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BREAKING: UNICEF says it is outraged over Israeli forces killing two water truck drivers in northern Gaza, adding the water point supports critical water trucking for “hundreds of thousands” of Palestinians, “including children”. LIVE updates: http://aje.news/bwa65k
Updated Map of Israeli Settlements in the West Bank through 2026.
Beyond the long-outdated A, B, and C classifications, which no longer reflect the reality, this map illustrates the actual structure of territorial control:
* 34 new settlements: representing a deliberate strategy to establish irreversible facts on the ground.
* 127 existing settlements: forming the backbone of the settlement system, increasingly treated as a de facto reality.
• 122 unauthorized outposts: technically illegal under Israeli law, but in practice integrated into the broader settlement enterprise.
* 199 unauthorized settlement farms: gradually expanding territorial control under the guise of agricultural and grazing activity.
Notably, activities labeled as “illegal” within the Israeli legal framework often function as key instruments of expansion on the ground, frequently developed, protected, and allowed to expand, including through groups such as the so-called “Hilltop Youth.”
The figure of 127 settlements does not accurately reflect the situation on the ground. According to Palestinian spatial data, the total number of settlements in the West Bank, including east Jerusaelm stands at 192.
April 12, 2026, I visited Marwan Barghouti in my capacity as his lawyer. What I confirmed through this visit is deeply alarming. In recent weeks, Marwan Barghouti has been subjected to three violent assaults. On April 8 in Ganot Prison, he was severely beaten and left bleeding for more than two hours. He requested medical care and was denied treatment. On March 25, he was assaulted during his transfer from Megiddo to Ganot. On March 24, in Megiddo Prison, guards entered his cell with a dog, forced him to the ground, and the dog repeatedly attacked him.  These are not isolated incidents. They form a clear pattern of escalating abuse: violence, medical neglect, and treatment that places him at immediate risk. He had a great deal to say. Above all, he wanted to know more about his family and the Palestinian people, What is happening in Palestinian and Israeli scene I tried to tell him everything I know. But even that conversation took place under absurd conditions: the phones did not work, so we had to shout through the glass just to hear each other. For five hours, I sat there without food or water, trying to make sure this visit meant something. This is what a legal visit looks like today: basic conditions denied, communication obstructed, and even the most elementary human and professional standards ignored. And still, despite all of that, his mind was sharp, focused, and deeply engaged with everything happening outside those prison walls.
On the occasion of Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, which observed annually on 17 April, the Red Ribbon Campaign has issued a call for wide public mobilisation on the weekend of 17–19 April with events in streets, public squares, and city centres across the world.
A statement from the Campaign said; “This day comes as thousands of Palestinian prisoners and hostages remain held in Israeli occupation prisons, subjected to severe violations including torture, medical neglect, and administrative detention, alongside escalating policies within an entrenched system of apartheid.”
According to the latest data from relevant human rights organisations there are:
More than 9,600 prisoners/hostages
86 women
Approximately 350 children (minors)
3,532 administrative detainees
1,251 classified under so-called “unlawful combatants”
326 martyrs among prisoners
As of now, according to the Campaign, there are 137 events across 19 countries have been documented worldwide. “This is an important and commendable effort, reflecting growing global solidarity. However, more is needed — more countries, more actions, and a stronger collective voice.”
Adnan Hmidan, Coordinator of the Red Ribbon Campaign, said:
“Symbols matter in delivering a message. Just as others have promoted their symbols and worn them everywhere, we now need to activate the red ribbon — to wear it, to make it visible, and to turn it into a recognisable sign in public spaces. It should remind the world of the blood being shed, the freedom we seek, and the urgent cause we stand for: saving the lives of thousands of prisoners enduring some of the harshest prison conditions in the world.”
