Israeli military reissues evacuation warning to three ports in Yemen
The Israeli army reissues a warning calling for the evacuation of three Yemeni ports.
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Al Arabiya
28 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
Israel diverts Gaza-bound aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg
Israel intercepted a Gaza-bound aid boat on Monday morning, preventing the activists onboard, including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg, from reaching the blockaded Palestinian territory. The Madleen departed from Italy on June 1 aiming to bring awareness to food shortages in Gaza, which the United Nations has called the 'hungriest place on Earth.' After 21 months of war, the UN has warned the territory's entire population is at risk of famine. AFP lost contact with the Madleen early Monday morning. At around 3:02 am CET (0102 GMT), Israeli forces 'forcibly intercepted' the vessel in international waters as it was approaching Gaza, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said in a statement. 'If you see this video we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters,' Thunberg said in a pre-recorded video shared by the coalition. The Palestinian group Hamas condemned the diversion, saying in a statement the boat was being taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod. The Israeli government had vowed to prevent the 'unauthorized' ship from breaching the naval blockade of Gaza, urging it to turn back. On Sunday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said the blockade, in place since years before the Israel-Hamas war, was needed to prevent Palestinian militants from importing weapons. After diverting the boat, Israel's foreign ministry posted a picture of the activists all in orange life jackets being offered water and sandwiches. 'All the passengers of the 'selfie yacht' are safe and unharmed,' the ministry wrote on social media, adding that it expected the activists to return to their home countries. 'The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels,' it added. Israel is facing mounting international pressure to allow more aid into Gaza to alleviate widespread shortages of food and basic supplies. It recently allowed humanitarian deliveries to resume after barring them for more than two months and began working with the newly formed, US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). But humanitarian agencies have criticized the GHF and the United Nations refuses to work with it, citing concerns over its practices and neutrality. Dozens of people have been killed near GHF distribution points since late May, according to Gaza's civil defense agency. It said Israeli attacks killed at least 10 people on Sunday, including five civilians hit by gunfire near an aid distribution center. 'Risked their lives' for food Civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal and witnesses said the civilians had been heading to a site west of Rafah, in southern Gaza, run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Witness Abdallah Nour al-Din told AFP that 'people started gathering in the Al-Alam area of Rafah' in the early morning. 'After about an hour and a half, hundreds moved toward the site and the army opened fire,' he said. The Israeli military said it fired on people who 'continued advancing in a way that endangered the soldiers' despite warnings. The GHF said in a statement there had been no incidents 'at any of our three sites' on Sunday. Outside Nasser Hospital, where the emergency workers brought the casualties, AFPTV footage showed mourners crying over blood-stained body bags. 'I can't see you like this,' said Lin al-Daghma by her father's body. She spoke of the struggle to access food aid after the two-months Israeli blockade, despite the recent easing. At a charity kitchen in Gaza City, displaced Palestinian Umm Ghassan told AFP she had been unable to collect aid from a GHF site 'because there were so many people, and there was a lot of shooting. I was afraid to go in, but there were people who risked their lives for their children and families.' Sinwar Also on Sunday, the Israeli military said it had located and identified the body of Mohammed Sinwar, presumed Hamas leader in Gaza, in an 'underground tunnel route beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis,' in southern Gaza. The military, which until Sunday had not confirmed his death, said Israeli forces killed Sinwar on May 13. Sinwar was the younger brother of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, accused by Israel of masterminding the 2023 attack that triggered the war. The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says at least 54,880 people, the majority civilians, have been killed in the territory since the start of the war. The UN considers these figures reliable. After the deaths of several Hamas leaders, Mohammed Sinwar was thought to be at the heart of decisions on indirect negotiations with Israel. The military said that alongside Sinwar's body, forces had found 'additional intelligence' at the Khan Younis site 'underneath the hospital, right under the emergency room.' Experts said he likely took over as the head of Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, after its leader Mohammed Deif was killed by Israel. The Palestinian group has remained tight-lipped over the names of its top ranks.
Asharq Al-Awsat
29 minutes ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Body of Mohammed Sinwar Identified
Israeli authorities said on Sunday they identified the body of Hamas' military chief Mohammed al-Sinwar that was earlier retrieved from a tunnel underneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, following a targeted operation last month. Al-Sinwar is the chief commander of Hamas's military wing and the younger brother of slain Hamas leader Yehya al-Sinwar. 'The body of al-Sinwar, is now in Israeli custody,' the Israeli army confirmed Sunday following a completed identification process, according to Yedioth Ahronoth. Authorities gave no further details about the other bodies found in the interconnected tunnel complex. Earlier, the Israeli Radio channel said the bodies of 10 other Palestinian Hamas members and leaders were recovered from the tunnel. The bodies were recovered during a special military operation. 'The Israeli military released footage showing the underground infrastructure beneath the hospital, including a command-and-control center reportedly used by senior Hamas commanders to direct combat operations,' Yedioth Ahronoth said. It added that the operation began last Wednesday evening. Prior to the raid, the hospital had been evacuated. Later, the government media office in Gaza denied the Israeli military claims that the tunnel was found beneath the European Hospital. The office said the video released by the Israeli army shows a narrow metal pipe that cannot fit a person, has no stairs or equipment and is located in an area used for rainwater drainage. It also said the Israeli forces dug the site themselves and staged the footage near the hospital's emergency department, which remains crowded with patients. On May 21, two Palestinian sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that al-Sinwar was killed alongside other Hamas figures in an Israeli airstrike on an underground tunnel near the European Hospital east of Khan Younis. One source said the bodies were moved from one tunnel to another for temporary burial. 'They were buried underground due to security concerns,' the source added. 'Hamas informed the families that the remains were not brought above ground and are expected to remain buried in the tunnels until the security situation allows for proper funerals,' the sources said. A second source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Qassam Brigades special units entered the collapsed tunnel after the bombing and recovered several bodies. The source said the method used to retrieve the bodies mirrored that of previous operations, including the recovery of senior Hamas officials Rawhi Mushtaha and Sameh al-Siraj, whose deaths were also confirmed posthumously.
Asharq Al-Awsat
an hour ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi Arabia Declares Success of this Year's Hajj
Deputy Governor of the Makkah Region Prince Saud bin Mishaal declared on Sunday the success of this year's Hajj, stressing Saudi Arabia's pride in serving the pilgrims. Preparations are underway to hold next year's Hajj, he added. He said this year's pilgrimage was a success on the security, health and services level, conveying his congratulations to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, on the achievement. He praised the performance of the operational plan that ensured the success of the Hajj and allowed the pilgrims to carry out the sacred rituals smoothly and at ease. Moreover, he extended congratulations to the members of the security, health and services sectors, as well as the volunteers, who 'worked tirelessly and with dedication to guarantee the success of the Hajj.' The pilgrims themselves were also 'partners in this success by respecting regulations and instructions,' he remarked. In Mina, the pilgrims in a hurry completed their final rituals before sunrise on Sunday by holding the farewell tawaf of the Kaaba and the symbolic stoning of the devil. The remaining pilgrims, who were not in a hurry, will depart on Monday. The Grand Mosque was at full capacity with 107,000 pilgrims per hour performing the tawaf. The General Authority for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques and relevant parties were ready to accommodate them in line with an integrated operational plan. They dedicated all means at their disposal to ensure the pilgrims performed the rituals smoothly and ensure the smooth flow of movement inside the mosque. At the Safa and Marwa ritual, capacity was at 118,000 pilgrims per hour. In the city of Madinah, pilgrims in a hurry arrived to visit the Masjid al-Nabawi where they prayed and later visited important Islamic sites in the city related to the Prophet Mohammed. Hajj and Umrah Ministry figures obtained from 62,000 field visits to the Hajj accommodations, camps and other areas revealed a 97 percent rate in respecting regulations, while the proper action was taken against violators.
