AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
In Israel, protests for an end to its war with Hamas and a return of Israeli hostages as the government prepares to seize parts of Gaza. Meanwhile, Palestinian leaders expressed outrage over a video released by an Israeli politician. NPR's Jane Arraf joins us from Iman. Hi, Jane.
JANE ARRAF, BYLINE: Hi, Ayesha.
RASCOE: So let's start with these moves by Israel to expand its operation against Hamas rather than bring it to a close. Tell us about that.
ARRAF: Yeah, so this plan has been widely condemned. It's to take over Gaza City, and Israel is now telling residents they have to leave to ensure their safety as it pushes through that plan to take over what is Gaza's biggest city. The U.N. has said amid ongoing Israeli bombing, there's no place in Gaza that's safe - including areas that Israel has been ordering residents to move to. And we have to remember that more than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began with a Hamas attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 Israelis two years ago. And according to experts and Palestinian authorities, famine is spreading there. There are widespread protests today in Israel against the government expanding the war, with people demanding that their government forge a ceasefire and bring the hostages home.
RASCOE: And then there's this controversy over a video released last week of an Israeli minister taunting a prominent Palestinian detainee in prison. Who's in this video?
ARRAF: It's Marwan Barghouti. He has been in prison for more than 20 years, and he's seen as one of the most popular potential Palestinian leaders. Because of that, he's considered particularly a threat by Israel and some Palestinian factions.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
MARWAN BARGHOUTI: (Non-English language spoken).
ARRAF: So in the video in this dimly lit cell with bars on the windows, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir towers over Barghouti and tells him they will wipe out anyone who messes with the people of Israel. He's rarely been seen since he was sentenced for planning attacks that killed five civilians, and he looks gaunt and gray. One of his lawyers, Khader Shkirat, told me he had to call his wife to confirm that it was him.
KHADER SHKIRAT: Really, I didn't recognize Marwan because he's thin. And even his face is not - we are not used to see him like that.
ARRAF: Israel is holding more than 10,000 Palestinians - many of them without trial, or even charges laid - according to an Israeli human rights group.
RASCOE: There's been a lot of controversy as well over food aid to Gaza. The U.N. also says famine is unfolding there, but Israel says it isn't restricting aid.
ARRAF: Yeah, Israel currently controls all border crossings, and it does maintain very strict controls over food and medicine coming in. A group of 100 aid organizations last week said Israel was blocking most shipments. And it's not just aid being blocked. This week, a U.S.-based Catholic aid organization said Israel bombed its warehouse in Gaza, full of infant formula, and killed two of its workers. This is Jason Jones, director of The Vulnerable People Project.
JASON JONES: This was the day we were going to distribute baby formula, but instead, you know, I get the news that it had been just obliterated. And then two of our workers have died.
ARRAF: His group provided video of the destroyed building. Israel says it knows of the group, but it was not aware of any strike on its facilities.
RASCOE: That's NPR's Jane Arraf. Jane, thank you so much.
ARRAF: Thank you.
(SOUNDBITE OF JOAN SHELLEY SONG, "OVER AND EVEN") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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