Thursday, September 4, 2025

States must stop Israel before all journalists in Gaza are silenced: UN experts

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/09/states-must-stop-israel-all-journalists-gaza-are-silenced-un-experts

AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or quotes) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine, or at least fair and just laws and policies]

04 September 2025

GENEVA – UN experts* are outraged by the killing of six more Palestinian journalists — including two women — in multiple Israeli strikes in Gaza over the past 10 days.

Mariam Abu Daqqa, a visual journalist who freelanced for the Associated Press was among those killed in two Israeli strikes on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza on 25 August, as were Al Jazeera Journalist Mohammed Salama, freelance journalist Moaz Abu Taha, Reuters photojournalist Hussam al-Masri, and Ahmed Abu Aziz who worked for several media outlets including the Middle East Eye.

Islam Abed, a correspondent from Al-Quds Today TV, was killed in a strike on a residential apartment in Gaza city on 31 August. Her husband and child were also reportedly killed in that strike.

At least 248 journalists have now been killed in Gaza, more than in any other conflict in modern times.

“On the one hand, Israel continues to deny access to any international media and on the other, it kills with impunity local journalists who are the world’s only professional lens into the agony of genocide and famine unfolding in Gaza,” the experts said.

“Even as the journalists starve, lose family members, sleep in tents and get targeted by the Israeli military like the rest of Gaza’s population, they have continued to courageously bear witness to atrocities committed by the Israeli military,” they said.

The killings come as Israel escalates its military takeover of Gaza city and barely two weeks after six journalists, including Gaza’s chief Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al-Sharif, were deliberately targeted and killed in a strike near Al Shifa Hospital.

“We demand independent criminal investigations into the killings and attacks on journalists in Gaza and across the Palestinian territory and full reparation and justice for their families and an end to the unprecedented impunity enjoyed by Israel,” the experts said.

“We also demand that Israel grant full and free access to international media. Their presence will give a measure of safety to local journalists and will keep the reports flowing into the world,” said the experts.

“We urge the international community – member states as well as the key organs of the United Nations to act without delay before Israel shuts down the last voices in Gaza.”

The experts are in contact with the Government of Israel on this matter.

*The experts:

Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.

Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR.

Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index https://uhri.ohchr.org/en/.

For inquiries and media requests, please contact: hrc-sr-freedex@un.org.

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts please contact Maya Derouaz (maya.derouaz@un.org) or Dharisha Indraguptha (dharisha.indraguptha@un.org).

Follow news related to the UN’s independent human rights experts on X: @UN_SPExperts.

Situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Israel and Lebanon

See all Media coverage of the situation

CSM: Cooking videos got these Gazans a global following. Now, there’s nothing to eat.... “This famine is entirely man-made [BY ISRAELI BLOCKADE]"

Renad Attallah by a clay oven in Gaza where she cooked when there was food- her Instagram account has more than 1.6 million followers.

By Ghada Abdulfattah Special contributor

Sept. 02, 2025, 1:20 p.m. ET | Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip

For more than a year, Renad Attallah’s Instagram cooking tutorials offered an unusual window into life in the Gaza Strip.

On @renadfromgaza, the giggly 11-year-old explained to her 1.6 million followers how to cook hamburgers with canned meat from an aid parcel. In another video, she quipped at the drones buzzing overhead as she explained how to make a banana roll “the Gazan way.”

“It looks like the drone above us likes cream – that’s why it’s out!” she joked. As basic ingredients became increasingly scarce in Gaza, Renad improvised, mashing cooked pasta to make bread.

Why We Wrote This

Their Instagram accounts became globally popular for showing the creative ways Palestinians in Gaza cooked and ate in a time of war. But as hunger spread, the story they were sharing began to change.

But Renad’s popularity isn’t due only to her made-for-social-media cuteness. With foreign media excluded from Gaza, and local journalists regularly killed in the line of duty, social media has become one of the few windows still cracked open onto life in the besieged territory. Through the eyes of Renad and other content creators, the conflict’s devastating effects on civilians play out in real time.

“It’s not about views. It’s not about comments,” Renad says. “It’s about the truth of our lives.”

“The Gazan way”

And the truth now is that Palestinians in Gaza are starving. In late August, United Nations agencies warned that close to 100% of people in Gaza are facing a hunger crisis, and 1 in 3 will experience famine – meaning “catastrophic conditions characterized by starvation, destitution and death” – by the end of September.

“This famine is entirely man-made,” the U.N.-backed report said.... READ MORE https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2025/0902/renadingaza-hamadashoo-instagram-gaza-famine-hunger

"Beyond Gaza, in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military and armed settlers are inflicting appalling violence on Palestinians – annexation is now a declared political objective. The world’s indifference and inaction are shocking; amount to complicity; and compromise the stability of the entire region." UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini ..."UNRWA must be allowed to deliver aid and reverse the man-made famine in Gaza."

In #Gaza, “health staff, journalists and humanitarian workers have been killed at a scale never seen in any other conflict in recent history.

All is happening with impunity, to the extent that recent atrocities were referred to as "mishaps" and famine continues to be denied.

It’s time for action, courage and political will to end this hell on earth.”

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini

UNRWA

@UNRWA

“Enough has been said.

Now is the time for action to save lives and secure the future of #Palestine and the region,” @‌UNLazzarini tells the Arab League.

A #ceasefire is imperative.

UNRWA must be allowed to deliver aid and reverse the man-made famine in #Gaza.

Full statement: unrwa.org/newsroom/offic

04 September 2025

Statement of Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA at the 164th Session of the League of Arab States Council at the Ministerial Level

Cairo

Mr. Chair,

Secretary-General of the League of Arab States,  

Excellencies,

Last year, I told you that Gaza was a place that horrified even the most seasoned humanitarians.

That it had become a wasteland, unfit for human life.

Today, the situation is immeasurably worse.

Months of warnings have fallen on deaf ears.

A man-made famine is confirmed in Gaza Governorate and is expected to spread rapidly.

This is the direct and predictable result of a siege; and of deliberately constraining principled humanitarian organisations – including UNRWA – in favor of a mechanism that militarizes and weaponizes food assistance.

Gaza’s population must now choose between dying of starvation or being killed in a desperate attempt to find food.

If this were not enough, forced displacement continues, and a full military occupation looms.

Journalists are targeted and killed to silence the last voices reporting on international crimes.

Beyond Gaza, in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military and armed settlers are inflicting appalling violence on Palestinians – annexation is now a declared political objective.

The world’s indifference and inaction are shocking; amount to complicity; and compromise the stability of the entire region.

Excellencies,

The immense suffering of Palestinians is compounded by the physical, political, and legislative attacks against UNRWA.

In Gaza, more than 360 UNRWA personnel have been killed.

Most of our premises have been damaged or destroyed.

We are prevented by Israeli legislation from having international staff in the occupied Palestinian territory.

A fierce, global disinformation campaign has tarnished the Agency’s reputation and strangled funding for our vital work.

In this exceptionally hostile environment, the extraordinary courage and dedication of our Palestinian colleagues, allows UNRWA to continue delivering critical services, including healthcare and education:

In Gaza, we have provided 1.5 million medical consultations since the breakdown of the ceasefire in March, and remain the largest provider of nutrition screening and treatment.

In the West Bank, our health clinics and schools continue to operate, except for six schools in occupied East Jerusalem, which were forcibly closed by the Israeli authorities.

Although we continue to operate, UNRWA’s financial situation is disastrous.

Austerity measures and strict cashflow management will allow us to pay salaries in September, but the financial outlook for the rest of 2025 remains uncertain.

Unlike in previous years, the projected income for early 2026 is too low to absorb any deficit.

Excellencies,

This dire situation caused Secretary-General Guterres to request a strategic assessment of the impact and exercise of UNRWA’s mandate.

Its objective is to protect the rights of Palestine Refugees amid immense pressures – an objective that all of us here share.

The assessment is a tool for navigating a complex predicament.

It underscores UNRWA’s value and provides an opportunity for States to take bold and decisive action to reconcile UNRWA’s mandate with its financial resources.

Without action, Palestine Refugees will be condemned to the inevitable and painful unraveling of essential services.

Excellencies,

I would like to conclude with three appeals:

First, I call on Arab States to demonstrate solidarity with UNRWA through not only political support but also robust financial support.

This year, financial contributions from the region amount to just 3% of all contributions received by the Agency – a drop of more than 90% compared to last year.

I am convinced that this is not the message the region wants to convey to Palestine Refugees in the occupied Palestinian territory and across the region.

Words of solidarity must translate into matching funding to make a tangible difference.

Second, I urge you to safeguard UNRWA’s role in protecting the rights of Palestine Refugees.

Constructive engagement on the options identified by the strategic assessment will help to chart a viable path forward, and ensure that the Agency is fit for purpose.

A genuine, time-bound political process would allow the Agency to finally transition its government-like services to empowered and prepared public institutions serving Palestinians.

Finally, I appeal to you to use all the legal political, economic and diplomatic tools at your disposal to end the unconscionable suffering in Gaza.

A ceasefire is imperative, and UNRWA must be allowed to deploy its expertise and its unparalleled aid distribution network to reverse famine and provide critical humanitarian assistance.

Enough has been said.

Now is the time for action to save lives and secure the future of Palestine and the region.

Thank you.

Background Information:

UNRWA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The United Nations General Assembly established UNRWA in 1949 with a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees in the Agency’s area of operations pending a just and lasting solution to their plight.

UNRWA operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, The Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

Tens of thousands of Palestine refugees who lost their homes and livelihoods due to the 1948 conflict continue to be displaced and in need of support, nearly 75 years on.

UNRWA helps Palestine Refugees achieve their full potential in human development through quality services it provides in education, health care, relief and social services, protection, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.

Your support is crucial to help us provide emergency aid
to displaced families in Gaza

https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements/statement-philippe-lazzarini-commissioner-general-unrwa-164th-session

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Update: Alarming Escalation of Israeli Soldiers’ Looting during Raids in the West Bank

Balasan is the name in Arabic for a native tree that has existed in Palestine for thousands of years, which leaves were used to extract a healing balm to cure wounds and illnesses. The name is inspired by the vision that the respect for human rights and justice are a cure needed to end violations and suffering, and restore the humanity and dignity of all people.

Update: Alarming Escalation of Israeli Soldiers’ Looting during Raids in the West Bank

August 27, 2025

Since 7 October 2023, as Israel escalated its militarization of the occupied West Bank, a disturbing and largely under-reported pattern has emerged: Israeli soldiers, under the cover of military raids and operations, have been systematically looting Palestinian homes, shops, and personal property. Beyond the violence of forced entry and arbitrary arrest, soldiers have stolen cash, gold, vehicles, and other valuables; often targeting families already reeling from destruction and displacement. The frequency and recurrence of such incidents reflect systemic practice occurring alongside the violent and intrusive raids themselves.

Reports from communities across the West Bank indicate that looting has become a routine part of Israeli military raids. For instance, in Kafr Malik, during the Muslim holiday of “Eid al-Adha” in July 2025, soldiers confiscated approximately 500,000 shekels in cash and jewelry from homes, along with several vehicles [1]. In the same month, in Ya’bad, residents reported over 100 families were robbed in a single day as soldiers moved from house to house, taking valuables and damaging property. Victims recount soldiers emptying safes, seizing IDs, and leaving families without vital documents or resources [2].

Since the Israeli army does not hold a unit’s actions accountable for the looting that occurs during their raids and operations [3], it labels every West Bank raid as a “counter-terror operation,” and every home is, as such, presumed to be a terrorist site [4]. Thus, justifying the looting of valuables under the notion that the valuables are “terror money” [5].

More recently, on 26 August 2026, the Israeli army raided the city of Ramallah, injuring 58 Palestinians; 14 were shot with rubber-coated steel bullets, and 31 suffered tear gas inhalation [6]. The Israeli police spokesman stated that the army has seized roughly 1.5 million shekels ($447,000) of “terror funds” [7]. This claim was left without any form of evidence, thus granting immunity for any future forced acquisition of money and valuables as “terror-funds.”

Below are testimonies of families from the town of Husan, west of the Bethlehem Governorate, reporting cases of looting that occurred over the past few months:

Testimony 1 – Wife of Detainee – Resident of Husan (A01):

“We were all celebrating my father’s return from Hajj, when we were raided at 11:00 P.M. There were 20 to 30 soldiers who entered our home and yelled angrily for us not to move or speak. The soldiers then split up their unit and scattered throughout the house, checking every corner of every drawer and cabinet.

They even unfolded our socks and had laid them flat all over the bed, ensuring we didn’t hide our gold necklaces inside our clothing cabinets.

After 3 hours, the soldiers finally left our home, and we then returned to check on our rooms, only to find that all of our gold jewelry and cash were missing. They took all of our loose cash, even the coins!”

Testimony 2 – Wife – Resident of Husan (A02):

“We were not sure why the soldiers parked their armored cars in front of our house, but we knew we were their next target. The soldier collected our IDs and had the entire family seated in the living room. His unit dispersed to our bedroom first, as if they knew exactly what they were looking for.

The unit’s captain had my husband escorted by 6 soldiers who then went to our kitchen, and had my husband reveal the gold we had hidden in our meat freezer. They clearly were experts and knew that [people in our town] hid their gold in freezers and in the garden!

My husband had given me 2,600 shekels that day to spend on things for the family; there was no trace of the cash anymore – it was all gone.”

These illegal looting practices are part of a broader escalation in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, marked by increased settler violence, intensified military raids, and sweeping movement restrictions. According to UN OCHA, 2024 alone saw over 1,400 incidents of settler violence, many of which coincided with or followed military raids, creating conditions in which looting and destruction of property became normalized [8]. Looting serves both as an economic blow and as a tool of coercion, deepening the already volatile living conditions for Palestinians and pushing more families toward displacement.

The material losses are devastating for affected families, many of whom rely on seasonal incomes or small-scale local businesses to survive. One resident of Kafr Malik described the raid on his home: “They emptied our safe, took our car, even our IDs, and no one will hold them accountable” [9]. Such crimes are rarely investigated by Israeli authorities, reinforcing a climate of impunity that encourages further violations.

These instances of looting serve a larger policy of economic disintegration and territorial control... READ MORE https://balasan.org/update-alarming-escalation-of-israeli-soldiers-looting-during-raids-in-the-west-bank/

In Gaza, priests and nuns have chosen to stay. They refuse to abandon their people, even as bombs fall and threats grow. Their courage is a light in the darkest night... #Witness #Palestine #Churches #Christians

In Gaza, priests and nuns have chosen to stay.
They refuse to abandon their people, even as bombs fall and threats grow.
Their courage is a light in the darkest night.

Palestine is bleeding with Jesus -John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East

Mass in Gaza City Sunday, 31 August 2025

Mass in Gaza City Sunday, 31 August

Gaza August 28th, 2025

Deep thanks to the Christians of Palestine who share the photos of Palestinian Christian Churches on social media. I am afraid to name them here for fear Israel will choose to silence them by targeting their homes and families... or reputations.

WITNESS

“Palestinian journalists are being threatened, directly targeted and murdered by Israeli forces, and are arbitrarily detained and tortured in retaliation for their work. By silencing the press – those who document and bear witness – Israel is silencing the war,”

The deadly toll on journalists in the Gaza war

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/ng-interactive/2025/sep/01/israel-gaza-war-media-palestinian-journalists-killed-cpj

Aug 31 2025. About 700 meters south of the Parish. Let us pray for Peace

Monday, September 1, 2025

Dear America- Why is an America that fought to save Europe from the Nazi Holocaust want to be part of the Zionist Holocaust that is raging in a land called holy by all three Abrahamic faiths ?!!

"We need a world where every child is in school & learning, safe from harm and able to fulfill their potential. Stand with children in their call for peace #ForEveryChild, everywhere." UNITED NATIONS

letter I just sent to all my elected leaders

Dear America,

I read with utter horror the Israeli plans for Gaza in the Washington Post 8-31-2025: "Gaza postwar plan envisions ‘voluntary’ relocation of entire population"

Sick minds and greedy people carefully thought out how best to profit from the ongoing forced displacement of the native non-Jewish men, women and children of historic Palestine.

Religious persecution is evil and wrong- basing citizenship rights and security on a person's religion is recipe for disaster and escalating violence.

Many of our ancestors came to America to escape from religious persecution. So why is America, where church and state are supposed to be fully separate, choosing to back armed Israeli bigotry, injustice and genocidal land grabs ?!

Why is an America that fought to save Europe from the Nazi Holocaust want to be part of the Zionist Holocaust that is raging in a land called holy by all three Abrahamic faiths ?!!

The United Nations and full respect for The Universal Declaration of Human Rights are the right road map towards building a just and lasting peace- start with full support for every refugees inalienable right to return to original homes and lands.

Sincerely,

Anne Selden Annab

NOTES https://anniesnewletters.blogspot.com/search/label/Notes

"Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world..." https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

STOP THE SIEGE- stop funding crazy cruel Israeli schemes & the forced displacement, imprisonment, starvation, torture, and killing of human beings in Gaza and Palestine.

"The olive tree is more than a tree in Palestine, it is a heartbeat, a witness, a rooted elder holding centuries in its branches. When Israeli forces and settlers tear these groves from the earth, it is not only roots that are severed, but memory, heritage, and the quiet dreams of generations. Yet even uprooted, the olive carries a stubborn truth: that belonging cannot be erased, and that the land remembers those who loved it." Sliman Mansour of Palestine

A Palestinian farmer in Gaza discovered this mosaic under his orchard in 2022. Who knows what became of the farmer, his family, his home, and the mosaic: As of 27 May 2025, UNESCO has verified damage to 110 sites since 7 October 2023 – 13 religious sites, 77 buildings of historical and/or artistic interest, 3 depositories of movable cultural property, 9 monuments, 1 museum and 7 archeological sites.

Dear America- Israel says it wants the hostages but what Israel has wanted all along is yet another an excuse to grab all the land of historic Palestine and beyond.

Please no more Israeli GHF killing fields or other such Zionist schemes that aim to further harass and destroy the native non-Jewish population of historic Palestine.

Our "friend" Israel does not and never has practiced the rule of fair and just laws with equal rights for all... Zionism is ?!!!!

The Israel Lobby comes in many forms, and I suspect Israeli bribes do too. So in a way American funds sent to support Israel come back in the form of an information war on America, aimed at gathering more funds and lethal weaponry so that Israel can continue USURPING land, rights, and peace... and Occupation Forces can continue harassing and harming any who dare object to such blatant injustice and violence.

I do not know why Zionism went so wrong- but it did...

STOP THE SIEGE- stop funding crazy cruel Israeli checkpoints & the forced displacement, imprisonment, starvation, torture, and killing of human beings in Gaza and Palestine.

Stop forcing us to be wage slaves for Israeli racism and escalating war... #MandelaDay is an opportunity to honor Mandela's commitment to freedom, justice & equality.

White Supremacist violence and injustice makes the world an increasingly dangerous place for all who disagree with White Supremacists- Nazi Germany under Hitler then, and both American and Israeli White Supremacists in positions of power now.

SUPPORT House Resolution 317 - Urging the United States to lead the world back from the brink of nuclear war and halt and reverse the nuclear arms race 2025... and please stop trusting Israel to give US good advice and intel.

The Texas floods killing children are a heartbreaking natural disaster, whereas Israel armed with American weaponry killing children is a cruel choice made by human beings who really should know better.

Happy Fourth of July... Happy that we have the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, The Rule of Fair and Just laws, and all the brave civil rights heroes through out our history who helped America become a more real democracy for all people... Not so happy that America is funding and arming Israel's ongoing violations of international law and human rights in both Gaza and the West Bank.

Set the right example by scorning violence and racist hate... The world does not need more weapons of war. We need to prioritize peace and progress with respect for ALL human beings, regardless of supposed race or religion.

Invest in the people's needs... Be for real freedom, justice, true equality, and respect for all of humankind!

Stand up for international law and Human Rights, not the weapons industry.

PLEASE SCORN VIOLENCE and stop arming Israel with lethal weaponry plus dumb excuses to cause cruel harm to others!

We should be supporting the people's needs, not state sponsored terrorism and the intentional starvation and torture of children.

Thank you NPR, for the compassionate listen into Palestinian life, trauma, and suffering

This Earth Day please start noticing how much pollution and injustice war creates.

Tragedies abound here on planet earth, but at least we can try to make our world a better, more fair, just and secure place for more people.

Racist times created hell on earth for "others" then, we really should know better now...

Funding religious extremists and charlatans is a recipe for disaster.

Please do not let this tragic situation became a reason for more people to be treated more unequally, with more Palestinians and Palestinian Americans being doxed, destroyed, and displaced.

Life is not a video game. These are real human beings and American made weaponry has been creating a Holocaust with The Rule of Lawlessness in the Holy Land.

Taxpayers' money should not be shoring up greed, corporate corruption, injustice, and war.

Please, let Golden Rule thinking and the rule of fair and just laws guide US all towards a better way forward.

State sponsored violence is not the way to convince vulnerable people to veer away from arming religious tyranny and terrorism.

Criticizing Israel is not Anti-Semitic. Calling for respect for human rights and the rule of fair and just laws is not Anti-Semitic. Countering the poisonous propaganda of a very foreign rogue nation state that interferes with our elections and our free speech is not Anti-Semitic... Americans should not be funding, arming, and/or excusing Israel in any way, shape, or form.

Please stop fueling corporate corruption, WAR, and escalating suffering for countless men, women, and children.

Israel, armed with American made weaponry and political support, invests in religious extremism and sets up families to be canon fodder for religious wars.... Israel claims to be Jewish, but what it really is is a cruel war machine that has been aggressively grabbing land, rights, and peace from the people of historic Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.

Hate crimes are escalating here in America with people primed by Zionism to think, say and do horrible things...

Don't let American weaponry or words inspire even more religious extremism, terrorism, and state sponsored brutality world-wide

Slavery, Segregation and Forced Displacement are wrong. Wrong then and wrong now.

Please do not demonize and silence or destroy people who speak out peacefully against corruption, injustice, racism, bigotry, and violence of every type.

The best idea is to start with full support for fair and just laws based on full respect for basic human rights.

Frankly every Holocaust Museum on earth should have a wing added explaining the very real plight and suffering of the native non-Jewish Palestinians. 75 years and counting...

America should not help Israel commit crimes against humanity.

Emily Jacir, Memorial to 418 Palestinian Villages Which Were Destroyed, Depopulated, and Occupied by Israel in 1948, 2021, refugee tent, embroidery thread, record book

Monday, August 25, 2025

"The olive tree is more than a tree in Palestine, it is a heartbeat, a witness, a rooted elder holding centuries in its branches. When Israeli forces and settlers tear these groves from the earth, it is not only roots that are severed, but memory, heritage, and the quiet dreams of generations. Yet even uprooted, the olive carries a stubborn truth: that belonging cannot be erased, and that the land remembers those who loved it." Sliman Mansour of Palestine

Olive grove (حقل زيتون), oil on canvas, 2012 by Sliman Mansour of Palestine

sliman.mansour

The olive tree is more than a tree in Palestine, it is a heartbeat, a witness, a rooted elder holding centuries in its branches. When Israeli forces and settlers tear these groves from the earth, it is not only roots that are severed, but memory, heritage, and the quiet dreams of generations. Yet even uprooted, the olive carries a stubborn truth: that belonging cannot be erased, and that the land remembers those who loved it.

"Holy Family in an Olive Grove, 2020" painted by Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour

"Perseverance" by Sliman Mansour of Palestine

Sunday, August 24, 2025

A Palestinian farmer in Gaza discovered this mosaic under his orchard in 2022. Who knows what became of the farmer, his family, his home, and the mosaic: As of 27 May 2025, UNESCO has verified damage to 110 sites since 7 October 2023 – 13 religious sites, 77 buildings of historical and/or artistic interest, 3 depositories of movable cultural property, 9 monuments, 1 museum and 7 archeological sites.

Photos from 2022 : Byzantine mosaics discovered under Gaza farm

The mosaics, latest in a series of Byzantine archaeological finds in Gaza, are [were]“in a perfect state of conservation”

https://aje.io/poip3g

The son of Palestinian farmer Salman al-Nabahin uses a sponge to uncover Byzantine mosaics that were discovered by his father while ploughing his land in Bureij in the central Gaza Strip. [Mohammed Abed/AFP]

The patch of land holding the mosaic is about 500 square meters (5,400 square feet) and three dug-out spots reveal glimpses of the mosaic. [Mohammed Abed/AFP]

This mosaic was discovered by chance by a Palestinian farmer while working in his olive orchard in the Bureij refugee camp https://aje.io/poip3g

A Palestinian farmer in Gaza discovered this mosaic under his orchard in 2022. Who knows what became of the farmer, his family, his home, and the mosaic.

Found in an area less than a kilometre (half a mile) from the often tense border with Israel, the mosaics are "in a perfect state of conservation", said French archaeologist Rene Elter, a researcher associated with the French Biblical and Archaeological School of Jerusalem whose team examined the finds. [Mohammed Abed/AFP]

A Palestinian farmer in Gaza discovered this mosaic under his orchard in 2022. Who knows what became of the farmer, his family, his home, and the mosaic.

So far the damage we know of to historical and cultural sites in Gaza noted by UNESCO

https://www.unesco.org/en/gaza/assessment

As of 27 May 2025, UNESCO has verified damage to 110 sites since 7 October 2023 –

13 religious sites,

77 buildings of historical and/or artistic interest,

3 depositories of movable cultural property,

9 monuments,

1 museum and

7 archeological sites.

Labels

Thursday, September 4, 2025

Situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Israel and Lebanon

Why We Wrote This

“The Gazan way”

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

The deadly toll on journalists in the Gaza war

Monday, September 1, 2025

Emily Jacir, Memorial to 418 Palestinian Villages Which Were Destroyed, Depopulated, and Occupied by Israel in 1948, 2021, refugee tent, embroidery thread, record book

Monday, August 25, 2025

Sunday, August 24, 2025