
Over 10,000 Palestinians detained in Israeli jails, excluding Gazans in military confinement
As of early July, some 10,800 prisoners are said to be held in Israeli detention centers and prisons, including 50 women — two of whom are from the Gaza Strip — and over 450 children. The figures do not include individuals detained in Israeli military camps such as Sde Teiman, where many people from Gaza are believed to be held and subjected to torture.
A total of 3,629 Palestinians are currently detained under administrative detention, a practice that allows Israeli authorities to hold individuals in prison without trial for six months, which is subject to indefinite renewals.
A further 2,454 detainees are designated as 'unlawful combatants,' including Palestinians and Arabs from Lebanon and Syria.
Since the 1967 occupation of the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, over 800,000 Palestinians have spent time in Israeli jails, according to a UN report in 2023.
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Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Europe's moral authority in tatters after failing to sanction Israel
The EU last week faced a defining test of its commitment to human rights and international law — and it failed. Presented with irrefutable evidence of Israeli war crimes in Gaza, the bloc's foreign ministers gathered in Brussels to consider 10 possible actions: from suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement to imposing sanctions on Israeli officials and banning trade with illegal settlements. Yet, in the end, they took the politically easy path, securing a handful of humanitarian concessions from Israel in return for shelving all meaningful accountability. Let me be clear: aid access is essential. Gaza's suffering is beyond comprehension. And Palestinians dying from bullets and hunger will no doubt appreciate any relief. But allowing Israel to dictate the terms of food and medical relief — as if these are diplomatic chips and not legal obligations — strips humanitarianism of its moral force. EU officials may consider what they accomplished a 'diplomatic success.' They will state that they used diplomatic leverage to push for aid delivery. But what the EU hails as progress is, in truth, a lowering of the bar so far that the basic survival of a besieged population becomes the summit of European diplomacy. This is not only disappointing. It is dangerous. The EU-Israel Association Agreement explicitly states that respect for human rights is a cornerstone of bilateral relations. Yet, even after clear violations — documented by Amnesty International, the UN and dozens of credible nongovernmental organizations — the EU opted to maintain business as usual. Israel continues to enjoy access to European markets, research programs and diplomatic forums while violating the very principles the agreement is meant to uphold. According to Amnesty International, Israel has killed women and children with no evidence of any military target nearby. Journalists, medical personnel, ambulance drivers and kitchen supply teams have been killed without accountability. Schools, hospitals, bakeries and houses have been shelled. The UN's Independent International Commission of Inquiry further concluded that Israel's total blockade on Gaza — cutting off food, water, electricity and fuel — amounts to collective punishment and may constitute a crime against humanity or genocide. Despite this, the EU, which has implemented harsh sanctions against the Russian occupiers of Ukraine, chose not to sanction complicit officials and not to halt trade with illegal settlements. This inaction occurred even after its own diplomats, along with church leaders, saw with their own eyes the destruction caused to Palestinians and churches in the West Bank town of Al-Taybeh. If Europe still believes in its founding principles — human dignity, the rule of law and justice — then it must act like it. Daoud Kuttab In 2024, when independently documented Israeli war crimes were widely reported, the total two-way trade in goods between Israel and EU member states was €42.6 billion ($49.5 billion). The EU accounted for about 32 percent of Israel's total goods trade, contributing roughly 34.2 percent of its imports and 28.8 percent of its exports, making it Tel Aviv's biggest trading partner. Instead of agreeing on any one of the 10 sanctions options, EU officials — who needed a consensus of all 27 member countries — negotiated for food trucks, fuel for hospitals and other humanitarian aid that is already an obligation to be provided by an occupier according to international humanitarian law. This moral abdication is more than a policy failure — it is a betrayal of the EU's legal commitments. Europe's inaction sends a dangerous message: that Israel can commit atrocities with impunity. No political price. No trade penalty. No sanctions. The Geneva Conventions are not suggestions — they are binding obligations. And if countries that tout the rule of law allow them to be violated without consequence, their credibility collapses. Europe's silence does not just embolden Israel, it weakens the global order that holds war criminals accountable. The impact of this decision will not be confined to Gaza. If Israel, a state benefiting from billions in EU trade and cooperation, can bomb hospitals, starve civilians and raze homes with no repercussions, then what incentive remains for any state to respect humanitarian law? Europe's moral authority now lies in tatters. Some of the countries that prevented the EU from doing the right thing included Germany, Hungary, Italy and the Czech Republic. The fear of diplomatic fallout and the need to preserve internal cohesion at all costs outweighed the courage to uphold justice. Still, there is a path forward. If the EU as a whole will not act, its member states must. National governments should suspend arms transfers, ban trade with illegal settlements and sever cooperation with institutions complicit in occupation and apartheid. These are not radical steps, they are legal necessities. The stakes are too high for empty statements. Every day without accountability is a day of impunity, a day when another child dies under rubble, another family starves behind a blockade and another future is extinguished. If Europe still believes in its founding principles — human dignity, the rule of law and justice — then it must act like it. Because history is watching. And so are the people of Gaza.


Leaders
5 hours ago
- Leaders
Iran Could Hold Nuclear Talks with Europeans Next Week: Tasnim
Iran could hold talks with Britain, France and Germany next week on Tehran's nuclear program, according to Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency. This move comes after European powers threatened Tehran that if it failed to resume negotiations, Europe would reactivate UN sanction, Reuters reported. 'The principle of talks has been agreed upon, but consultations are continuing on the time and place of the talks. The country in which the talks could be held next week has not been finalized,' Tasnim reported, quoting a source informed on the matter. Reactivating UN Sanctions On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told his European counterparts that they have no moral or legal grounds for reimposing UN sanctions. 'If EU/E3 want to have a role, they should act responsibly and put aside the worn-out policies of threat and pressure, including the 'snap-back' for which they (have) absolutely no moral (or) legal grounds,' Araghchi said on X. He also noted Tehran is ready for a new round of talks if the other side is willing to reach 'a fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial nuclear deal.' Araqchi's statements came after his conference call with his British, French and German counterparts as well as European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. During the call, the European diplomats told Araqchi of 'their determination to use the 'snapback' mechanism — which allows for the reimposition of all international sanctions against Iran — in the absence of concrete progress' towards a new deal on Iran's nuclear program 'by the end of the summer', the French Foreign Ministry said. Upcoming Fresh Talks Crucially, a German diplomatic source confirmed to AFP on Sunday that Britain, France and Germany are planning to hold fresh talks with Iran in the coming days on its nuclear program. The speculation about Tehran's nuclear program has been increasing since Israel bombed Iranians nuclear facilities on June 13. The US became directly involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran on June 22 after launching airstrikes on the Iranian nuclear facilities in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. Related Topics: 5.1-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Northern Iran Europe Gives Iran Deadline: Resume Nuclear Talks or Face Sanctions Iran to Hold Talks with China, Russia at SCO Summit Short link : Post Views: 36


Arab News
7 hours ago
- Arab News
Recognized, independent Palestinian state could unlock disputed gas wealth, expert says
LONDON: Official recognition of a Palestinian state would end legal ambiguities over the Gaza Marine gas field and secure the Palestinian Authority's right to develop its most valuable natural resource, according to energy expert Michael Barron. Barron, author of 'The Gaza Marine Story,' estimates the field could generate $4 billion in revenue at current prices, with the PA reasonably earning $100 million annually for 15 years, The Guardian reported on Sunday. 'The revenues would not turn the Palestinians into the next Qataris or Singaporeans, but it would be their own revenue and not aid, on which the Palestinian economy remains dependent,' he said. Gas was discovered in 2000 in the Gaza Marine field, a joint venture between BG Gas and the Palestinian Consolidated Contractors Co. Despite initial hopes of ending energy shortages in the Gaza Strip, the project has been repeatedly stalled over ownership disputes, lack of sovereignty, and political instability. 'The Oslo Accords agreed in 1993 clearly give the Palestinian National Authority jurisdiction over territorial waters, the subsoil, power to legislate over oil and gas exploration and to award licenses to do so,' Barron said. 'Control over natural resources was an important element of (the) state-building agenda of the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Israeli exploitation of Palestinian resources was and remains a central part of the conflict,' he added. Israel has historically blocked development over concerns that revenue could reach Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. An Israeli court once ruled the waters a 'no-man's water' due to the PA's lack of sovereignty, and Israel has long claimed any license 20 miles off the Gaza coast should be seen as a gift, not a right. Barron said that if Palestine were recognized as a state, particularly by countries where major oil firms are based, it would 'effectively end the legal ambiguity' and allow the PA to develop the field and achieve energy independence from Israel. A separate controversy has emerged over Israeli-issued gas licenses in a disputed area known as Zone G. Lawyers acting for Palestinian human rights groups recently warned Italian energy firm Eni not to proceed with exploration, saying 'Israel cannot have validly awarded you any exploration rights and you cannot validly have acquired any such rights.' Eni has since told Italian campaigners that 'licenses have not yet been issued and no exploratory activities are in progress.' Activist group Global Witness also argues the East Mediterranean Gas pipeline, which passes through waters claimed by Palestine, is unlawful and does not provide any revenue to the PA. The 56-mile pipeline transports gas from Ashkelon in Israel to Arish in Egypt for export. The issue has gained new attention following a UN report by Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese. She warned corporations of their potential legal liability for supporting Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory, citing international court rulings. Her report concluded companies have a 'prima facie responsibility 'to not engage and/or to withdraw totally and unconditionally from any associated dealings with Israel, and to ensure that any engagement with Palestinians enables their self-determination.'' Israel has rejected the report in full. Barron argues that, with Israel now self-sufficient in gas, 'so long as a Palestinian state with unified governance is recognized, Israel will have no motive or legal right to block Palestine exploiting its single greatest natural resource.'