Media Reports: Israeli troops kill an American citizen in West Bank

Media Reports: Israeli troops kill an American citizen in West Bank

    Friday, September 06, 2024   No comments

An American citizen was killed on Friday by Israeli army gunfire in the town of Beita in the Nablus Governorate, north of the occupied West Bank.

Fouad Nafaa, director of Rafidia Governmental Hospital, told Anadolu Agency that an American citizen arrived at the hospital with a bullet wound to the head (...) She underwent resuscitation but was martyred.

Eyewitnesses told Anadolu Agency that the Israeli army fired live ammunition at Palestinians while they were participating in an activity denouncing settlements on Mount Sabih in the town of Beita, south of Nablus.

In turn, the official Palestinian news agency “Wafa” reported that the activist holds American citizenship and volunteers as part of the “Faz’a” campaign to support and protect Palestinian farmers from violations by the occupation and settlers.

The residents of the town of Beita organize a weekly march after Friday prayers to denounce Israeli settlements, demanding the evacuation of the Avitar settlement built on the summit of Mount Sabih.

AP reported on the same event today, Friday.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Media Review: The world mourns 6 dead and ignores 40,000 dead--Haaretz

Media Review: The world mourns 6 dead and ignores 40,000 dead--Haaretz

    Thursday, September 05, 2024   No comments

Israel and the world are mourning the six Israeli detainees who were killed, and their names, photos, life stories and families are making the news, even though they are only the tip of the iceberg of the war in Gaza, and only a small part of its victims. This is how Gideon Levy began his column in Haaretz, saying sarcastically that Hirsch Goldberg Polin and Eden Yerushalmi became celebrities despite their captivity and after their death, just as the world mourned the dead Israeli prisoners, “How could it not be when they were six beautiful young men who went through the hell of captivity before being brutally executed,” Levy added.

Levy was surprised by the astonishing contradiction between the wide coverage of their lives and deaths, and the ignoring of the similar fate of people of their age who are no less innocent, honest and beautiful, and who represent innocent victims on the Palestinian side.

Although the world is shocked by the fate of Gaza, it has never shown similar respect for the Palestinian victims. Neither US President Joe Biden has invited the relatives of the Palestinians who were martyred, even if they hold American citizenship, like the Goldberg and Pullins families, nor has the United States demanded the release of the thousands of kidnapped Palestinians who are being held by Israel without trial.

It is strange that a young Israeli woman killed at the Nova Festival arouses more sympathy and compassion in the world than a teenage refugee from Jabalia, as Levy says, commenting that Israelis are more like “the world.”

They also have names and hopes

If everything has been said about the neglect and concealment of the suffering of the Palestinians in the Israeli public discourse, what has been said is not enough - according to Levy - because the Palestinian killed in Gaza had a face, a name and a life story, and because the 17,000 children killed in the Strip since the beginning of the war also had hopes, dreams and families destroyed by their deaths.

However, the deaths of these people do not matter to the majority of Israelis, and some even rejoice in them, while the world outside Israel views them as horrible victims who have no names or faces, which is astonishing and indicates a loss of humanity, according to the writer.

It is not difficult - as Levy says - to imagine the feelings of the people of Gaza in the face of a world shaken by the deaths of 6 Israeli detainees without any interest in the 40,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza, and without any talk about the non-Israeli detainees.

"What about the hundreds and thousands of Palestinian abductees from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank? What about the administrative detainees who are being held without trial? What about the 'illegal combatants' and innocent workers who were caught and are being held in hellish conditions?" the writer asked.

They too, says Gideon Levy, have anxious families who do not know what has happened to them for the past 10 months. They too are denied visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross, and some of their stories are no less telling than the video of Eden Yerushalmi, which Hamas released this week.

Source: Haaretz

Media review, CNN: "Israel’s military tells Gaza residents to go home but they find only rubble"

Media review, CNN: "Israel’s military tells Gaza residents to go home but they find only rubble"

    Sunday, September 01, 2024   No comments

For the first time since the Israeli military began ground operations in Gaza in October, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has sent out messages to people’s phones and on social media saying that the residents of some areas can return to their neighborhoods.

The IDF posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday that people who had been ordered to leave three neighborhoods of Deir Al Balah in central Gaza could go home.

CNN interviewed a number of families who had returned to find scenes of destruction.

One man, Abdulfattah Al Bourdaini, said: “We came home and found nothing, no power, no gas, no house, and we cannot change our clothes.”

All he had been able to salvage was a teddy bear for the son he hoped one day to have.

“I am penniless like the day I was born,” Al Bourdaini said. “I have nothing. I came to check on my house, didn’t find a house or anything, nothing is left… There is nothing left to cry about.”

‘Nothing is left’: Israel’s military tells Gaza residents to go home but they find only rubble.

The White House spread false optimism about a cease fire deal for a political reason

The White House spread false optimism about a cease fire deal for a political reason

    Thursday, August 22, 2024   No comments

Israeli military analyst Amos Harel said on Thursday that Washington may have deliberately spread false optimism about the possibility of achieving progress in the prisoner swap negotiations to persuade Iran to postpone its revenge against Israel, noting that Iran and Hezbollah may finally launch their attack after the chances of concluding a deal began to evaporate soon.

In an article published in Haaretz, Harel wrote that it is difficult to know the extent to which Washington is convinced of the possibility of achieving progress in recent weeks, but the end of Secretary of State Anthony Blinken's visit to Israel heralded a new phase in which the chances of concluding a deal have declined, according to him.

He added that despite this, the visit achieved its goal of ensuring that there would be no attack by Iran and Hezbollah with the opening of the Democratic Party conference in Chicago, in his opinion.

He stated that the administration of US President Joe Biden deliberately published optimistic estimates of the possibility of achieving progress, in an attempt to persuade the Iranians not to launch their attack, but this may have backfired on them, as the basic problems have not been resolved and the negotiations are stalled after Washington introduced amendments to the draft deal that serve Israel.

*

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced that the death toll from the Israeli strikes has risen to 40,265 deaths and 93,144 injuries since October 7, 2023.

The ministry monitored in its daily statistical report that the occupation committed 4 massacres against Palestinian families, of which 42 martyrs and 163 injuries arrived at hospitals during the past 24 hours.

The ministry indicated that a number of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads, and ambulance and civil defense crews cannot reach them.

  

Richard Medhurst: I was arrested at Heathrow Airport as a “Terrorist” for My Journalism

Richard Medhurst: I was arrested at Heathrow Airport as a “Terrorist” for My Journalism

    Tuesday, August 20, 2024   No comments

The British journalist revealed on X his treatment by the authorities after being arrested under Section 12 of the U.K.’s Terrorism Act.

The arrest on Aug. 15, came eight days after the F.B.I. raided the home of journalist and CN columnist Scott Ritter in the United States. 

Section 12 of the British Terrorism Act criminalizes holding certain opinions or beliefs. It reads: 

“12 Support.

(1) A person commits an offence if—

(a) he invites support for a proscribed organisation, and

(b) the support is not, or is not restricted to, the provision of money or other property (within the meaning of section 15).

[F1(1A) A person commits an offence if the person—

(a) expresses an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation, and

(b ) in doing so is reckless as to whether a person to whom the expression is directed will be encouraged to support a proscribed organisation.]”

Al-Azhar, Sistani, world condemn the "massacre of worshippers" in Gaza

Al-Azhar, Sistani, world condemn the "massacre of worshippers" in Gaza

    Saturday, August 10, 2024   No comments

Al-Azhar condemned the "massacre of worshipers" that claimed the lives of more than 100 martyrs who had taken refuge in a school building in the Al-Daraj neighborhood in Gaza City. The highest Shiite authority in Iraq, Ali al-Sistani, also condemned the massacre, saying that it is added to the series of crimes of the Israeli occupation.

Al-Azhar said in a statement published today, Saturday, on its official account on the social networking platform "X" that it confirms "that this treacherous criminal act that targeted innocent civilians who were standing before God in performing the dawn prayer, along with their women, children and elderly; is a crime that all human languages ​​are unable to express its cruelty, heinousness and barbarism."

Al-Azhar added that this massacre "is devoid of all meanings of mercy and humanity," as "this enemy has gone too far in killing the weak and innocent, starving them to death, and has become adept at blowing up their homes and bombing their shelters, in full view of the international community that has been paralyzed and unable to stand up to the terrorism of this brutal entity and its supporters."

After expressing his condolences for the martyrs of the massacre, Al-Azhar called on "all free people of the world to continue to pressure this terrorist entity by all means, to stop its crimes and the acts of genocide that it practices daily against the owners of the land in Palestine." He added: "Let everyone know that history will not have mercy on those who are complacent and silent about these heinous crimes."

In the same context, the highest Shiite authority in Iraq, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, condemned today, Saturday, the major massacre committed by the occupation in the Tabi'in School, and said in a statement issued by his office: "Once again, the Israeli occupation army committed a major massacre in the proud Gaza Strip by targeting those sheltered by (the Tabi'in School) of displaced and homeless people... in a horrific crime that is added to its series of crimes that have been ongoing for more than 10 months."

Al-Sistani called on "the world - once again - to stand up to this terrible savagery," and especially "the Islamic peoples... to unite and unite to pressure to stop the war of extermination in Gaza."

By targeting the "Tabi'in School," the number of schools sheltering displaced people that the Israeli army bombed in Gaza City alone in one week has risen to 6, which has left a large number of martyrs and wounded.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell described Israel's "fatal strike" on Saturday at dawn on a school housing displaced people in Gaza as "horrific," saying he was "horrified" by the images of the massacre.

"Images coming from a school housing displaced people in Gaza that was hit by a horrific Israeli airstrike, with dozens of Palestinian casualties reported," Borrell wrote on the X platform.

"At least 10 schools have been targeted in recent weeks. There is no justification for these massacres," he added, stressing that "a ceasefire in Gaza is the only way to stop the killing of civilians and secure the release of hostages."

For her part, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, said that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in one school after another in the Gaza Strip, with American and European weapons, amidst the indifference of all "civilized nations."

Arab and international condemnations of the "Fajr Massacre" against worshippers in Gaza

Arab and international reactions condemned the Israeli aggression that targeted worshipers at dawn today, Saturday, in the "Al-Tabi'een" school that houses displaced people in the Al-Daraj neighborhood in Gaza City, which resulted in the death of more than 100 martyrs and dozens of injuries.

Syria: "Israel's" crimes will increase the determination of the people of this region to resist it

The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the horrific massacre in the Al-Daraj neighborhood in the middle of the Gaza Strip, stressing that "the entity's persistence in shedding the blood of innocents in Palestine, Lebanon and Syria will increase the determination of the people of this region to resist the occupation and respond to its crimes, despite all the Western support it enjoys."

The Syrian Foreign Ministry saluted this legendary steadfastness of the Palestinian people in the face of their occupiers over the decades, while affirming its firm and strong support for them in their just struggle.

Lebanon: "Israel" intentionally prolongs and expands the war

The Lebanese Foreign Ministry condemned in the "strongest terms" the occupation forces' targeting of the "Tabi'een" school, which houses defenseless displaced Palestinians in Gaza City.

The Lebanese Foreign Ministry confirmed that the deliberate killing of these huge numbers of civilians provides conclusive evidence of "Israel's" intention to prolong and expand the war.

For its part, the Beirut Scholars Association said that the crime of the "Tabi'een" school is a described crime that requires the global conscience to put an end to the genocide that the "Nero of the age" is determined to carry out.

The association stressed that "the cost of confrontation, despite the enormity of the brutality, remains less than the humiliating submission that the Israeli occupation seeks to impose on us by force," stressing that "we have no choice but to confront and resist, no matter how high the price and how great the sacrifices."

She also held all supporters of this "criminal Israeli entity that thirsts for murder and is insatiable for bloodshed" responsible for the massacres, saying: "What kind of world do we live in that falsely, hypocritically claims civilization and human rights?"

Yemen: For a strong, deterrent, and earth-shattering response to the occupation

The head of the Sana'a negotiating delegation, Mohammed Abdul Salam, condemned the massacre at the "Al-Tabi'in" school prayer hall in the Al-Daraj neighborhood in the center of Gaza City, saying: "We strongly condemn this Zionist fascism and denounce the United States' continued provision of full support to Israel to continue committing crimes of genocide against the people of Gaza."

The head of the Sana'a negotiating delegation pointed out that this brutal massacre committed by the criminal entity is with full American support.

He stressed that Arabs and Muslims bear a great responsibility towards Gaza, while stressing that "shame and fire will befall anyone who neglects his religious and humanitarian duty, and that this neglect encourages the Israeli enemy to continue its unprecedented crimes of genocide."

The Ansar Allah Political Bureau also condemned the new Israeli massacre against worshipers, pointing out that "Arab and Islamic governments are resorting to silence and helplessness as if they do not see, hear or speak in the face of the massacres of the Zionist entity."

The Ansar Allah Political Bureau confirmed that the Israeli occupation entity is persisting in committing bloody massacres, one massacre after another, in an unprecedented violation of Palestinian blood.

He renewed the covenant with Palestine and its people, and stressed that "Yemen continues to provide popular support and military escalation" and will not stop until the aggression on Gaza stops.

For its part, the Yemeni Scholars Association expressed its condemnation of the massacre, and stressed that the occupation's perpetration of a massacre against worshipers at the "Al-Tabi'een" school imposes on all Arab regimes, peoples and armies to carry out the duty of support and declare general mobilization.

It added in a statement, "We mobilize the human conscience and Islamic affiliation in the face of thousands of bloody massacres committed by the Israeli enemy for 10 months against the people of Gaza."

It called on the Jerusalem, Jihad and Resistance Axis to respond with a strong, deterrent and devastating response to the occupation.

Iraq: The world must stand up to the brutality of the occupation

The Iraqi presidency condemned the "Al-Tabi'een" massacre, noting that after a series of crimes committed by the occupying entity that usurped the occupied Palestinian territories, the usurping entity returns to commit a new massacre, exploiting the silence of the international community and the major countries concerned with maintaining international balance and influencing the United Nations resolution.

The Iraqi presidency also stressed that the blood of the Palestinian people will continue to be shed as long as the occupying entity's hand remains free from accountability and questioning by the international community.

In turn, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani condemned the massacre, as did the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, which stressed that these repeated attacks against civilians constitute a flagrant violation of international norms and conventions and demonstrate the Israeli entity's disregard for international initiatives aimed at stopping the aggression on Gaza.

It renewed Iraq's full solidarity with the Palestinian people, stressing the need for the international community and Islamic countries in particular to take a firm and unified position to stop these crimes.

Qatar and Saudi Arabia condemn targeting of Al-Tabi'een School

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Israeli occupation forces' targeting of Al-Tabi'een School, expressing its denunciation of the international community's failure to hold "Israel" accountable for these violations.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry stressed the need to stop the mass massacres in the Gaza Strip, which is experiencing an unprecedented humanitarian disaster due to the violations of the Israeli occupation.

The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned in the strongest terms the occupation's bombing of a school housing displaced persons east of Gaza City, which led to the martyrdom and injury of dozens, stressing that this bombing is a horrific massacre and a brutal crime against defenseless civilians.

It called for an urgent international investigation after the Israeli bombing of the school in Gaza.

Egypt: "Israel" lacks political will to end the war

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry, in turn, indicated that "the deliberate killing of defenseless Palestinians is conclusive evidence of the lack of political will on the Israeli side to end the war in Gaza."

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry condemned, in a statement, "Israel's" bombing of the "Al-Tabi'in" school, which houses displaced persons in the Al-Daraj neighborhood east of Gaza City, and also denounced "the continued Israeli attacks against civilians in the Strip, in an unprecedented disregard for the provisions of international law and international humanitarian law."

It called for "a unified and effective international position that provides protection for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, and puts an end to the series of targeting defenseless civilians."

Jordan: Massacre is a violation of international laws

The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned in the "strongest terms" the Israeli bombing of the school, and considered it "a flagrant violation of the rules of international law, and a systematic targeting of civilians and shelters for the displaced."

The official spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sufian Qudah, said that this targeting, which comes at a time when mediators are seeking to resume negotiations, is an indication of the Israeli government's efforts to obstruct ceasefire efforts.

He stressed "the need for the international community to assume its responsibilities, especially the Security Council, to immediately stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza, stop the ongoing and continuous Israeli violations of international law, and hold those responsible accountable."

Iran: The occupation aims to continue the war and thwart the negotiations

The advisor to the leader of the Islamic Revolution for political affairs in Iran, Ali Shamkhani, considered that the sole goal of the occupation entity in killing the worshipers in the "Tabi'in" school in Gaza, and assassinating the martyr Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, is to continue the war and thwart the ceasefire negotiations.

For his part, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanaani, expressed his condemnation of the Israeli aggression on the "Tabi'in" school in Gaza, describing it as "brutal" and a clear example of the crimes of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity that are being committed simultaneously.

The spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry also stressed that "the continuation of these Zionist attacks proves once again that the occupation is not committed to any international resolutions and moral and humanitarian principles."

Kanaani stressed that the only way to confront this murderous entity is "taking firm and decisive action by Islamic countries and the free people of the world in practical support for the Palestinian people and their resistance struggle."

Turkey said, "Israel committed a massacre" Turkey, for its part, condemned the massacre, stressing that "Israel committed a new crime against humanity by slaughtering more than 100 civilians who took refuge in a school."

In a 'Difficult' call, Netanyahu told Biden: "as Prime Minister of Israel, I act solely according to the security needs of the State of Israel"

In a 'Difficult' call, Netanyahu told Biden: "as Prime Minister of Israel, I act solely according to the security needs of the State of Israel"

    Friday, August 02, 2024   No comments

Axios reported that US President Joe Biden asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a "difficult" phone call between them on Thursday, to stop escalating tensions in the region, following the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah military commander Fouad Shukr. One US official said that Biden warned Netanyahu that if he escalated again, he should not rely on the United States to save him.

Axios quoted a senior Israeli official as saying that Biden raised his voice during the call and told Netanyahu that he wanted him to reach an agreement within a week or two.

A source familiar with the matter told the website that the US president told Netanyahu that the region is currently at a turning point and that every effort needs to be made to end the war in Gaza and achieve regional stability, even if the agreement is not ideal.

In contrast, the website quoted Netanyahu’s office as saying that the Israeli prime minister assured Biden that he is only working according to Israel’s security requirements. His office reported that "Prime Minister Netanyahu told President Biden that he appreciates the American support, and as Prime Minister of Israel he acts solely according to the security needs of the State of Israel."

Meanwhile, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said that great tension dominated a meeting Netanyahu held with the Israeli negotiating team on Wednesday.

The head of the Shin Bet internal security service, Ronen Bar, was quoted as saying to Netanyahu during the meeting, “We feel that you are sending us to negotiate, and then you are making changes to the outlines of the deal.”

Meanwhile, The New York Times published a dramatic editorial declaring "Netanyahu has Gone Rogue",  and explaining that by "Ignoring the condemnation of allies, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel is forcing the pace of the war and feeding the revolt of the far right."

Media review: How did Israel track and assassinate leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah?

Media review: How did Israel track and assassinate leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah?

    Friday, August 02, 2024   No comments

There are many theories now being floated by both government sources and media outlets trying to explain the surgical strikes Israel undertook to assassinate leaders of Hamas and other armed factions. Here is a review of what is now circulating in news outlets and on social media platforms.

Iranian agency: Haniyeh was assassinated by a shell that hit his residence

The Iranian Fars News Agency confirmed that the assassination of the head of the political bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Ismail Haniyeh, was carried out by a shell that hit his residence, destroying part of its roof and windows. 

It added that investigations confirmed that Israel planned and carried out the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh.

The New York Times reported that American officials secretly admitted that Israel assassinated Haniyeh in the Iranian capital, Tehran, yesterday, Wednesday.

The newspaper explained that the American officials’ statement came despite the fact that Israel did not announce its adoption of the assassination and refused to comment on the incident publicly.

In contrast, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari claimed on Thursday that the army did not launch any airstrikes on Iran or any other country in the Middle East on Wednesday.

In response to a question about the assassination of Haniyeh, he said in a press conference, “We did not attack Iran from the air.”

He added, “We killed (the prominent Hezbollah leader) Fouad Shukr in Lebanon, but there was no other Israeli airstrike in the entire Middle East after that.”

However, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards said in a statement that technical investigations show that Haniyeh's assassination was carried out with a short-range projectile with a warhead weighing 7.5 kilograms, fired from outside the place where the martyr Haniyeh lived.

Was a third country involved in the assassination? 

Initially, an Iranian source revealed that the martyrdom of the head of the political bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran "was carried out by a missile launched from one country to another, not from within Iran."

For his part, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanaani, confirmed that the relevant Iranian authorities are continuing "the necessary investigations to determine the dimensions and details of this incident."

Kanaani said: "There is no doubt that the pure blood of this mujahid, who spent his life in jihad and honorable struggle against the usurping Zionist entity, and on the path to liberating holy Jerusalem and liberating the Palestinian people, will not go in vain."

He added: "Haniyeh's martyrdom in Tehran will strengthen the deep and solid relations between Iran, Palestine and the resistance even more."

Western Sources' explanations

In parallel, the New York Times and the American website Axios published another story, confirming Israel's responsibility for Haniyeh's assassination, but claiming that the assassination was carried out by an explosive device planted by Mossad agents in his room, and detonated remotely.

Public Data Analasys based explanation

The competing explanations open the door to speculations given the precision and the timing of the assassination. An alternative theory based on available information that is in the public domain suggest that Israel is using the phones of associates to track the persons Israel has placed on its assassination list. Such analysis suggests that, in its recent assassinations, Israel's security forces targeted the leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah by tracking the phone numbers of their companions. Because the high value targets who know that they are on the assassination list are not allowed to use mobile phones, Israel was unable to locate and assassinate them in the past. 

However, a security lapse happened after Israel assassinated the children and grandchildren of Ismail Haniyeh few months ago. Hamas sources broadcasted a video of the moment when Haniyeh received the news of the murder of his family members. In the clip, it showed him receiving the call on someone else's phone and listening to it. 

As the primary leader leading the investigation, Haniyeh used his aid's phone to keep in touch with the Qatari leaders. That number was likely used to track Haniyeh's movement.

The same strategy was replicated elsewhere, Israel stopped trying to locate the persons it wanted to assassinate directly, and focused on tracking their aids who are often in close contact with the targeted person.

This theory explains the precision and speed with which Israel carried out the recent assassination.

 Theories that suggest the use of human intelligence and agents presence on the ground cannot explain the speed and precision. The above theory is bolstered by the unusual step taken by the Israeli government limiting the use of phones by government officials, as reported in Israeli media.

Israel distributes special phones to ministers

The Israeli government has decided to distribute satellite phones to ministers and senior officials. The move aims to limit security threats and to ensure that ministers stay connected in the case of damage sustained by the regular communications network during an attack from Iran and Hezbollah. The latter explanation was opined by the media. The government did not comment.

The Maariv newspaper said: "The government is taking an unusual step, for fear that the communications networks will be damaged in an Iranian attack."

  

Türkiye: Erdogan denounces Congress' reception of 'Hitler of our time'

Türkiye: Erdogan denounces Congress' reception of 'Hitler of our time'

    Friday, July 26, 2024   No comments

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced the US Congress' hosting of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Erdogan said on Friday during an introductory meeting on the high-tech promotion program at the Ataturk Cultural Center in Istanbul, "Imagine that Congress applauds a murderer who has killed nearly 40,000 children, women and elderly people," in full view of the entire world.

He described Netanyahu as "a murderer and perpetrator of genocide against the Palestinian people," in the war that the occupation has been waging for nearly 10 months on the Gaza Strip.

Erdogan added that those who "have always taught the world lessons in democracy and human rights" "did not feel an ounce of shame while celebrating the Hitler of our time."

On Wednesday, Netanyahu delivered a speech before Congress amidst mass demonstrations against his visit to Washington and denouncing the Israeli war of extermination against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu focused on attacking the demonstrations against him and the war, claiming that "Iran is funding the demonstrators outside Congress now" and that they also want to destroy the United States" during a large part of his speech.

 

Palestinian factions sign 'Beijing Declaration'; agree to form an "interim national reconciliation government"

Palestinian factions sign 'Beijing Declaration'; agree to form an "interim national reconciliation government"

    Tuesday, July 23, 2024   No comments

The Palestinian factions announced at the conclusion of meetings held in China their agreement to reach a "comprehensive national unity" that includes all forces within the framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and to form an interim national consensus government.

The factions participating in the meeting: Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Palestinian People's Party, the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front, and the Palestinian National Initiative Movement.

The meeting was also attended by the Popular Front - General Command, the Palestinian Democratic Union (FIDA), the Palestine Liberation Front, the Arab Liberation Front, the Arab Palestinian Front, and the Vanguard of the Popular Liberation War (Sa'iqa Forces).

The factions said in a statement: "The national factions agreed during their meetings in China to reach a comprehensive Palestinian national unity that includes all Palestinian forces and factions within the framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and to commit to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with United Nations resolutions, and to guarantee the right of return in accordance with Resolution 194."

She added: "Based on the National Accord Agreement signed in Cairo on May 4, 2011, and the Algiers Declaration signed on October 12, 2022, the factions decided to continue following up on the implementation of the agreements to end the division with the help of Egypt, Algeria, China and Russia."

The factions specified in the statement four items related to following up on the implementation of the agreements to end the division, the first of which is the commitment to "the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions, especially resolutions 181 and 2334, and ensuring the right of return in accordance with resolution 194."

As for the second, according to the statement, it stipulates "the right of the Palestinian people to resist and end the occupation in accordance with international laws and the United Nations Charter and the right of peoples to self-determination and their struggle to achieve this in all available forms."

The third is based on "forming a temporary national accord government with the agreement of the Palestinian factions and by a decision of the president based on the Palestinian Basic Law in force, and for the formed government to exercise its powers and authorities over all Palestinian territories in a manner that confirms the unity of the West Bank, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip."

The statement said that the expected government "will begin by unifying all institutions in the territories of the Palestinian state and begin rebuilding the sector, and preparing for holding general elections under the supervision of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission as soon as possible in accordance with the approved elections law."

In the fourth item, the factions said in the statement: "In order to deepen the political partnership in bearing national responsibility and in order to develop the institutions of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the agreement was confirmed to activate and regulate the temporary unified leadership framework for partnership in political decision-making, in accordance with what was agreed upon in the Palestinian National Accord Document signed on May 4, 2011, until the practical steps to form the new National Council are implemented in accordance with the approved elections law."

In this context, the factions agreed in Beijing to "resist and thwart attempts to displace Palestinians from their land, and to emphasize the illegitimacy of settlements and settlement expansion in accordance with the resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly of the United Nations and the opinion of the International Court of Justice."

The factions also agreed to "work to lift the brutal siege on Gaza and the West Bank, and the importance of delivering humanitarian and medical aid without restrictions or conditions," in addition to "supporting the families of martyrs and the wounded and all those who lost their homes and property."

The statement indicated that the factions agreed on "a collective mechanism to implement the provisions of the declaration in all its aspects," without announcing this mechanism.

The factions also considered "the meeting of the secretaries-general a starting point for the work of the joint national teams and decided to set a timetable for implementing this declaration; without mentioning it," according to the statement.

For his part, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi confirmed on Tuesday that 14 Palestinian factions have reached an agreement to form an "interim national reconciliation government" to manage the Gaza Strip after the war.

Wang explained, during the signing of the "Beijing Declaration" in the Chinese capital, that the most important point in the agreement is the formation of this government. He also pointed out that "reconciliation is an internal matter for the Palestinian factions, but at the same time it cannot be achieved without the support of the international community."

The Chinese minister expressed China's keenness to play a constructive role in "maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East."

The secretaries-general of the factions held two meetings during the past few years, the first in the Lebanese capital Beirut on September 3, 2020, and the second in the Egyptian city of El Alamein on July 30, 2023.

The Chinese government spokesperson, according to Chinese media, supported and guided the work to the meeting. Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated in his speech, the most important consensus of this dialogue is achieving grand reconciliation and unity among all 14 factions. The core outcome is the clear recognition that the PLO is the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. 

The most notable highlight is the consensus reached on post-war governance in Gaza and the formation of a temporary national reconciliation government. The strongest call is for the genuine establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on relevant UN resolutions, the spokesperson said.

Wang also proposed a "three-step" initiative in response to the current Gaza conflict. 

The first step is to achieve a comprehensive, lasting, and sustainable cease-fire in Gaza as soon as possible, ensuring smooth access to humanitarian aid and relief. 

The second step is to jointly promote post-war governance in Gaza, adhering to the principle of "Palestinians governing Palestinians." 

The third step is to push for Palestine to become a full member of the United Nations and begin implementing the "two-state solution." These three steps are interlinked and indispensable.

Media Review: Washington Post | The Israeli army is "exhausted to the core" and the invasion of Lebanon is a trap for an endless war

Media Review: Washington Post | The Israeli army is "exhausted to the core" and the invasion of Lebanon is a trap for an endless war

    Monday, July 15, 2024   No comments

 The American newspaper "Washington Post" reported on Monday that the Israeli "army", exhausted by the war in the Gaza Strip, is now looking with caution at the war on the northern front with Hezbollah.

The newspaper said that Israeli leaders say that they "do not want a war in Lebanon, but they are prepared for any scenario," but now that their resources have been depleted in the war against the Gaza Strip, the soldiers are "exhausted and unprepared for a new front in the north."

The newspaper pointed out that the Israeli war against Hamas "did not lead to its defeat, and Netanyahu is politically besieged and has not yet determined his exit strategy from the war."

The Washington Post also noted that Hezbollah is professional and that "Israel" will face from Lebanon "an enemy that is larger, better armed and more professional than Hamas in the Gaza Strip." The northern settlements remain deserted as pressure from displaced Israelis increases on the government to move to return them.

Israeli military leaders have been developing plans to attack Lebanon for months. Earlier, outgoing War Cabinet member Benny Gantz and others had asked Netanyahu to allow an Israeli incursion into Lebanon in March, but Netanyahu was hesitant.

Full destruction in the Shuja'iyya neighbourhood in the eastern Gaza Strip

Full destruction in the Shuja'iyya neighbourhood in the eastern Gaza Strip

    Monday, July 08, 2024   No comments

 

Aerial footage reveals the extent of the destruction in the Shuja'iyya neighbourhood in the eastern Gaza Strip after the latest Israeli ground attack.

Media review: Gaza War, Famine, Israeli troops documenting themselves committing war crimes, and the terrifying war between Hezbollah and Israel

Media review: Gaza War, Famine, Israeli troops documenting themselves committing war crimes, and the terrifying war between Hezbollah and Israel

    Friday, July 05, 2024   No comments

Despite the consequential events happening around the world, Gaza remains the central issue driving the news for the ninth month. Even in national elections in France, UK, and Iran (and the US Nov. elections), candidates were forced to answer questions related to the war in Gaza, and in the UK, many candidates campaigned and won on a platform that put ending the suffering in Gaza on top of the list. Here are some news stories from this week.

12 US officials who resigned denounce Biden's policy towards Gaza

12 US officials who resigned denounce Biden's policy towards Gaza

    Tuesday, July 02, 2024   No comments

Twelve US government officials who resigned over the Biden administration’s stance on the war in Gaza have issued a joint statement denouncing Biden’s Gaza policy, which they said has failed and poses a threat to US national security.

The statement added that the current crisis illustrates the damage that the current US policy in Gaza is causing to the Palestinians, Israel, and US national security.

The statement considered that the US diplomatic cover for Israel and the ongoing flow of weapons are undeniable complicity in the killing and starvation of the besieged Palestinian population in Gaza.

The statement also said that this stubborn policy threatens the United States and the lives of its soldiers and diplomats, as was evident in the killing of 3 US service members in Jordan last January.

The statement stressed that this policy severely undermines the credibility of the United States around the world.

The officials who signed the statement are:

Maryam Hassanein, who was a special assistant at the Department of Interior, quit her job on Tuesday. She slammed Biden's foreign policy, describing it as "genocide-enabling" and dehumanizing toward Arabs and Muslims. Israel denies genocide allegations.

Mohammed Abu Hashem, a Palestinian American, said last month he ended a 22-year career in the U.S. Air Force. He said he lost relatives in Gaza in the ongoing war, including an aunt killed in an Israeli air strike in October.

Riley Livermore, who was a U.S. Air Force engineer, said in mid-June that he was leaving his role. "I don't want to be working on something that can turn around and be used to slaughter innocent people," he told the Intercept news website.

Stacy Gilbert, who served in the State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, left in late May. She said she resigned over an administration report to Congress that she said falsely stated Israel was not blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Alexander Smith, a contractor for USAID, quit in late May, opens new tab, alleging censorship after the U.S. foreign aid agency canceled publication of his presentation on maternal and child mortality among Palestinians. The agency said it had not gone through proper review and approval.

Lily Greenberg Call, a Jewish political appointee, resigned in May, having served as a special assistant to the chief of staff in the Interior Department. "As a Jew, I cannot endorse the Gaza catastrophe," she wrote in the Guardian, opens new tab.

Anna Del Castillo, a deputy director at the White House's Office of Management and Budget, departed in April and became the first known White House official to leave the administration over policy toward Gaza.

Hala Rharrit, an Arabic language spokesperson for the State Department, departed her post in April in opposition to the United States' Gaza policy, she wrote on her LinkedIn page.

Annelle Sheline resigned from the State Department's human rights bureau in late March, writing in a CNN article, opens new tab that she was unable to serve a government that "enables such atrocities."

Tariq Habash, a Palestinian American, quit as special assistant in the Education Department's office of planning in January. He said the Biden administration was turning a "blind eye" to atrocities in Gaza.

Harrison Mann, a U.S. Army major and Defense Intelligence Agency official, resigned in November over Gaza policy and went public with his reasons in May.

Josh Paul, director of the State Department's bureau of political military affairs, left in October in the first publicly known resignation, citing what he described as Washington's "blind support" for Israel.

Background: Israel launched its offensive in Gaza after Hamas fighters stormed settlements on the other side of the security fence built by Israel to blockade the Strip on 7 October. The attack resulted in the killing of about 1,200 people and detaining of 250 soldiers and civilians.

However, over time, 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 factions.

Meanwhile, the US officials finally acknowledged that Israel has been using Palestinians as human shield; yet, they refuse to call for independent investigation.

US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel tells reporters that they have seen disturbing reports about the Israeli military using civilians as human shields.

He said the US calls Israel again to quickly investigate and ensure accountability for any violations.

He added that the Israeli army had said that it is investigating the video and that it does not reflect its values because it is a violation of its orders and procedures.

Media Review: The key to calm with Lebanon is in Gaza, and Israeli plans to divide the Strip

Media Review: The key to calm with Lebanon is in Gaza, and Israeli plans to divide the Strip

    Tuesday, July 02, 2024   No comments

International newspapers and news websites have highlighted Israeli plans to divide the Gaza Strip into separate security zones, the repercussions of an open war between Israel and Lebanon if it breaks out, and the way to calm down on that front.

The American newspaper "Wall Street Journal" spoke about Israeli plans to divide the Gaza Strip into islands and separate security zones in which unsuspecting Palestinians live, allowing the Israeli army to move freely.

The newspaper indicated that retired Israeli officers, academics, and politicians participated in formulating these ideas, and pointed out that these plans reveal harsh facts, including that the Palestinians may remain besieged indefinitely in narrow areas of the Strip.

In turn, the French newspaper "Le Monde" discussed Britain's efforts to prevent the International Criminal Court from issuing arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Galant.

The newspaper wondered about London's intentions in doing so and whether it was a maneuver to buy time, noting that Attorney General Karim Khan's request to issue an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and Galant was not welcomed in Western capitals, especially Washington.

While the National Interest website believes that all the scenarios proposed between the Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel indicate that war has become inevitable, the website quoted writer Alexandre Langlois warning that if war breaks out, it will drag the United States into it and destroy the entire Middle East.

Meanwhile, the Swiss newspaper Le Temps editorial said that the key to calm in Lebanon lies in Gaza, explaining that the war between Israel and Hezbollah seems imminent, but the solution to avoid it is also clear, which is to put an end to the war in Gaza.

The newspaper added that the Americans know this and are trying to bypass Netanyahu in favor of his political rival Yoav Galant, and the Europeans are also aware of this but are content with warning their citizens of the dangers, according to the newspaper.

A report by the Washington Post also addressed the conditions of the Palestinians in Gaza who were able to flee to Egypt, and said that they survived the war but are unable to build a future for themselves, adding that most of them live in a state of confusion without a clear legal status and without hope of reaching another destination.

Regarding the situation in the West Bank, an investigation published by the New York Times revealed the great panic and terror that Palestinians are subjected to at the hands of settlers, noting that this violence, unlike what is prevalent in many parts of the world, is supported by the state and carried out with American weapons.

Media review: NYT's Friedman, "Biden must push Israel to accept Hamas' demands"

Media review: NYT's Friedman, "Biden must push Israel to accept Hamas' demands"

    Tuesday, June 18, 2024   No comments

American journalist Thomas Friedman confirmed that the Israeli occupation entity is currently living in "existential danger", at a time when the axis of resistance has managed to "tighten its grip on Israel", while "the latter has no military or diplomatic response".

In an opinion piece he wrote in the American newspaper "The New York Times", Friedman warned of the danger of war with Hezbollah on "Israel", noting that the Islamic resistance in Lebanon is armed with precision missiles capable of destroying large areas of the Israeli infrastructure.

Friedman explained that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "leads Israel, while he must remain in power, in order to avoid the possibility of being sent to prison on corruption charges", at a time when the occupation faces the possibility of war breaking out on several fronts.

According to him, Netanyahu, in order to remain in power and avoid prison, "sold his soul in order to form a government with right-wing extremists, who insist that Israel must fight in Gaza until Hamas is eliminated, in order to achieve complete victory", as they claim.

Now, the Israeli "war cabinet" has collapsed, due to "Netanyahu's lack of a plan to end the war and safely withdraw from the Gaza Strip," while "extremists in his government coalition are looking forward to their next steps to reach power," according to Friedman.

While the American journalist pointed out that these extremist ministers "caused a lot of damage," he warned that "no friend (of Israel) should participate in this circus," as he described it.

In this context, Friedman stressed the need to form a new government in "Israel" and remove Netanyahu from the position of Prime Minister, through new elections.

The American journalist also expressed his support for what former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak confirmed in the American newspaper Haaretz last Thursday, which is that "Israel is facing the most serious crisis in its history."

In light of this, Friedman warned that "every American should be concerned about this matter," explaining that it represents "a recipe for dragging the United States into a war in the Middle East to help Israel."

In this context, Friedman believed that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken "should not make another trip to the Middle East without the agreement of both Israel and Hamas on a clear plan to end the war."

While acknowledging the need for US President Joe Biden to push the occupation to submit to Hamas's conditions to stop the war, Friedman stressed that "Biden must tell Israel that it must accept Hamas's main demand: to end the war completely now, and withdraw from the Gaza Strip, in exchange for the return of all Israeli prisoners."

Friedman believed that ending the war in the Gaza Strip would "lead to reaching an agreement mediated by the US with Hezbollah, in order to calm the war on the northern border."

He added that Netanyahu's idea that some Palestinians, who do not belong to Hamas or the Palestinian Authority, will run the place for "Israel" is "a fantasy." In light of all this, the American journalist stressed that "Israel must leave Gaza," while the head of the Hamas movement in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, continues to run the Strip.

Friedman argued his point of view without even mentioning the human cost of this reckless war that civilians in Gaza have endured for more than 250 days and that may last for months more.

Blinken: Hamas must respond to Biden’s proposal with a single word: yes; Hamas: did Netanyahu respond with a single word: yes?

Blinken: Hamas must respond to Biden’s proposal with a single word: yes; Hamas: did Netanyahu respond with a single word: yes?

    Wednesday, June 12, 2024   No comments

In another visit to the Middle East, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken keeps making general statements about the ceasefire while refusing to provide any specific details; leaving the ceasefire deal in the gray area. In an interview with Aljazeera, a channel watched primarily by more than 50 million Arab speakers in the Middle East, he wanted to blame Hamas for the stalled talks about the ceasefire proposal put forth by Biden. It should be noted that while the Biden administration claims that the proposal came from Israel, Israeli PM Netanyahu and his right-wing ministers have rejected it, which brings the question, how could Israeli leaders reject their own proposal?

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken explained - in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera - that US President Joe Biden presented the outlines of his proposal 12 days ago, and it received support from the United Nations, the Arab League, and all countries in the region, including Israel and the Palestinian Authority, but the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) delayed submitting its response, "which came last night through mediators, and was not as approved as the rest of the parties."

The US Secretary of State stressed that the support of Washington, Qatar and Egypt for the proposal represents the best guarantees to reassure both parties, in addition to the support of the entire international community for this agreement in a rare precedent that reflects the world's determination to end the war. He described the fall of civilian casualties during the operation to recover the four Israeli prisoners from Gaza as "horrific", considering the ceasefire the best way to end the war and return all prisoners, stressing that Washington helped Tel Aviv to determine the places of their detention.

Blinken said Israel has already accepted the deal, and that while "Hamas could have answered with a single word: yes," it has not.

Hamas sharply criticizes Blinken and confirms its positive position

The Islamic Resistance Movement (HamasHamas) said that it showed the positivity required to reach a comprehensive and satisfactory agreement based on the just demands of the Palestinian people, directing sharp criticism at the US administration and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.

Hamas confirmed in a statement that while the US Secretary of State continues to talk about Israel's approval of President Joe Biden's proposal, no Israeli official has been heard talking about this approval.

It pointed out that the world has not heard any welcome or approval from Israel for the Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire.

Hamas pointed out that Blinken's positions, which "attempt to exonerate the occupation, are a continuation of the US policy complicit in the brutal war of extermination" and called on the US Secretary and the Biden administration to pressure the occupation government "which is determined to complete the mission of killing and extermination."

It also said that it dealt positively and responsibly with the latest proposal and all proposals for a ceasefire and the release of detainees.

Hamas pointed out that it agreed to the proposal it received from the mediators on May 5, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by attacking Rafah.

Media review: Haaretz reporting on Israeli forces killing Israeli hostages and "Secret Israeli campaign targeted US lawmakers"

Media review: Haaretz reporting on Israeli forces killing Israeli hostages and "Secret Israeli campaign targeted US lawmakers"

    Thursday, June 06, 2024   No comments

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz published a lengthy report on a secret Israeli influence campaign targeting US lawmakers in an attempt to influence global public opinion on the war in Gaza. The report said that fake accounts and websites published pro-Israel content and incited hatred of Islam. The operation was organized by the "Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs" and run by a political campaign company.

The Israeli government is behind the wide-ranging campaign, which primarily targets young black and progressive lawmakers in the United States and Canada, she explained. The operation, which Haaretz first learned of in March, began after the start of the war on Gaza and was intended to influence certain sectors of public opinion regarding Israel’s behavior.

The influence campaign used disinformation about anti-Semitism on American campuses, and was launched by a private Israeli online political campaign firm called Stoic, which was contracted for the project.

According to sources and information obtained by Haaretz, the operation was carried out by a different party than the Diaspora Ministry, fearing that its exposure would embroil Israel in a crisis.

The campaign began by creating three fake “news sites” that copied reports from official media sources. These sites used X, Facebook and Instagram, which amassed tens of thousands of followers.

At the same time, the people running the operation used hundreds of avatars to aggressively promote alleged articles that served the Israeli narrative, including alleged reports of sexual assault by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and of ties between the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and Hamas.

The follow-up report now shows the full extent of the Israeli influence operation, which has evolved into a “widespread and well-coordinated effort to attack and discredit groups that are traditionally pro-Palestinian. These groups include citizens of Western countries, mainly the United States and Canada, of Muslim origin, using anti-Islam and anti-immigrant content.

It should be noted that many US government offcials have resigned in protest of the US support for the war that has been conducted in violation of International humanitarian law.

Even Israeli current leaders are reported to secretly wanting to end the war in Gaza, according to an Israeil newspaper. 

Earlier, the paper reported that it was Israeli forces who killed Israelis on Oct. 7.

  

Media Review: Haaretz asks, "Did the right-wing celebration of the Rafah massacre reveal the “ugly face” of Israel?"

Media Review: Haaretz asks, "Did the right-wing celebration of the Rafah massacre reveal the “ugly face” of Israel?"

    Tuesday, May 28, 2024   No comments

Some say that the Israeli right's celebration of the massacre of civilians in Rafah is the true ugly face of Israel, making those who believe or actually know that there is a "different Israel" face an impossible challenge in their quest to prove the opposite.

This is what is summarized by an article in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which confirmed at the beginning that the massacre that took place in the Palestinian city of Rafah last Sunday was inevitable, as regardless of how accurate the Israeli military strikes were, and in light of the presence of more than a million Palestinian refugees in the region’s camps, it was inevitable, Sooner or later, this will cause mass human casualties.

 She explained that this Israeli raid caused widespread destruction, killing at least 45 people, and the footage showed civilians floundering in tents surrounded by hell.

 As usual, the article's author, Alison Kaplan Sommer, says Israel's leaders, citizens, and supporters abroad were ready to defend Israel's "moral" army.

 The writer pointed out that they expressed their rejection and denunciation of any accusation that the aggression could have been avoided, or any suggestion that what happened was intentional, including the use of words such as “genocide” or “massacre.”

 Such accusations are “an inaccurate distortion of the truth at best and vile anti-Semitism at worst,” they claim.

 “But before they could do it this time, it became painfully clear from the beginning that their efforts would be in vain,” Sommer said.

 Far-right media voices in Israel soon began celebrating the fires, and thus the deaths of those engulfed in the flames, by jokingly comparing the images to the memorial bonfires lit on Lag Baomer - the Jewish holiday that fell on the same day as the massacre.

 She added that these extremists expressed their happiness that this fire was “the central bonfire in Rafah,” wishing those affected a “Happy Eid,” in tweets that were later deleted, but they will not be forgotten, and will be referred to as evidence that the fire was intentional, and was even celebrated, As she said.

 Sommer explained that the most prominent journalist who fanned the flames of hatred is Yinon Magal, who is constantly proven to be Itamar Ben Gvir by the Israeli media, and it seems that, like the extremist minister, he rejoices and is proud of the insolent manifestations that indicate disdain for the lives of the Palestinians and denial of their humanity.

 She concluded that Ben Gvir and Magal's behavior provides sufficient evidence of malicious intentions to obstruct any attempt by Israel to defend the behavior of its army, which makes erasing the image of "the ugly face of Israel" difficult for those who believe that it has another side.

Spanish Defense Minister: What is happening in Gaza is a real genocide... something that cannot be ignored

Spanish Defense Minister: What is happening in Gaza is a real genocide... something that cannot be ignored

    Saturday, May 25, 2024   No comments

Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles confirmed today, Saturday, that the war on the Gaza Strip is a “true genocide,” in light of the deterioration of relations between “Israel” and Spain, after Madrid’s decision to recognize the Palestinian state.

“We cannot ignore what is happening in Gaza, which is a true genocide,” Robles said during an interview with the official TVE television, pointing out that Madrid’s recognition of a Palestinian state aims to help “end the violence in Gaza.”

Robles' statements came after similar statements from Yolanda Diaz, Spanish Deputy Prime Minister yesterday, who also confirmed that the war on Gaza is genocide.

Diaz pledged to continue pressing, from her position in the government, to defend human rights and put an end to the genocide committed against the Palestinian people.

Diaz's pledge came in a video clip circulated by activists on social media, in which she expressed her welcome of Spain's recognition of the State of Palestine, and stressed that her country's move towards recognizing the Palestinian state, on May 28, is "just the beginning, and we cannot stop at this point."

“We are living in a moment where doing the bare minimum is heroic, but it is not enough at the same time,” added Díaz, who also serves as Minister of Labor and Economy.

She said, "Palestine will be liberated from the river to the sea," referring to the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, between which Palestine lies.

In a related context, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albarez, said in a post on the “X” platform that “the precautionary measures taken by the International Court of Justice, which included the decision to stop the Israeli attack in Rafah, are mandatory,” calling for their implementation. The ICC, too, has moved to issue arrest warrants against Israeli leaders accusing them of crimes against humanity and other war crimes.

Yesterday, the International Court of Justice ordered the Israeli occupation to stop the military attack on Rafah, stressing that any additional military action will lead to partial or total destruction in the region, in accordance with the Genocide Convention, without urging a comprehensive ceasefire in the Strip.

It is noteworthy that Spain, Norway, and Ireland announced, two days ago, officially recognizing the State of Palestine as of May 28, amid Arab welcome and Israeli anger.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday, "If more countries recognize the Palestinian state, this will increase international pressure for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip."

Before this development, European Union member countries had previously recognized the State of Palestine, including Bulgaria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Sweden.