Dr Mahmoud Assaf Sells His Books to Light a Fire

Palestinian Mahmoud Assaf, a PhD holder and author, was forced to make a painful decision to meet his daily needs due to the severe Israeli blockade, rising prices, and lack of humanitarian supplies since the ongoing genocide in Gaza began.

Dr. Assaf may have to sell the books he owns to a clay oven owner, where they will be used to light fire.

For over a year, the Israeli occupation has imposed a severe blockade on Gaza, blocking gas trucks, fuel, and essential humanitarian aid, amid a firewood shortage, forcing thousands of Palestinian families to burn books and other materials to light fires and meet basic needs.

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Kyrie Irving Wears Palestine Chain in Match

Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving showed solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza by wearing a chain with the Palestine flag in the shape of Israel’s land mass.

In a pre-game interview on a San Francisco basketball court Tuesday, Irving, 32, was seen wearing the necklace.

“I’m excited for him (his Dallas teammate Klay Thompson). I want him to be present as much as possible, to really receive the love and the flowers that he deserves. He put in a lot of hard work here, a lot of sacrifice for this organization,” Irving told reporters as Thompson, a former Golden State Warriors guard, returned to Chase Center to play against his ex-team.

“So it’s only right that we support him and show him a lot of love and get ready to compete on the court. It’s going to be one of those games,” Irving added according to Anadolu.

Home team the Warriors beat the Mavericks 120-117 in an NBA Cup game in San Francisco, California.

An eight-time NBA All-Star, Irving is one of the important players in the league and won the 2016 NBA title with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

He had also played for the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets before moving to the Mavericks in 2023.

Last season, Irving attended a post-match press conference wearing a keffiyeh to show solidarity with Palestinians.

Last year, the NBA and Irving’s team the Mavericks confirmed their support for Israel following an October 2023 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas.

Israel has continued a devastating offensive on Gaza since the attack by Hamas, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

Nearly 43,700 people have since been killed in Gaza, mostly women and children, and over 103,000 others injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.

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

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UN Appeals to Israel to Leave Lebanon’s Cultural Sites Alone

The UN urged the protection of cultural heritage sites on Wednesday after reported Israeli airstrikes on Baalbek in eastern Lebanon. 

“Clearly, we do not want to see any harm, tend to people and also to the cultural heritage,” spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference.

“I think one of the things we’ve seen in conflicts in recent years is the destruction of cultural heritage that can never be replaced,” he added according to Anadolu.

His remarks came in response to a question on the situation in Lebanon after a new wave of Israeli airstrikes near Baalbek, which reportedly killed 30 people.

An important urban center in the Bekaa Valley, Baalbek is famed for its towering Roman ruins. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to more than 100,000 residents.

Previous Israeli airstrikes in Douris have destroyed ancient sites.

Israel last month launched a massive air campaign in Lebanon against what it claims are Hezbollah targets in an escalation in a year of cross-border warfare between Israel and the group since the start of Israel’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip.

More than 2,700 people have been killed and nearly 12,500 injured in Israeli attacks since last October, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Israel expanded the conflict by launching an incursion into southern Lebanon on Oct. 1.

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