criticism of the IDF

Palestinian Forum in Britain launches campaign to secure the release of Dr Hossam Abu Safiya

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Red Ribbons campaign by the Palestinian Forum in Britain in support of Dr Hussam Abu Safiyyah and Palestinian detainees

The Palestinian Forum in Britain (PFB) has announced the launch of a new solidarity campaign calling for the release of Dr Hossam Abu Safiya and all Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli occupation prisons. The campaign will take the form of a calm, symbolic action titled the “Red Ribbons Campaign”, to be held on Saturday 20 December at Oxford Circus in central London, at 1:00 pm.

The Forum explained that the event is neither a demonstration nor a protest march, but a silent, peaceful act of solidarity. Participants will hang red ribbons and display specially designed posters carrying clear demands for freedom and justice, conveying a humanitarian message to British and international public opinion about the suffering of Palestinian prisoners.

The Forum invited participants to bring red ribbons if possible, stressing that presence alone is a statement, and that quiet, symbolic solidarity can be more powerful than slogans, particularly amid ongoing attempts to criminalise or restrict pro-Palestine advocacy in the British public sphere.

The red ribbon: a global symbol for the prisoners’ cause

In a clarifying statement, the Palestinian Forum in Britain emphasised that the campaign aims to establish the red ribbon as a global symbol for raising awareness of the Palestinian prisoners’ cause, and to highlight their situation as hostages of the occupation—especially in light of what it described as an “unprecedented escalation in policies of arrest, isolation, starvation and enforced disappearance”.

The Forum noted that the choice of red reflects danger, urgency and the ongoing human bleeding inside prisons, serving as an open call to the global conscience not to normalise silence in the face of these violations.

READ: Israeli court extends detention of Gaza hospital director Hussam Abu Safiya for 6 months

Shocking figures on the reality of prisoners as of December 2025

The campaign draws on documentation by Palestinian prisoners’ rights institutions and figures released by the Israeli Prison Service up to December 2025, which reveal a stark and brutal reality:

  • The total number of prisoners and detainees in Israeli occupation prisons stands at approximately 9,300, the majority of whom are detainees and administrative prisoners, excluding those held in Israeli army camps.
  • The number of sentenced prisoners has reached 1,254.
  • There are 51 female prisoners, including two children.
  • Around 350 child prisoners are being held in Ofer and Megiddo prisons.
  • The number of administrative detainees has reached 3,350.
  • Some 1,220 detainees are classified as “unlawful combatants”—a figure that does not include all Gaza detainees held in army camps, and which also includes Arab detainees from Lebanon and Syria.

The Forum stressed that these figures point to a system of mass detention based on the denial of the most basic legal and human rights, constituting a clear violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.

An open call for solidarity

The Palestinian Forum in Britain concluded its statement by calling on all people of conscience in Britain to take part in the Red Ribbons Campaign, affirming that the prisoners’ cause—foremost among them Dr Hossam Abu Safiya—is not solely a Palestinian issue, but one of justice and human dignity that deserves to remain at the heart of public discourse, regardless of mounting attempts at marginalisation or exclusion.

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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
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
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.
Continue ReadingPalestinian Forum in Britain launches campaign to secure the release of Dr Hossam Abu Safiya

Poll shows growing GOP backlash against taxpayer-funded arms to Israel

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The United States Capitol building is seen in Washington D.C., United States, on December 9, 2025. [Celal Güneş – Anadolu Agency]

A growing share of Republican voters in the United States believe that Washington should end its decades-long programme of taxpayer-funded military aid to Israel, a new poll reveals. The figures are much higher among Democrat voters where the decline in support for Israel is unprecedented. 

Conducted by YouGov and the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) Policy Project, and reported by Responsible Statecraft, the findings mark a sharp shift in Republican sentiment and reflect a broader erosion of public support for Israel in US politics.

READ: The American anti-Israel awakening

According to the survey, 42 per cent of Republican respondents oppose renewing the current Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which allocates $38 billion in US-funded weapons to Israel over ten years. By contrast, only 35 per cent support renewing the deal. The opposition is most pronounced among younger Republicans: 53 per cent of those aged 18 to 44 say US aid to Israel should end.

The poll, which surveyed 1,287 Republican voters in mid-November, arrives as the Biden administration considers whether to renew or renegotiate the existing US–Israel defence agreement, set to expire in 2028. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly seeks to extend the next MoU to 20 years—double the typical duration—but the findings suggest such a move would face even greater resistance. Among Republicans over 45, 40 per cent oppose a longer-term deal.

While the numbers may not yet signal a full-scale departure from pro-Israel orthodoxy among Republican voters, they do indicate mounting discomfort with the financial and political costs of the alliance. Though 51 per cent of Republicans support selling weapons to Israel, support declines sharply—to 38 per cent—when those weapons are paid for by US taxpayers.

READ: The beginning of the end of unshakeable support: Why US public opinion is turning away from Israel

Media consumption habits also appear to influence attitudes: 53 per cent of Fox News viewers support taxpayer-funded military aid to Israel, compared with just 23 per cent of non-Fox viewers. Among the latter, 41 per cent explicitly oppose additional aid.

Despite deepening fractures within the Republican base, the poll reveals near-consensus on at least one issue: 59 per cent support independent US investigations into the killings of American civilians by Israeli forces or settlers. Only 15 per cent oppose such investigations.

The findings form part of a growing body of evidence showing declining bipartisan support for unconditional military assistance to Israel. Recent national surveys have documented historic declines in favourability towards Israel and increased opposition to US arms transfers.

Yet US policy remains largely unmoved. Successive administrations have continued to provide billions in military assistance to Israel, despite rising public scepticism. Critics argue this policy inertia is the result of the disproportionate influence wielded by pro-Israel lobbying organisations, which shield Israel from public scrutiny and democratic accountability.

These critics contend that, even as polls reflect surging opposition—particularly among younger Americans—Washington’s position remains firmly aligned with Israeli interests, undermining the stated US commitment to human rights and international law.

READ: Trump praises Muslim man Ahmed Al-Ahmad for stopping attacker in Sydney

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
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
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.
Continue ReadingPoll shows growing GOP backlash against taxpayer-funded arms to Israel

Israeli army arrests 40 Palestinians in West Bank raids

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Israeli troops search Palestinians who attempted to enter the camp to retrieve their belongings as Israeli army continues its attacks on the Nur Shams Camp in the city of Tulkarem in the West Bank on December 17, 2025. [Issam Rimawi – Anadolu Agency]

At least 40 Palestinians were rounded up by the Israeli army in military raids across the occupied West Bank, a prisoners’ rights group said Wednesday, Anadolu Agency reports.

A child and former prisoners were among the detainees in the raids that targeted the cities of Salfit, Jenin, Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nablus, Tulkarem, and Hebron, the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a statement.

Israeli forces stormed several houses, carried out abusive acts targeting Palestinians, and vandalized their properties during the raids, the statement said.

Witnesses told Anadolu that special Israeli forces, backed by military reinforcements, stormed the eastern neighborhood of Jenin city at dawn and turned a house into a military outpost.

Following the raid, the Palestinian Education Ministry suspended schools in Jenin to maintain the safety of students.

According to Palestinian figures, nearly 21,000 people have been detained by the Israeli army in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023.

READ: Israel blocks Canadian delegation from visiting occupied West Bank

In the central West Bank, illegal Israeli settlers burned two vehicles belonging to Palestinians in Ramallah and painted racist slogans on the walls of homes, local sources told Anadolu.

The Israeli army has escalated its attacks in the occupied West Bank since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023.

Israeli forces and illegal settlers have killed at least 1,097 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, injured nearly 11,000, and detained around 21,000 since October 2023, according to Palestinian figures.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

READ: Israeli forces order demolition of 25 buildings in West Bank

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
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
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.
Continue ReadingIsraeli army arrests 40 Palestinians in West Bank raids

Hamas condemns Knesset committee approval to ban UNRWA services as dangerous step

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Israeli Knesset in Jerusalem on July 24, 2023. [Noam Moskowitz – Knesset – Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images]

Hamas described on Tuesday evening the approval by the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee of a plan to ban essential services to UNRWA offices as a “serious escalation”.

In a statement, the movement said, “The approval by the so-called Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee of a plan to cut essential services, including water and electricity, to UNRWA offices is a dangerous escalation. It is part of a systematic criminal campaign to undermine its humanitarian role for the Palestinian people.”

Hamas called on the international community, the United Nations, and its institutions “to take responsibility and put an end to the systematic targeting of UNRWA by Israel, and to force the occupation to reverse its illegal measures against the agency.”

The movement also urged support for UNRWA to continue “its humanitarian mission to serve and assist the refugees of our people, especially amid the unprecedented humanitarian disaster caused by the occupation in Gaza.”

Earlier on Monday, the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee approved sending a bill to cut water and electricity supplies to a UNRWA offices for a vote.

READ: Israeli police swap UN flag for Israeli flag during raid on UNRWA compound in East Jerusalem

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
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
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.
Continue ReadingHamas condemns Knesset committee approval to ban UNRWA services as dangerous step

30 bodies recovered from Palestinian family under destroyed home in Gaza

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Medical teams retrieve the body of the deceased Palestinian from under the rubble, as they continue search and rescue efforts to locate other family members after a building belonging to the El Halo family collapsed due to heavy rainfall, in the Nasr neighborhood, Gaza Strip, Gaza on December 16, 2025. [Khames Alrefi – Anadolu Agency]

Civil defence teams in the Gaza Strip managed on Tuesday to recover the bodies of 30 people from a Palestinian family, out of 60 who died under the rubble of their home in western Gaza City, destroyed by Israeli airstrikes during the ongoing conflict.

The house is the first site in an organised operation launched by the civil defence on Monday to search for thousands of Palestinian bodies trapped under the ruins of homes and buildings destroyed by Israeli strikes.

In a statement, the civil defence said: “For the second day in a row, our teams have recovered 30 bodies and remains of martyrs, out of 60, belonging to members of the Salem family, who were trapped under the rubble of the Abu Ramadan family home. They were targeted while inside by the occupation in the Al-Rimal area, west of Gaza City.”

The statement added that search operations will continue using limited equipment, including a digger, to recover the remaining bodies from the house destroyed by the Israeli army on 19 December 2023.

On Monday, the civil defence announced the start of organised operations to search for the bodies of Palestinians missing under the rubble of homes and small buildings destroyed by Israel during months of mass attacks in Gaza City.

READ: Gaza Civil Defence continue efforts to recover bodies

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
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
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.

Continue Reading30 bodies recovered from Palestinian family under destroyed home in Gaza