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

SvennoJ 15 hours ago

Hundreds remain displaced after latest Israeli incursion into West Bank

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says at least 82 Palestinian families – some 360 people – remain displaced after the deadly raids by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank’s Tulkarem and Tubas.

According to OCHA, Israeli forces damaged 660 housing units in their large-scale incursion. It also warned the school year faces “major challenges”, with 782,000 students affected by movement restrictions and violence by Jewish settlers from illegal settlements.

Additionally, 58 schools are at risk of demolition, it said.




Five killed in Israeli attack on home in Gaza City

Several others have been wounded in the air strike, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reports, citing medical sources. The attack struck a residential home in northern Gaza City’s Sabra neighbourhood.



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SvennoJ 4 hours ago

UNGA votes on resolution for Israel to end occupation in Palestine


Always nice to see who are in US/Israel's pocket and who the cowards are.

Palestinian president welcomes Saudi Arabia’s stance on Israel ties

Mahmoud Abbas “expressed deep gratitude” for the Saudi crown prince’s announcement that the kingdom would not normalise ties with Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state, according to the Wafa news agency.

Abbas said Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s “bold and decisive statements affirm the strong unified Arab and Islamic stance in support of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people”, Wafa reported.


Jordan says Israel pushing Middle East into ‘abyss of regional war’

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi accused Israel of pushing the whole Middle East “into the abyss of a regional war” by maintaining a dangerous escalation on several fronts.

In remarks after an Islamic and Arab ministerial contact group meeting in Amman to lobby for a ceasefire in Gaza, Safadi said peace would not prevail without a two-state solution.

He added in a post on X, “We stressed the need for the international community to take practical steps to curb Israeli aggression, including imposing sanctions on it and stopping the supply of weapons to it.”

EU’s top diplomat hails ‘great significance’ of UN resolution

Josep Borrell made the remark in a statement issued following the UN General Assembly’s adoption of a resolution demanding Israel end “its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory” within 12 months.

“The UN General Assembly has forcefully reaffirmed its commitment to the realization of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including its right to an independent and sovereign State, living side by side in peace and security with Israel, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly,” Borrell said.

“In line with its longstanding common position and UN Security Council Resolutions, I reiterate the call for a lasting and sustainable peace, and reaffirm that the EU will not recognise changes to the 1967 borders, nor Israeli sovereignty over the territories occupied since 1967, unless agreed by parties,” he added.

The resolution, put forth by Palestine, received 124 votes in favour, while 43 countries abstained, and Israel, the US and 12 others voted no.



Still plenty cowards in the EU Abstained: Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Netherlands, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and UK.



Canada imposes new sanctions on Hamas, Israeli settlers

Canada announced further sanctions against Hamas over its “acts of terror”, as well as against several Israeli settlers for “extremist violence” against Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank.

The latest punitive measures against Hamas target 11 individuals and two entities with roles in the Palestinian group’s financial network that Canada said was used in the planning and execution of attacks on Israel on October 7, according to a government statement.

Four Israelis, as well as the Mount Hebron Fund and Shlom Asiraich, were also listed for “participating in or facilitating acts of harassment and violence, including attacks on humanitarian convoys … and displacement of Palestinian communities”

Last edited by SvennoJ - 3 hours ago

SvennoJ 3 hours ago

Lloyd Austin reiterates support for Israel in call with Yoav Gallant

The US defence secretary spoke with his Israeli counterpart on Wednesday to “review regional security developments” and reiterate “unwavering US support for Israel in the face of threats from Iran, Lebanese [Hezbollah], and Iran’s other regional partners”.

Austin reaffirmed the US’s “commitment to deterring regional adversaries and efforts to deescalate tensions across the region” and called for an “enduring diplomatic resolution to the conflict on the Israel-Lebanon border”, the Pentagon said.

The call comes after thousands of electronic devices linked to Hezbollah have exploded across Lebanon in successive days, in a suspected Israeli espionage operation that has killed more than two dozen people.

It's all an act. The US only tries to stop retaliation to Israel's aggression, selling it as de-escalation. The threat is Israel, with the US right behind.


US tightlipped on what it did or did not know about attacks in Lebanon

It is being widely reported here in the US media that the US had advance notice of a second attack inside Lebanon. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby will not confirm that the US was aware of the second attack.

He will admit that there was a phone call that took place on Tuesday between the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant. He would only say that there was a discussion that took place.

But in terms of the details, he would not elaborate.

What the Biden administration is saying is that it is still working to avoid an escalation in the region. Already, we know that the Biden administration has had its special envoy, Amos Hochstein, in the region speaking with Israeli officials, trying to discourage an escalation. And the official line from Kirby is that there is an effort to ensure there is no further escalation.

The policy of the White House is that the best way to resolve the conflict in northern Israel as well as in Gaza is through diplomacy, and the US is still committed to pursuing those efforts.



SvennoJ 3 hours ago

Netanyahu hits out at ‘misguided’ British prime minister

The Israeli prime minister accused his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, of “sending a horrible message” to Hamas with his Labour government’s recent decision to suspend dozens of arm export licences to Israel.

“After the October 7 Hamas massacre, the previous British government was clear in its support,” Netanyahu told the Daily Mail newspaper, referring to Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government.

But Netanyahu accused Starmer’s government of “sending mixed messages” on its support for Israel.

“They say that Israel has the right to defend itself, but they undermine our ability to exercise that right both by reversing Britain’s position on the absurd allegations made by the [International Criminal Court] prosecutor against Israel and by blocking weapons sales to Israel,” he said.

I agree its time to stop with the mixed messaging, full sanctions and weapons embargo are in order.


Israel’s top court declines to shut down Sde Teiman

Israel’s Supreme Court has refused to order the closure of the military-run detention camp for Palestinians, where rights groups say detainees were subjected to severe torture, including beatings and gang rape.

The court, however, ordered Israeli authorities to comply with laws on detaining enemy combatants during wartime.

“Protecting the rule of law, even during a difficult war, is the clear expression of the difference between a democratic state, which is fighting for its life, and a terrorist organization, which wants to destroy it,” Supreme Court President Uzi Vogelman wrote in Wednesday’s ruling.

Vogelman added that allegations of criminal conduct at Sde Teiman must be investigated.

According to The Times of Israel, one Israeli soldier has been charged over the gang-rape of a Palestinian detainee at Sde Teiman, while five others are under investigation over the case.

Some 4,000 Palestinians had been held at the facility in the Negev desert, but Israeli authorities say most have now been transferred out.

UN human rights experts have meanwhile criticised Israel’s treatment of Palestinian detainees, saying in August that they have “received substantiated reports of widespread abuse, torture, sexual assault and rape, amid atrocious inhumane conditions”.

The reports indicate at least 53 Palestinians may have died from mistreatment in 10 months, they said.



SvennoJ 3 hours ago

Japanese firm launches probe after devices carrying its logo explode in Lebanon

Icom Inc said it was investigating reports that two-way radio devices featuring its logo were among those that exploded in the latest wave of attacks in Lebanon. Labels saying “ICOM” and “made in Japan” were seen in images of the destroyed walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah on Wednesday.

Icom, which is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, said in a statement it would publish more information on its website once it had investigated the matter.


Japanese firm says it no longer makes radios used in Lebanon blasts

Icom said in a statement that it had discontinued the production of the handheld radio that was reportedly used in the attacks on Lebanon about a decade ago.

“The IC-V82 is a handheld radio that was produced and exported, including to the Middle East, from 2004 to October 2014. It was discontinued about 10 years ago, and since then, it has not been shipped from our company,” the Japanese company said.

“The production of the batteries needed to operate the main unit has also been discontinued, and a hologram seal to distinguish counterfeit products was not attached, so it is not possible to confirm whether the product shipped from our company.”


Taiwan warns against ‘fake online information’ over pager attacks

A spokesperson for Taiwan’s cabinet said national security units in the territory are monitoring rumours suspected of originating from abroad that seek to “maliciously” link the Taiwanese government to the attacks on Lebanon.

Lee Hui-chih reiterated that pagers exported from the island “do not have a problem with exploding”.

“I remind people to pay attention to fake online information,” she said.

The remarks came after media reports linked Taiwan-based firm Gold Apollo to the pagers that were detonated across Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday, as part of what is believed to be an Israeli operation.

Gold Apollo has since denied it produced the devices, saying they were made by a Hungarian company which has a licence to use its design and branding.

Hungary has also denied the pagers were made in the country.


Lebanon blasts raise alarm about supply chain security, safety of tech

The use of pagers and walkie-talkies in back-to-back coordinated explosions in Lebanon has drawn scrutiny to the security of global supply chains and their vulnerability to tampering by governments or other actors.

The utilisation of thousands of electronic devices in the attacks, which are widely believed to have been orchestrated by Israel as part of an operation targeting Lebanon’s armed group Hezbollah, has raised the spectre of everyday communications equipment being weaponised in the future.

Tech companies are likely to see the attacks as a powerful reminder of the importance of securing their supply chains, while the general public’s trust in technology may also take a hit, tech industry and supply chain analysts say.



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SvennoJ 3 hours ago

What we know about the latest wave of attacks in Lebanon

  • The second round of explosions in Lebanon took place on Wednesday after hand-held radios or walkie-talkies used by members of Hezbollah detonated across the country. As we’ve been reporting, the attacks killed at least 20 people and wounded more than 450.
  • The explosions – which came a day after the deadly pager blasts across Lebanon – took place in Beirut, as well as Hezbollah strongholds in southern and eastern parts of the country.
  • Some of the blasts hit as funerals were being held for the victims of the pager attacks. The death toll from Tuesday’s explosions has risen to 12, with at least 2,800 others wounded. Victims included children and healthcare workers.
  • Casualties from the attacks have overwhelmed Lebanon’s hospitals, with a doctor at the American University of Beirut Medical Center describing “stressful” scenes as more than 150 patients arrived at the facility in less than three hours on Tuesday.
  • Hashem Safieddin, the head of Hezbollah’s executive council, said the Lebanese group was in a “new confrontation” with Israel and that it would respond to the latest attacks with “special punishment”.
  • Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib meanwhile warned the “blatant assault on Lebanon’s sovereignty and security” was a dangerous development that could “signal a wider war”.
  • There has been no comment from Israel, but the country’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told Israeli troops that the “centre of gravity is moving northward” to the Lebanon border and that “we are at the start of a new phase in the war”.


Photos: Panic, mourning in Lebanon after second wave of deadly explosions


People gather as firefighters put out flames at the scene of a reported device explosion in Saida in southern Lebanon on September 18


Lebanese army soldiers prepare to carry out a controlled explosion of a walkie-talkie device outside the American University of Beirut Medical Center, in Beirut, Lebanon, on September 18


Boy scouts raise the picture of a fellow scout who was killed when hundreds of paging devices exploded in a deadly wave of attacks across Lebanon


Lebanon’s health minister warns toll from walkie-talkie blasts may rise

Firass Abiad said the explosions on Wednesday involved “larger and bigger devices that caused more damage”.

“We’ve observed a significant number of injuries, although many are mild. However, those who sustained serious injuries were severely affected, which raises our concern about a potential rise in the number of deaths,” he told Al Jazeera.

Abiad said the wounds from explosions involve “internal bleeding, injuries to the abdomen and other parts of the body, including brain haemorrhages”.

The Lebanese health minister told Al Jazeera Wednesday’s attacks took place as hospitals were already struggling to cope with the influx of victims from the previous day.

“We have over 300 patients in intensive care, and 400 requiring surgeries and other treatments,” he said.

“Additionally, the entire healthcare sector in Lebanon is exhausted and burdened by the challenges we have faced in recent years: the ongoing economic crisis, the coronavirus pandemic, the port explosion, and the migration of doctors and nurses. All of this has indeed weighed heavily on the sector.”

Still, Lebanon’s healthcare workers stepped up to the task, he said. “More than 90 hospitals and 1,100 ambulances were involved, and we transported around 1,800 patients. The response was excellent,” he said.

Abiad also said Lebanon received support from its neighbours. “There is an air bridge from Iraq, directed by the prime minister, with two planes carrying approximately 100 tonnes of medical supplies. Additionally, medical aid has arrived from Jordan for the Lebanese army, and there is also support from other countries such as Egypt, Syria, Turkey and Iran,” he said.


A wounded man undergoes an operation, following pager detonations across Lebanon, at a hospital in Beirut, Lebanon, September 18



SvennoJ 3 hours ago

Israel bombs Jabalia refugee camp, killing 2

The Israeli bomb struck the Shaheen family home in the al-Fakhoura area of the Jabalia camp in northern Gaza, killing a husband and wife, according to the Shehab news agency and the Palestinian Information Center.

Man killed in Jabalia strike was a member of Gaza’s civil defence

Gaza’s civil defence agency has now named the man as Musab Abdullah al-Kurdi and also announced that his wife was seven months pregnant at the time of her death.

The group, which is responsible for emergency services and rescue operations in the besieged enclave, said Musab was its 84th member to be killed by Israeli attacks since October.



Translation: Civil defence in Gaza – We mourn one of our members, Sergeant Musab Abdullah al-Kurdi, who was killed in a bombing that targeted his home in the al-Fakhoura area in the Jabalia camp, north of Gaza, along with his wife, who was seven months pregnant.


Artist uses 15,000 teddy bears in memorial to Gaza’s children

An artist has created a memorial in Doha, Qatar, using 15,000 teddy bears, each representing a child killed in Gaza since Israel’s bombardment of the Palestinian enclave started in October.

The artist behind the memorial, Bachir Mohamad, said he wanted to convey that the victims are not just numbers.


Palestinians displaced again as attacks continue across Gaza

The past couple of hours have been intense, in particular in al-Mawasi area and Rafah.

Many of the displaced Palestinians have had no choice but to set up their tents here but the heavy artillery is forcing them into further internal displacement and shattering any remaining sense of safety.

There are reports of heavy artillery in the western part of Nuseirat camp and Rafah City. In Bureij refugee camp, three members of a family were killed as a home was targeted.

Rescue efforts are also continuing in Bureij refugee camp for the third day in a row, as rescuers are trying to retrieve people from under heavy pieces of concrete. Twelve people so far have been pulled out of the rubble but time is running out for those who remain trapped.


Israeli attacks kill six in Rafah and Jabalia

Israeli forces have waged more lethal aerial attacks in northern, central and southern Gaza, the Wafa news agency reports. The deadliest attack struck a family home in Jabalia city, killing four people. Another air attack in Rafah killed two people.

In central Gaza’s Nuseirat camp, a quadcopter attack injured numerous civilians, mostly children.


Brother of slain Al Jazeera journalist killed in Gaza

Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent Anas al-Sharif is reporting that Ahmed al-Ghoul, brother of slain journalist Ismail al-Ghoul, has been killed in an Israeli air strike in southern Gaza.

Ismail al-Ghoul, who also reported for Al Jazeera Arabic, was killed along with his cameraman Rami al-Rifi while traveling by car on July 31 in the Shati refugee camp.


Rush to find victims trapped under rubble in Bureij continues

In the south, the Israeli military has been carrying out air attacks, coupled with heavy artillery strikes. The targeted areas are densely populated with displaced people.

In the western part of Nuseirat camp, an area that has been repeatedly targeted, new waves of heavy artillery strikes have caused civilian casualties. They have all been transferred to al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat camp. The hospital is struggling to cope with the large influx of casualties and the shortage of medical supplies.

In Bureij camp, volunteers have managed to remove several bodies from under rubble after attacks over the last three days on residential homes. Locals are working to recover the bodies because paramedics and civil defence crews are being chased away from the bomb sites by the Israeli military and shot at by quadcopters.

People in the area say there are still people alive under the rubble, but time is running out.



SvennoJ 3 hours ago

Israeli forces arrest 4 Palestinians in Qalqilya raid

The Israeli military has withdrawn from the occupied West Bank city of Qalqilya after carrying out raids in which three former Palestinian prisoners and a woman were arrested, according to the Quds News Network and the Palestinian Information Center.

Israeli raids have been reported elsewhere in the occupied West Bank.

They include:

  • The city of Jenin, where journalist Mujahid al-Saadi was arrested
  • The town of al-Yamoun, west of Jenin
  • The city of Nablus
  • The town of Jayyous, north of Qalqilya


Israeli settlers dance at holy site in occupied West Bank

Israeli settlers were filmed dancing and singing at Joseph’s Tomb on Wednesday after hundreds of them entered the holy site in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus under the protection of the Israeli military.



Israeli forces arrest at least 19 in occupied West Bank raids

Israeli forces have carried out yet another wave of arrests across the occupied West Bank, reports the Wafa news agency. In Qalqilya and the nearby town of Jayyous, Israeli forces detained 13 people, including a woman.

In Bethlehem, Israeli forces rounded up six more people, including two brothers, the news agency said. Two more people were arrested in the villages of Beit Rima and Kafr Ein, located northwest of Ramallah.

Since October last year, at least 10,800 Palestinians have been arrested in raids by Israeli forces.


Israeli forces fire weapons, demolish home near Hebron

Israeli forces have raided the city of Hebron and the nearby town of Idhna, firing weapons, sound bombs and toxic gas, according to the Wafa news agency.

Israel’s military put up several checkpoints at the entrances of Hebron and deployed security forces to the nearby Fawar refugee camp as its deadly raids continue across the occupied West Bank.

Israeli forces also demolished a home and several agricultural structures while raiding the village of Beit Awwa, southwest of Hebron.


Israeli forces arrest 35 Palestinians in latest West Bank raids

Israeli forces have rounded up 35 Palestinians in raids across the occupied West Bank since yesterday evening, reports the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society. Among those detained are a woman, a journalist and a person suffering from cancer, the group said.

Most of the arrests took place in Qalqilya governorate, while others were across Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus and Jerusalem governorates.

Since October 7, Israeli forces have made more than 10,800 arrests during the deadly near-daily raids in the West Bank.


Israeli forces storm Qabatiya in occupied West Bank

Israeli forces are now raiding Qabatiya near Jenin in the occupied West Bank. Gunfire has been reported as Palestinians resisted the Israeli forces’ storming of the town.

The Palestinian Red Crescent added that Israeli forces prevented its crew from reaching a house that they had besieged.

Israeli forces fire tear gas at journalists in Qabatiya raid

As we just reported, Israeli forces are raiding Qabatiya near Jenin in the occupied West Bank. Israeli forces are driving towards journalists reporting on the raid and firing tear gas at them, including the Al Jazeera team at the location.

Active raid in West Bank town of Qabatiya

As we came here to report on the raid, an Israeli military vehicle came towards this area and a soldier shot tear gas towards journalists who were here. We had to run to nearby houses for safety. This is not the first time Israeli forces have attacked journalists to try and prevent them from telling the story.

In Qabatiya, the Israeli forces have surrounded a house and a local told us they heard an exchange of gunfire. Lots of people do not know what’s going on as it’s an active raid ongoing.

We also saw videos of three men on a rooftop. We don’t know if they have been killed or wounded and are bleeding to death. There is also a nearby school where we are told students are trapped inside as they are unable to evacuate.

Three reported killed in Qabatiya raid

Several local sources have told Al Jazeera that at least three Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing raid on Qabatiya by Israeli forces.



SvennoJ 2 hours ago

Hezbollah claims four attacks on Israel on Wednesday

The armed group said it continued its attacks on northern Israel “in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza” and in retaliation for Israeli attacks on Majdal Selem and Blida in southern Lebanon on Wednesday.

The four attacks were:

  • Rocket attack on Israeli artillery positions in the city of Neve Ziv
  • Rocket attack on the headquarters of a company affiliated with the 810th Hermon Brigade in the Habushit Mountain
  • Rocket attack on Al Sahl Battalion in the Beit Hillel barracks
  • Artillery attack on Bayyad Blida site

The assaults came as Lebanon reeled from deadly handheld radio explosions and Israel continued to attack villages in southern parts of the country.

Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen TV retired Israeli attacks on al-Jebbayn, Shama, Majdal Zoun, Kfar Kila, Kfarchouba, Hula, al-Taybeh, the forest between Kunin and Beit Yahoun, as well as the outskirts of Yater.


Five Israeli soldiers injured in Hezbollah missile attack

Israeli media reports say that Hezbollah fired two missiles from southern Lebanon into the Upper Galilee region of northern Israel. According to Walla news outlet, a rescue helicopter evacuated the injured soldiers to hospital in the Israeli city of Haifa.


Israeli military claims hits on Hezbollah targets overnight

Israel’s military claims it carried out a string of air strikes on Hezbollah positions overnight, including one of its weapons depots in southern Lebanon. The strikes took place in Taybeh, Blida, Meiss el-Jabal, Aitaroun, Kfar Kila, Khiam and Chihine, according to the military.


Eight injured by missile attack in northern Israel

Israeli Army Radio is reporting that a Hezbollah missile attack in Israel’s northern Galilee area has injured at least eight people. One of them is in critical condition, according to the media.

Earlier, Israel’s Walla news outlet reported an attack in the same area that injured five soldiers.


More strikes in northern Israel cause injuries

At least three drone attacks struck the Israeli areas of Kiryat Shmona and Beit Hillel near the Lebanese border, reports Israel’s Ynet News site. Air sirens did not go off before the attacks.

Meanwhile, a projectile also hit the northern Israeli community of Ya’ara, injuring several people, reports The Times of Israel.

The attacks follow an earlier missile attack that hit Israel’s Ramim Ridge in the northern Galilee area, injuring at least eight people, one critically.

Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have spiked following two days of explosions from detonating electronic devices across Lebanon, in an attack widely blamed on Israel.



SvennoJ 2 hours ago

Lebanon’s Health Ministry holding press briefing

Lebanon’s Health Ministry is holding a press briefing in Beirut.

At least 32 killed across Lebanon after blasts: Health Ministry

At a press briefing in Beirut, Lebanon’s Health Minister Firass Abiad said that at least 32 people were killed and thousands injured in back-to-back coordinated explosions on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“Yet, there is a silver lining as we have seen the unity of our Lebanese people and the professionality of our doctors and nurses who lived up to their responsibilities,” Abiad said.

On Tuesday, some 4,000 pagers exploded over the course of an hour. A day later, more explosions of handheld devices, including walkie-talkie radios, mobile phones, laptops and even solar power cells, took place.


Lebanon bans pagers, walkie-talkies on all flights

Lebanon’s director general of civil aviation has issued a new directive banning passengers from carrying pagers and walkie-talkies on board any aircraft, state-run news agency NNA has reported.

The ban applies to cargo as well as checked and carry-on luggage passing through Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport and any such devices found will be confiscated by airport security.

The new rule is effective immediately and will be enforced until further notice.


Lebanon’s Mikati urges UNSC to take steps to ‘stop Israeli aggression’

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati has called on the “UN Security Council to take a firm stance to stop the Israeli aggression on Lebanon” and its “technological war”, the state-run NNA news agency reported.

“This matter does not only concern Lebanon but all of humanity,” Mikati said.

The comments come ahead of a Security Council session scheduled for Friday at the request of the Lebanese government.

Mikati also received British ambassador to Lebanon Hamish Cowell, Qatari ambassador Saud bin Abdul Rahman bin Faisal Al Thani and the Bangladesh ambassador Javed Tanveer Khan.


Death toll in Lebanon blasts rises to 37

Lebanon’s Health Minister Firass Abiad has said, in the latest news briefing in Beirut, that the death toll from the two waves of attacks across the country has risen to 37.

On Tuesday, 12 people were killed and 2,323 admitted to hospital, including 226 who remain in critical condition. The following day, 25 people were killed and 708 wounded, including 61 who remain in intensive care units.