Drop Site News – Episode Summary

Episode: Israel's Rampage Across the West Bank & a Look at "The Epstein Files"
Date: November 11, 2025
Host: Sharif Abdel Kouddous
Guests: Diana Bhuttu (Palestinian human rights attorney), Murtaza Hussain (Drop Site News reporter)
Main Themes: Escalation of Israeli settler and military violence against Palestinians, systemic abuse and lack of accountability in Israeli detention, global political responses, and an investigative series on Jeffrey Epstein's ties to Israeli intelligence.

Episode Overview

This episode of Drop Site News, hosted by Sharif Abdel Kouddous, centers on two major topics:

1. The ongoing escalation of Israeli state and settler violence in the West Bank and Jerusalem: including legal frameworks, daily realities for Palestinian civilians, and the unprecedented impunity for these actions.
2. A deep-dive into the exclusive "Epstein Files" series: an investigative look into Jeffrey Epstein’s role as a fixer and operative for Israeli intelligence, based on leaked emails from former Israeli PM Ehud Barak.

The episode features an in-depth interview with Palestinian human rights attorney Diana Bhuttu, followed by an investigative segment with reporter Murtaza Hussain.

1. Israel’s Escalating Violence in the West Bank & Jerusalem

Daily Reality of Violence

• Continuing Attacks Despite "Ceasefire":

  • "There is a ceasefire, but Israel has not ceased fire." — Sharif Abdel Kouddous (01:37)
  • Continued airstrikes, shellings, and shootings; most restrictions on aid and daily necessities persist for Gaza.

• Focus on the West Bank:

  • Escalating violence and raids in villages and towns; mass arrests and killings, with over 1,000 Palestinians killed since October 2023, including 200+ children.
  • "One in every five Palestinians killed by Israeli forces so far in 2025 across the West Bank is a child." — A (03:39)
  • October marked the highest number of settler-perpetrated attacks since UN OCHA began recording in 2006 (over 260 that month).

Palestinian Perspective: Diana Bhuttu

• Land Seizure Strategy During Olive Harvest:

  • "These are areas... on the periphery...not just to attack the farmlands and go after the olive harvest, but also because this is one of the stages... for these settlers to then take over Palestinian land." — Diana Bhuttu (06:42)
  • Settler attacks intend to terrorize Palestinians away from farming, then establish outposts that become settlements, reinforced by the army.

• Journalists Targeted:

  • Example of a Reuters journalist violently attacked by settlers: "I was certain that they were trying to kill her." (08:09)

Legal Framework & Total Impunity

• Division of West Bank—Who Governs?

  • Area A: small geographically but largest population, Palestinian Authority.
  • Areas B & C: Israeli army has complete control.
    • "If you come under attack by an Israeli settler, it's the Israeli army that is supposed to come in... But what we've seen time and again is that the army, one, doesn't stop the settlers, it actually facilitates them." — Bhuttu (10:07)

• Systematic Prevention of Aid:

  • Israeli army blocks paramedics, resulting in preventable deaths—even an American citizen (Sayfallah Musallat) killed after settlers’ attack, left to die when help was blocked. (11:41)

Widespread Torture and Prison Conditions

• UN Review & High-Profile Rape Case:

  • Israel under review at UN Committee Against Torture (12:15).
  • Notorious case exposed: gang rape of a blindfolded, handcuffed Palestinian prisoner by Israeli soldiers. Israeli Military Advocate General leaked video to expose severity—resulted not in accountability for soldiers, but in her resignation, arrest, and attempted suicide.
  • "The only reason that she leaked [the] video was because there was such a right wing response to the [prosecutions], that she wanted to show Israeli society that what they had done was so egregious..." — Bhuttu (15:37)

• Consistent, Widespread Abuse:

  • Bodies returned from Israeli detention show signs of torture, summary execution.
  • "There isn't one person [released] who hasn't spoken about some level of either torture or of starvation or of medical mistreatment... includes a woman abducted from a hospital bed, a double amputee... a boy who is autistic..." — Bhuttu (17:56)
  • Over 9,200 Palestinians remain in detention, half held without charge, many in secret facilities. (18:59)

• No Real Accountability:

  • "The cases in which there has been scrutiny against Israeli soldiers are few. And most of them involve things like stealing money when they raid Palestinian homes." — Bhuttu (19:51)
  • High-profile case: Elor Azaria shot a subdued Palestinian in Hebron, received a lighter sentence than Ahed Tamimi (who slapped a soldier), left prison hailed as a hero. (20:29)

"Normalization" of Genocide and Global Reaction

• Absence of Accountability:

  • Global conversation shifts to "peace" and "reconstruction," while genocide and deprivation continue unchecked under "ceasefire."
  • "I commented and said that what Israel is trying to do is they're trying to normalize genocide, and they have, and they're getting away with it." — Bhuttu (23:34)
  • Return to “business as usual” globally, while the daily violence remains—push for accountability must come from civil society (BDS, flotillas, legal action).

• On U.S./Global “Trump Plan” & Two-State Talk:

  • Contemporary proposals for Palestinian statehood echo colonial paternalism: "If you prove yourself worthy of freedom, then we will think about giving you your freedom. But until that time, we're going to treat you as though you're a child." — Bhuttu (28:43)
  • Root of issue is Zionism and the internationally-enabled program of ethnic cleansing.
  • "Rather than them looking at the—you good Palestinians, when you start to behave, we will give you a state—they should be focused on Israel... always demanding a peace process in order to delay, delay, delay..." (29:58)

2. The Epstein Files: Epstein and Israeli Intelligence

Exclusive Series & Leaked Barak Emails

• Source Material:

  • Series draws on thousands of emails leaked from former Israeli PM Ehud Barak (via pro-Palestinian hackers/posting by Distributed Denial of Secrets)—publicly available yet barely reported by major outlets. (31:41)

• Revelations:

  • Senior Israeli military intelligence officer stayed at Epstein’s Manhattan apartment multiple times (2013–2015), acted as an intermediary for Israeli intelligence, coordinated with both Israeli and US establishments. (32:58)
  • Epstein acted as a "freelance diplomat or agent acting on behalf of Israeli interests," enabling everything from intelligence backchannels to security technology deals worldwide for Israel. (35:44)

Major Previously-Published Stories

• Epstein Brokered:

  • Security deals in Mongolia for Israel.
  • Backchannel negotiations between Israel and Russia, including an attempted Russian-led plan to remove Bashar al-Assad in Syria in Israel’s interests. (37:34)
  • Security contracts and technology transfers for the government of Côte d’Ivoire, using Epstein’s deep ties in Africa. (35:33)

• Financial and Ideological Motives:

  • Epstein helped Barak monetize his post-office links—dual purpose: enriching ex-leaders and advancing Israeli security technology/advisory interests internationally.
  • "Epstein was helping Barack make money... but in doing so, he was also helping him promote Israeli intelligence-linked security firms to foreign governments. So it accomplished a dual purpose." — Hussain (35:54)

• Notable Assessment:

  • "Epstein was not a Mossad agent per se. He worked for himself... was above the governments of Israel per se, in the way he interacted with them.” — Hussain (41:18)
  • Referenced Mossad’s concept of sayanim—volunteers who aid Israeli intelligence without formal employment. (40:59)
  • “It was almost like the relationships inverted, like Mossad is working for Epstein rather than Epstein's working for Mossad.” — Hussain (42:19)

Why Hasn’t the Mainstream Press Dug In?

• Accessible Evidence, Little Coverage:

  • Massive trove of emails cross-referenced with US House disclosures and lawsuits—little serious reporting from major outlets.
  • "It seems like it must be a political choice because this is a major story... The blanks have not been filled in. They're sitting right in front of them." — Hussain (43:19)
  • Reporter notes many outlets perform “limited hangouts”—reporting minor elements while omitting the core political and intelligence revelations.

• Societal Implications:

  • Epstein’s activities and ties “strike at the heart of the entire ruling sort of clique or the ruling regime of many different countries,” disrupting legitimacy and comfort for institutions and individuals at the top. (47:29)

What’s Next in the Series?

• In-depth investigation into Epstein’s work in Africa—advising dictators, facilitating arms and diamond sales, and financial dealings with major banks (e.g., JP Morgan Chase).
• Uncovering the vast networks that shielded Epstein’s activities, and the uncomfortable truths about the global elite’s willingness to ignore or enable such actions for profit or political gain. (46:16)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• "There is a ceasefire, but Israel has not ceased fire." — Sharif Abdel Kouddous (01:37)
• "One in every five Palestinians killed by Israeli forces so far in 2025 across the West Bank is a child." — Kouddous (03:39)
• "They want to terrify Palestinians, they want to steal their land, and they're doing so with complete impunity." — Diana Bhuttu (07:52)
• "The Israeli army… actually facilitates [settlers]." — Bhuttu (10:07)
• "We know that this level of torture is happening… from the bodies that have been returned to Gaza." — Bhuttu (15:55)
• "No real accountability... most prosecutions are for stealing money, not murder or torture." — Bhuttu (19:51)
• "What Israel is trying to do is they're trying to normalize genocide and they have, and they're getting away with it." — Bhuttu (23:34)
• "It was almost like... Mossad is working for Epstein rather than Epstein’s working for Mossad." — Murtaza Hussain (42:19)
• "It seems like it must be a political choice because this is a major story..." — Hussain (43:19)
• "This story… strikes at the heart of the entire… regime of many different countries." — Hussain (47:29)

Key Segments / Timestamps

• 01:23–14:40: Gaza/West Bank update, settler violence, context and legal frameworks (Bhuttu interview)
• 14:43–23:29: Prisoner torture, specific cases, impunity and starvation/genocide (Bhuttu)
• 23:29–28:23: International response, normalization of genocide, future prospects for Gaza and accountability efforts
• 28:23–31:41: US “Trump Plan”, two-state debate, continued absence of real accountability (Bhuttu)
• 31:41–36:49: Introduction to "Epstein Files", findings about Epstein/Barak/leaked emails (Hussain)
• 36:49–42:56: Epstein’s motives/role, ideological and economic, intelligence backchannels
• 42:56–46:16: How the investigation is done, why major media has avoided it, future stories
• 46:16–48:13: What’s coming up in "Epstein Files" series, Epstein’s broader legacy

Conclusion

This episode provides a sobering account of escalating Israeli violence against Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank, highlighting the total impunity enjoyed by both state forces and settlers and the normalization of collective punishment and torture. Alongside this, the Drop Site team’s “Epstein Files” series exposes the depth and breadth of Jeffrey Epstein’s shadowy ties to Israeli intelligence, revealing the uncomfortable intersection of power, intelligence, and impunity on a global scale.

For more information, reporting, and future updates, visit dropsitenews.com.