Gaza latest: UN says no aid distributed so far as UK condemns Israel over ‘monstrous' blockade
No humanitarian aid has reached Palestinians in Gaza yet, the UN said on Tuesday, after the UK condemned Israel's 'monstrous' 11-week blockade and ongoing attacks on the strip.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that despite more supplies being dropped off on the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing, none have reached the starving population.
"Today, one of our teams waited several hours for the Israeli green light to access the Kerem Shalom area and collect the nutrition supplies. Unfortunately, they were not able to to bring those supplies into our warehouse," Dujarric said.
Israel allowed a handful of trucks to enter Gaza on Monday - but it was described as a 'drop in the ocean' by UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher.
He also warned that 14,000 babies are at risk of dying within 48 hours if more aid doesn't enter Gaza quickly.
Speaking in the Commons on Tuesday, foreign secretary David Lammy announced the suspension of trade negotiations. He said of Israel's actions: 'We must call this what it is. It is extremism. It is dangerous. It is repellent. It is monstrous and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms.'
Cambridge college to cut ties with arms companies following student protests
A University of Cambridge college has announced it will divest from arms companies following student protests.
King's College said on Tuesday that its governing body has voted to 'adopt a new responsible investment policy' to align with the values of its community.
It comes after pro-Palestine protesters staged demonstrations and set up encampments against the violence in Gaza at Cambridge University last year.
Under the new policy, King's College's financial investments will exclude companies that are involved in activities 'generally recognised as illegal or contravening global norms, such as occupation'.
It will also exclude companies which produce military and nuclear weapons, weapons restricted by international treaty, or companies that produce key or dedicated components of such weapons.
Athena Stavrou21 May 2025 03:35
Pictured: Smoke rises following an Israeli army bombardment in Gaza Strip on Tuesday
Athena Stavrou21 May 2025 02:29
UN says no aid distributed yet in Gaza
No humanitarian aid has been distributed yet in the Gaza Strip, the UN said on Tuesday evening.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that despite more supplies being dropped off on the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing on Tuesday, none have reached the starving population.
"Today, one of our teams waited several hours for the Israeli green light to access the Kerem Shalom area and collect the nutrition supplies. Unfortunately, they were not able to to bring those supplies into our warehouse," Dujarric said.
Athena Stavrou21 May 2025 01:36
In pictures: Palestinians flee Khan Younis
Athena Stavrou21 May 2025 00:48
Analysis | Netanyahu is turning Israel into a global pariah, so what next?
The Independent's chief international correspondent Bel Trew writes:
My friends in Gaza - civilians who woke up on 7 October 2023 like the rest of the world, clueless, shocked, and scared - are on the run again this week. For the eighth time.
Israel bombed the building next to their home last week; blowing their neighbours - again, women, children - to pieces and burying them under more rubble.
Now the Israeli military is issuing new sweeping 'evacuation' orders - dangerous directives that make no sense in the nightmare reality on the ground.
Under Israel's total blockade, these friends struggle to eat, sometimes resorting to rotten food. They struggle to get clean water. They struggle to get nutrients to their young baby. They have lost dozens of extended family members. They have done nothing to deserve this.
Athena Stavrou21 May 2025 00:01
Israel ramps up attacks on Gaza despite mounting international pressure
Israeli forces killed at least 55 Palestinians in airstrikes in Gaza on Tuesday alone, local medics said.
Israel continued to bombard the enclave despite mounting international pressure to halt military operations and allow unimpeded deliveries of aid.
The violence has left Gaza in ruins and its population facing a worsening hunger crisis.
Athena Stavrou20 May 2025 23:03
Lammy 'begged' to 'save children's lives' in Gaza as MPs call for tougher action
The Foreign Secretary has been 'begged' to 'save children's lives' in Gaza as MPs from across the Commons urged him to refer to Israel's actions in the region as a 'genocide'.
David Lammy announced new measures against Israel but Labour, Tory and Liberal Democrat backbenchers urged him to go further.
A number of MPs called on the Foreign Secretary to suspend all arms sales to Israel, sanction Israel's finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and to recognise a Palestinian state.
Backbenchers shouted 'genocide' as Mr Lammy said in his opening statement: 'We must call this what it is.
'It is extremism. It is dangerous. It is repellent. It is monstrous and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms.'
Athena Stavrou20 May 2025 22:29
Israel's UK ambassador summoned to Foreign Office
The Middle East minister told Israel's ambassador Tzipi Hotovely that the UK will not "stand by" as Israel escalates military operations in Gaza.
"Today I summoned Israel's Ambassador to the FCDO," Hamish Falconer posted on X.
"I made clear the UK's opposition to expanded military operations in Gaza and rising violence and intimidation by Israeli settlers against Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
"The UK will not stand by as this happens."
Athena Stavrou20 May 2025 22:08
UAE says it agreed with Israel to allow delivery of urgent aid to Gaza
The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday it agreed with Israel to allow delivery of urgent humanitarian aid from the Gulf country to Gaza, the state news agency WAM reported.
We will bring you more details when more information becomes available.
Athena Stavrou20 May 2025 21:47
Full story: Britain sanctions Israel over 'intolerable' Gaza crisis and halts trade talks
Britain has issued fresh sanctions against Israel over its 'morally unjustifiable' escalation of violence in Gaza, and demanded an end to its 'cruel and indefensible' 11-week block on humanitarian aid.
Foreign secretary David Lammy condemned the 'monstrous' situation as the UN warned that 14,000 Palestinian babies could die by Thursday unless action is taken to ease the crisis, which has left civilians severely malnourished.
He announced the suspension of trade talks with Israel, imposed sanctions on three individuals and four entities involved in the settler movement, and said Benjamin Netanyahu's actions were 'wholly disproportionate' and 'utterly counterproductive'.
Read the full story:
Athena Stavrou20 May 2025 21:29
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
19 minutes ago
- BBC News
Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says Hamas killed five workers in bus attack
The new group backed by Israel and the US for aid distribution in Gaza says Hamas attacked a bus transporting some of its Palestinian workers, killing at least five Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said the attack happened on Wednesday night as the bus carrying more than two-dozen workers travelled to a distribution centre in southern Gaza, and that it came after days of threats from BBC cannot independently verify the statement, and Hamas has not commented but it previously denied it had threatened the foundation's system started operating on 26 May, to bypass the United Nations (UN) and other established organisations to distribute aid in Gaza. Since then, its work has been marred by controversy and violence, with deadly incidents happening near its hubs almost every UN, which has refused to co-operate with the system, and aid organisations say it contravenes the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, and Wednesday, local doctors said dozens more Palestinians were killed or injured by Israeli soldiers as they tried to access food at the foundation's distribution Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said the attack followed days of threats from Hamas - and that they feared some workers had been "taken hostage"."We condemn this heinous and deliberate attack in the strongest possible terms," it said in a Israeli military did not immediately corroborate the allegation, but shared part of the GHF's statement, adding: "Hamas will stop at nothing to maintain control and prevent the effective delivery of aid". On Saturday, the GHF accused Hamas of making threats that "made it impossible" to operate in Gaza. Hamas denied this and said the GHF operation had "utterly failed on all levels". The GHF's mechanism has been criticised as insufficient, as a limited amount of supplies is being handed out, and inhumane, as it requires people to travel to crowded distribution hubs, at great every day since it began operating, there have been deadly shootings near one or other of the four centres it has opened, by Israeli soldiers and armed Hamas-run health ministry says more than 200 people have been killed and nearly 2,000 others injured while trying to reach areas designated for aid distribution during that Wednesday, at least 25 people were killed near a GHF convoy in Gaza's Netzarim corridor, according to two hospitals in Gaza City. The GHF had earlier said that 43,000 food parcels were handed out "without incident" across US and Israel say delivering aid through the GHF will prevent it being stolen by Hamas. The UN says this is not a widespread issue, while Hamas denies doing it.
The Independent
20 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trump pulling US personnel from Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran
Donald Trump said he was withdrawing some of the American personnel deployed in the Middle East because it could be a 'dangerous place' amid rising tensions. The State Department said it had ordered the departure of all non-essential personnel and their dependents from its embassy in Baghdad. Simultaneously, a US official said, defence secretary Pete Hegseth had authorised the voluntary departure of military dependents from countries across the region, including Bahrain and Kuwait. American soldiers in the region were not affected by this order, however. The decision comes amid heightened tensions as Mr Trump's push to reach a deal with Iran to halt its nuclear programme is deadlocked and intelligence suggests Israel is making preparations for a strike against Tehran's nuclear facilities. 'They are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place, and we'll see what happens,' Mr Trump told reporters on Wednesday. 'We've given notice to move out.' Asked if anything could be done to de-escalate tensions in the region, particularly with Iran, the president said: 'They can't have a nuclear weapon. Very simple – they can't have a nuclear weapon.' News of the Baghdad evacuation drove oil prices up by more than 4 per cent. Oil futures climbed $3, with Brent crude futures at $69.18 a barrel. The US maintains a military presence across the oil-rich region, with bases in Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE. A US official told Reuters that the State Department was 'set to have an ordered departure for the embassy in Baghdad'. 'The intent is to do it through commercial means, but the US military is standing by if help is requested,' the officials said. Iraq 's state news agency reported, citing a government official, that Baghdad hadn't recorded any security indication warranting an evacuation. Sources in Iraqi and US governments did not explain what security risks had prompted the decision, although heightened tensions with Iran were widely speculated to be a reason. The sixth round of nuclear talks between Iran and the US is scheduled to happen over the weekend in Oman, with Tehran expected to hand over a counterproposal after rejecting an offer by Washington. Iran says it does not plan to build a nuclear weapon and is only interested in peaceful use of its nuclear programme. The US, though, wants Tehran to stop uranium enrichment entirely. Speaking on the Pod Force One podcast on Monday, Mr Trump said he was growing 'less confident' about getting a deal with Iran. It wasn't clear, he said, that Tehran would accept the key US demand to stop enriching uranium. 'I don't know. I did think so, and I'm getting more and more – less confident about it,' the president said. Iranian defence minister Amir Aziz Nasirzadeh warned that 'the situation may escalate into conflict' if negotiations with the US failed. 'If a conflict is imposed on us,' he warned on Wednesday, 'all US bases are within our reach, and we will boldly target them in host countries'. Tensions in the Middle East are also rising due to Israel 's war on Gaza. Israel and Iran exchanged fire twice last year – the first direct attacks between the region's most entrenched enemies – with missiles and war drones hurtling across Iraqi airspace. Strategic experts and former officials said Israel could consider taking matters into its own hands if nuclear talks with the US didn't yield a favourable outcome. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly warned that a flawed agreement would be more dangerous than no deal at all. Mr Trump recently revealed he had cautioned Mr Netanyahu against taking unilateral action, such as a military strike, which could jeopardise the ongoing negotiations with Tehran.
The Guardian
21 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Middle East crisis: UN general assembly to vote on draft resolution demanding immediate ceasefire in Gaza
Update: Date: 2025-06-12T06:51:39.000Z Title: Yair Yaakov Content: Israel has recovered the remains of two more hostages in Gaza yesterday, AP reports. Israeli authorities identified one of the hostages recovered as who was killed during the 7 October 2023 attack and whose body was taken into Gaza. His partner and two children were also taken captive and released in a ceasefire deal early in the war. The second hostage's identity was not disclosed. Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said the bodies were retrieved in a 'complex' operation without disclosing details. The Israeli military said they were recovered from Khan Younis. Update: Date: 2025-06-12T06:47:27.000Z Title: The United Nations general assembly will vote later today on a draft resolution that demands an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the war in', 'Gaza', 'after the US vetoed a similar effort in the security council last week, Reuters reports. Content: The United Nations general assembly will vote later today on a draft resolution that demands an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the war in Gaza after the US vetoed a similar effort in the security council last week, Reuters reports. The 193-member general assembly is likely to adopt the text with overwhelming support, diplomats say, despite Israel lobbying countries this week against taking part in what it called a 'politically motivated, counter-productive charade'. General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry weight as a reflection of the global view on the war. Previous demands by the body for an end to the war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas have been ignored. Unlike the UN security council, no country has a veto in the General Assembly. Thursday's vote also comes ahead of a UN conference next week that aims to reinvigorate an international push for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. The US has urged countries not to attend. The US is drawing down the presence of staffers who are not deemed essential to operations in the Middle East and their loved ones due to the potential for regional unrest. The state department said yesterday that it's ordered the departure of all nonessential personnel from the US embassy in Baghdad. The department also is authorising the departure of nonessential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait, giving them the option to leave those countries. In addition, US Central Command said Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth 'has authorised the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations' across the Middle East. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-right government survived an opposition bid to dissolve parliament this morning, as lawmakers rejected a bill that could have paved the way for snap elections. Out of the Knesset's 120 members, 61 voted against the proposal, with 53 in favour. The opposition had introduced the bill hoping to force elections with the help of ultra-Orthodox parties in the governing coalition angry at Netanyahu over the contentious issue of exemptions from military service for their community. Hospitals said 21 people in Gaza were killed on their way to collect aid from food distribution sites on Wednesday. The Israeli army said it fired warning shots in central Gaza toward 'suspects that posed a threat to troops. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation accused Palestinian militant group Hamas of attacking aid workers en route to a distribution centre on Wednesday, saying at least five people were killed. 'We are still gathering facts, but what we know is devastating: there are at least five fatalities, multiple injuries, and fear that some of our team members may have been taken hostage,' GHF said in a statement. Israel's government is issuing 'clearly illegal' orders that must not be obeyed, a group of Israeli military intelligence officers have said, announcing they will no longer participate in combat operations in Gaza. In a letter addressed to Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the defence minister, Israel Katz, and the head of the military, the group of 41 officers and reservists said the government was waging an 'unnecessary, eternal war' in Gaza.
