Israel halts aid in north Gaza, clans deny Hamas theft
Israel has stopped aid from entering northern Gaza but is still allowing it to enter from the south, two officials said after images circulated of masked men on aid trucks who clan leaders said were protecting aid, not Hamas stealing it.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a joint statement with Defense Minister Israel Katz, said late on Wednesday that he had ordered the military to present a plan within two days to prevent Hamas from taking control of aid.
They cited new unspecified information indicating that Hamas was seizing aid intended for civilians in northern Gaza. A video circulating on Wednesday showed dozens of masked men, some armed with rifles but most carrying sticks, riding on aid trucks.
Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer on Thursday told reporters that aid was continuing to enter from the south but did not specify whether any supplies were entering in the north.
The US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which operates aid distribution sites in southern and central Gaza, said on X that it was the only humanitarian organisation permitted on Thursday to distribute food in Gaza.
A spokesperson said the foundation was exempt from a two-day suspension of humanitarian aid deliveries into the territory.
The Israeli prime minister's office and the defence ministry did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment.
The Higher Commission for Tribal Affairs, which represents influential clans in Gaza, said that trucks had been protected as part of an aid security process managed "solely through tribal efforts". The commission said that no Palestinian faction, a reference to Hamas, had taken part in the process.
Hamas, the militant group that has ruled Gaza for more than two decades but now controls only parts of the territory after nearly two years of war with Israel, denied any involvement.
There is an acute shortage of food and other basic supplies after the nearly two-year military campaign by Israel that has displaced most of Gaza's two million inhabitants.
Aid trucks and warehouses storing supplies have often been looted, frequently by desperate and starving Palestinians. Israel accuses Hamas of stealing aid for its own fighters or to sell to finance its operations, an accusation Hamas denies.
"The clans came ... to form a stance to prevent the aggressors and the thieves from stealing the food that belongs to our people," Abu Salman Al Moghani, a representative of Gazan clans, said, referring to Wednesday's operation.
The Wednesday video was shared on X by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who claimed that Hamas had taken control of aid allowed into Gaza by the Israeli government. Bennett is widely seen as the most viable challenger to Netanyahu at the next election.
Netanyahu has also faced pressure from within his right-wing coalition, with some hardline members threatening to quit over ceasefire negotiations and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
The war began when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing nearly 1200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 others hostage into Gaza.
In response, Israel launched a military campaign that has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, according to local health authorities in Gaza.
At least 118 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since Wednesday, local health authorities said, including some shot near an aid distribution point, the latest in a series of such incidents.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Khamenei says US ‘exaggerated', Hegseth claims obliteration
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has used his first public comments since the ceasefire with Israel to declare that Tehran's strike on a US base in Qatar was a direct affront to America, while dismissing the impact of recent US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites. In a recorded video aired on state television, Mr Khamenei appeared for the first time since June 19, visibly weary and speaking in a hoarse voice. The 86-year-old leader, who had not been seen publicly since taking shelter during the conflict, delivered a speech laced with warnings and threats toward the US and Israel. The more-than 10 minute speech by the supreme leader was filled with warnings and threats directed toward the United States and Israel. He played down Sunday's US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites using bunker-buster bombs and cruise missiles, saying that US President Donald Trump - who said the attack 'completely and fully obliterated Iran's nuclear program - had 'exaggerated' its impact. 'They could not achieve anything significant,' he said. However, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency Director Rafael Grossi, reiterated on Thursday that the damage done by Israeli and US strikes at Iranian nuclear facilities 'is very, very, very considerable'. 'I think annihilated is too much but it suffered enormous damage,' Grossi told French broadcaster RFI. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, on Wednesday also conceded that 'our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that's for sure'. Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has sharply contradicted any suggestion that Iran's nuclear program remains largely intact, insisting at a Pentagon press conference that the recent US air strikes had 'destroyed' or 'decimated' Iran's nuclear capabilities. 'You want to call it destroyed, you want to call it defeated, you want to call it obliterated, choose your word, this was a historically successful attack,' Mr Hegseth declared. He criticised media outlets for reporting on leaked preliminary intelligence that suggested the strikes set back Iran's program by only a few months, calling such reporting an insult to US pilots and intelligence officials. Mr Hegseth also cited assessments from Israel's atomic agency, the CIA, and the UN, though UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi had separately noted the possibility that Iran had moved much of its enriched uranium before the attack. The FBI has launched an investigation into the leak of the preliminary intelligence assessment. Mr Khamenei has not been seen in public since taking shelter in a secret location after the outbreak of the war June 13 when Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities and targeted top military commanders and scientists. Following Sunday's US attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, Trump was able to help negotiate a ceasefire that came into effect on Tuesday. Mr Khamenei claimed the US had only intervened in the war because 'it felt that if it did not intervene, the Zionist regime would be utterly destroyed'. 'It entered the war to save them, yet it gained nothing,' he said. He said his country's attack on the US base in Qatar on Monday was significant, since it showed Iran 'has access to important US centres in the region and can act against them whenever it deems necessary'. 'The Islamic Republic was victorious and, in retaliation, delivered a hand slap to America's face,' he said, adding 'this action can be repeated in the future'. 'Should any aggression occur, the enemy will definitely pay a heavy price,' he said. Since the ceasefire, life has been gradually returning to normal in Iran. On Thursday, Iran partially reopened its airspace, which had been shut down since the war broke out, and shops in the capital of Tehran began to reopen, with traffic returning to the streets. Earlier this week, Tehran said 606 people had been killed in the conflict in Iran, with 5332 people wounded. The Washington-based Human Rights Activists group released figures on Wednesday suggesting Israeli strikes on Iran had killed at least 1054 and wounded 4476. The group said 417 of those killed were civilians and 318 were security forces. At least 28 people were killed in Israel and more than 1000 wounded, according to officials there. Trump has also asserted that American and Iranian officials will talk next week, giving rise to cautious hope for longer-term peace. Iran has not acknowledged any such talks would take place, though US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff has said there has been direct and indirect communication between the countries. A sixth round of US-Iran negotiations was scheduled for earlier this month in Oman but was cancelled after Israel attacked Iran on June 13. Iran has insisted it will not give up its nuclear program. Trump said 'Sure' on Wednesday when asked if the US would strike again if Iran rebuilt its nuclear enrichment program. - with Reuters and AP
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
Iran's Supreme Leader dismisses US nuclear attack impact as Defence Secretary Hegseth claims total destruction
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has used his first public comments since the ceasefire with Israel to declare that Tehran's strike on a US base in Qatar was a direct affront to America, while dismissing the impact of recent US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites. In a recorded video aired on state television, Mr Khamenei appeared for the first time since June 19, visibly weary and speaking in a hoarse voice. The 86-year-old leader, who had not been seen publicly since taking shelter during the conflict, delivered a speech laced with warnings and threats toward the US and Israel. The more-than 10 minute speech by the supreme leader was filled with warnings and threats directed toward the United States and Israel. He played down Sunday's US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites using bunker-buster bombs and cruise missiles, saying that US President Donald Trump - who said the attack 'completely and fully obliterated Iran's nuclear program - had 'exaggerated' its impact. 'They could not achieve anything significant,' he said. However, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency Director Rafael Grossi, reiterated on Thursday that the damage done by Israeli and US strikes at Iranian nuclear facilities 'is very, very, very considerable'. 'I think annihilated is too much but it suffered enormous damage,' Grossi told French broadcaster RFI. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, on Wednesday also conceded that 'our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that's for sure'. Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has sharply contradicted any suggestion that Iran's nuclear program remains largely intact, insisting at a Pentagon press conference that the recent US air strikes had 'destroyed' or 'decimated' Iran's nuclear capabilities. 'You want to call it destroyed, you want to call it defeated, you want to call it obliterated, choose your word, this was a historically successful attack,' Mr Hegseth declared. He criticised media outlets for reporting on leaked preliminary intelligence that suggested the strikes set back Iran's program by only a few months, calling such reporting an insult to US pilots and intelligence officials. Mr Hegseth also cited assessments from Israel's atomic agency, the CIA, and the UN, though UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi had separately noted the possibility that Iran had moved much of its enriched uranium before the attack. The FBI has launched an investigation into the leak of the preliminary intelligence assessment. Mr Khamenei has not been seen in public since taking shelter in a secret location after the outbreak of the war June 13 when Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities and targeted top military commanders and scientists. Following Sunday's US attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, Trump was able to help negotiate a ceasefire that came into effect on Tuesday. Mr Khamenei claimed the US had only intervened in the war because 'it felt that if it did not intervene, the Zionist regime would be utterly destroyed'. 'It entered the war to save them, yet it gained nothing,' he said. He said his country's attack on the US base in Qatar on Monday was significant, since it showed Iran 'has access to important US centres in the region and can act against them whenever it deems necessary'. 'The Islamic Republic was victorious and, in retaliation, delivered a hand slap to America's face,' he said, adding 'this action can be repeated in the future'. 'Should any aggression occur, the enemy will definitely pay a heavy price,' he said. Since the ceasefire, life has been gradually returning to normal in Iran. On Thursday, Iran partially reopened its airspace, which had been shut down since the war broke out, and shops in the capital of Tehran began to reopen, with traffic returning to the streets. Earlier this week, Tehran said 606 people had been killed in the conflict in Iran, with 5332 people wounded. The Washington-based Human Rights Activists group released figures on Wednesday suggesting Israeli strikes on Iran had killed at least 1054 and wounded 4476. The group said 417 of those killed were civilians and 318 were security forces. At least 28 people were killed in Israel and more than 1000 wounded, according to officials there. Trump has also asserted that American and Iranian officials will talk next week, giving rise to cautious hope for longer-term peace. Iran has not acknowledged any such talks would take place, though US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff has said there has been direct and indirect communication between the countries. A sixth round of US-Iran negotiations was scheduled for earlier this month in Oman but was cancelled after Israel attacked Iran on June 13. Iran has insisted it will not give up its nuclear program. Trump said 'Sure' on Wednesday when asked if the US would strike again if Iran rebuilt its nuclear enrichment program. - with Reuters and AP
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Spain PM alleges 'genocide' in Gaza as rescuers say 65 killed
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Thursday became the most prominent European leader to describe the situation in Gaza as a "genocide", as rescuers in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory said Israeli forces killed 65 people. After more than 20 months of devastating conflict, human rights groups say Gaza's population of more than two million face famine-like conditions. Israel began allowing supplies to trickle in at the end of May following a blockade of more than two months, but distribution has been marred by chaotic scenes and near-daily reports of Israeli forces firing on those waiting to collect rations. Israel meanwhile is pressing its bombardment of the territory, in a military offensive it says is aimed at defeating militant group Hamas -- whose October 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war. Sanchez said Gaza was in a "catastrophic situation of genocide" and urged the European Union to immediately suspend its cooperation deal with Israel. The comments represent the strongest condemnation to date by the Spanish premier, an outspoken critic of Israel's offensive who is one of the first European leaders, and the most senior, to use the term "genocide" to describe the situation in Gaza. Speaking ahead of an EU summit in Brussels, Sanchez mentioned an EU report which found "indications" Israel was breaching its human rights obligations under the cooperation deal, which forms the basis for trade ties. The text cited Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid for the Palestinian territory, the high number of civilian casualties, attacks on journalists and the massive displacement and destruction caused by the war. - Rescuers say Gazans killed - The director of medical supplies in Gaza's civil defence agency, Mohammad Al-Mughair, told AFP that 65 people had been killed by Israeli forces in the territory on Thursday. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal earlier said that several of them were killed while waiting for aid. The Israeli military said its troops "fired warning shots" in order to prevent "suspects from approaching them" near the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza, where Palestinians gather each night for rations. Israel says its Gaza offensive is aimed at destroying Hamas and rescuing hostages seized during the October 2023 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's military campaign has killed at least 56,259 people, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. The United Nations considers its figures reliable. - Hungry residents seek food - "My children have nothing to eat. I haven't had any flour for nearly two months," said Imad al-Attar, a Gaza resident who obtained a bag of flour on Thursday in the southern city of Khan Yunis. "We just want to eat," said another man, Khaled Rashwan. "We are dying, and no one is paying attention to us. Who can we turn to?" Gaza's health ministry says that since late May, nearly 550 people have been killed near aid centres while seeking scarce supplies. The United Nations has condemned the "weaponisation of food" in Gaza, and slammed a US- and Israeli-backed foundation that has largely replaced established humanitarian organisations in the territory. The privately run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) was brought into the territory in late May, but its operations have been marred by chaotic scenes, deaths and neutrality concerns. The GHF denies deadly incidents have occurred in the immediate vicinity of its aid points. The US State Department said Thursday it had approved its first direct funding -- $30 million -- for the GHF and urged other countries to follow suit. Israeli restrictions on media in Gaza and difficulties in accessing some areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers and authorities in the territory. The World Health Organization said Thursday that it had delivered its first medical shipment into Gaza since March 2, adding that the nine truckloads were "a drop in the ocean". - Ceasefire push - After claiming victory in a 12-day war against Iran that ended with a ceasefire on June 24, Israel said it would refocus on its offensive in Gaza, where Palestinian militants still hold Israeli hostages. US President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday: "I think great progress is being made on Gaza" to end the Israel-Hamas war and forecast "very good news" following the ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces growing calls from opposition politicians, relatives of hostages being held in Gaza and even members of his ruling coalition to bring an end to the fighting. Key mediator Qatar said this week it would launch a new push for a ceasefire. Israel said efforts to return Israeli hostages in Gaza were ongoing "on the battlefield and via negotiations".
