Israel targets Nasser hospital as Netanyahu vows to take control of all of Gaza
The IDF told residents living in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, Bani Suheila and Abasan to 'evacuate immediately' ahead of an 'unprecedented attack' on Monday. The IDF's Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee claimed the attack was targetting Hamas infrastructure and that the area would be considered a 'dangerous combat zone'. It comes a day after Israel allowed the entry of a 'basic quantity' of food into Gaza, after coming under international criticism over its 10-week blockade on food and humanitarian aid
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The Independent
30 minutes ago
- The Independent
Hamas says it killed 12 Israeli-backed fighters. Israeli-supported group says they were aid workers
A unit of Gaza 's Hamas-run police force said it killed 12 members of an Israeli-backed militia after detaining them early Thursday. Hours earlier, an Israel-supported aid group said Hamas attacked a bus carrying its Palestinian workers, killing at least eight of them. The militia, led by Yasser Abu Shabab, said its fighters had attacked Hamas and killed five militants but made no mention of its own casualties. It also accused Hamas of detaining and killing aid workers. It was not immediately possible to verify the competing claims or confirm the identities of those killed. The Israeli military circulated the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation 's statement on its social media accounts but declined to provide its own account of what happened. Separately, at least 13 people were killed and 170 wounded when Israeli forces fired toward a crowd of Palestinians near a GHF food distribution site in central Gaza, according to the al-Awda Hospital, which received the casualties. The military said it fired warning shots overnight at a gathering that posed a threat, hundreds of meters (yards) from the aid site. Internet and phone lines were meanwhile down across Gaza, according to telecom provider Paltel and the Palestinian telecoms authority. They said a key line was severed during an Israeli operation and that the military would not allow technicians into the area to repair it. The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports. Previous blackouts have deepened Gaza's isolation and made it difficult for people to call first responders after airstrikes. Aid initiative already marred by controversy and violence The aid group's operations in Gaza have already been marred by controversy and violence since they began last month, with scores of people killed in near-daily shootings as crowds headed toward the food distribution sites inside Israeli military zones. Witnesses have blamed the Israeli military, which has acknowledged firing only warning shots near people it said approached its forces in a suspicious manner. Earlier this week, witnesses also said Abu Shabab militiamen had opened fire on people en route to a GHF aid hub, killing and wounding many. The United Nations and major aid groups have rejected the Israeli and U.S.-backed initiative, accusing them of militarizing humanitarian aid at a time when experts say Gaza is at risk of famine because of Israel's blockade and renewed military campaign. Last week, Israel acknowledged it is supporting armed groups of Palestinians in what it says is a move to counter Hamas. Abu Shabab's militia, which calls itself the Popular Forces, says it is guarding the food distribution points set up by the Israeli- and U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in southern Gaza. Aid workers say it has a long history of looting U.N. trucks. GHF has denied working with the Abu Shabab group. 'They were aid workers' The foundation said Hamas had attacked a bus carrying more than two dozen of its local Palestinian aid workers near the southern city of Khan Younis, killing at least eight and wounding others. It said it feared some had been taken hostage. 'We condemn this heinous and deliberate attack in the strongest possible terms,' it said. 'These were aid workers. Humanitarians. Fathers, brothers, sons, and friends, who were risking their lives everyday to help others.' Rev. Johnnie Moore, a Christian evangelical advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump who was recently appointed head of GHF, called the killings 'absolute evil' and lashed out at the U.N. and Western countries over what he said was their failure to condemn them. 'The principle of impartiality does not mean neutrality. There is good and evil in this world. What we are doing is good and what Hamas did to these Gazans is absolute evil,' he wrote on X. Israel and the United States say the new system is needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off aid from the long-standing U.N.-run system, which is capable of delivering food, fuel and other humanitarian aid to all parts of Gaza. U.N. officials deny there has been any systematic diversion of aid by Hamas, but say they have struggled to deliver it because of Israeli restrictions and the breakdown of law and order in Gaza. U.N. officials say the new system is unable to meet mounting needs, and that it allows Israel to use aid as a weapon by controlling who has access to it and by essentially forcing people to relocate to the aid sites, most of which are in the southernmost city of Rafah, now a mostly uninhabited military zone. Some fear this could be part of an Israeli plan to coerce Palestinians into leaving Gaza. Hamas says it killed traitors Hamas has also rejected the new system and threatened to kill any Palestinians who cooperate with the Israeli military. The killings early Wednesday were carried out by the Hamas-run police's Sahm unit, which Hamas says it established to combat looting. The unit released video footage showing several dead men lying in the street, saying they were Abu Shabab fighters who had been detained and killed for collaborating with Israel. It was not possible to verify the images or the claims around them. Mohammed Abu Amin, a Khan Younis resident, said he was at the scene of the killings and that crowds were celebrating them, shouting 'God is greatest' and condemning those killed as traitors to the Palestinian cause and agents of Israel. Ghassan Duhine, who identifies himself as a major in the Palestinian Authority's security forces and deputy commander of the Abu Shabab group, posted a statement online saying they clashed with Sahm and killed five. He denied that the images shared by Sahm were of Abu Shabab fighters. The Palestinian Authority, led by rivals of Hamas and based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has denied any connection to the Abu Shabab group, but many of the militiamen identify themselves as PA officers. Mounting lawlessness as Israel steps up military campaign Israel renewed its offensive in March after ending a ceasefire with Hamas and imposed a complete ban on imports of food, fuel, medicine and other aid before easing the blockade in mid-May. The ongoing war and mounting desperation have plunged Gaza into chaos, with armed gangs looting aid convoys and selling the stolen food. The Hamas-run police force has largely gone underground as Israel has repeatedly targeted its forces. The military now controls more than half of the territory. The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostage. They are still holding 53 captives, less than half of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's military campaign has killed over 55,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up more than half of the dead. It does not say how many of those killed were civilians or combatants. Israel's offensive has flattened large areas of Gaza and driven around 90% of the population of roughly 2 million Palestinians from their homes. The territory is almost completely reliant on humanitarian aid because nearly all of its food production capabilities have been destroyed. ___ Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed. ___
Daily Mail
35 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Awkward moment Greta Thunberg covers her head as she is flown out of Israel after failed bid to reach Gaza - and pilot praises IDF and wishes for the return of all hostages over the tanoy
Greta Thunberg appeared to cover her head with her coat as she was flown out of Israel after she and other activists attempted to reach Gaza on a 'freedom flotilla' aid ship. Passengers filmed and took pictures of Thunberg as she was being deported by Israeli authorities on Tuesday, a day after Israeli forces detained her and a crew of 11 others in international waters. The 22-year-old looked disheveled and tired as she sat at the back of the El Al jet from Ben Gurion to Paris, with a picture showing her putting her blue waterproof jacket on her head. A video clip circulating online appears to show her with the coat pulled all the way down over her face at another point in the journey. In a separate clip shared on social media, apparently from the same flight, a member of airline staff can be heard praising the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). 'We want to thank our security forces and the IDF for protecting our homeland and wish for the swift return of all hostages,' the voice, said to belong to the pilot, is heard saying. The announcement was met with cheers from passengers. The footage of Thunberg covering her face emerged after a campaigner who was detained alongside the prominent activist claimed that Israeli officials had deprived her of sleep during her time in detention. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said in response to the footage that Thunberg was 'exhausted' during the flight and was trying to rest when the video was taken. Thunberg and 11 other activists on the Madleen ship, who had planned to sail to Gaza to deliver aid, were intercepted by Israeli Navy boats in international waters in the early hours of Monday. The group was taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod, where four, including Thunberg, agreed to be deported immediately. 'I did not recognize I entered Israel illegally,' Thunberg told reporters when she landed in Paris on Tuesday. 'We were kidnapped in international waters... this is a violation of international rights.' All of the activists have been banned from Israel for 100 years, the rights group that represents them said in a statement. The eight who were not deported were taken into custody after they refused to leave Israel voluntarily, rights group Adalah added. A spokesman for the FFC today commented on the footage of Thunberg on the plane: 'Greta was exhausted by the arrest and detention and wanted to rest peacefully, even though she had an uncomfortable seat. 'During the detention she could hardly sleep, the Israelis woke her up every time she fell asleep,' they added. 'The clip is vague and apart from the focus on her head, it shows nothing.' Thunberg, who arrived in France on the deportation flight before travelling home to Sweden, told reporters yesterday that 'people were not being treated well' during her detention. 'I was not able to to say goodbye to people and I don't know what's happening. And there were many, many issues,' she said. Pressed for details on her treatment, she described the experience as 'very dehumanising. 'But of course, I have to stress nothing compared to what Palestinians are going through. I would prefer not to go into detail,' she insisted. She went on: 'I do know that there were major issues with people actually getting to talk to lawyers. 'When you look at the state of the world, everything feels meaningless. But unless you try to do everything you can, we lose our hope.' Asked by reporters about a viral picture of her smiling as an Israeli soldier offered her a sandwich when the boat was intercepted, Thunberg branded the gesture a PR stunt. Israel had shared pictures of the crew receiving sandwiches and water from soldiers, and said the crew were 'safe and unharmed'. Fellow activist Baptiste Andre, who also returned on the deportation flight on Tuesday, told French media that 'there were acts of mistreatment' when Israeli authorities brought the group to the port of Ashdod. The French doctor said that there had been 'no acts of physical violence' against his team, but claimed that members of the group, 'especially Greta', were put through 'sleep deprivation' and experienced 'mockery' from officials. 'As soon as [Thunberg] fell asleep, the immigration services came to wake her up,' he said. He added that music was also 'turned up loud' and that members of the immigration services 'danced in front of us'. Andre also alleged that the group had 'difficulties in accessing water and food' during their more than 24 hours in detention. 'It took three hours to get a piece of bread,' he said, adding that the detainees had difficulty accessing food, water and toilets. Andre has since returned to France after being deported from Israel by plane on Tuesday. Israel is expected to expel four of the eight activists still in the country to France by the end of the week, the French foreign minister said Wednesday. An Israeli NGO earlier said that one of the French campaigners, along with a Brazilian activist, was briefly put in solitary confinement during their detention. Rima Hassan, a member of European Parliament from the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party who is of Palestinian descent, was placed in solitary confinement, as was Brazilian activist Thiago Avila, with Hassan later removed, Israeli human rights group Adalah said. 'Israeli authorities transferred two of the volunteers, the Brazilian volunteer Thiago Avila and the French-Palestinian European Parliament member Rima Hassan – to separate prison facilities, away from the others, and placed them in solitary confinement,' Adalah said in a statement.
Reuters
36 minutes ago
- Reuters
Humanitarian workers killed in Gaza bus ambush that Israel blames on Hamas
JERUSALEM/CAIRO, June 12 (Reuters) - Israel accused Hamas militants of killing five Palestinians who worked for the U.S-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in an apparent effort to disrupt their food distribution operations. GHF said in a statement that one of its buses was ambushed late on Wednesday as it headed to an aid centre near the southern city of Khan Younis, carrying local men who worked alongside a U.S. team to deliver critical supplies. "Hamas murdered five humanitarian workers from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation with others being kidnapped," said COGAT, the Israeli defence agency that coordinates humanitarian matters with the Palestinians. "The international community can not ignore Hamas's crimes against humanitarian workers," it added. Hamas declined to comment on the shootings. Social media channels in Gaza said Hamas had targeted the bus because it was allegedly carrying people affiliated with Yasser Abu Shabab, the leader of a large clan which has challenged Hamas's supremacy in the enclave and is being armed by Israel. Elsewhere in Gaza, the local health authority said at least 30 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli gunfire and airstrikes on Thursday, as the small coastal enclave continued to be roiled by violence and destruction. The IDF said it had killed three militants who fired an anti-tank missile towards Israeli soldiers. It also said it had arrested several Hamas members in Syria overnight, accusing them of planning to attack Israeli civilians and IDF forces. Israel has fought for more than 20 months to eliminate Hamas after it launched deadly attacks October 7, 2023 that ignited the war. All efforts to end the conflict through negotiations have failed. Despite the bus attack, GHF said it was continuing its distribution efforts on Thursday, handing out food boxes early at one of its sites, before shutting its gates there. The GHF has handed out more than 16 million meals since it started operations in Gaza at the end of May, overseeing a new model of food distribution which the United Nations says is neither impartial nor neutral. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says more than 160 people have been killed by Israeli fire near the aid centres, as the aid effort repeatedly degenerated into chaos and terror with ravenous locals scrabbling for limited supplies. "This model will not address the deepening hunger. The dystopian 'Hunger Games' cannot become the new reality," Philippe Lazzarini, the chief of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), wrote on X. "The UN including @UNRWA have the knowledge, expertise & community trust to provide dignified & safe assistance. Just let the humanitarians do their jobs," he added. Israel has repeatedly called for UNRWA to be disbanded, accusing it of having ties with Hamas. UNRWA has denied this. Besides the GHF distribution effort, Israel is also letting into Gaza trucks carrying flour for the handful of bakeries that are still operating. For the first time in months, Israel allowed humanitarian trucks to enter northern Gaza directly overnight -- with 56 lorries carrying supplies from the U.N.'s World Food Programme crossing into the largely devastated region.
