Washington reportedly mulls expanding Trump’s Board of Peace beyond Gaza to Ukraine and Venezuela;
Archiv: Israel
Trump wants nations to pay $1bn to join Gaza ‚Board of Peace‘: report
A draft charter for the group, seen by Bloomberg, establishes Trump as its inaugural chairman, who would have a veto over membership.
The document stipulates that states‘ membership will be limited to three years, unless they “contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force“, guaranteeing them permanent membership.
The charter opens by stressing the need for „a more nimble and effective international peace-building body“, adding that lasting peace requires „the courage to depart from … institutions that have too often failed“.
The language has prompted concerns that Trump is seeking to build a rival to the United Nations.
Demand the full suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement in view of Israel’s violations of human rights
According to the European Commission, the State of Israel is responsible for an unprecedented level of killing and injury of civilians, a large-scale displacement of population and the systematic destruction of hospitals and medical facilities in Gaza. [1] Israel also implemented a blockade of humanitarian aid that could amount to starvation as a method of war. Israel is in breach of multiple rules and obligations under international law and fails to prevent the crime of genocide as ordered by the International Court of Justice.[2]
Yet the European Union has still not suspended its association agreement with Israel, which is the cornerstone of EU-Israel bilateral trade, economic, and political cooperation.
EU citizens cannot tolerate that the EU maintains an agreement that contributes to legitimize and finance a State that commits crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Therefore, we call on the Commission to put forward the proposal to the Council for the full suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
150,000 signatures collected calling for the suspension of European relations with Israel
Just two days after the start of the European Citizens’ Initiative to call for the suspension of European Union relations with Israel, 150,000 signatures have already been collected out of the million needed to present the initiative to the European Parliament under the established popular consultation mechanism. The signature collection campaign will last one year, and any European citizen can sign online at this address.
Israeli Police Question Top Netanyahu Aide Over Leaked Document Case
(January 11, 2026)
In November 2024, the Israeli courts lifted a gag order and identified Mr. Feldstein, who was working as a military affairs spokesman for Mr. Netanyahu, as one of the suspects in the case involving the stealing, illegal holding and leaking of a classified military document to a German newspaper, Bild.
Handwritten in Arabic, the document, obtained from Gaza, appeared to lay out Hamas’s plan for psychological warfare against Israel, claiming that Hamas was in no rush to reach a deal to release hostages or to end the war. Some of the messaging aligned with Mr. Netanyahu’s own approach.
Critics said the Bild article based on the leak appeared to be part of a deliberate effort by the prime minister or his loyalists to weaken the domestic campaign for the hostages’ release and influence Israeli public opinion in favor of Mr. Netanyahu’s negotiating positions.
A fatal motorcycle accident leaves Israel‘s most serious security corruption case unresolved.
(January 9, 2026)
In this case, media consultant Tzachi Lieber is accused of acting as an intermediary for bribes between Michael Ganor, who was the representative of the German industrial engineering company ThyssenKrupp in Israel, and David Sharan, who was chief of staff to Prime Minister Netanyahu.
(…)
The dilemma facing the system is now complex. On the one hand, allowing a new judge to render a verdict based solely on transcripts and submitted evidence is problematic, as a criminal verdict should be based on the judge‘s direct impression of the witnesses and the accused, and on their credibility.
On the other hand, having the witnesses, or some of them, re-tested by another judge is also problematic and would mean the case would drag on for years. As mentioned, this would also delay Lieber‘s required testimony in the main case against Sharan and Ganor.
ISRAELI JUDGE HANDLING NETANYAHU-LINKED CASE KILLED IN MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT
(Januar 6, 2026)
Judge Benny Sagi, president of Israel‘s Beersheba District Court, was killed Sunday when a vehicle struck his motorcycle on Route 6.
Police say a vehicle driving off-road entered the highway and collided with Sagi‘s bike near Kfar Menachem kibbutz.
Paramedics found him with no pulse, multiple injuries.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sagi was handling aspects of Case 3000, the „Submarines Affair“ involving corruption in Israeli naval deals.
Netanyahu has been questioned in this case but not charged.
Sagi was NOT presiding over Netanyahu‘s main corruption trial (Cases 1000, 2000, 4000).
That case is being heard by a three-judge panel in Jerusalem District Court.
Netanyahu‘s testimony in his primary trial was shortened Monday to allow attendance at Sagi‘s funeral.
Israeli authorities and major news organizations have categorized this as a traffic accident.
An investigation has been launched.
Some regional outlets and social media have called the death „suspicious“ given Sagi‘s role in sensitive cases, but no evidence of foul play has been reported.
A-G Mandelblit rejects appeal to expand case 3000 investigation
(October 18, 2020)
Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit on Sunday evening rejected the appeal made by the Movement for Quality of Government, which demanded that the investigation into the infamous case 3000 submarine sale scandal be expanded and that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be questioned with a warning.
He further noted that there is no reason to intervene in Netanyahu‘s sale of personal stocks before the submarine acquisition, in accordance with his decision not to open a criminal investigation against the prime minister in case 3000.
Israeli prime minister returns to court for 70th hearing in corruption trial
Since the trial began, Netanyahu has consistently denied all allegations. Under Israeli law, however, a presidential pardon can only be granted following an admission of guilt.
The prime minister is facing charges in three separate cases, commonly known as Case 1000, Case 2000 and Case 4000. The indictments were filed in late November 2019 by then-Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit.
Behind the riots: Israel-Pahlavi nexus and the delusion of ‘regime change’ in Iran
The alliance between Iran’s former monarchists and the Israeli regime – actors united by shared interests – gained further momentum after Pahlavi and his spouse visited the Israeli-occupied territories in April 2024 at the invitation of Netanyahu himself.
The visit marked the formalization of what had long been an informal and deeply troubling relationship.
This relationship was further solidified after the Tel Aviv regime launched an unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Iran in June this year, resulting in the martyrdom of more than 1,000 people, including women and children.
While the Iranian nation mourned its dead, Pahlavi monarchists openly celebrated. Reza Pahlavi offered no words of sympathy for the victims of the 12-day war, laying bare where his loyalties truly lie.
Israel Is Still Demolishing Gaza, Building by Building
More than two months ago, Israel and Hamas signed a cease-fire agreement that offered Palestinians in Gaza a hope of respite after a punishing two-year Israeli bombardment that left much of their enclave in ruins.
The destruction has continued.
Israel has demolished more than 2,500 buildings in Gaza since the cease-fire began, according to a New York Times analysis of satellite imagery from Planet Labs.
Gaza ‚board of peace‘ will hold first meeting at Davos, Palestinian American intermediary says
Trump plans to serve as head of the board alongside other world leaders. The board will interact with a committee of Palestinian technocrats in Gaza through Mladenov.
Bahbah said that the “main entities” responsible for “managing” Gaza’s reconstruction will be established within 30 days. He added that Palestinian factions are expected to meet in Cairo next week, where the names of an independent technocratic committee to manage Gaza’s affairs will be announced.
Coalition moves to kill charge central to Netanyahu corruption trial
In their statement, the bill’s sponsors described the offense as a vague legal tool that has long enabled prosecutors to target elected officials for behavior that is ethically questionable but not clearly criminal. They called for a “rapid legislative process,” framing the move as an overdue correction to what they labeled an overreach by law enforcement.
Critics say the bill appears tailor-made to benefit Netanyahu, who is accused of exploiting his public position for personal gain
Coalition advances bill to repeal criminal charge that Netanyahu is on trial for
Coalition lawmakers are advancing a bill to repeal the crime of fraud and breach of trust – one of the charges that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently on trial for.
Case 4000: Netanyahu testimony cut short after sealed envelope as prosecution presses on media ties
(today)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s testimony in his criminal trial was cut short on Monday after judges agreed to end the hearing early, following a sealed envelope delivered to the prime minister roughly an hour after proceedings began.
Netanyahu, who is in the midst of cross-examination by the prosecution, received an envelope and told the court the contents were “important.”
ICE‘s killing in Minneapolis shows American empire has come home
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency was created in the shadow of the so-called Global War on Terror that followed the attacks of 11 September 2001.
It became a key pillar of the architecture of repressive surveillance and militarised tactics that emerged during the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.
ICE itself was specifically designed to pursue „national security threats“ within the United States, granting agents sweeping discretion over who could be deemed to „pose a threat to public safety or national security“.
Since then, it has come to represent a rogue operation, its reputation clouded by harrowing stories of abuse, impunity and a near total lack of oversight.
Its close association with Palantir, a surveillance firm accused of helping generate kill lists for Israel, has also further embedded it within the US military-industrial complex.
Scalawag Magazine described Palantir‘s partnership with ICE as „one of the many links comprising the military-industrial surveillance connections between ICE and Israel Defense Forces“.
These links, it wrote, illustrate the ideological and practical ties between the two bodies, as they work to advance the militarisation of policing through the weaponisation of surveillance technology.
ICE has also participated in several exchanges with the Israeli military, and during the student protests for Gaza, it lifted names from the blacklisting website Canary Mission to identify and arrest protesters.
Israel, Russia, and the United States Are Testing the Boundaries of Global Order
(September 12, 2025)
As I’ve discussed at length recently, we have already witnessed the death of the global trading system as we have known it. But this slide away from the rules-based system isn’t limited to trade. It is evident in the use of military force as well.
Three examples of unilateral military action over the past couple weeks are particularly instructive:
(…)
That is the real Hobbesian peril. Each of these actions can be seen as an isolated instance, but if one or two or three countries take kinetic action unilaterally, it risks creating a permission structure where others feel there are no guardrails to constrain them.
Israel asked Qatar to increase amount of funds it gave to Hamas month before October 7
Israel asked Qatar to increase the amount of funds it gave to Hamas around a month before the October 7 attacks, Yedioth Ahronoth reported early on Friday.
Israel sought Qatar cash increase for Hamas weeks before October 7
Until now, it had been reported, including in a New York Times investigation published in December 2023, that Israel asked Doha to continue transferring funds to Hamas. It now emerges that Israel went further and actively sought to increase those transfers in response to Hamas threats of escalation in Gaza.
(…)
At this point, it is important to explain the circular arrangement. Beginning in late 2021, in an effort to prevent direct cash transfers to Hamas, Israel, Qatar and Sinwar agreed that Qatar would purchase fuel in Egypt and transfer it as a donation to Hamas authorities. Hamas then sold the fuel to gas stations in Gaza. The sums appeared modest, between $3 million and $10 million, but Hamas profited far more.
Gaza: Drohung der israelischen Regierung, NGOs die Registrierung zu verweigern, ist ein schwerer Schlag für humanitäre Hilfe
Jerusalem/Berlin, 2. Januar 2026. Die Drohung der israelischen Regierung, Ärzte ohne Grenzen und anderen internationalen Nichtregierungsorganisationen (INGOs) die Registrierung zu verweigern, ist ein zynischer und kalkulierter Versuch, die Organisationen daran zu hindern, im Gazastreifen und im Westjordanland Hilfe zu leisten. Damit verstößt Israel gegen seine Verpflichtungen nach dem humanitären Völkerrecht.
Der Zivilbevölkerung medizinische Hilfe zu verweigern, kann unter keinen Umständen akzeptiert werden. Es ist empörend, humanitäre Hilfe als politisches Instrument oder als Mittel kollektiver Bestrafung zu missbrauchen. Die israelischen Behörden verschärfen damit ihre schweren Angriffe auf die humanitäre Hilfe und bedrohen direkt die medizinische Versorgung der Menschen im Gazastreifen und im Westjordanland.
Ärzte ohne Grenzen weist die Vorwürfe, die von den israelischen Behörden in den vergangenen Tagen erhoben worden sind, entschieden zurück. Die medizinische Hilfsorganisation würde niemals wissentlich Personen beschäftigen, die an militärischen Aktivitäten beteiligt sind – dies widerspricht ihren grundlegenden Werten und ihrer Ethik. Die Berichte darüber, was Teams von Ärzte ohne Grenzen mit eigenen Augen in Gaza sehen – Tod, Zerstörung und die Folgen genozidaler Gewalt – mögen schwer erträglich sein, die Verantwortung dafür liegt aber bei jenen, die diese Gräueltaten begehen, und nicht bei jenen, die darüber Zeugnis ablegen.
Israel’s threat to withhold registration for NGOs: A grave blow to humanitarian aid in Gaza and the West Bank
Israel’s threat to withhold registration from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and other international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) is a cynical and calculated attempt to prevent organisations from providing services in Gaza and the West Bank, Palestine, in breach of Israel‘s obligations under international humanitarian law.
Denying medical assistance to civilians is unacceptable under any circumstances and it is appalling to use humanitarian aid as a tool of policy or collective punishment. Now is the time for action. Israel is escalating its grave attack on humanitarian response, directly threatening medical care and humanitarian aid to civilians.
MSF unequivocally refutes the allegations made by the Israeli authorities in recent days. MSF would never knowingly employ anyone involved in military activities, which contradicts our core values and ethics. If the descriptions of what our teams see with their own eyes in Gaza – death, destruction and the human consequences of genocidal violence – are unpalatable to some, the fault lies with those committing these atrocities, not with those who speak of them.
LIVE: Israel’s ban on 37 aid groups kicks in, Gaza starts 2026 with despair
Israel’s decision to revoke the licences of 37 international NGOs, including Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, has come into effect as the Israeli government pushes to demonise organisations that assist Palestinians, among them United Nations agencies, with unproven accusations of links to Hamas.
People in Gaza have started 2026 not with hope or certainty, but with despair as they face more Israeli restrictions amid a humanitarian catastrophe, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud reports from Gaza City.
UN chief condemns Israeli amendments targeting UNRWA operations
The UN Secretary-General has condemned amendments adopted by Israel’s Knesset to a law aimed at ceasing the operations of the UN agency assisting Palestine refugees (UNRWA), saying the measures must be immediately repealed.
The amendments, adopted on 29 December, to the Law to Cease UNRWA Operations “seek to further impede UNRWA’s ability to operate and carry out its mandated activities,” said a statement issued by the Spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
“The Law and its amendments are inconsistent with the status and international legal framework applicable to UNRWA and must be immediately repealed,” it added.
Any government in the world could expel the rogue state of Israel from the United Nations. None does.
(April 27, 2025)
It‘s not the world order that has failed the Palestinians. It‘s the world.
Outrageous suspension of numerous aid agencies from Gaza
Delivered by
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk
At
Geneva
Israel’s suspension of numerous aid agencies from Gaza is outrageous.
This is the latest in a pattern of unlawful restrictions on humanitarian access, including Israel’s ban on UNRWA (the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East), as well as attacks on Israeli and Palestinian NGOs amid broader access issues faced by the UN and other humanitarians.
I urge all States, in particular those with influence, to take urgent steps and insist that Israel immediately allows aid to get into Gaza unhindered. Such arbitrary suspensions make an already intolerable situation even worse for the people of Gaza.
Israel’s NGO ban sets ‘dangerous precedent’ for humanitarian work: UNRWA
Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of UNRWA, says Israel’s suspension of 37 aid organisations in Gaza shows “a troubling pattern of disregard for international humanitarian law”.
“This is a dangerous precedent,” Lazzarini wrote on social media platform X…..
Israel announces shock move to ban dozens of aid organizations from Gaza
Israel has singled out international medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), alleging that it had two employees who were members of Palestinian militant groups Islamic Jihad and Hamas
Israel to ban 37 aid groups operating in Gaza
„They refuse to provide lists of their Palestinian employees because they know, just as we know, that some of them are involved in terrorism or linked to Hamas,“ spokesman for the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, Gilad Zwick told AFP, naming 37 NGOs that had so far failed to meet the new requirements