Epal European Palestinian Media Center Bulletin, Issue No. 2490, Date: Sunday, July 5, 2026

1. Gaza Health Ministry: 16 Dead and 16 Injured Arrive at Hospitals Over the Past 48 Hours
The Gaza Ministry of Health announced that 16 fatalities and 16 injured individuals were admitted to hospitals across the Gaza Strip during the past 48 hours, as the consequences of the ongoing war continue and access to many victims remains difficult.
In its daily statistical report, the ministry stated that the casualties included six newly killed individuals, one person who died from previous injuries, and nine bodies recovered from beneath the rubble.

The cumulative death toll since October 7, 2023, has risen to 73,090 killed and 173,553 injured.

2. Palestinian Scholars: The Occupation Has Entered a New Phase of War Against Islamic Rituals and Holy Sites
The Association of Palestinian Scholars warned that the Israeli occupation has moved beyond targeting people and land to a new phase of war against Islamic religious rituals and holy sites.
The association stated that attacks on mosques, copies of the Qur’an, the call to prayer (adhan), Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Ibrahimi Mosque constitute a systematic assault on the identity of the Islamic nation as a whole, rather than solely on the Palestinian people.

It added that attempts to restrict the call to prayer, alongside attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque and the accelerated Judaization of the Ibrahimi Mosque, signal a new stage aimed at Islamic religious practices themselves, not merely at the land and its people.

3. Israel Has Issued 114 Military Orders to Confiscate West Bank Land Since October 7
The National Bureau for the Defense of Land and Resistance to Settlements stated that Israeli authorities have intensified their use of military orders as a tool to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank.
According to its weekly report, 114 military orders confiscating Palestinian land have been issued since October 7, 2023, a figure equivalent to the total number issued during the previous twenty years.

4. Israeli Forces Turn Home into Military Outpost in Arabuna, East of Jenin
Israeli forces converted a residential home into a military outpost in the village of Arabuna, east of Jenin, after forcibly seizing the property and ordering its owners to leave.
Local sources reported that Israeli troops entered the village, deployed throughout several neighborhoods, and stormed the two-story home of Shadi Abu Al-Hassan, forcing him and his family to evacuate immediately without allowing them to collect their essential belongings.

5. Palestinian Federation Reveals Death Toll Among Sports Community During the Gaza War
Mustafa Siyam, Secretary-General of the Palestinian Sports Media Federation, stated that the Israeli military has killed approximately 1,012 Palestinians involved in the sports, youth, and scouting sectors in Gaza since the war began on October 7, 2023.
He added that more than 560 football players, coaches, and referees affiliated with the Palestinian Football Association have been killed during the conflict.

6. Israeli Forces Launch Widespread Raids Amid Arrests and Settler Attacks
Israeli forces carried out extensive raids across several governorates in the occupied West Bank, conducting house searches and arrests while Israeli settlers carried out attacks in multiple towns under military protection.
In Ramallah and Al-Bireh, Israeli troops entered central Ramallah and raided the town of Al-Mazra’a Al-Sharqiya, while settlers, protected by Israeli forces, entered Deir Jarir, northeast of Ramallah.

In Nablus, Israeli forces entered the city through the Deir Sharaf and Al-Tur checkpoints before raiding the Popular Housing neighborhood in the eastern part of the city.

In Jenin Governorate, Israeli troops also entered the town of Qabatiya, south of the city.

7. Israel Turning the Ibrahimi Mosque into a “Laboratory for Judaization” Ahead of Applying the Same Model to Al-Aqsa
Jerusalem affairs expert Ziyad Ibhais said Israel is using the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron as a “laboratory for Judaization” to test measures aimed at reducing the Islamic presence and gradually taking control of religious sites before implementing the same model at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Ibhais explained that Israeli authorities have transferred administrative authority over the Ibrahimi Mosque from the Palestinian Islamic Waqf to the council of the Kiryat Arba settlement, while preventing restoration teams from carrying out maintenance work, removing officials responsible for managing the mosque, imposing new Judaization projects, reinforcing the temporal and spatial division of the site, repeatedly banning the call to prayer, and reducing Muslims’ rights to use the mosque.

8. Palestine Center: Women Systematically Targeted; 770 Arrested Since the War Began
The Palestine Center for Prisoners’ Studies stated that Israeli authorities have systematically targeted Palestinian women through arrests and abuse, significantly increasing the number of detentions in recent months.
The center documented more than 770 arrests of women and girls since the beginning of the war, including 109 arrests during the first half of this year.

The center noted that the arrest of Palestinian women is neither new nor exceptional, but rather a long-standing policy dating back to the occupation of the Palestinian territories. However, it has intensified dramatically since October 7, 2023, affecting women of all age groups, including minors and elderly women.

9. Education in Gaza: Three Years of Collapse Threaten an Entire Generation’s Future
The Israeli war has devastated Gaza’s education sector after schools, universities, and educational facilities were destroyed and stripped of their capabilities, bringing education across the Strip to a standstill.
Ahmed Ayesh Al-Najjar, Director General of Public Relations and Media at Gaza’s Ministry of Education, said that thousands of students have been deprived of education for extended periods due to ongoing bombardment, repeated displacement, difficulties reaching temporary schools, and the loss of many teachers and education workers or their inability to reach their workplaces.
Europe
10. Australian Senator Accuses Israel of Committing Crimes in Gaza
Australian Senator David Pocock accused Israel of committing crimes against Palestinian children, stating that the scale of the tragedy in Gaza is unprecedented.
Speaking before the Australian Senate, Pocock said that Israeli soldiers deliberately shoot children in their limbs, “as if it were target practice,” describing what is happening as “terror unlike anything else.”

He also referred to a United Nations investigation into alleged Israeli violations and crimes in Gaza, citing a report issued on June 18, 2024, by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry.

Pocock added that Israeli forces have killed approximately 20,000 Palestinian children.

11. Video: Students Walk Out of Graduation Ceremony in Protest Against the War in Gaza
Students at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland walked out of their graduation ceremony in protest over the university’s £50.3 million investments in companies alleged to be financially linked to the war in the Gaza Strip.
12. New UK Legislation Grants the Home Secretary Broad Powers to Suppress Solidarity with Palestine
New British legislation directly criminalizes certain forms of journalistic and humanitarian work by imposing prison sentences ranging from 10 to 14 years on anyone who quotes or communicates with Palestinian factions.
The legislation also treats the exchange of journalistic information as a form of “material support” subject to criminal penalties. Critics argue that it lacks adequate protections for journalists, making it more difficult to report the Palestinian perspective and challenge Israeli narratives.

13. Activists Protest Outside Bath Theatre Against the Play “Allegra” Over Israeli Participation
Activists staged protests outside the theatre in the English city of Bath against the play “Allegra”, objecting to the participation of an Israeli performer.
Protesters, who demonstrated daily outside the theatre, said they had raised public awareness about what they described as the racist views of Maureen Lipman, prompting some audience members to request ticket refunds after learning about her positions.

The demonstrations are expected to continue throughout the weekend and later move to London, where the play is scheduled to run for a full month, as campaigners seek to maintain public pressure and encourage a cultural boycott.

14. Calls Grow in Australia to Expel Israeli Ambassador Following Alleged Sexual Assaults Against Freedom Flotilla Activists
Political and public calls have intensified in Australia for the expulsion of Israeli Ambassador Hillel Newman after Australian activists who participated in the Freedom Flotilla testified that they were subjected to physical and sexual assaults by Israeli forces during their mission to challenge the blockade of Gaza.
The ambassador’s rejection of an investigation requested by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs, which he dismissed as “a waste of time,” sparked widespread public anger, especially after the Israeli embassy accused the alleged victims of “making light of real sexual assaults.”

15. Activists Continue Campaign to End Ixelles’ Twinning Agreement with an Israeli Settlement
Campaigners have continued their efforts to permanently end the twinning agreement between the Belgian municipality of Ixelles and the Israeli settlement of Megiddo, built on occupied Palestinian land.
Activists participated in a march organized by the Brussels Panther movement during a meeting of the city council at Place Fernand Cocq.

Organizers argued that merely suspending the twinning agreement is insufficient and called for its permanent cancellation. They also announced another demonstration to coincide with the next council meeting on September 17.

16. British Parents Launch Campaign Defending the Right to Support Palestine
The group Parents for Palestine, with support from a branch of the National Education Union (NEU), has launched a campaign opposing an independent government review into antisemitism in schools and colleges in England, led by Sir David Bell.
Campaign organizers argue that the review could restrict criticism of what they describe as the “Zionist colonial project” and create a hierarchy among different forms of racism.

They also warned that the recommendations could blur the distinction between legitimate political activism or criticism of Israeli government policies and antisemitism.

17. Irish Calls to Boycott Match Against Israel Could Cost National Team Millions
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) stated that boycotting Ireland’s UEFA Nations League matches against Israel this autumn could result in financial losses estimated at €10.3 million (approximately £9 million) and cause significant long-term damage to Irish football.
In a letter sent to its members ahead of an Extraordinary General Meeting scheduled for July 8, the association’s board explained that withdrawing from the matches would automatically result in a six-point deduction, the loss of revenue, and the possibility of exclusion from the competition.

18. Irish University Closed for 48 Hours During European Commission President’s Visit
University College Cork in Ireland was closed for 48 hours following protests held during the visit of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
University staff and students gathered outside the main campus entrances to protest what they described as the European Union’s failure to adequately address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The demonstrations, together with heightened security measures implemented by the Irish police (Garda), prevented students and researchers from accessing university facilities during the summer examination period.

International
19. Seven Protesters Sentenced After Blocking a U.S. Bridge in Protest Against the War in Gaza
A San Francisco jury found seven pro-Palestinian protesters guilty of multiple criminal charges, two years after they blocked the Golden Gate Bridge for more than four hours in April 2024 to protest U.S. support for Israel during the war in Gaza.
The protesters, known as the “Golden Gate 26,” were convicted of six misdemeanor charges, including false imprisonment and obstruction of traffic.

However, the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the most serious charge of criminal conspiracy, for which prosecutors had sought a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, nor on a trespassing charge.

20. Pressure Campaign Forces Israeli Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to Cancel U.S. Visit
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir canceled his planned official visit to the United States the following week, where he was scheduled to lead a delegation at a UN summit of police chiefs.
The decision came after a large pressure campaign launched by the Hind Rajab Foundation and the Palestinian Youth Movement, which called for his arrest and prosecution on alleged war crimes charges.

The movement described the cancellation as a “resounding victory,” claiming it prevented Ben Gvir from entering New York, and announced continued efforts to pursue legal accountability against Israeli leaders accused of crimes in Gaza.

21. Hossam Hassan Raises Palestinian Flag During Egypt’s Victory Celebration
Egyptian national team coach Hossam Hassan raised the Palestinian flag on the field at AT&T Stadium in the United States during celebrations after Egypt qualified for the Round of 16 in the 2026 World Cup.
The gesture was made in solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

22. 1,000 Days of War in Gaza: Growing International Isolation of Israel and Expanding Global Solidarity with Palestine
After 1,000 days of war in the Gaza Strip, international attitudes toward Israel are undergoing significant shifts, with increasing political criticism, growing human rights concerns, expanding legal pressure, and a widening global solidarity movement for Palestine.
According to analyses in Israeli media, there is rising concern over Israel’s deteriorating international image and a weakening of support, particularly among Western public opinion.

Recent political developments indicate a gradual shift by several Western countries from traditional support for Israel toward more critical positions, calling for a permanent end to the war in Gaza, independent investigations into violations against civilians, and legal accountability for those responsible for crimes committed in the Strip.