Israel to open Gaza humanitarian corridors as aid drops begin
The IDF said it has "begun a series of actions aimed at improving the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip, and was "prepared to implement humanitarian pauses in densely populated areas". It denied what it called "the false claim of deliberate starvation in the Gaza Strip", despite mounting evidence of starvation and malnutrition.The UN, aid groups and some of Israel's allies have blamed the country for the crisis, calling for the unrestricted entry and delivery of aid into Gaza.
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The Guardian
6 minutes ago
- The Guardian
A wasteland of rubble, dust and graves: how Gaza looks from the sky
Seen from the air, Gaza looks like the ruins of an ancient civilisation, brought to light after centuries of darkness. A patchwork of concrete shapes and shattered walls, neighbourhoods scattered with craters, rubble and roads that lead nowhere. The remnants of cities wiped out. But here, there has been no natural disaster and no slow passage of time. Gaza was a bustling, living place until less than two years ago, for all the challenges its residents endured even then. Its markets were crowded, its streets were full of children. That Gaza is gone— not buried under volcanic ash, not erased by history, but razed by an Israeli military campaign that has left behind a place that looks like the aftermath of an apocalypse. Members of Jordan's military stand among pallets of aid about to be dropped on Gaza. The Guardian was granted permission on Tuesday to travel onboard a Jordanian military aircraft after Israel announced last week that it had resumed coordinated humanitarian airdrops over Gaza, following mounting international pressure over severe shortages of food and medical supplies, which has reached such a crisis point that a famine is now unfolding there. The flight offered not only a chance to witness three tonnes of aid – far from being enough – dropped over the famine-stricken strip but also a rare opportunity to observe, albeit from above, a territory that has been largely sealed off from the international media since 7 October and the subsequent offensive launched by Israel. Following the Hamas-led attacks that day, Israel barred foreign journalists from entering Gaza – an unprecedented move in the history of modern conflict, marking one of the rare moments that reporters have been denied access to an active war zone. Gaza Strip from the aid plane; view of northern Gaza; the distortion in the last picture is due to the heat emitted by the aircraft engines. Even from an altitude of about 2,000ft (600 metres), it was possible to glimpse places that mark some of the conflict's most devastating chapters – a landscape etched with the scars of its deadliest attacks. These are the sites of bombings and sieges that have been courageously documented by Palestinian journalists – often at the cost of their own lives. More than 230 Palestinian reporters lie buried beneath in hastily dug cemeteries. Airdrops released from the plane. About an hour and a half after takeoff, the plane flies over the ruins of northern Gaza and Gaza City, now a wasteland of crumbling concrete and dust. Buildings are reduced to rubble, roadways pitted with craters, entire neighbourhoods flattened. From this distance it is nearly impossible to see Gaza's inhabitants. Only through a nearly-400mm camera lens is it possible to make out a small group of people standing among the ruins of a shattered landscape – the only sign of life in a place that appears otherwise uninhabitable. As the aircraft approaches the Nuseirat refugee camp, the rear hatch opens and pallets of aid slide out, parachutes blooming behind as they fall toward the ground. 'With today's airdrops, the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army has now conducted 140 airdrop operations, in addition to 293 in cooperation with other countries, delivering 325 tonnes of aid to Gaza since the resumption of airdrops on 27 July,' a note from the Jordanian military reads. Yet such quantities are nowhere close to being enough. Hunger, humanitarian agencies warn, is spreading rapidly through the territory. While airdrops can create the perception that at least something is being done, they are, by common consensus, costly, inefficient and do not get anywhere near to the amount of aid that could be delivered by lorries. In the first 21 months of war, 104 days of airdrops supplied the equivalent of just four days of food for Gaza, Israeli data shows. They can also be deadly; at least 12 people drowned last year trying to recover food that landed in the sea, and at least five were killed when pallets fell on them. Further south, the plane passes over Deir al-Balah, one of the hardest-hit areas in Gaza. There, in the al-Baraka area below, on 22 May, 11-year-old Yaqeen Hammad, known as Gaza's youngest social media influencer, was killed after a series of heavy Israeli airstrikes hit her house while she watered flowers in a tiny patch of greenery eked out of a displacement camp. Pallets parachute down after being dropped from a military plane over Nuseirat. A couple of kilometres further, the aircraft flies near Khan Younis, besieged for months by Israeli forces amid fierce fighting in and around its hospitals. Somewhere in the northern suburbs are the remains of the home of Dr Alaa al-Najjar, a Palestinian paediatrician who worked at al-Tahrir hospital, part of the Nasser medical complex. Her house was bombed in May while she was on shift. Her husband and nine of her 10 children were killed in the attack. From the skies, it is striking just how small Gaza is – a sliver of land that has become the stage for one of the world's bloodiest conflicts. The territory is more than four times smaller than Greater London. In this tiny corner of the Middle East, more than 60,000 people are estimated to have been killed in Israeli strikes. According to health authorities, hundreds more remain buried under the rubble. A few hundred metres beneath us, the Guardian reporter Malak A Tantesh, a journalist and a survivor, works on one of her dispatches. Most of her fellow Guardian reporters, editors and other colleagues are yet to meet Tantesh, due to the Israeli blockade that makes it impossible for Gaza's people to leave. She has been displaced multiple times, lives without reliable access to food or water, and has lost relatives, friends and her home in the fighting. It is a strange and haunting feeling to receive a message from her as the Jordanian aircraft flies above her. As our aircraft turns back toward Jordan, a soldier onboard points toward the hazy horizon to the south. 'That's Rafah down there,' he says. Gaza's southernmost area, Rafah is a region now largely destroyed, where hundreds have died in the scramble for food since the Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation took over food deliveries in May. Just a few kilometres to the east, amid crater-pocked hills, lies the site where, on 23 March, an Israeli military unit struck a convoy of Palestinian emergency vehicles, killing 15 medics and rescue workers who were later buried in a mass grave. After touching down at Jordan's King Abdullah II airbase in Ghabawi, the same question seems to linger among the handful of reporters who boarded the flight: when will we see Gaza again? And after seeing this desert of shattered stones and graves, what more can be destroyed when so much has already been lost? Palestinians rush to collect humanitarian aid airdropped by the United Arab Emirates into Deir al-Balah.
Rhyl Journal
8 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Hezbollah threatens to resume firing at Israel if it intensifies Lebanon action
Naim Kassem's comments came as Lebanon's Cabinet was meeting to discuss Hezbollah's disarmament. Beirut is under US pressure to disarm the group that recently fought a 14-month war with Israel and was left gravely weakened, with many of its political and military leaders dead. Since the war ended in November with a US-brokered ceasefire, Hezbollah officials have said the group will not discuss its disarmament until Israel withdraws from five hills it controls inside Lebanon and stops almost daily airstrikes that have killed or wounded hundreds of people, most of them Hezbollah members. Israel has accused Hezbollah of trying to rebuild its military capabilities. Israel's military has said the five locations in Lebanon provide vantage points or are located across from communities in northern Israel, where about 60,000 Israelis were displaced during the war. Since the ceasefire, Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for one attack on a disputed area along the border. In a televised speech on Tuesday, Kassem said Hezbollah rejects any timetable to hand over its weapons. 'Israel's interest is not to widen the aggression because if they expand, the resistance will defend, the army will defend and the people will defend,' he said. 'This defence will lead to the fall of missiles inside Israel.' Since the war ended, Hezbollah has withdrawn most of its fighters and weapons from the area along the border with Israel south of the Litani river. Last week, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated calls for Hezbollah to give up its weapons, angering the group's leadership. The ceasefire agreement left vague how Hezbollah's weapons and military facilities north of the Litani river should be treated, saying Lebanese authorities should dismantle unauthorised facilities starting with the area south of the river. Hezbollah maintains the deal covers only the area south of the Litani, while Israel and the US say it mandates disarmament of the group throughout Lebanon. Kassem said Hezbollah rejects a government vote over its weapons, saying such a decision should be unanimously backed by all Lebanese. 'No one can deprive Lebanon of its force to protect its sovereignty,' Kassem said. Hezbollah's weapons are a divisive issue among Lebanese, with some groups calling for its disarmament. The Israel-Hezbollah war started a day after the October 7 2023 Hamas-led attack against Israel from Gaza. It left more than 4,000 people dead and caused 11 billion dollars (£8.3 billion) of damage.
Sky News
24 minutes ago
- Sky News
Gaza latest: Netanyahu mulls 'full Gaza takeover' - as Hezbollah leader sends Israel warning
Full occupation 'feels catastrophic' for starvation crisis in Gaza Humanitarian workers are running on barely one meal a day, according to the chief of global aid group Mercy Corps. We caught up with Tjada D'Oyen McKenna, who told us "the food situation remains dire" in Gaza, where her colleagues often only eat lentils or bread once over a whole day. "And they wake up every morning wondering where their next meal will come out or if something will run out there," she told our chief presenter Mark Austin. Virtually the entire population, she added, is dependent on aid at this point. And as Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly gears up for a full occupation of the territory, McKenna warned the already horrific conditions could actually get worse. "From a humanitarian point of view, this feels very catastrophic," she said, on the prospect of full occupation. "It's become virtually impossible for us to move around safely to do our jobs. A record number of humanitarians have been killed. "So, any further action that decreases humanitarian access, that makes it more difficult for us to serve people, that leads to more attacks on the very, very frail health system... that only accelerates the catastrophe that we're seeing." Watch her full remarks in the video below... Netanyahu to discuss Gaza occupation plans with cabinet in 48 hours - report According to Israeli media, Benjamin Netanyahu's top security team will discuss the occupation of Gaza on Thursday. Earlier today, Netanyahu held a three-hour limited security meeting weighing up the options in the territory - see our 16:54 post. That was ahead of a full meeting of the security cabinet, which Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 says will take place on Thursday. Reports suggest it will begin at 6pm (4pm UK time). Underpinning all of this is Netanyahu's reported decision to press ahead with a full occupation of Gaza. As our international correspondent Diana Magnay explains in the post below, it's not clear how that would look or how it would help to achieve Netanyahu's stated aims for the war. Gaza's humanitarian situation 'could get even worse' in full occupation The security meeting in Israel this evening comes amid reports of growing divisions on the way forward between Benjamin Netanyahu and his top military officials. Our international correspondent Diana Magnay said a full occupation of Gaza - which Netanyahu is reportedly considering - was not part of his stated goals for the war. "And will it actually achieve the objective of destroying Hamas? Not necessarily," she said. It's also not clear how this would actually work, with questions around whether this would involve a fully-fledged military administration, which carries legal obligations. "They would have to provide food, clean water, clean the streets, start reconstruction, all of these things that the people of Gaza so desperately need," she added. "But if they do go ahead, I think you can expect even more civilian casualties and a worsening - if that is even possible - of the humanitarian situation, which, as we've seen in the last few weeks and months, is already terrible." Watch her full analysis below... Hezbollah warns 'missiles would fall' on Israel if it attacks Lebanon In a development beyond Gaza but still very much tied to the war, Hezbollah's chief has threatened Israel directly. In a televised speech, Naim Qassem said the militant group and the Lebanese army - which is not part of Hezbollah - would defend themselves if Israel engages in "large-scale aggression". "This defence will lead to missiles falling inside the Israeli entity, and all the security they have built over eight months will collapse within an hour," he added. After Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, Hezbollah opened fire on Israeli positions, declaring solidarity with the Palestinians. But much of Hezbollah's command was killed by Israel, which sent troops into Lebanon's south after nearly a year of trading strikes. In recent weeks, the US and Lebanon - whose government is separate to Hezbollah - have been in talks on roadmap to fully disarm Hezbollah. This would be in exchange for Israel ending its strikes and withdrawing its troops from five points in southern Lebanon. The original proposal included a condition that Lebanon's government pass a cabinet decision pledging to disarm the group. In public, Hezbollah has refused to hand over its arsenal in full, but the group has privately considered scaling it back. Netanyahu's security meeting ends after three hours An update now from the "limited" Israeli security meeting we reported earlier - see 16:22 post. Benjamin Netanyahu's office has released this brief statement: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a limited security discussion today that lasted about three hours, in which the chief of staff presented the options for continuing the campaign in Gaza. The IDF is prepared to implement any decision made by the Political-Security Cabinet. The full security cabinet meeting is expected later this week as Netanyahu and his team reportedly plan for a "full occupation" of Gaza. In pictures: Palestinians gather water as shortages continue to take hold of Gaza These are some of the latest images coming out of Gaza, specifically from Deir al Balah, in the centre of the strip. They show Palestinians gathering water at distribution points amid shortages and widespread fears of growing starvation. Top Israeli officials meeting to discuss Gaza military plan - reports Israel's prime minister has called a limited security meeting today, according to media in the country, which is happening now. Channel 12 reports Benjamin Netanyahu has convened this meeting ahead of a full security cabinet gathering later this week. According to the broadcaster, the meeting will include: Defence minister Israel Katz; IDF chief of staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir; Strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer; and IDF operations directorate head Maj Gen Itzik Cohen. Zamir is reportedly expected to present Netanyahu with several options for continuing the war in Gaza. This comes after the prime minister reportedly decided on the full occupation of Gaza. The goal of this meeting is to finalise a plan to present later this week at the broader cabinet meeting, Channel 12 added. 'Complete defeat of enemy still necessary', says Netanyahu Benjamin Netanyahu has visited IDF recruits at a base near Tel Aviv According to the prime minister's office, he told the new additions: "It is still necessary to complete the defeat of the enemy in Gaza, release our hostages and ensure that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to Israel. "We are not giving up on any of these missions." This comes as he set his mind on the full occupation of Gaza - see our 6:32 post. He shared pictures of the visit on social media. Norway reviewing its mega sovereign wealth fund's Israeli investments A review is under way in Norway to ensure its near-$2trn sovereign wealth fund does not include investments in Israeli companies contributing to the occupation of the West Bank or the war in Gaza. That follows a report by the Aftenposten daily revealing the fund had built a stake in an Israeli jet engine group providing services to Israel's armed forces, including the maintenance of fighter jets, in 2023-24. Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told public broadcaster NRK the fund's investment in the Bet Shemesh Engines Ltd (BSEL) group is worrying. "We must get clarification on this because reading about it makes me uneasy," he said. BSEL has not yet responded to a request for comment. Italy 'favours recognising Palestinian state' - but won't make decision now Italy's foreign minister and deputy prime minister says the government "favours recognising a Palestinian state". Antonio Tajani said, however, that decision was"not possible now because it doesn't exist". "Recognising Palestine when it doesn't exist is a legal fiction," he added. "It's not a political choice." It follows the UK, Canada and France announcing that they are planning to recognise Palestine as a state from September in a major policy shift. The three countries have said they will make the formal announcement at the UN General Assembly - but the UK and Canada said the move could be stopped if Israel meets several conditions. Tajani also addressed reports Benjamin Netanyahu has decided on the full occupation of Gaza. "Hamas has enormous responsibilities and is trying to raise the price," he added. "They need to go away, but I don't believe the right response is to invade Gaza. "We risk more deaths, and that's unacceptable."
