Cheering Gaza protesters force Israeli cruise liner to turn away from Syros
Some passengers aboard the vessel reacted by raising Israeli flags and chanting patriotic slogans, witnesses said
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Telegraph
37 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Police urged to investigate former Guantanamo prisoner over Palestine Action comments
The police have been urged to investigate a former Guantanamo Bay detainee after he called on Muslims to attend protests to declare their support for Palestine Action. Speaking at a meeting in Birmingham, Moazzam Begg urged members of the Muslim community to take part in a planned mass demonstration this weekend in support of the terror group. Under the plans, first disclosed by The Telegraph, at least 500 people are expected to gather in London and other cities on Saturday with the intention of deliberately flouting terror laws by publicly declaring their support for Palestine Action. Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, said that 'without a doubt' the police should launch a probe into the comments made by Mr Begg. He told The Telegraph: 'Given the threats we are facing from Palestine Action, if the state does not impose its authority now, it will lose it completely.' He added: 'This is a proscribed organisation, a virtual terrorist organisation. Without a doubt, the police should investigate him [Begg]. 'This sort of organisation with its Islamist agenda is one of the most frightening things I have seen in my life.' Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said: 'Inciting people to support Palestine Action is clearly an offence and the police should investigate and make an arrest where this has happened. 'Palestine Action uses violence instead of debate and argument. 'In this country we decide issues through debate and elections, not mob violence. No one should be advocating support for violence on our streets.' The Metropolitan Police has warned that anyone showing support for the group 'can expect to be arrested'. Under the plans revealed by The Telegraph, organisers are seeking to challenge the Government's proscription of Palestine Action by gathering on such a scale that it overwhelms the police and renders the law unenforceable. The events are being coordinated by the campaign group, Defend Our Juries, with the support of Cage International, for which Mr Begg is a senior director. Speaking at a meeting where the plans were discussed, the 57-year-old father of four, who spent three years in US detention on suspicion of being a member of Al Qaeda, urged Muslims to support the action. He said that Islam placed a responsibility on followers to change what they believed was unjust. adding: 'There is strength in numbers, stop being a coward, cowards never win battles'. He told those attending: 'It reminds me that in Islam we have this concept of 'Fard Kifayah', which means the duty of the many, and the sufficient. 'Rather, if nobody does it, everyone is guilty. but if enough people do it, it lifts the burden from everyone else. And they are leading on this because it is from Islamic principles from whoever sees an evil, let him change it with his hand, that' s a prophetic saying. 'All Palestinians know that if you see an evil change it with your hand, if you are unable to do so speak out against it. Isn't Palestine Action doing that?' Mr Begg went on: 'I would urge everybody to join the action of the 9th of August. That is the first step to take for the resistance.' He later told attendees: 'Dig in, fight for your rights and fight for the rights of people being oppressed.' Mr Begg, who has dual British Pakistani citizenship, was detained by the US authorities In 2002 on suspicion of being a member of Al Qaeda. He spent three years in custody during which he alleged he was tortured and witnessed the murders of other detainees. He was released from US custody in 2005 following pressure from the UK government but later received a settlement after suing the British authorities for alleged complicity in his detention. Following his release he became an author and public speaker and also joined Cage International as a senior director. Publicly declaring support for a proscribed organisation is an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000, punishable by up to 14-years in prison. Around 200 people have already been arrested for declaring their support for Palestine Action, but organisers of this weekend's protest believe encouraging thousands to follow their lead will effectively overwhelm the police and the criminal justice system. If Mr Begg's call for members of the Muslim community to join the action is heeded, the numbers turning up could swell considerably. In a briefing document issued to those considering taking part organisers say: 'It would be practically and politically difficult for the state to respond to an action on this scale.' But Scotland Yard has stressed that anyone who breaks the law can expect to be arrested. 'Our officers will apply the law' A Met Police spokesman said: 'We are aware that the organisers of Saturday's planned protest are encouraging hundreds of people to turn out with the intention of placing a strain on the police and the wider criminal justice system. 'The Met is very experienced in dealing with large scale protests, including where the protest activity crosses into criminality requiring arrests. 'While we will not go into the specific details of our plan, the public can be assured that we will have the resources and processes in place to respond to any eventuality. 'Our officers will continue to apply the law in relation to Palestine Action as we have done since its proscription. Anyone showing support for the group can expect to be arrested.' A spokesman for the National Police Chiefs' Council added: 'Policing is committed to upholding and facilitating the right to peaceful protest. Where possible, we will work with event organisers and any other affected groups to facilitate protests and minimise serious disruption to communities. 'We have robust and well-tested proactive plans in place, with the ability to mobilise significant and specialist resources, if necessary. 'Public order response officers will be supported by investigation teams who will gather evidence and ensure those responsible for any acts of criminality, should they occur, are identified and held to account.' Palestine Action was proscribed by Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, on July 5 after a group of its members allegedly entered RAF Brize Norton and damaged two military aircraft. Last week the co-founder of the group won the right to bring a legal challenge against proscription, arguing that the ban breached the right to freedom of expression and protest. A judicial review over the legality of the group is due to be heard in the autumn and could see the ban lifted. Since Palestine Action was proscribed, about 200 people have been arrested on suspicion of supporting the group, but so far, none have been charged. It is thought prosecutors are waiting for the outcome of the legal challenge before they make a decision on whether to press ahead and put people before the courts.
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
No 10 declines to say if Palestine will be recognised with Hamas in power
The prime minister's spokesman has refused eight times to confirm whether recognition of Palestine could go ahead if Hamas remain in power and the hostages are not released. Keir Starmer's spokesman was questioned by journalists for the first time since the announcement last week that the UK will formally recognise the state in September - unless Israel meets certain conditions including abiding by a ceasefire and increasing aid. The policy has been criticised by the families of UK hostages, campaigners and some Labour MPs, who argue it would reward Hamas and say it should be conditional on the release of the remaining hostages. A senior Hamas politician, Ghazi Hamad, speaking to Al Jazeera, said at the weekend that major nations' decision to recognise a Palestinian state "is one of the fruits of 7 October". The PM's spokesman said on Monday: "The PM is clear that on 7 October, Hamas committed the worst act of terror in Israel's history. That horror has continued since then. "As the foreign secretary said over the weekend, Hamas are rightly pariahs who can have no role in Gaza's future, there is a diplomatic consensus on that. Hamas must immediately release all hostages and have no role in the governance of Gaza." But asked whether removing Hamas from power and releasing hostages were conditions for statehood, he said a decision on recognition would be made at the UN General Assembly meeting in September, based on "an assessment of how far the parties have met the steps we have set out. No one side will have veto on recognition through their actions or inactions." 2:25 He added: "Our focus is on the immediate situation on the ground, getting more aid in to end the suffering in Gaza and supporting a ceasefire and a long-term peace for Israelis and Palestinians based a two-state solution." Starmer, who recalled his cabinet for an emergency meeting last week before setting out the new position, is following the lead of French president Emmanuel Macron, who first pledged to move toward recognising Palestinian statehood in April. Canada has also backed recognition if conditions are met, including by the Palestinian Authority. The prime minister had previously said he would recognise a state of Palestine as part of a contribution to a peace process. 3:05 In his announcement last Tuesday, he said: "We need to see at least 500 trucks entering Gaza every day. But ultimately, the only way to bring this humanitarian crisis to an end is through a long-term settlement. "So we are supporting the US, Egyptian and Qatari efforts to secure a vital ceasefire. That ceasefire must be sustainable and it must lead to a wider peace plan, which we are developing with our international partners. "I've always said we will recognise a Palestinian state as a contribution to a proper peace process, at the moment of maximum impact for the two-state solution. With that solution now under threat, this is the moment to act." Adam Rose, a lawyer acting for British families of hostages in Gaza, has said: "Why would Hamas agree to a ceasefire if it knew that to do so would make British recognition of Palestine less likely?"
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Social media images of Gaza cafes can't hide truth: Israel is starving Palestinians
Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his supporters have variously argued that there is no starvation in Gaza, or that if there is hunger it is the fault of Hamas – who they accuse of stealing aid – or the United Nations. In a recent interview with the New Yorker, Amit Segal, the chief political correspondent for Israel's Channel 12, said he did not believe there was hunger in Gaza. Israel's consul general in New York said that there was 'no deliberate starvation in Gaza, only a deliberate disinformation campaign orchestrated by Hamas'. Social media has also helped spread misinformation about hunger in Gaza, with photographs and video of cafes being presented as evidence that there is no famine. One Israeli creator on YouTube with more than 400,000 subscribers posted a video entitled 'Summer 2025 (Genocide Never Tasted So Good)', which highlights the existence of several small cafes in Gaza City in an attempt to disprove the existence of food shortages. But Israeli government data clearly shows that it is starving Gaza. UN-backed food security experts said that Gaza is currently experiencing a 'worst-case scenario' famine. Even Netanyahu's biggest ally, Donald Trump, has said there is 'real starvation' in the territory. Despite such conclusions, pro-Israeli figures have continued to cast doubt on the veracity of images of malnourished children. In an interview with Piers Morgan, the US media personality Megyn Kelly dismissed such images as having been 'manipulated', before claiming that Hamas and 'frankly a lot of Palestinians' are 'masters of propaganda and they're fine having their own children starve just as long as they can put them on camera'. Such attitudes are reflected in the comments under the Gaza cafes video, where a typical post reads: 'It is hard to imagine that people can be so easily fooled into passionately believing the 'genocide' and 'famine' in Gaza when evidence against such false narratives is so readily available.' But while a small number of cafes are open in Gaza – including some of those in the video – they are operating in a severely limited capacity due to spiralling prices and scarcity of key ingredients, according to Salah Ahmad, the co-founder of HopeHub, an organization that created co-working spaces for remote workers and students in cafes across the territory. Basic ingredients are hard to obtain, and prices fluctuate wildly from day to day: a kilo of flour can cost $12 one day, and $40 the next. Consequently, the small array of snacks these cafes are able to still offer are usually extremely expensive, Ahmad said. 'When you see a small coffee shop or cafe selling drinks or cakes at high prices, it does not truly reflect the reality most people in Gaza are living,' Ahmad said. 'In many cases, it is just a small business. The owners are simply trying to survive and feed their families with a sense of dignity.' Of the five cafes in the video, one was not currently open because they ran out of supplies, one said it was reopening after being shut down for several weeks because there were no supplies, and another said it was no longer selling food, Ahmad said. Often, cafes in Gaza remain open even when they do not offer food, as they provide internet connections and electricity from solar panels, Ahmad said. HopeHub is still operating two co-working spaces out of cafes – one in Khan Younis and one in Deir al-Balah. Further confusion has been created by the fact that some of the cafes are posting pictures and videos from before they closed down on. Hamada Ice Cream shop, which has not been open for weeks, recently posted a highlight reel of the pastries, cakes and drinks the cafe once served. 'Me and 2 million Gazans are waiting for this moment Oh God, make things easy and these days pass safely, O Lord,' reads the video's Arabic caption. The few cafes that are open are obviously not able to serve Gaza's entire population, Ahmad said. 'Most people in Gaza right now are poor and trying to survive,' he said. Those who do go to the cafes 'might be employees who still receive salaries from international organizations, remote workers, or journalists', he said. 'They are holding on to hope, clinging to familiar routines, trying to stay connected to their memories of a more beautiful Gaza. For them, going out for a coffee is not about luxury. It is about staying human.'
