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Tag: Gaza

  • Thousands attend Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Bethlehem, the first since war in Gaza began

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    Thousands of people traveled from nearby towns and villages to attend Bethlehem’s annual Christmas Eve tree lighting ceremony in the city’s historic Manger Square. Historically an event filled with joy and wonder, it was the first such ceremony since the war in Gaza began in 2023. But hardly any tourists were in attendance.

    For more than two years, international tourists and Christian pilgrims have largely stayed away following Hamas’ deadly terrorist attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. As the war in Gaza raged, church leaders canceled Bethlehem’s public Christmas celebrations. 

    But this year, for Bethlehem Mayor Maher Canawati, the Trump administration-brokered ceasefire was reason enough to try to bring the faithful back to where the Christmas story began.

    “Bethlehem, you know, we are living from tourists, from tourism and from pilgrims who come to stay in our hotels, to eat in our restaurants, to buy our souvenirs that we’re producing here,” Canawati said. “And there was a complete halt on tourism for the past two years.”

    Members of the clergy take part in the yearly Christmas procession outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on Dec. 24, 2025. 

    Ilia Yefimovich /AFP via Getty Images


    Inside the 4th-century Church of the Nativity, one of the world’s oldest and most sacred Christian sites, around 15,000 visitors would arrive every day in times of peace. The absence of tourists has devastated Bethlehem’s tourism industry, and nearly its entire economy, driving unemployment up to 70%. Hotel vacancies have been at record highs.

    Muhammad Abu Jurah’s family has run a souvenir shop in Bethlehem for generations. But over the last two years, he’s been forced to lay off all six of his staff members.

    “We don’t have a lot of tourists because, you know, the war,” he said. “So, this is why they have a big problem in Bethlehem without tourists.”

    Matthew Qasis, who has worked as a tour guide in Bethlehem all of his adult life, says he’s never seen the area so quiet. 

    His message to Christians around the world: “Come back, because Bethlehem belongs to everyone, and Bethlehem is a message of love and peace. A message needed now more than ever, and a prayer of hope that the faithful return to the place where it’s believed Christmas began.” 

    Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, leads the yearly Christmas procession outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem

    The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, leads the yearly Christmas procession outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on Dec. 24, 2025. 

    ilia yefimovich /AFP via Getty Images


    Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Catholic Church’s top leader in the Holy Land and the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, commenced the holiday celebrations Wednesday during a traditional procession from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, the Associated Press reported. Pizzaballa called for “a Christmas full of light.”

    “After two years of darkness, we need light,” Pizzaballa said to the crowd in Manger Square, to whom the cardinal brought greetings from the small Christian community in Gaza, where he had held an early Christmas mass on Sunday, AP reported. “We, all together, we decide to be the light, and the light of Bethlehem is the light of the world.”

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  • 2025 Lie of the Year: Readers’ Choice winner

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    It’s time to announce PolitiFact’s Readers’ Choice winner for the 2025 Lie of the Year.

    But first, some background. We did something different with our readers’ poll this year. Historically, we’ve asked PolitiFact readers to choose one claim that they thought was the most significant falsehood or exaggeration that worked to undermine an accurate narrative. 

    This time, we wanted you to rank all the options on our ballot on a scale of one to 15, with one being the most significant falsehood and 15 being the least significant. We then looked at the average rank for each option from the 1,082 votes cast.

    PolitiFact editors pick the official winner. This year, PolitiFact is spotlighting three stories that exemplify the consequences of falsehoods in 2025, which we’re calling our Year of the Lies. 

    Our readers’ pick for the 2025 Lie of the Year — with an average ranking of 4.6 — is Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Pants on Fire claim that “there is no starvation in Gaza.”

    At the time of Netanyahu’s statement in July, the hunger crisis in Gaza was well documented in images, by United Nations data, news dispatches, first-person accounts and information from humanitarian organizations. 

    In August, a panel of experts backed by the U.N. confirmed famine in northern Gaza, noting in a report that “over half a million people in the Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic conditions characterised by starvation, destitution and death.”

    RELATED: Who decides when genocide has occurred? The long legal process hinges on proving intent 

    Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire that went into effect Oct. 10, increasing aid delivery. But as of Nov. 7, the U.N. said Gaza remains in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

    This year’s selection breaks readers’ four–year streak of choosing a claim from President Donald Trump as their Lie of the Year. In 2024, both readers and PolitiFact editors chose Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s claim that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were eating pets as the Lie of the Year. 

    Here’s how readers ranked our ballot. (Remember: A lower average rating reflects a higher ranking in the poll.) We included some readers’ comments, edited for clarity, about why they voted for certain falsehoods. 

    1. Netanyahu: “There is no starvation in Gaza.” Pants on Fire. Average rank: 4.6

    What readers said: 

    “I feel Netanyahu’s lie about people not starving in Gaza is the worst. He wants the U.S. to support Israel but then lies about the deplorable conditions his administration has helped create.  Regardless of who is to blame for the war, this is a terrible atrocity to overlook and brush under the rug.”

    “Despite most every word out of Trump’s mouth being either an outright lie or exaggeration, Netanyahu’s claim regarding ‘no starvation in Gaza’ was the most significant because its negative impact directly contributed to ending lives.”

    “One look at photos from Gaza says it all.” 

    “Genocide is the most significant of all these issues. It impacts all of humanity. I’m also concerned that world leaders are asking us to believe a false narrative when we can clearly see it with our own eyes or depend on fact checkers like PolitiFact to present independent factual information.”

    “Netanyahu’s lie is the most egregious, easy to disprove, and most impactful in the number of lives being erased by the lie.”

    2. Trump: The Jeffrey Epstein files “were made up by Comey. They were made up by Obama. They were made up by Biden.” Pants on Fire. Average rank: 4.8

    Facing backlash in July from his base over his administration’s handling of the Epstein files, Trump shifted blame to his Democratic predecessors and called the files a “hoax.” As pressure swelled in Congress, Trump signed a bill in November directing the Justice Department to release its files related to its investigation into Epstein, a convicted sex offender. 

    What readers said: 

    “Trump saying Biden and Comey made up the Epstein files is beyond preposterous and makes zero sense.”

    “Trump promised to release the Epstein files, and he has told lie after lie about them.”

    “Patently false, and it’s one more way victims of child sexual assault are being dismissed and re-victimized.”

    “The Epstein files were not the most important of the choices, but the lie was so out there, and Trump was constantly denying what the materials said, that it overwhelmed all the other lies.”

    3. Trump: Regarding boat strikes off the coast of Venezuela, “Every boat that we knock out we save 25,000 American lives.” Pants on Fire. Average rank: 5.6

    In September, the U.S. military began attacking boats off the coast of Venezuela in what the Trump administration called an effort to thwart drug smuggling. Experts questioned the legality of the strikes, which have killed more than 80 people as of Dec. 2. 

    In October, Trump said each boat strike had saved 25,000 American lives by destroying drugs before they reached the U.S. The Trump administration has provided no evidence about the type or quantity of drugs it says were on boats targeted by the military. The lack of information makes it impossible to know how many lethal drug doses could have been destroyed. Drug experts told PolitiFact that Venezuela plays a minor role in trafficking drugs that reach the U.S.

    What readers said: 

    “Trump’s claims about lives saved by his attacks on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific are not just statistical nonsense; they are a justification for acts that can only honestly be called murder and piracy — and not even murder under the color of law, since those killed were not given even the pretense of a trial.” 

    “There has been little transparency in bombing boats, and no precedent for doing so. Imagine the costs of deploying so much in resources to bombing boats that hold four to six people.”

    “When a president lies to justify killing people, we have lost the moral high ground and our reputation as a nation of laws.”

    “It was a difficult decision. Netanyahu’s claim is so blatantly false that it borders on evil. However, the outrageous executions of what are likely fishermen off the coast of Venezuela pushed me to prioritize this issue, as it signifies a continuing erosion of our country’s traditions and values. Therefore, I have to give it the top spot.” 

    The rest of the ballot 

    1. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: “Tariffs are a tax cut for the American people.” False. Average rank: 5.7

    2. Trump: “Portland is burning to the ground.” Pants on Fire. Average rank: 5.8

    3. Vice President JD Vance: Democrats shut down the government to give health care to illegal immigrants. False. Average rank: 5.9

    4. (tie with below) Trump: Regarding his campaign promise to deport “the worst of the worst,” said “That’s what we’re doing.” See our check. Average rank: 6.9 

    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth: “Nobody was texting war plans” in the Trump administration Signal group text about bombing Yemen. False. Average rank: 6.9 (Tied with above)

    1. Trump: Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia “had ‘MS-13’ on his knuckles tattooed. … He had ‘MS’ as clear as you can be. Not ‘interpreted.’” Pants on Fire. Average rank: 7.2

    2. Trump: “There’s no downside” to not taking Tylenol when you’re pregnant. Pants on Fire. Average rank: 7.7

    3. U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah: The suspect in the Minnesota lawmakers’ shootings was driven by “Marxist” ideology. Pants on Fire. Average rank: 9.1

    4. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker: The federal government “decided to shut down the SNAP machines, so that they can’t be used.” False. Average rank: 12

    5. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries: “Republicans have effectively ended medical research in the United States of America.” Mostly False. Average rank: 12.1

    6. Jeffries: “The Trump administration just declared that erecting a ballroom is the president’s main priority,” rather than issues such as the cost of living and health care. False. Average rank: 12.5

    7. Social media posts, left-wing influencers: The “Trump is dead” Labor Day weekend conspiracy theory. Special report. Average rank: 12.8

    THIS YEAR: What to make of an abysmal year for truth? PolitiFact names 2025 the Year of the Lies

    LOOKING BACK: Revisit PolitiFact’s Lies of the Year, 2009 to 2025

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  • Video released of dead Israeli hostages marking Hanukkah in captivity

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    Haley Ott reports on a newly released video showing six Israeli hostages, months before their deaths in Gaza, marking Hanukkah in captivity.

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  • What courts rule on genocide?

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    Email interview with Shannon Fyfe, a law professor and international criminal law expert at Washington and Lee University’s School of Law, Oct. 7, 2025

    Email interview with Laura Rusu, national director of marketing and communications for Amnesty International USA, Oct. 6, 2025

    Email interview with Yair Dvir, a spokesperson for B’Tselem, Oct. 4, 2025 and Nov. 4, 2025

    Interview with Michael Lynk, law professor at Western University, in London, Ontario, Oct. 8, 2025

    Interview with A. Dirk Moses, professor of international relations at the City University of New York, Oct. 9, 2025

    Interview with Sara E. Brown, genocide scholar and regional director at the American Jewish Committee, Oct. 13, 2025

    Email interview with Omer Bartov, Brown University Holocaust and genocide studies professor, Oct. 7, 2025

    Email interview William Schabas, professor of international law at Middlesex University, Oct. 9, 2025

    ABC News, As Israel warned Gaza civilians to evacuate, IDF bombs struck city described as sanctuary, Jan. 25, 2024

    Al Jazeera, Foreign doctors say Israel systematically targeting Gaza’s children: Report, Sept. 14, 2025

    Al Jazeera, Israel still blocking most Gaza aid as military carries out more attacks, Nov. 1, 2025

    Al Jazeera, Israel’s genocide in Gaza has not stopped, despite the ceasefire: Analysts, Dec. 2, 2025 

    Al Jazeera, The last 30 minutes inside a Gaza City tower before it is bombed by Israel, Sept. 11, 2025

    Al Jazeera, Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene decries ‘genocide’ in Gaza, July 29, 2025

    Al Jazeera, Trump announces Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal: What we know and what’s next, Oct. 13, 2025

    American Jewish Committee, 5 Reasons Why the Events in Gaza Are Not “Genocide,” Sept. 16, 2025

    American Jewish Committee, AJC Statement on Outrageous ICJ Order on Provisional Measures, May 24, 2024

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    American Society of International Law, World Court finds Serbia Responsible for Breaches of Genocide Convention, but Not Liable for Committing Genocide, April 3, 2007

    American University, What Do ICC Arrest Warrants Mean for Israel and the War in Gaza? Nov. 25, 2024

    Amnesty International, Amnesty International investigation concludes Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, Dec. 5, 2024

    Amnesty International, Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza continues unabated despite ceasefire, Nov. 27, 2025

    Amnesty International Israel, Amnesty Israel Does not Accept the Main Findings of the Report by Amnesty International Global Movement which Accuses Israel of Genocide, May 12, 2024

    Amnesty International Israel, The alternative hypothesis to Israeli intent to commit genocide, Aug. 12, 2024

    Anadolu Ajansı, OPINION – Trump’s Gaza plan through the lens of international law, Feb. 19, 2025

    Associated Press, Live updates: Hamas frees living hostages and Israel releases prisoners as Trump visits the region, Oct. 13, 2024

    Associated Press, Photos show Palestinians enduring war and hunger in Gaza, July 22, 2025

    Associated Press, Top genocide scholars accuse Israel of genocide as strikes across Gaza kill at least 31 Palestinians, Sept. 1, 2025 

    Associated Press, UN assembly votes overwhelmingly to back two-state solution to Israel-Palestinian conflict, Sept. 12, 2025

    Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, Half believe Israel’s military response in the Gaza Strip has gone too far, Sept. 18, 2025

    Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, Public opinion of the Israel and Hamas conflict nearly a year after the October 7th attacks, October 2024

    Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, The November 2023 AP-NORC Center Poll, November 2023

    Axios, No. 2 House Democrat Katherine Clark calls Gaza war a ‘genocide’, Aug. 15, 2025

    BBC, ‘I’m calling from Israeli intelligence. We have the order to bomb. You have two hours,’ Nov. 8, 2023

    BBC, Five killed in Israeli air strikes on tents near Khan Younis, medics say, Dec. 3, 2025 

    BBC, Gaza: Israel allows aid in after 11-week blockade but UN calls it ‘drop in ocean,’ May 19, 2025

    BBC, Gaza evacuation warnings from IDF contain many errors, BBC finds, April 5, 2024 

    BBC, Israel committing genocide in Gaza, world’s leading experts say, Sept. 1, 2025

    BBC, Israeli double strike on Gaza hospital – what we know, Aug. 26, 2025 

    BBC, Israeli rights groups accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza, July 28, 2025

    BBC, Khmer Rouge: What did a 16-year genocide trial achieve? Sept. 22, 2022

    BBC, Palestinians say ‘there’s no place left’ as Israel orders all residents to evacuate Gaza City, Sept. 9, 2025

    BBC, What did ICJ ruling mean in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel?, May 17, 2024 

    BBC, What does ICJ ruling on Israel’s Rafah offensive mean?, May 28, 2024

    B’Tselem, Our Genocide, July 2025

    CBS News, Israel says Gaza ceasefire back on after dozens of Palestinians killed in airstrikes, Oct. 29, 2025

    CNN, Gaza starvation warning from aid agencies as Israel urged to end blockade, July 24, 2025

    CNN, Israel shows alleged Hamas ‘armory’ under children’s hospital in Gaza. Local health officials dismiss the claims, Nov. 14, 2023

    CNN, They followed evacuation orders. An Israeli airstrike killed them the next day, Oct. 17, 2023

    Commentary, Closing the Book on ‘Genocide,’ ‘Deliberate Starvation’ and other Modern Libels – Commentary Magazine, Oct. 23, 2025

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    Gallup, 32% in U.S. Back Israel’s Military Action in Gaza, a New Low, July 29, 2025

    Harvard Human Rights Journal, Reading Lemkin Today: Is Genocide Law Fit for the Purpose He Intended? June 25, 2025

    Human Rights Watch, Extermination and Acts of Genocide: Israel Deliberately Depriving Palestinians in Gaza of Water, Dec. 19, 2024

    Human Rights Watch, No Exit in Gaza, April 1, 2024

    Indiana University Bloomington’s Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, The Genocide Libel: How the World Has Charged Israel with Genocide, February 2025

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    MSN.com, Israeli Amb. To United Nations: ‘There is no genocide in Gaza,’ Aug. 4, 2025

    NBC News, Rep. Rashida Tlaib accuses Biden of supporting ‘genocide’ of Palestinian people, Nov. 3, 2023

    NPR, A fragile Gaza ceasefire is tested after Israel and Hamas swap detainees and hostages, Oct. 14, 2025

    NPR, A question of intent: Is what’s happening in Gaza genocide?, Sept. 25, 2025

    NPR, The Geneva Conventions protect hospitals during war. But the safeguard isn’t absolute, Nov. 10, 2023 

    NPR, U.K., Canada and Australia recognize a Palestinian state, despite U.S. opposition, Sept. 21, 2025

    NPR, War scholar discusses why he does not think there is a genocide in Gaza, July 29, 2025

    PBS, Israel says Rafah crossing will stay closed ‘until further notice’ as it pushes Hamas for hostages’ remains, Oct. 18, 2025

    PBS, More Americans feel Israel has ‘gone too far’ in Gaza, AP-NORC poll shows, Sept. 18, 2025

    PBS, U.S. again vetoes UN Security Council resolution demanding Gaza ceasefire, hostage release, Sept. 18, 2025

    PBS News, Israel rejects genocide charges, claims ‘legitimate’ self defense at United Nations’ top court, Jan. 12, 2024 

    PBS News, Israel says its strikes on a Gaza hospital were targeting what it called a Hamas surveillance camera, Aug. 26, 2025

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    Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, Genocide in Gaza | רופאים לזכויות אדם, July 28, 2025

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    PolitiFact, Netanyahu’s ‘no starvation in Gaza’ statement contradicts extensive evidence of hunger crisis, July 29, 2025 

    PolitiFact, One year after Oct. 7, 2023, attack: The evolution of misinformation about Israel and Gaza, Oct. 4, 2024

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  • 12/7: CBS Weekend News

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    12/7: CBS Weekend News – CBS News









































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    Calls grow for video of second U.S. strike on alleged drug boat; Russia praises Trump’s national security plan.

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  • Palestinian death toll has surpassed 70,000 since the Israel-Hamas war began, Gaza ministry says

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    The Palestinian death toll has surpassed 70,000 since the Israel-Hamas war began, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Saturday, while a hospital said that Israeli fire killed two Palestinian children in the territory’s south.The toll has continued to rise after the latest ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10. Israel still carries out strikes in response to what it has called violations of the truce, and bodies from earlier in the war are being recovered from the rubble.The Health Ministry says the Palestinian toll is now 70,100. The ministry operates under the Hamas-run government. It is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by the international community.The war began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and militants taking more than 250 hostages. Almost all of the hostages or their remains have been returned in ceasefires or other deals.Staff at Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies of the children in southern Gaza, said the brothers, ages 8 and 11, died when an Israeli drone struck close to a school sheltering displaced people in the town of Beni Suhaila.Israel’s military said it killed two people who crossed into an Israeli-controlled area, “conducted suspicious activities” and approached troops. The statement didn’t mention children. The military said it also killed another person in a separate but similar incident in the south.At least 352 Palestinians have been killed across the territory since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on Oct. 10, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.Israel says its strikes are aimed at militants violating the truce. Both Israel and Hamas have accused the other of violating the deal. Hamas again urged mediators on Saturday to pressure Israel to stop what it called ceasefire violations in Gaza.A U.S. blueprint outlining the future of Gaza, which has been devastated by more than two years of war, is still in the early stages. The plan to secure and govern the territory authorizes an international stabilization force to provide security, approves a transitional authority to be overseen by U.S. President Donald Trump and envisions a possible future path to an independent Palestinian state.Israeli forces have pushed forward on a number of other fronts in the region in recent weeks.Syrian officials said that Israeli forces raided a Syrian village on Friday and opened fire when they were confronted by residents, killing at least 13 people. Israel said it conducted the operation to apprehend suspects of a militant group planning attacks in Israel, and that the militants opened fire at troops, wounding six.Israel also has escalated strikes in Lebanon, saying it’s targeting Hezbollah sites and asserting that the militant group is attempting to rearm.Hezbollah called on Pope Leo XIV to “reject injustice and aggression,” in reference to the near-daily Israeli strikes, despite a ceasefire that ended the 14-month war between the two sides a year ago. The pope is visiting the region on his first foreign trip.In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Israeli soldiers were accused by Palestinians of executing two men on Thursday after footage aired by two Arab television stations showed troops shooting the men after they appeared to surrender. The Israeli military said that it was investigating.Israeli settler violence has continued to rise in the West Bank. On Saturday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said that 10 Palestinians were injured by beatings and live ammunition during settler attacks in Khallet al-Louza village close to Bethlehem.

    DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip —

    The Palestinian death toll has surpassed 70,000 since the Israel-Hamas war began, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Saturday, while a hospital said that Israeli fire killed two Palestinian children in the territory’s south.

    The toll has continued to rise after the latest ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10. Israel still carries out strikes in response to what it has called violations of the truce, and bodies from earlier in the war are being recovered from the rubble.

    The Health Ministry says the Palestinian toll is now 70,100. The ministry operates under the Hamas-run government. It is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by the international community.

    The war began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and militants taking more than 250 hostages. Almost all of the hostages or their remains have been returned in ceasefires or other deals.

    Staff at Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies of the children in southern Gaza, said the brothers, ages 8 and 11, died when an Israeli drone struck close to a school sheltering displaced people in the town of Beni Suhaila.

    Israel’s military said it killed two people who crossed into an Israeli-controlled area, “conducted suspicious activities” and approached troops. The statement didn’t mention children. The military said it also killed another person in a separate but similar incident in the south.

    At least 352 Palestinians have been killed across the territory since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on Oct. 10, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.

    Israel says its strikes are aimed at militants violating the truce. Both Israel and Hamas have accused the other of violating the deal. Hamas again urged mediators on Saturday to pressure Israel to stop what it called ceasefire violations in Gaza.

    A U.S. blueprint outlining the future of Gaza, which has been devastated by more than two years of war, is still in the early stages. The plan to secure and govern the territory authorizes an international stabilization force to provide security, approves a transitional authority to be overseen by U.S. President Donald Trump and envisions a possible future path to an independent Palestinian state.

    Israeli forces have pushed forward on a number of other fronts in the region in recent weeks.

    Syrian officials said that Israeli forces raided a Syrian village on Friday and opened fire when they were confronted by residents, killing at least 13 people. Israel said it conducted the operation to apprehend suspects of a militant group planning attacks in Israel, and that the militants opened fire at troops, wounding six.

    Israel also has escalated strikes in Lebanon, saying it’s targeting Hezbollah sites and asserting that the militant group is attempting to rearm.

    Hezbollah called on Pope Leo XIV to “reject injustice and aggression,” in reference to the near-daily Israeli strikes, despite a ceasefire that ended the 14-month war between the two sides a year ago. The pope is visiting the region on his first foreign trip.

    In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Israeli soldiers were accused by Palestinians of executing two men on Thursday after footage aired by two Arab television stations showed troops shooting the men after they appeared to surrender. The Israeli military said that it was investigating.

    Israeli settler violence has continued to rise in the West Bank. On Saturday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said that 10 Palestinians were injured by beatings and live ammunition during settler attacks in Khallet al-Louza village close to Bethlehem.

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  • Israel identifies the latest remains returned from Gaza as hostage Dror Or

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    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel had identified the latest remains returned from Gaza as hostage Dror Or.That leaves the bodies of two hostages in Gaza as the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement nears a conclusion.Palestinian militants released Or’s remains Tuesday.Israel has agreed to release 15 Palestinian bodies for each hostage returned.Dror Or was killed by Islamic Jihad militants who overran his home in Kibbutz Beeri on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel’s military said. His wife, Yonat Or, was also killed in the attack.That day, Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people across southern Israel and abducted 251 to Gaza. Kibbutz Beeri was one of the hardest-hit farming communities in that attack that started the war in Gaza.Two of Or’s children, Alma and Noam, were abducted by the militants on Oct. 7 and released in a hostage deal in November 2023.Almost all of the hostages or their remains have been returned in ceasefires or other deals. The remains of two — one Israeli and one Thai national— are still in Gaza.Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 69,700 Palestinians have been killed and 170,800 injured in Israel’s retaliatory offensive. The toll has increased during the ceasefire, both from new Israeli strikes and from the recovery and identification of bodies of people killed earlier in the war.The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its figures, but has said women and children make up a majority of those killed. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by independent experts.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel had identified the latest remains returned from Gaza as hostage Dror Or.

    That leaves the bodies of two hostages in Gaza as the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement nears a conclusion.

    Palestinian militants released Or’s remains Tuesday.

    Israel has agreed to release 15 Palestinian bodies for each hostage returned.

    Dror Or was killed by Islamic Jihad militants who overran his home in Kibbutz Beeri on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel’s military said. His wife, Yonat Or, was also killed in the attack.

    That day, Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people across southern Israel and abducted 251 to Gaza. Kibbutz Beeri was one of the hardest-hit farming communities in that attack that started the war in Gaza.

    Two of Or’s children, Alma and Noam, were abducted by the militants on Oct. 7 and released in a hostage deal in November 2023.

    Almost all of the hostages or their remains have been returned in ceasefires or other deals. The remains of two — one Israeli and one Thai national— are still in Gaza.

    Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 69,700 Palestinians have been killed and 170,800 injured in Israel’s retaliatory offensive. The toll has increased during the ceasefire, both from new Israeli strikes and from the recovery and identification of bodies of people killed earlier in the war.

    The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its figures, but has said women and children make up a majority of those killed. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by independent experts.

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  • Palestinian groups hand over more remains to Red Cross in Gaza Strip

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    Militant Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have handed over another body to staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

    The remains are those of a hostage abducted from Israel, Hamas and Islamic Jihad said on Tuesday.

    The Red Cross staff are on their way to representatives of the Israeli army with a coffin, the military said, adding that the identity of the remains must then be clarified at a forensic institute in Tel Aviv.

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    Before the handover, there were still three dead hostages in Gaza, including a Thai national kidnapped from Israel.

    Israel and Hamas agreed on the handover of bodies as part of the ceasefire agreement in October.

    According to the agreement, for every Israeli hostage whose remains are handed over, Israel must hand over the remains of 15 deceased Gaza residents.

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  • New Gaza militia declares war on Hamas: ‘Your dirty shoes are more honorable’

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    ‘Whoever says ‘no’ to Hamas is a hero. It’s those traitors that need to be dealt with,” Nasira said.

    Footage published over the weekend revealed that another anti-Hamas militia has been established in the Gaza Strip.

    The militia is headed by Shawqi Abu Nasira, who, according to media reports, formerly served as a Palestinian Authority officer. The published footage showed Nasira addressing a line of masked men standing at attention.

    “This is for Hamas to hear. Your dirty shoes are more honorable than the biggest beard in Hamas,” he told the assembled men, according to a translation published on X/Twitter by the Center for Peace Communications.

    Speaking to N12, Hossam al-Astal, leader of the Counter-Terrorism Strike Force militia, noted that Nasira’s militia is the fifth such group in Gaza.

    Shawqi Abu Nasira addressing his militia men in Khan Yunis, Gaza. November, 2025. (credit: SCREENSHOT/X)

    “There are now five militias operating in the Strip,” Astal told N12. “Abu Nasira has been in eastern Khan Yunis for several months. I started with four people, and today I have hundreds. We will put an end to Hamas. We are the day after.”

    “ Instead of trying to arrest me as a collaborator, how about you catch my d**k! From Hamas leader [Khalil] al Hayya down to the least of them,” Nasira said. “We aren’t afraid of their barking because we are…”

    ‘Death to Hamas!’ militia men chant

    The assembled men responded by shouting, “Lions!” The men thereafter chant “Death to Hamas!”

    Nasira continued, labeling the Iranians “the enemies of Islam and Sunnis” and told the assembled militia men, “You’re not Israeli collaborators. You are the best among the people. Whoever says ‘no’ to Hamas is a hero. Whether it’s me or anyone else, whoever says ‘no’ to Hamas is a hero. It’s those traitors that need to be dealt with.”

    Finally, he slams Hamas for obsessing over catching “collaborators” and asks, “If they aren’t spies and collaborators themselves, why don’t they start walking the streets without masks on?”

    Following the publishing of the footage, Abu Nasira issued a public statement disavowing Nasira and affirming its alignment with Hamas.

    “The Abu Nasira family in the homeland and diaspora affirms its adherence to the national principles and its complete alignment with the ranks of our people and its valiant resistance,” the statement read. “Regarding the actions of the individual known as Shawqi Abu Nasira and his joining the groups of the mercenary collaborator Yasser Abu Shabab, we hereby declare our complete disavowal of these behaviors, and we affirm that they represent none but their perpetrator.”

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  • Israel launches new strikes in Gaza after reported attacks against IDF troops

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    Israel’s military on Saturday said it launched airstrikes against Hamas terrorists in Gaza in the latest test of the ceasefire that began on Oct. 10. Health officials in Gaza reported at least 14 people killed and another 45 wounded, including children.

    Similar waves of strikes have occurred during the ceasefire after reported attacks against Israeli forces.

    The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that an “armed terrorist” used a road through which aid enters the territory to cross the yellow line that was established in last month’s ceasefire. The boundary leaves Gaza’s border zone under the control of Israel’s military, while the area beyond it is meant to serve as a safe zone. The person fired at soldiers and was killed by the IDF, the Israeli military said. No IDF injuries were reported.

    The IDF called the incursion a “blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement” and said that in response, it had begun striking “Hamas terror targets in the Gaza Strip.”

    In a separate statement, Israel’s military said its soldiers killed three “terrorists” in the Rafah area, and killed two others after firing at four people who crossed into Israeli-held areas in northern Gaza and advanced toward soldiers in two separate incidents. 

    In a statement, Hamas accused Israel of “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement. The terror group accused Israel of altering the terms of the deal and asked that the United States “fulfill its commitments, compel the occupation to implement its obligations, and confront its attempts to undermine the path toward a ceasefire in Gaza.” 

    An injured Palestinian man is wheeled into Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah following Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025.

    Abdel Kareem Hana / AP


    One strike targeted a vehicle, killing seven and wounding 18 Palestinians in Gaza City’s Rimal neighborhood, said Rami Mhanna, managing director of Shifa Hospital, where the casualties were taken. The majority of those wounded were children, director Mohamed Abu Selmiya said.

    Another strike targeting a house near Al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza killed at least three people and wounded 11 others, according to the hospital. It said a strike on a house in Nuseirat camp in central Gaza killed one child and wounded 16 others.

    And a strike targeting a house in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza killed three people, including a woman, according to Al-Aqsa Hospital.

    The IDF said that its Southern Command troops remain deployed in accordance with the ceasefire agreement, and said they “will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat.” 

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  • Photos You Should See – November 2025

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    Photos You Should See – November 2025

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    Michael A. Brooks

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  • South Africa investigates mystery of a plane that arrived with more than 150 Palestinians from Gaza

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    South Africa’s intelligence services are investigating who was behind a chartered plane that landed in Johannesburg with more than 150 Palestinians from war-ravaged Gaza who did not have proper travel documents and were held onboard on the tarmac for around 12 hours as a result, the country’s president said Friday.The plane landed Thursday morning at O.R. Tambo International Airport, but passengers were not allowed to disembark until late that night after immigration interviews with the Palestinians found they could not say where or how long they were staying in South Africa, South Africa’s border agency said.It said the Palestinians also did not have exit stamps or slips that would normally be issued by Israeli authorities to people leaving Gaza.The actions of South African authorities in initially refusing to allow the passengers off the plane provoked fierce criticism from non-governmental organizations, who said the 153 Palestinians — who included families with children and one woman who is nine months pregnant — were kept in dire conditions on the plane, which was extremely hot and had no food or water.South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said there was an investigation to uncover how the Palestinians came to South Africa via a stopover in Nairobi, Kenya.“These are people from Gaza who somehow mysteriously were put on a plane that passed by Nairobi and came here,” Ramaphosa said.Palestinians being ‘exploited’The Palestinian Embassy in South Africa said in a statement the flight was arranged by “an unregistered and misleading organization that exploited the tragic humanitarian conditions of our people in Gaza, deceived families, collected money from them, and facilitated their travel in an irregular and irresponsible manner. This entity later attempted to disown any responsibility once complications arose.”It didn’t name who chartered the flight, but an Israeli military official, speaking anonymously to discuss confidential information, said an organization called Al-Majd arranged the transport of about 150 Palestinians from Gaza to South Africa.The official said that Israel escorted buses organized by Al-Majd that brought Palestinians from a meeting point in the Gaza Strip to the Kerem Shalom crossing. Then buses from Al-Majd picked the Palestinians up and brought them to Ramon airport in Israel, where they were flown out of the country.South African authorities said 23 of the Palestinians had traveled onward to other countries, without naming those countries, but 130 remained and were allowed in after intervention from South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs and an offer by an NGO called Gift of the Givers to accommodate them.“Even though they do not have the necessary documents and papers, these are people from a strife-torn, a war-torn country, and out of compassion, out of empathy, we must receive them and be able to deal with the situation that they are facing,” Ramaphosa said.Shadowy operationThe secretive nature of the flight raised fears among rights groups that it marked an attempt by the Israeli government to push Palestinians from Gaza.Israel’s foreign ministry referred questions to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli authority responsible for implementing civilian policies in the Palestinian territories. It said the Palestinians on the charter plane left the Gaza Strip after it received approval from a third country to receive them as part of an Israeli government policy allowing Gaza residents to leave. It didn’t name the third country.Around 40,000 people have left Gaza since the start of the war under the policy.Israel’s government had embraced a pledge by U.S. President Donald Trump to empty Gaza permanently of its more than 2 million Palestinians — a plan rights groups said would amount to ethnic cleansing. At the time, Trump said they would not be allowed to return.Trump has since backed away from this plan and brokered a ceasefire between Israel and the militant group Hamas that allows Palestinians to remain in Gaza.South African leader Ramaphosa said that it appeared the Palestinians who arrived in Johannesburg were being “flushed out” of Gaza, without elaborating. The comment followed allegations by two South African NGO representatives who claimed that Al-Majd was affiliated with Israel and working to remove Palestinians from Gaza.They offered no evidence for the claims and COGAT didn’t respond to a request for comment on those allegations.Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman, one of those to allege involvement by what he called “Israel’s front organizations,” said this was the second plane to arrive in South Africa in mysterious circumstances after one that landed with more than 170 Palestinians onboard on Oct. 28. The arrival of that flight was not announced by authorities.Sooliman said the passengers on the latest plane did not initially know where they were going and were given no food for the two days it took to travel to Johannesburg.“They were given nothing on the plane itself and this must be challenged and investigated,” Sooliman said.South Africa has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause and a critic of Israel and has led the international pro-Palestinian movement by accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza in a highly contentious case at the United Nations’ top court. Israel denies committing genocide and has denounced South Africa as the “legal arm” of Hamas.The people that ended up in South Africa underlined the desperation of Palestinians following a two-year war that has killed more than 69,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and reduced the territory to rubble. The ministry’s death toll does not distinguish between militants and civilians, but it says more than half of those killed were women and children. A fragile ceasefire is in place.Jerusalem-based organizationAn organization called Al-Majd Europe has previously been linked to facilitating travel for Palestinians out of Gaza. It describes itself on its website as a humanitarian organization founded in 2010 in Germany and based in Jerusalem that provides aid and rescue efforts to Muslim communities in conflict zones.The website does not list office phone numbers or its exact address. It states that Al-Majd Europe works with a variety of organizations including 15 international agencies, but no organizations are listed and a “will be announced soon” message was displayed in that section on Friday.Another message that appeared Friday on the website said people were impersonating it to request money or cryptocurrency “under the pretext of facilitating travel or humanitarian aid.” Al-Majd Europe didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment sent to an email address given on its site. Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa, and Frankel reported from Jerusalem. Michelle Gumede and Mogomotsi Magome contributed to this report.

    South Africa’s intelligence services are investigating who was behind a chartered plane that landed in Johannesburg with more than 150 Palestinians from war-ravaged Gaza who did not have proper travel documents and were held onboard on the tarmac for around 12 hours as a result, the country’s president said Friday.

    The plane landed Thursday morning at O.R. Tambo International Airport, but passengers were not allowed to disembark until late that night after immigration interviews with the Palestinians found they could not say where or how long they were staying in South Africa, South Africa’s border agency said.

    It said the Palestinians also did not have exit stamps or slips that would normally be issued by Israeli authorities to people leaving Gaza.

    The actions of South African authorities in initially refusing to allow the passengers off the plane provoked fierce criticism from non-governmental organizations, who said the 153 Palestinians — who included families with children and one woman who is nine months pregnant — were kept in dire conditions on the plane, which was extremely hot and had no food or water.

    South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said there was an investigation to uncover how the Palestinians came to South Africa via a stopover in Nairobi, Kenya.

    “These are people from Gaza who somehow mysteriously were put on a plane that passed by Nairobi and came here,” Ramaphosa said.

    Palestinians being ‘exploited’

    The Palestinian Embassy in South Africa said in a statement the flight was arranged by “an unregistered and misleading organization that exploited the tragic humanitarian conditions of our people in Gaza, deceived families, collected money from them, and facilitated their travel in an irregular and irresponsible manner. This entity later attempted to disown any responsibility once complications arose.”

    It didn’t name who chartered the flight, but an Israeli military official, speaking anonymously to discuss confidential information, said an organization called Al-Majd arranged the transport of about 150 Palestinians from Gaza to South Africa.

    The official said that Israel escorted buses organized by Al-Majd that brought Palestinians from a meeting point in the Gaza Strip to the Kerem Shalom crossing. Then buses from Al-Majd picked the Palestinians up and brought them to Ramon airport in Israel, where they were flown out of the country.

    South African authorities said 23 of the Palestinians had traveled onward to other countries, without naming those countries, but 130 remained and were allowed in after intervention from South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs and an offer by an NGO called Gift of the Givers to accommodate them.

    “Even though they do not have the necessary documents and papers, these are people from a strife-torn, a war-torn country, and out of compassion, out of empathy, we must receive them and be able to deal with the situation that they are facing,” Ramaphosa said.

    Shadowy operation

    The secretive nature of the flight raised fears among rights groups that it marked an attempt by the Israeli government to push Palestinians from Gaza.

    Israel’s foreign ministry referred questions to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli authority responsible for implementing civilian policies in the Palestinian territories. It said the Palestinians on the charter plane left the Gaza Strip after it received approval from a third country to receive them as part of an Israeli government policy allowing Gaza residents to leave. It didn’t name the third country.

    Around 40,000 people have left Gaza since the start of the war under the policy.

    Israel’s government had embraced a pledge by U.S. President Donald Trump to empty Gaza permanently of its more than 2 million Palestinians — a plan rights groups said would amount to ethnic cleansing. At the time, Trump said they would not be allowed to return.

    Trump has since backed away from this plan and brokered a ceasefire between Israel and the militant group Hamas that allows Palestinians to remain in Gaza.

    South African leader Ramaphosa said that it appeared the Palestinians who arrived in Johannesburg were being “flushed out” of Gaza, without elaborating. The comment followed allegations by two South African NGO representatives who claimed that Al-Majd was affiliated with Israel and working to remove Palestinians from Gaza.

    They offered no evidence for the claims and COGAT didn’t respond to a request for comment on those allegations.

    Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman, one of those to allege involvement by what he called “Israel’s front organizations,” said this was the second plane to arrive in South Africa in mysterious circumstances after one that landed with more than 170 Palestinians onboard on Oct. 28. The arrival of that flight was not announced by authorities.

    Sooliman said the passengers on the latest plane did not initially know where they were going and were given no food for the two days it took to travel to Johannesburg.

    “They were given nothing on the plane itself and this must be challenged and investigated,” Sooliman said.

    South Africa has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause and a critic of Israel and has led the international pro-Palestinian movement by accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza in a highly contentious case at the United Nations’ top court. Israel denies committing genocide and has denounced South Africa as the “legal arm” of Hamas.

    The people that ended up in South Africa underlined the desperation of Palestinians following a two-year war that has killed more than 69,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and reduced the territory to rubble. The ministry’s death toll does not distinguish between militants and civilians, but it says more than half of those killed were women and children. A fragile ceasefire is in place.

    Jerusalem-based organization

    An organization called Al-Majd Europe has previously been linked to facilitating travel for Palestinians out of Gaza. It describes itself on its website as a humanitarian organization founded in 2010 in Germany and based in Jerusalem that provides aid and rescue efforts to Muslim communities in conflict zones.

    The website does not list office phone numbers or its exact address. It states that Al-Majd Europe works with a variety of organizations including 15 international agencies, but no organizations are listed and a “will be announced soon” message was displayed in that section on Friday.

    Another message that appeared Friday on the website said people were impersonating it to request money or cryptocurrency “under the pretext of facilitating travel or humanitarian aid.” Al-Majd Europe didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment sent to an email address given on its site.

    Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa, and Frankel reported from Jerusalem. Michelle Gumede and Mogomotsi Magome contributed to this report.

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  • South Africa investigates mystery of a plane that arrived with more than 150 Palestinians from Gaza

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    South Africa’s intelligence services are investigating who was behind a chartered plane that landed in Johannesburg with more than 150 Palestinians from war-ravaged Gaza who did not have proper travel documents and were held onboard on the tarmac for around 12 hours as a result, the country’s president said Friday.The plane landed Thursday morning at O.R. Tambo International Airport, but passengers were not allowed to disembark until late that night after immigration interviews with the Palestinians found they could not say where or how long they were staying in South Africa, South Africa’s border agency said.It said the Palestinians also did not have exit stamps or slips that would normally be issued by Israeli authorities to people leaving Gaza.The actions of South African authorities in initially refusing to allow the passengers off the plane provoked fierce criticism from non-governmental organizations, who said the 153 Palestinians — who included families with children and one woman who is nine months pregnant — were kept in dire conditions on the plane, which was extremely hot and had no food or water.South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said there was an investigation to uncover how the Palestinians came to South Africa via a stopover in Nairobi, Kenya.“These are people from Gaza who somehow mysteriously were put on a plane that passed by Nairobi and came here,” Ramaphosa said.Palestinians being ‘exploited’The Palestinian Embassy in South Africa said in a statement the flight was arranged by “an unregistered and misleading organization that exploited the tragic humanitarian conditions of our people in Gaza, deceived families, collected money from them, and facilitated their travel in an irregular and irresponsible manner. This entity later attempted to disown any responsibility once complications arose.”It didn’t name who chartered the flight, but an Israeli military official, speaking anonymously to discuss confidential information, said an organization called Al-Majd arranged the transport of about 150 Palestinians from Gaza to South Africa.The official said that Israel escorted buses organized by Al-Majd that brought Palestinians from a meeting point in the Gaza Strip to the Kerem Shalom crossing. Then buses from Al-Majd picked the Palestinians up and brought them to Ramon airport in Israel, where they were flown out of the country.South African authorities said 23 of the Palestinians had traveled onward to other countries, without naming those countries, but 130 remained and were allowed in after intervention from South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs and an offer by an NGO called Gift of the Givers to accommodate them.“Even though they do not have the necessary documents and papers, these are people from a strife-torn, a war-torn country, and out of compassion, out of empathy, we must receive them and be able to deal with the situation that they are facing,” Ramaphosa said.Shadowy operationThe secretive nature of the flight raised fears among rights groups that it marked an attempt by the Israeli government to push Palestinians from Gaza.Israel’s foreign ministry referred questions to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli authority responsible for implementing civilian policies in the Palestinian territories. It said the Palestinians on the charter plane left the Gaza Strip after it received approval from a third country to receive them as part of an Israeli government policy allowing Gaza residents to leave. It didn’t name the third country.Around 40,000 people have left Gaza since the start of the war under the policy.Israel’s government had embraced a pledge by U.S. President Donald Trump to empty Gaza permanently of its more than 2 million Palestinians — a plan rights groups said would amount to ethnic cleansing. At the time, Trump said they would not be allowed to return.Trump has since backed away from this plan and brokered a ceasefire between Israel and the militant group Hamas that allows Palestinians to remain in Gaza.South African leader Ramaphosa said that it appeared the Palestinians who arrived in Johannesburg were being “flushed out” of Gaza, without elaborating. The comment followed allegations by two South African NGO representatives who claimed that Al-Majd was affiliated with Israel and working to remove Palestinians from Gaza.They offered no evidence for the claims and COGAT didn’t respond to a request for comment on those allegations.Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman, one of those to allege involvement by what he called “Israel’s front organizations,” said this was the second plane to arrive in South Africa in mysterious circumstances after one that landed with more than 170 Palestinians onboard on Oct. 28. The arrival of that flight was not announced by authorities.Sooliman said the passengers on the latest plane did not initially know where they were going and were given no food for the two days it took to travel to Johannesburg.“They were given nothing on the plane itself and this must be challenged and investigated,” Sooliman said.South Africa has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause and a critic of Israel and has led the international pro-Palestinian movement by accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza in a highly contentious case at the United Nations’ top court. Israel denies committing genocide and has denounced South Africa as the “legal arm” of Hamas.The people that ended up in South Africa underlined the desperation of Palestinians following a two-year war that has killed more than 69,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and reduced the territory to rubble. The ministry’s death toll does not distinguish between militants and civilians, but it says more than half of those killed were women and children. A fragile ceasefire is in place.Jerusalem-based organizationAn organization called Al-Majd Europe has previously been linked to facilitating travel for Palestinians out of Gaza. It describes itself on its website as a humanitarian organization founded in 2010 in Germany and based in Jerusalem that provides aid and rescue efforts to Muslim communities in conflict zones.The website does not list office phone numbers or its exact address. It states that Al-Majd Europe works with a variety of organizations including 15 international agencies, but no organizations are listed and a “will be announced soon” message was displayed in that section on Friday.Another message that appeared Friday on the website said people were impersonating it to request money or cryptocurrency “under the pretext of facilitating travel or humanitarian aid.” Al-Majd Europe didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment sent to an email address given on its site. Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa, and Frankel reported from Jerusalem. Michelle Gumede and Mogomotsi Magome contributed to this report.

    South Africa’s intelligence services are investigating who was behind a chartered plane that landed in Johannesburg with more than 150 Palestinians from war-ravaged Gaza who did not have proper travel documents and were held onboard on the tarmac for around 12 hours as a result, the country’s president said Friday.

    The plane landed Thursday morning at O.R. Tambo International Airport, but passengers were not allowed to disembark until late that night after immigration interviews with the Palestinians found they could not say where or how long they were staying in South Africa, South Africa’s border agency said.

    It said the Palestinians also did not have exit stamps or slips that would normally be issued by Israeli authorities to people leaving Gaza.

    The actions of South African authorities in initially refusing to allow the passengers off the plane provoked fierce criticism from non-governmental organizations, who said the 153 Palestinians — who included families with children and one woman who is nine months pregnant — were kept in dire conditions on the plane, which was extremely hot and had no food or water.

    South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said there was an investigation to uncover how the Palestinians came to South Africa via a stopover in Nairobi, Kenya.

    “These are people from Gaza who somehow mysteriously were put on a plane that passed by Nairobi and came here,” Ramaphosa said.

    Palestinians being ‘exploited’

    The Palestinian Embassy in South Africa said in a statement the flight was arranged by “an unregistered and misleading organization that exploited the tragic humanitarian conditions of our people in Gaza, deceived families, collected money from them, and facilitated their travel in an irregular and irresponsible manner. This entity later attempted to disown any responsibility once complications arose.”

    It didn’t name who chartered the flight, but an Israeli military official, speaking anonymously to discuss confidential information, said an organization called Al-Majd arranged the transport of about 150 Palestinians from Gaza to South Africa.

    The official said that Israel escorted buses organized by Al-Majd that brought Palestinians from a meeting point in the Gaza Strip to the Kerem Shalom crossing. Then buses from Al-Majd picked the Palestinians up and brought them to Ramon airport in Israel, where they were flown out of the country.

    South African authorities said 23 of the Palestinians had traveled onward to other countries, without naming those countries, but 130 remained and were allowed in after intervention from South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs and an offer by an NGO called Gift of the Givers to accommodate them.

    “Even though they do not have the necessary documents and papers, these are people from a strife-torn, a war-torn country, and out of compassion, out of empathy, we must receive them and be able to deal with the situation that they are facing,” Ramaphosa said.

    Shadowy operation

    The secretive nature of the flight raised fears among rights groups that it marked an attempt by the Israeli government to push Palestinians from Gaza.

    Israel’s foreign ministry referred questions to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli authority responsible for implementing civilian policies in the Palestinian territories. It said the Palestinians on the charter plane left the Gaza Strip after it received approval from a third country to receive them as part of an Israeli government policy allowing Gaza residents to leave. It didn’t name the third country.

    Around 40,000 people have left Gaza since the start of the war under the policy.

    Israel’s government had embraced a pledge by U.S. President Donald Trump to empty Gaza permanently of its more than 2 million Palestinians — a plan rights groups said would amount to ethnic cleansing. At the time, Trump said they would not be allowed to return.

    Trump has since backed away from this plan and brokered a ceasefire between Israel and the militant group Hamas that allows Palestinians to remain in Gaza.

    South African leader Ramaphosa said that it appeared the Palestinians who arrived in Johannesburg were being “flushed out” of Gaza, without elaborating. The comment followed allegations by two South African NGO representatives who claimed that Al-Majd was affiliated with Israel and working to remove Palestinians from Gaza.

    They offered no evidence for the claims and COGAT didn’t respond to a request for comment on those allegations.

    Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman, one of those to allege involvement by what he called “Israel’s front organizations,” said this was the second plane to arrive in South Africa in mysterious circumstances after one that landed with more than 170 Palestinians onboard on Oct. 28. The arrival of that flight was not announced by authorities.

    Sooliman said the passengers on the latest plane did not initially know where they were going and were given no food for the two days it took to travel to Johannesburg.

    “They were given nothing on the plane itself and this must be challenged and investigated,” Sooliman said.

    South Africa has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause and a critic of Israel and has led the international pro-Palestinian movement by accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza in a highly contentious case at the United Nations’ top court. Israel denies committing genocide and has denounced South Africa as the “legal arm” of Hamas.

    The people that ended up in South Africa underlined the desperation of Palestinians following a two-year war that has killed more than 69,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and reduced the territory to rubble. The ministry’s death toll does not distinguish between militants and civilians, but it says more than half of those killed were women and children. A fragile ceasefire is in place.

    Jerusalem-based organization

    An organization called Al-Majd Europe has previously been linked to facilitating travel for Palestinians out of Gaza. It describes itself on its website as a humanitarian organization founded in 2010 in Germany and based in Jerusalem that provides aid and rescue efforts to Muslim communities in conflict zones.

    The website does not list office phone numbers or its exact address. It states that Al-Majd Europe works with a variety of organizations including 15 international agencies, but no organizations are listed and a “will be announced soon” message was displayed in that section on Friday.

    Another message that appeared Friday on the website said people were impersonating it to request money or cryptocurrency “under the pretext of facilitating travel or humanitarian aid.” Al-Majd Europe didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment sent to an email address given on its site.

    Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa, and Frankel reported from Jerusalem. Michelle Gumede and Mogomotsi Magome contributed to this report.

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  • IDF to maintain control in Hermon, Gaza, Katz says

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    Defense Minister Israel Katz rules out a Palestinian state, says IDF will stay in key areas, and Gaza will be fully demilitarized.

    Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that Israel would not agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state and that the IDF would maintain its presence in strategic zones.

    “Israel’s policy is clear: there will not be a Palestinian state. The IDF will remain on Mount Hermon and in the security zone. Gaza will be demilitarized down to the last tunnel, and Hamas will be disarmed in the yellow area by the IDF and in old Gaza by the international force, or by the IDF,” Katz said.

    This is a developing story.

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  • Michigan lawmakers introduce resolutions urging Congress to block arms to Israel and aid Gaza – Detroit Metro Times

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    Michigan House Democrats are calling on Congress to halt weapons transfers to Israel and increase humanitarian aid to Gaza, pointing to the increasing civilian death toll and the impact the war has had on Palestinian families in the state.

    Reps. Dylan Wegela of Garden City, Alabas Farhat of Dearborn, and Erin Byrnes of Dearborn on Wednesday introduced House Resolution 223, which urges Michigan’s congressional delegation to stop sending U.S. arms to Israel, restore revoked visas for Palestinians seeking medical travel, and support an emergency surge of humanitarian assistance.

    “For more than two years, the world has watched a livestreamed genocide,” Wegela said. “Even after repeated ceasefire deals, Israel continues their escalation of their campaign to eliminate the Palestinian people. What makes that possible is American-supplied weapons.”

    The resolution was co-sponsored by 10 other Democrats: Emily Dievendorf of Lansing, Mike McFall of Hazel Park, Jimmie Wilson Jr. of Ypsilanti, Donavan McKinney of Detroit, Reggie Miller of Van Buren Township, Laurie Pohutsky of Livonia, Tonya Myers-Phillips of Detroit, Tyrone Carter of Detroit, Betsy Coffia of Traverse City, Carrie Rheingans of Ann Arbor, and Tullio Liberati of Allen Park. 

    The resolution comes after more than two years of Israeli airstrikes, ground operations, and a blockade that international aid groups say has created one of the worst humanitarian crises in decades. More than 69,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since 2023, according to Gaza health officials, and most of the dead are women and children. UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders, and the United Nations have warned that widespread hunger, medical shortages, and the destruction of hospitals have left the population facing mass starvation. 

    Michigan’s large Arab American population, including the country’s highest concentration of residents with Lebanese and Palestinian heritage, has watched the war with grief and panic as relatives in Gaza and southern Lebanon have been killed or displaced. Dearborn, where Farhat and Byrnes represent major sections of the city, has held regular demonstrations calling for a ceasefire and an end to U.S. military support.

    “For many families in my district, this is not abstract, people are losing loved ones in Gaza and in South Lebanon, and they’re watching it happen with their own taxpayer dollars,” Farhat said. “Imagine knowing that your hard earned money is being used to kill your relatives. This resolution reflects our community’s moral and democratic mandate: stop funding weapons that are killing civilians. Our communities want peace, accountability, and policy that values human life and this resolution moves us in that direction.”

    Farhat also pointed to polls that have “clearly shown that most Americans want our government to stop fueling the suffering in Gaza and to take real steps toward ending this war.”

    U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib delivered a speech in Dearborn in February, 2024, urging Democrats to vote “uncommitted” in the presidential primary election to protest President Joe Biden’s support of Israel. Credit: Shutterstock

    Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who was born in Detroit to Palestinian immigrants and is the only Palestinian American member of Congress, introduced a resolution Friday that “officially recognizes that the Israeli government has committed the crime of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza.” The resolution also urges the U.S. to fulfill its obligations under the Genocide Convention to intervene and seek accountability.  

    “The Israeli government’s genocide in Gaza has not ended, and it will not end until we act,” Tlaib, D-Detroit, said. “Since the so-called ‘ceasefire’ was announced, Israeli forces haven’t stopped killing Palestinians. Impunity only enables more atrocity. As our government continues to send a blank check for war crimes and ethnic cleansing, Palestinian children’s smiles are extinguished by bombs and bullets that say made in the U.S.A. To end this horror, we must reject genocide denial and follow our binding legal obligations under the Genocide Convention to take immediate action to pursue justice and accountability to prevent and punish the crime of genocide.”

    Michigan taxpayers have contributed more than $420 million toward U.S. military aid to Israel since 2023, Wegela said, noting the money could instead fund rent assistance, groceries for low-income households, teacher salaries, children’s health care, or student loan relief. 

    “Instead of using tax dollars to help improve lives here, our federal government is funding a Genocide on the other side of the world. It is our moral obligation to oppose funding the mass murder of civilians,” Wegela said.

    Byrnes condemned the high civilian casualty rate in Gaza, which is estimated to be roughly 83% of those killed, and criticized Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s move to suspend medical visas for Palestinians injured in the conflict. 

    “Michigan cannot remain silent while our tax dollars are used to fund genocide,” Byrnes said.

    The resolution also points to growing documentation from humanitarian groups and international law experts alleging that Israel’s blockade, bombing campaign, and forced displacement of civilians may violate the Genocide Convention. 

    Michigan organizers praised the lawmakers’ resolution. Layla Elabed, a well-known community organizer from Dearborn and sister of Tlaib, said the resolution represents “a multifaith, multicultural, multigenerational coalition refusing to let Michigan be complicit in genocide.”

    Barbara Weinberg Barefield of Jewish Voice for Peace–Detroit said the suffering in Gaza contradicts the core Jewish teaching that “whoever saves a single life is considered to have saved the whole world.”

    “The fact that a genocide is being perpetrated by the government of Israel on the Palestinian people is horrifying to me as a human being and as a Jew who was taught the intrinsic value of every life,” she said. “I will not stand by and let thousands of lives extinguished in my name go unchallenged.”

    The resolution is nonbinding but adds pressure to Michigan members of Congress, several of whom have faced protests over U.S. military aid. It cites longstanding federal laws prohibiting arms transfers to countries committing human rights violations and calls on Washington to “use every tool available” to stop the killing and ensure aid reaches civilians.

    Wegela, Farhat, and Byrnes said they plan to continue working with local advocacy groups, including those representing Palestinian, Arab American, Jewish, and peace coalitions, as the measure moves through the House.


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    Steve Neavling

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  • IDF kills terrorist who crossed into IDF-controlled territory in southern Gaza

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    The IDF has confirmed that its forces are deployed throughout the area in line with operational agreements and will continue to take all necessary measures to eliminate threats to Israel.

    Israeli soldiers in the Nahal Brigade killed a terrorist who crossed into IDF-controlled territory in the southern Gaza Strip and approached them, the IDF said on Friday.

    The terrorist was killed after being identified by the IDF in order to ensure the safety of the forces operating in the area, the military said.

    IDF troops operate in southern Gaza, November 4, 2025. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON UNIT)

    IDF shoots at four terrorists as it dismantles Rafah terror tunnels

    This marks an additional instance of terrorists crossing over into IDF-controlled territory in Gaza.

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    On Wednesday, theIDF shot at four terrorists across the Yellow Line, as Israeli troops worked to dismantle terror tunnels in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.

    The IDF later stated that soldiers killed three out of the four terrorists.

    The military assessed that the four Gazans were part of the approximately 200 terrorists who remain in the tunnels in Rafah.

    Additionally, in a separate incident on Wednesday, IDF troops killed a terrorist in Khan Yunis who was seen crossing the Yellow Line and approaching the soldiers.

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  • BBC leaders resign after the broadcaster’s editing of a Trump speech is called misleading

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    BBC Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News Chief Executive Deborah Turness announced Sunday they are resigning from their positions.

    The departures come as the British public broadcaster has faced criticism for its editing of President Trump’s Jan. 6, 2021, speech before the Capitol riot and insurrection.

    The BBC investigative series “Panorama,” in a broadcast a week ahead of the U.S. presidential election last year, featured an edited video of Trump’s speech.

    Critics said that the way the speech was edited was misleading in that it cut out a section in which Trump said that he expected his supporters would demonstrate peacefully.

    “I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard,” Trump said in the speech, during which he also urged his supporters to “fight like hell.”

    In a statement, Turness acknowledged the controversy around the “Panorama” broadcast, noting, “In public life leaders need to be fully accountable, and that is why I am stepping down. While mistakes have been made, I want to be absolutely clear recent allegations that BBC News is institutionally biased are wrong.”

    In a separate news release, Davie said, “In these increasingly polarized times, the BBC is of unique value and speaks to the very best of us. It helps make the UK a special place; overwhelmingly kind, tolerant and curious. Like all public organizations, the BBC is not perfect, and we must always be open, transparent and accountable.

    “While not being the only reason, the current debate around BBC News has understandably contributed to my decision. Overall the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made and as Director-General I have to take ultimate responsibility.”

    Trump posted a link to a Daily Telegraph story about the speech-editing on his Truth Social network, thanking the newspaper “for exposing these Corrupt ‘Journalists.’ These are very dishonest people who tried to step on the scales of a Presidential Election.” He called that “a terrible thing for Democracy!”

    White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reacted on X, posting a screen grab of an article headlined “Trump goes to war with ‘fake news’ BBC” beside another about Davie’s resignation, with the words “shot” and “chaser.”

    Trump was impeached and criminally indicted over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot and insurrection. The felony charges were dropped after he won the 2024 election, as U.S. Justice Department policy holds that a sitting president may not be criminally prosecuted.

    Pressure on the broadcaster’s top executives has been growing since the Daily Telegraph newspaper published parts of a dossier complied by Michael Prescott, who had been hired to advise the BBC on standards and guidelines.

    As well as the Trump edit, it criticized the BBC’s coverage of transgender issues and raised concerns of anti-Israel bias in the BBC’s Arabic service.

    The 103-year-old BBC faces greater scrutiny than other broadcasters — and criticism from its commercial rivals — because of its status as a national institution funded through an annual license fee of $230 paid by all households with a television.

    The BBC airs vast reams of entertainment and sports programming across multiple television and radio stations and online platforms — but it’s the BBC’s news output that is most often under scrutiny.

    The broadcaster is bound by the terms of its charter to be impartial in its output, and critics are quick to point out when they think it has failed. It’s frequently a political football, with conservatives seeing a leftist slant in its news output and some liberals accusing it of having a conservative bias.

    It has also been criticized from all angles over its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. In February, the BBC removed a documentary about Gaza from its streaming service after it emerged that the child narrator was the son of an official in the Hamas-led government.

    The BBC shakeup comes as Trump has been extremely aggressive in pursuing lawsuits against U.S. media companies. Paramount Global forked over $16 million this summer after Trump complained about the editing of a Kamala Harris interview on CBS’ “60 minutes.” Last year, ABC News paid $16 million to settle Trump’s defamation lawsuit against anchor George Stephanopoulos.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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    Mark Olsen

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  • Gaza’s water turns poisonous as Israel’s genocide leaves toxic aftermath

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    Israel’s war on Gaza has not only razed entire neighbourhoods to the ground, displaced families multiple times and decimated medical facilities, but also poisoned the very ground and water on which Palestinians depend.

    Four weeks into a fragile ceasefire, which Israel has violated daily, the scale of the environmental devastation is becoming painfully clear.

    In Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, what was once a lively community has become a wasteland. Homes lie in ruins, and an essential water source, once a rainwater pond, now festers with sewage and debris. For many displaced families, it is both home and hazard.

    Umm Hisham, pregnant and displaced, trudges through the foul water with her children. They have nowhere else to go.

    “We took refuge here, around the Sheikh Radwan pond, with all the sufferings you could imagine, from mosquitoes to sewage with rising levels, let alone the destruction all around. All this poses a danger to our lives and the lives of our children,” she said, speaking to Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim Alkhalili.

    Heavily damaged buildings are reflected in a water basin in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood of Gaza City on October 22, 2025 [File: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP]

    The pond, designed to collect rainwater and channel it to the sea, now holds raw sewage after Israeli air attacks destroyed the pumps. With electricity and sanitation systems crippled, contaminated water continues to rise, threatening to engulf nearby homes and tents.

    “There is no doubt there are grave impacts on all citizens: Foul odours, insects, mosquitoes. Also, foul water levels have exceeded 6 metres [20ft] high without any protection; the fence is completely destroyed, with high possibility for any child, woman, old man, or even a car to fall into this pond,” said Maher Salem, a Gaza City municipal officer speaking to Al Jazeera.

    Local officials warn that stagnant water could cause disease outbreaks, especially among children. Yet for many in Gaza, there are no alternatives.

    “Families know that the water they get from the wells and from the containers or from the water trucks is polluted and contaminated … but they don’t have any other choice,” said Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City.

    A boy fills a plastic bottle with water inside a camp for displaced Palestinians at a school-turned-shelter in Al-Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City on November 5, 2025. [File: Omar Al Qattaa]

    A boy fills a plastic bottle with water in a camp for displaced Palestinians, at a school-turned-shelter in the Remal neighbourhood of Gaza City on November 5, 2025 [Omar Al Qattaa]

    Destroyed water infrastructure

    At the COP30 Climate Summit in Brazil, Palestinian Ambassador Ibrahim al-Zeben described the crisis as an environmental catastrophe intertwined with Israel’s genocide.

    “There’s no secret that Gaza is suffering because of the genocide that Israel continues to wage, a war that has created nearly a quarter of a million victims and produced more than 61 million tonnes of rubble, some of which is contaminated with hazardous materials,” he said.

    “In addition, the deliberate destruction of sewage and water networks has led to the contamination of groundwater and coastal waters. Gaza now faces severe risks to public health, and environmental risks are increasing,” al-Zeben added.

    Israel’s attacks have also “destroyed” much of the enclave’s agricultural land, leaving it “in a state of severe food insecurity and famine with food being used as a weapon”, he said.

    In September, a UN report warned freshwater supplies in Gaza are “severely limited and much of what remains is polluted”.

    “The collapse of sewage treatment infrastructure, the destruction of piped systems and the use of cesspits for sanitation have likely increased contamination of the aquifer that supplies much of Gaza with water,” the report by the United Nations Environment Programme noted.

    Back in Sheikh Radwan, the air hangs thick with rot and despair. “When every day is a fight to find water, food, and bread,” Mahmoud said, “safety becomes secondary.”

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  • Opinion | Evangelical Support for Israel Is About More Than Theology

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    Tucker Carlson calls it a ‘heresy,’ but it’s rooted in a belief that freedom and faith are inseparable.

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    Ralph Reed

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  • For Gaza’s fishermen, the sea is their last lifeline after Israel’s war

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    Surrounded by three walls on a land of ruins, as Israeli bombs continue to rain down from the skies, for many in Gaza, the sea remains the only open horizon, a shimmering promise of elusive freedom.

    Its waters, and the fish within them, have long nourished Palestinians cut off from the world, partially easing the pain of Israel’s bombardment, punishing siege and starvation policies.

    Targeting a meal for his family, Salem Abu Amira – known to locals as “The Beast” – dives deep beneath the waves. Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim Alkhalili reports from Gaza City.

    “People here call me ‘The Beast’ because I managed to catch a fish that was more than a metre and a half [5ft] long. It is rare – but the truth is I’ve caught many big fish,” Abu Amira tells Al Jazeera.

    Free diving runs in Salem Abu Amira’s blood. He learned the craft from his father at a young age – a skill passed down through generations and a lifeline for his family.

    Before Israel’s war, Gaza’s fishermen sailed far out to sea, where the waters teemed with fish. In 2020, the World Bank estimated that about 18,000 people in Gaza directly depended on fishing for their livelihoods, with an extended effect on more than 110,000 family members.

    But Israel’s genocidal war decimated that and their lives.

    Salem Abu Amira, known to locals as ‘The Beast’, prepares to freedive off the coast of Gaza [Al Jazeera]

    “We can no longer reach the places we used to. Now we can only fish close to the shore – where there are no big fish,” Abu Amira says.

    “Restrictions have been imposed on us since the beginning of the war and continue to this day. But I have no source of livelihood. I can’t just sit at home waiting for someone to support me,” he adds.

    Before the war, Gaza’s fishermen hauled in more than 4,600 tonnes of fish each year, despite the constant risk of being arrested, injured, or killed by Israeli forces.

    Since the war began, more than two years ago, most of their boats have been destroyed. The Ministry of Agriculture told the United Nations in a report that as of December 11, 2024, the Israeli military had killed 200 fishers and their associates out of approximately 6,000 individuals engaged in the fishing profession.

    Those still trying to cast their nets just metres (some feet) from the shore have come under Israeli fire.

    Gaza's local fishermen preparing their boats before going out at sea [Al Jazeera]

    Gaza’s fishermen prepare their boats before going out to sea [Al Jazeera]

    In January, Israel declared Gaza’s waters a “no-go zone”, banning fishing, swimming, and any access to the sea.

    The result has been devastating: Gaza has lost 94 percent of its catch, cutting off one of its last remaining sources of food.

    Fishing, once a vital source of both income and nourishment, has been brought to its knees.

    “Fishermen are the most exposed to danger. Often, the occupation forbids them from going to the sea, and free divers cannot get their diving gear – which affects their ability to work in the coming days,” Zakaria Bakr, head of the Fishermen’s Committees in Gaza, told Al Jazeera.

    After months of displacement, Abu Amira has returned home – restless, hungry for a catch, and preparing his small boat to venture back into the waters.

    Fishing in Gaza

    Salem Abu Amira making a catch under Gaza’s waters [Al Jazeera]

    “The Beast” will dive again, searching for fish he can sell at the market. For fishermen like him, the sea isn’t just a workplace, it’s a lifeline.

    “I am determined to pass on my profession to my children. It is a pleasure and a hobby. Fishing relieves stress and provides a source of income,” he says.

    After hours in the water, Salem surfaces with a lucky catch: Several fish and an octopus to feed his family and sell in the market.

    For Gaza’s fishermen, the struggle is no longer just about survival. It’s about preserving a centuries-old bond with the sea, and holding on to the last sense of freedom they have left.

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