CrossFireArabia
Montesano Devito, a software engineer, blogs:
The United States spent $38bn on military aid to Israel since 2023!
The U.S. has experienced a 30% increase in homelessness at the same time!
And then he asks:
Wouldn’t it be better to spend this money on American citizens instead of funding genocide?
CrossFireArabia
As part of its ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, Israel is attempting to destroy the security and justice structures in the enclave by undermining public order. Israel’s inhumane strategy is designed to guarantee the Palestinians’ annihilation of one another without resorting to direct military action itself.
In order to spread chaos and insecurity as part of its genocidal war and create disastrous conditions that will result in the destruction of Palestinians in the Strip as a whole, the Israeli army has attempted to target members of the security and civil police forces as well as individuals working to coordinate the entry of humanitarian aid. Since the start of its genocide on 7 October 2023, Israel has been targeting members of these groups or teams while they are working and even while they are in their homes or shelters.
Chaos
The state of chaos brought about by the breakdown of the security system due to the Israeli army’s permitting of organized gangs to enter areas under its military control in order to steal humanitarian aid has resulted in the concerning rise of armed groups. These groups are composed of masked individuals who carry out coordinated attacks against civilians under a variety of pretexts, including “defending aid”, in egregious violation of civilians’ basic rights and dignity, which are guaranteed by international law.
Due to the chaos and the breakdown of the security system in the Gaza Strip, some families have started using weapons to settle disputes among themselves. This has resulted in the rise of individual retaliation and the spread of disputes and revenge through illegal means.
In addition to being a flagrant breach of international humanitarian law, Israel’s approach makes the population’s dire humanitarian situation worse. Israel’s 15-month-long genocide in Gaza has systematically destroyed civilian infrastructure, undermining political institutions and increasing the suffering of the civilian populace in ways never seen before in Gaza.
Masked Men
The Euro-Med Monitor field team has documented numerous instances in which anonymous masked men handcuffed individuals and physically assaulted or shot them—under the guise of these individuals’ involvement in thefts, attacks on private property and aid trucks, or trafficking in stolen goods—either by severely beating them or shooting them in the limbs. These actions are occurring outside of the legal system, i.e. without any legal processes to protect the rights of the accused, including their right to an investigation into accusations made against them. This is a blatant violation of fundamental rights and human dignity, and represents a grave lack of justice.
The systematic Israeli targeting of the police and security systems in the Gaza Strip makes it crucial to find effective mechanisms to control security and maintain community peace. However, any measures must be implemented within the approved legal frameworks, guaranteeing respect for people’s human dignity and the protection of their basic rights without any violations or transgressions.
Deliberate Destruction
The aforementioned violations are part of a deliberate Israeli strategy to destroy the Gaza Strip’s security and justice system by bombing official and makeshift police stations, judicial institutions, and police officers and staff, including local security personnel representing private companies or civil committees. The targeting of Palestinian courts and prisons by gangs backed by Israel in an effort to sow disarray and undermine stability is another example of the violations.
In addition to impairing the police’s capacity to maintain internal security, the Israeli occupation army’s frequent targeting of police officers or their makeshift checkpoints strikes fear in the hearts of the populace and keeps them from using these checkpoints to lodge complaints, which encourages the use of force and increases the tendency for people to take matters into their own hands, further destabilising the weakened security situation.
It is essential to uphold the values of justice and human dignity and to guarantee that those suspected of violating them are treated humanely and with discipline.
Regulating this situation and ensuring that any party tasked with upholding community security follows the law and respects human dignity are obligations of the Gaza Strip’s authorities and the relevant Palestinian factions, particularly Hamas. However, the international community must apply more pressure on Israel to cease attacking the Strip’s justice system and police, which are vital civil institutions. Ending Israel’s crime of genocide and all of its manifestations, including direct and indirect acts intended to systematically exterminate the Palestinian people, is the radical solution to all humanitarian crises in the enclave.
Euro-Med Monitor emphasizes that justice and dignity for the Palestinian people can only be attained by putting an end to Israel’s persistent crimes and violations.
CrossFireArabia
A Brazilian federal court has ordered police to investigate an Israeli soldier, currently in Brazil on vacation, for “war crimes” in Gaza amid Israel’s ongoing genocide.
The order came after the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) announced on Saturday that it filed a complaint against the soldier.
The Belgium-based group supplied 500 pages of evidence including videos and images showing Yuval Vagdani planting explosives in November, 2024, used to destroy infrastructure and buildings in Gaza.
It said “he had participated in “massive demolitions of civilian homes in Gaza during a systematic campaign of destruction.”
In a follow-up statement, the HRF said it had received reports that Israel was seeking to smuggle the Israeli soldier out of Brazil.
“We call on Brazilian authorities to fulfill their responsibilities, protect their judicial process, and ensure justice prevails,” it added.
“This is a historic moment,” said Dyab Abou Jahjah, the group’s chair. “It sets a powerful precedent for holding war criminals accountable.”
Meanwhile, Riad Abu Badwia, a professor of international law, explained that Brazil, as a signatory to the Rome Statute, has the legal authority to prosecute individuals involved in war crimes.
The Brazilian court’s decision could inspire other countries to follow suit and open the door for broader international accountability for Israeli military officials, Abu Badwia added.
In October 2024, the HRF filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) against 1,000 Israeli soldiers for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Gaza.
It said the complaint is “supported by over 8,000 pieces of verifiable evidence – including videos, audio recordings, forensic reports, and social media documentation – demonstrates the soldiers’ direct involvement in these atrocities.”
It noted that soldiers were named and were all “located in Gaza during the genocidal assault, and the evidence reveals their participation in violations of international law.”
It added that it provided evidence that they had taken part in the “destruction of civilian infrastructure … Illegal occupation and looting … Participation in the Gaza blockade … Targeting civilians … Use of inhumane warfare tactics,” which are violations under international law.
The soldiers named include “high-ranking officers and commanders responsible for planning and executing military operations in Gaza,” individuals with dual citizenship, “including 12 from France, 12 from the United States, 4 from Canada, 3 from the United Kingdom, and 2 from the Netherlands,” and soldiers “who have openly boasted about their war crimes on social media,” it explained.
In December 2024, the Israeli military reportedly warned dozens of soldiers against traveling abroad, after some 30 soldiers who served in Gaza genocide had war crimes complaints filed against them. Soldiers have been identified from videos and images they posted online that were taken during their service in Gaza according to the Quds News Network.
CrossFireArabia
The Israeli government bears full responsibility for the life of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, amid alarming indications of torture and ill-treatment since his detention in late December.
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has received information that Dr. Abu Safiya’s health has deteriorated due to the torture he endured during his detention, particularly while being held at the Sde Teyman military base in southern Israel. Euro-Med Monitor warns of the grave risk to his life, following patterns of deliberate killings and deaths under torture previously suffered by other doctors and medical staff arrested from Gaza since October 2023.
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has documented testimonies confirming that Israeli soldiers physically assaulted Dr. Abu Safiya immediately after he left the hospital on Friday, 27 December 2024. He was then directly targeted with sound bombs while attempting to evacuate the hospital in compliance with orders from the Israeli army.
According to testimonies gathered by Euro-Med Monitor, the Israeli army subsequently transferred Dr. Abu Safiya to a field interrogation site in the Al-Fakhura area of Jabalia Refugee Camp. There, he was forced to strip off his clothes and was subjected to severe beatings, including being whipped with a thick wire commonly used for street electrical wiring. Soldiers deliberately humiliated him in front of other detainees, including fellow medical staff. He was later taken to an undisclosed location before being transferred to the Sde Teyman military camp under Israeli army control.
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has also received information from recently released detainees at the Sde Teyman military camp, confirming that Dr. Abu Safiya was subjected to severe torture, leading to a significant deterioration in his health. This occurred despite him already being injured by Israeli air strikes on the hospital, where he worked tirelessly until the facility was stormed and set ablaze by Israeli forces.
The Israeli army has attempted to mislead the public regarding Dr. Abu Safiya’s detention and torture. Pro-Israeli media outlets circulated a misleading promotional video portraying his treatment as humane, even though he was tortured and humiliated immediately after filming.
Euro-Med Monitor warns of the severe implications of Israel’s denial of Dr. Abu Safiya’s detention, describing this as a deeply troubling indicator of his fate and detention conditions. This denial also reflects a blatant disregard for binding legal standards.
Physicians for Human Rights – Israel (PHRI) submitted a request on behalf of Dr. Abu Safiya’s family to obtain information and facilitate a lawyer’s visit on 2 January 2024. However, the Israeli authorities claimed to have no record of his detention, stating they had no indication of his arrest.
Euro-Med Monitor expresses deep concern that Dr. Abu Safiya may face execution during his detention, similar to the fate of Dr. Adnan Al-Bursh, head of the orthopaedics department at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, who was killed under torture at Ofer Detention Centre on 19 April 2024. Dr. Al-Bursh had been detained along with colleagues from Al-Awda Hospital in December 2023.
Likewise, Dr. Iyad Al-Rantisi, head of the obstetrics department at Kamal Adwan Hospital, was killed due to torture at an Israeli Shin Bet interrogation centre in Ashkelon, one week after his detention in November 2023. Israeli authorities concealed his death for more than seven months.
Dozens of doctors and medical staff remain subjected to arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance in Israeli prisons and detention centres, where they face severe torture and solitary confinement, according to testimonies from former detainees.
The detention of Dr. Abu Safiya must be understood within the context of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, which has persisted for nearly 15 months. His arrest, torture, and potential execution form part of a broader strategy aimed at destroying the Palestinian people in Gaza—both physically and psychologically—and breaking their will.
This strategy includes not only the deliberate destruction of the health sector and the disruption of medical staff operations, particularly in northern Gaza, but also an attack on the symbolic and humanitarian role represented by Dr. Abu Safiya. Despite the grave crimes committed against Kamal Adwan Hospital, its staff, and patients, especially in the past two months, Dr. Abu Safiya remained unwavering in his dedication to providing essential medical care and fulfilling his medical duties.
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor calls on all concerned states, international entities, and UN bodies to take immediate and effective measures to secure the unconditional release of Dr. Abu Safiya. His fundamental rights to life, physical safety, and dignity must be protected, shielding him from torture or any cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
Euro-Med Monitor also urges international and local human rights organisations to be granted full access to visit Dr. Abu Safiya, monitor his health condition, provide necessary medical treatment, and ensure he is free from human rights violations until his release.
Furthermore, Euro-Med Monitor reiterates its call for the United Nations to deploy an international investigative mission to examine the grave crimes and violations faced by Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons. It calls for the immediate release of those detained arbitrarily, for international and local organisations to be granted visitation rights, and for detainees to have access to legal representation.
Euro-Med Monitor expresses regret over the continued inaction of Ms. Alice Jill Edwards, the Special Rapporteur on Torture, who has failed to address these atrocities. It condemns her bias and deliberate negligence in fulfilling her mandate and calls for her dismissal. A new Special Rapporteur who is neutral and committed to universal human rights principles must be appointed.
Additionally, Euro-Med Monitor urges the Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances to conduct immediate and thorough investigations into crimes committed by the Israeli military in Gaza. It calls for direct engagement with victims and families, as well as for reports to be submitted to pave the way for investigative committees, fact-finding missions, and international courts to prosecute Israeli crimes, hold perpetrators accountable, and compensate victims in line with international law.
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor renews its call for relevant states and entities to fulfil their legal obligations to halt the genocide in Gaza. This includes imposing a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel, holding it accountable for its crimes, and taking effective measures to protect Palestinian civilians. Immediate steps must also be taken to prevent forced displacement, ensure the return of residents, release arbitrarily detained Palestinians, and facilitate the urgent entry of life-saving humanitarian aid into Gaza without obstacles. Finally, Euro-Med Monitor demands the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the entire Gaza Strip.
CrossFireArabia
Following the news that five more detainees from the Gaza Strip have been killed in a 24-hour period, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor urges the United Nations to take swift action. The UN must send an international investigative mission to look into the grave crimes and violations that Palestinian prisoners and detainees endure in Israeli prisons and detention facilities.
Premeditated killings
Since the October 2023 start of Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, the number of crimes involving premeditated killing, killing under torture, torture, ill-treatment, and enforced disappearances of Palestinian prisoners and detainees—particularly those from the Strip—has increased at an unprecedented rate in the prisons and detention facilities operated by the Israeli army and prison administration authorities. Given the methodical and pervasive way in which these crimes are committed in Israeli prisons and detention facilities, they cannot be regarded as the isolated behaviours of individual perpetrators.
Three detainees from the Gaza and Northern Gaza governorates have been confirmed dead by Euro-Med Monitor. One of them, Mohammed Rashid Saeed Al-Akka (43), was killed in the Negev Prison today (Monday 30 December). He was arrested by Israeli forces in October 2023 at a military checkpoint on Salah Al-Din Street, south of Gaza City, while being forced to move from the Zeitoun neighbourhood to the southern Strip after his neighbourhood and the school-turned-shelter where he had sought safety were both destroyed.
The second detainee, Samir Mahmoud Al-Kahlout, was taken into custody by the Israeli army on 25 October 2024, while he was being treated at Kamal Adwan Hospital. He died on 3 November 2024, just nine days after being taken into custody—the result of ongoing torture that was concealed until yesterday (Sunday 29 December).
Death in Israeli Jail
Ashraf Muhammad Fakhri Abd Abu Warda (51), a resident of Jabalia, in the north of the Strip, was the third detainee. He was arrested on 20 November 2023, while being forced to flee from Jabalia to the southern section of the Strip, and died on 29 December in Israel’s Soroka Hospital, two days after being moved from the Negev Prison to the hospital. Notably, his family has said that he had no health issues.
The fourth inmate was 58-year-old Zuhair Omar Al-Sharif, who had been in custody since 7 October 2023. While he was employed in Israel, he was arrested by the occupation. Al-Sharif was married and had six children. Euro-Med Monitor notes that his family has said that he did not have any health issues. He was killed on 18 October 2023.
The fifth victim was 57-year-old Muhammad Anwar Labad, who was arrested by the Israeli occupation army on 18 November 2024, during his displacement from the north to the south alongside his family. He was married and had eight children. Before his arrest, he suffered from liver cirrhosis and diabetes. He died on 27 November 2024.
The recent deaths of these detainees bring the total number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees killed in Israeli prisons and detention facilities since 7 October 2023 to over 54, including 35 incarcerated individuals from the Gaza Strip. According to former detainees’ testimonies, the true number of victims could be more than twice as high.
Euro-Med Monitor stresses that, given the systematic and pervasive nature of these crimes and the complete immunity enjoyed by their perpetrators, whether at the judicial, political, military, or social levels in Israel, crimes committed in Israeli prisons and detention facilities cannot be seen as isolated behaviours committed by individual “bad apples.”
Pervasive
In addition to the dozens of Palestinians who have suffered physical and psychological injuries with irreversible effects and are now disabled as a result of being subjected to one or more of the 40+ forms of torture and ill-treatment reported by survivors, dozens of prisoners and detainees in Israeli prisons have died in recent months due to harsh detention conditions, torture, and ill-treatment practices. These crimes frequently start at the time of arrest and continue throughout the investigation and detention phase, right up until the moment of release.
In addition to the unprecedented rise in direct and indirect killings of prisoners and detainees, the international community’s continued silence regarding the facts and documented reports of killing, torture, ill-treatment, and rape in Israeli prisons and detention centres, as well as the crime of genocide that has affected all Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and led to the killing and wounding of roughly 7% of them, has given Israel the go-ahead to continue committing these crimes and even intensify them.
In addition to being acts of genocide against the Palestinian people, the crimes committed by the Israeli army and other Israeli security forces against Palestinian prisoners and detainees from the Gaza Strip are also full-fledged war crimes and crimes against humanity. This is especially true given that the crimes are routinely carried out against Palestinians with the intention of destroying them as a people, including by killing them and causing them severe physical and psychological harm through torture, mistreatment, and sexual violence, including rape.
All nations and relevant international organisations must act swiftly and forcefully to prevent Israel’s systematic, pervasive crimes of killing, torture, and other grave violations against Palestinian prisoners and detainees to further intensify. These nations and relevant groups must also immediately and unconditionally free those who are arbitrarily detained, permit visits from qualified local and international organisations to all Israeli facilties, and allow victims to hire attorneys.
These crimes must be investigated by the International Criminal Court, and it is imperative that they be added to the list of charges brought against Israeli officials.
The UN Human Rights Council must fire Alice Gill Edwards, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, for her demonstrated inability to carry out her mandate, her bias, and her wilful failure to complete her assigned tasks, as she is clearly unable to effectively and impartially address the grave crimes that Palestinian prisoners and detainees endure. Additionally, a new Special Rapporteur must be appointed who is neutral, unbiased, and steadfastly committed to universal humanitarian principles, without discriminating against victims or aggressors based on their race, nationality, religion, or any other status.
In order for the fact-finding and investigation committees and international courts to consider, investigate, and conduct trials regarding Israeli crimes, hold those responsible accountable, and compensate the victims in accordance with the rules of international law, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances must perform prompt and thorough investigations into all crimes committed by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, communicate with the victims and their families, and submit reports on the findings to all pertinent parties.
