Paul Simon signs letter calling for the release of Marwan Barghouti


More than 200 prominent cultural figures have signed a letter demanding the immediate release of Marwan Barghouti. The signatories considered the struggle for Barghouti's release akin to the campaign dedicated to freeing Nelson Mandela, as he is viewed as a figure capable of uniting the factions and offering the best hope for the faltering mission of establishing a Palestinian state. The prestigious and diverse group demanding his release in an open letter includes a number of prominent names, among them the writers Margaret Atwood, Philip Pullman, Zadie Smith, and Annie Ernaux; the actors Sir Ian McKellen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Josh O'Connor, and Mark Ruffalo, in addition to the broadcaster and former soccer player Gary Lineker, according to The Guardian. There is Israeli anger at that campaign, which has been described as antisemitic and bearing ideas that threaten Israel's existence. https://x.com/tamerqdh/status/1996202623041511523

A Heart That Faded Too Soon

(via Support Palestine)

A Heart That Faded Too Soon

Yamen Abu Hilal was only a child, but everyone who met him felt as though they were meeting someone whose gentleness could calm an entire room. His smile was small, but it carried a warmth far bigger than his fragile body could hold.

For months, Yamen’s family fought desperately to get him the medical care he needed. His heart was weak, and every day became a harder battle than the one before. Doctors had warned that he needed treatment outside Gaza, but the crossing remained closed, and time kept slipping away.

Yamen’s mother held him through long nights when his breathing grew shallow, whispering stories and prayers into his hair. His father moved from one office to another, begging for a permit, a referral, anything that could save his son. But every reply was the same: “Not today… wait…” And while the world asked for patience, Yamen’s strength was quietly fading.

As food became scarce and medicine even scarcer, Yamen’s body grew tired. Malnutrition weakened him further, and his immune system could no longer fight the infections that kept returning. He was a child who needed care, rest, and safety—but Gaza could no longer offer him any of those things.

One morning, before the sun had fully risen, Yamen’s small heart simply couldn’t keep going. His mother felt his hand grow still in hers. His father stood beside them in disbelief, unable to understand how a world with so many resources could let a child slip away like that.

Wallposts...

MintPress News 

Palestinian photojournalist Mahmoud Wadi was reportedly killed in an Israeli drone strike in the center of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, today, December 2, 2025.

Roya News English 

Children’s content creator Ms Rachel named on StopAntisemitism’s ‘Antisemite of the Year’ list for highlighting Gaza children, sparking debate.

http://en.royanews.tv/news/65403

Palestine International Broadcast

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society stated that Israeli occupation authorities are continuing an unprecedented escalation of mass arbitrary arrests following the start of the genocide in Gaza, with nearly 21,000 arrests in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, in addition to thousands of Palestinians in Gaza.

Middle East Monitor 

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has said that the occupation authorities are holding around 6,000 lorries loaded with food and relief supplies, enough to meet Gaza’s needs for a full three months. The shipment also includes hundreds of thousands of tents and blankets intended for 1.3 million displaced people.

UNRWA’s media adviser, Adnan Abu Hasna, told reporters that although the number of lorries entering Gaza has “nominally increased” compared with the period before the ceasefire, it is still far below what is required to meet the huge needs facing the territory after two years of war and blockade.

He said the occupation continues to block the entry of hundreds of essential items, including health supplies, water and sanitation equipment, and basic foodstuffs.

He further explained, “What has been allowed in is a limited number of trucks carrying commercial goods, while 95 per cent of the Gaza Strip’s population depends on humanitarian aid and cannot afford to buy these materials.”

Abu Hasna added that most people in Gaza have almost completely lost their purchasing power, leaving full dependence on aid as the only option available.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20251202-israeli.../