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FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA - FREE PALESTINE
 July wk4 P2 -- July wk 4 -- July wk 4to3 -- July wk3 P3 -- July wk3 P2 --  July wk3 -- July wk2 P3 -- July wk2 P2 -- July wk2 -- July wk1 P3 --   Click here for an overview by week in 2024
 

Special reports: TRIBUTES TO MOTHERS AND CHILDREN July 12, 2024 Noor Alyacoubi - "I'm fighting to keep my baby alive" and other stories Mothers and children: Boom-And again Boom

Special report: July 12, 2024: Scorched Hospitals - Schools -  Housing - Bodies -- fake or fact?

July 23 - 22, 2024 Editorial note: we all know that the genocide continues but... please do read all about the actual news and facts and especially do read to the end that really calls out to end it NOW!

July 22 - 19, 2024 <<International Court of Justice calls on Israel to end occupation of Palestinian territories 'as rapidly as possible' and other actual news below but most with a 'give way or go away' yell!

July 18 - 15, 2024 "Gaza's impossible living conditions: 'If we don't die under the bombs, we'll die a slow death'" Food for thought: The question is what the non-Palestinian people incl. politicians and sorts will do to ease their conscience? Gino d'Artali all actual news below but most with a 'give way or go away' yell! Click here to go throughout July and earler, 2024

June 14, 2024 Palestinian-Jordanian journalist Hiba Abu Taha sentenced to one year in prison

Related news: July 11, 2024: Media organizations demand access to Gaza July 2 2024: Arrests of Palestinian journalists since start of Israel-Gaza war   Click here for earlier stories/news

May 23, 2024 In commemoration of Roshdi Sarraj and tribute to Shrouq Al Aila

 
When one hurts or kills a women
one hurts or kills hummanity and is an antrocitie.
Gino d'Artali
and: My mother (1931-1997) always said to me <Mi figlio, non esistono notizie <vecchie> perche puoi imparare qualcosa da qualsiasi notizia.> Translated: <My son, there is no such thing as so called 'old' news because you can learn something from any news.>
Gianna d'Artali.



More genocidal killings
Jinha - Womens News Agency - July 23, 2024
<<At least 39,090 Palestinians killed in Gaza since Oct.7
At least 39,090 Palestinians have been killed and 90,147 others injured in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, the Gaza's health ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
News Center- Israel has been waging a war on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023. At least 39,090 Palestinians have been killed and 90,147 others injured in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, the Gaza’s health ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. Israel conducted eight <massacres> in different parts of the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours, killing at least 84 Palestinians and injuring 329 others, the ministry added, stressing that there are many bodies under rubble and the civil defense crews cannot reach them due to ongoing Israeli attacks.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/at-least-39-090-palestinians-killed-in-gaza-since-oct-7-35420

France 25 - July 23, 2024
<<Israeli strikes kill scores, wound hundreds after Gaza evacuation order
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Monday that an Israeli operation in the main southern city of Khan Yunis killed 70 people and wounded more than 200, after Israel warned its forces would <forcefully operate> in the area. Thousands of Palestinians fled southern areas of the territory following the Israeli army's temporary evacuation order for parts of Khan Yunis, including the Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone.>>
Source incl. video:
https://www.france24.com/en/video/20240723-israeli-strikes-kill-scores-wound-hundreds-after-gaza-evacuation-order

France 25 - July 23, 2024 - By: NEWS WIRES
<<Hamas and Fatah sign 'Beijing declaration' for a joint post-war governance of Gaza
Hamas announced Tuesday it had signed an agreement in Beijing with other Palestinian organisations, including rivals Fatah, to work together for <national unity> and govern Gaza jointly after the end of the conflict with Israel. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who hosted the Palestinian groups, said they had agreed to set up an <interim national reconciliation government> to oversee post-war Gaza. Hamas announced Tuesday it had signed an agreement in Beijing with other Palestinian organisations including rivals Fatah to work together for <national unity>, with China describing it as a deal to rule Gaza together once the war ends. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who hosted senior Hamas official Musa Abu Marzuk, Fatah envoy Mahmud al-Aloul and emissaries from 12 other Palestinian groups, said they had agreed to set up an <interim national reconciliation government> to govern post-war Gaza. <Today we sign an agreement for national unity and we say that the path to completing this journey is national unity. We are committed to national unity and we call for it,> Abu Marzuk said after meeting Wang and the other envoys. The announcement comes more than nine months into a war sparked by Hamas's October attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. The militants also seized 251 hostages, 116 of whom are still in Gaza, including 44 the Israeli military says are dead. Israel's retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 39,000 people, also mostly civilians, according to data from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
The relentless fighting has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis.
China has sought to play a mediator role in the conflict, which has been rendered even more complex due to the intense rivalry between Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, and Fatah, which partially governs the occupied West Bank. Israel has vowed to keep fighting until it destroys Hamas, and world powers including key Israeli backer the United States have scrambled to imagine scenarios for the governance of Gaza once the war ends.
Neither Israel nor the United States would sanction any post-war plan that includes Hamas, which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Washington. While it is unclear whether the deal announced in Beijing on Tuesday can hold, it does indicate that the only world power that can engineer a rapprochement between the Palestinian rivals is China. As Tuesday's meeting wrapped up in Beijing, Wang said the groups had committed to <reconciliation>. <The most prominent highlight is the agreement to form an interim national reconciliation government around the governance of post-war Gaza,> Wang said after the factions signed the <Beijing declaration> in the Chinese capital. <Reconciliation is an internal matter for the Palestinian factions, but at the same time, it cannot be achieved without the support of the international community,> Wang said. Fatah official Mahmoud al-Aloul thanked China for its <unending support> for the Palestinian cause. <To China, you have our love, you have all our friendship, from all the Palestinian people,> he said. Notably, he did not mention whether any agreement had been reached with Hamas and the other factions.
Also present at Tuesday's meeting were envoys from Egypt, Algeria and Russia, according to Wang. Egypt, which neighbours Israel and Gaza, is a key mediator in the conflict. Algeria is a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, and has drafted resolutions on the war. And while Western powers have sought to isolate Russia over its Ukraine invasion, China has maintained its strategic partnership with Moscow.
'Peace and stability'
China, Wang said, was keen to <play a constructive role in safeguarding peace and stability in the Middle East>. He also called for a <comprehensive, lasting and sustainable ceasefire>, as well as efforts to promote Palestinian self-governance and full recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN. Hamas and Fatah have been bitter rivals since Hamas fighters ejected Fatah from the Gaza Strip after deadly clashes that followed Hamas's resounding victory in a 2006 election. Fatah controls the Palestinian Authority, which has partial administrative control in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Several reconciliation bids have failed, but calls have grown since the Hamas October attack and nine-month war in Gaza, with violence also soaring in the West Bank where Fatah is based. China hosted Fatah and Hamas in April but a meeting scheduled for June was postponed. China has positioned itself as a more neutral actor on the Israel-Palestinian conflict than its rival the United States, advocating for a two-state solution while also maintaining good ties with Israel. And it has sought to play a greater role in the Middle East in recent years, facilitating last year's historic rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
(AFP)>>
Source:
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240723-hamas-announces-national-unity-deal-with-palestinian-rivals
Related:
<<Israel slams Beijing deal to include Hamas in post-war Gaza government...>>
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240723-israel-slams-beijing-deal-to-include-hamas-in-post-war-gaza-government

France 25 - July 23, 2024 - By: NEWS WIRES
<<Israeli government allocates millions to unauthorised West Bank settler outposts
The Israeli government has allocated $20.5 million to protect small, unauthorised Jewish farms in the occupied West Bank, aiming to develop them into settlements. Documents uncovered by Peace Now reveal that Israel's pro-settler government has discreetly funneled money into unauthorised outposts, separate from its over 100 officially recognised settlements. The Israeli government has budgeted millions of dollars to protect small, unauthorised Jewish farms in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, underwriting tiny outposts meant to grow into full-fledged settlements, according to an anti-settlement monitoring group.
Documents uncovered by Peace Now illustrate how Israel's pro-settler government has quietly poured money into the unauthorised outposts, which are separate from its more than 100 officially recognised settlements. Some of those outposts have been linked to settler violence against Palestinians and are sanctioned by the US. Palestinians and the international community say all settlements are illegal or illegitimate and undermine hopes for a two-state solution. The Ministry of Settlements and National Mission, which is headed by a far-right settler leader, confirmed it budgeted 75 million shekels ($20.5 million) last year for security equipment for <young settlements> - the term it uses for unauthorized Jewish farms and outposts in the West Bank. The money was quietly authorised in December while the country's attention was focused on the war against Hamas in Gaza. Peace Now said the funds have been used for vehicles, drones, cameras, generators, electric gates, fences and new roads that reach some of the more remote farms. The group estimates approximately 500 people live on the small, unauthorised farms and 25,000 more live in larger outposts.
Those outposts, while not officially authorised by the government, often receive tacit support before they are retroactively legalised. Hagit Ofran, director of Peace Now's <settlement watch> program, said the funding was the first time the Israeli government has channeled money to the outposts so openly. Rights groups say the expanding network of remote farms atop West Bank hilltops are the primary drivers of violence and displacement of Palestinians. In the last month alone, Israel's government has legalised five formerly unauthorized settlements and made the largest land grab in the West Bank in three decades, declaring a wide swath of the territory state land in preparation for new construction.
Palestinians say violence by people associated with these farms has soared since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, which sparked Israel's war against the militant group in the Gaza Strip. On Friday, the top United Nations court said Israel's presence in the Palestinian territories is unlawful and called for an immediate halt to settlement construction. Prime Minister Binjamin Netanyahu quickly denounced the nonbinding opinion, saying the territories are part of the Jewish people's historic homeland. Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza - areas claimed by the Palestinians for a future state - in the 1967 Mideast war. It has settled over 500,000 Jews in the West Bank, most of whom live on authorized settlements, in addition to over 200,000 others in contested east Jerusalem, which it claims as part of its capital. Netanyahu's far-right government is dominated by West Bank settlers and pro-settler politicians. Netanyahu has placed his finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, in a new position inside the Defense Ministry overseeing settlement construction and development. The United States, Britain, and the European Union have imposed international sanctions on 13 hard-line Israeli settlers, some of whom are associated with the outpost farms - as well as two affiliated outposts and four groups - over accusations of attacks and harassment against Palestinians. The measures are meant as a deterrent, and they expose people to asset freezes and travel and visa bans, though the freezes have been less effective. The office of Orit Strock, the Minister of Settlements and National Mission, said the funds were coordinated with the Defense Ministry and <carried out in accordance with all laws.> It added that Strock, herself a longtime settler leader, <sees great importance in strengthening settlements> despite international condemnation. The budget was approved in December and predates the sanctions. The government did not publish a list of the farms and outposts that received funding, so it's unclear if the sanctioned farms and outposts are among them. But it's likely that at least some of them are since the budget supported 68 of the nearly 70 farms identified by Peace Now, Ofran said. The number of farms has since grown to more than 90. Peace Now said it learned of the funding decision from recordings and presentations shared at a conference of the pro-settler Religious Zionism Party last month at the <Shaharit Farm> outpost in the northern West Bank. Strock and Smotrich were in attendance. US officials including President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have repeatedly raised concerns about the surge in settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Israel's former top general in the West Bank raised similar concerns in a recent retirement speech. Israel has said it is taking action against such attacks and argues that the sanctions are unnecessary.
(AP)>>
Source:
https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20240723-israeli-government-allocates-millions-unauthorised-west-bank-settler-outposts

France 25 - July 22, 2024 - by: Susya (Palestinian Territories) (AFP)
<<Susya (Palestinian Territories) - West Bank village lives in constant fear of Israeli settler raids
<<The stress shows on the face of Samiha Ismail who since October 7 has been stuck in her home in an occupied West Bank village that lives in constant fear of attack by Israeli settlers. The day after the Hamas raid into southern Israel, settlers entered Susya, a hilltop village in the south of the West Bank, vowing retribution and <humiliation>, the 53-year-old Palestinian recalled. More than nine months on, Ismail is among 450 inhabitants who spend most of the day indoors. Even their sheep are not allowed out of their sheds. <Every time we take them to pasture, the settlers chase us,> the panicked Ismail told AFP. Instead, the sheep of Israeli settlers now dot the nearby hills. Susya's inhabitants say their livelihood has gone. One international aid group has sent counsellors to help Susya residents with their mental health. <Before the war, we would have defended our land, but today nobody moves,> she said. The settlers are armed and protected by the army, she added, and her husband and son have been <beaten up> several times. Israeli authorities did not respond to AFP's questions about violence in the region.
Land grab
Since the start of the Gaza war, Israeli settlement of the occupied West Bank -- considered illegal under international law -- has hit new records.
Excluding annexed east Jerusalem, some 490,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank alongside some three million Palestinians. In June, the Israeli government declared more than 12 square kilometres (4.5 square miles) of the West Bank to be state land, the largest land appropriation since the 1993 Oslo Accords set out the foundations for land use in the territory. Land that is declared as Israeli state property can be used for more settlements. In addition, 25 settlement outposts -- not even authorised by Israel -- have sprung up across the West Bank since the start of the year, according to Peace Now, a settlement watchdog. Men in military fatigues have meanwhile raided Susya at night, kicking down doors and looting property including donkeys and mules, locals told AFP. Some have even entered houses at night to intimidate residents. <Most of us no longer sleep at night,> Ismail said. Mohamed al-Nawajaa, 78, was born before the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians when Israel was created in 1948 -- known as the Nakba, or catastrophe, to Palestinians. <After October 7, they took all these hills. We were kicked out in 1948, 1967... and now again in 2024. But this land is ours,> the shepherd said, his head wrapped in a traditional keffiyeh scarf.
'Gun to the head'
The October 7 attack that sparked war in Gaza resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. Militants also seized 251 hostages, 116 of whom are still in Gaza, including 44 confirmed dead. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 39,006 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to data from the health ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. Since the war erupted, violence has soared in the West Bank, with at least 579 Palestinians killed in violence with settlers or Israeli troops, according to the Palestinian authorities. At least 16 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in attacks involving Palestinians, according to official Israeli figures. Nawajaa said his biggest concern is his grandchildren. He does not let them leave the house. He said the settlers had struck him and left him lying on the floor of his house. Others in the village have had similar experiences.
<They come at night, around 3:00 am. They say 'this house is mine',> he told AFP.
The harassment has frayed nerves in Susya. The Doctors Without Borders (MSF) charity set up tent clinics this year due to concerns for the villagers' mental health. <There is no doubt that this is the biggest problem here,> Simona Onidi, an MSF coordinator, told AFP. <We can't talk about post-traumatic disorder here. It's never post, it's a permanent trauma.> Abdul Rahim al-Nawajaa is despondent for the future. <The suffering is endless>, said the 60-year old Bedouin as he pruned his acacia tree, the only one left standing since his olive trees were <vandalised>. Settlers killed his father a few years ago in a dispute over a sheep, and have demolished Abdul's house <several times>. <The settlers act in total impunity. A soldier might put a gun to your head and you can't do anything,> the shepherd said.
Fears of a new forced exodus stalk Susya. But Mohamed al-Nawajaa defiantly declared: <We will stay in our houses>.
Pointing to the ground, he added: "We will live on our land and we will die here."
2024 AFP>>
Source:
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240722-west-bank-village-lives-in-constant-fear-of-israeli-settler-raids

France 25 - July 22, 2024
<<Gaza war 'intensified threats against Israeli athletes' heading to Paris Olympics
The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has <intensified threats against Israeli athletes> participating in the Paris Olympic Games, ABC Correspondent Jordana Miller told FRANCE 24, adding <in any year, this would be a very high stakes security risk for Israelis going to the Olympic Games>.>>
Source incl. video:
https://www.france24.com/en/video/20240722-israel-hamas-war-intensified-threats-against-israeli-athletes 


At least 20 Palestinians killed
Jinha - Womens News Agency - July 22, 2024
<<At least 20 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes on Khan Younis
Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes killed at least 20 Palestinians near Khan Younis after the Israeli military ordered civilians to temporarily evacuate from part of its designated humanitarian zone in southern Gaza.
News Center- Israel has carried out attacks on the Gaza Strip for 290 days. The Israeli military has intensified its attacks on Khan Younis. Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes killed at least 20 Palestinians and injured dozens of others near Khan Younis after the Israeli military ordered civilians to temporarily evacuate from part of its designated humanitarian zone in southern Gaza, Al-Aqsa TV reported on Monday.
Thick smoke rose over Rafah
Thick smoke rose over Rafah when the Israeli military targeted civilian settlements in the Tel al-Sultan and Saudi neighborhoods, west of Rafah, Al-Aqsa TV said, stressing that Israeli drones were flying over the Nuseirat refugee camp.
Evacuation order
Amid the latest Israeli attacks in Khan Younis, the health officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis urged residents to donate blood through a statement published by the Gaza's Ministry of Health because of the large number of casualties being rushed into the medical center. The Israeli military has ordered civilians to temporarily evacuate from part of its designated humanitarian zone in southern Gaza to launch an operation against Palestinian armed groups and told residents to head to the al-Mawasi humanitarian area.
At least 38,983 Palestinians have been killed and 89,727 others injured in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, the Gaza's health ministry said in a statement on Sunday.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/at-least-20-palestinians-killed-in-israeli-strikes-on-khan-younis-35411

Food for thought and rapid supportive action: "US action on a two-state solution in Israel-Palestine cannot wait..."

Al Jazeera - 23 July 2024 - By Sultan Barakat and Erin McCandless
<<US action on a two-state solution in Israel-Palestine cannot wait
Establishment of a viable Palestinian state will be the key to ending this conflict. So how do we get there?
As Gaza is decimated and millions of Palestinians there desperately try to hold on to life without shelter, food, water or adequate medical care, the Israeli cabinet continues to <legalise> settlement outposts in the West Bank - deepening challenges for a viable two-state solution. In blatant defiance of international law, Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich framed the most recent settlement expansion decision on June 27 as retaliation against the recent recognition of a Palestinian state by several European countries, promising, <For every country that unilaterally recognises a Palestinian state, we will establish a settlement.> While this promise is the natural next step of Israel's long-term strategy of annexing the Palestinian territory under its occupation, the blackmailing inference suggests an awareness of illegal settlements as the linchpin of Israeli efforts to block continued peace efforts. It also reveals how and why this conflict cannot be solved by the Israelis and Palestinians alone. Although before October 7 Palestine was recognised as a sovereign state by 143 of the 193 United Nations members, it is the recognition by European states that most threatens Israel's colonial settlement project and its far right's determination to make it impossible for the Palestinians to pursue independence. In addition to the multifaceted economic, security and diplomatic relationships it has with Europe, the unique and complex history around the Holocaust that justified the establishment of a Jewish state is central to how Israel defines itself as a refuge for Jews worldwide today.
Horrified by the humanitarian disaster unleashed on Gaza and reflecting a growing movement in global public opinion, Ireland and Norway, followed by Spain and Slovenia, recognised Palestinian statehood based on the 1967 borders. Soon after, Malta affirmed its readiness to do the same <when the time is right>. These bold moves, taken after the United States, on April 17, vetoed a widely backed UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution that would have paved the way for full UN membership for Palestine, pushed the number of European states recognising Palestine to 12, including Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Sweden, and the total number of UN member states to 147. The recognition alone is not the solution, but a step towards a sustainable solution. Recalling how his people once made a similar plea for international recognition of their independence, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar described the two-state solution as <the only credible path for Israel, Palestine, and their peoples>. In addition to wide international consensus, a two-state solution is premised on the right of self-determination and respect for the rights of both peoples on the one hand, and sheer pragmatism on the other. It offers a realistic compromise given the demographic reality of having two peoples on one land. Even Hamas, long opposed to Israel's existence, has recently indicated a willingness to disarm if a Palestinian state were established. The roots of the two-state concept can be traced back to the 1947 UN Partition Plan (Resolution 181), which proposed dividing the British Mandate of Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states. The 1993 Oslo Accords marked a significant milestone, establishing mutual recognition between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and promised the materialisation of an independent Palestine by May 1999. This led to the founding of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and setting a framework for future negotiations on core issues. The accords failed to produce a two-state solution for several known reasons. These include ambiguity in the agreement (on borders, Jerusalem, refugees) that led to divergent interpretations and growing distrust, weak political will and leadership, the failure to address core divisive narratives and to stop extremist elements on both sides from serving as spoilers, especially after the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, which significantly hardened the Israeli position towards a peace settlement. However, it is the continuation of state-sanctioned Israeli settlement expansion in occupied territory, which dramatically altered demographic realities on the ground, that serves as the primary obstacle to the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state and the realisation of a two-state solution. Despite these setbacks, the international community has consistently reaffirmed support for a two-state solution. It remains the only credible path to peace and the only basis for sustaining it. Reflecting the wide member-state consensus that exists on this path, the UN has passed some 800 resolutions dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian issue, with several pivotal ones explicitly supporting two states. UNSC Resolution 242 (1967), for example, called for Israeli withdrawal from occupied Palestinian territory and recognition of every state's right to live in peace within secure and recognised boundaries. Critics argue that a two-state solution is no longer viable due to settlement expansion, security concerns, and historical and religious claims to the entirety of the land on both sides. However, these obstacles, while significant, are not insurmountable. Other seemingly intractable conflicts, such as those in Northern Ireland and South Africa, have found resolution through compromise and dialogue. Moreover, alternative proposals like a binational state or confederation model face even greater practical and political hurdles. A two-state solution remains the only approach with broad international support and a track record of progress, however limited.
What then should be the next steps for securing a two-state solution?
First, the momentum to recognise Palestine as a state must be maintained, with those states that have recognised it recently actively advocating for the remaining few to do so, in particular the US and the United Kingdom. Despite the US's <ironclad> support for Israel in Gaza, now is the time to put international pressure on Washington, as President Joe Biden does not necessarily oppose Palestinian statehood, but believes it will only come from direct negotiations between the parties. A second Trump administration, which the polls show could well be in power in a matter of months, will fare far worse for this path. Trump’s stated opposition to a two-state solution (based on Palestinian support for Hamas) is at odds with every American president who has engaged the issue. The conditions are equally ripe for applying pressure on London. The British Labour Party, which won a landslide in a hard-fought election and formed a new government earlier this month, has pledged to recognise a Palestinian State <as a contribution to a renewed peace process which results in a two-state solution>. Second, support for the two-state solution in Israel should be nurtured and built upon. Despite the Netanyahu-led Israeli government vehemently opposing a two-state solution, it is important to recognise that the two-state solution has centrally featured in Israeli politics since the 1990s, with the majority of prime ministers supporting the notion, albeit under certain conditions, such as demilitarisation of the Palestinian state. While Israeli society fluctuates on this topic - understandable in a protracted, violent conflict where media is constricted - the majority seems to accept the notion according to various polls. In the context of an Israeli leadership focused on peace, the support would likely be higher. The Israeli voices who seek peace, security and dignity for all should be amplified, especially in light of the far right’s increased efforts to demonise and sideline them since October 7. Third, although efforts to achieve reconciliation between Hamas and the PA have intensified since October 7, partly thanks to China's facilitation, more needs to be done for the Palestinians to capture the current momentum of recognition. Hamas's expressed willingness to join the PLO to form a unified government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank must be built upon and the PA must come forward with a comprehensive and inclusive governance reform plan. But in order to achieve this, the international community must first ensure the safety of the Palestinian people by offering protection, at least for a transitional period. Fourth, Israeli settlements must be reversed. There is no question that, to achieve peace, illegal Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian territory need to be rolled back. Last week's International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on the issue - which determined that Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and should come to an end <as rapidly as possible> - should provide a roadmap.
The surge in settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem since October 7 has reminded the world that continued colonisation is incompatible with the creation of a viable Palestinian state and thus sustainable peace. For the first time, France, the UK, the US and later Germany and Poland have applied sanctions against Israeli individuals responsible for such violence (albeit a small number).
Finally, while many Palestinians and critical analysts understandably dismiss discussions of <the day after> as the killing continues in Gaza, to prevent another cycle of rebuilding and decimation, steadfast attention must urgently be paid to core issues underpinning sustainability. First and foremost, as countless peace processes have revealed in the past and peace theorists have long argued, for negotiations to succeed, parties need to be on relatively equal footing. International support for Palestine in the form of statehood recognition can help balance the scales. Addressing structural legacies of injustice and issues driving the conflict is essential for fostering trust and cooperation. To achieve sustainable peace and a viable two-state solution, and prevent another cycle of violence, a comprehensive plan must also be put in place to ensure security for both nations, and crucially related, Palestinian economic independence. Beyond the exorbitant costs of rebuilding Gaza (estimated by the UN at $40bn and taking some 16 years), Palestinians will need reliable and comprehensive financial support from the international community to lay the ground for a viable, self-sufficient state.
Ultimately, action on a two state solution will require political will - notably by the international community - to move this process in the right direction of history, towards a viable and sustainable peace. This means moving beyond minimalist goals of a ceasefire, and towards embracing a more transformative process that engages the latest ICJ findings on Israel's illegal occupation, to prepare the ground for a two-state solution. Biden's role is vital in this regard - offering him a swan song as he departs the political stage.
The views expressed in this article are the authors' own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.>>
Source:
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/7/23/us-action-on-a-two-state-solution-in-israel-palestine-cannot-wait

but...

Al Jazeera - 22 July 2024 - By Ali Harb
<<Biden's legacy is Gaza genocide, Palestinian rights advocates say
As politicians laud US president’s character, critics say Biden will be remembered for his support for Israeli 'crimes'. Democratic politicians and commentators in the United States have heaped praise on President Joe Biden since he dropped out of the 2024 presidential race on Sunday.
Representative Maxine Waters, for instance, called Biden a <kind and decent man>. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, extolled his <vision, values and leadership>. But while political leaders showered Biden with compliments, bombs continued to rain down on Gaza, killing dozens and sparking another wave of mass displacement in Khan Younis. For many Palestinian rights advocates, the carnage and abuses in Gaza will define Biden's place in the history books, as the US remains steadfast in its support of Israel's war in the Palestinian territory. <He'll be remembered for the hundreds of thousands killed, injured and displaced in Gaza,> said Abed Ayoub, the executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). <There is no way around it. 'Genocide Joe' is what he's going to be remembered as.> Since Israel's war on Gaza started on October 7, Biden has offered the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unconditional military and diplomatic support. Only once did Biden withhold a shipment of bombs to Israel over humanitarian concerns - and even then, he released part of that cargo a couple months later, amid pressure from Netanyahu. Israel's war, meanwhile, has killed nearly 39,000 Palestinians, displaced hundreds of thousands, fuelled a man-made hunger crisis and destroyed large parts of the territory. United Nations experts and other observers have warned of a <risk of genocide> in Gaza.
Ayoub told Al Jazeera that, despite Biden’s domestic achievements, the president will rank among the worst in US history due to his unconditional support for Israel. The US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR) echoed that comment. <Nothing will erase the fact that Biden's legacy is - and always will be - genocide,> the group said in a statement.>>
Source:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/22/bidens-legacy-is-gaza-genocide-palestinian-rights-advocates-say  

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