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Yemen resumes naval blockade against Israeli ships in support of Gaza

Al Mayadeen | March 11, 2025

The Yemeni Armed Forces announced the resumption of their naval blockade on all Israeli ships in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden.

Sanaa’s decision comes after the expiration of the deadline set by Ansar Allah leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi for mediators to pressure the Israeli occupation into reopening Gaza’s border crossings and allowing humanitarian aid into the besieged territory.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Yemeni Armed Forces declared the immediate enforcement of the blockade, warning that any Israeli vessel attempting to breach the restriction would be targeted within the designated operational zones.

The military stressed that the blockade would remain in place until the Israeli occupation complies with the demand to reopen Gaza’s border crossings and facilitate the entry of essential food and medical supplies.

The statement reaffirmed Yemen’s unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, and reiterated its commitment to standing alongside the Palestinian resistance.

Famine looming over Gaza

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem warned Tuesday that Gaza is facing the early stages of a real famine due to the Israeli occupation’s continued blockade on the entry of food supplies for the tenth consecutive day. He stressed that the humanitarian situation has been dire since the beginning of the Israeli aggression.

In a statement, Qassem highlighted the severe food crisis gripping the besieged enclave, where essential supplies are running out under the ongoing blockade. He noted that the closure of border crossings constitutes a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement, which stipulates the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid.

Hamas condemned the Israeli occupation’s actions, calling the blockade a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.

The movement described it as a flagrant war crime and collective punishment against civilians, warning that the siege has led to soaring food prices and a severe shortage of medical supplies amid an escalating humanitarian catastrophe.

The group also pointed out that the closure of crossings was hindering recovery and reconstruction efforts in Gaza. The ban on the entry of heavy equipment has obstructed relief teams from carrying out their duties.

Yemen pledges to resume operations

Previously, Sayyed al-Houthi said Sanaa was continuously monitoring and observing developments in Gaza amid the Israeli occupation’s complete evasion of its commitments to the ceasefire agreement.

In a late February speech, Sayyed al-Houthi also revealed that Yemen was prepared to intervene militarily had Trump carried out his threat to restart the war on Gaza if Hamas did not release the Israeli captives.

“Yemen remains steadfast in its support for the Palestinian people and Resistance factions in confronting Israel’s attempts to evade the ceasefire agreement and its second phase,” al-Houthi emphasized, warning that if the war is reignited in Gaza, “the entire Zionist entity, starting with occupied Yafa, will come under fire,” amid the Yemeni support and military intervention.

Sayyed al-Houthi reiterated his stance on Friday, giving mediators a four-day deadline to ensure the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, warning that if the Israeli occupation continues to block aid deliveries, naval operations against Israeli-linked vessels will resume.

Al-Houthi accused the Israeli occupation of delaying its commitments under the Gaza ceasefire agreement, particularly concerning humanitarian provisions. He stated that while Hamas had fully honored its obligations, the occupation had failed to uphold its side of the deal.

“The humanitarian aspect of the agreement includes clear obligations with guarantees from mediators, yet Israel is trying to evade them,” he said.

Al-Houthi also condemned intensified Israeli attacks in the occupied West Bank and al-Quds, highlighting the role of Israeli settlers in escalating violence against Palestinians. He criticized US support for the Israeli occupation under President Donald Trump, saying Washington’s backing had emboldened the regime’s policies of displacement and aggression against Palestinians.

March 12, 2025 Posted by | Solidarity and Activism | , , , , | Leave a comment

Hamas Denounces Israeli Enemy’s Failure to Withdraw from Philadelphi Corridor

Al-Manar | March 10, 2025

Hamas Resistance Movement issued on Monday a statement to condemn and reject the occupation’s violation of the ceasefire agreement and its failure to withdraw from the Salah al-Din (Philadelphi) Corridor area.

The Zionist occupation failed to comply with the gradual pull-out of its troops from the Salah al-Din (Philadelphi) Corridor during the first phase, and also did not begin its withdrawal on the 42nd day, as stipulated in the agreement, Hamas statement added.

“Yesterday marked the 50th day of the agreement, by which the withdrawal was set to be completed, but so far that has not happened.”

Hamas stressed that “this blatant violation is a clear breach of the agreement and an apparent attempt to sabotage it and render it meaningless”.

The continued violations confirm the occupation’s disregard for agreements and its manipulation of international commitments.

These violations place responsibility on the mediators to pressure the occupation into fulfilling its commitments and immediately ending its presence in the Salah al-Din (Philadelphi) Corridor, the statement underscored.

Hamas called on the mediators and the international community to intervene immediately to ensure the occupation’s withdrawal, and resume negotiations for the second phase without further delay.

Adhering to the agreement and completing the negotiations is the only way to secure the release of the prisoners, and any procrastination means tampering their fate and the fealings of their families, Hamas statement concluded.

The Israeli negotiating team left for Qatar Monday for talks aimed at extending the fragile Gaza ceasefire, after ‘Israel’ cut the Palestinian territory’s electricity supply to ramp up pressure on Hamas.

Ahead of the negotiations, ‘Israel’ disconnected the only power line to a water desalination plant in Gaza, a move Hamas denounced as “cheap and unacceptable blackmail”.

March 10, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Illegal Occupation, War Crimes | , , , | Leave a comment

We dealt flexibly with Trump’s envoy, awaiting outcome of talks: Hamas

Al Mayadeen | March 10, 2025

Hamas spokesperson Abdul Latif al-Qanou stated that the movement has shown flexibility in responding to mediation efforts, including those led by Egyptian and Qatari officials, as well as US President Donald Trump’s envoy.

He emphasized that Hamas is awaiting the outcome of the upcoming negotiations, urging the occupation to commit to an agreement and advance to the second phase.

Al-Qanou highlighted that the discussions with mediators have centered on ending the war, ensuring a full withdrawal, and initiating reconstruction efforts.

He dismissed the occupation’s threats of resuming military operations in Gaza and its decision to cut electricity, calling these failed tactics that endanger its prisoners. He reiterated that any prisoner releases would only occur through negotiations.

Al-Qanou emphasized, “We have fully adhered to the first phase of the agreement, and our top priority now is to provide shelter and humanitarian aid to our people while ensuring a permanent ceasefire.”

“The movement has agreed to Egypt’s proposal for a community support committee, which will begin its work in the Gaza Strip to bolster the resilience of our people and reinforce their presence on their land.”

Al-Qanou emphasized that “the occupation seeks to tighten the siege, close the crossings, and block aid from reaching the Palestinian people in an attempt to force them into displacement—but this is nothing more than a futile illusion.”

Trump’s envoy for prisoners’ affairs, Adam Boehler, stressed earlier that the meeting with Hamas “was very effective.”

In an interview with “Israel’s” Channel 13, Boehler confirmed that he does not rule out further meetings with Hamas, stating: “We are the United States, and we are not subordinate to Israel—we have our own interests,” adding “I work for Trump, and this is his decision; I implement what he wants.”

Hamas approves Gaza governance plan

On Saturday, Hamas’ negotiating team finalized its trip to Egypt, where the delegation discussed pathways for the implementation of the clauses of the ceasefire agreement with mediators.

The delegation, headed by Mohammad Darwish, head of Hamas’ Shura Council and Chairman of its Leadership Council, held talks with the head of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service, Major General Hassan Rashad.

The two sides discussed several crucial issues, including the ceasefire agreement and the prisoner exchange deal.

A statement released by the Hamas Media Office described the talks as “positive and responsible.”

“The Hamas delegation expressed its gratitude and appreciation for Egypt’s efforts, especially in countering displacement plans,” the Palestinian Resistance movement said, referring to United States President Donald Trump’s plot to “take over” the Gaza Strip.

Welcoming the outcomes of the most recent Arab summit, Hamas highlighted Egypt’s Gaza reconstruction plan and the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to statehood.

In further detail, Hamas’ negotiating team emphasized the need to uphold the terms of the multi-phase ceasefire agreement between the Palestinian Resistance and “Israel”.

March 10, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism | , , , | Leave a comment

White House envoy to travel to Doha to push for new Gaza deal: Axios

Al Mayadeen | March 9, 2025

An Axios report on Sunday revealed that White House envoy Steve Witkoff is set to travel to Doha on Tuesday evening to mediate a new deal for the release of captives and a ceasefire between the Israeli occupation and Hamas movement, according to two US officials.

According to the report, this will be the first round of talks since Trump took office, and the first since the original agreement— which secured a 42-day ceasefire in exchange for releasing 33 captives— concluded a week ago.

Witkoff will join Qatari and Egyptian mediators, along with negotiators from both “Israel” and Hamas, to begin discussions on Monday. That said, the Trump administration is seeking a deal that ensures the release of all remaining captives, extends the ceasefire through Ramadan and Passover, and aims for a “long-lasting solution.”

On that note, 59 Israeli captives remain in Gaza, with 35 confirmed dead by the Israeli occupation.

Witkoff is scheduled to travel to Doha after attending a US-Ukraine meeting in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. However, according to the report, it’s uncertain whether he’ll meet with Hamas directly or only with Israeli and Qatari officials, as well as Egyptian mediators.

A senior Israeli official mentioned that Witkoff intends to bring all parties together for intense negotiations over several days in hopes of reaching a deal. Meanwhile, a Hamas delegation held talks with Egyptian officials in Cairo on Saturday regarding the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner negotiations.

Hamas has urged the parties to stick to the original deal and begin discussions on its second phase, which Israel has yet to seriously engage with.

The Resistance group also conveyed its readiness to form a committee of “national independent personalities” to govern Gaza until elections are held, a move that would relinquish its control over the area’s civilian governance.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened senior ministers and security chiefs on Saturday to strategize the next steps for the Gaza deal. His office confirmed that “Israel” accepted the mediators’ invitation and will send a delegation to Doha on Monday to advance the negotiations.

Hamas approves Gaza governance plan

On Saturday, Hamas’ negotiating team finalized its trip to Egypt, where the delegation discussed pathways for the implementation of the clauses of the ceasefire agreement with mediators.

The delegation, headed by Mohammad Darwish, head of Hamas’ Shura Council and Chairman of its Leadership Council, held talks with the head of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service, Major General Hassan Rashad. The two sides discussed several crucial issues, including the ceasefire agreement and the prisoner exchange deal.

A statement released by the Hamas Media Office described the talks as “positive and responsible.”

“The Hamas delegation expressed its gratitude and appreciation for Egypt’s efforts, especially in countering displacement plans,” the Palestinian Resistance movement said, referring to United States President Donald Trump’s plot to “take over” the Gaza Strip.

Welcoming the outcomes of the most recent Arab summit, Hamas highlighted Egypt’s Gaza reconstruction plan and the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to statehood.

In further detail, Hamas’ negotiating team emphasized the need to uphold the terms of the multi-phase ceasefire agreement between the Palestinian Resistance and “Israel”.

The Israeli regime continues to blatantly violate the agreement, which includes the delivery of large amounts of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, as well as multiple acts of aggression against civilians.

Most importantly, the Israeli government ignored a time limit to enter negotiations for the second phase of the agreement, which would have secured the release of the remaining Israeli captives and a lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

“The delegation emphasized the need to uphold all terms of the agreement, immediately commence negotiations for the second phase, reopen border crossings, and allow the unrestricted entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” the statement underlined.

March 9, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Yemen gives Israel four-day ultimatum to stop blocking Gaza aid

The Cradle | March 8, 2025

The leader of Yemen’s Ansarallah resistance movement, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, announced on 7 March a four-day grace period for Israel to resume ceasefire talks and lift its blockade on humanitarian aid for Gaza, threatening to resume Sanaa’s naval operations against Israeli-linked ships.

“We meet the siege with a siege,” Houthi emphasized, adding that Yemen “cannot stand by and watch the Israeli enemy’s aggressive approach in starving the Palestinian people in Gaza.”

“We do not just issue statements, but we can support the Palestinians in several areas,” the Ansarallah leader said, pointing out that “in the course of implementing the ceasefire in Gaza, it was clear that the Israeli enemy was procrastinating in fulfilling its obligations, especially those related to the humanitarian file.

The Ansarallah-led Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) ceased military operations in support of Palestine following the start of a US-sponsored ceasefire in Gaza earlier this year. Since November 2023, the YAF repeatedly targeted US, UK, and Israeli-linked commercial ships and western warships in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea.

Sanaa’s efforts to stop the US-Israeli genocide in Gaza prompted an illegal war initiated by Washington and London, resulting in hundreds of airstrikes in the Arab world’s poorest nation.

Despite the western onslaught, the YAF were undeterred in their military campaign and forced several US aircraft carriers and European warships out of the Red Sea. The country has also downed 15 US MQ-9 Reaper drones and recently fired its air defenses on a US F-16 jet.

A year ago, the former US Special Envoy for Yemen, Timothy Lenderking, admitted that “there is no military solution” for Yemen.

“I don’t think people really understand just kind of how deadly serious it is what we’re doing and how under threat the ships continue to be,” Commander Eric Blomberg with the USS Laboon told US media last year.

Houthi’s warning comes almost a week after Israel reimposed a total blockade on humanitarian aid shipments for Gaza after obstructing the ceasefire agreement from moving forward by demanding an extension of the first phase.

Hamas has rejected any extension of phase one and is demanding strict adherence to the agreement and international pressure on Israel.

“The resumption of war on Gaza will be met with the entire [Israeli] enemy entity coming under fire … If the war returns to Gaza, we will intervene with support through various military means,” Houthi warned on Sunday.

March 8, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Wars for Israel | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hamas: We will not be part of post-war Gaza on condition of national consensus

Palestinian Information Center – March 4, 2025

GAZA – The Hamas Movement said it will not be part of any administrative arrangements in the post-war Gaza Strip on condition of a national consensus.

“It is not necessary for Hamas to be part of the administrative arrangements in Gaza. It is not interested in that, and does not want to be in these arrangements at all,” Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem told Anadolu agency.

“Any arrangements for Gaza’s future after the [Israeli] aggression must be based on national consensus, and we will facilitate this. Hamas will not allow any external force to interfere,” he added.

Qassem said these arrangements must lead to “launching a serious and genuine reconstruction process to save our people in Gaza from the catastrophe they have endured” due to Israel’s war.

The comments come as Arab leaders prepare to meet in Cairo to formulate a unified Arab stance on the Palestinian issue and present a counterproposal to US plans for the displacement of Gaza’s population

March 5, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Egypt unveils Gaza reconstruction plan ahead of emergency Arab summit

Al Mayadeen | March 4, 2025

On Tuesday, Egypt’s Al-Qahera Al-Ikhbariya channel published Egypt’s plan for rebuilding Gaza, which will be presented to Arab leaders at the emergency summit hosted in Cairo on Tuesday.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty previously stated that the plan was designed to ensure the Palestinian people’s dignity and rights, and would be presented on March 4.

According to Abdelatty, Egypt’s alternative reconstruction plan will not be solely Egyptian or Arab but will include international support and funding to ensure its effective implementation.

“We will hold intensive talks with major donor countries once the plan is adopted at the upcoming Arab Summit,” he stated during a press conference with European Union Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica.

Into Egypt’s plan

The plan, which is based on preserving the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people, includes the formation of a Gaza Administration Committee to oversee the governance of the territory during a six-month transitional period. This committee will be independent, composed of non-partisan technocrats, and will operate under the Palestinian government.

According to the plan, the committee will be established throughout the current phase and pave the way for the full return of the administration, which would manage the next phase under Palestinian decision-making.

The plan also states that Egypt and Jordan will train Palestinian police forces in preparation for their deployment in Gaza. It calls for mobilizing political and financial support to back Egyptian-Jordanian efforts in training Palestinian security personnel.

Additionally, the plan suggests that the UN Security Council consider an international presence in the Palestinian territories, including the West Bank and Gaza, and issue a resolution to deploy international peacekeeping forces as part of a comprehensive framework for establishing a Palestinian state.

On stabilizing the ceasefire

The reconstruction statement also condemned the killing and targeting of civilians, as well as the high levels of violence and humanitarian suffering caused by “Israel’s” war on Gaza, claiming that the two-state solution is the most viable resolution under international law and consensus, emphasizing that Gaza is an inseparable part of Palestinian territory.

Egypt stressed the importance of safeguarding Palestinian rights and ensuring their continued presence on their land without displacement, calling on the international community to unite on a humanitarian basis above all else to address the catastrophic consequences of the war.

Any attempt to strip the Palestinian people of their hope for statehood or seize their land would only further fuel the struggle and instability, it also warned.

Additionally, the plan also underscored the need to maintain the ceasefire in Gaza, ensure the sustainability of the current truce, and secure the release of prisoners and detainees. It noted that successful reconstruction requires transitional governance arrangements and security measures that uphold the prospects of a two-state solution.

Furthermore, it urged the international community to support Egypt, Qatar, and the United States in stabilizing the ceasefire agreement, warning that a collapse of the truce would severely hinder humanitarian efforts and the reconstruction process.

The plan emphasized the importance of a gradual approach that ensures the Palestinian people’s right to remain on their land while also safeguarding their legitimate aspirations for an independent state with territorial continuity between Gaza and the West Bank. It called for handling Gaza’s situation through a political and legal framework that aligns with international legitimacy and UN Security Council resolutions.

The plan also stressed the need to begin planning for the early recovery phase in a way that guarantees Palestinian ownership of the process. It underscored the importance of continued efforts by the Palestinian Authority to take further steps in strengthening and developing Palestinian institutions and governance structures.

March 5, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Israel deliberately targeted archaeological sites in Gaza, Palestinian minister says

MEMO | March 3, 2025

Israel “deliberately” targeted archaeological sites in Gaza during more than 15 months of war, Palestinian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Hani Al-Hayek, said yesterday. He went on to describe Israel’s actions as a genocide.

His remarks came during the closing session of a training workshop in Cairo, organised by the Palestinian Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation (CCHP) in cooperation with the Egyptian Heritage Rescue Foundation (EHRF), according to the official Palestinian news agency, Wafa.

During the workshop, Al-Hayek pointed out that “more than 226 archaeological and historical sites in Gaza have suffered severe damage,” adding that work is underway to develop a comprehensive action plan to rescue and restore the cultural heritage in the region.

He added: “The Israeli occupation deliberately targeted archaeological sites in Gaza, but we are determined to rebuild and restore them. These sites are an important part of the history of the Palestinian people on this land, and it is our duty to return them to their former state.”

On 6 February, French archaeologist Simon Brelaud warned that the Israeli occupation army had destroyed most of Gaza’s historical landmarks, stressing that this “puts the future of archaeology in the region at risk.”

Gaza is an ancient region that has witnessed several civilisations, including the Pharaonic, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Canaanite, Phoenician and finally, Islamic.

March 3, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Timeless or most popular, War Crimes | , , , | Leave a comment

Hamas decries as ‘war crime’ Israeli suspension of humanitarian aid to Gaza

The Cradle | March 2, 2025

Israel has accepted a proposal brought by US envoy Steve Witkoff to extend the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement for another 42 days, facing rejection from the Hamas movement.

As a result of Hamas’s rejection – which stems from the resistance movement’s insistence on abiding by the terms of what was initially agreed upon – Israel announced on 2 March that it halted the entry of aid and supplies into the Gaza Strip.

“With the end of the first stage of the prisoner swap deal and following Hamas’ rejection of Witkoff’s proposal to continue negotiations – which Israel agreed to – Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided to halt all imports of goods and supplies to the Gaza Strip as of today,” said the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement.

“Israel will not allow a ceasefire without the release of its prisoners. If Hamas continues to refuse, there will be further consequences,” the premier’s office added.

The extension deal agreed to by Netanyahu calls for the release of half of the estimated 22 living captives in Gaza, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

According to Netanyahu, the Witkoff plan gives Israel the right to resume the war after the 42-day extension if talks do not progress. Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the prime minister has approved a potential call-up of 400,000 reserve soldiers.

“The decision we made last night to completely halt the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza until Hamas is destroyed or surrenders completely and all our hostages are returned is an important step in the right direction— ‘standing at the gates of hell,’” said Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

“Now, we must open these gates as quickly and as lethally as possible against the cruel enemy until absolute victory,” he added.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid blasted the government’s decision.

“The prisoner exchange deal has been halted. Humanitarian aid to Gaza has been stopped. The government has approved the mobilization of 400,000 reserve soldiers. What is the goal? What objective has Israel set for itself? Has the government decided to abandon the prisoners, and if so, why? For what greater national purpose? If we return to war, what is the objective of the war? Who will replace Hamas in the end?” Lapid said.

“Once again, the government is acting without a plan, without a vision. We can only hope things turn out okay—because that seems to be the extent of their planning.”

Phase one of the Gaza ceasefire was due to end on Saturday. Israel has been pushing for the extension in recent days and has continuously delayed the start of negotiations for the second phase, violating the original ceasefire agreement.

“The statement issued by the office of the terrorist occupation Prime Minister Netanyahu, regarding his approval of American proposals to extend the first phase of the agreement under arrangements that violate the ceasefire agreement in Gaza is a blatant attempt to evade the agreement and avoid entering negotiations for its second phase,” Hamas said in a statement.

“Netanyahu’s decision to halt humanitarian aid is a form of blackmail, a war crime, and a blatant violation of the agreement,” it went on to say.

Since the morning of 2 March, Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed at least four Palestinians. Israel has been violating the ceasefire daily since it was reached in January, carrying out deadly attacks and consistently holding up the entry of aid and essentials into Gaza.

March 2, 2025 Posted by | Deception, Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, War Crimes | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Through a Child’s Eyes: Genocide of the Palestinian People in Gaza

Defense for Children Palestine

Through a Child’s Eyes, produced by Defense for Children International – Palestine, premiered on February 25, 2025.

Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCIP) is an independent, local Palestinian child rights organization dedicated to defending and promoting the rights of children living in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. Since 1991, we have investigated, documented, and exposed grave human rights violations against children; provided legal services to children in urgent need; held Israeli and Palestinian authorities accountable to universal human rights principles; and advocated at the international and national levels to advance access to justice and protection for children.

February 27, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Timeless or most popular, Video, War Crimes | , , , , | Leave a comment

Hamas denounces New York Times distortion of Marzouk’s comments on Op Al-Aqsa Flood

Press TV – February 25, 2025

Hamas has rejected a report by the American daily newspaper The New York Times that has misrepresented recent remarks by a senior official of the Palestinian resistance movement, emphasizing that the comments are “inaccurate” and “taken out of context.”

In a statement released on Monday, the Gaza-based group said the interview conducted with Moussa Abu Marzouk, a senior member of its political bureau, and published several days ago did not contain the full content of the answers, and his exact remarks were quoted out of context.

Hamas stressed that the published interview did not include the true remarks made by Abu Marzouk, and did not convey the true meaning of what he had said.

On Monday, The New York Times ran an article titled: “Hamas Official Expresses Reservations About Oct. 7 Attack on Israel” claiming that Abu Marzouk voiced doubts regarding the October 7 attack.

According to the article, Abu Marzouk admitted he would not have endorsed the assault had he been aware of the destruction it would cause in Gaza.

Hamas in its statement stated that Abu Marzouk confirmed that the large-scale surprise attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, against the usurping Tel Aviv regime on October 7, 2023, reflected the Palestinian people’s right to resistance and their rejection of Israel’s siege, occupation, and settlement expansion activities.

Abu Marzouk also emphasized that the criminal Israeli regime had committed appalling war crimes and genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.

Abu Marzouk told the New York Times that Hamas would not give up its positions and Palestinian people’s right to use all forms of resistance, including armed resistance, to fight off the Israeli occupation and liberate their land.

“The resistance weapon belongs to our people and its purpose is to protect our people and our holy sites, so it is not permissible to drop or surrender it as long as the [Israeli] occupation exists on our land,” the high-ranking Hamas official told the newspaper.

Backed by the United States and its Western allies, Israel launched the war on Gaza, after Hamas and other Gaza-based Palestinian resistance movements carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against the Israeli regime in response to its decades-long campaign of oppression against Palestinians.

Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has led to the killing of at least 48,346 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injury of 111,759 others since early October 2023.

A ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement went into effect in Gaza on January 19, halting Israel’s aggressive campaign against the coastal region.

February 25, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Fake News, Mainstream Media, Warmongering | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Restoring Palestine to its rightful owners by decolonising solidarity

By Ramzy Baroud | MEMO | February 25, 2025

I have long argued that the Israeli war and genocide in Gaza must be a catalyst for change in the overall political discourse on Israel and Palestine, particularly regarding the need to free Palestine from the confines of victimhood. This shift is necessary to create space where the Palestinian people are seen to be central to their own struggle.

It is unfortunate that centring a nation in a conversation about its own freedom from colonialism and military occupation requires years of advocacy. This is the reality that Palestinians face, though, often due to circumstances far beyond their control.

As outrageous as US President Donald Trump’s comments about buying Gaza were, they were a crude interpretation of a pre-existing culture that views Palestinians as marginal actors in their own story. While previous US administrations and their Western allies didn’t use such blatant language as Trump’s “taking over the Gaza Strip”, they did treat Palestinians as irrelevant to how the West perceived the “solution” to the “conflict”, language that rarely adhered to international and humanitarian laws.

For many Palestinian intellectuals, the fight for justice has been waged on two fronts: one to challenge global misconceptions about Palestine and the Palestinian people; and the other to reclaim the narrative altogether.

Recently, I have argued that reclaiming the narrative by centring Palestinian voices is not enough.

Many of these supposedly “authentic” Palestinians do not represent the collective aspirations of the Palestinian people.

This argument responds to the Western exposition of certain types of Palestinians whose narratives do not directly challenge Western complicity in the Israeli occupation and war. These voices often focus on highlighting the victimisation component of the “conflict”, often indicating that “both sides” should be supported — or blamed — equally.

This is why it was refreshing to talk with the iconic Norwegian Professor of Emergency Medicine Mads Gilbert, who is fighting to decolonise the concept of solidarity in medicine and, by extension, western solidarity as a whole.

Prof. Gilbert has spent much of his career working in Gaza, as well as among Palestinian doctors and communities in the West Bank and Lebanon. Since the start of the war, he has remained one of the most tireless voices in exposing the Israeli genocide in the Strip.

Our conversation touched on many subjects, including a term that he has coined: “evidence-based solidarity”. This concept applies evidence-based practice in medicine to all aspects of solidarity, both within and beyond Palestine.

It means that solidarity becomes more meaningful when it is supported by the kind of information which guarantees that the support does more good than harm.

A good example was his explanation of the field hospital as a strategy to cope with man-made crises, such as the genocide in Gaza. Our discussion elaborated on an article by Gilbert and other colleagues, published on 5 February in the BMC Medical Journal, entitled “Realising Health Justice in Palestine: Beyond Humanitarian Voices”.

The article was a critical response to another piece, published last May by Karl Blanchet and others, entitled “Rebuilding the Health Sector in Gaza: Alternative Humanitarian Voices”. Gilbert found the original article reductionist for failing to recognise that the crisis in Gaza was “entirely manufactured” and for overlooking the centrality of “Palestinian perspectives”.

This conversation may seem rhetorical until it is placed within its practical context. Field hospitals, which could be seen as the ultimate act of solidarity, in Gilbert’s view often deplete local resources and exacerbate the challenges facing Palestinian healthcare. He pointed out how the establishment of these temporary foreign-run facilities can contribute to a “brain drain”, while simultaneously exhausting the local healthcare system by creating parallel structures that, despite being well-funded, do not integrate with the native system.

According to Gilbert, these efforts divert critical resources away from the urgent task of rebuilding and restoring Palestinian hospitals and providing fair wages for the dedicated healthcare workers — doctors, nurses, paramedics and midwives — who are integral to the local medical infrastructure.

It must be frustrating for Palestinian medics, hundreds of whom have been killed in the Israeli genocide on Gaza, to watch others have a conversation about helping Gaza without acknowledging the vital role of the Palestinian Ministry of Health and local hospitals and clinics. They fail to recognise the unmatched experience — let alone the resilience — of the Gaza medical community, which has proven to be one of the most durable and resourceful anywhere in the world.

This is but a manifestation of a much larger issue.

The West, whether “evil-doers” or “do-gooders”, insists on seeing the Palestinian as an outsider to be removed from Gaza altogether or treated as a person with no relevant input, no worthy experience and no agency. Many often engage in this thinking, while assuming that they are indeed helping the Palestinians.

However, the genocide should serve as the watershed moment for these conversations to escape the academic realm and enter the public sphere, where the centrality of the truly representative Palestinian experience becomes the litmus test for any outside “proposals”, “plans”, “solutions” or even solidarity. As for the latter, decolonising solidarity is now an urgent task. There is no time to waste when the very existence of Palestinians in their historic land is at stake.

February 25, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Solidarity and Activism | , , | Leave a comment