War-weary Gazans share images of destruction in Israel
Iranian missiles struck Tel Aviv and the Israeli port city of Haifa before dawn on Monday, killing at least eight people, part of a wave of attacks by Tehran in retaliation for Israel's strikes targeting its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
"The Iranian response was a surprise to me, to many Palestinians, and the Israelis too. Everyone thought it would be mild and theatrical," said Mohammad Jamal, 27, a resident of Gaza City.
"Watching rockets fall without the stupid Iron Dome being able to stop them is a joy, and seeing buildings collapsing and fires everywhere reminds me of the destruction the occupation brought on Gaza, yet I can't even begin to compare," he told Reuters via a chat app.
The Iron Dome is the part of Israel's multi-layered missile defence system that tackles the kind of short-range rockets and mortars fired by Hamas militants from Gaza.
Tahrir, a 34-year-old mother-of-four, said their house was destroyed in the Shejaia suburb, east of Gaza City, in the early weeks of the war in 2023, and her family has since been displaced several times.
"Finally, many Israelis felt what we have felt for 20 months, fear, loss of faith, and displacement," she said.
"I hope that this time, they will press their government to end the war in Gaza because all of what is happening with Iran is part of the wider Gaza war."
The latest fatalities in Israel, reported by Israel's national emergency services, raised its death toll to 23 since Friday. Israeli attacks in Iran have killed at least 224 people since Friday, Iran's health ministry has said.
With Israel saying its operation could last weeks, fears have grown of a regional conflagration dragging in outside powers.
"I was never a fan of Iran, I still don't like them because of their intervention in Gaza and other Arab countries, but seeing them retaliate for real, not a play like in previous times, made me happy, despite all the sadness around me," said Amr Salah, 29.
"It is nothing compared to what Israel did to Gaza, but at least a taste of it. It is maybe time to end all of this, in Gaza too," he added.
The war in Gaza erupted 20 months ago after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, taking 251 hostages and killing 1,200 people, most of them civilians, according to Israeli tallies, on October 7, 2023.
Israel's military campaign since has killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Gaza, and flattened much of the densely populated strip, which is home to more than 2 million people. Most of the population is displaced and malnutrition is widespread.
Despite efforts by the United States, Egypt and Qatar to restore a ceasefire in Gaza, neither Israel nor Hamas has shown willingness to back down on core demands, with each side blaming the other for the failure to reach a deal.
Hamas-led factions praised the retaliatory strikes by Iran.
"Scenes of Iranian missiles striking the strongholds and hideouts of the Zionists carry with them a sense of pride, dignity, and honour that shatters Zionist arrogance and dominance," said a statement issued in the name of the Hamas-led "Factions of Resistance".
Hamas leaders have repeatedly thanked Iran for its military and financial support to the group in its fight against Israel, including during the current war.
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The Guardian
23 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Netanyahu criticises protests in Israel against his handling of Gaza war
Benjamin Netanyahu has criticised massive street protests against his handling of the Gaza war, and failure to secure the release of remaining Israeli hostages, suggesting demonstrators were giving comfort to Hamas's position in negotiations. The Israeli prime minister made his comments against the backdrop of the largest protests in almost two years of war, with estimates that upwards of 400,000 people joined marches across Israel on Sunday. 'The people who are calling today for the war's end without Hamas's defeat are not only toughening Hamas's stance and distancing our hostages' release, they are also ensuring that the atrocities of October 7 will recur time and again, and that our sons and daughters will have to fight time and again in an endless war. 'Therefore, in order to advance our hostages' release and to ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel, we have to finish the job and defeat Hamas,' said Netanyahu in a statement. The Palestinian health ministry said on Monday that more than 62,000 Palestinians had been killed in the 22-month war in Gaza. At least 60 people were killed in the past 24 hours, bringing to to 62,004 the death toll from the Israel-Hamas war that started on 7 October 2023. A further 156,230 had been wounded, the ministry said. While the day of protest was called by supporters of Israeli hostage families, the scale of the demonstrations suggests increasingly sharp divisions in Israeli society over a conflict that has yet to deliver the return of hostages at a mounting economic, diplomatic and social cost for the country. With 50 hostages still held in Gaza – of whom about 20 are believed still to be alive – some of those attending the march carried signs referencing the death of the dual US-Israeli citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was killed by his captors last October along with five other hostages as Israeli troops approached where they were being held. Placards repeated a sentiment expressed by Goldberg-Polin's father at his son's funeral – 'may your memory be a revolution' – adapting the familiar Jewish expression of condolence 'may your memory be a blessing'. Responding to Netanyahu's remarks, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum lambasted the Israeli prime minister, saying: 'They have been languishing in Gaza for 22 months, on your watch.' Netanyahu, who is wanted by the international criminal court over allegations of war crimes in Gaza, was also fiercely criticised by the Israeli opposition leader, Yair Golan, as a man who 'lies as he breathes'. He said: 'The man who time and again refused to eliminate Hamas's leaders before October 7, who funnelled hundreds of millions of dollars from Qatar to finance the tunnels and weapons that threaten our hostages. 'This is the same Netanyahu who strengthened Hamas back then, and it is he who is strengthening Hamas now as well. Netanyahu doesn't know how to win and doesn't want to free the hostages. He needs an eternal war in order to cling to his seat and to escape a commission of inquiry [into the 7 October Hamas attack that triggered the war]. 'Israel will be liberated from Hamas only once we are liberated from the government of Netanyahu, and [his far-right allies Bezalel] Smotrich and [Itamar] Ben-Gvir.' The protests follow the decision by the Israeli cabinet earlier this month to launch a new military operation in Gaza City despite warnings by security officials it would put the lives of the remaining hostages in peril. On Monday, Netanyahu appeared to receive the public support of the US president for his strategy. Donald Trump wrote on social media: 'We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!! The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be.' Amid the threat of an imminent Israeli ground offensive, thousands of Palestinians are leaving their homes in eastern areas of Gaza City, under constant Israeli bombardment, for points to the west and south of the shattered territory. Israel's plan to seize control of Gaza City has stirred alarm abroad and at home, where tens of thousands of Israelis held some of the largest protests seen since the war began, urging a deal to end the fighting and free the remaining hostages. The planned offensive has spurred Egyptian and Qatari ceasefire mediators to step up efforts in what a source familiar with the talks with Hamas militants in Cairo said could be 'the last-ditch attempt'. Netanyahu has described Gaza City as Hamas's last big urban bastion. But, with Israel already holding 75% of Gaza, the military has warned that expanding the offensive could endanger hostages still alive and draw troops into protracted and deadly guerrilla warfare.
Reuters
27 minutes ago
- Reuters
Hamas told mediators it approves latest Gaza ceasefire proposal, group official says
CAIRO, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Hamas has informed mediators that it approves the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal, a group official told Reuters on Monday. The official did not provide further details.
BBC News
30 minutes ago
- BBC News
Wetin be Israel controversial E1 settlement plan, wey threaten to 'bury di idea of Palestinian state'?
Plans for a controversial settlement project wey Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich say go "bury di idea of a Palestinian state" don spark widespread criticism. Di so-called E1 scheme to build 3,401 homes in di occupied West Bank - between East Jerusalem and di Maale Adumim settlement - don dey frozen for decades amid fierce opposition. Di vast majority of di international community consider di settlements illegal under international law, although Israel dispute dis. On Wednesday, Smotrich bin back di scheme, call di decision a "historic achievement". Di Palestinian foreign ministry don call di plan "an extension of crimes of genocide, displacement and annexation" - accusations Israel long don reject. Di UN, the EU and various kontries, such as di UK and Turkey, don also criticise di E1 settlement plan and called for am to dey stopped. Wetin be di E1 settlement plan? Settlements na one of di most contentious issues between Israel and di Palestinians. Di E1 settlement project, first dey proposed under Yitzhak Rabin in di 1990s, begin wit initial plans for 2,500 homes. In 2004 e bin dey expanded to around 4,000 units along wit commercial and tourism facilities. Between 2009 and 2020 new phases dey announced, including land confiscations, design plans and road construction. But di proposals dey frozen each time due to international pressure. Why e dey so controversial? Developing di E1 area long don dey seen as effectively blocking di establishment of a Palestinian state. Dat na sake of say di E1 site strategic position: e separate areas south of Jerusalem from those to im north and go prevent a contiguous Palestinian urban area wey connect Ramallah, East Jerusalem and Bethlehem. According to di Israeli group Peace Now, wey dey monitor settlement activity in di West Bank, di new housing units go represent a 33% increase in di size of di Maale Adumim settlement, wey currently get population of around 38,000 residents. Di project go connect di residential area to surrounding industrial zones and go pave di way for expanding Israeli control over large parts of di West Bank, according to Peace Now. Di group tok say di final approval hearing for di E1 settlement plan go hold next Wednesday by a technical committee wey don already reject all objections to di proposals. Wetin be di occupied West Bank? Di West Bank na di land between Israel and di River Jordan and na home to an estimated three million Palestinians. Along wit East Jerusalem and Gaza, e be part of wetin dey widely known as di Occupied Palestinian Territories. E get about 160 Israeli settlements, housing about 700,000 Jews, in di West Bank and East Jerusalem. Di Palestinians don always oppose Israel presence in dis areas. Israel still get overall control of di West Bank, but since di 1990s, a Palestinian govment - known as di Palestinian Authority - don run most of im towns and cities. Since Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, Israel pressure on West Bank Palestinians don increase sharply, wey justify as legitimate security measures. In June, di UN recorded di highest monthly injury toll of Palestinians in over two decades - state say 100 Palestinians don dey injured by Israeli settlers. During di first half of 2025, e bin record 757 settler attacks wey bin result in Palestinian casualties or property damage – a 13% increase on di same period in 2024. Palestinians and human rights groups also accuse di Israeli security forces say dem fail for dia legal duty as occupiers to protect Palestinians as well as dia own citizens - not just turning a blind eye to settler attacks, but even join in, according to a 2024 report from Human Rights Watch. Israel claims say di Geneva Conventions wey forbid settlement for occupied territories no apply - a view disputed by many of im own allies as well as international lawyers. Palestinians want all Israeli settlements to dey removed as dey see di occupied West Bank as land for a future independent Palestinian state. However, di Israeli govment no recognise di right of di Palestinians to have dia own state and argue say di West Bank na part of di Israeli homeland. In July 2024, di top court of di UN, di International Court of Justice (ICJ), tok say Israel kontinu presence in di Occupied Palestinian Territories dey illegal and Israel should withdraw di settlers. Among im oda far-reaching conclusions, di court tok say Israeli restrictions on Palestinians in di occupied territories constitute "systemic discrimination based on, inter alia, race, religion or ethnic origin". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu say court don make a "decision of lies". "Di Jewish pipo no be occupiers in dia own land - not in our eternal capital Jerusalem, nor in our ancestral heritage of Judea and Samaria [di West Bank]", Mr Netanyahu tok for statement. How di world don react to di E1 plan? Following im announcement on di plan, Smotrich bin thank US President Donald Trump and Ambassador Mike Huckabee for dia support, affirm say, in im view, di West Bank na "one inseparable part of di Land of Israel promised by God". E also tok say di Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu support im plans to bring one million new settlers into di West Bank. Di Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned di E1 project, call am an attack on di unity of Palestinian territory and a blow to di possibility to establish a state. Tok na say di plan undermine geographic and demographic cohesion and entrenches di division of di West Bank into isolated areas wey dey surrounded by colonial expansion, making annexation easier. In response to di plans to build in di E1 area, di US State Department tok say "a stable West Bank keep Israel secure and dey in line wit dis administration goal to achieve peace in di region". However, di UN and di EU don instead urge Israel not to progress di plan. Di UN tok say construction in di E1 area go sever di northern and southern West Bank, "severely undermine di prospects for di realization of a viable, contiguous Palestinian State". Kaja Kallas, di EU foreign policy chief, tok say di E1 new settlement plan "further undermine di two-state solution while e be breach of international law". UK Foreign Minister David Lammy bin oppose di plans, say dey go "divide a future Palestinian state in two and mark a flagrant breach of international law". Turkey foreign ministry also condemn di decision, say e "disregards international law" and targets di "territorial integrity" of di state of Palestine. Egypt bin call di project a "flagrant violation of international law and Security Council resolutions." Di Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also oppose di scheme, describe am as assault on di "inalienable right of di Palestinian pipo to establish an independent and sovereign state based on di 4 June 1967 borders, wit East Jerusalem as im capital". Di E1 announcement come shortly afta various kontries, such as France and Canada, say dey plan to recognise one Palestinian state later dis year. Currently most kontries - 147 of di UN 193 member states - formally recognise a Palestinian state. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer say di UK go also recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel meet certain conditions, including agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza and revive di prospect of a two-state solution. Following di announcement of di E1 new settlement plan, Smotrich tok say go be "no state to recognise". "Whoever in di world dey try to recognise a Palestinian state today go receive our answer on di ground. No be wit documents nor wit decisions or statements, but wit facts. Facts of houses, facts of neighbourhoods," e add. Additional reporting by Alla Daraghme and Muhannad Tutanji from BBC News Arabic.
