By Harun Nasrullah
London, (The Muslim News): Israel has returned the bodies of 30 Palestinian prisoners to Gaza, several reportedly showing signs of torture, a day after Hamas handed over the remains of two deceased Israeli captives. The exchange came as Israeli warplanes and artillery continued to pound Gaza for a third consecutive day, targeting Khan Younis in the south and neighbourhoods in northern Gaza City, despite Israel’s claim that a ceasefire had been reinstated earlier this week.
Residents said they feared the bombardment marked a return to full-scale warfare, as families struggled to find food, water, and shelter amid what many described as a “ceasefire in name only.” Gaza’s Health Ministry said Israel’s campaign has now killed at least 68,527 people and wounded 170,395 since October 2023.
In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces and settlers launched a series of coordinated attacks on Friday, intensifying violence against Palestinian towns. Witnesses said Israeli troops raided the northern area of Kafr Qaddum, east of Qalqilya, firing live bullets, stun grenades, and tear gas at residents. At the same time, dozens of armed settlers — escorted by Israeli soldiers — set fire to three vehicles, including one belonging to Murad Shteiwi, the Coordinator of the Popular Resistance in the village. Two agricultural tractors and a bulldozer were also torched, sparking fierce confrontations.
Activist Abd Qabaja, from the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, told Anadolu Agency that illegal Israeli settlers fired live ammunition during the clashes, while the Israeli army intervened “to protect the attackers” by using tear gas and additional gunfire. Earlier in the day, settlers also attacked the towns of Beitin and Deir Dibwan, east of Ramallah, torching two vehicles and vandalising a mosque by smashing its windows.
Since October 2023, settlers have carried out more than 7,000 attacks on Palestinians and their property across the West Bank, according to Palestinian figures. The wave of assaults, which escalated alongside Israel’s war on Gaza, has killed more than 1,000 Palestinians and injured over 10,000 others.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in July ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory is illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem — a judgment Israel has rejected.
Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheál Martin strongly condemned Israel’s renewed strikes in Gaza, describing them as a violation of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas. “I strongly condemn the strikes in Gaza that have reportedly left more than 100 dead, including 46 children,” he wrote on X. “I urge all parties to adhere to, and implement, the ceasefire agreement and call for a surge in humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.”
At the United Nations, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric marked the upcoming International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists by warning that Gaza remains “the deadliest place for journalists in any conflict.” He said, “Nearly nine out of ten journalist killings remain unresolved. Gaza has been the deadliest place for journalists in any conflict.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for “independent, impartial” investigations into the killings, warning that “impunity is an assault on press freedom and a threat to democracy itself.” Dujarric added: “When journalists are silenced, we all lose our voice.”
According to the UN human rights office, at least 248 journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023 — the highest toll in any modern conflict.
In a related development, the Comoros has formally joined South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. The court confirmed on Friday that the Indian Ocean nation submitted a declaration of intervention under Article 63 of the ICJ Statute, allowing it to participate in the proceedings.
South Africa filed the case in December 2023, accusing Israel of committing genocidal acts in Gaza. Several other countries, including Spain, Ireland, Libya, Mexico, Belgium, and Türkiye, have since joined the case.
[Photo: Palestinian mother Mirvet Salama struggles to survive with her children in the wreckage of her home, destroyed in an Israeli attack in Khan Yunis, Gaza on November 1, 2025. Salama fights daily to keep her family going in tents lacking food, clean water, and basic necessities. Photojournalist: Abed Rahim Khatib/AA]
