Hamas calls for global day of rage to protest Gaza 'genocide'
In a statement, the movement said that Israel continues to commit acts of genocide amid what it called a shameful and suspicious international silence.
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L'Orient-Le Jour
3 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Moroccan-French artist Mohammed catches flamenco dancer Israel off guard on Avignon stage
Playwright, director and actor Mohammed al-Khatib disrupts all norms through documentary theater, where the boundaries between reality and fiction blur. In doing so, he attempts to give voice to those who are silenced. Now a prominent figure on the international stage, he gave an interview to L'Orient-Le Jour in Avignon to discuss his journey and his vision of theater, which is deeply rooted in real events. First, this choice of an eponymous title, Israel and Mohammed, provokes strong emotions throughout Avignon and stirs contradictory feelings. What's unsettling — and almost ironic — is that Israel Galván has nothing to do with Judaism. Yet he could have been seen as a Jew or an Israeli dissident against the Israeli government. What do you make of all these misunderstandings, and what do they provoke? That's a complex question for a complex situation. There's the randomness of a meeting, the disconnect, the expectation — an expectation that is thwarted, because Israel is not Jewish: He is a Jehovah's Witness, Arab-Andalusian, the result of a mix. However, this mix has consequences: When he performs in the Middle East, he must change his name. He is no longer called Israel, but Galván de Los Reyes. These objective facts inevitably refer us back to political considerations. In the video, my father says at one point, 'It's good to want peace, but first, you have to do politics.' The Palestinian question has always represented, for my parents, a horizon of peace — an increasingly distant one — but also a place of political confrontation. I believe that even after a year of genocide, after the mass slaughter of Palestinians, it's essential to maintain a link with that part of Israel that condemns the massacres and tries to persuade from within. It is politically necessary to take a stand against this extremely dangerous far-right Israeli government, so that it can be isolated, boycotted and politically and economically neutralized. But at the same time, we must maintain the link with civil society, like the Israel Festival in Jerusalem, made up of leftist anti-militarist activists opposed to settlement in the West Bank and the occupation of Gaza. They are our brothers and sisters in political struggle. So there is a double gesture: that of isolation and, at the same time, that of connection — a constant dialogue with Israeli intellectuals who share our fight against colonization. Without this, there is no possible horizon of peace. Today, we have just lost a generation. The children of Gaza, that generation, will not be able to forgive. During the performance, there is an extraordinary moment where you make a mosque appear in the Cloître des Carmes, recreating the architecture of Al-Aqsa. Beyond its political scope, what memory do you have of that place? The day I visited the Temple Mount to take a picture of the Al-Aqsa Mosque for my mother, I went with my French passport, so I was protected. They made me wait three hours at the checkpoint. Next to me, a Palestinian father was waiting with his child. At one point, an Israeli female soldier, about 20 years old, made this father kneel, threatening him with her weapon in front of his child. I looked at that child and thought he was lost. He was experiencing a double humiliation. It's severe. In Palestine, a generation of resentment has been created. A sacrificed generation. That's the tragedy: When you see your parents humiliated, massacred, you can't forgive. I hope the international community will have the courage to mobilize and confront this situation that, personally, makes me ashamed. A shame mixed with helplessness and contempt — a contempt toward Arabs. Because you understand painfully that a Palestinian life is not valued as an Israeli or Western life. At the start of the performance, you distance yourself from religion, while inviting it onto the stage through this mosque and the bell tower turned into a minaret. In this way, you offer a platform for identification to Arab spectators, both Christian and Muslim, in a context where Arab-Muslim voices are almost absent from the French media space. It's a gesture of repair. As someone who is neither a believer nor a practitioner, I felt, as after Sept. 11, 2001, when people said, 'I am American,' the need to say today: 'I am Muslim.' In today's France, in this racist, Islamophobic, reactionary political climate, I wanted to make a gesture of repair and reconciliation. To show my parents' Islam, which is a peaceful Islam. The mosque, with its minaret, converses with the bell tower. And the France of bell towers doesn't scare anyone — it's cultural. There is also a cultural, tranquil Islam. I saw my parents live their faith this way. Today, the witch hunt against Muslims is unbearable. With this mosque, this bell tower and this first name — Israel — I wanted to make a gesture of peace, of hospitality. A gesture of recognition towards my parents' generation, scorned and humiliated. And I do so peacefully. Serenely. And with a lot of love and humor, you symbolically kill both your fathers on stage. Both refused to accept you as you are, yet you build them sanctuaries. This way of 'killing the father,' as we say in psychoanalysis, is also a way of rehabilitating him. One of the big problems of Arab culture is this ever-present patriarchal figure. People are often afraid of the father in our families, where a form of omnipotence settles in, which can sometimes lead to abuse. But most of the time, this omnipotence masks an impotence. A social, political impotence. My father, for example, was mistreated at the factory. He had to sacrifice his life. He suffered constant humiliation. He was prevented from existing politically and socially. And the more you marginalize people, the more you contribute to their exclusion. Real integration would have been to welcome them with dignity. My father arrived in France in the 1970s, with the first wave of immigration. They were brought in to do 'the work': collect garbage, work in construction and sort. They did the grunt work. An entire generation was scorned. And today, it comes up against the next generation — mine, which is entirely French, fluent in the language, and will not accept being domesticated as our parents' generation was. What I wish is that, at least for the end of their lives, since this generation will soon disappear, we give them a form of dignity. Because they contributed to France's economic growth. Because they sacrificed everything for their children, who now take part in the country's life, among the elite, the working classes and in culture. Through my artistic practice, when I recreate my mother's Grand Palais, or stage the Renault 12 and the Peugeot 504, it may seem anecdotal. But it's my way of rehabilitating a part of France's history. To say that this generation of immigrants is part of France's popular history. It thoroughly deserves its place in national museums, just like Breton history or Corsican specificities. What is very touching in your work is that you become the parent of your own parents. Through your work on retirees and seniors, you seem to embrace that entire generation. And yet, in your art, you are rejected by your father, who wanted you to pursue a career in political science. It must be said that your audience is much larger than that of political science readers... It's a question of responsibility. Through my work on collective history, I feel that I'm engaging in a kind of sociology in action. I embody, in a way, a particular idea of political science, but in a concrete way. I did research on Islam in France at Sciences Po. And I was already asking this question: In a secular perspective, why does the French state want to organize Islam? Whenever this question arises, it's from a place of suspicion, fear of foreign interference. The most recent report was about 'the Muslim Brotherhood's entryism' in France, which is, in reality, marginal. But a political ghost is stirred up, that of the 'great replacement.' A cultural battle is being fought over a fantasy, while it's not the reality on the ground. The difficulty — but also the richness — of Islam is that it has no equivalent to the Pope. There is no Catholic Church. It's an intimate relationship between you and God. There are as many branches as there are countries. No doubt my parents' peaceful little mosque would be frowned upon by Salafists. But those nuances are not perceived. Many French people are ignorant and thus are caught up in fantasy. I've always seen my parents as having immense spiritual strength. And in my view, what produces racism today is social misery, the damage of liberalism, which feeds this rejection of Muslims in France. Theater gives me public speaking. I cannot trivialize this space. I feel indebted to those who have been silenced or erased politically because I am the result of this history. And what about dance? You invite Israel, who expresses himself with his flamenco steps, and you end up a dancer yourself. At the end of the performance, you are two. Two twins are escaping from the screen. How did your body follow Israel's? It was pretty natural. I played soccer at a very high level for a long time. I have an intense physical practice, mastering my body, but in the field of physical performance, not dance. And dance, for us, is always a bit taboo. It isn't received well at home. And therein lies the paradox: We don't dance, but the best weddings are Arab weddings! That's where I saw my uncles and aunts dance. I love this paradox, these rituals that transcend religion. This poetic license is granted for special occasions. It's a way to reconnect with moments of freedom. Moments of joyful childhood. This leads to the final liberation scene, that of the body. Once memory is healed, you can move on... Absolutely. Jean Vilar said, 'The best heirs are unfaithful heirs.' I respect this legacy, and I am also forging my own path. And the question remains: What kind of fathers will we be? Were we good children? What kind of father will I be to my eight-year-old daughter? I hope she will be free. Free to be Muslim or not. Free to have a religion or not. Free to dance or not to dance. And that she will follow her own path. If I can give her enough confidence to allow her that freedom, then I will have accomplished part of my work.
L'Orient-Le Jour
3 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Tunisian president shows Boulos photos of starving Gaza children: ‘They are in agony'
Tunisian President Kais Saied showed photos of starving children in Gaza to Massad Boulos, the Lebanese-American Africa advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, telling him that 'it is time for all of humanity to wake up.' They are "in agony," he said. 'I believe you know these photos well. A crying child, eating sand in occupied Palestine,' Saied said to Boulos, according to a video published Tuesday evening on the presidency's Facebook page. The Tunisian head of state showed several other photos to the U.S. presidential adviser of skeletal children 'in agony,' as he described. More than a hundred humanitarian organizations warned on Wednesday that 'mass famine' is spreading in the Gaza Strip, which Israel has been pummelling with bombs for more than 21 months. The day before, one Gaza hospital announced that 21 children had died from malnutrition or hunger in the Palestinian territory within 72 hours. 'This is absolutely unacceptable," Saied said. "This is a crime against all of humanity.' Boulos stood across from him with his hands folded, listening. 'It is time for all of humanity to wake up and put an end to these crimes against the Palestinian people.' Israel, which has been imposing a total blockade of the Gaza Strip since October 2023, claims there is no famine at this stage and denies blocking humanitarian aid, while refusing to allow any to enter for more than two months straight, from March until May. Israel accuses Hamas of stealing food and reselling food despite failing to provide any evidence to back this claim, and despite comments to the contrary by U.S. and U.N. officials. Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas are underway in Qatar, but have been stuck for a week now at the point of Israeli troop withdrawal. After Tunisia, Boulos, who is also the father of Donald Trump's son-in-law, arrived on Wednesday in Tripoli, according to a Libyan TV channel.
L'Orient-Le Jour
3 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Hamas urges protests to 'break Israeli siege' in Gaza; tense sit-in outside Egyptian Embassy in Beirut
Israeli government says there is 'no Israeli-caused famine' in Gaza The Israeli government said it is not responsible for the chronic food shortages in the Gaza Strip and accused Hamas of deliberately creating a crisis. "In Gaza today, there is no famine caused by Israel," government spokesperson David Mencer said, quoted by AFP, after more than 100 NGOs warned of widespread famine and urged Israel to release humanitarian aid. "This is a shortage caused by Hamas," Mencer added, accusing the movement of preventing food distribution and plundering aid for its own needs. Israeli source calls Hamas's response to latest deal proposal 'disappointing' An Israeli source involved in negotiations for a new cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas told Haaretz that the Palestinian movement had given a "disappointing" response to the mediators' latest proposal. The official response to the Israeli government has reportedly been delayed, as the mediators are currently trying to pressure Hamas to show "more flexibility." Israel said in recent days that the U.S. special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, would only travel to the region if concrete progress is made in bridging the differences between the parties. A meeting is scheduled for Thursday in Rome between the U.S. diplomat, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Demer, and Qatari mediators to try to move forward the talks, which have been stalled since the beginning of the month. Ukraine and Israel launch joint dialogue to counter Iran Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga and Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa'ar announced the start of a new 'dialogue' between their countries to address 'the Iranian threat,' AFP reported. Sybiga said Iran and Russia pose an 'existential threat' not only to their nations but to global security. He described Moscow, Tehran, and North Korea — which has deployed forces alongside Russia in Ukraine — as an 'alliance of malicious regimes.' 'In response, we've agreed to boost cooperation and open a separate dialogue focused on the Iranian threat,' Sybiga added. 16:21 Beirut Time Gaza health ministry reports over 100 killed in past 24 hours Gaza's health ministry said 113 Palestinians were killed and 534 wounded in the past 24 hours in ongoing Israeli attacks. The ministry's Telegram statement said 34 people died during aid distributions, and 13 bodies were pulled from rubble — likely from earlier strikes. 'Victims under the rubble and on the roads remain numerous,' it added. Since the Israeli offensive began in October 2023, the official death toll has reached 59,129, with 143,045 injured. At least 8,363 have died since Israel broke the cease-fire on March 18, 2025. U.N. Special Coordinator visits Israel ahead of UNIFIL mandate renewal Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon, has begun a visit to Israel to meet senior officials ahead of the upcoming renewal of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mandate. Her visit is part of ongoing consultations on implementing U.N. Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and the November 2024 cease-fire agreement. 'In a time of regional tension, the Special Coordinator urges all parties to fully honor their commitments and accelerate the implementation of resolution 1701, which remains key to lasting security along the Blue Line,' her office said. 15:01 Beirut Time HRW says Houthi attacks on ships are war crimes Human Rights Watch condemned recent Houthi rebel attacks on two commercial ships in Yemen, calling them 'violations of the laws of war.' In a statement, HRW said it found 'no evidence the ships were military targets,' adding that the attacks amount to war crimes. 14:36 Beirut Time Israeli army calls Gaza church strike an 'accident' The Israeli army said its strike on the Catholic Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City on July 17, which killed three people and wounded nine, was accidental. In a statement on X, the military said the church was hit due to 'an unintentional diversion of ammunition,' causing damage and civilian injuries. It did not mention the number of casualties but said it has since adjusted firing procedures and clarified guidelines for operations near religious and sensitive sites. Just two days before, the army blamed a 'technical error' for a strike near a watering hole in the Nuseirat refugee camp that killed 10 Palestinians, including six children. 14:35 Beirut Time Ex-GHF security officer reports abuse at Gaza aid centers A former U.S. security officer for the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) told Israel's Channel 12 that the aid centers 'treat the population very badly and put them at risk.' In the interview, aired Tuesday, he said the GHF system 'cannot be fixed, it must be stopped,' arguing the U.N. could manage aid more effectively if given similar resources. He described incidents where American security guards tear-gassed a Palestinian collecting food and threw a stun grenade at a woman, causing her to collapse. 'As Palestinians finished collecting aid, the guards started shooting at their feet to force them out,' he said, adding he had 'never seen such use of force against unarmed civilians.' 13:47 Beirut Time Israeli attacks kill two Palestinian journalists in Gaza Israeli strikes in Gaza killed two Palestinian journalists, Tamer al-Zaanine and Walaa al-Jabari, the enclave's government media office said. Their deaths bring the number of media workers killed since October 2023 to 231. Zaanine was a photojournalist for several outlets, while Jabari worked as an editor. The media office condemned what it called the 'systematic targeting and killing' of Palestinian journalists by Israel. 13:46 Beirut Time Ten more die of starvation in Gaza in past 24 hours Ten people died from starvation or malnutrition in Gaza over the past 24 hours, hospitals in the enclave reported, according to a Health Ministry statement on Telegram. This brings the total number of starvation-related deaths since the start of the war to 111, the ministry said. 13:45 Beirut Time Lebanese Army, UNIFIL remove Israeli-built wall in southern Lebanon, near Aitaroun The Lebanese Army and U.N. Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers dismantled a low earth wall erected two days ago by the Israeli army on the outskirts of Aitaroun, in southern Lebanon's Bint Jbeil district, our regional correspondent reported. 13:43 Beirut Time Beirut protests denounce Gaza blockade Two demonstrations were held in Beirut this morning against Israel's blockade of Gaza, where international organizations warn of a looming mass famine. One sit-in took place outside the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) headquarters in downtown Beirut. Another was staged outside the Egyptian Embassy in Bir Hassan, in the capital's southern suburb, where protesters tried to enter the building, sparking clashes with Lebanese soldiers. Demonstrators called on Egypt, which controls Gaza's southern border, to help break the blockade and allow food aid into the enclave. 13:41 Beirut Time Hamas urges global protests against Gaza blockade Hamas has called on 'all free peoples of the world' to hold demonstrations, sit-ins and 'marches of rage' on July 25, 26 and 27 — and beyond — until the Israeli siege is lifted and famine in Gaza ends. "People are dying of hunger and malnutrition, and famine is making its deadly presence felt on the faces of children, mothers and the elderly, amid a suspicious global silence and in the absence of any action commensurate with the catastrophe," the Palestinian movement added. "May the coming days be a resounding cry in the face of the occupation and a shame for those who remain silent. 13:39 Beirut Time Iran says it's ready to retaliate if Israel attacks again Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian warned that his country is 'fully prepared for any new Israeli military offensive,' in an interview with Al Jazeera. 'Our armed forces are ready to retaliate and strike deep inside Israel,' he said, adding that Tehran does not trust the current cease-fire and is preparing for 'all possible scenarios.' Pezeshkian accused Israel of trying — and failing — to destabilize and dismantle Iran, saying both sides have inflicted heavy blows, though Israel 'conceals its losses.' Death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza climbs to 21 At least 21 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes and shootings across Gaza on Wednesday, local medical sources told al-Jazeera. In Rafah, two people were shot dead near a GHF aid distribution center, while 40 others were wounded when Israeli forces opened fire at the site. Another strike hit Gaza City's al-Tuffah neighborhood, killing one person, while seven others were killed earlier in nearby Tal al-Hawa. Additional airstrikes targeted the Nousseirat refugee camp, killing at least one person, and Bani Souheila, east of Khan Younis, where the toll is still unclear. Al-Aqsa Hospital also reported finding the bodies of two Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, killed in an earlier attack. At least 15 die of starvation in Gaza over two days Hospitals in Gaza reported at least 15 deaths — including four children — due to starvation or malnutrition between Monday and Tuesday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said. Since the war began in October 2023, the total number of starvation-related deaths has reached 101, including 80 children, the statement added. 10:36 Beirut Time Israeli strikes kill at least 7 in Gaza City; more than 1,000 Palestinians killed near GHF aid centers, according to U.N. - At least seven Palestinians were killed at dawn Wednesday in an Israeli airstrike on a home in Gaza City's Tal al-Hawa neighborhood, al-Jazeera reported. Several others were injured, rescue workers said. The strike came just hours after another attack in the same area killed 15 people Tuesday evening, including six children. Israeli operations were also reported in the al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza. - Meanwhile, the U.N. Human Rights Office said more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed since May while trying to collect food from GHF aid centers run by the U.S. and Israel. NGOs warn of 'mass starvation' in Gaza More than 100 humanitarian groups warned Wednesday that 'mass starvation' is spreading in Gaza. A hospital in the enclave said 21 children died from malnutrition or starvation within just 72 hours, after more than 21 months of Israeli bombardment. In a joint statement, organizations including Médecins Sans Frontières, Médecins du Monde, Caritas, Amnesty International and Oxfam urged an immediate cease-fire, the opening of all land crossings and unrestricted humanitarian aid. 10:32 Beirut Time Israeli far-right pushes 'Gaza Riviera' plan Far-right Israeli leaders met publicly at parliament in Jerusalem to discuss a plan to turn Gaza into a 'Riviera,' even as the enclave faces famine. The meeting, titled 'The Gaza Riviera: from vision to reality,' was led by some of the most hardline figures in Israel's government. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and activist Daniella Weiss, a vocal supporter of Jewish settlements in Gaza, were among the participants. 10:31 Beirut Time Rome meeting to push Gaza cease-fire talks The White House's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, will meet Israel's Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and a senior Qatari official in Rome on Thursday, Axios reported. The talks aim to revive stalled negotiations on a Gaza cease-fire and the release of hostages, which began earlier this month in Doha. U.S. officials told AFP that Witkoff's trip to Europe will also focus on finalizing plans for a humanitarian aid corridor into Gaza. 10:29 Beirut Time New Israeli incursion into southern Lebanon last night Overnight, an Israeli infantry unit crossed into southern Lebanon's Mari region in Hasbaya, our regional correspondent reported. Around 20 Israeli soldiers searched homes — both occupied and abandoned — questioning Lebanese residents and Syrian workers. They briefly detained a Syrian worker but released him near the border shortly afterward. Salman Abou al-Ala, the head of Mari's municipality, said the incursion happened in an area called Rihanet Berri, a small area near the village with about 20 houses mostly inhabited by Syrian agricultural workers. He added that the situation has since returned to calm. 10:24 Beirut Time Good Morning! Welcome to our live coverage of developments in the Middle East. In Gaza, Israeli forces continue airstrikes across the enclave and have opened fire on people seeking aid. In Lebanon, Israel is still targeting areas in the south and the Bekaa Valley despite a truce. We're also keeping an eye on updates from Iran and Syria.
