International pressure mounts on Israel over Gaza
International pressure continues to mount on Israel, with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer describing the situation in Gaza as "intolerable".
Israel has conducted a blockade of Gaza for the past 11 weeks, but has now agreed to allow what it's termed a "basic amount of food" to enter.
Aid groups however say more food is desperately needed.
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News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Israel-Iran conflict: what we know
Israel targeted Iran's air defence capabilities on Saturday, pressing on with a massive wave of strikes it began a day earlier that targeted Iranian nuclear and military facilities, prompting counterattacks by Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to hit "every target of the ayatollah regime", adding: "What they have felt so far is nothing." Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, meanwhile, warned the continued "aggression will be met with a more severe and powerful response". The first wave of Israeli strikes killed 78 people and wounded 320, according to Iran's ambassador to the United Nations. The Israeli military said three people were killed and 76 wounded since Iran began its retaliatory attacks. International calls for restraint have multiplied as fears grow that the Middle East could be on the threshold of a broader conflict. Here is what we know: - Targeting air defences - On Saturday, Israel's military said it was attacking dozens of missile launchers in Iran after announcing it had targeted air defences with a wave of strikes in the Tehran area. Iranian media also reported a "massive explosion" on Saturday after an Israeli drone strike on a refinery in the southern city of Kangan. The air campaign, which has targeted surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missile infrastructure in Iran, has given Israel "aerial freedom of action from west Iran all the way to Tehran", Israeli military spokesman Effie Defrin told journalists. Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that "Tehran will burn" if Iran kept targeting Israeli civilians. - Iran's response - Israel said dozens of missiles -- some of which were intercepted -- had been fired in the latest salvos from Iran. AFP images of the city of Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv showed blown-out buildings, destroyed vehicles and streets strewn with debris. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had attacked dozens of targets in Israel. - Nuclear talks - The fiercest ever exchange of fire between the arch foes came amid ongoing talks between Tehran and Washington seeking to reach a deal on Iran's nuclear programme. Before the Israeli strikes, the two sides had been set to hold a sixth round of negotiations in Oman on Sunday. But Iran said it would be "meaningless" to attend the talks while it was under attack by Israel, and Oman confirmed Sunday's talks had been called off. Tehran has consistently denied seeking to develop a nuclear weapon, but had been enriching uranium to 60 percent -- far above the 3.67-percent limit set by a 2015 agreement with major powers that the United States and Iran have since largely abandoned. However, that is still short of the 90-percent enrichment threshold needed for a nuclear warhead. - More Iranian generals killed - The Israeli military said on Saturday its air strikes had killed more than 20 Iranian army and Revolutionary Guard commanders. Iranian state media reported on Saturday that General Gholamreza Mehrabi, deputy head of intelligence of the armed forces general staff, and General Mehdi Rabbani, deputy head of operations, had been killed. On Friday, other members of the top brass reported killed included the head of the Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, and armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri, with replacements swiftly named by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Revolutionary Guards said its aerospace commander Amirali Hajizadeh was also killed. He was in charge of Iran's ballistic missile arsenal. Iranian media said on Saturday that three more nuclear scientists were killed, bringing the total to nine -- a toll that Israel also reported. - Nuclear sites hit - Israel's attacks started in the early hours of Friday, a day of rest and prayer in Iran, and continued through the day at various sites. One key target was a vast underground uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, which Israel hit several times, according to Iranian state television. Israel said another strike later Friday on an Iranian plant in Isfahan damaged infrastructure for reconverting enriched uranium. Netanyahu said Israel's strikes had dealt a "real blow" to Iran's nuclear programme. But Iran said the damage was limited, both in Isfahan and at another uranium enrichment facility at Fordo.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Israel-Iran conflict: latest developments
Israel and Iran traded fire for a third straight day on Sunday, with rising casualties and expanding targets marking an escalation in the conflict between the longtime adversaries. Overnight Iranian strikes killed at least 10 people in Israel, adding to the growing toll in both countries since Friday when Israel launched a massive wave of attacks targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities but also hitting residential areas, sparking retaliation. The exchange of strikes is the first time the arch-enemies have traded fire with such intensity, triggering fears of a prolonged conflict that could engulf the Middle East, even as international leaders urge de-escalation. Here are the latest developments: - Deadly Iranian strikes - Iran unleashed deadly barrages of missiles at Israel overnight Saturday into Sunday, killing 10 people, including children, and bringing the overall death toll since Tehran launched retaliatory strikes to 13, with 380 others wounded. The first wave of Israeli strikes on Iran killed 78 people and wounded 320, according to Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, but Iranian authorities had not provided an updated toll as of Sunday afternoon. Iran also struck sites used by Israeli warplanes for refuelling, the Revolutionary Guards said Sunday. Israel said it had intercepted seven drones launched towards its territory, as it also faced attack from Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels, which on Sunday said they launched several missiles at Israel. - Israel expands targets - After targeting Iranian military and nuclear facilities, as well as killing top commanders and scientists, Israel expanded targets to oil infrastructure and government buildings. Israeli strikes hit two fuel depots in Tehran on Sunday, with AFP journalists seeing fire at a depot in Shahran, northwest of the Iranian capital. The Israeli military said Sunday its forces struck more than 80 targets in Tehran overnight. The day before, Israel's military said it was attacking dozens of missile launchers in Iran after announcing it had targeted air defences with a wave of strikes in the Tehran area. Iranian media on Sunday reported Israeli strikes had targeted the defence ministry headquarters in Tehran as well as a facility affiliated with the ministry in the central city of Isfahan. - Faltering nuclear diplomacy - The fierce exchanges of fire came amid talks between Tehran and Washington seeking to reach a deal on Iran's nuclear programme. Western governments have repeatedly accused Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, which it denies. The sixth round of negotiations set for Sunday in Oman have been called off, with Tehran saying it would not attend talks with Washington as long as Israel kept up its attacks. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday hit out at Israel, saying its attacks are an "attempt to undermine diplomacy and derail negotiations". The top Iranian diplomat also accused Israel of having "crossed a new red line" by targeting Iran's nuclear sites. Tehran has criticised the UN nuclear watchdog, accusing it of inaction over the Israeli strikes and pledging to limit cooperation with the agency. - International unease - Countries have voiced growing alarm over the conflict spilling into the wider region, calling for de-escalation. Araghchi on Sunday slammed one of Israel's strikes on a major gas facility along the Gulf coast, saying any military activity in the key waters "could involve the entire region -- and possibly the whole world". He said Tehran had "solid proof" that US forces and bases in the region had supported Israel in its attacks. Washington -- a top Israel ally and Tehran rival -- has denied US involvement and called for an end to the exchanges of fire. But on Sunday morning, Trump issued a warning to Iran saying it would experience "the full strength" of the US military if it attacks the United States.
Sky News AU
2 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Sky News reveals class action lawsuit filed against the University of Sydney and two of its highest-profile anti-Israel academics in the Federal Court
A class action lawsuit has been filed against Australia's oldest university over its handling of anti-Semitism since the October 7 terror attacks in Israel. Sky News can reveal the legal action against the University of Sydney and two of its highest-profile anti-Israel academics Dr Nick Riemer and Professor John Keane was lodged in the Federal Court on Friday. The day after the October 7 attacks – in which Hamas terrorists murdered more than 1200 people and took 240 civilians hostage - Dr Riemer tweeted: "No progressive should feel the need to publicly condemn any choices by the Palestinian resistance … doing so just adds to the perception that their cause is unjust." On the day of the attacks, Professor Keane tweeted an image of a set of green flags with Arabic writing on them closely resembling Hamas flags. Professor Keane reportedly said the allegation he had posted Hamas flags was 'absurd' and the picture he shared was simply of 'green flags'. Rotstein Commercial Lawyers managing director Hamish Rotstein called the filing 'a significant move to confront the growing issue of hate speech on university campuses.' 'The legal action seeks to differentiate hate speech from free speech and to protect Jewish, Israeli and Zionist students, academics and staff from antisemitic rhetoric that has contributed to an unsafe university environment,' Mr Rotstein said. 'This case is about ensuring that universities remain places of open intellectual discussion while safeguarding individuals against harmful rhetoric. Upholding existing laws is essential to maintaining fundamental protections and accountability.' The lawsuit was filed following the termination of the Human Rights Commission process, after complaints against the two academics were lodged with the watchdog by lawyers representing the group of students and staff. At the time of the complaints to the commission, Dr Riemer and Professor Keane said in a statement allegations they had breached section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act were 'baseless'. The university's Professor Emeritus Suzanne Rutland OAM and honorary associate John Toltz are among the applicants in the Federal Court case. Barristers Adam Butt and Saul Holt KC are acting for the group of Jewish students and staff. Mr Butt successfully represented five Jewish schoolboys who successfully brought a case against the Victorian government and public school Brighton Secondary College, decided in a landmark judgment in 2023. The fresh court case comes as the university was on Saturday forced to stand down another academic Fahad Ali over tweets in which he called for Zionists to be 'executed'. Mr Ali, a Palestinian activist who teaches biology casually at the university, is now being investigated by both NSW Police and the university over the posts. In the first tweet posted on Thursday, Mr Ali wrote: "F*** sanctions, I want Zionists executed like we executed Nazis." The post was taken down by X for 'violating [its] rules against violent speech', but Mr Ali doubled down, tweeting a screenshot of the hidden post and writing: ''Violent speech' people are on this website every day celebrating the burning [ sic] children alive, don't tell me wanting to see these people hanged like the Nazis were post-Nuremberg is 'violent'." On Saturday, a spokeswoman for the university told the Daily Telegraph the academic was being stood down while it investigates. 'We're deeply disturbed by comments made by one of our casual academic staff, we find them utterly unacceptable and we're taking immediate action, including suspending his employment pending further assessment,' the spokeswoman said. In a statement on its website, the university describes the posts as having been made on a 'personal account'. On the account, which appears to have since been taken down, Mr Ali described himself as a 'Palestinian', 'Sydney Uni academic' and used the gay term 'twink'. Mr Ali was also an organiser for the anti-Israel rally held in Sydney on October 9, 2023 that led to the ugly scenes at the Opera House, about which he later told the ABC there were only 'a small group of troublemakers'. In 2015 as a medical student, he was cleared by the university for misconduct after interrupting a lecture by former British Army Colonel Richard Kemp. The University of Sydney was the scene of the longest-running pro-Palestine encampment, which had been on campus for two months last year. In September, the university's vice-chancellor Mark Scott apologised to Jewish students and staff, admitting he had 'failed them' in his handling of the encampment and spruiking changes to the university's 'policy settings'. Other cases of academics being investigated by the university for threatening posts include Joel Griggs, a casual staff member who called the Australian Jewish Association a 'fascist terror cell' and 'dangerous psychopaths' and said it 'couldn't be too hard to find out where these people live' in a post on X in August. The university found Mr Griggs' posts so concerning, they referred them to NSW Police but said he could not be professionally disciplined due to the posts being made in a 'personal capacity'. Mr Griggs had also said of Sky News hosts Andrew Bolt, Peta Credlin, Rita Panahi and Rowan Dean: 'Well [sic] get you one day, you seditious, traitorous scum… 'I was just doing my job' won't cut it when the hoi polloi finally start lopping off heads.' The university also spent five months investigating senior lecturer Dr Stewart Jackson who had tweeted in December: 'I rather think Palestinians don't wish death to all Jews, but in the current circumstances, I would forgive the sentiment...' Last month, a university human resources staff member told the Australian Jewish Association – which had made the complaint about the tweet – it had been determined the post was made in 'his personal capacity and not as an employee of the University'. 'As such, the University does not propose to take formal disciplinary action against Dr Jackson with respect to the post,' the staff member said. 'Notwithstanding this position, the University has provided guidance to Dr Jackson with respects to his future conduct.'
