Saudi FM Slams Israeli "Extremism" after West Bank Delegation Blockade
Saudi Arabia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud strongly condemned Israel's decision to block Arab ministers from entering the occupied West Bank. He described this move as clear evidence of Israel's 'extremism and rejection of peace.' His remarks came during a joint press conference held in Amman, Jordan, on Sunday alongside foreign ministers from Jordan, Egypt, and Bahrain. Arab-Islamic Committee Convenes Amid Crisis
The meeting in Jordan aimed to address the ongoing war in Gaza, following the directives of the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas participated in the discussions via video call. The foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates were expected to attend, along with Turkey and the secretary-general of the Arab League.
However, Israel's decision to block the ministers' travel plans to Ramallah on Sunday disrupted these important discussions, which highlights the ongoing tensions and challenges in the region. Call for Palestinian Statehood
During the press conference, Prince Faisal emphasized that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state remains the only viable solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. He stated, 'As Arabs and Muslims, we are only going to accept a Palestinian state.' His comments reflect a unified stance among Arab nations regarding the necessity of recognizing Palestine.
Furthermore, he urged countries that support the two-state solution to reinforce their commitment by officially recognizing the state of Palestine. This recognition is crucial for advancing peace and stability in the region.
In conclusion, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Foreign Affairs' statements underscore the urgent need for dialogue and cooperation among Arab nations to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East.
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Arab News
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- Arab News
British doctors describe hospitals flooded with casualties from Gaza aid site attacks
LONDON: The remaining hospitals in southern Gaza were overwhelmed with casualties after Israeli soldiers opened fire on crowds trying to access an aid distribution center, British doctors working in the territory said. Scores of Palestinians congregating to reach the food hub in Rafah have been shot dead in recent days. The Red Cross said 27 people were killed and many more wounded on Tuesday when Israeli soldiers opened fire about one km from the aid center run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. On Sunday, at least 31 people were killed as they gathered at the same roundabout before heading to the aid center. Dr. Iain Lennon, an emergency consultant volunteering at Al-Mawasi hospital in southern Gaza, told the BBC that all of the patients who arrived at the facility after the attack were suffering bullet wounds. 'We were woken up in the early hours of the morning by the team in the hospital,' Lennon said. 'One of our partner organizations had declared a mass casualty incident and were overwhelmed, and we were taking patients both directly from the scene and from the other hospitals involved.' 'We've seen probably about 22 patients between 5 and 8 a.m. in the morning, two patients who we've had to take immediately to theater for immediate life saving surgery and a number of other patients with bullet wounds in limbs.' He said the youngest victims were aged 15 or 16, and most of them were men who had walked the long distances to reach the aid hub. 'They were all injured by bullets, as far as we could see,' he added. 'There was no sort of blast or shrapnel injuries, particularly at this event. Lots of people with wounds in, arms and legs, and a couple of people with more sort of central abdominal wounds.' The Israel Defense Forces said its soldiers opened fire when 'several suspects' deviated from the designated route toward the aid site. 'The troops carried out warning fire, and after the suspects failed to retreat, additional shots were directed near individual suspects who advanced toward the troops,' the military said. Dr. Victoria Rose, a British surgeon, said that on Sunday, 28 bodies and more than 200 people with gunshot injuries arrived at the Nasser hospital where she is working. 'We went into a mass casualty scenario, so all of the theaters stopped operating and just started taking the emergency work from the emergency department,' she said in a video shared by Islamic Help charity. 'It's going to be very hard for us to deal with all of this now because we don't really have the medical supplies or the reserves in the workforce to deal with a mass casualty of this kind.' New aid distribution hubs have been set up after Israel blocked the UN from delivering aid to Gaza and cut off all supplies on March 2. Deliveries resumed late last month but are being managed by the newly created Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The UN's human rights chief, Volker Turk, said: 'Deadly attacks on distraught civilians trying to access the paltry amounts of food aid in Gaza are unconscionable.' He called for a 'prompt and impartial' investigation into the killings.
Arab News
an hour ago
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What future awaits Gaza's children under airstrikes and aid embargo?
DUBAI: 'Where is the world?' That was the chilling closing caption shared by 11-year-old Yaqeen Hammad in one of the final videos she posted on social media, just days before she was killed on May 23 by an Israeli airstrike on Deir Al-Balah in Gaza. Yaqeen's story has been thrown into particular focus this week as the world marks International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression on June 4, a reminder not only of those lost but of the futures stolen. As Gaza's youngest social media influencer, Yaqeen was known for the uplifting videos she created and her work alongside her brother at Ouena, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to humanitarian relief and development. Yaqeen's followers will remember her for her infectious optimism and volunteer work with displaced families. Just days before she died, she posted survival tips to help others endure life under siege. Now she has become a haunting symbol of the toll the war between Israel and Hamas is taking on young people. More than 50,000 children have been killed or injured since the latest conflict began, according to the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF. Thousands more have been orphaned or displaced by the ongoing violence. Israeli authorities launched military operations in Gaza in retaliation for the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel, during which 1,200 people were killed, the majority of them civilians, and about 250 were taken hostage, many of them non-Israelis. Despite repeated international efforts to broker a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, the ruling authority in Gaza, the continuing conflict has devastated the Palestinian enclave, creating one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world. For those children who survive long enough to see an enduring ceasefire, what kind of future awaits them? 'We are losing a generation before our eyes, condemning patients to die from hunger, disease and despair — deaths that could have been prevented,' American trauma surgeon Dr. Feroze Sidhwa told the UN Security Council on May 28. He delivered a searing account of what he witnessed during two volunteer missions in Gaza, the first in 2024, the second in March and April this year, at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis. Sidhwa said he has worked in several conflict zones, including Haiti and Ukraine, but nothing compared to what he witnessed in Gaza. 'I operated in hospitals without sterility, electricity or anesthetics,' he told council members. 'Children died, not because their injuries were unsurvivable but because we lacked blood, antibiotics and the most basic supplies.' He stressed that during his five weeks in Gaza he had not treated a single combatant. 'Most of my patients were preteen children, their bodies shattered by explosions and torn by flying metal,' he said, describing six-year-old patients with bullets in their brains, and pregnant women whose pelvises had been shattered by airstrikes. 'Civilians are now dying not just from constant airstrikes, but from acute malnutrition, sepsis, exposure and despair,' he added, noting that in the time between his two visits he had observed a sharp decline in the general health of patients, many of whom were too weak to heal as a result of hunger. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, almost 71,000 cases of acute malnutrition, including 14,100 severe cases, are expected in Gaza between April 2025 and March 2026. As of May 29 this year, about 470,000 people in Gaza were facing imminent famine, the UN said, and the entire population was suffering from severe food insecurity. 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But with even the most immediate, basic means of survival out of reach for many in Gaza, mental health support remains a more distant concern, leaving an entire generation to navigate profound psychological scars alone. 'How many more dead girls and boys will it take?' asked Beigbeder, the UNICEF chief. 'What level of horror must be livestreamed before the international community fully steps up, uses its influence, and takes bold, decisive action to force the end of this ruthless killing of children?'
Al Arabiya
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Gaza rescuers report new deadly incident near US-backed aid center
In this episode of Global News Today, presented by Tom Burges Watson, we focus on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where rescuers say Israeli forces killed at least 27 people near a US-backed aid distribution center. The Israeli military said it had fired on 'suspects who advanced toward the troops.' The incident comes just days after a similar shooting in the same area left dozens of Palestinians dead or wounded while trying to access aid, according to Gaza's civil defense agency. Guests: Jonathan Fowler – UNRWA spokesperson Kamel Hawwash – Palestinian academic and analyst William Schabas – World leading scholar of International Criminal Law and Genocide Aaron David Miller – Former US Middle East peace negotiator
