The objective of the Mission is to open a humanitarian aid sea corridor to Gaza and challenge the conditions that allow for starvation and an almost two-decade-long siege of over 2 million people in a concentration camp.

The blockade on Gaza has resulted in one of the most devastating man-made famines in history. As per the most recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification data, between 16 October and 30 November 2025, around 1.6 million people (77 percent of the population analysed) faced high levels of acute food insecurity. This includes more than half a million people in Emergency, and over 100,000 people in Catastrophe. This wilful deprivation echoes centuries of colonial deployment of malnutrition as a tool of subjugation, settler colonialism, and submission.

Israel and its co-conspirators in genocide have expanded this violent policy of weaponising starvation despite censure from major human rights organisations. They have bolstered the blockade despite the provisional measures laid out in the 28 March 2024 order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered Israel to ensure the unhindered provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza. This is also an obligation under international law that the international ‘community’ has failed to enforce.  

In this context, the South Africans set sail where States have failed to fulfil their compulsory legal and moral universal duties to Palestinians and to all humanity to punish and prevent genocide as set out in the Genocide Convention.

They sail against structural impunity for apartheid, Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian racism, aggressive war, and settler colonial genocide. They sail in the spirit of the long history of mutual solidarity between anti-apartheid South Africa and Palestine.

They sail against starvation and imperial climate catastrophe. They sail against the genocidal racist regime of Zionism. They sail against the ongoing Nakba.

A spokesman for the Global Sumud Flotilla said the participants will “set sail with the spirit of solidarity that the South African people have with our Palestinian comrades and siblings. They sail with total commitment to the cause of Palestinian self-determination.”

“They sail because complicit States continue to arm the genocidal Israeli State. Mining conglomerates like Glencore continue to power the Israeli grid, fuelling multiple genocides and wars across the globe while grossly exploiting labourers and plundering the environment. As the South Africans sail, they carry our redoubled commitments to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement.”

From Palestine to Venezuela, from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Cuba, from South Africa to Sudan, they sail knowing our struggles are connected. They sail in solidarity with oppressed and subjugated people in South Africa, Africa, and all over the continent in the face of the colonial racial capitalist machine.

They sail in the footsteps of thousands who resisted and continue to resist apartheid, fascism, and genocide in Southern Africa, Palestine, and across the world. They sail in the slipstream of millions in the Global Majority who have risen to resist colonial domination throughout history.  

They sail against the winds of war as the tide turns at the end of a dying empire.

They sail to bear witness as judgment day looms.

They sail with the knowledge that all colonisers fall eventually.

They sail, in the words of writer and delegation co-chair Zukiswa Wanner, towards “a world already in the making, in which the solidarity of those who stand on the side of justice is as global as the profits of the plunderers.”

The post South Africans prepare to set sail to break the siege on Gaza appeared first on Al-Qalam.

The Muslim Ummah from around the world breathed a sigh of relief when the Zionist entity eventually opened the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque for Fajr salaat on Thursday morning after a painful 40-day closure.

This will be the first Jumuah after six weeks that thousands of Muslims will be allowed through the gates to pray, although for how long it will remain open is anyone’s guess in view of the fragile ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran.

Durban Islamic scholar Sheigh Rafeek Hassen told Al-Qalam that Muslims welcomed the opening of the Al-Aqsa Masjid after 40 days of oppressive closure by the Zionist regime. “The Zionists and their surrogate supporters USA and the rest,  keep reminding us  about  October 7^th, 2023, but Muslims forget that October 7^th started off as “Al Aqsa Flood”  Arabic: Tufan Al-Aqsa which was  the name given by Hamas to their October 7, 2023, attack against Israel. It refers to protecting the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem from alleged Israeli aggression and occupation, aiming to reverse the status quo, end the Gaza blockade, and boost Palestinian liberation efforts. 

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“When Al Aqsa Masjid – the third holiest place of worship in the Muslim world was closed even for the blessed Month of Ramadan – NOT A SINGLE Muslim country batted even an eyelid. Jordan, which was mandated by the UN to oversee the administering of Al Aqsa – just looked on. One of the conditions in that agreement was that ONLY Muslims are allowed to worship on the temple mount call Haram al Sharieff by the Muslims. This has been repeatedly violated by the Zionist regime that forcefully allowed right-wing Jewish zealots under the protection of the army to come and offer prayers.

“Once will argue that most of the Muslim countries in the region are “sell-outs” and lackeys of the illegal Zionist entity. However, the Palestinians are very aware of this fact and perhaps one of the motivations for giving the October 7th resistance the name “Al Aqsa flood” was to draw the attention of GLOBAL Muslim Ummah to get active and involved. Alas, apart from a few Muslim groups and activists who are not Muslims – this call fell on “deaf ears” A sign of an Ummah that yes felt the pain but did nothing. There is a Hadith of the Prophet to the effect that if we see a wrong we must stop with our hands [ physically] if we not strong enough to do that, then at least speak out against the wrong, and if we not able to that as well, then at least feel the pain of the wrong in your hear “BUT THAT IS THE WEAKEST FORM OF IMAAN” 

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“I think the Muslim ummah needs to critically look at themselves in the light of this Hadith and make an honest assessment of ourselves in the light of this Hadith. Allah says in the Quran in Chapter 11 Ayah 13, “Allah will not change the condition of a people, unless they first change themselves.”  

May Allah transform us from just “Feeling Muslims” to “Doing Muslims.”

The post Sigh of relief after first Jumuah in weeks to be performed in Al Aqsa appeared first on Al-Qalam.

F. Scott Fitzgerald held that one of the signs of a first-class mind was the ability to hold two opposing ideas in one’s head. The complexity of the current geopolitical situation globally probably requires our minds to hold at least three contradictory and opposing ideas at the same time if we are to navigate and make sense of the world today, especially the Middle East as the theatre of conflict.

What We Know

What most citizens of the world increasingly know as true is that a genocide is being perpetrated against the Palestinian people, their lands occupied, and their prospects for a state are diminishing. They know that Israel is the perpetrator, and the USA is the enabler with arms and permission. Furthermore, it is becoming quite clear that diplomatically, South Africa and the Hague Group are holding them accountable in the ICJ, but also that Iran in the neighbourhood is the only country providing resistance and support militarily to the Palestinians through proxies. We also know that much of the neighbourhood is tied to Israel and the USA through the Abraham Accord – signed or unsigned – and therefore, have tied their long-term future, economically, to the West. We also know that the USA has maintained hegemony over the world with a combination of hard power (military) and soft power (aid and trade), but that the supremacism of Trump has shifted to domination – cutting all aid, imposing tariffs, threatening allies and enemies alike, and effecting a regime change agenda.

 Consequently, Trump is accelerating geopolitical shifts from USA unilateralism (dictating the global agenda) to a cautious multi-polarity (the emergence of multiple poles of influence) that could eventually see a multi-lateralism (contesting poles of power). Following regime change in Venezuela, it was always going to be Iran’s turn next. At Israel’s behest, and combining with the USA, they attacked Iran and assassinated its Supreme Leader, expecting that this would achieve the primary objective of regime change beyond false pretexts like nuclear weapons, democracy for Iranians, and an imminent attack on the USA.

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Managing the dilemma

Iran’s response – its resilience, strategic choices, and operational capability – created confusion and a dilemma. Public opinion alternated between moments of clarity (it’s wrong to attack without provocation and rules); moments of confusion (why is Iran attacking other Muslim countries), and moments of division (are they even Muslim). Such moments become moments of strategic, ethical, and theological dilemma. A first-class mind must have the ability to weigh, sift, sequence, and prioritise multiple opposing ideas and beliefs, using tools from ethical and strategic frameworks: discerning the lesser of two evils; distinguishing crime from sin, the domain of the human from the divine; permissibility as default while impermissibility needs proof; choosing the easier rather than the difficult; and avoiding undue suspicion. How does this play out currently?

Dilemma One – Is this a cosmic battle between good and evil?

Iran is not an unadulterated force for good and its practices often dubious. It has been shaped by a combination of historical experience and ideological zeal. Historically, when it went democratic under Mossadegh, a USA-led coup re-installed a brutally despotic Shah; when it won liberation in 1979, it was subjected to a western-inspired, regionally supported destructive war conducted by Saddam; ever since it has been sanctioned and isolated; and whenever it negotiated (the Nuclear Deal), the USA reneged. History shaped Iran’s zeal: ideology under siege reinforces victimhood, and victimhood engenders totalitarianism; totalitarianism controls freedoms and rights, difference and diversity; and thus, surveillance and security are the antidotes to uprisings and regime change agendas.

The first-class mind can absorb this dilemma between historical injustice and totalitarian injustice. But the first-class mind must also be capable of understanding that the architect of the historical injustice cannot own the right to be the custodian of what it has subverted in Iran (democracy, rights, and freedom), in the Arab Spring, what it by-passes in the neighbourhood of Iran, and how it perpetrates the genocide of the Palestinians. The first-class mind defends Iran’s sovereignty and reduces its siege AND advances its people’s claim to democracy, rights, and freedoms.

Dilemma Two – why attack the Arab Muslim lands?

The Arab States have a conundrum: they are no match for Israel militarily because the USA does not sell them weaponry superior to what Israel is provided, and for which Israel does not have an antidote; in a world accelerating to a post-fossil fuel energy regime, oil and gas may have a century to go, and will not sustain them unless they are fast-tracked into a post-oil world by the USA through its proxy, Israel. Therefore, the combination of military powerlessness and economic dependence has frog-marched them to the Abraham Accord with Israel.

This conundrum leads to a trade-off. The Abraham Accord carries the seeds of both realism and betrayal: realism recognises Israel as a fact in the Middle East, but betrayal gives Israel silence amidst genocide. Realism sees the urgency of a post-oil economy, while betrayal allows the USA to have military bases in Arab lands, and realism now means such bases are only realistically against Iran, but betrayal implicates the one housing the aggressor in war. Therefore, when Iran’s military defence is founded on attacking both the direct aggressors (USA and Israel) and their bases in ‘neutral’ Arab lands -whether the military base itself, the fuel and other supply lines, or the accommodation housing evacuated soldiers, then Iran’s strategic calculus says to the Arab lands: call off your masters otherwise we all go down together.

The first-class mind has sympathy for collateral damage of innocent citizens and infrastructure, and the consequent instability and choking of oil through the Strait of Hormuz. It will have an impact on all of us. But these should have been in the calculus of the aggressor, not the responsibility of the defender facing an existential threat. The first-class mind can well comprehend that you cannot house the aggressor and expect someone you barely tolerated as a Muslim to act in a spirit of Muslim solidarity.

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Dilemma Three – Are Iranians even Muslim?

Only when Iran responded by attacking USA bases in Arab lands, did we see the mobilisation of some of their clergy: they mobilised historical anti-Shia stereotypes (cursing of companions, how they pray, their belief system) and encouraged the idea of excommunication from Islam. This was for the consumption of the Muslim masses. At home, they counted the costs of a strategic error of housing the USA military. Hysteria for the masses, strategic recalculation for the leadership. Only when Iran attacked the Arab lands did we hear the fervent prayers for protection of Muslim lands, while no real fervour in praying for an end to genocide, for the deaths of 180+ girls at a school in Iran, or for an end to US-Israel aggression in the month of Ramadan.

A first-class mind can be bewildered or dismayed by aspects of Shia theology but be content to leave the final judgement to the Divine. It will wonder why there would be public pronouncements of the Shia being non-Muslim, but the same people issue Hajj and Umrah visas for Shias, especially if the holy precincts are barred for non-Muslims. A first-class mind will compare the silence of the majority in the face of Palestinian genocide with the punishment of Iran and the emasculation of its 3-H proxies (Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis) and ask: Who else is defending Palestine? Ultimately, a first-class mind can dismiss sectarian rhetoric to understand how the USA-Israel war is strategically reshaping the Muslim world into zones of domination and extraction.

Quo Vadis?

Indeed, a first-class mind must sift and weigh the dilemmas and conclude: firstly, rules must always apply, because its opposite – impunity – is what makes might right and the world a jungle; secondly, there is no neat delineation of good and evil, but rather the lesser of two uncomfortable choices – who is the constant perpetrator and who the occasional? Who is the historical victim? and who has the moral authority to advise regarding rights, freedom and democracy. Thirdly, if Iran is destroyed, who else lies outside the hegemonic consensus that could inspire and assist resistance at the frontlines with Israel when the neighbourhood is tied into the Abraham Accord; fourthly, is this not the time for the Abraham Accord to argue that USA military bases and co-operation with Israel’s defence is a fundamental compromise as well as a magnet for endangering the Arab lands, and should end; and finally, if Iran’s battle for survival means inviting the USA to engage, not merely from the air, but in a ground war of blood and mud, the world would experience another Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam, while unleashing the next generation of armed and trained militias.

A first-class mind is rooted in values, has ultimate strategic objectives, and is tactically astute, sometimes prioritising some objectives, delaying others, and co-existing uncomfortably with yet others.

*Ebrahim Rasool is the former Premier of the Western Cape and former Ambassador to the USA.

The post WAR ON IRAN – Holding three opposing ideas appeared first on Al-Qalam.

The United Ulama Council of South Africa has condemned the recent closure of Masjid Al-Aqsa, which it warned was aimed at consolidating “Israeli control over Islamic holy sites in Al-Quds”.

“Our eyes must remain unwaveringly fixed on Masjid al-Aqsa, with relentless focus and awareness, and we must urgently escalate both physical mobilisation and spiritual action, together with duʿāʾ, during this sacred climax of Ramadan. This belligerent closure will not—and cannot—be tolerated.

“UUCSA commends South Africans who planned to travel to Al-Aqsa for ṣalāh and iʿtikāf—may Allah ﷻ still facilitate your journey and accept your intention, and recompense you for any losses. May He swiftly reopen the Masjid, filling it without restrictions, and grant the Ummah the blessing of ṣalāh in Al-Aqsa, free from occupation”.

Meanwhile, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Turkiye, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have condemned Israel’s continued closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan for the 12th consecutive day.

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In a statement published on Wednesday, the foreign ministers of the eight Arab and Islamic countries said Israeli restrictions on Palestinian access to the old city of Jerusalem and its places of worship constituted a “flagrant violation to international law, including international humanitarian law, the historical and legal status quo, and the principle of unrestricted access to places of worship”.

“The Ministers affirmed their absolute rejection and condemnation of this illegal and unjustified measure, as well as Israel’s continued provocative actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Al-Sharif and against worshippers. They stressed that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites,” the statement read.

The statement added that the entire area of Al-Aqsa Mosque was “exclusively” for Muslims and that the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs department, affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, is the “legal entity with exclusive jurisdiction”.

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“The Ministers called on Israel, as the occupying Power, to immediately cease the closure of the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque, remove access restrictions to the Old City of Jerusalem, and refrain from obstructing Muslim worshippers’ access to the mosque,” the statement said, calling on the international community to compel Israel to stop its “ongoing violations”.

Israeli forces have imposed strict restrictions on worshippers and access to the Old City, citing “security” measures as a result of the ongoing war against Iran.

But the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday said the continued closure emphasised the policies were a “blatant violation of Palestinian rights”, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

Hamas has also condemned the continued closure and said on Tuesday that it sets a “dangerous historical precedent” and a “blatant violation” of the freedom of worship.

The post SA joins eight Muslim countries to condemn Israeli closure of Al-Aqsa appeared first on Al-Qalam.

As the US-Israel war on Iran began last week and Gaza’s crossings were shut, panic has spread through the densely populated enclave, raising fears of a famine returning. 

Palestinians rushed to markets to stock up on essentials, as soaring prices and shortages of key items, particularly vegetables, signalled the impact of the closures.

Gaza depends almost entirely on border crossings for the entry of food and essential goods, meaning any sudden closure is quickly reflected in local markets and household budgets.

For Ibrahim Madoukh, a father of eight from al-Sahaba neighbourhood in Gaza City, the price surge has already begun to affect his family’s fragile livelihood.

Since the October ceasefire, Madoukh has been selling falafel from a small stall to support his family. Demand had been steady, he said, largely because he kept his prices low.

But rising ingredient costs have forced him to increase prices, while customers – many already struggling financially – are buying less.

“The economic situation in Gaza has been deteriorating since the war,” Madoukh said. “Many people can no longer afford what is available in the market.”

After hearing about the crossing closures, Madoukh rushed to buy supplies before they disappeared. Instead, he found markets crowded with residents trying to do the same.

The price increases were immediate and dramatic. A kilogram of onions that once cost three shekels (around $1) now sells for 15 shekels (around $5). Cooking oil has jumped from 5 shekels (around $1.5) to 13 shekels (around $4), while the price of parsley has risen eightfold.

“Traders say prices are rising because the crossings are closed and supplies are running out,” he said.

Madoukh has already been forced to raise the price of his falafel from two pieces for 1 shekel to one piece for 2 shekels.

Even so, many families still cannot afford it.

“Before the crossings closed, displaced children sometimes came to my stall asking for falafel because they were hungry and had no money,” he said. “I used to give it to them, but now I can’t. I’m already losing money.”

Israel closed all crossings into Gaza last Saturday, halting the movement of people, aid and goods, shortly after the war with Iran began. 

The Karem Abu Salem crossing with Israel was partially reopened on Tuesday, allowing limited entry of fuel and humanitarian aid, while other crossings, such as the Rafah border with Egypt, remain shut.

The UN has called for more crossings to reopen to scale up humanitarian support, particularly as many NGOs in the Strip face restrictions.

Metres from Madoukh’s falafel stall, Ahmed al-Shoubaki, 39, was stocking up on supplies for his family. Carrying a large bag filled with tins, tahini, ghee, spices and olive oil, he carefully asked a vendor about the price of sugar. 

 “Since the crossings closed on Saturday, I’ve been going to the market every day to buy whatever I can and store it at home,” Shoubaki told Middle East Eye. 

“My wife and I agreed to keep the staples like flour, cooking oil, and canned goods untouched, buying only daily necessities from the market while they last.”

Before the Israeli genocide in Gaza, Shoubaki worked as a painter, but shortages of materials forced him to switch careers. He opened a small food stall selling kebab and grilled chicken, which he had to close last month due to declining sales. 

His story mirrors the experience of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza who have lost their livelihoods as entire sectors have ceased operating.

“The economic situation in Gaza has collapsed. There is no work, so no one can cope with rising prices,” he said. 

“When I heard about the (Iran) war, I spent more than $1,000 – almost all my savings – buying supplies to last a month. I don’t know how I’ll manage later, but I had to do it. My children cried from hunger last Ramadan; I can’t let that happen again.”

Shoubaki condemned the suffering imposed on Gaza, which he says has no role in the Iran-Israel conflict.

“Why must Gaza pay the price for wars it’s not involved in? Our lives are already hell from siege, destruction, and hunger. 

“Death would be more merciful than living through this continuous suffering. I fear the crossings will remain closed for a long time, and our suffering will only continue.”

The post Panic in Gaza as food shortages return after Israel shuts crossing appeared first on Al-Qalam.

The US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, stated that God in Genesis 15 in the Bible gave the entire land from the Euphrates to the Nile to the Israelites only. Tucker then tells Huckabee that this includes the entire Middle East of today (Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordon, Egypt, etc.) and Huckabee concludes by saying “it will be fine if they took it all.” 

In the past, when people accused Israel and Zionism of having an expansionist dream of “Greater Israel” they shrugged it off as a conspiracy theory. Today, they are openly pursuing this expansionist agenda with violence and impunity, defying all rules of international law.

So, does the bible grant Palestine to Jews only? Let the Bible answer this question. God promised this land to Abraham [P] in Genesis 15-18: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates.”

Abraham [P] had no children when this prophecy was made, neither were the Israelites in existence and the Prophecy states I will give this land “to your descendants...” plural, not singular, not one chosen descendant, but to all of your descendants. 

The first child to be born to Abraham [P] was Ishmail [P] from his second wife, Hagar [P], from Egypt, whom he married when Abraham [P] was 86 years old.

Genesis 16-3 “So after Abram had been living in Canaan for ten years, Sarah his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife.”

Concerning the legitimacy of Ishmail [P], the Bible says in Genesis 21:13, “And also of the son of the bondwoman [ Ishmail] will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.” 

Which means Ismail [p] is the legitimate descendant of Abraham [P], his firstborn. The Bible also in Genesis 17 – 5 states “that Abraham shall be a father of many nations” and then in Gen 17 – 8 God states “And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” 

This Prophecy was made when Isaac [p] was not even born – the Israelites were not in existence. This land of Canaan, today’s Palestine, which was promised to Abraham [P] and his seed. Gen 21-13 quoted above verifies that Ishmail [P] is the seed/descendant of Abraham. 

Genesis 21-3 states that Isaac [P], the second son from his first wife Sarah [P], was born when Abraham [P] was 100 years old. So according to the above verses both Ishmail [P] and Isaac [P] are the seed and descendants of Abraham [P] and thus God promised this land to both of them and their descendants. In addition, in Genesis 17 God makes a covenant, a prerequisite to Abraham [P] that in lieu of this all his male descendants shall be circumcised and that they should worship One God only and few other conditions. 

However, the descendants of Isaac [P], the Israelites, according to the Bible, broke their covenant with God twice and were expelled by God from this land and their temple destroyed twice, first by the Babylonians in 586 BC, then by the Romans in 70 AD and were scattered into the diaspora for over a millennium as a punishment from God.

 After the Muslim conquest of Palestine, Caliph Omar allowed the return of the Jews/Israelites as they understood that Jews, Muslims and Christians have a common bond to Abraham [P] as Genisis 17-5 predicted that ‘Abraham [P] will be a father of many nations.

They all lived in harmony for the next 1000 years until the emergence of Jewish Zionism and Christian Zionism, emerged claiming Palestine exclusively for the Jews by military force [in direct contradiction to the Bible], leading to unending conflict till today.

*Sheigh Rafeek Hassen is a Founder and Director of iiFRi (Islamic Interfaith Research Institute)

The post Does Bible grant Palestine only to Jews? appeared first on Al-Qalam.

As many South African families begin stocking their freezers in anticipation of Ramadan, a small female delegation travelled to Lebanon and Syria with a different kind of preparation in mind… to witness, firsthand, how displaced families are preparing for the sacred month.

Among them was Nabila Cassim, Africa Muslims Agency (AMA) Lenasia office manager and delegation member, who described the journey as far more than a humanitarian assessment.

She told Al-Qalam that the purpose of these trips was to allow people to experience the needs on the ground. There is a difference between watching suffering on a screen and sitting inside it. “When you see how people live, it motivates you to come back and advocate for them, to raise awareness about their situations and fundraise to help them,” she said.

The delegation was composed entirely of women. This was intentional. Many of the families AMA works with are widows, abused women, or mothers raising children alone. “They find it difficult to speak to men, to allow them into their spaces. When other women come, they are more comfortable. They feel they are not forgotten,” explained Cassim. She noted that women can sometimes empathise better with their situation.

In Syria, the group visited a refugee tent with plastic sheeting stretched over concrete and a straw mat, the only barrier against the winter cold. No sense of comfort or certainty. They walked through neighbourhoods reduced to rubble. A mother cradled her baby, who had no proper warm clothing or socks. She shared that she had been abandoned and did not know what steps to take next. “It was a stark reminder of how fragile life can become and how much strength it takes to simply endure,” Cassim said.

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In Lebanon, they walked through camps where families who have fled war now live in a different kind of waiting. Some had recently returned to their homes in Syria, except that the homes were no longer there. “They are going back to absolutely nothing. They are restarting their lives completely,” said Cassim.

One encounter in a Palestinian camp has stayed with her.

The group asked a family what their wish for Ramadan was. The mother responded quietly: her young son’s greatest wish was simply to have a burger for iftar. “A burger is something that is not normal for them,” Cassim said. The mother explained how she tries to recreate one by placing two pieces of flatbread together with whatever filling she can find, telling her son, ‘This is your burger.’

For a delegation of women who, in their own homes, would go to great lengths to prepare special meals for their children in Ramadan, the moment was sobering.

“We are so focused on stocking up our freezers and preparing the best foods, then you meet these communities who have almost nothing to eat. We know from the time we are kids that part of the reason for fasting is to experience what those in need feel, but when you see it yourself, it changes how you feel during your fast,” said Cassim.

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There was a moment during the trip when the team arranged a video call between a donor and a Syrian beneficiary family. Both women. Both mothers. On one side of the screen, gratitude. On the other, tears. “Seeing their faces light up with smiles and tears, the recipient making heartfelt duas and expressing deep gratitude, while the donor’s eyes overflowed with tears, witnessing that exchange of humanity and compassion was truly heartwarming,” she explained.

For Cassim, Ramadan in these regions carries a different weight. Many refugees wait for leftovers from neighbours or rely on food parcels to get through a few days. Yet amid the hardship, she encountered remarkable yaqeen. The message they carry is that ‘Allah is always with us.’ “They have yaqeen that Allah will help them no matter their condition. But their message is also: don’t forget us,” she said.

The post How a live video call from a Syrian mother moved SA donor to tears appeared first on Al-Qalam.

Organisers of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla that Israel seized at sea last year say they are planning a new, larger mission next month.

The Global Sumud Flotilla has announced that it will sail more than 100 boats carrying up to 1,000 activists, including medics and war crimes investigators, to Gaza in March.

Meeting at the foundation of late South African ⁠leader Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, the campaigners described the undertaking as the largest-ever, civilian-led mobilisation against Israel’s actions in Gaza.

“It is a cause … for those that want to rise and stand for justice and dignity for all,” said Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela, who was among activists arrested by Israel during last year’s voyage.

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The flotilla will be supported by a land convoy across nearby Arab countries, expected to attract thousands more backers, Mandela added.

Last October, Israel’s military intercepted some 40 boats from the Global Sumud Flotilla as they carried aid to blockaded Gaza, arresting more than 450 participants, including Mandela, Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg and European Parliament member Rima Hassan. Several detainees alleged physical and psychological abuse while in Israeli custody.

Israeli officials had denounced that flotilla and earlier smaller-scale efforts ‌to sail aid into Gaza as publicity stunts. Flotilla organisers said they were acting to break Israel’s “illegal” siege of the enclave and accused Israel’s seizure of their vessels of violating international maritime law.

Israel has heavily restricted supplies of aid since it launched a genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza, causing famine-like conditions in the enclave, according to activists and humanitarians. Some aid has reached the enclave since a “ceasefire” started in October, but the UN says it falls far short of what is needed to meet urgent needs.

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While the flotilla activists anticipate Israel will again try to stop their passage, they say international law is on their side, and their journey will bring attention to the plight of Palestinians in Gaza.

“We may not have reached Gaza physically [but] we have reached … the people in Gaza,” said one of the activists, Susan Abdallah. “They know that we care, that we will not stop at anything until we actually break the siege.” – Al Jazeera

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The partial reopening of the Rafah crossing, under the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, has provided little relief to Gazans as it has been heavily restricted by stringent Israeli controls.

Preventing what could have been a major breakthrough after almost two years of closure, official data reveals the full scale of the crisis. Over 20,000 patients urgently need medical care abroad, while around 2,000 students are waiting to travel for university.

But only around 180 Palestinians have left the Gaza Strip since the limited reopening, according to officials in the territory.

Additionally, thousands of holders of Arab and foreign documents are stuck in limbo, awaiting family reunification. With Israel’s last-minute travel refusals and the implementation of a tightly controlled exit process — limiting departures to only hundreds daily — thousands remain stranded.

Against this backdrop, calls for a full and sustainable opening of the crossing have intensified. As the sole gateway for many Palestinians to essential services, the Rafah crossing is vital not only for saving lives but also for securing futures and alleviating the burdens of prolonged waiting.

Weighing the severity of the medical emergency, Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that 6,000 injured people require immediate evacuation, including at least 500 patients who need daily transfers to prevent life-threatening consequences, but slow procedures and Israeli-imposed obstacles are exacerbating the crisis.

The most critical cases involve patients with emergency or life-threatening conditions, including cancer, heart disease, and kidney failure, whose treatment options in Gaza have been exhausted due to the collapse of the health system and severe shortages of medicines and medical supplies.

For these patients, travel is not optional — it is a matter of life or death, and each additional day of waiting worsens their condition and increases the risk of irreversible complications.

Khaled Al-Sarhi has been waiting for three years to travel while battling cancer, as his condition deteriorates rapidly.

“When we heard about the partial reopening of Rafah, we felt a glimmer of hope, but that quickly gave way to worry and uncertainty, as the number of travellers is very small, and we don’t know when it will be our turn,” the 48-year-old told The New Arab.

“Waiting is not just about time; it’s a matter of life or death. I fear the illness will overtake me before I can leave for treatment. I hope there is genuine prioritisation for critical cases, and that our fate isn’t left hanging on long lists with no end in sight.”

Other patients, like Nidal Al-Ayoubi, illustrate how official statistics translate into human suffering. Seriously injured by an Israeli strike, Nidal still requires urgent treatment abroad.

“The number of travellers does not exceed 150 per day, including around 50 patients and 100 companions, while thousands of patients and wounded continue to suffer inside Gaza. This number offers no reassurance,” Nidal told The New Arab. 

“Instead, it only increases our psychological pressure. I constantly wonder whether my name will be called today or if I’ll still be waiting. This ongoing uncertainty affects every aspect of our lives. It’s not just the illness, but the waiting itself that wears you down.”

Alongside those seeking medical treatment, thousands of students face urgent challenges, with many already accepted to universities abroad or awaiting confirmation, only to risk losing their academic futures due to rigid enrolment schedules and strict deadlines.

Mohamed Khalla, 21, who was accepted to a university in Turkey, described how the closure of the crossing disrupted his plans.

“I was accepted months ago and should be attending lectures by now, but the closure of the crossing has turned my dream into an indefinite wait,” he told The New Arab. 

“The partial reopening initially offered hope, but it’s unlikely that students will be prioritised over urgent medical cases. The university has set a final enrollment deadline, and if I don’t travel, I may lose both my seat and scholarship,” Mohamed added. 

“What pains me most is that my future depends on a number on a long list. We don’t seek privileges, only a fair chance to continue our education and build a better future for ourselves and our families.” – The New Arab. 

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Palestine’s UN ambassador, Riyad Mansour, along with other UN envoys, condemned recent Israeli measures aimed at expanding control over the West Bank, warning that it amounts to the de facto annexation of Palestinian land in the occupied territory.

“We are gathered here today in order to express our outrage and condemnation for what the Israeli cabinet decided yesterday with regard to what will amount to the annexation of the land of the Palestinian people, especially in the West Bank,” Mansour told a news conference Tuesday at UN headquarters in New York.

Mansour said the Palestinian mission has initiated formal diplomatic steps at the UN to challenge the Israeli decision and press for its reversal through multilateral action.

He added that a letter outlining Palestine’s position had already been circulated to the UN Security Council, the UN secretary-general and the president of the General Assembly.

Mansour also said that he personally briefed the Security Council president on Monday afternoon, adding that Palestine expects the Council “to shoulder its responsibility to defend international law, including human rights law and humanitarian law.”

Mansour said Palestinian diplomats would continue engaging with council members in the coming days, including meetings with the elected members, the permanent five, and the UN secretary-general, to push for action.

“There is a Prime Minister of an extreme government coming to Washington, DC, challenging everyone that he is going to impose annexation and take the land of the Palestinian people,” he said, stressing that “this is another test before all of these processes, whether (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu will succeed against all of us, or whether we collectively succeed in defending what we agreed to.”

Türkiye’s UN envoy Ahmet Yildiz, speaking on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), also condemned Israel’s actions, warning they would further destabilize the region.

“The OIC Group condemns in the strongest terms the illegal Israeli decisions and measures aimed at imposing unlawful Israeli sovereignty, entrenching settlement activity, and enforcing a new legal and administrative reality in the occupied West Bank,” Yildiz said.

“They undermine the two-state solution, the ongoing peace efforts, and represent an assault on the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to realize their independent and sovereign state on the 1967 lines, with occupied Jerusalem as its capital,” he added.

Syria’s UN envoy Ibrahim Olabi, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group, echoed the condemnation, describing Israel’s measures as a flagrant breach of international law.

“The Arab Group condemns, in the strongest terms, the illegal Israeli decision and measures aimed at imposing unlawful Israeli sovereignty,” Olabi said, adding the move “accelerates attempts at its illegal annexation and the displacement of the Palestinian people.”

The UN envoys’ remarks came after Israel’s security cabinet approved measures Sunday aimed at altering the legal and civil framework in the occupied West Bank to strengthen Israeli control.

According to Israeli media, the decisions include repealing a law that barred the sale of land in the West Bank to private Israeli individuals, unsealing land ownership records, and shifting authority for building permits in a settlement bloc near Hebron from a Palestinian municipality to Israel’s civil administration. – Anadolu

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