The International Press Institute (IPI) has paid tribute to martyred Palestinian journalist Mariam Abu Dagga, honoring her and her colleagues worldwide, who risked their lives to reveal the truth from harshest frontlines.

At its 75th-anniversary World Congress in Vienna on Friday, the IPI named seven journalists as World Press Freedom Heroes, including Dagga.

The awardees, who also hailed from Georgia, Peru, Ethiopia, and the United States among other places, were celebrated for their courage in confronting repression, propaganda, and war machines.

“As IPI marks 75 years of defending press freedom, we chose to honor seven journalists who truly embody what it means to be a press freedom hero…,” said IPI Executive Director Scott Griffen.

Dagga, who chronicled Gaza’s devastation for global outlets, including the Associated Press and Independent Arabia, was killed while documenting the impact of Israeli airstrikes on civilians on August 25.

She was among five journalists, who lost their lives in a “double-tap” Israeli strike on the Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip.

Overall, the attacks claimed around two dozen lives, hitting the city amid the Israeli regime’s war of genocide on the coastal sliver, which had begun in October 2023.

The other journalists targeted in the strike used to work for Al Jazeera and Reuters among other news agencies.

The United Nations human rights spokesperson reacted to the atrocity, saying the high number of media workers killed in the genocide “raises many, many questions about the targeting of journalists.”

Hundreds of journalists have been killed by the war that has claimed the lives of 62,800-plus Palestinians, most women and children.

The Friday ceremony also heard emotional tributes from other awardees, who warned of the mounting threats to journalists everywhere.

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More than 450 Jewish figures from around the world have called on the United Nations and global leaders to impose sanctions on the Israeli regime for “unconscionable” genocidal atrocities in the Gaza Strip.

In an open letter, the signatories, including former Israeli officials, writers, and award-winning artists, demanded accountability for the regime’s policies in the coastal sliver as well as the occupied West Bank, The Guardian reported on Wednesday.

The undersigned warned that Tel Aviv’s conduct had systematically violated the international law and the very principles created to prevent mass atrocities.

"We have not forgotten that so many of the laws, charters, and conventions established to safeguard and protect all human life were created in response to the Holocaust," the letter states. "Those safeguards have been relentlessly violated by Israel."

Among the signatories are former Knesset (Israeli parliament) speaker Avraham Burg, negotiator Daniel Levy, authors Michael Rosen and Naomi Klein, filmmaker Jonathan Glazer, and actors Wallace Shawn and Ilana Glazer.

The collective appeal emphasized that governments had to take concrete steps to prevent further harm to Palestinians.

The letter urged states to respect rulings of international courts, halt the transfer of arms, enforce targeted sanctions, and ensure humanitarian access to Gaza.

It also denounced “false claims of antisemitism against those advocating for peace and justice.”

"We bow our heads in immeasurable sorrow as the evidence accumulates that Israel’s actions will be judged to have met the legal definition of genocide," the letter added.

The statement highlighted the growing recognition among Jewish communities worldwide of the scale of the regime’s violations.

Recent polls cited by The Guardian indicate that 61 percent of American Jews believed Tel Aviv had committed war crimes against Palestinians, while 39 percent said it was committing genocide.

The signatories made clear that their solidarity with Palestinians was grounded in ethical and historical responsibility.

"Our solidarity with Palestinians is not a betrayal of Judaism, then, but a fulfillment of it," the letter reads.

Since October 2023, over 68,200 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed and more than 170,300 others injured in Gaza as a result of a war of genocide waged by the regime.

The war has compounded decades of occupation, blockades, and systematic human rights violations, creating what experts increasingly describe as a man-made humanitarian catastrophe.

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By Ivan Kesic

Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian female academic residing in France, has become the latest target of repression by the French government due to her public support for Palestinians in Gaza and condemnation of Israeli genocidal crimes.

On Saturday, French authorities finally acknowledged that they were holding an Iranian national in detention, based on dubious charges regarding her online activities.

Esfandiari, 39, has been held in one of France’s most notorious prisons for a month and a half, during which the French police and judiciary denied her family contact for two weeks.

Furthermore, French authorities refused for an entire month to provide detailed information to the Iranian foreign ministry, which intervened at the family's request.

Who is Mahdieh Esfandiari?

Mahdieh Esfandiari is an Iranian linguist and French language graduate who has lived in France for the past eight years. She resides in the city of Lyon, the third largest city in France.

Esfandiari graduated from Lumière University, where she works as a professor, translator, and interpreter. She is also a prominent pro-Palestinian activist with a significant online presence.

Esfandiari’s past activism includes participation in women’s rights and human rights campaigns, active engagement on social media with a focus on West Asian issues, and attendance at pro-Palestinian protest rallies in France.

Fellow activists familiar with her work say she published a series of posts condemning the Israeli genocide in Gaza, portraying her as a victim of France’s clampdown on pro-Palestinian advocacy.

Her case has drawn comparisons to that of Iranian music maestro Bashir Biazar, who accompanied his wife on an academic mission to France and was imprisoned for several weeks last year over pro-Palestinian lyrics.

French arrest and accusations against Esfandiari

Esfandiari was arrested by French police in Lyon on February 28, 2025, and has been held at Fresnes Prison in Val-de-Marne, south of Paris, since March 2.

Fresnes Prison, the second-largest city in the European country, is notorious for housing dangerous criminals and for its harsh and inhumane conditions.

It was also the last facility in France intended for the use of the guillotine.

The Paris Prosecutor’s Office charged the Iranian academic with "apologie du terrorisme" (public defense of terrorism), based on Telegram posts, which they claimed were supportive of the Hamas-led Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against the Israeli regime in October 2023.

Additional charges include "online provocation of terrorism, insults based on origin or religion, and refusal to provide access codes to her social media accounts" (X and Telegram).

She was placed in provisional detention following an investigation launched by the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNLH) on November 7, 2024.

Her family lost contact with her in late February 2025, prompting them to alert Iranian authorities, who in turn contacted their French counterparts.

Initially, French authorities offered no public explanation, heightening diplomatic tensions. On April 12, 2025, they finally confirmed her detention, citing her online activity.

Due to the French authorities' limited transparency, the specific content of Esfandiari’s Telegram posts remains undisclosed in public reports, making it difficult to assess the legitimacy of the charges against her.

What did Iran's Foreign Ministry say?

On March 10, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei addressed local media inquiries regarding the disappearance of an Iranian citizen in France.

“Unfortunately, we have learned that one of our citizens residing in France has gone missing in recent days, and so far, we have not received any specific information from the relevant French authorities regarding her status,” Baghaei stated.

He added that the foreign ministry contacted the French Embassy in Tehran, and its consular section has been following up, hoping to obtain precise information as soon as possible to alleviate the family's concerns.

Esfandiari’s family reached out to the Iranian ministry after receiving no news of her for 12 to 13 days—an unusual development, given that defendants have the legal right to communicate with family, lawyers, and embassies.

Baghaei later shared updated information during a press conference.

“Although our efforts have unfortunately not yielded results, we have at least learned that she is in the custody of the French police,” he stated.

“We do not know the reason for this, but we do know that this respected woman has been an activist in support of the people of Palestine and had apparently published content in solidarity with the oppressed people of Gaza.”

In subsequent remarks on April 7, Baghaei expressed hope that the French government would provide consular access to Esfandiari as soon as possible, following several weeks of refusal, in accordance with international law, and clarify the grounds for her arrest.

What did Esfandiari’s family and lawyer say?

Mahdieh Esfandiari’s family has called the accusations baseless and retained Nabil Boudi, a lawyer known for defending migrants in France, to represent her in court.

On Monday, Boudi issued a statement regarding her shocking arrest.

“The firm was approached by the family of Mrs. Mahdieh Esfandiari Jaliseh, an Iranian translator who has lived in France for nearly ten years and has been in pre-trial detention since March 2 at Fresnes Prison, following her indictment,” he said.

At this stage, her family raised serious concerns about several troubling aspects of the case, including the sudden nature of her arrest, especially considering the significant time lapse, casting legitimate doubt on the urgency or necessity of such a severe measure.

As the case appears to fall under press freedoms, the family called for strict adherence to those principles and opposed the criminalization of expression.

“The firm will ensure with the utmost vigilance that the fundamental rights of Ms. Mahdieh Esfandiari Jaliseh are upheld, foremost among them the right to a fair trial and freedom of expression, as guaranteed by the Constitution and France’s international obligations,” Boudi added.

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The Foreign Ministry says a French judge has granted conditional release to Iranian academic Mahdieh Esfandiari, detained in France for pro-Palestinian activism.

Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei made the announcement on Wednesday, saying that Tehran would continue to pursue the case of Esfandiari, a 39-year-old Iranian translator and university lecturer residing in Lyon, until her complete freedom.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue its efforts until the complete release of this compatriot and her return home,” Baghaei said.

Esfandiari, who had lived in France for nearly eight years, mysteriously disappeared on March 1, 2025, prompting her family to alert Iranian authorities.

Subsequent consular follow-ups revealed that the French police had arrested her.

Esfandiari’s detention was under the pretext of her activity on a pro-Palestine Telegram channel.

Her arrest drew sharp condemnation from the Islamic Republic. Tehran said it was politically motivated and a violation of free expression.

On Tuesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Vahid Jalalzadeh said Esfandiari’s name had been put forward in a prisoner exchange arrangement with France.

Pending transfer to residence outside detention center

According to Baghaei, Esfandiari would be transferred from prison to a residence outside the detention facility and would remain under supervision until her trial is held.

The court hearing could take place in December or January, the official added.

The spokesman expressed optimism regarding the possibility of Esfandiari’s complete freedom, saying, “I am optimistic and hope this will happen.”

He, meanwhile, said the Islamic Republic views this move by France as a positive gesture and welcomes it.

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The Fifth of Jamadi-Ul-Awal marks the birth anniversary of Hazrat Zainab (SA) who was the daughter of Hazrat Ali (AS), the first Shia imam, and granddaughter of Hazrat Muhammad (S).

She is celebrated by Muslims as having valiantly and successfully defended the life of the lone surviving male member of the family of Imam Hussein (AS), the fourth Shia Imam Zayn al-Abidin (AS), after the battle of Karbala.

This day is also called the Nurses Day in Iran to pay tribute to nurses for all their efforts.

A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll has revealed that a majority of Americans want the United States to recognize the Palestinian state, underscoring that President Donald Trump’s opposition to such recognition is increasingly out of step with public opinion.

The six-day national survey, which concluded on Monday, found that 59% of Americans, including 80% of Democrats and 41% of Republicans, believe Washington should formally recognize Palestinian statehood.

Only 33% of respondents opposed the idea, while the rest were either unsure or declined to answer.

Even among Trump’s own supporters, the poll showed a noticeable divide. Nearly 53% opposed recognition, but a growing minority within right-wing Republican ranks expressed support, signaling a shift in attitudes toward the Palestinian cause. Overall, 41% of Republicans said they would back recognition of Palestine.

The survey comes as a wave of international recognition gains momentum, with several US allies, including Australia, Britain, Canada, and France, formally recognizing the State of Palestine in recent weeks. The move has drawn sharp condemnation from the Israeli regime.

Nearly 60% of Americans surveyed also said they believe Israel’s actions in Gaza have been “excessive”, reflecting growing discomfort with a campaign widely denounced by humanitarian organizations and the global community as genocidal.

Meanwhile, 32% of Americans, mostly right-wing Republicans, expressed support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, despite the regime having killed at least 68,229 Palestinians and injured 170,369 since October 7, 2023, when Israel launched its genocidal war on the besieged strip.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has largely backed Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.

Earlier this month, he brokered a ceasefire agreement between the Palestinian resistance group Hamas and the Israeli regime.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll found that many Americans would credit Trump if the truce holds; 51% of respondents, nearly all Republicans, said “Trump deserves significant credit” for any peace achieved, compared with 42% who disagreed.

However, only 5% of Democrats approved of Trump’s overall performance as president, and just 25% said he should receive credit for the ceasefire.

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The Gaza Government Media Office has reported that bodies of Palestinian martyrs and prisoners returned by Israel under the ceasefire agreement show clear signs of torture, including hanging marks, ropes around necks, and close-range gunshot wounds.

According to Gaza’s Committee for the Retrieval of Bodies, a total of 195 bodies have been received from Israel through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) since the ceasefire, which took effect on October 10.

The Government Media Office, in a statement, said that at least 54 Palestinian bodies have been identified.

Official forensic examinations reportedly confirmed that the deceased had been subjected to brutal violations while in Israeli custody.

Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of the Gaza media office, said that medical teams documented hand- and foot-binding with plastic restraints, blindfolds, burns, fractures, and evidence of being run over by tank treads.

“These acts constitute conclusive evidence of field executions,” Al-Thawabta was quoted as saying.

He called on the international community and the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate and hold Israel and its supporters accountable for the crime.

Meanwhile, Palestinian families are attempting to identify the bodies through remaining features or clothing, as most were returned without names or documents. Officials said that many bodies were mutilated or dismembered, making identification extremely difficult.

Several medical reports indicate that bodies of Palestinians returned to Gaza by Israeli authorities exhibited clear signs of torture and execution, including gunshot wounds to the head.

Media reports recently quoting documents and medical sources reported that at least 135 of the mutilated bodies had been held in a notorious Israeli detention center, which has long faced allegations of torture and unlawful deaths in custody.

The Director General of Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza and a spokesperson for Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis, Dr Munir al-Bursh, said a document found inside each body bag indicated that all the bodies came from Sde Teiman, a military base in the Negev desert where Palestinian detainees were held in cages, blindfolded and handcuffed, shackled to hospital beds and forced to wear nappies.

Doctors in Khan Yunis said official examinations and field observations “clearly indicate that Israel carried out acts of murder, summary executions and systematic torture against many of the Palestinians.”

In a statement on Friday, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) emphasized that these acts reflect Israel’s profound moral collapse and its ongoing efforts to dehumanize Palestinians, even posthumously.

The statement further said that the deliberate disfigurement of bodies and the erasure of identities reflect “a Nazi-like, fascist mindset aimed at concealing evidence and evading accountability.”

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The Gaza Government Media Office says that merely 986 aid trucks have entered the besieged territory since the ceasefire between the Hamas resistance movement and the Israeli regime went into force on October 10.

The office reported that the arrived aid trucks account for only 15 percent of the 6,600 trucks that were expected to arrive by October 20.

It said the convoys consisted solely of 14 trucks that were transporting cooking gas and 28 trucks that were carrying solar fuel utilized for powering bakeries, generators, hospitals, and other vital facilities.

The supply continues to be critically inadequate after months of blockade and the “systematic destruction resulting from the genocide perpetrated by the ‘Israeli’ occupation against our people in the Gaza Strip,” it said.

Officials said that the average number of trucks that have been entering Gaza daily since the ceasefire entered into effect is just 89, which is considerably less than the 600 trucks that were previously agreed upon.

The statement characterized the situation as proof of Israel’s ongoing “policy of strangulation, starvation, and human blackmail” directed towards nearly 2 million inhabitants of Gaza.

“These limited quantities do not cover the minimum humanitarian and living needs,” the office warned.

It underlined the critical necessity for a consistent and unimpeded delivery of no fewer than 600 trucks each day, which should include food, medical and relief supplies, fuel, and cooking gas in order to satisfy fundamental survival needs.

The Government Media Office has reaffirmed that authorities in Gaza are prepared to collaborate with international humanitarian and relief organizations to enable the entry and distribution of aid throughout all governorates and vital sectors “for the benefit of our resilient Palestinian people.”

Since the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire deal in early October, the Palestinian Ministry of Health has documented approximately 90 Palestinian fatalities and more than 300 injuries resulting from continuous Israeli assaults throughout the strip. At least 100 ceasefire violations have been reported as well.

This is while a delegation of Hamas officials, attending talks with Turkish officials in Qatar, has stated that the Palestinian group remains committed to the ceasefire deal despite Israel’s “repeated violations.”

The first phase of the US-brokered ceasefire was aimed at bringing an end to Israel’s assault, a partial withdrawal of its troops to a so-called yellow line along Gaza’s borders, and a modest increase in humanitarian aid.

Last Monday, as part of the deal Hamas released all living captives, as well as the remains of 12 of the 28 dead Israeli captives.

In return, Israel freed 2,000 Palestinian detainees and returned 15 Palestinian bodies for every one dead Israeli captive returned.

Since the onset of the Israeli genocidal war in October 2023, the occupying regime has killed at least 68,229 Palestinians — mostly women and children — and reduced Gaza to ruins, drawing global outrage and calls for accountability.

Experts warn that the true death toll could reach hundreds of thousands once the missing and those buried beneath the ruins are fully counted.

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The Palestinian resistance movement Islamic Jihad has reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire agreement with the Israeli regime in Gaza, while vowing not to lay down its arms.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Abu Hamza, the military spokesman of the al-Quds Brigades, the group’s armed wing, said the movement would continue to resist the Israeli occupation of “our land, even if it lasts for years.”

“We will not abandon our weapons,” Abu Hamza stressed the group's unwavering stance.

The spokesman emphasized that the movement maintains a strong relationship with other resistance factions.

“We are facing a pivotal and difficult stage and stand at a historic crossroads, where the people, the nation, and the resistance stand together, at one of the stations of Arab and Islamic struggle,” the statement added.

It noted that the Israeli war on Gaza, which ended earlier this month with a ceasefire after nearly two years, was not a reaction to the al-Aqsa Flood operation, “but rather reflects a premeditated intention for an extermination war with unlimited American support.”

Abu Hamza asserted that the October 7, 2023, operation “was imposed on us and came as a response to the endless crimes” of Israel, including the occupation of al-Quds and the West Bank, its attacks and siege of Gaza, as well as the human rights violations committed against Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

“The [Israeli] occupation’s ‘army’ lacks humanity and values; it is a racist thug army.”

The statement honored the resistance fighters who lost their lives during the war, including the former spokesman of al-Quds Brigades, Naji Maher Abu Saif.

Islamic Jihad also commended the support provided to Palestine by “a faithful group in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iran” during the war.

Israel's two-year-long genocidal war on Gaza killed nearly 68,300 Palestinians and left 170,373 people injured.

The truce represents the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan, with subsequent stages expected to be negotiated at a later date.

The Israeli regime has since killed dozens of Palestinians in attacks across Gaza in violation of the ceasefire. 

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The Israeli occupation army has seized about 17 acres of Palestinian land in the northern occupied West Bank, despite growing international condemnation of its ongoing land-grab policies.

According to a statement published on Sunday on the website of the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission (CWRC), the confiscated 70,000-square-meter area is located across several villages in the Nablus governorate.

“The Israeli occupation authorities have taken control of 17 acres and 147 square meters of land through a military order, affecting areas in the villages of Qaryut, Al-Lubban Al-Sharqiya and Al-Sawiya in Nablus Governorate,” read the statement.

The move is aimed at establishing a buffer zone around the Eli settlement in the area, CWRC said. 

The Commission highlighted that “the Israeli authorities published the military order after the objection period had already expired.”

The military order permits objections within one week of issuance; however, the order is dated September 21, 2025.

Since the beginning of 2025, Israeli authorities have issued 53 military land seizure orders for various military purposes, the Commission further noted.

The Commission reported that Israeli authorities had seized thousands of square meters of Palestinian land and established 25 buffer zones around settlements over the past two years.

The development comes as Israeli hawkish finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has vowed an “escalation” of land expropriation in the occupied West Bank.  

Last month, Smotrich announced plans to annex more than 80 percent of the occupied West Bank in a bid to block the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Smotrich, back then, called the West Bank annexation “a preventative step” against moves by many countries to recognize Palestinian statehood.

He has been one of the spearheads of Israel’s plans for settlement expansion and the annexation of the occupied West Bank.

Israel recently approved a major settlement project, called E1, which aims to split the occupied West Bank into two parts, cutting off the northern cities of Ramallah and Nablus from Bethlehem and al-Khalil in the south and isolating East al-Quds.

The international community, including the UN, considers the Israeli settlements illegal under international law.

Earlier this year, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said that the Israeli policy of expanding and consolidating settlements across the occupied West Bank amounts to “a war crime.”

The UN rights chief said Israel must evacuate all settlers from the occupied West Bank and make reparations for decades of illegal settlement.

Turk urged the international community to take meaningful action against the occupying entity.

In an advisory opinion last July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the occupied West Bank and East al-Quds.

The United States is the Israeli regime’s main international backer, granting the Zionist leaders laissez-faire to commit atrocities with impunity, including the genocide of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, their forced displacement, child-killing, and occupation and annexation of Palestinian land.

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