Two hundred and fifty-six Quran memorisers—Palestinians who have committed the entire holy book to memory—sat in the place while companions beside them listened attentively, following each word carefully to ensure the recitation remained flawless. The gathering, titled Safwat Al-Huffaz—The Elite of Quran Memorisers, has become a special collective way of observing Ramadan in Gaza.
AIPAC prizes its reputation as a formidable adversary, of course, because it discourages anyone from questioning its agenda. But the scholars also gave credence to the idea of a nearly unbeatable pro-Israel lobby, claiming that AIPAC has a stranglehold on the U.S. Congress.
More than 270 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched a genocidal war against Palestinians in the territory on October 7, 2023, in response to Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel. This represents one of the bloodiest periods for journalists in modern history, reflecting the scale of the deliberate targeting of Palestinian journalism in an attempt to silence the voice of truth and prevent the documentation of the crimes and violations committed against the Palestinian people.
This is not a time to be timid; it's not a time to be overly cautious. With the state of the country, the state of the world right now, we all need to find ways in which we can leverage what power we have to fight back. Almost a year into the grueling legal process, Feder told Truthout she remains committed to fighting the repression she faced.
Francesca's expression of her views about the facts as she has found them in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and about the work of the ICC is core First Amendment activity. At its heart, this case concerns whether Defendants can sanction a person ruining their life and the lives of their loved ones, including their citizen daughter because Defendants disagree with their recommendations or fear their persuasiveness.
the militant Palestinian movement faces imminent decisions which will be critical to its own continued existence and the potential for peace in Gaza. According to the BBC and press reports in the Gulf, Hamas members in Gaza have already voted. Those in the West Bank, in Israeli prisons and the diaspora are also expected to cast ballots for delegates to the movement's 50-member general Shura council, which ultimately chooses its politburo and a new interim leader. The process could last weeks.
Following a letter signed by 81 world-renowned film figures expressing their dismay at the festival's refusal to condemn the genocide in Gaza and at the clear signals artists in Germany receive not to speak about the issue Tuttle gave an interview to Screen International in which she defended herself, arguing the festival recognizes the depth of anger and frustration about the suffering of people in Gaza.
Many Israelis see international condemnation as evidence of anti-Semitism, rather than a verdict on their government's actions. Defying a chorus of global condemnation and international law, Israel nevertheless proceeded earlier this month with the de facto annexation of the West Bank, home to more than three million Palestinians and a territory it has illegally occupied since 1967. The international criticism that met the announcement was hardly new.
Award-winning Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda says she has regained access to her TikTok account, one day after saying she was banned from the video-sharing platform. Owda told Al Jazeera on Thursday that she thought that international media attention and pressure from nongovernmental organisations had helped get back her TikTok account, although now visitors and followers must type her full username to find her popular account on the site.
Germany on Monday thanked US President Donald Trump for extending Berlin an invitation to take up a seat on his so-called "Board of Peace." German government spokesman Steffen Cornelius said: "We are thankful for this invitation. We share the aim of pursuing peace in the world. It is in Germany's core interest to end the conflict in Gaza for good."
The Israeli military continues to demolish structures in northern Gaza while also blocking the entry of aid. The Israeli army has launched more attacks into parts of Gaza outside its direct military control, despite the ceasefire deal mediated by the United States in October. At least three Palestinians were killed on Sunday in separate Israeli attacks in Khan Younis, medical sources told Al Jazeera.
"I inherited a mess, and I'm fixing it," President Donald Trump said at the start of his 20-minute Wednesday evening national address, soon adding, "We had men playing in women's sports, transgender for everybody," barely a minute into his speech. "For the last four years, the United States was ruled by politicians who fought only for insiders, illegal aliens, career criminals, corporate lobbyists, prisoners, terrorists and, above all, foreign nations," he said, "They indoctrinated your children with hate for America."
Shortly after the mass shooting targeting Australia's Jewish community on Sunday, Rabbi Levi Wolff of Central Sydney Synagogue told reporters that the inevitable has happened now. Wolff was speaking in Bondi, close to where two men armed with powerful rifles or shotguns had just attacked an event celebrating Hanukah, the Jewish religious festival. At least 12 people were killed, including one alleged gunman, and dozens were injured in Australia's deadliest mass shooting in almost three decades.
Several countries have announced plans to boycott next year's Eurovision Song Contest over the continued participation of Israel in the face of the ongoing, deadly conflict in Gaza. A vote was held by European Broadcasting Union (EBU) members on Thursday 4 December regarding proposed new rules for the event, which effectively meant Israel would be allowed to compete in next year's contest, which is set to take place in Vienna in May.
For the first time in two years, the Christmas tree in Bethlehem lit up the night sky, restoring a glimmer of joy to the birthplace of Jesus after seasons overshadowed by Israel's genocidal war on Gaza. Palestinians watching the lighting said the celebration carried a dual meaning: Hope in the Nativity and a yearning for freedom from the Israeli siege gripping Bethlehem and cities across the occupied territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested that President Isaac Herzog pardon him of corruption charges in his five-year-long case, citing U.S. President Donald Trump's recent request for the favor and saying that it's necessary to advance the two leaders' joint interests as they ravage the Middle East. The prime minister made the request on Sunday, framing the trial as a "witch hunt" and a pardon as a way to unite Israel.
If you want to shoot without restraint, you can, Daniel, the commander of an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tank unit, says in Breaking Ranks: Inside Israel's War, due to be broadcast in the UK on ITV on Monday evening. Some of the IDF soldiers who talked to the programme requested anonymity while others spoke on the record. All pointed to the evaporation of the official code of conduct concerning civilians.
Turkiye says it has issued arrest warrants for genocide against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials. Among 37 suspects listed are Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, according to a Friday statement from the Istanbul prosecutor's office, which did not publish the complete list. Turkiye has accused the officials of genocide and crimes against humanity that Israel has perpetrated systematically in its war on Gaza since October 2023.
Egypt and the European Union will hold their first summit on Wednesday in Brussels where leaders will discuss security, trade and migration as well as stability in Gaza. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa are expected to announce increased European economic assistance to Egypt and Egypt's admission to the EU's Horizons research incubation program,
This past July, I bought eggplants at the farmers' market, intending to make my grandmother's signature maqlubeh: the cinnamon-and-allspice-scented rice dish layered with fried eggplants and chicken, cooked in a pot, then flipped onto a serving platter, forming a golden dome. Before I had the chance to peel the eggplants, stripe by stripe, and drop them into hot oil, a WhatsApp message came in from my mother-a single, waving-hand emoji at an unusual hour.
Former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan hasn't just taken the mask off; he's taunting those who were ever fooled by it. While the civilized world is celebrating the peace deal between Israel and Hamas brokered by President Donald Trump, Hasan is worried about it. Why? Because Hamas is set to give away its leverage, which happens to exist in the form of Jewish lives.
Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phases of a ceasefire deal that aims to end the war in Gaza, which entered its third year on Tuesday. The deal relies on the exchange of Israeli hostages held by Hamas for Palestinians detained and imprisoned by Israel. This announcement comes just hours after President Trump informed reporters at the White House that he is prepared to travel to the Middle East as early as this weekend.
George Mitchell, the great US advocate for the Northern Ireland peace agreement, described diplomacy as 700 days of failure and one of success. In Gaza, tragically, there have been 730 days of failure and none of success. Indeed, the destruction, the death toll and the spillover of the conflict into other countries is a monument to shame diplomacy and what remains of international law. Arguably, it is the profession's lowest point since 1939.
