Israel's occupation: 76 years of Palestinian tragedy

By Awad Rjoob and Gulsen Topcu

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics released a report Sunday marking the 76th anniversary of the Nakba (Great Catastrophe) indicating that since 1948, approximately 134,000 Palestinians and Arabs have been killed both inside and outside Palestine.

The bureau’s report details the grim statistics of death, detention, settlement construction and land confiscation in Palestine coinciding with the anniversary of May 15, 1948.

Since Oct. 7 alone, the start of the Israel-Hamas war, at least 35,034 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, with 14,944 being children and 9,849 women.

The bodies of around 7,000 people are yet to be recovered. In the West Bank, 492 Palestinians have lost their lives due to attacks by Israeli soldiers and Jewish settlers since Oct. 7.

- Arrests

According to data from the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society and the Palestinian Authority’s Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, approximately 1 million people have been detained since 1967.

The number of arrests in the West Bank alone has reached 8,520 since Oct. 7, with some released and others remaining in custody.

As of the end of April, the number of detainees in Israeli prisons had reached 9,400, including 3,600 held without trial.

- Confiscations and illegal settlement activities in the West Bank

As of the end of 2022, the number of Israeli military checkpoints and settlements in the West Bank had reached 483, with the settler population reaching 745,467, mainly in Jerusalem.

A significant increase in settlement construction was observed in 2023, with Israeli authorities approving plans for more than 18,000 units, including in Jerusalem.

In 2022, Israeli authorities seized 26,000 acres of Palestinian land in the West Bank, a number that increased to 50,526 acres in 2023.

- Destruction and attacks in the West Bank and Gaza

Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has destroyed or severely damaged a total of 89,000 buildings in Gaza, including 104 belonging to the UN.

The cost of the war in Gaza, including damage to infrastructure, roads, electricity, water networks and agricultural land, is estimated to total $30 billion.

In the West Bank, Israel partially or completely demolished 659 buildings and facilities in 2023.

Additionally, demolition orders were issued for 1,333 Palestinian facilities on the grounds of lacking permits.

Also in 2023, Jewish settlers and Israeli forces carried out 12,161 attacks against Palestinians and their properties, including 3,808 against properties and religious sites, 707 against lands and natural resources, and 7,646 against individuals.

The attacks resulted in damage to around 21,700 trees, including 18,964 olive trees.