The cost of Israel's war with Iran
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CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Protesters in Israel conduct nationwide strike to demand ceasefire and release of hostages from Gaza
Protesters in Israel participated in a nationwide strike on Sunday to demand a deal that would result in a ceasefire with Hamas and the release of hostages who remain in Gaza. The "day of stoppage," which blocked roads and closed businesses, marked an escalation in the population's growing frustration after 22 months of war. Police responding to Sunday's demonstrations blasted crowds with water cannons and made dozens of arrests. In one instance, officers stopped several protesters from trying to break into the central Ayalon highway in Tel Aviv, leading to a confrontation between them during which a protester was forcibly arrested, CBS News learned. Police also confiscated the protesters' equipment. The "day of stoppage" was organized by two groups representing some of the families of hostages and bereaved families, weeks after militant groups released videos of hostages and Israel announced plans for a new military offensive in some of Gaza's most populated areas. Protesters, who fear further fighting could endanger the 50 hostages believed to remain in Gaza, only about 20 of whom are thought to be alive, chanted: "We don't win a war over the bodies of hostages." Protesters gathered at dozens of points throughout Israel, including outside politicians' homes, military headquarters and on major highways, where they were sprayed with water cannons as they blocked lanes and lit bonfires that cloaked roads in smoke. Some restaurants and theaters were closed in solidarity. Police said they had arrested 32 as part of the nationwide demonstration — one of the fiercest since the uproar over six hostages found dead in Gaza last September. "Military pressure doesn't bring hostages back — it only kills them," former hostage Arbel Yehoud said at a demonstration in Tel Aviv's hostage square. "The only way to bring them back is through a deal, all at once, without games." "Today, we stop everything to save and bring back the hostages and soldiers. Today, we stop everything to remember the supreme value of the sanctity of life," said Anat Angrest, mother of hostage Matan Angrest. "Today, we stop everything to join hands — right, left, center and everything in between." Protesters at highway intersections handed out yellow ribbons, the symbol that represents the hostages, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which organized the stoppage, said. Even though Israel's largest labor union, Histadrut, ultimately did not join Sunday's action, strikes of this magnitude are relatively rare in Israel. Many businesses and municipalities decided independently to strike. Still, an end to the conflict does not appear near. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded the immediate release of the hostages but is balancing competing pressures, haunted by the potential for mutiny within his coalition. Netanyahu addressed the protests on Sunday at a cabinet meeting, saying they were benefiting Hamas. "Those who are calling today for an end to the war without Hamas' elimination are not only hardening Hamas' position and delaying the release of our hostages, they are also ensuring that the horrors of October 7 will repeat themselves and that we will have to fight an endless war," the prime minister said. Far-right members of his cabinet insist they won't support any deal that allows Hamas to retain power. The last time Israel agreed to a ceasefire that released hostages, they threatened to topple Netanyahu's government. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday called the stoppage "a bad and harmful campaign that plays into Hamas' hands, buries the hostages in the tunnels and attempts to get Israel to surrender to its enemies and jeopardize its security and future." National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, in a statement, accused protesters of trying to "weaken Israel." Like Smotrich, he said the strike "strengthens Hamas and delays the return of the hostages." Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry reported that 47 people were killed and at least 226 were wounded across the territory in the last 24 hours alone. Meanwhile, hospitals and eyewitnesses in Gaza reported at least 17 aid-seekers had been killed by Israeli forces on Sunday, including nine awaiting aid trucks close to the Morag corridor. The death toll among Palestinians waiting for food and other aid in Gaza has climbed this summer, sparking outcry around the world as starvation and malnutrition run rampant in the enclave. Hamza Asfour said he was just north of the corridor, awaiting a convoy, when Israeli snipers fired, first to disperse the crowds, then from tanks hundreds of meters away. He saw two people with gunshot wounds — one in the chest and other in the shoulder. "It's either to take this risk or wait and see my family die of starvation," he said. "There is no other option." The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which runs the distribution points, said there was no gunfire Sunday "at or near" its sites, which sit at the end of aid truck routes. Israel's military did not immediately respond to questions about strikes in the three areas. Israel's air and ground war has already killed tens of thousands of people in Gaza and displaced most of the population. The United Nations is warning that levels of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at their highest since the war began. 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. On Sunday, two children died of malnutrition-related causes in Gaza, bringing the death toll from such causes over the last 24 hours to seven, according to Gaza's health ministry. The total number of deaths related to starvation has risen to 251, including 110 children, said the health ministry, which 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. While demonstrators in Israel demanded a ceasefire, Israel began preparing for an invasion of Gaza City and other populated parts of the besieged strip, aimed at destroying Hamas. The military body that coordinates its humanitarian aid to Gaza said Sunday that the supply of tents to the territory would resume. COGAT said it would allow the United Nations to resume importing tents and shelter equipment into Gaza ahead of plans to forcibly evacuate people from combat zones "for their protection." The majority of assistance has been blocked from entering Gaza since Israel imposed a total blockade in March after a ceasefire collapsed when Israel restarted its offensive. Deliveries have since partially resumed, though aid organizations say the flow is far below what is needed. Some have accused Israel of "weaponizing aid" through blockades and rules they say turn humanitarian assistance into a tool of its political and military goals. Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen's capital on Sunday, escalating strikes on Iran-backed Houthis, who, since the war began, have fired missiles at Israel and targeted ships in the Red Sea. Both the IDF and a Houthi-run television station in Yemen announced the strikes. Al-Masirah Television said they targeted a power plant in the southern district of Sanhan, sparking a fire and knocking it out of service, the Yemeni station said. Israel's military said Sunday's strikes targeted energy infrastructure it claimed was being used by the Houthis, and were launched in response to missiles and drones aimed at Israel. While some projectiles have breached its missile defenses — notably during its 12-day war with Iran in June — Israel has intercepted the vast majority of missiles launched from Yemen. The U.S. Department of State on Saturday announced that it would stop issuing visitor visas for people from Gaza. "All visitor visas for individuals from Gaza are being stopped while we conduct a full and thorough review of the process and procedures used to issue a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas in recent days," the department wrote in a social media post. Some humanitarian groups have condemned the pause because those visas may be issued to people in need of medical treatment abroad, CBS News partner BBC News reported. The nonprofit organization Palestine Children's Relief Fund said in a statement to BBC News that the decision "will have a devastating and irreversible impact on our ability to bring injured and critically ill children from Gaza to the United States for lifesaving medical treatment."
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
IDF strikes Houthi energy infrastructure, including Haziz power station in Sanaa
At least two explosions were heard in the Yemeni capital Sanaa near a power station, residents said early on Sunday. The IDF struck an energy infrastructure site that was used by the Houthis in Yemen, the military confirmed on Sunday morning. According to the IDF, the strikes were conducted in response to repeated attacks by Houthis against Israel and Israeli civilians, including launching surface-to-surface missiles and drones toward Israeli territory. Army Radio reported that the Israel Navy struck in Yemen and targeted the Haziz power station. The report compared the strike to an earlier one this year in the port of Hodeidah. The Houthi-run Beirut-based Al Masirah TV reported earlier that a power plant south of the Yemeni capital Sanaa was hit by an "aggression," knocking some of its generators out of service. The Yemeni channel did not identify the source of the reported "aggression." Senior Houthi leaders were at the power station at the time of the strike, according to a report by UK-based outlet The Telegraph. Teams were working to put out a fire caused by the incident, Al Masirah added, citing a source in civil defense as saying. At least two explosions were heard earlier in Sanaa, residents said. Videos of the explosion showed clouds of smoke and flames erupting from an unidentified structure. Houthis have been striking Israel for months Israel has been carrying out airstrikes in Yemen in response to the Houthis' attacks on Israel. The Yemeni group has been firing missiles toward Israel, most of which have been intercepted, in what they describe as support to Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas War. The US and the UK had also previously launched attacks against the Houthis in Yemen. In May, the US announced a surprise deal with the Houthis where it agreed to stop a bombing campaign against them in return for an end to the group's shipping attacks, though the Houthis said the deal did not include sparing Israel. Solve the daily Crossword
Fox News
2 hours ago
- Fox News
Grassroots push for freedom grows in Gaza as Hamas tightens its deadly grip
FIRST ON FOX: As Israel prepares to expand its operations in the enclave, a quiet resistance is emerging against Hamas. In eastern Rafah, teachers are laying the foundation for the first schools focused on peace and tolerance under a non-Hamas civil administration. Samira Mousa Mohammed Abu Mousa, one of the educators, told the Center for Peace Communications in an interview, "I despise Hamas because they were discriminatory, they were extremely biased, even when posting jobs. You had to have connections to get work." Her classroom has become a space where children are learning. During a recent lesson, she asked her students, "Is it OK to violate a girl's rights and lock her in her room?" The response was immediate: "No way!" the kids replied. "Everyone has the right for freedom." She emphasized the broader mission of education beyond academics. "People like me yearn for peace, comfort, hope and safety. We want to live in an environment free of war, shelling and destruction. We have been living through war for two years. We will begin again and restore education, God willing." The efforts in eastern Rafah mirror the broader shift across Gaza. Citizens, educators and activists are increasingly rejecting Hamas, calling for a government that serves civilians, not the terror organization. "They've been tracking me for months," Moumen al-Natour, a lawyer and co-founder of the We Want to Live movement, told Fox News Digital. He has been forced to live like a fugitive due to Hamas' growing crackdown on dissent.. "I'm moving from place to place, hiding because I don't want to be killed or even paralyzed. This is how Hamas operates." Al-Natour, who is also the president of Palestinian Youth for Development, says the number of people opposing Hamas has dramatically increased since Oct. 7. "There used to be some opposition to Hamas," he says, "but after the attack and the consequences that followed, more and more people in Gaza despise them. The suffering caused by Hamas' actions has turned the tide. "It's a catastrophic situation… almost the entire population has been displaced." Al-Natour says Hamas is using extreme measures to silence any opposition. "Hamas recently released a video showing members of the Al-Qassam Brigades executing people. They publicly threatened anyone who speaks out against them, saying they would treat them as enemies." Mkhaimer Abusada, a Gazan political analyst speaking from Cairo, told Fox News Digital, "It's very anti-Hamas in general, whether it's in Gaza or among Palestinians here in Cairo. The Palestinian people have endured unimaginable hardship over the past 22 months – killing, destruction, starvation – with many now placing the blame squarely on Hamas. At the end of the day, they blame it on Hamas for the Oct. 7 attack." He said the Israeli government's stance, which offers Hamas no alternative or negotiation options, has worsened the situation. "The worst is yet to come," Abusada warns. "The Israeli cabinet's plan to take over Gaza City and the entire Gaza Strip will only make the situation more catastrophic." Palestinians, according to Abusada, are calling for Hamas to accept a ceasefire and include other parties in the negotiations. "Negotiating solely with Hamas doesn't help… Hamas people don't care about death. They think if they die, they go to paradise. That is why it's very rare when Hamas fighters surrender. Most of them fight until the end, wanting to become shaheed (martyrs). They are ready to die." "The voices I hear from Gaza are calling on Hamas to bring in the PA (Palestinian Authority) or Egypt to be part of the ceasefire talks. People just want an end to this madness," he said. Another Gazan, who requested anonymity, echoed these sentiments. "It's true a lot of people are against Hamas now. People speak freely about it. They're not afraid anymore. They don't fear Hamas anymore. They are just killers, stupid people." "The people of Gaza don't want to fight Israel," the Gazan man added, "But at the same time, many Gazans do blame Israel for not differentiating between civilians and Hamas. Why are we being kept in the same area as Hamas? Israel should have thought about safe zones from the beginning. Now, more people are realizing the importance of this idea. We need many safe zones where people can go, far from Hamas, and where aid can reach them." "For the first time, people are speaking out, even at great personal risk… they want change. They want an end to the violence, and they are ready to make their voices heard," al-Natour said.
