UN: Israel expels 100,000 Palestinians from northern Gaza in 24 hours

Compilation of news reports – IAK staff

At least 37 Palestinians were killed across Gaza Friday, medical sources said. At least seven were killed in an Israeli attack on a tent sheltering displaced people in the Mawasi ‘safe zone.’

In Lebanon, attacks killed 59 people and wounded another 182 over the previous 24-hour reporting period, Lebanon’s Health Ministry says. Among the dead were twenty-one paramedics.

Ethnic cleansing in north Gaza worsens: Israel expels 100,000 Palestinians in 24 hours

At least 100,000 Palestinians have been forced to leave northern Gaza in the last 24 hours, the UN reported on 15 November, as the already catastrophic conditions continue to worsen amid Israel’s continuous airstrikes and denial of aid delivery requests.

“Chaos, suffering, despair, death, and destruction in northern Gaza is a daily reality as access is at a low point,” stated Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Humanitarian Coordination Office (OCHA), who spoke to reporters in Geneva.

All indicators in Gaza show that “we’re going in the wrong direction,” Laerke added.

“Displacement is at a high point, and it is near impossible to deliver aid in there,” he warned.

Kidney patients fight to survive after Israeli soldiers destroy dialysis machines

For kidney patients in Gaza, the war threatens their access to life-sustaining treatment.

Dr Saeed Khattab is a physician at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah.

“The Israeli occupation forces destroyed all the dialysis machines at al-Shifa Hospital on purpose – 60 machines catering to 350 patients, including children. As a result, all the surviving patients are now being treated here at Al-Aqsa Hospital,” he told Al Jazeera.

“This is a massive load, especially since electricity is not always available. That is why we were forced to reduce the number of hours, but this has a very negative impact on a patient’s health.”

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Israel approves only quarter of over 21,000 patient evacuation requests from Gaza: UN

The UN on Friday reported that Israel approved the evacuation of only a quarter of the 21,000 patients in Gaza since October 2023.

“On Wednesday, WHO (World Health Organization) and its partners supported the medical evacuation of eight children and six of their companions from Gaza into Jordan,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference, adding that those evacuated will go to the US to receive specialize treatment.

“Once again, we call for the establishment of evacuation corridors and for all possible routes to be used for the safe and timely passage of all patients who need specialized care,” he added.

UN General Assembly adopts resolution supporting Palestinian right to self-determination and statehood

The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution affirming the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, independence, and freedom from Israeli occupation. The resolution stresses that this right is inalienable, unconditional, and non-negotiable, rejecting any so-called “security measures” imposed by Israel as preconditions.

The resolution references the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice, which declared the Israeli occupation illegal and called for its immediate cessation. This stance, the resolution argues, is critical to allowing the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination and achieve statehood.

A total of 170 countries voted in favor of the resolution, including Canada, Australia, all EU member states, and the majority of nations from South America, Asia, and Africa. Only six countries voted against the resolution: Israel, the United States, Argentina, Paraguay, Micronesia, and Nauru.

The resolution was co-sponsored by 119 UN member states, representing a broad coalition of African, European, Asian, and Latin American countries, highlighting the widespread international support for Palestinian rights.

EU to discuss sanctions, ‘suspending political dialogue with Israel’

The EU foreign policy chief has proposed to formally suspend political dialogue with Israel over its disregard for international law in the Gaza Strip.

“After a year of unheeded pleas by the Israeli authorities regarding respect for international law in the Gaza war, we cannot continue with business as usual,” Josep Borrell said in a blog post on Friday.

“This is why I have proposed to EU Member States to ban imports from illegal settlements and to suspend the political dialog with Israel. We will discuss these measures at the Foreign Affairs Council next week.”

The EU has imposed many sanctions – from visa bans and “terrorist” designations to import restrictions and sanctions – in other cases of violations of international law, but “until now Israel has been spared from any meaningful consequences. This has to change,” Borrell said.

House GOP Moves to Ram Through Bill That Gives Trump Unilateral Power to Kill Nonprofits

A controversial “nonprofit killer” bill is back on track after it was blocked earlier this week.

The Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, which would empower the secretary of the Treasury to designate any nonprofit as a “terrorist supporting organization” and revoke its tax-exempt status, is set to go before the Committee on Rules on Monday for a hearing that could tee up the bill for a new floor vote.

The bill, also known as H.R. 9495, has come under withering criticism from a broad coalition of organizations that say its sponsors are pushing it as a means of cracking down on free speech — particularly speech in support of Palestine. In a joint statement earlier this week, a coalition of Arab American and Muslim organizations pledged to continue to fight the bill.

“This bill was designed to criminalize organizations and activists who oppose the U.S.’s unconditional support of Israel’s genocide of Palestinians and the slaughter of Lebanese civilians,” read the statement, which was signed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, American Muslims for Palestine, and others. “We will continue to stand firm in protecting all organizations’ freedom to speak and operate without fear of political retribution.”

Controversy surrounds ‘Mary’ Netflix film with criticism of Palestinian ‘erasure’

Netflix has released the trailer for its upcoming faith-based drama ‘Mary’, depicting the life of the mother of Jesus.

However, the move has sparked online backlash, with critics condemning the lack of Arab and Palestinian representation, particularly after the casting of white European and Israeli performers.

The trailer for ‘Mary’ features Israelis Noa Cohen, Ori Pfeffer, and Ido Tako, with Cohen’s portrayal of Mary being denounced by critics for erasing Palestinian identity and spreading historical inaccuracies about the family of Christ.

Posts on social media have criticized lead actress Cohen’s filmography, particularly her role in the 2022 Israeli-Azerbaijani film ‘Silent Game’, where she was accused of participating in “whitewashing Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of 120,000 Christians in Artsakh.”

Another critique highlighted the contradictions in casting an Israeli actress amid intensified attacks on Palestinian Christians, Muslims, and places of worship since the onset of the war on Gaza.

“There is something profoundly offensive about having an Israeli actor play Mary, the mother of Jesus, while Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians, killing some of the oldest Christian communities in the world, and erasing their heritage sites,” one post read.

Directed by DJ Caruso, the film is set to premiere on 6 December.

Caruso told Entertainment Weekly that his decision to cast Israeli actors in the lead roles was intentional, explaining that it was “important to us that Mary, along with most of our primary cast, be selected from Israel to ensure authenticity.”

Netflix has previously found itself at the center of a boycott campaign after failing to respond to a petition against its removal of the Palestinian Stories collection from its site.

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