Palestinians fight for their lives and their stolen lands

[Anthea]

Freed Palestinian prisoners reveal
severe abuses in Israeli prisons

ICRC officials expressed outrage over the manner in which Israel released Palestinian prisoners during Saturday’s prisoner exchange

Recently released Palestinian prisoners and detainees have reported severe abuses committed by the Israeli prison authorities against them.

Testimonies from the detainees freed under the Al-Aqsa Flood prisoner exchange with Israel have revealed the extent of the crimes they endured before their release from Israeli occupation prisons, including days of severe beatings by prison guards, which resulted in some sustaining rib fractures.

The Prisoners Information Office stated that these brutal practices reflect the level of abuse inflicted on prisoners in Israeli prisons, which has escalated to unprecedented levels since October 7, 2023.

The Information Office highlighted widespread physical and psychological torture, systematic starvation, and deliberate medical neglect, leading to the outbreak of diseases, including scabies, among the prisoners

The immediate transfer of several released detainees to hospitals for treatment after years in captivity "underscores the horrific conditions they endured in these fascist prisons, where the Israeli occupation employs brutal torture methods that violate all international laws and conventions related to prisoners' rights," the statement emphasized.

It stressed that the torture, suppression, and abuse inflicted on Palestinian detainees “constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity,” calling for urgent intervention from the international community, the United Nations, and all human rights and humanitarian organizations to halt these violations and ensure accountability for those responsible.

Additionally, officials from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) expressed outrage over the manner in which Israel released Palestinian prisoners during Saturday’s prisoner exchange between the occupation authorities and the Palestinian Resistance, Press TV reported.

The Palestinian detainees, handed over to the ICRC after their release from an Israeli prison, were led out in shackles, their hands behind their heads, and wearing bracelets bearing Israeli symbols.

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, ICRC staff were shocked by the treatment of the Palestinian prisoners.

Issa al-Darabi, a prisoner released from Ramon prison, shared with Al Mayadeen the harrowing experience of Palestinian detainees inside Israeli jails. He revealed that the Israeli occupation was employing a policy of systematic starvation against the detainees, while its soldiers continued their daily lives as though they were in their own homes.

The Palestinian Prisoners Society also reported that Israeli authorities are engaging in systematic repression against released detainees and preventing their families from holding any welcoming receptions.

In parallel, the Ramallah and al-Bireh governorates reported that 10 released detainees were transferred to hospitals due to their critical health conditions resulting from the abuse they endured during their detention

In Gaza, freed prisoners were taken to the European Hospital in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the enclave, for medical examinations following their release.

Earlier, Hamas said the ongoing violations against Palestinian detainees demand immediate action from the United Nations, the international community, and human rights and humanitarian organizations.

The Palestinian group condemned the ongoing horrific violations against the courageous Palestinian detainees, labeling them as "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity."

The movement highlighted that several detainees were transferred directly from the occupation’s prisons to hospitals to receive medical treatment due to the abuse and torture they endured.

Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza reported that the detainees released as part of the prisoner exchange deal endured severe beatings by jailers for several days before their release.

Our correspondent also reported on Saturday that some of the released detainees sustained rib fractures resulting from brutal beating by Israeli jailers over several days.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... in-israeli

[Anthea]

Israeli demolish 100 buildings in Jenin

amid ongoing invasion

The forced displacement of approximately 15,000 people from Jenin refugee camp and Al-Hadaf neighborhood has led many to seek refuge in nearby villages and towns

Israeli forces have demolished 100 buildings in Jenin, according to reports from Israeli media on Sunday. The large-scale destruction is part of the ongoing military operation in the occupied West Bank, which has resulted in extensive damage to infrastructure and mass displacement.

Israeli reports described the demolition campaign in Jenin as "the first of its kind", noting that it was carried out under the direction of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Security Minister Israel Katz.

Palestinian media documented the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) detonated multiple buildings in the Jenin refugee camp on Sunday. According to local sources, around 20 buildings in the eastern part of the camp were rigged with explosives and detonated simultaneously, with loud explosions heard across the city and surrounding areas.

Dr. Wisam Bakr, director of Jenin Governmental Hospital, confirmed to WAFA news agency that some hospital sections sustained damage from the blasts, though no injuries were recorded.

Widespread Displacement and Rising Death Toll

The destruction of multi-story residential buildings in Jenin refugee camp has left many families homeless, worsening the humanitarian crisis. Israeli forces have been conducting their military assault on Jenin and its refugee camp for 13 consecutive days, resulting in 25 martyrs, dozens of injuries, mass arrests, and severe infrastructure damage.

On Sunday morning, an Israeli sniper killed 73-year-old Walid Al-Lahlouh at the entrance to Jenin refugee camp, while another Palestinian was shot in the thigh in Al-Jabriyat neighborhood.

On Saturday, five Palestinians, including a child, were killed in the eastern part of Jenin and Qabatiya, south of the city.

The forced displacement of approximately 15,000 people from Jenin refugee camp and Al-Hadaf neighborhood has led many to seek refuge in nearby villages and towns.

Hospitals in Jenin are also experiencing a severe water shortage after Israeli forces targeted and destroyed water supply lines, leaving 35% of the city’s population without access to water.

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[Anthea]

Iraq Condemns Suggestion of
Palestinian State in Saudi Arabia

Iraq’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s suggestion that a Palestinian state could be established on Saudi territory, calling the remarks a “provocative” violation of sovereignty

In an interview with Israel’s Channel 14, Netanyahu proposed relocating Palestinians to Saudi Arabia, stating that the kingdom has “a lot of land over there.”

Iraq’s Foreign Ministry denounced the statement as “a blatant infringement on Saudi sovereignty and an assault on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.”

Baghdad reaffirmed its “full solidarity” with Riyadh and stressed that any attempt to undermine a nation’s sovereignty was “completely unacceptable.”

Saudi Arabia also rejected Netanyahu’s remarks, with its Foreign Ministry emphasizing that the kingdom “categorically opposes any proposal that seeks to displace Palestinians from their land.”

Several Arab nations, including Egypt, the UAE, and Jordan, also issued statements condemning Netanyahu’s comments.

The debate over Gaza’s future took an unexpected turn last week when former US President Donald Trump suggested that Washington should “take over the Gaza Strip” and transform it into a “Riviera of the Middle East” after resettling Palestinians elsewhere.

Trump previously claimed that Saudi Arabia was not insisting on Palestinian statehood as a condition for normalizing ties with Israel.

However, Riyadh dismissed this assertion, reiterating that it would not establish relations with Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/874736

As Israel is the invading force it is they who should be relocated

Strongly suggest Israelis be relocated to the United States

[Anthea]

Israeli forces kill pregnant Palestinian

woman and unborn baby in raid

21-year-old Rahaf Fouad Abdullah al-Ashqar was also shot dead inside her home after Israeli forces used explosives to breach the entrance

Israeli forces carried out a deadly raid in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, killing a pregnant Palestinian woman and her unborn child. The attack, part of an intensified Israeli military campaign across Palestinian territories, has drawn sharp condemnation from human rights groups and Palestinian officials.

The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the killing of 23-year-old Sundos Jamal Mohammed Shalabi, who was eight months pregnant, along with her unborn baby. Shalabi's husband was critically wounded in the assault. According to eyewitnesses cited by Palestinian media, Israeli forces opened fire on the pregnant woman and her husband as they were attempting to flee the violence.

The Israeli occupation forces have not issued an explanation for Shalabi's killing but had earlier announced an expansion of its military operations in the northern West Bank, targeting the Nur Shams refugee camp near Tulkarm.

The invasion, described by Palestinian officials as part of "Israel's" ongoing ethnic cleansing campaign, involved a siege on the camp, forced evictions of residents, and large-scale demolitions. Bulldozers were reportedly used to destroy homes and roads, blocking access for ambulances and emergency workers.

Killing Spree

Shalabi was not the only Palestinian woman killed during the operation. 21-year-old Rahaf Fouad Abdullah al-Ashqar was also shot dead inside her home after Israeli forces used explosives to breach the entrance. Her father was seriously wounded in the attack.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the killings, stating they were "crimes of execution" and accusing Israeli forces of deliberately targeting defenseless civilians. The ministry further called for an international investigation into the continued war crimes being committed against Palestinians.

The Israeli military, which claims to be targeting ‘militants,' has refused to provide evidence linking Shalabi or al-Ashqar to any armed group. Meanwhile, Israeli Security Minister Israel Katz has openly admitted that the goal of recent military operations is to "smash the infrastructure in refugee camps" and prevent Palestinians from rebuilding.

Since the war on Gaza began in October 2023, "Israel" has escalated its attacks on the West Bank, with at least 870 Palestinians killed and more than 7,100 injured, according to Doctors Without Borders. The World Health Organization (WHO) has documented 657 attacks on Palestinian healthcare facilities in the West Bank during this period, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

Israeli forces continue to justify their actions under the pretext of counter-terrorism, while Palestinian communities endure ongoing massacres, mass displacement, and the destruction of their homes.

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[Anthea]

Palestinians forced out of Nur Shams

The Israeli war on the West Bank has been extensively targeting the Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarm, forcing thousands of civilians out

Dozens of Palestinian families were forcibly displaced from the Nur Shams refugee camp on Monday, as the Israeli occupation pressed on with a large-scale offensive in the occupied West Bank.

"We hear explosions and bombings as well as bulldozers. It's a tragedy. They are doing here what they did in Gaza," said Ahmed Ezza, a resident of the camp

Another resident, Ahmed Abu Zahra, said he was forced to leave his home. "The (Israeli) army came and we were forced to leave after they started destroying our homes."

The Israeli occupation launched the Nur Shams offensive on Saturday as part of a wider war that began in January across Tulkarm and Jenin.

According to Murad Alyan, a member of the camp’s popular committee, "more than half of the 13,000 inhabitants have fled out of fear for their lives."

Unprecedented escalation

"What we are living through is without precedent," said Ahmad al-Assaad, governor of Tubas, who stressed that Israeli forces were not targeting armed fighters but civilians, women, and children, using home demolitions as a means of forcing people out.

On Sunday, Israeli occupation forces carried out a deadly raid in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, killing a pregnant Palestinian woman and her unborn child. The attack, part of an intensified Israeli military campaign across Palestinian territories, has drawn sharp condemnation from human rights groups and Palestinian officials.

The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the killing of 23-year-old Sundos Jamal Mohammed Shalabi, who was eight months pregnant, along with her unborn baby. Shalabi's husband was critically wounded in the assault. According to eyewitnesses cited by Palestinian media, Israeli forces opened fire on the pregnant woman and her husband as they were attempting to flee the violence.

The Israeli rights group B'Tselem described the offensive as an "all-out war on the Palestinian people," saying that since the ceasefire came into effect in Gaza, the West Bank "has been on fire."

Tulkarm’s governor, Abdallah Kamil, stated that the goal of these operations is not security but politics. "They destroy everything," he said. "They are trying to change the region’s demographics."

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said "Israel" was using the same all-out destruction strategy employed in the Gaza Strip.

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[Anthea]

Bulldozer tore everything apart
Israeli invasion expands in Jenin

Inside the refugee camp itself, where Israeli military vehicles now patrol a dirt road, entire rows of houses have been demolished

AFP on Friday reported that an ongoing Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank has led to severe destruction and displacement, particularly in Jenin and surrounding areas. The offensive, which began on January 21, has escalated beyond refugee camps, pushing deeper into Palestinian towns and cities.

Bulldozers have torn through roads and neighborhoods, leaving streets unrecognizable. Residents seeking safety have found themselves trapped as military raids continue

Qusay Farahat, a 22-year-old from Jenin, was among those forced to flee. After escaping an earlier raid on his home, he sought refuge at a relative’s house—only for the military assault to reach there as well. "Here, it feels like the camp all over again," he said, describing the destruction outside the house where he had hoped to find shelter.

He recounted how an army bulldozer plowed through the area, wrecking vehicles and blocking entrances with debris. "When the bulldozer came, it tore everything apart while we were inside," he said. "We shouted for help," but the family remained trapped as rubble piled up at their doorstep.
Jenin Siege

The Palestinian Health Ministry announced on Monday that 70 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the start of the year, most of them from Jenin. Additionally, 40,000 people have been displaced. Over the past week, the Israeli military reported detaining approximately 90 Palestinians. The widespread destruction has prevented many residents from returning home, leaving thousands still seeking shelter.

In Jenin’s eastern neighborhood, an airstrike on Thursday targeted a vehicle, igniting a fire that smoldered for hours. Parents warned their children to stay away, fearing unexploded ordnance. A shopkeeper, repairing a metal awning damaged in a previous raid, remarked on the repetitive cycle of destruction: "I had to fix this six months ago, and now it's ruined again."

Israeli forces have also raided office buildings in high-rises overlooking the camp, searching the premises and reportedly using them as strategic outposts.

AFP journalists witnessed safes pried open, office supplies strewn across floors, and windows shattered. Among the vandalized items was a small Palestinian flag, burned, and a portrait of iconic Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, defaced with an official stamp from a legal office that had been searched.

Inside the refugee camp itself, where Israeli military vehicles now patrol a dirt road, entire rows of houses have been demolished. Farahat recalled the terrifying moment the raid began: "We were surrounded, and suddenly Israeli special forces appeared and began firing intensely. People died, and others fled. Miraculously, we escaped."

For some, there was no escape. Sabha Bani Gharra, a 95-year-old resident, was receiving medical treatment for a fracture when the military operation began. Unable to return home, she has since been living in a sewing workshop run by a local charity. A video sent by a neighbor confirmed what she feared: her house was gone.

"The house is gone. All I have is one outfit, the one I'm wearing," she said, holding a tin containing her medicine—one of the few belongings she has left. "I have nothing left, except the kindness of strangers who help me survive day to day."

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[Anthea]

Palestinian Resistance leader details

Israel's' violations: Exclusive

A Palestinian Resistance senior leader discusses the Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement, following a statement issued by Hamas regarding its recent decision

"Hamas has many reservations about the Israeli occupation’s failure to comply with the ceasefire agreement," a Palestinian Resistance leader told Al Mayadeen on Monday.

According to the official, one of the key confirmations of Israel’s non-compliance is the daily violations, such as the continued presence of reconnaissance drones.

He added that gunfire against Palestinians persisted during the implementation of the agreement, tanks trespassed the permitted distance, and violations also included preventing the entry of heavy equipment, certain medical supplies, and caravans.

"It is clear Israel will not commit to implementing the second phase of the agreement, especially given Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's insistence on the displacement and ethnic cleansing plot," he added.

This comes after the spokesperson for the Martyr Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Obeida, announced that the captive exchange set for February 15 has been postponed until further notice, due to the ongoing Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement.

Hamas warns Israel

Meanwhile, Hamas affirmed that it has fully met all its obligations within the agreed timelines, noting the Israeli occupation's failure to uphold the terms of the agreement and committing multiple violations.

In a statement, the movement outlined the violations, which include delays in the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza, targeting Palestinians with airstrikes and gunfire—resulting in the killing of tens across the Strip—and obstructing the entry of essential shelter materials such as tents, prefabricated homes, fuel, and rubble removal equipment needed to retrieve bodies.

The violations also included delays in the entry of much-needed medical supplies and equipment for hospital repairs and the healthcare sector.

Hamas also stated that it has documented the occupation’s breaches and continuously updated mediators on them, but to no avail, calling for strict adherence to the agreement, warning against selective implementation by prioritizing less critical aspects while delaying and obstructing the most urgent and essential ones.

It emphasized that postponing the release of captives serves as a warning and a means to pressure Israel into fully complying with the agreement.

Hamas clarified that the announcement is intended to give mediators ample time to pressure Israel into fulfilling its obligations while keeping the door open for the exchange to proceed on time, provided the occupation abides by the agreement.

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[Anthea]

Infectious diseases exploding in Gaza

as healthcare collapses

Waterborne and infectious diseases are spreading rapidly in the Gaza Strip amid the lack of safe water and untreated sewage overflowing in the streets

Oxfam has documented an outbreak of waterborne and infectious illnesses in the Gaza Strip due to a shortage of adequate water and untreated sewage overflowing the streets following Israel's genocidal war on the strip.

The organization quoted a World Health Organization research that revealed that 88% of environmental samples studied across Gaza were infected with polio, signaling an imminent risk of outbreak

According to Oxfam, infectious diseases, such as acute watery diarrhea and respiratory infections, are now the leading causes of mortality, with 46,000 cases recorded each week, the majority of them involving children.

Chickenpox and skin diseases like scabies and impetigo are also rapidly spreading, particularly among displaced Palestinians in northern Gaza, where there is a serious water shortage.

According to Clémence Lagouardat, Oxfam's Humanitarian Coordinator in Gaza, “Rebuilding water and sanitation is vital for Gaza to have a path to normalcy after 15 months of horror. The ceasefire must hold and fuel and aid must flow so that Palestinians can rebuild their lives."

This comes as the Gaza Ministry of Health reported that hospitals are experiencing "a severe lack of oxygen" that is endangering patients' lives.

The ministry stated that Israeli occupation forces destroyed ten key oxygen production plants during the war.

According to the ministry, the assaults have hit important medical institutions such as "al-Shifa Medical Complex, al-Rantisi Hospital, al-Durra Hospital, the Indonesian Hospital, al-Nasr Medical Complex, and the Sheikh Radwan Clinic."

The ten damaged stations provided oxygen to "critical hospital units such as operating rooms, intensive care units, emergency wards, and neonatal incubators, as well as patients receiving home care."

Healthcare destruction key point in Israeli Gaza genocide

In early February, British-Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu Sitta revealed that Israeli authorities viewed the destruction of medical centers and the healthcare system in the Gaza Strip as groundwork for genocide in the strip.

The surgeon noted that the demolition of the healthcare system in Palestine was the core of the Israeli doctrine from the start, detailing how it was done to "make the Gaza Strip uninhabitable."

According to Abu Sitta, the occupation had the intention of destroying the entire system, detailing how 33 out of 36 hospitals providing services were destroyed.

Abu Sitta emphasized that "Israel killed a thousand healthcare workers, doctors, nurses, and lab technicians to eliminate an entire generation of healthcare professionals."

The doctor stated that Israeli occupation forces damaged Gaza's healthcare infrastructure by destroying water treatment and sanitation facilities. Additionally, they ruined inhabitants' homes, making them more susceptible to infectious illnesses.

He stressed that Israel views the devastation of Gaza's healthcare sector as a forerunner to the genocidal agenda.

“I do not know of any war in modern history where the systematic destruction of the healthcare system was central to the doctrine of the warring armies, but the destruction of the healthcare system played a pivotal role in disrupting life in Gaza from Israel’s perspective,” Abu Sitta stated.

The British-Palestinian doctor emphasized the need to hold Israeli officials, troops, and politicians accountable in The Hague for the damage of Gaza's healthcare system.

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[Anthea]

Refugees return to northern Gaza
sets blueprint for return to 48 territories

As the escalations across the West Bank increase and Netanyahu continues to flout the ceasefire with Hezbollah in South Lebanon, forcing the Right of Return as an objective for future ceasefire negotiations might at least temporarily force Tel Aviv to tread more cautiously

Hamas’ success in reversing the ethnic cleansing of the northern Gaza Strip has established a precedent for conditioning future ceasefires on the Right of Return.

Israel’s 14-month assault on the Gaza Strip has arguably been the lowest point in its 76-year existence. In the mind of Prime Minister Netanyahu and his cabinet of crazed fascists, the October 7th attacks of 2023 provided a golden opportunity, perhaps even the last, to permanently expel the territory’s 2.4 million inhabitants and pave the way for resumed illegal settlement

Throughout the entirety of 2024, the region was set ablaze on the altar of Netanyahu’s personal political survival. To escape accountability for his failure to avert October 7, the Prime Minister intentionally sabotaged all efforts at diplomacy, with the connivance of the Biden administration. This saw the war regionalize as it spilled over to the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and Yemen. For the political interests of a single man, Washington willingly doused what remained of its fictional “rules-based global order” and advocacy of human rights and lit the match. In allowing this, it permitted its regional attack dog to inflict unprecedented, perhaps irreversible financial and social injury to itself.

Despite continuous emphasis being placed on a “two-state solution,” the continuing displacement of Palestinians from the Nakba and the creation of "Israel" in 1947-1949 remains the ultimate root of the conflict.

Throughout the course of that period, Zionist paramilitaries, gangs, and terrorist groups who would later form the basis of the regime’s armed forces systematically depopulated around 500 towns and villages within pre-1948 Mandate Palestine. This was primarily accomplished through massacres in selected townships, such as Deir Yassin, al-Lidd, and Tantura, and poisoning of wells and vital water sources. The resulting exodus of 700,000 led to the foundation of refugee camps in neighboring Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and most crucially the West Bank and Gaza Strip where their descendants comprise most of the population.

Israeli claims that refugees left “voluntarily” due to the state of war at the time have rung hollow ever since, as it has never recognized nor implemented their right to return. The international community enshrined that right in UN Resolution 3236 in 1974 and reaffirmed it in the General Assembly every year since.

It is in this context that "Israel’s" campaign to ethnically cleanse the northern Gaza Strip, known as "the Generals’ Plan," must be viewed. As we have seen through the devastation of Gaza City, Beit Lahia, Beit Hanoun, and others, the intent was to make the region impossible to return to.

Not only have the terms of the ceasefire of January 19 erased the occupation’s gains over the last year, they have also introduced the kind of precedent that could end the entire Zionist project much faster than anyone has recently anticipated.

Somewhat counter-intuitively, the original sites of most Palestinian towns destroyed in the original Nakba are currently empty of inhabitants. In the course of the four decades following its establishment, the Knesset introduced the “Absentee Property Law 1950,” giving itself the power to seize the property of owners no longer resident due to displacement. This has led to almost all privately-owned Palestinian land being counted as “state land.” The majority of original sites within the 1948 boundaries were progressively turned over to agriculture, closed military zones, and nature reserves. Many such areas were planted with trees to prevent refugees from returning.

Today, the highest densities of these uninhabited townsites are concentrated in the eastern Upper and Lower Galilee region and the south-west coastal plain between Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. It is no coincidence that these areas are closest to the largest refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, and Gaza.

With "Israel" forced to concede the return of refugees to the North, the question may well arise, if Gazans can be allowed to return to homes which no longer exist in the northern Strip, why should returning to the sites of their own, or their elders’ original displacement be an impossibility? Living in tents amidst the rubble of Gaza is surely not qualitatively different from living amidst the ruins of their ancestral hometowns within "Israel", as far as humanitarian difficulty is concerned.

Here perhaps, the armed Palestinian Resistance may have discovered the germ of a new strategy to force the Right of Return on a regime that would never accept it voluntarily, anymore that it has voluntarily accepted the return to northern Gaza. As the escalations across the West Bank increase and Netanyahu continues to flout the ceasefire with Hezbollah in South Lebanon, forcing the Right of Return as an objective for future ceasefire negotiations might at least temporarily force Tel Aviv to tread more cautiously. At most, it would amount to the start of the long-awaited roll-back of ethnic cleansing that started three quarters of a century ago.

https://english.almayadeen.net/articles ... for-return

[Anthea]

Stalling of ceasefire agreement

The accusations come just a day after Israel set strict and unreasonable conditions for the second phase of the ceasefire.

Hamas has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of delaying negotiations for the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, following the exchange of the bodies of four deceased Israeli captives on Thursday.

This marked the seventh exchange since the ceasefire took effect on January 19, ending 15 months of massacres and destruction led by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF).

According to Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif Al-Qanou, the second phase of the ceasefire agreement has "not practically begun", despite Hamas being "ready to engage in them as stipulated in the agreement." Al-Qanou stated that "Netanyahu is procrastinating regarding the second phase," suggesting a deliberate attempt by "Israel's" leadership to delay progress.

The accusations come just a day after "Israel" set strict and unreasonable conditions for the second phase of the ceasefire.

According to "Israel's" Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC), "Israel" will begin negotiations with the following demands:

Complete disarmament of Gaza, including the removal of all weaponry.

Exclusion of Hamas from governance, aiming to neutralize Palestinian resistance.

Release of all Israeli captives in one exchange, without guarantees for the rights of Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced on Tuesday that talks on the second phase would begin this week. However, conflicting reports later emerged on the matter, reflecting political divisions within the Israeli leadership.
Ongoing Violations and Aggression

Despite the ceasefire, Israel continues to violate the truce with ongoing airstrikes and aggression in Gaza. Earlier today, an Israeli drone strike targeted a gathering of Palestinians east of the southern city of Rafah, killing at least one and injuring several others.

Hamas remains firm in its stance, refusing to compromise on Palestinian sovereignty and resistance against Israeli occupation. Senior Hamas official Taher al-Nunu reiterated Hamas' willingness to release all remaining captives in a single exchange during the second phase but warned against Israeli political games aimed at weakening Palestinian unity.

The second phase of the ceasefire is intended to build on the initial prisoner exchanges and lay the groundwork for a more durable truce. However, with unreasonable demands imposed by "Israel", the negotiations face significant challenges.

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[Anthea]

Release of 600 Palestinians delayed

Hamas stressed that it will not engage in further negotiations with Israel unless 600 Palestinian prisoners, whose release was delayed by Netanyahu on Saturday, are freed

White House envoy Steve Witkoff is set to visit the Middle East on Wednesday for discussions with Israeli, Qatari, and Egyptian officials regarding the potential extension of the first phase of the Gaza prisoner and ceasefire agreement, Axios reported on Sunday.

The initial phase of the deal is scheduled to conclude on Saturday. Under the agreement, the ceasefire remains in effect as long as negotiations for a second phase are ongoing.

The US and Israel are seeking to prolong this phase by securing the release of additional captives in exchange for an extension of the ceasefire by one to two weeks.

Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi stated on his Telegram channel that the group will not engage in further negotiations with Israel unless 600 Palestinian prisoners, whose release was delayed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, are freed.

Should the first phase expire without an extension, the war on Gaza is expected to resume

"We're hopeful that we have the proper time to finish off -- to begin phase two and finish it off and get more hostages released and move the discussion forward," Witkoff said in an interview on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday.

Netanyahu convened security consultations on Saturday to determine the next steps in the captive and ceasefire negotiations. According to Israeli officials, despite recommendations from security chiefs, the Israeli premier opted to delay the release of the 600 Palestinian prisoners, citing alleged Hamas violations of the agreement.

Security officials reportedly advised Netanyahu to exhaust all diplomatic avenues to negotiate the second phase of the deal or to extend the first phase.

On Saturday, Witkoff met in Miami with Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, who is leading "Israel’s" negotiating team. It was their second meeting in 48 hours to discuss the next stage of the agreement.

An Israeli official revealed that Witkoff sought to involve Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Mahmoud Rashad in the negotiations, but scheduling conflicts prevented their participation.

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[Anthea]

Tortured and humiliated:
Israel’s abduction of 160 Gaza medics

Senior doctors report enduring months of physical abuse as the UN urges the release of those still in detention

At least 160 healthcare workers from Gaza, including over 20 doctors, remain in Israeli detention, as the World Health Organization (WHO) voiced grave concerns over their safety and well-being.

Healthcare Workers Watch (HWW), a Palestinian medical NGO, reported that 162 medical staff are still being held, among them some of Gaza’s most senior physicians, while another 24 remain missing after being abducted from hospitals during the war.

Muath Alser, HWW’s director, condemned the mass detention of doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other medical personnel as a violation of international law, emphasizing that it exacerbates civilian suffering by depriving them of critical medical care.

“Israel’s targeting of the healthcare workforce in this manner is having a devastating impact on the provision of healthcare to Palestinians, with extensive suffering, countless preventable deaths, and the effective eradication of whole medical specialties,” Alser said as quoted by The Guardian.

Medics suffer from violence and mistreatment

The WHO has confirmed that 297 healthcare workers from Gaza have been detained since the Israeli war began but lacks updated data on how many remain in custody. HWW, however, claims the actual number is higher, stating that 339 Gazan healthcare workers have been taken into Israeli custody.

The WHO expressed deep concern over the treatment of Palestinian medical personnel following reports that Palestinians in Israeli prison facilities have been subjected to systemic violence and mistreatment.

A lawyer representing Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital—whose detention in December sparked global condemnation—recently visited him in the notorious Ofer Prison in Ramallah. According to the lawyer, Abu Safiya reported being tortured, beaten, and denied medical care

The Guardian, alongside the Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ), has collected testimony from seven senior doctors who described being forcibly taken from hospitals, ambulances, and checkpoints in Gaza, transferred to Israeli prisons, and subjected to months of abuse, including beatings, starvation, and inhumane treatment, before ultimately being released without charge.

Dr. Mohammed Abu Selmia, director of al-Shifa Hospital, who was held in Israeli custody for seven months, told The Guardian,“Frankly, no matter how much I talk about what I experienced in detention, it is only a fraction of what truly happened.”

“I am talking about clubbing, being beaten with rifle butts and being attacked by dogs. There was little to no food, no personal hygiene, no soap inside the cells, no water, no toilet, no toilet paper … I saw people who were dying there … I was beaten so badly I couldn’t use my legs or walk. No day passes without torture.”

WHO warns of deteriorating conditions

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus condemned the ongoing detention of medical personnel, warning of their deteriorating conditions.

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has also called for the immediate release of arbitrarily detained medical workers and demanded an end to what it described as “enforced disappearances, torture, and other ill-treatment.”

OHCHR has previously stated that the large-scale detention of healthcare workers by Israeli forces has significantly contributed to the collapse of Gaza’s medical system. “Those responsible for crimes under international law must be held to account,” said Ajith Sunghay, head of the OHCHR office for the occupied Palestinian territory.

Under the Geneva Conventions, medical personnel are to be protected during wars and allowed to provide care to those in need without being targeted

“Health workers, facilities they work in, and patients they care for … must never be targets. In fact, under international humanitarian law, they should be actively protected,” said Tedros.

Two of Gaza’s most senior doctors—Dr. Iyad al-Rantisi, a consultant obstetrician and gynecologist at Kamal Adwan Hospital, and Dr. Adnan al-Bursh, head of orthopedics at al-Shifa Hospital—have been killed in Israeli detention.

The testimonies of detained doctors align with broader accounts from former Palestinian detainees, many of whom have described systemic abuse and torture in Israeli custody.

Earlier this month, an Israeli soldier was sentenced to seven months in prison for abusing detainees—the first conviction of its kind in Israel.

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[Anthea]

23 bodies recovered from Gaza rubble

amid ongoing Israeli shelling

Since the start of the war, the total number of civilian deaths has risen to 48,388, with at least 111,803 others injured, according to the latest figures from Gaza's health ministry

Rescue workers in the Gaza Strip have recovered over 20 bodies from the rubble after ongoing Israeli shelling has resulted in additional casualties, according to a statement from the Palestinian Health Ministry on Saturday.

"Twenty-three dead bodies have been taken to hospitals in Gaza over the past two days. Of these, 21 bodies were recovered from under the rubble, two people were killed and 48 others were injured in the past 48 hours," the ministry reported.

Since the start of the war, the total number of civilian deaths has risen to 48,388, with at least 111,803 others injured, according to the latest figures from Gaza's health ministry.

Despite the ceasefire, which has been in place since January 19, the situation remains volatile. On February 9, Israeli forces conducted operations in Gaza City, resulting in the deaths of three Palestinians. Concurrently, Israeli snipers targeted individuals near the Gaza border, leading to additional casualties.

A week later, on February 16, an Israeli airstrike in Rafah killed three Palestinian policemen who were deployed to secure the entry of aid trucks into Gaza.

Hamas calls for international pressure on Israel

As the first phase of the ceasefire concludes today, negotiations for the second phase have stalled. Hamas has rejected Israel's proposal to extend the initial phase, accusing Israel of avoiding a commitment to end the war.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem stated that "Israel's" proposal is strategically intended to maintain the status quo of captives-prisoner exchanges without progressing towards a permanent ceasefire. ​

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to hold security consultations following the return of an Israeli delegation from Cairo, where no agreement was reached to extend the Gaza truce. Mediators from Egypt and Qatar have requested additional time to address the crisis.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... ng-israeli

[Anthea]

IOF tear gas suffocates baby in Jenin

Israeli occupation forces continue to attack, injure, and detain Palestinians in the West Bank

Israeli occupation forces continued their military operations across the occupied West Bank on Sunday, injuring civilians and causing extensive damage to residential areas.

The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that a three-month-old infant was hospitalized after Israeli occupation forces fired tear gas in her direction at the entrance of Jenin refugee camp. Israeli forces withdrew from the "Al-Rabee" building near the camp, leaving behind widespread destruction in residential apartments. Troops later repositioned in multiple locations within the Jabriyat neighborhood

The occupation's military has been reinforcing its presence in Jenin and its camp while conducting widespread raids and arrests across various parts of the West Bank.

In Qalqilya, a 45-year-old man was shot by occupation troops near the separation wall in the town of Habla, south of the city. The man was transferred to the hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, in Tulkarm, Israeli occupation forces escalated their ongoing assault, setting fire to residential homes in the al-Manshiya neighborhood of the Nur Shams refugee camp.

For the 35th consecutive day, Israeli occupation forces have continued their large-scale offensive in Tulkarm and its refugee camp and for the 22nd day in Nur Shams. The attacks have involved intensified home raids, forced displacements, and the systematic destruction and burning of Palestinian homes

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israeli-forces--tear-gas-suffocates-baby-in-jenin

[Anthea]

Corbyn demands probe into UK

complicity in Gaza genocide

Former British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn calls for an inquiry into his country's complicity in the Israeli occupation's genocide in Gaza

Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has called for an independent investigation into Britain’s role in the Israeli occupation's military operations in Gaza, emphasizing that the UK had played a significant part in the war.

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, which he shared on social media, Corbyn insisted on the need for transparency regarding Britain’s involvement, drawing parallels to the UK’s actions during the Iraq War.

He referenced the 2016 Chilcot Report, which revealed major failings in the British government’s decision to invade Iraq despite widespread public opposition. Corbyn warned that history is repeating itself, as the death toll in Gaza surpasses 61,000, with at least 110,000 people injured and vast destruction of residential areas

He highlighted findings from the British Palestinian Committee, which outlined the extent of the UK’s support for the Israeli occupation, including arms sales, intelligence sharing, and the reported use of Royal Air Force bases in Cyprus. Corbyn also pointed to repeated but unanswered concerns over the sale of F-35 aircraft components to the Israeli regime and the lack of clarity on the UK government’s legal position on genocide.

Stressing that accountability and transparency are fundamental to democracy, Corbyn vowed to pursue all possible avenues to establish a full public inquiry. He argued that such an investigation should scrutinize the decisions made by the government since October 2023, their legal implications, and the consequences that followed.

Corbyn further asserted that many believe the government’s actions may have implicated officials in severe violations of international law. He warned that these allegations would not disappear without a thorough and legally empowered inquiry to uncover the truth.

Violation of international law

More than 600 lawyers, academics, retired senior judges, including three former Supreme Court Justices one of whom is the court’s former President Lady Hale, former court of appeal judges, and more than 60 KCs warned that the UK government is violating international law by perpetually arming Israel in April 2024

The signatories, in a 17-page legal opinion letter sent to the Prime Minister on the evening of April 3, labeled the current situation in Gaza as "catastrophic", emphasizing that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that there is a "plausible risk of genocide" committed by the Israeli occupation against Gaza, which makes the UK legally obliged to take steps to prevent it, The Guardian said.

"While we welcome the increasingly robust calls by your government for a cessation of fighting and the unobstructed entry to Gaza of humanitarian assistance, simultaneously to continue (to take two striking examples) the sale of weapons and weapons systems to Israel and to maintain threats of suspending UK aid to UNRWA falls significantly short of your government’s obligations under international law," the letter said.

The letter further urged the government to take steps toward a permanent ceasefire and to implement sanctions “upon individuals and entities who have made statements inciting genocide against Palestinians,” adding that funding UNRWA again is essential for "effective entry and distribution of the means of existence to Palestinians in Gaza, and by extension the prevention of genocide."

As for sending weapons to Israel, the letter said, "The ICJ’s conclusion that there exists a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza has placed your government on notice that weapons might be used in its commission and that the suspension of their provision is thus a ‘means likely to deter’ and/or ‘a measure to prevent’ genocide."

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/corbyn-demands-probe-into-uk-complicity-in-gaza-genocide