Epal European Palestinian Media Center Bulletin, Issue No. 2369, Date: Friday, February 27, 2026

1. Two martyrs in Israeli shelling east of Gaza and UN warning over slow medical coordination

The Israeli army continues to violate the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, carrying out air, ground, and naval attacks on Rafah, eastern Gaza, Al-Bureij camp, and Khan Younis, targeting buildings and displacement centers.

Local sources reported that two citizens were killed and others injured in an Israeli strike that targeted Al-Tuffah Park east of Gaza City.

Earlier, Civil Defense announced, in a field update, the death of citizen Ahmad Yahya Ahmad Rarsas, who succumbed to injuries sustained about a month ago due to Israeli shelling that targeted an area in southern Gaza. His health had deteriorated as a result of his previous injuries.

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**2. Civil Defense warns of the dangers of extreme cold on displaced people in Gaza**

Amid the sharp drop in temperatures across the Gaza Strip in recent days, Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal issued an urgent appeal calling on citizens to exercise caution and vigilance, especially with intensifying cold waves.

In his warnings, Basal urged monitoring children and the most vulnerable families, particularly those living in tents, to ensure their safety and protect them from the dangers of severe cold.

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**3. Demolition of 312 structures… hundreds displaced and a wave of widespread settler attacks at the start of 2026**

The first weeks of 2026 witnessed a significant escalation in Israeli demolition policies and attacks in the West Bank, marked by an increased pace of demolishing Palestinian homes and facilities, alongside a rise in “settler terrorism.” This has resulted in the displacement of hundreds of Palestinians and the injury of dozens, amid ongoing systematic pressure on the Palestinian presence, particularly in Area C.

The Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center stated in a press release today, Thursday, that it is closely monitoring the continued Israeli escalation in Area C, which constitutes about 60% of the West Bank and is under full Israeli control, warning of the sharp rise in settler attacks against Palestinian communities.

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**4. Occupation confiscates 11,000 dunams and restricts access to 25,000 in West Bank lands in 2025**

Recent Palestinian data reveal an unprecedented escalation in Israel’s use of military orders as a central tool to reshape geography in the West Bank, in a continued path targeting Palestinian land and presence, alongside settlement expansion and accelerated imposition of facts on the ground.

During 2025, the Israeli army issued a total of 146 military orders targeting the confiscation of more than 11,200 dunams of occupied West Bank land, in addition to restricting access to more than 25,000 dunams of agricultural land, particularly during the olive harvest season, according to a report by the Applied Research Institute–Jerusalem (ARIJ).

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**5. Occupation issues more than 100 administrative detention orders for prisoners from the West Bank**

Israel continues to escalate the use of administrative detention under the pretext of a “secret file,” issuing 107 administrative detention orders (new and renewed) for prisoners from the West Bank.

Prisoner advocacy institutions reported that the number of administrative detainees reached 3,358 at the beginning of February, including women, children, and journalists.

The occupation court renewed the administrative detention of prisoner Muntasir Omar Abu Alia from the village of Al-Mughayyir, Ramallah district, for the second time for a period of four months, after previously refusing to issue a substantive ruling in his case.

Administrative detention was also renewed for the fourth time for young prisoner Hussein Nidal Al-Tamimi, from Hebron, for a period of six months.

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**6. “Prisoners’ Media”: Megiddo prisoners complain of poor and insufficient food and restrictions during Ramadan**

The Prisoners’ Media Office stated that prisoners in Megiddo Prison are facing difficult conditions during the holy month of Ramadan, pointing to the limited quantity and poor quality of food provided, in addition to ongoing restrictions inside the sections.

It explained that iftar and suhoor meals are provided in very small quantities, as well as being of poor quality for fasting prisoners, increasing their suffering during the holy month.

It also noted that a number of administrative detainees suffer from varying health conditions amid ongoing medical negligence, stressing that the shortage of basic supplies inside rooms and the reduction of daily yard time to less than an hour in some sections further complicate their daily lives.

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**7. #Video… Brutal arrests of Palestinian youths in the West Bank**

#Watch… They slammed one of their heads against the wall… Circulating footage documents Israeli army personnel abusing Palestinian youths during their arrest in the village of Al-Tabaqa, affiliated with the city of Dura, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank.

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*European*

**8. Government alert in Germany after accusations of complicity in the war on Gaza**

The German government announced an extraordinary meeting of the supervisory board of the company organizing the Berlin International Film Festival (KBB), following a speech delivered by Palestinian-Syrian director Abdullah Al-Khatib during the awards ceremony, in which he accused Berlin of complicity in the “genocide” in Gaza through its support for Israel.

The German Ministry of Culture confirmed to AFP on Wednesday that the meeting is being held “at the initiative of Minister Wolfram Weimer,” who chairs it. The move comes amid reports of the possible dismissal of festival director Tricia Tuttle, which the organizing company denied.

The 76th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival witnessed widespread controversy for the second consecutive year due to political stances related to the Israeli assault on Gaza. More than 80 artists had criticized the festival administration’s “silence” and accused it of imposing restrictions on pro-Palestinian voices.

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**9. More than 120 musicians and institutions in Montreal boycott Israel culturally**

The group “Musicians for Palestine Montreal” announced that more than 120 musicians and music institutions from Montreal have joined the cultural boycott campaign against Israel, stating that the move rejects the use of the arts to whitewash Israeli state policies.

The group published a list including 89 artists, musicians, and cultural workers, along with 34 music institutions, who officially signed a statement supporting the cultural boycott. Prominent names include the band Godspeed You! Black Emperor, the Société des arts technologiques (SAT), and the band Big Brave.

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**10. #Video… Protest at the office of the Australian Defense Minister over arms exports to Israel**

#Watch… The organization “Defense for Peace Djilang” organized a sit-in in front of the office of Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles in Geelong, Australia. Participants raised banners calling for accountability for those responsible for supplying weapons to Israel and chanted loudly: “We’ll see you in The Hague,” referring to international accountability before the criminal court.

Protesters stated that shipping weapons to a “state” committing genocide violates Australian and international law, emphasizing that the issue concerns justice and human rights.

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*International*

**11. Pro-Palestine activist files lawsuit against Zionist organization “Betar” in New York**

Palestinian-American activist Nerdeen Kiswani filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday, February 26, against the Zionist organization Betar and its leadership before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleging a coordinated campaign of racial harassment, threats, stalking, and intimidation against her.

Defendants include Betar USA and its leaders: Ron Torossian, Ross Glick, Yoni Kletzel, John Mantel, and ten unidentified board members.

Kiswani has lived in the United States since her father immigrated when she was one year old. She is the founder of the pro-Palestine, anti-Zionist group “Within Our Lifetime,” based in New York, whose members organize protests against what they describe as U.S.-backed genocide in Gaza and boycott campaigns against companies benefiting from the ongoing occupation and ethnic cleansing policies.

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**12. Protest outside the “Fowler” Museum against a lecture by an Israeli official**

Around 30 pro-Palestine protesters gathered outside the Fowler Museum on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles, to protest a lecture delivered by former Israeli diplomat and politician Ronen Hoffman, as part of an annual event hosted by the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies.

The demonstration was organized by student and academic groups, including “Students for Justice in Palestine” and “Faculty for Justice in Palestine,” as well as the Los Angeles branch of the Palestinian Youth Movement. Protesters marched from Bruin Plaza toward the museum, chanting slogans condemning Hoffman’s hosting and holding signs reading “War criminals off campus.”

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**13. Human rights condemnation of alleged attempts by EU mission personnel to extract information from returnees to Gaza**

The International Federation for Rights and Development (IFRD) expressed deep concern and strong condemnation over serious allegations that individuals linked to the European Union Border Assistance Mission in Rafah questioned Palestinians in a manner aimed at extracting information about their relatives and social networks, including questions seemingly unrelated to legitimate border assistance functions.

The federation stated that if these allegations are proven true, this would constitute a serious violation of the mission’s mandate, an infringement on fundamental human rights and data protection principles, and an unacceptable deviation from the EU’s obligations to ensure its missions do not facilitate violations.

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**14. “Freedom Flotilla” and “Convoy of Steadfastness” to launch 200 vessels to Gaza in April**

Pro-Palestine activists, in cooperation with civil society organizations, are launching a new joint maritime campaign to Gaza involving the “Freedom Flotilla” and the “Convoy of Steadfastness,” consisting of 200 vessels aimed at breaking the blockade on the Strip, expected to depart on April 12.

Bülent Yıldırım, head of the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on Thursday that donations will be collected from Europe, Asia, Africa, Turkey, the Gulf, and around the world to purchase 200 ships that would be difficult for Israel to stop, stressing that “there is no other option but the sea.”

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**15. Departure of 57 international staff from Gaza after ban on 37 aid organizations**

Fifty-seven employees working for international organizations have left the Gaza Strip following Israel’s decision to ban 37 aid organizations from operating in the territory.

This development comes amid increasing restrictions on humanitarian activities, raising concerns about its impact on the delivery of aid and essential services to the population.

Médecins Sans Frontières called for lifting Israeli restrictions imposed on Gaza, emphasizing the need to enable it to continue its humanitarian work in partnership with other organizations.