Tag Archives: Mideast

More than half a million march in London to demand lasting peace in Gaza

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article by Qazi Zaid from the Middle East Eye

Hundreds of thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators took to the streets of central London on Saturday, calling for lasting peace in Gaza, a day after the ceasefire took effect.

According to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), which organised the demonstrations against Israel’s genocide in Gaza along with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Muslim Association of Britain, Friends of Al Aqsa and Palestinian Forum in Britain among others, more than 600,000 people joined the march.


Some 500,000 march through Whitehall to demand lasting peace in Gaza, London, 11 October 2025 (Supplied)

PSC director Ben Jamal said that the plan put forward by US President Donald Trump was “not a plan for enduring peace”, adding that it fails to address “the root cause of violence”.

He vowed that demonstrations would continue “until the Palestinian people are finally free”, even as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced new measures to restrict demonstrations, saying they had caused fear within the Jewish community. 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the government was considering potential action against specific chants used at pro-Palestine rallies.

Saturday’s protest marked the 32nd national demonstration since Israel’s military campaign began, PSC said.

Protestors carried Palestinian flags, banners calling for an end to UK arms sales to Israel and placards demanding accountability. 

The protests come after the US-brokered ceasefire took effect on Friday, easing more than two years of bombardment by Israel that has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians since October 2023. 

The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory in September said Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli military on Friday announced it had begun preparations to “partially” pull back troops.

According to the initial stages of the deal, Israel will withdraw to a designated line, and Hamas will release around 20 living captives, along with the bodies of about 25 others.

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Question related to this article:
 
How can we best express solidarity with the people of Gaza?

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Israeli Army Radio on Friday announced that the interior ministry in Israel has published the names of 250 Palestinian captives who will be released as part of the ceasefire agreement.

The report said that 100 of these Palestinians held in prisons will be allowed to leave for the West Bank, and five will head to Jerusalem. 

The US military on Saturday said following the announcement of the ceasefire, Israel had completed the first phase of withdrawal from Gaza.

However, despite the ceasefire, Israeli forces have killed at least 17 Palestinians and wounded 71 others in the past 24 hours, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

Israeli forces also shelled areas across the Gaza Strip.

The truce officially began in the early hours of Friday, after receiving final approval from the Israeli government. However, air strikes, artillery fire and gunshots were reported in Gaza City and Khan Younis. 

The United Nations has said that 170,000 metric tons of humanitarian aid have already been positioned in neighbouring countries such as Jordan and Egypt and that officials were awaiting permission from Israeli forces to restart their work. 

Unicef on Friday called for all crossings into Gaza to be opened, saying children in the territory were especially vulnerable because they have gone without proper food for long periods. 

Gaza’s civil defence has said that some 9,500 people are still missing under the rubble across Gaza and its teams have begun rescue operations, recovering the bodies of some 155 people so far. 

According to the agency, 500,000 displaced Palestinians have arrived in  Gaza City since the ceasefire took hold on Friday. People have erected makeshift tents on the rubble, but lack adequate shelter as aid is not due to enter the Strip until tomorrow.

Some 700,000 people were displaced from Gaza City and the north by intense Israeli bombardment and raids in the region.

Gaza’s Government Media Office has called for a war crimes probe and asked for “the international community, the United Nations, all international and legal organisations, and the International Criminal Court to hold the leaders of Israel accountable and to not grant them any political or legal immunity”.

The media office said it wanted the formation of an independent international committee to investigate war crimes and genocide and ensure the return and compensation of all displaced people. 

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Europe, Mideast, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY,

Paris Anti-War Conference

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

Email received from No to Nato List

COUNTERFIRE – October 8, 2025 – Welfare not warfare goes international 

An international mass meeting against war and genocide took place on Sunday in Paris. Four thousand people, including delegations from nineteen countries, filled out the Dome de Paris. The arena was a sea of Palestine flags and flags of socialist and anti-war organisations.

The scale of the meeting was a breakthrough for the international movement against genocide in Gaza and the rearmament of Europe. …

Following the Italian general strike, unions in Spain have called a national walkout on 15 October. Activists from Germany, Denmark and Portugal spoke about how the national demonstrations in London have given inspiration and confidence to activists in their countries to organise their own mass demonstrations.

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Question related to this article:
 
How can we best express solidarity with the people of Gaza?

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There was a great feeling of unity and solidarity, but also a sense of urgency. European governments have been central to facilitating Israel’s genocide, in prolonging the war in Ukraine, and in spending hundreds of billions more on weapons. 

The meeting demanded ‘not a penny, not a weapon, not a human life for war.’

StoptheWar Coalition – October 8, 2025 – International meeting in Paris  

Activists and politicians from Europe and North America have held an anti-war conference in Paris. The event was aimed at coordinating the European-wide opposition to the Genocide in Gaza and the war drive of the European Union. 

150 delegates from 20 different countries and more than 4,000 people attending the meeting. Below the broadcast of the meeting in English. Speakers from many countries.

At about 1,48 min an overview of the huge size of the event.

https://www.youtube.com/live/lXG4g2iFj5E

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Europe, Mideast, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY,

The fake “peace agreement” versus real peace with justice

. . HUMAN RIGHTS . .

An email received from Mazin Qumsiyeh on October 11.

A temporary ceasefire and release of some Palestinians in a prisoner exchange is not a “peace agreement” and it is far from what is needed: ending colonization, freedom for the >10,000 political prisoners still in Israeli gulags (also tortured nearly100 died under torture in the last two years), return of the milions of refugees, and accountability for genocide, ethnic cleansing and apartheid. That is why this global uprising (intifada) will not stop until freedom, justice, and equality are attained. 

Here are brief answers I gave to questions about the agreement for Gaza

1. How has life in the West Bank changed for you and your community during the past two years of conflict?

The WB was illegally occupied since 1967 (ICJ ruling) but it was not merely an occupation but intensive colonization and ethnic cleansing. The attacks on our people accelerated in the last two years with over 60,000 made homeless in the West Bank and denial of freedom of movement (including hundreds f new gates installed in these two years separating the remaining concentration camps/ghettos of the West Bank ).

2. What is your assessment of the new peace deal that brought an end to the fighting in Gaza?

It is not a peace deal. It is an agreement to pause the genocide which will not work because the beligerant occupier (“Israel”) has not respected a single agreement it signed since its founding. Even the agreement to join the UN was conditional or respecting the UN Charter and UN resolutions issued before and after 1949. This continued to even breaking the signed ceasefire agreement of last year. I have 0% confidence that this latest agreement would be respected even on the simple aspect of “pausing” the genocide and ethnic cleansing going on since 1948.

3. In your view, why did war drag on for two years despite multiple ceasefire attempts?

Simply put because colonization can only be done with violence. And the war on our people has gone on not for two years but for 77 years without ending (sustained by Western government support).  Israel as a colonization entity is the active face of colonization. The USA  for example broke similar agreements for “pauses” in colonization with natives in North America and broke every single one of them.

4. What kind of humanitarian and environmental toll has the conflict taken on Palestinian society?

It is now well documented fro UN agencies, human rights groups (like Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, Physicians for Human Rights, even Israeli group B’Tselem). In brief it is genocide, ecoide, scholasticide,  medicide, and veriticide. More at ongaza.org

5. Why do you think it took the IDF so long to rescue all the hostages?

The terrorist organization that deceptively calls itself “IDF” was not interested in rescuing their captives (not “hostages”) and they only got people back via exchange of prisoners (not rescue). The IGF (Israeli Genocide Forces) actually killed many of their own soldiers and civilians on 7 Oct. 2023 by activating the Hannibal directive to prevent their capture. The resistance was aiming to capture colonizers (living on stolen Palestinian lands) to exchange for some of the over 11,000 political prisoners illegally held in Israeli jails. Again see ongaza.org

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Question related to this article:

How can a culture of peace be established in the Middle East?

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6. How significant was international involvement—particularly from the U.S.—in reaching the final agreement?

This is the first genocide in human history that is not executed by one government. It is executed by a number of governments directly supporting and aiding. (participating). This includes the USA, UK, France, Egypt, Germany, Australia etc. Many of these countries have governments dominated or highly influenced by the Zionist agenda. Under influence of a growing popular protest against the genocide around the world, some of those countries are trying to wiggle out from pressure in an effort to save “Israel” from growing global isolation. Trump ws blackmailed via videos/files collected by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghiseline Maxwell (Mossad agents). He is simply a narcissistic collaborator with genocide!

7. What concrete steps do you think are necessary now to turn this peace deal into a sustainable, lasting solution?

Again not a “peace deal”. What needs to be done is apply boycotts, divestments, sanctions (BDS) on this rogue state that violates the International conventions (Geneva convention, Conventions against Apartheid and Genocide). BDS was used against apartheid South Africa and needs to be applied here also. For more see bdsmovement.net

8. How do you see the Palestine Museum of Natural History contributing to rebuilding and healing efforts in the aftermath of war?

Our institute (PIBS, palestinenature.org) which includes museums, botanic garden, and many other sections is focused on “sustainable human and natural communities” Our motto is respect: for ourselves (empowerment) for others (regardless of religious or other background), and for nature.  Conflict, colonizations, oppression are obviously areas we challenge and work on in JOINT struggle with all people of various background

9. Looking ahead, what gives you optimism—or concern—about the future relationship between Palestinians and Israelis?

What gives me optimism first and foremost is the heroic resilience and resistance (together making sumud) of our Palestinian people everywhere and the millions of other people mobilizing for human rights and for justice (including the right of refugees to return and also environmental justice). What gives me concern is the depth of depravity that greedy individuals in power go to destroying our planet and our people and profiting from colonization and genocide. . . .

Stay Humane, act, and keep hope and Palestine alive

Mazin Qumsiyeh
A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home
Professor, Founder, and (volunteer) Director
Palestine Museum of Natural History
Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability
Bethlehem University
Occupied Palestine
http://qumsiyeh.org
http://palestinenature.org
facebook pages
Personal https://www.facebook.com/mazin.qumsiyeh.9
Institute https://www.facebook.com/PIBS.PMNH

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HUMAN RIGHTS, Mideast

The Struggle for Peace of Syrian Women, ICIP Peace in Progress Award 2025

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from the International Catalan Institute for Peace

On Thursday, September 18, during the week marking the International Day of Peace, ICIP presented the 2025 Peace in Progress Award to Women Now for Development, a leading Syrian women’s organisation. The award honours the network for its work in supporting, protecting, and empowering Syrian women—both inside the country and in exile—as a powerful symbol of resistance and feminist solidarity in the face of violence.

Women Now for Development was founded in 2012 as a community initiative to support women and girls in the early days of the Syrian revolution. Its initial aim was to create safe spaces where women could meet, share knowledge, and exchange experiences. Since then, it has become a leading feminist organisation working both in war zones and in conflict-affected contexts, inside and outside Syria. The network has helped shape a generation of women who continue resisting violence and building hope amidst destruction.

The ceremony was opened by ICIP president Xavier Masllorens, who underlined the importance of “recognising people and organisations that work against the tide, upholding dignity,” which is the essence of the ICIP Award. In today’s turbulent context for peace, Masllorens lamented the lack of action on conflict prevention. He also stressed the need to work for peace: “Not preventing means giving up on deeply analysing the true causes of conflicts, and that constitutes a collective failure with devastating consequences (…). Today, we have the conditions to work with a new paradigm in conflict resolution between communities, peoples, nations, and states. A paradigm that is unprecedented but not impossible, which we call a culture of peace: a world without misery, more just and equal.”

Next, Palestinian poet and translator of Syrian origin, Mohamad Bitari, offered a tribute to the award-winning organisation and highlighted that the ICIP Award “is a homage to the memory of Syrian women, and to all that they have given for a more just, free, and safe country. It is also a tribute to every woman in the world who has refused to be only a victim, and has chosen to be active, courageous, and transformative.”

A recognition of women’s struggle

In his remarks, Bitari recalled many Syrian women who have marked the country’s resistance through their social and political activism. Many of them suffered repression at the hands of the Syrian regime and received support and protection from Women Now for Development.

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Questions related to this article:

Do women have a special role to play in the peace movement?

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On behalf of the award-winning organisation, the award was accepted by executive director Lubna Alkanawati and the organisation’s director in Lebanon, Roulah Al Rekbie. In their acceptance speeches, they emphasised the repression and displacement suffered by Syrian women for decades. They highlighted that the ICIP Award makes their struggle visible and places women at the centre of peacebuilding: “This recognition gives us strength to keep moving forward, to transform pain into action. It reminds us that the struggle continues, that we will keep working to ensure that Syrian women have a voice of their own,” said Al Rekbie. For her part, Alkanawati dedicated the award to the “women of Syria, Sudan, Palestine, Yemen, Iran, and Afghanistan, and all places where women suffer from occupation, extremism, and patriarchy.” The organisation will allocate the prize to funding support programs for survivors of sexual violence.

A third representative of the organisation, Muzna Al Jundi, who was unable to travel to Barcelona due to visa difficulties, participated through a video message to thank the organisation for the award from northwest Syria.

The President of the Catalan Parliament, Josep Rull, closed the ceremony with words of gratitude to ICIP and to the award-winning organisation. “Today is an act of recognition, of hope, and of collective dignity,” he said. Rull praised the work of Women Now for Development and ICIP for the quality of the Peace in Progress Award. He also warned that this award comes in an “absolutely devastating international context” and called for “the participation and perspective of women in peacebuilding and reconciliation processes.”

The genocide in Gaza was a recurring theme throughout the ceremony. The ICIP president began his remarks with a moment of silence in solidarity with Palestine, which the audience joined, standing. Poet Mohamad Bitari also remembered the people of Palestine, “subjected to systematic genocide and constant aggression that continues day after day before the eyes of the world.”

The ceremony opened and closed with a musical performance by the Syrian duo Athrodeel.

The ICIP Peace in Progress Award, established in 2011, aims to publicly recognise individuals, organisations, or institutions that have worked and contributed in a significant and sustained way to the promotion and construction of peace. The award consists of public recognition, a sculpture created by Nobel Peace Prize laureate, artist, and activist Adolfo Pérez Esquivel entitled Porta de Sol, and a monetary prize of 6,000 euros.

Over its fourteen-year history, the ICIP Award has recognised individuals and groups from Catalonia, Bosnia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia, Mexico, and Algeria for their struggle in favour of reconciliation, truth, justice, or equality, with a focus also on the empowerment of women and a gender perspective.

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Mideast, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

As Israeli Forces Seize Final Sumud Boat, Another Flotilla Sails Toward Gaza

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article by Jessica Corbett in Common Dreams (reprinted under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

As Israeli forces on Friday captured the last remaining vessel from the Global Sumud Flotilla that aimed to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid, another group of boats was headed for the Palestinian territory.

The 11 vessels, most of which started sailing last week, are “carrying over 150 healthcare workers, journalists, and activists,” according to organizers, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) and Thousand Madleens to Gaza.

“As journalists and medical professionals, we carry the responsibility to speak truth and preserve life,” said Dr. Ricardo Corradini, a general surgeon from Italy, in a statement. “This mission is an appeal to our colleagues—and to the institutions that represent us globally—to break their silence, uphold their ethics, and stand on the right side of history.”

FFC highlighted earlier this week that the ship “Conscience, bombed by Israel off the coast of Malta in May 2025, has returned to serve as a vehicle for medics and media determined to reach their colleagues in besieged Gaza.”

Huwaida Arraf, an FFC steering committee member aboard Conscience, said that it “is the latest and largest boat in this historic flotilla—and its name represents not only steadfast resistance to Israel’s illegal blockade, but a call to awaken the conscience of the world.”

Since Israeli forces began intercepting Global Sumud Flotilla vessels late Wednesday, a fresh wave of global protests has occurred. People around the world have repeatedly taken to the streets over the past two years, as Israel has responded to the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack by devastating infrastructure across Gaza, including healthcare facilities, wounding at least 169,165 Palestinians, and slaughtering at least 66,288.

Experts warn the true death toll in Gaza is likely much higher. Among the dead are many doctors and nurses—one count, from Healthcare Workers Watch, said at least 1,200 as of February. Israel’s killing of Gaza’s healthcare professionals continued this week with the death of Omar Hayek from Doctors Without Borders, or Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

The Israeli attack that killed Hayek and wounded four others “took place on a street where our teams were waiting to take a bus to the MSF field hospital in Deir al-Balah. All staff were wearing MSF vests, clearly identifying them as medical humanitarian workers,” the group said Thursday. “We express deep sorrow and outrage over the killing, which occurs less than two weeks after another MSF colleague, Hussein Alnajjar, was killed by the Israeli forces, in Deir al-Balah.”

Also among the dead are over 200 journalists, with recent tallies ranging from 223 to 270. The Israeli government has prevented international reporters from entering Gaza—and has been widely accused of intentionally killing Palestinian journalists who have reported on the genocide while trying to survive it.

Global press freedom groups have frequently spoken out against Irsael’s treatment of journalists, including this week, when Israeli forces took members of the media into custody while blocking the Global Sumud Flotilla from reaching Gaza.

“Arresting journalists and preventing them from doing their work is a serious violation of the right to inform and be informed,” said Martin Roux, head of the Crisis Desk at Reporters Without Borders, or Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), in a Thursday statement.

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Question related to this article:
 
How can we best express solidarity with the people of Gaza?

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“RSF condemns the illegal arrest of the news professionals who were on board these ships to cover a humanitarian operation of unprecedented scale,” Roux continued. “The Israeli army, which has killed over 210 Palestinian journalists in the Gaza Strip, is continuing its media blockade of the Gaza Strip with these illegal arrests at sea, with the obvious goal of covering up the crimes it is committing against the Palestinian population. RSF urges Israel to respect the status of journalists, protect them, and guarantee their safety in accordance with international law.”

Early Friday, the flotilla announced on Instagram that “Marinette, the last remaining boat of the Global Sumud Flotilla, was intercepted at 10:29 am local time, approximately 42.5 nautical miles from Gaza.”

According to the flotilla, whose more than 450 members included politicians, actors, and activists from dozens of countries:

“Over 38 hours, Israeli occupation naval forces illegally intercepted all 42 of our vessels—each carrying humanitarian aid, volunteers, and the determination to break Israel’s illegal siege on Gaza.

“Marinette sailed forward with the spirit of sumud—steadfastness—even after seeing the fate of 41 boats before her.

“But this is not the end of our mission. Our determination to confront Israel’s atrocities and stand with the Palestinian people remains unshaken.

“As people rise up in cities worldwide to demand an end to these horrors and to take a stand for humanity, we rise together with one voice.

“We will not stop until the genocide ends. We will not stop until Palestine is free.”

Until the interception, the flotilla faced repeated attacks widely believed to be from Israel, whose Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday continued to smear the peaceful humanitarian mission as the “Hamas-Sumud provocation” and a “sham.”

“Already four Italian citizens have been deported. The rest are in the process of being deported. Israel is keen to end this procedure as quickly as possible,” the ministry said on social media. “All are safe and in good health.”

In a video circulating online, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir can be seen repeatedly calling Global Sumud Flotilla activists “terrorists” as they were waiting for their transfer to an Israeli prison

In a Friday statement about the Global Sumud Flotilla, Nihad Awad, national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights group in the United States, said that “the detention of these humanitarian volunteers, including American citizens, is deeply troubling and completely unacceptable.”

“These are civilians engaged in delivering essential aid to people in desperate need in Gaza,” he continued. “Denying them legal counsel, holding them incommunicado, and putting them at risk for simply performing humanitarian work is a flagrant violation of human rights and the principles the United States stands for. We urge the US government to act immediately to secure their safe release and make clear that targeting Americans performing humanitarian missions will not be tolerated.”

Under President Donald Trump and his Democratic predecessor, the United States has provided Israel with diplomatic support on the global stage and billions of dollars in military aid. Joined at the White House on Monday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—who is wanted by the International Criminal Court—Trump unveiled a proposed peace plan for Gaza.

In a long post on his Truth Social platform Friday morning, Trump railed against Hamas and gave the group that has governed Gaza for the past two decades until Sunday at 6:00 pm Eastern Time to agree to his proposal. Trump wrote, “If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas.”

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Mideast, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

Students Stage Walkouts in Dozens of Spanish Cities to ‘Stop the Genocide’ in Gaza

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article by Brett Wilkins from Common Dreams (reprinted  under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

Tens of thousands of students walked out of classrooms in cities and towns across Spain on Thursday to protest Israel’s ongoing US-backed genocide in Gaza and abduction of Global Sumud Flotilla members, dozens of whom are Spanish.


Students in Málaga, Spain march behind a banner reading “Stop Everything to Stop the Genocide” on October 2, 2025. (Photo by Jesus Merida/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The National Students’ Union organized Thursday’s protests under the slogan “stop the genocide against the Palestinian people.” Demonstrations, which took part in at least 39 cities and towns, varied in size from small groups to thousands who turned out in Barcelona and the capital Madrid, where students held banners with messages like “Stop Everything to Stop the Genocide,” “All Eyes on the Global Sumud Flotilla,” and “Free Palestine!”

“We’re not going to look the other way,” the union said in a statement. “The Palestinian cause is the cause of the youth and the millions who stand for human rights and social justice. That is why… we called the general student strike to empty the classrooms and fill the streets with dignity.”

Maria, a Spanish student interviewed by Turkey’s Anadolu Ajansı in Madrid, said: “While young people like us are being killed and subjected to genocide in Palestine, we cannot be in class. The whole world must do everything it can to stop this genocide.”

Another Madrid protester, Francesca—an Italian student studying in Spain—told Anadolu that “we must pressure governments to stop Israel.”

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Question related to this article:
 
How can we best express solidarity with the people of Gaza?

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“Allowing genocide in full view of the world is unacceptable,” she added. “The killing of women, children, and students in Palestine must end.”

In Barcelona—whose former leftist Mayor Ada Colau was among the dozens of Spaniards who set sail for Gaza from the port city—an estimated 6,500 students and others took to the streets Thursday.

“What I can do is be here, with my presence,” student Donia Armani told El País. “The more people, the better; so the Palestinians will not be alone.”

Armani’s mother added, “The Palestinians are like a brotherly people, we feel a lot from the absurd images we see.”

Ana, a 14-year-old student protesting in Barcelona, said: “I think it’s very bad what’s happening,” adding that Israel does “not let food arrive and also bombs them, which causes many, especially small children, to die, and I am very sorry.”

Thursday’s walkouts took place as Israeli forces continued assaulting Gaza on Thursday, killing scores of Palestinians amid a backdrop of ongoing famine and forced displacement. Since October 2023, Israeli forces have killed at least 66,225 Palestinians in Gaza, although experts say the actual death toll is much higher. At least 168,938 other Palestinians have been wounded, and thousands more are missing and presumed dead.

Spain’s socialist-led government has been a leading critic of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, taking numerous proactive steps including cutting off arms transfers to the erstwhile ally, prohibiting the shipment of fuel to the Israeli military, formally recognizing Palestinian statehood, and backing South Africa’s genocide case currently before the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

The Spanish Foreign Ministry says at least 30 Spaniards are among the many Global Sumud Flotilla activists seized by Israeli forces in international waters overnight Thursday while attempting to deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid to Gaza.

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Europe, Mideast, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY,

Million-strong general strike blocks Italy for Palestine

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article from the Peoples Dispatch

On September 22, approximately one million people across Italy staged a general strike in support of Palestine and the Global Sumud Flotilla, offering a vision of solidarity sharply at odds with the one displayed by European leaders at the United Nations these days. Ports, train stations, and major junctions were shut down as workers, many of whom members of the grassroots union Unione Sindacale di Base (USB), brought the country to a halt.

(Editor’s note: Italian unions again called a general strike for Friday, October 3, in solidarity with the international aid flotilla for Gaza, while protests sprang up in a number of cities late on Wednesday after reports that the ships had been intercepted by military personnel.)


USB’s fire brigades members lead strike rally. Source: USB

In Rome alone, 300,000 demonstrators occupied the city’s main railway hub before marching through the streets. “The call came from Genoa’s dockworkers, and here we are: we’ve blocked everything,” the protesters proclaimed. Among those leading the crowd were firefighters’ union representatives, who told il manifesto: “First responders will never be complicit in genocide, and we are protesting a government that is entrapping us in rearmament.”

Port cities against arms trade and genocide

Earlier this month, as the Global Sumud Flotilla prepared to launch, members of the dockworkers’ collective CALP in Genoa vowed to halt port operations if Israel attacked or blocked the fleet. Weeks later, following continuous local mobilizations and public assemblies, they made good on their promise. Thousands shut down Genoa’s port from the early morning hours, joined by workers in the strategic harbors of Trieste, Venice, and Livorno. Rallies erupted in Bologna, Milan, Turin, Naples, across Sicily and Sardinia, and in dozens of other localities, where teachers, parents, and students walked out of schools together, chanting for a free Palestine.

Speaking from the Genoa blockade, Marta Collot of the left party Potere al Popolo stressed that the strike demonstrated concrete solidarity with Palestinians, affirmed support for their legitimate resistance, and denounced European complicity in genocide. “Embargo and sanctions: these must be our priorities,” Collot said.

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Question related to this article:
 
How can we best express solidarity with the people of Gaza?

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Authorities responded to the massive mobilization with violence. Police forces used water cannons against protesters demanding an end to Italy’s arms trade with Israel and calling for severing all political and economic ties. Despite growing public pressure, Giorgia Meloni’s government has refused to act against Israel, instead continuing communications with Israeli officials and arms deliveries through the state-linked company Leonardo.

Only days before the strike, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right Lega, appeared in an interview with Israeli media, in which he supported Israel’s “right to build itself a serene future” as occupation forces inflicted even more destruction upon Gaza City. In its campaign “to build a serene future,” Israel has killed at least 65,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including over 1,000 health workers and hundreds of journalists. While some government figures signaled mild unease about recent attacks, Salvini set out his allegiance in very clear terms: “Defending Israel’s right to exist is complicated right now, but friends are revealed in the most difficult moments.”

In some strike locations, protesters singled out Salvini’s statements in their speeches. In Venice, they sent what they termed a special message to “a special enemy,” insisting that their loyalty was with Palestinians under attack and their energy committed to building international solidarity.

International solidarity is “alive and kicking”

The mass character of Monday’s strike likely shook much of Italy’s political class. In recent years, the government had passed measures to restrict demonstrations and downplayed the organizing capacity of trade unions and the left. Yet weeks of continuous protests culminating in the general strike undermined these efforts.

“Workers have returned to center stage and are calling on citizens, all citizens, to stand up. They are not doing so for a contract renewal but to demand justice for a distant and tormented people,” USB declared on the day of the strike. “In this age of selfishness and individualism, this seems unthinkable. But no, solidarity between peoples and brotherhood beyond borders are not dead and buried values; on the contrary, they are alive and kicking.”

For Potere al Popolo’s Giuliano Granato, the strike also captured broader anger. “Palestine has given a name to our discontent,” he told Peoples Dispatch. “The outrage, protest, and anger over the massacre of the Palestinian people has intersected with years of oppression, repression, and deteriorating material conditions. For young people in particular, there is the absence of a future, fear, and the awareness of living in societies where only the horrendously rich and powerful have a say.”

The momentum built by the strike is set to continue. Italian dockworkers will host an international sectoral meeting on September 26–27, bringing together trade unions capable of disrupting Europe’s arms flows to Israel. National demonstrations in solidarity with Palestine are also planned for October 4, as eyes remain fixed on the Global Sumud Flotilla. If Israel attempts to stop it, Italian workers have already shown they are ready to block the country – sending a signal that could inspire others to organize along the same lines.

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Europe, Mideast, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY,

On the International Day of Peace, Muslim Elders: The Gaza Tragedy Is a Test of the Global Conscience

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An article from Newsroom (translated from Arabic by Google translator)

The Muslim Council of Elders, headed by His Eminence the Grand Imam, Prof. Dr. Ahmed el-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, called for mobilizing international efforts to end the conflicts, wars, and struggles currently raging in our world, which have claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people worldwide.


The Muslim Council of Elders. Photo from their website
(Click on image to enlarge)

In a statement marking the International Day of Peace, celebrated annually on September 21, the Muslim Council of Elders said that peace is the essence of the message of Islam and all divine religions and laws that came to bring happiness to humanity and have never been a pretext for wars and conflicts. The Council explained that peace goes beyond the mere absence of conflict to encompass harmony, justice, and mutual respect among people. At the same time, it warned against the escalation of rhetoric of violence and hatred, and the ideologization of religious texts and their exploitation to kill innocent civilians.

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Question related to this article:

What is happening for the International Day of Peace?

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The Muslim Council of Elders affirms that celebrating the International Day of Peace while the Gaza Strip is witnessing a horrific humanitarian tragedy puts the human conscience to a real test. This requires the international community to shoulder its legal and moral responsibilities and act urgently to save innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip, halt the killing, starvation, and forced displacement policies, work to deliver humanitarian and relief aid, find a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue, and recognize the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

The Muslim Council of Elders is making strenuous efforts to promote peace and spread the values of dialogue, tolerance, and human coexistence through numerous inspiring projects and initiatives, such as the Youth Peacemakers Forum and the Student Dialogues for Human Fraternity Program. These efforts culminated in the launch of the “Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together” Document, signed by His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Prof. Dr. Ahmed el-Tayeb, and the late Pope Francis, former Pope of the Catholic Church, in Abu Dhabi in 2019. The Document called for the need to rediscover the values of peace, justice, goodness, love, and human fraternity, and to put an end to the wars and conflicts currently plaguing the world.

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Gaza’s Contribution to Civilization

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An article from blog of Mazin Qumsiyeh

The Gaza littoral – a narrow coastal corridor between Asqalan (Ashkelon) in the north and Rafah at the Egyptian border – occupies a strategic position on the coastal axis linking Africa and Western Asia (the Levant) and is often referred to historically as the Via Maris. Its geography made it a repeated meeting place for goods, peoples, and ideas and explains why archaeological and textual records show continuous human activity from the Chalcolithic/Early Bronze periods onward (de Miroschedji et al.; Tell es-Sakan excavations). This study synthesizes major published finds and contemporary reporting to outline Gaza’s long-term contributions to Mediterranean and Near Eastern civilization. In the 1947 UN Partition plan, the strip was much larger than it is now (and being demolished). Estimates of 200,000 to as many as half a million perished in the past two years of Israeli onslaught on that land (3/4 women and children, and most of the residents are refugees from the Nakba of 1948-1950).


A view of Tell es-Sakan

Recent archaeological work has shown that the Gaza littoral hosted urban settlements as early as 8,000 years ago. Excavations at Tell es-Sakan (discovered during construction work in 1998 and excavated by teams including de Miroschedji) reveal mud-brick urban deposits, storage contexts and evidence for a mixed agricultural-maritime economy during the Early Bronze Age. Such evidence indicates that Gaza’s coastal settlements were part of the emergent urban economies of southern Levant and were in contact with contemporaneous Egyptian administrative and economic activities. The Tell es-Sakan sequence places Gaza within the first waves of coastal urbanization in the eastern Mediterranean.

During the 2nd millennium BCE the Gaza littoral was integrated into the Canaanite network and repeatedly intersected with Egyptian imperial interests. Archaeological assemblages (imported pottery, architecture and small finds) and Egyptian texts show that southern Levantine coastal sites functioned as waystations and focal points for goods moving between the Nile, the Levantine interior and the Mediterranean. Excavation reports and regional syntheses emphasize Gaza’s position as part of coastal exchange networks during this period.

The Iron Age coastal transformation included the arrival (or intensification) of Aegean-influenced material culture in the southern Levant — the so-called Philistine phenomenon — of which Gaza was one of the principal polities in the Philistine pentapolis (Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, Gath). Philistine pottery styles, new craft traditions and evidence for specialized workshops and maritime activities attest to cultural fusion between local Canaanite traditions and incoming Aegean elements. Although modern development has limited large-scale excavation directly inside some parts of Gaza City, comparative work from neighboring coastal sites and site surveys indicates Gaza’s role within this dynamic maritime and craft network.

From the Persian through the Hellenistic and Roman periods Gaza sustained major port facilities and urban morphology demonstrating integration into Mediterranean trade networks. Archaeologists have identified the ancient port installations often called Anthedon (sometimes identified with the Balakhiyya/Blakhiya/ Tell Iblakhiyya area north of Gaza) and Maiuma (the port quarter associated with Gaza) among the principal maritime facilities. Excavations and rescue archaeology, including Franco-Palestinian missions at Anthedon, and the 2023 discovery of a substantial Roman-era cemetery (with lead sarcophagi) near Jabaliya, testify to a complex, economically engaged society with elite burial practices and broad Mediterranean connections.

Byzantine churches (recorded on medieval maps such as the Madaba mosaic) and early Islamic administrative records show continuity of urban life and the adaptation of port and land networks and continued fluporsihing economy as well as peaceful coexistence of Christians and Muslims from 6th to 20th century AD. During the Mamluk periods coastal fortifications and administrative structures continued to emphasize the strategic importance of Gaza. Under Ottoman administration and into modernity Gaza functioned as a regional market center and waypoint for caravan and coastal traffic; travelers’ accounts and administrative records document a long continuity of agricultural production, market exchange, and civic life. Throughout its history this heroic strip of territory defeated mighty armies and inspired legendary victories while continuing to prosper [that is until this recent genocide which is not only unprecedented in the region but globally).

Recent decades have seen important archaeological discoveries (e.g., Tell es-Sakan publications, Anthedon excavations, the Roman-era Jabaliya cemetery) alongside increasing concern about threats to sites. Scholarly analyses and investigative reports emphasize the twin pressures of conflict, urban development, coastal erosion and inadequate heritage management on Gaza’s archaeological record. International teams and local scholars have collaborated in rescue excavations, but wartime destruction and damage to heritage structures have been reported (notably during the conflicts of 2023–2024), raising urgent ethical questions about documentation, local stewardship, and international responsibility for preservation and reconstruction.

Our own environmental studies in the area some using detailed satellite images/remote sensing show 1) rich biodiversity, 2) decimation of the tree cover and habitats (see Yin et al. 2025). Thus, there is devastation for both natural and cultural heritage of this rich area.

Gaza also enriched is with thousands of scholars and contributors to human civilization. Here are just a random selection

Silvanus of Gaza (d. ~311 CE) – Early Christian bishop of Gaza who was martyred during the Diocletian persecution. He is remembered as one of the earliest Christian leaders in the region.

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Question related to this article:

Presenting the Palestinian side of the Middle East, Is it important for a culture of peace?

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Aeneas of Gaza (~5th century) – Neo‑Platonic philosopher and Christian convert, associated with the Rhetorical School of Gaza. He wrote philosophical works that merged classical philosophy with Christian thought.

Dorotheus of Gaza (~500–560/580) – Monk and ascetic teacher near Gaza, author of spiritual discourses that influenced early Christian monasticism and ethical thought.

Sulayman al-Ghazzi (c. 940–1027) – A Christian bishop and poet in Fatimid Palestine, Sulayman al-Ghazzi was the first known Arab Christian poet to write religious verse in Arabic. His diwan (poetic anthology) offers insights into Christian life during the era of caliph al-Hakim. 

Ibn Qudama (1147–1223) – A prominent Hanbali jurist and theologian, Ibn Qudama was born in Gaza and is renowned for his works on Islamic jurisprudence, including al-Mughni, a comprehensive legal encyclopedia. 

Abu Bakr al-Nabulsi – A 17th-century Islamic scholar from Gaza, al-Nabulsi was known for his contributions to Islamic jurisprudence and theology, particularly within the Shafi’i school of thought. 

Shady Alsuleiman – A contemporary Islamic scholar and imam, Alsuleiman is recognized for his work in Islamic education and community leadership, focusing on promoting understanding of Islamic teachings in modern contexts. 

Ayman Hassouna – A Palestinian archaeologist and university lecturer, Hassouna has worked extensively on excavations in Gaza, including the Byzantine Church of Jabalia, contributing significantly to the understanding of Gaza’s ancient history. 

Sufian Tayeh (1971–2023) – A physicist and educator, Tayeh served as the president of the Islamic University of Gaza. He was known for his work in physics and applied mathematics and was tragically killed in an Israeli airstrike in December 2023. 

Mohammad Assaf (b. 1992) – Singer from the Gaza Strip who gained fame by winning Arab Idol, becoming a symbol of hope and cultural pride for Palestinians.

Dr. Refaat Alareer (1979–2023) – A Renaissance scholar from Gaza, Alareer was a professor and writer who contributed to academic and cultural discourse. He was killed during the 2023 conflict, leaving a legacy of intellectual engagement.

Conclusion: Early urbanization and administrative activities in Gaza contributed to the regional network of production, storage, and exchange that underpinned complex societies in the Near East. Acting as a coastal conduit, Gaza facilitated the transmission of commodities and material culture between Egypt and the broader Levantine-Mediterranean economy. Port infrastructure, long-distance maritime commerce, specialized fisheries and the movement of Mediterranean goods and ideas through Gaza contributed directly to the economic vitality and cultural pluralism of the region. Technological and stylistic exchange (ceramics, metallurgy, textile production, and ship-related crafts) that flowed through the Gaza littoral influenced craft traditions across the southern Levant and beyond.The Gaza littoral’s long-term contributions to civilization are best understood as a combination of (1) geographical advantage (coastal route and hinterland productivity), (2) sustained maritime and land exchange networks that carried goods and ideas, (3) local craft and agricultural production that fed regional markets, and (4) repeated cultural contact zones that produced hybrid forms of material culture and religious life. Gaza’s sustained role as a market, agricultural supplier, and transport hub helped to link inland and coastal economies for centuries, transmitting crops, commodities and cultural practices. This was an essential contribution to circum-Mediterranean coastal communities and over 30 countries have direct connections to Gaza. Gaza’s archaeological record informs broader historical narratives of Mediterranean connectivity. Preserving that record is necessary for reconstructing local histories that feed into global understandings of ancient economies, religions, and technologies and is an essential component of knowledge to shape a peaceful future that is not repeatedly marred by genocides and holocausts (due to colonialism, imperialism).

References

Al-Houdalieh, S. H., et al. (2024). Heritage and Conflict in Gaza [report/PDF]. (ResearchGate summary).

Andreou, G. M. (2024). Establishing a baseline for the study of maritime cultural … International Journal of Nautical Archaeology (summary online).

Forensic Architecture. (2022). Living Archaeology in Gaza. Forensic Architecture. Retrieved from Forensic Architecture website. 

International news report: Associated Press. (2023, September 24). Archaeologists unearth the largest cemetery ever discovered in Gaza and find rare lead sarcophagi. AP News. 

The Guardian. (2025, March 17). Gaza’s heritage sites destroyed by war. The Guardian. (reporting on 2023–2024 damage and restoration efforts). 

UNESCO World Heritage Centre. (n.d.). Anthedon Harbour / Blakhiyya (tentative listing and site information). UNESCO Tentative Lists. 

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Tell es-Sakan; Anthedon; Maiuma. Wikipedia. (Used as quick references to excavation histories and site identifications — consult field reports and excavation monographs for primary data).

Yin, H., Eklund, L., Habash, D., Qumsiyeh, M. B., & Van Den Hoek, J. (2025). Evaluating war-induced damage to agricultural land in the Gaza Strip since October 2023 using PlanetScope and SkySat imagery. Science of Remote Sensing. Vol. 11: Article 100199
 
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The Global Sumud Flotilla: Over 50 ships will set sail for Gaza

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article from the Peoples Dispatch

In July 2025, a new international maritime initiative was launched: the Global Sumud Flotilla. It was formed by four major coalitions: the Global Campaign to Return to Palestine, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the Maghreb Sumud Convoy, and the Southeast Asian Nusantara Sumud Initiative. The Global Sumud Flotilla is set to depart on August 31, 2025. Its goal is clear: to break Israel’s illegal blockade on Gaza, to deliver urgent humanitarian aid, and to expose the genocidal war waged on Palestinians. 


Photo from Al Jazeera

The flotilla is composed of dozens of small civilian vessels carrying activists, parliamentarians, doctors, and trade unionists, alongside humanitarian cargo. More than 39 national delegations have pledged participation, making this the largest people-led maritime effort in solidarity with Gaza since the 2010 “Mavi Marmara”.

Behind every flotilla passenger lies a story of conviction. Greek trade unionists brought banners pledging workers’ solidarity with Palestine. Doctors from Spain and Italy carried vital medicines banned from entering Gaza. Parliamentarians from South Africa and Norway insisted that breaking the siege is a moral and political duty.

This is not the first flotilla of its kind this year. The “Handala” and “Madleen”, two of the Freedom Flotilla’s flagship vessels, also set sail in an attempt to break the blockade of Gaza. However, they were attacked by drones and stormed by Israeli forces. Passengers were beaten, kidnapped, and deported. Phones were confiscated, activists were interrogated, and many went on hunger strike to protest their detention. The attack was not just on the Freedom Flotilla; it was an attack on the principle of global solidarity itself.

The Global Sumud Flotilla insists that its mission is entirely lawful under international maritime law. Civilian vessels carrying humanitarian aid in international waters are protected under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Israel’s interception of the “Handala” and “Madleen” constitutes nothing less than piracy and a war crime.

The flotilla’s organizers remind the world that Israel has maintained a land, air, and sea blockade on Gaza since 2007. As they prepared for upcoming missions, flotilla spokespeople declared:

“Our boats carry more than aid. They carry a message: the siege must end. The greater danger lies not in confronting Israel at sea, but in allowing genocide to continue with impunity.”

Criminalizing solidarity, violating international law

In recent months, Israel has escalated its campaign to silence international solidarity with Palestine by targeting civilian flotillas attempting to break the Gaza blockade. These ships, carrying activists, aid, and a message of defiance against siege, have become symbols of global resistance. Instead of engaging through diplomacy or respecting humanitarian principles, Israel has resorted to force on the high seas, treating peaceful civilian missions as military threats.

The assaults on the “Handala” and “Madleen” are more than acts of piracy, they are grave breaches of international law. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) guarantees freedom of navigation in international waters. By seizing vessels outside its territorial jurisdiction, Israel has acted as a rogue state.

International legal experts have consistently affirmed that the blockade of Gaza since 2007 constitutes collective punishment, violating the Fourth Geneva Convention. The International Criminal Court has received multiple submissions documenting Israel’s starvation siege, now exacerbated by open genocide. Yet governments that loudly invoke “rules-based order” remain silent when Palestinians, and their supporters, are the victims.

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Question related to this article:
 
How can we best express solidarity with the people of Gaza?

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Instead of protecting citizens, western governments have facilitated Israel’s repression. Passengers aboard the flotillas were stripped of their phones, interrogated, and some were denied re-entry into the Schengen zone. Western states’ silence amounts to complicity.

Some detainees launched hunger strikes in Israeli prisons to protest their abduction. Others returned home to smear campaigns. Western right-wing media accused activists of “provocation” or of “endangering security”. Once-beloved Swedish activist Greta Thunberg who joined the “Madleen” flotilla, received attacks from mainstream media, on social media, and from influential political figures. Such tactics aim to delegitimize solidarity and sow fear among those who dare to act.

But these campaigns have failed to extinguish the moral clarity of the movement. From dockworkers in Barcelona refusing to load arms to Israel, to students occupying universities in the US and Britain, the flotilla has become a symbol: solidarity cannot be blockaded.

The human face of global resistance

The Global Sumud Flotilla represents a convergence of struggles across continents:

The Global Campaign to Return to Palestine mobilized thousands of activists worldwide.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, with roots going back to 2010, brings long experience of organizing maritime resistance. 

The Maghreb Sumud Convoy, launched in June 2025, gathered over 1,000 participants from across North Africa under the banner of “coordinated action for Palestine”.

The Nusantara Sumud Initiative, launched from Malaysia and eight other Southeast Asian countries, embodies South–South solidarity inspired by Palestinian steadfastness.

Together, these four networks transformed the flotilla from a handful of ships into a people-powered humanitarian corridor. The first official mission is scheduled for August 31, 2025, from Spain, followed by a second launch from Tunisia on September 4, with more than 50 ships expected to participate.

At a press conference in Tunis, organizers emphasized that the flotilla is not merely logistical, it is symbolic:

“This will not only be a fleet. It will be a reminder that the world is watching, that Gaza is not alone, and that peoples will not remain silent.”

The Freedom Flotilla is part of a long lineage of resistance at sea. The 2010 assault on the “Mavi Marmara”, in which Israeli forces killed ten activists, shocked the world. But instead of stopping solidarity, it multiplied it.

The Global Sumud Flotilla marks a new stage. By linking Mediterranean ports, North African caravans, and Southeast Asian convoys, it builds a transnational infrastructure of resistance. Its Arabic name Sumud, steadfastness, reflects both Palestinian resilience and the determination of people across the world to act where governments have failed.

Breaking the siege, building the future

The choice is now clear. Israel will continue to attack peaceful ships in international waters, abduct activists, and suppress humanitarian efforts, because the siege is a cornerstone of its genocidal project. Western governments will continue to look away.

But ordinary people, from Greek dockworkers refusing to load weapons for Israel, to Tunisian unions welcoming flotilla missions, to students and parliamentarians raising their voices, are building a counter-power.

The Global Sumud Flotilla is both a lifeline and a warning: Gaza will not be starved into silence, and solidarity will not be blockaded.

As the flotilla prepares to set sail with more than 50 ships, its message resounds across seas and continents: The siege must fall. Gaza must live. Palestine must be free.

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