On Saturday, the United States and Iran will hold another round of talks in Muscat, the capital of Oman. The aim is to continue to advance talks on Iran’s nuclear program.
Thus far, the talks have gone well, but, as I have explained on several occasions recently, there are serious difficulties to overcome. These include the fact that Iran, having not pursued a nuclear weapons program to any degree since 2003, starts from a grudging position where it, justifiably, wonders why it should compromise over a non-issue. Meanwhile, the United States, which, along with Israel, has created a terrifying image of a nuclear-armed Iran, is pressing hard for unprecedented intrusiveness in monitoring Iran’s nuclear work.
The 58th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council ran from February 24 to April 4, 2025, resulting in 32 Resolutions and 14 Universal Period Review adoptions.
The session included a high-level segment attended by over 100 dignitaries, thematic panels addressing the rights of specific vulnerable groups, interactive dialogues, and debates on country-specific reports. This session also marked key anniversaries of the Beijing Declaration and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The Human Rights Council plays a crucial role in addressing global violations and continues to serve as a platform for activists and victims of violations. In the face of multiple intersecting crises and conflicts, democracy erosion, and authoritarianism on the rise, Council decisions continue to wield considerable power to improve civil society conditions, particularly in fragile contexts where civic actors are particularly affected by widespread human rights violations and abuses, while offering unique opportunities for the negotiation of higher human rights standards.
I have on the past used other such reports by the ISHR and the UHRG (see below) but thought that this time I should highlight other NGOs:
CIVICUS contributed to the outcomes of the Council session through engagement on key Resolutions, delivery of statements, and organisation of events. We sounded the alarm on the global erosion of civic space and the growing repression of civil society across multiple regions.
Regional Developments: Africa
A strong Resolution on South Sudan was adopted, extending the mandate of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan (CHRSS).
Regional Developments: Asia Pacific
A Resolution on Myanmar’s human rights situation was adopted by consensus amid escalating violence and widespread impunity.
Regional Developments: Americas
The Resolution on Nicaragua renewed the mandate of the Group of Human Rights Experts (GHREN) on Nicaragua.
Regional Developments: Europe
Key resolutions were adopted on Ukraine and Belarus, continuing international monitoring mechanisms.
Regional Developments: Middle East
Resolutions on Iran and Syria were adopted, with mixed results on addressing severe human rights concerns.
Several important thematic resolutions were adopted during the session.
Civil Society Challenges
Ahead of the 58th session, CIVICUS raised attention on the increasing restrictions imposed on civil society. CIVICUS engaged in key side events during HRC58, spotlighting democracy, child human rights defenders, and intersectional approaches to civic space.
A detailed post-session report is available via this link.
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ):
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), together with partner organizations, participated actively in the 58th session. Civil society’s critical engagement is essential in calling on the Council and its member States to respond to the plight of victims of human rights violations. In this regard, the ICJ was pleased to ensure that our partner from the African Albinism Network delivered our joint statement on the tenth anniversary of the mandate of the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with Albinism. Maintaining effective access to the UN in Geneva for civil society is key to ensure that people can themselves participate or be represented in the discussions at the Council that concern them directly. With regard to this, the ICJ denounces all attempts to undermine civil society participation, including the intimidation of human rights defenders during side events, observed again at this HRC session.
At the outset, the ICJ welcomes the adoption of a number of important resolutions renewing, extending or creating mandates under the HRC purview, among which the following were adopted without a vote:
a resolution extending the mandate of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic for a period of one year;
a resolution establishing an open-ended intergovernmental working group for the elaboration of a legally-binding instrument on the promotion and protection of the human rights of older persons;
a resolution renewing the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism for a period of three years;
a resolution renewing the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food for a period of three years;
a resolution extending the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar for a period of one year;
a resolution renewing the presence of the Office of the High Commissioner in Seoul, for a period of two years with the same resources and extending the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea(DPRK) for a period of one year.
While regretting the failure to adopt them by consensus, the ICJ also welcomes the adoption of other important resolutions by a majority of the votes:
a resolution extending the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine for a period of one year;
a resolution renewing the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus for a period of one year and extending the mandate of the Group of Independent Experts on the Situation of Human Rights in Belarus for a period of one year;
a resolution renewing the mandate of the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua for a period of two years;
a resolution extending the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran for a period of one year and deciding that the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran should continue for one year with an updated mandate to address the recent and ongoing violations of human rights; and
a resolution extending the mandate of the independent human rights expert tasked with undertaking the monitoring of the human rights situation in Haiti, for a renewable period of one year.
This session discussed armed conflicts whose intensity had continued to increase, including in Gaza, Ukraine, the DRC and Myanmar.
……Unsurprisingly, the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory was one of the most-discussed throughout the 58th session. Many countries voiced strong support for the Palestinian people and their human rights, with many calling for a two-State solution based on Israel’s withdrawal to its pre-1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as Palestine’s capital. The ICJ commends the many States who intervened during the negotiations and adoption of the resolutions on the situation in the OPT to emphasize the need for accountability, and who voiced their support for the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice and their respective recent decisions on Israel/Palestine. The resolution adopted at this session titled “the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the obligation to ensure accountability and justice” invited the General Assembly to consider establishing an ongoing international, impartial and independent mechanism to assist in the investigation and prosecution of persons responsible for the most serious crimes under international law committed by all parties in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel since 2014.
Earlier in the year, on 7 February 2025, the Council had already held a special session to discuss the human rights situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where armed clashes between Congolese forces and the Rwanda-backed M23 movement had been ongoing, and had escalated since January 2025. The special session had resulted in the adoption of a resolution requesting the High Commissioner to urgently establish a fact-finding mission to report on events since January 2022. The resolution had also established an independent COI composed of three experts appointed by the HRC President to continue the work of the fact-finding mission. At the 58th session, the ICJ and many countries expressed grave concern about the human rights situation in the DRC, and during the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner and the Team of Experts at the end of the session many of the same themes and concerns heard during the special session were raised again.
Threats to Multilateralism
This 58th session took place in the context of increasing threats against multilateralism. In particular, this session started in the aftermath of the United States and Israel announcing that they would boycott the Council by not engaging with it. In addition, on 27 February – the day before the interactive dialogue with the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua, when the HRC was scheduled to discuss the serious human rights violations committed by the State apparatus, including executions, torture and arbitrary detentions – Nicaraguaannounced its decision to withdraw from the Council.
Accountability
The ICJ regrets the attempts by some countries at this session to undermine accountability mechanisms by presenting them as political tools purportedly interfering in the internal affairs of the States concerned and encroaching upon their sovereignty. The human rights organization recalls that such spurious arguments contradict the international human rights law obligations freely agreed upon and undertaken by States and disregard the fact that, as the 1993 Vienna Declaration states, “the promotion and protection of all human rights is a legitimate concern of the international community”.
With regards to the situation in Syria following the fall of the Assad regime, the need for accountability was high on the HRC’s agenda throughout the 58th session. ….In this regard, the ICJ particularly welcomes the adoption of the resolution on the situation in Syria, which encouraged the interim authorities to grant the COI necessary access throughout the country and to cooperate closely with the Commission. The ICJ also notes the authorities’ declared commitment to investigating the recent spate of violations and abuses, including through the newly established fact-finding committee to investigate the events in the west of the Syrian Arab Republic in March 2025. In this connection, the human rights organization called for investigations to be demonstrably independent, prompt, transparent and impartial…
As usual, a number of country situations were not on the agenda of the Council but would actually require much greater scrutiny. At the 58th session, the ICJ expressed particular concern on the situation in Tunisiaand Eswatiniamong others, where attacks on independent judges and lawyers are a key manifestation of deepening authoritarianism in these countries…
The impact of the liquidity crisis and the withdrawal of critical support was also discussed during informal negotiations on the resolution renewing the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism. While in the end the resolution is short, there was much debate about specific phrasing concerning the resources provided to the mandate. The ICJ participated in the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur, stressing the need for coordination and cooperation between civil society and regional systems to address counterterrorism laws that violate human rights and fundamental freedoms of civil society actors, highlighting in particular the situations in Venezuela and Eswatini. The ICJ reiterated the importance of the Special Rapporteur being adequately resourced in order to fully address these challenges.
The Spanish government ordered the immediate termination of a $7.5 million contract to buy ammunition from a company with direct ties to Israeli arms maker Elbit Systems on 24 April.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez canceled the deal after Sumar, a group of left-wing parties, threatened to leave the governing coalition.
“After exhausting all routes for negotiation, the prime minister, deputy prime minister, and ministries involved have decided to rescind this contract,” a government source told Al Jazeera.
Earlier this week, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska formalized a contract with Israeli-owned company Guardian Homeland Security S.A. for over 15 million rounds of ammunition
Montreal, Canada — The United States has loomed large over Canada’s upcoming election, with concerns over President Donald Trump’s tariffs and annexation threats dominating much of the campaign.
But for many Canadians, another topic has also been front-of-mind in the lead-up to the vote on April 28: Israel’s war on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
“This is a priority issue for many Canadians,” said Dania Majid, a Palestinian community advocate and lawyer based in Toronto, in an interview with Truthout. “We are not detached from what is happening in Palestine.”
Last month, a survey commissioned by the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) found that 55 percent of Canadian voters backed a ban on weapons exports to Israel as the war in Gaza dragged on.
The UN’s food agency announced on Friday that it has run out of all food stock in Gaza after eight weeks of Israel’s humanitarian aid blockade, which has left the entire territory on the brink of — or in the depths of — famine. The World Food Programme (WFP) distributed its last food stocks to kitchens serving hot meals on Friday. These kitchens have served as “the only consistent source of…
Lawyers representing Hamas in the UK have come under attack from “Zionist organisation” over their work on applying for the group to be de-proscribed from the country’s terrorist list. So, over 80 legal professionals have written an open letter in support of the law firm.
Hamas: requesting to be de-proscribed in the UK
Hamas has formally requested that the UK government remove it from its list of proscribed terrorist organisations, arguing that the designation is outdated and politically motivated.
In a statement issued earlier in April, Hamas claimed its inclusion on the list, in place since 2001, was unjust and no longer reflects the current realities of the region. The group, which governs the Gaza Strip, described itself as a “legitimate national resistance movement” working toward the rights and self-determination of the Palestinian people.
The appeal follows the UK government’s decision in 2021 to broaden the ban on Hamas to cover its political wing as well as its military activities. At the time, British officials cited the group’s involvement in violence against civilians and its refusal to renounce armed struggle as grounds for the move.
Hamas’s statement emphasised its political role, including its participation in Palestinian elections and its provision of public services in Gaza. The group framed its request as part of a broader effort to secure international recognition and to counter narratives it says hinder peace efforts.
A spokesperson for the UK Home Office confirmed it had received representations but declined to comment further, citing the sensitivity of the matter. Under British law, groups listed as terrorist organisations can submit formal applications for removal, a process that involves review by ministers and, potentially, a judicial appeal.
The call for delisting comes amid Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, and apartheid and war crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Riverway Law: under attack from Zionists
While Hamas remains designated as a terrorist group by several Western governments, it maintains backing from the majority of states and organisations internationally, and its status continues to be a point of contention in international diplomacy.
However, since the application was submitted two weeks ago, Riverway Law and its colleagues have come under intense attacks, including death threats.
So, over 80 legal professionals from South Africa, who recognise the parallels from their experiences of apartheid, have issued a letter in solidarity. The letter is headlined by anti-apartheid heroes, the country’s former Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils, and one of its most respected jurists Justice Zakeria Mohammed Yacoob.
The full text is below:
We, members of the South African legal community and others, stand in full solidarity with the legal team in the United Kingdom who have initiated proceedings to challenge the proscription of Hamas under UK law.
On 9th April 2025, Riverway Law, a firm of solicitors in England, together with a team of barristers, acting on behalf of Hamas, submitted an application to the Secretary of State requesting the removal of Hamas from the list of proscribed organisations under the Terrorism Act 2000. Should this application be refused, legal proceedings are expected to follow by way of appeal.
Since the filing of the application, there has been an unprecedented, concerted and malicious campaign, spearheaded by Zionist organisations, their allies in the media and political parties aimed at discrediting and intimidating the legal professionals involved.
At the heart of this campaign is a deliberate conflation between lawyer and client — an effort to falsely suggest that legal representatives share the political or ideological positions of those they represent. Such a conflation violates fundamental legal principles and undermines the independence of the legal profession — a cornerstone of any just legal system.
The UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers (Principle 16) makes clear that lawyers must be able to perform all their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference; and shall not suffer, or be threatened with, prosecution or administrative, economic or other sanctions for any action taken in accordance with recognised professional duties, standards and ethics. Principle 18, lawyers shall not be identified with their clients or their clients’ causes as a result of discharging their functions
In South Africa, we recall all too clearly how the apartheid regime labelled liberation movements as “terrorist” organisations and criminalised their legal and political representatives. The governments of Britain and the United States were complicit in this repression — banning movements such as the ANC and PAC and vilifying those who defended them.
Today, the pattern repeats itself. The language, the targeting, the delegitimisation of legal advocacy — is all hauntingly familiar. Where once the target was the ANC, today it is Hamas. Where once it was apartheid South Africa, today it is apartheid Israel. Where once it was the defenders of our liberation in South African courts, today it is Riverway Law and their colleagues in Britain.
We will not be silent in the face of such injustice.
We condemn in the strongest possible terms the campaign of vilification and intimidation directed at Fahad Ansari, Franck Magennis and Daniel Grütters, and the wider legal team involved in this vital case. We uphold the right of all individuals and organisations — no matter how controversial or unpopular — to have access to independent legal representation without fear of retribution.
We express our unwavering support for our colleagues in Britain and affirm that the independence of the legal profession must never be compromised to serve political agendas.
New research from Ethical Consumer shows that across 88 UK universities, over £63 million was spent with corporate giant Amazon over the last three years. The average annual spend in England was £267,558 for 2024. The most a university spent was £2 million in one year.
Amazon: laughing all the way to the bank
Ethical Consumer obtained this information by submitting 133 freedom of information requests, asking for details of their spending with Amazon over the previous three financial years.
What may appear to be a small choice is, in reality, an endorsement of a supplier and their ethical framework. One which has been well documented and repeatedly criticised as it drives exploitative working conditions, aggressive tax avoidance and environmental harm. Continued spending sends a message that these practices are acceptable, even as many universities publicly claim to distance themselves from unethical supply chains.
Some of the universities with the highest spend with Amazon, which has been increasing year on year, were:
The University of Liverpool, which spent £1.2 million in 2024.
The University of Sheffield, which spent £1.5 million in 2024.
UCL, which spent £1.7 million in 2023.
Kingston University, which spent £2 million in 2022.
This research builds on a similar freedom of information request that was conducted in2022. The combined data shows that 59% of universities have increased their spending with Amazon over the last five years, with many institutions using them to incentivise student engagement.
The growing use of Amazon Web Services (AWS), a key profit driver for Amazon, has also surged at some universities. University of Leicester stands out with over £1 million in AWS spending.
Where’s the boycott?
Amazon has been criticised recently by the Fair Tax Foundation for failing to disclose their total profits in the UK and consequently the corporation tax required. This is despite numerous calls for greater transparency from tax justice campaigners. Many universities are citing financial difficulties in recent years due to a reduction in government funding and inflationary pressures, which is now being investigated by the UK government.
Ethical Consumer has been running a Boycott Amazon campaign since 2012, primarily due to their tax avoidance practices. It calls on universities to stop buying from Amazon now and look for alternatives to incentivise students.
On 18 March 2025, award-winning playwright Peter Oswald set out on an extraordinary journey. Walking from Bristol to London, over the last 13 days of Ramadan, and entirely while fasting, Oswald has now completed his 150 mile pilgrimage for Palestine.
Peter Oswald completes his pilgrimage for Palestine
Founder of the Hands Up Project Nick Bilbrough joined him, accompanying Oswald by bicycle. The walk culminated at Parliament Square on 30 March at 2pm.
Dubbed ‘The Pilgrimage for Palestine’, the initiative aimed to raise awareness of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Palestine, challenge rising Islamophobia in the UK, and raise funds for the Hands Up Project. The UK-based charity connects children around the world with young people in Palestine through creative storytelling and education.
The journey has so far raised over £18,000 and captured the imagination of the nation. It has drawn coverage from multiple outlets including Al Jazeera, the Independent, and the London Evening Standard.
Oswald said:
This pilgrimage was an act of empathy and resistance. It was a public declaration that we will not look away.
A walk of remembrance, resistance, and solidarity
Throughout the route, Oswald and Bilbrough stopped in towns and cities to sell poetry collections written by Palestinian children through the Hands Up Project. Tragically, Israel has since killed some of the young authors – their poems now a heartbreaking testament to the lives lost and the dreams stolen.
In Newbury, the pilgrims were welcomed by the mayor, who – despite criticism – opened the council chamber to offer shelter to a crowd of supporters and briefly flew the Palestinian flag from Town Hall.
In Bristol, Feda Shahien from the Bournemouth Red Line presented Oswald with the key to her grandmother’s home, from which her family was forcibly displaced during the 1948 Nakba. Oswald later handed the key to a young Palestinian woman in traditional dress in Parliament Square – symbolising both remembrance and resistance.
The march was not without confrontation. At its conclusion, the pilgrims were targeted by Zionist protesters, one of whom threw liquid at them, leading to a police arrest.
Yet solidarity remained the heart of the journey. At every stop, local mosques and Muslim communities welcomed the pilgrims to break fast at iftar, join in prayer, and share moments of reflection and unity.
Peter Oswald: ‘the world must not look away’
On 31 March, Peter Oswald concluded his pilgrimage with a powerful event at the Marylebone Theatre. Comedian Jen Brister hosted it.
Highlights included:
A performance from The Arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu by Enfield People’s Theatre
Poetry by Fatima, one of the Filton 18, read by her mother Sukaina Zainab
Recordings and translations of work by Gazan poet Batool Abu Akleen, underscored by the sounds of drones and gunfire
Reflections from Peter Oswald and Nick Bilbrough
A closing iftar at iconic Palestinian restaurant Shakeshuka, opened specially for the occasion.
During the pilgrimage, Israel once again shattered the ceasefire in Gaza. The pilgrims remained in contact with Ashraf Kuhail, a Hands Up Project teacher in Gaza. Kuhail continues teaching despite bombardment and blockade.
Bilbrough said:
We will never stop being witnesses. The world must not look away.
Organised by the Bristol Palestine Alliance, The Pilgrimage for Palestine is now evolving into an ongoing activist initiative. Future projects include a storytelling pilgrimage and other community-led actions rooted in art, resistance, and justice.
On the morning of April 23, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies executed search warrants at multiple homes in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Canton Township, Michigan. The raids reportedly targeted a number of student organizers who were connected to Gaza protests at the University of Michigan.
According to the group Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE), agents seized the students’ electronics and a number of personal items. Four individuals were detained, but eventually released.
TAHRIR Coalition, a student-led movement calling for divestment from Israel, said that officers initially refused to present warrants at the Ypsilanti raid. They were unable to confirm whether ICE was present at the raid.
Israeli forces used at least one U.S.-provided weapon in a series of strikes that killed dozens of civilians in northeastern Lebanon last year, in attacks that were likely in violation of international law and should be investigated as war crimes, Human Rights Watch says in a new report. The group investigated several Israeli strikes between September 25 and November 21, 2024 in Younine…
Youth Demand supporters have taken to the streetsonce more to demand that the UK government impose a total trade embargo on Israel, and make the super rich and fossil fuel elite pay damages to communities and countries most harmed by fossil fuel burning.
Youth Demand: London Bridge is falling down
At 9:50am on Thursday 24 April, around 25 supporters of Youth Demand disrupted traffic at London Bridge South for around 12 minutes, departing after police arrived on the scene. The supporters could be seen holding signs which read ‘Stop Arming Israel’:
At around 10:55am the supporters regrouped at Kennington Road, disrupting traffic for around 20 minutes:
13 have been killed overnight and this morning, including children. The UK continues to support Israel’s genocide through arms sales, logistical support and reconnaissance. Our leaders are participating in this genocide because they believe there is a tactical advantage to having somewhere in the middle east that is aligned with ‘Western values’. That is why they say there needs to be a ceasefire, whilst doing nothing materially to change the situation in Palestine. What are our values worth when they are based on the theft of peoples’ land and the murder of innocent children?
One of those taking action is Fiona Moir from Bridport, who said:
I am so very upset and angry that my country is supporting Israel in its genocide of Palestinians. I am a peaceful law abiding citizen but the current situation in Gaza needs voices like mine to help express how many people in this country are feeling about Israel’s atrocities. Watching the daily death toll rise, especially of women and children, is like watching a present day holocaust, right in front of us! We can’t stand by and let this happen. Never again, means never again for anyone.
Israel continues its genocide
Overnight at least 13 people have been killed in Gaza including many women and children. Israel maintains its eight week blockade on food, medicine and aid entering Gaza, while continuing aerial attacks on homes and tent shelters. “The Gaza Strip is now likely facing the worst humanitarian crisis in the 18 months since the escalation of hostilities in October 2023,” said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in its latest situation update on April 23. [2]
Youth Demand said:
Young people will not accept these crimes against humanity and we will not be led by war criminals and arsonists. We cannot allow those in power to get away with facilitating the systematic annihilation of an entire culture. It’s time to take to the streets day after day and to demand better. Only sustained mass resistance can put an end to this genocide.
Pro-Israel agitators have reported anti-genocide rap group Kneecap to the police, who are assessing whether footage from a concert last year merits further investigation.
Danny Morris from the Community Security Trust (CST) posted a video which seemed to show a member of Kneecap making a comment he disagreed with. This comes as Kneecap attracts the attention of genocide apologists for highlighting Israel’s war crimes and the USA’s involvement at the recent Coachella festival.
Key aims of the Israel lobbyists at CST reportedly include “opposing anti-Zionist activity” and fighting against boycotts of the apartheid state.
Kneecap: who are Hamas and Hezbollah?
The focus of the Israel lobby and the police now is on a Kneecap member’s apparent reference to Hamas and Hezbollah. So let’s have a quick summary of who these groups are.
Hamas and Hezbollah are Islamist political movements in occupied Palestine and Lebanon respectively. Islamism is “the belief that Islam should guide social and political as well as personal life” and, partly because of Western efforts to undermine left-wing and nationalist forces during the Cold War, the school has over time become “the most powerful ideological force” in the Muslim world.
It’s particularly important to note here, however, that there are different types of Islamism. And Hamas and Hezbollah are definitely not from the same school as Al-Qaeda or Daesh (Isis/Isil), groups that “label other Muslims heretics [or] apostates” and have strong links to Saudi Arabia‘s state ideology of Wahhabism (which is not representative of the world’s Muslim community). Instead, Hamas and Hezbollah are defensive nationalist militants first and foremost, primarily seeking to “protect local constituents” with “a specific set of local political demands that are the focus of their activity and the core concern of their supporters”. This doesn’t mean they are progressive champions. Because they’renot. But international law protects their right to self-defence.
When do we class genocide as terrorism?
Because Hamas and Hezbollah have a specific local focus, they don’t tend to attack countries they are not in direct conflict with. The Israeli occupation forces are their primary opponent. And under international law, Israel does not have the right to self-defence in the territories it occupies. Yet unlike Hamas and Hezbollah, Israel has been undertaking a genocide which has killed at least one Palestinian child every hour since October 2023, murdering around 17,492 children in the process, including about 825 babies, 895 one-year-olds, 3,266 preschoolers, and 4,032 six-to-10-year-olds.
Nonetheless, Israel is a Western ally – an outpost, proxy, and tool for imperialism in the Middle East. So Western governments support, participate in, and cover for its genocidal war crimes. And because Hamas and Hezbollah resist Israeli crimes, Western states call them terrorists. Hamas in particular, however, is currently challenging this designation in UK courts.
Kneecap: their stance
Genocide apologists now believe police should take action due to a member of Kneecap apparently saying “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” last year.
The band’s positions on Israel and Palestine are pretty clear, though. It firmly condemnsdecades of Israeli oppression of Palestinians. It insists that it’s actually Israel that is a “terrorist state“, believing resistance against it is justifiable. And it emphasises that:
Resistance is not terrorism
They also seem to have little interest in particular religious ideologies. Instead, they want to unite the world.
there’s three young working-class people here who have built a career for themselves, on the basis of the Irish language, music, culture and identity… They have the bravery and conviction, especially where they’ve come from in a post-conflict society, to stand up for what’s right… despite the fact it may harm their careers, and their income
In a shameless attempt to undermine international accountability for accused war criminal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hungarian President Viktor Orbán graciously hosted the architect of Israel’s 18-month genocide in Gaza on April 3.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is now formally investigating Hungary’s blatant refusal to fulfill its legal obligation to arrest Netanyahu and send him to The Hague. States parties to the Rome Statute have a duty to cooperate with the court and facilitate the arrest of any ICC suspect who enters their territory. Although Orbán announced Hungary’s withdrawal from the statute on April 3, it does not take effect for one year.
In Gaza, every neighborhood carries traits that foster pride and unity among its residents, each one boasting its own unique qualities, cherished and known by all. One such neighborhood is Shujaiya, which means “courage” in Arabic. It is a place where the people are celebrated for their strength, resilience, patience and an unwavering love for their land. This love runs so deep that they would…
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and top Republican leaders at Mar-a-Lago agreed in a meeting that Israel should continue bombing humanitarian aid in Gaza, Ben-Gvir has said — effectively admitting that he is getting express support from top U.S. leaders to commit what experts have deemed as war crimes and genocidal acts. Ben-Gvir is visiting the U.S. this week for the first…
It’s not okay to claim ignorance or uncertainty about what’s happening in Gaza in 2025. You’re an adult. You have internet access. If you don’t know, learn. You can’t just go “it too compwicated, me no understandy, googoo gaga.” It’s not cute and it’s not okay. Grow the fuck up.
Not taking a position on Gaza IS taking a position on Gaza. One you’ll have to live with for the rest of your life. One you will be judged by history for. One you will have to explain to your grandkids. Failure to oppose a genocide that your own government is supporting is consenting to the genocidal status quo.
If this is the case with you, then that’s a character flaw, and you need to change it. It’s not okay for you to be that way. Knock that shit off.
Countless people have died slow, agonizing deaths trapped under destroyed buildings since this nightmare began. Have you ever taken the time to deeply contemplate that? What a horrifying way to die that is? Being alive but with your body partially crushed, alone and in agony unable to move in the darkness, surrounded by members of your family who are either dead or similarly trapped, possibly for days until you die of dehydration?
Maybe the worst part would be knowing that you’re surrounded by survivors who would like to get you out of there, but can’t because they don’t have the equipment necessary to move the enormous pieces of rubble overtop of you. Knowing you’re trapped, and you’re never getting out.
This has happened to people countless times since the beginning of this onslaught in 2023. And Israel is going out of its way to make sure even more people die this way.
*****
US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has rejected appeals by the World Health Organization to put pressure on Israel to end its starvation blockade on Gaza, saying, “What I would like to suggest is that we work together on putting the pressure where it really belongs — on Hamas.”
Huckabee is a fanatical Christian Zionist who has said that there is “no such thing as a Palestinian” and that Israel has a right to the entirety of the West Bank.
If you believe your religion tells you to support the butchery and starvation of the people of Gaza, then your religious beliefs are bad, and you should change them. There’s no point in having a religion if it doesn’t even help you understand that genocide is an inexcusable evil.
There’s too much religious tolerance in our society. If you believe your religion tells you to support an active genocide, then everyone should call you an asshole and tell you to get different beliefs.
I actually agree with conservatives who say we need to be less tolerant toward people with unwholesome religious beliefs — I just disagree about whom that intolerance should be directed toward. It’s not Muslims telling me it’s right to support the Gaza holocaust, it’s Christian Zionists and Jewish Zionists. They belong to death cults which tell them that God wants them to support these profoundly evil things. These death cults should not exist, and anyone who belongs to them should leave. It should not be even slightly controversial to say this.
I don’t care what you believe about any deity or deities or how we should live or what happens to us after we die. Believe whatever you want as pertains to you and yours. But if your religious beliefs tell you to support Israel’s daily massacres and mass starvation, then your religious beliefs are bad, and people should not be tolerant toward them.
It’s not okay to claim ignorance or uncertainty about what’s happening in Gaza in 2025. You’re an adult. You have internet access. If you don’t know, learn. You can’t just go “it too compwicated, me no understandy, googoo gaga.” It’s not cute and it’s not okay. Grow the fuck up.
Not taking a position on Gaza IS taking a position on Gaza. One you’ll have to live with for the rest of your life. One you will be judged by history for. One you will have to explain to your grandkids. Failure to oppose a genocide that your own government is supporting is consenting to the genocidal status quo.
If this is the case with you, then that’s a character flaw, and you need to change it. It’s not okay for you to be that way. Knock that shit off.
Countless people have died slow, agonizing deaths trapped under destroyed buildings since this nightmare began. Have you ever taken the time to deeply contemplate that? What a horrifying way to die that is? Being alive but with your body partially crushed, alone and in agony unable to move in the darkness, surrounded by members of your family who are either dead or similarly trapped, possibly for days until you die of dehydration?
Maybe the worst part would be knowing that you’re surrounded by survivors who would like to get you out of there, but can’t because they don’t have the equipment necessary to move the enormous pieces of rubble overtop of you. Knowing you’re trapped, and you’re never getting out.
This has happened to people countless times since the beginning of this onslaught in 2023. And Israel is going out of its way to make sure even more people die this way.
*****
US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has rejected appeals by the World Health Organization to put pressure on Israel to end its starvation blockade on Gaza, saying, “What I would like to suggest is that we work together on putting the pressure where it really belongs — on Hamas.”
Huckabee is a fanatical Christian Zionist who has said that there is “no such thing as a Palestinian” and that Israel has a right to the entirety of the West Bank.
If you believe your religion tells you to support the butchery and starvation of the people of Gaza, then your religious beliefs are bad, and you should change them. There’s no point in having a religion if it doesn’t even help you understand that genocide is an inexcusable evil.
There’s too much religious tolerance in our society. If you believe your religion tells you to support an active genocide, then everyone should call you an asshole and tell you to get different beliefs.
I actually agree with conservatives who say we need to be less tolerant toward people with unwholesome religious beliefs — I just disagree about whom that intolerance should be directed toward. It’s not Muslims telling me it’s right to support the Gaza holocaust, it’s Christian Zionists and Jewish Zionists. They belong to death cults which tell them that God wants them to support these profoundly evil things. These death cults should not exist, and anyone who belongs to them should leave. It should not be even slightly controversial to say this.
I don’t care what you believe about any deity or deities or how we should live or what happens to us after we die. Believe whatever you want as pertains to you and yours. But if your religious beliefs tell you to support Israel’s daily massacres and mass starvation, then your religious beliefs are bad, and people should not be tolerant toward them.
Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court has now handed out six month suspended sentences to the ‘Ferranti 2’ Palestine Action activists for an action the pair took against Elbit Systems over four years ago.
The activists carried out the action at Elbit’s Ferranti weapons factory in Oldham in February 2021. There, they chained the gates of the entrance shut, and liberally covered the building in symbolic blood-red paint. They sprayed the words “Shut Elbit Down” above the entrance.
A relentless direct action campaign by Palestine Action eventually led to the factory, which had produced imaging technology for Israel’s killer drone fleet, closing down permanently in 2022.
In December of last year, a judge at Manchester Magistrates Court convicted Adam and Drew of criminal damage. This was after the judge ruled out all defences to the charge before their trial even began. Because of this ruling, the activists were unable to introduce any evidence of the genocide in Gaza, the role of Elbit, Israel’s biggest weapons maker, or any of the reasons which led to them taking action.
Refusing to plead ‘guilty’, the pair represented themselves in court, and despite having all their defences denied to them, entered court “as the accusers, not the accused”. Giving evidence, Drew explained how:
We had tried all avenues available to us.
Adam told the court how they arrived at the site before any workers, so as to avoid any harm or inconvenience to them. He said that the damage caused was not reckless, and that they had been careful not to risk injuring anyone.
The Jury were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. However, it found the activists guilty of criminal damage, by a majority decision, on 6 December 2024.
‘Drop the charges, not the bombs’: supporters turn out in number
As with other Palestine Action activists, the prosecution and sentencing of Drew and Adam takes place at a time when the Israeli state, and their arms manufacturers, are attempting to interfere in the British judicial process, and where the British government is abusing terrorist legislation.
A large crowd of supporters met Adam and Drew with Palestine flags and banners as came to court:
One read:
Drop The Charges, Not The Bombs!
Over 40 people packed the public gallery, with other supporters outside the court.
The two activists were defiant, unrepentant, and in good spirits.
In court, the prosecution called for terms of imprisonment for the 2 activists, of between 6 and 18 months. The defence rebutted their arguments. Before Judge Bernadette Baxter, the court handed Drew and Adam six month suspended sentences, with a requirement to do 250 hours unpaid work, and £750 costs.
They left court with their heads held high, to the cheers of waiting supporters:
Both Adam and Drew thanked those who had supported them throughout the past 4 years, and delivered a strong message of defiance, and a call for solidarity with the 20 Palestine Action political prisoners currently in jail, and for further action to shut Elbit down.
A Palestine Action spokesperson said:
The permanent shutting down of Elbit’s Oldham death factory was a major victory in Palestine Action’s direct action campaign against the Israeli weapons maker. Drew and Adam played a significant part in that victory, and despite being denied all defences by the trial judge, they refused to plead guilty, and stood true to their values, despite the threat of prison. It is Elbit and the politicians complicit in the Gaza genocide who should have been standing in the dock, not those who risked their liberty to save lives.
Featured image and additional images via Martin Pope
Independent MP Shockat Adam has just been on a fact-finding visit to occupied Palestine. And in a press conference on 23 April, he highlighted the Israel-induced worsening humanitarian crisis in the occupied West Bank that has “been neglected” amid Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Shockat Adam: “hurtling toward a humanitarian catastrophe on a scale akin to Gaza”
Away from Gaza, where “civilians, children, journalists, and aid workers are being slaughtered mercilessly”, Shockat Adam described the daily oppression that Palestinian people suffer via random closures, settler violence, religious intimidation, and systemic dehumanisation. As he explained:
In this visit, I witnessed firsthand the relentless humiliation, the slow suffocation of fundamental rights, and the erosion of hope. What I saw confirmed what many fear—that without urgent intervention, the Occupied Territories are hurtling toward a humanitarian catastrophe on a scale akin to Gaza. And when that moment comes, the consequences will be devastating, indiscriminate, disproportionate, and far-reaching.
The MP urged the international community to act by placing “targeted economic, military, and diplomatic sanctions” on Israel “until international law is respected”, stressing that:
a future where Palestinians are free, equal, and dignified is not a threat to Israel’s security—it is the only path to lasting security for both peoples.
The West Bank is also a prison
Shockat Adam asserted:
Gaza is often called the world’s largest open-air prison. But in the West Bank, too, Palestinians are imprisoned by walls, gates, and checkpoints. I saw entire towns—some with populations over 40,000—gated off without notice. These closures are random and unannounced. There is no appeal.
He added:
These gates, alongside the apartheid walls and endless checkpoints, give Israeli authorities complete control over Palestinian movement.
Some of the prison guards, meanwhile, are illegal Israeli settlers.
We also witnessed the disturbing reality of armed settlers illegally occupying Palestinian land with complete police protection. One day, we encountered settlers allowing their livestock to graze on Palestinian farmland at gunpoint.
As Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem has outlined, soldiers and settlers are simply two arms of the same colonial project. And Adam captured the essence of that by saying:
In Hebron, settlers stood outside a Palestinian home and told its owner, with chilling conviction, that they would be taking it, claiming it as a “God-given right.” They then hurled abuse at Arabs and the Prophet Muhammad, while Israeli soldiers stood guard on rooftops nearby.
Jerusalem posturing by settler-colonial thugs
In occupied Jerusalem, Shockat Adam explained:
At the Al Aqsa compound, we witnessed armed Israeli settlers walking freely within the sacred site, accompanied by heavily armed soldiers. Their presence was not one of curiosity or tourism or even worship, but provocation. At Lions’ Gate, one of the key entrances to the compound, settlers were dancing and singing nationalistic songs—songs that spoke of rebuilding the Solomon Temple on the site where Al Aqsa, the third-holiest site in Islam, stands.
He called this:
an assertion of dominance, a deliberate act of intimidation, carried out under the protection of state security forces.
He added that:
I, as a Muslim, was personally denied access to the Wailing Wall, not for any security reason, but simply because of my faith.
And he spoke of the barring of Christian Palestinians “from entering their holy sites during Good Friday observances” too.
Israel’s actions: “a stain on our collective conscience”
In Tel Aviv, meanwhile, Shockat Adam said:
One of the most disturbing conversations I had was with an Arab-Israeli official tasked with teaching empathy for Palestinians in Israeli schools. He told us Israeli children couldn’t comprehend that Palestinian children had dreams like theirs. “But” they said, “Baby Mohammed grows up to be Big Mohammed. And Big Mohammed hates Israelis. So, we must hate Baby Mohammed.”
By calling for Britain and other countries to uphold international law, sanction Israel, and “support the Palestinian right to self-determination”, Adam insisted:
this is not about taking sides between Israelis and Palestinians. This is about standing on the side of humanity. On the side of justice. On the side of peace.
And he argued that:
What is happening is not just a Palestinian tragedy. It is a stain on our collective conscience. If left unaddressed, it will have consequences for the region and the world.
One year ago, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel had fifteen months to prepare their defense (“counter memorial”) against the charges of genocide filed by South Africa. They were told to present their arguments by 28 July 2025.
That seems like a very long time in a case involving the daily killing of many people, including children. But it was not enough time for Israel, which on 27 March 2025 filed a request to extend the time.
In a very recent decision, the International Court of Justice has obliged and extended the time by six months. Israel can continue killing with impunity, and their defense to the International Court of Justice is not required until 28 January 2026.
There has been very little news of this decision. The ICJ did not issue a press release, despite this being their most sensational case. Accordingly, the decision has not been reported in The New York Times, The Washington Post, or The Guardian. Meanwhile, Israeli media reported, “EXCLUSIVE: Israel secures six month delay in Hague Court proceedings.”
Another important story that has been largely ignored by Western media is regarding the sole Judge who voted in favor of Israel in every single decision so far in this case. That person, Judge Julia Sebutinde, has been revealed to have grossly plagiarized the writings of two ultra-zionists: Douglas Feith and David Brog. Feith is a co-author of the infamous Netanyahu plan, “A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm,” and part of the Bush/Cheney team that campaigned for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Brog is Jewish but helped to found Christians United for Israel. He is currently the head of Miriam Adelson’s “Maccabee Task Force”. Anti-zionist scholar Norman Finkelstein has discovered that 32% of the ICJ judge’s pro-Israel dissenting opinion was plagiarized from Feith, Brog, and others.
As the saying goes, “Justice delayed is justice denied.” And if nobody reports or knows about it, did it really happen? Along with dead Palestinians in Gaza, Israel is trying and perhaps succeeding in killing the International Court of Justice.
One year ago, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel had fifteen months to prepare their defense (“counter memorial”) against the charges of genocide filed by South Africa. They were told to present their arguments by 28 July 2025.
That seems like a very long time in a case involving the daily killing of many people, including children. But it was not enough time for Israel, which on 27 March 2025 filed a request to extend the time.
In a very recent decision, the International Court of Justice has obliged and extended the time by six months. Israel can continue killing with impunity, and their defense to the International Court of Justice is not required until 28 January 2026.
There has been very little news of this decision. The ICJ did not issue a press release, despite this being their most sensational case. Accordingly, the decision has not been reported in The New York Times, The Washington Post, or The Guardian. Meanwhile, Israeli media reported, “EXCLUSIVE: Israel secures six month delay in Hague Court proceedings.”
Another important story that has been largely ignored by Western media is regarding the sole Judge who voted in favor of Israel in every single decision so far in this case. That person, Judge Julia Sebutinde, has been revealed to have grossly plagiarized the writings of two ultra-zionists: Douglas Feith and David Brog. Feith is a co-author of the infamous Netanyahu plan, “A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm,” and part of the Bush/Cheney team that campaigned for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Brog is Jewish but helped to found Christians United for Israel. He is currently the head of Miriam Adelson’s “Maccabee Task Force”. Anti-zionist scholar Norman Finkelstein has discovered that 32% of the ICJ judge’s pro-Israel dissenting opinion was plagiarized from Feith, Brog, and others.
As the saying goes, “Justice delayed is justice denied.” And if nobody reports or knows about it, did it really happen? Along with dead Palestinians in Gaza, Israel is trying and perhaps succeeding in killing the International Court of Justice.
Kneecap seems to have been the most outspokenly anti-genocide music group at this year’s Coachella festival. And its bold solidarity with Palestinians amid an ongoing war on free speech in the US has predictably caused pro-Israel lobbyists to throw their toys out of the pram. But Kneecap is standing strong, and consistently cutting through the bullshit.
Kneecap speaking simple truths isn’t ‘aggressive’ – fucking genocide is
The messaging Kneecap shared at Coachella was straightforward, opposing Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and the US government’s enabling of its war crimes:
But genocide apologists claimed Kneecap had engaged in “hate speech”, and called for more censorship of such “aggressive” messages. The group had a perfect response for them, though, saying:
Honesty isn’t aggressive – fucking bombs are
During Kneecap’s performance, one member also stressed that:
The Irish not so long ago were persecuted at the hands of the Brits. But we were never bombed from the fucking skies with nowhere to go. The Palestinians have nowhere to go. It’s their fucking home, and they’re bombing them from the sky. If you’re not calling it a genocide, what the fuck are you calling it?
The group has received hundreds of violent Zionist threats as a result, but also thousands of solidarity messages.
the organisers of the Nova Music Festival, Tribe of Nova, said Kneecap shared messaging that “deeply hurt many in our community”.
On 7 October 2023, Hamas launched an attack from occupied Gaza targeting “the headquarters of the Israeli army’s Gaza Division”, the Re’im military base. It was apparently unaware of the rave that was going on about three miles away, something even Israeli intelligence believes. The location for the Nova festival was only announced on 6 October. But as the “Tribe of Nova Foundation” explained, “young adults came together to celebrate but found themselves in a war zone”. As Israel initiated the ‘Hannibal Directive‘ against its own citizens to stop the taking of hostages, the chaos killed 364 people. 40 more became hostages.
Tribe of Nova was apparently “deeply hurt” that Kneecap would highlight the suffering of Palestinians. But it said “our response must be rooted in empathy, not hate”. And it invited Kneecap “to visit the Nova Exhibition” in order “to connect. To witness. To understand.”
Critics have called the Nova Exhibition “pure propaganda” and “traveling apartheid apologia” that ignores the context from before and after the events of 7 October. Jewish critics in particular have described it as “A Grotesque Theatre of Colonial Violence and Selective Grief” which is guilty of “fetishizing and exceptionalizing Jewish Israeli suffering”.
To be fair to Tribe of Nova, the Canary also looked through some of its social media posts to try and find examples of the “empathy” and ‘understanding’ it claims to hold dear. We didn’t find any. What we did find, however, were attempts to paint Israel’s genocide in Gaza as a “just war” or “just struggle”.
No one is truly free until Palestinians are free, as Kneecap knows
We live in a world where the political, media, and cultural establishment want to censor voices opposing genocide. And in the US under Donald Trump, a full-blown war on free speech is raging, on behalf of Israeli war criminals. The previous government of Trump’s ‘opponent’ Joe Biden, of course, very much enabled this crackdown with its own repression and demonisation of students protesting Israel’s genocide.
Amid this environment of censorship and attacks on free speech, Kneecap has taken a bold and risky stand. But it’s a necessary one for all of us. Because as Nelson Mandela once said, “our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians”. If we let Western establishment forces silence us on genocide, what else will they silence us on?
Gary Lineker has done a new interview with the BBC’sAmol Rajan to mark his departure from Match of the Day. This follows tensions regarding his refusal to censor himself politically, especially on Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Most mainstream media headlines about the interview, however, seemed to ignore his powerful critique of the BBC over its awful coverage of Israeli war crimes in Gaza.
Gary Lineker: ‘You can’t be impartial about the mass murder of thousands of children’
Former football star Gary Lineker insisted that one key mistake the BBC makes is that it “tries to appease the people that hate the BBC“. And this is particularly clear when it comes to the Israel lobby. Because genocide apologists hate it when truth comes out, and even highly compromised news outlets like the BBC can’t help telling the truth sometimes.
In February, for example, pro-Israel forces bullied the BBC into pulling an important documentary about Israel’s crimes in Gaza, and Lineker was one of over a thousand UK-based media professionals to condemn the public broadcaster’s “politically motivated censorship”, which they described as “racist” and “dehumanising”. This letter accused the BBC of “erasing Palestinian suffering” and “suppressing narratives that humanise Palestinians”.
And in his BBC interview this week, Gary Lineker also hit back hard against accusations that he should have kept his mouth shut on the Gaza genocide to protect the BBC‘s ‘impartiality’, stressing that:
the mass murder of thousands of children is probably something that we should have a little opinion on
On average, Israeli occupation forces have killed at least one Palestinian child every hour in Gaza since their genocide began in October 2023. In total, they have murdered around 17,492 children. That number includes about 825 babies, 895 one-year-olds, 3,266 preschoolers, and 4,032 six-to-10-year-olds.
Amol Rajan responded to Lineker by saying the BBC “needs to be impartial about it”. Lineker cut him off, saying:
Why? It needs to be factual.
‘The FULL context needs to be there’
Rajan echoed Israel’s attempt to justify its genocidal crimes in Gaza as a response to the events of 7 October 2023, ignorantly saying “that full context needs to be there”. But Gary Lineker’s comeback was clear. He asserted:
But that’s not the full context, is it? Because the full context starts way before October the 7th, doesn’t it?
That context includes the growth of political Zionism in the late 19th century, British colonialism in Palestine in the early 20th century, the Zionist settler movement and its terror campaigns before Israel’s creation in 1948, the mass expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in 1948, Israel’s decades-long consolidation of control via war and oppression, and Western support for Israel as a Cold War anti-communist power and then as an ongoing outpost, proxy, and tool for imperialism in the Middle East via ethnic cleansing, apartheid, and war crimes.
While the BBC keeps platforming Israeli propaganda for ‘impartiality’ purposes, it rarely gives the full context which would show true journalistic professionalism.
Gary Lineker, "What's going on there (Gaza), the mass murder of thousands of children is something we should have an opinion on"
Amol Rajan, "The BBC needs to be impartial about it"
Gary Lineker has done a new interview with the BBC’sAmol Rajan to mark his departure from Match of the Day. This follows tensions regarding his refusal to censor himself politically, especially on Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Most mainstream media headlines about the interview, however, seemed to ignore his powerful critique of the BBC over its awful coverage of Israeli war crimes in Gaza.
Gary Lineker: ‘You can’t be impartial about the mass murder of thousands of children’
Former football star Gary Lineker insisted that one key mistake the BBC makes is that it “tries to appease the people that hate the BBC“. And this is particularly clear when it comes to the Israel lobby. Because genocide apologists hate it when truth comes out, and even highly compromised news outlets like the BBC can’t help telling the truth sometimes.
In February, for example, pro-Israel forces bullied the BBC into pulling an important documentary about Israel’s crimes in Gaza, and Lineker was one of over a thousand UK-based media professionals to condemn the public broadcaster’s “politically motivated censorship”, which they described as “racist” and “dehumanising”. This letter accused the BBC of “erasing Palestinian suffering” and “suppressing narratives that humanise Palestinians”.
And in his BBC interview this week, Gary Lineker also hit back hard against accusations that he should have kept his mouth shut on the Gaza genocide to protect the BBC‘s ‘impartiality’, stressing that:
the mass murder of thousands of children is probably something that we should have a little opinion on
On average, Israeli occupation forces have killed at least one Palestinian child every hour in Gaza since their genocide began in October 2023. In total, they have murdered around 17,492 children. That number includes about 825 babies, 895 one-year-olds, 3,266 preschoolers, and 4,032 six-to-10-year-olds.
Amol Rajan responded to Lineker by saying the BBC “needs to be impartial about it”. Lineker cut him off, saying:
Why? It needs to be factual.
‘The FULL context needs to be there’
Rajan echoed Israel’s attempt to justify its genocidal crimes in Gaza as a response to the events of 7 October 2023, ignorantly saying “that full context needs to be there”. But Gary Lineker’s comeback was clear. He asserted:
But that’s not the full context, is it? Because the full context starts way before October the 7th, doesn’t it?
That context includes the growth of political Zionism in the late 19th century, British colonialism in Palestine in the early 20th century, the Zionist settler movement and its terror campaigns before Israel’s creation in 1948, the mass expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in 1948, Israel’s decades-long consolidation of control via war and oppression, and Western support for Israel as a Cold War anti-communist power and then as an ongoing outpost, proxy, and tool for imperialism in the Middle East via ethnic cleansing, apartheid, and war crimes.
While the BBC keeps platforming Israeli propaganda for ‘impartiality’ purposes, it rarely gives the full context which would show true journalistic professionalism.
Gary Lineker, "What's going on there (Gaza), the mass murder of thousands of children is something we should have an opinion on"
Amol Rajan, "The BBC needs to be impartial about it"
Israel has a long record of attacking hospitals and health workers, against international law. But following the recent scandal over the apartheid state’s murder of “at least 15 Palestinian medics and rescue workers”, the mainstream media is still covering for the war criminals.
‘Israel says’ is not journalism
Only Israel could shoot 15 paramedics, bury them in mass graves, crush their ambulances, lie about the entire thing, and then label it a “misunderstanding.” This isn’t just a massacre—it’s a chilling reminder of how power distorts truth and dehumanizes lives. https://t.co/Sco73gfXip
Nonetheless, the mainstream media continues to platform the apartheid state’s propaganda, allowing the framing of a despicable war crime as a ‘professional failure’. Despite humanitarian organisations rejecting this assessment, outlets from the BBC to the New York Times, Reuters to AP put the phrase front and centre.
Countless footage from the genocide in Gaza has shown what retired British army officer Charlie Herbert previously called a lack of professionalism from the Israeli occupation forces. Referring to some footage in Al Jazeera‘s damning documentary Investigating war crimes in Gaza, Herbert said:
These videos don’t show a professional army. They show an army that, at times, appears to almost completely lack any self-discipline, to a point where one thinks it’s not just personal lack of discipline, it’s an Institutional lack of discipline.
So ‘unprofessional’ certainly could be one way to describe Israel’s army. But genocide is not an accident. It’s not a failure on Israel’s part. It has been a conscious decision. As Amnesty International said in December 2024:
Our research reveals that, for months, Israel has persisted in committing genocidal acts, fully aware of the irreparable harm it was inflicting on Palestinians in Gaza.
So mainstream journalists allowing the words ‘professional’ or ‘failure’ to describe one of Israel’s many, many war crimes since 2023 is at best incompetence, and at worst propaganda.
Shame on them all for laying cover for Israel
We must stand up to the constant attempts to normalise grotesque war crimes, and demand an end to propaganda press releases on behalf of Israeli war criminals. So send complaints, boycott the outlets responsible, and support independent media. Because we can’t allow this to continue.
Over 1,000 protesters took to the streets of Tangier, Morocco, on April 20, protesting the docking of the ship Nexoe Maersk in the Moroccan port city. This comes the same week that the same ship was delayed at the port of Casablanca for 39 hours due to similar protests. This comes after Moroccan dockworkers issued a call to action to boycott the Nexoe Maersk ship, following reports that the vessel would be carrying military equipment to Israel.
Demonstrators in Tangier chanted slogans such as “No genocidal weapons in Moroccan waters” and “the people want the ship banned.”
Across the world, organizations in solidarity with Palestine have called for a boycott of Danish shipping giant Maersk for its role in bringing weapons to Israeli forces carrying out genocide in Gaza.
We’re humbled to introduce our Canary writer, Alaa Shamali from Palestine – but currently a refugee in Oman. We will be publishing him in Arabic – but if you right click on the screen the menu that appears should give you the option to translate the article to English. If you are reading on mobile, this will be in the burger menu (the three dots) of your browser.
قالت منظمة “أطباء بلا حدود” إن قطاع غزة تحوّل إلى “مقبرة جماعية” للفلسطينيين وكل من يحاول مساعدتهم، وسط استمرار العدوان الإسرائيلي البري والجوي والبحري، الذي بات يستهدف كل مظاهر الحياة، ويقضي على كل ما تبقّى من مقومات الصمود.
واستأنفت قوات الاحتلال الإسرائيلي منذ 18 مارس/آذار الماضي حربها المفتوحة على غزة، بعد تهدئة قصيرة لم تدم طويلًا، انقلب عليها رئيس الوزراء الإسرائيلي بنيامين نتنياهو تحت ضغوط داخلية من اليمين المتطرف. وعادت آلة القتل لتضرب بقوة في القطاع المحاصر منذ أكثر من 17 عامًا، وسط حصار شامل، وتهجير قسري، ومنع للمساعدات الإنسانية.
وأكدت منظمة “أطباء بلا حدود” أن الجيش الإسرائيلي يتعمد تدمير حياة المدنيين الفلسطينيين من خلال استهدافهم بشكل مباشر، وحرمانهم من الماء، والغذاء، والرعاية الصحية، مشيرة إلى أن هذه الأفعال ترتقي إلى سياسة ممنهجة لتفريغ غزة من سكانها.
استهداف العاملين في المجال الإنساني
ولم تكتفِ إسرائيل باستهداف المدنيين، بل واصلت خرقها الفاضح للقانون الدولي الإنساني، عبر تجاهل سلامة العاملين في المجالين الطبي والإغاثي. حيث أفادت المنظمة بأن القوات الإسرائيلية شنت هجمات قاتلة طالت طواقمها في غزة، رغم وضوح هويتهم ومواقعهم.
وطالبت المنظمة سلطات الاحتلال بالرفع الفوري للحصار “القاتل واللاإنساني” المفروض على غزة، وبتوفير الحماية للمدنيين والعاملين في المجالين الإنساني والطبي، محذرة من أن الوضع الحالي ينذر بكارثة إنسانية أعمق مما هو عليه.
أرقام تصرخ من تحت الركام
منذ استئناف العدوان في 18 مارس، وحتى منتصف أبريل الجاري، بلغ عدد الشهداء الفلسطينيين نتيجة الهجمات الإسرائيلية 1630 شهيدًا، إضافة إلى 4302 مصاب، معظمهم من النساء والأطفال.
أما منذ بدء الحرب الشاملة في 7 أكتوبر 2023، فقد ارتفعت حصيلة الشهداء في قطاع غزة إلى 51 ألف شهيد، في حين تجاوز عدد المصابين 116,343 جريحًا، في أرقام توثّق حجم المأساة التي يمر بها أكثر من مليوني فلسطيني محاصر داخل القطاع.
المعابر مغلقة .. والمجاعة تطرق الأبواب
رغم النداءات الدولية المتكررة، لا تزال المعابر مغلقة أمام دخول المساعدات، ما أدى إلى تفاقم الأوضاع المعيشية والصحية، في وقت يشهد فيه القطاع دمارًا واسعًا للبنية التحتية، وخروج المستشفيات عن الخدمة، ونقصًا حادًا في الأدوية ومياه الشرب.
ويعيش نحو 1.7 مليون فلسطيني في العراء، بلا مأوى، بعد أن دُمّرت منازلهم، بينما بدأت المجاعة تفتك بالأهالي، لا سيما الأطفال، في ظل انقطاع تام للمساعدات الغذائية والطبية.
دعوات دولية .. واستجابة غائبة
ودعت “أطباء بلا حدود” إلى استعادة وقف إطلاق النار فورًا والحفاظ عليه، وإنهاء سياسة العقاب الجماعي بحق سكان غزة، ووقف استهداف الطواقم الطبية والإغاثية، لكن حتى الآن، لا توجد مؤشرات على تحرك جدي من المجتمع الدولي لوقف النزيف الفلسطيني المستمر.
بين ركام المنازل، وداخل الملاجئ المكتظة، وفي المستشفيات المتهالكة، يموت الغزيون بصمت، تحت وطأة القصف، والجوع، والخذلان. غزة، التي أصبحت جرحًا مفتوحًا في الجسد العربي والإنساني، لا تزال تقاوم الموت بكل ما تبقّى فيها من نبض، وسط سؤال يلاحق الضمير العالمي: إلى متى؟.
In a shameless attempt to undermine international accountability for accused war criminal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hungarian President Viktor Orbán graciously hosted the architect of Israel’s 18-month genocide in Gaza on April 3. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is now formally investigating Hungary’s blatant refusal to fulfill its legal obligation to arrest Netanyahu…
