Epal European Palestinian Media Center Bulletin, Issue No. 2431, Date: Sunday, May 3, 2026

1. Health: 7 killed and 8 injured in Gaza within 48 hours

The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that hospitals in the Strip received over the past 48 hours 7 fatalities, including 4 newly killed and 3 whose bodies were recovered, in addition to 8 injured. The ministry indicated that a number of victims are still under the rubble and in the streets, as ambulance and civil defense crews have been unable to reach them so far. It added that since the ceasefire on October 11, the total number of fatalities and injured has reached 828 killed and 2,342 injured, with 767 bodies recovered.

2. Armed settler threatens children at a football field in Masafer Yatta

The Palestinian Football Association revealed that an armed Israeli settler threatened children while they were playing football at a field located in Khirbet Umm al-Kheir in the Masafer Yatta area, south of the West Bank, in an incident that falls within ongoing violations against residents there. The association said that an Israeli settler carrying a weapon threatened the children of Khirbet Umm al-Kheir while they were at the football field, considering that what happened comes within the framework of the ongoing targeting of the village’s residents and children with the aim of displacing them from their land.

3. Child injured in settler attack in the Jordan Valley and gunfire south of Hebron

A child was injured in an attack carried out by settlers against residents in Khirbet al-Hadidiya in the northern Jordan Valley, amid escalating attacks on Palestinian communities. Human rights activist Aref Daraghmeh reported that settlers attacked the village and sprayed residents with pepper spray, resulting in the injury of a child and causing fear among the residents. In southern Hebron, a settler fired live ammunition toward residents in the village of al-Tabaqa without causing injuries. Local sources stated that the settler, who comes from the settlement of Hagai built on Palestinian land, targeted the al-Abed area in the village by shooting.

4. Warnings of an epidemic disaster in Gaza and fears of cholera

The director of Medical Relief in Gaza, Bassam Zaqout, warned of a severe and unprecedented health and environmental deterioration in the Gaza Strip with the onset of the summer heat wave. He stated in a press declaration that the occupation deliberately controls resources and prevents the entry of essential supplies, deepening the crisis in the besieged area. He explained that medical teams have observed a worrying increase in cases of skin diseases, particularly scabies and lice, due to deteriorating hygiene conditions in displacement camps.

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**European**

5. Starmer hints at additional ban on pro-Palestine marches in Britain

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer suggested imposing additional bans on pro-Palestinian marches in his country, indicating that the government may prohibit such demonstrations in certain circumstances due to what he described as the cumulative impact they have had on Jewish communities, following the stabbing of two Jewish individuals in north London last Wednesday. Starmer said in an interview with the BBC that he will always defend freedom of expression and peaceful protest, but chants such as “spread the intifada around the world” during demonstrations are completely unacceptable and those who chant them must be prosecuted.

6. Three activists from the Global Steadfastness Flotilla announce hunger strike

Three Australian activists who participated in the Global Steadfastness Flotilla announced on Saturday the start of a hunger strike on the Greek island of Crete, protesting violations and mistreatment during their detention, while other activists remain detained after the flotilla, which aimed to break the blockade on Gaza, was intercepted. The Guardian quoted Ethan Floyd, Niv O’Connor, and Zak Schofield, three of six Australians released after their vessels were intercepted, as saying that they and their colleagues were subjected to mistreatment during a two-day detention aboard an Israeli ship.

7. Spanish activist Mei Hua: the Palestine cause led me to Islam

Spanish activist Mei Hua Li converted to Islam about a month ago in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh, stating that her support for the Palestinian cause and her activism for it were key factors in her conversion. She spoke as part of her participation in the Global Steadfastness Flotilla, which was heading to Gaza to break the blockade and deliver humanitarian aid before being intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters and its participants detained.

8. Activists reveal details of the Israeli attack on the flotilla

Activists in the Global Steadfastness Flotilla revealed details of the Israeli attack against them in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea while they were heading to break the blockade on Gaza. Australian doctor Bianca Webb Pullman said that Israeli soldiers who boarded the boat pointed weapons at them, adding that everyone’s hands were tied, then they were transferred by boats to a warship and kept in exhausting positions, such as kneeling for long periods. In the same context, American doctor John Francis Reuer stated that people acting for humanitarian purposes are treated as criminals, saying that he witnessed how people who sympathize with the suffering of others are treated as criminals. He added that they were forced to lie on the ground and kneel, were beaten when they moved, and were affected physically and psychologically.

9. Berlin residents support protest from balconies

From their balconies, residents in Berlin were seen supporting a large demonstration condemning ongoing violations and crimes committed by Israeli forces against the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples.

10. Israeli forces beat and steal money from a Turkish German activist within the flotilla

Turkish German activist Hussein Oral, who was arrested as part of the Global Steadfastness Flotilla, was subjected to assault and severe beating by Israeli forces. Oral said in a video circulated on social media that Israeli forces stole about 1,000 euros from him, in addition to his driver’s license, confirming that the confiscation took place without any reason.

11. Activists shut down Rheinmetall factory in Germany over arming Israel

This move is the second of its kind within a month. Activists from the Peacefully Against Genocide movement confirmed they will continue such actions to pressure the company and the German government. Activist Leila Fois said that Rheinmetall and the German government are complicit in genocide in Palestine, as well as in illegal attacks carried out by Israel and the United States on other countries. She added that German weapons and funds contribute to killing civilians and destroying entire communities. The company manufactures ammunition and weapons and supplies them to the Israeli army.

12. Antwerp students protest partnership with five Israeli universities

Students and professors at the University of Antwerp in Belgium occupied the Agora campus in an open protest against what they described as the university’s active complicity with Israeli institutions amid the ongoing war in Gaza. Protesters raised slogans calling to free Palestine and launched a broad call to occupy the university with the group Antwerp for Palestine, stating that the university has blood on its hands due to continued academic and research cooperation with Israeli institutions.

13. France calls for deterrent punishment against settler who attacked a nun in Jerusalem

French Foreign Minister Jean Noel Barrot called for a deterrent punishment against the settler who assaulted a French nun in occupied Jerusalem. He said he expressed to the nun his sorrow, solidarity, and wishes for a speedy recovery after the shocking attack, adding that the perpetrator has been arrested and that the punishment must be firm to put an end to increasing anti Christian acts in the Holy Land.

14. More than 115 candidates in the Welsh Parliament sign Support Palestine pledge

According to the pledge, candidates commit, if elected, to protecting Palestinian rights, confronting crimes of genocide and apartheid, and preventing the Welsh government’s complicity in such violations. Signatories include candidates from several parties, notably the Green Party and Plaid Cymru, in addition to Labour, Liberal Democrats, and independents. The pledge was launched by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which supports the boycott movement.

15. Owner of Axel Springer pressures employees to support Israel or resign

Matthias Doepfner, owner of the Axel Springer media group, issued an explicit threat to employees at Politico, The Telegraph, Bild, and Business Insider, requiring them to adhere to his pro Israel stance or leave their jobs. During an internal meeting, he confirmed that support for Israel is a core element of the company and stressed that those who disagree should work elsewhere.

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**International**

16. Google grants the Pentagon authority to use its artificial intelligence in military activities

Google has signed an agreement with the United States Department of Defense allowing it to use the company’s artificial intelligence tools for classified and public government purposes. According to Reuters, the deal gives the United States military full freedom and maximum flexibility to employ these technologies in defense activities, including operating and developing autonomous weapons.

17. Activist arrested after protesting inside the United States Senate

An activist named Gus from the anti war group Code Pink disrupted a Senate hearing for Pete Hegseth, a nominee for Secretary of Defense, accusing him directly of supporting United States crimes in Palestine, Lebanon, and Iran. The activist raised a sign reading Pete Hegseth you are a war criminal before being arrested by security guards. The disruption came amid growing protests against his nomination, as he faces previous allegations of sexual assault and financial misconduct.

18. Global protests in support of the flotilla

In Italy, Spain, France, Turkey, the United States, and the Netherlands, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets around the world to condemn the Israeli attack on the Global Steadfastness Flotilla and to demand the immediate release of all activists detained by Tel Aviv. Organizers stated that more than 200 actions have been organized worldwide, with more planned, following what they described as a violent interception and sabotage operation carried out by Israel against the flotilla.