Tag: palestine

Human Rights Groups Condemn Israel’s Gaza Aid Plan

A group of British human rights organizations is sounding the alarm on the Trump administration’s plan to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Under the plan, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a U.S.-based organization, would handle the aid and private military contractors would secure the distribution sites. The Israeli military would provide “necessary security.”

An open letter from 11 NGOs, including Action For Humanity and Christian Aid, refers to the plan as a “politicized sham” and a “blueprint for ethnic cleansing.”

“Despite branding itself as ‘independent’ and ‘transparent,’ the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation would be wholly dependent on Israeli coordination and operates via Israeli-controlled entry points, primarily the Port of Ashdod and the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing,” the letter explains. “This entrenches and legitimises the very structures of control that are responsible for cutting Gaza off from food, fuel, and medicine.”

“Limiting aid distribution to restricted collection points would effectively exclude persons with disabilities and those who are injured and unable to move easily through the destruction and rubble, violating the principle of impartial needs-based humanitarian assistance,” it continues. “Let us be clear: the biggest barrier to humanitarian access in Gaza is not inefficiency or corruption, it is the deliberate restriction of aid by the Israeli government. The military siege on Gaza is a form of collective punishment. The restriction of aid is being used as a weapon of war.”

The plan has also been condemned by the U.N.’s Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which says the system “contradicts Israel’s obligations under International Humanitarian Law to allow and facilitate impartial humanitarian relief for civilians in need.”

“UN involvement would legitimize a military tactic that would have devastating consequences on the population and would damage the organization’s reputation in Gaza and the region,” reads a recent document from the group.

In recent remarks, U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee admitted that the plan will feed only 60% of Gaza initially and blamed the deadly Israeli blockade on Hamas.

“You have to start somewhere, and the somewhere feeds an enormous level of the people of Gaza,” Huckabee said.

The GHF is headed by Jake Wood, a U.S. military veteran who started the disaster relief nonprofit organization Team Rubicon in response to the Haiti earthquake in 2010.

“This plan is not perfect, but this plan will be feeding people by the end of the month, in a scenario where no one has allowed aid in over the course of the last 10 weeks,” Wood said in his first interview since starting the foundation.

“Ultimately, the community is going to face a choice. This is going to be the mechanism by which aid can be distributed in Gaza,” he continued. “Are you willing to participate? The answer is going to be, you know, pretty critical to whether or not this ramps up to sufficiently feed 2.2 million people in a very desperate situation.”

Wood has insisted that the plan would not lead to the further displacement of Palestinians, but the U.N. points out that it excludes northern Gaza, which could force people to relocate from the north.

The plan has also been condemned by the U.N.’s Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Israeli leaders have also publicly admitted that the aid plan will enable them to continue their genocidal policies in the region.

In a video posted on social media, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged the hunger crisis and said that images of famine would impair Israel’s ability to achieve its war aims.

“Our best friends in the world, senators that I know as enthusiastic Israel supporters, who I’ve known for many years, are coming to me and telling me, ‘We give you all the support for a final victory — arms, support on your maneuvers to destroy Hamas, support at the U.N. Security Council,” Netanyahu said. “There is one thing we cannot endure — pictures of mass famine. This is something we are unable to witness. We will not be able to support you.’”

In the same video, Netanyahu said that Israel would “take control of all the Gaza Strip” while delivering “minimal humanitarian aid: food and medicine only.”

These sentiments were echoed by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who held a news conference to assure his base that the aid plan was a means of continuing the genocide.

“The [aid] that will enter Gaza in the coming days is the tiniest amount,” he explained. “A handful of bakeries that will hand out pita bread to people in public kitchens. People in Gaza will get a pita and a food plate, and that’s it. Exactly what we are seeing in the videos: people standing in line and waiting to have someone serve them, with some soup plate.

“We are disassembling Gaza and leaving it as piles of rubble, with total destruction [which has] no precedent globally,” he continued. “And the world isn’t stopping us. There are pressures. There are those who attack [us]; they are trying to [make us] stop; they are not succeeding.”

NBC recently reported that the Trump administration is working on a plan to permanently relocate 1 million Palestinians from Gaza to Libya. Sources say the U.S. government would release billions in funds to Libya that were previously frozen in exchange for the country participating in the ethnic cleansing.

Hamas says it is unaware of any such plans.

“The [aid] that will enter Gaza in the coming days is the tiniest amount.”

“Palestinians are very rooted in their homeland, very strongly committed to the homeland, and they are ready to fight up to the end and to sacrifice anything to defend their land, their homeland, their families and the future of their children,” senior Hamas official Basem Naim told NBC. Palestinians “are exclusively the only party who have the right to decide for the Palestinians, including Gaza and Gazans, what to do and what not to do.”

This week, Israel cleared nine aid trucks to enter Gaza, marking the first delivery in three months. U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher called it a “drop in the ocean,” as 500 trucks had been allowed in daily before the war.

The organization has warned that 14,000 babies could die within days if Gaza does not receive immediate, substantial aid.

“This is not food that Hamas is going to steal,” Fletcher told the BBC. “We run the risk of looting, of being hit by the Israeli offensive. We will be impeded, we will run huge risks, but I don’t see a better idea than getting that baby food in to those moms, who at the moment cannot feed their own kids.”

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Here’s what we know about the socialist activist arrested for killing Israeli embassy staffers in DC

A socialist, pro-Palestinian activist was arrested for allegedly shooting a couple dead on Wednesday night in Washington, DC, outside the Capital Jewish Museum. The couple were staffers from the Israeli Embassy in the nation’s capital and were about to get engaged.  

Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, has been identified by authorities as the suspected shooter. Video of Rodriguez getting arrested showed him yelling “Free, free Palestine,” and he has a history of engaging in leftist ideologies such as socialism. Israeli diplomat Yaron Lischinsky and his girlfriend Sarah Milgrim were the victims of the deadly shooting; they were set to be engaged.

A person with the same name also belonging to the Party for Socialism and Liberation had made a donation before on a fundraising page for Gaza, and wrote a note stating, “I as an individual cannot stop this violence to the people of Palestine, but I can at least help the little boy who made a difference to me, I urge other to help as much as possible, no child should experience such horrible things. Free Palestine” (sic).

Additionally, the Daily Mail has also reported images appearing to be of Rodriguez at BLM protests in 2017. The alleged killer’s work profile had him working at the non-profit organization, TheHistoryMakers, with his biography stating that he was an “oral history researcher” on African American communities.

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Chilling moment Elias Rodriguez screams ‘Free Palestine’ after shooting Israeli diplomat couple dead

A pro-Palestinian gunman suspected of shooting a young Jewish diplomatic couple dead was filmed manically screaming ‘Free Palestine‘ as he was hauled into custody.

Footage emerged overnight of 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez as he was taken into custody after two Israeli embassy staffers were gunned down outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington DC.

Yaron Lischinsky and his girlfriend Sarah Milgrim were identified as the victims in the vile attack that was condemned by President Donald Trump.

The couple, who were set to get engaged next week, had attended a Young Diplomats event before they were shot.

In one image, Rodriguez is seen sitting calmly at a bench with one leg crossed over the other, while separate footage captures the moment he is hysterically hauled away while shouting.

‘Free, free Palestine,’ he shouts repeatedly as he squirms against the officers’ grip.

The haunting pictures and images surfaced as witnesses described seeing Rodriguez ‘pacing back and forth’ outside the museum cocktail reception.

He then approached a group of people that included Lischinsky and Milgrim and then shot them at ‘close range’ with a handgun, the Israeli Embassy said. 

Moments later, he casually walked into the museum. Yoni Kalin told Fox 5 News  Rodriguez was allowed inside by well-meaning security guards who assumed he was a victim.

‘He was clearly in trauma, he was in shock. Some of the people at the event sat him down, brought him water, asked if he was okay, and he was like ”call the cops”.’

Ten minutes later when authorities arrived, Rodriguez allegedly admitted to carrying out the shooting.

‘He grabbed a red kaffiyeh out of his pocket and started a “Free Palestine” chant: “There’s only one solution, Intifada revolution,” Kalin said. ‘Thank God he left the gun in the bushes outside.’

Kalin, still in shock himself and unsure of what had happened, noticed that the red kaffiyeh had fallen on to the ground and tried to offer it to Rodriguez as he was hauled away, the video revealed. 

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Mercenary Firm Set To Oversee Gaza Aid For Israel Goes On LinkedIn Hiring Spree

The US private military contracting firm set to oversee Gaza aid distribution on Israel’s behalf is actively hiring for positions on LinkedIn, according to job postings shared with Middle East Eye by current and former US officials.

The firm, Safe Reach Solutions, or SRS, says it is actively looking for “Humanitarian Liaison Officers” who will “serve as vital connectors between our operational teams and the broader humanitarian community,” according to one job description.

Another position on offer a week ago but has since closed is for a “Team Deputy/Manager” to support “day-to-day management, planning, and mission execution”.

A liaison officer position appears to be analytically focused. It says that hires will “advise on best practices for engaging with affected populations, local authorities, and community-based organizations” while monitoring developments that could impact “operational posture”.

The team deputy position is geared towards recruits with a background in operations. One of the requirements is “field experience in the Middle East, especially in conflict-affected or post-crisis settings”.

The positions want applicants with at least seven years of experience. They require applicants to be US citizens and say fluency in Arabic is preferred. 

Ironically, SRS is seeking people with UN experience, but the plan to take over aid distribution seeks to supplant the United Nations, which is already capable of delivering aid in Gaza. “These mid- to senior-career professionals will help bridge communication, coordination, and trust with NGOs, international agencies, and UN bodies operating in complex environments.”

Demand for the positions appears to be high. According to LinkedIn, more than 100 people applied for the humanitarian liaison officer position within two weeks.

The team deputy position also drew comments from interested users directed to “Ali Ali,” SRS’s recruiting consultant. “Hi Ali I worked in Gaza last summer with the US army. I was in charge of the humanitarian aid delivery through the trident pier. Please reach out to me at your best convenience to talk more,” a LinkedIn user wrote.

The former Biden administration floated a costly pier project to bring aid into the Gaza Strip last year, but it was widely considered a failure.

American private military contractors have already started arriving in Israel, according to photos shared on social media of khaki-clad and bearded men at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv. MEE couldn’t independently verify the photos. 

Who is Phil Reilly and his firm SRS?

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Israeli Troops Fire Shots On International Diplomats Visiting West Bank

International pressure on Israel and the Netanyahu government is already at a historic high, even from Western allies which have been sanctioning hardline Israeli settler groups and individuals, and a new international incident has unfolded Wednesday in the West Bank.

“Israeli soldiers mistakenly fired warning shots at diplomats representing the European Union, UK, France, China, Russia and other countries on Wednesday,” Bloomberg writes.

An international group of diplomats and activists were visiting the West Bank town of Jenin when they reportedly came under gunfire from Israel Defense Forces.

Videos show the diplomatic group fleeing and running to their vehicles in a chaotic scene. Some of the vehicles appeared marked with flags of their respective countries.

The Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs the West Bank, issued a statement condemning Israel troops. The statement claimed the IDF “deliberately targeted by live fire an accredited diplomatic delegation.”

The IDF for its part, issued a statement alleging that while the diplomatic group was approved to be in the area, it departed from the ‘approved route’. The IDF did confirm that “warning shots” were fired. 

“IDF soldiers operating in the area fired warning shots to distance them away,” the IDF said in the statement. “The IDF regrets the inconvenience caused.” The army said an investigation into the incident will follow.

Bloomberg lists that diplomats from the following were on the ground at the time: the EU, Portugal, Morocco, Brazil, Austria, Japan, Canada, India, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Romania, France, the UK, Mexico, China, Egypt and Jordan.

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The Hostile Takeover of Gaza Relief

With over half a million people in Gaza on the brink of starvation and aid groups warning of an “imminent famine,” Israel has agreed to allow a token number of relief trucks into the besieged enclave. But what’s entering Gaza now isn’t humanitarian aid, it’s a Trojan horse.

A new, U.S.-backed private aid scheme staffed by former C.I.A. operatives, ex-Marines, and mercenaries tied to Israeli intelligence and Wall Street elites has been deployed in Gaza under the guise of relief. The project is led by a shady NGO registered in Switzerland just months ago, and human rights groups are calling it what it is: a hostile corporate takeover of the aid sector, designed to militarize relief, displace civilians and profit from Gaza’s agony.

At the heart of this scheme is the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a nonprofit created in February and backed by Israeli authorities. Despite Gaza requiring a minimum of 500 aid trucks per day to meet basic survival needs, the Israeli military allowed just 1 percent of that to enter this week.

GHF, which now controls the operation, was launched by individuals with no background in humanitarian work — David Papazian, formerly with the Armenian National Interests Fund; Samuel Marcel Henderson; and David Kohler, CEO of Kohler Co. They are corporate executives, not aid workers.

According to a leaked internal proposal circulated in May, GHF plans to establish four “secure distribution sites” in Gaza capable of feeding just a fraction of the population (300,000 people), while giving the Israeli military and its contractors full operational oversight.

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Timing of sexual misconduct allegations against ICC prosecutor ‘suspicious’ – analyst 

The timing of the sexual assault allegations brought against International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan is extremely suspicious, geopolitical analyst Alessandro Bruno told RT in an interview on Friday.

The fact that the ICC’s head prosecutor was working on a high-profile case at the time, which involved the issuance of arrest warrants against the Israeli leadership, “raises many questions,” he added.

Last May, Khan announced that he would apply for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his then Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as top figures in the Hamas leadership, for war crimes committed in the Gaza conflict. The ICC issued the warrants last November, around the time when accusations against Khan surfaced.

The Chief Prosecutor has since taken leave from his role, pending the outcome of an external investigation, multiple media outlets reported on Friday, citing the ICC. Khan has denied any wrongdoing.

“The timing of the allegations is, in my view, extremely suspicious. Extremely!” Bruno told RT on Friday.

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How NYT Reports on Weaponized Famine So You Don’t Have to Give a Damn

More than two months ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a complete blockade of aid—including food, water and medical supplies—from entering the besieged Gaza strip. It’s a severe escalation of Israel’s now 19-month genocide against Palestinians in Gaza—and what the World Health Organization (5/12/25) has described as “one of the world’s worst hunger crises, unfolding in real time.”

With no replenishing stock, aid groups have begun running out of supplies to distribute to families in need.

The UN Relief and Works Agency (5/16/25) reports that their “flour and food parcels have run out,” and that “one third of essential medical supplies are already out of stock.” More than a week ago, World Central Kitchen reported that they no longer have supplies to cook hot meals and bake bread for starving families—they’ve since repurposed their pots to distribute filtered water.

With Gaza’s entire population experiencing crisis-level food insecurity, and with three-quarters facing “emergency” or “catastrophic” levels of deprivation, the famine has been recognized by Human Rights Watch interim executive director Federico Borello as “a tool of extermination.”

At first glance, the April 29 New York Times offered what many would call an objective account with the headline: “UN Faults Israel Over Blockade of Aid for Gaza” (web version here: 4/28/25).

A closer look at the piece however, reveals the Times’ usual spinelessness in its Gaza coverage, unquestioningly accepting Israeli framing in its supposed right to carry out its ongoing genocide.

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Trump administration working on plan to move 1 million Palestinians to Libya

The Trump administration is working on a plan to permanently relocate up to 1 million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Libya, five people with knowledge of the effort told NBC News.

The plan is under serious enough consideration that the administration has discussed it with Libya’s leadership, two people with direct knowledge of the plans and a former U.S. official said. 

In exchange for the resettling of Palestinians, the administration would potentially release to Libya billions of dollars of funds that the U.S. froze more than a decade ago, those three people said.

No final agreement has been reached, and Israel has been kept informed of the administration’s discussions, the same three sources said.

The State Department and the National Security Council did not respond to multiple requests for comment.  

Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official, said that Hamas, the U.S.-designated terrorist group that has run Gaza, was not aware of any discussions about moving Palestinians to Libya.

“Palestinians are very rooted in their homeland, very strongly committed to the homeland and they are ready to fight up to the end and to sacrifice anything to defend their land, their homeland, their families, and the future of their children,” Naim said in response to questions from NBC News. “[Palestinians] are exclusively the only party who have the right to decide for the Palestinians, including Gaza and Gazans, what to do and what not to do.”

Representatives of the Israeli government declined to comment. 

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Militant Zionists Spur Arrest of Pro-Palestine Student, Judge Rules

A U.S. federal court in Massachusetts has ruled that the detention of a former student who expressed pro-Palestine views was unconstitutional and that it was a punitive measure triggered almost solely by a complaint from the Zionist militant group Betar.

Late last week, Judge Angel Kelley wrote in her decision that a former student at the University of Massachusetts (UMass), detained unlawfully by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), be released, providing the first court admission that a Zionist extremist groups is working with U.S. authorities to violate free speech rights.

Judge Kelley wrote that the government’s “pursuit of [the former student’s] detention seems to have been almost exclusively triggered by Betar Worldwide.” 

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