2 journalists killed in Gaza as Israel steps up bombing and death toll spikes past 50,000
March 24 (UPI) -- New airstrikes by Israel Defense Forces in Gaza killed at least 61 Palestinians over a 24-hour time frame. The rising death toll included two journalists.
A series of Israeli attacks by Sunday morning left at least 30 people dead in Khan Younis and Rafah in what was the latest set of IDF attacks, on Nasser hospital in Gaza, which reportedly killed two senior Hamas officials, including Ismail Barhoum, a top leader of Iran's proxy militia in Gaza.
Israeli officials claimed Hamas' rejection and ultimately the collapse of a U.S.-backed peace deal was the reason behind Israeli military airstrikes which killed more than 700 Palestinians in a little more than a week.
"Naturally, we will not comment on future operational plans," the Israel Defense Forces told NBC on Monday in a statement, with the IDF claiming it acted "accordance with operational plans that were devised by the appropriate professional bodies, and by the directive of the political echelon."
Hamas leaders, however, have pinned blame on Israel for its refusal to continue negotiations on phase two of the cease-fire deal pieced together by the prior Biden administration as it mounts further airstrikes on the plagued Palestinian territory.
It marked the latest chapter of escalating violence, which erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, when more than 200 Israeli hostages were taken captive by Hamas militants.
Meanwhile, the death toll has spilled over to more than 50,000 and at least 113,408 wounded in the war between Israel and Hamas, according to new numbers by the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.
It added that "thousands" of other Palestinian civilians are reported missing and presumed dead under debris as it updated its death toll to 61,700.
An Al Jazeera journalist, Hossam Shabat, who was baselessly accused by Israel of being a "militant," was killed Monday when his car was blown up in the northern Gaza Strip -- one of a number of other journalists killed by Israeli military strikes and arbitrarily accused of various crimes.
Shabat was reporting to fill a "news void" in Gaza as Israeli officials have sought to hide credible and ongoing reports of the "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians, according to Jodie Ginsberg, chief executive of the independent Committee to Protect Journalists.
"That's a pattern that we have seen repeatedly both in the current war and in previous ones, as well," said Ginsberg, adding Shabat "appears to have been deliberately targeted on a direct hit on his vehicle."
The Israeli military claimed responsibility for the attack following what it says was an "an extensive intelligence-gathering process" and that "precise munitions" had been used to reduce casualties and related harm.
"The deliberate and targeted killing of a journalist, of a civilian, is a war crime," added the CPJ's Ginsberg.
Nearly 60 hostages, both dead and alive, are believed to still be held in captivity by Hamas as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government has dug in its heels in the war-torn enclave.
"The more Hamas persists in its refusal to release the hostages, the more territory it will lose, which will be annexed to Israel," Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Friday as the government ordered troops to permanently seize parts of Gaza unless Hamas sets free its remaining hostages.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
2 hours ago
Arizona governor vetoes bill banning teaching antisemitism, calls it an attack on educators
PHOENIX -- Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has vetoed a proposal that would have banned teaching antisemitism at the state's public K-12 schools, universities and colleges and exposed educators who violate the new rules to discipline and lawsuits. The proposal would have prohibited teachers and administrators from teaching or promoting antisemitism or antisemitic actions that create a hostile environment, calling for the genocide of any group or requiring students to advocate for an antisemitic point of view. It also would have barred public schools from using public money to support the teaching of antisemitism. Educators would have personally been responsible for covering the costs of damages in lawsuits for violating the rules. Hobbs, a Democrat, said Tuesday that the bill was not about antisemitism but rather about attacking teachers. 'It puts an unacceptable level of personal liability in place for our public school, community college, and university educators and staff, opening them up to threats of personally costly lawsuits," she said in a statement. "Additionally, it sets a dangerous precedent that unfairly targets public school teachers while shielding private school staff." Hobbs described antisemitism as a very troubling issue in the U.S., but said students and parents can go through the state's Board of Education to report antisemitism. The measure cleared the Legislature last week on a 33-20 vote by the House, including a few Democrats who crossed party lines to support it. It's one of a few proposals to combat antisemitism across the country. Democrats tried but failed to remove the lawsuit provision and swap out references to antisemitism within the bill with 'unlawful discrimination' to reflect other discrimination. The bill's chief sponsor, Republican Rep. Michael Way, of Queen Creek, called the veto 'disgraceful,' saying on the social media platform X that the legislation was meant to keep 'egregious and blatant antisemitic content' out of the classroom. 'To suggest that it threatened the speech of most Arizona teachers is disingenuous at best,' he added. Opponents said the bill aimed to silence people who want to speak out on the oppression of Palestinians and opened up educators to personal legal liability in lawsuits students could file. Students over the age of 18 and the parents of younger pupils would have been able to file lawsuits over violations that create a hostile education environment, leaving teachers responsible for paying any damages that may be awarded, denying them immunity and prohibiting the state from paying any judgments arising from any such lawsuits. Last week, Lori Shepherd, executive director of Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center, wrote in a letter to Hobbs that if the bill were approved it would threaten teachers' ability to provide students with a full account of the holocaust. Under the bill, 'those discussions could be deemed 'antisemitic' depending on how a single phrase is interpreted, regardless of intent or context,' she said. The bill would have created a process for punishing those who break the rules. At K-12 schools, a first-offense violation would lead to a reprimand, a second offense to a suspension of a teacher or principal's certificate and a third offense to a revocation of the certificate. At colleges and universities, violators would have faced a reprimand on first offense, a suspension without pay for a second offense and termination for a third offense. The proposal also would have required colleges and universities to consider violations by employees to be a negative factor when making employment or tenure decisions. Under the proposal, universities and colleges couldn't recognize any student organization that invites a guest speaker who incites antisemitism, encourages its members to engage in antisemitism or calls for the genocide of any group. Elsewhere in the U.S., a Louisiana lawmaker is pushing a resolution that asks universities to adopt policies to combat antisemitism on campuses and collect data on antisemitism-related reports and complaints. And a Michigan lawmaker has proposed putting a definition of antisemitism into the state's civil rights law.
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Argentina's President Javier Milei Captures Houthi Missile Attack on Israel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Argentine's President Javier Milei shared images of a suspected Houthi missile attack against Israel a day after Israeli forces struck a port used by the Yemeni group in an unprecedented naval attack. Milei landed at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport on Monday night for a three-day-visit to meet with Israeli leaders, staying at King David Hotel in Jerusalem, according to the Buenos Aires Times. The Houthis said they had targeted Ben Gurion Airport with two ballistic missiles on Tuesday, claiming one had hit its target, but the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said at least one was intercepted and reported no further damage. Newsweek has reached out to the IDF for further comment. Why It Matters The Iranian-backed group has been undeterred by a recent U.S. airstrike campaign and ongoing Israeli operations against their targets in Yemen and the attack demonstrates its continued ability to attack Israel from afar. The Houthis have launched attacks against Israeli and American interests in the Red Sea following the war on Gaza that erupted after Hamas' 2023 October attack, but their threats have expanded to international vessels and now airliners. A Yemeni man walks under mock missiles and drones in a show staged previously in solidarity with Palestine on May 21, 2025 in Sana'a, Yemen. A Yemeni man walks under mock missiles and drones in a show staged previously in solidarity with Palestine on May 21, 2025 in Sana'a, To Know "I just saw this from the hotel where I'm staying in Jerusalem," Milei posted to his X account on Tuesday night, along with video footage showing missiles apparently intercepted in the sky. Milei is a staunch supporter of Israel. ÚLTIMO MOMENTO Sugiero de modo muy enfático que al momento de opinar sobre que pasa en ISRAEL tengan presente lo que es vivir bajo esta situación... Esto acabo de ver desde el hotel en el que estoy hospedado en Jerusalén. Cc: @Isaac_Herzog @netanyahu — Javier Milei (@JMilei) June 10, 2025 Milei's post came as sirens sounded in Jerusalem after a missile was launched from Yemen during his stay, Yedioth Ahronoth's Ynet reported. Military spokesperson for the Houthi group Yahya Saree said two missile attacks targeting the Ben Gurion airport. "One of the missiles directly hit Lod Airport, and interceptor systems failed to intercept it," in a video statement Tuesday. The IDF said "one missile launched from Yemen was apparently intercepted. Additional interceptors were launched due to concerns about falling interceptor fragments," according to a statement on X. Although there has been no confirmation of halting air traffic at the airport, Houthi attacks have impacted operations with some global airlines suspending flights in May. The Houthi attack followed Israel's first Navy assault on the group-controlled Hodeida port in Yemen. "The strikes were carried out to stop the use of the port for military purposes," an Israeli military official told Newsweek. "The Israeli Navy has been preparing for the operation for an extended period of time, and it is safe to say that it was a successful one." The Houthis say they are acting in solidarity with Gaza, which has been devastated by the Israeli offensive launched after its Hamas rulers attacked Israel from there in October, 2023. What People Are Saying Argentina's President Javier Milei wrote on X: "I strongly suggest that when you comment on what's happening in Israel, you keep in mind what it's like to live under this situation." Houthi Military Spokesperson Yahia Saree in statement via Telegram: "Let the criminal enemy expect from us more and more support and assistance for our people of truth and loyalty in Gaza, the pride, dignity, sacrifice, and redemption. We will continue to support and stand by their side until the aggression against them stops and the siege is lifted." An Israeli military official told Newsweek: "We will continue to operate against the Houthi threat - we have done so in the past, we have acted today, and we will act again in the future as long as this threat to Israel persists." What Happens Next Military action is expected to escalate between the two sides with the Houthis now threatening to attack Israel's Haifa port.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hobbs vetoes antisemitism bill, says it's an attack on teachers
Image via Getty Images Arizona's Democratic governor has vetoed a GOP-backed bill that would ban the teaching of antisemitism in public schools and universities — and allow teachers to be personally sued for alleged violations. Critics claimed the proposal would put public school teachers, and comprehensive teaching about the Holocaust, at risk. House Bill 2867 sought to ban Arizona's public K-12 teachers and university professors from teaching antisemitism in their classrooms, and make it illegal for schools to provide antisemitic professional development. But combating antisemitism was just a smokescreen, Gov. Katie Hobbs wrote in her veto letter. 'Unfortunately, this bill is not about antisemitism; it's about attacking our teachers,' Hobbs wrote. 'It puts an unacceptable level of personal liability in place for our public school, community college, and university educators and staff, opening them up to threats of personally costly lawsuits.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Sponsored by Rep. Michael Way, R-Queen Creek, the bill would have allowed students or their parents to bring civil lawsuits against teachers who they claim violated the law. It would have required teachers to be held personally liable for damages, exempting antisemitism from laws that generally shield teachers from being sued for what they teach in the classroom. A handful of Democratic legislators also voted to pass HB2867, including sisters Alma and Consuelo Hernandez, who are both Jewish and have a history of support for Israel and advocacy for expanding laws to combat antisemitism. The bill's creation was spurred by increased antisemitism that occurred across the country and in Arizona after Hamas's brutal Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel that left more than 1,200 dead and 240 kidnapped, and Israel's violent and ongoing response to it. 'If you're pretending that this (antisemitism in schools) does not happen, shame on you, because it does and it's problematic,' Alma Hernandez said before the final vote in the House of Representatives on June 4. '…it is not your right to tell us what is offensive and what isn't antisemitism.' Lori Shepherd, the executive director of the Tucson Jewish Museum and Holocaust Center, asked Hobbs to veto the bill to ensure that teachers can continue with comprehensive lessons about the Holocaust and its aftermath. 'Teaching the Holocaust is not simple,' Shepherd wrote in a June 6 letter to Hobbs. 'It requires confronting moral ambiguity, exploring the roots of hatred, and examining how propaganda, nationalism, and apathy paved the way to genocide. It also invites students to ask tough questions about the legacy of the Holocaust today—questions that often touch on the history of Zionism, the founding of the State of Israel, and the persistence of global antisemitism.' During a Feb. 18 House Education Committee hearing, Republican Rep. Matt Gress, of Phoenix, said he didn't interpret HB2867 as possibly interfering with education about the Holocaust. 'Hate should not be existing inside of our schools,' Gress said. 'And I think this bill moves in that direction.' The definition of antisemitism used in the bill is a controversial one created by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance that includes 'claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour' as an example of antisemitism. Even Ken Stern, who helped to draft the definition 20 years ago when he was the American Jewish Committee's antisemitism expert, now advocates against its use in legal matters, arguing that it has been used as 'a blunt instrument to label anyone an antisemite.' When Sen. Mitzi Epstein of Tempe, whose husband is Jewish, proposed an amendment to the bill to ban the teaching of various other types of discrimination, remove personal civil liability for teachers and apply the law to both public and private schools, it was voted down along party lines. Hobbs wrote in her veto letter that parents and students can already report allegations of unprofessional conduct from teachers to the State Board of Education. 'I am confident that by using those tools, we can fulfill our moral and legal responsibility to eradicate hate and discrimination in our public school system,' she wrote. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
