The State Department fired its top press officer for Israeli-Palestinian affairs following multiple disputes over how to characterize key Trump administration policies, including a controversial plan to relocate hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip that critics consider ethnic cleansing, according to U.S. officials and documents reviewed by The Washington Post. Monday's firing occurred days after an internal debate about releasing a statement to the news media that said, "We do not support forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza."
Netanyahu argued that we have to contend with the campaign of vilification done by so-called reputable news media. He mentioned a New York Times story showcasing a Palestinian mother with a supposedly starved child, claiming the child had cerebral palsy, highlighting the media's misrepresentation of facts. "It takes time. People will see the humanitarian surge. People will see our efforts to prevent civilian casualties," he said, emphasizing that eventually, truth prevails.
After 658 days of the Israeli government's retaliation to Hamas's attack in October 2023, it feels like my heart has reached its capacity for stories of children in excruciating pain.
"The youth of Sebastia have learned to hide in their homes whenever Israeli soldiers approach the town. They try to get back before invading soldiers reach their street, knowing all too well the potentially grave consequences if they don't."
The UK's foreign secretary expressed horror at the targeting of starving Palestinians by the Israeli military, highlighting the need for humanitarian aid and potential sanctions.
Razek Hassan al-Shalabi, Mohammad's father, sat among the town's inhabitants and relatives who came to mourn the young men at the school. "In the morning he told me he wanted to get married," he told DW. "He talked about starting a family, and now we bury him."
Over almost two years of genocide, Gaza has descended into famine and near-famine conditions on a semiregular cycle: people starve to death; after sufficient international outcry, Israel allows food to trickle in; the situation abates a little, until aid is cut off again.
At least four Palestinians, including a teenager, have been killed in the occupied West Bank, where soldiers have been carrying out deadly raids for months and settlers have been violently rampaging.
On June 20, Israeli forces killed 23 Palestinians at an aid site, while activists from Palestine Action protested without violence, highlighting the disparity in governmental responses.