Shortages put infants, children at heightened risk; evidence of arbitrary field executions, torture of Gazans; UK Labor leader supports “inalienable right of Palestinian people”; American teen killed in West Bank; possible escalation in Lebanon in the offing; another strike on Houthis; Biden’s unrealistic expectations, Swiss investigating criminal complaint against Israeli president
Israel kills yet another journalist, destroys yet another university; Bosnian genocide survivors take up Gaza cause at ICJ; communication still down in Gaza after almost a week; deadly raids in West Bank kill 11; calls to ban Israel from the Olympics; Houthis’ message goes unheard by US; Ben Gvir declares open season on Palestinian “terrorists”; Biden, Netanyahu can’t agree on a Gaza plan; and more
Strong words from UNRWA; Gaza running out of ambulances; disabled Israeli soldiers; Netanyahu: “No one will stop us”; US federal employees to protest Biden’s Gaza policy Tuesday; Houthi news
A special bond between Palestine and South Africa; OCHA reports on Israel’s antagonism over humanitarian aid; deadly airstrike in Deir Al Balah; white-flag-waving grandmother killed; Israel’s bombing and climate change; Blinken claims don’t pass the smell test; ADL number-crunching; Palestinian prisoner annual report
In the first six weeks of the Israel-Gaza conflict, major U.S. newspapers disproportionately emphasized Israeli deaths; used emotive language to describe the killings of Israelis, but not Palestinians; and offered lopsided coverage of antisemitic acts in the U.S., while largely ignoring anti-Muslim racism in the wake of October 7.
The stakes for this routine devaluing of Palestinian lives couldn’t be higher: As the death toll in Gaza mounts, entire cities are leveled and rendered uninhabitable for years, and whole family lines are wiped out, the U.S. government has enormous influence as Israel’s primary patron and weapons supplier. The media’s presentation of the conflict means there are fewer political downsides to lockstep support for Israel.
Hunger, cold, and lack of basic necessities – plus Israeli bombardment put Gazans at risk; another journalist killed; Israel’s search for a place to send ethnically cleansed Gazans – and other post-war possibilities; West Bank death; Palestinian prisoners; MacDonalds boycott
Deputy Hamas chief assassinated in Beirut; kidnapped Palestinian babies and children; sound of prayer calls disappearing; Israel partially withdrawing from northern Gaza; vaccines in Gaza; 5 killed in West Bank; US deviates from script, criticizes Israeli leaders
Bodies of Palestinians stolen by Israel, returned, reportedly show signs of organ harvesting; 2 killed, 50 made homeless in West Bank; US gives Israel a tentative “No” to request for helicopters; Israel admits to killing 2 more of its own; Netanyahu floats idea of “voluntary transfer” of Gazans
Pope Francis speaks about Palestine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day; deadly airstrikes in Gaza, raids in West Bank; another video released of stripped Palestinian hostages
What we are seeing play out in Gaza daily is not “just another terrible war” but something altogether different. Its scale is comparable to the carpet-bombing of German cities in World War II. A staggering 70 percent of Palestinians killed so far have been women and children – setting Gaza apart from some of this century’s worst wars.