Israeli settlers carry out attacks in Jordan Valley and near Ramallah

Israeli settlers have cut water pipelines in Khirbet ad-Dir in the northern Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank, according to the Wafa news agency.

The report quoted human rights activist Aref Daraghmeh as saying that settlers cut water lines from one of the springs scattered throughout the area, which belonged to resident Ammar Jihad Daraghmeh.

At the same time, the settlers also set fire to two vehicles and wrote racist slogans during their attack on the village of Taybeh, east of Ramallah.

Israeli forces launch dawn raid, arrest campaign in West Bank

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office (ASRA) has reported that Israeli forces launched raids and arrests in several governorates across the occupied West Bank at dawn. The advocacy group said the operation included the storming of Palestinian homes, vandalising their contents and assaulting residents.

A number of people were arrested in the dawn campaign, including Ibrahim Adi Abu Jabal and Qais al-Ajouri from Hebron, and Baraa Raed from Bethlehem.

At least 95,000 Palestinians affected by intensified Israeli operations in northern West Bank

Every week, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issues an update on the humanitarian situation in the occupied West Bank. Here are the key highlights of this week’s report:

Palestinian man killed during Israeli raid near West Bank’s Nablus

The Palestinian Ministry of Health has announced that Israeli soldiers shot and killed Bahaa Rashid, 38, during the raid following a direct shot to the head According to a medical source, Rashid was transferred to the Beit Furik Medical Centre, south of Nablus, where doctors attempted to resuscitate him before he died due to the attack.

Clashes erupted in the town following the raid, which coincided with Friday prayers, local sources reported. In response to the clashes, Israeli forces fired tear gas and live ammunition, which resulted in Rashid’s injury and death.

As we reported earlier, Israeli forces have conducted raids and arrests across the illegally occupied territory since dawn. At the same time, settlers have stormed farms near Umm Safa village, northwest of Ramallah, releasing their livestock and raising Israeli flags.

Israeli settlers attack Palestinians working on their land near Tubas

Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinians as they were working on their agricultural land in Khirbet Yarza, east of Tubas, according to the Wafa news agency.

The head of the Yirza village council, Mukhlis Masa’id, said settlers attacked a number of people while working on their land, beat them, and broke a number of olive trees.

Masa’id added that settler attacks against Palestinian citizens have increased as the ploughing and planting of the land start in the rainy season of each year.

Explosions heard across Gaza

An Al Jazeera correspondent in Gaza has just sent an update on what has been ongoing on the ground today. Here’s a rundown:

Injuries reported in Israeli artillery shelling in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya

Israeli artillery shelling in the vicinity of Beit Lahiya town, northern Gaza, has injured a number of Palestinians, according to local media sources.

Since the ceasefire started in October, Israel has enforced near-daily attacks on the besieged enclave, in a clear breach of the agreement.

Palestinian Authority condemns torture of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons

The office of the Palestinian presidency has released a statement pointing to the widespread torture of Palestinians being held in Israeli prisons and condemning what it called “serious retaliatory measures” taken by Israeli authorities against imprisoned Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouti.

Barghouti, seen by many Palestinians as a popular figure who could bridge divides within the Palestinian national movement, has been subjected to harsh conditions in Israeli prison, and his family has launched a global campaign calling for his release.

“The Palestinian Presidency warned of the serious and brutal violations to which Palestinian prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons are subjected, which affect their human dignity and threaten their lives in a blatant violation of all international laws and conventions, foremost among them the four Geneva Conventions,” the statement said.

The end of International Law | Norman Finkelstein

“How international law has become the new weapon in the battle for public opinion”

In this urgent and deeply challenging episode of The Tea with Myriam François, renowned scholar and author Norman Finkelstein argues that international law, once thought to be a neutral framework for justice, has become a largely toothless tool, vulnerable to political pressure and media spin.

Main events on December 5th

• The Israeli military fired on Palestinians in northern and southern parts of the Gaza Strip, including via helicopter gunship, as it continues to attack the enclave despite a US-brokered truce.
• Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man near Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, as the army carried out a series of raids across the territory.
• The UN General Assembly passed a series of resolutions expressing support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and extending its mandate as it has come under attack by Israel and the US during the genocidal war on Gaza.
• Gaza mediators Egypt and Qatar, and six other Muslim-majority countries, say they’re worried about Israel stating it will open a crucial crossing for Palestinians to exit the Strip, but not return.
• Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem has condemned Israel-Lebanon talks after the Lebanese government included a civilian representative in the process, calling the move a “free concession” to Israel.

Hezbollah chief: ‘We are prepared to sacrifice everything’

Hezbollah’s leader gave a defiant speech pledging never to surrender as Israel continues to attack and occupy Lebanon despite a yearlong ceasefire.

“They want to eliminate our existence,” Naim Qassem said in a televised address of Israel. “We will defend ourselves, our people, our country. We are prepared to sacrifice everything, and we will not surrender.”

He accused Israel and the United States of wanting Lebanese authorities to negotiate “under fire”. A UN Security Council delegation is in Lebanon for talks with the government on defusing tensions with Israel.

Qassem said his group is cooperating with the Lebanese authorities, and the US and Israel should have “no say in how we manage our domestic affairs”, calling their imposition of conditions on Lebanon “unacceptable”.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has said new talks with Israel are strictly limited to fully implementing last year’s truce and do not amount to broader peace discussions.

First Intifada: 38 years later, what's changed?

It’s been almost four decades since the First Intifada broke out, a six-year uprising where over a thousand Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces. Today, nearly the same number of Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank in just two years since 7 October 2023.

Human rights groups and UN monitors still warn of rising settler attacks, mass displacement, and an increasingly permissive military environment. As settlements expand and accountability remains elusive, Palestinian communities face intensifying danger and a future shaped by decisions far beyond their control.

Palestinians flee eastern Gaza City as Israeli forces launch attack

Violations of the ceasefire are becoming the daily norm for many Palestinians here. In the past couple of hours, heavy machine-gun fire and the dense presence of drones could be heard from where we are broadcasting from.

The confirmation we have from a source on the ground is the Israeli military pushed its tanks and armoured vehicles along with bulldozers deeper into the western areas of Gaza City. That’s about 300 to 500 metres beyond the original “yellow line”, right at the edge of Salah al-Din Road.

That means more areas are under Israeli military control and it started to set up these sand barriers, isolating the entire eastern part of Gaza City. People are fleeing from that area into the central part of Gaza City.


Israeli army says 3 people killed allegedly crossing ‘yellow line’

The Israeli army announced three people were killed in two separate incidents earlier.

In a post on Telegram, the army said it identified people who crossed the “yellow line” and posed an alleged threat to soldiers. The troops then opened fire and killed three people.

Since the ceasefire began on October 10, the Israeli army has killed more than 360 people and wounded hundreds in near-daily violations.

Not accurate anymore considering the IDF has already pushed the 'line' 300 to 500 meters to the West in Gaza city.

Israeli forces demolish residential buildings in Shujayea neighbourhood

Israeli soldiers have blown up residences and public infrastructure in the Shujayea district east of Gaza City, our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic report.

In recent hours, Palestinians have fled the area after Israeli forces launched a major assault with tanks, attack drones, and ground troops.

Ceasefire death toll hits 367 as bodies arrive at Gaza’s hospitals

Six bodies, including five recovered from the rubble and one new death, as well as 15 wounded Palestinians arrived at Gaza’s hospitals over the past 48 hours.

In a situational update, the Health Ministry said on Telegram that since the ceasefire started with Israel on October 11, at least 367 people have been killed, 953 wounded, and 624 bodies recovered.

Overall, since the war began in October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed 70,354 Palestinians and wounded 171,030.

Israeli drone chases and kills 70-year-old Palestinian woman and son

Just in the past 30 minutes, there was a confirmed attack by an Israeli quadcopter that chased a 70-year-old woman and her son, 25, as they walked in an area about 1km (half a mile) away from the “yellow line” – deep in Gaza City.

They were hunted by the drone that fired and killed both of them. They were left there to bleed to death, and nobody from the surrounding area was able to get to them because the quadcopter was still hovering.

This is just one of many violations throughout the day and throughout the past 50 days since the truce came into effect.

Many people in most of these areas do not see the yellow line because it’s not clear. It’s not visible. There are no clear markings or signage to show this is the ceasefire demarcation that is a restricted and dangerous area.

What kind of person is controlling these drones. How sick must you be to chase an elderly women and son then stalk their bleeding out bodies to make sure they're dead. Drones and AI, it will be humanities downfall, already is.

At least 7 people killed in Israeli attacks across northern Gaza

At least seven people have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza City and northern areas as Israel continues attacks across the so-called yellow line truce demarcation.

Health officials said Israeli fire killed the Palestinians in Beit Lahiya, Jabalia, and Zeitoun in northern Gaza, including a 70-year-old woman gunned down by an attack drone strike.

Earlier, the Israeli army announced it killed three people who allegedly crossed the poorly marked yellow line.

The World SCREWED the Palestinians…And Everyone STOPPED Paying Attention

Just like after Camp David (1978), Oslo accords (1993, 1996), Camp David Summit (2000). 

UN expert says US sanctions have made her ‘non-person’

Meanwhile sanctions against violent terrorist Settlers in the West Bank have zero effect since Israel will not enforce them. Reveal the truth however and you get deleted from society.

Europe’s major boycott of Netanyahu regime over Gaza; Spain, Ireland lead way

In a remarkable development, four European countries namely Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia have decided to boycott the pan-European music contest, Eurovision, expressing their disgust over the Gaza atrocities by the Netanyahu regime. This was after the organisers of the event refused to allow members to vote on the future of Israeli participation. Rifat Jawaid explains the significance of this extraordinary development as he highlights the double standards of UK media and politics.

Europe so desperate to have a non European genocidal country participate in this nonsense. It's always been a political festival with the voting. Australia is in it as well because? At least Australia isn't actively killing, starving and torturing children on a daily basis.

Israeli settlers attack Palestinians near East Jerusalem, Hebron

More Israeli settler attacks have taken place in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reports, amid a surge in violence across the area in the shadow of Israel’s Gaza war.

Settlers attacked Palestinian Bedouin shepherds near Khan al-Ahmar, east of East Jerusalem, and prevented them from accessing their land. A gang of settlers also released their cows into Palestinian olive fields near the East Jerusalem-area village of Mekhmas before trying to attack nearby homes, Wafa reported.

Separately, in the south of the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked a family in the Khallet al-Natsh area east of Hebron.

More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops and settlers in the occupied West Bank since the Gaza war began, according to United Nations figures. Analysts say the violence is part of a concerted push to force Palestinians out of their homes and communities.

Sanctioned Palestinian activists speak out at ICC's 24th Assembly of States Parties

As the 24th Assembly of States Parties for the International Court of Justice continued in The Hague, Middle East Eye's News Editor Sondos Asem spoke to the Palestinian activists at the helm of organisations affected by US sanctions.

Director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights Raji Sourani expressed that the sanctions contradict "the justice and dignity of man", and that the move has already caused partner organisations to withdraw their support due to financial threats and possible imprisonment.

Similarly, Shawan Jabarin, general director of Al-Haq, highlighted how the exit of donors means "45 families without incomes, in Palestine and elsewhere." The Palestinian Center for Human Rights and Al-Haq, alongside Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, were sanctioned by in September by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, for engaging in "efforts by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel’s consent."

Hillary Clinton: Gaza Atrocities 'Totally Made Up'

Hillary Clinton recently decried young people’s supposed inability to have a “reasonable discussion” about Israel, claiming “propaganda” and “totally made-up” videos of atrocities in Gaza are responsible for growing pro-Palestine sentiment. Rania Khalek and Eugene Puryear dive into these claims together, and examine Clinton’s long history as a war hawk who has peddled anti-Arab racism in support of U.S. geopolitical interests.

Glad at least she didn't become the first female president of the USA, that would have been another black stain in history.

Qatar and Egypt call for rapid deployment of Gaza stabilisation force

The call comes after Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani held talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on the sidelines of the Doha Forum in Qatar’s capital.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a readout of the discussions that the leaders emphasised the importance of continuing efforts to implement the Gaza peace deal, to establish a ceasefire, and to prevent any violations of the agreement.

They also called for the Gaza stabilisation force to be set up rapidly in the Palestinian enclave and enabled to do its work.


Gaza ceasefire at ‘critical moment’ amid risk of collapse: Mediators

Qatar’s prime minister has warned that the Gaza ceasefire is at a “critical moment” and could unravel without rapid movement towards a permanent peace deal.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani told the Doha Forum that what exists on the ground amounts to merely a “pause” in hostilities rather than a genuine ceasefire.

A true ceasefire “cannot be completed unless there is a full withdrawal” of Israeli forces, alongside restored stability and freedom of movement for Palestinians, none of which have materialised, he said.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan echoed that message at the forum, saying without timely United States intervention, the peace process risks stalling entirely.

Norway urges swift deployment of international stabilisation force

Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide says the Gaza stabilisation force and Board of Peace must be put in place this month, adding the current ceasefire is “fragile and cannot hold for many more weeks in its current phase”.

Speaking at the Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the international military contingent needs to function as a peacekeeping force.

The international stabilisation force is envisioned as a multinational unit that would deploy to Gaza to secure the borders, maintain security by helping demilitarise Gaza, to help train police, and protect civilians and humanitarian operations, including securing humanitarian corridors.

What countries will contribute troops for the force has yet to be decided.

It's an international occupation force led by war criminals Trump and Tony Blair, so no wonder countries are not jumping to sign up.

Rights group decries ‘international silence’ as Israel restricts Gaza aid

Israeli human rights group B’Tselem says the international community has continued to “neglect its responsibilities” as Israel maintains restrictions on the free-flow of aid to the Gaza Strip, including winter essentials such as tents and blankets.

The group noted colder winter temperatures and heavy rain have worsened already dire living conditions for displaced Palestinians across the Strip.

Last month, about 13,000 tents were destroyed and more than 740,000 Palestinians were affected by storms, BTselem said in a social media post.

“Rainwater mixed with raw sewage, creating fertile ground for infection and disease, and leaving hundreds of thousands without basic shelter. Children were documented in summer clothing and barefoot in the cold due to the lack of warm clothes,” it said.

“This is the reality in Gaza today: a winter without shelter, profound hunger, and living conditions that continue to deteriorate. This is a direct result of Israeli policy and international silence.”

Due to the complete destruction that the genocidal Israeli attack caused to the infrastructure of the Gaza Strip, as well as to its sewage and drainage systems, the recent November rainfall flooded the displacement camps: approximately 13,000 tents were destroyed, and more than… pic.twitter.com/V74uusPMfK

— B'Tselem בצלם بتسيلم (@btselem) December 6, 2025

Egypt says Rafah crossing will not be a ‘displacement gateway’

Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty’s remarks at the Doha Forum come after Israel this week said it would open the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt “exclusively for the exit of residents from the Gaza Strip to Egypt”.

Egypt has denied agreeing to such a move, insisting the crossing be opened both ways – as prescribed under the ceasefire agreement.

Israel’s announcement drew criticism from Muslim-majority nations that said on Friday they opposed “any attempts to expel the Palestinian people from their land”.

Rafah “is not going to be a gateway for displacement”, Abdelatty reiterated.

Bethlehem to light Christmas tree for first time in two years

It’s raining but people are gathering. This is the first time that Bethlehem will see the Christmas tree light up in two years.

The Christmas season in Palestine lasts from the beginning of December until about the 19th of January because all of the denominations celebrate Christmas in the Nativity Church.

Right now, a lot of hope is being attached to this Christmas season because Bethlehem really needs a boost in order to survive. The past two years of war on Gaza have brought the economy to its knees.

Bethlehem is a walled-off city. Israel’s wall and illegal settlements surround it from every direction. There are dozens of gates that also cut off the city from its surroundings in the occupied West Bank and the rest of the world.

So coming here needs determination; it is not a simple trip. To go through all of those Israeli restrictions, you need to have conviction. People are hoping to convince the world that it’s time to come back to Bethlehem.

_{Police check Christmas decorations before a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Bethlehem on Saturday}

Yet the Christian support for Israel continues unabated. I thought the birthplace of Jesus would have more significance in Christianity.

And it's not just since Oct 7, this is from a year before the current genocide and escalation in the West Bank:

https://embraceme.org/blog/christmas-in-bethlehem

Bethlehem is in the West Bank, in the Occupied Territories. When you visit Bethlehem, it’s so hard to miss the occupation, because the Israeli occupation of our land literally controls every aspect of our lives. The small district of Bethlehem is surrounded today by 22 illegal Israeli settlements and the wall that separates us from Jerusalem.

Israel controls everything outside the city. Our experience is like living in ‘gated communities’ because literally all it takes for Israel is to close these check points to enter and exit our cities and we’re besieged. That’s not hypothetical. It happens a lot.

And it goes way beyond that. Israel controls the air, the phone waves, the underground (we cannot dig for water) exports and imports, the economy. Right now, they are making it difficult for visitors who wish to stay longer than a few days in Bethlehem, and thousands of Palestinians, including Palestinian Christians are not able to obtain a visa to live in Bethlehem with their spouse and as a result, choose to live outside. It’s a very cruel system. It’s another way of forcing the emigration of Palestinian families.

Unemployment is very high. The economy of Bethlehem relies almost entirely on tourism. We’ve had a devastating two years because of covid. We’re grateful that tourists, pilgrims, are beginning to come back. We pray they choose to stay longer in Bethlehem and not just visit for a day.

Well that didn't happen.