UN chief: Israel's ban on international media in Gaza 'fuels disinformation campaigns'
Israel has blocked international media from reporting on the ground in Gaza, and has consistently targeted Palestinian journalists and their families.
For example, Israel targeted Al Jazeera's Gaza bureau chief Wael Al- Dahdouh's family multiple times, killing his wife, two sons, daughter and grandson.
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Middle East Eye
2 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Former Israeli attorney general says Israel committing genocide in Gaza
Former Israeli attorney general Michael Ben-Yair said that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. "Jews, who went through a genocide 80 years ago, are committing genocide in Gaza," Ben-Yair, writing on X on Tuesday, said. "Shame, rage and sorrow," he added. His comment was a caption to a news report by Haaretz on two leading Israeli human rights organisations, B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHRI), calling Israel's actions in Gaza a genocide on Monday. While global human rights bodies like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have been using genocide to describe Israel's actions in Gaza for several months now, the report marks the first time an Israeli organisation has formally used the word. In its report, B'Tselem examined Israel's policies in Gaza and statements made by senior Israeli politicians and military commanders on its goals in the enclave. "Explicit attempt to destroy the population of Gaza and impose living conditions so catastrophic that Palestinian society cannot continue to exist there. That is the exact definition of genocide," B'tselem said. Meanwhile, PHRI's report presented a detailed legal analysis of Israel's war on Gaza, focusing on the dismantling of Gaza's healthcare system. Israel has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians and wounded over 145,000 others since 7 October 2025, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Also read: Former Israeli attorney general says Israel committing genocide in Gaza Palestinians walk with sacks of flour after trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered northern Gaza on 27 July 2025 (AFP/Bashar Taleb)
Middle East Eye
2 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Israeli settlers repeat attack on Palestinian Christian village in occupied West Bank
Israeli settlers have launched an attack on the Christian village of Taybeh, east of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. The incursion began at dawn on Monday. They set fire to two cars owned by Palestinian residents and spray painted racist graffiti on walls in the village. 'You'll regret it later,' read one message, not clarifying what the villagers had done to earn the settlers' wrath. Once the settlers left, the Israeli military raided the village spreading further panic among residents. The campaign of settler intimidation, with Israeli army backing, coincides with the establishment of a new Israeli settlement near Taybeh in June. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Monday's attack is the second on this small Palestinian village in as many weeks. Just a fortnight earlier on 14 July, settlers set the village's historic Church of Saint George alight, along with its adjoining graveyard. That attack was severe enough to prompt rare condemnation of Israeli settlers by the American ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. 'It's my desire to do everything possible to let the people of this peaceful village know that we will certainly insist that those who carry out acts of terror and violence in Taybeh - or anywhere - be found and be prosecuted,' he said. Living in danger 'When I saw them, I started screaming loudly,' said Taybeh resident Farid Kawneh about the latest settler attack. He told Middle East Eye that his neighbour called him just after 2am to tell him that his car was on fire. His initial thought was that the cause was a technical fault with the car but as Kawneh rushed towards it, he found a group of settlers speaking to each other in Hebrew. "They were surprised by me and ran towards the Khalleh area,' he said. 'At the sound of my shouting, a number of villagers arrived at the scene.' The earlier attack on the Church of Saint George had drawn international condemnation and visits to the village by senior Christian figures, as well as Huckabee. Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III during a visit of solidarity to Taybeh on 14 July (AFP/Zain Jaafar) Harsh condemnation, even by a normally committed Christian Zionist like Huckabee, was not enough to deter further settler violence. Taybeh resident Kamal Taye also had his car set alight by the settlers. He told Middle East Eye that the village's residents felt a sense of abandonment and were living without a sense of safety. 'No one is capable of protecting us in our homeland' - Kamal Taye, resident of Taybeh "My family and I were scared because our lives were in danger," he said. He added: "My elderly mother lives with me in the house, and she was terrified. There are no elements of safety in this country under the current circumstances." Taye explained that the psychological impact of the attacks far outweighed the immediate material damage to their homes and property, as they had no idea what the settlers would do next. "No one is capable of protecting us in our homeland. We are forced to protect ourselves," Taye said. "I demand that state officials assume their responsibility to protect us and make us feel safe in our homes." Settler intimidation Taybeh is an ancient village, believed to have its origins during the Canaanite period more than 3,000 years ago. It has a predominantly Christian population of 1,340, according to the 2017 census conducted by the Palestine Central Bureau of Statistics. The area boasts abundant pastoral land and the village's residents primarily make their living raising sheep. But that abdundance has drawn the attention of settlers who have encroached on the village's territory with the backing of the Israeli military. Israeli settlers beat Palestinian-American to death, fatally shoot another Read More » Israel initially appropriated huge tracts of land surrounding the village for the construction of roads and the settlers soon followed. Small bands of settlers, known as the "Youths of the Hills" have set up outposts in the land surrounding Taybeh. These outposts include "agricultural barracks", which Palestinians cannot approach, restricting their ability to graze their animals freely. Through a mixture of intimidation of Palestinian shepherds and protection by the Israeli military, the settlers then use Taybeh's land to graze their own animals. Palestinian farmers and shepherds are subjected to other forms of routine harassment, including the burning of trees, the theft of tools, the demolition of homes and pastures, the arrest of shepherds, and the imposition of heavy fines by the Israeli authorities. The Israeli humans rights group B'Tselem and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) have documented more than 1,200 incidents of violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in 2024 alone, an average of three attacks per day, according to an OCHA report issued in December 2024.
Middle East Eye
5 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
British prime minster recalls cabinet to discuss Gaza ceasefire and rising calls to recognise Palestine
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to convene an emergency cabinet meeting on Tuesday, as calls intensify within his own party to recognise Palestinian statehood amid Israel's escalating war on Gaza. The rare recall during Parliament's summer recess will focus on ramping up humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza, where starvation is spreading and the death toll continues to mount. The discussions will also include a joint peace proposal being developed with France and Germany. Starmer met US President Donald Trump in Scotland on Monday, where he condemned the "revolting" humanitarian crisis in Gaza and discussed the urgent need for a ceasefire. While the situation on the ground in Gaza deteriorates, Labour MPs are growing increasingly frustrated with Starmer's refusal to endorse immediate recognition of a Palestinian state. Many believe such a move would increase diplomatic pressure on Israel. Although successive British governments have claimed they support recognition 'when the time is right', no clear timeline or criteria have ever been set. Starmer, for his part, continues to insist he is focused on 'practical solutions'. Last Friday, more than 200 MPs from across nine parties signed a joint letter urging the UK to immediately recognise a Palestinian state, a demand that is gaining traction as the civilian death toll in Gaza surpasses 60,000 and the threat of famine deepens.
