‘Unbearable' conditions in Gaza: UNSC discusses plight of captives and civilians
Main image: Al Jazeera
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The Sun
13 minutes ago
- The Sun
Israel orders military to implement Gaza decisions amid strategy rift
JERUSALEM: Israel's defence minister has declared that the military must carry out any government decisions regarding Gaza, following reports of internal disagreements over a potential full occupation of the territory. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to finalise a new strategy soon, with his security cabinet set to meet on Thursday. Netanyahu has repeatedly emphasised the need to 'complete' the defeat of Hamas to secure the release of hostages taken during the October 2023 attack. Israeli media suggests an escalation of military operations, including in densely populated areas like Gaza City and refugee camps where hostages may be held. The military has issued fresh evacuation warnings for parts of Gaza City and Khan Yunis, signalling an expansion of ground operations. Reports indicate tensions between Netanyahu and armed forces chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir over the feasibility of a full occupation. Zamir reportedly warned that such a move would be akin to 'walking into a trap' during a recent security meeting. Defence Minister Israel Katz affirmed that while military leaders can voice concerns, the army must follow government decisions. Opposition leader Yair Lapid has criticised the idea of occupying Gaza, calling it operationally, morally, and economically unwise. US President Donald Trump stated that any decision on Gaza's occupation is 'up to Israel,' distancing himself from the issue. Pressure is mounting on Israel to end the war, with growing concerns over Gaza's humanitarian crisis and the fate of remaining hostages. Only 49 of the 251 hostages taken in 2023 remain in Gaza, with 27 presumed dead by Israeli authorities. The UN has warned of famine in Gaza, with just 1.5% of farmland accessible and undamaged. FAO director-general Qu Dongyu stated that starvation is worsening due to blocked access and collapsed food systems. A recent incident involving an overturned aid truck killed at least 22 people in central Gaza, with accusations of Israeli obstruction. Israel denies involvement, though aid restrictions remain a contentious issue despite a partial easing in May. The war, triggered by Hamas's 2023 attack, has resulted in over 61,000 Palestinian deaths, mostly civilians, according to Gaza's health ministry. - AFP
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
‘I watch the shows': How Trump's love for TV drives his major foreign policies, amid shift in Gaza concern
WASHINGTON, Aug 7 — Donald Trump's sudden concern about starving Palestinians was a major shift for the US president, who had previously ignored the endless cries for help from aid groups. So what changed? In his words, it was images of emaciated children in Gaza that Trump saw on television — his main window into the world that has long shaped his political and diplomatic decision-making. Trump made clear his affection for the small screen in late July when asked if he agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a major US ally, that there was no famine in Gaza. 'Based on television, I would say not particularly, because those children look very hungry,' said Trump, a former reality TV star. 'That's real starvation stuff. I see it, and you can't fake that.' Since then, the 79-year-old has repeated that aid must be brought to people living in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, though he has stopped of any major diplomatic moves. 'Trump has a reputation for not reading anything, including the briefing papers that his aides prepare for him, and for always believing that he knows better than his staff or anyone else does,' said Dan Kennedy, a journalist professor at Northeastern University. 'So it's not surprising that he would be affected by images on television, especially since he is known to spend a lot of time watching TV.' 'I watch the shows' Trump has attended 22 intelligence briefings since taking office in January, according to an AFP tally, despite several reports having revealed that he lacks interest in written reports. However, his love for television is well-documented — even when it comes to major decisions. In 2015, before he first entered the White House, the billionaire told a journalist asking how he educates himself on military strategy: 'Well, I watch the shows.' And a New York Times report recounted how Trump spent several hours a day in his first term glued to the television, mainly watching Fox News — his favourite channel — but also CNN, NBC and ABC news channels. His second term has been little changed, despite Trump leading an election campaign that deployed social media and podcasts. 'Trump is a product of his generation,' Kennedy said. 'He's not sitting around looking at TikTok.' 'Great television' The Republican, who hosted 14 seasons of 'The Apprentice' television series, knows better than most how images can be weaponised for political point-scoring. He was gleeful after his shocking clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House in February, which saw the pair rowing in front of the world's press. 'This is going to be great television,' Trump said. And in May he gave a similar public dressing down to South African leader Cyril Ramaphosa when he sat in the Oval Office for what turned into a diplomatic ambush. Trump hijacked the meeting by playing a video montage — one littered with inaccuracies — that purported to prove claims of a 'genocide' against white farmers in South Africa. — AFP
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Only 1.5pct of Gaza farmland usable: FAO
PARIS: Only 1.5 per cent of Gaza's farmland is accessible and undamaged -- less than a square mile -- according to the latest satellite survey published Wednesday by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation, which warned the Palestinian territory was on "the brink of a full-scale famine". In its previous survey, published at the end of May, the FAO had indicated that less than five per cent of Gaza farmland was both accessible and undamaged, based on data from the UN Satellite Centre. The survey, which dates from July 28, found that 8.6 per cent of Gaza's farmland was accessible, but only 1.5 per cent, or 2.3 square kilometres (less than one square mile) was both accessible and usable. An additional 12.4 per cent of farmland is undamaged, but not accessible. An overwhelming majority of Gaza's farmland -- 86.1 per cent -- is damaged, the survey found. "Gaza is now on the brink of a full-scale famine," the FAO's director-general Qu Dongyu said in a statement. "People are starving not because food is unavailable, but because access is blocked, local agrifood systems have collapsed, and families can no longer sustain even the most basic livelihoods," he added. Qu called for safe and sustained humanitarian access to restore local food production and avoid a further loss of life. "The right to food is a basic human right," he said. Before the conflict, agriculture accounted for around 10 percent of the Gaza Strip's economy. The FAO estimated that more than 560,000 people, or a quarter of the population, were being at least partially supported by agriculture and fishing. The Israeli government is under growing pressure to bring the war in Gaza to an end, with concern mounting after the United Nations warned that famine was unfolding in the territory of more than two million Palestinians. The October 2023 attack by Hamas that sparked the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, the majority of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas's 2023 attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. The Israeli offensive has killed at least 61,158 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry, which are considered reliable by the United Nations. - AFP
