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Rhyl Journal
17 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Aid groups call on Israel to end ‘weaponisation' of aid in Gaza
A letter signed by organisations including Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders and Care accused Israel of 'weaponising aid' as people starve in war-torn Gaza and using it as a tool to entrench control. The groups were responding to registration rules announced by Israel in March that require organisations to hand over full lists of their donors and Palestinian staff for vetting. The groups contend that doing so could endanger their staff and give Israel broad grounds to block aid if groups are deemed to be 'delegitimising' the country or supporting boycotts or divestment. The registration measures were 'designed to control independent organisations, silence advocacy, and censor humanitarian reporting,' they said. The letter added that the rules violate European data privacy regulations, noting that in some cases, aid groups have been given only seven days to comply. COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid to Gaza, denied the letter's claims. It alleged the groups were being used as cover by Hamas to 'exploit the aid to strengthen its military capabilities and consolidate its control' in Gaza. 'The refusal of some international organisations to provide the information and co-operate with the registration process raises serious concerns about their true intention,' it said in a statement on Thursday. 'The alleged delay in aid entry … occurs only when organisations choose not to meet the basic security requirements intended to prevent Hamas's involvement.' Israel has long claimed that aid groups and United Nations agencies issue biased assessments. The aid groups stressed that most of them have not been able to deliver 'a single truck' of life-saving assistance since Israel implemented a blockade in March. A vast majority of aid isn't reaching civilians in Gaza, where tens of thousands have been killed, most of the population has been displaced and famine looms. UN agencies and a small number of aid groups have resumed delivering assistance, but say the number of trucks allowed in remains far from sufficient. Meanwhile, tensions have flared over Israel and the United States backing the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to serve as the main distributor of aid in the besieged territory. The American contractor, meant to replace the traditional UN-led aid distribution system in Gaza, has faced international condemnation after hundreds of Palestinians were killed while trying to get food near its distribution sites. Israel has pressed UN agencies to accept military escorts to deliver goods into Gaza, a demand the agencies have largely rejected, citing their commitment to neutrality. The stand-off has been the source of competing claims: Israel maintains it allows aid into Gaza that adheres to its rules, while aid groups that have long operated in Gaza decry the amount of life-saving supplies stuck at border crossings. Bushra Khalidi, an aid official with Oxfam in Gaza, said: 'Oxfam has over 2.5 million dollars worth of goods that have been rejected from entering Gaza by Israel, especially WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) items as well as food.' Aid groups' 'ability to operate may come at the cost of their independence and ability to speak out,' she added. As European countries amplify their criticisms of Israel and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, some are expanding evacuations. Italy on Wednesday night received 114 Palestinian evacuees from Gaza, including 31 children in need of medical assistance, its foreign affairs ministry said. The young patients are suffering from either severe injuries and amputations or serious congenital diseases. Since the beginning of the war Italy has evacuated more than 900 Palestinians from Gaza, including those who have arrived as part of a family reunification programme.
Rhyl Journal
17 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Starmer and Zelensky ‘agree strong resolve' for peace ahead of Trump-Putin talks
The two leaders expressed cautious optimism about the prospect of a truce 'as long as Putin takes action to prove he is serious' about ending the war, as they met on Wednesday, a Downing Street statement said. In a separate statement, Mr Zelensky said there had been discussions about the security guarantees required to make any deal 'truly durable if the United States succeeds in pressing Russia to stop the killing'. The Prime Minister hosted the Ukrainian president for a private breakfast in No 10 on Thursday as Europe braces for the face-to-face meeting between the US president and his Russian counterpart in Alaska on Friday. European leaders are hopeful about the potential for a ceasefire after a joint call with Mr Trump on Wednesday, during which he reportedly told them his goal for the summit was to secure a ceasefire. But concerns linger over the prospect of Kyiv being excluded from negotiations over its own future, and pressured to cede territory, after the US leader suggested any agreement may need to involve 'swapping of land'. Ukraine has already rejected any proposal that would compromise its borders. In a readout of the morning meeting between Sir Keir and Mr Zelensky, a Downing Street spokesman said: 'They had a private breakfast, where they discussed yesterday's meetings. 'They agreed there had been a powerful sense of unity and a strong resolve to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.' On Wednesday, Sir Keir co-chaired a virtual meeting of the 'coalition of the willing' – a European-led effort to send a peacekeeping force to Ukraine to monitor any deal – where he said there was a 'viable' chance of a truce. Downing Street repeated that language on Thursday, with the caveat that it would require the Russian president to take 'action to prove he is serious about peace'. '(Sir Keir and Mr Zelensky) agreed to stay in close touch in the coming days,' the readout said. The Ukrainian president, who was warmly embraced by the Prime Minister, with a red carpet rolled out for his arrival in Downing Street, said the meeting had been 'good' and 'productive'. But he urged the UK to join PURL- Nato's Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List initiative, to provide weapons to Kyiv. 'It is important that, within the framework of the coalition of the willing, we should all be able to achieve effective formats for security cooperation,' he said. 'We also discussed the continuation of support programs for our army and our defense industry. Under any scenario, Ukraine will maintain its strength. 'Keir and I also talked about such mechanisms for weapons supplies as the PURL programme, and I urged the UK to join.' It comes as The Times newspaper reported that Britain was planning to scale back its plans for a military peacekeeping force in Ukraine. UK military chiefs are now said to be involving air reassurance over western Ukraine, training support to the Ukrainian military and the clearance of mines from the Black Sea. The Government has been contacted for comment. Further sanctions could be imposed on Russia should the Kremlin fail to engage and the UK is already working on its next package of measures targeting Moscow, he said. 'We're ready to support this, including from the plans we've already drawn up to deploy a reassurance force once hostilities have ceased,' Sir Keir told allies on Wednesday. 'It is important to remind colleagues that we do stand ready also to increase pressure on Russia, particularly the economy, with sanctions and wider measures as may be necessary.'
Glasgow Times
4 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Starmer and Zelensky ‘agree strong resolve' for peace ahead of Trump-Putin talks
The two leaders expressed cautious optimism about the prospect of a truce 'as long as Putin takes action to prove he is serious' about ending the war, as they met on Wednesday, a Downing Street statement said. In a separate statement, Mr Zelensky said there had been discussions about the security guarantees required to make any deal 'truly durable if the United States succeeds in pressing Russia to stop the killing'. The Prime Minister hosted the Ukrainian president for a private breakfast in No 10 on Thursday as Europe braces for the face-to-face meeting between the US president and his Russian counterpart in Alaska on Friday. European leaders are hopeful about the potential for a ceasefire after a joint call with Mr Trump on Wednesday, during which he reportedly told them his goal for the summit was to secure a ceasefire. But concerns linger over the prospect of Kyiv being excluded from negotiations over its own future, and pressured to cede territory, after the US leader suggested any agreement may need to involve 'swapping of land'. Ukraine has already rejected any proposal that would compromise its borders. In a readout of the morning meeting between Sir Keir and Mr Zelensky, a Downing Street spokesman said: 'They had a private breakfast, where they discussed yesterday's meetings. 'They agreed there had been a powerful sense of unity and a strong resolve to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.' Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after their meeting at 10 Downing Street (Jordan Pettitt/PA) On Wednesday, Sir Keir co-chaired a virtual meeting of the 'coalition of the willing' – a European-led effort to send a peacekeeping force to Ukraine to monitor any deal – where he said there was a 'viable' chance of a truce. Downing Street repeated that language on Thursday, with the caveat that it would require the Russian president to take 'action to prove he is serious about peace'. '(Sir Keir and Mr Zelensky) agreed to stay in close touch in the coming days,' the readout said. The Ukrainian president, who was warmly embraced by the Prime Minister, with a red carpet rolled out for his arrival in Downing Street, said the meeting had been 'good' and 'productive'. But he urged the UK to join PURL- Nato's Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List initiative, to provide weapons to Kyiv. 'It is important that, within the framework of the coalition of the willing, we should all be able to achieve effective formats for security cooperation,' he said. 'We also discussed the continuation of support programs for our army and our defense industry. Under any scenario, Ukraine will maintain its strength. 'Keir and I also talked about such mechanisms for weapons supplies as the PURL programme, and I urged the UK to join.' It comes as The Times newspaper reported that Britain was planning to scale back its plans for a military peacekeeping force in Ukraine. UK military chiefs are now said to be involving air reassurance over western Ukraine, training support to the Ukrainian military and the clearance of mines from the Black Sea. The Government has been contacted for comment. Further sanctions could be imposed on Russia should the Kremlin fail to engage and the UK is already working on its next package of measures targeting Moscow, he said. 'We're ready to support this, including from the plans we've already drawn up to deploy a reassurance force once hostilities have ceased,' Sir Keir told allies on Wednesday. 'It is important to remind colleagues that we do stand ready also to increase pressure on Russia, particularly the economy, with sanctions and wider measures as may be necessary.'
