Flavia Cappellini

tell me one good reason to stay on X. let’s talk on Bluesky @

[Shanaka Anslem Perera ⚡ @shanaka86]

JUST IN: You do not fire your Army Chief of Staff in the middle of a war for no reason. You fire him because of what comes next.

Pete Hegseth called General Randy George on April 2 and told him to retire immediately. The Pentagon confirmed it within hours. No reason was given. Not publicly. Not privately. A senior Army official told Fox News that Hegseth offered George nothing: no misconduct, no operational failure, no policy disagreement on the record. Just a phone call and a career ending in the middle of the most significant American combat operation in two decades.

George is the 24th general or admiral Hegseth has removed. But he is not the 24th. He is the one that matters. The Army Chief of Staff. The man whose signature sits between a president’s intent and the order that sends soldiers across a beach or into a tunnel complex. The 82nd Airborne is deploying right now. Marines from the 31st MEU are staged on the USS Tripoli. JSOC operators are at forward bases in Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Kharg Island, 90 percent of Iranian oil exports, sits 16 kilometres off a coast that someone will have to decide whether to approach. And the four-star general whose job it was to advise whether that approach should happen was removed 48 hours after Trump told the nation the war would continue for two to three more weeks.

The replacement is Vice Chief General Christopher LaNeve. He was Hegseth’s senior military aide before this appointment. The man who carried the Secretary’s briefcase now commands the Army the Secretary is reshaping. The chain of command did not break. It shortened. The distance between a television studio and a combat order just collapsed to zero intermediaries who were not personally selected by the man giving the order.

No reason was given. That is the tell. When someone is removed without explanation during a crisis, the explanation is the crisis itself. George either objected to something or was about to. The ground option. The power plant strikes. The Kharg raid. The escalation that turned a highway bridge in Karaj into rubble on the same day he was told to leave. Something in the next two weeks requires a chief who will not push back, and the Pentagon solved that problem by installing one trained as Hegseth’s aide.

A former Fox News weekend host just fired a four-star general with combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, replaced him with his own former assistant, and did it during a live war in which the next decision could put American soldiers on Iranian soil for the first time in history. No hearing was held. No misconduct cited. The Army woke up on April 3 with a new chief it did not choose, in a war it did not start, preparing for a phase the previous chief apparently could not be trusted to execute.

The question is not why George was fired. Every general in the building knows why. The question is what order is coming in the next fourteen days that required removing the one man in the chain of command who might have said no.

The war has no perimeter. The chain of command has no objectors. And the next phase has no one left to stop it.

https://t.co/dAOBBMsgDS

[Malachy Browne @malachybrowne]

I reported this story and have been working around the clock since Saturday to cover the deaths and obtain definitive evidence so that we can confidently assign responsibility. We've been reviewing photos of the dust covered bodies of children and verifying their names against the names scrawled on little coffins. We've been debunking false claims about the attack and that the harrowing cemetery photo isn't real. And while it appeared obvious to many early on that the U.S. or Israel hit the school, it takes days to sift through, pinpoint and analyze the evidence. It took four days before a new satellite image we ordered came through so we could confidently assess the damage and the types of weapons used. All that reporting and cross checking and the production of the visuals showing it takes time. But it ultimately allows us to more confidently assert U.S. responsibility, explain our rationale and add to the body of reporting that officials should be challenged with. It's easy to critique a headline, and I agree language matters, but you diminish the reporting. We're not justifying anything, we're stating where the reporting points responsibility, and quoting legal experts on the laws of armed conflict. Here's a gift link https://t.co/yWNfYgojXT

[Alex Rowell @alexjrowell]

🚨 Israeli army orders "immediate" and total evacuation of all territory south of Lebanon's Litani River, including the entire city of Tyre.

[Hamidreza Azizi @HamidRezaAz]

Day 4 of Iran vs. U.S./Israel war (focus on Iranian strategic narrative):

🔹The IRGC’s ground forces appear to be entering the conflict more visibly. Iranian reports indicate drone strikes against Kurdish militant positions in northern Iraq and attacks against U.S. targets in Kuwait, suggesting a widening role for the force.

🔹This shift reflects growing Iranian concern that the U.S. may support insurgent groups operating inside Iran, particularly Kurdish and Baloch armed factions along the country’s borders.

🔹Iran has downed an Israeli Elbit Hermes 900 drone largely intact (photo verified). Iranian sources are already discussing possible reverse engineering, something Tehran has attempted with captured systems in the past.

🔹Both sides are signaling confidence in wartime production capacity. Iranian officials claim missile production is keeping pace with launches, while Donald Trump has said U.S. interceptor missile production is also accelerating.

🔹Iran’s maritime pressure campaign continues. An IRGC Navy official stated that ten ships have been targeted so far in the Strait of Hormuz, reinforcing Tehran’s effort to disrupt shipping and raise global energy costs.

🔹The Islamic Resistance of Iraq announced 27 operations against U.S. positions across the region in a single day, marking a sharp escalation in proxy activity.

🔹There have been attacks on U.S. diplomatic and intelligence facilities in Gulf states, including incidents in Dubai and Saudi Arabia.

🔹The United States is considering escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian analysts argue this could paradoxically increase the vulnerability of U.S. naval assets by bringing them closer to Iranian missile ranges.

🔹Iran appears to be concentrating attacks on U.S. radar and surveillance infrastructure in the Persian Gulf. Reports indicate a second THAAD radar in the UAE was targeted by Iranian missiles, suggesting a strategy aimed at degrading early warning capabilities.

🔹At the same time, Iran has reportedly prioritized targeting Israeli reconnaissance drones such as the Hermes 900, which are central to locating Iranian missile launchers.

🔹Some analysts suggest this may explain the recent decline in large-scale Iranian missile barrages: Tehran could be attempting to first degrade Israel’s ISR capabilities before resuming heavier missile operations.

🔹Footage showing Israeli F-16 aircraft operating over Tehran suggests that Israeli and U.S. forces may have achieved significant freedom of maneuver in Iranian airspace after suppressing parts of Iran’s air defense network.

🔹The division of labor between the United States and Israel is becoming clearer. Israeli strikes appear concentrated in Tehran and western Iran, while U.S. operations increasingly target drone bases and military infrastructure in southern Iran.

🔹Israeli strikes also continue to focus on Iran’s government institutions. Police headquarters, intelligence facilities, and IRGC bases in Tehran have been targeted, reinforcing the apparent strategy of weakening the Islamic Republic’s internal security capacity.

🔹At the same time, strikes have targeted western Iranian provinces, raising Iranian fears that insurgent groups could attempt to enter the country from Iraqi Kurdistan.

🔹Iran has responded by striking Kurdish militant positions in Iraq and increasing IRGC deployments along its western borders.

🔹Hezbollah has continued limited operations despite pressure from the Lebanese government, including a suicide drone attack against the Ramat David airbase and rocket fire toward Israeli military targets.

🔹Meanwhile, the Houthis have threatened to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and resume attacks against Saudi Arabia if Riyadh joins the war directly.

🔹Energy infrastructure has increasingly become a central battlefield. Iranian drone strikes hit key gas facilities linked to QatarEnergy, forcing a temporary shutdown of LNG operations in Ras Laffan and Mesaieed.

🔹A separate attack targeted the oil export hub at Fujairah in the UAE, a critical route that allows Gulf oil shipments to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

🔹These strikes suggest a broader Iranian strategy aimed at sustaining pressure on global energy markets even if a full maritime blockade proves difficult to maintain.

🔹Oil markets are already reacting. Iraq has halted Kurdish oil exports through the Ceyhan pipeline and warned that production cuts may follow if Hormuz disruptions continue.

🔹Inside Iran, political developments are accelerating. The Assembly of Experts is reportedly close to selecting a new Supreme Leader following the killing of Ali Khamenei.

🔹The interim leadership council convened again despite the risk of further decapitation strikes, signaling an attempt to project continuity and control.

🔹Concerns are also growing about potential escalation around nuclear facilities. The Natanz nuclear site has reportedly been struck again, while explosions near the Russian-operated Bushehr nuclear power plant have raised fears of a potential nuclear accident.

🔹The tempo of Iranian missile strikes against Israel appears to have decreased in the past day. It remains unclear whether this reflects successful targeting of missile launchers or deliberate conservation of missile stockpiles.

🔹Recent U.S. military deployments are also attracting attention in Iranian commentary. Open-source reporting indicates that Washington has sent additional aerial refueling aircraft to the CENTCOM region and redeployed fighter jets from Europe to the Middle East.

🔹Some Iranian analysts interpret these moves as a sign that the conflict may not be unfolding as Washington initially anticipated, suggesting that the existing U.S. force posture may have been insufficient for the scale and duration of the confrontation.

🔹There are also reports that the United States may be considering redeploying THAAD and Patriot air defense systems from other regions, including East Asia, to reinforce missile defenses in the Middle East amid sustained Iranian missile attacks.

🔹These developments are framed in Iranian media as evidence that interceptor missile consumption may be occurring faster than expected, forcing Washington to draw on additional regional and global resources.

🔹Overall, developments on Day 4 largely reinforce the patterns observed over the past two days: expanding proxy involvement, continued attacks on energy infrastructure, sustained air operations inside Iran, and a widening regional spillover of the conflict.

[Julia Macfarlane @juliamacfarlane]

Palestinian humour in dark times remains unmatched

[Flavia Cappellini @FlaviaCapps]

71K+ killed in #Gaza - not including death because of lack of medical support, lack of food, lack of shelters and the list is really long. This acknowledgment comes after months of public defamation against press and ngos which kept reporting those numbers from day 1

[Flavia Cappellini @FlaviaCapps]

Int journalists rep: “After the ceasefire, the State said it would reconsider its position regarding journalist entry to Gaza. Today we are 3 months after this promise, we see international aid workers and UN workers, and Israelis entering. But foreign journalists are prohibited”

[Flavia Cappellini @FlaviaCapps]

Following the Court hearing today in Jerusalem, where international journalists are once again fighting for the right of free access and reporting inside #Gaza, currently still denied by the State of Israel. #freedomofpress

[Flavia Cappellini @FlaviaCapps]

For the people that says “Gaza was not occupied” or “they had their own de-facto state before Oct 7” - in court, the State rep just said: “There is no inherent right to enter Gaza, but There is a right to prevent this”. Don’t forget who is decision maker when it comes to #Gaza.

[Noga Tarnopolsky נגה טרנופולסקי نوغا ترنوبولسكي @NTarnopolsky]

💥Donald Trump formally demands that Netanyahu get a pardon. "While I absolutely respect the independence of the Israeli Justice System, and its requirements, I believe that this 'case' against Bibi, who has fought alongside me for a long time, including against the very tough adversary of Israel, Iran, is a political, unjustified prosecution."

[Noga Tarnopolsky נגה טרנופולסקי نوغا ترنوبولسكي @NTarnopolsky]

💥#Breaking: The Mossad refused to carry out the Qatar strike. Israel's intelligence agency had planned a ground operation targeting Hamas leaders but declined to execute it, forcing Israel to carry out the unsuccessful airstrike.⁦@gerryshih⁩ https://t.co/b72NdYbr7j

[Hoy por Hoy @HoyPorHoy]

“Cualquier cosa que está conectada con la administración civil de la Franja de Gaza ha sido asesinada. Estamos hablando de personas”

🗣️ @FlaviaCapps, documentalista italiana que vivió en Gaza hasta el 7 de octubre de 2023

#NuevaTemporadaSER

[Hoy por Hoy @HoyPorHoy]

“La libertad de prensa está bajo ataque también en Cisjordania”

🗣️ Flavia Cappellini (@FlaviaCapps) recuerda que Israel no solo asesina periodistas en Gaza.

🔴📹 Especial #HoyPorHoy desde la frontera de Gaza: https://t.co/AnG8Du29oS

#NuevaTemporadaSER

[RTL 102.5 @rtl1025]

🔵 "In questo momento l'esercito israeliano sta operando nei sobborghi di #Gaza city mentre i bombardamenti si avvicinano sempre di più e con maggiore intensità".

🎙️ @FlaviaCapps
#NonStopNews

🔴 LIVE ▶️ Link in BIO

[Eugenio Cardi @EugenioCardi]

"È proibito filmare #Gaza, questi sono gli ordini". Chissà come mai, #Israele teme forse che si possano diffondere immagini di quella agghiacciante devastazione?

Gran bel servizio di @FlaviaCapps per #SkyTg24.
Se potete cercatelo e guardatelo con attenzione.

[Zaid Jilani @ZaidJilani]

Ben Gvir says they used the Sabbath against him to make aid alterations

[Flavia Cappellini @FlaviaCapps]

Gaza, today.

[أنس الشريف Anas Al-Sharif @AnasAlSharif0]

مجزرة إسرائيلية بحق الأطفال
13 شهيداً غالبيتهم أطفال ونساء، وعدد من الجرحى جراء قصف طيران الاحتلال طابور توزيع مكملات غذائية للأطفال في دير البلح، وسط قطاع غزة..

[Claire Parker @cairo_claire1]

I got a summary of the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal. Hamas would release 28 Israeli hostages — 10 alive, 18 bodies — in 5 stages over the 60-day ceasefire. Aid would enter Gaza “in sufficient amounts” through the U.N. and Red Crescent. More here:

https://t.co/r0ejVOaoel

[RTL 102.5 @rtl1025]

🔵 "Gli allarmi a #TelAviv sono suonati intorno alle 7.30 orario locale, eravamo nel rifugio, le sirene sono suonate in tutto il Paese"

@FlaviaCapps 🎙️
#nonstopnews
🔴 LIVE ▶️ https://t.co/iDld1y4yjT

[RTL 102.5 @rtl1025]

🔵 "#TelAviv è un simbolo dello stato di #Israele e ovviamente è uno dei target più colpiti in questa guerra contro l'#Iran"

@FlaviaCapps 🎙️
#nonstopnews
🔴 LIVE ▶️ https://t.co/iDld1y40ul