URGENT: A family standing against Israeli army and settler violence, and imminent displacement in the Jordan Valley
International Solidarity Movement – Palestine | September 21, 2025
In the hills of the northern Jordan Valley, one Palestinian family is facing the threat of being displaced from their land. On September 20, the Israeli army issued them a final eviction order — threatening to destroy their tents, farming shelters, animals, and everything they depend on for survival.
This family is the last to remain in their community. Others have already been forced to leave in recent years by Israeli colonisers, who confiscated or destroyed their homes and belongings. Their struggle shows how army actions and settler violence combine to push Palestinians from their land.
Palestinian families’ daily life under threat
The family makes a living from shepherding. With more than 200 sheep and goats, their livelihood depends on access to open grazing. Today, this way of life is nearly impossible. Settlers attack shepherds, block grazing land, and steal animals. To keep their herds alive, the family must now buy fodder, which is costly and reduces the quality of the products they sell.
Two weeks ago, settlers poisoned the family’s water supply. Like all Palestinians in the Jordan Valley, they are not connected to the water network and depend on cisterns. Without safe water, their health and their animals’ survival are in danger. They also live without electricity, relying only on solar panels for minimal power.
In recent weeks, the army has raided the land and their home several times. Soldiers ordered demolitions of shelters, claiming the area is a “military zone.” Family members have been injured multiple times during these raids.
Meanwhile, settlers are expanding, with new outposts being built nearby and existing settlements growing closer. This increases the pressure on the family to leave.
Background on Jordan Valley
The northern Jordan Valley lies in Area C, which makes up over 60% of the occupied West Bank and remains under full Israeli military control. Israel imposes severe restrictions on Palestinians living there on building, farming, and access to basic services. The army often declares Palestinian areas as “firing zones” or “closed military zones,” using these designations to demolish homes, stop grazing, and force families to move. In practice, this clears space for settlements while displacing Palestinians.
For decades, Israel has uprooted entire communities across the Jordan Valley under these policies. Where once there were villages with families, schools, and farmland, only scattered households remain.
What can you do?
Contact your governments and demand they put pressure on Israel to stop its ethnic cleansing campaign in the Jordan Valley and elsewhere. They must:
1 Cancel the eviction order against the families immediately.
2 Stop settler violence such as poisoning, theft, intimidation, and ensure protection of Palestinian civilians as required under international law.
3 End the use of “military zones” as a pretext for displacement
4 Provide access to basic rights: water, electricity, education, and security.
International communities, media, and civil society — it’s time to raise awareness and take action.
This is not only about one family. It is part of a larger effort to remove Palestinians from the Jordan Valley and Area C of the West Bank. This family now stands almost alone, holding on to their land and way of life. If they are displaced, another piece of Palestinian presence in the Jordan Valley will be erased.
Their story must be told and shared. The world needs to see what is happening and act before yet another community disappears.
‘Israel’ barred from tourism fair in Italy over war on Gaza
Al Mayadeen | September 21, 2025
“Israel” has been reportedly excluded from a tourism fair in Italy, a decision reported following a public appeal from the mayor of Rimini on Thursday, who urged the event’s organizers to cancel “Israel’s” participation in the TTG Travel Experience over the war on Gaza.
In a joint statement posted on Facebook, Mayor Jamil Sadegholvaad and the head of the Emilia-Romagna region, Michele De Pascal,e argued that an Israeli presence would represent “inequality”, urging the event’s organizers, the Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), to reconsider the inclusion of the “Israel” stand.
“We really don’t think that today it is ethically and morally acceptable to propose as holiday destinations places of war, terror and death,” the pair stated.
This comes as part of a broader international boycott movement against “Israel”, in response to its crimes and brutal war on Gaza, which has claimed the lives of more than 65,000 people since October 7th with many uncounted victims still buried under the rubble.
‘Israel’ faces international boycotts worldwide and sector-wide
A coalition of advocacy organizations and fan groups launched a billboard in New York’s Times Square on September 17, kicking off their #GameOverIsrael campaign with a call for European soccer federations to boycott “Israel” in the months leading up to the World Cup.
Campaigners are urging soccer federations across multiple European nations, including Belgium, England, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Scotland, and Spain, to institute a comprehensive boycott of the Israeli national team and to prohibit Israeli players from participating in their domestic competitions, a direct response to the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
In a significant escalation of the cultural boycott against “Israel”, Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE has officially announced it will boycott the Eurovision 2026 Song Contest if “Israel” is allowed to take part, a move that makes Spain the first of the competition’s major contributors to commit to such a stance. This position has been further supported by signals from Ireland and Slovenia that they would also withdraw from the contest if the Israeli occupation is allowed to participate.
The boycott has also affected academia, with the head of the Scientific Council at “Israel’s” Weizmann Institute, Nir Davidzon, revealing that the research center suffered heavy destruction during Iran’s recent retaliation and is now facing mounting isolation from the international academic community.
In an interview for Israeli Channel 12 on September 13, Nir Davidzon stated that the Weizmann Institute, long considered one of “Israel’s” most internationally connected scientific institutions, is now being increasingly boycotted by universities and research centers abroad.
“Everything that was built over decades is collapsing because of the war in Gaza,” he said. “Even good friends are telling us they can no longer work with us.”
Hundreds of actors, directors, and film workers have pledged to refuse any collaboration with Israeli cultural institutions, which they accuse of being complicit in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.
This initiative has drawn support from over 1,200 signatories, including acclaimed directors like Yorgos Lanthimos, Ava DuVernay, Asif Kapadia, Boots Riley, and Joshua Oppenheimer. Prominent actors such as Olivia Colman, Mark Ruffalo, Tilda Swinton, Javier Bardem, Ayo Edebiri, Riz Ahmed, Josh O’Connor, Cynthia Nixon, Julie Christie, Ilana Glazer, Rebecca Hall, Aimee Lou Wood, and Debra Winger also signed the pledge.
Israeli trade relations collapse amid war on Gaza, global boycotts
Al Mayadeen | September 21, 2025
“Israel’s” trade relations are suffering a serious deterioration in recent weeks, with deals and meetings being canceled even with historically “friendly” nations, amid an atmosphere of secrecy and embarrassment.
Israeli exporters have revealed that companies in Europe and the United States have refused to renew export contracts, while marketing networks have announced a halt to the import of Israeli products “until further notice.”
In this context, Ynet reported that a delegation of experts from the Moody’s rating agency visited Tel Aviv and left with very worrying impressions of the possibility of a rating reduction soon. One official said, “It will be a miracle if a reduction is not made within two weeks.”
A senior economic official who met with Moody’s representatives pointed to extreme concern over the massive rise in defense spending during the war on Gaza, confirming it represents a critical turning point.
The official warned that the Israeli government could lose all control over budget management, threatening a huge rise in the deficit and an accumulation of debt.
Israeli trademarks take heavy blows
The president of the Israeli Manufacturers Association, Ron Tomer, confirmed that the Israeli brand has been severely damaged, warning that the economy could be set back by years. Tomer also pointed to a shocking request from a supposedly “friendly country” to erase any images of meetings with Israeli companies to avoid political embarrassment.
An exporter explained that the situation has deteriorated significantly since the announcement of the intent to occupy Gaza and with the increasing spread of videos documenting the bombing of buildings and mosques and the deaths of civilians.
The exporter added that the footage from Gaza can no longer be overlooked and that they are now destined to complete isolation and feel shunned all over the world.
71% of scrapped deals connected to war on Gaza
According to a survey prepared by the Israeli Manufacturers Association, which included 132 industrialists, nearly half of all exporters have lost deals or not had their contracts renewed, while 71% of them indicated the cancellations were for political reasons related to the war on Gaza.
The European Union was the most proactive in cancellations, as 84 percent of industrialists reported losing contracts there, while 31 percent were surprised by similar decisions from clients in the United States, according to the survey.
The survey also indicated that 76 percent of exporters have seen their exports directly harmed, with the impact exceeding 40 percent of total exports for some of them.
The survey further revealed that more than half of all new clients now refuse to deal with Israeli companies, while 49 percent of exporters are facing unprecedented logistical difficulties with shipping, customs, and ports.
Economic analyses link this crisis to the repercussions of the war on the Gaza Strip and statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about turning “Israel” into a closed system, which has alarmed investors over rising security expenditures and a worsening deficit.
Brussels bureaucrats are running around like panicked chickens – Orban
RT | September 21, 2025
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has slammed Brussels, accusing the EU leadership of mismanaging key areas such as the economy, immigration, and security.
In a critical speech at Digital Civic Circles, a network of digital groups promoting conservative values in Hungary, he claimed the bloc was on the brink of collapse due to the failures of its current leaders.
The prime minister painted a stark picture of “mountains of debt, crowds of migrants, street violence, the increasingly dark shadow of war, mass layoffs, skyrocketing utility costs, impoverished households, and Brussels bureaucrats running around like panicked chickens,” on Saturday while describing the EU’s troubles.
According to Orban, the EU has fallen short of establishing itself as a credible global power. Instead of rising to meet these challenges, the bloc has become a symbol of weakness, indecision, and internal chaos, he said.
He criticized what he called the “tragic” trade deal with the US signed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, adding that the EU’s green policies are “killing European industry.” Energy prices, Orban noted, are “three to four times higher” than in the US, while countries like France are edging toward unsustainable debt levels.
“Europe, as we knew and loved it, is over,” Orban warned. “If we deny this, we lose time. If we say it out loud, we gain time.”
The politician contrasted Budapest’s own approach with that of Brussels, pointing to stricter migration controls, a family policy tied to employment, and a tax system that, he said, supports jobseekers.
Orban’s criticism, while sharply worded, taps into broader concerns which have been echoed by economists and analysts. Experts from the International Monetary Fund and other institutions have warned that the EU risks long-term stagnation.
The IMF projects euro-area growth at just 0.8% in 2025 and 1.2% in 2026, while public debt remains near 90% of GDP and deficits continue to exceed 3%, well above pre-pandemic levels.
Imagine There Was A Violent Cult Committing Atrocities with Impunity

By Caitlin Johnstone | September 20, 2025
Imagine there was a violent cult that used scriptures from an ancient religion to convince its followers to do evil things.
Imagine the cult was given its own state.
Imagine the cult was given machine guns, tanks and war planes.
Imagine the cult obtained nuclear weapons.
Imagine the cult started committing genocide against the indigenous people who’d been living in the area where the cult’s state was established.
Imagine the cult had huge branches in the most powerful nation on earth, and the powerful nation defended the cult no matter what it did.
Imagine the cult flipped out and started relentlessly attacking and invading the surrounding nations.
Imagine the cult had so much influence and support in western society that western governments and institutions would censor, silence, fire, marginalize and deport anyone who criticized the cult’s actions.
Imagine the western media sympathized highly with the cult and spent the entire time framing its atrocities as entirely reasonable defensive actions, and framing critics of the cult as malicious bigots.
Imagine the cult kept getting crazier and crazier and more and more violent, but nobody could find a way to stop it because its actions were backed by this giant western power structure.
That’d suck, huh?
I think that’d be just about the most bat shit insane situation anyone could possibly imagine.
A nuclear-armed death cult just murdering and massacring mountains of human beings with total impunity, backed by the most powerful people on earth? That would be an unfathomable madness.
If someone made a movie about such a thing I’d stop watching halfway through, because I would find it too unbelievable.
I’d be like, come on man. Come up with a more realistic plot line. And come up with a more believable antagonist; nobody is that evil.
I’d be like come on Hollywood, you seriously expect me to maintain my suspension of disbelief when you’re putting out a movie about these cartoonishly evil bad guys who blow up hospitals and assassinate journalists and murder humanitarian workers and deliberately massacre starving civilians seeking food?
I’d be like, you really expect me to believe a violent cult could get all this power and do all these evil things and get away with it, just by lying about it all the time? Eventually people would stop believing their lies!
I’d be like, somebody would stop them. Not only does this movie have unbelievable antagonists, it also lacks any believable protagonists. Basic human decency would compel the world to stop all these atrocities being committed right out in the open. Where are the heroes in this story?
And then I’d storm out of the movie theater, glad to be outside that horrible fictional world where such freakish absurdities were taking place.
And then I’d stand in the parking lot and look up at the sky, and thank God I’m back in reality again.
NEWSOM’S AB144 POWER GRAB
The HighWire with Del Bigtree | September 18, 2025
California lawmakers quietly gutted budget bill AB144 on the last day of session and slipped in sweeping changes to vaccine and parental rights. Amy Bohn of PERK explains how the law signed by Governor Gavin Newsom bypassed the legislative process, hands vaccine decision-making power to the California Department of Public Health, revives HPV recommendations, expands liability protections, and sidelines future ACIP and CDC recommendations.
SNSC says Iran will suspend cooperation with IAEA after re-imposition of sanctions
Press TV – September 20, 2025
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) says Tehran will suspend its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after the United Nations Security Council voted not to permanently lift sanctions on Tehran.
In a statement on Saturday, Iran’s top security body condemned the “ill-considered” moves by Britain, France, and Germany —known as the E3— regarding the Islamic Republic’s peaceful nuclear program.
On Friday, the 15-member Security Council failed to adopt a resolution that would have prevented the reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran after the E3 triggered the “snapback” mechanism, accusing Tehran of failing to comply with the 2015 deal, formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Iran rejected the illegitimate move by the European troika, pointing out that the United States had already pulled out of the deal and accusing the European trio of siding with illegal sanctions instead of honoring their own commitments.
In a Saturday session, chaired by President Masoud Pezeshkian, the SNSC addressed the latest situation in the region and the Israeli regime’s adventurism, the statement said.
“Despite [Iranian] Foreign Ministry’s cooperation with the Agency and the proposals presented to settle the [nuclear] issue, the actions of European countries have effectively suspended the path of cooperation with the Agency,” the SNSC emphasized.
According to the statement, Iran’s top security body tasked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with continuing its consultations within the framework of the SNSC decisions to safeguard the national interests.
It added that Iran’s foreign policy under the current circumstances will be based on cooperation to establish peace and stability in the region.
Earlier on Saturday, Pezeshkian said Tehran can overcome any re-imposition of sanctions and will never surrender to excessive demands.
“We should believe that we can overcome obstacles and that the ill-wishers of this territory cannot block our way,” the president added.
The SNSC was formally put in charge of overseeing cooperation with the IAEA in July, following a series of illegal and unprovoked Israeli and US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.
The shift came after Iran’s Parliament passed legislation on July 2, requiring that all IAEA inspection requests be reviewed and approved by the SNSC.
Another Canadian Antisemite
By David Skrbina | The Occidental Observer | September 19, 2025
As a small break from the tedium of the Charlie Kirk fiasco, here’s a little news item from Canada that didn’t quite make its way into the broader MSM. On Monday September 15, CBC Radio broadcast a French-language television program Sur le Terrain (‘On the Ground’), hosted by Christian Latreille, that covered Marco Rubio’s latest visit to Israel. Their correspondent in Washington was a female reporter, Elisa Serret, who has served as a national correspondent for the CBC for over 10 years. By all accounts, she is an experienced and well-respected journalist.
At one point in the program, Latreille asked Serret why Americans “have such difficulty distancing themselves from Israel, even in the most difficult moments”—such as in the midst of an ongoing genocide. She replied:
My understanding, and that of multiple analysts here in the United States, is that it is the Israelis, the Jews, that heavily finance American politics. There is a big machine behind them, making it very difficult for Americans to detach themselves from Israel’s positions. It is really the money here in the United States. The big cities are run by Jews. Hollywood is run by Jews.
Well. What impudence: to speak some truth, live, to a national television audience. Predictably, the Canadian Jewish Lobby jumped all over this incident. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) declared that “antisemitism is absolutely unacceptable” and called for “immediate and unequivocal condemnation from all relevant [Canadian] leaders.” In an online statement, the group said that “Antisemitism is corroding the fabric of society”; they demanded that the CBC “take concrete steps to ensure that neither such comments—nor the systemic issues that enabled them to be aired—are ever allowed again on Canadian airwaves.” The B’nai Brith of Canada said it was “deeply irresponsible and dangerous,” calling her remarks “textbook antisemitic conspiracy theories.” They demanded an on-air retraction stating that the comments were “false, hateful, and unacceptable.”
Also predictably, Canadian authorities immediately caved in to pressure. Writing on X, Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault said “The words used last night were pernicious antisemitic tropes and have absolutely no place on Canadian airwaves.” A few hours later, the CBC released a statement saying that Serret’s analysis “led to stereotypical, antisemitic, false, and harmful allegations against Jewish communities.” Conservative deputy leader and Jewish lesbian Melissa Lantsman called for her to be fired. Serret was, of course, promptly “relieved of her duties until further notice.” The Canadian Jewish Lobby, it seems, has nearly as much power internally as the US Jewish Lobby has here.
We can understand the Lobby’s reaction—it definitely makes things look bad for the Jews. “Antisemitic” (yes, thankfully), “harmful” (yes), “hurtful” (yes)… but “false”? That is, was she wrong? Did Serret speak some actual truth, or was it all just “trope”? Let’s walk through each of her assertions.
First: “Israelis/Jews heavily finance American politics.” This is undeniably true. According to a 2020 report by Jewish researcher Gil Troy, American Jews provide a huge proportion of political donations: around 25% for Republicans and 50% or more for Democrats. Indeed, the Democrats are particularly captive to Jewish money; other sources claim that their Jewish share runs “as much as 60%,” “over 60%,” up to 70% of “large contributions,” and perhaps as high as 80-90% for certain elections.[1] Such figures are surely underestimates, given how much dark money and laundered donations make their way into politicians’ pockets.
But Republicans are obviously not free from such influence. Trump received considerable funding from wealthy Jews, including the likes of Bernie Marcus (deceased), Miriam Adelson (Sheldon Adelson’s wife; Adelson is deceased), Carl Icahn, Paul Singer, Robert Kraft, Steve Witkoff, Howard Lutnik, Jacob Helberg, Bill Ackman, Ron Lauder, and Marc Rowan. Most notably, in the latter phases of last year’s election, Miriam Adelson made good on her pledge of $100 million to Trump’s campaign.
Let there be no doubt: Jews are the dominant donors in American politics for both parties, and this is a key factor underlying the subservient compliance of our elected officials.
Second: “a big machine.” The US Jewish Lobby is indeed a big machine, centered on the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC. AIPAC has its own political action committee (the “AIPAC PAC”) to make donations, and its own super-PAC, the United Democracy Project (UDP); jointly, these two components spent at least $125 million in the last election cycle. AIPAC has minders or staff members in the offices of nearly every Congressman, and it works to defeat unfriendly legislators—most recently, Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman. Other influential Jewish groups include the American Jewish Committee (AJC), the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the Council of Presidents (COP), the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), the Orthodox Union (OU), and the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI). Other groups such as the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) receive considerable Jewish funding and thus work to serve Jewish interests. Additionally, we have “liberal” Jewish organizations like Jewish Voices for Peace (JVP) and J-Street that work to advance Jewish aims. A big machine indeed.
Third: “very difficult for Americans to detach.” Most Americans, especially the young, are increasingly moving toward anti-Israel and even anti-Jewish views. US approval for Israeli actions in Gaza recently hit a new low of 32%, down from 50% early in the conflict. Only 9% of those 18-34 approve of the actions, showing a notable “detachment” among American youth. A recent poll showed that 30% of Americans believe that “Jews have too much power.” And perhaps most notoriously, a 2023 survey found that 20% of American youth believe that the Holocaust was “a myth.” The American people, especially the youth, do not find it very hard to detach from the Israeli megalith.
American politicians, however, are another story. Having been heavily funded, and even pre-selected, to be pro-Israel and pro-Jewish, Congressmen routinely vote 80%, 90%, even 100% in favor of Jewish interests. Apart from a few renegades in the US House, like Thomas Massie and Rashida Tlaib, Congress is thoroughly unable to detach from Jewish interests. The two major parties, who disagree on nearly every other point, readily find common ground when it comes to Jewish and Israeli concerns.
The only real “detachment” problem in the US today is the one from Jewish money in politics. Excluding such money would be obvious in any rational governmental system. Unfortunately today in the US, we are governed by an irrational system, one in which the process of change is corrupted and blocked by the same money that creates the problem in the first place. In other words, wealthy Jews, who now effectively control Congress and the Executive branch, will naturally stop any efforts to reform the system in such a way that might decrease their power. They control both the system and the means to change the system; this is political corruption beyond belief, and it suggests that only governmental collapse or civil war will improve things.
Fourth: “it is really the money.” Yes, as noted above. American Jews own or control as much as 50% of the $175 trillion in total personal wealth in this country. They comprise half or more of the richest Americans, including the new #1, Larry Ellison, who recently clocked in at $390 billion[2] and is now buying up media. If the 6 million or so Jewish-Americans own or control, say, $90 trillion, this yields a staggering average of $15 million in assets for every Jewish man, woman, and child. The average Jewish family of four thus holds about $60 million in wealth. Little wonder that they can afford such hefty political donations.
Fifth: “the big cities are run by Jews.” Serret has overreached here a bit. Of the 50 largest cities in the US, only three have Jewish mayors: San Francisco (Daniel Lurie), Louisville (Craig Greenberg), and Minneapolis (Jacob Frey). But several other large cities have significant Jewish populations and thus are certainly run in accord with their interests, including New York (10.8% Jewish, for the larger metropolitan area), Miami (8.7%), Philadelphia (6.8%), Boston (5.2%), Los Angeles (4.7%), Washington DC (4.7%), and Baltimore (4.1%). (I would note that, based on empirical and anecdotal evidence, for any demographic unit in which Jews exceed even 1%, they certainly dominate political and economic activities.) Additionally, there are a number of Jewish governors, and they clearly have influence over the major cities in their respective states: Jared Polis (Colorado); J. B. Pritzker (Illinois); Josh Green (Hawaii); Josh Shapiro (Pennsylvania); Josh Stein (North Carolina); and Matt Meyer (Delaware). On the other hand, there are large cities with relatively few Jews, including Indianapolis, Memphis, and Austin. Thus, it is something of a mixed bag, but Jewish interests unquestionably dominate in New York, LA, Miami, DC, Philly, San Francisco, and Boston.
Sixth: “Hollywood is run by Jews.” Nothing more need be said. Actually, it would have been better if Serret had said, “American media is run by Jews”; we can infer that this is what she meant. One need only look at the largest media conglomerates: Disney/ABC, run by Bob Iger, Alan Horn, and Alan Braverman; Warner Discovery, run by David Zaslav; NBC/Universal, run by Mark Lazarus, Bonnie Hammer, and via Comcast, Brian Roberts; and Paramount, run by Shari Redstone. Furthermore, the new Skydance/Paramount corporation will be run by billionaire Larry Ellison’s son, David, and his new management team includes Jeff Shell, Josh Greenstein, and Dana Goldberg. Case closed. This lock on American media, which includes news and entertainment, explains why most Americans are utterly unaware of the situational dominance by Jews. Very little truth slips out; and when it does, as in this case, the censors and “editors” step in to squelch the story and contain the damage.
Elisa Serret is a heroine. We owe her much gratitude for her few seconds of truth-telling on a national media stage. For now, the Jews have black-bagged her, but we can only hope that she reemerges stronger than before—perhaps as a new media star in North America, perhaps as a new, strong voice in defense of truth, honesty, and justice.
David Skrbina, PhD, is a retired professor of philosophy. For more on his work and writings, see www.davidskrbina.com
Notes
[1] Cited in Washington Post (13 Mar 2003, p. A1); Jewish Power in America (2008) by R. Feingold, p. 4; The Hill (30 Mar 2004, p. 1); Passionate Attachment (1992) by Ball and Ball, p. 218—respectively.
[2] Ellison regularly swaps places with Elon Musk, depending on the vagaries of the stock market. If one man owns nearly half a trillion dollars, we can easily see how 6 million Jews might own $80 or $90 trillion.
Israel forced displacement of over quarter-million Palestinians from Gaza City, says government media office

Palestinians flee to the south following intensified Israeli airstrikes and the start of ground operations in Gaza City on September 19, 2025. [Mohammed Nassar – Anadolu Agency]
MEMO |September 20, 2025
Israel has forcibly displaced 270,000 Palestinians from Gaza City toward the south under threat of bombardment and genocide, the Gaza Government Media Office said Saturday, Anadolu reports.
In a statement, the office said more than 900,000 Palestinians remain in Gaza City and northern areas, refusing to leave despite the ongoing destruction and “crimes of permanent forced displacement.”
“While thousands have fled south due to heavy Israeli airstrikes, at least 22,000 have since returned to Gaza City after moving belongings to the south,” it said, citing the absence of basic necessities there.
The office highlighted that the Al-Mawasi area in Khan Younis and Rafah, promoted by Israel as a “safe humanitarian zone,” has instead been bombed more than 110 times, leaving over 2,000 people dead.
It said the area lacks hospitals, infrastructure, clean water, food, housing, electricity, and education, making life “almost impossible.”
According to the office, Israel has allocated just 12% of Gaza’s total area as “shelter zones” while attempting to force over 1.7 million people into them, comparing these to “concentration camps” aimed at depopulating Gaza City and the north.
The office condemned Israel’s actions as “a full-fledged war crime and crime against humanity,” blaming “Israel, its ally the US, and other states supporting the war” for the consequences.
It called on the international community, the UN, and international courts to take “serious and effective measures” to halt the crimes, hold Israeli leaders accountable, and guarantee Palestinians’ right to remain in their land with safety and dignity.
Israel has been waging a devastating genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since October 2023, killing more than 65,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Pakistan says ‘door open’ for more Arab states to join mutual-defense pact
The Cradle | September 20, 2025
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on 18 September that “the doors are not closed” for other Arab states to join the new defense pact signed with Saudi Arabia.
Asif emphasized that there was no clause preventing Pakistan from extending similar arrangements to other nations.
The agreement was signed in Riyadh by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) during Sharif’s day-long visit, and declares that aggression against one country will be considered aggression against both.
A joint statement said the deal “reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieve security and peace in the region and the world.”
Asif also confirmed that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal is included within the framework of the pact, describing it as a joint shield that leaves “no doubt” either side would respond if attacked.
“What we have, our capabilities, will absolutely be available under this pact,” Asif told Pakistani broadcaster Geo News.
He stressed that Pakistan had always placed its nuclear facilities under inspection and had “never committed any violation.”
“This agreement will not be a hegemonic arrangement but a defensive arrangement,” Asif emphasized.
“We don’t have any plans to conquer territory or attack anyone. But our fundamental right can’t be denied to us and we exercised that yesterday,” he added.
The minister drew comparisons with NATO, saying Muslim states had the same right to collective defense. “I think it is a fundamental right of the countries and people here, particularly the Muslim population, to together defend their region, countries, and nations.”
Pakistan has long stationed troops and air force units in Saudi Arabia, training Saudi forces and providing advisory support.
“I think that relationship has been more defined now and that understanding has been given the form of a defense agreement,” Asif explained.
Pakistani External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India would assess the implications for its national security, adding that the government remained committed to “ensuring comprehensive national security in all domains.”
Asif also tied the pact to Pakistan’s longstanding role in protecting Islamic holy sites in the kingdom, describing it as a “sacred duty.”
Moldova’s Opposition Calls Last EU Referendum Illegal, Eyes Fresh Vote
Sputnik – 20.09.2025
CHISINAU – The Moldovan opposition may hold a new referendum on EU integration after the parliamentary elections, as the previous one was illegal, Igor Dodon, a former Moldovan president and the leader of the opposition Party of Socialists told Sputnik in an interview.
Moldovan citizens are ambivalent toward EU integration. In a referendum held last October, the government managed to secure only a minimal advantage in favor of joining the EU, mainly due to votes from abroad. A total of 50.46% supported integration, while 49.54% opposed. Within the country, about 46% of voters backed accession. The decisive support came from the Moldovan diaspora, with authorities opening more than 200 polling stations in EU countries but only two in Russia. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the referendum and elections demonstrated “a deep split in Moldovan society.”
“Last year’s referendum is unconstitutional; all lawyers say it is illegal, so the Constitutional Court should review its decision on recognizing the referendum results, which only the court can do. If it does not want to do this, the next parliamentary majority may decide to hold another referendum,” Dodon said.
After the elections, the opposition may need to use all means to achieve a review of the illegal decision of the previous authorities, the politician said.
“I think that after the change of power, the members of this Constitutional Court will also resign, and then real lawyers who do not act under the influence of [President] Maia Sandu or some Brussels handlers will take their place. We must achieve this. Last year’s referendum is illegitimate; we did not recognize it, and it must be canceled,” Dodon added.
Parliamentary elections in Moldova are scheduled for September 28.
In June 2022, the EU granted Ukraine and Moldova the status of EU candidate countries, setting forth several strict conditions for the formal start of accession talks. In June 2024, the first intergovernmental conferences between the EU and Ukraine, as well as between the EU and Moldova, were held in Luxembourg, marking the official launch of accession negotiations.
