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Huge numbers turned out at pro-Palestinian rallies in Europe on Saturday, calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and the release of activists on board a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to the territory.Organisers of the protest in Rome said hundreds of thousands of people had turned out for a fourth day running, after Israel intercepted the 45-strong flotilla seeking to reach Gaza earlier this week.Some 70,000 people, according to police, took to the streets in Barcelona, in one of several pro-Palestinian protests to take place across Spain.Elsewhere, several thousand people marched through the centre of the Irish capital, Dublin, to mark what organisers said was "two years of genocide" in Gaza.With Ireland, Spain is one of the fiercest European critics of Israel's military offensive in Gaza, which was sparked by Hamas militants' October 7, 2023, attack on Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip.But in Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's hard-right government has been criticised for its inaction on the siege of the Palestinian territory.On Saturday, Meloni accused demonstrators of defacing a statue of Pope John Paul II with graffiti in front of Rome's main train station, calling it a "shameful act"."They claim to take to the streets for peace, but they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace," she said in a statement.Protesters in the Italian capital, including families with children, shouted, "We are all Palestinians", "Free Palestine" and "Stop the genocide", with many carrying Palestinian flags and wearing black-and-white chequered keffiyehs."Usually, I don't appreciate large-scale demonstrations, but today, I couldn't bring myself to stay home," Donato Colucci, a 44-year-old scout leader accompanying 150 youths from a secular association, told AFP."I think countries like Italy, France, and Spain have developed a culture of resistance and democratic values more than others because they experienced dictatorship and violence."In Barcelona, Marta Carranza, a 65-year-old pensioner demonstrating with a Palestinian flag on her back, said Israel's policy "has been wrong for many years and we have to take to the streets".The Global Sumud flotilla, which was intercepted on Wednesday, left Barcelona in early September and had been seeking to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza, where the United Nations says famine has taken hold.Around 50 Spaniards on the flotilla have been detained by Israel, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told public television in an interview aired on Saturday.The flotilla organisers say Israel's actions were "illegal" since they intercepted the vessels while they were traversing international waters.Jordi Bas, a 40-year-old primary school teacher waving a Palestinian flag, said the huge turn-out was "predictable". "People are beginning to wake up a bit," he said."It's the only thing that can give them (Palestinians) a little encouragement, to see that the whole world is mobilising in solidarity with them," he added.On September 14, around 100,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators forced the halt of the final stage of the Vuelta a Espana cycling race in the Spanish capital, where an Israeli team was competing.Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Israel should be barred from international sport over the Gaza war, just as Russia was penalised over its invasion of Ukraine.In September, Spain said it would ban imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which have been described by UN rights chief Volker Turk as a war crime.In Ireland, speakers called for sanctions on Israel and an immediate end to the conflict -- and Palestinian involvement in the ceasefire plan."Any plan that's made without the involvement of the leadership or the people involved has to be suspect," said John-Paul Murphy, a 37-year-old medical doctor.

The number of Palestinian journalists killed during the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, has risen to 254. In a statement on Wednesday, the government media office in Gaza said that the number of Palestinian journalists killed since the beginning of the Israeli war on the Strip has risen to 254, following the announcement of the martyrdom of journalists Sami Daoud and Yahya Mohammed Barzaq. The office called on the International Federation of Journalists, the Federation of Arab Journalists, and all journalistic organizations worldwide to condemn these "systematic crimes" against journalists and media professionals in the Gaza Strip. It also called for "serious and effective pressure" to halt the crime of genocide, protect journalists and media professionals in the Gaza Strip, and put an end to their killings and assassinations.

Nine Palestinian women and children were martyred and others seriously wounded Wednesday night when the Israeli occupation forces bombed a family home east of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. Local sources reported that the bombing completely destroyed the house, killing seven women and two children from one family. Civil defense and ambulance teams transported their bodies and the wounded to hospitals in central Gaza. In the same context, Israeli occupation forces renewed their artillery and air bombardment of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, while drones dropped explosive bombs on Al-Jalaa Street in Gaza, coinciding with heavy artillery shelling of the Al-Nasr neighborhood in the west. Medical sources said that 85 Palestinians were martyred by Israeli forces in various areas of the Gaza Strip since dawn on Wednesday and were taken to hospitals in Gaza. They explained that the geographical distribution of the martyrs included 53 in northern Gaza, 28 in central Gaza, and four in southern Gaza. The Israeli occupation continues its aggression after violating the ceasefire agreement on March 18, following a two-month hiatus, targeting various areas of the Gaza Strip, which has been facing an unprecedented humanitarian tragedy for nearly two years.

A Palestinian youth was shot by Israeli occupation forces on Sunday in the town of Al Ram in northern occupied Jerusalem, the West Bank. The Palestinian news agency WAFA, citing the Palestine Red Crescent Society, reported that its medics treated the youth for a gunshot wound to the thigh near the separation wall in Al Ram. Israeli occupation forces are firing live ammunition deliberately and directly at Palestinians who are near the separation wall. Daily raids and incursions into villages and towns across the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem are a regular occurrence, with Israeli forces clashing with residents, making arrests, and using live ammunition, rubber-coated bullets, and tear gas against Palestinian youth. This has escalated amid the ongoing Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, which began on Oct. 7, 2023.

Tunisia affirmed its unwavering support for the Palestinian people and their right to resist and preserve their land, expressing its disappointment and frustration at the Security Council's inability to put an end to the horrific humanitarian tragedy, genocidal war and starvation to which the Palestinians are subjected to by the Israeli occupation. In a speech delivered at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, Tunisian Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti stressed that the occupation's crimes aim to liquidate the Palestinian cause and deny the Palestinian people their right to resist and preserve their land. He called on the international community to immediately assume its responsibilities by lifting the blockade on the Gaza Strip and all Palestinian territories, putting an end to the famine, and ensuring the effective delivery of humanitarian aid. He said, "We remain hopeful that we'll be able to build together a future that carries opportunities that meet the aspirations and the hopes of our people and future generations." The Tunisian Foreign Minister also emphasized that the process of reforming the UN and establishing a new phase of multilateral action can only be effective if it upholds the value of equality among human lives and avoids discrimination, selectivity, and double standards. He also addressed the issue of immigration, stressing Tunisia's categorical rejection of serving as a transit country or a place of residence for irregular migrants, victims of human trafficking networks. In this context, he said, "We renew our call to adopt a comprehensive approach to migration that takes into account the human and historical dimensions, and not just the narrow security dimension."

Palestinian civilians in several areas of the occupied West Bank were subjected to injuries, arrests, and assaults carried out by Israeli occupation forces and colonists, in a continuation of systematic measures that deepen the suffering of Palestinians through severe restrictions and relentless control over their daily life. In a statement, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that a 12-year-old child was injured after being run over by an Israeli military vehicle in the city of Jericho and was transferred to hospital for treatment. In Beitunia, west of Ramallah, Israeli occupation forces detained three Palestinians during a raid, according to Palestinian security sources. The same sources added that colonists brutally assaulted another child in the Ein Jariot area near Beitunia, causing him to lose consciousness before he was taken to hospital. Meanwhile, in occupied Jerusalem, Israeli occupation forces stormed the town of Kafr Aqab, north of the city, firing tear gas canisters. No injuries were reported, according to local sources. The West Bank continues to witness heightened tensions due to Israeli settlement expansion and military violations. The situation has escalated sharply since the occupation launched its assault on the Gaza Strip in October 2023.

A young Palestinian man was martyred by Israeli gunfire on Wednesday in the village of Anza, south of Jenin, according to local sources. They said the victim was struck by a bullet in the back and rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition before succumbing to his wounds.Israeli troops raided the village as students were on their way to school. Classes were disrupted and confrontations broke out between residents and the occupying forces. Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) detained three children from the village of Deir Abu Mash'al, northwest of Ramallah, at dawn on Wednesday.Security sources told WAFA that the IOF detained the three children after raiding their homes and ransacking their contents. The same sources added that the IOF stormed the town of Turmus Ayya, northeast of Ramallah, and drove their military vehicles through the streets, raiding several homes, and seizing several vehicles.The Israeli occupation forces continued their incursions, raiding Palestinian homes in the Qarawat Bani Hassan and al-Zawiya, west of Salfit, and assaulting Palestinian youths.

The Israeli occupation continued relentless airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, causing more Palestinian deaths and injuries. According to Palestinian news agency (WAFA), four Palestinians were martyred and several more injured after Israeli warplanes struck a residential building in Gaza City. Reports also indicated that Israeli aircraft targeted the Shati Camp in Gaza City. Meanwhile, medical sources said a Palestinian woman was martyred when occupation forces shelled the Bureij Camp, while injuries were reported in several other areas across the Strip. WAFA further reported that two fishermen were martyred by Israeli gunfire south of Gaza City. The latest attacks have brought the death toll from the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip to 65,344, mostly women and children, with 166,795 others injured. The figures are expected to rise further as hundreds of victims remain trapped under the rubble or lying on the streets, beyond the reach of rescue teams.

Malaysia has reiterated its unwavering support for the Palestinian people's struggle for peace, justice, freedom, and independence. In a statement carried by Bernama News Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs underscored Malaysia's strong opposition to the Israeli occupation and what it described as genocide in the Gaza Strip.The Ministry affirmed that Malaysia will continue to work constructively with the international community to advance peace and justice, provide humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians, and ultimately support the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.The statement further emphasized that justice and accountability are essential to achieving lasting peace.

The Palestinian flag was raised Monday at premises of what is now Palestine's embassy to the United Kingdom (UK) in London, during a ceremony marking the country's official recognition of Palestine as a state.A ceremony was held in front of the Palestinian embassy building, attended by British parliamentarians, government representatives, and Arab diplomats.The Palestinian ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot said during the ceremony that international recognition is not just a diplomatic position, but rather a recognition that Palestine has always been a land with a people, stressing the need to remember that this recognition comes amidst unimaginable pain and suffering due to the genocide being waged against us in Gaza.The UK government announced Sunday, in a statement by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, its official recognition of the State of Palestine.

In his address at the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stated that the historic New York Declaration, adopted overwhelmingly by the General Assembly, stressing that the war on the Palestinian people must end immediately and permanently. He added that the crimes of blockade, starvation, and destruction can never serve as a means of achieving security.President Abbas also praised the Egyptian, Qatari, and American mediation efforts to end the war in Gaza, commending the international community's stance against forced displacement.He emphasized that the State of Palestine is the only entity qualified to take full responsibility for governance and security in Gaza through a temporary administrative committee connected to the Palestinian government in the West Bank, with Arab and international support.The president expressed appreciation for the countries that have already recognized the State of Palestine and called on those who have not yet done so to follow suit. He also called for support for Palestine's full membership in the United Nations.He also praised the significant role played by the conference's co-chairs, Saudi Arabia and France, as well as the United Kingdom, in rallying more global recognition.

Singapore said on Monday it will impose targeted sanctions on leaders of Israeli settler groups and would recognise a Palestine state under the right conditions.Western and other nations have been taking an increasingly hard line against settler groups and some Israeli officials they accuse of fomenting violence, while global recognition is growing of Palestinians' aspiration for an independent homeland.Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, speaking in parliament, chided those Israeli politicians who have spoken about annexing parts of the West Bank or Gaza, the two Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories."We call on the Israeli government to cease settlement construction and expansion," he said, citing the so-called E1 settlement project as fragmenting the West Bank."We oppose ongoing attempts to create new facts on the ground which undermine the prospects for a two-state solution."More details on the sanctions would be released at a later date, he said.Balakrishnan said it was a matter of when not if Singapore recognises a Palestinian state and that the nation is waiting for an "appropriate constellation" of factors, including a need for an effective Palestinian government that accepts Israel's right to exist and categorically renounces terrorism."Ultimately, to resolve this long-standing conflict in a comprehensive, just and durable manner, there needs to be a negotiated settlement which results in two states, one Israeli (and) one Palestinian, with their peoples living alongside each other in peace, security and dignity," he added.Most of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law. Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the area and saying the settlements provide security.While Singapore and Israel have shared close diplomatic and military ties since the former gained independence in 1965, the city-state in 2024 voted in favour of numerous resolutions expressing support for U.N. recognition of a Palestinian state.