Gaza ceasefire talks continue as Israel carries out fresh wave of strikes
Ceasefire talks
between Israel and
Hamas
have been continuing in Qatar for a second day as Israeli warplanes and artillery launched a fresh wave of strikes across
Gaza
, killing at least 103 people, according to health officials in the Palestinian territory.
The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, signalled on Sunday that Israel was open to a deal with Hamas that would include 'ending the fighting' in Gaza, but laid out conditions that have been repeatedly refused by the militant Islamist organisation.
'Even at this very moment, the negotiation team in Doha is working to exhaust every possibility for a deal ... which would include the release of all the hostages, the exile of Hamas terrorists and the disarmament of the Gaza Strip,' his office said in a statement.
In Gaza, medical officials said they could not cope with the casualties from the most recent strikes.
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'Hospitals are overwhelmed with the growing number of casualties, many are children, several cases of amputations and the hospitals, which have been hit repeatedly by the occupation, are struggling with shortages of medical supplies,' Khalil al-Deqran, the territory's health ministry spokesperson, told Reuters.
In northern Gaza, a strike on Sunday on a home in the Jabaliya area killed nine people from a single family, according to the health ministry's emergency services. Another strike in Jabaliya, killed 10, including seven children and a woman, civil defence officials said.
At least 12 people were killed in three separate strikes in central Gaza, hospitals said. More than 48 people were killed in air strikes in and around the southern city of Khan Younis, some of which hit houses and tents sheltering displaced people, according to medics at Nasser hospital, which added that more than half of the dead were women and children.
There was no independent confirmation of the death tolls and the Israeli military had no immediate comment on the overnight strikes.
Israeli officials have described the fresh attacks as the beginning of a major new offensive, codenamed Operation Gideon's Chariots, which they say could lead to the seizure of swathes of Gaza and the displacement of much of the population to its south.
Israel's offensive in Gaza has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to the territory's Hamas-controlled health Ministry. Israel accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields – a charge the group denies – and says it has attacked 'terrorist targets'.
Hamas took about 250 hostages during its October 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people. Fifty-seven of the hostages are still held by Hamas, though most of these are thought to be dead.
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Israelis hail Eurovision second-place performance through prism of Gaza war
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The indirect talks in Qatar are reportedly focusing on securing a two-month truce, with Hamas freeing about half the 20 or so living hostages it is still holding.
In return, Israel would release hundreds of Palestinians from its jails and end the tight blockade it has placed on Gaza since early March. The US would offer strong guarantees to ensure talks about a permanent end to the war took place.
In March, Israel refused to engage in talks about a second phase of a fragile two-month ceasefire that could potentially have led to an end to the conflict and the release of remaining hostages. It then imposed a tight blockade on Gaza and relaunched its air offensive.
Mr Netanyahu has been repeatedly accused of prolonging the war for domestic political reasons – charges which he denies – and has frequently promised that Israel will continue to fight until Hamas is 'crushed'.
Hamas, which released an US-Israeli hostage last week as a goodwill gesture before Donald Trump travelled to the Middle East for a four-day visit, has previously insisted on a deal that definitively ends the war and leads to the withdrawal of Israel's forces. It has also refused to disarm or to accept the exile of its leaders.
Israel, which claims Hamas systematically loots aid to fund its military and other operations, has put forward a plan to distribute humanitarian assistance from a series of hubs in Gaza run by private contractors and protected by Israeli troops.
The US has backed the plan, which has been described as unworkable, dangerous and potentially unlawful by aid agencies because it could lead to the forced mass transfer of populations.
Food security experts have warned that any delay will cost lives, and that cases of acute malnutrition, particularly among young children, are soaring.
Some of the heaviest Israeli strikes earlier this week were aimed at Mohammed Sinwar, the current commander of Hamas in Gaza, who, Israeli officials said, was sheltering in tunnel systems under a hospital complex in Khan Younis. The Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, reportedly suggested on Sunday that he had been killed.
The prospect of a massive new offensive, the recent strikes and the tight blockade imposed on Gaza in March by Israel have prompted a growing wave of international concern and anger.
The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, on Friday said the bombing campaign aimed at bringing about a 'permanent demographic shift in Gaza' that was in 'defiance of international law' and was equivalent to ethnic cleansing.
His comments were also echoed by the UN secretary general, António Guterres, who called for a permanent ceasefire while speaking at an Arab League summit in Baghdad on Saturday. – Guardian
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Irish Times
17 hours ago
- Irish Times
Gaza health ministry reports 14 dead after Israel-linked attack near aid site
Palestinians say Israeli forces and allied local gunmen fired toward a crowd heading to an Israeli and US supported food distribution centre in the Gaza Strip . Gaza's health ministry and local hospitals said 14 people were killed in the reported attack early on Monday. The gunmen appeared to be allied with the Israeli military, operating in close proximity to troops and retreating into an Israeli military zone in the southern city of Rafah after the crowd hurled stones at them, witnesses said. Israel recently acknowledged supporting local armed groups opposed to Hamas . READ MORE The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was the latest in a number of shootings that have killed at least 127 people and wounded hundreds since the rollout of a new food distribution system, according to Gaza's health ministry, which is run by Hamas. Israel and the US say the new aid system is designed to circumvent Hamas, but it has been rejected by the UN and major aid groups. Experts have meanwhile warned that Israel's blockade and its ongoing military campaign have put Gaza at risk of famine . Palestinians say Israeli forces have repeatedly fired toward crowds heading to the food centres since they opened last month. [ From relief to horror: Gazans met with gunfire at aid sites Opens in new window ] In previous instances, the Israeli military has said it fired warning shots at people who approached its forces near the centres, which are in military zones off limits to independent media. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the Israeli- and US-supported private contractor running the sites, says there has been no violence in or around the centres themselves. But the foundation repeatedly warns would-be food recipients that stepping off the road designated by the military for people to reach the centres represents 'a great danger'. It paused delivery at its three distribution sites last week to hold discussions with the military about improving safety on the routes. GHF closed the Rafah site on Monday due to the 'chaos of the crowds', according to a Facebook site associated with the group. Nasser Hospital said several men had been shot in the upper body, including some in the head. [ Tunnel underneath southern Gaza hospital reveals alleged death site of Hamas commander Opens in new window ] Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the health ministry's records department, said six people were killed and more than 99 wounded, some of them at another GHF centre in central Gaza. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on October 7th, 2023, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. They are still holding 55 hostages, more than half of them believed to be dead, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,900 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, which has said women and children make up most of the dead. It does not say how many of those killed were civilians or combatants. The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza, displaced 90 per cent of the population and left the territory almost completely reliant on international aid. [ Almost all of Gaza's farmland rendered unusable as famine risk rises, finds UN report Opens in new window ] Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. Israel says it will continue the war until all the captives are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and sent into exile. Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has said that even then, Israel will maintain open-ended control over Gaza and facilitate what he refers to as the voluntary emigration of much of its population to other countries – a plan rejected by most of the international community, including the Palestinians, who view it as a blueprint for their forcible expulsion. – AP
Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
Letters to the Editor, June 9th: On relatives in Gaza, minding your manners and Elvis
Sir, – Each morning after digesting updates of the relentless escalation of massacres in Gaza I go to work to continue my job as a junior doctor. I paint a smile on my face and feign optimism to help those in our hospitals with their own illnesses. I tell myself that I am doing all I can to help those around me, both here and abroad. I push the thoughts of the inhumane killing of thousands of babies out of my mind, while I focus on what, and who, is in front of me. I reassure myself that this is the right thing to do; the patients here also require my care and attention. As I greet my colleagues throughout the morning I cannot but be ashamed when looking in the eyes of one particular friend and colleague. This young doctor is from Palestine and moved to Ireland a number of years ago while his family remain trapped in Gaza. READ MORE I once again suppress the anger and disgust that I feel for our Government by our lack of action. Why should this young doctor continue to treat and care for our families while we are sitting watching his burn? – Yours, etc, GRÁINNE YOUNG, Ranelagh, Dublin 6. Sir, – Paul Kearns's article (' The beaches here in Israel are full. Just an hour's drive away, Palestinians are starving', June 7th,) is telling, frightening and saddening. The evidence he cites from his conversations with his Israeli friends about what is going on in Gaza displays a powerful ideological complex at work. Many Israelis, on Mr Kearns's evidence, believe that there 'are no innocents in Gaza', 18,000 dead children notwithstanding. Many Israelis believe that Hamas uses 'human shields' and they deduce from this that Palestinians and Hamas in particular do not value human life as much as Israel does. Even if that is the case, how then does one explain the ferocious ratio the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is prepared to tolerate of civilian to combatant deaths. Dozens, even hundreds, of Palestinian deaths are permissible to kill one Hamas leader. One is led to conclude, with the great American philosopher Judith Butler, that Palestinian lives are much less valuable than Israeli lives. Many Israelis believe that Hamas 'brought this upon themselves'. This 'argument' does two kinds of work. It detaches the current catastrophe from the longer history of the Gaza Strip and of the Occupation. And it exculpates Israel. This exculpation has been around for a long time. One remembers that Golda Meir, prime minister of Israel in the early 1970s, reckoned that none of the wars Israel fought were its fault. One remembers her declaration that there is no such thing as Palestinians. And one remembers her statement that 'we will perhaps in time be able to forgive the Arabs for killing our sons, but it will be harder for us to forgive them for having forced us to kill their sons'. Israel kills tens of thousands of people but it's the fault of those people. – Yours, etc, CONOR McCARTHY, Valletta, Malta. Standards of care Sir,– For families, the recent disclosures about poor standards of care for sick children in Ireland raises concerns about trust in our healthcare system. For families of children with intellectual disability it is a double whammy. Not only is their child a sick child requiring State care and services for life, but also intellectually disabled children are disproportionately included among the numbers affected by the series of revelations about hip and spinal surgeries. For children with intellectual disability and, in particular, children with cerebral palsy, hip and spine problems are significant issues causing pain and complications which reduce quality of life. Surgery has been the primary treatment for hip dysplasia related to muscle spasticity and for scoliosis of the spine in children with cerebral palsy. Intellectually disabled children and their families are one of the most vulnerable groups in Ireland, and depend on many forms of State service, including the very limited therapeutic interventions, day and respite services and residential care. Families are continuously campaigning for improved services. Following on from the HSE failure to meet the demand for assessment of need, the revelations from Children's Health Ireland (CHI) about unacceptable standards of surgery adds a further burden to the worries and stresses of families of disabled children. Furthermore, it has taken up to 10 months for families to be informed. It is now time for accountability and transparency on how the huge variation in clinical practices have continued for so long. Families need to be reassured about future clinical oversight and governance. It is unacceptable and very unfair that intellectually disabled children are so disenfranchised in terms of all forms of State services, and any outcomes of the CHI inquiries and reports must acknowledge this and make special provision for vulnerable children. – Yours, etc, PROF SEAMUS COWMAN, Inspire, Trustee and board member, Castleknock, Dublin. Exceptional service Sir, – I unfortunately had to visit a major Dublin hospital very recently through the emergency department. From the first person I met and throughout my stay and treatment the care I received can only be said to have been exceptional. Our health service often gets rough press and undoubtedly there are issues mainly in management and governance. But at floor level, on the ward you could not be in a better place. About 90 per cent of the staff who cared for me were not originally from Ireland but have made it their home. I believe we need them even more than they need us. Literally our lives depend on them. Keep it in mind when you meet them on the street. I am sure many have had the same experience as I have had. On my way home now but thank you St Vincent's and all your wonderful staff. – Yours, etc, PAUL MULLIGAN, Dublin 6. Minding your manners Sir, – I am over 66 years of age and entitled to free travel which I regularly avail of and enjoy. Last year I boarded the busy Maynooth train which had no seats available. I didn't mind and was happy to stand with my earphones in, listening to music. I vaguely noted the young man beside me raising his voice. He did so a second time and I heard him say: 'Is nobody going to give the old lady a seat?' I looked around and was horrified to realise that he was referring to me. He repeated his plea a third time and a passenger got up and gave me the seat. My young man looked at me and said: 'There you are love. Your feet must be killing you.' I was mildly amused and regaled my friends with the story for weeks afterwards. Last week I returned from a hillwalking holiday in England and boarded the packed Maynooth train again. I was overdressed for the hot Irish afternoon, wearing my hiking boots, hiking coat and long trousers. Once again there was no seat available. My wheelie case and small backpack were a nuisance at every stop and I was hot and bothered. To add insult to injury a young woman beat me to a seat which became vacant along the route. I reflected on my experience a year ago and wondered where my gallant hero was when I needed him. – Yours, etc, MARY FOLEY, Leixlip, Co Kildare. Sir, – As I approach my 68th birthday this August, I find myself reflecting on an incident that occurred this week aboard the Luas. I took the last available seat, only to be loudly berated by a young woman in her early 20s for, in her words, 'not being a gentleman'. Over the years, like many others, I've tried to be considerate – offering my seat when someone clearly needed it more. But now, with age making its presence felt in my knees, back and balance, I wonder at what age is a man allowed to sit down without being judged? Courtesy should go both ways. Perhaps we should teach our young people that respect isn't just something to be demanded – it's also something to be given, especially to those who've earned it over a lifetime. – Yours, etc, DONAL McKENNA, Naas, Co Kildare. Trump and Musk Sir, – As a self-professed empathetic, honourable, peace-loving, self-aware but mostly super smart person, Donald Trump erred bigly when he gave Elon Musk the house key. But if they kiss and make up, which in their mutual interest they surely must, I suggest they fulfil their stated desire to go to Mars. For all our sakes let it be a one-way ticket. – Yours, etc, EITHNE MacFADDEN, Carrigart, Co Donegal. Elvis is back in the building Sir, – My tenacity has finally paid off and my 18-inch statue of Elvis at 13, previously owned by Priscilla Presley, is now on show in the U2 room of the Little Museum of Dublin. The original life-sized bronze statue of Elvis at 13 is located quite close to Elvis's birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi, at my suggestion in a letter to the mayor, Larry Otis. A great coup for Ireland. The story appeared in The Irish Times and the Daily Journal of Tupelo etc, way back in 2002. So forgive me Bono. Elvis is back in the building. – Yours, etc, MAURICE COLGAN, Swords, Co Dublin. Planning regulations Sir , – I refer to Margaret Farrell's letter of June 7th, complaining bitterly about the proposed relaxation of some planning regulations. I suggest if she was a 30 year old still living in her childhood bedroom, she might have a different view. – Yours, etc, JOHN LOMBARD, Goatstown, Dublin 14.
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- RTÉ News
Four killed by Israeli fire near aid point, witnesses say
At least four people were killed and several others were injured by Israeli fire around a kilometre from an aid distribution point in Gaza, local health officials and witnesses have said. The bodies were brought to Nasser Hospital in Gaza's southern city of Khan Younis, which confirmed the toll. The Israeli military claimed it fired warning shots at people who approached its forces early this morning. Palestinian witnesses said Israeli forces had fired on them at a roundabout in the nearby city of Rafah as they went to get food from a site run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The Israeli military said it fired warning shots at people it said were suspects who had advanced towards its forces and ignored warnings to turn away. The past two weeks have seen frequent shootings near the new hubs where thousands of desperate Palestinians are being directed to collect food. Witnesses say nearby Israeli troops have opened fire, and more than 80 people have been killed, according to Gaza hospital officials. Israel's military has said it fired warning shots or, in some instances, near individuals approaching its forces. Witnesses said this morning's shooting occurred at around 6am, when they were told the site would open. Many had headed towards it early to try and get desperately needed food before the crowds. Adham Dahman, 30, who was at Nasser Hospital with a bandage on his chin, said a tank had fired at them. "We didn't know how to escape," he said. "This is trap for us, not aid." Zahed Ben Hassan, another witness, said someone next to him was shot in the head. He said he and others pulled the body from the scene and managed to flee to the hospital. "They said it was a safe area from 6am until 6pm," he said. "So why did they start shooting at us? There was light out, and they have their cameras and can clearly see us." The hubs are set up inside zones Israel has designated as military zones - where independent media have no access - and are run by GHF, a new group of mainly US contractors. Israel wants it to replace a system co-ordinated by the United Nations and international aid groups. No aid distributed by US-backed foundation yesterday It comes after the GHF confirmed it did not distribute any food aid yesterday, accusing Hamas of making threats that "made it impossible" to operate in the enclave, which Hamas denied. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which uses private US security and logistics firms to operate, said it was adapting operations to overcome the unspecified threats. It later said in a Facebook post that two sites would reopen today. A Hamas official said he had no knowledge of such "alleged threats". The Gaza government media office said later that the GHF operation has "utterly failed on all levels" and that Hamas was ready to help secure aid deliveries by a separate long-running UN-led humanitarian operation. Hamas also called on all Palestinians to protect humanitarian convoys. Israel and the US have accused Hamas of stealing aid from the UN-led operations, which Hamas denies. A Hamas source said the group's armed wing would deploy some snipers from near routes used by the UN-led aid operation to prevent armed gangs looting food shipments. The UN did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Israel allowed limited UN-led operations to resume on 19 May after an 11-week blockade in the enclave of 2.3 million people, where experts have warned a famine looms. The UN has described the aid allowed into Gaza as "drop in the ocean". Israel and the US are urging the UN to work through the GHF, but the UN has refused, questioning its neutrality and accusing the distribution model of militarizing aid and forcing displacement. The GHF began operations in Gaza on 26 May and said so far it has distributed nearly nine million meals. While the GHF has said there have been no incidents at its so-called secure distribution sites, Palestinians seeking aid have described disorder and access routes to the sites have been beset by chaos and deadly violence. Hospital fuel low in Gaza Israel has in recent weeks expanded its offensive across Gaza as US, Qatari and Egyptian-led efforts to secure another ceasefire have faltered. Medics in Gaza said 55 people were killed in Israeli strikes across the enclave yesterday. The Palestinian Health Ministry said that Gaza's hospitals only had fuel for three more days and that Israel was denying access for international relief agencies to areas where fuel storages designated for hospitals are located. There was no immediate response from the Israeli military or COGAT, the Israeli defence agency that coordinates humanitarian matters with the Palestinians. Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it had uncovered "an underground tunnel route, including a command and control center from which senior Hamas commanders" operated beneath the European Hospital compound in southern Gaza. The war erupted after Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages and killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, in the 7 October 2023, attack, Israel's single deadliest day. Israel's military campaign has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Gaza, and flattened much of the coastal enclave.
