“Israel Just Lost a War” - Times of Israel Declaring a Clear Victory for Hamas and a Significant Loss for “Israel”

20 January 2025

Several Agencies

"The Times of Israel" has published an article titled: "For the First Time, Israel Just Lost a War" - arguing that the recent ceasefire agreement was a clear victory for Hamas and a significant loss for “Israel”.

The article describes this as a shift in "Israel's" military history, noting that the country has traditionally emerged victorious in wars such as those in 1948, 1967, and 1973. However, it argues that this pattern has now changed.

Hamas' gains from the aggression

The article outlines several ways in which Hamas has benefited from the aggression:

Shifting global opinion – The aggression turned international sentiment against “Israel”.

Securing prisoner releases – Hamas negotiated the release of hundreds of Palestinian detainees, including those serving life sentences.

Leadership resilience – While some Hamas leaders were killed, replacements are already in place.

Military rebuilding – Reports indicate Hamas has been rearming, with its fighting force in Gaza now numbering around 12,000.

Forcing “Israeli” concessions – The war demonstrated “Israel’s” willingness to make significant concessions for minimal returns.

Justifying October 7 – Hamas can now claim that its actions resulted in major gains, with “Israel” emerging weaker than before.

The value of captives – The aggression reinforced that captive-taking yields significant leverage.

Financial aid for Gaza – Despite the devastation, the international community is expected to provide billions in reconstruction funds, some of which may benefit Hamas.

Maintaining control over Gaza – Hamas remains in power, and UNRWA will continue operating as before.

Straining US-” Israel” relations – The aggression has created a rift between “Israel” and its key ally, the United States.

Limited captives release – In the initial phase of the deal, only 33 captives will be freed, with Hamas retaining roughly 30 more, some of whom may already be dead.

“Israeli” war objectives unmet – “Israel” had initially vowed to eliminate Hamas in Gaza but failed to do so.

War crimes with impunity – According to the article, Hamas carried out war crimes on October 7 and continued launching thousands of missiles at “Israel”, each a violation of international law.

“Israel’s” heavy losses – Over 400 “Israeli” soldiers have been killed since the war began.

“Israel's” national debt Debt has surged, and its economy has shrunk by an estimated 20 percent due to the conflict.

Ongoing regional threats – While the aggression in Gaza may pause, “Israel” still faces threats from Iran and West Bank-based Hamas factions.

Withdrawal from Gaza – “Israel” will begin pulling back its forces, and—for now—the fighting will stop.

What “Israel” gained

The article bluntly states that “Israel” has gained "almost nothing" that it didn’t already have before October 7, 2023.
 

Hamas Gaza Interior Ministry to deploy forces across region as ceasefire begins

20 January 2025

Several Agencies

The Ministry of Interior and National Security in Gaza announced on Saturday that its forces will begin deploying across the Gaza Strip on Sunday in line with the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, Anadolu Agency reports.

In a statement, the ministry confirmed that the Interior Ministry forces, under the administration of the Palestinian group Hamas, will spread throughout Gaza provinces and begin their duties in service of the people as soon as the ceasefire takes effect.

The ministry emphasized that despite the severe toll, the ongoing war had taken on its leadership and personnel, it remained “steadfast in its efforts to prevent chaos and preserve the resilience of the population in the face of Israeli aggression.”

It also urged the public to follow future instructions and guidelines from the relevant authorities in the coming days.

Qatar announced a three-phase ceasefire agreement on Wednesday to end over 15 months of deadly Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip with the ceasefire set to take effect on Sunday at 0630GMT.

Nearly 46,900 Palestinians, mostly women and children were killed and more than 110,600 injured in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, according to local health authorities.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

Hamas says Israel failed to achieve war goals in Gaza

The Palestinian group Hamas announced on Saturday that Israel has failed to achieve its objectives in its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, Anadolu Agency reports.

In a statement following the Israeli government’s approval of the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement, Hamas said: “The occupation failed to achieve its aggressive goals and succeeded only in committing war crimes that shame humanity.”

The group emphasized that “the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation (by Palestinian factions on Oct. 7, 2023) demonstrated the unity between Palestinians and their resistance and broke the arrogance of the enemy.”

“We forced the occupation to stop its aggression against our people and withdraw despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempts to prolong the war and commit further massacres,” it added.

“The crimes committed by enemy leaders and soldiers will be prosecuted, no matter how long it takes,” vowed Hamas.

The group also highlighted that its “duty now is to immediately begin providing relief, sheltering our people, healing their wounds, bringing back displaced families, and rebuilding.”

Qatar announced a three-phase ceasefire agreement on Wednesday to end more than 15 months of deadly Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip with the ceasefire set to take effect on Sunday at 0630GMT.

Nearly 47,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed and more than 110,700 injured in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, according to local health authorities.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
 

Hamas Qassam Brigades announces names of 3 Israeli captives to be released on first day of the ceasefire

20 January 2025

Several Agencies

The Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas Movement, has delivered the names of the three Israeli female captives to be released on Sunday on the first day of the ceasefire deal in Gaza.

It named them as follows:
1- Romi Gonen (24)
2- Emily Damari (28)
3- Doron Steinbrecher (31)

Well informed sources, meanwhile, said that Hamas asked mediators for a stoppage of Israeli drone overflights in accordance with the ceasefire deal to enable the release of the captives.

Prisoner exchange lists to be released before each swap: Gaza’s Prisoners Media Office

The Gaza-based Prisoners Media Office announced on Saturday that the lists of Palestinian prisoners scheduled for release as part of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal will be published before each exchange day following an agreed-on mechanism with the Israeli side, Anadolu Agency reports.

The office clarified that the Israeli publication of the list for the first phase of the prisoner exchange is an action solely related to the Israeli authorities.

It added that the release mechanism is connected to the number of prisoners to be freed and the categories they fall into. This process will continue throughout the first phase of the agreement, which lasts 42 days.

The office said: “The lists will be published before each exchange day, according to the mechanism agreed upon in the ceasefire terms.”

Earlier on Saturday, the Qatari Foreign Ministry announced that the ceasefire in Gaza would go into effect at 8.30 a.m. local time (0630GMT) on Sunday.

Israel’s Justice Ministry published a list of 735 Palestinian prisoners to be released, in addition to a previous list containing 95 names.

However, Thaer Shreith, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Commission of Detainees’ Affairs, pointed out that the initial list contained errors, such as the inclusion of names of previously released female prisoners and the omission of full details for 10 other prisoners.

Shreith urged the mediators from Qatar and Egypt to address these Israeli discrepancies emphasizing that the Israeli authorities should not be allowed to create confusion among the Palestinian public or the families of the prisoners.

Qatar announced a three-phase ceasefire agreement on Wednesday to end more than 15 months of deadly Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip with the ceasefire set to take effect on Sunday.

Nearly 46,900 Palestinians, mostly women and children, were killed and more than 110,600 injured in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, according to local health authorities.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

Hamas: “Al-Aqsa Flood” brought our people closer to liberation and return

The Hamas Movement has said that “al-Aqsa Flood” battle has embodied the unity of the Palestinian people and their resistance and brought them closer to the achievement of their aspirations for liberation and return.

“We have forced the occupation to stop its aggression against our people and start withdrawing [from Gaza] despite Netanyahu’s attempts to prolong the war and commit more massacres,” Hamas said in a statement on Saturday.

“The occupation has failed to achieve its aggressive goals, and only succeeded in committing appalling war crimes,” Hamas added.

“The blood of our people, who were martyred in the genocidal war, will not go in vain and will not be forgotten. The enemy’s leaders and soldiers will be held accountable and prosecuted no matter how long it will take,” the Movement stressed.

The Movement affirmed its priorities are to work immediately on ending the siege, providing relief and shelter for its people, healing their wounds, helping the displaced to return to their areas, and reconstructing Gaza.
 

Erdoğan hails Palestinian resilience in face of Israeli genocide

20 January 2025

By Daily Sabah with Agencie

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan praised the resistance of Palestinian people in the face of Israel's genocidal attacks, as he spoke in a joint news conference with his Mongolian counterpart Ukhnaa Khurelsukh in the capital Ankara on Thursday.

Erdoğan said Palestinians did not give up their resistance despite Israel's genocide, which claimed almost 50,000 lives in Gaza.

"Despite losing more than 50,000 martyrs, mostly women and children, Gaza did not surrender, could not be subdued, and Gazans did not bow down to the oppressors," Erdoğan stressed.

"As an alliance of humanity, we must work harder, especially from this point on, to ensure adherence to the cease-fire, and to heal the wounds in Gaza," the president added.

Erdoğan noted that permanent peace in the Middle East is only possible with the establishment of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

He called on the international community to uphold its obligations to the people of Gaza.

"The Israeli government must not be allowed to violate the cease-fire," said Erdoğan and added:

The world "must fulfill its legal and moral responsibilities toward Gazans."
 

Casualties, including martyrs, in Gaza on first day of ceasefire

19 January 2025

Several Agencies, MEMO

At least 23 Palestinian citizens were martyred and dozens were injured on Sunday morning as the Israeli occupation army continued to attack different areas of the Gaza on the first day of the ceasefire agreement.

According to media sources in Gaza, the Israeli army continued to launch artillery and aerial attacks on civilians after the ceasefire deal came into effect at 08:30 a.m., killing and injuring a number of people.

Meanwhile, spokesman for Gaza’s civil defense service Mahmoud Basal said that between 08:30 and 09:30, the Israeli army had killed nine civilians and injured 25 others in Gaza City and northern Gaza.

Another Israeli attack on civilians, who went to Gaza City to see their destroyed homes, claimed the lives of five of them, while casualties reported, including three martyrs, in an Israeli strike in Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza.

Other Israeli attacks on Rafah and Khan Yunis in southern Gaza also claimed the lives of more people and injured many others.

Earlier, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israeli army not to begin the ceasefire in Gaza at 08:30 a.m. until Hamas delivered the names of the captives to be released.

Later in the morning, Hamas’s armed wing al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obeida named, in a Telegram statement, the first three female captives set to be released today.

“Within the framework of the Al-Aqsa Flood prisoner swap deal, al-Qassam Brigades decided to release the Zionist captives: Romi Gonen (24), Emily Damari (28), and Doron Steinbrecher (31) on Sunday, January 19,” Abu Obeida said.

According to the Hebrew media, the Israeli government has received a list containing the names of those detainees from the mediators.

After Hamas named the three female slated for release on Sunday, Netanyahu’s office announced that the Gaza ceasefire will begin at 11:15 a.m. local time.

Four Palestinian kids injured by IOF gunfire in al-Khalil

Four Palestinian children suffered bullet injuries on Saturday evening when the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stormed Beit Ummar town in northern al-Khalil and opened fire at local youths.

According to local sources, the IOF intensively fired live ammunition, stun grenades and tear gas canisters during clashes with local youths in Beit Ummar town.

Three children were reportedly injured by IOF gunfire in their lower extremities and another kid suffered shrapnel wounds in his hand, while dozens of citizens suffered from their exposure to tear gas.

Local sources said that the wounded kids were rushed to hospitals in al-Khalil City.

In a separate incident, a Palestinian young man was injured in his leg by IOF gunfire in al-Bireh City.

Local sources said that Israeli soldiers at the entrance of Psagot settlement opened fire at a young man during his presence in Jabel at-Tawil neighborhood of the city, injuring him in his leg.

In eastern Ramallah, the IOF set up a road barrier and concrete blocks at the main entrance of Kafr Malik village.

The IOF also set up a checkpoint at the entrance of Sinjil town in the northeast of Ramallah and intercepted cars and citizens for security checks.

IOF raids were also reported in other areas of the West Bank on Saturday night, with no reported arrests.

Palestinian teen killed following alleged stabbing incident

One Israeli has been killed in a stabbing attack in central Tel Aviv, while Israeli media reported that other Israelis have been injured, and the resistance fighter who carried out the attack was martyred.

The Israeli occupation army radio said that three settlers were wounded in the incident, one of whom was seriously injured, while the resistance fighter who carried out that stabbing attack was shot dead by an armed settler who was present in the place, without further information being released.

For its part, the Israeli channel 14 revealed that the attacker was identified as 19-year-old Salah Yahya from Tulkarem.

Footage and pictures show that an Israeli gunman shot a young man believed to be the resistance fighter who carried out the Tel Aviv stabbing attack.

Yedioth Ahronoth also quoted the Israeli occupation police, as confirming that the resistance fighter tried to stab passersbys on Levontin Street in Tel Aviv, and that the Israeli occupation forces are combing the area.

The Israeli media initially suggested that a number of Israelis have been injured due to a shooting attack in Tel Aviv, before it has been made clear that the attack was a stabbing incident.
 

Palestinians will live in honor, Zionists in genocidal shame

19 January 2025

By Ihsan Aktaş

In the future, Zionists will be remembered as perpetrators of genocide in Gaza, while Palestinians will be celebrated as heroes for their resistance

One of the darkest genocides in human history has come and gone.

It feels as though we are witnessing a theater play on the stage of history or a movie unfolding in the flow of time – its script having begun and concluded.

Humanity has endured immense genocides, destruction and trauma. Many of these atrocities stem from European countries colonizing nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America, leading to widespread slavery and genocide – many of which remain largely unknown or forgotten today.

Throughout history, Jews have faced countless atrocities and injustices, including murders committed against them during the Middle Ages. They have endured marginalization, genocide, exile, occupation, confinement in ghettos and dehumanizing attitudes that described them as the devil, as germs or as the source of all earthly and ethereal evil.

Humanity has witnessed immense destruction and massacres throughout history, such as those under the Genghis Khan Empire. It has also endured the devastations of World War I and World War II. In World War II, despite efforts to adhere to the laws of war, an estimated 40 million lives were lost.

The history of mass genocides, particularly the Holocaust – the systematic genocide against the Jews carried out under Adolf Hitler – has left an unforgettable impact on humanity.

In order not to be subjected to such genocide again, the Jews made this genocide the center of their lives and enslaved all the states in the West by surrounding them like an octopus. Such a sentence might sound too assertive, but the nations globally have remained so silent in the face of the massacre and genocide in Gaza that some arguments and motives justify the above sentence 1,000 times over.

Fors and against

The United States delivered millions of tons of bombs to kill women and children in Gaza. Germany continued its support similarly. The Scandinavian countries, Spain and especially Ireland, opposed the issue at the state level. At the same time, the Republic of South Africa showed an extraordinary example of humanity and justice and filed a criminal case with the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Türkiye determined its position from the very first day. The strong leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, let alone accusing Hamas on behalf of the Israelis or the Western media, likened them to the “Kuvayi Milliye” protecting their land – the Turkish national militia forces composing the core of resistance in the early period of the Turkish War of Independence.

At this pivotal moment in history, Erdoğan exerted significant influence, as the wars today are through global psychological warfare besides being fought on the battlefield. Erdoğan's statement provided Hamas with an extraordinary psychological advantage.

Proud heroes of Gaza

History will record what we have already witnessed: the legendary resistance, heroism and patience of Gazans, their mothers who lost their children seeking refuge in God and asking for his help, and on the other hand, Israel's committing all the unimaginable crimes and massacres to human beings.

Tomorrow, both nations will walk the earth under the world's spotlight. Humanity will remember Gazans for their heroism, adherence to the laws of war, moral integrity, and ultimate sacrifice in defending their land.

In addition, except in Türkiye and a few Islamic countries, the dictatorial heads of state of some Islamic countries, who trembled with fear, did not support the protection of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. In a way, the Gazans were loyal to their covenant and became the flagbearers of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The genocidal Zionists will not forget the atrocities they committed. They will not forget the massacres, how they killed children and slaughtered babies. Jews globally, the Israeli soldiers and rulers will be traumatized through their entire future lives. Wherever they go, this shame will follow them like a ghost.

Genocidal psychology

When the Bosnia-Herzegovina War ended, one of the fellow warriors of Aliya Izetbegovic made a profoundly striking statement: “The Bosnian War is over. The Bosnians lost nearly 400,000 lives, but today, they stand as honorable people in the eyes of the world. The Serbs, on the other hand, are remembered as perpetrators of massacres and genocide – people who attacked their neighbors, those they had lived alongside in the same buildings for 40 years, even murdering their children. They now live in profound trauma, and many of them have taken their own lives.”

And the world will witness these two groups of people: The Palestinians will be remembered as among the most honorable and moral people on earth. The Zionists, on the other hand, will continue to be regarded as genocidal and among the most immoral people, along with their state and army.

About the author
İhsan Aktaş is Chairman of the Board of GENAR Research Company. He is an academic at the Department of Communication at Istanbul Medipol University.
 

UK parliament committee urges government to recognize Palestine

19 January 2025

Several Agencies

The UK Parliament International Development Committee urged the government on Friday to recognize a Palestinian state, including the necessary conditions to be fulfilled and a timeline outlining planned actions, Anadolu reports.

The committee issued a report on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, developments in the West Bank and displaced Palestinians.

“The Government must set out the steps it will take to recognise the state of Palestine, including conditions that need to be met and a timeline of planned actions,” it said.

The report said Israel’s response to Hamas’ attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, resulted in significant civilian casualties and the destruction of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure.

Pointing out that the decisions by international courts pointing to the risk of violations of international law in Gaza, the report said: “We believe that there is a plausible risk that Israel’s military campaign in Gaza may have included grave violations of international humanitarian law, which has given rise to accusations of genocide.”

It also underlined the need to recognize the Palestinian state to achieve lasting and sustainable peace in the region.

The report noted that 500 aid trucks are needed daily to meet Gaza’s humanitarian needs but the number has dropped to an average of 25.

It also highlighted alarming claims of drones targeting civilians following Israeli air strikes.

Addressing Israeli actions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, it stated that between Oct. 7, 2023, and Oct. 31, 2024, Israel demolished 1,800 structures belonging to Palestinians and killed 736 Palestinians in the same period.

The report included information about 1,722 Palestinians being displaced due to land seizures by Israelis during the stated dates.

It urged the UK government to do everything in its power to “ensure that Israel is held accountable for any ongoing breaches of international humanitarian law.”

Qatar, UK discuss ensuring full implementation of Gaza ceasefire deal

Qatar and the UK held discussions on Saturday regarding the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, including the prisoner exchange which is set to take effect Sunday morning, Anadolu reports.

The talks were held during a phone call between Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, according to the Qatar News Agency.

The two sides addressed measures to ensure the complete implementation of the ceasefire and the exchange of hostages and prisoners.

Sheikh Mohammed expressed Qatar’s hope that both parties would commit to the full execution of the agreement.

Nearly 47,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, were killed and more than 110,700 injured in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, according to local health authorities.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
 

Gaza Sunday morning: A glorious day of heroism, sacrifice, and resilience

19 January 2025

By Muhammad Jamil

As the ceasefire comes into effect today, Sunday, the people of Gaza will finally catch their breath and begin to heal their wounds after enduring more than 15 months of the most horrific genocide of the modern era. The world will come to realize that the figures published and the scenes broadcast during the massacre do not truly reflect the scale of the catastrophe; it is far larger and more horrifying than anyone can imagine.

The people of Gaza, who have lived through the horrors of war, had their homes destroyed over their heads, lost loved ones, been displaced, injured, uprooted, and starved, poured into the streets—young and old—dancing with joy as the news of the ceasefire agreement broke. This celebration of life is a testament to their spirit, despite the relentless killing and destruction they endured.

The people of Gaza have every right to celebrate and rejoice. The horrors they have faced are burdens too heavy for mountains to bear. They stood firm against the tons of bombs targeting them by land, sea, and air, aimed at eradicating every aspect of life in the truest sense of the word. The stories and images shared by the media represent just a fraction of what Gazans themselves—and the world—will uncover as the dust of war settles.

In a demonstration of the occupation’s brutality and utter disregard for the sanctity of life, it launched a campaign of indiscriminate bombing immediately after the ceasefire was announced. The strikes targeted shelters housing displaced people and every place where life still pulsed, resulting in dozens of martyrs and hundreds of injuries. This time, the aim was not only to continue the killing but also to extinguish the joy of the people of Gaza.

The true extent of the catastrophe that has befallen Gaza’s people, trees, and stones will become clear as tens of thousands of displaced people return to their cities and neighbourhoods, beginning the painful journey of searching for their destroyed homes and loved ones lost beneath the rubble, those separated during their flight, or those abducted by the occupation whose fates remain unknown.

A new chapter in the story of genocide will unfold, bearing the title: “The Catastrophic Consequences of Genocide,” which will vividly reanimate its horrifying details as if they were happening anew. The world, which stood by shamelessly, will learn horrifying truths about a tragedy it failed to act upon or even mitigate. Many will ask: how did the people of Gaza endure and persevere in this land inundated with thousands of tons of bombs?

The morning of the ceasefire marks a rebirth for Gaza’s residents, akin to life emerging against all odds. It is a magnificent day that chronicles patience, resilience, and defiance. They confronted death that surrounded them from all directions—land, sea, and air. They did not surrender but clung to life, undeterred by betrayal from allies and treachery from those who should have stood by them.

Sunday morning will be recorded in history as a testament to heroism, sacrifice, and resilience against the most ferocious war machine of the modern age. Supported by a pack of predators rallying their might to annihilate 2.5 million people under the guise of a so-called “victory.” But they failed. The spilled blood defeated their swords, exposing their barbarity. Gaza’s people have become a symbol of sacrifice, devotion, and steadfastness to their ancestral land.

There are those who begrudge the mention of Gaza’s victory after 15 months of massacre, measuring success only by the scale of human and material losses. Yes, the losses are immense, and every drop of blood spilled is precious. If Gaza’s people had a way to prevent the bloodshed, they would have taken it, for they hold life sacred. But the occupation, which glorifies the death of others and revels in ruin and destruction, left them no choice but to endure and resist to achieve victory.

Netanyahu, his army, and all the forces backing them—from the colonial West, led by the United States, to Arab normalizers—have been defeated. Their dreams and declared goals at the start of the aggression have been buried in Gaza’s sands. Those who supported Netanyahu among the Arab normalisers have been disappointed as well. Gaza remains the unyielding ember of revolution, disturbing their slumber and inspiring the region’s peoples with the essence of living in freedom and dignity.

Scenes of bombs obliterating entire neighbourhoods, flames consuming the bodies of victims—children, women, and men—shattered bodies, severed heads, and the cries of women and children beneath the rubble over 15 months were not enough for the Zionist administration of Biden and Western governments to take a firm stand against Netanyahu’s fascism and stop the genocide. On the contrary, they continued to support him, justify his crimes, and cast doubt on these atrocities.

Nor were these scenes sufficient to compel those who share religion, language, and Arab identity with Gaza’s people to sever or freeze diplomatic ties with the entity. Instead, they intensified their relations and normalization efforts. Credible reports spoke of a land corridor for transporting goods to the entity while Gaza’s people starved. Behind closed doors, they supported the genocide and advised Netanyahu to be patient in achieving his “victory.”

The killers and their backers planned to continue until Gaza was completely eradicated. But Gaza’s resilience, coupled with the upcoming inauguration of Trump and his threats, overturned all these calculations. This businessman, on a Saturday, trampled over them all and forced Netanyahu to accept a deal that had been on the table since May of last year. With his aggressive commercial mindset, Trump achieved what the seasoned politician Biden, submissive to Zionist lobby threats, could not.

Western media, complicit with the Zionist narrative, played a significant role in perpetuating the genocide. From the start, it echoed the Zionist story to justify the massacres, later casting doubt on the scale and nature of the occupation’s crimes. It eagerly wielded accusations of anti-Semitism to demonize anyone expressing solidarity with Gaza’s people, whether in the streets or online.

Without doubt, the malicious propaganda of Western media, reminiscent of Goebbels’ Nazi-era tactics, emboldened the occupation and greenlit its crimes, particularly the destruction and burning of hospitals, under the pretext that they were militant bases or held hostages. The occupation could not have committed most of these crimes if this media had adhered to the principles of journalistic integrity, which vanished entirely during the genocide.

Those angered by the ceasefire agreement include Abbas and his faction in Ramallah, who dismissed it as “ridiculous and worthless,” as it brought them no gains despite their substantial services to the occupation during the genocide. These included pursuing activists, protecting settlers, and even besieging Jenin refugee camp as the occupation does, while keeping the West Bank neutral throughout the genocide.

Remarkably, Abbas, who belittled the agreement, declared that “the authority is ready to impose its control over Gaza.” This absurd claim is unmatched, for no one in Gaza would allow these people to set foot on soil soaked with the blood of tens of thousands who sacrificed their lives to prevent occupation control. How could they let its collaborators achieve what they fought to stop?

Abbas should concern himself with his fate and that of his authority post-ceasefire. He should leave Gaza to its people, who know best about their affairs. The new American decision-makers and Netanyahu’s government are determined to dispense with this authority now that it has fulfilled its function, enabling the occupation to devour the West Bank through settlements. Such is the fate of traitors: abandoned by their people and discarded by their masters, their destiny echoes that of countless others throughout history.

We trust that Gaza’s people, with the support of the few sincere efforts surrounding them, can rebuild their lives. Gaza will pulse with life once more. The journey is long and arduous, but with the steadfast willpower demonstrated throughout the months of genocide, every obstacle can be overcome. It is our duty to extend them all the support we can muster, persist in aiding them on every front, and tirelessly pursue the perpetrators and accomplices of this genocide.
 

Far-right Israeli minister Ben-Gvir quits govt over Gaza deal

18 January 2025

By Daily Sabah with Agencies

Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir resigned Sunday in protest against the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, according to Israeli media reports.

Ben-Gvir's far-right, ultra-nationalist Otzma Yehudit party, which holds six seats in the 120-seat Knesset, will leave the governing coalition, according to the reports.

Ben-Gvir had long voiced resistance against a cease-fire deal with Hamas, threatening to exit the government.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing religious government will continue to hold a razor-thin majority in parliament despite the exit of Otzma Yehudi with 62 seats.

The premier would lose his majority, however, if Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has also vociferously opposed a cease-fire, were to follow suit.

His Religious Zionism party holds seven seats in the Knesset.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid has announced that he would be willing to provide Netanyahu with a "safety net" in parliament for a hostage deal in such a case.

Following months of stalemate in the 15-month Gaza war, a three-stage cease-fire agreement between Israel and Palestinian resistance group Hamas was brokered earlier this week.

The first phase of the deal had been expected to go into effect at 8:30 a.m. (06:30 a.m. GMT) but was delayed after the Israeli military accused Hamas of failing to provide the names of the three hostages set to be released first.

During an initial six-week pause to fighting, 33 Israeli hostages held in Gaza are set to be released in exchange for 1,904 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, while the Israeli army is to withdraw from densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip.

Gaza truce overcomes delay to finally stop 15-month genocidal war

Acease-fire in Gaza came into effect nearly 3 hours past the initial deadline after Israel accused Hamas of delay in naming hostages to be released Sunday.

Israel said the truce began at 11:15 a.m. local time. The announcement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office came after Hamas named the three female hostages set for release.

The resistance group's alleged delay led to the postponement of the cease-fire by more than two hours, with Israel saying earlier that it would keep fighting until the names were handed over in accordance with the agreement.

But there was no immediate comment from Israel after Hamas' armed wing posted the names of the three female hostages on social media.

Celebrations erupted across the war-ravaged territory, and some Palestinians began returning to their homes, even as the delay underscored the fragility of the agreement.

The deal sets in motion a long and uncertain process aimed at ultimately ending the genocidal war.
 

On the first day of the ceasefire: Life and hope despite the horrors of genocide

18 January 2025

Palestinian Information Center

After long suffering and one of the most horrific genocides in contemporary history, the Palestinians in Gaza await a new dawn that will end their pain and deep wounds. On Sunday morning, their hearts, before their eyes, look forward to the specified date for the start of the first phase of the ceasefire. There are hopes for a new life, despite the scars left by the war, and despite cautious optimism, the hope remains that the future will be freer and safer.

Since the announcement of the agreement for a ceasefire and the end of the genocide, the displaced have begun to plan for the first days after the war’s end, all hopeful that the coming days will erase their pain and deep wounds, knowing all too well that Palestine’s price is high—paid with blood.

I will return near my home

Citizen Mahmoud Al-Haddad, whose home was destroyed by the occupation during the major Israeli assault on Khan Yunis at the end of 2023, currently lives in a tent in the Mawasi of Khan Yunis. He confirmed to our reporter that he will remove his tent and take it to the site of his destroyed home in the Amal neighborhood to set it up there. He says he will not find a better place than his home, even if it is a pile of rubble. “It is security and safety, love and harmony,” he emphasized, stating he will not leave the place and will rebuild the house despite the occupation.

I will visit my martyr son’s grave

Meanwhile, citizen Ahmed Baris, whose home was also destroyed by the occupation and who lives under a collapsing roof in the Khan Yunis camp, says that on the first day of the ceasefire, he will go to his martyr son’s grave. He added that he has been deprived of visiting it, especially since the cemetery is in a dangerous area, repeatedly targeted by occupation planes. “I will recite Al-Fatiha for his pure soul and tell him how much I miss him.”

Finally, I will return home

Citizen Mahmoud Abu Teir confirmed that he will leave the Mawasi of Khan Yunis and will immediately go to check on his home in the eastern part of the city, where he lives near the border with the occupation. He says: “Since the start of the genocide, I have not seen my home, and I do not know what has happened to it, because the area is very remote and dangerous. But I will go there.” He expects that his house has suffered destruction due to its location. “Israel has destroyed everything, but it failed to take our dignity and humility.”

Journalist Yahya Salem said, “Tomorrow we will start the journey to search for more than 40 martyrs from our family who are still under the rubble since December 2023. Tomorrow, emotions will mix; the absent will return, and loved ones will depart.”

As for journalist Hani Al-Maghari, he stated that he will begin tomorrow the journey to search for the graves of his father, three brothers, a sister, and 16 other family members, including 8 children, all of whom were buried without anyone bidding them farewell.

It is expected that the ceasefire in Gaza will go into effect at 8:30 AM on Sunday, and a week later, the return of the displaced and the exchange of prisoners will commence, with planned stages.

Displaced residents of Gaza City and the north will begin returning to their areas from the south on the seventh day of the ceasefire, according to specific protocols.

Citizen Fadl Bseesa told our reporter that he will tear down the tent where he sold traditional foods in the Mawasi of Khan Yunis and will return to his usual shop in the Khan Yunis camp area to resume his work. He continues that he will tear down the tent, end the displacement, and return to the home that has suffered some damage, adding: “We will rebuild it.”
 

Israel admits huge losses resulting from attack on Gaza Strip

18 January 2025

Several Agencies

Israel has suffered losses of $67 billion as a result of its genocidal war on Gaza, it has revealed. These losses include $34 billion in direct military losses and $40 billion in losses to the general budget, the largest in the history of the occupation.

Some 60,000 companies also closed their doors over the past year, 50 per cent more compared to 2023, while the number of tourists decreased by 70 per cent, causing losses exceeding $5 billion for the tourism sector. In addition, the construction sector lost $4 billion, and more than 70 companies in this sector closed their doors.

Data showed that a third of the population of the Israeli occupation lives below the poverty line, while a quarter of the population suffers from food insecurity.

The disclosure of these figures came hours before a ceasefire agreement was reached with Gaza.

The Israeli Ministry of Finance announced that the occupation has incurred financial losses amounting to about 125 billion shekels (equivalent to $34.09 billion) since the outbreak of the war on the Gaza Strip on 7 October 2023.

The ministry said that the Israeli occupation recorded a budget deficit of 19.2 billion shekels ($5.2 billion) during the month of December, as a result of the increase in expenses related to financing the wars in Gaza and Lebanon.

It is worth noting that these figures represent the direct costs of the war, without taking into account the broader economic and social repercussions that affect various aspects of life in the Israeli occupation.

In this context, the Israeli economic newspaper Calcalist stated that the total cost of the war on the Gaza Strip may have reached about 250 billion shekels ($67.57 billion) by the end of 2024.

The newspaper based its estimates on data from the Bank of Israel, noting that this amount includes “direct security costs, large civilian expenses, in addition to losses in revenues,” stressing that these figures do not cover all financial aspects related to the war.

Calcalist said this reflects a failure in managing the war on the Strip, which requires “a significant increase in the Israeli Defence Ministry’s budget over the next decade.”

The newspaper added that this future budget will include purchasing more planes, helicopters and armoured personnel carriers, in addition to large quantities of weapons and ammunition, and investing in the human element, i.e. the Israeli soldier himself.

The newspaper said that “the failure of the Israeli army in the war on Gaza was not limited to financial losses only, but also included large human losses, with the number of dead and wounded rising, in addition to the suffering of the families and relatives of the wounded, who suffered psychological and mental effects as a result of this war.”

Poverty rate in Israel skyrockets following military offensive in Gaza

Israel’s military offensive in Gaza is having a profoundly negative impact on the country’s economy according to findings by the Alternative Poverty Report. The annual report uncovered growing socio-economic emergency and deepening of poverty since the launch of Israel’s costly assault on Gaza, widely considered to be a genocide.

According to the report’s data, Israel’s indiscriminate killing of Palestinians in Gaza has significantly damaged the income of 19.7 per cent of the Israeli public, with 45.5 per cent expressing fears of a further deterioration into economic hardship. Shockingly, 100 per cent of charities dedicated to supporting the poor have reported receiving no aid from the Israeli government since the start of the invasion, despite an increasing number of requests for assistance.

The alternative poverty line, representing the minimum cost of living, is defined as 5,107 shekels ( $1,401) per month for an individual and 12,938 shekels ($3,551) for a family consisting of two adults and two children. Disturbingly, 81.8 per cent of aid recipients are in debt, 85.1 per cent suffer from energy deficiency, 79.3 per cent have chronic diseases, 81.6 per cent of elderly recipients live in poverty and 31.5 per cent face severe food insecurity.

The report highlights the existence of a population segment not officially classified as poor under National Insurance but, in reality, lives in poverty. Families with per capita income above the poverty line but below the minimum living cost face challenges meeting essential living conditions, resulting in varying levels of poverty.

The report also reveals that 50.9 per cent of aid recipients reduced or abandoned meals due to financial constraints. Nearly 40 per cent reported that their children had to cut down on meal sizes or forgo one of their meals due to insufficient funds, leading to compromises in providing recommended nutrition for their children.

In response to economic hardships, 62.1 per cent reported a worsening economic situation over the past year. Additionally, 20.8 per cent expressed a high possibility of having to vacate their homes due to difficulties in paying rent or housing loans. The economic strain forced 66.2 per cent to refrain from repairing significant defects in their apartments.

Furthermore, 73 per cent of aid recipients stated that economic hardship compelled them to forgo purchasing basic study tools and textbooks for their children. The lack of financial resources resulted in 69.4 per cent of them not having access to a computer for their children’s educational needs. Similarly, 85.1 per cent had to give up supplementary courses, school activities, and trips due to financial constraints.

Among the elderly population receiving assistance, 81.6 per cent live in poverty, with 50.5 per cent experiencing extreme poverty. Disturbingly, 35.5 per cent suffer from serious food insecurity, and 64 per cent have given up purchasing medicines or seeking medical treatment due to financial constraints.

The report underscores the worsening economic hardship post the war on Gaza. Despite a 58.1 per cent increase in families requiring support, all charities reported not receiving any government assistance since the war’s outbreak. Less than a third of associations received aid from local authorities, pointing to a dire situation requiring immediate attention.
 

American Muslims Applaud Trump’s Pressure on Israel

18 January 2025

Sam Westrop, Anti-Muslim Jewish Writer

How Michigan Islamists Applauded Trump’s Pressure on Israel, Meet With FBI Director Nominee

The same day the ceasefire was announced, figures behind the CAIR-backed Abandon Biden campaign met with Kash Patel, Trump’s pick for FBI Director.

Prominent Islamist activists, in continued contact with Donald Trump and his most senior advisors since the election, have praised the president-elect for his role in reportedly forcing Israel into accepting a ceasefire.

News of the ceasefire particularly delighted Samraa Luqman, co-chair of the Abandon Biden campaign in Michigan.

Luqman told CBC news: “I’m thrilled that the one promise that President Trump made to me has actualized before he even got inaugurated. … If there’s anything I feel, it’s anger that Biden couldn’t have done this sooner himself and [offered] relief for the children of Gaza.”

Luqman, along with radical officials at the Islamist-run city of Hamtramck and Dearborn, were key to Trump’s successful appeal to Muslim voters in Michigan.

The Abandon Biden campaign is tied into America’s leading Islamist organizations. The initiative received backing from officials at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), as well as a variety of prominent Islamist imams and activists. In fact, as noted by Citizens for Confronting CAIR on Television, senior leaders of CAIR were involved in the effort from the very start.

Luqman’s own political candidacies have previously received the endorsement of the Islamist-aligned advocacy group Emgage, and enjoyed considerable attention on the social media pages of CAIR and its officials.

Luqman has now not only credited Donald Trump for the ceasefire, but disclosed that she and “Arab & Muslim leaders” had been in regular communication since the election with Richard Grenell, Trump’s nominee for “envoy for special missions.”

Most astonishingly, the same day the ceasefire was announced, Luqman and unnamed fellow activists claim to have met with Kash Patel, Trump’s pick for FBI Director.

The message from American Islamists who worked closely with the Trump campaign is presented clearly: Trump has kept his promise to restrain Israel, and is rewarding Muslim voters by imposing a ceasefire deal on Netanyahu.

CAIR leader Dawud Walid said of the ceasefire and Muslim support for Trump in November: “At least in the short term it seems like the calculation that the community made has paid dividends.”

Meanwhile, the “Imam’s Coalition for President Trump” released a statement in which they “commend[ed] the decisive efforts of President-elect Donald Trump and his team in securing a ceasefire in Gaza.”

Michigan imam Belal Alzuhiry, a key supporter of Trump, stated: “We were promised, and it was delivered. This moment stands for God and history. We worked to achieve it, and it was realized. Thank you to President Trump, who, by everyone’s agreement, was the one who pushed and insisted on a ceasefire. Thank you to him and his team, who fulfilled their promises to us!”

Imam Alzuhiry is an extremist, who seemingly declares and endorses claims that the Iranian regime and Shia Muslims are mere agents of the Jews. In October, upon receiving the imam’s endorsement, Trump apologized to Alzuhiry for his past comments about Yemenis as “terrorists.”

Some Islamists have gone further, posting ostensibly humorous cartoons implying Trump’s support for Islamism and jihadist causes.

A “meme” disseminated by a variety of Islamist, far-Right and far-Left social media accounts in the wake of ceasefire announcement

The head of the Muslims for Trump organization, Rabiul Chowdhury, appears to indicate that Trump and Hamas’s position are now aligned.

In the U.K, British Muslim outlet 5Pillars and its readers also welcomed Trump’s involvement in the ceasefire, with one comment appearing to praise the defeat of sinister Jewish influence: “Trump won the first battle against the unseen governing body in USA.”

Popular Facebook page “Muslims for America” described the ceasefire was “BROUGHT BY MAGA” and celebrated that American Muslim “votes paid up.”

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) “thanked President-Elect Trump for reportedly putting pressure on all parties, including Netanyahu, to reach a deal.”.

CAIR head, Nihad Awad, who was criticized by the Biden administration after he praised the October 7 attacks, issued a statement in which he “commend[ed] President-Elect @realDonaldTrump for pushing for a ceasefire deal and reportedly warning Netanyahu that Israel, too, would face consequences for continuing to refuse to make a deal.”

The U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), a Turkish regime-linked umbrella group of Islamist organizations and Hamas-aligned charities, also “recognize[d] President-Elect Trump’s reported role in pressuring Netanyahu to accept the ceasefire deal.”

Post-Election Coordination

Islamist activists in Michigan have credited Trump, his daughter Tiffany’s father-in-law Massad Boulos, Richard Grenell, activist Oubai Shahbandar, among other MAGA operatives for so successfully winning over Muslim votes in the state.

But Grenell in particular appears to have won particular admiration.

Two months before the election, Grenell organized attack ads that highlighted to Michigan Muslim voters that Kamala Harris was married to a Jew.

Despite being a second term president, Trump’s team, and Grenell in particular, have remained in touch with their Islamist deputies. Samraa Luqma has noted Grenell’s “continuing engagement and communication with grassroots Arab & Muslim leaders monthly since the election.”

Grenell has also continued to echo Islamist calls for the release of Imran Khan, the jailed former leader of Pakistan. These posts have led to significant coverage in Pakistan.

Imran Khan is a particularly important cause to South Asian Islamists in the U.S, such as the Jamaat-e-Islami-aligned group PAKPAC, which Grenell has embraced particularly closely. In October, PAKPAC endorsed Donald Trump’s candidacy.

Similarly, Amer Ghalib, the Salafi mayor of Hamtramck, Michigan, has continued to receive, months after the election, personal letters from Trump, praising his “contribution in achieve his historic victory. … President Trump doesn’t forget his supporters, and … is a man of principles.”

Ghalib accuses Arab leaders of being secret Jews, and he has endorsed descriptions of Jews as “monkeys” who levy taxes on “the air we breathe.” Under his watch, to celebrate the October 7 massacre, his city council renamed the town’s main street “Palestine Avenue.”

This week, the incoming administration announced that pro-Hezbollah imam, Husham Al-Husainy, would deliver the benediction at President Trump’s inauguration.
 

Gaza ceasefire: Palestinian resilience prevails in face of Israeli genocidal war

18 January 2025

By Sami Al-Arian

Following the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to destroy the Palestinian resistance group through a brutal war of extermination in Gaza.

He made it clear that there would be no red lines, no limits on the savagery and brutality employed against the people of Gaza.

Throughout this genocidal campaign, Netanyahu promised his citizens that only “continued military pressure until complete victory” would result in the release of all Israeli hostages.

Throughout the slaughter, Netanyahu repeatedly declared his intent to “defeat, crush, destroy, annihilate, end, and dismantle” Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and any other resistance groups.

He assured his people that Israel’s enemies would eventually surrender.

Yet, after 467 days of relentless Israeli destruction in Gaza, a tiny enclave of 365 sqkm that had already been suffering under a crippling Israeli siege for more than 16 years, Netanyahu told the families of hostages on 14 January 2025 that he was awaiting a positive response from Hamas regarding a deal to free the Israeli captives.

This stark contrast between his earlier rhetoric and current reality can be seen as an admission of defeat, especially for Netanyahu, who is now an indicted war criminal by the International Criminal Court.

Failed tactics

From the outset, Netanyahu set clear objectives that would allow him to declare “total victory” over Gaza and its fierce resistance.

He vowed to reduce Gaza to rubble, a task that was not difficult, given that the United States supplied Israel with $22bn in military aid over the last 15 months, providing the most advanced weapons to unleash on Gaza, Lebanon, and the broader region.

As a parting gift, the complicitous Biden administration requested an unprecedented additional $8bn in military aid to Israel from Congress.

Throughout the genocidal campaign, Netanyahu insisted that Hamas would not only be dismantled but also removed from any future role in Gaza.

He aimed to redraw the map of the Middle East and impose Israeli hegemony over the entire region. To achieve these objectives, the Israeli government, often in collaboration with the US, devised several plans.

After systematically destroying Gaza’s infrastructure, Israel initially attempted to force the mass evacuation or expulsion of Palestinians to the Sinai through indiscriminate bombings.

However, it failed to convince Egypt or any other country to accept the displaced Palestinians.

Efforts like building a pier to evacuate displaced people by sea or evacuating northern Gaza to consolidate Israel’s occupation – known as the Generals’ Plan – also failed.

The Israeli army stormed Rafah, causing massive destruction and casualties, built the Netzarim Crossing to divide Gaza into military zones, and occupied the Philadelphi Corridor along the border with Egypt, pledging never to withdraw.

Yet all of these tactics ultimately failed.

The current agreement calls for the dismantling of Netzarim, the safe return of evacuees to northern Gaza, and Israeli withdrawal from the border corridor.

As a result of the determined resilience and ferocious resistance, Netanyahu’s promises to free the Israeli captives through military means failed miserably. They often resulted in the killing or injury of the hostages.

‘Stupid wars’

The current agreement mirrors a framework Hamas had accepted in May and July of the previous year, which Israel rejected, and every failed negotiation since.

The major factor appears to be the intervention of Donald Trump, who recently won his second term.

During his campaign, Trump urged Netanyahu to “finish the job” by destroying Hamas and ending the war.

However, recognizing that such a goal was illusive and unattainable, Trump did not want to inherit a catastrophe in the Middle East that would distract from his domestic and international priorities – such as immigration, taxes, the rivalry with China, relations with Russia in the context of the Ukraine war, and trade deficits.

Trump understood that Netanyahu could not achieve any of his strategic goals.

He also was not interested in being dragged into what he calls “stupid wars”.

Wanting to end the conflict before even taking office, Trump threatened that “hell will break out” if hostages were not released before his inauguration on 20 January 2025.

Many observers assumed this was a warning to Hamas, although it’s unclear what more military pressure could be applied that Israel had not already used.

It appears that Trump’s newly appointed Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, leaned heavily on Netanyahu to seal the deal.

This agreement is essentially the same one that Netanyahu rejected multiple times, as acknowledged by Israeli Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, an extremist cabinet member and ally of Netanyahu.

Trump may have also offered Netanyahu a few carrots to abandon his unattainable Gaza war objectives. Whether these included a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia, endorsing Israel’s occupation of new Syrian territories following the overthrow of the Assad regime, or even authorizing a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities remains unclear.

Meanwhile, Bezalel Smotrich, Netanyahu’s other extremist ally and Israel’s finance minister in charge of the West Bank, has vowed to annex large portions of the West Bank – a position echoed by Trump during his presidential campaign.

This policy is also openly advocated by Miriam Adelson, a major donor to Trump, who has given over $100 million to his campaign, on top of $40 million donated by her and her late husband Sheldon Adelson in 2016, partly to secure Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Terms of the deal

While Netanyahu failed to achieve any of his strategic goals, Hamas and other resistance groups were resolute in theirs.

Throughout the war, Hamas maintained that it would not sign any agreement regardless of any military or political pressure unless five conditions were met: a permanent ceasefire and the end of the war; complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza; the delivery of substantial aid to Gaza’s suffering population and the evacuation of the wounded; the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Gaza; and an honourable prisoners’ exchange for the thousands of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons and detention centres turned torture chambers who are suffering terribly.

Since Israel has a history of exploiting vague language and loopholes, Hamas has insisted on concrete dates and maps, with the US and other mediators serving as guarantors

The current agreement fulfils all of these conditions. However, Hamas had always been concerned that the deal’s framework, to be implemented over three phases with 42 days each, might only see the first phase with the release of about one-third of the captives (primarily women, children under 19, and the elderly over 50), only for Israel to resume the genocide afterwards.

This is why Hamas has always insisted on guarantees from the mediators – mainly the US – to ensure that the war would not resume after the captives were freed. In the current deal, the US, along with Egypt and Qatar, has pledged to secure a permanent ceasefire after the release of all hostages, whether dead or alive.

The agreement also specifies firm dates for Israel’s full withdrawal.

Since Israel has a history of exploiting vague language and loopholes, Hamas has insisted on concrete dates and maps, with the US and other mediators serving as guarantors.

Furthermore, during the first phase, all residents of northern Gaza will be allowed to return to their neighborhoods unhindered and without Israeli inspections. In addition, the Israeli army will be required to redeploy to within 400-700 meters of the border, dismantle the Netzarim Crossing, and withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor – all conditions Netanyahu had previously rejected.

The agreement, which will take effect on 19 January, also calls for massive aid to start flowing to Gaza and for the Rafah crossing to be opened for the passage of people and goods. While tents, temporary shelters, electricity, and water will be delivered, full reconstruction will take place only after the third phase, when all dead bodies are exchanged.

In the first 12 weeks, as Israeli captives are released, thousands of Palestinian prisoners will also be freed.

Despite the immense Palestinian suffering over the past 15 months, the release of these prisoners will be a symbolic and substantive victory over the brutality of the Israeli genocidal campaign.

In exchange for the release of 33 Israeli civilians – mainly the young, sick, elderly, and female soldiers – thousands of Palestinians will also be freed.

It not only includes those whom Israel has arrested since 7 October 2023, but thousands more that have been detained by Israel, including all Palestinian women and children, about 250 Palestinians serving life sentences, and several hundred others with long sentences – many exceeding 15 years.

In total, more than 3,000 Palestinian prisoners are expected to be released in the first phase.

The second phase will involve further negotiations for the release of the remaining Israeli male soldiers, where the prisoner exchange ratio is expected to exceed 30:1 for civilians or 50:1 for Israeli female prisoners released in phase one. This ratio will likely increase with the release of most of the remaining 300 Palestinians languishing in Israeli prisons serving life sentences.

‘Cry for freedom’

There are certainly risks to such an agreement, especially when the military balance of power is so heavily skewed in Israel’s favor. But this is a risk that not only Palestinians but the entire world must bear.

If Israel resumes its genocidal war after its captives are freed, it will merely be another battle for freedom. The Gaza prison break on 7 October 2023 turned into an Israeli genocidal war, but this deal should now allow returning Gaza to another massive concentration camp or war zone.

In their struggle for freedom and self-determination, nations often pay great sacrifices, especially when the adversary is a settler-colonial power with a supremacist ideology determined to exterminate its opponents by all available means at its disposal.

But if one thing has been clear from over a century of Palestinian resistance, it’s this: despite the sacrifices, pain, and suffering, Palestinian resilience, steadfastness, and determination will ultimately overcome the arrogance and brutality of the enemy.

There is a famous saying, which Americans proudly repeat, by American patriot Patrick Henry, who, during the American Revolution in 1775, declared: “Give me liberty or give me death”.

The cry for freedom by the people of Gaza and all Palestinians is no less valuable, precious, or timely.

-Sami Al-Arian is the Director of the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) at Istanbul Zaim University. Originally from Palestine, he lived in the US for four decades (1975-2015) where he was a tenured academic, prominent speaker and human rights activist before relocating to Turkey. He is the author of several studies and books. His article appeared in the Middle East Eye.
 

Hamas: The mechanism for the release of Israeli captives depends on the number of Palestinian prisoners

18 January 2025

Several Agencies

Hamas said that the mechanism for the release of Israeli captives will depend on the number of Palestinian prisoners that the Israeli occupation authorities will release.

In a statement on Saturday, Hamas clarified that the lists of Palestinian prisoners will be published before each exchange day according to an agreed-upon mechanism within the terms of the ceasefire in Gaza, which was announced last Wednesday evening but which will go into effect tomorrow Sunday morning.

The Movement added that the time is now to “immediately begin lifting the siege, providing relief to our people, healing their wounds, facilitating the return of the displaced, and reconstruction.” It noted that the humanitarian aid protocol agreed upon under the supervision of mediators ensures procedures for relief, shelter, and reconstruction.

For its part, the Israeli occupation army announced on Saturday that it is preparing to implement the agreement for the return of Israeli captives as approved by the political level last night.

The army explained that the agreement will come into effect tomorrow, Sunday, at 8:30 AM, and that its forces will implement what it called the operational plan on the ground as agreed.

The Israeli Ministry of Justice announced earlier Saturday that 735 Palestinian prisoners will be released in exchange for the first batch of Israeli detainees, and published the names of 95 Palestinian prisoners who will be released during the first batch of the deal.
 

Who lost the Gaza war, Hamas or Netanyahu?

18 January 2025

By Motasem A Dalloul

At last, after 15 months of brutal attacks and committing unprecedented crimes, Israeli Occupation state agreed on a ceasefire without achieving any of its goals declared at the beginning of the genocide —destroying Hamas, liberating Israeli prisoners in Gaza and securing safe return for Zionist settlers to the settlements in the Gaza periphery.

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his fanatic entourage exerted their utmost efforts to destroy Gaza and kill its inhabitants in front of the whole world, using the most developed lethal weapons and threatening to even force them out of Gaza or exterminate them.

The United States and many other countries, including Western, Arab and Muslim countries such as Germany, France, Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia clearly backed the Israeli genocide in Gaza. Many of them took direct part in the war crimes.

After all of this, Netanyahu’s immoral army could not free except few number of Israeli prisoners. After 54 days of the genocide, he freed tens of them only through a deal with the Palestinian Resistance. Had Hamas insisted not to offer a goodwill gesture, they would not have been released.

This night, after 467 days of committing “livestream genocide”, Netanyahu got down on his knees and agreed to strike a deal with Hamas that guarantees the release of Israeli prisoners.

Referring to the text of the deal, it is clear that it met almost completely all the demands put by Hamas during the war, and it is very clear that even a single demand from Netanyahu’s has not been met. In addition to this, the Israeli Occupation plunged into swamps it did not expect at all. At the same time, a prediction by late Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Al Sinwar, was realized.

Netanyahu agreed to strike the ceasefire deal with Hamas. This point explodes Netanyahu’s goals as he had pledged to destroy Hamas but, in the end he found himself striking a deal with it. Even he, during the last 24 hours before Hamas’ announcement, his office along with the Americans were reported saying they were waiting for Hamas’ response.

All the Israeli politics along with Israel’s genocide sponsor were waiting for Hamas to decide. All their power and influence could not oblige Hamas to surrender and retreat.

The release of Israeli prisoners also is not the result of Netanyahu’s pogroms, but the result of Hamas’ agreement, and based on its own demands —the release of Palestinian prisoners, including those who have been in prison for decades and are convicted for life terms. The Israeli Occupation wanted these prisoners to die in prison, but they will be free, thanks to Hamas resilience.

Regarding Netanyahu’s third goal, it would not have been also realized without Hamas’ consent.

In addition to Netanyahu’s failure to achieve the goals of his genocide, he made of Israel a pariah state as its name has become synonymous with criminal and immoral people. Despite the unprecedented crackdown on hundreds of thousands of anti-Israel demonstrators in the largest Western and American cities, people continued their demonstrations.

Under popular pressure of financial and academic institutions have cut or promised to cut their relations with Israel. Netanyahu’s genocide in Gaza has opened the eyes of the American and Western people who recognized how much Zionists are deeply rooted in their political systems.

In an old recorded speech for Al Sinwar, he predicted that Israel is to become an isolated state. It seems that Netanyahu’s war crimes in Gaza fulfilled Al Sinwar’s prediction. Its PM and FM are wanted by the ICC, and Israeli soldiers are legally chased everywhere, mainly in the West. Many have, so far, fled secretly from different countries after they became wanted for detention.

Regardless of the number of deaths, wounded and the large scale destruction, what more is needed to prove that Hamas won the war? The indications of victory are not measured by the scale of sacrifices, but measured by which side accepts the conditions of the other. I see Israel’s Netanyahu has accepted Hamas conditions.

Some say that both Hamas and Netanyahu came under the pressure of the US President-elect, Donald Trump. I say: no, because Trump is Netanyahu’s friend and Netanyahu used Trump as leverage to his defeat when he told his partners, who had been against the deal, that they are going to get much strategic gains through Trump.

What pushed Netanyahu to accept the ceasefire deal is the miraculous Palestinian Resistance. Israeli soldiers on the ground said several times that they were fighting ghosts in Gaza.

Will Netanyahu respect the terms of the deal? I don’t know, but the Zionists, in general, are used to breaching every deal and the Americans are not a trusted party to be a guarantor of the deal, but if they returned to the war, the Palestinian Resistance is ready to be there.

-Motasem A Dalloul is MEMO’s correspondent in the Gaza Strip.
 

Erdogan: Gaza has not surrendered or bowed to oppressors

18 January 2025

Several Agencies

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has affirmed that the Gaza Strip has neither surrendered nor bowed, despite the loss of thousands of lives during Israeli attacks since 7 October 2023.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Erdogan said: “Despite the fall of over 50,000 martyrs, most of them children and women, Gaza did not surrender, nor was it brought under control, and its people did not bow to oppressors.”

“As a coalition for humanity, we need to work more earnestly, especially from now on, to ensure the ceasefire is respected and to help heal the wounds in Gaza.”

Erdogan underscored the urgent need to begin peace negotiations aimed at establishing an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

He also stressed the importance of preventing the Israeli occupation government from violating the ceasefire in Gaza. He called on the international community to uphold its legal and moral responsibilities towards the Palestinians in the region.

Israeli government must not be allowed to violate ceasefire: Turkiye President Erdogan

Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Thursday urged the international community to uphold its obligations to the people of Gaza, Anadolu Agency reports.

“The Israeli government must not be allowed to violate the ceasefire,” said Erdogan in a joint press conference with his Mongolian counterpart, Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, in the capital, Ankara.

The world “must fulfil its legal and moral responsibilities toward Gazans,” Erdogan said.

“Despite losing more than 50,000 martyrs, mostly women and children, Gaza did not surrender, could not be subdued, and Gazans did not bow down to the oppressors,” Erdogan stressed.

“As an alliance of humanity, we must work harder, especially from this point on, to ensure adherence to the ceasefire and to heal the wounds in Gaza,” Erdogan noted.

“Turkiye believes peace talks for an independent and sovereign Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital should begin as soon as possible,” Erdogan added.

Khurelsukh, for his part, expressed his country’s gratitude for “Turkiye’s efforts to establish peace on both global and regional scale”.

Earlier on Thursday, Erdogan received Khurelsukh at the Presidential Complex in the capital, Ankara.

The joint press conference came following one-on-one and delegation-level meetings.

Ukhnaa arrived in Turkiye on Wednesday for a five-day official visit.
 

Gaza teaches the world a lesson in resilience: Endurance amid the challenges of occupation

18 January 2025

By Adnan Hmidan

In the face of genocide, ethnic cleansing and a suffocating blockade, Gaza has demonstrated an extraordinary endurance that few could have anticipated. This resilience is not a chance occurrence but the outcome of the steadfastness of its people, their patience in the face of ongoing Israeli aggression, and their refusal to succumb to the occupation’s attempts to impose a new reality by force.

Over the course of 15 months of relentless bombardment and destruction, Gaza endured some of the most intense Israeli military campaigns aimed at breaking the spirit of its people. Yet, through patience and perseverance, the people of Gaza have endured these hardships, forcing a reassessment of Israeli strategies. As British journalist David Hearst pointed out, Israel found itself facing an unexpected reality, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failing to achieve his objectives and forced to abandon his “red lines” under internal and international pressure.

Israel’s failure to subdue Gaza

Israel’s strategy was based on swiftly quelling any resistance and securing a military victory that would reshape Gaza’s political landscape. However, the Palestinian people have shown that their endurance is stronger than any plans devised against them. The prolonged conflict turned into a war of attrition for the Israeli army, which faced significant losses. Gaza has become more than a besieged territory; it has emerged as a symbol of resilience and the capacity to endure and challenge oppressive forces.

The endurance demonstrated by Gaza is not a fleeting occurrence but the result of its sustained resistance to attempts by the occupation to break its will. This endurance highlights that, despite immense challenges, Gaza remains steadfast, asserting its rights and forcing the occupation to reconsider its strategies. Today, Gaza stands as a global symbol of resilience in the face of injustice and aggression.

Global solidarity movement: The echo of endurance

The solidarity movement seen in Britain and around the world is a reflection of Gaza’s patience and determination to confront the occupation. The marches and demonstrations in London and other cities are a testament to the global awareness of Gaza’s plight. This movement has played a role in exposing the occupation’s actions to the world, serving as an echo of the Palestinian people’s forbearance that has captured global attention.

What Gaza has accomplished is a testament to the endurance of the Palestinian people in the face of relentless aggression. This achievement was not merely the result of external support, but a product of Gaza’s people’s patience and resilience. It is a victory for Palestine that reignites the cause in the global conscience, countering efforts to marginalise it. Gaza has shown the world that the will of a people determined to persevere cannot be subdued, and that steadfastness in the face of injustice is a path to eventual freedom.
 

60,000 Palestinians attend Friday prayer at the Aqsa Mosque

18 January 2025

Palestinian Info Center

Tens of thousands of Palestinian worshipers performed Friday prayer at the Aqsa Mosque in Occupied Jerusalem, despite Israeli restrictions.

The Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem affirmed that around 60,000 Muslims performed the Friday prayer at the holy shrine.

A heavy contingent of Israeli police was deployed at the entrances, surroundings, and alleys of the city, as well as at the external gates of the Mosque.

The Israeli forces also arrested a young woman near Asbat Gate after preventing her from reaching the Mosque.

They also searched the bags of women before entering the Aqsa Mosque, checked the IDs of young men, and prevented a number of them from entering the holy site through Asbat Gate, coinciding with the Friday prayer.

Earlier Friday, a number of young men and women were forced to perform the Fajr prayers in the vicinity of Aqsa Mosque after being blocked from having access to the Mosque.

During the Friday sermon, the Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, welcomed the Gaza ceasefire deal that “will end the criminal war against our patient and steadfast people after thousands of them were killed, including children, women, elderly and men.”

“This resilient people chose to stay on their land despite all the challenges, hardships, disasters, fires, and flames,” he said.

81 Palestinian martyrs, 188 wounded in Gaza over the past 24 hours

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) committed 8 massacres in Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours killing 81 Palestinian citizens and injured 188 others, the Ministry of Health said in a statement on Thursday.

It added that the number of martyrs as a result of the ongoing Israeli war of genocide on Gaza since October 7, 2023, has reached 46,788 while the number of wounded has surged to 110,453.

The ministry said that unspecified numbers of victims are still buried under the rubble of bombed buildings or laying on roads and the civil defense and ambulance crews could not retrieve them.
 

With the announcement of the ceasefire: Mixed emotions and hope for a return to normal life

18 January 2025

Palestinian Info Center

In the first moments of the ceasefire agreement announcement, the mother of Tarek Abu Al-Ata broke down in tears, mourning her eldest son Tarek and his family, who were assassinated by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) in cold-blood on March 1st, 2024. Abu Al-Ata told our reporter that in those moments, she remembered her eldest son and his beautiful children, who were killed by the occupation. However, she emphasizes that these are decisive moments as they stop the bleeding that has lasted for 15 months.

The mother returned to crying, indicating that she hoped for the survival of her son’s family during these moments, adding that her son and his family sacrificed themselves for Palestine and that all her children are sacrifices for the occupied homeland.

As soon as the announcement of the ceasefire agreement, made on Wednesday evening, became public, the streets of war-torn Gaza were filled with jubilant people celebrating the closure of this painful chapter, with chants, songs, and Palestinian folklore sung joyfully by Gazans.

Meanwhile, Mahmoud Abu Huyshel felt mixed emotions, as the occupation army had destroyed his home and his brothers’ homes. He said, “The aggression will stop, the blood will cease, but the suffering will not end—the siege, the destroyed homes, and the painful reality.” Mahmoud added that his feelings were mixed between joy at the end of the war and the halt of extermination, and sadness at the separation from loved ones, the destruction of homes, and all the horrors that the Palestinian people have endured.

He continued, speaking patiently and with resilience, “None of this will be in vain; Palestine deserves all our sacrifices,” expressing his happiness that he is now just days away from his home in the al-Shati camp in Gaza City, even if it is destroyed.

He confirms that the brutal Israeli destruction and killing throughout the days of the extermination war will not weaken the Palestinians, who embrace the most sacred cause in history. In the shelters for the displaced, estimated at around two million Palestinians who have been displaced by the Israeli war machine, there were calls and wishes for the agreement to be final and sustainable. It took only a few minutes for the displaced people in those shelters, distributed across the various parts of the destroyed Gaza Strip, to start talking about returning to their homes and how to rebuild their lives amid the destruction left by the occupation’s aggression, not only in their possessions and living spaces.

Smiles were evident on the faces of children who witnessed a war unlike any other, a war that led to the martyrdom, loss, and injury of more than 166,000 Palestinians, about 72% of whom were children and women.

Abdul Karim Baris’s eyes glistened at the announcement of the ceasefire, confirming that he is waiting for the release of his son, who has been detained for a year, as the occupation arrested him during the large-scale invasion of Khan Yunis. Since the start of its ground operation in Gaza on October 27, 2023, the IOF has arrested thousands of Palestinians, including women, children, and health and civil defense workers, and released only a small number later, while the fate of others remains unknown.

Human rights organizations and Israeli media have revealed that Palestinian detainees from Gaza have been subjected to torture and medical neglect, leading to the deaths of many in Israeli detention centers. Baris said, “My feelings are mixed; we have lost homes and loved ones, and my eldest son is a prisoner in the occupation’s prisons. We do not know whether to rejoice or mourn.”

Similarly, Abir Murad expressed her mixed feelings between joy and tears, as she cried intensely for her brothers and uncles who perished in the midst of extermination. She stated that the ceasefire gives Gazans a chance to mourn deeply for what they have lost and for what has happened to them during the brutal extermination.

Residents of the Gaza Strip are awaiting the ceasefire to take effect after an Israeli war that lasted 16 months, during which the IOF destroyed various aspects of life, economic, social, and infrastructure, and exacerbated hunger, poverty, and unemployment. Throughout the war of extermination, the IOF systematically and unprecedentedly destroyed infrastructure, homes, hospitals, and institutions, in addition to killing and injuring over 155,000 Palestinians, deepening the Gazans’ sense of pain and tragedy that has been described by UN reports as the most severe in contemporary history.

Cameras captured tears of joy that many could not hold back, mixed with a profound hope to return to “life”. There were many poignant scenes depicting families crying tears of joy, embracing each other due to the psychological tension they had faced since the first day of the war that devastated Gaza and besieged its people to the point of facing famine.

The discussion of the “next day” does not seem limited to politicians alone; Palestinian citizens throughout the devastated Gaza Strip have been planning since the first moments of the ceasefire announcement for this “next day”—how to return to their areas and homes, if they are still standing or even if they are damaged. This indicates a strong desire and certain readiness to regain their lives that the occupation has deprived them of since October 2023.
 

WHO to deliver 500-600 aid trucks to Gaza daily after cease-fire

18 January 2025

By Anadolu Agency

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday said the target is getting 500-600 aid trucks into Gaza per day once the cease-fire takes effect.

"The key process starts on Sunday, and the U.N. and part of us (WHO) are very much planning to prioritize as much as possible. The target is to get between 500 and 600 trucks in per day over the coming weeks ... that will be a huge increase of the 40 to 50 what we have seen over the last month," Richard Peeperkorn, WHO representative for the West Bank and Gaza, said in response to Anadolu Agency's (AA) question.

Calling that such an increase would be "enormous," Peeperkorn said WHO will try to do its level best to get the priority items in "as quickly as possible."

He voiced hope for roots to be expanded so that good can be brought to the north and south of Gaza with the opening of closed border points.

The spokesperson also voiced concern about the security situation in the besieged enclave, saying it has to be addressed.

"It is critical that the significant security and political obstacles to delivering aid across Gaza are removed. We need rapid, unhindered and safe access and expedited flow of aid into and across Gaza," he said.

The key priorities will be food, water, medical supplies, fuel, as well as generator repair parts for hospitals, he said.

"There are so many needs which can be never addressed and being prioritized right now ... and hopefully it will be," he said but also added that agencies should be careful raising too many expectations.

In a follow-up question on whether any change in aid flow and WHO missions happened since the announcement of the cease-fire deal, he answered the situation is "the same."

"Currently, the aid moving into Gaza has been slow," he said, urging that it "should definitely" change over the coming weeks.

On Wednesday, Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced the success of mediators in reaching a cease-fire agreement in the Gaza Strip, noting that its implementation will begin this Sunday.

Peeperkorn also highlighted the devastating damage to the health system in the besieged enclave, urging a collaborative effort to meet the needs.

"Restoring the health system is a collective effort that must be guided by and executed in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the health workforce and partners. We need Palestinian-led solutions that work for Gaza," he said. "We urge donors and the global community to provide flexible funding, enabling swift and effective response to urgent and longer-term needs."

"Over $10 billion required to meet the needs of health system recovery," he underscored.

A conducive environment is required to achieve the humanitarian goals outlined in the cease-fire agreement, he noted.

He added that guaranteed, unrestricted and safe access to deliver essential supplies via all channels and crossings, a free, safe and unconditional movement for Gaza’s population and humanitarian, active protection of health care and civilians and an increased flow of aid is needed.

Additionally, he said, expedited visas for all international humanitarian staff with significantly longer durations, expedited medical evacuations for over 12,000 patients and their companions, lifted restrictions and streamlined approval processes for the entry of essential items needed to repair vital infrastructure and restoration work of health facilities, road repair, rubble removal and the remediation of unexploded ordnance are required.
 

Who lost the Gaza war, Hamas or Netanyahu?

18 January 2025

By Motasem A Dalloul

At last, after 15 months of brutal attacks and committing unprecedented crimes, Israeli Occupation state agreed on a ceasefire without achieving any of its goals declared at the beginning of the genocide —destroying Hamas, liberating Israeli prisoners in Gaza and securing safe return for Zionist settlers to the settlements in the Gaza periphery.

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his fanatic entourage exerted their utmost efforts to destroy Gaza and kill its inhabitants in front of the whole world, using the most developed lethal weapons and threatening to even force them out of Gaza or exterminate them.

The United States and many other countries, including Western, Arab and Muslim countries such as Germany, France, Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia clearly backed the Israeli genocide in Gaza. Many of them took direct part in the war crimes.

After all of this, Netanyahu’s immoral army could not free except few number of Israeli prisoners. After 54 days of the genocide, he freed tens of them only through a deal with the Palestinian Resistance. Had Hamas insisted not to offer a goodwill gesture, they would not have been released.

This night, after 467 days of committing“livestream genocide”, Netanyahu got down on his knees and agreed to strike a deal with Hamas that guarantees the release of Israeli prisoners.

Referring to the text of the deal, it is clear that it met almost completely all the demands put by Hamas during the war, and it is very clear that even a single demand from Netanyahu’s has not been met. In addition to this, the Israeli Occupation plunged into swamps it did not expect at all. At the same time, a prediction by late Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Al Sinwar, was realised.

Netanyahu agreed to strike the ceasefire deal with Hamas. This point explodes Netanyahu’s goals as he had pledged to destroy Hamas but, in the end he found himself striking a deal with it. Even he, during the last 24 hours before Hamas’ announcement, his office along with the Americans were reported saying they were waiting for Hamas’ response.

All the Israeli politics along with Israel’s genocide sponsor were waiting for Hamas to decide. All their power and influence could not oblige Hamas to surrender and retreat.

The release of Israeli prisoners also is not the result of Netanyahu’s pogroms, but the result of Hamas’ agreement, and based on its own demands —the release of Palestinian prisoners, including those who have been in prison for decades and are convicted for life terms. The Israeli Occupation wanted these prisoners to die in prison, but they will be free, thanks to Hamas resilience.

Regarding Netanyahu’s third goal, it would not have been also realised without Hamas’ consent.

In addition to Netanyahu’s failure to achieve the goals of his genocide, he made of Israel a pariah state as its name has become synonymous with criminal and immoral people. Despite the unprecedented crackdown on hundreds of thousands of anti-Israel demonstrators in the largest Western and American cities, people continued their demonstrations.

Under popular pressure of financial and academic institutions have cut or promised to cut their relations with Israel. Netanyahu’s genocide in Gaza has opened the eyes of the American and Western people who recognised how much Zionists are deeply rooted in their political systems.

In an old recorded speech for Al Sinwar, he predicted that Israel is to become an isolated state. It seems that Netanyahu’s war crimes in Gaza fulfilled Al Sinwar’s prediction. Its PM and FM are wanted by the ICC, and Israeli soldiers are legally chased everywhere, mainly in the West. Many have, so far, fled secretly from different countries after they became wanted for detention.

Regardless of the number of deaths, wounded and the large scale destruction, what more is needed to prove that Hamas won the war? The indications of victory are not measured by the scale of sacrifices, but measured by which side accepts the conditions of the other. I see Israel’s Netanyahu has accepted Hamas conditions.

Some say that both Hamas and Netanyahu came under the pressure of the US President-elect, Donald Trump. I say: no, because Trump is Netanyahu’s friend and Netanyahu used Trump as leverage to his defeat when he told his partners, who had been against the deal, that they are going to get much strategic gains through Trump.

What pushed Netanyahu to accept the ceasefire deal is the miraculous Palestinian Resistance. Israeli soldiers on the ground said several times that they were fighting ghosts in Gaza.

Will Netanyahu respect the terms of the deal? I don’t know, but the Zionists, in general, are used to breaching every deal and the Americans are not a trusted party to be a guarantor of the deal, but if they returned to the war, the Palestinian Resistance is ready to be there.
 

Egypt prepares to reopen Rafah crossing with Gaza amid blockade

17 January 2025

By Deutsche Presse-Agentur - DPA

Egypt is making final preparations to reopen the Rafah border crossing with Gaza, security sources confirmed Friday.

Preparations are being made on both sides of the border to pave the way for the trucks to enter easily into the Gaza Strip, in anticipation of its reopening, senior sources said.

The move aims to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian, medical and food aid to Gaza, the sources added.

Dozens of trucks carrying aid are already positioned on the Egyptian side, ready for immediate transfer once the crossing is operational.

On Wednesday and following more than 15 months of Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, Israel and the Palestinian resistance group Hamas agreed to a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and the release of more hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

The cease-fire was planned to take effect on Sunday, though it remained unclear whether this timeline could be met. It is initially set to last for 42 days.

During this time, 33 of the 98 hostages still held by Hamas are to be returned - though it is unclear how many of them are still alive.

In return, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners are expected to be released from Israeli jails.

Khaled Zayed, head of the Egyptian Red Crescent in North Sinai, confirmed to dpa that no humanitarian aid was sent through Kerem Shalom on Friday, which is still closed.

Israel's army had occupied the Rafah border crossing on the Palestinian side in May last year.

Following the announcement of a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) called for unrestricted access to deliver urgently needed food and aid to the region.

According to the WFP, about 80,000 tons of food is waiting outside Gaza or en route, which is enough to feed more than 1 million people for three months.

According to U.N. figures, more than 90% of the 2 million residents in the Gaza Strip are suffering from severe hunger due to Israel's blockade and attacks. There is also a lack of drinking water, emergency shelters and medicines.

Israel forced to accept Gaza ceasefire deal after ‘miserable failure’ - Yemen Houthis

Israel and the United States had to accept the Gaza ceasefire deal with Hamas after suffering “miserable failure” in their aggression against the Palestinians in Gaza, a senior leader of the Yemeni Houthi group said Thursday.

Abdel Salam Al-Houthi welcomed, in a televised speech, the ceasefire deal and described it as an important development, adding that the “Israeli and American enemy were forced to go to the agreement in Gaza after months of committing horrific crimes.

He also said that Hamas’s political position was “faithful” to the people’s and freedom fighters’ steadfastness and sacrifices in the field and elsewhere.

“The heroic scenes and the sacrifice of the Mujahideen brothers in the Gaza Strip are great, amazing and influence the enemy’s morale, “ he added.

Qatar announced, on Wednesday, a ceasefire agreement to end over 15 months of deadly Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, where more than 46,700 people, mostly women and children, have been killed and over 110,000 others injured since 7 October, 2023.

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said the 3-phase deal will come into effect on Sunday.

The deal includes a prisoner exchange and sustained calm, aiming for a permanent truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

The Israeli war on Gaza has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of many elderly people and children in one of the worst global humanitarian disasters ever.

In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
 

Israel intensifies Gaza strikes despite cease-fire deal with Hamas

17 January 2025

Daily Sabah with Agencies

Israel escalated attacks on Gaza Thursday, killing at least 70 Palestinians, hours after announcing a cease-fire and hostage release deal, Palestinian residents and officials reported, while mediators worked to maintain calm before the truce begins Sunday.

The complex cease-fire accord between Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza, emerged Wednesday after months of mediation by Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. and 15 months of bloodshed that devastated the coastal territory and inflamed the Middle East.

The deal outlines a six-week initial cease-fire with the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, where tens of thousands have been killed. Hostages taken by Hamas would be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel.

The Israeli military alleged a rocket was fired into Israel on Thursday, causing no casualties.

Israeli airstrikes continued throughout the night and early Thursday, killing at least 70 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.

At a news conference in Doha, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the cease-fire would take effect Sunday. Negotiators are working with Israel and Hamas on steps to implement the agreement, he said.

"This deal will halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much-needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their families after more than 15 months in captivity," U.S. President Joe Biden said in Washington.

His successor, Donald Trump, takes office on Monday and claimed credit for the breakthrough in Gaza.

Israel's acceptance of the deal will not be official until it is approved by the country's security cabinet and government, with votes slated for Thursday, an Israeli official said.

Despite opposition from some hardliners in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government, the accord was expected to win approval.

Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew told Reuters that significant progress was made in the negotiations once the Biden and Trump administrations began working hand-in-hand to make the case for urgency.

While people celebrated the pact in Gaza and Israel, Israel's military escalated attacks after the announcement, the civil emergency service and residents said.

Jubilation in Gaza

In social media posts, some Gaza residents urged Palestinians to exercise extra caution in the belief Israel could step up attacks in the next few days to maximize gains before the cease-fire starts.

Nevertheless, news of the cease-fire deal sparked jubilation in Gaza, where Palestinians have faced severe shortages of food, water, shelter and fuel. In Khan Younis, throngs clogged the streets amid the sounds of horns as they cheered, waved Palestinian flags and danced.

"I am happy. Yes, I am crying, but those are tears of joy," said Ghada, a displaced mother of five.

In Tel Aviv, families of Israeli hostages and their friends likewise welcomed the news, saying in a statement they felt "overwhelming joy and relief (about) the agreement to bring our loved ones home."

In a social media statement announcing the cease-fire, Hamas called the pact "an achievement for our people" and "a turning point."

If successful, the cease-fire will halt the war that has razed much of heavily urbanized Gaza, killed over 46,700 people and displaced most of the tiny enclave's pre-war population of 2.3 million, according to Gaza authorities.

That, in turn, could defuse tensions across the wider Middle East, where the war has stoked conflict in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq, and raised fears of all-out war between archfoes Israel and Iran.

With 98 Israeli hostages remaining in Gaza, phase one of the deal entails the release of 33 of them, including all women, children and men over 50. Two American hostages, Keith Siegel and Sagui Dekel-Chen, were among those to be released in the first phase, a source said.

Food lined up at Gaza borders

The agreement calls for a surge in humanitarian assistance to Gaza, and the U.N. and the International Committee of the Red Cross said they were preparing to scale up their aid operations.

Global reaction to the cease-fire was enthusiastic. Leaders and officials of Egypt, Türkiye, Britain, the United Nations, the European Union, Jordan, Germany and the United Arab Emirates, among others, celebrated the news.

Biden and Trump both claimed credit for the deal that was months in the making but was helped across the line by a Trump emissary.

Trump's Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff was in Qatar along with White House envoys for the talks, and a senior Biden administration official said Witkoff's presence was critical to reaching a deal after 96 hours of intense negotiations.

Biden said that the two teams had "been speaking as one."

Israeli hostage families expressed concern that the accord may not be fully implemented and some hostages may be left behind in Gaza.

Negotiations on implementing the second phase of the deal will begin by the 16th day of phase one, and this stage was expected to include the release of all remaining hostages, a permanent cease-fire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

The third stage is to address the return of all remaining dead bodies and the start of Gaza's reconstruction supervised by Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations.

If all goes smoothly, the Palestinians, Arab states and Israel must still agree on a vision for post-war Gaza, including the unanswered question of who will run Gaza after the war.
 

Amnesty: Gaza war nightmare does not end with ceasefire

17 January 2025

Several Agencies

The overdue ceasefire in the besieged Gaza Strip will not repair the lives of Palestinians shattered by Israel’s genocide, Amnesty International has said.

“The news that a ceasefire deal has been reached will bring some glimmer of relief to Palestinians victims of Israel’s genocide. But it is bitterly overdue,” the rights group’s Secretary General, Agnes Callamard, said yesterday.

“For Palestinians, who have endured more than 15 months of devastating and relentless bombardment, have been displaced from their homes repeatedly, and are struggling to survive in makeshift tents without food, water and basic supplies, the nightmare will not be over even if the bombs cease,” her statement said.

“For Palestinians who have lost countless loved ones; in many cases had their entire families wiped out or seen their homes reduced to rubble, an end to the fighting does not begin to repair their shattered lives or heal their trauma,” it added.

Callamard stressed that Israel’s “continuous and deliberate” denial and obstruction of humanitarian aid to Gaza has left civilians facing unprecedented levels of hunger where children have starved to death.

“The international community, which has thus far shamefully failed to persuade Israel to comply with its legal obligations, must ensure Israel immediately allows lifesaving supplies to urgently reach all parts of the occupied Gaza Strip to ensure the survival of the Palestinian population.”

The rights watchdog chief warned that unless Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza is promptly lifted, the Palestinians’ suffering will only continue and demanded Tel Aviv urgently grant access to independent human rights monitors into Gaza to uncover evidence and reveal the extent of violations.

Late on Wednesday, Qatar announced that Hamas and Israel had reached a ceasefire deal scheduled to go into effect on Sunday.

Israel has killed over 100 Palestinians since ceasefire announced

Israeli air strikes have killed 101 Palestinians since the announcement of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, according to an official tally today.

Spokesperson of Gaza’s Civil Defence service, Mahmoud Basal, said the latest attacks killed 31 women and 27 children.

The fatalities came after the announcement of a ceasefire deal on Wednesday, which is due to take effect on Sunday.

Basal confirmed that 82 of those killed were in Gaza’s northern governorates, while 16 were in the southern regions, including 14 in Khan Younis and two in Rafah. The remaining five were killed in the Central Governorate of Gaza.

The violence also left over 264 people injured, with the numbers expected to rise as attacks continue.

The deal includes a prisoner exchange and sustained calm, aiming for a permanent truce and the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Gaza.

GMO puts plan for displaced citizens’ return to central and northern Gaza

The director of the Government Media Office (GMO) in the Gaza Strip, Ismail Al-Thawabta, has announced a governmental plan to facilitate the return of the displaced citizens from central and southern Gaza Strip to their homes in various Gaza governorates and to the north of the Strip, once the ceasefire agreement comes into effect on Sunday, to end more than 15 months of the annihilation war against the people of the enclave.

He explained in press statements on Thursday, that the government plan will instruct the Palestinian displaced people on a daily basis to deal with the various stages of the ceasefire agreement before returning to their homes.

The government plan will be announced during the coming couple of days, and it will be accompanied by instructions and directives on a daily basis, he added.

Al-Thawabta called on the displaced citizens to adhere to government protocols and return via Al-Rashid coastal road in the west of the Gaza Strip, for safety purposes.

According to GMO statements, more than two million Palestinian citizens in the Strip were forced to relocate and face harsh living conditions in displacement schools, tents and even on the streets, amid scarcity of basic supplies like water and food and amid the spread of diseases.
 

HRW: Israel’s practices in Gaza amount to war crimes

17 January 2025

Palestinian Info Center

Human Rights Watch confirmed that the Israeli practices in the Gaza Strip amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, saying that US President Joe Biden’s administration adopts a “double standards” policy in dealing with Israel’s crimes.

The Israeli military killed, wounded, starved, and forcibly displaced Palestinian civilians in Gaza in 2024, and destroyed their homes, schools, hospitals, and infrastructure at a scale unprecedented in recent history, Human Rights Watch said in its World Report 2025.

“Tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza were killed and wounded. The military forcibly displaced Palestinians from their homes, a crime against humanity, and Israeli authorities deliberately deprived civilians of food, water, and other objects necessary for survival in Gaza, comprising atrocity crimes, acts of genocide, and mounting evidence of genocidal intent.”

For the 546-page world report, in its 35th edition, Human Rights Watch reviewed human rights practices in more than 100 countries. In much of the world, Executive Director Tirana Hassan writes in her introductory essay, governments cracked down and wrongfully arrested and imprisoned political opponents, activists, and journalists. Armed groups and government forces unlawfully killed civilians, drove many from their homes, and blocked access to humanitarian aid. In many of the more than 70 national elections in 2024, authoritarian leaders gained ground with their discriminatory rhetoric and policies.

“Israel’s decades-long systematic repression of Palestinians worsened dramatically and plunged civilians in Gaza into a horrifying abyss, but possibilities for international justice are emerging,” said Lama Fakih, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch.

“Continued weapons sales to Israel by its partners despite vast evidence of its unchecked atrocity crimes are putting those countries and officials at risk of direct complicity.”
 

Abu Obeida warns continuing Israeli aggression endangers Israeli captives

17 January 2025

Palestinian Info Center

Spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades Abu Obeida said that an Israeli strike had hit a place where one of the Israeli captives to be freed “in the first stage of the ceasefire deal was located.”

“Any aggression and shelling at this stage by the enemy could turn the freedom of a captive into a tragedy,” Abu Obeida said on Telegram, referring to the dozens of Israeli captives held in Gaza since the October 7, 2023.

Without offering details, Abu Obeida, spokesman for the armed wing, said an Israeli strike had hit a place where one of the women to be freed “in the first stage of the ceasefire deal was located.”

Earlier Wednesday, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani announced that Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement to halt the 15-month war in Gaza and exchange Israeli captives for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons.

He said the ceasefire would take effect on Sunday, January 19.

The agreement will be implemented over three stages, Sheikh Mohammed said. In an initial six-week phase, Israeli forces would gradually withdraw from central Gaza and Palestinians would be allowed to return to their homes in northern Gaza.

Hamas would release 33 Israeli captives over those six weeks, including all female soldiers and civilians, children and the elderly, he said.

Talks on the second phase would begin by the 16th day of the first phase, and are expected to include the release of the remaining captives and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the Reuters news agency reported, citing an official briefing on the negotiations.

A third phase was expected to include the return of dead bodies and the start of reconstruction in Gaza, Reuters reported.

The announcement came as the Israeli army continued its deadly attacks across the Gaza Strip.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Thursday that Israeli attacks since the start of the war have killed at least 46,788 Palestinians, up by 81 from a day earlier. The number of people wounded has also risen to at least 110,453 people, it said.
 

Israeli genocidal war on Gaza enters day 469

17 January 2025

Palestinian Info Center

In the midst of catastrophic humanitarian suffering for more than two million Palestinians — half of them children, the Israeli occupation army continued, for the 469th consecutive day, to pound and target different areas and massacre more civilians in the Gaza Strip, especially in the northern areas.

Reporters for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said on Friday that the Israeli occupation army carried out attacks on several homes, civilian targets and shelter centers in different areas of Gaza during the past 24 hours, killing and injuring dozens of citizens.

The Israeli army’s large-scale genocidal campaign in northern Gaza, especially in Jabalia and Beit Lahia, has been ongoing since October 5, 2024, where its forces continue to intensively bomb homes and shelters and attack civilians while imposing a tight siege on the entire area.

Deliberate Israeli attacks on ambulance and civil defense workers already deprived northern Gaza of any rescue services.

The Israeli forces continued to bomb north of the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, leaving at least nine people killed.

A young man succumbed to injuries he sustained a few days ago on Salah Al-Din Street.

The Israeli drones also launched an air raid on the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip.

The Israeli artillery carried out a bombing attack in the Saftawi area north of Gaza City.

Several Palestinians were killed and wounded in an Israeli attack on a house near the Sultan station on Jaffa Street, northeast of Gaza City.

The Israeli forces prevented civil ambulance crews from reaching the targeted house to retrieve the victims.

The Israeli forces launched an air raid on Block C in the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip.

The Israeli warplanes also targeted a house for the Al-Ghussein family next to Al-Huda Mosque in Al-Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip.

The Israeli forces bombed agricultural land near the Abu Marshood family house in the Mufti land area.

The Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip reported that two Palestinians were killed and several others were injured in an Israeli attack near the Al-Omari Mosque in Jabalia Al-Balad, north of the Gaza Strip.

A similar attack was reported in Block C in the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip.

Four Palestinians were further killed and several others were wounded following an Israeli airstrike on Al-Falah School in Al-Zeitoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City.

A number of citizens were also injured in an Israeli attack on Saadallah family house in Jabalia Al-Nazla, north of the Gaza Strip. Three more people were injured in an attack near the Halabi roundabout in Jabalia.

Israeli forces committed 8 massacres in Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours killing 81 Palestinian citizens and injured 188 others, the Ministry of Health said in a statement on Thursday.

It added that the number of martyrs as a result of the ongoing Israeli war of genocide on Gaza since October 7, 2023, has reached 46,788 while the number of wounded has surged to 110,453.

The ministry said that unspecified numbers of victims are still buried under the rubble of bombed buildings or laying on roads and the civil defense and ambulance crews could not retrieve them.
 

Hamas says Gaza ceasefire deal due to Palestinian ‘steadfastness’

16 January 2025

Palestinian Info Center

The Hamas Movement said its ceasefire deal with Israeli occupation to halt the genocidal war on Gaza was the result of the “steadfastness” of the Palestinian people and its own “resistance”.

“The ceasefire agreement is a result of the legendary steadfastness of our great Palestinian people and our valiant resistance in the Gaza Strip for over 15 months,” the Movement said, adding that it paved “the way towards the realization of our people’s aspirations for liberation and return.”

Hamas also extended thanks to mediators, who made great efforts to hammer out the agreement on Wednesday.

Commending the deal as a great achievement for the Palestinian people and the free people of the world, the Movement said it marks a turning point in the course of the conflict with the Israeli occupation, and constitutes an important step towards achieving the people’s goals of liberation and return.

It added the deal comes in response to its responsibility towards the patient people in the Gaza Strip, with the aim of stopping the aggression of the Israeli occupation and putting an end to the bloodshed, massacres and war of extermination to which the people of the Strip are being subjected.

Earlier Wednesday, Qatar’s Prime Minister and and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani announced that Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement to halt the 15-month war in Gaza and exchange Israeli captives for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons.

He said the ceasefire would take effect on Sunday, January 19.

The agreement will be implemented over three stages, Sheikh Mohammed said. In an initial six-week phase, Israeli forces would gradually withdraw from central Gaza and Palestinians would be allowed to return to their homes in northern Gaza.

Hamas would release 33 Israeli captives over those six weeks, including all female soldiers and civilians, children and the elderly, he said.

Talks on the second phase would begin by the 16th day of the first phase, and are expected to include the release of the remaining captives and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the Reuters news agency reported, citing an official briefing on the negotiations.

A third phase was expected to include the return of dead bodies and the start of reconstruction in Gaza, Reuters reported.

The announcement came as the Israeli army continued its deadly attacks across the Gaza Strip.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Wednesday that Israeli attacks since the start of the war have killed at least 46,707 Palestinians, up by 62 from a day earlier. The number of people wounded has also risen to at least 110,265 people, it said.
 

Hamas leader thanks Türkiye, South Africa, others for support

16 January 2025

By Anadolu Agency

Hamas political bureau member Khalil al-Hayya stated on Wednesday that the Palestinian people "will remember all those involved in the war of genocide," as he thanked Türkiye and other countries for their support.

At a press conference, al-Hayya said: "What the (Israeli) occupation and its supporters committed, from brutal genocidal war to Nazi-like crimes, will remain etched in the memory of our people and the world as the most heinous genocide of the modern era.”

"In this historic moment, we extend words of pride and honor to our people in Gaza,” the official added.

Al-Hayya further recalled "the honorable stances of all countries that supported us in various fields, especially our brothers in Türkiye, South Africa, Algeria, Russia, China, Malaysia, and Indonesia.”

Israel, Hamas reach Gaza cease-fire set to end 15-month conflict

Israel and Hamas on Wednesday agreed to a cease-fire in Gaza, set to begin Sunday, with mediators confirming the deal includes a hostage release after 15 months of devastating conflict in the Palestinian enclave.

The complex phased accord outlines a six-week initial cease-fire with the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, where tens of thousands have been killed.

Hostages taken by the resistance group Hamas would be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

At a news conference in Doha, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the cease-fire would take effect Sunday. Negotiators are working with Israel and Hamas on steps to implement the deal, he said.

"This deal will halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much-needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians and reunite the hostages with their families after more than 15 months in captivity," U.S. President Joe Biden said in Washington.

Despite the breakthrough, residents said Israeli airstrikes continued Wednesday evening in Gaza, where more than 46,700 people have been killed in the conflict, according to local health authorities. Strikes on Gaza City and northern Gaza killed at least 32 people, medics said.

A Palestinian official close to the talks said mediators were trying to get both sides to stop hostilities before the truce starts Sunday.

Palestinians responded to news of the deal by celebrating in the streets of Gaza, where they have faced severe shortages of food, water, shelter and fuel. In Khan Younis, throngs clogged the streets amid the sounds of horns as they cheered, waved Palestinian flags and danced.

"I am happy. Yes, I am crying, but those are tears of joy," said Ghada, a displaced mother of five.

In Tel Aviv, families of Israeli hostages and their friends rejoiced at the news, saying in a statement they felt "overwhelming joy and relief (about) the agreement to bring our loved ones home."

Israel's acceptance of the deal will not be official until it is approved by the country's security cabinet and government, with votes slated for Thursday, an Israeli official said.

The accord was expected to win approval despite opposition from some hardliners in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who repeated his condemnation of the agreement Wednesday.

Netanyahu called Biden and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to thank them and said he would visit Washington soon, his office said.

In a social media statement announcing the cease-fire, Hamas called the pact "an achievement for our people" and "a turning point."

Defusing regional tensions

If successful, the cease-fire will halt fighting that has razed much of heavily urbanized Gaza and displaced most of the tiny enclave's pre-war population of 2.3 million.

That, in turn, could defuse tensions across the wider Middle East, where the war has stoked conflict in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq, and raised fears of all-out war between arch-regional foes Israel and Iran.

Phase one of the deal entails the release of 33 Israeli hostages, including all women, children and men over 50. Two American hostages, Keith Siegel and Sagui Dekel-Chen, were among those to be released in the first phase, a source said.

The agreement calls for a surge in humanitarian assistance to Gaza and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed the "priority now must be to ease the tremendous suffering caused by this conflict."

Both the U.N. and the International Committee of the Red Cross said they were preparing to scale up their aid operations massively.

The pact follows months of tortuous, on-off negotiations conducted by Egyptian and Qatari mediators, with the backing of the United States, and comes just ahead of Trump's presidential inauguration Monday.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi welcomed the agreement in a post on X as did leaders and officials from Türkiye, Britain, the United Nations, Jordan, Germany and the United Arab Emirates, among others.

On his Truth Social media site, Trump said the deal would not have happened if he had not won the U.S. election in November.

Trump's Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff was in Qatar along with White House envoys for the talks and a senior Biden administration official said Witkoff's presence was critical to reaching a deal after 96 hours of intense negotiations.

Biden said that the two teams had "been speaking as one" though Trump's administration will largely handle the implementation of the accord.

Perilous path ahead

The road ahead is complex, with political minefields likely. Israeli hostage families expressed concern that the accord may not be fully implemented and some hostages may be left behind in Gaza.

Negotiations on implementing the second phase of the deal will begin by the 16th day of phase one, and this stage was expected to include the release of all remaining hostages, a permanent cease-fire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

The third stage is expected to address the return of all remaining dead bodies and the start of Gaza's reconstruction supervised by Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations.

Trump said he would use the cease-fire deal as momentum to expand the Abraham Accords – U.S.-backed agreements struck during his first presidency in 2017-2021 that normalized Israel's relations with several Arab countries.

If all goes smoothly, the Palestinians, Arab states and Israel must still agree on a vision for post-war Gaza, a formidable challenge involving security guarantees for Israel and many billions of dollars in investment for reconstruction.

One unanswered question is who will run Gaza after the war.

Israel has rejected any involvement by Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007 and is officially sworn to Israel's destruction. But Israel has been almost equally opposed to rule by the Palestinian Authority, the body set up under the Oslo interim peace accords three decades ago that has limited governing power in the West Bank.

Israel launched the genocidal war after the Hamas incursion on Oct. 7, 2023, which caused 1,200 deaths and took 250 foreign and Israeli hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's war on Gaza, however, has since killed over 46,700 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza Health Ministry figures, with hundreds of thousands of displaced people struggling through the winter cold in tents and makeshift shelters.
 

Israeli genocidal war on Gaza enters day 468

16 January 2025

Palestinian Info Center

In the midst of catastrophic humanitarian suffering for more than two million Palestinians — half of them children, the Israeli occupation army continued, for the 468th consecutive day, to pound and target different areas and massacre more civilians in the Gaza Strip, especially in the northern areas.

Reporters for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said on Thursday that the Israeli occupation army carried out attacks on several homes, civilian targets and shelter centers in different areas of Gaza during the past 24 hours, killing and injuring dozens of citizens.

The Israeli army’s large-scale genocidal campaign in northern Gaza, especially in Jabalia and Beit Lahia, has been ongoing since October 5, 2024, where its forces continue to intensively bomb homes and shelters and attack civilians while imposing a tight siege on the entire area.

Deliberate Israeli attacks on ambulance and civil defense workers already deprived northern Gaza of any rescue services.

Four Palestinians were killed and others were injured in an Israeli attack on a residential apartment near the Al-Sha’biya intersection in the Al-Daraj neighborhood in central Gaza City.

Similar attack also occurred last night and this morning, leaving more than 15 citizens killed and several others injured and missing in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, north of Gaza City.

A number of citizens were also injured when the Israeli warplanes targeted the Abu Watfa family home near the Sheikh Radwan Bridge.

Warehouses adjacent to the Al-Muhwebin School in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood were also targeted, leaving several people injured.

Meanwhile, the Israeli artillery shelled Al-Jalaa Street, west of Gaza City.

Earlier Wednesday evening, more than 20 civilians were killed and others were injured after the Israeli forces targeted a residential area west of Gaza City.

According to local sources, 18 civilians were killed and others were injured in a violent attack on a residential area that targeted the Alloush, Al-Kahlout, Siyam Al-Sheikh Ali, and Abu Jalila families.

Israeli forces have intensified their bombardment of the Gaza Strip after mediators announced that a ceasefire deal has been struck. The attacks have killed at least 40 Palestinians, including many children, according to media reports.
 

Trump Joins Leaders Around the World TO Welcomes Gaza Cease-fire Agreement Between Israel Hamas

16 January 2025

Several Agencies

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump praised the ceasefire agreement and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday, finalized just five days before his return to power.

"We have a deal for the hostages in the Middle East. They will be released shortly. Thank you!" Trump said on his Truth Social network before there was any official announcement from outgoing President Joe Biden's White House.

The White House previously expressed cautious optimism, stating that a deal to end hostilities in Gaza and secure the release of hostages is "possible" before President-elect Donald Trump assumes office.

For over a year, Hamas has expressed its readiness to finalize a deal and even agreed in May 2024 to a proposal by Biden. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu withdrew from the agreement, introducing new conditions, including the continuation of military operations in Gaza and refusing to withdraw troops, while Hamas insisted on a full cessation of hostilities and an Israeli military withdrawal.

Critics, including Israeli opposition parties and the families of captives, have accused Netanyahu of obstructing an agreement to protect his political position.

Hard-line ministers in Netanyahu's coalition, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have threatened to leave the government and topple it if a cease-fire is accepted.

Biden and Trump compete to claim credit for the Gaza ceasefire deal?

Rami Khouri, a distinguished fellow at the American University of Beirut, said that it was almost comical to see Biden and Trump try to outdo each other and claim credit for the ceasefire deal.

“Even in their announcements today they don’t really talk about the Palestinians as real people,” Khouri told Al Jazeera.

“It’s about an assertion of American might and the fact the United States feels it can dictate what will happen in the region,” he said.

Khouri also noted that Israel’s military had killed dozens on Wednesday despite the ceasefire announcement and they will “keep killing people until Sunday”.

“They did the same thing in Lebanon before every ceasefire,” he said.

Here is a round-up of some more reaction from world leaders:

Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, who has been one of the most outspoken European critics of Israel’s war tactics, welcomed the news, saying: “It must bring an end to the conflict, allow the terrible humanitarian situation in Gaza to be dealt with, and lead to the release of all the hostages.”

Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati said the deal “ends a bloody chapter in the history of the Palestinian people, who have endured immense suffering due to Israeli aggression.” He also expressed hope for a sustainable ceasefire.

The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and his foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said all parties must respect the terms of the deal and that it “must mark the beginning of a new chapter for the Israeli and Palestinian people”.

The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, said he was “hugely relieved by the news”, adding that it as “imperative that it now holds” and urging all parties and countries with influence to “ensure the success of next stages”.

Japan’s chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said the deal “marks a significant step toward alleviating the humanitarian crisis and stabilising the situation”. Japan will support improving the humanitarian situation, fostering reconstruction, and supporting governance in Gaza, Hayashi said.

Iran Guards hail Gaza ceasefire as 'victory’ for Palestinians

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Thursday hailed a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Israel and the Hamas militant group as a “victory” for Palestinians and a “defeat” for Israel, AFP reports.

“The end of the war and the imposition of a ceasefire … is a clear victory and a great victory for Palestine and a bigger defeat for the monstrous Zionist regime,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement.

Leaders around the world have welcomed the news of an accord and have urged both sides to seize the moment to bring an end to the conflict and the accompanying humanitarian crisis.

The UN secretary general, António Guterres, said member states stood ready to support the implementation of the deal and “scale up the delivery of sustained humanitarian relief to the countless Palestinians who continue to suffer”. It was “imperative” that the ceasefire removed “the significant security and political obstacles to delivering aid across Gaza”, he added.

The US president, Joe Biden, said the Palestinian people had “gone through hell”, adding: “Too many innocent people have died. Too many communities have been destroyed. Under this deal, the people of Gaza can finally recover and rebuild.”

The US president-elect, Donald Trump, said in a post on his Truth Social website: “This epic ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our historic victory in November … I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones.”

The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, described the deal as “the long-overdue news that the Israeli and Palestinian people have desperately been waiting for”.

Once humanitarian aid had reached those in need in Gaza, Starmer added, “our attention must turn to how we secure a permanently better future for the Israeli and Palestinian people – grounded in a two-state solution that will guarantee security and stability for Israel, alongside a sovereign and viable Palestine state”.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said the agreement would reunite hostages with their loved ones and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.

“This brings hope to an entire region, where people have endured immense suffering for far too long,” she said. “Both parties must fully implement this agreement, as a stepping stone toward lasting stability in the region and a diplomatic resolution of the conflict.”

Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, expressed hope that the deal would “[open] the door to a permanent end to the war and to the improvement of the poor humanitarian situation in Gaza”. He said the agreement needed to be “implemented to the letter” and all the hostages released.

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, ​the president of Egypt, which has played a pivotal role in the negotiations, hailed the strenuous efforts made by his country, saying it would “always remain faithful to its covenant, a supporter of just peace, a loyal partner in achieving it, and a defender of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people​”.

Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, ​who has been a vocal critic of Israel’s actions in Gaz​a​, said: “We respectfully salute the heroic people and brave sons of Gaza who courageously defended their land and freedom against Israel’s unlawful and inhumane attacks.​”
 

Hamas Steadfastness hailed as the UN announces plan to increase entry of aid into Gaza

16 January 2025

Palestinian Info Center

The UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the UN Coordinator for Humanitarian and Reconstruction in Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, has met with Israeli and Palestinian ministers in recent days and spoke with the Egyptian Foreign Minister on Tuesday, regarding the UN preparation for Gaza ceasefire.

“The UN system as a whole is in intense planning and preparation for when a ceasefire comes into effect and how we can increase the humanitarian aid,” Dujarric said.

Dujarik acknowledged the current security challenges in Gaza, such as the opening of new crossing points, security conditions, unexploded ordnance, and UN personnel safety, saying these issues are expected to persist and are being taken into consideration.

“Obviously things will remain difficult because we do not have answers to all these questions,” he said.

“Ongoing hostilities and violent armed looting, as well as the systematic restrictions imposed on access to aid, are still severely hindering our efforts. The damage to the roads, non-explosive ammunition, fuel shortage and lack of adequate communication equipment have been hindering our work,” he added.

“It is necessary that vital aid and commercial commodities are allowed to enter Gaza through all available border crossings without delay, and to the extent required,” he said.

According to UN documents and testimonies of humanitarian officials and transport companies, the issue of gangs has become the biggest obstacle in the face of aid distribution in southern Gaza.

Reports show that gangs operate freely in areas under the control of the Israeli occupation army, which sparked accusations of providing them with implicit or explicit protection.

Dozens of settlers defile Aqsa Mosque

Dozens of Jewish settlers escorted by police forces desecrated the Aqsa Mosque in Occupied Jerusalem on Wednesday morning.

The settlers entered the Mosque in different groups through its Maghariba Gate and toured its courtyards under tight police protection, according to local sources.

During their tours at the Islamic holy site, the settlers received lectures from rabbis about the alleged temple mount and a number of them provocatively performed Talmudic prayers.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation police imposed movement and entry restrictions on Muslim worshipers at the Aqsa Mosque’s entrances and gates.

The Aqsa Mosque is exposed to daily desecration by Jewish settlers and police forces in the morning and the afternoon except on Fridays and Saturdays.

Recently, Jerusalemite figures and activists warned of accelerating Israeli attempts to Judaize the Aqsa Mosque, and stressed the need for Muslim worshipers to intensify their presence at the Mosque to protect it against desecration and Judaization.
 

Israeli attacks continue unabated as Gaza death toll crosses 46,700

16 January 2025

Anadolu Agencies

Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip killed at least 62 Palestinians in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll since October 2023 to 46,707, the enclave's Health Ministry reported Wednesday.

A ministry statement added that some 110,265 others were injured in the ongoing assault.

"Israeli forces killed 62 people and injured 253 others in six massacres of families in the last 24 hours," the ministry said.

"Many people are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads, with rescuers unable to reach them," it added.

Quoting local sources, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that 13 people were killed and several others injured in an Israeli airstrike on a home belonging to the Shahin family in central Gaza Strip's Deir al-Balah.

Meanwhile, seven Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a home belonging to the Nassar family in the Nuseirat refugee camp, and another Palestinian was killed in another Israeli strike on the camp in the central Gaza Strip.

Five more Palestinians were killed in two Israeli airstrikes on two homes in the Bureij refugee camp.

In Gaza City, eyewitnesses told Anadolu that seven Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a school sheltering displaced people.

Another strike on a home belonging to the Sha'ath family in the Naser area of Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip left one woman and four children dead.

Two more Palestinians were killed in a drone strike on a group of people in the Khirbet al-Adas area in Rafah.

Israel has continued a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since the Hamas incursion on Oct. 7, 2023, despite a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The second year of genocide in Gaza has drawn growing international condemnation, with officials and institutions descying the attacks and blocking of aid deliveries as a deliberate attempt to destroy a population.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.
 

Palestinians long for the soil of Gaza: We love it and we will rebuild it

16 January 2025

Palestinian Info Center

Citizen Bilal Al-Ostaz, unleashes his imagination, sketching a scene of his return to the city of Gaza after long months of forced displacement, knowing that his home in the Sheikh Radwan area has become a mere memory.

Recently, voices have risen about the possibility of reaching an agreement that would extinguish the flames of extermination, despite fears and concerns about Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu sabotaging it.

Inevitable return

Al-Ostaz tells the PIC correspondent that he dreams of this long-awaited day, yet he firmly believes that returning home, even if it is in ruins, is inevitable. He asserts that he will return to his neighborhood and will set up his tent on the rubble of his destroyed home, raising a victory sign, despite the horrors committed by Israel in Gaza.

On October 13, 2023, the Israeli occupation forces issued an evacuation order for the city of Gaza and northern Gaza, urging residents to flee to southern Gaza. They continued to issue these orders with brutal bombardment, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee while hundreds of thousands also refused and insisted on staying steadfast.

I will embrace its soil

As for Abeer Murad, who was displaced from the Al-Rimal neighborhood in central Gaza, where the occupation army destroyed her apartment, she says: “I love the city of Gaza, I dream of the day of return and reunion; I will embrace its soil.”

She weeps as she speaks to our correspondent, “How can I not embrace its soil, which holds the remains of our loved ones, my brothers, and my martyr uncles?” She points out that Gaza is beautiful, radiant, and dear, despite everything that has happened. “The day we return will be a celebration.” She adds, “and we will also return to all our occupied land, regardless of the occupier.”

She continues, “The return to the destroyed home is near; I will set up my tent on the rubble, and I will not relent. We will make it more beautiful, and we will rebuild it.” Murad’s heart breaks with longing for her birthplace, saying, “We left unwillingly under the bombardment, but we will return, and we will rebuild it; this is the promise of the sincere.”

Hundreds of thousands who fled to the south were not spared from Israeli targeting, as the occupation army continued to strike every place in the Gaza Strip, resulting in over 136,000 martyrs and wounded in 15 months.

More precious than gold

Young Saari Muqdad, who left his modest home in the Shati Camp, tells our correspondent that he misses the soil of Gaza; its soil is more precious than gold, mixed with the blood of pure martyrs.

He continues that the occupation has destroyed it and made it an unlivable city, yet it does not realize that it has only increased our love for it. “How can we hate it when we die for it and for Palestine, all of Palestine? They left it alone to fight against the crimes of the invaders, but we, its people, love its air, its soil; we love it in all its forms. We will return to it,” adds citizen Muqdad.

Citizen Mohammed Abu Sha’ira says that as soon as the Netzarim axis is removed, he will visit all the neighborhoods of northern Gaza and the city of Gaza. He will cry and shed tears, not out of fear or anger but out of longing and love for the city closest to his heart.

He continues, “I will drink tea on the beach of the city as I used to do every day; I will love it every second, and I will remain the son of Gaza who loves nothing else except it.”
 

Türkiye welcomes Gaza cease-fire, hoping it fosters regional stability

16 January 2025

By Daily Sabah

Türkiye welcomed the Gaza cease-fire agreement, expressing hope that it would pave the way for further peace and stability in the region.

In a statement he posted on X, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed the deal, saying Türkiye hopes the agreement will pave the way for permanent peace in the region.

"As Türkiye, we have never left our Palestinian brothers and sisters alone in their fight against oppression and oppressors, not even for a moment," the president said, as he vowed to continue to stand by the people of Gaza, mobilizing all resources to help heal the blockaded Palestinian enclave’s wounds and support its recovery.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also welcomed the Gaza cease-fire agreement as he spoke with Hamas officials over the phone on Wednesday, as he reiterated Türkiye's commitment to support Palestine.

The Foreign Ministry welcomed the Gaza cease-fire deal, expressing gratitude to mediating countries, particularly Qatar and Egypt, for their efforts.

"In the following process, it is essential that all phases of the agreement are fully implemented, the ceasefire is made permanent, and humanitarian aid is urgently delivered to Gaza. The international community must ensure that Israel fulfills its responsibilities on these issues," the ministry said.

It added that lasting peace and stability in the Middle East depend on achieving peace in Palestine and ending the injustices faced by the Palestinian people.

The ministry continued by saying that peace negotiations must start immediately to establish an independent, sovereign, and contiguous State of Palestine on the basis of 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

"Türkiye will continue to support the Palestinian people in the period ahead," the ministry added.
 

Gazans shed tears of joy, disbelief at news of ceasefire deal

16 January 2025

Several Agencies

Palestinians burst into celebration across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday at news of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with some shedding tears of joy and others whistling, clapping and chanting “Allahu akbar” (God is greatest), Reuters reports.

“I am happy, yes, I am crying, but those are tears of joy,” said Ghada, a mother of five displaced from her home in Gaza City during the 15-month-old conflict.

“We are being reborn, with every hour of delay Israel conducted a new massacre, I hope it is all getting over now,” she told Reuters via a chat app from a shelter in Deir Al-Balah town in central Gaza.

Youths beat tambourines, blew horns and danced in the street in Khan Yunis in the southern part of the enclave minutes after hearing news of the agreement struck in the Qatari capital, Doha.

The deal, not yet formally announced, outlines a six-week initial ceasefire phase and includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

The accord also provides for the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian detainees held by Israel, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters.

For some, delight was mingled with sorrow.

Ahmed Dahman, 25, said the first thing he would do when the deal goes into effect is to recover the body of his father, who was killed in an air strike on the family’s house last year, and “give him a proper burial.”

‘A day of happiness and sadness’

“I feel a mixture of happiness because lives are being saved and blood is being stopped,” said Dahman, who like Ghada was displaced from Gaza City and lives in Deir Al-Balah.

“But I am also worried about the post-war shock of what we will see in the streets, our destroyed homes, my father whose body is still under the rubble.”

His mother, Bushra, said that while the ceasefire wouldn’t bring her husband back, “at least it may save other lives.”

“I will cry, like never before. This brutal war didn’t give us time to cry,” said the tearful mother, speaking to Reuters by a chat app.

Iman Al-Qouqa, who lives with her family in a nearby tent, was still in disbelief.

“This is a day of happiness, and sadness, a shock and joy, but certainly it is a day we all must cry and cry long because of what we all lost. We did not lose friends, relatives, and homes only, we lost our city, Israel sent us back in history because of its brutal war,” she told Reuters.

“It is time the world comes back into Gaza, focuses on Gaza, and rebuilds it,” said Qouqa.

Israeli troops invaded Gaza after Hamas-led gunmen broke through security barriers and burst into Israeli communities on 7 October, 2023, killing 1,200 soldiers and civilians and abducting more than 250 foreign and Israeli hostages.

However, since then, it has been revealed by Haaretz that helicopters and tanks of the Israeli army had, in fact, killed many of the 1,139 soldiers and civilians claimed by Israel to have been killed by the Palestinian Resistance.

Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed more than 46,000 people, according to Gaza Health Ministry figures, and left the coastal enclave a wasteland, with many thousands living in makeshift shelters.
 

Father of Israeli captive: Netanuyahu committing war crimes in Gaza, Israel

16 January 2025

Several Agencies

The father of an Israeli captive held in Gaza said yesterday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “committing war crimes”, warning that he will meet with the International Criminal Court Prosecutor, Karim Khan, to inform him that Netanyahu not only committed “war crimes in Gaza, but also inside Israel”.

Yehuda Cohen, father of 19-year-old soldier Nimrod Cohen, said: “Soldiers are being killed because of the ongoing war, and because of Netanyahu’s personal motives related to his trial, so he is responsible for crimes of genocide and war crimes inside Israel.”

In November, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity and war crimes carried out in Gaza. Israel fears more warrants may be issued against individual soldiers who have posted about their actions in Gaza on social media.

Italy urged to arrest Israeli General for crimes against humanity

Italy has been urged to arrest an Israeli general, who is reportedly in Rome presently, over his involvement in crimes against humanity in Gaza, Anadolu Agency reports.

In a statement, Belgium-based Hind Rajab Foundation said that it has filed cases with the International Criminal Court (ICC) and informed Italian authorities, demanding the immediate arrest of Major General Ghassan Alian of the Israeli Armed Forces.

“Alian oversaw the total blockade of Gaza, weaponising famine and targeting civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, in acts amounting to genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity,” the Foundation said.

It said that Alian, the head of the coordinator of Israeli government activities in the Palestine Territories, “supervised and enforced a total siege on Gaza, cutting off essential resources such as food, water, electricity and medical supplies. This deliberate policy of deprivation has led to mass starvation, civilian deaths and the destruction of critical infrastructure, including hospitals.”

Commenting on the development, Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur for Occupied Palestine Territories, called for prompt actions from Italian authorities.

“Hopefully, the global legal community will become better organized, enabling swift information-sharing with authorities. This will ensure that individuals suspected of int’l crimes on their territories are taken very seriously,” she said on X.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since a Hamas attack in October 2023 despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire.

Nearly 46,600 people, mostly women and children, have since been killed and over 105,000 injured, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the Territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine.
 

Israel committing war crimes in northern Gaza, says former defence minister

15 January 2025

Several Agencies

Former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon accused the army on Sunday of committing war crimes in the northern Gaza Strip and attempting to hide these crimes from the public, Anadolu Agency reports.

“I speak on behalf of the commanders who serve in northern Gaza. There are war crimes being committed there,” Ya’alon told the Israeli public broadcaster KAN.

“IDF (army) soldiers are putting their lives at risk and will be subject to lawsuits in the International Criminal Court,” he said.

“I have to warn about what is happening there (in northern Gaza) and what they are trying to hide from us, where they are committing war crimes.”

On Saturday, the former defence minister accused Israel of carrying out “ethnic cleansing” in northern Gaza, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of leading the country to “ruin.”

“I take responsibility for what I said about ethnic cleansing in northern Gaza,” Ya’alon said.

He also criticized far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s call for the displacement of Gaza’s population.

“Smotrich is proud of the opportunity to reduce Gaza’s population by half,” he said. “What do you call that? He has no moral issue with killing two million Gazans. We were once a democratic state.”

Last month, Smotrich had called for the reoccupation of Gaza and suggested reducing its population by half through encouraging what he calls the “voluntary migration” of Palestinians from the territory.

Several Israeli ministers have called for re-occupying Gaza and reducing its Palestinian population by encouraging what they term as voluntary migration amid Tel Aviv’s deadly onslaught on the enclave.

Since Oct. 5, Israel has launched a large-scale ground operation in northern Gaza to allegedly prevent Palestinian resistance group Hamas from regrouping. Palestinians, however, accuse Israel of seeking to occupy the area and forcibly displace its residents.

Since then, no humanitarian aid, including food, medicine, and fuel, was allowed into the area, leaving most of the population there on the verge of imminent famine.

More than 2,300 people have since been killed, according to Palestinian health authorities.

The onslaught was the latest episode in Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip that has killed nearly 44,400 people, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023.

On Nov. 21, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.
 

FACTBOX - War-ravaged Gaza faces multi-billion dollar reconstruction challenge

15 January 2025

Several Agencies

Billions of dollars will be needed to rebuild Gaza after the war between Israel and the Palestinian group, Hamas, according to assessments from the United Nations.

Israel and Hamas agreed to a deal to halt fighting in the enclave and swap Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, an official briefed on the agreement said on Wednesday.

Here is a breakdown of the destruction in Gaza from the conflict prompted by the 7 October, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, which at the time ruled the Palestinian enclave.

How many casualties are there?

The Hamas attack on Israel killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.

However, since then, it has been revealed by Haaretz that helicopters and tanks of the Israeli army had, in fact, killed many of the 1,139 soldiers and civilians claimed by Israel to have been killed by the Palestinian Resistance.

Israel’s retaliation has killed more than 46,000 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. However, a recent in-depth study by researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine states that the figure is at least 41 per cent higher.

How long will it take to clear the rubble?

The United Nations warned in October that removing 42 million tonnes of rubble left in the aftermath of Israel’s bombardment could take years and cost $1.2 billion.

A UN estimate from April 2024 suggested it would take 14 years to clear the rubble.

The debris is believed to be contaminated with asbestos, with some refugee camps struck during the war known to have been built with the material. The rubble also likely holds human remains. The Palestinian Ministry of Health estimated in May that 10,000 bodies were missing under the debris.

How many buildings have been destroyed?

Rebuilding Gaza’s shattered homes will take at least until 2040, but could drag on for many decades, according to a UN report released last year.

Two-thirds of Gaza’s pre-war structures – over 170,000 buildings – have been damaged or flattened, according to UN satellite data (UNOSAT) in December. That amounts to around 69 per cent of the total structures of the Gaza Strip.

Within the count are a total of 245,123 housing units, according to an estimate from UNOSAT. Currently, over 1.8 million people are in need of emergency shelter in Gaza, the UN humanitarian office said.

What is the infrastructure damage?

The estimated damage to infrastructure totalled $18.5 billion as of end-January 2024, affecting residential buildings, commerce, industry and essential services such as education, health and energy, a UN-World Bank report said.

An update by the UN humanitarian office this month showed that less than a quarter of the pre-war water supplies were available, while at least 68 per cent of the road network has been damaged.

How will Gaza feed itself?

More than half of Gaza’s agricultural land, crucial for feeding the war-ravaged territory’s hungry population, has been degraded by conflict, satellite images analysed by the United Nations show.

The data reveals a rise in the destruction of orchards, field crops and vegetables in the Palestinian enclave, where hunger is widespread after 15 months of Israeli bombardment.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation said last year that 15,000 cattle, or over 95 per cent, of the total had been slaughtered or died since the conflict began and nearly half the sheep.

What about schools, universities, religious buildings?

Palestinian data shows that the conflict has led to the destruction of over 200 government facilities, 136 schools and universities, 823 mosques and three churches. Many hospitals have been damaged during the conflict, with only 17 out of 36 units partially functional as of January, the UN humanitarian office’s report showed.

Amnesty International’s Crisis Evidence Lab has highlighted the extent of destruction along Gaza’s eastern boundary. As of May 2024, over 90 per cent of the buildings in this area, including more than 3,500 structures, were either destroyed or severely damaged.

Gaza ceasefire deal reached

Agreement sets a path to ending 15 months of Israel's war on Gaza that will see Palestinian and Israeli captives exchanged

By Alex MacDonald and Yasmine El-Sabawi, Middle East Eye

Israel and Palestinian movement Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, potentially bringing an end to Israel's devastating war in the enclave.

The ceasefire will go into effect on Sunday.

Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani announced the deal on Wednesday during a press conference in Doha.

The Qataris, alongside the Egyptians, helped negotiate the agreement with Israel, while the incoming US administration of President-elect Donald Trump applied pressure on the Israelis, Haaretz reported.

Trump had warned there would be "hell to pay" if a deal to release the Israeli captives was not sealed by his inauguration on 20 January. Among those captives are US citizens.

The president-elect was quick to take credit for the deal, posting on his TruthSocial platform: "This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans."

"My National Security team, through the efforts of Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will continue to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven. We will continue promoting PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH," Trump wrote.

Shortly after, the outgoing president Joe Biden issued his statement taking credit for the deal, insisting that Hamas caused the delay, and not the Israelis.

"I laid out the precise contours of this plan on May 31, 2024, after which it was endorsed unanimously by the UN Security Council. It is the result not only of the extreme pressure that Hamas has been under and the changed regional equation after a ceasefire in Lebanon and weakening of Iran — but also of dogged and painstaking American diplomacy," Biden said.

"My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done."

In June, Hamas said it had accepted Biden's deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would not agree, despite assertions by Washington at the time that he did.

Details of the deal highlighted a six-week initial ceasefire phase which would include the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from northern Gaza and the release of captives held by Hamas and other armed groups in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

The agreement details obtained by Middle East Eye says that 33 Israeli captives held in Gaza will be released as part of the first phase, including nine who are ill or wounded.

Israel will release 1,000 Palestinians detained from 8 October 2023 onwards.

Among the 33 captives will be several men over the age of 50, who will be released in exchange for Palestinians serving life sentences at a ratio of 1:3, and Palestinians serving other sentences at a ratio of 1:27.

Hisham al-Sayed and Avera Mengistu, who have been held in Gaza since before Israel's war on Gaza, will be released, in exchange for 60 Palestinian prisoners and 47 Palestinians who were re-arrested after being freed in 2011 as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal.

Israel has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians in Gaza, with nearly half being children. A peer-reviewed study published earlier this week by the medical journal The Lancet said that not only is there no inflation in the number of deaths reported in Gaza, but that there is a 41 percent undercount of the dead given the scale of Israel’s attack, and the lack of rescue and recovery equipment and functioning hospitals.

The UN has said Israel has carried out “acts of genocide,” in Gaza, an assertion also backed by a number of Israeli historians.
 

Israel soldiers increasingly refusing to continue fighting in Gaza over war crimes, report reveals

15 January 2025

Several Agencies

A growing number of Israeli soldiers are reportedly refusing to continue serving in the Occupation of the Gaza Strip, admitting they took part in war crimes and atrocities.

According to the Associated Press (AP) news agency, seven Israeli soldiers who have refused to continue fighting in Gaza spoke of how Occupation forces indiscriminately killed Palestinians, looted houses and destroyed or burned them, despite having posed no threat.

One unnamed former infantry soldier said that during his two-week deployment in late 2023, he witnessed Israeli forces burn down around 15 buildings without reason.

“I didn’t light the match, but I stood guard outside the house. I participated in war crimes”, the soldier acknowledged. “I’m so sorry for what we’ve done.”

27-year-old medic, Yuval Green, was also cited as saying he witnessed soldiers desecrating, looting and vandalising homes, before eventually also burning them. The actions led to his decision to abandon his post last January, after almost two months in Gaza.

The war crimes were not limited to looting and arson, however, but extended to the indiscriminate killing of Palestinian civilians, including minors.

According to one officer in the armoured corps named Yotam Vilk, the military’s instructions were to shoot anyone not authorised to enter an Israeli-controlled buffer zone in Gaza.

He witnessed at least 12 people be shot and killed, with the image of Israeli troops killing an unarmed Palestinian teenager particularly embedded into his mind.

“He died as part of a bigger story. As part of the policy of staying there and not seeing Palestinians as people,” Vilk said.

Israel teens jailed for refusing military service in protest of ongoing Gaza war

Two Israeli teenagers, Iddo Elam and Soul Behar Tsalik, were sentenced to 30 days in military prison this week for refusing mandatory conscription in protest of Israel’s war in Gaza and its ongoing Occupation of Palestinian Territories.

The 18-year-olds from Tel Aviv joined a growing group of young Israelis who have publicly refused to enlist in the military for political reasons since the start of the war on 7 October.

Accompanied by supporters, including family, friends, and activists from Mesarvot, a solidarity network for conscientious objectors, the pair reported to the Tel Hashomer recruitment centre on Wednesday, where they declared their refusal to enlist.

After their declaration, they were transferred to Neve Tzedek military prison to begin their sentences, which may be extended.

In a written statement before his imprisonment, Elam wrote, “As long as we continue to enlist, follow orders and enact our government’s rotten goals, we will live in a reality of war, annexation and hate.”

He added, "I want no child, no matter which side of the wall they were born, to be afraid of rockets or being kidnapped from their beds. We have to do everything in our power to make sure that the children of the future live in security"

Behar Tsalik also called for an end to Israel’s military occupation and the war in Gaza, writing, “We must end the war and Israel’s presence in Gaza — for the lives of both Israelis and Palestinians alike.”

There may be attempts to shift our attention to Lebanon or Iran, but the reality in Gaza does not change — we are controlling Gaza. We continue the violence there and continue to forsake the hostages. We must move from violent confrontation to a political solution. Only then can we begin to build a lasting peace

Military service is mandatory for Israeli citizens over the age of 18; however, conscientious objection is rare and often punished harshly. Refuseniks are frequently subjected to multiple prison sentences before being released.

Moreover, since 7 October, the Israeli military has increased penalties for refusal. Elam and Behar Tsalik are among eight teenagers who have publicly refused the draft since the war began.

The announcement of Elam and Behar Tsalik’s imprisonment was met with demonstrations of support outside the recruitment centre, where supporters held signs and chanted messages of solidarity. Some argued that the teenagers’ refusal represents a growing undercurrent of dissent among Israeli youth, despite the government’s push for national unity in war time.

Their refusal follows the imprisonment of other Israeli teenagers who have also refused military service in recent months including Tal Mitnick, Sophia Orr, Ben Arad, Yuval Moav and Oryan Mueller.

They hope their actions will spark a broader conversation about Israel’s military onslaught in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as the ethics of mandatory conscription. “It doesn’t make sense that there have been seven wars in Gaza since I was born, which Gazan children have also experienced and many of them have died in,” said Elam.

“I refuse because I believe that as long as we continue to comply with the government, the war and this agenda of death and more death, that’s exactly what we’ll get: death and more death. We must use every tool to resist, to make it stop — including refusing and paying a personal price.”
 

Israel Finance Minister calls for full occupation of northern Gaza

14 January 2025

Several Agencies

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, called Monday for the complete occupation of the northern Gaza Strip to force Hamas to release Israeli hostages, Anadolu Agency reports.

“To bring the hostages home, we must occupy northern Gaza entirely and tell Hamas that if they don’t return them, we will stay there forever, costing Gaza a third of its territory,” Smotrich told a meeting of his Religious Zionism Party.

Since 5 October, Israel has launched a large-scale ground operation in northern Gaza to allegedly prevent Palestinian Resistance group, Hamas, from regrouping.

Palestinians, however, accuse Israel of seeking to occupy the area and forcibly displace its residents.

Since then, no humanitarian aid, including food, medicine and fuel, has been allowed into the area, leaving most of the population there on the verge of imminent famine.

More than 2,000 people have since been killed, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Calling to continue Israel’s genocidal war on the Palestinian Territory, Smotrich dismissed the idea of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

“Reaching an agreement with Hamas to end the war would mean surrender and defeat,” he said.

“We will continue until Hamas is eliminated and an agreement is reached under which it surrenders. We won’t stop until our enemies are destroyed and security is fully restored to the State of Israel,” he claimed.

As the Israeli army is still struggling to achieve its objectives in Gaza, the extremist Minister alleged that “by the end of this war, we will have full freedom of action in Gaza and will not accept any settlement worth less than the paper it’s written on.”

He also suggested that the Israeli military should oversee humanitarian aid to Gaza, claiming such aid currently prolongs Hamas’s rule.

His remarks coincided with an offer by Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of approximately $1.3 million for information leading to the return of Israeli hostages in Gaza.

Netanyahu has repeatedly outlined three objectives for Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza: freeing the hostages, dismantling Hamas and ensuring Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel’s security. However, none of these objectives have been achieved over a year into the conflict.

Earlier on Monday, families of Israeli hostages protested outside Netanyahu’s residence in West Jerusalem, demanding a prisoner exchange deal with Palestinian Resistance factions in Gaza.

Israel estimates that around 101 captives are still being held by Hamas in Gaza, some of whom are believed to have been already killed by indiscriminate Israeli air strikes across the densely populated enclave.

Mediation efforts led by the US, Egypt and Qatar have so far failed to achieve a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap deal, but Washington maintains that Israel’s killing of Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, on 18 October may lead to a breakthrough in talks.

Hamas, however, says the conflict will only end when Israel stops its military campaign in the blockaded enclave, which has killed over 43,900 people since October 2023.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the Territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.
 

Netanyahu showing ‘openness’ over Palestinian migration from Gaza: Israeli far-right minister

14 January 2025

Several Agencies

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is showing “some openness” over the idea of encouraging Palestinian migration from Gaza, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on Sunday, Anadolu Agency reports.

“I am working hard to promote the encouragement of migration from Gaza with the prime minister, and I am beginning to discover some openness on the matter,” he told Israel’s Army Radio.

“Ideas like settlement in Gaza are welcome; the only times we defeated our enemies were when we took territory from them,” the extremist minister said.

“But that doesn’t satisfy me. I also want to encourage emigration [of Palestinians from Gaza].”

There was no comment from Netanyahu about his minister’s comments.

Suggesting a potential rift, Ben-Gvir, the leader of the Otzma Yehudit Party, threatened withdrawal from the government in case of a prisoner swap deal with Palestinians.

“The terms that are currently being discussed are irrelevant as far as I am concerned, and the prime minister very much does not want Otzma Yehudit to leave the government,” he said.

Several Israeli ministers have called for re-occupying Gaza and reducing its Palestinian population by encouraging what they call voluntary migration amid Tel Aviv’s deadly onslaught on the enclave.

Israel has launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas in October last year, killing nearly 44,400 people, most of them women and children, and injuring over 105,000.

The second year of genocide in Gaza has drawn growing international condemnation, with officials and institutions labeling the attacks and blocking of aid deliveries as a deliberate attempt to destroy a population.

On Nov. 21, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.
 

Israel Minister calls for resettlement in Gaza after ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant

13 January 2025

Several Agencies

An Israeli Minister, on Thursday, called for the re-establishing of settlements in the Gaza Strip after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and former Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, Anadolu Agency reports.

“Jewish settlement here is the answer to the horrific massacre (referring to the Hamas 7 October attack),” Housing and Construction Minister, Yitzhak Goldknopf, said on X, sharing photos from a visit to the Netzarim area in central Gaza, which separates northern Gaza from the south.

The far-right Minister also framed the resettlement initiative as a direct response to the ICC’s arrest warrants, which accuse Netanyahu and Gallant of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza.

Last week, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defence Minister, Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel evacuated its settlements and military presence from Gaza in 2005 following a unilateral disengagement plan. However, in recent months, Israeli ministers and lawmakers have renewed calls to re-establish settlements in the enclave, a move met with firm Palestinian opposition and widespread regional condemnation.

Earlier this week, Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, advocated for reoccupying Gaza and reducing its Palestinian population by half through “voluntary migration”. Palestinian leaders have denounced such statements as violations of international law.

Israel has launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack in October last year, killing nearly 44,300 people, most of them women and children, and injuring over 104,700.

The second year of genocide in Gaza has drawn growing international condemnation, with officials and institutions labelling the attacks and blocking of aid deliveries as a deliberate attempt to destroy a population.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.
 

Israel’s expansionist map: Where does the occupation’s ambition in the Middle East end

13 January 2025

Palestinian Info Center

As part of its provocative and extreme policies towards Middle Eastern countries, Israel published a so-called “historical” map on an official account linked to its Foreign Ministry on the platform X. The map claims to include Arab lands, including parts of the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. It also contains racist statements advocating for the annexation of the West Bank and the establishment of Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip.

The account accompanied the map with commentary on the Israeli narrative, lacking any data or historical evidence. The maps promoted by Israel depict areas that were once part of historical Palestine or the occupied Palestinian territories, referring to them as part of Israel.

Condemnations and warnings

This move has sparked a wave of official rejection; countries including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, the Arab League, the Arab Parliament, and the Palestinian Authority led by Mahmoud Abbas condemned it, considering that Israel aims to “entrench its occupation, violate the sovereignty of states, and breach international law.”

Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi, leader of the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement, said that “everyone in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine must understand that Israel is carrying an aggressive agenda aimed at controlling all these countries.” He added in a statement, “The interim map published by the Israeli enemy is provocative. To protect their countries from American and Israeli aggression and to safeguard their land and resources, they (the Arab countries) must be in a position of strength and resilience. The policies adopted by Jordan and Syria now will not change the Israeli policy, nor will it relinquish its ambitions.”

For its part, the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, said that “the calls from official Zionist accounts and occupation leaders to annex Palestinian and Arab lands confirm their expansionist ambitions,” adding that the hostile statements from the occupation demand strong positions from Arab and Islamic governments to confront these ambitions and stop its crimes.

Right-Wing ambitions

The expansionist map published by Israel aligns with the general direction of the far-right government in the occupying entity, which seeks to create a reality that does not stop at drawn borders or signed agreements but transcends all geographical, political limits and international treaties to achieve expansionist goals in many Middle Eastern countries.

On November 11, the Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich—leader of the Religious Zionism party—said he had instructed the settlement administration and the civil administration (both under the Ministry of Defense) to begin a comprehensive professional effort to prepare the necessary infrastructure to apply sovereignty over the West Bank. Smotrich pledged that 2025 would be the year of Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, according to the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

The following day, Israel’s official broadcasting authority reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to include the annexation of the West Bank in his government’s agenda after U.S. President Donald Trump assumes office on January 20.

Implementation steps

Radical Jewish groups and organizations aspire to establish a Greater Israel that includes lands from sovereign Arab countries in Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz published an article discussing the expansionist plans for “the State of Israel” to include lands in the Negev Desert. The article noted that the Israeli government is seizing dunums of land belonging to the Bedouins in the Negev, and later selling them to Jewish associations and organizations, preparing for the establishment of Israeli settlements on these lands.

Simultaneously, the Israeli army has extended its influence and penetrated areas of the Syrian Golan, controlling the buffer zone along the border and invading parts of the Syrian city of Quneitra following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime last month.

Preparation by eliminating resistance

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation army and its settlers continue their assaults in the West Bank through incursions, arrests, and confrontations that have resulted in hundreds of martyrs and thousands of injuries since the start of the genocidal war in Gaza on October 7, 2023. These assaults have led to the martyrdom of 843 Palestinians and injuries to about 6,700 others, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

The occupation government is paving the way for the implementation of its expansionist plan in the West Bank through intensified aggressive operations across its cities and regions, particularly in the northern West Bank. Its goal is to eliminate resistance, facilitating its expansionist operations by annexing land and establishing settlements.

In contrast, the Palestinian people, through their resistance factions, seek to thwart these Israeli expansionist ambitions by continuing to resist the occupation in all its plans.
 

Germany warns Israel against questioning Palestinian right to exist in Gaza

12 January 2025

Several Agencies

Germany, on Monday, warned Israel against questioning the right of Palestinians to exist in Gaza, Anadolu Agency reports.

“We have said clearly that there must be no (Israeli) settlement of Gaza and no expulsion from Gaza, and that still applies,” Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, told journalists on the sidelines of the EU Foreign Affairs Ministers’ meeting in Brussels.

“And if, with regard to Gaza, the Palestinians’ right to exist or international law is called into question, then this of course also has a consequence with regard to the European positioning,” she pointed out.

Baerbock criticised Israel again for not allowing enough humanitarian aid into war-stricken Gaza.

“The situation there is also dramatic. The suffering of the people, especially the children in Gaza, can hardly be put into words. There are no excuses for humanitarian aid not being able to enter Gaza,” she said while stressing again that “humanitarian aid is firmly anchored in international law”.

Germany has, time and again, called the Gaza aid situation “dramatic”, calling on Israel to improve humanitarian conditions in the besieged enclave since the war with Hamas broke out on 7 October, 2023.

Nearly 2 million people have been internally displaced in Gaza, according to the latest estimates from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), and the population is suffering from widespread food, water and medicine shortages.

In northern Gaza, a month-long renewed offensive and tightened siege have led to catastrophic conditions, with an estimated 100,000 people completely cut off from humanitarian aid.

Israel reduced the daily number of humanitarian aid trucks allowed into the Gaza Strip to just 30 in October, the UNRWA head was quoted as saying earlier this month.

“This is the lowest in a long time, bringing the assistance back to the level of the beginning of the war,” Philippe Lazzarini said on X.

Since the start of the war, Israel has maintained strict closures on Gaza’s Crossings, limiting essential goods and imposing significant restrictions on humanitarian aid, creating severe living conditions.

Lazzarini emphasized that these 30 daily trucks “cannot meet the needs of over 2 million people, many of whom are starving, sick and in desperate conditions.”

He noted that these trucks “represent only 6 per cent of the supplies (commercial and humanitarian) allowed into Gaza before the war.”

Israel has continued a devastating offensive on Gaza since an attack last year by Hamas, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire.

Over 43,900 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and some 103,898 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.
 

Gaza’s “humanitarian zone” struck nearly 100 times by IOF in 8 months

12 January 2025

Palestinian Info Center

The BBC Verify investigative program revealed that the so-called Humanitarian Zone in Gaza, an area allegedly designated by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) as a safe refuge for civilians, has been subjected to 97 Israeli airstrikes since last May.

This area, which extends along a coastal strip, is one of the most densely populated areas, with more than a million people living in tents, dilapidated infrastructure, and limited access to aid, according to estimates by international humanitarian organizations.

Figures indicate that the IOF airstrikes have escalated significantly since the beginning of May 2024, with at least 22 strikes recorded early this month alone. According to Palestinian media, these attacks have resulted in the martyrdom of more than 550 people.

“There are almost daily strikes on the humanitarian zone, whether from Israeli military ships, quadcopters or small drones,” Gavin Kelleher, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s outreach manager in Gaza said, adding that “There is frequent shooting in this area, despite being designated by IOF as a ‘unilateral’ humanitarian zone.”

Kelleher went on saying that Israeli occupation army “is keen to maintain the illusion of a humanitarian zone within a certain size, yet this zone can be subject to evacuation orders at any time and may be targeted, too.”

The BBC noted that although the Israeli occupation army has avoided using the term “safe zone,” its statements have led civilians to interpret the term “humanitarian zone” in this way.

Juliette Touma, from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), said, “We have said this over and over again, there is no safe zone in Gaza, there is no safe place, no one is safe, no place is safe.”

The Israeli occupation army pushed the people of the Gaza Strip towards the so called “safe or humanitarian zone” in November 2023, claiming that the southern Gaza Strip was a “safe area”.

The IOF reduced the area of the “safe zone” from 230 to 36 square kilometers, with about 1.7 million displaced people are now living on only 10% of the total area of the Strip without no services.

Most of the new “safe zone” is located in the Deir al-Balah Governorate in the center of the Strip, and a small part in the humanitarian Mawasi area.

Due to displacement, Central Gaza has been turned into a population center unparalleled in the world or history.
 

The EU cannot stand idle as Israel dismantles Gaza’s lifeline: UNRWA

11 January 2025

By Monia Ben Jemia, By Rasmus Alenius Boserup

As the EU Foreign Affairs Council convenes today, European leaders face a pressing choice: will they stand by as Israel dismantles UNRWA, a lifeline for over 2.5 million Palestinian refugees, or will they act before time runs out? With only 63 days left before Israel’s new legislation halts UNRWA operations within its so-called “sovereign territory”, including unlawfully occupied Palestinian territory, European leaders must act to prevent an irreversible humanitarian crisis.

The consequences of such an act will not only be detrimental to any negotiated political solution grounded in Palestinians’ right to self-determination, but they would reverberate throughout our shared international commitments, weakening the principles that the United Nations, and indeed the European Union, stand to uphold.

The Knesset’s 20 October bills ban Israeli officials from interacting with UNRWA, halt its operations, and void a 1967 agreement, jeopardising essential services for millions of Palestinian refugees and threatening hundreds of schools, clinics and shelters.

UNRWA operates 384 schools, serving over 342,000 students across the occupied territories, and operates dozens of health clinics that see millions of patients visits every year. In Gaza alone, where the agency provides emergency food, healthcare and shelter to a beleaguered population, UNRWA’s work is not simply a service; it is survival.

Israel based human rights organisation Adalah, a key member of EuroMed Rights, issued a formal letter to the Knesset, stressing that the proposed legislation against UNRWA directly threatens the rights and welfare of Palestinian refugees, underscoring Israel’s ongoing attempts to dismantle Palestinian refugees’ legal protections.

Israel has long sought to erase the issue of Palestinian refugees from the international agenda, and the recent bills are just the latest act in a systematic campaign to do so. Israeli officials openly admit that these bills are intended to prevent any discussion of the Palestinian right of return. The right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes is enshrined in the UN General Assembly resolution 302 (IV) that mandates UNRWA since 1949. Therefore, the bills do not merely halt the operations of UNRWA, but dismantle the body that protects Palestinian refugees, effectively erasing their right to return to their ancestral homeland.

The justification for this action rests on a small number of accusations against individual UNRWA employees, out of a staff of 30,000 and allegations of the military use of UNRWA premises by Palestinian armed groups. In Gaza, now a combat zone under widespread evacuation orders, verification of these claims is impossible. Israeli authorities are capitalising on recent conflicts to push through longstanding political goals. But make no mistake: the goal is not accountability; it is erasure of Palestinians.

The EU’s moral obligation

The EU has both a moral and legal responsibility here. As a major supporter of UNRWA – a legitimate construct of international law and its order – the European Union and its member states have an obligation to prevent the complete destabilisation of essential services in Gaza and the West Bank, services that the EU itself has identified as crucial to peace and stability.

Commissioner-designate Dubravka Suica recently affirmed during her hearing that the EU’s commitment to continuing its support for UNRWA, following the review that was conducted by independent actors. The EU and its Member States bear a responsibility vis a vis its citizens and taxpayers. Together, they fund around 60 per cent of UNRWA, which sustains crucial services that protect Palestinian lives in the face of unimaginable hardship. If Israel pursues its intentions unchallenged, it will be not only an incredible waste of efforts and resources, but also of a considerable amount of taxpayers’ money.

The humanitarian catastrophe resulting from this legislation would deepen Israel’s existing violations of ICJ rulings. In January, the ICJ issued provisional measures, ordering Israel to ensure unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. Yet, by obstructing UNRWA, Israel is not only violating these measures but actively worsening conditions that have been classified as potential genocidal acts under the 1948 Genocide Convention. There is no replacement for UNRWA’s work, nor has Israel proposed an alternative plan for the 2.5 million refugees it serves. As an occupying power, Israel is legally bound under the Hague Regulations and the Fourth Geneva Convention to maintain public order and ensure access to essential services in occupied territories. No other institution could feasibly reopen the 691 schools in Gaza in the aftermath of war. Yet, Israel’s refusal to meet these responsibilities speaks volumes. It does not merely fail to uphold the law, it dismisses it outright.

The international community cannot allow Israel to dismantle UNRWA while hiding behind claims of security concerns. The EU, as a critical funder of UNRWA and a steadfast advocate for human rights, must hold Israel accountable.

Israel’s legislative attack on UNRWA is an attack on every principle the EU claims to uphold. The disintegration of the international order may feel abstract until we recognise that, with each unpunished violation, we inch closer to a world where no rules govern conflict. Today, as the international community’s gaze is fixed on Gaza, Europe must stand for accountability, for human rights and for the children whose futures depend on it.
 

War on Gaza: As Palestinians suffer, liberal Zionists play the victim

11 January 2025

By Abed Abou Shhadeh

Talk of women's rights and freedom of worship are nothing more than tools to serve western interests in the region

Less than a year after Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula, Jewish philosopher Yeshayahu Leibowitz published an article titled “The Territories,” criticising the Israeli occupation and the imposition of a military regime on millions of Palestinians.

From this critique emerged the now-famous slogan: “The occupation corrupts” - a phrase that has become the foundation of arguments by many liberal Zionists.

These individuals view the crimes of the occupation primarily as acts that corrupt their own morality, rather than fundamentally harming the lives of others. Palestinians are thus not people in their own right, but a backdrop to a story liberal Zionists tell about themselves.

When a Palestinian dies, they see themselves as the true victim - their delicate conscience sullied by that death. As former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir once remarked: “We can forgive the Arabs for killing our children. We cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill their children.”

In this twisted logic, even while acknowledging that Israelis kill Palestinian children, they are still positioning themselves as the victim.

This framework sheds light on the international criticism surrounding the recent visit to Syria by the French and German foreign ministers.

Syria, which has paid an unprecedented price in its struggle to rid itself of one of the darkest regimes of the 20th and 21st centuries, has witnessed hundreds of thousands of deaths, millions of refugees, economic collapse, and torture chambers for men, women and children. Its future remains uncertain.

But western media opted to ignore these issues, fixating instead on why Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharra, did not shake hands with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.

Once again, the western white woman became the central story - not the Syrian women who endured hell in the Assad regime’s prisons, nor the children born in detention centres who have never experienced freedom.

Instead, the narrative revolved around a German politician whose feelings might have been hurt because her handshake was refused. As always, those of us in the Global South remain mere background figures in the stories white westerners tell about themselves.

Discussions about women’s rights, children’s rights and freedom of worship are mere tools, leveraged to serve their interests in the region. Otherwise, how can we understand Baerbock’s tireless defence and justification of the genocide in Gaza?

Throughout this genocide, now into its second year, we have witnessed Palestinian women and children being regularly massacred, while Baerbock has continued to support Israel’s “right to defend itself”. How can she claim to care about women’s rights in some places, while endorsing their mass killing elsewhere?

The only explanation lies in a western lens that sees the Global South as a playground for liberal western discourse - a game where international institutions, economic leverage and military power are exploited to advance the West’s interests.

Baerbock’s Zionism is a tragic reflection of humanity in the 21st century, where the lives of Global South peoples are rendered meaningless against the backdrop of western economic and political agendas. Every human rights discourse in the world rings hollow.

Clear message

In an era where the West vehemently opposed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, swiftly ramping up its rhetoric against Moscow and implementing economic sanctions, it has simultaneously defended Israel, even as the latter has bombed hospitals and schools in Gaza at an unprecedented pace.

In a globalised world where information is widely accessible, the message is clear: those who wield violence can impose their will without consequences, as long as western interests remain unaffected - and portrayed as the central story.

As poet Mahmoud Darwish aptly put it, we Palestinians are both blessed and cursed by our struggle with the Zionist movement - a movement that speaks in the name of Judaism, which itself suffered the Holocaust and carries an unresolved reckoning in the western consciousness.

This curse includes the whole Arab world, which is influenced and shaped by the West, with all its economic and military power, to ensure the survival of Israel - even if this means supporting and arming brutal authoritarian regimes that are willing to collaborate with Tel Aviv.

Even now, amid an ongoing genocide, every discussion with Palestinians demands that we propose solutions centred on the well-being of Zionists, with a framework palatable to western values and capable of resolving the relationship between Judaism and the West. In the meantime, Arabs can continue to die.

Abed Abou Shhadeh is a political activist based in Jaffa. Abou Shhadeh served as a city council representative of the Palestinian community in Jaffa-Tel Aviv from 2018 to 2024 and he holds an MA degree in political science from Tel Aviv university.
 

Palestinian Authority must run Gaza after war, Prime Minister says

10 January 2025

Several Agencies

The Palestinian Authority must be the sole governing power in Gaza after the war, Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammad Mustafa, said on Wednesday, as expectations grew that a deal to halt fighting and start returning Israeli hostages was near, Reuters reports.

Who will run Gaza after the war remains one of the great unanswered questions in the negotiations, which have focused on an immediate ceasefire and exchanging hostages still held in the enclave for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Speaking at a conference in Norway, Mustafa said pressure must continue to agree the ceasefire in Gaza and allow in more humanitarian aid for more than 2 million people facing a severe humanitarian crisis after 15 months of war.

Only the Palestinian Authority is legitimately placed to assume governance in the Gaza Strip after fighting ends and there should be no attempt to split Gaza off from the Occupied West Bank as part of a Palestinian State, he said.

“While we are waiting for the ceasefire, it is important to stress that it won’t be acceptable for any other entity to govern the Gaza Strip but the legitimate Palestinian leadership and the government of the state of Palestine,” he told the conference, according to the text of his speech.

He said Norway’s recognition last year of a Palestinian State under the Palestinian Authority was an important step towards the two-state solution backed in principle by most of the international community.

Israel has rejected any involvement by Hamas, which ran Gaza before the war, but it has been almost equally opposed to rule by the Palestinian Authority, the body set up under the Oslo interim peace Accords three decades ago that has limited governing power in the West Bank.

Israeli officials accuse the PA of supporting attacks against Israel and say that broad support for Hamas among Palestinians outside Gaza means that any Palestinian state would inevitably be taken over by the group.

The PA, dominated by the Fatah faction created by former Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, also faces opposition from rival faction, Hamas, which drove the PA out of Gaza in 2007 after a brief civil war.
 

Lack of security after Gaza truce could make aid surge difficult, UN says

10 January 2025

Several Agencies

A short-term surge of aid deliveries into Gaza after a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian Hamas will be difficult if the deal does not cover security arrangements in the enclave, a senior UN official said on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

Negotiators reached a deal on Wednesday for a ceasefire, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters, after 15 months of conflict. It would include a significant increase in humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, but it was unclear if any agreement would cover security arrangements.

“Security is not (the responsibility of) the humanitarians. And it’s a very chaotic environment. The risk is that with a vacuum it gets even more chaotic,” a senior UN official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters. “Short of any arrangement, it will be very difficult to surge deliveries in the short term.”

The United Nations has long described its humanitarian operation as opportunistic – facing problems with Israel’s military operation, access restrictions by Israel into and throughout Gaza and, more recently, looting by armed gangs.

“The UN is committed to delivering humanitarian assistance during the ceasefire, just as we were during the period of active hostilities,” said Eri Kaneko, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

“The removal of the various impediments the UN has been facing during the last year – which include restrictions on the entry of goods; the lack of safety and security; the breakdown of law and order and the lack of fuel – is a must,” she said.

The UN has been working with partners to develop a coordinated plan to scale up operations, Kaneko said.

600 trucks a day

The ceasefire deal – according to the official briefed on talks – requires 600 truckloads of aid to be allowed into Gaza every day of the initial six-week ceasefire, including 50 carrying fuel. Half of the 600 aid trucks would be delivered to Gaza’s north, where experts have warned famine is imminent.

“We are well-prepared, and you can count on us to continue to be ambitious and creative,” said the UN official, speaking shortly before the deal was agreed. “But the issue is and will be the operating environment inside Gaza.”

For more than a year, the UN has warned that famine looms over Gaza. Israel says there is no aid shortage – citing more than a million tons of deliveries. It accuses Hamas of stealing aid, which Hamas denies, instead blaming Israel for shortages.

“If the deal doesn’t provide any agreement on security arrangements, it will be very difficult to surge assistance,” said the official, adding that there would also be a risk that law and order would further deteriorate in the short term.

The United Nations said in June that it was Israel’s responsibility – as the occupying power in the Gaza Strip – to restore public order and safety in the Palestinian Territory so aid can be delivered.

Hamas came to power in Gaza in 2006 after Israeli soldiers and settlers withdrew in 2005, but the enclave is still deemed as Israeli-occupied territory by the United Nations. Israel controls access to Gaza.

The current war was triggered on 7 October, 2023, when Hamas killed 1,200 people in southern Israel, and took some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

However, since then, it has been revealed by Haaretz that helicopters and tanks of the Israeli army had, in fact, killed many of the 1,139 soldiers and civilians claimed by Israel to have been killed by the Palestinian Resistance.

Since then, more than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed, Israel has laid much of Gaza to waste and the enclave’s pre-war population of 2.3 million people has been displaced multiple times, aid agencies say.
 

UN, Western countries watching Israeli war crimes in Gaza: Erdoğan

26 February 2024

By Anadolu Agency

The United Nations and Western countries have been watching Israel as it commits crimes against humanity against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Saturday.

"So much so that the U.N. Security Council does not and cannot call for an immediate cease-fire," Erdoğan decried, speaking at a meeting of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in Türkiye's northwestern province of Sakarya.

"Neither Western powers nor the U.N. Security Council have made a useful effort to prevent Israeli violence," he stressed.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the U.N.

For the first time since its creation in 1948, Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, the highest judicial body of the United Nations, over its Gaza war.

An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

He also touched on Türkiye's success in becoming one of the four countries across the world to "producing 5th generation warplanes."

Praising the country's defense industry export volume in 2023 with approximately $5.5 billion, he indicated that it is the country's record.

"Having the KAAN fighter jet, the Anadolu ship, Akıncı, Kızılelma, ANKA, the Altay tank, and various missile systems is a matter of survival for us," he emphasized.

He also pointed out how successful the Turkish Armed Forces is in fighting terrorism.

Mentioning that there is not a single terror element positioned within Turkish territories, Erdoğan noted that wherever there is a terrorist, Turkish soldiers find and "neutralize" them.

"We will continue the fight until the last terrorist is neutralized, regardless of who is behind them," he added.

Turkish authorities use the term "neutralize" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

In its more than 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK - listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S., and the EU - has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

Israel must apologize to humanity for crimes in Gaza'

Israel must apologize to humanity for its crimes in Gaza if it wants to maintain its existence, Bilal Erdoğan said Friday at a Palestine Symposium in Istanbul.

"I hope this wound in the conscience of humanity will not be left bleeding and a collective willpower will emerge that can put a stop to Israel," said Erdoğan, the deputy chair of Ibn Haldun University's board of trustees and the son of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

He condemned a "global alliance aiding Israel's monstrosity" in the Gaza Strip, which Israel has pounded since the Oct. 7 Hamas incursion.

The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed nearly 29,410 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 70,000, with mass destruction and a worsening humanitarian crisis. It has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the U.N.

Erdoğan said the Israeli regime was "the same as the Nazi regime acting entirely on genocide."

"If they cared about civilian deaths, they could let humanitarian aid into Gaza through Rafah themselves but they don't think the Palestinians there as people," Erdoğan told the event.

"This is a period where Israel will destroy itself," he said.

The symposium, organized by the university itself and featuring academicians, activists and students, is one of the many events held in Türkiye since Oct. 7 to draw attention to the Palestinian plight.

Türkiye has been a staunch defender of the Palestinian cause and President Erdoğan's government continues diplomatic and legal efforts to resolve the conflict, including direct talks with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders and Hamas officials.

29,400 Gazans killed in Israel's war with over 97 deaths in 24 hours

Israeli atrocities continued to claim more Palestinian lives in Gaza as the death toll there soared to 29,410 Thursday, according to the Health Ministry.

A ministry statement said at least 69,465 other people have also been injured in the onslaught.

"At least 97 people were killed and 132 others injured in Israeli attacks in the last 24 hours," the statement said.

"Many victims are still trapped under rubble and on the roads and rescuers can't reach them," the ministry said.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Palestinian group Hamas in October, in which nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed.

The Israeli onslaught has pushed 85% of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the U.N.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in an interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
 

Al-Hayya: Israel will not obtain its captives unless it pays the price

26 February 2024

Several Agencies, DOHA, (PIC)S

The Deputy Chairman of Hamas in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, acknowledged in an interview with Al Jazeera on Monday that "Netanyahu retreated last week from what he had agreed to in the Paris paper, and I say that the occupation today is prolonging the battle with lies and hopes that will not be reached."

"The occupation will not obtain its captives except at three conditions: providing relief to our people, stopping the aggression, and exchanging prisoners," he said.

Regarding Israel's planned military operation in Rafah, he further told Al Jazeera, that "just as the occupation failed to eliminate the resistance's capabilities in the northern Gaza Strip, the central region, and Khan Yunis, the occupation will fail to extend its control over Rafah."

He stressed that "the Palestinian people still support their resistance, despite the tragic conditions they are experiencing, such as starvation and genocide."

He further noted that "the entire world failed to pass its moral test in the face of the Israeli crimes, and realized that without a fully sovereign Palestinian state, the region will not calm down."

Israel: 46 soldiers injured in 24 hours in Gaza battles

Data released by the Israeli occupation army yesterday revealed that 46 soldiers were injured in the past 24 hours during the ongoing battles in the Gaza Strip.

According to the data published on the army's official website, the number of wounded soldiers and officers has increased since the beginning of the war on 7 October to 2,984, up from 2,938 on Monday.

This brings the number of Israeli soldiers injured between Monday and Tuesday to 46.

In December, the non-profit Disabled Veterans Organisation warned that the number of wounded Israeli soldiers is likely to reach approximately 20,000 once those diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder are included.

Hamas chief arrives in Cairo for talks on Israeli war on Gaza

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Cairo yesterday to hold talks on the ongoing Israeli onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip, Anadolu news agency reported.

In a statement, the Palestinian resistance group said Haniyeh and his delegation are scheduled to hold talks with Egyptian officials on the situation on the ground and the political arena.

The talks will follow efforts to stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza, it added.

Haniyeh's visit to Cairo comes as Qatari and Egyptian efforts continue with the aim of reaching a prisoner swap deal and a ceasefire in Gaza.

Hamas has repeatedly stated its pre-conditions for a prisoner swap deal are a complete ceasefire, Israeli army withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and rebuilding Gaza.

On 7 February, the movement proposed a three-stage plan for a Gaza ceasefire that includes a 135-day pause in the fighting in return for the release of hostages.

The original framework agreement was worked out during a Paris meeting which included top officials from the US, Israel, Qatar and Egypt last month.

American Axios news website quoted three American and Israeli officials on Tuesday as saying that White House Mideast envoy, Brett McGurk, will visit Israel and Egypt this week to hold talks about a possible ground operation in Rafah and a prisoner swap deal.

According to the sources, McGurk is expected to meet with the director of the Egyptian Intelligence Service, Abbas Kamel, and other Egyptian officials in Cairo today and with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and other Israeli officials, tomorrow.

Haniyeh has recently said that Hamas was dealing with the ongoing negotiations in Cairo positively, stressing that it would not accept anything less than a complete cessation of the Israeli aggression and withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

War in Gaza has resulted in unprecedented levels of destruction: WHO spokesperson

World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said the war in Gaza, going on since Oct. 7, has caused unprecedented destruction, Anadolu reports.

Jasarevic and the spokesperson of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Jens Laerke, spoke to Anadolu.

The war in Gaza has resulted in unprecedented levels of destruction, Jasarevic said, stressing that between 70 to 80% of civilian infrastructure, including homes, hospitals, schools, water, and sanitation facilities, has been destroyed or severely damaged. Jasarevic said it will take decades to repair the infrastructure in Gaza, including the health system that is barely surviving.

The UN Environment Program estimates that it will take anywhere between three to 12 years to only clear the debris and explosive remnants of the war, Jasarevic recalled, and continued: "United Nations Conference on Trade and Development estimates that it will take tens of billions of dollars and decades to reverse the overall economic damage, including to rebuild the health system which is on its knees."

"Only 13 out of 36 hospitals are partially or minimally functioning in Gaza, the majority of them being located in the south of Gaza," he further said.

Jasarevic, citing a UN report, noted that if the fighting were to stop immediately, reconstruction were to start right away, and the 2007-2022 growth trend were to persist, it would take until 2092 just to restore Gaza's gross domestic product levels in 2022.

He added: "WHO will continue to implement its operational plan to support hospitals in Gaza with a financial ask for $110 million, with a strong focus on supporting existing health facilities, strengthening and maintaining health care services, managing casualties and reinstituting a trauma care pathway, as well as supporting medical evacuations and maintaining essential health services, working with international emergency medical teams and establishing additional field hospitals to cope with the acute needs."

Meanwhile, Laerke recalled that OCHA has repeatedly warned about the effects of not delivering sufficient aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

"It is not only war and bombardment that lead to fatal consequences. The public health crisis and starvation that lead to increased poverty can also be fatal," he further said.

Laerke noted that they were doing their best to deliver aid to the war zone and that they had been calling for a cease-fire on humanitarian grounds for a very long time.

He also said they plan to significantly increase humanitarian aid operations with the cessation of hostilities.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

For the first time since its creation in 1948, Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, the highest judicial body of the United Nations, over its Gaza war. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
 

Justice denied to Palestinian Arabs and Muslims means the West has lost all credibility

26 February 2024

By Yvonne Ridley

There is no doubting the bravery and courage of Alexei Navalny, the recently deceased Russian dissident who became a symbol of resistance against Vladimir Putin's regime. However, the global outpouring of grief and condemnation over his suspicious demise surprised me and further highlighted the double standards and unbridled racism and Islamophobia in the West.

The BBC chose to focus on the fact that "his steadfast commitment to the fight for a free and democratic Russia served as a rallying point for those advocating for change." The Guardian, meanwhile, which is equally critical of Moscow's war in Ukraine, has devoted numerous articles to all aspects known about his death.

There has been little or no mention of Navalny's repugnant views on migrants and Muslims, though, who he once described as insects and "cockroaches" during his flirtation with far-right groups in Russia. Navalny did not deserve to die, regardless of his vile video and views, but I have to question the outpouring of grief in the media.

My criticism focuses on the tale of two political prisoners, each praised for standing up to brutal regimes and tyrants, and the media reaction that followed their incarceration and murder.

Remember Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi? He was arrested and locked up during a military coup led by the current Egyptian military dictator, General Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, in July 2013. Morsi's "crime" was that he was part of the Muslim Brotherhood, the movement which is both feared and loathed by most Arab dictators and tyrants.

Like Navalny, Morsi was put before a court on trumped up charges but, as an Arab Muslim, the Islamophobic and racist Western media barely ran with the story. They cared not that he was denied life-saving medicine and kept in atrocious conditions in prison. Had the democratic West's leaders produced the sort of scathing criticism and outrage that they used when news of Navalny's death broke, it might have been different for the very first democratically elected Egyptian president.

Unlike the coverage given to concerns by Navalny's family and legal team about his health behind bars, growing concern about Morsi's rapidly deteriorating health and prison conditions rarely went beyond a single column hidden away in the foreign pages of Europe's newspapers. When Morsi finally succumbed to his tormentors, he collapsed in the dock during a court appearance and was duly ignored by the police officers supposed to be guarding him. His burial the following day was attended by members of the family in Cairo's Madinat Nasr after the authorities refused to grant permission for a burial in his home province of Sharqiya in the Nile Delta.

"We washed his noble body at Tora Prison hospital," explained Morsi's son Ahmed, "and performed prayers for him in the prison mosque… the burial was at the cemetery for Muslim Brotherhood spiritual guides." Morsi's lawyer, Abdel Moneim Abdel Maksoud, confirmed that the burial took place in Al-Wafaa wa Al-Amal cemetery the day after he died. At least Morsi was given the dignity of a funeral, I suppose, but it was nowhere near the scale of what it would have been had the burial taken place in his home town.

Navalny's family, of course, have yet to see his body, more than five days after his reported death, and so cannot even plan a funeral. This has given rise to speculation that he was poisoned with Novichok, which was used in the attempted murder of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, England, in 2018. His family claim that Navalny's body is being kept until traces of the nerve agent have disappeared. He survived an attempt to kill him using the poison in 2020, according to his supporters.

Call me a cynic, but I reckon that if Navalny had been a prisoner in, say, Saudi Arabia, few people would have read about his death and Britain would not have reacted to Riyadh in the same way it has reacted and lashed out against Putin and Moscow. Both Britain and the US are imposing sanctions on Russia, including the freezing of assets of six Russian officials in charge of the Arctic Circle prison where opposition leader Navalny died. No doubt other Western countries will follow suit.

The six officials will also be banned from travelling to the UK, which the Foreign Office says is the first country to impose sanctions over Navalny's death. Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron said that those responsible for Navalny's "brutal treatment" would be held accountable.

"I find the foreign secretary's reaction particularly galling"

When I personally raised concerns about President Morsi's health and the other Muslim Brotherhood political prisoners in Cairo when Cameron was prime minister, he barely registered any response whatsoever. Instead, he rolled out the red carpet for Sisi calling him "a vital partner for us both in terms of our economic and our security ties" during a Downing Street press conference.

Of course, as the prime minister of the day, he was too busy making friends and cutting deals with Sisi the dictator and his allies in Saudi and the UAE where the Muslim Brotherhood is now banned. Indeed, far from sanctioning President Morsi's tormentors, it was Cameron who launched an investigation designed to discredit and undermine the Muslim Brotherhood. However, his attempt to ban the movement backfired spectacularly when it was given a clean bill of health by Sir John Jenkins, a former British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia who headed up the international aspects of the review.

Two more courageous political prisoners who deserve our admiration and concern are Pakistan's Imran Khan and Australian-born journalist Julian Assange, the editor of Wikileaks, who is fighting deportation to the US in the High Court in London today (Thursday). With spineless governments like Britain's seeking their own places on the global stage, who is going to challenge and sanction Washington, which has been a prime antagonist against both men?

Justice in the West, as always, is justice denied when it favours the oil-rich friends and supporters of the military industrial complex, and the media plays a huge role in empowering politicians to ensure that the Establishment narrative dominates.

The late, great Malcolm X, the anniversary of whose assassination we remember this week, got it right when he said: "The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses." Known to Muslims as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, the human rights activist also said, "If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing."

"Malcolm's words ring true today, not only in the hypocritical positions taken on Navalny, but also in the disgraceful double standards applied when it comes to justice for the people of occupied Palestine."

A genocide is being played out for all to see in real time on social media, and yet politicians turn a blind eye in order to protect the genocidal regime in apartheid Israel. It is disgraceful. Malcolm X had something to say about that kind of thing as well: "I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I'm a human being, first and foremost, and as such I'm for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole."

On the evidence of the shambolic House of Commons vote on a ceasefire resolution on Wednesday, very few British MPs are able to claim such noble principles. As justice is again being denied to Palestinian Arabs and Muslims, the West has lost all credibility as an honest broker for peace.
 

It's not war, it's genocide: Brazil's President Lula on Gaza

26 February 2024

Anadolu Agency

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reiterated once again that the Israeli military is committing "genocide" in the Gaza Strip, as he said the ongoing crisis is not war.

"It is a genocide. Thousands of children are dead and thousands are missing. Soldiers are not dying. Women and children are dying at the hospital," he said at an event in Rio de Janeiro, adding: "If that's not genocide, I don't know what genocide is."

The Brazilian president also called for the establishment of a "free and sovereign" Palestinian state.

Also speaking about the U.N. Security Council, he said: "Today it represents nothing, it does not take any decisions, it does nothing for peace."

"There is a lot of hypocrisy in the world today and very little politics," Lula said, adding: "We cannot accept what is happening in Gaza and we cannot accept the war in Ukraine."

He said the countries with veto power are not acting democratically.

Lula pointed out that nearly 30,000 people, mostly women and children, have lost their lives in the attacks on Gaza since October 2023.

"It is impossible for people not to understand what is happening in Gaza."

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas. The ensuing Israeli war has killed more than 29,500 people and caused mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

For the first time since its creation in 1948, Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, the highest judicial body of the United Nations, over its Gaza war.

An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

UN rapporteurs call for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

UN rapporteurs have called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza Strip to evade further loss of life in lines of civilians in the enclave.

They said in a statement on Wednesday that Israel must immediately cease fire in Gaza and embark on concrete humanitarian measures that prioritize the needs of Palestinian women and girls in accordance with the International Court of Justice's ruling of 26 January 2024.

"At this stage of the conflict, there is an urgent and growing need to address the near total disruption of schooling, massive destruction of housing, lack of access to reproductive health care and supplies, and heightened risk of arbitrary detention and violence, including gender-based violence, faced by women and girls in Gaza and the West Bank," the UN experts added.

The statement said, "We express alarm at the severely limited access to medical treatment and essential supplies in hospitals, and reports of pregnant mothers having caesarean sections and injured children undergoing amputations without anesthesia".

The experts called on Israel to implement an immediate ceasefire and take all possible measures to avoid civilian casualties and displacement from Gaza, as well as to establish a field hospital at the Rafah Crossing to provide medical assistance for emergencies.

It also demanded Israel to build additional shelters and schools in Gaza so that educational facilities are no longer used as shelters and girls can resume their education.

The UN experts said Israel must provide safe spaces and reparations for women and girls who have survived or are at risk of gender-based violence in Gaza and the West Bank and ensure accountability for those who perpetrate violence against them, including Israeli authorities and settlers.
 

In resistance to Israel's genocide, Palestinians unleash initiatives

26 February 2024

Wafa Aludaini

Even under the genocidal eliminationist Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian people nevertheless uphold their will to strive, to fight, to survive and maintain righteousness on their own land. Hundreds of individual and group initiatives have emerged and are flourishing from within the crucible of Gaza's destruction and displacement.

Mohammed Alkhudari, a teacher, gathers dozens of students to practice reading Arabic in the school where he is sheltering. "Despite the poor equipment and lack of materials that we have here to teach our students, I feel it's my duty and responsibility as a teacher to teach our children after months without schools," says Alkhudari, who was displaced from his home in Shuja'iyya neighbourhood in Gaza City and forced to evacuate after Israeli warplanes bombed his five-story residential building on 7 November, 2023.

"I miraculously survived after spending several hours under the rubble of my destroyed home," he recalled to MEMO. "It was a horrifying night; hundreds were massacred, among them my uncle and his entire family." After his home was destroyed, Alkhudari and his surviving family members moved to the south, seeking refuge in Deir Al-Balah. "I teach students how to read by studying stories and poems because this decreases their anxiety, fear and stress."Israeli airstrikes have directly or indirectly destroyed more than 350 schools since the commencement of Israel's murderous onslaught, and the remaining schools have been turned into shelters for displaced Palestinians who face ongoing targeting as the Israeli rampage continues. The indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes have murdered at least 4,400 students, 231 teachers and 94 professors so far, according to the Ministry of Education.

Living in a makeshift shelter in Rafah, Dr Mahmoud Mohammed Saleh has turned his tent into a clinic to treat refugee camp patients. "After losing my house in an Israeli airstrike, I moved with my family to Rafah. Once I reached Rafah and erected the tent for my family, I contacted the Ministry of Health to aid me with some essential equipment and medicine to help the displaced people," Dr Saleh shares. "I could not surrender my mission and let my people suffer without medical care, especially in the face of the spread of diseases due to the lack of hygiene and health services among the displaced people." According to Dr Saleh: "Scabies and hepatitis are among the diseases that are spreading unprecedentedly among the displaced population due to the contamination of water, if available, and the lack of personal hygiene due to the lack of resources among most of the families." He started by treating patients in his family tent, and over time, he and his colleagues erected a neighbouring tent equipped as a central medical point to serve around 500 displaced families, where conditions are diagnosed and some treatments are available to patients for free.

Dr Saleh feels some happiness when he treats people. He explains that he feels relieved when he helps patients and alleviates their pain: "My work is a message of peace and love, and through it, I seek to spread hope among my displaced people."

Seventy-five per cent of the sector's hospitals are out of service as a result of the Israeli occupation army's deadly assaults on Gaza's healthcare facilities, which were already facing critical shortages of medications and supplies under the Israeli-imposed blockade and siege prior to the start of Israel's bombardment in October.

The ongoing Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip has spawned cascades of shortages of the most basic necessities, including nappies. The immense need instigated a group of women to build a small workshop to sew nappies. While shearing pieces of white cloth to be stitched together with cotton pads, Maysaa Alqutati, the manager of the project, told MEMO: "We invented the process of making these simple nappies by recycling protective medical clothing from the Coronavirus pandemic and adding fabric and medical cotton to help mothers in light of the diaper shortage at the local markets."

"Many essential necessities have been hobbled by Israeli restrictions and the relentless bombardment, unleashing a humanitarian catastrophe of unimaginable scale. The shortages have pushed mothers to resort to easily soiled cloth nappies; however, cleaning them is difficult due to water scarcity. What mothers used instead of nappies led to health and skin problems for their children, so this spurred us to come up with the idea of making the nappies with whatever suitable materials we can find."

According to Alqutatit, there is a great demand for their local-made nappies, which have proven their quality as a viable emergency alternative at reasonable prices to ready-made nappies, but they cannot meet the overall need of the local market due to the small capacity of the operation, the lack of raw materials, the power shortages and the need to use a small generator to operate the sewing machines. The small sewing workshop employs 15 workers, most of whom are women displaced from Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip. Around 1.4 million displaced Palestinians are crammed into Rafah, in streets, schools and formerly empty lands, while newly created tent camps fill the city, which continues to face non-stop Israeli air, sea and ground bombardment.

These survival efforts are not isolated occurrences across the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of projects and initiatives have emerged in resistance to Israel's genocide as a result of the Palestinian people's relentless, steadfast drive for freedom and a whole and dignified life.
 

Sheikh Salah: Muslims have the eternal right to pray at the Aqsa Mosque

25 February 2024

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)

Sheikh Ra'ed Salah, head of head of the Islamic Movement in 1948 occupied Palestine, has expressed his rejection of the entry restrictions that the Israeli government intends to impose on Muslim worshipers at the Aqsa Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan.

"We [Muslims] have the uncompromising eternal and legal right to enter the Aqsa Mosque, whether we are children, young people, men or elderlies. No human being in the entire world has the right to determine the age of those who are allowed to enter the Aqsa Mosque," Sheikh Salah said in a statement on Tuesday.

"We have the eternal right to pray at the Aqsa Mosque at every time the call to prayer is recited inside it," Sheikh Salah added.

"As we are approaching the holy month of Ramadan, I affirm that the Aqsa Mosque is a verse in the Holy Qur'an, so we must preserve it just as we care for our holy book," he underlined.

Netanyahu to restrict entry of Arab-Israelis to Al-Aqsa in Ramadan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to restrict Palestinian citizens of Israel accessing Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan, Channel 13 reported yesThe Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that the Israeli occupation army carried out eight massacres against families in the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours, claiming the lives of 92 people and injuring 123 others.

The Ministry indicated in a statement on Saturday that a number of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads as Israeli troops have been preventing ambulance and civil defense crews from reaching them.

This brings the toll of casualties as a result of the Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 7 to 29,606 martyrs and 69,737 wounded.terday.

The decision was reportedly made following pressure from far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and against the advice of security agencies who said this could cause the situation on the ground "to explode".

Israel has already limited Muslim access to the holy site for prayers, in particular on Fridays, since 7 October. It now looks set to limit numbers during Ramadan.

Israel increases its attacks on Al-Aqsa during Ramadan, raiding the Muslim holy site as Muslims take part in night prayers.

While far right settler groups have previously called for incursions into Al-Aqsa ahead of Jewish holidays, including Passover which is due to be held at the end of April.

Calls for performing Great Fajr prayer in Al-Aqsa Mosque

A group of Jerusalemite campaigners and activists have called for performing the Great Fajr prayer on Friday at Al-Aqsa Mosque's courtyards and staying at the holy site to demand lifting the siege imposed on it.

The calls on Thursday stressed the necessity of regular mobilization and visiting of Al-Aqsa Mosque in defense of the holy site in the face of Israeli occupation army and settlers' plans to demolish it for the construction of their alleged temple.

The calls to break the ongoing siege on Al-Aqsa Mosque have been renewed by activists who stressed that mobilization of Palestinians in Occupied Jerusalem and 1948 Occupied Palestine will definitely make a difference especially when accompanied by patience and steadfastness.

Palestinian activists have also called for the participation in the massive rallies which are going to kick off after Friday prayer in solidarity with Gaza and the resistance and to perform the Great Fajr prayer in Mosques of the West Bank, Jerusalem, and 1948 Occupied Palestine, in response to the call launched by Abo Obeida, the spokesman for Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas.

In the same context, Hamas Movement has called on Palestinians to take part in the massive rallies to kick off on Friday from various and central mosques in Occupied Jerusalem and West Bank in support for Gaza and the resistance.

Israeli police have been imposing tight security measures on Muslim worshippers' entry to Al-Aqsa Mosque since the start of the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza on October 7.
 

US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza enters day 141

25 February 2024

Several Agencies

As the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip entered day 141 on Saturday, massive aerial and artillery strikes continued to pound neighborhoods, homes and shelter centers and massacre more civilians, mostly children and women.

A reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said that the Israeli occupation army continued to attack different areas of Gaza, killing and injuring dozens of citizens.

According to local media sources, casualties were evacuated to the Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah after Israeli drones opened fire at citizens in al-Mawasi area in Khan Yunis, south of Gaza.

One civilian was martyred and others were injured when the Israeli army bombed streets in the west of Khan Yunis.

An unidentified number of martyrs were reported following an Israeli airstrike on the Dalloul mill near the Salahuddin Mosque in az-Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City.

Citizens were also able to evacuate bodies of two citizens after they were shot dead by Israeli forces in Khan Yunis.

A number of citizens were reportedly wounded following an Israeli attack on a house belonging to the family of Zamzam in al-Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, while others were shot dead as they were sitting on the roof of their house in an-Nasser neighborhood in Gaza City.

A large number of citizens were either killed or injured when Israeli warplanes bombed homes in az-Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City.

Dozens of casualties were reported in the neighborhoods of as-Sabra, Tal al-Hawa, and Darj in Gaza City.

Israeli warplanes also bombed homes in the refugee camps of an-Nuseirat and Bureij and Deir al-Balah City in central Gaza, killing six civilians and injuries many others.

Last night, 22 civilians were martyred and 50 others were injured following an Israeli aerial attack on the house of Mahmoud Zuaiter in Deir al-Balah.

Meanwhile, an infant has reportedly died of malnutrition and hunger in Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, north of Gaza. He was the sixth or seventh child dying of hunger in Gaza.

Other casualties were reported in different areas of Gaza following Israeli aerial, artillery and shooting attacks last night and today.

92 Palestinians killed, 123 injured in 8 Israeli massacres in the past 24 hours

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that the Israeli occupation army carried out eight massacres against families in the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours, claiming the lives of 92 people and injuring 123 others.

The Ministry indicated in a statement on Saturday that a number of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads as Israeli troops have been preventing ambulance and civil defense crews from reaching them.

This brings the toll of casualties as a result of the Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 7 to 29,606 martyrs and 69,737 wounded.

Ministry of Health: 97 Palestinians killed in the past 24 hours

The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip said on Thursday that 97 Palestinians were killed while 132 others were injured in the Israeli bombardment of the enclave over the past 24 hours.

It added that the Israeli occupation army committed 9 massacres against civilians in the beleaguered enclave in the past 24 hours.

The ministry said that a number of victims are still under the rubble of destroyed buildings and in the streets and could not be recovered due to the Israeli army shooting of any ambulance or civil defense vehicle tyring to approach them.

It said that the number of martyrs has thus risen to 29,410 while 69,465 others were injured in the Israeli bloody aggression on the besieged Strip that started on October 7 last year.

Türkiye rallies Muslim world against Israel's cruelty: Erdoğan

25 February 2024

Daily Sabah

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Friday that Türkiye was working to mobilize the Muslim world for steps to be taken to stop Israel's aggression in Gaza.

Erdoğan was speaking in the western city of Balıkesir on Friday, for an election rally for his Justice and Development Party (AK Party). Erdoğan told a crowd of supporters that Türkiye stood with its Palestinian brothers and sisters and its aid to Gaza, besieged by Israel since October 7, exceeded 34,000 tons, including the latest shipment of 2,380 tons of aid sent to the region on Thursday.

He stated that Türkiye was working for a "united" action of the Islamic world against Israel.

Türkiye has been pushing for a solution to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza due to Israel's indiscriminate attacks, which have destroyed civilian infrastructure and killed almost 30,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

Türkiye has been a staunch defender of the Palestinian cause and continues diplomatic and legal efforts to resolve the conflict. A group of its top jurists brought a case against the Israeli administration over the Gaza atrocities to the International Criminal Court (ICC) last November, while Turkish state institutions and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have been working to deliver humanitarian aid in coordination with Egypt.

Israel launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, and the ensuing bombardment has killed more than 29,000 Palestinians. It has also displaced 85% of the territory's population, destroyed or damaged 60% of its infrastructure and caused acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine.

Palestine to seek broad support for full UN membership

The Palestinian state is preparing to seek full U.N. membership and ask member states to endorse its admission, the country's ambassador to the United Nations said Thursday.

"We will intensify these discussions and we will use a variety of things, including we might have a statement and solicit signatures from member states welcoming and supporting the admission of the State of Palestine to membership before in fact going to the (UN) Security Council and to submit a resolution calling for recommendation to admit the state of Palestine as a member of the UN," Riyad Mansour told reporters in New York.

His remarks came a day after Israel's parliament, the Knesset, voted 99-11 to back a decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to reject any unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood.

"It's only us, the Palestinian people, who will determine our right to self-determination, including the independence of our state. We will not negotiate that principle with anyone and we will not ask for permission from anyone to do so," Mansour said.

Palestine will expedite the process in the U.N. General Assembly of asking the international community to take practical measures to force Israel to lift its siege on Gaza, such as asking countries not to send or sell weapons and ammunition to Israel, or asking them not to give visas to settlers, he added.

The State of Palestine was accepted as an observer state of the U.N. General Assembly in 2012, allowing its envoy to participate in debates and U.N. organizations but without a vote.

According to the U.N. Charter, states are admitted to membership in the UN by a decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.

"It was the international community that decided to create two states in Palestine since 1947. It is the duty of the international community along with the Palestinian people to complete that exercise by admitting the state of Palestine to membership," Mansour said.

Instead of obeying the provisional orders from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Mansour said Israel is going further in denying Palestine, including its right to exercise self-determination.

Netanyahu's onslaught on Rafah is further proof of hisdesperation

25 February 2024

Azzam Tamimi

After many days of anticipation, the long-awaited Cairo talks on a Gaza ceasefire never materialized, and no deal was concluded.

The Hamas leadership refused to be bullied and pulled its delegation out of Cairo, having come to the conclusion that Netanyahu was only playing for time.

Meanwhile, the intensification of Israel's assault on Rafah, and the promise of an imminent ground invasion in this southernmost part of Gaza, point to a deep frustration on the part of Israeli leaders.

Such indiscriminate and merciless punishment of the Palestinian civilian population has become a pattern in this war. Yet, the Hamas delegation remained for some time in Cairo, apparently keen not to be seen as the party responsible for destroying the prospects of a ceasefire deal mediated by Qatar and Egypt.

But Netanyahu's onslaught and continuing threats meant he had no intention of doing business.

Hamas took nearly a week to respond to a previous proposal for a ceasefire and hostage exchange.

When it eventually made a counter-offer, which called for a three-stage ceasefire and exchange of Israeli and Palestinian captives, ultimately leading to an end to the war, Israel rejected the proposal.

The reason it took so long for a reply from Hamas centers on the nature of the movement's decision-making processes. Its leadership hierarchy is supposed to represent three constituencies: Gaza, the occupied West Bank and the diaspora. Communication among these three leadership structures on highly sensitive issues can be a lengthy and complicated process.

Furthermore, the final word on a matter of this nature lies in Gaza, and not in the diaspora or elsewhere.

The people of Gaza, and their leadership, have the ultimate right to decide whether the proposed terms are acceptable. When the initial ceasefire proposal was conveyed to Hamas, it had to be communicated to the Gaza leadership and considered carefully.

Hostage exchange

Over the past four months, Israel has unleashed a massive onslaught across the Gaza Strip, killing more than 28,000 Palestinians and destroying large parts of the territory's critical infrastructure. Ruling this to be a plausible case of genocide, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) recently laid out provisional measures aimed at stopping the killing – but Israel's bombardment has not ceased, and the focus is now on Rafah.

On Tuesday, South Africa said it had called on the ICJ to consider whether it could use its power to prevent a further breach of the rights of Palestinians in Gaza, in light of Israel's decision to extend its military operations in Rafah.

Israel wants its hostages back. In exchange, it reportedly offered to temporarily halt the fighting and allow for the release of some Palestinian captives.

Amid the ongoing devastation of Gaza, the Israelis and their US and European allies perhaps thought this proposal would immediately be welcomed. But the Hamas counter-proposal suggests that the movement's military wing is still in good shape.

It also suggests that despite all the pain and suffering, the population of Gaza does not see in the Israeli-US proposal a genuine opportunity for the resumption of a "normal" life inside the territory – but rather a brief respite before the gates of hell reopen.

Based on the experience of the past 17 years, the Gaza leadership of Hamas would not take a decision on a matter like this without first gauging the mood of the population, which is not an easy thing to do under the current circumstances.

As I seek to show in my book Hamas: Unwritten Chapters, this approach to decision-making has contributed to the movement's continued popularity since it won the 2006 Palestinian Legislative Council elections. This is why Israel, and its collaborators within the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, have been unable to drive a lasting wedge between Hamas and the people of Gaza.

Confident position

The counter-proposal of Hamas, which is designated as a proscribed organization in the UK, envisions a three-stage ceasefire, with each phase lasting 45 days, enabling the gradual exchange of captives. The eventual objective would be to end the war and siege, allow relief and reconstruction, and guarantee the people's right to return to their homes and move freely across Gaza.

Scheduling the exchange in three phases would test Israel's commitment to implementing the deal, while ensuring that steps taken in one phase are not reversed soon afterwards. Palestinians have grown accustomed to Israel's habit of reneging on its promises.

Israel's refusal of the deal was wholly expected. If Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is perceived to have made concessions to Hamas, his political career – already in danger – could end outright. In four months of war, he has achieved none of his publicly declared objectives, foremost among them the destruction of Hamas.

The Hamas counter-proposal suggests a confident position, which is bound to heighten Netanyahu's anxiety and increase his desperation. Pressure is building on him from various sides, especially among the families of the hostages and their growing camp of supporters inside Israel.

Hamas will not likely settle for much less than what it offered in its counter-proposal. Any attempt by Netanyahu to penalize the population of Gaza for rejecting his offer will likely backfire. His threat to attack Rafah, where some 1.4 million people are crammed after the Israeli military machine forced them out of their homes, is simply further proof of his desperation.

-Azzam Tamimi is a British Palestinian academic and political activist. He is currently the Chairman of Alhiwar TV Channel and is its Editor in Chief. His article appeared in the Middle East Eye.

Where is the 'morality' in Israel's erasure of Palestinians?

24 February 2024

By Ramona Wadi

Had the world retained its sensitivity, the myth of "the most moral army in the world" would have shattered already. But the Israeli military is utilising its tactic of isolating individual cases of human rights violations and pointing fingers at individuals, rather than blame the genocidal policy of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the military as a state institution that carries out genocidal actions.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) top lawyer, Maj.-Gen. Yifal Tomer-Yerushalmi warned of "incidents [that] go beyond the disciplinary domain, and cross the criminal threshold." Such actions, she stated, damage Israel's and the IDF's reputation in the international arena. "We act like human beings and, unlike our enemy, maintain our humanity," Tomer-Yerushalmi added. "We must be careful not to use force where it is not required, to distinguish between a terrorist and those who are not, not to take anything that is not ours — a souvenir or weapons — and not to film revenge videos." The latter was emphasised after the New York Times published footage of Israeli soldiers ridiculing Palestinians' homes and celebrating their destruction. "I stopped counting how many neighbourhoods I've erased," one caption reads.

Yet the language used in the videos is also the language used by Israeli officials in terms of erasure and degradation. Towards the beginning of Israel's genocide in Gaza, Palestinians were described as human animals and threatened with a total siege. Five months later, Israel's genocidal actions are taking shape swiftly and there is no way that individual soldiers could have destroyed Gaza without the backing of the institutions they serve. So, once again, focusing on individual culpability is a veneer that has been used in the past to detract attention from the collective actions of the IDF under the Israeli colonial entity's impunity.

Only this time, the level of impunity completely matches how brazenly Israeli officials and the military have been exposing their war crimes. Tomer-Yerushalmi's warning is not indicative of a few instances of violations, but of how genocide organised by the Israeli State and the IDF is being downplayed to safeguard the perpetrator's image. The international outcry is not loud enough, however. Between humanitarian pauses and conditional ceasefires that give Israel enough time to request additional weapons supplies from the US, and the international community's obsession with the defunct two-state paradigm, Israel faces no formidable opponent and has also made a mockery out of the International Court of Justice.

It is to be expected that Israel resorts to its usual normalising tactics – after all it is now normalising genocide to the international community. But the international community is intent on failing Palestinians by accepting the normalisation of Israel's genocidal intent and action. Israel and its military are not acting like human beings – the majority of human beings do not have genocidal intent and do not commit acts of genocide.

Of course, the words reflect what is not said – the designation of Palestinians as "human animals" by Israel's Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, to purportedly claim the high and moral ground. But there is no morality in dehumanisation, so how would Yerushalmi and, indeed, the international community, describe a settler-colonial, genocidal enterprise that precisely targets to kill Palestinians, starves the entire population and plans for the mass expulsion of those who remain? Where is the "morality" in Israel's erasure of Palestinians?
 

Brazilian President Lula the giant lays bare Israel's genocidal actions

24 February 2024

By Sayid Marcos Tenório

Brazilian President Lula's statements at the African Union (AU) summit lifted the lid on the Zionist state's crimes and brought to light the truth about what Israel has been practicing in the Palestinian territories it has occupied since the Nakba; banishment, ethnic cleansing, genocide and horrors similar to those during the Holocaust.

Lula made a correct comparison from a historical and humanitarian point of view, because the crimes of the Nazis not only against Jews, but also against other populations during World War II in Europe, resemble what Zionists of the supremacist regime of Israel have been committing against the population of Gaza through a massacre that has already killed 30,000 Palestinians, most of them children, women and the elderly, in addition to the about 10,000 missing and presumed dead beneath the rubble, whose bodies have not been recovered.

The Prime Minister of the Nazi-Zionist state of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, a war criminal and terrorist in the most literal sense of the term, continues to claim Israel is "exercising its right of self-defence" in an effort to lie to the world, because according to international law, especially the United Nations Charter and the Geneva Convention, an occupying force such as Israel does not have the right to self-defence, is not authorised to carry out bombings against residential neighbourhoods, hospitals, UN schools, religious temples and unarmed civilians, nor is it allowed to kidnap and torture of thousands of Palestinians living under its occupation. However, Israel persists in such practices with full support and funding from the US and the Western media.

The charge of anti-Semitism used to intimidate Israel's critics or to sterilise discussion and divert attention from real problems, is very convenient and useful when Zionists are without arguments. There is a clear distinction between anti-Semitism as Jew-hatred on the one hand, and legitimate criticism of Israel's degrading, oppressive and genocidal policies against the Palestinian people, on the other.

Contrary to this shameful manipulation, the comparison made by President Lula is totally appropriate, because while Hitler's intention was the elimination of the Jews, Israel's is the annihilation of the Palestinian people, in an operation of ethnic cleansing and genocide. In this sense, the Nazis and Zionists can be considered to be united in thought and action.

The Zionists use the Holocaust of Jews in Europe as an indispensable and convenient ideological weapon in their favour in the policy of creating disguises and misrepresenting facts. Jewish writer Norman G. Filkelstein, who family members were murdered in the Nazi concentration camps, wrote in his book 'The Holocaust Industry' that "most people are unaware of the fact that the Zionist movement, which always invokes the horror of the Holocaust, has actively collaborated with the fiercest enemy the Jews have ever had [Nazism]."

Hamas, for example, which is often accused of terrorism and anti-Semitism by the Zionist occupiers, makes it a practice not to manifest or support any conduct against Jews for who they are. The movement's 2017 charter states that its struggle is against "the Zionist project, not against the Jews because of their religion. Hamas is not fighting against the Jews because they are Jews, but it is fighting against the Zionists occupying Palestine."

The fury of apologists for Israel's crimes against President Lula's statements is because Israel has already lost the battle in world public opinion. The insane attacks against Lula, this giant of international prestige, are the smokescreen they needed to try to cover the obvious military defeat in Gaza and the massive demonstrations in support of Palestine in the main cities of the world and outright repudiation of the actions of the terrorist state of Israel.

Israel's place is in the dock because it violates international law. The right of self-defence is guaranteed by all means, including armed struggle, only to oppressed and occupied peoples. In this case, the Palestinian people.
 

UN experts: Arms exports to Israel must stop immediately

24 February 2024

Several Agencies

Any transfer of weapons or ammunition to Israel that would be used in Gaza is likely to violate international humanitarian law and must cease immediately, UN experts warned on Friday.

"All states must 'ensure respect' for international humanitarian law by parties to an armed conflict, as required by the 1949 Geneva Conventions and customary international law," the experts said.

"States must accordingly refrain from transferring any weapon or ammunition – or parts for them – if it is expected, given the facts or past patterns of behavior, that they would be used to violate international law."

"Such transfers are prohibited even if the exporting state does not intend the arms to be used in violation of the law – or does not know with certainty that they would be used in such a way – as long as there is a clear risk," they said.

The experts welcomed the decision of a Dutch appeals court on February 12, ordering the Netherlands to halt the export of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel.

The experts also welcomed the suspension of arms transfers to Israel by Belgium, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and the Japanese company Itochu Corporation.

The experts further urged other states to immediately halt arms transfers to Israel, including export licenses and military aid. The United States and Germany are by far the largest arms exporters, and shipments have increased since October 7.

Hamas calls for holding Israel accountable over its crimes against civilians in Gaza

Hamas Movement called on Friday for holding Israel accountable over its horrific crimes against children and civilians in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, Hamas urged human rights institutions around the world to record the Israeli occupation army's ongoing crimes of horrific killing of children and defenseless civilians, which are committed with a green light from the US administration.

Hamas stressed that "continuing the Nazi Zionist enemy's criminal bombing of civilians' homes in the Gaza Strip is an expansion of its war of genocide and ethnic cleansing," referring to the barbaric bombing that targeted a residential neighborhood in the city of Deir al-Balah, on Thursday evening, resulting in the martyrdom of about 40 civilians the majority of whom children and women.

On Thursday evening, a horrific massacre was carried out in Deir al-Balah in Central Gaza, as Israeli warplanes bombed four homes, leaving 40 martyrs and more than 100 injured. More than 90% of them were children and women.

Israel military exports to top buyer India unaffected by Gaza war

Israel's military exports to India, its largest defence buyer, have not been affected by the war in Gaza, an Indian source and an Israeli source aware of the details said, Reuters reports.

India has imported military hardware worth $2.9 billion from Israel over the last decade, including radars, surveillance and combat drones and missiles.

Israel launched its months-long military campaign after Hamas from Gaza killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages in southern Israel on 7 October. Since then, more than 29,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

However, since then, it has been revealed by Haaretz that helicopters and tanks of the Israeli army had, in fact, killed many of the 1,139 soldiers and civilians claimed by Israel to have been killed by the Palestinian Resistance.

But Israel's war needs have not conflicted with its defence supplies to India, the Israeli source and the senior Indian military official said.

Israel's operations have created a growing need for ammunition, but not radars of the type it is exporting to India, the Israeli source said.

"We made sure our (military) exports to India are not impacted," he said.

The Indian official said Israel had ensured a steady supply of weapons bought by New Delhi, which also include drone components.

Both sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject.

India's Foreign Ministry and the Israeli embassy in New Delhi did not respond to requests for comment.

With a strong presence at the Singapore Air Show, Israeli arms manufacturers are back at international events after an absence following the start of the war in Gaza.

India is the world's largest arms importer, buying $37 billion worth between 2012 and 2022, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Israel is the fourth largest supplier of military hardware to India, which has bought weapons worth $21.8 billion from Russia, $5.2 billion from France and $4.5 billion from America in the last decade.

India has been trying to reduce its dependence on Russian weapons by diversifying purchases to countries such as France and Israel, and boosting its nascent domestic arms manufacturing industry.

Israel's Elbit Systems partners with Indian conglomerate, Adani group, to manufacture some of its Hermes900 drones at a facility in southern India, which are exported back to Israel for its use.
 

Israeli genocide in Gaza enters day 140

23 February 2024

Several Agencies, GAZA, (PIC)

Israeli occupation forces continue to commit the crime of genocide in the Gaza Strip for the 140th consecutive day Friday, through dozens of air strikes, artillery shelling, and the use of fire belts, while carrying out bloody massacres against civilians and committing horrific crimes in infiltration areas. This is happening amidst a catastrophic humanitarian situation resulting from the siege and the displacement of more than 90% of the population.

The PIC correspondent reported that the Israeli aircraft and artillery continued their intense airstrikes and shelling on various parts of the Gaza Strip, targeting houses, displaced people's gatherings, and streets, resulting in hundreds of casualties.

Our correspondent added that the Israeli aircraft launched an airstrike on Friday morning simultaneously with heavy gunfire towards western areas of Khan Yunis.

The Israeli warships targeted the coast of Al-Nusairat in central Gaza Strip at dawn Friday, and the Israeli artillery shelled the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in southern Gaza City and east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.

Seven citizens were martyred, including a paramedic, in a new massacre committed by the occupation forces at dawn Friday, east of Rafah, after they targeted a house belonging to the Abu Ma'mar family.

Areas east of Rafah were also subjected to Israeli artillery shelling, while the Israeli navy vessels opened fire towards the beach of Rafah.

A young man was martyred as a result of the Israeli occupation's shelling of his family's house in the Yibna camp in the middle of Rafah city.

Martyrs were reported and others were injured in the Israeli occupation's shelling of the tents of displaced people west of Al-Durra Stadium in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza Strip.

A number of citizens were injured as a result of the Israeli occupation's shelling of a displaced people's camp in the Al-Zawayda area in central Gaza Strip.

The Israeli aircraft carried out intense airstrikes on Deir al-Balah city in central Gaza Strip.

Last night, 40 citizens, mostly children and women, were martyred, and others were injured, as a result of the Israeli warplanes' bombardment of the homes of citizens in central area of the Gaza Strip.

Hamas praises China's pro-Palestine stance at ICJ

The Hamas Movement welcomed China's pro-Palestine stance during the public hearings held by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday.

China has told the ICJ that the Palestinians "must not be denied" justice at a hearing on the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.

"Justice has been long delayed, but it must not be denied," China's Foreign Ministry's legal adviser, Ma Xinmin, told the court in The Hague in the Netherlands.

The Movement praised China's stance on the legitimacy of the occupied people's right to self-determination through all possible means, including armed resistance, and the need to distinguish between terrorism and the Palestinian people's armed struggle against Israeli occupation.

The Movement further stated that Israel's decision to boycott the court proceedings is further evidence of its disdain for international organizations and its continued policy of violating international agreements and resolutions.

Hamas also called on the international community to take a firm position to end the Israeli occupation, and to stop all its violations and crimes against the Palestinian people.
 

Indonesia FM: Israel must withdraw from Palestinian Territories

23 February 2024

Several Agencies

Indonesian Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, called on Israel to withdraw from Palestinian Territories during her address before the judges of the International Court of Justice on Friday, Anadolu Agency reports.

"The deaths of almost 30,000 lives are not enough for Israel, as it is close to launch another strike on Rafah," said Marsudi.

Marsudi expressed solidarity with Palestinian people on behalf of her government and people, and said she arrived at The Hague to defend the justice against the "blatant violations" of international law committed by Israel.

She urged the President and members of the Court to declare the Israeli Occupation of Palestinian Territories as "illegal".

For the first time since its establishment in 1948, Israel is currently being tried before the International Court of Justice, the highest judicial body in the UN, on charges of committing the crime of "genocide" against Palestinians in Gaza.

"No state should be granted a free rein to do anything they want against weaker state," said the Indonesian Foreign Minister.

She added that people around the world hope from ICJ and world community to do justice and stop Israel from atrocities.

Marsudi also criticised Israel for consistently obstructing peace process and said the world community should stop them from "colonial projects".

"The Court's opinion would be useful to guide the future step to be taken by the United Nation and all States," she told the ICJ.

The top UN Court is currently hearing oral statements by States on South Africa's case against Israel over its war on Palestine, where the death toll since 7 October is rapidly approaching 30,000 since Tel Aviv launched attacks on the besieged enclave of Gaza.

Western nations, including the US, the UK and their allies have condemned the armed wing of the Palestinian Hamas group for launching a "terror" attack inside Israel on the morning of 7 October.

Occupation army has killed 3,847 Palestinians since ICJ ruling

The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, an independent organisation based in Geneva, confirmed on Friday that it had observed six main indicators that Israel is continuing the crime of genocide in the Gaza Strip within four weeks of the ruling issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which required it to take measures to prevent this.

The organisation added in a press statement that these indicators include the continuation of mass killings of civilians in the Gaza Strip, intentionally inflicting severe physical and psychological harm on the residents of the Strip and deliberately subjecting residents to miserable living conditions with the aim of actual destruction, including the destruction of homes, facilities and infrastructure.

It added that the indicators also include starvation, blocking the entry of humanitarian aid, imposing measures aimed at preventing childbirth within Palestinian families and official and public incitement by Israeli officials to escalate its genocide.

The organisation announced that it documented: "The killing of more than 3,847 Palestinians by the Israeli army, including 1,306 children and 807 women, in addition to the injury of about 5,119 since the ICJ issued its ruling."

It noted: "The toll of Palestinian victims since 7 October rose to 38,067, including 14,350 children and 8,620 women. This also includes more than 8,000 martyrs under the rubble and in the streets who medical teams were unable to recover, hundreds of which were killed after the ICJ ruling."

The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor stated: "Israel continues to violate international law with its authoritative rules by committing the crime of genocide as part of it committing grave violations, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, which exist as independent crimes in their own right, against the Palestinians across the Gaza Strip."
 

Israeli forces assault Palestinians outside Aqsa Mosque

23 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

Israeli forces assaulted Palestinian worshipers at the entrance to the Aqsa Mosque amid tight restrictions on Palestinian entry into the holy shrine.

Videos posted on social media showed Israeli forces obstructing the entry of worshipers to the Mosque in Occupied Jerusalem.

The videos documented the moment when the occupation forces attacked a number of Palestinians by pushing them away from the vicinity of the Asbat Gate area.

Local sources affirmed that a child was detained at the Asbat Gate.

Only some Palestinian worshipers were allowed to perform Friday prayer in the Aqsa Mosque, as Israeli police banned the entry of hundreds of people into the holy site.

Ahead of the Friday prayer, the Israeli police blocked several roads leading to the Old City of Jerusalem and hindered the movement of Palestinian citizens, as Israeli police have continued to besiege the Old City since the October 7 events.

The Israeli police forces set up dozens of roadblocks, conducted extensive searches and checks on Palestinians and their ID cards and prevented dozens of them from reaching the holy Islamic site.

A group of Jerusalemite campaigners and activists earlier called for intensifying Palestinian presence at the Aqsa Mosque and staying at the holy site to demand lifting the siege imposed on it.

Israel to indict Preacher of Jerusalem Al-Aqsa Mosque

Israel said, Wednesday, it will file an indictment against Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, the Preacher of East Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque, for "incitement to terrorism", Anadolu Agency reports.

A statement by the Israeli Justice Ministry said Sabri, 85, will be accused of inciting "terrorism" after offering condolences to families of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces.

The Ministry said the decision was approved by Israel's Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara.

Khaled Zabarqa, a defence lawyer for the Al-Aqsa Mosque preacher, blamed pressure from right-wing Israeli groups for Tel Aviv's move to file charges against him.

"The Israeli decision amounts to a subversion of the law for political goals," he told Anadolu.

"This is a political, religious and intellectual persecution carried out by extreme right-wing groups to spread chaos," he added.

Sabri has been detained multiple times by the Israeli forces in the past and was banned from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque in Occupied East Jerusalem for several months.

Sabri is a staunch critic of the decades-long Israeli Occupation of the Palestinian Territories. He had previously held the position of Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories from 1994 to 2006.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, a move never recognised by the international community.

Hamas: Jerusalem shooting attack natural response to Israeli massacres

The Hamas Movement hailed the shooting operation carried out on Thursday morning south of Occupied Jerusalem, saying it is a natural response to the Israeli occupation's massacres and crimes in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Hamas said in a press statement, "Our people will continue resistance operations across Palestine until the Israeli occupation is terminated and Palestinians' national rights are fully regained, most importantly their right to self-determination and the establishment of the State of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital."

Hamas called on Palestinian youths to escalate confrontations with Israeli occupation forces and Jewish settlers across the West Bank and Jerusalem.

Earlier on Thursday, an Israeli soldier was killed, and eight others were injured in a shooting operation carried out by three young men at a military checkpoint near Al-Zayim town, east of Occupied Jerusalem. The three young men were shot dead by Israeli security forces.

Israeli minister rejects existence of Palestinian people

Israel's settlement and national missions rejected the existence of the Palestinian people, who have been living in Palestine for millennia.

"There is no such thing as a Palestinian people," Minister Orit Strook said in a video on her X account of her speech during a Knesset session on Thursday.

"There will never be a Palestinian state in the land of Israel," she said. "Every cultured person in the world knows that this land is ours, for the Israeli people and only for us."

The Israeli minister, who lives in an illegal settlement in the occupied West Bank, claimed that a Palestinian state would be an "existential threat" to Israel and the "peace and order of the whole world."

"The large majority of the people of Israel oppose the establishment of the Palestinian state," said the far-right minister, a member of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism Party.

On Wednesday, Israel's parliament unanimously voted in support of a government decision to reject unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, claiming all of Jerusalem as its "eternal and undivided" capital in a move never recognized by the international community.

The Palestinians, for their part, hope to establish an independent state of their own in the Gaza Strip and West Bank with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack. The ensuing Israeli attacks have killed more than 29,410 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and caused mass destruction and shortages of necessities, while less than 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the United Nations.

For the first time since its creation in 1948, Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest judicial body of the U.N., over its Gaza war.

An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
 

Namibia: 'Germany first to commit genocide against us, genocide against Palestinians must not be ignored'

23 February 2024

Several Agencies

Namibia's Minister of Justice Yvonne Dausab on Friday accused Germany of committing the first genocide in the 20th century.

This came in a speech delivered by Dausab on behalf of Namibia during hearings held by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands, to discuss the legal consequences arising from Israel's policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territories.

At the beginning of her speech, Dausab quoted a statement by the late Namibian President Hage Geingob, who died at the beginning of this month, expressing: "No peace-loving human being can ignore the carnage waged against Palestinians in Gaza."

The minister stated: "I stand before you as a representative of a country where Germany brutally carried out the first genocide side of the 20th century against the Herero and the Nama peoples, a country that is known only too well the pain and suffering of occupation, colonialism, systematic discrimination, apartheid and their entrenched consequences. It is because of this history that Namibia considers it a moral duty and sacred responsibility to appear before this court on the question of the indefensible occupation of Palestine by Israel."

Dausab also urged the court: "We appeal to you once again to end the historic and ongoing injustice by upholding the fundamental rights of a dispossessed people who have endured 57 years of a suffocating occupation."

"Today, Palestinians are enduring collective punishment in the besieged Gaza Strip with civilians being killed in continuous and indiscriminate bombardments at a scale that is unprecedented in recent history. This state of affairs, this hell on Earth, represents a stain on the collective conscience of the world," she noted.

In this session, Professor Phoebe Okowa, professor of public international law at the University of London, who acted as a spokesperson for Namibia, said that Israel's occupation of Palestinian lands is illegal and that the court prohibited the annexation of lands by occupying them in its previous decisions.

Okowa pointed out that racist Israeli practices in Palestine contradict basic human rights conventions and the principles of international law, asserting: "Israel's policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territory grossly violate its obligations under international law."

Okowa asked the court to: "Make it clear that the prohibition of apartheid is not limited to Southern Africa in the last century. It extends to Israel's policies in the occupied Palestinian territory today."

Friday was the fifth day of hearings held by the ICJ on the legal consequences of Israel's practices in the occupied Palestinian territories at the request of the United Nations General Assembly, with the sessions scheduled to end on Monday.

Friday's session included hearings from Namibia, Norway, the Sultanate of Oman, Pakistan, Indonesia, Qatar, the UK, Slovenia, Sudan, Switzerland, Syria and Tunisia.

Meanwhile, victims of the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have been filing a criminal complaint with a German court for months against senior officials in the German government for supporting "Israeli war crimes and genocide" against the Palestinians.

Lawyers for the Gaza victims announced in a press conference held on Friday in the German capital, Berlin: "We are filing a criminal complaint against German government officials on charges of aiding and abetting genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza by supplying weapons to Israel and issuing the relevant export permits."

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and Economic Affairs Minister Robert Habeck are all accused of "complicity in genocide in Gaza" by supporting the Israeli military offensive and allowing the export of arms to Israel worth €326 million ($350 million).

Gaza victims sue German government for 'aiding genocide against Palestinians'

Victims of months of Israel's attacks on Gaza are filing a criminal complaint against top German government officials for supporting Israel's war crimes and "genocide" against Palestinians, Anadolu Agency reports.

"We're filing a criminal complaint against German government officials for the crime of aiding and abetting genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza by providing Israel with weapons and issuing related export permissions," lawyers for the Gaza victims told a press conference in Berlin on Friday.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, and Economy Minister Robert Habeck all stand accused of "complicity in the genocide in Gaza" by supporting Israel's military offensive, and authorising the export of €326 million ($350 million) worth of weapons to Israel.

Nadija Samour, one of the lawyers who filed the criminal complaint with federal prosecutors in Karlsruhe, south-western Germany, said: "Our governments in Europe have a legal obligation not to provide Israel any support in perpetrating the current genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. This has to stop and this is what we hope to achieve by going to court. This lawsuit sends a clear message to German officials: you cannot continue to remain accomplices of such crime without consequences. We want accountability."

Samour said German law requires a ground for initial suspicion to start investigations on a potential crime being committed.

"The International Court of Justice's interim ruling clearly showed that there is such ground for initial suspicion when it comes to the crime of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza," she stressed, referring to a 26 January ruling ordering Israel's government to stop genocidal acts and take steps to ensure that civilians in Gaza get humanitarian assistance.
 

The 'two-state solution' is a distraction; the problem is Zionism

22 February 2023

By Dr Ramzy Baroud

The problem in Palestine-Israel is not the absence of a Palestinian state, but Zionism. What is the use of a Palestinian state, if the racist, exclusivist ideology of Zionism continues to define Israel, and impose that definition on the Palestinians?

This ideology calls for the racial purity and dominance of Jews in Palestine, at the expense of the native inhabitants of the land, of course. To achieve this, millions of Palestinians have had to be forced into exile, and hundreds of thousands needed to be killed, wounded or incarcerated. Neither two states nor even one state is possible if Zionism is not entirely defeated: not revamped, not "fixed", but eradicated.

As Palestinians are being killed in unprecedentedly large numbers in Gaza, western politicians are waking up to the necessity of a viable, independent Palestinian state. But why now? After all, it was these very politicians and their governments that either defended the Zionist state or remained silent as Israel thwarted every possibility of peaceful co-existence with the Palestinians. Theirs is not a moral awakening, but a distraction, to appear — at least before their own people — to be proactive, while Israel is systematically destroying the Palestinian people.

The Israeli war against the Palestinians in Gaza is "the first genocide in the history of humanity that is [being] livestreamed on television," said former UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness. The genocide is worsening now that Palestinians are starting to die from starvation, while an even larger number are dying from disease and polluted water, aside, of course, from those being blown up or shot and killed by Israel.

For the likes of Britain's Foreign Secretary David Cameron to talk about the British government's recognition of a Palestinian state as "absolutely vital" for "long-term peace" is bewildering, to say the least. Those struggling to survive daily are hardly concerned about yet more empty western promises and "recognition".

"The genocide underway in Gaza tells us that the issue is not merely political, but also ideological."

And, while western leaders speak of "long-term peace", Israel entrenches its system of violence and apartheid. "There cannot be a situation in which children and women approach us from the wall," said Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on 12 February. "Anyone… must receive a bullet."

In Gaza, the violence is far more sickening. Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor reported on the same day that "groups of ten to twenty Israeli civilians at a time were permitted to watch and laugh while filming Palestinian prisoners and detainees in their underwear" as they were tortured and abused by Israeli soldiers.

There can be no rational political justification for any of this. All of it — the language of genocide, the genocide itself and the threats of committing a greater genocide — is rooted, not in a rational political theory, but in Zionism.

The problem keeps getting worse because we refuse to address it head-on. In fact, many are doing the exact opposite. For example, western governments have passed — or are passing — laws equating criticism of Zionism with anti-Semitism. Even Facebook wants to ban the use of the term "Zionist" if it is used in a context that is critical of Israel.

When Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu threatened, on 5 November, to drop a nuclear bomb on Gaza, he was condemned by many merely for his inappropriate language, not the act itself. Yes, some Israeli officials also criticised Eliyahu, but only for damaging Israel's international reputation.

The Israeli minister, however, was not simply talking out of anger. He meant it, because Israel's behaviour in Gaza since then has demonstrated that such willingness to kill Palestinians en masse actually exists. Zionists are ready to do anything for their ideology to survive, and that survival is wholly dependent on the erasure of the perceived enemy; not "erasure" in an intellectual, political or even cultural sense, but the actual physical destruction of the Palestinians.

The ethnic cleansing of Palestine, known as the 1948 Nakba, was a serious attempt at achieving that goal. But since the "enemy", the Palestinian nation, survived and continues to resist and demand its collective rights, the ethnic cleansing of them is today back on the mainstream Israeli political agenda.

This ongoing Gaza war is, to date, the most serious attempt to destroy the Palestinian people. This is why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right government want to carry on with the killing and destruction. They want to continue the slaughter, and thus the extermination of the Palestinians, because they are fully aware that this is a historic opportunity to finish the job that previous Zionist leaders did not complete 75 years ago.

Indeed, Israel perceives the ongoing offensive as going beyond the geographic confines of the tiny Gaza Strip. It is a war on Palestinians everywhere. If Israel succeeds in subduing Gaza, it will turn immediately to the West Bank, then to the 2.1 million Palestinians who are Israeli citizens.

It is important to recall that, before the current war, the Israeli incitement against Palestinians was focused mostly on the West Bank, with the declared aim of annexing over a third of that occupied region, at least. There was also a major official Israeli campaign to curtail the rights of Palestinian Arabs inside Israel and incite hatred against them. This campaign is rooted in history but has become far more apparent following the Unity Intifada (uprising) of May 2021.

It was then that Israel realized that the "division" of the Palestinians was largely political, and that, as a nation, they remain strongly connected. That is why Ben-Gvir lobbied, even before he was given a ministerial position in December 2022, to have a National Guard tasked with "restoring governance where needed". If Gaza falls, all Palestinians in the rest of Palestine will become the new target for Israeli violence, ethnic cleansing and, if necessary, genocide.

Reducing all of these issues to that of finding creative political solutions that would merely sell false hopes to the Palestinian people is not only ignorant, or devious, but also a diversion from the real problem: Israel's ideology of Zionism.

This, like all racist colonial ideologies, operates with a zero-tolerance approach to its relationship with the natives of colonised land: Zionism and Zionists must dominate through ethnic cleansing and genocide. For "long-term peace" to take place, this pernicious ideology must be consigned to the history books.

Nobody asks Israel what it is doing on Palestinian land: Turkiye journalist

22 February 2023

Several Agencies

The whole world seems to be focused on the current conflict in Gaza but nobody asks what Israel has been doing on Palestinian land for the last 75 years, a Turkish journalist said on Tuesday, Anadolu Agency reports.

Speaking at a panel titled "Genocide in Gaza: New Evidence", Mehmet Akif Ersoy spoke about censorship in Western media outlets against telling the truth about Gaza.

Everyone is focused on last 7 October, as if the whole situation in Gaza started on that date, he said.

"This is a 75-year-old issue between Israel and Palestine," he stressed. "It didn't come out of nowhere. It didn't start on 7 October."

"Nobody asks Israel what it has been doing in someone else's lands," he said, referring to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian Territories.

He also criticised Western media outlets "for not doing their job while expecting us do to our job," on Western censorship of the truth about Gaza.

Also speaking at the panel, Hakan Erkiner, who teaches international law at Istanbul's Marmara University, underlined the importance of collecting evidence against Israel.

"Israel doesn't weary of killing," he said.

"That's why we shouldn't get tired of collecting evidence. It has to continue," he advised.

On Al-Mawasi in Gaza, another area Israel has called a "safe space", he decried Tel Aviv's plans for the coastal tract, which is to squeeze some 1.4 million Palestinians into a space of 12 square kilometres (4.63 square miles), underlining how small the area is for that many people.

Pointing to violations of international law by Israeli authorities, Erkiner said that Israel "intentionally" cuts Palestinians' access to clean water, toilets, hygienic, health services and medical supplies to make conditions so harsh that local people "will not survive".

Criticising Western countries' stance in the face of genocide, he blamed this on "intellectual regression" as well as a "lack of ethical values".

Suay Nilhan Acikalin, a foreign policy analyst at Haci Bayram Veli University in the Turkish capital Ankara, stressed the growing number of people who are taking to the streets to protest Israeli actions in Gaza.

"It shows the success of Anadolu, of Turkiye in reflecting the truth," she told the panel. "Most of the visuals that are being used in street protests come from Anadolu."

Touching on how Spanish media has worked to speak the truth about Gaza, unlike other Western countries, Acikalin underlined that there has also been a slight change in the attitude of Western officials, including Germany's, about Gaza.

"Maybe not (Chancellor) Olaf Scholz himself, but some German lawmakers have called on Israel to stop its attacks," she added.

Turgut Alp Boyraz, Middle East News Director at Anadolu, also told the panel about two types of pressure on journalists by Israeli authorities.

"The first is the pressure applied to your company," he said, referring to Tel Aviv's efforts to block stories that could hurt their image from being published.

"The second is the fear of being assigned somewhere else when you step on Israeli toes," he added.

A modern 'Holocaust'

Mentioning that some of his colleagues "don't embrace the risk of facing Israeli pressure" and, instead, try to work under the radar, Boyraz suggested that everyone in this profession "should accept this possibility".

He added: "99 per cent of Israeli media outlets apply auto-censor themselves."

On his experience visiting a museum of the Jewish Holocaust, he said: "When you change the names of actors, places, and time in the definition of genocide written in that museum, you see how it 100 per cent fits the situation in Gaza today."

Boyraz underscored the importance of having documents to prevent the normalisation of violence, suggesting there should be "documentaries and books" about the genocide as they did about the Nazi Holocaust, calling this "the Holocaust industry".

The journalist also criticised the Israeli public's way of thinking about taking someone else's lands, calling it "a primitive colonialist perspective".

Anadolu reporters have extensively documented and publicised possible war crimes committed by Israel against Gaza since last 7 October, with pictures by Anadolu photojournalists being used as evidence at the International Court of Justice's genocide case against Israel.

The images were compiled into a book titled "Evidence" and presented to the public.

Israel launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by Hamas on 7 October, which killed some 1,200 people. The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed more than 29,000 people and injured over 69,000 others.

However, since then, it has been revealed by Haaretz that helicopters and tanks of the Israeli army had, in fact, killed many of the 1,139 soldiers and civilians claimed by Israel to have been killed by the Palestinian Resistance.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85 per cent of the Territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60 per cent of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

Killing Palestinians through useless debate is the international community's tactic

22 February 2023

By Ramona Wadi

As Israel's genocide against the Palestinian people unfolds for the entire world to see in real time on social media, world leaders have only managed to debate humanitarian "pauses" rather than a ceasefire. Even the context of such temporary "ceasefires" is grossly misplaced, with the focus resting solely on the Israeli hostages held by Hamas, even though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no qualms about them ending up as collateral damage as he seeks the complete annihilation not just of Hamas, but also the entire Palestinian population in Gaza.

Netanyahu has rejected the Hamas proposal for a 135-day pause in fighting, during which a gradual release of all the hostages would be carried out in return for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. While Netanyahu's rejection was to be expected, it is still aided largely by US rhetoric, which focuses solely on the Israeli hostages' release and blames Hamas for all civilian deaths in Gaza, despite the fact that it is Israel that is bombing the enclave to total destruction.

"We're looking at it intensely, as is, I know, the government of Israel," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israeli President Isaac Herzog yesterday in Jerusalem, with regard to the Hamas proposal. "We are very much focused on doing that work and hopefully, being able to resume the release of hostages that was interrupted so many months ago." Of course, there was no mention of the fact that Israel was so eager to resume bombing Gaza that, so far, it has not yet agreed to another meagre humanitarian pause, not even to save its own settlers.

Yet despite Netanyahu's refusal to even consider the Israeli hostages' safety, any deal is still being discussed within the context of securing their release. Thus, the narrative remains controlled by Israel and all that is left for the international community to do is to feign any concern and speak of humanitarian ceasefires and the release of Israeli hostages. What happens to Palestinians in Gaza has never been of concern to world leaders, who pretend to solve mass starvation with trucks of humanitarian aid that are targeted by Israel's military, and who suspended funding to UNRWA, in the full knowledge that they are now overtly complicit in genocide.

Are priorities so misplaced that world leaders cannot articulate the necessity of a permanent ceasefire as the way to alleviate the Palestinian people's suffering? A ceasefire should benefit Palestinians first and foremost; they are a colonized population on the verge of permanent annihilation or displacement, facing mass starvation as part of Israel's genocidal actions, and yet the focus remains on Israeli hostages which the Israeli government keeps in danger for "complete victory" over Hamas. Netanyahu and his murderous ministers must know that ideas cannot be killed and anti-colonial resistance is as much a concept, as it is a legitimate action.

If the world wants to stop genocide, and to date it is clearly reluctant to do so, calling for a permanent ceasefire should be done with the Palestinians' urgent needs uppermost in everyone's mind. There is no need to debate how to stop genocide, or whether to stop it, as it is clearly a violation of international law. And yet, rambling on about Israeli hostages who would be freed as part of a deal that Netanyahu refuses to accept, remains the driving narrative. What is clearly missing from the rhetoric and yet remains visible in plain sight, is that Netanyahu has stretched the parameters of what constitutes an acceptable violation of international law, which is in itself an aberration, to the point of no return, with complete impunity. This has to stop.

-Ramona Wadi is an independent researcher, freelance journalist, book reviewer and blogger. Her writing covers a range of themes in relation to Palestine, Chile and Latin America. Her article appeared in MEMO.

Shadow of hope for Gaza truce as Israel mounts Rafah attacks

22 February 2023

Several Agencies

The arrival of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Cairo this week for his first publicly announced visit since December was the strongest sign for weeks that negotiations have not been abandoned

Gazans were counting on Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh's Cairo trip to secure a last-gasp truce deal as Israeli bombs flattened a mosque and destroyed homes in Rafah on Thursday.

Mourners wept over at least seven corpses in body bags, laid out on cobbles outside a morgue in the city hard against the Egyptian border, where over half of the Palestinian enclave's 2.3 million people are now huddling, mostly in tents.

"They took the people I love, they took a piece of my heart," wailed Dina al-Shaer, whose brother and his family were killed in a strike that relatives said hit their home shortly after midnight.

Gaza health authorities said 97 people were confirmed killed and 130 wounded in the last 24 hours of Israeli assaults, but most victims were still under rubble or in areas rescuers could not reach.

The al-Farouk mosque in the center of Rafah was flattened into slabs of concrete and the facades of adjacent buildings blasted away. Authorities said four houses had been struck in the south of the city and three in the center.

Residents said the bombing was the heaviest since an Israeli raid on the city 10 days ago that freed two hostages and killed scores of civilians.

"We couldn't sleep, the sounds of explosions and planes roaring overhead didn't stop," said Jehad Abuemad, 34, living with his family in a tent. "We could hear children crying in nearby tents, people here are desperate and defenseless and Israel is showing its power on them."

Gaza authorities said at least 20 people were also killed by the bombing of two houses in a central part of the Gaza Strip, the only other substantial area yet to be stormed by Israeli forces in their five-month assault.

Israel launched its brutal war on Gaza after the Oct. 7 Hamas incursion of southern Israel killed 1,160 people and seized 253 hostages.

Since then, nearly 30,000 people have been confirmed killed in Gaza, according to health authorities, with thousands more feared dead and unrecovered under buildings reduced to wasteland.

Cairo talks

Israel has threatened to launch a full-blown attack on Rafah, the last city at Gaza's southern edge, despite international pleas – including from its main ally Washington – that such action could cause a bloodbath.

Residents who have fled to Rafah from elsewhere say there is now nowhere left to go. Meanwhile, an already meager aid flow has almost completely dried up over the last two weeks, with the United Nations saying it is often no longer safe enough to transport it, forcing residents to the brink of famine.

The heads of the main U.N. relief agencies, including UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP and the WHO, released a joint letter pleading for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire.

"Diseases are rampant. Famine is looming. Water is at a trickle. Basic infrastructure has been decimated. Food production has come to a halt. Hospitals have turned into battlefields. One million children face daily traumas," they wrote.

Any further escalation into crowded Rafah "would cause mass casualties. It could also deal a death blow to a humanitarian response that is already on its knees," they added.

Talks to reach a cease-fire failed two weeks ago, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a counteroffer from Hamas for a four-and-a-half-month truce that would end with an Israeli withdrawal.

Hamas is still believed to be holding more than 100 hostages seized on Oct. 7. The group says it will not free them unless Israel agrees to end the fighting and withdraw from Gaza. Israel says it will not withdraw until Hamas is eradicated.

The arrival of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Cairo this week for his first publicly announced visit since December was the strongest sign for weeks that negotiations have not been abandoned. Haniyeh has met Egyptian officials involved in mediating, but so far, little has been said in public.

Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, told Reuters that Israel was now backtracking on terms Israel had already accepted at the start of February in a cease-fire offer hammered out with the United States and Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Paris.

"The occupation is not interested in achieving any agreement," he said, accusing Netanyahu of ignoring the issue of freeing captives in a prisoner swap. "All he is concerned about is continuing the execution of Palestinians in Gaza."

There was no immediate response from Israeli officials to the comments. Netanyahu has said he would not agree to Hamas' "delusional demands," but that if the group were to show flexibility, progress would be possible.

On Wednesday, Benny Gantz, a member of Israel's war cabinet, said there were "promising early signs" of a deal to free the hostages, but that without a deal Israel would fight on.

"We will not stop looking for a way and we will not miss any opportunity to bring our girls and boys home," he said.

Gaza: Death toll surges to 29,195 martyrs

The health ministry in Gaza said on Tuesday that the Israeli occupation army committed nine massacres in different areas of the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours, killing at least 103 civilians and injuring over 142 others, while a large number of victims are still buried under the rubble of bombed buildings or lying on roads.

In a statement, the health ministry added that the death toll from the ongoing Israeli bombardments, which started on October 7, climbed to 29,195 martyrs and the number of the wounded surged to 69,170 people.

The health ministry also said that 18 patients had been evacuated from the Nasser Hospital to field hospitals, adding that 118 other patients are still inside the facility.

The situation inside the Nasser Hospital, which the Israeli army turned into a military outpost, has become more catastrophic and life-threatening, according to the ministry.

The Nasser Hospital has no electricity, water, food, milk for children, oxygen and other vital medical needs — a situation that threatens the lives of the patients and medical staff.

In the West Bank, the death toll of the Palestinian citizens — who have been killed by the Israeli occupation forces since October 7, 2023 — climbed to 412 martyrs on Monday, February 19.

Israel army opens probe into its failures on 7 October

The electronic surveillance unit in the Israeli military intelligence branch, Unit 8200, has started gathering materials and conducting investigations into the sequence of events leading up to Al-Aqsa Flood operation of 7 October.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the Chief of Staff of the Israeli occupation army, Major General Herzi Halevi, launched an investigation into the days leading up to 7 October and the performance of the Israeli army on the day of the operation and the days that followed.

The newspaper added that these investigations will be internal and will be supervised by senior officers, focusing on the readiness of the occupation forces for combat, their arrival at the battlefields and their deployment within them.

The Israeli Walla website quoted sources in the occupation army as saying that officers are gathering materials to prepare to answer tough questions. Additionally, officers are clarifying the 'narrative' that will be the basis for the media war about the level of responsibility between the people, army and weapons that led to the failures on 7 October.

Halevi caused a storm in the "Israeli political establishment" last month when he announced the formation of an external investigation committee, chaired by former Chief of Staff of the Israeli occupation army, Shaul Mofaz. Following severe criticism, Halevi decided to suspend the work of this committee.

Halevi has come under criticism for investigating the army's conduct at a time of war, with many demanding such probes be carried out only once the war is over.
 

Will there be another confrontation in Al-Aqsa Mosque this Ramadan?

21 February 2024

By Dr Abdullah Maarouf

With the holy month of Ramadan approaching, the Israeli security services have started to prepare for what is generally the most difficult month for them every year. This is especially true this year, with Ramadan coming amid or maybe in the wake of the ongoing war against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Either way, Ramadan will arrive amid an unprecedented level of aggression and hostility by illegal settler groups and the extreme right wing in Israel following the events of 7 October, which Israel has not yet been able to come to terms with or deal with its effects. This is despite the horrific degree of death and destruction that it has rained down upon the Gaza Strip, and the undeclared war against the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.

Israel's preparations for Ramadan this year are thus the most sensitive since the start of its occupation of the mosque in 1967. Nevertheless, we know from experience that when it comes to the holy month in Al-Aqsa Mosque, the occupation authorities usually face challenges on two levels.

The first is represented by young Jerusalemites, usually with Palestinians from the 1948-occupied areas — now called Israel — who should otherwise be able to access the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque at other times of the year because they hold Israeli identity cards. They often pose the greatest security burden for the Israeli security services at the mosque, especially the young Palestinians from Jerusalem, who regard themselves as being in constant confrontation with the Israeli occupation state, and have previously been the first line of defence in many previous confrontations with the occupation forces inside Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The second level is related to Palestinian residents of the West Bank, who are usually prevented by Israel from accessing Al-Aqsa Mosque freely, apart from during the holy month of Ramadan, when limited numbers of West Bank Palestinians of specific ages every year, both men and women, as well as those holding security permits, are allowed to pray in the mosque, on Fridays especially. The only problem they pose for the Israeli authorities is their large number. Nevertheless, the young Jerusalemites tend to take advantage of the mass of people in the Noble Sanctuary compound, and this is what the Israelis have to consider every year.

When the numbers in Al-Aqsa Mosque are limited, the Israeli security services can take control over the mosque in general, and control movement, stop any friction or clashes, and disperse people easily. However, an increased number of people inside the mosque is considered a major security challenge because the occupation police are unable to control the movement of people effectively, especially in cases of security unrest such as the one witnessed at the mosque during Ramadan in 2021.

"The bottom line is that Israel fears the holy month of Ramadan, so how will it cope this year in light of everything else that is happening in the region?"

A media leak has already appeared suggesting that there are disagreements between the army and the police regarding allowing West Bank Palestinians to access Al-Aqsa Mosque during the upcoming holy month. This was reported in Yedioth Ahronoth a few days ago.

According to Israeli journalist Itamar Eichner, the occupation police under the authority of extreme far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir want to implement a "zero Palestinians" policy and prevent all Palestinian residents of the occupied West Bank from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan. The Israeli army, however, believes that a limited number of West Bank residents should be allowed to reach Al-Aqsa in order to relieve the intense pressure in the occupied Palestinian territory.

I believe that this has been leaked intentionally, because the aim is clearly to restrict the access of West Bank residents to Jerusalem this year almost completely, despite Yedioth Ahronoth's claims of disagreements between the police and army. These disagreements are not about the principle involved, but the number of people: should Israel allow a very limited number of West Bank residents to pray in Al-Aqsa, or prevent them all from doing so?

This is to be expected, as it makes no sense for Israel to put pressure on the West Bank cities with its daily attacks, only for it to open the gates of Jerusalem to their residents, while Jerusalem itself is closed to its Palestinian residents. I also think that the leak is intended to prepare Palestinians for not being allowed to pray in Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan.

The blessed month coincides with a number of Jewish festivals that typically witness raids by Israelis and their security forces into Al-Aqsa Mosque. The first of these is Purim, which will fall in the middle of Ramadan. Although it is not usually one of the seasons for major raids, the fact that this year it coincides with the challenge of the month of Ramadan and the context of events in Gaza gives it additional importance to the extremist Jewish "temple groups", the right-wing religious Zionism movement, and the neofascist Kahanist movement, of which the far-right Ben-Gvir is one of its most important pillars.

Ramadan and the Jewish festival season will be an opportunity to showcase Ben-Gvir's power in Al-Aqsa Mosque, and to demonstrate his ability to impose Israeli sovereignty over the Noble Sanctuary in a way that even Benjamin Netanyahu himself is unable to do. Perhaps this will be a golden opportunity for Ben-Gvir to present himself as the leader of the far right in Israel, which is what he has been trying to do since his appointment as a minister, especially when the genocide in Gaza began.

The few weeks coming up will, therefore, be very important, as the right-wing Israeli government evaluates what happens in preparation for the next Jewish holiday, Passover, which falls immediately after the end of Ramadan. This year, the extremist temple groups will attempt to perform animal sacrifices inside Al-Aqsa Mosque in a more serious manner than before, taking advantage of the end of Ramadan, and the fewer Muslims present, as is usual after the fasting month.

The major challenge facing the occupation state is to reduce the number of Muslims in Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan, while enabling the Purim incursions to such an extent that they are regarded as a success. If all goes according to Israel's plan, it will work up an appetite for the ritual animal sacrifices inside the mosque, which would be the last religious ritual required in order to establish a change in the status quo in Al-Aqsa by turning it into a Jewish temple. The plan is to seize part of Al-Aqsa Mosque as a prelude to turning it into a temple, or by completely controlling at least half of the area of the holy site, the third holiest in the Muslim world. Israel has dreamt of doing this for more than 55 years, and the resistance groups are well aware of this fact. Not for nothing was the Hamas-led incursion on 7 October called "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood".

This puts the ball in the court of the Jerusalemites and the Palestinian people in the West Bank, as Israel's ability to implement these plans depends on how they and their compatriots in the occupation state deal with the expected ban on accessing Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan, when religious spirit and practice are generally at their strongest.

The occupation authorities fear this annual boost of Islamic zeal, because it is this which prompts Palestinians throughout the blessed month to intensify their psychological and spiritual preparations to challenge Israeli measures on every level. Israel does not want this, because it knows that any major spark in Jerusalem could ignite a new intifada, or lead to an expansion of the war in Gaza to a degree that neither Israel nor its allies can afford to contemplate.

This article first appeared in Arabic in the Palestinian Information Centre on 9 February 2024
 

Hamas slams US veto of SC resolution on Gaza

21 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The Hamas Movement has strongly denounced the US administration for vetoing the Algerian draft resolution at the UN Security Council calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.

In a statement on Tuesday, Hamas accused the US administration of persisting in acting against the international will through its obstruction of any resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Hamas also accused the US administration of "serving the Nazi occupation's agenda that aims to massacre and displace the Palestinian people."

"President Joe Biden and his administration bear direct responsibility for obstructing the adoption of a resolution ending the aggression against Gaza," the Movement said.

"The US position acts like a green light for the occupation to commit more massacres and crimes against our defenseless people through bombing and starvation and is considered direct complicity in its genocidal war against the children and vulnerable civilians in the Gaza Strip," it added.

The US vetoed another UN Security Council draft resolution on Israel's war on Gaza, blocking a demand for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Arab countries, led by Algeria, put the draft resolution to a vote on Tuesday with the expectation that it would not pass after the US – Israel's key ally – had warned it would not back the text.

In a related context, member of Hamas's political bureau Ezzat al-Resheq has warned the Israeli occupation regime against expanding its offensive into Rafah and committing more massacres and genocidal crimes against civilians

"The victory that Netanyahu is looking for is a mirage that only exists in his imagination," Resheq said in a statement on Tuesday.

Resheq accused the Israeli premier of lying to his people and deceiving the prisoners' families when claiming that his army can liberate them by force, stressing that "time is running out."

"An explosion in the face of the occupation is coming in response to its intended restrictions on the access of Muslims to the Aqsa Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan," Resheq said.

"The crying of a Gazan girl child from hunger is a shame and curse upon the entire world," the Hamas official said, commenting on the hunger crisis in the Gaza governorate and northern Gaza.

Oman pushes for Palestinian self-determination in face of Israel 'atrocities'

The inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination are being violated day after day by Israel's illegal policies of "genocide," the Gulf State of Oman argued to the International Court of Justice in The Hague in a public hearing on Friday, Anadolu Agency reports.

"For four months, the world has witnessed in Gaza one of the worst atrocities, acts of genocide in modern times. More than 29,000 dead and 68,000 wounded, 2.2 million live under very unbearable conditions, being driven from one place to another in clear violation of international norms," Sheikh Abdullah Bin Salem Al Harithi, Oman's ambassador to the Netherlands, told the World Court, referring to the four months since 7 October, when Israel's recent offensive began.

"Violation of the right to self-determination, occupation, settlement and annexation of Palestinian lands occupied by Israel since 1967 impede the realisation of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people," he added.

"There is an overwhelming international agreement on the existence of the right to self-determination and its continued denial in the Occupied Palestinian Territories," he added.

The ambassador stressed that "the Court should decide that Israel should put an immediate and unconditional end to this illegal situation, and the need for States to support these efforts."

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a 7 October cross-border attack by the Palestinian group, Hamas. The ensuing Israeli war has killed more than 29,500 people and caused mass destruction and shortages of necessities. Nearly 70,000 people have been injured.

Around 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack while over 200 were taken back to Gaza as hostages.

However, since then, it has been revealed by Haaretz that helicopters and tanks of the Israeli army had, in fact, killed many of the 1,139 soldiers and civilians claimed by Israel to have been killed by the Palestinian Resistance.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85 per cent of the Territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60 per cent of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

Hostilities have continued unabated, however, and aid deliveries remain woefully insufficient to address the humanitarian catastrophe.
 

Spain will unilaterally sanction violent Israel settlers if EU refuses

21 February 2024

Several Agencies

Spain will unilaterally apply sanctions on violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank if the EU fails to agree to do so, Anadolu news agency reported Madrid's foreign minister saying yesterday.

"These sanctions have been debated at several previous meetings of EU foreign affairs," Jose Manuel Albares told the press in Brussels. "I will continue pushing so that they are applied once and for all… but in the case that there is no agreement, Spain will absolutely advance individually in applying these sanctions."

Albares was speaking ahead of yesterday's Foreign Affairs Council meeting.

Besides sanctions, he promised to push the bloc to reevaluate the EU-Israel Association Agreement and whether Israel is violating international and human rights law in Gaza.

This idea was proposed by the Spanish and Irish prime ministers in a letter sent to the European Commission last week after Israel announced its offensive in Rafah.

"I will concretely ask that this evaluation is ready for the next Foreign Affairs Council, where we will be able to extract conclusions," he told journalists. "We hope that we'll be able to resolve this with dialogue but there certainly are a series of mechanisms that are available."

He added that this proposal, as well as Spain's other ideas on the region, aim to stop the growing Palestinian death toll.

"It would be a total catastrophe if the military operations are enlarged to Rafah," he added. "The situation is already too bad, catastrophic."

Albares added that Spain will continue calling for a permanent ceasefire that would allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza, the release of the hostages and pave the way for a two-state solution.

He explained that Spain is still lobbying the international community on the importance of the recognition of a Palestinian state, and hopes it can be done in negotiations with Israel, Palestine and the international community at a peace forum.

"But if nothing advances, Spain is a sovereign country that can take its own decisions," he added, referring to the Spanish prime minister's promise to recognise a Palestinian state.

Earlier yesterday, Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said he hoped the European Union countries would unanimously agree to impose sanctions on violent settlers.

Last week, the French authorities prevented 28 Israeli settlers from entering the country, accusing them of attacking Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

United Nations figures show that daily settler attacks have doubled since 7 October.

UN envoy to Gaza calls out the 'double standards' of governments over UNRWA funding

The UN envoy to Gaza called out the "double standards" of governments that have suspended funds from the world body's agency for Palestinian refugees.

About 18 countries have suspended funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), even though an investigation has yet to be completed into an allegation that 12 former staff members (of about 30,000) took part in the October 7 events.

UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese said that while the governments have suspended aid, "the same governments have not suspended ties with the state whose army has killed 26,000 people in Gaza in 3.5 months, though the [International Court of Justice] said it may plausibly constitute genocide."

She said: "Double standards? Yes, big time."

UNRWA spokeswoman Tamara Alrifai earlier said that while the agency had sacked nine of the 12 accused employees, the move was made "pre-emptively" while investigations were under way.

She said that they now had "the right of recourse in case the findings are in their favor."

Meanwhile, an array of UN organizations warned of the "catastrophic consequences for the people of Gaza" if key donor countries don't resume funding for UNRWA.
 

Zionist attacks against UNRWA are proof of the global war on Gaza

21 February 2024

By Amira Abo elFetouh

It was no surprise to seer the US and its Western allies suspend their funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), as they are all involved in one way or another in the war against the Palestinians in Gaza alongside the Zionist occupation state. They either provide weapons — the US, UK and Germany — or political and logistical support — Canada, Australia, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands — and all are complicit in the unfolding genocide.

During Donald Trump's term of office, the US also stopped funding UNRWA in 2018, blocking $300 million and claiming that the agency calculated the number of Palestinian refugees incorrectly, and that most of them live in other countries where they enjoy stability and prosperity. This allegation came straight out of the Zionist playbook. However, the true objective of that cut was to abolish the Palestinian right of return and liquidate the Palestinian cause through the "deal of the century" that Trump had prepared for the Palestinians and Arabs.

It was significant, I think, that the Israeli allegations upon which the suspension of funding was based were announced on the same day that the International Court of Justice issued its ruling, in which it referred to Israel potentially committing genocide in Gaza. It also required the Zionist state to take measures to stop the genocide and allow the entry of humanitarian aid within a month.

It is clear that the US and its Western allies used the UNRWA funding issue to divert attention from the ruling and the allegations that Israel is committing genocide.

There is also a clear desire to have the agency closed down so that the refugee file is closed for ever. This has been Benjamin Netanyahu's wish for many years.

Over the past four months, UNRWA has documented the heinous war crimes committed by the Zionists in Gaza and the West Bank, which has created panic within the apartheid state. Hence the claim that 12 out of 13,000 UNRWA employees in Gaza were involved with Hamas on 7 October. The agency arbitrarily dismissed nine immediately.

UNRWA was established on 8 December, 1949, in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolution 302 a year after the land of Palestine was usurped; 750,000 of its indigenous people were ethnically cleansed; and the Zionists established their state on Palestinian land: that was the Nakba. Many questions have since been asked about the UN goal behind creating UNRWA, and its efforts to implement projects to settle refugees in the communities in which they live outside of Palestine (refugee camps in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon). These projects failed because some of the Palestinians held on to their land despite the brutality of the Israeli settler-colonial state. Such projects resurfaced after the cursed Oslo Accords in the 1990s, but failed once again due to what they called the "peace process".

The Zionists do not learn the lessons of history, nor do they comprehend the meaning of the Palestinians' steadfastness and their commitment to their land and legitimate right to resist in order to liberate their land from Zionist occupation.

Nevertheless, it is true that UNRWA has played a major role on behalf of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA provides essential services to the Palestinians inside and outside the occupied Palestinian territories. This is why it is important for the free world to challenge the attempt to take revenge on UNRWA and target its employees, whether by killing or arresting them, including medical staff, such as doctors, nurses and paramedics. At least 130 UNRWA staff have been killed by Israel in Gaza over the past four months. This is another disaster that the world has disregarded, strengthening further Israel's ability to act with impunity.

Since its inception, UNRWA has been a symbol and proof of a major conspiracy against Palestine and its people. Today, as the US and 15 of its allies suspend their funding to UNRWA, which represents about 90 per cent of the agency's total income, they are complicit in the efforts to liquidate the refugee issue and cancel the legitimate right of return for more than seven million Palestinians. They are also partners in the elimination of the Palestinian cause, thus enabling the Zionist occupation to continue its ethnic cleansing and genocide against the people of Palestine.

UNRWA has played a fundamental role in reinforcing the steadfastness of the Palestinians and their refusal to bow down before the US and Zionist rulers. The war on the agency is only part of the war of annihilation against the Palestinian people, and the call to dismantle the agency is only part of the call to subjugate the Palestinian people and cancel their right to return, self-determination, freedom and independence.

The Palestinians are committed to staying in their land, no matter how many tens of thousands the brutal Israeli war machine kills and wounds, and despite the destruction of vital civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals. The day of reckoning will come, though, and the US and its allies will stand in the dock alongside Israel. That day cannot come soon enough.

-Dr Amira Abo el-Fetouh is a dentist and a political commentator. Her article appeared in MEMO.
 

South Africa: Israeli apartheid far more extreme than anything we saw in our country

20 February 2024

Several Agencies

South Africa told the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague that Israel is responsible for apartheid against the Palestinians and that its occupation is "inherently and fundamentally illegal."

South African representatives opened the second day of hearings at the ICJ on Tuesday and spoke on a request by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for a non-binding advisory opinion on the legality of Israel's policies in the occupied Palestinian territories.

"We as South Africans sense, see, hear and feel to our core the inhumane discriminatory policies and practices of the Israeli regime as an even more extreme form of the apartheid that was institutionalized against Black people in my country," said Vusimuzi Madonsela, South Africa's ambassador to the Netherlands, where the ICJ is based.

"It is clear that Israel's illegal occupation is also being administered in breach of the crime of apartheid… It is indistinguishable from settler colonialism. Israel's apartheid must end," Madonsela said.

He added that South Africa had a "special obligation" to call out apartheid wherever it occurs and ensure it is "brought to an immediate end".

South Africa, which has a long history of support for the Palestinians and has compared their struggle with its history under an apartheid system, has launched a separate case at the ICJ accusing Israel of "genocide" in its bombardment of Gaza.

More than 50 countries are to present arguments to the ICJ on the legal implications of Israel's occupation.

On Tuesday, representatives from Algeria, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil and Chile presented their positions.

Spain suspends arms exports to Israel; reiterates need for Palestine statehood

Spain has suspended all arms sales and exports to Israel, amid Tel Aviv's ongoing war on the Gaza Strip and the crimes against humanity that the Occupation is committing.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Spain's Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, revealed that Madrid has halted all arms exports to Tel Aviv since 7 October last year, when Israeli forces began their bombardment and later invasion of Gaza following an operation launched by Palestinian Resistance group, Hamas, into Israeli-held territory.

The events of that month and beyond "made us realise the importance of a just and permanent solution to the question of the Palestinian people", the Spanish Foreign Minister said. Highlighting the fact that Israel has since bombed numerous UN facilities, schools and hospitals in the besieged Strip, he urged all parties to comply with the orders of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Spain is unwilling to see the violence in the region escalate, Albares stated, emphasising that Madrid demands a permanent and immediate ceasefire in Gaza, particularly at the current juncture in which at least more than 27,000 Palestinians have been killed.

Praising Qatar's leading role in mediation efforts to reach a ceasefire deal for Gaza, he also stressed that Spain wants a viable Palestinian State that co-exists alongside Israel, reiterating Madrid's proposal for an international peace conference based on the concept of the two-state solution.

Spain's decision is the latest and most significant move amongst the international community to restrict arms sales and exports to Israel, particularly following the ICJ's ruling last month on Israel's possible committing of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Belgium's Wallonia regional government has also suspended licenses to export munitions – specifically gunpowder – to Israel, and the Japanese Itochu Corporation's aviation unit recently announced its decision to end cooperation with Israeli defence contractor company, Elbit Systems Ltd.
 

Attacks on Gaza cause increasing uncertainties in Israeli economy

20 February 2024

Several Agencies

The Israeli economy continues to suffer because of persistent attacks on Palestine, as Tel Aviv suffers from falling demand, rising costs and labor shortages, Anadolu Agency reports.

Israel has been attacking the Gaza Strip since October and killed around 30,000 civilians. Some reports suggest that the country has called up 350,000 civilians to join the army as reservists.

The cost of the call up of reserve troops, as well as lower employee productivity in some sectors, amounts to $630 million per week, according to a report published by the Bank of Israel in November.

It said the economic cost does not reflect the costs of reduced demand, shortages of Palestinian and foreign workers, and other items.

The cost is estimated to rise as Israel continues to expand attacks on Palestine and casualties by the Israeli military.

The Israeli government started imposing an embargo on Palestinian workers, though that decision caused a supply shock in the economy, Amir Yaron, governor of the Bank of Israel, told CNBC.

The monthly cost of the embargo on Palestinian employees could rise to $1 billion, as per the reports from the Israeli Finance Ministry, according to the media reports.

Israel economy shrank by almost 20% in the last quarter of 2023 due to Gaza war

Israel's economy shrank by almost 20 per cent in the last quarter of 2023, amid Israeli forces' ongoing offensive and bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

According to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, preliminary figures showed that the country's gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by an annualised 19.4 per cent in the final three months of last year, which was almost double the market expectation of the decrease.

In the first quarter of 2023, the GDP growth rate was 3.1 per cent, which decreased to 2.8 per cent in the second quarter, followed by 2.7 per cent in the third quarter. For the entirety of 2023, the Israeli economy grew a total of only 2 per cent, which was a significant decrease from 6.5 per cent in 2022.

"The contraction of the economy in the fourth quarter of 2023 was directly affected by the outbreak of the Iron Swords War on 7 October, the Statistics Bureau stated, referring to Tel Aviv's launch of its bombardment and invasion of Gaza following an operation into Israeli-held territory by Palestinian Resistance group, Hamas.

Reasons for the shrinking of the Israeli economy likely vary from the boycotting of Israeli products worldwide, to the slowdown of international investment into the country, to the decrease in imports to and exports from the Occupation State due to the disruption of shipping lanes.

All of those reasons have reportedly led to falling demand, rising costs, and labour shortages within the country, with Israel's war on Gaza also predicted to cost the Occupation State $48 billion.
 

UN experts 'appalled' by reported rights violations against Palestinian women, girls

20 February 2023

Several Agencies

UN experts, on Monday, expressed alarm over "credible allegations" of egregious human rights violations that Palestinian women and girls continue to face in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Anadolu Agency reports.

"Palestinian women and girls have reportedly been arbitrarily executed in Gaza, often together with family members, including their children, according to information received.

The experts were shocked by reports of the deliberate targeting and extrajudicial killing of Palestinian women and children in places where they sought refuge or while fleeing.

"On at least one occasion, Palestinian women detained in Gaza were allegedly kept in a cage in the rain and cold, without food," said the experts.

"We are particularly distressed by reports that Palestinian women and girls in detention have also been subjected to multiple forms of sexual assault, such as being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli army officers."

The experts said that at least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped, while others were allegedly threatened with rape and sexual violence.

'Killed holding white papers'

They said some of the women were reportedly holding white pieces of cloth when the Israeli army or affiliated forces killed them.

The experts are Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls; Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian Territories occupied since 1967; Dorothy Estrada Tanck (Chair), Claudia Flores, Ivana Krstić, Haina Lu and Laura Nyirinkindi, from the Working group on discrimination against women and girls.

The experts expressed grave concern about the arbitrary detention of hundreds of Palestinian women and girls, including human rights defenders, journalists and humanitarian workers, in Gaza and the West Bank since 7 October.

Many have reportedly been subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment, denied menstruation pads, food and medicine, and severely beaten.

"They also noted that photos of female detainees in degrading circumstances were also reportedly taken by the Israeli army and uploaded online."

The experts expressed concern that an unknown number of Palestinian women and children, including girls, have reportedly gone missing after contact with the Israeli army in Gaza.

"There are disturbing reports of at least one female infant forcibly transferred by the Israeli army into Israel and of children being separated from their parents, whose whereabouts remain unknown," they said.

"We remind the government of Israel of its obligation to uphold the right to life, safety, health and dignity of Palestinian women and girls and to ensure that no one is subjected to violence, torture, ill-treatment or degrading treatment, including sexual violence," the experts said.

They called for an independent, impartial, prompt, thorough and effective investigation into the allegations and for Israel to cooperate with such investigations.

"Taken together, these alleged acts may constitute grave violations of international human rights and humanitarian law and amount to serious crimes under international criminal law that could be prosecuted under the Rome Statute," the experts said.​​​​​​​

IDF Chief urges Israel army not to film 'revenge videos' amidst genocide case at ICJ

In a message to the Israeli army, IDF Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, instructed them "not to film revenge videos" after footage was used as evidence in the case against the Israeli regime for genocide before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.

According to the Times of Israel, Halevi addressed the accusations levelled against Israel at the ICJ, regarding allegations of genocide and apartheid, stating, "We are not killing, taking revenge or committing genocide. We have come to win and defeat a cruel enemy, who deserves a bitter loss."

The Chief of Staff added, "We have been fighting for four months, and we still have a long way to go."

Moreover, he claimed the fighting is "a long and just war. Every move is very important; every local achievement is part of achieving the goals of the war. Do it with determination and professionalism."

"We act like human beings and, unlike our enemy, maintain our humanity. We must be careful not to use force where it is not required, to distinguish between a terrorist and those who are not, not to take anything that is not ours – a souvenir or weapons – and not to film revenge videos," Halevi further stated.

Halevi caused a storm in the "Israeli political establishment" last month when he announced the formation of an external investigation committee, chaired by former Chief of Staff of the Israeli occupation army, Shaul Mofaz. Following severe criticism, Halevi decided to suspend the work of this committee.

Halevi has come under criticism for investigating the army's conduct at a time of war, with many demanding such probes be carried out only once the war is over.

Since 7 October, Israel has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties, most of whom are children and women, in addition to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe and a noticeable deterioration in infrastructure and properties, according to Palestinian and international data. This has led to Israel facing charges of violations of the Genocide Convention before the ICJ.

Breaching the 'Iron Wall': How Palestinians crushed Jabotinsky's century-old ideas

20 February 2023

By Ramzy Baroud

It seemed strange, if not out of context, when Israeli politician Moshe Feiglin told Arutz Sheva-Israel National News that "Muslims are not afraid of us anymore".

Feiglin's comments were made on 25 October, less than three weeks following the Palestinian Al-Aqsa Flood operation and the genocidal Israeli war which followed.

The former Knesset member who, in 2012, challenged Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for the leadership of the Likud party, proposed, in the same interview that, in order for the Muslims' fear to be restored, the Israeli military has to turn "Gaza to ashes immediately".

Feiglin perceives Gaza as something much larger than the 365 km² of land mass. He understood, rightly, that the war is not just about firepower but perceptions, and not only those of Gazans, Palestinians and Arabs, but all Muslims, as well.

The events of 7 October have exposed Israel as an essentially weak and vulnerable State, thus conveying the idea to Arabs, Muslims – in fact, the rest of the world – that the perceived power of Israel's 'invincible army' is but an illusion.

Currently, the problem of perception is Israel's greatest challenge. Feiglin has expressed this dichotomy in his usual far-right extremist language, but even the most 'liberal' of Israel's leadership shares his anxiety.

When Israeli President, Isaac Herzog, for example, declared on 16 October that "there are no innocent civilians in Gaza", he was not only preparing his society and US-Western allies for one of the greatest acts of military revenge known in history. He, too, wanted to restore fear in the hearts of Israel's perceived enemies.

In a more recent statement, on 1 February, former Shin Bet chief, Carmi Gillon, asserted, in an interview with Channel 12, that Palestinians will not be able to carry out another 7 October-like attack.

Gillon's comments could easily be mistaken for a rational military assessment. But this cannot be the case, simply because Israel has failed miserably to prevent the Al-Aqsa Flood operation in the first place.

Gillon was speaking of psychology. In his mind, the war on Gaza has always been a revenge war, one that aimed at extracting the very idea from the collective mind of Palestinians that they can stand up to Israel.

To understand the relationship between Israel's existence and the power – or the perception of power – of its military, one must examine the early political discourse of Zionism, Israel's founding ideology.

Netanyahu's right-wing Likud Party is the direct heir of the right-wing, in fact fascist, ideology that was largely articulated by early Zionist thinker, Vladimir Jabotinsky. Though Jabotinsky's politics is deeply nationalistic, his ideas ultimately branched into, or at least inspired, the ideological school of religious Zionism.

Unlike more liberal leaning Zionists of that era, Jabotinsky was straightforward regarding the Zionist intentions and ultimate objectives in Palestine.

"A voluntary reconciliation with the Arabs is out of the question, either now or in the future," he wrote in his book, The Iron Wall, in 1923, adding, "If you wish to colonize a land in which people are already living, you must provide a garrison on your behalf."

For Jabotinsky, it all came down to this maxim: "Zionism is a colonizing adventure and, therefore, it stands or falls by the question of armed force." Since then, Israel continues to invest in building 'iron walls', real or imagined.

In fact, Jabotinsky's iron wall was a symbolic one. His was an impenetrable fortress of military power, cemented through violence, the relentless subjugation of the natives, which is designed for the purpose of their expulsion.

The fact that Israeli ministers and other leading politicians quickly began advancing plans for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza immediately after 7 October, indicates that Zionism has never abandoned those early ideas. Indeed, the genocidal language in Israel is older than the State itself.

But, if Jabotinsky was still alive, he would be utterly ashamed of his descendants, who allowed their personal interests to trump their vigilance in keeping the Palestinians caged in, crushed by an ever-expanding iron wall. Instead, the wall has been breached, physically, on 7 October, and psychologically, ever since. While physical damage can be easily repaired, psychological damage is hard to fix.

The ongoing genocide in Gaza is a desperate Israeli attempt at raising the costs for Palestinian resistance, so it may reach the future conclusion that resistance is, indeed, futile. This is unlikely to work.

But can Israel re-implant the fear in the collective heart of the Palestinian people? And why is such a fear a prerequisite for Israel's survival?

Peace "will only be achieved when the hope of the Arabs to establish an Arab State on the ruins of the Jewish State is dashed," Israel's Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, tweeted on 1 February.

Even though the 'Arabs' are not calling for the destruction of anyone, Smotrich believes that the very idea of a Palestinian State will automatically lead to the destruction of the Zionist fantasy of racial purity.

Note how the Israeli politician did not speak of the Arab political discourse but rather of Arab 'hope'. It is a different way of saying that the problem is the collective perception of Palestinians and Arabs that justice in Palestine is possible.

Again, this notion has nothing to do with 7 October. In fact, three months before the war, precisely on 1 July, Netanyahu was even more blunt in his description of the same idea, when he said that Palestinian hopes of establishing a sovereign State "must be crushed".

This 'crushing' has been underway in Gaza and the West Bank for several months now.

This time around, Israel is adopting an even more extreme version of Jabotinsky's 'iron wall' strategy because Israel's ruling classes truly believe, in the words of Netanyahu, that "Israel is in the midst of a fight for (its) existence".

By existence, Netanyahu is referencing Israel's ability to maintain its status of Jewish racist supremacist, settler-colonial expansion and monopoly over violence. Israel calls this deterrence. Many countries and legal experts around the world refer to it as genocide.

In truth, even this genocide will hardly change the new perception that Palestinians have the kind of agency that will allow them, not only to fight back but, ultimately, win.

-Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of the Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of five books. His latest is 'These Chains Will Be Broken: Palestinian Stories of Struggle and Defiance in Israeli Prisons'. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) and also at the Afro-Middle East Center (AMEC).

UK's Prince William says 'too many' have been killed in Gaza

19 February 2023

Several Agencies

Britain's Prince William called for an end to the fighting in Gaza, where he said too many people had been killed, Reuters reports.

Political interventions by members of the royal family are unusual, but William, the 41-year-old heir to the throne is due to carry out a number of engagements to recognise the human suffering caused by the conflict in the Middle East, his office said today.

"I remain deeply concerned about the terrible human cost of the conflict in the Middle East since the Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October. Too many have been killed," William said.

"I, like so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible. There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza. It's critical that aid gets in and the hostages are released."

The Prince of Wales, who in 2018 became the first senior British royal to make an official visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories, will next week attend a synagogue to hear from young people who are involved in tackling hatred and anti-Semitism as part of his engagement schedule.

Israel has killed nearly 30,000 Palestinians in its brutal bombing campaign in 7 Octover, and limits aid deliveries to the point that UN officials have warned is leading to starvation in particular of children and women.

118 Palestinians killed, 136 wounded in the past 24 hours

The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday that the Israeli occupation army has carried out 11 massacres against families in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours. As a result, at least 118 citizens were martyred, and 163 others were injured by Israeli bombing and direct shooting of civilians with live bullets.

The Ministry added that a number of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads as Israeli occupation forces have been blocking the movement of ambulance and civil defense crews and banning them from reaching the victims.

This brings the toll of the martyrs and wounded who have fallen in the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza since October 7 to 29,313 martyrs and 69,333 wounded.

Three martyrs in Israeli attack on Damascus

Three people were martyred and others were injured in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a residential building in Kafr Sousse in Damascus, the capital of Syria, on Wednesday, according to Syrian state media.

The Syrian News Agency said that an Israeli airstrike hit the building this morning, and published images demonstrating the damage.

The martyrs targeted by the new Israeli airstrike were not immediately identified.

Since last December, Israeli attacks on Syria have resulted in the martyrdom of more than 6 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, including Al-Quds Force's prominent military advisor, Radhi Mousavi.

Iran accused Israel of assassinating Revolutionary Guard advisors, and vowed to respond "at the appropriate time and place."

Gaza: Grave violations against children must stop, says Save the Children CEO

19 February 2023

By Hanan Sahmoud

Israel's war against the Palestinians in Gaza now stands among the deadliest and most destructive in recent history and has led to a litany of grave violations against children being recorded, said the CEO of Save the Children today. The NGO is calling for all parties involved to be added to the list of perpetrators of grave violations against children in armed conflict.

"Children in Gaza have been killed and maimed by Israeli forces at an unprecedented rate and scale," said Inger Ashing. "About 12,400 children have been killed and thousands more are 'missing', presumed buried under the rubble, their deaths unmarked."

Ashing said that 100 Palestinian children have been killed in the occupied West Bank since the escalation started on 7 October. "Furthermore, thirty-three Israeli children were killed on 7 October, and children were abducted and held hostage in Gaza, causing severe emotional and mental distress."

The NGO official pointed out that Israel's destruction of schools and hospitals in Gaza has become the norm, not the exception, and children have suffered incalculable mental and physical harm. "Parents in Gaza have told us about symptoms of extreme emotional distress and trauma in their children, including a perpetual state of fear, disordered eating, bedwetting, hyper-vigilance and regression. An unknown number of children have been maimed, sustaining life-changing injuries, with most unable to get even the most basic treatment or pain management due to the obliterated health system."

The UN Security Council has identified six grave violations against children in situations of armed conflict: killing and maiming of children; recruitment or use of children in armed forces and groups; rape and other forms of sexual violence against children; abduction of children; attacks against schools and hospitals; and denial of humanitarian aid.

The life-saving supplies upon which families across Gaza rely have either been drip-fed or systematically denied by Israel, added Ashing. "Concurrently, essential services have been decimated. Despite the horrifying and ever-rising number of children killed by direct hostilities, far more are likely to be killed by starvation and disease than by the bombardment."

Describing the five months of the Israeli offensive as "catastrophic", she noted that any expansion of military operations by Israel in Rafah would likely be the most fatal chapter yet for children and families alike. "Over half the population of Gaza, including more than 610,000 children, have been crammed into a sliver of land that cannot accommodate them nor sustain life. There is nowhere in over-crowded Rafah to shelter from bombs, and nowhere else that families can flee to. In short, children are trapped. In the event of an escalation in Rafah, there will unavoidably be a significant increase in grave violations against children, which have already been committed at an unparalleled rate."

Those responsible must be held to account, insisted Save the Children's CEO. "All parties to the conflict must be added to the list of perpetrators of grave violations against children in armed conflict and commit to implementing immediate actions to ensure the protection of children." Accountability, she explained, is essential to acknowledge the serious wrongs done to children, to break the cycles of violence and prevent further violations, and to rebuild peaceful societies based on the rule of law.

"An incursion into Rafah would sign the death warrant for Gaza's children," concluded Ashing. "UN member states must not ignore their individual and collective responsibility to act and protect without delay. There must be a ceasefire now. There is no alternative."
 

Gaza women, girls being strip searched, raped by male Israel soldiers, UN warns

19 February 2024

Several Agencies

Palestinian women and girls held in Israeli detention are "being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli army officers", raped and "allegedly kept in a cage in the rain and cold, without food," UN experts warned yesterday.

Raising the alarm, the members of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council, said: "We are shocked by reports of the deliberate targeting and extrajudicial killing of Palestinian women and children in places where they sought refuge, or while fleeing. Some of them were reportedly holding white pieces of cloth when they were killed by the Israeli army or affiliated forces."

Many Palestinian women and girls in Gaza have reportedly been subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment, denied menstruation pads, food and medicine and severely beaten, they added.

"We are particularly distressed by reports that Palestinian women and girls in detention have also been subjected to multiple forms of sexual assault, such as being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli army officers. At least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped while others were reportedly threatened with rape and sexual violence," the experts said. They also noted that photos of female detainees in degrading circumstances were also reportedly taken by the Israeli army and uploaded online.

They also expressed concern that "an unknown number of Palestinian women and children, including girls, have reportedly gone missing after contact with the Israeli army in Gaza." "There are disturbing reports of at least one female infant forcibly transferred by the Israeli army into Israel, and of children being separated from their parents, whose whereabouts remain unknown," they said.

"We remind the Government of Israel of its obligation to uphold the right to life, safety, health, and dignity of Palestinian women and girls and to ensure that no one is subjected to violence, torture, ill-treatment or degrading treatment, including sexual violence," the experts said.

"Taken together, these alleged acts may constitute grave violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, and amount to serious crimes under international criminal law that could be prosecuted under the Rome Statute," the experts said.

The experts include Reem Alsalem, special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences; Francesca Albanese, special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967; Dorothy Estrada Tanck, Claudia Flores, Ivana Krstić, Haina Lu and Laura Nyirinkindi, of the working group on discrimination against women and girls.

90 percent of Etzion detainees exposed to beatings and physical abuse

The Palestinian Commission of Detainees' and Ex-Detainees' Affairs has said that 90 percent of the Palestinian prisoners in Etzion jail have been exposed to beatings and physical abuse during their detention and transfer to the prison.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Commission said its lawyer reported this percentage following a recent visit he made to Etzion jail, where 105 detainees are being held.

The Commission's lawyer described the prisoners' incarceration conditions in Etzion as "miserable," saying that the cells are overcrowded with detainees and most of them sleep on the floor due to an acute shortage of beds and mattresses.

The Etzion detainees haven't enough blankets and clothes and are being locked up in cold cells, which are also flooded with water during the rainy season, the lawyer added.

The prisoners are also exposed to deliberate disturbance by Israeli jailers, who keep knocking on the doors of their cells at night to prevent them from sleeping, and sometimes they are forced to stay in the prison yard with no reason, while those with medical conditions are not provided with any health care.

All these mass punitive measures against the prisoners in Etzion have been taken in response to the cross-border operation that was carried out by the Palestinian resistance in Gaza last October, according to the lawyer.

The Commission affirmed that many detainees in the jail are held administratively, without informing them of the duration of their detention.
 

'No country is defending Israel at the ICJ because its actions are indefensible'

19 February 2024

Several Agencies

Not one state has sought to defend Israel's actions and occupation of Palestinian territory, highlighting the illegality of Tel Aviv's policies, Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to the Netherlands Ziad Al Atiyah told the International Court of Justice today.

Speaking on the He called on Israel to cease its settlement activities, relinquish control of Jerusalem and comply with its international obligations.

Recalling the saying of the father of the Bengali nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Ambassador of Bangladesh to the Netherlands, Riaz Hamidullah, said Dhaka was taking part in these proceedings because the world is divided into two parts, oppressors and the oppressed, and it is on the side of the oppressed.

Ending the occupation, he explained, will bring an end to the violence against Palestinians, but there is no end to the occupation, it is "interminable" as Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier this year, Mujibur Rahman explained.

"Israel must provide reparation for damages caused and must ensure non-repetition," while states must not provide support for Israel's acts and must not recognise its occupation.

South Africa's Ambassador to the Netherlands, Vusimuzi Madonsela, told the court that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory is part of the ongoing Nakba which began in 1948.

South Africans, he explained, "sense, feel to our core" that what Israel operates in the West Bank "as an even more extreme form of apartheid than that which was executed against black people in my country."

Outlining Israel's violations of Palestinian rights, including mass detentions, discrimination and incursions into Palestinian land, Madonsela said the international community's unwillingness to keep Israel in check "embolden Israel to … commit the crime of apartheid."

Leader of the Belizean delegation to the ICJ, Assad Shoman, reiterated Madonsela's comments of Israel's exceptionalism where international law is concerned.

"Israel considers itself an exception. No state reserves to itself the right to systematically violate the rights of a people to self determination, except Israel", Shoman told the judges.

"No state seeks to justify the indefinite occupation of another's territory, except Israel. No state commits annexation and apartheid with impunity, except it seems, Israel."

"But Israel must not be allowed such blatant impunity. It must not be allowed to continue to inflict scares for generations to come on those that survive this Holocaust."

Continuing Israel's address, Philippa Webb said: "Israel has long standing discriminatory laws, policies and practices that affect only Palestinians and are designed to benefit, exclusively, and maintain the dominance of Israeli Jews on both sides of the Green Line."

She highlighted that the racism entrenched in such a policy in taught at a young age, "indoctrination starts in the classroom" and warnings have been issued of the "racist hate speech" contained in school textbooks and the "extensive militarisation of the education system", this is later entrenched through compulsory military service.

The court also heard statements from Algeria, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and was due to hear from Canada, however Ottawa pulled out of the case. It is unclear why.Tomorrow the ICj will hear from Colombia, Comoros, Cuba, Egypt, the UAE, the US, Russia, France, Gambia, Guyana and Hungary.second day of the ICJ hearings of submissions regarding the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem since 1967,

Al Atiyah said Israel treats Palestinians as "dispensable objects, rather than human beings", which have led to Israel being accused of being in committing genocide against the Palestinian population before the World Court. ⁠

"Of all the written statements presented before this court, not one state has sought to defend the legality of Israel's policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territory. This is a telling acknowledgement of the international community's unanimous recognition of the illegality which pervades the occupation," Al Atiyah said.

Israel can't say anything about the substantive evidence against it, he continued, the only logical conclusion is that Israel's practices and policies in the occupied territories are "legally indefensible".

At the senior levels of the Israeli government calls are made to expel and ethnically cleanse Palestinians from their land and homes, he added. Israel's aggression has been accompanied by statements that it will not cede any Palestinian territory or agree to a Palestinian state.
 

France, UK to impose travel bans on violent Israeli settlers

18 February 2024

Several Agencies, GAZA, (PIC)

France will ban 28 Israeli settlers from entering the country, accusing them of attacking Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, the foreign ministry in Paris said today. There are an estimated 720,000 illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied Palestinian territories.

"These measures come as violence perpetrated by settlers against the Palestinian population has increased in recent months," added the ministry. "France reaffirms its firm condemnation of this unacceptable violence." The individuals affected were not named.

According to Reuters, UN figures show that daily settler attacks have more than doubled since the Hamas attack on Israel last October and the ensuing Israeli military offensive against the Palestinians in Gaza. While much international attention has focused on that cross-border assault and Israel's subsequent war, European officials have also expressed increasing concern about rising violence against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The US and Britain have expressed similar concerns and have already imposed sanctions on several settlers whom they say are responsible for violence. The European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in December that he would also propose similar measures. Paris has backed that initiative and diplomats have said that they hope that once its measures are in place it could speed up the European process.

A joint statement issued by the French, Polish and German foreign ministers on Monday said settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank was unacceptable and "shall be sanctioned."

EU efforts have stalled so far due to objections from Hungary and the Czech Republic, said diplomats. However, they added that a compromise may be found later to let the measures proceed, possibly after more EU sanctions against Hamas.

"Colonisation is illegal under international law and must stop," insisted the French foreign ministry. "Its continuation is incompatible with the creation of a viable Palestinian state, which is the only solution so that Israelis and Palestinians can live, side by side, in peace and security."

UK sanctions 'extremist' Israeli settlers in West Bank

Britain today imposed sanctions on four Israeli nationals saying they were extremist settlers who had violently attacked Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Reuters reports.

The measures impose strict financial and travel restrictions on the four individuals, who Britain said were involved in "egregious abuses of human rights".

"Extremist Israeli settlers are threatening Palestinians, often at gunpoint, and forcing them off land that is rightfully theirs," British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said.

"This behaviour is illegal and unacceptable. Israel must also take stronger action and put a stop to settler violence. Too often, we see commitments made and undertakings given, but not followed through."

According to the government: "Two of the individuals designated today – Moshe Sharvit and Yinon Levy – have in recent months used physical aggression, threatened families at gunpoint, and destroyed property as part of a targeted and calculated effort to displace Palestinian communities."

While another settler, Zvi Bar Yosef, set up an illegal outpost in the occupied Palestinian territories which has "been described by local Palestinian residents as a 'source of systematic intimidation and violence'."

The fourth settler to be hit with sanctions is Ely Federman, who was described as being "involved in multiple incidents against Palestinian shepherds in the South Hebron Hills."

Britain's Foreign Office said there had been unprecedented levels of violence by settlers in the West Bank over the past year.The US also imposed sanctions earlier this month on four Israeli men it accused of being involved in settler violence in the West Bank.
 

US vetoes another UN resolution calling for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

18 February 2024

NEW YORK, (PIC)

The US has used its veto power to block an Algerian draft resolution at the UN Security Council calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the unconditional release of all captives.

The US was the only country to vote against the draft text, which was put to vote on Tuesday, while the United Kingdom abstained. The UN Security Council's 13 other member countries voted in favor of the text demanding a halt to the war that has killed more than 29,000 people in Gaza, according to Palestinian authorities, and displaced more than 80 percent of the population.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, said her country was vetoing the resolution over concerns it would jeopardize talks between the US, Egypt, Israel and Qatar that seek to broker a pause in the war and the release of captives held by Hamas.

In introducing the resolution on Tuesday, Amar Bendjama, Algeria's ambassador to the UN, said the Council "cannot afford passivity" in the face of what is unfolding in Gaza, and that silence is "not a viable option".

"This resolution is a stance for truth and humanity, standing against the advocates for murder and hatred," he said. "Voting against it implies an endorsement of the brutal violence and collective punishment inflicted upon them [the Palestinians]."

The US said on Monday that it had proposed a rival draft resolution calling for a temporary ceasefire and opposing a major ground offensive by Israel in Rafah.

This the third time that the US vetoes a ceasefire resolution in Gaza since the Israeli aggression started on October 7 last year.

Russia UN envoy criticizes US for opposing Gaza ceasefire resolution

Russia's Ambassador to the UN, on Monday, criticised the US for standing in the way of a ceasefire in Gaza, as it signalled it will block another UN Security Council resolution presented by Algeria, Anadolu Agency reports.

Speaking to reporters, Vasily Nebenzya said that "only one delegation" has blocked a possible ceasefire in Gaza for nearly five months.

Saying Russia proposed a ceasefire resolution on 16 October, he said so many lives could have been saved if a ceasefire had been passed.

His remarks came as Algeria is expected to present a resolution at the UN Security Council calling for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" between Israel and Hamas, and demand an "immediate and unconditional release of all hostages."

"Should it come up for a vote as drafted, it will not be adopted," said US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, on Saturday, as the resolution "may run counter" to efforts by the US, Egypt and Qatar for a hostage deal, she added.

"The United States will continue to engage in the diplomacy necessary to get a hostage deal over the finish line, and will be candid with Israeli and regional leaders regarding our expectations for the protection of more than one million civilians in Rafah," she said.

Palestinian resistance fighters confront IOF troops in Tubas

Violent clashes erupted between Palestinian resistance groups and Israeli occupation forces (IOF) in the city of Tubas in the West Bank at dawn Thursday.

The armed wing of the Hamas Movement, al-Qassam Brigades, posted on X that its forces targeted Israeli vehicles entering Tubas with "appropriate explosive devices and weapons."

Israeli soldiers in military vehicles, including bulldozers, stormed the city earlier today and broke into several local homes.

The IOF troops were targeted with heavy gunfire and explosive devices before being forced to withdraw from the area.

Medical sources affirmed that two Palestinians have been shot during the clashes.

Since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, Israeli forces have carried out daily raids and arrests in the occupied West Bank, including in the city of Tubas.

At least 382 Palestinians have been killed in IOF and settler attacks across the West Bank since October 7.
 

US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza enters day 137

18 February 2024

Several Agencies

As the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip entered day 137 on Tuesday, massive aerial and artillery strikes continued to pound neighborhoods, homes and shelter centers and massacre more civilians, mostly children and women.

A reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said that the Israeli occupation army continued to attack different areas of Gaza, killing and injuring dozens of citizens.

According to local media sources, Israeli warplanes simultaneously bombed two homes and a gathering of civilians in al-Nuseirat refugee camp and a third house in al-Zahra area in central Gaza, killing and injuring several citizens.

Casualties, including at least 15 martyrs, were reported following multiple Israeli attacks on several homes in al-Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City.

Thousands of civilians had to flee their homes in al-Zeitoun neighborhood after Israeli forces and armed vehicles stormed it and embarked on bombing homes and opening fire at citizens in its streets.

Five civilians were also martyred and three others were injured after the Israeli army bombed a house in al-Sabra neighborhood in the south of Gaza City.

An unknown number of casualties were also reported following an Israeli attack on a house in al-Zahra City in central Gaza.

A number of citizens were wounded and transferred to Kamal Adwan Hospital after the Israeli army carried out attacks on Beit Lahia, while a 15-year-old teenager died of a serious injury following an attack on Khan Yunis.

Another citizen was shot dead by an Israeli sniper in Abasan al-Kabira area in eastern Khan Yunis.

The Israeli army also bombed a house belonging to Qaraman family in al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing four civilians.

Other casualties were reported in different areas of Gaza following Israeli aerial, artillery and shooting attacks last night and today.

Israel: Our warplanes struck 29,000 targets in Gaza

The Israeli army stated yesterday evening that it has struck 29,000 targets in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war.

According to data from the army regarding air force activities, published by the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, its aircraft attacked over 31,000 targets on all fronts; in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria.

It added that most of these – around 29,000 – were in Gaza, and approximately 1,100 were attacked in southern Lebanon.

The data also indicated that around 7,000 attacks were "surgical strikes," based on the request of ground forces.

Approximately 26,000 attacks were carried out using fighter jets, around 3,800 were using attack helicopters and nearly 3,800 with drones, according to the same source.

Since 7 October, Israel has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties, most of whom are children and women, in addition to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe and a noticeable deterioration in infrastructure and properties, according to Palestinian and international data. This has led to Israel facing charges of violations of the Genocide Convention before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
 

Settlers terrorise Palestinians in West Bank, set fire to home

17 February 2024

Daily Sabah, Several Agencies

Settlers launched terrorist attacks in the occupied West Bank yesterday evening, wounding two people, including a young boy, and burning a house and at least three vehicles.

A young man and a child were injured by settler bullets during an attack on the village of Asira Al-Qibliya, south of Nablus.

The head of the Asira Al-Qibliya village council, Hafez Saleh, reported that settlers from the Yitzhar settlement attacked the eastern part of the village, amid heavy gunfire.

He reported that this led to the injury of a 20-year-old man who was shot with live bullets in his stomach, and a 16-year-old boy who was hit in his hand. They were both taken to hospital.

He added that settlers burned a vehicle parked in front of the home of village resident Abdel Baset Abdel Rahman, then targeted the home of Jawad Shehadeh with Molotov cocktails, causing the house to catch fire.

Settlers burned a truck in the town of Huwara, south of Nablus.

The Palestinian News Agency Wafa reported that dozens of settlers attacked the town of Huwara, and burned a truck belonging to town resident Abdullah Odeh, which was parked in front of his house.

Settlers also demolished two arbours and a barn, razed trees and chased away shepherds and farmers in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron.

In a separate incident, local sources said that settlers, under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces, destroyed two arbours, a barn and retaining walls, and destroyed ten grapevines belonging to Khader Al-Nawajaa in the village of Susiya.

Settlers also attacked the family of the head of the Susiya Village Council, Jihad Al-Nawajaa, while they were on their land near the village, chased the shepherds and forced farmers to leave their lands in Wadi Al-Jawaya, east of Yatta, south of Hebron.

The occupation forces also raided, ransacked and searched Palestinian homes in the village of Janba in Masafer Yatta.

Palestinian homes in the village of Madama were also attacked and a vehicle was burned in the village of Al-Sawiya, south of Nablus.

Settlers carried out 186 attacks against Palestinians in January, concentrated in the Hebron Governorate, which suffered 63 attacks, 38 in Nablus and 23 in Ramallah, killing 17-year-old Tawfiq Ajaon on 19 January.
 

Haneyya in Cairo to meet Egyptian officials

17 February 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

A high-level delegation from the Hamas Movement led by head of its political bureau Ismail Haneyya arrived on Tuesday morning in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.

According to Hamas, Haneyya will hold meetings with senior Egyptian officials to discuss the political and field situation in Gaza and the efforts being made to stop the Israeli aggression and provide aid for the civilians.

Since last October, the Israeli occupation army has been waging a genocidal war on Gaza, killing and injuring over 110,000 civilians and destroying hundreds of thousands of housing units.

says Israel won't 'pay any price' for release of Gaza hostages

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, said on Tuesday that Israel would not pay any price for the return of hostages still held in Gaza, amid ongoing negotiations to secure their release, Reuters reports.

Asked about the 134 hostages who remain in Gaza, Smotrich told Kan Radio that their return was "very important" but that they could not be released "at any cost".

He said the way to free them was by ramping up the military pressure on Gaza and defeating Hamas, the group that governs the blockaded Strip.

His remarks drew rebukes from opposition leader, Yair Lapid, and Minister Benny Gantz and angered some families of hostages who have been trying to up the pressure on the government to strike a deal.

But shortly after the radio interview, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office published a statement echoing Smotrich's position.

"There is a lot of pressure on Israel from home and abroad to stop the war before we achieve all of our goals, including a deal to release the hostages at any cost," Netanyahu said. "We are not willing to pay any price, certainly not the delusional cost that Hamas demands of us, which would mean defeat for the state of Israel."

The remarks came as the United States plans to send its Middle East envoy to the region for continued talks between the US, Egypt, Israel and Qatar that seek to broker a ceasefire and the release of hostages.

Israel said 1,200 people were killed and 253 more were abducted into Gaza during the 7 October Hamas-led attack on its towns. Since then, Israel's air, ground and sea offensive has killed nearly 29,000 Palestinians with thousands more trapped under the rubble, according to Palestinian authorities, and laid much of the blockaded enclave to waste.

However, since then, it has been revealed by Haaretz that helicopters and tanks of the Israeli army had, in fact, killed many of the 1,139 soldiers and civilians claimed by Israel to have been killed by the Palestinian Resistance.

The most significant release of hostages has, so far, happened during the only, week-long negotiated pause in the war in November, when Hamas freed 110 Israelis and foreigners it had captured.

Hamas calls for int'l probe into exposure of Palestinian women to Israeli crimes

17 February 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The Hamas Movement has called for launching an international investigation into the crimes that were committed by Israeli forces against Palestinian citizens, especially the gross human rights violations against women and girls in the Gaza Strip.

"The statement that was released by a galaxy of UN experts, which documented serious human rights violations against Palestinian women and girls, particularly in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, confirms and proves further the crimes of genocide and ethnic cleansing that are being committed by the occupation regime led by war criminal Netanyahu and its Nazi army against our Palestinian people," Hamas said in a statement on Tuesday.

"What the experts said about the exposure of Palestinian women to different violations by the occupation army, such as executions, arbitrary arrests, severe beatings and deprivation of food and medicine during detention, in addition to threats of rape and insults during interrogation, entail international investigational action against this rogue entity to hold it and its leaders accountable for their brutal crimes," Hamas added.

In a recent statement, UN experts have expressed their concern over reports of gross human rights violations, including sexual assaults and executions, committed by the Israeli army against Palestinian women and girls in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank since Israel launched its war on Gaza on October 7, 2023.

UN voices alarm over reports of serious Israeli violations against Palestinian women

UN experts have expressed their concern over reports of gross human rights violations, including sexual assaults and executions, committed by the Israeli army against Palestinian women and girls in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank since Israel launched its war on Gaza on October 7, 2023.

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in a statement on Monday that it had received information that Palestinian women and girls have "reportedly been arbitrarily executed in Gaza, often together with family members, including their children".

The UN experts said they were "shocked by reports of the deliberate targeting and extrajudicial killing of Palestinian women and children in places where they sought refuge, or while fleeing. Some of them were reportedly holding white pieces of cloth when they were killed by the Israeli army or affiliated forces."

The UN experts expressed alarm over the arbitrary detention of hundreds of Palestinian women and girls including human rights defenders, journalists and humanitarian workers in Gaza and the West Bank.

Many Palestinians women and girls have reportedly been subjected to inhuman treatment, denied menstrual pads, food and medicine and also severely beaten by Israeli forces, the OHCHR said.

On at least one occasion, Palestinian women detained in Gaza were allegedly kept in a cage in the rain and cold, without food, according to OHCHR.

"We are particularly distressed by reports that Palestinian women and girls in detention have also been subjected to multiple forms of sexual assault, such as being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli army officers. At least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped while others were reportedly threatened with rape and sexual violence," the UN experts said.

The experts noted that photos of female detainees in degrading conditions were also reportedly taken by the Israeli army and uploaded online.

An unknown number of Palestinian women and children, including girls, have reportedly gone missing after being detained by the Israeli army in Gaza, the experts said.

"There are disturbing reports of at least one female infant forcibly transferred by the Israeli army into Israel, and of children being separated from their parents, whose whereabouts remain unknown," they said.

They called for an independent, impartial and effective investigation into such incidents and for Israel to cooperate.

"Taken together, these alleged acts may constitute grave violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, and amount to serious crimes under international criminal law that could be prosecuted under the Rome Statute," the experts said.

"Those responsible for these apparent crimes must be held accountable and victims and their families are entitled to full redress and justice," the experts emphasized.

US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza enters day 136

17 February 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

As the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip entered day 136 on Monday, massive aerial and artillery strikes continued to pound neighborhoods, homes and shelter centers and massacre more civilians, mostly children and women.

A reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said that the Israeli occupation army continued to attack different areas of Gaza, killing and injuring dozens of citizens.

According to local media sources, one civilian was martyred and others were injured when the Israeli army targeted a number of citizens on Road 5 in western Khan Yunis, while five other martyrs were evacuated to the European Gaza Hospital following other Israeli attacks on Khan Yunis.

Casualties were also reported following an Israeli attack on a house in the east of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.

Meanwhile, bodies of four martyrs were retrieved today from the rubble of Rotana Hall in Miraj area, south of Khan Yunis, which had been bombed on Sunday.

Other casualties were reported in different areas of Gaza following Israeli aerial, artillery and shooting attacks last night and today.

In a related context, the health ministry in Gaza said on Monday that the Israeli occupation army committed nine massacres in different areas of the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours, killing at least 107 civilians and injuring over 145 others, while a large number of victims are still buried under the rubble of bombed buildings or lying on roads.

In a statement, the health ministry added that the death toll from the ongoing Israeli bombardments, which started on October 7, climbed to 29,092 martyrs and the number of the wounded surged to 69,028 people.

Brazil recalls its ambassador to Israel

Brazilian President Lula da Silva has expelled the Israeli ambassador from Brazil and recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv, Reuters revealed on Monday.

This came shortly after Israel summoned Brazil's ambassador for a reprimand over the remarks, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as 'disgraceful'.

Lula da Silva has earlier accused Israel of committing "genocide" against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and compared its war on Gaza with Adolf Hitler's campaign to exterminate the Jewish people.

"What's happening in the Gaza Strip isn't a war, it's a genocide," Lula told reporters in Addis Ababa where he was attending an African Union summit on Sunday.

"It's not a war of soldiers against soldiers. It's a war between a highly prepared army and women and children," added the Brazilian president.

"What's happening in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian people hasn't happened at any other moment in history. Actually, it has happened: when Hitler decided to kill the Jews."

Al-Ansari: Netanyahu's demand to pressure Hamas aims at prolonging the war

16 February 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al-Ansari said that Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu's recent statements in which he calls on the State of Qatar to pressure Hamas Movement to release the Israeli captives are nothing but a new attempt by him to procrastinate and prolong the war.

Al-Ansari confirmed on Monday in a statement posted on X that Qatar has been committed from day one to mediation efforts, ending the crisis and liberating detainees, saying that Netanyahu knows this.

The Qatari spokesman added that the humanitarian truce that involved the release of 109 detainees proved that negotiation is the only solution to return the captives and end the aggression.

Al-Ansari rejected Netanyahu's accusations regarding Qatari efforts for Gaza reconstruction and the entry of humanitarian aid to the trapped Palestinians in Gaza.

Al-Ansari criticized Netanyahu's allegation that Qatari efforts are aimed at financing Hamas, despite his knowledge that they have been carried out in coordination with Israel and other concerned parties.

He also stressed that Qatar proceeded with its mediation efforts without paying attention to Netanyahu's statements aimed at escaping his personal political crises, calling on him to focus on negotiations in a way that serves security in the region and ends the ongoing tragedy of war.

Shtayyeh: No political process without clear ceiling to end of occupation

Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammad Shtayyeh, said yesterday that a political process is not possible without a clear end to the occupation, calling for Palestine to be recognised as a full member state in the UN.

This came during his meeting with Norwegian Foreign Minister, Espen Barth Eide, at the headquarters of the Munich Security Conference, according to a statement issued by Shtayyeh's office.

Shtayyeh spoke about "the impossibility of returning to a political process without a clear ceiling [to end the occupation], especially with the absence of a partner in Israel."

"We need the recognition of the [Palestinian] state, full membership in the UN, and a UN resolution with a programme to end the occupation," he added.

The officials discussed international efforts to immediately stop the aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank. They warned that any Israeli invasion of the city of Rafah would have catastrophic consequences after most of the Gaza Strip's residents were forced out of their homes and moved there.

The Palestinian prime minister called for a "stronger" international stance to prevent this from happening.

Shtayyeh said that the priority is "to stop the aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and to open all crossings to bring aid into Gaza in a way that meets their needs."

He called on Norway, as chair of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), the international donor group for Palestine, to "lead a European effort to recognise the State of Palestine, especially given that a number of countries are becoming convinced of the need for recognition as the start of a political path."

He also called for "taking concrete steps towards imposing sanctions on Israel for its continued aggression, colonialism and occupation, and towards boycotting settlements and settlers."
 

Sheikh Sabri: Israeli restrictions on Muslims' access to Aqsa will lead to unrest

16 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, head of the Higher Islamic Council in Occupied Jerusalem, has warned of Israeli intents to impose restrictions on the entry of Palestinian citizens to the Aqsa Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan.

In a statement on Monday, Sheikh Sabri affirmed that the Israeli occupation regime's plan to empty the Aqsa Mosque of Muslim worshipers would lead the situation in the West Bank to explode.

For its part, the Hamas Movement has condemned the Israeli occupation government's adoption of a proposal submitted by far-right security minister Itamar Ben Gvir calling for restricting the entry of Palestinian citizens to the Aqsa Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan, describing the step as "persistence in its criminal practices and its religious war on the Palestinian holy sites."

In a statement, Hamas said that this Israeli decision is a violation of Muslim worshipers' freedom of worship at the Aqsa Mosque.

The Movement urged the Palestinian citizens in 1948 occupied Palestine, Jerusalem and the West Bank to challenge this Israeli decision and march en masse to the Aqsa Mosque.

The Israeli government approved on Sunday a proposal restricting the entry of Palestinians living in Israel and Jerusalem to the Aqsa Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan.

Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu gave his approval to Ben Gvir's recommendations despite security warnings that restrictions on Palestinians' access to the Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan could add fuel to the fire.

Israel settler groups stepping up attacks to ignite conflict: Palestine

Israeli settler groups in the occupied West Bank are intensifying their attacks against Palestinians to ignite a broader conflict, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said today.

"Settler attacks under the protection of the [Israeli] occupation are an official policy to undermine the opportunity for a two-state solution," said a ministry statement on attacks on the village of Burqa, northwest of the city of Nablus.

"What the world saw yesterday of the settlers' attacks on Burqa and on other areas across the West Bank are clear evidence that these attacks are an Israeli official policy that falls under the crimes of gradually annexing the West Bank [to Israeli sovereignty]," the statement added. The Israeli settlers' attacks are more proof that the sanctions imposed on some settlers are insufficient, and should include the heads of other extremist settler groups, it said.

On 1 February, US President Joe Biden signed a new executive order authorizing sanctions against Israeli settlers who have been attacking Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, blacklisting four individuals in an initial round of penalties.

Other countries are following suit.

Israeli officials have, however, called on Israeli banks not to comply with the terms of the sanctions.
 

Hamas: Israel is waging psychological warfare - Israel has retreated from Paris deal agreements

16 February 2024

Several Agencies

An official source of Hamas Movement has said that Israeli attempts to fabricate information about the Movement's leadership, especially the Hamas Chief in Gaza, Yahya Al-Sinwar, are "ridiculous and aimed at raising the collapsed morale of its army."

The source confirmed that Israeli war ministry Yoav Gallant's statements about "disagreements within the Hamas leadership and that Hamas is looking for a successor for Al-Sinwar are nonsense and an exposed psychological warfare. "

The official Hamas source opined that the Israeli failure to reach the resistance leaders drives it to claim fictitious achievements.

Since October 7, Israeli occupation forces have been waging a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, resulting in more than 110,000 martyrs, wounded and missing people, as well as massive destruction of homes and enforced displacement of 2 million Palestinians.

Hamas official says Israel has retreated from Paris deal agreements

Israel retreated last week from agreements within the framework of the Paris deal aimed at ending the war in Gaza and returning the Israeli hostages, a senior Hamas official has revealed. A report by Anadolu quoted political bureau member Khalil Al-Hayya as telling Al Jazeera TV that, "Netanyahu retreated last week, what he had agreed to in the Paris paper."

Al-Hayya reiterated that the return of Israeli prisoners has three prices. "The first is the relief of our people and their return to a normal life. The second is ending the aggression. And the third is a real prisoner swap deal that frees the 10,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails."

He pointed out that Israel refuses to withdraw from Gaza and refuses to allow displaced Palestinians to return to their homes. On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Hamas's proposal on the ceasefire and prisoner swap as "delusional".

For his part, the Hamas official pointed out that Israel has failed to achieve its stated goals of returning the hostages and eliminating the Palestinian resistance. He warned that the Israeli army will fail in Rafah, just as it failed to extend its control over the north and centre of the Gaza Strip. "Indeed, the entire world has failed its moral test in the face of the [Israeli] occupation crimes, and today it realises that without a fully sovereign Palestinian state, the region will not calm down."

On 7 February, Hamas proposed a three-stage plan for a Gaza ceasefire that included a 135-day pause in the fighting in return for the release of Israeli hostages, according to a Palestinian source. The original framework agreement was worked out during a Paris meeting last month of senior officials from the US, Israel, Qatar and Egypt.

Israel believes that there are still 134 Israeli citizens being held in Gaza, after the Israeli army freed two last week who were being held in Rafah.

The apartheid state launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border incursion led by Hamas on 7 October, during which 1,200 Israeli soldiers and civilians were killed, many of them by Israeli tanks and helicopters. The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed more than 29,000 Palestinians and wounded almost 70,000. Around 60 per cent of Gaza's civilian infrastructure has been destroyed, and there are acute shortages of basic necessities, including food, water, medicine and shelter.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. This has largely been ignored by the occupation state.
 

Al-Qassam Brigades: Netanyahu threw away the file of Israeli captives

15 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, has released a graphic image carrying a message to Israel's internal front that says that Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu has thrown away the file of Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip.

"Your government is lying to you and time is running out," al-Qassam Brigades said in a message addressed to the Israeli public on its Telegram account on Sunday.

The photo that al-Qassam Brigades published on its Telegram account as part of the message shows that Netanyahu threw away a folder titled "Prisoners' File" in a wastebasket while sitting at his desk and reading a paper in another folder under the title "Bribery that leads the ruling coalition to become stronger."

On Netanyahu's desk, there is a framed photo of his family, which denotes that he only cares about his family and personal life, as well as two box files titled "Haredi Military Service" and "Religious Education."

All the files on his desk, including the one in his hands, point to the issues in the Israeli arena that are only important for Netanyahu to protect his government and his political life.

2-state solution should move past talk into implementation, says Palestinian premier

Palestine's prime minister on Sunday called for a deal to take place between the Palestinian resistance and Israel "as soon as possible", Anadolu news agency reported.

Speaking at Germany's Munich Security Conference, Mohammad Shtayyeh said: "All our eyes are focused on the suffering of the Palestinians both in Gaza and the West Bank," adding: "What is needed immediately is a ceasefire, and even more, to allow international aid into Gaza."

He stressed: "We would like to see the release of all the hostages and we would like to see a deal … in the making as soon as possible because every single day that is delayed, it means more killings, it means more sufferings and it means more disaster for the people."

"We need to move from talking about a two-state solution into implementing it," he said.

"We should not allow the circle of violence to repeat itself," he added.

The Munich Security Conference is concluding on Sunday with leaders' speeches and high-level talks on security challenges around the world, especially concerning the war in Ukraine and Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.
 

Hamas demands international probe into Israel's abuse of Palestinian women

15 February 2024

Several Agencies

Women from Gaza share their testimony of being taken to Damon prison by Israeli soldiers after being kidnapped while using the designated 'safe route'.

The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement has demanded an international investigation into reports that Israeli forces have "arbitrarily detained, sexually abused, and executed Palestinian women and girls in the Gaza Strip", Anadolu news agency has reported. Yesterday, seven independent UN rights experts also called for an independent probe into Israeli abuses against Palestinian women and girls, including killings, rapes and sexual assault.

In a statement issued on the Hamas telegram channel, it said that the call by the UN experts is "additional evidence of the crime of genocide and ethnic cleansing committed by the [Israeli] occupation led by the war criminal [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and his Nazi army against our Palestinian people."

Hamas pointed out that, "The violations that Palestinian women are exposed to by the [Israeli] occupation army, such as executions, arbitrary arrests, severe beatings and deprivation of food and medicine during detention, in addition to the threats of rape and insults during interrogation, require the opening of an international investigation to hold this rogue entity and its leaders accountable for their brutal crimes."

The movement called for the UN report to be included in the genocide case filed against Israel before the International Court of Justice.

The report was compiled by Reem Alsalem, UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls; Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories; and Dorothy Estrada Tanck, Claudia Flores, Ivana Krstić, Haina Lu and Laura Nyirinkindi of the working group on discrimination against women and girls.

The group of experts expressed deep "shock by reports of the deliberate targeting and extrajudicial killing of Palestinian women and children in places where they sought refuge, or while fleeing. Some of them were reportedly holding white pieces of cloth when they were killed by the Israeli army or affiliated forces. We are particularly distressed by reports that Palestinian women and girls in detention have also been subjected to multiple forms of sexual assault, such as being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli army officers. At least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped while others were reportedly threatened with rape and sexual violence."

Since 7 October, Israel has been engaged in a deadly military offensive against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which has killed over 29,000 children, women and men, and wounded tens of thousands more. The Israeli offensive has pushed 85 per cent of the enclave's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine. Sixty per cent of the civilian infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
 

Hamas welcomes African Union call for Gaza ceasefire after summit

15 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The Hamas Movement has welcomed the statement issued by the 37th African Union Summit held in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa.

The Movement said the statement called "for an end to the aggression against our people, the policy of collective punishment, the crime of genocide, the lifting of the siege, and compliance with the decisions of the International Court of Justice regarding the Gaza Strip".

"We hope it will translate into practical steps from all friendly African countries, in a way that contributes to stopping the aggression and war of extermination against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip," Hamas said in a statement.

It added, "We also call for severing all ties with the criminal Zionist entity, and supporting the struggle of our Palestinian people until they achieve their legitimate national rights, most notably the establishment of the Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital."

The final statement of the 37th Summit of the African Union (AU) condemned the "brutal" Israel war and the use of excessive force against 2.2 million unarmed civilians.

The statement called for an independent international investigation into Israeli violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza, and Israel's use of internationally banned weapons to target hospitals and media institutions in the Strip.

The summit also reportedly urged Israel to respond to international calls for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, comply with the decisions of the International Court of Justice to prevent genocide, and lift the unjust siege imposed on the Gaza Strip.

Brazilian president likens the situation in Gaza to the Holocaust

Brazilian President Lula Da Silva condemned the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Da Silva said this has never happened before in history except during the Holocaust. He condemned the global acceptance and silence and the cutting of the humanitarian aid to Gaza. Da Silva said: 'It is a genocide, It's a war between a highly prepared army against women and children.'

Israel yesterday criticised Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for comparing the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip to the Holocaust, with Tel Aviv announcing that it would summon the South American country's envoy to protest today, Anadolu news agency reported.In a statement, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz called da Silva's statements "shameful" and "serious".

"No one will harm Israel's right to defend itself. I have ordered the people of my office to summon the Brazilian ambassador for a reprimand call tomorrow," he added on X.

Earlier in the day, da Silva accused Israel of genocide in the Gaza Strip, citing the ongoing military offensive that has killed nearly 29,000 Palestinians since 7 October.

"What's happening in the Gaza Strip isn't a war, it's a genocide," Lula told reporters in Addis Ababa, where he was attending an African Union (AU) summit.

"It's not a war of soldiers against soldiers. It's a war between a highly prepared army and women and children," he added.

"What's happening in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian people hasn't happened at any other moment in history. Actually, it has happened: when Hitler decided to kill the Jews," he remarked.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Brazilian president "crossed a red line."

"The words of the president of Brazil are shameful and alarming," he said in a post on X. "This is about trivialising the Holocaust and trying to harm the Jewish people and Israel's right to defend itself."

The Israeli premier argued that Tel Aviv fights for its future "while upholding international law."

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since 7 October killing 29,000 Palestinians and injuring almost 70,000 others. The bombing campaign has forced 85 per cent of Gaza's population out of their homes, pushing the vast majority to the southernmost city of Rafah, which it now plans to bomb.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has called on Tel Aviv to ensure it is not committing genocide in Gaza, allow vital aid into the Strip and to stop its officials' genocidal rhetoric, however to date, Israel's bombing campaign has not ceased and it's senior officials and ministers have increased calls to resettle Gaza.

Hamas: Israeli refusal to recognize a Palestinian state is a challenge to the international community

The Hamas Movement said on Sunday that "the Zionist terrorist government's decision to "outright reject" any attempts by foreign powers to create a Palestinian state constitutes a challenge to the international community and confirms the Israeli total disregard to the international laws and resolutions.

Given the Israeli manipulation and illegal settlement construction, the Movement called on the international community "to break this Israeli arrogance, to support our people's struggle and resistance, and to immediately recognize all of their rights."

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government unanimously approved a measure declaring that his government "outright rejects" any attempts by foreign powers to recognize a Palestinian state.

Netanyahu announced the move at the start of a cabinet meeting Sunday morning. It comes as various forces at the UN and even President Biden's administration have pushed Israel to accept a two-state solution after the war against Hamas in Gaza.
 

Gaza: Death toll surges to 28,858 martyrs

15 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The health ministry in Gaza said on Sunday that the Israeli occupation army committed 13 massacres in different areas of the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours, killing at least 127 civilians and injuring over 205 others, while a large number of victims are still buried under the rubble of bombed buildings or lying on roads.

In a statement, the health ministry added that the death toll from the ongoing Israeli bombardments, which started on October 7, climbed to 28,985 martyrs and the number of the wounded surged to 68,883 people.

The Government Media Office, for its part, said that 7,000 civilians, mostly children and women, had been reported missing since the war on Gaza started.

Every day, the Israeli army escalates its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless bombardment since a cross-border operation was launched by Hamas's armed wing, al-Qassam Brigades, on October 7.

Besides the large number of casualties and the huge displacement of people, basic food, fuel, water and medical supplies have run out for the 2.3 million residents in Gaza due to the tight Israeli blockade and the massive destruction of infrastructure and facilities.

Qatar criticises Israel's Netanyahu over pressure on Hamas to release hostages

Conflict mediator, Qatar, on Monday criticised comments from Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in which it said he asked the Gulf State to pressure Hamas into freeing Israeli hostages, describing them as a new attempt to prolong the Gaza war, Reuters reports.

Qatari Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said at the weekend that the pattern of negotiations for a framework ceasefire deal for the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza was "not very promising" in recent days.

"The Israeli Prime Minister's recent statements in which he calls on Qatar to pressure Hamas into releasing the (Israeli) hostages are nothing but a new attempt by him to delay and prolong the war for reasons that have become clear to everyone", Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Majed Al-Ansari, posted in a statement on social media platform X.

It was unclear what comments from Netanyahu the Qatari statement was referring to.

Sheikh Mohammed, who is also Foreign Minister, said on Saturday he could not give details of talks but, as with past deals, there were two elements: humanitarian conditions in Gaza and the number of Palestinians to be released for Israeli hostages.
 

US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza enters day 135

14 February 2023

Several Agencies

As the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip entered day 135 on Sunday, massive aerial and artillery strikes continued to pound neighborhoods, homes and shelter centers and massacre more civilians, mostly children and women.

A reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said that the Israeli occupation army continued to attack different areas of Gaza, killing and injuring dozens of citizens.

According to local media sources, five civilians were martyred and many others were injured when the Israeli army bombed citizens as they were waiting for aid trucks in al-Rushd street in the south of Gaza City.

The Israeli army also bombed a house belonging to the family of Baraka in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, killing five civilians and injuring others.

A number of casualties, including two martyrs, were reported following an Israeli attack on a house in al-Mansoura street, east of al-Shuja'iya neighborhood in Gaza City.

The Israeli army also attacked an area near al-Ma'arri School, which is used as a shelter center, in northern Khan Yunis, killing two people and wounding others.

Seven civilians were martyred when the Israeli army attacked a house in Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in the north of Gaza City, while others were injured in another attack on a school sheltering displaced families in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.

The Israeli army also launched an artillery attack on the third floor of Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis, with no reported casualties.

17 martyrs were reportedly massacred following an Israeli aerial attack on a house in al-Zawaida town in central Gaza.

Other casualties were reported in different areas of Gaza following Israeli aerial, artillery and shooting attacks last night and today.

Meanwhile, over 50 martyrs and 150 wounded civilians had been evacuated to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza since Saturday evening, while a medical source from the facility said that the number of casualties are likely to rise as search operations are still ongoing in the bombed areas.

UN experts 'appalled' by reported rights violations against Palestinian women, girls

UN experts, on Monday, expressed alarm over "credible allegations" of egregious human rights violations that Palestinian women and girls continue to face in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Anadolu Agency reports.

"Palestinian women and girls have reportedly been arbitrarily executed in Gaza, often together with family members, including their children, according to information received.

The experts were shocked by reports of the deliberate targeting and extrajudicial killing of Palestinian women and children in places where they sought refuge or while fleeing.

"On at least one occasion, Palestinian women detained in Gaza were allegedly kept in a cage in the rain and cold, without food," said the experts.

"We are particularly distressed by reports that Palestinian women and girls in detention have also been subjected to multiple forms of sexual assault, such as being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli army officers."

The experts said that at least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped, while others were allegedly threatened with rape and sexual violence.

'Killed holding white papers'

They said some of the women were reportedly holding white pieces of cloth when the Israeli army or affiliated forces killed them.

The experts are Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls; Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian Territories occupied since 1967; Dorothy Estrada Tanck (Chair), Claudia Flores, Ivana Krstić, Haina Lu and Laura Nyirinkindi, from the Working group on discrimination against women and girls.

The experts expressed grave concern about the arbitrary detention of hundreds of Palestinian women and girls, including human rights defenders, journalists and humanitarian workers, in Gaza and the West Bank since 7 October.

Many have reportedly been subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment, denied menstruation pads, food and medicine, and severely beaten.

"They also noted that photos of female detainees in degrading circumstances were also reportedly taken by the Israeli army and uploaded online."

The experts expressed concern that an unknown number of Palestinian women and children, including girls, have reportedly gone missing after contact with the Israeli army in Gaza.

"There are disturbing reports of at least one female infant forcibly transferred by the Israeli army into Israel and of children being separated from their parents, whose whereabouts remain unknown," they said.

"We remind the government of Israel of its obligation to uphold the right to life, safety, health and dignity of Palestinian women and girls and to ensure that no one is subjected to violence, torture, ill-treatment or degrading treatment, including sexual violence," the experts said.

They called for an independent, impartial, prompt, thorough and effective investigation into the allegations and for Israel to cooperate with such investigations.

"Taken together, these alleged acts may constitute grave violations of international human rights and humanitarian law and amount to serious crimes under international criminal law that could be prosecuted under the Rome Statute," the experts said.​​​​​​​

Israeli army converts Nasser Hospital into military barracks, arrests dozens of doctors, patients

14 February 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

Israeli occupation forces converted the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis into a military barracks after taking it out of service. They have arrested dozens of medical staff and patients.

Dr. Ashraf al-Qudra, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Health in Gaza, said on Sunday that the Israeli occupation has turned the Nasser Medical Complex into a military barracks and taken it out of service.

He pointed out that the Israeli occupation forces kept medical personnel for hours in the maternity building, handcuffed them, beat them, and stripped them of their clothes. He pointed out that the occupation army arrested 70 healthcare workers in the medical complex.

He said that there are now only 25 medical personnel left in the Nasser Medical Complex who are unable to handle cases in need of critical care. He warned that the occupation army has arrested the intensive care doctor and there is no doctor to follow up on critical cases.

He noted that the Israeli occupation forces have arrested dozens of immobile patients who are receiving treatment and placed them in military beds, loaded them onto trucks, and taken them to an unknown location, putting their lives at risk.

He added that the electricity has been cut off from the Nasser Medical Complex for three days, resulting in lack of oxygen for the patients. This has led to the death of seven patients so far, with fears of the death of dozens of critical cases.

He pointed out that three women, including a female doctor, gave birth in the Nasser Medical Complex under difficult and unsafe conditions, lacking water, food, electricity, and cleanliness. The water supply to the Nasser Medical Complex has been completely cut off for three days due to the power generators being out of service.

The spokesperson held Israel fully responsible for the lives of the medical staff and patients in the Nasser Medical Complex.

The Israeli army since January 22, following the expansion of its ground attack to the west of Khan Yunis and their issuance of more evacuation orders for the area, has been besieging the Nasser Hospital with a capacity of 475 beds, Al-Amal Hospital with a capacity of 100 beds, the Jordanian Field Hospital with a capacity of 50 beds, and Al-Khair Hospital, in addition to three health clinics, which housed thousands of displaced people along with patients, according to the statement.

On the same day, the Israeli occupation forces raided Al-Khair Hospital, which is run by a charitable association, and ordered women and children to evacuate towards Rafah. They also arrested several medical staff members and completely took it out of service.

In the following days, the Israeli occupation forces continued to shell and fire at Al-Amal Hospital and the Nasser Medical Complex, using artillery, snipers, and quadcopter aircraft, resulting in the killing and injury of dozens of civilians. The hospital grounds turned into temporary graves before being raided, and taken out of service, along with the medical staff and patients inside.

Ben Gvir calls for banning West Bank Palestinians from Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan

14 February 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, called on his government to prevent Palestinians from the West Bank from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque during the month of Ramadan, and to restrict the entry of Palestinians from Jerusalem and other areas of 1948 occupied Palestine.

Israeli Channel 12 reported that Ben Gvir also called on the Israeli government to block all Palestinians from the West Bank from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque.

He also called for preventing Palestinians from Jerusalem and 1948 occupied Palestine who are under the age of 70 from entering.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army and the Shin Bet -internal security agency- warned that Ben Gvir's policy will lead to igniting the entire areas, and turning Al-Aqsa Mosque into a place around which Palestinians unite, according to the same channel.

The channel indicated that a heated debate will be raised early next week during a cabinet session regarding the entry of Palestinians to Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan.

According to the same source, the Israeli army and the Shin Bet requested to determine the allowed age for Palestinians from the West Bank to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque as 45 years and above, while the Israeli police requested that entry be allowed for those above the age of 60.

The Israeli police have imposed restrictions on the entry of Palestinian worshipers from all areas into Al-Aqsa Mosque since the beginning of the aggression on Gaza on October 7 last year, especially on Fridays.

25,000 Palestinians perform Friday prayer in Aqsa Mosque

25,000 Palestinian worshipers were allowed to perform Friday prayer in the Aqsa Mosque, as Israeli police banned the entry of hundreds of people into the holy site.

The Islamic Endowments Department affirmed that 25,000 worshipers were allowed in as Israeli police continue to besiege the Old City since the October 7 events.

Ahead of the Friday prayer, the Israeli police blocked several roads leading to the Old City of Jerusalem and hindered the movement of Palestinian citizens.

Earlier on Friday, hundreds of Jerusalemites performed the Fajr prayer at the Aqsa Mosque despite the Israeli security restrictions at its gates.

A group of Jerusalemite campaigners and activists earlier called for performing the Great Fajr prayer on Friday in the Aqsa Mosque's courtyards and staying at the holy site to demand lifting the siege imposed on it.

Israel: Brazil's Lula is not welcome here after Holocaust remarks

14 February 2023

By Eman Abusidu

Brazilian President Lula Da Silva appears to have angered his country's Jewish community and pro-Israel groups after comparing the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip to the Holocaust in a press conference after participating in the 37th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia yesterday.

Jewish representatives described Lula´s remark as "Shameful and endlessly evil", in a country which has the second largest community of Jews in Latin America. For the Israeli Confederation of Brazil [CONIB], Lula's statement was a "perverse distortion of reality" and "offends the memoranda of the victims of the Holocaust and their descendants."

"CONIB refutes President Lula's baseless statements comparing the Holocaust to the Israeli State defence action against the terrorist group Hamas. Nazis exterminated 6 million defenseless Jews in Europe just because they were Jewish," the body that represents the country's 120,000 Jews said.

The Israeli Confederation of Brazil argues that Israel's actions are in "self-defence, Israel is already defending itself from a terrorist group that invaded the country, killed more than a thousand people, promoted mass rapes, burned people alive and defends in its founding Charter the elimination of the Jewish State."

The Brazilian Jewish community asked Lula for a "balanced attitude and calm actions," claiming that "the Brazilian government has been adopting an extreme and unbalanced stance towards the tragic conflict in the Middle East, abandoning the tradition of balance and seeking dialogue in Brazilian foreign policy."

While the Holocaust Museum in Brazil said that Lula "feeds anti-Semitism", adding that "he has sunk to such a low point and has become involved in an extreme distortion of the Holocaust."

"At a time when anti-Semitism has been propagated and applauded by prominent members of his political party, we hoped that the President of the Republic would understand the perversity of statements like this and alleviate this form of racism within his own country," it said in a post on X.

"He lacks intellectual honesty," it explained, by "using cruel selectivity to equate Israel with the greatest tormentors of the Jewish people."

While the Holocaust Museum in Brazil attacked the president "by choosing to adopt an offensive tone against his fellow citizens, Brazilian Jews".

Former Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro, an outspoken advocate of Israel, retweeted the reply of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who said Lula's words are shameful and alarming.

Netanyahu and his Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, have now declared that Brazil's Lula da Silva is not welcome in Israel until he takes back his comments.

"I have declared to President Lula that he is persona non grata in Israel until he apologises and reconsiders his words," Katz said this morning. "This morning, I summoned the Brazilian ambassador to Israel to Yad Vashem [Holocaust Remembrance Centre), the place that demonstrates more than any other what the Nazis and Hitler did to the Jews, including members of my own family."
 

International Day of Solidarity with Gaza sparks global movement

13 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

Millions in over 120 cities worldwide responded to a call emanating from London for a second International Day of Solidarity with Gaza, aiming to halt genocide and thwart ethnic cleansing schemes. Notable Western capitals and cities, including Istanbul, Washington, Sydney, Dublin, Berlin, Paris, Vienna, Brasilia, and Cape Town, heeded the call, joining Arab communities from Rabat to Baghdad in massive demonstrations on Saturday, February 17.

Adnan Hmidan, Vice President of the Palestinian Forum in Britain and a representative of the coalition behind the initiative, interpreted the vast turnout as a testament to sustained global support for Gaza, countering official Western expectations of waning interest over time.

Hmidan remarked, "In London, Glasgow, Manchester, Cardiff, and major cities worldwide, we witness a resounding movement aimed at halting the genocidal crimes perpetrated by the occupation, evident just days after a YouGov poll revealed that 66% of Britons advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza, with support for Palestine in Britain rising to 22% compared to 16% for Israel."

Among the prominent figures addressing the London demonstration were former Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, Palestinian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Hossam Zomlot, and representatives from various solidarity groups including Kamel Hawash and Ben Jamal from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Farah Saber from the Palestinian Forum in Britain, Lendsie German from the Stop the War Coalition, Mustafa Al-Dabbagh from the Muslim Association of Britain, Ismail Patel from the Friends of Al-Aqsa Organization, and Kate Hudson from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

Noteworthy was the participation of Layan Muhammad, a young Palestinian-British woman from North Elford, who announced her candidacy for the upcoming British elections, aiming to become the first veiled Palestinian candidate in the legislative elections slated for the end of 2024.

Anas Yelman of the Palestine Initiative, organizing the Istanbul march, affirmed Turkish solidarity with Gaza, stating, "Our presence here signifies not only solidarity with Gaza but also our duty to our brothers and our people, rooted in our allegiance to Al-Aqsa Mosque and the holy sites. Standing with Gaza equates to standing with Al-Aqsa; abandoning Gaza is tantamount to abandoning Al-Aqsa Mosque."

Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in Britain, remarked, "Throughout each stage of Israeli aggression and its genocidal acts against the people of Gaza, we witness atrocities we never thought imaginable. The images of Rafah under bombardment and injured children shock the conscience of the world."

Demonstrators across the globe echoed chants demanding an immediate cessation of attacks, accountability for war crimes, and freedom for Palestine from the river to the sea. They called for an end to genocide, solidarity with Rafah, and the opening of borders to facilitate aid.
 

EU foreign affairs chief says Israel cannot defeat Hamas through fighting

13 February 2024

Several Agencies

The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said on Sunday that Israel cannot defeat Hamas through military means. Speaking during a panel discussion on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Borrell stressed the need to present a plan for the Palestinian people based on a two-state solution.

He stressed the need for unity in playing a geopolitical role in the Israeli-Palestinian issue, similar to the situation with the Ukrainian file. He also noted that there were different approaches and many countries wanted to pursue their own agendas.

There will be no peace in the Middle East without a clear direction for the future of the Palestinian people, said Borrell. The resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he added, is "not a military" option.

The senior EU official concluded by stating that Hamas is an ideology that cannot be killed and that the only way to defeat it is by presenting a better ideology. He also mentioned that the alternative solution is to ensure that Israelis and Palestinians live together in peace and security.

Hamas: Israel's refusal to recognise Palestine is a challenge to the int'l system

Hamas yesterday said that the Israeli government's decision not to recognise a Palestinian state is a "challenge to the international system."

This came in a statement in response to the Israeli government's unanimous approval of a decision not to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state, which was proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The statement pointed out that the "Zionist terrorist government's decision to 'utterly reject' any attempts by foreign powers to create a Palestinian state is a challenge to the international community and confirms Israel's total disregard for the international laws and resolutions."

The movement also notes that Israel's behaviour "denies the right of our Palestinian people to self-determination and to establish their independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital."

Hamas called on the international community to "work to break the Zionist arrogance and manipulation of the rights of our people and the fate of the region, support our people's struggle and resistance, and immediately recognise all their rights."

On Sunday, the Israeli government unanimously approved a decision not to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state.

Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom said: "The government approved by a majority vote, the decision proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which stipulates the rejection of international diktats regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians, as well as the issue of recognising a Palestinian state."

Hamas welcomes Brazilian president's statement on Israel's war on Gaza

Hamas has welcomed the statements issued by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in which he compared the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip to the Holocaust.

In a statement on its Telegram channel, Hamas said da Silva's statements were "an accurate description" of the suffering endured by the Palestinians in Gaza, and the enormity of the Zionist crime committed with cover and open support from the US administration of President Joe Biden.

It called on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to take into account the president's statements regarding the violations and atrocities suffered by the Palestinian people at the hands of the Israeli army and its terrorist settlers that are unprecedented in modern history.
 

Palestinian child to Israel soldiers: 'We will not surrender... God is our protector and you have no protector'

13 February 2024

Several Agencies, GAZA, (PIC)

Trapped inside a school in Tulkarm camp in the northern West Bank, a Palestinian child told the surrounding Israeli occupation forces "We will not surrender… God is our protector and you have no protector."

"We will be martyred in the camp. We will not surrender, we will remain steadfast," he added.

Occupation forces and Israeli occupation army vehicles can be seen surrounding schools in the area in the footage from yesterday, preventing those trapped inside from leaving.

Israel had stormed the camp, and killed two Palestinians, injuring many more, bringing the death toll in the occupied West Bank to 398 since 7 October 2023.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced in a statement: "Nabil Atta Muhammad Amer (19 years old), was killed by a bullet to the head, fired at him by the occupation army in the Tulkarm camp, while two others were injured by live bullets. Their condition is stable."

It also announced in a later statement that the General Authority for Civil Affairs, an official liaison with Israel, informed it of "the martyrdom of Mohammad Ahmad Fayez Al-Awfi (36 years old), by Israeli occupation bullets in the Tulkarm camp, with the occupation forces detaining his body. This raises the camp's death toll to two."

According to the Palestinian News Agency: "The occupation forces executed Al-Awfi, after besieging his house in the Shuhada neighbourhood in Tulkarm camp and kidnapped his body."

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society announced that its ambulance crews treated five Palestinians who suffered live bullet injuries in Tulkarm and transferred them to the hospital.

Palestine TV reported that an Israeli special force (disguised as civilians) "stormed Tulkarm camp, and was then followed by large reinforcements, including a military bulldozer, deployed throughout the city and the camp."

The channel added that the Israeli army "besieged a house inside the Tulkarm camp and prevented ambulances from advancing deeper into the camp."

Israel also damaged roads and infrastructure in the area.
 

US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza enters day 134

12 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

As the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip entered day 134 on Saturday, massive aerial and artillery strikes continued to pound neighborhoods, homes and shelter centers and massacre more civilians, mostly children and women.

A reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said that the Israeli occupation army continued to attack different areas of Gaza, killing and injuring dozens of citizens.

According to local media sources, five civilians were martyred and others were injured when the Israeli army bombed ash-Shorouk factory and a house in Qarara town, northeast of Khan Yunis.

Meanwhile, the health ministry in Gaza said that Israeli forces kidnaped a large number of medical workers and doctors from the Nasser Hospital after they turned it into a military outpost.

Two citizens suffered injuries following an Israeli airstrike on Deir al-Balah City, while 11 others were killed in another attack on a house belonging to the family of Yunis in Gaza City.

An Israeli attack on an apartment in Rafah City also claimed the life of another citizen and injured two others.

Other casualties were reported in different areas of Gaza following Israeli aerial, artillery and shooting attacks last night and today.

Israel's Gantz threatens to invade Rafah by Ramadan 'if hostages not released'

Israel's War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz threatened Sunday to invade Rafah city during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan if hostages held by Hamas are not released, Anadolu news agency reported.

"I say this very clearly: Hamas has a choice. They can surrender, release the hostages, and this way, the citizens of Gaza can celebrate the holy holiday of Ramadan," Gantz told a conference in Jerusalem.

The Israeli army plans to launch a ground attack in Rafah, home to more than 1.4 million residents seeking refuge from war, to defeat what Tel Aviv calls the remaining "Hamas battalions."

Gantz, a former defence minister, said that the invasion of Rafah will occur in coordination with "our American and Egyptian partners to minimise civilian casualties," according to The Times of Israel newspaper.

"The world must know, and Hamas leaders must know – if by Ramadan our hostages are not home, the fighting will be extended to the Rafah area," he added.

Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, is expected to start on 10 March.
 

Gaza: Death toll surges to 28,858 martyrs

12 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The health ministry in Gaza said on Saturday that the Israeli occupation army committed nine massacres in different areas of the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours, killing at least 83 civilians and injuring over 125 others, while a large number of victims are still under the rubble of bombed buildings or lying on roads.

In a statement, the health ministry added that the death toll from the ongoing Israeli bombardments, which started on October 7, climbed to 28,858 martyrs and the number of the wounded surged to 68,677 people.

Every day, the Israeli army escalates its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless bombardment since a cross-border operation was launched by Hamas's armed wing, al-Qassam Brigades, on October 7.

Besides the large number of casualties and the huge displacement of people, basic food, fuel, water and medical supplies have run out for the 2.3 million residents in Gaza due to the tight Israeli blockade and the massive destruction of infrastructure and facilities.

Israel: ministers reject Palestinian statehood as part of post-war plan

Ministers in Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government rejected Palestinian statehood on Thursday following a Washington Post report that Israel's main ally the United States was advancing plans to establish a Palestinian state when the offensive in Gaza comes to an end, Reuters has reported.

"We will in no way agree to this plan, which says Palestinians deserve a prize for the terrible massacre they carried out against us: a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital," far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said. "A Palestinian state is an existential threat to the State of Israel as was proven on 7 October." He added that he will demand the security cabinet, set to meet later today, Thursday, to take a clear position against Palestinian statehood.

The Washington Post reported today that the US was working with some Arab countries, including Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia — with which Israel has long sought to establish diplomatic ties — on a post-war plan for the region that would include a firm timeline for the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that any political initiative that did not begin with a Palestinian state as a full member of the UN was "doomed to failure".

Echoing Smotrich in separate remarks were extreme far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, Education Minister Yoav Kisch and lawmaker Matan Kahana, a member of the National Unity Party headed by main Netanyahu challenger Benny Gantz.

"This is a catastrophe," Chikli of Netanyahu's Likud Party told Army Radio, "to reward the Palestinians after 7 October by establishing a state."

The latest Israeli military offensive erupted after Hamas led a cross-border attack on southern Israeli towns in which the authorities say 1,200 people were killed and 253 were taken hostage. Later reports in the local media, notably Haaretz, pointed out that hundreds of the victims were actually killed by the Israel Occupation Forces when tanks and a helicopter gunshot confronted the Hamas resistance fighters.

In more than 130 days since, Israel has killed at least 28,600 Palestinians, mainly children and women, and wounded almost 70,000 more in an unrelenting air, land and sea offensive that has laid much of Gaza to waste and displaced most of its 2.3 million population.

Millions of Palestinians live under a brutal Israeli military occupation; only a fraction are citizens of the self-declared Jewish state. The Palestinian Authority has for years called for an end to Israel's occupation and settlement expansion in the West Bank on land that the apartheid state occupied in the 1967 Middle East war.

All of Israel's settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories violate Article 49, paragraph 6 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, making them illegal under international law. Moreover, they are built on land that was earmarked for a Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and including the Gaza Strip.
 

FM: Recognition of Palestine does not require Israel's approval

12 February 2024

Several Agencies

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said yesterday that Palestine's full membership into the United Nations does not require a licence or permission from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or his government. All countries, including the US administration, can recognise the State of Palestine without requesting permission from Netanyahu, either legally or politically, it said.

In a press release, the ministry added that Netanyahu not only opposes the creation of a Palestinian state but also actively undermines opportunities for its realisation through policies like advancing the gradual annexation of the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, intensifying and enlarging settlements and isolating Gaza.

This is done through a genocidal war against the Palestinians to empty the land of its original inhabitants.

The Israeli government yesterday approved a declaration rejecting unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, in a vote proposed by Netanyahu.

"Israel will continue to oppose a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state," the cabinet decision said, terming such a move as a "massive, unprecedented prize for terror."

Haneyya: Hamas deals positively and responsibly with ceasefire talks

Head of Hamas's political bureau Ismail Haneyya has affirmed that his Movement is doing everything it can to stop the bloodbath that is taking place in the Gaza Strip at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces.

In a statement on Saturday, Haneyya affirmed that his Movement would continue to respond positively and responsibly to the mediators in order to stop the Israeli aggression against its people in Gaza, but it would never give up its people's great sacrifices and the resistance's achievements.

Haneyya said that his Movement showed flexibility in the ceasefire talks, but the Israeli occupation regime continues to manipulate and stall on issues that concern the Palestinian people in Gaza, while its position is focused on the release of its captives.

The Hamas leader stressed that the resistance would not accept anything less than a complete cessation of the aggression, the withdrawal of the occupation army from Gaza and the lifting of the unjust siege.

He also said that the resistance also calls for providing safe and appropriate shelters for the displaced people, allowing the families to return to northern Gaza, ending the starvation policy and making a commitment to reconstruct Gaza.

He highlighted that his Movement aims to achieve a prisoner exchange deal that leads to the release of the Palestinian prisoners, especially those who are serving long terms or have spent long years in Israeli jails.
 

China: Displacement of Palestinians is the longest-running injustice in the world

11 February 2023

Several Agencies

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Israel's treatment of the Palestinians is 'the longest lasting injustice in our world.' Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, he said China is calling for 'accelerated efforts' in establishing an independent Palestinian state.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called the displacement of generations of Palestinians and preventing them from returning to their homes "the longest-running injustices in contemporary times."

"The recent escalation and the rising tension once again show that the Palestinian issue has always been the core of the Middle East issue," he added.

China, the minister explained, "calls for speeding up the realisation of the independent statehood of Palestine and the convening of a broader and more effective international peace conference to realise the peaceful coexistence between Palestine and Israel."

"Palestine never achieved its legitimate national rights and did not establish an independent state," he said, stressing that "this is the root of all problems and the essence of the Middle East problem," and the United States must work seriously to strengthen the ceasefire and the two-state solution.

Last week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced its opposition to any military operation in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, warning of a humanitarian catastrophe if fighting continued to there.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a statement that Beijing is closely following the situation in the Rafah area, and "opposes and condemns actions that harm civilians and violate international law."

Western crackdown on critics of Israel is worse than China's repression, says Ai Weiwei

Celebrated Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei has warned of a worrying crackdown on free speech in the West over Israel and likened the silencing of critics of the apartheid state to suppression under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party.

Ai, who has been living in exile from China since 2015, said galleries in London and Paris cancelled four of his upcoming exhibits after he posted a tweet criticising US financial support for Israel in light of the violence against Palestinians in Gaza. He called the reaction "sensitive" and "crazy".

In the West, Ai, a long-time supporter of the Palestinian cause, became a celebrated dissident because of his stance against the Communist Party in his homeland. However, the 66-year-old artists said that the latest attempt to silence him and cancel his shows because of his support for Palestine is reminiscent of the way that he was treated in China.

Asked about the experience last weekend on Sky's "Sunday Morning", a current affairs TV programme in Britain. Ai likened it to political censorship in China. "I grew up within this heavy political censorship," the famed artist said referring to the cancellation of his shows. "I realise now, today in the West, you are doing exactly the same."

In the interview, Ai Weiwei warned of a "very worrying crackdown" on free speech in Western countries when it comes to criticism of Israel. Ai mentioned that galleries in London and Paris have cancelled four of his upcoming exhibits.

Comparing the censorship to his experiences in authoritarian China, Ai said: "I am surprised. I think we should live in a small free society in which all kinds of different opinions and voices are allowed." However, he sees the shutting down of debates in the West as showing a "backwards situation in terms of freedom of expression [and] human rights."

Strikingly, Ai said that the censorship of speech critical of Israel has become "even more ridiculous" in the West than what critics of censorship are subjected to in China. He said that Western universities and media outlets now also routinely "clamp down" on opinions they disagree with. "You cannot talk about the truth" on certain issues, Ai warned, referring to the silencing of pro-Palestine activists.

Ai concluded in the strongest terms by saying that when it comes to censorship in debates about Israel-Palestine, "the West is doing exactly the same" as China, and in some cases even worse. The dissident sees it as a violation of artistic freedom of speech.

Speaking to Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, he also drew parallels between censorship in his native China and crackdowns on pro-Palestine speech in the West. He was once detained without charge for 81 days in a Chinese prison for his activism, and said that he feels a duty "as an artist to fight for human dignity and basic human rights [as well as] freedom of speech."

Ai called on both individuals and governments in the West to "rethink our values" and what principles of free expression and democracy we are willing to defend. If the space for open debate continues to shrink, he warned, we risk sliding deeper into "crisis" and even a "possible World War III."

ICJ: Israel remains bound to comply with the Genocide Convention

11 February 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued its decision on the urgent request submitted by South Africa regarding the situation in Rafah, stressing that "Israel remains bound to comply with its obligations under the Genocide Convention, including ensuring the security of the Palestinians in Gaza."

The top UN court said, "The most recent developments in the Gaza Strip and in Rafah particularly, would exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare with untold regional consequences," noting that "the perilous situation in Gaza demands immediate and effective implementation of the measures referred to in the Order issued on January 26."

"The Court emphasizes that the State of Israel remains bound to fully comply with its obligations under the Genocide Convention and with the said Order, including by ensuring the safety and security of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip," it added.

The South African government submitted an urgent request to the ICJ to consider whether the decision announced by Israel to expand its military operations in Rafah, the last refuge for survivors in Gaza, demands that the court use its authority to prevent further imminent violations of the rights of Palestinians in Gaza.

South Africa said, in a request submitted to the court on Monday, it is deeply concerned that the unprecedented military attack on Rafah has already led to more widespread killing, harm and destruction.

Since October 7, the Israeli occupation army has been waging its aggression against the Gaza Strip, leading to the killing of 28,775 citizens and the injury of 68,552 others, in addition to the displacement of more than 85 percent (about 1.9 million people) of the Strip's population, according to the Strip's authorities and international bodies and organizations.

ICJ demands Israel immediately implement its Gaza measure

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said on Friday that it did not believe developments in the besieged and bombarded Gaza Strip warrant it to issue "additional provisional measures", but "demands immediate and effective implementation of the provisional measures indicated by the Court in its Order of 26 January 2024".

The decision came after South Africa argued, in a 12 February submission, that Israel's potential operations in southern Gaza constitute a "significant development" that would warrant the court ordering provisional measures in addition to those that the ICJ ordered on 26 January.

"The South African government said it was gravely concerned that the unprecedented military offensive against Rafah, as announced by the State of Israel, has already led to and will result in further large-scale killing, harm and destruction. This would be in serious and irreparable breach both of the Genocide Convention and of the Court's Order of 26 January 2024," Pretoria said.

Israel submitted its observations on 15 February, with the ICJ issuing its decision the next day: "The Court notes that the most recent developments in the Gaza Strip, and in Rafah in particular, 'would exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare with untold regional consequences', as stated by the United Nations Secretary-General."

"This perilous situation demands immediate and effective implementation of the provisional measures indicated by the Court in its Order of 26 January 2024, which are applicable throughout the Gaza Strip, including in Rafah, and does not demand the indication of additional provisional measures."

"The Court emphasises that the State of Israel remains bound to fully comply with its obligations under the Genocide Convention and with the said Order, including by ensuring the safety and security of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip."

Hamas welcomes AU's calls to end Israel's 'brutal war' on Gaza

11 February 2023

Several Agencies

Hamas has welcomed the final statement issued by the 37th African Union Summit which called to "stop the [Israeli] aggression against the Palestinian people and the policy of collective punishment", Quds Press reported.

In a statement issued yesterday, the movement said it hoped all African countries would translate the final statement into practical measures, to help stop the war and genocide being carried out against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas also called for "severing all ties" with Israel and supporting the struggle of the Palestinian people until they achieve their legitimate national rights, most notably the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

On Saturday, the 37th African Union Summit was held in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa where they condemned Israel's "brutal war and the use of excessive force against 2.2 million defenceless civilians in the Gaza Strip."

The statement called on Tel Aviv to "comply with the decisions of the International Court of Justice and prevent the genocide in Gaza, as well as respond to international calls for a permanent ceasefire in the Strip,"

It also condemned Israel's use of the policy of collective punishment against civilians in Gaza and attempts to forcefully transfer them to the Sinai Peninsula.

The statement called for "lifting the unjust siege imposed on Gaza and conducting an independent international investigation into Israel's use of internationally banned weapons in its war in the Strip.

Badran: Netanyahu bears responsibility for the lives of Israeli captives

Hossam Badran, a member of Hamas Movement's political bureau, confirmed on Friday that Netanyahu and the Israeli war council bear responsibility for the lives of Israeli captives held by the Palestinian resistance.

Badran said in media statements: "The threats of the occupation army leaders do not intimidate the leaders of the resistance and Hamas."

He emphasized that "our priority is to stop the aggression and massacres against our Palestinian people," but added, "We put the interests of our Palestinian people and their aspirations in mind during our negotiations with the Israeli enemy."

Badran continued, "Netanyahu personally stands against making any progress in the negotiation process."

Regarding the Israeli allegations about the resistance's use of hospitals in Gaza, Badran said, "We are ready to let Gaza's hospitals be monitored and inspected by any international body."

UN Relief Chief: Hamas is not a terrorist group

11 February 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

UN Relief Chief Martin Griffiths told a representative from Sky News on Wednesday that he did not consider Hamas to be a terrorist group.

Asked about the feasibility of Israel's military goal to eliminate Hamas, Griffiths responded, "Hamas is not a terrorist group for us, as you know, it is a political movement. But, I think it is very difficult to dislodge these groups without a negotiated solution; which includes their aspirations."

"I cannot think of an example offhand of a place where a victory through warfare has succeeded against a well-entrenched group, terrorist or otherwise."

Griffiths acknowledged the trauma caused by Hamas's actions but underscored the necessity for Israel to establish relationships with its neighbors, regardless of the group's political status.

He further expressed concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, highlighting the challenges faced by Palestinians in accessing aid and finding safe havens amid ongoing military operations.

Abu Obeida: Our people will not be defeated

Spokesperson for the Hamas Movement's armed wing, Abu Obeida, said that "133 days have passed since the beginning of the Aqsa Flood operation, which changed and will change the face of the region and marked the beginning of the end and the decline of the longest and last occupation in contemporary history."

"Our mujaheddin [fighters] are inflicting heavy losses on the enemy's [Israel's] ranks that are unprecedented in the history of our people," he said in a recent recorded statement obtained and aired by Al-Jazeera on Friday evening.

"The scenes we broadcast are part of what our fighters are carrying out in the field, and we prefer to postpone the broadcast of some scenes for security reasons."

"We are carrying out specific deadly operations in parallel with the work of the nation's resistance forces."

"We warned dozens of times about the dangers to which enemy prisoners held by the resistance were exposed, but the enemy leadership ignored this."

"The losses among captives have become very large. We have tried to protect and care for the prisoners for months to achieve the interests of our people, and we are still striving to do so."

"Captives are living in difficult conditions and struggling for life. We are trying to protect their lives, and the enemy army deliberately killed and wounded its prisoners."

Shadid: The Ashkelon operation comes in response to Israeli massacres

The Hamas official Abdel Rahman Shadid has said the heroic Ashkelon shooting attack comes as a natural response to Israel's genocidal war carried out in the Gaza Strip.

He added in a press statement on Friday that the attack was meant to make Israel pay for its crimes and daily massacres against the Palestinian people.

Shadid added that "maintaining resistance attacks against the Israeli occupation is the duty and responsibility of Palestinians on the obligatory path towards liberation of our land, people and sanctities."

The Hamas official called on the Palestinian people to carry on with their resistance operations, urging them to launch more strikes against the Israeli occupation forces by all available means.

Earlier on Friday, six Jewish settlers were killed or wounded in a shooting attack that targeted settlers at a bus stop in Kiryat Malachi settlement near the city of Ashkelon in 1948 Occupied Palestine (Israel).
 

Calls for participation in 2nd Gaza Global Action Day

10 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The Palestine Coalition in Britain announced the time and location for the second Global Day of Action. The national march will start at Marble Arch in London at 12:30 and will proceed towards the Israeli embassy.

Over 100 cities in more than 45 countries in all 6 continents announced their participation in the Global day on Saturday and many more are expected to join the action. Prominent cities across the world like London, Washington, Sydney, Istanbul, and Seoul were among the first to join the action.

The Coalition issued an urgent call to action in response to the escalating humanitarian crisis in Rafah in southern Gaza. As Israel's military operation intensifies, civilians in Rafah face imminent danger and displacement, adding to the already staggering toll of killing and suffering inflicted upon the Palestinian people.

Over 1.7 million Gazans have been forcibly displaced from their homes, more than 28,000 Palestinians have been killed killed and another 100,000 injured, in what the ICJ has accepted as a plausible case of genocide. Despite the ICJ calling on Israel to stop genocidal acts, the Israeli Government has made clear it intends to proceed with a full scale military assault on Rafah

The situation in Rafah has already reached a critical juncture, with reports emerging of Israeli airstrikes targeting residential areas and civilian infrastructure. These reprehensible actions not only constitute flagrant violations of international law but also represent a callous disregard for the lives and well-being of Palestinian civilians, including women, children, and the elderly.

As the world bears witness to these atrocities, the Palestine Coalition stands in solidarity with the people of Rafah and Gaza, demanding an immediate halt to Israel's military aggression and a cessation of all hostilities. We condemn in the strongest terms possible all forms of aggression against the civilian population of Gaza, and we call upon the international community to take decisive action to hold Israel accountable for its crimes against humanity.

In light of these developments, the coalition reiterates its call for global participation in the upcoming Global Day to Stop Genocide in Gaza and Call for Freedom for Palestine on Saturday 17th February and use the hashtags #GazaGlobalAction and #FreePalestine. Now more than ever, it is imperative that we come together to amplify the voices of the oppressed and demand justice, dignity, and freedom for the Palestinian people.

As we stand on the precipice of a crime of historic proportions, let us reaffirm our commitment to the principles of human rights, justice, and peace. Together, let us raise our united voice loudly to press the British Parliament to vote for a ceasefire next Wednesday. We can make a difference and bring an end to the genocidal war on Gaza and oppression that has plagued the Palestinian people for far too long.

The Palestine Coalition in Britain groups the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Palestinian Forum in Britain, Stop the War Coalition, Friends of Al-Aqsa, and the Muslim Association of Britain.
 

28,775 Palestinians killed, 70,000 injured since October 7

10 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The Palestinian Health Ministry announced on Friday that the Israeli occupation has committed ten massacres against Palestinian families in the Gaza Strip, claiming the lives of 112 martyrs and injuring 157 over the past 24 hours.

The Ministry said in a press statement, "a number of victims are still under rubble and on the roads. Israeli occupation forces have been blocking the movement of ambulance and civil defense crews, preventing them from reaching the victims."

The Ministry confirmed that the tally of casualties as a result of the Israeli brutal aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7 last year has mounted to 28,775 martyrs and 68,552 injuries.

Since that date, the Israeli occupation army has been waging a destructive genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, leaving more than 110,000 martyrs, wounded, and missing, in addition to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe and massive destruction of infrastructure.

US set to deliver arms, munitions shipment to Israel amid looming Rafah offensive

The United States is planning to deliver more arms and bombs to Israel, despite the occupation's plans to launch a ground invasion on Gaza's southern area of Rafah where much of the strip's civilian population is taking shelter.

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal this week, which cited unnamed US officials, Washington is set to send a number of arms and munitions to Tel Aviv in the coming weeks, in deliveries that reportedly include around a thousand MK-82 500-pound (227kg) bombs and a thousand KMU-572 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) – which turn unguided munitions into precision-guided bombs – as well as possibly FMU-139 bomb fuses.

The entire shipment, which is estimated to be worth tens of millions of dollars, will be paid from the USs' vast military aid to Israel. It comes after an assessment of the proposed arms transfer drafted by the US embassy in Israel, cited by the report as saying that Israeli government has requested "rapid acquisition of these items for the defence of Israel against continued and emerging regional threats".

That assessment also reportedly dismissed concerns over human rights violations and war crimes to be committed by occupation forces, claiming that "Israel takes effective action to prevent gross violations of human rights and to hold security forces responsible that violate those rights".

With the US having provided around 21,000 precision-guided munitions to Israel since the start of the war in October, according to the WSJ report, the remaining weapons in the hands of Israeli forces are enough to sustain at least 19 more weeks of bombing the Gaza Strip and its population.

The planned delivery comes despite Tel Aviv's plan to launch a ground operation and bombardment in Gaza's southern area of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians have been taking shelter over the months since Israeli forces ordered them to flee there with guarantees of safety.

It even comes despite the US government – as well as other Western governments – calling on Israel not to proceed with its planned operation, with President Joe Biden having told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that there "has to be a temporary ceasefire" in Gaza and warning him not to move into Rafah without a "credible and executable plan" to protect Palestinians sheltering there.

The reported delivery of more US weapons and munitions to Israel further proves to many, however, that Washington is not serious in its warnings to Tel Aviv, and that – as has already reportedly been confirmed by US officials – it will not exact any severe or tangible punishments against the occupation state even if it does go ahead with the operation.
 

US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza enters day 133

10 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

As the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip entered day 133 on Friday, massive aerial and artillery strikes continued to pound neighborhoods, homes, and shelter centers and massacre more civilians, mostly children and women.

A reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said that the Israeli occupation army continued to attack different areas of Gaza, mainly Rafah and Khan Yunis, killing and injuring hundreds of citizens.

At least three citizens were killed, and several others were injured, at dawn Friday, in an Israeli air strike on a house in Al-Nasr town, east of Rafah.

On Thursday evening, at least two Palestinians were killed and many others were injured, in new airstrikes on two homes belonging to the Sabbah and Afaneh families east of Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip.

Civil defense crews affirmed that many others are still under the rubble of the two targeted houses.

The Israeli warplanes also bombed the Tal al-Zaatar area in the north of the Gaza Strip, and the al-Mughraqa area in the north of the Central Governorate, and the vicinity of the University College south of the al-Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City.

Earlier on Thursday, at least three citizens were killed, and others were seriously injured, in an Israeli attack on a vehicle they were on board in Gaza City.

The Israeli forces also launched a series of air strikes on the Al-Sabra and Al-Zaytoun neighborhoods, south of Gaza City, and the Sheikh Ajlin area to the west of the city.

The new victims bring the total number of those killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7 to 28,663, the majority of whom were women and children. 68,395 more were injured during the attacks.

UN official calls for arms embargo against Israel, cites 'risk of genocide'

The United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Mary Lawlor called for the imposition of an "arms embargo" on the Israeli occupation state due to its attacks in the Gaza Strip and its preparations for a ground offensive on Rafah, which is crowded with displaced people.

Lawlor conveyed in statements to Anadolu Agency: "It is very terrible that Gazans have been repeatedly told to go to a safe place. This ended in the city of Rafah. Now people have been told to go elsewhere and they have nowhere to go. They're living in the most horrendous conditions, but they don't have enough food. They don't have the medicine they need. Half of Gaza's population is currently in Rafah."

She added: "We have to allow humanitarian aid in there and also there has to be an arms embargo. In my view, any of the states that are fuelling this conflict by supplying arms to Israel just have to stop because Israel is not seeing any sense at the moment."

"[In Gaza] technically, Israel as an occupying power shouldn't be waging a war against an occupied territory," explained Lawlor.

Lawlor pointed out that while the world is aware of what is going on in Gaza, countries are unable or unwilling to intervene.

She confirmed that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East

(UNRWA) is the only organisation serving the Gaza residents and its schools and hospitals.

The UN special rapporteur described Israel's reversal of the funding to UNRWA as "madness".

Lawlor pointed out that the International Court of Justice will decide on the situation in Gaza: "Whether (the decision) is genocide or not, but I am saying there is a risk of genocide (in Gaza)."

Lawlor stressed that countries bear a great responsibility for stopping Israel's attacks on Gaza, noting: "States such as the United States, European Union countries and the United Kingdom, which influence Israel, have a very important role. It is unacceptable for countries to abstain or veto resolutions at the UN Security Council. To me, this cannot be forgiven."

It is worth noting that Israel has repeatedly equated UNRWA staff with Hamas members in efforts to discredit them, providing no proof of the claims, while lobbying hard to have UNRWA closed as it is the only UN agency to have a specific mandate to look after the basic needs of Palestinian refugees. If the agency no longer exists, argues Israel, then the refugee issue must no longer exist, and the legitimate right for Palestinian refugees to return to their land will be unnecessary. Israel has denied that right of return since the late 1940s, even though its own membership of the UN was made conditional upon Palestinian refugees being allowed to return to their homes and land.
 

Palestinian factions call for widespread massive campaign to halt aggression on Gaza

09 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The Palestinian factions called on Arab and Muslim governments to take urgent action and exert political pressure at the international level to halt the Israeli aggression and confront displacement plans.

In a statement on Thursday, the factions called on the Palestinian people, the Arab and Muslim countries, the free people of the world and advocates of human rights and justice to mobilize and take to the streets in a widespread massive campaign to put an end to the Israeli aggression and to thwart its plans of genocide and starvation.

The factions called for declaring Friday as a global day in solidarity with the Palestinian people in all Arab and Muslim countries, and for Saturday and Sunday as global days in support of the Palestinian people in all European and Western countries, Latin American countries, and East Asia.

The Palestinian factions also stressed that "the force of the masses and activism around the world is capable of creating pressure and bringing about change that would end the Israeli Nazi-Zionist terrorism."

The factions' statement urged the Palestinians to adhere to unity and steadfastness, calling on parties and parliamentary unions around the world to shoulder their responsibilities towards the Palestinian people who are subjected to the most horrific massacres, crimes, and devastating wars.

The statement hailed the resilience of the legendary Palestinian people, their support and embrace of the resistance, calling on the citizens in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the 1948 occupied Palestine to escalate confrontations and clashes with the Israeli occupation forces.

The factions concluded their statement by praising the performance of the valiant resistance on multiple fronts, especially in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq, calling for continuing resistance actions until the end of the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people.

3 Israelis killed in shooting attack

Three Israelis were killed, and three others were injured in a shooting operation at a bus stop in Kiryat Malachi, east of Ashdod, on Friday afternoon.

The Israeli medical sources confirmed that three Israelis were killed in the incident at the bus stop, while the Israeli police announced that 6 others suffered from serious and moderate injuries.

Yedioth Ahronoth Hebrew newspaper confirmed that one of the wounded succumbed to his injuries.

Israeli Channel 12 said that the shooter opened fire on a bus station with a number of settlers inside.

The Israeli police asked all residents of Kiryat Malachi to stay indoors.
 

US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza enters day 132

08 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

As the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip entered day 132 on Thursday, massive aerial and artillery strikes continued to pound neighborhoods, homes and shelter centers and massacre more civilians, mostly children and women.

A reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said that the Israeli occupation army continued to attack different areas of Gaza, mainly Rafah and Khan Yunis, killing and injuring hundreds of citizens.

According to local media sources, 12 citizens, including seven children, were martyred when the Israeli army bombed a house in Abu Salim area in the west of an-Nuseirat refugee camp.

An Israeli airstrike also targeted a house in northern Gaza, killing one civilian and injuring others.

Other media sources reported several casualties, including a doctor, as the Israeli army bombed and stormed the hospital after demolishing its southern wall.

They added that Israeli army turned the hospital into a military outpost and forced the remaining displaced civilians, several medical crews and patients to evacuate the facility at gunpoint.

The Israeli army also destroyed tents and two ambulances and bulldozed graves in the hospital's courtyards.

Meanwhile, Israeli soldiers kidnaped dozens of young men, including journalists and medical workers, at a military checkpoint after forcing them along with displaced civilians to leave the hospital and walk to Rafah.

A number of civilians, who were forced to leave the hospital, also had to return to it after the Israeli army attacked them.

Other casualties were reported in different areas of Gaza following Israeli aerial, artillery and shooting attacks last night and today.

For its part, the health ministry in Gaza said on Thursday that the Israeli occupation army committed 9 new massacres in different areas of the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours, killing at least 87 civilians and injuring over 104 others, while a large number of victims are still under the rubble of bombed buildings or lying on roads.

In a statement, the health ministry added that the death toll from the ongoing Israeli bombardments, which started on October 7, climbed to 28,663 martyrs and the number of the wounded surged to 68,395 people.
 

UN Rapporteur: 25% of Gaza population dying of hunger

08 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Michael Fakhri, accused Israel of using hunger as a weapon to harm and kill civilians in Gaza, affirming that the inhabitants of the region now constitute a significant portion of the world's starving population.

The UN official also accused the countries that have halted their funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees UNRWA – based on false Israeli claims – of being complicit in the starvation issue.

In an article published by Anadolu Agency on Thursday, Fakhri said, "One in four people in Gaza is dying of hunger," adding that he witnessed with other independent human rights experts within the United Nations system how Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people.

He pointed out that the people of Gaza currently make up 80% of the total persons facing famine or catastrophic hunger worldwide, emphasizing that the world has not witnessed such rapid and complete famine of the civilian population since World War II.

He added that Israel is not only making the area uninhabitable by bombing homes and civilian infrastructure but also leaves no safe place in Gaza, using hunger as a weapon to harm and kill civilians in the region.

He mentioned that on October 9th, after Hamas's attack on the Gaza Strip two days earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ordered his forces to impose a full blockade on Gaza and prevent the entry of food, water, fuel, and medicine into any part of the territory.

He continued to say that humanitarian aid is barely flowing into Gaza, and Israel prevents the United Nations or any relief organization from delivering aid to the area.

He pointed out that 335,000 children under the age of five in Gaza are at risk of severe malnutrition, with the growing threat of famine, and due to malnutrition, an entire generation is at risk of permanent physical and cognitive disabilities, which doctors call stunting.

The UN rapporteur warned that despite the minimal amount of humanitarian aid allowed to enter, the people of Gaza still lack the necessary fuel for cooking, and most bakeries lack sufficient fuel or flour to make bread for the people.

He added, "Parents are trying to feed their children with the little remaining animal food they have, and farm animals are dying of hunger and cannot become a source of food.

Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza since 2007, severely restricting the flow of goods. Prior to this war, due to the blockade, half of Gaza's population suffered from food insecurity, and 80% of them were in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the article.

He concluded by saying, "The only way to end this horror is an immediate ceasefire and the provision of humanitarian aid without obstacles."
 

Hamas won't accept anything less than 'complete cessation of aggression' on Gaza

08 February 2023

Several Agencies

The head of the Hamas's political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, said on Saturday that the Palestinian resistance will "not accept anything less than a complete cessation of Israeli aggression," Anadolu Agency reports.

"Hamas responded all the time in a positive spirit and responsibly with the mediators in order to stop the aggression against our people, to end the unjust siege, and to allow the flow of aid, shelter, and reconstruction," Haniyeh said in a statement.

"The movement has shown complete flexibility in dealing with these issues, but it is clear so far that the occupation continues to maneuver and procrastinate in issues that concern our people, while its position revolves around the release of hostages," the official said.

Haniyeh stressed that "the resistance will not accept anything less than a complete cessation of aggression, the withdrawal of the occupation army from the Gaza Strip, the lifting of the unjust siege, the provision of safe and appropriate shelter for the displaced due to the crimes of the occupation, the return of the displaced, especially to the northern Gaza Strip, an end to the barbaric starvation policy, and a commitment to reconstruction."

He considered that all of these requirements are "humanitarian and agreed upon by the UN, human rights institutions, and the International Court of Justice," adding that "the occupation must comply with them."

Negotiations between the Palestinian Resistance groups and Israel, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, continue.

Last Tuesday, a negotiation session was held in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, but it ended without achieving any breakthrough.

Hamas condemns Israeli attack on Nasser Hospital

The Hamas Movement has affirmed that the Israeli occupation army's break-in at the Nasser Hospital today reflect Israeli persistence in committing acts of genocide and flouting the international law.

In a statement on Thursday, Hamas said that the "terrorist occupation army and its vehicles" stormed the Nasser Hospital, encircled its premises, and forced its medical crews, patients and the displaced people living inside it to evacuate at gunpoint following days of blockade and artillery and shooting attacks.

Hamas added that the Israel army's aggression against the hospital is part of its war of extermination against the Palestinian people and its systematic attacks on hospitals and civilians structures in the Gaza Strip.

The Movement stressed that the Israeli atrocities that happen in Gaza in full view of the entire world and despite pleas for international action to end the war would not succeed in breaking the Palestinian people's steadfastness and forcing them to give up their struggle for the establishment of their state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Israel's attacks on Gaza increases support for worldwide boycott against Israeli products: Activist

07 February 2023

Several Agencies

According to Tulay Gokcimen, activist and spokesperson for the Palestine Initiative, a global boycott movement against Israeli products has gained significant traction with the recent conflict in Gaza, Anadolu Agency reports.

"The oppression Israel has been inflicting on Palestine for 75 years before the massacres in Gaza was not fully described, but now everyone wants to do something as much as they can," Gokcimen told Anadolu. "Gaza has created awareness against the Israeli occupation in people. Individual reactions have evolved into a mass movement over time."

Gokcimen said she believes the movement can be an effective weapon to pressure Israel and end its attacks, highlighting the surge in public awareness and individual action triggered by the violence in Gaza.

She said people worldwide are refusing to buy Israeli products, fueled by a desire to stand with Palestinians.

The momentum for the group that seeks to be a voice for Palestinians has transformed into a global movement, encompassing diverse communities and religions, she said.

"They made the whole world Palestinian. Demonstrations are being held in front of food and beverage chains supporting Israel in different countries every day, raising awareness among the public," she noted.

Gokcimen emphasised that Israel relies heavily on international trade for resources and weapons. That is why boycotting Israeli products and individuals can disrupt the financial system and put pressure on Israel.

"If I don't buy, if you don't buy, this financial system won't run," said Gokcimen.

She pointed to instances where companies supporting Israel faced losses due to the boycott.

"All the bombs and weapons that Israel uses to attack our brothers and sisters are actually produced with the money coming from trade in other countries. People cannot stop those who make the bombs, but they do not buy Israeli products to avoid contributing to this financial system," she said.

Gokcimen added that the boycott has also led to a shift in consumer preferences by noting the rise of Turkish products as popular alternatives and demonstrating the potential for an economic effect.

While individual boycotts are crucial, Gokcimen stressed the importance of collective action by citing historical examples of successful boycotts, encouraging everyone to participate, regardless of individual power.

Casualties as Israeli army bombs and storms Nasser Hospital in Gaza

The Israeli occupation army bombed on Thursday morning the Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, killing at least one wounded patient and injuring others, some seriously.

Other media sources reported several casualties as the Israeli army bombed and stormed the hospital after demolishing its southern wall.

They added that Israeli army turned the hospital into a military outpost and forced the remaining displaced civilians, several medical crews and patients to evacuate the facility at gunpoint.

Spokesman for the health ministry Ashraf al-Qudra said that the Israeli army attacked the hospital and its grounds, including its orthopedic department, the ambulance building and the tents in its courtyards, and bulldozed the mass graves in the medical compound.

Spokesman Qudra added that the patients in the intensive care department are threatened with death after Israeli soldiers deliberately damaged the oxygen cylinder.

He affirmed that the Israeli army ordered the hospital's doctors to move the patients, including the premature babies in the incubators, to the old building.

Rafah residents: 'We will not leave our land, we will protect the resistance'

07 February 2023

Several Agencies

A number of residents and those displaced in the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, announced on Friday that they were: "Aware of some of the calls promoted by the occupation against the resistance with the aim of striking its popular support and spreading division and conflict."

They confirmed in a statement received by Quds Press: "The residents and those displaced in Rafah categorically support the Palestinian resistance."

They called on: "The Palestinian factions, popular groups, clans, scholars and national components to play their role in the initiative to protect the popular support and backing emergency and protection committees by forming popular protection committees."

The statement also called on: "The security services to strike with an iron fist anyone who dares attack our people and their capabilities from any direction and to activate the revolutionary law."

The people of Rafah and those displaced to it called for: "The formation of popular protection committees to strengthen the people and protect them from the infiltration of war merchants, monopolists, outlaws and fleeing spies, and to form a deterrent against them immediately."

They asked each: "Sheltering and refuge centre to form its own protection committee in coordination with government emergency committees and Palestinian factions to stop attacks by outlaws. We, the people of Rafah, residents and displaced, confirm that we will not leave our land, and we will protect the resistance. We will not migrate, neither by force nor voluntarily. We, along with all those concerned, will protect our land, our resistance, our homes, and our honour, and we will be an impenetrable wall in the face of the occupation and its supporters."

Since 7 October, the Israeli occupation army has continued its aggression against the Gaza Strip, with US and European support, with its planes bombing the vicinity of hospitals, buildings, towers and Palestinian civilian homes, destroying them over the heads of their residents. The occupation has also prevented the entry of water, food, medicine and fuel.

The occupation's continued aggression against Gaza led to the deaths of 28,775 martyrs and the injuries of 68,552 people, in addition to the displacement of more than 85 per cent (about 1.9 million people) of Gaza's population, according to the Strip's authorities and international bodies and organisations.

Health Ministry: 28,663 Martyrs, 68,395 injuries since October 7

07 February 2023

Several Agencies

The Ministry of Health announced on Thursday that the Israeli occupation army has committed 9 massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, claiming the lives of 87 martyrs and injuring 104 during the past 24 hours.

The Ministry said in a press statement, "a number of victims are still under rubble and on the roads. Israeli occupation forces have been blocking the movement of ambulance and civil defense crews, preventing them from reaching the victims."

The Ministry confirmed that the tally of casualties as a result of the Israeli brutal aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7 last year has mounted to 28,663 martyrs and 68,395 injuries.

Since that date, the Israeli occupation army has been waging a destructive genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, leaving more than 110,000 martyrs, wounded and missing, in addition to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe and massive destruction of infrastructure.

Former Mossad official: 'Children in Gaza over 4 deserve to be starved'

"In Gaza, everyone is involved. Everyone voted for Hamas. Anyone over the age of four is a Hamas supporter. And our goal at the moment, and this is in continuation of what you said, is to turn them from Hamas supporters to Hamas dislikers," stated former head of Mossad's Captive and Missing Division.

Rami Igra claimed, during an interview broadcast on Israeli state television, that all civilians in Gaza are guilty and deserve to face Israel's policy of collective punishment, which prevents food, medicine and humanitarian aid.

This is not the first time that Israeli officials have incited against civilians in Gaza. In November, the Israeli occupation Minister of Heritage Amihai Eliyahu said that dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza is a possible solution to destroy it and an option that must be studied.

Eliyahu, a member of the extremist Otzma Yehudit party headed by Itamar Ben-Gvir, explained in statements to the Israel Hayom newspaper: "Death does not frighten the residents of Gaza, and we must know what scares and terrifies them, in order to force them to leave, and wipe them off the face of the Earth. They should tremble in fear and terror."

He added: "I do not agree with describing the residents of Gaza as civilians. There are no civilians in Gaza and there is no difference between them and Hamas."

In mid-October, Israeli President Isaac Herzog incited the killing of civilians in the Gaza Strip, asserting that everyone in Gaza was involved in the war.
 

Seven Lebanese citizens killed in Israeli attack on Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon

07 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

Seven Lebanese citizens were martyred Wednesday night in a barrage of Israeli strikes on the city of Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon.

The National News Agency reported on Thursday that the Israeli occupation army carried out a massacre last night by targeting a residential apartment of Al-Berjawi family, in the city center of Nabatiyeh, with a guided missile, resulting in the martyrdom of seven people.

The agency added that ambulance and relief crews managed to pull a child alive from under the debris, after a search operation that lasted to more than four hours, noting that five bodies were recovered, while search operations for two other bodies were still going on. Seven wounded people were transferred to hospitals, it added.

"The Israeli airstrikes caused severe damage to the three-story building, including the targeted apartment. The building is now on the verge of collapse due to large cracks in it. The neighboring buildings, parked cars on the road, and electricity and communication networks were also damaged," the agency added.

Four Lebanese civilians killed in Israeli attacks on south Lebanon

Four Lebanese people have been killed and nine others have been injured in two Israeli attacks on Wednesday as part of Israeli ongoing aggression against southern Lebanon.

The Civil Defense in southern Lebanon announced that the Israeli army targeted the towns of Al-Sawaneh and Edsheet in southern Lebanon with two airstrikes, resulting in the martyrdom of four people and the injury of nine others.

Earlier on Wednesday, a female Jewish settler was killed and seven others were injured in a strike launched from southern Lebanon on the city of Safad in northern 1948 Occupied Palestine (Israel).

Israeli Channel 14 reported that the bombing that targeted the city of Safad in the Upper Galilee has left one dead.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority said that five people were taken to hospital in Safad following a rocket attack on the city, while Israeli ambulance crews said that the number of the injured in the attack has risen to seven including three seriously injured.

Israeli media reported that a building was directly hit in the city of Safad as a result of rockets fired from Lebanon.

The Lebanese Hezbollah used accurate missiles in its bombing of the city of Safad in the Upper Galilee and the Iron Dome failed to intercept the last missile, the media report added.

The Israeli army radio indicated that it detected eight missiles launched from Lebanon towards Safad.
 

Gaza's health ministry calls on UN to protect Nasser Hospital

07 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

Amid sniper attacks, the Israeli occupation army forced dozens of Palestinian displaced families who were seeking refuge in the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, southern the Gaza Strip, to leave the facility on Wednesday.

Palestinian citizens started in the morning to evacuate the main hospital in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, according to videos shared by medics on Wednesday.

Weeks of heavy Israeli bombing and shooting attacks had isolated the medical facility and claimed the lives of several civilians and medical workers inside it.

Those sheltering inside the hospital started to leave the hospital after the Israeli army airdropped pamphlets on Tuesday ordering only the displaced civilians to leave.

An estimated 300 medics, 450 patients, and hundreds of displaced people were still in the hospital on Wednesday morning.

Later, Al Jazeera satellite channel said that the displaced civilians who left the hospital had to return to the facility after Israeli forces at a nearby checkpoint prevented them from continuing to walk and kidnaped a number of them.

The people sheltering in the hospital already were too scared to evacuate due to news of Israeli soldiers and drones opening fire at anyone walking outside the facility.

Videos that widely circulated on social media show hundreds of people leaving the hospital grounds as Israeli armed quadcopters were hovering over the premises.

For its part, the health ministry in Gaza said that the Israeli army killed a number of displaced civilians and injured others after they left the hospital.

Spokesman for the ministry Ashraf al-Qudra called on the UN to work immediately on protecting the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis and the civilians inside it, saying the facility "is being exposed to Israeli aggression and tight siege."

Spokesman Qudra appealed to the UN and its institutions to save the medical crews and the displaced and wounded civilians at the hospital as "they are facing a health and humanitarian catastrophe."

He also reported deteriorating conditions at the hospital with sewage water flooding the emergency room and piles of garbage and medical waste building up in the hospital's hallways, which raises the risk of disease.

Food supplies and drinking water have already run out at the hospital, according to medical sources from the facility.
 

Israeli police allow settlers to defile Aqsa, bar entry of Muslim worshipers

06 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation police allowed hordes of extremist Jewish settlers to desecrate the Aqsa Mosque in Occupied Jerusalem on Wednesday morning and later in the afternoon, while persisting in banning Muslim worshipers from entering their holy site.

According to local sources, dozens of settlers entered the Mosque in groups through its Maghariba Gate and toured its courtyards under police escort.

During their tours at the Islamic holy site, the settlers received lectures from rabbis about the alleged temple mount and a number of them performed Talmudic prayers.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation police prevented Muslim worshipers from entering the Islamic holy site during the settler tours and only allowed in a few numbers of elderly men for prayers, especially at dawn.

Yesterday, 91 settlers desecrated the Aqsa Mosque under police guard, amid restrictions on the movement of Jerusalemite citizens in their holy city.

Meanwhile, Jerusalemite activists urged anew their compatriots to march en masse to the Aqsa Mosque to break the siege imposed on it by the Israeli occupation police for the fifth consecutive month.

They warned that the current Israeli violations in the holy city is aimed at emptying the Aqsa Mosque of Muslim worshipers, calling for necessarily not yielding to the restrictions imposed by the Israeli police around the Aqsa Mosque and in the Old City of Jerusalem.
 

US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza enters day 131

06 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

As the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip entered day 131 on Wednesday, massive aerial and artillery strikes continued to pound neighborhoods, homes and shelter centers and massacre more civilians, mostly children and women.

A reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said that the Israeli occupation army continued to attack different areas of Gaza, mainly Rafah and Khan Yunis, killing and injuring hundreds of citizens.

According to media sources, a number of civilians were injured in an Israeli artillery attack on an area in the east of al-Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza.

The Israeli army also bombed a house in al-Jala street in Gaza City, killing three civilians, including journalist Ayman al-Rafati.

Israeli warplanes attacked the eastern area of Abasan al-Kabira town in Khan Yunis and the east of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, wounding several civilians.

Two martyrs were reportedly evacuated from an area near Wadi Gaza area in central Gaza following an Israeli attack.   Other casualties were reported in different areas of Gaza following Israeli aerial, artillery and shooting attacks last night and today.

Meanwhile, about 100 displaced citizens, mostly women and children, in al-Hurani School for Girls in western Khan Yunis appealed for urgent efforts to evacuate them from the area, which is under Israeli siege, saying they have no food or water.

For its part, the health ministry in Gaza said on Wednesday that the Israeli occupation army committed 11 new massacres in different areas of the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours, killing at least 103 civilians and injuring over 145 others, while a large number of victims are still under the rubble of bombed buildings or lying on roads.

In a statement, the health ministry added that the death toll from the ongoing Israeli bombardments, which started on October 7, climbed to 28,576 martyrs and the number of the wounded surged to 68,291 people.

Yesterday, the health ministry said that the Israeli army massacred 133 civilians and injured 162 within 24 hours in different areas of Gaza.

Germany's Scholz urges Israel to abide by international law, allow more aid into Gaza

Amid growing concerns over Israel's planned ground operation in the city of Rafah, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday urged Tel Aviv to abide by international law, Anadolu Agency reports.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Scholz reaffirmed Germany's support for Israel's security, but also underlined that they expect the Israeli government to respect international law.

"Israel has the right to defend their own country, and this is what the United States, and what Germany, and many others are just stating," Scholz told an audience of international political and military leaders.

"We are also very clear on the things that are important to be said. So first that humanitarian aid has to get to Gaza, and more as we see today. Second, that the way the war is handled is according to international law," he stressed.

Some 1.5 million Palestinians previously displaced by Israel's offensive on Gaza are holed up in Rafah, seeking refuge from hostilities that have laid waste to wide swathes of Palestinian territory. Israel's reported plans for an offensive on the city have sounded international alarm bells, with many countries urging restraint or calling off the operation altogether.

Scholz said his government has been conveying its concerns to the Israeli government and reminding them of their responsibility to abide by international law.

"We are asking that they do so, and we are constantly discussing this question, and there's good reason for doing so, and it is something which is so important for all of us," the chancellor said.

"We are very clear in this that obeying international law and the rules is something which is not just something we do because we subscribed (to) some agreements globally, it is something which is coming out of our perspective of humankind and how we want to be, and how we want to see ourselves," he added.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and to take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
 

US President Biden called Israel PM Netanyahu a 'bad f-cking guy', sources reveal

06 February 2024

Several Agencies

lIsraeli media circulate reports of US President Biden calling Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu a 'bad fu**ing guy' during a private meeting, highlighting possible growing tensions between Israel and its long-standing and biggest supporter, the US.

US President, Joe Biden, reportedly called Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, a "bad f-cking guy", amid growing frustrations and tensions between the two over Tel Aviv's ongoing war on the Gaza Strip.

According to a report by Politico, unnamed sources who spoke to Biden recently said that the President has grown increasingly suspicious of Netanyahu over the course of Israel's war on Gaza – now in its fourth month – even to the point of privately calling him a "bad f-cking guy".

The report clarified that Biden's spokesperson, Andrew Bates, denied that took place and claimed that "the president did not say that, nor would he". The two leaders, he said, maintain a "decades-long relationship that is respectful in public and in private."

Whether the reports are true or not, the President's alleged comment highlights the growing frustrations he has with the Israeli Premier over his handling of the war, both due to Netanyahu's snubbing of American advice to lower the war's intensity and due to the risks that Israel's genocide in Gaza pose to the Biden administration's reputation and electoral points.

Despite the White House having fast-tracked the sale of hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of munitions and arms to Israel – even bypassing congressional review – and the significant military and diplomatic backing it has given to Tel Aviv throughout the war, Israel has also blamed the US government for a lack in support and for expressing criticism at the scale of Israeli atrocities against Palestinians.

The deepening unpopularity of President Biden amongst his voter base has also turned many White House officials and Democrat political figures against his leniency toward Israel, with a House Democrat telling Politico of a dinner conversation between a diverse group of Democrats last month, in which they agreed that it was "unanimous that this war needed to end now and that Biden needed to stand up to Bibi [Netanyahu]".

The congressman lamented that the current situation "is a disaster politically", and that the Party's "base is really pissed — and it's not just the leftists. I have never seen such a depth of anguish as I've seen over this Gaza issue. Bibi is toxic among many Democratic voters and Biden must distance himself from him — yesterday".

Al-Resheq: Hamas reveals positions timely through leadership and official statements

Ezzet Al-Resheq, a member of the Political Bureau of Hamas, has warned against circulating unfounded rumors regarding the Movement's positions on negotiations and Palestinian arrangements.

In a brief statement on Tuesday, the Hamas leader said that there are many rumors being circulated by some media outlets from various sources, discussing Hamas's positions regarding negotiations or Palestinian arrangements.

He emphasized the need for attention and caution, as the official and approved positions of the Movement are expressed at the appropriate time through the leadership of the Movement and its official statements.

Ismail Haneyya, the head of the Political Bureau of Hamas, had earlier affirmed that the position of the Movement and the Palestinian resistance is that any agreement must guarantee a ceasefire, the withdrawal of the occupying army from the Gaza Strip, and the achievement of a serious and significant prisoner exchange deal. He considered that the basis for stability in the region is ending the occupation and achieving the rights of the Palestinian people to their land and holy sites.

Hamas leader Osama Hamdan, for his part, said in his press conference in Beirut on Monday evening: "We are engaged in difficult negotiations on multiple tracks, and we deal responsibly with all initiatives and efforts that meet the aspirations of our people in the Gaza Strip, in order to stop the aggression, end the siege, achieve relief, reconstruction, and the liberation of prisoners in the enemy's jails."

The death toll from the Israeli aggression on Gaza Strip has risen to 28,473 martyrs and 68,146 injuries since October 7th of last year.
 

Guterres voices concern over Israeli intent to attack Rafah

06 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his concern on Tuesday about the intended Israeli ground assault on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, where there are more than one million civilians seeking refuge from the war.

"My sincere hope is that the negotiations for the release of hostages and some form of cessation of hostilities to be successful to avoid all-out offensive over Rafah where the core of the humanitarian system is located and that would have devastating consequences," Guterres told reporters ahead of a UN Security Council meeting.

His remarks came after a four-way meeting, attended by representatives from Egypt, the US, Israel and Qatar, began Tuesday in Cairo to discuss a truce in Gaza.

"I am particularly worried with the deteriorating conditions and security for humanitarian aid delivery in Gaza. There is a breakdown in public order. At the same time, we have restrictions imposed by Israel that are not improved and limit humanitarian distribution," Guterres said.

"The conflicting mechanisms to protect humanitarian aid delivery in relation to military operations are "not effective," the UN chief added.

He also said that he is "troubled by the number of journalists that have been killed in the conflicts." "Freedom of press is a fundamental condition for people to be able to know what's really happening everywhere in the world."

Israel has been pounding the Gaza Strip since a cross-border operation by al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas last October, massacring at least 28,473 Palestinian civilians and injuring 68,146 others.

The Israeli genocidal war on Gaza has pushed 85 percent of the coastal territory's population into internal displacement, amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, and massive destruction to infrastructure and public and private property.

Biden says he pushed Netanyahu for temporary ceasefire

US President Joe Biden said Friday he has had extensive talks with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent days in which he pushed for a temporary ceasefire, Reuters reports.

The Biden administration has been prodding Israel to undertake a humanitarian pause that would allow for the release of hostages still being held by Hamas, months after the 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel.

"I've had extensive conversations with the prime minister of Israel over the last several days, almost an hour each, and I've made the case, and I feel very strongly about it, that there has to be a temporary ceasefire to get the prisoners out, to get the hostages out," Biden told reporters at the White House.

Biden on Thursday again told Netanyahu that he should not proceed with military action in Rafah without a credible and executable plan to protect Palestinian civilians, the White House said.

Biden discussing plan for 6-week pause in fighting in Gaza, with aim for broader ceasefire

US President Joe Biden announced a proposal and ongoing discussions for a six-week pause in Israel's war in the Gaza Strip, saying the plan could lead to a long-term ceasefire.

Following talks between Biden and Jordan's King Abdullah on Monday, in which they discussed a variety of impending issues including Israel's ground offensive in southern Gaza and the increasing humanitarian disaster amongst Palestinian civilians, Biden clarified that the US is working with allies in the region on a deal for a pause in the fighting in order to allow the freeing of hostages and the increase in the flow of humanitarian assistance.

That deal would reportedly start with a pause lasting at least six weeks, according to the president, "which we could then take the time to build something more enduring" in the form of a long-lasting ceasefire.

King Abdullah stressed the need for a broad ceasefire in Gaza, insisting that "We cannot stand by and let this continue. We need a lasting ceasefire now. This war must end."

The two leaders' talks and efforts toward establishing a ceasefire come as Israel recently announced its plans to launch a ground offensive in Rafah, the area in southern Gaza where Israeli authorities had initially ordered Gazans to flee to in order to seek shelter from the occupation's bombardment and invasion.

The direct and stated targeting of Rafah, allegedly to defeat remaining "Hamas battalions", would leave many of the more than one million already displaced Palestinians in that area with nowhere else to flee, as Israeli authorities have already decimated – and continue to – all other areas in the besieged territory.

The humanitarian situation in Rafah is now so grave that even staunch Israel supporter, Biden, has become increasingly concerned with Israel's conduct, leading him to be vocal in his demand that Tel Aviv refrain from conducting a ground offensive in Rafah without a definitive plan to protect Palestinian civilians.
 

Hamas calls for immediate int'l action to protect displaced Gazans

05 February 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The Hamas Movement has called on the UN, the World Health Organization and the Red Cross to take immediate action to protect the displaced civilians in Gaza and the besieged Nasser Hospital, saying that the medical facility is minimally functional and exposed to repeated attacks by the Israeli occupation forces.

"Deploying Israeli forces near the Nasser Hospital's northern gate and ordering the displaced citizens to leave the facility portends the premeditated intent of the terrorist Zionist occupation to commit a crime against the citizens sheltering in the hospital, which came under constant fire from murderous and fascist Israeli snipers over the past days," Hamas said in a statement on Tuesday.

In another statement, Hamas strongly denounced the deliberate Israeli drone attack on two Palestinian journalists working for Al Jazeera satellite channel in Gaza today, describing it as a "systematic practice aimed at dissuading journalists from covering the occupation's crimes in Gaza."

The Movement called on international human rights organizations to condemn this "heinous crime," and urged the International Court of Justice to document it and other crimes as a prelude to prosecuting Israeli war criminals.

Biden criticises Israel offensive in Gaza as 'over the top'

US president Joe Biden has stated that Israel's offensive on the Gaza Strip and the operation to eliminate Palestinian resistance Hamas had been "over the top", in comments increasingly expressing human rights concerns being committed by occupation forces.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, president Biden said "I'm of the view, as you know, that the conduct of the response in Gaza – in the Gaza Strip – has been over the top", insisting that more must be done to address and stem the humanitarian crisis in the besieged territory.

"I've been pushing really hard – really hard – to get humanitarian assistance into Gaza", he said. "A lot of innocent people are starving. A lot [of] innocent people [are] in trouble and dying. And it's got to stop".

Biden expressed his optimism at the prospect of a deal currently being brokered which would see Hamas's release of Israeli hostages in exchange for a prolonged pause in the fighting that could eventually lead to a more sustained ceasefire.

"I'm pushing very hard now to deal with this hostage ceasefire. I've been working tirelessly in this deal." The proposal, he said, would "lead to a sustained pause in the fighting, in the actions taking place in the Gaza Strip. And because I think if we could get the delay for that, the initial delay, I think that we would be able to extend that so that we could increase the prospect that this fighting in Gaza changes".

The American president's comments are his sharpest criticism until now regarding Israel's military conduct in Gaza, after months of private concerns held by Biden, many of his staffers, and a significant number of Democrat lawmakers. His open criticism of the Israeli occupation's conduct and war crimes in Gaza represent a dramatic shift compared to his initial unconditional support for Tel Aviv.

Despite the increasing openness in his criticism and concerns, however, he continues to stop short of calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza enters day 130

05 February 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

As the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip entered day 130 on Tuesday, massive aerial and artillery strikes continued to pound neighborhoods, homes and shelter centers and massacre more civilians, mostly children and women.

A reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said that the Israeli occupation army continued to attack different areas of Gaza, mainly Khan Yunis and Rafah, killing and injuring hundreds of citizens.

According to media sources, six civilians, including an infant, were martyred following an Israeli aerial attack on a car in Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, north of Gaza City.

The Israeli army attacked the area of an-Nada Towers in northern Gaza, killing one civilian and injuring another one.

Casualties were also reported following an Israeli attack on a group of civilians near the western junction of Miraj, which is not far from Khan Yunis.

A child identified as Khaled Abu Taima was shot dead by an Israeli sniper in front of Al-Amal School in Khan Yunis, while another citizen was killed and two others were wounded when the Israeli army bombed a gathering of civilians at the junction of Lababidi in the west of Gaza City.

Meanwhile, Al Jazeera satellite channel reported that an Israeli drone fired at least one missile directly at its correspondent Ismail Abu Amr and its photojournalist Ahmed Matar, injuring them seriously.

The two Al Jazeera journalists were targeted as they were covering the forcible evacuation of displaced families from an area near the junction of Miraj in southern Khan Yunis.

Other casualties were reported in different areas of Gaza following Israeli aerial, artillery and shooting attacks last night and today.

Biden puts pressure on Netanyahu to accept long truce in exchange for Saudi normalisation

Israel's Channel 13 has reported that US President Joe Biden is putting pressure on the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza for at least four months, as part of a multi-stage deal, which will include the normalisation of relations with Saudi Arabia.

The proposed deal apparently includes the release of 35 adult and sick captives and five female soldiers in the first phase, in exchange for the release of a specific number of Palestinian prisoners. The channel added that in the second stage, the occupation state will promise to release influential Palestinian prisoners and withdraw from the Gaza Strip in exchange for the remaining captive soldiers.

Despite US pressure and the carrot of normalisation with Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu is expected to face great difficulties if he agrees to a prolonged ceasefire in the fighting, because that will effectively lead to the end of the war. Given the belligerent statements of Likud and other far-right ministers, it is likely that this deal will not get enough support to be approved.

Hamas official Osama Hamdan said on Saturday that the movement has been open since October to discussing any initiatives or ideas that lead to stopping Israel's military offensive against the Palestinian people. He added that Hamas received the general framework proposal that was circulated at the Paris meeting, and that the talks about it are based on the negotiations progressing to reach a complete end to the aggression and a complete withdrawal of the occupation army from the Gaza Strip. "The response to the proposal is also based on the entry of aid and reaching a fair exchange deal."

Hamdan explained that the occupation state is trying to blur the position of the Hamas movement and avoid its obligations to stop the aggression. "So far there is no deal and what was presented is a framework of an agreement that Hamas is considering." The movement's priority now is to alleviate the suffering in the Gaza Strip through a complete end to the aggression, he concluded.

NATO secretary-general meets with Saudi foreign minister

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg met with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, on Friday.

"Excellent meeting with His Highness @FaisalbinFarhan. #NATO and Saudi Arabia share common threats and challenges – and we agreed we should intensify our dialogue," Stoltenberg said on X in a post on their bilateral meeting during the 60th Munich Security Conference held in Germany.

In December 2023, Stoltenberg, who held talks in Saudi Arabia, became the first NATO chief to visit the nation.

Hamdan: Israeli reply to Hamas's remarks does not help reaching ceasefire deal

05 February 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan affirmed in a press conference held in Beirut on Monday evening that his Movement insists on a comprehensive ceasefire and that the Israeli response to his Movement's remarks regarding the Paris proposal indicates a retreat from the proposal and sets conditions and obstacles that do not help in reaching a ceasefire agreement.

Hamdan said the Israeli occupation army has been carrying on with its genocidal war and crimes against humanity for 129 consecutive days with the US and some Western countries' partnership, the most recent of which were the criminal massacres carried out at dawn Sunday in the city of Rafah, targeting homes, mosques, and killing, injuring and displacing dozens of people.

Hamdan blamed all countries that support Israel and even those who do not condemn and criminalize the genocidal war being carried out in the Gaza Strip for the Israeli continuation of its Nazi war against the Palestinian people, bearing them the responsibility, repercussions and legal consequences that remain a stain on their records forever.

"We are engaged in difficult talks on multiple tracks, and we deal with responsibility with all initiatives and endeavors that meet the ambitions and aspirations of our people in the Gaza Strip, in order to stop the aggression, lift the siege, achieve relief and reconstruction, and liberate prisoners in Israeli prisons," he said.

Hamdan hailed the people of the Gaza Strip who remain steadfast despite the Israeli bloody aggression and heinous crimes and massacres and who are struggling in the face of starvation and enforced displacement.

Hamdan condemned in the strongest terms the Israeli massacres against children, the latest of which is the little girl Hind Rajab, in addition to the Israeli targeting of medical crews, especially the torture of the Director of Al-Shifa Hospital, Doctor Muhammad Abu Salmiya, who has been inhumanely insulted and tortured.

The Hamas official also denounced the "Israeli Nazi violations against our people in the occupied West Bank, as the number of martyrs since the beginning of the aggression (on Gaza) has risen to more than 405 martyrs."

As for the Palestinian prisoners, Hamdan decried the Israeli violations against the detainees, referring to those who were recently released and narrated horrific testimonies on the psychological and physical torture which detained men and women were subjected to, leading to the martyrdom of some of them under torture, the last of whom was martyr Muhammad al-Sabbar, who died as a result of torture and medical neglect in Israeli jails.

The Hamas leader held "the US administration and President Biden personally fully responsible, along with the Israeli occupation government, for the massive massacres committed in Rafah, because of the green light they gave to Netanyahu yesterday, and the open support they provide him with money, weapons, and political cover to continue the genocidal war."

He called on the League of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the UN Security Council to take urgent and serious action to prevent Israel from committing more genocide crimes in the city of Rafah.

Regarding the issue of liberating two captives in Gaza, Hamdan said that Israel claims to have reached and liberated two Israeli captives in Al-Shaboura refugee camp in Rafah, but there are field press accounts saying the two captives were not in the possession of the Hamas Movement, but rather they were detained by a family, stressing that these allegations come to boost the morale of the Israeli soldiers, in light of their failure to achieve any of their goals.

He announced that after more than four months of the Israeli aggression, there are 134 prisoners still in the possession of Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, which is a great achievement for the resistance.

He called on the International Court of Justice to document the Israeli horrific crimes, massacres, and violations, which have continued since its ruling, affecting all aspects of human life in the Gaza Strip, and to work to adopt a decision to stop this war and horrific crimes against the Palestinian people.

Hamas redeploys police to Gaza City after Israel withdraws

04 February 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

Hamas has begun deploying police officers and making partial salary payments to some of its civil servants in Gaza City, in areas from which the Israeli occupation army withdrew the bulk of its troops a month ago, the Associated Press reported locals saying on Saturday.

The news agency said signs of Hamas' resurgence in Gaza's largest city underscores the group's resilience despite Israel's deadly air and ground offensive against the besieged enclave over the past four months.

The Israeli forces have in recent days renewed their strikes in the western and northwestern parts of Gaza City.

Four Gaza City residents told the Associated Press that in recent days, police officers wearing uniforms and civilian clothes have been deployed near the police headquarters and other government offices.

A Gaza City resident told the agency that government employees, including police officers and municipal workers were being paid $200.

Hamas said the return of police officers aims to reinstate order in the devastated city in an effort to prevent the looting of shops and houses which had been abandoned by residents who had been forced out of the area by the occupation army.

Israel has levelled vast areas of Gaza, displacing 85 per cent of its population; inflicting a state of famine on residents.

Abu Obeida: Three captives die of wounds sustained in Israeli airstrikes

Three Israeli captives died of wounds from Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, Abu Obeida, the spokesman of the Al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas, announced on Monday.

On Sunday, AL-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said two captives were killed and eight others injured in Israeli airstrikes in the last three days.

"Three injured captives succumbed to their wounds from barbaric Israeli strikes on Gaza," the spokesman said in a terse statement on Telegram.

He added that he will release photos and names of the captives "when the fate of the other injured captives becomes clear."

Hamas is believed to be holding more than 130 Israeli captives following its 7 October cross-border attack into Israel.

Israel has since pounded the Gaza Strip, killing at least 28,340 people and injuring 67,984 others. The Israeli onslaught has left 85% of Gaza's population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Albanese: Israel violated ICJ orders on Gaza

The UN special rapporteur on the occupied territories, Francesca Albanese, accused Israel of breaching the orders issued recently by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) requiring it to take immediate steps to protect Palestinians' rights and cease all activities that could constitute genocide in Gaza.

The Israeli occupation government was given until February 23 to report to ICJ on what it has done to comply with six orders the court issued, including one relating to ending incitement to genocide and another requiring immediate steps to improve the supply of humanitarian aid.

According to the Guardian website on Saturday, Albanese does not agree with the interpretations of Israel and some lawyers of ICJ's judicial ruling that the acts mentioned by the court do not mean that they are prohibited so long as Israel undertakes them without genocidal intent.

She said that Israel's atrocities and destruction of civilian infrastructure had continued since ICJ issued its ruling, aggravating the harsh living conditions in Gaza.

"The fatalities are not solely the result of bombings and sniper attacks," she said in an interview with the Guardian. "They also occur due to a scarcity of medical supplies and treatment, and, most distressingly, due to inadequate access to food and potable water, forcing consumption of contaminated or polluted water."

She said that Israel must respect the international court's decisions, and countries must act decisively to prevent further injustice against the Palestinians.

In a related context, the Israeli occupation regime banned on Monday Albanese from entering Israel, according to an official announcement.

Minister of foreign affairs Israel Katz and minister of the interior Moshe Arbel said the ban was attributed to what they claimed to be Albanese's "outrageous remarks" that the October 7 events were reactions to Israel's ongoing oppression of the Palestinian people.
 

US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza enters day 129

04 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

As the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip entered day 129 on Monday, massive aerial and artillery strikes continued to pound neighborhoods, homes and shelter centers and massacre more civilians, mostly children and women.

A reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said that the Israeli occupation army continued to attack different areas of Gaza, mainly Rafah, killing and injuring hundreds of citizens.

According to media sources, two female journalists identified as Alaa al-Hams (Sanad News Agency) and Angham Adwan (Libya's February channel) were martyred following Israeli attacks on homes in Rafah and Jabalia, while another journalist identified as Mohamed Shanyura was martyred in an aerial attack on a house in Tal al-Hawa neighborhood in Gaza City.

Israeli snipers also killed seven civilians and injured 14 medical workers and displaced citizens inside the Nasser Hospital's courtyards.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army used drones to order the displaced families sheltering in schools near the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis to evacuate and move eastwards.

Another Israeli attack on a house in al-Brouk neighborhood in Deir al-Balah City, central Gaza, claimed the lives of at least 15 civilians, while a number of citizens were wounded in airstrikes on other areas of the city.

In the past few hours, spokesman for the health ministry Ashraf al-Qudra reported that at least 67 martyrs, including many kids and women, had been evacuated to hospitals as a result of relentless Israeli attacks on homes and mosques in Rafah.

The attacks on Rafah also injured at least 230 other civilians, while many others are still being buried under the rubble of buildings.

Other casualties were reported in different areas of Gaza following Israeli aerial, artillery and shooting attacks last night and today.

Dozens of settlers defile Aqsa Mosque under police guard

Hordes of extremist Jewish settlers desecrated the Aqsa Mosque in Occupied Jerusalem on Tuesday morning and later in the afternoon.

According to local sources, dozens of settlers entered the Mosque in groups through its Maghariba Gate and toured its courtyards under police escort.

During their tours at the Islamic holy site, the settlers received lectures from rabbis about the alleged temple mount and a number of them performed Talmudic prayers.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation police prevented Muslim worshipers from entering the Islamic holy site during the settler tours and only allowed in a few numbers of elderly men for prayers.

Meanwhile, Jerusalemite activists called on their compatriots to march en masse to the Aqsa Mosque to break the siege imposed on it by the Israeli occupation police for the fifth consecutive month.

92 settlers desecrated the Aqsa Mosque yesterday under police guard, amid restrictions on the movement of Jerusalemite citizens in their holy city.
 

Massive march in Morocco demands an immediate end to the aggression on Gaza

04 February 2024

Several Agencies

Tens of thousands of Moroccans participated in a protest march in the capital, Rabat, on Sunday demanding an immediate end to the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7th last year.

Participants in the march, which was organized by the Moroccan Front for Supporting Palestine and Against Normalization, and the National Action Group for Palestine (non-governmental), gathered in front of the historic 'Bab al-Had' gate in central Rabat, then headed to Mohammed V Avenue where the Parliament headquarters is located, according to Anadolu Agency.

The protesters carried pictures of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Gaza war victims, and the Palestinian and Moroccan flags. The protesters represent the position of the Moroccan people who reject normalization and support Palestine. Rabat's march participants urged the Moroccan government to end normalization with Israel and rejected diplomatic relations with slogans saying "Stop the massacre", "Normalization is treason," and "No embassy, no ambassador," "The people want an end to normalization," "We stand steadfast with Al-Aqsa," "Down, down with the Zionists and Americans."

The demonstrators chanted slogans calling for an immediate cessation of the war and hailed Gaza and its resistance: 'The people of Al-Aqsa will march until victory and liberation,' 'The Moroccan people stand with the Al-Aqsa Flood,' 'There is no god but Allah, and the martyr is the beloved of Allah,' and 'Gaza, Gaza, symbol of dignity.'

Children in the march were keen to wear the Palestinian kufiya and clothes adorned with Palestinian flag symbols.

The protesters condemned the international community's silence towards the crimes committed by Israel against the Palestinian people, including killings, field executions, destruction, and starvation of civilians.

The march saw the participation of human rights activists, politicians, parliamentarians, intellectuals, as well as various age groups including children, youth, and the elderly, and professionals such as doctors, lawyers, and academics.
 

South African president: I have never felt as proud as I felt today

14 January 2024

Several Agencies, GAZA, (PIC)

South Africa's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, said that he was pleased with how his country's legal team argued its case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel for committing genocide in Gaza.

"I have never felt as proud as I felt today when our legal team was arguing our case in The Hague," said Ramaphosa, addressing the Women's League of his ruling African National Congress (ANC) party.

Ramaphosa said his country had put together a strong team of lawyers to represent South Africa's case at the top UN court in The Hague, the Netherlands.

"When our lawyers were defending our case in The Hague, when I saw Ronald Lamola, a son of this land, presenting our case in court, I have never felt as proud as I do today."

Ramaphosa said, "Some people say that the step we are taking is risky. We are a small country, and we have a small economy. They can attack us, but we will stand by our principles. As the father of our democracy taught us, we will not be truly free until the Palestinian people are free."

South Africa filed its case at the ICJ in December, saying that Israel violated the 1948 Genocide Convention.

It filed an 84-page document with the court detailing acts amounting to genocide in Gaza.

The court heard South Africa's arguments on Thursday and will hear Israel's response on Friday.

Many legal experts across the world said Thursday that South Africa's legal team presented a strong case backed by evidence.

Hamas hails South Africa's plea at ICJ

Member of Hamas' Political Bureau Izzat Al-Resheq hailed the plea presented by South Africa's legal team at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday.

"We highly appreciate the arguments and documented evidence that were presented in the plea."

Al-Resheq pointed out that the plea proved before the whole world the Israeli involvement in committing genocide and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

"South Africa once again proves the authenticity of its principled position in support of our Palestinian people and the justice of their cause, and its rejection of the Israeli brutal crimes against our people and their legitimate national rights," Al-Resheq underlined.

Earlier Thursday, the ICJ in The Hague held the first hearing to look into South Africa's submission accusing Israel of genocide and war crimes in the Gaza Strip.

1,000 organisations unite in support of South Africa's genocide case against Israel at ICJ

More than 1,000 popular movements, political parties, unions and various organisations worldwide called on countries to endorse South Africa's genocide case against Israel, Anadolu Agency reports.

"We now urge other countries to reinforce this strongly worded and well-argued complaint by immediately filing a Declaration of Intervention with the ICJ, also called the World Court," they said in a statement.

The statement expressed grave concerns over Israel's genocidal actions, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

"Many countries have rightly expressed their horror at the State of Israel's genocidal actions, war crimes and crimes against humanity being committed against the Palestinians."

"Israeli Occupying Forces have bombed hospitals, residences, United Nations refugee centres, schools, places of worship and escape routes, killing and injuring tens of thousands of Palestinians since 7 October, 2023. More than half of the dead are women and children," the statement said.

Citing open declarations from Israeli leaders expressing their intent to permanently displace Palestinians from their own land, the organisations supported South Africa's contention that these actions fall under the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

"South Africa is correct in charging that, under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, Israel's actions 'are genocidal in character, as they are committed with the requisite specific intent … to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a part of the broad Palestinian national, racial and ethnic group.'"

Underlining the urgency of the situation, the statement pointed out that parties to the Genocide Convention are obligated to prevent genocide.

"A Declaration of Intervention filed with the ICJ in support of the South African case against Israel is one way to ensure that all acts of genocide are stopped and those responsible are held accountable."

The statement concluded by emphasising that Israel's actions, including killing, injuring, traumatising, and displacing Palestinians, while denying essential resources to an Occupied population, meet the criteria for the crime of genocide.

"If a majority of the world's nations call for a ceasefire, yet fail to press for prosecution of Israel – what is to stop Israel from ethnically cleansing all Palestinians?"

In a final plea, they urged national governments worldwide to promptly file Declarations of Intervention in support of the South African case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

Amongst the signatories to the statement are Nahostgruppe Mannheim (Germany), Malcolm X Centre for Self-Determination (US), Islamic Human Rights Commission (UK), Israelis Against Apartheid (Israel), Jordanian Federation of Independent Trade Unions, Mediciana Democratica (Italy), Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism, One Justice (France), South African Jews for a Free Palestine and the International Iraqi Women's Assembly.

In a historic first, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague, on Thursday, opened its inaugural session on South Africa's genocide assault against Israel, a development that has garnered widespread support from many nations, echoing global calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, while facing opposition from some countries, including the US and UK.
 

Gaza: Death toll surges to 28,340 martyrs

03 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The health ministry in Gaza said on Monday that the Israeli occupation army committed new massacres in different areas of the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours, killing at least 164 civilians and injuring over 200 others, while a large number of victims are still under the rubble of bombed buildings or lying on roads.

In a statement, the health ministry added that the death toll from the ongoing Israeli bombardments, which started on October 7, climbed to 28,340 martyrs and the number of the wounded surged to 67,984 people.

Every day, the Israeli army escalates its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless bombardment since a cross-border operation was launched by Hamas's armed wing, al-Qassam Brigades, on October 7.

Besides the large number of casualties and the huge displacement of people, basic food, fuel, water and medical supplies have run out for the 2.3 million residents in Gaza due to the tight Israeli blockade and the massive destruction of infrastructure and facilities.

Bodies of child Hind and Red Crescent crew found after 12 days

The body of the 6-year-old Hind Rajab along with five members of her family and two bodies of paramedics have been found after the vehicle they were traveling in was encircled by Israeli occupation tanks for nearly 12 days in Tal Al-Hawa area, southwest of Gaza City.

Local sources reported that the family of Hind found her body this morning along with the bodies of her relatives who were trapped in the vehicle.

Hind was traveling with five members of her family, including her uncle Bashar Hamada, his wife, and their three children: Mohammad,11, Raghad,13, and Layan, 14, when Israeli tanks encircled their vehicle and opened a barrage of gunfire at them, immediately killing all of its occupants except Hind and her cousin, Layan who was martyred later on while calling the Red Crescent for help.

The Palestinian Red Crescent society (PRCS) announced today that the targeted ambulance vehicle was found in Tal Al-Hawa area. Two paramedics, Zaino and Ahmad al-Madhoun, who went out on a mission to rescue the little girl, Hind, were also found dead after 12 days of losing contact with them.

PRCS said in a statement that Israeli occupation forces deliberately targeted the ambulance immediately upon its arrival at the site, as it was found just meters away from the vehicle in which child Hind was found.

The statement highlighted that the Israeli occupation army had targeted the ambulance car despite obtaining prior coordination to allow its arrival at the site.
 

Hamas holds US administration responsible for Rafah massacres

03 February 2024

Several Agencies

The Hamas Movement has condemned the Israeli occupation army's large-scale massacres in Rafah, south of Gaza, describing them as "part of its genocidal war and its attempts to forcibly displace the population."

In a statement on Monday, Hamas warned that the Israel army's attacks on Rafah would increase the humanitarian suffering of the displaced people and residents in the area, where there are about 1.4 million citizens already living in harsh and tragic conditions.

"Netanyahu's terrorist government and his Nazi army have flouted the resolutions that were adopted two weeks ago by the International Court of Justice, which called for taking urgent measures to halt any steps that could be considered acts of genocide," Hamas underlined.

Hamas held US president and his administration fully responsible for the Israeli carnage happening in Rafah "as a result of the green light they gave to Netanyahu on Sunday and the financial and military support they provide for his government to continue the genocidal war and massacres in Gaza."

The Movement appealed to the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the US Security Council to take urgent and serious action to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression against the defenseless civilians in Gaza.

Dozens of people, mostly children and women, were killed as extremely intense Israeli airstrikes and shelling pounded multiple homes, shelter sites and cars in Rafah overnight Monday, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society, as international alarm mounts over Israel's intended ground operation in the southern Gazan city.

More than 100 people were killed due to Israeli airstrikes as warplanes targeted different civilian areas of the city, and helicopters fired machine guns along the border areas, the Palestinian Red Crescent said early Monday.

Israel claims to have footage of Hamas' Sinwar in Gaza tunnel

Israel has published a video it claims shows the head of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, with his family in a tunnel in the enclave.

"While the people of Gaza are suffering above ground, Sinwar hides in the tunnels below them… running like a coward, an expression of his true personality, with one of his wives and children," Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a post on X.

"Hamas leaders only care about their families and their money. They don't care about anything else," he added.

Sinwar's face cannot be seen in the footage, only an outline of a man's body, which Israeli occupation forces claim is Sinwar's.

The footage, which Adraee claims "is just one example of many", has raised questions about the effectiveness of Israeli intelligence, if the footage is available to Tel Aviv then how have occupation forces been unable to locate and capture the Hamas leader, instead flattening the Gaza Strip and rendering its 2.3 million population internally displaced persons with no access to humanitarian aid and facing starvation.

Israel has said eliminating Hamas is one of its stated aims for the offensive in Gaza, capturing Sinwar would go a long way towards this.
 

UN official: How many more children will suffer before this nightmare ends?

03 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell asked in an X post: How many more children will suffer and die before this nightmare ends?

Commenting on the killing of the six-year-old Palestinian girl who went missing for 12 days after an Israeli tank targeted her family car in Gaza, Russell said that "the body of a little girl named Hind was finally found in Gaza today along with relatives and rescue workers who tried to bring her safely back to her mother."

She pointed out that "Rafah is one of the most densely populated places on earth, teeming with children and families, some already displaced many times by war in Gaza."

Some 1.3M civilians are pushed into a corner, living on streets or shelters, the UN official added.

"They must be protected. They have nowhere safe to go."

The body of a six-year-old Palestinian girl, missing for 12 days after an Israeli tank targeted her family car in Gaza, was found along with the bodies of her relatives.

Two medics were also found dead after an Israeli tank bombed their ambulance upon its arrival at the scene, following prior coordination with the Israeli army. The ambulance was found just a few meters away from the car containing the bodies of Hind and her relatives.

Hamas says Israeli massacres aim to force Palestinians out of Gaza

Hamas said in a statement on Sunday that Israel aims to exterminate Palestinians and force them out of the Gaza Strip.

"The discovery of nearly 100 martyrs after the criminal Zionist occupation forces withdrew from the neighborhoods of Al-Rimal and Tal Al-Hawa in Gaza City, most of whom were martyred by the bullets of the occupation's murderous Nazi snipers, indicates the criminal approach followed by this entity with the aim of extermination and forcing our people to forcibly migrate from their land," the Movement said.

Hamas called on the International Court of Justice to document Israel's actions and hold the country accountable for them.

In another press release, Hamas said "The crime committed by the terrorist occupation army in the Abu Iskandar neighborhood, north of Gaza City, and the targeting by its snipers of defenseless civilians, including children and women, in the streets and roads, and the continuation of civilian sniping crimes, especially in the vicinity of the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, is an extension of the ongoing war of extermination waged by the Zionist enemy against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, in front of the entire world."

"We call on the International Court of Justice, which approved a set of decisions aimed at protecting civilians from acts of genocide, to follow up on these ongoing crimes and document them."

"We also call on the UN Security Council to stand up to its responsibilities and take serious measures to ensure the cessation of these horrific crimes."

Earlier Sunday, about 100 bodies were recovered after the Israeli army withdrew from two Gaza City neighborhoods. Most of the bodies were killed by sniper bullets.
 

Turkiye to work with Egypt against forced displacement of Gazans, Erdogan says

02 February 2023

Several Agencies

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today that Turkiye will act together with Egypt against the forced displacement of Gazans from their own lands.

Calling his recent visits to the UAE and Egypt "very successful", he stressed the need to "close ranks" to stop bloodshed in Gaza.

"We discussed in detail not only trade and investments with the heads of state but also the Palestinian issue. We have decided to strengthen our cooperation with both countries," he said.

Noting that Turkiye has been sending humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza since 7 October, Erdogan said that Ankara has always coordinated with Egyptian authorities for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

"Israel is forcing the people of Gaza to surrender through hunger, our goal is to achieve an immediate ceasefire and ensure uninterrupted humanitarian aid to Gaza," Erdogan said.

"We are obliged to unite with brother countries if we want to thwart the imperialist powers' games in our region. Instead of getting stuck in differences of opinion, we must focus on areas of cooperation. We are all aware of this truth: there is no mercy without unity," the Turkish president said.

Egypt rejects Israeli plans for conducting military operation in Rafah

Egypt stressed on Sunday "its complete rejection of the statements made by high-ranking officials in the Israeli government regarding the intention of Israeli forces to launch a military operation in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip."

According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry's official statement, Cairo further warned of the dire consequences of such action, particularly in light of the risks of worsening the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.

Moreover, Egypt called for uniting all international and regional efforts to prevent the targeting of the Palestinian city of Rafah, which now shelters around 1.4 million displaced Palestinians who consider it the last safe area in Gaza.

The statement affirmed that targeting Rafah, along with Israel's continued policy of obstructing access to humanitarian aid, is an actual contribution to implementing the policy of displacing the Palestinian people and liquidating their cause.

In this regard, Cairo considered such acts to be a clear violation of the provisions of international law, international humanitarian law, and the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly.

Additionally, Egypt emphasized that it will continue its communications with various parties to reach an immediate ceasefire, enforce the truce, and exchange prisoners and detainees, calling on influential international powers to pressure Israel to respond to these efforts and avoid taking measures that further complicate the situation and cause harm to the interests of everyone without exception.

Al-Qassam Brigades: Two captives killed, 8 injured in Israeli bombardment during the past 96 hours

02 February 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas Movement, announced the killing of two Israeli prisoners in their custody and the injury of eight others during the past 96 hours as a result of continuous Israeli shelling on the Gaza Strip.

The Brigades confirmed in a statement on Sunday that the continuous Israeli shelling on the Strip during the past 96 hours led to the killing of two captives and the serious injury of eight others.

The Brigades added that the conditions of the injured prisoners are worsening due to the inability to provide them with proper treatment, holding Israel fully responsible for the lives of those injured in light of the ongoing bombardment and aggression.

Al-Qassam Brigades announced since October 7th of last year the capture of more than 250 prisoners in the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, while dozens were released during the temporary truce in November last year. Additionally, they announced the killing of dozens of others due to the continuous Israeli shelling on the Gaza Strip, especially in light of the suffocating siege on the Strip, the destruction of hospitals, and the lack of healthcare.

US: Gaza hostage deal still possible but 'very hard' issues remain

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday that a deal on the release of prisoners of war held by Hamas remains possible but there remain "very hard" issues to be resolved, Reuters reports.

Blinken was speaking at a news conference during a visit to Albania days after talks involving the US, Egypt, Israel and Qatar on a deal that would see a pause in fighting in Gaza ended without a breakthrough on Tuesday.

Mediators are seeking to achieve a cessation of hostilities before Israel launches a wide-scale ground invasion of Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah, where more than 1.4 million Palestinians reside, over a million forced into the area after being removed from their homes by Israel's brutal bombing of Gaza since 7 October.

"There are some very, very hard issues that have to be resolved. But we're committed to doing everything we can to move forward and to see if we can reach an agreement," Blinken said.

US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza enters day 128

02 February 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

As the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip entered day 128 on Sunday, massive aerial and artillery strikes continued to pound neighborhoods, homes and shelter centers and massacre more civilians, mostly children and women.

A reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said that the Israeli occupation army continued to attack different areas of Gaza, mainly Khan Yunis and Rafah, killing and injuring dozens of citizens.

According to media sources, two civilians were martyred and another one was critically injured following Israeli shooting attacks on the Nasser Hospital and its courtyards. One of the martyrs is reportedly journalist Yasser al-Fadi, who was in the hospital's main courtyard when a sniper shot him dead.

Eyewitnesses also reported seeing a number of martyrs lying on roads near the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis after they were shot dead by Israeli snipers, while no one was able to reach them.

Meanwhile, one of the Nasser Hospital's room sustained severe damage following an Israeli artillery attack.

The Red Crescent said that the Israeli army bombed the main entrance of Al-Amal Hospital, causing damage to the building and an ambulance, adding that the ambulance was the only usable vehicle at the facility after others had been destroyed in previous attacks.

Five martyrs were also evacuated to the European Hospital in Khan Yunis.

Medical sources affirmed that 42 civilians had been killed during the morning hours in Israeli airstrikes on homes and cars in Rafah City.

Other casualties were reported in different areas of Gaza following Israeli aerial, artillery and shooting attacks last night and today.

Israel grants licence for gas exploration within Palestine's maritime boundary

Israel has given exploration licences for natural gas in locations that are considered to be within Palestine's maritime boundary in preparation for "occupying" these areas.

Israel announced the results of the tender it organised for exploration in Palestinian waters in December 2022 on 29 October last year, just days after it intensified its genocidal attacks on Gaza.

Within the scope of the tender, the Israeli administration granted licences to six Israeli and international companies to explore natural gas in areas that are deemed to fall under Palestinian maritime borders in accordance with international law.

On 5 February, Adalah, the Legal Centre for the Protection of Arab Minority Rights in Israel, sent a letter to the Israeli Energy Ministry demanding the cancellation of the licences.

Following Adalah's request, the Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights and the Ramallah-based human rights organisation, Al-Haq, along with the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), issued similar warnings to companies holding licences not to carry out any activities in these areas.

"Israel is the occupying power in the Gaza Strip and exercises full and effective control over Palestine's maritime areas. The issuance of the tender and the subsequent granting of licences for exploration in this area constitute a violation of international humanitarian law (IHL) and customary international law," Adalah said in a statement.

"The tenders, issued in accordance with Israeli domestic law, effectively amount to the de facto and de jure annexation of the Palestinian maritime areas claimed by Palestine, as they seek to supersede applicable IHL norms by instead applying Israeli domestic law to the area in the context of managing and exploiting natural resources," Adalah added.

The statement stressed that under applicable international law, Israel is prohibited from using the limited non-renewable resources of the occupied territories for commercial gain and for the benefit of the occupying power, in accordance with the usufruct rules referred to in Article 55 of the Hague Regulations.

"Israel, as a de facto administrative authority in the occupied territories, cannot consume natural resources for commercial purposes that do not benefit the occupied population," the statement read.

Attorney Suhad Bishara, director of Adalah's Legal, Land and Planning Rights Unit, declared that Israel's deposits in the sea adjacent to Gaza are illegal under international law.

Bishara argued that Israel decided to suspend all international legal frameworks that it should abide by and instead apply its own national law.

"These actions, including the licences issued by Israel, are illegal under international humanitarian law and under the laws of the sea. Israel has no authority to issue such bids and licences," she explained.

According to information shared by Adalah, Al Mezan, Al-Haq and the PCHR, the Israeli Ministry of Energy announced that it had granted licences to six Israeli and international companies to explore for natural gas in what are considered Palestinian maritime areas under international law.

The Israeli Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure held its fourth offshore bidding round in December 2022, following which licences were granted.

Israel awarded gas exploration licences for Area G, a maritime area adjacent to the Gaza coast, 62 per cent of which lies within the maritime borders declared by Palestine in 2019 in accordance with the provisions of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which Palestine is a party.

Of the other two areas where Israel opened tenders, 73 per cent of H and five per cent of E are located within the maritime borders declared by Palestine.

SOCAR, NewMed Energy and BP won the exploration tender in the I field, which is located in the non-disputed area.

Gaza: Death toll climbs to 28,176 martyrs

02 February 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said on Sunday that the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) committed 14 new horrific massacres in different areas of the Gaza Strip, killing at least 112 civilians and injuring over 173 others, while a large number of victims are still under the rubble of bombed buildings or lying on roads.

In a brief statement, the health ministry said that the death toll from the ongoing Israeli bombardments, which started on October 7, climbed to 28,176 martyrs and the number of the wounded surged to 67,784 people.

Every day, the Israeli army escalates its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless bombardment since a cross-border operation was launched by Hamas's armed wing, al-Qassam Brigades, on October 7 last year.

Besides the large number of casualties and the huge displacement of people, basic food, fuel, water and medical supplies have run out for the 2.3 million residents in Gaza due to the tight Israeli blockade and the massive destruction of infrastructure and facilities.

Iran FM calls for emergency OIC meeting on Israeli aggression in Rafah

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian has called for an emergency meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss the imminent Israeli attack on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza and the humanitarian catastrophe which is unfolding, Anadolu agency reported.

This came in a phone call between the top Iranian diplomat and the OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

In the call, Abdollahian condemned the Israeli attacks that killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, most of whom were women and children, and referred to the "dangerous humanitarian situation" in northern Gaza, where civilians cannot access food or clean water.

He stressed the need to take appropriate and urgent measures to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, especially food, medicines and medical supplies.

Regional and international warnings are mounting about the catastrophic repercussions of a possible Israeli invasion of Rafah, where at least 1.4 million Palestinians have taken refuge, after the Israeli army launched its war on Gaza on 7 October.

As of yesterday, the death toll from Israel's devastating war reached 28,663 Palestinians and wounded 68,395 others, most of them children and women, according to Palestinian and UN figures.
 

Seven Lebanese citizens killed in Israeli attack on Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon

07 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

Seven Lebanese citizens were martyred Wednesday night in a barrage of Israeli strikes on the city of Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon.

The National News Agency reported on Thursday that the Israeli occupation army carried out a massacre last night by targeting a residential apartment of Al-Berjawi family, in the city center of Nabatiyeh, with a guided missile, resulting in the martyrdom of seven people.

The agency added that ambulance and relief crews managed to pull a child alive from under the debris, after a search operation that lasted to more than four hours, noting that five bodies were recovered, while search operations for two other bodies were still going on. Seven wounded people were transferred to hospitals, it added.

"The Israeli airstrikes caused severe damage to the three-story building, including the targeted apartment. The building is now on the verge of collapse due to large cracks in it. The neighboring buildings, parked cars on the road, and electricity and communication networks were also damaged," the agency added.

Four Lebanese civilians killed in Israeli attacks on south Lebanon

Four Lebanese people have been killed and nine others have been injured in two Israeli attacks on Wednesday as part of Israeli ongoing aggression against southern Lebanon.

The Civil Defense in southern Lebanon announced that the Israeli army targeted the towns of Al-Sawaneh and Edsheet in southern Lebanon with two airstrikes, resulting in the martyrdom of four people and the injury of nine others.

Earlier on Wednesday, a female Jewish settler was killed and seven others were injured in a strike launched from southern Lebanon on the city of Safad in northern 1948 Occupied Palestine (Israel).

Israeli Channel 14 reported that the bombing that targeted the city of Safad in the Upper Galilee has left one dead.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority said that five people were taken to hospital in Safad following a rocket attack on the city, while Israeli ambulance crews said that the number of the injured in the attack has risen to seven including three seriously injured.

Israeli media reported that a building was directly hit in the city of Safad as a result of rockets fired from Lebanon.

The Lebanese Hezbollah used accurate missiles in its bombing of the city of Safad in the Upper Galilee and the Iron Dome failed to intercept the last missile, the media report added.

The Israeli army radio indicated that it detected eight missiles launched from Lebanon towards Safad.
 

Gaza's health ministry calls on UN to protect Nasser Hospital

07 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

Amid sniper attacks, the Israeli occupation army forced dozens of Palestinian displaced families who were seeking refuge in the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, southern the Gaza Strip, to leave the facility on Wednesday.

Palestinian citizens started in the morning to evacuate the main hospital in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, according to videos shared by medics on Wednesday.

Weeks of heavy Israeli bombing and shooting attacks had isolated the medical facility and claimed the lives of several civilians and medical workers inside it.

Those sheltering inside the hospital started to leave the hospital after the Israeli army airdropped pamphlets on Tuesday ordering only the displaced civilians to leave.

An estimated 300 medics, 450 patients, and hundreds of displaced people were still in the hospital on Wednesday morning.

Later, Al Jazeera satellite channel said that the displaced civilians who left the hospital had to return to the facility after Israeli forces at a nearby checkpoint prevented them from continuing to walk and kidnaped a number of them.

The people sheltering in the hospital already were too scared to evacuate due to news of Israeli soldiers and drones opening fire at anyone walking outside the facility.

Videos that widely circulated on social media show hundreds of people leaving the hospital grounds as Israeli armed quadcopters were hovering over the premises.

For its part, the health ministry in Gaza said that the Israeli army killed a number of displaced civilians and injured others after they left the hospital.

Spokesman for the ministry Ashraf al-Qudra called on the UN to work immediately on protecting the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis and the civilians inside it, saying the facility "is being exposed to Israeli aggression and tight siege."

Spokesman Qudra appealed to the UN and its institutions to save the medical crews and the displaced and wounded civilians at the hospital as "they are facing a health and humanitarian catastrophe."

He also reported deteriorating conditions at the hospital with sewage water flooding the emergency room and piles of garbage and medical waste building up in the hospital's hallways, which raises the risk of disease.

Food supplies and drinking water have already run out at the hospital, according to medical sources from the facility.
 

Israeli police allow settlers to defile Aqsa, bar entry of Muslim worshipers

06 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The Israeli occupation police allowed hordes of extremist Jewish settlers to desecrate the Aqsa Mosque in Occupied Jerusalem on Wednesday morning and later in the afternoon, while persisting in banning Muslim worshipers from entering their holy site.

According to local sources, dozens of settlers entered the Mosque in groups through its Maghariba Gate and toured its courtyards under police escort.

During their tours at the Islamic holy site, the settlers received lectures from rabbis about the alleged temple mount and a number of them performed Talmudic prayers.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation police prevented Muslim worshipers from entering the Islamic holy site during the settler tours and only allowed in a few numbers of elderly men for prayers, especially at dawn.

Yesterday, 91 settlers desecrated the Aqsa Mosque under police guard, amid restrictions on the movement of Jerusalemite citizens in their holy city.

Meanwhile, Jerusalemite activists urged anew their compatriots to march en masse to the Aqsa Mosque to break the siege imposed on it by the Israeli occupation police for the fifth consecutive month.

They warned that the current Israeli violations in the holy city is aimed at emptying the Aqsa Mosque of Muslim worshipers, calling for necessarily not yielding to the restrictions imposed by the Israeli police around the Aqsa Mosque and in the Old City of Jerusalem.
 

US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza enters day 131

06 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

As the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip entered day 131 on Wednesday, massive aerial and artillery strikes continued to pound neighborhoods, homes and shelter centers and massacre more civilians, mostly children and women.

A reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said that the Israeli occupation army continued to attack different areas of Gaza, mainly Rafah and Khan Yunis, killing and injuring hundreds of citizens.

According to media sources, a number of civilians were injured in an Israeli artillery attack on an area in the east of al-Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza.

The Israeli army also bombed a house in al-Jala street in Gaza City, killing three civilians, including journalist Ayman al-Rafati.

Israeli warplanes attacked the eastern area of Abasan al-Kabira town in Khan Yunis and the east of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, wounding several civilians.

Two martyrs were reportedly evacuated from an area near Wadi Gaza area in central Gaza following an Israeli attack.   Other casualties were reported in different areas of Gaza following Israeli aerial, artillery and shooting attacks last night and today.

Meanwhile, about 100 displaced citizens, mostly women and children, in al-Hurani School for Girls in western Khan Yunis appealed for urgent efforts to evacuate them from the area, which is under Israeli siege, saying they have no food or water.

For its part, the health ministry in Gaza said on Wednesday that the Israeli occupation army committed 11 new massacres in different areas of the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours, killing at least 103 civilians and injuring over 145 others, while a large number of victims are still under the rubble of bombed buildings or lying on roads.

In a statement, the health ministry added that the death toll from the ongoing Israeli bombardments, which started on October 7, climbed to 28,576 martyrs and the number of the wounded surged to 68,291 people.

Yesterday, the health ministry said that the Israeli army massacred 133 civilians and injured 162 within 24 hours in different areas of Gaza.

Germany's Scholz urges Israel to abide by international law, allow more aid into Gaza

Amid growing concerns over Israel's planned ground operation in the city of Rafah, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday urged Tel Aviv to abide by international law, Anadolu Agency reports.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Scholz reaffirmed Germany's support for Israel's security, but also underlined that they expect the Israeli government to respect international law.

"Israel has the right to defend their own country, and this is what the United States, and what Germany, and many others are just stating," Scholz told an audience of international political and military leaders.

"We are also very clear on the things that are important to be said. So first that humanitarian aid has to get to Gaza, and more as we see today. Second, that the way the war is handled is according to international law," he stressed.

Some 1.5 million Palestinians previously displaced by Israel's offensive on Gaza are holed up in Rafah, seeking refuge from hostilities that have laid waste to wide swathes of Palestinian territory. Israel's reported plans for an offensive on the city have sounded international alarm bells, with many countries urging restraint or calling off the operation altogether.

Scholz said his government has been conveying its concerns to the Israeli government and reminding them of their responsibility to abide by international law.

"We are asking that they do so, and we are constantly discussing this question, and there's good reason for doing so, and it is something which is so important for all of us," the chancellor said.

"We are very clear in this that obeying international law and the rules is something which is not just something we do because we subscribed (to) some agreements globally, it is something which is coming out of our perspective of humankind and how we want to be, and how we want to see ourselves," he added.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and to take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
 

US President Biden called Israel PM Netanyahu a 'bad f-cking guy', sources reveal

06 February 2024

Several Agencies

lIsraeli media circulate reports of US President Biden calling Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu a 'bad fu**ing guy' during a private meeting, highlighting possible growing tensions between Israel and its long-standing and biggest supporter, the US.

US President, Joe Biden, reportedly called Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, a "bad f-cking guy", amid growing frustrations and tensions between the two over Tel Aviv's ongoing war on the Gaza Strip.

According to a report by Politico, unnamed sources who spoke to Biden recently said that the President has grown increasingly suspicious of Netanyahu over the course of Israel's war on Gaza – now in its fourth month – even to the point of privately calling him a "bad f-cking guy".

The report clarified that Biden's spokesperson, Andrew Bates, denied that took place and claimed that "the president did not say that, nor would he". The two leaders, he said, maintain a "decades-long relationship that is respectful in public and in private."

Whether the reports are true or not, the President's alleged comment highlights the growing frustrations he has with the Israeli Premier over his handling of the war, both due to Netanyahu's snubbing of American advice to lower the war's intensity and due to the risks that Israel's genocide in Gaza pose to the Biden administration's reputation and electoral points.

Despite the White House having fast-tracked the sale of hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of munitions and arms to Israel – even bypassing congressional review – and the significant military and diplomatic backing it has given to Tel Aviv throughout the war, Israel has also blamed the US government for a lack in support and for expressing criticism at the scale of Israeli atrocities against Palestinians.

The deepening unpopularity of President Biden amongst his voter base has also turned many White House officials and Democrat political figures against his leniency toward Israel, with a House Democrat telling Politico of a dinner conversation between a diverse group of Democrats last month, in which they agreed that it was "unanimous that this war needed to end now and that Biden needed to stand up to Bibi [Netanyahu]".

The congressman lamented that the current situation "is a disaster politically", and that the Party's "base is really pissed — and it's not just the leftists. I have never seen such a depth of anguish as I've seen over this Gaza issue. Bibi is toxic among many Democratic voters and Biden must distance himself from him — yesterday".

Al-Resheq: Hamas reveals positions timely through leadership and official statements

Ezzet Al-Resheq, a member of the Political Bureau of Hamas, has warned against circulating unfounded rumors regarding the Movement's positions on negotiations and Palestinian arrangements.

In a brief statement on Tuesday, the Hamas leader said that there are many rumors being circulated by some media outlets from various sources, discussing Hamas's positions regarding negotiations or Palestinian arrangements.

He emphasized the need for attention and caution, as the official and approved positions of the Movement are expressed at the appropriate time through the leadership of the Movement and its official statements.

Ismail Haneyya, the head of the Political Bureau of Hamas, had earlier affirmed that the position of the Movement and the Palestinian resistance is that any agreement must guarantee a ceasefire, the withdrawal of the occupying army from the Gaza Strip, and the achievement of a serious and significant prisoner exchange deal. He considered that the basis for stability in the region is ending the occupation and achieving the rights of the Palestinian people to their land and holy sites.

Hamas leader Osama Hamdan, for his part, said in his press conference in Beirut on Monday evening: "We are engaged in difficult negotiations on multiple tracks, and we deal responsibly with all initiatives and efforts that meet the aspirations of our people in the Gaza Strip, in order to stop the aggression, end the siege, achieve relief, reconstruction, and the liberation of prisoners in the enemy's jails."

The death toll from the Israeli aggression on Gaza Strip has risen to 28,473 martyrs and 68,146 injuries since October 7th of last year.
 

Guterres voices concern over Israeli intent to attack Rafah

06 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his concern on Tuesday about the intended Israeli ground assault on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, where there are more than one million civilians seeking refuge from the war.

"My sincere hope is that the negotiations for the release of hostages and some form of cessation of hostilities to be successful to avoid all-out offensive over Rafah where the core of the humanitarian system is located and that would have devastating consequences," Guterres told reporters ahead of a UN Security Council meeting.

His remarks came after a four-way meeting, attended by representatives from Egypt, the US, Israel and Qatar, began Tuesday in Cairo to discuss a truce in Gaza.

"I am particularly worried with the deteriorating conditions and security for humanitarian aid delivery in Gaza. There is a breakdown in public order. At the same time, we have restrictions imposed by Israel that are not improved and limit humanitarian distribution," Guterres said.

"The conflicting mechanisms to protect humanitarian aid delivery in relation to military operations are "not effective," the UN chief added.

He also said that he is "troubled by the number of journalists that have been killed in the conflicts." "Freedom of press is a fundamental condition for people to be able to know what's really happening everywhere in the world."

Israel has been pounding the Gaza Strip since a cross-border operation by al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas last October, massacring at least 28,473 Palestinian civilians and injuring 68,146 others.

The Israeli genocidal war on Gaza has pushed 85 percent of the coastal territory's population into internal displacement, amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, and massive destruction to infrastructure and public and private property.

Biden says he pushed Netanyahu for temporary ceasefire

US President Joe Biden said Friday he has had extensive talks with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent days in which he pushed for a temporary ceasefire, Reuters reports.

The Biden administration has been prodding Israel to undertake a humanitarian pause that would allow for the release of hostages still being held by Hamas, months after the 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel.

"I've had extensive conversations with the prime minister of Israel over the last several days, almost an hour each, and I've made the case, and I feel very strongly about it, that there has to be a temporary ceasefire to get the prisoners out, to get the hostages out," Biden told reporters at the White House.

Biden on Thursday again told Netanyahu that he should not proceed with military action in Rafah without a credible and executable plan to protect Palestinian civilians, the White House said.

Biden discussing plan for 6-week pause in fighting in Gaza, with aim for broader ceasefire

US President Joe Biden announced a proposal and ongoing discussions for a six-week pause in Israel's war in the Gaza Strip, saying the plan could lead to a long-term ceasefire.

Following talks between Biden and Jordan's King Abdullah on Monday, in which they discussed a variety of impending issues including Israel's ground offensive in southern Gaza and the increasing humanitarian disaster amongst Palestinian civilians, Biden clarified that the US is working with allies in the region on a deal for a pause in the fighting in order to allow the freeing of hostages and the increase in the flow of humanitarian assistance.

That deal would reportedly start with a pause lasting at least six weeks, according to the president, "which we could then take the time to build something more enduring" in the form of a long-lasting ceasefire.

King Abdullah stressed the need for a broad ceasefire in Gaza, insisting that "We cannot stand by and let this continue. We need a lasting ceasefire now. This war must end."

The two leaders' talks and efforts toward establishing a ceasefire come as Israel recently announced its plans to launch a ground offensive in Rafah, the area in southern Gaza where Israeli authorities had initially ordered Gazans to flee to in order to seek shelter from the occupation's bombardment and invasion.

The direct and stated targeting of Rafah, allegedly to defeat remaining "Hamas battalions", would leave many of the more than one million already displaced Palestinians in that area with nowhere else to flee, as Israeli authorities have already decimated – and continue to – all other areas in the besieged territory.

The humanitarian situation in Rafah is now so grave that even staunch Israel supporter, Biden, has become increasingly concerned with Israel's conduct, leading him to be vocal in his demand that Tel Aviv refrain from conducting a ground offensive in Rafah without a definitive plan to protect Palestinian civilians.
 

Hamas calls for immediate int'l action to protect displaced Gazans

05 February 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The Hamas Movement has called on the UN, the World Health Organization and the Red Cross to take immediate action to protect the displaced civilians in Gaza and the besieged Nasser Hospital, saying that the medical facility is minimally functional and exposed to repeated attacks by the Israeli occupation forces.

"Deploying Israeli forces near the Nasser Hospital's northern gate and ordering the displaced citizens to leave the facility portends the premeditated intent of the terrorist Zionist occupation to commit a crime against the citizens sheltering in the hospital, which came under constant fire from murderous and fascist Israeli snipers over the past days," Hamas said in a statement on Tuesday.

In another statement, Hamas strongly denounced the deliberate Israeli drone attack on two Palestinian journalists working for Al Jazeera satellite channel in Gaza today, describing it as a "systematic practice aimed at dissuading journalists from covering the occupation's crimes in Gaza."

The Movement called on international human rights organizations to condemn this "heinous crime," and urged the International Court of Justice to document it and other crimes as a prelude to prosecuting Israeli war criminals.

Biden criticises Israel offensive in Gaza as 'over the top'

US president Joe Biden has stated that Israel's offensive on the Gaza Strip and the operation to eliminate Palestinian resistance Hamas had been "over the top", in comments increasingly expressing human rights concerns being committed by occupation forces.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, president Biden said "I'm of the view, as you know, that the conduct of the response in Gaza – in the Gaza Strip – has been over the top", insisting that more must be done to address and stem the humanitarian crisis in the besieged territory.

"I've been pushing really hard – really hard – to get humanitarian assistance into Gaza", he said. "A lot of innocent people are starving. A lot [of] innocent people [are] in trouble and dying. And it's got to stop".

Biden expressed his optimism at the prospect of a deal currently being brokered which would see Hamas's release of Israeli hostages in exchange for a prolonged pause in the fighting that could eventually lead to a more sustained ceasefire.

"I'm pushing very hard now to deal with this hostage ceasefire. I've been working tirelessly in this deal." The proposal, he said, would "lead to a sustained pause in the fighting, in the actions taking place in the Gaza Strip. And because I think if we could get the delay for that, the initial delay, I think that we would be able to extend that so that we could increase the prospect that this fighting in Gaza changes".

The American president's comments are his sharpest criticism until now regarding Israel's military conduct in Gaza, after months of private concerns held by Biden, many of his staffers, and a significant number of Democrat lawmakers. His open criticism of the Israeli occupation's conduct and war crimes in Gaza represent a dramatic shift compared to his initial unconditional support for Tel Aviv.

Despite the increasing openness in his criticism and concerns, however, he continues to stop short of calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza enters day 130

05 February 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

As the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip entered day 130 on Tuesday, massive aerial and artillery strikes continued to pound neighborhoods, homes and shelter centers and massacre more civilians, mostly children and women.

A reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said that the Israeli occupation army continued to attack different areas of Gaza, mainly Khan Yunis and Rafah, killing and injuring hundreds of citizens.

According to media sources, six civilians, including an infant, were martyred following an Israeli aerial attack on a car in Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, north of Gaza City.

The Israeli army attacked the area of an-Nada Towers in northern Gaza, killing one civilian and injuring another one.

Casualties were also reported following an Israeli attack on a group of civilians near the western junction of Miraj, which is not far from Khan Yunis.

A child identified as Khaled Abu Taima was shot dead by an Israeli sniper in front of Al-Amal School in Khan Yunis, while another citizen was killed and two others were wounded when the Israeli army bombed a gathering of civilians at the junction of Lababidi in the west of Gaza City.

Meanwhile, Al Jazeera satellite channel reported that an Israeli drone fired at least one missile directly at its correspondent Ismail Abu Amr and its photojournalist Ahmed Matar, injuring them seriously.

The two Al Jazeera journalists were targeted as they were covering the forcible evacuation of displaced families from an area near the junction of Miraj in southern Khan Yunis.

Other casualties were reported in different areas of Gaza following Israeli aerial, artillery and shooting attacks last night and today.

Biden puts pressure on Netanyahu to accept long truce in exchange for Saudi normalisation

Israel's Channel 13 has reported that US President Joe Biden is putting pressure on the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza for at least four months, as part of a multi-stage deal, which will include the normalisation of relations with Saudi Arabia.

The proposed deal apparently includes the release of 35 adult and sick captives and five female soldiers in the first phase, in exchange for the release of a specific number of Palestinian prisoners. The channel added that in the second stage, the occupation state will promise to release influential Palestinian prisoners and withdraw from the Gaza Strip in exchange for the remaining captive soldiers.

Despite US pressure and the carrot of normalisation with Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu is expected to face great difficulties if he agrees to a prolonged ceasefire in the fighting, because that will effectively lead to the end of the war. Given the belligerent statements of Likud and other far-right ministers, it is likely that this deal will not get enough support to be approved.

Hamas official Osama Hamdan said on Saturday that the movement has been open since October to discussing any initiatives or ideas that lead to stopping Israel's military offensive against the Palestinian people. He added that Hamas received the general framework proposal that was circulated at the Paris meeting, and that the talks about it are based on the negotiations progressing to reach a complete end to the aggression and a complete withdrawal of the occupation army from the Gaza Strip. "The response to the proposal is also based on the entry of aid and reaching a fair exchange deal."

Hamdan explained that the occupation state is trying to blur the position of the Hamas movement and avoid its obligations to stop the aggression. "So far there is no deal and what was presented is a framework of an agreement that Hamas is considering." The movement's priority now is to alleviate the suffering in the Gaza Strip through a complete end to the aggression, he concluded.

NATO secretary-general meets with Saudi foreign minister

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg met with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, on Friday.

"Excellent meeting with His Highness @FaisalbinFarhan. #NATO and Saudi Arabia share common threats and challenges – and we agreed we should intensify our dialogue," Stoltenberg said on X in a post on their bilateral meeting during the 60th Munich Security Conference held in Germany.

In December 2023, Stoltenberg, who held talks in Saudi Arabia, became the first NATO chief to visit the nation.

Hamdan: Israeli reply to Hamas's remarks does not help reaching ceasefire deal

05 February 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan affirmed in a press conference held in Beirut on Monday evening that his Movement insists on a comprehensive ceasefire and that the Israeli response to his Movement's remarks regarding the Paris proposal indicates a retreat from the proposal and sets conditions and obstacles that do not help in reaching a ceasefire agreement.

Hamdan said the Israeli occupation army has been carrying on with its genocidal war and crimes against humanity for 129 consecutive days with the US and some Western countries' partnership, the most recent of which were the criminal massacres carried out at dawn Sunday in the city of Rafah, targeting homes, mosques, and killing, injuring and displacing dozens of people.

Hamdan blamed all countries that support Israel and even those who do not condemn and criminalize the genocidal war being carried out in the Gaza Strip for the Israeli continuation of its Nazi war against the Palestinian people, bearing them the responsibility, repercussions and legal consequences that remain a stain on their records forever.

"We are engaged in difficult talks on multiple tracks, and we deal with responsibility with all initiatives and endeavors that meet the ambitions and aspirations of our people in the Gaza Strip, in order to stop the aggression, lift the siege, achieve relief and reconstruction, and liberate prisoners in Israeli prisons," he said.

Hamdan hailed the people of the Gaza Strip who remain steadfast despite the Israeli bloody aggression and heinous crimes and massacres and who are struggling in the face of starvation and enforced displacement.

Hamdan condemned in the strongest terms the Israeli massacres against children, the latest of which is the little girl Hind Rajab, in addition to the Israeli targeting of medical crews, especially the torture of the Director of Al-Shifa Hospital, Doctor Muhammad Abu Salmiya, who has been inhumanely insulted and tortured.

The Hamas official also denounced the "Israeli Nazi violations against our people in the occupied West Bank, as the number of martyrs since the beginning of the aggression (on Gaza) has risen to more than 405 martyrs."

As for the Palestinian prisoners, Hamdan decried the Israeli violations against the detainees, referring to those who were recently released and narrated horrific testimonies on the psychological and physical torture which detained men and women were subjected to, leading to the martyrdom of some of them under torture, the last of whom was martyr Muhammad al-Sabbar, who died as a result of torture and medical neglect in Israeli jails.

The Hamas leader held "the US administration and President Biden personally fully responsible, along with the Israeli occupation government, for the massive massacres committed in Rafah, because of the green light they gave to Netanyahu yesterday, and the open support they provide him with money, weapons, and political cover to continue the genocidal war."

He called on the League of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the UN Security Council to take urgent and serious action to prevent Israel from committing more genocide crimes in the city of Rafah.

Regarding the issue of liberating two captives in Gaza, Hamdan said that Israel claims to have reached and liberated two Israeli captives in Al-Shaboura refugee camp in Rafah, but there are field press accounts saying the two captives were not in the possession of the Hamas Movement, but rather they were detained by a family, stressing that these allegations come to boost the morale of the Israeli soldiers, in light of their failure to achieve any of their goals.

He announced that after more than four months of the Israeli aggression, there are 134 prisoners still in the possession of Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, which is a great achievement for the resistance.

He called on the International Court of Justice to document the Israeli horrific crimes, massacres, and violations, which have continued since its ruling, affecting all aspects of human life in the Gaza Strip, and to work to adopt a decision to stop this war and horrific crimes against the Palestinian people.

Hamas redeploys police to Gaza City after Israel withdraws

04 February 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

Hamas has begun deploying police officers and making partial salary payments to some of its civil servants in Gaza City, in areas from which the Israeli occupation army withdrew the bulk of its troops a month ago, the Associated Press reported locals saying on Saturday.

The news agency said signs of Hamas' resurgence in Gaza's largest city underscores the group's resilience despite Israel's deadly air and ground offensive against the besieged enclave over the past four months.

The Israeli forces have in recent days renewed their strikes in the western and northwestern parts of Gaza City.

Four Gaza City residents told the Associated Press that in recent days, police officers wearing uniforms and civilian clothes have been deployed near the police headquarters and other government offices.

A Gaza City resident told the agency that government employees, including police officers and municipal workers were being paid $200.

Hamas said the return of police officers aims to reinstate order in the devastated city in an effort to prevent the looting of shops and houses which had been abandoned by residents who had been forced out of the area by the occupation army.

Israel has levelled vast areas of Gaza, displacing 85 per cent of its population; inflicting a state of famine on residents.

Abu Obeida: Three captives die of wounds sustained in Israeli airstrikes

Three Israeli captives died of wounds from Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, Abu Obeida, the spokesman of the Al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas, announced on Monday.

On Sunday, AL-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said two captives were killed and eight others injured in Israeli airstrikes in the last three days.

"Three injured captives succumbed to their wounds from barbaric Israeli strikes on Gaza," the spokesman said in a terse statement on Telegram.

He added that he will release photos and names of the captives "when the fate of the other injured captives becomes clear."

Hamas is believed to be holding more than 130 Israeli captives following its 7 October cross-border attack into Israel.

Israel has since pounded the Gaza Strip, killing at least 28,340 people and injuring 67,984 others. The Israeli onslaught has left 85% of Gaza's population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Albanese: Israel violated ICJ orders on Gaza

The UN special rapporteur on the occupied territories, Francesca Albanese, accused Israel of breaching the orders issued recently by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) requiring it to take immediate steps to protect Palestinians' rights and cease all activities that could constitute genocide in Gaza.

The Israeli occupation government was given until February 23 to report to ICJ on what it has done to comply with six orders the court issued, including one relating to ending incitement to genocide and another requiring immediate steps to improve the supply of humanitarian aid.

According to the Guardian website on Saturday, Albanese does not agree with the interpretations of Israel and some lawyers of ICJ's judicial ruling that the acts mentioned by the court do not mean that they are prohibited so long as Israel undertakes them without genocidal intent.

She said that Israel's atrocities and destruction of civilian infrastructure had continued since ICJ issued its ruling, aggravating the harsh living conditions in Gaza.

"The fatalities are not solely the result of bombings and sniper attacks," she said in an interview with the Guardian. "They also occur due to a scarcity of medical supplies and treatment, and, most distressingly, due to inadequate access to food and potable water, forcing consumption of contaminated or polluted water."

She said that Israel must respect the international court's decisions, and countries must act decisively to prevent further injustice against the Palestinians.

In a related context, the Israeli occupation regime banned on Monday Albanese from entering Israel, according to an official announcement.

Minister of foreign affairs Israel Katz and minister of the interior Moshe Arbel said the ban was attributed to what they claimed to be Albanese's "outrageous remarks" that the October 7 events were reactions to Israel's ongoing oppression of the Palestinian people.
 

US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza enters day 129

04 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

As the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip entered day 129 on Monday, massive aerial and artillery strikes continued to pound neighborhoods, homes and shelter centers and massacre more civilians, mostly children and women.

A reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said that the Israeli occupation army continued to attack different areas of Gaza, mainly Rafah, killing and injuring hundreds of citizens.

According to media sources, two female journalists identified as Alaa al-Hams (Sanad News Agency) and Angham Adwan (Libya's February channel) were martyred following Israeli attacks on homes in Rafah and Jabalia, while another journalist identified as Mohamed Shanyura was martyred in an aerial attack on a house in Tal al-Hawa neighborhood in Gaza City.

Israeli snipers also killed seven civilians and injured 14 medical workers and displaced citizens inside the Nasser Hospital's courtyards.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army used drones to order the displaced families sheltering in schools near the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis to evacuate and move eastwards.

Another Israeli attack on a house in al-Brouk neighborhood in Deir al-Balah City, central Gaza, claimed the lives of at least 15 civilians, while a number of citizens were wounded in airstrikes on other areas of the city.

In the past few hours, spokesman for the health ministry Ashraf al-Qudra reported that at least 67 martyrs, including many kids and women, had been evacuated to hospitals as a result of relentless Israeli attacks on homes and mosques in Rafah.

The attacks on Rafah also injured at least 230 other civilians, while many others are still being buried under the rubble of buildings.

Other casualties were reported in different areas of Gaza following Israeli aerial, artillery and shooting attacks last night and today.

Dozens of settlers defile Aqsa Mosque under police guard

Hordes of extremist Jewish settlers desecrated the Aqsa Mosque in Occupied Jerusalem on Tuesday morning and later in the afternoon.

According to local sources, dozens of settlers entered the Mosque in groups through its Maghariba Gate and toured its courtyards under police escort.

During their tours at the Islamic holy site, the settlers received lectures from rabbis about the alleged temple mount and a number of them performed Talmudic prayers.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation police prevented Muslim worshipers from entering the Islamic holy site during the settler tours and only allowed in a few numbers of elderly men for prayers.

Meanwhile, Jerusalemite activists called on their compatriots to march en masse to the Aqsa Mosque to break the siege imposed on it by the Israeli occupation police for the fifth consecutive month.

92 settlers desecrated the Aqsa Mosque yesterday under police guard, amid restrictions on the movement of Jerusalemite citizens in their holy city.
 

Massive march in Morocco demands an immediate end to the aggression on Gaza

04 February 2024

Several Agencies

Tens of thousands of Moroccans participated in a protest march in the capital, Rabat, on Sunday demanding an immediate end to the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7th last year.

Participants in the march, which was organized by the Moroccan Front for Supporting Palestine and Against Normalization, and the National Action Group for Palestine (non-governmental), gathered in front of the historic 'Bab al-Had' gate in central Rabat, then headed to Mohammed V Avenue where the Parliament headquarters is located, according to Anadolu Agency.

The protesters carried pictures of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Gaza war victims, and the Palestinian and Moroccan flags. The protesters represent the position of the Moroccan people who reject normalization and support Palestine. Rabat's march participants urged the Moroccan government to end normalization with Israel and rejected diplomatic relations with slogans saying "Stop the massacre", "Normalization is treason," and "No embassy, no ambassador," "The people want an end to normalization," "We stand steadfast with Al-Aqsa," "Down, down with the Zionists and Americans."

The demonstrators chanted slogans calling for an immediate cessation of the war and hailed Gaza and its resistance: 'The people of Al-Aqsa will march until victory and liberation,' 'The Moroccan people stand with the Al-Aqsa Flood,' 'There is no god but Allah, and the martyr is the beloved of Allah,' and 'Gaza, Gaza, symbol of dignity.'

Children in the march were keen to wear the Palestinian kufiya and clothes adorned with Palestinian flag symbols.

The protesters condemned the international community's silence towards the crimes committed by Israel against the Palestinian people, including killings, field executions, destruction, and starvation of civilians.

The march saw the participation of human rights activists, politicians, parliamentarians, intellectuals, as well as various age groups including children, youth, and the elderly, and professionals such as doctors, lawyers, and academics.
 

South African president: I have never felt as proud as I felt today

14 January 2024

Several Agencies, GAZA, (PIC)

South Africa's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, said that he was pleased with how his country's legal team argued its case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel for committing genocide in Gaza.

"I have never felt as proud as I felt today when our legal team was arguing our case in The Hague," said Ramaphosa, addressing the Women's League of his ruling African National Congress (ANC) party.

Ramaphosa said his country had put together a strong team of lawyers to represent South Africa's case at the top UN court in The Hague, the Netherlands.

"When our lawyers were defending our case in The Hague, when I saw Ronald Lamola, a son of this land, presenting our case in court, I have never felt as proud as I do today."

Ramaphosa said, "Some people say that the step we are taking is risky. We are a small country, and we have a small economy. They can attack us, but we will stand by our principles. As the father of our democracy taught us, we will not be truly free until the Palestinian people are free."

South Africa filed its case at the ICJ in December, saying that Israel violated the 1948 Genocide Convention.

It filed an 84-page document with the court detailing acts amounting to genocide in Gaza.

The court heard South Africa's arguments on Thursday and will hear Israel's response on Friday.

Many legal experts across the world said Thursday that South Africa's legal team presented a strong case backed by evidence.

Hamas hails South Africa's plea at ICJ

Member of Hamas' Political Bureau Izzat Al-Resheq hailed the plea presented by South Africa's legal team at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday.

"We highly appreciate the arguments and documented evidence that were presented in the plea."

Al-Resheq pointed out that the plea proved before the whole world the Israeli involvement in committing genocide and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

"South Africa once again proves the authenticity of its principled position in support of our Palestinian people and the justice of their cause, and its rejection of the Israeli brutal crimes against our people and their legitimate national rights," Al-Resheq underlined.

Earlier Thursday, the ICJ in The Hague held the first hearing to look into South Africa's submission accusing Israel of genocide and war crimes in the Gaza Strip.

1,000 organisations unite in support of South Africa's genocide case against Israel at ICJ

More than 1,000 popular movements, political parties, unions and various organisations worldwide called on countries to endorse South Africa's genocide case against Israel, Anadolu Agency reports.

"We now urge other countries to reinforce this strongly worded and well-argued complaint by immediately filing a Declaration of Intervention with the ICJ, also called the World Court," they said in a statement.

The statement expressed grave concerns over Israel's genocidal actions, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

"Many countries have rightly expressed their horror at the State of Israel's genocidal actions, war crimes and crimes against humanity being committed against the Palestinians."

"Israeli Occupying Forces have bombed hospitals, residences, United Nations refugee centres, schools, places of worship and escape routes, killing and injuring tens of thousands of Palestinians since 7 October, 2023. More than half of the dead are women and children," the statement said.

Citing open declarations from Israeli leaders expressing their intent to permanently displace Palestinians from their own land, the organisations supported South Africa's contention that these actions fall under the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

"South Africa is correct in charging that, under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, Israel's actions 'are genocidal in character, as they are committed with the requisite specific intent … to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a part of the broad Palestinian national, racial and ethnic group.'"

Underlining the urgency of the situation, the statement pointed out that parties to the Genocide Convention are obligated to prevent genocide.

"A Declaration of Intervention filed with the ICJ in support of the South African case against Israel is one way to ensure that all acts of genocide are stopped and those responsible are held accountable."

The statement concluded by emphasising that Israel's actions, including killing, injuring, traumatising, and displacing Palestinians, while denying essential resources to an Occupied population, meet the criteria for the crime of genocide.

"If a majority of the world's nations call for a ceasefire, yet fail to press for prosecution of Israel – what is to stop Israel from ethnically cleansing all Palestinians?"

In a final plea, they urged national governments worldwide to promptly file Declarations of Intervention in support of the South African case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

Amongst the signatories to the statement are Nahostgruppe Mannheim (Germany), Malcolm X Centre for Self-Determination (US), Islamic Human Rights Commission (UK), Israelis Against Apartheid (Israel), Jordanian Federation of Independent Trade Unions, Mediciana Democratica (Italy), Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism, One Justice (France), South African Jews for a Free Palestine and the International Iraqi Women's Assembly.

In a historic first, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague, on Thursday, opened its inaugural session on South Africa's genocide assault against Israel, a development that has garnered widespread support from many nations, echoing global calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, while facing opposition from some countries, including the US and UK.
 

Gaza: Death toll surges to 28,340 martyrs

03 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The health ministry in Gaza said on Monday that the Israeli occupation army committed new massacres in different areas of the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours, killing at least 164 civilians and injuring over 200 others, while a large number of victims are still under the rubble of bombed buildings or lying on roads.

In a statement, the health ministry added that the death toll from the ongoing Israeli bombardments, which started on October 7, climbed to 28,340 martyrs and the number of the wounded surged to 67,984 people.

Every day, the Israeli army escalates its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless bombardment since a cross-border operation was launched by Hamas's armed wing, al-Qassam Brigades, on October 7.

Besides the large number of casualties and the huge displacement of people, basic food, fuel, water and medical supplies have run out for the 2.3 million residents in Gaza due to the tight Israeli blockade and the massive destruction of infrastructure and facilities.

Bodies of child Hind and Red Crescent crew found after 12 days

The body of the 6-year-old Hind Rajab along with five members of her family and two bodies of paramedics have been found after the vehicle they were traveling in was encircled by Israeli occupation tanks for nearly 12 days in Tal Al-Hawa area, southwest of Gaza City.

Local sources reported that the family of Hind found her body this morning along with the bodies of her relatives who were trapped in the vehicle.

Hind was traveling with five members of her family, including her uncle Bashar Hamada, his wife, and their three children: Mohammad,11, Raghad,13, and Layan, 14, when Israeli tanks encircled their vehicle and opened a barrage of gunfire at them, immediately killing all of its occupants except Hind and her cousin, Layan who was martyred later on while calling the Red Crescent for help.

The Palestinian Red Crescent society (PRCS) announced today that the targeted ambulance vehicle was found in Tal Al-Hawa area. Two paramedics, Zaino and Ahmad al-Madhoun, who went out on a mission to rescue the little girl, Hind, were also found dead after 12 days of losing contact with them.

PRCS said in a statement that Israeli occupation forces deliberately targeted the ambulance immediately upon its arrival at the site, as it was found just meters away from the vehicle in which child Hind was found.

The statement highlighted that the Israeli occupation army had targeted the ambulance car despite obtaining prior coordination to allow its arrival at the site.
 

Hamas holds US administration responsible for Rafah massacres

03 February 2024

Several Agencies

The Hamas Movement has condemned the Israeli occupation army's large-scale massacres in Rafah, south of Gaza, describing them as "part of its genocidal war and its attempts to forcibly displace the population."

In a statement on Monday, Hamas warned that the Israel army's attacks on Rafah would increase the humanitarian suffering of the displaced people and residents in the area, where there are about 1.4 million citizens already living in harsh and tragic conditions.

"Netanyahu's terrorist government and his Nazi army have flouted the resolutions that were adopted two weeks ago by the International Court of Justice, which called for taking urgent measures to halt any steps that could be considered acts of genocide," Hamas underlined.

Hamas held US president and his administration fully responsible for the Israeli carnage happening in Rafah "as a result of the green light they gave to Netanyahu on Sunday and the financial and military support they provide for his government to continue the genocidal war and massacres in Gaza."

The Movement appealed to the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the US Security Council to take urgent and serious action to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression against the defenseless civilians in Gaza.

Dozens of people, mostly children and women, were killed as extremely intense Israeli airstrikes and shelling pounded multiple homes, shelter sites and cars in Rafah overnight Monday, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society, as international alarm mounts over Israel's intended ground operation in the southern Gazan city.

More than 100 people were killed due to Israeli airstrikes as warplanes targeted different civilian areas of the city, and helicopters fired machine guns along the border areas, the Palestinian Red Crescent said early Monday.

Israel claims to have footage of Hamas' Sinwar in Gaza tunnel

Israel has published a video it claims shows the head of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, with his family in a tunnel in the enclave.

"While the people of Gaza are suffering above ground, Sinwar hides in the tunnels below them… running like a coward, an expression of his true personality, with one of his wives and children," Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a post on X.

"Hamas leaders only care about their families and their money. They don't care about anything else," he added.

Sinwar's face cannot be seen in the footage, only an outline of a man's body, which Israeli occupation forces claim is Sinwar's.

The footage, which Adraee claims "is just one example of many", has raised questions about the effectiveness of Israeli intelligence, if the footage is available to Tel Aviv then how have occupation forces been unable to locate and capture the Hamas leader, instead flattening the Gaza Strip and rendering its 2.3 million population internally displaced persons with no access to humanitarian aid and facing starvation.

Israel has said eliminating Hamas is one of its stated aims for the offensive in Gaza, capturing Sinwar would go a long way towards this.
 

UN official: How many more children will suffer before this nightmare ends?

03 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell asked in an X post: How many more children will suffer and die before this nightmare ends?

Commenting on the killing of the six-year-old Palestinian girl who went missing for 12 days after an Israeli tank targeted her family car in Gaza, Russell said that "the body of a little girl named Hind was finally found in Gaza today along with relatives and rescue workers who tried to bring her safely back to her mother."

She pointed out that "Rafah is one of the most densely populated places on earth, teeming with children and families, some already displaced many times by war in Gaza."

Some 1.3M civilians are pushed into a corner, living on streets or shelters, the UN official added.

"They must be protected. They have nowhere safe to go."

The body of a six-year-old Palestinian girl, missing for 12 days after an Israeli tank targeted her family car in Gaza, was found along with the bodies of her relatives.

Two medics were also found dead after an Israeli tank bombed their ambulance upon its arrival at the scene, following prior coordination with the Israeli army. The ambulance was found just a few meters away from the car containing the bodies of Hind and her relatives.

Hamas says Israeli massacres aim to force Palestinians out of Gaza

Hamas said in a statement on Sunday that Israel aims to exterminate Palestinians and force them out of the Gaza Strip.

"The discovery of nearly 100 martyrs after the criminal Zionist occupation forces withdrew from the neighborhoods of Al-Rimal and Tal Al-Hawa in Gaza City, most of whom were martyred by the bullets of the occupation's murderous Nazi snipers, indicates the criminal approach followed by this entity with the aim of extermination and forcing our people to forcibly migrate from their land," the Movement said.

Hamas called on the International Court of Justice to document Israel's actions and hold the country accountable for them.

In another press release, Hamas said "The crime committed by the terrorist occupation army in the Abu Iskandar neighborhood, north of Gaza City, and the targeting by its snipers of defenseless civilians, including children and women, in the streets and roads, and the continuation of civilian sniping crimes, especially in the vicinity of the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, is an extension of the ongoing war of extermination waged by the Zionist enemy against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, in front of the entire world."

"We call on the International Court of Justice, which approved a set of decisions aimed at protecting civilians from acts of genocide, to follow up on these ongoing crimes and document them."

"We also call on the UN Security Council to stand up to its responsibilities and take serious measures to ensure the cessation of these horrific crimes."

Earlier Sunday, about 100 bodies were recovered after the Israeli army withdrew from two Gaza City neighborhoods. Most of the bodies were killed by sniper bullets.
 

Turkiye to work with Egypt against forced displacement of Gazans, Erdogan says

02 February 2023

Several Agencies

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today that Turkiye will act together with Egypt against the forced displacement of Gazans from their own lands.

Calling his recent visits to the UAE and Egypt "very successful", he stressed the need to "close ranks" to stop bloodshed in Gaza.

"We discussed in detail not only trade and investments with the heads of state but also the Palestinian issue. We have decided to strengthen our cooperation with both countries," he said.

Noting that Turkiye has been sending humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza since 7 October, Erdogan said that Ankara has always coordinated with Egyptian authorities for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

"Israel is forcing the people of Gaza to surrender through hunger, our goal is to achieve an immediate ceasefire and ensure uninterrupted humanitarian aid to Gaza," Erdogan said.

"We are obliged to unite with brother countries if we want to thwart the imperialist powers' games in our region. Instead of getting stuck in differences of opinion, we must focus on areas of cooperation. We are all aware of this truth: there is no mercy without unity," the Turkish president said.

Egypt rejects Israeli plans for conducting military operation in Rafah

Egypt stressed on Sunday "its complete rejection of the statements made by high-ranking officials in the Israeli government regarding the intention of Israeli forces to launch a military operation in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip."

According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry's official statement, Cairo further warned of the dire consequences of such action, particularly in light of the risks of worsening the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.

Moreover, Egypt called for uniting all international and regional efforts to prevent the targeting of the Palestinian city of Rafah, which now shelters around 1.4 million displaced Palestinians who consider it the last safe area in Gaza.

The statement affirmed that targeting Rafah, along with Israel's continued policy of obstructing access to humanitarian aid, is an actual contribution to implementing the policy of displacing the Palestinian people and liquidating their cause.

In this regard, Cairo considered such acts to be a clear violation of the provisions of international law, international humanitarian law, and the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly.

Additionally, Egypt emphasized that it will continue its communications with various parties to reach an immediate ceasefire, enforce the truce, and exchange prisoners and detainees, calling on influential international powers to pressure Israel to respond to these efforts and avoid taking measures that further complicate the situation and cause harm to the interests of everyone without exception.

Al-Qassam Brigades: Two captives killed, 8 injured in Israeli bombardment during the past 96 hours

02 February 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas Movement, announced the killing of two Israeli prisoners in their custody and the injury of eight others during the past 96 hours as a result of continuous Israeli shelling on the Gaza Strip.

The Brigades confirmed in a statement on Sunday that the continuous Israeli shelling on the Strip during the past 96 hours led to the killing of two captives and the serious injury of eight others.

The Brigades added that the conditions of the injured prisoners are worsening due to the inability to provide them with proper treatment, holding Israel fully responsible for the lives of those injured in light of the ongoing bombardment and aggression.

Al-Qassam Brigades announced since October 7th of last year the capture of more than 250 prisoners in the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, while dozens were released during the temporary truce in November last year. Additionally, they announced the killing of dozens of others due to the continuous Israeli shelling on the Gaza Strip, especially in light of the suffocating siege on the Strip, the destruction of hospitals, and the lack of healthcare.

US: Gaza hostage deal still possible but 'very hard' issues remain

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday that a deal on the release of prisoners of war held by Hamas remains possible but there remain "very hard" issues to be resolved, Reuters reports.

Blinken was speaking at a news conference during a visit to Albania days after talks involving the US, Egypt, Israel and Qatar on a deal that would see a pause in fighting in Gaza ended without a breakthrough on Tuesday.

Mediators are seeking to achieve a cessation of hostilities before Israel launches a wide-scale ground invasion of Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah, where more than 1.4 million Palestinians reside, over a million forced into the area after being removed from their homes by Israel's brutal bombing of Gaza since 7 October.

"There are some very, very hard issues that have to be resolved. But we're committed to doing everything we can to move forward and to see if we can reach an agreement," Blinken said.

US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza enters day 128

02 February 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

As the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip entered day 128 on Sunday, massive aerial and artillery strikes continued to pound neighborhoods, homes and shelter centers and massacre more civilians, mostly children and women.

A reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said that the Israeli occupation army continued to attack different areas of Gaza, mainly Khan Yunis and Rafah, killing and injuring dozens of citizens.

According to media sources, two civilians were martyred and another one was critically injured following Israeli shooting attacks on the Nasser Hospital and its courtyards. One of the martyrs is reportedly journalist Yasser al-Fadi, who was in the hospital's main courtyard when a sniper shot him dead.

Eyewitnesses also reported seeing a number of martyrs lying on roads near the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis after they were shot dead by Israeli snipers, while no one was able to reach them.

Meanwhile, one of the Nasser Hospital's room sustained severe damage following an Israeli artillery attack.

The Red Crescent said that the Israeli army bombed the main entrance of Al-Amal Hospital, causing damage to the building and an ambulance, adding that the ambulance was the only usable vehicle at the facility after others had been destroyed in previous attacks.

Five martyrs were also evacuated to the European Hospital in Khan Yunis.

Medical sources affirmed that 42 civilians had been killed during the morning hours in Israeli airstrikes on homes and cars in Rafah City.

Other casualties were reported in different areas of Gaza following Israeli aerial, artillery and shooting attacks last night and today.

Israel grants licence for gas exploration within Palestine's maritime boundary

Israel has given exploration licences for natural gas in locations that are considered to be within Palestine's maritime boundary in preparation for "occupying" these areas.

Israel announced the results of the tender it organised for exploration in Palestinian waters in December 2022 on 29 October last year, just days after it intensified its genocidal attacks on Gaza.

Within the scope of the tender, the Israeli administration granted licences to six Israeli and international companies to explore natural gas in areas that are deemed to fall under Palestinian maritime borders in accordance with international law.

On 5 February, Adalah, the Legal Centre for the Protection of Arab Minority Rights in Israel, sent a letter to the Israeli Energy Ministry demanding the cancellation of the licences.

Following Adalah's request, the Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights and the Ramallah-based human rights organisation, Al-Haq, along with the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), issued similar warnings to companies holding licences not to carry out any activities in these areas.

"Israel is the occupying power in the Gaza Strip and exercises full and effective control over Palestine's maritime areas. The issuance of the tender and the subsequent granting of licences for exploration in this area constitute a violation of international humanitarian law (IHL) and customary international law," Adalah said in a statement.

"The tenders, issued in accordance with Israeli domestic law, effectively amount to the de facto and de jure annexation of the Palestinian maritime areas claimed by Palestine, as they seek to supersede applicable IHL norms by instead applying Israeli domestic law to the area in the context of managing and exploiting natural resources," Adalah added.

The statement stressed that under applicable international law, Israel is prohibited from using the limited non-renewable resources of the occupied territories for commercial gain and for the benefit of the occupying power, in accordance with the usufruct rules referred to in Article 55 of the Hague Regulations.

"Israel, as a de facto administrative authority in the occupied territories, cannot consume natural resources for commercial purposes that do not benefit the occupied population," the statement read.

Attorney Suhad Bishara, director of Adalah's Legal, Land and Planning Rights Unit, declared that Israel's deposits in the sea adjacent to Gaza are illegal under international law.

Bishara argued that Israel decided to suspend all international legal frameworks that it should abide by and instead apply its own national law.

"These actions, including the licences issued by Israel, are illegal under international humanitarian law and under the laws of the sea. Israel has no authority to issue such bids and licences," she explained.

According to information shared by Adalah, Al Mezan, Al-Haq and the PCHR, the Israeli Ministry of Energy announced that it had granted licences to six Israeli and international companies to explore for natural gas in what are considered Palestinian maritime areas under international law.

The Israeli Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure held its fourth offshore bidding round in December 2022, following which licences were granted.

Israel awarded gas exploration licences for Area G, a maritime area adjacent to the Gaza coast, 62 per cent of which lies within the maritime borders declared by Palestine in 2019 in accordance with the provisions of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which Palestine is a party.

Of the other two areas where Israel opened tenders, 73 per cent of H and five per cent of E are located within the maritime borders declared by Palestine.

SOCAR, NewMed Energy and BP won the exploration tender in the I field, which is located in the non-disputed area.

Gaza: Death toll climbs to 28,176 martyrs

02 February 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said on Sunday that the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) committed 14 new horrific massacres in different areas of the Gaza Strip, killing at least 112 civilians and injuring over 173 others, while a large number of victims are still under the rubble of bombed buildings or lying on roads.

In a brief statement, the health ministry said that the death toll from the ongoing Israeli bombardments, which started on October 7, climbed to 28,176 martyrs and the number of the wounded surged to 67,784 people.

Every day, the Israeli army escalates its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless bombardment since a cross-border operation was launched by Hamas's armed wing, al-Qassam Brigades, on October 7 last year.

Besides the large number of casualties and the huge displacement of people, basic food, fuel, water and medical supplies have run out for the 2.3 million residents in Gaza due to the tight Israeli blockade and the massive destruction of infrastructure and facilities.

Iran FM calls for emergency OIC meeting on Israeli aggression in Rafah

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian has called for an emergency meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss the imminent Israeli attack on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza and the humanitarian catastrophe which is unfolding, Anadolu agency reported.

This came in a phone call between the top Iranian diplomat and the OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

In the call, Abdollahian condemned the Israeli attacks that killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, most of whom were women and children, and referred to the "dangerous humanitarian situation" in northern Gaza, where civilians cannot access food or clean water.

He stressed the need to take appropriate and urgent measures to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, especially food, medicines and medical supplies.

Regional and international warnings are mounting about the catastrophic repercussions of a possible Israeli invasion of Rafah, where at least 1.4 million Palestinians have taken refuge, after the Israeli army launched its war on Gaza on 7 October.

As of yesterday, the death toll from Israel's devastating war reached 28,663 Palestinians and wounded 68,395 others, most of them children and women, according to Palestinian and UN figures.
 

Freedom Flotilla intends to break Gaza siege soon

01 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) has announced a plan to sail again to challenge Israel's unlawful and deadly siege of Gaza.

FFC made the announcement at a news conference held on Saturday at the IHH headquarters in Istanbul.

In the coming weeks, a flotilla will set sail carrying thousands of tons of urgently needed humanitarian aid that will be delivered directly to Palestinians in Gaza.

FFC is a consortium of international civil society organizations and activists, including the Turkish humanitarian relief foundation, IHH.

"After 17 years of a brutal blockade and 4 months of genocidal assault, including weaponizing basic necessities, Palestinians in Gaza are facing an unprecedented and catastrophic humanitarian crisis," according to a press release issued by FFC.

"On January 26, 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered provisional measures to protect the Palestinians in Gaza from the plausible risk of genocide. Amongst six strongly worded measures, the ICJ ordered Israel to 'take immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.' This decision followed UN Security Council resolutions in November and December 2023 which called for urgent steps to immediately allow 'safe, unhindered, and expanded' humanitarian access to Gaza."

"Israel's blatant noncompliance with these orders, and the failure of other governments to pressure the occupying power to comply, motivate us as civil society organizations to take action," the FFC underlined.

"It is incumbent upon us to ensure that Palestinians in Gaza receive humanitarian aid," Ismail Moola of Palestine Solidarity Alliance in South Africa said. "We expect that the Security Council will enforce the ICJ ruling, but due to the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza we need to act immediately."

"Plans for our 'Save Gaza Campaign' are ongoing, and the FFC calls on the government of Egypt to facilitate the delivery of life-sustaining aid through Rafah into Gaza. FFC's mission, 'For the Children of Gaza,' led by our boat Handala, will again set sail from Northern Europe to Gaza May 2024."

FFC said it gathered in Istanbul to plan its campaigns with representatives from the following organizations: Canadian Boat to Gaza (Canada), US Boat to Gaza (USA), Kia Ora Gaza (Aotearoa, New Zealand), Free Gaza Australia (Australia), Ship to Gaza (Norway), MyCARE (Malaysia), Ship to Gaza (Sweden), Palestine Solidarity Alliance (South Africa), IHH (Turkiye), Rumbo a Gaza (Spanish State), Mavi Marmara Association (Turkiye) and the International Committee for Breaking the Siege of Gaza.

"Where our governments fail, we sail" Karen DeVito of Canadian Boat to Gaza said. "We are charting a course to the conscience of humanity, in solidarity with the Palestinian people."

"We call on civil society organizations from around the world who share our values and goals to support and join us," FFC added.
 

Massive demonstrations in European cities to stop the genocide in Gaza

01 February 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

In several European capitals and cities, protests and marches against the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip continue, demanding an immediate cessation of the war.

The German capital, Berlin, witnessed three massive demonstrations on Saturday, with the participation of human rights organizations and protesters from other cities, in what observers described as a "national march". It is expected to end in front of the South African embassy to appreciate its efforts in support of the Palestinian cause, according to Al-Jazeera.

The main slogan of the demonstrations was a call for a ceasefire in Gaza, in addition to slogans that have recently emerged in Germany, protesting against some companies accused by human rights organizations of cooperating with the Israeli occupation army.

The German cities of Saarbrücken and Freiburg also witnessed two demonstrations in support of Palestine and Gaza.

In Paris, a massive demonstration started from Republic Square heading towards Nation Square. The demonstration, called for by French trade unions and civil associations, aims to combat far-right extremism and fascism and criticize the government's alignment with the far right, not only in the country but also in Israel, according to Al-Jazeera.

The demonstration also raised slogans calling for an end to the Israeli war on Gaza, the cessation of killing Palestinians, the lifting of the siege on Gaza, and the entry of humanitarian aid. The protesters also raised Palestinian flags.

Most age groups participated in the demonstration, ranging from children and youth to the elderly, although the majority were young people, indicating that this category has become aware of the justice of the Palestinian issue.

Dozens of events in Britain

In the British capital, London, an Al-Jazeera reporter said that pro-Palestinian activities are organizing 40 marches in 34 cities on Saturday.

The protesters raised slogans such as stop the genocide and stop the British government's complicity with Israeli crimes in Gaza and stop arms exports to Israel and stop political and military support for Israel and Freedom for Palestine and other slogans.

The British capital also witnessed an evening march on Friday in support of Palestine and in opposition to the massacres committed by Israel against children in the besieged Gaza Strip, in which teachers participated.

The protesters first gathered in front of the Ministry of Interior building and then marched towards the Ministry of Education and then to 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the Prime Minister on Downing Street. At the end of the march, the protesters gathered on this street and raised pictures of some children who were killed as a result of Israeli attacks on Gaza, and they placed children's clothes stained with red paint in front of the building.

Dozens also demonstrated in the Dutch city of Utrecht, protesting the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

The protesters chanted slogans calling for an immediate ceasefire and the entry of humanitarian aid to the people of the Strip. They also raised banners condemning the ongoing massacres, the targeting of women, elderly, and children, and the destruction of Gaza's infrastructure.

Activists also protested in the city of Ringe, Denmark, condemning the ongoing war on the Strip. The protesters called for urgent international intervention to stop Israeli attacks and allow the return of the people of the Strip to their homes and end the siege on Gaza. The train station in the city also witnessed a protest against the war on Gaza.

In Europe as well, thousands demonstrated in the Austrian capital and the Swedish city of Malmö and the Danish city of Aarhus.

Silent march by doctors

In Istanbul, Turkey, dozens of doctors and healthcare workers participated on Saturday in a march in solidarity with the Palestinian Gaza Strip and in protest against Israeli attacks.

The Anadolu Agency reported that a group of doctors and healthcare workers organized a gathering in front of the tomb of Sultan Abdulhamid II in the Fatih area of Istanbul.

The agency explained that the participants in the event marched from the tomb of Sultan Abdulhamid II to Sultan Ahmed Square, carrying banners in Turkish and English.

In a speech delivered on behalf of the participants, Dr. Hamza Ayaz said that Israeli repression in Palestine has become more severe since October 7, 2023.

Ayaz emphasized that Israeli occupation practices continue to the extent that they can only be described as genocide, criticizing the countries that cooperate with Israel.

Since October 7 last year, Israel has been waging a bloody aggression on the Gaza Strip, resulting in tens of thousands of civilian casualties, mostly children and women, as well as an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe and massive destruction of infrastructure.
 

Hamas calls for documenting Israeli crime against Hind, her relatives and medics

31 January 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

The Hamas Movement has called for documenting the massacre that had been committed by the Israeli occupation army against Hind and her relatives along with two paramedics.

In a statement on Saturday, Hamas said that six-year-old Hind Rajab along with her relatives and two paramedics, who had prior coordination to rescue them, had been deliberately and cold-bloodedly killed in Gaza City by gunfire from the Israeli occupation army.

"We call upon UN and human rights organizations to document this horrific crime as one of hundreds of massacres that had been committed by the Nazi occupation forces in the Gaza Strip as a prelude to taking legal action against this criminal army and its Nazi leaders for their crimes and their direct killing of children and defenseless civilians," Hamas said.

"This appalling crime and other heinous crimes against our children and people in Gaza will remain engraved in the Palestinian memory," Hamas underlined.

"The day will come when this rogue entity is held accountable for the crimes it committed against our people, land and holy sites," the Movement added.

The body of a six-year-old Palestinian girl, missing for 12 days after an Israeli tank targeted her family car in Gaza, was found today along with the bodies of her relatives.

Two medics were also found dead after an Israeli tank bombed their ambulance upon its arrival at the scene following prior coordination with the Israeli army. The ambulance was found just a few meters away from the car containing the bodies of Hind and her relatives.

Bodies of child Hind and Red Crescent crew found after 12 days

The body of the 6-year-old Hind Rajab along with five members of her family and two bodies of paramedics have been found after the vehicle they were traveling in was encircled by Israeli occupation tanks for nearly 12 days in Tal Al-Hawa area, southwest of Gaza City.

Local sources reported that the family of Hind found her body this morning along with the bodies of her relatives who were trapped in the vehicle.

Hind was traveling with five members of her family, including her uncle Bashar Hamada, his wife, and their three children: Mohammad,11, Raghad,13, and Layan, 14, when Israeli tanks encircled their vehicle and opened a barrage of gunfire at them, immediately killing all of its occupants except Hind and her cousin, Layan who was martyred later on while calling the Red Crescent for help.

The Palestinian Red Crescent society (PRCS) announced today that the targeted ambulance vehicle was found in Tal Al-Hawa area. Two paramedics, Zaino and Ahmad al-Madhoun, who went out on a mission to rescue the little girl, Hind, were also found dead after 12 days of losing contact with them.

PRCS said in a statement that Israeli occupation forces deliberately targeted the ambulance immediately upon its arrival at the site, as it was found just meters away from the vehicle in which child Hind was found.

The statement highlighted that the Israeli occupation army had targeted the ambulance car despite obtaining prior coordination to allow its arrival at the site.
 

US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza enters day 127

31 January 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

As the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip entered day 127 on Saturday, massive aerial and artillery strikes continued to pound neighborhoods, homes and shelter centers and massacre more civilians, mostly children and women.

A reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said that the Israeli occupation army continued to attack different areas of Gaza, mainly Khan Yunis and Rafah, killing and injuring dozens of citizens.

According to media sources, one civilian was martyred and six others were injured when the Israeli army bombed a house in al-Zeitoun neighborhood in the west of Gaza City, while an unidentified number of casualties were reported in another attack on a house in al-Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City.

Palestinian citizens also founded bodies of civilians after the Israeli forces withdrew from areas in the west of Gaza City and used horse-drawn carts to transport them to the Ahli Hospital.

The Israeli army also attacked a house in eastern Rafah, killing four civilians and injuring others, and bombed an apartment in al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing one civilian and injuring 29 others.

Palestinian media sources also said that a number of martyrs were evacuated from shelter centers which had been directly bombed by the Israeli army, without stating where the attacks happened.

Meanwhile, eyewitnesses reported hearing a number of wounded civilians screaming in pain inside homes in al-Katiba area in the west of Gaza City following an Israeli military withdrawal, saying they needed urgent evacuation from the area to receive medical assistance.

Five martyrs were also transported to the Nasser Hospital following overnight and dawn attacks on Khan Yunis.

Three senior police officials were also martyred when an Israeli airstrike targeted the car they were aboard in Tal as-Sultan neighborhood in Rafah.

Israeli gunboats also attacked fishermen off the shores of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, killing one of them and injuring another one.

A reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said that Israeli armored vehicles and tanks encircled the Nasser Hospital in the morning from all sides and blocked the southern road leading to it.

Spokesman for the health ministry Ashraf al-Qudra, for his part, reported that the Israeli army carries out intensive gunfire attacks on the hospital's buildings, courtyards and gates, adding that one civilian was killed and several others were injured inside the hospital as a result of these attacks.

Qudra also said that four displaced citizens were killed in the hospital's courtyards in Israeli artillery attacks, while a woman was shot dead by an Israeli sniper at the main entrance of the medical facility.

Israeli tanks also bombed the hospital's upper floors, which caused extreme panic among the displaced civilians and patients in the facility.

Other casualties were reported in different areas of Gaza following Israeli aerial, artillery and shooting attacks last night and today.

In a separate incident, a six-year-old girl who went missing in Gaza City last month has been found dead, along with several of her relatives and two paramedics who tried to save her.

Hind Rajab was fleeing the city with her aunt, uncle and three cousins when the car they were travelling in appears to have come face to face with Israeli tanks, and come under intensive gunfire.

Audio recordings of calls between Hind and emergency call operators suggest that the six-year-old was the only one left alive in the car, hiding from Israeli forces among the bodies of her relatives.

Her pleas for someone to rescue her ended when the phone line was cut amid the sound of more gunfire.

Paramedics from the Red Crescent managed on Saturday to reach the area, which had previously been under constant Israeli siege and attack.

They found the black Kia car Hind had been travelling in – smashed to pieces and with bullet holes scattered all over its sides.

One paramedic told journalists that Hind was among the six bodies found inside the car, all of which showed signs of gunfire and shelling.

A few meters away were the remains of another vehicle – completely burnt out, its engine spilling onto the ground. This, the Red Crescent says, was the ambulance sent to fetch Hind.

Its crew – Yusuf al-Zeino and Ahmed al-Madhoun – were killed when the ambulance was bombed by Israeli forces, the organization says.

In a statement, the Red Crescent accused Israel of deliberately targeting the ambulance, as soon as it arrived at the scene on January 29.

"The [Israeli] occupation deliberately targeted the Red Crescent crew despite obtaining prior coordination to allow the ambulance to arrive at the scene to rescue the child Hind," it said.

Israeli bombardment destroys more than 70% of civilian infrastructure in Gaza: UN agency

Footage captures the extensive damage and destruction to buildings and streets in Gaza following relentless Israeli bombardment. Israel has killed over 28,000 civilians since the start of its military offensive on the Gaza Strip on 7 October. The majority are women and children.

More than 70% of civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip has been destroyed or severely damaged from intense Israeli attacks, the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) said Thursday, Anadolu Agency reports.

UNRWA shared what is said was "shocking footage" that showed "unimaginable destruction in Gaza city, including the agency's health center.

The UN agency wrote on X that "+70% of civilian infrastructure- including homes, hospitals & schools- have been destroyed or severely damaged."

It said 84% of health facilities have been affected by the attacks. "Nowhere is safe," it added.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack. The ensuing Israeli attack had killed at least 28,663 and caused mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Less than 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
 

Euro-Med: Israeli army continues to commit genocidal crimes in Gaza 15 days after ICJ ruling

30 January 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor said on Saturday the Israeli army continues to carry out systematic and widespread destruction of residential areas and neighborhoods, civilian infrastructure and facilities, 15 days after International Court of Justice's (ICJ) ruling which obliges Israel to take measures to prevent the commission of the crime of genocide against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Euro-Med said Israeli forces have killed 1,864 Palestinians, including 690 children and 441 women, in addition to injuring more than 2,933 people since the court's decision was issued last month.

"Thus, Israel continues to violate its international obligations and the decision of the highest court in the world by committing the crime of all crimes – the crime of genocide," the rights group said.

Euro-Med reported that the Israeli army blew up at least 43 residential squares during this period, each square containing between 20-50 houses, especially in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, and continued to bomb and destroy houses, despite terminating its military operations there weeks ago.

Ministry of Health: Israel commits 16 massacres killing 117 Palestinians in Gaza over 24 hours

The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip said on Saturday that the Israeli occupation army committed 16 massacres over the past 24 hours killing 117 citizens and wounding 152 others.

It added in a statement that the number of martyrs in the beleaguered enclave thus rose to 28,064 and the wounded to 67,611 since the Israeli aggression started on October 7 last year.

Thousands of victims are still under the rubble of destroyed buildings or on the roads, the statement noted, adding that the Israeli occupation forces block its crews from retrieving those bodies.

CIA director makes secret visit to Israel for Gaza talks

CIA Director William Burns arrived in Israel on Thursday for an unannounced visit for talks with top Israeli officials, according to local media, Anadolu reports.

Burns met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad chief David Barnea following his arrival, Israeli Channel 12 reported.

The reason for the visit was not yet clear, but Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said it was linked to Netanyahu's refusal to send a security delegation to Egypt to continue talks for a hostage swap deal with Hamas.

There was no comment yet from Netanyahu's office on the report.

Officials from Israel, Egypt, Qatar and the US held a meeting in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss a Gaza cease-fire and hostage-prisoner swap between Hamas and Israel.

Last week, Hamas proposed a three-stage plan for a Gaza cease-fire that includes a 135-day pause in the fighting in return for the release of hostages, according to a Palestinian source.

Netanyahu, however, rejected Hamas' offer for a cease-fire and vowed to continue his Gaza war until a "crushing victory" over the Palestinian group.

Israel believes that 134 Israelis are being held in Gaza after the Israeli army managed on Monday to free two hostages in Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack, killing at least 28,663 and causing mass destruction and shortages of necessities. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in an interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
 

Hamdan: Biden's remarks on Gaza have no practical impact

30 January 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan has described US president Joe Biden's recent remarks on the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip as "words hanging in the air," affirming that they have no practical impact on the ground.

In remarks to Al Araby satellite channel on Friday, Hamdan said that Biden's remarks on Gaza reflected that he could have started to realize that Israel's war on Gaza influenced a large segment of his voters and thus would lead to his failure in the upcoming presidential elections.

Hamdan added that Biden might also have received advice on the need of not appearing as fully involved in the Israeli aggression against Gaza.

The Hamas official, however, said that there is still a serious opportunity to have a comprehensive ceasefire agreement over Gaza, stressing that such a step depends on the mentality of Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu and the size of the US pressure on him.

During a news conference at the White House on Thursday, Biden called Israel's military response in Gaza "over the top" and talked about his administration's efforts to broker a sustainable ceasefire.

He also called for necessarily stopping the war and stressed that "a lot of innocent people are starving, in trouble, and dying."

Israel army says 15 more soldiers injured in Gaza fighting

The Israeli military said today that 12 more soldiers had been injured in the Gaza Strip over the last 24 hours.

Figures released by the army showed that 1,361 soldiers had been wounded since Israel launched its ground offensive in the Gaza Strip on 27 October.

According to military figures, at least 570 soldiers have been killed and 2,909 others injured since 7 October.

In that period, at least 28,663 Palestinians have since been killed and 68,395 others injured.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85 per cent of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60 per cent of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in an interim ruling this January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
 

Brazilian President Lula slams Israel on Gaza war

29 January 2023

Several Agencies

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said today that multilateral institutions are failing to resolve international conflicts and criticised Israeli actions in Gaza, Reuters reported.

"Israel's behaviour has no explanation: with the pretext of fighting Hamas, it is killing women and children," he said after meeting Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in Egypt.

"At a time when we should be talking about increasing food production, we are talking about the insanity of war. War brings no benefit to anyone. The member countries of the UN Security Council should be pacifists but they are the ones who started the latest wars," he added

Lula said there would not be peace without the establishment of a Palestinian state and called for an immediate ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, stressing the important role Egypt play in bringing about a ceasefire deal.

Brazil has been an outspoken critic of Israel's attack on Gaza and backed South Africa's efforts to end the aggression through the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

UN Committee: More than 10 children in Gaza lose their legs every day

The head of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, Anne Skelton, said, "today, there is no child in the Gaza Strip free from fear, pain and hunger."

Skelton pointed out that "some children in Gaza lost their lives, and others lost their limbs, parents, siblings, and friends."

She underlined that on average, more than 10 children in Gaza lose one or both legs every day since the start of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

The number of Palestinian martyrs as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip has risen to about 27.9 thousand martyrs, the majority of whom are women and children. The number of the wounded has mounted to 67.4 thousand since last October 7, according to a new tally published by the Ministry of Health in Gaza on Friday.

South Africa says Israel's attack on Rafah 'proves' genocide allegation presented to ICJ

28 January 2023

Several Agencies

South Africa's foreign minister has said that the actions of the Israeli government in Rafah "prove" that what the republic presented to the International Court of Justice was correct regarding genocide. Naledi Pandor also condemned the targeting of journalists in general and Al Jazeera journalists in particular, describing it as a criminal act.

"Israel has not been deterred by the ruling of the ICJ, and the evidence is the continuation of its war in Rafah," the minister told Al Jazeera. "The decision to stop the fighting in Gaza is in the hands of the countries that supply Israel with money and weapons." What is concerning, added Pandor, is that Israel is allowed to ignore the ruling of the ICJ and not protect civilians.

On Tuesday, the South African presidency said that the country had submitted an urgent request to the ICJ to consider Israel's decision to expand its military operations in Rafah and determine whether it required the court to use its authority to prevent further violations of the rights of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The ICJ announced on 26 January its preliminary ruling in the case brought by South Africa against Israel under the 1948 Genocide Convention. It found that Israel must act to prevent genocidal violence by its armed forces, to prevent and punish incitement to genocide, and to enable humanitarian aid to enter Gaza to help the Palestinians in the enclave.

Despite this, Israel has continued to target and kill civilians and aid convoys are being held up at the border crossing. Even when allowed in, convoys and Palestinians waiting for aid have been targeted by Israeli artillery and snipers.

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan KC, finally spoke out on Monday and expressed his deep concern over "the reported bombardment and potential ground incursion by Israeli forces in Rafah." Writing on X, Khan added: "My Office has an ongoing and active investigation into the situation in the State of Palestine. This is being taken forward as a matter of the utmost urgency, with a view to bringing to justice those responsible for Rome Statute crimes."

All wars have rules, he pointed out, and the laws applicable to armed conflict cannot be interpreted so as to render them hollow or devoid of meaning. "This has been my consistent message, including from Ramallah last year. Since that time, I have not seen any discernible change in conduct by Israel. As I have repeatedly emphasised, those who do not comply with the law should not complain later when my Office takes action pursuant to its mandate."

Several UN member states ask Security Council to save Rafah from 'looming catastrophe'

Several UN member states asked the Security Council on Wednesday to assume responsibility for establishing a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu news agency reported.

"We believe that the Security Council should shoulder its responsibility and act immediately and stop the fighting, saving Rafah from this looming catastrophe," Palestinian envoy to the UN Riyad Mansour said on behalf of the countries, which included Turkiye and Arab Group members.

"We would love to see the Security Council acting as quickly as possible within its mandate and its power," Mansour told the reporters in New York.

He said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last Friday declared his intention to invade Rafah and create conditions "to possibly push" millions of Palestinians from Gaza to the Sinai in Egypt.

The Israeli army plans to launch a ground offensive in Rafah to defeat what Tel Aviv calls the remaining "Hamas battalions." The plans have triggered concerns of a humanitarian catastrophe.

"Our effort is to do everything possible to stop Israel from committing this crime of depopulating the Gaza Strip and stopping the war immediately."

"The guarantee to do that is to have a resolution calling for a ceasefire, and we hope that the Security Council would elevate itself to that responsibility," added Mansour.

Pro-Gaza protests sweep Arab capitals

27 January 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

Several Arab capitals witnessed on Friday massive demonstrations in solidarity with the Gaza Strip and in rejection of the ongoing Israeli aggression.

In Ramallah, Palestinians demonstrated in Al-Manara Square in downtown in protest against the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

Pro-resistance slogans were chanted and the flags of Palestine and South Africa were raised during the rally.

A large demonstration was also held in Baghdad, Iraq, in protest against the Israeli crimes in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Jordanians demonstrated in the Jordan Valley complex area along the Jordan-Israel borders to protest the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

The protesters called for the inauguration of a land aid bridge to the Gaza Strip, the cancellation of the Jordanian-Israeli peace agreement, the closure of the Israeli embassy in Amman, supporting Palestinian resistance, and stopping the transfer of goods to Israel.

In the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, a massive demonstration was held in Al-Sabeen Square, in support of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

Similar rallies were also organized in the Yemeni cities of Ma'rib and Taiz.

Since October 7, the Israeli occupation army has waged a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, which has left an enormous humanitarian catastrophe and a major health and environmental disaster.

Israel protests after Vatican condemns Gaza 'carnage'

Israel protested to the Vatican on Wednesday after senior Papal aide Cardinal Pietro Parolin described events in Gaza as "carnage" resulting from a disproportionate Israeli military response to the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas.

The Israeli Embassy to the Vatican said it was a "deplorable" comment. "Judging the legitimacy of a war without taking into account all relevant circumstances and data inevitably leads to wrong conclusions."

Cardinal Parolin is the Vatican's foreign minister and second only to Pope Francis in the city-state's hierarchy. "I would like to reiterate, it is a clear and unreserved condemnation of any kind of anti-Semitism, however at the same time there is also a request that Israel's right to self-defence invoked to justify this operation should be proportionate, but with 30,000 deaths it is certainly not," he pointed out. "The voice of those asking Israel to stop is a general voice, [saying] that they can't continue like this and we must find other paths to solve the Gaza problem."

An editorial in the Vatican's official newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, confirmed this message on Wednesday. "No one can define what is happening in the (Gaza) Strip as 'collateral damage' in the fight against terrorism. The right to defence, Israel's right to bring the perpetrators of the October massacre to justice, cannot justify this carnage."

According to the Israeli Embassy, Hamas bears responsibility for the death and destruction in the Palestinian Strip. It claimed that the movement is taking shelter in hospitals and schools, and that most Gazans support it. Predictably, the statement ignored 75 years of Israel's brutal military occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people.

The Pope, who has called repeatedly for peace in the Middle East and elsewhere, has faced criticism in the past from Jewish groups regarding the Vatican's position on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza.

25,000 Palestinians perform Friday prayer in Al-Aqsa Mosque

27 January 2023

Several Agencies, (PIC)

25,000 Palestinian worshipers were allowed to perform Friday prayer in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, as Israeli police banned the entry of hundreds of people into the holy site.

The Islamic Endowments Department affirmed that 25,000 worshipers were allowed in as Israeli police continue to besiege the Old Citry for the fifth consecutive month.

Ahead of the Friday prayer, the Israeli police blocked several roads leading to the Old City of Jerusalem and hindered the movement of Palestinian citizens.

However, dozens of youths managed to perform Friday prayer in the Ras al-Amoud neighborhood near Aqsa.

Earlier on Friday, hundreds of Jerusalemites performed the Fajr prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque despite the Israeli security restrictions at its gates.

A group of Jerusalemite campaigners and activists earlier called for performing the Great Fajr prayer on Friday at Al-Aqsa Mosque's courtyards and staying at the holy site to demand lifting the siege imposed on it.

Report: Israel elite soldiers refuse to return to Gaza

A group of Israeli soldiers in the elite Givati Brigade have refused to take part in military operations in the Gaza Strip, accusing the army of neglecting their psychological and physical well-being, Haaretz reported yesterday.

Since the Israeli army began its ground operations in Gaza at the end of October 2023, the Givati Brigade, which includes elite fighters, has participated in the most difficult battles in the enclave and lost many of its leaders and members, forcing the army leadership to "temporarily" withdraw them from the battlefield.

During a conversation with field commanders, the soldiers claimed they did not have the mental strength to return to the battlefield and expressed fear that it would endanger their lives.

The newspaper said the army leaders have not yet decided how to respond to the soldiers' refusal to enter into battle.

Israeli army data updated yesterday indicate that 15 soldiers were injured over a 24-hour period. In total, 2,897 soldiers have been wounded since 7 October including 437 who were seriously injured, 761 moderately injured and 1,699 slightly injured. However, according to the army, 1,352 soldiers were wounded in ground battles in the Gaza Strip.

As many as 352 soldiers are still receiving treatment in hospitals, according to the same source.

Some 569 soldiers had been killed since 7 October, including 232 since the beginning of the army's ground offensive in the Gaza Strip on 27 October.
 

UNICEF: 17,000 Children in Gaza have become orphaned or separated from their families

26 January 2024

Several Agencies

The United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, has revealed that around 17,000 children in Gaza Strip have become orphaned or separated from their families during the ongoing Israeli aggression since October 7th of 2023.

The organization added that almost all children in the Strip – more than a million children – are in need of support in the field of mental health.

Jonathan Crick, the Communications Officer at UNICEF in the occupied Palestinian territories, said on Friday that the children show symptoms such as extremely high levels of continuous anxiety, loss of appetite, inability to sleep, or experiencing emotional outbursts or panic every time they hear the sound of shelling.

For her part, Catherine Russell, the Executive Director of UNICEF, warned against abandoning the children of Gaza, saying that their situation is growing darker day by day.

A statement by the Joint Permanent Committee of United Nations agencies, dated January 31st, warned that the countries that suspended their financial support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA, would lead to a catastrophe for the people of Gaza.

PRCS: Four days since we lost contact with Hind and paramedics in Gaza

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has said that more than four days have passed since it heard from an ambulance team sent to rescue six-year-old Hind trapped in a car with the bodies of her 15-year-old sister Layan Hamada and others after they came under fire from an Israeli tank in Gaza City.

"More than 110 hours have passed and the fate of the Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance team, Yousef Zeino and Ahmed al-Madhoun, who went to rescue the six-year-old girl, Hind, is still unknown," PRCS said in a statement on Saturday.

"Where is Hind? Where are Yousef and Ahmed? We need to know their fate," PRCS added.

"Little Hind" was trapped in a car with her family – who are believed to be dead – which had come under fire from Israeli forces last Monday.

The Red Crescent had released an audio recording of Hind's sister Layan, aged 15, appealing for help amid sounds of gunfire.

However, Layan and other members of the family were later killed and little Hind was trapped inside the car as an ambulance crew attempted to rescue her.

There has not been any information about the fate of Hind and the ambulance workers since PRCS announced it lost contact with them.

PRCS has been appealing for information regarding the fate of Hind and the ambulance workers since the incident happened.

"We appeal to the international community to assist and intervene to protect civilians and health care and humanitarian workers," the organization wrote in a post on X.
 

Israeli genocide in Gaza enters day 126, the horrors continue

25 January 2024

Several Agencies, (PIC)

Israel "failed to disprove" South Africa's genocide case presented before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), South Africa's Justice Minister said on Friday, Anadolu Agency reports.

Following Israel's defence at the World Court, Ronald Lamola, who led the South African delegation, told reporters in The Hague: "State of Israel, today, failed to disprove South Africa as compelling that was presented before the Court."

"We believe and remain very confident that those facts (are) still in violation of the Genocide Convention," Lamola said.

Israeli occupation forces continue to commit the crime of genocide in the Gaza Strip for the 126th consecutive day, through dozens of airstrikes, artillery bombardment, and the use of fire belts, while committing bloody massacres against civilians and carrying out horrific crimes in infiltration areas, amidst a catastrophic humanitarian situation resulting from the siege and the displacement of more than 90% of the population.

Our correspondents reported that the Israeli aircraft and artillery continued their intense airstrikes and shelling on various areas of the Gaza Strip on Friday, with a focus on Khan Yunis and an escalation of the bombing in Rafah, targeting the homes and gatherings of displaced persons and streets, resulting in hundreds of martyrs and casualties.

Seven martyrs among the displaced were killed when they were forced by the occupation forces to leave two schools in the Khan Yunis refugee camp.

Earlier, the occupation forces forced the displaced persons in the Sheikh Jabr and Qandila schools in the Khan Yunis camp to leave immediately.

Our correspondent reported the martyrdom of four citizens and the injury of others this morning in Khan Yunis, including two as a result of gunfire from an Israeli army quadcopter at a school housing displaced persons in the vicinity of the Return Schools east of Khan Yunis, and the other two were martyred by the Israeli snipers in the vicinity of the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis.

An Israeli warplane also carried out a raid targeting a house near the Palestine Bank in Jabalia Al-Balad, north of Gaza.

In the early morning, 13 martyrs and dozens of casualties were reported in Deir al-Balah, Rafah, and the central and southern Gaza Strip.

Our correspondent reported the martyrdom of four citizens in the occupation's shelling of a kindergarten housing displaced persons in the town of Al-Zawaida, and a martyr from the shelling of a house in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, eight citizens were martyred in Rafah, five of them are women and three children, in the house of the Al-Sayed family, and three martyrs from the Al-Nahhal family. At least 18 others were injured as a result of various airstrikes on Rafah.

25 US senators tell Biden that Gaza hostage-ceasefire deal 'in our urgent national interest'

More than two dozen senators penned a letter to US President Joe Biden on Wednesday where they urged him to exert the utmost diplomatic efforts to cement a new ceasefire deal in Gaza that will facilitate the release of hostages that remain in Hamas captivity, Anadolu news agency reported.

"We recognise that such a diplomatic achievement will require the agreement of the warring parties, and that its terms remain under negotiation," wrote the 25 lawmakers, led by Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.

"In our judgment, it is in our urgent national interest – and the urgent humanitarian interest of millions of innocent civilians – that these negotiations succeed," they added.

The senators said they continue to support Israel's objective of removing Hamas from power in Gaza, but recognized that absent a halt to the fighting, "humanitarian conditions for civilians in Gaza will become even more catastrophic and thousands more innocents – including many children – will die."

"Without the space created for regional diplomacy by a restored ceasefire, the political conditions for durable peace and security will remain unreachable, and escalating regional conflict will continue to threaten US national security," they added.

The Axios news website was the first to report the letter's existence.

Its release coincides with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to prevent a from returning to Egypt for the resumption of talks on a proposed hostage swap deal with Hamas. The talks were slated to resume Thursday.

"Netanyahu believes that Hamas must accept the terms set by Israel for making progress," Israeli Channel 12 reported.

Officials from Israel, Egypt, Qatar and the US held a meeting Tuesday in Cairo to discuss a ceasefire and hostage-prisoner swap between the Palestinian group and Israel and the talks were expected to reconvene Thursday.

Asked about Netanyahu's decision during a news conference Wednesday, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters: "We believe that there can be a deal, there should be a deal, and everyone should keep working hard to get that deal."

"I can't speak to the specific tactics of a meeting on any given day, but the direction of travel has got to be everybody doing everything they can, including the government of Israel, to try to reach a deal that is good for Israel, that is good for regional security, and that the United States is going to keep pushing hard on privately with the Israeli government and publicly from this podium," he said.

Last week, Hamas proposed a three-stage plan for a ceasefire that includes a 135-day pause in the fighting in return for the release of hostages, according to a Palestinian source.

Netanyahu, however, rejected the offer and vowed to continue his war on Gaza until Israel secures a "crushing victory" against the Palestinian group.

Israel believes that 134 Israelis are being held in Gaza after the Israeli military managed Monday to free two hostages in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.