Epal European Palestinian Media Center Bulletin, Issue No. 2327, Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026

1. Three martyrs, including two children, amid continued occupation violations of the ceasefire in the Strip

Three civilians, including two children, were killed as a result of the continued violations of the ceasefire by Israeli occupation forces in the Gaza Strip.
Medical sources announced the martyrdom of Mohammad Raed Al-Barawi (16 years old) after he was shot in the head by Israeli occupation forces in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza. Earlier, a local source reported the killing of a young girl after an Israeli “quadcopter” drone dropped a bomb on a shelter center in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza.

……….

### **2. Widespread settler attacks in the West Bank**

Various areas across the West Bank witnessed widespread attacks carried out by settler militias, targeting citizens’ property and lands.
In Nablus, residents of the town of Hawara confronted a settler attack on the town, carried out under the protection of occupation forces, near the new settlement outpost in the vicinity of Jabal Ras Zaid. The incident included live ammunition fired by occupation forces.
In Hebron, the Al-Baidar Human Rights Organization reported that Israeli occupation forces detained the young man Mahmoud Rashid while settlers were present around residents’ homes in Khirbet Hreibat Al-Nabi in the Masafer Yatta area south of Hebron, where settlers released their livestock among Palestinian homes.

……….

### **3. Martyrdom of freed prisoner Mohammad Al-Basyouni due to his injuries in Gaza**

Freed prisoner Mohammad Ahmad Al-Sayyed Al-Basyouni from the city of Beit Hanoun was martyred after his health condition deteriorated as a result of his injuries.
The Prisoners’ Media Office stated that Al-Basyouni had been detained twice in occupation prisons, and that his most recent release came as part of the latest prisoner exchange deal.
The statement added that Al-Basyouni’s tent collapsed on him a few days ago from the top of a building belonging to Deir Al-Balah Municipality in central Gaza due to strong winds, causing him severe injuries.

……….

### **4. Knesset member storms Al-Auja Waterfall north of Jericho**

Extremist Israeli Knesset member from the “Religious Zionism” party, Zvi Sukkot, stormed the Bedouin community of Al-Auja Waterfall north of the city of Jericho.
The Al-Baidar Human Rights Organization reported that Knesset member Sukkot stormed the Bedouin community of Al-Auja Waterfall north of Jericho at noon today and attacked a number of foreign peace activists who were present in the area to show solidarity with Palestinian families and defend their rights.

……….

—

## **European**

### **5. Copenhagen prepares to host the second European Palestinian Network Conference**

The Danish capital, Copenhagen, is preparing to host the second European Palestinian Network Conference, scheduled for January 31, 2026, with broad participation from representatives of 15 countries from around the world.
The conference brings together a diverse range of representatives from non-governmental organizations, activists, artists, lawyers, journalists, and academics within an international framework aimed at strengthening coordination and exchanging expertise on Palestinian issues.
The conference focuses on highlighting Palestinian perspectives through a series of dialogue sessions and specialized discussions covering multiple fields, including journalism and historical narratives, international law, as well as art and culture and their role in resisting marginalization and building societal awareness.
The conference also serves as a unifying space to explore mechanisms for joint action and to develop more effective solidarity strategies at the European and international levels.
Participants include representatives from the United Kingdom, Finland, France, Palestine (Gaza), Norway, Sweden, Ireland, Germany, Spain, the United States, the Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Belgium, and Switzerland, reflecting the growing scope of international solidarity with the Palestinian people and the continuation of popular and institutional efforts to defend their rights.

……….

### **6. Eurovision records lowest participation since 2003 due to the participation of the occupation**

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced that the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest will be the smallest in more than twenty years, with only 35 countries confirmed to participate in the event hosted by Vienna—marking the lowest number of participants since 2003.
This decline comes amid widespread international withdrawals following the confirmation of Israel’s participation, after months of internal discussions and a secret vote at the EBU’s winter general assembly in Geneva, where a “large majority” voted against excluding it.
In response to the decision, five participating countries—Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia, and Iceland—announced their boycott of the contest, in protest against the representation of an entity committing genocide.
Broadcasting authorities in the boycotting countries justified their decisions on ethical and humanitarian grounds, with Ireland’s broadcaster describing participation as “unreasonable” in light of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

……….

### **7. Launch of a one-million-signature initiative to suspend the EU’s partnership with the occupation**

A coalition of left-wing parties in the European Parliament launched a broad popular campaign from the Belgian capital, Brussels, to pressure the European Commission to submit an official proposal to the European Council calling for the full suspension of the EU–occupation Association Agreement.
The initiative was officially launched as what organizers described as a legal and ethical response to the grave and systematic violations committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip, including targeting medical facilities, forced displacement, and the use of starvation as a weapon of war—practices that international reports say amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Danish MP from the Red-Green Alliance and the campaign’s representative in Denmark, Trine Pertou Mach, confirmed that the goal is to end what she described as “European complicity” in what she called a war of genocide against Palestinians.

……….

—

## **International**

### **8. Students at a U.S. university submit a list of demands calling for a boycott of complicit companies**

Members of the organization “Students for Justice in Palestine” at the University of Alabama in the United States submitted a revised list of demands to University President Peter Mohler during the “Mornings with Mohler” event, organized as part of university programs.
Omorose Imwanta, treasurer of the organization at the University of Alabama, said the event represented “the perfect opportunity to re-present our demands directly to the university president.” She added that despite appreciating Mohler’s responsiveness during previous discussions, the organization remains concerned about the lack of serious follow-up, stressing that his responses so far amount to “empty promises unless translated into tangible changes.”
The organization, along with other student groups, has organized marches and sit-ins on campus in recent months in support of Palestinians, coinciding with the Zionist war of genocide on Gaza, demanding that the university divest from companies involved in supporting Israel.
The organization’s demands include full disclosure of investments linked to the University of Alabama’s endowment fund; divestment from arms manufacturers and companies targeted by the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement; banning arms manufacturers from campus recruitment events; canceling Lockheed Martin’s partnership as a career pathway sponsor; ending research partnerships with the Ministry of War; and terminating the existing contract with Coca-Cola due to its complicity with the occupation through operating branches in settlements.

……….

### **9. U.S.–Israeli agreement in the town of Silwan, occupied East Jerusalem**

The United States and the Israeli occupation entity signed an agreement for cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence in the town of Silwan in occupied East Jerusalem, as part of the international “Pax Silica” declaration.
Using the settlement name for Silwan, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said: “Today, in the City of David (Silwan), we signed a joint statement to launch a strategic partnership with the United States in the fields of artificial intelligence, research, and biotechnology, within the framework of the Pax Silica initiative.”

……….

### **10. UN official: More than 60 million tons of rubble in Gaza, removal will take seven years**

The Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Jorge Moreira da Silva, revealed that the Gaza Strip contains more than 60 million tons of rubble—equivalent to the load of approximately 3,000 container ships—adding that removing this amount would take more than seven years.
In a statement issued following his visit to Gaza and the region, da Silva explained that the average amount of rubble surrounding each person in Gaza today is approximately 30 tons.
The UN official warned of the worsening humanitarian crisis, saying residents are suffering from extreme exhaustion, psychological trauma, and accumulated pressures, while harsh winter conditions and heavy rainfall are compounding their suffering.

……….

### **11. European Union calls on Israel to halt the E1 settlement project**

The European Union called on Israel to halt the E1 settlement project, including plans to build 3,401 settlement units, as well as to stop the implementation of the so-called “Sovereignty Road” plan extending between the towns of Al-Eizariya and Az-Za’ayyem east of Jerusalem. This plan would completely block Palestinian movement in the area, effectively isolating around 3% of the West Bank.
In a statement, the EU expressed concern over the Atarot settlement project, which targets the land of the former Jerusalem International Airport and involves the construction of approximately 9,000 settlement units north of Jerusalem on an estimated area of 1,243 dunams, as well as the Nahalat Shimon project in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood—specifically in the Al-Naqa’ land area—which entails demolishing the neighborhood and building a settlement on approximately 17 dunams, including 316 units on the ruins of the homes of around 40 Palestinian families.

……….

### **12. United Nations: Gaza urgently needs unrestricted entry of vital supplies**

The spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Jens Laerke, affirmed the need for the immediate and unrestricted entry of vital supplies into the Gaza Strip, amid continued Israeli obstacles to humanitarian aid despite the start of the second phase of the ceasefire.
Laerke said that the announcement of the second phase of the Gaza agreement is an important step from the UN’s perspective, noting that any initiative contributing to alleviating civilian suffering, supporting reconstruction, and creating a credible political horizon is considered positive.
He pointed to “significant progress during the first three months of the ceasefire,” noting that humanitarian partners reopened 36 health facilities and established 26 new ones, and continue distributing shelter assistance across the Gaza Strip.

……….

### **13. U.S. court threatens to re-arrest student Mahmoud Khalil for participating in solidarity protests**

A U.S. federal appeals court issued a ruling stating that a judge did not have the authority to order the release of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who was arrested on March 8 in the lobby of his university housing at Columbia University for participating in pro-Palestinian protests against the Israeli genocide in Gaza.
The ruling, issued by a 2–1 majority of the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia, supported efforts by the administration of President Donald Trump to re-arrest and deport Khalil, noting that his claims could later be raised through an appeal of the final deportation order under U.S. immigration and nationality law. Khalil did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

—