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Category: israel

  • An attack on a young Palestinian shows just how much Israel is surveilling the West Bank

    18-year-old Abdul Hadi Masharqa was violently assaulted by Israeli occupation soldiers, on Saturday morning, October 4, while working at the Al-Reef Bakery in Dura City, South of Hebron, in the occupied West Bank.

    The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) searched the workers and their phones. After finding a photo of Al-Aqsa Mosque on Abdul’s phone, they dragged and repeatedly beat him on his shoulders and sides:

     

    Hussein Masharqa is the bakery owner, and Adbul’s Uncle. He told the Canary that:

    A patrol of occupation soldiers raided the bakery and, after searching my nephew’s phone, and finding photos of Al- Aqsa Mosque on it, they assaulted and abused him, as evident in the videos from the stores cameras. They usually search people’s phones for photos and videos of Palestinian nationalist content, and if they find anything of this nature on them, the owner of the phone will be beaten and abused. Thank God Abdul is OK now, although he has bruises and contusions on his body.

    According to Hussein, the area is prone to attacks, and his workers are always being subjected to assaults by the IOF and illegal settlers. This is due to the nearby presence of a military watchtower and a road built to serve the illegal colonial Zionist settlers and their settlement.

    Hussein has also been beaten previously, and less than a year ago, he had to close down his previous bakery, at a huge economic loss, because it was next to the settler’s road, and the occupation’s army was constantly harassing his workers and customers.

    Israeli surveillance is increasing

    According to an article titled IDF Troops Are Now Going Through Palestinian Phones: Anything Forbidden Provokes Abuse in the Israeli publication Haaretz, the IOF are increasingly searching Palestinian phones during operations, scrutinizing photos, messages, or any content deemed forbidden. When such content is found, Palestinians often face verbal and physical abuse, humiliation, or destruction of their devices.

    These phone searches happen at checkpoints or during home raids, with soldiers sometimes demanding passwords or forcibly unlocking devices. This practice is part of a broader escalation of Israeli digital surveillance and control over Palestinian lives in the West Bank serving as a testing ground for advanced surveillance technologies.

    This surveillance extends beyond phones to the monitoring of Palestinian homes and communities, through advanced surveillance tools, including AI-based facial recognition and real-time tracking systems, which are actively used to identify and detain Palestinians, intensifying control, restricting freedom of movement, and deepening repression.

    Digital repression

    This digital repression coincides with heightened Israeli settlement activities, military raids, and land seizures, creating a situation where Palestinians are under constant digital and physical scrutiny.

    A recent report by Sada Social, an organisation which works to increase Palestinian digital rights, highlights how Israeli soldiers trace Palestinian phones during operations, seizing devices and punishing individuals for possessing photos or messages connected to Gaza or Palestinian resistance.

    This phone tracing acts as a tool of intimidation and control, further embedding digital repression within military tactics. The Sada Social report also claims these phone seizures and invasions of privacy are routine components of the Israeli occupation’s military operations in Palestine, and increase the overall climate of surveillance and oppression faced by Palestinians.

    The IOF’s sustained and intensifying campaign to monitor, surveil, and control Palestinians through invasive phone searches and digital tracking, supported by the use of advanced surveillance technology measures, have serious consequences for privacy, freedom, and human rights for Palestinians across the occupied Palestinian territory.

    Featured image and videos via the Canary

    By Charlie Jaay

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Van Jones apologises for dismissing ‘dead Gaza baby dead Gaza baby’ as propaganda

    TV host and author Van Jones has apologised – sort of – for mocking “dead Gaza baby, dead Gaza baby” as an Iran-backed propaganda campaign. Jones, as this compilation by Complex News shows, was speaking to pro-Israel talk-show host Bill Maher when he dismissed the slaughter of Palestinian children, leading to a massive backlash:

    Van Jones: “I messed up”

    The mealy-mouthed apology was also widely and correctly attacked for its failure to genuinely address the horror of Israel’s mass murder of children and other civilians – and for failing to withdraw the nonsense claim that the images of dead children is “disinformation” by Iran and Qatar. He also omitted to mention who is killing the babies – the word ‘Israel’ appears nowhere, let alone alongside any condemnation of its extermination campaign:

    Israel has murdered almost 700,000 people in Gaza in the two years of its genocide, according to medical and statistical experts – more than half of them under five years old. Jones’s description of his comments as “insensitive and hurtful” look like he was a lot more worried about the backlash he received than about the “dead Gaza baby, dead Gaza baby” Israeli production line of slaughter.

    Poor old Van Jones, says nobody but Van Jones.

    Featured image via screengrab

    By Skwawkbox

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Labour minister falls apart live on TV over whether protests are antisemitic or not

    Bridget Phillipson has struggled to justify Labour’s position that anti-genocide protests are ‘un-British’:


    It highlights Labour’s convoluted position on the genocide, with ministers speaking out against the atrocities their government continues to facilitate:


    The protests continue despite Labour’s attempts

    Figures on the British right are increasingly trying to label anti-genocide protesters ‘antisemitic’. Their accusation is that protesters don’t care that Israel is committing televised atrocities on a daily basis; they actually just hate Jews, and they see Israel as the manifestation of global Judaism. While it’s generally agreed that conflation of Jewish people with the actions of Israel is antisemitic, the right think it’s okay to engage in the practice if you’re defending Israel:


    Following the horrific synagogue killing in Manchester, British journalists became increasingly incensed that anti-genocide protests would continue. Of course, it’s an entirely consistent position to be against genocide and the killing of Jewish people. The right wanted the protests to stop because in doing so they would coerce a tacit admission that the anti-genocide protests are antisemitic in nature.

    The protests are not antisemitic, though; the protests are in fact supported by many Jewish people, and the protesters were right no to back down.

    Convoluted response

    In the video at the top, Susanna Reid says:

    I’m just not sure whether telling students who want to protest what is happening in Gaza at the level of loss in Gaza will respond to the Prime Minister telling them it’s ‘un-British’. And I’m just not sure what the definition in that case of un-British is. And if you are saying that they are a threat and a risk, why you don’t simply say they are unlawful rather than un-British?

    In her response, Phillipson says:

    I share that deep sense of anguish and pain about what we see on our television screens, the appalling suffering that we see, including experienced by children in Gaza, which just reinforces the need to get an end to the war, to get more aid into Gaza with a real sense of urgency. And we all want that to happen. And that’s what we as a government are pushing to happen.

    As highlighted, the value of UK arms to Israel hit record highs in June. Phillipson cannot share the same ‘anguish and pain’ as the rest of us, because if she did she wouldn’t be a prominent figure in a government which is continuing to arm a genocidal rogue nation.

    Phillipson continued:

    But today of all days, if we could just pause and reflect about where we are, what happened on October the 7th, and just feel that sense of compassion towards one another.

    The protests will stop when Labour stops supporting the genocide.

    Don’t you dare talk about ‘compassion’ when your party has used its position to ensure the atrocities continue. And as Reid said in response:

    Is it not possible to do the two things at the same time, Minister? Is it not possible to have compassion for the Jewish community and what they have suffered, and also be entitled to exercise a legitimate and lawful right to protest what Israel is doing in Gaza, the Israeli government.

    Are you suggesting that protesting against Israel in itself is antisemitic?

    At this point, Phillipson started blinking heavily as she tried to remember Labour’s current talking points, which are:

    No, and the right to protest in our country is a fundamental right which we all benefit from, which we hold incredibly dear and it’s a cornerstone of our democracy. But just because you have the right to protest does not mean that you should protest every day, including on days like this.

    And I also feel a deep sense of horror at what I see on my television screens, the suffering of people in Gaza, including children.

    And that shows why we desperately, desperately need to get more aid in, why we need to see the hostages released and a move towards a two-state solution.

    Depravity

    Public opinion has turned against Israel and its actions, which means labelling the opposition ‘antisemitic’ would suggest the British public is antisemitic. This is a nonsense, of course, and Labour aren’t silly enough to do that.

    Sadly, they are evil enough to carry on sending military supplies to Israel, which is why the protests must continue.

    Free Palestine.

    Featured image via Good Morning Britain

    By Willem Moore

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Sky News pulled up for repeating Israel’s ‘Hamas hospitals’ propaganda

    Israel has repeatedly defended striking Gazan hospitals on the basis that Hamas is using them as military bases. Both Israel and those investigating the conflict have failed to verify the accusation, but it has given media organisations in the West a crumb of a justification to cling to. At this point in the genocide, anyone offering any sort of excuse for Israel’s actions looks depraved, but that’s never stopped the British media in the past. Thankfully, people like Nick Maynard are pushing back on places like Sky News:

    Crying wolf – and Sky News amplifying it

    The International Criminal Court (ICC) is investigating Israel for the crime of genocide. In December 2024, they described Israel’s allegations of Hamas fighters operating in hospitals as being “grossly exaggerated”; they also said that “lies being spoken” are making it impossible to quantify the claims, noting:

    We need to be able to demonstrate very clearly what the level of military presence was, if at all, in these hospitals because I think we’ve been misled about that in the press

    At the time, New Arab reported that 35 of Gaza’s hospitals (around half) were ‘destroyed or non-functioning’; a further 17 were ‘partially functioning’.

    The United Nations (UN) reported on 2 October:

    Currently less than 14 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain partially functional, while less than one third of pre-conflict rehabilitation services are operating, with several facing imminent closure

    In the video above, the Sky News host notes:

    Now, the IDF say they attack hospitals because Hamas use them as areas to fight from. They have bases within, underneath. From your time there, did you see Hamas fighters operating from medical facilities?

    The man he was speaking to was surgeon Nick Maynard, who responded:

    No, I didn’t. And it’s disappointing to hear that this is still being raised by the media in our country.

    He’s right, it is incredibly disappointing; it just isn’t surprising.

    Given that the UN has judged Israel is enacting a genocide, you’d think we could stop giving credence to the lies of the people committing this grave crime against humanity, and yet here we are.

    Maynard continued:

    The Israeli military claim this, but you will know, as would all other media outlets know, that there has been no verifiable, no credible evidence to support those claims. I have borne witness, as indeed many other healthcare workers have, repeatedly over the last two years, that none of us have witnessed any evidence of Hamas militant activity in the hospitals.

    And I will state again that the evidence from the Israeli spokesman is lacking. There is no verifiable, no credible evidence to support those claims.

    Medical professionals in Gaza

    Maynard has served as a volunteer surgeon at Nasser hospital, writing in July this year:

    Nasser hospital is the last major functioning hospital in southern Gaza, but we’re operating at breaking point, reeling from previous attacks and overwhelmed by mass casualties, all while facing shortages of everything. Netanyahu’s systematic destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system has funnelled desperate medical needs into this single facility while directly targeting healthcare workers and patients. Just this week, one of our dear theatre nurses was killed in his tent along with his three small children.

    I want to be clear – what is being done to Palestinians in Gaza is barbaric and entirely preventable. I cannot believe we have come to a point where the world is watching as the people of Gaza are forced to endure starvation and gunfire, all while food and medical aid sits across the border just miles away from them.

    He added:

    The UK government’s continued complicity in Israel’s atrocities is unconscionable, and I do not want to spend another day operating on children who have been shot and starved by a military our government supports. History will judge not just those who committed these crimes, but those who stood by and watched.

    From inside Nasser hospital, I am telling you: this is deliberate. This is preventable. And this must stop now.

    In July 2024, the Canary published an account from Mark Perlmutter (vice president of the International College of Surgeons), who said:

    I’ve seen more shredded children in just my first week…missing body parts, being crushed by buildings, the greatest majority, or bomb explosions, the next greatest majority.

    Perlmutter also said:

    All of the disasters I’ve seen, combined – 40 mission trips, 30 years, Ground Zero, earthquakes, all of that combined – doesn’t equal the level of carnage that I saw against civilians in just my first week in Gaza.

    Disturbingly, he added:

    I’ve seen more incinerated children than I’ve ever seen in my entire life

    Clearly, the lies are so big because the crimes are so grave.

    A genocide on truth, with Sky News aiding and abetting it

    Israel and their supporters in the Western establishment – like Sky News – are in a constant battle to have people disbelieve the evidence before their own eyes.

    While it’s exhausting and dispiriting, we all need to constantly push back against it. The weight of public opinion has shifted; we now need to ensure it never shifts back.

    Featured image via Sky News

    By Willem Moore

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Inside the Naqab Prison: the notorious detention centre holding flotilla activists

    Lubna Tuma, a lawyer working with Adalah – the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel – visited the Global Sumud Flotilla captives being held in Naqab Prison, one of the most abusive of the occupation’s. Here is a video of her describing their mistreatment and denial of basic rights.

    Inside Naqab Prison

    According to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, the Naqab Prison holds thousands of Palestinian prisoners, including detainees from Gaza. It notes that a number of these prisoners have been killed there since the start of the genocide. Among them was Thaer Abu Asab, who was killed as a result of severe beatings and torture by special repression units.

    The Naqab Prison, historically known as ‘Ansar 3 Detention Centre’ was established by the occupation in 1998 following the outbreak of the First Intifada. Thousands of prisoners were held there as confrontations escalated during that period, and many were killed inside that prison.

    Tuma said:

    This is not an isolated case. It exposes the same methods routinely used against Palestinians under occupation: humiliation, deprivation, and collective punishment.

    UN Special Rapporteur Ben Saul has also condemned the illegal abduction of the Global Sumud Flotilla, saying that the military interception of civilian vessels carrying humanitarian aid is a blatant breach of international law:

    This action confirms that the blockade and the denial of life-saving aid are tools of war. When peaceful missions are violently seized, it exposes the criminal intent to maintain the siege and ensure the starvation of the population. The IOF has violated international maritime and humanitarian law. The world is watching and accountability must follow.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Charlie Jaay

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Two years of genocide: Israel loses impunity, Palestine wins public opinion

    On the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel of 7 October 2023, the repercussions of the major confrontation continue. It reshaped the political and security landscape in the Middle East, and profoundly affected the Israeli interior and the international situation surrounding Palestine. We’ve watched as Israel has waged a genocide on the people of Gaza for two years.

    Despite the heavy human cost, this event marked a historic turning point. The Palestinian resistance managed to break through the wall of international indifference. Crucially, they have brought the Palestinian cause back to the forefront of the global consciousness as one of liberation and the rights of a people under occupation.

    Gaza genocide, two years in: the Palestinian cause regains its centrality

    The Battle of Al-Aqsa succeeded in restoring the Palestinian cause to the international arena. The United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU) have escalated moves to raise Palestine’s status within the international system. Notably, this has included expanding its rights as an observer state.

    By the autumn of 2025, the number of countries recognising the State of Palestine had risen to 157. It indicates growing international support for Palestinian rights.

    At the grassroots level, millions of people have held major demonstrations in capitals such as London, Washington, Madrid, Ankara, and Cape Town. Together, people across the world have demanded an end to the siege on Gaza and a halt to military support for Israel. The mass protests have restored global popular momentum after years of political stalemate.

    Increased legal accountability for Israel

    One of the most notable shifts over the past two years has been the expansion of international accountability for Israel, which has long enjoyed political and legal immunity.

    In 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued precautionary measures. These required Israel to take immediate steps to prevent acts that could be classified as ‘genocide’ in Gaza. The measures also stipulated that it must facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid.

    At the same time, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials on charges including war crimes and forced displacement. Analysts have described these developments as the beginning of a “gradual erosion of the political immunity” that Israel has enjoyed for decades.

    Unprecedented economic losses for Israel

    Economic data has revealed the significant impact on the Israeli economy since it begun its siege. Losses exceed 250bn shekels in two years as a result of ongoing military operations and the decline in the commercial and tourism sectors.

    In February 2024, Moody’s downgraded Israel’s credit rating for the first time in more than 30 years. The credit rating company cited rising fiscal deficits and declining investor confidence. The value of the shekel has also fallen, and unemployment and inflation rates have risen significantly.

    In addition, tens of thousands of Israelis are estimated to be living in internal displacement from border areas, amid shaken public confidence in the military and declining army morale.

    Politically, calls for early elections have intensified. These have followed widespread protests demanding the resignation of Netanyahu’s government, blaming it for the greatest security failure in Israel’s history.

    Palestinian gains on the ground and symbolically

    Despite the extensive destruction in Gaza, the resistance factions, that the Al-Qassam Brigades and the Jerusalem Brigades lead, have managed to maintain their military capabilities and develop their offensive and defensive tactics.

    The resistance succeeded in exhausting the Israeli army and forcing it to redeploy on more than one front. As a result, it poses a strategic challenge to the Israeli military establishment.

    Politically, the battle contributed to unifying the Palestinian popular position. It has consolidated consensus around the option of resistance and rejection of forced displacement. This was amid growing Arab and Islamic popular support and the return of relief initiatives such as the Global Sumud Flotilla and ‘Gaza is not alone’ campaigns.

    Decline of Israel’s image in the West

    Recent opinion polls in the US and Europe have shown a significant decline in popular support for Israel. Significantly, 40% of US citizens now believe Israel is intentionally killing civilians. This is the highest percentage since 2006.

    Jewish communities in the US have also been divided over the policies of Netanyahu’s government, amid mounting criticism of war crimes in Gaza.

    In Western universities, academic and cultural boycott campaigns have grown. Some research institutions have imposed restrictions on cooperation with their Israeli counterparts.

    Overall, it indicates a gradual shift in Western public opinion towards Israel.

    Gaza, two years on: towards a new equation for the conflict

    Analysts believe that Operation Protective Edge has gone beyond being a military battle. It has become a watershed event that is redrawing the contours of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The battle has exposed the depth of the internal crisis in Israel. And, conversely, it has demonstrated the Palestinian resistance’s ability to persevere despite harsh conditions.

    International pressure to launch a new political process is likely to increase. Two years after 7 October, analysts and observers agree that the region has entered a new phase of conflict. It’s one that’s different from anything that has come before.

    Despite the exorbitant human and material costs incurred by the Palestinians, they have achieved significant political and moral gains. They have established Palestinian resistance to occupation as a legitimate cause of liberation and human rights.

    In contrast, Israel finds itself facing intertwined crises, including the erosion of political immunity, turmoil on the home front, and an unprecedented decline in its international image. It signals what will likely be a long-term shift in the map of the conflict.

    Analysts agree that the ‘post-flood’ will not resemble the pre-flood. The balance of power in the region is undergoing a period of realignment that may open the door to a new political path. However, this will not succeed without full recognition of Palestinian rights. Foremost among these will be ending the occupation, lifting the blockade, and establishing an independent, sovereign Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.

    Featured image via Unsplash/Nikolas Gannon

    By Alaa Shamali

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • World Leaders Rebel Against United States And Israel

    World leaders from roughly 190 countries gathered in September for the general debate of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

    This year, many governments condemned the United States and Israel for carrying out crimes against humanity in Gaza.

    Representatives of numerous countries expressed support for the Palestinian people, while denouncing Western imperialism.

    A UN commission and multiple UN legal experts have stated conclusively that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

    At the 2025 UNGA general debate, it was left-wing leaders from Latin America who led the resistance against the US empire.

    Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro compared the US government to Nazi Germany and referred to Donald Trump as the “new Hitler”.

    The post World Leaders Rebel Against United States And Israel appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Testimonies Reveal ‘Torture, Humiliation’ Of Flotilla Activists

    Pro-Palestinian activists who were on board the Global Sumud Flotilla reported being mistreated by Israeli authorities following their arrest last week.

    One Spanish activist, Goretti Sarasibar, told Reuters after his deportation that the detainees were forced to watch videos of Hamas’s attack on 7 October 2023.

    “They didn’t give us food all day,” he said. “Now we are super happy eating, as we were starving.”

    Dutch activist Marco Tesh said he could not breathe at one point “because they put something to my face and they tied my hands to my back.”

    Another one of the deported activists, Rafael Borrego, said, “At any time that any of us called a police officer, we risked that seven or more fully armed people entered to our cell, as they did on mine, pointing us with weapons at our heads, with dogs ready to attack us, and being dragged to the floor.”

    The post Testimonies Reveal ‘Torture, Humiliation’ Of Flotilla Activists appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Seattle Anti-War Activists Disrupt Rush-Hour Traffic

    Seattle, WA – On October 2, Seattleites took to the streets in solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla, protesting the humanitarian aid fleet’s illegal interception by Israel the previous day. Nearly 100 activists packed into over 40 cars to form a motor caravan and cruised through some of the busiest streets in downtown Seattle during rush hour, disrupting traffic and unloading afterwards at a rally. The action was timed to coincide with other national and global efforts, like that of the Italian Unione Sindicale di Base (UDB), which enacted a general strike across Italy.

    The caravan, as well as the rally attended by nearly 600 people, ensured that Seattleites could not ignore the events surrounding the Global Sumud Flotilla despite the U.S.’s repressive media doing its best to keep Americans in the dark.

    The post Seattle Anti-War Activists Disrupt Rush-Hour Traffic appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Police Make Almost 500 Arrests At Palestine Action Protest In London

    Police have arrested almost 500 people in London at what organisers hoped would be the biggest demonstration so far against a ban on the proscribed organisation Palestine Action.

    Officers began arresting demonstrators at the silent vigil in support of the group, which has been classed by the UK government as a terror organisation since July this year.

    The first arrest took place shortly after 1pm as the seated protesters took out pens and wrote signs showing support for Palestine Action.

    Dozens of police were lined up to begin arresting members of the group, who were sitting silently on the pavement in the square.

    Early indications suggest the hundreds of protesters, with a mixture of ages and different backgrounds including many retirees, may not be enough to break the record for the number of arrests.

    The post Police Make Almost 500 Arrests At Palestine Action Protest In London appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • “Just End the War and Return Me to My Neighborhood”: Report From Southern Gaza

    The Israeli army has declared a temporary pause in its military operation “Gideon’s Chariots 2,” which had primarily focused on occupying Gaza City. This decision came after the Israeli political leadership recommended scaling down offensive operations and restricting them to defensive measures in an attempt to create a suitable atmosphere for negotiations — particularly following Hamas’s positive…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Defying Israel, more ships sail to Gaza after Global Sumud Flotilla captured

    Sparking global outrage and condemnation, Israel has illegally intercepted every vessel and captured every volunteer sailing to Gaza with the Global Sumud Flotilla. Protests over the flotilla’s capture have erupted around the world, from Buenos Aires to Barcelona, and hundreds of thousands took to the streets of Italy in a one-day general strike called by Italian unions in solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla. And another, smaller fleet of ships with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition is currently sailing to Gaza. Recorded on Saturday, Oct. 4, TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez speaks with Mskwaasin Agnew, a Cree & Dene healthcare worker from the Salt River First Nation, who is sailing with the flotilla on board the Conscience.

    Guest:

    • Mskwaasin Agnew is Cree and Dene from Salt River First Nation, born and raised in Toronto. She is a first responder to people who use drugs and an Indigenous harm reduction practitioner. She is an organizer, land defender, abolitionist, and is well versed in Palestinian and First Nation solidarity.

    Additional links/info:

    Credits:

    • Studio Production / Post Production: Maximillian Alvarez, David Hebden
    Transcript

    The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. A proofread version will be made available as soon as possible.

    Maximillian Alvarez:

    Sparking global outrage in condemnation. Israel has illegally intercepted every single vessel and captured every volunteer sailing to Gaza with the Global Summed Flotilla. Every single Flotilla member that we have interviewed here on the Real News in recent weeks has been detained. Israel’s extremist, national Security Minister and genocide enthusiast Imar Ben Vere, is calling for Flotilla activists to be jailed rather than deported. I think they must be kept here for a few months in an Israeli prison so that they get used to the smell of the terrorist wing. Ben Vere posted on X, the fate of every humanitarian activist captured by Israel and the fate of the people’s international movement to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip depends on what people of conscience around the world do right now and people are taking action. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in Italy yesterday in a one day general strike called by Italian unions in solidarity with the global Saud Flotilla. Other protests over the Flotillas captured have erupted around the world, and another smaller fleet is currently sailing to Gaza as we speak. And I’m honored to be joined on the Real News today by a member of the Freedom Flotilla fleet who is calling in from onboard the ship conscience right now.

    Mskwaasin Agnew:

    Thank you so much for having me. My name is Mskwaasin Agnew. I’m Cree & Dene from Salt River First Nation, born and raised in the city of Toronto, Canada. And I’m currently aboard the conscience with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to Break the Sea gaa. I’m a healthcare worker and we are about four days out. We just met up with the folks from thousand Melines. So there are eight other vessels and we are slowly approaching the red zone. So we’re in the Mediterranean Sea, just over Egypt.

    Maximillian Alvarez:

    Man, that’s intense, but especially given what we’ve seen transpire this week, and I kind of just wanted to ask on that human level, like how are you and everyone on board feeling right now just sailing into the red zone just days after everyone on board the Global Saud Flotilla was captured illegally by Israel.

    Mskwaasin Agnew:

    Yeah, you know what? We remain undeterred by Israel’s barbarism. We are going to continue to go forward. We know that we can’t depend on our governments to take action, to do the right thing. We are fully within our right with an international law to deliver humanitarian aid. It’s Israel who is breaking international law by their illegal block aid and refusing humanitarian aid. We are a crew of healthcare workers and journalists currently. There’s healthcare workers and journalists being assassinated by the settler occupation Israel. And that’s so the world can’t know the truth. And also what’s happening in Gaza is me aside not being allowed medical equipment, not being able to care for their patients, not even having their basic needs to do so. So we know that this is something that we have to do and this is what it takes.

    Maximillian Alvarez:

    I want to ask if you could just say a little more about that, because we’ve interviewed here on the Real news, many doctors returning from medical delegations in Gaza, and what they have described is beyond horrifying. And of course, as we speak, with Israel’s full scale invasion of Gaza City and destruction of Gaza City, healthcare workers continue to be slaughtered along with citizens, journalists, everybody.

    Mskwaasin Agnew:

    Absolutely. There’s doctors and medics and nurses aboard this vessel that have been on the ground in Gaza in the past two years. Some of them are Palestinian, some of them have family in Gaza. Listen, as a healthcare worker, this is something that we have a duty. We have a duty to care for our patients. It’s really disturbing to see even people with the most easily treatable illnesses that are dying from healthcare complications. And what’s really, really disturbing is every single hospital in Gaza has been targeted, decimated, burned to the ground, makeshift tents that were erected to treat patients are then targeted as well. We’re talking about young, old, everybody, Gaza. The children in Gaza make up for the world the highest amount of amputees in the world. And as a First Nations person, it’s no secret that my own people don’t get adequate healthcare living under settler occupation. Racism in healthcare is something that I’m very familiar with and at home. And you know what? To me this is no different. We have a duty to be here and we can’t leave these people behind. Even some of the medics that are on board when we do break the siege creator willing that they actually do intend on staying in Gaza to treat people and to care for people. And that’s how dedicated some of these medics are.

    Maximillian Alvarez:

    I want to ask about how you’re seeing all this as an indigenous person, as a First Nation citizen, as someone living in North America, the site of a successful settler colonial project that required a genocide of indigenous people across the continent to be complete. And now my country, the United States of America, is the number one supporter of the settler colonialist project and genocide of Israel in the Middle East. So I wanted to ask if you could just kind of talk to other citizens of North America about that in a perspective that you have that compels you to feel that sense of duty to sail to Gaza right now.

    Mskwaasin Agnew:

    Yeah. So in Turtle Island, we live under G settler occupation. The reservation system in Turtle Island actually was a blueprint for the Israeli apartheid system. Our people have lived through genocide before and that we know that none of us are free until we’re all free. You can look to a statement from the assembly of First Nations that recognizes Palestinians as indigenous peoples and our rights as indigenous peoples around the world according to the United Nations. And we see that Canada has recognized Palestine as a state, and just a few years ago they apologized for residential schools and they had the 94 recommendations and calls to action. And they have failed to act on any of them. And just as Canada has failed to implement an arms embargo or sanction Israel. So Canada is really good at making a lot of promises and using a lot of words.

    And according to international politics, Canada is seen as this really great country. But really it’s no different than the United States. It’s actually really quite the same. So we look to the Indian Act and see how the effects of settler colonialism has had an impact on our people. And we know that the genocide that’s happening in Palestine right now, it’s going to have its aftermath for decades and decades to come. I’m here as an act of global indigenous solidarity, and there are many, many people, many indigenous nations across Turtle Island that support the Palestinian people and their liberation struggle.

    Maximillian Alvarez:

    Well, I know I’ve got to let you go. You’ve got an intense few days coming up and we don’t know what will happen. But I do know that so many people around the world see you all see the folks on the global Saud Flotilla see this effort as one of the few sources of hope in a very bleak, dark world. And I wanted to just sort of end on that message. What message do you hope this flotilla is sending to the rest of the world? And what is your message to folks out there watching about what they can do to help ensure the success of your mission and to help the people of Gaza who are being obliterated before our eyes?

    Mskwaasin Agnew:

    Absolutely. The Flotilla is not the story. The story is Gaza. The story is what they’re going through. And none us are here without knowing that we’re taking risk. And so people can write letters, sign petitions, and make phone calls to their elected representatives. But it’s really important to remember the reason why we’re putting our bodies on the line is because we want Israel to be sanctioned and we want a full two ways arms embargo. So it’s really important that when people are making those phone calls, that they’re mentioning that and they’re not just concerned for us as Canadian citizens. And I would say furthermore, it’s time to just do more than make phone calls and sign petitions and write letters. It’s time to take to the streets and it’s time to shut it down. We need to do more.

    This post was originally published on The Real News Network.

  • Greta Thunberg releases second, personal video after release from Israeli abduction

    Swedish humanitarian activist Greta Thunberg gave her first press conference this afternoon since her release from abduction, along with hundreds of other activists, by Israel during their mission to bring baby food and other essentials to Gaza. Now, she has released a second, more personal video.

    Greta Thunberg: not having it

    As the Canary had previously reported, the Israeli occupation authorities deported 137 of the abducted volunteers who participated in the Global Sumud Flotilla to break Israel’s starvation siege of Gaza. Several of the activists were brutally assaulted – including Greta Thunberg, with one activist confirming that:

    They dragged little Greta (Thunberg) by her hair in front of our eyes, beat her, and forced her to kiss the Israeli flag. They did everything imaginable to her as a warning to others.

    She’s still a little kid. They made her suffer.

    The Guardian reported that an email to Swedish authorities said Greta Thunberg was had been deprived of water and was suffering from dehydration and pest bites:

    She has received insufficient amounts of both water and food. She also stated that she had developed rashes which she suspects were caused by bedbugs. She spoke of harsh treatment and said she had been sitting for long periods on hard surfaces.

    In her defiant press conference, Greta Thunberg laid into colluding governments and Israeli barbarity, but in her second, much more personal video, she talks to supporters about the plight of Palestinians, the evils of Israel’s racist occupation, making clear that neither she nor any of the other volunteers want what Israel did to them to be a distraction from the real issues of Palestinian survival, self-determination and freedom from occupation and oppression.

    Watch below (auto-subtitled by Skwawkbox):

    More than ten thousand Palestinians are held by Israel without charge, including children, often facing violence and torture. Experts say that Israel has murdered almost 700,000 people, two-thirds of them children, while the criminal starvation blockade is starving the 1.5 million or so who somehow survived the genocide so far.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Skwawkbox

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • International Institutions Failing Palestine, People Must Stop Genocide

    This week marks two years since the launch of Al Aqsa Flood and the beginning of the Israeli Occupying Forces’ escalated genocide of Palestinians and forced displacement throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Clearing the FOG speaks with former senior United Nations official, human rights lawyer Craig Mokhiber, about the United Nations leadership’s recent efforts to suppress criticism of Israel, which led to his resignation, and the failure to take effective action to stop Israel’s crimes. Mokhiber discusses the history of the United Nations, what the General Assembly can do to hold Israel accountable and, given the failures of the UN to uphold international law, what people are doing to support Palestinian liberation.

    The post International Institutions Failing Palestine, People Must Stop Genocide appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Is Organized Labor at Risk Under Trump’s War on Anti-Capitalist “Terrorism”?

    Labor Notes recently released a guide to help organize for the much-anticipated May Day general strike in…2028. It’s useful information, but as the countdown clock on the site shows, still 937 days away. At the rate the Trump administration is moving, there might not be much left of unions by the scheduled date. The criminally underreported National Security Presidential Memorandum recently…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Gaza flotilla capture inspires global solidarity protests and strikes

    Hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets in recent days. They’ve marched in dozens of cities. They’re demanding respect and safety for the flotilla passengers kidnapped and detained by Israeli forces. They’re demanding an end to the violence in Gaza and an end to their countries’ complicity in the genocide in Palestine.

    BIG NEWS! This podcast is a finalist for this year’s Signal Awards for best history podcast. It’s a huge honor just to get this far. 

    And you can help us win. Your vote can make a difference. Anyone can vote.

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    While you’re there, please also vote for The Real News’s Marc Steiner. He’s in the running for best episode host. You can vote for him here: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2025/individual-episodes/craft/best-host

    Please consider supporting this podcast and Michael Fox’s reporting on his Patreon account: patreon.com/mfox. There you can also see exclusive pictures, video, and interviews. 

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    Written and produced by Michael Fox.

    Resources:

    Here is the link to the website for the Global Sumud Flotilla: https://globalsumudflotilla.org/

    As of Monday, October 6, Israel had freed 166 passengers of the flotilla. Israel was still holding the other 296 people.

    Transcript

    42 boats. 462 people from more than 40 countries, carrying aid and supplies to the people in Gaza. Sailing in defiance of the Israeli blockade. Sailing against the genocide. 

    They sailed for weeks to reach the coast of Gaza. And just days before, on the evening of October 1, Israeli forces began attacking the international aid convoy near the Palestinian coast. Israeli soldiers boarded ships. They kidnapped and detained the passengers. 462 people. The members of the Global Sumud Flotilla, the largest civilian-led convoy like this in history. 

    This story could have ended there. But instead, people across the planet responded. Hundreds of thousands took to the streets. They marched in cities across Europe. Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, London, Dublin, Berlin and Milan. Marches spilled across Rome for four days in a row. People protested at the Hague, in Sydney, Istanbul, Brasilia, and Buenos Aires.

    They demanded respect and safety for the flotilla passengers kidnapped and detained by Israeli forces. They demanded an end to the violence in Gaza. An end to their country’s complicity in the genocide in Palestine.

    On the streets, they wave Palestinian flags. They wear keffiyehs. They chant:  “We are all Palestinians,” “Free Palestine,” “Stop the genocide.”

    In Italy, dock workers went on strike. It came on the heels of a general strike for Palestine led by Italian workers the week before, and in which half a million people participated across the country. 

    These are not the actions of small groups of so-called radicals or terrorists, as people like US President Donald Trump might have you believe. These are the actions of everyday hard working people across the planet. And they’re standing up for others abroad. They’re standing up for mothers and fathers. Brothers and sisters. Families in Gaza who are being starved and massacred by the Israeli military.

    Madrid metalworkers have now called for an indefinite general strike in support of Palestine to begin this week. Dock workers in numerous Italian cities have refused to load or offload any products on ships from Israel. “As workers, we understand that we are loading and unloading Israeli products and weapons from these ships,” said one dock worker in Livorno, Italy. “So we could not remain silent any more. We could not just keep doing our job with indifference.”

    This is a story where international solidarity and resistance meet and intertwine, and spin and cycle and stand up loud and defiant, creating waves that echo and reverberate far beyond our communities, our cities. our countries. They have an impact across the planet. Or so millions of people hope.

    This is a story of international solidarity. This is a story of resistance.

    More than a hundred people who were kidnapped by Israeli forces have now been released and deported. Many are still detained. There are reports that they have been beaten, tortured, and that Israeli officials have withheld medicine from those who need it. Protests are expected to continue. There is a new flotilla of 11 boats on its way to Gaza right now. It left Italy two days ago.

    Hi, everyone. I’m your host, Michael Fox. Thanks for listening.

    Folks. Before anything else, if you have not already heard, this podcast, Stories of Resistance, is a finalist for this year’s Signal Awards for best history podcast. It’s a huge honor. And you can help us win. Your vote can make a difference. But there’s only a couple of days left. Voting is only open until this Thursday, October 9.

    Anyone can vote. It’s fast and easy. The link is in the show notes. All you have to do is click on the link. That will take you to a page where you can click on the Stories of Resistance icon. Register your email and you’re all set. 

    While you’re there, please also vote for The Real News’s legendary host Marc Steiner. He’s in the running for best episode host. I’ll add a link to that as well in the show notes. And if you like what we do, please spread the word and tell a friend.

    As always, if you enjoy this podcast, and you appreciate my reporting, I hope you’ll consider following me on Patreon. You can find me at Patreon.com/mfox. It’s totally free. You’ll get updates every time I’ve posted something new online. And if you like what’s there, I have a ton of exclusive content, only available to my paid supporters. And every supporter really makes a difference.

    This is the latest episode of Stories of Resistance, a podcast series produced by The Real News. Each week, I bring you stories of resistance and hope like this. Inspiration for dark times. If you like what you hear, please subscribe, like, share, comment, or leave a review.

    Thanks for listening. See you next time.

    This post was originally published on The Real News Network.

  • BREAKING: Greta Thunberg gives first public speech since Israeli kidnapping – video

    Human rights and climate activist Greta Thunberg has spoken publicly for the first time after her kidnapping, detention, and abuse at the hands of the Israeli government:

    Greta Thunberg released

    As the Canary previously reported, on Saturday 4 October the Israeli occupation authorities deported 137 of the kidnapped international solidarity activists who participated in the Global Sumud Flotilla to break the humanitarian siege on Gaza, in the second deportation operation in a matter of days, after returning four Italians to their country on Friday 3 October.

    One of the deported activists who arrived at Istanbul airport on Saturday recounted shocking details of what he described as ‘brutal assaults’ on some activists during their detention, telling reporters:

    They dragged little Greta (Thunberg) by her hair in front of our eyes, beat her, and forced her to kiss the Israeli flag. They did everything imaginable to her as a warning to others.

    She’s still a little kid. They made her suffer.

    Separately, the Guardian reported that an email to Swedish authorities said Greta Thunberg was suffering from:

    dehydration. She has received insufficient amounts of both water and food. She also stated that she had developed rashes which she suspects were caused by bedbugs. She spoke of harsh treatment and said she had been sitting for long periods on hard surfaces.

    Meanwhile, other released activists spoke of similar degrading treatment.

    Turkish activist Samanur Sonmaz Yaman, a member of the flotilla, recounts details of the occupation’s oppression and abuse of veiled women from the boats:

    Occupation soldiers ripped off our headscarves during our arrest and took them from us, and our non-veiled friends gave us their shirts to cover our heads.

    Ongoing Israeli violence

    Adalah, the legal centre that monitors the cases of detainees, said that detention conditions at Ketziot prison in the Negev desert are ‘deteriorating alarmingly,’ amid reports of ill-treatment and violence against some detainees.

    A spokesperson for the organisation said that it is difficult at this stage to provide a comprehensive assessment, but confirmed that the mistreatment primarily affects non-European detainees, especially those whose countries do not have diplomatic missions in Israel.

    This incident is the latest chapter in the confrontation between Israel and the international solidarity flotillas that recently set sail in an attempt to break the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip for more than 18 years, amid growing international warnings about targeting solidarity activists and civil society activists, and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Strip, which is suffering from famine and shortages of medicine and fuel.

    Israel intercepted 40 ships in the Global Solidarity Flotilla that set sail to reach Gaza to break the blockade and deliver humanitarian aid amid the ongoing war of extermination on Gaza, which is now entering its third year.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Skwawkbox

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Journalist on Gaza Flotilla Describes “Torturous Conditions” in Israeli Custody

    Global condemnation is mounting as hundreds of international activists remain in Israeli prison days after Israel’s military raided and captured dozens of boats in the Global Sumud Flotilla. Reuters reports at least 170 flotilla activists, of the more than 400 arrested, have been deported from Israel. Many have described torture and mistreatment in Israeli custody. Swedish activist Greta Thunberg…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • The Lancet, one of world’s biggest journals, runs Gaza ‘Healthocide’ as October front cover

    The Lancet, one of the world’s oldest and most respected medical journals and one of the world’s most high-impact journals in any category, has as its front cover for this month the Gaza ‘healthocide‘ – Israel’s deliberate, systematic and devastatingly thorough destruction of Gaza’s health system alongside its slaughter and starvation of Palestinian civilians, which the same journal recently calculated from Israeli military data, to be rapidly approaching 700,000 killed and an untold number maimed or permanently disabled, almost all of them civilians.

    In their introductory summary to its study on the healthocide, the Lancet’s Alessandro Vitale et al describe:

    The Lancet: a healthocide in Gaza

    The Lancet concludes that politicians and medical governance bodies alike have failed in their duty to protect civilians and uphold international law – and they call on health workers and the bodies that represent them to be “remembered for our solidarity, not our silence”:

    The catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with the apparent deliberate targeting of health-care infrastructure and personnel, has highlighted a profound challenge to the global medical community. Hospitals are under siege and clinicians are operating without basic supplies, power, or safety. We are all deeply concerned about the suffering civilian population in Gaza and Israeli hostages, who are both living under inhumane conditions after the massacre of Oct 7, 2023.
    WHO and UN agencies have reported at least 772 attacks on health care, with 94% of hospitals damaged or destroyed and more than 1500 health-care workers killed—the highest toll ever
    recorded. No independent or neutral organisation has provided evidence that Hamas deliberately used hospitals or other civilian facilities as human shields. Even if proven in the future, such claims could never justify systematic attacks on the health-care system. This is a violation of international humanitarian law and demands explicit condemnation. Most medical and surgical societies worldwide have remained silent or issued vague statements about Gaza’s healthocide. A recent analysis found that only 24·5% of US speciality societies commented publicly on the Gaza conflict, in contrast to previous crises in which medical societies mobilised resources and expressed support.
    The value of human life should not depend on nationality, religion, or political alliances. In fact, both Israeli and Palestinian physicians took care of those injured during the tragedy of Oct 7, 2023—proof that health care can be empowered to build bridges of trust. Organisations should also try to balance action to end the Gaza catastrophe with an attempt to support physicians and scientists in Israel who are making an effort to change the situation from within.
    This is beyond politics; this is about care. Some say that medical societies must remain apolitical. However, ignoring political issues that affect health means ignoring real barriers to care. Staying silent while pretending to be neutral is, in effect, a form of complicity.
    The principle of medical neutrality, grounded in international humanitarian law, does not mean indifference; it obliges us to condemn any erosion of this norm as a threat to both care and ethics. As the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Geneva affirms, physicians must act in the interest of humanity, especially in times of crisis.
    The Israeli Medical Association urges the provision of medical assistance to all humans indiscriminately. As doctors, we must support all victims of conflict, denounce attacks on medical staff and facilities, and ensure care reaches those in need (appendix).
    Let us be remembered for our solidarity, not our silence. This is a decisive moment. Future generations will judge whether we defended life or looked away. Medicine is more than science—it is a moral duty. And when that duty is under threat, silence becomes betrayal.

    Every day, Israel slaughters and maims more civilians, especially children. Every day it murders the medics, rescue workers, paramedics who try to save the victims – and the journalists who report on its crimes. Yet the UK government continues to side with the perpetrators, refusing to acknowledge even the existence of the genocide and waging an ever-escalating war on those in this country who try to expose and resist Israel and its collaborators.

    They belong on trial in the Hague, down to the last man or woman who colludes. Maybe, just maybe, one day the Lancet’s evidence will help to put them there.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Skwawkbox

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • UNWRA reveals 82% of Gaza’s buildings under Israeli military control

    The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has released its latest situation report on the impact of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Via the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs (OCHA), it can confirm that over 82% of Gaza’s buildings are within the Israeli militarised zone. Almost all of the city’s facilities have been affected during the war.

    And, a staggering 845 people have been killed while seeking refuge in UNRWA facilities, including more than 370 of its staff. It noted that it had provided shelter to nearly one million people, as well as psychological and social support to more than 237,000 displaced persons. This includes children, survivors of gender-based violence. and those released from detention.

    Coupled with this picture of devastation, the Gaza Health Ministry has also confirmed that Israel has killed at least 66,148 Palestinians since October 2023.

    UNRWA confirms famine spreads in Gaza

    UNRWA also confirmed that famine has been officially declared in the Gaza Strip, with expectations that it will spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Yunis.

    However, the organisation has found it difficult to track the numbers of people affected by famine, as it writes:

    UNRWA’s capacity to monitor and address the spread of famine and malnutrition in Gaza City has been further restricted, amid the expansion of the Israeli military operations in the area. During the reporting period, only one medical facility continued to conduct malnutrition screening and treatment in Gaza City, functioning at minimum capacity.

    During periods of truce, the agency reached more than two million people with food aid, but ran out of food at the end of April 2025. This was after Israeli authorities blocked all humanitarian aid, including food, from entering since 2 March 2025. UNRWA stated that it had three months’ worth of food stocks still stuck outside the Strip.

    As of May 2025, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) found that more than 95% of Gaza’s agricultural land was entirely unusable.

    Health system on the verge of collapse

    UNRWA also previously reported in May, via OCHA, that Israel had targeted medical personnel, hospitals, and health infrastructure in Gaza in more than 790 attacks.

    UNWRA’s latest report has echoed an end of September statement from the World Health Organization (WHO), detailing that:

    the situation at the remaining eight hospitals and one field hospital in the city is critical. Those health points are overwhelmed by the influx of casualties resulting from strikes, in addition to providing medical care for non-trauma patients.

    On top of this, the report highlighted how only four of the 22 health centres were still functioning as of October 2025. This was in addition to three temporary centres and 30 field medical points.

    Moreover, the situation at UNRWA medical points in Gaza City is dire, with the report describing that:

    Only one UNRWA medical point remains functioning in Gaza City and continues providing primary healthcare services, albeit at minimum capacity. The remaining UNRWA health facilities in Gaza City (namely one health centre in Beach Camp and three medical points) were forced to suspend services. Previously, UNRWA medical teams provided services to around 4,000 patients per day in Gaza City.

    Despite operating with such limited capacity, UNRWA has provided more than 10 million initial medical consultations, screened 277,100 children under the age of five for malnutrition, and vaccinated more than 300,000 children as part of routine vaccination programmes.

    Water and sanitation in a state of collapse

    In July, the UN condemned Israel using thirst “as a weapon to kill Palestinians”. Its deliberate targeting of water facilities and sewage systems had precipitated a sanitation crisis. Israel has destroyed or damaged close to 90% of water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure.

    Half a million women and girls lack basic hygiene supplies. Meanwhile 60% of households do not have soap, and more than 40% of families live surrounded by uncollected waste.

    In September, UNRWA separately reported a surge in infectious diseases across the Strip. This includes respiratory infections, acute diarrhoea, scabies and skin rashes, as well as suspected cases of meningitis, tuberculosis and the rare Guillain-Barré syndrome.

    Despite this, UNRWA has managed to distribute more than 2 billion litres of water to 1.4 million people, collect 6,000 tonnes of waste per month, and distribute more than 338,000 personal hygiene kits since January 2024. However, the ongoing siege has forced UNRWA to suspend all water, sanitation, and hygiene services outside emergency shelters during the reporting period between 18 to 24 September. This was including:

    water trucking, solid waste removal and the maintenance of the UNRWA main well in the North.

    What’s more, it entirely suspended all solid waste activities in Gaza City for the same period.

    The education crisis revealed by UNRWA

    The agency reported that Israel has deprived around 660,000 children of education for the third consecutive year. Half of these are UNRWA school students.

    The report highlighted the UNRWA commissioner general Philippe Lazzarini’s “call to action” at the recent UN General Assembly side event. During this, he noted that:

    Every day, for nearly two years, the equivalent of a classroom full of children has been killed.

    On top of this, he said that survivors:

    have lost nearly four of the last five academic years due to conflict, COVID-19, and displacement.

    The United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) data in July identified that 92% of school buildings require complete reconstruction or major maintenance to return to operation.  Israel has damaged approximately 97% of UNRWA schools through sustained shelling.

    Despite these devastating conditions, UNRWA has reached more than half a million children with psychosocial support activities. It has provided education to more than 59,000 children in shelters, in addition to 290,000 children enrolled in distance learning programmes.

    Feature image via BBC News/Youtube.

    By Alaa Shamali

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Starmer spokesperson says abduction of UK flotilla volunteers is “a matter for Israel”

    Outraged former Leicester East MP Claudia Webbe has slammed the refusal of the Keir Starmer government to fulfil its duty to protect UK citizens from hostile acts, after a spokesman for the PM said that Israel’s abduction of Brits and others volunteering on the flotilla of small boats attempting to reach Gaza with baby food and other aid for starving Palestinians was “a matter for the Israeli government”.

    Starmer: a betrayal over the flotilla

    Webbe did not hold back, calling Starmer a traitor for doing “nothing, absolutely nothing!”:

    Under international law, governments have an unequivocal duty to protect their citizens, both as part of their obligations to protect human rights and under the specific “Responsibility to protect“. A UK government statement on the application of this duty – published under the Johnson Tory government – says that:

    the concept of protection encompasses all activities aimed at obtaining full respect for the rights of the individual in accordance with the letter and the spirit of the relevant bodies of law[footnote 1] . In essence, the goal of protection is to improve the safety of civilians by limiting their exposure to violence, abuse, coercion, exploitation and deprivation and the threat thereof. Primary responsibility for the protection and assistance of civilians lies with states, who are obliged to protect, respect and fulfil the human rights of all persons within their jurisdiction

    Even the ‘Bozo’ government recognised its legal obligation to British people. The Starmer government all too clearly prioritises the interests of Israel above the wellbeing of UK citizens.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Skwawkbox

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • BBC runs scared from Polanski’s truth-telling with embarrassing Kuenssberg spectacle

    The BBC has just run scared from Green Party leader Zack Polanski’s truth-telling. Despite interviewing other major party leaders around the time of their conferences, Laura Kuenssberg refused to do the same with Polanski. And the Green leader has suggested this is because of his strong anti-genocide stance.

    Following last week’s Manchester synagogue attack, the BBC packed Kuenssberg’s show on 5 October with establishment right-wing voices from Labour and the Conservatives. And despite Polanski being both a Jewish person from Manchester and the leader of a major party holding its conference at the weekend, the BBC refused to let him speak either in the studio or via video link.

    Polanski has criticised the Labour government’s intensifying crackdown on people’s democratic rights in recent days. So the BBC‘s decision to de-platform him looks very much like complicity in this draconian behaviour.

    Why are Kuenssberg and the BBC scared of Polanski?

    Polanski called the BBC out himself:

    And, it didn’t go unnoticed either:

    The Green Party is now the fourth biggest party in the UK, with 86,000 members. It has just overtaken the Liberal Democrats, is only four times smaller than Labour and three times smaller than Reform, and is hot on the heels of the flailing Conservative party. The party is on a roll, thanks largely to Labour dumping the left and aping Reform under corporate crony Keir Starmer.

    It’s easier for the BBC to silence smaller parties when our awful electoral system does that too, of course. Because Labour got one MP for every 23,000 votes in 2024’s general election, for example, while the Greens got one MP for every 485,000 votes. So our system considered a Labour vote to be over 20 times more valuable than a Green one. That’s why we’ve ended up with Labour dominating parliament (holding 63% of its MPs, despite getting only 33% of the votes) and Greens holding just 0.6% of MPs despite getting over 6% of the vote.

    No excuse

    But that doesn’t excuse the BBC‘s cancellation of Polanski’s interview at precisely the time people around the country need to hear his voice. Because as he said last week, the government is conflating opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza with last week’s synagogue attack in a dangerous attempt to suppress freedom of speech. And the BBC‘s silencing of Polanski’s voice allowed this to continue unchallenged at the worst possible time.

    If they won’t highlight the Greens’ bold ideas, we will

    At the Green conference, there was support for many common-sense policies. For example, as Britain’s housing crisis rolls on, the Greens pledged to get rid of private landlords. And Polanski spoke about the need to legalise drugs in order to end the disastrous ‘war on drugs’.

    Amid what genocide experts, international legal scholars, and humanitarian organisations have overwhelmingly called genocide in Gaza, Green members also agreed on the need to hold the army responsible (Israel’s IDF) to account as the terrorist organisation it is:

    Polanski, meanwhile, called for the government to reverse its costly and highly controversial ban on non-violent direct-action group Palestine Action.

    Clearly, the BBC can’t be trusted to fairly report on the actual political alternatives people have in this country. Good thing the Canary is about to call the fuckers out.

    Featured image via YouTube screenshot/Good Morning Britain

    By Ed Sykes

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Video: friends of Australian kidnapped by Israel describe extreme violence and torture

    Surya McEwen is an Australian volunteer among the almost five hundred humanitarians kidnapped by Israel as they tried to break Israel’s criminal starvation blockade on Gaza with baby food and other essentials. While the world’s attention has been on Israel’s violence and ritual humiliation toward Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, McEwen and Muslim volunteers were treated even more viciously.

    In a video update, friends of McEwan, who is locked up in Israel’s notorious Ketziot prison’s friends have reported that during his abduction and illegal detention:

    • Israeli soldiers tore up McEwen’s passport in front of him while on his vessel
    • soldiers beat him on his arrival at the port of Ashdod – so badly that his arm was dislocated and his head slammed into the ground
    • McEwen is being held in isolation away from other prisoners
    • His captors are subjecting him to “degrading and humiliating treatment” and using sleep-deprivation techniques on him for days at a time
    • his abductors are continuing to beat and intimidate him and are depriving him of drinkable water

    Similar violence and both psychological and physical torture are being inflicted on Muslim volunteers abducted in the terror state’s attack on the flotilla.

    Featured image via YouTube screenshot/ABC News (Australia)

    By Skwawkbox

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Shocking new testimonies from Global Sumud Flotilla activists emerge

    In a scene reminiscent of the events of the Freedom Flotilla in 2010, a number of international journalists and activists participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla have recounted details of what they described as “violations and humiliating treatment” Israeli forces subjected them to after intercepting their ship in international waters.

    Israel beating and abusing Global Sumud Flotilla activists

    Italian journalist Lorenzo D’Agostino, a member of the flotilla, said that Israeli forces “took every opportunity to humiliate them”. He noted that crew members:

    were beaten and deprived of water for two full days.

    He added:

    Greta, who is only 22 years old, was humiliated in a degrading manner. They wrapped the Israeli flag around her body and displayed her as a trophy.

    British activist Sarah Wilkinson described the detention as a “traumatic human experience”, saying:

    What I have learned over the past three days is that Israelis are not like us… They have faces and hands, but they are not human beings. They are monsters.

    She added that Israeli forces “confiscated their food and drink”, noting that the ship was:

    only 37 miles from Gaza, which could be seen from the sea.

    Israeli authorities have not yet issued any official comment on these accusations.

    Humanitarian fleets met with force

    The Global Sumud Flotilla set sail from a European port in a symbolic attempt to break the blockade. Israel has imposed this on the Gaza Strip for more than 17 years. The fleet carried activists and journalists from several European countries, as well as symbolic shipments of medical and humanitarian aid.

    The flotilla was intercepted in international waters before reaching the Gaza coast, where Israel detained participants and took them to an Israeli port for investigation, before some of them were later released.

    This incident comes in the context of a long history of international civil initiatives that have attempted to break the siege on Gaza. Most notably, Israel stormed the Mavi Marmara ship during the Freedom Flotilla in 2010. Its forces killed 10 Turkish activists.

    Despite international condemnation at the time, Israel’s policy towards civilian ships bound for Gaza has not changed. It considers them a violation of its sovereignty and treats them as a security threat.

    No moral legitimacy in blocking solidarity initiatives

    This incident reflects the double standards in dealing with humanitarian activity related to Gaza. In particular, the stark absence of a decisive international position on the continuing blockade and military escalation.

    The testimonies of the members of the Global Sumud Flotilla once again highlight the humanitarian dimension of the crisis in Gaza. It raises questions about the moral legitimacy in dealing with international peace and humanitarian solidarity initiatives with those under siege. Each time, they are met with a wall of force and isolation.

    Featured image via YouTube screenshot/CNN-News 18

    By Alaa Shamali

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Video: while Israel focused on kidnapping aid fleet crew, Palestinians were able to fish

    For months now, Israel has banned fisherman on the Gaza coast – like the rest of the Palestinian people there – from going onto the water, under pain of death. Many have been murdered as they desperately tried to catch food for their families and neighbours.

    But as the Global Sumud Flotilla of humanitarian volunteer-crewed boats approached Gaza, Israel’s attention switched to the fleet – and as it poured its naval resources into the criminal attack and seizure of the flotilla, apart from one reported escapee reportedly still sailing, the waters immediately off the Gaza coast were suddenly emptied of the murderous war criminals.

    In that brief window, Gaza fishermen were able to get out onto the water and catch food. A tiny human victory in the midst of genocide by the monsters of the occupation.

    Flotilla member Fayez Hamzeh said:

    An incredible, happy story for once thanks to the amazing flotilla and its brave crew members. You may not have made it to the shores of Gaza but you just indirectly saved many lives through your courage and sacrifice.

    Featured image via YouTube screenshot/Roya News

    By Skwawkbox

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Football fan now banned from Brighton FC for FIVE YEARS for wearing Palestine shirt

    Brighton and Hove Albion FC has banned fan Roger Wade for five years – for wearing a Palestine shirt.

    Brighton FC: come on – seriously?

    Initially the club gave Wade a five-game ban in August for “failing to comply with stewards’ requests,” with no detail given beyond his “behaviour outside the stadium.” But Wade says that:

    The truth is, [the issue began] when I removed my jacket [and] revealed a Palestine shirt.

    When I challenged the ban, they extended it to 5 years, claiming I must “protect the good name of the Club.”

    ⚖ The hypocrisy is clear:
    • Players wear yellow & blue kits for Ukraine 🇺🇦
    • They take the knee against racism ✊
    • They hold minutes of silence for others 🕊

    But I cannot wear a Palestine shirt in solidarity with the victims of genocide.

    This is not justice. This is silencing. I will be appealing to the Independent Football Ombudsman and the Premier League.

    This is a sad day for the club I love.

    At the time of his initial ban Wade, who founded the ‘Boxpark‘ food and drink complexes in Shoreditch and Croydon, said:

    The Premier League encourages us to stand up against racism, but what about standing against the killing of 50,000 civilians in Gaza, mostly women and children?

    This is blatant discrimination. Football should be about inclusion, diversity and solidarity, not silencing fans for peacefully showing who they stand with.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Skwawkbox

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • On the ground in Gaza, Israel’s relentless atrocities have continued

    CONTENT WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTIANS VIDEO FOOTAGE SOME READERS MAY FIND UPSETTING

    As the Israeli occupation continues to disregard all calls for a ceasefire announced by Trump, and the positive response given to the proposal by Hamas, Palestinians continue to be targeted in Gaza.

    The bombardments have sharply intensified, and the systematic killing continues, with 93 air and artillery strikes in 24 hours yesterday, 4 October, as of 9pm – targeting areas densely populated with civilians and displaced persons across the Strip. More than 70 civilians were massacred, 47 of whom were in Gaza City alone.

    Israel continues massacring

    An Israeli occupation airstrike decimated an entire residential block on Yafa Street, in the Al- Tuffah neighbourhood, East of Gaza City. At least 17 people were killed, including seven children between the ages of two and eight, while 40 others were injured in the attack and taken to the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital.

    Gaza Civil Defense Spokesman, Mahmoud Basal, described the situation as catastrophic, and he urged the world to act immediately to stop the ongoing extermination of Gaza City.

    Others still remain beneath the rubble in Al- Tuffah, where this baby girl was discovered by Civil Defense and paramedics, lying motionless, with a faint heartbeat. She was rushed towards hospital but died before arriving.

    Basal’s three storey home, which was sheltering more than 20 of his family members was also targeted and completely destroyed, by Israeli occupation forces yesterday.

    Gaza’s Civil Defense team targeted by Zionists

    On 1 October, the Civil Defense team was hit by a double-tap strike from the Israeli occupation forces, while rescuing the wounded, and retrieving the bodies of 29 Palestinian civilians, who had been sheltering inside Al- Falah school in the Al-Zaytoun area of Gaza City when it was bombed.

    The Israeli occupation intentionally targeted the Civil Defense team, waiting for them to attempt to rescue the victims before striking the same location again. This marks the 27th reported Israeli occupation attack on Palestinian Civil Defense teams in the field since 7 October 2023.

    Noah Al- Shaghnobi one of the Civil Defense members wrote:

    Each time I thought I had already lived through the hardest moments of this ongoing massacre over the past two years, but this attack was different, it made me feel as if it was the end. We were all targeted, without exception. I was running heavily burdened by my wounds, hearing the cries of my colleagues, each one calling my name, I saw blood surrounding them and fear in their eyes, but what was harsher than all of this was the feeling of helplessness to whom should I run first? And which of them should I lift before the other?

    Civil defense personnel are guaranteed protection under international humanitarian law. However, international law does not seem to apply to the Israeli regime, which acts with total impunity and absence of accountability, due to inaction by the international community-which has a legal duty to end the genocide.

    Between 7 October 2023 and 6 September 2025, according to the Gaza Government Media Office, 139 civil defense personnel were martyred, and this figure continues to rise.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Charlie Jaay

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • FBI dramatically splits from Zionist pressure group the ADL

    The FBI has severed ties with two of America’s leading civil rights watchdogs. Interestingly, one of the groups was the American Defamation League (ADL), which is widely seen as a Zionist pressure group which does civil rights activism as a front for its blatant Israeli propaganda.

    Actually, we should maybe say the ADL ‘did’ civil rights activism, as we’ll explain.

    Humiliation and defeat for the ADL – this time, from the FBI

    As part of its work, the ADL had a ‘glossary of extremism’. In response to criticism from extremists, the ADL deleted all of it, essentially shedding the last vestige of credibility it had left. This occurred after the rancid Libs of TikTok account shared the following:


    As is typical of the right, ‘no words’ ended up being false, with the most fervent X/Twitter users frothing at the mouth for several days.

    Libs of TikTok has been blamed for “threats on children’s hospitals” by the way; Elon Musk – who obviously joined in on all this – has a choice history of his own:


    As Snopes reported, this is how the ADL responded when faced with criticism from the sort of extremists they should be facing criticism from:

    Over the next couple of days, the ADL — a self-described anti-bias and anti-extremism organization particularly focused on combatting antisemitism — took steps to remove various mentions of [Turning Point USA] TPUSA across the organization’s site, including the entire Glossary of Extremism and Hate, until it completely removed its page on TPUSA from the site Oct. 1. The Glossary of Extremism and Hate was a collection of more than 1,000 groups, individuals, conspiracy theories, events, concepts and more that the ADL compiled and featured on its site before its removal.

    Given the situation, people noted how ridiculous it was for the ADL to think they could get into bed with the people doing Nazi salutes:

    Musk already had a contentious relationship with the ADL because they frog-marched him to Auschwitz for an apology tour after he posted an antisemitic conspiracy:

    Jewish historian Dr. Mia Brett commented on this apparent turning point against Israel:

    Turning point

    It’s not just right-wing losers on X/Twitter who’ve turned against the ADL; it’s also the FBI:


    The move follows growing concern among the American right that Israel is taking advantage of America, and as a result has ‘humiliated’ them. One of the figures making this claim is Tucker Carlson:

    While Carlson is a repellant figure who cannot be trusted to tell the truth, he can be trusted to exert influence over the American right. As such, it’s very interesting that he keeps speaking out like this. It’s equally interesting that few of his peers are criticising him, and that even more are coming around to his way of thinking.

    Clearly, the relationship between the US and Israel is in jeopardy.

    It might be happening for the wrong reasons, but at this point, the less support that the genocidal Israel receives the better.

    Featured image via IMDB / Cancilleria Argentina (Wikimedia)

    By Willem Moore

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • The tide is turning, as massive YouTuber goes all in on Israel

    If you’re familiar with YouTube, you’ve no doubt heard of the commentator MoistCr1tikal (a.k.a. ‘penguinz0’ or ‘Charlie White Jr.’). If you’re not familiar with YouTube, that’s the sort of names these people have. It doesn’t inhibit their popularity, however, with Mr Moist enjoying more than 17 million followers on his channel.

    Given his popularity, MoistCr1tikal clearly has broad popularity, and this is reflected in the topics he covers. He’s far from an apologist for the status quo, but he’s also not at the forefront of radical politics. Demonstrating how much Israel have squandered public support in the West, Charlie has now gone all in with his criticism of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu:


    Losing the narrative

    In a video titled I Can’t Believe This Timeline, penguinz0 said:

    I also just saw today, Benjamin Netanyahu just openly stating in front of the whole world his plans on brainwashing because so many people are turning on Israel. So he was asked like what he plans to do about it. And you know what? Since since I’m just yapping, I’m just going to go ahead and go in on this topic now too.

    With this teed up, Charlie shows a video in which Benjamin Netanyahu discusses elements of the American right turning against Israel – something which is happening because they can’t understand why successive presidents have humiliated themselves at the behest of this evil Mr Potato Head:


    In the video, Netanyahu calls right-wing critics the “woke reich”, before describing this as a “brilliant observation”. Attacking the groundswell of American right-wingers who can’t stand him, Netanyahu says “they’re insane; they’re lunatics”. While we’ve no love for the American right, we’re not reliant on their ongoing support to maintain our bloody colonialist regime, so things are a bit different for him.

    Cutting back to himself, MoistCr1tikal says:

    Yeah. That’s his strategy. A galaxy-brain chess manoeuvre here. Call everyone that doesn’t support Israel ‘Nazis’… So, basically, if you’re not like eating out of this guy’s gouch and supporting Israel on everything, you’re a Nazi.

    Longtime leftists will remember when it was just us who he described as Nazis; now it’s nearly everyone. At some point, people will realise ‘Hang on a minute – maybe the guy doing the genocide is the Nazi‘.

    Not one to shy away from telling on himself, Netanyahu also said:

    To secure that part of our the base of our support in the United States that is being challenged systematically. A lot of this is done with money. Money of NGOs; vast money of governments… Okay, we have to fight back. How do we fight back? Our influencers.

    Moist highlighted:

    Just in case you forgot, Israel literally pays influencers to suck their wiener and just be like these loyal little lap dogs to always just lap up whatever Netanyahu’s gouch is sweating out. Like, it’s unbelievable. And he’s just being like super open about it. like he is just saying that in front of people’s faces and nobody seems to care.


    Netanyahu also said:

    we’re going to have to use the tools of battle and the most important ones are social media and the most important purchase that is going on right now is TikTok. TikTok number one number one and I hope it goes through because it’s it can be consequential.

    And secondly, we’re going to have to use the tools of battle and the most important ones are social media and the most important purchase that is going on right now is Tik Tok. Tik Tok number one number one and I hope it goes through because it’s it can be consequential.


    Driving his point home, MoistCr1tikal said:

    Spoiler warning for those without thinking caps on censorship. He’s talking about censorship. Damn free speech.

    He added:

    He recognises how everyone sharing videos and information about the atrocities and all the slaughter of the Palestinians at the hands of the IDF is making people turn on Israel. So now the genocidal freak is going up to Elon Musk. Oh, Mr. Musk, can we do something about like all these pesky voices sharing all of this? It’s censorship. Super weird, by the way, how a foreign nation seems to have so much pull over things happening in our homeland.

    MoistCr1tikal: saying what everyone’s thinking

    People have reacted positively MoistCr1tikal’s intervention:

    This next post is completely unrelated, but it came up when we searched for ‘moist’ on X/Twitter:


    Sorry, we misspoke there – it’s not “completely unrelated”, because that’s Peter Thiel, whose spy tech company Palantir provides services to Israel and the US (they also provide ‘data’ services for the NHS, which isn’t worrying at all). Maybe he should run his own data through the NHS – find out why he’s so fucking wet.

    Back to the main story, is it weird that Israel needs the support of all these tech companies and social media monopolies to launder its reputation?

    Yes, it is weird, and everyone is finally noticing.

    Featured image via MoistCr1tikal

    By Willem Moore

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Israel intends to PERMANENTLY occupy strategic locations inside Gaza

    The official Hebrew Broadcasting Authority reported on Saturday that Israel plans to maintain a long-term military presence in three strategic areas inside and around the Gaza Strip, despite the understandings related to the ceasefire and prisoner exchange plan proposed by US President Donald Trump.

    Israel want to increase its occupation of Gaza

    The agency quoted unnamed Israeli sources as saying that Tel Aviv had informed Washington of a plan to maintain its forces in a buffer zone inside the Strip (the depth or area of which has not been specified), ranging from 700 metres in some areas to more than 1,500 metres in others, alongside the Philadelphi Corridor with Egypt and Hill 70 (Al-Muntar), located east of the Shuja’iyya neighbourhood in Gaza City.

    Hill 70 is a strategic high ground overlooking large parts of northern Gaza, including Gaza City and Jabalia camp, giving Israeli forces visual and firepower superiority, according to the Hebrew Authority, which described it as ‘a vital area for Israel’s security.’

    The sources indicated that Washington ‘understands Israel’s need’ to remain in these locations after the implementation of the first phase of Trump’s plan, which includes the release of Israeli prisoners and the start of a gradual withdrawal from Gaza.

    Gradual withdrawal and possible foreign presence

    According to the leaked details, the withdrawal plan begins with the army leaving the combat zones after the return of all Israeli prisoners, while temporarily remaining on the so-called ‘yellow line’ inside Gaza, before later retreating to the ‘red line’ on the border of the Strip, coinciding with the entry of foreign forces operating under American mandate to take over security tasks.

    In the final stage, Israel will maintain its military presence in the Philadelphi Corridor and Al-Muntar Hill, under the pretext of ‘preventing future security threats.’

    This comes at a time when violent Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip continue, despite statements by US President Donald Trump calling on Israel to ‘immediately’ stop the bombing in order to create the conditions for implementing a prisoner exchange deal and ending the war.

    On Friday, Trump confirmed that Hamas was ‘ready for a lasting peace’ after the movement announced its agreement to a proposal to release all Israeli prisoners and hand over the administration of the Strip to an independent Palestinian authority.

    Cairo is scheduled to host delegations from Hamas and Israel on Monday to complete negotiations on the details of the exchange deal and implement the terms of Trump’s plan, which includes 20 points, most notably: a ceasefire, the mutual release of prisoners, and the disarmament of the resistance in Gaza.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Alaa Shamali

    This post was originally published on Canary.