Latest news with #Israel-occupied
Egypt Independent
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
‘Why are you not preventing settler terrorism': Palestinians call out IDF following beating death of American man
Mazra'a ash-Sharqiya, West Bank CNN — Saif Musallet was just weeks away from celebrating his 21st birthday, and as he visited his family here, the Florida native's thoughts began to turn toward marriage. 'I think it's time for me to get married,' Musallet told his father, Kamel, during a phone call last week. 'Hopefully while I'm here, I'm able to find a future spouse to get engaged to.' That phone call would be Kamel's last conversation with his son. Days later, Saif was beaten to death by Israeli settlers, according to his family and eyewitnesses. Musallet was one of two men killed that day by settlers, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, while they were in the neighboring town of Sinjil, where their families own farmland. Hundreds turned out on Sunday, braving the afternoon sun, for the funeral processions of the two men, carrying their bodies to their final resting place. Some mourners openly wept, burying their faces in the Palestinian flags wrapped around the bodies. People carry the body of Saif Musallet during his funeral near Ramallah, in the Israel-occupied West Bank on Sunday. Ammar Awad/Reuters They are among nearly 1,000 Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli military or settlers since the region erupted into war on October 7, 2023, according to the United Nations. Their deaths mark the latest escalation in settler attacks in Sinjil, where Palestinian residents say settlers have encroached on their land over the last two months and terrorized Palestinians. Musallet was among dozens of Palestinians who drove to Sinjil together after Friday prayers seeking to reach their land. They say they were attacked by settlers wielding rocks, clubs and guns. Amid it all, a group of settlers came down on Musallet, beating him with sticks or clubs, eyewitnesses told CNN. Musallet's younger brother managed to reach him and called for help. He said Musallet was unconscious, but still breathing and needed an ambulance. But for at least two hours, no ambulance could reach him. Settlers were still roaming the area and had already shattered the windshield of an ambulance that day. On the other side, the Israeli military was firing tear gas to disperse the crowd of Palestinians and refusing to allow the ambulances to pass for hours. By the time the ambulance reached Musallet, his face was blue, and he had stopped breathing. 'Nobody could get to him,' Musallet's father, Kamel, said. Saif Musallet Musallet family Saif Musallet Musallet family He now says he holds the Israeli military just as responsible for his son's death as the settlers who beat him. 'They prevented the ambulance and allowed the settlers to do what they do anytime they want to,' Kamel Musallet said. 'I hold the Israeli military just as responsible as the settlers and the American government for not doing anything about this. You know, why are you not telling the IDF? Why are you not preventing settler terrorism?' The Israeli military has said it is investigating Musallet's death but did not respond to allegations that it prevented ambulances from reaching him. The Musallet family has called on the United States to investigate Musallet's killing. Beyond a condolence call from the US consulate, Kamel Musallet said he has heard nothing more from the Trump administration, which earlier this year lifted sanctions on Israeli settlers imposed by the previous administration. Saif Musallet was born and raised in Port Charlotte, Florida and owned an ice cream shop with his father in Tampa, where his father said Saif's 'gentle soul' shone through. 'Everyone loved him. Everyone loved Saif,' his father said. But Kamel Musallet says he believes there is a double-standard – that the US government would be taking his son's killing more seriously if he were American-Israeli. 'We want justice. We want the American-Israeli and the American-Palestinian to be in the same class,' Kamel Musallet said. 'These are Americans. But for some reason, the American-Palestinian is differentiated from the American-Israeli.' Hafez Abdel Jabbar, who is also a US citizen, was among the Palestinians on the scene that day. He said settlers and soldiers prevented ambulances from reaching Musallet for hours, until a vehicle with officers from COGAT, Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, showed up and agreed to escort him through. Abdel Jabbar believes Musallet could have been saved had they been allowed through earlier. 'Oh yes, of course,' Abdel Jabbar said. 'From the first minute, from the first call … he was breathing.' Settlers attack vehicle containing CNN crew CNN witnessed settler violence in Sinjil first-hand on Sunday, when we came under attack from a group of settlers who smashed the window of our vehicle. As Abdel Jabbar drove CNN to the site where he found Musallet's unconscious body, a white car began following the team. Inside were a group of at least four settlers, who covered their faces as they began pursuing our vehicle. As we approached a nearby intersection, the settlers got out of their car and tried to pelt our vehicle, but then turned around as CNN approached a nearby Israeli border police vehicle. The border police unit immediately headed out to search for the settlers after being alerted by CNN. But minutes later, our team was ambushed. The settlers had hidden out of sight of the border police and attacked. One assailant wielding some sort of club or mallet struck CNN's vehicle, shattering the rear window as our team sped off. Israel police said they opened 'a proactive investigation in pursuit of justice' into the attack and that such incidents are treated 'extremely seriously.' 'If it would've taken us five more seconds, we all would've been beaten,' Abdel Jabbar said. But for Abdel Jabbar, it is just a taste of the grim reality he is forced to face in the West Bank. His son, Tawfic, was killed in January 2024 by an Israeli settler. 'You scream to the whole world and the whole world is watching – simply silent – seeing all these mothers put their sons that they worked so hard to raise them up for 20 years,' Abdel Jabbar said. 'And you pick them up when you put them in the ground, under the sky. And the silence goes on and on and on.' 'What hurts you deeply is the silence of the whole world.'
Straits Times
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Anger turns towards Washington in West Bank town mourning two men killed by settlers
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox People attend the funerals of Sayfollah Kamel Musallet, a Palestinian-American man who was beaten to death by settlers, and Mohammad Al-Shalabi, a man who was shot dead by Israeli forces, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, near Ramallah, in the Israel-occupied West Bank July 13, 2025. REUTERS/Ammar Awad AL-MAZRA'A ASH-SHARQIYA, West Bank - Frustration among Palestinians grew towards the United States on Sunday as mourners packed the roads to a cemetery in the Israeli-occupied West Bank town of Al-Mazr'a Ash-Sharqiya for the burial of two men, one of them a Palestinian American, killed by settlers. Palestinian health authorities and witnesses said Sayfollah Musallet, 21, was beaten to death, and Hussein Al-Shalabi, 23, was shot in the chest by settlers during a confrontation on Friday night. Most of the small town's roughly 3,000 residents share family ties to the United States and many hold citizenship, including Musallet, who was killed weeks after flying to visit his mother in Al-Mazr'a Ash-Sharqiya, where he travelled most summers from Tampa, Florida. "There's no accountability," said his father Kamel Musallet, who flew from the United States to bury his son. "We demand the United States government do something about it ... I don't want his death to go in vain." Israeli killings of U.S. citizens in the West Bank in recent years include those of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, Palestinian American teenager Omar Mohammad Rabea and Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Friday it was aware of the latest death, but that the department had no further comment "out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones" of the victim. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Govt will continue to support families, including growing group of seniors: PM Wong at PCF Family Day Singapore From Normal stream to Parliament: 3 Singapore politicians share their journeys World Deal or no deal? EU faces critical decision in response to Trump's latest tariff salvo Singapore Segregated recycling bins found to lower contamination rate as more spring up Sport Two participants injured after another breached safety protocol during Pesta Sukan archery event Asia Mahathir discharged from hospital after feeling fatigued during birthday gathering Singapore Medics treat 7 after blaze at HDB block lift lobby in Chai Chee Singapore I lost my daughter to Kpod addiction: Father of 19-year-old shares heartbreak and lessons Many family and community members said they expected more, including that the United States would spearhead an investigation into who was responsible. A U.S. State Department spokesperson on Sunday referred questions on an investigation to the Israeli government and said it "has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas." The Israeli military had earlier said Israel was probing the incident. It said confrontations between Palestinians and settlers broke out after Palestinians threw rocks at Israelis, lightly injuring them. 'BETRAYAL' Musallet's family said medics tried to reach him for three hours before his brother managed to carry him to an ambulance, but he died before reaching the hospital. Local resident Domi, 18, who has lived in Al-Mazr'a Ash-Sharqiya for the last four years after moving back from the United States, said fears had spread in the community since Friday and his parents had discussed sending him to the United States. "If people have sons like this they are going to want to send them back to America because it's just not safe for them," he said. He had mixed feelings about returning, saying he wanted to stay near his family's land, which they had farmed for generations, and that Washington should do more to protect Palestinians in the West Bank. "It's a kind of betrayal," he said. Settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel's war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023, according to rights groups. Dozens of Israelis have also been killed in Palestinian street attacks in recent years and the Israeli military has intensified raids across the West Bank. Around 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war. U.S. President Donald Trump in January rescinded sanctions imposed by the former Biden administration on Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of being involved in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Malik, 18, who used to visit Musallet's ice-cream shop in Tampa and had returned to the West Bank for a few months' vacation, said his friend's death had made him question his sense of belonging. "I was born and raised in America, I only come here two months of a 12-month year, if I die like that nobody's going to be charged for my murder," he said, standing in the cemetery shortly before his friend was buried. "No one's going to be held accountable." REUTERS
Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Explained: Israel's Netzah Yehuda batallion & allegations against it
Five Israeli soldiers were killed and 14 wounded during an operation in northern Gaza, the Israeli military announced on Tuesday. Four of the deceased belonged to the Netzah Yehuda battalion. Formerly known as Nahal Haredi, the Netzah Yehuda ('Judah's Victory') battalion was raised in 1999 for young Jews who dropped out of ultra-Orthodox or Haredi religious schools. This was to accommodate the community's stringent religious practices, such as avoiding interaction with women who are also required to serve in the Israeli military. The battalion is a part of the Kfir Brigade, the largest infantry brigade in the Israel Defense Forces. Most of the recruits come from underprivileged backgrounds, or are settlers who have been born and raised in Israel-occupied Palestinian territories. The motto of the battalion is 'And your camp must be holy,' a line taken from Torah, the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. Allegations against unit Carlo Aldrovandi, assistant professor at Trinity College Dublin, wrote in The Conversation that the members of the Netzah Yehuda battalion take their motto literally, believing that they are indeed on a 'holy mission'. 'This contributes to a culture that encourages unrestrained violence against non-Jewish populations,' he wrote. Over the years, the battalion has been accused of a number of human rights violations, such as abusing, killing, shooting dead, sexually assaulting, and torturing Palestinian civilians. In January 2022, a 78-year-old Palestinian-American died after being detained by Netzah Yehuda soldiers in the occupied West Bank. The autopsy revealed that he died of a heart attack after the soldiers left him tied up and gagged. In April 2024, an opinion piece by The Haaretz described the battalion as 'a kind of an independent militia that doesn't obey the army's rules'. The Netzah Yehuda battalion has been in combat across Gaza since October 7, 2023. In July 2024, an investigation by CNN revealed that former commanders of the battalion had been promoted to senior positions in the IDF, and were training Israeli ground troops and running operations in Gaza. A whistleblower told CNN that the battalion's soldiers 'pretty much get a carte blanche, where they can do more or less whatever they want' in the Strip. He also said that these soldiers got two weeks off as compensation for killing a 'terrorist' which was 'quite an attractive reward for someone that's spending a lot of time in the military'. In April 2024, the United States sought to sanction members of the battalion for abuses committed in the West Bank. These sanctions, however, never went through.
GMA Network
22-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
DMW processing repatriation requests from 223 OFWs in Israel
DMW Sec. Hans Cacdac and Philippine Ambassador to Jordan Wilfredo Santos, along with the team of Philippine Embassy and Migrant Workers Office in Amman, Jordan pose with 26 OFWs and one Filipina tourist who will be returning to the Philippines through the government's voluntary repatriation program. Photo: Department of Migrant Workers The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Sunday said it is processing repatriation requests from 223 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Israel, as well as seeing to the travel needs of 30 Filipinos making up the first batch of returnees. In a press briefing on Sunday, DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac shared that the group of 30 will include 26 OFWs who had arrived in Jordan after passing through the Allenby Bridge and King Hussein Bridge on Sunday morning. The group of 26 will be joined by three other Filipinos from Jordan and another from the Israel-occupied West Bank, and will be accompanied home by Cacdac on a commercial flight set to arrive in the Philippines on Tuesday morning. 'Many of them also are longstanding OFWs, some about, should I say, 10 to 15 years in Israel and some three to six years in Israel, but all of them, of course, wish to come home… So rest assured, we will bring them home safely as directed by the President,' said Cacdac. The repatriated OFWs will receive adequate assistance from the government upon arrival in the country, including P150,000 in financial assistance, TESDA training vouchers and allowances, psychosocial counseling, and post-arrival medical check-ups. 'We will provide this particular benefit upon arrival. It will stem the tide for them. It's a safety net for those who lost their jobs, at least temporarily, and [they] will receive some tulong-pinansyal, pantawid [financial aid to help them get by]… Malaking bagay din to, di ba? Kasi maiibsan din yung gastusin ng mga dumadating [This is also a big deal, right? Because it will help with their costs when they arrive],' Cacdac added. Israel launched air attacks on Iran on June 13, claiming that the Islamic Republic is on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon. Iran retaliated, hitting several areas in Israel, with the attacks between the two countries still continuing. On Sunday, Israel's ally the US bombed three nuclear sites in Iran. Iran, which maintains that its nuclear program is purely for civilian purposes, is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, while Israel is not. Alert levels Meanwhile, Cacdac noted that the alert levels raised by the Philippines on other countries are based on decisions from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and corresponding Philippine embassies in the area. In response to the raised alert levels in Israel and Iran, DMW advised Filipinos not to proceed with planned trips in the affected areas. 'We rely on the DFA in terms of raising the alert level, so we will depend on the political security expertise of our dear colleagues at the DFA… What I can say however, tuloy ang tulong [the assistance continues] on the ground,' Cacdac said. Iran and Israel are currently at Alert Level 3 following armed hostilities between the two countries. The DFA advised Filipinos in either country to consider repatriation to avoid getting caught in hostile exchanges between the two Middle Eastern countries. — BM, GMA Integrated News
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mapping Israel's expanding air attacks across Syria
The Israeli military says it shelled targets in Syria in response to a pair of projectiles that fell in open areas in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights on Tuesday. Since December 10, 2024, just two days after the stunning collapse of more than 53 years of the al-Assad family, Israel has waged a campaign of aerial bombardment that has destroyed much of Syria's military infrastructure, including major airports, air defence facilities, fighter jets and other strategic infrastructure. Over the past six months, Israeli forces have launched more than 200 air, drone or artillery attacks across Syria, averaging an assault roughly every three to four days, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project (ACLED). The map below shows the ACLED-recorded Israeli attacks between December 8 and May 30. The bulk of the Israeli attacks have been concentrated in the southern Syrian governorates of Deraa, Damascus and Quneitra, which account for nearly 60 percent of all recorded Israeli attacks. Deraa was the most targeted governorate, with 57 recorded attacks, focusing on former regime military sites and suspected arms convoys. Damascus governorate, which hosts key military highways and logistics hubs, was attacked at least 49 times. Whereas Damascus city, the capital was attacked 18 times. Quneitra, adjacent to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, was attacked at least 25 times; many attacks were aimed at radar and surveillance infrastructure. In the immediate aftermath of al-Assad's ouster, Israeli troops advanced into the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, including areas within the United Nations-monitored demilitarised zone, violating the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria. The incursion drew widespread international criticism. The UN, along with several Arab nations, condemned Israel's actions as breaches of international law and violations of Syria's sovereignty. Despite these condemnations, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in February that Israeli forces would remain in the area indefinitely to 'protect Israeli citizens' and 'prevent hostile entities from gaining a foothold' near the border. Satellite imagery captured in February and analysed by Al Jazeera's Sanad verification unit showed six military bases were being constructed in the UN-supervised buffer zone on the border with Syria. Since taking power following the overthrow of al-Assad, President Ahmed al-Sharaa has consistently stated that his government seeks no conflict with Israel and will not permit Syria to be used by foreign actors to launch attacks. He has condemned Israel's continuing strikes on Syrian territory and its gradual expansion beyond the already-occupied Golan Heights. While Israel's air attacks on Syria have escalated in recent months, Israel has been attacking targets in Syria for years. ACLED data collected since January 2017 shows how Israeli attacks have been steadily increasing. The animated chart below shows the frequency of Israeli attacks from January 2017 to May 2025.
