Israeli court delays Netanyahu's testimony in corruption trial, citing national security priorities
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New Straits Times
34 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Israel's push on Gaza City triggers mass protests, global alarm
FEARING an Israeli onslaught could come soon, some Palestinian families began leaving eastern areas of Gaza City, now under constant Israeli bombardment, for points to the west and some explored evacuating further south. 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 50 hostages held by Palestinian fighters in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described Gaza City as Hamas' last bastion. But, with Israel already holding 75 per cent of Gaza, the military has warned that expanding the offensive could endanger hostages still alive and draw troops into protracted and deadly guerilla warfare. In Gaza City, many Palestinians have also been calling for protests soon to demand an end to a war that has demolished much of the territory. An Israeli armoured incursion into Gaza City could see the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom have been uprooted multiple times earlier in the war. "The people of Gaza City are like someone who received a death sentence and is awaiting execution," said Tamer Burai, a Gaza City businessman. "I am moving my parents and my family to the south today or tomorrow. I can't risk losing any of them should there be a surprising invasion," he said via a chat app. A protest is scheduled for tomorrow in Gaza City by different unions, and people took to social media platforms vowing to participate, for an end to the war. The last round of indirect ceasefire talks ended late last month in deadlock. Israel says it will agree to cease hostilities if all the hostages are released and Hamas lays down its arms — the latter demand publicly rejected by the group until a Palestinian state is established. Last Saturday, the Israeli military said it was preparing to help equip Gazans with tents and other shelter equipment ahead of relocating them from combat zones to the south of the enclave. It did not provide further details on quantities or how long it would take to get the equipment into the enclave. Palestinian economist Mohammad Abu Jayyab said at least 100,000 new tents would be needed to house those heading to central and southern areas of the coastal strip should Israel begin its offensive or the army orders Gaza City's entire population to evacuate. "The existing tents where people are living have worn out, and they wouldn't protect people against rainwater. There are no new tents in Gaza because of the (Israeli) restrictions on aid at the (border) crossings," said Abu Jayyab. He said some families from Gaza City had begun renting property and shelters in the south and moved in their belongings. "Some people learnt from previous experience, and they don't want to be taken by surprise. Also, some think it is better to move earlier to find a space," Abu Jayyab added. The United Nations humanitarian office said last week 1.35 million people were already in need of emergency shelter items in Gaza. Since Oct 7, 2023, more than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's air and ground war in Gaza.
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Syrian president says unifying country 'should not be with blood'
DAMASCUS: Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has said the battle to unify his country after years of civil war 'should not be with blood', rejecting any partition and accusing Israel of meddling in the south. His remarks, released by state TV on Sunday, came as hundreds demonstrated in south Syria's Sweida province, denouncing sectarian violence last month and calling for the right to self-determination for the Druze-majority province. 'We still have another battle ahead of us to unify Syria, and it should not be with blood and military force... it should be through some kind of understanding because Syria is tired of war,' Sharaa said during a dialogue session involving notables from the northwest province of Idlib and other senior officials. 'I do not see Syria as at risk of division. Some people desire a process of dividing Syria and trying to establish cantons... this matter is impossible,' he said according to a recording of the meeting, distributed overnight by state media. 'Some parties seek to gain power through regional power, Israel or others. This is also extremely difficult and cannot be implemented,' he said. At the protest in Sweida, some demonstrators waved the Israeli flag and called for self-determination for the region. A week of bloodshed in Sweida began on July 13 with clashes between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin, but rapidly escalated, drawing in government forces, with Israel also carrying out strikes. Syrian authorities have said their forces intervened to stop the clashes, but witnesses, Druze factions and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights have accused them of siding with the Bedouin and committing abuses against the Druze, including summary executions. Sharaa said that Sweida 'witnessed many violations from all sides... some members of the security forces and army in Syria also carried out some violations'. The state is required 'to hold all perpetrators of violations to account', whatever their affiliation, he added. 'Israel is intervening directly in Sweida, seeking to implement policies aimed at weakening the state in general or finding excuses to interfere in ongoing policies in the southern region,' Sharaa said. Israel, which has its own Druze community, has said it has acted to defend the minority group as well as enforce its demands for the demilitarisation of southern Syria. Syria's new authorities are also in talks with a semi-autonomous Kurdish administration that runs swathes of the country's north and northeast and has called for decentralisation, which Damascus has rejected. Implementation of a March 10 deal on integrating the Kurds' semi-autonomous civil and military institutions into the state has been held up by differences between the parties. 'We are now discussing the mechanisms for implementation' of the deal, Sharaa said - AFP
New Straits Times
6 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Mediators await Israeli response to new truce offer
JERUSALEM: Mediators were awaiting an Israeli response Tuesday to a fresh Gaza ceasefire plan, a day after Hamas accepted the proposal and signalled its readiness for a new round of talks aimed at ending nearly two years of war. The foes have held on-and-off indirect negotiations throughout the war resulting in two short truces and the releases of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, but they have ultimately failed to broker a lasting ceasefire. The efforts have been mediated by Egypt and Qatar, backed by the US, with frequent rounds of shuttle diplomacy aiming to break the deadlock. Egypt said Monday that it and Qatar had sent the new proposal to Israel, adding "the ball is now in its court." According to a report in Egyptian state-linked outlet Al-Qahera, the latest deal proposes an initial 60-day truce, a partial hostage release, the freeing of some Palestinian prisoners and provisions allowing for the entry of aid. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to publicly comment on the plan, but said last week that his country would accept "an agreement in which all the hostages are released at once and according to our conditions for ending the war." Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said on social media that his group had "opened the door wide to the possibility of reaching an agreement, but the question remains whether Netanyahu will once again close it, as he has done in the past." Hamas's acceptance of the proposal comes as Netanyahu faces increasing pressure at home and abroad to end the war. On Sunday, tens of thousands took to the streets in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv to call for the end of the war and a deal to free the remaining hostages still being held captive. Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas's October 2023 attack that triggered the war, 49 are still in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. The new proposal also comes after Israel's security cabinet approved plans to conquer Gaza City and nearby refugee camps, fanning fears the new offensive will worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the devastated territory. Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir – who has staunchly opposed ending the war – slammed the plan, warning of a "tragedy" if Netanyahu "gives in to Hamas." Gaza's civil defence agency reported that 27 people were killed Tuesday by Israeli strikes and fire across the territory. Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP the situation was "very dangerous and unbearable" in the Zeitoun and Sabra neighbourhoods of Gaza City, where he said "artillery shelling continues intermittently." The Israeli military declined to comment on specific troop movements, saying only that it was "operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities" and took "feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm." Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing swathes of the Palestinian territory mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency or the Israeli military. Sabra resident Hussein al-Dairi, 44, said "tanks are firing shells and mortars, and drones are firing bullets and missiles" in the neighbourhood. "We heard on the news that Hamas had agreed to a truce, but the occupation is escalating the war against us, the civilians," he added. Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's offensive has killed more than 62,004 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza which the United Nations considers reliable.
