The Belarusian president stressed that military personnel were undergoing routine daily training | On March 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that at Minsk’s request, Moscow would deploy its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, in a move similar to what the United States had long been doing on the territory of its allies. Moscow has already provided Minsk with Iskander tactical missile systems capable of carrying nuclear weapons and has helped Minsk to re-equip its planes to carry specialized warheads. Belarusian missile force crews and air pilots have been trained on the territory of Russia.

■ Lukashenko ridicules Borrell’s call to get ready for 'prolonged conflict' with Russia (TASS)

Top WEF Advisor Yuval Noah Harari Says The Bible Should Be ‘Rewritten’ With AI And Create A ‘New Bible’ | 💬 “In a few years, there might be religions that are actually correct … just think about a religion whose holy book is written by an AI. That could be a reality in a few years.” Yuval Noah Harari, a top speaker and advisor at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and professor at Hebrew University in Israel, recently spoke at a forum in Portugal where he says that artificial intelligence can and should be used to correct the Bible, and even went as far as to say that a brand “new bible” should be created by AI. During his talk titled “Humanity is not that simple,” published on his YouTube channel, the philosopher told host Pedro Pinto that using AI to replace scriptures will create unified “religions that are actually correct.”

"I shall not be there. I shall rise and pass. Bury my heart at Wounded Knee." (Stephen Vincent Benét)

Declan Hayes | [...] | And then there is Julian Assange. Remember him, that random Australian dude MI6 still has banged up in Belmarsh Prison because he was shocked into action, as we all should be, by America’s war crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan and far too many other places to adumbrate here.

Julian Assange should be spending Christmas at home with his wife and children, waiting for Santa to climb down their chimney (whatever!), scarpering back up it and letting Julian settle in to read, for the time of year that is in it, Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee (download the book here), which deals not only with the American Army’s December 29 1890 slaughter of the Lakota Indians but with many of the other Yankee campaigns of genocide against their own indigenous populations that preceded that notorious war crime.

Not that Yankee war crimes or their mutilation of the dead stopped there; because war crimes are what they do, there will be no tears shed within the Beltway for today’s Palestinian Baby Jesuses and Virgin Marys, who don’t even have a donkey’s stable to rest in, nor a Julian Assange-style journalist without an Israeli bullseye on his back to tell their tale. Even British MP Layla Moran, whose relatives are Gazan Catholics, is completely powerless to save their lives. As Finian Cunningham recently wrote about the Israelis mowing down their own, why not? Why not, in the words of Dostoevsky (sorry Russophobes), commit horrible crimes when there is no punishment, no moral compass to guide them?

■ Julian Assange: "Truth ultimately is all we have." (Links on this blog)

Referring to the declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine drawn up by the EU, the politician stated that the document was "a useless scrap of paper" with no added value | Moscow will without fail carry out a strike against foreign military bases in Ukraine should any be established in the country, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said on Telegram. ● Referring to the declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine drawn up by the EU, he stated that the document was "a useless scrap of paper" with no added value. However, it provided Kiev with the opportunity to make separate agreements with individual countries on weapons supplies, troop training, funding for military programs and many other things, up to and including the establishment of military bases on Ukrainian soil. 💬 "This is the game plan: We won’t let you join NATO as we don’t want a war with Russia, but there are no holds barred when it comes to relations with individual [NATO member countries]. In fact, the question now is how they will interpret Article 5 of the Washington Treaty. In other words, when Russia [eventually] carries out a strike on such a base (which is inevitable given that troops stationed at such a base will have been deployed there specifically to fight against us), will the allies [acting together] then be prepared to give a collective response to our country for the destruction of a base set up by [an individual] NATO member state?" the politician asked rhetorically.

■ Это Декларация ЕС по гарантиям безопасности для Украины (Дмитрий Медведев) (Dmitry Medvedev)
■ Security guarantees for Kiev are ‘scrap of paper’ – ex-Russian president

The use of techniques applied during the Maidan coup in Ukraine was “obvious,” according to the Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman | Attempts by protestors to storm the Belgrade city administration building on Sunday were part of a plot by Western countries to overthrow the Serbian government, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said. ● Thousands of pro-Western demonstrators attempted to break into government buildings in the capital on Sunday evening following the victory of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) over the pro-EU Serbia Against Violence (SPN) coalition in parliamentary elections. ● Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has labeled the protests an attempted color revolution – a term used to describe movements funded and organized by Western countries, usually the US, aimed at toppling world leaders opposed to Washington’s interests. [...] The spokeswoman stated that “the only possible reaction” to the weekend’s election results was strict adherence to the letter and spirit of Serbia’s constitution and respect for the choice of its people.

■ Serbia thanks Russia for ‘color revolution’ warning (RT.com)

Irish lawmaker Clare Daly says Ursula von der Leyen bears responsibility for Israel’s actions in Gaza | Irish MEP Clare Daly has called European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen “Frau Genocide” over the EU’s stance on Israel’s military operation in Gaza. She went on to claim that contrary to its professed adherence to democracy, the bloc tramples on the will of the people when it runs counter to its own agenda. ● Daly, a left-wing politician representing Ireland’s Independents 4 Change political party, said from the European Parliament podium on Sunday that von der Leyen was “elevated to power without a single vote from the citizens.” She went on to accuse the EU Commission president of 💬 “swooping in and overriding the foreign policies of elected governments” in recent months, while cheerleading a “brutal apartheid regime that she calls a ‘vibrant democracy.’” The lawmaker concluded: “With defenders of democracy like that, I think I speak for many, many citizens of Europe, when I say: ‘Nein, danke! No, thanks, Frau Genocide!’”

How and Why The Translators Have Deceived the Whole World by Deliberately Changing the Truth of the Bible. Find the answers to the questions that every Christian should be asking! ■ "Who Rewrote the Bible?" by Dr. Lorraine Day (Book)

In a major setback to a US-led maritime task force in the Red Sea to protect passage of Israeli-owned and Israel-bound merchant vessels, France, Spain, and Italy have officially withdrawn their participation from the alliance. | The three nations have explicitly stated their commitment to operating exclusively under the command of international bodies such as the United Nations, NATO, or the European Union, choosing not to align with the United States. The French Defense Ministry announced in a statement that it supported efforts to secure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and surrounding area and said it already operated in the region. ● However, it said its ships would stay under French command and did not say if it would deploy more naval forces. Italy’s Defense Ministry also said it would send naval frigate Virginio Fasan to the Red Sea to protect its national interests in response to specific requests made by Italian ship owners. It said this was part of its existing operations, and was not part of the US-led naval coalition in the waterway.

■ Yemen: Anti- ‘Israel’ Ops to Intensify if ‘Israel’ Doesn’t End Aggression on Gaza (Alahed News)
■ The US and Israel face a powerful new enemy in the Middle East (Robert Inlakesh) (RT.com)
■ Russian Identification of Houthi Tanker Target in Indian Ocean (John Helmer)

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has called for an international investigation into summary executions carried out by Israeli forces during the regime's ongoing genocidal war against the besieged Gaza Strip. | In a statement on Saturday, the movement said it has gathered testimonies proving that "the Israeli army [has] carried out the summary execution of 137 Palestinian civilians" in the northern Gaza Strip, including in Gaza City, since October 7, when the regime began its brutal attacks on the territory.

■ “Israel” Martyrs Hundreds in Gaza (Alahed News)
■ Over 20,400 martyrs in Gaza; IOF commit 5 massacres in Deir al-Balah (Al Mayadeen)
■ IRAN: US, Israel must stand trial for crimes against humanity in Gaza
■ UN Report Says Over 570,000 People Are Starving in Gaza (12/22/23)
■ Washington Post Maps Israel's Destruction of Gaza (Information Liberation)

Russia says it may decide to cut diplomatic relations with the United States “completely” if Washington confiscates the billions of dollars’ worth of Russian foreign assets held in US financial institutions to assist Ukraine in the war. | Washington’s political leadership “must not act under an illusion... that Russia is clinging with both hands to diplomatic relations with that country,” the Interfax news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Friday. ● Ryabkov said Moscow would not be the one to initiate a complete breakdown in diplomatic ties, but this could happen for a number of reasons, including, “asset confiscation, further military escalation, many other things. I would not go into negative forecasts here.” The Russian diplomat said Moscow was “ready for any scenario.”

Overall characterization of what is going on: the federal and most of the state governments are gone and captured. Whatever is running the federal gov agencies (e.g. HHS) really intends to kill you, or at least substantially injure you, damage your reproductive capacity and repossess your assets in the process. The aim is to reduce the population and terrorize the survivors enough to establish a totalitarian control over much of the world’s territory. Nobody is coming to save you, your survival and that of your children is in your hands only. Do not comply. ■ American Domestic Bioterrorism Program (Katherine Watt)

What does it mean that Israel is pulling out Golani units from Gaza? | Just one day after an announcement by the Israeli army alleging that it has achieved ‘operational control’ in the Shejaiya neighborhood in Gaza, the army declared on Thursday that it is pulling the Golani Brigade out from the Gaza Strip. Are these two events linked? Yes. Israel announced that it had achieved some kind of control over Shejaiya to reduce the shock of the news that its most elite fighting force had essentially been defeated, forcing it to an early retreat. ● What is the Golani Brigade? Military expert Maj. Gen. Fayez Duwairi told Al-Jazeera that the Golani Brigade is one of Israel’s military most special forces, consisting of eight battalions – four tank battalions, two infantry battalions, one paratrooper battalion, one artillery battalion, in addition to supply and maintenance operations. ● In 2014, the Golani suffered heavy losses in Shejaiya neighborhood. The current battle for Shejaiya was meant as sending a strong message that the Golani has managed to overcome the Shejaiya hurdle. The outcome, however, was the exact opposite, as the Golani has lost dozens of its top fighters and officers forcing the retreat announced on Thursday. But what is the condition of Palestinian Resistance? A few hours before the Israeli military announcement, military spokesman for Al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Obeida, announced in a statement that Palestinian Resistance has managed to inflict heavy losses on the Israeli army in Gaza in recent days. He also said that the Palestinian Resistance has destroyed fully or partially 720 Israeli military vehicles, and that the morale of the Resistance is higher than before.

■ “Israel” Pulls Golani out of Gaza Quagmire (Alahed News)
■ Hamas' Abu Obaida Reveals Series Of Setbacks For IDF; '25 Israeli Soldiers Eliminated...' (Hindustan Times) (VIDEO)

Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war | One in four Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip — over 570,000 people — are starving due to the Israeli siege, according to a report using data from the UN and other aid agencies that was released Thursday. ● The report, published by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), said the Israeli onslaught in Gaza has “caused catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity across the Gaza Strip.” ● The IPC has a five-phase scale for malnutrition, and the report estimates the entire population of Gaza is facing Phase 3 or higher. Phase 3 is defined as: “Households either have food consumption gaps that are reflected by high or above-usual acute malnutrition; or are marginally able to meet minimum food needs but only by depleting essential livelihood assets or through crisis-coping strategies.” ● One in four households in Gaza is in Phase 5, which means catastrophic famine-like conditions. Phase 5 is defined as: “Households have an extreme lack of food and/or other basic needs even after full employment of coping strategies. Starvation, death, destitution, and extremely critical acute malnutrition levels are evident. For famine classification, the area needs to have extreme critical levels of acute malnutrition and mortality.”

■ Not Seen Since Vietnam: “Israel” Dropped Hundreds of 2,000-Pound Bombs on Gaza (Alahed News)
■ Mostly Children, Israeli Missiles Kill More Than 200 In Gaza At Dawn (IMEMC)
■ Israeli troops 'summarily kill' unarmed Palestinian men: UN (The Cradle)
■ UN warns of famine risk, death toll surpasses 20,000 (The New Arab)

Children of Gaza are dying
■ The Little Drummer Boy (Wikipedia)

“We will annihilate everyone” in Gaza
■ The Expression of Hatred for Gentiles (Richard Edmondson/Nahida Izzat) (10/04/14)
■ APPLICATION INSTITUTING PROCEEDINGS (.pdf)(84 pages) Press Release (.pdf)

Dmitry Polyansky added that "existing difficulties persist and are worsening" in Syria, including terrorist activity, clashes between Kurds and pro-Turkish militias, and instability in the south of the country | Dmitry Polyansky, Russia’s first deputy envoy to the UN, cautioned against allowing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to spill over to Syria. 💬 "The escalation in the zone of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which is unprecedented by the number of casualties, is provoking additional tension in our friendly nation of Syria. Against the background of Israel's bloody operation in the Gaza Strip and incessant raids in the West Bank, there has been a noticeable surge in activity of various forces and formations across the region," the diplomat said at a meeting of the UN Security Council. "The ever more frequent Israeli air raids on Syrian sites <...> as well as the intensifying exchanges of strikes across the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel risk dragging Syria into a full-scale regional confrontation. There can’t be allowed to happen by any means."

The Catholic Relief Services had sent the coordinates of several sites in Gaza to Senate staffers, in an attempt to prevent Israeli strikes on internationally protected sites in the Strip. | The Israeli military used the locations of a catholic church and a convent in Gaza, which it had obtained from US congressional staff, to later target them with airstrikes and sniper fire, Politico reported citing a series of emails from October. ● In an attempt to prevent Israeli strikes on religious sites in Gaza, one of the largest Christian aid organizations there, Catholic Relief Services, passed on the coordinates of several sites in the Strip to Senate staffers, who in turn sent them to Israeli authorities, the report, published on Thursday, highlighted. ● According to Politico, the move by the aid organization came in line with attempts to gain a commitment from Israeli authorities not to target at least four buildings in Gaza, including the two that were later struck by the Israeli forces.

Washington is reportedly pressing its partners for a strategy before the second anniversary of the start of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev | The White House has started urgent discussions with its allies on seizing "frozen" [i.e. stolen] Russian assets and using them to help Ukraine, the New York Times reported on Thursday, citing sources. Western nations are currently struggling to greenlight new aid packages for Kiev. ● The administration of US President Joe Biden “is quietly signaling new support” for the requisition of over $300 billion in Russian foreign exchange reserves that were blocked by Western nations after the start of the Ukraine conflict, according to unnamed American and European officials interviewed by the newspaper. ● Some US officials have expressed concerns that such a drastic move would undermine the country’s credibility as a major financial hub. However, the Biden administration, in coordination with the G7, is now “taking another look” at whether it could sidestep Congressional approval to use the funds, the NYT reported. ● Moscow has repeatedly denounced the freezing of its funds abroad, warning that any seizure would be “illegal” and in violation of “all possible rules.”

■ Kremlin Warns of Consequences Over West's Scheme to Use Frozen Russian Assets For Kiev Aid
■ Washington is advising the EU on how to find a legal loophole to steal Russian assets (RT.com)

Officers interrogated Kit Klarenberg for five hours about his political views and reporting | Journalist Kit Klarenberg, a UK citizen, was detained by British authorities and grilled on his political reporting and alleged ties with Russia, Grayzone reported on Wednesday. ● Klarenberg, who has written for numerous outlets including RT, and is known for his exposes of dark British and US intelligence service secrets, often using leaked or unclassified documents, was reportedly approached by six plain-clothes counter-terror officers immediately after his plane touched down in London’s Luton airport earlier this month. He was traveling from Belgrade, Serbia, where he currently resides. ● Grayzone reports that the journalist was then escorted to a room where police confiscated all his electronic devices, bank cards, camera memory cards and sims, took his fingerprints and DNA, took photographs and subjected him to a five-hour long interrogation, threatening arrest if he refused to cooperate.

Spain has blocked the European Union's participation in the US-led operation in the Red Sea aimed at protecting commercial vessels from Yemeni Houthis, Spanish newspaper El Confidencial reported. | Spain vetoed the EU's participation in the Operation Prosperity Guardian despite the government's advocating for whole Europe to join the mission several hours before, the newspaper reported. Spain has not explained the u-turn on the policy to the partners, the newspaper reported on Thursday. ● On Monday, the US launched an international operation aimed at protecting commercial ships in the Red Sea from the attacks of Yemen's Ansar Allah rebel movement, also known as the Houthis. On Thursday, Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said that more than 20 countries had so far signed on to participate in the coalition.

■ Spain blocks EU participation in US operation in Red Sea (TASS)

Israeli officials insist civilian deaths "are part of" destroying Hamas [???] After 10 weeks of Israeli military operations in Gaza, authorities have counted 20,000 dead Palestinians. An overwhelming number of the dead are innocent civilians with no ties to Hamas. An aid group warns the actual death toll is probably greater since thousands of missing Gazans remain buried under rubble. Israeli officials say civilian deaths are viewed as part of eliminating Hamas. 💬 “As the official death toll in Gaza passes 20,000, Islamic Relief is warning that the actual toll is likely to be even higher – as thousands of people are still missing and buried under the rubble and young children are increasingly suffering severe hunger and disease,” a press release from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. “To see 20,000 people killed in such a short space of time is a stain on the world’s conscience.” According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, the dead include 8,000 children and 6,200 women. At least an additional 50,000 are injured.

■ Israeli journalist says army should have killed 100,000 Palestinians (MEE)
■ Israel bulldozes, 'buries alive' dozens at Gaza's Kamal Adwan Hospital (The New Arab)
■ 40 Killed in “Israeli” Strikes on Rafah, Jabalia As Gaza Death Toll Nears 20k (Alahed News)
■ Israeli forces execute 15 Palestinians in Gaza City home: Sources (Al Mayadeen)
■ Bodies of 17 Palestinian detainees held by IOF: PPS (Al Mayadeen)

■ 'Israel' using starvation of civilians as warfare method in Gaza: HRW (Al Mayadeen)
■ West Bank: “Israel” Kills Four Palestinians Including Two Teenagers (Alahed News)
■ The Expression of Hatred for Gentiles (Richard Edmondson/Nahida Izzat) (10/04/14)
■ Bloodshed In Gaza and Beyond–Israel’s National Orgasm (Mark Glenn) (01/02/14)

■ Israeli sniper kills in 'cold blood' mother, daughter in Gaza church (PressTV)
■ "Palestinian Terror Operative" Means Anyone Still Alive (Moon of Alabama)
■ Israeli forces bulldoze Palestinian tents, crushing people alive (Middle East Eye)
■ 'Israel' commits new massacre in Jabalia, dozens martyred across Gaza (Al Mayadeen)
■ Watch: Israeli children sing, “We will annihilate everyone” in Gaza (11/21/23)
■ Death and Destruction in Gaza (John J. Mearsheimer)
■ APPLICATION INSTITUTING PROCEEDINGS (.pdf)(84 pages) Press Release (.pdf)

The Biden administration veto threat is in defense of the Israeli government's desire to continue the conflict for months | The White House threatened to veto a UN Security Council resolution that would call for a ceasefire in Gaza and set up an expedited inspection mechanism for bringing aid into Gaza. The US is demanding that the resolution affirm Israel’s right to self-defense and that the part of the text calling for a ceasefire be changed. The vote was scheduled for Monday but has been delayed three times this week because of the US veto threat. According to the Associated Press, 💬 “The US is seeking to change the text’s references to a cessation of hostilities in the Israel-Hamas war and to putting the United Nations in charge of inspecting trucks to ensure they are actually carrying humanitarian goods, which Israel opposes.” National Security Council spokesman [for Israel] John Kirby said Washington has two additional issues with the resolution. “It’s important for us, if the Security Council is going to speak on this, that there’s a condemnation of Hamas and what they did on the 7th of October, there’s a recognition of the need for Israel to be able to defend itself, and there’s of course, significant commitment by all members on getting humanitarian assistance into the people of Gaza.”

Yemen’s defense minister has denounced the formation of a US-led maritime task force in the Red Sea to protect the passage of merchant vessels bound for the Israeli-occupied territories, cautioning the Western alliance that any assault on Yemeni soil will have dire consequences. | The Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine’s struggle against the Israeli occupation since the regime launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7. The relentless Israeli strikes against Gaza have killed at least 19,453 people, most of them women and children, in Gaza. Another 52,286 individuals have been wounded as well. ● Reports revealed that Israeli shipping companies have already decided to reroute their vessels in fear of attacks by Yemeni forces.

■ If US attacks Yemen, its battleships will be struck: Sayyed al-Houthi (Al Mayadeen) | The leader of Ansar Allah movement slams the US action in the Red Sea as "illegal" and describes it as "a reckless and foolish aggression that only serves Israel." Ansar Allah leader, Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, reassured European companies, saying, “European vessels that do not have Israeli ports as their final destination are not at risk.”

■ U.S. defence secretary makes unannounced visit to USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier defending Israel (CTV News)
■ Netanyahu tells Biden Israel will act militarily against Yemen's Houthis if US won't: report (Fox News)
■ Malaysia Blocks Israeli Shipping Firm over Gaza Atrocities (Tasnim News Agency)
■ Who Are Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Attacking Israeli Ships? (Declassified)
■ Red Sea’s Gateway of Tears… As Usual, Uncle Sam’s Euro Vassals Pay the Price (Finian Cunningham)

Hopes rose Wednesday that Israel and Hamas may be inching toward another truce and hostage release deal in the Gaza war, following secret talks and as the head of the Palestinian militant group visited Egypt. | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Tuesday told relatives of some of the remaining 129 captives held in Gaza since the October 7 attacks that his spy chief was working on efforts to "free our hostages". 💬 "I have just sent the head of Mossad to Europe twice to promote a process to free our hostages," the premier told them. "I will spare no effort on the subject, and our duty is to bring them all back." Mossad director David Barnea held a "positive meeting" in Warsaw this week with CIA chief Bill Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, a source familiar with the talks told AFP, asking not to be named. Talks were ongoing "with the aim of reaching an agreement around the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza in exchange for a truce and the potential release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons," said the source. ● The Qatar-based chief of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, on Wednesday travelled to Egypt, traditionally a key mediator between Israel and the Palestinians, for talks with intelligence chief Abbas Kamel. A source close to Hamas, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the talks would focus on stopping the war and "to prepare an agreement for the release of prisoners (and) the end of the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip".

■ UN weighs new ceasefire call for Gaza, Houthis say will not stop attacking Israel-bound ships (The New Arab)
■ Hamas's Haniyeh in Egypt to discuss potential Gaza truce and hostage release deal (The New Arab)

A Geneva-based rights group has found that 71 percent of people in the Gaza Strip suffer from extreme hunger due to Israel’s devastating war on the Palestinian territory and the regime's method of using starvation as a weapon. | The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor released the figure on Tuesday after it conducted an analytical study of a sample of 1,200 people in Gaza. ● Some 98 percent of participants at the study said they eat insufficient amounts of food and 64 percent admitted to eating grass, fruits, immature food, and expired materials to satiate their hunger. ● The study was published at a time, when Israel has come under fierce criticism for using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in violation of international law.

■ Israel bulldozes, 'buries alive' dozens at Gaza's Kamal Adwan Hospital (The New Arab)
■ 40 Killed in “Israeli” Strikes on Rafah, Jabalia As Gaza Death Toll Nears 20k (Alahed News)
■ Israeli forces execute 15 Palestinians in Gaza City home: Sources (Al Mayadeen)
■ Bodies of 17 Palestinian detainees held by IOF: PPS (Al Mayadeen)

South Africa has presented all the necessary documentation to the ICC | South Africa has submitted all necessary paperwork to the International Criminal Court (ICC), bringing war crime charges against Israel over its offensive in Gaza, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday, according to local outlet Eyewitness News. ● More than 19,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed in Israeli air and ground assaults in Gaza since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to "eliminate" Hamas in response to the Palestinian militant group's October 7 cross-border attack, in which it killed about 1,200 people and took 240 hostages. ● Last month, President Ramaphosa condemned the Hamas incursion during an emergency virtual BRICS+ meeting, accusing the militant group of violating international law. He insisted, however, that Israel is committing genocide and blamed the raging conflict on the Jewish state's occupation of Palestinian territory.

The Palestinian Health Ministry announced that women and children comprise 70 percent of nearly 18,800 people martyred in Gaza Strip during “Israel’s” barbaric aggression against the besieged territory. | In a statement on Sunday, the Ramallah-based ministry said the death toll covers a period of 70 days between October 7 and December 15. More than 300 health sector workers, 86 journalists, 135 employees of the UN agency for the Palestinian refugees [UNRWA] and approximately 35 civil defense workers are among the death toll, it added. The ministry also said that over 51,100 Palestinians have been wounded in the “Israeli” aggression on Gaza, with scores of other people unaccounted for. It further noted that only eight out of 36 Gaza hospitals are partially functional, and that occupancy rates have soared to 206 percent in inpatient departments and 250 percent in intensive care units. Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said that “Israel” is seeking to “eliminate” the Palestinian territory’s health care system through its ongoing attacks on hospitals. 💬 “What the occupation is doing is part of the scenario that began in northern Gaza from the Shifa complex,” he said. “Targeting Nasser medical complex is part of the occupation’s policy to eliminate the health sector and would bring down the health system in the southern Gaza Strip.” Meanwhile, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini raised the alarm at the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.

■ 'Israel' using starvation of civilians as warfare method in Gaza: HRW (Al Mayadeen)
■ West Bank: “Israel” Kills Four Palestinians Including Two Teenagers (Alahed News)
■ The Expression of Hatred for Gentiles (Richard Edmondson/Nahida Izzat) (10/04/14)
■ Bloodshed In Gaza and Beyond–Israel’s National Orgasm (Mark Glenn) (01/02/14)

■ ‘New Gitmo': Rights group urges probe into Israel’s starving, murdering Gaza abductees (PressTV) | It was revealed that hundreds of Palestinian civilians, including children and elderly, are held hostage in 'Sde Teman' IOF military camp in inhumane conditions. According to testimonies, several have been tortured to death, and open-air chicken coops are being used. The Sde Teman Israeli army camp has been turned into “a new Guantanamo-like prison,” where detainees lose their lives after being subjected to extreme torture and mistreatment, it added. The Israeli army uses open-air chicken coops to house the inmates and withhold food or drink for long periods of time. The rights group also noted that the Palestinians held in Sde Teman are caged in inhumane conditions, blindfolded and subjected to harsh interrogations with their hands tied. [Click on image above]

A US-led coalition has come together to respond to Houthi rebel attacks that have disrupted Red Sea shipping | The Pentagon has turned to the UK, France and other allies to help secure shipping traffic through the Red Sea after a series of missile and drone attacks launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels scared away major transport operators and oil major BP from the key maritime route. ● US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the coalition’s initiative on Monday, saying Operation Prosperity Guardian would work to ensure freedom of navigation through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. “This is an international challenge that demands collective action,” he said in a statement, adding that the group would bolster “regional security and prosperity.”

■ Operation Prosperity Guardian: US scrambles to secure Red Sea route (Al Mayadeen)
■ Austin Reveals Multinational Operation to Secure Red Sea Amid Houthi Attacks (Sputnik News)

As Katherine Watt explains If the Govts can state there’s a NATIONAL EMERGENCY they can SUSPEND your right to informed consent. ■ American Domestic Bioterrorism Program (Katherine Watt)