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Gaza Ceasefire: What to expect?

Al-Manar | January 14, 2025

As the Israeli enemy’s war on Gaza enters its 466th day, the besieged enclave stands as a symbol of resilience against an unprecedented campaign of destruction and genocide, carried out with global complicity and silence.

Despite relentless attacks, Gaza has refused to surrender. The Palestinian resistance has engaged the Israeli occupation forces at close range, inflicting heavy losses and proving that its resolve cannot be broken. Over 46,000 Palestinians—children, women, men, and fighters—have been martyred, yet the resistance continues to strike back. Every time Israeli occupation forces believe they’ve secured a foothold, new resistance emerges, keeping them locked in a costly cycle of attrition.

Northern Gaza: A Testament to Failure

In northern Gaza, the Israeli enemy’s aim of “zero confrontation” through systematic genocide and forced displacement has also faltered. Last week in Beit Hanoun, the Israeli occupation forces faced significant setbacks, acknowledging their failure even as they tried to regroup their forces.

The Question of Prisoners

One of the Israeli enemy’s primary objectives has been the retrieval of its captives. However, its strategy of annihilation has failed to achieve this. Any resolution remains contingent on agreements dictated by the Palestinian resistance, which, despite enduring immense hardship, has maintained its strength and thwarted the Zionist entity’s attempts to establish full control, even over small areas of the enclave.

Ceasefire Talks Spark Internal Tensions

As reports emerge of a potential ceasefire agreement in the coming hours or days, tensions within the Zionist government are boiling over. Far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich are threatening to resign if the agreement moves forward.

Ben Gvir criticized the deal as a “surrender,” urging Smotrich to join him in pressuring Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Meanwhile, Israeli Channel 12 reported that Smotrich is consulting with senior rabbis over the prisoner exchange deal.

The right-wing minister, who previously called the agreement a “disaster for Israel’s national security,” hinted at issuing an ultimatum to Netanyahu in the coming hours. He condemned the proposed terms, which reportedly involve releasing high-profile Palestinian prisoners, ending the war, and nullifying Israel’s so-called achievements.

Admission of Defeat

Through the voices of its leaders, the Zionist entity has effectively acknowledged its failure. The narrative of invincibility is crumbling as the war shifts from conquest to survival for an occupation increasingly entangled in its miscalculations.

Positive Progress in Doha Negotiations

Spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, Majed bin Mohammad Al-Ansari, announced today that discussions in Doha have entered the final stages. He described the talks as “productive and positive,” focusing on the last remaining details, and hinted that an official announcement of the agreement is imminent.

“We have overcome the primary obstacles in the disagreements between the parties,” Al-Ansari stated, adding, “When the agreement is announced, it will also mark the start of the ceasefire implementation.” He further noted that draft agreements have been submitted, and negotiations are now centered on resolving the final details regarding the Gaza ceasefire.

Urging both sides to finalize the deal, Al-Ansari emphasized the need to end the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza.

Latest Developments in Negotiation Talks

Amid these updates, US President-elect Donald Trump, in an interview with Newsmax, expressed optimism, saying he believes a deal on hostages and a Gaza ceasefire could be finalized by the weekend. Observers have noted that the negotiations are now entering critical hours.

Additionally, the deputy foreign minister of the Israeli occupation entity confirmed that Trump has pushed for the agreement to be concluded before his inauguration on January 20. “I cannot disclose details of the deal, as we want to avoid statements that could affect the morale of the hostages’ families,” she said.

A Closer Look at the Proposed Gaza Ceasefire Agreement

According to leaks from Israeli enemy sources, the initial phase of the agreement will see the release of 33 Zionist prisoners, including women, children, and the wounded. In exchange, Palestinian prisoners will be freed according to a specific mechanism, and a ceasefire in Gaza will be enacted.

Second Phase to Begin After 16 Days

An official from the Israeli occupation revealed that, 16 days after the agreement is implemented, negotiations will begin for the second phase. This will include the release of remaining live hostages—male soldiers and men of military age—along with the return of the bodies of those who died during captivity.

Gradual Israeli Withdrawal and Security Arrangements

The agreement outlines a gradual Israeli withdrawal, though forces will remain near the border. It also includes security arrangements for the “Philadelphi Corridor” (Salah Al-Din) on the southern edge of Gaza, with Israeli enemy withdrawal from parts of the area within days of the agreement’s enactment.

Return of Civilians and Restrictions

Civilians from northern Gaza will be allowed to return, with mechanisms in place to prevent weapon transfers. The Israeli enemy will also withdraw from the “Netzarim” area in central Gaza, which had previously been rejected in negotiations.

Prisoner Release Details

The deal includes the release of Palestinians convicted of killings or attacks resulting in death, although the number will depend on the number of remaining live hostages—still unknown. However, prisoners involved in the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023, will not be included in the release list. This marks a significant victory for the resistance, as the Israeli occupation had previously refused to release those it categorized as “convicted murderers” or sentenced to life imprisonment.

Progress Towards Final Agreement

These developments coincide with reports from inside Gaza that Zionist forces have begun dismantling some of their positions in the Netzarim area. Sources from the “Jerusalem Post” suggest that, barring last-minute changes, an announcement on the deal could come today.

Recent Diplomatic Efforts

Earlier on Monday, Axios reported that Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to concessions regarding withdrawals from the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors and new terms for releasing Palestinian prisoners. This comes as Netanyahu consults with security leaders.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden spoke with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, reaffirming that a deal is imminent. Qatar’s emir also met with a Hamas delegation, who expressed their positive stance on the ongoing negotiations in Doha.

Palestinian Resistance: No Compromise on Red Lines

A Hamas official told CNN on Monday that several points of contention remain in the ongoing negotiations. Key issues include Hamas’s demand for the Israeli occupation’s withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor and a call for a permanent ceasefire instead of a temporary halt to military operations.

Qatar Presents Final Draft

An informed source involved in the prisoner swap negotiations in Doha stated that Qatar has delivered a “final draft” of the ceasefire and prisoner release agreement aimed at ending the war. According to Reuters, a breakthrough occurred in Doha after midnight, following talks between Israeli intelligence chiefs, US President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witztkopf, and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

January 15, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism | , , , | 1 Comment

Al Mayadeen obtains terms of Gaza ceasefire deal

Al Mayadeen | January 15, 2025

Al Mayadeen has obtained details of the Gaza ceasefire agreement with the Israeli occupation. The agreement, which outlines an eleven-clause framework, marks a significant step toward resolving the ongoing war and addressing the humanitarian crisis in the region.

Key terms of the agreement

  1. Israeli forces are required to fully withdraw from all areas of the Gaza Strip and return to the pre-war borders.
  2. The Rafah crossing must be reopened, with Israeli forces withdrawing entirely from the area.
  3. “Israel” is mandated to ease the travel of injured individuals for treatment abroad.
  4. “Israel” must permit the daily entry of 600 aid trucks, as per a humanitarian protocol backed by Qatar.
  5. “Israel” must facilitate the entry of 200,000 tents and 60,000 caravans for immediate shelter.
  6. A large-scale prisoner exchange will occur, including the release of 1,000 prisoners from Gaza and hundreds of detainees serving lengthy sentences.
  7. “Israel” is to release all women and children under the age of 19 from its prisons.
  8. Israeli forces must gradually withdraw from the Netzarim corridor and the Philadelphi Route.
  9. Displaced residents must be allowed to return to their homes, with guaranteed freedom of movement throughout the Gaza Strip.
  10. Hostile aircraft must vacate Gaza’s airspace for 8 to 10 hours daily.
  11. All hospitals in Gaza must be rehabilitated. Field hospitals, medical equipment, and surgical teams must be permitted entry.

Implementation phases

The first phase of the agreement, lasting six weeks, will involve the release of 33 Israeli captives, both living and deceased. This phase also includes the immediate return of displaced persons from southern Gaza to the north, facilitated by the withdrawal of Israeli forces from al-Rashid Street to the depths of the Netzarim corridor.

Subsequent phases will address the release of the remaining 66 captives held by Palestinian resistance factions.

If the deal succeeds, the gradual ceasefire could mark the end of more than a year of sporadic negotiations and result in the largest release of Israeli captives since the early stages of the war, when Hamas released roughly half of its captives in exchange for 240 Palestinian detainees.

In further detail, an Israeli official stated that negotiations were in advanced stages for the release of 33 of the remaining 98 Israeli captives, marking the first phase of the deal. In exchange, “Israel” will release 1,000 Palestinian detainees, according to a Palestinian source close to the talks, who added that the first phase would last for 60 days.

Meanwhile, Hamas fighters allegedly involved in Operation al-Aqsa Flood would not be released.

The Israeli official mentioned that the first stage of the agreement would involve the release of 33 captives, including “children, women, female soldiers, men above 50, and the wounded and sick,” as well as a gradual, partial withdrawal of invading Israeli units.

Commenting on the number of detainees, The Times of Israel considered, citing a copy of the agreement obtained by The Associated Press, that “Israel” will pay a steep price to secure the release of female soldiers being held captive.

Among the 33 would be five female Israeli soldiers, each of whom would be released in exchange for 50 Palestinian prisoners, including 30 convicted security prisoners who are serving life sentences.

January 15, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism | , , , | 4 Comments

Calls for Spain to ban Israel basketball team from playing in Madrid

MEMO | January 14, 2025

The head of the Spanish opposition party Podemos, Ione Belarra, called for banning Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv team from entering the country. The team is due to face Real Madrid in a EuroLeague basketball match later today.

In a letter sent to the Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs, Belarra said: “The Spanish people have clearly demanded a severing of all ties with the Zionists who have committed genocide against the Palestinian people.”

“Maccabi Tel Aviv and its fans are not allowed to enter Spain. We have informed the Government of this. We cannot allow the apology of genocide in our country.”

Belarra pointed out that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans have caused a security problem in other countries by defending the genocide in Gaza.

In this context, Belarra called on Spanish fans to gather in front of the arena where the match will be held and protest.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, however, said Maccabi Tel Aviv team will not be banned from entering Madrid, adding: “Sports should be free from politics.”

In November, Maccabi Tel Aviv fans unleashed racist and violent attacks on civilians and private property during an away game in Amsterdam.

Offensive actions also consisted of the removal of Palestinian flags from buildings, attacking a Dutch-Moroccan taxi driver and even the interruption of the one-minute’s silence ahead of the game for the victims of the Valencia flood.

January 14, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, War Crimes | , , , , | 2 Comments

Trump urges Israel to avoid unnecessary escalation

MEMO | January 14, 2025

An Israeli television channel has revealed that US President-elect Donald Trump sent a message to officials in Tel Aviv, urging Israel to avoid any “unnecessary” escalation and refrain from statements that could lead to regional conflicts, particularly during the transition period before his administration begins.

Channel 12 reported that Trump’s aides informed Israeli officials that the incoming US administration aims to achieve stability in the Middle East, focusing on fostering “peace” between Israel and Lebanon and maintaining the ongoing ceasefire.

In his discussions with Israeli officials, Trump emphasised that he had no intention of engaging in new wars during the early days of his presidency, as he intends to prioritise addressing domestic issues in the United States.

According to the channel, Trump has personally begun intervening in efforts to secure the release of Israeli captives held in the Gaza Strip. He has expressed significant interest in resolving this issue before officially taking office.

The report also mentioned that Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steven Witkoff, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the next steps. Following this meeting, it was decided that the heads of Mossad and the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) would be sent to Qatar to engage in direct negotiations.

January 14, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Wars for Israel | , , , , | 2 Comments

Will Trump Deliver Peace?

Glenn Diesen | January 11, 2025

I had a conversation with Professor Jeffrey Sachs and Alexander Mercouris about the possibility of Trump delivering peace in the Middle East and Ukraine. Trump recently posted a video of Professor Sachs criticising the presentation of international conflicts as a struggle between democracy and authoritarianism. In the video, Professor Sachs also scolded Netanyahu and blamed Israel for America’s wars in the Middle East over the past 30 years (Netanyahu will reportedly not attend Trump’s inauguration). Trump has also recognised that NATO expansionism was the source of the proxy war in Ukraine, and has been vocal about his desire to end the proxy.

These actions give some reason for cautious optimism that peace can be achieved at a time when the world appears to be heading toward major wars. The false narratives that conflict in the world derives from a struggle between democracy and authoritarianism create a dangerous Manichaean worldview. Peace then requires good defeating evil, while compromise and workable peace are derided as appeasement. Anyone contesting the Manichaean worldview can be accused of betraying liberal democratic values. Trump has many flaws, but his greatest strength is his ability to say what he wants and break away from the West’s ideological narratives and Manichaean worldview. By recognising the security interests of rival powers (a big taboo in the West), Trump can also mitigate these concerns as the foundation for any durable peace.

Jeffrey Sachs, Alexander Mercouris & Glenn Diesen on the Duran:

January 12, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Video, War Crimes, Wars for Israel | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Colombia University professor forced to resign over support for pro-Palestinian activism

Press TV – January 12, 2025

A Colombia University professor has been forced to resign for backing pro-Palestinian activism at the seat of learning and protesting Israeli students’ injurious attacks against pro-Palestinian campaigners.

Katherine Franke stepped down from teaching at the facility and faces the threat of her action being defined as “retirement” by the university’s authorities, various American media outlets reported on Saturday.

She penned an extensive message, explaining her decision and the circumstances surrounding it.

“The university administrators have created such a toxic and hostile environment for legitimate debate around the [Israeli regime’s genocidal] war [against the Gaza Strip]… and Palestine that I can no longer teach or conduct research,” she wrote.

The former professor regretted that the October 2023-present brutal military assault had resulted in “horrendous devastation in Gaza,” besides claiming the lives of more than 46,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

She noted that the warfare had led to widespread protests across the world’s academic communities.

Amid the protests, “I have ardently defended students’ right to peaceful protest on our campus and across the country,” Franke underlined.

Her support for the campaigners, she said, was rooted in her “true belief that student engagement with the rights and dignity of Palestinians continued a celebrated tradition of student protest at Columbia University.”

However, “the university has allowed its own disciplinary process to be weaponized against members of our community, including myself,” Franke lamented.

She also pointed to Israeli students’ provocative acts of attacking the pro-Palestinian students with toxic chemical substances that had “caused such significant injuries that several students were hospitalized.”

According to Franke, the attackers used to be enlisted with the Israeli military amid the latter’s ongoing genocidal adventures, war crimes, and crimes against humanity across the West Asia region.

“I have been targeted for my support of pro-Palestinian protesters – by the president of Columbia University, several colleagues, university trustees, and outside actors. This has included an unjustified finding by the university that my public comments condemning attacks against student protesters violated university non-discrimination policy.”

Franke’s decision, described as sobering for the global academic community and condemnatory of the United States’ unbridled military, political, and intelligence support for the Israeli atrocities, wound down her 25-year-long record of academic excellence.

She also underscored that “while the university may call this change in my status ‘retirement,’ it should be more accurately understood as a termination dressed up in more palatable terms.”

“In exchange for my agreement to step down as an active member of the Columbia faculty, the university demanded that I surrender significant rights and privileges that are provided to all retired faculty as a matter of policy,” the former professor stated.

“To describe my change in status with the university as a ‘retirement’ is both misleading and disingenuous,” she reiterated.

January 12, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Solidarity and Activism, War Crimes | , , , | 3 Comments

NUMEC: How Israel Stole the Atomic Bomb and killed JFK

Ryan Dawson

This movie is free thanks to members and donors from ANC Report. If you found this informative consider sending a few shekels. This is the only way we can do films. NUMEC Map https://anti-neocon.myshopify.com/

The film exposes how terrorists took advantage of the massive weapons surplus following the end of WWII and created lucrative black-markets for illegal arms trafficking many of which went to the blood thirsty ethno-stater lunatics who created the state of Israel. The weapons theft would escalate to Highly Enriched Uranium for nuclear bombs and the assassination of a US president. The gun running routes doubled as human trafficking routes as the post war climates had created millions of refugees and nations of women with little or no opportunities who were easily exploited. This in turn gave rise to international forced prostitution and pedophile rings that targeted state figures and businessmen for blackmail. The press and policing agencies were forced to capitulate because challenging Zionist power right after the horrors of the Holocaust was political suicide. WWII’s own justification for nuking cities and murdering millions of civilians through bombing and starvation was the made for TV images of the Holocaust, even though Palestine had nothing to do with that, they paid the ultimate price. And by allowing Israeli power to grow out of control the US effectively lost its sovereignty. Especially in regards to foreign policy, Zionist partisans most recently the Neocons have thrown the US into one conflict after another against its own interests to further the personal interest of a criminal cabal. This film, like any Dawson film, names the names and gives the details and documents. The criminal networks of organized crime, sexual blackmailers, arms smugglers, financiers, and political cover up have all been mapped out, literally. Help us at the Anti-Neocon report reach our goal and once again put the establishment and donor class psychopaths under the spot light. The truth will set you free. But Freedom isn’t Free.

“By far the best production value ANC has ever created”- Pug

“When you think having your greatest ally attack you is the worst thing they have done, Dawson drops this bomb” – Oliver

“I think I wet my pants, but I had my underwear on so I couldn’t have raped that girl” -Alan Dershowitz did not say

“With an entire room full of people who have been drinking all night and done a 3 and a half hour conference with Ron Paul and eaten a big meal, not a single person fell asleep, that’s impressive” -Reed Coverdale

“Were done for” – Israeli on Pol

January 10, 2025 Posted by | Corruption, Deception, Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Timeless or most popular, Video | , , , , | 3 Comments

Sen. Fetterman Claims He is Puzzled Why Americans Protest His Support of Israel’s Decimation of Gaza

By Adam Dick | Ron Paul Institute | January 9, 2025

In a Wednesday Twitter post, United States Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) expressed his confusion why “[z]ero dopes have shown up at my home or office, or blocked a road to chant and protest over an actual genocide in Sudan.” Proceeding, he questioned why “South Africa engaged the ICJ over Gaza, but not for an actual genocide on their own continent” — in Sudan.

“ICJ” in Fetterman’s tweet refers to the International Court of Justice that ruled in January of last year that the Israel government may be committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Israel to not engage in acts of genocide. Then, in November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The decisions of both courts have been disparaged and disregarded by the US and Israel governments.

It is in opposition to the US government’s extraordinary and critical support for war efforts of the Israel government in Gaza and beyond that protests have been undertaken against Fetterman. The obvious reason he has been targeted with protests is because he is among the US Congress members most vociferously supporting the US providing military, weapons, money, and intelligence support without which the Israel government could not continue to pursue its large and expanding war effort, including its devastating attack on Gaza that has produced monumental civilian suffering and death. Indeed, in Israel several months into the war and with Fetterman at his side, Netanyahu declared, “Israel has had no better friend than Senator John Fetterman” during the war.

Why no similar protests against Fetterman related to the action in Sudan to which Fetterman refers in his Twitter post? The answer is suggested by Fetterman’s own language. He calls that action in Sudan an “actual genocide.” It would be bizarre for people to protest him for supporting this “actual genocide” when he has declared his opposition. Instead, of course, they protest him for being a key supporter of the US government enabling the carnage and destruction wrought by the Israel government.

Fetterman linked in his Twitter post a Tuesday New York Times article by Declan Walsh that provides background information regarding the Sudan-related genocide claim:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said the Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary group fighting against Sudan’s military had committed acts of genocide, including a fearsome wave of ethnically targeted violence in the western region of Darfur.

The Treasury Department backed the determination of genocide with a raft of sanctions targeting the R.S.F.’s leader, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan, as well as seven companies in the United Arab Emirates, the group’s main foreign sponsor, that have traded in weapons and gold on his behalf.

As with Israel’s war, Fetterman in regard to Sudan — where the US also has a long history of intervention — is fully aligned with the executive branch’s position. In both instances, the position involves pursuing foreign intervention in no way justified to protect America. As is typical, the US flings allegations against the parties it opposes abroad while deflecting accusations against the parties it supports, all the while claiming to be devoutly advancing human rights and a “rules-based international order.” The message is again and again self-serving hooey.

Who again are the dupes?

January 10, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Progressive Hypocrite, War Crimes | , , , , | 4 Comments

Gaza death toll 40% higher than recorded, Lancet study estimates

Press TV – January 10, 2025

A new study published in the UK’s Lancet medical journal estimates that Gaza’s death toll during the first nine months of the war was about 40 percent higher than figures reported by the Palestinian health ministry.

Research published in The Lancet medical journal on Friday suggests that around 2.9 percent of Gaza’s pre-war population or approximately one in 35 inhabitants died in Israeli attacks until late July 2024.

Up to June 30 last year, the health ministry in Gaza reported a death toll of 37,877 in the war.

The study suggests the total death toll was actually at around 64,260, which would mean the health ministry had under-reported the number of deaths by 41 percent.

The new study used data from the ministry, an online survey and social media obituaries to estimate that there were between 55,298 and 78,525 deaths from traumatic injuries in Gaza by that time.

However, the toll did not count the deaths from a lack of health care or food, or the thousands of missing believed to be buried under rubble.

Earlier a UN report had indicated that around 10,000 missing Gazans are probably buried under rubble.

The number of dead in Gaza has been a matter of bitter debate since Israel launched its genocidal campaign against the blockaded territory back on October 7, 2023, after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out a historic operation against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

On Thursday, Gaza’s health ministry said that 46,006 people had died over the full 15 months of war.

January 10, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, War Crimes | , , , | 1 Comment

Normalizing expansion: Israel sets its sights on Egypt’s Sinai

By Robert Inlakesh | The Cradle | January 10, 2025

As Israel accuses Egypt of military buildup in the Sinai Peninsula, tensions between the two states – bound by their 1979 normalization treaty – are reaching a boiling point. Israeli officials and allied neoconservative think tanks are now actively escalating rhetoric alleging Cairo’s breach of the peace treaty while hinting at Tel Aviv’s ambitions to expand into Egyptian territory.

In September 2024, the Washington-based Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) published a report accusing Egypt of allegedly aiding Hamas through tunnels leading into Gaza to enable the Palestinian resistance movement to build its military capabilities. The charges are a stretch, given Cairo’s long-held acrimony toward Muslim Brotherhood-linked organizations.

Sinai standoff intensifies 

These claims were further contradicted by recently leaked documents showing Egypt’s aggressive measures to destroy over 2,000 tunnels between 2011 and 2015. Senior Egyptian military officials even explored the construction of a canal to obliterate these underground networks. 

Also in September, Israeli military analyst Alon Ben-David admitted on Channel 13 News that “no single open tunnel has been found in the Egyptian territory. No single usable tunnel has been discovered under the Philadelphi Corridor.”

However, Tel Aviv’s allegations did not end there. Israel’s former ambassador to Egypt, David Govrin, has now accused Cairo of violating the normalization treaty by strengthening its military presence in the Sinai. He was quoted by Yedioth Aharonoth as saying, “after all these years, and even after 7 October 2023, questions remain about Egypt’s genuine recognition of Israel within its 1948 borders.”

On 7 January, the occupation state formally demanded explanations from Egypt regarding its military activities in Sinai, citing treaty violations related to demilitarization. The US, which brokered the 1979 treaty, joined the chorus, withholding $95 million in military aid to Egypt – a recurring tactic used to exert pressure on Cairo. 

Washington then redirected those funds to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), echoing similar cuts in 2023 when Egypt-bound aid was diverted to Taiwan. The move ties with intensified pressure on Beirut, aiming to coerce and incentivize compliance with US influence over its internal affairs, especially with newly-elected President Joseph Aoun. 

While Egypt’s human rights violations have been copiously documented, this is a card that the US government will routinely roll out when they want to see their North African ally play ball. It is worth noting that Egypt has historically been the second-largest US foreign aid recipient after Israel.

Stand-off in the Sinai

In 2005, following Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip to its periphery, an agreement was reached allowing 750 Egyptian security personnel to enter the Sinai Peninsula. 

At the time, Yuval Steinitz, then chairman of Israel’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, vehemently opposed the deal, calling it a “black day” and cautioning:  

“We are inviting the cat to keep the cream. This is a solar eclipse that has befallen the government, which is giving up on demilitarizing Sinai in exchange for a lentil stew of compliments and gestures.”

Since then, Cairo has submitted hundreds of requests to deploy additional forces and equipment into Sinai, most of which were approved by Tel Aviv, especially after the rise of a takfiri insurgency in 2013. In 2018, the New York Times revealed that Israel had conducted airstrikes inside Sinai at the request of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to counter the insurgent activity.

In the aftermath of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, relations between Cairo and Tel Aviv began to sour significantly. The occupation state initially proposed that Egypt facilitate ethnic cleansing via a mass expulsion of Gaza’s population into Sinai, creating a buffer zone between Gaza and occupied Palestine. President Sisi outright rejected the plan, sparking further tensions.

By early 2024, the occupation military had intensified its invasion of Gaza, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaling an assault on Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city. Egypt swiftly issued warnings against any attempt to reclaim the Philadelphi Corridor, a border area that separates Egypt and Gaza, arguing that such actions would breach the 1979 normalization treaty.

In a dramatic escalation on 6 May, Israel launched its Rafah offensive on the same day Hamas agreed to a ceasefire proposal. This offensive, which included the seizure of the Rafah Crossing and the Philadelphi Corridor, drew condemnation even from former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who described it as “a blatant violation of the peace agreement with Egypt.” Despite threats from Cairo to annul the treaty, Sisi’s primary response was to join South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.

When Israeli tanks first entered the Rafah Crossing, they desecrated the area and taunted the Egyptian guards stationed there. Later that same month, a clash broke out, and Israeli soldiers killed an Egyptian soldier. Israel then launched a series of airstrikes in June against targets in the Sinai Peninsula. 

The Zionist vision for expansion into Egypt

Last year, uncovered documents in the British National Archives shed light on Israel’s historical campaign to legitimize its claim over the Sinai Peninsula. During Israel’s occupation of Sinai following the 1967 war, pro-Israel lobbyists and think tanks in the west disseminated narratives to delegitimize Egyptian sovereignty over the strategic region. 

Only two years after the occupation of the Sinai, which had come as a result of Israel’s war of aggression in June of 1967, the Jewish Observer and Middle East Review published an article that featured a provocative front cover, “Sinai without the Egyptians — a new look at the past, present and future.”

The Zionist Federation of Britain even argued that since Sinai had been under Turkiye’s control until 1923, it should have been incorporated into the British Mandate for Palestine, laying the groundwork for Israel’s claims to the territory. 

Fast forward to today, similar arguments have resurfaced to justify Israel’s expansionist ambitions. On 6 January, Israeli-Arabic social media accounts published a map showcasing the supposed territories of the ancient kingdoms of Judah and Israel, sparking condemnation from Jordan and the Persian Gulf states. While these claims overtly target Jordanian, Lebanese, and Syrian lands, they also subtly include parts of modern Egypt, particularly Sinai.

In July of last year, Israel’s Heritage Minister, Amichai Eliyahu, retweeted a post made on X that called for the occupation army to occupy the Sinai Peninsula, along with southern Lebanon, southern Syria, and eventually part of Jordan. 

Back in September, as Israel was launching its assault on Lebanon, the Jerusalem Post ran an article entitled ‘Is Lebanon part of Israel’s promised territory?’ that was later removed after considerable backlash.

An existential threat for the WANA region 

At this current moment, Israel is openly talking about remaining in southern Lebanon even after the 60-day ceasefire implementation period, as it currently expands its occupation further into Syrian territory by the day. It also seeks an imminent annexation of the occupied West Bank. All of these moves are indicative of Israel’s seriousness in expanding its undeclared borders.

In March 2023, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich openly displayed a “Greater Israel” map, fueling speculation about the Zionist leadership’s long-term goals. The “Greater Israel” vision encompasses parts of Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. 

Israeli leaders employ fluid justifications – historical, religious, and political – to advance these claims, a strategy the late Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah warned would continue unabated unless confronted by a unified Arab resistance.

January 10, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, War Crimes | , , , , , | 1 Comment

EU funding for Israeli tech raises fresh concerns about complicity in genocide

By Melike Pala | MEMO | January 8, 2025

Israel’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) funded by European Union research programmes to target civilians is attracting a lot of criticism. Since the Israeli attacks on Gaza began on 7 October, 2023, the EU has provided over €238 million ($246m) to Israeli institutions for research and innovation. The funds are believed to have supported the development of AI-driven “location and killing” technology used by Israel against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

Nozomi Takahashi, a member of the board of directors of the European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine (ECCAP), told Anadolu that they are aware of allegations about EU funds aiding AI technologies targeting civilians. Takahashi said that they had addressed the issue in letters to high-level EU officials, including former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

She pointed to AI-based systems used by the Israeli army called “Habsora” (The Gospel), “Lavender” and “Where is Daddy?” She said that these systems are used “to identify, locate and kill the targets in the current genocide in Gaza.”

Emphasising that these systems are used indiscriminately against civilians, Takahashi noted that, “Such extrajudicial killing is prohibited by international law. The scale and frequency of civilians killed in Gaza using such AI systems are devastating.”

The ECCAP official highlighted the EU’s particular focus on AI development, and said that Israeli research institutions are also involved in various EU-funded projects in this field. However, identifying which EU-funded project underpins those used by the Israeli army is impossible due to confidentiality and secrecy. “The potential high risk associated with such technology in the hands of a government that has a record of human rights violations should raise the alarm.”

Only civilian projects, added Takahashi, are eligible for funding through the Horizon Europe programme. “The development of such AI technology further blurs the border between civil and military applications.” She criticised the EU for its “narrow focus” when evaluating the goals of the projects that it funds, with insufficient monitoring and overlooking the potential for their use in the military.

Takahashi highlighted that Horizon Europe’s ethical principles require funded projects to uphold “respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights, including the rights of minorities.” However, the research entity’s history with military activities or human rights violations is “neither questioned nor required” during ethics reviews, she claimed.

According to Eman Abboud, a lecturer at Trinity College Dublin, it has been demonstrated that EU funds have financed arms companies under the guise of civil security and tech research. She said that the EU is “culpable” by supporting the military industry in Israel — the state is currently facing genocide charges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) — through its funding programmes.

“Israeli companies such as Elbit Systems Ltd. and Israel Aerospace Industries, which profit from and are deeply complicit in Israel’s long-term violent oppression and apartheid, as well as the current genocide of the Palestinian people, have received funding for security research from European funding programmes,” explained Abboud.

Criticising the ability of organisations contributing to human rights violations and the undermining of international humanitarian law to benefit from EU funds, she said, “The EU has refused to sever its trade links with Israel or ban them from Horizon Europe,” despite the ongoing ICJ case against the occupation state.

She referenced EU-GLOCTER, a “counter-terrorism” project involving Israeli institutions, noting the links to Israel’s military and intelligence, including Reichman University’s International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT), which was co-founded by a former intelligence chief. “We must understand that institutions like these provide the means to create the intelligence apparatus that is used to target specific civilians in Gaza and in Lebanon. We cannot separate them, given the strategic dual use of academic research funding and military research funding.”

The AI technology developed within the Israeli military named Habsora, generating automated and real-time targets, frequently strikes civilian infrastructure and residential areas, with the number of civilian casualties always being known in advance.

The Lavender technology analyses data collected on approximately 2.3 million people in Gaza using ambiguous criteria to assess the likelihood of an individual’s connection to the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

Sources told Tel Aviv-based +972 and Local Call that, early in the Gaza attacks, the military was “completely reliant” on Lavender, automatically targeting males it flagged, without oversight or specific criteria. Lavender has marked approximately 37,000 Palestinians as “suspects”.

Using the AI-based system called “Where is Daddy?” Israel simultaneously tracks thousands of individuals and when they enter their homes targeted individuals are bombed, with no regard for the presence of civilians, including women and children.

These AI technologies are known to make computational errors frequently and disregard the principle of “proportionality”. They have played a significant role in the killing of over 45,850 Palestinians since 7 October, 2023.

January 8, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, War Crimes | , , , , | Leave a comment