Tag: genocide

  • One year of genocide: Films that tell Gaza’s story of struggle and hope

    One year of genocide: Films that tell Gaza’s story of struggle and hope

    Today marks a year since the genocide in Gaza began.  There is no better way to show the power of storytelling than through films and documentaries. 

    These powerful stories not only show the pain and loss that Palestinians are subjected to by Israel but also highlight the strength and hope of the people of Gaza as they continue to fight for justice and peace.

    Documentaries like ‘Gaza Fights for Freedom’ show us a look at life in Gaza during protests, showing the courage of those standing up for their rights. It also tells us about resilience in their stand on the Great March of Return protest.  It was released in 2019 and directed by Abby Martin.
     

    Hernan Zin’s documentary ‘Born in Gaza’ follows the lives of children in Gaza during and after Israel’s 2014 assault, showing the devasting effect of genocide on young children.

  • Kamala Harris ‘will not be silent’ on suffering in Gaza

    Kamala Harris ‘will not be silent’ on suffering in Gaza

    United States Vice President Kamala Harris, who is now running for candidacy in the upcoming presidential election, has asserted that she will not remain “silent” on the suffering in Gaza.

    “What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating. The images of dead children and desperate hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time,” Harris said while speaking to reporters following her meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington DC.

    At the same time, she maintained that “Israel has a right to defend itself”, deeming Hamas as a “brutal terrorist organisation” that led to the “war” and had carried out ‘“horrific acts of sexual violence”.

    Harris later added that “We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies [in Gaza]. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering and I will not be silent.”

    She also urged the creation of a Palestinian state, further calling for Netanyahu and Hamas to accord a ceasefire and hostage release deal to end a war that has killed “far too many” civilians.

    “As I just told Prime Minister Netanyahu, it is time to get this deal done,” she said.

  • From maggots to the devil: All you need to know about Netanyahu’s US visit

    From maggots to the devil: All you need to know about Netanyahu’s US visit

    July 24, 2024, was another day that will go down in history.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was enthusiastically welcomed at the United States Capitol to address Congress for the fourth time.

    But this time, things were different.

    On the streets of America, a large number of protestors swarmed in, carrying Palestinian flags, asserting their disapproval of the US state for hosting a man who has been deemed a war criminal by anti-genocide advocates worldwide.

    Some protestors also reportedly released maggots and mealworms at the Watergate Hotel where PM Netanyahu, Israeli Mossad agents, and the Secret Service were to stay.

    Back in May this year, Prosecutor Karim Khan at the International Criminal Court (ICC) called for arrest warrants for the Israeli PM and his associates for committing “war crimes and crimes against humanity” in Gaza.

    As of yet, at least 39,145 people have been killed and 90,257 injured in Gaza since October 7 — the day when Israel began its deadly operations in the besieged strip, using Hamas’ attacks as justification for the bloodshed witnessed worldwide.

    Are all Congress members supportive of Netanyahu?

    More than 50 members reportedly boycotted or skipped the address, close to the 58 members who chose to abstain from attending Netanyahu’s 2015 speech.

    Among the members are Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Bernie Sanders, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Punjabi-Hindu descendant Rep. Ro Khanna.

    Pelosi criticised PM Netanyahu’s presentation in the House Chamber as “by far the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary invited and honored with the privilege of addressing the Congress of the United States.”

    However, Rashida Tlaib, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan, attended the Israeli PM’s speech for all the right reasons.

    Among the audience who gave Netanyahu a standing ovation on every claim, Tlaib stood out as the only hero in the room, wearing her Palestinian flag pin and a keffiyeh, holding a sign that read “guilty of genocide” on one side and “war criminal” on the other.

    Who is Rashida Tlaib?

    Tlaib was born in the US to Palestinian parents — both of whom came from Palestine “for a better life,” she said in a post on social media.

    She is the eldest daughter of 14 kids who earned her bachelor’s in political science and Juris Doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2004. Rashida Tlaib then entered the Michigan state bar in 2007.

    In 2022, she was re-elected to the U.S. Congress as one of the first two Muslim women (along with Ilhan Omar) and the first Palestinian woman.

    “I will never back down in speaking truth to power”, she posted on X following PM Netanyahu’s speech.

    “The apartheid government of Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians. Palestinians will not be erased. Solidarity with all those outside of these walls in the streets protesting and exercising their right to dissent.”

    https://x.com/RashidaTlaib/status/1816200931848950184

    What did PM Netanyahu say?

    • “Like December 7th, 1941, and September 11th, 2001, October 7th is a day that will forever live in infamy.”
    • “For the forces of civilization to triumph, America and Israel must stand together. Because when we stand together, something very simple happens. We win. They lose.

      And my friends, I came to assure you today of one thing: we will win.”

    • ‘I thank President Biden for his heartful support for Israel after the savage attack on October 7th. He rightly called Hamas “sheer evil.”’ President Biden and I have known each other for over forty years. I want to thank him for half a century of friendship to Israel and for being, as he says, a proud Zionist. Actually, he says, a proud Irish American Zionist.
    • “…the Muslim soldiers of the IDF fought alongside their Jewish, Druze, Christian and other comrades in arms with tremendous bravery.”
    • “As the Bible says, “עם כלביא יקום” —they shall rise like lions. They’ve risen like lions, the lions of Judah, the lions of Israel.”
    • “These protesters chant “From the river to the sea.” But many don’t have a clue what river and what sea they’re talking about.”
    • “For nearly four thousand years, the land of Israel has been the homeland of the Jewish people. It’s always been our home; it will always be our home.”
    • “Now, just as malicious lies were levelled for centuries at the Jewish people, malicious lies are now being levelled at the Jewish state.”
    • “The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has shamefully accused Israel of deliberately starving the people of Gaza. This is utter complete nonsense. It’s a complete fabrication.”
    • “The vast majority of Americans have not fallen for this Hamas propaganda. They continue to support Israel, and I want to say: Thank you America, and thank you, senators and house members who continue to support us, continue to support Israel, continue to support the truth and see through the lies.”
    • “If you remember one thing, one thing from this speech, remember this: Our enemies are your enemies, our fight is your fight, and our victory will be your victory.”
    • “The new alliance I envision would be a natural extension of the groundbreaking Abraham Accords. Those Accords saw peace forged between Israel and four Arab countries, and they were supported by Republican and Democrats alike.

      I have a name for this new alliance. I think we should call it: The Abraham Alliance.”

    https://x.com/RashidaTlaib/status/1816200931848950184
  • 10-year-old chef in Gaza offers a taste of hope during genocide

    10-year-old chef in Gaza offers a taste of hope during genocide

    Amid Israeli military operations, the streets of Gaza have found a new star.

    Renad Attalah, a 10-year-old girl with a big smile and a love for cooking, has captured many hearts with her entertaining cooking videos.

    “One of her recipe videos is titled ‘War’s Lollipop by Chef Renad’,” reads a caption.

    Her recipes are always simple and creative, using ingredients obtained from aid sent into Gaza.

    “I have always loved cooking, but I didn’t realise I had this skill before the war started,” Renad tells Al Jazeera. Her passion for cooking has become a source of hope and joy, not only for herself but also for many who watch her.

    Thousands of people in northern Gaza are facing severe shortages of water and food since Israel’s attacks began on October 7, resulting in at least 38,011 deaths and 87,445 injuries.

    This grim reality contrasts sharply with Renad’s cheerful cooking videos, which depict the challenging conditions she works under. Despite the obstacles, she cooks using donated food and aid.

    “We have been searching for drinking water in Gaza for three days, but there is none,” she shares in one of her heartfelt videos.

    “Bombardments, warplanes, drones, and the lack of internet are all challenges. Whenever the internet service is restored, I occupy myself with creating content and posting,” she says.

    Renad strives to upload her recipes to social media as frequently as possible, despite numerous challenges.

    Nourhan, Renad’s sister, recalls how it all began: “It was a spontaneous idea. We had been confined at home since the start of the war. We wanted to do something to cheer Renad up, so we started filming her cooking randomly. After more than four months, when the internet was finally restored, I posted her first clip, and the response was immense.”

    The response has indeed been overwhelming. Renad has amassed over half a million followers on Instagram, becoming an instant sensation and an inspiration.

    Israel’s attacks on Gaza have had devastating effects, resulting in the deaths of over 14,000 children and injuries to tens of thousands more. Amidst this grim reality, Renad’s cooking videos provide a means of escape and a source of happiness for many. “I am trying to escape the agony of war, bring joy to myself, to make myself and others happy, and to alleviate grief and sadness,” she says.

  • Israeli official confirms Netanyahu dissolves war cabinet

    An Israeli government spokesman on Monday said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had dissolved the war cabinet following the resignation earlier this month of centrist leader Benny Gantz.

    David Mencer, spokesman at the prime minister’s office, told reporters the war cabinet was a “prerequisite” for former army chief and defence minister Gantz to join a unity government.

    “So with Mr Gantz leaving government, there is no need for the cabinet. Its duties will be taken over by the security cabinet”, a pre-existing body, on matters regarding the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, he said.

    Israeli media said the move, which was not expected to trigger any major policy shift, was meant to counter pressure from far-right politicians seeking a greater say in decision-making.

    The war cabinet was formed after Gantz had left the opposition to join Netanyahu’s government following Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel.

    Another member of Gantz’ party, also a former military chief, Gadi Eisenkot, had also agreed to join the government on condition that a war cabinet be formed, according to Israeli officials.

    Eisenkot left the war cabinet along with Gantz.

    “It means that the security cabinet will meet more often. The security cabinet is the body responsible for making decisions (related to the war) anyway,” said an Israeli official on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the issue.

    Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who were all part of the war cabinet, also sit on the security cabinet — which ratifies decisions regarding the war including truce and hostage release negotiations.

    Gantz announced his resignation on June 9 after failing to get Netanyahu to approve a post-war plan for Gaza.

    Israeli media reported that Netanyahu dissolved the war cabinet to avoid including far-right coalition members in the sensitive forum, fearing harm to relations with Western allies such as the United States.

    Mencer declined to answer when asked if Netanyahu’s decision aimed to rebuff his far-right partners and tighten his grip over decision-making.

    National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who are both security cabinet members and opposed to a truce before Hamas is “eliminated”, had put pressure on Netanyahu to add them to the war cabinet.

    Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza has killed at least 37,347 people, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the territory.

  • UN probe accuses Israel of crimes against humanity

    UN probe accuses Israel of crimes against humanity

    A UN investigation concluded on Wednesday that Israel has committed crimes against humanity during the genocide in Gaza, including that of “extermination”, while saying Israeli and Palestinian armed groups have both committed war crimes.

    The independent Commission of Inquiry’s report is the United Nations’ first in-depth investigation into the events following October 7.

    It found that Israel had committed war crimes, crimes against humanity and violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL).

    The report noted “a widespread or systematic attack directed against the civilian population in Gaza.”

    “The commission found that the crimes against humanity of extermination; murder; gender persecution targeting Palestinian men and boys; forcible transfer; and torture and inhuman and cruel treatment were committed,” it added.

    Israel rejected the conclusions by accusing the UN commission of “systematic anti-Israeli discrimination”.

    Israel intensified its attacks in Gaza after Hamas’s October 7 attack.

    The commission found that in that attack, members of the military wings of Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups and Palestinian civilians committed war crimes, as well as violations and abuses of IHL and IHRL.

    Militants seized 251 hostages, of which 116 remain in Gaza, though the Israeli army says 41 of them are dead.

    The Israeli army launched a devastating offensive on the Gaza Strip that has left more than 37,000 people dead, the majority of them civilians, according to the territory’s health ministry.

    The unprecedented Commission of Inquiry was established by the UN Human Rights Council in May 2021 to investigate alleged violations of IHL and IHRL in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

    Since October 7, the three-member commission has focused on Israeli geocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

    “It is imperative that all those who have committed crimes be held accountable,” said the commission’s chair Navi Pillay, a former UN rights chief and an ex-International Criminal Court judge.

    “Israel must immediately stop its military operations and attacks in Gaza.

    “Hamas and Palestinian armed groups must immediately cease rocket attacks and release all hostages. The taking of hostages constitutes a war crime.”

    ‘War crimes’ in October attack

    The commission concluded that members of Hamas, other Palestinian armed groups and civilians participating in the October 7 attack “deliberately killed, injured, mistreated, took hostages and committed sexual and gender-based violence”.

    These acts were committed against civilians and members of the Israeli security forces.

    “These actions constitute war crimes and violations and abuses of IHL and IHRL,” it said.

    The commission further said it found “significant evidence on the desecration of corpses, including sexualised desecration, decapitations, lacerations, burning, severing of body parts and undressing”.

    “Women were subjected to gender-based violence during the course of their execution or abduction. Women and women’s bodies were used as victory trophies by male perpetrators.”

    Many children who witnessed their relatives being killed were “also filmed for propaganda purposes”, with the commission finding it “particularly egregious that children were targeted for abduction”.

    The report said Israeli authorities “failed to protect civilians in southern Israel on almost every front”.

    Israel’s ‘starvation’ of Gaza

    In their actions in Gaza, the commission found the Israeli authorities “responsible for the war crimes of starvation as a method of warfare, murder or wilful killing, intentionally directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects, forcible transfer, sexual violence, torture and inhuman or cruel treatment, arbitrary detention and outrages upon personal dignity”.

    Starvation will affect the Gaza population, particularly children, “for decades to come”, the report said, while “the siege it imposed… constitutes collective punishment and reprisal against the civilian population, both of which are clear violations of IHL.”

    In the West Bank, the commission found that Israeli forces committed acts of sexual violence, torture and inhuman or cruel treatment and outrages upon personal dignity, “all of which are war crimes”.

    Israel’s government and forces “permitted, fostered and instigated a campaign of settler violence against Palestinian communities” in the territory, the commission added.

    The report is based on interviews with victims and witnesses conducted remotely, and in Turkey and Egypt, and through studying thousands of verified open-source items, satellite imagery and forensic medical reports, the commission said.

    “Israel obstructed the commission’s investigations and prevented its access to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” it added.

    The report is due to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council next week.

    rjm/rlp/lb

    © Agence France-Presse

  • Ceasefire agreement in Gaza coming close at hand?

    Ceasefire agreement in Gaza coming close at hand?

    The UN Security Council gave a green signal to a US-proposed ceasefire plan on Monday aimed at ending the Israeli attacks in Gaza.

    The proposition consists of a three-stage ceasefire and captive-release proposal laid out on May 31 by President Biden, prompting the “parties to fully implement its terms without delay and without condition”.⁠
    ⁠
    As per the plan, Israel will withdraw its military forces from Gaza’s populated areas, Hamas will release the remaining captives and humanitarian aid would be allowed into Gaza “at scale”.⁠

    A temporary ceasefire will be in effect for six weeks at first, with the possibility of extension as negotiators work towards a permanent cessation of hostilities.

    As per the resolution, Israel has agreed to the plan and urged Hamas to also agree to it as well.

    However, Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, have recently vowed to continue the operations until Hamas is completely eradicated, raising doubts about their commitment to the ceasefire agreement.

    Hamas has expressed approval of the resolution and signalled readiness to engage in indirect talks regarding the implementation of the agreement’s principles.

  • Israel army says retrieved bodies of three Gaza hostages

    Israel army says retrieved bodies of three Gaza hostages

    The Israeli military said Friday its forces had retrieved the bodies of three hostages in an overnight operation in the northern Gaza Strip’s Jabalia.

    The bodies of Israeli hostage Chanan Yablonka, Brazilian-Israeli Michel Nisenbaum and French-Mexican Orion Hernandez Radoux “were rescued overnight” and their families were notified after forensic identification, the military said in a statement.

    Both Yablonka, 42, and Hernandez Radoux, 32, were abducted from a music festival when Hamas militants stormed southern Israel from Gaza on October 7, triggering the ongoing war.

    Nisenbaum, a 59-year-old resident of the Israeli town of Sderot near Gaza, was last contacted on his way to an army base on the border to pick up his granddaughter on the day of the attack.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under increasing domestic pressure to secure the release of remaining hostages, said in a statement Friday that “together with the Israeli people, my wife Sara and I bow our heads in deep sorrow and embrace the grieving families in their difficult time”.

  • Spain, Norway, Ireland recognise Palestine state in historic move

    Spain, Norway, Ireland recognise Palestine state in historic move

    Spain, Norway and Ireland have officially recognised the Palestinian state on Wednesday, paving the way for other European countries to do the same.

    The momentous development comes as yet another setback to Israel after the ICC announced this week that it will seek arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant for war crimes.

    “Today, Ireland, Norway and Spain are announcing that we recognise the state of Palestine,” Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris announced at a news conference, adding that other countries will join them within a few weeks.

    Israel reacted by announcing that it has recalled its ambassadors to Norway and Ireland. The occupying country’s ambassador to Spain had already been recalled in November last year.

    During the news conference, Harris said that he viewed the two-state solution as the only viable pathway for peace and security for the peoples of Israel and Palestine.

  • Ireland to recognise Palestinian statehood ‘this month’: minister

    Ireland to recognise Palestinian statehood ‘this month’: minister

    Ireland is certain to recognise Palestinian statehood by the end of May, the country’s foreign minister said Wednesday, without specifying a date.

    “We will be recognising the state of Palestine before the end of the month,” Micheal Martin, who is also Ireland’s deputy prime minister, told the Newstalk radio station.

    In March the leaders of Spain, Ireland, Slovakia and Malta said in a joint statement that they stand ready to recognise Palestinian statehood.

    Ireland has long said it has no objection in principle to officially recognising the Palestinian state if it could help the peace process in the Middle East.

    But Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza has given the issue new impetus.

    Last week EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Spain, Ireland and Slovenia planned to symbolically recognise a Palestinian state on May 21, with others potentially following suit.

    But Ireland’s Martin shied Wednesday from pinpointing a date.

    “The specific date is still fluid because we’re still in discussions with some countries in respect of a joint recognition of a Palestinian state,” said Martin.

    “It will become clear in the next few days as to the specific date but it certainly will be before the end of this month.

    “I will look forward to consultations today with some foreign ministers in respect of the final specific detail of this.”

    Last month during a visit to Dublin by Spanish premier Pedro Sanchez, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said the countries would coordinate the move together.

    “When we move forward, we would like to do so with as many others as possible to lend weight to the decision and to send the strongest message,” said Harris.

    Israeli genocide in Gaza has killed more than 35,000 people in the besieged strip, mostly women and children, according to the territory’s health ministry.