Killing of Gaza journalists part of Israel's 'doomed bid to silence the truth': Al-Azhar - Foreign Affairs
The targeted airstrike killed Al Jazeera correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohamed Qureiqa, photojournalists Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa, freelance reporter Mohamed Khalidi, and al-Sharif's 19-year-old nephew, Mosaab al-Sharif, according to officials at Al-Shifa Hospital.
In a statement, the Observatory said the journalists' killing in a 'brutal bombardment' of their tent aimed to impose 'absolute silence' on Gaza—an effort it said was 'doomed to fail in the face of cries of truth that will not fade.'
The statement accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of 'brazenly' denying the famine in Gaza, dismissing it as a 'campaign of lies' while ignoring 'heartbreaking images of children weakened by hunger.'
It described these remarks as 'a continuation of the occupation's policy of deception,' disregarding 'living testimonies, the cries of empty stomachs, and the grief that has shaken the world's conscience.'
Quoting Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels' maxim—'Lie, lie, and lie again until people believe you'—the Observatory alleged that Netanyahu and his government applied it 'with precision,' lying 'knowingly' while persisting in 'arrogance and brutality.'
'These journalists were not combatants but witnesses to genocide—until they became its victims,' the statement said, stressing that the Israeli military knew their profession.
The Observatory concluded by mourning all journalists killed in Gaza—now numbering over 242—as well as thousands of other Palestinians, it described as 'permanent targets of an occupier that has lost its humanity.' It said their memory 'will remain a resounding cry against global silence.'
Follow us on:
Short link:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
See - Sada Elbalad
25 minutes ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
Egypt's Mufti Bids Farewell to Delegates of the 10th International Fatwa Conference
Mohamed Mandour At the conclusion of the 10th International Fatwa Conference held in Cairo under the theme 'The Making of the Competent Mufti in the Age of Artificial Intelligence', His Eminence Dr. Nazir Mohammad Ayyad, Grand Mufti of Egypt and President of the General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide, warmly bid farewell to the participating delegations, reflecting a spirit of brotherhood and mutual respect. The conference welcomed distinguished figures, including Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash, Chief Justice of Palestine, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories, Dr. Youssef Belmehdi, Minister of Religious Affairs and Endowments of Algeria, as well as delegations from Oman, Senegal, Algeria, and other countries. The Grand Mufti expressed his sincere gratitude to all local and international delegations for their valuable scholarly contributions, which greatly enriched the conference. Delegates from over 70 countries participated, addressing key topics such as developing the competent mufti, adapting to digital transformations, countering extremist fatwas, and strengthening collaboration among fatwa authorities worldwide to promote moderation and balanced guidance. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid Videos & Features Story behind Trending Jessica Radcliffe Death Video News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt News The Jessica Radcliffe Orca Attack? 100% Fake and AI-Generated
Mada
an hour ago
- Mada
The West is moving to recognize Palestine: Does it matter?
'I can confirm the UK will recognise the state of Palestine by the United Nations General Assembly in September, unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term, sustainable peace, reviving the prospect of a two-state solution,' Keir Starmer, the prime minister of the United Kingdom, said on July 29. Starmer spoke after he had just convened an exceptional Cabinet meeting. A few days before, French President Emmanuel Macron announced his own country's intention to recognize the state of Palestine. Australia, Canada and other Western countries followed suit, adding their weight behind Global South countries, most of which have recognized Palestine since the late 1980s. For many of the countries considering recognizing Palestine as a state, the decision sits somewhere between a shift in position and a mere nominal move as each balances its own internal and external policy decisions. And while those outside Western diplomatic quarters might see some efficacy in recognizing a Palestinian state, it is roundly too little, too late to change the reality on the ground in Gaza. A high-level British diplomat explains the UK move as largely an act attuned to voter sentiment as public opinion shifts against Israel, a feeling reflected in the Cabinet. 'Within Cabinet, the division was between [recognition] being the right thing, but it should not be a threat [to Israel] or it being the right thing and that it should be a threat to Israel.' The diplomat says that the urgency was mobilized by the 2024 Labour Party Conference. 'The images of starvation played a big role,' he says. Starmer's recognition pledge is only one and a half lines out of a six-line paragraph outlining the different conditions that, if fulfilled by Israel, will avert the decision to recognize Palestine. One condition is for Israel to have taken lasting steps toward a ceasefire by September, the time at which its military is currently planning to launch an invasion of Gaza City. 'The UK foregrounded the conditionality, which raised criticism. But conditionality can be an incentive. Also, [Israel will have to abide by] the whole package of conditionality, not just part of it,' the diplomat says. The British diplomat admits that the UK felt compelled to move toward the announcement with France making its own. 'It would have looked bad,' he says. Macron took to X to triumphantly announce an unconditional recognition of Palestine on July 24. 'True to its historical commitment to a just and durable peace in the Middle East, I decided that France will recognize the state of Palestine. I will make the official declaration at the UN General Assembly this September.' A Paris-based French diplomat at Quai d'Orsay says that Macron's decision was mobilized by the deteriorating situation on the ground in both Gaza and the West Bank. Equally, the French president is on a quest to lobby other nations to recognize Palestine. The French diplomat explains that the move is only one parameter of a broader resolution to the crisis, and its goal is to prepare a day-after scenario whereby, once the ceasefire is announced, the Palestinian Authority would move into Gaza, ending Hamas rule. France's pitch for using the statehood pledge as a means to propose the day-after configuration in Gaza is contained in the July 29 New York Declaration that came out of a UN member state-led conference on Palestine and the two-state solution. The conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, declared that 'following the ceasefire, a transitional administrative committee must be immediately established to operate in Gaza under the umbrella of the Palestinian Authority.' In the weeks since, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has struck out with plans not only to assume security control over the entire strip, but to redefine the terms of who will be granted civilian administration powers in the aftermath. 'So, it's neither Hamas nor the PA. That's our plan,' he said. French diplomacy has centered the PA in its declaration, and correspondence between Macron and PA Chair Mahmoud Abbas has taken place toward that end. In a letter dated June 9 to Macron, and also addressed to Starmer and Saudi Arabia's Mohamed Bin Salman, Abbas again condemned Hamas for the October 7 attacks, and vowed to sign a peace agreement with Israel and assume sole governance of the Gaza Strip. '[Hamas] will no longer rule Gaza, and must hand over its weapons and military capabilities to the Palestinian Security Forces,' Abbas wrote, citing the principle of 'one state, one government, one law and one gun.' He also pledged to hold a presidential election within the year and 'improve governance, financial transparency and women's and young people's participation.' The New York Declaration also mentioned 'the deployment of a temporary international stabilization mission upon invitation by the PA and under the aegis of the UN,' welcoming initiatives by member states ready to contribute troops. 'This mission, which could evolve depending on the needs, would provide protection to the Palestinian civilian population, support transfer of internal security responsibilities to the PA, provide capacity building support for the Palestinian State and its security forces, and security guarantees for Palestine and Israel, including monitoring of the ceasefire and of a future peace agreement, in full respect of their sovereignty,' the declaration further reads. From the Palestinian people's perspective, the calculus is far simpler. 'Whether we like it or not, people in Palestine want their own state,' says a Europe-based Palestinian diplomat who spoke to Mada Masr on condition of anonymity. The source explains that some of the small gains statehood would afford Palestinians include the ability to travel freely, get visas, register children easily and other aspects of daily life that are facilitated by the state. 'If your state is not recognized or if you don't have a state, your life is miserable,' they say. The other aspect the Palestinian diplomat points to are the obligations recognition entails. 'Countries that recognize Palestine have legal obligations under international law and this will enable us to pursue Israeli violations of international law in national courts as well as international ones,' they say. Abdel Ghany Sayed, a scholar of international law, explains that there are two ways of thinking about statehood. One considers that once the objective elements of what makes a state exist (such as defined territory, permanent population, government and capacity to enter into relations), then there is a state, and other states' recognition is merely declaratory. The other theory considers recognition by other states crucial and constitutive of statehood. 'Two thirds of the world already recognizes Palestine. Even the Security Council speaks about a Palestine along the 1967 borders, and not just the General Assembly. Israel recognizes Palestine as per the Oslo accords,' Sayed adds. Seen from this perspective, there is nothing legally significant in the declarations, according to Sayed. But there is a legitimacy cast by certain sovereign states recognizing Palestine in a context where not all sovereign states are equal in the GA, and some have more rights than others. The rest is details. 'Recognition can ease international moves against Israel, depriving it of an important argument: that Palestine is not a state,' says Sayed, who was once a lawyer in the office of the International Criminal Court prosecutor, witnessing firsthand how Israel distracts international legal proceedings against it by getting the courts (and the UN) to spend a lot of their time proving that Palestine is a state. 'Now there will be less time spent on this argument.' Sayed also points to how recognition puts Palestine in a more favorable position in the context of the Geneva Convention and the applicability of international humanitarian law, since the current war would be classified as an 'international armed conflict' between two states. This puts more responsibility on Israel, compared to a 'non-international armed conflict' context, whereby the war is taking place between a state and a non-state actor. However, many Palestinian voices have criticized the statehood pledge, pointing out its insufficiency to end the war on Gaza in comparison to steps like arms embargoes and divestment, and arguing that it further strengthens a contentious Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian diplomat tells Mada Masr that notwithstanding the fact that the Palestinian Authority has been invested in the recognition move since 2011, 'there is something performative in the current declarations, especially that they mostly respond to domestic pressure. It's also an easier step to take as opposed to imposing an arms embargo or ending trade. It's too little too late.' In their concluding thoughts, the Palestinian diplomat says that recognition by these states in and of itself doesn't meet 'the national aspirations of our people.' What is needed, they say, is a new formula: 'new thinking that would ensure reparation, repatriation and restitution, address the historical suffering, be able to dignify all our dead, bring criminals to justice and provide us with rights and a space that enables us to process and heal.'
See - Sada Elbalad
2 hours ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
High-Level Delegation of Muftis Worldwide Visits Grand Imam of Al-Azhar
Mohamed Mandour At the close of the 10th International Fatwa Conference, Egypt's Grand Mufti, President of the General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide, Dr. Nazir Mohammad Ayyad, led a high-level delegation of senior scholars, muftis, and ministers from more than 30 countries in a visit to His Eminence Dr. Ahmad Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif. The visit aimed to express deep appreciation for Al-Azhar's pivotal role as a bastion of knowledge, a symbol of moderation, and a trusted source of sound fatwas. The Grand Mufti praised the Grand Imam's steadfast support throughout his scholarly and religious journey, affirming Al-Azhar's enduring status as the intellectual, spiritual, and academic home for Muslims worldwide. For his part, the Grand Imam warmly welcomed the delegation, reaffirming that Al-Azhar will remain a beacon of learning and a pillar of religious and intellectual cooperation. He underscored the importance of harnessing artificial intelligence in the fatwa process, within the framework of Shari'ah to meet the needs of Muslim communities in the digital age. The meeting concluded with the delegation inviting the Grand Imam to assume the honorary presidency of the General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide, a gesture symbolizing strong moral support for Al-Azhar's global religious authority. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid Videos & Features Story behind Trending Jessica Radcliffe Death Video News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt News The Jessica Radcliffe Orca Attack? 100% Fake and AI-Generated
