International Rescue Committee CEO says Syria's ‘needs are huge'
International Rescue Committee CEO David Miliband discusses how new Syrian partnerships, especially with Gulf states, could help restore the country back to prosperity.
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Bloomberg
29 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Israeli Assets Gain as Traders Gauge Netanyahu Coalition Woes
Israel's bonds and stocks rose as markets began factoring in that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government was at risk of collapse, an outcome that some traders view as a positive for the economy. The government's dollar bond due in 2048 jumped more than a cent on the dollar to 74 cents, one of Thursday's best performers across emerging markets. Israel's benchmark TA-35 stock index extended a recent record and the shekel traded near two-year highs.
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Without meat, families in Gaza struggle to celebrate Islam's Eid al-Adha holiday
MUWASI, Gaza Strip (AP) — With the Gaza Strip devastated by war and siege, Palestinians struggled Thursday to celebrate one of the most important Islamic holidays. To mark Eid al-Adha – Arabic for the Festival of Sacrifice -- Muslims traditionally slaughter a sheep or cow and give away part of the meat to the poor as an act of charity. Then they have a big family meal with sweets. Children get gifts of new clothes. But no fresh meat has entered Gaza for three months. Israel has blocked shipments of food and other aid to pressure Hamas to release hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that started the war. And nearly all the territory's homegrown sheep, cattle and goats are dead after 20 months of Israeli bombardment and ground offensives. Some of the little livestock left was on sale at a makeshift pen set up in the vast tent camp of Muwasi in the southern part of Gaza's Mediterranean coast. But no one could afford to buy. A few people came to look at the sheep and goats, along with a cow and a camel. Some kids laughed watching the animals and called out the prayers connected to the holiday. 'I can't even buy bread. No meat, no vegetables,' said Abdel Rahman Madi. 'The prices are astronomical.' The Eid commemorates the test of faith of the Prophet Ibrahim – Abraham in the Bible – and his willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of submission to God. The day is usually one of joy for children – and a day when businesses boom a bit as people buy up food and gifts. But prices for everything have soared amid the blockade, which was only slightly eased two weeks ago. Meat and most fresh fruits and vegetables disappeared from the markets weeks ago. At a street market in the nearby city of Khan Younis, some stalls had stuffed sheep toys and other holiday knickknacks and old clothes. But most people left without buying any gifts after seeing the prices. 'Before, there was an Eid atmosphere, the children were happy … Now with the blockade, there's no flour, no clothes, no joy,' said Hala Abu Nqeira, a woman looking through the market. 'We just go to find flour for our children. We go out every day looking for flour at a reasonable price, but we find it at unbelievable prices.' Israel's campaign against Hamas has almost entirely destroyed Gaza's ability to feed itself. The U.N. says 96% of the livestock and 99% of the poultry are dead. More than 95% of Gaza's prewar cropland is unusable, either too damaged or inaccessible inside Israeli military zones, according to a land survey published this week by the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization. Israel barred all food and other supplies from entering Gaza for more than two months. It eased the blockade two weeks ago to allow a trickle of aid trucks in for the U.N. to distribute. The trucks have brought in some food items, mainly flour. But the U.N. says it has struggled to delivery much of the incoming aid because of looting or Israeli military restrictions. Almost the entire population of more than 2 million people have been driven from their homes, and most have had to move multiple times to escape Israeli offensives. Rasha Abu Souleyma said she recently slipped back to her home in Rafah -- from which her family had fled to take refuge in Khan Younis -- to find some possessions she'd left behind. She came back with some clothes, pink plastic sunglasses and bracelets that she gave to her two daughters as Eid gifts. 'I can't buy them clothes or anything,' the 38-year-old said. 'I used to bring meat in Eid so they would be happy, but now we can't bring meat, and I can't even feed the girls with bread.' Near her, a group of children played on makeshift swings made of knotted and looped ropes. Karima Nejelli, a displaced woman from Rafah, pointed out that people in Gaza had now marked both Eid al-Adha and the other main Islamic holiday, Eid al-Fitr, two times each under the war. 'During these four Eids, we as Palestinians did not see any kind of joy, no sacrifice, no cookies, no buying Eid clothes or anything.' — Chehayeb reported from Beirut.
News24
3 hours ago
- News24
Gaza aid group delays site opening after ‘deeply disturbing' killing of 27 Palestinians
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation delayed the opening of its aid sites. 27 people were killed by Israeli troops near an aid distribution site. The UN called for an independent investigation. A US- and Israeli-backed group operating aid sites in Gaza pushed back the reopening of its facilities set for Thursday, as the Israeli army warned that roads leading to distribution centres were 'considered combat zones'. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) closed its aid distribution centres after a string of deadly incidents near sites it operates that drew sharp condemnation from the United Nations. Israeli bombardment on Wednesday killed at least 48 people across the Gaza Strip, including 14 in a single strike on a tent sheltering displaced people, the civil defence agency said. A day earlier, the civil defence and the International Committee of the Red Cross said 27 people were killed when Israeli troops opened fire near a GHF site in southern Gaza. The military said the incident was under investigation. Britain called for an 'immediate and independent investigation', echoing a demand from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. READ | Gaza aid centres close and 'are considered combat zones' after Israel fire killed 27 UK Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer said the deaths of Palestinians as they sought food were 'deeply disturbing', calling Israel's new measures for aid delivery 'inhumane'. Israel recently eased its blockade of Gaza, but the United Nations says the territory's entire population remains at risk of famine. The GHF originally said it was closing aid distribution sites in Gaza on Wednesday for 'renovation' and that they would reopen Thursday. But the group said late Wednesday that its facilities would not open at the regular time on Thursday, without clarifying when they would resume service. 'Our distribution sites will not open early tomorrow morning as in previous days due to ongoing maintenance and repair work,' it wrote on social media. We will share information about opening times as soon as work is complete. GHF The Israeli army warned against travelling 'on roads leading to the distribution centres, which are considered combat zones'. The GHF said it was working to made aid distribution 'as safe as possible' and urged those travelling to its sites to 'follow the routes designated' by the Israeli army. The GHF, officially a private effort with opaque funding, began operations a week ago. The UN and major aid groups have declined to work with it, citing concerns it serves Israeli military goals. Israeli authorities and the GHF, which uses contracted US security, have denied allegations the army shot at civilians rushing to pick up aid packages. Food shortages in Gaza have propelled fresh international calls for an end to the war, but a truce between Israel and Hamas remains elusive. The US, Israel's key ally, used its veto power at the UN Security Council on Wednesday to block a resolution calling for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked US President Donald Trump, posting on social media: 'That is the only way to destroy the Hamas terrorists' holding hostages in Gaza. Hamas condemned the veto as 'disgraceful' and accused Washington of 'legitimising genocide' in Gaza. The Israeli military maintains that its forces do not prevent Gazans from collecting aid. Army spokesperson Effie Defrin said the Israeli soldiers had fired toward suspects who 'were approaching in a way that endangered' the troops. AFP UN human rights chief Volker Turk called attacks against civilians 'unconscionable', and said they 'constitute a grave breach of international law and a war crime'. The International Committee of the Red Cross meanwhile said Gazans face an 'unprecedented scale and frequency of recent mass casualty incidents'. Scenes of hunger in Gaza have also sparked fresh solidarity with Palestinians, and a boat organised by an international activist coalition was sailing toward Gaza, aiming to deliver aid. The boat from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition departed Sicily on Sunday carrying a dozen people, including environmental activist Greta Thunberg, along with fruit juices, milk, tinned food and protein bars. Eyad Baba/AFP Israel's military said it stood ready to 'protect' the country's maritime space, with army spokesperson Defrin saying 'we are prepared' to handle the flotilla, without elaborating. In response, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said it 'strongly condemns Israel's declared intent to attack' the boat, calling it a 'threat'. Israel has stepped up its offensive in Gaza in what it says is a renewed push to defeat the Palestinian group Hamas, whose October 2023 attack sparked the war. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said at least 4 335 people have been killed since Israel resumed its offensive on 18 March, taking the war's overall toll to 54 607, mostly civilians. Hamas' 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1 218 people, also mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. The army said three of its soldiers had been killed in northern Gaza, bringing the number of Israeli troops killed in the territory since the start of the war to 424.
