The Israeli occupation forces continue to commit the crime of genocide in the Gaza Strip, for the 311th consecutive day, by launching dozens of airstrikes and artillery shelling, while committing massacres against civilians, amid a catastrophic humanitarian situation resulting from the siege and the displacement of more than 95% of the population.

Correspondents reported that the occupation aircraft and artillery continued their raids and violent shelling - today, Monday - on various parts of the Gaza Strip, targeting homes, displaced persons' gatherings and streets, causing dozens of martyrs and wounded.

Continuing  Ground Invasion

The occupation forces continue their ground invasion of large neighborhoods in Rafah, since May 7, and several axes of Gaza, amidst air and artillery shelling and committing horrific massacres.

Martyrs were killed and others were wounded when the occupation targeted a number of citizens in the vicinity of Badr Mosque in the Zeitoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City.

Two martyrs from the Abu Jamea family were killed in an Israeli bombardment that targeted them in Abu Surur Street in the town of Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip.

3 Massacres

The Ministry of Health announced that the Israeli occupation committed 3 massacres against families in the Gaza Strip during the past 48 hours, killing 142 martyrs, 107 of whom arrived at the hospitals, and the identities of the remaining martyrs are being verified and registered. The number of injuries reached 150.

The ministry said in its daily statement: There are still a number of victims under the rubble, under destroyed buildings, and on the roads, and ambulance and civil defense crews cannot reach them due to the presence of occupation vehicles and the danger of those places.

39,897 Martyrs

It confirmed that the death toll from the Israeli aggression has risen to 39,897 martyrs and 92,152 injuries since October 7, noting that the number of martyrs does not include the unidentified martyrs in the massacre of the Al-Tabi'in School in Gaza City.

The occupation artillery shelled the Al-Zana and Bani Suhaila areas east of Khan Yunis and east of the Al-Zeitoun neighborhood southeast of Gaza City.

A father and his daughter were killed when the occupation aircraft bombed the house of the Murad family near Abu Hasira Street west of Gaza City.

Air Raids

The occupation aircraft launched a raid on Al-Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip.

Local sources reported that Israeli warplanes blew up a residential block in the town of Abasan Al-Jadida east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.

Medical sources announced the death of the young man Hussam Alian Ahmed Kaware' (18 years old) due to his injuries in the bombing that targeted the Moza roundabout near the Wednesday market in Khan Yunis yesterday.

Intensive Israeli Shelling

Various areas of the Gaza Strip witnessed intensive Israeli artillery shelling without any injuries being reported, as the artillery targeted the towns of Bani Suhaila and Abasan east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.

The artillery repeatedly shelled the Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood west of Rafah city, and local sources reported that the occupation army forces worked to blow up residential blocks in the neighborhood.

The warplanes also launched two raids on the north of Rafah city, and the artillery shelled the city of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

According to what was monitored by the Palestinian Civil Defense, 15 Palestinian citizens were killed yesterday, Sunday; including women and children, in addition to dozens of wounded and missing.

4 Martyrs in East of Rafah

The spokesman for the Civil Defense, Mahmoud Basal, stated that 4 martyrs were east of Rafah city, one martyr north of Khan Yunis, and 3, including a paramedic east of Khan Yunis, 3 in central Khan Yunis, 2 in the “2” refugee camp in Nuseirat, and 2 in the Sheikh Radwan area in Gaza City.

Last night, the paramedic Abdullah al-Breim, his sister and her husband were killed in an Israeli airstrike on agricultural rooms in the Armida area in Bani Suhaila in Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip.

The new Bangladeshi government announced today its commitment to address the attacks on individuals from religious minorities, including Hindus, following the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The government emphasized that it takes these attacks seriously and intends to meet with representative bodies and concerned groups to find solutions to these "heinous attacks."

The statement highlighted that the new government, led by Professor Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel laureate, is seeking to implement democratic reforms in the country with a population of 180 million. It also emphasized a list of urgent priorities, including providing support to the families of protesters who were killed during the protests that led to Hasina's downfall. The government has allocated funds to compensate the injured in the disturbances that began in July and resulted in the deaths of 578 people according to some media outlets (331 killed from July 16 to August 4, and 247 people from August 5, the day Sheikh Hasina fell, to last Thursday), with the actual number exceeding 3,000 people.

In a move aimed at enhancing national unity, Muhammad Yunus called on the Bangladeshi people to avoid discrimination based on religion, expressing hope for building a "new Bangladesh" characterized by unity and justice. This call came after attacks on the Hindu minority following Hasina's government downfall, causing concern in neighboring India.

It has been reported that some Hindus, who represent about 8% of Bangladesh's population, have had their homes and shops attacked by  supporters of Hasina, who are trying to create chaos in the country and incite another revolution against the Bangladeshi people.

Since Hasina fled to India, hundreds of Hindus have attempted to cross the Indian border in search of safety. They were incited by leaders of the Awami League in Dhaka. It is alleged that one of the Indian leaders announced that millions of Hindus would be taken to India. Some believe that these Indian leaders are also behind the attacks in Bangladesh.

Reports also touched on another tragedy where dozens of Rohingya Muslims, including children and women, were killed in a drone attack while fleeing from Myanmar to Bangladesh. There were reports of boats carrying Rohingya refugees sinking in a river separating the two countries.

In another context, the government announced that it will reopen the metro subway system in the capital city of Dhaka by the end of the week and appoint a new central bank governor to replace the former governor who resigned under pressure from protests. Today also witnessed the swearing-in of the new Chief Justice, Syed Rafiq Ahmed, after the resignation of his predecessor Obaidul Hassan, who oversaw the controversial war crimes court that sentenced opponents of Sheikh Hasina to death.

These changes came as part of a wave of dismissals that targeted individuals close to the previous authorities, following large-scale demonstrations that paved the way for Muhammad Yunus to come to power.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that 500 of its health workers were martyred and hundreds were injured since the start of the Zionist war of extermination on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.

The ministry explained in a statement that the occupation army forces arrested more than 310 health workers, while 130 ambulances were destroyed in the Gaza Strip.

It pointed to 340 attacks on health facilities and workers in the occupied West Bank.

It stressed that the occupation's deliberate targeting of medical infrastructure has deprived citizens of access to basic health care services.

The ministry indicated in its statement that poor water and sanitation conditions, along with overcrowding, have led to an increase in preventable diseases and premature death.

It pointed out that the Gaza Strip is facing a public health disaster due to unsafe water resources and a lack of basic hygiene needs for more than 1.7 million forcibly displaced people.

The ministry added that the severe shortage of medical workers and supplies, including anesthesia and antibiotics, is making health care workers struggle to save lives.

The Ministry of Health called for the unconditional entry of humanitarian supplies to address the acute shortage and help evacuate the wounded to receive life-saving medical care abroad. Since October 7, 2023, the Zionist occupation has been waging a brutal war on the besieged Gaza Strip, leaving nearly 40,000 martyrs and about 100,000 wounded, most of them women and children.

The Zionist occupation forces continue to commit the crime of genocide in the Gaza Strip, for the 309th consecutive day, by launching dozens of airstrikes and artillery shelling, while committing massacres against civilians, amid a catastrophic humanitarian situation resulting from the siege and the displacement of more than 95% of the population.

More than 100 Palestinians were martyred and dozens were wounded at dawn today, Saturday, in a horrific massacre committed by the occupation army by targeting the Al-Tabi'in School in the Al-Daraj neighborhood in the center of Gaza City.

The Palestinian Civil Defense said that the targeting took place during the dawn prayer; which led to a massacre that left a large number of martyrs and wounded, adding that the bodies of citizens were set on fire.

According to Civil Defense estimates, the "Al-Tabi'in" massacre is the third in terms of the size of the disaster after the Baptist Hospital and Mawasi Khan Yunis massacres.

The government media office in Gaza said that due to the horror of the massacre and the large number of martyrs, medical crews and rescue teams have not been able to retrieve the bodies of all the martyrs so far.

Civil defense crews in Gaza retrieved 6 martyrs and 15 injuries in an Israeli attack on the home of the Abu Khalifa family in Jabalia al-Balad, north of the Gaza Strip.

Local sources said that 5 martyrs were killed as a result of an Israeli attack on the home of the Hamada family in al-Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip.

A number of citizens were also injured as a result of the occupation army’s bombing of the home of the al-Qarnawi family in al-Nuseirat, and the occupation’s warplanes targeted agricultural land in the al-Sawariha area, west of al-Nuseirat.

Local sources reported that the occupation bombed two homes of the “Nofal” and “al-Hawari” families, west of al-Nuseirat, without any reports of injuries.

The Zionist war and the crime of genocide, carried out by the occupation forces against Palestinian families, civilians and displaced persons in the Gaza Strip, continue today, Friday, for the 308th consecutive day, coinciding with the continued bombing and targeting of inhabited homes and the commission of new massacres.

 The death toll from the ongoing military aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, according to the daily statistical report issued by the Palestinian Ministry of Health, has risen to 39,699 martyrs, in addition to 91,722 wounded with varying injuries; some of them serious and very serious.

 The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip said that the Israeli occupation committed 4 massacres that killed 22 martyrs and wounded 77 within 24 hours.

Yesterday, Thursday, the occupation forces committed a new brutal massacre that claimed the lives of 16 martyrs and 30 wounded by targeting Al-Zahraa and Abdul Fattah Hamoud schools east of Gaza City, which led to dozens of martyrs and wounded in addition to a number of missing persons from the displaced in the Al-Tuffah area east of Gaza City.

Local sources explained that the occupation deliberately timed the bombing of Abdul Fattah Hamoud School to coincide with the presence of large numbers of citizens in a large market located west of the school, which is frequented by citizens from all over the Strip to obtain their daily needs.

They added that the timing of the bombing was aimed at causing the largest possible number of martyrs; whether among shoppers or displaced people inside the school.

On Thursday evening, three citizens were martyred and others were wounded in an Israeli bombing of a house in the town of Abasan east of Khan Yunis.

The Israeli occupation artillery targeted the vicinity of Al-Awda schools east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.

The occupation also fired illumination bombs in the Al-Zeitoun neighborhood east of Gaza City and in the south of Gaza City.

The occupation artillery renewed its shelling east of Khan Yunis city, while the occupation tanks opened heavy fire during their incursion into the town of Al-Qarara, northeast of Khan Yunis city, in the southern Gaza Strip.

The Israeli occupation army continues its genocidal war on Gaza for the 307th consecutive day, resulting in a number of martyrs and wounded since Thursday morning, 8th of August. The number of martyrs since dawn is approximately 16 martyrs, with others wounded in various areas of the Gaza Strip.

New massacres

In a new massacre committed by the occupation in the Bureij refugee camp, 6 Palestinians were martyred and a number of others were injured after targeting the home of the Ashour family in the Bureij camp in central Gaza. Several houses in the camp were also targeted, including the Abu Zeina family home in Block 5 and the Neshwan family home in Block 12.

Shelling many places in Gaza

Media sources reported that Palestinians were martyred in an Israeli shelling that targeted the area around the Kuwait roundabout in the Zaytoun neighborhood in southeast Gaza City.

Five Palestinians were killed and others were injured as a result of the occupation airstrikes targeting the Shaldan family home on Sahaba Street in Gaza City.

Another Palestinian was martyred following the shelling of the Ryan family home in Block 4, at the Schools Street in Jabalia camp in northern Gaza Strip. Palestinian media reported that the bodies of two martyrs were recovered from Rafah city and transferred to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

In the early hours of the morning, ambulance crews recovered the body of a martyr from a house belonging to the Hamada family on Yafa Street in the Tuffah area of Gaza City, raising the number of martyrs from the family to three.

Occupation warplanes targeted the homes of Palestinians in the southern Sabra neighborhood, the eastern areas of the city, and a house near Majdah School.

The occupation warplanes also launched an airstrike on Beit Lahia town in northern Gaza Strip, setting fires due to the Israeli shelling with artillery and smoke shells in the eastern areas of Beit Lahia. Additionally, the prisoners' city, Zahra City, the Maghraqa area, and the northern Nusairat camp in the central of the strip were subjected to artillery shelling.

The Palestinian Suha Awwad al-Fajjam was martyred in a missile strike from an Israeli drone on the Bani Suhaila town east of Khan Younis, while a number of civilians were injured in the shelling of a house belonging to the Abu Hassaneh family in the center of the Abasan al-Kabira town east of Khan Younis.

Jibril Tower

An Israeli warplane targeted with an upper floors missile in Jibril Tower on the Environmental Street in Deir al-Balah city in the middle of the Strip, and carried out two raids on the northeastern area of Rafah city in the south of the strip. The occupation continued to demolish the homes of civilians and residential neighborhoods in Rafah city.

Kuwait marks academic scholarships centenary

 As Kuwait marks the centenary of academic scholarship programs, which saw its sons and daughters head abroad to gain knowledge and skills, the state continues to invest in such schemes to meet challenges and build a better future. In 1924, Kuwait sent its very first scholarship delegation to Baghdad, Iraq, which included seven students: Sheikh Fahad Salem Al-Sabah, Mohammad Al-Dosiri, Khaled Al-Adsani, Ahmad Al-Ali, Abdulkareem Al-Ali, Abdullah Al-Abduljaleel, and Salman Al-Enezi.

The state is currently reworking measures to overhaul the negative aspects of the scholarship program and further develop them to avoid wasting of finances and elevate the level of academia and knowledge seeking. Tasked with the tremendous responsibility, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Dr Adel Al-Adwani had assigned a committee to look into the matter to achieve the national development goals for education, especially within scholarship programs.

The minister said that the task was daunting; however, it should not stand in the way of finding serious and fundamental solutions for scholarship programs, which caused undeniable waste of financial resources. Creating solutions for scholarship problems would help develop Kuwait’s youth foundation, achieving the goals set by the Kuwait Vision 2035 in meeting demands of the job market and establishing a strong foundation for education. According to a 2023 annual report by the State Audit Bureau, some 4,432 students academically faltered between 2020 and 2022, a number overshadowing similar statistics in 2013-14 and 2017-18 with only 2,634.

Faltering causes woes for students who could not continue their academic quest in addition to affecting their parents financially. The State of Kuwait has set a considerable budget for scholarships and also provides scholarship students with a monthly allowance in accordance with the country of scholarship. Students with A merit scholarships also have a monthly bonus of 50 percent on top of their monthly allowance, while students with B merit scholarships get around a 25 percent bonus.

While expenses are on the rise, the state has made it clear that any losses from the higher education budget must be dealt with; therefore, the government will come out with a study that sets plans for annual scholarships to avoid wastefulness and also focus on the academic policies beneficial for students and Kuwait.

The Ministry of Higher Education had established several initiatives, including the Al-Deera (country) system, which academically linked Kuwaiti cultural bureaus abroad. The scholarships are also within Kuwait to help provide more options to students. It is worthy noting that Kuwait is eager to create a system for academic development able to face challenges, progressing skills of citizens and institutes in accordance with the 2024-25 annual development plan. — KUNA

Kuwait population hits 4.919 million

  The Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) issued the latest detailed statistics on population and employment at the end of June 2024. The data shows that total population in Kuwait reached 4.919 million people at the end of June 2024, recording a semi-annual growth of 1.2 percent or an actual increase by 59,900 people compared to the end of 2023 at 4.860 million people. The total number of population achieved an increase by 2.6 percent in 2023 compared to a greater rise of 8.0 percent in 2022.

The Kuwaiti population increased during the first half of 2024 by 13,700, with a growth rate of 0.9 percent (1.8 percent expected annual rate), bringing their total number to 1.560 million people with their percentage slightly decreasing out the total population from 31.8 percent at the end of 2023 to 31.7 percent according to the latest figures. The number of Kuwaiti females amounted to 794,000, exceeding the number of males at 765,900.

The number of the non-Kuwaiti population rose by 45,300, a growth rate of 1.4 percent and reached 3.359 million people, with a compound annual growth rate during the period of 2015 – June 2024 at 1.6 percent. The total number of workers in Kuwait reached 3.044 million workers or 61.9 percent of the total population, while this percentage for Kuwaitis reached 32.5 percent of the total Kuwaiti population, and it is noted that the percentage of non-Kuwaiti workers out of the total non-Kuwaiti population reached 75.6 percent.

Kuwait medical team assists orphans, the poor in Cambodia

  As part of its efforts in helping the needy around the world, a Kuwaiti medical team treated more than 700 cases of orphans and the poor inside the Kuwait Hospital in Cambodia as part of a charity trip organized by the Islamic Heritage Revival Society.

The volunteer medical team, consisting of seven doctors specializing in dentistry and surgery, namely Ahmad Al-Sharad, Anwar Al-Shammari, Faisal Al-Sulaili, Basees Al-Ajmi, Abdullah Al-Kandari, Ayoub Al-Kandari, and Abdulrahaab Al-Numas who worked to put smiles on the faces of the needy there.

They performed urgent surgeries like gum extraction, treatment, and fillings, among others. The Kuwait Hospital, which was opened in 2015, is the first charitable hospital in Cambodia and contains multiple medical specialties and departments. It works around the clock to treat needy orphans and the poor there. — KUNA

KRCS distributes food, relief aid in Lebanon

  The Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) announced on Wednesday the latest phase of aid distribution to Lebanese people, displaced Syrians and Palestinians. Relief Coordinator at the Lebanese Red Cross Society, Yousif Boutros, told KUNA that the KRCS begun a new phase of distributing aid, consisting of 12,000 food rations, to Lebanese people, displaced Syrians and Palestinians.

Boutros added that the aid is to support displaced people in refugee camps in northern and southern Lebanon, as a result of the ongoing aggression with the Zionist occupation near the south since October. He noted that KRCS continues the process of distributing aid to Lebanese villages and towns in southern Lebanon, which started last year, in light of the difficult security conditions, as well as their bread distributing project for thousands of people in need for years.

Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has called for an urgent de-escalation in the Middle East over fears that the Gaza war could spread. “I am deeply worried about the rising risk of a wider conflict in the Middle East and plead with all parties, along with those states with influence, to act urgently to de-escalate what has become a very precarious situation,” said Turk in a statement.

Iran said it had the “legal right to punish” Zionists over last week’s killing of Palestinian armed group Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Zionist entity, which has not commented on the killing but did admit to carrying out a strike on Beirut that left Hezbollah military chief Fuad Shukr dead, has been fighting a war in Gaza since the October 7 attacks by Hamas. It is now exchanging daily cross-border fire with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The international community fears Iran, a backer of Hezbollah and Hamas, could join the conflict. “Already, over the past 10 months, civilians - mostly women and children - have endured unbearable pain and suffering as result of the bombs and guns,” said Turk. “Everything, and I mean everything, must be done to avoid this situation spiraling further into an abyss that will only have even more terrible consequences for civilians.” — Agencies 

Kuwait Relief Society spends $18 million on humanitarian work in Gaza Strip

Kuwaiti leaders praised for their great impact on the speed of response

The Kuwait Relief Society announced that the total Kuwaiti aid to help those affected by the Zionist occupation attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7th exceeded $18 million. In remarks to KUNA, the General Manager of the Association, Abdulaziz Al-Obaid, said that $18 million was collected through various campaigns over 300 days with the participation of more than 30 charitable societies.

He added that the association sought to spend this amount in some rapid response sectors, especially disasters, crises, and wars, including responding to urgent distress calls from our Palestinian brothers, most notably the food, medicine, and shelter sectors. Al-Obaid also noted that the total support provided through air flights, land convoys, sea ships, and medical relief flights that have been sent to the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the current aggression until now has exceeded 5 and a half tons of urgent and necessary humanitarian relief materials that the residents of the Strip need.

For his part, the head of the relief and projects sector at the association, Mahmoud Al-Misbah, affirmed that the Kuwait Relief Society and its partners from the Palestinian charitable societies operating in the Gaza Strip implemented relief projects that benefited about one million Palestinians. He stated that the Kuwait Relief Society has implemented dozens of public cleaning projects, garbage and rubble removal, wastewater disposal, support for hospitals with the necessary medical devices and equipment, and the provision of solar energy systems.

In turn, the Director of the Marketing and Public Relations Department at the Society, Ahmad Al-Nafais, expressed his pride in the high directives of the Kuwaiti political leadership and their great impact on the speed of response and providing the necessary and urgent support to the brothers in the Gaza Strip. He also praised the efforts of local partners from charitable societies operating inside Palestine and international partners from international relief and charitable institutions and the parties concerned with providing facilities for the entry of relief convoys and teams in Palestine, Egypt, and Jordan. — KUNA

Environment Public Authority keen on rehabilitating the environment

 The Environment Public Authority (EPA) confirmed on Tuesday its keenness to rehabilitate the Kuwaiti environment by completing its Gulf projects for the cultivation of (Qurm) plants in cooperation with the Sultanate of Oman. Dr Abdullah Al-Zaidan, Deputy Director General for Technical Affairs at the Authority, said that on a recent visit to Oman, he met with the Director General of Nature Conservation at the Environment Agency of Oman, Sulaiman Al-Akhzmi, and expressed his “appreciation for their constant efforts to improve environmental conditions locally and in the Gulf.”

Al-Zaidan added that the visit came as a continuation of Gulf cooperation in environmental fields and the contribution of the Environment Agency of Oman in providing Kuwait with seeds of mangrove plants, which the Authority has succeeded in cultivating since 2018 through cooperation between the two sides. He explained that during the visit, Kuwait was provided with 2,000 seeds of mangrove plants, which were collected and provided by the Environment Agency of Oman during this season to be transported and cultivated in the Jahra Reserve.

They also visited the Qurm Reserve in Muscat and met the Head of the Wetland Environments Department, Bader Al-Busaidi. Qurm Reserve was declared a nature reserve in 1975 and is the first site registered in the Ramsar Wetland Convention, with a total area of 104.5775 hectares. Al-Zaidan pointed out that the Omani Qurm Reserve consists of natural forests in which there is one species of natural mangrove trees — the only Avicenna Marina that has the ability to adapt to the climatic situation of the environment there.

Namaa organizes a volunteer trip to Syrian refugees and Palestinian families in Jordan.

Namaa Charitable Center for Volunteer Work, in cooperation with the "Promising Volunteer" team, organized a volunteer trip aimed at supporting Syrian refugees in camps and needy Palestinian families in Jordan. This trip is part of the training program organized by Namaa Charitable Center for participants in the "Promising Volunteer" project. The trip is a practical part of the training program that allows young people in this age group to engage in humanitarian work by enhancing the values of volunteering, giving, participation, and social responsibility. The trip included volunteers between the ages of 14 and 17.

In this regard, Abeer Youssef Al-Hajras, the Director of Volunteer Work at Namaa Charitable Center in the Social Reform Association, said: The program started with a visit to the Kuwaiti Embassy in Jordan, where the Kuwaiti Ambassador warmly welcomed the Namaa Charitable delegation and the "Promising Volunteer" team. This visit confirms the role of official bodies, represented by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Affairs, in supporting charitable and humanitarian work and embodies their continuous commitment to enhancing human relations and assisting in alleviating the suffering of needy people.

Al-Hajras added that 200 food baskets were distributed to families in camps and shelters, and 100 outfits were provided to students with special needs, as well as assistance was provided to Palestinian families to meet their basic needs.

Al-Hajras affirmed Namaa Charitable Center's ongoing commitment to supporting needy communities and promoting volunteerism among youth. These trips aim to raise social awareness among students and motivate them to contribute to improving the conditions of weak communities.

Al-Hajras explained that Namaa Charitable Center for Volunteer Work aims to attract volunteers and organize volunteering efforts in various fields. The center aims to motivate youth to actively participate in volunteer work and provide opportunities for them to help the needy and contribute to building a supportive community.

Al-Hajras said: Volunteering is a fundamental pillar in building a conscious and cohesive society. At Namaa Charitable Center for Volunteer Work, we strive to motivate youth to participate in volunteer work and facilitate all matters for them by providing training, guidance, and necessary support. We believe that young people are the driving force for positive change, and we seek to attract them to participate in our various volunteer initiatives.

Participants in the trip expressed their happiness with the opportunity to participate in this humanitarian initiative, stating that the experience was inspiring and strengthened their sense of responsibility towards others.

The Kuwaiti civil society demands continued international pressure to stop the brutal aggression on Gaza

Kuwaiti civil society institutions issued a press statement on the occasion of the 300 days since the Zionist occupation's aggression on Gaza, stating:

For 300 days, the Zionist aggression continues its brutal extermination and torture of Palestinian prisoners in its jails and detention centers, especially the daily massacres against the people of Gaza; children, women, and elders, since last October 7th. The brutality has resulted in more than 39,500 martyrs, including 16,200 children and 10,900 women. The aggression continues to escalate this brutality and its colonial settler project, disregarding international systems and human rights institutions, and any principles of humanity! The incident of terrorism and silencing the voice advocating for justice, represented by the arrest of a preacher from Al-Aqsa Mosque, is another indication of the continuous brutality.

The destruction of all civilian infrastructure in Gaza, which has been under siege for years, continues at the hands of the military arsenal. Mosques, churches, and educational institutions have been targeted, with over 85% of schools and institutes being partially or completely damaged. Hospitals, shelters, water and sanitation networks are deliberately destroyed, and humanitarian aid is prevented from reaching those in need. This has worsened the crisis for hundreds of thousands of Gaza residents, leading to severe food insecurity, catastrophic health conditions, and the spread of infectious diseases.

Faced with these massacres and disasters, we call for and demand the following:

1- The international community, governments, international legal institutions, and Islamic organizations, especially the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to continue pressuring to stop this brutal aggression and to provide aid such as medicine and food as per the scale of these humanitarian disasters.

2- Arab, Islamic, and international medical institutions to launch successive and urgent medical campaigns to treat patients, transport critical cases outside of Gaza to medical facilities outside of Palestine for necessary medical care.

3- Kuwait's efforts in relief and medical campaigns, facilitating the reception of wounded and critically ill individuals from Gaza, to demonstrate humanitarian solidarity.

4- Intensifying and coordinating media efforts across all available channels to declare solidarity and support for the people of Gaza, countering the cheap media propaganda defending the crimes, massacres, and terrorism of the Zionists.

5- The initiative of all Kuwaiti popular institutions and civil gatherings is to carry out a series of events, projects, and continuous efforts, each according to its field and audience, to sustain solidarity, support, and advocacy for our people in Gaza and Palestine. We stand by them in Kuwait and will not forget them or disappoint them. May mercy be upon our righteous martyrs, relief be near for our steadfast prisoners, healing for our wounded, and freedom and victory for Gaza and Palestine.

NAMAA implemented the "Alms Bank" project in cooperation with the General Secretariat of Endowments

 Through this project, NAMAA aimed to contribute to community development, meet various needs in different areas, and support various groups, in line with the conditions set by the endowers to activate the role of endowments in community development and meet the needs of the needy.

Waleed Al-Bassam, Director of Operations and Empowerment at NAMA Charitable Organization, stated that the Alms Bank project is one of the endowment projects that the General Secretariat of Endowments has been offering annually in Kuwait. It aims to achieve the United Nations' goal of eradicating poverty and providing good health to address living conditions within Kuwait, and work towards achieving social solidarity and compassion in Kuwaiti society, and establish partnerships between government and civil institutions to achieve humanitarian goals.

163 beneficiaries from needy families registered with NAMA benefited from the project, including 72 beneficiaries from the Zakat bank, 52 from the widows' bank, and 39 from the medical students' bank.

Al-Bassam added that NAMA aims, through this bank, to support needy families, alleviate financial burdens, support their life, health, and education needs, provide necessary solutions to improve living standards, help needy families within Kuwait, alleviate their burdens, meet their needs, and emphasize the importance of compassion and solidarity which the people of Kuwait are committed to in assisting and empowering the needy.

The targeted groups for this project are low-income earners, widows, divorcees, and families registered with NAMA Charitable Organization. This project is a translation of the noble directives to enhance charitable and humanitarian work and meet the needs of families internally, as a step towards regional and international expansion, confirming Kuwait's embrace of these initiatives as a confirmation of its continued approach to serving humanitarian causes around the world as a center for humanitarian work.

He further stated that NAMA continues to work towards achieving its strategic vision aimed at activating the role of social partnership with civil society institutions, government and private charitable institutions, indicating that coordination and cooperation between donors and implementers is necessary to achieve the best results in the best ways.

Israel's savage war and genocide, carried out by occupation forces against Palestinian families, civilians, and displaced people in Gaza, have been ongoing for 306 consecutive days, coinciding with continued bombings and targeting of inhabited homes and the commission of new massacres.

39,653 Martyrs

The death toll of the Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 7, 2023, has risen to 39,653 martyrs, in addition to 91,535 injured with varying degrees of injuries, including serious and very serious ones, according to the daily report of the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Latest field developments...

Local sources reported that Sheikh Zayed Towers and its surroundings, Beit Hanoun, and Al-Manshiya in Beit Lahia in the north of the Gaza Strip witnessed a new wave of displacement after threats by the occupation army.

Three martyrs

Three martyrs and several civilian citizens were killed after targeting a residential apartment of the "Hamada" family in front of Yafa School in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood in east Gaza City. The martyrs are: Alaa Ahmed Hamada, his son Mohammed, and Ms. Sabhia Nayef Al-Ashi.

On Wednesday dawn, Israeli warplanes struck near the Al-Ta'aleem roundabout in northern Gaza Strip.

In Rafah city, the occupation military operation, which has entered its fourth month, is still ongoing.

Extensive destruction

Satellite images showed extensive destruction in the city from which around one million displaced residents left in mid-May last year.

Eleven citizens were martyred in the past twenty-four hours as they tried to return to their homes in the west and central parts of the city.

The occupation army announced the closure of the humanitarian route inside Rafah for several hours due to intensified bombing within the city.

In Khan Yunis, the occupation army continues to force residents of the southern neighborhoods to evacuate under the impact of the bombing.

4 from the Abu Sa'ada family martyred

Four citizens from the Abu Sa'ada family were martyred in a shelling that targeted the tent they lived in the Zana area east of the city, while a female citizen was martyred and six others were injured in a shelling that targeted the Al-Atar area southwest of the city.

A number of citizens were injured this Wednesday morning as a result of the occupation's bombing of a group of civilians near the Al-Matahen intersection south of Deir Al-Balah, in central Gaza Strip.

The occupation artillery shelled areas east of Al-Bureij camp, targeted the north of Al-Nuseirat camp, in central Gaza Strip.

Shelling the surroundings of Wadi Gaza Bridge

The occupation warships shelled the surroundings of Wadi Gaza Bridge northwest of Al-Nuseirat camp, in central Gaza Strip, simultaneously with artillery shelling targeting east of Beit Lahia in the north of the Strip.

On the health situation front, the municipality of Gaza City warned against the accumulation of a large amount of waste, indicating that over 100,000 tons of rubbish have piled up in Gaza City alone.

It pointed out to the overflowing of sewage water in the streets and the severe shortage of water, confirming that all of this could worsen the humanitarian situation and increase the spread of diseases and epidemics.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that the "Israeli" occupation has committed three massacres against families in the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, resulting in 30 martyrs and 66 injuries being taken to hospitals.

The Ministry also indicated that the death toll from the "Israeli" genocide war has reached 39,653 martyrs and 91,535 injuries since October 7, 2023.

Since Tuesday, August 6th, the occupation has continued its genocide war on Gaza, resulting in more casualties, including children, on the 305th day of the ongoing aggression since October 7th.

Media sources reported that Israeli military vehicles infiltrated the city of Zahraa northwest of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, under heavy gunfire cover. The occupation's artillery also targeted several homes in the camp without causing any injuries.

In the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, a Palestinian was martyred and another was injured due to Israeli shelling. Eyewitnesses reported that an Israeli vehicle targeted a group of Palestinians near the Khalid Mosque in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood west of Rafah, resulting in the martyrdom of one Palestinian and the injury of another.

The occupation forces also targeted a house at the Maghrebi junction on Thalateeni Street in Gaza City, injuring a number of Palestinians, including children, who were taken to the Al-Mu’amarani Hospital in the city.

The Civil Defense in Gaza reported retrieving the bodies of two martyrs and six wounded, including children, following the shelling of an apartment at the Maghrebi junction on Thalateeni Street in southern Gaza. Several Palestinians, including children, were also wounded in the shelling of two residential apartments in the Sabra neighborhood in the city.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian resistance continued to confront the occupation forces, with the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announcing the completion of a successful ambush targeting enemy vehicles on George Street east of Rafah.

The al-Qassam Brigades managed to destroy a Merkava tank while withdrawing a disabled personnel carrier from the ambush site. They also destroyed two Namer personnel carriers with a martyrdom operation device and two Yassin 105 shells before targeting two more Merkava tanks with a ground charge and a Yassin 105 shell at the same location. They noted the helicopter landing for evacuation and the continuation of clashes to this day.

In another development, the Al-Qassam Brigades announced the shelling of the headquarters of the Israeli occupation army in the Natzarim axis with short-range 114mm "Rajoum" missiles.

Additionally, the Al-Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, announced the downing of an Israeli "EVO MAX 4T" type drone while carrying out intelligence missions in the eastern airspace of Gaza.