Epal European Palestinian Media Center Bulletin, Issue No. 2368, Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026

1. Health Ministry: 9 Martyrs Registered, Including 6 Recovered from Rubble in 24 Hours in Gaza

The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced its daily statistical report on the victims of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, documenting the number of martyrs and injured individuals who arrived at hospitals in the Strip over the past 24 hours.

The ministry stated that hospitals recorded 9 martyrs, including 6 whose bodies were recovered from under the rubble, in addition to 4 injuries.

It confirmed that ambulance and civil defense crews continue their efforts to reach victims still trapped under debris and in the streets, amid field difficulties hindering rescue operations.

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### 2. Open War on Palestinian Media: Israel Tops the List of Journalist Killers in 2025

In the context of what it described as an open war on Palestinian media, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) revealed that 129 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide in 2025, marking a record high since the organization began documenting such crimes in 1992.

In a report issued Wednesday, the committee stated that Israeli occupation authorities were responsible for more than two-thirds of the total number, signaling a new escalation in the targeting of journalists, particularly in Palestine.

According to the report, this record figure comes for the second consecutive year, amid a shift in which journalists have become direct targets in armed conflicts. The committee noted that Israeli authorities recorded a number of deliberate killings of journalists exceeding those committed by any other government military force in history.

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### 3. Settlers Attack Palestinian Property in Several Areas of the West Bank

Settlers attacked several towns and areas in the occupied West Bank, continuing their assaults and acts of intimidation against Palestinians, their lands, and their property under the protection of Israeli occupation forces.

Local sources reported that settlers attacked residents in the Al-Wadi area of Jalud village, southeast of Nablus, noting that a number of young men attempted to confront them, leading to clashes.

In Ramallah, settlers, protected by Israeli occupation forces, stormed the village of Al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah.

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### 4. Settlers Tighten Their Grip on the Town of Sinjil North of Ramallah

The town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah, is among the areas facing a fierce settlement campaign. Barbed-wire fences, roads, and settlement outposts surround it from all sides, along with the seizure of land through pastoral settlement expansion and the confiscation of more territory. These factors have complicated residents’ lives and doubled their suffering.

Settlers have begun paving a new settlement road northwest of the town, targeting the Marj (Arzel) area, which residents rely on for seasonal agriculture.

Anti-settlement activist Ayed Ghafri said the road currently being built not only threatens Sinjil but will also extend to the lands of the neighboring villages of Abwein and Jiljilya. He warned that its danger lies in reaching residential areas classified as “Area A” of Sinjil’s lands.

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### 5. Banning Media Platforms in Jerusalem: Silencing the Narrative and Paving the Way for More Dangerous Steps

In a dangerous move aimed at silencing the voice of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa, obscuring the authentic Palestinian narrative, and concealing ongoing Israeli assaults and measures from the world, occupation authorities banned five Jerusalem-based media platforms by decision of Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who classified them as “terrorist.”

Under the decision, based on what is called Israel’s “Counter-Terrorism Law,” the ban includes Al-Asima News Network, Miraj Network, Al-Quds Al-Bousala Network, Midan Al-Quds, and Quds Plus.

The occupation had previously banned the Al-Qastal news website at the beginning of the genocide war on Gaza, as part of efforts to suppress Jerusalem and tighten restrictions around Al-Aqsa Mosque.

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### 6. Prisoners’ Club: Escalation of Repression and Starvation in Ofer Prison

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club confirmed escalating Israeli violations inside Ofer Prison, amid rising levels of starvation and illness, noting that occupation forces are using new weapons during repression, including one that causes burns to the body.

This came in a special briefing published by the club detailing what legal teams documented during visits to dozens of prisoners in Ofer Prison in January and February 2026, reiterating the current reality prisoners have faced since the start of the genocide.

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### 7. #Video: Settler Blocks Road in Front of Palestinian Vehicle in Hebron

Watch: As part of daily intimidation, an Israeli settler stood provocatively, blocking the road in front of a Palestinian citizen’s car to prevent entry into the village of Al-Fakhit, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank.

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### 8. U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem to Begin Providing Services in West Bank Settlements on Friday

The U.S. Embassy in occupied Jerusalem announced it will begin providing consular services to American citizens in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank starting Friday, in a first-of-its-kind step, claiming the move is part of efforts “to reach all Americans.”

In a statement, the embassy said consular staff will begin offering routine passport services in the settlement of Efrat, south of Jerusalem, on Friday, February 27, with planned field visits over the next two months, including to the settlement of Beitar Illit near Bethlehem.

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## *European*

### 10. Repression Index Reveals British Restrictions on Freedom of Expression and Solidarity with Palestine

Recent data from the Repression Index revealed a notable decline in freedom of expression in Britain, amid policies and measures targeting Palestine solidarity activities, as Israel’s war on Gaza and violations in the West Bank continue.

The center launched the “British Repression Index” for the Palestine solidarity movement, noting that repression has escalated since October 7, 2023, with the start of Israel’s genocide war on Gaza.

The annual index, which monitors civil liberties in several countries, showed that Britain recorded a significant drop in its ranking over the past year due to “expanded use of laws and security measures to restrict peaceful protests, particularly those related to the Palestinian cause.”

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### 11. Protest Outside Collins Aerospace Factory Over Manufacturing Seats for Israeli Airline

A protest was organized outside the Collins Aerospace factory in Kilkeel, Ireland, where seats are produced for the Israeli airline El Al.

Organizers claim the airline violated laws by operating flights through Irish airspace carrying munitions and spare parts for F-35 aircraft, in addition to weapons shipments bound for Israel, arguing that El Al represents a key part of the occupation’s transport infrastructure due to its close relationship with the government.

Protesters also noted that Collins, through one of its U.S. subsidiaries, previously supplied the Israeli military with components, while its parent company RTX (formerly Raytheon) is accused of involvement in arms deals with Israel, including advanced systems and missiles.

Participants criticized the role of Invest NI in supporting the Kilkeel factory, calling for restrictions or sanctions on any business dealings linked to the occupation instead of using public funds to support production believed to serve military industries.

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### 12. Rights Organization: European Mission at Rafah Crossing Interrogating Travelers

The International Federation for Rights and Development (IFRD) expressed deep concern and strong condemnation over reports that individuals linked to the EU Border Assistance Mission at Rafah are interrogating Palestinians in a manner aimed at extracting information about their relatives and social networks.

A statement said the questions appear unrelated to legitimate border assistance functions.

If confirmed, the federation stated, this would constitute a serious violation of the mission’s mandate, an infringement on fundamental human rights and data protection principles, and an unacceptable departure from EU commitments to ensure its missions do not facilitate violations.

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## *International*

### 13. Calls to Exclude Israeli Team from Baseball Championship

The boycott movement called for boycotting the Israeli baseball team in the 2026 World Championship, scheduled to take place March 5–17 in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Miami and Houston in the United States; and Tokyo, Japan.

The movement stated that the Israeli team is not merely a sports club but a political project affiliated with the Jewish National Fund (JNF), which it says is involved in the displacement of Palestinians, land confiscation, and construction of illegal settlements—linking sports directly to violations and alleged war crimes under international law.

The movement added that all Palestinian sports facilities in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged due to Israeli attacks, and that tens of thousands of Palestinians, including prominent athletes, have been killed.

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### 14. Microsoft Employees Hold Solidarity Protest Opposing Support for Israeli Occupation

The group “No Azure for Apartheid” organized protests outside Microsoft offices on “Return to Office” day, emphasizing opposition to the use of technology in supporting the Israeli occupation and apartheid system.

Workers and community members participated, calling on the company to stop allowing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to use the Azure platform for activities that harm Palestinian and migrant communities, particularly video and image analysis used for surveillance and monitoring fundamental rights.

Participants stated that Microsoft has become the technological backbone of the ongoing genocide and apartheid in Palestine, calling for accountability of all executives for complicity in crimes against humanity.

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### 15. Justice Department Sues UCLA Alleging Failure to Address “Antisemitism”

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), alleging that the university administration tolerated and in some cases facilitated antisemitic acts during pro-Palestine student protests following the outbreak of the genocide war in Gaza.

The department claimed the university created a “hostile work environment” for Jewish and Israeli students and staff, violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on religion.

The lawsuit comes as part of a campaign by former President Donald Trump’s administration aimed at penalizing universities that hosted large-scale protests in support of Palestine.

The statement noted that student protests in 2023 and 2024 focused on alleged Israeli human rights violations in Gaza, with protesting students facing arrests, violence, and incitement from pro-occupation supporters on campus.

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### 16. Newnham College, University of Cambridge Divests from Occupation

Newnham College at the University of Cambridge announced in February 2026 that it had agreed to divest from activities linked to the occupation and genocide, as well as fossil fuels, in a move activists described as a victory for student-led pressure campaigns.

The decision followed a campaign launched in October 2025 involving hundreds of students and supporters who called on the college administration to align its investments with human rights and sustainability principles.

Organizers said the development represents a significant achievement but not the end of activism, stressing the need for continued pressure to ensure full implementation of the commitments.

Activists said the achievement at Newnham sends a clear message to other colleges and universities that change is possible when students and the academic community work together in an organized and sustained manner.