Friday, March 29, 2024 Last Update: 3:59 AM GMT

GAZA LIVE BLOG: Israeli Massacre in Aleppo | ICJ Imposes New Measures | Resistance Operations near Shifa – Day 174

The majority of Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza are women and children. (Photo: Mahmoud Ajjour, The Palestine Chronicle)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Israeli forces carried out new massacres across several areas of besieged Gaza as the death toll continued to rise.

The Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas called on the international community to hold Israel accountable for its crimes. 

The northern front continued to heat up as Israel announced that it is preparing for the invasion of Rafah.

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 32,552 Palestinians have been killed, and 74,980 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

Click here for the previous blogs.

LATEST UPDATES

Friday, March 29, 06:00 am (GMT+2)

REUTERS: Israeli strikes targeted the Syrian city of Aleppo early on Friday, killing 33 civilians and military personnel, two security sources told Reuters. The sources added that the strikes also killed 5 Lebanese Hezbollah members.

Friday, March 29, 05:30 am (GMT+2)

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Mohammed Abu Sakhil, a journalist for Al-Quds Radio, was killed by Israeli occupation forces in the vicinity of Al-Shifa Hospital. This brings the number of journalists killed to 137 since the start of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

‘Enough is Enough’ – Ireland to Intervene in South Africa’s ICJ Case Against Israel

Friday, March 29, 05:00 am (GMT+2)

AL-JAZEERA: Israel forces shelled homes in the vicinity of the Shifa Medical Complex, west of Gaza City, setting them on fire. Israeli shelling targeted the Rimal neighborhood and other areas surrounding the Shifa complex.

Friday, March 29, 04:00 am (GMT+2)

Palestinian Media:

Northern areas of the city of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip were targeted by an Israeli raid and artillery shelling.

An Israeli raid targeted a site in the Maghazi camp in the central Gaza Strip. The shelling resulted in the death of eight Palestinians and the injury of others. Many are still missing under the rubble.

Friday, March 29, 02:30 am (GMT+2)

AL-JAZEERA: The Northern areas of the city of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip were targeted by an Israeli raid and artillery shelling.

‘Not Through War, Nor Politics’ – Haniyeh Says Israel Cannot Impose Terms on Palestinian People

Friday, March 29, 01:00 am (GMT+2)

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: an Israeli raid targeted a site in the Maghazi camp in the central Gaza Strip and explained that the bombing resulted in the death of a Palestinian woman and a number of injured people.

AL-JAZEERA: an Israeli raid targeted the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip on Friday.

HAMAS: The occupation continues its brutal war of extermination despite the decisions of the Court of Justice.

AL-JAZEERA: The occupation forces bombed Saad bin Abi Waqqas Mosque in the Jabaliya refugee Camp.

Thursday, March 28, 11:40 pm (GMT+2)

UN SPOKESMAN: United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric described the video of Israel’s execution of unarmed civilians in the Gaza Strip as “shocking.”

‘Vivid Confirmation of Atrocities’ – Unarmed Palestinians Shot, Bulldozed by Israeli Forces

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: The death toll from an Israeli occupation raid on a house north of Rafah has risen to 12.

Thursday, March 28, 10:00 pm (GMT+2)

CHANNEL 12: Mossad chief David Barnea sees the possibility of concluding a deal if Israel shows flexibility regarding the return of residents of the northern Gaza Strip despite the response of Hamas.

REUTERS (quoting US Chief of Staff): Washington will not hand over to Israel everything it requested because Washington is unable or unwilling to do so now.

AL-QASSAM BRIGADES:

Our mujahideen targeted a Merkava tank and a bulldozer with “Al-Yassin 105” and “Tandum” shells in Al-Qarara, north of Khan Yunis.

Our Mujahideen detonated a booby-trapped house with a Zionist foot force, killing and wounding its members in Al-Qarara.

Thursday, March 28, 9:00 pm (GMT+2)

KAN: The confrontation is difficult between Netanyahu, Gantz and Eisenkot.

AL-JAZEERA: Two Palestinians were killed and others injured as Israel targeted a building in Tal Al-Hawa.

SOUTH AFRICAN LEGAL TEAM: The new order requires Israel to cooperate with the United Nations.

Thursday, March 28, 8:00 pm (GMT+2)

CHANNEL 13: the war cabinet session, which was planned to address the prisoner exchange deal, was canceled following the political crisis surrounding the conscription law.

AL-JAZEERA: Israeli raids targeted residential buildings in the city of Al-Zahra, north of the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip.

KAN: the Isralei army conducted a surprise maneuver today to test preparations for an all-out war on the northern front.

AL-QASSAM BRIGADES: We targeted an Israeli tank in southern Gaza.

POLITICO: The Pentagon is in early talks to fund a peacekeeping mission in the Gaza Strip in the post-war period.

RSF Raises the Alarm – Where is Palestinian Journalist Bayan Abu Sultan?

Thursday, March 28, 7:00 pm (GMT+2)

NETANYAHU (to the families of Israeli captives):

We took control of the northern Gaza Strip, Khan Yunis, and the entire Strip, and we are preparing to enter Rafah.

We have strategic assets for Hamas and this is another key to recovering the captives.

The cards must be used wisely in the negotiations I am conducting myself to recover all the hostages, not just some of them.

Thursday, March 28, 6:00 pm (GMT+2)

SYRIAN NEWS AGENCY: Israeli aircraft bombed the vicinity of the Damascus countryside, targeting a residential building, wounding two civilians and causing material losses.

HEZBOLLAH: bombed for the second time the settlements of Gorn and Shlomi in response to the Israeli bombing of the towns of Naqoura and Tair Harfa, and the attacks on medical personnel.

ICJ: Israel must take necessary and effective measures to cooperate with the United Nations without delay.

South Africa’s Request Accepted – ICJ Indicates Additional Measures in Genocide Case against Israel

LEBANESE CIVIL DEFENSE: The Lebanese Civil Defense confirmed that one of its members was injured while performing his work in an Israeli occupation bombing, adding that he was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

CHANNEL 12: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the Supreme Court for an additional 30 days to reach approval of the conscription law.

WHITE HOUSE: Restoring calm on the Lebanese-Israeli border is a priority for us.

HEZBOLLAH: We targeted with missiles the Israeli site of Al-Samaqa in the occupied Lebanese hills of Kfar Shuba, confirming that a direct hit had been achieved.

Thursday, March 28, 5:00 pm (GMT+2)

KUWAIT: Kuwait announced that it will provide support worth two million dollars to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

AL-JAZEERA: 4 missiles were launched from southern Lebanon towards an Israeli site.

GAZA GOVERNMENT MEDIA OFFICE: The occupation transferred 200 detainees from the Shifa complex to Israel.

200 Executed, Thousands Arrested – Israeli Raid into Al-Shifa Continues

FRANCE: Paris will allocate 30 million euros to support UNRWA.

Thursday, March 28, 4:00 pm (GMT+2)

GAZA GOVERNMENT MEDIA OFFICE: The occupation executed more than 200 displaced people in Al-Shifa Complex.

GAZA CIVIL DEFENSE: Israeli forces killed 65 of our crews.

YEDIOTH AHRONOTH (quoting informed sources): Washington has hinted to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant that if Israel did not meet its demands, it would find it difficult to pass aid to it through Congress.

ISRAELI ARMY: 8 Israeli soldiers were injured in the Gaza battles during the past 24 hours.

REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS: Reporters Without Borders called on the Israeli occupation army to reveal the fate of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abu Sultan, who was arrested in Al-Shifa Hospital, west of Gaza City.

Thursday, March 28, 3:00 pm (GMT+2)

AL-QUDS BRIGADES: We bombarded the occupation forces with mortars in the vicinity of Al-Shifa Complex.

HAARETZ: The Israeli army continues to establish a buffer zone in northern Gaza.

WALL STREET JOURNAL (quoting Israeli and American officials): Netanyahu’s goal of achieving complete victory is unattainable.

UNRWA: The Israeli army prevents us from entering northern Gaza.

Thursday, March 28, 2:15 pm (GMT+2)

AL-JAZEERA:

Sirens sounded in the Western Galilee.

Israeli evacuation helicopters land to transport wounded soldiers west of Khan Yunis.

ISRAELI ARMY RADIO: Air defenses were activated to intercept a suspicious air object in the airspace of the city of Safad in the Upper Galilee.

UN COORDINATOR IN LEBANON: Israeli attacks on health facilities violate international law.

ISRAELI MEDIA: The mini-ministerial cabinet will hold a session this evening to discuss the response of the Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas to the proposed prisoner exchange deal.

SMOTRICH: We need a new leadership for the Israeli army.

UNRWA: Time is ticking towards famine in Gaza.

Thursday, March 28, 1:15 pm (GMT+2)

WHO: 10 out of 36 hospitals are partially functioning in Gaza and the health system is barely surviving.

AL-QUDS BRIGADES: We targeted a military vehicle with a Tandem shell in the vicinity of the Al-Shifa Complex.

HEZBOLLAH: We bombed Israeli sites in response to the Naqoura and Tayr Harfa massacres.

YEDIOTH AHRONOTH: Netanyahu will send a delegation to Washington to discuss Rafah.

Thursday, March 28, 12:00 pm (GMT+2)

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Israeli artillery shelling continued on the southern areas of the Beach Camp, west of Gaza City.

AL-JAZEERA: Mohammed Najjar, six years old, died in Kamal Adwan Hospital due to malnutrition.

GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY: 32,552 Palestinians have been killed, and 74,980 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

AL-QUDS BRIGADES AND AL-QASSAM BRIGADES: We bombed with mortar shells gatherings of Israeli occupation army soldiers in the vicinity of the Shifa Complex in Gaza, which has been besieged by the occupation for 11 days.

AL-JAZEERA: Israeli authorities announced the closure of the King Hussein border crossing with Jordan after the shooting in Jericho.

FAMILIES OF DETAINED SOLDIERS: We have remained silent since the start of the war at the request of the security services. The security services and the state frightened us, and no minister contacted us.

https://twitter.com/PalestineChron/status/1773296423620002161

Thursday, March 28, 11:00 am (GMT+2)

KAN: the families of the kidnapped soldiers met today for the first time with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

AL-JAZEERA: sirens were sounding in Israeli towns in the Upper Galilee after a suspected infiltration from Lebanon.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: An Israeli bombing targeted a building on Hamid Street in the Beach Camp, west of Gaza City.

CHANNEL 12: 10 missiles were launched from Lebanon towards the town of Shlomi in the Western Galilee, and that the army responded by bombing the launch sites.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: A violent airstrike targeted Nuseirat, in central Gaza.

https://twitter.com/PalestineChron/status/1773296752944194007

CHANNEL 12: Israeli authorities declared 11 Gazan detainees “illegal combatants” and decided to continue imprisoning them instead of releasing them.

Thursday, March 28, 10:00 am (GMT+2)

PRCS: The Israeli occupation released 7 detainees from its crews 47 days after their arrest, while the fate of 8 others remains unknown.

Thursday, March 28, 09:00 am (GMT+2)

AL-JAZEERA: Sirens sound for the second time in Western Galilee. Sirens also sounded in Ras Naqoura, in northern Israel.

Thursday, March 28, 08:00 am (GMT+2)

UNOCHA: More than 1.1 million people in Gaza face a severe level of food insecurity. Access barriers to aid remain and time is running out.

AL-JAZEERA: Sirens sounded in the towns of Gorn and Gornot in the Western Galilee.

Thursday, March 28, 07:15 am (GMT+2)

ISRAELI ARMY: The Israeli occupation army announced the death of one soldier and the serious injury of another in a clash in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday.

(The Palestine Chronicle)

Al-Bureij is back – Resistance Roundup – Day 173

Palestinian fighters continue to resist. (Photo: video grab)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Today, Al-Qassam Brigades announced that it has bombarded Israeli forces at the outskirts of the Bureij camp using mortar shells. 

Al-Bureij is back. This central Gazan refugee camp has been one of the early targets of the Israeli invasion of Gaza months ago. Numerous massacres took place there. 

The Resistance in Al-Bureij proved far disproportionate to the small size of the camp, often forcing the invading Israeli army to retreat on multiple fronts. 

Today, Al-Qassam Brigades announced that it has bombarded Israeli forces at the outskirts of the camp using mortar shells. 

Below are the latest statements by the two main Resistance forces in Gaza, and the Lebanese Resistance Movement Hezbollah. 

The statements were communicated via their Telegram channels and are published here in their original form. 

Al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas)

“Al-Qassam fighters sniped a Zionist soldier in the vicinity of Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City.

“Al-Qassam Brigades bombard enemy forces penetrating east of Al-Bureij in the central Gaza Strip with mortar shells.”

It May Be Impossible to Destroy Hamas – Israeli Intelligence Sources

Al-Quds Brigades (Palestinian Islamic Jihad)

“We bombed gatherings of enemy soldiers in the vicinity of Al-Shifa Complex with 60-caliber standard mortar shells.

“We bombed a gathering of enemy vehicles and a command headquarters southeast of Kissufim with Badr-1 rockets.”

Hezbollah

“In support of the steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in backing their noble resistance, the Islamic Resistance executed a number of operations against positions and deployments of the Israeli enemy army at the Lebanese-Palestinian border on Wednesday, 27-03-2024, as follows:

“1- At 8:00, targeting the Kiryat Shmona settlement and the command of Brigade 769 in the Kiryat Shmona barracks with dozens of rockets, in response to the massacre committed by the Zionist enemy in the town of Habariyya.

‘In Response to Zionist Massacre’ – Israel Attacks Ambulance Center in Lebanon, Hezbollah Responds

2- At 13:45, targeting an Israeli enemy infantry force inside a tent in the Ramim forest with appropriate weapons, causing casualties and injuries among its members.

3- At 14:00, targeting the surveillance equipment at the Misgav Am site and hitting it directly.

4- At 14:05, targeting the Ruwaisat Al-Alam site in the occupied Lebanese hills of Kfar Shuba with artillery shells and hitting it directly.

5- At 16:47, confronting an Israeli drone in the skies of Rab Al-Thalathin – Al-Odeissah, forcing it to retreat back across the border.”

“Western Sector:

“1- At 10:00, targeting the deployment of Israeli enemy soldiers in the vicinity of the Shtula settlement with artillery shells.”

(The Palestine Chronicle)

It May Be Impossible to Destroy Hamas – Israeli Intelligence Sources

The Israeli army may not be able to defeat Hamas, according to iIsraeli intelligence sources. (Image: Palestine Chronicle)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

According to the report, pockets of ‘guerrilla’ resistance remain despite over five months of intense fighting in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Israeli intelligence officials have admitted that Israel may not be able to destroy the Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas, the British daily newspaper The Telegraph reported on Wednesday.

“The main objective of the Gaza invasion faces failure as international support turns against Israel,” the paper reported, citing informed sources.

According to the report, pockets of ‘guerrilla’ resistance remain despite over five months of intense fighting in the besieged Gaza Strip, and that it may be “ too late” to destroy the remaining Hamas battalions now that the US has “turned its back on Israel”.

Back to the Start – Resistance Roundup – Day 172

The source blamed international pressure that “is mounting on Israel to reach some sort of a deal”.

Moreover, according to the report, “some underground weapons production facilities are thought to remain intact.”

Without providing further evidence, the sources reiterated that Israel believes “its best chance of destroying Hamas lies with entering Rafah.”

“The US doesn’t support going into Rafah which they did before, so the cards right now are not good, meaning Israel has to do something dramatic and drastic to change the momentum and climate,” the source said.

Rafah Invasion

The US has repeatedly said that Israel should not invade Rafah without a humanitarian or military plan.

“We have said what we need to see to be able to support a Rafah operation. That is a credible and implementable humanitarian assistance plan,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on March 12, adding: “We haven’t seen such a plan yet,” Miller said.

‘Netanyahu is Lying about Rafah’ – Israeli Major General

The spokesperson said it was “our judgment that they cannot, should not go into Rafah without a humanitarian assistance plan that is credible and that they can actually implement,” adding “Let’s wait and see what it is they come up with.”

UNSC Resolution

Tensions between Washington and Tel Aviv are running high after the US did not use its veto power, thus allowing a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire to pass at the United Nations Security Council.

The resolution, which was presented by non-permanent members of the Security Council, “demands an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan respected by all parties leading to a sustainable lasting ceasefire.

US Abstains – UN Security Council Passes Resolution Calling for Gaza Ceasefire

It also “demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, stressing the urgent need to increase aid and demanding the removal of all obstacles to its delivery.”

The resolution, which was written by the ten elected members to the council and was proposed in the council by Mozambique’s representative, passed with 14 votes in favor and the US abstaining.

The United States said the resolution was non-binding. However, the UN Charter stipulates that all Security Council resolutions are legally binding under international law.

Gaza Genocide

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, 32,490 Palestinians have been killed, and 74,889 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

Moreover, at least 7,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.

GAZA LIVE BLOG: Israel Targets Lebanon, Hezbollah Responds | Nasser Hospital under Attack | Ben-Gvir vs. Biden – Day 173

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

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.’ 

(The Palestine Chronicle)

In Sharp Reversal, Netanyahu to Send Delegation to Washington

US President Joe Biden (L) with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. (Photo: US Embassy Tel Aviv, via Wikimedia Commons)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

In a sharp reversal, Benjamin Netanyahu decided to send a delegation to Washington just a few hours after explaining that this was a message to Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided on Wednesday to reverse his decision and send two top Israeli officials to Washington as early as next week for talks about a possible military operation in Rafah, the US-based news website Axios revealed.

“It’s a sharp reversal by Netanyahu who on Monday canceled the same trip by the same people in protest over the U.S. not vetoing a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza,” Axios explained.

According to the website, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that “the (Israeli) Prime Minister’s office has agreed to reschedule the meeting dedicated to Rafah,” adding that the discussion is “urgent”. 

A Message to Hamas

Earlier on Wednesday, Netanyahu said that he first decided to cancel the planned visit as a message to the Palestinian Resistance group Hamas.

The Israeli prime minister explained his decision during a meeting in Jerusalem with Republican US Senator Rick Scott.

“I thought the US decision in the Security Council was a very, very bad move,” the Israeli prime minister reportedly said. “The worst part about it () was that it encouraged Hamas to take a hard line and to believe that international pressure will prevent Israel from freeing the hostages and destroying Hamas.”

‘Biden is Aligning with Sinwar’ – Ben-Gvir Attacks US President

“It was a message first and foremost to Hamas: ‘Don’t bet on this pressure, it’s not going to work’. I hope they got the message,” Netanyahu said. 

The delegation was supposed to discuss the planned Israeli military operation against Rafah, a city in the south of Gaza. 

‘Unnecessary Drama’ 

The White House has publicly urged Israel against the attack, arguing that this would worsen the situation of displaced Palestinian civilians.

The US State Department called Netanyahu’s decision “surprising and unfortunate,” while the White House described it as “disappointing.” 

The US was “perplexed” by the snub because the Security Council abstention “does not represent a shift in our policy,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. 

An unnamed US official reportedly told Axios that Netanyahu’s decision was “an unnecessary drama on Netanyahu’s part.”

Majority in US Disapprove of Israeli War on Gaza – New Poll

UNSC Resolution

The United Nations Security Council adopted on Monday a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as the United Nations refrained from using its veto power for the first time, after 171 days of war.

The resolution, which was presented by non-permanent members of the Security Council, “demands an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan respected by all parties leading to a sustainable lasting ceasefire.

It also “demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, stressing the urgent need to increase aid and demanding the removal of all obstacles to its delivery.”

US Abstains – UN Security Council Passes Resolution Calling for Gaza Ceasefire

The resolution, which was written by the ten elected members to the council and was proposed in the council by Mozambique’s representative, passed with 14 votes in favor and the US abstaining.

The United States said the resolution was non-binding. However, the UN Charter stipulates that all Security Council resolutions are legally binding under international law.

Gaza Genocide

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, 32,490 Palestinians have been killed, and 74,889 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

Moreover, at least 7,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.

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

GAZA LIVE BLOG: Israel Targets Lebanon, Hezbollah Responds | Nasser Hospital under Attack | Ben-Gvir vs. Biden – Day 173

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.

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.’ 

(The Palestine Chronicle)

Majority in US Disapprove of Israeli War on Gaza – New Poll

A majority of US citizens disapprove of Israel’s war on Gaza. (Image: Palestine Chronicle)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

All three major party groups in the US have become less supportive of Israel’s actions in Gaza than they were in November.

A new poll published by Gallup on Wednesday revealed a significant shift in American public opinion regarding the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza.

“After narrowly backing Israel’s military action in Gaza in November, Americans now oppose the campaign by a solid margin,” according to Gallup.

The latest results, from a March 1-30 survey, revealed that “fifty-five percent (of US citizens – PC) currently disapprove of Israel’s actions, while 36% approve”.

Funding Bill – US Threatens Palestinian Authority to Cut Funding Over ICC Investigation Support

The poll, according to Gallup, was “completed before the U.N. Security Council on Monday passed a resolution calling for a cease-fire during Ramadan”.

According to the survey, a vast majority of US citizens, 74 percent, are following news related to the war, with a 34 percent saying that they are following the situation “very closely”.

“All three major party groups in the U.S. have become less supportive of Israel’s actions in Gaza than they were in November,” according to Gallop. In the case of Democrats and independents, the results showed “declines of 18 percentage points in approval”. As “even-point decline” was registered among Republicans.

The majority of Republicans still support Israel’s military action, but the approval went down from 71 to 64 percent.

“Democrats’ widespread opposition to Israel’s actions underscores the difficulty of the issue for President Joe Biden among his most loyal supporters,” according to Gallup.

‘Biden is Aligning with Sinwar’ – Ben-Gvir Attacks US President

In fact, “Biden’s approval rating for his handling of the situation in the Middle East, at 27%, is his lowest among five issues tested in the survey.”

“Though Biden has completely ‘lost faith in Netanyahu’ (..) he continues to support Israel without openly questioning the disastrous outcomes of the war, not just on the Palestinian people, but also on the region and the world, including his own country,” Palestinian journalist and political analyst Ramzy Baroud wrote in a recent article.

“Americans, especially those in Biden’s Democratic Party, must continue to increase their pressure on their administration so that it resolves its cognitive dissonance in Palestine,” Baroud continued.

“Biden must not be allowed to play this deadly balancing act, privately demanding for the war to stop, while openly funding the Israeli war machine.”

Gaza Genocide

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, 32,490 Palestinians have been killed, and 74,889 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

Moreover, at least 7,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip. 

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

GAZA LIVE BLOG: Israel Targets Lebanon, Hezbollah Responds | Nasser Hospital under Attack | Ben-Gvir vs. Biden – Day 173

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.

 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.’

(The Palestine Chronicle)

‘Biden is Aligning with Sinwar’ – Ben-Gvir Attacks US President

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and US President Joe Biden. (Image: Palestine Chronicle)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

“I would have expected the president of the United States not to take their line, but rather to take ours.”

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir accused US President Joe Biden on Tuesday of aligning with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar following the vote on a UNSC resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.

“Presently, Biden prefers the line of (US Representative) Rashida Tlaib and Sinwar to the line of (Israeli Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir,” he told The New York Times on Tuesday.

Cognitive Dissonance: Perplexed US Foreign Policy is Prolonging Gaza Genocide

“I would have expected the president of the United States not to take their line, but rather to take ours.”

The extremist minister criticized Biden’s approach towards Israel, saying the US president was ‘”enormously mistaken’” in his attempts to pressure Tel Aviv.

Biden “constantly sought to impose restrictions on Israel and talks about the rights of the other side, who include, I remind you, many terrorists who want to destroy us,” Ben-Gvir said.

UNSC Resolution

The United Nations Security Council adopted on Monday a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as the United Nations refrained from using its veto power for the first time, after 171 days of war.

The resolution, which was presented by non-permanent members of the Security Council, “demands an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan respected by all parties leading to a sustainable lasting ceasefire.

It also “demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, stressing the urgent need to increase aid and demanding the removal of all obstacles to its delivery.”

Funding Bill – US Threatens Palestinian Authority to Cut Funding Over ICC Investigation Support

The resolution, which was written by the ten elected members to the council and was proposed in the council by Mozambique’s representative, passed with 14 votes in favor and the US abstaining.

The United States said the resolution was non-binding. However, the UN Charter stipulates that all Security Council resolutions are legally binding under international law.

Gaza Genocide

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, 32,490 Palestinians have been killed, and 74,889 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

Moreover, at least 7,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip. 

GAZA LIVE BLOG: Israel Targets Lebanon, Hezbollah Responds | Nasser Hospital under Attack | Ben-Gvir vs. Biden – Day 173

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

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.’ 

(PC, Anadolu)

Funding Bill – US Threatens Palestinian Authority to Cut Funding Over ICC Investigation Support

US President Joe Biden and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. (Image: Palestine Chronicle)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Another reason for the limitation of funds would be if “Palestinians obtain the same standing as member states or full membership as a state in the United Nations”.

The $1.2 trillion funding bill approved by the US Congress on Saturday which halts funding to the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) until 2025, also threatens to limit funding to the Palestinian Authority (PA) if it initiates an investigation against Israel at the International Criminal Court (ICC) or obtains full state membership in the United Nations.

“None of the funds appropriated under the heading Economic Support Fund’ in this Act may be made available for assistance for the Palestinian Authority, if after the date of enactment of the Act– (I) Palestinians obtain the same standing as member states or full membership as a state in the United Nations or any specialized agency thereof outside an agreement negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians,” the bill signed by President Joe Biden states.

‘Funding for Weapons and War’ – Biden Signs Budget Bill into Law

Another reason for the limitation of funds would be if “ (II) the Palestinians initiate an International Criminal Court (ICC) judicially authorized investigation, or actively support such an investigation, that subjects Israeli nationals to an investigation for alleged crimes against Palestinians.”

The Secretary of State “may waive restriction” on this clause “if the Secretary certifies to the Committees on Appropriations that to do so is in the national security interest of the United States, and submits a report to such Committees detailing how the waiver and the continuation of assistance would assist in furthering Middle-East peace.”

The bill, which ended the threat of a partial government shutdown, was approved with 74 votes in favor and 24 against.

War Profiteering

Besides halting funding to UNRWA, it reportedly provides $886 billion in funding for the Defense Department, including a raise for US troops.

The bill, now signed into law, comes at a time when senior UN officials have warned of imminent famine in the besieged Gaza Strip, urging immediate action to avert a humanitarian disaster.

‘Catastrophic Food Insecurity’ – UN Officials Warn of Famine in Gaza

In a speech on the House floor on Thursday when the bill was introduced, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib reportedly accused Israel of committing “some of the most horrific crimes against humanity” in this century.

“The Israeli government has been intentionally starving the Palestinian people,” she said.

“It’s disturbing that many of my colleagues in this chamber are actively profiting financially when they vote to pass more funding for weapons and war,” Tlaib said. “Literally every bomb dropped makes them money.”

UNRWA lost millions in funding at the end of January, after dozens of countries, led by the US, suspended its financial support following allegations by Israel that some of its employees were involved in the October 7 resistance operation. Israel has yet to provide evidence for its claims.

Following ICJ Ruling, Washington Suspends UNRWA Funding

Over 32,400 Killed

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, 32,490 Palestinians have been killed, and 74,787 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in the enclave.

Moreover, at least 7,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.

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

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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.

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.’

(The Palestine Chronicle)

Escalating Violence – Israeli Forces Storm Jenin, Kill Three Palestinians

Three Palestinians were killed by Israeli occupation forces in Jenin. (Photo: via social media)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Israeli forces, reinforced with military vehicles, raided several neighborhoods of the city as well as the outskirts of the camp, amid armed clashes with Palestinian Resistance fighters.

Three Palestinians have been killed and several others wounded following an Israeli attack on the occupied West Bank town of Jenin.

Hamza Arrawi, 27, from Al-Ain camp in Nablus, and Mohammad Nasser Al-Sabti, 19, from Jenin camp, were killed in the early hours of Wednesday after an Israeli drone bombed a group of young men in front of a house in the Al-Damj neighborhood, according to WAFA, the official Palestinian news agency. Seven others were injured in the attack.

At dawn, Israeli forces stormed Jenin amid heavy gunfire, in which Ayman Youssef Hassan Azouqa, 19, was injured. He was then transferred to Jenin Governmental Hospital before succumbing to his wounds, reported WAFA.

Al-Jazeera reported that the Israeli forces, reinforced with military vehicles, raided several neighborhoods of the city as well as the outskirts of the camp, amid armed clashes with Palestinian Resistance fighters.

Also on Wednesday, a Palestinian man was injured by Israeli forces’ gunfire during a military raid on the town of Beit Fajjar, south of Bethlehem.

Local sources told WAFA that Israeli forces fired towards the young man while he was inside his vehicle, injuring him in the right foot. He was transferred to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

Another Palestinian man was detained his home was raided in the town.

Mass Arrests

Meanwhile, Israeli forces have detained 20 Palestinians in an ongoing mass arrest campaign across the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS).

PPS said that the arrests took place in the governorates of Ramallah, Hebron (Al-Khalil), Nablus, Salfit, Tulkarm, and Jenin, reported WAFA.

The total number of Palestinians, including children, women and elderly men, detained since the October 7 resistance operation has risen to about 7,820, reported WAFA.

Ramallah Protest

Dozens of Palestinians on Tuesday formed human chains in the city of Ramallah in rejection of the massacres and war of genocide waged by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people, according to WAFA.

The human chains, organized by civil society institutions and youth movements, ran along Al-Manara Square in the center of the city to Al-Irsal Street.

Protestors held photos of Palestinians killed by Israel as well as photos of Palestinians held in Israeli jails, in addition to banners condemning the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem.

They marched towards the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in the city of Al-Bireh in Ramallah. The protestors condemned the ICRC’s “failure to have an adequate follow-up” on the cases of Palestinians who were detained by Israel following Israel’s attack on Gaza after the October 7 operation, reported WAFA.

(PC, WAFA)

‘Totally Unacceptable’ – 130 Parliamentarians Urge UK Government to Ban Arms Sales to Israel

130 parliamentarians signed a letter urging the British government to ban arms sales to Israel. (Image: Palestine Chronicle)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

The British parliamentarians wrote in the letter that “business as usual” for arms exports to Israel is “totally unacceptable” amid the ongoing war on Gaza.

130 parliamentarians signed a letter urging the British government to ban arms sales to Israel, The Guardian reported on Wednesday.

The move reportedly came “ amid signs that Israel intends to ignore the UN security council resolution passed this week calling on all sides to commit to a ceasefire.”

“The letter, coordinated by the Labour MP Zarah Sultana, was signed by 107 MPs and 27 peers including the former Labour Middle East minister Peter Hain (…) the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and the Conservative peer Nosheena Mobarik,” The Guardian reported.

According to the paper, the parliamentarians wrote in the letter that “business as usual” for arms exports to Israel is “totally unacceptable” amid the ongoing war on Gaza.

Noting that the UK government had suspended its arms sales to Israel, in two previous wars on the Strip, the letter reportedly concluded that “the scale of violence committed by the Israeli military is vastly more deadly, but the UK government has failed to act”.

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UNSC Resolution

The United Nations Security Council voted on Monday for a resolution demanding “an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan respected by all parties leading to a sustainable lasting ceasefire.”

The resolution, which was written by the ten elected members to the council and was proposed in the council by Mozambique’s representative, passed with 14 votes in favor and the US abstaining.

The United States said the resolution was non-binding, but “the UK does not share that interpretation,” according to The Guardian.

‘Anatomy of a Genocide’

Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights Situation in the Palestinian territories, said in a report on Monday that there are “reasonable grounds” to determine that Israel has committed several acts of genocide in its ongoing war on Gaza.

“I find that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the threshold indicating the commission of the crime of genocide against Palestinians as a group in Gaza has been met,” Albanese told the UN rights body in Geneva, presenting a report called ‘The Anatomy of a Genocide’.

Damning UN Report – Israel Crossed ‘Threshold’ of Genocide in Gaza

In the report, the Special Rapporteur urged “member states to enforce the prohibition of genocide in accordance with their non-derogable obligations”.

Therefore it recommended to “immediately implement an arms embargo on Israel, as it appears to have failed to comply with the binding measures ordered by the ICJ on 26 January 2024”.

ICJ Ruling

On January 26, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to take measures to prevent and punish direct incitement of genocide in its ongoing war in Gaza.

“The state of Israel shall (..) take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of all acts within the scope of Article II of the genocide convention,” the ICJ said.

‘Decisive Victory’ – ICJ Delivers Ruling on Genocide in Gaza

An overwhelming majority of the ICJ’s 17-judge panel voted to order urgent measures, which covered most of South Africa’s request, aside from ordering a halt to the Israeli war on Gaza.

The court ordered Israel to refrain from any acts that could fall under the genocide convention and also ensure that the Israeli army do not commit any genocidal acts in Gaza.

Genocide Continues

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, 32,490 Palestinians have been killed, and 74,889 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

Moreover, at least 7,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip. 

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

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.’

(The Palestine Chronicle)

‘Over-Reliance on Israeli Sources’ – Australia’s ABC Staff Raise Concerns over Gaza Coverage

Australia’s ABC staff warn about ‘an over-reliance on Israeli sources’ in its Gaza coverage. (Image: Palestine Chronicle)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

“We’re worried the language we’re using in our coverage is askew, favoring the Israeli narrative over objective reporting.”

Staff at Australia’s national broadcaster have warned that its coverage of the genocidal war on Gaza indicated “an over-reliance on Israeli sources and explicit distrust of Palestinian sources” as well as language that “favoured the Israeli narrative over objective reporting.”

A three-page summary of a meeting obtained by the Al-Jazeera news network through a freedom of information request, detailed concerns raised by staff at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) about pro-Israel bias by the channel.

Concerns such as accepting “Israeli facts and figures with no ifs or buts”, Palestinian viewpoints being questioned and the avoidance of the word “Palestine” itself, Al-Jazeera said.

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Although the document is undated, its contents are said to correspond with a meeting held in November with 200 staff members.

The summary “contained extensive detail about the staff’s concerns and also previously unpublished examples of alleged pro-Israel bias,” Al-Jazeera further said.

Addressed to “managers and colleagues,” staff reportedly said in the document that “We’re worried the language we’re using in our coverage is askew, favoring the Israeli narrative over objective reporting. This is evident in our reluctance to use words such as ‘War crimes’, ‘Genocide”, ‘Ethnic cleansing’, ‘Apartheid’ and ‘Occupation’ to describe the various aspects of the Israeli practices in Gaza and the West Bank, even when the words are attributed to respectable organisations and sources.”

The document was signed “Concerned ABC journalists and staff.”

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‘Contextualize the Conflict’

The summary further documented that staff said: “Meanwhile, we’re quick to use ‘terrorist’, ‘barbaric’, ‘savage’ and ‘massacre’ when describing the October 7th attacks. Similarly, we regularly quote sources referring to highly contested claims made by Israel, but not those made by Palestinians and their supporters.”

Staff said while ABC could not make accusations of genocide or war crimes taking place, the broadcaster “should be more proactive in reporting them to properly contextualise the conflict”.

They felt it was “especially the case as we are far more comfortable in labelling Hamas’s actions ‘terrorism’ yet lack the language to correctly describe Israeli aggression in the region.”

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Staff were also concerned about ABC having “several correspondents on the ground in Israel, but none in Gaza. This, invariably means that the number of voices that get included tilt the audience’s understanding of the situation.”

“We believe our editorial policies/guidance need updating to reflect more objective, balanced reporting, by addressing the aforementioned concerns,” the document stated.

Ombudsman’s Office

In response to the concerns raised by staff, an ABC spokesperson told Al Jazeera that the broadcaster refrains from commenting on confidential staff matters.

The spokesperson reportedly said: “All major stories are subject to robust internal discussion and we listen to and respect staff input.”

The spokesperson further said that the ABC Ombudsman’s Office affirmed the outlet’s coverage of the war in Gaza to be “professional, wide-ranging and reflective of newsworthy events.”

According to the Al Jazeera report, “tensions continue to simmer at the ABC over the conflict,” months after the staff meeting.

(PC, MEMO)