Every day, across the region, #UNRWAworks to make a difference.... The plight of Palestine Refugees remains the longest unresolved refgee crisis in the world

 UNRWA

@UNRWA

 

@UN   Agency for #PalestineRefugees

 

Dismantling UNRWA will not address the refugee status of Palestinians. A political solution will. Investing in peace is the answer to end what was meant to be a temporary situation.” – @‌UNLazzarini

 

https://x.com/UNRWA/status/1996899844313547200

 UNRWA

 

@UNRWA

 

“Nearly 42,000 people in #Gaza have life-changing injuries because of the war, according to @‌WHO. One in four is a child. 

 

Gaza now hosts the largest group of child amputees in modern history. 

 

With the collapse of the medical system during the war, those with serious injuries struggle to get the treatment + rehabilitation they need to rebuild their lives. 

 

UNRWA teams together with WHO & partners are sparing no efforts to make sure they are not left behind. 

 

Since the war began, they have provided essential psychosocial support to more than 30,000 persons with disabilities, with over 8,000 of them receiving assistive devices + rehabilitation services. 

 

Every day, across the region, #UNRWAworks to make a difference." — UNRWA Commissioner-General @UNLazzarini

 

 https://x.com/UNRWA/status/1996899844313547200

 

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UNRWA

 

@UNRWA

  

Millions of #Palestine Refugees rely on UNRWA for education, healthcare and humanitarian services across five fields of operation. 

 

Every day, our teams deliver essential support, even in times of conflict and crisis. 

 #UNRWAworks

https://x.com/UNRWA/status/1996821935691309417

 

#UNRWAworks

Feast of the Holy Innocents: Christian children in Bethlehem lay olivewood hearts, each representing a child killed in the Holy Land since October 7

Christian children in Bethlehem lay olivewood hearts, each representing a child killed in the Holy Land since October 7 2023-Dec 29 2024

 

Christian children in Bethlehem lay olivewood hearts, each representing a child killed in the Holy Land since October 7 2023- Dec 29 2024

Baby Jesus born in Bethehem Palestine

 

CHRISTMAS 2024: From DC to the Vatican, baby Jesus is wearing a keffiyeh — The pro-Palestinian creche is intended to point out the disconnect between the idealized Bethlehem of most representations and the reality in present-day Gaza and the West Bank.

 

MIT Science for Genocide

 

https://archive.org/details/mit-science-for-genocide

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) contributes to the Gaza Genocide and Zionist settler colonialism in Palestine in at least two distinct ways. First, MIT laboratories on campus conduct weapons and surveillance research directly sponsored by the Israeli military. Since at least 2015, MIT laboratories have received millions of dollars from the Israeli Ministry of Defense for projects to develop algorithms that help drone swarms to better pursue escaping targets; to improve underwater surveillance technology; and support military aircraft evade missiles. Two of these sponsorships were renewed since October 7th, 2023, while one came up for renewal in December 2024. Second, MIT maintains institutional collaborations through the ILP, LGO, CSAIL, and MIT Energy Initiative programs with companies that sell vast amounts of weapons to Israel. These include Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest military contractor, as well as Maersk, Lockheed Martin, and Caterpillar. These collaborations grant genocide profiteers privileged access to MIT talent and expertise.

Acknowledgements
MIT Alumni for Palestine (A4P)
MIT Arab Student Organization (ASO)
MIT Asian American Initiative (AAI)
MIT Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA)
MIT Black Students’ Union (BSU)
MIT Disability Justice Collective (DJC)
MIT Coalition Against Apartheid (CAA)
MIT Divest
MIT DUSP for Palestinian Liberation (D4PL)
MIT Faculty and Staff for Palestine (FS4P)

The MIT Coalition for Palestine is an MIT movement of scientists opposed to colonialism,
occupation, and apartheid in Palestine and beyond. We are guided by four principles of
unity: 1) We are committed to the liberation of Palestine. 2) We support the right of
oppressed and occupied people to resist their oppression. 3) We fight for Palestinian
liberation within the broader struggle for liberation of all oppressed peoples. 4) We
defend the right of every human to live a life of dignity.

Our Coalition
The MIT Coalition for Palestine is composed of the following organizations:
MIT Globally Indigenous Students for Justice (IS4J)
MIT Grads for Palestine (G4P)
MIT Jews for Collective Liberation (JCL)
MIT Latino Cultural Center (LCC)
MIT Muslims for Justice (M4J)
MIT Reading for Revolution (R4R)
MIT Taara
Palestine@MIT (Pal@MIT)
MIT Written Revolution
Trans@MIT
Authors
This report was authored by concerned students and scientists at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology.

READ MORE  https://archive.org/details/mit-science-for-genocide

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Human Rights Day:

Realising the healthy international relations can be created only among populations made up of individuals who themselves are healthy and enjoy a measure a independence, the United Nations elaborated a Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly on December 10, 1948. - Albert Einstein

 

We stand today at the threshold of a great event both in the life of the United Nations and in the life of mankind, that is the approval by the General Assembly of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. - Eleanor Roosevelt

 

America did not invent human rights. In a very real sense human rights invented America. - Jimmy Carter

 

Norman Rockwell's celebration of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights

BDS commemorates 37 years since the beginning of the 1st Palestinian Intifada of 1987... TAKE #nonviolent ACTION

Sunday, 8th December:

• We commemorate 37 years since the beginning of the 1st Palestinian Intifada of 1987. A collective and inclusive movement spread from Gaza across historic Palestine calling for boycotts, strikes, and popular resistance to end Israel's military occupation and colonial rule.

  “Today we confront the most brutal phase of Israel’s 76-year-old regime of settler colonialism and apartheid. This is manifested in a genocide perpetrated against our people in Gaza, which is funded, armed and shielded from accountability by the colonial West, led by the US. Also corporations and institutions that continue business-as-usual with apartheid Israel are  complicit in apartheid and genocide. In the spirit of the Palestinian Intifada, we continue to steadfast, to resist oppression, and we shall eventually overcome. We call on people of conscience worldwide to mobilize to end all forms of state, corporate and institutional complicity with Israel. Together, we shall prevail and build towards a better humanity.” - Mahmoud Nawajaa, BNC General Coordinator.

 Monday, 9th December:

The International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime.

For over a year, we have been sharing the images, stories and ghastly statistics of the rising number of Palestinians killed, burned, starved, displaced, and fallen sick by Israel’s devastating genocide in Gaza. We have been calling for and enacting pressure on states and international institutions to fulfill the bare minimum of their legal obligation to end complicity by imposing lawful, targeted sanctions on Israel.

On 5th December, 2024 the world’s largest human rights organization, Amnesty International, added its voice to states, UN experts, and thousands of legal scholars and historians who have reached the same conclusion. Amnesty found that, based on policies, actions, and omissions since 7 October, 2023, Israel is committing genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in besieged and occupied Gaza. It  called on states to impose targeted and lawful sanctions on apartheid Israel.

Tuesday, 10th December:

• On the UN Human Rights Day, in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we call on our supporters to heed the Palestinian call for action. Adopted only days after the UN passed the illegal and unethical Plan of Partition of Palestine 76 years ago, the Declaration has been systematically violated by Israel throughout its existence as a settler-colonial apartheid state.

Let's organize across these dates, peacefully disrupting business-as-usual with Israel, amplifying Palestinian demands in your mobilizations, and helping us grow the power of the BDS movement  to stop Israel’s genocide in Gaza and dismantle its regime of settler-colonial apartheid.

TAKE ACTION:

1. PRESSURE YOUR GOVERNMENT TO IMPOSE SANCTIONS ON ISRAEL, INCLUDING A COMPREHENSIVE MILITARY EMBARGO.

2. TAKE TO THE STREETS TO PRESSURE GOVERNMENTS TO END COMPLICITY.

3. FOCUS ON BDS PRIORITY TARGETS AND CAMPAIGNS.

4. DEMAND THE IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION OF APARTHEID ISRAEL FROM THE UN.

 READ IN FULL  https://bdsmovement.net/Three-Important-Dates-Three-Reasons-To-Mobilize

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Love to all, Ibtisam the Palestinian author

Ibtisam Barakat

Good Palestinian moment: 

 

I went to the local authors exhibit at the public library and had a great time. Many people stopped by and said that they are sorry for what is happening in Palestine. . . That means they see our humanity . . I wrote their names in Arabic calligraphy, sold books, gave out sweet grapes rather than candy to the children and many signed up for my Arabic language and culture class on Zoom. 

 

The best part is that I don't have to fake anything. 

 

For many, many years, I had to act like I am American and my people are not facing genocide. Nobody wanted to hear that or accept that. I had to carry a mountain on my back for years. 

 

Now, people know and say they are sorry. The mountain is on the ground. It's a mountain of pain, but I can look at it and walk around it and aim to climb it now rather than it crush my soul alone . . . Thank you everyone who thinks about the humanity of Palestine denied for so long . . 

 

Love to all,

Ibtisam the Palestinian author

Ibtisam Barakat, author of 

TASTING THE SKY, a Palestinian Childhood

& 

BALCONY ON THE MOON, Coming of Age in Palestine. 

 

2010 photo: Helen Thoman, Anan Ameri, AANM director, and author Ibtisam Barakat at the AANM national book award ceremony. Ibtisam served as a judge for the fiction category, 2010. Helen's sculpture was unveiled at the event. She was funny and sad about that controversial comment that ended her career.. Sam Donaldson from ABC introduced Helen's speech. Two huge journalism icons. Washington, DC.  GALLERY   http://www.ibtisambarakat.com/ 

Statement from the bishop of the ELCJHL about Israel’s decision to close UNRWA: “We ask you to join us in condemning this action in the strongest possible terms”

 

https://www.facebook.com/elcjhl/

The brutality in Gaza must stop: We cannot afford to remain silent or complacent in the face of such brutality. Now more than ever, the American people must advocate for the rights and dignity of the Palestinians.

 

The brutality in Gaza must stop | Patriot News- PennLive letters online

The brutality in Gaza must stop | PennLive letters

• Published: Nov. 02, 2024, 10:01 a.m.

• PennLive Letters to the Editor

In the middle of the night on October 13, the Israeli military unleashed flames of destruction on Al-Aqsa Hospital in Gaza, claiming the lives of countless innocent souls by the worse way possible - burning them alive. Journalists on the ground documented horrific scenes of helpless and trapped people consumed by flames in their sleep, in their hospital beds, bedridden and unable to move.

One of the victims, 19-year-old Shabaan Al-Dali, burnt alive with an IV line still attached to his hand. The world bore witness to the tragedy through the heart-wrenching screams of Saleh Al-Jafarawi: “People are being burnt alive right in front of us!”

His words echoed the profound helplessness that has gripped us all. This latest massacre is not an isolated incident. It is a chilling reminder of the previous “tent massacre” that unfolded in May at Tel Al-Sultan, where images of charred bodies and the beheaded child circulated across social media, igniting outrage and sorrow globally.

The purposefully inflicted humanitarian crisis in Gaza has been escalating at an alarming rate for the past year, in the most documented genocide in our history. The images of burning tents and helpless cries for help echo in our minds, a haunting reminder of the reality the Palestinians have been living for over 76 years. We cannot afford to remain silent or complacent in the face of such brutality. Now more than ever, the American people must advocate for the rights and dignity of the Palestinians.

Ikram Mezghani, Derry Township, Pa.

https://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2024/11/the-brutality-in-gaza-must-stop-pennlive-letters.html

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The rights of Palestine Refugees exist separate to UNRWA, including the right of return, which was set out in resolution 194, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, and predates the creation of UNRWA in 1949. Besides the right to return, the right to family unity and the right to reparations would also remain in UNRWA’s absence, as would the refugee camps of Gaza and the West Bank.

Published: 28 Oct 2024  - Short URL: https://www.oxfam.org.uk/mc/zjcphd/

In reaction to the Knesset passing a law banning UNRWA from operating in areas under Israel’s control, Sally Abi Khalil, Oxfam Regional Director in the Middle East and North Africa said:  

“Israel has bombed Palestinians to death, maimed them, starved them, and is now ridding them of their biggest lifeline of aid. Piece by piece, Israel is systemically dismantling Gaza as a land that is autonomous and liveable for Palestinians. Its banning of UNRWA today is condemnable and another step in this crime.

“The decision will further undermine the ability of the international community to provide sufficient humanitarian aid and to save lives in any safe, independent and impartial way.

“UNRWA was not only the biggest and most established agency that has been delivering aid and sustenance to the people of Gaza for years, it was also a thread that connected them in some hope of solidarity and security to the United Nations.

“We are in no doubt that Israel and its allies are fully aware of the terrible consequences that this decision will have on Palestinians living in Gaza, many of whom are already starving. We join others in warning again that this will result in more death, more suffering, and more forced displacement of people from their besieged homeland. It is impossible not to believe that this is their aim.”

Notes to the Editor

• Read the Bill for the Cessation of UNRWA Activities in the Territory of the State of Israel, 5784–2024; and Bill for the Cessation of UNRWA Activities, 5784–2024
• Read Oxfam and over 50 humanitarian and human rights agencies’ global appeal to defend UNRWA from Israeli ban
• The rights of Palestine Refugees exist separate to UNRWA, including the right of return, which was set out in resolution 194, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, and predates the creation of UNRWA in 1949. Besides the right to return, the right to family unity and the right to reparations would also remain in UNRWA’s absence, as would the refugee camps of Gaza and the West Bank.

OXFAM Press contact

For comments, interviews, or information please contact the Oxfam GB Media Team:

• Landline: +44 7748 761999
• Mobile: +44 7748 761999
• Email: media.unit@oxfam.org.uk

All the way back to 1948...

 

The mainstream media has failed us after 7 October- Not only did they mostly ignore Israel’s denial of Palestinian freedom, but also the contradictions in Israel’s military strategy- Peter Beinart

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest inside News Corp headquarters on 17 November 2023. Photograph: Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

 "... Unfortunately, the American media never gave Abusalim a megaphone. He appeared on network and cable television only once in the six months following 7 October, and even then, it was only to detail his family’s suffering, not to analyze the war. That was typical. According to a study by George Washington University’s William Youmans, America’s four flagship Sunday talkshows – Meet the Press, Face the Nation, This Week and Fox News Sunday – collectively interviewed 140 outside guests on camera between 8 October 2023 and 14 January 2024. Only one was Palestinian.

Who did the Sunday shows interview instead? For the most part, Washington insiders. In those early months of the war, more than 80% of the Sunday show guests were current and former US government officials. Few knew much about Gaza, and few questioned Israel’s actions...."

Peter Beinart (@PeterBeinart) is a professor at the Newmark School of Journalism at the City University of New York, an editor at large of Jewish Currents and writes The Beinart Notebook, a weekly newsletter. His new book, Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza, will be published in January.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/oct/07/mainstream-media-israel-denies-palestinian-freedom

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This terrifying tit-for-tat between Israel, Iran and its proxies will only bring more death and disaster - Lina Khatib in The Guardian ..." the scale of the humanitarian crisis is unprecedented "

 "Though ordinary people and civil society are stepping up relief efforts, the scale of the humanitarian crisis is unprecedented, while the bankrupt Lebanese state has been largely unable to offer the displaced even basic services. The longer Israel’s military campaign goes on, the greater the potential for sectarian tension to increase as winter looms, resources are depleted and people’s anger and despair grows." 

This terrifying tit-for-tat between Israel, Iran and its proxies will only bring more death and disaster 

Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon, Iran’s ballistic attack – there will be no end to this turmoil until a diplomatic settlement is reached

Lina Khatib

Lina Khatib is director of the Soas Middle East Institute and associate fellow at the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House

READ MORE  https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/oct/02/this-terrifying-tit-for-tat-between-israel-iran-and-its-proxies-will-only-bring-more-death-and-disaster

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Nesrine Malik in The Guardian: With Gaza in ruins and Lebanon under siege, what defence remains for Israel’s actions? ‘Existential threat’ is a thin excuse: the out-of-control force that is pushing the Middle East to the brink is Israel itself

 "The source of Israel’s security challenges, the heart of the “rising tensions” in the region, is Israel’s siege on Gaza, what is widely condemned as apartheid in the West Bank, its continuing occupation of territories that it has been ordered by UN security council resolutions to vacate, and its illegal expansion of settlements. As long as these conditions continue, uprisings through both justified and illegitimate means, from intifada to 7 October, will persist. And so will incidents of sharp confrontation, deadly to Palestinians, with Israeli forces and settlers, triggering a cycle of response among states such as Iran and non-state actors such as Hezbollah and the Houthis. A profound threat does exist, but it is to the stability of the Middle East and the wider Arab world, which Israel is increasingly drawing to the brink" 

With Gaza in ruins and Lebanon under siege, what defence remains for Israel’s actions?

Nesrine Malik

‘Existential threat’ is a thin excuse: the out-of-control force that is pushing the Middle East to the brink is Israel itself

READ MORE   https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/sep/30/with-gaza-in-ruins-and-lebanon-under-siege-what-defence-remains-for-israels-actions

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WATCH: King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan addresses 2024 UN General Assembly

August 28 2024: Since last night, the Israeli army has conducted a large-scale military operation in various parts of the West Bank, particularly in the northern regions.

Dr. Mustafa Barghouti

 Mustafa Barghouti @Mustafa_Barghouti

@MustafaBarghou1

Palestinian MD and MP, Presidential candidate 2005, Founder and Leader of the Palestinian National Initiative (PNI) Activist and advocate of Palestinian rights.

 

Dr. Mustafa Barghouti:  

 

Since last night, the Israeli army has conducted a large-scale military operation in various parts of the West Bank, particularly in the northern regions. The army has invaded Nur Shams camp in Tulkarem, Jenin city and its camp, and the Al Fara'a camp and the city of Tubas. 

 

Additionally, the Israeli army has besieged all hospitals in the area, including Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin, and is preventing people from reaching the hospital and restricting the movement of ambulances. 

 

So far, 11 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli army, most of them civilians. The army has also initiated a process of destruction, targeting infrastructure including electricity networks, water pipelines, and roads. 

 

The level of destruction being inflicted on the West Bank is a reminder of the extensive damage caused in Gaza by the Israeli bombardments. Moreover, the Israeli army has invaded numerous villages in the West Bank and is conducting a significant campaign of arrests. Dozens of people were arrested last night, and the operation which is the largest since 2002 is ongoing. 

 

The Israeli army remains stationed in these four areas, and the operation continues, reflecting a dangerous escalation that suggests the transfer of the genocide and ethnic cleansing war crimes from Gaza to the West Bank The Israeli foreign minister Katz called for displacement of Civilian Palestinians from refugee camps trying to imitate the ethnic cleansing in Gaza. 

 

The west Bank is fully Occupied by Israel since 1967 and Israel is conducting a unilateral war on the people it is occupying using Air Force, tanks which is a grave violation of international law. 

 

Aug 27, 2024

 

It is time for everyone to understand Netanyahu’s intentions: 

 

1- He does not want the war to stop and will keep undermining negotiations for a ceasefire by constantly changing or imposing new conditions. 

 

2- He wants to keep the Israeli occupation of the entire Gaza Strip. 

 

3- His plan is to continue the war on Gaza and expand it to the West Bank, combining the Israeli army and illegal settler attacks on Palestinian civilians. 

 

4- Netanyahu does not care about the lives of Israeli captives and he doesn’t care if they die due to Israeli bombardment. 

 

5- By destroying the chances of ending the war Netanyahu is hoping to help the election of Trump so he will try to extend the war till after the American elections. 

 

In summary Netanyahu cares only about his own interests.