Epal European Palestinian Media Center Bulletin, Issue No. 2311, Date: Thursday, January 1, 2026

1. Child Killed in Rafah; Israeli Air and Artillery Bombardments Target Various Areas of the Gaza Strip

A child was killed by Israeli occupation forces in the southern Gaza Strip, as the fragile ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip continues to be violated for the 83rd consecutive day. This violation is manifested in intensified artillery shelling, the destruction of homes, and a series of airstrikes on various areas of the Strip. A source in the ambulance and emergency services reported the death of a child by Israeli army fire in the Al-Mawasi area of ​​Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.

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2. Occupation Forces Withdraw Authority from Ibrahimi Mosque and Proceed with Judaization Plans

The Israeli occupation authorities have taken a new escalatory step against the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, in the southern occupied West Bank. Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz decided to withdraw planning and building authority from the Palestinian Hebron Municipality and transfer it to the Israeli Civil Administration.

According to Channel 14, the decision stipulates stripping the Hebron Municipality of any planning authority within the Ibrahimi Mosque compound and initiating a project to install roofs on the mosque, as part of a Judaization plan aimed at altering its historical and religious character.

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3. 7,500 Arrests in the West Bank During 2025 and a Systematic Escalation Targeting Children and Women

The Palestinian Center for Prisoner Studies revealed an unprecedented escalation by the occupation authorities during 2025 in their policy of arrests and abuse against Palestinians in the West Bank, including Jerusalem. The center documented more than 7,500 arrests, including approximately 600 minors.

The center explained that these arrests are part of a systematic policy aimed at disrupting the Palestinian social fabric and undermining any resistance movement. It emphasized that the published figures do not include the thousands of citizens who were detained during mass arrest campaigns and field interrogations outside the framework of the law, before being released after being subjected to assault and abuse. The majority of these detainees are former prisoners. 4. Health warnings in Gaza about a rat-borne epidemic among displaced people

Dr. Bassam Zaqout, Director of Medical Relief in the Gaza Strip, warned of serious concerns about a new epidemic emerging in the Strip, given the sharp deterioration in health and environmental conditions and the spread of rodents among the tents of displaced people.

Zaqout said that medical authorities are monitoring alarming indicators of a possible spread of leptospirosis, a contagious disease transmitted to humans through contact with the urine of rats and rodents, which have multiplied significantly in the overcrowded displacement areas.

5. New Settlement Escalation: Occupation Approves 126 Units in Sanur to Consolidate Control

In a new escalation, the Israeli occupation authorities approved the construction of 126 settlement units in the Sanur outpost in the northern West Bank, in a clear continuation of the settlement expansion policy pursued by the current occupation government. In a tone reflecting the criminal expansionist mentality of the extremist government, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that the decision aims to “erase the shame of the withdrawal from the northern West Bank,” a statement that confirms the occupation’s insistence on imposing a new settlement reality that tightens the noose around the Palestinians and undermines the chances for political solutions.

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6. Escalating Settler Attacks in the Jordan Valley and Jenin: Land Plowing and Bulldozing, Crop Destroying

Settlers plowed Palestinian land in the Bedouin village of Shallal al-Auja, north of Jericho in the eastern occupied West Bank, in a move aimed at seizing and annexing it to a newly established settlement outpost. This coincided with the destruction of crops in the al-Farsiya area of ​​the northern Jordan Valley.

Hassan Mleihat, the general supervisor of the al-Baydar human rights organization, stated that settlers, accompanied by tractors, began plowing Palestinian-owned land in the Shallal al-Auja area early this morning. This is in preparation for cultivating the land and annexing it to other areas seized by settlers in recent months, with the goal of expanding the new settlement outpost.

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7. Ministry of Education: 7,488 Students Killed Since the Beginning of the Year

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education stated that 7,488 students have been killed and 10,557 injured as a result of the Israeli war of extermination on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank since the beginning of 2025. In a statement, the Ministry explained that the number of students killed in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of this year has reached more than 7,448, with 10,130 injured. In the West Bank, 38 students were killed and 327 others were injured, in addition to 324 being arrested. The Ministry also indicated that 415 teachers and administrators have been killed and 912 injured in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and more than 48 have been arrested in the West Bank.

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8. Peace Now: Occupation Approves Construction of 28,000 New Settlement Units in the West Bank by 2025

The Israeli left-wing settlement watchdog Peace Now stated that Israel approved the construction of more than 28,000 new settlement units in the occupied West Bank during 2025. The organization added, “Since the beginning of 2025, the Higher Planning Council of the Israeli Civil Administration has approved 28,163 housing units, an unprecedented record for the number of units in a single year.” It also reported that the council is currently discussing plans to build 1,033 housing units throughout the West Bank.

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9. Occupation Forces Intimidate Students by Firing Tear Gas Canisters North of Jerusalem

They caused panic among students… Footage circulating online documents occupation forces firing live ammunition and tear gas canisters in the vicinity of Al-Umma School in the town of Al-Ram, north of occupied Jerusalem.

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*European*

10. Spain orders holiday rental platforms to remove ads for Israeli settlements

The Spanish Ministry of Social Rights and Consumer Affairs has ordered seven digital platforms specializing in holiday home rentals to remove 138 advertisements for accommodations located in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. This move follows an investigation by the ministry, headed by Pablo Bustendoy, which documented dozens of online listings for accommodations in these territories.The ministry issued a formal request to the relevant multinational companies to report the discovery of illegal content on their platforms and urged them to remove or block it immediately, warning of potential further action in case of non-compliance.

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11. Health Risks Threaten the Lives of Palestinian Movement Activists on Hunger Strike

The organization “Prisoners for Palestine” warned of a serious deterioration in the health of four detainees from the “Palestinian Movement” who have been on an open-ended hunger strike in British prisons for over 57 days, protesting their prolonged pre-trial detention. According to the organization, detainee Hiba Mreisi has entered her 58th day without food and is suffering from a severe thiamine deficiency, leading to neurological disorders and difficulties with speech and sleep. Tuta Khouja has also reached her 51st day and is suffering from frequent loss of consciousness and severe cognitive difficulties. On his 50th day of hunger strike, Kamran Ahmed is experiencing symptoms including dizziness and heart palpitations, while Louis Chiarmello, who has diabetes, is suffering from dangerously low blood sugar and energy levels during his 37-day strike.

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12. Protest outside New Hall Prison in solidarity with the Fulton 24 hunger strikers

A continuous protest has been held outside New Hall Prison in Wakefield, England, in support of the Fulton 24 group of activists on hunger strike. They are protesting their detention without a fair trial for their opposition to institutional complicity in crimes committed against the Palestinian people. Supporters warn of a serious deterioration in the health of the hunger strikers as their strike continues for more than seven weeks. They are demanding their immediate release, an end to the policy of arbitrary detention, and accountability for those responsible for endangering their lives.

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13. A solidarity rally in Belgium in support of Gaza

Activists from the “Free Palestine” group organized a protest in the Belgian city of Antwerp in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Participants raised banners supporting the Palestinian cause, emphasizing the continuation of international solidarity campaigns demanding justice and the rights of Palestinians in the face of the occupation. Despite the ceasefire agreement in Gaza coming into effect on October 10th, the occupation forces continue to commit violations in the Gaza Strip, including bombing populated areas and causing more martyrs and injuries among unarmed civilians, especially children and women.

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14. Activists Target Maersk in Copenhagen for Shipping Weapons to the Occupation

Activists supporting the Palestinian cause targeted the headquarters of the global shipping company Maersk in Copenhagen, smashing windows and spray-painting the building’s facade. This action was in protest against the company’s role in shipping goods and military equipment to the Israeli occupation. The protesters emphasized that their action aimed to hold accountable companies involved in supporting the war machine and to demand a halt to any logistical cooperation that contributes to the aggression against the Palestinian people.

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*International*

15. EU: Israeli Law on Registering Humanitarian Organizations is Unenforceable

The European Union warned that the Israeli occupation authorities’ ban on 37 international organizations operating in the Gaza Strip will prevent the delivery of vital aid to the residents of the devastated territory.

European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, Hajjaj Lahbib, wrote: “The EU has been clear: the NGO registration law, in its current form, cannot be implemented.” Lahbib’s statement came after the Israeli occupation authorities announced they would prevent international organizations from operating in the Gaza Strip in 2026 if they did not submit a list of their Palestinian staff.

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16. Florida Governing Candidate Vows to Divest State Investments from Israeli Bonds

James Fischbach, a candidate for Florida governor in the 2026 Republican primaries, announced his intention to divest Florida’s investments in Israeli government bonds if elected. Fischbach, CEO of Azurea Investments, confirmed that state agencies had invested approximately $385 million in Israeli bonds over the past two years, calling for these funds to be redirected to support local housing initiatives. Fischbach indicated that investing public funds abroad was an unwise decision, emphasizing that the money should be invested in projects that directly benefit the local Florida community, rather than supporting oppressive regimes.