Israeli army kills Palestinians collecting aid, says Gaza civil defence agency
's civil defence agency has said at least 10 people were killed across the Palestinian territory on Saturday, including civilians who were waiting to collect aid.
Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that at least six people were killed and 30 wounded after
Israeli
troops targeted civilians assembling near an aid point in central Gaza.
It comes after, early Friday, the Israeli security cabinet
approved plans
to launch major operations to seize Gaza City, triggering a wave of outrage across the globe.
Despite the backlash and rumours of dissent from Israeli military top brass, prime minister
Binyamin Netanyahu
remained defiant over the decision.
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In a post on social media late on Friday, Mr Netanyahu said 'we are not going to occupy Gaza – we are going to free Gaza from Hamas'.
Mr Netanyahu faces mounting pressure to secure a ceasefire to bring the territory's more than two million people back from the brink of famine and free the hostages held by Palestinian militants.
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Opinion: Why has Gazans' hunger attained the status of 'moral crisis' when Israel's genocidal slaughter did not?
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The worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Israel's plans to expand military control over the enclave have pushed Germany to curb arms exports to Israel, a historically fraught step for Berlin driven by a growing public outcry.
Conservative chancellor Friedrich Merz, hitherto a staunchly pro-Israel leader, made the announcement on Friday, arguing that Israel's actions would not achieve its stated war goals of eliminating Hamas militants or bringing Israeli hostages home.
The UN Security Council announced an emergency meeting on Israel's plans was rescheduled to Sunday after originally being scheduled to take place on Saturday. The UN Mission of Panama, which holds the council presidency this month, provided no details, but Saturday is the Jewish Sabbath and Israel is certain to want to speak at the meeting.
The efforts for a new ceasefire have the backing of major Arab Gulf monarchies, according to two officials who spoke to AP anonymously due to the sensitivity of the discussions. One is involved directly in the deliberations and the second was briefed on the efforts.
The monarchies are concerned about further regional destabilisation if Israel fully reoccupies Gaza, the officials said.
A senior Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorised to brief the media, said the group has yet to receive details on the latest efforts to revive ceasefire talks.
The war was triggered on October 7th, 2023, when Hamas's attack on Israel killed 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent attack on Gaza has killed more than 60,000 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.
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As an Irish Jew my Star of David is no longer a badge of pride but a mark of shame
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Meanwhile, Iran has arrested 20 people it alleges are operatives of Israel's Mossad spy agency in recent months, the judiciary said on Saturday, warning that they will face no leniency and will be made an example of.
On Wednesday, Iran executed a nuclear scientist named Rouzbeh Vadi, who was convicted of spying for Israel and passing on information on another nuclear scientist killed in Israel's air strikes on Iran in June, state media reported.
Judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangiri told reporters in Tehran on Saturday that charges against some of the 20 suspects arrested had been dropped and they were released. He did not give a number.
'The judiciary will show no leniency toward spies and agents of the Zionist regime, and with firm rulings, will make an example of them all,' Mr Jahangiri was quoted as saying by Iranian media.
Executions of Iranians convicted of spying for Israel have significantly increased this year, with at least eight death sentences carried out in recent months.
Israel carried out 12 days of air strikes on Iran in June, targeting Iran's top generals, nuclear scientists, nuclear installations, as well as residential neighbourhoods. Iran responded with barrages of missiles and drones on Israel.
Rights group HRANA reported 1,190 Iranian deaths during the 12-day Israeli attacks, including 436 civilians and 435 security personnel. Israel said 28 were killed in Iran's retaliatory attack. – Guardian/Reuters
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RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- RTÉ News
'You don't see Palestinians' - how Israeli media is covering the Gaza war
It's one of the defining news stories of our time, regularly dominating headlines around the world. Gaza's mounting humanitarian crisis continues to provoke outrage here in Ireland and in many other countries, as images of malnourished children, bloodstained body bags and grief-stricken survivors flood our screens and airwaves. But how is that same crisis being covered by mainstream media inside Israel? "For the most part, it simply isn't". That's the assessment of freelance journalist Orly Halpern, who has lived in Israel almost all her life. "When Israelis (turn on) the TV channels here in Israel, what they see are Israeli soldiers and a lot of destruction of Gaza - and that's about it. It's very rare that they ever interview a Gazan." "You don't see Palestinians or hear Palestinians". As a journalist working for international news organisations, Orly's reporting often focuses on the humanitarian realities of the 22-month-old Gaza war. It's the kind of coverage that would rarely get commissioned inside Israel - because she says, there isn't an appetite for it. "Israelis don't want to see that they might be doing something wrong. There's no interest, and the Israeli media is complicit in actually keeping the public ignorant of what Israel is doing." Impact of hunger crisis Orly acknowledges that there has been a small shift in public opinion in recent weeks as the hunger crisis grips Gaza, resulting in a "few" more news stories. However, she says they tend to be framed in a negative light towards Palestinians. For example, images of desperate Gazans crowding around aid trucks are portrayed in a way she says would make people think "these people are like animals". She adds that most of the reporting ends with the line, "it's Hamas' fault," without examining Israel's role in the crisis. Channel 14 - allegations of incitement The ultranationalist TV channel fast becoming Israel's most-watched news source. Channel 14, which counts Netanyahu as a supporter, has denied allegations that its coverage has incited war crimes. One ultra-nationalist TV news channel, favoured by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is accused of going further still. Channel 14 is facing multiple allegations of incitement over its coverage of the war in Gaza. Take, for example, this on-air quote from host Shimon Riklin about the Gazan people. "We should supply them with neither water nor electricity. Let them drop dead in there!" Channel 14 has previously denied allegations its coverage could incite war crimes and did not respond to RTÉ's request for comment. Nor did the other main broadcasters. Despite criticism of its coverage, Channel 14 is on track to becoming the second-most watched TV channel in Israel, according to Reporters Without Borders. "A vital light in the darkness" However, there are some exceptions in this media landscape. Most notably, left-leaning newspaper, Haaretz. Haaretz is the longest running daily newspaper currently in print in Israel, and although its circulation is relatively small, it continues to hold considerable influence both domestically and abroad. In the context of mainstream media coverage in Israel, Haaretz is considered an outlier in terms of its criticism of Israel's conduct in the war, plus its focus on Palestinian suffering. Gideon Levy is one of its columnists. "The issue is not (about) political views, not political positions," he told RTÉ News. "The issue is professional journalism." "If you open Israeli TV or mainstream newspapers, at any given moment, you would think that in Gaza there are 20 people living. You know who they are? The hostages. They are also the only victims. He describes the coverage as "shameful" and rejects any assertion that censorship is behind editorial decisions not to show the plight of Palestinians. "(The censorship) is only concerning capabilities of the army. It's nothing. Where is the censorship in Haaretz?" "You know, we used to laugh at the Russian media because of the way they are covering the war in Ukraine. But Israeli media is much worse because the Russian media has no other choice. Israeli media is free to publish whatever it wants, and they choose just to please the readers and their viewers." He does however add that there are deep concerns inside Haaretz for its future editorial independence. Last November, Israel's government approved a proposal mandating that government-funded bodies refrain from communicating with Haaretz or placing advertisements in the paper, in protest at its coverage. "They will not stop there", Gideon cautions. "I am very scared that they will try to silence us by legislation." "Until now we are still free to write whatever we want to. But I don't take our freedom for granted." Intimidation and threats Those concerns are echoed by Dr Ayala Panievsky, a researcher at City St George's, University of London. Her research focuses on threats to the media and she has recently written a book on the subject called "The New Censorship". Dr Panievsky previously worked in left-leaning Israeli politics but has spent recent years monitoring and analysing Israeli news output. And while she agrees with Gideon Levy that there isn't much formal censorship, she also believes an underlying atmosphere of political intimidation could be forcing some journalists to self-censor. "It's not old-school censorship in terms of raids on newsrooms or jailing journalists. Not yet. But it is certainly all these other forms of intimidation, threats and incitement of the public against journalists." "Successive Governments and allies have been threatening journalists and newsrooms using all kinds of different weapons. They are threatening news outlets' financial stability, they are using legal warfare, they are suing journalists and newsrooms." This point is also highlighted in the RSF - Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index. Since 2022, Israel has dropped from 86th to 112th in the index, in part due to "disinformation campaigns and repressive laws" It also points out that "journalists identified as Arab face more intimidation while working and foreign journalists are experiencing increasing difficulty obtaining accreditation." National trauma So, what else could be behind the Israeli media's apparent hands-off approach to the Gaza humanitarian crisis? Dr Panievsky suggests the events of 7 October, when Hamas-led gunmen stormed into southern Israel killing and taking people hostage, are still foremost in many people's minds. "For sure, there is the national trauma of 7 October and everything that happened since. And I must say that when it comes to 7 October and the human suffering, the Israeli mainstream media has done a very comprehensive professional job covering it… Now the media continues to focus on the stories of the hostages, but not the other side." "Also, in times of war, people are rarely asking to see the casualties on the other side. But this is reality. And if you're not showing us that, then you are not a journalist, you're an entertainer." For journalist Orly Halpern, the prospect of military service may also be a factor in the media's approach. "Everyone here, all the men, have to continue doing reserve duty until they're 45. So, it's just much easier to believe what your leaders are telling you about the war and not question it. I think deep down, people probably know. But they continue to reject it because it's just too much." "There's an expression in Hebrew, יורים ובוכים. It means 'we shoot and we cry'. So yes, we're killing innocent people, and we feel bad about it. But you know, we're just doing what we need to do for this military campaign etcetera. "But what we're seeing now is that for the most part, we aren't even crying. We're just shooting."
Irish Independent
3 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Parents and baby girl killed by Israeli airstrike in Gaza
Pressure is ramped up on Netanyahu over hostages, as US says it's halting visas for all individuals from Gaza Palestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Gaza City. Photo: AP An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed a baby girl and her parents yesterday, hospital officials and witnesses said, while families of hostages called for a 'nationwide day of stoppage' in Israel to express growing frustration over 22 months of war. The baby's body, wrapped in blue, was placed on those of her parents as Palestinians prayed over them. Motasem al-Batta, his wife and the child were believed to have been killed in their tent in the crowded Muwasi area. 'Two-and-a-half months old. What has she done?' neighbour Fathi Shubeir said. 'They are civilians in an area designated safe.' Israel's military claims it is dismantling Hamas's military capabilities and takes precautions not to harm civilians. It said it could not comment on the strike without more details. Muwasi is one of the heavily populated areas in Gaza where Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel plans to widen its coming military offensive. The mobilisation of forces is expected to take weeks, and Israel may be using the threat to pressure Hamas into releasing more of the hostages taken in its attack in 2023 that sparked the war. Levels of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at their highest since the war began Families of hostages fear the coming offensive further endangers the 50 hostages remaining in Gaza, just 20 of them thought to be alive. They and other Israelis were horrified by the recent release of videos showing emaciated hostages pleading for help and food. A group representing the families has urged Israelis onto the streets today. 'Across the country, hundreds of citizen-led initiatives will pause daily life and join the most just and moral struggle: the struggle to bring all 50 hostages home,' it said in a statement. The UN is warning that levels of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at their highest since the war began. Palestinians are drinking contaminated water and diseases are spreading, while Israeli leaders continue to talk openly about the 'mass relocation' of people from Gaza. Another 11 malnutrition-related deaths occurred in Gaza over the past 24 hours, the territory's health ministry said, with one child among them. That brings malnutrition-related deaths during the war to 251. The UN and partners say getting aid into the territory of more than two million people, and then on to distribution points, remains highly challenging with Israeli restrictions and pressure from crowds of hungry Palestinians. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: Reuters Meanwhile, the US State Department said it was halting all visitor visas for individuals from Gaza while it conducts 'a full and thorough' review. The department said 'a small number' of temporary medical-humanitarian visas had been issued in recent days but did not provide a figure. The US issued more than 3,800 B1/B2 visitor visas (which permit foreigners seek medical treatment in the US) to holders of Palestinian Authority travel documents, according to an analysis of monthly figures provided on the department's website. The move to stop visitor visas for injured people from Gaza comes after Laura Loomer, a far-right Trump ally, wrote on social media on Friday that Palestinian 'refugees' had entered the US this month. Loomer's statement sparked outrage among Republicans, with US congressman Chip Roy of Texas saying he would inquire about the matter. Congressman Randy Fine of Florida described the visas as a 'national security risk'. The US has not indicated it would accept Palestinians displaced by the war. However, it's understood that South Sudan and Israel are discussing a plan to 'resettle' Palestinians.
RTÉ News
9 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Israeli military prepares to relocate residents to southern Gaza, spokesperson says
Gaza residents will be provided with tents and other shelter equipment starting from Sunday ahead of relocating them from combat zones to the south of the enclave "to ensure their safety," the Israeli military said. This comes days after Israel said it intended to launch a new offensive to seize control of northern Gaza City, the enclave's largest urban centre, in a plan that raised international alarm over the fate of the demolished strip, home to about 2.2 million people. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last Sunday said that before launching the offensive, the civilian population will be evacuated to what he described as "safe zones" from Gaza City, which he called Hamas' last stronghold. The shelter equipment will be transferred via the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza by the United Nations and other international relief organisations after being inspected by defence ministry personnel, the military said. The UN did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Israeli announcement, however, it warned on Thursday that thousands of families already enduring appalling humanitarian conditions could be pushed over the edge if the Gaza City plan moves ahead. Palestinian and United Nations officials have said no place in the enclave is safe, including areas in southern Gaza where Israel has been ordering residents to move to. The military declined to comment when asked whether the shelter equipment was intended for Gaza City's population estimated at around one million people presently, and whether the site to which they will be relocated in southern Gaza would be the area of Rafah, which borders Egypt. Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said that the plans for the new offensive were still being formulated. The Palestinian militant faction Islamic Jihad, an ally of Hamas, said that the military's announcement "as part of its brutal attack to occupy Gaza City, is a blatant and brazen mockery of international conventions." However, Israeli forces have already increased operations on the outskirts of Gaza City over the past week. Residents in the neighbourhoods of Zeitoun and Shejaia have reported heavy Israeli aerial and tank fire which has destroyed many houses. The Israeli military on Friday said that it had begun a new operation in Zeitoun to locate explosives, destroy tunnels and kill militants in the area. The war began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli authorities, and 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza are still alive. Israel's subsequent military assault against Hamas has killed over 61,000 Palestinians, Gaza's health ministry says. It has also caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced most of Gaza's population and left much of the enclave in ruins. Protests calling for a hostage release and an end to the war were expected throughout Israel on Sunday, with many businesses, municipalities and universities saying they will support employees striking for the day. Negotiations to secure a US-backed 60-day ceasefire and hostage release ended in deadlock last month and mediators Egypt and Qatar have been trying to revive them.
