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Israel ceasefire violations

Israeli forces continue to violate the Gaza ceasefire agreement with Hamas, causing more deaths and destruction across the besieged territory. Two Palestinians, including a child, were killed east of Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza, after an Israeli drone targeted a group of civilians. According to Gaza’s health ministry, another civilan succumbed to injuries sustained in previous Israeli attacks. The Government Media Office in Gaza has reported over 280 ceasefire violations since the agreement took effect. It said Israeli violations have resulted in the deaths of more than 240 citizens so far. The office called on guarantor states to pressure the Israeli regime to halt its violations and fully open Gaza's crossings for aid entry. Israel also handed over the bodies of 15 Palestinians through the Red Cross, increasing the total number of Palestinian bodies received so far to 315. The death toll from the Israeli genocide since October 2023 is near 69,180, with about 170,700 others injured.

Plight of Palestinian abductees

A United Nations Special Rapporteur has confirmed brutal mistreatment of Palestinians abducted by Israeli forces from Gaza, who are kept in the regime’s prisons. Francesca Albanese said evidence shows that Palestinian prisoners from Gaza have been subjected to torture by Israeli prison officials since February 2024. She stressed that Israel continues to be shielded from accountability for its crimes by countries that support it. Her remarks followed a recent report by the daily Guardian, which revealed that Israel is holding dozens of Palestinians in an underground prison known as Rakeft. It added that most of the Palestinian abductees kept there are civilians, who are deprived of sunlight, adequate food, and any contact with their families. Israeli courts have extended their detention through brief video hearings in the absence of lawyers, using the phrase “until the end of the war” as justification. Gaza’s health ministry has confirmed that most of the bodies released by Israel under the Gaza ceasefire agreement show clear signs of torture.

Israel approves death penalty bill

The Israeli Knesset has approved the first reading of a bill that allows the regime to pass death penalty for Palestinian abductees. The regime's lawmakers advanced the draft legislation with thirty-nine votes in favor, and sixteen votes against. The bill will now be referred to a Knesset committee for the final two readings it must pass to become a law. Israeli far-right minister, Ben Gvir, reacted in a statement, saying the death penalty law is critical to the security of the regime. In a separate voting, Knesset also advanced another controversial measure known as the so-called Al Jazeera Law. This bill grants the regime sweeping powers to shut down foreign media outlets without requiring a court order. Israel has not only ordered the closure of Al Jazeera’s offices, but its forces have killed hundreds of journalists in order to prevent transparent coverage of the regime’s crimes in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

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