Democracy Now! Audio - Democracy Now! 2025-10-07 Tuesday

Episode Date: October 7, 2025

Democracy Now! Tuesday, October 7, 2025

From New York, this is Democracy Now. Since the beginning of this invasion, families have been snatched up off the streets or removed from their homes, zip-tied and detained for hours, including especially U.S. citizens and legal residents of our state. And in the words of CBP Chief Patrol Agent Greg Bovino, they're being chosen by how they look. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker accused President Trump of launching an invasion by planning to deploy the National Guard to Chicago. We'll speak to the ACLU of Illinois. Then, today marks two years since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. We'll speak to Israeli peace activist Mao Zinan.

His parents were killed in the attack. I'm a peace activist. I lost my parents. And I believe that peace is possible. I know that peace is possible. And this is what me and my partners, Palestinians, Israeli partners, are walking on now. Day and night to bring peace to this level. We'll also go to Gaza, where the official death toll has top 67,000 over the past two years,

though expected to be far higher with people and the rubble. We'll speak to the Palestinian journalist Plestia Al-Aqad, author of the new book, The Eyes of Gaza, A Diary of Resilience. When you're inside Gaza during a genocide, you always wonder, what will kill me first? Is it amethan, starvation, or even grief? While when you're outside Gaza, safe, watching everything from a distance, you wonder, how is this the same world? All that and more coming up. Welcome to Democracy Now, Democracy Now.org, the Warren Peace Report.

I'm Amy Goodman. Israelis are marking the second anniversary of Hamas' attack, which left 1,200 people dead, including more than 700 Israeli civilians and 79 foreign nationals. Memorial events are underway in Kibbutzim in southern Israel, where people were killed or kidnapped. Meanwhile, large rallies are being held in Tel Aviv in Jerusalem, calling for the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza and a ceasefire over the past two years, Israel. in discriminant war in Gaza has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, including at least 20,000 children, though the figures are believed to be a vast undercount with thousands of bodies

trapped under the rubble. In Egypt, indirect talks between Israel and Hamas are underway for a second day on a U.S. drafted 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan. This comes as Israel continues to attack with at least eight Palestinians killed since dawn today. There were among more than 100 people killed since President Trump last Friday called on Israel to halt the bombing campaign. Meanwhile, a new study by the Cost of War Project finds the Biden and Trump administrations provided at least $21.7 billion in military assistance to Israel over the past two years. Swedish activist Gretta Thunbri was among at least 170 activists.

deported from Israel Monday after Israeli military forces last week raided and captured dozens of boats in the global Samud flotilla, which attempted to break Israel's siege and starvation campaign in Gaza. On Monday, Tunbri spoke to a cheering crowd as she arrived at an airport in Athens, Greece, confirming she and other flotilla activists faced abuse in Israeli custody. She also posted this message on her Instagram. Do not let me and other volunteers on the flotilla.

be a destruction. And the global Sumitral Tila is about solidarity with Palestinians. International solidarity. And what Israel did was mainly not to illegally abduct us in international waters and abuse us in prison, but it was that it stopped a humanitarian mission and violating international law by preventing humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, a population that are being systematically starved by Israel. And this is a blatant violation of international human rights. and maritime law.

More than 340 flotilla activists have been deported from Israel. As advocates continue to demand the release of over 100 others who remain in Israeli prison custody, including U.S. citizens. Meanwhile, another wave of humanitarian aid vessels is sailing toward Gaza. The new flotilla is made up of 11 ships with activists from 25 countries, including doctors, carrying medicine and nutritional supplies. Lebanon's health ministry says Israeli airstrikes killed two people and injured another in southern Lebanon earlier today. They follow an Israeli strike on a car Monday that killed a man who lost his eyesight in Israel's Pedro attack last year, along with his wife who was driving the car.

According to the United Nations, Israel's military has killed at least 103 civilians in the 10 months since it agreed to a ceasefire with Hezbollah. Despite the declared truce, Israel's kept up near daily attacks. In the United States, 200 National Guard troops from Texas are heading to Chicago after a judge declined to block their deployment following two lawsuits filed by the city of Chicago, the state of Illinois, journalists, and protesters. This is Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. I promise that the city of Chicago will do everything in our power to protect the constitutional rights of all Chicagoans. This lawsuit is the latest demonstration of our commitment. Let me be absolutely clear. The president is not sending military troops to Chicago to keep us safe.

We know this because Trump has a history of targeting Chicago. This comes as the Trump administration's asking an appeals court for authorization to send troops from Texas and California to Oregon, after a federal judge over the weekend blocked the deployment of National Guard troops. In Portland, an elderly couple protesting ICE on Saturday say they were knocked over by federal agents. Laurie Ekman told the Oregonian, quote, with no warning, the feds charged into us, knocked us down and sprayed us. I was hit in the head with a projectile, unquote. Oregon, Senator Jeff Merkley said, quote, Trump's troops are deliberately attacking peaceful protesters to incite violence. The goal is to generate riots, to justify the expansion of authoritarian measures, and to strengthen the case for the troop deployments, Senator Merkley said.

The U.S. government shutdown is entered at 7th day. Democratic lawmakers are holding to their demands that Republicans agree to extend health care subsidies from the Affordable Care Act and reverse cuts to Medicaid. President Trump, whose threatened mass firings of federal workers, blamed Democrats for the shutdown, saying, quote, call them Democrat layoffs. They're causing it, unquote. His comments came just days after he celebrated the shutdown as an unprecedented opportunity to carry out mass layoffs. On Monday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries challenged Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to a primetime debate over the shutdown, which Johnson rejected. This is Jeffries. Well, the White House has gone radio silent since the Oval Office meeting last Monday,

and neither Leader Schumer or myself have heard a word from the administration about resolving this issue, making clear to us that the White House wanted to shut the government down, to continue the chaos that they've been inflicting on the American people since day one of this presidency. The government of Eswetini confirmed Monday. It's received a second deportation flight from the United States, carrying 10 people who were not nationals of the small southern. African Kingdom. This comes after the Trump administration previously sent five other deportees to Eswatini in July. Lawyers and human rights groups warn deportees sent by the U.S.

have been held in solitary confinement and denied access to their lawyers. The Trump administration also sent third country deportees to Ghana, Rwanda, and South Sudan. The head of the United Nations Agency for Refugees is warning countries not to abandon the post-World War II framework for humanitarian migration, including the 1951 refugee convention. Philippe O'Grady made the remarks Monday, as some European nations and the Trump administration seek to limit the right of refugees to request asylum. I'm worried that the current debate in Europe, for example, and some current deportation practices, such as in the United States, address real challenges in manners not consistent with

international law. Syria has established its first parliament since long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad was overthr 10 months ago, ending a 12-year war. Many Syrians welcome this as a step forward after more than five decades of dictatorship under the Assad family. But the process was also widely criticized as undemocratic because the public did not directly vote for the lawmakers. Local committees cast their ballot Sunday, while interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara

will appoint at least a third of the 200. member assembly. There were also mounting concerns about the underrepresentation of women and minority groups. Only 4% of members of the new transitional assembly are women. In related news, the Syrian army and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic forces have reportedly reached a ceasefire deal in Aleppo. This comes after recent escalating tensions between the two groups and the killing of a member of the Syrian security forces and an SDF attack. The international criminal courts convicted of former Sudanese militia leader of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in mass executions, rapes, and torture in the Darfur region.

Ali Mohamed Ali Abd al-Rahman, also known as Ali Khashib, was a commander in the Janjewid militia when the Darfur conflict erupted more than 20 years ago. Then President Amar Abashir's government responded to the rebel. uprising with a scorched earth campaign of aerial bombings and gruesome raids across villages carried out by Janjouy troops. Over the years, it's estimated up to 300,000 people have been killed in Darfur and over 2 million displaced. Abashir has been charged by the ICC with crimes including genocide and remains in a military-run prison in Sudan. ICC presiding judge, Joanna Corner, explain Monday's verdict. The chamber is convinced that

The accused is guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crimes with which he has been charged. Its verdicts are unanimous. This marks the first time the ICC's convicted a suspect of war crimes in Darfur. Back in the United States, Paramount Skydance has acquired the right-wing digital media outlet, the free press for $150 million and has installed its co-founder, Barry Weiss, is editor-in-chief of CBS News. Weiss will report directly to David Ellison, the CEO of Paramount. The free press is backed by prominent Silicon Valley venture capitalists

has been widely criticized for its commentary in Gaza, including an article titled The Gaza Famine Myth, which questioned famine conditions in the besieged territory caused by Israel's assault and blockade. As CBS correspondent told the independent, quote, the fact that we don't have money to pay journalists, but we have money to pay Barry Weiss between 100 and 200 million, is indicative of what the Ellison's true goal here is, and it's not journalism, they said.

The Supreme Court's rejected an appeal from convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein's co-conspirator Galane Maxwell, who's currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. Maxwell had attempted to get the Supreme Court to rule on whether her case was covered by a plea deal. Epstein reached in 2008 when he pleaded guilty to prostitution offenses in Florida in exchange for federal prosecutors agreeing not to charge his co-teachs. conspirators. Meanwhile, President Trump was asked Monday about a possible pardon for Ghislane Maxwell. I don't know. I mean, I'd have to speak to the DOJ. I'll look at it. I'll, I have a lot of people have asked me for pardons. I call him Puff Daddy his ask me for a pardon. But she was convicted

of child sex trafficking. Yeah, I mean, I'm going to have to take a look at it and I have to ask DOJ. Meanwhile, Adelaideh Grijalva, who just won a special election for a congressional seat, from Arizona last month, has still not been sworn into Congress, despite arriving in Washington, D.C. last week. Last Friday, House Speaker Mike Johnson canceled previously scheduled votes for this week and is holding pro forma sessions with just a few minutes of business per day. Grohava thinks it's because she's the deciding vote on a petition to release the Epstein files. Democratic Congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez echoed her concerns, writing on Next, quote, the government is in full shutdown and the Republicans are refusing to call the House back into session. Want to know why?

Because we have secured the final vote on releasing the Epstein files and they don't want them out, unquote. And those are some of the headlines. This is Democracy Now. Democracy Now.org, the Warren Peace Report. I'm Amy Goodman in New York, joined by Democracy Now is Juan Gonzalez in Chicago. Hi, Juan. Hi, Amy, and welcome to all of our listeners and viewers across the country and around the world. A federal judge in Chicago has refused the Illinois Attorney General's request to immediately block the Trump administration from deploying hundreds of National Guard troops to the state, instead saying she'll hear arguments on Thursday.

This is in contrast to Portland, Oregon, where a federal judge appointed by President Trump did issue. a restraining order to stop Trump from sending troops. Illinois Governor Pritzker said Monday he would not back down. Since the beginning of this invasion, families have been snatched up off the streets or removed from their homes, zip-tied and detained for hours, including especially U.S. citizens and legal residents of our state. And in the words of CBP Chief Patrol Agent Greg Bovino. They're being chosen by how they look. Also on Monday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced he'd signed an executive order to stop federal immigration agents from using certain city-owned spaces. The order establishes ice-free zones. That means that city property

and unwilling private businesses will no longer serve as staging grounds for these raids. This comes after an overnight ice raid on a Chicago apartment complex days ago when ice agents wearing fatigues and carrying guns repelled from a Black Hawk helicopter and zip-tied children and U.S. citizens while carrying out arrests. A neighbor described the terrifying ordeal to ABC 7 Chicago. They was terrified. The kids were crying. People were screaming. They looked very distrauded. I was out there crying when I seen the little girl come around the corner because they was bringing the kids out, too, had them zip tied to each other. That's all I kept asking, where's the morality? Where's the human?

One of them literally laughed. He was standing right here. He said, them kids. Meanwhile, Friday, federal agents handcuffed Chicago alderperson, Jesse Fuentes, and briefly detained her When she asked if they had a signed warrant for a man they were trying to detain at a hospital. He has constitutional rights. Do you have a sign? No, you need to leave for me. Turn around.

You're turning around and leave him. He is under him. I'm going to arrest her arrest. You were going to be placed under arrest. Do you have a sign to be a warrant for me? For those who can't see, the agent then pulled her hands behind her back and handcuffed her. The video was shared in a report by the news outlet Book Club Chicago, which is part of a coalition of Chicago journalists and activists who filed a new lawsuit with the ACLU of Illinois against the Trump administration over a pattern of, quote, extreme brutality, unquote, by federal agents during protests at the Broadview Ice Detention Center in a Chicago suburb. In this CBS News Chicago story, correspondent Azal Rzei,

describes how she was attacked while reporting at the ICE jail. An ice agent that was masked pointed his weapon and shot directly at my car. He saw my window was open and he shot right here. You can see the point of impact right there. You can see white powder exploded on the hood of her car, windshield, and even engulfed the inside. And I was sitting right there with my window open. A lot of it went inside of my car and on my face. I immediately felt it burning.

I started throwing up. For more, we're joined by Ed Yanka, Director of Communications and Public Policy for the ACLU of Illinois. Ed, thanks so much for being with us. There's so much to discuss here. I mean, one lawsuit after another, the most recently yesterday, the filing of the lawsuit around the deploying the federalized troops to Chicago, apparently Governor Abbott allowed the troops to go from Texas, and they're in Indiana right now, but talk about the judge. ruling and the other lawsuits as well that you're a part of. Sure. So the state of Illinois and the

city of Chicago, as you say, filed a lawsuit yesterday to challenge the federalization of National Guard and deploying them here for a very simple reason. There's no emergency and there's no justification for having guards or troops here in the city of Chicago or in the Chicago land area. In fact, what we have seen over the last few weeks is the escalation of violence and chaos on behalf of ICE agents or conducted by ICE agents, everything from marching up and down in fatigues and pulling families out of parks, marching up and down Michigan Avenue, pulling families out of parks, too, as was described in our lawsuit yesterday with the coalition of legal organizations, you know, taking on what we've seen is, you know,

just the indiscriminate firing of projectiles and chemical weapons at the Broadview Detention Center and our processing center, which has become a detention center. So what we're seeing and, you know, in the other clips you played is just this escalation of violence. And when anybody protests, then that's seized upon. by the administration as a claim for the need to bring in further forces, but further forces are just going to escalate tensions here. They're not going to make things better. And, Ed, could you talk about that, this remarkable raid that occurred last week at an apartment

complex, that the ICE were claiming that it was a hotbed for Trendaragua, a Venezuelan gang, can you talk about what actually happened there? Yes, and, you know, Juan, you know how just incredible and, you know, remarkable this is as a Chicagoan. Last week, what we saw was in the middle of the night, hundreds of heavily armed ice agents, you know, masked up, you know, attacked a single apartment building, broke into that building, repelled off of a Black Hawk helicopter to get to the roof of the building, then proceeded to go through the building and kick down every single door that they could, take

whomever they found into custody, and then, as we know, released some of those people hours later because they either had no criminal background, they were green card holders, and in many cases, you know, they were citizens, including zip-tying children, zip tying children out in the streets of Chicago, separating them from their families and then hauling them away as well. You know, this is just, you know, and we have not yet to this hour heard any justification or rationalization for why it was that they needed this kind of overwhelming force. There's not been charges brought against anybody. There's been no explanation. There's been no production of a warrant in public.

to justify why an entire apartment building was attacked, even if there was a person or set of people in the building that they wanted to try to detain. They didn't need to literally render, you know, a hundred people unhoused because they've created a situation where they can't go back into the building. And have there been any reports of who was actually detained or where the people are? no that's been very difficult to find out one in fact you know our lawyers have spent the last several days trying to talk to people who lived in the building trying to talk to neighbors and others around there to see if we can find out where these people were taken to to see what happened

to them to hear about their experiences firsthand but the reporting on this is just awful Can you talk about the possibility of President Trump invoking the Insurrection Act and how rare this is? It would be incredibly rare, Amy. As you know, the Insurrection Act has been used only a few times in our country's history. And the purposes of the Insurrection Act are in no way, shape, or form met in the city of Chicago. There is no invasion here. There is no armed conflict going on. There is no, you know, sabotage to the actions of the federal government.

And in fact, the courts and the government and everyone else is proceeding and operating in the normal fashion. Just to make the point, yesterday, government lawyers stood against state lawyers in a federal courthouse and in a federal courtroom to raise the question. about whether or not National Guard was available. Police stopped people yesterday in the city of Chicago. ICE continued to make raids in the city of Chicago. There is nothing here that justifies something as extreme as declaring that there is an insurrection, which requires, you know, troops and allowing troops to engage in practices that take them beyond just, quote, unquote, providing protection for federal officials.

And could you talk, Ed, also about the response of local city officials. There was an extraordinary press conference by police superintendent Snelling yesterday where he said that some more than 20 Chicago police officers were actually hit with tear gas at Broadview, fired by ICE agents. Actually, that was at a protest after a person was shot in the Brighton Park neighborhood. on Saturday. CPD responded to that event because of the fact that there was shots fired. There was, you know, people had gathered around. There were people protesting, decrying the fact that ICE had once again shot someone, as we saw here a couple of weeks ago in a traffic stop.

And in this instance, you know, as the CPD showed up to try to assist with crowd control, with, you know, clearing the traffic and allowing people to move on, and ICE instead of letting CPD or any other officials do their job, simply began to fire tear gas at the crowd. This is the same thing, by the way, we've seen in Broadview. Last weekend, the Illinois State Police set up a protection zone at Broadview and try to sort of create at least some barrier between ICE, agents and others. And again, rather than working with local police, ICE just continued to behave in the way that they have for the past few weeks, to go through the crowd when they

wanted to, to try to push back the crowd. You know, these are just these kind of bullying, goonish tactics that we're just seeing them do anywhere. And it doesn't matter if they're, you know, try, if they're pushing back against protesters, against clergy members, against journalists, or against the police, they just seem to think that they have the power to act and behave in whatever way they want. And we were just showing video put out by the Department of Homeland Security. As you were talking about the Black Hawk helicopter, ice agents repelling down from it, armed automatic weapons, the agents moving into apartments, they're putting it out because presumably

they think this is good propaganda for them. Can you comment on this, the terror that these families felt with faces not being obscured? Let me, thanks, Amy, for giving me the chance to speak to this. And let me start by noting, they put out this propaganda reel before they ever explained what the actual rationale for the raid is. So the most important thing for them was to have HD video of what was happening not to actually speak to why this happened. And what you see in that video, and I think what you hear from members of the community is a complete terror, a sense of terror that their community, a working class black and brown community is being targeted in this way by federal full. forces using this kind of military militarized force.

And it is, you know, it's causing, you know, panic and terror and fear all across the community for many. There are people who are not leaving their homes every day out of fear. There are children who are not going to school, you know, restaurants and cafes and stores in, in some of our neighborhoods are suffering economically as the result of this fact. And all of this is in service of a reckless policy that is not in any way, shape, or form making the city of Chicago or the Chicagoland area any more safe. Thank you for being with us, Ed Yonke, ACLU of Illinois, Director of Communications.

Coming up, we go to Gaza as negotiators from Israel and Hamas are indirectly engaged in ceasefire talks. Stay with us. marching They're marching down the street Yeah I see somebody marching They're marching down the street

Oh yes they are This time we stop and pray, we pray, oh, Lord. A rendition of crying in the streets by Zishon B, performing in our Democracy Now studio. This is Democracy Now, Democracy Now.org. I'm Amy Goodman with Juan Gonzalez. Israelis and Palestinians are marking two years since the October 7th, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. Almost 1,200 people were killed about 2,000.

250 were taken hostage. 48 hostages remain in Gaza with 20, believed to be alive. In Israel, a moment of silence was held today to remember the victims of October 7th. For Palestinians, today marks the start of a third year of a genocide that's left much of Gaza uninhabitable. The official death toll in Gaza surpassed 67,000, but that number is believed to be a vast underestimate. More than 460 Palestinians have starved to death as famine spreads across Gaza, that a quarter of them are believed to be children. An estimated 2,700 Palestinian families have been completely erased from the civil registry over the past two years.

On Monday, ceasefire talks began in Egypt over President Trump's 20-point plan that includes a call for the swap of all remaining hostages in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, as well as an eventual Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza. But major questions remain over what both Israel and Hamas will agree to. We begin today's show this segment in Gaza. We're joined by Ad Amawi, representative of the Gaza Relief Committee, coordinator for local NGOs based in Dara Balah in central Gaza. We tried to reach you yesterday, but had technical problems. And describe what's happening on the ground.

Thank you, Amy. I hope also that this is fairly implemented soon. But the real situation here over the ground, nothing tangible change but they halt some huge bombardment attacks and exclusive robotics

but yesterday night they retained attack a shot camp in the western part of the Gaza city with a huge bombardment and caused more than within the last 48 hours more than 50 martyrs and more than 50 injuries so the situation

is something like stabilizing the current situation without a huge bombardment for all hours but still attacking between time to time and also the city air Gaza town and prevent the coastal road and prevent the return of the civilians again to the Gaza City

and they announce officially they prevent Arashid Street used by our displacement people to return to the Gaza City. So the situation is just constant and stabilized with the current situation with no tangible changes over the ground here. And also there is

no withdrawers from the encouraged area around the Kansas City, especially, and the east part of Frafah and Canoanus. So the situation is just stabilized like that. And Yadu Maui, could you talk about the dire need for not only for food, tents and medicines, but actually, as you're mentioning, for water, if the plan is adopted, who will control access to the border crossings and who will ensure that the humanitarian aid gets in? Yeah, this is a big question, dear. You know, there's nothing now clear for us as NGOs or local NGOs to coordinate the distribution of food. But their needs is really worsening more and more. There's nothing entering Gaza, especially within these days when they announce hard attacks. So our needs, especially we need more than 600 trucks day by day. for our to meet our humanitarian needs. But, you know, until now, there is no, nothing over the ground,

clear how we can deliver and how can we distribute the bins. But, you know, in the previous time, we have old mechanism with cooperation with NGOs and UNRWA and WFP and other organizations. So in my thoughts, we will depend over the very well-calated policy with international community, NGOs, and we can manage that. as compared to the previous ceasefire agreement that's back from the Israeli occupation forces. What about your response to what Trump has proposed? And the fact that Trump supposedly told Netanyahu to stop the bombardment of Gaza during this period of the negotiations, but he's refused.

Yeah, we will come with any peace agreement that will bring. peace for us, especially when the Mr. President Trump announced that. And we welcomed really, we feel with the mixed feelings, with the worries, with the happiness, with the sadness. But the reality over the ground is still the situation worsening

and going because the heart of attacks is not complete. So we hope that a ceasefire agreement will completely implemented and we can reinforce our society here and renew the life and return the hope for our civilians and should

No. Thank you very much for being with us. Ayad Amawi, representative of the Gaza Relief Committee, and a coordinator for local NGOs based in Dira Bala in central Gaza. This is Democracy Now, Democracy Now.org. As we continue to mark two years since the October 7th attack on Israel, we're joined now by the Israeli peace activist Malo Zinnon. He lost both of his parents, Bilha and Yaakovi, Inan, in the Hamas attack. His parents live there. on a kibbutz, a farming collective just north of the Gaza border, they were 78 and 76 years old. Mao Zinan has spent much of the last two years calling for peace, working closely with the Palestinian activist Aziz Abusata, whose brother died in 1990 from injuries he sustained in an Israeli

prison. In May 24, the two of them met Pope Francis at the Vatican. Last year, Maoese wrote online, true security will only be achieved when the other side also enjoys security instability. Morally, we cannot justify the killing of innocent people as part of the fight against terrorism. The harm to hundreds of innocent civilians is neither reasonable nor acceptable. These efforts should bring an end to the war in Gaza, return the hostages and the occupation, achieve a political security agreement alongside reconciliation. Mao Zinone wrote and is joining us now on Democracy Now. from Tel Aviv, I believe, or where are you in Ben Yamina?

Ben Yamina, in my hometown, in my home, yes. Our condolences on the death of your parents two years ago, what are your thoughts today as thousands of Israelis call for a ceasefire and return of the hostages in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem? So first, Amy, thank you for reaching out and having me today in your show, but for all your and democracy now support in me and my family for the last two years it's a very very sad day

it's a very sad day because so many life were lost in the last two years of course my parents among them they were among the first victims of the Hamas attack but so many life were lost and I'm just very sad today

but I'm also and I want to to say my thanks and appreciation for all those Palestinians, Israelis and from all over the world that are reaching out to me today and sending me amazing messages that they are thinking about me, about my parents, about their legacy

and that I'm and those who knew my parents also saying that they are sure my parents would be very proud from the work me and my siblings are doing to end the wall and to start a reconciliation and a peace process. And Miles, could you talk somewhat about your parents and you say it as your legacy? What do you think their thoughts would be on this two years of this war since the October 7th attacks? My parents first added really amazing parents. They were supportive. They were

loving, they were caring, proud of the five of us. I have three sisters and one young brother, and they were very much involved with the life of their green children, the 11 green children, now from the age of 3 to 21. And even though they weren't young, but they were in the prime of their life, and my father was working full-time as agronomist and a consultant. My mom was very creative and active artist. She was painting mandalay in her studio and teaching from young children to adults to elderly people who would come and be inspired by her art. And their legacy and my parents' legacy is combined of two main fundamental values

and lesson they taught us my mom was very creative and believed in the power of dreaming she believed that we can fulfill all our dreams if we'll have the courage to chase them and she gave us the courage and the ability to dream

and my father who for 58 years was sowing wheat in the fields of the Negev and it's very difficult to be a farmer in the Negev and during every day he was sharing about the devastating situation in the field if it's because of drought

because of floods, insects wildfire but while he was sharing how devastating the current situation is he would always say that next year is going to sow wheat again because next year is going to be a better year but

it's up to him. He has the agency to change the future. He must learn from his mistakes he must consult with his other he must fertile the land, get the best seeds, and so knowing, not with belief, not with fate, so knowing that next year, next season will be a better year. And now it's our turn, our turn to sow the seeds of peace, the seeds of reconciliation, the seeds of equality, knowing that next year and next season will be better.

Mao Zinan, we want to thank you for being with us, award-winning Israeli peace activists lost both his parents, Bilha and Yukovi Inan, in the attack on October 7, 2023. Coming up, Palestinian journalist Plestia Al-Aqad, author of the new book, The Eyes of Gaza, A Diary of Resilience. Stay with us. Precious Lord Linger near When my life Is all Almost gone

Hear my cry, hear my cold, hold my hand. The late great Odetta performing in our Firehouse studio, September 11, 2002. This is Democracy Now, Democracy Now.org. I'm Amy Goodman with Juan Gonzalez. we end today's show with Plestia Al-Aqad, award-winning Palestinian journalist. She was just 21 years old when Israel's bombardment of Gaza began two years ago. Her online videos went viral, were seen around the world. This is a video from October 9, 2023.

For my neighbors, they didn't evacuate as well. They have their windows down. Here are their windows. And here is the family. They're gathering all together. but also in a place far away from the wind. I was trying to explain things, but I think you can hear them now. I've got you with my parents.

Plessia Lakhad now has 4 million followers. on Instagram. She's just published her first book. It's called The Eyes of Gaza, a diary of resilience, based on excerpts of the diary she kept in the weeks after October 7th.

On October 19th, she wrote, quote, this isn't an aggression anymore. It's a genocide. There isn't another word that can describe the scale of violence I see in front of me. Two weeks later, she wrote, quote, every night,

I wonder if it will be the last of my life. Will there be it tomorrow? I try to look at my family to gaze at and memorialize their faces just in case. Brestia Laka joins us now from a studio in Beirut, Lebanon, where she's studying media. Brestia, thanks so much for being with us. You know, you left us in that video talking about checking on your parents. It was a devastating video because as you were speaking, there were bombs going off outside. You opened the window and you showed it was just a cloud you couldn't see beyond.

Talk about your experience of the last two years. Unfortunately, Israel succeeded in isolating and dividing Gaza from the rest of the world, meaning your experience as a Gazan Palestinian person living in Gaza is different than your experience if you're living elsewhere. For example, kids in Gaza grow up afraid of the sky. When you look at the sky in Gaza, you can't differentiate. Is this a cloud or is this smoke? The whole time you're listening to the sounds of drones, quad captors, air strikes and bombs. You can't even listen to the sounds of birds like any other normal person.

And even the air that is in Gaza, it's polluted because of the bombs and air strikes and everything. And in Gaza, when you see a tent is like displacement, a cold place, it has a negative meaning. But outside of Gaza, tents are usually something nice. Oh, let's go camping. Let's use them for the weekend. And that's a gazan experience for two years. They've been displaced, bombed, the trapped, and the starved deliberative of Israel in Gaza. And by your metric, as you write in your diary, quote,

I am four Israeli aggressions old. Can you take us back to that day, to the two years ago, to the beginning, of the Israeli attack and the toll it had taken on you and your loved ones? History didn't start on October 7, 2023. It's been two years of the genocide, but it's been 77 years, if not more, of the ongoing Nakba that started in 1948. I remember on October 7, when I woke up, I listened, like, I heard sounds of bombs, and I slept again, then I woke up again.

I immediately, like, jumped out of bed, I went, I saw my mom, she was already on the phone calling the delivery guy, we want bread, we want flour, we want this and that. And this is a tradition that I know. Whenever see, like, a family member doing that and ordering these stuff, I know that's something bad about to happen. I then looked out of the window. I saw how full and crowded the streets were and the supermarkets were, like everyone is just out, buying stuff and so on, and I knew that something bad is happening, but I never

expected that it will be a genocide that lasts for two years. And you also write at one point in your diary's quote, priority number one, aside from not getting killed, is connecting to the internet so I can update my Instagram. You talk about the difficulty of being able to tell, get out the word to the rest of the world of what was happening? as a journalist you're supposed to be protected because you're a journalist it's a profession you're doing your job but unfortunately in gaza journalism is apparently a crime and is targeting and killing journalists around 270 if not more journalists have been killed

and the reason i'm saying if not more because how are we supposed to know the up-to-date numbers if the people who are also counting the number of dead in gaza are also getting killed and targeted. I wrote that on Instagram because as a journalist, my job was super difficult, like even connecting to the internet was a challenge. And even like charging your phone, charging your cameras, finding a power bank, all of that was challenging. You were experiencing the genocide, living it, knowing any minute you'll be killed and targeted yet. You were trying to tell and show the world what's happening, even though you knew that that puts your life at risk. Plestia, last year, Amnesty International Australia gave you its inaugural Human Rights Defender Award.

I wanted to play a compilation of your reporting from Gaza that they highlighted. It's around 40, no electricity, no water, no internet. It would be just a sense of bomb. I'm standing right now inside the first refugee camp in Gaza's trip. I'm at an Nassar hospital right now, there are 8,50 mature babies in the NICU room. Yesterday, the Israeli world is targeted at church with around 400 civilians were inside. These are the equipments for a journalist that got murdered by the Israeli forces. As you can see, we can hear the sounds of bomb right now.

But day by day, I'm surprised by things like steel. Even during a genocide, a war, ethnic cleansing, and displacement and everything, I tried to show the Palestinians living in Gaza, who they are, how they are kind to one another, how they are nice, even during these difficult times. That's Plastia Lakhad, reporting from the ground in Gaza. The BBC named her in its 100 Women of the Year list. And now, a few years later, I mean, Plastia was 21 at the time. She has a new book.

She has a first book, The Eyes of Gaza, A Diary of Resilience. If you can talk about what those 45 days were like that you're covering in this book of your reporting then, you're studying now, media, in Beirut. But can you talk about your decision to leave and what has happened to the rest of your family? It wasn't really a decision to leave Gaza. What options do you have? It's either you stay in Gaza and wait to be one of the thousands that are killed or if you're lucky enough, you get the chance to leave.

Because not even everyone has the chance to leave if they want. The borders are closed and you need to have another passport. You need to have like a cousin, family member who has another passport to be able to help you out. So even leaving Gaza is a privilege that not everyone can afford or can have. When I was in Gaza for 45 days, I thought it was the worst days of my life. And I thought, oh my God, like, I can't believe this is actually happening. But what I didn't know, that the genocide will still be going on for two years. My colleagues, my cousins, my friends, most of them are still in Gaza.

They're still on the ground. The journalists are still reporting. My friends are still trying to survive. So my experience of 45 days is nothing compared to the experience of the people who are still there and trapped in Gaza. But the reason I chose to write this book, The Eyes of Gaza, is because I've always had a diary. Writing is what I usually do. And for the first time, I wanted it to be us, writing about us, not just some people speaking over us and writing about our experience. I wanted us to have our own voice.

We already have voices. We just need help in amplifying our voices, not in replacing our voices. So I made sure to write a book written by a person from Gaza to the world. And Pleistia, in that diary, you also talk about hearing of the solidarity movements of young people and students around the world. And you write, quote, it's beyond what I ever imagined. Here's the thing. The students aren't just calling for a ceasefire. They're also calling for the establishment of the right of return and insisting on a Palestine that is free from the River Jordan all the way to the Mediterranean Sea.

Talk about this, the impact of these protest movements on the people of Gaza. Honestly, as a Palestinian person, the bar has always been low. The expectations has always been almost nonexistent. But right now, the world proved us strong. Millions of people worldwide are protesting. They now know our names. They know our stories. And they are amplifying our voices.

I'm honestly beyond the proud and impressed, especially with the younger generations who are making sure that the genocide doesn't go unnoticed and they're super vocal and outspoken about it. And right now, the global Sumo de Flotella and what they're doing, what Greta is doing, what all the other activists are doing, how they're literally risking their lives just to deliver aid in Gaza. And even though aid wasn't delivered, their message was delivered and it gave Palestinians hope. because Palestinian people we're not expecting from the rest of the world. Oh, it was your life because we're getting killed. But what we're expecting is solidarity and to be seen. And the world has proved to us that we are seen and that they're standing on the right side of history. And for that, me and all the other Palestinians, I'm sure we're all very grateful.

Blastia, could you read your poem only in Gaza that you include in your book? If you don't have it with you, if you could. So for me, this... If you could talk about it. I have it with me. Okay. So for me, this poem is still a poem in progress, like it's not finished yet, and I hope one day I'll continue this poem,

and it will be on a positive note, a hopeful note where the situation in Gaza would be so much better. Only in Gaza, you sleep counting rockets rather than stars. You wake up, if you woke up on the sounds of birds, rather than... Okay, okay, I need to repeat. Only in Gaza you sleep counting rockets rather than stars. You wake up if you wake up to the sounds of bombs rather than birds.

Only in Gaza you sleep not knowing if or how you'll wake up. In Gaza, you sleep in your house and you wake up under the rubble. In Gaza, you sleep with your body parts whole and you wake up missing a hand or a In Gaza, you sleep beside family and friends, and the next day you are on your own. Only in Gaza, people celebrate birthdays while war echoes in the back ground, then welcome you into a tent with warm hands and a cup of tea. Only in Gaza, despite the pain, people remain, not just survivors, but warriors. Plastia reading only in Gaza, which is included in the eyes of Gaza, a diary of resilience.

Plastia, you say that you prefer to write and to speak when talking about Gaza in English because you find it less painful. Can you talk about that? English is my second language, not my first language, so I obviously understand Arabic more and the weight of Arabic. Arabic words always hits differently because it's my mother tongue. So I feel like whenever I speak in English, I can hide behind the language. That's number one. And number two, I want the whole world to know about what's happening, especially that international journalists are not allowed in.

And that's why I made sure since day one to speak in English to make sure everyone knows and sees what's happening in Gaza and to not limit the audience to Arabic-speaking audience only. And could you talk as well about the community of journalists that are still there covering the war, the comradeship and the bonds that you built together? One thing I always wonder is who reports on the reporters? Journalists and reporters in Gaza are living the genocide while also reporting it. Are facing starvation while also reporting on it. They're reporting on stories of families.

who lost loved ones while they're also grieving as well. I feel like the most difficult job in the world right now is to be a journalist in Gaza because they're trying to be a journalist while they know they'll be targeted, they know they're not safe, they know they're putting their family's life at risk just because of a profession they chose, and all of that just to show the world what's happening in Gaza. And can you comment on the number of Palestinian journalists, among them most recently, Anas al-Sharif, but more journalists have been killed since Anas was killed. But what this has meant to you and the people you've lost in your life?

I'm honestly in this belief of when journalism has became a crime instead of being a profession. So I don't understand how is it possible for the world to watch journalists getting killed and where's the International Committee of Protecting Journalists? Like, is there anyone who's going to do anything about it? And what would you hope for the rest of the world to take from your book and your experiences? So my book is my story and the stories of other people that I meet along the way, and I make sure to mention their story and their name.

At some point, the book will make you cry, will make you laugh, will make you joyful, will make you tearful. So I just hope people will do something with all of these emotions, because emotions alone are not enough. Emotions are only powerful when you convert them into actions. Your book includes the dedication to Gaza, the soul of our souls, all I am and all I will ever become is for you and because of you. Do you hope to return Plastia to Gaza? Of course, I always hope to return to Gaza. And I find that a very weird question when people ask it to me, because it's not like it's even an option right now.

The borders are closed. I can't just go back right now even if I want to. People can't leave even if they want to. And I can't go to any Western country easily. I need a lot of paperwork and visa process. to be able to go. But these people who have powerful passport

can go to my homeland. Meanwhile, I'm just stuck in here. I can't go back home and I can't travel to any country that I want. So I just find

to believe it there. Almost in every interview people ask me, do you want to go back? I thank you so much for being with us, but the show is ending. Plestia Alakad,

the eyes of Gaza is her new book.