Friday, January 27: Like Fish in a Barrel
Israel carried out airstrikes in blockaded Gaza early this morning as tensions continue to climb following an Israeli raid this week in the occupied West Bank refugee camp of Jenin. It was the deadliest raid in over twenty years as Israeli forces murdered nine Palestinians, including a 61-year-old woman. The Israeli military also prevented paramedics and emergency workers from evacuating the wounded and dying.
In response, the Palestinian Authority said it would cut the ties its security forces oddly maintain with Israel. The announcement by the PA, which has almost no control over areas like the Jenin refugee camp, could open the door for Israel to step up the murderous operations it claims are needed to prevent feeling threatened.
Yesterday in response to the fatal raid, Palestinians filled the streets across the West Bank, chanting in solidarity with Jenin. President Mahmoud Abbas declared three days of mourning, and in the refugee camp, residents dug a mass grave for the dead. The attack and related reactions are likely to reverberate today as Palestinians gather for Friday’s weekly prayers, often followed by protests.
Meanwhile, Israel’s new national security minister/troll Itamar Ben-Gvir, who wants to grant legal immunity to Israeli soldiers who shoot Palestinians btw, posted a video of himself smiling triumphantly and congratulating security forces. Truly the worst person imaginable.
Side Items
Murderous Pigs: Five Memphis cops who were fired earlier this month will in fact face murder charges for killing Tyre Nichols. The officers, who all happen to be Black, face charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression (honestly did not know that last one was a crime). Video footage of the January 7th traffic stop will be released publicly sometime later today, and Nichols’ family and lawyers have said the footage shows officers savagely beating the 29-year-old FedEx worker for three minutes. Rather than putting yourself through that, consider enjoying this video of Tyre Nichols living his best life and knocking out some top notch heelflips instead
Here’s an enthralling read on Charles McGonigal, the FBI’s former head of counterintelligence and a man currently accused of taking shady Russian money. The Feds charged McGonigal with money laundering and making false statements in mandatory employee disclosures to the FBI. He was also charged with taking money from a representative of Oleg Deripaska, a Russian oligarch who McGonigal had once himself investigated. Oh the irony