Occupation Through the Eyes of a Mayor

In today’s episode, we speak with Yara Eid, a young Palestinian journalist and human rights advocate from Gaza, currently based in London. Yara has worked with international organizations, including Amnesty International, and uses her platform to shed light on life under Israeli occupation and apartheid in Gaza. Yara is known for her viral interview on Sky News, where she directly challenged the anchor’s dehumanizing portrayal of Palestinians. Her calm yet firm response highlighted the media’s double standards when it comes to reporting on Palestine. Yara’s powerful interview brought global attention to the biased narratives often used when covering Israel’s genocide against Gaza. Listen to this episode to learn more about Yara's inspiring story and journey of journalism amid Israel's military occupation and genocide.Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu     

In this episode, we investigate Israel’s deliberate use of starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza. Through firsthand testimonies and expert insight, we trace how food became tools of siege—cut off from over two million Palestinians. As hunger spreads and desperation grows, we examine how this crisis is manufactured, and who bears responsibility.Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu     

In this episode, we commemorate Al Nakba for the 77th year. We trace the story of one Palestinian family displaced from the al-Baqa‘a neighborhood in West Jerusalem during the 1948 Nakba. From Victoria’s memories of fleeing her rose-filled home to her grandson Majdi’s search for what was lost, we explore how memory, loss, and resilience are passed down through generations. Through personal testimony and historical context, this episode reflects on what it means to reclaim narratives, and why Palestinians continue to remember, resist, and return.Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu     

In Palestine, journalism is not just a profession, t’s an act of survival, resistance, and memory. This episode, released for World Press Freedom Day, explores the brutal reality Palestinian journalists face under Israeli occupation: targeted killings, censorship, and the erasure of their stories. Through the haunting last words of journalist Husam Shabat and testimony from journalist Dalia Hatuqa, we confront the question: what does press freedom mean when telling the truth can get you killed?Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu     

In this episode, we hear from Dr. Noor Abdalla, a Syrian-American dentist and the wife of Mr. Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent Palestinian student activist and legal U.S. resident who has been illegally detained by ICE since March 8, 2025, for speaking out about Palestinian rights. Mr. Khalil was abducted by ICE while coming home from a Ramadan iftar with Dr. Abdalla, who was 8 months pregnant at the time. Mr. Khalil’s chilling abduction has sent shockwaves through student and activist communities around the world. In her own words, Dr. Abdalla recounts the horrific moment her husband was taken in front of her and speaks with host Diana Buttu about the ongoing toll this separation has taken on their lives. On April 21, Dr. Abdalla gave birth to their first child without Mahmoud by her side. In a cruel decision, the Department of Homeland Security denied Mr. Khalil’s request and permission to attend the birth of his first child, whom Mr. Khalil has only met over video. While speaking with Ms. Buttu, Dr. Abdalla not only delivers a powerful call for her husband’s freedom, but she also states that this is not just about Mahmoud; this is about all of us, and we must refuse to be silent about Palestinian rights and continue to speak out during times of injustice. Mr. Khalil is one of the many students and scholars being targeted by the Trump administration for speaking out against Israel’s genocide in Gaza and demanding that the US stop supplying weapons to Israel. From Columbia University to Tufts, ICE has orchestrated a wave of politically motivated unlawful detentions—often in public, and without warning or due process. Please see below the ways you can learn more about the call for Mr. Khalil’s freedom and safe return home with his family: IG: @justice4mahmoud https://www.instagram.com/justice4mahmoud/?igsh=MXA5aXR0Zzh4a3k4dA%3D%3D# Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu     

On March 23, a convoy of Palestinian paramedics rushed to the site of an Israeli airstrike in Rafah. They were on a mission to save lives—but they never returned. In this episode, we uncover the harrowing story of the Rafah paramedic massacre, where Israeli forces ambushed, executed, and buried 15 emergency responders in a mass grave alongside their ambulance. Through the haunting final video filmed by paramedic Refaat Radwan and the testimony of the sole survivor, Munther Abed, we dig into what happened that night. This is the story of the Rafah Paramedic Massacre—one of the clearest, most brutal examples yet of Israel’s war on Gaza’s humanitarian workers.Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu     

Israel’s brutal system controls Palestinians not only in life but also in death. In this episode, we examine the Israeli government’s policy of withholding hundreds of Palestinian bodies, denying their families the right to a proper burial. Lawyer Isam Aruri sheds light on this long-standing practice, while Sanaa Daqqa shares her personal struggle to reclaim the body of her husband, Walid Daqqa, who remains withheld by Israel, turning mourning and grief into another battlefield.Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu     

Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a renowned and beloved Palestinian pediatrician and director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza, has been illegally held captive and tortured by the Israeli army for more than 59 days. On December 27, 2024, the Israeli army kidnapped Dr. Abu Safyia while burning and besieging the Kamal Adwan Hospital. In this episode, we hear testimonies from the family of Dr. Abu Safiya, including his wife Ms. Albina Abu Safiya, and their son Elias Abu Safiya, who speak about the horrifying Israeli military attacks leading to Israel kidnapping the beloved doctor. We also hear from Khaled Mahajneh, a Palestinian human rights attorney who has represented Palestinians from Gaza held captive by Israel. Khaled speaks to us about Israel’s rampant abuse and torture of Palestinians held captive by Israel in prisons such as Sde Teiman and Ofer, both where Dr. Abu Safiya has been held. Currently, there are hundreds of Palestinian medical workers being unjustly held captive by Israel along with Dr.Abu Safiya, including Dr. Ahmed Muhanna, a prominent doctor and director of the Al-Awda Hospital in Gaza. At least three Palestinian doctors have died while being held captive by Israel since September 2024, including prominent orthopedic surgeon Dr. Adnan Al-Bursh, who was tortured and died during his time held captive by the Israeli military in May 2024. Dr. Abu Safiya’s family and leading human rights groups continue to call for Israel to immediately release Dr. Abu Safiya and all Palestinian medical workers held captive and subjected to Israel’s abuse. Please note that the voices you will hear are not those of Albina, Elias and Khaled. Our interviews with them were conducted in Arabic. To make their powerful stories accessible to a wider audience, we have translated and rerecorded their words using English-speaking voice actors.Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu     

As Israel pushes to dismantle UNRWA, hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees face an uncertain future. In this episode, we visit Al Jalazon refugee camp to hear from Mahfouz Safi, whose family was forcibly expelled from Beit Nabala in 1948 by Zionist militias. Through his story—and the voices of his sister, Jihad, we uncover the far-reaching impact of Israel’s crackdown on the agency that has provided education, healthcare, and aid to millions for over seven decades. As we explore the history of displacement and the role of UNRWA, two questions emerge: What’s at stake if UNRWA disappears? And who will step in when an entire population is left without support? Please note that the voices you will hear are not those of Jihad and Safi. Our interviews with them were conducted in Arabic. To make their powerful stories accessible to a wider audience, we have translated and rerecorded their words using English-speaking voice actors.Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu     

As the ceasefire in Gaza goes into effect, the Israeli army has launched widespread attacks against the West Bank. In this episode of “This is Palestine,” host Diana Buttu speaks with IMEU’s Sarah Abu Alrob about the ceasefire agreement breaking down what is means for Palestinians. The episode also delves into the Trump’s administration's actions giving Israel the green light to fully illegally annex the West Bank.Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu