By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Forums - Politics Discussion - Israel-Hamas war, Gaza genocide

SvennoJ on 12 April 2024

Another one, settlers are killing Palestinians more and more frequently

Palestinian man killed in settler raid near Ramallah

Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinians and their homes in the village of Al-Mughayir, northeast of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. In a video posted on Telegram from the scene and verified by Al Jazeera, a man covered in blood appears unresponsive as several other men hold him.

According to local sources, the wounded man, Jihad Afif, was shot and killed by settlers. Video shared by the sources shows his obituary being played on loudspeakers in the town, and his body being transferred from the place he was injured. Other videos, also verified by Al Jazeera, show smoke billowing from the village as gunshots ring out.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5quIqIN526/

There have been an estimated 700 settler attacks in the occupied West Bank between October 7 and April 5.

PA decries settler attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for the Palestinian Authority (PA) presidency, has condemned continuing settler attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

The attacks usually take place with the support of armed Israeli forces. In a statement carried by state news agency Wafa, Abu Rudeineh said the “crimes” committed by “terrorist militias” are nothing but an extension of Israel’s “genocide” against the Palestinian people.

Abu Rudeineh said he holds the Israeli government fully responsible for the attacks, which have significantly spiked since October 7. He also called on the international community and the US administration to intervene and to force Israel to “halt its crimes” in the West Bank and in Gaza.


Armed settlers attack village near Ramallah in occupied West Bank

A group of armed settlers have launched a new attack on the village of Khirbet Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, injuring at least four Palestinians, according to state news agency Wafa.

Citing local sources, Wafa said the four Palestinians sustained “various injuries” when a number of Israelis from illegal settlements attacked residents near the entrance of the village. Settlers also set several vehicles on fire, the sources added.


Red Crescent vehicle hit by gunfire during West Bank settler attack

The Palestine Red Crescent Society says on X that Israeli settlers “opened fire” on one of its ambulances during an attack on the village of al-Mughayir near Ramallah. The PRCS says its ambulance was hit during an attempt to reach several people who were wounded in the attack.





Around the Network
SvennoJ on 12 April 2024

Weaponising underwear: Genocide with a semi-pornographic twist

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/4/12/weaponising-underwear-genocide-with-a-semi-pornographic-twist

Let’s pretend for a moment that in the course of waging war against the state of Israel, Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip had taken to posing for social media posts with lingerie belonging to Israeli women who had been forced to flee their homes or were killed in the war.

Imagine the moral outrage that would swiftly ensue, inevitably entailing racist and self-righteous allegations of Arab perverseness, the barbaric sexism of Islam and the violent tendencies of sexually repressed Muslims.

The Fox Newses of the world would have a field day.

As it turns out, a version of this hypothetical spectacle is true – except that it stars Israeli soldiers and Palestinian women’s lingerie. A recent Reuters article titled “Israeli soldiers play with Gaza women’s underwear in online posts” describes how combatants from the world’s self-appointed “most moral army” have been “posting photos and videos of themselves toying with lingerie found in Palestinian homes, creating a dissonant visual record of the war in Gaza”.




British Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu Sitta ‘forcibly prevented’ from entering Germany

Prominent British Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu Sitta, who volunteered in Gaza hospitals during the first weeks of Israel’s assault on the enclave, said he was denied entry into Germany where he was due to take part in a conference.

Abu Sitta said he arrived at Berlin airport before being stopped at passport control where he was held for several hours and then told he had to return to the UK.

Police at the airport said he was refused entry due to “the safety of the people at the conference and public order,” Abu Sitta told the Associated Press news agency. In a post on X, Abu Sitta he was “forcibly prevented” from entering the country.

Berlin police said they later pulled the plug on the event, attended by up to 250 people, on its first day, after a livestream was shown of a person who is banned from political activity in Germany.

The gathering, entitled the Palestine Congress, was to discuss a range of topics including German arms shipments to Israel and solidarity with what organisers called the Palestinian struggle.

Germany has traditionally held a staunchly pro-Israel position, and during the assault on Gaza emerged as one of Israel’s fiercest supporters. German authorities have also repeatedly clamped down on displays of support for Palestinians.




Settler attack on al-Mughayir ‘the largest and most violent one’ yet, official says

We earlier reported that there has been several incidents of violent settler attacks against Palestinians and their belongings in the occupied West Bank, with one incident resulting in the killing of a man in the town of al-Mughayir, northeast of Ramallah.

The head of the al-Mughayir village council, Amin Abu Alia, has spoken to Al Jazeera about the details of the attack. “This is not the first attack on the village. Our village is constantly exposed to similar attacks from settlers, but this is the largest and most violent one,” Abu Alia said.

According to him, more than 1,500 Israeli settlers gathered near the entrance of the town. About 500 of them, some armed, then proceeded to raid the town for about three hours.

The attack led to the killing of Jihad Abu Alia, who was shot “directly” in the head with live ammunition.

Here are some of the things Amin Abu Alia said unfolded during the three-hour settler attack:

  • Settlers attacked 20 homes, and set fire to seven of them “either completely, or partially”.
  • A total of 20 vehicles, some belonging to local businesses, were also set on fire.
  • At least 35 residents were wounded, and 25 of them sustained injuries from live bullets.
  • Medics, including Palestine Red Crescent ambulances, were prevented from reaching the area by Israeli forces, who also blocked cars carrying wounded residents from leaving the village.
  • The attack was carried out under the protection of Israeli army soldiers.
Last edited by SvennoJ - on 12 April 2024

SvennoJ on 13 April 2024

Protesters in New York ‘flood Manhattan for Gaza’ and demand end to war

Protesters have marched through the streets of New York in a demonstration calling for an end to the war in Gaza. The event was organised by the activist group, Within Our Lifetime.

Police arrested a number of people.







‘Enough! Stop!’: Pope calls for an end to Gaza conflict

Pope Francis has called for an immediate end to the war in Gaza.

“May there be an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where a humanitarian catastrophe is ongoing. May aid be allowed to reach the Palestinian people who are suffering greatly, and may the hostages taken in October be released,” the 87-year-old said in a message to the Al Arabiya network to mark the end of the Ramadan that was released by the Vatican.

Francis also cited “war-torn Syria, Lebanon and the entire Middle East”.

“Enough! Stop!” said the pope.

“Please, put an end to the clash of arms and think of the children, all the children, as you do your own children. They need homes, parks and schools, not tombs and mass graves.”

More cases of waterborne disease in Gaza amid lack of clean water, warmer weather

Jamie McGoldrick, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, has warned that cases of waterborne diseases are growing in Gaza because people do not have access to clean water and the weather is getting warmer.

“It is becoming very hot there,” McGoldrick told reporters on Friday. “People are getting much less water than they need, and as a result, there have been waterborne diseases due to the lack of safe and clean water and the disruption of the sanitation systems.

“We have to find a way in the months ahead of how we can have a better supply of water into the areas where people are currently crowded at the moment,” he said, after visiting the territory.

Experts say contaminated water and poor sanitation are linked to diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery and hepatitis A. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded more than 345,000 cases of diarrhoea, including more than 105,000 in children under five since the war began.

The Gaza Strip’s only natural source of water is the Coastal Aquifer Basin, which runs along the eastern Mediterranean coast from the northern Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, through Gaza and into Israel.

 

US House approves renewal of surveillance programme targeting foreigners

The US House of Representatives has voted to extend an electronic surveillance programme targeting foreigners that officials say is critical to national security but critics claim threatens citizens’ privacy.

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, widely known as FISA, was extended for two years by 273-147 votes. It still needs approval from the Senate.

FISA monitors email traffic and other communications, but there are concerns Americans’ messages could be pulled in if they are in conversation with a foreign national who is under surveillance.

A senior White House official in December urged Congress to renew the programme, saying that with wars continuing in Gaza and Ukraine, as well as tensions elsewhere, it would be a dangerous time to end it.

 



SvennoJ on 13 April 2024

Iran Attack On Israel Imminent, Says U.S




Israel Risking 'MILLIONS OF LIVES' In Regional War: Omar Badder



LurkerJ on 13 April 2024

What a conundrum for our poor governments, the choice between preventing the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians and going to war with Iran versus not upsetting Israel.



Around the Network
SvennoJ on 13 April 2024

He's right. It's disheartening but after 6 months of this, I have to agree.

Comedian Bassem Youssef on the Israel-Gaza war, the Arab Spring, and why we can’t change the world

Bassem Youssef thinks that he’s come on the wrong podcast. “People in power don't really care about any of our suggestions to change the world”, he tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy, “because if our ways to change the world affect their interests, they will stop you.”




SvennoJ on 13 April 2024

Sorting through all the updates today, while the war in Gaza continues, the situation at the Lebanon border and in the West bank is quickly escalating.


Hezbollah says it fired ‘dozens’ of rockets at Israeli positions

Lebanon’s Hezbollah group says it fired “dozens of Katyusha rockets” at Israeli artillery positions on Friday, a bombardment it said was in response to Israeli strikes in the south.

Hezbollah fighters targeted “enemy artillery positions … with dozens of Katyusha rockets” the group said in a statement, adding it was “in response to the enemy’s attacks on … southern villages and civilian homes”.

The Israeli army said, “Approximately 40 launches were identified crossing from Lebanese territory, some of which were intercepted”. “No injuries were reported,” it said, adding that it had earlier intercepted two Hezbollah attack drones that had crossed from Lebanon.

Israeli army says it attacked Hezbollah compound in southern Lebanon

The Israeli army says it has attacked a Hezbollah military compound in southern Lebanon.

 

Is this the beginning of something bigger?

The Israeli military said it counted 40 rockets launched from Lebanon into Israel. Most of them were intercepted, but some fell in open areas. They’re also saying that Hezbollah sent across the border a couple of armed drones into Israel.

This is a large number of rockets and drones, one of the biggest barrages of the war so far in Gaza.

Is this just a big example of the same kind of tit-for-tat rocket fire exchanges of hostilities across the northern border with Hezbollah in Lebanon? Or is this the beginning of something bigger – an attack from Iran or by Iran that Israel is expecting any moment now?

Israeli Defense Minister Gallant said that Israel is prepared to defend itself on the ground and in the air, in close cooperation with “our partners”, meaning the US.

Situation escalating ‘minute by minute’

Tension has been mounting over the past night. This morning Israel launched several air strikes in southeastern Lebanon, an area which is one of Hezbollah’s strongholds. So far we don’t know if there are any casualties, but Israel attacked with about five air strikes.

The situation is escalating minute by minute and everyone is anticipating what is going to be the next step. Everybody is anticipating an Iranian retaliation against the killing of the generals in Damascus.

 

Explosions go off along Lebanon-Israel border

Over the last few minutes, we’ve been hearing explosions from the other side of the border. About 30 minutes ago, there were a couple of missiles launched from around this area. Then sirens sounded from the headquarters of the United Nations mission which is in Naqoura. A Level 2 alert is on, which means that there might be Israeli attacks at any time.

Throughout the day, there were many Israeli air strikes especially towards the southeast. Hezbollah also claimed responsibility for launching an explosives-laden drone towards the northern Israeli communities.

This all comes just hours after Hezbollah launched tens of missiles into the occupied Golan Heights.


Israel says it hit southern Lebanon after launches

The Israeli army has released a statement about the situation in the country’s north amid the increased hostilities with Hezbollah in neighbouring Lebanon. “Following the sirens that sounded in the area of Hanita in northern Israel, three launches that were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israel fell in open areas,” it said.

“In addition, two Hezbollah explosive UAVs that were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israel a short while ago exploded in the area of Hanita,” the statement continued, adding that Israeli army artillery “struck in southern Lebanon”.

Reservist injured in ‘UAV attack’ on Hanita kibbutz: Israeli military

The Israeli military says a reservist, who is a member of the security team at Hanita kibbutz in northern Israel, had been severely wounded in an “explosive UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] attack”.

Earlier sirens had sounded in the area by the border with Lebanon, with the Israeli military reporting that three launches “fell in open areas” and that “two Hezbollah explosive UAVs that were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israel a short while ago exploded in the area of Hanita”.

US embassy warns citizens in Lebanon to avoid border areas

The US embassy in Beirut is warning citizens to avoid travel to areas near the borders with Israel and Syria due to increased tensions in the region. “We remind US citizens of the continued need for caution and encourage them to monitor the news for breaking developments,” the embassy said.

Several countries have issued warnings to their citizens about travelling to Israel, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories in the past few days amid fears of escalating regional tensions as Iran said it would seek revenge after Israel allegedly struck its consulate in Damascus.



SvennoJ on 13 April 2024

US, Israel preparing for Iran response to raid on consulate in Damascus

Just one simple word: “Don’t.” Biden has used that word before. It’s not the first time he’s actually warned Iran in that kind of language.

But he’s also a realist. He also understands that Iran is going to have to mount a serious response. This was Iranian sovereign territory that was attacked in Damascus. It was a consulate. And therefore, Iran has to respond in some sort of way.

The Americans are actually bringing in a lot more assets, perhaps more than we’ve seen since October 7, into the region. Erik Kurilla, who’s the senior commander of CENTCOM, effectively the man in charge of US forces in the region, is actually spending an extra day in Israel talking to his counterparts, talking to the Ministry of Defense. They’ll be getting a joint coordination effort ready in case things escalate.

Iranian state media says IRGC seized vessel near Strait of Hormuz

Iranian state media says the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized a cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz. The report quotes sources saying the vessel was from the Zodiac Maritime shipping company owned by Israeli tycoon Eyal Ofer. It was sailing under the Portuguese flag.

Earlier, we reported that UK Maritime Trade Operations said a vessel had been seized 50 nautical miles (93 km) northeast of Fujairah, an Emirati city close to the Strait of Hormuz, which forms the entrance to the Gulf.

25 crew members on board vessel seized by IRGC

Italian-Swiss Shipping group MSC says there are 25 crew members on board a container ship seized by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Gulf.

“We regret to confirm that MSC Aries … has been boarded by Iranian authorities via helicopter as she passed the Strait of Hormuz,” the group said in a statement. “She has 25 crew on board, and we are working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure their wellbeing and safe return of the vessel.”


Iranian official says Israel ‘in complete panic and alert’

A senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said Israel is panicking over a possible response from Iran after the deadly strike on the Iranian consulate building in Syria earlier this month.

“It has been a week that the Zionists are in complete panic and are on alert,” Yahya Rahim Safavi was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency. “They don’t know what Iran wants to do, so they and their supporters are terrified,” ISNA quoted him as saying.

Iran has blamed Israel and pledged to avenge the air strike that killed seven IRGC members, including two generals. The Israeli army has since announced a leave suspension and also said officials decided to increase manpower and draft reserve soldiers to operate air defences.

“This psychological, media and political war is more terrifying for them than the war itself, because they are waiting for an attack every night and many of them have fled and gone to shelters,” Safavi said.



SvennoJ on 13 April 2024

Shit storm developing in the West Bank. Apparently a 14 year old Settler child went missing leading to searches, manhunts, death and destruction.

Aftermath of Israeli settlers’ attack on al-Mughayyir village near Ramallah


A Palestinian woman inspects damage to her house after Israeli settlers attacked the village of al-Mughayyir, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on Saturday


A Palestinian man inspects the damage to a home in the village of al-Mughayyir near Ramallah


A Palestinian man inspects a charred vehicle following clashes with settlers in the West Bank village of Al-Mughayyir

Israeli forces block road to al-Mughayyir village

The Israeli forces have set up a checkpoint, preventing cars from going to the al-Mughayyir village and surrounding villages that have been under attack by settlers.

We were expecting the funeral of the 25-year-old who was killed by settlers’ fire as they raided al-Mughayyir yesterday afternoon under the pretext of looking for a 14-year-old settler who went missing.

But the road had now been closed so the body had to be brought back to the hospital and the funeral had to stop. There is a lot of fear of what could happen here as settlers are surrounding the area.

Israeli forces seize 2 houses in the occupied West Bank: Report

Israeli forces have seized two houses and turned them into field investigation centres in the town of Duma, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, the Wafa news agency reports.

The head of Duma village council, Suleiman Dawabsheh, told Wafa that Israeli forces raided the village and searched several houses over the last few hours. Dawabsheh added that Israeli settlers were also taking part in the ongoing offensive in the village.

During the raid, several Palestinians were injured, and several homes were set on fire by Israeli settlers who were taking part in the offensive in the village. Suleiman Dawabsha, the head of Duma village council, told Wafa that Palestinians were shot with live ammunition while trying to fend off attacks by the settlers.

Since this morning, Israeli settlers have closed the entrances to the towns of Silwad, Turmus Aya, Sinjil, and Deir Dibwan, east of Ramallah governorate, and targeted passing vehicles.


Hundreds join Israeli police searching for missing teen: Report

Israeli media is reporting that hundreds of volunteers have joined police forces and the Israeli army to search for a 14-year-old Israeli boy who went missing on Friday.

The search operations have triggered high tensions in the occupied West Bank as dozens of Israeli settlers stormed the village of al-Mughayyir near Ramallah, killing one 25-year-old Palestinian man and wounding 25 others.

Violence in the area was reported earlier this morning, with settlers wounding five Palestinians, the Wafa news agency said. The Israeli army also blocked the road leading to the village preventing the family of the victim from holding a funeral.


Israeli security forces and volunteers take part in a search for a missing Israeli teenager in the village of Mughayir near Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Saturday

 

Israeli settler attacks increase in the occupied West Bank

Violence in the occupied West Bank has ramped up after the disappearance of a teenage Israeli settler on Friday. Near Ein Siniya village in Ramallah, Abed Abu Awwad told Al Jazeera that settlers blocked a road and threw stones at his car, which smashed a window.

“They have their own guns with them. I even saw their guns, I was scared to death,” he said. “This is the first time ever [he has been attacked], I haven’t expected that at all,” he added. “I feel no security and safety in the West Bank.”


A view of damaged houses and burning vehicles after a raid by Jewish settlers on al-Mughayyir near Ramallah, occupied West Bank on Friday



SvennoJ on 13 April 2024

Body of missing 14-year-old Israeli boy found: Army

The Israeli army says the body of a missing Israeli boy has been found in the occupied West Bank after he was killed in a “terrorist attack”. “The body of 14-year-old Binyamin Achimair was located in the area of Malachei HaShalom a short while ago,” the Israeli army said in a post on X.

“Security forces are continuing the pursuit after those suspected of carrying out the attack,” the army added.

Netanyahu slams ‘murder’ of missing Israeli settler

The Israeli prime minister has issued a statement condemning what he called the “murder” of the teenage Israeli settler Benjamin Ahimayer, who was declared missing on Friday.

“The heinous murder of the youth Benjamin Ahimayer, may he rest in peace, is a grave crime. I send heartfelt condolences to his family,” Netanyahu said.

He added that Israeli forces “are engaged in an extensive pursuit of the despicable murderers and anyone who collaborated with them”. Netanyahu also called on Israelis to allow the forces to conduct their operations so they can “bring the abhorrent murderers to justice swiftly”.

As we’ve reported, settler attacks in the occupied West Banks have drastically increased over the past day.

Reporting from occupied East Jerusalem, Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan said there have already been calls for direct action against Palestinians on settler noticeboards and settler WhatsApp groups. “If this happens then it could spark something more in the West Bank than we’ve seen in a very long time,” Khan said.

“That’s why Netanyahu has been clear about saying that the Israeli police and army need to be able to do their job but already the settlers have gone on this rampage and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s words, calling this a ‘heinous murder’, aren’t going to calm tensions there.

“In fact, they may well inflame tensions.”


A Palestinian inspects the damage to a home in the village of al-Mughaiyyr near Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Saturday

Israeli opposition leader condemns settler violence

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has criticised “violent riots” by settlers in the occupied West Bank and urges the country’s leadership to intervene to avoid more killing. “The violent riots of the settlers are a dangerous violation of the law, and they interfere with the security forces operating in the area,” Lapid said on X.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir “should stop the lawlessness on the ground before more blood is spilled”, Lapid said.

Tensions in the Palestinian territory escalated following the disappearance, and then the reported killing, of an Israeli teenager.

Palestinian seriously injured by settlers in al-Mughayyir, says Red Crescent

As we’ve reported, Israeli settlers have carried out attacks in al-Mughayyir village, northeast of Ramallah. The Palestinian Red Crescent said one Palestinian was shot and seriously injured by settlers during the attacks.


More injuries in settler attacks

At least six Palestinians have been hit by live bullets and taken to hospital after settler attacks in the occupied West Bank, according to reports. Five people were wounded in the village of Duma, near Nablus, and one in al-Mughayyir.


Israel defence minister warns against ‘revenge’ over teen’s death

Yoav Gallant has warned against revenge attacks after the missing teenage Israeli settler was found dead in the occupied West Bank.

“Let the security forces act quickly in the hunt for the terrorists – revenge actions will make it difficult for our fighters in their mission – the law must not be taken into one’s own hands,” the defence minister posted on X.

Confrontations erupt between Israeli settlers and Palestinians in Beit Furik

We are getting reports of confrontations between Israeli settlers and Palestinians in the town of Beit Furik, east of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank. Settler groups have also attacked Palestinian-owned homes in the town of Qusra, south of Nablus.

Earlier, the governor of Nablus called on residents to activate the popular guard committees in light of the escalating settler attacks.

Israeli settlers expand attacks

The Israeli settlers are expanding their presence and attacks against Palestinian-owned homes in the occupied West Bank.

We’re talking about villages not only near al-Mughayyir, east of Ramallah, like in the morning, but the settlers are now moving to villages close to Nablus to the north of the West Bank, in Beit Furik and Qusra.

We’ve been speaking to locals there who say at least three homes have been burned by Israeli settlers. It’s going to get dark soon and Palestinians are expecting these attacks to continue.

When we go those villages and we see how the Israeli settlers are attacking Palestinians, we often see the Israeli army there instead of shooting towards the settlers they often shoot towards the Palestinians.

And Palestinians will tell you that it is the presence of Israeli army that gives the Israeli settlers the audacity to continue their attacks against Palestinians as they feel that they are empowered and covered by the presence of the Israeli forces.

Settler violence spreads to Qusra

The Israeli settler attacks have now spread to the town of Qusra, south of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank. Videos posted on Telegram and verified by Al Jazeera show local residents trying to extinguish fires following an attack by settlers.

Three homes and several cars are reported to have been damaged by the fires.


Israeli military sends additional troops, police to occupied West Bank

The Israeli military posted on Telegram that it has now decided to reinforce the affected areas with several military companies and additional border police.