces on Wednesday evening killed four Palestinians seeking aid in the northern Gaza Strip, according to WAFA correspondent.

He said that the Israeli occupation forces opened gunfire on aid seekers in the northern Strip, claiming the lives of four and injuring others.

Meanwhile, medical sources confirmed that the body of a slain Palestinian was admitted to Al-'Awda Hospital. He was killed by the Israeli occupation forces, who targeted starving Palestinians at an aid distribution site on Sala'huddeen Road in the central Strip.

Israel unilaterally ended the Gaza ceasefire agreement and resumed its aggression on the Strip on Tuesday, March 18, carrying out a wave of bloody airstrikes across the Strip and killing at least 11,050 with 46,886 others wounded, according to medical sources.

In the last 24 hours, the bodies of 76 slain Palestinians, including one retrieved from the rubble, and 298 casualties were admitted to Gaza hospitals.

Israel has waged a military onslaught on the Strip since October 2023, killing 62,895 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 158,927 others.

Moreover, at least 10,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.

The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafa'h near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.

K.F.

***

Gaza: Death toll from starvation climbs to 313, including 119 kids

Wednesday 27-August-2025

Link copied! + -

GAZA, (PIC)

10 Palestinian citizens, including two children, died of starvation and malnutrition in the Gaza Strip within the past 24 hours, according to a statement released by Gaza’s health ministry on Wednesday morning.

The new victims have raised the total number of hunger-related deaths in the famished coastal territory to 313 people, including 119 children, the health ministry said.

Since March 2, the Israeli occupation army has been closing all the border crossings with Gaza, preventing the flow of humanitarian aid and vital needs. Although limited quantities of aid have recently been allowed in, they remain insufficient to meet the minimum basic needs of the population.

In a related context, the Palestinian Government Media Office (PGMO) in Gaza said that more than 95 percent of Gaza’s population has no money or source of income to buy basic items and foodstuffs available in the markets.

“Among the most vital food items that the occupation prohibits from entering the Gaza Strip are eggs, red and white meat, fish, cheese, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, nutritional supplements, and dozens of other items,” PGMO added in a statement on Wednesday.

“We strongly condemn the starvation policy pursued by the Israeli occupation and hold it, along with the US administration and the countries involved in the genocide, fully responsible for this crime and all the serial crimes committed by the occupation,” PGMO said.

***

The Israeli occupation army kills Palestinian athlete 'Alaa Al-'Umour

Wednesday 27-August-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

The Palestine Athletics Federation said on Wednesday that international runner Allam Al-Amour was killed by Israeli army gunfire while trying to obtain a food parcel in Khan Younus, south of the Gaza Strip.

In a post on Facebook, the federation mourned Al-Amour, “with deep sorrow and grief, the young man who ascended as a martyr,” noting that he was the bronze medalist in the 5,000-meter youth race at the West Asia Championship.

It explained that he was martyred while trying to obtain a food parcel from an aid distribution center. The statement added, “He did not expect his end to be with a bullet in the head, instead of holding in his hands what could feed his family. Thus, Allam’s last race was not on the running track, but a painful race toward the hereafter, leaving behind a touching story and a cherished memory in the hearts of his loved ones and everyone who heard of his determination and excellence.”

Earlier on Wednesday, family sources told Anadolu Agency that Al-Amour “was martyred by Israeli army gunfire near what are known as US aid centers.”

On Tuesday, the President of the Palestinian Football Association, Jibreel Al-Rujoub, said that Palestinian sports are experiencing an unprecedented catastrophe after losing 774 martyrs due to Israel’s war of extermination.

He explained that the total number of martyrs from the sports and scouting movement has reached 774, including 355 football players, 277 members of sports federations, and 142 Palestinian scouts, in addition to 119 missing persons.

Rujoub added, “The number of martyrs among sports journalists has reached 15,” noting that 288 sports facilities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have been either completely or partially destroyed.

***

‎***

Killing, Injuring, and Abduction of Palestinians in the West Bank by Israeli Occupation Regime Forces 

***‎

 Injuries reported during ongoing Israeli military raid on Nablus city

NABLUS, August 27, 2025 (WAFA) -

Two Palestinian citizens were injured on Wednesday by Israeli occupation forces’ live bullets and dozens suffocated from tear gas during the ongoing Israeli military raid on the city of Nablus.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that its teams handled 37 injuries, including two from live bullets, 27 from tear gas, five from rubber-coated metal bullets, one from shrapnel, and two due to falls and assault, during the raid on the Old City.

The raid lasted for nearly 14 hours, resulting in two detentions and forcing several families to leave their homes, which were then converted into military observation posts.

According to local and security sources, dozens of military vehicles raided the city and deployed their troops in its center, placing the Old City under siege and conducting a wide-scale raid campaign.

Forces raided citizens' homes, forcing several families in the Al-Qasaba neighborhood to leave and ordering them to return in the afternoon.

Forces also deployed across the city's neighborhoods, positioned snipers in the Sufian Street area and Martyrs' Square in the city center, and raided several commercial shops in the Ras al-Ain area.

On June 11, 2025, large Israeli forces swept through the historic alleys of Nablus amid heavy gunfire and tear gas. The Old City of Nablus witnessed one of the most violent and prolonged Israeli raids, during which homes were forcibly raided, families were ordered to leave, commercial shops were looted and destroyed, and historic buildings, including Khan El-Wakalah, were converted into military barracks.

A.D./T.R. 

***

Large-scale IOF raid in Nablus leaves dozens injured, houses stormed

Wednesday 27-August-2025

NABLUS, (PIC)

Several Palestinians were injured Wednesday during an ongoing large-scale raid by Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) in the city of Nablus, northern West Bank.

The IOF has been storming Nablus and besieging its Old City for nearly 10 hours, resulting in injuries, arrests, and house evacuations, while deploying additional military reinforcements.

The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that its teams treated 35 injuries during the IOF assault on the Old City, including 27 from tear gas inhalation, five from rubber bullets, one from live ammunition shrapnel, and two from falls and beatings.

Several journalists suffered from suffocation after being directly targeted with toxic gas grenades in Nablus.

The IOFs carried out a large-scale incursion with dozens of military vehicles, positioning themselves in central Nablus and imposing a blockade on the Old City.

They conducted multiple arrests and raided residents’ homes, forcing several families in the Qasabah neighborhood to evacuate temporarily, informing them they could return in the afternoon.

Clashes erupted between youths and the IOF on Sufian Street during the raid. Snipers were deployed by the IOFs in the Sufyan Street and Martyrs’ Square areas, while several commercial shops in Ras El-'Ain were also raided.

The IOFs fired tear gas grenades toward the National Hospital in Nablus and also raided the town of Sebastya northwest of the city, imposing a curfew.

***

IOFs kidnap several Palestinians in West Bank raids

Wednesday 27-August-2025

WEST BANK, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation forces (IOFs) kidnapped a number of Palestinian citizens during raids in the West Bank last night and on Wednesday morning.

According to local sources, a large number of Israeli forces broke into and ransacked several homes in the Old City of Nablus, without reported kidnappings.

In Salfeet, the IOFs kidnapped a young man from Kafr Ed-Deek town and another citizen after his car accidently hit a road barrier at the main entrance of Dair Ballout town.

In Bait La'hm (Bethlehem), the IOFs kidnapped four citizens, following a raid in Teqoa town and three others during raids in the city and the refugee camps of Al-Duhaisha and 'Ayda.

The IOFs also stormed other areas of the West Bank and raided some homes, with no reported kidnappings.

9 kidnappings.

***

 Israeli forces attack Palestinian residents, raid homes and shops in Nablus-area town

NABLUS, August 27, 2025 (WAFA) – 

Israeli forces this evening attacked several Palestinian residents in the town of Sebastya northwest of Nablus during a large-scale military raid that has continued for over 24 hours, a local official said.

Mu'hammed 'Aazim, head of the village council, told WAFA that Israeli forces raided the town over 24 hours ago, converting some homes into military posts and stationing snipers on the rooftops of others.

Since yesterday evening, Israeli soldiers have raided and searched dozens of homes, destroying their contents and assaulting residents. One of the victims was transferred to a hospital for treatment due to his serious condition. The forces also conducted field interrogations with dozens of citizens.

Israeli troops also raided several commercial shops, stealing cash and merchandise.

T.R.

***

***

Aggression and Attacks by Illegal Israeli Settlers and Soldiers

*** 

Note: Despite the Trump administration support for the Israeli occupation apartheid regime, the U.S. official policy is still considering the Israeli settlement activities in the Palestinian territories as illegal.

***

Illegal Israeli settlers expand illegal outpost, attack shepherds south of Al-Khaleel (Hebron)

Al-Khaleel (Hebron), August 27, 2025 (WAFA) –

Armed illegal Israeli settlers today proceeded to expand an existing illegal outpost built on Palestinian citizens’ lands in Khirbet Dair Razi'h, south of Al-Khaleel (Hebron), according to WAFA correspondent.

WAFA correspondent said that a group of armed colonists brought more than 30 caravans and installed them in the area to enlarge the outpost, which was originally established in December last year on Palestinian residents’ lands in Khirbet Dair Razi'h.

At the end of last year, colonists, backed by Israeli bulldozers, razed nearly 400 dunums of land belonging to the 'Amro family, cutting down trees, destroying crops, and opening a colonial road extending three kilometers.

Today, areas south of Hebron saw a significant escalation in land seizures, with groups of colonists establishing a new outpost in Umm al-Khair village and expanding two existing outposts in Khillet El-Dab‘a and Sha'b El-Butum in Masafir Yatta, installing multiple caravans and constructing new units.

In a related development, colonists attacked shepherds and their livestock in ad-Dhahiriya town, south of Hebron, preventing them from reaching their grazing fields.

Local resident Karam Abu Sharikh told WAFA that colonists are imposing a siege on families in the area, preventing them from leaving their homes or grazing their sheep, and barring anyone from reaching or visiting them.

He added that the illegal Israeli settlers have sharply escalated their attacks, posing a serious threat to residents’ lives and forcing women and children to relocate to another area, leaving only the elderly behind to protect their land and property.

T.R.

***

 The Israeli occupation apartheid regime raze 20 Palestinian homes, buildings in Ra'hat

Wednesday 27-August-2025

Link copied! + -

NEGEV, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation apartheid regime displaced several Palestinian families after demolishing, on Wednesday morning, about 20 homes and commercial facilities in Ra'hat City in Al-Naqab (Negev) desert, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.

According to local sources, the demolitions were carried out by multiple bulldozers escorted by police forces.

More than 150 Palestinian residents, who had lived in these homes for several years, were affected by the demolitions.

Ra'hat deputy mayor 'Hasan El-Nasasira accused Israeli officials at the Bedouin settlement authority of pursuing an extreme demolition policy against the city.

“They do not negotiate or communicate with the local residents, nor do they deal with the city municipality at all. Homeowners receive an offer at first, but if they reject it, a demolition operation is carried out immediately without any negotiation,” he said.

***

***

News Related to the Israeli Genocidal War on the Palestinian People

***

UN official at UNSC: World watches in horror as situation in occupied Palestinian Territory continues to deteriorate to levels not seen in recent history

NEW YORK, August 27, 2025 (WAFA) -

UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Ramiz Alakbarov said during the Security Council Briefing on the Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question, that, “Today the world looks on in horror as the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory continues to deteriorate to levels not seen in recent history.”

He said that over twenty-two months into the hostilities, Gaza is sinking deeper into disaster, marked by rapidly mounting civilian casualties, mass displacement, and, now, famine.

 “The message from the international community is clear: The Two-State solution remains the only viable path toward a just and lasting resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” he said.

Stressing the need for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages, he told the Security Council on Wednesday that, “What is needed now is bold action to resolve the conflict, end the occupation and re-establish a political horizon.”

He underscored the dire situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which he stressed “continues to spiral dangerously downward” and “the territory envisioned for a future Palestinian State is shrinking, while a One-State reality of unlawful occupation and perpetual violence is rapidly advancing.”

“Relentless expansion of settlements, demolitions, and intensifying violence continue to undermine any prospect for peace.”

“The choice could not be clearer: continue the current path of perpetual conflict, entrenching the occupation — or recommitting to a political process that will resolve the conflict, end the occupation and realize a Two-State solution.”

He reported that Israeli military strikes have intensified throughout the Strip, hitting tents housing displaced people, schools, hospitals, and residential buildings. 

He underscored the continued Israeli targeting of journalists, noting that more than 240 journalists have been killed since the war began on 7 October 2023.

Expressing his shock following a visit to the war-torn enclave, he said: “On my recent visit to Gaza, I was stunned at the scale of the destruction and suffering. I met humanitarian workers risking their lives to deliver aid, while themselves living in intolerable conditions,” he added.

He stressed that although the UN and partners are working tirelessly to assist the people in Gaza, “the security risks are extremely high, and current mitigation measures are woefully insufficient.”

“Ending famine is a race against time. It will require a dramatic increase in the quantity and quality of food entering Gaza. It will also require restoring the basic systems – such as water and sanitation, health services, and food production – all that is needed to sustain human life.”

He noted that more than 32,000 residents of three refugee camps in the West Bank remain displaced as a result of these ongoing Israeli military operations, stressing that, “They must be able to return to their homes, and services, including those of UNRWA, which must be restored.”

Meanwhile, Joyce Msuya, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, highlighted the recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, which confirmed that famine is occurring in the Gaza governorate – phase 5 conditions- and is expected to spread in the coming weeks.

She drew attention to some of the numbers, saying over half a million people currently face starvation, destitution and death, which could exceed 640,000 by the end of September. 

Msuya noted that approximately one million Gazans are in emergency phase 4, and over 390,000 face phase 3 crisis conditions.

She added that at least 132,000 children under five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition between now and the middle of next year, while the number of those who risk dying has tripled to over 43,000.

Among pregnant and breastfeeding women, she said the number is predicted to rise from 17,000 to 55,000.

“Let us be clear: This famine is not a product of drought or some form of natural disaster,” she said. “It is a created catastrophe – the result of a conflict that has caused massive civilian death, injury, destruction and forced displacement.”

Msuya urged the Council to ensure an immediate and sustained cessation of hostilities to save lives and stop famine from spreading.

She also called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and for civilians and critical infrastructure to be protected.

The UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs further stressed the need for safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access through all entry points, and that aid, including food, medicine, water, fuel and shelter, must be delivered to all people in need.

She also called for the restoration of commercial flows of essential goods on a large scale, including market systems, essential services, and local food production.

“Ending this human-made crisis demands that we act as if it were our mother, our father, our child, our family trying to survive in Gaza today,” she said.

T.R..

***

Over 200 European diplomats call for urgent action to halt war on Gaza

RAMALLAH, August 27, 2025 (WAFA) -

An open letter co-signed by 209 former EU and Member State ambassadors and senior officials expressed dismay that, in the four weeks following a previous letter sent on 28 July outlining nine proposed EU actions in response to the Israeli government’s unlawful actions in Gaza and the West Bank, no ceasefire has been agreed in Gaza.

The letter warned that, since the last letter, the Israeli government has begun implementing plans to empty Gaza City and its surroundings, forcing up to one million Palestinians into concentrated areas in the south in preparation for possible large-scale deportations to third countries, posing a serious risk of a migration crisis.

The letter added that the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed on 22 August that a man-made famine now exists in these areas of Gaza, with half a million people facing starvation, destitution, and death. It added that malnutrition threatens the lives of 132,000 children under five through June 2026, and by the end of September 2025, an estimated 640,000 people—about a third of the population—are expected to face catastrophic levels of food insecurity.

It stated that, tragically, more than 200 Gazan citizens, including over 60 children, have already died from malnutrition-related causes.

“Estimates suggest that just since our letter of 28 July, more than 2,600 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, many of them women and children, with over 12,000 injured,” said the letter.

“Compounding the totally inadequate humanitarian access to Gaza, the Israeli government has continued to prevent UNRWA and 100 international NGOs from delivering any aid since 2 March, obstructed the deliveries of other traditional experienced suppliers whilst prioritizing the militarization of aid supplied by the GHF and its mercenaries, in violation of all UN Humanitarian principles, leading to thousands of desperate and hungry Palestinians being killed or injured whilst seeking this assistance.”

The letter noted that international journalists are denied access to Gaza, while more than 200 locally based journalists and media workers have been killed, including eleven in recent targeted attacks.

“Israeli Ministers have approved plans to build 3,400 housing units in the E1 area of Palestine, thereby cutting off East Jerusalem from the West Bank and dividing the territory in two, the openly declared aim being to sabotage the longstanding two-state solution which is backed by the vast majority of UN Member States and the EU and is the only viable way for the two peoples to live in peace and security.”

They added: “Violent settlers continue to run amok in the West Bank leading, inter alia, to the recent murder of Odeh Hathalin a well-known peaceful West Bank human rights campaigner.”

They expressed profound disappointment that, in response to the deteriorating situation in Gaza, no substantive measures have been taken by the EU to pressure Israel to end its brutal war, to resume vital humanitarian assistance by mainstream providers, and to dismantle its illegal occupation of both Gaza and the West Bank. “We underline that, if the EU fails to take an effective stand, only Member States individually or in ‘groups of like-minded countries’ will act. While this is welcome in itself, it will not have the full force of EU-wide collective action. The Annex to this letter outlines specific actions that EU Member States are called on to take.”

“Today’s circumstances in Gaza and the West Bank are unprecedented. Our reiterated and urgent call for action reflects our deep concern at the unjustified retribution and appalling violations of humanitarian and human rights law being committed by the Israeli government against the Palestinian people on a daily basis. It reflects our fervent wish for the EU, to which we dedicated our professional lives, to demonstrate real leadership, worthy of the overwhelming majority of European citizens whose profound disquiet over the current deplorable situation in Palestine is palpable, and consistent with core European values and our credibility with the Global South. Among other things, lack of action undermines efforts to harness support for the EU position on the war in Ukraine.”

“In closing, we underline that, analogous to the views expressed by many current EU staff members, States and Institutions claiming to support human rights and uphold international law must lead by example with action – not just with words.”

Actions that EU Member States are called on to take: (these are in addition to the nine EU actions stipulated in Open letter of 28 July 2025)

Unilaterally suspending or revoking arms export licenses to Israel under Member States’ own national export control laws, including for dual-use equipment and technology; Stopping the funding of national co-financed projects involving Israeli entities or withdrawing from joint research agreements with Israeli institutions and research bodies, with respect to Horizon Europe, where there is plausible evidence that such funding supports actions illegal under international law; Directing public universities and other entities to cease collaboration with Israeli entities suspected of being involved in atrocity crimes; Enforcing their own national sanctions’ regimes on human rights grounds and counter-terrorism laws, including visa bans and asset freezes; Introducing prohibitions on trade in goods and services with illegal settlements, pending an EU-wide ban on trade, and on the basis of applicable WTO stipulations, noting that earlier this month Slovenia already banned the imports of goods originating from illegal settlements, while Ireland is also taking forward related legislation; Divesting from and excluding illegal settlement linked companies from public procurement, state investment and sovereign wealth funds; Banning port calls or use of airspace for Israeli military vessels and aircraft, as well as transit stops for any vessels / aircraft transporting military equipment and munitions to Israel; Prosecuting indicted Israeli and Palestinian war criminals if they enter their territory, or in some cases even in absentia for Member States that have universal jurisdiction provisions (Germany, Spain, Belgium, France, Sweden, ..…). All Member States are of course obliged to support the ICC with arrest warrants and investigations; and Prohibiting data centres and platforms based in Europe from receiving, storing or treating data originating from Israeli government or commercial sources relating to the Israeli government’s presence and activities in Gaza and elsewhere in the occupied territories.   T.R.

***

===============================================================================================================================

Editorial Notes about terms & names of people and places:

1. Names of people and places have been standardized to match standard Arabic grammatical rules.

2. Underlined letters and letters preceded by an apostrophe are references to Arabic letter sounds, which does not exist in the English alphabet.

3. The English letter i is equivalent to the Arabic short vowel known as kasra, as in Ibraheem and Qasim as well as in the English words sit and bit. So, it is incorrect to use it as a long vowel for such Arabic names as Jameel and Jibreel.

4. The English letter e is equivalent to the Arabi short vowel known as fat'ha, as in A'hmed and Mu'hammed.

5. It is more accurate to refer to the land-grabbing Israelis, who establish illegal settlements in the Palestinian territory of the West Bank, as illegal Israeli settlers, than referring to them as colonists.

The term colony is a reference to a large entity or a country, such as American states before independence. It was also a reference to Egypt, and India, when they were British colonies.

In addition, the term "colony" represents a positive nostalgic theme, in the minds of native speakers of English, particularly in America and Britain.

6. It is more accurate to use the verbs "abduct" and "kidnap" than the verbs "detain" and "arrest," in reference to taking Palestinian citizens by force to prisons and interrogation centers, by Israeli occupation regime soldiers. This is because the presence of the Israeli occupation regime forces is illegal in the Palestinian territories, and they have no jurisdiction over the Palestinian people.

Click here for more about using the apostrophe and the underlining of letters in the transliteration of Arabic names. 

***

Names of some of the Palestinian cities, as pronounced in standard Arabic, and their foreign names in parentheses: 

Al-Khaleel (Hebron)

Al-Nusayrat

Al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem)

Aree'ha (Jericho)

Al-Zaytoun (al-Zeitoun)

Bait (Beit)

Bait La'hm (Bethlehem)

Dair El-Bala'h

Jineen (Jenin)

Khan Younus (Khan Younis)

***

Person's names as pronounced in standard Arabic:

A'hmed, 'Hasan, Mu'hammed, Younus, Yousuf,  

'Hasan Mulai'hat,

***

Conflict terminology

The Israeli occupation apartheid regime (the Israeli government)

Illegal Israeli settlers (instead of settlers, colonists)

A group of the illegal Israeli settlers

***