Latest news with #Khalidi
Days of Palestine
4 days ago
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Oxfam: Israel's Campaign Aims to ‘Erase Gaza' Through Mass Displacement
DaysofPal- Oxfam International has accused Israel of waging a calculated campaign to 'erase Gaza itself' by forcibly displacing Palestinians and fragmenting the territory, rather than solely targeting Hamas. The global aid organization called on world powers to take concrete action to end Israel's ongoing siege of Gaza. In a statement released by the UK-based charity, Oxfam condemned Israel's military offensive and its sweeping evacuation orders, which have pushed civilians into five overcrowded zones that now constitute less than 20 percent of Gaza's land. Rather than a military strategy focused on combatants, Oxfam argued that Israel is executing 'a deliberate campaign to dismantle and depopulate Gaza,' calling the forced displacement a war crime under international law. 'For over 600 days, Israel has been saying it's targeting Hamas, but it is civilians who have been corralled, bombed and killed en masse every day,' said Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam's policy lead in the occupied Palestinian territory. Khalidi described the mass displacement orders as part of 'a clear and calculated pattern: using the threat of violence to herd civilians into ever-shrinking zones of confinement.' The group said the areas where Palestinians are being driven are dusty, overcrowded encampments lacking protection and frequently struck by Israeli attacks. Meanwhile, Israel has expanded its military footprint through five so-called 'security corridors' that now divide Gaza into isolated sections. 'This isn't counterterrorism, as Israel alleges – it's the systematic clearing of Gaza through militarized force into enclaves of internment,' Oxfam stated. The organization urged international actors to go beyond statements of concern and apply real pressure on Israel to lift the blockade and end the displacement of Gaza's civilian population. Shortlink for this post:
The Journal
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Journal
Families in Gaza eating grass and animal feed as doctors witness record levels of malnutrition
FAMILIES IN GAZA have resorted to boiling grass and eating animal feed as Israel's food, water and aid blockade on the region enters its eleventh week. Doctors in the Gaza Strip are witnessing and recording the highest levels ever of malnutrition in the territory. Acute levels of malnourishment are being seen in children and in pregnant women. Humanitarian and medical organisations held an emergency press briefing this afternoon to brief the world's media on what they are witnessing in Gaza, which has been blockaded from receiving aid by Israel. Bushma Khalidi, Oxfam's head of policy for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, whose family are currently in Gaza, said: 'People are eating animal feed. They're boiling grass .' 'Families are slaughtering their horses – something unimaginable in our culture, something sacred – just to feed their children. We've seen people catching turtles from sewage-contaminated shores to cook and survive. 'Even my own family in Gaza, my brother-in-law Hassan, told me the children are dizzy most of the day. This is not because they are sick, but because they're hungry. This is how deep this has gone,' Khalidi said. A man in Northern Gaza grounds lentils as a replacement for flour in order to make bread for his family, image taken on 11 May, Alamy Alamy Mahmoud Isleem of French medical organisation Médecins du Monde's (MDM) Palestine, which operates eight clinics in Gaza, said the level of malnutrition his organisation is seeing is unprecedented. One in four children are now presenting to clinics with evidence of malnutrition, as of last month. Isleem said the levels of malnutrition his organisation has recorded in Gaza can be compared with countries which have been suffering from the issue for decades. Photo of a baby suffering from malnutrition, taken in Gaza on 5 May. One in four children are presenting with malnutrition in Gaza. Alamy Alamy On 2 March, Israel formally began a full-scale blockade on Gaza's access to food, water, fuel, medicine and other key humanitarian aid supplies. The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said this week that Gaza is at risk of a food crisis 'or worse' by September . There is now a 'critical risk of famine', according to the global hunger monitor's latest report. Advertisement Israel's bombardment of Gaza continues. Israel plans to scale up a 'full force' offensive on Gaza in the coming days . 'Total collapse of dignity' Dr Mike Ryan, the executive director of the World Health Organization's emergency programme, said in an emotional speech in Switzerland at the beginning of this month that the children of Gaza are 'starving' . Oxfam's Khalidi said today that Israel's actions represent a 'total disregard for humanitarian norms'. Photo taken today, 14 May, after continued Israeli bomb strikes resulted in the death of civilians, including children, in Northern Gaza. Alamy Alamy 'This isn't just a crisis – it's a collapse. It's a collapse of basic survival. It's a collapse of dignity. It's a collapse of the international order,' Khalidi said. We've called repeatedly for a permanent ceasefire, repeatedly for full and unimpeded access and repeatedly for respect of international law, yet what we're seeing the opposite.' Families eating 'rancid' food Soraya Ali, Global Media Manager at international charity Save the Children, said Israel's blockade on Gaza has reduced life in the territory to an 'inhumane nightmare'. She said families are forced to eat 'rancid food' to avoid hunger, and the most basic medical care is not available as Israel's blockade enters its 73rd day. Ali said: 'The humanitarian situation is the worst it has ever been. People continue to be displaced. They're being bombed and killed by bombs. Starved.' Trucks stopped at the border between Egypt and Gaza after 2 March after Israel launched its full blockade. Alamy, file Alamy, file Doctors without Borders (MSF) today urged the UN and the EU to use their political and economic leverage to stop the 'instrumentalisation of aid' by Israel. 'We are witnessing, in real time, the creation of conditions for the eradication of Palestinian lives in Gaza,' the medical aid agency said. It added: 'The obstruction of humanitarian aid is a direct violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2720, which calls for the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians. Israel's claims that aid is being diverted by Hamas 'remain unverified and in no way justify such measures', MSF said. 'As the occupying power, Israel must facilitate impartial humanitarian assistance for the population in need,' it added. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Ammon
12-04-2025
- General
- Ammon
Old oak forests in Zarqa's Birin district face 'mixed' challenges
Ammon News - The old oak forests in Birin district in central Zarqa governorate constitute "a natural heritage" spanning thousands of years. The forests are home to over 100,000 oak and Greek juniper (Juniperus excelsa) trees, some date back to over 1,000 years old. Director of Zarqa Agriculture Directorate, Hussein Khalidi, said these forests, which are viewed the "green lungs of Zarqa," face "complex" challenges that threaten their survival. Khalidi noted these hardships relate to climate change, which has led to decreased rainfall and increased temperatures, disrupting the thermal and humidity balance needed for oak trees. Khalidi added that repeated droughts have weakened these trees' capability to resist agricultural pests, mainly bark beetle, which accelerate their deterioration. Khalidi also referred to spread of Juniperus excelsa trees, which deplete water resources and soil at the expense of the oak forests. Additionally, he warned of fungal diseases that attack the tree's immune system, noting that these factors combined are "accelerating" the phenomenon of "oak decline." Khalidi noted that urban and agricultural expansion have reduced forest areas by 15% over the past decade, according to Ministry of Agriculture statistics. This situation has increased competition for oaks with other plant species for limited resources and weakened their ability to reproduce naturally over time, he pointed out. On other difficulties, he noted overgrazing and illegal logging operations, despite the "stricter" penalties imposed by Agriculture Law No. 13 of 2015, continue to exacerbate the crisis. Regarding the forest distribution, Khalidi said trees are concentrated in Birin district, west of Zarqa governorate, particularly in Aalouk area, which are "the densest," then comes the forests in Masra, Kamsha, Makman, Sarout, and Birin landscapes. Khalidi announced these areas form a "unique" natural fabric that attracts approximately 60,000 visitors during holidays. However, he revealed a "comprehensive" plan that is implemented by the Zarqa Agriculture Directorate to address these challenges. The scheme, he noted, aims to strengthen foot and mobile patrols to prevent overgrazing, imposing fines of up to JD5,000 against violators, and launch awareness campaigns on the importance of forest conservation and efforts to support ecotourism projects. Continuing: "Despite severity of the challenges, the combination of preventive, legislative, and societal measures demonstrates the possibility of preserving this natural heritage."
Middle East Eye
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Saudi activist faces imminent deportation from Bulgaria
A Saudi Arabian human rights defender and journalist is facing imminent deportation from Bulgaria, even though his asylum claim is yet to be processed. Abdulrahman al-Khalidi has been detained by the Bulgarian authorities for over three and half years, despite two court rulings ordering his release, first on 17 January and then again on 26 March. Khalidi, who has advocated for democratic reforms in Saudi Arabia, including as part of the "bee army" of online Saudi activists with the late Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, is at risk of immediate arrest and torture if returned, his lawyers previously told Middle East Eye. Khalidi has received a slew of online threats and harassment, including from high-profile, government-linked personalities, calling him a traitor and urging his swift deportation. On 28 March, Khalidi was transferred to the migration section of the Busmantsi Detention Centre where detainees are held prior to deportation. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters According to a press release issued by Khalidi, he was read the order for his transfer by two plain-clothes representatives of the Migration Directorate. 'They began speaking to me in Bulgarian without me understanding what was happening and without any prior warning. I had no idea what was going on. I assumed they were taking me to be released, as the court had ruled in my favour,' Khalidi said in a statement. The officials refused to provide Khalidi with a written copy of the order, instead reading it to him in Bulgarian, with an interpreter translating over the phone. 'The situation was so tense and confusing that I could not fully comprehend what was being said or what was required of me. I was not given the opportunity to review a written order in my own language,' he said. When Khalidi reached for his phone to contact his lawyer, he reported that the officials 'physically restrained' him and seized his phone. He said he was then 'coerced' into signing the order and told he would not receive a written version if he did not comply. Khalidi has still not seen a written version of the order in Arabic. 'This is not only a violation of my rights, but a clear tactic to prevent me from understanding the legal basis for my continued detention,' he said. 'Blatant defiance of the rule of law' Khalidi has remained in detention in Bulgaria since he crossed the border on foot in October 2021. His asylum claim was rejected by a Bulgarian court in 2021. Authorities said that Saudi Arabia had taken measures to democratise society and did not consider him to be at risk, his lawyers said. He has been appealing the decision ever since. In September 2023, Bulgaria's Supreme Court found his case had been marred by procedural errors and ordered a retrial in a lower court. Saudi Arabia deporting Egyptian activist facing life imprisonment Read More » Two months later, the lower court sent his case back to the State Refugee Agency for reconsideration. On 18 January, an administrative court in Sofia ordered his release, which was then rejected on 22 January by the National State Security Agency. On 26 March, the Administrative Court of Sofia issued a final order for his immediate release. In a statement, the campaign group Migrant Solidarity Bulgaria highlighted that Khalidi's continued detention and imminent deportation violates Bulgarian and international refugee law as his asylum claim is still pending. The Bulgarian authorities are claiming that Khalidi's continued detention is permissible on national security grounds, as Bulgarian refugee law states that 'restrictions in the use of coercive administrative measures… do not apply if there are grounds to believe that an asylum seeker poses a threat to national security'. However Migrant Solidarity Bulgaria pointed out that this loophole can only be applied once a final asylum decision has been made. 'This blatant defiance of the rule of law by Bulgarian authorities sets a dangerous precedent for all asylum seekers in the country,' the group said.
