Since January, Canada has paused the transfer of nonlethal military hardware to Israel, the Toronto Star and Reuters report, citing unnamed Canadian officials.

“Since Jan. 8, applications for permits to allow Canadian companies to ship tens of millions of dollars worth of non-lethal goods and technology, such as night vision goggles, have been temporarily put on hold because of the difficulty in establishing whether the material could be used in human rights violations, say senior government officials,” the report from the Toronto Star reads.

The government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has long said that it does not transfer full weapons systems to Israel, an assertion reiterated to Al Jazeera in an email last month. “The permits which have been granted since October 7, 2023, are for the export of non-lethal equipment,” Global Affairs Canada wrote.

But advocates whom Al Jazeera spoke to said a lack of information obscures the real arms trade between Israel and Canada. While full weapons systems might not be transferred, they said, the vast majority of Canada’s military exports to Israel come in the form of parts and components, which include, among other things, bombs and other ordinance.

“The permits which have been granted since October 7, 2023, are for the export of non-lethal equipment.” But advocates say this misrepresents the total volume of Canada’s military exports to Israel, which totalled more than $15m ($21.3m Canadian) in 2022, according to the government’s own figures.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/9/demands-for-canada-to-stop-supplying-weapons-to-israel-grow-louder

I just signed another petition to stop the arms trade with Israel a week ago, fuck Trudeau, pretending to 'care'.

US and UK just want to bomb people too, can't help themselves

US, UK conduct raids in Yemen: Report

Mohammed Mustafa’s appointment comes after mounting pressure to reform the governing body of the occupied Palestinian territory and improve its governance. The new prime minister was assigned to lead the relief and rebuilding of the Gaza Strip, and reform the institutions of the Palestinian Authority, Wafa news agency said.

Mustafa replaces former Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh, who, along with his government, resigned in February.

The PA, which is dominated by the Fatah political party, held administrative control over Gaza until 2007 after Hamas won the 2006 legislative elections in the occupied territories and expelled it from the Gaza Strip. Since then, Hamas has ruled Gaza and the PA governs parts of the occupied West Bank.

UK’s Cameron welcomes appointment of new PA leader Mustafa

Our Al Jazeera Arabic colleagues and local media are reporting attacks by armed Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank tonight.

In the village of Berin, southeast of Hebron, settlers dressed in Israeli army uniforms have raided the village school, taken down the Palestinian flag and torn it up, the Wafa news agency reported.

In the village of Kafr Nima, west of Ramallah, settlers have attacked the community and set fire to a vehicle.

Israeli forces conduct raids, arrests across the occupied West Bank

Israeli military denies opening fire on aid seekers in Gaza City

The US finalised its draft resolution for the UN Security Council on a truce deal between Israel and Hamas on Thursday, the Reuters news agency reports, in a move likely to serve as the final step before a vote is held.

A draft seen by Reuters suggests the UNSC adopt wording saying it, “unequivocally supports international diplomatic efforts to establish an immediate and sustained ceasefire as part of a deal that releases the hostages, and that allows the basis for a more durable peace to alleviate humanitarian suffering”.

It is not clear when the US will hold a vote to adopt the resolution. To pass, it will require at least nine votes in favour and no objections from veto-wielding countries the US, France, Britain, Russia and China.

Washington had previously been averse to using the word ceasefire in any UNSC resolution – and has vetoed three previous draft resolutions, two of which demanded an immediate ceasefire – but has changed its stance in recent weeks.

Now when will they put it to vote.


Negotiations are going nowhere

Hamas outlines prisoner exchange deal in truce proposal: Report

Israeli PM: Hamas ceasefire demands ‘unrealistic’

Israeli ambassador to US: ‘Unhelpful’ of ally to comment on our internal politics

The US National Security Council has welcomed the news that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has appointed Mohammed Mustafa as the new Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority.

“The United States will be looking for this new government to deliver on policies and implementation of credible and far-reaching reforms,” the NSC statement said. “A reformed Palestinian Authority is essential to delivering results for the Palestinian people and establishing the conditions for stability in both the West Bank and Gaza.”

Mustafa’s appointment comes amid mounting pressure to reform the governing body of the occupied Palestinian territory. He has been assigned to lead the relief and rebuilding of Gaza and reform the institutions of the Palestinian Authority, the Wafa news agency said.

Hamas has criticised the appointment of Mohammed Mustafa as the new Palestinian prime minister, calling it a “unilateral” designation by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The group, which governs the Gaza Strip, said the decision was taken without consulting it despite recently taking part in a meeting in Moscow also attended by Abbas’s Fatah movement to end long-time divisions between the two Palestinian factions.

“We express our rejection of continuing this approach that has inflicted and continues to inflict harm on our people and our national cause,” Hamas said in a statement. “Making individual decisions and engaging in superficial and empty steps such as forming a new government without national consensus only reinforces a policy of unilateralism and deepens division.”

It added that at a time of war with Israel, Palestinians needed a unified leadership preparing for free democratic elections involving all components of their society.

The media office of the government in Gaza has slammed a reported Israeli attack on Palestinians waiting for aid in Gaza City. Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Thursday that at least 20 bodies and 155 wounded people arrived at the al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City after the incident.

The Israeli forces targeted “a gathering of citizens while they were waiting for relief aid at the Kuwait Roundabout in Gaza City,” the media office’s statement said. The latest attack is “to be added to the series of massacres and brutal attacks against the defenceless civilians who face the Zionist starvation policy,” it also said.

“The failure of the international community and the United Nations to take action against the occupation army was a green light to commit more horrific crimes,” the statement added.

The Israeli military on Thursday denied it opened fire on aid seekers at the Kuwait Roundabout.

Mohammed Ghurab, director of emergency services at a hospital in northern Gaza, has reportedly said people were wounded by gunshots at the Kuwait Roundabout in Gaza City. He told the AFP news agency that there were “direct shots by the occupation forces” on people waiting for a food truck.

An AFP journalist on the scene saw several bodies and people who had been shot, the agency said.

Shaina Low, communications adviser for the Norwegian Refugee Council, says the ongoing killings of aid seekers in Gaza represent a breakdown in communication between aid groups and Israeli authorities.

“It’s a clear sign that the deconfliction system, in which humanitarian agencies and the UN notify and correspond with Israel … is completely failing,” she told Al Jazeera, adding that this system is meant to allow aid agencies to inform Israel of routes they will take to ensure they aren’t targeted.

“This is something that is preventable and shouldn’t be happening,” she said.


It's not a breakdown in communications, firing on crowds is a war crime with or without 'communications'

March 14: More than a dozen people killed and over 100 injured after Israeli forces opened fire on aid seekers in Gaza City.
March 3: At least nine people were killed in an Israeli strike on an aid distribution truck in Deir el-Balah.
February 29: At least 112 Palestinians were killed and hundreds wounded after Israeli troops opened fire on people waiting for food aid southwest of Gaza City.
February 26: Ten people were reportedly killed when Israeli forces shelled and fired on a crowd waiting for food aid trucks in Gaza City.
January 25: An Israeli attack killed at least 20 people waiting for humanitarian assistance in Gaza City.
December 29: Israeli soldiers fired on an aid convoy as it returned from northern Gaza along a route designated as safe by the Israeli army.


Israel pins blame on ‘armed Palestinians’, truck drivers for aid seeker deaths

Palestinians prevented from recovering bodies at Kuwait Roundabout

Aid seekers targeted by Israel unable to get care at al-Shifa Hospital

At least 56 people killed in Israeli attacks on aid centres in 48 hours: Gaza government

More than five months of Israeli attacks on Gaza have left nearly 23 million tonnes of debris, according to the United Nations. This rubble – along with unexploded munitions – will take years to clear, estimates the UN.

While the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is working with mine action partners to assess the threat of unexploded ordnance in the enclave, “response efforts have been hampered by restrictions on the import of humanitarian mine action supplies and authorization requirements on the deployment of specialized personnel”, it said.

The number of people killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since the start of the war has risen to 31,490, according to the latest figures by the Health Ministry. An additional 73,439 have been wounded, the ministry said.

In the past 24 hours, 149 people have been killed and 300 wounded, the ministry added.

It’s relatively calm outside Al-Aqsa Mosque. It’s several hours until the main prayers will begin. The Israeli authorities say there are 3,000 police officers available in the Old City for days such as this. We passed several checkpoints manned by Israeli police getting here.

Theoretically, there are no restrictions on people from occupied East Jerusalem or Palestinians inside Israel from going inside the mosque to pray. However, there are age restrictions for those travelling from the occupied West Bank. On top of that, those Palestinians must apply in advance for permits to come here. They have to travel through checkpoints early in the morning, and be back in the occupied West Bank by 5pm.

Over the last hour, we’ve been talking to people who have come here from places like Nablus, Bethlehem and Jenin. They’ve told us that many other people trying to cross checkpoints from the occupied West Bank are either being delayed for long periods or turned away.

Footage posted by the Wafa news agency shows Palestinians lined up at a military checkpoint near Bethlehem as they seek to travel to Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem for Friday prayers.

This is one of numerous military checkpoints set up to screen Palestinians seeking entry to Jerusalem. So far, checkpoint officials have turned back thousands of worshippers “under the pretext of not having the necessary permits”, the Palestinian news agency said.

About 45 minutes before prayers start, people waiting here at the checkpoint outside Jerusalem still hope they will have a chance to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque. There are new restrictions. Men must be aged 55 or older to enter the mosque, and women must be 50 or older. Previously, there were no age restrictions on women, and the age restriction for men was 45.

All worshippers must also have valid entry permits, a document many Palestinians say they did not know they needed. We’ve seen people being turned away at the checkpoint for this reason, and Israeli soldiers are surrounding the nearby area.

There are additional restrictions on Palestinians leaving Al-Aqsa. They must submit their papers at a checkpoint while leaving Jerusalem or even take a selfie and submit it on an application managed by the Israeli government.

Palestinian worshippers trying to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque on the first Friday of Ramadan say the Israeli army is turning them away. “I’ve been sent away several times. Each time, they check our documents as if we’re terrorists,” one person who did not wish to be identified told Al Jazeera. “All we want is to pray in our Al-Aqsa Mosque. It’s the Friday prayer. May Allah grant us patience to face all that we have to endure.”

“The number of soldiers is greater than the number of worshippers,” another Muslim said. “I’m 62, and I presented my ID, but my access was denied… although [the Israeli army] said that those who are over 55 can enter the mosque without a permit.”

A 50-year-old woman said she tried to enter the compound but was sent away because she didn’t have a permit. “We tried to enter from the other gate, but they sent us away as well. We will see if we can get a permit,“ he said.

Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has shown up at the Western Wall, part of the border of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, ahead of the first Friday prayers of Ramadan. In a post on X, Ben-Gvir said he made the visit to show support for Israeli security forces based there and to encourage them to “deal strongly” with potential “terrorists” and “unrest”.

Ben-Gvir’s visit comes as Israeli checkpoints block thousands of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank from reaching the mosque, which is the third holiest site in Islam, inflaming tensions in the territory, reports the Wafa news agency.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has accused Netanyahu of “deceiving the world” when he said no additional measures would be imposed to limit access to Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan compared to previous years.

The ministry said in a statement posted on X that the Israel prime minister had given far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir the freedom to implement restrictions, including erecting barricades, to prevent the entry of Palestinian worshippers. The ministry called on the international community and the United States to intervene to end these “racist” policies and ensure that the right to worship is upheld.

More than 95 percent of all Palestinians are prohibited from reaching the Al-Aqsa Mosque, according to Mustafa Barghouti, the secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative. “The portion of the community that is allowed is very small – people who are above the age of 55,” he told Al Jazeera from Ramallah, adding that even they had to go through a hard process to enter the holy site.

“First of all, they have to get a special magnetic security card from the Israelis, which takes a lot of time to acquire. Not everybody can get it and many people are deprived from it,” the Palestinian official said. “They also have to get a special permit from the Israelis directly. These complications prevent many people.”

He said the situation was creating more tension “because many people are angry”. “The tension inside the mosque is very high because of the Israeli restrictions, beating of the people and provocations. I expect that there will be trouble, because of all these provocations,” Barghouti concluded.

Despite tight Israeli restrictions on access to Al-Aqsa Mosque, 80,000 worshippers made it to the holy site for the first Friday prayers of Ramadan, reports the Quds News Network, citing the Islamic Waqf that manages the mosque compound.

Thousands more Palestinians from the occupied West Bank were denied entry to Jerusalem, where a heavy Israeli security presence surrounds the mosque. Only men over the age of 55 or women over the age of 50 are allowed to enter the mosque, and all must have a valid permit, making the site inaccessible to the vast majority of Palestinians.

Al-Aqsa Mosque’s Director Omar Kiswani has told Al Jazeera that it is “the absolute right of all Muslims to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque”, whether they live in the occupied Palestinian territories or elsewhere. “There shouldn’t be any permits required to enter the mosque and this is something the occupation needs to understand,” Kiswani said, referring to Israel.

“We see a significant number of soldiers, police, and other law enforcement personnel circulating Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque, preventing our brothers from the West Bank from accessing these holy places,” he continued.

“Al-Aqsa Mosque is a place of worship and peace, but it has become like a large prison due to the excessive restrictions and checkpoints being imposed. It even resembles a military camp.”

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) says some of its members were turned away by the Israeli army as they attempted to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque to provide emergency services. The group posted a video on X, in which soldiers can be seen blocking the way to the medical staff.

The Israeli army has intensified its military presence near the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron on the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan. Palestinian news agency Wafa reported increased military presence between Hebron’s Old City and the Ibrahimi Mosque.

Army officers at the Abu Al-Rish checkpoint, the site of frequent violence at the heart of historic Hebron, were checking the identity of Palestinians heading to the mosque to perform the Friday prayer, the agency said, turning some worshippers away.

The Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, has said its fighters in the Far’a camp in Tubas in the occupied West Bank have confronted Israeli troops and vehicles that stormed the establishment in the morning.

Fighters from the group, backed by others from other factions, “engaged in fierce clashes with the invading forces, including the detonation of a number of explosive devices in the vehicles, before the enemy retreated”, a statement on Telegram said.