Gaza civil defence says 18 killed across territory
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.
The spokesman said strikes hit areas elsewhere in central Gaza, resulting in multiple casualties.
He later added that a drone attack near the southern city of Khan Younis killed at least three people and injured several others.
Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing swathes of the territory mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence and the Israeli military.
Thousands of Palestinians congregate daily near food distribution points in Gaza, including four managed by the U.S. and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
Since launching in late May, its operations have been marred by almost-daily reports of Israeli forces firing on those waiting to collect aid.
Israeli restrictions on the entry of supplies into Gaza since the start of the war nearly two years ago have led to shortages of food and essential supplies, including medicine and fuel, which hospitals require to power their generators.
Prime Minister Benjamin 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.
But 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, Netanyahu has remained defiant over the decision.
In a post on social media late Friday, he said 'we are not going to occupy Gaza -- we are going to free Gaza from Hamas'.
The Palestinian militant group, whose October 7, 2023 attack triggered the war, has slammed the plan to expand the fighting as a 'new war crime'.
Israel's offensive has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry, figures the UN says are reliable.
Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
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NDTV
17 minutes ago
- NDTV
'Freedom Of Speech Regulated By Israel?' Congress On Envoy-Priyanka Gandhi Row
New Delhi: Reuven Azar criticising Priyanka Gandhi Vadra - after she accused Tel Aviv of genocide in Palestine - has been condemned by the Congress' Pawan Khera and Gaurav Gogoi. In a long X post Mr Khera slammed Mr Azar and said his criticism of a sitting Member of Parliament is 'both unprecedented and intolerable'. Tagging Mr Jaishankar, the Congress leader demanded the Israeli diplomat's attempt to 'publicly intimidate' Priyanka Gandhi be shut down. Mr Khera also demanded Parliament act 'even if the Union Government is silent...' "That the Ambassador of a State accused of genocide worldwide would target a sitting Member of Parliament... is a direct affront to the dignity of Indian democracy," he said. That the ambassador of a state accused of genocide worldwide would target a sitting Member of the Indian Parliament is both unprecedented and intolerable. It is a direct affront to the dignity of Indian democracy. @DrSJaishankar – Will you address the Israeli Ambassador's public… — Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) August 12, 2025 "Will Dr Jaishankar address the Israeli Ambassador's public attempt to intimidate Priyanka Gandhi? Or has freedom of speech in India now begun to be regulated from Israel?" Mr Khera also tagged Mr Azar and slammed him for killing civilians in Gaza, 'including those queuing for aid'. "No amount of whitewashing or deflection can obscure the facts," he said. Apart from Mr Khera, the Congress' Gaurav Gogoi also hit out. "The disparaging comments made by a foreign Ambassador against a Member of Parliament of India is a serious breach of privilege. Even if the Union Government is silent, the Parliament cannot remain a passive spectator..." he said on X. The disparaging comments made by a foreign Ambassador against a Member of Parliament of India is a serious breach of privilege. Even if the Union Government is silent, the Parliament cannot remain a passive spectator. — Gaurav Gogoi (@GauravGogoiAsm) August 13, 2025 Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had tweeted, "The Israeli state is committing genocide. It has murdered over 60,000 people, 18,430 of whom were children. It has starved hundreds to death including many children and is threatening to starve millions." She further condemned global silence, stating, "Enabling these crimes by silence and inaction is a crime in itself," and criticized the Indian government, adding, "It is shameful that the Indian Government stands silent as Israel unleashes this devastation on the people of Palestine." What is shameful is your deceit. Israel Killed 25,000 Hamas terrorists. The terrible cost in human lives derives from Hamas's heinous tactics of hiding behind civilians, their shooting of people trying to evacuate or receive assistance and their rocket fire. Israel facilitated 2… — 🇮🇱 Reuven Azar (@ReuvenAzar) August 12, 2025 In response to her remarks, Mr Azar said, "What is shameful is your deceit. Israel Killed 25,000 Hamas terrorists. The terrible cost in human lives derives from Hamas's heinous tactics of hiding behind civilians, their shooting of people trying to evacuate or receive assistance and their rocket fire." He also highlighted Israel's humanitarian efforts, saying, "Israel facilitated 2 million tonnes of food into Gaza while Hamas tries to sequestrate them, thereby creating hunger." This exchange comes amid intensifying violence and growing international debate over the humanitarian crisis and civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip. Adding to the rising tensions, Ms Gandhi Vadra condemned the killing of five Al Jazeera journalists, calling it a "heinous crime" and accusing Israel of trying to silence truth through "violence and hatred".
The Print
an hour ago
- The Print
‘Israel created Hamas' but we will not label it a terrorist group, says Palestine's envoy to India
Though he said Hamas was 'an essential part of the Palestinian people,' he drew a sharp distinction with the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). Hamas, Shawesh reminded, had 'expelled us from Gaza in 2007'. The envoy also distanced the Palestinian Authority from the 7 October attacks by Hamas to which Israel responded with military action that has been ongoing for over a year and a half. 'We are not in agreement with Hamas on 7 October. President (Mahmoud) Abbas was clear—hostages should be released,' he said. New Delhi: Hamas was 'created by Israel' but Palestinians will not accept anyone designating it as a terrorist organisation, Palestinian Ambassador to India Abdullah Abu Shawesh asserted in a wide-ranging interaction with The Print. Tracing the origins of Hamas, the ambassador accused Israel, with alleged encouragement from the British, of facilitating the rise of the Islamist movement in the late 1980s to undermine the PLO, which had by then gained international recognition as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. 'After the Arab League and India recognised the PLO in 1974, Israel chose not to sit at the negotiating table. Instead, it created al-Mujamma al-Islamiya, the original Hamas, under Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. They destroyed the Palestinian Authority's security apparatus and allowed Hamas to fill the vacuum,' he told ThePrint. At the same time, he made it clear that Palestine will not designate Hamas as a terror organisation, adding that India too doesn't designate it as a terror outfit. 'Hamas is an essential part of the Palestinian people. But Hamas doesn't represent the Palestinian people. As the Palestinian Fatah movement, led by Yasser Arafat, we believe resisting occupation—including through armed struggle—is a right under international law. Therefore, we reject any attempt to designate Hamas as a terrorist group,' he said. In the interaction, replete with historical references, the envoy sought to offer a deeply personal, unfiltered counter-narrative to mainstream accounts of the Israel-Hamas conflict, particularly in the wake of the 7 October terror attacks. Also Read: As Gaza's doctors die, a young woman abandons her plans to become a teacher to one day take their place PLO vs Hamas Shawesh stressed that the PLO, led by Abbas, supports peaceful resistance and diplomacy, in contrast to Hamas's more militant stance. However, he was equally firm that whether Hamas is a terrorist or a revolutionary organisation is debatable. But Hamas, he maintained, remains 'a central part' to the Palestinian people. With Hamas currently excluded from contesting Palestinian elections, the ambassador explained that this was because 'it has not accepted the political obligations of the PLO'. 'Anyone who wants to participate in our political life must accept the PLO's obligations. That includes recognition of the Oslo Accords and our right to build a state on just 22 percent of our historical land,' he explained. 'Why does history begin on 7 October? No one talks about the 400 Palestinians killed before that day in 2023 alone, or the thousands languishing in Israeli prisons,' Shawesh said, referring to the narratives post the 2023 conflict. He called for an international inquiry into the events of 7 October, before and after. 'We want the truth. Who supported Hamas? Who facilitated 7 October? Let's investigate it all.' Drawing parallels with India's colonial past, he said, the Palestinians are facing the same circumstances. 'In 1857, India faced the exact same situation that we are facing today. Thousands of your ancestors were slaughtered because they started a military resistance. History is there, and we, the Palestinians, copy you.' The ambassador highlighted India's early support for the Palestinian cause, especially its 1947 vote against the UN partition plan. 'India was the first after the Arab League to recognise the PLO in 1974. But today, the Israeli ambassador is on your TV screens daily. We are not even given a chance to speak,' he said. Adding, 'We are the victims of occupation and unfortunately, we are even denied the right to tell our story.' 'No comparison between 7 Oct & Pahalgam' The Palestinian ambassador also asserted that there should be no comparison between the October 7 attack by Hamas and the Pahalgam terror attack, calling such comparisons not on India's 'side at all.' 'No one should compare what happened two months ago with what happened on 7 October at all. Your army is not an occupation army. You are not an occupier. You have your own border. This happened according to your government, at least,' Shawesh said. 'You are not occupying. You are not targeting the people because they are Muslim, or because they are Hindus, or your army targeting them because they are X or Y of faith. We used to be targeted because we are Gazans, we are Palestinians.' Shawesh was clear that while India did deliver a measured response to Pakistan, there were 'no massacres' committed by the Indian armed forces. The Palestinian ambassador further highlighted that the Indian military is not blacklisted by the United Nations for failing to protect children. In comparison, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) was in June added to a list of 'offenders failing to protect children'. The stark differences between the IDF and the Indian military make any comparison between the events of April and May in South Asia an 'unfair comparison' for Indian society as a whole, the Palestinian envoy said. At least 60,000 people have been killed in the Gaza strip since Israel began its retaliation for the 7 October attacks. Large parts of Gaza have been destroyed in over 650 days of consistent bombardment by Israel. In a conversation with ThePrint last month, Israel Ambassador Reuven Azar sought to cast Tel Aviv's action in Gaza in a similar vein to New Delhi's Operation Sindoor. India's retaliation to Pahalgam targeted terrorist complexes and infrastructure across Pakistan, including Jaish-e-Mohammad's Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's Muridke facilities. Azar had highlighted that the events of 7 October that left nearly 1,100 Israelis dead and a further 250 taken hostage was roughly 10,000 times in intensity to the Pahalgam terrorist attack, when comparing the populations of India and Israel. On his part, the Palestinian envoy sought to explain the situation in Gaza using a similar yardstick. 'Can I use this scale? We are talking about 7 percent of the Gazans who were killed and injured. God forbid, compare it to the 1.5 billion Indians. How many million? 95 percent of the Gazan people are totally living in man-made shelters, as displaced persons.' 'This means that, because I'm using the same exact scale to measure, to compare, this means that approximately 1.3 billion, if not more, of the Indians have lost their homes.' (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: 4 of Five Eyes & 24 other nations condemn Israel's actions in Gaza, call for it to stop
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First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Will Pakistan go to war with India over the Indus Waters? Or are the threats hollow?
The threats continue from across the border. After Asim Munir and Bilawal Bhutto, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued a warning over India's decision to pause the Indus Waters Treaty, saying it would teach the 'enemy' a 'lesson it would never forget'. But is there more to it than just words? Fishermen ride their boats in the Indus River. India's decision to pause the Indus Waters Treaty has led to several Pakistani officials to issue threats. File image/AFP In the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam attack, India took stern steps announcing that it was pausing the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating, 'Now, India's water will flow for India's benefit, it will be conserved for India's benefit, and it will be used for India's progress.' However, this move of putting the years-old treaty on hold has enraged Pakistan — with its prime minister now issuing threats to New Delhi, saying the 'enemy' would not be allowed to snatch 'even one drop' of water belonging to his country. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD His remarks come after Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and its former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto issued similar threats. But should these threats worry India? What did Sharif say on IWT? Any attempt to block water flows into Pakistan would violate the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and provoke a 'decisive response', Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday, issuing a stern warning to India yet again. Addressing an event in Islamabad, Sharif was quoted by Geo News as saying, 'The enemy cannot snatch even a single drop of water from Pakistan. If you attempt such a move, we will teach you a lesson you will never forget.' He described water as Pakistan's 'lifeline' and vowed no compromise on the nation's rights under international agreements. What about Bhutto and Asim Munir? Sharif's remarks come after former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari made similar comments, terming the Indus Waters Treaty's suspension an attack on the Indus Valley Civilisation and said Pakistan would not back down if India forced it into war. While speaking at a function on Monday, the Pakistani leader say the country is 'strong enough for war to get back all six rivers,' vowing that Pakistan 'will never bow down'. According to a report by Express Tribune, Bhutto said that the Indus is the singular major water source for the entire country and that the Indus valley civilisation has remained connected with the river for aeons. 'We have fought wars in the past, but the Indus was never attacked, and no one even thought of building dams or canals on the river.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Even Pakistan's Field Marshal Asim Munir issued threats against India over the Indus Waters Treaty. From US soil, the war-mongering general said that Islamabad would destroy any dam if it cut off water flow to Pakistan. 'We will wait for India to build a dam, and when it does so, phir 10 missile sey faarigh kar dengey [we will destroy it with 10 missiles],' he was quoted as saying by The Print. India's decision to pause the Indus Waters Treaty in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, enraged many in Pakistan. File image/Reuters Do these threats hold any water? However, it seems that these remarks are part of just empty rhetoric. The treaty has a redressal system in which disputes are first taken up at the level of the Indus Commissioners of India and Pakistan, then escalated to the World Bank-appointed Neutral Expert, and finally to the International Court of Arbitration (CoA) in The Hague. The World Bank itself has no jurisdiction in the matter with President Ajay Banga stating that the said that the agency has no role to play beyond a facilitator in the Indus Waters Treaty signed between India and Pakistan in 1960 for sharing of waters of Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab. 'We have no role to play beyond a facilitator. There's a lot of speculation in the media about how the World Bank will step in and fix the problem, but it's all bunk. The World Bank's role is merely as a facilitator,' World Bank President, Ajay Banga, was quoted as saying earlier. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Moreover, India has also rejected the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague in this matter. New Delhi has maintained that it does not recognise this body and had earlier insisted that a neutral expert should handle the matter. However, the PCA proceeded, resulting in India boycotting the proceedings, terming them as 'illegal'. In fact, on August 11, the PCA ruled that India must adhere to the Indus Waters Treaty in the design of new hydro-electric power stations on rivers that flow west to Pakistan endorsing Islamabad's position. In its ruling, it noted that it 'does not permit India to generate hydro-electric power on the Western Rivers based on what might be the ideal or best practices approach for engineering' of these projects. However, India has rejected this, maintaining that the arbitration process was unilaterally initiated by Pakistan, violating the treaty's dispute resolution mechanism and undermining bilateral dialogue. The Indus Waters Treaty is very crucial to Pakistan, as it lays down terms for the waters of the Indus River, a crucial lifeline for both countries. File image/Reuters Why is the Indus Waters so important to Pakistan? But why all of this hoopla over pact signed way back in 1960? Pakistan gets around 80 per cent of the Indus basin water, making it one of the largest irrigation systems in the world. About 80 per cent of Pakistan's farmland or nearly 16 million hectares, depends on this water, and 90 per cent of it goes into irrigation. Now, if the water was to dry up here as a result of India holding back water in its reservoirs, Pakistan's farmers might struggle to sow key crops like cotton and paddy on time. This would eventually hurt the country's economy. There's also the matter of power; the lack of water could squeeze power generation, hit factory production and drive electricity prices even higher. And that's bad news because Pakistan's power sector is already drowning in $9 billion of circular debt. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Only time will tell if Pakistan resorts to military solutions on the Indus Waters Treaty. For now, it's a wait and watch game? With inputs from agencies
