Hezbollah says govt 'handing' Lebanon to Israel with disarmament bid
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Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem on Friday accused Lebanon's government of "handing" the country to Israel by pushing for the group's disarmament, warning it would fight to keep its weapons.Qassem spoke in a televised address after meeting Iran's top security chief Ali Larijani, whose country has long backed the Lebanese militant group.Hezbollah emerged badly weakened from last year's war with Israel, and under US pressure the Lebanese government has ordered the army to devise a plan to disarm the group by the end of the year.Iran, whose so-called "axis of resistance" includes Hezbollah, has also suffered a series of setbacks, most recently in the war with Israel that saw the United States strike its nuclear sites."The government is implementing an American-Israeli order to end the resistance, even if it leads to civil war and internal strife," Qassem said."The resistance will not surrender its weapons while aggression continues, occupation persists, and we will fight it... if necessary to confront this American-Israeli project no matter the cost," he said.Qassem urged the government "not to hand over the country to an insatiable Israeli aggressor or an American tyrant with limitless greed".
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Hindustan Times
6 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Israel Is Quietly in Talks to Relocate Palestinians From Gaza
Israel and the U.S. are pushing forward efforts to relocate hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, a move they have presented in humanitarian terms but which governments in Europe and the Arab world have criticized as unrealistic and a potential violation of international law. The idea, which Israeli officials have publicly mulled since the beginning of the war in Gaza, got its biggest airing early this year when President Trump said the data-vars-page-type="story" data-vars-link-type="Manual" data-vars-anchor-text="U.S. should take over the enclave">U.S. should take over the enclave and redevelop it as an international tourist destination while relocating many of its two million residents. That spotlight has moved on, but advocates of the idea are still pursuing. Israeli officials have sounded out their counterparts in half a dozen countries and territories including Libya, South Sudan, Somaliland and Syria about taking in Palestinians who agree to leave Gaza, people familiar with the matter said. Israel and the U.S. have also been pressing Egypt to resettle people from the enclave in the Sinai Peninsula, some of the people said. Egypt, which once controlled the Gaza Strip, has strongly resisted the idea. Its border with Gaza makes it a logistically attractive destination, in the eyes of the idea's proponents. The pressure has led to a number of contentious meetings, including shouting matches between Israeli and Egyptian officials, some of the people said. 'President Trump has long advocated for creative solutions to improve the lives of Palestinians, including allowing them to resettle in a new, beautiful location while Gaza rebuilds,' White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said. 'However, Hamas must first agree to disarm and end this war, and we have no additional details to provide at this time.' Juba, South SudanMartyrs' Square in Tripoli, Libya Israel's talks to resettle Gazans in South Sudan or Libya are continuing, some of the people said. Earlier talks to settle Palestinians in Syria or Somaliland—a breakaway region of Somalia—didn't make much progress, one of the people said. Most of the destinations under consideration have their own problems with civil strife and economic dislocation and would likely struggle to absorb hundreds of thousands of migrants. Their battered conditions, however, have opened the possibility of deals that might confer economic support or other benefits in exchange for taking in people relocated from Gaza or elsewhere. The Trump administration deported a handful of migrants in the U.S. to South Sudan last month and has pressed a number of African countries to also take in U.S. deportees. South Sudan, officials said, has been eager to reset ties with Washington, leaving it open to taking additional U.S. deportees and engaging in discussions with Israel on accepting Palestinians. The issue of relocations is sensitive. Legal organizations, humanitarian groups and some governments have questioned whether exits would be truly voluntary. Some including Malaysia, the United Nations and Human Rights Watch have warned the idea could be tantamount to ethnic cleansing. South Sudan's Foreign Ministry said claims that it is in such talks with Israel are baseless. A representative of Somaliland's government said no talks are ongoing. Libyan and Syrian officials didn't respond to requests for comment. Current and former U.S. officials said the U.S. wasn't involved in the discussions between Israel and African countries on resettling Palestinians. At the White House in July, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel and the U.S. are trying to find homes for Palestinians who want to leave Gaza. 'We are working with the United States very closely about finding countries that will seek to realize what they always said—that they wanted to give the Palestinians a better future,' Netanyahu said, as Trump sat in front of him. Israeli officials had advocated transferring Palestinians out of Gaza long before Trump floated his idea for a 'Riviera of the Middle East.' Within a week of the deadly Hamas-led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel's intelligence minister at the time, Gila Gamliel, presented the cabinet with a plan to promote migration from Gaza with the goal of getting 1.7 million to leave, she said in a post on X in May. Palestinians, displaced by Israel's offensive, at an encampment in Gaza carry the bodies of Palestinians in Gaza City. The most enthusiastic supporters have been far-right officials such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who have pushed for this idea for years. 'Encourage migration! Encourage migration! Encourage migration!,' Ben-Gvir said at a conference for Jewish settlement of the enclave in October. 'Honestly, this is the most moral and correct solution. Not forcibly, but tell them: We are giving you the option to leave to different countries. The land of Israel is ours.' When Trump announced the idea of moving Palestinians out of Gaza, Netanyahu and his government were quick to adopt it and praise it. In February, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz set up a new division in the ministry to oversee the voluntary departure of Gazans. Forcible displacement is a crime under the Geneva Conventions, to which Israel is party, and is permissible only in narrow circumstances such as temporary evacuation for civilian safety or military necessity. The bar for meeting those criteria is high and Gaza's war-torn environment complicates arguments that transfers would be voluntary, Israeli and international legal experts said. The effort to encourage departures creates a dilemma for many Palestinians stuck in the enclave, where food is in short supply. Many have been displaced from their homes, most structures are damaged, and more than 61,000 people have been killed, according to Palestinian authorities, who don't say how many were combatants. Many Gazans, particularly young people or families with children or relatives suffering from disease, would like to leave. But the decision now carries political overtones, as well as the risk that they won't be able to return. Humanitarian groups and regional governments who might want to help Palestinians leave face a similar dilemma. 'The issue is that Israel needs to guarantee that people will be able to return if and when they would like to,' said Tania Hary, executive director of Gisha, an Israeli human-rights and legal organization. 'These voluntary emigration schemes or other plans to deport people don't have anything to do with the safety or humanitarian needs of Palestinians.' Among Gazan Palestinians reached in a May survey by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, 43% said they would be willing to emigrate after the war. Khalil Shikaki, director of the center, said the most likely demographic to leave are young, educated men, which could contribute to brain drain in Gaza. 'Among this group, based on surveys from before the war, two-thirds to three-quarters expressed willingness to leave Gaza to go elsewhere for economic and security reasons,' he said. Many showed interest in moving to Europe, the U.S., Canada, Arab Gulf states or Turkey, he said. Most Palestinians in Gaza haven't had the ability to leave the territory even if they wanted to during the war, with crossings into Egypt and Israel largely closed. Those who could leave often had a second passport or a close relative who left, or were among the thousands of Palestinians selected for outside medical treatment in countries such as Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. Ramez Musmar, a 24-year-old Gazan, was accepted to Trinity College Dublin last spring. The university and the Irish government intervened to help him leave, he said. His father died during the war and he fears for the safety of his mother and siblings, who remain in Gaza. 'I had applied to the university mainly so I could leave Gaza and eventually get my family out,' he said. 'My mom told me, 'Go for your future. Don't worry about us. Hopefully you can bring us later.' ' Write to Summer Said at Robbie Gramer at and Omar Abdel-Baqui at Israel Is Quietly in Talks to Relocate Palestinians From Gaza Israel Is Quietly in Talks to Relocate Palestinians From Gaza Israel Is Quietly in Talks to Relocate Palestinians From Gaza
The Hindu
6 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Israel prepares to move Palestinians to southern Gaza as Israelis urge mass protest over war
Israel announced on Saturday (August 16, 2025) that it is preparing to move Palestinians from combat zones to southern Gaza as plans move ahead for a military offensive in some of the territory's most populated areas. The Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid to Gaza, COGAT, said the supply of tents to the territory would resume on Sunday. The military said it had no comment on when the mass movement of Palestinians would begin, but Defence Minister Israel Katz said on social media that 'we are now in the stage of discussions to finalise the plan to defeat Hamas in Gaza." Meanwhile, anxious families of Israeli hostages called for a 'nationwide day of stoppage' in Israel on Sunday to express growing frustration over 22 months of war. Families of hostages fear the coming offensive further endangers the 50 hostages remaining in Gaza, just 20 of them thought to still be alive. They and other Israelis were horrified by the recent release of videos showing emaciated hostages speaking under duress and pleading for help and food. The families and supporters have pressed the government for a deal to stop the war — a call that some former Israeli army and intelligence chiefs have made as well in recent weeks. A group representing the families has urged Israelis into the streets on Sunday. 'Across the country, hundreds of citizen-led initiatives will pause daily life and join the most just and moral struggle: the struggle to bring all 50 hostages home,' it said in a statement. 'I want to believe that there is hope, and it will not come from above, it will come only from us,' said Dana Silberman Sitton, sister of Shiri Bibas and aunt of Kfir and Ariel Bibas, who were killed in captivity. She spoke at a weekly rally in Tel Aviv, along with Pushpa Joshi, sister of kidnapped Nepalese hostage Bipin Joshi, a student seized from a kibbutz. 'I miss my best friend,' Ms. Pushpa said. Airstrike kills a baby girl and her parents An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed a baby girl and her parents on Saturday, Nasser hospital officials and witnesses said. Motasem al-Batta, his wife and the girl were killed in their tent in the crowded Muwasi area. 'Two and a half months, what has she done?" neighbor Fathi Shubeir asked, sweating as temperatures in the shattered territory soared above 90° Fahrenheit (32° Celsius). 'They are civilians in an area designated safe.' Israel's military said it couldn't comment on the strike without more details. It said it is dismantling Hamas' military capabilities and takes precautions not to harm civilians. Muwasi is one of the heavily populated areas in Gaza where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel plans to widen the coming military offensive, along with Gaza City and 'central camps' — an apparent reference to the built-up Nuseirat and Bureij camps in central Gaza. Israel may be using the threat to pressure Hamas into releasing more hostages taken in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war. Elsewhere, an official at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City said it received the bodies of six people who were killed in the Zikim area of northern Gaza, as well as four people killed in shelling. 11 more deaths related to malnutrition Another 11 malnutrition-related deaths occurred in Gaza over the past 24 hours, the territory's Health Ministry said Saturday, with one child among them. That brings malnutrition-related deaths during the war to 251. The United Nations is warning that levels of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at their highest since the war began. Palestinians are drinking contaminated water as diseases spread, while some Israeli leaders continue to talk openly about the mass relocation of people from Gaza. A 20-year old Palestinian woman described as being in a 'state of severe physical deterioration' died Friday after being transferred from Gaza to Italy for treatment, the hospital said Saturday. The U.N. and partners say getting food and other aid into the territory of over 2 million people, and then on to distribution points, remains highly challenging with Israeli restrictions and pressure from crowds of hungry Palestinians. The U.N. human rights office says at least 1,760 people were killed while seeking aid between May 27 and Wednesday. It says 766 were killed along routes of supply convoys and 994 in the vicinity of 'non-U.N. militarized sites," a reference to the Israeli-backed and U.S.-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which since May has been the primary distributor of aid in Gaza. US stops visitor visas for people from Gaza The U.S. State Department on Saturday said all visitor visas for people from Gaza are being stopped while a review is carried out of how 'a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas' were issued in recent days. The Hamas-led attack in 2023 killed around 1,200 people in Israel. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed 61,897 people in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry, which does not specify how many were fighters or civilians but says around half were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The U.N. and independent experts consider it the most reliable source on casualties. Israel disputes its figures but has not provided its own.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Israel prepares to move Palestinians to southern Gaza as Israelis urge mass protest over war
Israel announced Saturday that it is preparing to move Palestinians from combat zones to southern Gaza as plans move ahead for a military offensive in some of the territory's most populated areas. Israel may be using the threat to pressure Hamas into releasing more hostages taken in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war.(AFP) The Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid to Gaza, COGAT, said the supply of tents to the territory would resume on Sunday. The military said it had no comment on when the mass movement of Palestinians would begin, but Defense Minister Israel Katz said on social media that 'we are now in the stage of discussions to finalize the plan to defeat Hamas in Gaza." Meanwhile, anxious families of Israeli hostages called for a 'nationwide day of stoppage' in Israel on Sunday to express growing frustration over 22 months of war. Families of hostages fear the coming offensive further endangers the 50 hostages remaining in Gaza, just 20 of them thought to still be alive. They and other Israelis were horrified by the recent release of videos showing emaciated hostages speaking under duress and pleading for help and food. The families and supporters have pressed the government for a deal to stop the war — a call that some former Israeli army and intelligence chiefs have made as well in recent weeks. A group representing the families has urged Israelis into the streets on Sunday. 'Across the country, hundreds of citizen-led initiatives will pause daily life and join the most just and moral struggle: the struggle to bring all 50 hostages home,' it said in a statement. 'I want to believe that there is hope, and it will not come from above, it will come only from us,' said Dana Silberman Sitton, sister of Shiri Bibas and aunt of Kfir and Ariel Bibas, who were killed in captivity. She spoke at a weekly rally in Tel Aviv, along with Pushpa Joshi, sister of kidnapped Nepalese hostage Bipin Joshi, a student seized from a kibbutz. 'I miss my best friend,' Pushpa said. Airstrike kills a baby girl and her parents An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed a baby girl and her parents on Saturday, Nasser hospital officials and witnesses said. Motasem al-Batta, his wife and the girl were killed in their tent in the crowded Muwasi area. 'Two and a half months, what has she done?" neighbor Fathi Shubeir asked, sweating as temperatures in the shattered territory soared above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius). 'They are civilians in an area designated safe.' Israel's military said it couldn't comment on the strike without more details. It said it is dismantling Hamas' military capabilities and takes precautions not to harm civilians. Muwasi is one of the heavily populated areas in Gaza where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel plans to widen the coming military offensive, along with Gaza City and 'central camps' — an apparent reference to the built-up Nuseirat and Bureij camps in central Gaza. Israel may be using the threat to pressure Hamas into releasing more hostages taken in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war. Elsewhere, an official at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City said it received the bodies of six people who were killed in the Zikim area of northern Gaza, as well as four people killed in shelling. 11 more deaths related to malnutrition Another 11 malnutrition-related deaths occurred in Gaza over the past 24 hours, the territory's Health Ministry said Saturday, with one child among them. That brings malnutrition-related deaths during the war to 251. The United Nations is warning that levels of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at their highest since the war began. Palestinians are drinking contaminated water as diseases spread, while some Israeli leaders continue to talk openly about the mass relocation of people from Gaza. A 20-year old Palestinian woman described as being in a 'state of severe physical deterioration' died Friday after being transferred from Gaza to Italy for treatment, the hospital said Saturday. The U.N. and partners say getting food and other aid into the territory of over 2 million people, and then on to distribution points, remains highly challenging with Israeli restrictions and pressure from crowds of hungry Palestinians. The U.N. human rights office says at least 1,760 people were killed while seeking aid between May 27 and Wednesday. It says 766 were killed along routes of supply convoys and 994 in the vicinity of 'non-U.N. militarized sites," a reference to the Israeli-backed and U.S.-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which since May has been the primary distributor of aid in Gaza. US stops visitor visas for people from Gaza The U.S. State Department on Saturday said all visitor visas for people from Gaza are being stopped while a review is carried out of how 'a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas' were issued in recent days. The Hamas-led attack in 2023 killed around 1,200 people in Israel. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed 61,897 people in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry, which does not specify how many were fighters or civilians but says around half were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The U.N. and independent experts consider it the most reliable source on casualties. Israel disputes its figures but has not provided its own.
