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He celebrated Oct. 7 and criticized Israel. Now, ICE has detained him.
A British political commentator known for his vocal criticism of Israel was detained Sunday in California by federal immigration authorities and is now facing deportation.
Sami Hamdi was in the middle of a speaking tour with the Council on American-Islamic Relations when he was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at San Francisco International Airport.
CAIR said the detainment was “because he dared to criticize the Israeli government’s genocide.” The development is the latest in a string of deportations carried out by the Trump administration that civil rights groups have characterized as an attack on political speech, particularly pro-Palestinian activism.
CAIR positions itself as the leading civil rights organization for Muslims in the U.S. The nonprofit has long been criticized by the political right and groups like the Anti-Defamation League as trafficking in “openly antisemitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric.”
The press secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, posted to X in reference to Hamdi’s detainment that “those who support terrorism and undermine American national security will not be allowed to work or visit this country.”
Days after the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, Hamdi told a crowd to “celebrate the victory” while speaking at a mosque and Islamic community center in London.
“How many of you felt the euphoria?” Hamdi asked, declaring that Hamas brought “a huge victory” that banished the despair Palestinians had felt since 1948, when Israel was founded. The Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas killed about 1,200 people in Israel, with about 250 taken to Gaza, where Israel’s response has since killed an estimated 67,000 Palestinians in the strip.
Laura Loomer, the Jewish right-wing political activist who has played an influential role in the Trump administration’s deportation campaigns, celebrated Hamdi’s detainment.
“We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again: The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who support terrorism and actively undermine the safety of Americans,” The State Department posted to X. “We continue to revoke the visas of persons engaged in such activity.”
In previous deportation cases, the Trump administration has cited the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, a McCarthy-era law that allows the government to deport individuals whom the Secretary of State “has reasonable ground to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.” Some legal scholars have argued the law is intended to apply to exceptional cases where someone’s presence in the U.S. could cause diplomatic turmoil, rather than people who use inflammatory rhetoric.
The post He celebrated Oct. 7 and criticized Israel. Now, ICE has detained him. appeared first on The Forward.
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Egypt Accuses Israel of Daily Ceasefire Violations
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty attends a joint press conference with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in Cairo, Egypt March 1, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
i24 News – At the Doha Forum, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called for the expedited deployment of an international stabilization force (ISF) in the Gaza Strip.
He argued that without such a presence on the ground, Israel is able to “violate the ceasefire every day,” while placing similar responsibility on Hamas.
Abdelatty urged that the ISF be positioned along the “Yellow Line,” the boundary established after Israel’s October 10 withdrawal that divides Gaza between Israeli-held territory and areas controlled by Hamas.
According to him, this proposal is gaining support among countries that might contribute troops, especially since many reluctant to deploy deep inside western Gaza’s “red zone.”
He emphasized that Egypt envisions a peacekeeping mission, not a peace-enforcement operation. Abdelatty suggested disarmament of Hamas could only be realistic if it occurred voluntarily, which he described as unlikely under current conditions.
During the forum, US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack stirred controversy by asserting that “Israel can claim it’s a democracy but in this region, what’s worked the best, whether you like it or you don’t like it, is a benevolent monarchy.”
Critics interpreted the remark as a challenge to democratic governance models in the Middle East and a tacit endorsement of authoritarian-style rule. Finally, Abdelatty also addressed the status of the Rafah crossing, closed since May 2024. He accused Israel of imposing unacceptable terms by allowing only one–way passage, enabling Palestinians to exit but not return. Egypt, he said, rejects any plan that reduces Rafah to “a gateway for displacement or expulsion.” Only medical evacuations should be permitted, and those evacuated must be allowed to return once treated.
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Report: Iran Abandoned Assad Two Days Before the Fall of His Regime
Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad attends the Arab League summit, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, May 19, 2023. Photo: Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS
i24 News – A Syrian military officer who had coordinated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards told AFP on Sunday that “Tehran abandoned Bashar al-Assad two days before the collapse of his regime.”
“We knew the situation was serious, but not at this level,” the officer said.
According to the report, following the fall of Aleppo to rebel forces, Iran halted its military involvement in Syria and evacuated approximately 4,000 fighters from the area.
The remarks follow an announcement by the United Nations on Friday stating that more than 1.2 million Syrian citizens have returned to the country over the past year, following the end of Assad’s rule.
Bashar al-Assad served as Syria’s president from 2000 until December 8, 2024, when he reportedly departed Damascus shortly before opposition forces entered and seized control of the capital. He later sought refuge in Russia. Assad has been widely accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with the civil war that began in 2011, during which large numbers of civilians were killed or injured, including through the Syrian army’s use of chemical weapons.
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South Africa Revokes Visa-Free Access for Palestinians After Controversial Gaza Flight
Anti-Israel protesters march through the streets of the township of Lenasia in Johannesburg, South Africa, Oct. 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Ihsaan Haffejee
i24 News – South Africa has canceled its long-standing visa exemption for Palestinian passport holders following an investigation into a charter flight that brought 153 Gazans into Johannesburg without valid documentation.
Authorities say the operation was likely exploited by actors connected to Israeli “voluntary migration” initiatives.
Interior Minister Leon Schreiber told reporters that national security agencies determined there had been “deliberate and ongoing abuse” of the 90-day visa waiver.
The passengers, who arrived via Kenya, were neither tourists nor holders of tickets purchased independently. Investigators said the trip had been arranged by intermediaries who appeared ready to “abandon” the travelers upon arrival.
Authorities are also examining a similar case from October. Schreiber emphasized that revoking the exemption is “the most effective way to prevent the repetition of such flights” while ensuring that legitimate Palestinian travelers can visit South Africa safely. He added, “South Africa will not be complicit in any scheme aimed at exploiting or displacing Palestinians from Gaza.”
The decision follows widespread controversy over the charter flight, which reportedly held passengers onboard for 12 hours in difficult conditions before they were allowed entry. Some officials have pointed fingers at Israel for its role in the operation.
South African media reports identified the organization Al-Majd, linked to Israeli-Estonian national Tomer Yanar Lind, as the orchestrator of the transfer. The passengers were said to have traveled from Rafah to Israel’s Ramon Airport before flying via Kenya on a charter operated by the Romanian airline Flyyo. Many reportedly paid around $2,000 for the journey.
Little is publicly known about Al-Majd. Its website, registered only in February, contains information considered unreliable, and the organization’s claims of providing humanitarian assistance in East Jerusalem have not been independently verified.