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Hamas releases ‘farewell photo’ of 47 Israeli captives amid escalation in Gaza City

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Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas in Khan Yunis, Gaza on February 15, 2025. [Ashraf Amra – Anadolu Agency]

Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Saturday released a photo showing 47 Israeli captives, saying it was taken at the start of Israel’s latest military offensive in Gaza City, Anadolu reports.

The image was accompanied by a caption in Arabic and Hebrew saying: “Because of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s intransigence and [Chief of General Staff Eyal] Zamir’s submission, this is a farewell photo at the beginning of the operation in Gaza.”

Hamas published the picture on its official website, underscoring its position that the fate of the captives lies with the political decisions of Israel’s leadership.

Hamas has repeatedly declared its readiness to conclude a comprehensive deal with Israel to release all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, end the war on Gaza, and ensure the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces.

READ: There is a path to stop ‘genocide still happening daily before us’ in Gaza: Ex-New Zealand premier

However, Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected such proposals, insisting instead on partial arrangements that would allow him to delay and impose new conditions at each stage of negotiations.

Many in Israel and elsewhere have accused Netanyahu of dragging out the war for the sake of his own political survival, ignoring the hostages’ survival.

On Sept. 9, Israel attacked a residential compound in Doha killing five Hamas leaders as they were discussing a US proposal to end the war in Gaza, where nearly 65,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

READ: Berlin concert held in memory of children killed in Israel’s genocide in Gaza

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Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that his active support and that of UK's air force has been essential in Israel's mass-murdering genocide.
Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that his active support and that of UK’s air force has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Vote Labour for Genocide.
Vote Labour for Genocide.

Continue ReadingHamas releases ‘farewell photo’ of 47 Israeli captives amid escalation in Gaza City

Lead corruption investigator removed, protestors arrested in Gambia

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Original article by Nicholas Mwangi republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

Police have arrested several members of the civil society group Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA), including activist Alieu Bah. Photo: screenshot

The arrest and bail release of Gambian anti-corruption activists has ignited concern over government repression. Their detention coincides with the controversial removal of Auditor General Momodou Ceesay, who resisted political interference in corruption investigations.

Political tension is mounting in The Gambia following the arrest of four anti-corruption protesters and the controversial removal of the country’s auditor general. The government’s actions have been condemned as a major setback for democracy and accountability in the West African nation.

On September 15, 2025, the Gambian Police Force arrested several activists, including Alieu Bah and Kemo Fatty. They were detained after police stormed a peaceful gathering near the Auditor General’s office, where protesters had gathered to denounce government corruption and defend institutional integrity. A few hours later, a spokesperson of Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA), Omar Saibo Camara, was also arrested.

Forced removal of the auditor general

The arrests came just days after a dramatic shake-up in the civil service. 

On September 10, President Adama Barrow dismissed Auditor General Momodou Ceesay, who had been leading investigations into looted national assets, and reassigned him to the Ministry of Trade. Many people believe that by placing Ceesay in a ministerial position, the president effectively undermined the independence of the audit office, since ministers serve at the president’s discretion.

On principle, Ceesay refused to accept the reappointment, but the government says he initially accepted and then changed his decision. His stance led to a confrontation on September 13, when police forces reportedly invaded his office with the intention of forcefully removing him.

Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA), in a statement said they had “credible information suggesting that this abrupt redeployment was intended to shield certain institutions, including the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), from much-needed scrutiny. By moving the Auditor General into a ministerial role, the President effectively places him in a position where he can be dismissed at will, thereby undermining the independence of the auditing function.”

“It is worth recalling that since 2021, the government has refused to make public the auditor general’s reports on government institutions. If this latest decision is indeed an attempt to silence oversight and accountability, we strongly condemn it in its entirety.”

Violent crackdown on protest

On September 14, activists from GALA and their allies gathered outside the auditor general’s office to protest the dismissal, and give a press statement.

Further, in a statement, GALA condemned both the removal of the auditor general and the arrests of protestors:

“The forced removal of the Auditor General, a public servant committed to exposing corruption, represents a grave assault on institutional integrity. Equally disturbing is the treatment of young citizens who were tear-gassed, arrested without cause, and subjected to police brutality simply for exercising their constitutional rights.”

Broader implications

The arrests and reshuffle come amid rising frustration with the Barrow government, which swept to power in 2016 on promises of reform, transparency, and accountability after decades of authoritarian rule under Yahya Jammeh. Many Gambians now fear the country is sliding back into repression and impunity.

Read More: “The beginning of a new revolution”: Gambian youth protest state corruption, face mass arrests

GALA has vowed to continue its campaign for transparency and accountability, urging Gambians to “stand up, speak out, and continue to protest peacefully until the Auditor General is reinstated and our comrades Alieu Bah, Omar Saibo Camara, and Kemo Fatty, and all those arrested are released unconditionally.” The activists were granted bail on September 17.

Original article by Nicholas Mwangi republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

Continue ReadingLead corruption investigator removed, protestors arrested in Gambia

Will Eurovision uphold Israel’s colonial genocide?

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This photograph shows the logo of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 displayed on a screen at the end of the dress rehearsal for the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 at the St. Jakobshalle arena in Basel on May 14, 2025. [Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images]

by Ramona Wadi

Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Iceland have declared their intention to not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is allowed to take part. In response, Eurovision’s director Martin Green issued a weak statement that can only be classified as impunity for Israel. “We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East,” Green stated. “It is up to each member to decide to take part in the contest, and we would respect any decision broadcasters make.”

The statement completely misses the point. Five countries have declared they will not participate in the contest if Israel takes part, because Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. This not an opinion, but a stance. To distance Eurovision from the intentions declared by these five participating countries is not a sign of respect, but a decision to exclude a principled stance in order to accommodate a genocidal colonial entity’s inclusion. In the name of neutrality, which only serves impunity for genocide in this case, Israel is being allowed unquestioned access to the competition while those calling for accountability are being excluded on account of taking a principled stance.

In 2022, the European Broadcasting Union banned Russia in a bid to support Ukraine. Yet despite almost two years of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, the EBU has not sought to ban Israel from participating in the context. The EBU is mirroring the general political stance that has prevailed not only since 7 October, but since the 1947 Partition Plan – Zionism can get away with anything because it derives its support from European colonial ideology and the institutions and initiatives promoting the colonial interpretation of neutrality. 

READ: Spain to officially boycott Eurovision if Israel remains in contest amid Gaza war

According to Green, the EBU is consulting “to gather views on how we manage participation and geopolitical tensions” in relation to Eurovision.

But consulting is merely a euphemism for stalling on accountability and strengthening Israel’s impunity. By mid-December this year, all countries need to confirm or decline participation in the next Eurovision Song Contest. There is still time for countries to take a principled stance against Israel’s genocide in Gaza and change the levels of impunity in the name of neutrality from within.

Participating countries can make or break Eurovision. While the politics directly supporting Israel’s genocide in Gaza are what needs to be altered, because diplomatic, economic and military support for Israel are enabling the annihilation of Palestinians in Gaza, Eurovision sets the scene for a heavily publicised stance against genocide, and one that cannot be easily ignored. 

The EBU may dictate the rules, but as Green stated, it is up to each member to decide to participate. This can be an opportunity to highlight autonomy over neutrality, and more importantly, to illustrate the presence of politics in every event. There is no neutrality in the EBU allowing Israel to participate, and there is no neutrality in countries deciding not to participate based on Israel’s participation in Eurovision. However, this also creates a level playing field if neutrality is acknowledged to be non-existent. Without the illusion, the truth is revealed – that of institutions creating space for colonialism and genocide and the opportunity to rise against complicity in the annihilation of Palestinians in Gaza. 

BLOG: Genocide admissions and international silence

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Vote Labour for Genocide.
Vote Labour for Genocide.

Continue ReadingWill Eurovision uphold Israel’s colonial genocide?

“Starmer’s instinct was to stand by Peter Mandelson, despite the evidence” say Greens

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Green party leader Zack Polanski (Green Party of England and Wales). Image: Bristol Green Party Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.
Green party leader Zack Polanski (Green Party of England and Wales). Image: Bristol Green Party Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

Responding to the news that Lord Mandelson has been sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the United States, Green Party Leader, Zack Polanski, said:

“Starmer’s instinct was to stand by Peter Mandelson, despite the evidence. His resignation now isn’t a matter of principle; it’s simple political expediency. It’s a symbol of a broken politics where the same insiders always fail up. How long until Mandelson ends up in a high-paid consultancy somewhere? While another washed-up former Westminster insider ends up in Washington? His resignation, like his original appointment, is a sign of a dirty, broken political system.”

Continue Reading“Starmer’s instinct was to stand by Peter Mandelson, despite the evidence” say Greens