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Middle East Eye
2 hours ago
- Health
- Middle East Eye
Israel kills 32 starving Palestinians in latest US aid point 'massacre'
Israeli forces have committed a new massacre targeting Palestinian aid seekers in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 32 people and wounding scores more, the Palestinian health ministry said on Sunday. According to eyewitnesses and local officials, Israeli troops opened fire directly on civilians gathered at two US-Israeli food distribution points in Rafah and central Gaza. At least 31 people were killed in Rafah and one in central Gaza, while over 200 were wounded, many of them critically. The health ministry accused Israel of using the new aid mechanism as a 'trap for mass killings' and a tool for 'the forced displacement of Gaza's population.' It added that those killed in the 'massacre' had single gunshot wounds to the head or chest, indicating clear intent to kill. 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 Rafah, thousands were instructed to queue some 500 metres from the US distribution point at the Al-Alam roundabout, local journalist Mohammed Ghareeb told Middle East Eye. As crowds approached the area, Israeli forces rained down bullets on them from every direction, eyewitnesses said. 'I was standing among the crowd, but when people started rushing toward the distribution point, I couldn't move with them because there were hundreds pushing forward,' Marwa al-Naouq told MEE. 'Then a quadcopter appeared and began firing at them. After that, the Israeli army opened fire directly on the crowd, and American security forces fired tear gas canisters. 'Dozens were killed and injured as people ran in every direction, trying to escape.' 'The occupation targeted hungry people as if these aid distribution centres were distributing death' - Marwan al-Hems, Palestinian doctor Marwan al-Hems, director of field hospitals in Gaza, described the scene as a 'massacre and a slaughter". 'The occupation targeted hungry people as if these aid distribution centres were distributing death instead,' he told MEE. Southern Gaza hospitals were overwhelmed, with patients lining hallways and lying on floors due to a lack of beds and medical supplies, Hems said. 'We tried to save as many as we could, but we lost some due to a shortage of blood,' he added. Hamas accused Israel of weaponising aid, saying the food distribution system had become part of a broader campaign of genocide. The Israeli military claimed it was 'unaware of injuries caused by [Israeli army] troops.' Ambushed In both Rafah and central Gaza, eyewitnesses described the incidents as 'ambushes' carried out by Israeli forces. In coordination with American security personnel working for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), starving civilians were instructed in the early hours to go to a designated point near the Wadi Gaza Bridge, ostensibly to receive aid. Instead, they were met with direct gunfire, according to the Gaza-based Government Media Office. Many remain 'trapped under continuous gunfire in the vicinity of the aid centre,' the office reported. A similar scene unfolded in Rafah, where thousands had gathered overnight to receive food. 'The Americans are lying to us... They call it a humanitarian point then kill us there' - Arafat Siyam, shooting survivor 'They told us to go to this humanitarian zone to receive food - then they killed us,' Arafat Siyam, a survivor, told MEE. Siyam's brother was killed. The two had arrived at the aid site at 11 PM Friday, hoping to bring back food for their starving children. 'The Americans are lying to us. Since when have they cared about humanitarian work?' he said. 'They call it a humanitarian point then kill us there.' According to the media office, Israeli forces have killed at least 49 Palestinians and injured 305 others at GHF-run distribution centres since the operation began on 27 May 2025 . GHF, a scandal-plagued US organisation backed by Israel, was launched to bypass the UN's aid infrastructure in Gaza. Senior humanitarian officials have condemned the scheme , saying Israel should stop blocking the UN-led system and allow aid to flow without obstruction. Overall, Israeli forces have killed over 54,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since October 2023, including at least 16,000 children. Additionally, over 10,000 people are missing and presumed dead, while nearly 120,000 others have been wounded.
Middle East Eye
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
UK sanctions must target roots of settler violence - starting with Smotrich and Ben Gvir
In Israel, there is an infamous metaphor known as "mowing the grass". Like many other terms used by the state, it is a horrific and dehumanising phrase that refers to Israel's longstanding practice of regular, short, sharp bombardments of Gaza in order to 'keep Palestinians in their place'. It's used openly by Israeli politicians and military figures who see Palestinian civilians either as collateral damage, or as part of the "lawn" themselves. Nowadays, it feels a bit dated, considering how Israel's current genocide in Gaza dwarfs the bombardments that preceded it. The grass is no longer mowed; now it's scorched earth. But last week, when the UK government issued a new round of settler sanctions for three individuals and four entities in the occupied West Bank, I thought not of lawns, but of weeds. These sanctions are trimming the branches instead of digging out the roots. It's the same thing I thought when piecemeal sanctions packages were announced last year, in February, May and October. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Sanctioning a few individuals and entities won't even begin to scratch the surface - not while extremist senior Israeli ministers are calling for an unprecedented expansion of illegal settlements. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich are the grand architects of the current wave of illegal settlement expansion. Sanctions must target them to begin to affect change, not just an unhinged interviewee on the latest Louis Theroux documentary. And even then, that would simply be the first step. More than half a century of illegal occupation will not miraculously end with a change of Israeli government. Pervasive violence Sanctions must target the architects because of how pervasive settlement violence is. Last month, I took a delegation of British MPs to the West Bank so they could see the day-to-day realities of occupation - from refugee camp clearances in Tulkarm in the north, all the way down to settler violence in the villages of Masafer Yatta in the south. There are countless emotions I could recall: the shock of being spat at in Jerusalem for wearing a crucifix, the fear of being pulled over at gunpoint in Hebron, and the awe-inspiring bravery, hope and tenacity that Palestinian refugees in Tulkarm showed, even as they spoke of being displaced from the refugee camps where their families had lived since the Nakba. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of the Israel-Palestine war I could talk at length about all these experiences, but most chilling of all was simply the degree to which settlers and soldiers seemed to work in collaboration; the total air of impunity with which settlers swaggered around, perversely relishing the task of dispossessing indigenous people. The first such example we witnessed was in Susiya, a Palestinian village in Masafer Yatta that was expropriated by Israel in 1986, its Palestinian residents expelled. Today, only a small community of steadfast Palestinians remain there. Settler terrorism: Palestinians are becoming prisoners in their own homeland Read More » Our delegation in Susiya was surrounded by illegal Israeli settlers wearing militia-style body armour, and armed to the teeth with assault rifles and clubs. They were clearly there to intimidate. Two Israeli soldiers arrived at the scene and began laughing and joking with the settlers. It wasn't just that they were unconcerned with what the settlers were doing; they appeared to be actively enjoying the show. As they stood side-by-side - casually wielding their weapons, and wearing camouflage Kevlar jackets adorned with Israeli flags - it was suddenly very clear how blurred the lines of power and authority were. Distinguishing between settler violence and state violence feels like semantics in such a situation. We saw this impunity again in Hebron, as we were having lunch with a Palestinian human rights defender on his patio, bordered by metal fences with security cameras. Their usefulness was proven immediately, when two settlers came up to the fence and started shouting at our host: 'How much is your house?' When he said it wasn't for sale, they replied: 'It doesn't matter, we're going to buy it anyway.' They went on to insult Islam, and said that all Arabs needed to leave. Asked why, they simply replied: 'Because God gave us this land.' Metres away, Israeli soldiers looked on listlessly. Digging out the roots This is by no means an exhaustive account, even for the short week or so that I was there. In Jerusalem, I saw a settler strolling around the crowded market streets, surrounded by his children, while holding his assault rifle casually, pointed down in their direction. I contemplated how strange it was to encounter someone who clearly gains such satisfaction from provoking fear in others, and thought about what might be said from a sociological perspective about a society that produces so many people of this disposition. These settlers are pawns in a grand political vision that repudiates morality while laying claim to it But targeting each settler individually is not going to make any real difference. It is precisely such light-touch approaches that have enabled a settler-colonial, apartheid system to persist for more than half a century. Settlers can act this way only because they are emboldened by the extremist rhetoric of their leaders and the actions of soldiers. It is in this collaboration that the beating heart of the settler-colonial, apartheid system lies. Each time Ben Gvir storms Al-Aqsa compound with his settlers, each time Smotrich calls for a Palestinian village to be 'erased', it's fuel for extremist settlers as they cultivate their burning hatred of Palestinians. These settlers are pawns in a grand political vision that repudiates morality while laying claim to it. Instead of piecemeal sanctions, the only solution is to tackle the problem at its source; to dig out the roots, and sanction the ministers responsible for orchestrating this nightmare. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
Middle East Eye
a day ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Israel blocks Arab ministers from occupied West Bank visit
A delegation of Arab foreign ministers has condemned Israel's decision to block their planned visit to the occupied West Bank. The delegation - including ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain - was scheduled to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Sunday. However, the visit was postponed after Israeli authorities warned late Friday that they would deny the ministers entry, according to the Jordanian foreign ministry. As the occupying power controlling the West Bank's border with Jordan, Israel's approval was required for the delegation to travel. In a joint statement, the ministers denounced the move as a 'violation of Israel's obligations as an occupying power' and said it reflected 'the arrogance of the Israeli government, its disregard for international law, and its ongoing illegitimate policies". 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 Palestinian ambassador to Saudi Arabia told local media the visit was meant to underscore the importance of the Palestinian cause to Arabs and Muslims. An Israeli official, speaking to the Ynet news outlet, described the planned meeting as a 'provocative' attempt to promote the establishment of a Palestinian state. 'Such a state would undoubtedly become a terrorist state in the heart of the land of Israel,' the official claimed. 'Israel will not cooperate with efforts that threaten its security.' Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, who was set to lead the delegation, would have been the highest-ranking Saudi official to visit the occupied West Bank in nearly 60 years. The incident comes as Israel faces mounting international pressure to support a two-state solution, backed by the United Nations and several European governments. In June, Saudi Arabia and France are set to co-chair an international conference in New York to discuss the future of Palestinian statehood.
Middle East Eye
a day ago
- Health
- Middle East Eye
Alaa Abd el-Fattah's mother at risk of ‘sudden death', doctor says
The mother of British-Egyptian prisoner Alaa Abd el-Fattah is facing the risk of 'sudden death' as her blood sugar level falls to dangerously low levels on the 244th day of her hunger strike. Laila Soueif, who began her hunger strike in protest at her son's continued imprisonment by the Egyptian authorities, was warned by doctors on Friday that even a 'slight further reduction' in her blood sugar could result in a 'rapid loss of consciousness' and 'sudden death'. Abd el-Fattah was a key figure in the 2011 Egyptian revolution that ousted then-president Hosni Mubarak and has spent the best part of a decade behind bars. On 29 September 2024, Abd el-Fattah was due to complete a five-year sentence for 'spreading false news', but the authorities failed to release him, refusing to count the two years he spent in pre-trial detention towards his sentence. Sine then, Soueif has not consumed any food. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Medical tests conducted at hospital revealed that Soueif's blood sugar dropped below 0.6 mmol/L on Thursday night – a level too low to be accurately measured. At the same time, her ketone levels, which indicate blood acidity, exceeded 7 mmol/L, suggesting a degree of acidosis that is also beyond the limits of medical detection. Since beginning her strike, the 69-year-old has lost 36kg – approximately 42 percent of her body weight – and now weighs just 49kg. Soueif's doctor has described her condition as a 'medical emergency' and warned that her death is an 'immediate risk'. The doctor added that, without urgent glucose treatment, she faces a 'clear risk' of irreversible damage to vital organs, including the heart, brain, and kidneys. The doctor further explained that Soueif's current blood sugar level is 'not typically compatible with consciousness,' and that her 'body's carbohydrate stores are essentially depleted'. They added that her body is now relying on its last reserves of fat to survive. 'We're losing her' British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has repeatedly expressed his personal commitment to securing the release of Alaa Abd el-Fattah. Soueif shifted to a partial hunger strike on 28 February, following a call between Starmer and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, during which the prime minister reportedly 'pressed' Sisi to release Abd el-Fattah. But little has shifted since then. On 20 May, Soueif announced she would be stopping her intake of 300 calories a day. However, little progress has been made since. On 20 May, Soueif announced that she would cease consuming the 300 calories per day she had been allowing herself. 'Bottom line is we're losing her… there is no time. Keir Starmer needs to act now. Not tomorrow, not Monday. Now. Right now,' Soueif's daughter Sanaa Seif said in a press briefing outside St Thomas's hospital in London. 'It's a miracle that last night passed. It's a miracle that we still have her. I'm really, really proud of my Mum. And I want to remind Keir Starmer of his promise to us. We put our faith in him. Don't let us down, do something and do it today. Now.' Meanwhile, Abd el-Fattah has now reached the 92nd day of his own hunger strike from Wadi El-Natrun prison. On 12 April, he fell seriously ill, experiencing vomiting, severe stomach pain and dizziness. On Wednesday, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) concluded that Abd el-Fattah's continued imprisonment is unlawful, and that he should be released immediately under international law.
Middle East Eye
a day ago
- General
- Middle East Eye
Palestinian woman buries husband alone after two months trapped under Israeli siege
In a garden in southern Gaza under Israeli attacks, Aziza Qishta dug a grave with her bare hands. With no shroud, the 65-year-old Palestinian wrapped her husband's body in a window curtain and buried him alone. Ibrahim Qishta, 70, had died after being struck in the neck by shrapnel during Israel's military incursion into Rafah earlier this year. For two months, the couple remained trapped in their home in Khirbet al-Adas, surviving off dwindling supplies as air strikes and shelling pounded the city. When neighbours fled, Ibrahim refused to be displaced, and his wife refused to leave him behind. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Since Israel broke the Gaza ceasefire in March, the army has killed nearly 4,000 Palestinians, bringing the death toll since October 2023 to over 54,000. In the following account, Aziza tells her story to the Middle East Eye. Trapped for two months When the Israeli army re-invaded Rafah in March and imposed a full siege, all of Aziza's children fled the area. Ibrahim, however, refused to leave. 'He was blind, unable to move on his own,' Qishta told MEE. 'He told me: 'I'm not leaving the house, and you'll stay with me.'' Her reply was unwavering: 'Of course. I won't leave you after 50 years together. Never.' Aziza Qishta surrounded by her grandchildren (MEE/Ahmad Aziz) For two months, they remained in the house. With movement impossible and supplies scarce, they survived on stored provisions - canned food, beans, rice, lentils, vermicelli, jam, and pasta. Water was fetched from a nearby building whenever possible. 'Day and night, we were surrounded by shelling - east, north, west,' she said. 'The worst was from the west.' They could hear Israeli gunfire, jets, and tanks all around them. 'We couldn't move,' she explained. Even when her son's house next door was bombed and collapsed, they stayed put. 'My husband insisted on staying, and I stayed with him.' Her cousins were in a nearby house that was also hit. 'It collapsed on them. More than 10 of them are still under the rubble today.' 'I had no one to help me' - Aziza Qishta, Palestinian woman Then, one day, a loud explosion struck the building's iron gate. 'Dust filled the house. When it cleared, I saw the house around us had been destroyed,' Qishta said. Only a single room and a bathroom were left. 'Suddenly, I saw my husband bleeding from his neck - he had been hit by shrapnel.' When she spotted the injury, she rushed to him, tending to his wound, washing his face, applying antiseptic, and wrapping him up. Despite his heavy weight, she lifted him onto her back. 'I had no one to help me. We moved slowly. I would stop to let him rest, then continue,' she explained. For five hours, Ibrahim continued to bleed. 'We were alone. No voices, no light.' Final hours Eventually, she reached her cousin's house and laid him down on a mattress. 'I said: 'Let me get you some food,' but he refused.' He accepted only a spoonful of honey and later asked for some water. 'Then he said: 'Pour some water on my head.'' Aziza stayed by his side throughout. 'I laid him down, sat next to him, never leaving his side.' She noticed his left hand trembling and offered to massage it. 'He said: 'No, leave it.' Then suddenly, it went limp.' When she looked at his face, he had passed away. 'There were no soldiers around,' she said. 'They come, bomb, and leave.' A photo of Israeli troops in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, released on 18 October 2024 (Israeli Army via AFP) Alone, she searched the garden and found a small hole near an olive tree. With no shroud, she used a window curtain to wrap his body and began to roll him into the hole by herself. 'I placed his body in a plastic bag and continued rolling him gently. It took me two hours of exhaustion. But God gave me strength.' She buried him with her own hands, covering the body first with a zinc sheet, then wood, and finally soil. 'I recited Ayat al-Kursi and Surah Yasin from the Quran over him and wept silently.' 'I recited Ayat al-Kursi and Surah Yasin from the Quran over him and wept silently' - Aziza Qishta After the burial, she returned home. 'I bathed, and for the first time in two months, I slept deeply from sheer exhaustion.' Ibrahim was killed on 10 May but Aziza remained alone in the house for another two weeks, until 24 May, when the last of the food and water ran out. That day, she began to suspect that the grave might have been bombed. 'I heard the buzzing of drones and gunfire.' The following day, she went to check. 'I found the zinc pierced with bullets, and his head exposed.' Her voice heavy, she recalled: 'My heart broke. I picked up his head, it felt as light as a loaf of bread, and returned it to the grave, dug a bit deeper, added a new piece of zinc and wood, and buried him again.' She said she didn't feel fear or hesitation, 'just pain, and patience'. 'I returned home, made a cup of tea, and had a simple breakfast,' she said. 'I had just 250 millilitres of clean water left.' Confrontation with soldiers Eventually, she decided to leave and confront the Israeli army. Carrying a stick with a white cloth and two small bags, she walked to a military checkpoint. 'They told me to stop and threw me a leaking water bottle,' she said. 'Then a tank approached and threw another.' Ordered to empty her bags, which held some medicine and clothes, she was then told: 'We want to take your photo.' 'This isn't me': Israeli war and healthcare collapse leave Gaza child unrecognisable Read More » When she explained she was wearing a hijab, they demanded she remove it. 'I refused. A soldier shouted, and about twenty of them pointed guns at me, saying: 'If you don't remove it, we'll kill you.' So I removed it, broken.' They made her walk with them but after ten minutes, she told them she was too tired to continue, so they placed her in a jeep. 'One soldier spoke Arabic. He asked my name and about my children. I told him I had four sons and nine daughters. He asked why my husband hadn't left earlier. I said: 'He refused, and I couldn't leave him.'' They told her to wait under a palm tree, but she insisted on moving. They left her near a place called Marj, where she then got lost for four hours. She said she then found an aid centre run by the Israeli army and an American company. 'They told me: 'Head north. Don't go east or west.'' Eventually, she reached a camp for displaced people, near Rafah. 'They told me to head for Khan Younis.' On the way, she met four young men. 'I gave them my name. They called the Qishta family, my family, and they came to get me.'
