Israel boasts destruction of Beit Hanoun

According to media reports, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Friday shared an aerial image of Beit Hanoun, a city in northern Gaza, boasting of its total destruction and declaring, "After Rafah and Beit Hanoun ... there is no refuge for terrorism."

The image, posted to Katz's official X account, depicts a flattened urban landscape — reduced to rubble and ruins — revealing the extent of devastation inflicted on the town.

Beit Hanoun, located along Gaza’s northern border with Israel, was among the first areas invaded by the Israeli army during its ground operation that began on October 28, 2023.

More than 21 months into the war on Gaza, Palestinian armed factions have continued to launch organized ambushes in the area, challenging Israel’s military objectives.

Last week, five Israeli soldiers from the “Netzah Yehuda” Battalion were killed and 14 others injured — two critically — in an attack in Beit Hanoun, according to official Israeli military reports.

A military investigation confirmed that Hamas fighters detonated three explosive devices targeting an Israeli foot patrol, followed by direct gunfire.

The Israeli military has increasingly relied on heavy artillery and aerial bombardment to enforce control over Beit Hanoun, which it recently claimed to have surrounded.

On June 2, 2024, Gaza’s Municipal Emergency Committee declared Beit Hanoun a “disaster area” due to near-total destruction of infrastructure, essential services, and the collapse of humanitarian conditions. Before the war, the town had a population of around 60,000 spread over 17,000 dunams.

Despite mounting global pressure, Israel continues to reject calls for a ceasefire. Since the launch of its full-scale offensive in late October 2023, Israeli bombardments have killed nearly 57,800 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

The destruction has triggered catastrophic humanitarian conditions across Gaza, with widespread food shortages, the collapse of medical facilities, and the rapid spread of disease.

The war has drawn international legal scrutiny. In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.

A new militia in Gaza to challenge Hamas

A 300 member strong Palestinian militia has emerged in Gaza, aiming to liberate the Strip from Hamas — and now it says it has the backing of Israel, reports Euronews.

The group, calling itself the Popular Forces, operates in eastern Rafah under the leadership of Yasser Abu Shabab, a Bedouin man in his thirties who spent years in Hamas detention for criminal activities before October 07, attacks freed him from prison.

According to comments made exclusively to Euronews, Abu Shabab’s group — not to be confused with Somalia’s Islamist extremists, Al-Shabaab — first banded together in June 2024.

The Popular Forces, who also go by the moniker Anti-Terror Service, describe themselves as mere "volunteers from among the people" who protect humanitarian aid from "looting, corruption and organized theft" by Hamas-affiliated groups.

"We are not a substitute for the state, nor are we a party to any political conflict," the group said in a statement to Euronews. "We are not professional fighters ... as we do not engage in guerrilla warfare tactics."

Hamas has responded with direct assassinations against Popular Forces members, going on a show of force against potential rival organizations despite months of Israeli military strikes.

"Hamas has killed over 50 of our volunteers, including members of Commander Yasser's family, while we were guarding aid convoys," the Popular Forces spokesperson said.

Earlier, Hamas firmly rejected allegations of war profiteering and humanitarian aid theft, also levelled at them by Israel — something the Popular Forces insist is in fact still happening.

Meanwhile, Yasser Abu Shabab himself revealed his group is “coordinating” with the Israeli army in Rafah.

In an interview on Sunday with Israeli public broadcaster KAN’s Arabic-language radio, Abu Shabab said his group is cooperating with Israel on “support and assistance” but not “military actions,” which he explained were conducted solely by his group.

While the Popular Forces have since denied that Abu Shabab gave the interview to KAN altogether after coming under fire from critics in Gaza, the arrangement would represent Israel's latest attempt to cultivate local partners who might challenge Hamas’ control of the Strip.

A broader coalition, including the Palestinian Authority (PA), Egypt, the UAE and the US, is reportedly involved in seeking alternatives to Hamas rule.

"These popular forces are a two-edged sword," Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Jerusalem's deputy mayor and Foreign Ministry special envoy, told Euronews.

"We're not talking about peace-loving democrats. We're talking about gangs who've had enough of the biggest gang of all, which is Hamas."

Although wary of Abu Shabab, Hassan-Nahoum also acknowledged Israel has little choice. "There were two Gazas," she explained. "There was the Gaza of Hamas ... and then there was the second Gaza of the disenfranchised people who weren't part of Hamas."

And some among the disenfranchised have simply reached a breaking point, Hassan-Nahoum said. "These gangs, I believe, have just gotten to the point where they feel that Hamas is weak, and obviously, they've created the biggest catastrophe for the Gaza Strip in history."

Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa, who transitioned from al-Qaeda affiliate leader and wanted terrorist under the nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Jolani to a legitimate political role as the country’s leader, was an example where the 180-degree turn could work despite skepticism, Hassan-Nahoum added.

Gaza ceasefire tests Trump-Netanyahu bond

US President Donald Trump's push for a ceasefire in Gaza is testing his bond with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That relationship was on full display this week during the Israeli leader’s third visit to Washington this year, reports The Hill.

Even when Trump and Netanyahu have diverged in private, they have usually remained publicly in lockstep — apart from Trump dropping a bomb last month during the shaky start of the Israel-Iran ceasefire.

As Trump turns his attention to ending the fighting in Gaza, Netanyahu risks drawing the president’s ire once again. 

“The president gets frustrated because he wants this victory of having brought peace,” said Elliott Abrams, US special representative for Iran during Trump’s first term. 

“I think when it comes to Gaza, he recognizes that the problem is Hamas. So, it’s frustrating to him that he can’t get the hostages out and get a ceasefire, but he’s not blaming Netanyahu.”

Trump and his top envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, say a deal is close. 

“There’s nothing definite about war, Gaza and all the other places, there’s a very good chance of a settlement, an agreement this week, maybe next week if not,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday when asked about the progress of his talks with Netanyahu. 

Witkoff said Tuesday the two sides were now in “proximity talks,” having whittled their disagreements down to one point.

A Palestinian source told the BBC that talks in Doha have stalled over disagreements on the delivery of humanitarian aid and Israeli military withdrawal.  

It’s not clear whether Trump will respect Netanyahu’s red lines — getting Hamas out of Gaza and Israel retaining freedom of military operation — or push the Israeli leader to accept a deal that would infuriate his right-wing allies and risk toppling his governing coalition.

Trump has repeatedly broken with Netanyahu’s desires in the Middle East, as demonstrated by his dropping sanctions on Syria’s new government and engaging in direct talks with Iran. Yet this week the president was notably deferential to his Israeli counterpart on questions about the future of Gaza. 

“Trump is the only US president who in his first 6 months has both sidelined Israel and made it central to his successes and policies,” Aaron David Miller, a veteran Middle East negotiator and senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, wrote Monday on the social platform X.

“The Trump-Netanyahu bromance will last until it doesn’t.” 

 

 

Trump and Netanyahu partners in killing of Gazans

As Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, along with their respective delegations, sat down to dinner in the White House on Monday, Israeli forces were busy doing what they have been doing in the killing fields of Gaza for the past 21 months - murdering and pillaging.

And perhaps the most unfortunate development during this meeting was the fact that the Israeli leader — responsible for the murder of tens of thousands of Palestinian men, women and children — announced that he had nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Sometimes reality is far more grotesque than fiction. And though negotiations for a possible ceasefire continue, no one should doubt Israel’s long-term intentions even if the butchery stops - the Israeli state seeks to ethnically cleanse the occupied territories of their Palestinian inhabitants, and forever obstruct the chances of a viable Palestinian state.

Those who believe a two-state solution is still possible should listen closely to what Netanyahu said at the White House. “Never again” he declared when discussing a “complete state” for the Palestinians, while adding that “overall security will always remain in our hands”.

By security, one assumes the Israeli leader means that Tel Aviv will always retain the ‘right’ to butcher Palestinians into submission should they step out of line.

As for Gaza? The Israeli leader repeated the intention to ethnically cleanse the Strip, and ship the Palestinians off to other countries.

His defence minister offered more details, saying that all of Gaza’s Palestinians will be rounded up into a concentration camp in Rafah, and after “de-radicalization”, they will be “encouraged” to leave for other states.

Perhaps starvation and mass murder are amongst the methods the Israeli state uses to ‘encourage’ Palestinians to flee. But the brave people of Gaza are not ready to go anywhere; they would rather die on their land than face expulsion and exile.

Ever since the October 07, 2023 events, over 57,000 people have been slaughtered by Israel in Gaza. However, the Gaza Mortality Survey, conducted by experts from the Britain and other Western states, suggests the actual death toll may be over 83,000.

But to the world these are mere numbers; no one has the moral courage to halt this massacre. What is particularly shocking is how much Zionism in modern Israel resembles Nazism in 20th-century Europe. Both are exclusionary ideologies, with their followers known to perpetrate unimaginable cruelty.

The Nazis sent their victims off to the gas chambers; the Israeli state oversees a genocide in Gaza. But while Nazism is today rightly condemned the world over, the modern followers of Zionism get the best seat at the table, and are wined and dined by the world’s most powerful leaders, as the children of Gaza suffer and die in pain.

Courtesy: Dawn Newspaper

 

Netanyahu meets Trump at White House

US President Donald Trump, hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, said the United States had scheduled talks with Iran and indicated progress on a controversial effort to relocate Palestinians out of Gaza, reports Reuters.

Speaking to reporters at the beginning of a dinner between US and Israeli officials, Netanyahu said the United States and Israel were working with other countries who would give Palestinians a "better future," suggesting that the residents of Gaza could move to neighboring nations.

"If people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave," Netanyahu said.

"We're working with the United States very closely about finding countries that will seek to realize what they always say, that they wanted to give the Palestinians a better future. I think we're getting close to finding several countries."

Trump, who initially demurred to Netanyahu when asked about the relocating of Palestinians, said the countries around Israel were helping out. "We've had great cooperation from ... surrounding countries, great cooperation from every single one of them. So something good will happen," Trump said.

Trump floated relocating Palestinians and taking over the Gaza Strip earlier this year. Gazans criticized the proposal and vowed never to leave their homes in the coastal enclave.

Trump and Netanyahu met in Washington while Israeli officials held indirect negotiations with Hamas aimed at securing a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal.

It was Trump's third face-to-face encounter with Netanyahu since returning to office in January, and came just over two weeks after the president ordered the bombing of Iranian nuclear sites in support of Israeli air strikes.

Trump said his administration would be meeting with Iran. "We have scheduled Iran talks, and they ... want to talk. They took a big drubbing," he said.

Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said the meeting would take place in the next week or so.

Trump said he would like to lift sanctions on Iran at some point. "I would love to be able to, at the right time, take those sanctions off," he said.

Trump and his aides appeared to be trying to seize on any momentum created by the weakening of Iran, which backs Hamas, to push both sides for a breakthrough in the 21-month Gaza war.

The two leaders, with their top advisers, held a private dinner in the White House Blue Room, instead of more traditional talks in the Oval Office, where the president usually greets visiting dignitaries.

During their meeting, Netanyahu gave Trump a letter that he said he had used to nominate the US president for the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump, appearing pleased by the gesture, thanked him.

Israeli officials also hope the outcome of the conflict with Iran will pave the way for normalization of relations with more of its neighbors such as Lebanon, Syria and Saudi Arabia.

 

Pakistani startup ships prosthetics to child war survivor

As soon as eight-year-old Sidra Al Bordeeni returned from the clinic with her prosthetic arm, she jumped on a bicycle in the Jordanian refugee camp where she lives, riding for the first time since a missile strike in Gaza took her arm a year ago, reports Ariba Shahid of Reuters.

Sidra was injured while sheltering at Nuseirat School, one of several Gaza schools converted into makeshift refuges from Israeli strikes. Her mother, Sabreen Al Bordeeni, said Gaza's collapsed health services and the family's inability to leave at the time made it impossible to save her hand.

"She's out playing, and all her friends and siblings are fascinated by her arm," Al Bordeeni said on the phone, repeatedly thanking God for this day. "I can't express how grateful I am to see my daughter happy."

The arm was built over 4,000 kilometres away in Karachi by Bioniks, a Pakistani company that uses a smartphone app to take pictures from different angles and create a 3D model for custom prosthetics.

CEO Anas Niaz said the social enterprise startup had fit more than 1,000 custom-designed arms inside Pakistan since 2021 - funded through a mix of patient payments, corporate sponsorship, and donations - but this was its first time providing prosthetics to those impacted in conflict.

Sidra and three-year-old Habebat Allah, who lost both her arms and a leg in Gaza, went through days of remote consultations and virtual fittings. Then Niaz flew from Karachi to Amman to meet the girls and make his company's first overseas delivery.

Sidra's device was funded by Mafaz Clinic in Amman, while donations from Pakistanis paid for Habebat's. Mafaz CEO Entesar Asaker said the clinic partnered with Bioniks for its low costs, remote solutions and ability to troubleshoot virtually.

Niaz said each prosthetic arm costs about $2,500, significantly less than the $10,000 to $20,000 for alternatives made in the United States.

While Bioniks' arms are less sophisticated than US versions, they provide a high level of functionality for children and their remote process makes them more accessible than options from other countries such as Turkey and South Korea.

"We plan on providing limbs for people in other conflict zones too, like Ukraine, and become a global company," Niaz said.

Globally, most advanced prosthetics are designed for adults and rarely reach children in war zones, who need lighter limbs and replacements every 12–18 months as they grow.

Niaz said they were exploring funding options for Sidra and Habebat's future replacements, adding the cost wouldn't be too high.

"Only a few components would need to be changed," he said, "the rest can be reused to help another child."

Bioniks occasionally incorporates popular fictional characters into its children's prosthetics such as Marvel's Iron Man or Disney's Elsa, a feature Niaz said helps with emotional acceptance and daily use.

Gaza now has around 4,500 new amputees, on top of 2,000 existing cases from before the war, many of them children, making it one of the highest child-amputation crises per capita in recent history, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said in March.

An April study by the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics found at least 7,000 children have been injured since Israel's war in Gaza began in October 2023. Local health authorities say more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, nearly one-third of them children.

The World Health Organization has said Gaza's health system is "on its knees" with Israel's border closures drying up critical supplies, meaning the wounded cannot access specialized care, especially amid waves of wounded patients.

"Where it's nearly impossible for healthcare professionals and patients to meet, remote treatment bridges a critical gap, making assessments, fittings, and follow-up possible without travel or specialized centres," said Asadullah Khan, Clinic Manager at ProActive Prosthetic in Leeds, UK, which provides artificial limbs and support for trauma patients.

Bioniks hopes to pioneer such solutions on a large scale but funding remains a roadblock and the company is still trying to form viable partnerships.

Sidra is still adjusting to her new hand, on which she now wears a small bracelet. For much of the past year, when she wanted to make a heart, a simple gesture using both hands, she would ask someone else to complete it. This time, she formed the shape herself, snapped a photo, and sent it to her father, who is still trapped in Gaza.

"What I'm looking forward to most is using both my arms to finally hug my father when I see him," she said.

 

 

 

 

Bezalel Smotrich Blood Thirsty Beast

According to Reuters, Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich sharply criticized on Sunday a cabinet decision to allow some aid into Gaza as a "grave mistake" that he said would benefit the militant Palestinian group Hamas.

Smotrich also accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to ensure that Israel's military is following government directives in prosecuting the war against Hamas in Gaza. He said he was considering his "next steps" but stopped short of explicitly threatening to quit the coalition.

Smotrich's comments come a day before Netanyahu is due to hold talks in Washington with President Donald Trump on a US-backed proposal for a 60-day Gaza ceasefire.

The Israeli government has not announced any changes to its aid policy in Gaza. Israeli media reported that the government had voted to allow additional aid to enter northern Gaza.

Israel accuses Hamas of stealing aid for its own fighters or to sell to finance its operations, an accusation Hamas denies. Gaza is in the grip of a humanitarian catastrophe, with conditions threatening to push nearly a half a million people into famine within months, according to UN estimates.

Israel in May partially lifted a nearly three-month blockade on aid. Two Israeli officials said on June 27 the government had temporarily stopped aid from entering north Gaza.

Public pressure in Israel is mounting on Netanyahu to secure a permanent ceasefire, a move opposed by some hardline members of his right-wing coalition. An Israeli team left for Qatar on Sunday for talks on a possible Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal.

Smotrich, who in January threatened to withdraw his Religious Zionism party from the government if Israel agreed to a complete end to the war before having achieved its objectives, did not mention the ceasefire in his criticism of Netanyahu.

The right-wing coalition holds a slim parliamentary majority, although some opposition lawmakers have offered to support the government from collapsing if a ceasefire is agreed.

Most of Gaza’s population has been displaced by the war, a humanitarian crisis has unfolded, and much of the territory lies in ruins.

 

Trump-Israel Legacy Coin issued

In honor of July 04 and celebrate the historic bond between the United States and Israel, Trump-Israel Legacy Coin has been issued.

It has been minted to honor a partnership that is stronger than ever, this historic commemorative coin pays tribute to two leaders, whose courageous visions continue to reshape the Middle East.

From the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s eternal capital to the Abraham Accords to a rock-solid commitment to Israel’s defense, this historic era is defined by bold legacies of leadership and strength.

The precision-minted coins feature detailed images of President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu on the front, and a tribute to four defining moments in the president’s legacy of achievements for Israel on the reverse side.

A portion of proceeds benefits vital Israel charities.

 

Zionists start anti Mamdani propaganda

Zionists have started anti Zohran Mamdani propaganda. He is the winner of the Democratic mayoral primary and expected to be the next mayor of New York City.

Zionists have started raising concerns that his victory could seriously impact support for Israel and its lifesaving organizations.

It is being said that Mamdani has made his agenda unmistakably clear, he’s not just critical of Israel, he’s working to punish anyone who supports it.

Zionists claim that among the most alarming signs is a bill Mamdani introduced that would fine synagogues and Jewish nonprofits at least US$ one million simply for donating to Israeli organizations like Zaka, United Hatzalah, and the One Israel Fund.

They claim it is a direct attack on the Jewish community’s right to give, to support, and to stand in solidarity with Israel during times of crisis.

Zaka considers itself to be Mamdani’s targets. It claims to be an emergency response organization that shows up when tragedy strikes - rescuing the injured, honoring the dead, and comforting the broken.

It claims to have responded to terror attacks, disasters, and car crashes across Israel, giving every victim the dignity they deserve and saving as many lives as it can. “This kind of sacred work would be seen as punishable is shocking, but it’s real”.

Even though the bill hasn’t passed, Mamdani’s actions signal a chilling future, where political power is used to silence support for Israel, and where organizations like Zaka could be cut off from the communities that sustain them.

 

Israel planned a false flag operation in US

There is a loud discussion going on that Israel had planned a destructive explosion on US soil intended to be attributed to Iran. The false flag operation sought to fabricate evidence, implicate Iran, and provide a pretext for a full-scale US war against the country. The plan was aimed at manipulating American public opinion and legitimizing military aggression. Iran reportedly sent warnings to American officials, leading to the plan’s disruption.

Although the US played a highly active role in Israel’s 12-day war against Iran, the operation was designed to fully draw Washington into the conflict by replicating the shock and political consequences of the September 11 attacks.

In an analysis, Sobh-e-No highlighted Israel’s history of breaching agreements and lack of commitment to ceasefires and the need for Iran to remain fully ready for violation of the ceasefire that went into effect on June 25. It wrote, “Despite the official declaration of a ceasefire between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Zionist regime, historical evidence shows that the Israeli regime often does not commit to agreements. This ceasefire agreement has seemingly created hope for a temporary halt to attacks. The Islamic Republic of Iran must continue to maintain its vigilance at the highest level. Complete defensive and operational readiness, along with strengthening defense and intelligence systems, is necessary to deal with any betrayal or re-attack by the Zionist regime. At the same time, the country's diplomatic apparatus must reflect the regime's repeated violations of international rules and inform the global public opinion of the unreliable nature of Israel. In the current circumstances, trusting the Zionist regime's commitment to a ceasefire without deterrent measures and full readiness would be nothing more than naivety. This regime has repeatedly shown that it does not adhere to any of international rules and regulations. Therefore, staying prepared and alert is the only way to protect the country's national security”.

In a note, Donya-e-Eqtesad addressed Iran's intelligent silence towards the West and wrote, “The ceasefire that was recently agreed between Iran and Israel with Washington's mediation was not out of moral concern or for peace, but to prevent the spread of tension to energy markets and America's global competition with China. America's military involvement in the recent war was limited and calculated. Trump has adopted an ambivalent position. In response to the recent conflict, he said, "Both Iran and Israel violated the agreement, and I am not happy with either of them." This artificial neutrality is precisely a reflection of the same cost-oriented view of the region. Therefore, now that neither Washington has an incentive to continue sanctions nor Tel Aviv - consciously or unintentionally - has maintained the image of a threat, Iran should not rush to prove that it is a danger. The best response at this moment is an intelligent silence. In politics, you don't always have to speak for yourself. Sometimes it is enough to wait for the other party to speak your language without knowing it, and make others doubt”.

Theorists of “Strategic Solitude” believe that Iran can never be part of the orbit of the great coalitions of world powers, not because of political mistakes, but because of the country’s particular characteristics, such as the Persian language, the Shiite religion, and its specific geographical location. From their view, the great powers of the region do not consider Iran as part of their strategic team. As a result, Iran is forced to rely on itself and follow the path of authority from within, by strengthening internal power and increasing popular legitimacy. Contrary to the common perception of strategic solitude, Iranian analysts see it as an opportunity for independent action in the region. They believe that Iran’s historical experience has been filled with the betrayal of great powers, from Russia and Britain to today’s America and China. According to this view, Iran can never rely on others, because others always make and break agreements in line with their preferences. Iran's strategic solitude is the result of its political system, prevailing discourse, and the Islamic Republic’s deliberate orientation in foreign policy. This perspective views the phenomenon not as inherent, but as a political and discursive construct.

 

Trump executing Netanyahu orders

In a commentary on Sunday, the Al Jazeera staff analyzed the history of Trump’s relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in his first term as US president and up to the current days that the two have joined hands against Iran.

The following is an excerpt of the article:

President Trump announced his military has attacked three Iranian nuclear sites in the early hours on Sunday.

Trump also said Netanyahu and he had worked like “perhaps no team has ever worked before”. Those laudatory comments represent a stark contrast from the far more crude language that Trump used for the Israeli leader just four years ago, and their public tension over Iran less than a month ago.

In his televised address on Sunday, during the early morning hours in the Middle East, Trump thanked and congratulated Netanyahu. “I want to thank and congratulate Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu,” he said, referring to a name the Israeli PM is widely known by.

“We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we’ve gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel,” Trump claimed, referring to Iran’s nuclear facilities.

However, Israel remains the only country in the Middle East with a nuclear arsenal, though it has never officially acknowledged it.

The US strikes follow ten days of Israeli missile attacks against Iran, including on its nuclear facilities. Israel did not have the bombs needed to damage or destroy Iran’s most fortified nuclear site in Fordow, buried deep inside a mountain.  The US using its bunker-buster bombs, hit Fordow as well as the facilities in Natanz and Isfahan on Sunday.

Trump’s decision to align himself with Netanyahu in bringing the US into the war with Iran has split his “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) support base.

The chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has publicly said it does not believe that Iran was building a nuclear weapon, an assessment shared by US intelligence agencies, which also drew the same conclusion earlier this year.

However, Trump has in recent days said his hand-picked spy chief, Tulsi Gabbard, and the intelligence community’s assessment were “wrong”.

Trump did best service to Netanyahu in first term

Trump recognized Jerusalem (al-Quds) as Israel’s capital and moved the US embassy there from Tel Aviv, a long-sought symbolic victory for Netanyahu. Trump appointed an ambassador who was ideologically aligned with Israel’s settler movement, David Friedman, in May 2017.

In March 2019, the US president also recognized Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, becoming the only world leader to back Israel’s annexation of the region that is recognized internationally as a part of Syria.

In September 2020, Trump hosted the signing of the Abraham Accords, which led to normalization of relations between Israel and four Arab states – Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Sudan.

Trump formally withdrew the US from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal — in May 2018, through a presidential proclamation that reinstated US sanctions against Iran.

This marked a major shift from the previous US policy of implementing the JCPOA in January 2016 to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump declared the deal “defective at its core”.

However, in a December 2021 Axios interview with Israeli journalist Barak Ravid, Trump revealed that his relationship with Netanyahu deteriorated after the Israeli PM publicly congratulated incoming President Joe Biden on his 2020 election victory — a loss that Trump has refused to accept.

“The first person that congratulated [Biden] was Bibi Netanyahu, the man that I did more for than any other person I dealt with. Bibi could have stayed quiet. He has made a terrible mistake,” Trump said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname. “And not only did he congratulate him, he did it on tape.” “F*** him,” Trump said, expressing his anger.

Trump rallies behind Netanyahu’s genocidal campaign against Palestinians. While the incoming Trump administration initially claimed to broker a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, with some observers noting that he may rein in the Israeli military campaign, it soon rallied behind Netanyahu’s continuing genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people.

In a joint news conference in February this year, Trump wildly proposed that the US should “take over” the Gaza Strip, redevelop it, and relocate Palestinians, a plan that Netanyahu publicly endorsed as “nothing wrong”.

Netanyahu also said he was “committed to US President Trump’s plan for the creation of a different Gaza”. The US approved US$2.5 billion worth of arms sales to Israel, including bombs and drones.

In March, Israel resumed major air attacks in Gaza after negotiations over the release of captives collapsed. The White House confirmed that Israel had consulted Trump before the attacks.

Trump’s position has seesawed from alignment with Netanyahu to his own distinct positions. During April 12 to June 13, 2025 the US led back-channel nuclear negotiations with Iran, mediated by Oman.

In May, during his Persian Gulf tour Trump stated that the US was in “very serious negotiations” with Iran and “getting very close” to a nuclear deal, signaling openness to diplomacy.

On May 28, Trump said he told Netanyahu to hold off on any strike against Iran to give his administration more time to push for a new nuclear deal. He told reporters at the White House that he relayed to Netanyahu a strike “would be inappropriate to do right now because we’re very close to a solution”.

In June, the IAEA claimed Iran had not been transparent enough in its nuclear program, and that elements of its approach were in violation of the country’s safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency. The US began evacuating its regional embassies. Tensions surged as Trump stated that diplomacy was stalling and hinted at serious consequences, if no deal was reached.

On June 13, Israel launched massive air strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites, killing nuclear scientists, scholars, and top military commanders.

In the initial US reaction to Israeli attacks on Iran, Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, called the strikes “unilateral” and claimed Washington was “not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region”.

The US-Iran talks over a nuclear deal were suspended. Trump admitted that he was aware of Israel’s plans to attack Iran.

On June 19, Trump, after nearly a week of Israel’s war against Iran, signaled support for Israel’s military campaign.

On June 21, Trump ordered US air strikes on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear facilities, coordinating with Israel.

Iran likely to attack US bases in Middle East

More than 40,000 US service members and civilians — as well as billions of dollars in military equipment — are in the Middle East, spread out across bases in Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Those working in countries closest to Iran, including Iraq and Kuwait, would conceivably have only minutes to prepare for an incoming Iranian strike. The Hill suggests, President Donald Trump should order the US military to join Israel’s bombing campaign.

Israel, last week unleashed a barrage of airstrikes on Iran that set off the largest conflict ever between the two regional adversaries, with Tehran responding with its own attacks.

Trump has not yet decided on possible US military action against Iran, telling reporters through his top spokesperson that he would make his decision within two weeks.

In response, Iran has threatened to directly attack US forces should they enter Israel’s war campaign, with the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warning Wednesday, “Americans should know that any US military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage.” 

Tehran’s threats aren’t idle, as the country has retaliated against Washington in the past, most notably in January 2020, when Trump in his first term ordered an airstrike that killed Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force.

The strike, which happened as Soleimani traveled to Baghdad, prompted a swift response from Iran, which days later hammered Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq and another US base in Erbil with 13 ballistic missiles. While no Americans were killed in the largest ballistic missile attack ever against US forces abroad, more than 100 were later diagnosed and treated for traumatic brain injuries.

Reportedly, Trump is considering using the GBU-57 — known as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator or so-called bunker buster bomb — to damage Iran’s Fordow nuclear enrichment facility, a similar attack from Tehran can’t be ruled out. Iran has the ballistic missiles ready to go, those strikes could happen in less than 15 minutes.

 

Israeli attacks on Iran, what it gained or lost?

No one could believe that the United States or Israel launch attacks on Iran in the middle of a diplomatic process. The sixth round of indirect nuclear talks with the US was scheduled later in the week. There were expectations a breakthrough was possible this time.

US President Donald Trump had urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid attacking Iran. Even if Trump is "crazy," many analysts argued, he seemed capable of clear thinking when it came to West Asia, understanding that another war in the region - especially one that involves Iran - would benefit no one.

However, Trump turned out to be just as crazy and ignorant as people knew he was. He provided Israel with logistics and intelligence needed to strike residential buildings, nuclear facilities, and military sites across Iran while a meeting was scheduled in Oman.

Why did Israel attack Iran?  

Netanyahu claims the attacks aimed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons a justification few accept, even those minimally informed about Iran s nuclear program.  

The IAEA and Western intelligence agencies have confirmed time and time again that despite nuclear advancements, Iran has neither pursued nuclear weapons nor demonstrated political will to do so. If Iran develops such weapons in the future, it will likely be a direct result of Israel s brazen aggression, making them feel such arms are necessary.

Israeli attacks on the Natanz and Fordow nuclear facilities failed to cause significant damage. As per Iran's nuclear chief's latest announcement, both sites are currently operating normally. This did not come as a surprise, as the whole world had known for a while that the main part of Iran's nuclear facilities are placed deep under the ground, and that it is impossible to destroy them with conventional weapons.. 

To understand why Iran was attacked, we must first examine the Israeli offensive.  

Israeli operation against Iran comprised of three elements: 1) assassinating military leaders, 2) attacking nuclear sites, and 3) terrorizing civilians.  

Israel believed its offensive would result in three things: 1) The assassination of top Iranian commanders would delay or prevent retaliation, 2) All or a significant number of Iran's missile launchers, depots, and military sites would be destroyed through Friday's campaign, and 3) Killing of Iranian civilians and striking the heart of Tehran would pit the people against the government and spur an uprising

All assumptions proved false. While the loss of five of its top military leaders did deal a blow to Iran, it did not cripple the Iranian Armed Forces. Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei took only a couple of hours to replace the assasinated generals. 

While analysts don't know how much damage Israel has managed to inflict on Iran's military assets, it is clear that a large part of the country's defensive and offensive calibilties are still in tact. 

Since the conflict began, Iran has launched multiple waves of missile strikes against the occupied territories, hitting critical targets like the Haifa oil refinery, the Mossad and Aman headquarters, military bases, and nuclear research centers. The Iranian Armed Forces claim they have enough missiles to hit Israeli targets every day for two years.  

Another Israeli prediction that proved false was that given the various financial and societal issues gripping Iran in recent years, the people would choose to topple the government in order to "save" their lives.

Netanyahu issued a message to the Iranian people, and later did an interview with a US-based Persian speaking channel to tell them he was only at war with the government, and that he wanted to bring Iranians freedom and prosperity.

The Israeli aggression only made Iranians more united and even prompted well-known individuals with a long history of anti-goverment activisim to rally behind Ayatollah Khamenei.

What Israel gained or lost? 

Netanyahu managed to gain a temporary period of Euphoria. Settlers in the occupied territories are accustomed to waging war not facing existential threats. For the first time in Israel s history, its citizens fear for their lives. Iranian missiles strike at will, a reality Israelis recently confronted. As Hebrew media reports, residents barred by authorities from fleeing now pay smugglers to transport them by boat to Cyprus.

Journalists say they are appalled at what's happening, military analysts say Israel's interceptors, which have so far only downed older Iranian missiles designed to preoccupy air defense systems, will be out soon.

Netanyahu and Trump essentialy entered a war they can not finish. It appears Israel failed in estimating Iranian capabilities. They may have to sit back and watch how Iran writes the ending to their story.

 

France and Britain not likely to recognize Palestinian state

According to the sources, France and Britain will abandon plans to recognize a Palestinian state at an upcoming conference in New York to be held between June 17 and 20. France had been lobbying the UK and other European allies to recognize a Palestinian state at the conference.

President Emmanuel Macron had described the move as “a moral duty and political requirement”, suggesting it could come in return for Saudi Arabia recognizing Israel at the conference.

The Guardian has reported that French officials briefed their Israeli counterparts this week that the conference would not be the moment for recognition. Instead, it will now focus on outlining steps towards recognition, contingent on a series of measures and concessions from the Palestinians.

These will include a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the release of Israeli captives, reform of the Palestinian Authority, economic reconstruction and the end of Hamas rule in Gaza.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Friday that recognizing a Palestinian state at the conference would have been a "symbolic" decision and said they had a "particular responsibility" as a permanent member of the UN Security Council not to do so without the support of allies.

Kenneth Roth, former Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, expressed concerns that the recognition of a Palestinian state could end up being indefinitely delayed by the announced steps.

"Those steps should not be an endless (nonexistent) 'peace process' but pressure on Israel to stop obstructing a state," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Although 147 countries recognize the state of Palestine, much of Europe has been reluctant and long stated that such a move could only come with Israel's approval and reciprocal moves from Arab states.

Ireland, Spain and Norway recognized a Palestinian state last year, and there has been an increasing consensus that recognition should come unilaterally as a means of pressuring Israel to change tack.

Last week, Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas told Middle East Eye (MEE) that France's push to recognize Palestine was "serious and has the backing of most of the European Union and Saudi Arabia”.

However, both Britain and France have faced pressure from the United States over the plans, while Israel has said it would expand its settlements in the occupied West Bank in response.

Israeli war minister Israel Katz said plans to build a further 22 settlements in the occupied territory were "a strategic move that prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state".

In July last year, the Israeli parliament voted overwhelmingly to oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state, with only Palestinian lawmakers and a single left-wing Jewish MP voting in support.

Pinkas told MEE that while there was no meaningful domestic support in Israel or the parliament for Palestinian statehood, the international community’s pitch to Israel over ending the war should be that “we are your friends, we want you to succeed, this cannot go on... Netanyahu is driving you to unmitigated and irreparable disaster. Wake up, we are here to help".

 

Israeli troops have boarded aid ship Madleen

Activists say Israeli troops have boarded a yacht trying to bring humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. "Connection has been lost" on the Madleen, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) campaign group said on the Telegram app, reports Saudi Gazette.

The group posted a photo showing people in life jackets sitting with their hands up. Climate activist Greta Thunberg is among those aboard the vessel, which is believed to be off the Egyptian coast.

Israel's foreign ministry said earlier that the country's navy had told the yacht to change course "due to its approach toward a restricted area". Israel says a blockade is necessary to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas militants in Gaza.

The FFC said the vessel, which left Sicily on Friday, was carrying humanitarian aid and had been "prepared for the possibility of an Israeli attack".

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had warned that the yacht should turn back and that Israel would act against any attempt to breach the blockade.

He wrote in a post on X on Sunday, "I have instructed the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] to act to prevent the 'Madeleine' [sic] hate flotilla from reaching the shores of Gaza - and to take whatever measures are necessary to that end."

Katz says the purpose of Israel's blockade, which has been in place since 2007, is to "prevent the transfer of weapons to Hamas" and is essential to Israel's security as it seeks to destroy Hamas.

The FFC has argued that the sea blockade is illegal, characterizing Katz's statement as an example of Israel threatening the unlawful use of force against civilians and "attempting to justify that violence with smears".

"We will not be intimidated. The world is watching," FFC press officer Hay Sha Wiya said.

"The Madleen is a civilian vessel, unarmed and sailing in international waters, carrying humanitarian aid and human rights defenders from across the globe... Israel has no right to obstruct our effort to reach Gaza."

The Madleen was carrying a symbolic quantity of aid, including rice and baby formula, the group said.

Citizens of Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Turkey are on board.

In 2010, Israeli commandos killed 10 people when they boarded the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara that was leading an aid flotilla towards Gaza.

Israel recently began to allow limited aid into Gaza after a three-month land blockade, prioritizing distribution through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which is backed by Israel and the US but widely condemned by humanitarian groups.

The UN's human rights chief, Volker Türk, said last week Palestinians were being presented with the "grimmest of choices: die from starvation or risk being killed while trying to access the meagre food that is being made available".

It is almost 20 months since Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza. At least 54,880 people have been killed in Gaza since, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

 

Madleen Gaza Flotilla Sailing for Justice

The Madleen Gaza Flotilla, which sailed from Sicily on June 01, 2025, is the latest and most determined international campaign to challenge the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza and provide desperately needed humanitarian assistance in the context of an escalating crisis. 

The Madleen Flotilla is a symbol of peaceful resistance and international solidarity with Gaza's besieged population, challenging the legality and morality of Israel's blockade while amplifying the plight of Gaza's civilians and calling for justice. Whether the Madleen is intercepted or succeeds in delivering aid, its mission has already succeeded in breaking the silence surrounding Gaza's suffering and drawing attention to the urgent need for peace, dignity, and humanitarian access.

Named in honor of Madleen Kulab, Gaza’s first and only fisherwoman, the boat is loaded with urgently needed supplies, including baby formula, flour, rice, glucose, diapers, women’s sanitary products, water desalination filters, medical tools, crutches, and prosthetics for children.

Twelve activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and Irish actor Liam Cunningham, are on board the mission, which is being organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), an international civil society movement dedicated to lifting the blockade.

Historical context and continuity

The Madleen’s journey is part of a decades-long history of flotillas seeking to break Gaza’s blockade, notably bringing to mind the 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla. That mission came to a violent conclusion when Israeli commandos stormed the Mavi Marmara in international waters, killing nine activists. 

The Madleen steams in the wake of that incident, and more recent attacks like the drone strike in May 2025 that left another FFC ship, the Conscience, heavily damaged near Malta.

These recurrent attempts and interceptions demonstrate the ongoing dangers to relief efforts opposing the blockade and the persistence of nonviolent, civilian-led resistance to the siege of Gaza.

Humanitarian crisis and symbolism

Gaza is experiencing a serious humanitarian crisis. More than 90 percent of its 2.3 million people are struggling to get enough food, with the UN warning that the whole population might face famine because an Israeli blockade has stopped most aid since March 2025. 
Hospitals are overwhelmed, clean water is hard to find, and basic supplies are almost gone. The Madleen, a ship carrying vital supplies, aims to help with these shortages. It represents the strength and determination of Palestinians in the face of long-standing challenges.

Challenging Israel’s blockade policies

The Madleen flotilla opposes Israel's blockade in a number of ways. By sailing straight to the coast of Gaza, it physically tries to break through the naval blockade and directly challenges Israel's maritime restrictions. 

By bringing the blockade's terrible humanitarian effects to the attention of the world, the mission puts pressure on Israel and the international community to reevaluate the legitimacy of the policy. The flotilla mobilizes public opinion and global solidarity against the blockade by enlisting well-known activists and live-streaming its journey.

The Madleen challenges the legal and moral basis for the blockade, which violates international law by punishing the civilian population as a whole. It argues that its mission is non-violent civil resistance. The flotilla highlights the danger of military confrontation, having now pressured Israel to consider the consequences of intercepting a peaceful humanitarian ship in the face of heightened world attention.

Symbolizing peaceful resistance 

In addition to providing aid, Madleen represents nonviolent resistance to the Gaza siege, Palestinian tenacity, and the refusal to accept isolation and starvation as normal circumstances. The flotilla's nonviolent civil disobedience asserts a moral right to humanitarian access and challenges military restrictions without using force.

By seeking to establish a maritime humanitarian corridor, it offers hope for breaking the siege and restoring lifelines to Gaza. The mission highlights international solidarity, bringing international activists and public attention to Gaza's predicament, and it continues a legacy of maritime resistance that started more than ten years ago.

Described as a “lighthouse in a very dark time,” the flotilla calls on the global conscience to act against injustice and uphold human dignity.

Activism and global solidarity

The involvement of well-known activists like Greta Thunberg has contributed to the Madleen mission's considerable international attention. By saving four Libyan migrants who had jumped into the sea to escape being apprehended by Libyan authorities while traveling to Gaza, the flotilla also showed its humanitarian solidarity. 

This action demonstrates the flotilla's wider commitment to protecting vulnerable populations and the interconnectedness of the humanitarian crises in the Mediterranean. The flotilla has become a focal point for advocacy against the blockade. It has awakened public opinion against injustice.

 

US imposes sanctions on ICC judges

President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday imposed sanctions on four judges at the International Criminal Court, an unprecedented retaliation over the war tribunal's issuance of an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a past decision to open a case into alleged war crimes by US troops in Afghanistan.

Washington designated Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin and Beti Hohler of Slovenia, according to a statement from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

"As ICC judges, these four individuals have actively engaged in the ICC’s illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America or our close ally, Israel. The ICC is politicized and falsely claims unfettered discretion to investigate, charge, and prosecute nationals of the United States and our allies," Rubio said.

The ICC slammed the move, saying it was an attempt to undermine the independence of an international judicial institution that provides hope and justice to millions of victims of "unimaginable atrocities."

Both judges Bossa and Ibanez Carranza have been on the ICC bench since 2018. In 2020 they were involved in an appeals chamber decision that allowed the ICC prosecutor to open a formal investigation into alleged war crimes by American troops in Afghanistan.

Since 2021, the court had deprioritized the investigation into American troops in Afghanistan and focused on alleged crimes committed by the Afghan government and the Taliban forces.

ICC judges also issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, former Israeli defense chief Yoav Gallant and Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri last November for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza conflict. Alapini Gansou and Hohler ruled to authorize the arrest warrant against Netanyahu and Gallant, Rubio said.

The move deepens the administration's animosity toward the court. During the first Trump administration in 2020, Washington imposed sanctions on then-prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and one of her top aides over the court's work on Afghanistan.

The measures also follow a January vote at the US House of Representatives to punish the ICC in protest over its Netanyahu arrest warrant. The move underscored strong support among Trump's fellow Republicans for Israel's government.

The measures triggered uproar among human-rights advocates. Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch, said the punitive measures were a "flagrant attack on the rule of law at the same time as President Trump is working to undercut it at home."

Sanctions severely hamper individuals' abilities to carry out even routine financial transactions as any banks with ties to the United States, or that conduct transactions in dollars, are expected to have to comply with the restrictions.

But the Treasury Department also issued general licenses, including one allowing the wind-down of any existing transactions involving those targeted on Thursday until July 08, as long as any payment to them is made to a blocked, interest-bearing account located in the US.

The new sanctions come at a difficult time for the ICC, which is already reeling from earlier US sanctions against its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, who last month stepped aside temporarily amid a United Nations investigation into his alleged sexual misconduct.

The ICC, which was established in 2002, has international jurisdiction to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in member states or if a situation is referred by the UN Security Council. The United States, China, Russia and Israel are not members.

 

Donald Trump: America’s Embarrassment

On July 09, 2017, I read an interesting blog by Margaret Kimberley titled ‘America’s Embarrassment’.  I picked up a few paragraphs from that and copy pasted those. I salute Margaret, her lines look as fresh as written today.

Donald Trump is a national embarrassment. Corporate media pundits have declared this statement to be true and millions of people are in agreement. As a candidate and as president Trump has certainly deviated from the norms of acceptable public behavior, but how much does that really matter?

Many Americans love to brag that theirs is “the richest country in the world.” There are certainly big banks, rich individuals and trillions of dollars in the treasury but the masses of people rarely benefit from this wealth. This country routinely ranks near the bottom when compared to other “developed” nations in any measure of how it treats its people. It is now considered a “second tier” nation in terms of the wellbeing of its citizens.

It is certainly unusual to have such a decidedly boorish president. Trump literally pushes other presidents aside, engages in public feuds with celebrities and makes anyone an enemy who dares to oppose him or his policies. He makes up terms like “bigly” and “modern presidential” and excoriates the press when they criticize him. Condemning this kind of behavior is the lowest hanging fruit.

Trump can be blamed for quite a lot during his first six months in office. His travel ban against citizens of seven nations is an unconstitutional exercise in Islamphobia and has been struck down by federal judges. Trump bans Libyans from traveling to the United States, but Obama destroyed that country and created an ongoing humanitarian disaster.

The concluding remarks are most interesting, “The list of reasons to be embarrassed about America is very long and it existed before Trump was inaugurated. He has surely added to that ledger, but legitimate cause for concern shouldn’t be pushed aside in favor of phony outrage about optics. President Trump is an ill- mannered, impulsive, happily uninformed bigot. Most of his predecessors were better behaved and followed rules of public relations. But they filled the jails, ended the right to public assistance, killed millions of people abroad, kept wages low and used a variety of schemes to make the rich even richer. Despite his obvious shortcomings Donald Trump is not the worst among them. And that is the most embarrassing fact of all”.

Why genocide in Gaza can’t be stopped?

The situation in Gaza is extremely complex and the most tragic. Many around the world view the events as a genocide or use similar language to describe the mass civilian deaths and destruction. However, stopping it has proven exceptionally difficult for several interlocking reasons that include:

Geopolitical Support and Impunity

Israel receives strong diplomatic, military, and financial support from the United State. and some European countries. This often translates into vetoes at the UN, delays or blocks to ceasefire calls, and a general lack of enforcement of international law. Israel has historically not faced major consequences for military actions in Gaza, leading to a perception of impunity.

Power Asymmetry

Israel has one of the most advanced militaries in the world; Gaza, governed by Hamas and containing millions of civilians, is heavily blockaded and lacks basic infrastructure. With no army, air force, or functioning economy, most of Gaza’s population are civilians who cannot flee or defend themselves, which worsens the humanitarian crisis but doesn’t shift the balance of power.

Hamas and Israeli Security Policy

Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by many countries. Its attacks on Israeli civilians on October 07, 2023 are used to justify Israel's military campaigns, often without sufficient distinction between combatants and civilians. Israel’s strategy includes weakening Palestinian national aspirations or displacing populations, under the guise of fighting terrorism.

Weak International Institutions

The UN has condemned actions by both sides but lacks enforcement power. Security Council vetoes paralyze action. Many countries call for peace or ceasefire but do not intervene directly, militarily or diplomatically.

Media and Narrative Control

There is intense contestation over how the conflict is framed. Terms like “genocide,” “ethnic cleansing,” or “self-defense” are politically charged, and mainstream media coverage often reflects the stance of powerful governments, making unified international pressure difficult.

Humanitarian Aid Blockages

Even humanitarian ceasefires often collapse or are partial, and aid is restricted or bombed, leading to mass famine, disease, and collapse of health systems, which intensifies civilian suffering.

Lack of Political Will

Regional divisions, internal politics, arms industry interests, and fear of confronting powerful allies all contribute to a lack of coordinated pressure on Israel to halt its military operations. Many legal scholars, UN experts, and human rights organizations argue that the scale and intent of destruction in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide. Genocide is defined not just by killing, but by the intent to destroy a group in whole or in part, through killing, causing serious harm, or creating unlivable conditions. Stopping the violence in Gaza is not only about humanitarian urgency — it is blocked by a mix of political alliances, military interests, narrative control, legal ambiguity, and lack of enforceable global mechanisms. Many around the world are calling for action, but meaningful international intervention remains elusive.

Rulers US hostages

One of the narratives is that Israel is adamant at killing all living in Gaza and occupy the enclave into settlements. It is also being said that the strip in rich in fossil oil/ gas. The situation took a twist when US President Donald Trump expressed intention to convert Gaza into a tourist resort. It is also being said that the rulers of oil rich country are ‘hostage” of United States. They presented a luxury plane worth US$400 million to Trump on his visit to the Middle East, but could not convince him to stop genocide in Gaza.

 

Yemen strikes Ben Gurion Airport once again

The Yemeni Armed Forces announced on Friday the execution of a military operation targeting Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and have warned they will continue enforcing an air and maritime blockade unless the siege on Gaza is lifted. The attack was conducted using a hypersonic ballistic missile, reports the Tehran Times.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, confirmed that the operation successfully achieved its objectives.

He said it forced “millions of occupying Zionists to flee into shelters and brought air traffic at the airport to a halt.”

Saree emphasized that the operation reaffirms the Yemeni Armed Forces’ ongoing religious, moral, and humanitarian duty toward the Palestinian people.

He stated that Yemen will persist in enforcing a blockade on Israeli air navigation to and from Ben Gurion Airport and will respond to any Israeli aggression against Yemen with further military support operations in solidarity with the oppressed Palestinian people.

Israeli media had reported detecting a ballistic missile launched from Yemen, which led to the suspension of air traffic at Ben Gurion Airport. This coincided with air raid sirens sounding across wide areas.

Israeli police also reported receiving alerts about fragments from a missile falling in southern Jerusalem (occupied al-Quds) and a nearby settlement.

The government in Sanaa has vowed that the Israeli aggression will not deter Yemen from its ongoing military operations in support of Gaza.

The leader of the Ansarallah movement, Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, also declared that “Israeli aggression on Sanaa International Airport will not stop Yemeni operations in support of the Palestinian people.”

He added that the Yemeni Armed Forces are preparing to escalate their operations in the coming phase to increase their effectiveness and impact on the Israeli enemy.

On Wednesday, Israeli warplanes launched several airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport, only about ten days after it had resumed operations following a previous Israeli attack.

This latest attack by the Yemeni Armed Forces is part of a series of military actions aimed at imposing an aerial blockade on the Israeli occupation regime. The repeated missile attacks have specifically targeted Ben Gurion Airport.

In recent weeks, these operations have led to repeated disruptions in air traffic and prompted several international airlines to suspend flights to and from Tel Aviv.

Yemen maintains that these attacks are being carried out in support of the Palestinians in Gaza and has pledged to continue launching strikes until the US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza ends and the blockade on the coastal strip is lifted.