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Scene. Published by IMEMC News

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Credit: Olivier Fitoussi. Published by Haaretz

Likud MK Nissim Vaturi in 2022. Credit: Ohad Zwigenberg. Published by Haaretz

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Ramy Abdu| رامي عبده
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The death of 4-month-old Youssef Al-Najjar due to malnutrition, following Israel’s continued blockade on humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip.


Eye on Palestine
@EyeonPalestine
Israel’s Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich:

“The time has come... to pounce on Gaza, occupy it... establish military government, take territory from them, implement President Trump’s plan to remove 1.5-2 million Gazans from Gaza.”
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by IMEMC News
May 6, 2025

On Tuesday, marking the 50th day since Israel resumed its genocide in Gaza, Israeli forces killed and injured dozens of Palestinians across the devastated coastal enclave. Hospitals in the besieged territory have raised alarms over the rising number of child deaths due to malnutrition, as the blockade continues to prevent the entry of humanitarian aid.

Israeli occupation forces have intensified airstrikes across various areas of Gaza, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed plans for a large-scale military offensive and prolonged military control over the territory.

In Gaza City, at least one Palestinian was killed after an Israeli drone fired at displaced residents in the Tuffah neighborhood, east of the city.

The Israeli army also fired artillery shells and live rounds at Palestinian homes and buildings in eastern Gaza City, causing further destruction.


“There is no point in indirect negotiations with the Israeli occupation, nor in considering new ceasefire proposals, while Israel wages a starvation war and genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza,” Naim stated.

He called on world leaders and humanitarian organizations to take urgent action, stressing that peace efforts cannot succeed unless the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is addressed. He further urged the international community to pressure Netanyahu and his government to end the massacres and starvation of the Palestinian people.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has condemned Israel’s ongoing military onslaught on Gaza, describing it as genocide against the Palestinian people. He also criticized the international community’s silence regarding the humanitarian crisis in the besieged territory.

In a televised interview discussing regional and global developments, Maduro stated: “A war of extermination is being waged against the Palestinian people. Those who remain silent in the face of this destruction, targeting entire families, become eternal accomplices in one of the most serious crimes recorded in history.”

Maduro denounced Israel’s aggression, emphasizing the urgent need for peace across Palestine, particularly in Gaza.

Furthermore, the European Union has called on Israel to end its blockade on Gaza, stressing the urgent need to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the besieged population as the crisis worsens.

During a press conference, European Commission spokesperson Anwar Al-Anouni voiced deep concern over the escalating war in Gaza, warning that continued military aggression would lead to further civilian casualties and suffering among Palestinians.

Al-Anouni emphasized that the EU demands Israel halt its plans to expand military operations in Gaza and ensure immediate, unrestricted access for humanitarian aid. He also underscored the importance of restoring electricity and resuming essential services for Gaza’s residents.

Humanitarian organizations have warned that Gaza’s medical facilities are nearing collapse, with critical shortages of fuel, medical supplies, and food exacerbating the crisis. Malnutrition among children continues to rise, further highlighting the dire conditions faced by Palestinians.

In Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza, at least three Palestinians were killed, and several others injured in an Israeli drone attack.

In Al-Atatra, northwest of Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, a Palestinian was killed by Israeli fire.

Also, two Palestinian fishermen were injured near Beit Lahia’s shore, when Israeli forces targeted them as they attempted to fish to feed their starving families.

Medical sources report that at least 11 Palestinians have been killed, and many others injured, in Israeli bombings and shelling across the Gaza Strip.

Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim has rejected the prospect of ceasefire negotiations, arguing that any discussions are futile while Israel continues to impose starvation and destruction on Gaza.

Naim emphasized that no meaningful dialogue can take place under the current conditions, urging the international community to intervene and pressure Israel to end what he described as a deliberate policy of starvation against Palestinians.

“There is no point in indirect negotiations with the Israeli occupation, nor in considering new ceasefire proposals, while Israel wages a starvation war and genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza,” Naim stated.

He called on world leaders and humanitarian organizations to take urgent action, stressing that peace efforts cannot succeed unless the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is addressed. He further urged the international community to pressure Netanyahu and his government to end the massacres and starvation of the Palestinian people.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has condemned Israel’s ongoing military onslaught on Gaza, describing it as genocide against the Palestinian people. He also criticized the international community’s silence regarding the humanitarian crisis in the besieged territory.

In a televised interview discussing regional and global developments, Maduro stated: “A war of extermination is being waged against the Palestinian people. Those who remain silent in the face of this destruction, targeting entire families, become eternal accomplices in one of the most serious crimes recorded in history.”

Maduro denounced Israel’s aggression, emphasizing the urgent need for peace across Palestine, particularly in Gaza.

Furthermore, the European Union has called on Israel to end its blockade on Gaza, stressing the urgent need to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the besieged population as the crisis worsens.

During a press conference, European Commission spokesperson Anwar Al-Anouni voiced deep concern over the escalating war in Gaza, warning that continued military aggression would lead to further civilian casualties and suffering among Palestinians.

Al-Anouni emphasized that the EU demands Israel halt its plans to expand military operations in Gaza and ensure immediate, unrestricted access for humanitarian aid. He also underscored the importance of restoring electricity and resuming essential services for Gaza’s residents.

Humanitarian organizations have warned that Gaza’s medical facilities are nearing collapse, with critical shortages of fuel, medical supplies, and food exacerbating the crisis. Malnutrition among children continues to rise, further highlighting the dire conditions faced by Palestinians.

The EU’s statement adds to growing international pressure on Israel to comply with international law and end its blockade, which many view as collective punishment against Gaza’s civilian population.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has warned that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza are surviving on one meal every two to three days, as Israel continues to enforce a blockade, preventing the entry of humanitarian aid for over two months.

According to UNRWA, the blockade has led to severe food shortages, with more than 1,000 children suffering from critical malnutrition due to the lack of essential supplies.

The situation has become especially dire for children, with over 1,000 suffering from life-threatening malnutrition as food shortages worsen. Medical teams in Gaza warn that hospitals are overwhelmed, struggling to treat critically malnourished children amid severe shortages of medicine and essential supplies.

Humanitarian organizations report that aid convoys carrying food and medical supplies remain blocked at border crossings, unable to reach those in desperate need. Meanwhile, the cost of basic necessities has skyrocketed, making survival even more difficult for families trapped in the besieged enclave.

The worsening crisis has prompted urgent calls for international intervention, as aid agencies stress that immediate action is needed to prevent further loss of life.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has noted a 1,400% increase in food prices, making basic necessities unaffordable for most families, further exacerbating the crisis.

Israel has now killed at least 52,567 Palestinians, including more than 18,000 children and 12,400 women. Additionally, about 11,160 Palestinians remain trapped under the rubble in various parts of the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the number of wounded Palestinians has exceeded 118,610, primarily children, women, and elderly individuals.
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Despite Calls to 'Burn Gaza,' Destroy Palestinian Cities, No Incitement Probe of Israeli Finance Minister, Likud MK

Since the war began, Israel has reviewed over 80 public officials' remarks on the October 7 response, partly due to international legal pressure. In December, it closed a case against a rabbi who said all Gaza residents should be killed, including babies and the elderly

by Chen Maanit for Haaretz
May 4, 2025

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Prosecutor Amit Isman have decided not to open criminal investigations against Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Likud Knesset Member Nissim Vaturi for alleged incitement to violence against Palestinians, primarily due to their calls to "burn Gaza" and for the "total destruction" of Palestinian cities.

Vaturi had repeatedly called to "burn Gaza," while Smotrich had publicly advocated for the destruction of cities in the Gaza Strip. In April of last year, Smotrich declared: "No half measures – Rafah, Deir al-Balah, Nuseirat – total destruction. 'Blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.'"

Following a terror attack in the Palestinian village of Funduq, near the West Bank settlement of Kedumim, Smotrich wrote on X that "Funduq, Nablus, and Jenin should look like Jabalya."

Explaining their decision not to investigate Vaturi, Baharav-Miara and Aisman stated that "the content of the remarks is vague" – despite Vaturi's repeated and explicit calls to burn the Gaza Strip.

They added that extreme caution must be exercised before launching a criminal probe against a member of Knesset for an alleged offense involving freedom of expression, especially in light of the parliamentary immunity granted to MKs.

Regarding Minister Smotrich, the Attorney General and State Prosecutor stated that "after reviewing the full scope of the minister's remarks, they determined that his statements do not constitute a criminal offense, and therefore there is no basis to order an investigation."

This decision aligns with a policy previously reported by Haaretz, whereby statements by public officials that allegedly incite harm against Gaza civilians will not be investigated.

The decision was made just three days before the International Criminal Court announced it would issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Since the start of the war, the State Prosecutor's Office has examined more than 80 remarks by public officials about the response required to the October 7 massacre, partly because of pressure by international courts.

Some of these statements implied that no distinction should be made between militants and civilians in Gaza. As part of South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, statements made by both Vaturi and Smotrich were reviewed.

In addition to repeatedly calling to burn Gaza, Vaturi posted on the day of the Hamas attack: "We are now united in a single goal – erasing the Gaza Strip from the face of the earth."

Last year, in an interview with the ultra-Orthodox radio station Kol BaRama, Vaturi stated that he saw nothing wrong with his calls to burn Gaza: "I don't think there are any innocent civilians there – not now, and not when I made those remarks," he said.

In December, the State Prosecutor's Office closed the case against Rabbi Eliyahu Mali, who said that – based on halakhic (Jewish legal) principles – all residents of Gaza should be killed, including babies and the elderly.

Mali, the founder and head of the "Shirat Moshe" Hesder Yeshiva in Jaffa, made the comments at a conference for yeshiva leaders, saying: "The terrorists of today are the children you left alive in the previous operation. The women are essentially the ones raising the terrorists."

Attorney Itay Mack, who filed the complaint against Vaturi and Smotrich on behalf of human rights organizations, told Haaretz that "Vaturi repeatedly called to burn Gaza and clearly stated that there are no innocent people there. These are statements that fall outside the protection of free speech, and the claim that an investigation cannot proceed due to freedom of expression adds insult to injury."

Mack added: "The Attorney General and State Prosecutor are granting legitimacy and normalizing inciteful rhetoric by Jewish public officials. Worse still, they are engaging in selective and racist law enforcement – for Jewish officials, such incitement is protected speech, while similar statements from non-Jewish citizens lead to investigations, arrests, and indictments."