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The Hind Rajab Human Rights Organization has filed a legal complaint against an Israeli soldier currently in Barcelona, Spain, accusing him of war crimes during the genocidal war on Gaza. Spanish media reported that Hind Rajab, based in Belgium, lodged the lawsuit with Barcelona courts after spotting Israeli soldier Mori Kaiser from the Givati Brigade vacationing in the city. The complaint alleges that Kaiser committed and participated in acts of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes during the war against Palestinians in Gaza. The actions of this soldier constitute “systematic violations of international humanitarian law, including the targeting of civilians and the infrastructure of a defenseless population.” The human rights organization called on Spanish authorities to take swift and decisive action by investigating and arresting Kaiser to ensure accountability. The organization emphasized that filing this complaint is a critical step in combating impunity for war crimes and crimes against humanity. According to Israeli Army Radio, the Hind Rajab Foundation has filed over 30 complaints against Israeli soldiers in at least eight countries worldwide. The Hind Rajab Foundation is named after a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was martyred in Gaza when the Israeli occupation army killed her entire family in the vehicle they were traveling in. Two paramedics who attempted to save her life were also killed in the attack. A few days ago, the organization announced that it had officially requested an arrest warrant for General Ghassan Alian, the coordinator of the Israeli occupation government’s activities and a former commander of the Golani Brigade in the Israeli army.  The request was submitted while Alian was reportedly attending a “secret meeting” in Italy, citing his alleged responsibility for the starvation of Gaza’s residents. The Hind Rajab organization has utilized videos and photos shared by Israeli soldiers on social media as irrefutable evidence of these crimes. The activity of this human rights organization, which focuses on exposing and confronting crimes committed by the occupation in Gaza, has intensified significantly. In a relatively short period, around thirty Israeli soldiers have been listed as wanted in Western and Latin American countries on charges of crimes against humanity.

Shipping documents obtained by the British news platforms Declassified and The Ditch reveal that British arms factories, which have faced protests by pro-Palestine activists over the past 15 months, have been exporting military equipment to Israel. According to the platforms, this disclosure serves as confirmation of the efforts of the activist group Palestine Action, which has led campaigns to halt Israel’s war machine within the United Kingdom. The documents reveal that several companies linked to Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer, which produces many of the drones and missiles used to kill Palestinians, have been exporting equipment to Israel. While the exact nature of these exports remains unclear, the shipment processing sites and British arms export data strongly suggest they included weapon components. Huda Amouri, co-founder of Palestine Action, told Declassified: “This revelation confirms that taking direct action against the Israeli arms industry in Britain is a crucial element in resisting colonialism and genocide.” She added that the new information “not only exposes the merchants of death but also vindicates those who risked their freedom to stop these companies.” Over the past 15 months, dozens of Palestine Action activists have been arrested, with many still in detention or serving prison sentences. In the same context, a study published by The Lancet revealed that over 64,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, while Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch accused Israel of committing genocide. Elbit Systems at the Center of the StormShipping documents show that at least four companies linked to Elbit Systems have exported equipment to Israel since the bombing of Gaza began. Among these companies is Instro Precision, which manufactures military electro-optical sensors used for target detection, surveillance, and reconnaissance. The company has obtained dozens of licenses to export weapons to Israel, including components for “targeting equipment” and “military aircraft displays.” In 2023, the Instro Precision factory in Kent was targeted by Palestine Action activists, who caused property damage exceeding £1 million. The activists claimed the company “manufactures equipment for identifying targets including to destroy or kill them.” Shipping documents show that four shipments were sent from the company’s Kent location to Elbit Systems factories in Israel between November 2023 and January 2024. The Elbit Systems facility in Filton, Bristol, has also been targeted by activists since its opening in 2023. It is believed that 18 people are currently in prison on charges related to actions against this “center for research, development, and manufacturing,” with British police using anti-terrorism powers to interrogate them. Other Companies InvolvedElbit Systems is not the only beneficiary of British arms exports to Israel. Cyntec (formerly known as Solvay), based in Wrexham, has exported composite materials used in the production of the Hermes 450 drone manufactured by Elbit. This type of drone has been linked to the deaths of dozens of civilians in Gaza, including an Israeli airstrike last year that killed seven international aid workers, three of whom were British. Additionally, the British engineering company Martin-Baker exported ejection seats for military aircraft to an Elbit Systems facility in Karmiel, Israel, in October 2024. These seats are used in the Israeli Air Force’s training aircraft, which are maintained by Elbit under a $38 million contract. The documents also revealed that Teledyne Defense & Space, based in Shipley, Yorkshire, has been exporting electronic equipment to Israel since October 2023. The company has received 28 licenses to export weapons to Israel since 2021, and its facility in Shipley was occupied and dismantled by Palestine Action activists in April 2024. Shipments from Teledyne were sent to a location near the Israeli Air Force’s Hatzerim airbase in the Negev Desert, which houses fighter jets and the Israeli Air Force Academy. Calls to End InvolvementEmily Apple, spokesperson for the Campaign Against Arms Trade, told Declassified: “These shipments show that these companies believe they can act with impunity and continue their complicity in the genocide being carried out by Israel.” She added: “If our government refuses to halt these shipments and impose a full arms embargo, it is up to ordinary people to continue the pressure and show that we will not allow the merchants of death to keep profiting at the expense of Palestinian lives.”

European Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib on Sunday urged the international community to continue supporting the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu news agency reported. “The work done by UNRWA to support Palestinians in Gaza and the region is now more important than ever and needs to be continuously supported by the international community,” Lahbib said on X, adding that she has communicated this message during her talks with Olaf Becker , UNRWA’s director in Jordan. The plea comes after Israeli parliament, the Knesset, banned UNRWA’s operations in Israeli-controlled areas last October, citing alleged ties between some of the organization’s staff and Hamas’ cross-border attack on 7 October 2023. UNRWA has denied the claims. Israel has repeatedly tried to link UNRWA to Hamas in efforts to discredit the humanitarian organization, providing no proof of the claims, while  lobbying hard  to have UNRWA closed as it is the only UN agency to have a specific mandate to look after the basic needs of Palestinian refugees. If the agency no longer exists,  argues Israel , then the refugee issue must no longer exist, and the legitimate right for Palestinian refugees to return to their land will be unnecessary. Israel has denied that right of return since the late 1940s, even though its own membership of the UN was made conditional upon Palestinian refugees being allowed to return to their homes and land. Lahbib also stressed the critical importance of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which began at 0915 GMT on Sunday after delays. “The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas must hold to allow for the delivery of vital humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable … Children are dying, and every effort must be made to prevent further loss of life,” she said. Nearly 47,000 people have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 110,700 others injured in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to local health authorities.

The International Court of Justice has ruled that Israel’s continued occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful. Now Europe must support further differentiation measures, and recognise Palestine’s right to self-determination Hugh Lovatt @h_lovatt on X Last Friday’s landmark ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) amounts to a wholesale rejection of Israel’s decades-long policies in Gaza and the West Bank. The court found that Israel’s continued presence in the entirety of the Palestinian territory is unlawful, and should be brought to an end as rapidly as possible. In addition, it found that the separate legal regimes applying to Israelis and Palestinians in the Palestinian territory constitute a violation of international laws prohibiting racial discrimination and apartheid under Article 3 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Now, rather than pursuing the chimera of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, Europe should focus its immediate efforts on directly challenging Israel’s unlawful practices, and incentivising a future Israeli move towards de-occupation. A new, clear path In its ruling the ICJ has stated that Israel is obliged to end its occupation, and allow the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination – including the dismantling of Israel’s settlement regime, and making reparations to Palestinians. In considering how to bring to an end Israel’s unlawful presence in the Palestinian territory, members of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and Security Council should be guided by principles set out by the ICJ judges – most notably the international duty to ensure that member state actions do not recognise or support illegal Israeli actions. This includes the need to prevent trade or investment relations with Israeli settlements, as highlighted by the court. The European Union and European states cannot continue business as usual with Israel, and must instead challenge the country’s unlawful practices. At the heart of this is Israel’s settlement project, and regime of institutional discrimination against Palestinians. Europeans should now work with UNGA members, particularly Arab states, to operationalise the court’s ruling which echoes long-standing European positions, such as the EU’s policy of differentiating between Israel and the settlements. Enshrined in UN Resolution 2334 in December 2016, the differentiation policy has now been commended by the ICJ. Excluding settlements, recognising Palestine While Europeans have already taken some significant steps to differentiate between Israel and its settlements, more are needed. The EU and European states should review all interactions with Israel to ensure the full and effective exclusion of settlement-affiliated entities – and propose UNGA adopts similar measures. This review should include a long-overdue ban on settlements products and services – as called for by the ICJ – and closer scrutiny of arms sales and technology to ensure these are not contributing to Israel’s unlawful actions. The EU must also urgently assess whether Israel is complying with its human rights obligations under their Association Agreement, while expanding sanctions against settlement organisations. In addition, and perhaps most importantly, European countries must take to heart the court’s assertion that the Palestinian right to self-determination is not conditional upon Israeli approval, nor upon the outcome of negotiations. A practical step in this regard, already taken by several EU members including most recently Ireland, Norway, and Spain, is to recognise the State of Palestinian in Gaza and the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), based on the 1967 borders. Other European countries must now follow suit.

As part of the EU’s long standing commitment to support Palestinians in need and in light of the latest developments in the region, the European Commission today announced a new aid package for Gaza worth €120 million. This brings total EU humanitarian assistance to Gaza to over €450 million since 2023 and comes in addition to the EU Air Bridge Flights which have delivered over 3,800 tonnes of aid.   The EU continues working with partners on the ground to ensure that aid reaches those in need fast. The aid package will include: The EU will work closely with UN agencies and other humanitarian partner organisations to ensure swift delivery of the assistance. President Ursula von der Leyen said: “The ceasefire and hostage release agreement offers hope the region desperately needed. But the humanitarian situation remains grim in Gaza. Europe will channel €120 million of aid in 2025, alongside tons of in-kind aid, to keep supporting Palestinians.” Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib said: “The ceasefire allows the seed of hope to grow in Gaza. But our work for the Palestinian people is far from over. Safe, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access is urgently needed. The EU is committed to supporting the people of Gaza. This new aid package will help to address the most pressing needs, including food security, shelter, and healthcare. We will work closely with our partners to ensure that our assistance reaches those who need it most.” Background The EU supports humanitarian organisations working in both Gaza and the West Bank. Access challenges and security concerns in Gaza have forced humanitarian partners operating on the ground to reduce their operations to a bare minimum. Their capacity to deliver is indisputable, but they require access. The EU also launched a Humanitarian Air Bridge (HAB) operation in aid to the people affected by the crisis. Over 60 flights have transported over 3,800 tonnes of cargo supplied by humanitarian partners, EU-owned stockpile items, and donations from Member States.

The UK’s pro-Palestinian groups have condemned London’s Metropolitan police for preventing a pro-Palestine rally outside the BBC headquarters from going ahead as scheduled on January 18. Six pro-Palestinian groups organizing the national Palestine marches, and supported by at least 150 high-profile individuals and organizations, including Liberty, Amnesty International UK, and Greenpeace, took the Metropolitan to task. In a joint statement issued on Friday, they said the agency is misusing public order powers to shield the BBC from public scrutiny over fake news published about the ongoing Israeli genocidal war against the Gaza Strip. The BBC’s coverage of Gaza has failed to portray Palestinian suffering adequately, according to the protest organizers who view the marches as an important opportunity to hold the British broadcasters accountable for their pro-Israeli bias. “The route for the march was confirmed with the police nearly two months ago and as agreed with them, was publicly announced on November 30 … With just over a week to go, the Metropolitan Police is reneging on the agreement and has stated its intention to prevent the protest from going ahead as planned. “The BBC is a major institution – it is a publicly-funded state broadcaster and is rightly accountable to the public. The police should not be misusing public order powers to shield the BBC from democratic scrutiny,” the statement said. The statement was signed by dozens of British parliamentarians, and cultural figures, including actors, academics and trade union activists. Labour, Independent, Green, Plaid Cymru, Sinn Fein and SNP lawmakers signed the statement. Jeremy Corbyn, Diane Abbott, musician Brian Eno, and actors Mark Rylance and Maxine Peake were among the signatories of the statement, in addition to PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote, RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch, the NEU’s Daniel Kebede, FBU leader Matt Wrack, and trade union leader Dave Ward. The statement condemned attempts to link the pro-Palestinian protests to anti-Jewish sentiment as “false and dangerous”. Right-wing news channels and right-wing British publications have been making efforts to portray pro-Palestinian protesters as anti-Semitic, according to a study finding significant distortions in the Western coverage of the Gaza war. The study reports pro-Palestinian voices facing misrepresentation and vilification by UK media outlets, with allegations of anti-Semitism and terrorism applied to discredit legitimate advocacy efforts. “Muslim opposition to Israel has been framed as anti-Semitic by some publications and commentators,” the study has said. Since October 2023, the Israeli regime forces have cut off water, food, medicine, and electricity to Gaza while pounding the blockaded Palestinians from the air, ground, and sea, relentlessly targeting homes, tents and hospitals. According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 46,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed since the beginning of the war on October 7, 2023.

Dozens of French citizens gathered today, Saturday, in a solidarity event for Palestinian journalists in Gaza, held in the French capital, Paris. Participants carried Palestinian flags and photos of martyr Saed Nabhan, a photographer who was fatally shot by an Israeli sniper on Friday near the western part of Nuseirat refugee camp. The event was organized to show support for Palestinian journalists facing what has been described as an open massacre by the Israeli occupation forces since the beginning of the aggression on Gaza on October 7, 2023. Rising Toll on Journalists With the death of journalist Saed Nabhan, the number of journalists killed in Gaza has risen to 203 amid Israel’s ongoing war on the region, now in its 16th consecutive month. Broader Context The Israeli military campaign on Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, has resulted in the deaths of thousands of Palestinian civilians, including dozens of journalists and media workers. The violence has drawn widespread condemnation and solidarity actions globally, such as the event in Paris, highlighting the dire risks faced by journalists documenting the conflict.

The Spanish opposition party Podemos has called for barring the Israeli basketball team “Maccabi Tel Aviv” from entering Spain to play against Real Madrid in the EuroLeague basketball tournament. This demand was made in a letter sent by the party’s leader, Ione Belarra, on Monday to Spain’s Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs. Belarra commented on the matter in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating:“The Spanish people have clearly demanded a complete severance of all relations with the Zionists who committed genocide against the Palestinian people.” She added: “We must ban this team, which supported the genocide, and all its Israeli fans from entering Madrid.” Opposition to Maccabi Tel Aviv Intensifies Amid Gaza Solidarity Ione Belarra, leader of Spain’s Podemos party, emphasized that fans of the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv have caused security issues in other countries by defending the ongoing actions in Gaza. Belarra urged Spanish fans to gather outside the arena hosting the match to stage a protest against Israel, amplifying calls for solidarity with Palestine. Similar Moves Across Europe Recently, fans of Paris Saint-Germain’s basketball team announced a boycott of their EuroLeague game against Maccabi Tel Aviv, scheduled for January 16. This decision reflects solidarity with Palestine and opposition to Israel’s actions in Gaza. Context of the Protest These calls for action come against the backdrop of what many describe as a campaign of genocide waged by the Israeli military in Gaza since October 7, 2023. Supported by the U.S. and some European countries, the conflict has resulted in over 156,000 Palestinian casualties, including thousands of women and children, with more than 11,000 people still missing. Gaza faces immense destruction, widespread hunger, and the deaths of countless elderly and children due to starvation. The growing backlash against Israeli sports teams reflects broader European discontent with Israel’s policies and ongoing humanitarian crises in Palestine.