Israel Sentences Dr Abu Safiya
British human rights activist Sarah Wilkinson writes: An Israeli [kangaroo] court sentences Director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital Dr Hussam Abu Safiya from north Gaza, to six months jail-without-trial.
British human rights activist Sarah Wilkinson writes: An Israeli [kangaroo] court sentences Director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital Dr Hussam Abu Safiya from north Gaza, to six months jail-without-trial.
Senior staff writer, podcast producer Alan Macleod says this cartoon was made 13 years ago, but it very much reflects the Israeli Gaza massacres today.
The missiles launched by the Houthis at Israel do not make a significant military difference, according to military expert Major-General Fayez al-Duwairi. However, he said they confirm the failure of the US airstrikes to destroy the group’s capabilities and reveal the contradictions in Israeli statements regarding the interception of these missiles.
In an analysis of the military situation on Al Jazeera, al-Duwairi asserts that the Israeli military’s statement about the interception of the missile launched, Monday, before it entered Israeli airspace contradicts its statement about interceptor debris falling west of Jerusalem and south of Tel Aviv.
The fact that these debris fell on these areas, in al-Duwairi’s opinion, means that the missile bypassed Israeli air defenses, whilst confirming the Houthis’ possession of sonic missile technology. He added that this is something not many countries possess.
The fact that air raid sirens sounded only in Jerusalem and greater Tel Aviv, but not in the rest of Israel, confirms that the missile was not detected until it reached these specific areas, al-Duwairi said.
Confusion in Israeli Society
Whilst the Houthi missiles will not bring about a military change, according to the strategic expert, they put Israeli society on almost daily alert, disrupting daily life, and proving that the intensive US air campaign has not prevented the Houthis from launching attacks.
The Houthis’ launch of an eighth missile in just a few days demonstrates the failure of intensive US strikes to stop these attacks. The failure of Israeli defenses to detect the missiles before they entered Israeli airspace is a qualitative advantage for this Yemeni group.
As for the missiles that the Palestinian resistance has begun launching in the past few days, they carry more political than military messages, according to al-Duwairi, because it is impossible to compare the resistance’s capabilities today with those of the beginning of the war nearly 18 months ago.
However, the resistance’s ability to bombard greater Tel Aviv, as it did two days ago, confirms that it has a stockpile of missiles capable of causing disruption within Israel.
Yesterday evening, the Israeli Home Front Command announced that air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem and its suburbs, as well as in more than 200 towns and cities in central Israel, as a result of a missile launched from Yemen.
The Israeli military said it intercepted the missile with its Arrow missile system before it entered airspace. However, sources confirmed to Al Jazeera that explosions were heard in areas of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and the coastal region south of Tel Aviv following the launch of a missile from Yemen.
Israel’s Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request to lift a freeze on his government’s decision to dismiss Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet security agency, official media reported.
The court, the nation’s highest judicial body, ruled that Bar cannot be removed before April 8, when justices will review opposition petitions challenging the dismissal, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported according to Anadolu.
However, the court permitted Netanyahu to interview candidates for Bar’s replacement.
Last Friday, Netanyahu’s government decided to end Bar’s tenure on April 10, unless a permanent successor is appointed earlier.
The Supreme Court then issued a temporary injunction halting the move until the April 8 hearing, following petitions from opposition parties and NGOs.
These groups, including Yesh Atid, National Unity, Yisrael Beytenu, the Democrats, and the Movement for Quality Government, argued the dismissal reflects a “serious conflict of interest” tied to Shin Bet investigations involving Netanyahu and the agency’s report blaming the government for the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
Netanyahu defended his push to oust Bar, asserting the decision falls within governmental authority and should not be subject to judicial oversight.
He cited a “lack of trust” in Bar, rooted in the fallout from the Oct. 7, 2023 attack. This marks the first time an Israeli government has moved to fire a Shin Bet chief.
Bar himself hinted at political motives, suggesting Netanyahu sought “personal loyalty” he refused to provide. Meanwhile, massive protests have gripped Israeli streets in recent days, decrying the dismissal attempt.