Israel/Palestine Thread

And on it goes, with things possibly getting a lot worse if the occupation goes ahead -

"At least 123 Palestinians, including 21 people seeking aid, have been killed and 437 others were injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza in the past 24 hour reporting period, according to the Health Ministry in the besieged territory.

In the same period, at least eight people, including three children, died from Israeli-imposed starvation and malnutrition, bringing the total number of hunger-related deaths since the war began in October, 2023 to 235, among them 106 children, the ministry said on Wednesday."

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/13/israeli-attacks-kill-123-in-gaza-as-three-more-children-die-of-hunger

Having been given the green light by the Israeli Security Cabinet, they are now "softening up" Gaza City for the final onslaught.

This has been the Israeli MO for decades.

Another tactic, and they've used it in the last two years, is to "up the ante" when there is a more pressing world wide news story.

Expect to see the numbers of Palestinian dead climb dramatically when Trump and Putin have their tête á tête on Friday. Nothing like using another story to bury bad news…

Holocaust was def invoked on 8th but could have been on the 7th:

Eylon Levy, an Israeli government spokesperson and former media advisor for the Israeli president, wrote on X (Twitter) on Oct. 8th, “It’s no exaggeration to say yesterday was the darkest day in Jewish history since the end of the Holocaust.”

Apparently they only suspended giving them weapons that could be used in Gaza. Whatever that means.

Fair bit of news from Haaretz this evening.

Israeli protests continue, a released hostage excoriates Netanyahu, 57 IDF soldiers have committed suicide, IDF chief of staff has been marked by alleged War Criminal #1 and New Zealand tells us what we already know - Netanyahu is off his trolley.

Thousands of Israelis protested across the country on Tuesday evening, calling for an end to the war in Gaza, the hostages' release and expressing outrage over the mishandling of humanitarian aid in the Strip. On Wednesday, dozens from the Jewish-Arab coexistence movement Standing Together demonstrated at Ben-Gurion Airport.

Released hostage Yocheved Lifshitz told Israel's public broadcaster that Netanyahu doesn't want to release the hostages and is more interested in occupying Gaza, adding that "a person who can sacrifice 50 people does not know what was in our past, or he is completely blind."

IDF soldiers wounded in combat and suffering from PTSD burst into a Knesset National Security Committee hearing Wednesday morning, blaming those present of discussing nonsense "while [soldier] suicides are rampant." One of the soldiers cited Haaretz's tally, according to which 45 soldiers on active duty have died by suicide since the beginning of the war, and at least 12 more did so after completing their service. "Our families are falling apart; no one has come to us," said another soldier.

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir told generals in the military's General Staff that he has been marked by Netanyahu and his family for opposing the government's plan to conquer Gaza, and that Netanyahu's circle is interested in ousting him, sources told Haaretz, adding that some of these conversations took place on Tuesday, after Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly opposed Zamir's preferred appointments for several senior military promotions. On Wednesday, Katz said that Zamir's conduct harms the IDF

New Zealand's PM Christopher Luxon said that Netanyahu has "lost the plot"regarding Gaza, telling reporters that the lack of humanitarian aid, the forceful displacement of people and the planned occupation of the Strip were "utterly appalling." Luxon's criticism comes as his center-right government weighs whether to join Australia in recognizing a Palestinian state in September.

Its time EUFA and FIFA banned Israel or opponents refuse to line out against them. We cannot normalise what Israel is doing.

Another piece - the "temporary" campaign and not wanting to take control of Gaza is likely a lie…

"Netanyahu is full of reassurances about the cautious, pragmatic but decisive nature of his government's plan for a major military expansion in Gaza, which the security cabinet approved last Friday morning at 5:30 a.m…

The problem is that Netanyahu is very likely lying.

When he communicates that this new plan is a temporary, limited operation after which Israel will end the war on its terms and retrieve all hostages, and that Israel doesn't want to occupy Gaza, just maintain overall security control and a military presence in a "perimeter" area, while giving civilian control to someone else – most of this is almost certainly wrong"

Dahlia Scheindlin

I think a ban would be nuts.

Let them come to Europe to play football. Let the teams protest like in the stadium tonight. Let the fans protest too. Let it be beamed live around the world. Beam a massive photo of that Palestinian footballer executed by the IDF. Same for the Olympics, Eurovision, world chess and whatever else you're having.

The reality will be that most Israelis would be so ashamed they just wouldn't turn up to any international event. And definitely, few if any international teams or individuals will be heading to Tel Aviv any time soon.

There was a fair protest at Eurovision - that was before the photos of evacuated starving babies were plastered everywhere. I doubt too many Eurovision fans would like to be associated with that.

I'd say a ban is unnecessary - Israelis will be shunned worldwide anyway. Let them do the "walk of shame".

Pariah State.

No, they need to be banned from all European competitions across all sport, music, whatever. Israel isn't even in Europe ffs.