Latest news with #RamiAbdu
Days of Palestine
7 days ago
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Israel Shifts Narratives on Witkoff Massacre, Attempting to Whitewash Its Crime
DayofPal– A deadly attack on starving civilians at a US-Israeli aid distribution point in Rafah has drawn international condemnation, as Israel faces mounting criticism over its shifting narratives and attempts to deflect blame for what is now widely being referred to as the Witkoff Massacre. On May 30, at least 31 Palestinian civilians were killed and over 200 injured while awaiting food distribution in southern Rafah. The massacre occurred amid Israel's ongoing offensive and blockade on Gaza, which has pushed large swathes of the population to the brink of famine. Eyewitnesses described a scene of horror that claimed the lives of unarmed men, women, and children, who were shot as they scrambled for desperately needed aid. In the wake of the tragedy, the Israeli army released five conflicting explanations, each quickly challenged or disproven by independent footage, eyewitness accounts, and international organizations. Five Narratives, One Tragedy The initial Israeli response claimed 'nothing happened' near the aid site. That was swiftly contradicted by graphic videos shared by journalists and civilians on social media, showing bodies lying on the ground beside aid trucks marked with American and Israeli insignia. Next, Israeli officials admitted to an 'incident,' but insisted it occurred 'far from the aid distribution center'. In an apparent effort to support the claim, the army released footage of peaceful aid distribution, filmed in a different location and time. In its third statement, the army said troops fired only warning shots into the air to disperse a crowd. However, medics at Rafah hospitals reported receiving dozens of civilians with direct gunshot wounds to the head, chest, and abdomen, contradicting the notion of non-lethal intent. A fourth version downplayed the incident entirely, claiming 'no one was hurt.' This too fell apart when the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed that 21 dead bodies had been brought to its field hospital within hours of the incident. Finally, the Israeli military released drone footage alleging that Hamas fighters fired on the crowd. Yet analysis by human rights groups and journalists confirmed the video was filmed in Khan Younis, not Rafah, and failed to show any evidence of Hamas fighters or gunfire at civilians. Instead, it appeared to show chaotic looting by local gangs, some of whom witnesses say operate under Israeli protection. Accusations of Fabrication Rami Abdu, director of Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, condemned the drone footage as 'a scandal,' calling it 'fabricated and intentionally misleading.' He said the chaos depicted in the video was caused by 'gangs stealing aid—not Hamas shooting civilians.' The Gaza Government Media Office released a detailed statement rejecting the Israeli army's claims, calling the footage 'a planned propaganda campaign to cover up a war crime.' Officials noted the video showed flour distribution, although the Israeli-American aid convoy in Rafah did not contain flour, highlighting a key inconsistency. 'If drones were filming the event, why was the footage released over 15 hours later and clearly edited?' the statement asked. The office accused Israel of systematically blocking aid for over 90 days, bombing food convoys, and using starvation as a weapon, while falsely blaming Hamas for aid obstruction. Human rights observers, including the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, have demanded an independent investigation into the Witkoff Massacre and the Israeli use of starvation as a tactic of war. 'This is one of the deadliest single incidents in Rafah since the beginning of the genocide,' said one humanitarian worker on the ground, speaking anonymously for security reasons. 'These people were not militants. They were hungry, desperate civilians.' Israel's disinformation campaign has drawn comparisons to its previous controversial justifications for strikes on UN schools, hospitals, and refugee shelters, many of which were later revealed to contain only civilians. As survivor testimonies, satellite images, and verified videos circulate globally, legal experts and human rights organizations are warning that attempts to deny or distort the events in Rafah may amount to obstruction of justice and further evidence of war crimes. 'The massacre in Rafah is documented,' said Rami Abdu. 'No amount of propaganda can whitewash a war crime. The world must act before more civilians die under the cover of lies.' While Israel denied the massacre yesterday, it gears up today with more attacks on aid seekers in Rafah, killing at least three starving people and wounded dozens once they reached the aid distribution site early this morning. Shortlink for this post:
Saba Yemen
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Euro-Med Monitor: Israel's video on Rafah massacre backfires as scandal
Gaza - SABA Rami Abdu, head of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, stated Sunday that the video published by the Israeli military spokesperson—intended to deny Israel's responsibility for the massacre of starving civilians near a U.S. aid distribution point in Rafah—has backfired, turning into a scandal. In a statement, Abdu revealed that the published footage actually showed an armed gang, backed by Israeli forces, looting seven flour trucks in Khan Younis—not Rafah. He explained: - Execution Under Surveillance: The gang, operating under Israeli drone observation, opened fire when civilians attempted to recover stolen aid. - Extortion Exposed: Anyone trying to take a flour bag without paying 100 shekels ($30) was shot or beaten by the occupation-backed gang. - Complicit Silence: Israeli drones monitored the entire incident without intervention. Abdu emphasized that the aerial footage—released to evade responsibility for the "Waitkov Massacre"—ultimately exposed Israel's protection of looting gangs. Earlier Sunday, Israeli forces committed a horrific massacre by attacking thousands of starving civilians gathered near a U.S. aid site in western Rafah, killing 31 and injuring over 200. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Saba Yemen
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Euro-Med Monitor Exposes: French Embassy Coordinates with Israeli Occupation to Expel Gaza's Elite
Istanbul – SABA Rami Abdu, head of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, revealed "dangerous and confirmed" evidence of the French Embassy in Jerusalem directly coordinating with Israeli forces to systematically expel Palestinian professionals (Ph.D. holders, doctors, engineers, historians, and cultural/archaeological specialists) from Gaza. The operations are framed as "humanitarian evacuations" but allegedly aim to depopulate Gaza of its intellectual and human capital. A new expulsion was planned for April 23, 2025, involving pre-dawn bus gatherings in central Gaza, transport to Ramon Airport under Israeli military air cover, and eventual transfer to Jordan via the King Hussein Bridge. The French Consulate in Jerusalem ignored urgent requests for clarification. A dedicated unit within Israel's far-right government oversees the "phased expulsion" of Palestinians, starting with high-skilled individuals, to alter Gaza's demographic and social fabric. France is accused of being a primary international collaborator in this scheme. Abdu condemned the Franco-Israeli coordination as a "blatant breach of international law," highlighting France's silence on forced displacement and its failure to prosecute French-Israeli dual nationals accused of war crimes in Gaza. He criticized France's hypocrisy: facilitating Palestinian brain drain while ignoring its citizens serving in the Israeli military. Demand that France cease involvement and issue an official statement. Urgent appeal for an international investigation by the UN, framing the expulsions as part of an ongoing genocide. Warning: "History will not forgive the accomplices... This is the soft face of the crime, what bombs couldn't achieve, they seek through deceptive humanitarian corridors". Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (International)
