SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
"Israel's far-right government carries out this mass slaughter of Palestinians secure in the knowledge that it will be supported and excused by the Biden administration," said one rights advocate.
The United Nations' top expert on human rights in Palestine condemned the Israeli military as it resorted to a familiar excuse for the killing of nearly 100 Palestinians on Saturday in an area that had been designated as a "humanitarian zone"—just the latest massacre of dozens of people whom the Israel Defense Forces dismissed as collateral damage in attacks they claimed were targeting Hamas.
"The justification is always the same: 'targeting Palestinian militants,'" said Francesca Albanese, U.N special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories. "When is the world going to stop this death machine?"
Albanese was referring this time to the bombardment of al-Mawasi, a coastal area west of Khan Younis where hundreds of thousands of Gaza residents have been sheltering after fleeing cities including Rafah.
Al Jazeera reporter Tareq Abu Azzoum described the attack as "a new massacre committed by the Israeli military," with "five bombs and five missiles" hitting the area where Palestinians have been sheltering in makeshift tents for months.
Gaza's Ministry of Health reported that at least 90 people had been killed in the attack, which the IDF claimed was based on "precise intelligence" and targeted Hamas commanders Mohammed Deif and Rafa Salama.
"We have seen time and time again attacks on areas where there are displaced Palestinians in the tens of thousands," reportedAl Jazeera's Hamdah Salhut. "This is a tactic that is commonly used by Israeli forces, saying civilians are being used as 'human shields' for Hamas figures, using that as justification for killing dozens of civilians."
The Washington Post reported that it was "unclear" whether Deif, who has survived multiple assassination attempts by Israel, was killed in the attack.
Paramedics and children were reportedly among nearly 300 people who were wounded, and an official at Nasser Hospital told Al Jazeera that the facility had no more capacity to treat wounded patients.
The British charity Medical Aid for Palestine reported that it was "forced to temporarily evacuate one of our medical points near the area, which is intended to provide primary healthcare services, due to the insecurity."
"MAP’s Mohammed Al Khatib in Khan Younis reports: 'Al-Mawasi is heavily crowded and has a big market where people move around to try and secure their basic needs,'" said the group. "We have been warning for months that there is no safe place for anyone in Gaza amid Israel's military bombardment."
"A number of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads, and ambulance and civil defense crews are unable to reach them," the Health Ministry told the Associated Press.
The AP assessed footage that showed a "huge crater" in the area where thousands of people had been ordered to evacuate to when the IDF began its full-scale assault on Rafah in May. Burnt-out cars, household belongings, and charred tents—like those seen in previous attacks on so-called "humanitarian zones" in al-Mawasi and Rafah—were left after the bombings.
Academic and writer Ori Goldberg said it was "impossible to exaggerate the level of criminality, immorality, and crass, murderous stupidity that come together in the massacre Israel carried out in al-Mawasi this morning."
"Israel used wildly disproportionate force [to] assassinate two people," said Goldberg. "Israel pushed the displaced Palestinians to Mawasi, defining it a 'safe zone.' Then, assuming it had a chance to assassinate Muhammad Deif, one of the most senior Hamas leaders supposedly hiding there, Israel bombed the 'safe zone.' Dozens were killed. The death of a single person does not legitimize the slaughter of dozens."
Goldberg noted that the massacre came shortly after U.S. President Joe Biden announced Hamas and Israel were inching closer to a truce, with both sides agreeing to a "framework" for a cease-fire.
"There is a hostage deal on the table. Deif's death will not bring about the collapse of Hamas; it will only make Hamas less willing to compromise," said Goldberg. "Israel forces 'evacuation,' Israel bombs, Israel knows, Israel attacks and kills, Israel sets conditions, Israel balks. Israel has run out of options. It knows only death."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said that as with previous attacks on designated safe zones, the IDF's massacre was made possible partially by the political and material support of the United States and other Western countries.
"Israel's far-right government carries out this mass slaughter of Palestinians secure in the knowledge that it will be supported and excused by the Biden administration and that American bombs and taxpayer funds will continue to flow," said Nihad Awad, national director of CAIR. "President Biden's continuing support for and silence about the genocide gives a green light for more Israeli abuses and war crimes. President Biden must stop enabling these daily massacres and end our nation's complicity in genocide."
Political revenge. Mass deportations. Project 2025. Unfathomable corruption. Attacks on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Pardons for insurrectionists. An all-out assault on democracy. Republicans in Congress are scrambling to give Trump broad new powers to strip the tax-exempt status of any nonprofit he doesn’t like by declaring it a “terrorist-supporting organization.” Trump has already begun filing lawsuits against news outlets that criticize him. At Common Dreams, we won’t back down, but we must get ready for whatever Trump and his thugs throw at us. Our Year-End campaign is our most important fundraiser of the year. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. By donating today, please help us fight the dangers of a second Trump presidency. |
The United Nations' top expert on human rights in Palestine condemned the Israeli military as it resorted to a familiar excuse for the killing of nearly 100 Palestinians on Saturday in an area that had been designated as a "humanitarian zone"—just the latest massacre of dozens of people whom the Israel Defense Forces dismissed as collateral damage in attacks they claimed were targeting Hamas.
"The justification is always the same: 'targeting Palestinian militants,'" said Francesca Albanese, U.N special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories. "When is the world going to stop this death machine?"
Albanese was referring this time to the bombardment of al-Mawasi, a coastal area west of Khan Younis where hundreds of thousands of Gaza residents have been sheltering after fleeing cities including Rafah.
Al Jazeera reporter Tareq Abu Azzoum described the attack as "a new massacre committed by the Israeli military," with "five bombs and five missiles" hitting the area where Palestinians have been sheltering in makeshift tents for months.
Gaza's Ministry of Health reported that at least 90 people had been killed in the attack, which the IDF claimed was based on "precise intelligence" and targeted Hamas commanders Mohammed Deif and Rafa Salama.
"We have seen time and time again attacks on areas where there are displaced Palestinians in the tens of thousands," reportedAl Jazeera's Hamdah Salhut. "This is a tactic that is commonly used by Israeli forces, saying civilians are being used as 'human shields' for Hamas figures, using that as justification for killing dozens of civilians."
The Washington Post reported that it was "unclear" whether Deif, who has survived multiple assassination attempts by Israel, was killed in the attack.
Paramedics and children were reportedly among nearly 300 people who were wounded, and an official at Nasser Hospital told Al Jazeera that the facility had no more capacity to treat wounded patients.
The British charity Medical Aid for Palestine reported that it was "forced to temporarily evacuate one of our medical points near the area, which is intended to provide primary healthcare services, due to the insecurity."
"MAP’s Mohammed Al Khatib in Khan Younis reports: 'Al-Mawasi is heavily crowded and has a big market where people move around to try and secure their basic needs,'" said the group. "We have been warning for months that there is no safe place for anyone in Gaza amid Israel's military bombardment."
"A number of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads, and ambulance and civil defense crews are unable to reach them," the Health Ministry told the Associated Press.
The AP assessed footage that showed a "huge crater" in the area where thousands of people had been ordered to evacuate to when the IDF began its full-scale assault on Rafah in May. Burnt-out cars, household belongings, and charred tents—like those seen in previous attacks on so-called "humanitarian zones" in al-Mawasi and Rafah—were left after the bombings.
Academic and writer Ori Goldberg said it was "impossible to exaggerate the level of criminality, immorality, and crass, murderous stupidity that come together in the massacre Israel carried out in al-Mawasi this morning."
"Israel used wildly disproportionate force [to] assassinate two people," said Goldberg. "Israel pushed the displaced Palestinians to Mawasi, defining it a 'safe zone.' Then, assuming it had a chance to assassinate Muhammad Deif, one of the most senior Hamas leaders supposedly hiding there, Israel bombed the 'safe zone.' Dozens were killed. The death of a single person does not legitimize the slaughter of dozens."
Goldberg noted that the massacre came shortly after U.S. President Joe Biden announced Hamas and Israel were inching closer to a truce, with both sides agreeing to a "framework" for a cease-fire.
"There is a hostage deal on the table. Deif's death will not bring about the collapse of Hamas; it will only make Hamas less willing to compromise," said Goldberg. "Israel forces 'evacuation,' Israel bombs, Israel knows, Israel attacks and kills, Israel sets conditions, Israel balks. Israel has run out of options. It knows only death."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said that as with previous attacks on designated safe zones, the IDF's massacre was made possible partially by the political and material support of the United States and other Western countries.
"Israel's far-right government carries out this mass slaughter of Palestinians secure in the knowledge that it will be supported and excused by the Biden administration and that American bombs and taxpayer funds will continue to flow," said Nihad Awad, national director of CAIR. "President Biden's continuing support for and silence about the genocide gives a green light for more Israeli abuses and war crimes. President Biden must stop enabling these daily massacres and end our nation's complicity in genocide."
The United Nations' top expert on human rights in Palestine condemned the Israeli military as it resorted to a familiar excuse for the killing of nearly 100 Palestinians on Saturday in an area that had been designated as a "humanitarian zone"—just the latest massacre of dozens of people whom the Israel Defense Forces dismissed as collateral damage in attacks they claimed were targeting Hamas.
"The justification is always the same: 'targeting Palestinian militants,'" said Francesca Albanese, U.N special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories. "When is the world going to stop this death machine?"
Albanese was referring this time to the bombardment of al-Mawasi, a coastal area west of Khan Younis where hundreds of thousands of Gaza residents have been sheltering after fleeing cities including Rafah.
Al Jazeera reporter Tareq Abu Azzoum described the attack as "a new massacre committed by the Israeli military," with "five bombs and five missiles" hitting the area where Palestinians have been sheltering in makeshift tents for months.
Gaza's Ministry of Health reported that at least 90 people had been killed in the attack, which the IDF claimed was based on "precise intelligence" and targeted Hamas commanders Mohammed Deif and Rafa Salama.
"We have seen time and time again attacks on areas where there are displaced Palestinians in the tens of thousands," reportedAl Jazeera's Hamdah Salhut. "This is a tactic that is commonly used by Israeli forces, saying civilians are being used as 'human shields' for Hamas figures, using that as justification for killing dozens of civilians."
The Washington Post reported that it was "unclear" whether Deif, who has survived multiple assassination attempts by Israel, was killed in the attack.
Paramedics and children were reportedly among nearly 300 people who were wounded, and an official at Nasser Hospital told Al Jazeera that the facility had no more capacity to treat wounded patients.
The British charity Medical Aid for Palestine reported that it was "forced to temporarily evacuate one of our medical points near the area, which is intended to provide primary healthcare services, due to the insecurity."
"MAP’s Mohammed Al Khatib in Khan Younis reports: 'Al-Mawasi is heavily crowded and has a big market where people move around to try and secure their basic needs,'" said the group. "We have been warning for months that there is no safe place for anyone in Gaza amid Israel's military bombardment."
"A number of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads, and ambulance and civil defense crews are unable to reach them," the Health Ministry told the Associated Press.
The AP assessed footage that showed a "huge crater" in the area where thousands of people had been ordered to evacuate to when the IDF began its full-scale assault on Rafah in May. Burnt-out cars, household belongings, and charred tents—like those seen in previous attacks on so-called "humanitarian zones" in al-Mawasi and Rafah—were left after the bombings.
Academic and writer Ori Goldberg said it was "impossible to exaggerate the level of criminality, immorality, and crass, murderous stupidity that come together in the massacre Israel carried out in al-Mawasi this morning."
"Israel used wildly disproportionate force [to] assassinate two people," said Goldberg. "Israel pushed the displaced Palestinians to Mawasi, defining it a 'safe zone.' Then, assuming it had a chance to assassinate Muhammad Deif, one of the most senior Hamas leaders supposedly hiding there, Israel bombed the 'safe zone.' Dozens were killed. The death of a single person does not legitimize the slaughter of dozens."
Goldberg noted that the massacre came shortly after U.S. President Joe Biden announced Hamas and Israel were inching closer to a truce, with both sides agreeing to a "framework" for a cease-fire.
"There is a hostage deal on the table. Deif's death will not bring about the collapse of Hamas; it will only make Hamas less willing to compromise," said Goldberg. "Israel forces 'evacuation,' Israel bombs, Israel knows, Israel attacks and kills, Israel sets conditions, Israel balks. Israel has run out of options. It knows only death."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said that as with previous attacks on designated safe zones, the IDF's massacre was made possible partially by the political and material support of the United States and other Western countries.
"Israel's far-right government carries out this mass slaughter of Palestinians secure in the knowledge that it will be supported and excused by the Biden administration and that American bombs and taxpayer funds will continue to flow," said Nihad Awad, national director of CAIR. "President Biden's continuing support for and silence about the genocide gives a green light for more Israeli abuses and war crimes. President Biden must stop enabling these daily massacres and end our nation's complicity in genocide."
"This unacceptable event is just the latest example of the complex and dangerous working environment that WFP and other agencies are operating in today," said the United Nations agency.
The United Nations World Food Program said Monday that Israeli forces opened fire on one of the organization's aid convoys at a checkpoint in central Gaza over the weekend, an attack that the organization condemned as "horrifying."
"This unacceptable event is just the latest example of the complex and dangerous working environment that WFP and other agencies are operating in today," the organization said in a statement, noting that the convoy was "clearly marked" and that it had "received all of the necessary clearances from Israeli authorities" prior to Sunday's attack.
"Security conditions in Gaza must urgently improve for lifesaving humanitarian assistance to continue," WFP said, urging "all parties to respect international humanitarian law, protect civilian lives, and allow safe passage for humanitarian aid."
At least 16 bullets struck the WFP convoy on Sunday, but none of the eight staffers traveling in the three vehicles that came under Israeli attack on Sunday were killed or wounded, WFP said.
It was nonetheless a "terrifying encounter" that underscored the dangers facing aid workers attempting to deliver food and other necessities to starving and desperate people across the Gaza Strip.
Last year was the deadliest on record for aid workers around the world, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, with Israeli attacks in Gaza fueling a surge in killings.
Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), said in an October speech to the U.N. Security Council that Gaza is "the most dangerous place in the world for aid workers."
Sunday wasn't the first time Israeli forces have fired on a WFP convoy in Gaza during their 15-month assault on the Palestinian enclave. Last August, the WFP was forced to temporarily halt employee movements in Gaza after Israeli soldiers fired on one of the U.N. agency's vehicles.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, said Monday that WFP is "trying to get the answers" from Israeli forces on why they once again fired on an aid convoy, an attack that came as a new round of cease-fire talks began in Doha, brokered by Qatar and Egypt.
"I don't think there's an explanation for shooting at a clearly marked convoy from the World Food Program, whose movements had been completely coordinated with the Israeli security forces," said Dujarric.
"Conservatives are jumping at the opportunity to take from you and give more to CEOs," said the head of Canada's social democratic political party. "You will pay the price of Poilievre's cuts."
After nearly a decade leading the Canadian government, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday that he will resign after his center-right Liberal Party selects a new leader—acquiescing to calls that he should make way for new leadership ahead of a federal election later this year.
Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Trudeau said "I care deeply about this country and I will always be motivated by what is in the best interests of Canadians. And the fact is, despite best efforts to work through it, parliament has been paralyzed for months after what has been the longest session of a minority parliament in Canadian history." He also added that the country's parliament will be suspended until the end of March while a new leader is chosen.
Trudeau's announcement comes as he faces declining public opinion polling, President-elect Donald Trump's threat of 25% tariffs on Canadian imports, and the departure of the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland less than a month ago.
In her strongly worded resignation letter in December, Freeland wrote that Trudeau had told her he no longer wanted her to serve as finance minister and that she and Trudeau had found themselves "at odds" over the best way forward for Canada.
"The incoming administration in the United States is pursuing a policy of aggressive economic nationalism, including a threat of 25% tariffs. We need to take that threat extremely serious. That means keeping our fiscal powder dry today," Freeland wrote. She also warned against "costly political gimmicks" that the country could "ill afford."
Freeland and Trudeau were reportedly in disagreement over some of the prime minister's proposed policies to tackle the country's cost-of-living crisis. The resignation was followed by calls from across the political spectrum for Trudeau to resign.
That is not the first time Trudeau has faced significant calls to step down in the past 6 months. In October, at a closed-door caucus meeting, Liberal Party members urged him to resign to avoid diminishing the party's chances in the next election.
Jagmeet Singh, the head of Canada's New Democratic Party—a social democratic political party that is to the left of the Liberals—reacted to Trudeau's resignation, writing "Justin Trudeau has let you down, over and over. He let you down on the cost of groceries. He let you down on fixing health care. It doesn't matter who leads the Liberals. They don't deserve another chance."
"Conservatives are jumping at the opportunity to take from you and give more to CEOs," he continued. "You will pay the price of [Conservative Party leader Pierre] Poilievre's cuts."
Polling shows that Poilievre, who has aligned himself with U.S. President-elect's far-right brand of politics, would likely win a majority government elections were held today.
MP Niki Ashton, an NDP lawmaker representing parts of Manitoba, also didn't mourn Trudeau's exit but warned about a Conservative government and the "anti-worker" agenda of Poilievre.
"Trudeau is finished," Ashton said, describing the Liberal leader as one "who only helped people when forced to by the NDP."
"But we know, Poilievre will be a disaster," she added. "We can't let that happen."
With Trudeau out, the Liberal Party must now select an interim leader, followed by.a leadership race to find a permanent replacement, which is expected to feature Freeland. A federal election must be held by October 20, 2025, but could be held sooner if a snap election is called.
Trump reacted to the news of Trudeau's resignation on Truth Social by saying that if Canada merged with the United States then the country would be free from tariffs, taxes would decrease, and it would be secure from what he claimed were threats from China and Russia. "Together, what a great Nation it would be!!!" he wrote.
The nation's oldest learned society noted Israel's 15-month onslaught has "effectively obliterated" Gaza's education infrastructure and called for its rebuilding and a permanent cease-fire.
Members of the American Historical Association, the nation's oldest learned society, voted 428-88 Sunday for a resolution condemning scholasticide in Gaza, where Israel's 15-month U.S.-backed onslaught has killed or wounded tens of thousands of Palestinian students and academics and destroyed the embattled enclave's educational infrastructure.
The resolution—which must be approved by the AHA's elected council—states that "beyond causing massive death and injury to Palestinian civilians and the collapse of basic life structures," the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) assault—which is enabled by tens of billions of dollars in U.S. military aid—"has effectively obliterated Gaza's education system."
"We just won a very basic resolution to oppose scholasticide and 15 months of genocide at the American Historical Association," University of California, Santa Barbara professor and Journal of Palestine Studies editor Sherene Seikaly said following the vote in New York City.
"We won it in a landslide," Seikaly added. "And this moment makes me feel like, despite the fact that every single day for the last 15 months I have watched the obliteration of my people, the future is still ours."
Today, a resolution passed at the American Historical Association, by a margin of 428 to 88, condemning the Israeli scholasticide in Gaza. Here are my remarks for “The Palestine Exception: War, Protest, and Free Speech panel.” open.substack.com/pub/jehadabu...
[image or embed]
— Jehad Abusalim (@jehadabusalim.bsky.social) January 5, 2025 at 8:16 PM
The measure notes that United Nations experts last April expressed their "grave concern over the pattern of attacks on schools, universities, teachers, and students in the Gaza Strip," and their "serious alarm over the systemic destruction of the Palestinian education system."
"With more than 80% of schools in Gaza damaged or destroyed, it may be reasonable to ask if there is an intentional effort to comprehensively destroy the Palestinian education system, an action known as 'scholasticide,'" the U.N. experts said at the time, defining the term as the "systemic obliteration of education through the arrest, detention, or killing of teachers, students, and staff, and the destruction of educational infrastructure."
The resolution notes:
"Therefore, be it resolved that the AHA, which supports the right of all peoples to freely teach and learn about their past, condemns the Israeli violence in Gaza that undermines that right," the measure states. "Be it further resolved that the AHA calls for a permanent cease-fire to halt the scholasticide documented above. Finally, be it resolved that the AHA form a committee to assist in rebuilding Gaza's educational infrastructure."
As Inside Higher Ed reported Sunday:
The resolution passed after a boisterous, hourlong, standing-room-only meeting in a hotel ballroom that was so full some attendees couldn't fit inside. Before members voted, they heard a structured debate on the resolution that included five people speaking for the resolution and five people against it. Throughout, there was raucous applause, cheers, and standing ovations for the speakers who advocated for the resolution and more muted claps for opponents.
According to data released by the Gaza Ministry of Education on December 31, at least 12,943 Palestinian students have been killed and 21,681 others wounded by Israeli forces since they launched their response to the devastating Hamas-led attack on Israel. The ministry also said that 630 educators and administrative staff have been killed and 3,865 others injured during that same period.
Overall, the Gaza Health Ministry says Israel's 458-day war on Gaza—which is the subject of an International Court of Justice genocide case—has left at least 165,000 Palestinians dead, maimed, or missing in the coastal enclave and millions more forcibly displaced, starved, or sickened.
In an interview with Democracy Now!, Seikaly said: "I really have to give credit where it's due, which is to the Historians for Peace and Democracy, which is a group that actually began in 2003 under the name of Historians Against the War... They were really the spearheads and leaders of this resolution."
The American Historical Association overwhelmingly approved a resolution at its annual meeting on Sunday to oppose "scholasticide" in Gaza, condemning Israel's systematic targeting and destruction of the Palestinian education system and Palestinian educators. pic.twitter.com/4uEb7RbwKD
— Democracy Now! (@democracynow) January 6, 2025
"This genocide is really attempting to destroy our capacity to narrate our past and to imagine our future," Seikaly added. "And to be able to articulate a principled but really not that radical of a resolution opposing this, with such a landslide of support, was a turning point for the American Historical Association and, I believe, for the field in this country."
Addressing opposition to the resolution by New School professor Natalia Petrzela—who objected to the lack of mention of the October 7 attack or the hundreds of Israelis and others taken hostage by Hamas and other Palestinian militants—Seikaly told Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman that Petrzela was engaging in "bothsidesism."
"We got this from more than one of the opposing figures, attempting to equate the last 15 months with the incidents of October 7," she said. "And to me, that is really a very clear position of valuing certain lives over others. And this is the kind of hiding of the truth that we have seen."
"We know that today in the Gaza Strip, when there are rumors of humanitarian convoys coming, Israeli soldiers bulldoze corpses to hide the evidence of decomposing bodies," Seikaly added. "And it isn't just these soldiers who are trying to hide the truth. This is also happening in mainstream media, in the courts, as well as in our universities. And I think this equating is really trying to mask that truth that can no longer hide under the rubble."