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SvennoJ on 13 August 2024

Israel launches air attacks on southern Lebanon

The Israeli military said it attacked Hezbollah “military structures” in Kfar Kila, Marwahin and Meiss el-Jabal. It added that it also targeted a Hezbollah observation post in Aita al-Shaab.


Drones intercepted near, in northern Israel: Army

The Israeli military says its air defences destroyed two unmanned aircraft that took off from Lebanon.

One of them was shot down as it flew in Lebanese airspace, while the other one was intercepted over Israeli territory earlier in the day, according to an army statement.

It added that there were no causalities.

Things remain tense on the country’s northern bother as Israel is still bracing for a promised response from Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which said it would punish Israel for assassinating Fuad Shukr, the group’s senior military commander, in a strike on Beirut earlier this month.


Hezbollah says it struck Israeli forces in northern Israel

The Lebanese group says on Telegram that it has hit a group of troops around an Israeli military site near the settlement of Matat. It claimed the missile attack carried out earlier in the day “directly” hit the soldiers.



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SvennoJ on 13 August 2024

Turkey’s Fidan urges US to pressure Israel for Gaza ceasefire

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke to his US counterpart on Monday and underlined the need for Blinken to keep up the pressure on Israel to secure a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, according to a spokesman.

The phone call came at Blinken’s request.

Fidan said that Israel must avoid “provocative actions” that could escalate tensions and said that Hamas had shown a “constructive attitude” in past truce talks.

He added that the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh and the “ongoing massacre against Palestinians once again demonstrated Israel’s lack of willingness to establish peace”, the spokesman said.

Blinken’s office said the Secretary of State spoke to Fidan “about the importance of Hamas’ return to negotiations on August 15 to finalize the framework for achieving an immediate and durable ceasefire in Gaza and securing the release of all hostages”.


US asking Turkey to help ease regional tensions: Envoy

Washington wants Turkey and other allies that have ties with Iran to persuade it to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East, according to the US ambassador to Ankara.

“They are doing what they can to make sure that it doesn’t escalate,” Ambassador Jeff Flake said of Washington’s Turkish interlocutors, adding that they “seem more confident than we are that it won’t escalate”.

Flake made the comments as the region braces for possible attacks by Iran and its allies on Israel after the killing of senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah.

Flake said the Gaza situation had been “very difficult”, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rhetoric against Israel making it difficult for Turkey to play a role as an interlocutor.


Iran dismisses European call for restraint over Israel

Iran’s Foreign Ministry says the de-escalation call from France, Germany and the United Kingdom “lack political logic and contradict principles of international law”.

In a joint statement, the three European powers urged Tehran and its allies to refrain from attacks against Israel that would further escalate tensions and jeopardise the chances of a ceasefire in Gaza.

Iran and its allies are expected to respond to Israel militarily after the killing of senior members of Hezbollah and Hamas in Lebanon and Iran consecutively.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani says Tehran is determined to deter Israel in response to France, Germany and the UK’s call for de-escalation in the region.

“Without any objection to the crimes of the Zionist regime [Israel], the E3 [France, Germany, UK] statement impudently requires Iran not to respond to a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Kanaani said, referring to the three European powers.

Kanaani called on Paris, Berlin and London to “once and for all stand up against the war in Gaza and the warmongering of Israel”.

Iran and its allies are expected to respond to Israel militarily after the killing of senior members of Hezbollah and Hamas in Lebanon and Iran consecutively.



SvennoJ on 13 August 2024

Israel to manufacture heavy bombs domestically: Report

Frustrated by interruptions in some arms shipments during the war, Israel plans to manufacture more weaponry at home, including heavy bombs, reports local newspaper Israel Hayom.

One weapon it will focus its production efforts on is a 1-tonne, unguided “dumb” bomb similar to the US-made Mark 84 – but the process could take several years, according to the newspaper. In May, the US suspended delivery of this bomb type over concerns it would be used during Israel’s invasion of Rafah.

In addition, Israel also plans to ramp up domestic production of armaments such as tank ammunition and shells, the report says.

House arrest requested for Israeli soldiers accused in prison rape case

Israel’s military prosecution has requested that five Israeli soldiers accused of gang-raping a Palestinian detainee be released to house arrest while the investigation into them continues, said the military in a statement.

The request would keep the soldiers under detention until August 22, according to the military.

The Times of Israel, quoting the soldiers’ defence team, reported the house arrest arrangement is part of an agreement struck between the prosecution and defence, to be presented before a military court later today.

As we’ve reported, five Israeli soldiers are under investigation for allegedly gang-raping a Palestinian at the Sde Teiman detention centre in the Negev desert. The case is backed up by a video of soldiers at the facility allegedly abusing a Palestinian, who was left hospitalised and unable to walk, according to Israeli media.


Fitch’s credit rating cut is ‘a severe blow’ to Israeli economy: Golan

Israeli Labor Party chairman says the credit ratings agency’s move, together with the widening budget deficit, “will hurt the pocket of each” citizen.

“Prices will rise again and the cost of living will skyrocket again,” Yair Golan wrote on X.

Golan added: “The downgrading of the credit rating will hurt first and foremost the weak strata, because the government will demand further cuts in welfare, health and education.”

Fitch also kept Israel’s rating outlook negative, meaning a further downgrade is possible.


PM downplays Fitch’s credit rating cut

Israeli PM Netanyahu says he expects the downgraded rating given by the agency would be upgraded again once Israel wins the war.

“Israel’s economy is strong and is functioning very well,” Netanyahu said in a statement. He added: “The rating downgrade is a result of Israel dealing with a multi-front war forced upon it.”

Political leaders in the Israeli opposition have slammed the government for Fitch’s move. Fitch, which cut the rating from A+ to A, also kept Israel’s rating outlook negative, suggesting a further downgrade is possible.



SvennoJ on 13 August 2024

Ben-Gvir joins Israelis at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has joined a group of Israelis who have gone to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, according to footage verified by Al Jazeera.

Ben-Gvir is joined by far-right lawmaker Yitzhak Wasserlauf, who heads the Ministry for the Development of the Negev and Galilee.

Ben-Gvir has previously said he believes Jews should have the right to pray at the Muslim holy site, which both Israeli law and the compound’s “status quo” regulations prohibit.


Far-right Israelis making ‘show of dominance’ at Al-Aqsa Mosque

The [Israeli march at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound] is an annual event to commemorate a temple that is said to have stood on the site centuries ago.

What we are seeing here that is new is the ritual practices. The singing, the lying down, the prayers, the carrying of [Israeli] flags – all of these acts are in violation of agreements governing the holy site. They are no doubt going to be seen as provocations.

This is an outward show of dominance but far-right Israelis, including Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who joined.

No doubt the optics of a far-right [Israeli] leader against the backdrop of one of Islam’s holiest sites is unlikely to help any future negotiations [on a Gaza ceasefire] that may or may not happen.


Ben-Gvir pushes for ‘sovereignty’ of Al-Aqsa

As we’ve been reporting, Israel’s’ far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has joined right-wing Israeli activists at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Ben-Gvir has now given a speech to fellow marchers at the compound, telling them they have made “significant progress” in gaining “sovereignty” over the site, which Israeli law prohibits Jews from praying in.

He also used the occasion to underline his hardline stance against Gaza ceasefire negotiations, saying Israel should push towards full victory, bringing Hamas “to its knees” rather than send negotiators to another round of talks.

Ben-Gvir regularly calls to change the “status quo” governing Al-Aqsa, which many Israelis refer to as the “Temple Mount”, a position rejected by Netanyahu.


Israel’s Lapid blasts Ben-Gvir for Al-Aqsa Mosque march

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has condemned Ben-Gvir for joining Israeli far-right activists at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

In a post on X, Lapid said Ben-Gvir was endangering the safety of Israeli citizens and security forces with his Al-Aqsa Mosque “campaign”.

“This group of irresponsible extremists in the government is actively trying to drag Israel into a full-scale regional war,” Lapid said. “These people are unfit to govern a country.”

Translation: Ben-Gvir’s election campaign on the Temple Mount [a hill in Jerusalem’s Old City, location of Al-Aqsa Mosque], in complete disregard of security officials’ positions and during wartime, endangers the lives of Israeli citizens as well as our soldiers and police officers. This group of irresponsible extremists in the government is actively trying to drag Israel into a full-scale regional war. These people are unfit to govern a country.


Arab states condemn Israelis’ storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque

The foreign ministries of Palestine, Egypt, Jordan and Qatar have all condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque today by crowds of Israelis, including two far-right ministers.

In its statement, Qatar’s foreign ministry said the march on the mosque – one of Islam’s holiest sites – was an attempt to “harm its religious and historical status”.

It is “not only an attack on Palestinians, but on millions of Muslims around the world”, said the ministry. It added that the “violations” could impair efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and called on the international community to “act urgently to stop these attacks”.



SvennoJ on 13 August 2024

Exclusive: Al-Tabin School attack ‘deliberately timed to cause maximum casualties’

Al Jazeera’s Sanad verification agency has probed the details of Israel’s Saturday morning attack on al-Tabin School, which killed about 100 people, including women and children.

The investigation determined the attack was “deliberately timed to cause maximum casualties”, with a “large number of displaced people deliberately targeted”.

To reach its findings, Sanad examined survivors’ testimonies, photos of the remnants of bombs used in the attack, images showing how the bombs penetrated the ceilings of the mosque attached to the school, and documentation of the explosion’s immediate aftermath.

Based on the evidence, Sanad said Israel’s military fired the two guided missiles used in the attack to coincide with dawn prayers. The missiles “penetrated the mosque’s roof, passed through the first floor, where the women’s chapel is located, and exploded on the ground floor, where the men’s chapel is situated”, said Sanad in its report.

Sanad challenged the Israeli military’s claims that the attack targeted Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters it said were in the men’s prayer hall at the time. It pointed out that the strikes occurred during prayer time in a mosque serving displaced civilians. It also cited photos and survivor testimonies showing that, contrary to the military’s claims, fire broke out in areas outside the floor Israel claimed to exclusively target, killing and maiming civilians.

“The evidence strongly suggests a deliberate and calculated attack aimed at causing widespread loss of life,” Sanad said.


People check the damage after an Israeli strike hit al-Tabin School, August 10

UNSC debates Gaza crisis as civilian suffering intensifies

The UN Security Council is set to meet for its 24th special session since the war in Gaza began on October 7. The urgent meeting has been prompted by the devastating attack on al-Tabin School on Saturday, escalating concerns over the civilian toll of the conflict.

The council faces the challenge of addressing the worsening humanitarian crisis as violence continues to rage in Gaza.

Al Jazeera’s Gabriel Elizondo reports from the UN headquarters in New York:

 

Israel added new, tougher ceasefire conditions: Report

Israel has in recent weeks requested new conditions to a Gaza ceasefire deal, making it harder to reach any agreement, reports the New York Times.

According to the Times, which cited private documents outlining Israel’s negotiating stance, Israel informed mediators of the additional terms in late July. They included suggestions that Israel maintain control of southern Gaza’s border and less openness to Palestinians returning to northern Gaza after the conflict, The Times said.

The conditions have alarmed several members of Israel’s own negotiating team who fear they will undermine the latest ceasefire push, according to the Times.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has denied Israel imposed new ceasefire conditions, saying its negotiating team only asked for “essential clarifications” that would help implement a May 27 proposal backed by the US.



Only Gaza truce can delay Iran’s Israel response: Reuters

A ceasefire deal stemming from hoped-for talks this week would hold Iran back from direct retaliation for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on its soil, three senior Iranian officials tell the agency.

One of the sources, a senior Iranian security official, reportedly said Iran, along with allies such as Hezbollah, would launch a direct attack if the Gaza talks fail or it perceives Israel is dragging out negotiations.

The sources did not say how long Iran would allow for talks to progress before responding, Reuters says.

Two senior sources close to Lebanon’s Hezbollah said Tehran would give the negotiations a chance but would not give up its intentions to retaliate. A ceasefire in Gaza would give Iran cover for a smaller “symbolic” response, one of the sources said.

Iran has promised a severe response to Haniyeh’s killing, which took place as he visited Tehran late last month and which it blamed on Israel. Israel has neither confirmed or denied its involvement.



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SvennoJ on 13 August 2024

Two killed in Israeli strike on southern Lebanon

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, two people were killed when an Israeli drone struck a car in Baraachit, in the Bint Jbeil district of southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah confirms two fighters killed after Israeli air raid

Hezbollah has confirmed that two of its members have been killed in an attack.

The Israeli military earlier claimed a drone attack in southern Lebanon’s Baraachit that targeted a vehicle that killed two Hezbollah members. It said they were members of the Southern Front, Hezbollah’s regional command.

The Israeli military also claimed an artillery attack and multiple air raids in southern Lebanon, including in Aita al-Shaab, to target Hezbollah positions.


Hezbollah launches multiple rocket volleys at Israel

Hezbollah has launched multiple rocket volleys at Israel, triggering air raid sirens across multiple border areas.

The Lebanese group confirmed three sets of rocket attacks on Israeli positions, with the first targeting a site in the occupied Kfarchouba hills. A second barrage was directed at “a deployment of Israeli enemy soldiers in the Jal al-Deir site” and a third targeted a military headquarters in Meron.

The Israeli military confirmed that at least 15 rockets were detected entering from Lebanon, which it said fell in open areas and did not cause any casualties.

The Israeli military said in its statement that it also launched air strikes on two rocket launchers that were ready to fire on Israeli positions from southern Lebanon.



SvennoJ on 13 August 2024

Iran holds military drill

Iran is holding a military drill in the north of the country, reports Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency.

The drill is due to take place on Tuesday evening from 7:30-8:30pm local time (16:00-17:00 GMT) in Iran’s Gilan province on the Caspian Sea. It was designed to boost the defensive readiness of the army’s naval forces, Mehr cited a local official as saying.

It is Iran’s second reported military drill in three days.

This comes at a time when Iran is expected to retaliate against Israel for its assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month.

Biden expects Iran to hold off on attack if ceasefire agreed

Asked by reporters if he expects Iran to hold off on carrying out a retaliatory strike against Israel if a Gaza ceasefire deal is achieved, US President Joe Biden responded by saying “That’s my expectation.”

The US, Egypt and Qatar are convening a summit aimed at finalising a ceasefire deal and the release of captives on Thursday.

Israel is sending a delegation, but Prime Minister Netanyahu is criticised even inside Israel for presenting demands aimed at thwarting a deal. Hamas has said both sides have already agreed to a deal and mediators need to present ways to implement it.

 

US says working to have Hamas represented at ceasefire talks

The US State Department says partners in Qatar have assured Washington they will work to have Hamas represented at Gaza ceasefire talks this week, adding that the US fully expects talks to move forward.

Hamas is demanding a workable plan to implement the proposal presented by President Biden in May rather than more talks.



SvennoJ on 13 August 2024

Turkey decries Israelis’ storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque

Turkey has become the latest country in the region to condemn the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem by crowds of Israelis, including two far-right ministers.

In a statement carried by Anadolu news agency, it said the march on the mosque – one of Islam’s holiest sites – is a “provocation that will further escalate tensions”.


Houthis condemn Israel’s ‘criminal plans’ after Al-Aqsa Mosque storming

The political bureau of the Houthis has strongly condemned the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which it said considers a “blatant violation of the sanctities of Islam”.

“We warn against all systematic and repeated Jewish steps that occur in full view of the international community,” it said in a statement, adding that Muslims “will not allow any of the enemy’s criminal plans to pass against Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Islamic identity therein”.

The Houthi political bureau added that “the enemy’s persistence in its crimes” will only persuade more Muslims to stand up in support of Palestinians.


EU slams ‘provocations’ by far-right Israeli minister at Al-Aqsa Mosque

The EU has condemned “provocations” by Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir after officials said he performed prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem.

“The EU strongly condemns the provocations by Israeli Min. Ben Gvir who, during his visit to the Holy Sites, advocated for the violation of the status quo,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wrote on X.


France condemns Ben-Gvir’s prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound

France has called Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s leading of prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound a violation of the historical status quo of the holy places in Jerusalem.

“This new provocation is unacceptable. France calls on the Israeli government to take all necessary measures to ensure respect for the historic status quo of the holy places in Jerusalem,” the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

US calls far-right Israeli minister’s prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque ‘unacceptable’

The US has criticised Israel’s national security minister for leading prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, saying he had hurt efforts for talks towards a Gaza ceasefire.

“The United States stands firmly for preservation of the historic status quo with respect to the holy sites of Jerusalem and any unilateral action… that jeopardises such a status quo is unacceptable,” State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters.

“Not only is it unacceptable, it detracts from what we think is a vital time, as we are working to get this ceasefire deal across the finish line.”

Itamar Ben-Gvir, one of the far-right ministers in Netanyahu’s coalition, led hundreds of Israelis into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound earlier today.

The visit defied rules in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem that allow Jews and other non-Muslims to visit the mosque compound but not to pray or display religious symbols.


UN says Al-Aqsa Mosque prayer ‘unduly provocative’

The UN has also denounced the move by Ben-Gvir to lead prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. “We are against any efforts to change the status quo within the holy sites,” said deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq.

“Al-Aqsa Mosque, like the other holy sites in Jerusalem, should be left to themselves and should be controlled by the existing religious authorities for the sites. This sort of behaviour is unhelpful and it is unduly provocative.”


Israeli settlers gather in Jerusalem

The atmosphere in the occupied Palestinian territory remains tense in the aftermath of an Israeli far-right minister’s leading of Jewish prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

A video circulating in Palestinian channels on Telegram, which has been verified by Al Jazeera, shows Israeli forces searching and abusing a young man in the Damascus Gate area of Jerusalem.

Another video showed a large number of Israeli settlers gathering near the Western Wall – also referred to as the Wailing Wall or the Buraq Wall in occupied Jerusalem – with Israeli soldiers also deployed in the area.


The Damascus Gate area in the Old City of Jerusalem is a heavily guarded area where Palestinians are at times subjected to searches



SvennoJ on 13 August 2024

Flour sent by Ukraine enters Gaza Strip

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that the 1,000 tonnes of flour Kyiv sent to Gaza with the help of the World Food Programme has arrived in the besieged coastal enclave.

“Bread baked from this flour is being distributed to families in need. It will be enough to feed 100,000 people for a month,” the ministry said on X.



Despite Israel’s claims of control, rocket hits near Tel Aviv from northern Gaza

The Israeli military said that one of the rockets landed in the maritime area in central Israel, meaning that the projectile that was launched from Gaza hit the sea off of central Israel.

It just goes to show that more than 10 months into the war, Hamas and other Palestinian groups still have the capabilities to fire rockets from northern Gaza.

This is an area that the Israeli army said they reached near full operational and military control over many, many months ago.

And after the ground invasion started at the end of October, they said they were making very strategic gains and military actions. But this shows that 10 months later, the reality on the ground is much different.


Hamas releases video of Tel Aviv rocket strike, claims more attacks

Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, has released a video showing its fighters preparing the two rockets that were fired at Tel Aviv earlier today.

The video shows the long-range rockets, which the Israeli military said did not make impact inside Israel, being prepared with makeshift launchers.

The group also said its fighters launched a barrage of mortar shells at Israeli forces in the eastern part of Khan Younis and destroyed a Merkava tank using a planted explosive device in the Tal as-Sultan neighbourhood west of Rafah.


Israeli military issues more evacuation orders for Khan Younis

The Israeli military has ordered Palestinians living in more areas of battered Khan Younis in southern Gaza to immediately evacuate as it prepares to “act forcefully”.

Avichay Adraee, the Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesperson, has released an updated version of the colour-coded map of Gaza that orders the evacuation of more “blocks” designated by the Israeli military.


Israel closes Rafah aid route after alleged Hamas attack

The Israeli military says it has temporarily closed a route in Rafah, which is used to deliver humanitarian aid, after claiming that Hamas fighters opened fire in the area.

It said the area “has become an active combat zone” but did not provide any further details.

This comes after Hamas fired two rockets at Tel Aviv, with the Israeli military saying one fell in the sea off the central city and the other did not reach Israel.

The UN and international aid organisations continue to report that the Israeli military regularly and significantly hampers the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza and that the aid that has come through Rafah bordering Egypt has been far lower than needs in the enclave.

Rafah is at the opposite end of Gaza compared to Tel Aviv. Surely the rockets weren't fired from Rafah... Just any excuse will do to hamper aid coming in.


At least 115 babies born and killed amid Israel’s ‘genocide’

Gaza’s Health Ministry says at least 115 babies who were born after Israel’s latest assault on the enclave began have now been killed. The latest to be killed by Israeli forces are four-day-old twins who were born on August 9. They have been identified as Aisel and Aisar Abu al-Qumssan.

They all “lived short moments before their lives were lost by the bombardment and the aggression”, the ministry said in a statement.

Last edited by SvennoJ - on 13 August 2024

SvennoJ on 13 August 2024

West Bank is a pressure cooker

On the one hand, you have regular raids by the Israeli army, including arrests, shootings and killings of Palestinians – more than 620 of them in the past 10 months.

And then you have settlers’ raids. Those happen with the company of Israeli soldiers. It happened in the morning in the southern Hebron Hills, where Israeli settlers came in the bus loads to an area that they have their eyes on. It is already designated as an area that will be taken over by settlers, and that increased tensions.

Israeli soldiers are now clearing away the financial heart of Hebron City – the occupied West Bank’s largest city and largest commercial centre, in order to make way for another raid by Israeli settlers who want to visit an old grave in that area and carry out prayers.

Another provocation – this time in the heart of Hebron City, which many see as a microcosm of the occupied West Bank, where confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli settlers is face-to-face, house-to-house, never-ending and adding to the tensions already provoked by that visit in al-Aqsa that Hamdah was talking about.


Israeli settlers attack activists and herders in occupied West Bank

Israeli settlers attacked sheepherders and activists who were accompanying them for safety in the village of Susya in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, Wafa news agency reported.

Locals told Wafa that the settlers attacked the herders and physically assaulted international peace activists who were trying to help them and document the attacks.

The settlers broke a camera belonging to one of the activists and told the group to leave the area.

Israeli authorities issue stop-work orders to West Bank houses

Israeli authorities issued stop-work orders to more than 15 houses in the Jabal al-Nu’eima area, north of Jericho in the occupied West Bank, Wafa news agency reported.

Mahmoud Masharfa, a PA official who focuses on illegal settlement in Jericho and the Jordan Valley, said that the houses – between 15 and 20 in number – are already occupied.

Masharfa said these orders “come as part of the Israeli policy of collective punishment against Palestinians and to seize more land for settlement expansion”.


Teenager shot and killed by Israeli forces near occupied East Jerusalem

Israeli forces shot and killed a 16-year-old boy in the town of Anata, east of Jerusalem, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

Wafa cited the town’s media office as saying the boy, identified as Shadi Wessam Sheiha, was working in a car wash when he was shot by an Israeli sniper from the nearby illegal settlement of Pisgat Zeev.

His killing brings the total number of those who lost their lives in the occupied West Bank since October 7 to 625.



Israeli authorities detain head of the Palestine Olympic Committee

Jibril Rajoub, who is also a member of Fatah’s Central Committee, was stopped by the Israelis upon his return from the Paris Olympics on his way to the occupied West Bank, Wafa news agency reported.

The 71-year-old was searched, had his passport confiscated and was summoned for questioning at Ofer military compound near Ramallah on Thursday.

Rajoub has previously been threatened with imprisonment by some members of the Israeli government for campaigning to bar Israel from the Olympics and football World Cup because of its violations of the Olympic Charter and FIFA regulations against apartheid in sports.

In May, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz threatened to revoke his travel pass.

“We will work to thwart his plans, and if he doesn’t stop, we will imprison him in the Muqataa [presidential compound in Ramallah], where he will be left to play stanga by himself between the walls,” said Katz, referring to a popular Israeli street game involving a football.


Head of the Palestinian Football Association Jibril Rajoub speaks during an event in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, before the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France

Genocide Olympics... What are the chances apartheid in Israel is still ongoing in 2028, 99%? What are the chances Israel will be barred from the Olympics in the USA in 2028 like South Africa was and Russia is? 1%? The Winter Olympics in 2026 will be in Italy, another ironclad supporter of Israel.