/leftypol/ - Leftist Politically Incorrect

>>487547
Maybe Egypt takes over Gaza, it's not like the idf could stop them. And then they have to beg the Chinese to bring in the contractors to fix up new infrastructure.

Free Palestine TV - HTS Attacks Southern Lebanon, Israel Provides Air Cover

Lebanon PM says ‘state must extend authority’ to all areas

Lebanon’s prime minister says the state must be in control of all Lebanese territory, days before a deadline to implement the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire agreement.

“When it comes to the areas south of the Litani and north of the Litani, across the entire area of Lebanon… what should be implemented is … the Lebanese state must extend its authority through its own forces across the [Lebanese] territory,” Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told journalists in an interview aired on state television.

“We want the Israeli withdrawal to happen… and we will continue to mobilise all diplomatic and political efforts until this withdrawal is achieved.”

Under the deal, Lebanon’s military was to deploy in the south alongside UN peacekeepers as the Israeli army withdrew over a 60-day period, which has been extended until February 18.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/10/live-israeli-forces-kill-6-in-gaza-west-bank-as-trump-repeats-gaza-plan

Israelis continue protests in Tel Aviv

As we’ve been reporting, Israelis have taken to the streets of Tel Aviv in protest against Netanyahu’s threat to resume the war on Gaza.

Amit Kalderon, a protester, said he wished all the captives would be released by noon on Saturday.

“But this is not what the deal says,” he noted. “If Israel wanted to get a deal for all of the hostages, I think we could have done it. The Israeli government chose to do this in parts and not to conclude one deal for all of them.”

Lawyers for detained Gaza doctor accuse Israel of torture, severe abuses

Lawyers for Dr Hussam Abu Safia say that he has experienced physical abuse and other forms of torture since he was arbitrarily detained by Israeli forces outside the Kamal Adwan Hospital, in northern Gaza, in December.

The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, which is representing Abu Safia, said the doctor was only able to meet with his lawyer for the first time on Tuesday afternoon, 47 days after his “abduction from Gaza”.

Al Mezan said in a statement that Abu Safia was first taken to the Sde Teiman military detention camp where he was subjected to “torture and inhuman and degrading treatment”, including “beatings with batons and electric shock sticks, as well as repeated blows to the chest”.

He was then transferred to Israel’s Ofer Prison, in the occupied West Bank, where he “was held in solitary confinement for 25 days—a period so prolonged as to constitute a form of torture in itself”.

Al Mezan said that Abu Safia’s health has deteriorated, stating he has lost “12 kg [26 pounds]… in less than two months”, and called for “his immediate and unconditional release”.

‘Ferocious robber’: North Korea slams Trump’s plan for Gaza

North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) has condemned Trump’s plan to take over Gaza, saying that Palestinians’ slim hopes of safety and peace are being crushed by the proposal.

“The world is now boiling like a porridge pot over the US’ bombshell declaration,” KCNA said in a commentary.

The US survives through “slaughter and robbery”, and its “hegemonic, invasive” ambition for world domination is clearly demonstrated by its plan for Gaza, the agency added, without mentioning Trump by name.

The commentary also criticised the Trump administration’s calls to take over the Panama Canal and Greenland as well as its decision to change the name of the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America”.

It went on to describe the US as a “ferocious robber” and said: “The US should awaken from its anachronistic daydream and stop at once the act of encroaching upon the dignity and sovereignty of other countries and nations.”

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/12/live-trump-says-us-will-take-gaza-un-estimates-53bn-needed-to-rebuild

Live now:
LIVE From TRUMP HANDS OFF Gaza Protest in NYC

Israeli forces burn houses in southern Lebanon amid ceasefire violations: Report

The Israeli army has burned down several homes and a farm in al-Aadaissah in southern Lebanon in the latest violation of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, according to the Lebanese news agency NNA.

Israeli forces also opened fire in the outskirts of Bint Jbeil town, it said. No injuries were reported.

A fragile ceasefire has been in place since November 27, ending months of mutual air attacks between Israel and Hezbollah that escalated into a full-scale conflict in September.

Israel reneges on Lebanon troop withdrawal deadline – again

Israel has backed out of the deadline for withdrawing its forces from southern Lebanon for the second time.

A fragile ceasefire had been in place since November 27, ending months of mutual shelling between Israel and Hezbollah that escalated into a full-scale conflict last September.

Under the ceasefire deal, Israel was supposed to complete its withdrawal from southern Lebanon by January 26, but the deadline was extended to February 18 after Israel refused to comply.

The Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported the government asked ceasefire monitors to extend the deadline until February 28, a request rejected by the Lebanese side.

Israeli jets fly over Lebanese capital, break sound barrier for first time since ceasefire

Israeli warplanes broke the sound barrier over the Lebanese capital Beirut and its southern suburbs on Wednesday evening, marking the first such incident since the November 27 ceasefire agreement.

The escalation coincides with reports of Israel postponing the withdrawal of its army forces from southern Lebanon, despite a February 18 deadline.

According to the Lebanese state news agency NNA, Israeli fighter jets conducted low-altitude flights over Beirut, the Matn district in Mount Lebanon, and parts of the Bekaa region in eastern Lebanon.

Lebanese officials have denied any agreement to extend the deadline for Israeli troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

Lebanon has reported nearly 900 Israeli ceasefire violations, killing and injuring dozens, including women and children, since November 27.

Armed clashes in Nur Shams and Arroub camps in West Bank

Palestinian fighters are engaged in confrontations with invading Israeli forces in the two refugee camps in the occupied West Bank.

Videos published by local outlets out of the Nur Shams camp show explosive devices and sound bombs being deployed in the area while heavy gunfire rings out. Earlier, Israeli forces used loudspeakers to warn residents of the camp to leave.

Confrontations have also erupted in the Arroub camp, after Israeli soldiers and armoured vehicles entered various neighbourhoods, detaining a large number of people and conducting interrogations.

Israeli forces distributed threatening leaflets to the citizens in Arroub and fired bullets and tear gas canisters at residential homes, although no casualties have been reported, according to the Wafa news agency.

https://twitter.com/qudsn/status/1889598605767344624

Islamic Jihad claims ambush on Israeli forces in occupied West Bank

Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, says it has attacked Israeli soldiers operating in the al-Manshiya neighbourhood in the occupied West Bank’s Nur Shams refugee camp.

“Our fighters, along with their comrades in the resistance factions, were able to attack an infantry force of 10 soldiers in a complex ambush,” the group said in a statement on Telegram, claiming it wounded an unidentified number of Israeli soldiers.

“Our fighters are also currently engaged in fierce battles with the support forces, showering them with heavy volleys of bullets and explosive devices, achieving direct hits.”

Huge billboards commemorate fallen Palestinian leaders in Yemen

Al Jazeera has obtained a video that shows a huge billboard in Houthi-run Sanaa displaying the image of Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif.

In the city of Taiz, a billboard showed a picture of Yahya Sinwar, with the inscription reading: “Flood Leader Street” in a reference to his commanding of the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.

The two top leaders in Gaza were killed by the Israeli military in separate incidents.

The Houthis in Yemen have said they will continue attacks on Israeli territory and on Israeli and US-linked ships near their waters if the Gaza ceasefire falls through.

Translation: Sanaa is the only Arab capital that is decorated with the picture of the great leader, the Mujahid Mohammed Deif. Indeed, our freedom is a religion, and our pride is faith.

Gaza death toll rises

At least one Palestinian has been killed and nine others injured in the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry.

Gaza hospitals have also received two bodies recovered from the rubble, the ministry added.

The three confirmed killings raised the total death toll since October 7, 2023 to 48,222, it said on Telegram. Israel’s war on Gaza has injured 111,674 people, it added.

Israeli army to call up 14,000 Haredim recruits, Israeli Broadcast Authority reports

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority has said the army will announce the sending of 14,000 recruitment orders to the Haredim, the Hebrew term for ultra-Orthodox Jews.

In June, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that Haredi Jews cannot be exempted from military service.

It also ordered a freeze on budgets for yeshivas, traditional Jewish educational institutions, and said there was no legal basis preventing the government from conscripting Haredi Jews into the Israeli army.

The Haredim, who constitute about 13 percent of Israel’s population, refuse to serve in the Israeli army under the pretext of devoting their lives to religion.

Israel must complete its withdrawal from Lebanon by the deadline, Aoun says

Lebanon’s recently appointed President Joseph Aoun has insisted that Israel must completely withdraw from the country by the ceasefire deadline of February 18, after reports that Israel has requested to keep troops in southern Lebanon until the end of the month.

Lebanon’s National News Agency quoted Aoun as saying that EU countries should “pressure Israel to complete its withdrawal within the deadline of 18 February, and to return the displaced Syrians to their country after the reasons for their remaining in Lebanon no longer exist”.

A Lebanese official and foreign diplomat told the Reuters news agency that Israel has requested to keep its troops in five posts in southern Lebanon until 28 February.

Aoun also reiterated Lebanon’s commitment to a two-state solution for the Palestine-Israel conflict and said he rejected “proposals that lead to any type of displacement of Palestinians from their land or infringement of their legitimate rights enshrined in UN resolutions”.

Israel has US backing to remain in Lebanon beyond ceasefire date, Israeli TV says

The US has authorised Israel to remain at several points in Lebanon beyond the agreed date for its full withdrawal, Israel’s public broadcaster Kan TV reports, quoting senior cabinet officials.

The date for the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon was extended to February 18 from the ceasefire’s initially agreed date of January 26.

Poll: 64% of Americans oppose Trump’s Gaza takeover plan

A new survey of 1,200 people in the US were asked what they thought of President Trump’s call for the United States to “take over” and “own” Gaza and transform it from a “demolition site” into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

The poll – conducted by the group Data for Progress – explained such a takeover would require forcibly resettling about 1.8 million Palestinians who live in Gaza into neighbouring countries.

About 64 percent of respondents said they “oppose” Trump’s plan.

“A strong majority of voters are opposed to the US taking over Gaza and resettling the Palestinians who live there, and even more respondents reject the idea of the US sending troops to the Middle East to accomplish this plan,” Data for Progress said.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/12/live-trump-says-us-will-take-gaza-un-estimates-53bn-needed-to-rebuild

https://x.com/AbubakerAbedW/status/1889771157470982487
Thousands of tents and caravans have entered Gaza. The situation is becoming more stable, and aid has been flowing in consistently over the past hours.

The same is true in terms of medical aid as local reports indicate that at least five medical aid trucks have gotten into Gaza during the last 24 hours.

The ceasefire will likely hold as Hamas gears up to release the three Israeli prisoners on Saturday in exchange for dozens of Palestinian hostages.

Israel is beginning to allow a surge of aid instead of a trickle.

Breaking news and analysis on day 26 of Gaza ceasefire | The Electronic Intifada Podcast

Hamas confirms it will release captives as planned, ceasefire deal back on track

The group says its delegation has held talks with the Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo, focusing on the terms of the ceasefire deal “especially with regard to securing housing for our people and urgently bringing in prefabricated houses ‘caravans’, tents, heavy equipment, medical supplies, fuel, and the continued flow of relief and everything stipulated in the agreement”.

“The discussions were characterised by a positive spirit, and the mediating brothers in Egypt and Qatar confirmed that they would follow up on all of this to remove obstacles and close gaps,” the statement published on Telegram said.

“Accordingly, Hamas confirms its continued position to implement the agreement in accordance with what was signed, including the exchange of prisoners according to the specified timetable.”

Israeli army launches air attack in Gaza despite ceasefire deal

The Israeli army has launched an air attack in the Gaza Strip, despite a ceasefire agreement in the Palestinian territory.

A military statement claimed that the strike targeted a rocket launcher used to fire a rocket from inside the enclave.

According to witnesses, an Israeli drone fired a missile at an agricultural area east of the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza.

No injuries were reported and there was no immediate Palestinian comment on the Israeli attack.

Israeli military burns more homes in southern Lebanon

Israeli soldiers have been setting fire to more homes and properties in the village of Odaisseh close to the border with Israel, according to local media.

Images from this morning showed smoke rising above the village, which has been repeatedly targeted by Israeli forces since the start of the war and after the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated yesterday that Israel must complete its withdrawal from the country by the extended ceasefire deadline of February 18, after Israel said it wants to maintain its military occupation of southern Lebanon for longer.

https://twitter.com/qudsn/status/1889939309157032158

Gaza death toll rises with three more killed, bodies recovered

The Ministry of Health in Gaza reports that three Palestinians were killed in the past 24 hours in Gaza and 14 other recovered bodies were also brought to hospitals.

A number of victims are still under the rubble and on the destroyed roads, and ambulance and civil defence crew are trying to reach them.

The death toll from Israeli attacks on the enclave now stands at 48,239, according to the ministry, which puts the number of wounded at 111,676 people.

Israel rejects transfer of mobile homes, heavy equipment to Gaza

Omer Dostri, spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, says “there will be no entry of mobile homes or heavy equipment into the Gaza Strip, and there is no coordination for this”.

“Also, according to the agreement, no goods are allowed to enter the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing,” Dostri said in a post on X.

Israeli settlers kidnap Palestinian; soldiers arrest two in West Bank: Report

A group of Israeli settlers have stormed the agricultural cooperative village of al-Awsaj north of Jericho in the occupied West Bank.

They kidnapped a Palestinian man and took him to an unknown location, according to Eid Brahma, the director of the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society in Jericho and the Jordan Valley, who informed the Wafa news agency.

Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian man from Jiftlik north of Jericho while he was herding sheep. Soldiers present at the Karameh crossing also detained a high school student from the city of Bethlehem while he was returning from Jordan.

US sanctions ICC’s top prosecutor Karim Khan

The US State Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court’s Prosecutor Karim Khan.

The move comes after US President Donald Trump last week ordered asset freezes and travel bans on ICC officials for issuing arrest warrants targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Ministry Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Lebanon rejects Israeli forces remaining in five southern locations after February 18

Lebanon’s parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, says Beirut rejects Israel’s demand to remain in five locations in the south after next week’s deadline to fully implement a fragile ceasefire.

The US, a key mediator, “informed me that the Israeli occupation will withdraw from villages it still occupies on February 18, but it will remain in five points,” Hezbollah ally Berri said in a statement.

“I informed them in my name and on behalf of President General Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Judge Nawaf Salam of our absolute rejection” of this proposal, he wrote.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/13/live-positive-signals-for-israeli-captives-as-more-aid-enters-gaza

Hezbollah supporters protest banning Iranian planes from landing in Beirut

Hezbollah supporters blocked the Beirut airport road and burned tyres on Thursday to protest against a decision barring two Iranian planes from landing in the Lebanese capital, state media and an airport official said.

Some of the young men raised Hezbollah’s yellow flag and held pictures of Nasrallah, killed in an Israeli strike in September, as well as Iran’s slain Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani, footage from the AFP news agency showed.

The Lebanese army had been deployed there, the National News Agency said, with videos online showing scuffles between angry protesters and soldiers.

An official at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri international airport told AFP that the Public Works and Transport Ministry had asked the facility to inform Iranian carrier Mahan Air that Lebanon could not welcome two of its Beirut-bound flights.

One flight was scheduled for Thursday and another for Friday, said the official, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. “The two flights were rescheduled to next week,” he added, without saying why.

That date coincides with the deadline for the full implementation of a November 27 ceasefire agreement that ended more than a year of Israel-Hezbollah hostilities including about two months of all-out war.

Protests continue near Beirut airport after Iranian plane prevented from landing

We have been reporting on protests in Beirut, where Hezbollah supporters have blocked the airport road and burned tyres to protest against a decision barring two Iranian planes from landing in the Lebanese capital.

Footage published by Hezbollah-affiliated news outlet Al-Manar of those protests shows smoke and chaos as armed Lebanese security forces break up large crowds of angry demonstrators.

Watch the footage below:
https://x.com/TVManar1/status/1890176080142807133
Video | Lebanese security forces open fire to disperse crowds on #طريق_المطار following demonstrations over preventing an Iranian plane carrying #زوار_لبنانيين from landing
https://x.com/TVManar1/status/1890174221852225602
High tension on the Beirut airport road as demonstrators continue to arrive after an Iranian plane carrying Lebanese visitors returning from Tehran was prevented from landing.
https://twitter.com/ME_Observer_/status/1890107363128143992

Why has Lebanon barred Iranian flights from landing in Beirut?

We have been reporting on intense ongoing demonstrations by Hezbollah supporters in Beirut, protesting against a decision by Lebanon’s government to bar Iranian planes from landing in the Lebanese capital.

Lebanon’s Transportation Ministry instructed officials at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri international airport on Thursday to inform Iranian airline Mahan Air it could not welcome its flights, the AFP news agency reports.

Iran Air, the country’s flagship carrier, has also been denied permission to land in Beirut, according to Lebanon’s aviation authorities, as reported by Lebanese TV network, LBCI.

The protesters’ anger is directed at the government and airport authorities for what they view as their capitulation to Israeli pressure to cancel the flights.

The Israeli military on Thursday accused the Quds Force, a branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, of using civilian flights to “smuggle funds” to Hezbollah “with the aim of carrying out attacks” against Israel.

Israel has lodged formal complaints about the alleged illicit cash transfers over recent weeks with the US-led committee overseeing the ceasefire between it and Hezbollah.

Ibrahim Mousawi, a member of parliament with Hezbollah’s political wing, has claimed the Mahan Air planes were prevented from flying “as a result of an Israeli threat” to target them.

Super Bowl protester faces lifetime NFL ban after unveiling Palestinian flag at game

Zul-Qarnain Nantambu, who gained attention by unfurling Palestinian and Sudanese flags during the US National Football League (NFL) Super Bowl halftime show’s live broadcast on Sunday, said the act was in solidarity with persecuted Muslims.

The NFL has banned him from attending games for life. A devoted New Orleans Saints fan, he hopes the decision will be overturned in four or five years.

Speaking to the Anadolu news agency, Nantambu said he joined the performers at the game and revealed Sudanese and Palestinian flags with “Gaza” inscribed on them during the widely watched halftime show, seen by more than 127 million people in the US.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/13/live-positive-signals-for-israeli-captives-as-more-aid-enters-gaza

>>487580
>Hezbollah supporters blocked the Beirut airport road and burned tyres on Thursday to protest against a decision barring two Iranian planes from landing in the Lebanese capital, state media and an airport official said.
This is how the Lebanese government cedes controle over civilian airspace to Hezbollah.

>The Israeli military on Thursday accused the Quds Force, a branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, of using civilian flights to “smuggle funds” to Hezbollah “with the aim of carrying out attacks” against Israel.
If that's true, which is highly doubtful considering the track record of Israeli accusations, it will just be a mild inconvenience of doing a layover flight, to circumvent this ban.

>>487586
Wait there's a real estate company that is doing something based ?
I'm surprised and impressed.

UNRWA accuses Israel of breaching international law by using its facility as detention centre

The UN’s refugee agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, says the Israeli military used its Arroub Camp Health Centre near Bethlehem as a temporary detention site during a search and arrest operation on February 12, despite the UN premises being protected by international law.

“[The military] forcibly entered the health centre and used it for the detention and interrogation of tens of Palestinian residents rounded up in the camp,” a statement by the agency said.

It condemned the move as “a blatant disregard for the inviolability of United Nations facilities”.

“Unfortunately, this recent incident follows a pattern of forcible entries into UNRWA installations in the West Bank since October 2023, by both Israeli security forces and Palestinian armed groups,” the statement stressed.

“All UN premises are inviolable and are protected under international law,” UNRWA added.

Gaza waiting for Israel to ‘abide by its commitments’

Gaza’s Government Media Office says it is closely following Israel’s actions and “waiting for it to abide” by its humanitarian commitments in the ceasefire agreement.

“The catastrophic humanitarian and living reality that our people in the Gaza Strip are suffering from as a result of the war of extermination and ethnic cleansing waged by the occupation over the course of 15 months, does not tolerate procrastination and delay in introducing shelter requirements and other needs such as fuel, heavy equipment, medical devices and equipment, and infrastructure restoration materials,” Salama Maarouf, the head of the office, said in a statement.

“[Nearly] one and a half million people have become homeless after their homes were destroyed, while all residents of the Gaza Strip, numbering 2.4 million people, suffer from the lack of the most basic life services and the lack of infrastructure.”

Israeli forces wound two fisherman in attack off the Gaza Strip

Two Palestinian fishermen have been wounded by Israeli fire in the waters off the Gaza Strip in a new breach of the ceasefire.

The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that the Israeli navy fired two shells at a fishing boat close to the Gaza City port, injuring the men.

Israeli police detain antisettlement activist

The Israeli rights group Peace Now says Hagit Ofran, who oversees its Settlement Watch project, which tracks settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, has been detained and taken in for questioning by Israeli police.

“Ben-Gvir’s police are taking Hagit Ofran, who has a broken leg and is on crutches, for interrogation in Hebron,” the group said in a social media post.

“The reason? We planted trees in Masafer Yatta. Apparently, for the Israeli police, joint actions between Israelis and Palestinians are grounds for arrest.”

UN peacekeeper injured after Hezbollah supporters light car on fire: Report

The Reuters news agency is reporting that at least one UN peacekeeper has been injured after Hezbollah supporters lit a UN vehicle on fire near Beirut’s airport. It quoted an unnamed Lebanese security source.

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon, also known as UNIFIL, has yet to comment on the incident.

We’ll bring you more details on this as they come in.

Lebanon’s army warns Beirut airport protesters after UN vehicle torched

Lebanese soldiers have deployed along the road leading to Beirut-Rafik Hariri International Airport to disperse Hezbollah supporters protesting against the decision to prevent an Iranian plane from landing on Thursday.

Reuters reported earlier that a UN peacekeeper was injured when the protesters burned a UN vehicle.

“Areas close to Hariri International Airport are witnessing protests that include assaults and riots, including attacks on army personnel, attacks on vehicles belonging to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and attempts to close the airport road,” the army said in a statement.

“The Army Command warns citizens against continuing these practices, which could create internal tension with dire consequences during the critical stage the country is going through,” it said, adding that soldiers would take “firm action to prevent any breach of public order and arrest troublemakers”.

The Lebanese authorities prevented an Iranian civilian plane from landing on Thursday after the Israeli military said Iran and Hezbollah are using civilian aircraft to smuggle funds into the country and Lebanese media reported Israel had threatened to bomb the airport.

Hezbollah accused the authorities of complying with Israeli threats and demands.

‘Go to hell Donald Trump’: Pro-Palestine protesters gather at US embassy in Malaysia
Ameera Osmanagic
Reporting from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Dozens of people chanted “Go to hell Donald Trump!” outside the US embassy in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur, as pro-Palestinian protesters gathered to publicly reject the “lunatic ideas” of the US president to displace more than two million people from Gaza.

Organised by 18 civil society groups after Friday prayer, the protest in Kuala Lumpur was the second of its kind for the day, with the first being held in the morning outside the embassy. Both times, demonstrators had a written memorandum addressed to Trump containing a total of seven demands regarding Gaza and its Palestinian population, copies of which the embassy refused to accept.

“It is very disappointing as a country with the superpower status, they closed the whole embassy, refused to even receive our memorandum. This is really an act of cowardice,” said Chua Tian Chang, a representative of the Malaysian groups advocating for Palestinian rights.

According to the memorandum, the groups called on Trump to ensure the ceasefire in Gaza, protection of Palestinian sovereignty, an end to Israel’s siege of the territory, rejection of plans for the US to “take over” Gaza, as well as accountability for war crimes perpetrated in Gaza and sanctions on those committing crimes against humanity.

Israel accuses Lebanon of not carrying out ceasefire obligations
Zeina Khodr
Reporting from Beirut, Lebanon

According to the speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Nabih Berri, the US informed Lebanon that Israel will be leaving the villages it is occupying along the border.

Israel, said, however, it will retain positions on hilltops just within the Lebanese territory.

So, full withdrawal will not happen come February 18 – the new deadline that has been set for Israeli troops to leave Lebanon in order for the Lebanese army to deploy in the area as part of the ceasefire agreement.

The Israeli military says Lebanon has still not carried out its obligations and pushed Hezbollah away from the border. Israeli officials say Lebanon failed to disarm Hezbollah and prevent it from rearming.

In many ways, the ceasefire agreement makes references to previous UN resolutions that called for that.

There is a new leadership and balance of power in Lebanon that does not favour Hezbollah. The new leadership is promising to extend the state authority across the country. But it is not an easy task, because if it does not get cooperation from Hezbollah, it risks instability.

Israeli veterans group says tying shoelaces could get you killed in occupied West Bank

A Palestinian who bends over to tie their shoelaces in Gaza could be shot under Israeli military rules of engagement but now an Israeli veterans group says the same shoot-to-kill protocols have been imported to the occupied West Bank.

Israeli military veterans advocacy group Breaking the Silence published the transcript of a conversation with an anonymous captain in the Israeli military who said Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank had been given permission to shoot anyone thought to be “messing with the ground”.

The captain said that specific phrase was “code” first used in Gaza and initially intended to describe Palestinians suspected of planting explosives.

In reality, the captain said, the term was regularly used to justify shooting Palestinians who might be otherwise going about their business.

“Think of yourself as a civilian: You mess with the ground to tie your shoelaces, pick something up, throw away garbage; you might be looking for something; you might be picking a flower,” the captain said.

“[But in Gaza], messing with the ground is a code name for planting an explosive device, always.”

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/14/live-israel-warns-of-war-as-hamas-confirms-3-gaza-captives-to-be-freed

>>487596
>Israel caves on Gaza.
What made them cave ?

It looks like Trump made them. He says horrible things about Gaza but he also does things that dramatically reduce the killing.

There also is the thing that Israel does not have a military designed for sustained campaigns, and have got to be suffering exhaustion. Maybe that too played a role in the Gaza ceasefire.

Iran bars Lebanese planes from taking stranded citizens home after Israeli ‘threat’

Tehran has barred Lebanese planes from repatriating dozens of Lebanese nationals stranded in Iran in a standoff after Lebanon blocked a civilian flight following what the Iranian government described as an Israeli threat to attack it.

Lebanon halted an Iranian flight to Beirut this week after the Israeli military accused Tehran of using civilian aircraft to smuggle cash to Beirut to arm Hezbollah.

Iran said it would not allow Lebanese flights to land until its own flights were cleared to land in Beirut.

The standoff has left dozens of Lebanese citizens stranded in Iran for three days after attending a religious pilgrimage. They had been due to return to Beirut on Iran’s Mahan Air before Lebanon barred the plane from landing.

Dozens of Hezbollah supporters cut off roads around Beirut’s airport late on Thursday and Friday in protest.

Heads of Churches in Jerusalem condemn calls for expulsion of Palestinians in Gaza

The Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem say they are “compelled to speak against the grave threat of mass displacement” as Trump and Israeli leaders call for the forced expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza.

“The people of Gaza, families who have lived for generations in the land of their ancestors, must not be forced into exile, stripped of whatever is left of their homes, their heritage, and their right to remain in the land that forms the essence of their identity,” they said in a statement.

“As Christians, we cannot be indifferent to such suffering, for the Gospel commands us to uphold the dignity of every human being.”

Israel holding Gaza hospital director under law that allows prolonged detention without charge

The Palestinian NGO Al Mezan says that Dr Hussam Abu Safia, a medical worker and director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, is being held under Israel’s Unlawful Combatants Law, which allows prolonged detention without charge and strips those held of due process.

“Our lawyer has been informed that the Commander of the Southern Command of the Israeli army has issued an order to detain Dr Abu Safia under the Unlawful Combatants Law,” Al Mezan said in a social media post.

“This law enables prolonged detention without charges, stripping detainees of any meaningful judicial review or due process rights. Since October 2023, Israeli authorities have extensively used this legal framework to arbitrarily detain thousands of Palestinian residents of Gaza.”

UNIFIL deputy force commander injured after convoy attacked in Beirut

There’s been another update on the violent protests we covered earlier near Beirut international airport.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) says its outgoing deputy force commander was injured after a convoy taking peacekeepers to Beirut airport was “violently attacked”.

“We are shocked by this outrageous attack on peacekeepers who have been serving to restore security and stability to south Lebanon during a difficult time,” UNIFIL said in a statement.

“Attacks on peacekeepers are flagrant violations of international law and may amount to war crimes. We demand a full and immediate investigation by Lebanese authorities and for all perpetrators to be brought to justice.”

The army said in a statement that acting commander Major General Hassan Odeh had contacted UNIFIL and promised to “work to arrest the citizens who attacked its members and bring them to justice”.

Demonstrators have been blocking the road to the airport and other roads in the capital to protest a decision by Lebanese authorities to revoke permission for a passenger plane from Iran to fly to Beirut on Thursday, leaving dozens of Lebanese passengers stranded.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/14/live-israel-warns-of-war-as-hamas-confirms-3-gaza-captives-to-be-freed

Three captives to be freed, negotiations begin on Gaza ceasefire’s second phase
Hamdah Salhut
Reporting from Amman, Jordan

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

Reports within Israeli media indicate that Israel is now negotiating for phase two of the deal, just a day after a spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister denied that Israel is starting any of those talks.

It’s important to note that these negotiations, according to Israel and media, have a primary focus of how to release the remaining Israeli captive still held in Gaza, and not necessarily towards ending the war and rebuilding the Palestinian territory.

On Saturday, Hamas is set to release three male Israeli captives, all of them dual nationals. But there hasn’t been any sort of confirmation from Israel about the continuation of phase one.

Days earlier in the week, Hamas had said that they are not going to be releasing the captives, accusing Israel of violating the deal by not allowing critical humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip in the form of caravans, mobile homes and tents to house Palestinians until they’re able to rebuild their homes.

The Israeli prime minister had said that if those captives were not released on noon on Saturday, the war would begin.

But Hamas released the list of names, and those captives are expected to be released early on Saturday.

Lebanon interior minister calls emergency meeting to discuss Hezbollah protests: Report

We have been reporting on an attack on UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) personnel by Hezbollah supporters during protests on Friday against the Lebanese government’s decision to bar Iranian planes from landing in Beirut.

Lebanon’s state news agency NNA now reports that Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar visited two injured UNIFIL officers at St George University Hospital in the Lebanese capital.

Al-Hajjar “affirmed the Lebanese government’s rejection of this assault that is considered a crime against UNIFIL forces”, NNA reported, adding that the minister has called for an emergency meeting on the violence to be held before noon on Saturday.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/15/live-gaza-prepares-for-exchange-of-3-israeli-captives-for-369-palestinians

Lebanese president vows punishment for attack on UN convoy

Joseph Aoun has denounced yesterday’s attack near Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport, which injured the outgoing deputy commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

“What happened last night on the airport road and in some areas of Beirut is unacceptable and condemned. Such actions cannot be allowed to recur,” he said on X.

Lebanon’s security forces “will not tolerate any party attempting to destabilise the country or threaten civil peace”.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/15/live-gaza-prepares-for-exchange-of-3-israeli-captives-for-369-palestinians

Lebanon arrests over 25 after UN convoy attack

More than 25 people have been arrested by Lebanese army intelligence and another detained by security services in relation to Friday evening’s attack on the UN convoy, according to Lebanese Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar.

He told reporters after an emergency security meeting that this does not mean all those arrested directly participated in the attack, adding that investigations are ongoing to find those responsible.

read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/15/un-commander-injured-as-lebanese-protesters-torch-car-near-beirut-airport

Satelite images show Israel still destroying homes in Gaza

Israel has destroyed dozens of homes in Rafah, southern Gaza, despite the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, satellite imagery analysis conducted by Al Jazeera’s fact-checking agency, Sanad, has revealed.

The crossing between Egypt and Gaza at Rafah, which has served as a critical lifeline into the enclave for decades, was closed by Israel in May 2024.

Gaza death toll rises

The Health Ministry in Gaza has just released its latest report on the number of people who were killed and wounded by Israel’s war on the territory.

In a statement, it said a total of 25 deaths and nine injuries were recorded at Gaza hospitals in the past 48 hours.

This brought the confirmed number of people killed in Israeli attacks since October 7 to at least 48,264, with 111,688 others wounded, the ministry added.

A large number of victims remains under the rubble, and the Government Media Office in Gaza has put the death toll at more than 61,000, saying thousands of people missing under the rubble are now presumed dead.

Palestinian ex-prisoner says Israel cut electricity, water in Nafha desert prison

Released Palestinian prisoner Amir Abu Radah has told our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic that he spent a year and a half in Israel’s Nafha desert prison where the authorities cut water and electricity.

“Our conditions in prison were extremely difficult and no one could bear them. For a year and a half we have not had any means of communication and we were isolated from the world,” he added.

Hamas released Russian dual national at Moscow’s request: Ambassador

Russia’s ambassador to Qatar, Dmitry Dogadkin, has confirmed that Israeli Russian captive Alexander Trufanov was released as part of the first, and not the second, phase of the ceasefire agreement at Moscow’s request.

He told the TASS state-run news agency that the leadership of Hamas did this “as a sign of respect for our country’s position in support of a fair settlement of the Middle East conflict”.

The diplomat also pointed out that this was not a “first success” for Russian diplomacy as three more Russian nationals were released along with an Israeli national as part of captive exchanges in November 2023. He said Hamas had also made that move “as a gesture of goodwill without any preconditions”.

Scenes of joy in Ramallah as several freed Palestinian prisoners arrive

A small group of former Palestinian prisoners have disembarked a minibus that arrived in Ramallah, after their release from an Israeli jail as part of the sixth prisoner-captives swap.

As we have reported earlier, 24 of the 36 Palestinians released from Israeli jails will be deported to Egypt.

Eight others will return home to the occupied West Bank and four in occupied East Jerusalem.

Nine Palestinian prisoners with life sentences who have been released from Israeli prisons have arrived in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, sources have confirmed to Al Jazeera.

Three more prisoners with life sentences have been transferred to occupied East Jerusalem.

Israel dresses Palestinian prisoners in shirts with Star of David: Report

Before their release, the Israel Prison Service has made Palestinians prisoners wear outfits with Arabic written on them: “We will not forget or forgive.”

According to Israeli state media, the authority shared photos of the hundreds of Palestinian prisoners set for release in shirts featuring its logo, a Star of David and the sentence in question.
https://twitter.com/AJA_Palestine/status/1890713350830706901

A smooth handover
Tareq Abu Azzoum
Reporting from Khan Younis, southern Gaza

This handover was different from previous ones made by both Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

One of the previous handovers was criticised for the intense atmosphere, in particular the one that was held close to the house of Yahya Sinwar in Khan Younis.

The Palestinian factions have selected this location again to try to show they are coordinated and hold control over a well-organised handover.

The three captives released today appeared to be in good physical condition. This is in contrast to last week’s group of released captives, who were in a more deteriorated health condition due to shortages of food and medicine as a result of Israeli blocks.

Overall, this has been one of the smoother handovers carried out so far since the start of the Gaza ceasefire.

Displays of power fill captives’ handover site in Khan Younis
Tareq Abu Azzoum
Reporting from Khan Younis in southern Gaza

For the second time since the start of the Gaza ceasefire, the captives’ handover is taking place just a few kilometres away from the house of killed Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar.

The release of captives in Gaza is taking place amid heavy security protocols and displays of power. Both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have deployed fighters who are in full military attire and carry automatic rifles.

In the background, you can see images of top slain Hamas military leaders, complete with sentences in English, Arabic and Hebrew that say, “O Jerusalem, bear witness: We are your soldiers.”

Flags of other Arab nations are also represented. Another slogan in the pictures reads, “We crossed over swiftly.” There are different photos of Israeli military bases that were stormed by Palestinian fighters during the October 7 attacks.

There is also a photo of Yahya Sinwar sitting on the single couch inside a destroyed home where he was killed, facing a window showing Jerusalem on the other side. The factions here are signalling that their eyes are on the eternal Palestinian capital.

Israeli captives to be freed in vehicle seized in October 7 attack: Source

A source in Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, has also told Al Jazeera that the group presented Sagui Dekel-Chen, one of the captives, with a gold coin as a gift for his daughter, who was born four months after he was captured.

Yair Horn, Sagui Dekel-Chen and Alexander Trufanov are expected to be released in Khan Younis this morning.

Political interference claimed as Australian-Palestinian academic’s grant funding reviewed

Australian academics have accused the country’s education minister of political interference in academic freedom after he asked the Australian Research Council to review the fellowship of a prominent Palestinian-Australian academic as a “matter of priority”.

Education Minister Jason Clare called for the review of the $870,000 Australian dollar ($553,000) grant to Randa Abdel-Fattah, an Australian-born academic of Egyptian and Palestinian heritage, The Guardian Australia reports.

Abdel-Fattah has previously faced attacks from right wing political figures over past comments about Israel, but the situation escalated when Clare, who represents Australia’s centre-left Labor Party, requested a review of her grant funding in late January.

The minister’s request prompted outcry from fellow academics and the president of the Australian Historical Association who said it represented a “new kind of political interference”.

Majority of Israelis want to stick with ceasefire rather than returning to war: Poll

The poll of 600 members of the public by Israel’s national broadcaster Kan asked: “Should we continue to phase two of the deal and end the war or return to fighting now without securing the release of all of the hostages?”

Some 61 percent of respondents said Israel should continue to phase two of the deal, 18 percent said Israel should return to war in Gaza, and 21 percent said they were unsure.

Israeli army storms occupied West Bank homes of freed prisoners

Israeli forces have raided the city of el-Bireh in the occupied West Bank, raiding the home of a Palestinian prisoner released as part of today’s exchanges.

Local sources told the official Wafa news agency that Israeli military vehicles stormed the centre of el-Bireh to target the home of 45-year-old Mazen al-Qadi, in Israeli custody for more than two decades.

Since dawn, Israeli forces have similarly raided the homes of several other prisoners released today, according to reports.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/15/live-gaza-prepares-for-exchange-of-3-israeli-captives-for-369-palestinians

Imagine living next doorto this.

Hezbollah chief says Israel must fully withdraw from Lebanon in two days

The head of Hezbollah says Israel’s troops must pull out of Lebanese territory in full by a February 18 deadline, adding it has “no pretext” to maintain a military presence in the south.

“Everyone knows how an occupation is dealt with,” said Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem, without explicitly threatening that his group would resume attacks against Israel.

Under a truce brokered by the US in November, Israeli troops were granted 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon, where they waged a ground assault against Hezbollah fighters. That deadline was later extended to February 18, but Israel’s military requested it keep troops in five posts in the south.

In a recorded televised speech, Qassem said: “Israel must withdraw completely on February 18. It has no pretext, no five points or other details … This is the agreement.”

Israel’s public broadcaster said on Wednesday that the United States has authorised a “long-term” Israeli troop presence in southern Lebanon.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/16/live-israel-hamas-exchange-captives-rubio-in-israel-to-discuss-trump-plan

>>487636
The Zionists will not leave unless somebody makes them, conquering more territory is their primary goal.

>>487630
what do you think ?
Is Egypt trying to get the Zionists off their back about taking in Palestinians by threatening to buy Chinese weapons instead of US weapons.

# Strategic Performance and Likely Outcomes in the Israel-Hamas War of 2025

The Israel-Hamas war, ongoing since October 2023, has evolved into a multifaceted conflict involving regional actors, proxy networks, and shifting geopolitical alliances. By February 2025, the war has entered a precarious phase marked by a fragile ceasefire, escalating threats of renewed hostilities, and intensified international diplomacy. This report evaluates the strategic performance of Israel and Iran’s "Axis of Resistance" to determine which side holds the advantage for prevailing in the conflict.

—

## Israel’s Strategic Performance

### Military Campaigns and Operational Successes
Israel’s military strategy has focused on degrading Hamas’s operational capacity, dismantling its governance structures, and securing the release of hostages. By early 2025, Israeli forces claim to have destroyed 80% of Hamas’s military infrastructure, including tunnels, rocket depots, and command centers[3]. However, Israel controls only a third of the Gaza Strip, leaving significant territory under Hamas influence[3]. The repeated battles in Beit Lahia and Jabalia underscore Hamas’s resilience despite heavy losses[3].

The January 2025 ceasefire agreement, mediated by the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar, marked a tactical pause. The deal included a phased release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and humanitarian concessions[1]. While Israel secured the return of 33 hostages initially, Hamas suspended further releases in February 2025, citing Israeli violations[1]. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s threats to resume military operations if hostages are not returned highlight Israel’s readiness to escalate[1].

### Regional Deterrence and U.S. Backing
Israel’s strategic position is bolstered by unwavering U.S. support. Despite the transition to the Trump administration in January 2025, bipartisan alignment persists on Israel’s security needs. U.S. intelligence agencies anticipate Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, reflecting shared priorities in countering Tehran[5]. Israel’s October 2024 retaliatory strikes on Iran—the largest since the Iran-Iraq War—exposed vulnerabilities in Iran’s defenses and demonstrated Israel’s willingness to escalate directly[4].

### Challenges: Governance and Reconstruction
Israel faces mounting criticism over civilian casualties and Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. The lack of a coherent post-war governance plan for Gaza risks a power vacuum, potentially enabling Hamas’s resurgence[3]. Netanyahu’s rejection of a permanent ceasefire and insistence on "total victory" complicate reconstruction efforts, leaving Israel responsible for managing Gaza’s destabilized infrastructure[1][3].

—

## Iran’s Axis of Resistance: Capabilities and Limitations

### Proxy Network and Asymmetric Warfare
Iran’s "Axis of Resistance"—comprising Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Shiite militias in Iraq and Yemen—has sustained pressure on Israel through rocket attacks, guerrilla warfare, and hostage diplomacy. Hamas’s October 2023 incursion demonstrated the axis’s capacity to inflict strategic shocks[2]. However, the network’s cohesion has faltered. Hezbollah, wary of full-scale war, has limited its engagements to sporadic strikes, while Iraqi militias face internal fragmentation[4].

### Strategic Vulnerabilities Exposed
Iran’s reliance on proxies has proven double-edged. While deniable attacks offer plausible deniability, Israel’s direct strikes on Iranian soil in October 2024 revealed Tehran’s inadequate air defenses and eroded deterrence[4]. The axis’s failure to mobilize a unified front during the Gaza war underscores its operational limitations. Hamas’s refusal to aid Syria’s Bashar al-Assad during the civil war—a key Iranian ally—exemplifies divergent priorities within the network[2].

### Diplomatic Isolation and Nuclear Ambitions
Iran’s regional influence is constrained by diplomatic isolation and economic sanctions. The U.S. and Gulf states have coalesced around containing Tehran, with Saudi Arabia normalizing ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords[3]. Meanwhile, Iran’s nuclear program remains a focal point. U.S. intelligence warns that Israel may strike Iranian nuclear facilities in 2025, risking broader conflict[5]. Tehran’s missile arsenal, while formidable, has shown reliability issues, diminishing its deterrent credibility[4].

—

## Comparative Analysis: Pathways to Victory

### Israel’s Advantages
1. Military Superiority: Israel’s technological edge, air dominance, and intelligence capabilities enable precise strikes against Hamas and Iranian targets.
2. International Backing: Sustained U.S. support and Gulf state alignment provide diplomatic and military leverage.
3. Deterrence Posture: Direct strikes on Iran have reestablished red lines, compelling Tehran to recalibrate its proxy strategy[4][5].

### Iran’s Resilience
1. Proxy Endurance: Despite losses, Hamas retains governance structures in Gaza, and Hezbollah’s arsenal remains a potent deterrent[3][2].
2. Asymmetric Tactics: Proxies’ ability to exploit urban terrain and hostage diplomacy complicates Israel’s military objectives[1][2].
3. Strategic Patience: Iran’s long-term vision prioritizes attrition over decisive victories, aiming to erode Israeli resolve and international support[4].

—

## Conclusion: Israel’s Likely Prevailing Position

As of February 2025, Israel holds the strategic upper hand due to its military efficacy, U.S. partnership, and successful deterrence against Iran. The January ceasefire, though fragile, reflects Israel’s capacity to negotiate from strength. However, the absence of a political solution for Gaza and Iran’s latent proxy threats pose enduring risks.

Iran’s axis, while diminished, retains the capacity for sporadic violence but lacks the cohesion to alter the conflict’s trajectory decisively. Israel’s potential strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities—if executed with U.S. support—could further degrade Tehran’s regional standing[5]. Ultimately, Israel’s ability to neutralize Hamas’s governance and deter Iranian escalation positions it to prevail, provided it addresses Gaza’s political vacuum and sustains international legitimacy.

Citations:
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Gaza_war_ceasefire
[2] https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-axis-resistance-proxies-enemies-abroad-quds/32645674.html
[3] https://themedialine.org/top-stories/after-a-year-of-war-what-does-2025-hold-for-israel/
[4] https://carnegieendowment.org/middle-east/diwan/2024/10/what-are-irans-options-after-the-israeli-attack?lang=en
[5] https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/13/politics/us-intelligence-israel-strike-iran-nuclear/index.html
[6] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-august-1-2024
[7] https://www.steptoe.com/en/news-publications/stepwise-risk-outlook/israel-in-2025-perspectives-on-a-region-in-turmoil.html
[8] https://www.cfr.org/expert-brief/israel-and-hamas-reach-cease-fire-will-war-end
[9] https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/how-hamas-oct-7-attack-smashed-irans-axis-of-resistance/articleshow/116219729.cms
[10] https://www.chathamhouse.org/2024/12/fall-assad-has-exposed-extent-damage-irans-axis-resistance
[11] https://www.spf.org/iina/en/articles/miyahara_08.html
[12] https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/israel-strategic-win-and-new-headaches
[13] https://www.voanews.com/a/analysts-expect-strong-israel-reaction-to-iran-attack-uncertain-of-wider-conflict-/7807226.html
[14] https://www.oxan.com/insights/prospects-for-middle-east-security-in-2025/
[15] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/29/analysis-hamas-has-been-hit-hard-by-israel-but-is-not-out-in-gaza
[16] https://www.stimson.org/2025/irans-axis-of-resistance-weakened-but-still-dangerous/
[17] https://www.fdd.org/analysis/op_eds/2025/01/07/in-2025-israels-gaza-campaign-is-not-over/
[18] https://www.nbcnews.com/news/irans-axis-resistance-collapsing-israeli-attacks-rcna173169
[19] https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/hamas-may-be-cheering-it-writhing-pain
[20] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/reshaping-iran%E2%80%99s-axis-resistance
[21] https://acleddata.com/conflict-watchlist-2025/israel-palestine-lebanon/
[22] https://www.stimson.org/2024/irans-axis-of-resistance-outmatched-by-israeli-intelligence-and-weapons/
[23] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/16/rubio-says-hamas-must-be-eradicated-casting-doubt-on-gaza-ceasefire-deal
[24] https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/axis-resistance-strategy-israel-hamas-war
[25] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/13/live-positive-signals-for-israeli-captives-as-more-aid-enters-gaza
[26] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Israel_proxy_conflict
[27] https://acleddata.com/conflict-watchlist-2025/middle-east/
[28] https://www.fdd.org/analysis/op_eds/2024/10/04/israels-victory-will-be-a-success-for-american-grand-strategy/
[29] https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/content-series/inflection-points/israels-dramatic-gains-on-iran-present-a-historic-chance-and-enormous-risks/
[30] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-january-17-2025
[31] https://carnegieendowment.org/emissary/2024/10/iran-israel-missile-attack-nuclear-strategy-what-now?lang=en
[32] https://www.csis.org/analysis/escalating-war-between-israel-hezbollah-and-iran
[33] https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-israel-missile-drone-military-threat-advantage/32912499.html
[34] https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/iran-in-2025-how-strong-does-it-remain-in-the-middle-east/
[35] https://www.usip.org/publications/2024/10/whats-next-israel-iran-and-prospects-wider-middle-east-war
[36] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-february-4-2025

Richard Wolff wrote quite a nice article a couple weeks ago that I only just found comparing Israel to the British colonialism in Kenya in the late 19th century:
https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/01/31/settler-colonialism-it-ends-with-us-in-palestine-and-israel/

>>487640
I generally doubt it. You never know. Mahmood OD is more optimistic about Egypt than I am, but there have been specific areas where Egypt did actually put their foot down. El-Sisi would be wise to get away from alignment with the US and Israel (because they will absolutely stab him in the back like they did Saddam, Assad, etc.), but whether he will or not is a different question.

>>487641
Stop posting this neocon bullshit.

Hezbollah supporters protest for third day near Beirut airport

Hezbollah supporters gathered near Beirut international airport for a third day to protest over a decision to prevent two Iranian planes from landing there.

Local media reported that security forces fired tear gas to disperse the protesters and that some Lebanese soldiers were injured in scuffles.

Hezbollah protesters drew a Star of David on the road leading to the airport, as protesters accuse the Lebanese state of caving to Israeli orders by not allowing Iranian planes to land.

Earlier on Saturday, Lebanese Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar said more than 25 people had been arrested after an attack by protesters on Friday on a convoy of United Nations peacekeepers that wounded two.

Two wounded in central Gaza after Israel bombs bulldozer: Report

The Israeli military has reportedly bombed a bulldozer that was trying to remove the rubble of destroyed Palestinian infrastructure in central Gaza, despite the ceasefire.

Local sources quoted by the official Wafa news agency said a drone hit the vehicle in the town of al-Mughraqa in the central part of the territory, wounding two people.

UNRWA chief says misinformation campaign putting staff at risk

Philippe Lazzarini has told reporters that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) is at “a turning point”.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Lazzarini said the agency has been the target of a misinformation campaign by the Israeli government. That includes billboards and ads in the US, Europe and Australia accusing UNRWA of “terrorism”.

“This is putting the lives of the UNRWA staff at risk, especially in the West Bank but also in Gaza, where 273 UNRWA staff have already been killed,” Lazzarini said.

“The objective of these attacks on the agency is to strip the Palestinian[s] of their refugee status,” he added.

“The right of Palestinian refugees to protection and assistance are, however, not derived from the UNRWA mandate. They exist independently of the agency.”

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/15/live-gaza-prepares-for-exchange-of-3-israeli-captives-for-369-palestinians

Clip of Yoav Gallant admitting to Channel 12 in Israel that the Hannibal Directive was used on Oct. 7, 2023.

https://x.com/kataeb_Ar/status/1891415784452239523
Continuation of the Israeli "ceasefire" in Lebanon

Lebanese president says ‘afraid’ Israel may not fully withdraw by deadline

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has voiced concern that Israeli forces may not fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by a truce deadline on Tuesday, saying the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons was a matter for the Lebanese.

“We are afraid that a complete withdrawal will not be achieved tomorrow,” Aoun said, according to a statement from the presidency. He added: “The important thing is to achieve the Israeli withdrawal, and Hezbollah’s weapons come as part of solutions the Lebanese agree on.”

His remarks came shortly after the Lebanese Health Ministry announced that one person had been killed in an Israeli strike in the southern city of Sidon.

Israel continues to block mobile homes, tents in violation of ceasefire

Israel’s 15 months of war destroyed 70 percent of the buildings in the Gaza Strip, and most families have nowhere to live.

But Israel is still blocking shelters from entering the Strip – one of the conditions of the agreement. Tens of thousands of mobile homes as part of the ceasefire deal have still not been allowed into Gaza, and are stuck at the Rafah crossing with Egypt, awaiting Israeli permission to enter Gaza.

Under the ceasefire, Israel had agreed to allow 60,000 mobile homes and 200,000 tents into Gaza. But only 20,000 tents have been allowed in and none of the mobile homes.

Iran will not show weakness in defending nuclear programme: Ministry

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman has delivered more defiant rhetoric after the latest comments by Netanyahu and Trump. Below are lines from Esmail Baghaei during a news conference:

Iran has observed its rights under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and nuclear safeguards for three decades.
Iran is conducting an ongoing peaceful nuclear programme, and it will not show any weakness in this regard.
Netanyahu must be confronted internationally for openly threatening Iran with attacks.
The emir of Qatar’s impending visit to Iran has nothing to do with talks with the US.
US officials’ comments on negotiations with Iran cannot be taken seriously because they are filled with contradictions.
Iran is consulting European countries to organise a third round of talks.

US strategic bombers flying with jet escorts over the Mediterranean Sea

An air squadron consisting of six military aircraft belonging to the US air force has been flying over the Mediterranean Sea, according to data from Flight Radar, which specialises in tracking and monitoring aircraft movements.

The squadron consists of two Boeing B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers and four Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft designated for refuelling fighters and bombers in midair.

The aircraft took off today from the Royal Air Force Mildenhall base in England, which is a US base. The flight path of the aircraft shows them flying over the Mediterranean near Southern Europe and North Africa with a possibility of heading towards the Middle East.

Israeli tanks advance in southern Lebanese town

Activists and local Lebanese platforms on social media circulated this morning scenes of an Israeli military incursion into the town of Kfarchouba in the south of the country.

Local media confirmed that this incursion is considered the first since the deployment of the Lebanese army in the area, and it comes as Lebanese officials say they expect a quick withdrawal by the Israeli army.

https://twitter.com/ataharinews/status/1891373885582455288

Israel PM says ‘committed’ to Trump’s Gaza displacement plan

Netanyahu says he is “committed” to Trump’s plan for Gaza, which involves displacing more than two million inhabitants of the Palestinian territory.

“Just as I have committed to, on the day after the war in Gaza, there will be neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority. I am committed to US President Trump’s plan for the creation of a different Gaza,” Netanyahu said in a statement.

Israeli soldiers used 80-year-old Palestinian as human shield: Report

The Israeli military forced an 80-year-old Palestinian man to act as a human shield in Gaza by tying an explosive cord around his neck and threatening to have his head blown off, according to an investigation by the Israeli media outlet The Hottest Place in Hell.

A senior officer from the army’s Nahal Brigade tied the explosive cord around the man’s neck before he was ordered to scout houses.

After eight hours, soldiers ordered the man to flee with his wife from their home in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood in May, said +972 magazine, which reported the piece in partnership with The Hottest Place in Hell.

Al-Quds Brigades claims attack on Israeli troops in Tulkarem

The armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad says its Tulkarem Battalion detonated explosive devices targeting Israeli forces in the town of Qaffin.

It said the group’s fighters also “rained heavy showers of bullets” on the troops.

The Israeli military has been carrying out a large-scale military operation in Tulkarem as well as many parts of the north of the occupied West Bank.

Qassam Brigades confirms official killed in Lebanon

The armed wing of Hamas has hailed Muhammad Ibrahim Shaheen, who as we reported earlier was killed by an Israeli drone strike in Sidon, as an influential figure in the Palestinian organisation.

Qassam Brigades said in a statement that he had a “pioneering role and special fingerprints” in the path of resistance against Israel, including during the war on Gaza.

The Palestinian group said as its members are killed across Palestinian and other territories, it affirms its steadfastness on the path of resistance “until the dream of our people for liberation and return is achieved”.

Destruction of homes, infrastructure in Lebanon preventing people’s return: HRW

Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the destruction of towns and villages in southern Lebanon by Israeli forces is preventing tens of thousands of people from returning to their homes.

“Israel’s deliberate demolition of civilian homes and infrastructure and its use of explosive weapons in populated areas are making it impossible for many residents to return to their villages and houses,” said Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at HRW.

“Even if their houses are still there, how can they return when there is no water, electricity, telecommunications, or health infrastructure?” Kaiss added.

HRW researchers found examples of infrastructure destroyed by Israeli attacks, including a water filtration and pumping station destroyed by an Israeli attack on Tyre on November 18, which disrupted water access to about 72,000 people.

While temporary adjustments to the network restored supply about a month later, the water station, which is the main source for people in Tyre and the surrounding areas, “needs to be rebuilt from scratch”, Kassem Khalifeh, the utility’s chief of supervision, told HRW.

Former Israeli military officials warn against ‘reckless’ renewed war: Report

Hundreds of former senior Israeli military officials have written a letter addressed to the Israeli leadership and public that sternly warns against the “irresponsibility and recklessness of renewing the war” in Gaza without a clear strategic goal.

Former Major General Matan Vilnai leads the list of 550 Israelis who backed the letter, and points out that resuming the military campaign would lead to the deaths of the remaining captives in Gaza, according to Maariv newspaper.

The popular Hebrew-language daily cited the letter as saying such a war would also exhaust the army and “lead to a bloody, ongoing occupation with no end in sight and the loss of unprecedented regional opportunities”, in reference to a normalisation deal with Saudi Arabia.

According to the general, the Israeli government is acting against the will of the people and giving in to the demands of an extreme minority, who wish to annex the occupied West Bank and perpetuate conflict.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/17/live-trump-says-israel-to-choose-path-for-gaza-ceasefire-with-his-help

Apparently Trump's ethnic cleansing statements scared shipping companies away from the Red Sea again.

>>487658
>forcing
>to sign paperwork
null and void

>signed under duress it is unenforceable—meaning it is not worth the paper it was signed on.
yup

Israel’s truce violations continue to mount
Tareq Abu Azzoum
Reporting from Rafah, Gaza

The ceasefire agreement stipulates a full cessation of all military acts by both parties to the conflict, but today, we’ve seen several violations by Israel.

They deliberately targeted police vehicles in the city of Rafah as well as a civilian vehicle in the central part of the Strip.

Israel’s obstruction of all essential heavy machinery and mobile homes – which are still lined up on the Egyptian side of the border and are highly required here in order to alleviate the humanitarian crisis – is adding further pressure on regional mediators to implement the humanitarian protocol agreed in the ceasefire deal.

Meanwhile, civilians here are homeless and living in open spaces as they wait for the entry of those mobile homes. These homes are expected to provide shelter to hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians.

People here believe that as long as Israel continues to add further obstacles in the path for the next round of negotiations, the situation on the ground will get more complicated.

The sentiments here are quite charged, with fears and anxiety over the durability of the ceasefire, in light of these very unpredictable changes that we can see in the current agreement.

AU condemns Israel’s ‘genocide’ against Palestinians

African leaders have condemned Israeli occupation and aggression in a joint statement issued at the conclusion of the African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa.

“Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians and must be prosecuted internationally,” the statement said, according to Palestinian media outlets.

“We call for an end to cooperation and normalisation with Israel until it ends its occupation and aggression against Palestine,” it said.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently hailed the AU statement.

In a post on X, the ministry said it welcomed the African leaders’ “honourable positions on the Israeli occupation and aggression, as well as the genocide against our people”, and the “summit’s rejection of displacement and annexation plans”.

Israeli army targets ‘suspicious vehicles’ in Gaza

Israeli fighter jets opened fire on “suspicious vehicles” going north from central Gaza Strip “on a route not approved for vehicle traffic”, an army statement says.

The cars traveled without passing through the checkpoint route, “contrary to the agreed [truce] outline”.

“The [army] once again calls on Gaza residents to obey instructions, not to approach the forces deployed in the area and to pass through the agreed checkpoint routes,” it added in a post on X.

The incident comes as Israeli forces have been accused of repeatedly violating the ceasefire since it was enforced last month. Apart from deadly attacks, they have also obstructed the flow of much-needed humanitarian aid.

Israel begins to pull out from some south Lebanon areas: Report

The Israeli troop movement comes hours before a deadline for their complete withdrawal from Lebanon as stipulated in a ceasefire agreed in November with Hezbollah.

“Israeli forces are beginning to withdraw from border villages, including Meiss el-Jabal and Blida, as the Lebanese army advances,” an unnamed official told the AFP news agency.

Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Nadav Shoshani earlier said that “based on the current situation, we will leave small amounts of troops deployed temporarily in five strategic points along the border in Lebanon”.

Iran urges Arab, Islamic countries to defeat Trump’s Gaza plan

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has called on Arab and Islamic countries to support the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) efforts to confront a joint US-Israeli plot to forcibly relocate Palestinians from their homeland.

Araghchi made the call during a meeting with the secretary-general of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC), Jassim Muhammad Al-Budaiwi, in the Omani capital, Muscat, on Sunday, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

Araghchi said a single, decisive voice must be heard from the Islamic world in support of the Palestinian people and praised Arab countries, especially those in the Gulf region, for opposing the “American-Zionist plan to forcibly relocate the people of Gaza”.

Israel announces army agency for ‘voluntary departure’ of Gaza

Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz says a special directorate will be established for the “voluntary departure” of Gazan residents.

The announcement comes after Israel reiterated its commitment to a US proposal to take over the Palestinian territory and expel about two million of its inhabitants.

“Defence Minister Israel Katz held a meeting today on the voluntary departure of Gaza residents, at the end of which he decided that a directorate for the voluntary departure of Gaza residents would be established within the ministry of defence,” a statement said.

NGO pushes Belgium to arrest Israel’s ‘war criminal’ foreign minister

The pro-Palestinian Hind Rajab Foundation issued a call for action ahead of Israel Foreign Minister Gideon Saar’s scheduled visit to Brussels on Tuesday, calling on Belgian authorities to ensure he “does not evade justice while on European soil”.

“Allowing a suspected war criminal to visit Brussels unchallenged would be a betrayal of international legal commitments and the fundamental principles of justice,” the foundation said.

It emphasised Belgium’s legal obligation to take action against international crimes as a signatory to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Palestinian boy succumbs to injuries following Israeli attack

Diaa Ahmed Sabaaneh, 15, has died in the occupied West Bank following wounds he sustained two weeks ago from an Israeli air strike.

The attack occurred in Qabatiya, in the Palestinian territory’s north, where an Israeli military assault has been ongoing for weeks.

Israel’s raid on the occupied West Bank has killed more than a dozen Palestinians and displaced at least 40,000, while causing widespread destruction to critical infrastructure.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/17/live-trump-says-israel-to-choose-path-for-gaza-ceasefire-with-his-help

old:

Gaza ceasefire to top agenda as Netanyahu visits US
Hamdah Salhut
Reporting from Amman, Jordan

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

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will take off to the United States [today], around 8am [06:00 GMT] local time.

He will be the first world leader to visit the White House since Donald Trump took office on January 20.

Gaza, of course, will be one of the agenda items.

Netanyahu has released a statement saying that he’s going to meet with Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, who helped with the ceasefire negotiations about negotiations for the second phase of the deal.

But of course, the deal is laid out. Phase two is laid out, so it’s a little bit unclear exactly what Netanyahu wants.

Reports within Israeli media have said that Netanyahu has been holding private meetings about restarting the war, even asking the military for operational plans on how he could do that.

And members of his right-wing government, having left his coalition despite voting against this deal several weeks ago, say they received assurances from Netanyahu that the fighting would resume after phase one.

That there would be a “complete takeover of Gaza”, and those are the words of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

So there’s a lot of uncertainty about what’s to come next.

But make no mistake, the Israeli public at large supports this deal because it brings back the remaining Israeli captives.

US ‘showing contempt for int’l justice’ by hosting Netanyahu: Amnesty

Amnesty International says the US “has a clear obligation” under the Geneva Conventions “to search for & try or extradite persons accused of having committed or ordered the commission of war crimes”.

US ‘will remain complicit in Israel’s atrocities in Gaza’ if arms sales persist: HRW

Ahead of Trump’s talks with Netanyahu, Human Rights Watch has urged the US to cut off military assistance to Israel.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/2/live-israeli-bombs-kill-5-in-west-bank-wounded-palestinians-evacuate-gaza

Lebanon demands full Israeli troop withdrawal from south

Lebanon called for a full Israeli army pull out from its territory in the south as agreed under a ceasefire agreement involving Hezbollah.

President Joseph Aoun held talks with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to discuss Israeli violations of the truce deal, a statement from the president’s office said.

The talks came shortly after the Israeli military withdrew from some southern Lebanese towns, but remained in five border outposts in violation of the ceasefire.

Under the deal, Israel was supposed to complete its withdrawal from southern Lebanon by January 26, but the deadline was extended to Tuesday after Israel refused to comply.

Lebanese officials called for “a complete Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Lebanese territories in compliance with international charters and laws and UN resolutions”, the statement said.

Lebanese government to seek new IMF programme, policy statement says

Lebanon’s new government will negotiate with the International Monetary Fund for a new programme and will work to deal with the country’s financial default and public debt, according to a policy statement approved by the cabinet.

The statement, a copy of which was reviewed by the Reuters news agency, said the government would work for an economical revival that could only be achieved through restructuring the banking sector.

Lebanon has been in deep economic crisis since 2019 when its financial system collapsed under the weight of massive state debts, prompting a sovereign default in 2020 and freezing ordinary depositors out of their savings in the banking system.

Beirut reached a draft funding deal with IMF in 2022 – contingent on reforms that authorities failed to deliver. Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, who took office as part of a new government agreed earlier this month, said an IMF mission is expected to visit Lebanon in March.

US bombers ‘demonstrate force projection capabilities’ in the Middle East

The US military confirmed reports that its strategic bombers – escorted by refueling aircraft and fighter jets – completed a run over the Middle East “to demonstrate force projection capabilities in the region”.

US Central Command said “live munitions drops at ranges in several partner nations” were part of the mission, aimed at showing an “ability to respond to any state or non-state actor seeking to broaden or escalate conflict”.

The statement comes after threats to bomb Iran by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israeli forces kill child in southern Gaza’s Rafah city: Report

A child has been killed by Israeli forces near al-Awda Square in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Information Center.

The agency said another child was shot and injured by the Israeli army east of Gaza City’s Shujayea neighbourhood.

Earlier, we reported based on the Wafa news agency that Israeli forces killed a woman this morning east of the municipality of ash-Shawka in Rafah.

Israel violated Gaza ceasefire ‘266 times’, killing 132 Palestinians

Palestinian security sources have told Al Jazeera they registered 266 violations of the ceasefire agreement since it came into effect in the Gaza Strip on January 19.

Those violations have led to the killing of at least 132 Palestinians, including 26 who succumbed to their wounds. More than 900 people were injured as a result of Israeli gunfire and raids on the enclave.

Most violations occurred in central Gaza, with 110 incidents, followed by 54 in Rafah, 49 in Gaza City, 19 in Khan Younis, and 13 in the northern Gaza Strip.

Throughout the ceasefire, Israeli leaders have been discussing the possibility of an imminent return to fighting, with far-right ministers in Netanyahu’s cabinet pushing for military occupation of the enclave.

Video shows southern Lebanon village in ruins after Israeli military withdrawal

Footage verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad fact-checking agency depicts the scale of destruction in the village of Markaba near the border with Israel.

Israeli forces reduced almost the entirety of the village in southern Lebanon to rubble before withdrawing. The Lebanese army announced today the deployment of its military units there.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1354901035763036

Katz threatens Lebanon with more violence as Israeli forces remain in buffer zone

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz says the army will “forcefully” enforce the ceasefire deal in Lebanon and act against any Hezbollah threat, as Israeli troops remain in five strategic posts.

“Starting today, the [army] will remain in a buffer zone in Lebanon in five strategic outposts along the border line, to ensure the protection of the northern communities,” he said on X, adding that the army would “continue to enforce forcefully and without compromise against any violation by Hezbollah”.

“We will not allow a return to the reality of October 7th,” he concluded.

Residents await return to Lebanese towns, villages levelled by Israeli forces
Zeina Khodr
Reporting from Deir Mimas, Lebanon

The Lebanese army is still clearing areas of unexploded munitions as Israeli forces withdraw from towns and villages along the border.

People who have been displaced from the area for more than a year have been waiting here for hours to go back to their homes and see what is left, but most of them will tell you they know there is nothing left because most of these towns along the border have been levelled to the ground.

It is not just because of the war. Since that ceasefire took effect in late November, Israeli troops have been demolishing infrastructure and homes, saying they are Hezbollah’s military infrastructure.

So, people here will tell you they are going back to nothing but they still want to go back home.

What are the five hilltops in Lebanon that Israel plans to remain on?

The deadline for Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon has now passed.

We have more information on the five locations where the Israeli army has said its troops will remain.

They are:

''a hill near Labbouneh, across from the Israeli town of Shlomi
the Jabal Blat peak, across from the Israeli town of Zar’it''
a hill across from the Israeli towns of Avivim and Malkia
a hill across from the Israeli town of Margaliot
a hill across from the Israeli town of Metula.
None of the posts is located within built-up areas but Israel has said it will prevent “suspects” from approaching the Israeli border and newly established positions, according to our correspondent.

Israeli army launches interceptor missile at drone near Lebanon border

Local outlets have documented the footage below, which has been verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad fact-checking agency, showing how the Israeli military launched an interceptor missile that hit a drone in the Mount Hermon area.

Israeli Army Radio said the drone belonged to the Israeli military, and was downed in order to prevent it from falling into Lebanese hands after it suffered a malfunction.

Palestinian President Abbas fires official who criticised him for ending ‘martyrs’ fund’

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has fired an official who criticised his decision to end a system that paid stipends to the families of prisoners, including those convicted of deadly attacks against Israelis.

Abbas announced the replacement of Qadura Fares as head of the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) without providing an explanation.

Last week, Abbas put an end to what was known as the “martyrs’ fund”, acquiescing to longstanding demands by the United States and Israel.

Many Palestinians viewed the payments as compensation for people harmed in the course of their struggle against Israeli military rule.

The Hamas movement, which drove Abbas’s forces from Gaza in 2007, criticised Fares’s firing, saying it reflected the “oppression and exclusion” practiced by the authority and its “submission to Zionist and American dictates”.

Israel violated ‘right to education’ by storming UNRWA-run schools in West Bank: Lazzarini

UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini has confirmed that Israeli soldiers and municipality authorities stormed three schools and a training centre in the occupied West Bank and ordered immediate evacuations.

He said 250 children in three schools run by the UN agency in occupied East Jerusalem were affected, along with more than 350 trainees at the large training centre that was targeted in Qalandiya.

“This is a violation of the basic right to education as well as of United Nations privileges and immunities,” Lazzarini added in a post on X.

UN says Israel violating Security Council resolution on Lebanon

UN envoy Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and the UNIFIL peacekeeping force have said in a joint statement that at “the end of the period set” for Israel’s withdrawal and the Lebanese army’s deployment, any further “delay in this process is not what we hoped would happen” and a violation of a 2006 Security Council resolution that ended a past Israel-Hezbollah war.

“The new Lebanese President and Government are determined to extend state authority completely in all areas in the south and consolidate stability to prevent conflict from returning to Lebanon. They deserve unwavering support in this endeavour,” they said.

As we have reported earlier, Israeli forces pulled out from Yaroun, Maroun al-Ras, Blida, Meiss el-Jabal, Hula, Markaba, Odaisseh, Kfar Kila, and Wazzani, but remain at five hilltops along the Israel-Lebanon border.

Netanyahu’s office confirms Israel to receive six living captives, four bodies

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the talks in Cairo resulted in an agreement on the release of six living Israeli captives on Saturday as part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal with Hamas.

Israel will also receive the bodies of four Israeli prisoners on Thursday and the bodies of four others a week later, the statement said.

The Times of Israel newspaper said the families of the captives have been notified.

Netanyahu orders immediate enforcement of UNRWA ban

The Israeli prime minister has issued a directive ordering the law banning the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) be “enforced immediately”.

In a post on X, Netanyahu’s office said, “There are no restrictions on the implementation of the Prime Minister’s directive.”

Arab League summit on Gaza postponed to March 4: Egypt

An extraordinary Arab League meeting on Gaza initially planned for next week has been postponed to March 4, host Egypt says.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement the new date was agreed with Arab League members as part of “substantive and logistical preparations” for the summit, which had been called in response to Trump’s proposal to take over the war-battered Gaza Strip and displace its Palestinian inhabitants.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/18/live-israel-pushes-forward-with-plans-for-voluntary-expulsions-from-gaza

Interesting Dialogue Works interview with Laith Marouf. A few interesting points:

Laith says the IDF has 7,000 dead from the recent conflict. This is almost 10x the estimates I've heard, anyone have any idea where he's getting 7k?

Laith says that Nawaf Salam (the Lebanese judge from the ICJ who was summoned back to Lebanon to become the Prime Minister) claimed in a speech that the reason for the recent Lebanese ban of commercial flights from Iran was due to "western sanctions" on Iranian flights. This would be a lie, as Iran flies to multiple west-friendly countries in the region, and the real reason has been reported as being that Israel threatened to bomb the Beirut airport if those flights were allowed in. Laith speculates that Salam was lying to hide his having caved to bomb threats.

Laith believes that the HTS gov't is unstable and may soon fall. He says that HTS recently raided a Syrian Sunni leader. He says that an Israeli report recently claimed that Iran and Turkey were jointly planning to re-arm Hezbollah, but he thinks the inclusion of Turkey in this was probably BS and I agree with him on that.

Hezbollah's political wing, based on recent events, seems to be the moderating force among its supporters. The recent protests appear to have occurred without any direction from Hezbollah's political leadership.

https://twitter.com/yanisvaroufakis/status/1891847085470679407
German police raid an event held by Amnesty International and Francesca Albanese.

I don't know how recent this development is, but Twitter is apparently now blocking pics of Aaron Bushnell.

>>487673
>IDF has 7,000 dead from the recent conflict
7000 fatalities probably is a low-ball estimate. And you have to factor in that they probably have multiples of injured people that can't fight anymore. And then all the people that got psychological problems from witnessing or participating in atrocities.

But wait there is more. Israel had a vibrant tech sector, but all the techies emigrated because they didn't want to get drafted into the slaughter-machine. They packed up their families and left, that amounted to minus a million in population.

The demographic cost for Israel are very high.

>an Israeli report recently claimed that Iran and Turkey were jointly planning to re-arm Hezbollah, but he thinks the inclusion of Turkey in this was probably BS and I agree with him on that.
I'm not convinced the Israeli really have a handle on this, Iran is able to supply Yemmen, so they probably are able to supply Hezbollah as well. The fall of Syria probably caused only a temporary interruption, in Iran's ability to re-supply Hezbollah. lets not forget that Hezbollah probably also has independent production capacities for weapons as well.

Maybe this report should be viewed as an indication that there are growing political tensions between Turkey and Israel.

>>487672
>What are the five hilltops in Lebanon that Israel plans to remain on?
>The deadline for Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon has now passed.
>We have more information on the five locations where the Israeli army has said its troops will remain.
I think the 5 hills are going to be the indicator whether or not Iran has restored the weapons transfer corridors or not. If they did, Hezbollah is going to be able to clear out these hills with some kind of a big rocket barrage or drone attack.

Beirut airport to close during funeral for slain Hezbollah leader

The four-hour closure will take place during the funeral on Sunday for Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah who was killed in an Israeli strike in late September.

“The airport will be closed and takeoffs and landings … will halt on February 23, 2025, from 12pm until 4pm [10:00-14:00 GMT],” Lebanon’s civil aviation authority said in a statement.

Nasrallah’s assassination took place as Hezbollah and Israel were entangled in cross-border hostilities for nearly a year, after the Lebanese armed group started firing on Israel in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas in Gaza.

The exchanges of fire, which escalated into an all-out war for two months, ended with a ceasefire in late November.

Under the agreement, Lebanon’s military was to deploy alongside UN peacekeepers as the Israeli army withdrew from the south over an initial 60-day period that was later extended to today.

But just before the pullout deadline, Israel said it would keep troops in “five strategic points” near the border – a move slammed by Lebanon as an “occupation”.

Lebanon teams retrieve 23 bodies after Israeli pullout

Lebanon’s civil defence agency recovered 23 bodies from several border towns after Israeli troops withdrew from some southern towns under a ceasefire deadline.

“Specialised teams today … managed to remove 14 bodies from Mais al-Jabal, three from Markaba, and three from Kfar Kila, in addition to three from Odaisseh,” said a statement published by the state-run National News Agency.

Lebanese leaders said the Israeli military’s continued presence in five locations is an “occupation” and Beirut is in touch with France and the United States to press the army to completely withdraw from southern Lebanon.

Israeli drones broadcasting threatening messages in Gaza despite ceasefire

Maha Hussaini, the strategy director at The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, a rights groups, says Israeli drones “are flying at low altitudes over central and eastern Gaza City” with intimidating messages.

She said the recorded messages “threaten residents and speak of a second and third Nakba“, referring to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their land when Israel was created in 1948.

The Euro-Med shared a recording of the messages in a separate post on X.

https://twitter.com/EuroMedHR/status/1891789953585066475

Two dead after Israeli tanks open fire in Rafah

Two people have been killed in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah after Israeli tanks opened fire on Palestinians.

Two bodies were brought to a nearby hospital, officials said. The latest attack comes despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Israel’s army said in a statement that forces initially fired warning shots in the south of the Strip because of an unidentified person approaching them. The suspect did not retreat, so the army fired further shots.

Iran’s supreme leader: US plan to displace Gazans ‘will go nowhere’

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed a proposal by the United States and Israel to forcibly displace Palestinians from the war-devastated Gaza Strip calling it “foolish”.

Khamenei made the remarks during a meeting in Tehran with Ziyad al-Nakhalah, leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group.

“The idiotic American plans or some other plans regarding Gaza and Palestine will go nowhere,” Khamenei said.

“No plan will be completed without the consent of the resistance and the people of Gaza,” he said, adding global public opinion favoured the Palestinians.

“Those who, a year and a half ago, claimed they would eliminate the resistance in a short time are now receiving their captives in small groups from the resistance while releasing a large number of Palestinian prisoners in return.”

Global call to halt to F-35 fighter jet exports to Israel

A global coalition of 232 civil society organisations has called on countries that build F-35 fighter jets to urgently end their arms exports to Israel because it’s been accused of war crimes under international law.

The Australian Centre for International Justice, one of the groups, urged all government partners in the F-35 fighter jet supply chain – including the Australian government – to “immediately halt all direct and indirect transfers of F-35 parts and components to Israel in accordance with their international legal obligations”.

Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the UK, and the US have so far “refused to cease exporting parts and components manufactured in their countries for use in F-35 fighter jets, despite their ultimate end use by Israel in aerial attacks that have caused devastating and irreparable harm to Palestinians in Gaza”, it said in a statement.

Two Israeli soldiers flee Amsterdam over arrest warrant concerns

Two Israeli servicemen who fought in Gaza fled the Netherlands and returned to Israel after a pro-Palestinian organisation tracked them down on social media and circulated their photos.

The Israeli Genocide Tracker published images of the soldiers on X, saying: “After participating in the Gaza genocide, this Israeli tank commander from the 52nd Battalion, who was involved in kidnapping hundreds of civilians [especially in Jabalia] and who enjoyed taking selfies with them, landed in Amsterdam today for a vacation.”

Germany event on Israel’s war on Gaza forcibly relocated by police

A conference in Berlin addressing issues surrounding Palestine and the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza was forcibly relocated by German police.

The “Reclaiming the Discourse: Palestine, Justice, and Truth” event – featuring UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese and prominent human rights figures – was moved after the original venue “faced coercion from German politicians and Berlin police”, Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 (DiEM25) said in a statement.

The organisers, who planned for a larger audience, were forced to scale it down with the new venue holding just 200 attendees.

Albanese, who has faced repeated cancellations of her events in Germany, was again targeted by authorities, raising concerns over the country’s treatment of dissenting voices. “This is an outright attack on democracy and free speech,” DiEM25 said.

France calls for immediate Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon

Israeli forces should pull back from five positions in southern Lebanon as soon as possible in line with the November ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, says France.

The Foreign Ministry urged all parties to consider its proposal to deploy the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to these five locations to replace Israeli forces and ensure the security of the population there.

The ministry also praised the redeployment of the Lebanese army where Israeli forces withdrew. The positioning of Lebanese forces allows demining operations and ensures the return of residents in safety, it added.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/18/live-israel-pushes-forward-with-plans-for-voluntary-expulsions-from-gaza

>>487674
>German police raid an event held by Amnesty International
>>487678
>Germany event on Israel’s war on Gaza forcibly relocated by police
>A conference in Berlin addressing issues surrounding Palestine and the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza was forcibly relocated by German police.
>The “Reclaiming the Discourse: Palestine, Justice, and Truth” event – featuring UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese and prominent human rights figures – was moved after the original venue “faced coercion from German politicians and Berlin police”, Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 (DiEM25) said in a statement.
>The organisers, who planned for a larger audience, were forced to scale it down with the new venue holding just 200 attendees.
>Albanese, who has faced repeated cancellations of her events in Germany, was again targeted by authorities, raising concerns over the country’s treatment of dissenting voices. “This is an outright attack on democracy and free speech,” DiEM25 said.
Why are they doing this ?

>>487677
>I think the 5 hills are going to be the indicator whether or not Iran has restored the weapons transfer corridors or not. If they did, Hezbollah is going to be able to clear out these hills with some kind of a big rocket barrage or drone attack.

I think Hezbollah probably still has some capability to do that either way, but I don't know. Very difficult to say since Israel has just been going around destroying houses in southern Lebanon for months now without any return fire. I doubt that Iran has restored weapons transfer corridors, if they're still successfully transferring weapons then it's most likely in lower capacity.

Israeli army AI misidentified Gaza high school exam list as targets: Report

An investigation by the Associated Press (AP) news agency has found that the Israeli military’s use of Microsoft and OpenAI technology has sharply increased from October 7, 2023, raising fears these tools are contributing to the deaths of innocent people.

In one case, an Israeli army officer whose role involved using Microsoft’s Azure service to identify targets, said he found the system had wrongly added the names of 1,000 high school students from an exams list to an Excel spreadsheet marked “finals”.

He found the mistake but told AP he was worried that other officers, some still younger than 20, under pressure to find targets quickly with the help of AI, would jump to conclusions.

In total, AP spoke to six former Israeli army soldiers and 12 employees of US tech companies, most of whom spoke on condition of anonymity. AP also reviewed internal documents, finding that the Israeli army was storing 13.6 petabytes of data on Microsoft servers by July 2024, reflecting the vast amount of data AI tools were sifting through to identify potential targets.

However, the Israeli military told AP in a statement, that while the tools “make more targets faster”, this was “not at the expense of accuracy, and many times in this war, they’ve been able to minimise civilian casualties”.

More on deadly Israeli attack on vehicle in southern Lebanon

We have reported earlier that an Israeli drone attack on a vehicle in the southern Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab near the border with Israel has killed one person and injured another.

Sanad, Al Jazeera’s fact-checking agency, identified the victim as Yusuf Mohammed Sorour, the son of the mayor of the town, targeted while he was sitting in his car in front of his home.

Rights groups say US, Canada violating UN racism treaty with arms exports to Israel

Eight human rights and legal organisations have told a UN committee that the US and Canada are violating their obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by continuing to export weapons to Israel.

In a 56-page submission to the committee, the organisations detailed how US military aid to Israel has “grown astronomically” since October 7, 2023, with Washington spending “at least an additional $22.76 billion on military aid to Israel and related US operations in the region”, as of September 30, 2024.

“The United States and Canada are well aware of Israel’s violations of international law, often perpetrated with Canada- and US-provided weaponry,” the submission said.

Pope continues video calls with Gaza church from hospital bed

A Catholic priest from the Holy Family Church in Gaza City has told Vatican News that Pope Francis has stayed in contact with his church by video call and text messages despite being hospitalised with a respiratory infection.

“The Holy Father called us the first two days of hospitalisation; people were waiting at 8pm Gaza time as always,” Father Gabriel Romanelli told Vatican News.

“Although we had a blackout in the whole area of Gaza City, he insisted and managed to contact us with a video call,” Romanelli added.

Pope Francis, who has repeatedly called for peace in Gaza, has contracted double pneumonia, further complicating his hospitalisation, the Vatican said on Tuesday.

Hamas rejects Israel’s call for disarmament

As we’ve been reporting, Hamas has issued a statement saying it is ready for a second phase in which all of the captives held in Gaza are exchanged in “one go”.

In the same statement, the Palestinian group rejected Israel’s call for its disarmament and removal from the Gaza Strip.

“The occupation’s condition of removing Hamas from the Gaza Strip is a ridiculous psychological war, and the withdrawal or disarmament of the resistance from Gaza is unacceptable,” said Hazem Qassem, a spokesman for the group.

“Any arrangements for the future of the Gaza Strip will be through national consensus,” he said.

Qassem also addressed the group’s decision to increase the number of captives to be freed during the next swap on Saturday from three to six.

“Doubling the number of prisoners to be released was done in response to a request from the mediators and to prove our seriousness in implementing all the terms of the agreement,” he said.

In exchange, Israel will release “a number of prisoners with life sentences and long sentences”, he added.

Hamas says it’s ready to free all Israeli captives in one go

The Palestinian group has just released a statement outlining its vision for the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

“We are ready for a second phase in which the prisoners will be exchanged in one go, within the criterion of reaching an agreement that leads to a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal from the Strip,” spokesman Hazem Qassem said.

The offer comes after US President Donald Trump spoke out against the phased weekly release of the captives taken from Israel, and families of those remaining in Gaza called for all of their loved ones to be freed at once.

Armenian church says it could lose properties in dispute with Jerusalem municipilty

The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem says it has owned the properties for centuries and could lose them in a hearing set for next Monday, threatening the “presence of the Armenian community in the Holy Land”.

In a letter posted on X, the church said the Jerusalem Municipality could seize and auction off its properties over an “alleged astronomical” tax debt that has never been “proven in judicial proceedings.”

Armenians, have lived in Jerusalem’s Old City for more than 1,500 years, but say their presence in the multifaith community has come under pressure in recent years, including from Jewish settlers and a land deal that could see a quarter of their land turned into a luxury hotel.

Several Israelis illegally cross into Lebanon: Report

The Times of Israel newspaper, citing police, says several Israelis illegally crossed the border into Lebanon overnight, and some of them threw rocks at Israeli troops who arrived on the scene.

Police officials said some of those were arrested, and the remaining suspects returned to Israel by the army, according to the daily.

It said it was the second such incident this week, with about 20 ultra-Orthodox Jewish Israelis illegally entering Lebanon overnight on Sunday.

The group was reportedly attempting to reach the tomb of Rav Ashi, a fourth-century Babylonian scholar.

Hamas offered to free all captives at once, but ending war ‘not a popular idea’ in Israel
Hamdah Salhut
Reporting from Amman, Jordan

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

Hamas’s latest proposal says that they will release all of the remaining Israeli captives, including male soldiers who were abducted on October 7, in exchange for an end to the war.

What’s different about this proposal is that we wouldn’t see releases over several weeks like we are now seeing in phase one. It would be a one-time release of all of the captives in exchange for the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops and an end to the war.

There’s been no official Israeli response to this, but within the Israeli political realm, especially among the right wing, it’s not a popular idea to end the war and leave Hamas in power, militarily and politically in Gaza. Netanyahu says that Israel is going to achieve the absolute destruction of Hamas in both of those aspects.

After weeks of delay, the Israeli PM finally agreed to dispatch a negotiating team for phase two of the talks, but it’s still unclear what Israel is looking for out of phase two.

Netanyahu says he wants to extend phase one, according to reports within Israeli media, to release more captives, but Hamas is adamant about being committed to the deal and wanting to see it through.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/19/live-israeli-tanks-fire-on-palestinians-in-gaza-as-captive-exchange-agreed

Muslim rights group sues US government over ‘genocide in Gaza’

Lawsuits against the US government for its support of Israel’s war on Gaza are being carried over to the Trump administration, a human rights group says.

Despite several US State Department officials documenting Israel’s “acts of genocide” in Gaza, the administration of former US President Joe Biden disregarded these reports, leading to legal action against the former administration by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

Nihad Awad, CAIR’s executive director, said President Biden and his administration were fully aware of Israel’s disregard for international law during the attack.

Awad said lawsuits filed on behalf of Palestinian-American families who lost loved ones in the war – carried out with US weapons – are now proceeding under the new administration.

President Biden and former Secretary of State Antony Blinken covered up and dismissed US reports outlining Israel’s criminal conduct, Awad alleged.

Yemeni minister demands arrest of Houthis attending Nasrallah’s funeral

Yemeni Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani called for the arrest of Houthi leaders he said will attend Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral in Beirut.

Al-Eryani demanded that Lebanon’s government arrest the Houthis and hand them over to the rival internationally recognised government in a post on X.

Qatar emir holds talks with Iran’s supreme leader in Tehran

Qatar’s emir has held talks with Iran’s supreme leader and the country’s president during a state visit amid high tensions in the region.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s spiritual leader and its highest authority, in Tehran. Qatar’s ruler also met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Shackled in chains, Gaza icon Dr Abu Safia appears in video

Dr Hussam Abu Safia, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, appeared with both hands and feet shackled for the first time since his arrest by Israeli forces.

Israeli media broadcast a video showing Abu Safia visibly exhausted and weakened as he was escorted by prison guards. Abu Safia is regarded as one of the most prominent doctors who continued working under Israeli bombardment to save wounded Palestinians in northern Gaza.

In late December, Israeli forces stormed Kamal Adwan Hospital, arrested Abu Safia at gunpoint, and destroyed the hospital, rendering it non-functional.

His arrest sparked widespread condemnation, especially after an image circulated of him walking alone amid the ruins, dressed in his medical coat, surrounded by Israeli military vehicles – a scene that became an icon of Palestinian resilience.

According to his family, Abu Safia was subjected to torture and starvation inside Israeli prisons, a claim confirmed by a lawyer who recently visited him.

Israeli army to perform military excercise in northern Gaza

The Israeli army announced it will undertake a military manoeuvre in the north of the war-devastated Gaza Strip.

“As part of the exercise, there will be a lot of movement of vehicles and security forces in the area,” it said in a statement.

The exercise will take place on the same day four bodies of Israeli captives will be released for the first time since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was signed in January.

Doctors Against Genocide urge US Senate to help end Gaza war

Doctors Against Genocide gathered in Washington, DC to urge the US Senate to take action and end Israel’s war on Gaza.

The global coalition of healthcare workers mobilised more than 100 doctors, nurses, and medical workers on Capitol Hill.

…

Doctors Against Genocide also demanded the release of Dr Hussam Abu Safia, director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, who was detained by Israeli forces along, with others, during a December 27 raid on the facility.

Lebanese president calls for end to Israeli occupation of border posts

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated the need for Israel to end its occupation of five border posts in southern Lebanon during a phone call with US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.

According to a statement from the Lebanese presidency, Aoun told Waltz it is “essential to end the Israeli occupation of the remaining posts” in southern Lebanon, “implement Security Council Resolution 1701”, and “complete the ceasefire agreement to ensure stability in the south”.

Aoun also reiterated to Waltz the urgency of securing the release of Lebanese detained by Israel.

Killed captive spent his life working for Palestinian rights

The body of Oded Lifshitz will be handed over by Palestinian Islamic Jihad tomorrow. Lifshitz, who spent his life fighting for Arab rights, was one of the oldest captives taken on October 7, 2023, at age 83.

His daughter, a London-based artist, said in January she was holding onto hope he survived but was also prepared for the worst.

“These are difficult hours for us after being informed that our beloved Oded is among the deceased hostages who will be returned,” his family said in a statement.

“For 502 days, we hoped and prayed for a different outcome. However, until we receive absolute certainty, our journey is not over, and even afterwards we will continue to fight until the last hostage is returned.”

As a journalist, Lifshitz campaigned for the recognition of Palestinian rights and peace between Arabs and Jews. In his later years, he drove Palestinians to medical appointments in Israel as part of a group called On the Way to Recovery.

Israeli army to perform military ceremony for Gaza captives’ bodies

The Israeli army will perform a small ceremony inside Gaza after the bodies are transferred to coffins, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority reports.

A rabbi will read a eulogy and the coffins will then be taken to the Forensic Institute for identification in Tel Aviv.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/19/live-israeli-tanks-fire-on-palestinians-in-gaza-as-captive-exchange-agreed

How tf is it even possible for them to have propaganda this on point

Random empty bus bombings in Tel Aviv (???), Egypt declares state of emergency in Sinai.

Israeli man attacks Jewish woman, mistaking her for a Christian

A woman in occupied East Jerusalem was seriously wounded on Wednesday after an assailant allegedly attacked her with an axe inside her home.

Israeli journalist Yossi Eli reported on Thursday that police suspect the attack was motivated by anti-Christian hatred.

The victim, a Jewish-Israeli woman, was taken to hospital for treatment, while the suspect, also Jewish Israeli, allegedly mistook her for a Christian.

The attack comes amid growing anti-Christian sentiment in the city, with Christian leaders in Jerusalem calling on the Israeli government to intervene and stop local authorities from seizing properties belonging to the Armenian Patriarchate.

They say that this jeopardises the centuries-old presence of Christian institutions in the Holy Land, accusing Israel of eroding the cultural and religious heritage of non-Jewish communities.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/jewish-assailant-attacks-jewish-woman-axe-believing-her-be-christian

>>487717
that's a society that's disassembling itself

>>487716
Shin Bet arrests Jewish-Israeli who drove terrorist to Bat Yam ahead of bus bombings - report

The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) arrested a Jewish Israeli who reportedly drove the terrorist that planted bombs on buses in the Bat Yam area of central Israel on Thursday evening, Israeli media reported on Friday.

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-843160
https://archive.is/v4gb4

Thousands of Nasrallah supporters fly into Beirut for slain Hezbollah leader’s funeral

Thousands of supporters of Hassan Nasrallah, the longtime leader of Lebanese group Hezbollah, have flown into Beirut for his funeral on Sunday.

Nasrallah was killed in September of last year in a massive Israeli military attack on southern Beirut.

Nasrallah was one of the group’s founders and Hezbollah’s leader of more than 30 years.

He was one of several top Hezbollah officials killed during the group’s war with Israel,.

Crowds are expected to gather on Sunday at Beirut’s main sports stadium for a funeral ceremony before Nasrallah’s burial.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/21/live-israel-ramps-up-west-bank-assault-after-bus-blasts-near-tel-aviv

>>487726
So the hole bus story was a distraction ?
What were they talking before, wasn't it about the IDF killing Israeli hostages or something like that ?