We are human rights lawyers. Our new report is clear: Israel perpetrates apartheid

We conclude that Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, including mass killing, arbitrary detention and torture, meets the legal threshold for the term… Israel has now killed more than 52,000 Palestinians in its attack on Gaza, an estimated 15,000 of whom are children. In 2024, we co-authored a report concluding that Israel’s actions met the international definition of genocide. On Thursday, we issued… Read More We are human rights lawyers. Our new report is clear: Israel perpetrates apartheid

Israel’s New Gaza Operation Should Be Called ‘Chariots of Genocide’

Yousef Al-Bayouk weeps over his brothers, Moath and Moataz, who were killed in Israeli strikes, as mourners attend their funeral at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis. Photograph: Hatem Khaled/Reuters what about Gaza? What about its sacrifice? How have we reached a situation in which no Zionist politician can come out in its defense? Not one righteous… Read More Israel’s New Gaza Operation Should Be Called ‘Chariots of Genocide’

A picture that shocked the world: the story behind baby Siwar Ashour

Six-month-old Palestinian girl’s painfully emaciated body symbolised starvation in Gaza Malak A Tantesh in Gaza and Julian Borger Siwar Ashour, born in November, has only known war. Her mother, Najwa Aram, 23, gave birth in the one surviving room of a house that was otherwise destroyed and which 11 other people were sharing. Photograph: Doaa Albaz / Anadolu/Getty… Read More A picture that shocked the world: the story behind baby Siwar Ashour

On VE Day, remember the war – but can we resolve to honour all who fought in it?

The heroism of soldiers from India, Africa and the Caribbean is too often airbrushed, as is the struggle of those who resisted colonial powers… About 2.5 million personnel from the Indian subcontinent, more than 1 million African-Americans, 1 million people from Africa and tens of thousands of people from the Caribbean fought for the allies during the… Read More On VE Day, remember the war – but can we resolve to honour all who fought in it?

Juan Cole: As Israelis Blockade Food to Gaza, 9,000 Children have been Admitted for Acute Malnutrition

By Juan Cole / Informed Comment Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said Friday that “Malnutrition is … on the rise. More than 9,000 children have been admitted for treatment of acute malnutrition since the beginning of the year.” At least 10 NGO aid kitchens have closed in recent weeks for lack of food, and 25 UN… Read More Juan Cole: As Israelis Blockade Food to Gaza, 9,000 Children have been Admitted for Acute Malnutrition

Hindu body moves Supreme Court against Waqf Amendment Act

Sofi Ahsan Kerala based Hindu organisation, Sree Narayana Manava Dharmam Trust, has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, arguing that the law threatens the very existence of the Muslim community in India. The trust, established in 2023 to study and dissemination of the values and teachings of the sage and philosopher… Read More Hindu body moves Supreme Court against Waqf Amendment Act

How the Vietnam and Gaza Wars Shattered Young Illusions About US Leaders

For vast numbers of Americans, disproportionately young, the monstrous warfare overseen by Presidents Johnson and Nixon caused the scales to fall from their eyes about the character of U.S. leadership. And like President Donald Trump now, President Joe Biden showed that nice-sounding rhetoric could serve as a tidy cover story for choosing to enable nonstop horrors without… Read More How the Vietnam and Gaza Wars Shattered Young Illusions About US Leaders

The incredible tale of Anna Politkovskaya has taught me one thing: I could never be that brave

She faced endless opposition and threats to her life. This has become a reality for far too many journalists Maxine Peake A woman places flowers in front of a portrait of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, Moscow, 2009. Photograph: Pavel Golovkin/AP What drives someone to become a journalist? A good journalist, someone whose keyboard is a tool for exposing… Read More The incredible tale of Anna Politkovskaya has taught me one thing: I could never be that brave

Juan Cole: Israel’s Gaza Atrocity by the Numbers

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Gaza by the numbers: The UN Relief and Works Agency reports about the situation on the ground: The agency says that since the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unilaterally ended the Gaza ceasefire on the night of 17–18 March 2025, fighting has escalated sharply, killing and injuring hundreds of civilians,… Read More Juan Cole: Israel’s Gaza Atrocity by the Numbers