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

SvennoJ on 07 August 2024

Ex-detainee recounts how Israeli guards forced Palestinian prisoners to ‘bark like dogs’

Israeli human rights group B’Tselem has released video testimony from Palestinian lawyer Sari Huriyyah detailing the barbaric treatment of prisoners at Israel’s Megiddo prison, which he now calls “Abu Ghraib” after the notorious US prison camp during the US occupation of Iraq.

Huriyyah tells of how Israeli prison guards made some of the Palestinian prisoners “bark like dogs”.

“If they refused, the beat them until they started barking,” he tells the rights group.

Young Palestinian prisoners “were beaten and humiliated”, he says, recounting how “they forced the young guys to kiss an Israeli flag on the wall”.

“Whoever refused was abused. One of the female guards even took a picture with one of the detainees as he kissed the flag. There was constant beating, cursing and humiliation,” he says in his testimony.

Israeli medic describes ‘horrifying’ sexual abuse of Palestinian detainee at Sde Teiman

An Israeli medical staffer has spoken to The Wall Street Journal about the “shocking” condition of the Palestinian detainee whose sexual abuse at Israel’s Sde Teiman prison triggered a military investigation last week.

The staffer said the detainee’s wounds were so severe they required surgery.

The life-threatening injuries included broken ribs, “obvious signs of assault” to the abdomen and chest, and a severe injury to the rectum most likely caused by the insertion of a foreign object, the staffer said.

“It was pretty horrifying,” the staffer was quoted as saying. “It’s just setting the bar so low that I don’t know how we can deteriorate more morally. I was aware things like that could happen but I’ve never witnessed anything like that.”

WSJ, citing lawyers and medics, said the case only came about because the victim was transferred to a civilian hospital and people treating him had raised concerns.


Turkey submits request to join genocide case against Israel in UN court: Report

Turkey has filed a formal request with the International Court of Justice to join South Africa’s genocide lawsuit against Israel, Turkey’s state-run news agency reports.

Turkey’s ambassador to The Netherlands submitted a declaration of intervention at the UN court in The Hague, Anadolu Agency reported. Turkey, one of the fiercest critics of Israel’s actions in Gaza, becomes the latest nation to seek to participate in the case.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Israel of genocide, called for it to be punished in international courts and criticized Western nations for backing Israel.

Israel has strongly rejected accusations of genocide.



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SvennoJ on 07 August 2024

Man killed, 2 teenagers among 3 injured by Israeli gunfire during West Bank raids

Two teenagers are among three young Palestinians who have been injured by Israeli gunfire during a military raid on Beit Furik town, east of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, the Wafa news agency reports.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said that a 17-year-old was shot and wounded while two others – an 18-year-old and a 20-year-old – were hit by bullet fragments during the military raid on the town.

Earlier, a Palestinian man was shot and killed by Israeli forces in the Atuf plain, located to the south of Tubas city. Security sources told Wafa that the victim, identified as Rabi Muhammad Daraghmeh, was wounded and left to die by Israeli soldiers who prevented ambulance crews from reaching him to provide medical treatment.

Israeli military arrests were also reported southwest of Jenin where a 65-year-old man, identified as Muhammad Hussein Muhammad Ghawadra, was stopped at a military checkpoint and detained, Wafa reports.

Israeli forces beat a Palestinian man and his wife at a military checkpoint in Hebron’s Old City. After the attack, the man was detained and his wife released, the news agency reports.

Deaths, destruction and Palestinian defiance after Israeli military attacks in West Bank

At least 12 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces across the occupied West Bank on Monday and Tuesday, marking some of the deadliest violence in the occupied territory for months.

Three men and a 14-year-old child were killed by Israeli forces in the Tubas governorate on Monday. On Tuesday, five people were killed in Israeli air raids in Jenin, two were fatally shot in Kafr Qud in the northern West Bank, and a young man was killed in Bethlehem.


Palestinians inspect the destruction following an Israeli raid in Jenin city on Tuesday

Israeli forces storm Qalqilya city in occupied West Bank

Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic report that the Israeli military stormed the Palestinian city in force in a dawn raid backed up by armoured vehicles.

In some of the worst violence in months, at least 12 Palestinians were killed in Israeli military raids and air attacks across the occupied territory on Monday and Tuesday.



SvennoJ on 07 August 2024

Entire community in East Jerusalem at risk of forcible displacement, NGO says

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is warning that hundreds of Palestinians in the al-Bustan community in the Silwan neighbourhood of occupied East Jerusalem are at risk of forcible displacement after Israeli forces demolished a home there.

The demolition – which displaced seven Palestinians, including two children – breaches international law prohibitions on forcible transfer and the wanton destruction of property, the group said. The demolished home belonged to Mohammed Odeh and is the first among several houses belonging to nine families that are slated to be destroyed by Israeli authorities in occupied East Jerusalem.

The NRC said Israel wants to displace Palestinians and increase the Jewish presence in al-Bustan as it is located near the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. The community is home to about 1,550 Palestinians and 150 housing units.

“All structures in Al Bustan are currently unprotected and at risk of demolition,” NRC said.


The Palestinian al-Bustan neighbourhood in Silwan, occupied East Jerusalem, in 2021


Israeli forces blow up Fatah building in Balata camp: Report

Israeli forces have raided the Balata camp east of Nablus in the occupied West Bank and blown up the regional headquarters of the Fatah movement, reports Wafa news agency.

The forces stormed into the camp with bulldozers, entering from the eastern part of al-Quds Street, and fired sound cannons and tear gas. They carried out raids on numerous homes in addition to targeting the Fatah building, said Wafa.

As we reported earlier, Israel’s military also carried out a separate raid on the nearby town of Beit Furik, injuring three Palestinians, including two teenagers, with live gunfire.


Israeli forces seize house in occupied West Bank

Israeli forces have seized a house in the village of Jalbun, east of Jenin in the West Bank this morning, Wafa reports.

The head of the Jalbun village council, Ibrahim Abu al-Rab, told Wafa that Israeli forces stormed the village and raided the house of resident Rafeh Rafiq Abu al-Rab. The forces then seized the second floor of al-Rab’s house and turned it into a military post.


Israel makes 10,000 West Bank arrests since October 7

Israeli forces have apprehended 26 people in their latest raids across the occupied West Bank, said the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society. This brings the total number of Israeli arrests in the West Bank since the Gaza war broke out to about 10,000, said the group.

In a statement, the group said Israel’s mass arrest campaign has been accompanied by:

  • Field executions.
  • Shootings or the threat of shootings.
  • Severe beatings.
  • Field interrogations.
  • Use of police dogs.
  • Use of citizens as human shields.
  • Confiscation of people’s belongings, vehicles, money, jewellery and electronic devices.
  • Demolition of homes belonging to Palestinians in Israeli jails.


Three siblings detained during Israeli raid in Qalandiya refugee camp

Israeli forces detained three siblings during a military operation in the Qalandiya refugee camp north of the occupied city of Jerusalem, Wafa reported. Local sources told Wafa that Israeli forces detained three brothers after breaking into and searching their home in the camp.

Israeli forces assaulted several young men during the raid on several homes in the camp, causing a fracture in one of the sibling’s legs.


Man shot yesterday by Israeli forces in Jenin dies of wounds

The Palestinian Health Ministry says in a statement that a young man, 22-year-old Muhammad Ali Muhammad Abu Hijab succumbed to wounds he received at the hands of Israeli soldiers during an intense, hours-long raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

With the death of Abu Hijab, Israeli attacks, including air strikes on Jenin, killed at least 13 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank yesterday, in one of the deadliest days in the territory in recent months.

Israel has killed at least 620 Palestinians, including 145 children and nine women, in the occupied West Bank since the Gaza war began on October 7, the ministry said in its statement.



SvennoJ on 07 August 2024

Three killed in Gaza City apartment attack

Israeli forces have attacked an apartment in Gaza City’s Tuffah neighbourhood, killing at least three people and injuring others, report our colleagues on the ground.

It follows an attack yesterday evening on several homes and a tent camp in central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah that also killed three people.


Israeli attacks ramp up in central Gaza

Not a single moment goes by without Israelis attacking Palestinians, sheltering either in tent camps or inside residential homes.

The situation for the past few days has been evolving and is much more complex now. Not only are we looking at an intense bombing campaign concentrated in the central area.

We’re talking about at least five major attacks within just a few days only in Deir el-Balah city, including other attacks in the other parts of the central area, including Nuseirat, the eastern part of the central area.

But yesterday, a particular attack took place in the vicinity of a mosque where two residential buildings were targeted with multiple air strikes, including a nearby tent site for hundreds of displaced families.

Dozens of people reportedly were critically injured in the attack.

Three people were killed on the spot and again, we’re looking at a context where the number is increasing by the hour right now, and we expect the hospital to announce more deaths due to this attack.


Man killed with wife and son in Gaza City attack

We can now bring you more information on the Israeli attack on an apartment in Gaza City’s Tuffah neighbourhood. The bombing attack killed three members of the same family – a man along with his wife and son – reports the Wafa news agency. Wafa identified the man as Ahmed Hamada.


At least 2 more killed in Gaza City

We are getting reports of several more Palestinians killed by Israeli attacks in northern Gaza. One of the victims was found in Gaza City’s Daraj neighbourhood while another was recovered in the city’s Zeitoun area, reported our colleagues on the ground.


Israel wages more attacks in north, central Gaza: Report

In addition to its deadly bombing of an apartment in Gaza City, Israel’s military has waged several more attacks throughout the enclave, according to Wafa. They include:

  • open firing on homes in the Bureij camp, injuring numerous civilians
  • bombing a home at the entrance of the Nuseirat camp
  • firing artillery towards Gaza City’s Tal al-Hawa and Zeitoun neighbourhoods
  • shelling an area near Wadi Gaza Bridge, northwest of the Nuseirat camp


Growing fear of wider Israeli invasion in central Gaza

There is a growing fear right now because of the concentrated air attacks on the central area, coupled with heavy artillery in the past few days.

More recently, attacks concentrated on the central parts of Deir el-Balah city, where thousands of displaced families were told to evacuate from the eastern part of central areas from the Bureij and Maghazi refugee camps.

Deir el-Balah is the only remaining, somehow intact, city with buildings people can shelter in.

But right now, there is a growing concern that the repeated attacks on Deir el-Balah indicate that this area, and largely the central area, is on the verge of a wider-scale attack and a larger invasion.

The Israeli military keeps pointing to the central area as more of what they describe as infrastructure, military infrastructure or militants in the central area.



SvennoJ on 07 August 2024

Woman killed in eastern Khan Younis

Israeli artillery attacks in the town of Khuza’a to the east of Khan Younis have killed a woman and injured others, report our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic. As we’ve been reporting, Israeli forces have hammered eastern areas of Khan Younis, as well as sections of central Gaza, from the air in the last day.

Rescuers rush Khan Younis victims to hospital

Medics with the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) have rescued six people injured in the town of Khuza’a, east of Khan Younis. Footage posted by the group shows its medics frantically bandaging up the bloodied victims, several of whom appear to be children, and rushing them by ambulance to Khan Younis’s al-Amal Hospital.


Six killed in spate of Khan Younis attacks

Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic are reporting several lethal Israeli attacks in Khan Younis. The first is an air raid that killed two people near a mosque in the city’s western area, according to their reports.

This was followed by several strikes that hit a home and a popular market in the same area, killing four others, they add. Additionally, another air strike hit the town of Abasan to the east of Khan Younis, causing an unspecified number of casualties, they report.

Several Israeli soldiers injured in antitank missile attack in Rafah: Monitors

Palestinian armed groups and Israeli forces fought “close quarters” battles along the Netzarim Corridor south of Gaza City on Tuesday, with the Israeli Air Force delivering strikes as fighters with Hamas and Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades attacked with rockets, war monitors report.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and the Critical Threats Project, two US-based think tanks, also report that Palestinian fighters in Rafah using rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) against Israeli armour in the southern city on Tuesday.

Several Israeli soldiers were injured by an antitank guided missile fired by Palestinian fighters in eastern Rafah, the ISW and CTP also say in their latest joint report.



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SvennoJ on 07 August 2024

Aftermath of Israeli strike on in Deir el-Balah


A Palestinian woman walks past destroyed houses at the site of an Israeli strike, in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip


A displaced Palestinian woman sits in a tent damaged in an Israeli strike, in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip


Video captures Israeli missile strike on central Gaza camp

An Israeli missile struck a camp housing displaced Palestinians in central Gaza, injuring dozens. It was part of a wave of Israeli air attacks that targeted parts of Deir el-Balah on Tuesday where tens of thousands of Palestinians are sheltering.


UNRWA’s Lazzarini calls for ‘swift and safe’ vaccines in Gaza

Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has stressed the need for more vaccines in Gaza, where diseases such as hepatitis and meningitis have spread.

Lazzarini said that the UNRWA, with support from its partners, has vaccinated 80 percent of the enclave’s children since the war broke out, helping to curb the spread of diseases despite dire living conditions.

The agency is now planning a vaccination campaign for young children against polio, which has been detected in Gaza’s wastewater, he added. “The swift and safe delivery of vaccines is key,” said Lazzarini in a post on X. “More importantly, a ceasefire to reach every child with vaccines is urgent.”



SvennoJ on 07 August 2024

Israeli warplanes again break sound barrier over Lebanon

Israeli jets have just created a sonic boom in the skies over Lebanon at least twice, causing loud booming sounds to echo over its capital, Beirut. The first sonic boom was extremely loud as heard from east Beirut’s Achrafieh neighborhood, while the second was fainter.

Israeli jets regularly violate Lebanese airspace and perform mock air raids over areas of the country, terrifying residents.

Yesterday, Israeli jets caused what Beirut residents say was the loudest sonic boom yet, with many saying that for moments, they were convinced that bombs had been dropped.

At a cafe in Achrafieh moments ago, patrons paused momentarily, shocked by the noise, before returning to their coffees and laptops, as the sounds of Israeli warplanes flying away could be heard in the distance.


Al Jazeera reporter interrupted by Hezbollah rockets and Israeli missiles

Al Jazeera’s Assed Baig was interrupted by Israeli missiles attempting to intercept rockets launched by Hezbollah at the southern Lebanon border. Yesterday, Hezbollah launched a series of drone and rocket strikes on northern Israel.


One killed by Israeli strike in southern Lebanon: Report

Israeli warplanes have struck the southern Lebanese town of Jouaiya, says Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The attack killed at least one person and injured four, according to the ministry’s preliminary toll.


Two killed in Israeli drone attack on motorcycle in southern Lebanon

The Israeli army has killed two people in south Lebanon’s Joya, when one of its drones attacked a motorcycle, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reports, citing the country’s Ministry of Public Health.

Six people were wounded in the attack, the agency added.

Typically, single attacks on motor vehicles in south Lebanon are targeted at field-level military leadership of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, but the group has yet to announce the death of any of its fighters today.

Hezbollah attacks Israeli military outpost

The armed Lebanese group says on its Telegram channel that its fighters targeted the Jal al-Allam site with artillery shells. This comes one day after a drone “swarm” attack launched by Hezbollah penetrated deep into Israeli territory, some 20km, injuring Israeli civilians.

Lufthansa airline says it will avoid Iran, Iraq airspace until August 13

German airline giant Lufthansa has announced it will avoid using Iranian and Iraqi airspace until August 13, due to rising tensions in the region. The group also extended the suspension of services to Tel Aviv, Tehran, Beirut, Amman and Erbil to the same date, it said in a statement.


Germany calls on citizens not to wait for evacuation from Lebanon

Rumours of a possible evacuation operation from Lebanon have given German citizens there a false sense of security, a German Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday, urging them to leave the country immediately.

“The time now has come to leave Lebanon,” the spokesperson said, calling on citizens to organise their own exit even if this means travelling via Turkey or paying high prices for flights.

A spokesperson for the Defence Ministry declined to give details on preparations for possible evacuations in the event of an escalation in the Middle East conflict.



SvennoJ on 07 August 2024

US, Australia urge de-escalation in the Middle East

The US and Australia’s top diplomats and defence officials have issued a statement underscoring the “urgent need to de-escalate tensions” in the Middle East, and calling for the release of captives held by Hamas as well as an “immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza”.

The statement – by the US’s Blinken, Austin, and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles – said “terrorism, the large-scale loss of civilian lives, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza are all unacceptable”.

It reiterated Washington and Canberra’s commitment to a sovereign, viable and independent Palestinian state, and called for a diplomatic solution to the escalating conflict along the Israel-Lebanon border.


Sinwar’s appointment highlights Iran, Hamas’s control: Israel’s FM

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has again taken to social media to slam Hamas’s appointment of Yahya Sinwar as its leader.

In a new post on X, Katz said Sinwar’s promotion sends “a clear message to the world that the Palestinian issue is now completely controlled by Iran and Hamas”.

The Israeli minister also claimed Israel’s occupation of the West Bank is justified because it is the only thing stopping Hamas from fully taking over. He also blamed Iran, a Hamas ally, for allegedly trying to smuggle weapons into Jordan and the occupied West Bank.

“Israel must maintain control over security and foreign affairs to prevent the establishment of another Iranian-Islamist extremist stronghold and enable Palestinians to manage their internal affairs,” said Katz.

Iran boosting air defences: Report

Iran is bolstering its air defences with more radar, missile and drone systems, reports the country’s official IRNA news agency.

The build-up comes as Iran, along with its regional allies, is expected to wage a major attack on Israel in retaliation for the recent killings of senior Hamas and Hezbollah figures abroad.



SvennoJ on 07 August 2024

Iran will never remain silent in the face of aggression, president says

Iran will never remain silent in the face of aggression against its interests and security, President Masoud Pezeshkian told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, state media reported.

The comments come amid an increase in regional tensions following the killing in Tehran last week of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.


Iran’s response to Hamas leader’s killing will happen at ‘right time’

Iran’s response to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran will take place “at the right time and in the appropriate shape”, Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani said in a statement.

Iran and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas accuse Israel of carrying out Haniyeh’s assassination on July 31. Israel has not claimed or denied responsibility.


Lebanon will pay heavy price in war, Israeli defence minister says

Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has warned that Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah may drag Lebanon into a full-blown war, for which the country would pay a heavy price.

“As things stand, Nasrallah may drag Lebanon into paying extremely heavy prices. They can’t even imagine what might happen,” Gallant was quoted as saying to troops of the 646th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade by The Times of Israel.

“This may also deteriorate into a war. It’s not theoretical, it’s real,” he added, according to the Israeli newspaper.


Egypt asks its airlines to avoid Iran airspace for three hours on Thursday

Egypt has instructed all its airlines to avoid Iranian air space for a three-hour period on Thursday morning.

Notices to Air Missions (NOTAMs), safety notices provided to pilots on Wednesday, said the instruction would be in effect from 01:00GMT to 04:00GMT. It provided no further details as to why the notice was issued.

“All Egyptian carriers shall avoid overflying Tehran (Flight information Region) FIR. No flight plan will be accepted overflying such territory,” the notice said, referring to the three-hour period provided.

An Egyptian official was quoted by the state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV as saying that Iranian authorities gave “military exercises” as the reason behind the request.

Many airlines are revising their schedules to avoid Iranian and Lebanese airspace while also calling off flights to Israel and Lebanon, as many fear a possible broader conflict after the killing of senior members of militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah.

On Sunday, Jordan’s authorities asked all airlines landing at its airports to carry 45 minutes worth of extra fuel.



SvennoJ on 07 August 2024

Israel continues raids on Khan Younis ‘safe zones’

Israeli forces targeted a tent belonging to displaced Palestinians in the suburb of Abasan, eastern Khan Younis, an area that had been designated by Israeli forces as a “safe zone”. At least six Palestinians were reported killed.

Israeli forces also targeted the western part of Khan Younis, a very busy area where at least four Palestinians were killed. There was also another air strike in the Hamad area that hit an apartment building.

Palestinians have nowhere to go, and Israeli forces continue their raids on areas designated as safe zones. Palestinians in Khan Younis do not know where to go and are relying on setting up their tents on agricultural lands and in deserted areas.


Multiple air strikes without any warning

Yet another Israeli aerial bombardment that started with a single air strike. Paramedics and locals rushed to help the victims. Within minutes, Israeli warplanes launched waves of missiles at this civilian area.

The tents here had displaced Palestinians sheltering. This area was crammed with women and children because the Israeli army had declared it a safe humanitarian zone.

Paramedics and civil defence teams – with basic tools – are doing everything they can to contain the fire that broke out after the air strikes. They are also searching for survivors or bodies under the rubble, despite the dangerous conditions.


WHO working on vaccine campaign to halt polio in Gaza

The World Health Organization (WHO) is working on a polio vaccination campaign for Gaza after the virus was detected there, officials say, but a ceasefire is necessary to enable its delivery.

“We need a ceasefire, even a temporary ceasefire to successfully undertake these campaigns. Otherwise, we risk the virus spreading further, including across borders,” said Hanan Balkhy, regional WHO director.

While vaccines necessary to immunise half a million children against the outbreak were available, delivery into the Palestinian territory and the kind of door-to-door, or tent-to-tent, delivery necessary in Gaza was difficult given restricted freedom of movement.

Balkhy also pointed out the risk of the development of antimicrobial resistance within Gaza, and the possibility of such strains spreading into other countries.

Hamid Jafari, a WHO polio specialist, said during a news conference that while no clinical cases have been found so far, polio was detected in sewage in Gaza’s Deir el-Balah and Khan Younis governorates.