My understanding is that I am unable to mention many issues contained in this article due to secret court orders: UK judge Gags Palestine Action Defendants to Secure ‘Terror’ Stitch-Up so I won’t do that. What I will say is that the UK government and state has gone to considerable lengths to restrict the rights of Palestine Action defendants and supporters of Palestine Action persecuted for holding signs.
At Woolwich Crown Court, there has been a shocking development in the Filton case, five of the six defence barristers have left the trial following judicial rulings which cannot be reported until the end of the trial.
A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries said today:
“In recent years we have seen judicial rulings that banned climate campaigners from saying the words ‘fuel poverty’ and ‘climate change’ in their trials.
Today we understand a judicial ruling has been given that goes even further, and as a response the legal professionals representing five of the six defendants on trial in the Filton case have no choice but to leave the trial because they have been left with literally nothing they can say in closing arguments.
We should all be alarmed to hear that the legal process has been so corrupted that, today we have lawyers in the UK walking away from a trial because it is impossible for them to do their job of defending their clients.”
The trial of the first six defendants from the group known as the ‘Filton24’ has reached the stage of closing arguments. Five of the six defendants will now be giving their own closing speeches as they have no legal representation.
This is a retrial on charges of criminal damage, after the 6 Filton defendants were acquitted in February 2026 by a jury for the charges of aggravated burglary and violent disorder. The case relates to an action against Elbit’s weapons ‘research and development’ hub in Filton, Bristol, in which they are accused of destroying Israeli quadcopter drones.
Zarah Sultana Exposes ‘Attack on Civil Liberties’ That British Media Can’t Report
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Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said Tuesday Israeli authorities are using access to water as a “weapon” of collective punishment against Palestinians in Gaza, urging the immediate restoration of water supplies and unhindered humanitarian access.
In a new report, the MSF said repeated restrictions on water access form part of a “systematic and cumulative pattern.”
“Israeli authorities know that without water life ends, yet they have deliberately and systematically obliterated water infrastructure in Gaza, whilst consistently blocking water-related supplies from entering,” Claire San Filippo, MSF emergency manager, said.
According to the report, nearly 90% of Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, including desalination plants, pipelines and sewage systems.
READ: Former US official: Iran war is direct extension of ‘Greater Israel’ project
“Palestinians have been injured and killed simply trying to access water,” San Filippo said, warning the deprivation is fueling disease amid overcrowding and a collapsed health system.
MSF said one in five of its water distributions ran dry between May and November 2025 due to shortages and access restrictions.
The group urged Israel to restore water access “at the required levels,” while calling on allies to pressure Israel to stop impeding humanitarian access, including materials needed for water infrastructure.
“The consequences of this deprivation of access to water are far-reaching on people’s health, hygiene, and dignity,” the report said.
READ: Israeli blockade threatens shutdown of only oxygen plant in northern Gaza
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Article by republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).
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The Palestine Centre for Prisoners’ Studies has reported a sharp rise in the detention and abuse of Palestinian children since the outbreak of the war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, documenting more than 1,800 arrests of minors, including some as young as 10.
In a recent report, the centre said these arrests are not random but part of a systematic policy targeting Palestinian children, within a broader escalation of repression. It added that tens of thousands of children have been detained since the beginning of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
The report noted a significant increase in violations since the start of the war, with harsher forms of abuse and torture against children. It highlighted serious practices such as starvation, which it said led to the death of 17-year-old detainee Walid Ahmad from the town of Silwad, inside Megiddo prison, after his health deteriorated due to lack of food and medical care.
According to the centre, arrests are often carried out in “violent and brutal” ways, including night raids on family homes, destruction of property, and the forcible detention of children. They are then transferred to interrogation centres, where they face beatings and humiliation, and are held in conditions lacking basic health standards.
READ: 2 children among 4 Palestinians killed in attacks by Israeli army, occupiers in West Bank
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The Palestinian Media Forum has praised international broadcasters that have chosen to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest, describing the move as a stand “with truth and humanity” amid Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, the Forum welcomed steps taken by broadcasters in Ireland and Slovenia, saying their actions challenge efforts to use the contest to divert attention from events in Gaza.
The Forum highlighted the decision by Ireland’s national broadcaster to fully boycott Eurovision and refrain from airing the event, calling it a “firm political and ethical message” reflecting public opposition to what it described as the use of cultural platforms to obscure Israeli actions.
It also commended Radiotelevizija Slovenija for announcing it would replace Eurovision programming with documentaries and special coverage focused on Palestine, describing the move as a professional and ethical alternative that centres human realities over entertainment.
According to the Forum, the decisions form part of a broader international response linked to the festival, including protests in several European capitals, withdrawals by artists and jury members, and refusals by some media organisations to broadcast the event in opposition to Israel’s participation.
READ: European rejection of emergency aid deepens Palestinian Authority financial crisis
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