Epal European Palestinian Media Center Bulletin, Issue No. 2295, Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2025

1. The Occupation Continues to Violate the Ceasefire and Launches Airstrikes East of Gaza**

Israeli occupation forces have continued their violations of the ceasefire agreement for the 66th consecutive day, launching airstrikes and carrying out shelling and demolition operations east of the Gaza Strip.
A local source reported that Israeli military vehicles opened fire east of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, while Israeli artillery shelled the Al-Faluja area west of the camp, with helicopter gunships also participating in the firing.

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**2. Storm Uproots Displaced Persons’ Tents in the Gaza Strip**

The humanitarian catastrophe continues. Strong winds threaten to uproot the tents of displaced people who are already suffering from heavy rainfall and falling temperatures.

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**3. Israeli Occupation Forces Arrest Wounded Saeed Al-Amour in the West Bank**

After losing one of his legs months ago due to being shot by a settler, Israeli occupation forces arrested the wounded Saeed Al-Amour while he was defending his land following a settler incursion, in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank.

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**4. Gaza Health Ministry: 393 Killed Since the Start of the Ceasefire, 632 Bodies Retrieved**

The Gaza Ministry of Health announced that the death toll from the Israeli genocide has risen to 70,665 martyrs since October 7, 2023. Hospitals in the Strip received two new martyrs and six injuries in the past 24 hours.
In a press statement, the ministry indicated that since the ceasefire agreement on October 11, the number of martyrs and wounded has reached 393 martyrs and 1,068 injured, while 632 bodies have been recovered from under the rubble of destroyed homes.

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**5. International Criminal Court Rejects Halting the Investigation into “Israel’s” Crimes in Gaza**

Judges of the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court rejected another appeal submitted by “Israel” seeking to halt the investigation into crimes committed in the Gaza Strip, thereby confirming the continuation of judicial proceedings, including investigations and issued arrest warrants.
The judges upheld a previous decision by the Pre-Trial Chamber, which concluded that there was no “new situation” requiring the prosecution to restart proceedings or issue a new notification to “Israel.”

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**6. Gaza Crimes and International Complicity Win European Cartoon Awards 2025**

Dutch cartoonist Tjeerd Royaards won the 2025 European Cartoon Award for a bold artwork exposing Israeli occupation crimes in Gaza and revealing the silence and ongoing complicity of the international community against the Palestinian people.
Second place went to Jordanian cartoonist Emad Hajjaj for a drawing criticizing the futility of negotiations related to Gaza and their continuation without any real results.
The awards were announced during a ceremony held at the Central Library in The Hague. The prize is considered one of Europe’s most prominent awards dedicated to political cartooning. The first prize was awarded to Royaards for his work published in the Dutch newspaper *Trouw*, while second place was shared by Emad Hajjaj and Turkish cartoonist Zehra Ömeroğlu. Swiss cartoonist Patrick Chappatte received a special mention.

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**7. European Commissioner: Aid to Gaza Must Flow Like a Flood, Not Drop by Drop**

EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, stressed that humanitarian aid reaching the Gaza Strip must enter in large quantities, stating that sporadic deliveries do not meet the growing needs of the population.
Her remarks came during a press briefing on the sidelines of an EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels, where she addressed the restrictions imposed by Israel on the entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip.

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**8. Italy Halts Deportation of Egyptian Imam Over Pro-Palestine Statements**

The Court of Appeal in Turin, Italy, on Monday ordered the release of Egyptian imam Mohamed Shaheen after halting deportation procedures that had been initiated on the grounds that he posed a threat to public security.
The court accepted appeals submitted by Shaheen’s lawyers after Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi had launched deportation proceedings against him following statements he made during a pro-Palestine demonstration last October.
Authorities had detained Shaheen at a deportation center on the island of Sicily before the court accepted his lawyers’ appeals and ruled that his statements did not constitute a security threat.

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**9. UN General Assembly Affirms Overwhelmingly the Palestinians’ Right to Self-Determination**

The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution affirming the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, by an overwhelming majority reflecting broad international support for the Palestinian cause.
A total of 164 countries voted in favor of the resolution, while only eight opposed it—Israel, the United States, Micronesia, Argentina, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, Palau, and Nauru. Nine countries abstained: Ecuador, Togo, Tonga, Panama, Fiji, Cameroon, the Marshall Islands, Samoa, and South Sudan.

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**10. Francesca: “Where Is My Dad” App Enables the Israeli Army to Track and Target Palestinians**

Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, stated that private-sector complicity has played a central role in supporting the occupation economy for decades. She noted that this complicity has involved numerous companies in Europe, the United States, and the so-called “Global South.”
Albanese explained that this support was not limited to weapons manufacturers or heavy machinery producers, but extended to banks, pension funds, and major technology companies, emphasizing that individuals and institutions have benefited from this complicity and from Israel’s continued impunity.
She cited the involvement of major technology companies, including Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, in providing technological and information services to the occupation, including granting access to Palestinians’ data—enabling the occupation to develop systems for mass targeting against them.

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**11. Greta Thunberg Supports Palestinian Prisoners’ Hunger Strike**

Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, a member of the Freedom Flotilla, expressed her solidarity with eight hunger strikers from the Palestine Action movement, who are demanding the closure of Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit’s factories.
Greta previously participated twice in the Freedom and Resilience Flotillas to break the siege on Gaza and is known for her activism targeting occupation forces or those complicit with them.
Activists from the Palestine Action movement—known as the “Filton 24”—are a group who targeted the Israeli Elbit factory in 2024, causing millions of dollars in losses.
The activists remain detained to this day and have been on hunger strike for approximately 42 days, protesting their detention and demanding an end to the arming of the occupation.

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**12. Portuguese Musicians Boycott “Eurovision 2026” Over Israel’s Participation**

Seventeen Portuguese musicians participating in the national selection program “Festival da Canção” announced their refusal to represent Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026—even if officially selected—in protest against Israel’s continued participation in the competition.
This comes after Iceland joined Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Slovenia in withdrawing from the 2026 edition.
In a statement, the artists affirmed their rejection of “complicity in human rights violations,” criticizing double standards after Russia was banned from participation in 2022, while Israel continues to participate despite committing genocide in Gaza.

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**13. Protest Outside the BBC Rejecting Its Silence on the “Filton 24” Trial and the Genocide**

A number of pro-Palestine activists protested outside the BBC Sussex office in Brighton, UK, condemning the British Broadcasting Corporation’s silence regarding the trial of the “Filton 24” activists and its continued disregard of the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people.
Protesters chanted slogans in support of Palestine, stating that their action aimed to hold British media accountable for media complicity by downplaying the ongoing genocide in Gaza and refraining from covering occupation crimes and pro-Palestine issues, including the detention and trial of anti-arms-trade activists in Britain known as the “Filton 24.”
The activists pointed out that the BBC’s neglect of the “Filton 24” case reflects clear bias in media coverage, asserting that such silence contributes to whitewashing occupation crimes and suppressing pro-Palestinian voices within the United Kingdom.

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**14. European Countries Help Israel Steal Palestinian Gas**

While Palestinians are denied the right to exploit it, an Italian investigative report reveals that European countries are purchasing gas extracted by Israel from Palestinian waters off the coast of Gaza.