Latest news with #DayofPal
Days of Palestine
2 days ago
- Health
- Days of Palestine
New Gazan Infant Dies from Starvation as Israeli Siege Triggers Worsening Humanitarian Crisis
DayofPal– A new infant has died in Gaza due to severe malnutrition and lack of baby formula, raising the death toll of those died of starvation to 134. According to medical sources at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, baby Mohammed Ibrahim Addas died early Monday morning after succumbing to acute malnutrition. The child's death is attributed to an ongoing shortage of infant formula and food, a direct result of the continued Israeli military assault and total blockade of Gaza. Last Friday, six-month-old Zainab Abu Halib also died at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis from similar causes, underscoring the growing toll the blockade is taking on the youngest and most vulnerable. On July 26, Gaza's Ministry of Health announced nine starvation-related deaths in just 24 hours, bringing the total number of Palestinians who have died due to hunger to 134, including 85 children, since the beginning of the crisis. Hospitals and emergency rooms across Gaza are now overwhelmed with emaciated patients of all ages arriving in life-threatening condition. Medical officials describe the situation as 'unprecedented,' warning that the starvation crisis is rapidly escalating into a full-blown famine. 'The hunger has reached catastrophic levels,' the Ministry of Health said in a statement, 'endangering the lives of over two million people as Israel continues to prevent the entry of food, medicine, and humanitarian aid.' Recent data from the Ministry reveals that over 260,000 children under the age of five are suffering from severe malnutrition, putting them at immediate risk of death. The deadly food shortage has intensified since Israel sealed off Gaza's border crossings in early March, severely restricting the flow of humanitarian aid, food supplies, fuel, and medical equipment. The Government Media Office in Gaza accused Israel of deliberately using starvation as a weapon of war, and described the blockade as part of a broader campaign of 'genocide and collective punishment' against Gaza's 2.4 million residents. International aid groups and human rights organizations have repeatedly warned of the impending collapse of Gaza's healthcare and food systems if the blockade is not lifted and unrestricted humanitarian access is not restored immediately. Shortlink for this post:
Days of Palestine
4 days ago
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Ekad Reveals Structure of Abu Shabab Militia, Its Role in Gaza Displacement Plan
DayofPal– A new investigation by open-source intelligence group Ekad has exposed the internal structure, operations, and foreign backing of the so-called 'Popular Forces' militia, led by Yasser Abu Shabab in Gaza. The militia, composed of convicted criminals and individuals with past ties to extremist networks, has reportedly operated with full coordination from the Israeli military while systematically looting humanitarian aid and enforcing displacement in southern Gaza. The revelations emerge amid mounting outrage over a Wall Street Journal op-ed published under Abu Shabab's name, despite his documented illiteracy, criminal record, and history with drug trafficking and ISIS-linked networks. Critics have accused the paper of providing a platform to a warlord aligned with Israeli occupation objectives during a deepening humanitarian catastrophe that has left over 120 Palestinians dead from famine, most of them children. A Militia Built on Coordination The group's leader, Yasser Abu Shabab, a Rafah native from the Tarabin tribe, was previously imprisoned in Gaza for arms and drug trafficking. He escaped custody during early Israeli airstrikes that targeted police infrastructure and later resurfaced in May 2024 as head of an armed faction reportedly numbering between 100 and 300 fighters. In a televised interview with Israel's KAN News on July 6, Abu Shabab openly declared 'war on Hamas' and confirmed direct coordination with the Israeli military. He also claimed administrative backing from the Palestinian Authority (PA), signaling a calculated attempt to present himself as a post-Hamas governance figure. According to Ekad's findings, the militia has seized the majority of aid entering Gaza in recent months. Between May and October 2024, Abu Shabab's forces reportedly intercepted 80 out of 100 aid convoys and killed at least four truck drivers, according to The Washington Post. The militia also operates armed checkpoints near the Kerem Shalom crossing and is accused of setting up fortified aid distribution zones designed to funnel civilians into Israeli-controlled areas. A Three-Tiered Militia Network Ekad's investigation used satellite imagery, social media analysis, and video geolocation to map out the militia's internal hierarchy: Top Tier: Led by Abu Shabab and his deputy Ghassan Al-Dhahini, a former PA security officer and fugitive with ties to ISIS-aligned Army of Islam. Al-Dhahini has appeared in videos firing weapons near Rafah's Al-Da'wah Mosque, close to key aid depots. Second Tier: Includes armed enforcers like Bakr Al-Wakeely, Youssef Abu Nasser, and Saddam Abu Zakar, seen in tactical gear near aid trucks. Others such as Tarek Abu Hassan and Abu Hassan Al-Tarabini were recorded riding atop looted aid shipments with automatic weapons. Third Tier: Field operatives such as Nimer, Kareem, Aboud Abu Al-Hussain, and the infamous Abu Anis documented themselves looting aid boxes and violently seizing shipments. Videos show them operating freely within Israeli-controlled corridors including the Philadelphia Axis and areas east of Rafah. Israeli Military Backing and the 'Humanitarian Resettlement' Agenda The group's operations are concentrated in zones under Israeli military control, particularly Al-Shawka, Al-Bayouk, and northern Rafah, where Israeli forces have established logistical dominance. These are the same areas referenced by far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who suggested they could serve as a 'temporary concentration zone' for Palestinian civilians. Ekad's analysis concludes that the Abu Shabab militia plays a key role in advancing Israel's broader displacement policy. By weaponizing humanitarian aid, the group controls civilian movement and redirects populations toward Israeli-administered zones under the guise of aid distribution. 'This is not a rogue group,' said a senior Ekad analyst. 'This is a structured proxy force, armed and deployed to enforce an occupation agenda masked in humanitarian terms.' A senior official with UNRWA, Sam Rose, described the militia-dominated corridors as 'the valley of thieves,' underscoring the systematic nature of aid looting in areas of Israeli oversight. Backlash and Warnings Gaza's Ministry of Interior recently issued a 10-day ultimatum for Abu Shabab and his militia to surrender. The Joint Room of Palestinian Factions, representing all armed resistance groups in Gaza, publicly labeled him a traitor. The condemnation prompted Ekad to launch its in-depth investigation, which has since been widely circulated among humanitarian and diplomatic circles. Ekad's researchers confirmed the group's direct coordination with Israeli forces not only through interviews and op-eds, but also by verifying the geolocated presence of militia leaders at Israeli-supervised crossings and aid convoys. Criminal Past and Extremist Ties In addition to Abu Shabab's documented prison escape, multiple militia leaders have verifiable links to extremist and smuggling networks. Issam Al-Nabbahin, another high-ranking member, fought with ISIS in Sinai before fleeing back to Gaza. Though reportedly re-arrested, his current status remains unknown. The investigation concludes that the group os a criminal militia operating with state-level coordination under the pretense of humanitarian service. The Popular Forces, far from being a grassroots security effort, function as an Israeli-backed paramilitary unit with strategic aims: controlling aid, neutralizing Hamas rivals, and facilitating population displacement in southern Gaza. Shortlink for this post:
Days of Palestine
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Israeli Army Issues New Evacuation Orders in Southwest of Deir Al-Balah for First Time
DayofPal– The Israeli military issued new evacuation orders on Sunday morning targeting southwestern areas of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, escalating the ongoing displacement crisis in the besieged Palestinian enclave. The evacuation orders affect residential blocks numbered 130, 132 through 134, 136 through 139, and block 2351. The directive includes all civilians residing in homes or makeshift tents within these areas. Residents were instructed to evacuate immediately and head toward the coastal 'Al-Mawasi' zone in western Khan Younis, a designated 'humanitarian area' under repeated strain from overcrowding and limited resources. This latest wave of displacement comes amid growing concern from international organizations over the scale and impact of forced evacuations across Gaza. A recent report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) revealed that as of May 28, approximately 81% of Gaza's total land area has been designated as either closed military zones or under active evacuation orders. Since March 18 alone, the Israeli military has issued at least 31 evacuation orders, affecting nearly 229.4 square kilometers of land, territories still under enforced displacement mandates. Meanwhile, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reports that at least 1.9 million Palestinians, roughly 90% of Gaza's population, have been displaced since the war began. Many families have been uprooted multiple times, with some displaced ten times or more over the course of the conflict. The war, which began on October 7, 2023, continues with full U.S. backing, leaving Gaza in a state of unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. More than 195,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured, the vast majority of them women and children. The war has devastated the Strip's infrastructure, collapsed its health system, and left millions facing hunger and homelessness. Humanitarian agencies warn that without a ceasefire and a meaningful political solution, the situation will only deteriorate further. Shortlink for this post:
Days of Palestine
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Israel's 'Humanitarian City' Atop Rafah Ruins Increases Tension in Israel
DayofPal– Israel's planned 'humanitarian city' in Rafah is facing major challenges that could lead to a prolonged delay, amid growing tension between Israel's political and military leadership, Israeli newspaper Maariv revealed. During a meeting of the 'narrow cabinet' on Sunday evening, the security establishment presented new data showing that the project would take about a year or more to complete, at a cost of tens of billions of shekels, contrary to earlier estimates of five to six months. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the current plan, calling it unfeasible and unacceptable, and demanded a plan that could be implemented within a reasonable timeframe. Meanwhile, he reaffirmed his intention to move forward with a ceasefire deal but emphasized that Israel reserves the right to resume the war at a later stage. A military source present at the meeting said that evacuating the tens of thousands of residents, as the plan requires, would take several months at least. Tensions are expected to persist, with another narrow cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday, followed by a full meeting of the security-political cabinet on Wednesday to continue discussions on the plan's future. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says the 'humanitarian city' that the Israeli government wants to build on the ruins of Rafah would be a concentration camp. 'There is no other understanding.' 'It is a concentration camp. I am sorry,' he told the Guardian newspaper. 'If they [Palestinians] will be deported into the new 'humanitarian city', then you can say that this is part of an ethnic cleansing. It hasn't yet happened,' Olmert said. 'When they build a camp where they [plan to] 'clean' more than half of Gaza, then the inevitable understanding of the strategy of this [is that] it is not to save [Palestinians]. It is to deport them, to push them and to throw them away. There is no other understanding that I have at least,' he added. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has also criticised the government's plan, saying if Palestinians are not allowed to leave, the plan amounts to creating a concentration camp. Israeli military also said Gaza 'Humanitarian City' could jeopardize hostage negotiations, outlining logistical, operational, and diplomatic challenges surrounding the proposal. Shortlink for this post:
Days of Palestine
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Palestinian Tribal Coalition Denounces US-Israeli GHF After Requesting Name Lists
DayofPal– The Palestinian National Gathering of Tribes and Clans has issued a stern warning to local leaders and mukhtars across Gaza, urging them not to cooperate with the US-Israeli Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The coalition's warning comes after the organization reportedly requested lists of names from several mukhtars, claiming it was part of efforts to coordinate aid distribution. In a strongly worded public statement, the tribal coalition accused GHF of functioning as a 'military and security proxy for the Israeli occupation army,' asserting that the group's activities serve Israeli military interests rather than humanitarian needs. 'We will not eat from the hand that helped kill us,' the statement read, squarely blaming the organization for the deaths of more than 800 Palestinians, over 5,252 injuries, and 42 missing persons near GHF-operated 'aid points.' These sites, the statement noted, have come to be referred to by many Gazans as 'death traps.' The coalition stressed that GHF 'cannot be trusted and should be treated as a hostile actor,' warning that any local leader cooperating with the organization would face 'national, legal, and tribal accountability.' In a significant escalation, the group declared that any mukhtar who engages with GHF would have their official seal revoked by governing authorities. The warning aligns with recent alerts from the Gaza Government Media Office, which confirmed a mounting death toll at GHF distribution sites and criticized the organization's role in exacerbating the already dire humanitarian crisis. Rejecting the notion of GHF as a neutral aid provider, the tribal coalition maintained that the foundation's operations are deeply entangled with Israeli strategic goals. Far from alleviating suffering, they argue, the organization's presence in Gaza contributes to worsening conditions amid a tightening Israeli blockade and the looming threat of famine. 'We will not be a tool against our own people,' the tribes declared. 'The Palestinian people will not accept aid tainted with blood or political agendas.' The growing backlash against GHF highlights the increasing mistrust surrounding international aid efforts in Gaza, as local leaders and civil society actors demand accountability and transparency in humanitarian interventions. Shortlink for this post:
