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

News

Murdered Palestinian Cartoonist Wanted to Reach Palestine With His Art

marwan
July 23, 2026

On this day, July 22, 1987, an unknown assailant shot Palestinian cartoonist Naji al-Ali in London, wounding him below his right eye. He remained in a coma until his death on August 29.

Al Ali drew with one goal: To reach Palestine with his art. For him, the road to Palestine was neither far nor near; it was the distance of a revolution.

The martyred Palestinian writer, novelist, and journalist Ghassan Kanafani discovered him after seeing his drawings during a visit to the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp. Kanafani published his first cartoon in the magazine “Al-Hurriya” in 1961: it depicted a tent with a hand waving from its peak.

All of Al Ali’s drawings featured the character of Handala, a 10-year-old boy who symbolizes the suffering yet resilient Palestinian. Despite all the hardships he faces, Hanthala is a truthful witness to events, fearless and unconcerned, with his back to the world and his hands behind his back. Al Ali introduced other characters who accompanied Hanthala, including the Palestinian woman represented by Fatima, a strong, angry, and uncompromising figure whose stance on the Palestinian cause is clear. This contrasts with her husband, a hardworking, thin, mustachioed fighter, hesitant and submissive, yet ultimately a kind and peaceful man.

Even today, the British police issues an appeal every year for information about him, hoping that “someone will feel more able to speak freely,” according to Scotland Yard’s latest appeal.

May his soul rest in peace.

News

Israeli Strikes Kill 6 People in Gaza

marwan
July 23, 2026

The Gaza Health Ministry stated, Thursday, six Palestinians were killed and six others wounded in the past 24 hours. This brings the total number of those killed to 73,311 since the start of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip on 8 October, 2023. Since that date the number of wounded increased to 173,924. The ministry added a number of victims remain trapped under rubble and in the streets, as ambulance and civil defense teams have been unable to reach them. The ministry also stated since the ceasefire agreement came into effect on 11 October, 2025, the total number of Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks reached to 1,185, with 3,816 wounded, and 803 bodies of those missing under the rubble were recovered.

Culture

Ramallah, Graduating Class of 1954

CrossFireArabia
July 23, 2026

Husnieh Ghanayem posted: Good morning, welcome back!

We were, and how wonderful we were!

The first graduating class of Ramallah Secondary School for Girls, 1954

Culture

Vanessa Redgrave: ‘Fighting Till The Last Minute’

CrossFireArabia
July 23, 2026

Vanessa Redgrave؛

“She sold her home to help produce a film about Palestine”

We, as Palestinians and as people who believe in freedom and human rights, owe our gratitude and appreciation to the British actress Vanessa Redgrave, who stood with the Palestinian people at a time when the Palestinian narrative was largely absent or marginalized in much of the Western world, while the Israeli narrative dominated public discourse.

Vanessa Redgrave was not only an Academy Award-winning actress; she believed that fame should be used in the service of justice and human rights.

She sold her home to help finance the documentary The Palestinian (1977), co-produced it, and narrated it to bring the Palestinian story to Western audiences.

In 1978, after winning the Academy Award for Julia, she used the Oscar stage to respond to the intimidation and protests she faced because of her support for Palestinians, condemning what she described as “a small bunch of Zionist hoodlums.”

At a time when supporting Palestine came at a high personal and professional cost, Vanessa Redgrave chose courage over silence. For that, we remember her with deep gratitude and thank her for helping ensure that the voice of the Palestinian people was heard.

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