Hamas rejects Israel's Gaza relocation plan
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Saudi Gazette
2 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Protesters in Israel stage nationwide strike to demand hostage deal as Gaza toll rises
TEL AVIV — Protesters across Israel escalated their campaign for a hostage deal on Sunday with a one-day nationwide strike that disrupted life in major cities, blocked roads, and shuttered businesses. Police responded with water cannons and arrested at least 32 demonstrators in one of the largest coordinated protests since the Gaza war began. The strike, dubbed a 'day of stoppage,' was led by two prominent groups representing families of hostages and bereaved relatives. It comes as frustration mounts over the fate of the estimated 50 hostages still believed to be in Gaza — only around 20 of whom are thought to be alive. Chanting 'We don't win a war over the bodies of hostages,' protesters staged sit-ins at highway intersections, lit bonfires, and rallied outside military headquarters and the homes of political leaders. Demonstrators handed out yellow ribbons, the symbol of the hostage campaign, and some restaurants and theaters closed in solidarity. 'Military pressure doesn't bring hostages back — it only kills them,' said former hostage Arbel Yehoud during a demonstration in Tel Aviv's Hostage Square. 'The only way to bring them back is through a deal, all at once, without games.' Anat Angrest, whose son Matan is among the captives, said the strike was about unity and life. 'Today, we stop everything to save and bring back the hostages and soldiers. Today, we stop everything to remember the supreme value of the sanctity of life,' she said. Though Israel's largest labor union Histadrut did not officially participate, many private businesses and local municipalities voluntarily joined the strike. The Israeli government remains divided on the path forward. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under pressure from far-right members of his coalition who oppose any agreement that allows Hamas to remain in power. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich condemned the strike as 'a harmful campaign that plays into Hamas' hands' and accused organizers of attempting to 'bury the hostages in the tunnels.' National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir echoed those sentiments, saying the protests 'weaken Israel and delay the return of the hostages.' Meanwhile, Israel is preparing for a renewed ground offensive in Gaza City, despite growing calls for a ceasefire. The army said it would resume the supply of tents and shelter equipment to facilitate evacuations from anticipated combat zones. In Gaza, humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate. Local hospitals and eyewitnesses reported at least 17 aid-seekers were killed Sunday by Israeli fire near the Morag corridor. According to survivor Hamza Asfour, Israeli snipers first fired warning shots, then opened fire from tanks as civilians gathered to receive aid. 'It's either to take this risk or wait and see my family die of starvation,' he said. 'There is no other option.' Israel's military did not comment on the reported strikes. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation denied any shooting occurred near its aid sites. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, seven children died in the past 24 hours from malnutrition-related causes, bringing the total to more than 60,000 deaths since the start of Israel's retaliatory war, including tens of thousands of women and children. — Agencies
Al Arabiya
4 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Gaza civil defense says Israeli attacks kill 18
Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least 18 Palestinians on Sunday, including seven people shot dead while waiting to collect food aid. Civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal told AFP that seven people were killed in an Israeli drone strike that hit a hospital courtyard in Gaza City, in the territory's north. Witnesses said the victims were members of a Hamas unit, which a source from the Palestinian militant group described as responsible for distributing aid and 'fighting thieves.' There was no comment from the Israeli military, which is preparing a broader offensive in Gaza City and has sent ground forces to the city's Zeitun neighborhood in recent days. After more than 22 months of war, UN-backed experts have warned of widespread famine unfolding in Gaza, where Israel has drastically curtailed the amount of humanitarian aid it allows in and convoys have been repeatedly looted. Witnesses on Sunday reported Israeli air strikes across the Gaza Strip overnight and into the morning. Bassal said four people were killed in a strike that hit a tent sheltering displaced Palestinians in the southern area of Khan Younis. The civil defense spokesman said Israel continues its intense bombardment of Gaza City's Zeitun, where troops have carried out a ground operation for the past week. He said there were many casualties, but civil defence crews were facing 'enormous difficulties reaching those trapped under the rubble' due to the ongoing violence and lack of equipment. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing swaths of the Palestinian territory mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defense agency or the Israeli military. Israel on Saturday hinted at an approaching call to push civilians from Gaza City ahead of the new offensive demanded by the security cabinet. A defense ministry statement said that 'as part of the preparations to move the population from combat zones to the southern Gaza Strip for their protection, the supply of tents and shelter equipment to Gaza will resume.' Hamas later slammed the move, saying the announcement was part of a 'brutal assault to occupy Gaza City.' On the ground on Sunday, Bassal said six people were killed by Israeli gunfire near an aid distribution point in the south. Another person was killed near an aid site in central Gaza, Bassal added, with a nearby hospital saying the body had been taken there. The war was triggered by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's offensive has killed more than 61,897 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Gaza which the United Nations considers reliable.
Al Arabiya
4 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Hamas rejects Israel's Gaza relocation plan
Hamas said on Sunday that Israel's planned Gaza relocation plan by Israel constitutes a 'new wave of genocide and displacement' for hundreds of thousands of residents in the area.
