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Tag: palestine

  • Israel moves to annex West Bank as state property

    Israel moves to annex West Bank as state property

    The Israeli government has approved an illegal plan to register large areas of the occupied West Bank as “state property” if Palestinians cannot prove ownership, prompting global outcry and accusations of de-facto annexation. 


    Israel’s Kan broadcaster reported on Sunday that the proposal was submitted by Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, Minister of Justice Yariv Levin and Minister of Defence Israel Katz.

    Smotrich said the move was a continuation of “the settlement revolution to control all our lands”, while Levin described it as an expression of the government’s commitment “to strengthening its grip on all its parts”.

    The decision allows for the resumption of the “settlement of land title” process, which has remained frozen since Israel’s occupation of the West Bank in 1967. Under the process, when authorities begin land registration in a specific area, anyone claiming ownership must submit documents proving their claim.

    Palestinian officials and rights groups say that after decades of occupation, many residents lack the required documentation due to legal complexities and the loss of records during conflict. The move could affect thousands of Palestinians living in Area C, which is under full Israeli military control under the Oslo Accords. More than 300,000 Palestinians are estimated to reside in Area C, with others dependent on its agricultural and grazing lands.

    The Palestinian presidency condemned the decision in a statement, calling it a “grave escalation and a flagrant violation of international law”, which amounts to “de-facto annexation”. It urged the international community, particularly the United States (US) and the United Nations Security Council, to intervene.

    Hamas also denounced the decision, calling it an attempt “to steal and Judaise lands in the occupied West Bank by registering them as so-called ‘state lands’”. The group described the approval as “a null and void decision issued by an illegitimate occupying power”.

    Israeli anti-settlement organisation Peace Now said the process likely amounts to a “mega land grab” from Palestinians. Hagit Ofran, director of the group’s Settlement Watch programme, said, “Palestinians will be sent to prove ownership in a way that they will never be able to do.” She added that Israel “might take over 83 percent of Area C, which is about half of the West Bank.”

    Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued statements condemning the move as a violation of international law. Egypt cited the Fourth Geneva Convention and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 of 2016.

    There was no immediate comment from the United States. More than 700,000 Israelis live in settlements in the occupied West Bank. The UN’s highest court, meanwhile, said in a non-binding advisory opinion in 2024 that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory and settlements in the West Bank are illegal and should be ended as soon as possible.

  • UNRWA fires hundreds of Gaza-based staff amid dire financial crisis

    UNRWA fires hundreds of Gaza-based staff amid dire financial crisis

    The UN’s beleaguered agency for Palestinian refugees said Wednesday that a “dire” financial crisis had this week forced it to fire hundreds of Gazan staff who had left the territory.


    For more than seven decades, UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) has provided aid and assistance to Palestinian refugees across Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria.

    A spokesperson said, “On Tuesday, 571 local UNRWA staff, working outside Gaza, were informed that they were being separated from the agency with immediate effect.”


    However, the agency has faced a sharp decline in voluntary contributions, which it relies on for funding, amid growing attacks from Israel. This has caused an unprecedented financial crisis for the organisation.


    The spokesperson added that while UNRWA’s operations cost $880 million last year, it received only about $570 million in contributions. 


    “As things stand, we expect a substantial shortfall in 2026,” they said.

    All staff affected by this week’s announcement were originally based in the Gaza Strip but had relocated outside the territory after the genocide started in October 2023.

  • Radiohead’s Thom Yorke says he would ‘absolutely not’ play in Israel

    Radiohead’s Thom Yorke says he would ‘absolutely not’ play in Israel

    Thom Yorke, the lead singer of the legendary band Radiohead, has said that he will no longer perform in Israel — a clear shift from the band’s controversial decision to play in Tel Aviv eight years ago, despite widespread criticism from pro-Palestinian activists.

     

    “Absolutely not. I wouldn’t want to be 5,000 miles anywhere near the Netanyahu regime,” Yorke told The Sunday Times Magazine, referencing Israel’s prime minister and his government.

     

    The interview, conducted before the recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, comes as Radiohead prepare to embark on their first tour in seven years, with 20 shows scheduled across five European cities. Even before the tour dates were announced, the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) urged fans to boycott the band, citing guitarist Jonny Greenwood’s performance in Tel Aviv in 2024.

     

    Radiohead’s 2016–2018 A Moon Shaped Pool tour stirred major backlash after the group performed in Israel, defying calls from figures like director Ken Loach to cancel. At the time, Yorke defended the move, arguing on X (formerly Twitter): “Playing in a country isn’t the same as endorsing its government. We’ve played in Israel for over 20 years… We don’t endorse Netanyahu any more than we endorsed Trump, but we still play in America.”

     

    Yorke, who once called the BDS movement “patronising” and “offensive,” now appears to view that decision differently. He recalled feeling “horrified” when a “clearly connected high-up” Israeli official thanked the band personally for their 2017 performance.

     

    The band’s connection to Israel has remained a source of tension. Last year, Yorke briefly walked off stage during a solo concert in Australia after an activist accused him of staying silent on Gaza. He later issued a statement condemning Netanyahu’s government as “extremists who need to be stopped.”

     

    Meanwhile, Greenwood — whose wife is Israeli — has continued to face scrutiny for his collaborations with Israeli musician Dudu Tassa, though he has also joined anti-Netanyahu protests in Israel. “I’m not ashamed of working with Arab and Jewish musicians,” he told The Sunday Times, adding that he still spends significant time there with his family.

  • Jenna Ortega calls Palestinians her ‘heroes’

    Jenna Ortega calls Palestinians her ‘heroes’

    Wednesday star Jenna Ortega is just as fearless as the iconic character she portrays on Netflix’s mega smash series.

    The star has once again voiced her support for the Palestinian people, calling them her “heroes” in a recent interview with French magazine Gala.

    Speaking at a Dior-hosted party in Paris, the outspoken actress praised the resilience and courage of Palestinians amid the indifference of world leaders.

    “I see the people of Palestine as my heroes,” Ortega said. “They are continuously using their voices despite the world ignoring their pleas.”

    She added that she hopes to amplify their struggle. “I wish to lift and raise their voices as well,” Ortega continued, calling their efforts “important and commendable.”

    This is not the first time the 21-year-old actor has taken a public stance on the issue. In June, she shared a series of Instagram posts referencing attacks in Iran and Palestine, writing: “My thoughts are heavy” and that “Palestinian cries are being buried in everyday media.”

    In 2023, Ortega also made headlines after leaving the Scream VII just one day after her co-star Melissa Barrera was fired over pro-Palestine social media posts. While many speculated her departure was an act of solidarity, the studio denied any connection, attributing Ortega’s exit to scheduling conflicts.

    Jenna Ortega’s continued vocal support for Palestine has drawn praise from her fans.

    Several Hollywood celebrities are raising their voices against the genocide being carried out in Gaza.

    As per the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 67,160 people have been killed so far and 169,679 wounded by Israeli attacks across Gaza since October 2023.

  • Dua Lipa fires manager over his support for Israel

    Dua Lipa fires manager over his support for Israel

    Dua Lipa has reportedly fired her longtime manager David Levy after learning of his alleged involvement in efforts to have Irish rap group Kneecap removed from the Glastonbury Festival lineup.

    Reports claim Levy’s name appeared at the bottom of a confidential letter sent to festival founder Michael Eavis, urging that Kneecap be dropped due to their supposed political affiliations. The letter, described as “private and confidential”, was later leaked, prompting Lipa to sever ties with Levy once she became aware of his role.

    Lipa, who has been vocal in her support for Palestine, has previously condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide and used her Instagram where she has over 80 million followers, to amplify her views. She has also taken part in protests criticising the UK’s involvement in the apartheid.

    Despite the controversy, Kneecap performed at Glastonbury. Police inquiries into the matter were closed due to a lack of evidence. The group characterised the situation as an example of “political policing intimidation”. Group member Mo Chara still faces a separate case related to allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag at a different event.

    Lipa remains signed with William Morris Endeavor (WME) but has appointed a new agent who reportedly aligns more closely with her political stance.

    Meanwhile, her Radical Optimism world tour continues, following a recent performance at Madison Square Garden and with upcoming shows planned across North and South America through late 2025.

  • Ireland will boycott Eurovision if Israel participates

    Ireland will boycott Eurovision if Israel participates

    Ireland has announced it will withdraw from next year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna if Israel is allowed to take part, citing the genocide crisis in Gaza. 

    In a statement released on Thursday, Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ said it would find participation “unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza.”

    RTÉ also expressed “deep concern” over the targeted killing of journalists in the territory, the blocking of international media access, and the continued suffering of hostages. The broadcaster is responsible for selecting Ireland’s entry into the contest.

    Ireland now joins Slovenia in threatening a Eurovision boycott over Israel’s involvement. Spain’s culture minister, Ernest Urtasun, also voiced support for a ban, stating Spain should not participate if Israel does — reflecting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s earlier call for Israel’s exclusion from international forums, similar to Russia’s ban following its invasion of Ukraine.

    Both RTÉ and Slovenia’s RTVSLO confirmed that discussions within the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes Eurovision, are ongoing.

    This year’s contest faced backlash over the participation of Israeli artist Eden Golan, who was met with loud jeers during her semi-final performance. Golan ultimately placed second, behind Austria’s JJ, who has also publicly supported calls to exclude Israel from the competition.

    Ireland shares the record for the most Eurovision wins — seven titles — alongside Sweden. RTÉ first raised concerns about Israel’s participation with the EBU in May, shortly before the 2025 final in Basel, Switzerland. Spain’s RTV had similarly called for an EBU debate in April.

    The EBU has now extended the usual October deadline for countries to confirm their participation to December, as member broadcasters continue consultations.

    Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest, acknowledged the sensitivities around the issue, saying the EBU “understands the concerns and deeply held views around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East,” and is working closely with members to manage the geopolitical tensions.

    The genocide in Gaza has so far claimed over 64,000 lives since October 2023, according to health authorities. Hopes for a ceasefire have faded after an Israeli airstrike reportedly targeted Hamas leaders in Qatar earlier this week. The UN’s children’s agency reported Thursday that 13 percent of children in Gaza are now suffering from “acute malnutrition” because of Israel’s restrictions on aid deliveries.

  • Hollywood actors, directors pledge to boycott Israeli film institutions

    Hollywood actors, directors pledge to boycott Israeli film institutions

    More than 1,200 filmmakers, actors and industry professionals, including prominent Hollywood figures like Olivia Colman, Ava DuVernay and Tilda Swinton, have signed a pledge not to work with certain Israeli film institutions.

    The pledge was made in an open letter published by Film Workers for Palestine – a group that campaigns for the end of the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip – on Monday.

    “In this urgent moment of crisis, where many of our governments are enabling the carnage in Gaza, we must do everything we can to address complicity in that unrelenting horror,” the letter read.

    The signatories, which also include director Adam McKay, actor Mark Ruffalo and actress Ayo Edebiri, pledged not to screen films, appear at, or otherwise work with, Israeli cinemas, broadcasters and production companies that “are implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people”.

    The group said it had been inspired by Filmmakers United Against Apartheid, a movement that in the 1980s worked to end apartheid in South Africa.

    Last month, a group of academic experts known as the International Association of Genocide Scholars declared that Israel’s actions in Gaza had met the legal definition of genocide. According to Gaza health officials, more than 60,000 Palestinians have so far been killed by Israeli occupational forces.

    Film Workers for Palestine said its pledge did not prohibit working with Israeli individuals. “The call is for film workers to refuse to work with Israeli institutions that are complicit in Israel’s human rights abuses against the Palestinian people,” it said on its website. “This refusal takes aim at institutional complicity, not identity.”

    The organisation said that while a few Israeli film entities “are not complicit”, a vast majority of the country’s “film production and distribution companies, sales agents, cinemas and other film institutions have never endorsed the full, internationally recognised rights of the Palestinian people”.

    The group added that Israel’s major film festivals, including the Jerusalem Film Festival, continue to partner with the Israeli government.

    Other signatories of the pledge include actress Cynthia Nixon, and Yorgos Lanthimos, the director of the upcoming film “Bugonia”. Javier Bardem, Susan Sarandon and Indya Moore partnered with Film Workers for Palestine on Instagram to share a post explaining the pledge.

    The pledge comes after a recent pro-Palestinian demonstration at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival drew thousands of participants.

    The protest gained momentum after Venice4Palestine, a group of Italian and international film professionals, released an open letter demanding that the festival condemned the destruction and suffering caused by Israel’s atrocities in Gaza.

  • Egypt detains over 200 pro-Palestine activists ahead of Gaza march: organiser

    Egypt detains over 200 pro-Palestine activists ahead of Gaza march: organiser

    Egyptian authorities have detained more than 200 pro-Palestinian activists in Cairo ahead of an international march with the stated aim of breaking Israel’s blockade on Gaza, organisers said Thursday.

    As part of the Global March to Gaza, thousands of activists planned to travel to Egypt’s Rafah border crossing with the Palestinian territory on Friday to demand the entry of humanitarian aid.

    On Thursday, the march’s spokesperson Saif Abukeshek told AFP: “Over 200 participants were detained at Cairo airport or questioned at hotels across Cairo.”

    He added that those detained included nationals from the United States, Australia, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Morocco and Algeria.

    Abukeshek said that plainclothes police entered hotels in Cairo on Wednesday with lists of names, questioned activists and in some cases confiscated mobile phones and searched personal belongings.

    “After interrogations, some were arrested and others were released,” he added.

    At Cairo airport, some detainees were held for long hours without explanation, Abukeshek said, adding that others were deported, without specifying exact numbers.

    Twenty French activists who had planned to join the march were held at Cairo airport “for 18 hours”, he said.

    “What happened was completely unexpected,” Abukeshek said.

    Footage shared with AFP showed dozens of people with their luggage crammed inside a holding room at the airport.

    “We’re locked up here in this room with so many people — some 30-40 people,” a German national said in one video.

    “I called the embassy and they told me their people are trying to figure things out,” she said.

    The Greek contingent said in a statement that dozens of Greek nationals were among those held at Cairo airport “despite having all legal travel documents, having broken no law and followed every legal procedure in entering the country”.

    Cairo’s security chief did not respond to an AFP request for comment.

    Pressure

    After 21 months of war, Israel is facing mounting international pressure to allow more aid into Gaza, which the United Nations has dubbed “the hungriest place on Earth”.

    Another convoy dubbed Soumoud, or steadfastness in Arabic, left the Tunisian capital on Monday, hoping to pass through divided Libya and Egypt — which organisers say has yet to provide passage permits — to reach Gaza.

    The Global March to Gaza, which is coordinating with Soumoud, said around 4,000 participants from more than 40 countries would take part in the event, with many having already arrived ahead of the Friday march.

    According to the plan, participants are set to travel by bus to the city of El-Arish in the heavily securitised Sinai Peninsula before walking 50 kilometres (30 miles) towards the border with Gaza.

    They would then camp there before returning to Cairo on June 19.

    Israel has called on Egyptian authorities “to prevent the arrival of jihadist protesters at the Egypt-Israel border”.

    Such actions “would endanger the safety of (Israeli) soldiers and will not be allowed”, Defence Minister Israel Katz said.

    In response, Egypt’s foreign ministry said that while it backs efforts to put “pressure on Israel”, any foreign delegations visiting the border area must receive approval through official channels.

    “We will continue despite what happened because the current numbers in Egypt and those expected to arrive are enough to organise this march,” Abukeshek said.

  • Khamenei wants Pak-Iran alliance for ending Israeli crimes in Gaza

    Khamenei wants Pak-Iran alliance for ending Israeli crimes in Gaza

    Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei took to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday to emphasise the Pakistan-Iran alliance for an end to Israeli crimes in Gaza.

    Following the meeting with Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, a series of tweets was made from Iran’s supreme leader’s official X handle. 

    In one of his tweets, he wrote, “Effective, joint efforts by Iran and Pakistan are necessary to stop the Zionist regime’s crimes in Gaza.”

    In another tweet, calling Pakistan’s stance regarding the issue of Palestine “commendable”, Khamenei wrote, “While there have always been inducements for Islamic countries to establish ties with the Zionist regime, Pakistan has never been influenced by those inducements.”

    One of his tweets reads, “At a time when the warmongers in the world have numerous motives for creating conflicts and wars, the only way to ensure the security of the Islamic Ummah is the unity of Muslim nations.”

    He underscored that the Palestinian issue is the most important issue in the “Islamic world”.

    The supreme leader further said that the conditions in Gaza “have deteriorated to such an extent that people in Europe and the US are holding protests against their governments. But in these same circumstances, some Muslim governments are standing with the Zionist regime.”

    Khamenei asserted that Tehran and Islamabad can assist one another in many fields. “We are hopeful there will be a comprehensive expansion of ties, particularly in economic, political, and cultural spheres,” he added.

    During a joint press conference in Tehran, accompanied by the Iranian President on Monday, PM Shehbaz highlighted the long-standing cultural and historical ties between Pakistan and Iran.

    On the ongoing Gaza conflict, PM Shehbaz expressed Pakistan’s solidarity with the Palestinian people, decrying the Israeli aggression that has resulted in the deaths of nearly 54,000 Palestinians.

    Shehbaz is currently on a four-nation tour to friendly countries, where he will express his gratitude for their support for Pakistan during the recent military escalation with India.

    On Monday, the Pakistani Prime Minister was received by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at Saadabad Palace in the Iranian capital, where he received a guard of honour.

  • Pro-Palestinian protesters fill NY’s Trump Tower

    Pro-Palestinian protesters fill NY’s Trump Tower

    Hundreds of Jewish demonstrators overran New York’s Trump Tower on Thursday, March 13, in support of Palestinians as well as detained Palestinian student campaigner Mahmoud Khalil. Wearing matching red T-shirts emblazoned with “Jews say stop arming Israel,” the group protested for over an hour inside the Manhattan skyscraper, where President Donald Trump’s family business is headquartered and he has a personal residence. The building was also where Trump memorably rode down a golden escalator in 2015 to announce his first run for president.

    Police said they arrested 98 people, marching under the banner of the group called Jewish Voice for Peace, for crimes including trespassing. The group, which apparently caught security and police off guard, chanted “fight Nazis, not students,” a reference to Trump’s crackdown on foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian protests.

    Police loaded detained protesters on buses, including a repurposed city bus, in front of the Gucci store at the foot of the tower as a helicopter and drone flew overhead. Across town at Columbia University, where Khalil had been a student, administrators announced they had issued “multi-year suspensions, temporary degree revocations, and expulsions” of students who had occupied a campus building last year during demonstrations against Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

    The short statement did not provide further details, such as who had been sanctioned, but comes less than a week after the Trump administration cut $400 million in federal funding for the university, accusing it of not sufficiently addressing anti-Semitism. It also comes days after Khalil, a recent graduate and one of the protest leaders, was detained by immigration authorities.

    The Trump administration has moved to revoke Khalil’s green card, accusing him of leading “activities aligned with Hamas,” the group whose October 7, 2023 attack was followed by intense retaliatory attacks by Israel in Gaza. His arrest has triggered outrage from critics of the Trump administration as well as free speech advocates, including some on the political right, who say such a move has a chilling effect on freedom of expression.

     

    ‘What fascists do’

    At Trump Tower, filmmaker and Columbia Professor James Schamus told Agence France Press (AFP) “New York Jews are coming out to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil and demand that our Jewishness not be weaponized to steal the rights of American citizens and to end our democracy.”

    “The Trump-Musk regime has made it clear that they are not charging Mahmoud Khalil with any crime, that they are accusing him of having opinions that they say ‘align with Hamas’,” he added ahead of the protest action.

    Confused tourists visiting the skyscraper took pictures and milled around as police attempted to clear protesters, with an officer delivering a large box of MaxCuff plastic cable ties. “It was suspicious when all these people came in and none went to the restaurant,” said a Trump Tower employee who declined to be named.

    Police Chief John Chell said the protest passed off without injuries or damage and that the atrium had been cleared of protesters within two hours.

    “As Jews of conscience, we know our history and we know where this leads. This is what fascists do as they cement control” said Jewish Voice for Peace member Jane Hirschmann, a Jewish New Yorker whose grandfather and uncle were abducted by the Nazis.