Rights group reports worsening
humanitarian conditions
in Israeli prisons
December 24th, 7:21pm
(PressTV)
A Palestinian prisoners’ rights group says health conditions in
Israeli prisons are worsening, citing medical neglect,
shortages of vital medicines, and inadequate
follow-up for sick inmates.
The Commission of Detainees’ and Ex-Detainees’ Affairs said in
a statement on Wednesday that its legal team uncovered
extremely severe humanitarian conditions endured
by Palestinian detainees in the Ofer and
Negev prisons.
The commission said the revelation followed field visits
that exposed a distressing reality at detention and
interrogation facilities.
The advocacy group stated that detainees reported a
significant lack of clothing and blankets, leaving
them with no choice but to rely on tattered
and inadequate garments.
It characterized the treatment as a clear breach
of humanitarian and international standards.
According to the commission, Palestinian prisoners also
reported ongoing restrictions on family visits, leading
to significant psychological anguish.
Additionally, they highlighted abrupt and frequent transfers
between different prison sections and facilities, employed
as a means of exerting both psychological and
physical pressure.
The legal team recorded numerous complaints of oppression
and mistreatment, highlighting degrading searches,
collective penalties, and constant restrictions
that violate detainees' dignity and their
fundamental rights.
The commission emphasized that such practices represent
serious breaches of international humanitarian law and
global conventions.
It held the Israeli authorities fully responsible for ensuring the
safety and well-being of detainees, and urged --- immediate
action to put an end to the violations.
In a related development, the Asra Media Office reported that
Israeli officials - had intensified their repressive measures at
the isolation section of Ganot Prison throughout December.
It reported that prison units conducted three consecutive raids
on December 14, 16, and 19, during which detainees were
subjected to beatings and widespread abuse,
indiscriminately.
The office further said severe isolation conditions persist
without any signs of improvement, accompanied by
extreme cold ---- and a lack of even the most
essential life necessities.
It held Israeli officials entirely accountable for the safety of
detainees and the repercussions of their isolation and
repression policies. An urgent appeal was made for
legal and humanitarian action --- to put an end to
the ongoing violations within the prisons.
The conditions under which Palestinian inmates are held by Israel
are deeply concerning....... marked by unsatisfactory hygiene
practices. Additionally ---- these detainees continue to face
ongoing torture, mistreatment, and systemic oppression.
Palestinian prisoners have repeatedly engaged in
prolonged hunger strikes as a form of protest
against their perceived unjust detention.
Human rights organizations report that Israel persists
in breaching the rights and freedoms guaranteed to
detainees, under the Fourth Geneva Convention
---- and international law.
___________________________________________
Diplomacy does not entail
sending bombers... Iran’s
foreign minister tells US
December 24th, 5:17pm
(PressTV)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has rebuked the US
gesture of diplomacy at the UN Security Council, saying
openness to dialogue does not entail bombing the
other side during negotiations.
Morgan Ortagus, the US deputy special envoy for West Asia,
told the Security Council on Tuesday that Washington
remains available for “meaningful” negotiations
with Iran over its nuclear program, but said
the administration of President Donald
Trump will not allow enrichment
on Iranian soil.
Araghchi described the remarks as "a new
definition of diplomacy --------- by the US."
Noting that Washington denies Tehran’s “internationally
recognized rights” to uranium enrichment, Araghchi
said, “This is dictation ---- and not negotiation,
let alone a meaningful one.”
"The world witnessed how we were negotiating when the US
opted to open fire on our people and torpedoed diplomacy,"
Araghchi said, in reference to the Israeli-US aggression
of June.
"We did what we always do: resist and confront those
who assault us, and make sure ------- they regret it.”
Supported by the US, Israel conducted the aggression on
June 13, a few days before the sixth round of indirect
nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington.
More than a week later, the US also entered the war --- by
bombing three Iranian nuclear sites in a grave violation
of the United Nations Charter, international law, and
the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
On June 24, Iran, through its successful retaliatory operations
against both the Israeli regime and the US, managed to
impose a halt to the illegal assault.
“‘Extending the hand of diplomacy’ ---- does not entail sending
bombers and then crow about their failure as a success,”
Araghchi said, urging Washington to “try real, honest
diplomacy ---- instead of attempting to deceive
the world.”
Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations also reacted
to the US remarks. “How touching... to hear lectures on
‘diplomacy’ -- from a party that openly acknowledges
its leading role -- in enabling and coordinating the
Israeli regime’s war against Iran,” the mission
posted on X.
In November, Trump acknowledged the role of the United States
in the Israeli aggression. “Israel attacked [Iran] first. That
attack was very, very powerful. I ---- was very much
in charge of that.”
“Zero enrichment, ultimatums, and coercion wrapped in diplomatic
vocabulary do not constitute negotiations; they merely confirm
that the objective is capitulation, not agreement,” the
Iranian mission said.
The position of the Islamic Republic, it said ------ “is
anchored in the rule of law, not the rule of power.”
_____________________________________
Israel approves 126 illegal units in West
Bank settlement .....evacuated in 2005
December 24th, 5pm
(PressTV)
Israel’s far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has ordered
the construction of 126 settler units..... in Sanur - a former
settlement in the northern occupied West Bank, - thus
defying longstanding international condemnation.
Israeli media reported on Wednesday ----- that Smotrich instructed
the body responsible for approving illegal settlement expansion
to convene a meeting to discuss and approve the new units
at Sanur, a settlement in the Jenin Governorate that was
evacuated in 2005.
In a statement late Tuesday, he said the plan would include
commercial areas, paved roads, and zones for schools
and kindergartens.
Smotrich visited Sanur in August with a group of
extremist settlers, two decades after the
settlement was evacuated in 2005.
Israeli outlets reported that his visit was intended
.........to pave the way for its reconstruction.
The decision follows the Israeli "security cabinet’s" recent
approval of a "highly controversial" project of 19 new
settlements in the West Bank.
Earlier this year, Israel repealed the so-called Disengagement
Law, allowing settlers to return to the settlements of Sanur,
Ganim, and Kadim near Jenin and Nablus.
In September, Smotrich announced plans to annex more than
80 percent of the occupied West Bank, describing the move
as a “preventative step” ------ against countries recognizing
Palestinian statehood.
This furious reaction by Israeli ministers comes after Britain,
Canada, and Australia ---- formally recognized the state
of Palestine.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. Violence has
surged across the region since the regime's genocidal war
began on Gaza in October 2023.
In the last two years, nearly 1,102 Palestinians have been killed
in the occupied West Bank, and nearly 11,000 others --- have
been injured in attacks by the Israeli military and settlers.
Around 21,000 people have also been
abducted by the occupying
regime’s forces.
Rights organizations have been warning that Palestinians
in the West Bank face a growing threat of ethnic
cleansing amid the continuing violence.
In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled
that Israel’s prolonged occupation of historic Palestine
is unlawful -- and called for the removal of all of the
settlements in the West Bank and East al-Quds.
________________________________________
Speaker Berri Extends Christmas Greetings,
Highlights Palestinian Suffering and
Lebanese Resilience
December 24th, at 2pm
(al Manar)
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri extended his Christmas
greetings, highlighting the Palestinian suffering, as well as the
resilience in southern Lebanon, in facing Israeli aggression.
In a statement on the occasion, Speaker Berri Christmas offered
“warmest congratulations and best wishes, to the Lebanese in
general and the members of the Christian sects in particular.”
Speaker Berri said he extends his greetings “from a place that is the
nearest to the Church of Nativity, where joy is reborn on a bloodied
Palestinian face,” and from “St. George Church in Yaroun whose
bells rang this year from atop the rubble which bears witness
to the Israeli aggression.”
The Lebanese speaker said the Christmas this year “announces an
eternal birth of life in face of murder, love in face of hatred, truth
in face of falsehood, and a victory of faith over doubt, joy over
sorrow, hope over pain, and unity over division.”
Speaker Berri also expressed hope that this Christmas will embody
the values shared by both the Gospel and the Quran, urging all
political and social groups in Lebanon....... to reflect these
principles and work together for the nation’s wellbeing.
He invoked a message from Pope Leo XIII, advocating for
a collective commitment to human dignity and faith.
St. George Church, which was mentioned by Speaker Berri’s message
lies in the southern Lebanese border town of Yaroun ----- and was
targeted by the Israeli enemy ----- in November 2023.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
___________________________
Iran condoles with Libya
over death of army chief
in plane crash
December 24th, 10:20am
(PressTV)
Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Haddad was killed along
with seven other people aboard the plane including three
crew members, early on Wednesday.
Iran has offered condolences to Libya over the death of
the country’s army chief following a plane crash.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the crash
of the plane carrying Field Marshal Mohammed al-Haddad,
chief of staff of Libya’s Government of National Unity
forces, was a tragic incident, and conveyed
condolences to the Libyan government
and people, as well as sympathy to
the victims’ families.
The aircraft crashed early on Tuesday while returning
from Ankara to Tripoli, killing all those on board.
Libya’s Government of National Unity said in an official statement
that al-Haddad and four members of his entourage were killed
when a private aircraft crashed near Ankara.
According to Turkish officials, the Falcon 50 aircraft requested
an emergency landing because of electrical failure.. minutes
after it took off from Ankara, but contact was lost.
The tragedy coincides with Libya’s planned Independence Day
celebrations on Dec. 24-25, marking 74 years since the
country’s liberation from Italian occupation, which
will now be observed under three days of
national mourning.
Turkish authorities said Wednesday they had found the cockpit
voice recorder and black box from the crash site, in the
Haymana district near Ankara.
Libya is split between a UN-recognized government in Tripoli,
led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and commander
Khalifa Haftar's administration in the east.
The North African country has been divided --- since a NATO-backed
revolt toppled and killed longtime leader Muammar Kaddafi in 2011.
______________________________________
Palestine Action protesters ------------
demand release of hunger strikers
December 24th, 9:59am
(PressTV)
Outside the UK's Ministry of Justice, there is a demand for
urgent action as the Palestine Action members hunger
strike enters its seventh week.
Chants of 'Free the Hunger Strikers' echo across the street
with protesters accusing the government of political
repression and complicity in the Gaza genocide.
The media has been basically told not to report their story
until now. The story is only now beginning to come out,
so I think that the more we can do to publicize it, the
better. And, that the British government should be
on trial for war crimes, at this point.
Protester 01
Another protest outside the UK’s Ministry of Justice as concern
grows for six Palestine Action prisoners on hunger strike.
Hundreds gather outside UK Ministry of Justice,
demanding the hunger strikers’ release.
The six prisoners, now on hunger strike,
are being held on pre-trial detention.
Some are accused of breaking into a factory owned by Elbit
Systems, Israel's largest arms producer; others allegedly
entered a military base.
None have been convicted.
The campaigners say their conditions are rapidly deteriorating.
Two have had to be hospitalized, raising fears of long-term
injury or death.
Two hunger-striking prisoners affiliated with Palestine Action
have been hospitalized amid mounting concern over the
deteriorating health of activists taking part in a
weeks-long protest.
The way they're being treated in the dungeons, the British
dungeons, is that they do not let them go to hospital.
They take 12 hours, 24 hours, before they get them to hospital,
usually, and I've been to several of these prisons, usually, the
hospitals are a few kilometres down the road.
So it's not as if they're going far away. It's because of the governor
and the prison staff and obviously, the Ministry of Justice behind
us --- who are ordering these things.
Protester 02
Among other things, the hunger strikers are demanding
immediate bail, the deproscription of Palestine Action,
and, the closure of all Elbit sites in the UK.
They're not asking for much. They're remanded prisoners.
They shouldn't be in there. They should be given bail.
And if they're not given bail, and you are going to keep them
in prison for so long, don't torture them in prisons and
treat them like terrorists.
I think the British state has left them with no option
but to do this hunger strike for their freedom.
Nida Jafri, Prisoners for Palestine
Palestine Action proscription High Court review
The UK High Court is reviewing the proscription
of Palestine Action, a group formed in 2020
to oppose Israel.
Critics also accused the Labour government - of bending to
pro-Zionist pressure, by criminalizing direct action - while
protecting arms companies linked to the Zionist regime.
And what they want to do is intimidate people into not
supporting the cause, and make people that might
think I might want to get involved or might not
want to get involved.
They want to scare those people off, which is
why they're extreme with it really, I think.
Protester 03
Despite weeks of protest and pleas, the Ministry of Justice
has refused to meet with the hunger strikers families,
claiming it will set a precedent.
With some of the hunger strikers now hospitalized more than
once, and with the health of others deteriorating, there's a
lot of public pressure for the government to act.
Protesters here are warning that if the government
continues to delay it will be held responsible
whatever happens next.
British protestors arrested for chanting ‘globalize the Intifada’
The UK government has intensified its repression of pro-
Palestinian activists, with arrests for chants like
"globalize the Intifada" deemed racially
aggravated ---- despite the lack of
racial references or violence
in the slogan.
____________________________________________
Former British army officers urge Starmer
to impose full arms embargo on Israel
December 24th, 9:35am
(PressTV)
Four former senior British Army officers have called on the UK
government to impose a full arms embargo on Israel and ban
any involvement with Israeli-owned or Israeli-supported
military companies.
In a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the officers said
current sanctions are insufficient and that the British
government should take stronger measures to
avoid complicity in war crimes, The Times
reported on Tuesday.
The letter was signed by retired Brigadier John Deverell, who
served more than 30 years and was defense attaché in
Saudi Arabia and Yemen during the 2001 World Trade
Centre attacks; Lieutenant General Sir Andrew
Graham, former director-general of the UK
Defense Academy; retired Major General
Peter Currie; and Major General Charlie
Herbert --- a former senior army
commander in Afghanistan.
The former officers criticized claims by a senior Ministry of
Defense source that Israel’s military practices “resemble
our own” ------------ arguing that the Israeli military uses
indiscriminate munitions ----- causing “exceptionally
disproportionate and avoidable civilian fatalities
and the widespread destruction of
civilian infrastructure.”
They highlighted reports of targeted attacks on hospitals,
schools, and other civilian sites, as well as allegations
of detainee torture.
The letter came amid concerns over a planned £2 billion British
Army training contract with Elbit Systems UK, a subsidiary of
the Israeli military company Elbit Systems, which is part of
a consortium bidding for a 15-year contract alongside...
Raytheon UK.
The former officers warned that military collaboration,
including aircraft support and technology transfers,
should be suspended immediately.
Citing recent attacks in Gaza—including one on Friday that killed
six Palestinians, including a baby, in a school sheltering
displaced people—the officers said evidence of war
crimes was “so well-documented and compelling
that the British government should cut all
military collaboration with Israel
forthwith, to avoid the charge
of complicity.”
At least 7 Palestinians killed after
Israeli shelling hits Gaza school
Israeli shelling struck a school in Gaza City on Friday, killing at
least seven Palestinians and injuring others, including children.
Earlier this year, Israeli personnel were banned from enrolling
at the Royal College of Defense Studies, following criticism
that Israeli troops had been trained in the UK during the
Gaza genocide.
The retired officers concluded that “now is not the time to return
to business as usual with the Israeli [regime],” calling for an
immediate halt to military cooperation and a suspension
of all UK involvement with Israeli military entities.
In August, Brendan O’Hara, spokesman for the Scottish National
Party (SNP), wrote in a letter to Starmer that his “Labour
Government cannot sit silent” as Israeli forces
continue their genocidal war on Gaza.
O’Hara outlined several steps the UK must take, including a
full arms embargo on Israel, the immediate recognition of
a Palestinian state, formally joining the International
Court of Justice (ICJ) case on genocide, and
imposing economic sanctions on the
Israeli regime.
He also called on the UK to commit to enforcing international
arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
and his cabinet. He called for the launch of a naval
operation to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip.
The UK government has come under fire for making “exceptions”
to its partial suspension of arms export licenses to Israel,
specifically allowing the continued shipment of
components for F-35 fighter jets.
A case in the UK High Court raised serious concerns in May that
Britain may be complicit in Israel’s genocide in Gaza, as it
continued to supply weapons and military components,
most notably for F-35 fighter jets ------ used in attacks
that have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.
This comes amid Israel’s ongoing breach of a United States-
brokered ceasefire agreement with Hamas, which came
into effect on October 10.
According to a Monday report by the Gaza Health Ministry, 411
Palestinians have been killed and 1,112 injured in Israeli
strikes since the ceasefire began on October 10.
It added that 649 bodies were recovered during the same period.
The ministry said that the overall death toll in Gaza since October
2023 has risen to 70,937, with at least 171,192 people injured.
______________________________________________
Pro-Palestine prisoners pause hunger strike
amid severe health crisis, but vow to
resume fight
December 24th, 9:34am
PressTV)
pro-Palestine prisoners Qesser Zuhrah (L) and Amu Gib (Photo via social media)
Two Palestine Action-affiliated prisoners have temporarily ended their
hunger strikes as their health worsens, while pledging their protest
against the UK government’s treatment of Palestinian activists
will resume in the New Year.
Qesser Zuhrah and Amu Gib have resumed eating, according to a
statement from the Prisoners for Palestine group on Tuesday.
Zuhrah ended her strike after 48 days, while Gib resumed eating after
49 days. Both are being held on remand at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey.
“To our government, do not release your breath, because we will
certainly return to battle you with our empty stomachs in the
New Year, when you have shamefully returned from your
blood-soaked break ------- to the theatrics of your
‘democracy’," said Zuhrah, 20.
Gib, 30, said, “We have never trusted the government with our lives,
and we will not start now. There will be no turkey dinner and break
in the Zionist program of genocide. We are committed to the
resistance of their script, not until Christmas, but for the
rest of our lives … we will be the ones to decide how
we give our lives to justice and liberation.”
Zuhrah’s hunger strike was interrupted after she was refused
an ambulance -- for more than 18 hours at HMP Bronzefield,
sparking a protest outside the prison that was attended
by Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana.
The two were part of a group of eight prisoners on hunger strike
in protest against charges connected to break-ins and property
damage carried out on behalf of Palestine Action, which was
banned under UK terrorism legislation in July.
Palestine Action --- has categorically rejected
the charges and demanded they be dropped.
Four other detainees, Kamran Ahmed, Heba Muraisi,
Teuta Hoxha, and Lewie Chiaramello, remain on
hunger strike.
Prisoners for Palestine issued updated demands on Tuesday,
including transferring Muraisi, currently at HMP New Hall in
West Yorkshire, back to Bronzefield.
A spokesperson for Prisoners for Palestine condemned the
UK prison system for isolating detainees and restricting
access to basic rights.
“The remaining four will continue to refuse food ----- on the basis
of their five demands,” they said ----- “including ending all non-
association orders; Heba’s transfer back to HMP Bronzefield;
and equal access to courses and activities afforded to the
sentenced prisoners. Non-association orders ----- further
isolate prisoners, even when held in the same facility,
and Heba has been moved across the country, away
from her family and support network in London.
Extended remand periods - should not deny
prisoners the same access to programs
as others.”
Earlier this month, Jon Cink and Umer Khalid ended their 41-day
and 13-day hunger strikes for health reasons. Both were
hospitalized and have since returned to prison.
The hunger strike by the eight participants, which began on
November 2, 2025, is the largest in UK prisons since the
1981 Irish hunger strike. All the participants face
charges linked to protests at sites, including
Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems
headquarters in the UK, the Filton
research hub, and Royal Air
Force (RAF) Brize Norton.
____________________________________________
Senior Hamas official: Resistance will
not disarm, demands stronger
ceasefire guarantees
December 24th, 7:07am
(PressTV)
Hamas firmly rejects any attempts to disarm the resistance
movement, warning against foreign interference in
Palestinian affairs, while demanding stronger,
more detailed guarantees for the second
phase of the ceasefire with Israel, a
top Hamas official says.
In an interview with Yemen's al-Masirah on Tuesday, Osama Hamdan
stressed that Hamas will never hand over its weapons to foreign
powers, noting, “The resistance rejects the arrival of foreign
forces to disarm us [and take away] the weapons that the
occupation failed to take from us … The idea of
surrendering weapons is an idea that the
resistance does not accept.”
Hamdan also addressed the ongoing ceasefire with Israel, which
the regime continues to violate, underscoring the need for
clearer guarantees in its next stage.
“In the second phase of the Gaza agreement, the guarantees must
be clearer and the commitments need to be more detailed,” he
said, citing Israel’s repeated violations of previous accords.
“The Zionist enemy does not abide by the agreement, and even
the international agreements that it concludes are subject to
blatant violations,” he said
He warned that Israel’s continued siege of Gaza could signal a
return to hostilities. “The failure to open the crossings is an
indication on the part of Israel that the enemy intends to
return to aggression against the Gaza Strip,”
Hamdan said.
He said that using the blockade as a weapon will not weaken
Palestinian resistance, saying using the siege as a tool of
war when it comes to basic needs ------ "increases the
hostility towards the Zionist entity.”
A Press TV correspondent in the occupied West Bank was injured
after Israeli forces fired rubber bullets while she was reporting
live from a refugee camp.
Condemning the Israeli and US policies in the region, Hamdan framed
them as part of a broader strategy to dominate West Asia militarily.
“The Americans want to impose hegemony on the region, with the
Zionist entity being the foundation of this hegemony,” he said,
adding that disarming the resistance would allow Israel to
wrest absolute control over the entire region.
Despite the ongoing attacks against Palestinians, Hamdan expressed
confidence in the Palestinian resilience, stating, “The resistance is
capable of continuing, and I am confident that the outcome of
this conflict ...will be the demise of this entity."
A US-brokered ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was reached on
October 10, 2025. Under the first phase, Israel was mandated to
open all crossings into Gaza, allowing food and aid to enter
and ending hostilities --- in exchange for the release of
all of the captives held by Hamas.
While Hamas has complied with the agreement, Israel has continued
attacks on Gaza and kept most crossings closed, blocking vital aid.
On Tuesday, the occupying entity’s minister of military affairs, Israel
Katz, said the regime has no plans to fully withdraw from Gaza and
intends to establish new military and agricultural outposts in the
north ---------- a clear breach of the ceasefire.
Gaza Government’s Media Office reported on Monday that Israel has
already violated the agreement at least 875 times, including 265
shootings at civilians, 49 incursions into residential areas, 421
shelling attacks, and 150 home demolitions.
Since the ceasefire began, Israeli attacks have killed
at least 411 people in Gaza and injured 1,112 others.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the overall death toll in Gaza
since October 2023 when Israel launched the genocidal war
has risen to 70,937, with at least 171,192 people injured.
