September 29, 2024

Resistance to U.S./Zionist Criminals Continues
to Achieve Successes

Zionist Occupiers Suffer Defeats in Gaza,
the West Bank and Beyond

• Zionist Occupiers Suffer Defeats in Gaza,
the West Bank and Beyond

Fraudulent U.S. Peace Deals

• U.S. Persists in Fraud About Being a Peace Broker

• U.S. Steps Up Funding for Israeli Genocide

At the United Nations

• Concerted Walk Out from UN General Assembly When
War Criminal Netanyahu Spoke

• General Debate Proceedings

• UN Security Council Meeting on "Situation in the Middle East, Including the Palestinian Question"

• Non-Aligned Movement Holds Special Meeting on Palestine

Developments in Gaza

• Day 358 of Genocide

• Israel Destroys Almost 80 Per Cent of Agricultural Lands
Vital to Survival

• Nearly 90 Per Cent of Aid Efforts Denied
or Impeded in September

Resistance to U.S./Zionist Criminals Continues
to Achieve Successes

Zionist Occupiers Suffer Defeats in Gaza,
the West Bank and Beyond

Nearly one year after Israel's genocidal war on Gaza began, the Resistance forces courageously defending the Palestinian people continue to achieve successes by uniting to confront the Zionists and defeat them. They are achieving successes time and time again and having a serious impact on Israel's military and economy, to say nothing about its bravado and reputation. In particular, details about coordinated attacks on Zionist Israel from Resistance forces across the region on Sunday, September 29 continue to emerge.

The world stands with the courageous resistance and shares the anguish of the Palestinian people and now also the Lebanese at the unfathomable losses they are suffering.

Hezbollah's Strikes in Israel

Hezbollah's actions in recent days have given a fitting response to Israel's terrorism and those who claim that Israel will prevail over the Lebanese resistance and its staunch defence of the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples.

On Saturday, September 28, Hezbollah informed that it had carried out seven rocket barrages against various illegal Zionist settlements, the Ramat David base and airport, and also shelled Israeli soldiers at Al-Sadah.

On Friday, September 27, Hezbollah, announced that it targeted the Kiryat Ata settlement with a volley of Fadi-1 rockets. Israeli media reported that "repeated sirens sounded in the North, particularly in Haifa, Akka, Tabaraya, the Golan Heights, and the Jordan Valley." A spokesperson for the Israeli army announced that "a barrage of 10 rockets was fired from Lebanon at Haifa, setting off sirens in the northern coastal city and suburbs."

On September 26, Hezbollah launched 130 rockets in two operations, responding to the Israeli aggression on Lebanon. Since the aggression on Lebanon began on October 8, 2023, the overall death toll has exceeded 1,200, with more than 5,200 injured, many of them civilians, including women and children. More than half of these casualties have occurred within the past four days as the criminal Zionist army intensifies its operations. The Israeli aggression has not ceased to target homes, residential buildings and stores across various areas in Lebanon.

Netanyahu's outrageous speech to the UN on September 27 confirmed that Israel will continue its criminal actions to target all Lebanese, without consideration, shame or remorse, and thus affirmed the necessity of the actions by the Resistance.

Gaza Strip

On September 28 in the Gaza Strip, Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades targeted a Zionist Merkava tank with a Yassin-105 shell in the Tanour neighborhood east of Rafah.

On September 27, al-Qassam Brigades conducted two remarkable operations in the Sufa region, on the eastern extremities of the city of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. First al-Qassam fighters fired two tandem al-Yassin shells at an Israeli drilling rig in the area. The rig is used by Israeli combat engineers for operational purposes in the Gaza Strip, including search operations for the Resistance's extensive tunnel system. Soldiers operating near the rig were also targeted in the attack, with multiple casualties reported. As well in the same area, al-Qassam Brigades announced that its fighters destroyed an Israeli Merkava 4 main battle tank using locally-produced weapons to destroy the tank, killing and injuring its crew members. Later that same afternoon, the Israeli military command released an assessment of the situation in the Gaza Strip, claiming that it has now defeated the Palestinian Resistance militarily and will only need some time to dismantle the remaining fighters.

Resistance and Zionist Destruction in the West Bank

The Palestinian Resistance in West Bank cities, particularly Nablus, fiercely resisted Israeli occupation forces who launched yet another night raid in Nablus on the evening of September 26-27. Israeli occupation forces were forced to withdraw from Balata Refugee Camp east of Nablus in the occupied West Bank on September 27 after fierce confrontations with Palestinian resistance fighters. Field sources in the West Bank confirmed that Resistance fighters targeted the invading occupation forces in Balata Camp with highly explosive improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and engaged in intense confrontations with the forces.

Also on Friday, September 27, Al-Quds Brigades–Nablus Battalion announced that its fighters in Balata fought fierce battles with the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) in several combat zones using machine guns and explosive devices. The Brigades' fighters targeted the occupation's military reinforcements on al-Quds Street with bursts of gunfire and attacked infantry and military vehicles with direct fire, achieving confirmed hits.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades fighters also detonated several highly explosive Zoufi IEDs on the invading enemy's vehicles and troops in Balata Camp.

The occupied West Bank has been witnessing daily confrontations which have escalated since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip. Towns and cities face daily raids, accompanied by wide-scale detention campaigns. The New York Times reported on September 26 that Israeli military bulldozers have caused extensive damage to roads, sewage systems, and businesses in the occupied West Bank in what residents describe as an unprecedented level of devastation.

The destruction primarily affected the cities of Tulkarm and Jenin, where two weeks of intense raids began in late August. According to the report, the military vehicles "tore up mile after mile of streets and alleys, leaving sewage to seep into the deep ruts left behind."

Videos captured by local people showed bulldozers leveling infrastructure, shops and businesses, while Israeli soldiers reportedly blocked emergency responders from assisting those in need of medical care.

"We watched their bulldozers destroy streets, wipe out businesses, pharmacies and schools. They even tore down the town's soccer field and uprooted a tree in the middle of a road," said Kamal Abu al-Rub, governor of Jenin. "They are creating conditions, both materially and psychologically, that make people feel Gaza is coming to the West Bank," said Shawan Jabarin, director of the West Bank-based human rights organization al-Haq. "There is a growing fear among Palestinians that this is part of a plan to kill and forcibly remove us."

Jenin Mayor Nidal Obeidi reported that approximately 70 per cent of the city's roads were either heavily damaged or completely destroyed during the raids. In addition to the destruction, several areas experienced outages in internet, electricity, and phone services, while water and sewage systems were cut off, leaving nearly 80 per cent of Jenin's population without access to running water.

Islamic Resistance in Iraq Targets Israeli Occupied Lands
and U.S. Forces in Syria

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq early on Sunday, September 29, launched drones that struck and damaged the port city Umm al-Rashrash (referred to by Israel as Eilat) in occupied Palestine. This operation was described as a strategic response to ongoing aggression against Palestinians and Lebanese civilians.

Shortly after the operation was announced “in support of our people in Palestine and Lebanon and in response to the massacres,” Israeli media reported sirens sounding in Eilat and several surrounding settlements.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, in its statement, confirmed that these operations will continue and intensify as the Israeli occupation continues to expand its genocidal war.

In a statement, the Iraqi Resistance indicated that the latest operation was “in continuation of our path in resisting the occupation, in support of our people in Palestine and Lebanon, and in response to the massacres committed by the usurping entity against civilians, including children, women, and the elderly.”

On Saturday, September 28, a U.S. military base located in the Conoco gas field in eastern Syria was struck by several drones launched by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, Al Jazeera reported, citing the Syrian media. Illegal U.S. military bases in Syria have been attacked many times. These attacks have increased since the Zionist regime launched a war against the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.

Additionally, on Saturday morning, September 28, the Iraqi Resistance targeted a significant site in Tel Aviv, also utilizing drone technology.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced on September 27 that it successfully struck a target in the occupied Golan with drones. It said this was "in continuation of our approach to resisting the occupation, in support of our people in Palestine and Lebanon, and in response to the massacres committed by the aggressive entity against civilians, including children, women, and the elderly." This was the third such drone attack from the Iraqi Resistance on the occupied Syrian Golan.

Yemeni Armed Forces Strike Ben Gurion Airport and
U.S. Navy Destroyers

Sana'a, Yemen rally, September 27 in solidarity with Lebanese and Palestinian people.

On Saturday, September 28, the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) "greeted" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upon his return to Israel with a Palestine 2 ballistic missile fired at Ben Gurion airport during his arrival.

The group’s spokesman, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, said that the attack was carried out in solidarity with the Palestinian people and in response to the crimes committed by the Zionist enemy in Gaza and Lebanon.

In his statement, Saree confirmed, “The missile forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces launched an operation targeting Jaffa Airport, referred to as ‘Ben Gurion Airport,’ during the arrival of the criminal Benjamin Netanyahu.” Saree concluded by emphasizing that the Yemeni Armed Forces, alongside all honorable and free individuals in the region, will continue to respond to Israeli crimes and are prepared to escalate further as necessary to defend Gaza and Lebanon.

The Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) targeted and hit three United States Navy destroyers in the Red Sea, which were sailing toward occupied Palestine to support the Israeli regime, the spokesperson for the YAF, Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced on Friday, September 27.

In total, 23 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and one-way attack drones were fired at the naval formation.

Saree said that this is the most expansive naval operation conducted by the Yemeni Armed Forces during "the Promised Victory Battle and Sacred Jihad, in support of the Al-Aqsa Flood and in response to the aggression."

The attack on the three American destroyers came in parallel with the Yemeni military's long-range missile and drone attack on Israeli targets. At around 12:40 am (local time), sirens sounded across several districts in Tel Aviv, the heart of the Israeli regime, he said.

Al Mayadeen's correspondent said that an attack drone affiliated with U.S.-UK forces in the region launched two strikes on the northern side of the city of Saada on the afternoon of September 27.

Fraudulent U.S. Peace Deals

U.S. Persists in Fraud About Being a Peace Broker

The Biden administration and monopoly media continue to spread disinformation that the U.S. is interested in negotiations and peace. Reuters reported on September 26:

"The United States is spearheading a new diplomatic effort [on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly] to end hostilities in both Gaza and Lebanon, linking the two conflicts as part of a single initiative, seven sources familiar with the initiative told Reuters. [...] But as the effort gathered pace, Israel suggested it could add a ground incursion to its expanding campaign of strikes against Hezbollah."

Certainly, the U.S. $8.7 billion military aid package announced the same day gives Israel the green light to do so.

Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan put into words what is plain to see:

"The U.S. is complicit in the Israeli occupation's crimes while claiming to be seeking calm and stability," Hamdan said in an interview with Al Mayadeen on September 26. "The [Israeli] occupation cannot stand in the face of the resistance in Palestine and Lebanon without American support," he emphasized.

Hamdan criticized the current international system. "The global order needs reform, as it has become paralyzed. Those who are crippling it must understand that it is on the verge of collapse."

He also accused the Israeli occupation of trying to demoralize the resistance in Lebanon and its people while evading accountability on the world stage.

"I do not believe the resistance in Lebanon was surprised by the Israeli behaviour, nor were we," the Hamas official said.

(Reuters, Al Mayadeen)

U.S. Steps Up Funding for Israeli Genocide

On September 26, Israel announced that the U.S. had agreed to provide it with $8.7 million in aid "to maintain Israel's qualitative edge in the region and support ongoing military operations" –- namely its genocide in Gaza and its terrorist attacks and all-out war on Lebanon.

The Hill reports, "The funding for the package was appropriated by Congress in the national security supplemental that the president signed into law in April. The total supplemental included $26.38 billion to support Israel and reimburse U.S. operations in response to recent attacks.

"The package announced Thursday includes $3.5 billion for wartime procurement and $5.2 billion designated for air defence systems, including the Iron Dome, its short-range missile interceptor; and David's Sling, which can take out ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, long-range missiles and other aerial threats."

This U.S. funding cements the fact that no matter what new depravity Israel visits on the people of Palestine and Lebanon, the administration of "Genocide Joe" Biden and "Killer Kamala" Harris continues to fully back Israel and its crimes. The Hill reports, "President Biden and Vice President Harris have pushed back on calls from some Democrats and progressives to condition aid for Israel to influence their military action because of the humanitarian toll and civilian casualties among Palestinians and Lebanese."

At the United Nations

Concerted Walk Out from UN General Assembly When War Criminal Netanyahu Spoke

During the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly it was shocking for the world to see that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been charged with genocide by the International Criminal Court could freely travel to New York and address the General Assembly. In response, as he approached the platform at the General Assembly on September 27, member nations walked out en masse.

Al Mayadeen posted video of the delegations walking out and the near-empty General Assembly chambers while Netanyahu was speaking. Footage on social media shows a near-empty hall and thousands of protesters marching in New York City denouncing the Israeli occupation's crimes in Gaza and Lebanon and demanding Netanyahu's arrest.

Thanks to U.S. support and that of the UK, Canada and a few other countries, Netanyahu arrogantly defended his morally depraved decision to order the Zionist army's actions in Lebanon and Gaza saying, "I've come here today to say enough is enough."

Demonstration outside Netanyahu's UN speech demands his arrest, September 27, 2024

Demonstrations September 26, 2024 protest Netanyahu's arrival in New York City to speak at the UN and demand his arrest as a war criminal.

General Debate Proceedings

Palestine takes its seat UN General Assembly, September 12, 2024

Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine which took its rightful place among the member states when the fall session of the General Assembly got underway, addressed the Assembly September 26 urging the international community to hold Israel to account for carrying out a "full-scale war of genocide" and stressing that the Palestinian people "will not allow a single centimetre of Gaza to be taken."

Mbae Mohamed, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Comoros, condemned the war in Palestine as the "purest form of genocide." Reaffirming solidarity with the Palestinians, he beseeched the international community to act towards an immediate cessation of hostilities and resumption of humanitarian supply, also working quickly to arrive at a two-State solution based on international law and relevant Security Council resolutions.

Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani, Prime Minister of Iraq, stated that in the Occupied Palestinian Territory today, there is public talk of mass starvation and the use of nuclear weapons to exterminate the population, who have been denied their rights amid a "shameful global paralysis." International law and Security Council resolutions are now "mere ink on paper" and are dangerous precedents that can result in dire consequences for all of humanity.

He declared his country's solidarity with Lebanon as it faces a new phase of brutal aggression that seeks to plunge the region into crisis, promising to provide support to enable it to withstand the attacks.

Abdallah Bouhabib, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of Lebanon, said "this is a situation that requires international intervention on an urgent basis." Without such action, the crisis will "transform into a black hole that will engulf regional and international peace and security."

"What we are currently experiencing in Lebanon is the consequence of the absence of a lasting and sustainable solution," he pointed out, adding that the root cause is the occupation. "To claim anything else would be a loss of time," he said, underscoring that as long as the occupation persists, there will be instability and war. Despite the inability of the United Nations to protect his country from the Israeli aggression so far, he said, Lebanon is committed to the organization "as a front line of defence in the face of occupation, violence, devastation and oppression." He said, "Today we desperately need the United Nations to play its role as a refuge for small countries that have been victimized by aggression. These countries include my homeland."

Dick Schoof, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, stressed that "a major regional war must be prevented at all costs." He echoed the call for implementation of the proposal by the United States and France for a temporary ceasefire. It is urgent to "break the endless cycle of violence and help them see 'the other' for who they are," he stated.

(UN News)

UN Security Council Meeting on "Situation in the Middle East, Including the Palestinian Question"

Netanyahu should have been arrested and prosecuted -- not given the podium, Iran's Ambassador to the UN Abbas Araghchi told the UN Security Council on Friday, September 27.

"Netanyahu and his criminal gang must have been arrested and prosecuted for the most heinous crimes, not to let him appear before this august body and take pride in his evil deeds," Araghchi said. "That's a historic shame that a high-profile killer dares to show up at the UN and poison the General Assembly with his disgusting lies and outrageous threats to invade other States and kill more people," he stated. Araghchi in particular called out the U.S. and its cabal including Canada saying, "The world has been watching with indignation and disgust while the U.S., UK, Canada, Germany and some others have only been appeasing the culprit. By the way, do you really expect the global community to believe in the honesty of your human rights claims?" For his presentation click here.

Iran also called for an urgent meeting of the leaders of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states to deal with the Zionist regime's crimes in Lebanon and Palestine.

Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei said, "All the Resistance forces of the region are with Hezbollah and support it." The fate of this region will be determined by the Resistance forces, led by the proud Hezbollah, he stressed.

Non-Aligned Movement Holds Special
Meeting on Palestine

The Palestine Committee of Foreign Ministers of the Non-Aligned Movement organized a side-bar meeting at the United Nations in New York on September 26 to discuss Palestine. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the recent developments in Palestine and the resistance in Gaza and the West Bank once again show that the idea of destruction of the Palestinian resistance movement and Hamas, as a liberation movement formed against the occupation, was nothing but an illusion.

"Over the past year, the apartheid regime of Israel has committed numerous crimes in the Gaza Strip and other Palestinian territories, in addition to its long-term illegal occupation, genocidal policies and practices, brutal attacks and violence against Palestinian civilians, including women and children," Araghchi said.

The Islamic Republic of Iran, as a constant and sincere supporter of the Palestinian cause and a responsible actor for ensuring regional and international peace and security, calls on the Palestine Committee of the Non-Aligned Movement to send a strong message in support of the legitimate struggle of this nation for freedom and independence, he said. He added that this Committee is expected to come up with substantial recommendations and measures as the result of this meeting, including:

i) Calling for an immediate, comprehensive, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza as well as ending all atrocities and aggressive measures against Palestinians and other nations in the region;

ii) Urging the immediate and complete lifting of the inhumane 17-year-old blockade of Gaza;

iii) Requesting the release of all Palestinian prisoners and detainees;

iv) Obliging the Israeli regime to conduct an immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal from Gaza and securing the safe, unhindered and dignified return of all displaced Palestinians;

v) Imposing immediate arms and trade sanctions against the Israeli regime in order to oblige the Occupying Power to fully stop its invasion of Gaza and implement its international and legal obligations including those under international humanitarian and human rights law;

vi) Supporting the implementation of provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice in the case brought by South Africa under the Genocide Convention, as well as prosecution and punishment of all Israeli officials involved in genocide and crimes against humanity.

Ambassador Araghchi concluded by saying: "Peace and security in the region will not be achieved unless the occupation is ended and the Palestinian inalienable rights including their right to self-determination are recognized and implemented."

Statement by Republic of Cuba's Minister of Foreign Affairs

Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla said the following on September 26, at the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Committee on Palestine meeting at the UN:

We appreciate the timely convening of this ministerial meeting of our Movement.

We reiterate our unshakable solidarity with the brotherly people of Palestine in their continued struggle to exercise their inalienable rights against the Israeli occupation of their territory and the aggression in Gaza.

NAM should continue to demand a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the creation of two States that would allow the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination and have a free and sovereign State within the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital and the return of the refugees and displaced persons.

The current escalation of genocide and violence against Palestine is a consequence of more than seven decades of permanent violation of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the aggressive and expansionist policy of Israel.

What is happening in the occupied Palestinian territories is a disgrace to humanity and should cease immediately.

We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the murder of civilians, particularly women, children and humanitarian workers of the United Nations system; the indiscriminate bombings against the people of Gaza and the destruction of houses, hospitals and civil infrastructure, as well as the cutting off of services such as water, food, electricity and fuel to the Palestinian population.

We reiterate our call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the illegally occupied Palestinian territories to put an end to the aggression that is being committed by Israel with absolute impunity and the complicity of the government of the United States.

Israel violates each and every one of the UN resolutions and each and every one of its obligations as the occupying power by virtue of the Fourth Geneva Convention, for it feels fully confident that the paralysis of the Security Council on this issue will guarantee that it will continue to avoid its responsibilities.

The Security Council should live up to its mandate and put an end to the impunity of Israel, the occupying power, of which the United States has been historically an accomplice and major provider of weapons. We reaffirm our invariable support to a prompt incorporation of the State of Palestine as a full-fledged member of the United Nations and condemn the use of the veto power by the United States, which has repeatedly obstructed the actions of that UN body and prevented the realization of this just aspiration of the Palestinian people, thus undermining peace, security and stability in the Middle East.

Cuba will contribute as much as possible to all international legitimate efforts aimed at halting this genocide.

In this regard, our country decided to intervene as a third State in the process initiated by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice in relation to the violations of Israel's obligations by virtue of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

Every minute of impunity, passiveness and silence will cost more innocent lives. The international community must act now.

(Cuban Foreign Ministry)

Developments in Gaza

Day 358 of Genocide

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the Israeli occupation committed four massacres against families in the Strip, killing 52 Palestinians and injuring 118 in the past 48 hours.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza released the latest casualty toll amid the ongoing Israeli genocide, on September 28, which has been ongoing for 358 days.

With these casualties, the death toll has now reached 41,586 martyrs and 96,210 wounded since October 7, 2023.

Occupation bombs Al-Maghazi, Al-Nuseirat in Central Gaza,
Casualties Reported

Israeli occupation forces continued their genocide in Gaza for the 358th day, launching dozens of air raids and artillery strikes, and committing massacres against civilians amid a catastrophic humanitarian disaster as a result of the Israeli siege.

In the past hours, Israeli shelling concentrated on the Al-Maghazi and Nuseirat refugee camps in central Gaza, while shelling residential buildings in the region.

Sources in the Gaza Strip reported that Civil Defense crews were able to recover the bodies of two martyrs and a number of wounded due to the shelling of a house in Nuseirat as the IOF demolished residential buildings in Meghrafa.

Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that Israeli quadcopters opened fire on Palestinians east of al-Maghazi, central Gaza. A Palestinian civilian was killed by Israeli shelling targeting the road between Al-Maghazi and al-Bureij refugee camps.

The occupation also shelled the Great Mosque near al-Nuseirat Camp.

Another Palestinian was killed by Israeli occupation shelling that targeted Salah al-Din Street, opposite Nuseirat Camp, while Israeli aircraft launched an attack on Al-Zeitoun neighbourhood southeast of Gaza City, and bombed the southern regions of Al-Sira neighbourhood, south of the city.

In the south of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation targeted the Al-Manara neighbourhood, south of Khan Younis.

Hamas Urges Red Cross to Clarify Fate of Thousands
of Abducted Palestinians

Truck in which Israel delivered bodies of 88 martyrs to the Gaza strip, September 26, 2024

The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, said that the latest outrageous delivery of the bodies of 88 martyrs to the Gaza Strip by Israeli occupation forces is a blatant violation of international law and international humanitarian law.

Bodies of martyrs were found decomposing in a container transported by a truck to the Gaza Strip on Thursday, September 26, showcasing the brutal criminality of the Israeli regime.

As Hamas' Media Office pointed out, no documents or information were sent with the bodies, which were already decomposing, making their identification extremely difficult.

Hamas said that the bodies were packed in trucks "in a manner that violates their sanctity."

"It [the Israeli action] also infringes upon the right of the martyrs' families to identify their loved ones and bury them with dignity, as well as the right of the families of the missing to know the fate of their children," the statement added.

The Palestinian Resistance movement renewed its call to the international community and humanitarian organizations, specifically the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to condemn the Israeli regime's repeated criminal acts.

"We urge them to act to stop its ongoing violations against the Palestinian people in Gaza," Hamas said.

The movement also urged international organizations to mobilize in order to reveal the fate of the thousands of Palestinian abductees in Israeli prisons, adding that these people "are subjected to the most heinous acts of sadistic torture, abuse, and systematic killing."

(Al Mayadeen, September 28, 2024)

Israel Destroys Almost 80 Per Cent of Agricultural Lands Vital to Survival

Israel has destroyed hundreds of dunums of agricultural land, depriving Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip of agricultural land and resources vital to survival, according to the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor.

"This destruction is part of a larger Israeli plan that dates back to last October," Euro-Med said in a report published on September 26. "Under this plan, Israeli forces have worked to eliminate almost 80 per cent of the agricultural land in the Gaza Strip from use by Palestinians."

Israel has done this either "by isolating it in preparation for its forcible annexation to the so-called 'buffer zone' or by bulldozing or destroying it by other means, such as bombardment –- all of which are in violation of international law."

"This is an expression of Israel's insistence on committing genocide against Palestinians in the enclave," the Geneva-based rights group said.

The Euro-Med field team in Gaza said that in the early hours of Tuesday, September 25, Israeli forces stormed the area of Al-Shimaa in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, accompanied by military bulldozers.

They began their bulldozing operations, destroying "more than 500 dunums of newly replanted agricultural land, which was supposed to sustain the needs of the people living in northern Gaza, who are subject to an arbitrary siege and systematic starvation by Israel."

'Security Zone'

Yousef Saqr Abu Rabie, a 24-year-old farmer in Beit Lahia, told Euro-Med that even though his land is outside of the "security zone" established by Israel at the start of the war, it was bulldozed.

His now-bulldozed crops had been bearing fruit that the people of northern Gaza were depending on, given Israel's restrictions on the entry of fruits and vegetables into the northern Gazan markets, said Euro-Med.

Israeli forces have bulldozed or destroyed all agricultural lands along the "security fence" separating the eastern and northern Gaza Strip "at a depth of nearly two kilometres, removing approximately 96 square kilometres" of land.

This, said the rights group, was "in a clear attempt to annex them to its 'buffer zone', in violation of international law."

An Israeli "buffer" road and zone splitting Gaza City through its centre, meanwhile, and the creation of Israel's Netzarim axis to keep sections of the Strip separate, "have resulted in the destruction of approximately three square kilometres of agricultural lands."

"Thus, the agricultural lands destroyed by Israel to enable the creation of its 'buffer' areas, specifically, represent about 27.5 per cent of the Gaza Strip," the report said.

Land 'Off Limits' to Farmers

It also noted that the Israeli army has worked to destroy almost all buildings and facilities on the vast majority of these lands, which are now within the "buffer zone" and are off-limits to residents and farmers.

"These lands represented the majority of agricultural land in the Gaza Strip and included hundreds of farms built on hundreds of dunums that were planted with vegetables and fruits, as well as hundreds of farms raising poultry and livestock."

Outside of this "buffer zone," additional land has also been destroyed by Israeli incursions or aerial and artillery bombardment, resulting in the destruction of at least 34 square kilometres of agricultural land and the streets that service it, said Euro-Med.

"This brings the total percentage of destroyed land in the Gaza Strip to 36.9 per cent, or more than 75 per cent of the Strip's area designated for agriculture," the report stated.

In addition to Israel's destruction of thousands of farms, greenhouses, water wells, tanks, and stores housing agricultural equipment, Euro-Med Monitor field teams recorded "the intentional killing of numerous farmers while these individuals were working or attempting to access their lands."

Fishermen Killed

Since Israel's attack on Gaza last October, the Israeli army "has also killed several fishermen and destroyed the majority of fishing boats and fishing ports" in the enclave.

"These actions have negatively impacted the availability of healthy food for over 2.2 million Palestinians living in the Strip, and the repercussions of this are expected to last for years after the withdrawal of the Israeli military."

Farmers are also finding it difficult or impossible to access areas that have been spared from the Israeli bombing, due to the ongoing bombardment and ground incursions into numerous areas.

"Additionally, the lack of electricity, destruction of water wells, and scarcity of fuel all make it difficult to cultivate new areas and irrigate them with water," said the report.

This, it added, occurs while aid supplies are being blocked from reaching residents and displaced people in the enclave by Israeli forces.

Soil, Air, Water Quality

The ongoing Israeli military assaults "have detrimental effects" on soil, air, water quality, agricultural land, public health, and the environment.

"These effects compound over time, and at some point, may result in startling increases in the death rate," the report noted.

Environmental Impact of Gaza War 'Unprecedented' -– United Nations

The rights group emphasized that the "internationally recognized human right to food, water, and sanitation is a basic right that protects population health and dignity."

"It can only be realized if the international community puts an end to Israel's crime of genocide; removes the illegal blockade on the Gaza Strip; and salvages what remains of the besieged enclave, which is currently uninhabitable on all fronts," Euro-Med stressed.

"Delays will cause the Strip to deteriorate further, cost more civilian lives, and heavily affect people's health outcomes," it added.

According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, 41,534 Palestinians have been killed, and 96,092 wounded in Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.

Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.

(Palestine Chronicle, September 28, 2024)

Nearly 90 Per Cent of Aid Efforts Denied
or Impeded in September

Nearly 90 per cent of coordinated humanitarian aid movements between northern and southern Gaza have been either denied or impeded this month by Israel, according to the United Nations.

"Humanitarian aid movements in Gaza continue to face significant access constraints," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a press briefing on September 27. "Nearly 90 per cent of coordinated humanitarian response movements between northern and southern Gaza so far in September have been either denied or impeded."

He said displaced Palestinians continue to live "in abysmal conditions," which are expected to further deteriorate in the forthcoming cold and rainy winter weather.

"That would be the second winter that civilians in Gaza have to face" in those conditions, Dujarric noted.

Assessments recently conducted in two collective shelters in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis found that at both sites, displaced communities "live in overcrowded shelters and lack cleaning supplies, hygiene kits and diapers, as well as clothes and infant formula for babies."

West Bank

He also highlighted the situation in the occupied West Bank, saying that the number of "internal movement obstacles" deployed by Israeli forces has increased by more than 20 per cent since June of last year.

"The cumulative impact of obstruction to movement has been devastating, further entrenching the fragmentation in the West Bank, disrupting access to livelihoods and services for thousands of Palestinians, which is aggravating the already difficult conditions in which many live," Dujarric emphasized.

In just one week -– between September 17 and 23 –- 11 Palestinians were killed, including two children, he said, adding that these "included exchanges of fire and an airstrike."

Meanwhile, health facilities in the West Bank are also impacted by Israel's actions.

Citing the World Health Organization (WHO), Dujarric said that from October 7 of last year to July 30 of this year, 527 attacks –- including obstruction of access, use of force, detention and militarized searches -- were reported on health care facilities in the region.

"These have impacted 54 health care facilities, including 20 mobile clinics, in addition to 365 ambulances," said the spokesperson.

Lebanon

On the Lebanese front, Dujarric said the "recent escalation in the country is nothing short of catastrophic, with the surge in violence extending to previously unaffected areas."

This has led to "the widespread destruction" of homes and infrastructure across Lebanon.

He pointed out that in less than a week, "at least 700 human lives have been lost, thousands have been injured, and nearly 120,000 people have been displaced, with these numbers continuing to rise as we speak," due to Israel's attacks on the country.

He said the main needs of those affected "include safe shelters, core relief items, health care, cash assistance and protection services."

In total, since October 2023, more than 1,500 civilians have been killed in Lebanon and 200,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, according to Dujarric.