Monday, August 11, 2025
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Monday, August 11, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

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https://nordictimes.com/world/five-journalists-killed-in-israeli-attack/

World

Five journalists killed in Israeli attack

The genocide in Gaza

Published today 10:56
– By Editorial Staff
Anas and the other journalists "were killed because of their relentless reporting on the starvation and the famine and the malnutrition" in Gaza, according to a colleague.
3 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif was killed late Sunday evening along with four colleagues in an Israeli attack on a tent where journalists had gathered outside the main entrance to al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City.

The attack was intentional and aimed, according to the media company, at silencing voices reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Israel, in turn, claims that the killed journalist was a Hamas leader.

A total of seven people lost their lives. Among the dead are also Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh and camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa.

Shortly before he was killed, the 28-year-old reporter wrote on X that Israel had launched an intense bombardment against eastern and southern Gaza City. In his final video, powerful explosions can also be heard while the night sky is lit up by orange light.

Al-Sharif was a well-known correspondent for Al Jazeera Arabic who had long reported from northern Gaza about the consequences of Israel’s invasion. In a final message, prepared to be published upon his death, he wrote:

“I have lived through pain in all its details, tasted suffering and loss many times, yet I never once hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification – so that Allah may bear witness against those who stayed silent, those who accepted our killing, those who choked our breath, and whose hearts were unmoved by the scattered remains of our children and women, doing nothing to stop the massacre that our people have faced for more than a year and a half”.

“Do not forget Gaza… And do not forget me in your sincere prayers for forgiveness and acceptance”, he concluded his message. Al-Sharif leaves behind his wife Bayan and children Salah and Sham.

Israel: Led Hamas cell

The Israeli military has confirmed that the attack was intentional. However, they accuse al-Sharif of having led a Hamas cell and “driving rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and troops”, but have not publicly released any of the alleged evidence.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, Irene Khan, and several human rights organizations argue that the Israeli accusations lack foundation.

— His entire daily routine was standing in front of a camera from morning to evening, notes Muhammed Shahada at Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor.

Al Jazeera dismisses the claims as fabricated and describes the killing as “a desperate attempt to silence the voices” reporting on Israeli violations.

200 killed journalists

The attack has also drawn sharp reactions from press freedom organizations.

— Israel’s pattern of labelling journalists as militants without providing credible evidence raises serious questions about its intent and respect for press freedom, comments Sara Qudah at the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Anas and the other journalists “were killed because of their relentless reporting on the starvation and the famine and the malnutrition” that Palestinians in Gaza are subjected to, believes Al Jazeera correspondent Hani Mahmoud, who was a block away when the attack took place.

— (They were killed) because they’re bringing the truth of this crime to everyone.

According to AFP, over 200 reporters and media workers have been killed in Gaza since October 2023. Just as in the case of Anas al-Sharif, Israeli authorities routinely claim that many of the killed journalists were simultaneously members of Hamas or other armed groups.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/world/hundreds-of-pro-palestinian-activists-arrested-in-london/

World

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists arrested in London

The genocide in Gaza

Published yesterday 15:37
– By Editorial Staff
Publicly expressing support or sympathy for "Palestine Action" can now lead to imprisonment in the United Kingdom.
3 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

In the midst of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Britain has designated the pro-Palestinian activist group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization and made it a criminal offense to publicly support them.

On Saturday, 466 people were arrested in central London – many simply for holding up signs condemning genocide and expressing support for the group in question.

The ban on the radical left-wing group Palestine Action came into effect in early July, after the group’s activists broke into RAF Brize Norton airbase in Oxfordshire, England, and sprayed red paint into the engines of two tanker aircraft, as well as causing damage with crowbars.

The action was a protest against Britain’s military support for Israel’s invasion – a war whose goal, according to international observers and human rights organizations, is to drive out the entire Palestinian population.

Palestine Action has never harmed any people, but has focused on vandalizing and sabotaging material targets connected to the Israeli military.

“A major embarrassment”

Over 500 people gathered on Saturday at Parliament Square in London. Many held signs with the message “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action” – fully aware that this is now criminalized. The purpose was to show how the law is being used to restrict freedom of expression and that it is practically unenforceable and morally reprehensible.

The organization Defend Our Juries, which organized the protest, commented on the mass arrests:

— The police have only been able to arrest a fraction of those supposedly committing ‘terrorism’ offenses, and most of those have been given street bail and allowed to go home. This is a major embarrassment to the government, further undermining the credibility of this widely ridiculed law, brought in to punish those exposing the government’s own crimes.

Images from the sit-in protests – before police had time to arrest participants. Photo: private/X

The Metropolitan Police rejected the criticism and claimed that many on site were spectators, journalists or people who were not carrying signs in support of Palestine Action:

— We are confident that anyone who came to Parliament Square today to hold a placard expressing support for Palestine Action was either arrested or is in the process of being arrested, police said in a statement.

Risk imprisonment

Even before Saturday, police had openly stated that the demonstration was unusual because participants actively wanted to be arrested to burden police and the justice system.

Palestine Action has previously targeted Israeli arms suppliers and other locations in Britain that they claim have connections to Israel’s military machine.

The ban, which means that any form of public support for the group can result in imprisonment, is now being legally challenged by many observers. Supporters themselves argue that the government has gone too far by classifying an action group that does not engage in violence against people as a “terrorist organization”.

“Once the meaning of ‘terrorism’ is separated from campaigns of violence against a civilian population, and extended to include those causing economic damage or embarrassment to the rich, the powerful and the criminal, then the right to freedom of expression has no meaning and democracy is dead”, writes Defend Our Juries on their website.

Over the weekend, pro-Palestinian demonstrators also marched to Downing Street, where British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has his official residence and office.

Starmer has sparked anger in Israel with plans to recognize a Palestinian state later this year – but many pro-Palestinian voices argue that this is not enough and that the government should act to stop the war immediately.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The far-left group Palestine Action was founded in 2020 in the United Kingdom and describes itself as a movement against colonialism and war. The group's campaigns target weapons factories, logistics centers and other locations considered to have connections to Israel's military machine. The goal is to stop Britain's military and economic support for Israel, particularly arms exports and cooperation with Israeli defense companies.

Their methods consist of direct actions and sabotage against property – such as climbing buildings, blocking transports, spraying red paint and vandalizing facilities – but the group emphasizes that they have never harmed people. The action that led to the organization being banned in July 2025 was when activists broke into RAF Brize Norton air base and sprayed red paint into the engines of two tanker aircraft used in Israel's warfare in Gaza.

Supporters view the ban as an attempt to silence opposition to Israel's genocide and to criminalize non-violent political activism, while the British government claims the organization poses a "terrorist threat".

https://nordictimes.com/world/smotrich-netanyahu-cannot-win-the-war/

World

Smotrich: Netanyahu cannot win the war

The genocide in Gaza

Published yesterday 13:23
– By Editorial Staff
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich believes that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been far too cowardly and soft during the invasion of Gaza.
3 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Israeli Finance Minister and far-right settler leader Bezalel Smotrich has launched a harsh attack against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the conduct of the war in Gaza.

In a statement on Saturday evening, he said he had “lost confidence” in Netanyahu’s willingness to lead the army to victory, and demanded an even harsher invasion that ends with Hamas’s total defeat and the annexation of Gaza.

Smotrich, who leads the Religious Zionist Party, wants the security cabinet to immediately reconvene and establish that there will be no more “pauses” in the war or any new partial agreements. At Thursday’s government meeting, he also threatened new elections.

— As far as I’m concerned, we can stop everything and let the people decide, Smotrich said according to Israeli public broadcaster KAN.

In his statement, he demands a “decisive” military solution:

— This time we proceed with a clear, sharp move toward a decisive outcome and victory – ending with Hamas’s complete surrender and the return of all the hostages at once, or with its defeat and total destruction. Annex large parts of the Gaza Strip and open its gates to voluntary emigration.

“War should be fought to the end”

He accuses Netanyahu and the cabinet of “succumbing to weaknesses” and conducting military operations that do not aim to defeat Hamas, but only to pressure for partial hostage deals – agreements that mean Israel pauses fighting and thereby allows Hamas to “recover and rearm”.

Smotrich criticizes the fact that tens of thousands of soldiers are risking their lives in Gaza City and that Israel is “paying a heavy political and international cost” without achieving a decisive outcome.

— A war should be fought to win, to the end – even if it carries heavy costs. But a partial move meant only to push Hamas back into the negotiating room, in national humiliation and capitulation to terror – absolutely not, he said.

The finance minister has previously defended the release of convicted Palestinian prisoners and military retreats “for the sake of unity,” but claims his patience has now run out. He argues that as long as Hamas is given the opportunity to get a “breathing pause” in exchange for releasing hostages, the war will continue in an eternal cycle of bloodshed without “decisive outcome”.

“Gaza will be totally destroyed”

Smotrich has long been a harshly criticized and controversial politician even at home in Israel. He is an outspoken opponent of Palestinian independence and has demanded that Israel annex the entire West Bank and claimed that no Palestinian people exists.

His political vision aligns closely with the idea of a “Greater Israel”, where Israel’s borders would expand into parts of neighboring countries – something that would in practice make a Palestinian state impossible and cement the Israeli occupation.

On the Gaza issue, Smotrich has pursued a line that many observers describe as extreme even within the current Israeli government. He has openly said that “Gaza will be entirely destroyed” and advocated for large parts of the population to leave the area permanently.

His extreme statements and policies have triggered sharp international criticism and concrete measures. The United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Norway and New Zealand have imposed travel bans with the justification that he incites and legitimizes violence against Palestinians. The EU has warned member countries against receiving him officially and points to allegations that the Israeli minister actively supports violence and dehumanization of Palestinians.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/green-light-for-the-occupation-of-gaza-city-one-million-expected-to-be-displaced/

World

Green light for the occupation of Gaza City – one million expected to be displaced

The genocide in Gaza

Published 8 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Netanyahu firmly denies that Israel will take permanent control of the area.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Israel’s security cabinet has approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan for a full-scale occupation of Gaza City – an offensive expected to last for months and lead to around one million Palestinians being driven from their homes.

The decision, made after more than ten hours of closed deliberations, represents a significant escalation of the war against Hamas and risks, according to critics, paving the way for permanent Israeli control over the entire Gaza Strip.

The announcement came just hours after Netanyahu stated in an interview that Israel intends to take control of all of Gaza.

– We intend to (take control of all of Gaza). We don’t want to keep Gaza. We want a security perimeter, claimed Israel’s prime minister and continued:

– We don’t want to govern it. We don’t want to be there as a governing body. We want to hand it over to Arab forces that will govern it properly without threatening us.

Ground invasion and siege

The plan is officially justified by the need to eliminate Hamas, which according to Israel has refused to cooperate regarding the release of the remaining Israeli hostages. Around 50 people are still being held captive, with more than half believed to be dead.

The military operation is estimated to last several months and is expected to lead to around one million Palestinians being driven from Gaza.

According to American and Israeli officials, US President Donald Trump does not oppose the plan and has decided not to intervene in the conflict.

Axios correspondent Barak Ravid writes on X that a senior Israeli official states that the operation will initially be limited to Gaza City.

The goal is to evacuate all Palestinian civilians from the city to central refugee camps and other areas by October 7. After that, a siege will be imposed on the Hamas militants who remain, while a ground offensive is carried out.

The prime minister and defense minister have been given a mandate to approve the IDF’s (Israel Defense Forces) final operational plan.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-minister-praises-israels-destruction-of-gaza-doing-the-whole-world-a-service/

Sweden

Swedish minister praises Israel’s destruction of Gaza: “Doing the whole world a service”

The genocide in Gaza

Published 6 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Swedish politician Ebba Busch and her party's support for Israel continues to be virtually limitless - despite warnings of ethnic cleansing, genocide and war crimes.
3 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

While increasing voices condemn the Israeli invasion of Gaza as an ongoing genocide and Prime Minister Netanyahu openly speaks of occupying the entire area, Swedish Christian Democrat leader Ebba Busch chooses instead to praise Israel’s war.

— Israel is doing the whole world a service, she declares, pointing to Hamas as solely responsible for the suffering and destruction in the region.

The statement comes after the Swedish government announced it wants to freeze the EU’s trade agreement with Israel, in an attempt to increase pressure to get humanitarian aid into Gaza. But the decision has met with criticism, particularly from the Christian Democrats – a party that has long acted as one of Israel’s most loyal defenders in Swedish politics, support that seems unaffected by whatever war crimes or crimes against humanity Israel has been accused of.

Busch herself expresses some reservation about the government’s line, arguing that the message was presented in an unbalanced way:

— The focus became one-sided, she claims.

In a Facebook post, the Christian Democrat leader writes that the government’s position may be reconsidered:

“If Israel does more or if it turns out that there is no basis for Israel bearing a great responsibility for the emergency aid not getting through, there is no reason to maintain the government’s position”.

She adds that “it is unambiguous that Hamas bears the great responsibility for the war and the human suffering in Gaza”.

“Need to increase pressure on Hamas”

While Israel’s invasion and bombings have led to tens of thousands of killed women and children, extensive civilian devastation and harsh international condemnations, Busch chooses to fully defend the country’s actions.

— The root of the war we see between Israel and Hamas is precisely Hamas. It was Hamas that started this war with the terrible terrorist act almost two years ago. It is Hamas that chooses to continue holding hostages, it is Hamas that chooses not to sign peace agreements. And we need to increase pressure on Hamas to lay down their weapons, she says.

— Israel is doing the whole world a service in trying to neutralize Hamas and trying to dissolve Hamas.

When asked if she stands behind the government’s message about working to freeze the trade agreement, Busch answers:

— We have opened up for the far-reaching measure of putting higher economic pressure on Israel, if it is the case that Israel is not doing everything within reason’s limits to let humanitarian support through.

Won’t comment on occupation plans

Recently, the Jerusalem Post reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to occupy the entire Gaza Strip. Busch, however, does not want to reveal whether she supports these plans or not.

— I haven’t seen that and then I don’t want to comment on it.

The government’s message has also stirred emotions domestically. The very pro-Israeli Sweden Democrats’ party leader Jimmie Åkesson called the decision a “disaster” in a post on X. Ebba Busch, however, does not want to answer whether the Sweden Democrats can be given influence over foreign policy going forward:

— Now we have the agreement that we have now, she says.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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