The systematic destruction the Israeli Zionists conducted after the truce in the fighting was announced and its declarations that after the truce it will continue its mission of wiping out Hamas and wiping out the Palestinian people are a testament to their depravity and the urgent need to stop them. The disastrous situation into which the crimes Israel has committed thus far have plunged the people continues to be revealed. The number of Palestinians killed since October 7 was 14,532 when the truce was announced, including about 6,000 children and many more buried under the rubble not yet accounted for. With the vicious assaults Israel launched in the next 24 hours the death toll rose to 19,385 of whom 8,005 were children.

Devastation in northern Gaza, November 23, 2023

The Qatar-mediated four-day truce is an agreement between Israel and Palestinian resistance organizations providing for a limited prisoner swap and for aid to enter into Gaza. The office of the Israeli Prime Minister said a one-day extension would be authorized for each additional 10 prisoners in Gaza released by Palestinians after the end of the initial four-day period. The Israeli government has not been authorized to extend the ceasefire for longer than 10 days in total, according to an agreement announced by Israel's war cabinet.

The limited truce came into effect on November 24 with the release of 10 captives by Hamas.

With the announcement of the ceasefire tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians immediately began walking to return to their homes. Video footage circulating on social media has shown the Israeli army shooting at Palestinians trying to return to the north of Gaza after the humanitarian pause took effect. Israeli forces also dropped leaflets to warn Gazans against doing so. The leaflet said. "To the residents of the Gaza Strip, the war didn't end yet, the humanitarian pause is temporary, and the northern region of Gaza is a war zone."

The temporary truce has revealed both the extent of the humanitarian catastrophe and destruction wrought upon the Palestinian people of Gaza by Israeli forces as well as the social love and solidarity the people have for one another. Middle East Monitor (MEMO) writes:

"In the first minutes of the pause, hundreds of thousands of Palestinian displaced people went to see their homes and neighbourhoods, especially in the border areas and in areas where Israeli forces were deployed. The Palestinians discovered massive destruction caused by Israeli forces in their areas of residence. Witnesses reported finding dozens of Palestinians who had been killed by the Israeli armed forces, laying open, decomposing. They found entire residential neighbourhoods containing hundreds of buildings and tens of thousands of homes completely destroyed along with massive damage to roads, government buildings, private institutions, infrastructure, electricity and communications networks destroyed." MEMO reports this was the scene they came upon on town after town. "Among the areas that witnessed widespread destruction were the towns of Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia and Jabalya, the neighbourhoods of Al-Rimal, Tal Al-Hawa, Sheikh Ijlin, and the vicinity of Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City." Thousands of Palestinians were shocked when they saw their homes destroyed and surrounded by corpses and blood.

At the same time Palestinian Information Centre (PIC) has reported on countless examples of the social love and popular solidarity of the people in the face of such savage Israeli aggression. Many videos shared speak to this profound humanity and social solidarity. Those who have food, offer it to displaced people passing by on foot. Meal deliveries, food parcels and water are shared amongst the displaced population by volunteer organizations and institutions. Medical doctors come by bicycle to keep in touch with patients because fuel has run out. There are accounts from Jabalia refugee camp of people opening their homes, sharing blankets and whatever they have with resistance fighters. Reports inform of UN-run schools, hospitals, universities, wedding halls, social clubs opening their doors to those displaced by Israeli bombardments.

The PIC writes, "Citizens share bread, water bottles, and medicine strips, and no one monopolizes his possessions. Everything brought by the head of the family for his children becomes common property for the neighbors and the community; no one deprives anyone of anything. [... A]ctivists make large quantities of food on firewood and distribute it to the displaced. The meals often consist of lentils and beans, and in some cases, meals of rice and chicken are provided through donations received from homes and abroad. [... Volunteers work] on providing water, distributing food, blankets and essential life supplies." Others are organized to support specific groups with special needs -- the disabled, infants, pregnant women, the sick and so forth, through donations from the people.

Red cross ambulances carrying first group of Israelis to be released by Hamas, November 24, 2023.

Prisoner Swap: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has received 13 Israeli civilians along with 10 other foreign nationals from Palestinian fighters in Gaza, as per the first footage released. This group was exchanged for 39 Palestinian women and children held in Israeli jails.

The prisoner swap will see Palestinian resistance organizations release a total of 50 civilians, all women and children, at least 10 per day over the life of the truce. Israel in turn agreed to release 150 Palestinians. The Resistance groups gave priority to 300 women, children and others who had been in jail the longest including two women imprisoned since 2015, two women over 50 years old as well as 123 minors under the age of 18, five of whom are under the age of 14 according to the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz.

In addition to the first group of women and children that Hamas handed over to Israel on November 24, it released 12 Thai nationals who had been working in Israel as labourers when they were captured during the October 7 raid. Their release was confirmed by the Thai Prime Minister.

Prior to October 7 there were some 5,200 Palestinians detained by Israel, many on "administrative detention orders" which means they are held for indefinite periods without charge, trial or conviction of any crime. Since October 7 those numbers have swelled to more than 10,000 people, not counting the 4,000 Palestinian labourers from Gaza who were working in Israel and are currently detained in military bases or the more than 2,000 other Palestinians arrested in nightly raids across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The IDF fire tear gas at relatives of the Palestinian prisoners awaiting their release from Israeli prison, November 24, 2023.

U.S., Canadian and British media, along with other media whose mission is to destroy public opinion in support of the Palestinian people and their resistance and promote irrational support for Israel, never speak of the captives Israel is holding, or their conditions. To do so would corroborate that it is Israel which is a terrorist state, not Palestine.

Aid Trucks: Under the agreement, between 200 and 300 aid trucks will enter Gaza each day and will include fuel, a Hamas spokesperson informed. Aid will be allowed to reach northern Gaza as well as the south, the spokesperson said. An average of 30 trucks a day have entered the Gaza Strip since October 7, down from an average of 500 trucks per day before the war.

Even under the agreement reached, Israel continues to control the flow of aid which is unacceptable. While people urgently require relief, they are not hopeful that Israel will stop its crimes. Hamas called a halt to the prisoner exchange for several hours because Israel was not abiding by the terms of the agreement to permit aid into the north. However, late on November 25, it agreed to release 13 Israelis and seven foreigners in exchange for 39 more Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, and later informed that the 20 people had been handed over to the ICRC.

The main United Nations agency in Gaza, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) announced on November 22, the 47th day after the October 7 events, that almost 1.7 million people -- nearly 80 per cent of the population -- have been displaced since Israel launched its aggression against Gaza. As many as 945,000 of these internally displaced people are sheltering in UNRWA premises across Gaza. UNRWA reported 23 of its installations have been directly hit and 45 were impacted by collateral damage from Israeli bombing, resulting in the injury of at least 798 internally displaced people and the death of at least 191.

At least 108 UNRWA workers have been killed since the beginning of the Israeli war on the besieged strip. More than 40 of them have been killed south of Wadi Gaza, in the area where Israel's military has told civilians to move.

UNRWA also reported that Israel has limited deliveries of fuel to less than one-half of what is required for daily operations. Without more fuel, the agency said it would be forced to handle a reduced number of trucks carrying humanitarian aid crossing daily into Rafah, and large parts of Gaza would continue to be flooded with sewage, further increasing risks of disease. "Let's be clear: the control of fuel and the access to water is to control whether thousands -- perhaps tens of thousands -- of children live or die," UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told a press briefing in Geneva.

Médecins sans frontières

"I have spent my entire adult professional life working on basically medical care in conflict zones, and I have never seen anything like this. It's not only attacks on structures that should be safe, like hospitals and schools, but also holding an entire population without food or water or fuel for over a month," Médecins sans frontières (MSF) physician Dr. Amber Alayyan said.

The U.S. has been providing Israel with the location of humanitarian groups working in Gaza for weeks under the guise of preventing strikes against their facilities, but Israel has still targeted them, the news outlet Politico reported on November 21. The information included GPS coordinates of several medical facilities and information on movements of aid groups. Israel simply used the information to target the medical and aid workers.

On November 21, Israel killed two MSF doctors, Mahmoud Abu Nujaila and Ahmad Al-Sahar and a third doctor Ziad Al-Tatar, in an airstrike on the Al-Awda Hospital. Other medical staff, including MSF staff, were also severely injured. MSF had shared the GPS coordinates of their staff with Israeli authorities the same day. On November 18, Israel killed one person and injured another in an attack on a MSF convoy trying to evacuate the group's Palestinian staff members and their families from Gaza. The MSF convoy of five cars, all clearly marked with MSF identification, including on the cars' roofs, included 137 people, among them 65 children.

More Israeli Destruction at Al-Shifa Hospital

Reports indicate the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) withdrew on November 24 from Al-Shifa Hospital Complex in Gaza City after about 10 days of storming, raiding and destroying large parts of it. The IDF blew up the hospital's power generators and medical equipment, including X-ray machines, in addition to oxygen pumps, before withdrawing. About 180 patients, unable to move due to the severity of their injuries, and seven medical staff members are still present in Al-Shifa Hospital. "About 19 of the wounded and patients are at risk of losing their lives due to the severity of their health conditions," one agency reports.

The IDF also kidnapped the director of Al-Shifa Hospital, Mohamed Abu Salmiya, and other doctors during their withdrawal to southern Gaza. "It is a crime, a flagrant violation of international conventions that stipulate that medical personnel must not be harmed at all times, including during wartime," medical authorities said. The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza also demanded that the UN and World Health Organization (WHO) submit a report on the Israeli detention of medical personnel and demand their release. The Ministry explained: "A convoy from the United Nations, represented by WHO, moved on Wednesday [November 22] to evacuate some of the patients and medical staff who were subjected to the most horrific Nazi practices in addition to starvation. We were surprised that this convoy was stopped by the Israeli checkpoint separating the north from south of Gaza, for about seven hours, during which Israeli occupation forces maltreated the patients, their companions, and the medical staff, before arresting a number of them, including the Director General of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, Dr. Muhammad Abu Salmiya."

Last Hospital in Northern Gaza Closed

The last medical centre in northern Gaza to receive wounded Palestinians, the Indonesian Hospital, remains under Israeli siege. The Indonesian Hospital, under Israeli attacks since the start of the war, became a major focus of Israeli forces in Gaza at dawn on November 21 when Israel directly bombed the hospital, including the surgery ward, killing at least 12 patients and other members of their families. The attacks also wounded several doctors and other medical staff.

Photos from Indonesian hospital following Israeli bombing.

More Journalists Killed

On November 20, Israeli Occupation Forces killed two Al Mayadeen journalists, Farah Omar and cameraman Rabih Al-Maamari during an attack on the village of Tair Harfa, southern Lebanon. Ghassan Ben Juddou, chairman of the Board of Directors of Al Mayadeen, condemned the cruel murder and assured that the Israeli soldiers targeted the journalists of the pan-Arab channel "directly and deliberately." Addressing the Israeli occupation, he stressed, "You will not be able to silence the voice of Al Mayadeen, and you should know that no matter how much you kill [us] or attempt [to silence] us, we will go on." He confirmed, "We will remain and continue our coverage and our honourable journalistic work, whose priority is to expose the crimes of the occupation in Gaza, the West Bank, Palestine and Lebanon."

On the same day, the constant Israeli army bombing surrounding the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza resulted in the death of Egyptian journalist Ahmad Fatima of channel Al Qahera News. Another journalist was also seriously injured. Khaled el Balshy, the president of the Egyptian Union of Journalists condemned the killing of journalists by Israel. "The Zionist occupation's crimes against journalists and those who transmit the truth in Palestine continue. The most recent one is the death of the cameraman of the Al Qahera News channel and the injuries suffered by another journalist in the bombing against the surroundings of the hospital of Al Shifa in Gaza," he said.

Palestinian journalist Amal Zohd and her entire family were killed in an Israeli shelling that targeted their home in Gaza City on Friday, November 24. The number of journalists martyred in the Gaza Strip since the start of the ongoing Israeli aggression has reached more than 63.

Click to enlarge

Attacks on Refugee Camps and the West Bank

More than 60 Palestinians from the Jabalia Refugee Camp were killed in a new massacre committed by the Israeli occupation in Gaza, November 21. Israeli occupation forces also conducted a raid on the Tulkarm Refugee Camp in the West Bank. Sources told Al Mayadeen on November 21 that four Palestinian Resistance fighters were killed and that the IDF prevented an ambulance from reaching the targeted location.

The IDF raided a number of homes in the city, while armoured bulldozers worked on destroying civilian infrastructure, including roads in the refugee camp. They also conducted a wave of mass arrests in the West Bank, detaining at least 35 Palestinians. The raids focused on Jenin, Nablus, al-Khalil, al-Quds, Beit Lahm, and Ramallah. Numerous residential homes were stormed, and people's possessions were vandalized.

Olive Harvest Targeted

Israeli armed forces and armed settlers are terrorizing Palestinians in the West Bank, obstructing the annual olive harvest and vandalizing thousands of olive trees -- many hundreds of years old -- that are the livelihood of many local Palestinian communities. "Masked people wearing army pants come, and sometimes soldiers; we can't tell the difference," Lafi Shalabi, head of the Turmus Ayya village council near the Shiloh settlement bloc, told Ha'aretz earlier this month. "They tell us while they're brandishing their guns: 'If we see you one more time, we'll shoot you." Israeli rights group Yesh Din alone reported 99 incidents of violence, blocked access and destroyed property this season, compared to 38 incidents for all of last year. Some 80 per cent of the villagers didn't harvest their olives this year.

Reports are also informing that Jews from abroad have returned to Israel and have come to defend the Palestinians from the attacks of settlers. More on this is sure to become known in due course as more and more Israelis oppose what Israel is doing to the Palestinians and demand new arrangements where Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace.

The Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz published a report that "state-backed settler militias have embarked on a campaign of population transfer amid the genocide in Gaza." Palestinian residents of sixteen shepherding communities across the occupied West Bank have been forced to flee after settler threats, Ha'aretz writes. The South Hebron Hills are now ruled by settler "defence squads" who act with total impunity, it says. These illegal settlers -- all settlers and their settlements are illegal under international law -- are said to have grown "wilder than ever." "The community defence squads have the authority to arrest anyone they want and do whatever they want," a field researcher for B'Tselem reported.

The same pattern of terror and ethnic cleansing is repeated in every Palestinian village. Settlers, sometimes masked and in military uniforms, arrive at night to threaten and intimidate residents. They've held guns to children's heads, destroyed cars and other property, emptied villagers' water tanks, torn open sacks of grain, killed livestock and destroyed possessions, all while delivering 24-hour ultimatums for the Palestinians to leave. The Palestinian Information Centre also reports that Israeli soldiers also stormed in large numbers Marah Rabah and Al-Manshiya villages in Bethlehem. Similar raids were also reported in Ramallah and Nablus. A large-scale raid and search campaign was also carried out in several towns in Jenin. Military checkpoints were erected during the raids, which led to the outbreak of violent clashes. The Information Centre reported that in al-Khalil, resistance fighters opened fire on an Israeli military tower set up at the entrance to Beit Ummar, north of the city.

Challenges Confronting Israeli Occupying Regime in Gaza

The military spokesman for Al-Qassam Brigades Abu Obeida issued a statement on November 24 which said that since October 7, "We have documented the targeting of 335 Zionist military vehicles since the beginning of the ground incursion, directly hit by our anti-armour weapons, guerrilla action devices, and Shuath explosives. This includes 33 vehicles targeted in the last 72 hours in the areas of Al-Tawam, Jabaliya, Beit Hanoun, Al-Sheikh Radwan, and Al-Zaytoun. ... The results of these targeting operations ranged from complete to partial destruction of these vehicles, which varied between troop carriers, tanks, bulldozers, and excavators. This is besides dozens of operations targeting soldiers and infantry forces in their fortification, positioning, and assembly areas with shells and anti-personnel devices. ... Our fighters are entrenched in their positions and combat nodes, with some having been on their post for more than 30 days, waiting for the moment to strike their specified target at the designated time. This explains why our fighters, by the grace of Allah, are still able to strike enemy forces in their rear lines, emerging from the rubble and in areas the enemy thought were militarily decided weeks ago. ... What the enemy relies on to prolong the battle is genocide, brutalization, collective punishment, and committing massacres, not any real tangible military objective. Therefore, we affirm that we are ready, with the help of Allah, to continue the confrontation and resistance to the enemy, regardless of the duration and extent of the aggression."

News reports inform that between November 18 to 20, resistance fighters successfully targeted 60 Israeli military vehicles of various types in the past 72 hours and confronted the invading forces in several axes across Gaza. An elite force from Al-Qassam, comprising 25 fighters, executed an organized attack on Israeli forces stationed at al-Rantisi Children's Hospital, which had been forcefully emptied of patients and displaced people by occupation forces earlier. Resistance fighters on sight also attacked a personnel carrier near the hospital and simultaneously struck an Israeli infantry force fortified in a nearby school. They then destroyed a tank and another carrier that rushed to the scene. Close-range combat ensued, resulting in the deaths of several more IDF forces.

On November 23, Israeli Army Radio quoted the Israeli Disabled Veterans Association as saying that since October 7, 1,600 army soldiers have been left physically disabled. Some of those injured have been transferred to the U.S. for medical and psychological treatment.

Tehran Times reports on a secret audio recording it received of a recent meeting attended by senior Israeli military and political figures, providing insights into the challenges confronting the occupying regime in its ongoing war on the Gaza Strip and hinting at potential future courses of action. Among the notable attendees was Aviv Kohavi, a former Israeli general who served as the 22nd chief of general staff of the Israeli military until January 2023. In the tape Kohavi says Israel needs more time to accomplish its objectives in Gaza. "I'm not saying we need three years [to capture Gaza] but we can't complete the mission after three months," he is heard saying.

Kohavi also admits that the only way for the Israeli regime to capture Gaza is through a massive campaign of airstrikes on the civilian population. "We are using one-ton bombs and we are dropping 400 of them every night," he says. In addition to discussing military strategies, the former general characterizes the current situation in the Palestinian occupied territories as a "chronic disease" for Israeli settlers. Kohavi warns that it is only a matter of time before Israeli settlers may decide to abandon what he calls the "holy land" for Jews, suggesting the potential for a mass exodus.

Israel's economy is also facing a serious crisis. Israel could lose anywhere between $51 to $60 billion if the war continues for eight months, economists say. Israel mobilized nearly 400,000 reserve soldiers, at a direct cost of $1.3 billion a month, in addition to the economic loss of removing so many people from the economy. Weekly losses to the Israeli economy resulting from this are estimated at $1.2 billion. Bloomberg news says Israel's war on Palestine is costing $260 million a day. Israel has already borrowed $6 to $8 billion to cover its budget deficit, which reached $6 billion in October alone -- an increase of 400 per cent on a monthly basis. The Israeli Central Bank is reportedly in a panic. S&P has already estimated that Israel's GDP will contract by five per cent in the last quarter of this year -- on a quarterly basis -- while JPMorgan expects that the Israeli economy will contract by 11 per cent during the last quarter -- on a yearly basis. Financial Times newspaper argued that Israel can expect the fiscal deficit to "double three times next year."

Beware of Options the U.S. Is Weighing

Military Review, published by the U.S. Army, Department of Defense, carried a commentary in its November edition by Dr. Omer Dostri advocating expulsion of the Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank as the preferred option and objective of the current Israeli aggression. Omer Dostri is a former Likud functionary who is now a national security strategist at the Jerusalem Institute For Security and Strategy think tank and researcher at the Israel Defense and Security Forum. While Military Review neither endorses or opposes Dostri's options and rationale, publishing this opinion shows that the U.S. have put this option on the table for consideration while the White House continues to posture as if it is the voice of restraint and reason striving for a reliable "Palestinian" or "Arab alliance" acceptable to the U.S. and Israel to handle civil administration while the U.S. and/or Israel handle the military occupation and elimination of Hamas and other Palestinian Resistance organizations.

Interestingly Dostri uses the same terminology as do NATO country spokespersons such as Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Germany's Chancellor Olaf Sholtz, according to whom western "liberal democracies" mistakenly thought global neo-liberalism would "convince" the world to adopt western liberal democratic governance structures. They have concluded that this supposition failed and hence the necessity to build up NATO and military capabilities to enforce the "rules-based" international order, with U.S. imperialism as the indispensable nation which every country must obey in order to guarantee world peace.

An item from the NATO think tank the Atlantic Council by White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, Brett McGurk, claims to set out "the Biden doctrine" for the Middle East. The article was originally published in February 2023 but the Atlantic Council claims it is relevant to the current aim of the U.S. in the Middle East. McGurk says, "The framework that we're working to implement has five declaratory principles. It is effectively a Biden doctrine, and it now guides U.S. engagement in the region." The doctrine's first principle is partnerships, the second principle is deterrence, the third principle is diplomacy, the fourth is integration. McGurk says of integration, "[I]mportantly, [...] the spirit of the Hariri Center and the Atlantic Council, is integration. We are working to build political, economic, security connections between U.S. partners, wherever possible." The fifth principle, he says, "is important to any American diplomat, and it is values. ... we will always promote human rights and the values enshrined in the UN Charter."

Hamas Targeted Legitimate Military Targets on October 7

Former weapons inspector Scott Ritter has characterized the October 7 resistance operation by Hamas and other Palestinian resistance groups as "the most successful military raid of this century." In his article Ritter says clearly it was a military raid carried out with discipline and precision, not an act of terrorism. The primary targets were Israeli, including the kibbutzim, Ritter says, adding that they all qualify as legitimate military targets and are integrated into the Israeli military capacity against the Palestinian people.

Ritter dismissed the Israeli scenarios as false narratives and says most of the civilian Israeli deaths were the doing of IDF forces using Apache helicopters and tanks -- not the Palestinian resistance forces. Everything about October 7 fits what the U.S. military characterizes as a "military raid," conducted with great success by the Palestinian resistance, Ritter writes. The Palestinians, he said, "are people who have suffered untold deprivation at the hand of their Israeli occupiers while awaiting the moment they will see their dream of a Palestinian homeland come true. They know that a Palestinian homeland cannot be realized so long as Israel is governed by those who embrace the notion of a Greater (Eretz) Israel, and that the only way to remove such people is by defeating them politically, and the only way to trigger their political defeat is to defeat them militarily," he says adding that this is what Hamas is accomplishing.

According to Ritter, there is a heavy price to pay if there is to be any chance of a Palestinian homeland.

Biden's Legitimacy Crisis Deepens Despite "Temporary Truce"

– Kathleen Chandler –

Detroit, Michigan, October 28, 2023

With the backing and funding the Biden administration is giving to the Zionist genocide in Palestine, the U.S. and the Biden administration are having great difficulty salvaging any legitimacy as a voice for human rights and democracy. Their efforts to use the claim of "terrorism" by Palestinians to justify the horrific onslaught and divert from the U.S./Israeli crimes are not succeeding. On November 20, White House spokesperson John Kirby was asked about activists dubbing the president "Genocide Joe" for his unconditional support of Israel. Kirby, of the National Security Council responded, "Israel isn't trying to wipe the Palestinian people off the map. Israel isn't trying to wipe Gaza off the map. Israel is trying to defend itself against a genocidal terrorist threat. So if we're going to start using that word, fine. Let's use it appropriately." Blinded by their own arrogance and chauvinism, the U.S. denies the Palestinian genocide the whole world sees.

In his speech November 19, seeking yet tens of billions more war funds for Israel and Ukraine, Biden repeatedly attempted to confound Palestinian resistance with terrorism. This is part of U.S. disinformation and fraud that says an occupied people, whether in Palestine, or Puerto Rico, or elsewhere, do not have the right to resist. On the contrary, the peoples themselves and international law upholds that right and makes occupation and colonialism the crimes.

Biden said, "It is imperative that no terrorist threats ever again emanate from Gaza or the West Bank." He said, "Gaza must never again be used as a platform for terrorism." These statements directly justify Israel's efforts to "annihilate" Hamas and all of Gaza. And while claiming, "The voices of Palestinian people and their aspirations must be at the center of post-crisis governance in Gaza," Biden also said, "An outcome that leaves Hamas in control of Gaza would once more perpetuate its hate and deny Palestinian civilians the chance to build something better for themselves."

Palestinian voices are to be allowed, but only if they submit to what the U.S. dictates. The U.S. says Hamas is terrorist, and as Bush put it, "You are either with us or with the terrorists," meaning the U.S. decides who is and is not terrorist and that "terrorist threats can never again emanate," from Gaza, or the West Bank. This claim of terrorism and support for terrorism also extends to the many organizations and people supporting Palestine, including having them banned, punished and further criminalized.

The crimes, genocide and extensive terrorism of Israel, of course, can exist and continue, as is now occurring. Israel unleashed some of the worst bombings against Palestinians hours before the truce was to start. No condemnation by the U.S., no holding Israel to account, no stopping of aid to Israel as is being demanded across the U.S. and worldwide. Israel relies heavily on U.S.-supplied arms and technology, including hundreds of M-113A armored personnel carriers, roughly 350 artillery pieces, large numbers of transport planes and helicopters, kits to provide laser guided missiles, and the Israeli air force's entire inventory of combat aircraft, including F-15s and F-16s and two squadrons of current generation F-35s. Biden can use executive orders to stop shipments and refuse funding for any more. He does not. He can propose and enforce a UN Security Council Resolution for a ceasefire. He does not.

Instead, Biden openly demands more funding and repeats lies already shown to be lies, like Hamas decapitating babies and raping women, that hospitals are being used as military headquarters -- all with either no evidence or proven false. Biden seems to forget what people in the U.S. still remember, that the "war on terror," was a U.S. war of terrorism against the peoples that made problems in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere far worse. Claims of weapons of mass destruction and crimes of Iraqis were all lies and disinformation. Nothing can justify genocide and war crimes.

Having difficulty escaping from the condemnation of U.S. genocide evident in signs and chants at many actions, Biden attempted to fall back on the chauvinism that what is important in this situation are American lives. On November 21, Biden issued a statement concerning the "temporary truce," where Israel is supposed to stop all military activity for four days and fuel, food, medical supplies and other humanitarian aid is to enter all parts of Gaza. About 150 women and children imprisoned in Israel are to be released, along with about 50 of the captives held by Hamas. Biden says nothing of why so many children are incarcerated in Israel, perhaps to divert from the reality of U.S. mass incarceration and imprisonment of children. He said, "I welcome the deal to secure the release of hostages taken by the terrorist group Hamas during its brutal assault against Israel on October 7."

Biden speaks of the importance of getting U.S. captives released, while saying nothing of the horrific and on-going bombings of Palestinian hospitals, schools, refugee camps, or the many Palestinian Americans whose families in Gaza are being slaughtered daily. He also cannot explain how a "terrorist" organization has managed to provide so many hospitals and medical facilities and schools in conditions of a decade-long siege.

Hamas is a political organization that has governed Gaza, has relations with the UN and other international agencies and, as part of the Unified Resistance, is waging a battle for Palestinian rights.

The failure of U.S. government is also evident. In a situation of genocide and unending war crimes, government dysfunction, problems of poverty, hunger, growing inequality and attacks on rights at home, and abroad, Biden says, "I have no higher priority than ensuring the safety of Americans held hostage around the world." He also tries to take main credit for the temporary truce worked out, saying it is "testament to the tireless diplomacy and determination of many dedicated individuals across the United States Government to bring Americans home."

The anti-war and pro-Palestinian movement in the U.S. has long since rejected this notion that only U.S. lives matter. This is evident in the many massive banners listing the names of Palestinian children massacred, numbering now more than 5,000. It is evident in the focus on support for Palestinian resistance and ending all U.S. aid. The widespread stand, "We Are All Palestinians," equally shows that people are standing as one humanity in support of Palestine. Similarly, Biden's efforts to say war funding should be supported as it provides jobs, is also being rejected as workers bring their organization, discipline and determination to many actions.

Biden is also contending with a situation where U.S. dictate is being challenged by the peoples in the U.S. and worldwide, as are the U.S. values that say genocide and war crimes are justified in the name of fighting terrorism. Peoples' memories are not so short, whether it be those concerning weapons of mass destruction lies, are those used to justify enslavement of Africans, or massacres of Indigenous Peoples, or colonization of Puerto Rico -- all done in the name of stopping "terrorism," and preserving "American lives."

Additionally, Biden is confronted with the reality that Arab countries are reaching out to China and that the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and others invited to join them) are also discussing the situation and calling for a ceasefire. The timing of the truce and Biden's claim to be responsible is likely not a coincidence, as at least one factor is his effort to regain credibility while contending with demands by Russia, China, Arab countries and Iran.

All of which brings to the fore the urgent question facing the world's people, which is how to break the stranglehold of the U.S. on international relations and block the genocide of both the U.S. and Israel as they are striving to do.

UN resolutions, even the minimal one of the UN Security Council, and international law, are not enforceable but nonetheless decisive in showing how isolated the U.S., Israel and their supporters are. Democratizing the UN, organizing to give authority and enforcement powers to the UN General Assembly, and stepping up the organized resistance everywhere is crucial. It is the peoples and their resistance that are decisive, as the heroic Palestinians are showing. Continuing to affirm this U.S./Israeli genocide is Not In Our Name, and elaborating the need for institutions that are in our name, that empower the people contributes to further opening a way forward.

A Victory for the Palestinian People as the
Struggle Continues!

– U.S. Palestinian Community Network –

Chicago, Illinois, November 18, 2023

On November 22, the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) issued the following important statement on the temporary "Truce Agreement."

The U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) salutes our steadfast Palestinian and Arab people for their courageous self-defense and unified resistance to the ongoing U.S.-backed Israeli genocide against our people in all of Palestine, especially Gaza.

Although we mourn, with deep sadness and grief, the 14,000 Palestinians who have already been killed, which includes 5,500 children, USPCN recognizes the recent truce agreement between the Unified Palestinian Resistance and Israel as an interim victory for the Palestinian people, a clear indication that Israel failed to meet its military objectives after October 7. With this deal, 150 Palestinian women and child political prisoners will be liberated from occupation jails, humanitarian aid will enter Gaza, and the besieged people of Gaza will gain at least five days of reprieve from vicious, U.S.-backed Israeli bombing. The Resistance also knows that it now has political leverage to force an extension of this suspension of Israel's war crimes against the people.

The demand of the Resistance, from day one, was an exchange of Israelis (including a number of very high-ranking military officials) captured on October 7 and Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails. Israel rejected the deal, and instead, vowed to "eliminate the resistance" and "turn Gaza into a parking lot." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly stated that there would be no end to the attacks on Palestine until all the Israelis were returned home, but the Resistance has forced Israel to concede, and proven to the world that Netanyahu is a weak, ineffectual liar.

After rejecting the October 8 deal, Israel then launched a massive bombing campaign against the people of Gaza, destroying hospitals, schools, mosques, a church, bakeries, and hundreds of residential buildings, as well as heavily damaging the infrastructure of the Gaza Strip. Israel also cut off food, water, electricity, fuel, and communication lines, and prevented the entrance of medical resources and humanitarian aid.

Even with its ground invasion and all the damage it inflicted upon the people of Gaza, Israel's occupation forces and government still failed to achieve any significant military or political victories, and even the blatant propaganda videos and pictures of the Israeli army in Gaza's hospitals and schools tell the truth of failure and defeat. The Unified Palestinian Resistance, which, under international law, has the right to resist illegal occupation by any means necessary, continued fighting back and resisting the aggression all the way up until last night's agreement. This paints a clear picture to the world -- the Resistance has not been defeated and continues to defend its people.

On October 24, Israel was afforded the opportunity to stop its killing and ongoing massacres, as the Resistance again proposed a prisoner swap (this time of Israeli elderly and infirm), which again was rejected by Netanyahu and his ultra-right, racist cabinet officials. Now, 45 days after the beginning of its bombing campaign, Israel has agreed, seeing no possible path to any victory.

The series of events that started on October 7 have changed the power dynamic in the region forever, and shortened the life of the racist, white supremacist, apartheid, Zionist Israeli occupation. The Palestinian people have shattered the idea of an "invincible" Israeli army, and proven that even an army in possession of the most advanced warfare technology is capable of being confronted and challenged. Israeli society as a whole is in disarray and crisis, facing consequences of 75 years of its illegal occupation and colonization.

Regionally, the Lebanese Resistance also responded to defend the Palestinian people; the Yemenis attacked Israel and captured an Israeli cargo ship; and the Iraqi Resistance attacked illegal U.S. military bases in the region. They have set a new standard in the fight for the liberation of ALL Arab lands!

This interim victory in the Palestinian national liberation struggle is also significant because Israel has been defeated politically as well. To justify its atrocities and war crimes, and backed unconditionally by its U.S. and other Western puppet masters, Israel is conducting a vicious and sadistic propaganda campaign against Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims. The masses of the world, however, saw through these lies, and Israel is being exposed as what it is: a criminal, illegal, racist, settler-colonialist state.

The genocide also exposes Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and all those in the U.S. political establishment who are cheerleaders for war crimes and genocide. It exposes their double standards, anti-Arab racism, and hypocrisy, and makes it clear that they care only for the U.S. empire and not at all for the lives of oppressed people like Palestinians.

Millions of people in the U.S. and worldwide hit the streets, blocked major highways, disrupted government operations and offices, and protested weapons manufacturers. Several countries, like Colombia, Chile, Chad, and others recalled their ambassadors from Israel. South Africa closed the Israeli embassy and, like Bolivia, suspended diplomatic relations.

But we must remain steadfast and understand that Israel is not to be trusted. Its government, military, and spokespeople lie all the time, as we have especially seen in the past 45 days. And it has also been violating agreements for decades. We must continue to be out in the streets, pay close attention to the political guidance of our people back home, and never waver in our demands to stop the genocide immediately, end the siege on Gaza now, and end all U.S. aid to Israel; or in our overall thawabet, or "constants," including the right to resist Israeli occupation and colonization of all Palestinian and Arab lands, the right of self-determination and liberation From the River to the Sea, and the Right of Return for all Palestinian refugees and their descendants. This truce is a positive development that the Unified Palestinian Resistance has forced, but it is a long, protracted battle that our people fight.

Despite the immense suffering that our Palestinian people have faced and will continue to face, the will to resist and to return and live on our historical land has never wavered. On the contrary; it has grown stronger, even after the past 45 days, and we can see our liberation more clearly than ever.

The brave Palestinian people and their Unified Resistance will continue to stand tall against the U.S.-backed Zionist aggression! We mourn with them our martyrs, and we pledge to continue organizing until Liberation and Return!

Long Live the Palestinian Struggle for National Liberation and Equality!
Long Live International Solidarity!
Long Live Palestine!

Condemn Calgary Police Violence at
November 19 Demonstration

Calgary, November 19, 2023

The Alberta Committee of the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) vehemently condemns the arrests and use of violence carried out by Calgary Police against Calgarians at a demonstration demanding an end to the genocide in Gaza held on November 19.

Videos published on social media show police in full riot-gear, wielding batons, throwing protesters to the ground, and man-handling and assaulting men, women, and children. Those arrested included a 13-year-old child -- who was subsequently released, and a pregnant woman. Despite videos showing the police assaults, three men are charged with assault police, and the pregnant woman with obstructing police as she tried to intervene to stop the violent assault by police.

For weeks, thousands of men, women, whole families with children in strollers, and Calgarians from every walk of life have marched in the streets with their messages: Ceasefire Now, Freedom for Palestine, Stop the Genocide in Gaza, End the Occupation, and We Are All Palestinians.

While those attending have been entirely peaceful, the police have responded in a manner which can have no other purpose than to harass, intimidate and provoke those participating in the actions. Their aggressive behaviour has been escalating and includes greatly increasing the number of police present; replacing police on foot and on bicycles with police in full riot gear and on horseback; dictating parade routes; carrying batons, and then on November 19 some carrying weapons; pushing people around; and blocking photographers. This is accompanied by media reports about "potential violence" from the protesters.

This aggression on the part of police comes on the heels of the Crown Prosecutor's decision to stay the spurious charges Calgary Police Service laid against Wesam Khaled, a lead organizer of Justice for Palestinians Calgary, for leading a chant at a previous demonstration.

The police used a kettling technique at the most recent demonstration, using their batons and a line of police to grab and separate people from the rest of the demonstration and make arrests. This is the same technique employed in Toronto during the G20 protests in 2010.

The police are trying to justify the unjustifiable by saying they did not want a busy traffic intersection closed down. This makes no sense as police had already closed main thoroughfares downtown during the rally and march.

The truth is that the police are part of the state apparatus trying to criminalize dissent and squash the massive opposition to the Israeli Zionist genocide in Gaza and to silence the demand for an end to the Zionist state's occupation of Palestine. This criminalization of dissent is unconscionable and deserves widespread condemnation.

The violence unleashed on November 19 was from the Calgary police not the people. This aggression further traumatizes people who witness every day the unspeakable horrors committed against the Palestinian people, the murder of families and friends in Gaza, the systematic destruction of Al-Shifa hospital, of schools, and residential areas.

Let everyone use their own voice to speak out and condemn these illegal acts of cruelty, and inhumanity against the Palestinian and Muslim community by the Calgary police.

Condemn Calgary Police Violence Against the Muslim Community!
Condemn Calgary Police Brutality and Violence Against All Those Defending the Rights of All!
Demand All Charges be Immediately Withdrawn!
Hold the Police Accountable!

Letter to Calgary Chief of Police

– Muslim Council of Calgary –

The Muslim Council of Calgary ("MCC") strongly condemns the acts of aggression and behaviour of the Calgary Police Service ("CPS") at the demonstration held in Calgary on November 19, 2023.

The excessive use of force demonstrated by our city police was deplorable and completely unacceptable. Unjustified force and assaults took place in our city against members of the Muslim community. Several men, women and children were beaten by those who swore an oath to protect us.

The MCC represents over 100,000 Muslims in the City of Calgary, and we confirm our support to those victims who were arrested, charged, assaulted, beaten, and abused. Members of the community received serious injuries including hospitalization, including a pregnant woman and a 13-year-old child.

This is not what Calgary is about.

It has come to our attention that during the past few weeks, police officers who were at the previous rallies along with the rally on November 19, came with the intention to provoke, intimidate, and instigate the protesters. This was witnessed by hundreds of protesters. The MCC will not tolerate this behaviour of our police and we will be consulting our lawyers for advice on our next course of action.

What happened on Sunday, reminded us in Calgary of the situation in Palestine. When a 13-year-old child spits at a police officer, he is beaten and arrested. When a pregnant woman tries to help, she is beaten and arrested. The image of the CPS has been tarnished all over the world. CPS is walking a dangerous path in showing Muslims in Calgary that they are not neutral at all in dealing with us at our protests. You charged a member of our community for chanting a slogan, but to your embarrassment the charge was stayed by the Crown Prosecutor's office. Remember, this made international news and it will never be forgotten.

It is with sadness that the CPS has lost the confidence and respect of thousands of Muslims residing in Calgary. We, as a community, had been building bridges and relations with the CPS since 1958, to now see it deteriorate over the past seven weeks. The MCC is proud to claim that we have never condoned violence, we have never incited hatred, and this is the practice that is promoted and adhered to by our members and religion.

(November 22, 2023)

McGill University Students Win Referendum
by Large Margin

In Montreal, McGill University students voted by a massive 78.7 per cent margin to adopt a "policy against genocide in Palestine" in support of Palestinian rights and condemning Israel's oppression. The landmark referendum result demands that McGill University should "publicly condemn the genocidal campaign and siege against the people of Gaza at the hands of the Zionist regime" and further "demands that (our) university immediately cut ties with, and divest from corporations, institutions, and donors complicit in genocide, settler-colonialism, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing against Palestinians." Students resoundingly rejected McGill's shameful complicity in enabling Israel's brutal occupation.

Statement on November 23 Raids in Germany

– Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network –

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network denounces in the strongest terms the raids carried out by German police in four federal states, with a particular focus in Berlin, targeting Palestinians labeled by the German state as members or supporters of Samidoun or of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas. We express our deepest solidarity with all of those subjected to these raids today, and we view these raids as a clear attempt by the German state to terrorize the Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities in Germany and, more broadly, the popular sentiment in support of Palestinian liberation. These actions today build upon the ban of Samidoun several weeks ago, the bans on demonstrations, police attacks on communities, racist media incitement and fascist political, social and cultural assaults on all members of these targeted communities.

Further, these raids are an attempt by the German state to advance the Zionist genocide being carried out at this moment in occupied Palestine, which has already taken the lives of over 14,000 Palestinians, displaced over half of the Palestinians of Gaza, destroyed dozens of hospitals, schools, mosques and churches, and wounded tens of thousands more. They are also an attempt to silence all voices who speak out for the liberation of Palestinian prisoners, particularly at this moment, when six prisoners have been martyred in occupation jails in the past month, when prisoners are subjected to daily torture and abuse, and when a prisoner exchange is potentially on the horizon and requires the support of all people of conscience.

Instead of acting as a responsible party -- sanctioning the Israeli occupation regime, expelling its ambassador and invoking the Genocide Convention to protect Palestinians -- the proper activities of any state that claims, as does Germany, to have learned its lessons from Germany's role as a perpetrator of Nazi genocide -- it instead has increased its military support and arms sales to the Israeli occupation tenfold in just the past two months while imposing a level of police repression unprecedented since German reunification on the Palestinian community and supporters of Palestine more broadly.

We assert that these attacks on people who were Samidoun members prior to the November 2 ban on Samidoun in Germany as well on people who participate in demonstrations and mass actions in defence of Palestine will fail in the attempt to terrorize and silence the community and the rising voice of justice in Palestine. The tens of thousands of people who fill the streets for every call for Palestine will continue to do so, even as they face police assault and arrest for declaring such simple demands as, "End the genocide" and "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."

Our energies and efforts around the world are focused on supporting the heroic Palestinian people in Gaza and throughout occupied Palestine and organizing everywhere in exile and diaspora, on the international, Arab and Palestinian levels, to bring an end to the genocide, to affirm the legitimacy and leadership of the Palestinian resistance, and to liberate Palestine, all of Palestine. The systemic racist abuse directed at the Palestinian people and the Arab and Muslim communities more broadly will not silence us nor will it suppress our work. Whether the repression is taking place in Germany, France, Britain, Canada or the United States, it is clear that these attacks on strugglers for justice in Palestine reflects only the desperation of the imperialist powers to defend their illegitimate Zionist settler colonial project planted in the heart of the Arab region by all means, including tearing apart all of their proclamations and pledges of democracy, human rights, freedom of expression and freedom of association. We express our clear solidarity with all people and organizations who have been targeted for arrest, detention, police raids, searches, harassment, employer retaliation, official silencing and other forms of persecution for their positions on Palestinian liberation.

Despite all the attacks, the reality is clear: the people stand with Palestine. From the tens, indeed hundreds of thousands that defy state repression in Germany to take to the streets for Palestine, to the masses in France that rise up against police bans on mobilization, to the millions in Britain marching despite attempts to ban the Palestinian flag, to the ongoing actions in Britain, Canada and the United States to materially confront and challenge the war machine through direct actions like those of Palestine Action – and this is just in the heart of the imperial core. In Latin America, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Belize, Bolivia have cut ties, recalled their ambassadors or affirmed their rejection of the Israeli occupation regime, demanding an end to the genocide. South Africa's parliament has voted to expel the Israeli ambassador. And of course, in the Arab region, the heroic and unparalleled role of the Lebanese, Yemeni and Iraqi resistance is unified with the clear sentiment and spirit of the people to shame every reactionary regime that is complicit in the genocide in Palestine and the imperialist plans for the region.

The images of hundreds of masked and heavily armed police invading the apartments of Palestinian students, workers and refugees in Germany today appears as an imitation of the daily invasions of the Israeli occupation forces in Palestinian homes in occupied Palestine, as well as a disturbing echo of Germany's own Nazi fascist history. And as Palestinians in occupied Palestine have never stopped struggling despite over 75 years of Zionist occupation and 100 years of colonialism, these attacks will not silence the growing movement in Germany and every other imperialist power involved in attacking Palestine, as new generations refuse their involvement and complicity in genocide.

We affirm: No bans, police raids or criminalization will silence the spirit, the will and the organization of the Palestinian, Arab and internationalist voices confronting imperialism, Zionism and reaction. As Samidoun, we are committed to challenging the ban and these attacks by all legal means, and our eyes will not be turned away from our role in working urgently to end the genocide and free all Palestinian prisoners. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. Long live the Palestinian resistance. Victory, return, total liberation and decolonization for all of Palestine.

(November 23, 2023)

Militant Worldwide Mass Actions Continue

Pakistan

In one of the largest rallies held in Pakistan since October 7, more than 100,000 rallied in the streets of Lahore Pakistan on November 20 in support of the Palestinian people. Palestine will be free, Down with Israel, and Stop Genocide Against Palestinians were among the slogans inscribed on banners and placards carried by protesters. One of the organizers condemned leaders of "the West" for supporting Israel and criticized Arab leaders for lack of action. At the same time he thanked the people in Washington, DC and London, England for coming out in their hundreds of thousands to support Palestinians.

Lahore, Pakistan, November 20, 2023

Caribbean

The Caribbean Organisation for Peoples Empowerment published photos and posters of actions that have been held throughout the region in support of the Palestinian people. The weekend of November 18-19, the Caribbean region saw several countries organize actions, protests and demonstrations denouncing the genocidal military campaign of Israel's U.S.-backed military, naval and air forces. They condemned the Israel-U.S. bombardment which has caused so many fatalities, and the devastation and destruction of essential civilian infrastructure such as schools, places of worship, hospitals and utilities, including communications, water, electricity and fuel supplies. Photos and posters featured actions in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands; Cuba; University of West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica; Rif Fort, Curaçao; Barbados; Trinidad, Tobago; Belize and Puerto Rico.

Bridgetown, Barbados

Kingston, Jamaica

St. Thomas, Virgin Islands (left); University of the West Indies (right)

Prensa Latina posted photos of a mass event at José Martí Park, in the Historic Urban Centre of Cienfuegos, Cuba, in which it looks as if the whole city came out to condemn the war crimes committed by Israel against Palestine.

Cienfuegos, Cuba, November 21, 2023

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermudez in a November 17 meeting with Palestinian students studying medicine in Cuba stated:

"At this time a genocide of Dantesque proportions is being committed against the Palestinian people. As we have said repeatedly, Cuba will continue to support the just cause of the Palestinians, and we demand an immediate ceasefire. There we also have Cubans who have formed families and work for that nation."

"What a shame of humanity. Tears and even words are not enough to alleviate the pain of the Palestinian people who are being wiped out in an act of extermination perpetrated by Israel," the Cuban president stressed.

"We Cubans learned to defend the Palestinian cause from the internationalist and humanist vision of the historic leader of our Revolution, Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, who was always a friend of that nation that demands its right to self-determination," Diaz-Canel said.

"We strongly condemn Israel's genocide. We will accompany Palestine in fulfilling its dream. As Fidel once said, it is time to put an end to the philosophy of dispossession so that the philosophy of war dies due to lack of incentives," the Cuban president concluded.

The Belize government has defended its decision to implement several measures against Israel, including withdrawing its agreement regarding the accreditation of the country's Ambassador-Designate to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country, in protest against the actions of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza. Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay in a recent television interview said the John Briceno government believes that it has "an obligation, a legal obligation to speak out and to take whatever steps we can to try to encourage Israel to stop what it is doing.... I have spoken to the designated [Israeli] ambassador to Belize, we have sent a diplomatic note encouraging an immediate ceasefire allowing relief supplies to go in and, of course, the release of all hostages. All of that has fallen on deaf ears insofar as Israel is concerned." Therefore, the Foreign Minister said, the Cabinet along with the parliamentarians took the decision to sever relations with Israel and withdraw its ambassador.

Anti-Zionist Jews from Latin America and North America

Anti-Zionist Jews from Latin America and North America wrote a statement in support of the people of Palestine and condemning Israel's ongoing armed aggression against Gaza. U.S. sociologist Lucas Koerner presented the statement on Venezuelan television. Koerner stressed that the statement was written by Jews committed to the liberation of Palestine -- anti-Zionists -- from all parts of Latin America and North America, and now seek signatures to support the initiative. The sociologist denounced that Gaza has become "the largest concentration camp in history" and is experiencing a true holocaust with the Israeli occupation forces and the full diplomatic and military support of the United States and Europe.

The statement demands an immediate ceasefire and the lifting of the blockade of the Gaza Strip, and advocates initiating investigations to prosecute authorities of the governments of the United States, Israel, Germany, the United Kingdom, France and the European Union for the crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity committed against the Palestinians. Koerner said Israeli forces intend to annihilate the Palestinian social fabric in a "desperate attempt" to crush the permanent anti-colonial resistance, as indicated by the "most shameless racist orientalist discourse" of Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Galant, and others labeling the Palestinians as "human animals" or barbarians.

Spain

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has removed Ione Belarra, Minister for Social Rights, from the Cabinet, after she harshly criticized the West's "deafening silence" on Israel's war crimes in the Gaza Strip. Belarra has unequivocally called for an end to Israel's horrendous war crimes in the besieged coastal strip and sought the intervention of the International Criminal Court (ICC). In an interview with Al Jazeera, she criticized "a deafening silence of so many countries and so many political leaders who could do something" to end the war on Gaza. "I speak about what I know well, which is the European Union. It seems the display of hypocrisy which the European Commission is showing is unacceptable." She reiterated that the regime of Israel is committing "planned genocide against the Palestine people." She asked "Why can we give lessons in human rights in other conflicts, and not here when the world is watching in horror?"

California Cities Pass Resolutions in
Support of Palestine

As outrage at the genocide and collective punishment against Palestine continues, among the many ways people are providing support for Palestine is to organize to have local city councils pass resolutions. Doing so provides a means to build unity and give expression to the broad public support for Palestine.

A small California town, Cudahy in Los Angeles County, population 22,000, was the first city in Southern California, to pass a resolution in support of Palestine. Their resolution calls for a ceasefire and condemns Israel for "engaging in collective punishment." Organizers in support of the resolution withstood pressure from pro-Israeli forces, mobilizing many people to participate in the public comment portion of the Council meeting. Hours of comments for Palestine were given, with many women expressing their outrage at the genocide of women and children in Gaza. The many immigrants and peoples of Central and Latin America spoke about the need to stand against oppression and colonization. The resolution passed 3-1 on November 7.

The people of the town previously secured Cudahy as a sanctuary city, where undocumented workers can come and police and federal immigration officials are not permitted to arrest them.

The Santa Ana City Council is expected to pass its own resolution supporting Palestine on December 5. Long Beach, a major port city, and Anaheim, both just outside of Los Angeles, are likely to as well. Concerted efforts are being made to strengthen the unity of the largely Latino populations with Muslims and all those standing with Palestine.

The Cudahy resolution uses much of the language from a resolution passed in Richmond, California on October 25. Richmond, a city of about 115,000, on the East Bay area outside of San Francisco, was one of the first in the U.S. to pass a pro-Palestine resolution. It states, the "City of Richmond stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people of Gaza, who are currently facing a campaign of ethnic cleansing and collective punishment by the state of Israel." It also denounced U.S. funding, "The state of Israel would not be able to maintain an apartheid regime without enormous military aid provided by the United States every year, thereby also depriving Americans of money for their own urgent needs." Like Cudahy's it concluded saying, "The City of Richmond takes seriously the entreaty of 'Never Again,' and that the historical memory of the Holocaust means fighting ethnic cleansing and apartheid everywhere." The resolution passed 5-1 on October 25.

Richmond, like the other cities, is a working class area with a large number of people of Mexican descent and from Central and Latin America. It also has a sizeable Black and Chinese American population. Like Cudahy, the effort to pass the resolution included organizing to bring people to the Council hearing, where hours of public comments in support of Palestine and denouncing genocide were made. People also brought out the common struggle against oppression that immigrants and people from former colonized countries and those now dominated by the U.S. share with Palestinians. In Richmond, as elsewhere across the country, people of many different nationalities, backgrounds and religions are standing as one against the U.S./Israeli genocide and in support of Palestinian resistance.

BRICS Issues Communiqué Following Extraordinary Meeting on Middle East

On November 21, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, the current chair of BRICS -- Brazil, China, India, Russia and South Africa -- convened a virtual Extraordinary Joint Meeting of BRICS to discuss the situation in the Middle East. Leaders from those countries joining BRICS in 2024 -- Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also took part. UN Secretary General António Guterres also participated in the meeting. The meeting issued a joint communique on the situation in Gaza.

"We called for an immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities," the BRICS joint communique said. BRICS called for objective investigations by competent bodies to hold all parties accountable. Acts of violence aimed at Palestinian and Israeli civilians were condemned, "including war crimes, indiscriminate attacks and targeting of civilian infrastructure, as well as all acts of provocation, incitement, and destruction," the text reads. "We stressed the need to pursue accountability. We must ensure that independent and transparent investigations are conducted in accordance with international standards," the joint communique reads.

BRICS "condemned any kind of individual or mass forcible transfer and deportation of Palestinians from their own land." Many Leaders reiterated that the forced transfer and deportation of Palestinians, whether inside Gaza or to neighbouring countries, constitute grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and war crimes and violations under International Humanitarian Law. The communiqué also cautioned against "the spillover of the crisis in the region" and called on countries that have influence on the parties of the conflict to use it to "work towards this objective."

In his opening remarks, President Ramaphosa emphasized, that "the collective punishment of Palestinian civilians through the unlawful use of force by Israel is a war crime" and that "the deliberate denial of medicine, fuel, food and water to the residents of Gaza is tantamount to genocide." He said the root cause of this conflict is the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory by Israel as reflected in UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which states that "Israeli settlements constitute a flagrant violation under international law."

The BRICS communiqué outlined immediate actions that international community was called upon to take:

- First, an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire.

- Second, the opening of humanitarian corridors so that aid and other basic services reach all those in need.

- Third, all countries to exercise restraint and to desist from fuelling this conflict, including by ceasing the supply of weapons to the parties.

- Fourth, the release of all civilian hostages.

- Fifth, the resumption of a comprehensive dialogue led and owned by Palestinians and Israelis themselves and facilitated by the United Nations.

- Sixth, the deployment of a UN Rapid Deployment Force in Palestine, with a mandate to monitor the cessation of hostilities and protect civilians.

- Lastly, the International Criminal Court to urgently initiate prosecutions against those responsible for the perpetration of war crimes.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called for de-escalation, a ceasefire and a political solution. "We call for the joint efforts of the international community aimed at de-escalating the situation, a ceasefire and finding a political solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," Putin said. He held the U.S. primarily responsible for the current situation. Putin said the latest escalation, which has already led to the "deaths of thousands of people," has come as a result of the United States' desire to single-handedly decide the fate of the political crisis between Israel and Palestine. Washington has sought to "monopolize the role of the mediator" while blocking the efforts of other international actors, the Russian president stated. UN decisions envisaging the establishment of "two independent sovereign states -- Israel and Palestine," ended up being sabotaged, Putin added.

China's President Xi Jinping called on the parties to stop all violence and attacks against civilians, release civilians held captive, and act to prevent the loss of more lives and spare people from more miseries. Xi said humanitarian corridors must be kept secure and unimpeded, and more humanitarian assistance should be provided to the population in Gaza. He said the international community must act with practical measures to prevent the conflict from spilling over and endangering stability in the Middle East as a whole. He emphasized that the only viable way to break the cycle of Palestinian-Israeli conflict lies in the two-state solution, in the restoration of the legitimate national rights of Palestine, and in the establishment of an independent State of Palestine. President Xi proposed convening an international peace conference that is more authoritative to build international consensus for peace and work toward an early solution to the question of Palestine that is comprehensive, just and sustainable.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva thanked South African President Ramaphosa for convening the meeting and welcomed the presence of the representatives of the countries joining BRICS next year. He said "The high number of deaths (more than 12,000 people, including 5,000 children) causes us great consternation" and emphasized that when presiding over the UN Security Council "Brazil spared no effort in favour of dealing with the humanitarian emergency, containing the current escalation and resuming a lasting solution to the conflict."

India was represented by its Foreign Minister Subrahmanayam Jaishankar who said, "The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza is causing immense human suffering, including to civilians, elderly, women and children. We welcome all efforts of the international community towards de-escalation. Right now, there is an urgent need to ensure that humanitarian aid and relief effectively and safely reach the population of Gaza. It is also imperative that all hostages are released. We believe that there is a universal obligation to observe international humanitarian law." He also identified the need "for restraint and immediate humanitarian support," as well as "peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy."

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said that those who seek freedom across the world expect all the governments, especially BRICS member states, to cut off political, economic and military relations with the Zionist regime. He urged the need for collective measures by BRICS members to break the siege of Gaza and to create a safe and permanent way into Gaza for the dispatch of humanitarian supplies. He called on the BRICS members to initiate a binding resolution in the UN General Assembly against the Zionist regime. The Zionist regime, he said, has to be identified as a terrorist regime and its army must be labelled a terrorist organization.

(To access articles individually click on the black headline.)

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National Days of Action in Support of Palestine

Parliament Hill -- 1:00 pmFor actions across Canada click here

As limited truce begins November 24, 2023, some Gazans in the south return to their homes to see what remains.