No. 47

September 7, 2024

Nothing Has Succeeded in Quelling Let Alone Silencing
the Resistance to Zionist Genocide

Long Live the Palestinian Resistance Movement!

Demonstration on last day of Democratic National Convention, Chicago, August 22, 2024

• U.S. Working Class and People Show Their Mettle at
Democratic National Convention

• Palestinians in West Bank Counter Zionist Invasion
with Fierce Resistance

• West Bank Onslaught Provides More Evidence of Depravity
of Israeli Zionists/ U.S. and Canadian Backers

• Deliberately Deceptive U.S./Zionist Plans for Gaza
Exposed Again and Again

• Indications Are that Israel Is Collapsing Not the Resistance

• Failed Attempts to Continue the Occupation Through
Fraudulent Negotiations

• Protests in Israel Increase in Size and Scope

Photo Review

• August Actions Mark 10 Months of Steadfast and Broadening Support for Palestinian People and Their Resistance

Nothing Has Succeeded in Quelling Let Alone Silencing
the Resistance to Zionist Genocide

U.S. Working Class and People Show Their Mettle at Democratic National Convention

Section of 17,000 plus march in solidarity with Palestine on the opening day of the Democratic National Convention, August 19, 2024

The Democratic National Convention (DNC) was held in Chicago from August 19-22 as a huge pep rally staged to present Kamala Harris as universally loved and chosen by the American people to be the next president of the United States. This attempt by the Democratic Party machine to claim legitimacy was no doubt meant to outdo the similar displays of wealth and power put on by presidential rival Donald Trump. But, in the end, the gawdy parade of glitz and glitter, money, celebrities, influencers and hollow odes to joy all boiled down to crass U.S. chauvinism, jingoism and more of the same.

Thanks to the courageous and principled presence of the more than 150 groups from across the U.S. which were part of organizing and mobilizing for the protests at the DNC, the striving of the U.S. working class and people took centre stage there. Their cause prevailed against all kinds of attempts to block their demands, marginalize the actions and silence the voice of the people. Far from the Democratic Party machine succeeding in covering up the dire crisis in which the U.S. democracy is mired, the protestors showed what democracy looks like. Besides raising the demands of all sectors of the people in the U.S. against injustice and the rule of the rich, the protests at the DNC in Chicago made a statement seen by the entire world that nothing will quell the opposition of the U.S. working class and people, comprised of peoples of all national origins, religious and political beliefs, to U.S. support for Zionist Israel's brutal genocide against the Palestinian people.

A joint statement of the March on the DNC Coalition stated in part:

"We recognize the Democratic Party as a tool of billionaires and corporations.

"Their actions, such as financing genocide in Palestine and war in multiple countries; continuing the mass incarceration of Black and brown people; deporting millions of immigrants; and neglecting campaign promises made to the oppressed communities who represent their voting base, show that the Democratic Party only serves the agenda of the rich and powerful. Recent gains in the rights of oppressed people have been made by grassroots organizations in spite of a lack of support and often outright opposition from Democratic Party leaders."

"History has proven what Frederick Douglass once said: 'power concedes nothing without a demand.'

"We are calling on other grassroots organizations that are fighting for exploited and oppressed people to unite with us as we take the demands of the people to the Democratic Party in August 2024. [...]

"The March on the DNC will be a march for Palestine. Our main demand will be: Stand with Palestine! End U.S. Aid to Israel.

"We will also be bringing together the demands of the people's movements to the door of the Democratic party:

- Money for Jobs, School, Healthcare, Housing, and Environment, Not for War!

- Immigrant Rights and Legalization for All Undocumented Workers!

- Defend LGBTQIA+ & Reproductive Rights!

- Defend the right to unionize and strike!

- Stop police crimes! Community control of the police now!

- Justice, Peace, and Equality!"

Inside the DNC, Kamala Harris called for a "ceasefire now," "a free Palestine," and "self-determination" for Palestine. However, a number of significant voices in the movement have already responded with "we want more than words!" and "abandon Killer Kamala!" The emptiness of Harris' words is evident even just by looking at the stands taken by the current Biden-Harris administration to fully back Israel's genocide. Going back to 2017, Harris addressed the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as a senator from California, firmly pledging her allegiance to "Israel's security and right to self-defence." She made clear that "I stand with Israel because of our shared values, which are so fundamental to the founding of both our nations. I believe the bonds between the United States and Israel are unbreakable."

Speakers in the protests at the DNC and at the ongoing actions against the genocide in Palestine do not have illusions about Harris and the role of the U.S. and are speaking about what is taking place in Gaza and now the West bank as a U.S. war. The attempts to present the Democratic Party and the U.S. as bastions of democracy while abetting Israel's genocide in Gaza simply will not fly.

Despite attempts by the ruling circles to present the DNC as the Democratic Party righting the ship by replacing Biden with Harris, the U.S. working class and people, in action to stand as one with Palestine since October 2023 and before that since the Nakba, have made clear that their resistance, like the resistance of the Palestinian people, will not be quelled by the U.S. ruling circles and the Zionists.

August 19

Last day of the convention, August 22

(Photos: Palestine Online, uspcn, S. Fatima)

Palestinians in West Bank Counter Zionist Invasion with Fierce Resistance

The Palestinian Resistance informs that its fighters are repelling the invasion of the West Bank by the Zionist forces that began on August 28, aimed at the Jenin, al-Far'a, and Nur Shams refugee camps, in Jenin, Tubas and Tulkarm respectively. Through the resistance operation called "Terror of the Camps," the invasion by the Israel Occupation Force (IOF), said to be the largest in 20 years, was immediately met with fierce resistance.

The al-Quds Brigades--West Bank announced on August 29 that it has transitioned to phase two of Operation Terror of the Camps, explaining that this stage focuses on "utilizing the terrain effectively, rebuilding capabilities, setting up ambushes and detonating explosives."

The al-Quds Brigades confirmed in a statement that its units in the occupied West Bank had carried out a series of major military operations that changed the course of the battle. These included what it called "death traps" in Jenin and Tulkarm and ambushing a group of Israeli occupation soldiers in a complex ambush in the al-Manshiyya neighbourhood, in response to the assassination of the commander of the Tulkarm Brigade, Mohammad Jaber "Abu Shujaa."

The brigades gave reassurances that its fighters are in fine form and that the Resistance remains steadfast and unbreakable by "the cowardly army." It added that the illusion propagated by the Israeli occupiers, thinking they will be the ones to end their foray into the West Bank, is a clear indication of their ignorance of what is happening on the ground and what has been prepared on the ground, today, tomorrow and into the future.

Al Mayadeen reported on August 30 that the Palestinian Resistance continued to confront the invading Israeli occupation forces as part of Operation Terror of the Camps. The al-Qassam Brigades reported that they had successfully ambushed Israeli soldiers, inflicting significant losses in the cities of Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas during the Israeli offensive in the northern West Bank.

At that time, Israeli forces had besieged the roads leading to Jenin Governmental Hospital and imposed a complete lockdown on the Jenin refugee camp, sealing off all its entrances. Meanwhile, in the camp's Damaj and Hawashin neighbourhoods, Israeli troops engaged in widespread demolition and destruction. The al-Qassam Brigades targeted an Israeli military vehicle in the eastern neighborhood of Jenin with a powerful explosive device, causing casualties among the soldiers. Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades also reported intense confrontations against Israeli occupation forces across various combat zones in Jenin city and its refugee camp, using machine guns and explosive devices. They engaged in a fierce battle against an Israeli special forces unit that infiltrated the town of Zababdeh, east of Jenin, using machine guns. In the eastern part of Jenin, the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades trapped an Israeli unit in an ambush, detonating a powerful explosive device and engaging them with machine gun fire. The fighters reported they inflicted direct injuries on Israeli soldiers. Further south in the city, the al-Quds Brigades and al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades engaged in fierce confrontations against Israeli forces in the Jabariyat neighbourhood, using machine guns and explosive devices.

In the area around Nablus, Israeli settler terrorist gangs under the protection of Israeli forces, invaded the town of Huwara, blocked the main road, and opened fire on Palestinian residents. The settlers also expelled Palestinians from Ain al-Tahta in Khirbet Tana, near the town of Beit Furik, east of Nablus. In Beita, south of Nablus, confrontations erupted between Resistance fighters and Israeli forces in Jabal Sbeih. Meanwhile, in Qalqilya, Resistance fighters confronted Israeli forces at the northern entrance to the city, an Al Mayadeen correspondent reported.

The Hamas Resistance movement announced the martyrdom of one of its commanders, Wissam Ayman Khazem, who was killed in the Jenin refugee camp the morning of August 30 in an Israeli airstrike. Another Israeli airstrike claimed the lives of Tulkarm Brigade commander in the al-Quds Brigades, Mohammad Jaber, known as Abu Shujaa, and fighter Majd Dawood. Hamas called on Palestinians and Resistance fighters across the West Bank to intensify their confrontations with Israeli forces and settlers, continuing the spirit of unity seen in Operation al-Aqsa Flood.

On September 3, the seventh day of the IOF invasion, the Palestinian Resistance al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), reported that their fighters continued to resist Israeli forces across various axes. They confirmed that their units were targeting Israeli troops and military vehicles with heavy gunfire and explosive devices, achieving direct hits on infantry units in the al-Shuhada Axis.

In a separate development, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades--Nablus engaged in intense confrontations with Israeli occupation forces during an incursion into the Balata Refugee Camp, utilizing automatic weapons and explosive devices.

The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades--Tulkarm confirmed the death of an Israeli soldier and reported multiple injuries among Israeli troops. This was a result of a precise ambush conducted by their Resistance fighters in collaboration with the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades in the al-Ghanem Axis in Tulkarm Refugee Camp.

In Gaza, Al-Quds Brigades fighters carried out a raid targeting a large residential structure in Tel Al-Hawa, south of Gaza City. An Israeli force had taken over the house, and had fortified its position there for quite some time. That ended when a number of fighters advanced towards the house, armed with machine guns and TBG shells, which are anti-fortification missiles fired by rocket-propelled grenade launchers. In the daring operation the fighters engaged with Israeli soldiers on the first floor of the house, before firing a TBG shell, and then engaged with Israeli soldiers on the upper floors.

West Bank Onslaught Provides More Evidence
of Depravity of Israeli Zionists/ U.S.
and Canadian Backers

Bulldozers destroy infrastructure in Tulkarm, September 3, 2024

The current depraved Zionist invasion of the West Bank began on August 28 at 1:30 am. The Israeli army launched a large-scale invasion of the northern West Bank with thousands of soldiers. Hospitals were besieged. Bulldozers destroyed infrastructure including not just buildings, houses and roads but also water and sewer systems. At least 11 Palestinians were reported killed with many others wounded that day alone.

Al Mayadeen's correspondent in the West Bank reported that the Israeli occupation forces stormed the town of Anabta, east of Tulkarm, where they deployed additional military reinforcements entering through the northern axis of Tulkarm toward the Nur Shams camp.

The sanitized report of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) stated that "since the early hours of Wednesday morning, it has begun a wide-scale military operation targeting militants in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas in the northern West Bank." Israeli media stated that the Israeli Security Agency, known as the Shin Bet, and al-Mustaaribeen units -- elite Israeli undercover units that disguise themselves as Arabs or Palestinians -- have joined the IOF in the genocidal operations, alongside the extensive use of helicopters and fighter jets.

On September 3 in Tulkarm Refugee Camp, the IOF intensified their siege and positioned snipers on high buildings around the camp. Surveillance drones persistently patrolled at low altitudes over the area. A child was killed there on September 3 by Israeli snipers while with his father, who was also injured.

Also on September 3, the IOF raided Birzeit University north of Ramallah. Reports indicate that Israeli soldiers damaged property associated with student activities and seized various materials and publications. They also posted intimidating notices warning students against participating in campus activities and threatening to "destroy their futures."

IOF raids continue elsewhere, in the Izbat al-Jarad area east of Tulkarm, the Balata Refugee Camp, the town of Salem east of Nablus, and the city of Qalqilya in the northern West Bank. In al-Khalil, Israeli forces conducted raids and arrests in the towns of Beit Fajjar, Sa'ir, and Idna, and also stormed the town of Silwan south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The IOF assault on Jenin and Tulkarm ended on September 6, the 10th day of the Israeli invasion.

Since the IOF invasion of the West Bank began 10 days ago, the Zionists have killed at least 39 Palestinians in Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas, and three in al-Khalil, bringing the total number killed in the West Bank since October 7, 2023 to 691. This number is rising every day while the Resistance seizes the initiative through their actions.

Deputy Director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Affairs in the West Bank, Roland Friedrich, stated that the agency was noting with grave concern the humanitarian situation in the northern West Bank refugee camps following the large-scale Israeli offensive. He called on the occupation authorities to comply with international law, avoid targeting civilians and respect the inviolability of UNRWA premises and facilities. He said that the agency has been compelled to halt its services in several camps affected by the aggression, while stressing that it, in cooperation with UN partners and humanitarian NGOs, remains committed to provide all services to the extent allowed by the security situation on the ground.

Friedrich decried calls by Israeli officials to displace and "temporarily evacuate" Palestinians from their homes in the West Bank in the same manner as in the Gaza Strip.

Ibrahim Fraihat, an associate professor on conflict resolution at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, explained to Al Jazeera the significance of the West Bank refugee camps. Jenin, for example, was created after the 1948 Nakba and remains a powerful symbol of the right of return. "Under international law, they [the Palestinians] have the right to return to their homes, so it is very important for them [the Israelis] to target these refugee camps," Fraihat told Al Jazeera. "The Israeli government wants to send a message that no one is immune, that all Palestinians are a target. It goes to the larger vision of depopulating these areas and to be in control of the West Bank."

Jenin, September 3, 2024

(Al Mayadeen, Al Jazeera)

Deliberately Deceptive U.S./Zionist Plans
for Gaza Exposed Again and Again

Thanks to the adherence of the Palestinian Resistance to the principle that only the Palestinians can determine their own affairs, one plan of the U.S./Israeli Zionists after another bites the dust. On August 29, the Israeli army announced plans to establish a new position within its ranks which it claimed is aimed at overseeing long-term control over the Gaza Strip, Israeli online news site Ynet reported. It said the decision came "in the absence of clear strategic goals for the future of the Gaza Strip," the outlet wrote. "The Israeli army began yesterday through this appointment to accept the fact that its responsibility for the Strip will continue for years and will expand, and about two million Palestinians will remain under its responsibility," the report added.

Israeli officer Elad Goren was chosen for this appointment, Ynet revealed. Goren is a veteran of the Defense Ministry unit known as the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT). "Anyone who believes that Israeli control and intervention in the Gaza Strip will end soon, whether by stopping or not stopping the fighting and its decline, or even with or without a deal, is mistaken," a senior security official told Ynet.

According to the "new plan" of the Zionists, "On the agenda of the new unit in the Israeli army will be major operations, which have already begun, to evacuate the seriously wounded and sick to hospitals in Jordan, Egypt or the UAE ... and preparing for winter in the Gaza Strip, in light of the massive amount of destroyed infrastructure [...] It will play a major role in wide-scale civilian operations that will be implemented soon ... if a deal is reached for the clear return of about one million Gaza residents to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip under the expected monitoring and inspection process on the Netzarim axis. ... It will also be tasked with dealing with the Rafah crossing crisis, especially in light of the possibility of the return of an international European body to supervise work there as it was before 2005."

Talk about an "international European body to supervise work there," is a rehash of arrangements made at the time of the 1993 Oslo Accords whereby the occupation was enforced by various collaborators including the European Union, the Palestinian Authority and various agencies which claim to be neutral in carrying out their mandate with the results we see today. Such plans are clear evidence of moribund forces totally out of sync with reality. The Palestinians have no intention of remaining under Israeli occupation at the mercy of the genocidal Zionist project which has massacred men, women and children with impunity. The Palestinians have no illusions whatsoever that they are protected by the likes of the worst U.S. criminals humankind has ever seen and its feeble-minded retinue including the Canadian government which thinks Canadians are fooled when it declares that this murderous Zionist rampage defends democracy, human rights and peace.

The lives of tens of thousands of Palestinians -- men, women and children, journalists, health care personnel, teachers, poets, artists, and countless others -- and the wounds of hundreds of thousands more, are seared onto the collective consciousness of humankind. The more the U.S. and Zionists and those ready to conciliate with them try to negotiate plans designed to continue the occupation, the more world public opinion condemns their depravity and entrusts the Resistance to hold them to account. The dismal failure of international institutions to protect the Palestinian people from this onslaught is a lesson humankind will not forget, ever.

Failed Attempts to Continue the Occupation Through Fraudulent Negotiations

The ongoing U.S./Zionist sabotage of negotiations for a ceasefire to end the fighting in Gaza and for an exchange of prisoners is making their attempt to commit fraud increasingly evident. The brutal Zionist assassination of the Chief Negotiator for the Palestinian Resistance, Ismail Haniyeh, failed miserably to defeat the Palestinian Resistance which came back even stronger in its resolve to rid Palestine of the Zionist plague. Thanks to the steadfastness which continues to characterize the principled positions of the Palestinian Resistance, the real motivation behind each Zionist proposal is revealed. Since the start of the war, the Resistance Movement Hamas has held fast to the terms of all the Resistance organizations for a permanent ceasefire and full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

What the U.S. is putting forward for discussion is a three-phase process beginning with a prisoner exchange, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a lasting ceasefire. U.S. President "Genocide Joe" Biden gave support for the proposal in a May 31 speech and the UN Security Council approved it shortly thereafter. Meanwhile, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stated he will continue the genocidal war in Gaza until the Palestinian Resistance is destroyed. His refusal to negotiate the release of Israeli captives has caused an uproar in Israel, adding to the political and existential crisis in which Israel is mired.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seems to support Netanyahu’s efforts to ensure the genocide in Gaza continues. On September 1, in response to news of the bodies of six Israeli captives being found, he tweeted his own imperious conditions: “Hamas must release all hostages, lay down its arms, and have no future in the governance of Gaza. Leaders must reach a deal to bring the rest of the hostages home and end the violence.”

The U.S. is working with Egyptian and Qatari mediators on what is said to be a final "take it or leave it" deal which it will present to the parties involved in the coming weeks, the Washington Post reported on September 1.

If both sides refuse the proposal, this could mark the end of the U.S.-led negotiations, "an unnamed senior U.S. official" told the Post. "You can't keep negotiating this. This process has to be called at some point," the official is quoted as saying. Regarding the discovery of six dead Israeli captives on August 31, the official told the Post, "Does it derail the deal? No. If anything, it should add additional urgency in this closing phase, which we were already in."

According to commentators, the implication of this ultimatum is that losing the U.S. in the negotiations would be a bad thing and the Palestinian people should abandon their resistance because they can expect nothing better. In this way, everything is focused on keeping the U.S. in the driver's seat when everything shows the U.S. drive to keep Israel as its proxy in west Asia is the problem in the first place.

Basing its calculations on such ultimatums succeeding is one obvious miscalculation when dealing with the Palestinian Resistance whose fighters are not in this for personal gain. This is something the politicians of the rich clearly cannot understand because they always have a price. This will not pass and it is clear that the Palestinian Resistance will continue its actions on the battlefield until a proper ceasefire deal is negotiated. Meanwhile, the crisis Israel faces due to its war on Gaza will continue to deepen.

In August, the U.S. negotiated a "bridging proposal" which it claimed was to find common ground between Israel and the Palestinian Resistance. While the U.S. has sought to paint a rosy picture of the negotiations, Hamas has indicated the deal is unacceptable because it departs from previous iterations that it had largely accepted. Hamas opted out due to the inclusion of several of Prime Minister Netanyahu's conditions, namely continued troop presence along the Gaza-Egypt border and Netzarim corridor and a screening mechanism to inspect displaced Gazans returning to north Gaza. This "bridging proposal" also included a right for Israel to resume fighting the war once captives were swapped. Such a condition is an obvious non-starter for the Palestinian side and Hamas has demanded the return to the proposal which it accepted on July 2, based on the outline announced by Biden in May.

"The conditions proposed by Israel do not even meet the scenario supported by the UN Security Council on June 10, nor the conditions that Hamas agreed to on July 2. Israel wants Hamas to accept the Israeli presence in the Philadelphi axis," sources in the Turkish Foreign Ministry told Anadolu Agency on August 19.

"It wants to impose surveillance on Gazans who pass from south to north through checkpoints at the Netzarim Junction [separating the north and south of the Strip]. Israel also wants to be able to object to 100 names from a list of about 300 prisoners that Hamas wants to release," the sources added.

The sources went on to say that there is an additional Israeli demand relating to around 200 Palestinians that Israel wishes to deport from Gaza and Ramallah. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's "ultimate goal is to buy time to continue military action," they said.

But this is precisely what has run out for Netanyahu -- time.

Indications Are that Israel Is Collapsing
Not the Resistance

Former senior officer in the Israel Defence Forces Major General Yitzhak Brik in an opinion piece published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, criticized the ongoing war against the Palestinians in Gaza, arguing that the current strategy is leading Israel towards a potential collapse rather than victory. According to Brik, the war is causing significant harm to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel's broader stability. He also challenged the idea among Israeli political and military leaders that withdrawing forces from Gaza after a hostage deal with Hamas would signify defeat. Brik described this as a "fundamental misunderstanding" of the situation, arguing that it is being used to justify a continued and ultimately ineffective war effort.

Another sign of the crisis within the Zionist camp is the announcement by the chief of the IDF Ground Forces, Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai, that he is resigning from his position "due to personal reasons." According to the Times of Israel, Yadai has served as the head of the Ground Forces for the past three years. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant approved Yadai's request, the military added.

The Israeli news site Walla also recently reported that the commander of Israel's Unit 8200, Brigadier General Yossi Shariel, plans to announce his resignation in weeks to come. Unit 8200 is the same unit whose headquarters was targeted from Lebanon by Hezbollah as part of its retaliatory attack in late August.

Ynet reported that the intelligence chief of the army's Gaza Division also plans to leave his post. The news source The Cradle writes:

"Israeli journalist Yossi Yehoshua wrote for the Ynet news outlet on September 4 that Israeli army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi has also 'taken responsibility [for October 7] and is also expected to resign in due course. Perhaps this will really happen in the coming months.'

"Instead of vacating his chair, apologizing deeply and conducting a comprehensive soul-searching, he barricades himself in his office, does not present investigations transparently and above all continues to make appointments, as if he has the legitimacy to shape the face of the army for years to come," Yehoshua added.

"The resignations come at a critical moment, as Israel is at war on several fronts, including a recent escalation of operations in the occupied West Bank."

Protests in Israel Increase in Size and Scope

Tel Aviv, September 2, 2024

On the evening of September 1, Israelis protested in major cities across the country to demand that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu negotiate a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange deal, after the bodies of six hostages were recovered the night before. Many protesters hold Netanyahu responsible for the deaths of the six captives, arguing that their lives could have been saved if a deal had been reached earlier. An estimated 300,000 took to the streets of Tel Aviv, organizers stated. Protesters also blocked the entrance to Jerusalem on September 1 to protest outside the security cabinet meeting. Demonstrators are also protesting the government as a whole and calling for early elections.

Jerusalem, September 1, 2024

On September 2, the Histadrut labour federation called a one-day general strike across Israel, which was interrupted midday by a court order. The strike, which affected schools, universities, Ben Gurion Airport, public transportation and a wide range of economic sectors, also demanded that the government take action for the release of the captives. Histadrut reported that the strike affected municipalities, including Tel Aviv and Haifa, banks, postal services, government ministries that impact a range of public services, including parts of the prime minister's office, the Interior Ministry and other Ministries, and Israel's biggest universities, including the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University. Workers at the port of Haifa, one of Israel's five major ports, joined the strike refusing to load or unload ships.

Protests also disrupted a press conference where Netanyahu doubled down on his claim that nobody is more committed to freeing the hostages than he is. He reiterated the Israeli lie that it is Hamas and the Palestinian Resistance that stand in the way of a negotiated ceasefire, because they will not surrender and cease to exist. He said Israel insists on its own control of the Philadelphi Corridor, the narrow strip of land separating southern Gaza from the Egyptian Sinai. "We need to be at several locations, connected, at a certain distance from one another, with the ability to patrol along the entire road," he said, arguing that Israel cannot rely on sensors or others to guard the border. Asked what would define the end of the war, he replied that this would be "when Hamas no longer rules Gaza."

Tel Aviv, September 1, 2024

Photo Review

August Actions Mark 10 Months of Steadfast
and Broadening Support for Palestinian People
and Their Resistance

National rally and march, Parliament Hill, August 10, 2024

CANADA

National Capital Region

A national “300+ Days of Rage” rally on Parliament Hill and march through the streets of Ottawa was organized on August 10. Contingents came from Montreal, Toronto, London, Windsor and elsewhere in Ontario and Quebec by bus and car to participate, including a car caravan that travelled from southern Ontario. The main demands of the actions were for an immediate complete embargo on arms being shipped to Israel, and that the Canadian government take a stand for an immediate ceasefire and end to the genocide. The march that followed the rally on Parliament Hill included stops outside the Israeli and U.S. embassies.

National march for Palestine, August 10

Hundreds of people once again gathered at the Human Rights Monument on August 18, as Israeli violence increases in the West Bank and brutal massacres and torture by the Israeli forces continue in Gaza in the midst of "ceasefire talks" promoted by the U.S., whose renewed military support for Israel exposes the fraud of its claim to be working for a ceasefire.

Before the march, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Youth Movement pointed out: "We gather here today in profound sorrow and unyielding solidarity. Today marks 316 days of genocide that defies comprehension, 45 weeks of unjustified horror that we continue to protest against. The scale of brutality unleashed against our brothers and sisters in Gaza, in Palestine, is staggering and we must confront it with the full weight of our collective conscience.... Let us not forget the tragic story of Dr. Jumann Arfa, a dedicated physician in Gaza, who was killed along with her mother and her four-day old twins while her husband was gone to obtain the twins' birth certificates, only to return to the devastating site of his family gone.... We protest to honour the memory of those we have lost, to fight for the living and to demand liberation for all Palestinians.... Our presence is testament to our unwavering commitment to our cause. Amid this darkness, we find our strength and resilience. We are a people who have endured the unendurable, who have survived the unspeakable. Our spirit remains unbroken, our resolve unwavering."

She went on to condemn the role of the U.S. and Canada in this genocide. "These nations and their unwavering support for the Zionist entity bear responsibility for the bloodshed. Their silence is deafening, their inaction, a betrayal of the principles of justice and human rights they claim to uphold.... Let us remember, all empires fall. This Zionist entity and those who support it will face the judgment of history. They will be held accountable for their crimes against humanity. We call upon the world to stand with us in our time of need. We call upon every individual of conscience to raise their voice against this genocide. We call upon the international community to take decisive action to end this carnage. The Palestinian people will not be erased. We will fight for our freedom, our dignity, our right to exist and we will prevail!"

A psychotherapist and the well-known physician Dr. Yipeng Ge both spoke out against recent statements by the CEOs of two Ottawa hospitals and by the mayor of Ottawa against the organizers of Capital Pride. The latter accused Capital Pride of being "anti-Israel" following a Capital Pride August 6 statement in solidarity with Palestine, which said, in part:

"To breathe life into our sincere hope for an end to this war and justice for all its victims, we commit to the following actions:

- Integrating resources such as the Palestinian BDS [Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions] National Committee's boycott list in our existing review process of current and future sponsorship agreements;

- Recognizing the ongoing genocide against Palestinians in opening remarks at 2024 Capital Pride Festival Signature Events; and

- Working with all our partners, both public and private, to push for an immediate and permanent cease-fire, the immediate release of all hostages, increased access to humanitarian aid, and more accessible pathways for refugees."

Dr. Ge, who has consistently spoken out against the genocide in Gaza and stood his ground against the health establishment when he was suspended from his medical residency at the University of Ottawa last December, said, among other things: "Hospital CEOs in Ottawa have expressed their disagreement with the solidarity expressed by Capital Pride with Palestine and have announced that they will not attend the annual march. The bombing of hospitals, the torturing and killing of Palestinian health care workers, the massacring of thousands of children did not move these hospital institutions. They were silent for ten months of genocide, extermination, ethnic cleansing, of massacre upon massacre. But now that Capital Pride has decided to abide by a BDS list, they have decided to condemn it ...."

Participants, including families with young children, then marched up Rideau Street where they once again were greeted by drivers honking their horns and passers-by expressing their support in various ways, with some joining the demonstration as it marched through the Byward Market.

August 18

August 29

Quebec

Montreal

August 1

August 3

Hundreds of people gathered in downtown Montreal on August 17 for the 45th weekly rally since October 2023, in support of the Palestinian people's right to resist the illegal occupation and crimes committed by the Israeli army in the Gaza strip and the West Bank.

As one of the spokespersons of the Palestinian Youth Movement said to the crowd: "Why are we here after 300 days of this genocide? We refuse to be complicit in the killing and the murder of our brothers and sisters in Gaza. Do we accept what is happening in Gaza right now? No! We choose to come out to the streets every single week and sometimes every single day because our conscience is clear. We believe that the people of Palestine deserve to live in dignity. They deserve to live as a free people, reclaiming their own lives that was taken away from them 100 years ago. [...]"

"There are talks of negotiations for a ceasefire agreement and we know that the Israelis are just stalling. They are using these negotiations to stall. They are not serious about a real ceasefire, a real peace. [...] They think that they can get away with this. But the Palestinian resistance will never capitulate. In the face of one of the most powerful armies in the region, backed by one of the most powerful states in the world, the U.S., they are fearless. [...] And we can't forget the complicity of the Canadian government. We are here because we believe that liberation will come. We believe in our resistance and we will continue to fight."

The marchers then took to the streets moving along René-Lévesque boulevard with their banners, flags and placards, shouting slogans such as One, We Are the People, Two, We Won't be Silenced, Three, Stop the Bombing, Now, Now, Now!; In Our Millions, in Our Billions, We Are All Palestinians!; Not a Conflict, Not a War, Occupation No More!; Trudeau, Legault, Joly, You Can't Hide, We Charge You With Genocide! and more. As they passed in front of a park where a newlywed couple was having their pictures taken with their guests, the groom took a Palestinian flag from a demonstrator and proudly held it high and waved it to the demonstration. The march ended in front of the U.S. consulate where more slogans and chants carried on for almost half an hour.

August 17

August 24

Hatley, Eastern Townships

On August 31 a mausoleum was erected at 3115 chemin de Capelton, at the entrance to North Hatley in Quebec's Eastern Townships, in honour of the 400 athletes, coaches and other Palestinian sportspeople who have been killed in Gaza since October 2023. The mausoleum remained open until September 2.

Organized on the initiative of Solidarité Sherbrooke-Gaza en Palestine, the event gave many people in the area the opportunity to write on the mausoleum's pillars a word, a thought or the names of the sportspeople who have been injured or lost their lives since the start of Israel's genocidal assault. The mausoleum, adorned with Palestinian flags, is the fruit of almost 300 hours' work by a team of volunteers and the designer, and was appreciated by all.

People also laid flowers, among which were those donated by the Marxist-Leninist Party of Quebec (PMLQ). The message on the card with the PMLQ flowers was: “Your martyrs are our martyrs. We are all Palestinians. One humanity, one struggle. With all our hearts, Jean Bédard of the PMLQ.”

August 31

Ontario

Toronto

Many hundreds of determined protesters gathered in front of Union Station in Toronto on August 18 to shut down the downtown to sharply emphasize that the Trudeau Liberal government's support of the genocide against the Palestinian people must be condemned and stopped immediately.

The demonstrators also condemned Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his U.S. backers for using every excuse to sabotage any ceasefire agreement so that they can continue their destruction and crimes against the Palestinians and all of humanity. Chanting slogans and waving their flags and banners, the protesters demanded action.

The demonstration split in two so that each half could block a major access to the busy Gardiner Expressway. The marchers made their voices heard for over three hours.

August 18

Mississauga

August 24

Sudbury

August 10

August 17

Windsor

On August 8, community members held a militant demonstration outside the Giovanni Caboto Club where the Jewish National Fund (JNF) was holding its 2024 Windsor Negev Dinner "to support Israel." The keynote speaker at the Zionist fundraiser was former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper who for years has performed the same function at Negev Dinners across the country. Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens also attended the dinner, posing proudly for photos with Harper and national JNF leaders.

Among the community members demonstrating outside the event were people of Palestinian descent whose family members have been killed, wounded and displaced by Israel's war of annihilation in Gaza and other parts of occupied Palestine. That very day the Israeli occupation forces massacred at least 32 civilians when it bombed homes and schools housing displaced persons in Gaza.

At the height of the protest action around 200 people lined the sidewalk along Tecumseh Road at Parent Avenue expressing indignation through their banners, signs and chants at the raising of funds in their city, with official Canada's support, for an apartheid state and serial violator of international law that is currently committing genocide with impunity. Cars entering the parking lot of the Caboto Club and exiting it after the event were slowed down by groups of protesters crossing the street in front of them whenever the traffic lights gave pedestrians the right of way. For the duration of the action, the demand of participants, in particular the youth who called it, rang out loud and clear for a liberated Palestine. The protest and chanting went on for six hours until the last dinner guests exited the venue after 10:00 pm.

In statements issued before and after the event, organizers with the University of Windsor Palestinian Solidarity Group provided information about the JNF -- that it was established in 1901 to acquire Palestinian land with the intention of settling Jews on the land and excluding others. After the Nakba of 1948, which the first Negev Dinner honoured, JNF contributed funds for the displacement and dispossession of Palestinians, building of illegal settlements and infrastructure for the Israeli military on their lands. JNF Canada is notorious for building "Canada Park" on the ruins of three Palestinian villages the Israeli military destroyed in 1967 after expelling their residents. All these outrages and more have been committed while the JNF passes itself off as a "charity" and enjoys the benefits of that status from successive Canadian governments -- until it was finally revoked in August this year.

August 8

August 18

Alberta

Calgary

August 4

August 18

Edmonton

The Palestine Pavilion at the annual Heritage Festival August 3 and 4 in Edmonton was a huge success. Large numbers of people came to express their support for Palestine, watch the stunning Dabkeh performances by the Baladna group, listen to musical performances, sample the delicious Palestinian food, and see the displays. The festival grounds were filled with the sentiment expressed by many: We Are All Palestinians!