Scottish Friends of Palestine

Briefing Paper                                       

February 2025           

December 2024 articles / updates

Judicial decrees, decisions, positions, and orders issued by official Israeli bodies: SOURCE : Law for Palestine

• The Israeli government decided to impose sanctions on Haaretz newspaper, including cutting all ties and pulling advertising, due to its publisher Amos Schocken’s statement, in which he criticized the Israeli government and expressed support for the Palestinian freedom fighters, whom the Israeli government labels as (November 24, 2024)

• The Israeli Cabinet unanimously approved the appointment of Yechiel Leiter as Israel’s new ambassador to the United States. Leiter is an activist in the settlement movement and was previously Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff during his time as finance minister. He is known for his opposition to the Oslo Accords and his support for the annexation of the West Bank. (November 24, 2024)

• Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that Israel should occupy Gaza and “encourage” half of the Strip’s 2.2 million Palestinians to emigrate within two years, stressing that “it won’t cost too much money,” and that “occupying Gaza is not a dirty word.” He noted that the success of this plan in Gaza would allow its application in the West Bank, where approximately 3 million Palestinians live. Smotrich considered that the “voluntary migration” is the only way to defeat Hamas, with the possibility of Israel taking over the administration Palestinian civil affairs. (November 26, 2024)

• The Israeli Defense Ministry announced that it started carrying out work to establish a fence along the entire border with Jordan to prevent infiltrations into the country. (November 26, 2024)

• The Israeli Knesset approved in a preliminary reading an amendment to a law that aims to expand the criteria for disqualifying Arab candidates from municipal elections if they show support, either through statements or actions, for an armed action by an enemy state or terrorist organisation against Israel. (November 27, 2024)

• National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has instructed the Israel Police to ban mosques from broadcasting the Adhan (Islamic call to prayer) over loudspeakers, stressing that he is “proud” to introduce the policy. He argues that it will put an end to the “unreasonable noise” from mosques, which he claims has become a hazard to residents of Israel. Under the new policy, the police would have the authority to enter mosques and confiscate loudspeakers if they are found in use. Mosques found to be broadcasting the call to prayer would also be subject to fines. (December 1, 2024)

• Former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon confirmed that Israel is committing war crimes and ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip. He noted that hardliners in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right cabinet are seeking to expel Palestinians from northern Gaza and re-establish Jewish settlements (December 1, 2024)

• Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he is coordinating with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to encourage Gazans to emigrate from the Strip. He added that Netanyahu has been more receptive to the idea of incentivizing Gazan emigration, despite the fact that the proposal had previously faced resistance but is now being met with openness. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has once again called for the occupation of Gaza and the establishment of settlements there, reiterating his opposition to a prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas and to the cessation of Israel’s ongoing military actions. (December 2, 2024)

• Israel pushed back against European criticism of its efforts to allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, claiming that it is facilitating the entry of aid and does not impose any restrictions on the quantity of aid entering Gaza Strip. Israel further asserted that international organizations have failed “to distribute the aid due to looting by Hamas”. (December 3, 2024)

• The Israeli  Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that he hopes to shut down the Civil Administration, the Defense Ministry body responsible for Israeli and Palestinian civil affairs in the West Bank, as part of Israel’s annexation of the West Bank  and  to create full normalization of Israeli rule. He confirmed that the Israeli government  sees it as  “a great opportunity” with the new US administration, noting that work has already begun on preparing an administrative plan for implementing this project in coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (December 5, 2024)

• The Israeli  Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the confiscation of 24,000 dunams (5,930 acres) of land in the occupied West Bank, declaring it “state land” . He noted that “this step aims to create a settlement sequence, build land reserves for Israel to develop settlements, infrastructure and roads, and guarantee that it will continue to strengthen the settlements”, and “thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state”. (December 6, 2024)

• Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, stated that hundreds of UNRWA employees are complicit in harming innocent Israelis. He added that  peace is impossible until UNRWA is uprooted.  (December 9, 2024)

• Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that, “Israel is now more optimistic about a possible hostage deal in Gaza,” confirming that “There will not be a ceasefire in Gaza without a hostage deal”. (December 9, 2024)

• Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir called for the establishment of “permanent checkpoints” on the roads of Judea and Samaria [the occupied West Bank] and for providing safe roads for the [Israeli] residents of the Palestinian Authority. He reaffirmed: “The right of Israeli citizens to life takes priority over the freedom of movement for the residents of the Palestinian Authority”. (December 12, 2024)

• The Israeli Knesset gave final approval to a law presented by Knesset member Simcha Rothman of the “Religious Zionism” party and other members, which prohibits the state from paying for the “legal representation” of illegal combatants captured from the Gaza Strip. The law provides for deducting the funding for “legal representation” by the court for combatants captured or convicted of security offences, suspected of carrying out the October 7, 2023, attacks, from frozen Palestinian clearing funds. (December 12, 2024)

• Senior settlement leaders called on the Israeli Ministerial Committee on National Security Affairs (the cabinet) to implement the policies applied in the Gaza Strip within the West Bank. This includes evacuating residents of Palestinian refugee camps and other areas they describe as “centers of Palestinian terrorism”, as well as conducting widespread demolitions in the camps and purported “centers” to combat Palestinian armed groups. The leaders also demanded restricting Palestinian freedom of movement on the main roads in the West Bank “for security purposes”. (December 15, 2024)

• Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar has announced the closure of Israel’s Embassy in Ireland, citing the Irish government’s actions, double standards, and antisemitic rhetoric, which he claims aim to delegitimize and demonize the Jewish state, as well as support politically motivated cases at the International Criminal Court (ICC). (December 15, 2024)

• Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Israel will maintain security control over the Gaza Strip with full freedom of action, just as “in Judea and Samaria,” after defeating Hamas’s military and ruling power. The minister  confirmed that Israel will not “allow a return to the pre-Oct. 7 reality”. (December 17, 2024)

• The Israeli Foreign Ministry denounced Pope Francis’ recent statements. The Ministry said that these remarks are “particularly disappointing as they are disconnected from the true and factual context of Israel’s fight against jihadist terrorism — a multi-front war that was forced upon it starting on October 7.” It further added, “Enough with the double standards and the singling out of the Jewish state and its people”. (December 22, 202)

• National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir published a photo of himself at Al-Aqsa Mosque, writing: “I went up this morning to the place of our holy temple, to pray for the safety of our soldiers, the speedy return of the hostages, and total victory, with the help of God.” In response to Ben-Gvir’s statement, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement confirming that, “The status quo on the Temple Mount has not changed.” (December 26, 2024)

• Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced a new policy aimed at incentivising Israeli agriculture in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) and providing Israeli farmers (illegal Israeli settlers) with increased financial support equivalent to the support provided to farmers within the borders of Israel. He stated that the Government is working to rectify what he described as a historical injustice and treat agriculture in Judea and Samaria as part of a broader Zionist vision aimed at preserving national land reserves, strengthening Israeli territorial control of the region and blocking Palestinian efforts from expanding control over land. (December 29, 2024)

• For the 16th time, the Israeli government has motioned the High Court of Justice to postpone the deadline to submit a final response to a petition enabling the Red Cross prison visits to see Palestinian prisoners and relay their condition in Israeli jails. The government explained that its motion was based on “serious security and diplomatic reasons that cannot be disclosed,” and also requested that the case hearing be delayed six times. The government disclosed that it is negotiating with US officials an alternative mechanism for Red Cross visits, that would entail the inclusion of a team headed by a former Israeli judge and two international observers. (December 31, 2024)

•  

Genocide is defined by two core elements: intent to destroy a group, in whole or in part, and the commission of acts that fulfill this intent

Genocide as colonial erasure  Francesca Albanese Law for Palestine c01/12/2924

In spite of the Special Rapporteur’s mandate and the International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s order that Israel allow international investigators to enter Gaza, Israel has continued to refuse Dr Albanese access to the oPt. The report, based on legal research and analysis, draws on interviews with victims and witnesses as well as remote, open-source information and contributions from experts and civil society (para 2). Read more: https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/country-reports/a79384-report-special-rapporteur-situation-human-rights-palestinian

UK lawyers & Israeli government planned ‘special unit’ to counter human rights reporting Anas Ambri M/Weiss 01/12/2024

Shortly after the submission of these briefs, pro-Palestinian international law expert Victor Kattan published his rebuttals to some of the arguments raised by 9BRI’s barristers. Kattan dismissed the briefs on the matter of jurisdiction, calling them a way to “muddy the waters” and “an attempt to provide legitimacy to the views of the Revisionist Right that came to power in Israel in 1977, and that has never recognized the national rights of the Palestinian people to establish a state of their own in the ‘Land of Israel’.” Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/12/leak-reveals-uk-lawyers-israeli-government-planned-special-unit-to-counter-human-rights-reporting-heres-what-we-know/?ml_recipient=139612113205200221&ml_link=139612065405863369

‘looting’ goes unfettered under Israeli watch Qassam Muaddi M/Weiss 02.12/24

In the past month, aid convoys have been subject to raids and looting by armed gangs on their way to Gaza, amid accusations of inaction to the Israeli army. UNRWA also said that the delivery of humanitarian aid “has become impossible” because of “Israeli siege, hurdles from Israeli authorities, political decisions to restrict the amounts of aid, lack of safety on aid routes, and targeting of local police.” Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/12/unrwa-suspends-aid-delivery-through-main-gaza-crossing-after-looting-goes-unfettered-under-israeli-watch/?ml_recipient=139702671541011913&ml_link=139702652317468282

Former Israeli minister - army is carrying our ‘ethnic cleansing’ Qassam Muaddi M/Weiss 02/12/2024   After widespread criticism from within Israel, Ya’alon later doubled down, saying that he stands by his declarations, adding that he based his conclusions on testimonies of soldiers who have been deployed in Gaza. Ya’alon is the first Israeli official to admit and criticize Israeli crimes in the Gaza Strip, and the first Israeli official to describe Israeli actions in Gaza as “ethnic cleansing.” The fact that he is a former high-ranking military official who headed both the war ministry and the army staff with extensive connections inside the army, make his statements more significant. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/12/former-israeli-war-minister-says-army-is-carrying-our-ethnic-cleansing-in-north-gaza/?ml_recipient=139702671541011913&ml_link=139702652341585537

Targeted aid killings: How Israel starves the occupied   various M/weiss 03/12/24   To secure deliveries, the agencies . . . turned to the local Palestinian community . . . For a few days in mid-March, the system worked. UN convoys brought significant amounts of food aid into parts of northern Gaza that had been cut off since near the start of the war, without the looting or Israeli attacks and interference that had been impeding humanitarian relief efforts for months . . . less than 48 hours after the first successful delivery – an Israeli airstrike on 18 March hit a warehouse used to store aid for the initiative, killing two people working there. Over the next two weeks, in what appears to be a series of targeted strikes on individuals and key distribution points, the Israeli military went on to kill more than 100 Palestinians – those involved in the effort and, in many cases, family members and civilians who just happened to be nearby.

Gaza mothers and babies  Nora Barrows-Friedman  EI 03/12/2024

Across the entire Gaza Strip, there are more than 15,000 pregnant women on the verge of catastrophic levels of hunger. There has been a rise in premature births and maternal deaths – and many women are forced to give birth without access to medical support. In early November, the United Nations agency for sexual and reproductive health warned that only two out of 20 health service points and the remaining hospitals in north Gaza “are still functioning as they struggle to operate without supplies, fuel, food or water.” Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-barrows-friedman/midwife-tells-israels-crimes-against-gaza-mothers-and-babies?utm_source=EI+readers&utm_campaign=ab490535d2-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e802a7602d-ab490535d2-299228964

Israel - Palestine News  (compilation)  03/12/2024

Dr. Ramzy Baroud’s powerfully touching story of his older sister, Dr. Soma Baroud, a trailblazing physician whose life ended when Israel bombed the taxi she was in: “For us, Soma was a larger-than-life figure. This is precisely why her sudden absence has shocked us to the point of disbelief...” Israel has killed 986 medical workers, including 165 doctors, in the past year. . . . "Safe zone" is code for extermination Read more: https://israelpalestinenews.org/my-sister-was-the-166th-doctor-to-be-murdered-in-gaza/   and

https://israelpalestinenews.org/israel-wreak-havoc-palestine-lebanon-day-422/

Read more

Amnesty International Report - Israel is committing genocide  05/12/2024

Read  https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/12/amnesty-international-concludes-israel-is-committing-genocide-against-palestinians-in-gaza/

Fact-checking genocide   Wesam Abo Marq  EI  10/12/2024

Despite the Israeli military’s official acknowledgment of the airstrike on the hospital, social media trolls continue to alter the truth with their biased “fact-checks.”  Read on: https://electronicintifada.net/content/personal-mission-fact-checking-genocide-takes-heavy-toll/50210

Meetings at The Hague reveal crisis and turmoil David Kattenburg M/Weiss 11/12/24 “We are at a turning point in history,” ICC judge and Court President Tomoko Atame told the Assembly at the December 2 opening of ASP proceedings in the Dutch administrative capital.

“International law and international justice are under threat,” Atame said. “The danger for the Court is existential … The Court’s future is now entirely in your hands.” Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/12/meetings-at-the-hague-reveal-crisis-and-turmoil-as-state-representatives-grapple-with-israeli-warrants/?ml_recipient=140518085741250283&ml_link=140518038857319538

The next Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Jonathan Ofir M/Weiss 14/12/2024

The name Yechiel Leiter is not very familiar, but it likely will be soon. He is a hardcore settler leader who has advocated for the full annexation of the occupied West Bank. He is a full-on Kahanist, having literally been a member of Meir Kahane’s Jewish Defense League in his youth. The JDL was designated as a “right-wing terrorist group” by the FBI, and Kahane is the inspiration that informs the Jewish Power party and its leader Itamar Ben-Gvir, who now serves as Israel’s Minister of National Security. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/12/meet-the-far-right-settler-benjamin-netanyahu-has-tapped-to-be-the-next-israeli-ambassador-to-the-u-s/?ml_recipient=140789842938169083&ml_link=140789814926509652

Palestinian Authority does Israel’s bidding in Jenin Tamara Nassar EI 15/12/24

In the areas where the PA has nominal control, Palestinian forces are only allowed to arrest other Palestinians. They cannot touch Israeli soldiers or settlers who attack Palestinians.

This means in practice that the PA exists to protect Israel and its settlers, and to police Palestinians on Israel’s behalf. The PA’s key role in suppressing Palestinian protest and resistance to Israel’s military occupation is why the US and European states fund it.

But that mask is falling off .Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/tamara-nassar/palestinian-authority-does-israels-bidding-jenin

Paralyzed under siege Roaa Shamallakh and Khaled El-Hissy EI 16/12/2024

Sara’s back was broken . . . her brother Moatasem had been killed, her sister had lost her sight and her other sister’s hands had been amputated. . . . “My mother didn’t want to leave and neither did my father. The soldiers threatened them, claiming that they would be [deemed] terrorists if they didn’t leave.” . . . The soldier pointed a gun at the doctor and told Sara again to stand up and walk. Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/content/paralyzed-hospital-under-siege/50224

Decapitated and ‘shredded’  Tareq Hajjaj M/Weiss 16/12/2024

Over two days, the Israeli military bombed at least four areas, including two schools, housing displaced families, across the Gaza Strip. Witnesses told Mondoweiss that the bombings left horrific scenes of decapitated and “shredded bodies.” The army also bombed a post belonging to Palestinian Civil Defense workers, killing five rescue workers and an Al Jazeera cameraman.  In the northern Gaza Strip, the Israeli army stormed the Khalil Awida School in Beit Hanoun, which is housing approximately 1,500 people who were recently displaced from their homes during Israel’s ongoing siege of north Gaza.  Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/12/decapitated-and-shredded-bodies-survivors-recount-israeli-attacks-on-gaza-schools/?ml_recipient=140971044013868818&ml_link=140971023133575153

Human Rights Watch Report Jonathan Ofir M/weiss 19/12/2024

Today, Human Rights Watch issued a devastating report on Israel’s genocide in Gaza, titled: “Extermination and Acts of Genocide – Israel Deliberately Depriving Palestinians in Gaza of Water.” The report’s conclusion, coming on the heels of Amnesty’s genocide report of two weeks ago, unequivocally states that Israel has committed the crime of Extermination, and an “act of genocide” Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/12/human-rights-watch-finds-israel-guilty-of-extermination-and-acts-of-genocide/?ml_recipient=141242843929773520&ml_link=141242813471786057

We kill civilians and count them as terrorists Compilation If Americans Knew /12/24  In an article in Haaretz (Hebrew language), Israeli officers who served along the Nitzarim axis, a corridor in central Gaza, have revealed that their army systematically shoots all Palestinians who approach the area, regardless of whether they are children or unarmed civilians, and leaves their bodies exposed to scavenging by dogs. Read more: https://israelpalestinenews.org/we-kill-civilians-count-terrorists-israeli-reservists-admit-day-438/

a call to protect Gaza’s healthcare system Palestine Mental Health Networks and Doctors Against Genocide  M/Weiss 21/12/2024

The Palestine Mental Health Networks and Doctors Against Genocide stand with Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, Director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, in pleading with the international community: Do not remain silent as Gaza’s healthcare system is systematically destroyed. The relentless assaults on Kamal Adwan Hospital—a sanctuary meant to save lives in northern Gaza—are part of a deliberate genocidal campaign. These attacks on hospitals and clinics, places meant for healing and shelter, are not accidents of war; they are the cold calculations of those who would see an entire people erased.  Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/12/humanity-must-not-look-away-a-call-to-protect-gazas-healthcare-system/?ml_recipient=141424015468135735&ml_link=141423995384759888

Is UN torture expert overlooking Israeli abuses?  MC Murphy EI  24/12/2024

Last week, the UN special rapporteur on torture visited the Israeli towns attacked on 7 October 2023. As rumors that a ceasefire deal was near swirled in the media, Alice Jill Edwards reiterated her call for the “immediate and unconditional release of the hostages” held in Gaza since that date. “This is an unlawful act under international law. It’s an atrocity. It’s a war crime,” she said . . .  In a letter signed by the Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council and the Palestinian Non-governmental Organizations Network, the groups call out “what we perceive as a lack of meaningful action, responsiveness and impartiality” regarding Israeli abuses.

They say that they will no longer engage with Edwards due to her failure to acknowledge “the lived realities of Palestinians.” Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/maureen-clare-murphy/un-torture-expert-overlooking-israeli-abuses

Plenty of room at the inn during genocide Amy Abdelnoor EI 24/12/202

For two decades now, for instance, Israel has prevented citizens of Palestinian origin from securing residencies for their spouses if these are from occupied territory.

Indeed, Joseph, supposedly from Bethlehem, and Mary of Nazareth would not, under the present regime, have been allowed to live together .The use of a census to control populations, on the other hand, would have been familiar to the young couple. The Roman-appointed Jewish client king Herod was supposed to have carried out a massacre of first-born sons in order to preempt the prophesized coming of a new king. The birth itself would be much more humiliating today than merely being born in a manger. Palestinian women face difficulties far more dehumanizing and morally reprehensible than the full inns with which their ancestor was met. Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/content/plenty-room-inn-during-genocide/50243

Israel’s new army ‘resort’ in northern Gaza Jonathan Ofir M/Weiss 25/12/2024

Israeli news website Ynet published a piece in Hebrew by their military correspondent Yoav Zeitoun, titled “Desalination facility and holiday resort with café; Documentation: This is how IDF [Israeli military] is preparing for prolonged stay in Gaza”. . . Photos and videos reveal the inside of this new ‘resort’ for soldiers: popcorn machines next to a cotton-candy machine, PlayStation video games, a lounge with a “hotel” breakfast, and meat on the grill. Elsewhere, a physiotherapist even gives massages. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/12/popcorn-cotton-candy-and-massages-inside-israels-new-army-resort-in-northern-gaza/?ml_recipient=141786420408747172&ml_link=141786385724999111

Deadly Israeli Attack on USS Liberty Attack Still Remains a Secret Michelle J. Kinnucan Israel-Palestine News 27/12/2024  Evidently the CIA is still guarding material important to understanding what happened on June 8, 1967 and afterwards, such as reports that sources in Tel Aviv stated: “Israel’s forces knew exactly what flag the LIBERTY was flying” and Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Dayan “personally ordered the attack” on the Liberty over the objections of senior military officers, one of whom characterized the attack as “pure murder”… Read more: https://israelpalestinenews.org/deadly-uss-liberty-attack-records-remain-secret-for-now/

Mapping the genocide in Gaza  Jeff Wright M/Weiss 28/12/2024

FA’s October report contains more than 800 pages of evidence, organizing thousands of well-documented acts of Israeli military violence into six categories: spatial control; displacement; destruction of agriculture and water resources; destruction of medical infrastructure; destruction of civilian infrastructure; and targeting of aid. These thousands of data points have been visually mapped on FA’s A Cartography of Genocide, revealing what it describes as overlapping “patterns of ‘incidents’.”  Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/12/mapping-the-genocide-in-gaza/?ml_recipient=142058187878565825&ml_link=142058173265610407

Adulthood encroaches during genocide  Anon EI  30/12/2024

My sister, Lina, recently got her first period. Under normal circumstances, this would be a significant moment. But in these conditions, it brought with it a wave of worry.

My mother’s voice trembled as she recounted the pain Lina was in. She wanted to take her to the hospital but knew there was no point with the endless flood of injured and gravely ill people needing urgent care. In the middle of a genocide, a girl’s first menstruation felt like yet another mountain to climb. Lina, still very much a child, now finds herself living in a cramped tent with five family members. There’s no privacy.

“I hear her crying at night, trying to stifle her sobs so her brothers, sleeping beside her, don’t hear,” my mother said. “How can I help her when I have nothing to give?” Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/content/adulthood-encroaches-during-genocide/50251

Israel is turning Gaza into a frozen, open-air cemetery – Day 449  End of year brief compilation  30/12/2024 The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor revealed that it received “harrowing” testimonies documenting serious crimes committed by the Israeli army against Palestinian civilians during its raid on the Kamal Adwan Hospital and surrounding areas in the northern Gaza Strip.The attack on the hospital forced the closure of the northern Gaza Strip’s last major medical facility. “These crimes included deliberate killings, field executions, as well as sexual and physical assaults on women and girls from medical teams and displaced women in the area,” said the Geneva-based Monitor. Read more: https://israelpalestinenews.org/israel-gaza-frozen-open-air-cemetery-day-449/

UK related articles

The BBC's Civil War Over Gaza Owen Jones Drop Site 19/12/2024

Today Drop Site News is publishing a landmark investigation about the BBC’s coverage of Israel’s unrelenting assault on Gaza by British journalist Owen Jones. His report is based on interviews with 13 journalists and other BBC staffers who offer remarkable insights into how senior figures within the BBC’s news operation skewed stories in favor of Israel’s narratives and repeatedly dismissed objections registered by scores of staffers who, throughout the past 14 months, demanded that the network uphold its commitment to impartiality and fairness. Read more: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/bbc-civil-war-gaza-israel-biased-coverage?publication_id=2510348&post_id=153327545&isFreemail=true&r=19e7h&triedRedirect=true 

Oxford Union Debate - a speaker and audience member who attended tell us what really happened. Miko Peled & Naila Kauser M/Weiss 31/12 /2024

Palestine has been governed by an apartheid regime since May of 1948, when the state of Israel was established. Whether within the original borders of the 1949 armistice agreements – which Israel violated – or in those created after the 1967 Israeli assault on its neighbors, one set of laws existed for Jews, and other sets of laws for Palestinians, which differ from one region of Palestine to another. 

As an example, the Palestinian Bedouin community in the Southern half of Palestine, the Naqab, is governed by a separate bureaucracy from those living in the north, although all carry Israeli citizenship. The 300,000 strong Naqab Bedouin are governed by the Agency for the Development of the Negev (Negev being the Israeli name for Naqab). About half of these people live in abject poverty without access to electricity, running water, roads or medical services, while Israeli settlers in the region enjoy what is considered one of the highest living standards among Israeli Jews. The Bedouin, who are semi-nomadic farmers, are forbidden from engaging in agriculture, while Israeli Jewish settlers are encouraged to do so. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/12/two-voices-on-israeli-apartheid-and-genocide-at-the-oxford-union/?ml_recipient=142330009638405122&ml_link=142329969409787132

January 2025 articles / updates

Judicial decrees, decisions, positions, and orders issued by official Israeli bodies   SOURCE: Law for Palestine

• Eight members of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Security Committee have called on the Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, to scrap their military operations in the Gaza Strip calling it “stagnation”, for a more effective plan that will “cleanse” the Strip and realise their war objectives. The members advocated the IOF destroy all energy, food and water sources in the northern Gaza Strip to eliminate Hamas and kill anyone moving in the area who does not surrender by raising a white flag. Only after said plan has been realised and a period of siege is enforced, the Committee proposes the forces gradually enter in order to completely eliminate the enemy’s holds. (January 02, 2025)

• Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that Al-Funduq, Nablus, and Jenin should resemble Jabalia to prevent Kfar Saba from becoming Kfar Gaza. He also called for an urgent cabinet meeting to discuss decisive steps to eliminate what he described as “terrorism” in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank). Smotrich affirmed that his government is determined to annul the Oslo Accords, dismantle the Palestinian Authority, and eradicate what he referred to as “terrorism,” with full responsibility being returned to Israel. He added that this approach is part of the work he began over the past two years in the civilian field under his responsibility at the Ministry of Defense. In the same context, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz stated, “we will not allow the situation in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) to become like it was in the Gaza Strip. (January 6, 2025)

• A Brazilian court has ordered the Federal Police to investigate an Israeli soldier, based on a complaint filed by the Hind Rajab Foundation, which accuses him of participating in the large-scale demolition of civilian homes in Gaza as part of a systematic campaign of destruction. Before the Federal Police could open the investigation, the Israeli government intervened to help him flee Brazilian authorities. (January 6, 2025)

• Israeli Channel 12 reported that the Foreign Ministry is aware of at least 12 cases in which complaints have been filed abroad against IOF soldiers. These complaints, alleging war crimes in Gaza, have been filed in countries such as Brazil, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Belgium, the Netherlands, Serbia, Ireland, Cyprus, South Africa, and France. According to Channel 12, most of these complaints have not led to investigations or arrests, although the incident in Brazil nearly escalated into a diplomatic crisis. A joint office, including several Israeli ministries, has been established to assess legal threats against Israeli soldiers abroad. The Foreign Ministry “draws the attention of Israelis to posts on social media about their military service, noting that anti-Israeli elements may exploit these posts to initiate futile legal proceedings against them.” (January 6, 2025)

• Israeli public broadcaster Kan has revealed a document that forms the basis of the ongoing hostage negotiation talks in Doha, which has been presented to the security cabinet. The document indicates that the purpose of the agreement is the release of all Israeli hostages held in Gaza, whether alive or not, in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons. It also calls for the establishment of lasting quiet, leading to a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, and the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip. The document further outlines that the IOF will allow humanitarian aid into Gaza as soon as the deal comes into effect. Meanwhile, Hamas will agree to release the hostages, starting with women. (January 7, 2025)

• Israeli Minister of Construction and Housing Yitzhak Goldknopf, during a tour of the northern West Bank, has called on Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to bring a million Jews to settle the occupied West Bank. He also called on the Prime Minister to use the momentum provided by the entry into office of the Trump administration to accelerate the construction of more real estate projects in what he called the Jewish state’s biblical heartland. (January 12, 2025)

• Israel’s Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has stressed that the hostage-ceasefire deal would be “a catastrophe for national security”. In his statement, Smotrich vows that “We will not be part of a surrender deal that would include releasing terrorists, stopping the war and dissolving the achievements that were bought with much blood, and abandoning many hostages.” He added that “This is the time to continue with all our might, to occupy and cleanse the entire Strip, to finally take control of humanitarian aid from Hamas, and to open the gates of hell on Gaza until Hamas surrenders completely and all the hostages are returned.” (January 13, 2025)

• The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have seized seven and a half Dunums (1.8 Acres) of land from the village of Husan, west Bethlehem in the West Bank. In its annual report, the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission documented 49597 Dunums (11514 Acres) of land seized by the Israeli occupation under Israeli Military Orders in 2024. (January 13, 2025)

• National Security Minister of Israel, Itamar Ben Gvir, has described the proposed deal for Gaza as “horrific” and claimed he is well-rounded on its details, including the release of hundreds of detainees whom he described as “terrorists who have murdered”, the return of Gazans including thousands of terrorists to the north of the Strip, as well as the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Netzarim corridor. He claims that the deal does not entail the release of all hostages, it would endanger the lives of excluded hostages from the deal and erase the war’s achievements. (January 14, 2025)

• Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich has stressed that the survival of him and his Religious Zionism party in the Israeli government is contingent upon a decisive commitment to resume warfare with great force. He called for a comprehensive approach under a new strategic vision aimed at achieving a secure and unequivocal victory. (January 15, 2025)

• Avichay Adraee, Lieutenant Colonel for the IOF, has issued a warning notice to residents of Jabalia Village in the northern Gaza Strip to evacuate before the IOF launches its attack. Adraee highlights Jabalia on a map of the northern Strip and proclaims that “terrorist organizations are once more launching missiles from this area that has received several warnings in the past. For your safety, move immediately to the shelters in the center of Gaza City.” (January 15, 2025)

• Israeli National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has announced he will resign from office along with his faction -the Jewish Power party- if the cease-fire and hostage release deal is approved and implemented. Ben-Gvir assured that he would oppose the deal in any case and his return to government is conditional on the resumption of military operations in the Gaza Strip. Once the deal reaches all its stages, the Minister is expecting assurance that the IOF will return to Gaza to intensify their fighting and seize control over the distribution of humanitarian aid in the Strip. (January 15-16, 2025)

• Opposition Leader, Yair Lapid, has reiterated his offer to give Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a political safety net to advance a hostage-ceasefire deal. While Israeli National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, threatens to leave office if the deal is followed through, Lapid remarked “I say to Benjamin Netanyahu, don’t be afraid or intimidated”, and “This is more important than any disagreement we’ve ever had.” (January 16, 2025)

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has announced an agreement for the release of the hostages, with the Cabinet convening to discuss and approve the proposed framework. The release is expected to take place on Sunday. (January 17, 2025)

• Israeli Member of Knesset Yair Golan has crticised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government for delaying the completion of the deal in May last year for what he described as unjustifiable political reasons. Golan deemed these actions unforgivable. (January 17, 2025)

• Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced that he had secured a  commitment to change the war strategy, emphasising full territorial control over the Gaza Strip, removing the restrictions imposed by the Biden administration. Smotrich said that Gaza was currently “ruined and disintegrated, uninhabitable” and that it would “remain that way”.  He added: “Don’t be impressed by the forced joy of our enemy. This is an animalistic society that sanctifies death. Very soon, we will erase their smile again and replace it with cries of grief and the wails of those who were left with nothing”. (January 18-19, 2025)

• Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, has resigned, citing accountability for the “terrible failure” of security and intelligence during Hamas’ attack on 7 October 2023. Halevi stated that “My responsibility for this terrible failure accompanies me every day, every hour and will remain with me for the rest of my life”. (January 21, 2025)

• The Knesset has passed a law criminalising the denial of October 7, 2023 introduced by MK Oded Forer of the “Yisrael Beiteinu”. Under this law, statements denying the “massacre”, with the intention of defending Hamas and its partners or expressing sympathy or solidarity with them, will be charged with a criminal offense punishable by five years in prison. (January 21, 2025)

• The Israeli army has launched “Operation Iron Wall” in the West Bank city of Jenin, which is expected to last for days, claiming the aim is to dismantle “terrorist” infrastructures and ensure settler security. The operation involves strict restrictions including road closures and over 750 checkpoints, setting up additional checkpoints and closing road gates that connect Palestinian towns and communities to the main roads. Settlers remain unaffected due to isolated road systems. Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich endorsed the operation as vital to promote settler protection and national security. (January 21-22, 2025)

• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s office has announced that the Palestinian Authority (PA) will not take control of the Rafah Crossing. Instead “non-Hamas Gazans” will manage with international oversight. The office has noted that the role of the PA is toprovide the stamp on passports allowing Gazans to exit the Strip. The IOF remains deployed at the crossing, controlling all movement. (January 22, 2025)

• In response to a query about negotiation with Saudi Arabia on the establishment of a Palestinian State, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, has denied any commitment by Israel to establish a Palestinian state. He expressed optimism about post-conflict administration in Gaza within the Prime Minister’s framework. (January 22, 2025)

• The opposition’s bill to annex the Jordan Valley was defeated in the Knesset by 32 votes to 56. Coalition members emphasised the importance of timing and coordination with the United States before advancing such legislation. Voiced by Knesset members including Tally Gotliv who stated “We can’t vote for it just because it’s right, we need to do it in a way that is reasonable and at the right time, and in cooperation with the United States”, and Knesset member Dan Illouz who added “We have a historic opportunity to advance Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley, but it must be done wisely”. (January 22, 2025)

• According to Israeli officials and a source with direct knowledge, it was reported that U.S. private security contractors will begin operating a key Gaza checkpoint in the coming days. They will deploy armed guards to the enclave as part of a multinational consortium established under the ceasefire deal. The aim is to inspect Palestinian vehicles moving from southern Gaza to northern Gaza and ensure thatno rockets or other heavy weapons are being transferred. (January 23, 2025)

• Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, sent a letter to Secretary-General António Guterres, confirming Israel’s decision to terminate its interim agreement with UNRWA and cease its operations in Jerusalem by January 30, 2025, based on new Israeli legislation. Danon informed Guterres that UNRWA representatives must vacate the Agency’s facilities in Jerusalem, citing allegations of Hamas infiltrations and claiming the organisation lacks neutrality. (January 24, 2025)

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 The failure of the Two State Solution – Refugees Salman H Abu Sitta 01/01/2025

https://israelpalestinenews.org/the-failure-of-the-two-state-solution/ 

Israel destroys Gaza hospital, abducts director Hussam Abu Safiya

N Barrows-Friedman EI 01/01/2025 An eyewitness said that Israeli soldiers forced all the patients and displaced people to walk a long distance to a checkpoint, where they were subjected to hours of humiliation and invasive searches before being loaded into trucks, still without clothes, and left to sit for hours. The eyewitness said that everyone; injured, sick, displaced, or visitors, received the same degrading treatment, with no regard for their conditions. Soldiers had also marked Palestinian captives with numbers on their necks and chests. Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-barrows-friedman/israel-destroys-gaza-hospital-abducts-director-hussam-abu-safiya

Israel cannot lose a “humanity” it never had James Ray M/Weiss 02/01/2025

Ze’ev Jabotinsky, the founder of Revisionist Zionism, spoke of this very colonial nature in his 1923 Iron Wall speech, comparing Palestinians to the Aztecs and Sioux – who had found themselves colonized by outside powers. He went so far as to state: Every native population in the world resists colonists as long as it has the slightest hope of being able to rid itself of the danger of being colonised. That is what the Arabs in Palestine are doing, and what they will persist in doing as long as there remains a solitary spark of hope that they will be able to prevent the transformation of “Palestine” into the “Land of Israel.”

Other leaders of the Zionist movement put these words into practice, not only displacing Palestinians en masse but also training and arming themselves in preparation and eventual execution of military operations that would seek to create what some like Ben Gurion considered more favourable demographic compositions on the ground. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2025/01/israel-cannot-lose-a-humanity-it-never-had/?ml_recipient=142511203468444890&ml_link=142511164591441639

Systemic Rape Allegations Against Israel Meet A Deafening Silence Robert Inlakesh israelpalestinenews 04/01/2025  A flood of devastating new testimonies documenting the systemic sexual abuse of Palestinian men and women by Israeli soldiers has surfaced in recent weeks. Yet, as these harrowing accounts gain traction amongst human rights groups and international organizations, Western media has conspicuously turned its focus elsewhere—amplifying Israel’s poorly corroborated claims against Hamas Read more: https://israelpalestinenews.org/rape-allegations-against-israel/

Israeli lawmakers demand military destroy all food and energy resources in Gaza  Jonathan Ofir M/Weiss 04/01/2025  Referring to the north, where Israel is conducting a tight siege and ethnic cleansing campaign, they bemoan that “the IDF does not regard, as is custom in international law and all western armies, those who remain as enemies”. In other words, they suggest shooting everyone who is there, after the so-called “humanitarian evacuation” is supposedly complete. This is the euphemism for the ethnic cleansing campaign. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2025/01/israeli-lawmakers-demand-military-destroy-all-food-and-energy-resources-in-gaza/?ml_recipient=142692402890540417&ml_link=142692355233809867

Israel still can’t find any 7 October rape victims, prosecutor admits Ali Abunimah EI 06/01/2025 In her Ynet interview, Gez confirms that 15 months after the events, Israel still has not identified a single victim in which a prosecution can be brought against an alleged perpetrator of a sexual attack. “Unfortunately, it will be very difficult to prove these crimes,” Gez said. “In the end, we have no complainants,” Gez admitted, noting the vast gap between public perceptions and factual reality. “Comparing what was presented in the media to what will come together in the end, it will be altogether different,” Gez said, offering the usual spin that this is “Either because the victims were murdered or because women who were raped are not ready to reveal it.” But this frequent excuse for why no victims have been identified cannot account for the total lack of forensic, visual or credible eyewitness evidence, especially when the sexual attacks were supposedly so widespread on 7 October. Read more:

https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/israel-still-cant-find-any-7-october-rape-victims-prosecutor-admits

‘No Civilians’: IDF Soldiers Reveal Killings, Lawlessness in Gaza Yanik Kubovich (Ha’aretz) If Americans Knew 09/01/2025   After reports of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s death, Vach shared disturbing fantasies during a command briefing about mutilating and desecrating the body. “How they should have stripped him, placed him in the city square, cut up the corpse and wash it in sewage water. He tried to explain how to cut and dismember the body,” an officer recalls. “This wasn’t a joke – this was a formal assessment meeting. His commanders stood shocked silent,” Read more: https://israelpalestinenews.org/no-civilians-idf-soldiers-reveal-killings-lawlessness-in-gaza/

The Biden administration’s shameful weaponization of food aid  David Atwood M/Weiss 09/01/2025  This recent censorship battle over whether to call starvation in Gaza a famine is compromising United States credibility on issues where the U.S. has led the world for decades. A half-century ago, the U.S. helped forge a global consensus on norms to guide how the world responds to food crises, including that food not be used as a weapon.   Now, U.S. officials are censoring independent reporting of starvation in Gaza resulting from Israel withholding food supplies from northern Gaza. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2025/01/the-biden-administrations-shameful-weaponization-of-food-aid/?ml_recipient=143145363991168355&ml_link=143145345171326187

‘We all became ghosts’  Noor Alyacoubi  M/Weiss 09/01/2025Being forced to strip naked under the gaze of a sniper is a nightmare that has become a recurring reality for Palestinian men. For Mahmoud, 24, and his father Osama, 50, that moment came after enduring over 450 days of starvation, relentless bombardment, and repeated displacement. . . “When I first approached the checkpoint, an Israeli soldier yelled at me, grabbed my hat, and threw it to the ground. I stayed calm. I had to stay calm, knowing any reaction could endanger my life.” Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2025/01/we-all-became-ghosts-survivors-recount-israels-deadly-siege-of-jabalia-refugee-camp/?ml_recipient=143145363991168355&ml_link=143145345156646071

Gaza’s children freeze, Israel blocks delivery of coats and blankets compilation If Americans knew 10/01/2025 “for over a month, about 13,000 children’s clothing kits have been awaiting entry into Gaza from the West Bank and more than 11,000 children’s clothing kits have already been lost due to looting … As a result, only 19,000 children’s clothing kits out of a total of 220,000 procured kits have so far entered Gaza,” . .

Israel has opened an underground prison for detainees from Hamas and Hezbollah groups where they are denied access to sunlight, Israeli media said on Thursday.

According to the Israeli public broadcaster KAN, the facility, located in central Israel, is designed to house “the most dangerous individuals” from Hamas’s elite forces and Hezbollah’s Radwan Unit. “This is their natural place, underground,” far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees the police, told KAN  Read more:

https://israelpalestinenews.org/as-gazas-children-freeze-israel-blocks-delivery-of-coats-and-blankets-day-460/

Dr Abu Safiya symbolized humanity in Gaza  If America Knew 11/01/2025

by Jonathan Cook, reposted from Substack, January 8, 2025, (first published by Middle East Eye)   The hope is that Abu Safiya will not suffer the fate of his colleague, the former head of orthopaedics at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital. After four months of abuse at Ofer prison, Bursh was dumped by guards in its yard, naked from the waist down, bleeding and unable to stand. He died a short time later. Read more: https://israelpalestinenews.org/dr-abu-safiya-symbolized-humanity-in-gaza-as-it-is-destroyed/

Meta’s staunch support for Israel shines amidst genocide in Gaza  Ali Hamedin If Americans Knew 14/01.2025 Meta/Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg donated $125,000 to Zaka, the Israeli organization that is the source of most of the disinformation used to dehumanize Palestinians; Sheryl Sandberg, a key figure at Facebook, created a promotional documentary for Israel; Guy Rosen, the most senior person making decisions around what content is allowed on Meta, is Israeli, served in the IDF's Unit 8200... Read more: https://israelpalestinenews.org/metas-staunch-support-for-israel-shines-amidst-genocide-in-gaza/

Why the West is wrong about Hamas Ashraf Nubani EI 14.01/2025

He emphasized that these operations were not a preferred strategy but an understandable reaction to the brutality of the occupation, the dehumanization of Palestinians, and the vast asymmetry of power between a nuclear-armed Israel and an occupied, defenseless people. . . As an illegal occupier, Israel cannot claim the right to “defend itself” under international law, particularly given its referral to the International Court of Justice for alleged acts of genocide and the indictment of its leaders at the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/content/why-west-wrong-about-hamas/50294

Biden administration sued over failure to evacuate families from Gaza  Michael Aria M/Weiss 16/012025 The lawsuit notes that the U.S. government is required to protect U.S. citizens and has acted with urgency to remove them from other war zones, such as Sudan, Afghanistan, and Lebanon. After the Hamas attack of October 7, the State Department initiated departure assistance for Israelis wishing to come to the United States. The lawsuit alleges that, through its treatment of Palestinians, the State Department has violated the Fifth Amendment, which guarantees equal protection for citizens and legal residents abroad. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2025/01/palestinian-americans-sue-biden-administration-over-failure-to-evacuate-families-from-gaza/?ml_recipient=143779565485950540&ml_link=143779537318052968

Detention without charge of Palestinian children hits record level  Fayha’ Shalash EI 16/01/2025 The Israelis took Ammar away from the family’s home in the occupied West Bank village of Abwein. One week later, the family learned that Ammar had been placed in administrative detention – imprisonment without charge or trial. He remains imprisoned. All files against people subject to administrative detention are kept secret. Lawyers representing detainees are, therefore, unable to see those files.

The number of children held in administrative detention rose from six in early 2023 to 85 in September 2024. Data compiled by Defence for Children International-Palestine show that Israel’s use of administrative detention against minors reached a record level over recent months. Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/content/detention-without-charge-palestinian-children-hits-record-level/50300

The Ceasefire Charade Chris Hedges Report  IAK  16/01/2025

Israel, going back decades, has played a duplicitous game. It signs a deal with the Palestinians that is to be implemented in phases. The first phase gives Israel what it wants — in this case the release of the Israeli hostages in Gaza — but Israel habitually fails to implement subsequent phases that would lead to a just and equitable peace. It eventually provokes the Palestinians with indiscriminate armed assaults to retaliate, defines a Palestinian response as a provocation and abrogates the ceasefire deal to reignite the slaughter. Read more: https://israelpalestinenews.org/the-ceasefire-charade/

Is Germany incapable of learning from its past?  David Cronin EI 23/01/2025

he US and Germany manufactured 99 percent of the weapons imported by Israel in the decade before the genocide got underway. Both continued to supply arms when the genocide was at full tilt. As well as offering practical support, Germans and Americans drive propaganda activities that help Israel to get away with its crimes. Some of those activities are focused on ensuring that the smear campaign against UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestine rights, culminates in the agency’s closure. Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/david-cronin/germany-incapable-learning-its-past

Jenin is ‘only the beginning’  Qassam Muaddi M/Weiss 23/01/2025

Israeli forces launched its offensive on Jenin early on Tuesday with air strikes on the refugee camp as well as an incursion by special forces, positioning snipers overlooking the camp. This initial attack was soon followed by large armored forces from the northern, eastern, and western sides of Jenin, accompanied by helicopter gunships that opened fire on Palestinians from the air, and Israeli D-9 bulldozers which destroyed streets and other already-damaged infrastructure. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2025/01/jenin-is-only-the-beginning-israel-moves-its-war-on-palestinians-to-the-west-bank/?ml_recipient=144413726731142946&ml_link=144413699440904169