Israeli military says it killed Hamas military leader Mohammed Sinwar on May 13
FILE PHOTO: A screengrab shows according to the Israeli Army, Hamas Gaza chief Mohammed Sinwar, taken from a handout video, released December 17, 2023. Israeli Army/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
Israeli military says it killed Hamas military leader Mohammed Sinwar on May 13
The Israeli military said on Saturday it killed Mohammad Sinwar, Hamas' Gaza chief on May 13, confirming what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier this week.
Mohammad Sinwar was the target of an Israeli strike on a hospital in southern Gaza earlier this month. Netanyahu said on Wednesday that he had been killed.
Mohammad Sinwar was the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, the Palestinian militant group's deceased leader and mastermind of the October 2023 attack on Israel.
Hamas has neither confirmed nor denied his death. REUTERS
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CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Gaza rescuers say 31 killed near aid site, Israel denies involvement
RAFAH: Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli gunfire killed at least 31 Palestinians near a US-backed aid distribution site on Sunday (Jun 1), with both the group in charge of the site and the military denying any such incident took place. Israel has faced growing condemnation over the humanitarian crisis in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, where the United Nations has warned the entire population faces the risk of famine after no aid was allowed to enter for more than two months. Israel recently eased its blockade and introduced a revamped aid mechanism in cooperation with a newly formed US-backed organisation, bypassing the longstanding UN-led system. The organisation, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), says it has distributed millions of meals since operations began last week, but the rollout has been marked by chaotic scenes at the limited number of distribution centres. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that "31 people were killed and more than 176 injured ... after Israeli gunfire targeted thousands of civilians near the American aid centre in Rafah", in southern Gaza. AFP images showed Palestinians transporting bodies on donkey carts near the aid point as others carried away boxes and bags of supplies under the early-morning sun. Abdullah Barbakh, a 58-year-old Palestinian man, described "chaos" at the site. "The army opened fire from drones and tanks," he said. "I don't understand why they call people to the aid centres and then open fire on them." Near another GHF aid centre in central Gaza, AFP images showed rescuers evacuating injured people. Bassal reported one dead and dozens wounded there, again blaming Israeli fire. The Israeli military said an initial inquiry found its troops "did not fire at civilians while they were near or within the humanitarian aid distribution site and that reports to this effect are false". "Hamas does everything in its power to undermine food distribution efforts in the Gaza Strip," it added, urging the media to "be cautious with information published" by the group. A GHF spokesperson also denied any deaths or injuries took place, adding that "these fake reports have been actively fomented by Hamas". "DEATH FOLLOWS YOU" Sameh Hamuda, a displaced 33-year-old from northern Gaza, told AFP he had walked from Gaza City and spent the night with relatives near Rafah before heading to the aid centre around 5am (10am, Singapore time) to wait among a crowd of people. "Suddenly quadcopter drones opened fire on the people, and tanks started shooting heavily. Several people were killed right in front of me," he said. "I ran and survived. Death follows you as long as you're in Gaza." At Al-Awda hospital in central Gaza, Umm Muhammad Abu Khousa told AFP her son was among those wounded near the other aid centre in Bureij. "You feed me and then you kill me?" she said from her son's bedside. Victoria Rose – a British surgeon visiting Nasser Hospital where many of the patients from Rafah were taken – described in a video message from the facility a scene of "absolute carnage", saying "all the bays are full, and they're all gunshot wounds". Speaking about the reported deaths to US broadcaster ABC, World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain said "our people are reporting the same thing on the ground". "It's a tragedy. And what we need right now is an immediate ceasefire, complete, unfettered access ... to feed people and stop this catastrophe from happening," she added. Only limited amounts of aid have entered Gaza since Israel eased its total blockade that began in March. The UN and the WFP have recently reported looting of some supplies, including by gunmen. On Friday a spokesman for the UN humanitarian agency called Gaza "the hungriest place on earth". GHF, which uses contracted US security, said on Sunday that it had distributed more than 4.7 million meals' worth of food so far. The United Nations and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the organisation, saying it contravened basic humanitarian principles and appeared designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN's agency for Palestinian refugees, said on Sunday that Gaza "aid distribution has become a death trap". "Aid deliveries and distribution must be at scale and safe," he added in a post on X. "In Gaza, this can be done only through the United Nations including UNRWA." TRUCE OFFER Nearly 20 months into the war, negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal have failed to produce a breakthrough. Since the last brief truce collapsed in March, Israel has intensified its operations to destroy Hamas, the Palestinian group whose Oct 7, 2023 attack triggered the war. Hamas said it had responded positively – albeit with requested amendments – to the latest US-backed truce proposal on Saturday, but US envoy Steve Witkoff criticised the reply as "totally unacceptable", an assessment echoed by Israel. Witkoff urged the group to "accept the framework proposal we put forward". Qatar and Egypt, which have served as mediators in ceasefire talks throughout the war, emphasised in a joint statement the "importance of intensifying efforts to overcome the obstacles facing the negotiations". Hamas said it was ready to "immediately begin a round of indirect negotiations to reach an agreement on the points of contention". Defence Minister Israel Katz, meanwhile, said he had told the army "to continue forward in Gaza against all targets, regardless of any negotiations". The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says at least 4,149 people have been killed in the territory since Israel resumed its offensive on Mar 18, taking the war's overall toll to 54,418, mostly civilians. Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Philippines and EU to set up security and defence dialogue, minister says
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AsiaOne
an hour ago
- AsiaOne
Hong Kong activist challenges China's Tiananmen taboo from exile in Taiwan, Asia News
TAIPEI - Fu Tong and his wife Elaine To were among the first demonstrators in Hong Kong to be charged with rioting in 2020 after pro-democracy and anti-China protests started in 2019 in the former British colony. After leaving for Taiwan, Fu continued his activism and is now preparing to mark this year's anniversary of Beijing's bloody June 4, 1989, crackdown on protesters in and around Tiananmen Square. Fu has co-hosted a Hong Kong human rights exhibition in Taipei, showcasing artwork from the protest movement, and leads guided tours of the displays. "When Hong Kong can no longer hold the June 4 vigils, and can no longer even mention it, Taiwan's existence becomes very important," Fu, 43, told Reuters in Taipei. "It's one of the very few places in Asia, where people can openly commemorate the accident on June 4, discuss it, and even condemn the Chinese Communist Party. The existence of such a space is already hugely significant," he said. Taiwan is the only part of the Chinese-speaking world where June 4 can be remembered openly, though Chinese communities in the United States, Britain, Australia and other Western countries will also mark it. In Hong Kong, a national security law has outlawed such events, which previously drew tens of thousands of people. Fu says he remains committed to advocating for Hong Kong issues and the values of freedom. "I really feel like I've been chosen to be in this era. If I don't step up to do things that seem foolish and unrewarding, then who will? As long as I can, I'm willing to keep going," he said. Before dawn on June 4, 1989, Chinese tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square, crushing weeks of pro-democracy demonstrations by students and workers. China has never provided a full death toll, but rights groups and witnesses say the figure could run into thousands. Public discussion of what happened is taboo in China, which blamed the protests on counter-revolutionaries seeking to overthrow the ruling Communist Party. [[nid:717396]]