
Israel's opposition leader backs calls for strike in support of captives
In a post on X on Tuesday, Yair Lapid urged Israelis to go on strike "because the families have asked, and that's reason enough" and "no one has a monopoly on emotions, on mutual responsibility, on Jewish values".
Around 20 captives are said to still be alive in Gaza, and family members have called for a strike on Sunday, the first day of the working week in Israel.
"Go on strike even if you think differently about the war, about the reserves, about the draft-dodging law," Lapid said.
"It won't make you less right-wing, only more human. We don't need to carry all our opinions everywhere; we can simply pause for one day and say that this is terrible, and it's sad... Go on strike so that people know that you, too, were shattered watching Avitar's video, that the shock doesn't belong to any one side, that identifying with the families is not a political stance. Go on strike so that for at least one day, it's clear that we still have a shared good. That being Israeli means, first and foremost, having a heart".

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Middle East Eye
35 minutes ago
- Middle East Eye
British MPs urge Starmer to 'immediately expel' Israeli ambassador
A cross-party group of MPs have sent a letter to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urging him to "immediately expel" Israel's ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely. The letter, sent to Starmer on Thursday, describes Israel's actions in Gaza as genocidal. Lead signatory Adnan Hussain, an independent MP, said the letter requested that the government "act urgently in the face of genocide in Gaza". It has been signed by every member of the parliamentary Independent Alliance, as well as some Green Party and Scottish National Party MPs. The letter is also signed by Labour MP Abtisam Mohamed, who sits on parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, which scrutinises foreign policy. Those behind the letter say that since Britain is a signatory to the Genocide Convention, it "has a clear and binding legal obligation to prevent genocide wherever it occurs". New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The letter calls on the government to "immediately expel the Israeli Ambassador to the United Kingdom as a signal that the UK will not tolerate the continued defiance of international law and the perpetuation of mass atrocities". Hotovely once called the Nakba, the ethnic cleansing of Palestine in 1948, an "Arab lie" and is an avowed opponent of the creation of a Palestinian state. Israeli ambassador met with key UK Labour donors and lobbyists throughout Gaza genocide Read More » The ambassador is also a prominent figure in the UK and regularly intervenes in domestic British politics. In recent months, she has attacked the BBC and the mayor of London. It emerged this week that Hotovely has met with key Labour Party donors and British pro-Israel lobbyists throughout Israel's genocide in Gaza. Her diary was obtained and reported on by Declassified UK, after being released following a Freedom of Information request by lawyer Elad Man at Hatzlacha, an NGO promoting social justice in Israel. Last year, she twice met Stuart Roden, a chairman of Israeli venture capital firm Hetz Ventures, who donated over half a million pounds to Labour ahead of the 2024 general election that brought the party to power. Hotovely also met Jonathan Goldstein, a property tycoon and former chair of the Jewish Leadership Council, an umbrella body that represents major British Jewish organisations. Goldstein financially backed Foreign Secretary David Lammy's failed campaign to become London mayor in 2014. Horror at genocide in Gaza The signatories to Thursday's letter further urge the government to "enforce and support international sanctions on Israel", lead an international effort "to deliver immediate and unhindered humanitarian aid to Gaza" and support the International Criminal Court's investigations. The letter expresses "horror'" at the Israeli government's "intentions to carry out a full military occupation of the Gaza Strip". Updated letter requesting the government act urgently in the face of genocide in Gaza. Thank you to all my Parliamentary colleagues for signing. — Adnan Hussain MP (@AdnanHussainMP) August 14, 2025 'This declaration is the latest escalation in a campaign that has already led to the near-total destruction of Gaza," it says. "The government cannot continue to provide political cover or military support, directly and indirectly, to actions that amount to genocide. "We make this statement not only as members of Parliament but as human beings. Our silence or inaction in the face of genocide is not neutrality, it is complicity."


Middle East Eye
2 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
UAE-linked Armenian businessman faces war crimes allegations over GHF role
A UK-based rights group has filed a legal complaint in Armenia against a businessman with reported links to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over allegations of war crimes connected to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR) said in a statement that it submitted a complaint to Armenia's Prosecutor General calling for an urgent investigation into David Papazian, an Armenian national who reportedly chairs the board of the GHF. In a series of letters seen by Middle East Eye, the AOHR said that there is "credible evidence and documentation" that Papazian "may have been involved in, or facilitated, actions that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip". The US and Israeli-backed GHF has been widely condemned over its militarised food distribution mechanism in the besieged Gaza Strip, with charities such as Doctors Without Borders (MSF) accusing it of institutionalising "starvation and dehumanisation". At least 1,800 Palestinians have been killed and more than 13,500 wounded while collecting food or queuing for assistance at GHF sites or en route to its centres. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters In several cases, the GHF has denied anyone was killed at their sites and says the UN figures on the number of aid seekers killed are "false and misleading". "These casualties raise serious concerns regarding the operational framework of [GHF] and the potential complicity of its leadership in facilitating or enabling actions that amount to crimes under international law," the complaint states. According to the complaint, the GHF is registered both in Delaware, United States and Geneva, Switzerland. CBS News reported earlier this year that, according to Swiss registration documents, Papazian was listed as one of its three leaders. The AOHR, which claims Papazian is the president of the foundation's council in Switzerland and also a founding board member of the US entity, alleges these dual structures form part of "a deliberate pattern of administrative concealment and fraud" to obscure decision-making and funding sources. UAE business ties Papazian, 43, has played a key role in several business ventures in the Middle East and has helped broker business ties between Armenia and the UAE. As chief executive of the Armenian National Interests Fund (ANIF) from 2019 to 2024, he secured high-profile investment deals, including a $174m solar energy partnership with UAE-based renewable energy giant Masdar. The project was hailed at the time as a landmark in Armenia-UAE relations. The AOHR complaint does not allege any wrongdoing related to the deal, but Papazian's international business networks, particularly in the UAE, reflect the influence he brought to the GHF leadership and the contacts he likely built in Abu Dhabi, which has become an important ally of Israel in recent years. Gaza: Family of frail boy killed at GHF site months ago still haven't received his body Read More » In 2023, Papazian event boasted in a LinkedIn post: "I'm delighted to share that after Paris, ANIF can also call Abu Dhabi a second home!" Papazian also served as chairman of the board of Fly Arna, Armenia's now-defunct national low-cost airline. Based out of Yerevan, Fly Arna was a joint venture between UAE-based Air Arabia and ANIF. Air Arabia operates out of Sharjah International Airport in the UAE. In January 2024, Papazian was dismissed from his role at ANIF amid allegations of mismanagement. Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan later called the fund's performance a "failure" and "a disgrace." In May 2024, Fly Arna began liquidation proceedings after the Armenian government approved the dissolution of ANIF, one of its joint shareholders. The AOHR alleges that in his GHF role, Papazian "played a key role in designing, endorsing, and overseeing the implementation of an operational aid delivery model that has led to mass civilian harm". AOHR says in their filing that the GHF was established "to serve the strategic objectives of the war as defined by the Israeli government", replacing and undermining UN relief agencies. "From the early stages of the war on Gaza, the occupying power [Israel] began to demonise humanitarian relief efforts… It has become clear that the underlying objective" was to dismantle independent aid operations, the group said. The complaint says Papazian was "fully aware" of reports by UN bodies documenting acts of genocide, including the use of starvation as a weapon, yet proceeded "in pursuit of sordid financial gain". A Palestinian mourns a relative who was killed while seeking aid at the Zikim crossing, ahead of their funeral at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on 5 August 2025 (AFP) An Associated Press investigation published on 3 July found American contractors working under the GHF used live ammunition, stun grenades and pepper spray on Palestinians seeking food. The AP cited witnesses and video evidence, as well as contractor testimonies describing GHF operations as "dangerously unregulated" and staffed by "poorly trained guards acting with impunity". More recently, former US special forces contractor Anthony Aguilar, who worked at the GHF site, turned whistleblower, reporting that Israeli forces were prepared to fire at children and that he had witnessed Israeli soldiers and US military contractors shooting unarmed Palestinian civilians. 'My journey to get aid in Gaza was like Squid Game' Read More » In its complaint, the AOHR argued that Papazian's Armenian citizenship places him within the jurisdiction of Armenia's courts for crimes committed abroad. The group cites Armenia's obligations under the Geneva Conventions, the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which Armenia ratified in October 2023. "The conduct of Mr Papazian… meets the threshold of legal complicity and renders him criminally liable under both Armenian law and international criminal law," the complaint says. International criminal law, it adds, "establishes individual accountability not only for direct perpetrators but also for those who plan, incite, facilitate, or otherwise enable the commission of such crimes". The AOHR said it has submitted evidence, including UN reports, internal communications, and financial records, to Armenia's prosecutor. The group wants all materials related to Papazian's role in the GHF examined and, if sufficient evidence is found, legal action taken. "Prosecuting David Papazian would demonstrate Armenia's commitment to justice and the international legal order," the complaint says, adding that holding him to account would reaffirm Armenia's pledge to prevent impunity for mass atrocities. Middle East Eye reached out to Armenia's Prosecutor General and the GHF for comment but did not receive a response by time of publication. Papazian declined to comment.

Middle East Eye
2 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Israel carpet bombs Gaza City as army approves occupation plan
Israel's army approved the occupation of Gaza City on Wednesday, estimating that between 80,000 and 100,000 reservists will need to be mobilised for the initial plan. Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir's decision comes after several discussions - initiated by Benjamin Netanyahu's government - on the imminent occupation of the besieged enclave. 'The chief of staff emphasised the importance of raising force readiness, preparing for reserve mobilisation and allowing a recovery period before the next missions,' a statement by the army read. Zamir has previously expressed strong opposition to the occupation and had even threatened to resign, as tensions continue between him and Minister of Defense Israel Katz, among other proponents of the plan. Reports of Israel's security cabinet approving the occupation of the Gaza Strip came last Friday. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The operation is set to begin with the conquest of Gaza City, with the aim of ethnically cleansing it of its approximately one million Palestinian residents. An Israeli official told Axios that the plan aims to empty Gaza City of civilians within two months. A siege would then be imposed on the city, targeting Hamas members, followed by a ground operation. While the official statement referred to the move as a "takeover", Israeli news outlet Ynet reported that the term "occupy" was deliberately avoided to sidestep the legal obligations associated with formal occupation under international law. A senior Israeli official told local media that the word choice was for official purposes only, confirming that the actual intention is to occupy the Gaza Strip. Demolitions, killing and displacement Despite a global backlash from human rights groups, activists and even governments, Israeli authorities have made headway in what many fear is a plan to annex the blockaded strip. The current assault on the Zeitoun neighbourhood, located in Gaza's Old City, has killed dozens of Palestinians and demolished more than 300 homes in just three days. 'Gaza City is now being blatantly decimated in front of the eyes and ears of the world.' Mahmoud Bassal, the spokesperson for Gaza Civil Defence, appealed to the global community on Wednesday, urging action as Israel continues to destroy Gaza City — Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) August 14, 2025 Local media reports have described "systematic" shelling and demolitions by Israeli forces. According to Mahmoud Bassal, spokesperson for the Civil Defence in Gaza, the attacks focused on a multi-storey building with five or more floors. The force of the explosions has caused surrounding structures to collapse. "Demolitions were carried out without prior warning, and intense bombardment prevented rescue teams from reaching the wounded," he said, further highlighting fears that many civilians could remain trapped under the rubble. Bassal added that the city is "now being blatantly decimated in front of the eyes and ears of the world", as he called for an end to the nearly 700-day genocide. Since Israel's genocide began on 7 October 2023, Israeli troops have launched several ground assaults in Gaza City and across the strip. The death toll among Palestinians has risen to at least 61,776, leaving over 154,906 others wounded, according to recent figures from the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza.