Not in our name: Jewish voices of conscience challenge US support for Israel’s Gaza War
“Each Friday at dusk, as Shabbat candles flicker into life, Jewish activists gather on sidewalks and courthouse steps from Brooklyn to Berkeley. Wrapped in prayer shawls and keffiyehs, they hold aloft placards declaring NOT IN OUR NAME, sound the shofar in calls for ceasefire, and chant Oseh Shalom in Hebrew—a prayer for peace now echoed through urgent protest.
These candlelit vigils are the heartbeat of a fast-growing movement among American Jews. Groups like Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow are leading high-profile sit-ins at congressional offices, orchestrating mass arrests, and demanding that Jewish ethics not be weaponized to defend destruction.
Polling underscores the seismic shift:
38 per cent of US Jewish voters under 44 believe Israel has committed genocide in Gaza.
Holocaust survivor Ruth Messinger called the war “a stain on our ethical DNA,” citing Jewish teachings on collective responsibility.
This generational reckoning reflects a dramatic departure from previous norms.
The weaponization of antisemitism to silence criticism is losing traction among young Jews:
Only 27 per cent of Jews aged 18–29 believe that criticizing Israel is usually antisemitic, compared with 61 per cent of Jews over 65, according to Pew Research.
These younger voices came of age after Oslo, witnessed repeated assaults on Gaza, and are unmoved by historical appeals tied to 1945. Their critiques draw less from ideology and more from lived experience.”
More from Middle East Monitor.
Netanyahu, Trump discuss forced transfer of Palestinians out of Gaza
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has met United States President Donald Trump at the White House, with the two leaders repeating their controversial proposal to forcibly transfer thousands of Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip.
Trump and Netanyahu met for dinner in the Blue Room of the White House on Monday as indirect talks in Qatar between Israel and Hamas on US-backed proposals for a 60-day ceasefire to end the 21-month Gaza war appeared to gather some momentum.
Netanyahu told reporters present at the meeting that the US and Israel were working with other countries to give Palestinians a “better future”, suggesting that the residents of Gaza could move to neighbouring nations.
“If people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave. It shouldn’t be a prison. It should be an open place and give people a free choice,” Netanyahu said.
“We’re working with the United States very closely about finding countries that will seek to realise what they always say, that they wanted to give the Palestinians a better future. I think we’re getting close to finding several countries.””
More from Al Jazeera
“The highest rate of home demolitions since 1967 is currently underway by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank. Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim explains the impact of the destruction on Palestinian communities.”
Met police chief slammed for defending arrest of 83-year-old priest over Palestine Action placard
“The head of London's Metropolitan Police force has been heavily criticised for defending the arrest of an 83-year-old retired priest who expressed support for the direct action group Palestine Action.
The Reverend Sue Parfitt, from Bristol, was detained for holding a placard on Saturday that read: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” She was among 29 people arrested on Saturday for acts of defiance against the proscription.
In an interview with the BBC on Sunday, Met commissioner Mark Rowley was asked whether the arrest of Parfitt was a good use of police time.
"The law doesn't have an age limit, whether you're 18 or 80," he replied. "If you're supporting proscribed organisations, then the law is going to be enforced. Officers, you could see, did it with great care and tried to preserve that person's dignity, but they're breaking a serious law."“
More from Middle East Eye.
GHF proposed camps for Palestinians to 'reside, de-radicalise and re-integrate,' report claims
“The controversial US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has proposed creating camps called “Humanitarian Transit Areas” in the Gaza Strip to house Palestinians and "deradicalise" them, Reuters reported on Monday.
The proposal is part of an overall strategy to end the control of Hamas over the Palestinian enclave.
Reuters reported that the $2bn plan was submitted to the Trump administration and recently discussed in the White House.
The camps are described as "large-scale" and "voluntary" in the plan, and places that Palestinians can "temporarily reside, deradicalize, re-integrate and prepare to relocate if they wish to do so."
A slide deck seen by Reuters called for using the sprawling facilities to "gain trust with the local population" and to facilitate US President Donald Trump's "vision for Gaza".
Reuters could not independently determine the status of the plan, while the group told the news agency the slides were "not a GHF document".”
More from Middle East Eye.
Israeli forces arrest veteran Palestinian journalist in West Bank raid
“Israeli forces arrested veteran Palestinian journalist Dr Nasser al-Lahham during a violent raid on his home in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem early Monday morning.
Lahham, a 58-year-old journalist with over 30 years of experience reporting from Palestine, is the editor-in-chief of Ma’an News Agency and director of Al-Mayadeen TV’s office in Palestine.
The pre-dawn raid on his home in the village of al-Duha, west of Bethlehem, was described by Al-Mayadeen as “brutal and repressive”.
According to Ma’an, Israeli soldiers stormed the house, ransacked the property, destroyed personal belongings, and confiscated computers and mobile phones before detaining the journalist.
Al-Mayadeen accused Israeli forces of spreading chaos and vandalising Lahham’s home with total disregard for privacy.
“We are not surprised by the occupation’s sadistic practices and its hostility toward journalists and press freedom,” the network said, calling for his immediate release.
The Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs confirmed that Israeli authorities had extended Lahham’s detention and referred him to Ofer Military Court until Thursday.
The commission said the arrest is part of a broader policy of targeting journalists, particularly through the use of administrative detention.
This controversial practice, routinely employed by Israeli forces against Palestinians, allows for indefinite detention without charge or trial, often based on undisclosed evidence.
According to the commission, 22 of the 55 Palestinian journalists currently imprisoned are held under administrative detention orders.
Most have not been formally charged, with accusations frequently linked to social media activity labelled as “incitement”.”
More from Middle East Eye.
Israel holds 10,800 Palestinians in its prisons: Rights groups
“Israel is holding 10,800 Palestinians in its prisons, prisoners’ affairs groups said on Tuesday.
“This figure does not include Palestinians held in Israeli army-run camps,” read a joint statement by the Commission of Detainees Affairs, the Palestinian Prisoner Society, and Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association.
The figure is the highest since the second Palestinian Intifada against the Israeli occupation in 2000, the groups said.
The detainees include 50 women, 450 children, and 629 people held without trial or charge under Israel’s notorious policy of administrative detention, the statement said.
According to the Prisoners’ Media Office, the Israeli army arrested more than 17,000 Palestinians, including 545 women and 1,360 children, from Gaza since October 2023.”
More from Anadlou.
Greek dock workers will refuse to unload Israel's 'murderous cargo'
“Dock workers at the port of Piraeus have said that they will refuse to unload the Ever Golden, a container ship carrying military-grade steel to Israel, when it arrives in Greece.
“We will not unload a single inch of this murderous cargo,” Enedep, the union of dock workers at Athens’s port city, said on Tuesday.
“The dock workers of Piraeus will not be complicit. We will not unload military steel from the Ever Golden - no to Greece’s involvement - freedom for Palestine,” the workers said.
According to the ship and container tracking site Vessel Finder, the Ever Golden, which is Japanese-owned and sails under the flag of Panama, was sailing off the coast of West Africa on Tuesday morning.
It is expected to reach Piraeus on 14 July. Once it arrives there, its cargo is intended to be moved to another container ship, the Folk Dammam, and taken on to Israel.”
More from Middle East Eye.
Deaths for children under 5 in Gaza rises tenfold since Oct.7, 2023: Doctors Without Borders
“A new mortality survey conducted by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) on Wednesday reveals a tenfold increase in death rates for children under the age of five in the Gaza Strip since the outbreak of the current war on Oct. 7, 2023.
The retrospective survey, carried out by MSF’s epidemiological unit, Epicentre, included 2,523 people, MSF staff and their family members, between October 2023 and March 2025.
The findings show that the overall mortality rate in the group was five times higher than pre-war levels, while for children under 5, it was 10 times higher. For newborns under one month old, the mortality rate increased sixfold, raising the alarm about the scale of civilian suffering.
“Forty-eight percent of the people who died from blast injuries among our colleagues' households were children, and 40 percent were under 10 years old,” said Amande Bazerolle, deputy manager of MSF’s emergency department. “The children of Gaza are being decimated.”
More than 2% of those surveyed have died since Oct. 7, and 7% were injured.
MSF noted that three-quarters of the deaths were caused by war-related injuries, the vast majority from blasts.
The mortality rate in the survey population reached 0.41 deaths per 10,000 people per day and rose to 0.70 for children under 5.
Despite better access to care compared to the general population, 20% of MSF households reported at least one member injured by a blast or gunfire.
MSF also highlighted the collapse of Gaza’s health care system. Two-thirds of those with chronic illnesses experienced treatment interruptions.
“This is the result of the Israeli campaign to systematically destroy the health system and the means of survival of the whole population,” said MSF.
The medical charity urged Israel to end what it described as a “genocidal campaign,” lift the blockade on food, fuel and medical supplies, and facilitate urgent medical evacuations -- especially for children.”
Via Andalou.
More than 100 premature babies in Gaza at risk as hospitals run out of fuel
“Two of Gaza’s largest hospitals have issued desperate pleas for help, warning that fuel shortages caused by Israel’s siege could soon turn the medical centres into “silent graveyards”.
The warnings from al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza City and Nasser Hospital in southern Khan Younis came on Wednesday, as Israeli forces continued to bombard the Palestinian enclave, killing at least 74 people.
Muhammad Abu Salmiyah, the director of al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest facility, told reporters that the lives of more than 100 premature babies and some 350 dialysis patients were at risk.
“Oxygen stations will stop working. A hospital without oxygen is no longer a hospital. The lab and blood banks will shut down, and the blood units in the refrigerators will spoil,” Salmiyah said.
“The hospital will cease to be a place of healing and will become a graveyard for those inside,” he said.
Abu Salmiyah went on to accuse Israel of “trickle-feeding” fuel to Gaza’s hospitals, and said that al-Shifa’s dialysis department had already been shut down to conserve power for the intensive care unit and operating rooms, which cannot be without electricity for even a few minutes.”
More from Al Jazeera.
Tony Blair Institute took part in ‘Gaza Riviera’ ethnic cleansing project
“The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) has been implicated in what many believe to be a blueprint for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, following revelations that the institution founded by the former UK Prime Minister participated in a controversial postwar planning project proposing the mass displacement of Palestinians.
Details of TBI’s involvement was uncovered in a Financial Times investigation. It revealed that the scheme, developed by Israeli businessmen and modelled by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), included economic incentives to forcibly “relocate” up to half a million Palestinians and transform the besieged enclave into a luxury investment zone dubbed the “Gaza Riviera”.
BCG developed financial models estimating the costs of displacing up to 500,000 Palestinians from Gaza as part of a project internally labelled “Aurora”. The modelling included so-called “relocation packages” worth around $9,000 per person, which were framed as voluntary but widely condemned as a thinly veiled scheme for transferring the population of Gaza.
Simultaneously, staff from TBI are said to have participated in message groups and planning calls where they circulated internal proposals for a postwar economic transformation of Gaza. These included visions of a “Gaza Riviera”, artificial islands modelled on Dubai’s developments, blockchain-based trade zones and low-tax manufacturing hubs.
Though TBI later distanced itself from the final plan, its documented participation has raised serious concerns about its complicity in efforts to reengineer Gaza’s demography under the guise of reconstruction.”
More from Middle East Monitor.
Israel is killing doctors so Gaza can never heal from genocide

“After her parents, sister and husband were killed in a bombing, Lubnah prayed they would be the last victims of the war. Her father, Dr Marwan al-Sultan, was one of Gaza’s most respected medics, director of the Indonesian Hospital, and one of only two surviving cardiologists in the Strip.
On July 2, an Israeli bomb killed him, alongside his wife Dhikra, their daughter Lamees, his sister Amneh, and his son-in-law Mohammed, Lubnah’s husband.
The family had been sheltering in an apartment, in an area designated by Israel as “safe”, having evacuated their home in Jabalia in compliance with orders from the Israeli occupation forces (IOF). The so-called “Chalet area” of western Gaza City was once a place where families spent time at the beach, enjoying themselves, despite the daily trials of Israeli occupation.
The bomb targeted directly the room Dr Marwan was sitting in; no other part of the building was destroyed. Lubnah survived because she had gone downstairs to prepare food. Her brothers, Omar, Ahmad and Nimr also survived because they were outside the home.
The day before his death, upon hearing the news of a possible ceasefire, Dr Marwan shared a hopeful vision with his son, Omar.
“The first thing we’ll do [once a ceasefire is reached] is go back home. With everyone’s effort, in a month or two, we can make it as before. Then we’ll rebuild the hospital,” he said. Omar felt inspired by his father.
Dr Marwan’s dreams were buried with him.
His daughter Lubnah’s prayers were not answered. The genocide continued taking victims.”
More from Ghada Ageel for Al Jazeera.
Israeli soldiers file petition questioning legality of ‘Operation Gideon Chariots’ in Gaza
“Three Israeli reserve soldiers have filed a legal petition with the Supreme Court, arguing that the army’s “Operation Gideon Chariots” in Gaza may breach international law, as it appears to aim at the forced transfer and expulsion of the population of the Gaza Strip.
According to Haaretz on Monday, Supreme Court Judge Khaled Kabub has urged the Israeli army to provide a response to the petitioners in hopes of sparing the court from needing to deliberate the matter further.
In a letter sent to the soldiers by an officer from the office of the Israeli Chief of Staff, the military claimed it was “operating broadly throughout the Gaza Strip against terror targets through fire and ground incursions.” He stated that the evacuation of residents was carried out “to reduce the risk to civilians,” adding that “the Israeli army advises and permits civilians in combat zones to evacuate themselves for their protection, as long as military operations continue in the area.”
However, the petitioning soldiers stressed that the forced and permanent displacement of Palestinians in Gaza – which the Israeli government has publicly identified as one of the war’s objectives – is an illegal military act and stands in direct violation of international law and “the values and spirit of the Israeli army.””
Kuwaiti student sues UK university after being 'dragged' off stage for pro-Palestine protest
“A Kuwait student is suing her former UK university for violating her free speech after it prevented her from peacefully protesting the institution’s investments in Israel during her graduation ceremony.
Aishah AlBader has filed a pre-action letter against Bangor University in Wales for assault, battery, false imprisonment and breach of her human rights.
The claim stems from an incident that took place during her graduation ceremony last year. AlBader planned to walk across the stage as she graduated with a pillowcase bearing the message "Bangor University invests in genocide".
But AlBader, who was part of a local student group that campaigned for Bangor University to divest from companies complicit in possible Israeli war crimes, was stopped by four security guards who dragged her off the stage before removing her from the building.
Multiple videos of the incident that gained more than 150,000 views showed several security guards dragging AlBader off the graduation stage from behind in front of hundreds of people.”
More from Middle East Eye.
Mahmoud Khalil files $20m claim against Trump for wrongful detention
“Mahmoud Khalil, a former student activist imprisoned for more than three months, has filed a wrongful detention claim against the administration of President Donald Trump, seeking $20m in damages.
Thursday’s court filings allege that the Trump administration smeared his reputation, maliciously prosecuted Khalil and unlawfully imprisoned him.
The claim names the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of State as defendants.
In an interview with The Associated Press (AP), Khalil said he hopes his claim will show that the Trump administration cannot bully activists into silence.
“They are abusing their power because they think they are untouchable,” Khalil said. “Unless they feel there is some sort of accountability, it will continue to go unchecked.”
Thursday’s claim is likely to be the precursor to a full-fledged lawsuit under the Federal Tort Claims Act.
Khalil, who served as a spokesperson for the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, said he plans to use any money he receives from his claim to help other activists whose speech Trump has attempted to suppress.
He also told the AP he would accept an apology and a revision of the Trump administration’s deportation policies. Khalil himself continues to face deportation proceedings as a result of his activism.”
More from Al Jazeera.
UN expert Albanese rejects ‘obscene’ US sanctions for criticising Israel
“United Nations expert Francesca Albanese has slammed the decision by the United States to sanction her as “obscene”, saying she is being targeted for calling out Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Speaking to Al Jazeera on Thursday, Albanese, who serves as the UN’s special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, said she would not be cowed into silence by the US move against her on Wednesday.
Albanese stressed that the penalties imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration would not stop her “quest for [the] respect of justice and international law”.
The special rapporteur said Washington’s tactics reminded her of “Mafia intimidation techniques” before suggesting that “sanctions will only work if people are scared and stop engaging”.
“I want to remind everyone [that] the reason why these sanctions are being imposed is the pursuit of justice,” Albanese said.
“Of course I’ve been critical of Israel. It has been committing genocide and crimes against humanity and war crimes,” she added.
While announcing the sanctions on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio charged Albanese with waging a “campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel”.
The UN rapporteur hit back on Thursday, noting that the atrocities being committed in Gaza were not just down to “the unrelinquished territorial ambitions of Israel” and the backing of its supporters but also “companies who are profiting from it”.
Last week, she released a report mapping the corporations aiding Israel in the displacement of Palestinians and its genocidal war on Gaza in breach of international law.”
More from Al Jazeera.
A high price without victory: The whole world wants the war to end – except Israel
“Retired Israeli General and former head of the Israeli National Security Council, Giora Eiland, said that “occupying a civilian area gives a false impression of success and drags the army into a costly quagmire”.
In an article titled “A high price without victory”: “the whole world wants the war to end – except the Israeli government,” Eiland, who was known for drafting the so-called “generals’ plan” to transfer residents from northern Gaza during the Israeli war on the Strip, said:
“Five soldiers were killed and 14 others injured, some seriously, in an incident in Beit Hanoun. This incident, like the one in which seven combat engineers were killed in a Puma vehicle, shows again and again how absurd the war in Gaza is – a war whose cost outweighs any real benefit.”
Eiland added that modern military conflicts follow a consistent rule: “In every place where there is friction and interaction between the occupying forces and hostile civilians, severe attacks will take place.”
He continued: “This is what happened to the Americans in Vietnam in the late 20th century… to us in Lebanon… and to the Americans and the British in Iraq and Afghanistan. This reality could have been understood and taken into account before the ground operation began in Gaza – an operation that has already cost more than 400 Israeli soldiers killed and thousands wounded.”
Via Middle East Monitor.
UN urged to take legal action at ICJ to uphold Francesca Albanese’s immunity
“The US sanctioning of the UN special rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese, has prompted calls for legal action at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on account of her diplomatic immunity.
Albanese was sanctioned by the US on Wednesday in connection with her work as a UN expert scrutinising Israeli and US actions in occupied Palestine.
The 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the UN, to which the US is a party, enshrines the immunity of UN special rapporteurs from legal process of any kind.
The immunity granted to UN experts aims at enabling them to carry out their work independently without interruption.
The ICJ does not have jurisdiction over the US in inter-state disputes, but other states can request an advisory opinion by the court, which is an authoritative legal opinion on the matter.
The United Nations Secretary-General could protest such violations to the US directly to attempt to have them removed, or the UN General Assembly could request an advisory opinion from the ICJ,” explained Ben Saul, UN special rapporteur on counterterrorism and human rights.
Agnes Callamard, head of the world’s leading human rights organisation Amnesty International and a former special rapporteur, said the UN should act to shield Albanese from the impact of sanctions.
“I think what is more likely to have an impact is other governments, including Albanese’s own government and the EU to take a very strong stand against the sanctions,” she told Middle East Eye.
“But we cannot let the UN off the hook, and we do need to demand that it responds to the attack.”
Guterres's spokesman Stephane Dujarric on Thursday denounced the sanctions as “unacceptable” but did not outline concrete measures that will be taken to protect Albanese.
MEE has reached out to Dujarric for further comment.”
More from Middle East Eye
Israel kills another Palestinian journalist in Gaza, death toll rises to 229
“Another Palestinian journalist was killed by Israeli army fire in Gaza, bringing the death toll since October 2023 to 229, local authorities said on Thursday, Anadolu reports.
Ahmad Abu Aisha lost his life after being directly hit by an Israeli drone in front of his home in the Sawarha area, west of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, the government media office said in a statement.
The office condemned “Israel’s systematic assassination of Palestinian reporters in Gaza” and called on human rights and media institutions to “condemn these systematic crimes against Gaza journalists.””
Family of American citizen killed by Israeli settlers demands US probe
The family of Sayfollah Musallet, a 20-year-old United States citizen from Florida who was beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, is calling on Washington to launch its own probe into the incident and to hold the perpetrators accountable.
Musallet’s family said in a statement that Israeli settlers surrounded him for three hours during the assault on Friday and attacked medics who were attempting to reach him.
The slain young man, known as Saif, was a “kind, hard-working, and deeply-respected young man, working to build his dreams”, the family said.
“This is an unimaginable nightmare and injustice that no family should ever have to face,” the statement added.
“We demand the US State Department lead an immediate investigation and hold the Israeli settlers who killed Saif accountable for their crimes. We demand justice.”
Washington has previously resisted calls to investigate the killing of US citizens by Israeli forces. Instead, US officials say that Israel is capable of probing its own abuses.
But Israeli investigations rarely lead to criminal charges against settlers or soldiers, despite their well-documented violations against Palestinians.”
More from Al Jazeera.
After Netanyahu’s Washington visit ends, truce in Gaza remains out of reach
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has concluded a four-day visit to Washington, seeking to shore up support from the Trump administration as Tel Aviv continues its attacks in Gaza and tensions with Iran linger. He left with warm words and a new bilateral agreement — but no final breakthrough on a ceasefire or hostage release, Anadolu reports.
The trip, Netanyahu’s third to the US capital this year, came on the heels of last month’s joint US-Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Framed as a mission to deepen strategic ties, it was also shadowed by street protests and mounting scrutiny over Gaza, both abroad and at home.
Throughout his meetings, Netanyahu lauded the bilateral relationship, declaring after a meeting with US House Speaker Mike Johnson that the partnership had reached an unprecedented level. He said coordination between Washington and Tel Aviv is unmatched “in the entire 77 years of Israel’s history.”
More from Middle East Monitor.
54 Palestinians, including children, were killed in series of Israeli airstrikes across Gaza Strip
Israeli warplanes kill four Palestinian children in Khan Younis
Israel kills at least 105 more Palestinians in Gaza over the past 24 hours
Israel strikes Gaza homes, kills 32 including children and women
At least 28 killed, dozens injured in pre-dawn Israeli strikes across Gaza Strip
Israeli attacks kill 82 amid forced displacement plans
Israel kills Palestinians receiving nutritional aid for children in Gaza
Illegal Israeli settlers kill 2 Palestinians, set up new outpost in occupied West Bank
Israel kills 39 Palestinians in Gaza, including 10 seeking aid
‘Beyond horrific’: Several children killed in Israeli attack on Gaza school
Israel has killed at least 59 more Palestinians in Gaza over the past 24 hours


Two more books longlisted for the Palestine Book Awards: Palestine in the Air: A Cultural History of Palestinian Aviation by Chin-chin Yap and Producing Palestine: The Creative Production of Palestine Through Contemporary Media by Dina Matar & Helga Tawil-Souri.















Photos by Abood M Almadhoun for Gaza Soup Kitchen in Sheikh Radwan.