NEW ZEALAND

Failed Tauranga car parking building: Engineers accused of negligence before disciplinary board

By
Jeremy Wilkinson
Open Justice multimedia journalist, Palmerston North
5 Aug, 2024 12:29 AM5 mins to read
SaveShare


The unfinished Harrington St parking building. Photo / George Novak

A car parking building that cost $19 million to build was riddled with structural errors meaning its owner had to cut its losses and sell it for just $1.

Now, three engineers who did the maths on the building that was ultimately deemed too expensive to fix have been accused of negligence.

The site between Harington and Hamilton Sts in downtown Tauranga was once intended for a multi-storey public transport hub with 550 parks plus showers and lockers, intended to ease some of the city’s parking woes.

However, construction stalled in 2018 when serious structural issues were found. The Tauranga City Council abandoned construction in 2020, having already spent $19m.

Rather than demolishing the half-built hub, in 2021 the council sold the site and structure for $1 to developers and cut its losses.

Mayor Tenby Powell said at the time the cost of fixing the problems would likely blow out past the original $29m budget.

Discover more

Engineers face disciplinary hearing over failed transport ...
Auckland Council urgently reviewing 42 properties worked ...
Taupō District Council reviews consents after engineering ...
Man accused of forging qualified engineers’ signatures ...

“As unpalatable as it is to abandon a project which has already cost $19 million, our expert advice makes it clear that the completion options available to us would simply be sending good money after bad,” Powell said.

Since that decision to abandon the building, Tauranga City Council lodged a complaint with Engineering New Zealand (ENZ) about the conduct of three engineers who had a hand in designing it.

Engineers before Disciplinary Committee

Today, a Disciplinary Committee convened in Wellington where the lead engineer who did the original designs is charged with acting outside his area of competency and performing engineering services negligently or incompetently.

That engineer, who has interim name suppression, has denied any wrongdoing in the litany of errors identified with the building’s designs.

A second engineer who peer-reviewed his designs is facing similar charges, while a third engineer - and a colleague of the first - who also peer-reviewed the work has admitted he made errors in regard to the seismic strengthening.

“Something has gone seriously awry at the design consenting stage,” said Sean McCusker, counsel for ENZ’s investigating Committee which brought the charges against the three engineers.

“That critical process was missed and that has led to significant consequences for the ratepayers of Tauranga.”

Tauranga City Council abandoned the building in 2020. Photo / George Novak

McCusker said part of the issue was whether the original design was flawed, or whether subsequent redesignes caused the issues.

“There are important checks and safeguards and building owners and consent authorities are entitled to place reliance on those,” he said.

The lead engineer claims his designs were accurate and that it was a colleague at his firm’s redesigns that caused the structural issues.

McCusker however said the committee had concerns with those original designs, which is why they’ve levelled charges against the lead engineer.

Signing off compliance

The lead engineer led the design of the foundations and superstructure of the building and signed them off as being compliant with the building code.

It’s alleged that he acted outside his area of expertise in regards to the way he designed the building’s seismic strengthening.

It’s also alleged that he was negligent or incompetent in designing a range of aspects of the building including the lateral bracing, retaining walls, and structural steel columns.

When the lead engineer left the firm his calculations were peer-reviewed by a second engineer at a separate firm who also signed off the designs.

It’s alleged he worked outside his skillset in regards to a seismic strengthening design used, and that he was negligent in reviewing the original design and rubber-stamping it.

A Disciplinary Committee of Engineering New Zealand convened in Wellington for a two-week hearing. Photo / Jeremy Wilkinson

This engineer has accepted liability for some aspects of the errors but has disputed others.

The third engineer was a colleague of the lead designer and after problems with the original design were discovered he signed off on revisions intended to address those errors.

That engineer has admitted liability for failing to take into consideration seismic gaps for the ramps in the carpark and for signing off on the revised designs which also had errors.

Rob Jury, the chief engineer at Beca, was called as a witness on Monday and said the early designs, which were two-dimensional, were “quite light” on analysis and in his opinion needed to be more sophisticated.

He said that, in his opinion, it would have been difficult for construction workers to pick up those gaps in the design or to follow the instructions.

Three engineers are facing disciplinary action after structural issues forced the Tauranga City Council to abandon the building. Photo / George Novak

“The constructor can be expected to pick up issues around geometry… but he cannot pick up issues around design,” he said.

Jury, who has 40 years of experience in the industry, wasn’t aware of the Innovative Dissipative (INERD) bracing design system that was used for seismic strengthening.


“I felt immediately that the various features of that system was an appropriate concept but didn’t have enough backup in the calculations,” he said.

“It left a lot of questions.

“Even his [the lead engineer] colleagues didn’t recognise what the intent was, because they went and changed it all.”

Jury said that in his view the design was signed off despite “unfinished business” and there was no hold placed on the drawings despite this.

Two weeks have been set down for the hearing, which continues tomorrow.

Jeremy Wilkinson is an Open Justice reporter based in Manawatū covering courts and justice issues with an interest in tribunals. He has been a journalist for nearly a decade and has worked for NZME since 2022.

Turkiye to join genocide case against Israel at International Court of Justice on Wednesday: FM


August 6, 2024

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan meets with the staff of Turkish Crescent, Turkish Ministry of Health and the State Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) in Arish, Egypt on August 04, 2024 [Murat Gök – Anadolu Agency]

Turkiye will file to join the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice at The Hague, the country’s Foreign Minister announced on Monday, Anadolu Agency reports.

“We will submit our prepared file to join the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice at The Hague on Wednesday,” Hakan Fidan told a news conference alongside his Egyptian counterpart in Cairo.

His remarks came after a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty.

Emphasizing that Israel’s “unconditional” supporters were the main culprits in undermining the foundations of the international order, Fidan said those who condemn Russia for its war on Ukraine were turning a blind eye to Tel Aviv’s continued Occupation of Palestinian lands.

He said Palestinians have had a constructive attitude during the negotiation process, while Israel has been the “spoiler”, adding that last week, Israel conducted a “treacherous assassination” of the chief negotiator in talks for a ceasefire in Gaza, referring to Palestinian group Hamas’ Political Bureau chief, Dr. Ismail Haniyeh.

READ: Turkiye blocks Freedom Flotilla setting sail for Gaza

“This assassination clearly shows that Netanyahu does not want peace. Netanyahu wants to set the entire region on fire. Israel is pursuing violence and expansionism,” Fidan further added.

Referring to the numerous applauses Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, received during a recent visit to the US Congress, Fidan said: “War crimes have no place on the parliamentary podium. The only place for war crimes should be, without exception, the defendant’s seat. ”

Urging supporters of Israel to “correct the mistake”, Fidan said that not only the region but the entire world would pay a heavy price “if the massacre in Gaza is not stopped.”

He stated that it was no longer acceptable for the US to “mitigate” every wrongdoing of Israel, urging Tel Aviv’s “owners” to “hold onto its leash”.

He also warned that the region can no longer tolerate Israel’s “provocations”, referring to its attacks in Lebanon and Iran that have raised fears of the conflict in Gaza spilling over into the region.

“The constant lecturing of Muslim countries on other unnecessary issues, over democracy and human rights, has long exceeded the limits of tolerance. The West has lost all moral superiority in this region because of the Israeli issue,” he added.

Ankara and Cairo have made every effort to prevent the spread of war in the region, the Turkish Foreign Minister said.

“As responsible countries in the region, we will not be mere observers of the issues we face. Acting with a spirit of regional ownership, we are systematically working to provide all possible solutions to the region’s problems,” he added.

Highlighting that Turkiye has sent over 56,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza, more than any other country, Fidan said the delivery of relief to Gaza disturbed Tel Aviv.

He pointed out that Gazans who survive Israel’s bombs were being systematically starved, underlining: “The path to peace in the Middle East truly lies in the establishment of a genuine Palestinian State.”

He reaffirmed his call for the establishment of an independent sovereign Palestinian State with geographic integrity and East Jerusalem as its capital.

“This is their most natural right. We oppose any imposition by Israeli or Western countries on this matter. The Palestinian people are capable of determining their own path and choosing their own leaders,” he added.

Fidan began his two-day visit to Egypt on Sunday.

U.N. fires Gaza staff, citing possible involvement in attack on Israel

An internal investigation determined the employees ‘may have been involved’ in the Oct. 7 Hamas-led assault that set off the war.


By Karen DeYoung
August 5, 2024 

The United Nations has officially closed its internal investigation of Israeli allegations that staff members of UNRWA, the main U.N. relief agency in Gaza, participated in the Oct. 7 Hamas invasion of southern Israel after determining that nine of 19 accused “may have been involved” in the attack. The nine have been fired, according to U.N. statements.

Investigators determined there was “insufficient” evidence to support Israel’s charges against another nine of the accused, and “no evidence” against one, a spokesman for Secretary General António Guterres said Monday.

The Israeli allegations, initially made in January, led more than a dozen countries to suspend support donations to UNRWA. All except the United States, which in the past has supplied at least a third of all UNRWA funding, have since resumed their support. After the Biden administration paused U.S. funding, Congress voted to eliminate all donations to the agency until at least March 2025.

The report by the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services remains confidential, although member states can ask to see it. Asked Monday about the U.N. statements on its conclusions, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said he would have no comment until the administration has a “chance to review” the document.

Middle East conflict

Israel is sending a delegation to resume negotiations after weeks of deadlock over a cease-fire deal in Gaza, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed, as a senior U.S. administration official hailed “a breakthrough on a critical impasse.”

Israel has long accused UNRWA, and the United Nations in general, of being biased. Since the October attack, which sparked the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, senior Israeli officials have used numbers ranging from dozens to thousands in charging that UNRWA is an instrument of Hamas.

For its part, UNRWA has charged that Israel has long sought to eliminate the agency, whose official mission is to care for Palestinian “refugees.” Israel claims that Palestinians forced to leave their homes at the creation of the Israeli state in 1948 and in subsequent territorial wars — totaling, with their descendants, almost 6 million — should not be classified as refugees.

In addition to Gaza, UNRWA also provides education, health care and humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. Of its 30,000 employees, 13,000 work in Gaza. More than 200 have been killed in ongoing Israeli attacks, according to the United Nations.

“The U.N. is incapable of running a state-like enterprise in Gaza without being infiltrated by terrorist organizations,” the Israeli government said in a statement last week. “UNRWA in Gaza can and should be replaced, without hampering the humanitarian assistance … Donor countries that continue to fund UNRWA are indirectly funding Hamas.”

Amid an escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, UNRWA and other international aid agencies have accused Israel of blocking assistance to more than 2 million Gazans, most of whom have relocated numerous times inside the enclave to try to avoid Israeli fighting. Israel has countered by calling UNRWA “incompetent” and accusing Hamas of looting aid convoys. The United States, along with the aid agencies, have rejected those charges and called on Israel to allow more assistance to enter Gaza.

The OIOS report appeared to have added fuel to the long-standing war of both actions and words between Israel and the United Nations. In a statement Monday, Israel’s ambassador, Gilad Erdan, called the investigation “a disgrace.” According to Israeli media, he said the document “ignored the thousands of agency employees involved in Hamas terrorism.”

Calling for UNRWA to be shut down, Erdan said that Israel “gave the U.N. the precise details on over 100 UNRWA employees who are members of Hamas.”

In his own statement on the report, UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini said that only 19 cases were ever brought to U.N. attention by Israel. He has previously charged Israel with an “insidious” campaign to destroy UNWRA and has repeatedly said that Israel refused to supply evidence of its charges.

The OIOS investigation, Lazzarini said, found that “in one case, no evidence was obtained by OIOS to support the allegations of the staff member’s involvement. That staff member has rejoined the Agency.

“In nine other cases, the evidence obtained by OIOS was insufficient to support the staff members’ involvement and the OIOS investigation of them is now closed.”

“For the remaining nine cases, the evidence — if authenticated and corroborated — could indicate that the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the attacks of 7 October. I have decided in the case of the remaining nine staff members, they cannot work for UNRWA. All contracts of these staff members will be terminated in the interest of the Agency.”

In a briefing at the United Nations, Guterres spokesman Farhan Haq said that as part of its investigation, OIOS investigators held discussions with Israeli officials, examined UNRWA documents and records, reviewed technical information, communications data and public sources.

“However,” Haq said, “one thing I’d like to point out is that since information used by Israeli officials to support the allegations have remained in Israeli custody, OIOS was not able to independently authenticate most of the information provided to it.”


Asked about the U.N. public wording that the nine “may have been involved” in the Hamas attack, Haq indicated that his hands were tied in offering more information because of the confidential nature of the finding. “That is my words as summarizing the investigation’s words. But it is the words I’ve been given to tell you which have been very precisely written for me.”


The nine were terminated, he said, because “we have sufficient information in order to take the actions that we’re taking … Beyond that, we will need to evaluate what further steps are needed in order to fully corroborate and evaluate the situation.”

EDITORIAL | Global Efforts Needed in Middle East to De-escalate Conflict

The assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh raises the potential for continued violent confrontations in the Middle East.

on August 6, 2024
By Editorial Board,

 The Sankei Shimbun

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (center) attended the funeral for Ismail Haniyeh, top leader of Hamas, in Tehran, Iran on August 1. (Beit-e Rahbari [Office of Ayatollah Khamenei], ©Getty via Kyodo)



Ismail Haniyeh was killed while on a visit to Iran. He was the political leader of the Islamic fundamentalist organization Hamas, the Middle East group responsible for a large-scale surprise attack on Israel in October 2023.

Israel has not admitted to carrying out the assassination. However, Hamas and Iran, its chief supporter, have blamed Israel and promised to avenge Haniyeh's death.

Haniyeh was based in Qatar, although he was visiting Tehran to attend the inauguration of Iran's new president. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also said it was "Iran's duty to revenge his (Haniyeh's) blood."

Additionally, a senior leader of Hezbollah was recently killed during an Israeli attack. Hezbollah is a Lebanon-based radical militia with close ties to Iran. Furthermore, the Israeli military also recently announced that the head of Hamas's military wing was killed in an attack it had carried out in July. Therefore, Iran and pro-Iran militias throughout the Middle East are expected to intensify their efforts to retaliate against Israel.

Hamas' political leader Ismail Haniyeh addresses supporters in Gaza City in March 2014 (©Reuters/Kyodo News)

Destabilizing Instincts of 'Revenge'

If Israel did kill Haniyeh, then Israel probably held him responsible for the massive terror attack in October 2023. In that case, the government of Benjamin Netanyahu likely determined that Hamas is a terrorist organization unable to become a partner in negotiations and therefore must be destroyed. Fighting between Israel and Iran, along with pro-Iran militant groups, seems almost certain to intensify in the days to come.

There was a similar situation in April following the Iranian missile attack. As in April, all efforts are required to avoid an escalation of these tensions into a "Fifth Middle East War."

Continued violent confrontations, even without a major conflict, would still hugely impact the entire world. That includes Japan. After all, Japan relies upon the Middle East region for over 90% of its crude oil imports.

An emergency meeting of the Security Council was held following the assassination of the supreme leader of the Islamic organization Hamas on July 31 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York (©Kyodo News)

International Efforts to Manage the Crisis

There is a risk that this situation could develop into a global energy security emergency. That could impact economic conditions worldwide, and even the safety of Japanese nationals in the region.

Depending on how the situation develops, further precautions may be necessary. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet should not hesitate to hold National Security Council (NSC) meetings and review necessary preparations for the evacuation of Japanese nationals as required. Japanese companies too should ensure their readiness regarding crisis management.

The foreign ministry of Iran has charged that the United States, which supports Israel, is also responsible for Haniyeh's assassination. However, this is pointless venting of anger. All the parties should refrain from such behavior to avoid escalating the present explosive situation.

We earnestly hope that Japan will work with various Western nations and the United Nations to encourage both Israel and Iran to exercise restraint. 

Boys hold up a photo of Hamas Leader Haniyeh on July 31 in Gaza City, northern Gaza Strip. (©Getty Images via Kyodo)

RELATED:

On Gaza, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa Searches for a Humanitarian Outcome
How Will the Houthi Attacks on Commercial Ships Impact India and Japan?
EDITORIAL | With Attack on Israel, Iran Pushes for Wider Mideast War


(Read the editorial in Japanese.)

Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun

Frustration with Netanyahu mounts as Gaza talks falter

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied introducing new terms in ceasefire proposals and traded blame with Hamas over the stalemate.

Reuters

PUBLISHED ONAUGUST 05, 2024 

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing mounting frustration within Israel and abroad over his handling of faltering talks aimed at securing a Gaza hostage release and ceasefire deal, according to three Israeli officials.

Divisions between Netanyahu and the defence establishment over the deal have also surfaced in public remarks and behind closed doors, in angry exchanges leaked on Aug 3 to the Israeli press.

Over the previous four weeks, three Israeli officials, one in the negotiating team and two with close knowledge of the talks, have voiced concern that politics was undermining the chances of a deal.


"The feeling is that the prime minister is avoiding making a decision about the deal and is not pushing for it full force," one of the officials told Reuters on Aug 4.

Some of Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners have threatened government stability should the war end before Hamas is defeated.

Netanyahu has repeatedly said the release of the remaining 115 hostages held in Gaza since the Hamas-led Oct 7 assault on Israel that triggered the war was a top priority.

The Oct 7 attackers killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 captive, according to Israeli tallies. Gaza's health authorities say more than 39,000 Palestinians have since been killed in fighting in the densely populated coastal enclave.
Tensions laid bare

Tensions between Netanyahu - who insists he is safeguarding Israel's security - and some in his negotiating team, were laid bare in his public remarks on Aug 4.

"I am prepared to go very far to release all of our hostages, while maintaining the security of Israel," Netanyahu said in televised remarks at his cabinet meeting.

"Our commitment stands in complete contrast to the leaks and mendacious briefings on the issue of our hostages."
Efforts by the United States, Egypt and Qatar to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas had gained momentum over July but have since ground to a near halt after new terms were introduced to an agreed framework presented by Washington in May.

The framework involves three phases, with the first seeing a six-week ceasefire and the release of women, the elderly and wounded hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

But sources have told Reuters a new Israeli condition that displaced Palestinians should be screened as they return to the enclave's north when the ceasefire begins was among the sticking points.

The killing on July 31 of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran has further complicated matters, though the militant group has not shut the door entirely on negotiators.

"We will continue to apply military pressure on Hamas and its senior figures, until the return of all of our hostages and achieving all of the war goals," Netanyahu said.

"Anyone who wants the release of our hostages must pressure Hamas, not the government of Israel."

Netanyahu's remarks came in response to a flurry of reports over the weekend.

One, by N12 News, quoted US President Joe Biden telling Netanyahu in an Aug 1 phone call to "stop bullshitting me" about advancing the talks.

Netanyahu's office said he does not comment on his conversations with the US president. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the remarks, which were also reported by Haaretz newspaper, citing a senior Biden administration official.

"The people who are leaking these things out of meetings want to pressure the prime minister to make a bad deal. But what these leaks are doing is encouraging Hamas to add more and more demands," a fourth Israeli official told Reuters on Aug 5.
Red lines

A second N12 report cited Israeli security chiefs, including Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and the head of the Shin Bet domestic security service Ronen Bar, casting doubt during a July 31 meeting on Netanyahu's commitment to a hostage deal.

Gallant, according to the report, told Netanyahu that the new terms he introduced have made a deal impossible. The Shin Bet declined to comment on closed door discussions. Gallant's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

But in public remarks, Gallant and Israel's military chief Herzi Halevi have made a point of noting that, after months of battering Hamas in Gaza, forces can handle any challenges posed by a ceasefire, at the same time stressing the importance of sealing a deal that would see hostages freed.

Their messaging over the past few weeks has been in stark contrast to Netanyahu frequently citing his "red lines" on Israel's security in any deal. He has denied introducing new terms and has traded blame with Hamas over the stalemate.

"We have insisted on our red lines, and we will continue to insist on them - both in the face of our enemies and our friends," Netanyahu said on Aug 4.

Inside a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon where Hamas is gaining popularity amid war

Aug 5, 2024 

PBS/NPR
By —Simona Foltyn
By — Hadi Raghda

Audio


The killing of a top Hamas leader shook a Middle East already ten months into a brutal war. It has also galvanized Palestinian populations beyond Gaza and the West Bank, especially in Lebanon, long home to both political and armed groups and hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees. Special correspondent Simona Foltyn gained rare access to Hamas operations there and reports.
Read the Full Transcript


Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors.

Amna Nawaz:

The killing of a top Hamas leader last week shook a Middle East already scarred by a war that the militant group launched last October 7. The past 10 bloody months have also galvanized Palestinian populations beyond Gaza and the West Bank, especially in Lebanon. Factions of Hamas have also made it home.

And special correspondent Simona Foltyn recently gained rare access to its operations there for this report.


Simona Foltyn:

A show of defiance in the Lebanese city of Sour after Israel's killing in Tehran of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh.


Rafat Morra, Hamas Official (through interpreter):

The resistance remains strong and will continue. This resistance will continue until the removal of this Israeli occupation and the complete defeat of the occupation from the entire Palestinian national territory.


Simona Foltyn:

Rallies in support of Hamas have been taking place throughout Southern Lebanon since the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh. The message is that his demise will not weaken Hamas, nor will it lessen its struggle for Palestinian liberation, a liberation these men and women have awaited for decades.

They are refugees, descendants of Palestinians expelled in 1948, when Israel was created. Rayyan is 22 years old. She never set foot on Palestinian land, but is no less attached to the cause.


Rayyan Hafiyan, Palestinian Refugee (through interpreter):

Since our childhood, Haniyeh has influenced us a lot. All our leaders, not just Haniyeh, have taught us that we should hold on to the resistance, no matter what the enemy does.


Simona Foltyn:

Hamas' October 7 attack on Southern Israel was denounced as terrorism by the United States and other Western nations. But, here, it sparked a different sentiment, something Palestinians hadn't felt in decades, hope.


Rayyan Hafiyan (through interpreter):

From when I was little, we have had the hope of returning and living in our homeland. And, God willing, this day will come.


Simona Foltyn:

I want to know if this is a broader trend among the Palestinian diaspora in Lebanon and travel to Saida, home to the largest Palestinian refugee camp. Past the checkpoint of the Lebanese army, it feels as if we've crossed into another country.

The camp is called Ain al-Helweh. Around 120,000 people live here in perpetual exile, crammed into less than half-a-square-mile, a pressure cooker with poor services, few jobs, and no prospects.

Now that frustration has found an outlet. I'm meeting a Hamas fighter who requested anonymity because he spoke outside the chain of command.

Do you think that, since October 7, there is greater support for armed resistance?


Hamas fighter (through interpreter):

Yes. Of course there was support before, but not as much as we are seeing now. There was a general mobilization a month after the events of October 7. Pretty much all the youth in this camp signed up to join Hamas.


Simona Foltyn:

Rising support for the resistance is visible in plain sight. The camp is run by Fatah, which was co-founded by Yasser Arafat and has led the Palestinian Authority since its creation.

But Hamas has been gaining ground here, chipping away at Fatah's status as the guardian of the Palestinian cause, its green colors gradually usurping Fatah's yellow. The green flag of Hamas and other symbols like these posters of its military spokesperson Abu Obaida, have spread throughout the camp since October 7, signaling growing support for armed resistance, even in areas that were not traditionally dominated by Hamas.

Fatah has been losing legitimacy for years now amid accusations of rampant corruption and its failure to achieve Palestinian statehood in the wake of the 1993 Oslo Accords, as part of which it renounced violence in return for recognition and the nominal authority to govern.

But some within Fatah never laid down arms, like Munir Maqdah, the most senior Fatah military official in the camp.


Munir Maqdah, Fatah Military Commander (through interpreter):

We participate in daily military action inside the West Bank in the face of Israeli occupation.


Simona Foltyn:

Maqdah is a leader in the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a branch of Fatah founded during the second Palestinian uprising of the early 2000s. He points to Israel's continued occupation and settlement of Palestinian land in the West Bank as evidence that the Oslo Accords have failed.


Munir Maqdah (through interpreter):

Negotiations have been tried for 30 years and will not give the Palestinian people anything. The Palestinian people have no choice but to take their rights by force and blood. Today, it's blood for blood until we get rid of this occupation in the land of Palestine.


Simona Foltyn:

Words that are finding fertile ground among disenfranchised Palestinian youth. But mobilization inside the camp is a delicate matter. It risks drawing Israeli airstrikes and alienating the Lebanese government, which sees it as a violation of its sovereignty.

To get a glimpse into the secretive recruitment process, I visit a mosque in a neighborhood that is a Hamas stronghold. Hassan Shanaa, a local Hamas official, tells me that hundreds of young men have approached him since October ready to take up arms against Israel, what they call the Zionist entity.


Hassan Shanaa, Hamas Official (through interpreter):

There is a large number of young people who want to join the movement to fight, not to enter the movement and go through the recruitment process. No, they wanted us to give them weapons and go to Palestine through Southern Lebanon, so they can fight the Zionist entity.


Simona Foltyn:

The selection process can span years, with new recruits vetted at multiple stages. Religious instruction is at the very core of joining Hamas, which, unlike the more secular Fatah, is an Islamist movement.


Hassan Shanaa (through interpreter):

First of all, he has to be committed and pray and take lessons with us. If his foundations and goals are where they should be, he will go out to the second stage and maybe take a special lesson.


Simona Foltyn:

The next stage is military training, which is where it gets more complicated. Hamas doesn't enjoy Fatah's status as the security provider in the camps, and isn't officially allowed to maintain an armed presence inside Lebanon.

But I met one new joiner who took part in covert training exercises, which take place in coordination with Hamas ally Lebanese paramilitary group Hezbollah.


Hamas recruit (through interpreter):

They teach us about weapons, how to take them apart and put them together, about bombs, these kinds of things.


Simona Foltyn:

And this training is inside the camp or outside?


Hamas recruit (through interpreter):

No, we go out and come back. I went out two, three times and came back.


Simona Foltyn:

Have a lot of your friends joined Hamas?


Hamas recruit (through interpreter):

There are many, a lot. All were encouraged after October 7.


Simona Foltyn:

Hamas is trying to capitalize on the youth's newfound zeal to obtain with force what hasn't been achieved with words. For Hassan Shanaa, the death and destruction in Gaza are a price worth paying.


Hassan Shanaa (through interpreter):

The Zionist entity and the American administration were betting that adults here would die and children would forget. We say to the whole world, despite the tragedy, the massacres, the killing and the destruction, there's no alternative homeland to Palestine except Palestine.


Simona Foltyn:

Haniyeh's assassination has for now dashed hopes for a cease-fire. Many here see armed struggle as the only way forward.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Simona Foltyn in Ain al-Helweh, Lebanon.

Killing of Hamas leader intended to prolong Gaza conflict, Abbas tells RIA news agency

 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attends the World Economic 

Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024.

 REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo

Updated
Aug 06, 2024

The killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was intended to prolong the conflict in Gaza and will complicate talks on resolving the crisis, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told Russia's RIA state news agency in remarks published on Tuesday.

"There is no doubt that the purpose of Mr. Haniyeh's assassination is to prolong the war and expand its scope," RIA cited Abbas as saying.

"It will have a negative impact on the ongoing negotiations to end the aggression and withdraw Israeli troops from Gaza."

Haniyeh was assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran last week, an attack that drew threats of revenge on Israel and fuelled concern that the conflict in Gaza was turning into a wider Middle East war.

"We consider this a cowardly act and a dangerous development in Israeli politics," Abbas said in remarks published in Russian by the RIA agency.

"The Israeli occupation authorities are required to abandon their ambitions and stop their aggressive actions against our people and our cause, to comply with international law and implement the Arab Peace Initiative, as well as an immediate and lasting ceasefire and withdrawal from the Gaza Strip." REUTERS

PREEMPTIVE IS NOT DEFENSIVE

IDF presents preemptive strike plan on Iran, Hezbollah to senior leaders - report

Senior IDF officers have suggested to Gallant and Netanyahu not to wait for an attack from Hezbollah but to initiate another preemptive Israeli strike.

By MAARIV

AUGUST 6, 2024 
JERUSALEM POST

An Israeli firefighter works to put out a fire in Kiryat Shmona, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in northern Israel July 29, 2024.(photo credit: REUTERS/AMMAR AWAD)

Amid escalating tensions, senior IDF officers have proposed to the Defense Minister and the Prime Minister to preempt Hezbollah and strike Lebanon. "The chances of escalation on the northern front are increasing. It would be prudent to lead the initiative," according to a Channel 13 report.

In light of the tense anticipation of Iran and Hezbollah's response following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and Fuad Shukr in Lebanon, senior IDF officers have suggested to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to wait for an attack from Hezbollah but to initiate another preemptive Israeli strike, as reported on Channel 13 on Monday evening.

According to the publication, senior IDF officials recently proposed to the political echelon to launch another attack against Hezbollah in Lebanon before a response from the Shia terror group arrives. According to these senior officials, "We must undermine the enemy's perception that we are waiting for their move." They also added, "The chances of escalation on the northern front are increasing regardless. It would be wise to be the ones leading this initiative."

Possible plans for pre-emptive strike presented to top brass

The report states that the proposal was presented yesterday in several discussions with senior political officials. Although the proposal was considered and evaluated, it has not yet been accepted by the political echelon. The Prime Minister's Office has not commented, and the IDF spokesperson stated that they do not comment on classified discussions.

Last week, the IDF assassinated Nasrallah's right-hand man, Fuad Shukr, in Beirut in response to the disaster in Majdal Shams, where 12 children were killed by a direct hit from a Hezbollah rocket on a soccer field.

Members of Hezbollah carry the coffin of Fuad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah commander who was killed by an Israeli strike on Tuesday, during his funeral in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon August 1, 2024. 

(credit: REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Hezbollah confirmed Shukr's death about a day after the attack. The following day, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah gave a speech. In his speech, Nasrallah stated that the war "has entered a new and open phase" on all fronts, including Gaza, southern Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and Iran.

He added, "Hezbollah's red line continues to rise with each assassination it encounters," and claimed, "We are in a new phase of confrontation. The Israelis rejoiced - now they will cry."

Israeli rights group describes local prisons as 'network of torture camps'

B'Tselem publishes report exposing conditions and ill treatment that Palestinian detainees are subject to

Ahmed Asmar |06.08.2024 -




ANKARA

An Israeli rights group on Monday described the country’s prisons as a "network of torture camps," confirming a systematic policy of torture and degrading treatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.

B'Tselem said it gathered testimonies from 55 Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons for its report, confirming the ill treatment they received during their detention.

"The testimonies clearly indicate a systematic, institutional policy focused on the continual abuse and torture of all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel," it said.

"Over the years, Israel has incarcerated hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in its prisons, which have always served, above all, as a tool for oppressing and controlling the Palestinian population," B'Tselem said.

The rights group counted several forms of acts by Israeli prison wardens including "arbitrary violence, sexual assault, humiliation and degradation, deliberate starvation, sleep deprivation...and the denial of adequate medical treatment."

"These descriptions appear time and again in the testimonies (of Palestinians) in horrifying detail and with chilling similarities," it added.

It stressed that the testimonies it gathered from Palestinian detainees in various prison facilities make "no room to doubt an organized, declared policy of the Israeli prison authorities."

One Palestinian detainee told B'Tselem that “two guards came and took me to a cell the size of 1.5 square meters with no toilet. I was in that cell for more than three months...The light was on 24\7.”

While some prisoners were locked in their cells throughout the entire day, "others were allowed out for an hour once every few days in order to shower. Some never saw daylight during their time in prison," B'Tselem added.

Confirming the severity of Israel’s inhumane treatment of Palestinian detainees, it noted that this can be seen "in the number of Palestinian prisoners who have died in Israeli custody -- no less than 60."

The report concluded by urging the international community "to do everything in their power to put an immediate end to the cruelties meted out on Palestinians by Israel's prison system."

Sounds Like There Were More Harlan Crow Flights

This is your TPM evening briefing.

TPM Illustration/Getty Images/Wikipedia

By Nicole Lafond
August 5, 2024 

As part of his committee’s investigation into the friendly relationship between conservative megadonor Harlan Crow and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) revealed in a letter on Monday yet another unreported instance of luxury travel that, it appears, Crow gifted Thomas.

Writing to Crow’s attorney, Wyden said that his panel’s review of Customs and Border Protection records showed that Thomas and his wife Ginni Thomas — a conservative activist whose own work has raised questions about the Supreme Court justice’s impartiality, specifically on cases related to Jan. 6 — took a round trip flight on Crow’s private jet between Hawaii and New Zealand in 2010.

The travel was never disclosed on any financial disclosure forms, “even though Justice Thomas has amended disclosures to reflect other international travel on Mr. Crow’s private jet,” Wyden wrote in the letter, in which he requested that Crow’s attorneys actually comply with his requests for additional information about the financial relationship between the two men.

“I am deeply concerned that Mr. Crow may have been showering a public official with extravagant gifts, then writing off those gifts to lower his tax bill,” Wyden wrote.

While Thomas has not yet publicly commented on the new details Wyden surfaced in the letter, it is, of course, just one of many revelations made public either by congressional investigators or journalists over the last dozen-some months as Thomas’ penchant for accepting and not disclosing gifts from the right-wing donor propels calls for Supreme Court ethics reform. Wyden’s investigation is just one of many attempts in recent weeks and months from Democrats to push for more oversight of those sitting on the high court.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) last month introduced articles of impeachment against Justices Thomas and Samuel Alito for not disclosing travel paid for by benefactors and for not recusing themselves from cases related to Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the election, despite clear and present conflicts of interest. Just last week, President Biden also proposed term limits for Supreme Court justices, as well as other reforms.

In his letter, Wyden asked Crow’s attorneys to comply with his requests so that the panel could “better understand the means and scale of Mr. Crow’s undisclosed largess to Justice Thomas” as it works to write legislation to prevent such behavior moving forward.

Read the letter here.

Supreme Court justice didn't disclose travel, says senator

Christal Hayes
BBC News, Los Angeles

Reuters


Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has been accused by a top Democratic senator of failing to disclose two flights on a private jet owned by a billionaire Republican donor.

Ron Wyden, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said that Justice Thomas did not declare a roundtrip from Hawaii to New Zealand with his wife on Harlan Crow's private jet in 2010.

He used a letter to Mr Crow's lawyer to accuse the property mogul of "showering a public official with extravagant gifts then writing off those gifts to lower his tax".

A spokesman for Mr Crow told US media Mr Wyden's inquiries had "no legal basis and are only intended to harass a private citizen", and that Mr Crow had "always followed applicable tax law".

"It’s concerning that Senator Wyden is abusing his committee’s powers as part of a politically motivated campaign against the Supreme Court," said a spokesman for Mr Crow, Michael Zona.

Justice Thomas has not commented publicly on the letter. The Supreme Court did not immediately respond to an inquiry from the BBC.

Justice Thomas has previously said that he believed he did not need to report trips with close friends who do not have business before the Supreme Court.

It is the latest criticism against the conservative judge, whose previous travel on private jets and yachts have previously come under scrutiny.

Under a new disclosure system, the judge in June amended his annual statement to include two trips with Mr Crow in 2019 - one to Bali and another to California.

However, Mr Wyden alleged in his letter that the judge had used private jets paid for by Mr Crow at least 17 times in the last eight years.

The Oregon senator also cited a new trip that he said had not been reported publicly.

Mr Wyden cited US Customs and Border Protection records of a trip from Hawaii to New Zealand in 2010 by the judge and his wife, Virginia, on Mr Crow's private jet.

The White House said Mr Wyden's letter strengthened President Joe Biden's case for sweeping reforms to the court, which is currently dominated by conservatives.

Mr Biden last week proposed establishing term limits for justices, which are currently lifetime appointments, and an enforceable code of conduct.

Such changes would be difficult to pass in Congress.

The White House said on Monday that "the most powerful court in the United States shouldn't be subject to the lowest ethical standards, and conflicts of interest on the Supreme Court cannot go unchecked".

The heightened focus on court ethics has drawn scrutiny to other Supreme Court members.

It emerged last year that Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a liberal, did not recuse herself from three cases involving Penguin Random House, which had paid her more than $3m (£2.4m).