Amid heated debate, no real plan for Israel's ‘humanitarian city' in Gaza
Even without a clear blueprint, opposition critics have denounced the proposal, with some likening the suggested site to a 'concentration camp' which could lead to ethnic cleansing in the coastal enclave devastated by 21 months of conflict.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration has defended the project, saying it would offer civilians a safe haven while further weakening Hamas militants' grip on Gaza, but it remains unclear whether it is a concrete government policy.
The idea was floated by defence minister Israel Katz earlier this month and Netanyahu convened ministers and defence officials to discuss it late on Sunday.
The military had been asked to put together a detailed proposition, but Netanyahu dismissed it as far too costly and complicated, two Israeli officials who were present said, and ordered them to come up with something cheaper and faster.
An Israeli military source said it was a complex initiative that required intricate logistics for infrastructure such as sewage, sanitation, medical services, water and food supplies.
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TimesLIVE
19 minutes ago
- TimesLIVE
Israeli strikes kill 22 in Gaza, church late pope often called is damaged
Israeli forces killed at least 22 people in attacks in the Gaza Strip on Thursday and several were hurt in a strike on a church that late Pope Francis used to speak to regularly, medics and church officials said. Eight men tasked with protecting aid trucks were reported among the dead in air strikes that were carried out as mediators continued ceasefire talks in Doha. A US official said this week the talks were going well but two officials from the Palestinian militant group Hamas told Reuters they had made no progress on key issues and had stalled. Several people were wounded in a morning 'raid' on the Holy Family Church, including parish priest Gabriel Romanelli, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said about the incident at the only catholic church in Gaza. Father Romanelli, an Argentinian, used to regularly update the late Pope Francis about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. TV footage showed him sitting receiving treatment at Al-Ahly Hospital in Gaza, with a bandage around his lower right leg. 'The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such an attitude,' Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said.
eNCA
15 hours ago
- eNCA
Gaza aid point crush kills 20 people
A crush at an aid centre in southern Gaza killed at least 20 people on Wednesday, with the site's operator blaming "agitators" within the crowd and the Palestinian territory's civil defence agency attributing the panic to Israeli gunfire. It was the first time that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), backed by the United States and Israel, acknowledged deaths at one of its distribution sites after weeks of chaotic scenes and near-daily reports of Palestinians being killed nearby while waiting to collect rations. AFP footage showed lifeless bodies taken to a nearby hospital, in the city of Khan Yunis, with some placed on the floor and others on already-bloodied beds. Abdullah Alian, a witness, said that mayhem unfolded as the crowd of aid-seekers was hit with stun grenades and pepper spray. "When they saw people starting to die on the ground and people on top of each other suffocating, they opened the gate and people started climbing on top of each other." It was not clear whether he was referring to US contractors securing GHF sites, Israeli forces or another party. AFP | Jack GUEZ Paramedic Ziad Farhat said that after more than 21 months of devastating war, "there are not enough hospitals for the injured or the martyrs". "Enough of the tragedies that we are living." The latest deaths came as indirect negotiations between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas were ongoing, aiming to seal a deal for a 60-day ceasefire, the release of hostages held in Gaza and the unfettered flow of much-needed aid into the territory. Hamas has accused Israel of wanting to retain long-term military control of Gaza -- a key sticking point in the talks, which are now in their second week in Qatar. - 'Stampede' - The GHF said it understood that 19 of those killed on Wednesday "were trampled and one was stabbed amid a chaotic and dangerous surge". The organisation said the crush was "driven by agitators", adding: "We have credible reason to believe that elements within the crowd -- armed and affiliated with Hamas -- deliberately fomented the unrest". Gaza's civil defence agency said at least 20 people were killed in the incident, blaming it on fire from Israeli troops. AFP | Omar AL-QATTAA Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that thousands had gathered at the site when "Israeli forces opened fire and used (tear) gas, causing panic and a stampede after aid centre guards closed the main gates in front of the hungry crowd". The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment. The GHF, an officially private effort, began operations on May 26 as Israel eased a two-month aid blockade that had sparked warnings of famine. On Tuesday, the UN said it had recorded 875 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food since late May, including 674 "in the vicinity of GHF sites". Last week, UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters that "most of the injuries are gunshot injuries". The GHF -- accused by aid organisations of catering to Israeli military needs -- has denied that fatal shootings have occurred in the immediate vicinity of its aid points, and the Israeli army has accused Hamas of firing at civilians, though witnesses have blamed the military. - 'No progress' - In the truce negotiations, Hamas is seeking a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and last week rejected an Israeli proposal that it said would have kept troops in more than 40 percent of the territory. Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported on Wednesday that work was ongoing to revise Israeli pullback maps, citing an unnamed foreign official. Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas's political leadership, told AFP that Israel "has not yet delivered any new or revised maps regarding military withdrawals". "What is happening on the ground confirms (Israel's) intentions and plans to maintain and prolong military control within the Gaza Strip for the long term," he said. Speaking in Gaza on Wednesday, Israel's army chief Eyal Zamir said that "in the coming days, we will know whether or not we have an agreement", according to a military statement. A Palestinian source close to the negotiations earlier told AFP there had been "no progress so far". If a deal is not reached, Israel will "intensify and expand combat operations as much as possible, beyond what we are currently doing", Zamir said. The war was sparked by Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's retaliatory campaign in Gaza has killed 58,573 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. bur-acc/phz/ami
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
Dirco calls for global action to stop Israel's ‘genocide' in Gaza
Delegates from 30 countries are discussing how to stop Israel's military offensive in Gaza. As the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) Director-General Zane Dangor says there are continued and urgent calls from UN Member States and the international community for a ceasefire in Gaza. Dangor spoke to delegates from 30 countries meeting in Colombia's capital, Bogota, on Tuesday to discuss the Israel-Hamas war and ways that nations can try to stop Israel's military offensive in the enclave. Conference The two-day conference organised by Colombia and South Africa is being attended mostly by developing nations, although Spain, Ireland and China have also sent delegates. The conference is co-chaired by South Africa and Colombia, which last year suspended coal exports to Israeli power plants. It includes the participation of members of The Hague Group, a coalition of eight countries that earlier this year pledged to cut military ties with Israel and comply with an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. ALSO READ: Israeli strikes kill children collecting water in Gaza Genocide Many of the participating nations have described the violence as genocide against the Palestinians. Dangor stated that the meeting comes one year after the General Assembly passed a resolution that affirmed the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory opinion that found that Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful. He said the resolution affirming the ICJ's advisory opinion was supported by the overwhelming majority of member states. 'The carnage we see in Palestine today is testament to Israel's grand exceptionalism from accountability to international law and norms. All states have the obligation to act on these directives. We do not have the luxury of time. This is happening now.' Durante la Conferencia Ministerial de Emergencia sobre Palestina, que se desarrolla en Bogotá, Zane Dangor, secretario general del Departamento de Relaciones Internacionales y Cooperación de Sudáfrica, explicó el propósito de este encuentro. — Cancillería Colombia (@CancilleriaCol) July 15, 2025 'Impunity continues unabated' Dangor added that the 'impunity continues unabated'. 'Israel continues with its violence against Palestinians, with forced evacuations, and targeted attacks on schools and medical facilities being the order of the day. An unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, exacerbated by further denials of safe access to, and delivery of, desperately needed aid, has been unfolding before our eyes.' Dangor warned that enabling Israel to simply ignore decisions of the courts and the United Nations with no consequence is negatively impacting the integrity of international law, including international humanitarian law and the organisations that are tasked with its administration. 'Israel's continued disregard for the rulings of the ICJ undermines the integrity of the court and harms the capacity of the institutions of global governance to end impunity. 'This is unacceptable, and we should not be complicit in Israel's endeavours to irreparably harm the institutions that were established to hold all of us accountable to the goals of a more peaceful and just world,' Dangor said. ALSO READ: Israel bombs café during children's birthday party in Gaza — 39 killed International law Dangor said the international community cannot proclaim that the importance of international law, including that of the UN Charter, applies in some situations and not in others. 'We should not pick and choose which binding orders of the ICJ to abide by and which to set aside or simply ignore. 'Israel's unlawful actions are enabled when we seek to rationalise their actions. The crime of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of apartheid are not complex, they are unlawful,' Dangor said. Humanitarian support He added that the violence and restrictions under Israeli occupation have rendered the mandates of humanitarian and development organisations virtually impossible to fulfil. 'Humanitarian support provided by member states is regularly obstructed and destroyed by Israeli authorities, or is being allowed to be destroyed by right-wing and extreme elements. 'As Member States of the UN who have pledged our commitment to upholding the UN Charter, we have the ultimate responsibility to ensure and protect the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people,' he said. Dangor said Israel's government must immediately halt the forced displacement of civilians in Gaza, which is causing 'untold suffering and trauma'. 'The government of Israel, as the occupying power, must uphold its obligations under international law, protect and uphold the rights of Palestinians, refrain from excessive and lethal use of force and guarantee unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance, including healthcare and other essential services in the West Bank and Gaza.' 'Concrete actions' The United Nations's special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territory Francesca Albanese said that it is time for nations around the world to take concrete actions to stop Israel's 'genocide' in Gaza. 'Each state must immediately review and suspend all ties with the State of Israel … and ensure its private sector does the same,' Albanese said. 'The Israeli economy is structured to sustain the occupation that has now turned genocidal.' Gaza death toll More than 58 000 people have been killed since Israel launched the assault in October 2023, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israeli forces have also imposed several total blockades on the territory throughout the war, pushing Gaza's 2.3 million residents to the brink of starvation. Analysts say it's not clear whether the conference's participating countries have enough leverage over Israel to force it to change its policies in Gaza. ALSO READ: SA among 38 countries to present at ICJ hearings on Israel's actions
