Human Rights Watch reported that in one of the Israeli strikes on aid workers in Gaza, US-made munition was most likely used, with the bomb being delivered by an F-16 aircraft that uses British-made components.
At least eight strikes were carried out by Israeli occupation forces on aid workers’ convoys and premises in Gaza since October 2023, even though aid groups gave their coordinates to the Israeli occupation authorities to make sure they are protected, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on Tuesday.
HRW added that the Israeli occupation did not issue any warning to any of these organizations before the strikes that killed or injured at least 31 aid workers and others accompanying them.
American-British weapons used against aid workers in Gaza
On January 18, 2024, an Israeli attack injured people staying in a joint guest house for two aid organizations, HRW said.
According to one of these organizations and a report by UN investigators who checked the site following the attack – also reviewed by HRW – US-made munition was most likely used during this attack.
UN inspectors found out that the bomb was delivered by an F-16 aircraft which, based on what campaigners revealed, uses British-made components, Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) said.
The Israeli occupation knows
HRW said that these eight attack incidents show major flaws in the “deconfliction system” set to shield aid workers and permit them to safely deliver life-saving humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
A very prominent example of “Israel’s” targeting of aid workers in Gaza took place when “Israel” attacked a World Central Kitchen (WCK) convoy in April. Associate crisis, conflict, and arms director at HRW, Belkis Wille, labeled the Israeli killing of the seven WCK aid workers last month as shocking and stressed that it “should have never happened under international law.”
“Israel’s allies need to recognize that these attacks that have killed aid workers have happened over and over again, and they need to stop,” Wille emphasized.
HRW said that the attack targeting the WCK convoy, far from being an isolated “mistake”, is just one of at least eight cases that it identified where aid organizations and UN agencies provided Israeli occupation authorities with GPS coordinates of aid convoy or premises.
It stressed that this did not stop the Israeli occupation forces from attacking convoys or shelters without any warning.
At least 15 people, two of whom are children, were killed in these eight attacks, and at least 16 others were injured, HRW said.
It added that five of these attacks were the center of a recent New York Times investigation, which also provided visual evidence and internal communications between aid organizations and the Israeli occupation forces.
As for the other seven attacks as listed by HRW:
Attack on a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF or Doctors without Borders) convoy, November 18, 2023
Attack on a guest house of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), December 9, 2023
Attack on an MSF shelter, January 8, 2024
Attack on an International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) guest house, January 18, 2024
Attack on a UNRWA convoy, February 5, 2024
Attack on an MSF guest house, February 20, 2024
Attack on a home sheltering an American Near East Refugee Aid Organization (Anera) employee, March 8, 2024
UN reports on the Israeli killing of aid workers
The UN reported that as of April 30 and since October 7, 254 aid workers had been killed by the IOF in Gaza, 188 of whom were UNRWA personnel.
At least one UN staff member was killed and at least one more was injured on May 13, as a UN vehicle was hit on its way to a hospital in Gaza.
The UN previously reported that the IOF have shot and shelled Palestinians gathering to get aid, killing and injuring hundreds of them, while also disrupting efforts to deliver lifesaving aid to Gaza.
Ever since the IOF took control of the Rafah Crossing on May 7 and shut it down, aid workers have been stuck in Gaza.
‘Israel’ killed 429 Palestinians sheltering at UNRWA since Oct 7
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reported on May 8 that the agency’s buildings in the Gaza Strip have been subjected to 368 attacks since the start of the war on the Strip.
The agency demanded an immediate ceasefire and posted on X that since the war on Gaza began, approximately 429 displaced Palestinians seeking shelter in its buildings were killed by Israeli strikes.
Nowhere is safe in #Gaza@UNRWA premises have been attacked 368 times since the war began, and at least 429 displaced people seeking shelter in our structures have been killed.
Civilian lives must be protected at all times. Humanitarians are #NotATarget. We need a #CeasefireNow
UNRWA also denounced ‘Israel’s safe zones’ as false
The Chief of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini dismissed “Israel’s” assertion regarding the establishment of purported “safe zones” for forcibly displaced Palestinians as “false and misleading” via a post on X on May 12.
“The claim of ‘safe zones’ is false and misleading,” the UNRWA chief stressed.
Again and again. The exodus continues.
The Israeli authorities continue to issue forced displacement orders also known as “evacuation orders”. This is forcing people in #Rafah to flee anywhere and everywhere.
He added that Israeli authorities persist in issuing mandatory displacement directives, also referred to as ‘evacuation orders’, compelling residents in Rafah to evacuate hastily without designated destinations.
“Since the war began, most people in Gaza have moved multiple times: on average once a month. They desperately sought safety that they never found,” he further stated.
Lazzarini also highlighted that the Palestinians displaced from Gaza have no alternative but to seek refuge in UNRWA’s shelters, many of which have already been targeted and damaged by Israeli military actions.
Sayyed Nasrallah underlines that the continuation of the Lebanese Resistance’s operations and the Gaza front is “a settled matter not open for discussion.”
The Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, giving a speech on the eighth anniversary of the martyrdom of Commander Mustafa Badreddine. on Monday, May 13, 2024 (Al Mayadeen)
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah affirmed that the Lebanese front continues, in various forms and methods, its operations in support of the Resistance in the Gaza Strip and imposes its own rules of engagement.
In a speech delivered on the eighth anniversary of the martyrdom of Commander Mustafa Badreddine, Sayyed Nasrallah underlined that the continuation of the Lebanese Resistance’s operations and the Gaza front is “a settled matter not open for discussion.”
He stressed that the entire world “has accepted this fact,” adding that this is why the Americans conveyed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that there is no solution for the Northern front without a ceasefire in Gaza.
The Resistance leader addressed the settlers in northern occupied Palestine, who are eager to return to their settlements, calling on them to pressure their government to end the aggression on the Gaza Strip.
‘Israel’ hits a brick
Sayyed Nasrallah explained that evaluating the results of the war requires assessing the battlefield and not relying on Israeli claims about victory, indicating that “there is a consensus on the failure in Israel.”
He also pointed out that even allies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mock him when he says he is “one step away from victory,” emphasizing that the issue “is not limited only to Israeli failure to achieve objectives but to more strategic losses.”
The Resistance leader touched on Israeli opinion polls regarding confidence in “Israel” as a “state” and in its army, highlighting that at least 30% of settlers believe that “Israel” is uninhabitable.
The Hezbollah chief considered that the “real achievement” is the failure of “Israel”, backed by the West, to retrieve its captives or achieve victory, not to mention its inability to protect its ships from missiles launched from thousands of kilometers away.
Sayyed Nasrallah added that the “image of deterrence” within the Israeli occupation entity is declining, especially after Iran’s Operation True Promise.
In the same context, he mentioned that senior Israeli generals say that Netanyahu, through his insistence on war, “is leading us to the abyss,” noting that Israelis also speak of “daily attrition in Gaza, in the support fronts, and in the economy.”
He added that “Israel” fears withdrawing from Gaza because that would mean its defeat, which comprises a disaster for the entity, indicating that the Israeli leadership “has no vision for the day after the war.”
In light of this, Sayyed Nasrallah asserted that the Israeli occupation is “facing a dead end and is searching for any image of victory,” pointing out that “Netanyahu wants to invade Rafah to escape the image of defeat.”
As for the mediators’ proposal that Hamas agreed to, Sayyed Nasrallah said that it surprised Netanyahu because it meant his defeat and victory for Hamas (because it fulfilled Hamas’ demands).
Therefore, “the Israeli occupation has two options, either return to the mediators’ document, which means defeat for Israel, or pursue the [war of] attrition,” he maintained.
‘US deception should not trick anyone’
In a different yet related context, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah spoke about the continued US support for the Israeli occupation in its war on Gaza, stressing that “even if the United States stops an arms deal bound for Israel, it will re-allow it as this constitutes an American deception because what is happening is nothing more than a tactical dispute between the United States and Israel.”
“These theatrics that we are witnessing nowadays should not deceive anyone, as Washington stands with Israel [no matter what],” he stressed.
Furthermore, Sayyed Nasrallah maintained that what happened at the United Nations and the International Court platforms confirms the US’ continuous, unabating support for “Israel” and that the US position has not changed at all.
Sayyed Nasrallah also pointed out that one of the most significant results of the war is “Israel’s” acknowledgment that it did not achieve victory, highlighting that 70% of Israeli settlers are demanding the resignation of the Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi.
He also emphasized that Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, the resilience of the people, and the images of the blood of children and women in Gaza and southern Lebanon have shown the true colors of “Israel”.
Sayyed Nasrallah reiterated that among the goals of the Palestinian Resistance and the Axis of Resistance declared since the beginning of Al-Aqsa Flood battles was to revive the Palestinian cause, remind the world of forgotten Palestine, and uphold the rights of its people inside the occupied territories and in the diaspora.
“The most important scene that reflects the victory of the Resistance is when the Israeli #UN delegate raised a picture of the leader Yahya al-Sinwar,” he maintained.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan #Nasrallah: "The most important scene that reflects the victory of the Resistance is when the Israeli #UN delegate raised a picture of the leader Yahya al-Sinwar." https://t.co/5TABO82SXl
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 13, 2024
Sayyed Nasrallah pointed out that, since the start of Al-Aqsa Flood, the Palestinian cause is now the talk of the town worldwide, including at the United Nations, where most countries demand a ceasefire.
The Secretary-General of Hezbollah also touched on the protests taking place at universities in the United States and across Europe, confirming that these protests, bearing the name of Palestine, “are the fruit of October 7 and following events.”
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 13, 2024
He mentioned that some Arab rulers were about to sign the death certificate of the Palestinian cause through normalizing ties with the Israeli occupation, which was looming in the coming months.
He also noted that some Arab regimes and media outlets are now promoting the Israeli occupation entity as “the only democratic state” in the region.
US, EU hindering Syrian refugees return
On the internal Lebanese front, and specifically regarding the file of Syrian refugees, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General confirmed that there is a “consensus to address the issue,” explaining that the meeting of the Lebanese Parliament, next Wednesday, is “an opportunity to present practical proposals” to this end.
Sayyed Nasrallah pointed out that everyone is in favor of the return of Syrian refugees to their country, with the exception of some non-governmental organizations, which means that “the main obstacle standing in the way of the return of Syrian refugees to their country is the US along with the EU.”
In this context, Sayyed Nasrallah recalled his visit to Syria where he met, years ago, with the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, who encouraged the return of the refugees to al-Qusayr, stressing that “those who were preventing them from doing so were the EU-funded organizations.”
The Lebanese Resistance leader considered that “it is inevitable to communicate with the Syrian government to ensure the return of refugees,” stressing that a delegation must be formed to visit countries, such as the United States, in order to convince them of the need for their return.
He also called for “taking a Lebanese national stance to open the sea for the voluntary departure of Syrian refugees to Europe,” explaining that this is when the West and the EU “will rush to Lebanon and pay 20 billion dollars instead of one” to prevent so when such a decision is made.
“When we are our own masters and not slaves and we possess the elements of power, that is when we can impose our conditions on the enemy,” Sayyed Nasrallah affirmed.
He also emphasized that Syria is capable of getting back on its feet within a few years once the sanctions imposed on it are lifted.
Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that they wanted to force Syria, through the global war waged on it, into the American grip or into a civil war, stressing that it had “come out of the war and still maintains its [original] position, despite the siege and the difficult conditions” imposed on it.
#Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah: "#Syria, through the global war waged on it, was intended to fall into the #American grip or into a civil war, but it has surpassed the war and still maintains its [original] position." https://t.co/o7X3T2rMtd
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 13, 2024
The Lebanese Resistance leader also indicated that Damascus’ stance regarding the Palestinian cause is firm and consistent, affirming that the goal behind Hezbollah’s engagement in the war in Syria was to keep the country within the Axis of Resistance.
Regarding the occasion, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah confirmed that Martyr Sayyed Mustafa Badreddine deserved a medal for every walk of his life as a freedom fighter and a combatant, as a wounded individual, as a captive, as a commander, as an achiever, and as a martyr.
Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that Martyr Badreddine “is present across all battlefields, as is the case with all martyrs, especially the leaders,” explaining that the Resistance that is fighting today is “a cumulative result of the past and present leaders and fighters and those who will join in, any time in the future.”
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah on Monday stressed that the Israeli enemy is facing a historical dilemma in Gaza– if it halts the war, it will be a major defeat, and it will move into an abyss if it continues the military battle.
Sayyed Nasrallah maintained that the Palestinian resistance wanted Al-Aqsa Flood Operation to be a chance to revitalize the Palestinian cause and remind the whole world with the Palestine and Palestinian rights thrown in the oblivion.
On the other hand, some Arab regimes promoted ‘Israel’ as a normal entity that preserves democracy, according to Hezbollah leader, who added that the steadfastness of women, children and resistance fighters in Gaza has changed this situation.
Nowadays, Palestinian and the Palestinian rights are being highlighted all over the world, Sayyed Nasrallah said, adding that over 140 states voted for granting Palestine a full UN membership.
The most important political media scene that reflects the victory of the Palestinian resistance is the moment the Israeli UN envoy raised the picture of Hamas military commander Yahya Al-Sinwar.
Sayyed Nasrallah underlined the pro-Palestine protests held by the university students in the United States, Australia France, Britain, Germany and several European countries, adding that those rallies outraged the Israeli and US officials.
The steadfastness of the Palestinian people since October 7 has obliged the whole world to accept the notion of establishing a Palestinian state, even the hypocritical US administration is now considering a Palestinian state, Sayyed Nasrallah said.
Al-Aqsa Flood Operation and the multi-front war between the resistance movements and the Zionist enemy have exposed the criminal and barbaric essence of the Zionist enemy, according to Hezbollah Chief.
Hezbollah Secretary General called for concentrating on the remarks of the Israeli presidents, ministers, generals and various officials, away from all what the pro-Zionist Arabs say.
Sayyed Nasrallah mentioned that the Israelis tell the Zionist officials that three main targets of the war–eradicating Hamas, liberating the captives, and protecting the settlements from Gaza missiles– have not been achieved yet.
Hezbollah leader said that Hamas continues fighting the Zionist occupation forces across Gaza, holding most of the Israeli captives, and firing missiles at the Zionist settlements in the south of occupied Palestine.
Sayyed Nasrallah added that the Israelis also failed to achieve the implicit targets, including displacing Gaza locals, noting that the Gazans showed a great steadfastness against this scheme.
“‘Israel’ presents itself as the most powerful ‘state’ in the region, claims to have the most powerful army in the region, and obtains the support of the most powerful country in the world, the United States of America which provides it with hundreds of war jets, dozens of warships, military bridge, expertise, technology, satellites, and intelligence agencies.”
The United States of America even interferes to defend ‘Israel’ against the Yemenis in the Red Sea and in face of the Iranian missiles as well as drones, Sayyed Nasrallah noted.
“Imagine how ‘Israel’ with such capabilities and US support fails to achieve any of its targets in Gaza over 8 months.”
“Gaza, an area of around 270 square kilometers, has been besieged since 20 years, with modest military capabilities.”
Sayyed Nasrallah asserted that this reflects inability, not just failure, and leads the Zionists to lose confidence in this entity with its political, security and military command.
Sayyed Nasrallah cited the Israeli polls which indicated that 30% of the Israelis consider that the entity is unsuitable for a decent life and 70% of them demand the resignation of the commander-in-chief.
According to Sayyed Nasrallah, ‘Israel’ does not even have any minimal assumption about the political era in Gaza after the war, which leads the army into successive daunting battles.
Sayyed Nasrallah indicated that the pro-Zionist Arabs utilize the numbers of martyrs in Gaza to promote surrender instead of denouncing the Israeli criminality in an act treachery.
Hezbollah chief dismissed the US ploy of blocking military shipment to the Zionist entity, warning against the American deception.
Sayyed Nasrallah underlined that Hamas approval of the Egyptian ceasefire proposal shocked Netanyahu and made the US officials swallow their tongues and abstain from denouncing the Zionist obstruction of the solution process.
“The US administration also vetoes any vote for Palestine’s membership,threatens to sanction any state that voices intention to recognize a Palestinian state and the ICC judges if they issue an arrest warrant against Netanyahu, and persecutes the students protesting in favor of Gaza despite all the freedom and human rights slogans.”
Sayyed Nasrallah called on the Israeli settlers displaced from Northern Palestine to demand their government to stop its war on Gaza in order to return to “their houses” before September 1.
Displaced Syrians
Hezbollah Secretary General pointed out that all the Lebanese parties, except for some beneficiaries, agree that the displaced Syrians file is now problematic and must be addressed.
This issue can be easily addressed whenever bravery and political will are presented in face of the foreign pressures, threats, and interventions, Sayyed Nasrallah said.
Sayyed Nasrallah indicated that the Lebanese authorities must communicate with the Syrian government in order to facilitate the return of the displaced, underlining the importance of demanding the revocation of Caesar Act overburdening Syria economically.
Sayyed Nasrallah recalled the real badges gained by the Islamic Resistance Commander Sayyed Mustaf Badreddine, mentioning martyr Sayyed Zulfiqar’s Medals of the Combatant Man, the Wounded, the Detainee, the Commander, the Achievements’ Maker, and the martyr.
Sayyed Nasrallah said that Hezbollah combat drones striking the Israeli enemy nowadays recall the martyred commander Hassan Al-Lakkis.
Sayyed Nasrallah summarized the achievements of Sayyed Badreddine in face of the Zionist enemy and during the negotiations aimed at concluding prisoner swap deals, concentrating on his feat of fighting the terrorist groups in Syria.
Sayyed Nasrallah indicated that the foreign plots wanted Syria to move into the US influence circle, adding that, however, the sacrifices of Sayyed Zulfikar and the rest of the martyrs preserved the pro-resistance stance of Syria.
Mustafa Badreddine, senior Hezbollah commander who was martyred in Syria in May 2016.
He vowed that he wouldn’t come back from Syria “unless as a martyr or a carrier of the banner of victory,” and that what happened. Hezbollah senior commander Mustafa Badreddine, who was martyred in Syria in 2016, paved the way for the victory against Takfiri terrorists.
Badreddine, known by his nom du guerre “Sayyed Zulfiqar, supervised Hezbollah’s operations in Syria from till his martyrdom on May 13, 2016.
On his eighth martyrdom anniversary, Al-Manar recalls some of the braveries of Badreddine, whom Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah once described as the “insightful commander who had deep knowledge and strategic mind.”
A screenshot from a video released by Hezbollah on May 12, 2024, pinpointing the positioning of the Iron Dome platforms using videos released by Israeli settlers footage. (Military Media)
In a significant tactical move, the Resistance used videos posted by Israeli settlers to identify and target newly deployed or repositioned Iron Dome platforms by the Israeli occupation forces.
The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon – Hezbollah announced on Sunday that it had targeted several Israeli occupation sites along the border with occupied Palestine, revealing the use of a new heavy rocket as part of its operations named “Jihad Mughniyeh”, in reference to the martyr Jihad Mughniyeh, son of renowned leader martyr Imad Mughniyeh.
The Resistance announced that its fighters, at 7:35 pm, targeted with anti-tank guided missiles the surveillance equipment at the al-Malikiyah site, confirming a direct hit.
In that regard, Al Mayadeen‘s correspondent in southern Lebanon reported direct gunfire from Lebanon toward the targeted site.
Significantly, and for the first time, the Resistance introduced the new heavy rockets dubbed “Jihad Mughniyeh”, which it employed in one of its operations.
In a statement, the Islamic Resistance announced that its fighters targeted at 4:25 pm an Israeli military gathering near the Zebdine site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms with several “Jihad Mughniyeh” rockets, achieving direct hits.
In the afternoon, the Resistance targeted at 2:10 pm a military vehicle carrying surveillance equipment, as well as other technical equipment at the Hounin barracks (Ramim) using guided missiles, confirming the destruction of the vehicle and equipment.
Hezbollah documents its operations
Meanwhile, the Islamic Resistance released footage of the operation in which its fighters targeted sites and surveillance equipment belonging to the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) deployed near the southern Lebanese border.
The Islamic Resistance also released footage from a previous operation by its fighters targeting a house where IOF soldiers were positioned in the Shtula settlement in northern occupied Palestine.
Resistance drones hit the Iron Dome platform in Beit Hillel
More significantly, the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon displayed a clip from an operation targeting an Iron Dome platform at the Israeli Beit Hillel base located in the heart of al-Jalil Panhandle.
While there are several points to highlight in this operation, what was significant is that the Resistance utilized videos shared by Israeli settlers to locate Iron Dome platforms that were recently deployed or repositioned by the Israeli occupation forces.
The Islamic Resistance in #Lebanon published a new video of yesterday's operation that struck Iron Dome batteries in Beit Hillel in northern occupied #Palestine.
It's worth noting that the video emphasized how footage taken by Israeli settlers before the operation helped locate… pic.twitter.com/UL4jim1Qeh
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 12, 2024
Following the release of that video, Hezbollah then published footage documenting the scene of the drones hitting their intended targets.
Additionally, the footage highlighted the significance of the target, noting that the Beit Hillel base is the headquarters of the IOF’s 769th Territorial Brigade, Hiram, which serves under the 91st Galilee Division. Revealing more information, Hezbollah’s Military Media units said that the Beit Hillel base hosts the 91st Division’s mechanized combat engineering battalion and has recently included the 1st Infantry Golani Brigade’s 51st Infantry Battalion, known as the “First Breachers.”
Hezbollah’s reconnaissance drone has also revealed that the base contains a helipad and four Iron Dome launchers.
Yesterday, the Resistance announced that its fighters targeted the Beit Hillel military base and newly established Iron Dome platforms using one-way drones, adding that “the drones hit the base and Iron Dome platforms directly and completely disabled some of them.”
The statement said that its fighters launched another suicide drone to target a gathering of Israeli enemy officers and soldiers following the previous attack in the middle of the base. Despite the enemy’s attempt to intercept it with an F-16 fighter jet and their failure to do so, the drone reached its target and struck it precisely.
Meanwhile, Israeli attacks on southern Lebanese villages and towns continue, with the occupation’s aircraft launching two raids on the outskirts of Hebbariyeh and on the area of al-Kharayeb on the outskirts of the town of Rachaya al-Fokhar, according to Al Mayadeen‘s correspondent.
However, our correspondent noted a significant decrease in Israeli attacks on southern villages and towns.
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In solidarity with the people of occupied Palestine and the resistance in the Gaza Strip, and amidst Zionist aggression on several villages in South Lebanon, the Islamic Resistance on Saturday persistently targeted Israeli occupation sites near the Lebanese-Palestinian borders.
Hezbollah military media released a series of statements outlining the conducted attacks and their outcomes:
First Operation
The first statement mentioned that on Saturday, May 11, 2024, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the Metula settlement, where IOF soldiers were stationed, with appropriate weaponry, inflicting a direct hit.
Metula Settelment strike, May 11
Second Operation
Islamic Resistance fighters targeted, at 7:10 a.m. on Saturday, May 11, 2024, the military camouflage, fortifications, and garrison of the Ramya site with direct and guided missile weaponry and artillery shells, scoring direct hits, as the second statement pointed out.
Ramya Site Strike, May 11
The third statement revealed that at 10:00 am on the same day, the fighters of the Islamic Resistance targeted the Ramya site again with artillery shells, striking it directly.
Fourth Operation
As per the fourth statement, the valiant fighters of the Islamic Resistance targeted, at 08:00 a.m., the newly established spy equipment at the Jal Al-Alam Israeli site with appropriate weapons, hitting them directly.
Jal Al-Alam Site Strike, May 11
Fifth Operation
Hezbollah announced that, at 3:15 p.m., the group’s fighters successfully targeted the Al-Samaqa site in occupied Kfar Shouba with appropriate weaponry.
Al-Samaqa Site Strike, May 11
Sixth Statement
The group’s precise strikes persisted as its military media reported a direct hit on the Ruwaisat al-Qarn site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms with missile weaponry at 3:40 p.m.
Ruwaisat Al-Qarn Site Strike, May 11
Iron Dome Bases Under Attack
The seventh statement revealed that X’s fighters conducted an aerial assault utilizing an explosive-laden drone, targeting the Beit Hillel military base and newly established Iron Dome Jal Al-Alam. Direct hits were achieved, rendering some targets completely disabled.
Following the aerial strike on the Iron Dome bases at the Beit Hillel military base, Hezbollah’s fighters targeted again, using another explosive-laden drone, the anticipated gathering point of IOF officers and soldiers within the center of the base. Despite the enemy’s futile endeavor to intercept it with F-16 fighter jets, the drone successfully reached its target and executed a precise strike, as per the eighth statement.
Hezbollah’s fighters conducted the last operation of the day at 11:40 p.m., targeting the Al-Marj site with artillery shells and achieving a direct hit.
New Footage Released: Attacking `Kiryat Shmona`
Later on Saturday, Hezbollah’s military media released a video depicting the operation of targeting Kiryat Shmona settlement in northern occupied Palestine which took place on Friday, utilizing Katyusha and Falaq missiles.
The student movement in the US is a moral victory for the working class that must be translated into a political victory.
Pro-Palestine student demonstrations have been gaining traction in recent weeks. Footage of protesters being beaten up and tear-gassed has circulated across all social media platforms. These harrowing images indicate a new low in the state of Western democracy, where state policies supportive of Israeli apartheid benefit only a few, particularly the financial class that profits from war spending and extends colonial policies. It is fair to say now that nothing about the US can truly be deemed democratic, let alone its academic institutions. These are, after all, institutional agencies of the ruling class. They are a product of the consensus generated by capitalists and their allied classes, who maintain themselves through institutional forms that serve their profit-making ends.
In times of crisis such as these, these institutions reveal themselves for what they are: instruments of the ruling class that suppress even peaceful action objecting to atrocities committed by the Israeli regime. Repression is standard practice in a country where the illusion of choice prevails. In fact, such American democracy is nothing more than a form of power deployed to crush dissent. One need only think of the repression of African Americans and their continued relegation to below subsistence levels.
One must also remember that American institutions have international reach, and the suppression of dissent at home—such as through mass incarceration of the poor—takes the form of massive war visited upon the developing world and/or austerity policies guaranteed to create conditions of structural genocide, dismal living conditions, and subsequent unnecessary loss of life due to hunger and disease. Not even nature has been spared. Today, the planet heads towards a dead end, all due to a reigning ideology that prioritizes profits over people.
Challenges ahead
Though students have proven to be brave in defying school administrators and law enforcement, the means by which they attempt to reach the goal of divestment has not proven effective thus far. But the issue of student revolt is much more than achieving success in divesting from “Israel”. The issue lies in the moral connection humans feel with one another and the spinoff of that into novel forms of consciousness and organization that will apply brakes to a system that expands through the destruction of both humanity and nature. Most revolts are imbued with a spontaneous element driven by moral incentives, but the challenge remains in capturing the moment and allowing it to sustain itself into the future through counter-systemic institutions that will relieve the US and the Third World from the reign of ruling classes, which embody the morals of inanimate things rather than humans. This will push for a new morality centered on a shared future and a sane environment for humanity.
Students gather during a protest against the war on Gaza at the Complutense University in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, May 9, 2024 (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
The task is not easy at present because the US ruling classes have co-opted and perverted revolutionary thought through many liberal and pseudo-Marxist financed circles that still frame the problem as national rather than international. The plight of humanity today is cross-national and requires a cross-national effort to rein in. Students who have set up encampments for Gaza all across the world are always wary of the risks involved. They are afraid to disclose their identities. This is why they are often seen with their faces covered and use nicknames when addressing the media.
The rise of technology has not only destroyed nature and produced commodities that only serve the rich North and their affiliates in the South, but it has also been a weapon against working classes and their freedom of expression. Technology did not fix problems in the past and will not do so in the future unless its subjects, the masses, seize hold of it and steer it towards social well-being.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology students and supporters gather in an encampment of tents, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, on the MIT campus, in Cambridge, Mass (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Doomed to failure?
Some say that peaceful protests in the West are doomed to failure. Such a hypothetical statement is unfounded; the protests are already successful because they have brought the Palestinian question to the attention of the world. They also demonstrate that humans cannot be deprived of their shared humanity and morality, something that capital seeks to undermine. Turning people into commodities and things expands the scope of commerce and industrial activity, thereby increasing the circulation of money and, consequently, profits. What is most striking is the fact that students have overcome a number of challenges whose nature would never have been thought to be surmountable. By challenging the notion that ideology is indestructible, students have effectively shown that consciousness can be elevated in spite of all these hurdles.
Normally, experts and historians would see otherwise and for obvious reasons. Of the chief reasons why is the fact that American capital is historically tied to Israeli capital. Capital is fundamentally a social relation of classes, where the rich benefit at the expense of the working poor. “Israel’s” colonial settler project and its detrimental effects in Asia and Africa support reactionary regimes that exploit the resources of poor countries for the benefit of the West. As part of imperialist aims to expand American capital in the Middle East, “Israel” plays a strategic role in fulfilling these purposes. The 75-year-long occupation of Palestine and the historical wars against Arab states have served to disarm Palestinians and Arab populations both materially and ideologically. Once resistance movements are thwarted, it becomes easier for Empire to control and exploit regional resources. The display of power or war forces the masses to surrender their assets and labor for paltry prices.
Students gather after a tent is set up at Seoul National University in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, May 8, 2024 (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Because of this relationship, the portion of the American electorate identifying as pro-Palestinian may not be sufficient to pressure divestment from “Israel”. Many in the West benefit from “Israel”, and even Biden has called “Israel” a worthwhile investment. However, there are now existential reasons why an all-out revolt across the world is possible. Revolts usually begin small. The destruction of the environment knows no bounds, and capital is behind it. True, the fallout of profits accumulated from the US war machine is largely responsible for the Western standard of living, but in fifty years’ time, sickened nature will make living difficult for everyone. Such is the ontological condition, or the way things are.
Secondly, the nature of the US political system is authoritarian. Typically, all class systems are. Contrary to the statement made earlier this month by US President Joe Biden, the United States is indeed authoritarian, albeit not in the stereotypical sense. Its authoritarianism extends across the globe in the form of military bases, NGOs, and apparatuses disseminating ideas to people, involving themselves in proxy wars and acts of mass suicide. This US authoritarianism is manifested in a political landscape dominated by solely two major parties, both of which share similar objectives of expanding capital through arms sales and creating conditions conducive to ideological defeatism. Nonetheless, the American ruling system regards any form of national or individual autonomy over resources or thought as a threat. Not only Russia or migrants at the border, but both parties share a common goal of maintaining hegemony and control over the mind first, and subsequently, resources. This brings me to my last point: mainstream academia.
Students gather at the Pantheon monument Friday, May 3, 2024 in Paris. Students waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans in support of Palestine (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Third, mainstream academia has a long history of disparaging revolutionary ideas. This is evident not only in the ample number of professors claiming to be Marxist but who advocate for welfare in the North at the expense of imperialist wars against the South. Or the idea that Northern machines produce wealth when, in fact, the South is exploited so often that machines and technology could only develop in the North. Machines and their output are products of social relations, principally the deprivation of the South from the right to development. In a world that overproduces and in which capital competes for low-cost inputs, the South is destined to wallow in poverty. Such basic ideas are missing in mainstream discourse. Worse yet, these ‘professors’ do their best to produce ideas of conformity, which align the masses with capital. The principal point of Western academia is that the system is here to stay. There is no alternative, which is a logically ridiculous point. Voting patterns in the West further support this trend, as working-class Americans have consistently backed governments engaged in imperialist warfare. These wars are often justified under the banner of democracy, championed by proponents of Western-bred Cultural Marxism. If one were to ask what the biggest weapon of capital is, one will inevitably arrive at the point that Western academic institutions have produced a pattern of thought that has already driven the planet to the brink.
It is crucial to recall that the US ruling class is imperialist. It earns rents from war and neoliberal policies applied across the globe. The point then becomes: are the masses ignorant enough to believe in the doctrines of capital? Not so is the answer. Just as students are beaten on campus to refrain from demonstrating, the Third World is beaten by wars or the threat of war to adhere to the dominant ideology. The idea that there is no escape from a system that uses cheap labor and nature to expand, and does so by dehumanizing people into things, is prevalent. Much of the Western-left theory on the Middle East and similar issues stems from a pro-imperialist stance that supports expansionist agendas. This is a continuation of European social democracy: bomb abroad and bring the war booty home. This connection between theory and practice is regressive and is principally driven by the academic class, which embodies capital. By misidentifying the class enemy, by saying that Qaddafi is the enemy rather than the Western ruling classes, they promote an agenda of war. Not to forget, war is the principal activity of capitalism that resolves its piling contradictions and crises.
Lessons from Columbia
Recently, students at Columbia University endured much hardship when the police were dispatched to arrest all those who occupied Hamilton Hall, also known as “Hind Hall” by students. The night of May 3rd at Columbia University witnessed one of the most barbaric police crackdowns in US history, with officers forcefully removing barricades and arresting students en masse. The person who called the police, Dr. Shafik, is an Arab comprador with a long history of contributing to neoliberal policies in the Arab world while working for international financial institutions. Her papers advocating for free markets and the removal of subsidies have driven many in the Arab world into hunger. Hunger cuts life short, and it is a murder in slow motion. Class is not defined by nationality; it is defined by the way people make their living. Some toil, and few snatch the product from the toiling classes. In an integrated production system, the laborers are from all nations, and so are the rentiers.
The student movement in the US is a moral victory for the working class that must be translated into a political victory. The time is now.
Fighters of the Al-Qassam and Al-Quds Brigades, the military wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad Palestinian Resistance movements (photo from archive / Gaza city).
The Palestinian resistance fighters continued on Friday heroically confronting the Zionist aggression against Gaza ongoing for more than seven months, inflicting more losses upon the occupation troops.
Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas military wing, destroyed an Israeli personnel carrier with Al-Yassin 105 in the vicinity of Rafah crossing.
Al-Qassam Brigades published a video which shows Hamas fighters targeting the enemy soldiers and vehicles in eastern Rafah.
Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad resistance movement, detonated two highly explosive devices targeting the enemy vehicles in south of Gaza city.
Al-Quds Brigades fighters also bombarded with mortar shells the enemy soldiers and vehicles penetrating the vicinity of Al-Zaytoun Clinic in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City.
Friday battles were resounding as fighters of the Palestinian resistance movements valiantly defended Rafah against Israeli attempts to encircle the area to the east of Rafah.
In addition, Al-Quds Brigades’ military media depicted footage of an IOF “Skylark” UAV, which fighters successfully intercepted and commandeered in Gaza City
Meanwhile, the Zionist enemy continued bombarding the Palestinian civilian areas across the Strip, especially Jabalia, Gaza city and Rafah, committing more massacres and destroying more buildings.
In a clear rejection of US policies and leadership in the Middle East, the UN general assembly voted overwhelmingly to back the Palestinian bid for full UN membership. The western media have mostly ignored Friday’s balloting since the widely-anticipated results represent another black eye for Washington. But the outcome of the vote is a blow to the Biden administration’s failed Gaza policy as well as a clear indication that America’s blanket support for Israel’s genocide is increasing Washington’s isolation and irrelevance.
The assembly vote was 143 to 9, which means that US diplomatic influence has eroded to the point where the White House could barely coerce 9 of their most-loyal vassal states to reject the motion. It is imperative that people fully grasp the meaning of this vote, which suggests that the so-called “Rules-Based Order” is a withering fraud that grows more anemic by the day. Additionally, the vote provides compelling evidence that the American Century is officially over and that the vast majority of the world’s nations are no longer willing to comply with Washington’s self-serving edicts.
Naturally, Israel’s envoy to the UN, Gilad Erdan, used the opportunity—not to express his remorse at being a participant in his nation’s sadistic rampage in Gaza—but to scold the other members of the assembly for acting courageously on a matter of principle. Without a trace of irony, Erdan accused the other members of “shredding the UN charter with your own hands. Yes, yes, that’s what you’re doing. Shredding the UN charter.”
What Erdan failed to mention is that Israel holds the world’s record for breaking UN resolutions and has yet to encounter an international law that it won’t break with impunity. Israel decided long-ago that its future depended on its ability to use the world’s biggest bully as its personal bodyguard thus allowing it to ignore any legal or moral restraints on its behavior. This is an excerpt from an article at the UK Guardian:
Friday’s resolution …. does not make Palestine a full member, or give it voting rights in the assembly, or the right to stand for membership of the security council, but the vote was a resounding expression of world opinion in favour of Palestinian statehood, galvanized by the continuing bloodshed and famine caused by Israel’s war in Gaza.
Even before the vote in the assembly on Friday morning, Israel and a group of leading Republicans urged US funding be cut anyway because of the new privileges the resolution granted to the Palestinian mission.
The US mission to the UN, which voted against the resolution, warned that it would also use its veto again if the question of Palestinian membership returned to the security council for another vote.
“Efforts to advance this resolution do not change the reality that the Palestinian Authority does not currently meet the criteria for UN membership under the UN charter,” the mission’s spokesperson, Nathan Evans, said. “Additionally, the draft resolution does not alter the status of the Palestinians as a “non-member state observer mission”. UN general assembly votes to back Palestinian bid for membership, The Guardian
Try to appreciate how hypocritical and morally bankrupt the US position really is. For the last 57 years, Republicans and Democrats alike, have paid lip-service to a two-state solution based on UN Resolution 242 which requires Israel to remove its settlements from Palestinian land in occupied Gaza and the West Bank. “Get off Palestinian land and there will be peace.” That is US policy which is backed-up by international law. But, now, under Biden, the US not only opposes Palestinian statehood (which would improve their chances of getting a fair deal.) but is also providing the money, bombs and logistical support for blowing 2 million Palestinians to smithereens. This is the Biden policy in a nutshell, and—in case you hadn’t noticed—it is a clear departure from more than a half century of US foreign policy. The reason Biden is now commonly referred to as “Genocide Joe” is because he is unilaterally breaking international law by providing material support to Israeli barbarism which makes him—and the United States—equally culpable in the premeditated annihilation of the Palestinian people. Here’s more from the Guardian:
…the resolution also makes plain that “the state of Palestine, in its capacity as an observer state, does not have the right to vote in the general assembly or to put forward its candidature to United Nations organs.”
…. “In essence, it gives the Palestinians the airs and graces of a UN member, but without the fundamental attributes of a real member, which are voting power and the right to run for the security council.”….
Despite the wording in the resolution making clear Palestine would not have a vote, Israel called on the US to cut funding for the UN because of the resolution, and a group of Republican senators announced they were introducing legislation to do that.
…. Senator Mitt Romney said in a written statement. “Our legislation would cut off US taxpayer funding to the UN if it gives additional rights and privileges to the Palestinian Authority and the PLO.” The Guardian
Nice, eh? So, the vote didn’t turn out the way Uncle Sam wanted, so now he’s going to “take his ball and go home.” That’s called, ‘being a crybaby,’ and it helps to explain why more and more leaders are joining an alternate bloc of nations called the BRICS. There’s simply no reason to align oneself with a waning superpower that is so morally corrupted that it believes that mass murder is an acceptable foreign policy. (Note: The other countries that opposed Palestine’s bid for membership were Micronesia, Argentina, Hungary, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea and Israel. The list helps to illustrate the ineffectiveness of US diplomacy which has virtually collapsed under Anthony Blinken.)
Not surprisingly, Russia’s Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia offered the most intelligent analysis. Here’s what he said just prior to the vote:
It is our common duty to correct the historical injustice regarding Palestinian aspirations for their own sovereign unified state, which should have been admitted to the United Nations as early as 1948. We are convinced that Palestine’s full UN membership would help to equalize the starting negotiating positions with Israel, which received is status as a UN member state more than 75 years ago.
Admission of the State of Palestine to the UN would be the first practical step towards a just solution of the Palestinian question on the UN-approved platform and within the universally recognized international legal framework. …..
This process should result in the implementation of the internationally recognized two-state solution providing for Israel coexisting in peace and security with Palestine in the 1967 borders and with the capital in East Jerusalem. For this dialogue to succeed, Israel and Palestine must be on an equal footing in accordance with the decisions of the UN Security Council….
….When this draft resolution is adopted, Palestine… will receive a number of additional opportunities for more effective work in the United Nations General Assembly and at the meetings held under UNGA’s auspices. We see this as an opportunity to at least partially correct the historical injustice against the long-suffering Palestinian people, who have lost an unprecedented number of peaceful lives over the past seven months…
… Palestine must become a full member of the UN…. We believe that the most important element of this draft is contained in its recommendation to the UN Security Council to reconsider Palestine’s application for UN membership. It is a moral obligation for all of us. Only full membership will allow Palestine to join the ranks of other members of the Organization and fully exercise the rights that this status implies. ….The Palestinian people have long deserved it. Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at the 10th Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly
Well said.
Bottom line: Biden and his handlers do not want the Palestinians to have their own state which is why he is assisting Israel in annihilating the native population and replacing them with Jewish settlers. Fortunately, under international law the Occupied Territories will be Palestinian land into perpetuity and there’s nothing the United States or Israel can do about it.
The battlefield has the final say in Gaza as the Palestinian resistance fighters engage in heroic confrontations against Israeli occupation forces in the eastern region of the southern city of Rafah.
Friday battles were resounding as fighters of the Palestinian resistance movements valiantly defended Rafah against Israeli attempts to encircle the area to the east of Rafah.
Photo circulated by Israeli media showing Zionist tanks near the eastern region in Rafah (May 2024).
Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, announced its fighters engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli occupation soldiers in eastern Rafah.
The group announced an operation in which resistance fighters targeted a structure where an Israeli force was stationed in with TBG shell and hit an Israeli troop carrier with an RPG east of Rafah. Al-Qassam confirmed that casualties were reported among members of the Israeli force.
The resistance group declared another operation in which Al-Qassam fighters detonated a minefield at Saad Sayel Barracks, east of Rafah.
“Confirmed casualties were reported among Israeli soldiers following the deadly ambush at Saad Sayel Barracks,” Al-Qassam announced.
The area near Saad Sayel Barracks was also a scene for a third operation carried by Al-Qassam fighters who targeted two Israeli Merkava tanks with Yassine-105 shells, according to the resistance group.
Meanwhile, Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad resistance movement, issued a video showing mortar shells being fired at an Israeli troops and vehicles in eastern Rafah.
Israeli media, for its part, reported that sirens sounded twice at Karem Abu Salem, south of the Gaza Strip.
Shortly after Al-Qassam announced the operation in which a minefield was detonated at Saad Sayel Barracks, media outlets and social media circulated reports that Israeli helicopters evacuated a number of Israeli soldiers from Rafah to Soroka Medical Center.
A Zionist helicopter has now landed in Soroka to transport dead and wounded from Rafah🔥 pic.twitter.com/gnznhHr22j
Later on Friday, Israeli occupation military announced that 11 soldiers were evacuated from southern Gaza for treatment, claiming that they were stung by wasps in the southern Gaza Strip.
Palestinian Resistance factions announce a series of operations against Israeli occupation forces across the Gaza Strip.
A screen grab from a video showing Israeli occupation soldiers being monitored by al-Qassam fighters. (Military Media of al-Qassam Brigades)
A field leader in the Palestinian Resistance from al-Zaytoun neighborhood told Al Mayadeen that Resistance fighters are engaged in fierce confrontations with the Israeli occupation forces southwest of the neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City.
The leader mentioned that the confrontations are concentrated around the vicinity of Badr Mosque and the UNRWA clinic, where Resistance fighters managed to destroy several Israeli military vehicles since Thursday, in addition to showering Israeli occupation troops with 60mm mortar shells.
The source confirmed that the Resistance fighters were able to successfully carry out their operations despite the attacking Israeli forces being twice the number of forces who attempted to advance in the neighborhood about two months ago, noting that the Israeli occupation forces were now supported by dozens of tanks, armored personnel carriers, and bulldozers.
According to the leader, the Israeli occupation army is also intensifying the use of helicopters, drones, and fighter jets in its attacks.
The field leader said that the Israeli occupation forces demolished dozens of homes while bombing others with warplanes in al-Zaytoun neighborhood late Thursday.
This comes as the Palestinian Resistance intensified Thursday its operations against Israeli occupation forces raiding the al-Zaytoun neighborhood.
To the south of the neighborhood, al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, engaged Israeli forces’ gatherings with mortar shells and attacked two Israeli vehicles with an al-Yassin 105 shell and an explosive device.
Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement, attacked Israeli occupation troops and vehicles with mortar shells near Ali Mosque, southwest of the al-Zaytoun neighborhood.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades also engaged an Israeli military vehicle with an RPG shell, as well as Israeli troops, with several mortar shells south of the neighborhood.
On Friday, al-Qassam confirmed that its Resistance fighters are engaged in fierce confrontations with Israeli occupation forces penetrating south of the al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, destroying an Israeli Merkava 4 with an al-Yassin 105 shell.
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades said its fighters are engaged in fierce confrontations with Israeli occupation forces using appropriate weapons. The Brigades confirmed that its Resistance fighters bombed a gathering of Israeli soldiers with mortar shells around Ali Mosque southwest of the neighborhood and engaged a Merkva tank with RPG shells near Badr Mosque.
In addition, al-Quds Brigades said it engaged an Israeli military vehicle with an RPG shell in the vicinity of the al-Zaytoun clinic.
East of Rafah
In a related context, al-Qassam Brigades confirmed Friday that its fighters carried out a complex and simultaneous military operation against the Israeli occupation forces near al-Dawa Mosque east of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.
In detail, the Brigades mentioned that its fighters struck a building housing Israeli occupation forces with a TBG shell, while also engaging an Israeli military Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) stationed beneath the building with an al-Yassin 105 shell.
Al-Qassam Brigades also attacked Israeli occupation soldiers who were near the APC with an anti-personnel shell, inflicting casualties and injuries among their ranks.
The Brigades announced that its Resistance fighters ambushed an Israeli force, detonating a pre-prepared minefield inside the Saad Sayel barracks site, east of Rafah, and causing casualties among its ranks.
The Resistance group also said it engaged two Israeli tanks with al-Yassin 105 shells in the vicinity of the Saad Sayel barracks.
Al-Qassam mentioned that its fighters destroyed an Israeli Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) with an Al-Yassin 105 shell and set it ablaze near the barracks.
The Brigades also struck an Israeli Merkava tank with an al-Yassin 105 shell in the Abu Halawa area, east of the city of Rafah. In the same area, al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades attacked gatherings of Israeli occupation soldiers and vehicles with a barrage of heavy-caliber mortar shells.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades mentioned that it engaged an Israeli military vehicle with an RPG shell on the combat axis in the vicinity of Saad Sayel barracks.
Al-Qassam Brigades also bombarded the Kerem Shalom military site east of Rafah with heavy-caliber mortar shells.
Israeli media outlets reported two severe incidents in Rafah, where a Namer-typed APC was hit by an explosive device, and another vehicle was engaged with an anti-tank rocket.
The media indicated that four Israeli soldiers were killed in these incidents, with a fifth soldier critically injured, stating that his condition was hopeless.
“Progressive forces need to push for the inalienable right of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, which has been systematically denied since the British mandate.”
South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, has said “it has never been so urgent for progressive forces around the world to come together in a collective effort to exert maximum pressure to end the genocidal campaign underway in Gaza and to end the apartheid system of Israel in the occupied territories.”
Minister Pandor delivered the keynote address at Friday’s opening of the Global Anti-Apartheid Conference for Palestine in Johannesburg, South Africa.
“Progressive forces need to push for the inalienable right of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, which has been systematically denied since the British mandate,” she said.
“They must also push for the right of refugees in the diaspora to return to their homeland,” stressed Pandor.
We’re at the Global Anti Apartheid Conference on Palestine in South Africa
She described the conference as “a watershed moment” as it is “the beginning of the global anti-apartheid movement on Palestine with all of us from around the globe coming together and joining forces in the struggle for justice for the Palestinian people.”
The three-day conference aims to set the basis for the mobilisation of a Global Anti-Apartheid Movement “to hold Israel accountable for its crimes against the Palestinian people, and to work to dismantle Israeli apartheid,” according to the conference organizers.
Pandor said the “ongoing genocidal atrocities” being committed by Israel “have put renewed focus on the urgent need for wider international community demand for decolonization.”
Call to ICC
She also called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to expedite its investigation into the situation in occupied Palestine, saying the Court “must prioritize the case against Israel.”
“There can never be peace if the Palestinian people are not free …We should be ashamed that 35,000 people have been killed in Gaza,” the minister said.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 34,904 Palestinians have been killed, and 78,514 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Pandor said she was sure that when Israel planned its response to the October resistance operation, “it did not realize that its impunity and cruelty towards Palestinians will finally be naked to the world.”
She stressed that South Africa’s “association with the people of Palestine did not begin on the 8th of October 2023.”
The minister emphasized: “We continue to do so following in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela and will not rest until the freedom of the peoples of Palestine is realized.”
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 10, 2024
Symbolic Gesture of Kuffiyeh
In a symbolic gesture, Reverend Munther Isaac of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem placed a kuffiyeh around the shoulders of Minister Pandor.
“There is symbolism in what I’m going to do, to take the keffiyeh from the shoulder of a Palestinian and place it on the shoulder of a South African leader, and acknowledge that today you carry our cross as Palestinians with us upon their shoulders,” explained the reverend.
Various other speakers addressed the conference on the first day including Mustafa Barghouti of the Palestinian Legislative Council; Reverend Frank Chikane, moderator of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs for the World Council of Churches; Declan Kearney, chairperson of Sinn Fein; and Ronnie Kasrils, former South African Minister of Intelligence.
The conference is being attended by delegations from across the globe, representing civil societies, religious institutions and Palestinian solidarity movements. Various workshops aimed at developing strategies for action are lined up for Day 2.
CNN has released leaked images of the Israeli torture camp Sde Teiman in the al-Naqab desert, where the Israelis perpetrate grave crimes against Palestinian prisoners abducted from Gaza (Social media)
According to the whistleblowers, the beatings inflicted upon detainees were said to be done out of spite and not intended for intelligence gathering.
Three Israeli whistleblowers working at the Sde Teiman torture camp, a “holding” site for Palestinians abducted during “Israel’s” invasion of Gaza, have come forward with testimonies of systemic abuses by the military, including prisoners being restrained, blindfolded, and forced to wear diapers, CNN reports.
The whistleblowers described the grim conditions that Palestinian detainees face in Sde Teiman, stating that they were not allowed to move, talk, or even peek under their blindfolds.
“We were told they were not allowed to move. They should sit upright. They’re not allowed to talk. Not allowed to peek under their blindfold,” the whistleblowers told CNN.
CNN has released leaked images of the Israeli torture camp Sde Teiman in the Negev desert, where Israel perpetrates grave crimes against Palestinian prisoners abducted from Gaza. pic.twitter.com/hVqop9Tx22
Guards were instructed to enforce silence using Arabic commands like “uskot” (shut up: اسكت) and to identify and punish individuals described as “problematic.”
They described “a routine search when the guards would unleash large dogs on sleeping detainees, lobbing a sound grenade at the enclosure as troops barged in.”
Located approximately 18 miles from the Gaza separation line, the facility is said to be divided into two sections: enclosures where around 70 Palestinian detainees from Gaza are subjected to extreme physical restraint, and a field hospital where injured detainees are immobilized, diapered, and fed through straws.
“They stripped them down of anything that resembles human beings,” they said.
These testimonies align with details from a letter authored by a doctor working at Sde Teiman which was published by Haaretz in April.
“Just this week, two prisoners had their legs amputated due to handcuff injuries, which unfortunately is a routine event,” the physician said in the letter dated April.
He mentioned that prisoners were fed via straws, forced to use diapers for bodily functions, and subjected to continuous restraints, actions that contravene medical ethics and legal standards.
“We are all complicit in breaking law,” he was quoted as saying.
Accounts of a detained Palestinian doctor
Former detainee Dr. Mohammed al-Ran said that after being cleared of any links to Hamas links. He functioned as Shawish for a few weeks. The Shawish acted as middlemen to communicate and translate communications with Israeli guards on behalf of prisoners.
Al-Ran said he received “a special privilege”, namely the removal of his blindfold. This was a different type of hell, he said.
“Part of my torture was being able to see how people were being tortured,” Al-Ran said. “At first you couldn’t see. You couldn’t see the torture, the vengeance, the oppression.”
“When they removed my blindfold, I could see the extent of the humiliation and abasement … I could see the extent to which they saw us not as human beings but as animals.”
Earlier today, Hamas warned that the Israeli prison administration’s escalation of its aggressive policies against prisoners and detainees “will result in further explosions in the face of the occupation.”
Following circulating reports of abuse and torture in Israeli prisons, the Palestinian Resistance group made it clear that the systematic assault on prisoners and detainees “will not weaken their resolve,” reiterating that the Resistance is committed to their liberation, a statement read.
It pointed out that the reported abuse and torture of prisoners and detainees indicate that the Israeli occupation government adopts a policy of deliberate attacks against them, motivated by punishment and revenge.
Hamas emphasized that the Palestinian people “will not leave their prisoners and detainees to fall victim to the brutality of the Nazi-like occupation,” stressing that the Resistance remains committed to achieving their imminent freedom.
The movement called on the masses of the Palestinian people, their factions, and youths to boost their revolutionary and resistant actions in support of the prisoners by all means.
Elsewhere, Hamas warned the “fascist Israeli government” against continuing with its criminal policy and held it fully responsible for the well-being of every prisoner and detainee.
In support of the Palestinian people and resistance in Gaza and in light of the Israeli aggression on the various South Lebanon villages, the Islamic Resistance continued striking the Zionist occupation sites near Lebanon border.
Hezbollah military media issued consecutive statements to illustrate the attacks and their outcomes.
The first statement mentioned that the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted one of the newly installed technical system at Ramya site with appropriate weapons at 01:23 pm on Thursday, May 9, 2024, hitting it directly and causing its destruction.
The second statement maintained that the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a newly established leadership center of the “Israeli” enemy in the Netu’a settlement with artillery shells at 2:15 pm on Thursday, May 9, 2024, hitting it directly.
According to the third statement, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a group of “Israeli” enemy soldiers at Al-Jardah checkpoint with appropriate weapons at 3:20 pm on Thursday, May 9, 2024, hitting them directly and causing casualties among them, leaving them dead and wounded.
The fourth statement affirmed that the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted at 17:15 on Thursday, May 9, 2024, the deployment of “Israeli” enemy soldiers in the vicinity of Jal Al-Allam site with a heavy-caliber Burkan missile.
The fifth statement stressed that, in response to the assassination of the fighters in the town of Bafliyeh, the Islamic Resistance launched on Thursday, May 9, 2024, an aerial operation with assault drones targeting the military leadership of the command enemy forces in the settlement of Burkan missile and its vicinity, directly hitting its operations room and inflicting casualties among its officers and soldiers, which left them dead or wounded.
In support of the resilient Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in solidarity with their courageous resistance, the Islamic Resistance carried out a number of operations against “Israeli” army sites and deployments along the Lebanese-Palestinian borders on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, as follows:
– Eastern Sector:
1. At 10:30, targeting one of the newly installed technical systems in Al-Assi site with a raiding combat drone and directly hitting it, resulting in its destruction.
2. At 11:03, targeting a building used by “Israeli” soldiers in Al-Mutela settlement and directly hitting it in response to the enemy’s attacks on southern villages, civilian homes, and the targeting of civilians.
3. At 11:03, targeting a building used by “Israeli” soldiers in Al-Manara settlement in response to the enemy’s attacks on steadfast southern villages, civilian homes, and the targeting of civilians.
4. At 17:00, targeting Al-Samaqa site in the occupied Lebanese hills of Kafr Shuba with missile weapons and directly hitting it.
– Western Sector:
1. At 11:00, targeting two buildings used by “Israeli” soldiers in Shlomi settlement in response to the enemy’s attacks on steadfast southern villages, civilian homes, and the targeting of civilians.
2. At 11:00, targeting two buildings used by “Israeli” soldiers in the Avivim settlement in response to the enemy’s attacks on steadfast southern villages, civilian homes, and the targeting of civilians.
3. At 13:25, after monitoring and tracking the movement of “Israeli” soldiers at Al-Raheb site and their entry into their bunker, the fighters of the Islamic Resistance targeted it with guided missiles, directly hitting it. At the same time, the fighters targeted the espionage equipment at the site and destroyed it.
4. At 14:25, after monitoring and tracking the movement of “Israeli” soldiers at the Malkiya site and their entry into one of their bunkers, the fighters of the Islamic Resistance targeted it with guided missiles, directly hitting it. At the same time, the fighters targeted its espionage equipment and destroyed it.
5. At 15:00, targeting the newly established headquarters of the Western Brigade in Ya’ara with precision air strikes from assault drones.
6. At 16:20, targeting the headquarters of the 91st Division in the Branit barracks with a heavy-caliber Burkan missile, directly hitting it, in response to the “Israeli” enemy’s attacks on southern villages, civilian homes, and the targeting of civilians.
7. At 19:50, targeting a force of “Israeli” soldiers while they were moving near the Ramya site with artillery shells, directly hitting them
Ansarallah’s maritime operations against Israeli-linked shipping just expanded into the Mediterranean Sea, the Eurasian waterway NATO has long considered its own domain, home to Israel’s oil and gas platforms, and the site of Washington’s new ‘aid pier’ ploy.
In support of Gaza, Yemen’s Ansarallah-aligned armed forces executed their first direct operation against Israel on 18 October 2023. That operation involved cruise missiles and drones targeting the port of Eilat in southern occupied Palestine and came less than two weeks after the Palestinian resistance’s Operation Al-Aqsa Flood flipped the script in West Asia.
Similar attacks ensued in rapid fire, with further warnings from the Yemeni military that it would “continue to carry out qualitative strikes with missiles and drones until the Israeli aggression stops.” One month later, amidst Tel Aviv’s worsening carnage in Gaza, Sanaa commenced its targeting of Israeli-linked and destined shipping vessels in the Red Sea, effectively blocking their passage through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
‘Phased’ maritime operations
This marked Yemen’s first phase of a meticulously planned series of naval operations. The second phase saw a broader prohibition, blocking ships from any country from approaching Israeli ports – a waterway siege, just as Yemen has endured for eight long years. Sanaa’s scope of operations then broadened in the third phase to include the Indian Ocean, targeting Israeli vessels navigating the much longer Cape of Good Hope route – around the African continent – to deliver goods to the occupation state.
Israel’s shipping route before and after Yemen’s blockade
As tensions escalated, and to protect Israel, US and British naval forces cobbled together a ramshackle coalition of non-Arab states, Operation Prosperity Guardian, to strike Yemen – a country already ravaged by almost a decade of US-backed Saudi–UAE bombardment and siege.
This provoked a forceful and immediate response from Yemeni forces, who extended their target range to include US and British naval assets and, later, to expand their operational theater to the vast Indian Ocean.
But as Israel’s threats to invade and bombard Rafah intensified in recent days, Sanaa announced the start of a fourth phase of escalation, a significant ramp-up in their military response.
This phase will target Israeli ships or those heading to Israeli ports in the Mediterranean Sea and impose comprehensive sanctions on all vessels linked to companies that frequent the occupied state’s ports. Furthermore, the measures will be applied to all shipping vessels and companies that deliver goods to Israel, regardless of their final destinations. This effectively bars them from all Yemeni operational waterways.
The declaration of this fourth phase is a clear signal of widening the conflict zone to include the Mediterranean and tightening the siege on Israel, which economically depends on sea trade. It poses a renewed challenge to Tel Aviv and its allies, increasing pressure, particularly on Washington and its European partners.
Yemen’s scope of operations against Israeli shipping
Advancement of military capabilities
Sanaa’s strategic move is timed with ongoing ceasefire negotiations involving Hamas, which faces intense pressure to accept terms favorable to Israel, and is part of a broader strategy to influence political outcomes far beyond Yemen’s borders.
The Yemeni “circle of fire” – its maritime reach – now encompasses the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea. On land, Sanaa’s focus is on impacting Israel’s geographic depth, particularly its southern regions which abut the Red Sea.
In multiple speeches, Ansarallah leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi has emphasized Yemen’s staggering advances in military capabilities, both quantitatively and qualitatively. These advancements are made possible by various factors, most notably the real-world testing of their arsenal.
Recent broadcasts showcased a distant suicide drone targeting a ship in the Red Sea, equipped with a camera on its nose. Additionally, there has been significant Yemeni progress in the use of winged and ballistic missiles: according to military analysts, for the first time in history, anti-ship ballistic missiles were deployed against seaborne vessels, a qualitative advancement in Ansarallah’s military bag of tricks.
Sanaa’s strategic rise
Speaking to The Cradle, Brigadier General Mujib Shamsan, Chairman of the Yemeni Military Spokesmen’s Committee for the Media, says that Sanaa benefited from its operations and confrontation with American and British forces to fast-track its capabilities.
This is clearly evident through the comparison between the operations it carried out at the beginning of its decisions up to the end. Operations in the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean, where it was able to accumulate and develop its capabilities continuously, whether at the level of missile force, unmanned air force, or other naval weapons, thus bypassing various American defense systems, learning many tactics regarding confronting them, and even bringing it to a state of failure.
The failings of the two western coalitions dedicated to thwarting Yemen’s siege of Israel have become apparent to all.
Since early April, various European naval commanders have thrown their hands up in full public view.
Jerome Henry, commander of France’s Aquitaine-class FREMM frigate Alsace – deployed in the Red Sea for 71 straight days – said on 11 April that his ship had depleted its entire combat arsenal, and while it would head to port to replenish those munitions, would return to face an impossible mission:
We didn’t necessarily expect this level of threat. There was an uninhibited violence that was quite surprising and very significant. [The Yemenis] do not hesitate to use drones that fly at water level, to explode them on commercial ships, and to fire ballistic missiles.
“We had to carry out at least half a dozen assistances following [Yemeni] strikes,” Henry told French publication Le Figaro.
Also in early April, Rear Admiral Vasileios Gryparis, the Greek commander of the EU’s Operation Aspides, warned that his mission would not succeed with only three warships available to protect shipments through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Since “the launch of the Operation Aspides on 19 February 2024 until now, the threat level remains the same,” lamented Gryparis.
Yemeni Brigadier-General Shamsan points out that the US defense system failures, and growing risks faced by the anti-Yemen naval coalitions, have “forced it and its allies to withdraw more than 18 ships from the theater of operations, as the number of American ships that left reached 10, while eight ships belonging to European tools left.”
Shamsan says the rapid development of Sanaa’s military capabilities during the ongoing war has positioned Yemen as a pivotal player not only regionally but globally, owing to its strategic position overseeing one of the world’s most crucial maritime passages.
As Ansarallah’s phase four operations commence in the Mediterranean Sea, Shamsan declares that Yemen has now effectively implemented a maritime blockade and economic stranglehold on Israel, which heavily relies on sea routes for the vast majority of its imports.
This blockade, in turn, represents a significant leverage point against both Tel Aviv and its western allies, which have failed to protect their interests in the Red Sea or counteract Sanaa’s embargo on ships entering the ports of the occupation state.
Far from being a mere political and military backwater, Yemen has demonstrated far-reaching military capabilities and impressive strategic planning that has confounded the world’s greatest naval powers. Sanaa’s formidable maneuvers in West Asian maritime zones have catapulted it to the forefront of the region’s Axis of Resistance as the member most capable of influencing global maritime security and regional stability.
As the US and its allies rally around their newly constructed “aid pier” on Gaza’s Mediterranean coastline to, as many suspect, consolidate the area as a future site for US military operations and protect Israel’s oil and gas platforms, Yemen is emerging as a frontline adversary in that far-flung theater.
The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.
A number of Palestinian civilians have been martyred, and others wounded, due to the relentless bombing by Israeli occupation forces in Gaza and Rafah. The aggression has escalated, with no signs of slowing down, as the war enters its 216th day.
"My children! My children! They bombed my children! Help my children!"
The recent attacks have resulted in the deaths of 13 Palestinians in the Al-Daraj neighborhood of Gaza City, as warplanes targeted a group of citizens near Al-Ibki Mosque. Additionally, a house belonging to the Radhi family in the new camp of Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, was also bombed, leading to more casualties.
Heavy Israeli air strikes and artillery shelling in Azzaytoon neighborhood in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/LkDVjqUU7p
In Rafah, a young man lost his life due to Israeli artillery shelling in the eastern part of the city. The municipality building and various other sites were also targeted by military aircraft, causing widespread destruction.
As people run to try to seek some kind of safety, nowhere is safe in Rafah as the bombings continue. pic.twitter.com/Hn074q4vUf
The ongoing aggression has forced families to flee their homes in Rafah, seeking safety from the relentless bombing. The toll on innocent civilians continues to rise, with reports of injuries from bombings in other areas such as Al-Fokhari, east of Khan Yunis.
BREAKING | Displaced families from Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, Northern Gaza, flee as IOF military tanks advance and violent artillery shelling continues pic.twitter.com/xJaZfubm0S
According to the government media office in Gaza, the Israeli occupation forces have committed over 3,000 massacres during the 215 days of war on Gaza, resulting in thousands of martyrs and missing persons. The toll includes a number of child casualties, with more than 15,000 children losing their lives in the ongoing genocide.
A child has suffered extreme burns all over their body after their home was bombed in Rafah. pic.twitter.com/A2MrcpSSAS
This photo shows a tank with an Israeli occupation flag on it entering the Gazan side of the Rafah border crossing in occupied Palestine, on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (AP)
A new report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz underscored a plot to take the Rafah border crossing away from Palestinian control in favor of giving it to a US security private contractor that would do “Israel’s” bidding.
In an exclusive for Israeli newspaper Haaretz, “Israel” has made a plea to the US regarding the takeover of the Rafah border crossing, saying it would be passed on to a private security contracting company.
This was offered up after “Israel” committed to “restrict its operation in Rafah”, which started on Monday, “aiming only to deny Hamas authority over the border crossing that connects Gaza with Egypt, and concentrating on the eastern side of the city.”
According to Haaretz, the Israeli occupation government, in order to secure the deal, has been negotiating with “a private company in the US that specializes in assisting armies and governments around the world engaged in military conflicts. The company has operated in several African and Middle Eastern countries, guarding strategic sites like oil fields, airports, army bases, and sensitive border crossings. It employs veterans of elite US Army units.”
Allegedly, Tel Aviv also pledged “not to damage the crossing’s facilities to ensure its continuous operation,” alleging that the “private American security company will assume management of the crossing after the IDF [Israeli occupation forces] concludes its operation.”
In turn, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, earlier claimed he had no information about such a plot to assume control over the Rafah border crossing.
In that regard, Haaretz also reported that Egyptian officials expressed opposition to an assault on Rafah because they were concerned that civilians might attempt to cross the border fence seeking shelter. Allegedly, they also warned that Hamas might try to breach the fence to assist Gazans in fleeing.
Under the agreed terms between the three countries, once “Israel” finishes its ‘limited operation’ in the border crossing area, a US company will take over the operation of the facility. This responsibility includes overseeing goods entering Gaza from Egypt and preventing Hamas from regaining control of the crossing. “Israel” and the US will provide support to the company as needed.
Rafah has a long history of confrontations with "Israel", yet each time, Israeli occupation forces are met with the unwavering resilience of the #Palestinian people. pic.twitter.com/rW7l3ugC7N
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 7, 2024
The Israeli newspaper also claimed that Cairo complained against “Israel” on Tuesday after Israeli occupation troops shared videos showing the Israeli occupation flag being flown at the Rafah crossing. The Egyptians argued, allegedly, that such a public display undermined their efforts to diminish tensions in the area near their territory.
Rafah crossing purely Egyptian-Palestinian: Senior Hamas official
Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan made it clear on Tuesday that “the military operation in Rafah, if carried out by Israel, will not be a picnic” for the Israeli occupation forces, which were defeated and humiliated in all the areas they have entered in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking during a press conference in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Hamas’ acceptance of the ceasefire proposal presented by mediators Egypt and Qatar, Hamdan pointed out that the decision came as a result of long, difficult, complicated, and continuous negotiations over the past weeks and months.
He mentioned that the past period saw several proposals that did not meet the conditions of the Resistance or the demands of the Palestinian people, affirming that Hamas “adhered to its demands, showed flexibility where necessary, and set red lines that cannot be crossed or compromised.”
Hamdan stressed that Hamas’ acceptance of the ceasefire proposal stems from the movement’s responsibility before the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and its deep concern for its interests, rights, constants, and sacrifices, and from a positive response to the role of mediators in achieving this deal.
A silent sentinel watches over every corner in the bustling streets of Hebron, the largest city in the West Bank, where the ancient echoes of history collide with the modern hum of daily life. This sentinel is not a person but a network of surveillance technology known ominously as the “Hebron Smart City.” Designed by Israeli authorities, this system blankets the city in a web of cameras, sensors and even automated weapons, tracking every movement of its Palestinian residents.
“Palestinians in Hebron are the most surveilled people on the planet,” explains journalist and activist Mnar Adley, highlighting the omnipresence of cameras and face-scanning technology. Adley says that the area, also known as al-Khalil to Palestinians, has become a testing ground for Israel’s surveillance apparatus, with advanced technologies like the “Wolf Pack” surveillance system in operation. This system collects vast amounts of data on Palestinians, including their personal details and movements, creating an atmosphere of constant surveillance.
Izzat Karake, a member of Youth Against Settlements, echoes this sentiment, noting the discomfort caused by constant surveillance. “Wherever I go as a Palestinian, I can see cameras,” he told MintPress while pointing out dozens of Israeli military cameras lining the streets. “We are constantly under surveillance.”
The Hebron Smart City, Adley explains, is more than just a collection of cameras and sensors; it is a symbol of Israel’s relentless efforts to control every aspect of Palestinian life. Face-scanning cameras, known as Red Wolf, line every street, their unblinking gaze capturing the faces of every passerby without their consent. These images are then fed into Israel’s Wolf Pack Database, a vast repository of information on Palestinians, all accessible through a mobile app, allowing them to track and monitor individuals with ease.
Amnesty International has condemned this mass surveillance project, denouncing it as “Automated Apartheid” in a scathing report. The system, they argue, reinforces existing practices of discrimination and segregation, further eroding the rights of Palestinians in Hebron at the hands of Israeli authorities, which the human rights group says has “a record of discriminatory and inhuman acts that maintain a system of apartheid. “The Israeli authorities are able to use facial recognition software – in particular at checkpoints – to consolidate existing practices of discriminatory policing, segregation, and curbing freedom of movement, violating Palestinians’ basic rights,” the report concludes.
This invasive surveillance technology that targets and monitors Palestinians compounds an already existing segregated system of apartheid in Hebron, where the city has been split into two zones, H1 and H2. These two segments of Hebron are separated by a militarized checkpoint that allows for the maintenance and expansion of an illegal Israeli settlement right in the middle of the Tel Rumeida neighborhood that overlooks the Palestinian city’s marketplace.
This is where Youth Against Settlements was born after a Palestinian building that was initially occupied first by the Israeli military and later by Israeli settlers was reclaimed for Palestinian use through a nonviolent direct action and legal campaign. Once a bustling Palestinian neighborhood, Tel Rumeida now hosts over 700 illegal Israeli settlers, heavily armed and protected by the military. The main thoroughfare, formerly known as Shuhada Street, has been renamed “Chicago Street” by Israeli authorities in an attempt to erase Palestinian heritage.
Each year, Izzat and his colleagues with Youth Against Settlements hold an annual march called Open Shuhada Street campaign that draws international attention to the illegal siege of the city. Not only has Israel occupied and fragmented this neighborhood to make room for the Israeli settlers, but it’s altering this area to Judaize the quarter – meaning planning to expand its colonization of the area to ethnically cleanse and displace Palestinians out of here, so Israeli settlers can take over. This military strategy is used to protect, expand and connect other Jewish settlements nearby in Israel’s quest to ensure an ethno-Jewish state.
Hebron has seen some of the most violent settler assaults against Palestinians, especially after Hamas’ surprise attack and Israel’s subsequent assault on Gaza. In many cases, the armed settlers are escorted and protected by Israeli soldiers. Barbed wire covers Palestinian homes that are fenced in to protect them from Israeli settler attacks and harassment. But the intimidation doesn’t end there.
An AI smartshooter sits atop a checkpoint on Shuhada Street, pointing directly at Hebron’s marketplace, where thousands of Palestinians pass by each day. Israel installed the remote-controlled automatic turret gun in 2022. According to Israel’s Army spokesperson, the AI smart shooter “is used as a dispersal measure “as part of the Army’s improved preparations for confronting people disrupting order. However, the introduction of AI technology, such as the smartshooter, has only heightened tensions in the city. Residents walk through their own neighborhoods with a sense of unease, knowing that they are always under watchful eyes.
Just as Gaza has become a laboratory and showroom for Israel’s “battle-tested” weapons, the success of the Hebron Smart City facial recognition technology and database through Wolf Pack to track Palestinians will be used for Israel to continue to profit off of its illegal military occupation of Palestine and surveillance of Palestinian civilians.
This “Automated Apartheid” only further establishes segregation of Palestinians and expands Israel’s apartheid system and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.
During a meeting of “Israel’s” Conflict Zone Forum, the leaders of the Israeli northern settlements decided to announce the establishment of the State of Galilee and fully separate from “Israel”.
According to Israeli news website Walla!, the step is set to be announced on “Independence Day”. The media website explained that their decision was reached after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s dismissive response to Benny Gantz’s inquiry about settlers returning home for the school year, saying, “What would happen if they return a few months after September 1?”
This latest action follows the forum members’ publication of protest advertisements in early April, where they publicly solicited bids to “locate the Israeli government.”
As cited by Israeli media, the ads read, “A public tender to locate a government in Israel!” and “The Conflict Zone Forum hereby invites proposals to be submitted to an alternative government in Israel as detailed in the tender documents.”
Most significant was the ad which depicted the extent of the despair of Israeli settlers on the border with Lebanon that reads:
“The full details of the tender can be found in the evacuated hotels and the accommodation apartments of the displaced throughout the country, with the business owners who collapsed in the north, in the dead tourism areas in the north, and in the offices of the authorities in the north.”
In parallel with these claims, settlers from abandoned settlements in northern occupied Palestine are planning demonstrations on May 16 in al-Quds and Haifa, advocating against a political agreement with Hezbollah and calling for security to be brought back to their region through military means.
Nasrallah’s terror balance that ‘Israel’ can’t confront: Israeli media
A new balance of terror has emerged in the North, one that “Israel” cannot live with even for a “single hour,” an op-ed published by Israeli newspaper Maariv on Tuesday said.
Avi Ashkenazi, the military correspondent of the newspaper, recalled in his piece the course of confrontation, the balance of combat, and the rules of engagement between Hezbollah and the occupation since before the withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000.
“Any solution in the North requires decision-makers in Israel to work on dismantling this balance of terror,” the author began by warning.
According to the Ashkenazi, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was able, before the Israeli withdrawal, and over the years, to create engagement rules in his favor in the “security belt in Lebanon,” where “he decided that every Israeli attack on a civilian target would lead to rocket fire on Kiryat Shmona and settlements in the Galilee,” and that the targets of the rocket launches varied between “open areas and inhibited ones.”
Later, this led to the debate within the occupation entity about the withdrawal to intensify, he said.
At least 35 Palestinians were killed and 129 wounded as Israeli forces carried out new massacres in the eastern and southern areas of Rafah.
The United States reportedly suspended sending arms shipments to Israel, due to its failure to address our concerns regarding its plans to invade Rafah.
Al-Qassam Brigades and Al-Quds Brigades announced in a statement that they are engaged in fierce clashes with invading Israeli forces east of Rafah.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 34,844 Palestinians have been killed, and 78,404 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
HAARETZ: Clashes took place between families of captives in Gaza and Israeli police officers at a Tel Aviv demonstration demanding an exchange deal.
UNICEF: 600,000 Palestinian children are seeking shelter in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, some of whom have been displaced several times, exhausted, traumatized, sick and hungry.
FORMER ISRAELI CHIEF OF STAFF: Former Israeli Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi said that stopping the war on the Gaza Strip is the only way to return Israeli prisoners held by the Resistance.
ISRAELI ARMY: An Israeli soldier was injured as a result of a shell fired by the resistance in the Kerem Shalom area in the southern Gaza Strip.
FREE UNIVERSITY OF BRUSSELS: The Free University of Brussels decided to stop a technological research project with Israeli partners, and to review all other projects with Israeli participation.
HEZBOLLAH: We targeted “with artillery shells a force of Israeli enemy soldiers in the vicinity of the Ramia site, and we achieved a direct hit.”
ISRAELI ARMY: An Israeli soldier was injured as a result of a shell fired by the resistance in the Kerem Shalom area in the southern Gaza Strip.
FORMER ISRAELI CHIEF OF STAFF: Former Israeli Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi said that stopping the war on the Gaza Strip is the only way… pic.twitter.com/MuJT6dqIui
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 8, 2024
Tuesday, May 7, 10:00 pm (GMT +2)
KAN: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office is working on a draft law proposal with the ultra-Orthodox parties, bypassing Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Defense Council Minister Benny Gantz.
ISRAELI MEDIA: Netanyahu backed down from showing flexibility in exchange negotiations.
UNRWA: The crossings must be opened, and humanitarian aid must flow.
HAMAS: The probability of the occupation remaining in the Gaza Strip is zero.
CHANNEL 14: Israeli occupation army evacuated a temporary military site on the Gaza envelope, fearing that resistance elements would infiltrate it.
WALLA (quoting Israeli sources): The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hid medical markings on an ambulance that had been accompanying Netanyahu’s convoy since he suffered a heart attack last month, in order to make it look like a regular civilian car.
WALLA (quoting Israeli sources): The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hid medical markings on an ambulance that had been accompanying Netanyahu’s convoy since he suffered a heart attack last month, in order to make it look like a regular civilian car.
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 8, 2024
UNRWA: Protest by Israeli extremists in front of our headquarters in Jerusalem is “intimidation and sabotage”.
NETANYAHU’S SPOKESMAN: The seizure of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing in the southern Gaza Strip by the Israeli army does not violate the peace treaty between Tel Aviv and Cairo.
UNRWA: The agency’s buildings in Gaza were subjected to 368 Israeli attacks.
ISRAELI ARMY RADIO: Iron Dome was unable to intercept rockets launched by the Resistance from Gaza towards Shlomi.
ISRAELI ARMY RADIO: Iron Dome was unable to intercept rockets launched by the Resistance from Gaza towards Shlomi.
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 8, 2024
AUSTIN: We are absolutely committed to Israel’s right to defend itself.
FORMER MOSSAD CHIEF: There is no meaning to fighting in Rafah after all these days since the start of the war.
CHANNEL 13: Eight rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip towards Shlomi in the Eshkol Regional Council in the Gaza Strip.
HEZBOLLAH: We carried out an attack with assault marches on the headquarters of the newly created Western Brigade in Ya’ra, and a direct hit was achieved.
RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN: Carrying out an Israeli ground military operation in Rafah destabilizes the entire region. There are no prospects yet for resolving the situation in the Gaza Strip, and the conflict in the region is escalating daily.
US OFFICIAL (to Al-Jazeera): Washington’s position on Rafah has not changed, and a broad operation must not be launched.
UNRWA: We did not receive aid or fuel through the Rafah crossing.
NBC (citing Israeli official). There is deep frustration in the Israeli government with the American decision to halt the arms shipment.
Tuesday, May 7, 4:15 pm (GMT +2)
GAZA STRIP CROSSINGS AUTHORITY: The Gaza Strip Crossings Authority denied Israel’s claims that it had reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing, south of the Strip, for the entry of aid.
AL-JAZEERA: About 200 European Union employees demonstrated in the Belgian capital, Brussels, against the Union’s policies towards the Gaza Strip.
AL-QASSAM BRIGADES: The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades announced the bombing of Israeli occupation forces’ concentrations at the “Kerem Shalom Military Site” with a 114 mm short-range “Rajoum” missile system.
Tuesday, May 7, 2:45 pm (GMT +2)
GAZA GOVERNMENT MEDIA OFFICE: A third mass grave was found inside the Shifa Medical Complex and 49 bodies were recovered.
AL-JAZEERA: Six workers were injured by occupation fire at the Kerem Shalom crossing.
AL-QUDS BRIGADES: We bombed with heavy-caliber mortar shells Israeli occupation soldiers and vehicles penetrating the vicinity of the airport, east of the city of Rafah.
GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY: 34,844 Palestinians have been killed, and 78,404 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 8, 2024
ISRAELI ARMY: 3,361 Israeli soldiers have been injured since the start of the war on Gaza.
GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY: 34,844 Palestinians have been killed, and 78,404 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
US MEDIA: Metropolitan Police began evacuating a pro-Palestinian camp at George Washington University at dawn today.
Tuesday, May 7, 1:30 pm (GMT +2)
AL-JAZEERA: Rockets were launched from southern Lebanon towards the Israeli monk site in the Upper Galilee.
ISRAELI MEDIA: The Israeli army is investigating the downing of its drone in Kfar Saba, between Jaffa and Tulkarm.
HEZBOLLAH: We targeted two buildings used by Israeli army soldiers in the Hanita settlement.
In this video, Al-Quds Brigades fighters are seen bombarding Israeli soldiers and vehicles with mortar shells in the axes of advance east of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 8, 2024
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: The death toll from the Israeli bombing on the Al-Qara family’s home in the Khuza’a area, east of Khan Yunis, has risen to three.
Tuesday, May 7, 12:30 pm (GMT +2)
HEZBOLLAH: We targeted a building used by Israeli soldiers in the Metulla settlement, and two other buildings in the Shlomi settlement in the Upper Galilee.
YEDIOTH AHRONOTH: The Israeli army downplayed the US administration’s suspension of an arms shipment following an Israeli military operation in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip this week, saying that the two allied parties resolve any disputes “behind closed doors.”
Tuesday, May 7, 11:30 am (GMT +2)
PALESTINIAN FACTIONS: We will not accept the imposition of any guardianship over the Rafah crossing or any other party, and we consider this an occupation.
CHANNEL 13: An anti-tank missile hit a house in the town of Metulla.
PALESTINIAN MEDICAL SOURCES: The bodies of 35 Palestinians and 129 wounded arrived at Kuwait Hospital in Rafah within 24 hours.
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 8, 2024
KEREM SHALOM: Kerem Shalom crossing reopened for the entry of humanitarian aid after it was closed.
QATARI FM: Qatar strongly condemns the bombing of Rafah and calls for preventing its invasion.
AL-QUDS BRIGADES: We are engaged in fierce clashes east of Rafah.
MAARIV: Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich submitted a petition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop delaying legislation on the use of Palestinian Authority funds held by Israel .
ISRAELI MEDIA: Instructions were issued to farmers in the Gaza Strip not to go out to work in the areas adjacent to the border fence.
Tuesday, May 7, 09:00 am (GMT +2)
BEN-GVIR: The demolition of dozens of homes in the Negev is an important step towards restoring governance.
AL-JAZEERA: Occupation forces begin demolishing dozens of Palestinian homes in the Naqab (Negev).
AL-JAZEERA: Occupation forces begin demolishing dozens of Palestinian homes in the Naqab (Negev).
AL-QASSAM BRIGADES: Our fighters are engaged in fierce clashes with the Israeli enemy forces penetrating east of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 8, 2024
AL-QASSAM BRIGADES: Our fighters are engaged in fierce clashes with the Israeli enemy forces penetrating east of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
UNRWA: UNRWA called for the reopening of Gaza crossings without any delay, noting that vital supplies and fuel are entered through them.
ISRAELI MEDIA: Dozens of prisoners’ families are closing the main Ayalon axis in Tel Aviv, demanding a deal to return their children.
Tuesday, May 7, 08:00 am (GMT +2)
AL-JAZEERA: An Israeli air strike targeted the vicinity of the destroyed Gaza Airport, east of the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: A woman was killed and a number of injured in an Israeli artillery shelling that targeted the town of Khuza’a, east of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.
AL-JAZEERA: An Israeli air strike targeted the vicinity of the destroyed Gaza Airport, east of the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: A woman was killed and a number of injured in an Israeli artillery shelling that targeted the town of Khuza'a, east of… pic.twitter.com/9dfg0CjEgN
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 8, 2024
AFP (citing US official): We suspended sending an arms shipment to Israel of 1,800 1,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs. Suspending the shipment of weapons to Israel due to its failure to address our concerns regarding its plans to invade Rafah.
Tuesday, May 7, 05:00 am (GMT +2)
NBC (citing US officials): American, Qatari and Egyptian negotiators are trying in Cairo to resolve various disagreements regarding the ceasefire deal.
AXIOS (citing American source): Republican representatives are preparing legislation targeting international criminal officials.
Tuesday, May 7, 03:00 am (GMT +2)
WASHINGTON POST (quoting US official): The move by the administration of US President Joe Biden to postpone two arms shipments to Israel confirms Washington’s fears about the Rafah attack.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: An Israeli raid and artillery shelling in the center and north of the Gaza Strip.
Tuesday, May 7, 02:00 am (GMT +2)
REUTERS (citing informed source): CIA Director William Burns will travel to Israel on Wednesday to hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials.
REUTERS (citing informed source): CIA Director William Burns will travel to Israel on Wednesday to hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials.
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 8, 2024
BRITISH DEPUTY FOREIGN SECRETARY: Israel’s attack on Rafah would violate international law and would not lead to the elimination of Hamas.
Tuesday, May 7, 01:00 am (GMT +2)
MARTIN GRIFFITHS: Martin Griffiths said that Israeli evacuation orders in Rafah and the ground operation will lead to more death and displacement.
REUTERS (quoting informed sources): The administration of US President Joe Biden will not submit its report to Congress on whether Israel is violating international law in Gaza on time.
BLINKEN: Blinken condemns “extremist attacks” on aid heading from Jordan to Gaza.
Tuesday, May 7, 12:00 am (GMT +2)
YEDIOTH AHRONOTH: CIA Director William Burns will arrive in Israel tomorrow, Wednesday, to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad Chief David Barnea to discuss a possible deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the exchange of prisoners.
The State Department said it had confirmed “individual incidents of gross violations of human rights” against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank before the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October.
VT Condemns the ETHNIC CLEANSING OF PALESTINIANS by USA/Israel
$ 280 BILLION US TAXPAYER DOLLARS INVESTED since 1948 in US/Israeli Ethnic Cleansing and Occupation Operation; $ 150B direct “aid” and $ 130B in “Offense” contracts Source: Embassy of Israel, Washington, D.C. and US Department of State.
The US has found five Israeli units guilty of gross , the State Department said on Monday.
The State Department said it had confirmed “individual incidents of gross violations of human rights” against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank before the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October.
“After a careful process, we found five Israeli units responsible for individual incidents of gross violations of human rights. All of these were incidents much before October 7th and none took place in Gaza,” State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said Monday.
“Four of these units have effectively remediated these violations, which is what we expect partners to do… For a remaining unit, we continue to be in consultations and engagements with the government of Israel.”
Patel said the findings would not impact arms transfers.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken had signalled that a review of Israeli military units was underway.
Blinken said last week the State Department was conducting investigations under the Leahy law, which prohibits sending military aid to foreign security forces that violate human rights, adding : “I think it’s fair to say that you’ll see results very soon. I’ve made determinations. You can expect to see them in the days ahead.”
ABC News reported on Friday that the Biden administration had found at least three military units guilty of human rights violations but decided not to withhold military aid to the units because it believed Israel was addressing the findings.
The US has been investigating Netzah Yehuda, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish military battalion in the Israeli army, over human rights violations in the occupied West Bank.
A US State Department panel recommended months ago that Blinken blacklist a number of Israeli military and police units following a review into rights abuses against Palestinians, according to a report last week in ProPublica.
UPROOTED PALESTINIANS: SALAM ALQUDS ALAYKUM 
