starving people to death

US lawmakers press CENTCOM chief on deadly Iran school strike

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The remains of the Shajarat al-Tayyiba Primary School, which was bombed on February 28, 2026, resulting in the deaths of 168 students, are seen in the city of Minab, Iran, on March 31, 2026. [Hamid Vakili – Anadolu Agency]

The top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee pressed the CENTCOM chief on Tuesday for answers about a strike that killed more than 150 girls at an Iranian school on Feb. 28, Anadolu reports.

During a US House committee hearing on US posture in the “Greater Middle East and Africa” Rep. Adam Smith urged Adm. Brad Cooper to acknowledge US responsibility for the strike on the school, which Iranian officials say killed 175 people, including more than 150 schoolgirls.

“It’s really pretty clear what happened there,” Smith said, noting that in previous incidents the US military has moved quickly to acknowledge mistakes even while investigations were still ongoing.

“Can you, at this moment, acknowledge that that mistake was made, and that we were responsible for it? It’s something we didn’t want to do, and don’t want to repeat?” Smith asked.

Cooper declined to take responsibility, saying only: “The United States does not deliberately target civilians.”

“Nor are the Iranian people our enemy. The IRGC is the adversary in this case,” he added.

“Admiral, I asked you a very specific question, and I’m curious what the answer is,” Smith said.

“The investigation is ongoing,” Cooper replied.

Cooper said the school is located near an active IRGC (Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) cruise missile base, making the incident “more complex than the average strike,” and pledged transparency once the investigation concludes.

READ: US likely used AI in airstrike that killed 160 schoolgirls: Report

Smith responded: “I do not trust that answer. What we’ve seen out of this Secretary of Defense (Pete Hegseth) and his callous disregard for any sort of rules of engagement or protecting civilian life may make us suspicious.”

He added that the administration’s refusal to acknowledge potential errors is “precisely the reason we are in the hole that we’re in with no way out.”

The Feb. 28 strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab killed approximately 175 people, according to Iranian officials.

Several US media outlets have reported, citing preliminary US assessments, that the school may have been struck by an American Tomahawk missile.​​​​​​​

Preliminary findings

Rep. Sara Jacobs, another Democrat, also pressed the CENTCOM chief on the school strike, telling Cooper that she, in a letter signed by more than half the Democratic caucus members, requested more information about the Minab attack and demanded that the ongoing investigation be made public.

Asked if he could confirm whether the New York Times report, which said the preliminary inquiry concluded that the strike is the US’ fault, Cooper did not deny or confirm.

“I immediately directed a more sophisticated, comprehensive investigation that would be led by an outside organization,” said Cooper. “That is in progress. We’re coming toward the end of it.”

Cooper separately said his staff reviewed all 39 incidents outlined in a separate New York Times report on schools struck during the war, and determined only one, the Minab girls’ school, correlated with a US strike; the other 38 “did not involve US munitions.”

Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton noted President Donald Trump’s remarks demanding “unconditional surrender” from Tehran. “Is that part of the plan?” he asked.

“Congressman, we achieved all of our military objectives,” Cooper responded. “We are presently in a ceasefire, we’re executing a blockade, and we’re prepared for a broad range of contingencies.”

Moulton then asked, “It doesn’t seem to be going well, and I would like to know how many more Americans we have to ask to die for this mistake. Do you know?”

“I think it’s an entirely inappropriate statement from you, sir,” Cooper responded.

When pressed by other lawmakers on whether the war with Iran is over, Cooper responded by saying, “We have a ceasefire.”

Lawmakers also challenged Cooper on reports that Iran has already reconstituted many of its bombed-out missile sites. Cooper rejected the claims. “Those reports are inaccurate,” he said.

The hearing comes as regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in late February. Tehran retaliated with strikes targeting Israel, as well as US allies in the Gulf, including the United Arab Emirates, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire took effect April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. US President Donald Trump later extended the truce indefinitely.

READ: US ‘investigates’ deadly strike on Iran girls’ school; Israel denies involvement

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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 Donald Trump and the killer apes' concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country's economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes’ concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country’s economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
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 ReadingUS lawmakers press CENTCOM chief on deadly Iran school strike

Israel targets farmers with phosphorus shells in southern Lebanon

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Smoke rises following Israeli strikes targeting areas in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, Lebanon on May 17, 2026. [Houssam Shbaro – Anadolu Agency]

The Israeli army targeted farmers in southern Lebanon’s Tyre district with phosphorus shells on Tuesday, while detaining three civilians and wounding another person, according to Lebanese media reports.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) said Israeli forces fired three phosphorus shells near farmers harvesting watermelons in fields near the Mansouri junction in Tyre district.

The farmers fled the area immediately after the shelling and no injuries were reported, the agency said.

Israeli aircraft also struck the towns of Hanawieh and Maarka in Tyre district, according to NNA.

In the same district, the Islamic Health Committee said it recovered the body of a civilian from beneath the rubble of a house in the town of Qana that was hit by Israeli forces Monday, while search operations for other missing people continued.

READ: Israeli strike kills Islamic Jihad commander in eastern Lebanon

In southern Lebanon’s eastern sector, NNA reported that Israeli forces established a checkpoint at the Marjayoun-Halta junction in Nabatieh district near shops previously targeted in shelling attacks.

The agency said Israeli soldiers detained three civilians and confiscated several cellphones from people in the area.

NNA also reported that Israeli warplanes carried out two airstrikes on the town of Dabin in Nabatieh district, while a drone strike early Tuesday targeted a motorcycle on the Kfar Dajjal-Nabatieh road, injuring one person.

The attacks came amid continued Israeli violations of the fragile ceasefire announced on April 17 and extended Friday for an additional 45 days until early July.

Since March 2, Israel has carried out a large-scale offensive on Lebanon that has killed 2,988 people and wounded 9,210 others, while displacing more than 1.6 million people, according to Lebanese official figures.

READ: Maariv: Hezbollah drone attacks raise concerns in Israeli army

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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.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes' concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country's economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes’ concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country’s economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.

Continue ReadingIsrael targets farmers with phosphorus shells in southern Lebanon

Ben-Gvir criticises ICC and vows further escalation

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Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir stands at the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, ahead of an address by the US president in Jerusalem on October 13, 2025. [Chip Somodevilla / POOL / AFP/ Getty Images]

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attacked the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday and vowed to continue escalating measures against Palestinians, following reports that the court is considering issuing an international arrest warrant against him.

Earlier on Monday, British news website Middle East Eye reported that a request had been submitted to the ICC seeking a secret arrest warrant for Ben-Gvir and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

The website did not identify the party that submitted the request. Neither the ICC nor the Israeli government had issued an official comment as of 20:00 GMT.

In a statement, Ben-Gvir said: “I am not afraid and I will not back down. No order from The Hague will stop me from continuing to lead an aggressive policy against terrorists.”

He claimed the court was “protecting terrorists and trying to restrict Israel”, adding: “I will continue to fully support Israeli fighters and act firmly for the security of our citizens. I will not apologise and I will not stop.”

Palestinian and international rights groups have increasingly called for an arrest warrant against Ben-Gvir over what they describe as repeated incitement against Palestinian prisoners, including his backing of a Knesset law seeking the execution of prisoners.

READ: Bennett and Eisenkot hold talks amid efforts to unseat Netanyahu government

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Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes' concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country's economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes’ concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country’s economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
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 ReadingBen-Gvir criticises ICC and vows further escalation

Amnesty International condemns Israel’s move to block Gaza aid flotilla as “shameful and inhumane”

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Protests held in Rome and several other cities across Italy against Israel following the attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla, which aimed to break the blockade on the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid in Italy on May 18, 2026. [Claudia Chieppa – Anadolu Agency]

Amnesty International has said Israel’s insistence on stopping the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was heading towards the coast of the Gaza Strip in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade, is “shameful and inhumane”.

In a post on X on Monday, the organisation said Israel is “once again using military force to stop solidarity activists from delivering aid to the occupied Gaza Strip, all while continuing to commit genocide and inflict immense suffering on Palestinian civilians there.”

It warned, “Israel’s cruel and shameless determination to crush solidarity efforts with Palestinians is aimed at tightening the grip of its unlawful blockade and isolating Gaza from the rest of humanity,” stressing that “cutting off essential supplies to civilians under occupation is a war crime.”

The organisation also said that silence over attacks on peaceful solidarity activists is indefensible.

It expressed serious concern for the safety of activists aboard the flotilla’s vessels, noting that it had previously documented cases of ill-treatment and widespread abuses against activists detained by the Israeli military from ships in the Global Sumud Flotilla during earlier aid missions.

Israeli naval forces have begun intercepting the humanitarian mission heading towards Gaza to challenge the Israeli maritime blockade, according to Israeli media reports.

READ: Spain summons Israeli envoy over Gaza flotilla interception, calls it ‘new violation of int’ law’

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Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes' concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country's economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes’ concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country’s economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
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 ReadingAmnesty International condemns Israel’s move to block Gaza aid flotilla as “shameful and inhumane”

Israel’s Smotrich Responds to ICC Arrest Warrant by Announcing More War Crimes

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Article by Stephen Prager republished from Common Dreams under  Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich takes part in the Jerusalem Day parade at the Damascus Gate in the old city of Jerusalem on May 14, 2026. (Photo by Erik Marmor/Getty Images)

The far-right finance minister announced that he’d respond to an arrest warrant request for his forced expulsion of Palestinians by ordering the evacuation of another West Bank village.

Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, said on Tuesday that the International Criminal Court prosecutor had requested an arrest warrant against him, reportedly in response to his illegal forced expulsion of thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank.

He said he planned to “fight back” by issuing an order to forcibly evict hundreds more Palestinians from their homes in the West Bank.

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During a news conference, Smotrich said he’d been informed Monday evening that the ICC prosecutor had secretly requested a warrant for his arrest in April. A formal warrant has not been announced by the court, and the official charges have not yet been publicized.

The Wall Street Journal reported last year that the prosecutor had been considering seeking an arrest warrant against Smotrich for his role in expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in July 2024 was a violation of the Geneva Conventions because it entailed the forced removal of residents in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The ICC prosecutor was also preparing to issue an arrest warrant against fellow far-right settler politician, Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, though there is not yet any reporting to suggest that this warrant has been issued.

Already, the ICC has issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

In response to the reported warrant request for what the ICC considers a war crime, Smotrich celebrated the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from the West Bank. He boasted of creating “over 100 new settlements” in the occupied territory and “160 farming outposts,” which he said helped Israel to control 247,000 acres of land in the territory.

The United Nations reported in March that over the previous year, more than 36,000 Palestinians in the West Bank had been forcibly displaced by settlement expansion and by violence committed by Israeli settlers.

Smotrich said the court’s issuing of arrest warrants against him and other Israeli leaders was a “declaration of war” and said that “we will respond with war.”

“From today, every economic or other target within my authority to strike—whether as Finance Minister or as a minister in the Defense Ministry—will be attacked. Not with words or gimmicks, but with actions,” he said.

“I announce here and now the first target that will be attacked: immediately after my remarks, we will sign an order for the evacuation of Khan al-Ahmar,” he added.

He was referring to a Palestinian Bedouin village of about 200 people on the eastern outskirts of Jerusalem, which has fought a yearslong legal battle against the Israeli government following orders by Ben-Gvir for it to be demolished to make room for a settlement.

The territory is especially significant because it would link two major settlements in East Jerusalem with the Jordan Valley as part of Israel’s ongoing E1 settlement project, which is aimed at constructing settlements so that they cut the Palestinian-controlled areas of the West Bank in two.

Smotrich, who has led the E1 project, declared last year that the proposal “buries the idea of a Palestinian state because there is nothing to recognize and no one to recognize.”

On Tuesday, Smotrich said his order for Palestinians to leave Khan al-Ahmar would be “only the beginning” of his response to the reported warrant request.

Jasper Nathaniel, an American journalist who reports from the West Bank, explained that “Smotrich just announced the official ethnic cleansing of a Palestinian village in response to the ICC warrant for his arrest.”

Observers pointed out the brazenness of Smotrich’s declaration in the face of an international tribunal.

Adil Haque, a professor of law at Rutgers University and the executive editor of Just Security, noted the remarkable irony: “The ICC office of the prosecutor reportedly requested an arrest warrant for his war crimes, so he announces a new one.”

Along with Ben-Gvir, Smotrich was sanctioned last year by five countries—Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom—which subjected them to travel bans and asset freezes.

Ori Goldberg, an Israeli expert on Middle Eastern studies, said international punishments against Smotrich needed to be even stronger after he announced “as stark a violation of international law as possible.”

“Make the warrants public. Sanction this man and everybody else who foots the bill. EU Leadership—stop making fools of yourselves as the world is torn asunder,” he said. “Show Israelis… the jig is up.”

Article by Stephen Prager republished from Common Dreams under  Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
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.
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it's fun to kill everyone ...
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone …

Continue ReadingIsrael’s Smotrich Responds to ICC Arrest Warrant by Announcing More War Crimes