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News18
an hour ago
- News18
Trump administration pressed to address starvation in Gaza
Washington, Jul 29 (AP) Senate Democrats are imploring President Donald Trump's administration to step up its role in addressing suffering and starvation in Gaza, with more than 40 senators signing onto a letter Tuesday urging the resumption of ceasefire talks and sharply criticising an Israeli-backed American organisation that had been created to distribute food aid. In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Republican president's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, the senators said the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, created in February with backing from the Trump administration, has 'failed to address the deepening humanitarian crisis and contributed to an unacceptable and mounting civilian death toll around the organisation's sites". It marked a mostly united plea from Senate Democrats — who are locked out of power in Washington — for the Trump administration to recalibrate its approach after the collapse of ceasefire talks last week. Trump on Monday expressed concern about the worsening humanitarian situation and broke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claim that people are not starving in the Gaza Strip. But it is unclear how Trump will proceed. Democratic Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii said it was 'not at all credible" to think the Israeli military — one of the most advanced in the world — is incapable of distributing food aid or performing crowd control. 'They made a choice to establish a new way of doing food distribution," he said. 'And it's not working at all." The letter, obtained by The Associated Press, calls for a 'large-scale expansion" of aid into Gaza channelled through organisations experienced working in the area. It also says efforts for a ceasefire agreement are 'as critical and urgent as ever". The message was led by four Jewish members of the Democratic Caucus — Senators Adam Schiff of California, Chuck Schumer of New York, Jacky Rosen of Nevada and Schatz — and calls for the return of the roughly 50 hostages, 20 still believed to be alive, held by Hamas since its Oct 7, 2023, attack. The signatures from 44 senators — the vast majority of the Senate Democratic Caucus — on the letter show the extent to which Democrats have achieved some unity on a foreign policy issue that deeply divided them while they held the White House last year. They called for an end to the war that sees Hamas no longer in control of Gaza and a long-term goal of both an Israeli and a Palestinian state and opposed any permanent displacement of the Palestinian people. Meanwhile, Republicans are backing Trump's handling of the situation and supporting Israel. Sen John Cornyn, a Texas Republican who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he was satisfied with Trump trying 'to referee that, but the Israelis need to get their hostages back". Still, images of the worsening hunger crisis in Gaza seemed to be reaching some Republican members of Congress. Over the weekend, far-right Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who routinely calls for an end to foreign aid, said on social media 'what has been happening to innocent people and children in Gaza is horrific. This war and humanitarian crisis must end!" For Schatz, it was a sign many Americans do care about suffering in other parts of the world, even after Trump won the election with 'America First" foreign policy goals and kickstarted his administration by demolishing US aid programmes. 'They are seeing images of chaos, images of suffering that are either caused by the United States or at least could have been prevented by the United States," Schatz said. 'And it is redounding negatively to the president." (AP) SCY SCY view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Lebanon sentences six in killing of UN peacekeeper, main defendant gets death penalty
Lebanon's military court convicted six people accused of killing a UN peacekeeper, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said Tuesday. Lebanese officials said the chief defendant was sentenced to death.'UNIFIL welcomes the conclusion of the trial process and the Government of Lebanon's commitment to bring the perpetrators to justice,' it said in a statement. UNIFIL did not give further details, but three Lebanese judicial officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the case, said the court had issued a death sentence in absentia Monday against Mohammad Ayyad, the main defendant in the case. The ruling Ayyad had been arrested in December 2022 in connection with the killing of Pvt. Seán Rooney, 24, an Irish peacekeeper. He was released on bail in November 2023 after his lawyer provided medical documents showing he had cancer. Monday's court ruling, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, handed down a fine of 100 million Lebanese pounds (about $1,117) to Ayyad in addition to the death sentence. Three others — Hussein Suleiman, Mustafa Suleiman and Ali Hakim — received only fines, while defendants Ali Khalifeh and Ali Suleiman were sentenced to one and three months in prison, respectively. A sixth defendant, Mohammad Mezher, was acquitted. Ayyad was not present for the session, with his attorney saying he was ill and hospitalized, while the other defendants appeared in court, the Lebanese officials said. On the fatal night, Rooney and several other Irish soldiers from UNIFIL were on their way from their base in southern Lebanon to the Beirut airport. Two UN vehicles apparently took a detour through the town of Al-Aqbiya, which is not part of the area under the peacekeepers' mandate, when a mob opened fire at them. Initial reports said angry residents confronted the peacekeepers, but the indictment concluded that the shooting was a targeted attack and alleged that the defendants were linked to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The Lebanese officials said the defendants who appeared in court Monday had testified that some of them were watching a sports match and noticed a vehicle passing suspiciously several times on a narrow residential street, leading a crowd to gather. They claimed that they were unaware the vehicle belonged to UNIFIL. Hezbollah officials did not respond to requests for comment. UNIFIL was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel's 1978 invasion. The UN expanded its mission following the 2006 war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah, allowing peacekeepers to deploy along the Israeli border to help the Lebanese military extend its authority into the country's south for the first time in decades. Hezbollah supporters in Lebanon frequently accuse the UN mission of collusion with Israel, while Israel has accused the peacekeepers of turning a blind eye to Hezbollah's military activities in southern Lebanon. The peacekeeping force's mandate is up for renewal in August for the first time since last year's war between Israel and Hezbollah, which ended with a US-mediated ceasefire in November.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Netherlands bans Israeli ministers over Gaza war, EU weighs sanctions
The Netherlands has banned two far-right Israeli ministers from entering the country, citing their support for the Gaza war, as pressure grows within Europe for stronger action over the worsening humanitarian crisis. The ban affects Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, both members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition. Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp informed lawmakers of the decision in a letter late Monday, writing: 'The war in Gaza must stop.' Both ministers are known supporters of Jewish settlements and have backed continuing the war, as well as what they describe as the 'voluntary emigration' of Palestinians from Gaza. The Netherlands is the first European country to issue such a ban, but other nations have already taken similar steps. Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway imposed financial sanctions on Ben-Gvir and Smotrich last month. In response, Israel's foreign ministry said on Tuesday it had summoned the Dutch ambassador in protest. According to Reuters, a ministry spokesperson said the move followed the 'unacceptable' travel ban on Israeli ministers. The European Union is also considering further measures. The European Commission has proposed partially suspending Israel's participation in a €900 million science and technology programme, particularly access to its €200 million-a-year investment arm, which funds projects in areas such as cybersecurity, drones, and artificial intelligence. According to officials cited by AP, the proposed suspension is 'targeted and reversible,' and would not affect the parts of the programme focused solely on civilian use. The Commission said Israel's military campaign in Gaza had violated the terms of a bilateral agreement with the EU. The European Parliament may vote on the proposal, which would require support from at least 15 of the EU's 27 member states. Separately, a leaked document seen by the Associated Press outlines other options under discussion, including suspending an aviation agreement with Israel, blocking imports from settlements, and restricting Israeli travel in Europe's visa-free Schengen zone. Countries such as Ireland, Spain, and the Netherlands have also called on Israel to open more border crossings and allow greater humanitarian access. Aid teams from the EU have reportedly been unable to enter Gaza despite recent temporary pauses in fighting. Veldkamp said the Dutch government would also call in the Israeli ambassador to urge Netanyahu to take 'immediate measures that lead to a substantial and rapid improvement in the humanitarian situation throughout the Gaza Strip.' Over the weekend, Israel announced several measures, including humanitarian pauses and aid airdrops. However, Palestinians say conditions on the ground have not changed. Israel blames Hamas for blocking aid deliveries, accusing the group of diverting supplies. The United Nations, however, has said such looting is not widespread and that aid distribution improves when larger quantities are allowed into the enclave. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant. They are accused of using starvation as a weapon and targeting civilians allegations both men deny. ICC member states are obligated to arrest them if they enter their territories. In reaction to the Netherlands' decision, Smotrich said on social media, as quoted by AP: 'European leaders are surrendering to the lies of radical Islam.' Ben-Gvir added: 'A Jewish minister from Israel is unwanted in Europe, terrorists are free, and Jews are boycotted.'
