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By Pieter Friedrich

Gabbard’s service to India’s Hindu nationalist movement didn’t block her as Director of National Intelligence

Last month, I sat with two FBI agents in Washington, DC for at least two hours to discuss my experiences as a victim of transnational repression by India’s Hindu nationalist (“Hindutva”) government. Along the way, I also mentioned that I was there in DC to visit U.S. Senate offices and advocate against the confirmation of former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard as the Director of National Intelligence.

I did do that. I visited 25 Senate offices, and spoke at length with many staffers specializing in national security and intelligence areas. Every one of them was fascinated and disturbed by what I shared: that the foundation of Tulsi Gabbard’s national political career was support from U.S. affiliates of the Hindutva movement.

One staffer suggested that Gabbard’s intimacy with Hindutva ought to be examined from a counterintelligence perspective.

I failed. Gabbard was confirmed on 12 February 2025 by a Senate vote of 52-48. Only one Republican Senator, Mitch McConnell, broke party ranks to vote against her. Others who were considered “swing votes,” such as Senators Todd Young and Lisa Murkowski, offered their “ayes.”

Both had stood on principle to vote against Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. What bought Murkowski’s vote is anyone’s guess, but Elon Musk denouncing Young as a “deep state puppet” before having a private call with him was undoubtedly the key factor in his pro-Gabbard vote.

Gabbard’s confirmation was on the rocks for much of the time leading up to the final vote. Senators were upset about a wide range of far more mainstream issues than the Hindutva allegiance which I discussed. Most of these issues — Assad, Putin, Snowden, and more — were raised on the floor by multiple Democratic senators in the hours before the vote.

Senators Elissa Slotkin, Dick Durbin,  Chris Coons, Chuck Schumer, and others all pleaded with the Senate to vote “no” on Gabbard. Unfortunately, none of them raised the issue on which Gabbard is most vulnerable: the issue of Hindutva.

For the past six years, I have been reporting on Hindutva influence in U.S. sociopolitics, especially elections. I reported on:

• Sri Preston Kulkarni’s campaign for U.S. Congress. He lost, catastrophically.
• U.S. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi. He has faced strong opposition since for his Hindutva ties.
• Ambassador (acting) Atul Keshap’s meeting with India’s RSS, the paramilitary that serves as the fountainhead of Hindutva. He resigned, prematurely.
• Michigan State Assemblywoman Padma Kuppa. She lost her campaign for Michigan State Senate.
• Ohio State Senator Niraj Antani. He lost his campaign for U.S. Congress.

I’ve reported on much more, but the very first Hindutva-tied politician I ever reported on was Tulsi Gabbard, in a cover article for India’s Caravan magazine in August 2019. Titled “How The American Sangh Built Up Tulsi Gabbard,” it referenced the “Sangh Parivar” or “Family of Hindu Nationalist Organizations” spearheaded by the RSS, to discuss in depth how Gabbard owes her political career to them.

As Congressman Ro Khanna, himself a Hindu, commented at the time: “Important article. It’s the duty of every American politician of Hindu faith to stand for pluralism, reject Hindutva, and speak for equal rights for Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhist(s) & Christians.”

My article was 18,000 words, all about Tulsi Gabbard and her ties to Hindutva. As I repeatedly said during my Senate visits last month, “Gabbard’s interactions with Assad are problematic. But if you asked me to write an article using hard facts describing her relationship with Assad, I’d be hard-pressed to give you 1,000 words. That I can give you 18,000 words on Tulsi’s relationship with Hindutva says a lot.”

Since then, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard lost office as she dedicated herself to a failed campaign for the U.S. presidency. Her bizarre political gymnastics — which I recently called those of a “chameleon” — were recently summarized as the “mystery of Tulsi Gabbard” in The New Yorker:

“She comes from Hawaii, where she served in the state legislature and the National Guard; in those years, she campaigned against “homosexual advocacy organizations” and in favor of environmental protections. Gabbard was elected to Congress in 2012, running as a Democrat, and was made a vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee. Since then, she has left the D.N.C., because she wanted to endorse Bernie Sanders; left Congress, because she wanted to run for President; and left the Democratic Party, because she had become convinced that it is, she says, ‘led by an élitist cabal of woke warmongers.’ In August, she endorsed Donald Trump, later saying, ‘A vote for President Trump is a vote to express our deep love for our country, and our appreciation for our God-given rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution.’”

These unpredictable flip-flops are best explained, in the words of The Atlantic, as a “dogged pursuit of power, or at least of proximity to power.” They represent a constant attempt to shift with the political winds, to stay relevant, and to keep close to power.

Such desperation can only be explained by what I’ve uncovered: that Gabbard’s political career was created by U.S. affiliates of Hindutva. That Hindutva in America wants politicians in their pocket. And that, in the words of key Hindutva advocate Dr. Bharat Barai, who has given tens of thousands of dollars in campaign donations to Gabbard, “It doesn’t matter to me whether it is a Republican or Democrat.”

Gabbard donning the colors of a foreign political party at events hosted by what would become a registered foreign agent didn’t faze those who voted for her. Gabbard’s justification of Hindu nationalism — a chauvinistic, misogynistic, xenophobic ideology — as merely “expressing pride in one’s religion” didn’t faze her Republican backers. Gabbard taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from donors who also helped to elect India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then turning around and arguing, in India, that “there was a lot of misinformation that surrounded the event in 2002,” referring to the Gujarat Massacre of Muslims which Modi is accused of orchestrating and which got him banned from America, no, that did not faze anyone in the Senate from confirming her.

Gabbard was first introduced to India’s RSS by a family friend named Michael Brannon Parker. Parker was hired by the RSS to write a book whitewashing the RSS’s 2008 massacre of Christians in the Indian state of Odisha. Asked by RSS leader Ram Madhav to introduce him to Gabbard in 2008, Parker did so.

Then Gabbard became a member of U.S. Congress, ran for U.S. President, and eventually was confirmed as the Director of National Intelligence.

In the meantime, Modi’s regime started assassinating critics in North America. One, successfully, in Vancouver, Canada. One, unsuccessfully, in New York City.

Where does all of this take us?

I remember when Tulsi Gabbard was repeatedly protested in the streets during her presidential campaign over her ties to the RSS. “The princess of the R$$,” read signs.

Today, she controls my country’s intelligence services.

For 20 years, I have joined my life with the Indian diaspora to take up concerns about the dismal human rights situation in India, especially that facing religious minorities. Under the past 10 years of Modi’s reign, India has moved from the world “largest democracy” to the world’s largest autocracy or, as some might phrase it, the world’s largest fascist nation.

For those 20 years, I have been deeply concerned on behalf of another community about the trajectory of their nation. Today, I am deeply concerned by the direction that my own country is headed, and Tulsi Gabbard exemplifies that.

The greatest struggle against the influence of Hindutva — a fascistic movement that has overwhelmed India — in the U.S. has failed. Hindutva is now in the innermost circles of the U.S. presidency.

As we are led by people who insist on putting “America First,” those same people have put into power figures who will destroy America.

As someone who intentionally made myself the most vocal opponent of Tulsi Gabbard since 2019, I am concerned but I am also doing what I can to watch my back. As a patriot, I am terrified by what her control of our nation’s intelligence means, especially when her oldest, biggest, most faithful political supporters are affiliates of the very same Hindutva movement that tried to murder American citizens on American soil. As a believer, I pledge to continue the struggle.

And as a realist, I have hope that President Trump’s habit of repeatedly turning his back on those who were once his closest allies will soon include Tulsi Gabbard.

Pieter Friedrich is a freelance journalist specializing in analysis of South Asian affairs.

13 February 2025

Source: countercurrents.org

By Lee Morgenbesser

Many Americans have watched in horror as Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, has been permitted to tear through various offices of the United States government in recent weeks. Backed by President Donald Trump, and supported by a small team of true believers, he has successfully laid siege to America’s vast federal bureaucracy.

On Tuesday, Trump signed an executive order giving Musk even more power. It requires federal agencies to cooperate with his “Department of Government Efficiency” (known as DOGE) in cutting their staffing levels and restricting new hires.

In his first comments to the media since joining the Trump administration as a “special” government employee, Musk also responded to criticism that he’s launching a “hostile takeover” of the US government.

The people voted for major government reform, and that’s what people are going to get.

Are Musk’s actions akin to a “hostile takeover” of government, or a coup? I argue it’s more a form of “state capture”. Here’s what that means.

Why it’s not a coup or self-coup

Under the pretence of maximising government efficiency and productivity, DOGE has amassed quite a bit of power. It has:

• penetrated the massive system responsible for virtually all government payments
• breached sensitive databases and private medical records
• circumvented routine conflict of interest and transparency requirements
• dismantled the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
• gained access to the computer systems of a number of federal agencies.

Musk’s blitzkrieg across Washington – carried out in apparent violation of numerous federal laws – has not only stirred confusion, but defied explanation.

A popular argument, supported by some historians and commentators, is that Musk’s actions amount to a coup. They argue this is not a coup in the classic sense of a takeover of the physical centres of power. Rather, it’s a seizure of digital infrastructure by an unelected group seeking to undo democratic practices and violate human rights.

This term, however, is not technically correct. The most widely accepted definition of a coup is:

an overt attempt by the military or other elites within the state apparatus to unseat the sitting head of state using unconstitutional means.

Since Musk and Trump are bedfellows in this plot, the tech billionaire is clearly not trying to violently unseat the president.

Another possible explanation: this is a self-coup. This describes a situation in which

the sitting national leader takes decisive illegitimate action against countervailing institutions and elites to perpetuate the incumbent’s power.

In December, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attempted a self-coup when he declared martial law in order to ostensibly protect the country from opposition forces. He quickly reversed his decision amid elite defections and mass public demonstrations.

Though self-coups are becoming more common, Musk is doing the dirty work in the US – not Trump. Also, Musk’s chief target – the bureaucracy – does not nominally offset presidential power (except in conspiracy theories).

[https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/02/elon-musk-power-grab-trump-coup.html]

What is ‘state capture’?

More accurately, Musk’s siege amounts to a form of “state capture”. This refers to:

the appropriation of state resources by political actors for their own ends: either private or political.

By this logic, Musk’s aim could be to capture different pieces of the US government and turn the state into a tool for wealth extraction.

State capture is a relatively simple but extremely destructive process. This is how it has played out in countries like Indonesia, Hungary, Nigeria, Russia, Sri Lanka and South Africa (Musk’s birthplace):

First, political and corporate elites gain control of formal institutions, information systems and bureaucratic policy-making processes.

Then, they use this power to apply rules selectively, make biased decisions and allocate resources based on private interests (rather than the public good).

In captured states, strongman leaders often use economic policy and regulatory decisions to reward their political friends. For instance, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Russian President Vladimir Putin and former South African President Jacob Zuma have helped their allies by:

• making government anti-trust decisions
• issuing permits and licenses
• awarding government contracts and concessions
• waiving regulations or tariffs
• conferring tax exempt status.

State capture is fundamentally a predatory process.

By taking over how the American government does business, Musk could be seeking to enrich a small but powerful network of allies.

The first beneficiary would be Trump, who is no stranger to using his office to expand his family’s business empire. With a more fully captured state, Trump can take an active role in determining how public wealth is dispersed among corporate and political elites. This decision-making power often goes hand-in-hand with “personalist” regimes, in which everything is a transaction with the leader.

The second beneficiary would be Musk himself and other Silicon Valley mega-billionaires who have bent a knee to Trump. By positioning their tech companies as the solution to what allegedly ails the federal government, particularly when it comes to the use of artificial intelligence, they stand to secure lucrative contracts handed out by the “new” state.

The third beneficiary would be the small army of engineers and technicians working with Musk to upend the American government. As loyal foot soldiers, these individuals will be compensated with career advancement, financial gains and networking opportunities, while also enjoying legal impunity. This kind of quid pro quo is how authoritarian regimes work.

[https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1889424736301486506]

What this could mean for the US

As Musk continues his assault on the federal bureaucracy, the American people will suffer the consequences.

The most immediate impact of state capture: worse decisions are made. By purging experienced civil servants, cancelling government contracts and accessing sensitive information systems, Musk’s actions will likely degrade the standard of living at home and endanger American lives abroad.

State capture also means there would be less accountability for the Trump administration’s public policy decisions. With a lack of congressional and independent oversight, key decisions over the distribution of economic benefits could be made informally behind closed doors.

Finally, state capture is inseparable from corruption. Doing business with the US federal government could soon require one to pass a loyalty test rather than a public interest test.

Trump’s enemies will encounter more hurdles, while his allies will have a seat at the table.

Lee Morgenbesser is an Associate Professor, School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University

13 February 2025

Source: countercurrents.org

By Quds News Network

New York (Quds News Network)- Karim Khan, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), is the first individual to face sanctions authorized by former US President Donald Trump. These sanctions target the war crimes tribunal for its investigations into US citizens and allies, including Israel.

Khan, who is British, was named on Monday in an annex to an executive order signed by Trump last Thursday imposing sanctions on the ICC for targeting the US and Israel, Reuters reported.

Trump’s Order

Trump’s order places financial and visa sanctions on individuals and their family members who assist in ICC investigations of US citizens or US allies.

Actions may include blocking property and assets and not allowing ICC officials, employees, and relatives to enter the US.

Genocide Case

The order accuses the ICC of engaging in “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel” and of abusing its power by issuing “baseless arrest warrants” against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Chief Yoav Gallant.

In November, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Gaza assault launched in October 2023, which lasted for 15 months.

Neither the US nor Israel is a member of or recognizes the court.

“The ICC has no jurisdiction over the United States or Israel,” the order states, adding that the court had set a “dangerous precedent” with its actions against both countries.

The order comes after a visit to the White House by Netanyahu, who is wanted by the ICC.

ICC Response

In response, the ICC condemned the order as an attempt to “harm its independent and impartial judicial work.”

“The Court stands firmly by its personnel and pledges to continue providing justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of atrocities across the world, in all Situations before it,” a statement by the court read.

The International Criminal Court, which opened in 2002, has international jurisdiction to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in member states or if a situation is referred by the U.N. Security Council.

Under an agreement between the United Nations and Washington, Khan should be able to regularly travel to New York to brief the U.N. Security Council on cases it had referred to the court in The Hague.

Not First Sanctions

The first Trump administration imposed sanctions on the ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and her deputy in 2020 when the court investigated US war crimes in Afghanistan. This time, the sanctions are linked to the court’s investigation into Israel.

Trump’s 2020 sanctions were reversed under the presidency of Joe Biden, who conditionally backed ICC investigations into Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

On his first day back in the Oval Office last month, Trump reversed Biden’s ending of the 2020 sanctions.

The US is not a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC and has had a rocky relationship with the court since its establishment in 2002.

Condemnations

“We trust that any restrictions taken against individuals would be implemented consistently with the host country’s obligations under the U.N. Headquarters Agreement,” deputy U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq said on Friday.

Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said the order “suggests that President Trump endorses the Israeli government’s crimes and is embracing impunity.”

Callamard said the sanctions will harm the interests of victims in countries where the court is investigating atrocities, not only in Palestine but also in Sudan, Libya, the Philippines, Ukraine, and Venezuela.

“Governments around the world and regional organizations must do everything in their power to mitigate and block the effect of President Trump’s sanctions. Through collective and concerted actions, ICC member states can protect the Court and its staff. Urgent action is needed, like never before.”

“Victims of human rights abuses around the world turn to the International Criminal Court when they have nowhere else to go, and President Trump’s executive order will make it harder for them to find justice,” said Charlie Hogle, staff attorney with American Civil Liberties Union’s National Security Project.

“The order also raises serious First Amendment concerns because it puts people in the United States at risk of harsh penalties for helping the court identify and investigate atrocities committed anywhere, by anyone.”

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said on X that the ICC “must be able to freely pursue the fight against global impunity”.
“Europe will always stand for justice and the respect of international law,” she said.

The Netherlands, which hosts the court, said it “regrets” Trump’s order.

“The court’s work is essential in the fight against impunity,” Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said on X.

Last month, the US House of Representatives voted to sanction the ICC, but the bill foundered in the Senate.

In response to efforts to what they described as attempts to challenge the ICC’s authority, nine nations – including South Africa and Malaysia – launched the ‘Hague Group’ last month to defend the court and its rulings.

13 February 2025

Source: countercurrents.org

By Andre Damon

US President Donald Trump said in an interview over the weekend that the Palestinian people he is seeking to ethnically cleanse from Gaza would not be allowed to return to their homes. “I’m talking about building a permanent place for them,” Trump said.

Trump’s statement contradicted claims last week by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt that the relocation of the Palestinians from Gaza proposed by Trump would be temporary. Secretary of State Marco Rubio likewise claimed last week that the displacement of the Palestinians would be an “interim” measure, and the population would be allowed to “move back in.”

In his weekend interview, Trump, speaking as a king, referred to Gaza as his personal property. “I would own this. Think of it as a real estate development for the future. It would be a beautiful piece of land,” Trump said.

He continued, “There won’t be anybody there. … Hamas won’t be there. … We’ll be building through other of the very rich countries in the Middle East.”

Trump raised the prospect of relocating the Palestinians to Jordan and Egypt, declaring, “I think I could make a deal with Jordan. I think I could make a deal with Egypt.” Trump threatened to withhold aid from countries that refuse to construct concentration camps to hold the Palestinians.

Last week, Trump declared that the Gaza Strip “should not go through a process of rebuilding and occupation by the same people that lived a miserable existence there.” Trump called for “other countries” to “build various domains that will ultimately be occupied by the 1.8 million Palestinians living in Gaza.”

Within days of the announcement, Israeli officials moved to follow Trump’s lead, which conforms to their long-held plans. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Thursday that he had instructed the military to prepare to put Trump’s plan into action. “I welcome President Trump’s bold initiative, which can create extensive opportunities for those in Gaza who wish to leave,” he said.

He added, “I have instructed the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) to prepare a plan” that would include “exit options via land crossings, as well as special arrangements for departure by sea and air.”

In separate remarks to the press on Monday, Trump gave an ultimatum to Hamas to release all Israeli hostages or “Saturday all hell is going to break out.” He added, “If all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 o’clock … I would say, cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out.”

Trump’s threat makes clear that the “ceasefire” agreed to by Israel, as the World Socialist Web Site warned, is a complete fraud, aiming only to allow Israel to rearm for a new, even more violent phase of genocide and ethnic cleansing against the population of Gaza.

On Monday, the Israeli military announced plans to “significantly reinforce” its positions around Gaza. “It was decided to raise the level of readiness and postpone leave for combat soldiers and operational units in the Southern Command,” the IDF said in a statement. “Additionally, it was decided to significantly reinforce the area with additional forces, for defensive missions.”

In other words, Israel is making plans to renew its onslaught against Gaza in order to implement Trump’s plan for the ethnic cleansing of the territory.

This onslaught will be facilitated by the continued flow of US weapons to Israel. On Friday, the US State Department approved the sale of over $7 billion in missiles and bombs to Israel.

Last week, Trump signed an executive order sanctioning the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing it of having “engaged in illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel.”

In a statement, Margaret Satterthwaite, the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, warned that she is “gravely concerned” by Trump’s sanctions against the ICC.

“By hindering investigations into war crimes and crimes against humanity—including those committed against women and children—the US undermines judicial independence and emboldens perpetrators of atrocity,” she said. “This order strikes at the very foundation of international justice, eroding the ‘never again’ legacy of Nuremberg and possibly violating Article 70 of the Rome Statute,” she added.

Satterthwaite was referencing the 1945 Nuremberg tribunal of Nazi leaders which convicted over a dozen leading Nazi officials of war crimes, crimes against humanity and waging aggressive war. The tribunal set the basis for the current functioning of the International Criminal Court, whose role is to criminally prosecute the perpetrators of war crimes.

Israel, meanwhile, is continuing its offensive throughout the West Bank, which has now lasted three weeks and has forcibly displaced 40,000 Palestinians.

On Monday, Secretary of State Rubio defended Trump’s plan for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza. “Someone’s got to go in … you’ve got to clean it up. You’ve got to clean all that out of there even before you begin the process of removing rubble and debris and rebuilding housing, like permanent structures. Who’s going to do that?” Rubio said in a radio interview. “Right now, the only one who’s stood up and said I’m willing to help do it is Donald Trump.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu likewise praised Trump’s plan on Monday, calling it “much better for the State of Israel, a revolutionary and creative vision, which we are discussing,” adding that Trump “is very determined to carry it out.”

To date, 47,583 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks, according to official death tolls, with a recent study published in The Lancet estimating the death toll could be 70,000 or more.

11 February 2025

Source: countercurrents.org

By Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor

Palestinian Territory – Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been forcibly displaced by Israeli occupation forces during the latest military campaign against Palestinians in the northern West Bank. The goal of the offensive, which is occurring in Palestinian cities, villages, and refugee camps, is to drive the Palestinians from their homes and establish new realities that defy international law.

A Euro-Med Monitor field team observed these forced relocation efforts on Saturday 8 February, when the Israeli occupation army targeted hundreds of Palestinians from the Far’a camp in Tubas, in the northern West Bank. This displacement is part of a larger offensive that started on 2 February and has involved Israeli forces conducting frequent raids on the town of Tamoun and the Far’a camp, destroying infrastructure and homes while enforcing a rigorous curfew on the populace.

Dozens of families have been displaced in recent days, but Saturday’s displacement operations took a more dangerous turn, as hundreds of families were compelled to evacuate due to the threat of home bombings, starvation, and siege. In the face of humiliating and degrading measures, taking place in cold weather and without the provision of adequate shelter, residents were compelled to evacuate their homes via routes imposed by the Israeli military.

The Israeli occupation announced the start of a massive military operation known as “Iron Wall” on 21 January, which started in Jenin, its refugee camp, and its towns. On 27 January, the Israeli military operation expanded to Tulkarm and the governorate’s Tulkarm and Nour Shams refugee camps. This is just one example of the systematic practices, most notably mass forced displacement, by which Israeli forces are intensifying their operations in the West Bank.

The Israeli occupation army has conducted one of the biggest forced displacement operations in the West Bank in decades, displacing over 11,000 residents of the Tulkarm camps and the majority of the Jenin camp’s 13,000 residents. These actions are akin to the strategy used by the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip, where dozens of illegitimate eviction orders resulted in the forced relocation of nearly two million Palestinians.

Israel’s practice of forcibly displacing and expelling Palestinian residents in the West Bank has been in place for years, and has worsened in the last two years. Previously, however, the perpetrators were mostly individuals or members of small groups, as evidenced by their destruction of homes, unlawful confiscation of land and properties, dismantling of a population’s infrastructure, and ejection of  indigenous families or communities in favour of establishing settlement outposts, as was the case in multiple locations in Hebron and the Jordan Valley.

In addition to forced displacement, the Israeli military’s current genocidal strategy in the West Bank has involved widespread destruction. This destruction has included the bombing and burning of residential buildings and infrastructure, the cutting off of water, electricity, and communications supplies, and a killing policy that has resulted in the deaths of 30 Palestinians—including four children—and the injury of almost 300 others over the course of 19 days.

The Israeli occupation has employed a variety of additional tactics to create harsh living conditions in the West Bank. Israeli politicians have made public remarks encouraging the spread of violence there, for example. In particular, an Israeli security official speaking on Channel 14 about the cabinet’s decision to start the Jenin campaign stated, “We are starting a massive campaign in the northern West Bank, which could go on for months. We will act there just as we did in Gaza. We will leave them in ruins.”

Israel is encouraged by its decades-long impunity and the international community’s general attitude of helplessness that accompanied the Israeli crime of in the Gaza Strip for over 15 months. With its recent escalation in aggression, Israel threatens to repeat its Gaza genocide in the West Bank.

In order to protect Palestinian civilians and put an end to Israel’s operation in the West Bank, the international community must act immediately. Israel has repeatedly declared its intention to annex the West Bank and establish sovereignty over it, which has led to the ongoing military operation.

The international community must uphold the Palestinian people’s rights to freedom and dignity; support their right to self-determination, in line with international law; stop Israeli settler colonialism and illegal occupation of Palestinian territory; dismantle its apartheid against, and systematic isolation of, the Palestinians; lift the illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip; hold Israeli perpetrators and their Western allies accountable and prosecute them; and ensure surviving Palestinian victims receive compensation and redress.

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor is a Geneva-based independent organization with regional offices across the MENA region and Europe

11 February 2025

Source: countercurrents.org

By Jessica Corbett

A coalition of over 100 organizations on Monday forcefully denounced U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to ethnically cleanse the Gaza Strip of Palestinians and take over the coastal enclave recently decimated by an Israeli military campaign conducted with American weapons.

Led by A New Policy—a group founded by Biden administration officials who resigned in protest—and the Quaker organization Friends Committee on National Legislation, the coalition said that “we are deeply alarmed by President Trump’s recent statements, tracing them back to January 25, just days after the Republican returned to power.

“We, the undersigned organizations, decry and oppose any effort or initiative, and any calls for, the forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, and support the joint statement of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the Palestinian Authority, and the Arab League that similarly rejected any such steps, the coalition wrote, citing the Fourth Geneva Convention.

The letter highlights the ethnic cleansing of Palestine in the 1940s during the formation of the modern state of Israel, which Palestinians call the Nakba, Arabic for catastrophe; that since 2006, Gaza “has been in a state of siege,” with residents enduring repeated bombardment and restrictions on necessities; and that since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, they have faced what various experts have found to be a plausible case of genocide, with over 48,000 people killed.

“Through this all, the Palestinians in Gaza have stood with remarkable dignity and perseverance, insisting throughout the immense suffering and loss that they will never abandon their homeland,” the letter continues, echoing recent remarks from residents. “We are deeply concerned by clear statements of intent from Israeli government officials over the past year concerning the creation of new Israeli settlements within the Gaza Strip, which further reinforce the intent of ethnic cleansing.”

“The United States has no right to dictate to the Palestinian people in Gaza to leave, and direct other countries to participate in their displacement. We are also aware that even a temporary external displacement could be used by Israel to enact permanent exile,” the letter says. “While we agree that the short and medium-term humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza may be difficult to meet given the nearly complete destruction that Israel has wrought, if the necessary services cannot be provided in Gaza, the people of Gaza must be able to access them elsewhere within the historic borders of Palestine and must be able to return.”

The coalition also expressed alarm over “an uptick in settler violence” and deadly Israel Defense Forces operations in the illegally occupied West Bank, writing that “these actions are part and parcel of a strategy that seeks to make not just Gaza, but all Palestinian areas across historic Palestine, unlivable for the Palestinian people, and are thus contributory to a process of ethnic cleansing.”

“Palestine is not just an idea—it is a place. It is a homeland to the Palestinian people,” the groups stressed. “To participate in, facilitate, or endorse their removal from it would violate every precept of international law, devastate the rules-based international order that protects us all, do irreversible harm to America’s global influence, and be an act of unconscionable immorality.”

The letter concludes with a poem from Palestinian Mahmoud Darwish, who wrote:

My country is not a suitcase
I am not a traveler
I am the lover and the land is the beloved.
The archaeologist is busy analyzing stones.
In the rubble of legends he searches for his own eyes
to show
that I am a sightless vagrant on the road
with not one letter in civilization’s alphabet.
Meanwhile in my own time I plant my trees.
I sing of my love.

In addition to the coalition leaders, signatories to the letter include ActionAid USA, CodePink, Democracy for the Arab World Now, Demand Progress Education Fund, Democratic Socialists of America, IfNotNow Movement, Just Foreign Policy, Madre, National Iranian American Council, Oil Change International, Peace Action, Progressive Democrats of America, and September 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, and U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights.

The letter came amid a fresh wave of alarm over Trump’s latest comments about Gaza and Palestinians, which aired Monday morning on “Fox & Friends.” He said: “We’ll build safe communities a little bit away from where they are, where all of this danger is. In the meantime, I would own this—think of it as a real estate development for the future. It would be a beautiful piece of land.”

Asked by Fox News‘ Bret Baier whether Palestinians would have the right to return to Gaza, the president said, “No, they wouldn’t.”

Trump reveals ‘beautiful’ real estate plan for Gaza Strip

The letter also came as Hamas on Monday suspended its next planned release of hostages taken in October 2023, citing Israel’s deadly violations of a fragile cease-fire deal that took effect last month.

Jessica Corbett is a senior editor and staff writer for Common Dreams.

11 February 2025

Source: countercurrents.org

By Quds News Network

The ceasefire agreement in Gaza is on the brink of collapse due to persistent Israeli violations. Hamas’s military wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, announced on February 10 that it would postpone the release of Israeli prisoners until Israel fully complies with the ceasefire agreement. Spokesman Abu Ubaida stated that Israel has been deliberately delaying the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza, attacking those attempting to return, and blocking essential relief efforts.

Since the implementation of the ceasefire on January 19, Israeli forces have continued deadly attacks, killing 25 Palestinians, obstructing vital humanitarian aid, and advancing plans for the forced displacement of Gaza’s population. These actions defy the terms of the ceasefire and risk reigniting large-scale conflict.

This is how Israel has violated the ceasefire agreement with the resistance in Gaza.

Hamas Delays Israeli Prisoner Release Following Israel’s Violations of Ceasefire Deal

Hamas announced it would delay the release of Israeli prisoners scheduled for February 15 following Israel’s failure to uphold its commitments under the ceasefire agreement.

Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for Hamas’ military wing, said Israel had delayed the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza. He also stated that Israel has been targeting civilians and blocking humanitarian aid.

“We have fulfilled all our obligations,” Abu Ubaida stated. “But Israel has not. The prisoners will not be released until Israel complies and makes up for its past violations.”

More than 20 days have passed since the ceasefire began, but conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate. Israel still blocks the entry of heavy machinery needed to remove 55 million tons of rubble. Without it, tens of thousands of bodies remain trapped under collapsed buildings, and roads remain inaccessible. Israel also obstructed aid entry into Gaza and arrested truck drivers.

Israeli forces have also continued attacking civilians. In the latest incident, they struck a vehicle carrying displaced families returning to northern Gaza. Several people were injured, including children.

Israel has blocked caravans and temporary homes from entering Gaza, delayed phase two negotiations, which were supposed to start a week ago as Netanyahu has yet to authorize his team to engage, and restricted the number of Gazan patients allowed to exit through Rafah, even vetoing some names. It has also killed dozens of Gazans after the ceasefire took effect, and its forces continue to advance beyond the agreed 900-meter buffer zone.

Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire deal but warned that it would only comply as long as Israel did the same.

Deadly Violations: Ongoing Attacks on Palestinians

Despite the ceasefire, Israeli forces have continued their assaults on Palestinians in Gaza. At least 25 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began. These attacks represent a direct breach of the agreement and undermine efforts to maintain stability. The ongoing violence raises fears that Israel is using the ceasefire as a tactical pause rather than a genuine step toward de-escalation.

Blocking Humanitarian Aid: A Manufactured Crisis

Israel has continued to systematically obstruct aid deliveries, worsening the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Under the ceasefire’s humanitarian protocol, Israel was required to allow:

• 600 aid trucks per day, including 300 designated for northern Gaza.
• 50 fuel trucks daily to restore essential services.
• Equipment for clearing rubble and rescuing victims.
• Tents, shelters, and temporary housing units for displaced families.
• Funds to support reconstruction efforts.

•  However, Israel has failed to meet these commitments. As of February 2, only 9,630 aid trucks had entered Gaza—far below the agreed amount. Fuel shortages have left hospitals, bakeries, and water facilities struggling to function, with civil defense teams completely deprived of fuel, preventing them from clearing debris and recovering bodies. The continued blockade of aid directly violates the ceasefire and exacerbates Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.

Ethnic Cleansing Plans: Displacement as a Policy

While violating the ceasefire on the ground, Israeli leaders have also made statements confirming their intent to permanently displace Palestinians from Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have openly discussed plans to expel Gaza’s population. Human rights experts warn that such actions constitute ethnic cleansing and violate international law.

With Israel continuing to disregard the terms of the ceasefire, Hamas has called on mediators—Egypt, Qatar, and the United States—to intervene before the agreement collapses entirely. As violations escalate, the fragile agreement stands on the edge of failure, threatening to plunge Gaza back into war.

Trump says All hell is gonna break out

According to Reuters, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that if all hostages held in Gaza are not returned by 12 p.m. on Saturday, he will call for the cancellation of the ceasefire and “let all hell break loose”.

[https://twitter.com/QudsNen/status/1889117230136201228]

11 February 2025

Source: countercurrents.org

By Aysar Alais and Betul Yilmaz

RAMALLAH, Palestine

An Israeli court sentenced a 15-year-old Palestinian child to 18 years in prison for alleged involvement in an attack in the occupied West Bank, a prisoners’ affairs group said on Sunday.

The Jerusalem District Court also ordered Mohammed Basel Zalbani, from the Shu’fat refugee camp, east of occupied East Jerusalem, to pay 300,000 shekels ($83,333) in compensation, the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a statement.

The organization said Zalbani was arrested on Feb. 13, 2023, on charges of resisting the Israeli occupation. His family’s home was also demolished.

According to the Hamas-run Prisoner Information Office, Zalbani was accused of involvement in the killing of an Israeli soldier at a checkpoint in the Shu’fat camp in 2023.

At least 14,500 Palestinians are currently languishing in Israeli prisons, including 1,115 children, figures released by the prisoners’ affairs group showed.

Tension has been running high across the occupied West Bank, where at least 915 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 7,000 others injured in attacks by the Israeli army and illegal settlers since the start of the Gaza war on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the Health Ministry.

16 February 2025

Source: aa.com.tr

By Quds News Network

Gaza (Quds News Network)- Today, during the sixth batch of the prisoner exchange between Israel and the Gaza resistance, freed Palestinian detainees were subjected to a new level of humiliation.

In previous batches, Israeli prison authorities forced released detainees to wear plastic hand bracelets inscribed with the biblical Psalm, “I pursued my enemies and overtook them!” which served as a blatant threat meant to haunt them even after their release. That same phrase was also displayed on a large banner outside Ofir Prison in the occupied West Bank, where Palestinian releases occur.

The humiliation escalated today as freed detainees were forced to wear shirts emblazoned with the Star of David alongside the Arabic declaration, “We do not forget, and we do not forgive.” This demeaning act has sparked fierce condemnation from Palestinians, who see it as a calculated attempt to strip them of dignity and impose a message of subjugation.

The forced branding of Palestinian detainees starkly echoes one of history’s darkest chapters. During the Holocaust, the Nazis compelled Jews to wear the yellow Star of David, known as the “Jewish Badge” or “Judenstern,” marking them for discrimination, persecution, and eventual extermination. This tool of dehumanization was designed to single out and marginalize an entire people.

The modern imposition of similar symbols and slogans on freed Palestinian detainees is not merely symbolic; it revives painful memories and reinforces an oppressive narrative, serving as a grim reminder that dehumanization is not confined to the past but persists today in Israel and among its officials.

Israeli media claim that the government was unaware of this behavior and did not condemn it. Instead, they assert that interim prison service chief Kobi Yaakobi, a former aide to the resigned National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, continues to uphold the inhumane treatment of Palestinian detainees, even after Ben-Gvir’s resignation following Netanyahu’s acceptance of the ongoing exchange deal.

15 February 2025

Source: qudsnen.co

By Nora Barrows-Friedman

The following is from the news roundup during the 13 February livestream. Watch the entire episode here.

Since the 19 January ceasefire in Gaza, Israel has violated the ceasefire in a myriad of ways, including by withholding the amounts of aid, fuel and medical deliveries agreed upon under the ceasefire terms, restricting people’s freedom of movement and by continuing to attack and kill Palestinians.

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has reported, “Despite the declaration of a ceasefire … Israel continues to commit genocide in the Gaza Strip by denying Palestinians the basic necessities for survival and imposing conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction.”

The rights group added that more than 100 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire came into effect, including some who died from previous injuries during Israel’s genocidal attacks, and at least 900 have been injured.

On 10 February, Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for the Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas political party, announced that the planned release of Israeli captives would be postponed indefinitely unless Israel fulfilled its obligations and stopped its ceasefire violations.

Hamas officials then submitted a report to mediators on 11 February, listing 269 “field violations” by the Israeli military since the ceasefire, as well as the ongoing denials of aid and fuel deliveries.

Also included on the list were several “political violations.” They included statements by Israeli lawmakers urging the expulsion of Gaza’s population, and the ways Israeli prison authorities were subjecting Palestinian captives to assault and violence upon their release during the exchanges.

Israeli lawmakers then accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire, with US President Donald Trump insinuating that Israel should cancel the ceasefire if the Israeli captives aren’t released.

But even the Israeli military admitted in Hebrew media that Hamas had not violated the terms.

[https://twitter.com/AliAbunimah/status/1889322495032836547]

Trucks filled with fuel, medical supplies, tents, caravans, heavy machinery and food have been set to enter the Gaza Strip. But it is unclear when these necessary supplies will arrive as agreed upon.

[https://twitter.com/AliAbunimah/status/1889968679561080878]

Israel withdraws from Netzarim corridor

Israeli forces officially withdrew from the Nezarim corridor, which bisected Gaza for more than a year.

By 9 February, the French news agency AFP and The Times of Israel jointly reported that a Gaza government official said that “Israeli forces have dismantled their positions and military posts and completely withdrawn their tanks from the Netzarim corridor on Salah al-din Road, allowing vehicles to pass freely in both directions.”

The joint report added, “An AFP journalist on the scene said there were no Israeli troops present on the corridor.”

The Al Jazeera Arabic channel filmed footage of the wreckage left behind by the Israeli military after it withdrew from the Netzarim corridor.

[https://twitter.com/AJA_Palestine/status/1888494971243688282]

In a statement, the Hamas political party said that “the withdrawal of the Zionist occupation army from the Netzarim axis is a victory for the will of our people.”

Medical equipment “deliberately destroyed”

Turning to the healthcare situation in Gaza, Caroline Seguin, the emergency coordinator for Doctors Without Borders, stated from northern Gaza on 11 February that “the level of destruction is total, it’s a flat land. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. Our Palestinian colleagues are no longer able to recognize their own neighborhoods, some were in shock, others literally collapsed.”

[https://twitter.com/MSF_USA/status/1889423275853304274]

“Kamal Adwan Hospital has been razed, while al-Shifa, al-Awda and Indonesian hospitals are seriously damaged and only partially functioning,” Seguin added.

“We were utterly shocked to observe that in Indonesian Hospital every medical machine seemed to have been deliberately destroyed; they were smashed to pieces, one by one, to make sure no medical care could be provided anymore. You have to ask, what is the motivation of such action? These machines are made to save people’s lives, mothers, fathers, children. It’s devastating to see the state of these hospitals.”

There is an update on the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, who was abducted by the Israeli military on 27 December along with his colleagues, medical staff, patients and their companions.

As we reported last week, Abu Safiya was still prohibited by the Israeli prison authorities any access to a lawyer as he remains in administrative detention at Ofer military prison.

On Tuesday, 11 February, after 47 days of arbitrary detention, Abu Safiya met with a lawyer from the human rights group Al Mezan for the first time since his abduction from Gaza.

During the visit, “Dr. Abu Safiya detailed the various forms of torture and abuse to which he has been subjected both during his unlawful arrest and throughout his arbitrary detention by Israeli forces and authorities,” Al Mezan stated.

“When he was captured from Gaza and transferred to the Sde Teiman military detention camp, he was subjected to various forms of torture and inhuman and degrading treatment – methods that are emblematic of Israeli mass arrest operations in Gaza.”

Abu Safiya reported “being forcibly stripped, having his hands tightly shackled, and being made to sit on sharp gravel for approximately five hours by Israeli forces. He was also subjected to severe physical abuse, including beatings with batons and electric shock sticks, as well as repeated blows to the chest.”

Al Mezan said that Abu Safiya was held in solitary confinement for 25 days at Ofer prison and “endured nearly continuous interrogation for 10 days.” He reported severe health problems and a precipitous decline in his weight, and has been denied access to healthcare.

Al Mezan urged the so-called international community, particularly Israel’s enabling allies, “to take immediate action to demand the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Abu Safiya, as well as of all Palestinians who have been unlawfully arrested and arbitrarily detained by Israeli authorities, including hundreds of healthcare workers.”

In a statement, Hussam Abu Safiya’s family said there is “a possibility of his release in the coming stages, as there are no charges against him from the Israeli public prosecution. He urges the world to help secure his release and the release of all detained healthcare personnel from all hospitals. They must be protected, their rights ensured, and they should receive care and be released as soon as possible.”

[https://twitter.com/HussamAbuSafiya/status/1889412170766754224]

However, on 14 February, Al Mezan stated that the Israeli army has issued an order to “detain Abu Safiya under the Unlawful Combatants Law.”

This law, Al Mezan says, “enables prolonged detention without charges, stripping detainees of any meaningful judicial review or due process rights.”

[https://twitter.com/AlMezanCenter/status/1890415985749803022]

40,000 forcibly displaced in occupied West Bank

Turning to the occupied West Bank, The Electronic Intifada’s Tamara Nassar reports that Israel’s ongoing deadly assaults have nearly emptied several refugee camps, specifically in the northern areas.

Some 40,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced since Israel’s military operation, dubbed “Iron Wall,” launched in the northern Jenin refugee camp on 21 January.

Since then, Israel expanded its assault to Tulkarm refugee camp and Nur Shams refugee camp near Tulkarm, also in the north. Al-Faraa refugee camp in the foothills of the Jordan Valley, south of Tubas, was also targeted.

Nassar writes that the Israeli army has carried out invasions and airstrikes, destroyed critical infrastructure such as electricity, sewage and water lines, raided homes, arrested youth and deployed snipers in residential areas.

Nearly 50 Palestinians have been killed in those areas and over 100 have been injured.

And in occupied Jerusalem, two owners of the Educational Bookshop were arrested and detained on 9 February after Israeli police raided both of their stores in the city and threw books on the floor, accusing the owners of selling items that incite terrorism, including a children’s coloring book titled From the River to the Sea.

The owners, Mahmoud and Ahmed Muna, were released on Tuesday, and according to their lawyer, the Israeli court charged them with disturbing public order and ordered that they be placed under house arrest for five days.

The court also ordered them not to be allowed to return to their bookstores for 20 days.

Highlighting resilience

Finally, as we always do, we wanted to share images of people expressing determination and resilience in the aftermath of Israel’s 15-month campaign of destruction.

A group of kids sitting around a campfire in Jabaliya, in northern Gaza, spoke with journalist Anas al-Sharif about US-Israeli aspirations to expel them to other countries and take over Gaza.

Every time Anas asks the kids if they’re thinking about leaving the north of Gaza, they all shout in unison “no!”

“Let Trump bark all he wants,” one of the kids says. “We’re not leaving.”

[https://twitter.com/translatingpal/status/1889451618971832630]

Nora Barrows-Friedman is a staff writer and associate editor at The Electronic Intifada, and is the author of In Our Power: US Students Organize for Justice in Palestine (Just World Books, 2014).

14 February 2025

Source: electronicintifada.net