Pro-Palestine activists in UK deny charges after alleged RAF base break-in

Five pro-Palestinian activists have pleaded not guilty to charges over an alleged break-in at a British military air base, where two aircraft were damaged in protest against the UK’s support for Israel.

The defendants are accused of entering RAF Brize Norton in central England in June last year and spraying red paint on two Voyager planes used for refuelling and transport.

Palestine Action, the campaign group that said it carried out the action, has since been proscribed by the UK government. The group said the protest was aimed at Britain’s shipment of military cargo and surveillance flights over Gaza.

Lewie Chiaramello, Jon Cink, Amy Gardiner-Gibson – also known as Amu Gib – Daniel Jeronymides-Norie and Muhammad Umer Khalid appeared at London’s Old Bailey via video link from prison. Four of the defendants took part in a recent hunger strike.

They deny charges of criminal damage and entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the UK. Their trial is scheduled to begin in January 2027.

UK taking political prisoners to evade accountability for Gaza genocide

In June 2025, the UK government proscribed the UK-based group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation under the Terrorism Act 2000.

This was not a security decision, but a political one, marking an unprecedented escalation in the criminalisation of Palestine solidarity in the United Kingdom.

Palestine Action members have engaged in non-violent direct action aimed at disrupting the UK’s complicity in the Gaza genocide, targeting facilities linked to Israel’s arms industry operating in the UK, including Elbit Systems sites and elements of British military infrastructure.

Rather than confronting its own actions, the government has sought to divert attention from the central issue: the UK’s role in the Gaza genocide.

Throughout Israel’s assault on Gaza, the UK has provided sustained political and diplomatic support, supplied vital components for F-35 fighter jets, and conducted R1 surveillance flights over Gaza.

Taken together, these actions render the British government not merely complicit, but materially involved in the violence itself.

Campaign urge UK government to suspend all arms exports to Israel

A group of civil society organisations are urging the British government to not lift the current suspension of about 30 licences, but to suspend all arms exports to Israel.

A joint statement by Campaign Against Arms Trade, Global Justice Now, Global Legal Action Network, International Centre of Justice for Palestinians, and War on Want, said they were “appalled” by the government’s movement towards unblocking arms licences to Israel.

“The Government’s position was already untenable, temporarily suspending approximately 30 of 350 arms licenses to Israel, amounting to only 8.6 percent of total licenses,” it noted.

Earlier this week, UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle signalled the government may unblock arms sales to Israel.

In September 2024, the British government announced it was suspending 30 out of 350 arms export licences to Israel following a review that found a “clear risk” that some exports could be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law.

Last May, then-British Foreign Secretary David Lammy suspended negotiations with Israel on a new free trade deal.

Turkish artist’s exhibition highlighting Gaza genocide opens in London

Posters to the Olive Tree of Exile, a solo exhibition by @YusufAygec , has opened at @P21Gallery in London with the support of @yeeorgtr. Curated by @samedkaragoz , the show brings together drawings engaging with memory, exile, and resistance. On view until 30 January 2026 pic.twitter.com/wHB1VmZn6P

— Yunus Emre Enstitüsü - London (@yeelondra) January 16, 2026

US Senator Lindsey Graham lands in Israel, pushes for action on Iran

Lindsey Graham, a pro-Trump lawmaker who is a vocal advocate of US intervention in Iran, says he has travelled to Israel, where is expected to meet with Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders.

In a post on X, Graham said he would see “how we can build upon the momentum created by President Trump” on Iran. He said that Iranians are “right to demand an end to” to the government there in the wake of a deadly crackdown on protests.

“We cannot allow this historic moment to pass,” said Graham.

The Senator’s comments come several days after Trump appeared to soften his rhetoric on Iran, after previously threatening US intervention, and amid reports that Trump had relayed to Iran that he did not plan to attack.

Graham, however, suggested the US administration could still go ahead with an attack, describing reports that Trump had decided otherwise as “beyond inaccurate”.

I just landed in Israel, the one and only Jewish State, and America’s strongest ally and friend since its founding.
 
If you think I flew all the way to Israel after having not slept much in days to make sure we do not hold the ayatollah’s murderous regime accountable for the…

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 16, 2026

Gaza ceasefire not a success, principle of aid continue to be ignored

Political analyst Xavier Abu Eid says the reality on the ground in Gaza makes it impossible to frame the ceasefire as a political or diplomatic achievement while Palestinians continue to be killed and to die from preventable causes in Gaza.

“I’m certain that no one would dare to claim that there is any sort of diplomatic success if 400 people have been killed in Israel since a ceasefire deal was achieved,” Eid, a former adviser to the Palestine Liberation Organization’s negotiation team, told Al Jazeera, adding that “clearly, phase one has not been implemented”.

“We have people being killed every day in Gaza, some people dying of a cold, and yet, some people are still claiming that there’s a sort of diplomatic success.”

Moreover, Eid said core principles set out by international legal bodies are being ignored, particularly regarding unconditional humanitarian access.

“The International Court of Justice had already established … for example, that humanitarian aid should not be conditioned … and Israel continues to condition it,” he added.

White House announces founding members of so-called ‘board of peace’ in Gaza

The White House has announced the formation of a founding executive board to implement the newly established so-called Gaza “board of peace” to oversee the next phases of the Gaza ceasefire, chaired by President Trump.

“To operationalise the Board of Peace’s vision – under the chairmanship of President Donald J. Trump – a founding Executive Board has been formed, composed of leaders with experience across diplomacy, development, infrastructure, and economic strategy,” a statement from the White House said.

According to the statement, the appointed members are:

Mike Pompeo: ERASE Gaza From Our History Books To Protect Israel

Mike Pompeo is putting out a message, to erase Gaza from the history books in the U.S. in order to protect Israel from being continually shown out for their atrocities. Larry Wilkerson and Dennis Fritz join Jen Perelman with Peter Hager to discuss.

Babies die of hypothermia in Gaza, with Nora Barrows-Friedman

Death and displacement of Palestinians continue months into Gaza ceasefire

“We are still living under the same threats and circumstances, only with less noise”, said a father from Gaza, commenting about the slow genocide that Palestinians in the enclave are enduring. The UN described the current status in Gaza as a "ceasefire that kills children," highlighting its precarity. The genocide doesn't only kill through direct warfare, but by manufactured medical negligence.

Middle East Eye's Maha Hussaini reports from Gaza that for many medical patients, “the pause in fighting has brought no pause in suffering”, due to Israeli restrictions creating critical shortages across the health system.

Trump’s ‘board of peace’ appears to seek wider mandate beyond Gaza

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/18/trumps-board-of-peace-appears-to-seek-wider-mandate-beyond-gaza

United States President Donald Trump has begun to invite world leaders and other prominent figures to be part of his so-called “board of peace“, reportedly outlining a wider vision for a long-term body that responds to global conflicts beyond Gaza.

Trump had initially unveiled the board as part of phase two of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas to end Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, envisioning that the body would oversee “governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding, and capital mobilisation” in the enclave.

But letters written by Trump, which were posted to social media on Saturday by two leaders invited to be part of the board – Argentinian President Javier Milei and Paraguay’s leader, Santiago Pena – pointed to wider ambitions. A so-called “charter” that accompanied the letter also pointed to loftier goals, according to several reports.

In Trump’s letter to Milei, the US president said the board would seek to “solidify Peace in the Middle East”, adding that it would “embark on a bold new approach to resolving Global Conflict” at the same time.

The draft ‍charter ‍sent to about 60 countries by the Trump administration calls for members ⁠to contribute $1 billion in cash ​if they want ‍their membership to last more than three years, according to the ‍document ⁠seen by the Reuters news agency.

...

Two diplomatic sources also told Reuters that the invitations included a “charter” that outlined a wider mandate for the body.

“It’s a ‘Trump United Nations’ that ignores the fundamentals of the UN charter,” one diplomat aware of the ‌letter told the news agency,

A senior US official, meanwhile, told The Associated Press news agency that an expanded role for the board of peace remains “aspirational”. The official added that Trump and his advisers believe such a role is possible, particularly as Washington and other UN members have repeatedly expressed frustration with the international organisation.

However, the official said the board of peace was not intended to replace the UN.

...

the initial announcement of board members sparked outrage among many in the Middle East for not including any Palestinians, but instead elevating staunch supporters of Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, raised opposition to the Gaza executive board on Saturday, saying its composition “was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy”.

A statement from Netanyahu’s office did not specify what exactly it opposed about the board’s makeup.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg news reported on Saturday that the Trump administration is asking countries for $1 billion to say on the board of peace.

The White House responded to the report, calling it “misleading”. It said there was no minimum membership ​fee to join the board, but appeared to confirm the $1 billion fee for “permanent membership”.

“This simply offers permanent membership to partner countries who demonstrate deep commitment to peace, security, and prosperity,” the ‌White House said on X.

Might as well start corrupt, 1 billion to join the Trump mafia.

Ali Shaath Signs First Decree as Gaza Placed under US-Led Oversight

https://www.palestinechronicle.com/ali-shaath-signs-first-decree-as-gaza-placed-under-us-led-oversight/

Ali Shaath, head of the newly formed National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, signed the committee’s mission statement on Sunday, marking his first official act since assuming the role amid intense debate over Gaza’s postwar governance.

In a statement published on social media, Shaath said the signing was intended to formally define the committee’s mandate, principles, and responsibilities during the transitional phase following Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip.

“As my first official act, I adopted and signed the mission statement of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza,” Shaath wrote. “This affirms our governing mandate and defines our operating principles and responsibilities.”

Shaath said the committee’s work is authorized under UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and the 20-point plan announced by US President Donald Trump, which underpins the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

Resolution 2803 violates international law but who cares about that anymore.

He described the committee’s mission as transforming the transitional period into “a solid foundation for sustainable Palestinian prosperity,” adding that the work would proceed under the supervision of the US-led Board of Peace and with support from Gaza’s High Representative, Nikolai Mladenov.

According to Shaath, the committee’s priorities include restoring security, rebuilding essential services such as electricity, water, healthcare, and education, and reviving Gaza’s economy through transparency, integrity, and job creation.

“Our mission is not only to rebuild infrastructure,” he said, “but to revive Gaza’s social fabric and restore hope for the future.”

Shaath also emphasized that peace, in his view, is “the only path to securing legitimate Palestinian rights and preparing the way toward self-determination and a future based on justice and stability.”

Following the announcement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed Shaath’s move, saying he looked forward to working with the committee to “build a better future for Gaza and the wider region.”

Jared Kushner, Trump’s envoy and a member of the Board of Peace’s executive body, echoed Shaath’s remarks on restoring security and services, commenting that “the serious work begins now.”

The White House confirmed on Friday that the Gaza governance framework consists of four parallel bodies: the Board of Peace, the Gaza Executive Board, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, and an International Stabilization Force.

Israel far-right ministers reject US-backed postwar Gaza panel

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/18/israel-far-right-ministers-reject-us-backed-postwar-gaza-panel

Far-right members of Israel’s governing coalition on Sunday rejected a US-backed plan for postwar governance in Gaza, criticising their prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for failing to annex the Palestinian territory and establish new Israeli settlements in the territory.

After the announcement of the White House’s pick of world leaders who will join the so-called Gaza “board of peace”, which includes representatives of Turkey and Qatar, both of which have been critical of Israel’s war in the strip, Israeli far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, described Netanyahu’s “unwillingness to take responsibility for Gaza” as “the original sin”.

According to Smotrich, himself a settler in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the Israeli prime minister should instead “establish a military government there, to encourage immigration and settlement, and in this way to ensure Israel’s security for many years”.

Netanyahu himself objected to the plan on Saturday, citing how some of the appointments were “not coordinated with Israel and were contrary to its policy”, without specifying who. He told his foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, to contact the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio.

Israel has previously objected strongly to any Turkish role in postwar Gaza, with relations between the two countries having deteriorated sharply since the war began in October 2023.

...

A draft charter sent to about 60 countries by the US administration calls for members to contribute $1bn in cash if they want their membership to last more than three years, according to the document seen by Reuters.

“Each Member State shall serve a term of no more than three years from this Charter’s entry into force, subject to renewal by the Chairman,” states the document, first reported by Bloomberg News. “The three-year membership term shall not apply to Member States that contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force.”

Israeli attacks wound civilians across Gaza in latest ceasefire violations


_{Displaced Palestinians live in the rubble and debris of homes and businesses destroyed by the Israeli military in more than two years of its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip}

Israeli forces have wounded several Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, firing on civilians and launching air and artillery attacks in the latest near-daily violations of the ceasefire in place since October, as its genocidal war on the besieged enclave continues unabated.

Medical sources told the Palestinian news agency Wafa that Israeli drone fire on Sunday injured civilians in the Zeitoun neighbourhood in southern Gaza City. In southern Gaza, two people, including a girl, were wounded by Israeli gunfire in al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis.

Additional injuries were reported in areas from which Israeli forces were meant to have withdrawn under the ceasefire.

Medical staff at al-Ahli Arab Hospital in eastern Gaza City said three Palestinians were wounded by Israeli gunfire near Netzarim, south of the city. Witnesses told the Anadolu news agency that an Israeli drone opened fire on the group.

At Nasser Medical Complex, medics confirmed that two more Palestinians were injured by Israeli fire in al-Mawasi. In central Gaza, doctors at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said Israeli forces shot a Palestinian man in the head in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, describing his condition as serious.

The Israeli military also carried out air attacks on buildings in Rafah in the south while Israeli artillery shelled areas east of Jabalia in the north and the Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza City.

Helicopter gunfire was reported near the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, and Israeli naval forces fired towards the coast of Khan Younis, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.

“American Biker Gangs are Abusing Palestinians for 2K Dollar Checks a Day”

Jerusalem Patriarch, churches say Christian Zionism threatens Christianity

Senior Christian leaders in Jerusalem have issued a warning against outside interference threatening the unity and future of Christianity in the Holy Land, singling out “Christian Zionism” and political actors linked to Israel.

In a statement released on Saturday, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem said recent activities by local individuals advancing “damaging ideologies, such as Christian Zionism”, “mislead the public, sow confusion, and harm the unity of our flock”.

The church leaders warned that these efforts have found support among “certain political actors in Israel and beyond”, accusing them of pushing an agenda that could undermine the Christian presence not only in the Holy Land but across the wider Middle East.

The intervention comes amid growing concern among Palestinian Christians that Israel’s policies – including land confiscation, illegal settlement expansion, and pressure on church property – are accelerating the erosion of one of the world’s oldest Christian communities.

A powerful strand of evangelical Christianity in the United States continues to shape political and financial support for Israel, drawing growing concern from church leaders in Jerusalem.

Many Christian Zionists also embrace the “prosperity gospel”, which teaches that blessing Israel brings personal and financial reward.

Critics say these beliefs translate into donations and political backing for Israel’s settlement enterprise, entrenching occupation while marginalising Palestinian Christians and undermining the historic churches of the Holy Land.

The patriarchs said they were also “deeply concerned” that individuals promoting these agendas have been “welcomed at official levels both locally and internationally”, calling such engagement an intrusion into the internal life of the churches.

“These actions constitute interference in the internal life of the churches,” the statement said, accusing outside actors of disregarding the authority and responsibility of Jerusalem’s historic Christian leadership.

Threats to Christians’ existence

It is unclear which recent events the statement is referring to; however, a recent report by the Council of Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem found “threats to Christian heritage – particularly in Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank, and Gaza alongside issues of unjustified taxation – are the source of ongoing concerns that threaten the existence of the community and the churches”.

The report also called for an “urgent need to protect Christian communities and our places of worship extend throughout the West Bank, where settler attacks increasingly target our churches, people and properties”.

On Wednesday, a senior Palestinian church body condemned Israeli restrictions that prevent teachers from the occupied West Bank from reaching schools in occupied East Jerusalem, warning that Christian education is under direct attack.

The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine said Israeli authorities have sharply limited work permits for West Bank teachers, disrupting lessons and denying hundreds of students their right to education.

The committee rejected arbitrary and systematic measures imposed by the Israeli occupation, saying they have hit Palestinian schools across Jerusalem, with Christian institutions particularly affected. It said the restrictions have delayed the start of the second semester and paralysed the education process.

According to the committee, Israel’s permit regime and military checkpoints have become the main tools used to block teachers from reaching classrooms, restrict movement and weaken educational institutions. It said these practices amount to collective punishment and reflect a policy of racial discrimination prohibited under international law.

Church officials said Israeli authorities have suspended the permits of dozens of teachers outright while slashing the number of days others are allowed to work. They said at least 171 teachers and staff have been affected.

The committee warned that the targeting of Christian schools forms part of a broader Israeli policy aimed at undermining Palestinian education and eroding the Palestinian Christian presence in Jerusalem.

It said the measures are designed to exhaust teachers and students alike, weaken community life and entrench Israeli control over the city at the expense of its Indigenous Christian population.

West Bank Bedouins driven out by settler violence

Palestinians have been leaving a village in the occupied West Bank, blaming violence by Israeli settlers for forcing them from their homes. Ras Ain Al Auja is one of the last Bedouin-populated villages in the West Bank. Since October 2023, the village and others in the area have experienced a dramatic surge in settler violence.

"The presenter is absurd in insisting that we not believe our eyes and common sense but rather believe a criminal who does not admit to his crime"

""Settler violence" So...Israeli terrorism, right? But you won't say it upfront."

Israeli Fire Kills Palestinian Teen, Injures Others in Gaza Despite Ceasefire

Israeli occupation forces killed a Palestinian and wounded several others on Monday in separate attacks across the Gaza Strip, in continued violations of the ceasefire agreement in effect since October.

Medical sources at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza said 17-year-old Hussein Tawfiq Abu Sabila was shot and killed by Israeli fire in the abdomen near the Bani Suheila junction in Khan Yunis.

Local witnesses said an Israeli quadcopter drone opened fire on the teenager in an area from which Israeli forces had previously withdrawn under the ceasefire terms.

In a separate incident, medical officials said 20-year-old Shaher Adham Abu Hadaid was critically wounded after being shot in the head in the Sheikh Nasser area east of Khan Yunis, another location where Israeli troops were supposed to have pulled back.

Earlier, medical sources at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City reported that a Palestinian man was injured after an Israeli explosive device detonated north of the enclave. Local sources said an Israeli drone dropped a bomb on a group of civilians near the western roundabout in Beit Lahia, an area also covered by the ceasefire withdrawal.

Airstrikes and Artillery Fire

In the early hours of Monday, Israeli warplanes and artillery units launched strikes on several parts of the Gaza Strip, according to local sources.

In southern Gaza, airstrikes and shelling targeted the eastern areas of Khan Yunis. In central Gaza, Israeli artillery fired on the eastern parts of Deir al-Balah. In northern Gaza, artillery shelled eastern sections of the Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City, while helicopters opened fire on the same area. Israeli armored vehicles also fired indiscriminately east of Jabaliya town in northern Gaza, witnesses said.

All of the targeted areas fall within zones under Israeli military control or presence, according to the ceasefire agreement. Israeli forces continue to maintain control over the southern and eastern buffer zones of Gaza, as well as large parts of the north, effectively occupying more than half of the enclave.

Humanitarian Conditions Worsen

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Gaza’s population continues to face severe humanitarian suffering more than three months after the ceasefire came into effect.

In a statement, the ICRC said residents urgently need an end to violence and immediate humanitarian assistance, warning that harsh winter weather has further worsened daily survival conditions for displaced families living in tents and damaged buildings.

Since the ceasefire was declared, Israeli attacks have continued to claim Palestinian lives, injure civilians, and restrict the entry of food, fuel, medical supplies, and shelter materials, leaving Gaza’s population of more than two million people in increasingly desperate conditions.

Israel’s war on Gaza, launched in October 2023 with US support, lasted for two years and resulted in the deaths of more than 71,000 Palestinians and injuries to over 170,000 others, most of them women and children. Roughly 90 percent of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure was destroyed, with the United Nations estimating reconstruction costs in the tens of billions of dollars.

Despite the ceasefire, human rights groups warn that ongoing Israeli military activity, aid restrictions, and the continued occupation of large areas of Gaza risk turning the truce into a framework for managing violence rather than ending it.