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Scottish Friends of Palestine
Briefing Paper
December 2024
Judicial decrees, decisions, positions, and orders issued by official Israeli bodies:[SOURCE Law for Palestine]
· The Israeli High Court rejected a petition demanding the government release the body of Walid Daqqa, an Arab-Israeli citizen who died in prison after a long battle with cancer. It stated that the decision of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, approved by the security cabinet, to keep hold of Daqqa’s body did not exceed the boundaries of the principles of reasonableness or proportionality. It also viewed that holding Daqqa’s body is a necessary means to use it as leverage in negotiations with Hamas for the return of the hostages abducted on October 7. (September 30, 2024)
· Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced his intention to demand during the Cabinet meeting the expulsion of the families of what he described as the savage terrorists who carried out the attack in Jaffa, from Hebron to Gaza, as well as completely demolish their homes to serve as a warning to others. He emphasized that this would be carried out without the High Court and without the B’Tselem organization. (October 1, 2024)
· Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Israel Katz declared that “UN Secretary-General António Guterres persona non grata in Israel and banned him from entering the country.” He stated that Guterres has not “denounce the massacre and sexual atrocities committed by Hamas murderers on October 7, nor has he led any efforts to declare them a terrorist organization.” Katz noted that Guterres “gives backing to terrorists” and “will be remembered as a stain on the history of the UN.” (October 2, 2024)
· Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced French President Emmanuel Macron’s statements calling for a halt to arms exports to Israel. He claimed that “Israel is defending itself on seven fronts against the enemies of civilization,” adding that “all civilized countries should be standing firmly by Israel’s side.” Netanyahu described Macron’s and other Western leaders’ calls to military support embargo for Israel as a “shame,” stressing that “Israel will win with or without their support, but their shame will continue long after the war is won”. (October 5, 2024)
· The Israeli Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee approved the second and third readings of two proposed bills aimed at banning UNRWA’s operations in Israel. The first bill stipulates the cancellation of the 1967 agreement that allowed UNRWA to operate in Israel, effectively halting the agency’s activities and preventing it from providing any services, either directly or indirectly, in Israel. The second bill prohibits any communication between official Israeli bodies or individuals and UNRWA or any of its representatives. (October 6, 2024)
· Israeli Minister of Transport and Road Safety, Knesset member, and Security Cabinet member, Miri Regev, called for the expulsion of families of those she described as terrorists. She stated that it is time to impose severe penalties to prevent attacks on Israeli territory. Similarly, National Security Minister and Security Cabinet member Itamar Ben-Gvir called for passing a law that mandates the expulsion of the families of terrorists, as he described, emphasizing that this is the necessary course of action during this time. (October 6, 2024)
· In response to reports about the confiscation of land housing UNRWA headquarters in Jerusalem for the construction of thousands of settlement housing units, Israeli Minister of Housing and Construction Yitzhak Goldknopf expressed his satisfaction with the eviction of UNRWA. He stated that the complex, which housed an organization considered supportive of terrorism, will be transformed into a thriving Jewish neighborhood, significantly contributing to the enhancement of Jewish settlement in Jerusalem and helping to address the housing crisis in the city. (October 10, 2024)
· Israeli Knesset member Avigdor Liberman called on the Israeli government to expedite the passage of the bill that would designate UNRWA as aiding terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip and expel them from Israel. (October 10, 2024)
The Associated Press News reported that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a plan to seal off humanitarian aid to northern Gaza in an attempt to “starve out Hamas militants, a plan that, if implemented, could trap without food or water hundreds of thousands of Palestinians unwilling or unable to leave their homes.” The proposed plan involves giving Palestinians a week to leave the northern third of the Gaza Strip, including Gaza City, before declaring the area a closed military zone. According to the plan, those who remain will be considered ‘combatants’, allowing troops to kill them, and will be denied food, water, medicine and fuel. (October 14, 2024)
The Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, stated that polls found that 87% of the Israeli public supports Israel’s decision to declare UN Secretary-General António Guterres a persona non grata and to bar him from entering the country. The minister added, “Guterres can continue seeking support from UN member states, but the decision will not change.” (October 13, 2024)
In response to media reports regarding CBS’s request for its staff not to refer to Jerusalem as being in Israel due to its disputed status, Knesset member Benny Gantz stated that “Jerusalem’s status is clear and undisputed – the eternal capital of the Jewish people. It has been for millennia, and will always remain so.” (October 13, 2024)
Knesset member Avigdor Liberman called on the Israeli government to completely close the crossings between Gaza and Israel and to immediately stop all humanitarian aid, including fuel, electricity, and water, to Hamas in Gaza. He claimed that there is no justification for providing assistance to terrorists while Israeli hostages are held under harsh conditions. Lieberman also claimed that Hamas exploits these resources for terrorist purposes, and every truck that enters enhances its capacity to harm Israel. (October 14, 2024)
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant stated that the actions of French President Emmanuel Macron are a shame on the French people and the values he claims to uphold, emphasizing that France’s decision to exclude Israeli defense industries from France means aiding Israel’s enemies in time of war. Galant noted that this is not the first time in history that France has pursued an antagonistic policy toward the Jewish people, affirming that Israel, with or without France, will continue to fight for its existence and future (October 16, 2024)
The Likud Party, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has extended an invitation to attend an event titled “Preparing to Settle Gaza,” scheduled to take place next week near the Gaza border. The event is part of an initiative launched by the Nahala Movement, known for establishing illegal settlement outposts in the West Bank. The Nahala Movement explained that the event is not just a theoretical conference, but a practical exercise to prepare for the re-establishment of settlements in Gaza, indicating that this return has advanced significantly with both governmental and public support. (October 16, 2024)
The Israeli army announced the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar during a military operation conducted by the army in Rafah, southern Gaza. Following Sinwar’s death, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Hamas will not continue to rule the Gaza Strip, and this marks the next day for Hamas. The Israeli Minister of Communications said that Israel is moving toward complete victory and a future that will witness a historic change in its borders. Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz considered Sinwar’s death as opening the door for the immediate release of hostages and paving the way for the end of Hamas rule and the imposition of a new reality in Gaza. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for increased intense military pressure in Gaza, offering a safe passage and a financial reward for those who return the captives, surrender their weapons, and leave the Strip. He added that after decades, Israel is proving that there is a military solution to terrorism. (October 17, 2024)
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called on Israel’s Prime Minister and coalition members to support the law for the deportation of the families of attackers, which was introduced by the Jewish Power Party (Otzma Yehudit). He claimed that this is the only way to defeat terrorism. (October 27, 2024)
The Knesset Plenum approved, in second and third readings, a bill that prohibits UNRWA from operating representative offices, providing services, or conducting any activities, directly or indirectly, within the sovereign territory of the State of Israel. (October 28, 2024)
At the ‘Middle East Summit’ in Jerusalem, Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced his call for the annexation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the expansion of Israeli settlements deep into Palestinian areas. He stated that Palestinians who support the establishment of a Palestinian state should be forced to emigrate to Arab countries. He emphasized that the presence of Israeli civilians in Gaza is important for Israel’s long-term security. (October 28, 2024)
The Israeli Knesset House Committee approved two laws: the first allows the deportation of family members of “terrorists” if they had prior knowledge or showed support or encouragement for terrorist acts, with a limit of seven years for Israeli citizens and ten years for residents of the occupied territories. The second law amends the Basic Law defining Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, stipulating that no consulates or diplomatic missions may be established in Jerusalem, except for embassies, in order to strengthen Israeli sovereignty over the city. (October 29, 2024)
After statements made by Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken during a conference in London attended by media and human rights NGOs, where he called for sanctions against Israel and its leaders due to Israeli violations in Gaza and the West Bank under international law, describing Palestinian fighters as “freedom fighters” and the aggression in Gaza as a “second Nakba,” Israel’s Justice Minister Yariv Levin called for issuing a censorship bill to criminalize any support for international sanctions on Israel or its leaders, security personnel, and citizens. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that those who support sanctions against Israel and its leaders and refer to Hamas as “freedom fighters” are inciters and supporters of terrorism, claiming they have crossed the boundaries of free speech. He also declared a cessation of all communications between his ministry and Haaretz. Transportation Minister Miri Regev instructed her ministry and all affiliated companies to cut ties with the newspaper, affirming that such statements won’t go unpunished. The Minister of Construction and Housing, Yitzhak Goldknopf, took similar action. (October 31 – November 1, 2024)
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a letter to the President of the UN General Assembly, stating that the State of Israel is withdrawing its request issued to UNRWA, as outlined in the “Exchange of Letters between Israel and UNRWA Constituting a Provisional Agreement Concerning Assistance to Palestine Refugees” dated June 14, 1967. This decision is based on legislation passed by the Israeli Knesset on October 28, 2024. The letter noted that this decision will enter into effect after a three-month period. During this time, Israel will continue working with international partners, including other UN agencies, to ensure the facilitation of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not undermine Israel’s security. (November 3, 2024)
· David Saranga, Director of the Digital Diplomacy Bureau at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that “there are alternatives to UNRWA,” noting Israel’s commitment to international law and ensuring the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza through international organizations free of terrorist activities. (November 5, 2024)
· The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they are getting closer to “the complete evacuation” of northern Gaza and residents will not be allowed to return home. The IDF Brig Gen Itzik Cohen confirmed that humanitarian aid would be allowed to “regularly” enter the south of the Strip but not the north, since there are “no more civilians left.” (November 6, 2024)
· The Israeli Knesset approved a bill to allow the deportation of relatives of those labeled as “terrorists” for up to 20 years. The law grants the interior minister authority to deport family members of “terrorists” if they knew of the crime or failed to prevent it. The law also includes a provision allowing for the imprisonment of minors as young as 12 years old for up to five years if they are convicted of homicide in terrorist acts. (November 7, 2024)
· Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon stated that Donald Trump’s election presents an opportunity to neutralize the cases against Israel in the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the ICJ. He explained that the United States has to put pressure on these bodies that hold a double standard against Israel, stressing that they expect support from the new US administration, including the imposition of sanctions on the two courts. Danon also emphasized that the release of the hostages alone will not be enough to end the war in Gaza, as Israel is committed to dismantling Hamas’s military and governmental capabilities. (November 8, 2024)
· IDF announced its preparation to open the Kissufim crossing to increase the volume of aid to Gaza in accordance with the directive from the political echelon. It noted that this was made possible following engineering work carried out in the area, including building inspection facilities and “protective infrastructure,” and paving roads both in “Israeli territory” and within Gaza. (November 8, 2024)
· Israel submitted a request to the Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC), asking for information to clarify whether there are grounds to doubt the impartiality of Judge Beti Hohler in considering requests for arrest warrants related to Israel. This request is based on the fact that Judge Hoeller had previously worked in the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor before being elected as a judge in December 2023. Israel demanded information on whether Judge Hohler had directly worked on the Palestinian situation during her time in the Prosecutor’s Office. (November 11, 2024)
· Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared that Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential elections presents an opportunity for Israel to apply sovereignty over Jewish settlements in the West Bank. He emphasized that the incoming Trump administration will allow Israel to advance the annexation of settlements, noting that his government has already begun laying the groundwork for this. Smotrich emphasized that the application of sovereignty includes annexing the settlements and extending Israeli civil law to their residents. He further declared that 2025 is the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, claiming that this will prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state and remove the danger of a Palestinian terror state. (November 11, 2024)
· Following the Israeli Knesset Ethics Committee’s decision to impose a six-month suspension on MK Ofer Cassif from participating in parliamentary activities, except for voting, due to his support for South Africa’s genocide lawsuit against Israel and his accusations of Israeli war crimes, Cassif denounced the decision as unjust. He affirmed his refusal to remain silent about what he described as war crimes, massacres, and starvation in Gaza. Cassif stated: “Such is the state of the so called democracy in Israel, that those who chant their support for genocide and celebrate the killing of innocents are considered heroes, while those who fight for justice and peace are persecuted as ‘traitors.’” In the same context, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir criticized the punishment as insufficient, demanding that the terror supporter Ofer Cassif be expelled from the Knesset and deported to Syria. (November 11, 2024)
· Nissim Vaturi, a member of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, stated that the Prime Minister must stop humanitarian aid to Gaza. He confirmed that the Ministerial Committee for Legislation in the Israeli Knesset will approve a draft law banning the display of flags of hostile states, including the Palestinian flag, in institutions funded or supported by the state. Under the proposed law, authorities would be allowed to disperse any gathering where such flags are raised and impose penalties of up to one year in prison, in addition to a minimum fine of 10,000 shekels. (November 14, 2024)
· Commenting on a report published by Maariv Newspaper regarding the role of the Israeli Settlement Directorate in controlling lands in Area C of the West Bank, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that the diligent and professional work of the directorate helps halt Palestinian control over these areas, thereby preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state that he claimed would threaten Israel’s existence. (November 15, 2024)
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Kill them all: Israel’s extermination of Palestinians in Gaza William Van Wagenen The Cradle 24/10/2024
The holocaust engulfing Palestinians in Gaza has reached unimaginable levels of horror, epitomized by a harrowing video that swept across social media of 19-year-old Shaaban al-Dalou, burning to death while still connected to an IV drip. This was no isolated tragedy – it was emblematic of the escalating genocide.
https://thecradle.co/articles/kill-them-all-israels-extermination-of-palestinians-in-gaza
Gaza farmers say deliberate “starvation campaign” Amjad Ayman Yaghi EI 01/10/2024 The farmland Abu Samra owns and cultivates on the eastern edge of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip was bombed repeatedly over the past year and is now unusable for cultivation . . . Abu Samra, who now has to wait for aid from organizations such as the World Food Program in order to eat, used to sell vegetables to markets throughout the Gaza Strip. Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/content/gaza-farmers-say-destruction-deliberate-starvation-campaign/49111
Polio reemerges Fedaa al-Qedra EI 03/10/2024
In August, Gaza’s health ministry announced a first infection with the polio virus in 25 years – conceivably a new strain – affecting a 10-month-old child who had not been vaccinated due to repeated forced displacements. So when Yamen, 7, Malak’s son, suddenly refrained from moving or speaking after the family was forced to flee from al-Maghazi area – their fifth displacement – to the house of a relative in Nuseirat, Malak was worried. Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/content/new-strain-more-strain-polio-reemerges/49171
US admits it doesn’t want diplomatic solution MC Murphy EI 05/10/2024
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller admitted during a press briefing this week that “we’ve never wanted to see a diplomatic resolution with Hamas,” saying that the US was “committed to the destruction” of the Palestinian resistance group.
Miller then said that “I wish that Hamas would come to the table and work with us on a ceasefire” – the implication being that the only such agreement that would be accepted by Washington would be the complete surrender of Hamas. Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/maureen-clare-murphy/us-admits-it-doesnt-want-diplomatic-solution
Israel and the double lie of ‘human shields’ Israel-Palestine News 06/10/2024
For decades now, Israel has systematically used this propaganda device as a trick to justify war crimes, to shift the blame for its crimes to others, to overcome the principle of distinction in humanitarian law, to dehumanize Palestinian victims, and to arm its Western proxies and complicit media companies with ammunition to protect Israeli impunity. But a chain of international investigations reveals two clear conclusions about these charges: First, Palestinian armed groups generally do not use human shields. And, secondly, Israel does.
How Israel killed hundreds of its own Asa Winstanley EI 07/10/2024
Trying to paper over the cracks of its military and intelligence defeat, Israel has also been desperate to cover up another major scandal.That Israel killed hundreds of its own people between 7 and 9 October 2023.The regime ideologically justified this within Israeli society using a well-established national murder-suicide pact known in Israel as the “Hannibal Directive.” The Electronic Intifada today presents a full overview of how Israel killed so many of its own people during the Palestinian offensive. Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/content/how-israel-killed-hundreds-its-own-people-7-october/49216
Unprecedented Israeli airstrike in West Bank Qassam Muaddi 04/10/2024
The eyewitness continued to describe the aftermath, seeing a body hanging from electricity cables and human bodies disfigured and “shredded into pieces.”
“They were completely unrecognizable,” he detailed. “Then the names of the victims began to be identified; one of them was Arkan, the boy I was playing billiards with less than an hour ago. Another was Anwar, who was on his way to buy cigarettes from the store right in front of the cafe when I saw him. Another was Majdi Salem, a child who was playing in front of the cafe, and six were members of the Abu Zahra family — a father, mother, two children ages 5 and 7, and both grandparents, all of them killed in their house on the second floor.”
“We’ve been living through the occupation’s raids for more than a year now, but this was different,” he clarified. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/10/bodies-shredded-into-pieces-unprecedented-israeli-airstrike-in-west-bank-kills-20-including-entire-family/?ml_recipient=134353731857679721&ml_link=134353727991579928
Mustafa Barghouti reflects on the future Mondoweiss Editors M/weiss 7 October 2024 Nobody expected that the second largest and strongest Israeli command brigade, [the Israeli army’s Gaza Brigade] would collapse as it did. That led to many things that, in my opinion, were never planned, such as taking civilians prisoners. There was a certain level of chaos. I didn’t, of course, know that there would be such an attack, but I did expect some sort of explosion [from Gaza], because of the fact that Israel was ignoring any demand to end this state of siege. We witnessed a situation where the Israeli occupation had continued for 57 years. Ethnic cleansing continued for 76 years. The siege on Gaza was becoming unbearable. You’re talking about 17 years of siege on Gaza that led to a situation where people had almost no electricity, only a few hours a day, where 24 percent of the water was either polluted or saltwater, where 80 percent of young graduates were unemployed, and where there was not only a complete economic disaster but a total loss of hope. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/10/mustafa-barghouti-reflects-on-the-future-of-the-palestinian-struggle-in-a-time-of-genocide-and-ethnic-cleansing/?ml_recipient=134625489843128021&ml_link=134625482332177945
Gaza Municipality’s year under fire Asem Alnabih EI 07/10/2024
Gaza Municipality is one of the oldest in Palestine, founded in 1893. Over the decades, it has served the city’s residents despite the difficult conditions and political upheavals Gaza has faced. Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/content/gaza-municipalitys-year-under-fire/49186
Five things we’ve learned since October 7 Noura Erakat M/Weiss 08/10/2024
It is day 329. The situation on the ground in Gaza has only gotten worse. A quarter of a million Palestinians will likely die due to starvation, famine, and disease. In the words of Lara Elborno, every day is the worst day, and worse than what we’ve already witnessed. Systematic sexual assault of Palestinian detainees, burning refugees alive in plastic tents that asphyxiated them before they melted their skin, polio outbreak, and now an all-out incursion into the West Bank in what Palestinians have repeatedly warned is an ethnic cleansing project from the River to the Sea. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/10/five-things-weve-learned-since-october-7/?ml_recipient=134716100032070920&ml_link=134716089780143648
Orders from the sky Malak Hijazi EI 09/10/2024
“What’s the wildest Israeli dream?” someone once asked me. Without hesitation, I answered: the disappearance of the Palestinian people. But would even that satisfy them? Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/content/orders-sky/49251
Gaza home to largest number of amputee children in modern history
Middle East Monitor 11/10/2024 Read more: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20241011-un-gaza-home-to-largest-number-of-amputee-children-in-modern-history/
Israel committing the crime of extermination MC Murphy EI 12/10/2024
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights said that Israeli warplanes attacked homes and other buildings near Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, that same day, “inflicting massive damage and injuries.” Meanwhile, Israeli drones “opened fire on anyone moving through the main and side streets in the area,” preventing casualties from being transferred to the hospital “and spreading panic among patients and medical teams,” PCHR said. Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/maureen-clare-murphy/israel-committing-crime-extermination-un-inquiry
What is the ‘Generals’ Plan’? Israel’s ongoing ethnic cleansing of northern Gaza, explained Qassam Muaddi M/Weiss 15/10/2024
Israeli forces have also clashed with Palestinian fighters from different resistance factions. Last week, the armed wing of Hamas, the al-Qassam Brigades, released video footage showing an ambush in which its fighters targeted a group of Israeli jeeps and armored vehicles with IEDs and anti-armor projectiles, showcasing their organization, planning, and fighting capacities a year after Israel declared that it has destroyed all resistance in the city. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/10/what-is-the-generals-plan-israels-ongoing-ethnic-cleansing-of-northern-gaza-explained/?ml_recipient=135361585612850895&ml_link=135361575845365389
How Israel is exploiting Lebanese sectarian rifts in its assault on Beirut and southern Lebanon Layla Yammine M/weiss 15/10/2024 On Monday, September 23, more than 500,000 people were displaced from southern Lebanon after Israel launched a full-scale attack on towns and civilians under the pretext of targeting Hezbollah’s storage facilities. We’ve seen this play out in Gaza and we know for a fact that this excuse aims to manufacture consent to massacre entire families and destroy entire towns. The Israeli goal is clear: to rob the land and kill the people — while expelling those it cannot kill. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/10/how-israel-is-exploiting-lebanese-sectarian-rifts-in-its-assault-on-beirut-and-southern-lebanon/?ml_recipient=135361585612850895&ml_link=135361575857948317
Bombings, killer drones, and starvation - extermination in northern Gaza
Qassam Muaddi M/weiss 17/10/2024 “If we step out of our houses, we risk being shot at by the occupation’s quadcopters.” “Quadcopters and snipers open fire at anyone who crosses the Abu Sharkh roundabout in the center of Jabalia, and people risk their lives to run across it and join other family members,” she explained. “A co-worker of my brother was shot while crossing the roundabout and was hit in the leg and waist, and his 12-year-old daughter was lightly injured by a bullet in the neck, but she bled a lot.” Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/10/bombings-killer-drones-and-starvation-eyewitnesses-describe-israels-extermination-campaign-in-northern-gaza/?ml_recipient=135531475999131186&ml_link=135531469897467071
Israel kills Yahya Sinwar Israel – Palestine News 17/10/2024
The footage as well as Israel’s description of his killing run contrary to Israel’s claims that Sinwar was hiding among Israeli captives in Hamas’s intricate tunnel system underneath Gaza. Read more: https://israelpalestinenews.org/after-assassinating-top-hamas-leader-israel-not-ready-stop-killing-gaza-day-376/
Israel presents its conditions for Lebanon ceasefire Qassam Muaddi M/Weiss 21/10/2024 According to reports, Israel’s conditions include allowing Israel to operate inside Lebanese territory against Hezbollah and freedom of movement for Israel’s airforce in Lebanon’s airspace. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/10/israel-presents-its-conditions-for-lebanon-ceasefire-as-hezbollah-intensifies-operations/?ml_recipient=135893854210491626&ml_link=135893845636286135
‘This is an extermination’ Qassam Muaddi M/Weiss 23/10/2024
Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians across northern Gaza have been forced on a death march by the Israeli army since Monday, October 21. Northern Gaza is being emptied of its inhabitants, and one of Israel’s strategies in achieving this goal is to take out the area’s few remaining social institutions: hospitals. . . . been consistently bombarded over recent months. The ongoing siege includes a second siege-within-the-siege on the Jabalia refugee camp, accompanied by a massive bombing and shelling campaign that is forcing tens of thousands of people to leave their homes. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/10/this-is-an-extermination-israels-assault-on-north-gazas-last-functioning-hospital/?ml_recipient=136075024117270296&ml_link=136075019668162519
Israel-Palestine News a compilation 24/10/2024
Shabat… wrote Tuesday: “I’m a reporter on the ground in North Gaza, and I’m here to tell you that no aid has entered the besieged area for the past 21 days. The Israeli and American governments are spreading inaccurate information. Al-Sharif yesterday posted a video of children killed, one with their head literally blown off. He just posted a video of civil defense crews working five hours to rescue a child. Read more: https://israelpalestinenews.org/israel-tags-palestinian-journalists-assassination-day-382/
One doctor left at Gaza hospital Qassam Muaddi M/Weiss 28/10/2024
On Saturday, Israeli forces began to raid the hospital, ordering patients and medical staff to leave its wings and descend to the courtyard. Israeli soldiers then separated the men from the women and arrested dozens of Palestinians, including all of the hospital’s staff except one nurse and the hospital’s Director, Dr. Husam Abu Safiyeh. The Israeli army claimed to have arrested 100 “terrorists,” which included dozens of hospital staff members. They were taken to an unknown location and their fate remains unknown. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/10/one-doctor-left-at-north-gaza-hospital-after-israel-detains-entire-staff/?ml_recipient=136527983479358888&ml_link=136527981739771801
Why Israel outlawed UNRWA Qassam Muaddi M/weiss 29/10/2024
The law bans all UNRWA’s activities, including offering vital services to Palestinian refugees. It also bans all Israeli officials from communicating with UNRWA, orders the closure of its offices, and revokes all tax exemptions, diplomatic status, and entry visas to UNRWA and its staff. . . . “If Israel decides to apply this law in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, it would mean that more than 2.9 million Palestinians in some 30 refugee camps will no longer have schools, medical attention, garbage collection, and other municipal services,” Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/10/why-israel-outlawed-unrwa-and-what-it-could-mean-for-palestinian-refugees/?ml_recipient=136618583739336557&ml_link=136618582207366331
Israel bars six medical NGOs Michael Arria M/weiss 29/10/2024
“The situation is so incredibly dire and the services we were able to provide were already meager,” Loubani told Mondoweiss. “We weren’t allowed to bring in medications. We weren’t allowed to bring in medical equipment. We weren’t allowed to bring in enough doctors. We weren’t allowed to bring in money. Israel’s restrictions were already killing people but at least we were able to do something. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/10/thousands-of-people-will-die-gaza-doctors-describe-impact-of-israel-barring-medical-ngos/?ml_recipient=136618583739336557&ml_link=136618582222046435
Authors and publishers’ boycott call Publishers for Palestine M/Weiss 30/10/2024
In less than 48 hours more than 5,000 authors, book workers, and publishers—including many of the most prominent names in the publishing world—signed on to our collective campaign to commit to an anti-apartheid boycott of complicit Israeli publishing institutions that uphold and whitewash the unfolding genocide of Palestinians. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/10/thousands-of-authors-and-publishers-are-calling-for-a-boycott-of-israeli-publishing-institutions/?ml_recipient=136709178314982492&ml_link=136709177070322908
Facial recognition technology in Gaza Tareq S Hajjaj M/weiss 31/10/24
“They made all of the men go down into the ditch first,” al-Daour told Mondoweiss from the Remal neighborhood in Gaza City. “Then they ordered us to climb out of the ditch one by one and stood each of us in front of a camera that had been installed nearby.” . . . After the scans, al-Daour said the soldiers would reveal information about each individual, including their “name, age, work, family members and names, place of residence, and even their personal activities.”. . . “They arrested two women in front of me from the crowd based on their face scans. People later said they were relatives of people known to be members of armed factions, but they were women. They were carrying children.” “The soldiers ordered them to give their children to other women. The mothers started to panic like crazy. They looked around frantically for any woman they knew to give their children to,”
Compilation of news reports – If only Americans Knew staff 01.11.2024
Israel destroys medical supplies, blocks medics from entering Gaza; more reports of abuse in Israeli prison; Gaza aid at its lowest level yet; Israel using facial recognition technology in Gaza; Israel also decimating Lebanon and its healthcare workers; 3 Palestinians assassinated in West Bank; Read More: https://israelpalestinenews.org/un-israel-committing-deliberate-war-crimes-against-gazas-healthcare-system-day-390/
20-year prison sentence for Israeli citizens . . . Jonathan Ofir M/weiss 02/11/24
The Israeli Justice Minister’s demand for severe punishment of responsible Israeli citizens should be a wake-up call for all, internationally. It precisely proves the point, of why Israel must be boycotted, divested from, and sanctioned. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/11/israeli-justice-minister-calls-for-20-year-prison-sentence-for-citizens-promoting-sanctions-against-the-state/?ml_recipient=136984750581613860&ml_link=136984748422596405
Tales of terror from Jabaliya Husam Maarouf EI 04/11/2024
“You cannot imagine what’s happening in Jabaliya,” said Nadia al-Kafarna, 69. “The sky is black with smoke, and the ground is scorched.” Nadia spoke to The Electronic Intifada over the phone, despite an unstable network. The Israeli military had forced her out of her shelter in the Jabaliya refugee camp on 17 October, but she is still in Gaza City in the north. “Nothing has been spared from destruction. The sounds of explosions are strange, different from before, terrifying and bone-shaking, as if they would tear you apart,” a deeply upset Nadia said. “Inside me, everything is shattered and broken from the horror of what I saw. Even now, my heart is clenched and I am gripped by fear.” Doomsday, she said. “I have witnessed doomsday horrors. Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/content/tales-terror-jabaliya/49771
Is Israel using depleted uranium? Anis Germani M/Weiss 04/11/2024
Following Israel’s violent bombing of the southern suburb of Beirut, the Syndicate of Chemists in Lebanon issued a statement on October 5 warning against Israel’s possible use of depleted uranium. The Syndicate cited the extensive urban destruction and the penetrative capacity of Israeli missiles, capable of burrowing through buildings and creating craters tens of meters deep as grounds for suspecting depleted uranium use. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/11/is-israel-using-depleted-uranium-to-bomb-lebanon/?ml_recipient=137165951352178004&ml_link=137165936877635198
ICC - fears rise over Israel / U.S. interference Craig Mokhiber M/Weiss 05/11/24
Only eight days after the Prosecutor announced the warrant requests and his warning about intimidation of Court officials, the Guardian and +972 Magazine published an exposé revealing a decade of interference, pressure, and threats by notorious Israeli intelligence agencies against personnel of the International Criminal Court in order to derail investigations of Israeli crimes Read more:
Israel-Palestine News IAK compilation 05/11/2024
Israeli attack leaves newborn babies injured in Gaza hospital; hospital staff fear they will be "executed"; Israel failing to bring in more aid to Gaza after Biden sends threatening letter; still no evidence against UNRWA; Israeli pogroms ravage West Bank towns; massive destruction in Lebanon; Holocaust survivors' son arrested in London for pro-Palestine "hate speech"; Read more: https://israelpalestinenews.org/israel-defies-bidens-demand-to-increase-aid-or-else-day-394/
Israel admits to depopulating north Gaza Qassam Muaddi M/Weiss 07/11/2024
On Tuesday, a spokesperson of the Israeli army, Yitzhak Cohen, said in a press briefing that the army has come close to the complete “evacuation” of the population of north Gaza. The army spokesperson said that Palestinian residents of the north will not be allowed to return to their homes. This declaration marks the first official Israeli admission of the intent to permanently expel Palestinians from north Gaza. Read more:
Here’s the next phase of Israel’s plan Tareq Hajjaj Mweiss 08/11/2024
The Israeli assault has concentrated on Jabalia refugee camp, the third invasion of the camp since the start of the war, in addition to the towns of Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun. These areas have witnessed unceasing bombardment, mass arrests, reported field executions, degrading and inhumane treatment, forced displacement on a mass scale, and the systematic targeting of hospitals, according to numerous eyewitness testimonies gathered by Mondoweiss over the past month. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/11/the-israeli-army-admitted-its-staying-in-north-gaza-heres-the-next-phase-of-its-plan/?ml_recipient=137528345830098927&ml_link=137528317133719451
Israel should be unseated from the UN Middle East Eye Sondos Asem 08/11/2024
More than 500 scholars and practitioners of international law, international relations, conflict studies, politics and genocide studies have called on the UN General Assembly and its member states to unseat Israel from the assembly. . . . In a joint letter shared with Middle East Eye, the signatories listed a wide range of acts committed by the state of Israel since its establishment in 1948 that have been in defiance of international law. The letter said that Israel has “shown contempt” for resolutions by the General Assembly throughout its history.
Read more: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/why-more-500-scholars-think-israel-should-be-unseated-un
No, there were no ‘antisemitic pogroms’ Sana Saeed M/Weiss 09/11/2024
Emerging video evidence and testimonies from Amsterdam residents (here, here and here for instance) indicate that the initial violence came from Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, who also disrupted a moment of silence for the Valencia flood victims. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/11/no-there-were-no-antisemitic-pogroms-in-amsterdam-heres-what-really-happened/?ml_recipient=137618932622164997&ml_link=137618919016891811
Palestinian surgeon survives Sde Teiman & Ofer Prison Fedaa al-Qedra EI 10/11/24 “They tied our hands and blindfolded us. We were not allowed to move, speak or even look sideways. Any small movement resulted in savage beatings,” Al Serr said. . . . “I saw them torture an elderly man just because he was moving his lips, reciting the Quran,” Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/content/palestinian-surgeon-survives-sde-teiman-and-ofer-prison/49806
Israeli attacks - increase in birth defects Taghreed Ali EI 10/11/2024
“The doctors told me that my daughter has a good chance of survival, but she will live her life without hands and feet,” Hamdan told The Electronic Intifada. Prosthetics are a medical possibility in the future, she said doctors had told her. They had also said that the likely cause of Noor’s congenital condition were weapons used in Israeli bombings, specifically white phosphorus. Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/content/israeli-attacks-leading-increase-birth-defects/49866
On-the-Ground Reporting Dismantles Israeli Claim Bolstering Case for War With Iran Ali Younes Drop Site News / IAK 12/11/24 Yet several Jordanian sources with direct knowledge of smuggling operations to the West Bank told Drop Site News that such claims are either false or grossly exaggerate the reality. Drop Site interviewed Jordanian intelligence officials, an underground arms dealer in Amman, and a prominent Jordanian attorney who works on national security cases. All the sources confirmed the existence of arms-smuggling networks from Jordan to the West Bank. But they said these weapons and funding come from the local underground Jordanian market—not Iran. Read more: https://israelpalestinenews.org/false-claim-smuggling-arms-to-jordan/
Photo Essay: The silent displacement in the West Bank David Lombeida M/Weiss 12/11/24 Fares Samamrah’s son, Jibril, was recently attacked by the same settlers that displaced him and his family from Zanuta. Jibril was grazing his family’s sheep on the afternoon of May 30th when four armed settlers surrounded him. He describes how they beat him with the back of their rifles to the ground, removed his shoes, belt, and phone, and started beating him with his own belt. Jibril states, “They put a knife to my throat and were shouting I will slaughter you. All I could think about was I am going to die” Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/11/photo-essay-the-silent-displacement-in-the-west-bank/?ml_recipient=137890726577964241&ml_link=137890713830425773
Absorption pits necessary but hazardous Amjad Ayman Yaghi EI 12/11/2024
Muhammad Mansour, 39, said many absorption pits in his shelter west of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip have started to collapse due to oversaturation of the ground with wastewater. His 5-year-old son fell into a pit in August while walking with other children. The child was immediately taken to Shuhada al-Aqsa hospital for tests because of the imminent danger of infectious disease, his father said. But it’s impossible to take precautions. Sewage water is present everywhere in Deir al-Balah, Mansour said, flowing freely in between tents in shelters and in streets everywhere. Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/content/absorption-pits-necessary-hazardous-gazas-displaced/49896
Fired for anti-Zionist posts N Barrows-Friedman EI 17/11/2024
“As long as I’ve been a teacher, I’ve been teaching about Palestine – it’s always been either central or integrated into the work that I do,” Maura Finkelstein told The Electronic Intifada Podcast. Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-barrows-friedman/jewish-professor-fired-anti-zionist-posts
NY Times killed investigation of Israeli hooligans Asa Winstanley EI 18/11/2024
The Times claimed footage shot by a Dutch photojournalist showed “anti-Semitic attacks” on Israelis – even though it actually showed Israeli mob violence against a Dutch citizen.
For several days, the footage was attached to the top of the paper’s 8 November report about events in Amsterdam the night before. But on Tuesday the paper was forced to issue a correction, after the video’s creator – Dutch photojournalist Annet de Graaf – publicly condemned international media for mislabeling her video as evidence of “anti-Semitic attacks” against Israeli football supporters. Read more:
Gaza - increase in birth defects Taghreed Ali IAK 19/11/2024
he doctors told me that my daughter has a good chance of survival, but she will live her life without hands and feet,” Hamdan told The Electronic Intifada.
Prosthetics are a medical possibility in the future, she said doctors had told her. They had also said that the likely cause of Noor’s congenital condition were weapons used in Israeli bombings, specifically white phosphorus.“In the third month of pregnancy, I was exposed to gasses emitted from white phosphorus, which was heavily dropped on us in northern Gaza,” Hamdan said. “This is one of the reasons that may have caused the deformity, according to the attending doctor.” Read more: https://israelpalestinenews.org/israeli-attacks-gaza-increase-birth-defects/
“An era of unchecked barbarity” IAK 19/11/2024
Read more: “An era of unchecked barbarity”
Inside Project Esther Mitchell Plitnick M/weiss 22/11/2024
The key strategy Project Esther proposes is to identify the Palestine solidarity movement as the “Hamas Support Network,” and organizations in the movement as “Hamas Support Organizations.” Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/11/inside-project-esther-the-right-wing-action-plan-to-take-down-the-palestine-movement/?ml_recipient=138796691516032721&ml_link=138796674593064490
Deliberate assault on Gaza’s heritage Nour Khalil Khattab EI 23/11/2024
The Church of Saint Porphyrius has been more than just a place of worship and a house of prayer. It has been a central hub for Gaza’s small Christian community and has borne witness to a rich history of diverse civilizations that have come and gone over the last 16 centuries. . . . The Israeli assaults have not been limited to Christian landmarks, of course. According to local authorities Israel has bombed 79 percent of all mosques in the territory. Museums and cultural centers have also been targeted. Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/content/attacks-ancient-church-part-deliberate-assault-gazas-heritage/50046
Loved ones found in mass graves Taghreed Ali EI 25/11/24
“His body was completely decomposed and hard to identify,” Khuloud told The Electronic Intifada. “It seemed he had been buried naked, and I was only able to recognize him by the ring he wore on his left hand, which had my name, his name and our wedding date engraved on it.” The mass grave – or graves, a total of three mass graves were found in the area – contained over 300 bodies, according to medical workers there. They were discovered following reports of mass arrests and mass killings during the military siege of the hospital, a siege that lasted on and off for three months with several raids into the compound. Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/content/relatives-tell-loved-ones-found-mass-graves/50036
Why more than 500 scholars think Israel should be unseated from the UN IAK 25/11/2024 In a joint letter shared with Middle East Eye, the signatories listed a wide range of acts committed by the state of Israel since its establishment in 1948 that have been in defiance of international law. The letter said that Israel has “shown contempt” for resolutions by the General Assembly throughout its history. These include Israel’s violation of Resolution 194 (III) (1948), enshrining the Palestinian right of return, and Resolution 181 (II) (1947), enshrining Palestinian state sovereignty. The two resolutions were viewed as conditions of Israel’s admission to the UN, under Resolution 273 (III) (1949). Read more: https://israelpalestinenews.org/500-scholars-think-israel-should-be-unseated-un/
Can the ICC survive? MC Murphy EI 27/11/2024
Fierce opposition to the Palestine investigation by Israel and its powerful friends, who have already resorted to thuggish threats against Khan and the court, means that justice for Palestinians at international fora remains an uphill battle.Khan is meanwhile facing allegations of misconduct that were referenced by Netanyahu, who called the British barrister “a rogue prosecutor who is trying to extricate himself from sexual harassment charges.”
Khan denies those allegations and has declined to take a leave of absence while an external investigation examines the claims. . . . The court’s primary funders are European states with large economies, and those that oppose the prosecution of Israeli leaders may deal a death blow to the already underfunded ICC by starving it of financial support. Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/maureen-clare-murphy/can-icc-survive-its-arrest-warrant-netanyahu
Germany has a duty to dump Israel David Cronin EI 28/11/2024
Germany’s representatives have a ready-made response when a question is asked about their country’s backing for Israel: “historical responsibility.” Invoking that “responsibility” is a convenient tool in shutting down debate. Everyone must accept that the Berlin government can only atone for the Holocaust if it facilitates the ongoing holocaust in Gaza. Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/david-cronin/germany-has-duty-dump-israel
Genocide carried out by Big Tech Tauriq Jenkins M/Weiss 28/11/2024
In simple terms, Habsora uses Artificial Intelligence to identify and target members of Hamas, generating 100-200 targets a day. The IOF subsequently carries out airstrikes on these targets during hours where they are almost guaranteed to be at home with their families, resulting in mass-murder of innocent people. In this instance, it can be reasonably argued that AI is used for two reasons – one: maximum destruction, by providing such a large number of targets and two: a smokescreen to hide behind in ‘justifying’ the enormous number of civilian casualties. Human verification is not required in the IOF procedure. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/11/do-not-support-the-first-genocide-carried-out-by-big-tech/?ml_recipient=139340316374206014&ml_link=139340283141686897
Survival ‘diminishing’ for Palestinians in north Gaza Qassam Muaddi M/Weiss 28/11/2024
· The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza says that Israeli bombings have completely exterminated 1410 Palestinian families in the Gaza Strip since October 7 of last year, erasing them from the civil registry.
· UNRWA says that survival conditions in the north of Gaza are diminishing for 60,000 to 70,000 people in the north of Gaza.
· UNRWA says that Israeli forces have rejected nine attempts by the UN to deliver aid to the north of Gaza, and obstructed 82 in the past month.
· Israel kills 18 including five children Palestinians and wounded 57 on Thursday in 12 strikes and quadcopter fire on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza Strip, including on an aid distribution center.
· Israel killed 30 Palestinians in a strike on a school sheltering civilians in the Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City on Wednesday.
· The Gaza Government Media Office says that rainfall floods damaged 10,000 tents, representing 81% of the tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in 543 tent encampments across the south and center of the Gaza Strip.
· The Gaza Government Media Office says that displaced Palestinians need a quarter of a million new tents.
· Israeli drones drop bombs on the surroundings of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the north of Gaza.
· The EU chief diplomat Joseph Borrell says that two million Palestinians are “living through hell” in the Gaza Strip, with no health care, education, or infrastructure, being displaced constantly like “playing ping-pong with their lives,” and calls for an immediate ceasefire. Read more:
UK related article:
Britain ditches Israeli drones Asa Winstanley EI 22/11/2024
Britain will next year scrap a fleet of 47 drones manufactured by the Israeli firm Elbit Systems, the defense minister announced on Wednesday.The uncrewed Watchkeeper aircraft were manufactured at UAV Tactical Systems, an Elbit factory in Leicester, a city in England’s Midlands region. The Watchkeeper was modelled on Elbit’s infamous Hermes 450 drone, previously advertised as battle-tested on Palestinians Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/asa-winstanley/britain-ditches-israeli-drones
Hugh Humphries
Secretary
Scottish Friends of Palestine 0141 637 8046 info@scottish-friends-of-palestine.org
