The European Union and Israel had a big disagreement before EU countries Ireland and Spain decided to recognize a Palestinian state. Spain said they might impose punishments on Israel for attacking Rafah in Gaza.
Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, said to Spain that they cannot support Palestinians from their consulate in Jerusalem.
At the same time, the EU’s leader in foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, from Spain, strongly supports the International Criminal Court. The court’s prosecutor wants to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other leaders, like those of Hamas.
“The court prosecutor has been threatened and accused of being against Jewish people,” Borrell said. “The word antisemitic is very bad. ” “It’s really important. ”
On Monday, Katz accused Spain of approving a Palestinian state as a way of supporting terrorism. He also mentioned the Inquisition, a cruel group from the 15th century that made Jews and Muslims leave Spain, convert to Christianity, or be killed. Katz said that time is over now.
Katz said that no one can make us change our religion or threaten us. If anyone hurts us, we will also hurt them back.
The EU and its member nations were against the attack by Hamas on Oct 7, but they also criticized Israel for their attack that killed many Palestinians.
In the most recent attacks, Rafah was the main target. Palestinian health workers said that at least 35 people were killed by Israeli airstrikes on Sunday. The attacks also hit tents where displaced people were staying and left many others trapped in burning debris.
The highest court of the UN, the International Court of Justice, said on Friday that Israel needs to stop its attack on Rafah right away. However, it did not say that Israel has to stop fighting in all of Gaza.
Spain’s Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares, said that Israel needs to stop its attack in Rafah.
Spain, Ireland, and Norway, which is not part of the EU, are planning to officially recognize Palestine as a state on Tuesday. Last week, they announced together, and this made Israeli authorities very angry. They called the ambassadors of the two countries to their Foreign Ministry in Tel Aviv. There, they showed them videos of the Hamas attack and kidnapping that happened on October 7.
Albares said that the way the ambassadors were treated was not good. “We don’t accept anything that is not polite and doesn’t follow the rules of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” he said.
“But we’ve also decided not to be provoked into straying from our goal,” he added. “We want to officially recognize Palestine as a state tomorrow, work hard to make a lasting peace agreement as soon as we can, and ultimately, to achieve long-lasting peace. “
Tag: Palestine
-
EU-Israel relations collapse as Spain and Ireland prepare to formally recognise state of Palestine
-
Chef Fadi Kattan, from Palestine, gives a tour of Bethlehem in his most recent cookbook
Chef Fadi Kattan understands that the current hunger crisis in Gaza may not be the best time to release a cookbook on Palestinian cuisine.
“I must tell you that my publisher is Jewish,” he said to Leila Fadel on Morning Edition. She said, now the book is even more important.
This is because the book is focused on saving a piece of a culture that has been damaged by many years of being moved from their homes and fighting. It’s a way of expressing love for his childhood home in the West Bank by cooking food.
“I began giving tours of the food in Bethlehem. I would bring people to the markets with me,” he explained. “I really wanted to show people that by using the recipes in the book, they can feel like they are visiting Bethlehem with me. “
The food in Bethlehem shows how diverse Palestinians are. It includes simple dishes like a salad with figs and olive oil, as well as more complex ones like spiced rice and fish. They also make a special Christmas fruitcake. With the trouble in Gaza, Kattan pleads, “We are running out of time. ” We should keep those recipes safe. We have to give them to others.
Lentil soup is a type of soup made with lentils.
“My mom makes lentil soup for us when it starts getting cold in Bethlehem, and also during Lent. ” Shorbat adas is a very healthy soup that many people think is only for people who can’t afford fast food. It’s actually a very special soup with fresh salad, radishes, spring onions, and fried bread that goes with it. -
Canada abstains from supporting Palestinian UN membership
Canada didn’t vote for or against Palestine joining the United Nations, along with 24 other countries.
On Friday, most countries in the UN agreed to let Palestine become a full member of the UN. Out of 193 countries, 143 said yes to the resolution.
Other countries like the UK and Switzerland also chose not to vote with Canada. The United States and Israel were two of nine countries that said no to the proposal.
Canada always supports a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. This has always been our stance. “Canada has chosen not to vote on the General Assembly resolution about stopping the two-state solution. ”
The statement said that both the leaders of Israel and Gaza are making it hard to reach a two-state solution, and that the chances for a lasting peace are not looking good.
Global Affairs Canada said the Netanyahu government has shown it doesn’t want a two-state solution. “At the same time, Hamas is in charge of some parts of Gaza, which is an important area for the future State of Palestine. ” Hamas still has hostages and has not stopped using weapons or fighting against Israel’s existence.
The issue will be discussed by the 15-member UN Security Council, but it is likely that the US will vote against it. The US said no to a resolution that was like this one in April.
Starting in September 2024, Palestinians will be able to sit with other UN members in the assembly hall. However, they won’t be allowed to vote. Even if the Security Council says no, Palestinians will still be allowed to sit in the assembly hall.
Palestinians have been allowed to attend and observe UN General Assembly meetings as a non-voting member since 2012. They are governed by the Palestinian Authority, which has some control over the West Bank. The Palestinian Authority used to control Gaza until 2007. That’s when Hamas took over after winning an election. Hamas started a violent attack on Israel on Oct 7, which led to the ongoing and destructive war in Gaza.
Global Affairs Canada thinks that Palestinians should keep working towards being able to make their own decisions. “All Palestinians should have a government that is fair and represents them, and not run by a group that uses violence. ”
Israel took control of the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem after a war with its Arab neighbors in 1967. The UN has always supported the idea of a Palestinian state and Israel both having safe and acknowledged borders.
Global Affairs Canada said that we need to quickly make a plan to achieve the two-state solution. This plan should give both Palestinians and Israelis hope that they can live together peacefully, safely, and with respect. Canada is ready to acknowledge Palestine as a state when it is best for lasting peace, even if it’s not the final step. -
UN General Assembly supports Palestine’s membership application
The United Nations General Assembly voted in favor of allowing Palestine to become a full member of the UN. They also recommended that the UN Security Council look into the request and approve it.
The 193-member General Assembly voted to see if many countries support Palestine becoming a full member of the UN. This would mean that the world officially recognizes Palestine as a state. The United States said no to this in the UN Security Council last month.
The group agreed on a decision with 143 members voting yes and nine voting no, including the US and Israel. Another 25 countries chose not to vote. It doesn’t make Palestinians full members of the UN, but it does say they are able to become members.
The agreement says that Palestine is a state. It suggests that the country should be allowed to join the group and recommends that the Security Council think about it in a positive way.
The Palestinians want to be full members of the UN. This comes after seven months of fighting between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza. Also, Israel is building more homes in the West Bank, which the UN says is against the law.
“We want peace and freedom,” said Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour before the vote. Voting yes means supporting the existence of Palestinians and does not mean being against any state. Please rewrite the following text in simpler language. Thank”It is putting money into peace. ”
“He said voting yes is the right thing to do and people clapped. ”
The UN Charter says that countries who want to join the UN must want peace and agree to follow the rules in the Charter. They must also be able to carry out the responsibilities in the Charter.
“Many of you hate Jews, so you don’t care that Palestinians don’t want peace,” said UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan, speaking after Mansour. He said the assembly tore up the UN Charter. He used a small machine to destroy a copy of the Charter at the podium.
“Erdan said that he is disappointed in you. ”
To join the UN as a full member, a country’s application must first be approved by the Security Council, which has 15 members, and then by the General Assembly. If the council votes for the measure again, it will probably be vetoed by the US.
Additional UN rights More rights from the United Nations
Deputy US Ambassador Robert Wood said that taking action at the UN without working with other countries is not a good idea. The plan for two separate states will not move forward.
“We did not vote against a Palestinian state. We have been very clear that we support it and want to help make it happen. ” Instead, it means they recognize that the only way to become a state is by talking and making agreements with each other, he said.
The United Nations has supported a plan for two separate countries to live next to each other with safe and agreed upon borders. Palestinians want to have their own country in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, which were taken by Israel in a war in 1967 with other countries in the area.
The resolution passed on Friday gives the Palestinians more rights and privileges starting in September 2024. They will have a seat among the UN members in the assembly hall, but they won’t be able to vote.
The Palestinians are now considered a state by the UN, even though they are not official members. This happened in 2012.
The Palestinian Authority represents them at the UN. They have some control over the West Bank. Hamas removed the Palestinian Authority from control in Gaza in 2007. Hamas, a group that wants to destroy Israel, started the attack on Israel on October 7th. This led to Israel attacking Gaza.
Erdan said on Monday that if the General Assembly passed the resolution, he thinks that Washington will reduce the money it gives to the United Nations and its groups.
According to US law, Washington can’t give money to any UN group that lets in a group without all the internationally accepted rights of being a country. In 2011, the United States stopped giving money to UNESCO, the UN cultural agency, because the Palestinians became a full member.
On Thursday, 25 Republican US senators – more than half of the party’s members in the chamber – introduced a bill to make the rules stricter and stop money going to any group that supports the Palestinians. The Senate, which is controlled by President Joe Biden’s Democrats, probably won’t approve the bill. -
Eurovision Song Contest organisers to take down all Palestinian banners or symbols
The organizers in charge of the Eurovision Song Contest are saying they can take away any Palestinian flags or symbols supporting Palestine at the show in Sweden next week.
The announcement was made when Israel was having a lot of trouble about whether it should be in the yearly music competition because of their military actions against Hamas in Gaza. This has been going on for seven months now. Pro-Palestinian groups are planning to have big protests in Malmo to tell people about their cause.
Michelle Roverelli, who is in charge of talking to people for the European Broadcasting Union, said that people who buy tickets for the show can only bring and show flags from countries that are in the event, and also the rainbow flag.
The EBU in Geneva can take away flags, symbols, clothing, items, and banners that are being used to manipulate TV shows. This information was given to The Associated Press in a text message.
The Swedish news agency TT said that people who try to bring a Palestinian flag or a sign with a political message will not be allowed in by the guards at the entrance.
Martin Ãsterdahl, the person in charge of running the contest, said that the rules this year are the same as last year. There is no difference.
During the contest, people wave their country’s flags and cheer for their favorite acts.
The big party is happening in Malmo, Sweden from May 7-11. lots of people will watch it on TV. Loreen won last year with the song “Tattoo. ”
Winners get to have their country hold the event next year. Sweden will be the host for the 7th time.
The Swedish police say they will be extra careful to keep everyone safe because they think there might be a risk of terrorism in the rich Nordic country.
Activists who support Palestine want Israel to be removed from the Eurovision Song Contest. They are planning big protests in downtown Malmo, far from where the contest is happening.
Israel’s national security council said people should think twice before going to Malmo because there are a lot of protests against Israel there, including calls to attack Israelis and burning of Israeli flags.
“These changes make it worry that terrorists will use the protest and anti-Israel feelings to attack Israelis coming for the Eurovision,” it said.
On Thursday, the police in Sweden said they allowed protesters to burn a Quran in Malmo before the event. Protests are allowed in Sweden, but the police have to have a good reason to say no, like if they think it will be dangerous.
Last year, Sweden made the terror threat level higher because people were burning the Quran which caused protests in the Muslim world.
In the past few weeks, big protests have been happening at US universities and other places around the world because of the war between Israel and Hamas that has been going on for almost 7 months. -
US vetoes motion with broad support endorsing Palestine’s full UN membership
The United States said no to a UN resolution that would have allowed Palestine to become a full member of the United Nations. Palestine has wanted this for a long time, but Israel has been against it.
The Security Council voted on a decision, with 12 members saying yes, the United States saying no, and the United Kingdom and Switzerland not deciding. France, Japan, and South Korea were in favor of the resolution.
Many countries are recognizing the statehood of Palestinians and supporting them because they are facing a humanitarian crisis due to the war in Gaza.
The resolution wanted the UN General Assembly to approve Palestine joining as the 194th member of the United Nations. “About 140 countries have agreed that Palestine is a country. Many more countries would probably have said yes too. ”
US deputy ambassador Robert Wood said to the Security Council that the veto does not show disapproval for Palestine becoming a state. Instead, it shows that it can only happen through talks between both sides.
The United States has always said that taking action too soon in New York won’t make Palestine a state, even if people have good intentions. This was said by Vedant Patel, a spokesperson for the State Department.
Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour said that even though the resolution did not pass, it will not weaken their resolve. He felt emotional as he spoke.
“He said we will keep trying and not give up. ” Palestine will definitely exist in the future. It’s trueMaybe they think it’s far, but we think it’s close.
This is the second time Palestinians are trying to be full members and it’s happening while there is a war in Gaza. This war has brought a lot of attention to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, which has been going on for over 75 years.
In 2011, the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas requested for the Palestinian Authority to be a member of the UN. It didn’t work because the Palestinians didn’t get enough support from at least nine out of the 15 members of the Security Council.
They went to a meeting and most of the people agreed to give them a higher position in the UN in 2012. This allowed the Palestinian territories to become members of the UN and other international groups, like the International Criminal Court.
Algerian UN Ambassador Amar Bendjama, who is representing Arab countries, proposed a resolution to admit Palestine. He said it is an important step to correct a long-standing unfair situation and believes that peace will only come by including Palestine, not by keeping it out.
Wood said the US veto is because there are still some questions about whether Palestine can be thought of as a state. He said Hamas still has control and influence in the Gaza Strip, which is an important part of the state the Palestinians want.
Wood said that the US is committed to finding a way for Israel and Palestine to live in peace as two separate countries. This is important for the security of both sides and for Israel to have good relationships with its Arab neighbors, like Saudi Arabia.
The United States wants to work more closely with the Palestinians and the rest of the area. They want to help solve the problems in Gaza and work towards a plan that will allow the Palestinians to have their own country and be part of the United Nations.
Mansour, the Palestinian UN ambassador, repeated the promise to have two separate states. He said that Israel thinks that Palestine is a lasting danger to their strategic plans.
“Israel will try very hard to stop the Palestinian state from becoming independent and to keep the Palestinian people from living in their own country, or to always control them. ”
He asked the council and diplomats in the chamber, “What will the world do. What will you do. ”
The talks between Israel and Palestine have not been happening for a long time. The government in Israel is mostly made up of people who are against the idea of Palestine becoming its own country.
Israeli UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan said the resolution is not connected to what is really happening and will only cause more problems in the future. It will make it harder to have conversations and find solutions.
Half a year after the Oct 7 attack by the Hamas militant group, which controlled Gaza, and the killing of 1,200 people in “the most brutal massacre of Jews since the Holocaust,” he accused the Security Council of seeking “to reward the perpetrators of these atrocities with statehood. ” Six months after the Hamas attack and the killing of 1,200 people, he said the Security Council wants to give statehood to the people who did these terrible things.
Israel’s attack killed more than 32,000 Palestinians, and caused a lot of damage to the territory. Many people criticized the attack on Thursday.
After the vote, Erdan said thank you to the United States and especially President Joe Biden for supporting truth and morality despite hypocrisy and politics.
He said the Palestinian Authority, which runs the West Bank and the US wants to take control of Gaza from Hamas, is a group that supports terrorism.
The Israeli ambassador at the UN talked about the rules for joining the UN, which include following the UN Charter and being a country that wants peace.
Erdan asked how could anyone seriously say that Palestinians are peace-loving. “The Palestinians are giving money to terrorists to kill us. ” None of their leaders speak out against terrorism or the October 7 massacre. Hamas is like a brother to them.
Although Palestinians did not meet the requirements for UN membership, Erdan said that most council members were in favor of it.
“He said it’s really sad because your vote will make it even harder for peace and give more confidence to the Palestinians who reject it. “ -
UN Security Council to decide on Palestinian membership this Friday
The United Nations Security Council will vote on Friday about whether or not to give full UN membership to Palestine. The United States, a friend of Israel, is likely to say no because it would mean accepting Palestine as a country.
The council of 15 people will vote on Friday at 3 pm on a resolution to recommend that the United Nations accept Palestine as a member. Diplomats said this.
A council decision must have at least nine positive votes and can’t be stopped by the US, Britain, France, Russia or China to be approved. Diplomats think that 13 council members may support the measure, which would make the US use its veto.
The council member from Algeria had asked for a vote on Thursday afternoon to go along with a meeting about the Middle East at the United Nations.
The United States thinks that an independent Palestinian state should be created through talks between the involved groups, not at the United Nations.
“We don’t think making a decision in the Security Council will definitely help us to find a solution. ” “The US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said on Wednesday that there should be a plan for two separate states in the future. ”
The Palestinians are not a full member of the United Nations, but they are recognized as a state by most countries. This recognition was given by the UN in 2012. An application to be a full UN member must be okayed by the Security Council and then by at least two-thirds of the General Assembly.
Countries that prefer peace.
The UN Security Council supports the idea of two separate countries living next to each other with safe and agreed upon borders. The Palestinians want to have their own country in a part of the Middle East that is currently controlled by Israel.
Not much has happened to create a Palestinian state since Israel and the Palestinian Authority signed the Oslo Accords in the 1990s.
The Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, has some control in the West Bank and works with Israel under the Oslo Accords. In 2007, Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip from the Palestinian Authority.
The Palestinians are asking to become a full member of the UN. This comes after six months of fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and while Israel is building more homes in the West Bank, which they have taken over.
Israel’s UN Ambassador, Gilad Erdan, said on Wednesday that the Security Council is spending its time supporting the creation of a Palestinian terrorist state.
Erdan said that if the Security Council says the Palestinian Authority can be a full member even though it supports terrorism and can’t control its land, it won’t be seen as legitimate anymore.
A group of 15 council members met twice last week to talk about letting new members join. They discussed the Palestinian application and agreed to make a report about it on Tuesday.
“About whether the application followed all the rules for joining. ” The Committee couldn’t agree on a suggestion to give to the Security Council, the report said. People had different opinions.
Countries who want to join the UN must love peace, follow the rules in the UN Charter, and be ready to uphold them. -
Doctor expresses concern for 25 family members trapped in Rafah amid Israeli airstrikes
British Palestinian doctor, Dr. Salim Ghayyda, expresses deep concern as 25 of his family members remain trapped in Rafah, where Israeli airstrikes claimed the lives of dozens overnight.
In an interview with the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland program, Dr. Ghayyda reveals that his relatives are cramped in a small flat along with 25 other individuals, including children. The dire living conditions force all 50 occupants to sleep on the floor, with the constant sound of exploding bombs disrupting their rest.
Dr. Ghayyda explains that his brother, a nurse, has transformed the flat into an improvised health facility, given that all other clinics in the area have been “dismantled and destroyed.”
As a consultant pediatrician in Inverness, Dr. Ghayyda describes the situation as “unbearable,” particularly as he worries about the safety and well-being of his family, including a nephew battling cancer.
“He has no idea whether his cancer is spreading or not. One of my nephews is autistic, so imagine the meltdown he goes into every time he hears the noises around him.”
” There is nothing in their life at the moment that you could consider a life. Water is contaminated, they have one meal a day, they have all become malnourished – especially the children.”
“They have got no idea what time of the day they are going to be killed. It’s unbearable to be honest.”
-
Israel-Gaza: Netanyahu challenges Biden regarding state of Palestine
Israel’s leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, said no to the idea of making a Palestinian country once more.
He made these comments a few hours after talking on the phone with US President Joe Biden. The US leader said that Mr. Netanyahu might agree with the idea.
Mr Netanyahu’s comments seemed to make the differences between the US and Israel even bigger.
The US thinks it’s important for there to be a Palestinian country next to Israel for things to be stable in the long run. It’s called a “two-state solution. ”
However, the White House admitted that the US and Israeli governments have different views.
Talking to reporters after the two leaders talked for the first time in almost a month, Mr. Biden said that he still thinks it’s possible for there to be two separate countries in that area even with Mr. Netanyahu as the leader.
“There are several ways to solve a problem with two options. ” Several countries are part of the UN and. “He said some countries don’t have their own armies. ”
On Saturday, Mr. Netanyahu stuck to his position, which he has had for a long time and repeated earlier this week.
A message from his office said that Prime Minister Netanyahu told President Biden that Israel wants to keep control of Gaza after Hamas is defeated, to make sure it won’t be a danger to Israel anymore. But this goes against the Palestinians’ request to have their own country.
On Saturday, he said that Israel should have control over the area west of the Jordan River for security reasons. This area includes the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps was not happy with what Mr. Netanyahu said on Sunday. He said it was not a surprise, but still disappointing.
Some people may feel less hopeful that the Gaza crisis will lead to Israeli and Palestinian leaders talking and starting the peace process again.
Mr Netanyahu is getting more and more alone in other countries. At home, people still support the war, but there are also protests about the 130 hostages in Gaza held by Hamas.
Hamas attacked southern Israel on 7 October and killed about 1,300 people, mostly civilians. They also took 240 hostages.
Many people protested in Tel Aviv, asking Mr. Netanyahu to make a peace agreement to bring back the missing people.
Dear Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, My cousin was captured on 7 October. We believe that you can bring them back. From, Gil Dickmann We trust in you.
We believe you can agree to this agreement and help win for all the people in Israel. Just go ahead and do it, Bibi. Just go ahead and do whatever it is. “Bring the people who were taken captive, back to their homes. ”
Israeli soldiers are still moving into the southern part of Gaza. They are looking for important members of Hamas who they think are hiding in Khan Younis, which is the second largest city in the area.
The Israel army went into a tunnel in Khan Younis and found out that it was used to keep hostages, but the hostages were not there when they looked.
The fighting is mainly in southern Gaza, but there have also been new fights in the northern town of Jabalia. Palestinian fighters moved forward while Israel tried to move its soldiers and tanks south.
It’s been almost three months since Israel started sending troops into Gaza. Even though Israel’s army is much stronger than Hamas, they are still meeting strong resistance in Gaza.
The health ministry in Gaza, controlled by Hamas, said on Sunday that 25,105 people had died in the area since 7 October. More than 60,000 people were also hurt, according to the report. -
Israel-Palestinian hostility intensified by war and Hamas attack
Despite the ongoing war in Gaza and the large number of people dying, a new survey shows that many Palestinians support the deadly attacks by Hamas on Israel, which started the conflict. At the same time, most Israelis support their country’s military and are not thinking much about the deaths of Palestinian civilians. They want to defeat Hamas and bring back their hostages. This is what the polls show.
For three months, I have been talking to Israelis and Palestinians in Jerusalem to hear what they think about the ongoing conflict.
The cafes in the western part of the city are very busy, serving foamy coffees in the winter sun. However, Israelis are constantly worried about the ongoing war in Gaza.
“Always thinking about it, we have lots of friends with kids and family who are in Gaza, and we pray for them a lot,” says Edna, a Jewish woman from Bnei Brak.
“Yesterday we went to see our friend’s son who was really hurt. ” They are not sure if he will lose both of his legs. She says he won’t do it because God wants it that way.
“We are still thinking about the people who have been taken hostage. ” “It feels like a part of ourselves is inside it. ”
On October 7th, about 1,200 people were killed in southern Israel in attacks. Over 100 out of 240 hostages who were taken to Gaza are still being held captive.
Meanwhile, Israel has attacked Gaza by air and ground, and it has caused the death of about 23,000 people, according to the health ministry in Gaza. Most of the 2. 3 million people who live in Gaza had to leave their homes because there was a lot of damage.
However, a survey by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) recently discovered that most Israelis do not believe that Israel should comply with the US’s request to decrease the amount of bombing in crowded areas during the war.
“Professor Tamar Hermann, who is a top pollster at IDI, says that anyone who wants to know about the situation in Gaza can look it up online. She is talking about the pain and struggles of the people there. ” “But the news on TV is not showing us the same things that people see in Europe or other countries. ”
She also says that when people in Gaza were seen cheering and celebrating the attack on October 7th, it made people in Israel less sympathetic towards them.
In this military operation, civilians are not seen as innocent bystanders like they were in the past. “Prof Hermann says that people are not showing much sympathy. ”
I met Tzafir Bracha when I was on my way to the Old City. He came for a visit. He is staying with family and is one of many Israelis from southern Israel who hasn’t been able to go back home for three months. He is still feeling very shocked about what happened.
“I believe it will take a while for everyone to realize how significant and disastrous the event on October 7th was. ” “I think most of us are still feeling hurt,” he tells me. “I don’t think anyone can understand unless it happened to them. ”
Tzafir thinks that the world needs to see that Hamas must be stopped so it can’t hurt anyone anymore.
“We need to win. ” You need to find the people responsible for this and remove them from society. Only then can we truly have peace.
In the small streets of the Old City, a lot of Palestinians from the part of Jerusalem that is controlled by another group tell me they feel limited in what they can say in public. Many people say that Israel often watches social media posts.
But everyone I meet is keeping up with the war all the time.
I have an account on Instagram, it’s called X. “I keep up with people from Gaza,” Haneen, a student nurse, explains. “We are all very unhappy. ”
But she says she doesn’t believe what Israel said happened on October 7th.
Palestinians don’t believe what Israel says because they use propaganda. We know that some things are correct, but other things are not.
Most Palestinians feel the same way as her, according to a recent survey in the West Bank and Gaza conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research.
“Most Palestinians don’t think Hamas has done anything wrong, and most haven’t seen any videos of bad things happening. ” “Professor Shikaki says that these videos are available for everyone to see. ”
His study showed that more people in the West Bank are starting to support Hamas, even though most Palestinians still don’t support the group. Israel, the UK, and many Western countries see Hamas as a terrorist organization.
In the survey, 72% of Palestinians thought it was right for Hamas to start their attack on October 7th.
A store owner from Palestine, who doesn’t want to say his name, is trying to explain why. He says foreign media doesn’t understand the hard life in Gaza because of the blockade by Israel and Egypt since Hamas took over.
“The people in Gaza feel like they are stuck in a very small place and can’t leave, like being in a prison,” he says.
He feels hopeless about the world’s countries because they are not doing enough to stop the fighting.
“We watch hard things on the TV. ” Very hard Children die Women are being murdered. Elderly people are being killed for no reason. They didn’t do nothing. The shopkeeper says, “I can’t believe it. ”
“To be honest, I can’t understand why people would watch these kinds of things and not do anything to stop it. It’s as if they’re just watching a movie and it doesn’t mean anything to them. ”
In Jerusalem, there are many things that separate the Israelis and Palestinians I have talked to.
But, most people now don’t trust each other and are afraid of what will happen in the coming months. Both sides feel that people from different countries don’t understand their hardships. -
Hundreds of people assemble in London for year’s first pro-Palestinian march
Hundreds of people who support Palestine sat down on Westminster Bridge for their first big protest in 2024.
They closed the bridge and the nearby streets after a march from St James’s Park today.
The Free Palestine Coalition had a protest asking for a stop to the fighting in Gaza.
It also said the UK should not sell weapons to Israel and should stop Israel from controlling Palestine.
They met at the park at 10am and then walked to Westminster. But the police stopped them at Big Ben.
Many of the demonstrators then slowly joined a peaceful protest that was surrounded on three sides by a line of police.
Many protesters had red paint on their hands and wore masks that looked like Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden.
The police said today that all protesters have left the area near Westminster Bridge. Police are still working in central London and are ready to handle more protests. -
Palestinian support for Hamas rising in West Bank
Since the fighting started in Gaza, Israel has been doing more and stronger military actions in the West Bank.
The city of Jenin in the north is now a place where fighting happens every week, after being a main target for raids before the attacks by Hamas.
I met some Palestinian teenagers who were running from the army on Tuesday. They had the same doubtful and disrespectful attitudes as older men. They made fun of the Palestinian president and his requests for help from the world to protect them from Israel’s occupation.
Israel’s heavy-duty bulldozers and military vehicles were moving near the entrance of Jenin refugee camp. Explosions and gunshots could be heard from other parts of the city as well. The streets were empty and all the stores were closed.
The walls of this city have pictures of young men who were killed by Israeli forces. Some of them were part of groups like Hamas, which the UK and other countries consider to be terrorists. The posters and the faces are changed every year.
Six men died in a military operation on Tuesday. Witnesses said four of them were killed by a drone.
Israel is saying that they are going after people in the West Bank who are part of armed groups, especially those who have hurt Israelis.
The head of Jenin’s hospital, Wissam Bakr, said a very sick 13-year-old child died because they couldn’t get to the hospital for treatment.
“He said that the attacks in Jenin and the killing of young people will make the people very angry because we lose a friend every day. ”
“This won’t make Israel peaceful – it will make more and more people fight back. ”
On October 7th, some people from the group Hamas in Gaza attacked the southern part of Israel. They killed 1,200 people and took 240 other people as hostages. Over 18,400 people died in Gaza during the war.
In the West Bank, 271 Palestinians, including 69 children, have been killed since the attacks – which is more than half of the total number for the year. The United Nations says the Israeli forces have killed almost all of them.
After the Hamas attacks, more people in the West Bank support using weapons to fight back. This is especially true in Nablus and Jenin.
“I can tell by the way people talk, the music they listen to in their cars, and what they say on Facebook and other social media. I also learn from my discussions with my students,” explained Raed Debiy, a political scientist and leader of the Fatah party, which is in charge of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
He said that the attacks were a big moment for Palestinians, just like they were a shocking moment for Israelis.
“He said that a lot of people, especially young people, are supporting Hamas more than ever before. ” “In the last 30 years, there weren’t any role models for the new generation. But now, they see something different and a new story is being made. ”
He said even his 11-year-old nephew doesn’t respect Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, but looks up to Hamas military spokesman Abu Obeida because he keeps them safe.
“Palestinian young people have specific things they really want, like owning a house or getting a degree,” said Amjad Bushkar, a political expert from the West Bank.
“But now I think these priorities have completely changed after 7 October. ” More and more people want the homeland to be completely free. They believe this can be achieved through peaceful or armed resistance.
Dr Bushkar said he was in Israeli jails for nine years and used to be part of Hamas’s student group. He said that seven of his family members had been arrested after the attacks on 7 October.
Hamas members in the West Bank have been attacked by Palestinian security forces, not just Israeli ones, because Hamas took control of Gaza by force in 2007. This happened a year after they won parliamentary elections.
However, Bushkar said that something was different now.
“Fatah and Hamas know they need each other, and I believe they will work together more closely in the future. ”
“The Palestinian Authority understood that trying to get rid of Hamas would not work because it is a deeply held belief among the Palestinian people. Hamas also knows it can’t create a Palestinian state without the support of Fatah. ”
Some important people in the Palestinian government are now talking about the good things that could happen if everyone works together, even though the President is not saying the same thing.
Earlier this month, the leader of Palestine, Mohammad Shtayyeh, said in an interview with Bloomberg that they want Hamas to join their government in Gaza.Qossay Hamed, who knows a lot about Hamas, says that the problems in Gaza might make the political part of the group stronger, but not the military part.
He said that revolutionary movements should have a political outcome from their military actions.
“Hamas has many different trends. ” And there are fights happening inside. I believe the political influence of Hamas will increase after this war because the whole world will be less accepting of them.
Israel wants to get rid of Hamas in Gaza and does not want Hamas or Fatah to be part of the government there in the future.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that he will not let people who teach, support, or fund terrorism go to Gaza.
“Gaza will not be controlled by Hamas or Fatah. ”
Some Palestinians think that Gaza suffered too much because of the attacks by Hamas.
However, some people believe that the group’s violent methods were effective in pressuring Israel to release Palestinian prisoners. They compare this impact to that of the Palestinian Authority, which was established 30 years ago after the Oslo Accords to cooperate with Israel in creating a future Palestinian State.
Amjad Bushkar said that after the attacks, the world and international community are now giving more importance to the Palestinian cause.
Many people think the PA is not honest and doesn’t work well. They also can’t pay their workers or police because of a disagreement with Hamas. This happened because of the war in Gaza and arguments over money from Israel.
More Hamas flags and slogans appeared when Palestinian prisoners were released by Israel in exchange for Israeli hostages in Gaza. But the president and security forces of the Palestinian Authority were not seen.
Israel wants to stop Hamas from being in charge in Gaza, but their power is growing here in the West Bank. -
Seven people died in West Bank overnight – Palestinian official
Officials from Palestine say that seven people were killed in the West Bank overnight.
News organizations are saying that five people were killed in Jenin. The Israeli military raided the area to arrest a man who is wanted for allegedly being involved in an attack in August.
The official Palestinian news agency Wafa said that the city was attacked by forces coming from different directions and shooting bullets. They were around the hospital and the Red Crescent Society office.
Wafa also said that bulldozers ruined many streets in Jenin. -
Over 5,000 sign petition to ‘force’ Harvard to revoke eviction of Ghanaian student over pro-Palestine stance
An online petition seeking the reinstatement of Ghanaian student Elom Tettey-Tamaklo at Harvard University has garnered over 5,000 signatures.
The petition emerged following reports that Tettey-Tamaklo was allegedly expelled for expressing views on the Israel-Hamas conflict, particularly in support of Palestine.
Harvard PSC (Palestine Solidarity Committee) asserts that he has been suspended as a residential advisor and is facing disciplinary actions for speaking out about the situation in Gaza.
“Harvard is evicting a Black man, Elom Tettey-Tamaklo, for speaking out about Palestine. His crime? Protecting students from an instigator who tried to dox them. A senior university leader called Elom a ‘gang’ member and pointed to his residence in Harvard Yard.
“The university then suspended him as a residential advisor, citing ‘student discomfort’ and promoting racial stereotypes about violent and unsafe Black men. This is a blatant lie, as none of his students have raised any concerns. Harvard is setting a dangerous, ugly precedent: free speech ends when Palestine begins,” parts of the post reads.
Now, the online petition titled ‘Calling on Harvard to Reinstate Elom as Proctor’ has gained traction on change.org, amassing over 5,000 signatures since its creation on November 18, 2023. It has a target of 7,000 signatures.
The petition expresses public outrage over the perceived unjust suspension of Elom Tettey-Tamaklo, a Ghanaian student at Harvard, and criticizes the school administration for allegedly providing a misleading description of the suspended student’s character.
-
MP from Kenya chastised for donning a Palestinian scarf
A member of parliament from Kenya was told to take off a traditional scarf from Palestine that he was wearing during a meeting at the parliament.
Farah Maalim said he wore the scarf to show support to the Palestinians in Gaza during the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
He said Kenya should support Palestine.
But the person in charge of the National Assembly told the MP to take off the scarf because it went against the rules of the parliament.
Other Members of Parliament also criticized the lawmaker for not following the rules of the House and showing a lack of respect.
It happened a few days after the police in Kenya briefly held three people who were involved in a meeting supporting Palestine in the capital city, Nairobi.
President William Ruto has said that his government fully supports Israel in the current conflict. -
Hamas hostages: Kidnapped mother intends to celebrate her birthday in UK
Four people were taken into custody after a large group of individuals assembled in Manchester to hold a ceremony following the Hamas attacks.
The dangerous group attacked on Saturday and killed many people and took many hostages.
Chief Constable Stephen Watson of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said that the vigil on Wednesday went well and there were no major problems.
The police arrested four people because they thought they were causing trouble.
The police have released one of the suspects after doing more investigation.
In a post on social media, the police said the arrests were not for supporting Palestine. They also mentioned that people have the right to express their support for both Israel and Palestine. The post was later deleted.
The statement said that the force makes it very clear that supporting Palestine is not the same as supporting the terrorist group Hamas.
The force was asked why the post was taken down.
Mayor Andy Burnham and council leader Bev Craig from Greater Manchester spoke at the event held in St Peter’s Square.
Mr Watson said that the vigil held last night to remember and honor the victims of the terrible and hateful Hamas terrorist attack in Israel went well and without any big problems.
I appreciate our communities for coming together calmly and actively supporting each other. I also want to thank my officers for carrying out their policing duties with professionalism.
He said that there should not be any antisemitic hate crime in Greater Manchester. -
Israeli airstrikes hit UN school in Gaza Strip
The government of Palestine says that Israel has attacked a school run by the United Nations in Gaza using airplanes.
According to the ministry, many people, such as kids and old people, were staying in the school. They said the attack was very harsh and cruel.
The United Nations verified that the school was attacked and described it as being heavily damaged.
No one died, he said. -
Israeli raid in Jericho kills Palestinian gunmen
Israeli and Palestinian sources report that several Palestinian militants were killed in an Israeli army raid near Jericho in the occupied West Bank.
It is thought that five people have died, though it is unknown if all of them were gunmen.The Israeli military has been conducting operations to target militants in the area almost every night.
Israelis have been targeted in raids and attacks during a particularly bloody time since the year’s beginning.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the goal of the operation on Sunday night was to apprehend a “Hamas terrorist cell,” which the IDF claimed was responsible for a shooting that took place a week earlier at a restaurant close to a Jewish settlement outside of Jericho. In that attack, nobody was hurt.
Hamas, the militant Islamist movement which controls the Gaza Strip, is less prominent in the West Bank. Palestinian towns and villages there are mostly governed by the Palestinian Authority (PA), which is dominated by Hamas’ secular rival, Fatah.
The raid, coupled with activity by a Hamas cell, is unusual in Jericho, which has a relatively high concentration of Fatah-loyal PA security forces.
Witnesses say there was heavy gunfire during the incident in Jericho’s large Aqabat Jabr refugee camp. Bullet holes and bloodstains could be seen in a small house at the centre of the fighting.
IDF spokesperson Ran Kochav said soldiers “neutralised the terrorists”, some of whom, he said, were involved in the attack on the restaurant.
Hamas said its fighters were among the dead.
The governor of Jericho, Jihad Abu al-Assal, said five people had been killed and their bodies taken away by the IDF. Eight other people were also arrested, he said.
Israeli-Palestinian tensions have spiralled since an IDF raid against militants in the West Bank city of Jenin 10 days ago left 10 Palestinians, including two civilians, dead. Israeli security services said a “terror squad” had been planning an imminent attack.
Hours later, a Palestinian gunman opened fire on Jewish worshippers and passers-by outside a synagogue in occupied East Jerusalem, killing seven. The following morning, a 13-year-old Palestinian shot a group of people, also in East Jerusalem, wounding an Israeli father and son.
Later in the day, security camera footage showed a gunman and an accomplice entering the restaurant near Vered Yeriho settlement, where about 30 people were sitting. Military sources said the man, armed with an assault rifle, fired one shot in the air before his weapon jammed and the pair left the scene in a car with an Israeli licence plate.
There have been international calls for calm, including from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who met Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Jerusalem and the West Bank following the recent bloodshed.
At least 37 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank so far this year, including militants and civilians, as the military continues operations there.
Last year in the West Bank, more than 150 Palestinians were killed, nearly all by Israeli forces. The dead included unarmed civilians, militant gunmen and armed attackers.
Meanwhile, a series of attacks by Palestinians and Israeli Arabs targeting Israelis, as well as militant gunfire at troops during arrest raids, killed more than 30 people, including civilians, police, and soldiers.
-
Bush ordered CIA to find Arafat’s replacement, according to UK documents
Documents say US President George W. Bush considered the Palestinian leader “useless,” but the US spy agency found no suitable successor.
Former United States President George W Bush ordered the CIA to search for a replacement for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat after the escalation of the second Intifada in 2001, the BBC said, quoting recently released British documents.
The US effort came after the failure of the Camp David negotiations in 2000 between Arafat and then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. The talks followed the escalation of violence in the occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
According to the BBC documents, Bush expected early on that Ariel Sharon, who succeeded Barak, would use the Gaza Strip to sow divisions among the Palestinians.
The documents deal with discussions that took place between the United Kingdom and the US a few months after Bush and his administration, which was dominated by neoconservatives, entered the White House.
When Bush was inaugurated in January 2001, the second Palestinian uprising was at its height. It had erupted in late September 2000 when Sharon entered the courtyards of Al Aqsa Mosque, an act widely seen by Palestinians as a provocation.
The Bush administration called on Arafat to stop the uprising to lay the groundwork for the start of security negotiations with Israel. It also vetoed a draft resolution in the United Nations Security Council, which proposed sending a UN observer force to protect Palestinian civilians from Israeli forces in the occupied territories.
After the negotiations were aborted, telephone talks were held between Bush and then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair in which they discussed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict at length.
According to the minutes of the talks, the prime minister said Arafat was a liability.
He said the Palestinian leader “had reached the limits of what he can do constructively and he is only working to maintain his position”. He added that Arafat “no longer has anything to offer”, indicating that the leader had made all the possible concessions he could.
Bush endorsed what Blair had said, then described Arafat as “weak and useless”. He revealed that he had asked the CIA to search for possible successors to the Palestinian leader but said that the agency “researched the Palestinian scene thoroughly and concluded that there is no successor available”.
The British documents revealed that the US secretary of state at the time, Colin Powell, did not agree with Bush’s search for a replacement for Arafat.
Arafat died a few years later, on November 11, 2004, at a Paris hospital after a cerebral haemorrhage caused by a toxic substance – polonium – that was found on his clothes and body.
Palestinians and Arabs accused Israel of killing him. It denied any responsibility for his death.
-
Netanyahu declares plans to arm Israelis after Jerusalem attack
Analysts caution that Netanyahu’s action could fuel the violence that has seen 32 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces this month.
In response to the rising violence in the occupied Palestinian territory, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced plans to make it simpler for Israelis to obtain firearms. This move is viewed as “collective punishment” and may lead to increased violence.
After calling a meeting of his security cabinet, which was populated by hardline politicians, in response to two shootings, including one in occupied East Jerusalem, Netanyahu announced the measure late on Saturday.
In the Friday shooting outside the East Jerusalem synagogue, seven people died.
The weekend shootings took place towards the end of a month of growing confrontation and follow an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin that killed nine Palestinians and exchanges of fire between Israel and Gaza.
In all, Israeli forces have killed 32 Palestinians this month.
Israel had not carried out a raid on the scale of its operation in Jenin in years, but it is part of intensified military incursions by the Israeli army into the occupied West Bank, which killed at least 200 Palestinians in the past year.
On Saturday, Netanyahu promised to expedite gun permits for Israeli citizens and to step up efforts to collect “illegal weapons”. He added that the homes of the suspected assailants would also be sealed immediately ahead of demolition “in order to exact an additional price from those who support terrorism”.
His office later said social security benefits for the families of attackers will also be cancelled.
In addition, it promised new steps to “strengthen” illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank but gave no details.
‘Breach of human rights’
Al Jazeera’s Diplomatic Editor James Bays, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem, said Netanyahu’s plans to approve more gun permits for Israeli citizens come as Israeli police were also encouraging those with existing licenses to carry their guns.
“While Netanyahu is urging Israelis not to take the law into their own hands, he’s also putting more weapons into those very same hands,” said Bays, who went on to describe the measures against the Palestinian families as “collective punishment” and “a clear breach of human rights”.
Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst, Marwan Bishara, said arming civilians in Israel could further escalate violence.
“They are trying to further arm already armed people in Jerusalem and the West Bank,” Bishara said.
“More violence and more suffering will only play to the hands of the most extreme of the extremes [groups] in Israel and potentially in Palestine.”
A spokesperson for the Israeli military said an additional battalion had been sent to the occupied West Bank for reinforcement.
Analysts in Israel said Netanyahu was under pressure from hardliners in his cabinet, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
The government in Israel is the most right-wing in Israeli history.
Ben-Gvir, who had pushed for more gun permits, said on Saturday that he would also push for the death penalty against “terrorists”.
“Itamar Ben-Gvir has a reputation of being a fireman and now Netanyahu is giving him a full container of oil,” said Akiva Eldar, a contributor to the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz.
“I am afraid that Netanyahu’s hands are tied. Between two evils, he has to decide which side he takes, and I am afraid that there is no responsible adult in his cabinet that can stop him,” Eldar told Al Jazeera.
The latest measures on Saturday were announced as tens of thousands of protesters also gathered in the city of Tel Aviv to protest separate plans by Netanyahu’s government, which took office in December, to overhaul the country’s judicial system and weaken the Israeli Supreme Court.
The marchers also held a moment of silence in memory of the Jerusalem shooting victims.
The increasing violence has meanwhile raised questions about a third Palestinian uprising.
Basem Naim of Hamas, the group that rules the Gaza Strip, told Al Jazeera that they were ready to respond to further Israeli raids. He said the group was committed to defending its people and families, as well as Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
“We are not planning or initiating any escalation or any violence campaigns. We are also ready, at the same time, to respond [to attacks] as usual,” he said.
Naim said Hamas would seek its people’s freedom with all available means, including diplomatic, political and armed means.
The Palestinian leadership in the occupied West Bank also upheld its decision to halt security coordination with Israel to protest the deadly raid in Jenin.
After a meeting headed by President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, the Palestinian Authority called on the international community and the United States to force Israel to halt its raids in the West Bank.
-
Palestine ordains first female pastor ordained in the Holy Land
Sally Azar, will lead the English-speaking congregation at the Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem.
She was ordained in a Lutheran Church ceremony in Jerusalem, making her the first Palestinian woman to serve as a pastor in the Holy Land.
According to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), Azar will be in charge of the Church of the Redeemer’s English-speaking congregation.
She was ordained on Sunday in front of a crowded audience inside the Old City church in occupied east Jerusalem.
“The rite of ordination is an honour. The chance to be ordained as a woman in my church is an added honour. I am happy to be a part of history and gender equity in my church. It is exciting, but there is some uncertainty, as well. I do not expect this to be an easy road,” Azar told The Lutheran World Federation last week ahead of her ordination.
In 2018, Azar graduated from the Near East School of Theology in Lebanon before heading to Germany where she studied Intercultural Theology at the University of Gottingen.
“I will be assigned to the ELCJHL English-speaking congregation in Jerusalem. I will also be responsible for bridging the Arabic-speaking congregation with the English-speaking congregation and working with the youth, which is important to me,” she added.
Azar is also a council member of the Lutheran World Federation.
LWF Congratulates Rev. Sally Azar and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.#GenderJustice @ELCJHL
— The Lutheran World Federation (@lutheranworld) January 22, 2023
Photos: LWF/@albinhillert pic.twitter.com/eI4jDYEakZThe occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip were home to about 47,000 Christians as of 2017, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. Most Palestinian Christians belong to denominations that do not allow female clergy.
A very small minority belong to Protestant congregations that have women as ministers.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church says it has approximately 3,000 adherents in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Jordan.
Azar will be one of five ordained women in the Middle East, joining one in Syria and three in Lebanon, according to the Middle East Council of Churches.
Sally Azar, centre, is applauded by clergy after her ordination as the first female pastor in the Holy Land, in the Old City of Jerusalem [Maya Alleruzzo/AP] -
Palestinian teacher shot while providing first aid to a militant
Paramedics and the man’s family claim that Israeli forces killed a 57-year-old Palestinian teacher who went to treat a militant who was fatally wounded.
Father of six and Jenin refugee camp resident Jawad Bouaqneh was assassinated outside his home.
It happened during a night of raids by the Israeli army in the West Bank’s occupied territory.
His passing brings the total number of Palestinians killed this month to 17, both militants and civilians.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that after receiving a lot of live fire from Palestinian assailants, their troops were under heavy fire.
It said it was aware of a report that a civilian was killed “in the area of the exchange of fire” and the incident was being “reviewed”.
Mr Bouaqneh’s son Farid said they heard a man – later confirmed to be the fatally wounded militant – calling for help outside their home.
“My father went out to help the man, to provide first aid,” he said.
“We dragged him inside and… they shot my father in the upper body and I moved him inside as he was covered in blood,” he told Reuters news agency, standing at a doorway with a blood-stained floor.
Image caption,Blood was visible on the steps outside Jawad Bouaqneh’s home Palestinian paramedics said Mr Bouaqneh and a medic were both approaching the wounded militant outside the house.
“At that moment the Israeli soldiers shot high velocity bullets at them and a bullet hit the teacher… in the chest while he was trying to help the injured,” the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS) said in a statement to the BBC.
“[The medic] said he was wearing a clear first aid vest when the shooting happened,” it said, adding both the men who were shot were declared dead at hospital.
The Palestinian health ministry confirmed the death of Adham Jabareen, 28, who was later identified by Palestinian Islamic Jihad as one of its members. Local reports said he was a commander in Jenin for the group, which is listed by Israel and the West as a terrorist organisation.
Video from Thursday morning’s raid shows armoured troop carriers and a military digger entering Jenin, while repeated gunfire can be heard in other footage.
Palestinian media reported that Israeli snipers were deployed on rooftops of several homes overlooking the camp, while an undercover Israeli unit entered a building at the camp entrance and detained residents.
The IDF said its forces faced gunfire and that explosive devices were thrown, adding that an Israeli soldier suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital. It said troops seized weapons and arrested an individual “suspected of involvement in terrorist activity”.
It is the latest in a near-nightly campaign of Israeli military search, arrest and intelligence gathering raids that intensified from last April, as violence in Israel and the occupied West Bank reached levels unmatched in years.
Last year in the West Bank more than 150 Palestinians were killed, nearly all by Israeli forces. The dead included unarmed civilians, militant gunmen and armed attackers. A series of Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis, as well as militant gunfire at troops during arrest raids, killed more than 30 people including civilians, police and soldiers.
Also on Thursday US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan visited the region, meeting Israeli and Palestinian officials, amid growing concern about a further deterioration in the security situation.
It is the first trip by a senior US official since Benjamin Netanyahu returned to office leading the most right wing and religious coalition in Israel’s history.
-
Israeli police ordered to remove Palestine flags from public places
Waving the Palestinian flag, according to far-right security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, is an endorsement of “terrorism.”
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s new far-right Minister of National Security, has ordered police to remove Palestinian flags from public areas because they constitute “terrorism.”
Israeli law does not forbid Palestinian flags, but police and soldiers are allowed to take them down if they pose a threat to the peace.
Sunday’s directive from Ben-Gvir, who heads the ultranationalist Jewish Power party in Benjamin Netanyahu’s new far-right government and as national security minister oversees the police, appears to signal a hardline and uncompromising attitude towards Palestinian expressions of identity and free speech and pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
The display of the Palestinian flag in Israel has, in practice, long been clamped down on by Israeli authorities, with Palestinians regarding such moves as an attempt to suppress Palestinian identity.
Ben-Gvir’s orders came after a mass anti-government protest in Tel Aviv on Saturday, where some demonstrators waved the Palestinian flag.
Protesters labelled the recently sworn-in government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “fascist” and advocated for equality and coexistence between Palestinians and Israelis.
Writing on Twitter, Netanyahu on Sunday said the presence of the Palestinian flag at the Tel Aviv protest was “wild incitement”.
Ben-Gvir’s directive also follows the release last week of a long-serving Palestinian prisoner, convicted of kidnapping and killing an Israeli soldier in 1983, who waved a Palestinian flag while receiving a hero’s welcome in his village in northern Israel.
Younis was convicted in 1983 for the killing three years earlier of an Israeli soldier, Avraham Bromberg, in the occupied Golan Heights [Ammar Awad/Reuters] Ben-Gvir, in a statement, said waving the Palestinian flag is an act in support of “terrorism”.
“It cannot be that lawbreakers wave terrorist flags, incite and encourage terrorism, so I ordered the removal of flags supporting terrorism from the public space and to stop the incitement against Israel,” Ben-Gvir said.
Palestinian citizens of Israel account for about one-fifth of the population and most are descendants of Palestinians who remained within the state after its formation in 1948, an event known to Palestinians as the Nakba, or catastrophe.
The majority of the population of pre-1948 historic Palestine had been Palestinians.
They have long debated their place in Israel’s politics, balancing their Palestinian heritage with their Israeli citizenship, with the vast majority identifying as or with the Palestinians.
Many Palestinians, both in Israel and in the occupied territory, are fearful of the new government’s policies towards them, in light of the strong presence of far-right settler groups within it, with Ben-Gvir in particular previously convicted of inciting racism towards Arabs.
In some of its first moves over the past few days, the Israeli government rescinded the travel permit of the Palestinian foreign minister Riad al-Malki on Sunday and decided to withhold $39m in revenues from the Palestinian Authority on Friday.
The decisions were part of an effort to penalise Palestinians for asking the International Court of Justice to give an opinion on the Israeli occupation, which is illegal under international law.
Source: Aljazeera.com -
Palestinian anger over holy site visit by far-right Israeli minister
A far-right Israeli minister’s visit to a contentious holy site in Jerusalem has been denounced by Palestinians as a “unprecedented provocation.”
Itamar Ben-Gvir, the minister of national security who has argued for a tougher stance against the Palestinians, toured the area while being guarded by law enforcement.
Israel and the Palestinians are profoundly divided by competing claims to the site.
With the election of Israel’s new nationalistic cabinet, tensions have increased.
Since the administration, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was sworn in five days ago, Mr. Ben-visit Gvir’s was his first public appearance.
“The Temple Mount is open to everyone,” he tweeted, accompanied by a photograph of him surrounded by a security cordon with the golden Dome of the Rock in the background.
The #Israeli far right wing minster Ben Gvir visited in Al-Aqsa compound for 13 minutes for the first time since election, pic.twitter.com/IP2xk4bsTJ
— Rushdi Abualouf (@Rushdibbc) January 3, 2023Ahead of November’s election, Mr Ben-Gvir said that he would demand that Benjamin Netanyahu introduce “equal rights for Jews” there.
However, Mr Netanyahu has sought to reassure Israel’s allies that he will not allow any changes. A clause in his coalition deals states that the status quo “with regard to the holy places” will be left intact.
Mr Ben-Gvir was given the go-ahead for the visit after consulting Mr Netanyahu and security officials.
Following the 15-minute walkaround, the Palestinian foreign ministry denounced what it described as “the storming of al-Aqsa mosque by the extremist minister Ben-Gvir and views it as unprecedented provocation and a dangerous escalation of the conflict”.
Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh called for “thwarting the raids that aimed at turning the al-Aqsa Mosque into a Jewish temple”, saying Mr Ben-Gvir’s visit was “a violation of all norms, values, international agreements and laws, and Israel’s pledges to the American president”.
A spokesman for the Palestinian militant Islamist group, Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, called it a “crime” and vowed the site “will remain Palestinian, Arab, Islamic”, AFP news agency reported.
In his tweet, Mr Ben-Gvir sent a message of defiance to Hamas, declaring: “No Israeli government that I’m a member of is going to bow to a despicable and murderous terror organisation… and if Hamas thinks that I’ll be deterred by its threats, it needs to accept that times have changed and that there’s a government in Jerusalem.”
Tensions between Israel and Palestinians which escalated into violence at the site in May 2021 saw Hamas fire rockets towards Jerusalem, triggering an 11-day conflict with Israel.
A visit to the site in 2000 by Israeli right-winger Ariel Sharon, then opposition leader, infuriated Palestinians. Violence which followed escalated into the second Palestinian uprising, or intifada.
The Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif is the most sensitive site in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Situated in East Jerusalem, it was captured by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war. Under a delicate set of arrangements, Jordan was allowed to continue its historical role as custodian of the site, while Israel assumed control of security and access.
Muslim prayer continued to be the only form of worship allowed there, although a bar on Jewish visits was lifted. Palestinians argue that in recent years, steps have been taken that undermine the status quo, with Orthodox Jewish visitors often seen praying quietly without being stopped by Israeli police.
The number of visits by Jews has swelled in the past few years, something Palestinians claim is part of a surreptitious attempt to take over the site.
-
TTP seizes hostages at Pakistan counterterrorism center
The facility in northwest Bannu town is the scene of a standoff after Pakistani Taliban men overpower security guards, steal weapons, and take hostages.Pakistani authorities have started negotiations in an effort to end a standoff with attackers who have taken over a counterterrorism facility in the country’s northwest and are holding several security personnel hostage. According to reports on Monday, security forces have encircled the heavily fortified military cantonment that houses the interrogation centre in Bannu district, where about 20 Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters — also known as the Pakistani Taliban — are holed up.
Bannu is located just outside of North Waziristan, a region of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that is dominated by tribes and borders Afghanistan. The area has long served as a refuge for TTP combatants.
Pakistan has been fighting an armed rebellion by the TTP since 2007 when it emerged. The group associates itself with Afghanistan’s Taliban and is fighting for the enforcement of their strict interpretation of Islamic law in the country, the release of their members who are in government custody, and a reduction of Pakistani military presence in the country’s former tribal regions.
There has been a surge in attacks on security forces since the TTP pulled out of peace talks with Islamabad last month.
Security officials stand guard on a blocked road outside the Bannu facility [Muhammad Hasib/AP] The incident in Bannu erupted late on Sunday and quickly evolved into a standoff.
According to Mohammad Ali Saif, a provincial government spokesman, the attackers were demanding safe passage to Afghanistan.
“We are in negotiations with the central leaders of the Pakistani Taliban in Afghanistan,” the Reuters news agency quoted Saif as saying.
He said the authorities were yet to receive a response from the TTP, adding that relatives of the attackers and area tribal elders were also involved in initiating talks with the hostage-takers.
Authorities said at least one counterterrorism official was killed by the attackers who snatched weapons from the guards during their interrogation, Reuters said.
Several significant TTP members were present at the centre, Saif said.
He did not say how many security personnel were being held hostage. An intelligence officer told Reuters, however, that there were six hostages – four from the military and two counterterrorism officials.
Security officials patrol near the counterterrorism centre in Bannu, Pakistan [Muhammad Hasib/AP] Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper on Monday said the situation at the facility remains tense 15 hours after it was seized and that there has been no breakthrough in negotiation with the TTP attackers.
There were concerns that the military could storm the facility if the negotiations fail.
In a video message circulating on social media, the hostage-takers threatened to kill the officers if their safe passage was not arranged.
Pakistan’s military has conducted several offensives in the tribal regions since 2009, the time when the area was in full control of armed groups.
The operations forced the groups and their leadership to run into neighbouring Afghanistan where Islamabad says they set up training centres to plan and launch attacks inside Pakistan, a charge Kabul denies.
The attackers in control of the interrogation facility had demanded a safe passage to Afghanistan, a TTP statement sent to Reuters said. It added that the TTP had also conveyed the demand to Pakistani authorities, but hadn’t heard back any “positive” response.
A statement by the TTP said the hostage-takers were demanding safe passage to North or South Waziristan districts and had “mistakenly mentioned Afghanistan” in a video they released on Sunday.
The hostage situation came a day after the TTP claimed the killings of four policemen in a nearby district.
Also on Monday, a roadside bombing targeted a security convoy in North Waziristan, killing at least two passersby, police said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing.
The violence by TTP has strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, who had brokered the ceasefire with the group in May this year.
Source: Aljazeera.com
-
Israeli forces raze down Palestinian school in Masafer Yatta
The school served 22 students from four different villages in the southern occupied West Bank region, where Palestinian residents face forcible displacement.
Israeli forces demolished a newly constructed Palestinian primary school in the southern occupied West Bank’s Masafer Yatta region, where residents face the ongoing threat of forced displacement.
According to locals and officials, the Israeli army raided the area on Wednesday morning and demolished the school in the village of Isfey al-Fauqa.
“The Israeli occupation forces demolished a school while it was in session and students were inside,” said Nidal Younis, the head of Masafer Yatta’s local council.
“They used sound bombs to scare the children and get them out of the school,” he explained.
The Israeli High Court of Justice revoked on Wednesday an interim injunction freezing a demolition order against the school, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council.
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories – COGAT, the Israeli military body responsible for administrative affairs in the occupied West Bank – said it demolished a building built illegally in an area designated as a closed firing zone.
The institution was built about a month ago and had been operating for less than two weeks. It served 22 students from four different villages in Masafer Yatta, up to the fifth grade.
It is one of more than a dozen schools built across the occupied West Bank under a programme by the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Education with funding from the European Union, Fadi al-Umour, an activist from Masafer Yatta, told Al Jazeera.
All the schools built as part of this project are located in Area C – the 60 percent of the occupied West Bank under full Israeli military control – and are intended to challenge Israeli restrictions on Palestinian development there.
The European Union Delegation to the Palestinians said that it was “appalled by the news” of the demolition.
The Palestinian Ministry of Education condemned the demolition in a statement on Wednesday morning and described it as a “heinous crime”.
“It is an addition to the series of ongoing crimes by the occupation against the educational sector, and its targeting of children, students, educational cadres, and institutions [is] without regard for international charters and laws,” the statement continued, adding that such practices are “a flagrant violation of students’ right to safe and free education”.
The ministry said it had organised, just a day prior to the demolition, a visit by a delegation of diplomats and United Nations officials to the Isfey al-Fauqa school.
#MasaferYatta residents welcomed us today at the Isfey Al Fauqa school, which is under imminent threat of demolition, along with 4 other schools. Hampering access to education pressures these Palestinian communities to leave their homes #SaveMasaferYatta #stopdemolitions pic.twitter.com/nrFUDifUtH
— Lynn Hastings (@LynnHastings) November 22, 2022
The school demolition comes days after an 18-year-old Palestinian student was shot dead by Israeli forces while he was on his way to school just outside of the Jenin refugee camp in the northern Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Al-Umour, who is the coordinator of Masafer Yatta’s protection and resilience committee, explained that “the construction of the Isfey school had not yet been completed when it was demolished, but the school was already operating”.
He added that the army also confiscated furniture from the school, including the students’ chairs, and said the school serves the four villages of Tuba, Isfey al-Fauqa, Isfey al-Tahta, and Mughayyer al-Adeed.
The nearest other school to the villages is about four kilometres away.
“This occupation targets everything – it targets our homes, education, our water, solar panels,” said Younis, the council head. “They think this will pressure people to leave so that they can displace them, so that they can ethnically cleanse Masafer Yatta.”
Masafer Yatta, which falls in Area C, is a region south of Hebron, where some eight villages, home to more than 1,200 Palestinians, including 500 children, are facing imminent forced displacement by Israeli authorities based on a May 2022 ruling by Israel’s High Court of Justice.
The ruling concluded a more than two-decade legal battle waged by the residents against their displacement. The Israeli army now has the green light to demolish their homes and force them out at any moment under the pretext that they live in an Israeli army “firing zone”.
Many families in this region lived there prior to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank in 1967. They make their living as shepherds and farmers, but face a myriad of oppressive Israeli military policies including restrictions on maintaining and developing their homes, and barriers to accessing the electricity grid and water network.
They are also surrounded by a belt of illegal Israeli settlements and live under systematic Israeli police, army and settler violence.
An international digital campaign has been launched by activists and action groups in Palestine and abroad, under the hashtag #SaveMasaferYatta, in the hope of drawing attention to the imminent risk facing the residents and pressuring Israel to cease its displacement efforts.
-
Israeli forces kill a Palestinian student “en route to school”
Palestinians say , Mahmoud al-Saadi, 18, was killed by the Israeli army on his way to school from the Jenin refugee camp.
During an Israeli raid on the northern occupied West Bank city of Jenin, a Palestinian high school student was reportedly shot dead while on his way to school.
Mahmoud al-relatives Saadi’s confirmed to Al Jazeera that he was killed on Monday. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, he was 18 years old and was shot in the stomach.
According to the ministry and local journalists, at least four other Palestinians were injured after being shot.
The Palestinian Ministry of Education mourned al-Saadi in a statement on Monday. It said he was a student at the Farhat Hashad Boys Secondary School in Jenin and and that he had been killed on his way to school.
Local journalist Mujahed al-Saadi told Al Jazeera that the teen was his distant relative and that witnesses he spoke to confirmed that he was killed while standing on the street headed to the classroom.
“He was headed out of the camp. He was surprised by the army, and the army shot him moments before they pulled out [of the camp],” Mujahed told Al Jazeera.
The Israeli army said in a statement that they had returned fire during an operation to arrest nine wanted Palestinians.
“During the activity, shots were fired, and charges were thrown at the forces in the area, the fighters shot at suspects who shot at them,” the statement said.
The Palestinian foreign affairs ministry described the killing as a ” field execution” and a “heinous crime,” adding that it is “part of the daily series of killings against our people, with cover and approval at the Israeli political level.”
It said it holds the “Israeli government fully and directly responsible for this crime,” and called on “the international community to provide international protection for our people.”
Mujahed told Al Jazeera that Mahmoud was shot on the street adjacent to the one where Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot dead on May 11 while she was covering an Israeli army raid on the Jenin refugee camp. Mujahed was a few metres away from Abu Akleh when she was killed.
Speaking about Mahmoud, Mujahed said his relative “was at the top of his class” and had three sisters.
While on his way to school this morning, the Israeli occupation forces shot dead the student Mahmoud Saadi in #Jenin. The MoE condemns the continuous targeting of Palestinian education & calls on the international community to stop the ceaseless Israeli aggression on Palestinians pic.twitter.com/7LerHpohVG
— MoE of Palestine (@PalestineMoE) November 21, 2022
Dozens of Israeli armoured jeeps raided Jenin and its refugee camp on Monday, just before 8am (05:00 GMT). The raid lasted about an hour.
In the camp, Israeli forces besieged the home of a wanted Palestinian man, Rateb al-Bali, while his family, including his children, were inside, and targeted the house with bullets and missiles.
Mujahed said al-Bali was “at home with his father and other family members, including his nieces and nephews, and a pregnant relative”.
“The army targeted the home with Energa grenades and bullets,” continued Mujahed, noting that no family members were injured.
Al-Bali, who escaped unhurt, eventually emerged from the house with his father and handed himself over to the Israeli army.
He has previously spent a year in Israeli prisons under administrative detention without trial or charge.
Israeli forces have been carrying out near-daily raids, arrests and killings in the northern West Bank cities of Jenin and Nablus, where Palestinian armed resistance is growing.
Across the West Bank, however, Israeli forces have for decades regularly carried out raids into Palestinian cities and villages, often leading to injuries or killings of unarmed Palestinians.
This year marks the highest number of Palestinians killed by Israel in the West Bank since 2006.
Since the start of 2022, Israeli forces have killed at least 199 Palestinians, including 47 children, in the West Bank, occupied East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.
Close to 8,900 others have been wounded by the Israeli army this year until November 7, in the West Bank alone, the UN has reported.
At least 25 people in Israel have also been killed this year in Palestinian attacks.
-
Israeli troops kill a Palestinian adolescent in the Jenin incursion
The Palestinian health ministry says, Salah al-Braiki, 19, was murdered during violent clashes and confrontations following an Israeli army attack on Jenin.
Ramallah occupied West Bank-Sources indicate that Israeli forces killed a Palestinian teenager during a military operation on the northern occupied West Bank city of Jenin.
Salah al-Braiki, 19, was shot in the neck and died shortly afterward at the Jenin public hospital, the Palestinian health ministry reported to Al Jazeera on Friday.
Al-Braiki was pronounced dead at 1:45 am (22:45 GMT on Thursday), less than an hour after the Israeli army and special forces raided the city of Jenin and its refugee camp, during which confrontations with unarmed youth and intense armed clashes with Palestinian fighters broke out.
At least three other Palestinians were wounded by Israeli live ammunition, the ministry said.
Israeli forces also arrested Baraa Alawneh, the cousin of 26-year-old fighter Ahmad Alawneh who was killed by the army during a large raid on Jenin on September 28.
Tensions in the occupied West Bank have been boiling up since last year, as Palestinian shootings at Israeli military checkpoints and soldiers, particularly in the northern cities of Jenin and Nablus, increased.
At least three Israeli soldiers have been killed since September 14 – one during a raid on Jenin, and two in separate shootings on military checkpoints last week in Nablus and occupied East Jerusalem.
As part of a military operation, it calls “Breaking the Wave”, Israel has intensified raids, arrests, and killings in Jenin and Nablus, as Palestinian armed resistance becomes more organised.
According to local media, the Salem checkpoint north of Jenin has been targeted with at least five shootings by Palestinian fighters since the start of October.
Israel has imposed a blockade on Nablus and its villages for more than 10 days, affecting the movement of about 420,000 Palestinians as it searches for suspects of a shooting at a nearby illegal settlement of Shavei Shomron in which one soldier was killed.
Residents, political groups, and civil society institutions are demanding the lifting of the siege as it begins to have a serious effect on the economy and life in the area.
According to the health ministry, Israeli forces have killed 175 Palestinians since the start of the year, including 124 people in the West Bank, and 51 in the besieged Gaza Strip. Approximately half of those killed in the West Bank was from Jenin and its villages.
The total death toll also includes 41 children, 17 of whom were killed during Israel’s three-day assault on Gaza in August.
The United Nations has said that 2022 “is the highest year for Palestinian fatalities in the West Bank, compared to the same period in the previous 16 years”.