Latest news with #OmarSuleiman
India Today
29-04-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Fact Check: 2023 video from Gaza VIRAL as India's revenge on Pakistan after Pahalgam attack
On the night of April 28-29, the Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked firing across the Line of Control for the fifth consecutive time following the terror attack in Pahalgam. Pakistan's defence minister said on April 28 that 'a military incursion' by India was imminent in the aftermath of the Pahalgam a video of people running helter-skelter amid heavy bombardment at a distance is being widely shared online with the claim that India conducted this attack at the India-Pakistan border to avenge the Pahalgam massacre. advertisementSharing the video on Facebook, one person wrote, 'Pakistan situation now. Bharat Mata Ki Jai. #Pahalgam Terror Attack.' India Today Fact Check, however, found that this video is from the Gaza Strip, and is more than a year ProbeReverse-searching keyframes from the viral video led us to a Facebook post from November 10, 2023, by Omar Suleiman, an American Islamic scholar and civil rights activist. Its caption stated that Israel dropped bombs on the Indonesia Hospital outside the Jabalia Refugee Camp in then found multiple news reports about this incident. According to them, people fled from a hospital in Beit Lahia in Gaza during an Israeli strike in a nearby street. An Al Jazeera video report about this featured the viral clip, along with some other footage from the Per reports, hundreds of people were injured in this Israeli airstrike near the Indonesia Hospital, which was opened in Beit Lahia in 2015. The hospital, built from donations raised by an NGO, was one of the last remaining hospitals in Gaza. A week before this attack, the Israeli military had claimed that Hamas was using this hospital 'to hide an underground command and control center'.Back in October 2024, the same video was shared on social media as Israel's attack on Iran. We had debunked it at the time as is thus clear that a 2023 video from Gaza was falsely linked to the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions. Want to send us something for verification? Please share it on our at 73 7000 7000 You can also send us an email at factcheck@
Middle East Eye
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
‘Utter carnage': Outrage over images of children killed in Israel's Gaza strikes
Israel's air strikes on Gaza on Tuesday received widespread backlash on social media, with hundreds of thousands reacting to Israel's newest assault. Israel killed hundreds of Palestinians, including over 100 children, in a wave of air strikes targeting five Gaza municipalities at around 3am local time. Social media erupted with images of Israel's bombings with images of children and babies killed during the attacks, bodies transported to hospitals and images of makeshift tents burning. Many on social media from Gaza reported on X that 'children died hungry before they could have their suhoor' and Israel's 'burning entire Gaza Palestinian families alive in their makeshift tents'. One image, in particular, went viral and was shared by tens of thousands of people on social media. The image shows a small baby wearing a jumpsuit with rainbows on it, who was killed in the strikes. 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 image impacted thousands all over the world, with Dr Omar Suleiman saying the attack was 'armed and paid for by the United States. Coward Muslim and Arab leaders watching and doing nothing'. The baby in the picture was one of the first children who was killed in the attack, the overall number of which had surpassed 100 by the time of publication. Over 400 people were killed in total. 'As the world wakes up to the harrowing images of children slain by Israeli bombs across the entire Gaza Strip AGAIN, we cannot bear witness to global leaders JUST. DOING. NOTHING,' said UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese in a post on X. As the world wakes up to the harrowing images of children slain by Israeli bombs across the entire Gaza Strip AGAIN, we cannot bear witness to global leaders JUST. DOING. NOTHING. This is an acceleration of the genocide that Israel is committing against the Palestinian people as… — Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) March 18, 2025 The anger and frustration felt by many on social media was a reminder of the horrific images of babies and children that have been circulating on social media since Israel's onslaught on Gaza began in October 2023. Many called for swift action to be taken. Some social media users shared videos of children killed in the strikes, such as a small girl whose father held her for the last time. Others asked what would anyone have done if a baby "murdered" by the 'Zionist Israel' was a baby of one's own. The former first minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf, also focused on the horrific images of children that are coming out of Gaza and said: 'The least we can do is to bear witness to the crimes committed against the children.' On X, UK Independent MP Jeremy Corbyn said, 'Today, mothers and fathers in Gaza are mourning their children because governments across the world did not deem their lives worthy of protection.' Doctors and journalists recount 'horrors' An Australian doctor trainee from Gaza recounted how they ran out of painkillers and medicine and had to 'amputate legs of at least seven girls without anaesthesia'. 'It is mostly women and children who were affected, children burned from head to toe, limbs and heads missing.' 'It was just mostly women and children burnt head to toe, limbs missing, heads missing.' Dr Mohammed Mustafa, a medicine trainee who worked through the entire night amid Israeli bombardment in Gaza, detailed what he experienced. — Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) March 18, 2025 Many other doctors from Gaza took to social media and recounted what they had witnessed overnight, with one doctor saying, "Utter carnage... mostly children and women... I did 6 operations overnight, half on small children, and most will go on to die... utter carnage as usual, when you drop bombs on tents that's what happens.' Journalist Anas al-Sharif also reported from al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza after the attacks, saying that most of the victims were children and women. 'These bags are filled with the remains of children from all over Gaza City. The scene is beyond words,' he said. Media criticised Many people on social media also criticised the way mainstream media reported on the Israeli strikes in Gaza, such as the BBC, which in many reports referred to the Gaza health ministry as the 'Hamas-run ministry'. 'The BBC is performing its usual role of protecting Israel,' one social media user said, adding that 'as ever, the phrase 'Hamas-run' has to appear in headlines.' It seems clear that a decision has been taken at senior levels of @BBCNews NOT to report prominently that Israel has shattered the so-called 'ceasefire'. And, as ever, the phrase 'Hamas-run' has to appear in headlines. The BBC is performing its usual role of protecting Israel. — Media Lens (@medialens) March 18, 2025 Many online protested against this wording by the BBC because they saw it as an attempt to 'try & cast doubt on the casualty figures, despite all the evidence showing they've been accurate'. Some focused on the fact that Israel committed this massacre during the holy month of Ramadan while people slept and believed it was 'disgraceful' to report the news in this way, casting doubt on the sources. CBS News in the US also reported on the Israeli attacks on Gaza, saying, 'Over 400 killed in Israeli strikes, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says.' Other major media organisations, such as MSN, also reported the death toll as sourced from the 'Hamas-run health ministry'. One social media user compiled screenshots from many different mainstream media organisations, focusing on the fact that each one of them termed the attack on Gaza as 'an attack against Hamas' while referencing the ceasefire in an obscure way. This is what the media manufacturing consent for genocide looks like. 'Israel continues GENOCIDE in Gaza with massive bombardment after repeated violations of ceasefire,' that's your headline. — Assal Rad (@AssalRad) March 18, 2025 In the wave of air strikes targeting Gaza, Israel unilaterally ended its ceasefire with Hamas. This is not the first violation of the ceasefire agreement, which aimed to release Israeli captives in return for an end to the war in Gaza. Since the ceasefire went into force on 19 January and until Tuesday's surprise attack, Israel killed 155 Palestinians in sporadic strikes and attacks on the enclave, Gaza's government media office has said. One of its recent strikes in northern Gaza killed nine people, including aid workers for a UK-based charity and journalists working with the group.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - Donald Trump's dream for a greater Gaza
Twenty years ago, I sat with Gen. Omar Suleiman in the headquarters of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service in Cairo. We discussed a trilateral land swap between Egypt, Israel and the Palestinians. The logic behind the plan was the same as that of President Trump's recent comments. Only now, the urgency for its implementation is clear to the world. The rulers and borders between Egypt, Gaza and Israel have changed many times over the last hundred years. From the Ottomans to the British, from the Egyptians to the Israelis, from the Palestinian Authority to Hamas, this small strip of land has never known quiet — and it will never allow others quiet until its inhabitants have a vision of peace and prosperity. Trump has provided just that. Today, Gaza is a terrorist's dream. There are hundreds of kilometres of underground tunnels in which they can hide themselves and hostages. Meanwhile, the Gazan population is left exposed and vulnerable above ground. How does Trump's vision change this? This is not about sending the Gazan population into Egypt, but rather about adjusting the borders of Egypt, Gaza and Israel to benefit all sides. The Gaza strip would be expanded down to El Arish in northern Sinai, doubling its land mass to 800 sq. km. Egypt would see a land crossing from Sinai to Jordan, while Israel would annex its main population centres and areas of critical security in Judea and Samaria. The Egyptians would leverage a resource of which they have excess for a resource they are lacking. Ninety-eight percent of Egypt's huge 120 million population currently lives on 3 percent of Egypt's land, along the Nile delta. But they have thousands of kilometers of coastal land. What they lack is access to foreign capital. Thanks to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, they lack wheat to feed themselves, and Houthi terrorism is now reducing their income from the Suez Canal, approximately 2 percent of Egyptian GDP. Furthermore, too many Egyptian pilgrims drown in boats crossing to Saudi Arabia to make the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. A land crossing from Sinai to Jordan would save lives and realize that little known clause in the Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement that is yet to be implemented. There are precedents for this. In 1965, Saudi Arabia and Jordan exchanged land from Aqaba to Iraq to align interests. More recently, in 2017, Egypt transferred the ownership of two islands, Tiran and Sanafir, to Saudi Arabia in return for billions of dollars. This is a model for what can and must be done with Gaza. For the Palestinians, expanding the Gaza strip down to El Arish will give them new homes, extra fishing rights and a deep sea port. They will connect into the Indian Middle Eastern Economic Corridor, benefiting from trade, tourism, oil and gas. Most importantly, they will be focussing on their future rather than dreaming of a disappeared past. This is not ethnic cleansing, as some have said. This would be moving the population a hundred miles down the road to a better future. Gaza cannot be rebuilt under current conditions. For two decades Hamas has invested billions of Qatari, American and European money in building terror tunnels underground rather than housing and offices above ground. As someone who works in the construction industry, I know how difficult it is to build above the underground in London or the metro in New York. You cannot insert the deep piles required for tall buildings. Greater Gaza will enable this future. For Israel, this will facilitate the international recognition of Israeli sovereignty in Ariel, Gush Etzion and major Jewish population areas as well as the Jordan Valley. The latter is critical to prevent the infiltration of terrorists across the Jordan river. A multinational landswap will enable full normalisation in the Middle East and expediate the implementation of the Indian Middle Eastern Economic Corridor. For the U.S., this will increase regional stability but offers something more. Currently, America's main military base is in Qatar. Trump could replicate or move this base to Gaza, gaining a stronghold in the Eastern Mediterranean, similar to that of the UK army in Cyprus. Since America is the main military ally of both Egypt and Israel, and will ultimately be the guarantor of Palestinian security, this will be welcomed by all. Finally, the wider Middle East, Europe and the world will benefit from a bit of quiet in this area. Long-term stability and investment will replace decades of terror and despair. The U.S. has shown its trump card. Let's see how the others respond. Terry Newman is an entrepreneur, investor and geopolitical strategist who has lived in both Egypt and Israel. He has previously served as a chief of staff to Lord Janner in the UK House of Lords. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
21-02-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Donald Trump's dream for a greater Gaza
Twenty years ago, I sat with Gen. Omar Suleiman in the headquarters of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service in Cairo. We discussed a trilateral land swap between Egypt, Israel and the Palestinians. The logic behind the plan was the same as that of President Trump's recent comments. Only now, the urgency for its implementation is clear to the world. The rulers and borders between Egypt, Gaza and Israel have changed many times over the last hundred years. From the Ottomans to the British, from the Egyptians to the Israelis, from the Palestinian Authority to Hamas, this small strip of land has never known quiet — and it will never allow others quiet until its inhabitants have a vision of peace and prosperity. Trump has provided just that. Today, Gaza is a terrorist's dream. There are hundreds of kilometres of underground tunnels in which they can hide themselves and hostages. Meanwhile, the Gazan population is left exposed and vulnerable above ground. How does Trump's vision change this? This is not about sending the Gazan population into Egypt, but rather about adjusting the borders of Egypt, Gaza and Israel to benefit all sides. The Gaza strip would be expanded down to El Arish in northern Sinai, doubling its land mass to 800 sq. km. Egypt would see a land crossing from Sinai to Jordan, while Israel would annex its main population centres and areas of critical security in Judea and Samaria. The Egyptians would leverage a resource of which they have excess for a resource they are lacking. Ninety-eight percent of Egypt's huge 120 million population currently lives on 3 percent of Egypt's land, along the Nile delta. But they have thousands of kilometers of coastal land. What they lack is access to foreign capital. Thanks to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, they lack wheat to feed themselves, and Houthi terrorism is now reducing their income from the Suez Canal, approximately 2 percent of Egyptian GDP. Furthermore, too many Egyptian pilgrims drown in boats crossing to Saudi Arabia to make the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. A land crossing from Sinai to Jordan would save lives and realize that little known clause in the Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement that is yet to be implemented. There are precedents for this. In 1965, Saudi Arabia and Jordan exchanged land from Aqaba to Iraq to align interests. More recently, in 2017, Egypt transferred the ownership of two islands, Tiran and Sanafir, to Saudi Arabia in return for billions of dollars. This is a model for what can and must be done with Gaza. For the Palestinians, expanding the Gaza strip down to El Arish will give them new homes, extra fishing rights and a deep sea port. They will connect into the Indian Middle Eastern Economic Corridor, benefiting from trade, tourism, oil and gas. Most importantly, they will be focussing on their future rather than dreaming of a disappeared past. This is not ethnic cleansing, as some have said. This would be moving the population a hundred miles down the road to a better future. Gaza cannot be rebuilt under current conditions. For two decades Hamas has invested billions of Qatari, American and European money in building terror tunnels underground rather than housing and offices above ground. As someone who works in the construction industry, I know how difficult it is to build above the underground in London or the metro in New York. You cannot insert the deep piles required for tall buildings. Greater Gaza will enable this future. For Israel, this will facilitate the international recognition of Israeli sovereignty in Ariel, Gush Etzion and major Jewish population areas as well as the Jordan Valley. The latter is critical to prevent the infiltration of terrorists across the Jordan river. A multinational landswap will enable full normalisation in the Middle East and expediate the implementation of the Indian Middle Eastern Economic Corridor. For the U.S., this will increase regional stability but offers something more. Currently, America's main military base is in Qatar. Trump could replicate or move this base to Gaza, gaining a stronghold in the Eastern Mediterranean, similar to that of the UK army in Cyprus. Since America is the main military ally of both Egypt and Israel, and will ultimately be the guarantor of Palestinian security, this will be welcomed by all. Finally, the wider Middle East, Europe and the world will benefit from a bit of quiet in this area. Long-term stability and investment will replace decades of terror and despair. The U.S. has shown its trump card. Let's see how the others respond. Terry Newman is an entrepreneur, investor and geopolitical strategist who has lived in both Egypt and Israel. He has previously served as a chief of staff to Lord Janner in the UK House of Lords.
