Latest news with #IsraeliOccupation
Roya News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Roya News
Druze-Bedouin clashes in Syria leave 89 dead
A deadly wave of fighting between Bedouin tribes and Druze factions has entered its second day in southern Syria, leaving at least 89 people dead and dozens more wounded, according to monitoring groups and local sources. The surge in violence has turned Sweida province, long considered one of Syria's more stable regions, into a battleground. As chaos spread across villages near Sweida city, the Israeli Occupation announced it had struck "several tanks" in the area, citing its longstanding pledge to intervene in Syria to defend the Druze community. The violence reportedly began on Sunday after Bedouin gunmen abducted a Druze vegetable vendor along the Damascus highway. The kidnapping sparked swift retaliatory abductions and ignited armed confrontations in multiple parts of Sweida province. Despite hostages being released, the fighting continued into Monday, with mortar rounds hitting several villages. Streets in Sweida city emptied, shops shuttered, and funerals for the dead were marked by sporadic gunfire. 'We lived in a state of extreme terror — the shells were falling randomly,' said Abu Taym, a 51-year-old resident. 'Traffic on the streets is paralysed, and most shops are closed.' Local media outlet Suwayda 24 reported a high number of wounded arriving at hospitals, with many transported to medical facilities in Damascus. The news outlet said casualties stemmed from shelling in the western countryside and ongoing clashes around the city. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed at least 89 fatalities, including 46 Druze, 18 Bedouin, 4 civilians, 7 unidentified men in military attire, and 6 members of the security forces, according to a separate statement broadcast by Syria's Al-Ekhbariya TV.
The National
4 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
'The sea is ours': Gaza's last refuge sealed off under Israeli ban
For decades, the shores of the Mediterranean have been Gaza's lifeline, its source of food and income, but also a place of refuge and escape from the realities of Israeli occupation. But now, after 21 months of war, even that last refuge has been sealed off. Israel has issued military orders banning Palestinians in the enclave from one of their last sources of joy – the sea. Gazans are forbidden by new directives from swimming in the waters, while fishermen are prohibited from setting out to sea. "The forces will deal with any violation to these restrictions," Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X. 'We urge fishermen, swimmers and divers to refrain from entering the sea. Entering the sea along the strip puts you at risk." 'We live off the sea' The decision not only ruins the already collapsing fishing industry but also cuts off one of the last remaining spaces where Gazans could breathe, bathe and briefly forget about the daily devastation that surrounds them. 'We live off the sea. If there's no fishing, we don't eat,' Munthir Ayash, 52, a fisherman from Gaza city, told The National. 'Me, my five sons and their families – 45 people in total – depend entirely on the sea. With it closed, we face starvation.' Mr Ayash has been fishing since childhood. Like thousands of others, he has braved sniper fire, naval raids and aerial bombardment just to reach Gaza's nearshore waters, never more than 700 metres from land, due to Israeli-imposed limits. 'Even that short distance was dangerous," he said. "The army fires sound bombs, smoke grenades and bullets. But we kept going. It's our only way to survive.' But now, even that risk is no longer possible. The Israeli army has officially declared Gaza's coastal waters off-limits. For Mr Ayash and many others, this is a telling blow. Zakaria Bakr, head of the Palestinian Fishermen's Syndicate in Gaza, believes the move is not a security measure but a deliberate war strategy. 'Since the war began, the sea has been under siege like everything else in Gaza,' Mr Bakr said. 'We were only allowed to fish up to 700 metres, a useless range. And any attempt to go further was met with live fire. Many were killed or injured.' Now, with a full closure in place, Mr Bakr said more than 6,000 people working in the fishing sector will lose their livelihoods. More than 210 have been killed since the war began in October 2023, including 60 fishermen. About 95 per cent of boats and fishing equipment have already been destroyed by Israeli naval and air attacks.' Fish production is zero now, he said. "It used to be 3,500 tonnes a year. Nothing moves in the sea any more. This isn't just about fishing, it's about food security. Two million people in Gaza depended on fish to survive.' Mr Bakr calls the ban part of a broader, systematic effort to starve Gaza. 'This is not about security. It's economic, social and psychological warfare, a weapon of slow, deliberate suffocation.' The sea was not only for fishing, it was for living, Ibrahim Dawla, 26, a displaced Palestinian from Gaza's Al Zaytoun neighbourhood, now living in a tent near the shore, told The National. "I used to go every day. The sea was where I bathed, where I relaxed, where I ran from the horror of war. Now even that's gone.' 'Where we felt human again' Mr Dawla, like many Gazans, depended on the sea for basic hygiene in the absence of clean water. It was also one of the few open spaces left where people could gather to talk, swim, or sit, shaded from the destruction. 'People here die a million times every hour, We needed the sea just to feel human again, even if only for a few minutes. And they knew that. That's why they shut it down,' he said of the Israelis. Even before the official closure, Israeli gunboats regularly opened fire on beachgoers. Still, people came. 'We called it our last breathing space. We knew it was dangerous, but it was the only place we had left.' Now, he says, the beach is empty. 'I haven't gone for two days. None of my friends have either. We're all afraid we'll be shot just for standing there.' For Gaza's fishermen, the war has not only destroyed their boats, it has erased a culture, a livelihood passed from father to son for generations. Mr Ayash recalls how even during past escalations, they could always fall back on the sea. 'We could always find a way to fish. It gave us hope. But this time, they want to take everything. They want to erase us.' He pauses, eyes scanning the shoreline. 'But the sea is ours. The land is ours. No matter how hard they try, it will stay ours.'
Roya News
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Roya News
The Netanyahu trial: Power, corruption, and the fight to avoid justice
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Occupation's longest-serving Prime Minister, is fighting the legal battle of his life. After more than 17 years in power, and nearly three decades as a dominant political force, Netanyahu now stands at the center of a corruption saga that has both gripped and divided 'Israeli' society. Accused of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in a trio of cases that span luxury gifts, media manipulation, and corporate favoritism, Netanyahu's trial is more than a legal proceeding, it is a referendum on power, justice, and democracy in 'Israel'. - Background - Netanyahu served three separate terms as Prime Minister: from 1996 to 1999, from 2009 to 2021, and again beginning in 2022. But corruption allegations have trailed him for decades, resurfacing again and again with increasing intensity. Those accusations finally crystallized in 2019 when he became the first sitting 'Israeli' Prime Minister to be indicted. - The charges: A closer look - Netanyahu faces criminal charges in three interrelated corruption cases. Case 1000: The Gifts Affair Between 2007 and 2016, Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, allegedly accepted nearly USD 300,000 in luxury gifts, including cigars, champagne, and jewelry, from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer. In return, Netanyahu allegedly used his office to lobby for Milchan's financial and legal interests, including a US visa renewal and tax exemptions. Case 2000: The Media Deal Netanyahu is also accused of attempting to strike a deal with media mogul Arnon Mozes, publisher of Yedioth Ahronoth, to receive more favorable coverage in exchange for legislation that would weaken a competing pro-Netanyahu outlet, Israel Hayom. Case 4000: Regulatory Favors In the most serious case, Netanyahu is accused of promoting regulatory decisions that benefited Shaul Elovitch, former controlling shareholder of Bezeq, 'Israel's' telecom giant, in exchange for positive coverage on Elovitch's news site, Walla. Ghost cases Two additional investigations, Cases 1270 and 3000, were dropped before trial. The first involved allegations of a bribery offer to a judge in exchange for dropping charges against Netanyahu's wife. The second focused on a controversial submarine deal with Germany, where Netanyahu's cousin, who represented the manufacturer, allegedly stood to benefit. While Netanyahu avoided formal charges in both cases, they further fueled the perception of systemic abuse of power. - What's at stake? - If convicted of bribery, Netanyahu could face up to 10 years in prison, while fraud and breach of trust carry penalties of up to three years. But politically, he remains protected, at least for now. "Israeli" law allows him to remain in office unless convicted and exhausted of appeals. Analysts say this loophole has turned the Prime Minister's office into a shield, and Netanyahu appears determined to use every ounce of its protection. - A history of legal escapes - This is not Netanyahu's first brush with the law. As early as 1997, he was investigated for trying to appoint a sympathetic attorney general. In 1999, he was suspected of accepting lavish renovations from a government contractor. Both cases were ultimately dropped. Still, the current charges are the most serious yet, and the most persistent. Since the trial began in 2020, it has moved at a glacial pace, bogged down by delays, political instability, and a global pandemic. - Delays, distractions, and smokescreens - Critics accuse Netanyahu of using national crises, including repeated wars in Iran, Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon, to delay court appearances. His government has also tried to reshape the legal landscape itself. In 2023, Netanyahu's far-right coalition launched a controversial judicial overhaul that critics saw as a direct attempt to weaken the very courts trying him. The move triggered mass protests and divided 'Israeli' society, though it was shelved following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas operation. In one striking instance, he was set to testify in March 2025 but avoided the hearing after ordering a surprise attack on Gaza, effectively postponing the trial again. - Negotiating justice - Behind closed doors, Netanyahu has reportedly sought plea deals, including one in which he would plead guilty to lesser charges in Case 1000. But he has refused to accept any verdict that would require his resignation or a ban from politics. In June 2025, US President Donald Trump weighed in, calling the trial a 'witch hunt' and urging for it to be canceled or for Netanyahu to be pardoned, remarks that triggered outrage from 'Israeli' opposition figures who accused Trump of meddling. - The bigger question - As Netanyahu's legal battle drags on, its implications go far beyond one man. His critics say he has turned the justice system into a tool for political survival, delaying, discrediting, and even attempting to dismantle it. Regardless of the verdict, the damage may already be done. Institutions have been weakened, public trust has eroded, and the precedent has been set: that a sitting Prime Minister can use the machinery of state to fend off justice.
Roya News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Roya News
Netanyahu to hold late-night meeting on potential Gaza prisoner exchange deal
Israeli Occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to hold a meeting tonight to discuss details of a potential prisoner exchange deal, 'Israeli' broadcaster Kan reported on Saturday. According to Channel 12, Netanyahu has summoned National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to participate in the meeting, which will address issues related to a captive exchange deal in the Gaza Strip. Earlier, an 'Israeli' official claimed that Hamas is holding onto positions that prevent mediators from making progress toward an agreement, complicating ongoing negotiations. The 'Israeli' official added that the current talks, whether with Qatari mediators or others, are facing difficulties finding common ground due to Hamas's hardline stances. In a related development, Channel 12 reported that Tel Aviv is expected to present new maps defining the scope of withdrawal from Gaza, including control over the Morag axis, seen as an attempt to expand the negotiating space. Channel 12 quoted a foreign informed source saying that the Israeli Occupation will hand over the new maps in response to a request from Qatari mediators who have been involved in the talks, noting that previous maps were unacceptable to Hamas and could have caused the negotiations to collapse entirely.
Roya News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Roya News
Two Palestinians killed, dozens injured in West Bank Sinjil settler assaults
Two Palestinians were found dead Friday after violent attacks by 'Israeli' settlers in the village of Sinjel, north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, amid escalating tensions in the area. According to a correspondent for Roya News, the bodies of the two victims, including Muhammad Shalabi from the nearby village of Al-Mazra'a Al-Sharqiya, were discovered hours after they went missing during the brutal assaults by settlers. Local sources reported that both victims suffered severe beatings across their bodies. Muhammad Shalabi was one of the two Palestinians who died as a result of these attacks, which are intensifying the suffering of local residents. In addition to the fatalities, around 40 others were injured during the settler assaults on Sinjel, with many victims receiving treatment for head wounds and other injuries. Palestinian Red Crescent teams reported difficulties reaching some of the wounded, as settler groups blocked medical crews from accessing young men trapped in the nearby forests. The 'Israeli' army announced the deployment of two additional battalions to the West Bank in response to the rising violence. In response, Hamas condemned the settler attacks on Sinjel as a 'criminal assault,' viewing it as confirmation of the Israeli Occupation's ongoing policy of dispossession and aggression against Palestinians. The movement called on Palestinians across the West Bank to rise up in protest and defend their communities against further settler violence. The day also saw a spike in settler and 'Israeli' army attacks in several other West Bank areas, including the village of Al-Minya east of Bethlehem. There, settlers, backed by Israeli forces, assaulted residents and fired tear gas, causing dozens of cases of suffocation, including among women and children. Medical sources reported a three-year-old girl sustained a head injury from a direct settler attack. In Masafir Yatta, south of Hebron, settlers attacked Palestinian homes and assaulted residents, resulting in injuries to two young men who were taken for medical treatment, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. The surge in settler violence and military operations raises concerns among human rights groups about deteriorating security conditions and the increasing vulnerability of Palestinian civilians across the occupied territories.
