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Work for Peace – UN Special Rapporteur Urges World Leaders to Move beyond Hypocrisy

UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation in Palestine Francesca Albanese. (Image: Palestine Chronicle, via UN website)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

The UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese criticized world powers for interfering in internal Palestinian governance.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese said on Tuesday that Palestinian sovereignty is independent of international recognition, urging world leaders to focus on self-determination rather than meddle in Palestinian internal affairs.

“Palestinian sovereignty exists regardless of recognition by other states. Promoting a #TwoStateSolution (for 30yrs) without recognizing both states is disingenuous,” Albanese wrote in a post on X.

The UN special rapporteur criticized world powers for interfering in internal Palestinian governance and urged them to shift their attention to ending the occupation and ensuring the self-determination of Palestinians.

“States’ int’l obligations are not about “reforming the PA” or meddling in Palestinian elections & governance – those are internal matters – but about ensuring peoples’ #selfdetermination, ending unlawful occupations, and dismantling #apartheid,” Albanese wrote.

The UN rapporteur urged world powers to “move beyond hypocrisy & commit to genuine peace premised upon justice and everyone’s freedom.”

“Together, we can do it, she concluded by saying.

Albanese’s remarks came while sharing a report by Anadolu news agency that featured an interview with the former Greek foreign minister, in which he pleaded with world leaders to stop the hypocrisy, pledge real efforts to achieve peace on the basis of justice and universal freedom for all, Anadolu said.

‘With Horror’

Throughout the Israeli genocide on Gaza, Francesca Albanese has been one of the vocal voices on the violations Israel is committing in the Strip.   

The UN rapporteur warned on September 6 “with horror” that if Israel’s military assault on Gaza is not stopped, it “could end up exterminating almost the entire population” of the enclave “over the next couple of years.”

Citing a recent report by The Guardian, Albanese said: “The range of presumable direct and indirect deaths could be between 15 and 20% of the population already by the end of this year, according to Prof. @devisridhar (and that’s in line with the work of other academics).”

“Once the dust settles, I can’t imagine how the world will go on after having allowed that. Again,” Albanese added in her post on X on September 6.

Gaza Genocide Continues

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.

Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.

 According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health,  42,010 Palestinians have been killed, and 97,720 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.

Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.

Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.

Northern Gaza under Siege – Israel Issues Fresh Evacuation Orders for Three Hospitals

Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.

The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.

The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.

Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety. 

(PC, Anadolu)

3:00 pm | Posted in Blog | News | Read More »

Stabbing Operation in Hadera – Six Israelis Wounded, Five Seriously

Six people were wounded in a stabbing attack in the city of Hadera. (Photo: video grab)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

According to the Israeli police, the stabbings occurred at four different locations within the city of Hadera.

Israeli ambulance services said on Wednesday that six people were wounded in a stabbing attack in the city of Hadera, located north of Tel Aviv, though their identities were not disclosed. 

The ambulance service reported that five of the wounded were in critical to serious condition. 

According to the Israeli police, the stabbings occurred at four different locations within the city of Hadera.

Israel’s Channel 14 reported that additional police forces were deployed to search the city, with two helicopters assisting.

The police confirmed they had shot the attacker, but his condition remains unclear. 

The Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom identified the suspect as 36-year-old Ahmed Jabareen, an Israeli citizen from Umm al-Fahm.

Hadera’s mayor stated that the suspect moved between locations on a motorcycle and was armed with both a knife and an axe.

As a precaution, schools in Hadera were closed until authorities confirmed the situation was under control, as reported by Israeli Army Radio.

This attack comes after a call from Abu Obeida, the military spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, on the anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Flood, urging increased military operations against the Israeli occupation in the West Bank and within the occupied Palestinian territories.

Since the start of the Israeli assault on Gaza on October 7, 2023, there has been a noticeable rise in stabbing and shooting incidents targeting Israelis at checkpoints and within the occupied territories.

This is a developing story ..

(PC, AJA)

1:59 pm | Posted in Blog | News | Videos | Read More »

‘There is No Point’ – Netanyahu Blocks Gallant’s Trip to Washington

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. (Design: Palestine Chronicle)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Gallant’s trip to the US was reportedly canceled by Netanyahu on condition he speak with the US President first on his country’s response to Iran’s missile attack.

The Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant canceled on Wednesday his planned trip to the United States amid Israeli media reports that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to speak first with American President Joe Biden, Reuters news agency reported.

According to Reuters, the Pentagon announced the cancelation of the visit but refrained to comment on the topic referring reporters to Israel’s Defense Ministry.

“We were just informed that Minister Gallant will be postponing his trip to Washington,” Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh was quoted by Reuters as saying in a press briefing.

A US Defense Department spokesperson announced that the Israeli defense minister was scheduled to depart from Israel on Tuesday night, and meet Wednesday with the US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Reuters reported.

Netanyahu’s Intoxicated Euphoria will Turn into a Prolonged Hangover

The Times of Israel said that the planned visit was postponed hours before the departure of Gallant because Netanyahu “set last-minute conditions for his approval of the visit.”

The Israeli newspaper cited several Israeli reports that indicated that Netanyahu blocked Gallant’s visit “because he wanted to speak with US President Joe Biden about Israel’s planned retaliation against Iran before the defense minister departed.”

According to the same paper, a report by Israel’s Channel 12 news indicated that the Israeli prime minister “was also conditioning the trip on the security cabinet first approving Israel’s planned response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack last week.”

Gallant was reportedly to travel with senior Israeli Defense Ministry officials to discuss issues in relation to Israel’s response to Iran’s missile attack on Israel and its defense in case of an Iranian response and the deployment of US forces in the region.

Unnamed officials in Netanyahu’s office were quoted by Channel 12 as saying that “there was no point in Gallant making the trip until the cabinet approved the response to Iran, since that’s the key issue he was supposed to discuss with Austin,” the Times of Israel said.

For its part, the White House also declined to comment on the surprise cancelation referring all questions to the Israeli government.

Despite previous talk of a possible phone call between Biden and Netanyahu since the end of September, Reuters reported today citing what it said “a person familiar with the matter” that the two men are scheduled to speak on Wednesday on the anticipated Israeli strike on Iran.

The Agony and Ecstasy of an Empire – The United States in the Middle East

According to the Times of Israel, the two men have not spoken for nearly 50 days.

Israeli Channel 12 news has reported that the Israeli prime minister has been waiting “for what he thinks was a promised call from Biden for the past 10 days,” the Times of Israel said.

The US president revealed on October 4 that Israel has not yet decided on its response to Iran, adding that “he would think about alternatives to striking Iranian oil fields if he were in Israel’s shoes.”

Iran Threatens Israel

These developments come in conjunction with statements made by Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid and other former officials who have urged Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to strike Iranian oil and nuclear sites.

Meanwhile, Iran on Tuesday vowed a “crushing response” to any Israeli attacks on the country.

Speaking to the Israeli Ynet News on Monday, Lapid argued that Iran’s economy was its “Achille’s heel”, claiming it was on the brink of collapse.

“There’s a complex discussion with the Americans about this, and I understand why they don’t want a spike in oil prices just before the U.S. elections. But that doesn’t change the fact that Israel has its own interests and perspectives,” Lapid was quoted as saying.

Iran Ready to Confront Netanyahu, Regional Threats – IRGC Navy Commander

His remarks come nearly a week after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on Israel, striking dozens of targets.

Also on Tuesday, former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett urged Israel to strike Iran’s nuclear sites.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi vowed a “crushing response” on Tuesday to any Israeli attacks against his country.

“We advise the Zionist regime (Israel) not to test Iran’s will,” he said at an event in Tehran attended by the ambassadors of Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, and Syria, the Anadolu news agency reported.

“Any attack on Iran will be met with a crushing response,” he warned.

Iran is on high alert amid anticipation of an imminent response from Israel to a missile strike by Tehran on October 1, which came amid rising regional tensions over Israel’s ongoing war on the Gaza Strip, now in its second year.

The conflict has spread to Lebanon with Israel launching massive airstrikes across the country, which have killed 2119 people and injured over 10019 others since September 23.

(PC, Agencies)

1:37 pm | Posted in Blog | News | Read More »

Northern Gaza under Siege – Israel Issues Fresh Evacuation Orders for Three Hospitals

Kamal Adwan Hospital, the main healthcare provider in the North Gaza District, is now out of service. (Photo: via QNN)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

The director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital warned against an Israeli occupation plan to displace Palestinians in the north of Gaza by halting all operations in the medical facilities in that area.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced on Tuesday that Israel ordered the evacuation of three hospitals within 24 hours in the north of the besieged enclave, Anadolu news agency reported.

The Israeli occupation army ordered the evacuation of patients and staff of Kamal Adwan Hospital, the Indonesian Hospital and Al-Awda Hospital.  

The Ministry of Health said in a statement that Israel’s occupation army “demands the evacuation of Kamal Adwan Hospital, the Indonesian Hospital, and Al-Awda Hospital from patients and health personnel.”

According to the statement, Israeli occupation forces detained “a paramedic who accompanied a critical care patient during their transfer from Kamal Adwan Hospital despite prior coordination.”

The statement also indicated that the Israeli occupation army was surrounding the Kamal Adwan Hospital and shooting at the administration quarters.

The Israeli occupation army threatened the three hospitals with “destruction, killing, and arrest” if they did not evacuate within the specified period, intimidating them with a similar scene of the siege of Al-Shifa Hospital, according to the statement.   

The director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, Hossam Abu Safia said in an audio recording sent to various reporters that “the Israeli army has given them 24 hours to completely evacuate the hospital of patients and health staff,” Anadolu said.

“The army communicated directly and threatened us, saying we must evacuate the hospital or we would put ourselves in danger,” Abu Safia added, while urging for “serious protection for health institutions and their staff, especially in the northern Gaza Strip.”

The director of the medical facility labeled the new Israeli evacuation order as dangerous warning that it could lead to the “collapse of the health care system in the northern Gaza Strip.”

Moreover, he warned against an Israeli occupation plan to displace Palestinians in the north of Gaza by halting all operations in the medical facilities in that area.

On top of the Israeli evacuation order, the Ministry of Health revealed that due to acute fuel shortage, the medical facility might halt its operations within the coming hours.

Health System under Attack

This is neither the first time hospitals in Gaza warn of the imminent shutdown of their operations due to fuel shortage nor is it the first time Israel has issued evacuation orders to medical facilities.

Since the start of the genocide on Gaza on October 7, the Israeli occupation army has deliberately targeted the health system in the Strip, through systematic raids on hospitals and clinics and the killing and detention of medical staff in addition to attacking aid convoys.

This has been met with wide condemnation by various United Nations agencies and international organizations.

In a new report cited by the Quds News Network (QNN) which was published on September 17, the Health Ministry said that Israeli occupation forces have killed 1,151 Palestinian health workers since October 7.

A total of 986 were named in the new report, while personal data for the remaining 165 was still being verified.  

The ministry said the delay in the verification process was due to Israeli authorities withholding the victims’ bodies or their remains being buried under rubble.

At least 165 of those killed were doctors, 260 nurses, 300 management and support personnel, 184 health associate professionals, 76 pharmacists, and 12 other health workers.

“The Palestinian sector has been subjected to a systematic attack by the occupation forces that has affected all its components,” the ministry noted.

Health facilities were the target of direct and repeated Israeli raids and air strikes, it added, which has crippled the health system and left hundreds of thousands of war victims facing “imminent death”.

More than 300 health workers have also been arrested by Israeli forces.

Gaza Genocide Continues

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.

Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health,  41,965 Palestinians have been killed, and 97,590 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.

LIVE BLOG: Trapped in Northern Gaza | Hezbollah Repels Infiltration Attempt | Biden, Netanyahu to Discuss Response to Iran – Day 369

Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.

Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.

Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.

The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.

The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.

Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety. 

(PC, Anadolu)

1:14 pm | Posted in Blog | News | Read More »

LIVE BLOG: Hezbollah Rockets Kill Israelis in Kiryat Shmona | ‘Dragging Region into Catastrophe’ | Massacres in Gaza – Day 369

Israel continued to carry out massacres in Gaza. (Photo: via QNN)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

The Israeli army is launching continuous artillery shelling on northern Gaza while UNRWA stated that 400,000 people are still trapped in the area. 

Hezbollah was able to repel another infiltration attempt from the Israeli military in the Labouneh area, inflicting casualties and forcing the unit to retreat.

US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are set to discuss Israel’s response to Iran today, according to the American news website Axios. 

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry (Gaza), 42,010 Palestinians have been killed, and 97,720 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.

This blog has been discontinued. Click here for the new blog.

9:49 am | Posted in Blog | News | Read More »

‘Once-In-a-Generation Opportunity’ – Israeli Officials Urge Strikes on Iran’s Oil and Nuclear Sites

Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett.(Photo: video grab)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

“If not now, when? NOW is the time to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities and regime.” Naftali Bennet, former Israeli Premier

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid and other former officials have urged Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to strike Iranian oil and nuclear sites.

Meanwhile, Iran on Tuesday vowed a “crushing response” to any Israeli attacks on the country.

Speaking to the Israeli Ynet News on Monday, Lapid argued that Iran’s economy was its “Achille’s heel”, claiming it was on the brink of collapse.

“There’s a complex discussion with the Americans about this, and I understand why they don’t want a spike in oil prices just before the U.S. elections. But that doesn’t change the fact that Israel has its own interests and perspectives,” Lapid was quoted as saying.

His remarks come nearly a week after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on Israel, striking dozens of targets.

He also urged Israel to “pause the war” temporarily to secure the captives’ release, saying “We need to kill (Yahya) Sinwar, but if pausing the war brings our people home, we should do it.”

Also on Tuesday, former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett urged Israel to strike Iran’s nuclear sites.

‘Now is the Time’ – Bennet

Bennet called it “a once-in-a-lifetime window of opportunity,” in a Hebrew video statement posted online, the Times of Israel reported, adding that he had repeated the argument in English statements on foreign media platforms.

“For the first time, we have the ability to act against Iran without fearing a terrible and intolerable reaction,” he reportedly said in the video.

On Tuesday he also posted on X: “If not now, when? NOW is the time to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities and regime.”

Bennet claimed that “Iran has accumulated highly enriched uranium in quantity sufficient to produce ten nuclear warheads.”

“Not only is this the eleventh hour to prevent Iran from going nuclear, it is also a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do so, since Iran’s defenses—Hezbollah and Hamas—are temporarily severely weakened,” he stated.

‘Take Advantage’ – Ayelet Shaked

On Monday, former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said that Israel “should take advantage” of the current situation to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“The Iranian attack on the State of Israel was the largest ballistic missile attack in the world. About 200 ballistic missiles. It is clear that no sovereign country should and cannot accept such a thing,” Shaked said, according to the Israeli National News website.

“Israel should take advantage of the opportunity when there is international legitimacy and destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities,” she added. She was speaking at the annual international conference on counter-terrorism led by the Institute for Counter-Terrorism Policy (ICT) at Reichman University, the rpeort said.

“It is something that sounds scary, but whatever is delayed now, will be more complicated later,” she further said.

“The right and ideal thing would be to harness the international community and have the US do it. The world powers are the ones who should do it, but they don’t do it, and it would be better if we do it than if we convince ourselves that there will be a more appropriate time, because there won’t be a more appropriate time.”

‘Crushing Response’ – Iran

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi vowed a “crushing response” on Tuesday to any Israeli attacks against his country.

“We advise the Zionist regime (Israel) not to test Iran’s will,” he said at an event in Tehran attended by the ambassadors of Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, and Syria, the Anadolu news agency reported.

“Any attack on Iran will be met with a crushing response,” he warned.

Iran Ready to Confront Netanyahu, Regional Threats – IRGC Navy Commander

Iran is on high alert amid anticipation of an imminent response from Israel to a missile strike by Tehran on October 1, which came amid rising regional tensions over Israel’s ongoing war on the Gaza Strip, now in its second year.

The conflict has spread to Lebanon with Israel launching massive airstrikes across the country, which have killed more than 1,250 people and injured over 3,600 others since Sept. 23.

White House Statement

On Monday, the White House said that the US administration was “continuing” to advise the Israeli government on its response to Iran’s attack.

“We are continuing to have discussions with the Israelis about their response, obviously responding to Iran’s attack, almost 200 missiles right that went flying into Israel,” spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. “Our commitment continues to be very clear on Israel’s security, and that’s ironclad. Those conversations continue.”

Israel Vows Major Offensive Against Iran, Faces Stark Warning from Tehran

US President Joe Biden suggested last week that Israel should not strike Iran’s oil or nuclear facilities.

“If I were in their shoes, I’d be thinking about other alternatives than striking oil fields,” the president said during his first appearance in the White House press briefing room in the nearly four years since he assumed office. He said on Wednesday that he opposed strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.

Jean-Pierre declined to specify what the president believes a “proportionate” response to the attack would entail.

‘Medium Range of Attack Scenarios’

The Jerusalem Post reported on Tuesday that Israel “is not expected to attack Iran’s nuclear program but rather to focus on various kinds of military bases and intelligence sites. This follows a New York Times report on the situation.

Sources “did not deny the thrust of the report, which predicted that Israel’s retaliation against Iran … would fall more in the medium range of attack scenarios,” the Post said.

Iran’s Missile Barrage Overpowered Israeli Defense – WSJ Reveals Attack Raises Concerns of Future Strikes

It added that “Sources indicated that attacking Iran’s nuclear program would not necessarily be consistent with the ‘goals of the war’ as set by the security cabinet.”

For example, the Post said, “while the most stated goal of the war is to defeat Hamas, and returning Israel’s northern residents to the Lebanon border in security has also been discussed a lot lately, another formal goal is not to be dragged into a regional war, especially with Iran.”

(PC, Anadolu)

8:46 pm | Posted in Blog | News | Read More »

‘Undeniable’ – Probe Confirms Israeli Army Presence when Hind Rajab was Killed in Gaza 

Hind Rajab. (Photo: Image provided, family photo)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Sky News analyzed satellite imagery, Israeli military press materials, and interviewed weapons and forensics experts.

Even though the Israeli military denies being in the area on the day that six-year-old Hind Rajab and six members of her family were killed in Gaza, a Sky News investigation has found that the army’s presence in the area was “undeniable.” Two paramedics who were trying to rescue her were also killed.

The channel analyzed satellite imagery, Israeli military press materials, and interviewed weapons and forensics experts.

The incident occurred on January 29, when Hind and her relatives were trying to escape from the Tel al Hawa neighborhood that was under Israeli attacks that day, the Anadolu news agency reported.

The family was divided into two groups, with Hind and six others, namely: her mother’s uncle, Bashar Hamada; his wife, Ana’am; and their four children – Layan, Raghad, Sarah, and Mohammad; getting into a small black car while the rest set off on foot.

Within minutes of leaving, the car was struck by gunfire near a petrol station, just 350 meters from its starting point.

Hind’s mother, Wissam Hamada, who was on foot, witnessed the attack but was initially unable to comprehend that her daughter’s car was being targeted.

Desperate Cries

After hours of attempting to contact those inside the vehicle, 15-year-old Layan, one of the passengers, was able to answer a phone call. She reported that everyone inside was “sleeping” and that she and Hind had been wounded.

Killing Hind – The Gaza Six-Year-Old Whose Story Has Shocked the World

Layan eventually handed the phone to Hind, whose desperate cries for help were cut short by renewed gunfire.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) tried to dispatch an ambulance but required Israeli military approval to enter what had become a restricted military zone.

Despite receiving the green light after several hours, the rescue operation ended in tragedy. An ambulance sent from Al-Ahli Hospital was shelled as it approached the scene, killing both paramedics inside the vehicle.

Military Vehicles’ Presence

Sky News investigators obtained satellite images and examined Israeli army press materials, concluding that multiple military vehicles were operating in the immediate vicinity at the time of the incident, contradicting the Israeli military’s claims that no forces were present.

Hind Rajab and the Student Protests – Unfurling Love from the Window

The channel examined satellite imagery taken on January 29, the day of the attack.

“It shows at least 15 military vehicles in the Tel al Hawa neighbourhood – where the family’s car was found. The closest military vehicle is just 300m away. One satellite image was taken at 4.31pm local time – just over an hour before the PRCS said it received approval to send an ambulance,” the report said.

“Satellite imagery taken in the days following the attack show how heavy the military presence remained, with at least 13 military vehicles seen on 7 February. A day later, on 8 February, at least nine military vehicles were seen in the area near the Islamic University in Gaza City,” the report continued.

‘Large-caliber Weapon’

The Israeli army initially denied any involvement before retracting a press release confirming its presence in the Tel al Hawa neighborhood at the time of the attack.

The damage to the ambulance, which was found charred and abandoned days later, suggested that a large-caliber weapon hit it, while the family’s car bore dozens of bullet holes on its right-hand side.

Sky News analysed footage of both the car and the ambulance in order to ascertain the damage to the vehicles. It cited Amael Kotlarski, a weapons team manager at JANES, which provides security and defence analysis, as saying that the damage shows “the ambulance was hit with a ‘large calibre weapon’, with the projectile’s exit hole visible at the back of the vehicle.”

The PRCS has stated that its ambulances do not enter military zones without prior coordination due to repeated incidents of paramedics being targeted by Israeli forces.

The Israeli military, however, claims that the ambulance did not require special coordination, citing the absence of forces in the area at the time.

‘I Need Justice’

Sky News said it “geolocated the IDF footage released on 10 February, which showed three forces – 401st Brigade, Shayetet 13 and 52nd Battalion operating less than 650m from the car that Hind was found in.”

“While it is not clear exactly what date the footage in the release was filmed, the IDF’s presence in the area is undeniable,” the channel stated.

Hind’s mother, Wissam Hamada, is calling for “those who committed this brutal crime” to be “held accountable.”

“I need justice for my daughter,” she told Sky News.

On April 30, Columbia University student protesters took over Hamilton Hall and renamed it Hind’s Hall, dropping a large banner out the windows above the building’s entrance.

American singer and songwriter, Macklemore, has named two songs in her honor; Hind’s Hall and Hind’s Hall 2.

(PC, Anadolu)

6:21 pm | Posted in Blog | News | Videos | Read More »

105 Rockets – Hezbollah Launches Largest Rocket Attack on Haifa

Haifa was targeted by the largest rocket attack since the beginning of the war. (Photo: video grab)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Israeli Channel 12 confirmed that 12 people sustained minor injuries in Haifa and the Krayot areas following the missile barrage. 

The Israeli army reported on Tuesday that 105 rockets were fired from southern Lebanon toward northern Israel, specifically targeting the city of Haifa and several settlements in the Galilee. 

The attack came in two waves, shortly after a speech by Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, and amidst Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon.

Israeli Channel 12 confirmed that 12 people sustained minor injuries in Haifa and the Krayot areas following the missile barrage. 

The Lebanese movement Hezbollah launched a large-scale rocket attack on Haifa and its surrounding bay, leading to air raid sirens sounding across multiple areas simultaneously.

The Israeli military described this rocket attack as the largest ever directed at Haifa, with at least five rockets reportedly striking Haifa and the Krayot, according to Channel 12.

Meanwhile, Ynet News reported that the intense bombardment on Haifa came from areas in southern Lebanon, where the Israeli army initiated ground incursions on Monday night.

Haifa’s mayor reported a direct hit on a building in the Haifa Bay area and urged the evacuation of nearby chemical factories, although no response has yet been received. 

He also called for increased funding to strengthen the protection of Haifa’s older residential neighborhoods.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for rocket attacks targeting Israeli military artillery positions in Dishon and Delton, as well as the Glilot base of the 8200 Military Intelligence Unit in Tel Aviv’s suburbs, which triggered further sirens in the area.

In addition, Hezbollah launched rockets at Israeli positions in Shlomi, Hanita, and the Marj site. In retaliation, Israeli airstrikes continued on Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs and the Bekaa Valley.

The Israeli military announced that one soldier was seriously wounded during the southern Lebanon operations and announced the deployment of an additional military division to the region.

(PC, AJA)

4:47 pm | Posted in Blog | News | Read More »

Beaten to Death – Israel Brutally Kills 66-Year-Old Palestinian Activist in Hebron

Palestinian activist, Ziad Abu Ehlayyel. (Photo: via social media)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Abu Ehlayyel was reportedly rushed to the Dura Hospital but succumbed to his severe injuries soon after his arrival.  

Israeli occupation forces brutally beat to death Monday morning sixty-six-year-old Palestinian activist Ziad Abu Ehlayyel during a raid on his home in the town of Dura, in Hebron (Al-Khalil) in the occupied West Bank, the Middle East Monitor reported.

According to local sources, Israeli occupation forces raided the activist’s home and violently beat him before he lost consciousness.

Abu Ehlayyel was reportedly rushed to the Dura Hospital but succumbed to his severe injuries soon after his arrival.  

This was not the first assault on the Palestinian activist, who was a highly respected figure in his community, since he was often attacked in previous raids by Israeli occupation forces into Dura.

Old footage shared on social media shows Abu Ehlayyel challenging Israeli occupation forces, urging them to stop shooting at Palestinian children.

“We don’t want you to shoot anyone, we don’t want you to kill anyone; this is a nonviolent procession, why do you keep shooting at them? Why don’t you stop your settlers from attacking us?” the activist can be heard saying to Israeli occupation forces in the footage.

New Battlefield

Last September, Israeli media reported that Israel now considers the West Bank a battlefield, following days of escalated operations.

In addition to the casualties, significant damage has been inflicted on the infrastructure of cities like Jenin, Tulkarm, Nablus, and Tubas amongst others.

The United Nations Refugee and Works Agency (UNRWA) said that the first week of September has been the “deadliest” for Palestinians in the West Bank since November of last year.

“Many people were killed, including seven children,” UNRWA said on X, adding that “As the war rages in Gaza, violence and destruction in the West Bank increase by the hour.”

Detention of Palestinians Continue

Israeli occupation forces detained at least 45 Palestinians in the West Bank in the past 24 hours, including a journalist and former prisoners, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) and the Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs said in a joint statement that the detentions occurred across several governorates, including Hebron, Jerusalem, Jericho, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Nablus, and Jenin.

Since October 7, Israeli occupation forces have detained over 11,100 individuals from the West Bank, including Jerusalem, the organizations said.

(PC, MEMO)

3:01 pm | Posted in Blog | News | Read More »

‘Worrysome Development’ – UN Slams Israel’s Bills to Stop UNRWA Operations

Famine is spreading in Gaza due to Israel’s war and hermetic blockade. (Photo: via UNRWA)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

As the Israeli Knesset endorses two bills to halt UNRWA operations, the organization chief describes the genocide on the Strip as “a free fall descent into barbarism”.

Marking the first anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation, the Israeli Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee endorsed on Monday two bills, pending final approval to be passed as a law, to halt the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Israel, Israeli media reported.  

The Israeli newspaper the Jerusalem Post indicated that the first bill stipulates that UNRWA cannot “operate any institution, provide any service, or conduct any activity, whether directly or indirectly” in Israel.

The second instructs to instantly end the agreement between Tel Aviv and the international organization, which was signed following the 1967 war.

The second bill also reportedly annuls the immunity and special rights previously granted to UNRWA staff.

According to the Jerusalem Post, both bills are expected to return to the Israeli Knesset for final approval on October 28 when the winter session kicks off.  

Guterres Pleas to Retreat Bills

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged in a letter Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to impede the proposed bills while warning that if they do go into effect, they will halt UNRWA’s much-needed services and aid to Palestinian refugees in the West Bank and Gaza.

Guterres stressed in his letter that the international organization operates nearly 400 schools and 65 medical centers in the West Bank and Gaza, providing services to over 350,000 children and supporting much of Gaza’s population, MEMO said.  

The Secretary-General voiced his deep concern over any legislation that halts relations between a UN member state and a UN agency, labeling it as a “very worrisome development”, stressing that if the bills are to pass, he will take on the matter with the UN General Assembly.

Palestinian Condemnation

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on its part, slammed in a statement on Monday the Knesset’s approval of the two legislations targeting UNRWA’s operations.

The ministry described the Israeli move as “a blatant attack on the United Nations and its agencies”, and “an extension of Israel’s ongoing violations and attacks on UNRWA, its institutions, staff and schools,” MEMO said.

The statement added that the Israeli legislation is part of “Israel’s broader war against the Palestinian people and their rights, particularly the right of return as outlined in UN Resolution 194.”

‘Free Fall Descent into Barbarism’

The approval of the bills coincided with the one-year anniversary of the start of Israel’s genocide on the Gaza Strip, which the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini highlighted in a long post on his account on X.

Lazzarini wrote that the twelve-month “brutal war” has “transformed the Gaza Strip into an unrecognizable sea of rubble, and a graveyard for tens of thousands of people, among them far too many children,” labeling it as “a free fall descent into barbarism.”

“One year has passed and not a day goes by without families in Gaza being subjected to unspeakable suffering, as forced displacement, disease, hunger, and death have become the daily norm for 2 million people trapped in a bombed- out and besieged enclave,” he said.

He added that Palestinians in Gaza continue to “bear the brunt of the war,” stressing that UNRWA has endured the highest death toll in the UN history with 220 of its staff killed during this war.

Lazzirini accentuated in his X post the devastating situation of children in the besieged Gaza Strip.  

“Children have been the first and most to suffer. Beyond the killing and injury, every child in Gaza is traumatized many with life-long invisible scars,” he wrote.

According to the Commissioner-General, more than 650,000 children are out of school for the second consecutive year.

“Instead of being in classrooms, they are sifting through the rubble in despair and fear,” he said.

Lazzirini labeled the massive destruction of infrastructure in the Strip as catastrophic, stressing that “more than two-thirds of UNRWA buildings have been hit and deemed unusable, the vast majority while sheltering displaced people under the UN flag.”

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As for the ongoing military operations in the West Bank, Lazzirini said that it brought “destruction, fear and anxiety” on Palestinians, emphasizing that “poverty is deepening as people lose income and as movement restrictions are reinforced.”

On Lebanon’s war, the UNRWA chief said that it is “wreaking havoc on civilians, many forced to relive traumas of the past.”

He concluded his post by urging for courage to broker a ceasefire deal to relieve the people in Gaza, Lebanon, Israel, and the entire region and allow for the release of captives and unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.  

“There are no winners in wars. The only way out is through a diplomatic and peaceful solution. It’s time to heal the wounds. It’s time to choose peace!” he ended.

(PC, MEMO)

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