The Take: From Amazon to the Gaza flotilla – the journey of an activist
In this episode:
Chris Smalls (@Shut_downAmazon), founder of The Amazon Labor Union
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Chloe K Li, Sonia Bhagat and Julia Muldavin, with Sarí el-Khalili, Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Melanie Marich, Kisaa Zehra, Marya Khan and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Kylene Kiang.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take's executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.
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Al Jazeera
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- Al Jazeera
Israeli captive families confront police outside army headquarters
Physical confrontations have taken place outside Israel's Ministry of Defence in Tel Aviv between security forces and family members of captives held in Gaza during a rally calling for their release, as the Israeli government appears on the verge of escalating its genocidal war to full occupation of the besieged enclave. Protesters surrounding the Kirya, Israel's central military headquarters, demanded on Wednesday that the Israeli government not go ahead with its plan, and they were pushed back by police. 'Time is running out – our loved ones can't wait any longer,' the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement. 'We either bring them home now, or we lose them for good. There are moments in history when we must stand up and do what's right – this is that moment.' The families of Israeli captives have intensified their criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent months amid large protests across the country, as the expanded military ground offensive and deadly bombardment in the Palestinian territory continue to put the release of their loved ones at risk. Protesters, including the father of captive Guy Illouz, tried to force their way into the entrance of military headquarters as seen in this video verified by Al Jazeera. שוטרים תוקפים באלימות מחוץ לשערי הקריה מפגינים למען שחרור החטופים 📌*חדר מלחמה* • עדכונים שוטפים בווטסאפ 🪖 > מלחמת אחים — ישפנסיון לכלבים (@sari12222) August 6, 2025 Translation: Police violently attack protesters outside the Kirya gates demonstrating for the release of the hostages. An estimated 1,139 people were killed during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks on southern Israel, and more than 200 were taken captive. Some 50 captives remain in Gaza, at least 20 of whom are believed to still be alive. In Israel's ensuing war on Gaza, at least 61,158 Palestinians have been killed and 151,442 wounded. The families also addressed a message directly to Israeli army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir on Wednesday: 'You know this war has run its course, and the only path to real victory is a single deal that brings everyone home.' The local police chief requested that family members of captives speak to him, saying, 'We understand your frustration.' He acknowledged they could protest, but asked that they leave the police alone. Protesters were attempting to enter the headquarters, demanding that military action not be taken in areas where the captives are suspected to be located in Gaza. Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Wednesday that Itzik Horn, the father of Israeli captive Eitan Horn, said the families of the captives being held in Gaza were against the expansion of the war on Gaza. He reportedly questioned Netanyahu's motives, as Israel's defence establishment said an expansion would endanger the lives of the captives. 'I expect the prime minister to speak to the public, to explain the implications of this idea to the country and the price we'll pay,' Itzik Horn said, according to Haaretz. 'We are the people. I want the prime minister to explain why he wants to kill my son.' Meanwhile, there were minor clashes at the anti-war demonstration organised by Standing Together, the largest Arab-Israeli grassroots movement in Israel, in the Gaza Envelope, situated 7km (4.3 miles) from the Gaza border. A protester was arrested and flour was scattered on the police from the display brought by the protesters. An earlier video recorded from the Yad Mordechai Junction, a kibbutz in southern Israel, showed Standing Together activists gathering to march to the Gaza border.
Al Jazeera
5 hours ago
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US sanctions Mexican cartel figures, including popular rapper El Makabelico
The US Department of the Treasury has announced sanctions on assets of four individuals that it linked to Mexico-based Cartel del Noreste, including the popular hip-hop artist El Makabelico. The sanctions target three 'high-ranking members' of Cartel del Noreste (Northeast Cartel), which splintered off from Los Zetas, as well as an alleged 'prominent associate' of the group, Ricardo Hernandez, a 34-year-old musician known as El Makabelico who has millions of followers on social media. The Treasury said El Makabelico's concerts and events are used to launder money on behalf of the organisation, 'with 50 percent of his royalties from streaming platforms going directly to the group.' The Treasury identified the three other individuals as Abdon Rodriguez, Antonio Romero, and Francisco Esqueda. Washington said the sanctioned individuals have played a critical role in the cartel's activities, including drug trafficking, extortion, and money laundering. The Treasury said it had previously sanctioned two 'high-ranking members' of the cartel in May. The cartel was among those that President Donald Trump's administration in February designated as 'global terrorist organisations'. 'The Treasury Department will continue to be relentless in its effort to put America First by targeting terrorist drug cartels. These cartels poison Americans with fentanyl and conduct human smuggling operations along our southwest border,' said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a statement by the Treasury Department. 'Treasury, in close coordination with our law enforcement partners, is committed to a full-frontal assault on the cartels, targeting the leadership and revenue streams that enable their horrific crimes.' The Cartel del Noreste is considered one of Mexico's most violent drug trafficking organisations and wields significant influence along the US-Mexico border, particularly in Laredo, Texas, the Treasury said. DEL Records, which Hernandez lists as his label on social media, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Al Jazeera
5 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Israel pushes for more illegal settlements in occupied West Bank amid raids
Israeli authorities are moving forward with plans to dramatically expand illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, despite growing international condemnation and warnings that the move would destroy already moribund prospects for a two-state solution. The Israeli government has set Wednesday as the date to discuss building thousands of new housing units in the E1 area, east of occupied East Jerusalem. The proposed expansion would link the large and illegal Ma'ale Adumim settlement with Jerusalem, effectively bisecting the West Bank and isolating Palestinian communities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government also appears on the cusp of announcing its intention to occupy all of Gaza as its genocidal war on the besieged enclave rages on. The E1 plan in the West Bank has long been criticised by the international community, including the European Union and successive United States administrations. 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The plan would see nearly 1,214 hectares (3,000 acres) of Palestinian land stolen to build more than 4,000 settlement units, as well as hotels and roads connecting Ma'ale Adumim to West Jerusalem. Palestinians say the project is part of broader efforts to 'Judaise' East Jerusalem and entrench Israeli control over occupied territories in violation of international law. Palestinian leaders seek the entirety of the West Bank, along with the Gaza Strip, and as a capital, East Jerusalem – areas Israel captured in the 1967 war – for their future state. Currently, more than 500,000 settlers are living in the West Bank, and some 220,000 others in East Jerusalem. Al Jazeera's Nida Ibrahim said the plan has been in the works since 'the early 90s'. 'The plan has been described by US officials … as devastating and a disastrous plan,' Ibrahim said, as it threatens 'the unity' of a potential Palestinian state. According to Ibrahim, the Israeli objective is to ensure there is 'no Palestinian state on the ground' by the time Western and European countries recognise Palestine as a state. Israel would be 'cutting the West Bank into so many different sections, fragmenting them, creating what Palestinians have been calling as cantons,' she said, predicting that his would push Palestinians into 'very small, caged communities'. Widening crackdown in the West Bank The move comes amid a broader Israeli crackdown in the occupied West Bank. At least 30 Palestinians were arrested overnight across multiple cities including Hebron, Nablus, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Tulkarem, according to the Palestinian Authority's Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs. Among those detained were two women, a female journalist, and several former prisoners. The commission said more than 18,500 Palestinians have been arrested in the West Bank since Israel began its genocidal assault on Gaza in October 2023. In Bethlehem, residents of Beit Iskaria village received forced displacement notices this week as Israeli forces moved to seize more land for settlement expansion in the Gush Etzion bloc. According to village council head Muhammad Atallah, soldiers ordered him and his family to vacate grapevine-covered farmland within 10 days. Separately, Israeli forces carried out demolitions in the agricultural suburb near Jalazone refugee camp north of Ramallah, with reports that soldiers were accompanied by settlers. In Dar Salah, east of Bethlehem, a building under construction was demolished by Israeli military vehicles. According to rights groups, July alone saw 75 demolitions in the West Bank targeting 122 structures, including 60 homes and dozens of agricultural and livelihood facilities. Along with arrests and demolitions, Palestinians have also seen a rise in settler attacks in recent months. Armed settlers, often backed by Israeli soldiers, have rampaged through Palestinian villages, torched crops, vandalised homes, and assaulted residents with impunity, resulting in several Palestinian deaths. Rights groups and United Nations officials have warned that settler violence has reached record levels, part of what they describe as a coordinated campaign to forcibly displace Palestinians from key areas of the West Bank. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities issued a six-month ban on Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, the grand mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian territory, from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque. According to the Wafa news agency, the Jerusalem governorate, quoting lawyer Khaldoun Najm, said the ban on Hussein follows the expiration of his eight-day ban. This most recent ban was imposed after his Friday sermon, where he condemned Israel's starvation policy against Palestinians in Gaza. Last week, Hussein was handed an initial eight-day expulsion order from the mosque.
