Paul Simon signs letter calling for the release of Marwan Barghouti
More than 200 prominent cultural figures have signed a letter demanding the immediate release of Marwan Barghouti. The signatories considered the struggle for Barghouti's release akin to the campaign dedicated to freeing Nelson Mandela, as he is viewed as a figure capable of uniting the factions and offering the best hope for the faltering mission of establishing a Palestinian state. The prestigious and diverse group demanding his release in an open letter includes a number of prominent names, among them the writers Margaret Atwood, Philip Pullman, Zadie Smith, and Annie Ernaux; the actors Sir Ian McKellen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Josh O'Connor, and Mark Ruffalo, in addition to the broadcaster and former soccer player Gary Lineker, according to The Guardian. There is Israeli anger at that campaign, which has been described as antisemitic and bearing ideas that threaten Israel's existence. https://x.com/tamerqdh/status/1996202623041511523
257 Journalists in Gaza Killed in Israeli Attacks on Gaza...photos
A Heart That Faded Too Soon
(via Support Palestine)
A Heart That Faded Too Soon
Yamen Abu Hilal was only a child, but everyone who met him felt as though they were meeting someone whose gentleness could calm an entire room. His smile was small, but it carried a warmth far bigger than his fragile body could hold.
For months, Yamen’s family fought desperately to get him the medical care he needed. His heart was weak, and every day became a harder battle than the one before. Doctors had warned that he needed treatment outside Gaza, but the crossing remained closed, and time kept slipping away.
Yamen’s mother held him through long nights when his breathing grew shallow, whispering stories and prayers into his hair. His father moved from one office to another, begging for a permit, a referral, anything that could save his son. But every reply was the same: “Not today… wait…” And while the world asked for patience, Yamen’s strength was quietly fading.
As food became scarce and medicine even scarcer, Yamen’s body grew tired. Malnutrition weakened him further, and his immune system could no longer fight the infections that kept returning. He was a child who needed care, rest, and safety—but Gaza could no longer offer him any of those things.
One morning, before the sun had fully risen, Yamen’s small heart simply couldn’t keep going. His mother felt his hand grow still in hers. His father stood beside them in disbelief, unable to understand how a world with so many resources could let a child slip away like that.
