In early November, a small group of senior U.S. human rights diplomats met with a top official in President Joe Biden’s State Department to make one final, emphatic plea: We must keep our word….
Archiv: booting the so-called Democratic Party (USA)
Report Says Biden‘s ‚Empty Threats‘ on Gaza Fed Israeli Impunity
New reporting published Wednesday details the impotence and insincerity of President Joe Biden‘s „multiple threats, warnings, and admonishments“ to Israel as it annihilated the Gaza Strip, killing tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians while receiving tens of billions of dollars in U.S. arms and unwavering diplomatic support.
Writing for ProPublica, Brett Murphy showed how multiple „red lines“ issued by Biden administration officials were ignored by Israel with impunity.
Israel kills 81 more Gazans as death toll nears 46,800
Medical sources told Anadolu that most of the victims were killed in intensified Israeli attacks across Gaza following the announcement of a cease-fire deal Wednesday evening.
At least 81 Palestinians killed in the past 24 hours: health ministry
At least 81 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in the past 24 hours, the health ministry announced on Thursday.
Netanyahu delays cabinet vote on Israel-Gaza ceasefire deal and hostage release
An Israeli cabinet meeting to approve a ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas was delayed Thursday morning after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the militant group of “reneging” on parts of the agreement.
Israel gov‘t expected to vote on Gaza deal by Thursday, according to FM statement
Israel‘s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he was cutting his visit to Europe short on Wednesday so that he could take part in security cabinet and government votes on a Gaza hostage release and ceasefire deal.
Officials tout a Gaza ceasefire deal and plan to free hostages. Israel says details still in flux
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said final details were being ironed out, saying in a statement that it hoped “details will be finalized tonight.”
Gaza death toll tops 46,700 as Israeli attacks continue unabated
(7 hours ago)
At least 62 more Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours, bringing the overall death toll since October 2023 to 46,707, the Health Ministry in the enclave said on Wednesday.
A ministry statement added that some 110,265 others were injured in the ongoing assault.
Protests Erupt in Washington: Blinken Dubbed ‚Secretary of Genocide‘ by Activists!
On January 14, 2025, during a speech at the Atlantic Council in Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was interrupted by activists:
„you will forever be known as bloody blinken, secretary of genocide.“
Gaza death toll reaches 46,645
Since the Israeli onslaught began on 7 October 2023, the death toll has risen to 46,645, with 110,012 people wounded, according to the ministry‘s latest figures.
32 Palestinians killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza since dawn
(14 January 2025 12:25 GMT)
Medical sources reported to Al Jazeera Arabic that Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip have killed 32 Palestinians since dawn today, with 24 of the victims located in the central and southern regions of Gaza.
Kamal Adwan’s Hussam Abu Safia held in Ofer Prison, rights group says
An Israeli rights group says Hussam Abu Safia, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital who was detained by Israeli forces during their raid on the facility in Beit Lahiya last month, is being held in a notorious Israeli military prison in the occupied West Bank.
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHRI), said the Israeli military confirmed in an email that Abu Safia was at Ofer Prison. A lawyer for Abu Safia’s family was told that he would not be allowed to see him until January 29, said a spokesman for PHRI, Ran Yaron, according to The Associated Press.
Gaza death toll reaches 46,584
The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that the death toll from Israel’s ongoing military onslaught has climbed to 46,584, with 109,731 people wounded since Israel‘s war on Gaza began on 7 October 2023.
Israel kills 13 Palestinians in northern Gaza Strip since dawn
(13 January 2025 07:49 GMT)
At least 13 Palestinians were killed in a series of Israeli air strikes on the northern Gaza Strip since the early hours of today, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.
Biden and Netanyahu discusses ceasefire deal
(12 January 2025 17:39 GMT)
US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke over the phone on Sunday, according to several reports.
Trump‘s incoming national security advisor urges ceasefire before 20 January
(12 January 2025 16:15 GMT)
Donald Trump‘s incoming national security adviser, Mike Waltz, spoke with ABC News on Sunday, where he called for a ceasefire deal in Gaza to happen before Trump‘s inauguration on 20 January.
„Hamas has nowhere else to go but enter some type of agreement. Let‘s have a ceasefire, let‘s allow our hostages to be set free. I want to see them walking across a tarmac. At a minimum, some type of agreement before inauguration,“ he said.
Gaza Death Toll Reaches 46,565, 70 Children Killed in the Last 5 Days Alone
The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip reported on Sunday that two separate massacres committed by Israeli forces over the past 24 hours resulted in the deaths of 28 Palestinians, with 89 others injured.
The Civil Defense in Gaza further revealed that in the past five days, nearly 70 children have been killed due to relentless Israeli bombing across the strip.
Sullivan calls Yoon‘s martial law bid ‚shocking,‘ ‚wrong,‘ says alliance still set for success despite turmoil
(January 10,2025)
North Korea has so far been largely silent on the domestic turmoil that took hold of South Korea after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law last year. However, the US is of the view that Pyongyang could exploit this internal chaos
South Korea’s political crisis and Uncle Sam’s silence
(January 7, 2025)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken — who was in Seoul this week for meetings as though nothing unusual had happened — released a readout that made no mention of South Korea’s political situation. His response to a direct question about the U.S. position on Yoon’s actions vaguely referenced private intergovernmental discussions before pivoting to boilerplate about democratic resilience. Despite a shocking breach of liberal democracy, Seoul has faced the bare minimum of consequences from its supposed “democratic values-based partner.” Why?
Impeachment in South Korea Has Cost Washington a Staunch Ally
(December 16, 2024)
President Yoon Suk Yeol has changed the course of South Korea’s diplomacy like no leader before him. He put his country in lock step with the United States by countering North Korea with sanctions and joint military drills. He won Washington’s plaudits when he overcame a century of historical grievances Koreans held against Japan and helped lay the ground for trilateral cooperation to deter China.
He sang the praises of Western values such as freedom.
Humanitarian Situation Update #253 | Gaza Strip
Key Highlights
– Child Protection partners are facing severe challenges in bringing needed winter clothing kits into Gaza; only 19,000 kits have been distributed out of 220,000 procured.
– At least 369 aid workers, including 263 UNRWA staff, have been killed since October 2023, according to data received by the UN and its partners.
– Zero fuel reserves to operate electricity generators at hospitals across Gaza are placing the lives of patients and newborns at grave risk.
– The UN attempted to reach the besieged area in North Gaza 165 times between 6 October and 31 December 2024, of which 149 attempts were denied by the Israeli authorities and 16 faced impediments.
(…)
– Access to North Gaza governorate, which has been under intensified siege since 6 October 2024, continues to be largely denied by the Israeli authorities. From 6 October to 31 December 2024, the UN attempted to reach the area 165 times, of which 149 attempts were denied and 16 were allowed to proceed but faced impediments. Coordinated aid missions to areas in the Rafah governorate, where there has been an ongoing Israeli military operation since early May, have faced similar challenges. Overall, in 2024, the UN and its partners carried out 5,321 coordinated humanitarian movements across the Gaza Strip, including 3,707 in the south and 1,614 in the north. Of these, 48 per cent (North: 621, South: 1,936) were facilitated, 24 per cent (North: 398, South: 864) were denied, 19 per cent (North: 434, South: 567) were interfered with or initially agreed to but then faced impediments, and nine per cent (North: 161, South: 340) were cancelled by the organizers due to logistical and security challenges. Movements facing impediments were accomplished either partially or not at all.
Traumatic injury mortality in the Gaza Strip from Oct 7, 2023, to June 30, 2024: a capture–recapture analysis
Findings We estimated 64 260 deaths (95% CI 55 298–78 525) due to traumatic injury during the study period, suggesting the Palestinian MoH under-reported mortality by 41%. The annualised crude death rate was 39·3 per 1000 people (95% CI 35·7–49·4), representing a rate ratio of 14·0 (95% CI 12·8–17·6) compared with all-cause mortality in 2022, even when ignoring non-injury excess mortality. Women, children (aged <18 years), and older people (aged ≥65 years) accounted for 16 699 (59·1%) of the 28 257 deaths for which age and sex data were available. Interpretation Our findings show an exceptionally high mortality rate in the Gaza Strip during the period studied. These results underscore the urgent need for interventions to prevent further loss of life and illuminate important patterns in the conduct of the war.
Lancet Study: Gaza Health Ministry Undercounted Death Toll By 41%
Explaining the methodology, the study said it used “capture-recapture methods to estimate total deaths from traumatic injury in the Gaza Strip from Oct 7, 2023, to June 30, 2024. By combining three data lists—official hospital lists, an MoH survey, and social media obituaries—we provide an estimate of mortality that accounts for under-reporting.”
The study only accounts for deaths caused by violence and not indirect deaths caused by the Israeli siege and the destruction of medical and other civilian infrastructure.
46,006 and counting: Israel kills father, 3 sons in latest atrocities
The death toll in Israel‘s genocidal Gaza war crossed 46,006 on Thursday after at least 70 more Palestinians were killed in relentless Israeli attacks, the enclave‘s Health Ministry said.
A ministry statement added that some 109,378 others were injured in the ongoing assault.
US House votes to sanction International Criminal Court over Israel
Forty-five Democrats joined 198 Republicans in backing the bill. No Republican voted against it.
“America is passing this law because a kangaroo court is seeking to arrest the prime minister of our great ally, Israel,” Representative Brian Mast, Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a House speech before the vote.
Gaza death toll surpasses 45,936 as Israeli attacks intensify
The death toll from Israel‘s ongoing military aggression against the Gaza Strip has exceeded 45,936, with a significant number of casualties reported in the last 24 hours.
According to medical sources, the Israeli army has carried out six massacres targeting families, killing 51 civilians and injuring 78 others.
Israeli air strikes kill 28 Palestinians in Gaza since dawn
Medical sources have told Al Jazeera Arabic that 28 Palestinians were killed in Israeli raids targeting multiple areas across the Gaza Strip since dawn today.
Top Trump Official Claims Iran Is the Problem in the Middle East, Vows Crackdown on Pro-Palestinian Protesters
In an interview with Mark Levin, Waltz explained the “philosophy” of the incoming administration for the Middle East. “The problems in the Middle East by and large originate from Tehran, not from Tel Aviv. We’re going to stand by and support our greatest ally in the Middle East,” he said. “We’re aligned from a national security, intelligence and values standpoint.”
Waltz described this policy as instituting a “complete philosophical, wholesale national security shift.”
‚Morally Bankrupt‘ Biden Blasted for $8 Billion More in Arms to Israel Amid Gaza Genocide
Human rights advocates in the United States and around the world on Monday condemned outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden for continuing to fuel Israel‘s genocidal assault on the Gaza Strip with a pending $8 billion weapons package.
Since Axoisrevealed late Friday that his administration had notified Congress of the deal, Biden has faced a fresh flood of outrage, with critics calling the president „morally bankrupt“ and his decision to keep arming Israel „willful madness.“
Gaza‘s death toll rises to 45,885
Since the onset of Israel‘s military onslaught on Gaza in October 2023, at least 45,885 Palestinians have been killed and 109,196 wounded, the Palestinian health ministry reported on Tuesday.
Biden Greenlights ‚Racist‘ and ‚Sociopathic‘ $8B Arms Sale to Israel
The administration of US President Joe Biden announced on Saturday an arms sale to Israel valued at $8 billion, just ahead of President-elect Donald Trump‘s return to the White House.
Biden has repeatedly rejected calls to suspend military backing for Israel because of the number of civilians killed during the war in Gaza. Israel has killed more than 45,000 people in Gaza, primarily women and children.
45,717 Palestinians killed in Gaza since October 2023: Health ministry
The Palestinian health ministry reported that 59 people were killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza in the past 24 hours, raising the total death toll to 45,717 killed since 7 October 2023.
At least 66 people killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza: Report
4 January 2025 20:29 GMT
At least 66 people have been killed in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, Al Jazeera reported, citing medical sources.
Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya‘s life in danger due to torture: Immediate international intervention needed for his release
According to testimonies gathered by Euro-Med Monitor, the Israeli army subsequently transferred Dr. Abu Safiya to a field interrogation site in the Al-Fakhura area of Jabalia Refugee Camp. There, he was forced to strip off his clothes and was subjected to severe beatings, including being whipped with a thick wire commonly used for street electrical wiring. Soldiers deliberately humiliated him in front of other detainees, including fellow medical staff. He was later taken to an undisclosed location before being transferred to the Sde Teyman military camp under Israeli army control.
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has also received information from recently released detainees at the Sde Teyman military camp, confirming that Dr. Abu Safiya was subjected to severe torture, leading to a significant deterioration in his health. This occurred despite him already being injured by Israeli air strikes on the hospital, where he worked tirelessly until the facility was stormed and set ablaze by Israeli forces.
Israeli Govt Pressed to Reveal Location of Detained Gaza Hospital Director
In response to an official request submitted by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) Israel on behalf of his family to arrange a lawyer’s visit for him, “Mashlat” – the body responsible for coordinating with the army regarding the location of detainees and prisoners from the occupied Gaza Strip – stated that they have no indication of his arrest or detention of the Kamal Adwan Hospital director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya. Despite clear documentation of his arrest, the Israeli army officially stated on Thursday, January 3, that “it has no indication of the arrest or detention of the Kamal Adwan Hospital Director.”
The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question – Security Council, 9830th meeting
(January 3, 2024)
Summary
The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question – Security Council, 9830th meeting
Description
– Briefer: Mr. Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (via video-teleconference)
– Briefer: Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, Representative for the West Bank and Gaza, World Health Organization (via video-teleconference)
– Briefer: Dr. Tanya Haj Hassan, medical practitioner, Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) Charity (via video-teleconference)
– Statements: All Council members
– Statement: Observer State of Palestine
– Statements: Israel, Egypt
Palestinian UN ambassador calls for release of Dr Hussam Abu Safiyeh
In the first United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on the Middle East for 2025, Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour asked the international body to show „courage“ in demanding the release of Dr Hussam Abu Safiyeh, the medical director of Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza was detained by Israeli forces last week.
‘Hospitals have become battlegrounds’: Gaza’s health system on brink of collapse
In a Security Council meeting on Friday, Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, World Health Organization (WHO) representative for the West Bank and Gaza, painted a grim picture of the situation, emphasising that over 25 per cent of the 105,000 injured civilians now face life-changing injuries.
“At the current rate, it would take five to 10 years to evacuate all these critically ill patients,” Dr. Peeperkorn warned, noting that over 12,000 people remain on waiting lists for urgent treatment abroad.
Only 16 of the region’s 36 hospitals remain partially operational, their collective capacity merely above 1,800 beds – entirely insufficient for the overwhelming medical needs.
“The health sector is being systematically dismantled,” Dr. Peeperkorn noted, citing shortages of medical supplies, equipment, and personnel.
Scoop: Biden notifies Congress of $8 billion arms sale to Israel
„The President has made clear Israel has a right to defend its citizens, consistent with international law and international humanitarian law, and to deter aggression from Iran and its proxy organizations. We will continue to provide the capabilities necessary for Israel‘s defense,“ a U.S. official said.
Live: Israel kills dozens of Palestinians since dawn
Meanwhile, the US is preparing an $8bn arms package for Israel, including heavy bombs
Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza rises to 45,658
The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 45,658, with 108,583 others injured, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Friday.
In the past 24 hours alone, at least 77 people were killed and 145 others were injured in Gaza, according to the statement.
Gaza Death Toll Rises To 45,581 Over 108,000 Injured
(December 2, 2024, 2:44:12 PM)
Doha, Qatar: Palestinian health Ministry said today, January 2, that at least 45,581 people have been killed by Israeli Occupation forces in nearly 15 months of war on Gaza.
Israel’s relentless bombing kills 26 Palestinians in Gaza this morning
Over the past 24 hours, Israeli air strikes have left more than 70 Palestinians dead, with dozens more wounded, according to Gaza’s health authorities. The staggering death toll highlights the devastating impact of Israel’s military assault on the densely populated region, where civilians are bearing the brunt of the onslaught.
On Thursday alone, Gaza’s government media office reported 34 air strikes carried out by the Israeli army, many of which struck civilian areas already ravaged by war.
Israel ignores WHO appeals and attacks another hospital in northern Gaza
The Indonesian Hospital, one the biggest health facilities in northern Gaza, has been out of service for weeks due to ongoing Israeli attacks and a debilitating siege put in place since early October.
Earlier this week, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the WHO, called on Israel to cease its attacks on Gaza‘s beleaguered hospitals and medical centres and offer a brief reprieve to exhausted Palestinians.