/leftypol/ - Leftist Politically Incorrect

Craig Murray on today's massacre in South Lebanon:
https://x.com/CraigMurrayOrg/status/1883537151960416551
(the number of dead is now up to 22)

Framing the USA, Israel, and Israeli Jews as anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist while characterizing Hamas, Palestine, Palestinian Arabs, and their allies as imperialist and colonialist involves reversing traditional narratives and requires a reframing of definitions. Here's an argument that supports this perspective:

### Anti-Imperialist and Anti-Colonialist Case for the USA, Israel, and Israeli Jews:

1. Historical Context of Jewish Displacement and Return:
- The Jewish connection to the land of Israel spans millennia, with Jerusalem as a cultural and religious center since ancient times. The establishment of Israel in 1948 can be seen as a response to centuries of persecution, culminating in the Holocaust, and an anti-colonial return to a historical homeland rather than an imperial expansion.
- Zionism, as a national liberation movement, sought self-determination for Jews, countering European imperialist and colonial subjugation of Jews in diaspora communities.

2. USA's Role in Supporting Democratic Values:
- The U.S. supports Israel as the only liberal democracy in the Middle East, emphasizing human rights, rule of law, and equal representation. This contrasts with oppressive regimes that suppress dissent and deny fundamental freedoms.

3. Israel’s Struggles Against Regional Hegemony:
- Israel faces existential threats from groups like Hamas, backed by Iran, which pursues influence across the region through its "Axis of Resistance." This bloc has imperial ambitions, aiming to establish ideological and political dominance via proxy groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen.
- Israel's actions in defending itself against such threats align with resisting imperial encroachment.

4. Humanitarian Commitment:
- Despite its military engagements, Israel has shown commitment to humanitarian principles by offering aid and adhering to international standards. The USA’s support of Israel is rooted in shared democratic values and mutual opposition to totalitarian ideologies.

—

### Argument for Hamas, Palestinian Leadership, and Allies as Imperialist and Colonialist:

1. Hamas’s Ties to Foreign Powers:
- Hamas operates with significant backing from Iran, which seeks to extend its influence in the region. This relationship reflects a neo-imperialist agenda, using the Palestinian cause to assert regional dominance.
- Hamas prioritizes military aggression and ideological expansion over the welfare of Palestinians, subordinating local needs to Iranian strategic interests.

2. Rejection of Coexistence:
- The refusal of Hamas and other Palestinian groups to recognize Israel’s right to exist exemplifies a colonial mentality of denying indigenous peoples their sovereignty. Hamas’s actions on October 7, 2023, targeting civilians, further highlight this disregard.

3. Cultural and Political Colonization:
- Groups like Hamas enforce strict ideological control, suppressing diverse political voices and cultural identities among Palestinians. This mirrors colonial tactics of domination and suppression.

4. Regional Expansionism:
- The "Axis of Resistance" led by Iran aims to project power and create a bloc of aligned states and proxies, undermining the sovereignty of nations like Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq. This imperialistic ambition destabilizes the region.

By this framing, the USA and Israel can be positioned as defenders of sovereignty, democracy, and self-determination, opposing the imperialist and colonialist ambitions of Hamas and its backers. This argument challenges common perceptions and highlights the complexity of the conflict.

From a Marxist-Leninist perspective, the roles of imperialism, colonialism, and anti-imperialism must be assessed in the context of class struggle, the liberation of oppressed peoples, and opposition to systems of domination. Applying this framework to the Israel-Hamas conflict and the October 7, 2023, attacks, one could argue the following:

—

### The USA, Israel, and Israeli Jews as Anti-Imperialist and Anti-Colonial Forces

1. Jewish Return to Historical Homeland as a National Liberation Movement
- From a Marxist-Leninist perspective, national self-determination is a central tenet of anti-imperialism. Zionism can be framed as the Jewish people’s struggle for national liberation against centuries of oppression, exile, and exploitation under imperial powers (e.g., Roman, Ottoman, and European empires).
- The creation of Israel in 1948 represented the establishment of a sovereign state for an historically oppressed group, not an act of colonial imposition, as the land was already tied to Jewish history and identity. This aligns with Lenin’s principle of the right of nations to self-determination.

2. Opposition to Regional Hegemony by Reactionary Forces
- Israel’s primary adversaries, such as Hamas and the Iranian-led Axis of Resistance, can be seen as instruments of reactionary imperialism rather than anti-imperialists. Iran uses Hamas and other proxies to extend its influence in the Middle East, subjugating local populations to its geopolitical ambitions.
- By resisting these forces, Israel acts in defense of its sovereignty and the rights of its working class, opposing external domination that mirrors imperialist practices.

3. The USA as a Backer of National Sovereignty Against Regional Imperialism
- While the USA is often criticized for its imperialist tendencies, its support for Israel in this context can be interpreted as bolstering the defense of a democratic and sovereign state against external imperial ambitions. The survival of Israel as a bastion of sovereignty, freedom, and development in the region disrupts Iranian-led neo-imperialist designs.
- The USA's backing of Israel in this scenario serves to counter reactionary, theocratic, and feudalistic forces seeking to suppress modernity and progress.

4. Jewish National Liberation and Proletarian Unity
- Marxist-Leninist thought emphasizes the unity of the oppressed proletariat against ruling-class domination. The historical Jewish experience of persecution under European and Middle Eastern feudal and capitalist systems (pogroms, expulsions, and the Holocaust) underscores their proletarian struggle.
- The reestablishment of a Jewish homeland in Israel represents an anti-colonial victory for an oppressed group seeking to reclaim its autonomy and ensure its survival.

—

### Hamas, Palestine, and the Iranian-Led Axis of Resistance as Imperialist and Colonialist Forces

1. Hamas as a Reactionary Bourgeois Leadership
- From a Marxist-Leninist perspective, Hamas’s leadership represents a reactionary force rather than a liberatory one. Its Islamist ideology is rooted in feudalistic and theocratic principles, contrary to the progressive, secular ideals of Marxism.
- Rather than advancing the material conditions of Palestinian workers, Hamas prioritizes military confrontation and subservience to Iranian interests, effectively acting as a comprador bourgeoisie. This serves to perpetuate the exploitation of Palestinian workers while enriching its leadership.

2. Iranian-Led Imperialism Through Proxy Networks
- Iran’s "Axis of Resistance" functions as a neo-imperialist project, extending its influence through armed proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah, and militias in Iraq and Yemen. These groups destabilize sovereign nations and suppress proletarian struggles within their territories.
- Far from promoting the liberation of oppressed peoples, this axis imposes ideological and political hegemony that undermines the sovereignty of local populations, akin to colonial exploitation.

3. Hamas’s Denial of Jewish Sovereignty as Colonialist
- By refusing to recognize Israel’s right to exist and engaging in violent attacks such as the October 7 massacre, Hamas adopts a colonialist posture that seeks to eradicate the national liberation of another historically oppressed people.
- This negation of Jewish self-determination reflects imperialist ambitions to dominate the region rather than coexist with other nations. Hamas’s tactics of targeting civilians further demonstrate its disregard for proletarian solidarity and human dignity.

4. Instrumentalization of the Palestinian Cause
- Palestinian Arabs have legitimate grievances and aspirations, but their cause is often instrumentalized by Hamas and other reactionary forces to serve broader geopolitical ambitions. Rather than empowering Palestinians through grassroots development and class struggle, Hamas diverts resources to militarism, subordinating Palestinian workers to its imperialist patrons in Tehran.
- This subordination mirrors colonial practices, where the local population is exploited to serve the interests of external powers.

—

### Broader Marxist-Leninist Analysis of the Conflict

1. Class Struggle in the Region
- The Israeli working class, including Jewish, Arab, and other citizens, faces common threats from reactionary forces like Hamas that seek to destabilize the region. Solidarity among workers in Israel and Palestine could offer a path toward class liberation, but this is undermined by Hamas’s theocratic and militarist agenda.

2. Contradiction Between Reactionary and Progressive Forces
- The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not merely a binary struggle between occupier and occupied but a more complex clash of reactionary and progressive forces. Israel’s democracy, despite its flaws, represents a more progressive and inclusive model than the theocratic, patriarchal, and authoritarian systems promoted by Hamas and its allies.

3. Path to True Anti-Colonial Solidarity
- True anti-colonial solidarity would involve rejecting both imperialist domination by Iran and reactionary ideologies like Hamas’s, while supporting genuine self-determination for both Israelis and Palestinians within a framework of proletarian internationalism.

—

By this reasoning, Israel and its allies can be framed as resisting reactionary imperialism and promoting sovereignty and development, while Hamas and its backers represent neo-imperialist, colonialist, and reactionary forces. This interpretation relies on a dialectical understanding of the region's history, power dynamics, and class struggles.

A Marxist-Leninist analysis of the Israel-Hamas war's trajectory, considering its potential to escalate into a regional conflict, would center on the dynamics of class struggle, imperialism, and the material conditions of the states and groups involved. Here's a strong argument for why the war could lead to a regional total war, with Israel emerging as the victor and its adversaries—Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Iraq’s Iranian-aligned militias, and the Islamic Republic of Iran—exhausted or destroyed as significant forces:

—

### 1. Material Conditions and Military Capacity
Marxist-Leninist philosophy emphasizes the importance of material conditions in determining the outcome of conflicts. Israel's advanced economy, technological prowess, and military-industrial base provide it with significant advantages.
- Economic Strength: Israel has one of the most developed economies in the region, capable of sustaining prolonged military operations. It has substantial backing from the U.S., including financial aid and advanced weapons systems, which give it a clear edge.
- Military Superiority: The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are among the most advanced and well-trained in the world, with cutting-edge technologies such as the Iron Dome, precision-guided munitions, and cyber capabilities.
- Logistics and Resilience: Israel's internal production capabilities, robust logistics, and access to global trade ensure its ability to endure prolonged conflict, unlike its adversaries, who rely on external support and have weaker economies.

In contrast, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran face significant material disadvantages:
- Hamas: While capable of asymmetric warfare, Hamas lacks the industrial and technological base to sustain a prolonged, high-intensity conflict. Its reliance on smuggling and external funding (primarily from Iran) makes it vulnerable to blockades and resource depletion.
- Hezbollah: While militarily strong for a non-state actor, Hezbollah is overextended, with significant commitments in Syria and economic troubles in Lebanon.
- Iran: The Islamic Republic’s economy is heavily sanctioned, its military is outdated compared to Israel’s, and internal dissent weakens its ability to project power. A prolonged war would strain Iran’s already fragile state.

—

### 2. Dialectical Contradictions Among Israel’s Adversaries
Marxist-Leninist analysis highlights contradictions within coalitions of reactionary or imperialist forces. The Axis of Resistance (Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, and their allies) faces significant internal divisions:
- Diverging Interests: While these groups share an opposition to Israel, their goals and priorities differ. Hamas focuses on Gaza, Hezbollah prioritizes Lebanon, and Iran has broader regional ambitions. These contradictions could weaken their coordination in a prolonged war.
- Class Struggles Within Adversaries: Iran faces widespread domestic unrest due to economic hardship and repression. Similarly, Lebanon's economic collapse has weakened Hezbollah’s popular support. These internal struggles reduce their capacity to fight a sustained war.

—

### 3. The Regional Domino Effect of Total War
Should the war escalate, Israel's superior military and its ability to strike deep into enemy territory would likely lead to significant losses for its adversaries:
- Hamas: Continued Israeli offensives in Gaza would decimate Hamas’s leadership, infrastructure, and resources. The group’s ability to govern or project power would be crippled.
- Hezbollah: Any significant involvement by Hezbollah would trigger a massive Israeli response in southern Lebanon, targeting its infrastructure and leadership. This would likely exacerbate Lebanon’s economic and political collapse.
- Houthis and Shia Militias: These groups, while dangerous in localized conflicts, lack the capacity to engage Israel directly. They would face devastating losses if they overextend militarily, particularly as Israel’s allies (e.g., Saudi Arabia) counter their activities.
- Iran: Iran’s direct involvement would likely lead to attacks on its nuclear facilities, military bases, and economic infrastructure. Israel, potentially backed by the U.S., would inflict crippling blows on Iran’s ability to project power, possibly accelerating internal revolts against the regime.

—

### 4. Protracted Conflict and Exhaustion of Reactionary Forces
Marxist-Leninist theory argues that reactionary and imperialist forces are ultimately unsustainable in prolonged conflicts. In this scenario:
- Resource Depletion: Iran and its proxies lack the economic and industrial capacity to sustain a regional war. Sanctions, blockades, and Israeli strikes would quickly erode their ability to fight.
- Popular Backlash: The populations of Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran are already suffering under economic hardship. A prolonged war would likely lead to uprisings against their leaders, further weakening their regimes.
- Asymmetric Warfare Limitations: While groups like Hamas and Hezbollah rely on guerrilla tactics, these strategies cannot win a total war against a technologically superior adversary. Prolonged asymmetry leads to attrition rather than victory.

—

### 5. Israel’s Likely Victory
Israel’s ability to emerge victorious in such a conflict aligns with Marxist-Leninist principles of historical materialism:
- Consolidation of Sovereignty: A decisive victory would allow Israel to secure its borders and eliminate existential threats, ensuring its long-term survival as a sovereign state.
- Regional Restructuring: The collapse or decimation of Iran’s proxies would leave Israel as the dominant regional power, reshaping the Middle East’s balance of power.
- Alliance with Proletarian Struggles: While Israel is often criticized from a Marxist-Leninist perspective, its relative secularism, technological development, and democratic governance could position it as a progressive force compared to reactionary theocracies.

—

### Conclusion
From a Marxist-Leninist viewpoint, the most likely outcome of a prolonged Israel-Hamas war is a regional total war that ends with Israel’s victory and the exhaustion or destruction of its adversaries. The material conditions, internal contradictions among Israel’s enemies, and Israel’s military and economic superiority make this outcome highly probable. This scenario would also reshape the Middle East, weakening reactionary and imperialist forces (Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah) and potentially opening the door for new proletarian struggles in the region.

From a Marxist-Leninist philosophical perspective, an argument can be made for Israel’s conduct in the ongoing war being exemplary in its adherence to the ethics of war and the principles of defensive military operations. This argument rests on the following pillars:

—

### 1. Defensive Nature of Israel’s Operations
Lenin emphasized the right of nations to defend their sovereignty and self-determination against external threats. Israel’s actions, following the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, can be philosophically justified as a defensive response to an existential threat:
- Hamas’s Aggression as the Catalyst: The October 7 attacks, involving mass murder, kidnappings, and acts of terrorism targeting civilians, constitute a clear violation of international norms and demonstrate the aggressive, reactionary nature of Hamas. Israel’s military response is therefore defensive and aimed at neutralizing an existential threat.
- Prevention of Future Attacks: Marxist-Leninist thought emphasizes the need to dismantle reactionary forces that perpetuate oppression. Israel’s operations aim to disarm Hamas, a reactionary entity that prioritizes militarism over the welfare of the Palestinian proletariat, ensuring long-term security for both Israeli and Palestinian civilians.

—

### 2. Commitment to Reducing Civilian Harm
While war inevitably involves civilian suffering, Israel’s military conduct demonstrates a commitment to minimizing civilian casualties to an extent unprecedented in modern warfare, especially given the scale of operations:
- Advance Warnings and Humanitarian Corridors: Israel provides warnings before strikes (via leaflets, phone calls, and text messages), urging civilians to evacuate. This goes beyond the requirements of the Geneva Conventions and reflects an extraordinary effort to protect non-combatants, even at the cost of strategic surprise.
- Selective Targeting of Military Assets: Israel employs advanced precision-guided munitions to target Hamas infrastructure, while taking significant risks to avoid civilian areas. For example, strikes focus on command centers, tunnels, and weapons depots, rather than indiscriminate bombing.
- Humanitarian Aid: Israel permits and facilitates humanitarian aid to Gaza, even while under attack. This reflects a commitment to the principle of distinguishing between combatants and non-combatants. Such efforts align with Marxist-Leninist principles of addressing the suffering of the proletariat, even among populations ruled by hostile regimes.

—

### 3. Ethical Superiority Over Reactionary Tactics
Israel’s conduct contrasts starkly with the unethical and reactionary tactics employed by Hamas and its allies:
- Hamas’s Use of Human Shields: Hamas places military assets in densely populated areas, including schools, hospitals, and mosques, deliberately endangering civilians. This not only violates international law but also exemplifies the reactionary character of Hamas’s leadership, which prioritizes militarism over the welfare of its people.
- Terrorist Tactics: The October 7 attacks targeted civilians indiscriminately, violating the most basic principles of international law and the ethics of war. In contrast, Israel’s operations are focused on legitimate military targets, even when faced with such provocations.
- Undermining Proletarian Struggles: Hamas and similar groups exploit the Palestinian working class for their own reactionary goals, using them as pawns in a broader regional power struggle rather than seeking genuine liberation. Israel’s precision targeting of these groups helps dismantle these exploitative structures.

—

### 4. Alignment with Marxist-Leninist Principles of Sovereignty and Liberation
Marxist-Leninist philosophy emphasizes the right of all nations to self-determination and the necessity of defeating reactionary forces that oppress workers and civilians:
- Sovereignty Against Reactionary Imperialism: Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran operate as reactionary forces that suppress progress and proletarian unity in the region. Iran, in particular, uses these proxies to advance its regional hegemonic ambitions, undermining the sovereignty of other nations. Israel’s defensive operations align with the Marxist-Leninist imperative to resist such imperialist domination.
- Liberation from Oppression: By targeting Hamas, Israel seeks to dismantle a regime that has failed the Palestinian working class, diverting resources to militarism while perpetuating oppression and poverty. In this sense, Israel’s actions could open the door to new opportunities for Palestinian liberation from reactionary leadership.

—

### 5. The Dialectical Necessity of Israel’s Actions
From a dialectical materialist perspective, the war must be understood as part of a broader contradiction between reactionary forces (e.g., Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran) and progressive forces (e.g., sovereign nations defending their people and seeking stability). Israel’s actions are shaped by the necessity of resolving these contradictions:
- Historical Materialism and the Israeli State: The establishment of Israel represents the culmination of a historical struggle for Jewish self-determination after centuries of oppression and exploitation under imperialist powers. The defense of this sovereignty is essential to preserving the gains of this anti-colonial struggle.
- Neutralizing Reactionary Forces: Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran represent reactionary, anti-progressive elements that prioritize militarism, sectarianism, and theocratic rule over proletarian welfare. Israel’s military operations serve to neutralize these forces, creating conditions for progress and stability.

—

### 6. Philosophical Justification for Israel’s Strategic Objectives
Marxist-Leninist theory supports the pursuit of military objectives that are proportionate, necessary, and aimed at achieving long-term stability:
- Neutralizing Hamas: Eliminating Hamas’s military capabilities is essential to preventing future attacks on civilians and ensuring regional stability. This aligns with the Marxist-Leninist goal of dismantling reactionary forces that perpetuate oppression.
- Protecting Civilian Lives: Israel’s efforts to minimize civilian casualties, even at the cost of operational efficiency, demonstrate a commitment to ethical warfare. This is especially significant given the scale of Hamas’s aggression and its deliberate endangerment of civilians.
- Defensive Nature of Operations: Israel’s actions are not expansionist but aimed at ensuring the security of its borders and people. This defensive posture aligns with Marxist-Leninist principles of resisting aggression and preserving sovereignty.

—

### Conclusion
From a Marxist-Leninist perspective, Israel’s conduct in the ongoing war exemplifies a commitment to the ethics of war, focusing on minimizing civilian harm while achieving necessary strategic objectives. Its actions are defensive in nature, responding to the aggressive and reactionary tactics of Hamas and its allies. By targeting reactionary forces that exploit and endanger both Israeli and Palestinian civilians, Israel aligns with the Marxist-Leninist principles of defending sovereignty, dismantling oppressive regimes, and creating conditions for proletarian liberation and regional stability.

>>487138
Wow what a load of gibberish

Israel is a colonialist project that got started by the British colonial empire, as a means of asserting imperial controle by militaristic domination. When the British empire disintegrated, the US empire took over the Zionist colony. There is absolutely no connection to anything that happened millennia ago. Zionism is an anti-semitic apartheid ideology that represents the negation of Judaism which exists in an international diaspora of Jews. Israel is not a democracy, because the Palestinians not only have no representation, they are being actively genocided by the Zionist regime that is occupying Israel. Israel has committed nearly every human-rights violation and war-crime there is, they're the villainous rogue regime now.

>From a Marxist-Leninist perspective
Your post is bereft of any and all Marxist perspective. Stop trying to shoe-horn Zionist propaganda talking points into Marxism, this is so embarrassingly cringe.

>>487140
>a Marxist-Leninist viewpoint
>The material conditions
>internal contradictions
>reactionary and imperialist forces
stop trying to use words you don't understand

>the most likely outcome of a prolonged Israel-Hamas war is a regional total war that ends with Israel’s victory and the exhaustion or destruction of its adversaries
Good grief what is it with self-destructive fascist regimes and their delusional total war fantasies. Israel wouldn't last more than a few weeks without money and weapons from the US. But even with the US doing the heavy lifting Israel would most likely get destroyed if this escalate into a regional war.

>Israel’s military and economic superiority
Iran has demonstrated that they have better air defenses and better missile-strike capabilities. Israel used to have a military-tech advantage, but not anymore. Isreal's productive sector of the economy has been gutted, they no longuer have a strong economy either.

>>487141
>Israel’s conduct in the ongoing war exemplifies a commitment to the ethics of war, focusing on minimizing civilian harm
wait is this satire ?
Are you trolling us ?

>>487132
Not Sure i understand the context, these are Israeli women saying that they were well treated while they were hostages ?
So Hamas is doing better on the humanitarian front than Israel when it comes to prisoners of war ?

>>487135
I don't understand why the Zionists are doing massacres in Lebanon, won't that like undermine the US's political project of establishing a pro-western government in place of Hezbollah being by far the strongest political and military force in Lebanon ?

>>487128
>Israel blocking US doctors, nurses from leaving Gaza: Report
They are doing this egregious harassment to intimidate other people that want to help the Palestinians. The level of inhumanity necessary to fuck with doctors and nurses that want to help people, it's incomprehensible.

>>487130
Kek

>>487120
>Abunimah’s arrest appears to be part of a growing backlash from Western governments against expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
>Last year, several activists and journalists in Britain were arrested, raided or charged using “counter-terror” powers. These include Asa Winstanley, an associate editor with The Electronic Intifada, whose home was raided and his computers and phones seized. Winstanley has not been charged with any crime.
Zionism is on a historic downwards trend, all those abuses of power are going to become really awkward for these people standing on the wrong side of history.

>>487146
Yep.

>>487147
Can't help themselves + want Lebanese civil war + want to annex South Lebanon/re-occupy Lebanon.

Israeli gunfire in southern Lebanon kills 15

Israeli soldiers killed 15 people in south Lebanon as a deadline for Israeli withdrawal passed and thousands of people tried to return to their homes, in defiance of Israeli military orders.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said 15 people were killed and another 83 wounded in numerous locations in the south, as a result of what it described as Israeli attacks on citizens while they were trying to enter their still-occupied towns.

The top UN official in Lebanon and the head of the UN peacekeepers in the south said conditions are “not yet in place” for the safe return of Lebanese citizens to villages near the border.

Frustrated Lebanese ask ‘where is the army?’

Israel was supposed to withdraw its troops from Lebanese territory before a 60-day deadline early on Sunday, part of the ceasefire that ended last year’s war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Supporters of Hezbollah – which has been seriously weakened militarily – are questioning the Lebanese army’s ability to protect them.

“Where is the army command? Why doesn’t it give an order to its troops to lead the way so we can enter our villages? Hezbollah has stepped aside and given the responsibility to the Lebanese army to act,” said Zaynab Hashem, a resident of Kfar Kila.

The Lebanese army was to deploy to the area alongside United Nations peacekeepers. Army commanders blame the presence of Israeli troops for delaying the deployment of Lebanese soldiers to southern villages.

Lebanon Health Ministry updates number killed by Israel today

As we’ve been reporting, several incidents in southern Lebanon involving residents attempting to return to their homes have resulted in Israel killing civilians.

The country’s Health Ministry now says 22 people have been killed and 124 wounded today.

This number includes nine children and a paramedic, the ministry said in a post on X.

Why are there so many Palestinian children in Israeli prisons?

At least 23 Palestinian child prisoners have been released by Israel as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal, bringing into focus Israel’s systematic prosecution of Palestinian children in military courts.

According to Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, a rights group based in the occupied West Bank, 320 children were being held in Israeli prisons before the latest prisoner exchanges.

So, what do we know about Palestinian child prisoners and why are they tried in military courts? Read the full story here: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/26/why-are-there-so-many-palestinian-children-in-israeli-prisons

Death toll in Gaza rises to 47,306

Gaza’s Ministry of Health says 47,306 Palestinians have now been killed and 111,483 injured since October 7, 2023.

In the past 72 hours, 23 people have died in hospitals and 11 people have been reported injured.

PIJ official on release of Arbel Yehud

Deputy Secretary-General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Mohammed al-Hindi has told Al Jazeera that the group has accepted that Arbel Yehud will be released before the next captive-prisoner exchange.

Here are a few more of his comments:

The mediators informed us that the Arbel Yehud is alive.
We accept that Arbel Yehud be released before next Saturday in exchange for the release of 30 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel is now trying to obstruct the ceasefire agreement and should have allowed the Palestinians to return [to north Gaza].
We are waiting for a practical response from the mediators regarding allowing the return of the displaced to the northern Gaza Strip.

Trump could cut aid to pressure Egypt, Jordan into accepting Palestinians
Patty Culhane
Reporting from Washington, DC

Trump’s comments about possibly transferring Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan are unheard of, as this has not been US policy.

Egypt and Jordan have made it clear in the past that they would not take in millions of Palestinians. So, what power does Donald Trump have here?

He could threaten to use tariffs, but more likely he will threaten to cut aid. The US State Department has frozen nearly all foreign assistance worldwide pending review, except for aid to Israel, Egypt and emergency food aid.

Jordan gets the second-highest amount of US aid in the region, $1.7bn in 2023, just below Israel, while Egypt gets $1.5bn.

At least one of the released Israeli soldiers asked to stay in captivity: Report

The Times of Israel, citing Israel’s Channel 12, reports that at least one of the four female Israeli soldiers whom Hamas released on Saturday asked to be allowed to stay in captivity along with their colleague Agam Berger, who is also being held captive in the Gaza Strip.

Berger is expected to be released in the next round of exchanges scheduled for Saturday.

Soldiers Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa and Naama Levy were all released yesterday. The Times of Israel did not state which soldier or soldiers had made the request.

All four were taken captive from Nahal Oz military base, just a kilometre (less than a mile) from the Gaza border, during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/1/26/live-toddler-among-three-killed-by-israeli-fire-in-west-bank-gaza

More details out about Ali Abunimah's arrest in Switzerland:

"The Electronic Intifada’s executive director Ali Abunimah was deported by Switzerland on Monday after spending two nights in jail.

Abunimah described his experience in a statement he made upon arrival to Istanbul airport late Monday. He said that he was “cut off from communication with the outside world” and “not even permitted to contact my family.”

He said that police accused him of “offending against Swiss law” but was not presented with any charges. Abunimah added that he was questioned “by Swiss defense ministry intelligence agents without the presence of my lawyer, and they again refused to allow me to contact her or my family.”

Abunimah refused food and accepted only water during his detention until he was informed he would be going home.

…

He contrasted his ill-treatment by Swiss authorities with that of Israeli President Isaac Herzog who “received a red carpet welcome in Davos, a carpet soaked in the blood” of Palestinians killed during Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

“This ordeal lasted three days but that taste of prison was more than enough to leave me in even greater awe of the Palestinian heroes who endure months and years in the prisons of the genocidal oppressor,” he said.

“More than ever I know that the debt we owe them is one we can never repay and all of them must be free and they must remain our focus.”

Abunimah said he was unaware of the global outpouring of outrage and solidarity after his arrest while he was in detention.

“I’m deeply grateful to each and every person who stood up for me,” he added.

…

Abunimah was detained ahead of a speaking event in Zurich on Saturday.

He arrived in Switzerland the previous day for a series of events at the invitation of local organizers. When he arrived at the airport in Zurich on Friday, Abunimah was questioned by police for an hour before being allowed to enter the country.

Eyewitnesses said three plainclothes police officers violently arrested Abunimah on Saturday and forced him into an unmarked vehicle without disclosing where he was being taken.

Abunimah’s arrest appears to be part of a growing backlash from Western governments against expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Last year, several activists and journalists in Britain were arrested, raided or charged using “counter-terror” powers.

They included Asa Winstanley, an associate editor with The Electronic Intifada, whose home was raided and his computers and phones seized. Winstanley has not been charged with any crime and the raid was condemned by the Committee to Protect Journalists and Britain’s National Union of Journalists.

Switzerland’s arrest of Abunimah has been met with worldwide condemnation. A petition demanding his release launched on Saturday had been signed by more than 15,000 people at the time of writing.

read more: https://electronicintifada.net/content/switzerland-deports-eis-ali-abunimah/50337

Craig Murray: "I was an eyewitness. Yesterday the Lebanese army just sat and watched the Israeli army massacre 23 Lebanese civilians and shoot another 109. If the Lebanese army was protecting anybody, it was protecting the IDF. The Lebanese army is completely a tool of the USA."
https://x.com/CraigMurrayOrg/status/1883797136372117650

Netanyahu plans to visit US next week: Report

The Israeli prime minister plans to travel to Washington, DC, for a meeting at the White House with Trump, Axios reports.

The news website’s report cited three Israeli and US sources.

Child killed as Israel attacks horse cart in central Gaza

Several other civilians were wounded in the incident as well, Wafa news agency reports.

Israeli troops shelled the cart in the west of Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing Nadia Mohammed al-Amoudi and wounding three others. This is one of many incidences of troops opening fire on displaced Palestinians as they move throughout the Strip in the wake of the ceasefire.

Al-Awda Hospital confirmed to Wafa that it received the body of the child and the three wounded people.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/1/27/live-israel-set-to-let-palestinians-return-to-north-gaza

Israel-Lebanon ceasefire deal extended until February 18: White House

The White House said Sunday that the ceasefire deal between Lebanon and Israel had been extended until February 18, as Israel missed a previous deadline to pull troops out.

“The arrangement between Lebanon and Israel, monitored by the United States, will continue to be in effect until February 18, 2025,” the White House said in a brief statement.

A ceasefire agreement reached in November had originally stated that Israel’s forces were supposed to withdraw from Lebanon by 02:00 GMT on Sunday.

However, on that day, Israeli forces killed 22 people in southern Lebanon, according to health officials.

In a statement, Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health said on Sunday that at least 124 people had also been wounded as the Israeli army opened fire as people tried to return to their homes.

Newly appointed US defence secretary pledges support for Israel in call with Netanyahu

Netanyahu has congratulated US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on his appointment, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

“Hegseth noted his long-standing support for the State of Israel and his friendship with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and assured that the United States will stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel, with a total commitment to its security,” it said.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/1/26/live-toddler-among-three-killed-by-israeli-fire-in-west-bank-gaza

One killed, many wounded in south Lebanon by Israeli troops

Lebanon’s Health Ministry says one person was killed by Israeli gunfire in Odaisseh town.

The ministry said many others were wounded. They included:

two in Odaisseh,
two in Yaroun, and
two in Hula.
The casualties come a day after Israeli attacks in the Lebanon-Israel border area killed 24 people and wounded 134 others.

The attacks came while people were attempting to return to their villages after Israeli forces failed to withdraw from southern parts of the country under a ceasefire agreement. That deal has been extended until February 18.

Hezbollah politician warns Lebanese ‘ready to liberate’ the south

A Hezbollah lawmaker warned that his group, alongside the Lebanese army, is prepared to liberate villages where Israeli troops remain after ignoring a ceasefire pledge to withdraw forces from the south by Sunday.

“The residents of these villages where the occupation remains are getting ready with our national army to liberate it,” Hassan Fadlallah said, speaking at an event in the southern city of Bint Jbeil, where Hezbollah’s reconstruction arm launched a rebuilding project.

At least 25 people have been killed and 140 wounded over the past two days as Israeli soldiers open fire on Lebanese villagers determined to re-enter their homes in southern Lebanon.

Israel’s deadly assault on Jenin enters 7th day

The Wafa news agency is reporting that the large-scale Israeli military operation on the occupied West Bank city has killed at least 16 people and wounded dozens.

The latest victim was 26-year-old Abdul Jawad al-Ghoul, who died late on Sunday after being shot by Israeli forces, according to Wafa.

The agency added that Israeli forces destroyed the Cinema Roundabout in the centre of Jenin, as well as shops in the area overnight. They also continued blowing up and burning homes in the Jenin refugee camp, and have razed large parts of the al-Dam and al-Bishr neighbourhoods, it added.

‘No more displacement’ vow Palestinians returning to north Gaza

A column of people – some holding infants in their arms or carrying bundles of belongings on their shoulders – headed north on foot along a road by the Mediterranean Sea shore.

“It’s like I was born again and we were victorious again,” said Umm Mohammed Ali, a Palestinian mother. Another crossing opened three hours later, this time letting in vehicles.

“My heart is beating, I thought I would never come back,” said Osama, 50, a public servant and father of five, as he arrived in Gaza City.

“Whether the ceasefire succeeds or not, we will never leave Gaza City and the north again, even if Israel would send a tank for each one of us. No more displacement.”

Hezbollah chief: Israel violated ceasefire 1,350 times

Naim Qassem, the head of the Lebanese group, is delivering a speech now.

We will bring you more of his comments shortly.

More from Hezbollah’s Qassem

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem has said during his speech that the group would not accept any justifications to extend the period given for Israeli troops’ withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

Israel said on Friday that its army’s withdrawal would last beyond the 60-day period stipulated in the ceasefire agreement with the Lebanese group, saying the terms of the deal had not been fully enforced by the Lebanese state.

The White House said yesterday that the ceasefire deal between Lebanon and Israel had been extended until February 18, as Israel missed a previous deadline to pull troops out.

The statement from the White House made no mention of Hezbollah.

Two killed, child among 17 wounded by Israeli attacks in Lebanon
After killing at least 24 people in southern Lebanon on Sunday, Israeli forces so far today have shot and killed two people and wounded 17, including a child and a paramedic, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Here are the latest updates, as reported by the National News Agency of Lebanon:

One person killed and three wounded in Odaisseh
One person killed and two wounded in Bani Haiyyan
Two people wounded in Burj al-Muluk
Six people wounded in Hula
Three people wounded in Markaba
One person wounded in Yaroun

Lebanon commits to truce extension with Israel

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati says Lebanon has agreed to extend the ceasefire agreement with Israel until February 18.

The move came after a day of violence in which Israeli forces shot at Lebanese people trying to return to their homes in southern Lebanon, killing at least 24 and wounding dozens more.

Lebanese again try to return home after deadly Israeli attacks

Southern Lebanon residents accompanied by the army tried to return to their villages a day after Israeli soldiers opened fire, killing 24 people and wounding 134 others.

Dozens of vehicles carrying families headed towards border towns a day after hundreds of residents tried unsuccessfully to get back into their homes.

In the village of Burj al-Muluk, dozens of men, women and children gathered behind a dirt barrier, some holding yellow Hezbollah flags, hoping to reach the border town of Kfar Kila, where the Israeli military is still deployed.

The official National News Agency reported that Lebanese “army reinforcements” arrived near the border town of Maiss el-Jabal, where people started to gather at “the entrance of the town” in preparation for entering alongside the military.

Israel’s military has refused to withdraw despite agreeing to do so in a November ceasefire.

Two Israeli army reservists accused of spying for Iran: Report

Police and Shin Bet announced the arrest of two 21-year-old military reservists from northern Israel on suspicion of spying for Iran in exchange for payments.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz, citing the State Prosecutor’s Office, said one of the suspects received $3,500.

One suspect serves in an Iron Dome unit and had access to classified information, which he relayed to his Iranian agent by sending video footage on how the system operates, the news report said.

According to police, the footage contained highly sensitive information, which caused significant damage to the Israeli army’s operations. The Iron Dome is an Israeli defence system that detects an incoming rocket, determines its path, and intercepts it.

Jordan denounces Trump’s ‘liquidation of the Palestinian cause’

Jordanian officials have rejected US President Donald Trump’s suggestion to “clean out” Gaza and move 1.5 million Palestinians to Jordan and Egypt.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said:

All talk about an alternative homeland for the Palestinians is rejected and we will not accept it.
Our position is firm against displacement and we will not waver in this regard.
Any attempt to displace Palestinians from their land will not bring security to the region.

Meanwhile, the Jordanian House of Representatives said:

The absurdity and denial of Palestinian rights will keep the region on a simmering and boiling plate.
We affirm our rejection of all illusions of displacement to liquidate the Palestinian cause at the expense of Jordan and Egypt.
Jordan will not be an alternative homeland for the displacement attempts against the patient Palestinian people.

UN says tens of thousands of Palestinians waiting at checkpoint in central Gaza

The UN’s humanitarian agency (OCHA) says that aid organisations and local charities have been helping tens of thousands of people gathered at a checkpoint central Gaza, seeking to return home or reunite with their loved ones.

OCHA, in a post on X, said that aid groups have been providing food and medical care to the crowds.

Palestinians have been gathering at the so-called Netzarim corridor, which separates north Gaza from the rest of the enclave, since Saturday. Israel was supposed to allow the displaced people to cross into the north on Sunday, but blocked their return following a dispute over the release of a female Israeli captive.

But as we’ve been reporting, Netanyahu has now confirmed that Palestinians will be allowed to cross the Netzarim corridor on Monday morning.

According to Palestinian officials, there are some 650,000 displaced people waiting to return to the north.

General’s Plan general: ‘We are at the mercy of Hamas’

A former army general who proposed a “surrender-or-starve” strategy for northern Gaza says “the war has ended very badly” for Israel.

General Giora Eiland spoke to Israeli Army Radio as tens of thousands of Palestinians returned to the heavily destroyed north in accordance with a ceasefire reached with Hamas.

Eiland said by opening the Netzarim Corridor – an Israeli military zone bisecting the territory – Israel lost leverage over Hamas and wouldn’t be able to restore it, even if it resumes the war. “We are at the mercy of Hamas,” he said.

Israel failed to achieve its stated war goals including destroying Hamas, removing it from governance, or safely returning dozens of captives. Hamas, by contrast, “has largely achieved everything it wanted”, he added.

Eiland was the main author of the “Generals’ Plan”, which called for declaring northern Gaza a closed military zone, sealing it off from humanitarian aid, and declaring anyone remaining would be considered a combatant.

Last fall, the plan was presented to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which has not said whether it adopted parts of it. The Israeli military has denied carrying it out.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/1/27/live-israel-set-to-let-palestinians-return-to-north-gaza

Mahmood OD - Lebanese woman stands against Merkava tank

New Zealand requires Israelis to disclose military service when applying for visas: Report

New Zealand will now require Israelis applying for a visa to report details about their military service, and at least one person has been denied entry after doing so, according to the Times of Israel newspaper.

Israelis applying for a tourist visa will have to disclose whether they served in the military – as most Israelis do – or are active reservists, the outlet reported.

One of the questionnaires asks applicants if they “used or promoted violence or human rights abuses to further their aims”. Another question probes if the applicant has “been involved in war crimes, crimes against humanity, or human rights abuses”.

At least one soldier who served in Gaza in recent months was denied entry to New Zealand after filling out the questionnaire, he told the Times of Israel, adding that he had not been involved in war crimes.

Israeli forces tear down mosque in West Bank’s Jenin: Report

As we’ve been reporting, Israeli forces are continuing a violent raid in the city and the refugee camp of Jenin for the eighth straight day.

During the incursion, they demolished Hamza Mosque, located in the Jenin refugee camp, reports the Wafa news agency, citing local sources.

Israeli forces also stormed homes in the eastern part of the camp, while bulldozers kept wrecking infrastructure in the al-Hawashin and al-Alup neighbourhoods, said Wafa.

Forty-eight bodies recovered in Gaza in past two days: Ministry

Hospitals in Gaza have received 48 bodies in the last 48 hours, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry.

Among the deceased are 11 people killed in recent Israeli military attacks, along with 37 bodies recovered from the rubble of earlier strikes, the ministry said. At least 80 wounded individuals were also brought to hospitals.

Residents ordered to leave homes at gunpoint in West Bank’s Tulkarem: Ministry

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has given an update on the Israeli military raid in Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank, which is continuing for a second day.

According to the ministry, Israeli forces pushed families out of their homes at gunpoint in the Tulkarem refugee camp last night, while imposing a “tight siege” on the Martyr Dr Thabet Thabet Government Hospital.

In addition, Israeli forces blocked ambulances from “carrying out their duties” in the area, the statement issued on X said.

Released prisoners facing ‘systematic terrorism’ by Israel: Prisoners’ group

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society has released a statement on Israeli actions against recently released prisoners under the ceasefire agreement in Gaza:

Israeli forces practised “systematic terrorism” against the released prisoners and their families, including threats that reached the point of killings and arrests.
They also raided the homes of prisoners, causing sabotage in some cases.
They threatened to bomb places where well-wishers of the released prisoners gathered.
One released prisoner was detained while he was heading to receive treatment at a hospital. He was subjected to abuse during his detention.
This morning, Israeli forces summoned the released prisoner Ashwaq Awad to meet Israeli intelligence. In this context, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society expressed its fears that Israel could rearrest the released prisoners, especially under Military Order No (1651) of 2009, which allows this to happen even under exchange deals.
Israeli forces practised acts of abuse and severe beatings against many prisoners before their release.
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society appealed to the mediators to seriously intervene to stop the systematic and organised terrorism practised against the released prisoners and their families.

Israeli gunfire hits ambulance near Rafah: Red Crescent

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) says one of its ambulances has been hit by Israeli sniper fire in the Tal as-Sultan area, west of Rafah in southern Gaza.

Footage posted online by the organisation shows what appears to be a bullet hole in the side of a marked ambulance.

Over the past 15 months of Israeli attacks on Gaza, Israeli forces have repeatedly fired at PRCS medics and other medical staff.

https://twitter.com/PalestineRCS/status/1884187154173288641

Ultra-Orthodox minister urges Netanyahu to implement full ceasefire deal: Report

Labor and Welfare Minister Yoav Ben-Tzur, a senior member of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Shas party, has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to advance the ceasefire deal to its second stage, according to the Times of Israel newspaper.

“Go for the next deal, move on to the second phase, don’t stop,” said Ben-Tzur in comments carried by the newspaper.

“I promise you – all six Shas ministers, led by Aryeh Deri, will support you,” he said, referencing the party’s leader.

Gaza brought Israel ‘to its knees’: Iran’s Khamenei

Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, says Gaza has brought Israel “to its knees” with the ceasefire.

“The small, limited Gaza brought the Zionist regime, armed to the teeth and fully supported by America, to its knees,” Khamenei said during a meeting with officials in Tehran.

Separately, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei, criticised Trump’s idea to “clean out” Palestinians from Gaza to other locations, such as Egypt or Jordan.

“Political coercion and demographic manipulations will not be able to force the Palestinians to migrate,” Baqaei said in a post on X, adding that Gaza is the Palestinians’ “homeland and they’ve paid [an] extremely high price to remain there”.

Gaza police neutralised dozens of unexploded Israeli bombs: Media Office

Gaza’s Government Media Office says specialised teams have been clearing unexploded ordnance and missiles in all governorates of the Gaza Strip over the past few days.

‘Instead of Palestinians, try to expel Israelis – take them to Greenland’: Iran’s foreign minister

Abbas Araghchi has mocked Trump’s proposal to “clean out” Palestinians from Gaza, saying in an interview with Sky News that Israelis instead should be sent to Greenland.

“My suggestion is something else. Instead of Palestinians, try to expel Israelis – take them to Greenland so they can kill two birds with one stone,” the Iranian foreign minister said.

Israeli minister scrapped Brussels trip over arrest warrant fears: Report

Amichai Chikli, Israel’s diaspora minister, was set to speak at a European Parliament event on Tuesday marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Chikli said on Sunday he cancelled his trip to Brussels “in light of concrete warnings, and in accordance with the guidance of security officials”.

Italy to send military police officers as EU restarts Rafah border mission

Italy’s foreign and defence ministries said seven Carabinieri military police officers will join the re-started European Union Border Assistance Mission for the Rafah Crossing Point (EUBAM Rafah), which was set up to monitor the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/1/28/live-more-than-300000-palestinians-return-to-devastated-northern-gaza

Ali Abunimah and EI on his recent imprisonment in Switzerland without charge.

Drop Site News:
Unarmed Lebanese civilians liberated 18 southern villages from Israeli occupation on Sunday after Israeli forces withdrew under sustained protest, according to a Lebanese military source cited by Sky News Arabia.

The protests followed Israel’s violation of a previously agreed-upon ceasefire, which required its withdrawal from southern Lebanon within 60 days. Protestors — many displaced for over a year — marched miles through war-damaged areas to confront Israeli military blockades, enduring gunfire that killed 22, including six women, and wounded 130 on Sunday.

Protests continued Monday, with Israeli forces again firing on demonstrators, killing two and injuring at least 17 more. While Lebanese Armed Forces also entered towns like Houla and Aita Al-Shaab, local media report it was civilians who led the effort, prompting a retreat from the regional military superpower that had wrought carnage across Lebanon in the months prior.
https://twitter.com/DropSiteNews/status/1884082631156887706

Trump says Israel’s Netanyahu to visit Washington

The US president says he plans to speak to the Israeli prime minister in Washington, without sharing an exact date.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said the face-to-face meeting would take place “very soon”.

Netanyahu says Trump invited him to the White House

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that US President Donald Trump has invited Netanyahu to visit the White House on February 4.

Israel to occupy Mount Hermon in Syria ‘indefinitely’

Israeli forces who seized ground in southern Syria after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad will remain on the summit of Mount Hermon indefinitely, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said after visiting troops there.

Seven injured in Israeli attack on southern Lebanon

Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health has said that seven people were injured in an Israeli attack on the village of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon.

“The Public Health Emergency Operations Center of the Ministry of Public Health issued a statement announcing that the Israeli enemy’s raid this evening on Nabatieh resulted in the initial toll of seven people being injured,” the ministry said in a social media post.

Despite a ceasefire between Israel and the armed group Hezbollah, Israeli forces have continued to use deadly force in southern Lebanon.

Lebanese army says Israeli attack injured one soldier, three civilians

In a post on X, the military says the Israeli attack happened in Yaroun, southern Lebanon.

It added that the Lebanese forces were escorting displaced residents returning to the southern border towns when the attack hit the convoy.

Injury toll from Israel attacks on south Lebanon rises to 24

Israeli attacks have wounded 24 people in south Lebanon despite a ceasefire in force for more than six weeks, the Lebanese Health Ministry said.

The first attack hit the southern town of Nabatieh, wounding 20 people, the ministry said, updating a previous toll of 14 injured. It added that another attack on the neighbouring town of Zawtar wounded four people.

At approximately 7:30pm (17:30 GMT), an Israeli drone carried out “a strike with a guided missile targeting a small vegetable truck” in Nabatieh, the state-run National News Agency reported.

The agency later reported a second attack “less than 2km [1.2 miles] away from the first strike” on the Zawtar-Nabatieh road.

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the attacks, calling them “another violation of Lebanese sovereignty and a blatant breach of the ceasefire arrangement”, according to a statement from his office.

Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee confirmed the attacks, saying they targeted Hezbollah vehicles transferring weapons in south Lebanon.

Israel says its forces accidentally killed contractor in Gaza

The Israeli military has opened an investigation into what it says was the accidental killing of a contractor in Gaza, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

In a statement on Tuesday, Israeli military authorities said that 38-year-old Yaakov (Kobi) Avitan, who was doing engineering work with the military in Gaza, was mistakenly killed by Israeli soldiers after he reportedly walked towards them and did not respond to calls to stop. He was unarmed and dressed in civilian clothing.

Throughout the war in Gaza, Israeli forces consistently targeted Palestinian civilians, even those that did not appear to pose any threat.

Hamas slams Palestinian Authority over its ‘mini-state’ claims

Hamas has condemned the Palestinian Authority’s presidency after the latter warned Gaza’s ruling group not to get involved with “potential American and regional proposals for the establishment of a mini-Palestinian state and an extensive land exchange with Israel”.

Hamas said in a statement: “There are no such proposals except in the imagination of some influential people in the Authority aiming to distort the movement’s image, after the achievements it has made in thwarting displacement projects, forcing the Zionist enemy to stop its aggression, and achieving an honourable exchange deal.”

Hamas called on the PA “to stop the campaign of distortion and misinformation, and to give priority to the supreme interest of our people at this sensitive and delicate juncture in the life of our cause”.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported on Monday that the Palestinian presidency’s statement issued “a warning to the parties involved in such dubious projects, particularly Hamas, urging them not to persist in engaging with these plans”, referring to the alleged US proposals.

‘UNRWA services can only be taken over by Palestinian state’

The chief of the UN’s refugee agency has told Al Jazeera that UNRWA provides essential “human development” and public services to Palestinians, such as education and healthcare, on a scale that only a Palestinian state could replicate.

“There is absolutely no alternative among the UN agencies and even international NGOs [to UNRWA]” Philippe Lazzarini said, as Israel’s ban on the agency is set to take effect on Thursday.

US Senate blocks bill sanctioning ICC

The United States Senate has failed to secure the necessary votes to pass a bill imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The bill would have punished the court for an arrest warrant issued for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for alleged war crimes in Gaza.

The bill recently passed the US House of Representatives, but received 55 votes in the Senate, five short of the necessary 60.

UN chief urges Israel to rescind UNRWA ban

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has demanded that Israel suspend its order expelling UNRWA from Jerusalem.

“I regret this decision and request that the Government of Israel retract it,” Guterres wrote in a letter dated Monday, underscoring the agency’s “irreplaceable” role in humanitarian efforts and rejecting Israel’s claims of sovereignty over East Jerusalem, which is considered occupied under international law.

Hind Rajab Foundation says complaint against Israeli minister forced trip cancellation

The Hind Rajab Foundation, which advocates for legal action against Israeli soldiers and officials suspected of complicity in war crimes, says that a complaint filed against Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli forced him to suspend a planned trip to Belgium.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/1/28/live-more-than-300000-palestinians-return-to-devastated-northern-gaza

US air force commander completes two-day visit to Israel

The Israeli military says that the Commander of the US Air Forces Central Lieutenant-General Derek France, has completed an official visit to the Israeli air force.

It said the two-day visit “was part of greater efforts to develop and enhance the operational cooperation” between Israel’s air force and US Air Forces Central.

On the first day, France visited the US THAAD missile defence system deployed in Israel.

Hamas says Tammun attack will not break resistance

The Palestinian group has said in a statement that Israel’s deadly air strike in Tammun, a town in the Tubas governorate of the occupied West Bank, will not “break our resistance and will not terrorise our people”.

Hamas condemned the attack, which killed at least 10 people, as a criminal act and called on Palestinians to resist the Israeli occupation.

Thirty of 110 Palestinian prisoners set to be released on Thursday are under 18

We have more details on Israel’s release of 110 Palestinian prisoners slated for Thursday.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society says they are expected to arrive in the Radana area of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank at approximately 12pm local time (10:00 GMT) on Thursday.

Publishing the list of the prisoners, the group said 30 were under the age of 18, 32 had been sentenced to life imprisonment, and 48 others were serving jail terms of varying lengths.

The group also said that 20 of the prisoners set to be released would be sent into exile.

Israel arrests 12 Palestinians for ‘expressions of joy’ following release of prisoners

Israeli forces have arrested 12 Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem who celebrated the release of prisoners under the ceasefire deal.

Israel’s internal Shin Bet security service and the police said they arrested the men after videos emerged showing them celebrating by waving Hamas flags and firing guns into the air.

They alleged that the men violated a ban on “expressions of joy” and “identification with Hamas” that has been imposed since the Gaza ceasefire took hold.

Israeli air strike kills three Turkish people trying to cross from Lebanon to Israel, Turkiye says

An Israeli air strike killed three Turkish citizens who attempted to cross illegally from Lebanon to Israel, Turkiye’s Foreign Ministry said.

“We condemn in the strongest terms this unlawful attack that resulted in the death of our citizens,” the ministry said in a statement, without mentioning when the incident took place.

Procedures are under way to repatriate their bodies to Turkiye, said the statement.

“As we have emphasised on every occasion, Israel must immediately end its aggressive policies that disregard human life and escalate tensions in our region,” the ministry said.

Israeli media has revealed little about Netanyahu’s meeting with Witkoff
Laura Khan
Reporting from Amman, Jordan

Al Jazeera is reporting from Amman, Jordan because it has been banned in Israel and the occupied West Bank.

Only in the past hour did we know this meeting definitely took place.

There have been numerous reports, especially from Israel’s Broadcasting Authority, to say this was taking place in the prime minister’s office in West Jerusalem, but nothing about precisely what was discussed.

However, their sources from inside said they will be discussing the ceasefire, the implementation of this, and going into the second phase.

Israel’s broadcast authority also reported hours earlier that Steve Witkoff had visited Gaza – the first American official in many years to have done that.

[The US have] had an official no-contact policy with Hamas over the past two years, but also, for security concerns. Now, he would have been part of a heavily guarded convoy.

Israel’s parliament votes on bill allowing purchase of West Bank land

The Knesset has advanced a bill sponsored by pro-settlement groups that would allow the direct purchase of land in the occupied West Bank, The Times of Israel has reported.

In a preliminary reading, lawmakers voted in favour of a bill overturning the legal provision that prevents non-Muslims from buying real estate in the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli newspaper reported that the bill was backed by pro-settlement groups that see the prohibition on buying land in the West Bank as discriminatory against Jews.

Numerous United Nations resolutions have affirmed that Israel’s occupation is illegal and that its settlements there have no legal validity. In July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) said Israel should stop settlement activity in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Trump administration to cancel student visas of ‘Hamas sympathisers’

US President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Wednesday to combat anti-Semitism (anon's note: " ") and pledge to deport non-citizen college students and other “resident aliens” who took part in pro-Palestinian protests, a White House official said.

A fact sheet on the order said Trump would order the Justice Department to “aggressively prosecute terroristic threats, arson, vandalism and violence against American Jews”.

“To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice: come 2025, we will find you, and we will deport you,” Trump said in the fact sheet. “I will also quickly cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathisers on college campuses, which have been infested with radicalism like never before.”

A study released in May found that 97 percent of US campus protests were peaceful.

Many of the protesters have said that conflating legitimate criticism of Israeli actions with anti-Semitism is a familiar tactic designed to silence people advocating for Palestinian rights.

Trump’s Middle East envoy ‘first US official to visit Gaza in two decades’
Laura Khan
Reporting from Amman, Jordan

Al Jazeera is reporting from Amman, Jordan because it has been banned in Israel and the occupied West Bank.

Israeli media are speculating on what Steve Witkoff‘s visit to Israel is all about. What we do know is that he has already visited Gaza, apparently becoming the first US official to do so in two decades. He would have been under Israeli guard so he would not be able to go far.

We understand from Israeli media that he went to the Netzarim Corridor, which has been partially open this week. We saw hundreds of thousands of people going back to the north from there. It is still under partial Israeli control. That is supposed to be taken away between day 16 to day 20 of the first phase of the ceasefire deal.

Israeli media are saying that he is there to oversee the implementation of the agreement and he is going to go further to discuss this with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer.

He will also be meeting up with the captives, specifically the ones from the Israeli army, who have been released in Gaza recently.

US, Hamas inclination towards dialogue ‘should be taken seriously’: Opinion piece
Rami G Khouri
Distinguished Fellow at the American University of Beirut

Last week, senior Hamas and United States officials expressed to the media their mutual willingness to engage in “a dialogue”.

The statements by senior Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk and US presidential Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff most likely meant to test the waters for future diplomatic moves, perhaps due to their shared recognition that Israel’s current war-making frenzy in the region, which could soon reach Iran, is bad news for all concerned.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly shown his intention to end the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, which detract from his bigger plans to reconfigure US global relations; and Hamas has taken an opportunity to demonstrate during the ceasefire that it is still in control of Gaza and remains an important political group among the Palestinians.

In this context, the sudden inclination by the US and Hamas towards “dialogue” should be taken seriously and explored carefully because it is possible and in the best interest of all concerned in the Middle East and beyond.

Fragile truce in Lebanon violated by Israel once again
Zeina Khodr
Reporting from Beirut, Lebanon

The ceasefire which went into effect in late November has generally been holding, but it is fragile. Now, there is growing concern about its continued stability.

On Tuesday night, Israeli drones carried out two attacks in Nabatieh, a city in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military said it hit vehicles belonging to Hezbollah that were transporting weapons.

There has been no independent confirmation of that claim but Israel does not believe it is a violation of the truce. The Israeli military says it is enforcing the agreement because there is no other force on the ground able to do so.

Lebanon sees it differently. They believe that Israel has violated the truce, they have appealed to the international committee monitoring the ceasefire that has led the United States “to take a firm stance to stop these violations”.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/1/29/live-more-than-370000-palestinians-return-to-north-gaza-unrwa-ban-looms

>>487199
>After the “ceasefire” went into effect last week, Israel repeatedly violated the agreement, killing dozens of civilians
They might uphold a ceasefire if Netanyahu had to wear a explosive head-collar as insurance.

>>487201
He's in the US on February 4th. Could be done.

Israel drops leaflet in Gaza warning against celebrating prisoners’ release
Hamdah Salhut
Reporting from Amman, Jordan

Al Jazeera is reporting from Amman, Jordan, because it has been banned from Israel and the occupied West Bank.

Israel has been clear from the outset that displays of joy and celebrations following the release of Palestinian prisoners would not be tolerated. Today, drones were flying above the Gaza Strip dropping leaflets warning not to hold flags, banners or engage in any celebratory activity.

Many of the Palestinian prisoners released as part of this deal will also not be allowed to stay in the West Bank, but will be deported to Gaza or to Egypt.

The homes of former prisoners in the West Bank have been raided by Israeli forces since their release, they are looking for anything they feel is antagonising that allows for their rearrest.

Earlier, they delayed the release of the prisoners because they wanted assurances from mediators that the captives released in the later stages would not go through a large crowd similar to what we saw in Khan Younis.

Israel made it clear that these releases will take place under their own terms.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/1/30/live-israel-hamas-to-exchange-captives-as-north-gaza-waits-for-aid

>>487210
>Israel has been clear from the outset that displays of joy and celebrations … would not be tolerated
>warning not to hold flags, banners or engage in any celebratory activity.
If this was a fictional story, people would complain that the villain was an unrealistic character. Surely nobody would be so comically evil to ban displays of joy.

>>487211
Related:
https://x.com/swilkinsonbc/status/1884983309341532235
Israelis raid the home of child prisoner Ahmed Al-Froukh, who’s set to be released in the town of Sa’ir, smashing the chairs lined up to welcome him

>>487213
Yeah smashing chairs to ruin some kid's returning home party is psychotic, but are we going to gloss over that they basically kidnapped children ?

>>487214
"basically" - nah, the IDF literally just kidnaps children outright.

Hamas announces killing of top military commander Mohammed Deif

Hamas confirmed Deif’s killing in a statement.

Israel had claimed that it had killed Deif in an air attack in July, but the Palestinian group had not confirmed his death.

Hamas confirms killing of deputy military commander Marwan Issa

After confirming the death of military commander Mohammed Deif, Hamas’s Qassam Brigades spokesperson Abu Obaida adds that deputy military commander Marwan Issa was also killed, and announces the death of a number of other commanders.

Israel says it killed Issa in March. At the time a senior Hamas officials told Al Jazeera that the group’s political bureau had not received evidence of Issa’s death.

Abu Obaida also confirmed the killing of several other Hamas military commanders, including Ghazi Abu Tamaa, the commander of weapons and combat services, Raed Thabet, commander of manpower and head of supplies unit, and Rafei Salama, the commander of the Khan Younis Brigade.

Crowds celebrate arrival of freed Palestinians prisoners near Ramallah

Video posted on Instagram by a Palestine journalist shows the arrival of a Red Cross bus full of prisoners released from Ofer Prison arriving to crowds of supporters in Betunia, adjacent to the city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli government has explicitly forbade any celebrations surrounding the release.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFdGHFUNyRV/

Israeli police arrest 12 Palestinians in Jerusalem for celebrating prisoners’ release

Israeli police have arrested 12 Palestinians in Kafr Aqab, a neighbourhood in occupied East Jerusalem, for engaging in celebrations following the release of Palestinian prisoners as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

In a statement, the police said those arrested were “Hamas supporters who participated in supporting a released prisoner”.

“According to the directives of the Commissioner General, any attempts to disturb the order or support terrorism will be dealt with firmly,” the statement added.

Israeli air strike hits building in Jenin camp: Report

Israeli warplanes have fired two missiles at a building in Jenin refugee camp, reports the Wafa news agency, citing local sources.

Forces operating inside the camp are also continuing to demolish buildings and infrastructure, said the agency.

Israeli forces have been operating in Jenin for at least 10 days. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has pledged they will stay there until they root out Palestinian fighters based in the camp.

Quds Brigades carries out attack on Israeli forces in Jenin

The Jenin Batallion of the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad says that its fighters detonated an explosive device in an Israeli military vehicle in the occupied West Bank city.

This attack was designed to “cut off the path of the rescue and support force that rushed to rescue a force that had fallen into a field of fire while trying to fortify itself in one of the camp’s houses”, the group said in a short statement on Telegram.

Captives appear amid large crowds in Khan Younis

A group of captives, escorted by Hamas and PIJ fighters, are now at the release site in Khan Younis.

They are being guided to walk through a blocked-off path as thousands of people in a packed crowd look on, live footage shows.

WATCH: Israeli captive Arbel Yehud being released in Gaza’s Khan Younis

Palestinian media outlets have published a clear video of Israeli captive Arbel Yehud being escorted to the Red Cross in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis city.

The group added that there were confirmed casualties among Israeli forces.

Hundreds of Israelis gather in Tel Aviv to celebrate captives’ release

Israeli media outlets are reporting that there are jubilant scenes in the so-called Hostage Square in central Tel Aviv as Israelis await the release of two more Israeli captives held in the Gaza Strip.

Jewish group ‘disgusted’ by Trump’s executive order on pro-Palestinian protesters

Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) has strongly criticised an executive order signed yesterday by US President Donald Trump that paves the way for deporting pro-Palestinian student activists, calling it a “violent crusade” against free speech and political dissent.

“We are disgusted by Trump’s reported plans to continue his violent crusade aimed at gutting freedom and democracy,” the leading progressive anti-Zionist organisation wrote on X, denouncing the move as a “vile” attempt to silence opposition to US-backed Israeli actions in Gaza.

The group accused Trump and right-wing groups of exploiting concerns over anti-Semitism to advance their political agenda.

“Trump, the far-right, and ultra-conservative groups like the Heritage Foundation have never protected Jewish people; they are not concerned with Jewish safety,” the group said.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/1/30/live-israel-hamas-to-exchange-captives-as-north-gaza-waits-for-aid

Israel commits 15 ceasefire violations in Lebanon in one day

We have been reporting on the Israeli military’s repeated ceasefire violations in southern Lebanon.

According to our Al Jazeera Arabic colleagues, Israeli forces committed 15 ceasefire violations on Thursday alone, bringing the total number of violations since the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah came into effect on November 27 to 823.

Israel’s latest violations of the ceasefire took place in the southern districts of Marjayoun, Bint Jbeil and Hasbaiyya, as well as the Nabatieh and Tyre governorates.

Belize files application to join South Africa’s ICJ case against Israel

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has issued a statement saying Belize submitted a formal bid to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, in a move that adds to international pressure on the Israeli government to end its atrocities in Gaza.

The Central American country joins a list of states accusing Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention, which was established in the aftermath of the Holocaust and requires all countries to prevent the recurrence of such crimes.

South Africa brought its case against Israel in December 2023 and such cases can take years to conclude.

Israeli forces storm wedding in Hebron, detain groom

The Israeli military has stormed a wedding hall in Hebron causing panic among the guests, the Wafa news agency reports.

Videos from the scene show Israeli soldiers in fatigues arresting the groom, who was detained for about an hour before being released, according to Palestinian media reports.

https://twitter.com/qudsn/status/1885370535657226427

Trump, Netanyahu to meet twice in Washington: Report

Netanyahu is expected to meet US President Donald Trump twice in Washington on Tuesday, once for a work meeting and then for an informal dinner, according to a report by Axios.

The American news website said the work meeting would take place around noon Eastern Time (17:00 GMT) and then the two leaders would meet again with their spouses for dinner.

The meeting is set to take place during a fragile six-week ceasefire that has brought a temporary pause to 15 months of fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Countries form new coalition to uphold int’l law, Palestinian rights

The delegation of the State of Palestine in The Netherlands says Belize, Bolivia, Cuba, Colombia, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal and South Africa have formed The Hague Group, named after the Dutch city where the world’s international courts are headquartered.

The delegation said the “historical move of coordinated state action” is aimed at upholding the principles of international law and supporting “the realisation of the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination”.

The nations agreed to prevent the provisions of arms to Israel, including the transit of weapons through their territory, and support the work of the international courts and their rulings ordering Israel to refrain from acts under the Genocide Convention.

WhatsApp users targeted by Israeli spyware company Paragon

An official at Meta’s popular WhatsApp chat service says Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions targeted 90 of its users including journalists and civil society members.

The official told the Reuters news agency that WhatsApp sent Paragon a cease-and-desist letter following the hack. In a statement, WhatsApp said the company “will continue to protect people’s ability to communicate privately”.

Citizen Lab researcher John Scott-Railton said the discovery of Paragon spyware targeting WhatsApp users “is a reminder that mercenary spyware continues to proliferate and as it does, so we continue to see familiar patterns of problematic use”.

Settlers set olive groves on fire near occupied West Bank’s Burin

A group of settlers from the illegal outpost of Givat Ronen set olive groves ablaze near the Palestinian area of Burin, The Times of Israel reports.

Palestinian landowner Bashar Eid said they “fled for fear of being killed” when the Israeli settlers came to their land from the outpost.

Eid said he has suffered repeated attacks from the settlers. “I’m in danger of being expelled or killed. What should I do?” he was quoted as saying.

Egyptians protest Trump’s Gaza proposal at Rafah border

At the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, Egyptians demonstrated against a proposal by US President Donald Trump for Egypt and Jordan to host more than one million Palestinians from Gaza.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/1/31/live-israels-release-of-110-palestinians-celebrated-in-gaza-west-bank

‘God willing, he will die’: Israel soldier tells Palestinian father after shooting son, age 10

An Israeli soldier who shot a 10-year-old Palestinian boy in the abdomen, later told the critically injured child’s father that he hoped “he will die”, a child rights group said.

Miranda Cleland, who works in advocacy with Defense for Children Palestine, said the Israeli soldier identified himself as the shooter when troops obstructed the ambulance bringing the 10-year-old to a hospital in the occupied West Bank.

“After obstructing an ambulance transferring injured Saddam from Tulkarem to Nablus, an Israeli soldier told his father, ‘I am the one who shot your son. God willing, he will die,'” Cleland said in a post on social media.

A video clip of Saddam Hussein Iyad Mohammad Rajab being shot without reason on Tuesday evening in the West Bank’s Tulkarem has gone viral on social media.

Defense for Children said the bullet that hit the boy entered his waist, tore through his intestines, injuring his pancreas and other vital organs in the abdomen, before exiting through his chest.

“Israeli forces have utter contempt for Palestinian children’s lives as they deliberately target children with live ammunition with no accountability,” the organisation said.

University of Michigan suspends pro-Palestine group

The college’s administration has stripped Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE) of its university funding and handed the group a two-year suspension.

The University of Michigan accused SAFE of violating its standards of conduct after holding unsanctioned pro-Palestine protests on its Ann Arbor campus last year.

SAFE, whose demands included that the college divest from companies doing business with Israel, has until February 6 to appeal the decision.

Trump administration may deliver assault rifles to Israel held back under Biden: Report

President Trump’s administration may lift a hold put in place by former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on delivering 24,000 assault rifles to Israel, The New York Times reports, citing an anonymous US official.

Blinken reportedly instructed the State Department not to deliver the weapons shipment, which Israel ordered in October 2023 and comprised three tranches valued at a total of $34m.

Democratic lawmakers feared the rifles could end up in the hands of Israeli settler militias in the occupied West Bank, or Israeli police would use them in acts of violence against Palestinians, according to the Times report.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/1/live-israel-hamas-to-exchange-3-captives-in-gaza-for-183-palestinians

https://x.com/AryJeay/status/1885742624239128930
🇮🇷| BREAKING: Iran unveils a new cruise missile named “Qadr-380” with a range of over 1,000 kilometers, while unveiling its new underground base hosting numerous of other types of cruise missiles.

https://x.com/SuppressedNws/status/1885306181771571595
In the presence of Al-Qassam fighters, large crowds gather for the funeral of 15 martyrs from Al-Qassam Brigades in Khan Yunis, Gaza.
^Jan 31

>>487285
props for Haaretz for posting that.

>“Israeli forces have utter contempt for Palestinian children’s lives as they deliberately target children
yeah it's not contempt, plenty people manage to feel that without murdering any children, there's got to be a defect in the brain.

>>487290
>a new cruise missile with a range of over 1,000 kilometers
>underground base hosting numerous of other types of cruise missiles.
The essential kit to survive having a Zionist neighbor state.

>>487301
>yeah it's not contempt, plenty people manage to feel that without murdering any children, there's got to be a defect in the brain.
It's really disturbing stuff.

>>487275
The funniest thing has the chance to happen, but will it?

From Drop Site News: International fugitive Netanyahu touches down in Washington, D.C., dodging an arrest warrant for war crimes while traveling through international airspace. He’s in town to meet Trump and sabotage the Gaza ceasefire deal so he can hold on to power.

And Haaretz says he's here to sabotage Trump's Gaza ceasefire deal.

https://x.com/swilkinsonbc/status/1886363496977166343
A new mass grave has been discovered in northern Gaza filled with the remains of approximately 20 Palestinian civilians executed by the israelis - Sarah Wilkinson

The Gaza death toll is now at 61,709.

>>487275
Today!

Netanyahu prepares to fly to meet Trump at White House

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will depart on Sunday for the United States to meet President Donald Trump, his office says.

Netanyahu has been invited to visit Trump at the White House on Tuesday and they will discuss the situation in Gaza, captives held in the Palestinian territory, and dealings with Iran and its regional allies.

Deadly Israeli attack on home in besieged Jenin camp

Smoke is rising from a destroyed home as a result of the Israeli military incursion into Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, local news reports say.

One person was killed and several wounded after the bombing of “a group of young men” inside an eastern neighbourhood in Jenin, the Shehab news agency said. The Israeli attack on the home came on the 12th day of raids on the camp.

Israeli public being told ceasefire deal unlikely to succeed

Former Israeli Ambassador Alon Pinkas says the Israeli public is being exposed to “a new narrative” in the past 24 hours.

That narrative is “the ceasefire deal will not be completed … because Hamas won’t live up to the ceasefire agreement … and that it is doubtful that there’s going to be a phase two,” Pinkas, former consular general in New York, told Al Jazeera.

“You can put it in context and say [Israeli Prime Minister] Netanyahu is floating a trial balloon of sorts ahead of his meeting with President Donald Trump next week. But there is also the conventional wisdom even if the first 42 days are implemented smoothly, and do occur without major interruption, it’s very doubtful that phase two or stage two will be implemented.”

Pinkas said Trump’s willingness to see through the ceasefire agreement depends on how successful Netanyahu is in convincing him to do otherwise.

“Netanyahu’s meeting with President Trump is so critical, not because of the details of what they’re going to talk about, but how serious Donald Trump is in getting this [ceasefire] done and if he’s going to succumb to Netanyahu’s inevitable manipulations.”

Israeli settlers, soldiers attack Palestinian shepherds near Bethlehem

Israeli settlers attacked several Palestinian shepherds while they were grazing their flocks in the Ein Faris near the town of Nahalin, west of Bethlehem, on Saturday evening, Wafa reports.

The settlers, who were accompanied by Israeli soldiers, attacked the shepherds with sticks and rifle butts, injuring at least one Palestinian who was taken to hospital for treatment, Wafa reports.

Jamal Najajra, head of the Nahalin municipal council, told Wafa that confrontations then broke out between residents and Israeli soldiers, who fired live ammunition, tear gas and sound bombs. No more injuries were reported but the Israeli soldiers detained two Palestinians.

According to Wafa, the Ein Faris area has been facing escalating attacks from Israeli settlers and soldiers in recent weeks as they try to set up a new illegal outpost nearby.

PM Netanyahu appoints new army chief after resignation

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed Major-General Eyal Zamir as Israel’s new army chief after the top military commander resigned last month.

Minister explains why Namibia joined The Hague Group to support Palestinians

We’ve been reporting on a newly formed group of nine countries committed to taking “coordinated state action” to support Palestinian’s right to self-determination, known as The Hague Group.

Explaining why her country joined the group, Namibia’s Justice Minister Yvonne Dausab said it will be important to tell future generations what “concrete measures” they took to support Palestinians.

Speaking at the launch of the new group in the Dutch city of The Hague, Dausab also recounted how her country revoked permission for a ship suspected of carrying military cargo to Israel in August 2024 to dock on its shores.

The other eight founding members of The Hague Group are Belize, Bolivia, Cuba, Colombia, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia and South Africa.

https://twitter.com/ProgIntl/status/1885629411237523695

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/1/live-israel-hamas-to-exchange-3-captives-in-gaza-for-183-palestinians

As Netanyahu Visits U.S., Palestinian Americans Call on DOJ to Enforce ICC Arrest Warrant for Crimes in Gaza
Justice sought by five U.S. citizens who collectively lost hundreds of family members during Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza

February 4, 2025, New York – Today, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with President Trump in Washington, Palestinian Americans are calling on the Department of Justice to investigate Netanyahu for genocide, torture, and war crimes, and to enforce the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for his leading role in war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. A submission sent on their behalf by the Center for Constitutional Rights urges the DOJ’s Human Rights and Special Prosecution Section to proceed with investigations and prosecution, and to immediately effectuate Netanyahu’s surrender to the court in The Hague for further proceedings.

“The person who is responsible for the killing and displacement of my entire family in Gaza, and who has an outstanding ICC warrant for his arrest, is being greeted with a red carpet at the White House. This is shameful, and sends the world a message that there is no accountability for genocide,” said Basim Elkarra.

read more: https://ccrjustice.org/home/press-center/press-releases/netanyahu-visits-us-palestinian-americans-call-doj-enforce-icc

New thread:
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