Palestinians living in makeshift tents have little protection from strong winds and rain, as most shelters are made of thin canvas and plastic sheeting while Israel continues to limit the number of tents and sustainable shelters entering Gaza, in violation of the ceasefire it agreed with Hamas in October as well as its obligations under international law as the occupying power in the Strip. It has also blocked other vital necessities, such as mobile homes, as well as tools and materials to fix damaged tents. Temperatures at night in Gaza have fallen to as low as nine degrees Celsius (48 degrees Fahrenheit) in recent days. Waves of extreme cold coincide with the ongoing siege and the widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure. More than 1.5 million Palestinians have been displaced into camps that lack even the most basic necessities of humane living. There is a severe shortage of blankets and winter clothing, along with continued restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid. On January 11, 2025, the death toll from severe cold in forced displacement camps has risen to 21 Palestinians babies including the 16 who died during the previous winter. **Gaza’s Civil Defence statement on January 10:** Gaza’s Civil Defence warns storms become humanitarian disasters due to blocked building materials and halted reconstruction. Thousands of tents and temporary shelters have been seriously damaged. Citizens are urged to secure their tents; mobile homes are not allowed in. Palestinians are forced to set up tents on beaches due to lack of space in cities after extensive destruction. Crisis is man-made, not just weather-related. ### **List of the martyrs:** **December 11, 2025,** Rahaf Abu Jazar, 8 months old, in Khan Younis due to the cold and the flooding of her tent with rainwater. **December 18, 2025**, 2:00 a.m. on Thursday, Said Asa’id Abdeen, 29-day-old infant died from extreme cold. He had no prior illness. Freezing temperatures caused blood to clot, stopping his heart. His father, Asa’id Abdeen (42), rushed him to Nasser hospital—but the cold was relentless. **On January 10, 2026:** Mahmoud Al Aqraa (7 days), One-week-old Palestinian infant Mahmoud al Akra died due to cold weather in Deir al Balah, central Gaza. The baby's body was brought to Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital for funeral rites, as grieving relatives mourned his death. **On January 11, 2026:** Mohammed Wissam Abu Harbeed (two months old) in Gaza City due to the severe cold. He was less than a month old. He froze to death this morning in a displacement camp in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip **On January 12, 2026:** A baby just seven days old and a 4-year-old girl **On January 13, 2026:** Mohammad Al-Basyouni, a one-year-old child, died in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza after succumbing to extreme cold in the family fragile tent shelter. **On January 17, 2026:** Infant Aisha Al-Alagha, 27 days old, has died of severe cold in Khan Younis City, southern Gaza Strip. **On January 20, 2026:** Shatha Abu Jarad, 7 month old, passed away this morning due the freezing cold that is tearing through the displacement camps in Gaza. **On January 22, 2026:** Ali Abu Zour, a 3 month old infant from Gaza, died of hypothermia in his families tent in Gaza City. **On January 23, 2026:** Yusuf Omar Abu Hamala, 6 month old, died this morning due to the extreme cold in the Al-Mawasi displacement camp, southern Gaza Strip. **On January 28, 2026:** The infant Haitham Hikmat Abu Qas (12 days old) died from extreme cold inside his tent in Gaza. He was not suffering from any illness, but his small body could not withstand the cold in the tent shelter.

On 11–12 December 2025, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir oversaw and publicized a raid on the gravesite of Sheikh Izz ad-Din al-Qassam — a pre-1948 Arab nationalist and resistance leader — located in an Islamic cemetery in the Nesher/Haifa area. Israeli police and land authority inspectors dismantled an "unauthorized tent", signs, and surveillance equipment erected by the Islamic waqf near the gravesite. A large numbers of Israeli police dismantled the tent at the al-Qassam tomb despite adverse weather conditions. officers also removed a historical sign marking the tomb and a solar-powered unit, citing a demolition order. Ben Gvir posted video and statements on social media highlighting this action as a “first step” toward what he has long called for: the removal or demolition of the grave itself. Ben Gvir has repeatedly called for the grave’s demolition, framing it as part of asserting “sovereignty” and erasing what he terms “incitement”. He has publicly said the gravesite “must be removed” and described the operation on the cemetery as a first step toward that goal. A reason given is that "The Gaza-based Hamas terrorist group later named its armed wing, as well as its rockets, after" Sheikh Izz ad-Din al-Qassam. **Yitzhak Kroizer statement on Augustus 5:** Newly appointed committee chairman of Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party scheduled the hearing on the grave’s removal as the first discussion of his new term: “We must remove the disgrace and moral stain that the father of terrorism, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, is buried on state land. Therefore, I will hold the first hearing in the Interior Committee on the removal of the grave of the arch-terrorist,” (...) “Our demand is to move his grave or use it as a bargaining chip in negotiations to return the kidnapped. Alternatively, he will be buried in a cemetery for terrorists,” **Historical context** Sheikh Izz ad-Din al-Qassam was a Syrian-born leader of armed resistance against British colonial rule and early Zionist settlement in Mandatory Palestine in the 1930s. He was killed by British forces in 1935 and buried in what was then the Arab village of Balad al-Sheikh. That village was depopulated in 1948 during the Nakba, and its lands are now within the Israeli city of Nesher near Haifa. The cemetery where his grave lies is part of that historic site. **Response of the Nesher municipality on August 12, 2025:** "Nesher municipality Mayor's office in honor of: Minister of Internal Security Mr. Itamar Ben-Gvir ibengvir@knesset.gov.il via email Subject: Request to remove the grave of Izz ad-Din al-Qasim from the shrine and dismantle the tent erected there Honorable Minister, Hello, Father, abbot Following the debate held today in the Knesset and in the spirit of your words as Minister of Public Security, I would like to request that an immediate date be set for the evacuation of the grave of the arch-terrorist Izz ad-Din al-Qassem and the dismantling of the tent erected around him. To avoid any doubt - the land on which the grave is located is owned by the state (Israel Land Administration) and does not belong to the Nesher Municipality. I would like to receive the date of implementation, so that we can coordinate with the developer on the adjacent land the construction of the separation fence between the cemetery and its area, in accordance with the ruling given on the subject, and thus assist in the development of the city of Nesher. I am confident that you will act decisively and quickly, so that the discussion will not remain on paper, but will be translated into actions on the ground immediately. greetings, Roy Levy mayor Copies: Chairman of the Interior and Environmental Protection Committee, Hayek Yitzhak Kreuzer vkroyzer@knesset.gov.il Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, Haik Limor Sun Har-Malech, Isun.har@knesset.gov.il" **Palestinian statements:** Palestinian and Islamist groups — including Hamas — condemned Ben Gvir’s actions and threats, calling them desecration of a sacred site and an attempt to erase Palestinian historical memory. They describe the cemetery and the grave as historic and symbolic of resistance predating 1948. **The Loyalty and Reform Party statement:** The party warned that Israeli institutions were working in concert to erase what remains of the cemetery. It noted that some Israeli politicians had openly threatened to remove al-Qassam’s grave, where he was buried before the 1948 Nakba after being killed during the Palestinian struggle against British colonial rule. The party condemned the actions as part of a broader campaign targeting Arab and Palestinian heritage sites, calling for a unified response to what it described as an escalating assault on Islamic and Palestinian landmarks.

Israeli forces carried out violent military raids on Palestinian university campuses in the West Bank during the early hours of Tuesday, 9 December 2025 and into around 10 December. **Birzeit University (near Ramallah):** Israeli forces conducted a large‑scale raid on campus, causing extensive damage to buildings and facilities, according to university officials. The university described the incursion as part of a “systematic policy” targeting Palestinian education and violating protections for academic institutions. **Another major West Bank university:** Education International condemned violent raids by Israeli forces on two major Palestinian universities at dawn on 9 December, calling on Israeli authorities to cease attacks on schools and universities. Education International **Arrests & detentions:** The raids included arrests of students and student leaders, including members of student councils. Birzeit University reported that more than 150 students were held in Israeli detention following the raid. Middle East Monitor **International reaction:** Human rights and education organizations strongly condemned the raids, stating that armed forces targeting academic institutions undermine the right to education and violate international norms. **Statement of Education International (EI):** *"EI strongly condemns the violent raids by Israeli forces on two major Palestinian universities in the West Bank during the early hours of Tuesday, 9 December. EI calls on Israeli authorities to immediately cease all attacks on schools and universities.The military operations forced both campuses to suspend all activities as armed forces took control, assaulted staff, and caused damage to the facilities. At approximately 4:00 a.m., Israeli forces stormed Birzeit University, north of Ramallah, arresting and detaining five university security guards. Shortly thereafter, troops entered Al-Quds University on the outskirts of Jerusalem, deploying snipers on rooftops."*

Al-Khalayleh Community (al-Mughayyir area) is a small, family-based Palestinian community located on the eastern outskirts of al-Mughayyir village, northeast of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. It is not an officially recognized village, but a cluster of homes and agricultural lands belonging to families of the Khalayleh clan, who are part of al-Mughayyir socially and administratively. The area lies largely in Area C and is close to Israeli settler outposts, making it especially vulnerable. Residents depend mainly on farming and grazing and face frequent settler attacks, land destruction, intimidation, and threats of displacement, often occurring during or alongside Israeli military presence. Al-Mughayyer has faced intensified settler and military violence in recent months. Notably, on August 22–23, 2025, the Israeli army uprooted thousands of olive trees east of the village on orders from Major General Avi Bluth, head of Israel’s Central Command, described at the time as collective punishment. Similar settler attacks and tree uprootings have continued, often coordinated with military raids, targeting both the eastern and western sides of the village. **List of settlements and outposts near Al-Mugghayyir:** 1. 1998: Adei Ad -> Early outpost linked to settler pressure near Rast Ramallah region 2. 2015:Malachi HaShalom -> Core outpost affecting al‑Mughayyir and Duma 3. 2020: Rashash Farm -> Expansion of Malachi HaShalom presence 4. 2023: Rosh HaTe’ina -> Continued expansion of farm outposts 5. 2023: (July) Tent outpost near al‑Qaboun -> Informal site east of al‑Mughayyir 6. Feb 2025: Jebe’it Pastoral Outpost -> New site on al‑Mughayyir land 7. May 25, 2025: al‑Qala’ Outpost -> Pastoral outpost established 8. May–June 2025: Tent outpost near village Another informal site near al‑Mughayyir ### **On December 7, 2025:** In the early hours of Sunday, December 7, 2025, at around 1:40 a.m., eight masked Israeli settlers armed with clubs attacked the Abu Hamam (Abu Naim) family home on the outskirts of al-Mughayyer village, east of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. The attack injured six people: Riziq Abu Naim (13), Fadda Abu Naim (59), and four international solidarity activists from the UK, France, and Colombia–US. All sustained bruises and head and body wounds and were evacuated to Ramallah Hospital. During the assault, settlers threatened to return and burn the family’s homes if they did not leave the area within two days. The attack occurred shortly after an Israeli military raid on the village and ended before the army withdrew. During and after the assault, Israeli soldiers prevented medics and residents from reaching the injured, threatening medics with arrest. The military raid involved patrols only and no arrests. **According to Mistaclim:** “You have two days to leave, or we will kill you.” Zionist settlers issue death threats to a Palestinian family and foreign peace activists in coordinated terror attack near Ramallah At dawn today, armed Zionist Israeli settler militias launched a violent attack in the Al-Khalayleh area of Al-Mughayyir village (Ramallah district in the occupied West Bank), targeting a Palestinian family and four foreign peace activists (Italian, British, and American). Settlers stormed the home and farm of the Abu Hammam Rizq Abu Naim family in a white pickup, brutally beating the child Rizq Hammam on the head, assaulting his mother, breaking one foreign activist’s arm, attacking solidarity volunteers with sticks, and stealing activists’ phones. The attack unfolded under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces, who sealed off village entrances, allowed settlers to freely carry out the attack, and blocked Palestinian ambulances from reaching the wounded. For hours, the Silwad ambulance crew was detained at the Beit El military barrier while transporting injured victims; occupation soldiers later vandalized and destroyed the interior of the municipal ambulance and abducted ambulance officer Ahed Smeirat. An elderly resident, Fida Rizq, testified: “When they saw me, they brutally struck me on the head with a tile, threw me to the ground, and started to brutally beat me with sticks. They told us: ‘You have only two days to leave; if we see you here, we will burn you in the house and kill all of you.’” ### **On December 8, 2025:** Israeli forces carried out a brutal attack on Palestinian villages and farmers. Settlers are stealing the barns and tents of farmers and shepherds in the al-Khalayel area. ### **On December 10 and 11, 2025:** A teenager from Israeli settler community deliberately ran over a French peace activist in the Al-Khalayel area, causing her injuries. In the same area, settlers pointed rifles loaded with live ammunition at peace activists. Later that night, Israeli forces kidnapped two foreign activists, an American and an Australian, and declared the area a closed military zone, ordering all solidarity activists to evacuate within one hour under threat of arrest.

On Saturday evening, December 6, 2025, two Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the Bab al-Zawiya area in central Hebron (Al-Khalil), in the south of the occupied West Bank, according to medical sources. The Israeli army stated that the incident occurred following an attack targeting soldiers from the Paratroopers Brigade, claiming that one soldier was slightly injured and that the soldiers returned fire at a vehicle, killing the people inside. Later that night, however, a preliminary investigation by the Israeli army revealed that one of the Palestinians killed was a municipal cleaner who was not involved in the attack. Eyewitnesses and local sources reported that the soldiers were positioned behind concrete blocks and that the vehicle did not pose any immediate threat at the time of the shooting—indicating, they said, that the killing was an on-site execution. Following the incident, Israeli forces sent additional military reinforcements to the area amid heightened tension. Israeli soldiers fatally shot 53-year-old Ziad Naim Abu Dawood, a municipal sanitation worker, while he was carrying out his duties. Witnesses said he was left to bleed until he died before his body was handed over to Palestinian Red Crescent teams. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, its crews received Abu Dawood’s body from Israeli forces and transferred him to Hebron Governmental Hospital. The Palestinian Ziad Abu Dawood was killed by the Israeli forces, who initially claimed he was a partner in a ramming attack. They later retracted this narrative It was subsequently revealed that Ziad Abu Dawood was a sanitation worker for the Hebron Municipality who happened to be present at the location when the vehicle was fired upon. The Israeli authorities claimed the vehicle attempted to run over several soldiers in the city center. Ahmad Al-Rajabi, the 20-year-old youth who was driving the vehicle, was also killed, and Israeli forces seized his body. **Investigation of Defense for Palestine:** *"Ahmad Khalil Ahmad Rajabi, 17, was killed by Israeli forces on December 6 around 9 p.m. in Hebron city. Ahmad was driving his family's car to visit a friend at Alia Governmental Hospital in the city center, during which Israeli forces allege that Ahmad attempted to run over a soldier. Israeli forces opened fire on the vehicle, killing Ahmad. Ahmad left Alia Governmental Hospital, planning to continue along Beersheba Street and then head to the Old City. As he drove down Wadi al-Tuffah Street and arrived at the checkpoint on Shuhada Street, he saw soldiers stationed across from it. The soldiers were standing in the right lane, while Ahmad was driving in the left. The soldiers yelled at Ahmad to stop when he was beside them in the second lane. The vehicle moved past the soldiers for several meters before Ahmad halted and backed up no more than five meters, when the soldiers immediately began shooting at the car, causing the car to slide. One of the soldiers attempted to open the driver’s door, and as the car skidded, the front driver’s side hit him. He then joined the other five soldiers in shooting at the vehicle. The car kept slowly reversing, swerving slightly downhill until its rear faced Wadi al-Tuffah Street. At that point, an older man, a sanitation worker in the Hebron municipality, was hit by the barrage of bullets fired toward the car. The vehicle eventually stopped in the middle of the road, where the soldiers continued to fire at the car, killing Ahmad. An ambulance arrived, but soldiers fired toward it, preventing it from reaching either Ahmad in the car or the injured sanitation worker. A large number of Israeli army and police units arrived later. At first, the Israeli military stated that a speeding vehicle had opened fire on soldiers in the Bab al-Zawiya area. They later withdrew that claim and issued a new one, claiming instead that the soldiers had shot at a car that attempted to run them over. Ahmad’s father arrived in the Bab al-Zawiya area after seeing a photo of the car circulating on social media. He spoke with the officers, who attempted to justify the shooting by alleging that his son had tried to run over a soldier. The father refuted their claim, explaining that his son had simply been visiting a patient at the hospital and was on his way home. The officers then forced him to leave the area without allowing him to view his son’s body. The soldiers seized the vehicle and most of the nearby shops’ cameras, and took Ahmad’s body and transported it in a military ambulance to an unknown location. Due to the confiscation of Ahmad’s body, DCIP is not able to verify the location or number of bullet wounds that he sustained."* This investigation perfectly aligns with the various videos of the events, which clearly show that the soldiers attacked the car and its driver even as he was complying with their orders. The Israeli soldier’s injury was caused by the loss of control of the vehicle following the attack by the soldiers. Moreover, the injury was minor, as the soldier gets back up and chases the car as it rolls downhill, running and firing at it. **On December 7:** Hebron observed a general strike and shops remain closed in Hebron after Israeli forces killed two Palestinians the revious night in the centre of the city. The strike was called to protest the Israeli army’s killing of two Palestinians under the claim of an attempted 'car-ramming attack.' Hebron’s municipality and the municipal workers’ union also declared a strike within the institution. **Name of the Martyrs:** - Ziad Abu Dawood, 53 y/o - Ahmad Al-Rajabi, 17 y/o, Body abducted by Israel.

Israeli occupation forces detained the Palestinian journalist Bilal Al-Tamimi, his wife Manal, a human rights defender & a board member of the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee, and & their son Samer after they stormed their home in the village of Nabi Saleh, northwest of Ramallah, and damaged its belongings during a late-night raid. Manal has a history of resisting Israeli oppression, beginning with her leadership in school protests during the First Intifada as part of the student youth movement. Manal has been arrested at least 3 times and narrowly survived an assassination attempt by an Israeli sniper. Her husband Bilal has also been repeatedly arrested and injured by Israeli forces due to his work as a journalist. Their sons, Osama, Muhammad, and now Samer, have all faced incarceration for resisting the Israeli occupation. Manal is a member of Mamas Activating Movements for Abolition and Solidarity (MAMAS) and joined the U.S. Palestinian Community Network earlier this year in Chicago for a powerful MAMAS panel titled “Chicago to Palestine: Mothering is Radical.” The incarceration of Manal, her husband, and their sons is further evidence that reproductive justice has always included—and must continue to include—the struggles of Palestinian mothers and families torn apart by Israeli violence.

On December 5, Owais Hammam Dhieb, a young Palestinian man from the village of Khirbet Bani Harith near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, was attacked and abducted by Israeli settlers while on his way to pray in a quiet area he often visited for solitude and reflection. Four settlers seized the 28-year-old in the mountainous area surrounding Khirbet Bani Harith and dragged him toward the Bab al-Taqa area in Jabal al-Risan. His hands and feet were tied, and he was forcibly taken to a nearby settlement outpost, where the assault continued. Israeli soldiers later joined in the beating, during which Hammam sustained extensive injuries. He was also threatened at gunpoint and deprived of sleep during the ordeal. Hammam was eventually transferred to the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah, where he is receiving treatment. Medical staff described his condition as stable but noted that he suffered significant bruising and trauma across his body.  *"Today: A twenty-eight year old Palestinian man, Owais Hammam, from the village of Khirbet Bani Harith, Ramallah district, is hospitalised at the Palestine Medical Complex for treatment after having been kidnapped and brutally assaulted by Israeli settlers with the assistance of the Israeli military. He was left with serious injuries across his body. His hands and feet were bound before being physically dragged to one of the nearby settlement outposts. Once there the brutal and severe joint attack by the settlers and soldiers took place. During his experience he was also threatened with a gun that was cocked near his ear and he was told he would be killed. He was tortured and deprived of sleep during his horrendous abduction ordeal. Hammam was kidnapped from a remote area which he used to visit for prayer, solitude, and http://reflection.photos: @faiz Abu Rmeleh / Activestills"*

On December 4, Israeli military forces expanded their campaign in the northern West Bank, imposing a stringent curfew and movement restrictions on the Kafr Saba neighborhood within the city of Qalqilya. Troops raided Qalqilya at dawn, conducted widespread home searches, and interrogated residents, significantly heightening local tensions. Israeli forces seized 50,000 shekels along with a number of checks and promissory notes from the Workers’ Union headquarters in Qalqilya. **On Decemeber 4:** The occupation has imposed a tight curfew on the city, shut down major roads, and carried out multiple detentions, deepening the collective punishment of residents. Since midnight & throughout the entire day, Israeli occupation forces have stormed Palestinian homes and shops across Qalqilya, launching a sweeping campaign marked by raids, closures, and detentions. During the attack, troops raided the Workers’ Union headquarters, seizing 50,000 shekels (over $15,000) along with checks and promissory notes, while brutally assaulting, blindfolding, and detaining a Palestinian man. **On December 5, IDF spin:** "IDF: Over the past day, the IDF, Israel Border Police forces, and the Israel Police operated in the village of Qalqilya as part of a wide-scale counterterrorism operation in the area. As part of the operation, the forces operated across most of the village, searched hundreds of sites, and confiscated various weapons, including an M16 weapon, a barrel, and dozens of rounds. Additionally, the forces apprehended weapons dealers, terrorists, and suspects of involvement in preparing explosive devices. During the operation, IDF soldiers opened fire and neutralized a terrorist who posed a threat to them and hurled a suspicious object toward them. All of the suspects who had been apprehended were transferred to the Israel Police and the ISA for further questioning." **IDF Spokesperson statement:** *In a large-scale operation led by the Ephraim Brigade, IDF fighters scanned hundreds of locations and arrested several terrorists in the city of Qalqilya. During the past 24 hours, three IDF battalions along with additional forces from the Border Police and Judea and Samaria District Police conducted a large-scale operation in Qalqilya to thwart terrorism, led by the Ephraim Brigade. As part of the operation, the forces operated across multiple areas in the city, scanned hundreds of locations, and seized various weapons, including M16 rifles, barrels, and dozens of bullets. Additionally, the forces arrested arms dealers, terrorists, and suspects involved in the preparation of explosives. During the activity, IDF forces opened fire and neutralized a terrorist who posed a threat to the troops and threw a suspicious object at them. All arrested suspects were transferred for further investigation by the Israel Police and the Shin Bet.*

On 3 December 2025, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) bulldozers demolished a wood- and construction-materials factory owned by the Ghanem family, in the “Al-Mikhd” area, west of Beit Ula — a town northwest of Hebron (al-Khalil). According to the Ghanem family, the facility included sheds, machinery, goods, offices — covering “more than three dunams” (≈ 3,000 m²). The owner, Safwat Ghanem, reportedly said that the demolition came “despite an Israeli court order to halt the demolition,” which he claimed had been obtained after submitting “all the necessary legal documents.” Ghanem said he was “shocked by the demolition, which targeted all parts of the factory … we were unable to remove them, resulting in losses worth millions of dollars.” Local official Atiyah Al‑Adem, head of Beit Ula Municipality, confirmed that forces stormed the Al-Mikhd area, demolished the factory, and “issued demolition notices for three more facilities. 

At the end of 2025, an Israeli settlement was authorised in the heart of Beit Sahour. The 11,000 Christian residents fear they will fall victim to pogroms happening daily across the West Bank. ## **Time line of the events** **On Decemeber 2, 2025,** the Palestinian village of Beit Sahour, near Bethlehem, with a majority of Christian resident, was notified that an illegal Israeli settlement will be built on its land. The plan would split the village into two heavily militarized enclaves and surround residents with violent settlers. The announcement was confirmed in a letter from Dr. Elias Iseed, Mayor of Beit Sahour. This threatens to split the town, displace families, militarize a historic Christian area, and force residents into migration. **December 22, 2025:** Just in time for Christmas, Beit Sahour, a majority-Christian Palestinian village outside of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, was informed that an illegal Israeli settlement will soon be built on top of their land, turning the village into two heavily militarized enclaves and surrounded by violent Israeli settlers. The transformation of the Shdema site into an illegal Israeli settler settlement — now known as Yatziv — on the land of the Christian town of Beit Sahour marks a dangerous escalation in the systematic erosion of Christian life in the Holy Land, some observers calls this an "ecclesiacide" **January 20, 2026**: Israeli Minister Bezalel Smotrich visited the new illegal settlement that will be established on Christian land in Beit Sahour, east of Bethlehem. **Testimony of Khalil Sayegh, (@KhalilJeries, Founder & Executive Director of @Agoradotorg (ἀγορά). Co-host @notAdialoguepod. Political analyst):** *I spoke with many residents in the area, and they all told me that this settlement will cause many Christians to leave the country. Beit Sahour is the town believed to have the Shepherds’ Field, where the angels appeared to the shepherds and told them about the newly born Jesus Christ.* **April 6, 2026,** Israeli settlers attacked the Christian town of Beit Sahour after attempting to establish an illegal outpost on the town's land, firing stun grenades at residents and terrorizing the entire community. The Israeli army arrived and arrested a boy and his father — instead of arresting the settlers who carried out the attack. The Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, Bishop Imad Haddad, issued a statement demanding the release of Amir Jamal Al-Darawi, a 12th-grade student at the Evangelical Lutheran School in Beit Sahour, and his father, who are being detained by the Israeli military.