Charity ‘distressed’ by US halt to visas from Gaza, says no taxpayer money used
The organisation that has been working with the US State Department to evacuate severely wounded Palestinian children and their families from Gaza criticised the decision to halt all entry from the enclave.
HEAL Palestine said it is a US humanitarian non-profit organisation delivering urgent aid, and that the children and any accompanying family members are returned to the Middle East after treatment.
“This is a medical treatment programme, not a refugee resettlement programme,” it said in a statement published online.
“Our mission gives children a renewed chance at life, whether through life-saving surgery or the ability to walk again. US tax dollars do not fund this treatment.
Israeli general’s words further expose ‘deliberate policy of genocide’: B’Tselem
The prominent Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, which in late July declared that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, has reinforced its assessment in light of comments by the former head of military intelligence Aharon Haliva that 50 Palestinians must be killed for each Israeli killed by Hamas.
It said the remarks join a long list of similar statements that “expose a deliberate policy of genocide”.
For 22 months, Israel has pursued a policy of systematically destroying Palestinian life in Gaza. Senior officials in government and the military openly speak of devastation and annihilation.
The remarks by former head of Military Intelligence Aharon Haliva are part of a long… pic.twitter.com/rw1fEbsF9t
— B'Tselem בצלם بتسيلم (@btselem) August 17, 2025
Israel’s army gives draft-dodgers chance to enlist without punishment amid force shortages: Report
The Israeli military has reportedly told draft-dodgers, most of them ultra-Orthodox men, that they can avoid jail time over refusing to serve if they enlist within five days.
Israeli media report that there are some 14,600 draft-dodgers in Israel, who can now sign up without fearing punishment over previously failing to answer summons for mandatory service.
The Israeli army also said it plans to intensify enforcement of jail sentences for those who will still refuse to enlist amid the expanding war on Gaza. The army has reportedly said it needs some 12,000 new soldiers, including about 7,000 combat soldiers.
The Haredi community continues to denounce the government over calling up ultra-Orthodox students for military service, with Shas spiritual leader, senior rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, on Saturday calling Benjamin Netanyahu an “atheist” who cannot be trusted.
