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Scottish Friends of Palestine
Briefing Paper
July 2025
Judicial decrees, decisions, positions, and orders issued by official Israeli bodies [Source: Law for Palestine]
Israel’s security cabinet approved a proposal by Defense Minister Israel Katz to establish a new administration within the Defense Ministry aimed at facilitating the “voluntary” departure of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. (March 23, 2025)
The security cabinet approved a decision to separate 13 so-called “neighborhoods” of existing West Bank settlements from their parent settlements, effectively turning them into 13 independent settlements. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich described this move as a significant step toward achieving “de facto [Israeli] sovereignty” over the West Bank (March 23, 2025)
The Israeli Knesset’s Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee approved an amendment to the Legislation (Judea and Samaria) Bill for 2024, which mandates replacing the term “West Bank” with “Judea and Samaria” in all Israeli legislation. (March 24, 2025)
Israel’s Supreme Court unanimously rejected a petition demanding that the government refrain from cutting off humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. The court ruled that Israel is acting in accordance with the directives of its political leadership and its obligations under both Israeli and international law, claiming that the law of belligerent occupation does not apply to Israel. Rights organizations that filed the petition expressed disappointment, arguing that the ruling amounts to unconditional support for the Israeli government, contradicting a broad international consensus. They warned that the decision effectively grants Israel a green light to continue committing war crimes and harming civilians in Gaza. (March 27, 2025).
The High Court of Justice unanimously rejected petitions by rights groups concerning the humanitarian situation in Gaza, emphasizing that Israel had not violated legal prohibitions against using starvation of a civilian population as a method of warfare or as a form of collective punishment. The Court asserted that Israel has taken various measures to address the humanitarian needs of Gaza’s civilian population during the ongoing war. It also dismissed the claim that Gaza is currently under a “belligerent occupation” by Israel, stating that at least two of the three conditions required to establish such an occupation—namely, effective control over the territory and the ability to exercise governing authority—have not been met in Gaza’s case. ( March 30, 2025)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the combination of military and political pressure is the only way to recover the hostages, stressing that the government has decided to increase military pressure to “ crush Hamas’s capabilities and create conditions for the hostages’ release”, adding that Israel is ready to discuss the “ final stage” involving the disarmament of Hamas and Israel’s assumption of responsibility for public security in Gaza, and the implementation of “ Trump Plan and Voluntary migration Plan”. ( March 30, 2025)
The Political- Security Cabinet ( Israel’s Security Cabinet) approved Israeli Defense Minister Katz’s proposal to pave alternative roads in areas East of Jerusalem, as part of a project involving two bypass roads to promote settlement in Area E1. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated “We continue to strengthen the security of Israeli citizens and expand our settlements,” while the Defense Minister Israel Katz considered that the decision would “reinforce the settlements, boost security, enhance the welfare of all residents in the area, and strengthen our hold on Judea and Samaria” (West Bank). ( March 30, 2025)
The Israeli military’s spokesman in Arabic, Avichay Adraee, announced a sweeping evacuation order for wide-range areas in Rafah, calling on Palestinians to immediately move to shelter in al-Mawasi area as Israel ramps up its military operation in Gaza. Adraee issued an ultimatum to residents of Beit Hanoun and surrounding areas, warning of an imminent raid. He claimed that “ terrorist organizations” were firing rockets from among civilians, noting that these areas had received previous warnings. ( March 31- April 1, 2025)
Israeli Defense and Finance Ministers, Katz and Bezalel Smotrich, toured the West Bank, reaffirming their commitment to Jewish settlements and cracking down on “ illegal” Palestinian construction. Katz stressed that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas should not be allowed to use illegal construction as a tool to create a strategic threat against the settlements, while Smotrich cited that since 1967, there has not been such a transformation in the West Bank, adding that the government has recognized 28 new communities and is enforcing regulations in areas that were previously ignored. Katz reaffirmed that “The West Bank is the heart of Israel, and we will protect it with every means necessary,” and Smotrich stressed “ Judea and Samaria are our ancestral homeland, and we are here to stay.” ( April 1, 2025)
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated / here that the military operation in Gaza has entered a “shifted gears” focused on “seizing territory”. He announced the establishment of a new corridor called the “Morag Corridor”, referring to a former Israeli settlement located between Rafah and Khan Younis. He added: “We are now cutting off the strip and we are increasing the pressure step by step, so that [Hamas] will give us our hostages,” stressing that “the more they do not give, the more the pressure will increase until they do.” (April 2, 2025)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu applauded Hungary for its “bold and principled” decision to leave the International Criminal Court, adding that “ it’s important for all democracies to stand up to this corrupt organisation.” ( April 3, 2025)
Following French President Emmanuel Macron’s calls for the recognition of a Palestinian state, the son of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Yair Netanyahu, publicly rebuked the President, calling for the independence of several French-owned territories. Prime Minister Netanyahu commended his son for his remarks, calling him “a true Zionist…who is entitled to his personal opinion.” Netanyahu called President Macron “gravely mistaken” for recognising Palestine as a state while accusing him of promoting the destruction of Israel. (April 11–13, 2025)
Defence Minister Israel Katz has admitted that Israel has no intentions in allowing the flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip until a “civilian” mechanism is established to bypass Hamas. Katz explained that Israel’s policy in Gaza includes, “stopping humanitarian aid, which undermines Hamas’s [sic] control over the population, and creating an infrastructure for the distribution [of aid] through civilian companies later on.” Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir echoed the sentiment, vowing to do everything in his power to prevent the flow of aid into Gaza. Ben-Gvir stated, “As long as our hostages are dying in the tunnels, there is no reason for a gram of food or aid to enter Gaza.” (April 16 , 2025)
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has called for the imposition of the death penalty against Palestinians he accuses of terrorism, stating that “there is no redemption, there is no remedy or rehabilitation” for them. Speaking at an event, Ben-Gvir said he would even support the use of an electric chair if he could convince Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (April 20, 2025)
The Israeli army has announced the results of an internal investigation into the incident in the Gaza Strip where Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened fire on Palestinian rescue teams and civilian vehicles, resulting in the deaths of 15 Palestinians. The IOF claimed that the shooting occurred in a hostile combat environment under significant threat, and justified it as an operational miscalculation, saying troops mistakenly identified the vehicles and rescue teams as hostile elements. Among those killed, six were reportedly identified by Israel as Hamas members. The investigation also confirmed that a United Nations-marked vehicle was mistakenly targeted, in violation of operational orders, though no mention was made of any disciplinary action. (April 20, 2025)
Israel has cancelled entry visas for 27 French left-wing lawmakers and local officials shortly before their scheduled visit to Israel and the Palestinian territory, citing a law that allows authorities to deny entry to individuals perceived as acting against the state. The cancelled delegation, which intended to meet with Palestinian officials and civil society groups, denounced the move as a form of collective punishment and called on French President Emmanuel Macron to intervene. (April 21, 2025)
Israeli Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, has defended Israel’s military conduct in Gaza following criticism from U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, who accused Israel of engaging in mass killings of civilians. Katz claimed that Israel was acting in full accordance with international law and that humanitarian needs in Gaza were being constantly monitored, with significant quantities of aid being delivered. Katz dismissed Senator Sanders’ statements as lacking an understanding of the situation on the ground. (April 22, 2025)
Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee has announced a new evacuation order for residents of Beit Hanoun, Sheikh Zayed, Turukman, Jadida, and northeastern Zaytoun areas in the Gaza Strip, warning of an impending “strong attack” against what he termed “sniping operations and terrorist activities.” Adraee instructed civilians to move westward toward Gaza City to avoid the military operation. The evacuations come amid intensified Israeli military activity across multiple sectors of the Strip. (April 24-25, 2025)
Israel has claimed that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is “infiltrated by terrorism” and is misusing judicial institutions. This statement followed the opening of a week-long hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Israel’s humanitarian obligations toward the Palestinian people. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stated that he accuse UNRWA, the United Nations, the Secretary-General, and “all those that weaponize international law and its institutions in order to deprive the most attacked country in the world — Israel — of its most basic right to defend itself”. (April 28, 2025)
The Times of Israel has reported that Israel is planning a significant shift in the way humanitarian aid is delivered in Gaza. Under the new plan, the current system of wholesale distribution and warehousing would be replaced by direct distribution, with international organizations and private security contractors handing out food boxes directly to individual Gazan families. The proposed mechanism would operate through an internationally governed foundation, supported by US-companies and philanthropic entities, and would exclude direct involvement of the Israeli military within aid distribution hubs. (May 2, 2025)
The Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for the bombing of Gaza’s food and electricity supplies, and to increase the intensity and continue until achieving “ total victory.” (May 4, 2025)
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared that Israel would not withdraw from Gaza, even in the event of another hostage deal. He urged Israelis to “embrace the word ‘occupation’” and emphasized the need for full control over humanitarian aid to prevent it from reaching Hamas. (May 5, 2025)
The Israeli security cabinet unanimously approved the operational plan for the next phase of the campaign in the Gaza Strip, which includes “conquering Gaza and holding the territories.” IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir presented a plan for the Israeli military to take control of territory in Gaza and move the civilian population southward. The cabinet also overwhelmingly approved a humanitarian aid distribution plan “that would prevent Hamas from taking control of supplies and would destroy its governing capabilities.” However, implementation of the plan has been delayed for the time being. (May 5, 2025)
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, speaking at the “Settlements Conference” held in the Ofra settlement in the West Bank, stated that Gaza would be “totally destroyed” within six months. He said the Strip’s 2.3 million Palestinian residents would be “concentrated” in a narrow area between the Egyptian border and the Morag corridor, which stretches from Khan Younis to Rafah. Smotrich claimed this area would serve as a “humanitarian zone” free of Hamas and terrorism, while the rest of Strip would be left empty. He also reaffirmed plans for Israel to declare sovereignty over the West Bank during the current government’s term, describing the construction of roads in the E1 area as a step toward consolidating Israeli control and “is how we kill the de facto Palestinian state.” (6 May 2025)
Israeli Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu stated that Israel should bomb food and fuel reserves in Gaza to starve the population, describing it as a strategy to apply direct pressure on Hamas by targeting civilians. He stressed that ‘humanitarian aid must stop,’ arguing that “As long as we give food to those who fight us — we are endangering our hostages and our soldiers.” (May 6, 2025)
Former IDF Chief and Defense Minister Benny Gantz stated that Israel should not have fully withdrawn from Gaza in 2005, emphasizing that ideas of further Israeli withdrawals or the establishment of a Palestinian state are “disconnected from the security reality.” Gantz asserted that Israel must maintain security control over Gaza, though he cautioned that rebuilding settlements in the Strip “would be a mistake defense-wise, and would also divide the nation at a time when we need unity.” He stressed that Israel cannot tolerate a direct and substantive threat to its citizens along all its borders. (May 6, 2025)
According to The Times of Israel, an Israeli, U.S.-backed plan to resume humanitarian aid distribution in Gaza through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation will initially provide food for only about 60 percent of the Strip’s population. Four distribution centers will be set up in a ‘new humanitarian zone’ in southern Gaza, located between the Philadelphi Corridor and the Morag Corridor. These centers will distribute boxes containing 50 meals (1,750 calories each), along with hygiene kits and medical supplies. The distribution process will be monitored by authorized representatives and secured by armored vehicles operated by American security firm (May 8, 2025)
· The Israeli Supreme Court has rejected Adalah’s petition demanding the immediate cancellation of demolition orders issued by the Israeli military against more than 100 structures in the Nur Shams and Tulkarm refugee camps in the occupied West Bank. The court also declined to issue an interim order to halt the demolitions. In response to the ruling, Adalah stated that camp residents were not given the opportunity to object and were denied due process, adding that the demolitions amount to the forcible transfer of a protected population and violate their rights to housing, property, and dignity. (May 9, 2025)
· The Israeli government has approved a land registration process in Area C of the West Bank, initiated by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. He described the move as part of a plan to expand settlements, assert de facto sovereignty, and eventually annex the territory. The resolution also invalidates any land registration by the Palestinian Authority and directs Israeli security forces to block such efforts. Smotrich said the plan aims to bring one million new settlers to the West Bank to bolster Israel’s control and prevent a Palestinian state. (May 13, 2025)
The right –wing Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that “ “Just as we destroyed Rafah, Khan Yunis, and Gaza, we must destroy Bruqin and Kafr ad-Dik.” In the West Bank. He added, “Bruqin and Kafr ad-Dik should look like Shujaiya and Tel al-Sultan in the Gaza Strip.” (May 15, 2025)
The Israeli military has announced the launch of the initial stages of a major offensive in the Gaza Strip, named “Gideon’s Chariots.” Over the past 24 hours, Israel has carried out extensive airstrikes and mobilized forces to seize strategic areas in Gaza, marking a significant escalation of its military campaign. According to Israeli officials, the operation’s stated objectives include securing the release of hostages and defeating Hamas. They also indicated that the offensive will involve the occupation of Gaza, the forcible relocation of Palestinian civilians to the south, and efforts to prevent Hamas from accessing humanitarian aid supplies. (May 16, 2025)
In direct conversations with his British and French counterparts and other diplomats, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar threatened that if countries proceed with recognizing a Palestinian state without negotiations, Israel may respond by applying sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria. This could include extending Israeli law to Israeli communities in those areas, and potentially to parts of the Jordan Valley and other territories. (25 May 2025)
Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee announced new evacuation orders for residents of Khan Younis Governorate. Additional orders were issued for the areas of Atatra, Jabalia al-Balad, Shuja’iyya, Al-Daraj, and Al-Zaytoun in Gaza City, warning that these areas are now considered dangerous combat zones. He urged residents of these areas to evacuate immediately toward the west. (26 May 2025)
Israeli Minister of Housing and Construction Yitzhak Goldknopf, along with Minister of Settlement Orit Strook, announced the government’s approval for the establishment of two new settlements in the Upper and Lower Galilee. Goldknopf described the move as a strategic step to strengthen security, civil authority, and community control over northern occupied Palestine. He also signed an agreement to expand the “Jadeidi-Makr” settlement to include the construction and planning of approximately 6,300 new settlement units, which will triple its current size. (26–27 May 2025)
The Israeli army announced that two of four recently established aid distribution sites in the Gaza Strip began operations today, delivering food packages to thousands of Palestinian families. It clarified that the aid sites are being operated by a private American security company, while the IDF provides security in the surrounding areas. (May 27, 2025)
Israel has decided to deport four released Palestinian prisoners who hold Israeli citizenship, citing their receipt of salaries from the Palestinian Authority. The Israeli Minister of Defense announced the initiation of procedures to “deport four Israeli citizens convicted of terrorism,” based on a law passed in February 2023. This law grants the Interior Minister the authority to revoke the legal status of anyone convicted of a terrorist act, sentenced to prison, or who has received financial compensation from the Palestinian Authority. He stated that the process of revoking their citizenship has begun. (May 28, 2025)
The Israeli government approved the establishment of 22 new settlements in the West Bank. The plan includes the creation of new settlement communities, the legalization of several wildcat outposts, and the resettlement of the Homesh and Sa-Nur settlements, which were evacuated in 2005. Additionally, four new settlements are planned near the border with Jordan. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called it a “historic decision,” claiming it would strengthen Israel’s hold on Judea and Samaria (the West Bank). He said that settlement expansion affirms their “historic right in the Land of Israel” and is a “crushing answer to Palestinian terror.” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich added that the next step would be “sovereignty,” referring to the annexation of the West Bank. (29 May 2025)
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir described the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza as a “terrible disgrace,” and called for a complete halt to aid deliveries rather than a temporary suspension. He stated his intention to urge the Prime Minister to bring the issue to another vote at the upcoming cabinet meeting. (June 26, 2025)
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrichsaid that expanding the Abraham Accords is a positive step as long as it is grounded in strength, security, and regional economic development. However, he warned against using these agreements as a cover for what he described as an existential threat, including the division of the land, the transfer of territory to “the enemy,” and the establishment of a “terrorist” Palestinian state twenty times the size of Gaza. (June 26, 2025)
‘I operated on more children in Gaza in one night than I do in the U.S. in a year’ Michael Feldon Israel-Palestine News 10/04/2025 - reposted from +972Magazine
On the evening of March 23, Feroze Sidwha, a trauma and critical care surgeon who had recently arrived in Gaza from California as a volunteer medic, was on his way to the surgical ward in Nasser Hospital when an Israeli airstrike tore right through it. Israel’s army said the strike was targeted at Ismail Barhoum, a senior figure in Hamas’ political bureau who was being treated for wounds sustained in a previous airstrike only days earlier, but the bombing also killed a 16-year-old boy and wounded several more patients. . . . he added: “It’s one of the most cherished aspects of humanitarian law that when a person is wounded, not participating in combat, and being attended to by a doctor, they are a protected person.” Read more: https://israelpalestinenews.org/gaza-hospital-bombing-children/
Conditions in Gaza are now the worst they have been in last 18 months Qassam Muaddi M/Weiss 16/04/2025 While the world has become accustomed to flashpoint moments in the news relating to Gaza, the moments in between see a “never-ending hell,” as Malek describes it, for two million people in Gaza, half of whom are children. “We’re in extreme survival mode,” he said. “Every day we are forced to find new ways to survive in a situation where the only thing that has become cheaper is human life,” Malek continued. “You understand how cheap our lives have become when you remember that everything we’ve been forced to live through is man-made? That it could stop right now? And yet it continues!” Read more: + scroll to the end to view the letter from the Board of Deputies (signed by a mere 10% of the members of the Board)
Palestinian prisoners are forced to take part in acts that would be 'morally denounced worldwide' Mera Aladam Middle East Eye 18/04/2025 "As rights advocates and lawyers, we are ashamed to even talk about the levels of torture happening," she said, citing stomping on faces, humiliation and forced consumption of sewage water as some of the lighter treatment Palestinians face. . . Abu Safiya has been categorised as an "unlawful combatant" under Israel - despite him being a civilian doctor, which means there is no formal indictment against him. Read more: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/hussam-abu-safiya-inhumane-conditions-israeli-detention k
Wiz acquisition puts Israel in charge of your Google data Alan MacLeod MintPressNews re-posted on IAK 22/04/2025 Google recently announced it would acquire Israeli-American cloud security firm Wiz for $32 billion. The price tag — 65 times Wiz’s annual revenue — has raised eyebrows and further solidified the close relationship between Google and the Israeli military. In its press release, the Silicon Valley giant claimed that the purchase will “vastly improve how security is designed, operated and automated—providing an end-to-end security platform for customers, of all types and sizes, in the AI era.” Yet it has also raised fears about the security of user data, particularly of those who oppose Israeli actions against its neighbors, given Unit 8200’s long history of using tech to spy on opponents, gather intelligence, and use that knowledge for extortion and blackmail. Read more: https://israelpalestinenews.org/wiz-acquisition-puts-israeli-intelligence-in-charge-of-your-google-data/
Palestinian elites threw a huge party for the opening of a megamall in Ramallah — as bombs ripped through Gaza Abdal Jawad Omar M/Weiss 18/04/2025
On April 12, a new shopping mall was inaugurated in Ramallah under the name “Icon” — a deliberate choice that seeks not only to name but to consecrate, to frame the exemplary as sacred. The opening was marked by a full-blown spectacle: choreographed dancers, celebratory music, a festive crowd, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by officials and Palestinian elites. It was an aesthetic of pomp and circumstance, a carefully staged performance of normalcy. But as images and videos of the event circulated online, they collided with the reality of the ongoing massacre in Gaza. Social media erupted — especially from Gazans and Palestinians everywhere — in a wave of anger, grief, and disbelief. How could there be dancing while bodies are still being pulled from the rubble? How could such a display unfold at a time when whole families were being erased daily? Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2025/04/palestinian-elites-threw-a-huge-party-for-the-opening-of-a-megamall-in-ramallah-as-bombs-ripped-through-gaza/?ml_recipient=152110696736228541&ml_link=152110661179016393&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=2025-04-19&utm_campaign=Daily+Headlines+RSS+Automation
“Deprivation by Design”: Israel Intensifies Mass Killing Campaign in Gaza With Starvation and Daily Strikes Rasha Abou Jalal and Sharif Abdel Kouddous Dropsite News 30/04/2025
"We could hear the cries of the wounded trapped under the rubble, but we were helpless to reach them. Over time, the screaming faded, and we no longer knew whether they were still alive or had been killed,” Bassal told Drop Site. "Many lives could have been saved, but the ongoing blockade and the denial of essential tools eliminated every possible chance for rescue.” Read more: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/israel-intensifies-mass-killing-gaza-starvation
Israel plans to reoccupy Gaza indefinitely. Here’s what that actually means. Qassam Muaddi M/Weiss 05/05/2025
In addition to isolating Rafah, the Israeli army has been following a strategy of wiping out the city by demolishing or detonating large residential blocks, reducing all the city to rubble. The Israeli army also announced that it will make Rafah part of its new expanded militarized buffer zone. In a televised statement, Israel’s war minister Israel Katz described the operation as “making Gaza smaller and more isolated.” This strategy began to take shape while Israel was still engaged in indirect talks, through Egypt and Qatar, to reach a new ceasefire deal with Hamas. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2025/05/israel-is-expanding-its-assault-on-gaza-heres-what-that-actually-means/?ml_recipient=153650850245379142&ml_link=153650815302632938&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=2025-05-06&utm_campaign=Daily+Headlines+RSS+Automation
Israel is creating a power vacuum in Gaza by backing armed looters and killing anyone who tries to stop them Faris Giacaman & Tareq Hajjaj M/Weiss 07/05/25 The most recent of these attacks came just last week when Israeli airstrikes killed a number of police officers and civilians who were protecting markets and food warehouses in Gaza City. One police officer, killed on May 2 while on duty in the al-Nasr area of Gaza City, was identified as As’ad Yahya Kafarneh. According to one family member, Kafarneh was in charge of a police patrol leading efforts to “confront gangs collaborating with the Israeli occupation, which work to rob food storage facilities. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2025/05/israel-is-creating-a-power-vacuum-in-gaza-by-backing-armed-looters-and-killing-anyone-who-tries-to-stop-them/?ml_recipient=153741472840025849&ml_link=153741423337801582
‘Render it unusable’: Israel’s mission of total urban destruction Meron Rapoport and Oren Ziv +972 Magazine 15/05/2025
Y., a soldier who recently returned from reserve duty in Rafah, described the army’s demolition methods to +972 Magazine and Local Call. “I secured four or five bulldozers [from another unit], and they demolished 60 houses per day. A one or two story house, they take down within an hour; a three or four-story house takes a bit longer,” he said. “The official mission was to open a logistical route for maneuvering, but in practice, the bulldozers were simply destroying homes. The southeastern part of Rafah is completely destroyed. The horizon is flat. There is no city.” Read more: https://israelpalestinenews.org/israel-gaza-total-destruction/
Lobby pushes for criminalization of Israel’s critics David Cronin EI 21/05/2025
The Israeli government has incriminated itself once again in the last few days.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, has stated that Israel intends to take control of Gaza. His coalition partner Bezalel Smotrich is promising further destruction on a massive scale and “cleansing” – code for displacing and potentially expelling Palestinians.
Everything they are doing and have threatened to do is illegal under international law. For a network of professional lobbyists, however, the bad guys aren’t those carrying out a genocide but those who oppose it. Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/david-cronin/lobby-pushes-criminalization-israels-critics
What happens when Israel attacks a hospital Tareq S. Hajjaj M/Weiss 21/05/ 25
When the doctors and patients inside the Indonesian Hospital in north Gaza heard the sound of Israeli tanks approaching and the buzzing of quadcopter drones in the sky, a sinking and all-too-familiar feeling set in. After 19 months of Israeli attacks on hospitals across the Strip, their turn had come. It began at around 2:30 a.m. local time on Sunday, May 18, after a violent night of air raids targeting northern Gaza and the areas around the hospital, forcing residents to flee for their lives. Then the artillery shelling and drone fire began. . . . The quadcopters swarmed around the hospital like flies, and we had no idea what they were up to.” Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2025/05/what-happens-when-israel-attacks-a-hospital/?ml_recipient=155100539899610179&ml_link=155100519878100017
Over 80 percent of Israelis endorse 'forced expulsion' of Gaza's population The Cradle 23/05/2025
The poll was conducted in March and published by Haaretz on 22 May, surveying 1,005 Jewish Israelis. In response to a question on whether the Israeli army should act in accordance with the biblical story of the Israelites and their eradication of all of Jericho’s inhabitants during the conquest of the city, 47 percent of Israelis responded “Yes.”. . . . At the start of the war in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Tel Aviv's campaign a holy war reminiscent of the biblical war against the Amalekites – a people the ancient Israelites were ordered to wipe out in the Hebrew Bible. Read more: https://thecradle.co/articles/over-80-percent-of-israelis-endorse-forced-expulsion-of-gazas-population-poll
Gaza is the slaughterhouse Nora Barrows- Friedman EI 23/05/2025
“This is a series of ongoing massacres, accompanied by the complete or partial destruction of more than 1,000 housing units, the re-destruction of what was destroyed, and the forced displacement of more than 300,000 citizens to the already stricken Gaza City, which lacks any infrastructure to accommodate this massive number of forcibly displaced persons,” the media office stated.“Among the martyrs, 140 remain under the rubble as a result of the Israeli occupation army’s deliberate denial of access to the bombed areas in northern Gaza,” the office added.
The Israeli attacks in northern Gaza, which it is calling Operation Gideon’s Chariots, are “transforming the area into an open and systematic killing zone.” Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-barrows-friedman/gaza-slaughterhouse
Child illness in Gaza turns deadly Noor Alyacoubi M/Weiss 25/05/2025
Before the war, conditions like scabies and lice were manageable. Treatment required basic medication and hygiene. Now, overcrowding, shared living spaces, and limited hygiene supplies have made containment nearly impossible, the doctor says. Secondary infections, fever, and pneumonia are becoming more frequent. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2025/05/amid-catastrophic-food-insecurity-child-illness-in-gaza-turns-deadly/?ml_recipient=155553383428654113&ml_link=155553362362762258
Israel says it will soon occupy 75% of Gaza, and it’s using control over aid to do it Qassam Muaddi M/Weiss 27/05/2025
Israeli military sources told Haaretz that the Israeli army would take over this territory within two months and move Gaza’s population to three locations: Gaza City, the refugee camps of the central Gaza Strip in Deir al-Balah, and the coastal Mawasi area in Khan Younis.
The news comes amid worsening famine conditions in Gaza following a months-long Israeli blockade preventing the entry of food to the Strip. Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2025/05/israel-says-it-will-soon-occupy-75-of-gaza-and-its-using-control-over-aid-to-do-it/?ml_recipient=155644000311706958&ml_link=155643961426315139
Israel appears to have rebranded the Abu Shebab criminal gang as a “security force” and using them to facilitate the final phase of the genocide: pushing the entire Palestinian population into a concentration camp in Rafah, then carrying out mass expulsion.
Muhammad Shehada, reposted from Zeteo, 06/06/2025
On Thursday, Israel’s prime minister confirmed what we had known for months: the Israeli government has been arming, financing, and providing protection to alleged ISIS-linked and criminal militias in southern Gaza. The Israeli government claims it did this because “any harm to the Hamas regime serves us,” but a gang of 300 fighters, including untrained drug dealers, thieves, murderers, and radicals, cannot overpower Hamas’ 30,000 militants. Realities on the ground indicate a far more nefarious scheme: those gangs have become a proxy used to advance Israel’s genocide, ethnic cleansing, and starvation policies.They are the very same gangs responsible for looting aid, assaulting humanitarian workers, reportedly collaborating with the US-Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GFH), and, most alarmingly, establishing an encampment in eastern Rafah – the very area the Israeli military is working to push all Palestinians in Gaza into – and using looted food as bait to lure people.
So, who are those gangs? Where are they active? How is Israel using them? And for what purposes? Read more: https://israelpalestinenews.org/who-is-abu-shabab-meet-the-gaza-gangster-that-israel-armed-to-counter-hamas/
Palestinians call U.S.-run aid sites in Gaza ‘death traps.’ Tareq S. Hajjaj M/Weiss 13/06/25 “We were more than a kilometer and a half from the aid distribution point, and while we were at this distance, the Israeli army began firing heavily at us. Soldiers, quadcopters, and tanks began killing us randomly. As I ran from death, I saw dozens of people lying bleeding on the ground. I saw hundreds of wounded people trying to escape, but no one could help them because we were running with death behind us and in front of us.” Read more: https://mondoweiss.net/2025/06/palestinians-call-u-s-run-aid-sites-in-gaza-death-traps-they-still-go-because-theres-no-alternative/?ml_recipient=157184154876773683&ml_link=157184098748597759
Trump’s “aid” boss oversees lethal food distribution in Gaza distribution in Gaza Michael F. Brown EI 14/06/2025 The Foundation, headed by a pro-Trump religious and political operative, works in close association with the very military carrying out the genocide and starvation policies in Gaza. Approximately 250 Palestinians have been killed in less than three weeks – “shot or shelled by Israeli troops” – while attempting to secure GHF food. Nevertheless, GHF’s new leader, Rev. Johnnie Moore, formerly of the evangelical Liberty University of Jerry Falwell, Sr. and Jerry Falwell, Jr., declared in the headline of his Fox News op-ed on 4 June that his organization had carried out its aid mission “without incident.” Moore proudly circulated the op-ed via his X account. Read more: https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/michael-f-brown/trumps-aid-boss-oversees-lethal-food-distribution-gaza
Israeli Supreme Court Approves Mass Demolitions in Jenin Refugee Camp, Backing Military Destruction of Civilian Buildings Adalah 18/06/2025
Yesterday, 17 June 2025, the Israeli Supreme Court (SCT) rejected a petition filed by Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, on 12 June, to halt sweeping demolitions in the Jenin refugee camp. The SCT authorized the Israeli military to proceed with the destruction of nearly 90 civilian buildings, comprising approximately 300 residential units that housed hundreds of Palestinian refugee families who have already been displaced and are currently sheltering in nearby towns. Read more: https://www.adalah.org/en/content/view/11292
Israel blocks its Palestinian citizens from bomb shelters during Iran strikes I-PNews 19/06/2025 At least two million Palestinians, descendants of those who refused to leave their homes during the creation of Israel, live in the country today. They make up around 20 percent of the population and have long warned of being discriminated against in national security planning and access to public safety infrastructure. Read more: https://israelpalestinenews.org/israel-blocks-its-palestinian-citizens-from-bomb-shelters-during-iran-strikes/
Israel ‘Disappeared’ around 377,000 Palestinians in Gaza since 2023
The Palestine Chronicle 24/06/2025 Citing maps based on Israeli army estimates, the report indicates that the remaining population in Gaza City is around 1 million, with 500,000 in Mawasi and 350,000 in central Gaza. The figures leave 377,000 people unaccounted for, with half of the total believed to be children. These “missing individuals are not merely statistical discrepancies,” the Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reported, citing the report. “They include civilians in northern Gaza, subjected to the most intense bombardment; residents of Rafah’s decimated eastern districts; families trapped in complete communication blackouts; those killed in attacks; and others buried beneath the rubble,” Read more: https://www.palestinechronicle.com/israel-disappeared-around-377000-palestinians-in-gaza-since-2023-report/
‘It’s a Killing Field’: Israeli Soldiers Admit to Firing on Hungry Civilians in Gaza The Palestine Chronicle 27/06/2025 One soldier stationed in Gaza told Haaretz: “Where I was stationed, between one and five people were killed every day. They’re treated like a hostile force – no crowd-control measures, no tear gas – just live fire with everything imaginable: heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars.” He added, “There’s no enemy, no weapons… I’m not aware of a single instance of return fire.” Read more:
UK related articles
Report on the chilling effect of counter-terrorism powers on journalism
Jonathan Cook blog 05/05/2025 Over the past several months, I have been watching with growing professional alarm – and personal trepidation – what I can only describe as a campaign of political intimidation and persecution of a number of journalists in the UK. The journalists who have been targeted share one thing in common: they report and comment on Israel’s actions in Gaza from a critical perspective that judges those actions to be genocidal – in line with the suspicions of the International Court of Justice. They also criticise the British government as being complicit in that genocide. Read more: https://www.jonathan-cook.net/blog/2025-05-05/report-chilling-counter-terrorism-journalism/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_source_platform=mailpoet
UK court orders police return devices to EI journalist Asa Winstanley Omar Karmi EI 27/05/2025 A British court has ruled that UK police must hand back electronic devices seized from The Electronic Intifada’s Asa Winstanley in October 2024, in what lawyers have described as a “resounding victory for press freedom.” All seven seized items were handed back on Tuesday, Winstanley confirmed in a statement.The recorder of London, Mark Lucraft, London’s highest circuit judge, on 13 May ruled that a search warrant used by London’s Metropolitan Police to seize seven items from Winstanley’s home was unlawfully issued.
“I am very troubled by the way in which the search warrant was drafted, approved and granted where items were to be seized from a journalist,” Judge Lucraft wrote in his ruling.
BBC coverage of Israel's war on Gaza 'systematically biased against Palestinians' Oscar Rickett Middle East Eye 17/06/2025
In an analysis of 3,873 articles and 32,092 broadcast segments from 7 October 2023 to 6 October 2024, the CFMM found that the BBC used emotive terms four times as much for Israeli victims and applied “massacre” 18 times more to Israeli casualties than Palestinian ones. According to its authors, the report “reveals a systematic omission of key historical and contemporary context that has acquired an institutional quality at the BBC”, including the genocidal rhetoric used by Israeli leaders – notably Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog - and a failure to scrutinise Israeli claims and denials. While the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October were referenced in at least 40 percent of the BBC’s online coverage, just 0.5 percent of articles mentioned Israel’s decades-long occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. Read more:
Why BBC editors must one day stand trial for colluding in Israel's genocide Jonathan Cook 20/06/2025 Veteran journalist Peter Oborne eviscerated the BBC this week over its shameful reporting of Gaza – and unusually, he managed to do so face-to-face with the BBC’s executive news editor, Richard Burgess, during a parliamentary meeting.
Oborne's remarks relate to a new and damning report by the Centre for Media Monitoring, which analysed in detail the BBC’s Gaza coverage in the year following Hamas’ one-day attack on 7 October 2023. The report found a “pattern of bias, double standards and silencing of Palestinian voices.” These aren’t editorial slip-ups. They reveal a systematic, long-term skewing of editorial coverage in Israel’s favour. Read more: https://jonathancook.substack.com/p/why-bbc-editors-must-one-day-stand
Hugh Humphries
Secretary
Scottish Friends of Palestine 0141 637 8046 info@scottish-friends-of-palestine.org
