分类： world

In the shattered remains of Gaza’s Great Omari Mosque, a dedicated team of volunteers undertakes a critical cultural rescue mission amidst the debris of war. The historic library, once among Palestine’s most significant repositories of knowledge, now lies partially destroyed with its precious collections buried under rubble and dust.

The devastation follows more than two years of conflict that erupted in October 2023, leaving cultural and religious sites throughout Gaza severely damaged. Haneen Al-Amsi, director of the Eyes on Heritage Volunteer Foundation, described her shock upon discovering the extensive damage: “I was stunned when I saw the destruction in the library,” she told AFP, explaining how this prompted her restoration initiative.

The library, previously housing approximately 20,000 volumes, now retains fewer than 4,000 salvageable works according to initial assessments. Volunteers meticulously sift through charred manuscript fragments and yellowed paper shards, wearing protective masks and gloves as they attempt to preserve what remains of Gaza’s intellectual heritage.

“This library represents the third largest collection in Palestine after the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Ahmed Pasha al-Jazzar libraries,” Amsi emphasized. “It contains invaluable original manuscripts and diverse collections spanning jurisprudence, medicine, Islamic law, literature, and numerous other disciplines.”

The damage extends beyond this single institution. UNESCO has verified destruction at 150 cultural sites since the conflict began, including 14 religious locations and 115 buildings of historical significance. A June 2025 UN commission report concluded that Israeli attacks on educational and cultural sites constituted war crimes, though Israel dismissed these findings as politically motivated.

For the volunteers, each recovered volume represents a tangible connection to Gaza’s rich historical tapestry—a region that has hosted Canaanite, Egyptian, Persian, and Greek civilizations over millennia. Despite the overwhelming damage and what Amsi describes as “irreversible” losses to some materials, the preservation effort continues as an act of cultural defiance and historical stewardship.

In an unprecedented legal challenge, seventeen major international humanitarian organizations have petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court to block an impending government order that would force 37 NGOs to cease operations across Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. The controversial measure, set to take effect March 1, 2026, would revoke the registration status of organizations including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Oxfam, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and CARE unless they provide comprehensive lists of their Palestinian staff members to Israeli authorities.

The joint petition, described as unprecedented in scale and coordination, seeks an urgent interim injunction to suspend the closures pending full judicial review. The humanitarian groups argue that compliance would expose local employees to potential retaliation, undermine fundamental principles of humanitarian neutrality, and violate European data protection regulations. They maintain that turning aid organizations into information-gathering entities for conflict parties directly contradicts international humanitarian law standards.

According to UN statistics, 133 NGO workers have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, including 15 MSF employees. The petitioners emphasize their critical role in the region, noting they collectively support over half of all food assistance in Gaza, 60% of field hospital operations, and all inpatient treatment for children suffering severe acute malnutrition.

Practical enforcement has already commenced, with reports of medical supplies being blocked and visas denied to foreign staff. MSF’s head of mission in the Palestinian territories confirmed that international staff haven’t been able to enter Gaza since January, though operations continue for now.

The legal action emerges amid Israel’s hardening stance toward humanitarian actors, following the 2025 ban on UNRWA operations within Israel and coordination restrictions in the West Bank. The current regulatory changes stem from March 2025 legislation updating registration frameworks for foreign organizations working with Palestinians, including provisions for application denial and registration revocation.

The NGOs have proposed alternative compliance mechanisms including independent sanctions screening and donor-audited vetting systems, arguing that as an occupying power, Israel must facilitate civilian relief under Geneva Convention obligations rather than obstruct humanitarian operations.

An Iranian revolutionary court has delivered its first capital punishment verdict in connection with the widespread civil unrest that shook the nation in January, according to information received by Reuters. The sentence was imposed on Mohammad Abbasi, charged with ‘enmity against god’ (moharebeh), a capital offense under Iran’s Islamic legal code.

The judicial decision emerges against the backdrop of what has been described as the most severe domestic turmoil since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. International observers estimate that thousands of protesters lost their lives during government crackdowns on the demonstrations that swept across multiple cities.

The development occurs despite previous warnings from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who during the unrest period cautioned Tehran against carrying out executions, suggesting potential military response should such sentences be implemented. Notably, Iran’s judiciary has not formally announced Abbasi’s sentence through official channels.

In a related development, Iranian authorities recently extended clemency to over 2,000 convicts, but explicitly excluded individuals detained in connection with protest-related cases from this amnesty initiative. This selective approach to pardons underscores the government’s firm stance against those participating in anti-establishment demonstrations.

The January protests represented a significant challenge to Iran’s leadership, with citizens taking to the streets to voice grievances over various political and social issues. The judicial response, including this landmark death sentence, signals the establishment’s determination to suppress dissent through stringent legal measures.

The International Criminal Court heard explosive testimony Tuesday alleging former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte personally compiled execution lists and openly boasted about murders committed during his violent anti-drug campaign. ICC prosecutor Edward Jeremy presented chilling evidence claiming children had been killed with packing tape and that Duterte specifically targeted impoverished citizens who were least likely to report police abuses.

Jeremy played video evidence showing Duterte declaring himself “the sole person responsible” for the drug war’s consequences. The prosecutor described how Duterte joked about extrajudicial killings before laughing officials in “opulent, gilded presentation rooms” while bodies piled up on Philippine streets. At the time of one such speech, Jeremy alleged nearly 1,500 people had already been killed.

The 80-year-old former president exercised his right not to attend the proceedings, with his defense citing cognitive decline and health issues—claims challenged by prosecutors and victims’ families who maintain he is avoiding confrontation. The week-long hearing represents a critical ‘confirmation of charges’ phase where judges will determine whether evidence warrants a full trial for crimes against humanity.

Duterte faces three ICC counts related to at least 76 specific murders between 2013-2018, though prosecutors emphasize this represents merely a fraction of the thousands killed during his tenure as Davao City mayor and later national president. Defense attorney Nicholas Kaufman maintained his client’s complete innocence, arguing Duterte’s inflammatory rhetoric was mere “bluster and hyperbole” that consistently included orders to only shoot in self-defense.

The court will deliberate for up to 60 days following Friday’s conclusion of proceedings before deciding whether to advance to a full criminal trial.

A groundbreaking study published in The Lancet Global Health has revealed that the human cost of the Gaza conflict, which commenced on October 7, 2023, substantially exceeds official mortality statistics. While the Palestinian Ministry of Health has documented approximately 72,000 fatalities through its meticulous identification system, the peer-reviewed research indicates the actual death toll likely surpassed 95,000 by January 2025.

The Palestinian health authorities operate under extraordinary constraints, including population displacement, administrative destruction, and communication blackouts. Despite these challenges, the ministry maintains a rigorous documentation process using Israeli-administered identification numbers to verify each casualty. This system has earned credibility among international organizations, including UN agencies and the World Health Organization, which regularly incorporate these figures into official reports.

Professor Michael Spagat of Royal Holloway University, who chairs the NGO Every Casualty Counts, emphasized the unprecedented transparency of this system: ‘The population registry is controlled by Israel so Israel can check instantly to make sure that everyone on this list is real. The data is there in great detail to be examined.’

The Lancet study employed sophisticated demographic methodologies, surveying over 2,000 households to create a population-representative sample. Researchers discovered that indirect casualties from starvation and healthcare restrictions, along with approximately 12,000 individuals buried under rubble, were not captured in official counts. The analysis further determined that 56% of casualties were women or children under 18.

International response to casualty figures has evolved throughout the conflict. While Israeli and U.S. officials initially questioned the ministry’s accuracy, a senior Israeli army official acknowledged in January 2026 that approximately 70,000 Palestinians had been killed. Separate intelligence assessments indicated that fewer than 9,000 identified fatalities were Hamas fighters, suggesting civilian casualties accounted for roughly 83% of documented deaths.

The comprehensive research involved academics from prestigious institutions including Stanford, Princeton, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, representing the first peer-reviewed independent mortality assessment conducted under Gaza’s stringent access restrictions.

Israel has delivered a stark warning to Lebanon through diplomatic channels, threatening severe military retaliation should Hezbollah forces engage in any potential conflict between the United States and Iran. According to two senior Lebanese officials who disclosed the message on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, Israeli strikes would specifically target critical civilian infrastructure including Beirut’s international airport if the Iranian-backed militant group enters such a confrontation.

The indirect communication, which represents a significant escalation in regional tensions, underscores Israel’s determination to prevent Hezbollah from opening a second front amid growing US-Iran hostilities. Neither Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office nor the Lebanese presidency immediately responded to requests for comment regarding these allegations.

This development occurs against a backdrop of increasing cross-border exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah, with recent Israeli evacuation warnings for southern Lebanese villages and military strikes against Hezbollah positions. Lebanese authorities have previously condemned Israeli operations as undermining de-escalation efforts in the region.

The warning reflects Israel’s strategic concern about Hezbollah’s extensive arsenal and its potential to divert Israeli military resources during a broader regional conflict. Analysts note that such messaging serves both as a deterrent and as preparation for possible multi-front engagements, highlighting the complex geopolitical dynamics involving Iran’s proxy networks throughout the Middle East.