ARIJ Archives - CrossFireArarbia

Israel Approves New Colony on Occupied Palestinian Lands

marwan
July 23, 2026

Israeli authorities have approved a new settlement plan on around 6,000 dunams (6 kilometers) of land in Bethlehem in the southern West Bank, a non-governmental organization said Thursday.

In a statement, the Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem (ARIJ) said the Gush Etzion Regional Council approved the master plan for a large-scale settlement on July 20 for the area of 6,000 dunams southwest of the illegal Tekoa settlement, south of Bethlehem.

“The plan includes the establishment of residential zones, tourism facilities, industrial and employment zones, and agricultural lands, alongside open spaces and roads within the area,” it added.

The approval comes a week after Gush Etzion regional council chief Yaron Rosenthal said last week that the government had approved the construction of six new settlements within the settlement bloc.

ARIJ explained that the Gush Etzion settlement bloc comprises around 300 illegal settlements with around 120,000 occupiers.

According to the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, Israel seized around 60,000 dunams of Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank in the first 1,000 days of the Gaza war since Oct. 8, 2023.

The UN has repeatedly affirmed that Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law, warning that they undermine prospects for a two-state solution.

Since the start of Israel’s genocide in Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023, the Israeli army and occupiers have intensified attacks on Palestinians and their property in the occupied West Bank, killing at least 1,185 people and injuring 3,816 others, according to official Palestinian figures.

Palestinians insist on East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, based on international resolutions that do not recognize Israel’s 1967 occupation or its 1980 annexation of the city. Anadolu

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ARIJ Survey: Gaza War Tough on Local Journalists

CrossFireArabia
November 17, 2024

The Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ) network made a survey among Palestinian journalists to document the extent of the losses, humanitarian conditions, and numerous challenges they have faced since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza on 7 October, 2023.

The survey was on 383 male and female journalists who currently reside in the Gaza Strip. While a number of these journalists have left the Gaza Strip, the vast majority are still living there, working in harsh conditions that are becoming more difficult by the day.

The survey results showed 84 male and female journalists, representing 22%, have lost family members.

🟥This recent survey by ARIJ highlights the devastating conditions Palestinian journalists in Gaza are facing. The findings show that 22% of journalists have lost family members, 96% have been displaced, 92% have lost essential reporting equipment, 91% lack basic protective gear… pic.twitter.com/ENPo3M2QRY
— Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (@ARIJNetwork) November 13, 2024

It also indicated that 96% of journalists were displaced from their homes, and 60% of them are currently living in tents.

The survey revealed 92% of journalists lost their basic equipment for coverage, and 91% of them lack basic protective equipment (such as bulletproof vests and helmets).

Also the survey revealed:

Journalists who lost family members: 131; Journalists who lost children: 16; Total number of children, killed: 38 Displaced journalists: 495; Journalists whose homes were destroyed: 446; Journalists who lost their journalistic equipment: 468; Journalists who were injured: 115

ARIJ reported the questionnaire prepared for this purpose was sent via email and text messages, between October 25 and November 7, 2024.

The genocidal war waged by the Israeli occupation army on the Gaza Strip resulted in the martyrdom of 190 male and female journalists according to Jordan24.