CAIR condemns settlers’ attack on journalists, olive harvesters in West Bank

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has condemned what it called a violent attack by Israeli settlers on Palestinian villagers, activists and journalists during the olive harvest in the occupied West Bank.

A Reuters news agency photographer and security adviser were among those injured in the attack when settlers reportedly used sticks, clubs and stones against Palestinians harvesting olives.

In a statement, the Washington-based group said such attacks stem from Israel’s “ongoing system of apartheid and impunity” and urged the US government to “hold accountable those responsible, including through the reimposition of sanctions on Israeli settlers”.

CAIR called on the US government to renew sanctions earlier this month, warning that unchecked settler violence continues to endanger Palestinians and those documenting the effects of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.

Journalists targeted in latest wave of Israeli settler attacks in occupied West Bank

Reuters news agency photojournalist Raneen Sawafta has said she was struck in areas not protected by her press vest as settlers attacked journalists covering the olive harvest in the occupied West Bank.

“We were running away and the terrain was mountainous. I was wearing the press vest and they were hitting me in the parts that were not covered by the vest,” she said. “Even the security man Gran was shouting ‘Please stop.’”

The attack took place near the Palestinian village of Beita, where settlers armed with sticks, clubs and rocks targeted villagers, activists and reporters. Two Reuters employees, a journalist and a security adviser were among those injured.

Al Jazeera cameraman Loay al-Saeed described being chased by masked men. “Every time I was trying to look back, I saw someone trying to catch me… They were tall and huge with masks, and organised.”

Press freedom advocates say the assault reflects a growing campaign to silence journalists documenting Israeli violations in the occupied territory.

Foreign Press Association denounces Israeli settler attacks on journalists in West Bank

The organisation representing international media in Israel and the Palestinian territories has condemned attacks by Israeli settlers on journalists in the occupied West Bank, urging Israeli authorities to halt the “violence immediately”.

“Journalists, both local and foreign, have proven to be a clear target as they document an unprecedented level of unchecked violence against Palestinians during this year’s olive harvest,” the Foreign Press Association (FPA) said.

It added that on Saturday, two employees of Reuters news agency wearing clearly marked press vests and helmets were assaulted by masked Israeli settlers armed with clubs and rocks near the Palestinian village of Beita.

“They also attacked those who tried to help her. A Reuters security person was hit, and two Palestinian freelance journalists were injured while being chased,” it added.

On October 10, settlers beat a veteran AFP news agency photographer with sticks when filming the olive harvest in the same area, with his car set on fire.

“The photographer, who testified it was one of the worst attacks in his 30-year career, reported that Israeli forces at the scene refused to intervene, instead firing rubber bullets and tear gas at olive pickers and activists accompanying them,” the FPA said.

Israeli settlers burn Palestinian olive trees south of Nablus

Israeli settlers have set fire to dozens of olive trees belonging to Palestinians in the village of Majdal Bani Fadil, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.

Rami Nassar, the head of the village council, said settlers from an outpost established about five months ago on village lands had attacked on Sunday night, blocking village residents from reaching the burning trees to extinguish the fires.

The fires affected a large area to the south of the village, he said.

The attack comes just days after the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said settler violence during this olive harvest season had reached the highest level recorded in recent years. About 150 attacks have been documented so far, it said, injuring some 140 Palestinians and vandalising more than 4,200 trees.

Israeli settlers destroy tent, crops in occupied West Bank

Israeli settlers have destroyed a residential tent and agricultural crops belonging to Palestinians in the northern Jordan Valley, the Wafa news agency is reporting.

The attack took place on Sunday night in Khirbet al-Farsiya in the occupied West Bank. Settlers also stole agricultural equipment during the attack, which came amid a wave of rising settler violence in the occupied West Bank.

Israel launches ‘large-scale’ military exercise across occupied West Bank

Israeli forces have begun a three-day exercise across the occupied West Bank, raising concerns among Palestinians over increased military activity.

The drills involve ground forces, the air force and special units operating in coordination with other branches of Israel’s security apparatus. The Israeli army said the exercise aims to test “operational readiness” for potential escalation scenarios.

It will include drones, mock enemy forces, and active troop and aircraft movement throughout Palestinian areas. Residents have been warned of a heightened military presence over the coming days.

Last year, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and should come to an end “as rapidly as possible”.

Settlers attack shepherds

Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinian shepherds in the town of Aqraba, south of Nablus, to try to force them from grazing lands in Khirbet al-Tawil, according to the Wafa news agency.

Such attacks are frequent with settlers routinely harassing shepherds and preventing them from accessing pastures. It is part of a wider trend that has seen tens of thousands of acres of land across the occupied West Bank fall under settler control.

Teachers barred from crossing Israeli checkpoints to reach Jordan Valley schools

Israeli forces have blocked Palestinian teachers from reaching schools in the Jordan Valley, preventing them from crossing through the Hamra and Tayasir military checkpoints, the Wafa news agency is reporting.

The report quoted Azmi Balawneh, director of education for the Tubas governorate, as saying that dozens of teachers were forced to wait for hours as Israeli forces kept both checkpoints closed.

The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission said there are now 898 Israeli military checkpoints and gates across the West Bank, including 164 installed since October 2023.

Occupied West Bank cemetery attacked by Israeli settlers

Israeli settlers have vandalised several graves in the Bab al-Rahma cemetery, which is adjacent to the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, according to Wafa news agency. The cemetery has seen many attacks by settlers in the past and been subjected to excavation work by the Israeli authorities.

UAE ‘probably not’ joining Gaza stabilisation force without clear plan

The UAE is unlikely to take part in a proposed international stabilisation force for Gaza unless a clear political and operational framework is established, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, said.

He said UAE “does not yet see a clear framework for the stabilisation force and, under these circumstances, will probably not participate in such a force”, adding that the UAE “will support all political efforts in favour of peace and will remain at the forefront of humanitarian aid”.

Last week, President Trump said an international force would be deployed “very soon” to Gaza under an agreement that brought about a fragile ceasefire on October 10.

Netanyahu meeting Trump advisers Kushner and Witkoff

US envoy Kushner has held talks with Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

Kushner, who arrived in Israel yesterday, reportedly played a central role in crafting and promoting President Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza. Along with him was Witkoff, a US real estate developer, who currently serves as Washington’s special envoy to the Middle East and special envoy for Peace Missions.

Israeli media reports said Kushner’s visit came as Washington presses efforts to ensure that the US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza holds.

Hamas officials ‘holding discussions’ on fighters trapped in Rafah’s tunnels

The al-Araby al-Jadeed news outlet is reporting that Hamas officials and mediators are holding talks “regarding hundreds of the group’s fighters trapped in underground tunnels in Rafah”.

The report quoted Palestinian sources as saying the talks are focused on finding a “solution that guarantees that the fighters are allowed to remain in Gaza”, adding that “the option to deport them overseas is not on the table at the moment”.

Main events on November 10th

• An Israeli drone attack east of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, has killed two Palestinians, including a child. The Israeli army claims those killed “posed an immediate threat” to its forces.
• US mediators have met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the second – and far more complex – phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
• Hamas officials and mediators are reportedly holding talks on the hundreds of the group’s fighters who are trapped in tunnels in Rafah, in southern Gaza.
• The Palestinian group has reiterated its “precise” agreement to the ceasefire deal and slammed Israeli violations.
• Israel has handed over the bodies of 15 Palestinian prisoners to authorities in Gaza as part of the ceasefire deal.

ITV broadcast confirms Gaza’s worst fears; BBC hit by Trump’s $1 billion lawsuit

A special broadcast by UK’s ITV has shown that Benjamin Netanyahu and his western backers wrongly blamed Hamas for using Palestinians as human shields when the IDF soldiers themselves resorted to such tactics. This was after many IDF soldiers themselves admitted in the ITV documentary to their questionable role in Gaza. This came on a day when Donald Trump threatened the BBC with a $1 billion lawsuit for doctoring his speech in a Panorama programme. Rifat Jawaid returns with his sharp commentary on what these two developments mean in real sense.

Israel CAUGHT Using ‘Thermobaric’ Bomb That ‘MELTS’ Victims Bodies

At least three people killed in Gaza in last 24 hours by Israeli forces

This news comes to us from Gaza’s Health Ministry, which said that this brings the Palestinian death toll since the ceasefire went into effect one month ago to 245.

A total of 69,182 people have been killed and 170,694 wounded since October 7, 2023, the ministry added.

How many times has Israel violated the ceasefire? Here are the numbers

One month into the declaration of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Israel has violated the agreement with near-daily attacks, killing hundreds of people.

Israel violated the ceasefire agreement at least 282 times from October 10 to November 10, through the continuation of attacks by air, artillery and direct shootings, the Government Media Office in Gaza reports.

The office said Israel shot at civilians 88 times, raided residential areas beyond the “yellow line” 12 times, bombed Gaza 124 times, and demolished people’s properties on 52 occasions. It added that Israel also detained 23 Palestinians from Gaza over the past month.

Gaza calls for urgent access to heavy machinery to remove debris

We have heard plenty of calls from local authorities in Gaza to allow more heavy excavators and machinery to access the territory and remove tonnes of debris left over from Israeli operations.

We understand that the UN estimates the amount of debris from Israeli operations and air strikes to be about 55 million tonnes, which could take years to remove.

What is happening on the ground is a sort of systemic procrastination, as described by local officials, in allowing that equipment in. This is needed not only to clear the rubble but also to retrieve the bodies of those still missing.

Gaza’s Government Media Office says hundreds of people remain trapped beneath the remnants of buildings without having had a proper funeral.

Israel blocks medical supplies to Gaza, UNICEF says

Israel is blocking 1.6 million syringes needed for a children’s vaccination campaign in Gaza, UNICEF says, along with nearly one million baby formula bottles.

On Tuesday, the UN agency for children’s relief said the blockage is preventing efforts to immunise more than 40,000 children who missed routine vaccines during the war.

The syringes have awaited customs clearance since August. Israel deems them “dual-use” items with possible military applications, UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires said.

“These items, we’re finding very hard to get them through clearances and inspections, yet they are urgent,” he told reporters in Geneva.

Gaza faces possible partition as peace efforts falter: Report

Gaza could face a de facto partition between Israeli and Hamas-controlled areas as efforts to advance President Trump’s peace plan face challenges, Reuters reported.

Six European officials told the news agency the plan has stalled and reconstruction will likely be limited to Israeli-controlled territory.

Israel currently controls just over half of Gaza, separated by a “yellow line”, including farmland and parts of Gaza City, with nearly two million Palestinians crammed into the remaining areas under Hamas control.

Many Palestinians do not know the exact location of the yellow line, nor is it clearly marked in all areas. Nevertheless, Israeli troops continue to attack and kill Palestinians it says stray too close to the boundary.

Thousands gather for Hadar Goldin’s funeral after remains recovered from Gaza

Thousands of people attended the funeral of Hadar Goldin today, the Israeli soldier who was killed and captured in 2014 during the last major Israeli ground offensive in Gaza. His remains were recovered by Hamas last week and handed over to Israel.

_{A drone photo of people gathering on the day of the funeral of Hadar Goldin, an Israeli army officer killed in southern Gaza in 2014}

_{Israeli soldiers carry the coffin of late Israeli captive soldier Hadar Goldin during his funeral in the military cemetery in Kfar Saba}

He was killed in the 2014 50 Day Gaza war Operation Protective Edge leading to 2251 casualties (including 551 children and 299 women)

Israeli settler arson attacks devastate Palestinian areas near Tulkarem

A wave of arson attacks struck Palestinian-owned industrial facilities and farmland east of Tulkarem today, with Israeli settlers setting multiple fires that destroyed property and threatened a Bedouin encampment.

Wafa news agency reported that flames burned trucks and a factory building in the Al-Lada’in industrial zone near Beit Lid, while agricultural fields burned across the area. Video footage captured the widespread damage.

Israeli military forces accompanied the settlers and blocked Palestinian Civil Defence crews from reaching some burning areas, hampering firefighting efforts.

Israel parliament passes first reading of death penalty for ‘terrorism’ law

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/11/israeli-parliament-nods-to-bill-to-introduce-death-penalty-for
https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/10/middleeast/israel-parliament-death-penalty-foreign-media-hnk-intl

Israel’s parliament has passed the first reading of a bill that would introduce the death penalty for “terrorism”.

The amendment to the penal code, proposed by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, was approved by 39 votes to 16 in the 120-member Knesset on Monday, signalling it has support from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

According to the draft text, the death penalty would apply to individuals who kill Israelis out of “racist” motives and “with the aim of harming the State of Israel and the revival of the Jewish people in its land”, The Times of Israel reported.

Critics said the wording means that in practice, the death penalty would apply almost exclusively to Palestinians who kill Jews, not to Jewish hardliners who carry out attacks on Palestinians.

The bill also amends the military courts law, with jurisdiction over the occupied West Bank, allowing courts there to impose the death penalty by a simple majority vote on the judge’s panel instead of a unanimous vote. It also rules out any option of allowing extenuating circumstances in the sentencing. Palestinians in the West Bank are subject to military law, while Israeli settlers are subject to Israeli civilian law.

Attempts to introduce similar legislation have failed in the past. The current bill must pass a second and third reading before becoming law.

A statement from the National Security Committee that includes the bill’s explanatory note said: “Its purpose is to cut off terrorism at its root and create a heavy deterrent.”

Not sure what this would add as the IDF already 'neutralizes' any suspects on site. I suspect it's a ploy to kill Marwan Barghouti. 

‘Blatant violation of international law’

Ben-Gvir welcomed the result of the vote on social media and said his Jewish Power party is “making history”.

Human rights groups have condemned Ben-Gvir’s long-running push for such legislation, warning that it targets Palestinians specifically and deepens systemic discrimination.

While the death penalty still exists for a small number of crimes in Israel, it has become a de facto abolitionist state. Nazi Holocaust perpetrator Adolf Eichmann was the last person executed by the country when he was put to death in 1962.

The UN has previously condemned Israel’s military courts in the occupied West Bank, saying that “Palestinians’ right to due process guarantees have been violated” for decades, and denounced “the lack of fair trial in the occupied West Bank.”

UN experts said last year that, “in the occupied West Bank, the functions of police, investigator, prosecutor, and judge are vested in the same hierarchical institution – the Israeli military.”

‘I Accuse You, Netanyahu!’ MP Lazimi TEARS INTO Bibi Over Oct 7 Attack, Hamas Funding

During a tense Knesset session, MP Lazimi launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of negligence during the October 7 massacre and of funding Hamas while ignoring the threat. Lazimi also criticized Netanyahu for prioritizing personal political maneuvers over national security, claiming that former President Trump secured the release of hostages while Netanyahu allegedly sought a pardon for himself. The confrontation left Netanyahu visibly stone-faced as the accusations unfolded.

Gaza: “there can be no peace without accountability" says UN expert Chris Sidoti

On 30 October 2025, the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People organized a virtual briefing titled “Safeguarding Human Rights, Ensuring Accountability and Ending the Unlawful Occupation of Palestine”.

Chris Sidoti, Member of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, in a pre-recorded video message, reflected on four years of work by the Commission, highlighting investigations since 7 October 2023. He recalled that the COI found Palestinian militants had committed war crimes in southern Israel on 7 and 8 October, and that Israeli forces committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza in subsequent months. He stressed that the Commission had examined multiple sectors, including hospitals, education, cultural heritage, and civilian housing, documenting systematic attacks across society. He emphasized the destruction of healthcare and education systems, attacks on cultural sites including churches and mosques, and widespread civilian harm.

Mr. Sidoti explained that genocide findings required completion of sector-specific investigations and rigorous legal analysis. The Commission determined that Israeli acts met the legal threshold for genocide in four of the five categories defined by the Genocide Convention and found genocidal intent “directly and indirectly.” He noted that an extensive 70-page genocide analysis preceded the General Assembly report due to word limits. Mr. Sidoti underscored the Commission’s “standard legal approach based on facts and law,” rejecting claims of bias.

He stressed that “there can be no peace without accountability” and no justice without prosecution of crimes. He urged genuine political processes grounded in participation of both Palestinians and Israelis, warning peace cannot be “imposed from outside.” Mr. Sidoti concluded by expressing hope for recovery following the pause in fighting, while insisting that accountability is essential to any durable peace.

How Muslim Governments Are Complicit in Gaza’s Genocide — UCLA Scholar Explains

“The genocide could not have proceeded and would not proceed today if Muslims were not complicit. The role of the United Arab Emirates in covering for Israel and continuing to supply Israel. The role of Jordan in making sure that goods continue to flow into Israel. The role of Egypt in suffocating and laying siege to the Palestinians and helping Israel with this…”

On this episode of ‘Mehdi Unfiltered,’ Mehdi sits down with UCLA professor and Islamic scholar Khaled Abou El Fadl to discuss his latest book on Palestine — ’The Palestine Sermons.’ He also explains how Islamophobia is worsening and how Muslim countries are complicit in the genocide in Gaza.