An increasing number of Western artists in the fields of music, filmmaking, and publishing are calling for a cultural boycott of "Israel" due to its war in Gaza, hoping to achieve similar success to the movement in South Africa during the apartheid era.

In light of the refusal of most Western governments to impose economic sanctions on "Israel," musicians, celebrities, and writers hope to rally public pressure for further action.

British actor Khalid Abdalla, who starred in the films "The Kite Runner" and "The Crown," told AFP after signing a petition calling for a boycott of certain Israeli cinema bodies, "I have no doubt that we have reached a global turning point."

The open letter issued by "Cinema Workers for Palestine" has gathered thousands of signatories, including actors Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone, who pledged to sever ties with any Israeli institutions "involved in genocide" in Gaza.

Abdalla added during an interview on Friday, "The mobilization has begun now and is extending to various fields. Not just in the film industry."

At the Emmy Awards this week, winners from Javier Bardem to Hannah Einbinder, star of " Hacks," spoke about Gaza, echoing similar statements made during the Venice Film Festival earlier this month.

On Thursday, the band "Massive Attack," pioneers of British trip-hop music, announced their joining a musical group called "No Music for Genocide," which will allow artists to prevent their songs from being broadcast in "Israel."

In another context, "Israel" is facing a boycott in the Eurovision Song Contest, and composers have signed open letters while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez leads a campaign to exclude "Israel" from sporting events.

Israeli conductor Ilan Volkov announced last week during a concert in Britain that he would no longer perform in his homeland.

Swedish academic Hakan Thörn from the University of Gothenburg, who authored a book on the boycott movement in South Africa, stated, "I believe we are witnessing a situation similar to the boycott movement against the apartheid regime in South Africa."

The sociologist added, "There was certainly a shift this spring when the world saw images of famine in Gaza."

The international boycott of the white racist government of South Africa began in earnest in the early 1960s after a massacre of Black protesters by police in Sharpeville.

The movement peaked with artists and sports teams refusing to participate in matches in that country, and boycott violators like the band Queen and Frank Sinatra faced widespread public criticism.

Thörn noted that many public figures have been hesitant to speak about the Gaza war.

The Israeli military operations in Gaza have resulted in the deaths of more than 65,000 people, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gaza Ministry of Health.

Thörn explained, "The history of the Holocaust and the criticism of the pro-Palestinian movement for being anti-Semitic have created a serious obstacle to broader mobilization against what Israel is currently doing" in Gaza.

The campaign to boycott Israel, known as the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, began 20 years ago due to its occupation of Palestinian territories.

The Israeli government accuses supporters of this campaign of anti-Semitism, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu often describes critics as "sympathetic to Hamas."

David Feldman, who heads the Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism at Birkbeck College, University of London, stated that these remarks have created "an atmosphere of distrust regarding the boundaries of anti-Semitism."

He told AFP, "Any spread of anti-Semitic acts is concerning, but any current attempt to link the boycott movement against Israel to anti-Semitism is far from the truth."

He added, "It is a means of protesting Israel's destruction of Gaza and its continued killing of civilians."

Although today's activists against the Gaza war refer to an anti-apartheid movement, history offers them some impactful lessons.

After the start of the boycott movement in South Africa, it took 30 years before the regime fell, revealing the limits of international pressure campaigns.

Feldman, who authored a book on boycotts, added, "By the early 1970s, the boycott became the defining principle of a global anti-apartheid movement, but the movement alone was not enough."

The real suffering resulted from the gradual strangulation of the South African economy, as companies and banks withdrew under pressure, while the end of the Cold War sharply exacerbated the country's isolation.

In Israel, many artists fear the repercussions of the boycott movement

Amid unprecedented tension in relations between Ankara and Tel Aviv due to the war in Gaza, a new diplomatic and cultural bombshell has erupted, featuring the "Silwan Inscription," an ancient stone tablet dating back 2,700 years.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ignited the crisis by revealing previous attempts to recover the inscription, to which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan responded decisively: "We will not give even a single pebble that belongs to the noble Jerusalem," accusing Netanyahu of "inciting hatred."

The story began last Monday when Netanyahu recounted during the inauguration of an archaeological tunnel in the Silwan neighborhood of occupied Jerusalem that he attempted in 1998 to strike a deal with then-Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yılmaz.

The Director General of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, Dr. Munir Al-Bursh, stated that the Israeli occupation continues to impose forced displacement on the residents of the Strip, planning to confine hundreds of thousands in shelters resembling Nazi concentration camps, without providing any means for living.

Al-Bursh explained - in his remarks - that about 270,000 Palestinians have already been forced to flee, while more than 900,000 continue to resist leaving despite the ongoing bombardment and extermination, adding that Israel has allocated only 12% of Gaza's area as shelter zones, in an attempt to confine no less than 1.7 million people within them.

This statement comes as the Israeli occupation army continues its intensive attacks on the city of Gaza and its surroundings since dawn on Saturday, resulting in the martyrdom of dozens of Palestinians, including displaced persons and aid seekers, in addition to the destruction of residential towers and inhabited homes.

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor stated on Saturday that the Israeli army is detonating more than 17 explosive vehicles daily in the city of Gaza, with each one equivalent to an earthquake of 3.7 degrees on the Richter scale.

The monitor, based in Geneva, clarified in a statement that "the Israeli occupation army has detonated around 120 explosive vehicles loaded with approximately 840 tons of explosives among residential homes in the city of Gaza over the past week."

It pointed out that this means "an average of more than 17 vehicles daily, and detonating each one is equivalent to an earthquake of 3.7 degrees on the Richter scale."

Leaks and hints in the Hebrew media are increasing regarding anticipated plans to officially impose the entity's sovereignty over vital areas in the West Bank, primarily the Jordan Valley and major settlement blocs, amid a surge in European recognition of the Palestinian state, the latest being Portugal's announcement of its intention to grant official recognition.

In contrast, there is a heated Israeli discourse about unilateral steps that could change the face of the conflict, bringing the vital Jordan Valley back to the forefront as one of the main targets of 'annexation' by the occupation.

According to reports and political analyses within the entity, the outlines of the occupation's plan may not be a comprehensive and immediate declaration of annexation, but could take gradual paths to gauge reactions and avoid sharp international backlash.

About 11 countries around the world announced their intention to recognize the State of Palestine on Sunday and Monday, coinciding with the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Among the countries that announced their recognition are Malta, Britain, Luxembourg, France, Australia, and Armenia, reflecting the growing international support for Palestinian rights.

This comes at a time when Palestinians are suffering from a worsening humanitarian crisis, as Israel continues its genocidal operations in Gaza.

Since dawn on Saturday, the Israeli army has killed 47 Palestinians in scattered attacks on the Gaza Strip, coinciding with the detonation of residential buildings by explosive robots in the northern neighborhoods of Gaza City, while renewing its warning to Palestinians to evacuate the city and head to the southern part of the strip.

The Israeli attacks are concentrated in Gaza City, resulting in the deaths of at least 40 Palestinians. In the Al-Tuffah area east of the city, 9 Palestinians were killed due to an Israeli bombardment targeting the home of the 'Al-Jumla' family in Al-Shawa Square.

In the Al-Shati refugee camp west of the city, 5 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike that targeted the house of Majid, the brother of the director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, Mohammed Abu Salmiya. Near Al-Yarmouk Stadium in the center of the city, two Palestinian children were killed and others injured in an Israeli bombardment targeting Al-Mu'tasim School, which shelters displaced persons.

In the Al-Sabra neighborhood south of the city, a Palestinian woman was killed and others injured in an Israeli strike that targeted a civilian gathering near the Jordanian hospital at dawn. Near the Islamic University building in the southern part of the city, several children and women were injured due to an Israeli airstrike targeting a tent for displaced persons.

Additionally, 23 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli bombardment targeting various neighborhoods in the city, with no details available about them. The Civil Defense reported in a statement that several Palestinians were injured by Israeli gunfire randomly fired by army drones towards homes in the northern and southern parts of the city.

Furthermore, the Israeli army launched a series of violent and intensive airstrikes (fire belt) on the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood in the southwestern part of the city at night. In the northern part of the city, the Israeli army detonated several explosive vehicles 'robots' during the night in the area east of Sheikh Radwan and Al-Nafaq Street in its northern neighborhoods.

In the western part of the city, the Israeli army dropped leaflets in the sky over the Al-Shati camp, renewing its warning to Palestinians to evacuate and head to the southern areas. On Tuesday, the army announced that it had begun a 'wide ground operation' throughout Gaza City, involving regular and reserve forces from divisions 98, 162, and 36.

However, according to field evidence and local sources, no actual ground incursion was observed until Wednesday evening in the northern neighborhoods of the city. Thus, the Israeli army is present on the ground in several axes within Gaza City.

On August 8, the Israeli government approved a plan proposed by its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to gradually reoccupy the Gaza Strip entirely, starting with Gaza City, which is home to about one million Palestinians.

In the central part of the strip, Israeli attacks resulted in the deaths of at least two Palestinians. In the Al-Nuseirat camp, at least one Palestinian was killed and others injured in an Israeli strike targeting a civilian gathering on 20th Street.

In the southern part of the strip, Israeli attacks resulted in the deaths of at least 5 Palestinians. In the city of Rafah, one Palestinian was killed and 5 others waiting for aid were injured by Israeli gunfire near the distribution center to the north.

In Khan Younis, one Palestinian was killed in an Israeli strike near Abu Hamid Roundabout in the center of the city. Additionally, 3 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks on areas in the southern part of the strip, with no details available about them.

With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, resulting in 65,174 deaths and 166,071 injuries, most of whom are children and women, and a famine that has claimed the lives of 440 Palestinians, including 147 children.

This morning, Saturday, Israeli occupation forces closed the Dotan military checkpoint west of Jenin, preventing citizens from passing through it to and from the town of Bartaa.

The closure of the checkpoint has completely isolated the town of Bartaa and its approximately 8,000 residents from Jenin Governorate, as it is the only outlet connecting the town to the city and other towns in the governorate.

Six citizens were killed and others were injured today, Saturday, due to the occupation's shelling of two houses in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood and the Al-Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City, as well as those waiting for aid.

Medical sources reported that four citizens were killed and others were injured in an airstrike by the occupation on the home of the "Al-Jumla" family near the Al-Shawabkeh square in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood in northeastern Gaza City.

The sources added that a female citizen was martyred and others were injured in an attack by an occupation drone on the Al-Sabra neighborhood in southern Gaza City.

The Al-Awda Hospital reported the martyrdom of one citizen and injuries to others as a result of the Israeli occupation forces firing on those waiting for aid in the central Gaza Strip.

The Red Crescent Society stated that 14 citizens were injured by the occupation's fire in the vicinity of Al-Quds Hospital in Tal Al-Hawa in Gaza City.

The Israeli occupation army has continued since the early hours of this Saturday morning its bombardment and violent airstrikes on various areas of Gaza City, resulting in martyrs and injuries, including displaced persons and aid seekers.

The occupation army also announced the closure of Salah al-Din Street in the Gaza Strip to citizens forcibly displaced due to the ongoing shelling of Gaza City and northern Gaza, leaving them only with the coastal Al-Rasheed Street.

Sources in Gaza Strip hospitals confirmed the death of 17 citizens due to the fire of the occupation army since the dawn of this Saturday, including 14 in Gaza City.

The Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Lisbon will grant its full official recognition to the State of Palestine tomorrow, Sunday, September 21.

This announcement comes at a strategic time just before the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York, where about ten other countries are expected to take a similar step.

The Portuguese decision represents the culmination of previous positions in which Lisbon announced its intention to move forward on this path, in response to the concerning developments in the region and the escalating humanitarian crisis.

A newspaper reported that about 15 out of every 16 Palestinians killed by the Israeli army in the city of Gaza since March were civilians, based on data collected by an independent organization tracking armed conflicts.

The newspaper explained that this ratio reflects the unprecedented rise in the number of civilian casualties since the escalation of Israeli military action on March 18, where 12,622 Palestinians were martyred and around 54,000 were injured.

According to the organization, the Israeli occupation army carried out more than 3,500 airstrikes on the Gaza Strip during the past six months, resulting in the martyrdom of over 9,500 people, most of whom were civilians.

The Israeli army launched a campaign of incursions in various areas of the occupied West Bank early Saturday, which included the arrest of about 8 Palestinians and the detention of dozens more for field interrogation.

In the Jenin governorate in the northern West Bank, large Israeli forces stormed the town of Qabatiya, closed its main entrances, and conducted a raid on homes, detaining at least 30 Palestinians.

Local sources indicated that the Israeli army turned the home of the mayor of Ya'bad, Amjad Atatrah, into an interrogation center, where dozens were held and subjected to interrogation that included beating and abuse.

In the Qalqilya governorate in the northern West Bank, Israeli forces arrested 6 Palestinians from the village of Hajja.

In the Nablus governorate in the northern West Bank, Israeli forces stormed the Al-Ain refugee camp west of the city, raided several homes, and arrested Muhammad Al-Mabrouk and Ahmad Jibril before withdrawing.

In the Hebron governorate in the southern West Bank, Israeli forces stormed the town of Beit Ummar, where they detained dozens of young men and conducted field interrogations before releasing them.

Alongside the massacre in Gaza, the Israeli army intensified its operations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, while Israeli settlers escalated their attacks, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,042 Palestinians and the injury of about 10,160 others, in addition to the arrest of more than 19,000.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with American support, has been waging a war on the Gaza Strip, which international human rights organizations have described as "genocide."

The Israeli occupation army continued its bombardment and violent airstrikes on various areas of Gaza City from the early hours of Saturday, leaving martyrs and injured, including displaced persons and aid seekers.

A correspondent reported renewed Israeli airstrikes on the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood in the southwest of Gaza City at dawn. The occupation aircraft targeted homes and public facilities in the Tel al-Hawa and al-Sabra neighborhoods in southern Gaza City with incendiary belts, and detonated 10 explosive vehicles in the vicinity of the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood.

For its part, Al-Shifa Hospital reported the martyrdom of two children and injuries to others in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a school housing displaced persons in the center of Gaza City. An ambulance and emergency source also reported the martyrdom of a Palestinian woman and injuries to others in an attack by an Israeli drone on the al-Sabra neighborhood in southern Gaza City.

This comes as Palestinian sources stated that the occupation army fired at aid seekers near the Netzarim axis north of the al-Nuseirat camp in central Gaza Strip.

According to the same sources, Israeli artillery shelling targeted the northern part of the al-Bureij camp in central Gaza Strip. A correspondent also reported intense Israeli shelling and the detonation of explosive vehicles in the northwestern areas of Gaza City.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced the closure of Salah al-Din Street in the Gaza Strip, which it temporarily opened to facilitate the departure of those fleeing from the intensity of the Israeli bombardment on Gaza City and the northern sector.

The occupation army stated that from this moment on, movement southward would only be possible via al-Rashid Street, adding that it would continue to operate with unprecedented and intense force.

The residents of Gaza City and northern Gaza continue to flee southward due to the ongoing Israeli military operation, amid harsh humanitarian conditions and scarce means of transportation, as the occupation has destroyed thousands of vehicles during its war on Gaza.

On Tuesday, the Israeli army announced the start of its military operation to occupy Gaza City with the participation of two military divisions, with a third division expected to join them soon.

The army stated in a statement, "We have entered another phase of the Gideon Vehicles operation in the heart of Gaza City," adding that the goal of the operation in Gaza City is to destroy the infrastructure of Hamas until its defeat.

Military estimates indicate that there are thousands of Hamas fighters inside Gaza City, according to the army's statement.

Earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tweeted on the X platform that "Gaza is burning," and that the army "is striking with an iron fist at the infrastructure of terrorism," working to "create the conditions for the release of hostages and the defeat of Hamas," as he described it.

Humanitarianly, the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced yesterday, Friday, that the death toll from malnutrition resulting from the ongoing Israeli starvation policy since October 7, 2023, has risen to 440 Palestinians, including 147 children.

The ministry stated in a statement that it recorded 4 new deaths in the past 24 hours due to famine and malnutrition, raising the total number of deaths over the past two years to 440 Palestinians.

Since March 2, Israel has closed all crossings leading to Gaza, preventing any humanitarian aid, plunging the sector into famine despite the accumulation of relief trucks at its borders.

However, it allowed the entry of very limited amounts of aid less than two months ago, which do not meet the minimum needs of the starving population and do not end the famine, especially as most trucks have been looted by gangs that the Gaza government claims Israel protects.

Israeli occupation forces arrested three young men from Nablus Governorate early this Saturday morning.

Security sources reported that the occupation forces stormed the village of Surra, southwest of Nablus, and arrested the young man Moataz Ghanem after raiding his home.

In the same context, the occupation forces stormed the Al-Ain camp and arrested the two young men Muhammad Mabrouk and Khalil Jibril.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomed the decision of the Republic of Portugal to recognize the State of Palestine tomorrow, Sunday, considering it a courageous decision that aligns with international law and United Nations resolutions, and supports the efforts made to achieve peace and implement the two-state solution.

The Foreign Ministry stated in a statement issued today, Saturday, "We thank the countries that have announced their intention to recognize the State of Palestine," calling on countries that have not yet recognized it to take the initiative to recognize the State of Palestine in order to protect the two-state solution.

It also called for active engagement in international efforts to achieve an immediate cessation of the war, protect civilians, and open a political negotiation track to end the occupation and enable the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination.

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres affirmed his support for a two-state solution and the need for immediate measures to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

This came during his meeting with the Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming, where he noted that peace and security would be the main topics of discussion at the high-level United Nations meetings scheduled for next week.

Guterres called on world leaders to work towards changing the course and enhancing cooperation to face common challenges, emphasizing that the suffering in Gaza has reached an indescribable level of famine and the collapse of health services.

As the genocide war on the Gaza Strip enters its 715th day, the occupying army continues its large-scale military operations, leaving dozens of martyrs and wounded daily through a series of brutal massacres, causing an unprecedented humanitarian disaster by imposing a suffocating siege and a systematic starvation policy that has led to the official declaration of famine in the region.

The occupying army has intensified its air and artillery attacks on the city of Gaza, in preparation for an imminent ground operation aimed at fully occupying it, according to security officials in the occupying army. The airstrikes directly targeted gatherings of civilians, especially those waiting to receive the scarce humanitarian aid.

Medical sources in Gaza announced on Friday that the death toll from the ongoing aggression since October 7, 2023, has risen to 65,174 martyrs and 166,071 wounded, the vast majority of whom are children and women.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed the occupation army to demolish the city of Gaza 'from its roots.'

The newspaper stated in its editorial titled 'The Israeli Real Estate Spoils Include Erasing Gaza from the Face of the Earth' that hundreds of Israeli soldiers have been killed, along with tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians, in the context of what it described as plans to transform Gaza's lands into housing projects for Israeli police officers.

It indicated that this vision aligns with proposals from far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who called for the demolition of the Gaza Strip, and a broader plan revealed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, which involves turning Gaza into a 'real estate spoil,' noting that the latter spoke of ongoing negotiations on this matter with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Haaretz also pointed out that Netanyahu has not expressed any objection to Smotrich's statements so far, adding that there is a gap between the official government rhetoric about 'destroying Hamas' and 'recovering hostages,' and what it described as the colonial economic ambitions being discussed behind the scenes.

Haaretz emphasized that the Gaza Strip is Palestinian land inhabited by more than two million people, most of whom are refugees from 1948 and their descendants, warning that any plan to occupy the strip and ethnically cleanse it 'represents an international crime that has no place in the modern world.'

It concluded by stating that Netanyahu's repeated promises to eliminate Hamas are 'empty.'

Earlier, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned on Thursday the statements of far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who likened the Gaza Strip to a real estate investment project that could be shared with the United States, considering this a blatant acknowledgment of plans for extermination and mass displacement against the Palestinians.

The ministry affirmed that these statements represent a moral and political bankruptcy of the Israeli government and constitute a continuation of serious violations of international law and international legitimacy resolutions, warning of the dangers of continued international silence regarding the ongoing aggression against the strip.

Smotrich's statements came during a real estate conference in Tel Aviv, where he said that 'rebuilding the strip will become a profitable investment after we have already completed the demolition phase,' adding that the plan is 'on the desk of U.S. President Donald Trump,' and that he has begun negotiations with Washington on 'how to share the proportions on the ground.'

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, called on the international community not to "fear" the retaliatory reactions of the occupation, emphasizing that its policies continue to aim "to completely destroy Gaza and gradually annex the West Bank," regardless of any international steps.

In a statement to Agence France-Presse on Friday, Guterres's remarks came in response to reports indicating that the occupation threatened to annex the West Bank if Western countries proceeded with recognizing the State of Palestine next week in New York.

The Secretary-General described the situation in the Gaza Strip as "the worst level of death and destruction I have seen since I took office as Secretary-General, and perhaps in my life," noting that "the suffering of the Palestinian people is indescribable" amid famine, lack of effective healthcare, and massive displacement.

The Israeli occupation forces arrested and detained dozens of citizens this evening, Friday, during their incursion into the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron.

A reporter stated that the occupation forces stormed the Al-Zuhur neighborhood in Beit Ummar, raided several homes, searched them, and wreaked havoc on their contents, arresting and detaining dozens of citizens from the Abu Maria, Arar, Awad, Bahr, Zaqaqiq, and Muqbil families, near the so-called "Karmi Tsur" settlement built on the lands and properties of the citizens in Beit Ummar.

They are still being interrogated on-site, with their hands tied behind their backs.

The Civil Defense Authority in the Gaza Strip reported today, Friday, that nearly half a million Palestinians have been displaced from the city of Gaza and its surroundings towards the south of the strip, since the beginning of the military operation launched by the occupation army in the area at the end of August.

Media sources quoted the Director of Medical Supplies in the Civil Defense, Mohammed Al-Mughayer, stating that "the number of citizens who have been displaced from Gaza to the south has reached 450,000 since the start of the military operation on the city of Gaza last August."

These figures significantly intersect with estimates from the occupation army, which is intensifying its calls and notifications for the evacuation of the city of Gaza. In a statement, the occupation army estimated the number of Palestinians who have been displaced from the city since the end of August at "about 480,000."

This wave of mass displacement comes amid catastrophic humanitarian conditions, as the displaced are crowded into southern areas that are already suffering from immense pressure on basic resources and shelter, exacerbating the crisis in the besieged strip.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the United States is preparing to finalize a new arms deal with the Israeli occupation, valued at approximately $6 billion, at a time when criticism is increasing within Congress regarding the crimes committed against civilians in the Gaza Strip.

According to the newspaper, the deal includes a contract worth $3.8 billion to supply the occupation with 30 Apache AH-64 attack helicopters, which means nearly doubling the number of this model in the Israeli Air Force.

The administration of President Donald Trump is also seeking Congressional approval for an additional deal worth $1.9 billion, which includes supplying the Israeli army with 3,250 infantry assault vehicles.

Sources indicated that the delivery of this equipment could take between two to three years, according to documents reviewed by the newspaper.

The disclosure of these deals comes after the U.S. Senate voted on two resolutions presented by Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders, calling for a ban on arms sales to the Israeli occupation due to the large number of civilian casualties in Gaza.

However, the 100-member council blocked the resolutions by a majority of 73 votes to 24, and 70 to 27.

Nevertheless, the vote showed significantly more support than similar attempts in April of last year, when 82 and 83 senators opposed similar proposals.

The votes in favor of the resolutions came solely from the Democratic bloc, while all members of the Republican Party, to which Trump belongs, opposed them.

Sanders considered that the recent vote demonstrates a "significant shift," noting that images of famine and destruction in Gaza are beginning to create increasing divisions within Congress, which has traditionally been overwhelmingly supportive of the Israeli occupation from both parties.

The United States remains the largest military supplier to the Israeli occupation for decades.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Washington accounted for about 69% of the arms exports supplied to the occupation between 2019 and 2023, under a ten-year agreement aimed at maintaining what Tel Aviv calls its "qualitative military superiority" in the region.

These deals include bunker-busting bombs and missiles, in addition to high-explosive artillery shells.

Data from the U.S. Department of Defense shows that the United States has sold the occupation military equipment worth $63.3 billion from 1950 to 2024.

In the period between 2020 and 2024 alone, U.S. military sales and military funding for the Israeli occupation exceeded $12.7 billion, coinciding with the ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip.

Despite the rising international and domestic criticism of Israeli crimes in Gaza, Washington continues to supply the occupation with the latest weapon systems, solidifying its role as a primary source of support for a military arsenal used in a war described by human rights organizations as a campaign of genocide against the Palestinians.

The U.S. ambassador to the occupation, Mike Huckabee, revealed on Friday that the United States has held discussions with Gulf Arab countries about the possibility of temporarily managing the Gaza Strip after the war ends.

In a statement to the agency, Huckabee clarified that the talks addressed the idea of establishing a temporary governance system involving Gulf countries, with the possibility that the United States would play a supervisory role.

He emphasized that the matter is still in the "discussion only" phase, stating: "It has not been accepted by the U.S. administration, the occupation, or anyone else; I don't know if there is anything ready to be signed."

The "Hind Rajab" Human Rights Foundation filed a formal criminal complaint on Friday with the Public Prosecutor at the First Instance Court in Athens against Israeli soldier Naor Shlomo Dadon, a member of the 432nd Brigade of the Givati Brigade, accusing him of his role in committing war crimes and acts of genocide during the ongoing Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip.

The complaint, submitted by Greek human rights lawyer Evgenia Kouniki on behalf of the foundation, is based on an extensive 70-page investigative report documenting Dadon's presence in Gaza, his unit's direct role in the destruction of civilian infrastructure, and his public celebration of these acts on social media.

Naor Shlomo Dadon served in Gaza from August 2024 to at least August 2025 as part of the military campaign launched by the 432nd unit, which resulted in the destruction of entire neighborhoods in Rafah and Jabalia, the displacement of tens of thousands of civilians, as well as the destruction of schools, homes, and public infrastructure.

The evidence presented includes confirmation of his presence during the burning and demolition of civilian areas, his participation in the burning of Hamad bin Khalifa School, which was a refuge for the displaced - Instagram posts glorifying the destruction, including raising the Israeli flag on buildings belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, and photos of him grilling food in a besieged area suffering from famine.

These materials have been archived and verified using specialized forensic tools, and have now become part of the official complaint submitted to the Greek authorities.

Dadon is currently in the Zagora area of Magnesia, Greece, attending a retreat run by the Israeli organization "Rising Heroes," which offers programs to promote "psychological resilience" for former Israeli fighters.

The organization claims that these programs aim to help soldiers "process psychological trauma" and prepare to return to military service "stronger."

However, according to the "Hind Rajab" Foundation, this is not rehabilitation, but rather impunity disguised as welfare.

While the people of Gaza suffer from destruction and loss of loved ones, those involved in the crimes receive normal trips and psychological therapy sessions in the Greek mountain villages, which reinforces a culture of impunity and reintegrates these soldiers into military service as if their legal responsibility for genocide does not exist.

Diab Abu Jahjah, head of the Hind Rajab Foundation, stated: "There can be no safe haven in Europe for those who participated in the destruction of civilian populations. These so-called 'healing' resorts are not post-trauma support, but havens after atrocities."

The complaint urged the Greek authorities to exercise their universal jurisdiction, based on: (Article 8 of the Greek Penal Code and Article 28 of the Greek Constitution - Fourth Geneva Convention - Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court).

These laws stipulate that individuals suspected of committing serious violations of the Geneva Conventions must be investigated and prosecuted, regardless of their nationality, when they are present on Greek territory.

The complaint calls on the Greek authorities to open a criminal investigation regarding: (deliberate attacks against educational buildings without any military objective (Article 8(2)(b) of the Rome Statute), in addition to deliberate attacks on non-military civilian targets (Article 8(2)(b) of the Rome Statute).

Additionally, the widespread destruction of property without military justification and illegally (Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and Article 8(2)(a) of the Rome Statute, and attacks on cities, villages, and unfortified residences that are not military objectives (Article 8(2)(b) of the Rome Statute).

And imposing living conditions intended to destroy a people, which constitutes genocide (Article 6(c) of the Rome Statute).

Earlier this month, the "Hind Rajab" Foundation filed a similar complaint in Greece against soldier Yair Ohana, from the same 432nd unit, which was officially referred to the preliminary investigation department of the Corfu Primary Court.

Natasha Brak, head of the litigation department at the "Hind Rajab" Foundation, stated: "The Greek authorities' acknowledgment of jurisdiction in the Ohana case and the opening of the preliminary investigation was an important step. The same legal principles apply here. Greece must now demonstrate its commitment to opening an investigation into the case of Naor Shlomo Dadon and ensure that justice is pursued without exception."

The "Hind Rajab" Foundation is a non-governmental human rights organization based in Brussels, and is a branch of the "March 30 Movement," focusing on prosecut

Inside the morgue at "Nasser Hospital" in southern Gaza, the bodies of 4 fetuses and 3 premature infants who lost their lives on Monday were laid out, in a scene that reflects the tragedy of Palestinians due to the systematic Israeli starvation and the tightened blockade that has deprived these individuals and their mothers of access to food, medicine, and proper care.

This scene was described by a Palestinian medical official as a dangerous indicator of the increasing deaths from malnutrition and the rise in miscarriages among pregnant women due to Israeli starvation, despite international condemnation.

According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, thousands of Palestinians, including children, have been suffering from acute malnutrition since Israel tightened its blockade in March and closed the crossings, preventing the entry of food, medicine, and aid.

The Israeli army has killed 17 Palestinians, including 3 children, since dawn on Friday in attacks on the Gaza Strip, coinciding with the detonation of residential buildings using explosive robots in the north and south of Gaza City.

This comes as the genocide war waged by the Israeli army on the strip continues for nearly two years, along with its efforts to reoccupy Gaza City and displace Palestinians from it.

According to eyewitnesses and medical sources, the Israeli attacks targeted the tents of displaced persons, in addition to gatherings of citizens in several areas of the strip.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Friday that the international silence regarding the expiration of the legal deadline for implementing the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice concerning the end of the Israeli occupation amounts to 'complicity.'

The deadline set by the United Nations General Assembly for Israel to comply with the advisory opinion issued by the Court and to end its illegal presence as an occupying power in the Palestinian territories expired on September 18, 2024.

The ministry clarified that the deadline ended 'without any real and effective stance from the international system and the United Nations, especially the Security Council.'

The British newspaper Independent reported that the international arena is witnessing a backlash against Israel in light of the devastating war its army has been waging on the Gaza Strip since October 2023.

It added in a report that pressures have begun to extend beyond politics to reach sports and cultural arenas, noting that the Spanish cycling race "Vuelta" was disrupted due to protests against an Israeli team.

It further stated that fans in Poland booed when the Israeli anthem was played before a basketball game.

Several European countries have also threatened to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest scheduled for next May if Israel participates.

The Independent pointed out that Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez adopted a strong stance by calling for a sports boycott of Israel until its barbaric war in Gaza ends, which provoked an angry response from Israel, with its Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar describing the Spanish leader as "a liar and anti-Semitic."

The Spanish broadcasting authority joined three other European countries threatening to withdraw from the famous Eurovision song contest and not broadcast it next year if Israel is allowed to participate, according to the British newspaper's report.

Although Israel has not been excluded from major sports organizations like the International Olympic Committee or FIFA—unlike Russia after its invasion of Ukraine—the Independent confirmed the rising tone of protests against Israel.

It explained that several European sports federations expressed their discontent with facing Israeli teams, but they are compelled to adhere to international laws.

It noted that a British MP in Birmingham called, yesterday Thursday, on UEFA to "urgently cancel" a football match scheduled for November 6 in the Europa League between English team Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

According to the news report, European football stadiums have also become platforms for mass protests, with banners against the war in Gaza raised during major matches like the UEFA Champions League final, while a tennis match in Canada was held behind closed doors for security reasons.

Culturally, the newspaper mentioned that international artists and directors have joined the campaign to boycott Israeli festivals and film bodies.

Among the most notable historical examples of countries being excluded from sports participation, as mentioned by the Independent, is what happened to South Africa during the apartheid era; it did not participate in any Olympic Games after 1960 until the Barcelona Games in 1992, two years after the release of its late leader Nelson Mandela.

The other example cited by the newspaper was the rapid exclusion of Russia from most sports federations after its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, to the extent that its athletes had to compete in the Paris Olympics under a neutral flag.

While there are currently no indications that Israel will face the same fate, some analysts considered Spain's move significant, especially since it is a major football power that will participate in hosting the World Cup in 2030 alongside Morocco and Portugal, according to the newspaper.

The Global Resilience Fleet set sail today, Friday, from the shores of Sicily, heading towards the Gaza Strip to break the suffocating blockade imposed by Israel on the area.

The global fleet, which includes 48 ships from 3 countries, was completed with the joining of all Italian ships and those coming from Tunisia, gathering on the shores of the Italian island.

Fleet management member Tiago Avila stated that efforts are underway to reach Gaza as quickly as possible amid the "final stages of the Israeli extermination project" against the people of the Strip, represented by the recent attacks on the city of Gaza.

He noted that the fleet's progress had slowed in recent days due to several reasons, including weather conditions, some bureaucratic difficulties, and the repercussions of an attack (by a burning drone that hit the largest ship in the fleet in Tunisia last week).

Tiago emphasized that all obstacles have been addressed, and the mission continues until it achieves its goal of breaking the blockade on the Palestinian territory, no matter the cost.

A severe storm prevented the fleet from setting sail yesterday, leading to a change in the decision to launch collectively today, after it was initially planned for the larger ships to depart first.

The largest ship in the Resilience Fleet was targeted last week by a burning drone off the Tunisian coast, resulting in a fire onboard.

The fleet's departure towards Gaza to break the blockade has been postponed multiple times due to weather conditions, according to the organizers of this global campaign.

The Resilience Fleet is an international initiative aimed at breaking the Israeli maritime blockade and delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza using civilian boats, supported by delegations from 44 countries.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar accused the Palestinian Authority of not fighting what he termed "terrorism" in the West Bank, while Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called for dismantling the Authority and complete control over the occupied West Bank.

In a tweet on the X platform today, Friday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar stated that "the Palestinian Authority does not fight terrorism despite its commitments, and continues the policy of paying for killing."

Sa'ar considered this to "demonstrate the enormous danger of establishing a Palestinian state," and emphasized that Israel's lack of security control over the occupied West Bank "would put the entire State of Israel at risk."

In a separate tweet, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said that "the Palestinian Authority is a terrorist organization training for a new October 7 in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank)."

Ben Gvir added that the Authority "pays salaries to the murderers of Jews and incites in its media and educational institutions."

The extremist minister warned that failing to dismantle the Palestinian Authority "will make Israel wake up late, as happened in Gaza."

The statements of the two Israeli ministers coincide with the announcement by the Israeli occupation army of the arrest of a Palestinian cell in Ramallah early this Friday, which was preparing to launch rockets at settlements in the West Bank, according to the army's claims.

The Israeli army spokesperson stated today that the operation, carried out with the participation of the "Shabak" security agency and the special "Yamam" unit, resulted in the discovery of "dozens of rockets, explosive devices, and explosive materials," along with a lathe that was said to be designated for producing rockets.

In parallel with the ongoing extermination in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation army and settlers have escalated their assaults in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, resulting in the martyrdom of at least 1,042 Palestinians and the injury of about 10,160 others, in addition to the arrest of more than 19,000, according to the Palestinian Government Media Office.