QUESTION: Okay. And last thing. I want to just bring to your attention that an Israeli lawmaker was asked about the alleged rape of the Palestinian detainee. And he basically says yes, it is legitimate. And as we look at the story, it is really appalling. I mean, it seems – pardon me for the graphic description that I am about to describe, but they took a cell phone and they shoved it up his gluteus maximus, all the way to the intestine, and they were calling the phone, the Israeli soldiers.
MR PATEL: Said —
QUESTION: This is documented.
MR PATEL: So —
QUESTION: I mean, how – don’t you find this appalling?
MR PATEL: We are aware of these concerning reports. And of course, if they are true they are appalling. The IDF itself has indicated that it is looking into these allegations, and we, of course, welcome that. It is essential that the rule of law and due process prevail. And in democracies, no one is above the law. And so we are going to let the process play out here. But of course, these reports are incredibly concerning. But there is an investigation taking place, and therefore I don’t want to offer any judgment until that process has concluded.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday forcefully denounced the reported rape and sexual violence against Israeli girls and women by Hamas militants following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, calling on the world to condemn such conduct “without equivocation” and “without exception.”
Speaking at a campaign fundraiser in Boston, Biden noted that in recent weeks, female survivors and witnesses to the attacks have shared “horrific accounts of unimaginable cruelty.”
“Reports of women raped — repeatedly raped — and their bodies being mutilated while still alive — of women corpses being desecrated, Hamas terrorists inflicting as much pain and suffering on women and girls as possible and then murdering them,” Biden said. “It is appalling.”
Israel has said it is investigating several cases of sexual assault and rape from the Hamas attack on Israel.
A member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, speaking Monday at a meeting of lawmakers, justified the rape and abuse of Palestinian prisoners, shouting angrily at colleagues questioning the alleged behavior that anything was legitimate to do to "terrorists" in custody.
Lawmaker Hanoch Milwidsky was asked as he defended the alleged abuse whether it was legitimate, "to insert a stick into a person's rectum?"
"Yes!" he shouted in reply to his fellow parliamentarian. "If he is a Nukhba [Hamas militant], everything is legitimate to do! Everything!"
Israel’s military has charged a reservist with aggravated abuse of Palestinian prisoners, a spokesperson said on Tuesday, as nine other soldiers appeared in military court for an initial hearing over allegations they had sexually abused a detainee from Gaza.
The new indictment alleges that the unnamed soldier, assigned to escort handcuffed and blindfolded Palestinians, used a baton and his assault rifle to attack prisoners on multiple occasions.
He did this even though their restraints meant they posed no threat, and he made videos of the violence. “The accused used severe violence against the detainees he was entrusted with guarding,” the IDF spokesperson said.
The other soldiers detained on Monday are accused of raping and attacking a Palestinian prisoner at the Sde Teiman detention centre so violently that he was taken to hospital in critical condition, Israeli media reported.
The new indictment alleges that the unnamed soldier, assigned to escort handcuffed and blindfolded Palestinians, used a baton and his assault rifle to attack prisoners on multiple occasions.
He did this even though their restraints meant they posed no threat, and he made videos of the violence. “The accused used severe violence against the detainees he was entrusted with guarding,” the IDF spokesperson said.
The other soldiers detained on Monday are accused of raping and attacking a Palestinian prisoner at the Sde Teiman detention centre so violently that he was taken to hospital in critical condition, Israeli media reported. His injuries included a ruptured intestine, severe injury to the anus and lungs, and broken ribs, the Israel daily Haaretz reported. A doctor who treated the man told the paper that when he saw the horrific extent of the injuries, he initially assumed they were caused by other inmates.
“I didn’t believe that an Israeli jailer would do such a thing,” said Yoel Donchin, who is also a professor at the Hadassah university hospital.
Haaretz quoted him saying: “If the state and the members of the Knesset think there is no limit to the abuse of prisoners – let them come and kill them themselves like the Nazis, or close the hospital.”
The UN Human Rights Office today published a report on arbitrary, prolonged and incommunicado detention by Israeli authorities, affecting thousands of Palestinians since last October. The report also covers allegations of torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, including sexual abuse of women and men.
Since 7 October, thousands of Palestinians - including medical staff, patients and residents fleeing the conflict, as well as captured fighters - have been taken from Gaza to Israel, usually shackled and blindfolded. Thousands more have been detained in the West Bank and Israel. They have generally been held in secret, without being given a reason for their detention, access to a lawyer or effective judicial review, the report states.
At least 53 Palestinian detainees are known to have died in Israeli military facilities and prisons since the horrific attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups against Israeli civilians on 7 October.
The staggering number of men, women, children, doctors, journalists and human rights defenders detained since 7 October, most of them without charge or trial and held in deplorable conditions, along with reports of ill-treatment and torture and violation of due process guarantees, raises serious concerns regarding the arbitrariness and the fundamentally punitive nature of such arrests and detention, said UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk.
“The testimonies gathered by my Office and other entities indicate a range of appalling acts, such as waterboarding and the release of dogs on detainees, amongst other acts, in flagrant violation of international human rights law and international humanitarian law,” he said.
On Monday, the Israeli authorities said they were investigating a number of soldiers for allegedly abusing a Palestinian prisoner earlier this month at the Sde Teiman detention centre in the Negev desert.
In Gaza, mostly men and adolescent boys have been detained. Many have been taken into custody while sheltering in schools, hospitals and residential buildings, or at checkpoints during their displacement from north to south, the report finds.
The Israeli military does not usually explain publicly the basis for taking Palestinians into custody in Gaza, although it has in some cases alleged affiliation with Palestinian armed groups or their political wings.
Israel has also not provided information regarding the fate or whereabouts of many of those detained, and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been denied access to facilities where they are held.
Conditions in military-run detention facilities appear worse, the report states, adding children were among those held, in some cases jointly with adults.
Detainees said they were held in cage-like facilities, stripped naked for prolonged periods, wearing only diapers. Their testimonies told of prolonged blindfolding, deprivation of food, sleep and water, and being subjected to electric shocks and being burnt with cigarettes. Some detainees said dogs were released on them, and others said they were subjected to waterboarding, or that their hands were tied and they were suspended from the ceiling. Some women and men also spoke of sexual and gender-based violence.
Accounts of hostages taken by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups last October also described appalling conditions of captivity, including lack of food, water and poor sanitary conditions, and lack of fresh air and sunlight. Some described being beaten while being taken into Gaza, or seeing other hostages being beaten while in captivity; receiving surgery or stitches without anaesthetic. There were also reports of sexual and gender-based violence in captivity. In addition, the report criticises the Palestinian Authority for continuing to carry out arbitrary detention and torture or other ill-treatment in the West Bank, reportedly principally to suppress criticism and political opposition.
“International humanitarian law protects all those being held, requiring their humane treatment and protection against all acts of violence or threats thereof,” said Türk.
“International law requires that all those deprived of their liberty be treated with humanity and dignity, and it strictly prohibits torture or other ill-treatment, including rape and other forms of sexual violence. Secret, prolonged incommunicado detention may also amount to a form of torture.”
The High Commissioner reiterated his call for the immediate release of all hostages still held in Gaza. All Palestinians arbitrarily detained by Israel must be released. He also called for prompt, thorough, independent, impartial and transparent investigations into all incidents that have led to serious violations of international law; ensure that perpetrators are held accountable and that all victims and their families are provided with their right to remedy and reparations.
Repercussions from the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, for which all fingers were pointed at Israel, reverberated Thursday, throwing into doubt when and how diplomats could end the war in Gaza.
Israel has not yet commented on or accepted responsibility for the assassination early Wednesday in Tehran, which heightened the risk of all-out war between Israel and Iran and its proxies. It said Thursday it had killed Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif in a July airstrike in Gaza.
The tough question facing mediators and observers: How can talks continue if one side kills the main negotiator for the other side?
He was also the subject of an arrest warrant request, along with other Hamas and Israeli officials, submitted by the International Criminal Court prosecutor.
Yet to Palestinian rivals, Middle East governments, and many European diplomats, Hamas’ politiburo chief was a pragmatic moderate within Hamas, a figure with whom they could negotiate and prod the movement’s more hard-line factions.
MR. SULLIVAN: It is too soon to tell what the impact of his death will have on the negotiations, and so I’m not going to speculate on that, especially in light of the broader dynamics and set of events unfolding in the region right now.
What I will say is this. The ceasefire and hostage deal is the pathway to ending this war. It is the pathway to getting all of the hostages home, including the American citizen hostages, who we’re relentlessly focused on getting home. And we remain determined to get it done.
The Israeli Mossad assassinated Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh by detonating an explosive device planted in advance in his bedroom at the Iranian government official residence in Tehran, two sources with knowledge of the issue confirmed to Axios.
Why it matters: The fact that the Mossad managed to plant the explosive device in a high-security facility shows not only the deep penetration of Israeli intelligence services inside Iran but also the vulnerabilities of the Iranian intelligence and security apparatus.
- The details about the planted explosive device were first reported by the New York Times and confirmed to Axios by two sources.
A day after an Israeli air strike killed a noted Al Jazeera journalist and his cameraman, the Israeli army acknowledged killing the reporters — and indicated the strike was purposeful.
Al Jazeera correspondent Ismail al-Ghoul and his cameraman Rami al-Rifi were killed by an Israeli airstrike Wednesday, shortly after reporting from the destroyed home of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas’ political wing, who had earlier in the day been assassinated in Iran.
Graphic video of the scene of the airstrike shows al-Ghoul was wearing a blue vest reading, “PRESS,” when he was killed. Both al-Ghoul and al-Rifi were wearing press vests and their vehicle carried “identifying signs,” Al Jazeera reported. Multiple reports indicated a nearby child was also killed in the strike.
In a tweet Thursday, the Israeli military indicated it had purposefully targeted the journalist, claiming without evidence that al-Ghoul was a “terrorist” and a member of Hamas’ military wing.
QUESTION: So in the same vein, journalists should not be punished for what they do – anywhere in the world.
MR PATEL: That is absolutely true, Said.
QUESTION: Yeah. But what we have seen yesterday is a premeditated crime to kill a journalist for doing their job. They were right there on the front of Ismail Haniyeh’s home just to show the destroyed home from our colleagues from Al Jazeera, Ismail al-Ghoul and his cameraman man, Rami. And they were told by the Israelis to leave the scene. They did. They got in their car, and they moved, and then they were bombed. I mean, this is – that is summary execution, isn’t it?
MR PATEL: Said, I spoke to this a little bit yesterday. And the good news that we have relating to these American citizens who have returned – who will be returning to the United States, I don’t have an update on this, on their situations for you beyond that.
QUESTION: Okay. But —
MR PATEL: Let me just say, because you asked the question, the reports that you mentioned yesterday as well, we’ve seen those reports. We’re tracking the details. We continue to engage with our partners in Israel about any additional information.
But beyond that, when we have talked about journalists who have been killed in Gaza – this is something that the Secretary has spoken to a great deal. We have, time and time again, offered our – not just our condolences to Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza, but we have attempted to make clear just how vital the work of journalism has been to showcase the ongoing dire conditions in the Gaza strip and how key certain outlets and certain media organizations, including Al Jazeera, have been to that line of effort. And that’s something we will continue to not just say publicly, but we will raise privately with partners in the region and we’ll continue to stress with our partners in Israel as well.
QUESTION: Now there are also dozens of Palestinian journalists who are currently detained by Israel. Overwhelmingly, they’re not charged with anything. They’re held under administrative detention and so on. Do you call on the Israeli Government to either charge those journalists that are being held under administrative detention or let go?
MR PATEL: Look, Said, we have been clear and consistent that Israel needs to treat all detainees humanely, with dignity, and in accordance with international law. And it – the detainees’ human rights must be expected – respected. Beyond that, I’m just not – I don’t have specifics as it relates to these specific cases to speak to.
QUESTION: But certainly you urge the Israelis to release those who are not charged with anything if they – if they don’t charge them, correct?
MR PATEL: I’m not going to speak to specific cases —
QUESTION: Okay. All right.
MR PATEL: — in the judicial system that I’m not tracking. But what I want to say, again, is that we’ve been clear and consistent that Israel must treat all detainees humanely.
As Palestinians and humanitarians around the world marked 300 days of horror in Gaza, an aid organization highlighted a pernicious consequence of Israel's nearly 10-month assault: A hospital in the northern part of the enclave was forced to turn away many who arrived to give blood to help those wounded by bombs and bullets because the potential donors themselves were too malnourished and sick.
Gazans turned out in significant numbers in recent weeks to give blood at Al-Awda Hospital, an already underresourced facility that faced an influx of wounded patients following the Israeli military's latest attacks on Gaza City.
ActionAid International, a global humanitarian group, said Friday that "despite facing appalling personal circumstances, many people selflessly responded to Al-Awda Hospital's call-out for blood donations, but with the whole of Gaza at high risk of famine, many were deemed too unwell to undergo the process."
Dr. Mohammed Salha, the acting director of Al-Awda, said a "large percentage" of potential blood donors were turned away because they were "suffering from malnutrition." An estimated 96% of Gaza's population is facing crisis-level hunger.
"Malnutrition is widespread, specifically in the northern Gaza Strip," said Salha. "For over five months, no vegetables, fruit, or meat have been brought into the northern Gaza Strip."
Al-Awda is one of the few hospitals in Gaza that is still partially functioning amid Israel's devastating military assault, which has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians since October and sparked an unprecedented humanitarian emergency.
No one has been spared: Entire families, journalists, aid workers, nurses and doctors, and U.N. staff have been killed by the U.S.-armed Israeli military, and those who have survived have been repeatedly displaced and forced to live amid rotting trash, sewage, and the ruins of homes and buildings with little to no access to clean water, reliable food sources, bathrooms, and other necessities.
The fetid conditions have become what the World Health Organization described as a "perfect breeding ground for disease." Earlier this week, Gaza's Health Ministry declared the enclave a "polio epidemic zone" and warned the consequences could spill over into neighboring countries.
Lice, scabies, and rashes are also rampant in the enclave given overcrowded conditions. Israel's forced evacuations of large swaths of Gaza have meant that more than two million people have sought refuge in just 14% of the territory.
When it comes to politics, they are some of the loudest voices in Pennsylvania: left-leaning activist types who protest the fracking industry, rally for more public school funding, or join anti-war marches. When the Democrats put forward a 2022 gubernatorial candidate in then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro from the party’s center flank — with iconoclastic views on some issues important to progressives, like school vouchers — the noise coming from his left flank was truly remarkable.
Utter silence.
That’s because Shapiro, unchallenged in the 2022 primary, faced a GOP fall opponent in Doug Mastriano — a Christian nationalist state senator with ties on the extreme right, a record of 2020 election denial, and a fondness for the Confederacy — who was seen by many voters as a threat to democracy. Disagreements over issues like the future of fracking didn’t seem important compared to fears of what a Mastriano administration might do.
Two years later, Shapiro is considered one of the nation’s most popular governors — with an approval rating that’s gone as high as 61%. And with the surprise elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris to the top of the Democrat ticket and the party scrambling to make up lost ground in Pennsylvania, the largest swing state, Shapiro is one of the top contenders to become Harris’ running mate.
But that means the 51-year-old Shapiro’s rivals for the job aren’t right-wing Republicans like Mastriano but other Democrats like popular Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, the former astronaut married to anti-gun activist Gabby Giffords. Pennsylvania’s progressives, who bit their tongues in 2022 and have seen their grievances largely ignored in Harrisburg, are reverting to form. Many are speaking out against their home-state governor as a Democratic veep — raising questions among the party’s base that could derail his bid.
Upper Darby’s Colleen Kennedy, who represents Delaware County on the Democratic state committee, echoed other critics in saying that they’ll work hard for Harris no matter whom is picked. However, they contend, while Shapiro has some strong achievements that are comparable to his VP rivals, parts of his record make him a weaker choice for the Democrats.
“Shapiro has repeatedly pursued education policies that would permit discrimination against queer and trans students, disabled students, working class students, and immigrant students,” said Kennedy, in a criticism of his support for a school voucher plan. “We must continue to attract the political support of young people, who want to see accountability of rogue police departments, not student arrests” such as the raid on a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Pennsylvania urged by the governor.
Gaza remains under assault. Day 301 of the assault in the wave that began in October. Binoy Kampmark (DISSIDENT VOICE) points out, "Bloodletting as form; murder as fashion. The ongoing campaign in Gaza by Israel’s Defence Forces continues without stalling and restriction. But the burgeoning number of corpses is starting to become a challenge for the propaganda outlets: How to justify it? Fortunately for Israel, the United States, its unqualified defender, is happy to provide cover for murder covered in the sheath of self-defence." CNN has explained, "The Gaza Strip is 'the most dangerous place' in the world to be a child, according to the executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund." ABC NEWS quotes UNICEF's December 9th statement, ""The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. Scores of children are reportedly being killed and injured on a daily basis. Entire neighborhoods, where children used to play and go to school have been turned into stacks of rubble, with no life in them." NBC NEWS notes, "Strong majorities of all voters in the U.S. disapprove of President Joe Biden’s handling of foreign policy and the Israel-Hamas war, according to the latest national NBC News poll. The erosion is most pronounced among Democrats, a majority of whom believe Israel has gone too far in its military action in Gaza." The slaughter continues. It has displaced over 1 million people per the US Congressional Research Service. Jessica Corbett (COMMON DREAMS) points out, "Academics and legal experts around the world, including Holocaust scholars, have condemned the six-week Israeli assault of Gaza as genocide." The death toll of Palestinians in Gaza is grows higher and higher. United Nations Women noted, "More than 1.9 million people -- 85 per cent of the total population of Gaza -- have been displaced, including what UN Women estimates to be nearly 1 million women and girls. The entire population of Gaza -- roughly 2.2 million people -- are in crisis levels of acute food insecurity or worse." THE NATIONAL notes, "Gaza death toll rises to 39,480 with 91,128 wounded." Months ago, AP noted, "About 4,000 people are reported missing." February 7th, Jeremy Scahill explained on DEMOCRACY NOW! that "there’s an estimated 7,000 or 8,000 Palestinians missing, many of them in graves that are the rubble of their former home." February 5th, the United Nations' Phillipe Lazzarini Tweeted:
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