Epal European Palestinian Media Center Bulletin, Issue No. 2367, Date: Wednesday, February 25, 2026

1. Two Martyrs in Gaza in a Renewed Breach of the Ceasefire

Israeli occupation forces continued to violate the truce agreement in the Gaza Strip through field escalation targeting various areas. Local sources reported that two citizens were killed in an Israeli strike on the Tal al-Dhahab area in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza. Sources also stated that Israeli military vehicles intensified gunfire from the eastern areas of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, alongside gunfire directed toward the city of Rafah in the south.

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**2. Occupation Notifies Demolition of Structures in Abu Dis, Jerusalem**

Israeli occupation forces notified the demolition of 23 residential and agricultural structures in the town of Abu Dis, southeast of occupied Jerusalem, in a new escalation targeting Palestinian presence around the city. Forces stormed the town accompanied by staff from the so-called “Civil Administration,” raided several areas, and delivered demolition notices to a number of inhabited homes and agricultural facilities under the pretext of building without permits.

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**3. Burning of a Mosque in Nablus: Dangerous Escalation Amid Accelerating Settlement Aggression**

Naseer Abu Thabit, director of the Settlement Monitoring Observatory, said that settlers setting fire to a mosque in the village of Tal, southwest of Nablus, falls within the context of broad and accelerating settlement aggression in the occupied West Bank, led by extremist settler groups under the protection and direct support of occupation forces. He stated that the crime “is not the first of its kind and will not be the last,” noting documented similar attacks on mosques, places of worship, and public and private property across several governorates. He added that these attacks reflect a repeated pattern targeting Palestinian religious and national symbols in an attempt to impose new field deterrence equations aimed at Palestinian presence.

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**4. Over 1,400 Administrative Detention Orders Issued Since the Beginning of the Year**

Prisoner rights institutions warned of a dangerous escalation in Israel’s administrative detention policy, noting that more than 1,400 orders—both new and renewed—have been issued since the start of this year without specific charges. The Palestine Center for Prisoners’ Studies reported that the number of administrative detainees rose from 1,300 before October 7, 2023, to more than 3,500 by February 2026, marking the highest figure recorded in decades. The center stated that administrative detention is used as a tool of collective punishment targeting activists, academics, university students, journalists, parliamentarians, as well as women, children, and the elderly, in clear violation of international legal standards requiring formal charges, time limits, and the right to defense.

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**5. 34 Settlement Plans in One Year Threaten Bethlehem Governorate**

Following Israel’s occupation of the West Bank in 1967, Bethlehem Governorate has faced expansive colonial settlement campaigns. Tens of thousands of dunams were confiscated, dozens of settlements and outposts were established, and Palestinian areas were fragmented. These settlements have encircled Bethlehem, hindered its development, altered its character, and exploited its resources, in addition to the separation wall and Israeli military camps that increased residents’ suffering. Palestinian reports indicate that since early 2025, occupation planning committees have studied 265 settlement master plans, including 34 in Bethlehem. These plans aim to build 34,979 settlement units on 33,448 dunams, with 20,850 units already approved, including 900 units for the settlement of Efrat built on Bethlehem lands.

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**6. Death Toll in Gaza Rises to 72,073 Since the Beginning of the Aggression**

The death toll from the Israeli aggression on Gaza has risen to 72,073 martyrs and 171,756 wounded since October 7, 2023. Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported that 7 injured individuals arrived at hospitals in the past 48 hours, while a number of victims remain under the rubble and in the streets, unreachable by rescue teams. The ministry added that since the ceasefire on October 11, the number of martyrs has reached 615 and injuries 1,658, with 726 bodies recovered.

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**7. Settler Attacks Homes South of Hebron, Assaults Elderly Woman**

An armed settler attacked residents in Khirbet al-Markaz in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. Local sources said the settler stormed residents’ homes, searched them provocatively, abused the occupants, and physically assaulted citizen Widad Makhamera. In a related development, occupation forces arrested a young man from the Hawamdeh family while he was grazing sheep near his home in Khirbet Jwayn, south of al-Samu, south of Hebron.

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### *European*

**8. French Foreign Minister: Humanitarian Situation in Gaza Remains Extremely Difficult**

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot affirmed that the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains extremely difficult, calling for unhindered entry of aid. He stated that France delivered 80 tons of food aid to Gaza on Monday and noted that 320 tons are awaiting delivery. Despite the ceasefire, he stressed that conditions remain dire and emphasized the need for aid to reach civilians without obstacles, affirming France’s continued mobilization to support Gaza’s residents.

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**9. Film Director Expresses Solidarity with Gaza at Berlin Festival**

Syrian-Palestinian director Abdullah Al-Khatib took to the stage at the Berlin International Film Festival carrying the Palestinian flag while receiving the award for Best Documentary for “Tales of the Siege.” In a brief speech, he condemned the German government for what he described as complicity in Israeli crimes in Gaza, stating that its silence contributes to the continuation of genocide. He concluded: “Palestine is free, from now until the end of the world.”

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**10. Dutch Activists Disrupt U.S. Ambassador’s Speech During Nijmegen Bombing Commemoration**

During the annual commemoration of the bombing of Nijmegen in the Netherlands, activists from Extinction Rebellion Netherlands and “Justice Now” interrupted the speech of U.S. Ambassador Joe Popolo. The interruption was an expression of opposition to U.S. foreign policy, particularly what they view as support or participation in bombings and conflicts in several countries. Protesters argued that commemorating civilian bombing victims requires a clear moral stance and that a representative of a country involved in wars and sanctions should not speak at such an event.

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**11. United Nations Warns of Rising Settler Violence in the West Bank**

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Palestine confirmed that settler violence in the occupied West Bank is steadily increasing without legal or security deterrence. In an official statement, the office noted that these attacks occur amid total impunity, worsening humanitarian and security conditions for Palestinians across various governorates.

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### *International*

**12. Huckabee Affirms Support for Claims of Israel’s Right to the Land**

In an interview with American media figure Tucker Carlson, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee stated that “God gave the land of Israel to a chosen people.” He added that the area known today as Israel was granted by God through Abraham to His chosen people, referring to the concept of Christian Zionism. Carlson responded by citing Genesis Chapter 15, which defines the land “from the Nile to the Euphrates,” roughly encompassing much of the Middle East, asking whether this means all that land belongs to Israel. Huckabee replied, “It would be a good thing if they took all the land.”

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**13. Shocking International Investigation: Over 900 Bullets Fired in Rafah Paramedics Massacre**

A new independent investigation into the Rafah paramedics massacre in southern Gaza revealed that Israeli forces deliberately targeted medical crews with intense gunfire, in an incident that may amount to a war crime. Conducted by Airwars and Forensic Architecture and published by Drop Site, the investigation relied on eyewitness testimonies, audio-visual analysis, satellite imagery, open-source material, and interviews with two survivors. It concluded that several aid workers were executed in the field, with at least one shot from a distance of less than one meter. The massacre, which occurred on March 23, 2025, killed eight Palestinian Red Crescent paramedics, six Civil Defense members, and one UN agency employee, drawing widespread international condemnation.

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**14. Humanitarian Organizations Appeal to Israeli Court to Halt Closure Decision in Gaza and the West Bank**

Seventeen international humanitarian organizations filed a petition with Israel’s Supreme Court seeking to halt the implementation of a decision to terminate the operations of 37 NGOs in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, warning of catastrophic consequences for civilians amid already deteriorating humanitarian conditions. The organizations stated that on December 30, 2025, Israeli authorities informed them that their registrations had expired and granted them 60 days to renew by submitting lists of Palestinian staff. Failure to comply would result in the suspension of all activities in the occupied Palestinian territories starting March 1.