Over 150 bodies were found in the city of Khan Yunis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, the Civil Defense announced in a statement on Sunday.
According to Al-Jazeera, citing the Civil Defense, there are approximately 2,000 Palestinians who have gone missing following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from several areas in Gaza. It remains unclear whether they have been detained or buried clandestinely.
Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for the Civil Defense, told Al-Jazeera that the bodies were found in a mass grave within the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis.
These individuals, belonging to various groups and age ranges, were killed by the Israeli military during their incursion into the Nasser complex, with a significant number being women and children.
More than 150 bodies were recovered from a mass grave in the Khan Yunis after the occupation’s withdrawal.
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) April 21, 2024
Search and recovery operations are ongoing to locate the remaining bodies, as many are still within the complex.
Basal highlighted that Israeli forces bulldozed numerous bodies and buried them before withdrawing from Gaza.
Basal also emphasized the systematic and deliberate use of forced disappearance by the Israeli occupation forces against the people of Gaza.
He cited instances where Palestinians were granted temporary security before being killed minutes later, with many victims being stripped naked before their deaths.
Describing the situation in Gaza as ethnic cleansing carried out by Israeli forces, Basal stressed that such atrocities have no precedent in human history.
He also called on international institutions to investigate the use of unconventional weapons, noting instances where bodies evaporated and turned into ashes.
Palestinian Civil Defence uncovers 50 Palestinians' bodies from a mass grave at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, two weeks after Israeli forces withdrew from the area pic.twitter.com/xkcQ2qvvW0
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 34,049 Palestinians have been killed, and 76,901 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 7,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
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 Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Doctors were reportedly able to save the fetus through a cesarean section performed on the woman, who was severely injured.
Israeli occupation forces carried out airstrikes on multiple homes in the southern city of Rafah on Sunday, killing at least 14 Palestinians, including nine children, Al-Jazeera reported.
The Civil Defense Service in Gaza announced in a statement that their teams had recovered several victims from a multi-story residential building belonging to the Abdel-Al family on George Street, east of Rafah.
The statement also mentioned ongoing efforts to recover additional casualties and search for missing individuals.
Al-Jazeera also reported that a pregnant woman, her husband, and their two daughters were among those killed, with others injured, in an Israeli airstrike on a residential apartment in the Joudeh family’s home in the Shaboura camp in central Rafah.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: The death toll resulting from an Israeli bombing that targeted two homes in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, has risen to 14, including nine children.
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) April 21, 2024
Doctors were reportedly able to save the fetus through a cesarean section performed on the woman, who was severely injured. The woman later succumbed to her wounds, alongside her husband and child, at Kuwait Specialized Hospital in Rafah.
Several injured individuals, including a girl no older than 40 days, arrived at the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Yunis following an Israeli raid targeting agricultural land housing displaced people near the Khirbet Al-Adas area, north of Rafah.
The airstrikes also resulted in the collapse of neighboring houses, caused by the bombing of a residential apartment housing displaced people in the Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood to the west of the city, as well as another house and a kindergarten in the Al-Salam neighborhood to the east of Rafah.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military has acknowledged engaging in direct confrontations with Palestinian resistance forces while continuing to widen the corridor it created in the middle of the Strip.
A mass grave was found at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, following the Israeli army’s withdrawal.
Israeli forces carried out strikes against residential buildings in Rafah, killing 14 Palestinians, including nine children.
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) April 21, 2024
Gaza Genocide
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 34,049 Palestinians have been killed, and 76,901 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 7,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
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 Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
A mass grave was found at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, following the Israeli army’s withdrawal.
Israeli forces carried out strikes against residential buildings in Rafah, killing 14 Palestinians, including nine children.
Tensions are running high in the occupied West Bank, with relentless military raids in cities, towns and refugee camps.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 34,097 Palestinians have been killed, and 76,980 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
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An Israeli artillery shelling targeted the eastern Maghazi camp in the central Gaza Strip, in parallel with an Israeli raid targeting the southeastern area of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
Israeli occupation forces shelled with artillery north of Al-Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip.
Injuries reported following in an Israeli raid targeting Al-Taqwa Mosque in Al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.
An Israeli raid targeted a house in the Al-Brook area of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
An Israeli raid targeted the Zeitoun neighborhood south of Gaza City.
AL-JAZEERA: Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant discussed with Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy Washington’s intention to impose sanctions on the Netzah Yehuda battalion.
ISRAEL’S CHANNEL 7 (Citing Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich): If it weren’t for war council ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, we would be in Rafah by now.
AL-JAZEERA: The number of Palestinians killed in Israeli raids on two houses in Rafah has risen to 26, including 16 children and 6 women.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Israeli warplanes launched a raid On the Al-Mawasi area, west of the city of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.
AL-JAZEERA (Citing unnamed sources): Explosions heard in the vicinity of the US base in the field of Omar in the province of Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria.
ISRAELI ARMY: We bombed a Hezbollah military building on Sunday evening that housed a Hezbollah member in the southern Lebanese town of Kafr Kila.
ISRAEL’S CHANNEL 13: 68% of Israelis disagree with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement that Israel is one step away from victory in Gaza.
TIMES OF ISRAEL: Washington is considering sanctions against other Israeli military and police units as well as the Netzah Yehuda battalion.
In this video, Al-Qassam fighters are seen targeting a military D9 bulldozer with an Al-Yassin 105 shell east of Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/Z3Pl79qFFc
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) April 21, 2024
AL-AQSA TV (Citing Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra):
11,000 people were missing under the rubble in the Strip.
The daily average of those killed as a result of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip reaches 172 martyrs, including 70 children.
AL-JAZEERA: The number of martyrs in Israeli raids on two houses in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip has risen to 24, including 16 children and 6 women.
ISRAEL’S CHANNEL 14: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened during a meeting of the war council to remove anyone who leaked information about a possible prisoner swap.
KAN: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Defense Minister Yoav Galant of leaking closed discussions in his presence and with the participation of the heads of the Shin Bet and Mossad.
HAGARI: The Chief of Staff approved the next steps for operations in Gaza. The spokesman confirmed that the occupation forces completed operations targeting the military infrastructure of the Hamas movement in the central Gaza Strip.
CHANNEL 14: Defense Minister Yoav Gallant will discuss with army commanders tonight the expected US sanctions on the Netzah Yehuda Battalion due to human rights violations against the Palestinians.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: a number of Palestinians – most of them children – were injured in an Israeli bombing that targeted a house north of the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.
CHANNEL 14: Defense Minister Yoav Gallant will discuss with army commanders tonight the expected US sanctions on the Netzah Yehuda Battalion due to human rights violations against the Palestinians.
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) April 21, 2024
GERMAN GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: A German government spokesman said that Chancellor Olaf Scholz telephoned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday and discussed with him the situation in the region.
AL-JAZEERA: Gantz calls on Washington to refrain from imposing sanctions on Netzah Yehuda.
ISRAELI ARMY: An Israeli officer died from the wounds he sustained in the Hezbollah bombing of Arab Al-Aramsheh.
POLITICO: Israeli President Isaac Herzog said that he recommends American political leaders not to interfere in Tel Aviv’s internal politics.
The Palestinian leader of the Tulkarm Brigade, Mohammed Jaber, known by his nom de guerre Abu Shujaa, is alive and appeared at the funeral of the victims of the Israeli raid in Nur Shams.
AL-QASSAM BRIGADES: We bombed the Israeli Shumira barracks from southern Lebanon.
GANTZ:
Israel did not achieve all the goals of the war on Gaza, but he stressed that he would not give up any of them, most notably the return of detainees.
Yahya Sinwar in Gaza is the “key” to the release of the detainees, and there must be pressure on him.
Sunday, April 21, 3:00 pm (GMT+2)
ISRAELI ARMY: The Israeli army said on Sunday that it was not aware of any US sanctions on the Netzah Yehuda military unit, after media reported that Washington intended to take such a decision against the unit due to human rights violations.
HAMAS: Hamas condemned the US House of Representatives’ approval to provide billions of dollars in new military aid to Israel, and considered it a “green light for aggression” against the Palestinians.
ISRAELI MEDIA: the Israeli army shot a Palestinian woman near a military checkpoint in the Jordan Valley under the pretext of an attempt to stab soldiers.
TURKISH FM: Our efforts will continue until a Palestinian state is established.
HEZBOLLAH: We targeted spy equipment at the Misgav General site with appropriate weapons.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Two Palestinians were killed and others were injured in an Israeli bombing of the Al-Nuwairi family home west of the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip.
AL-JAZEERA: Sirens sounded in Ramot Naftali, Jephthah, and neighboring towns in the Upper Galilee.
AL-JAZEERA: the number of bodies recovered from the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip has risen to 210.
AL-JAZEERA: the number of bodies recovered from the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip has risen to 210.
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) April 21, 2024
Sunday, April 21, 2:00 pm (GMT+2)
AL-JAZEERA: Sirens sounded in Jish, Reyhanliyya and Avivim in the Western Galilee on suspicion of a drone infiltration from Lebanon.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: One person was injured in an Israeli airstrike on a house north of Rafah.
ALI KHAMENEI: The basis for the operation of our armed forces was to showcase our capabilities. Our armed forces carried out this operation at the lowest cost and achieved great achievements, and this was done with great wisdom.
Sunday, April 21, 1:00 pm (GMT+2)
HAMAS: The mass grave in the Nasser complex raises questions about the fate of thousands of missing people.
BEN-GVIR: Washington’s sanctions on Netzah Yehuda are aimed at putting pressure on us.
HEAD OF ISRAEL’S LABOR PARTY: The Netzah Yehuda Brigade must be dismantled.
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) April 21, 2024
AL-JAZEERA: Civil defense teams recovered the bodies of 190 martyrs from the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis.
Sunday, April 21, 11:00 am (GMT+2)
LAPID: The Israeli army and its leaders are the first to be affected by the illegal policy and political failure of the government.
Sunday, April 21, 10:00 am (GMT+2)
GADI EISENKOT: Imposing sanctions on the Netzah Yehuda Brigade is fundamentally wrong, and we will work to prevent the decision.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: The death toll resulting from an Israeli bombing that targeted two homes in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, has risen to 14, including nine children.
HEZBOLLAH: We targeted the espionage equipment surrounding the Duviv Barracks.
PALESTINIAN CIVIL DEFENSE: More than 50 bodies were recovered from a mass grave in the Khan Yunis after the occupation’s withdrawal. There are about 500 missing people in the Khan Yunis massacre.
More than 150 bodies were recovered from a mass grave in the Khan Yunis after the occupation’s withdrawal.
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) April 21, 2024
Sunday, April 21, 09:00 am (GMT+2)
ISRAELI ARMY: The Israeli army said its forces bombed Lebanese Hezbollah targets with aircraft, including an observation point in Al-Adisa and two facilities in Khiam.
Sunday, April 21, 08:00 am (GMT+2)
HEZBOLLAH: Our fighters targeted a building used by occupation soldiers in the Shomera settlement with appropriate weapons.
Sunday, April 21, 07:00 am (GMT+2)
ISRAELI ARMY RADIO: There was an attempted shooting at the Beit Ainun Junction, north of Hebron (Al-Khalil).
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: The death toll resulting from an Israeli bombing that targeted two homes in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, has risen to 14, including nine children.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. (Photo: video grab)
“As long as there is no new adventurism by Israel against our interests, then we are not going to have any new reactions”.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, has ridiculed the impact of the recent drone attack on Iran, describing it as small in scale and involving primitive hardware.
In an interview with NBC News, Amir-Abdollahian said that claims by some media outlets that the explosions over Isfahan, home to a major air base, were an Israeli retaliatory attack were “not accurate”.
“What happened last night was not a strike,” he said, adding that the attack involved just two or three small UAVs, which “were more like toys that our children play with, not drones.”
Speaking to NBC News, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian plays down the suggestion of an airstrike in Iran.
The Iranian politician says drones found in Isfahan were "like toys our children play with"
The UAVs “took off from inside Iran, flew for a hundred meters and then they were struck by our air defense,” the minister added.
These UAVs allegedly launched from inside Iran, flew a short distance, and were then intercepted by Iranian air defense systems, Amir-Abdollahian said.
Israel declined to comment on its involvement in the Isfahan incident.
Amir-Abdollahian stated that Tehran currently has no plans for further actions against Israel, as long as there are no new provocative actions against Iranian interests.
“As long as there is no new adventurism by Israel against our interests, then we are not going to have any new reactions,” he explained.
However, if the Israeli authorities continue taking provocative steps, “our response will be immediate and to the maximum and will cause them to regret it,” Amirabdollahian warned.
On April 1, an Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, resulted in the killing of 13 people, including two generals of the Iranian army.
Tehran retaliated on April 13, by launching several hundred missiles and drones at military targets within Israel.
Article 2 of the agreement stipulates that relations between the parties “shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles”.
Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister, Petra De Sutter, announced that her country will lead a “re-evaluation” of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which serves as the foundation for trade between the European Union and Israel.
“Decided: Belgium will take the lead at the EU level to re-evaluate our Association Agreement with Israel”, De Sutter said on X on Friday.
“We will co-sponsor a UN resolution in favor of full Palestinian UN membership,” she also said, adding:
“And we call for an EU-wide import duty on products coming from illegal Israeli settlements.”
Last February, Leo Varadkar, former Prime Minister of Ireland, revealed that other EU member states were reviewing the 2000 EU-Israel trade agreement due to concerns that Israel may be violating the agreement’s human rights clause.
Decided: Belgium will take the lead at the EU level to re-evaluate our Association Agreement with Israel.
We will co-sponsor a UN resolution in favour of full Palestinian UN membership.
And we call for an EU-wide import duty on products coming from illegal Israeli settlements.
In a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Varadkar and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for an “urgent review” of Israel’s compliance with its obligations under the agreement, which emphasizes the importance of respecting human rights and democratic principles.
Indeed, article 2 of the agreement stipulates that relations between the parties “shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles”.
Sanctions on Settlers
The European Union, as well as the United States, have imposed sanctions against extremist Jewish settlers and organizations in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, citing serious human rights abuses against Palestinians.
Amongst the prominent far-right individuals targeted are Ben Zion Gopstein and the Lehava group, of which he is the founder and leader. Gopstein, according to the Israeli Haaretz newspaper, “advises National Security Minister Ben-Gvir on police matters” and was “convicted earlier this year of incitement to racism.”
The EU on Friday listed “four persons and two entities” under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.
“The listed individuals and entities are responsible for serious human rights abuses against Palestinians, including torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and for the violation of right to property and to private and family life of Palestinians in the West Bank,” the EU Council said in a statement.
Those listed under the sanctions regime are subject to an asset freeze, and the provision of funds or economic resources, directly or indirectly, to them or for their benefit, is prohibited. Additionally, a travel ban to the EU applies to those listed.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met on Saturday with Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of the Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas.
The closed-door meeting took place at the presidential office within Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul.
According to the official Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), Erdogan and Haniyeh discussed efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and facilitate humanitarian aid delivery.
In a post on X, the Turkish Communications Directorate said that “President Erdogan said in the meeting that Türkiye continues its humanitarian aid to Palestine to alleviate some of its suffering”.
Erdogan reportedly emphasized the imperative of Palestinian unity during this critical phase and reiterated Turkiye’s imposition of sanctions on Israel, including trade restrictions.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, Sameh Shoukry, in Istanbul.
The meeting addressed bilateral relations between Türkiye and Egypt, developments regarding Israel's attacks on Gaza, as well as global and regional issues.
— Republic of Türkiye Directorate of Communications (@Communications) April 20, 2024
According to TRT, the Turkish president highlighted that Israel will eventually be held accountable for its injustices against Palestinians and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to drawing international attention to these injustices.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin were also present at the meeting.
The presidential office clarified that no press conference is planned following this significant meeting, the first between Erdogan and Haniyeh since the onset of the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza on October 7.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz condemned Erdogan, stating, “Shame on you.”
Hamas indicated in a statement ahead of Haniyeh’s arrival in Istanbul that the Gaza conflict would be the focal point of discussions.
Gaza Genocide Continues
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 34,049 Palestinians have been killed, and 76,901 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 7,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
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 Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
In 2010, a similar effort with ships carrying more than 600 activists from more than 30 countries, was thwarted by the Israeli army.
Doctors, lawyers and academics are among the approximately 1,000 concerned citizens from around the world who will join the Gaza Freedom Flotilla hoping to set sail from Istanbul for the besieged enclave soon.
“The Gaza Freedom Flotilla is composed of unarmed civilians that are here on a peaceful mission to challenge the Israeli blockade of Gaza and to deliver humanitarian assistance as requested by the International Court of Justice,” explained Ann Wright, a retired US army colonel and former diplomat.
Wright is also a member of the steering committee of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition made up “of 12 national groups that are challenging the illegal Israeli navy blockade of Gaza.”
Activists from various countries including Germany, Malaysia, Palestine, Norway, Argentina, Spain, Canada, and South Africa, accompanied by journalists, will reportedly participate in the flotilla of four ships which intend to reach Gaza.
Two of the ships are assigned for activists, a third is intended to carry humanitarian aid and a fourth ship is reportedly expected to join from Italy.
In 2010, a similar effort with ships carrying more than 600 activists from more than 30 countries, resulted in the deaths of nine people after the Israeli army raided the Turkish Mavi Marmara ship in international waters. A tenth activist later died of his injuries.
Lifesaving Aid
At a press conference at a dockyard in Istanbul on Friday, activists expressed determination to reach Gaza despite the security challenges.
On the question of a possible Israeli attack, Wright told the Anadolu news agency that “Israel’s record is quite full in this regard, according to international rules and international human rights. In this sense, Israel making a mistake once again is not a good situation for its own security.”
Huwaida Araf from the US Freedom Flotilla Movement, who was one of the organizers of the 2010 flotilla, said they were preparing for the journey with the support of millions of people.
“What we have on board is lifesaving aid. We are watching in horror as an entire people are being deliberately starved, on top of the bombings and the killings and the maiming that we have seen,” she told Democracy Now in an interview.
“And we can’t stand by, because our governments aren’t doing anything to stop it. So we are taking to sea to attempt to deliver this aid and to directly challenge the siege in hopes of breaking it.”
Torstein Dahle from the Norwegian Freedom Flotilla Movement said that humanitarian aid should be delivered especially to Gaza in light of the genocide and massacre that has been going on in the region for more than six months, Anadolu reported.
“All international states, including Türkiye, must safely transfer this aid to the region in line with the decisions of the international criminal courts and ensure a permanent ceasefire in the region,” Dahle said.
Fauziah Mohd Hasan, a physician working with the Malaysian Freedom Flotilla Movement, said: “The most important call in this mission is to ensure a ceasefire in the region.”
Hasan noted that preparations were made for this journey with more than 280 important figures from around the world, including doctors, lawyers, engineers, and academics, said Anadolu.
“As a gynecologist, I know this: There is a tragedy in Gaza with more than 180 births every day and thousands of pregnant women waiting. After this crisis in the region, thousands of pregnant women were seriously affected by the process,” he said. “This crisis seems to have turned into a complete ethnic cleansing in the region.”
Over 34,000 Killed
Israel is on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians due to a devastating war imposed on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 34,049 Palestinians have been killed, and 76,901 wounded in the ongoing genocide.
Moreover, at least 7,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the enclave.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
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 Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Loud explosions were reported in the Babylon Governorate, south of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on Friday night, with escalating fires from a military base.
Reuters news agency, citing Iraqi security sources, stated that a massive explosion rocked a Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) base south of Baghdad.
The PMF is an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organization made of approximately 67 different armed factions.
Reuters quoted two sources as saying that the explosion was the outcome of an airstrike of unknown origin that occurred at midnight on Friday.
A video shows aftermath of last night's explosion in the Kalsu base in the Babylon Governorate south of Baghdad
— Wladimir van Wilgenburg (@vvanwilgenburg) April 20, 2024
The strike reportedly targeted the PMF headquarters at the Kalsu military base near Alexandria, 50 kilometers south of Baghdad. Although Iraqi government officials were contacted for comment, none responded, according to Reuters.
An Iraqi Ministry of Interior official confirmed to Agence France-Presse, on the condition of anonymity, that one person was killed and eight others were injured, noting the explosion targeted the PMF armor headquarters, damaging equipment and weapons.
The same source was quoted by AFP as saying that “a fire is still raging and the search for the injured is continuing”.
Quoting an Iraqi security source, CNN stated that the explosions hit an ammunition warehouse at a PMF military base.
The American Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) quoted a US official denying US involvement in the Babylon explosion. Both US Central Command and the international coalition against ISIS denied involvement in the strikes.
Massive Explosion Rocks Iraqi Military Base, US Blamed
The Kalsu military base, close to Baghdad and home to the reportedly Iran-backed Harakat al Nujaba militia, fell victim to an explosion on Friday (April 19), Reuters reports, with local media claiming it was a US airstrike.… pic.twitter.com/g1Bsm4tZOn
The Security Committee head in Babylon stated initial impressions suggested missile strikes, not drones, caused the Babylon explosions, targeting multiple sites randomly.
The incident occurred during Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani’s visit to the United States and amid heightened regional tensions, following an Israeli attack on the Iranian city of Isfahan.
Israel’s attack was in response to a retaliatory operation carried out by Tehran on April 13, following the flattening of the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital of Damascus on April 1.
In parallel with the war on the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army escalated its incursions into cities, towns and refugee camps throughout the occupied West Bank.
The death toll for Palestinians killed in the ongoing Israeli incursion into Tulkarm and its refugee camp in the northern occupied West Bank has risen to seven, according to Anadolu News Agency.
The official Palestinian news agency WAFA also reported that young man was wounded by occupation bullets in the town of Beit Furik, east of Nablus.
Meanwhile, the Tulkarm Brigade, affiliated with the Al-Quds Brigades – the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement , announced that it continues to confront the Israeli occupation forces storming the Nour Shams camp and targeting it with bullets and explosive devices.
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) April 20, 2024
The Israeli army continues its military operations for a third consecutive day in Tulkarm and the Nur Shams camp in the northern West Bank, using military bulldozers and police dogs, causing extensive damage to infrastructure, Anadolu reported, citing eyewitnesses.
Israeli Army Radio announced late Thursday that the Israeli military began implementing a “broad-scale military operation” in the Nur Shams refugee camp, without specifying the objective or duration.
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, affiliated with the Fatah party, and the Jerusalem Brigades, the military arm of the Islamic Jihad movement, announced in separate statements that they are engaging in fights with the army.
Israeli occupation forces continue to send reinforcements to Nour Shams camp, #Tulkarm, after over 40 hours since the beginning of the invasion. pic.twitter.com/Ug383TB85m
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) April 20, 2024
Other Cities
Israeli occupation forces continued their incursions into cities and towns across the West Bank, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
In the town of Beit Furik, located east of Nablus, clashes erupted following Israeli forces’ entry, resulting in the injury of a young man by gunfire.
According to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, their medical teams evacuated a 24-year-old resident of Beit Furik to the hospital after he sustained a gunshot wound to the foot from live ammunition.
Furthermore, Palestinian sources stated that the occupation forces also conducted a raid on the town of Beit Rima, situated northwest of Ramallah.
In parallel with the war on the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army escalated its incursions into cities, towns and refugee camps throughout the occupied West Bank.
Amongst the prominent far-right individuals targeted is Ben Zion Gopstein, who “advises National Security Minister Ben-Gvir on police matters”.
The European Union as well as the United States have imposed sanctions against extremist Jewish settlers and organizations in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, citing serious human rights abuses against Palestinians.
Amongst the prominent far-right individuals targeted are Ben Zion Gopstein and the Lehava group, of which he is the founder and leader. Gopstein, according to the Israeli Haaretz newspaper, “advises National Security Minister Ben-Gvir on police matters” and was “convicted earlier this year of incitement to racism.”
The EU on Friday listed “four persons and two entities” under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.
“The listed individuals and entities are responsible for serious human rights abuses against Palestinians, including torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and for the violation of right to property and to private and family life of Palestinians in the West Bank,” the EU Council said in a statement.
The entities listed by the EU are Lehava, “a radical right-wing Jewish supremacist group”, and Hilltop Youth, “a radical youth group consisting of members known for violent acts against Palestinians and their villages in the West Bank.”
Two leading figures of Hilltop Youth, Meir Ettinger and Elisha Yered, are also listed. Both were involved in deadly attacks against Palestinians in 2015 and 2023, the statement said.
Yered “previously served as an assistant to Knesset member Limor Son Har-Melech of the Otzma Yehudit party,” according to the Haaretz report.
The EU also sanctioned Neria Ben Pazi, who has “been accused of repeatedly attacking Palestinians in Wadi Seeq and in Deir Jarir since 2021,” as well as Yinon Levi, “who has taken part in multiple violent acts against neighbouring villages from his residence in the Mitarim farm illegal outpost.”
Asset Freeze
Those listed under the sanctions regime are subject to an asset freeze, and the provision of funds or economic resources, directly or indirectly, to them or for their benefit, is prohibited. Additionally, a travel ban to the EU applies to those listed.
The EU condemned “extremist settler violence” and called for “an immediate halt to violence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and for safe access to the Holy sites to be ensured.”
“The European Council also condemned the Israeli government’s decisions to further expand illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank and urged Israel to reverse these decisions,” the statement said.
‘Destabilizing Violence’
The US specifically listed Gopstein and described his organization as one “whose members have engaged in destabilizing violence affecting the West Bank.”
“Under Gopstein’s leadership, Lehava and its members have been involved in acts or threats of violence against Palestinians, often targeting sensitive or volatile areas,” the US State Department said in a statement on Thursday.
The statement added that concurrently, the Department of the Treasury is designating two entities, “Mount Hebron Fund and Shlom Asiraich, for their roles in establishing fundraising campaigns on behalf of two U.S. designated-extremists who engaged in violent activities, Yinon Levi and David Chai Chasdai, respectively.”
The State Department said it was “deeply concerned” about the escalation of violence in the West Bank in recent days and “call on Israel to take all appropriate measures to prevent attacks by violent extremist settlers and hold those responsible accountable.”
“The United States will not hesitate to take additional steps to promote accountability if necessary,” the statement added.
Setter Mob Attacks
In the past week, at least eight Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank following multiple attacks by armed Jewish settlers, at times accompanied by Israeli forces, on towns in the West Bank.
In addition, the Israeli military conducted raids into several towns in the occupied territory, resulting in clashes with resistance fighters and the arrests of several Palestinians.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) in a report earlier this week said violent settler attacks in the West Bank have displaced people from 20 communities and uprooted at least seven communities since October 7.
The organization said that the Israeli military either participated in those attacks or did not protect Palestinians from them.
“Settlers and soldiers have displaced entire Palestinian communities, destroying every home, with the apparent backing of higher Israeli authorities,” said Bill Van Esveld, associate children’s rights director at HRW in a report on Wednesday. “
While the attention of the world is focused on Gaza, abuses in the West Bank, fueled by decades of impunity and complacency among Israel’s allies, are soaring.”
A recent New York Times made many claims about the ‘mass rape’ of Israeli women on October 7. But two leading Palestinian media organizations, The Palestine Chronicle and Friends of Palestine Network, conducted a joint investigation, the outcome of which resulted in the ‘The Black Dress’, a groundbreaking 18-minute documentary looking into allegations and the possible falsification of evidence.
(The Palestine Chronicle is a registered 501(c)3 organization, thus, all donations are tax deductible.)
Over 50 bodies were found in the city of Khan Yunis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, the Civil Defense announced. (Photo: video grab) 
Shukri Jouden, his pregnant wife Sabreen and their daughter Malik are among the victims of the Israeli strike in Rafah. (Photo: via social media) 
Israeli airstrikes on Gaza continue. (Photo: Mahmoud Ajjour, The Palestine Chronicle) 
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. (Photo: video grab) 
Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter. (Photo: Green European Foundation & Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union, via Wikimedia Commons) 
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Photo: Republic of Turkiye Directorate of Communications TW Page) 
Freedom Flotilla poster. (Photo: via GazaFreedomFlotilla TW Page) 
Loud explosions were reported in the Babylon Governorate, south of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on Friday night. (Photo: video grab) 
Israeli invasion of Tulkarm and is adjacent refugee camp continues. (Photo: via social media) 
Illegal Jewish settlers escorted by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank. (Photo: via WAFA) 
