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Forums - Politics - Israel-Hamas war, Gaza genocide

SvennoJ on 17 July 2025

US lawmakers condemn Irish bill to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements

Almost two-dozen mostly Republican members of Congress have expressed their opposition to legislation making its way through Ireland’s parliament attempting to ban trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham – one lawmaker who posted on X as part of a coordinated campaign opposing the bill – said he hopes “Ireland will reconsider their efforts to economically isolate Israel”.

“I do not believe these efforts would be well received in the United States and they certainly would not go unnoticed,” he added.

US lawmakers opposing the legislation include:

  • Republican Senators Hal Rogers, Tom Cotton, Bill Hagerty, Kevin Cramer, Lindsey Graham and Rick Scott.
  • Republican Representatives Mario Diaz-Balart, Tom Emmer, Daniel Webster, Lisa McClain, Mike Lawler, Andy Barr, Pete Stauber, Harriet Hageman, Mike Crapo, Andy Ogles, Barry Moore, Mark Messmer and Claudia Tenney.
  • Democratic Representatives Brad Schneider and Josh Gottheimer.

Ireland should also introduce a bill to ban trade with the US.


Israel to boost military spending in 2025 and 2026

The government will raise defence spending by 42 billion shekels ($12.5bn) this year and in 2026, the Israeli ministries of finance and defence have said.

The budget agreement will allow the Defense Ministry to “advance urgent and essential procurement deals critical to national security”, they said in a statement.

Palestinian Ministry of Health publishes list of every person killed in Gaza

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza has published a list of every known death of a Palestinian killed as a result of Israel’s war on Gaza since October 7, 2023.

The 2,086-page document, published on Telegram, lists the name, age, gender, and ID number of 58,380 people.

The list features some 953 children less than a year old, with the first nine entries documenting children killed on the same day they were born.



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SvennoJ on 17 July 2025

Four dead as Israeli military bombs central Gaza school; 3 killed in Gaza City

The Israeli military’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip is continuing overnight, with news emerging of two deadly attacks over recent hours.

A strike on the Abu Halu School in the Bureij refugee camp, central Gaza, has killed at least four people, the Palestinian Information Center and the Quds News Network report.

An Israeli strike on a residential apartment near the Imam Shafi’i School in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood, northern Gaza, has also killed at least three people and injured others, the Palestinian Information Center reports.


GHF says Khan Younis aid site to be closed today after deadly stampede

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) says its Khan Younis aid distribution site will be closed today “for maintenance”.

On Wednesday, at least 20 people were killed at the GHF’s distribution hub in the southern Gaza city, including 15 from a stampede and suffocation due to tear gas fired at aid seekers, according to Palestinian health officials.

The Israel- and US-backed group acknowledged the deaths at its distribution point but accused Hamas-affiliated Palestinians of fomenting the unrest. It also denied its forces used tear gas against the crowd.

Witnesses said guards at the site sprayed pepper gas at them after they had locked the gates to the centre, trapping them between the gates and the outer wire fence.

Since it began operating in late May, the GHF has been engulfed in criticism for setting up sites that the UN describes as “death traps”. More than 870 people have been killed near or at its distribution hubs.


Eight Palestinians killed while trying to protect aid trucks on way to northern Gaza

In the past hour, eight people, who had been tasked with securing aid trucks, have been reported killed. As many as 20 trucks were on their way to designated areas in the northern part of the Strip and were hit in a drone attack. Body parts were scattered and civil defence members had to collect them.

This is, unfortunately, routine for those who attempt to secure aid trucks, which will end up in the hands of looters and gangs supported largely by the Israeli military.

Food distribution is still very limited. Whatever is available is coming from the GHF centres and it’s only a trickle. Only a few people are able to get some food, while those who get large quantities are the looters who are stealing the aid and reselling it on the market for prices that are beyond the capabilities of many here in Gaza.

At least 94 killed Palestinians brought to Gaza hospitals in past 24 hours

That’s according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which just released its latest casualty figures.

According to the ministry:

  • Of the 94 killed Palestinians brought to hospitals in the past 24 hours, 26 were killed while seeking humanitarian aid.
  • At least 367 injured Palestinians have also arrived at Gaza hospitals in the last 24 hours, including more than 32 who were hurt seeking aid.
  • Since the contentious US- and Israel-backed GHF food distribution scheme was launched in May, at least 877 Palestinian aid seekers have been killed and 5,666 have been wounded.
  • At least 58,667 Palestinians have been killed and another 139,94 have been injured across Gaza since Israel’s war on the territory began on October 7, 2023.


SvennoJ on 17 July 2025

Israeli strike on Catholic parish in Gaza

According to doctors at al-Ahli Arab Hospital, two women have been killed and several injured in an Israeli strike on the Catholic parish in Gaza City, which damaged the Holy Family Church.

They have been identified as the parish’s 60-year-old janitor and an 84-year-old woman who was receiving psychosocial support inside a Caritas tent in the church compound, according to the Catholic charity Caritas Jerusalem.

Italy’s ANSA news agency said six people were seriously injured while the parish priest, Father Gabriele Romanelli, who used to regularly update the late Pope Francis about the war, suffered minor leg injuries.

Giorgia Meloni, prime minister of Italy, has issued a harsh – and rare – condemnation of Israel’s air raids on Palestinians in Gaza after Israeli forces bombed a Catholic church in Gaza City.

“Israeli raids on Gaza also hit the Church of the Holy Family,” Meloni said on X. “The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such an attitude.”


A wounded woman is brought into at al-Ahli Hospital following the Israeli attack on The Church of the Holy Family


‘We know for sure tank hit Gaza church directly’: Cardinal

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, says in comments to Vatican News that two of the people wounded in the Israeli attack on the Catholic church in Gaza are at risk of death.

“There are four people seriously wounded. Among these four, two are in very dramatic conditions, and their lives are in serious danger,” Pizzaballa was quoted as saying.

“What we know for sure is that a tank – the [Israeli army] says by mistake, but we are not sure about this – they hit the church directly, the Church of the Holy Family, the Latin church,” he added.


Death toll in Gaza church attack rises to 3

At least three people have been confirmed killed in Israel’s attack on the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has said. Ten others were wounded, including one in critical condition and two in serious condition.

The patriarchate urged world leaders to act to stop the war on Gaza.

“The time has come for leaders to raise their voices and to do all what is necessary in order to stop this tragedy which is humanly and morally, unjustified,” it said in a statement.



SvennoJ on 17 July 2025

Israeli forces arrest 8, set explosives to demolish two homes in occupied West Bank

Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic report that at least eight Palestinians were arrested in raids by Israeli forces across the occupied West Bank overnight.

The Palestinian news agency, WAFA, said two Palestinians aged 58 and 23 were arrested in raids on two homes in the Bethlehem governorate, and in a separate incident a Palestinian youth was injured by troops south of Tubas city.

In Qabatiya town, south of Jenin, one person was arrested and the family homes of two slain Palestinians were rigged with explosives by Israeli forces in preparation for demolition, a punitive action that is regularly carried out by Israeli forces, WAFA reports.

Palestinian homes were also raided by Israeli forces in the villages of Kafr Jamal and Kafr Zibad, southeast of Qalqilya city.


Muslim country group slams transfer of Ibrahimi Mosque to settler council

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned an Israeli decision to transfer the administration of the occupied West Bank’s Ibrahimi Mosque from the Palestinian-run Hebron municipality to the Jewish religious council in the Kiryat Arba settlement.

In a statement, the OIC called the move “a blatant violation of international resolutions, including those issued by UNESCO”.

It added the decision reflects Israel’s attempts to “alter the historical, legal and religious status of Islamic holy sites in the occupied Palestinian territory” and to “impose purported Israeli sovereignty over Palestinian land”.

The OIC stated that all Israeli decisions and actions in the occupied Palestinian territory are illegal and invalid under international law and urged the international community to act to protect the Palestinian population and its holy sites.


Israeli settlers harass shepherds in occupied West Bank

In the latest incident of settler violence in the West Bank, Israeli settlers have chased Palestinian shepherds and tried to steal their livestock in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, Wafa reports.

The news agency quoted residents as saying that the incident took place in the area of Khirbet Aqwawis. No injuries were immediately reported.

The area was the subject of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, a Palestinian-Israeli production that depicts life in the beleaguered community.



SvennoJ on 17 July 2025

Slovenia declaring far-right Israeli ministers ‘persona non grata’

The Slovenian foreign minister says the country has adopted a motion to blacklist far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Tanja Fajon said the move aims to put “pressure on the Israeli government to improve the intolerable conditions in Gaza and end the suffering of civilians”.

Ben-Gvir and Smotrich – members of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s governing coalition – live in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and have been pushing to formally annex the area.

Since the start of the war on Gaza, the ministers have called for Israel to ethnically cleanse the territory and cut off all aid to Palestinians. Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have also threatened to quit the coalition if the war ends.

Slovenia’s measure will bar the ministers from entering the country in what authorities say is a first in the European Union.

The government also accused Ben-Gvir and Smotrich of inciting “extreme violence and serious violations of the human rights of Palestinians” with “their genocidal statements”.


More than 80 MPs call on British government to sanction Israel

At least 84 parliamentarians across nine political parties have called on the British government to impose widespread sanctions on Israel over its repeated violations of international law.

A letter addressed to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, the MPs and Lords have called on the government to suspend the UK-Israel trade agreement until Israel complies with international law, ban all trade with illegal Israeli settlements, impose sanctions on those complicit in the war in Gaza, and end all arms transfers to Israel.

The letter comes in the run-up to the first anniversary of a landmark ruling by the International Court of Justice that Israel’s presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory was “unlawful” and must end “as rapidly as possible.”

Labour Party MP Richard Burgon, who co-organised the letter, said, “Israel is committing war crime after war crime.”

“We don’t need more empty words from the government calling on Israel to do the right thing. We need tough action to force Israel to end its atrocities against the Palestinian people,” he added.



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SvennoJ on 17 July 2025

US Muslim group urges Washington to end ‘complicity with Israel’s slaughter’

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has said “people of all faiths” must speak out against Israel’s genocide in Gaza following today’s deadly attack on the Holy Family Church.

“This attack on a church – and all the other deadly attacks on Gaza mosques, schools, universities, historic and cultural sites, cemeteries, medical facilities and personnel, civilian infrastructure, journalists, first responders, women, children, the elderly, and the disabled – once again demonstrates Israel’s brutal disregard for religious sites and the indiscriminate nature of its genocide,” CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad said in a statement.

“Our government must end its complicity with Israel’s slaughter, mass destruction, forced starvation, and ethnic cleansing.”

The US gives Israel at least $3.8bn in military assistance annually and has provided billions more since the Gaza war began.


US asked Israel to investigate Gaza church attack: State Department

A US State Department spokesperson says the Trump administration has asked Israel to investigate the strike on the Gaza City church that killed at least three people and injured 10 others.

“In this case, of course it was an accident,” Tammy Bruce told reporters during a briefing in Washington, DC. “I think the response from Netanyahu is an appropriate start.”

As we just reported, the Israeli prime minister’s office said Israel deeply regrets the strike on the church, which it said was caused by “stray ammunition”.

“We have asked that Israel investigate the strike still, of course, and ensure that all civilians – including Christian civilians, remain safe,” said Bruce, who also read out a statement by the Israeli Foreign Ministry expressing “deep sorrow” over the incident.

Israel has routinely targeted religious sites across Gaza since it began bombarding the territory in October 2023.


Israeli army says shell fragments ‘mistakenly’ hit Gaza church

The military says an initial investigation into the deadly attack on the Holy Family Church in Gaza City “suggests that fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly”.

“The cause of the incident is under review,” it said in a post on X.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, earlier told Vatican News that an Israeli tank hit the church “directly”.



‘Hard to believe’ Israeli probe into church attack will yield accountability

The brief statement from the Israeli prime minister [came] after pressure from US President Donald Trump for him to address the situation at hand.

Whenever there is pressure on the Israelis – whenever there is international pressure on Netanyahu specifically, that’s when the Israelis release some sort of statement about wrongdoing.

Just last week, when there were at least 10 Palestinians – mostly children – who were killed waiting in a queue at a water distribution site, after the international outcry, that’s when the Israelis said there was a malfunction with their munition.

What Netanyahu is saying here [about the church strike], he didn’t really admit that it was a mistake. He said Israel expresses sorrow and is investigating the situation, saying that it was “stray ammunition”.

But it’s a little bit hard to believe any sort of Israeli investigation that happens after 21 months of war because the military oftentimes absolves itself of any sort of wrongdoing, and there is no one held accountable.



SvennoJ on 17 July 2025

Syrian Bedouin fighters launch new offensive in Suwayda: Report

Syrian Bedouin fighters have reportedly launched a new offensive in Suwayda against Druze fighters, despite a ceasefire agreement that was announced last night.

A Bedouin military commander told the Reuters news agency that the truce only applied to government forces and not to them.

The commander said the fighters were seeking to free Bedouins whom Druze armed groups had detained in recent days.


Deconfliction in Syria continues: White House

Trump continues to support “Syria’s pathway to a peaceful and prosperous country”, and will continue to work on de-escalation, as Israeli attacks continue, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday

“As soon as the United States became involved in this conflict, we were able to de-escalate, deconflict – that seems to be continuing,” she said at a news briefing. “Syria agreed to draw back their troops that were in the area where that clash was ongoing and we continue to be very actively monitoring the situation.”

On Thursday, Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa accused Israel of trying to fracture Syria and promised to protect its Druze minority after US intervention to help achieve a truce in fighting between government forces and Druze fighters.


France calls on all sides to respect ceasefire in Syria

The French Foreign Ministry has called on both sides in Syria to respect the ceasefire in Suwayda after days of clashes between Druze armed groups, Bedouin tribes and government forces.

The ministry also called for a probe into actions against minorities and called for Israel to stop unilateral action in the area. Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has held talks in recent days with his Syrian and Israeli counterparts over the issue, the ministry said in a statement.

However, the statement comes after a Bedouin commander said fighters launched a new offensive, claiming the truce only applied to government forces.



SvennoJ on 17 July 2025

Regional foreign ministers urge respect for Syria’s sovereignty

The foreign ministers of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt and Turkiye have issued a joint statement after holding talks on the situation in Syria.

Describing Israel’s strikes on the country as a “flagrant violation of international law”, they expressed support for “Syria’s security, unity, stability, and sovereignty”, and rejected “all foreign interference in its affairs”.

The ministers also welcomed the ceasefire deal that was reached in Suwayda, which they said must be respected in a way that “spares Syrian bloodshed and ensures the protection of civilians” and the rule of law.

“Syria’s security and stability constitute a cornerstone of regional security and stability and a shared priority”, the statement reads.


Syria’s president thanks Qatari, Saudi and Turkish leaders for support

Ahmed al-Sharaa has reiterated that his government “remains committed to protecting” Syrians of all sects amid recent sectarian violence.

In a readout of his talks with the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye today, Syria’s SANA news agency said the Syrian president also said this week’s violence is the result of “arms proliferation and foreign interference”.

Al-Sharaa said Syria is committed ” to hold accountable all those who break the law and refuse to submit to the authority of the state, in order to preserve the unity of the country and safeguard the dignity and security of citizens”, SANA said.


Ceasefires do not apply to Israel...

Israeli air strike hits vicinity of Syria’s Suwayda: Report

Israel has carried out an air strike in the vicinity of Syria’s Suwayda, Syrian state news agency SANA said on Thursday.

These strikes come despite a new ceasefire deal struck after four days of clashes between Druze armed groups, Bedouin tribes and government forces that have left hundreds dead.

Four people killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon

At least two people have been killed after an Israeli drone strike on the town of Qabrikha in Lebanon, after one woman succumbed to her injuries, the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, affiliated with the Ministry of Public Health, said.

The latest deaths come after two people were killed in Israeli raids on the town of Naqoura and the Toul-Kafour highway.



SvennoJ on 17 July 2025

Israeli forces target al-Mawasi after ordering Palestinians to move there

Israeli forces have targeted tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in al-Mawasi, southern Gaza, minutes after ordering residents in Jabalia to move to the so-called safe zone.

Shortly before the attack, the Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, wrote on X that those in five designated blocks in Jabalia must “immediately evacuate southwards to al-Mawasi” due to an intensification of Israeli attacks in the area.

The Israeli army routinely calls on Palestinians to forcibly leave areas in Gaza to move to al-Mawasi, but it has consistently targeted the area, rendering no place in the enclave safe for Palestinians.


MSF says worker injured in Israeli attack on Khan Younis tent camp

Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, says staffer Hasni al-Najjar was injured when Israeli forces opened fire on tents housing displaced Palestinians in the southern Gaza city yesterday.

“Hosni was injured in his back due to shrapnel, which caused his lungs to fill with blood,” MSF said in a post on X.

Al-Najjar was transferred to Nasser Hospital, but a lack of available beds forced him to be moved to an MSF field hospital in central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah for more treatment.

“Two of our colleagues were injured, and a third was killed in less than a month,” MSF said.



SvennoJ on 17 July 2025

Israeli security cabinet meets to discuss ceasefire negotiations

Israel’s security cabinet is currently meeting to discuss the latest developments during ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Doha.

According to Israeli media, mediators in the Qatari capital have presented new maps of the army’s withdrawal from the Morag Axis, which splits Khan Younis and Rafah.

However, far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has been quoted as saying that withdrawing from the axis was a “grave mistake”.

“I call on Netanyahu to reverse it. I call on Netanyahu to halt negotiations with terrorists and issue the necessary instructions to achieve the war’s objectives, which are the complete occupation of Gaza and the encouragement of immigration and settlement in Gaza,” Ben-Gvir said.

Trilateral mediators present new ceasefire deal: Report

Sources close to the negotiations told Axios they believed a deal could be reached soon following an updated offer presented to Hamas and Israel by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

The deal would involve a 60-day ceasefire, the release of 10 live captives and 18 dead ones, the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, and increased aid into the Strip, according the report.

So a temporary pause? Whatever just stop the killing.