By Palestine Chronicle Staff Judging by the latest statements of the Palestinian Resistance and the new videos documenting their operations, whatever plan Israel is conducting in northern Gaza continues to fail. Indeed, nothing has [...]
The post ‘Eliminated from Zero Distance’ – Resistance Roundup – Day 439 appeared first on Palestine Chronicle.
]]>Judging by the latest statements of the Palestinian Resistance and the new videos documenting their operations, whatever plan Israel is conducting in northern Gaza continues to fail. Indeed, nothing has changed on the ground.
The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas, announced that they had eliminated five Israeli soldiers from a zero distance, near the Al-Khulafaa Mosque in the center of the Jabaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.
In a separate statement, the Brigades said its fighters detonated an Israeli troop carrier near the Martyr Imad Aqel Mosque, east of Jabaliya.
The Al-Qassam also announced that its fighters targeted the occupation command and control site in the Netzarim axis with 107 rockets.
The group said that it sniped an Israeli soldier, hitting him directly in the Al-Tawam area, north of Gaza City.
Al-Qassam also announced that it targeted an Israeli force that had barricaded itself inside a house with a TBG shell near the Abu Sharkh roundabout, west of Jabaliya.
For its part, the Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, published a video showing its fighters shelling the city of Ashkelon and Israeli settlements in the Gaza Envelope area with Grad rockets.
Qassam vs IDF in Rafah: Yassin 105 vs D9 armoured bulldozer in al-Jeneina. [Qassam Brigades 10/12] pic.twitter.com/UBo0xK9vD7
— Jon Elmer (@jonelmer) December 12, 2024
A video showed the rockets being prepared inside one of the tunnels before they were launched.
The Al-Quds Brigades also announced the targeting of Israeli soldiers and vehicles in the areas of incursion in the center of Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip.
It also said that its fighters took control of an Israeli military drone while it was carrying out a mission in central Gaza.
Additionally, Al-Quds published a video of what it said was an artillery operation against Israeli soldiers and vehicles that were penetrating into the Al-Jeneina neighborhood, east of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
The video showed the vehicles being monitored during their incursion into the operation area and targeted with mortar shells between December 12 and 15.
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.
#Palestine / #Israel
: Al-Quds Brigades (Islamic Jihad) carried out rocket attacks #Ashkelon and Israeli locations from #Gaza.
Group notably used 122mm #NorthKorea/#DPRK-made
"R-122" Grad rockets —which seem to be locally re-painted as well. pic.twitter.com/tWBHPNNI1j
— War Noir (@war_noir) December 18, 2024
“Al-Qassam Brigades targets the enemy’s command and control site in the Netzarim axis with 107 missiles.
“Qassam fighters managed to snipe a Zionist soldier and directly hit him in the Tawam area north of Gaza City.
“An Israeli troop carrier was blown up by a Shawath bomb near the Martyr Imad Aql Mosque, east of Jabaliya camp, north of the Gaza Strip.
“A Qassam fighter managed to kill an Israeli soldier next to a Merkava tank, seize his weapon, and throw two hand grenades into the tank west of Beit Lahia, north of the Gaza Strip.”
“We took control of a Zionist drone while it was carrying out intelligence missions in the skies of Rafah city, south of the Gaza Strip.”
(The Palestine Chronicle)
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By Ramzy Baroud Palestinians will certainly resist, as they always do. The nature of the resistance will prove critical in the success or failure of the Israeli scheme. Israel is getting ready to annex [...]
The post ‘Great Opportunity’ for Permanent War: What if Israel Annexed the West Bank? appeared first on Palestine Chronicle.
]]>By Ramzy Baroud 
Palestinians will certainly resist, as they always do. The nature of the resistance will prove critical in the success or failure of the Israeli scheme.
Israel is getting ready to annex the occupied Palestinian West Bank. The annexation will be a major step backward on the road to Palestinian freedom and will likely serve as a catalyst for a new Palestinian uprising.
Though annexation has been on the Israeli agenda for years, this time around a ‘great opportunity’ – in the words of extremist Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich – has presented itself and, from an Israeli point of view, cannot be missed.
“I hope we’ll have a great opportunity with the new US administration to create full normalization (of the Israeli occupation),” the minister was quoted as saying by Israeli media.
This is not the first time that Smotrich, among other Israeli extremists, has made the connection between Trump’s advent to the White House and the illegal expansion of Israel’s borders.
Two reasons make Israel’s far-right optimistic about Trump’s arrival: One, the Israeli experience during Trump’s first term in office, where the US president allowed Israel to claim sovereignty over illegal settlements, the Syrian Golan Heights, and occupied East Jerusalem; and, two, Trump’s more recent statement in the run-up to the elections.
Israel is “so tiny” on the map, Trump said while addressing the pro-Israeli group ‘Stop Antisemitism’ at an event last August, wondering: “Is there any way of getting more?” The statement, absurd by any definition, caused joy among Israeli politicians, who understood it to be a green right for further annexations.
Israel’s aims for colonial expansion also received a boost in recent days. Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s rule in Syria, Israel immediately began invading large swathes of the country, reaching as far as the Quneitra governorate, less than 20 kilometers away from the capital, Damascus.
What is taking place in Syria serves as a model of what to expect in the West Bank in coming months.
Israel had occupied nearly 70 percent of the Syrian Golan Heights in 1967. It cemented its illegal occupation of the Arab region by formally annexing it in 1981 through the so-called Golan Heights Law.
That illegal move came shortly after another illegal annexation, that of occupied Palestinian East Jerusalem the previous year.
Although the West Bank was not formally annexed, the boundaries of East Jerusalem expanded well beyond its historic borders, thus swallowing large parts of the West Bank.
The West Bank, like East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, are all recognized as illegally occupied territories under international law. Israel has no legal basis to maintain its occupation, let alone annexation of any Palestinian or Arab region. It is allowed to do so, however, due to US-western support and international silence.
But why is Israel keen on annexing the West Bank now?
Aside from the ‘great opportunity’ linked to Trump’s return to power, Israel feels that its ability to sustain a genocidal war on Gaza without any international intervention to bring the extermination to an end, would make the annexation of the West Bank a far less consequential matter on the international agenda.
Even though the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had issued a decisive ruling on the illegality of the Israeli occupation on July 19, followed by the issuing of arrest warrants of top Israeli leaders by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on November 21, no action was taken to hold Israel accountable. The annexation of the West Bank is unlikely to change that, especially as Israel conducts its wars and illegal actions through direct US support.
Indeed, the Democratic administration of Joe Biden has financed and supported all Israeli wars, including the current genocide. Trump is expected to be equally generous, or at least, not at all critical.
All of this in mind, the annexation of the West Bank in the coming weeks or months is a real possibility.
In fact, Smotrich had already informed “workers of the Defense Ministry body in charge of Israeli and Palestinian civil affairs in the West Bank” about his plans to “shut down the department as part of an envisioned Israeli annexation of the area,” Times of Israel reported on December 6.
While such annexation will not change the legal status of the West Bank, it will have dire consequences for the millions of Palestinians living there, as annexation is likely to be followed by a violent campaign of ethnic cleansing, if not from the whole of the West Bank, certainly from large parts of it.
Annexation will also render the Palestinian Authority legally irrelevant – as it was created following the Oslo Accords to administer parts of the West Bank in anticipation of a future sovereignty, which never actualized. Will the PA agree to remain functional as part of the Israeli military administration of a newly annexed West Bank?
Palestinians will certainly resist, as they always do. The nature of the resistance will prove critical in the success or failure of the Israeli scheme. A popular Intifada, for example, will overstretch the Israeli military, which will likely use an unprecedented degree of violence to suppress Palestinians but will unlikely succeed.
Annexing the West Bank at a time that Palestine, in fact, the whole region is in turmoil, is a recipe for perpetual war, which, from the viewpoint of Smotrich and his ilk is the actual ‘great opportunity’, as it will secure their political survival for years to come.
– Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of six books. His latest book, co-edited with Ilan Pappé, is “Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and Intellectuals Speak out”. Dr. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA). His website is www.ramzybaroud.net
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By Palestine Chronicle Staff A commander of the Jenin Battalion – affiliated with the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement – has spoken out against the Palestinian Authority’s ongoing operation [...]
The post Jenin Commander: ‘We Will Not Disarm under Palestinian Authority Pressure’ appeared first on Palestine Chronicle.
]]>A commander of the Jenin Battalion – affiliated with the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement – has spoken out against the Palestinian Authority’s ongoing operation in the Jenin refugee camp.
In an interview with Al-Jazeera on Wednesday, the commander accused the PA of acting against the resistance, emphasizing that disarming their fighters is not an option.
The commander also revealed that the Jenin Battalion had reached out to the PA’s security forces in an effort to resolve the escalating situation, but their appeals were dismissed.
“We sent representatives to negotiate and find a solution, but the security services responded arrogantly,” he stated.
He added that the PA’s demand to disarm resistance fighters and its refusal to allow any operations against Israel is unacceptable.
The commander criticized the PA’s political approach over the past three decades, stating that it has failed to produce any meaningful results for the Palestinian cause.
“The Authority has been implementing its political program for 30 years, and it has achieved nothing,” he said, adding that resistance remains the only viable path to confront the Israeli occupation.
The comments came amid violent clashes between the Palestinian Authority’s security forces and resistance fighters in Jenin camp, which has been under siege for 14 consecutive days.
The security campaign, which the PA describes as a crackdown on “outlaws,” has resulted in the deaths of three Palestinians, including field commander Yazid Ja’ayseh and 12-year-old Mohammed Al-Amer, who were killed during confrontations.
The Jenin Battalion rejects the PA’s campaign as an attempt to suppress the Resistance under the guise of restoring law and order.
The commander reiterated that Resistance fighters will not hand over their weapons, asserting that their mission is to defend the camp and its residents against Israeli incursions.
Fighting Israel’s War – Why The Palestinian Authority Is Attacking Jenin
“We refuse to disarm, and we will not allow anyone to pressure us into abandoning our cause,” the commander said. “Our fight is against the occupation, and we will not betray that principle.”
The remarks stand in sharp contrast to statements made by Palestinian Interior Minister Ziad Hab Al-Rih, who, according to Al-Jazeera, defended the security operation, claiming it aims to align the camp’s youth with the national program and address what he called “inflammatory ideas.”
However, the Jenin Battalion insists that the PA’s actions serve only to weaken the Resistance and align with Israeli interests. “The Authority’s campaign targets us instead of protecting us,” the commander said, accusing the PA of prioritizing political agendas over national unity.
“We will remain steadfast in our position,” the commander concluded, “and we will not allow anyone to extinguish the flame of resistance.”
(PC, AJA)
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By Palestine Chronicle Staff “By some miracle, we managed to evacuate the patients from there as fire broke out” inside the ICU. Israeli occupation forces have opened fire on the Kamal Adwan Hospital causing [...]
The post ‘Out of Service’ – Blaze Erupts at Kamal Adwan Hospital’s ICU Due to Israeli Army Gunfire appeared first on Palestine Chronicle.
]]>“By some miracle, we managed to evacuate the patients from there as fire broke out” inside the ICU.
Israeli occupation forces have opened fire on the Kamal Adwan Hospital causing a blaze to erupt in the intensive care unit (ICU), according to Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director.
“We were shocked by the sudden and frantic gunfire directed” at the hospital “with all types of weapons,” he said in a video message on Wednesday. “The intensive care unit was targeted, and it was being clearly fired upon.”
Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, describes the catastrophic conditions faced by the medical staff and the wounded at the facility due to the relentless and deliberate attacks by the Israeli occupation, targeting it and the surrounding homes.
Abu… pic.twitter.com/jxNl1Jo4jo
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 18, 2024
Dr. Abu Safiya stated that “by some miracle, we managed to evacuate the patients from there as fire broke out inside” the ICU.
He reiterated that the unit was the only remaining ICU in the northern Gaza Strip which has been under siege for more than 70 days.
“We managed to control the fire, but it was a miracle that we evacuated the patients on ventilators and oxygen support,” the director continued, adding that the situation was “extremely catastrophic and remains very dangerous.”
He explained that they managed to extinguish the fire manually, using some blankets and a small amount of water originally designated for medical use.
“We have already been suffering from a severe water shortage for more than 8 days due to the targeting of water tanks and the water network and oxygen network,” Dr. Abu Safiya emphasized.
Israeli Snipers Target ICU of Kamal Adwan Hospital – Director Pleas for Help
The situation was “dire and the intensive care unit is out of service,” he stated.
The doctor also earlier said that the Israeli army had targeted the ICU “for the first time” with snipers “and all the hospital windows were hit.”
“The occupation army has deliberately rigged booby traps in the streets around the hospital and targeted the intensive care unit using snipers stationed on the roofs of nearby buildings as well as quadcopter drones,” Dr. Abu Safiya explained.
“The water tanks on the hospital roofs have also been targeted. There is a lot of damage,” he added.
With the Israeli army targeting civilians in their homes and gatherings, he pointed out that “dozens of wounded people” are arriving at the hospital every day, reported the Middle East Monitor (MEMO).
The intensive care unit at Kamal Adwan Hospital caught fire after an Israeli attack, leaving the only ICU in north Gaza out of service. pic.twitter.com/jk3ueEFl1I
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) December 18, 2024
“There are 64 wounded and six cases in intensive care, and every Israeli attack forces us to pull patients into the corridors, threatening their lives,” he said.
The hospital requires urgent maintenance, he noted earlier, such as the repairing of generators, electricity, water, and oxygen supplies adding that “unfortunately, we cannot go out to repair the damage” due to the attacks.
Staff and patients are enduring “difficult hours without electricity, oxygen or water,” Dr Abu Safiya noted.
Israeli occupation forces have once again opened fire at the intensive care unit of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, causing significant damage to the facility. pic.twitter.com/KtKsenFYfy
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 17, 2024
“The situation in the hospital is getting worse, and it will turn into a graveyard for everyone inside the hospital,” he warned.
The doctor reiterated his appeal for “international protection,” calling on the World Health Organization (WHO) and the world community to “intervene urgently”.
The Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip continues with the death toll among starved and besieged Palestinian civilians rising daily.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7, 2023.
Khaled Nabhan, known for his poignant phrase ‘Soul of my Soul’, was killed on Monday in an Israeli airstrike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.
Learn more .. pic.twitter.com/S5tAEspV1i
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 16, 2024
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 45,059 Palestinians have, to date, been killed, and 107,041 wounded in the ongoing genocide.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. However, Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
Thousands of displaced Palestinians line up at charities everyday in the hope to bring back some food for their families in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/WY6foNj8aQ
— PALESTINE ONLINE
(@OnlinePalEng) December 18, 2024
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 region.
(PC, MEMO)
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By Jeremy Salt Murdoch’s television arm, Sky News Australia, is covering the issue of anti-semitism the same way, making no attempt to distinguish between real anti-semitism and hostility to Israel over the genocide. Benjamin Netanyahu [...]
The post When Outrage Serves Politics: Netanyahu, the Media, and Australia’s Synagogue Attack appeared first on Palestine Chronicle.
]]>By Jeremy Salt
Murdoch’s television arm, Sky News Australia, is covering the issue of anti-semitism the same way, making no attempt to distinguish between real anti-semitism and hostility to Israel over the genocide.
Benjamin Netanyahu was quick off the mark in exploiting the arson attack on the Adass Synagogue in the inner Melbourne suburb of Ripponlea in the early morning of December 6. His own attack focused on the federal Australian government.
“Unfortunately it is impossible to separate this reprehensible act from the extreme anti-Israel position of the Labor government in Australia,” he said.
This included “ the scandalous decision to support the UN resolution calling on Israel ‘to bring to an end its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory as quickly as possible’ and preventing a former Israeli government minister from entering Australia. Anti semitism is anti semitism.”
The resolution calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state was passed by the General Assembly on December 3, Australia voting with a 157-8 majority, alongside seven abstentions.
The UN position was strengthened by the formal ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories seized in 1967 is unlawful and should be ended “as rapidly as possible.”
In his infuriated response, Netanyahu said that “awarding anti-semitism and terrorism with a state in the heart of the ancient Jewish homeland and cradle of civilization will invite more terrorism and more anti-semitic riots at campuses and city centers including in Australia.” Referring to the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, he said “it is a shame that the current Australian government wants to award (reward) these savages with a state.”
The pointed references to the “Labor” government of Australia and the “current” government are designed to exploit the current embattled state of the Albanese government and the strong likelihood that it will be defeated in next year’s federal election by the opposition Liberal party, led by Peter Dutton, an unquestioning supporter of everything Israel says and does, including the genocide in Gaza.
The Murdochian media rejects all international criticism of Israel and Netanyahu, including the finding of “plausible” genocide by the ICJ and the warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the arrest and prosecution of Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
It has backed the Israeli lobby’s exploitation of anti-semitism to the hilt, and its deliberate melding of anti-semitism with anti-zionism, as these recent headlines on the internet front page of the Australian, Murdoch’s media flagship in Australia, on December 7 indicate:
‘PM must declare synagogue attack a terror event’; ‘Netanyahu points finger at Labor over synagogue firebombing’; ‘A letter to the PM: enough is enough on anti-semitism’; ‘Albanese is facing the consequences of his failure to protect Jews’; ‘It’s time to examine your conscience, Prime Minister.’
Murdoch’s television arm, Sky News Australia, is covering the issue of anti-semitism the same way, making no attempt to distinguish between real anti-semitism and hostility to Israel over the genocide which – along with the Australian – it has been reporting totally from the perspective of a government headed by a prime minute wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The ‘former minister’ mentioned by Netanyahu is Ayelet Shaked, who was scheduled to talk at a conference organized by the Israel lobby group, the Australia Israel and Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) until refused a visa on the grounds that she would “vilify Australians” and “incite discord.”
Although the decision can be challenged on the grounds of the right to free speech, there is no doubt that is what Shaked would do.
Although she is now formally out of politics, her background is consistently extreme right-wing. “We need all two million to leave,” she said after October 7. “That is the solution for Gaza.”
In 2014, she shared a Facebook post on remarks by the journalist Uri Elitzur that all Palestinians are enemy combatants, including the mothers who should follow their sons to hell – “nothing would be more just. They should go as should the physical homes in which they raised the snakes. Otherwise, more little snakes will be raised there.”
In the aftermath of his outburst over the arson attack on the synagogue, no one in the Australian media knew or had the courage to point out that the genocide in Gaza orchestrated by the man outraged by the firebombing of one synagogue has included the total destruction of or damage to up to 1000 mosques, including 73 in the first 51 days of the Israeli onslaught.
The better-known mosques targeted by Israel include the Great Mosque of Gaza (the Great Omari), dating back to the 7th century and built on the site of a Byzantine church; the Khalid bin Walid mosque, commemorating a famous military commander in early Islam; the Bani Saleh mosque in Khan Yunus; and the 12th century Sayyid al Hashimi mosque. The destruction includes ancient libraries and fittings.
Churches bombed include the Byzantine church of Jabalya, 1700 years old, and in the process of being restored until the Israeli attack, and the Church of St Porphyrius.
The Victorian police have described the attack on the Adass Israel as a terrorist event and are looking for three suspects. If they are neo-Nazis any synagogue would do; if carried out in the name of the genocide, nothing could be more damaging to the Palestinians and their struggle.
One curious aspect of this attack is that Adass Israel is a small, reclusive religious community that was only drawn to unwanted public attention in recent years by the prosecution of one of its teachers, Malka Leifer, over the molestation of three female students.
It keeps out of politics and is “as far removed from the Gaza conflict as any Jewish group in Australia can be,” one of its members, Nomi Kaltmann, wrote in the online news outlet Crikey.com.
Ultra-orthodox and non-political, Adass Israel believes, like Neturei Karta, that the Jewish people should not create a country until the coming of the Messiah. Accordingly, it is anti-zionist and does not recognize the state of Israel.
There are other bigger and better-known synagogues that closely identify with Zionism and the state of Israel so if the genocide was the motive for the attack, why would the small synagogue of an anti-zionist and anti-Israel community be chosen?
Clearly the Victoria Police have to keep a very open mind in the search for those responsible.
– Jeremy Salt taught at the University of Melbourne, at Bosporus University in Istanbul and Bilkent University in Ankara for many years, specializing in the modern history of the Middle East. Among his recent publications is his 2008 book, The Unmaking of the Middle East. A History of Western Disorder in Arab Lands (University of California Press) and The Last Ottoman Wars. The Human Cost 1877-1923 (University of Utah Press, 2019). He contributed this article to The Palestine Chronicle.
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By Palestine Chronicle Staff The planned 15,000 soldiers, mostly volunteers, “who will man the division will be between the ages of 38 and 58.” The Israeli army has announced that it was forming a [...]
The post ‘Struggling’ – Israeli Army Says Recruitment Slow for New Reserve Division appeared first on Palestine Chronicle.
]]>The planned 15,000 soldiers, mostly volunteers, “who will man the division will be between the ages of 38 and 58.”
The Israeli army has announced that it was forming a new division consisting of five brigades to ease the burden on reserve soldiers, but Israeli media revealed that it has failed to recruit the required number of soldiers, the Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reported.
“In this war, we learned that the IDF (Israeli Army – PC) needs to be bigger, broader, in the face of difficult situations and long wars,” said Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi in a televised speech.
“Over these months, we are establishing new brigades of reservists comprised mostly of individuals who are already over the exemption age and have shown a willingness, recognising the urgency of the moment, to step up and say we are returning to serve,” Halevi added.
According to the Times of Israel, the army said the division’s missions “would be largely related to defense on the border with Jordan and along the West Bank security barrier,” as well as operating in the occupied West Bank “if needed.”
Israeli Chief of Staff:
Decided to establish 5 new reserve brigades.
We have learned from the ongoing war that our army needs to be bigger and wider. pic.twitter.com/GWgkjWFAlH— S p r i n t e r (@SprinterFamily) December 17, 2024
They “would be ready to respond to sudden events in their respective regions, as they are slated to keep their weapons and equipment at their homes, unlike other reservists who return their gear to the army when leaving reserve duty.”
The planned 15,000 soldiers, mostly volunteers, “who will man the division will be between the ages of 38 and 58,” said The Times of Israel. This was “above the current age of exemption from reserve duty which is 40 for most.”
According to Ynet News, however, the recruitment process was slow, with the army managing to recruit 3,000 soldiers, out of the required 15,000, over the course of nine months.
“We are struggling to meet recruitment targets,” the Israeli army admitted, according to the news report.
Israeli Army Faces ‘Substantial Drop’ in Israeli Reservists – Report
“We are currently in contact with another 6,000 individuals who are in the process of enlisting, but there is a strong willingness among many people, even those in their 40s and 50s, to serve. Many recruits will be veterans of combat engineering and similar units,” the army was quoted as saying.
Known as the “David Brigades” the division will “enhance defensive capabilities along Israel’s borders in response to evolving operational needs,” the Ynet report said, as well as “lessons learned” from the ongoing war and the October 7 resistance operation.
The Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip continues with the death toll among starved and besieged Palestinian civilians rising daily.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7, 2023.
Multiple injuries were transported to the hospital due to an Israeli airstrike targeting near Al-Rafai School in the town of Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/knRDqEZjHb
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 18, 2024
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 45,059 Palestinians have, to date, been killed, and 107,041 wounded in the ongoing genocide.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. However, Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
With famine around the corner in Gaza, 11-year-old Zeina was crushed to death trying to get bread for her family at a crowded bakery. pic.twitter.com/PUnXTDHHWE
— AJ+ (@ajplus) December 17, 2024
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 region.
(PC, MEMO)
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“We demand that the Spanish parliament pass resolutions that implement UN resolutions, provide guarantees for Palestinian refugees, sever diplomatic, commercial and military relations with Israel, and guarantee UN supervision to restore living conditions in Gaza.” [...]
The post ‘Complicity’ – Spanish Legal Experts Demand Madrid Impose Sanctions on Israel appeared first on Palestine Chronicle.
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“We demand that the Spanish parliament pass resolutions that implement UN resolutions, provide guarantees for Palestinian refugees, sever diplomatic, commercial and military relations with Israel, and guarantee UN supervision to restore living conditions in Gaza.”
A group of legal experts have handed over a petition to the Spanish government calling for an arms embargo on Israel as well as compliance with UN resolutions over its ongoing genocidal war in the Gaza Strip.
Jurists for Palestine, a non-governmental organization (NGO) comprising Spanish judges, prosecutors, and lawyers, handed over the petition to parliament on Tuesday with more than 1,200 signatures urging sanctions, including an arms embargo, the Anadolu news agency reported.
La Plataforma de Juristas por Palestina exige en el Congreso el embargo de armas a Israel y la aplicación del Derecho Internacional.
La magistrada Pilar Barrado señala que el Gobierno debe cumplir con los compromisos internacionales asumidos por España.#StopArmasConIsrael pic.twitter.com/uOYzwxG5To
— RESCOP (@RESCOP1) December 17, 2024
“Human rights are universal. There can’t be a world of masters and slaves who are allowed to be massacred,” Judge Pilar Barrado, a spokesperson for the organization, said outside the parliament, noting that Israel’s genocide in Gaza and violations of international law have reached an intolerable level.
Barrado said that according to Article 93 of the Spanish Constitution, the government and parliament are responsible for guaranteeing compliance with international treaties and their resolutions, Anadolu reported.
Demanding that the government and all parliamentary groups comply with these resolutions,” the judge stressed that it was “essential to adopt measures such as the (International Criminal Court’s) arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.”
‘Obligation’ – ICC Urges Member States to Comply over Arrest Warrants
“We demand that the Spanish parliament pass resolutions that implement UN resolutions, provide guarantees for Palestinian refugees, sever diplomatic, commercial and military relations with Israel, and guarantee UN supervision to restore living conditions in Gaza,” said Barrado.
“We do not want Spain to be complicit” in the genocide, the spokesperson was quoted by the Spanish El Diario newspaper as saying.
Representatives of the Sumar alliance, the junior partner of the minority left coalition government in Spain, as well as the Podemos party and the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) also supported the initiative, the report added.
Separately, the El Diario newspaper reported that Spain allowed a US ship carrying weapons to Israel to stop at the port of Rota, according to Anadolu. Government spokesperson Pilar Alegria however denied the report.
In May, Spain announced its official recognition of the State of Palestine. Norway and Ireland followed, as well as Slovenia.
Spain Blocks US-Bound Ships Suspected of Carrying Arms for Israel – Hamas Praises the Move
In June, Spain also announced it would join South Africa’s case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide in its war on Gaza.
The Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip continues with the death toll among starved and besieged Palestinian civilians rising daily.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7, 2023.
A fire broke out in the intensive care unit of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, after it was targeted by fire from the occupation forces.
Violent clashes broke out in the Jenin refugee camp between the Resistance and the security forces of the Palestinian Authority.… pic.twitter.com/iiRJZ5NhD5
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 18, 2024
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 45,059 Palestinians have, to date, been killed, and 107,041 wounded in the ongoing genocide.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. However, Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern region.
(PC, Anadolu)
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By Palestine Chronicle Staff Israel estimates that there are around 100 Israeli captives in Gaza, while more than 10,000 Palestinians are being held in Israeli prisons, according to prisoner rights groups. Hundreds of Israeli [...]
The post Hundreds of Students Protest across Israel, Demand Prisoner Exchange Deal appeared first on Palestine Chronicle.
]]>Israel estimates that there are around 100 Israeli captives in Gaza, while more than 10,000 Palestinians are being held in Israeli prisons, according to prisoner rights groups.
Hundreds of Israeli students have demonstrated across Israel demanding a prisoner exchange deal with the Palestinian Resistance.
According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, students from around 200 schools blocked roads and protested at junctions on Wednesday, along with parents and teachers.
Students from 200 schools in "Israel" organized marches this morning, calling for a prisoner swap deal with the Palestinian resistance in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/BgQXKuIrgV
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 18, 2024
The protests were part of a nationwide initiative, the report added.
Israel estimates that there are around 100 Israeli captives in Gaza, while more than 10,000 Palestinians are being held in Israeli prisons, according to prisoner rights groups, the Anadolu news agency reported.
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas said earlier this month that 33 captives had been killed due to Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, and warned that continued Israeli military operations could further endanger the lives of the captives.
“By continuing your insane war, you may lose your captives forever. Do what you must do before it is too late,” the movement said in a statement.
Israeli officials have reported progress in indirect negotiations to reach a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal with Hamas, according to Anadolu.
Hamas affirmed on Tuesday that reaching a ceasefire agreement and a prisoner exchange deal in Gaza is achievable, provided the Israeli occupation refrains from imposing additional conditions that could obstruct progress.
Hamas has affirmed that reaching a ceasefire agreement and a prisoner exchange deal in Gaza is achievable, provided the Israeli occupation refrains from imposing additional conditions that could obstruct progress. https://t.co/op1ET4GHwU pic.twitter.com/Oihlo7Yr5i
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 17, 2024
“Reaching a cease-fire and prisoner exchange agreement is possible if the (Israeli) occupation stops imposing new conditions,” the movement said in a brief statement.
Meanwhile, the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip continued with the death toll among starved and besieged Palestinian civilians rising daily.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7, 2023.
A fire broke out in the intensive care unit of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, after it was targeted by fire from the occupation forces.
Violent clashes broke out in the Jenin refugee camp between the Resistance and the security forces of the Palestinian Authority.… pic.twitter.com/iiRJZ5NhD5
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 18, 2024
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 45,059 Palestinians have, to date, been killed, and 107,041 wounded in the ongoing genocide.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. However, Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
Across #Gaza, #UNRWAworks to provide lifesaving aid, healthcare, and learning to thousands of displaced families, including Um Amjad’s family.
You can help. Save the lifeline — #DonateToUNRWA: https://t.co/tzuTaFU5ew pic.twitter.com/SAQQyWLz4t
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) December 18, 2024
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern region.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
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By Palestine Chronicle Staff Norwegian Football Association President Lise Klaveness said that “the Norwegian Football Association stands with the Norwegian government in its demand for an immediate end to the disproportionate attacks on innocent [...]
The post Investigate, Sanction Israel First – Norway Conditions World Cup Qualifiers appeared first on Palestine Chronicle.
]]>Norwegian Football Association President Lise Klaveness said that “the Norwegian Football Association stands with the Norwegian government in its demand for an immediate end to the disproportionate attacks on innocent civilians in Gaza.”
The Norwegian Football Association has announced its rejection to compete against the Israeli national team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers for Europe, citing the ongoing Israeli war against Gaza since October 7, 2023, the Safa news agency reported.
Israel’s Ynet News, and other media sources, didn’t convey the news as a final Norwegian decision not to compete against the Israeli team. However, it reported that Norway wanted the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) to investigate the Israeli crimes against Palestinians before the World Cup qualifier.
Norwegian Football Association President Lise Klaveness said that “the Norwegian Football Association stands with the Norwegian government in its demand for an immediate end to the disproportionate attacks on innocent civilians in Gaza.”
The Norwegian Football Federation has refused to face the Israeli national team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers for Europe, due to the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
The Norwegian Football Federation is pressuring international football bodies to punish… pic.twitter.com/cbim67oKXD
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 17, 2024
She added,
“The draw is difficult for us, beyond the purely sporting aspect. None of us can remain indifferent to the disproportionate attacks that Israel has inflicted on the civilian population of Gaza over a long period of time.”
Klaveness went further, stating that Norway is actively involved in calls for sanctions against Israel on the international stage.
“Israel is still part of (the Union of European Football Associations) UEFA competitions. We have to deal with that. We are following the situation closely with FIFA, UEFA and the Norwegian authorities,” she added.
According to Safa, Klaveness’s statements were first published on the Israeli Channel I24.
The Norwegian national team is scheduled to play its matches against Israel on March 25 and October 11. However, “the association’s decision to boycott raises uncertainty about whether these fixtures will proceed,” Safa reported.
Meanwhile, the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip continued with the death toll among starved and besieged Palestinian civilians rising daily.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7, 2023.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 45,059 Palestinians have been killed, and 107,041 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
LIVE BLOG: Fire Breaks Out at Kamal Adwan | Renewed Clashes in Jenin – Day 439
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. However, Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern region.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
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Five Palestinian families filed a complaint against the US State Department over Washington’s military aid to Israel. Five Palestinian families on Tuesday filed a complaint against the US State Department over Washington’s military aid to [...]
The post Palestinian Families Just Sued US State Department – This is Why appeared first on Palestine Chronicle.
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Five Palestinian families filed a complaint against the US State Department over Washington’s military aid to Israel.
Five Palestinian families on Tuesday filed a complaint against the US State Department over Washington’s military aid to Israel, citing a US law that prohibits arming any foreign military force if it is accused of violating human rights.
The complaint, which the State Department must respond to within 60 days, calls for the law to be applied to Israel, which the complainants and rights groups say has been unlawfully exempted from the law.
“The Leahy Laws prohibit providing US military assistance to individuals or security force units that commit gross violations of human rights and have not been brought to justice,” Reuters news agency reported.
Since the start of the Israeli genocide on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, the US government has enacted laws allowing it to provide the equivalent of $12.5 billion in military aid to its strategic ally.
On Hypocrisy and Genocide – How Gaza Has Exposed the West Like Never Before
One of the plaintiffs, a Palestinian-American man named Saeed Asali, said during a press conference in Washington that his aunt was killed along with her six children in an Israeli raid on Gaza City, noting that American weapons were used in carrying out the raid.
“Our families have paid a heavy price for the State Department’s refusal to enforce its own laws,” he added.
Two former State Department employees told reporters that US officials apply an informal rule called the “Israeli exception” when it comes to reviewing Israel’s military actions, Al Mayadeen reported.
One of these employees, Charles Blahha, said:
“The truth is that Israel abides by different rules. The State Department has created this unique, cumbersome and high-level process .. which only applies to Israel.”
The State Department declined to comment and referred reporters to the Justice Department, which had no immediate comment, Reuters said.
Amnesty International has recently stated that Israel has “committed genocide” against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
‘This is Genocide’ – Amnesty Says There is ‘Sufficient Evidence’ to Accuse Israel
Last November, the International Criminal Court also issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Security Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Meanwhile, the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip continued with the death toll among starved and besieged Palestinian civilians rising daily.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7, 2023.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 45,059 Palestinians have been killed, and 107,041 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
LIVE BLOG: Fire Breaks Out at Kamal Adwan | Renewed Clashes in Jenin – Day 439
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. However, Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern region.
(PC, Al Mayadeen)
The post Palestinian Families Just Sued US State Department – This is Why appeared first on Palestine Chronicle.
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