Israel’s invasion and attempted annexation of southern Lebanon has been portrayed as a sideshow to the war in Iran. And legacy media coverage has tended to miss out details of stubborn resistance to the Israeli military campaign.

Israel is struggling

In reality, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have not had an easy time at all. Met with determined local resistance, they’ve failed to achieve key goals.

Photojournalist Guy Smallman, recently on the ground in the south, reported on an Israeli mission to take the town of Nabi Chit:

This story of a failed Israeli ground mission explains why occupying Lebanon will never be an option for them. There is a multi-layered culture of resistance that is many decades old and constantly evolving.

Detailing a raid on 6 March, mayor Sayyed Hani el Moussawi said:

the Israeli raid failed in its mission. Despite their massive firepower, they were forced into a hasty retreat.

He explained that until the Israelis invaded the town:

local resistance fighters had been taking shelter from the airstrikes. But once we discovered that the Israelis were in the village, the fighters appeared and fought an epic gun battle.

Eventually, the Israelis fled:

under the cover of airstrikes. Some 40 to 50 airstrikes hit the village and surrounding roads. They fired artillery, dropped bombs, used helicopter gunships and quad-drones.

Israeli encirclement plans

Other sources in the south sketched a picture of Israel’s plans:

From the very first day in southern Lebanon, the enemy has relied on a tactic of encirclement and isolation rather than storming and seizing villages, in order to avoid attrition and heavy casualties, and to hasten its advance to points that would give it the appearance of a swift victory.

Adding:

The enemy is seeking to implement a geographical separation operation stretching across the southern Litani, fragmenting the resistance lines into separate pockets. It has been noted that the enemy deliberately began the invasion through crossings within non-Shiite villages, where there are no resistance elements.

Communications seen by the Canary suggest that Israel been trying to cut supply lines and encircle troublesome population centres in the western, central and eastern sectors of southern Lebanon.

Sources also indicated:

that the morale of the resistance fighters is very high, and that the management of the battle is cohesive, flexible and determined to sustainably wear down the enemy, and that the enemy lacks a great deal of intelligence, as evidenced by its operations and raids.

Multi-stage war of attrition

They said this implies:

that the resistance has carried out a significant portion of its work since the last war in complete secrecy, which complicates the enemy’s mission. All of this points to the extent of the lessons and insights the resistance has drawn, and is applying creatively in the current battle.

The aim of local resistance forces seems to be determined to bog down in:

a multi-stage war of attrition, beginning by raising the cost of its advance, then preventing it from establishing a foothold, and finally attacking its forces and rear lines.

They have also deployed new technologies to do so:

The resistance is making use of the Sariq anti-armour system and the drone and unmanned aerial vehicle systems, in addition to small units engaging in mobile ambushes with fire support.

They claim that:

To date, the enemy has suffered the damage and destruction of more than 100 Merkava tanks.

In theory, Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia paramilitary group and political party, breached a US-brokered ‘ceasefire’ with Israel in early March which had held up since their last war in 2024. In practice, the US gave Israel carte blanche to strike Lebanon, which it has done constantly since the deal was struck. During the intervening period, Israel attacked southern Lebanon about 15,400 times.

Israel remains determined to enforce it colonial ambitions on Lebanon. But while the nuclear-armed, US backed state remains the most powerful country in region on paper, it will not have an easy ride if it wishes to annex its neighbour.

Featured image via the Canary

In one of the most critical moments that raises questions about crowd culture in European football stadiums, the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona witnessed a series of racist, anti-Muslim chants during Tuesday 31 March night’s friendly match between Spain and Egypt. The chants sparked outrage from players, officials, and fans alike. Specifically, racists targeted Lamine Yamal.

Lamine Yamal targeted by racists

The match, which ended in a 0-0 draw, turned sour in the first half when racist chants against Muslims, including the slogan “If you don’t jump, you’re a Muslim,” were heard from the stands. This provoked strong reactions both inside and outside the stadium, prompting the Catalan police to open an official investigation into the chants, which they described as “Islamophobic and xenophobic,” according to Spanish security services.

At the heart of this controversy was the young Spanish player of Moroccan origin and rising star at Barcelona, Lamine Yamal, who responded with a clear, mature statement on his official Instagram account, rejecting these chants in the strongest terms.

Addressing those criticising the chants, he said:

I am a Muslim, thank God. Yesterday at the stadium, I heard chants like these. I know I was heading towards the opposing team and the chants weren’t directed at me, but as a Muslim, this behaviour remains disrespectful and intolerable.

Yamal added in his statement:

I understand that not all fans are like this, but to those who chant such things: using religion to mock people in a football stadium makes you ignorant and racist. Football should be enjoyed and cheered on, not used to insult people for who they are or what they believe.

Lamine Yamal thanked the fans who attended the match, expressing his anticipation for upcoming games, saying: “Thank you to everyone who came to support us… See you at the World Cup.”

In response to the incident, criticism wasn’t limited to the player. In its first official reaction, the Spanish Football Federation condemned the incident, emphasizing in a statement published on its official social media accounts its categorical rejection of such behavior.

The statement read:

The Spanish Football Federation stands against racism in football and condemns any act of violence within stadiums.

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and Stop the War (StW) formed a coalition in shared opposition to the genocide in Gaza. Since then, more than 20 national protests across the UK have demonstrated that the British public does not support the mass killing of Palestinians.

However, authorities convicted PSC director Ben Jamal and StW vice-chair Chris Nineham on two counts under the authoritarian Public Order Act introduced by Suella Braverman.

This ruling has sent shockwaves through the pro-Palestinian community, as repressive police powers actively undermine and curtail the ability to protest.

Refusing to be deterred, the PSC has published a statement on behalf of the coalition, condemning the verdicts as:

extraordinary and shocking and a huge setback for civil liberties.

We spoke to Chris Nineham following his conviction under this draconian law:

Stop the War and Palestine Solidarity Campaign activists Chris Nineham and Ben Jamal have been found guilty of “breaching protest conditions” – we spoke to Chris Nineham@STWuk pic.twitter.com/zDr6JxRDeJ

— Canary (@TheCanaryUK) April 1, 2026

“A seismic threat to democratic freedoms” say pro-Palestine coalition

In this statement, it is made clear that Nineham and Jamal intend to appeal their verdicts. Helping them with that appeal, they will have full support of the pro-Palestine coalition behind them. Undoubtedly, they will have support of the wider British public in which a majority oppose Israel’s bloodthirsty actions.

They then go further by highlighting “significant concerns” about how the six-day trial was conducted. These concerns will be subsequently raised in their imminent appeal.

Arguably pointing to a stitch up, the statement reads:

The substantive issues at the heart of the case were clear. From the stage that day, Ben Jamal explained that a delegation of leaders of the coalition, plus MPs, trade union leaders and members of the Jewish bloc, would walk peacefully in a symbolic protest towards the BBC to lay flowers to mark the Corporation’s failures to report the truth of genocide in Gaza.

Ben made clear that, if stopped by the police, the flowers would be laid at the police line. In the event, as copious video evidence shows, police officers invited the delegation to pass though.

They also argue that the claims of public disorder made by the police were categorically untrue.

In fact, they underscore the violence that they did see that day:

The only moment of violence was when Chis Nineham was brutally pulled to the ground and hauled away by police officers.

Contradicting Police Commander Adam Slonecki’s adamant insistence that the imposed late restrictions did not follow political pressure from pro-Israel groups, they added:

The logs of the Police Gold Commander Adam Slonecki reveal that enormous political pressure was placed on the police by pro-Israel groups to prevent a protest at the BBC.

Islington MP Jeremy Corbyn has condemned the judge’s verdict, saying he is “appalled”:

I am appalled by today’s verdict against Ben Jamal and Chris Nineham.

In January 2025, we held an entirely peaceful demonstration in support of Palestinian people. At all times, they — and we — followed all police instructions. We ended the demonstration by laying down flowers… https://t.co/A8bCsKOJ9X

— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) April 1, 2026

Advertisement

Defending the actions of Jamal and Nineham at the protest, which Corbyn was also taking part in, he wrote:

In January 2025, we held an entirely peaceful demonstration in support of Palestinian people. At all times, they — and we — followed all police instructions. We ended the demonstration by laying down flowers at their feet to mourn the deaths of Palestinian children.

Today’s verdict is a dark day for civil liberties in this country — and is a disgraceful assault on the right to protest.

We wrote earlier today after the court’s judgement:

It is clear that the government are refusing to back down in its attempts to intimidate and bully British citizens into no longer standing by our Palestinian comrades. Heavily funded by the Israel Lobby, Starmer’s government have long ignored and diminished rising islamophobia, whilst unduly declaring anti-Zionist positions as antisemitic.

Crime and Policing Bill

The statement goes on to draw attention to the Crime and Policing Bill which is making its way through Parliament:

It confirms the view, widely held across civil society, that these proposed increased powers represent a seismic threat to democratic freedoms.

They raise alarm at the chilling impact this is clearly intended to have on people supporting Palestinians:

The unprecedented charging and now conviction of leaders of a movement that has brought millions to the streets in support of the people of Palestine is designed to chill ongoing opposition to genocide, apartheid and illegal occupation.

It finishes with a typical show of dogged resistance to state oppression and repression:

It will not succeed.

That it most certainly won’t, as a call to action is heard for the upcoming protest on the 16 May in London:

So, Ben Jamal and I have been convicted for organising a peaceful protest against genocide in a bizarre decision by one judge.

This is a big attack on civil liberties.

Advertisement

We will appeal. We call for a massive mobilisation in support of the Palestinian people for Nakba on 16 May. https://t.co/ftX7S069Bl

— Chris Nineham (@ChrisNineham) April 1, 2026

Featured image via the Canary

A journalist has been kidnapped in Iraq, and suddenly, the US government has decided it does, in fact, care about the safety of journalists. That is, as long as they’re white, and it’s not Israel killing or threatening them.

Iraq scene of kidnapping

Shelly Kittleson, an Italian-American journalist who contributes to Al-Monitor, was kidnapped in Baghdad on Tuesday. Reports suggest a suspected Iran-backed armed group was behind the abduction.

American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson has been kidnapped in broad daylight in Baghdad.

Iraq’s interior ministry says authorities at the highest level are searching for the 49-year-old. pic.twitter.com/86ToXdVRiG

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) April 1, 2026

Advertisement

Videos circulating on social media show men capturing Kittleson on Saadoun Street in central Baghdad.

Middle East Eye has reported that authorities in Iraq had launched an operation to find the kidnappers, and:

they had intercepted a vehicle belonging to the kidnappers, which overturned as they attempted to flee.

Security forces were able to arrest one of the suspects and seize one of the vehicles used in the crime.

Dylan Johnson, US assistant secretary of state for Public Diplomacy, said on X that Iraqi authorities have arrested an individual linked to the Kataeb Hezbollah group.

Of course, we should take anything the US government says with a huge pinch of salt.

Murdering journalists

The US has stood blindly by whilst Israel has murdered journalists in both Gaza and Lebanon for the last two and a half years.

Back in 2022, Israel murdered Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh. The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) shot the Palestinian-American in the head while she was covering an Israeli army raid in Jenin in the occupied West Bank.

The US government claimed the death was unintentional – despite Israel’s long history of targeting journalists.

Since then, Israel has murdered over 300 journalists since October 7, 2023. It was responsible for two-thirds of all press killings in both 2025 and 2024.

Most of the media workers Israel killed were Palestinian. However, Israeli air strikes also killed 31 staff in newspaper offices in Yemen.

The IOF have committed more targeted killings of journalists than any other government’s military since records began.

Only last week, Israel murdered journalists Ali Shuaib (Al-Manar) and Fatima Ftouni (Al-Mayadeen), along with Fatima’s brother, camera operator Mohamad Ftouni. They join a long list of Lebanese journalists that Israel has murdered.

Israel has repeatedly labelled media outlets and journalists as ‘terrorists’. Obviously, Western media and governments have parroted these claims without any evidence to support them.

The Israeli military also posted a photograph of Shoaib dressed in a military uniform. However, when asked by Fox News to provide the image, a spokesperson said:

Unfortunately there isn’t really a picture of it, it was photoshopped.

It provided no evidence to support its claims that Shoaib and Ftouni were Hezbollah combatants.

Israel goes after journalists in an attempt to stop the world from witnessing its war crimes. If it kills all the journalists in Gaza, Lebanon, and even Iran, then the rest of the world will not know what it’s up to.

Suddenly, the US cares?

The US has stayed quiet while Israel murdered over 300 journalists – many of whom were brown, and  often Muslim.

Now all of a sudden:

The FBI, National Security Council, state department, Delta Force and the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service were in contact about her abduction.

So, they can pay attention to attacks on journalists, after all. Of course, Kittleson is originally from rural Wisconsin.

So, whether it’s because Israel is not the perpetrator here or because Kittleson looks very white and is from a rural part of the US, the government suddenly decided it cares about journalists in the Middle East.

The US would not care if it were Israel that had kidnapped or even murdered Kittleson. Likewise, if a visibly brown, Black, or Muslim US citizen had been abducted, the US government would not care.

The hypocrisy is astounding – but what more should we expect from a government that Israel has so much influence over?

Featured image via Shelly Kittleson/Instagram