US-backed group extends closure of Gaza aid sites
The US vetoed a fresh UN resolution demanding a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza. (EPA Images pic)
GAZA : A US- and Israeli-backed group operating aid sites in Gaza pushed back the reopening of its facilites set for Thursday, as the Israeli army warned that roads leading to distribution centres were 'considered combat zones'.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) closed its aid distribution centres after a string of deadly incidents near sites it operates that drew sharp condemnation from the United Nations.
Israeli bombardment on Wednesday killed at least 48 people across the Gaza Strip, including 14 in a single strike on a tent sheltering displaced people, the civil defence agency said.
A day earlier, the civil defence and the International Committee of the Red Cross said 27 people were killed when Israeli troops opened fire near a GHF site in southern Gaza. The military said the incident was under investigation.
Britain called for an 'immediate and independent investigation', echoing a demand from UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres.
UK Middle East minister Hamish Falconer said the deaths of Palestinians as they sought food were 'deeply disturbing', calling Israel's new measures for aid delivery 'inhumane'.
Israel recently eased its blockade of Gaza, but the United Nations says the territory's entire population remains at risk of famine.
The GHF originally said it was closing aid distribution sites in Gaza on Wednesday for 'renovation' and that they would reopen Thursday.
But the group said late Wednesday that its facilities would not open at the regular time Thursday, without clarifying when they would resume service.
'Our distribution sites will not open early tomorrow morning as in previous days due to ongoing maintenance and repair work,' it wrote on social media.
'We will share information about opening times as soon as work is complete.'
The Israeli army warned against travelling 'on roads leading to the distribution centres, which are considered combat zones'.
The GHF said it was working to made aid distribution 'as safe as possible' and urged those travelling to its sites to 'follow the routes designated' by the Israeli army.
The GHF, officially a private effort with opaque funding, began operations a week ago. The UN and major aid groups have declined to work with it, citing concerns it serves Israeli military goals.
Israeli authorities and the GHF, which uses contracted US security, have denied allegations the army shot at civilians rushing to pick up aid packages.
Food shortages in Gaza have propelled fresh international calls for an end to the war, but a truce between Israel and Hamas remains elusive.
The US, Israel's key ally, used its veto power at the UN Security Council on Wednesday to block a resolution calling for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked US President Donald Trump, posting on social media: 'That is the only way to destroy the Hamas terrorists' holding hostages in Gaza.
Hamas condemned the veto as 'disgraceful' and accused Washington of 'legitimising genocide' in Gaza.
The Israeli military maintains that its forces do not prevent Gazans from collecting aid.
Army spokesperson Effie Defrin said the Israeli soldiers had fired towards suspects who 'were approaching in a way that endangered' the troops.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk called attacks against civilians 'unconscionable', and said they 'constitute a grave breach of international law and a war crime'.
The International Committee of the Red Cross meanwhile said Gazans face an 'unprecedented scale and frequency of recent mass casualty incidents'.
Scenes of hunger in Gaza have also sparked fresh solidarity with Palestinians, and a boat organised by an international activist coalition was sailing toward Gaza, aiming to deliver aid.
The boat from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition departed Sicily on Sunday carrying a dozen people, including environmental activist Greta Thunberg, along with fruit juices, milk, tinned food and protein bars.
Israel's military said it stood ready to 'protect' the country's maritime space, with army spokesman Defrin saying 'we are prepared' to handle the flotilla, without elaborating.
In response, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said it 'strongly condemns Israel's declared intent to attack' the boat, calling it a 'threat'.
Israel has stepped up its offensive in Gaza in what it says is a renewed push to defeat the Palestinian group Hamas, whose October 2023 attack sparked the war.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said at least 4,335 people have been killed since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 54,607, mostly civilians.
Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, also mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
The army said three of its soldiers had been killed in northern Gaza, bringing the number of Israeli troops killed in the territory since the start of the war to 424.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
17 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Cheaper, riskier, more meaningful: Why Malaysians send their Korban abroad for Aidiladha (VIDEO)
KUALA LUMPUR, June 7 — More Malaysian Muslims are choosing to perform their Hari Raya Korban abroad, citing lower costs and a desire to help communities in crisis. Instead of local mosques or farms, their sacrificial meat ends up feeding families in war-torn Gaza or famine-stricken Chad. There is also an increasing number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and companies that offer end-to-end services – letting donors choose livestock, countries, and recipients with just a few clicks – and cheaper livestock prices in countries like Thailand, India and Chad than at home. Malaysian Islamic authorities also do not restrict Muslims from performing their Qurban overseas, even though it is encouraged that they do it locally. While it may be simpler on the contributor's end, the NGOs tasked with executing these sacrifices abroad often face extreme challenges, especially in conflict zones. Korban in Palestine Muhamad Afiq Zharif Abdul Aziz, supervisor of the MyQurbani programme under Humanitarian Care Malaysia Berhad (MyCare), said part of the reason Malaysians opt to send Korban abroad because they are aware of the geopolitical situations their Muslim brethren face in their homelands, and feel a strong sympathy. Some Malaysians have even experienced the hardships first hand, and feel compelled to continue doing what they can after coming home. 'We were in the midst of buying flight tickets and accommodation before we got the call from our partners saying that they've managed to get across the border. 'So I told them to just proceed and not to wait for us and they went in and Alhamdulillah, we received confirmation from them that all of the Korban and canned beef had been successfully distributed after three days. 'They cooked some of the beef to feed the people there while the rest was given directly to the Palestinians,' he told Malay Mail in a recent interview. MyQurbani operates in 12 countries, including Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Somalia, India and Afghanistan. The programme, which began as Qurban Kasih Ummah under Pertubuhan Ikram Malaysia, was rebranded as MyQurbani in 2010. The countries are selected based on their current geopolitical situation with the three main criteria including whether the people in the country are victims of war or in a state of hunger or in extreme poverty. Last year, it distributed meat to over 17,000 families, including 6,000 Palestinian families in the West Bank and Gaza. MyQurbani programme supervisor, Muhammad Afiq Zharif Abdul Aziz sharing a selfie with some of the beneficiaries in India. — Picture courtesy of MyCare Malaysia Afiq said they were fortunate to conduct the ritual in the West Bank and Baitul Maqdis, while delivering canned and frozen beef to Gaza. These efforts were made possible through their partner, UK-based Al-Khair Foundation, which has been active in Palestine for seven years. 'Normally, getting entry into Palestine is very difficult due to extensive military checkpoints and blockades at each entry point,' said Afiq. He said Al-Khair had to build strong relationships with authorities in Jordan and Egypt to gain access. In 2024, the delivery team crossed the Jordan-Palestine border in just a few hours – a rare success. But crossing borders is only part of the challenge. Afiq said trucks carrying aid risk being attacked by illegal settlers. 'They sometimes throw objects and even homemade molotov cocktails,' he said. Despite the risks, MyQurbani plans to continue its work in Palestine as long as partners remain operational. The NGO also runs a field office in Gaza to support distribution and other humanitarian efforts. Surrounded by the hungry Volunteers from Yayasan Amal Malaysia performing Korban rites during their Amal Qurban programme. — Picture courtesy of Yayasan Amal Malaysia Another Malaysian NGO involved in overseas Korban is Yayasan Amal Malaysia. Its Amal Qurban programme runs in 15 countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh and several African nations. Operations head Umar Abdul Aziz Zaman told Malay Mail in a recent interview that participation this year is slightly lower than previous years. He said the highest response came during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, when the group sacrificed over 900 cows and nearly 2,000 goats. 'This is because our clients have given us the trust and responsibility to carry out the Korban and it is imperative that we see it through until the end. 'Only for the distribution part we will leave it to our partners,' said Umar. Unlike groups that outsource the task, Yayasan Amal sends teams of around 18 volunteers to each country. This year, Umar will again lead a team to the Republic of Chad, which continues to face instability due to inter-communal violence, civil unrest, and crime. Yayasan Amal Malaysia during their 2024 Amal Korban programme in the Republic of Chad. — Picture courtesy of Yayasan Amal Malaysia He recalled a tense moment during a previous trip when desperate villagers surrounded their team. 'At first I saw one head and just a few minutes later, more heads started to pop up from the walls – and we were technically surrounded by them. 'Things were so hectic that the police who were escorting us had to fire some warning shots in the air to disperse the crowd. 'They were the local villagers there who were waiting for their Korban meat,' he said. Despite the scare, the team completed their mission safely. To ensure smooth operations, Amal Qurban sends teams five to six months in advance to confirm logistics and verify beneficiary lists. Whether performed at home or abroad, Korban remains an act of devotion and charity. But for many Malaysian Muslims, doing it overseas allows their contributions to go further – and reach those in urgent need.
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Pressure mounts on Netanyahu as opposition moves to dissolve parliament
Polls suggest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would lose power in any early election. (AP pic) TEL AVIV : A member of Israel's right-wing coalition threatened to quit the cabinet today and support an opposition motion to dissolve parliament tabled for next week, piling pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Latest opinion polls suggest that Netanyahu's coalition would lose power if an election was held today, with many voters unhappy over the continued war in Gaza prompted by the attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel in October 2023. United Torah Judaism, one of two ultra-Orthodox parties in the coalition, said it would withdraw from the government unless it secured last-minute concessions formalising an exemption for ultra-Orthodox men from military service. The opposition party Yesh Atid, led by former prime minister Yair Lapid, put forward a parliamentary vote for next week to topple the government, even as the Israeli army continues battling Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It would require the support of 61 out of the 120 members of the parliament to succeed. 'This Knesset (parliament) is finished. It has nowhere to go,' Lapid said. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, has remained silent on the looming crisis. A spokesman for United Torah Judaism leader Yitzhak Goldknopf told Reuters the party would vote in favour of dissolving parliament unless exemption legislation was passed. With a week until the vote, Netanyahu and his allies still have time to negotiate over an issue that has dogged the coalition for months. A source close to the government said, on condition of anonymity, that negotiations within the coalition were continuing. Netanyahu's coalition of secular right-wing and ultra-Orthodox parties holds an 8-seat majority in parliament. United Torah Judaism has 7 seats while its ally, Shas, the other ultra-Orthodox party, has 11. Betting on a bluff The coalition is sharply divided over whether young ultra-Orthodox men who are studying in religious seminaries should be exempt from mandatory military service. Failing to pass an exemption risks a walkout by ultra-Orthodox lawmakers, while approving it could trigger a protest exit by secular parties. Coalition member Ohad Tal of Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism party criticized Goldknopf for threatening to trigger elections and called on the ultra-Orthodox lawmaker to resign. He urged others to negotiate a new arrangement but that a blanket exemption from military service could no longer stand. Former Knesset member Ofer Shelah said Netanyahu was likely betting the ultra-Orthodox lawmakers were bluffing, given the polls suggested they faced defeat in any early election. In March, ultra-Orthodox lawmakers threatened to bring down the government over the same issue, but time passed without any action. Resentment over the informal exemption given to religious seminary students is growing and lawmakers from the ruling coalition and opposition ranks say it is no longer tenable. Netanyahu won election in 2022 and does not have to return to the polls until 2026. Historically, few Israeli governments serve a full term. He has faced widespread criticism for failing to prevent the surprise October 2023 Hamas attack that killed roughly 1,200 people, and is facing growing calls from protesters and families of hostages still held in Gaza to end the war to secure their release. But some in his coalition say the war must continue until Hamas is eradicated. Political analysts say that the ultra-Orthodox lawmakers could simply quit the government to protest their failure to secure concessions, without toppling the ruling coalition.
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Malay Mail
Aidiladha is coming, but Afghan civil servants still waiting on delayed salary while debts mount
KABUL, June 5 — Aysha Safi Abdul Saboor usually treats his children to new clothes for the Eid al-Adha holiday but like many Afghan public sector workers, he is scraping by this year awaiting a delayed salary. The Taliban government has faced recurring difficulties paying civil servants since returning to power in 2021, leaving families grappling with financial uncertainty in one of the world's poorest countries. 'We bought only cookies and dried fruits for Eid,' said Saboor, which he said would be shared with visiting friends. One of the biggest holidays in the Muslim calendar, Eid al-Adha — which begins on Saturday — is celebrated with the sacrifice of an animal shared among family, neighbours and the needy to honour Ibhrahim's, or Abraham's, willingness to sacrifice his son, before God offered a sheep instead. The 45-year-old, who works for the Parwan provincial government's rural development department, was relieved to cash in two months' salary last week, but he put the money directly into paying off debts to shops he'd been relying on for credit. 'We couldn't go to some shopkeepers, we were embarrassed,' he told AFP. Afghanistan has faced major economic challenges since 2021 and is experiencing one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, according to the United Nations. 'Delays in the payment of wages and salaries point to persistent liquidity constraints and broader challenges in ensuring timely government expenditures,' the World Bank said in an April report. Despite signs of recovery, the economic outlook remains 'uncertain', the Bank said, with 'growing fiscal pressures', a widening trade deficit and entrenched poverty. Public sector workers faced a similar struggle in March, receiving some delayed pay ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. Afghan labourers unload watermelons from a truck at a market in the Fayzabad district of Badakhshan province on June 2, 2025. — AFP pic 'Make ends meet' The finance ministry said this week it was in the process of paying all civil servants two months' worth of unpaid salaries, without explaining the delay or saying if future wages would be paid on time. Since the start of June, 'almost all of the departments have received their salaries' for two months, spokesman Ahmad Wali Haqmal told AFP on Tuesday. The Taliban government has not made its recent budgets public — but experts say security spending has been prioritised at the expense of other departments. On Wednesday morning, a central Kabul bank was packed with government employees shouting for their turn to collect salaries before the Eid holiday. In Kandahar city, government-paid workers also lined up to collect their money, some voicing only gratitude for getting paid. Hayatullah, a 21-year-old teacher in the Taliban heartland province, said he only received one-month's salary. 'We will try to make ends meet,' he said, refusing to give his full name for fear of reprisal. 'But we can't afford the Eid expenses.' Taliban government employees wait to receive their salaries as they gather outside the New Kabul Bank in Kandahar on June 2, 2025. — AFP pic 'Children's expectations' Last year, the government slashed salaries of women staff who were forced to stay home since the Taliban seized power and prevented them from working in mixed offices. Jobs have been cut from other departments in recent months, though government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in April said reducing staff was a 'normal' process aimed at improving efficiency. Mohammad, who works for a government office in Ghor and did not want to give his real name for fear of reprisal, said he had already spent his salary paying back loans to shopkeepers and had nothing left for Eid celebrations. 'We received the salaries for two months very late and we have faced a lot of problems during this period,' he said. 'Eid is coming and when there is no money, it is really worrying — there are the children's expectations, family's expectations and Eid day expenses,' said the 40-year-old who is the only breadwinner for 10 people. 'My family has to wait.' — AFP
