Pressmediaofindia
Related Articles
15-02-2026
GAZA STRIP: Israeli forces have killed at least eight Palestinians in new attacks across Gaza, in yet another violation of the United States-brokered “ceasefire” in October, according to medical sources.
Four of the victims were killed in an Israeli attack on Sunday in the southern city of Khan Younis, a source at the Nasser Hospital said.
The attack took place beyond the so-called “Yellow Line” where Israeli troops are stationed in Gaza, the source added.
The other four Palestinians were killed when Israeli forces attacked a tent for displaced people in the al-Faluja area of northern Gaza, a source at al-Shifa Hospital said.
According to authorities in Gaza, Israel has violated the US-brokered “ceasefire” more than 1,500 times since it came into effect on October 10. At least 591 people have been killed and 1,590 wounded since then.
More than 100 prominent artists including musicians, actors and writers have signed an open letter in support of the United Nations special rapporteur for occupied Palestinian territory who faces international calls to step down.
In a letter from the group Artists for Palestine on Saturday, the signatories offered “full support to Francesca Albanese, a defender of human rights and, therefore, also of the Palestinian people’s right to exist”.
“There are infinitely more of us in every corner of the Earth who want force no longer to be the law. Who know what the word ‘law’ truly means,” the letter said.
Among the supporters were actors Mark Ruffalo and Javier Bardem, Nobel Prize-winning author Annie Ernaux and British musician Annie Lennox.
Albanese, an outspoken critic of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, said “we as humanity have a common enemy”, but a fake video that was later debunked had her accusing Israel of being the “common enemy”.
She later explained in a social media post she was referencing “the system that has enabled the genocide in Palestine” as the “common enemy”.
‘Crush any criticism of Israel’
Still, European countries, including France and Germany, continue to call for her removal.
On Tuesday, a group of French lawmakers sent a letter to Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot condemning Albanese’s remarks as “anti-Semitic”. A day later, Barrot called on her to step down, saying France “unreservedly condemns the outrageous and reprehensible remarks”.
On Thursday, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called her position “untenable”.
Frank Barat, an author and film producer, said French President Emmanuel Macron and Barrot have repeatedly said they support international law “while the facts show the complete opposite”.
Albanese has highlighted for the past two years that under international law, “states have a duty to act to prevent genocide, and they’ve been failing completely” in Gaza, Barat told media.
“Because Francesca has been highlighting this hypocrisy, she’s been targeted by most Western governments. The political agenda of these governments is to crush any criticism of Israel. We’ve seen it in the streets of Europe. We’ve seen it in the streets of the US,” he added.
People who have spoken out against Israel’s war on Palestine are “criminalized while the perpetrators of genocide continue to be let go“, Barat said. (Int’l News Desk)
