Tag: palestine

Israeli official organizes ‘prison tour’ for Jewish settlers to observe torture of Palestinians

Israeli prison authorities gave a tour of a maximum-security facility to Jewish settlers where they held a “Torah lesson” and observed the abuse of Palestinian prisoners, Israeli media reported on 23 February.

Kobi Yaakobi, head of Israel’s prison system, invited 20 members of the synagogue in Har Homa, an illegal West Bank settlement near Jerusalem, on a “safari” tour of Nitzan maximum-security prison.

Palestinian detainees, including alleged members of Hamas’s elite Nukhba forces, were handcuffed and forced to lie on the ground to be observed by the visitors. The Jewish settlers ate an “indulgent lunch” in front of the prisoners, who were fasting for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

The settlers also “blessed” the prison guards.

Israel runs a “network of torture camps,” where rape, physical and psychological abuse, inhuman conditions, deliberate starvation, and denial of medical care are common, according to Israeli rights groups B’Tselem. 

“The transformation of prisons into a network of torture camps is part of the Israeli regime’s coordinated onslaught on Palestinian society, aimed at dismantling the Palestinian collective,” B’Tselem noted.

The Israel Prison Service (IPS) confirmed to Israeli media that its officers accompanied a “rabbi and his entourage” for a sermon and tour of a security prison. 

Yaakobi was appointed as IPS chief in January 2024 by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. The IPS chief has helped Ben Gvir implement a policy to deliberately worsen the conditions of Palestinian prisoners.

Yaakobi is currently under investigation for allegedly helping suppress a probe into Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank.

As of November, at least 98 Palestinians have died in Israeli custody since October 2023, according to Israeli data.

However, the Physicians for Human Rights–Israel (PHR-I) says the real toll is likely substantially higher as hundreds of detainees from Gaza are missing.

On 8 February, Israel returned the bodies and human remains of 120 Palestinians to Gaza without providing any information about their identities or how they were killed.

The remains arrived at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City in plain white bags, where forensic teams examined them in an effort to determine their identities and notify grieving families.

“The International Committee of the Red Cross handed over 120 body bags containing 54 bodies as well as skull samples placed in 66 separate bags,” forensic official Omar Suleiman told Al Jazeera.

After Israel returned 120 Palestinian bodies in October, officials in Gaza accused it of stealing the organs of the victims.

Israel has a long history of stealing the organs of Palestinians.

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There Are ‘Questions’ About Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’—But Don’t Expect AP to Answer Them

It’s not a failsafe test, but it can be a tip off that a journalistic outlet is off its feet when its language falls apart. I give you the Associated Press (2/19/26), describing the actions of a person who rarely strings a coherent sentence together, to hand over billions of US taxpayer dollars to create a global entity. This is the “Board of Peace,” of which Trump has declared himself “Chairman for Life“—because that’s a normal thing—and which Google’s AI describes as “potentially replac[ing] existing international institutions”:

Trump’s vision for the board has morphed since he initiated the group as part of his 20-point peace plan to end the conflict in Gaza. Since the October ceasefire, Trump wants it to have an even more ambitious remit—one that will not only complete the Herculean task of bringing lasting peace between Israel and Hamas but will also help resolve conflicts around the globe.

If you aren’t staggered by the notion of Donald Trump “resolving conflicts around the globe,” every other word still deserves interrogation: Are completing the genocide and mass dislocation of Palestinian people, and violently converting their historic homeland to a playground resort for wealthy internationals, going to now be labeled by the press as “bringing lasting peace,” and “ending the conflict” in Gaza?

But worry not: AP tells us in bold letters, “There are many questions about how the board will work.” That implies that AP will be asking them, or care about the answers. But given no one who had a real problem with the creation of the board itself is cited in the article on its launch, why would we look to AP for critical eyes going forward?

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Israeli soldiers shot a Palestinian boy and stood around as he bled to death, video shows

Last November, a 14-year-old Palestinian boy named Jad Jadallah was shot at close range by Israeli soldiers in a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

As Jad lay collapsed in an alley, the soldiers created a cordon around him and blocked two Palestinian ambulances from reaching him.

According to video footage and eyewitness testimony, the soldiers – 14 in total – then stood around Jad casually for at least 45 minutes while he bled from one or more gunshot wounds.

All Israeli soldiers receive training in trauma treatment, and any Israeli combat unit should contain a specifically trained medic, but none of the soldiers appeared to give Jad life-saving medical aid. At points, they appeared to ignore repeated attempts from Jad to get their attention.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) told the BBC that soldiers had provided “initial medical treatment”, but a spokesperson refused to give any details about the nature or timing of the treatment.

The IDF has also accused Jad of throwing a rock, which, under their rules of engagement, can permit soldiers to use lethal force.

But the footage of the incident shows an IDF soldier dropping an object next to Jad after he was shot, then taking a photograph of it – an action Jad’s family and a leading human rights group say appears to be an attempt to frame him.

The soldiers eventually loaded Jad into the back of an Israeli military vehicle, but at some point, either before or after they did, he died. It is still unclear where on his body or how many times he was shot, because the Israeli military has refused to return his body to the family and declined to answer any questions about his injuries.

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Trump officials plan to build 5,000-person military base in Gaza, files show

The Trump administration is planning to build a 5,000-person military base in Gaza, sprawling more than 350 acres, according to Board of Peace contracting records reviewed by the Guardian.

The site is envisioned as a military operating base for a future International Stabilization Force (ISF), planned as a multinational military force composed of pledged troops. The ISF is part of the newly created Board of Peace which is meant to govern Gaza. The Board of Peace is chaired by Donald Trump and led in part by his son-in-law Jared Kushner.

The plans reviewed by the Guardian call for the phased construction of a military outpost that will eventually have a footprint of 1,400 metres by 1,100 metres, ringed by 26 trailer-mounted armored watch towers, a small arms range, bunkers, and a warehouse for military equipment for operations. The entire base will be encircled with barbed wire.

The fortification is planned for an arid stretch of flatlands in southern Gaza strewn with saltbush and white broom shrubs, and littered with twisted metal from years of Israeli bombardment. The Guardian has reviewed video of the area. A source close to the planning tells the Guardian that a small group of bidders – international construction companies with experience in war zones – have already been shown the area in a site visit.

The Indonesian government has reportedly offered to send up to 8,000 troops. Indonesia’s president was one of four south-east Asian leaders scheduled to attend an inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington DC on Thursday.

The UN security council authorized the Board of Peace to establish a temporary International Stabilization Force in Gaza. The ISF, according to the UN, will be tasked with securing Gaza’s border and maintaining peace within the area. It is also supposed to protect civilians, and train and support “vetted Palestinian police forces”.

It is unclear what the ISF’s rules of engagement would be if there is combat, renewed bombing by Israel, or attacks by Hamas. Nor is it clear what role the ISF is meant to play in disarming Hamas, an Israeli condition to proceed with Gaza’s reconstruction.

While more than 20 countries have signed up as members of the Board of Peace, much of the world has stayed away. Although it was set up with the UN’s approval, the organization’s charter appears to grant Trump permanent leadership and control.

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Indonesia To Send First 1,000 Troops To Gaza By April For ‘Stabilization Force’

Indonesia is readying 1,000 troops to be deployed in Gaza as early as April as part of the UN-mandated International Stabilization Force, an army spokesperson said on Monday.

A total of 8,000 Indonesian soldiers will be ready for deployment by June, while the final decision will be made by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. “The departure schedule remains entirely subject to the political decisions of the state and applicable international mechanisms,” the spokesman said in a text message to news agency Reuters.

Indonesian Army Chief of Staff Maruli Simanjuntak previously estimated that between 5,000 and 8,000 military personnel could be deployed, with final numbers “still being negotiated”. 

On Saturday, Indonesia’s foreign ministry said that its military’s participation in Gaza as part of the peace plan devised by US President Donald Trump should not be interpreted as a normalization of political relations with Israel. 

“Indonesia consistently rejects all attempts at demographic change or the forced displacement or relocation of the Palestinian people in any form,” the ministry said.

The deployment, which has a non-combatant, humanitarian mandate, could only be carried out with the consent of the Palestinian Authority, the ministry said.

“Indonesian troops will not be involved in combat operations or any action leading to direct confrontation with any armed group,“ the statement said. Indonesian troops would also have no mandate to demilitarize any party, it added.

However the mandate of the stabilization force includes ensuring “the process of demilitarizing the Gaza Strip” and “the permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups”. The resolution authorizes the force to “use all necessary measures to carry out its mandate”.

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Israeli soldier confesses to murder, sexual assault in Gaza during live stream

A video shared on social media platforms has ignited widespread anger online after an Israeli soldier openly confessed to committing atrocities, including murder and rape, in the Gaza Strip during two years of genocidal war against Palestinians in the besieged coastal territory.

In a live TikTok broadcast featuring American YouTuber Jeff Davidson, the soldier said, “We don’t just kill, we also rape,” alluding to acts committed by Israeli forces against women and children in Gaza.

In the live stream conversation, held during the Gaza onslaught but only made public recently, Davidson first inquired about the soldier’s identity and military connection. The individual claimed to be part of the Israeli military and broadcasting from inside Gaza.

When confronted by Davidson with the reality that the Israeli army caused the devastation in Gaza, the soldier acknowledged it without hesitation or any sign of regret.

The soldier directed the camera outward and detailed widespread devastation in the area, as the American interviewer requested him to display his surroundings.

“You wanna see Gaza? Don’t be surprised, there’s no house here. Flat, all flat,” the soldier said.

Davidson responded, “You guys flattened it?” The soldier replied: “Oh yeah.”

The discussion heated up when the soldier tried to rationalize attacking children by presenting a picture of a child with a gun, asserting he discovered it in a destroyed house.

Davidson rejected his assertion, emphasizing that children protecting themselves from an invading military can never warrant killing or attacking them. He also held the Israeli regime accountable for the dire situation in Gaza.

In a surprising turn, the soldier continued, stating, “We have killed women and children,” and coldly added: “And by the way, don’t worry…we rape them too.”

Human rights organizations have highlighted the video as strong proof of grave war crimes perpetrated by the Israeli military against Gaza civilians, asserting that backing from successive US administrations and Western allies fosters a perceived culture of impunity for such offenses.

Gaza’s Health Ministry announced on Sunday that 726 bodies have been retrieved since the ceasefire agreement with Israel came into effect on October 10 last year.

The ceasefire concluded Israel’s two-year genocide that started on October 7, 2023.

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Trump’s Board of Peace rallies ‘thousands’ of troops for Gaza deployment

US President Donald Trump has said members of his newly formed Board of Peace have pledged “thousands of personnel” and billions of dollars to a potential international stabilization force that will be tasked with administering Gaza.

In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said countries taking part in the initiative will formalize their commitments at a meeting on February 19 in Washington, describing the deployment as part of efforts to maintain “security and peace” in the Palestinian enclave.

“Member States have pledged more than $5 BILLION DOLLARS toward the Gaza Humanitarian and Reconstruction efforts, and have committed thousands of personnel to the International Stabilization Force and Local Police,” he wrote, adding that Hamas must uphold its commitment to full and immediate “demilitarization.”

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‘Wet tent syndrome’ is killing Gaza’s infants

Last week, Mohamed Abu Jarad returned to his tent in Gaza City’s Al-Daraj neighborhood to find his three-month-old daughter, Shaza, freezing cold and no longer breathing. The family rushed the baby to hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead from hypothermia. 

This tragedy came only a week after one-month-old Aisha Ayesh Al-Agha had died of hypothermia in Khan Younis, and two weeks after two more Palestinian babies died from the cold in the north and center of the Strip within a few hours of each other: Mahmoud Al-Akra, only one week old; and Mohammed Wissam Abu Harbid, two months old. 

In total, 10 infants under the age of 1 have died from hypothermia and extreme cold this winter, taking the total to around two dozen since the beginning of Israel’s onslaught on the enclave in October 2023, according to local health officials and Save The Children. All of them died while living in tents, their families helpless to keep them warm amid the freezing winter temperatures.

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Australia seeking criminal charges over aid workers slain by IDF in Gaza

Canberra is demanding criminal charges over an Israeli drone attack on Gaza that left aid workers dead, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said.

Seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers were killed in a 2024 Israeli airstrike, which the NGO has described as “targeted.” The victims included Australian Zomi Frankcom, three British nationals, a Polish national, a dual US-Canadian citizen, and a Palestinian.

The issue was raised this week as Israeli President Isaac Herzog is visiting Australia to express solidarity with the country’s Jewish community in the wake of a deadly mass shooting which took place in December.

Albanese told Australia’s parliament on Wednesday that he had confronted Israel regarding the slain aid workers, calling it “a tragedy and an outrage” and saying Canberra had made clear its “expectation that there be transparency about Israel’s ongoing investigation” into the incident.

“We continue to press for full accountability, including any appropriate criminal charges,” he said, noting that Herzog had agreed to “engage.”

The aid workers were traveling through a de-conflicted zone in central Gaza in two armored cars with the WCK logo on them as well as a soft-skin vehicle when struck, despite the WCK coordinating its movements with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), according to the NGO.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged that the IDF was behind the airstrike but is insisting that it was an accident.

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Israel to expand its control in West Bank, make settlers’ land seizures easier, media say

Israel’s security Cabinet approved a series of steps on Feb 8 that would make it easier for settlers in the occupied West Bank to buy land while granting the Israeli authorities more enforcement powers over Palestinians, Israeli media reported.

The West Bank is among the territories that the Palestinians seek for a future independent state. Much of it is under Israeli military control, with limited Palestinian self-rule in some areas run by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority (PA).

Citing statements by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defence Minister Israel Katz, Israeli news sites Ynet and Haaretz said the measures included scrapping decades-old regulations that prevent Jewish private citizens buying land in the West Bank.

They were also reported to include allowing the Israeli authorities to administer some religious sites, and expand supervision and enforcement in areas under PA administration in matters of environmental hazards, water offences and damage to archaeological sites.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the new measures were dangerous, illegal and tantamount to de-facto annexation.

The Israeli ministers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The new measures come three days before Prime Minister 

Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet in Washington with US President Donald Trump.

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