Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the rights situation in the Palestinian territories responded to a post on X, formerly Twitter, displaying a picture of Hitler being celebrated by a crowd with Nazi salutes and cheers above a shot of Netanyahu appearing to be greeted by US congressmen this week.
“History is always watching,” Craig Mokhiber, another former UN human rights official who resigned late last October accusing the world body of failing to prevent the “genocide” of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, wrote in the post.
“This is precisely what I was thinking today,” Albanese, an independent expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in 2022 but who does not speak on behalf of the United Nations, said in her response on Thursday.
Israel’s foreign ministry was quick to respond, slamming her on X as being “beyond redemption.”
“It is inconceivable that (Albanese) is still allowed to use the UN as a shield to spread anti-Semitism,” it said.
“When a current UN ‘expert’ endorses Holocaust distortion spread by the former (UN rights office) director in New York… the system is rotten to its core,” it said.
“It’s high time to #UNseatAlbanese!“
Israel’s new ambassador in Geneva, Daniel Meron, used the same hashtag, decrying that “Francesca Albanese abuses her (UN) title to spread hatred and inflammatory rhetoric.”
Israel’s top ally the United States also weighed in.
“UN Special Rapporteur’s comparison of Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler is reprehensible and antisemitic,” US ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva Michele Taylor said on X.
“There should be no place for such dehumanizing rhetoric. Special rapporteurs should be striving to improve human rights challenges, not inflame them.”
Albanese on Friday hit back at the criticism, insisting that “the memory of the Holocaust remains intact.”
“Institutional rants and outburst of selective moral outrage will not stop the course of justice, which is finally in motion.”
Israel’s has killed at least 39,175 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.
Authorities in Gaza said dozens of Palestinians were killed in three separate strikes, as Israel pounded the territory despite renewed US criticism of the high civilian toll.
Gaza civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said the three air strikes killed at least 44 people and wounded dozens within an hour across the war-torn Palestinian territory. Israel confirmed it carried out two of the strikes.
The health ministry said a strike on a fuel station in Al-Mawasi in southern Gaza killed 17 people, and the Palestinian Red Crescent said a separate strike almost simultaneously hit the UN-run Al-Razi School in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing five people.
The civil defence agency said the third strike was on a gathering of people near a roundabout in northern Gaza, but did not provide a breakdown of casualties.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier conveyed Washington’s “serious concern” to two senior Israeli officials regarding deadly Israeli strikes in Gaza, his spokesman said.
“We have seen civilian casualties come down from the high points of the conflict… but they still remain unacceptably high,” spokesman Matthew Miller said after Blinken met Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi.
Washington has been pushing for a truce between Israel and Hamas.
A senior Hamas official said Sunday the group was pulling out of indirect talks for a deal in protest at Israeli “massacres”, including a major strike that Gaza’s health ministry said killed at least 92 people on that day.
Hamas was ready to return to the indirect talks once Israel “demonstrates seriousness in reaching a ceasefire agreement and a prisoner exchange deal”, he said.
On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to ramp up pressure on Hamas.
“This is exactly the time to increase the pressure even more, to bring home all the hostages -– the living and the dead –- and to achieve all the war objectives,” he said.
Prisoner abuse allegations
Israel’s military said aircraft struck about “40 terror targets” in Gaza, including “sniping posts, observation posts, Hamas military structures, terror infrastructure, and buildings rigged with explosives”.
It said troops were continuing targeted raids in the southern city of Rafah and in central Gaza.
The UN humanitarian office OCHA said multiple strikes across Gaza on Tuesday killed and wounded dozens.
Hamas seized 251 hostages after October 7, 116 of whom are still in Gaza including 42 the Israeli military says are dead.
Israel has killed at least 38,713 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry.
Israel’s military has also detained scores of Gazans, who have made allegations of torture, rape and other abuses in custody that Israeli authorities have denied.
Palestinian lawyer Khaled Mahajna said Monday that prisoners had recounted guards using “electric prods” on inmates.
In one prisoner’s case, a “fire extinguisher tube was inserted into his buttocks and the fire extinguisher was turned on,” Mahajna said after visiting detained Palestinian journalists.
Mass displacement
Indirect talks on ending the devastating war have been brokered by Qatar and Egypt, with US support, but months of negotiations have failed to bring a breakthrough.
At the end of May, US President Joe Biden outlined a ceasefire roadmap he said had been drawn up by Israel that triggered an intensification of the talks.
But despite meetings in both Cairo and Doha, there has been no sign of progress on how this might be implemented.
Critics in Israel, including tens of thousands of demonstrators demanding a deal to bring home the hostages, have accused Netanyahu of prolonging the war.
The conflict has forced 90 percent of Gaza’s 2.4 million people to flee their homes. Many have sought refuge in UN-run schools, seven of which have been hit by Israeli strikes since July 6.
“Why do they target us when we are innocent people?” asked Umm Mohammed al-Hasanat, sheltering with her family at a UN-run school in Nuseirat, which was among those hit.
“We do not carry weapons but are just sitting and trying to find safety for ourselves and our children.”
The war has also sparked near-daily exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, which says it is acting in support of Hamas.
Lebanese official media said Israeli strikes Tuesday on southern Lebanon killed five people, including three Syrian children, with Hezbollah announcing rocket fire at Israel in retaliation.
Meanwhile near Tel Aviv ultra-orthodox Jewish protesters fought police, hours after the Israeli military said it would begin issuing draft notices for men in the community from Sunday.
Historically exempt from compulsory military service, ultra-Orthodox seminary students are being called up as the Gaza war and potential conflict with Hezbollah sap resources and fuel resentment against those who do not have to serve.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently appeared in an interview with a group of journalists and claimed that he played an instrumental role in stopping the war in Gaza for the month of Ramzan.
In a video clip that surfaced on X (formerly Twitter), shared by ALT News journalist Muhammad Zubair Modi asserted that in the holy month of Ramzan, he sent a special envoy to Israel in order to convince the Israeli Prime Minister to at least stop the war in Gaza for the month. “Kam se kam Ramzan mein Gaza mein bambari na karein,” Modi stressed. He also stated that the Israeli Premier tried to follow his advice but he did make the effort.
Modi went ahead to point out that, “Here you guys accuse me of politics against the Muslims but, Modi attempted to stop the bombardment in Gaza. Now I don’t want publicity for this.”
The claim is being taken with a large pinch of salt by social media users.
Palestinian women in general and journalists, in particular, have set the bar with their resilience against what is now largely perceived as the most well-documented genocide of this century.
This Women’s Day, the world paid tribute to their untiring efforts, yet it is important to mention here that it is not enough since the besieged strip has been wreaked for more than six months now.
Palestinian journalists observed in real time the tragedy that women and children are experiencing due to the devastating war since October 7 last year. At least 63 women in Gaza are killed daily as a result of the Israeli war, with the majority being mothers, The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) reported on Friday.
“On International Women’s Day, the women in Gaza continue to endure the consequences of this brutal war,” the agency shared. “At least 9,000 women have been killed, and many more are under the rubble,” the statement added.
Hind Khoudary
Hind Khoudary is one such face the world is now fully familiar with because of her on-ground reporting and the compassion she has shown over time. She was paid tribute to by her fellow journalist Ali Jadallah in an Instagram post where he praised her for her commitment to her profession and towards Gaza.
However, he added, “As the ‘International Women’s Day’ is celebrated around the world on March 8th, Palestinian women start to work with the first hours of the day to provide for their families despite the difficulties experienced amid Israeli attacks.”
Hind, 28-years-old, has been working in the media since 2017. In an interview with Anadolu, she pointed out that the current situation in the Gaza Strip affects all Palestinian women regardless of their professions.
“While the world celebrates Women’s Day, Palestinian women are being displaced from their homes,” she said. “I am not just a journalist covering the war. Rather, I am a displaced person. I left my family and my husband and chose, despite the circumstances, to remain in Gaza and cover the war,” she added further.
In one of her posts on Instagram, she shared how she doesn’t have clean clothes to wear anymore and how she struggles hard during her periods. “I am also wearing two pants above each other because I don’t have any joggers anymore. The last time I showered was ten days ago. On my period for the second time during the past 30 days and yet I am still standing despite all the cramps,” Hind wrote.
Noor is a TV presenter and a reporter who has been reporting about the ongoing situation in Gaza. She made a huge sacrifice by evacuating her children from Gaza just for them to be able to have food and water but she remained in Gaza to continue reporting about the havoc endured by Palestinians.
In one of her posts, she wrote: “It’s hard to work in a location, where you know that there is dead bodies still stuck under the rubble. But it’s a story that should be told.”
Roba is a Palestinian journalist who has shown sheer commitment to her job even when her children were sick or when Israel was bombing buildings in real-time.
Doaa, 27, a photographer, reports the horrors befallen upon Gazans by the Israeli forces. “On International Women’s Day, we want to convey the image of women who are subjected to the most horrific massacres in Gaza,” she said in an interview with Anadolu.
“During this war, the occupation targeted women, children, and innocent people,” she pointed out. “We lack everything, including privacy. There are no bathrooms, and we struggle to convey the real picture,” Baz asserted.
Duaa Tuaima
Duaa Tuaima is a photojournalist whose Instagram is a window that opens into the reality of the suffering in Gaza.
Bisan is another popular name. A storyteller and filmmaker by profession from northern Gaza, Bisan has been documenting the displacements, bombings, and genocide in Gaza from day one. Her vlogs and videos in collaboration with different platforms are raw and insightful. “Hi, this Is Bisan from Gaza and I am still alive” is the line she says at the beginning of every vlog and it is ironically sad and hopeful at the same time.
In another, she posted about living in fear since the war started. “For 150 days, I have been afraid of cement ceilings. I do not want to be crushed to death when a missile lands. I sleep in a tent, and I am like hundreds of thousands suffering cold at times, heat at times, and disease and hunger at other times,” she wrote in an Instagram post.
11-year-old war reporter Sumayya Wushah was featured in Al Jazeera’s videos as Gaza’s youngest journalist reporting about the destruction in a confident tone. She is inspired by Shireen Abu Akleh, the Al-Jazeera journalist who was killed by the Israeli army in 2022.
Motaz Azaiza, the photojournalist called “The Eye of Gaza”, has evacuated the besieged strip after showing the world the reality of living in Palestine. He has landed in Qatar and has kickstarted the mission of taking the cause of advocating for the plight of Palestineans forward by participating in talk shows for Al-Jazeera. His absence on ground is missed.
There are plenty of journalists on ground who are risking their lives to show the world the war crimes being committed by Israeli forces and the genocide of poor Gazans.
Bisan is the leading journalist after Motaz. She is working with leading news portals and has shown daily life in Gaza since October 7. In her own words, she has been displaced more than thrice in the course of the last 100 days but is determined to keep documenting the genocide that is taking place in Gaza.
Hind Khoudary, a reporter who has worked closely with Motaz and is still in Gaza, is taking refuge in Motaz’s home reporting the havoc inflicted upon Gaza by Israel.
Spanish fashion label Zara has removed all the pictures of their latest campaign which took the internet by storm for its glaring similarity with the ongoing siege of Gaza. “Zara regrets that misunderstanding and we reaffirm our deep respect towards everyone,” states the statement of the brand.
The statement says that the idea was purely artistic and it was conceived and executed way before October 7.
Netizens are commenting and criticising Zara without having any qualms as a fashion blogger and YouTuber Faryal Makhdoom commented, “whatever, utter b/s”.
Blogger Sana Khader posted, “How easy for you to come and gaslight us. We all know it was intentional. What do you have to tell us about the Map of Palestine in the background of your pictures? Was it also planned before? Don’t be ridiculous. You’re done.”
Model Romi Allata, commented, “Boycott Zara FOREVER , Now the whole world can know the true you we don’t need a toxic apology.”
Previously, fashion label Zara ignited a new wave of controversy with its recently launched ad campaign, with model Kristen McMenamy standing in a room with mannequins covered in white shrouds surrounded by rubble.
The caption however suggests that Zara’s latest is a “limited edition collection” to celebrate the label’s “commitment to craftsmanship and passion for artistic expression”. However, internet users are alleging that the ad bears a striking resemblance to images of Gaza under Israeli airstrikes.
Zara has not offered any official statement addressing the claims. However, the most controversial picture from the ad campaign, featuring the model holding a ‘body’ wrapped in white sheets appears to have been removed from the label’s Instagram and Twitter.
“And the award for the most tone-deaf brand of the year goes to Zara. Using imagery of Israel’s genocide of Palestinians to sell their fast fashion brand of clothing,” criticised a Twitter user.
And the award for most tone deaf brand of the year goes to @ZARAUsing imagery of Israel’s genocide of Palestinians to sell their fast fashion brand of clothing. pic.twitter.com/H1vkAorfuC
Pro-Palestinian accounts took to Twitter to start the campaign against the Spanish retailer for it to be banned altogether for using genocide in Gaza to promote their new collection. #boycottzara has been trending on Twitter ever since.
In 2021, the company experienced a similar backlash after its head designer, Vanessa Perilman, made anti-Palestinian comments on social media. “Maybe if your people were educated then they wouldn’t blow up the hospitals and schools that Israel helped to pay for in Gaza,” Perilman had told Palestinian model Qaher Harhash on Instagram.
“Maybe if your people were educated then they wouldn’t blow up the hospitals and schools that Israel helped to pay for in Gaza”
Actor Ushna Shah laments the world we live in where they are openly killing and openly mocking.
The US vetoes a ceasefire, the UN gives toy-food resembling McDonald’s to Gaza, and Zara’s latest fashion campaign features bodies wrapped in shrouds amidst rubble. Do you see what the world has become? They are openly killing, openly mocking. Can you now perceive the true…
Zara’s branches in occupied territories reportedly suffered significant financial losses due to the previous boycott, estimated at tens of millions of shekels within a short period.
Since October 7, many have joined the boycott campaign against several multinational brands for their links to Israel and in some cases their support for them.
The brands include McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks, and H&M, among others.
