Palestine This Week

This week’s show opens with a discussion on “Israel’s dystopian aid trap,” as Nasim Ahmed and Mouin Rabbani examine the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation—an initiative critics say is less about aid and more about engineering chaos, displacement, and colonial domination. The episode highlights the recent killing of over 30 Palestinians near an aid distribution site in Rafah and growing evidence that Israeli-backed criminal gangs, not Hamas, are looting aid. 

The conversation then shifts to the murky and increasingly contradictory ceasefire negotiations. Drawing on reporting from Drop Site News and other sources, the show interrogates the competing claims over what Hamas and Israel actually agreed to. In a striking revelation, it emerges that Hamas had agreed to step aside and allow a technocratic Palestinian government to take over governance in Gaza—yet it was Israel that removed this clause from the deal, seemingly preferring Hamas remain in place

The episode then turns to Israel’s decision to block a delegation of Arab foreign ministers, including representatives from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Jordan, from visiting the Palestinian Authority. 

The episode closes with a look at rising global resistance, from the Freedom Flotilla joined by Greta Thunberg to the Sarajevo Declaration’s call to confront Zionist domination and uphold international law. In a stark reversal, former US official Matthew Miller—who once defended Israel’s actions—now concedes the state has “without doubt” committed war crimes.

Palestine This Week with Mouin Rabbani is your uncompromising weekly deep dive into the brutality of Israeli occupation and the political theatre that attempts to mask it all. As Western governments scramble to whitewash their role and clean their blood-soaked hands, this show strips away the spin to reveal the uncomfortable truth: there is no way to run a successful PR campaign for genocide.

This week, we break down the diplomatic posturing behind the latest ceasefire negotiations, fronted by American figures with dubious histories, while Israel makes clear it has no intention of ending its campaign of annihilation. As Gazans starve, Israel’s so-called “neutral” aid plan bypasses the UN and funnels supplies through criminal proxies under IDF protection. Even its handpicked humanitarian lead resigned, citing violations of basic humanitarian principles.

We also turn to Europe and North America, where governments issue carefully worded condemnations while expanding military and trade ties with Israel. From Ehud Olmert’s blunt admission of a war of annihilation, to Cindy McCain publicly challenging Israeli disinformation, the global narrative may be shifting, but little else has changed. Behind it all is a steady stream of reports: diplomats being shot at, settlers chanting “Death to Arabs,” and overwhelming support inside Israeli society for ethnic cleansing.

Whether it's the ethnic cleansing polls, settler rampages in the West Bank, or Israel’s systematic use of Palestinians as human shields, Palestine This Week brings you the stories that Western media won't touch.

The situation in Gaza is beyond anything we can imagine. There was a chilling warning issued by the UN emergency relief chief today of 14,000 babies dying in the next 48 hours unless aid reaches them. Ceasefire talks in Doha have stalled in Doha because of because of “fundamental differences,” that’s according to Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al-Thani. Israel’s latest military offensive is undermining talks said Al-Thani.

As global outrage over Israel’s genocide in Gaza intensifies, this week’s episode of Palestine This Week explores a pivotal shift in regional politics: Is Israel’s strategic value to its Western allies diminishing? President Donald Trump’s latest Middle East tour has sparked speculation that Washington is preparing for a post-Israel regional order. With major powers recalibrating their approach, signs are emerging that Israel is no longer the untouchable ally it once was.

Host Nasim Ahmed is joined by veteran analyst Mouin Rabbani to break down major stories from the past week, including EU’s former top diplomat Josep Borrell calling Israel’s action in Gaza genocide. The episode also breaks down a new report by the World Food Programme warning of the famine in Gaza.

The episode closes with a sobering reflection on the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, as Palestinians mark over seven decades of dispossession and struggle. Nasim and Mouin explore how this year’s commemorations take on new meaning amid Israel’s attempts to erase Palestinian life and identity.

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Israel’s new offensive in Gaza, legal showdowns at the ICJ, and drone strikes in international waters — this week’s MEMO Review returns with a powerful analysis of the region’s biggest developments.

Host Nasim Ahmed is joined by analyst Mouin Rabbani to unpack the collapse of the ceasefire and Israel’s latest assault on Gaza, which includes carving the Strip into isolated zones and placing humanitarian aid under the control of private US security contractors. The pair examine whether these new tactics further the ICJ’s case for genocide.

From Israel’s bombing of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla to ongoing airstrikes in Syria and Yemen, the episode highlights Israel’s widening military aggression and the silence surrounding violations in international waters.

Nasim and Mouin also explore the ICJ’s emergency hearings, Netanyahu’s war of words with Qatar, and the escalating repression on US campuses. They dissect the firing of US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and the resurrection of the Anti-Boycott Act. Join us for an unfiltered deep dive into the headlines of the Middle East.

The Israeli supreme court has given the government the right to ignore International law and starve Gaza. 

This week on the MEMO Review, host Nasim Ahmed is joined by Mouin Rabbani to unpack a week of major developments from across the region. At the centre of the discussion is the Israeli Supreme Court’s shocking decision that it has no obligation to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza—a ruling that stands in stark contrast to the ICJ’s landmark 2024 ruling declaring Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza as illegal. With Gaza on the brink and global legal norms under fire, the episode begins with a critique of Israel’s expanding judicial impunity.
The review turns to protests in northern Gaza, where hundreds gathered in Beit Lahiya to express opposition to Israel’s genocide and Hamas. Is the protest spontaneous or externally engineered pressure on Hamas?
Next, attention shifts to Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to task Mossad with finding a host country for expelled Gazan. In parallel, signs emerge of a potential hostage deal: Hamas may be ready to release five captives in return for a 50-day ceasefire. Could a truce be back on the table?

we also take a sharp look at developments in Iran and Syria. Tensions rise as Iran signals its openness to indirect talks with the US—just days after former President Trump threatened to bomb the country unless it returned to a nuclear deal he himself tore up. Meanwhile in Syria, the formation of a new opposition-backed government offers a rare glimmer of possibility. But has the new leadership, including the appointment of Sheikh Osama Al-Rifai as Grand Mufti, truly lived up to its promise of representing all Syrians?

The episode closes with a deep dive into US politics: from leaked opposition to a Houthi strike, to troubling reports of foreign students being deported not for criticising America, but for criticising Israel. With legal action now underway, Nasim and Mouin examine how repression on US campuses is becoming a new front in the global Palestine solidarity struggle. Tune in for an unfiltered analysis of power, resistance, and the stories others won’t tell.

In the early hours of 18 March, Israel returned to bombing Gaza, killing more than 400 Palestinians - the vast majority women and children - in what has become the deadliest day in its genocide so far. What are its intentions? Who are its targets? And why has the world remained silent? 

This episode of Palestine This Week opens with a sobering reflection on the grim milestone of over 50,000 Palestinians killed by Israel. The week saw yet another massive assault, as Israeli forces shattered a ceasefire and ordered families to flee once again to so-called 'safe zones'. What followed was one of the deadliest days in this war: hundreds of civilians were killed, including 200 children and 100 women, in what has been described as the largest child massacre in Israel’s history. Mouin Rabbani unpacks the scale of this humanitarian catastrophe and the international silence that continues to surround it.
As the death toll climbs, the show turns to a chilling new revelation about the mindset driving this devastation. Reports have surfaced of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissing military assessments that 1,500 targets had been hit in Gaza, demanding instead: 'Why not 5,000?' He went on to demand the army 'bomb everything in Gaza', offering a stark insight into the genocidal intent of Israeli leaders waging a war of annihilation on Palestinians. The rhetoric is reflected on the ground, with Israel’s destruction of Gaza’s only specialised cancer hospital, the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, a blatant attack on essential infrastructure under the guise of 'targeting Hamas'. Mouin and Nasim explore what this reveals about Israel’s intentions — and the increasingly blurred line between military targets and war crimes.
The conversation takes a deeper turn as we unpack internal fractures within Israeli society, with former Supreme Court Chief Aharon Barak warning that Israel is veering toward civil war. Netanyahu is facing multiple crises — his corruption trial, public unrest, a budget crisis, and renewed protests — while continuing to de-prioritise the release of captives in favour of political survival. Meanwhile, right-wing figures like Itamar Ben-Gvir are back in government and US allies like Trump’s Middle East envoy are now pushing the blame for the ceasefire collapse squarely onto Hamas.
One of the most shocking developments this week is the Israeli government’s formal establishment of a bureau to promote the so-called 'voluntary emigration' of Palestinians from Gaza. The historical irony is staggering — drawing parallels with Nazi Germany’s 'Central Office for Jewish Emigration'. This, alongside US bombing campaign in Yemen and the UAE’s efforts to sabotage a post-war plan for Gaza, reveals the broader regional and international dynamics at play.

 Israel has used sexual and reproductive violence in Gaza as a weapon of war in what the UN has declared is a 'genocidal act', how will the international community react to the latest damning reports of Tel Aviv's abuse of Palestinians? Will action finally be taken to hold Israel to account.

This episode was recorded before Israel launched its intensified bombing campaign in Gaza on Tuesday, killing over 400 Palestinians.

 
This week, we begin our analysis by looking into one of the most damning reports yet; a UN Human Rights Council investigation exposing Israel’s systematic use of sexual violence and genocidal acts in Gaza. From Israeli security forces using rape as a weapon of war to the destruction of reproductive health facilities, the findings are harrowing. What does this mean for international accountability?
We also dissect US President Donald Trump’s denial that he is seeking to expel Palestinians from Gaza while reports surface that he is holding secret discussions to forcibly relocate Gazans to East Africa. Meanwhile, Hamas has reportedly agreed to release a US-Israeli soldier. Is Hamas trying to drive a wedge between the US and Israel?

The US has once again bombed Yemen, marking yet another chapter in Washington’s long-standing pattern of attacking one of the poorest countries on Earth. With at least 53 dead, we ask: What triggered this latest round of strikes? And is this really about protecting shipping lanes, or is something else at play? Meanwhile, in Syria, Israel has facilitated the first Druze visit in 52 years, sparking outrage among Syrian Druze leaders who accuse Israel of manipulating religious visits to expand its influence.

Finally, we analyse the growing crackdown on pro-Palestinian voices in the US, from Columbia University facing federal funding cuts following the student movement calling for an end to Israel's genocide in Gaza, to the White House labelling a Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil a 'threat' despite admitting he broke no laws. And in a surreal twist, Germany’s own anti-Semitism czar has pulled out of Israel’s anti-Semitism conference because Israel invited actual anti-Semites. Has the fight against anti-Semitism collapsed under the weight of its own contradictions? 

 The ceasefire in Gaza is teetering on the brink, as Israel continues to refuse to engage in negotiation on a second phase of the deal, while in Syria unrest has broken out in the between Allawite forces and the government's security personnel leading to fears that some actors are destabalising the region once again. 

In this week’s episode, we begin with reports that the US has engaged in direct negotiations with Hamas, bypassing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The discussion covers an analysis of a report by Israel’s internal security agency, Shin Bet, which has suggested that Netanyahu’s own policies, including his approach to Hamas, helped pave the way for the events of 7 October 2023.
Amit Yagur, a former senior Israeli intelligence official, has called for a strategic shift in Israel’s response to Hamas. He has argued that Netanyahu is misreading the intentions of Hamas and suggested leveraging Trump’s Gaza “Riviera” plan to undermine the legitimacy of the Palestinian group. At the same time, Arab states have put forward a $53 billion alternative to Trump’s Gaza plan, seeking to counter his proposal for a US-led takeover of Gaza.
The discussion also explores the role of AI in surveillance and repression, including Israel’s development of an AI-driven tool to monitor Palestinians and the US’s push to use AI to revoke visas of foreign nationals supporting Palestinian rights. This comes as public opinion is shifting in the US, with support for Israel at its lowest level since polling began, a trend that may have influenced the outcome of the 2024 election.
Beyond Palestine, Qatar has called for Israel’s nuclear weapons to be placed under international safeguards, and Syria faces renewed violence with over 1,000 people killed in recent days. With the country’s transitional process underway, Qatar’s foreign minister has warned that in the region 'peace has many enemies', a phrase that resonates across multiple conflicts in the Middle East.
The episode concludes with a discussion on the continued erosion of international legal frameworks, including the failure to convene a conference on the Geneva Convention in Switzerland over Israel’s illegal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, amid reported pressure from Washington and Tel Aviv.

After witnessing US President Donald Trump's awkward meeting with Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelenskyy, does the Middle East - Gaza in particular - need to reconsider the options available with regards the future of the region and Palestinians within it?  

The latest episode of Palestine This Week kicks off with the collapse of the Gaza ceasefire deal as Israel blocks all humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave. Host Nasim Ahmed and Middle East analyst Mouin Rabbani expose how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has deliberately undermined the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, shifting blame to Hamas while blocking essential aid into Gaza. We’ll unpack the latest revelations from Israel’s own military inquiry into the 7 October attacks, including their implementation of the controversial 'Hannibal Directive' and their admission of ignoring crucial intelligence warnings.

Our analysis extends beyond Gaza as we investigate Israel’s persistent violations of the November ceasefire with Lebanon and its increasingly aggressive posture towards Syria. We examine Netanyahu’s recent claim to 'defend' the Druze city of Jaramana near Damascus – widely seen as a manufactured pretext for further military action – alongside Israel’s desperate diplomatic efforts to maintain a weakened, fractured Syria. Is Israel seeking to fragment Syria?

As Arab nations prepare for an emergency summit in Cairo to discuss Gaza’s reconstruction, we explore the staggering $50 billion price tag attached to rebuilding what Israel has destroyed. With Egypt and Jordan financially constrained and the US refusing to pressure Israel to pay for the devastation, can Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar present a reconstruction plan compelling enough to counter President Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu’s ethnic cleansing agenda?

The episode concludes with an analysis of Trump’s awkward meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House and its implications for Middle Eastern politics. Are Arab leaders worried about a similar humiliating treatment? With Trump’s 'America First' doctrine potentially threatening traditional alliances, what does this mean for Saudi Arabia’s long-sought security guarantees in exchange for normalisation with Israel? As Washington buzzes with talk of withdrawing from NATO and the UN, we examine whether meaningful American security commitments to Riyadh are becoming increasingly implausible, potentially reshaping the geopolitical landscape of the entire region.