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Syrian forces struggle to enforce Druze region truce

Syrian forces struggle to enforce Druze region truce

The Advertiser7 days ago
Sectarian clashes have escalated in Syria's predominantly Druze region of Sweida, with machine gun fire and mortar shelling ringing out after days of bloodshed as the Islamist-led government struggles to implement a ceasefire.
Reuters reporters heard gunfire from inside the city of Sweida and saw shells land in nearby villages.
There were no immediate, confirmed reports of casualties.
The government had said security forces were deploying in the southern region to try to keep peace, and urged all parties to stop fighting after nearly a week of factional bloodshed in which hundreds have been killed.
Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said "Arab and American" mediation had helped restore calm, before the clashes escalated.
He criticised Israel for air strikes during the week.
The fighting is the latest challenge to the control of Sharaa's jihadist-dominated government, which took over after rebels toppled autocratic president Bashar al-Assad in December.
It started last week as clashes between the Druze - a religious minority native to southern Syria, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and parts of Lebanon and Jordan - and Syrian Bedouin tribes.
Government forces then arrived to try to quell tensions, clashing with Druze gunmen and attacking the Druze community.
Saturday's violence once again pitted Druze against Bedouin, witnesses said.
The fighting has drawn in neighbouring Israel, which carried out air strikes in southern Syria and on the Defence Ministry in Damascus this week while government forces were fighting with the Druze.
Israel says it is protecting the Druze, who also form a significant minority in Israel.
But Israel and the United States differ over Syria.
The US supports a centralised Syria under Sharaa's government, which has pledged to rule for all citizens, while Israel says the government is dominated by jihadists and a danger to minorities.
In March, Syria's military was involved in mass killings of members of the Alawite minority to which much of Assad's elite belonged.
In a statement on Saturday, the Syrian presidency announced an immediate ceasefire and urged an immediate end to hostilities.
The interior ministry said internal forces had begun deploying.
Sharaa said Syria would not be a "testing ground for partition, secession or sectarian incitement".
"The Israeli intervention pushed the country into a dangerous phase that threatened its stability," he said in a televised speech.
Sharaa appeared to blame Druze gunmen for the latest clashes, accusing them of revenge attacks against Bedouins.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Sharaa of siding with the perpetrators.
"In al-Shara's Syria, it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority - Kurd, Druze, Alawite, or Christian," he posted on X.
US envoy Tom Barrack announced on Friday that Syria and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire.
Barrack, who is both US ambassador to Turkey and Syria envoy for the US, urged Druze, Bedouins and Sunnis, together with other minorities, to "build a new and united Syrian identity".
Israel has attacked Syrian military facilities in the seven months since Assad fell and says it wants areas of southern Syria near its border to remain demilitarised.
On Friday, an Israeli official said Israel had agreed to allow Syrian forces limited access to Sweida for two days.
Mansour Namour, a resident of a village near Sweida city, said mortar shells were still landing near his home on Saturday afternoon, and that at least 22 people had been wounded.
A doctor in Sweida said a local hospital was full of bodies and wounded people from days of violence.
"All the injuries are from bombs, some people with their chests wounded. There are also injuries to limbs from shrapnel," said Omar Obeid, director of the hospital.
Sectarian clashes have escalated in Syria's predominantly Druze region of Sweida, with machine gun fire and mortar shelling ringing out after days of bloodshed as the Islamist-led government struggles to implement a ceasefire.
Reuters reporters heard gunfire from inside the city of Sweida and saw shells land in nearby villages.
There were no immediate, confirmed reports of casualties.
The government had said security forces were deploying in the southern region to try to keep peace, and urged all parties to stop fighting after nearly a week of factional bloodshed in which hundreds have been killed.
Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said "Arab and American" mediation had helped restore calm, before the clashes escalated.
He criticised Israel for air strikes during the week.
The fighting is the latest challenge to the control of Sharaa's jihadist-dominated government, which took over after rebels toppled autocratic president Bashar al-Assad in December.
It started last week as clashes between the Druze - a religious minority native to southern Syria, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and parts of Lebanon and Jordan - and Syrian Bedouin tribes.
Government forces then arrived to try to quell tensions, clashing with Druze gunmen and attacking the Druze community.
Saturday's violence once again pitted Druze against Bedouin, witnesses said.
The fighting has drawn in neighbouring Israel, which carried out air strikes in southern Syria and on the Defence Ministry in Damascus this week while government forces were fighting with the Druze.
Israel says it is protecting the Druze, who also form a significant minority in Israel.
But Israel and the United States differ over Syria.
The US supports a centralised Syria under Sharaa's government, which has pledged to rule for all citizens, while Israel says the government is dominated by jihadists and a danger to minorities.
In March, Syria's military was involved in mass killings of members of the Alawite minority to which much of Assad's elite belonged.
In a statement on Saturday, the Syrian presidency announced an immediate ceasefire and urged an immediate end to hostilities.
The interior ministry said internal forces had begun deploying.
Sharaa said Syria would not be a "testing ground for partition, secession or sectarian incitement".
"The Israeli intervention pushed the country into a dangerous phase that threatened its stability," he said in a televised speech.
Sharaa appeared to blame Druze gunmen for the latest clashes, accusing them of revenge attacks against Bedouins.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Sharaa of siding with the perpetrators.
"In al-Shara's Syria, it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority - Kurd, Druze, Alawite, or Christian," he posted on X.
US envoy Tom Barrack announced on Friday that Syria and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire.
Barrack, who is both US ambassador to Turkey and Syria envoy for the US, urged Druze, Bedouins and Sunnis, together with other minorities, to "build a new and united Syrian identity".
Israel has attacked Syrian military facilities in the seven months since Assad fell and says it wants areas of southern Syria near its border to remain demilitarised.
On Friday, an Israeli official said Israel had agreed to allow Syrian forces limited access to Sweida for two days.
Mansour Namour, a resident of a village near Sweida city, said mortar shells were still landing near his home on Saturday afternoon, and that at least 22 people had been wounded.
A doctor in Sweida said a local hospital was full of bodies and wounded people from days of violence.
"All the injuries are from bombs, some people with their chests wounded. There are also injuries to limbs from shrapnel," said Omar Obeid, director of the hospital.
Sectarian clashes have escalated in Syria's predominantly Druze region of Sweida, with machine gun fire and mortar shelling ringing out after days of bloodshed as the Islamist-led government struggles to implement a ceasefire.
Reuters reporters heard gunfire from inside the city of Sweida and saw shells land in nearby villages.
There were no immediate, confirmed reports of casualties.
The government had said security forces were deploying in the southern region to try to keep peace, and urged all parties to stop fighting after nearly a week of factional bloodshed in which hundreds have been killed.
Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said "Arab and American" mediation had helped restore calm, before the clashes escalated.
He criticised Israel for air strikes during the week.
The fighting is the latest challenge to the control of Sharaa's jihadist-dominated government, which took over after rebels toppled autocratic president Bashar al-Assad in December.
It started last week as clashes between the Druze - a religious minority native to southern Syria, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and parts of Lebanon and Jordan - and Syrian Bedouin tribes.
Government forces then arrived to try to quell tensions, clashing with Druze gunmen and attacking the Druze community.
Saturday's violence once again pitted Druze against Bedouin, witnesses said.
The fighting has drawn in neighbouring Israel, which carried out air strikes in southern Syria and on the Defence Ministry in Damascus this week while government forces were fighting with the Druze.
Israel says it is protecting the Druze, who also form a significant minority in Israel.
But Israel and the United States differ over Syria.
The US supports a centralised Syria under Sharaa's government, which has pledged to rule for all citizens, while Israel says the government is dominated by jihadists and a danger to minorities.
In March, Syria's military was involved in mass killings of members of the Alawite minority to which much of Assad's elite belonged.
In a statement on Saturday, the Syrian presidency announced an immediate ceasefire and urged an immediate end to hostilities.
The interior ministry said internal forces had begun deploying.
Sharaa said Syria would not be a "testing ground for partition, secession or sectarian incitement".
"The Israeli intervention pushed the country into a dangerous phase that threatened its stability," he said in a televised speech.
Sharaa appeared to blame Druze gunmen for the latest clashes, accusing them of revenge attacks against Bedouins.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Sharaa of siding with the perpetrators.
"In al-Shara's Syria, it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority - Kurd, Druze, Alawite, or Christian," he posted on X.
US envoy Tom Barrack announced on Friday that Syria and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire.
Barrack, who is both US ambassador to Turkey and Syria envoy for the US, urged Druze, Bedouins and Sunnis, together with other minorities, to "build a new and united Syrian identity".
Israel has attacked Syrian military facilities in the seven months since Assad fell and says it wants areas of southern Syria near its border to remain demilitarised.
On Friday, an Israeli official said Israel had agreed to allow Syrian forces limited access to Sweida for two days.
Mansour Namour, a resident of a village near Sweida city, said mortar shells were still landing near his home on Saturday afternoon, and that at least 22 people had been wounded.
A doctor in Sweida said a local hospital was full of bodies and wounded people from days of violence.
"All the injuries are from bombs, some people with their chests wounded. There are also injuries to limbs from shrapnel," said Omar Obeid, director of the hospital.
Sectarian clashes have escalated in Syria's predominantly Druze region of Sweida, with machine gun fire and mortar shelling ringing out after days of bloodshed as the Islamist-led government struggles to implement a ceasefire.
Reuters reporters heard gunfire from inside the city of Sweida and saw shells land in nearby villages.
There were no immediate, confirmed reports of casualties.
The government had said security forces were deploying in the southern region to try to keep peace, and urged all parties to stop fighting after nearly a week of factional bloodshed in which hundreds have been killed.
Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said "Arab and American" mediation had helped restore calm, before the clashes escalated.
He criticised Israel for air strikes during the week.
The fighting is the latest challenge to the control of Sharaa's jihadist-dominated government, which took over after rebels toppled autocratic president Bashar al-Assad in December.
It started last week as clashes between the Druze - a religious minority native to southern Syria, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and parts of Lebanon and Jordan - and Syrian Bedouin tribes.
Government forces then arrived to try to quell tensions, clashing with Druze gunmen and attacking the Druze community.
Saturday's violence once again pitted Druze against Bedouin, witnesses said.
The fighting has drawn in neighbouring Israel, which carried out air strikes in southern Syria and on the Defence Ministry in Damascus this week while government forces were fighting with the Druze.
Israel says it is protecting the Druze, who also form a significant minority in Israel.
But Israel and the United States differ over Syria.
The US supports a centralised Syria under Sharaa's government, which has pledged to rule for all citizens, while Israel says the government is dominated by jihadists and a danger to minorities.
In March, Syria's military was involved in mass killings of members of the Alawite minority to which much of Assad's elite belonged.
In a statement on Saturday, the Syrian presidency announced an immediate ceasefire and urged an immediate end to hostilities.
The interior ministry said internal forces had begun deploying.
Sharaa said Syria would not be a "testing ground for partition, secession or sectarian incitement".
"The Israeli intervention pushed the country into a dangerous phase that threatened its stability," he said in a televised speech.
Sharaa appeared to blame Druze gunmen for the latest clashes, accusing them of revenge attacks against Bedouins.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Sharaa of siding with the perpetrators.
"In al-Shara's Syria, it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority - Kurd, Druze, Alawite, or Christian," he posted on X.
US envoy Tom Barrack announced on Friday that Syria and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire.
Barrack, who is both US ambassador to Turkey and Syria envoy for the US, urged Druze, Bedouins and Sunnis, together with other minorities, to "build a new and united Syrian identity".
Israel has attacked Syrian military facilities in the seven months since Assad fell and says it wants areas of southern Syria near its border to remain demilitarised.
On Friday, an Israeli official said Israel had agreed to allow Syrian forces limited access to Sweida for two days.
Mansour Namour, a resident of a village near Sweida city, said mortar shells were still landing near his home on Saturday afternoon, and that at least 22 people had been wounded.
A doctor in Sweida said a local hospital was full of bodies and wounded people from days of violence.
"All the injuries are from bombs, some people with their chests wounded. There are also injuries to limbs from shrapnel," said Omar Obeid, director of the hospital.
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Israeli forces kill at least 25 seeking aid in Gaza
Israeli forces kill at least 25 seeking aid in Gaza

The Advertiser

time35 minutes ago

  • The Advertiser

Israeli forces kill at least 25 seeking aid in Gaza

Israeli air strikes and gunshots have killed at least 25 people, according to Palestinian health officials and the local ambulance service, as ceasefire talks appear to have stalled and Gaza faces famine. Gunfire killed the majority of people as they waited for aid trucks close to the Zikim crossing with Israel, said staff at Shifa hospital, where the bodies were taken. Israel's army didn't respond to a request for comments about the shootings. Those killed in strikes included four people in an apartment building in Gaza City, hospital staff and the ambulance service said. Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas were at a standstill after the US and Israel recalled negotiating teams on Thursday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday his government was considering "alternative options" to ceasefire talks. A Hamas official, however, said negotiations were expected to resume next week and described the recall of the Israeli and US delegations as a pressure tactic. Egypt and Qatar, which mediate the talks alongside the United States, called the pause only temporary and said talks would resume. They did not say when. The United Nations and experts say Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, with reports of increasing numbers of people dying from causes related to malnutrition. And now children with no pre-existing conditions have begun to starve to death. Israel on Saturday said over 250 trucks carrying aid from the UN and other organisations entered Gaza this week. About 600 trucks were entering per day during the latest ceasefire that Israel ended in March. The latest Zikim crossing shootings come days after at least 80 Palestinians were killed trying to reach aid entering through the crossing. Israel's military at the time said its soldiers shot at a gathering of thousands of Palestinians who posed a threat. During the shootings late Friday, Sherif Abu Aisha said people started running when they saw a light that they thought was from the aid trucks, but as they got close, they realised it was from Israel's tanks. He said his uncle, a father of eight, was among those killed. "We went because there is no food ... and nothing was distributed," he said. Men carried the latest bodies through the rubble on Saturday. A small boy wailed over a corpse. Israel faces growing international pressure to alleviate Gaza's catastrophic humanitarian crisis. More than two dozen Western-aligned countries and over 100 charity and human rights groups have called for an end to the war, harshly criticising Israel's blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out. For the first time in months, Israel said it is allowing airdrops, requested by neighbouring Jordan. A Jordanian official said the airdrops will mainly be food and milk formula. Britain plans to work with partners such as Jordan to airdrop aid and evacuate children requiring medical assistance, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said Saturday. The office did not give details. But the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, warned on social media that airdrops are "expensive, inefficient and can even kill starving civilians". He said they won't reverse the increasing starvation or prevent aid diversion. Israeli air strikes and gunshots have killed at least 25 people, according to Palestinian health officials and the local ambulance service, as ceasefire talks appear to have stalled and Gaza faces famine. Gunfire killed the majority of people as they waited for aid trucks close to the Zikim crossing with Israel, said staff at Shifa hospital, where the bodies were taken. Israel's army didn't respond to a request for comments about the shootings. Those killed in strikes included four people in an apartment building in Gaza City, hospital staff and the ambulance service said. Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas were at a standstill after the US and Israel recalled negotiating teams on Thursday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday his government was considering "alternative options" to ceasefire talks. A Hamas official, however, said negotiations were expected to resume next week and described the recall of the Israeli and US delegations as a pressure tactic. Egypt and Qatar, which mediate the talks alongside the United States, called the pause only temporary and said talks would resume. They did not say when. The United Nations and experts say Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, with reports of increasing numbers of people dying from causes related to malnutrition. And now children with no pre-existing conditions have begun to starve to death. Israel on Saturday said over 250 trucks carrying aid from the UN and other organisations entered Gaza this week. About 600 trucks were entering per day during the latest ceasefire that Israel ended in March. The latest Zikim crossing shootings come days after at least 80 Palestinians were killed trying to reach aid entering through the crossing. Israel's military at the time said its soldiers shot at a gathering of thousands of Palestinians who posed a threat. During the shootings late Friday, Sherif Abu Aisha said people started running when they saw a light that they thought was from the aid trucks, but as they got close, they realised it was from Israel's tanks. He said his uncle, a father of eight, was among those killed. "We went because there is no food ... and nothing was distributed," he said. Men carried the latest bodies through the rubble on Saturday. A small boy wailed over a corpse. Israel faces growing international pressure to alleviate Gaza's catastrophic humanitarian crisis. More than two dozen Western-aligned countries and over 100 charity and human rights groups have called for an end to the war, harshly criticising Israel's blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out. For the first time in months, Israel said it is allowing airdrops, requested by neighbouring Jordan. A Jordanian official said the airdrops will mainly be food and milk formula. Britain plans to work with partners such as Jordan to airdrop aid and evacuate children requiring medical assistance, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said Saturday. The office did not give details. But the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, warned on social media that airdrops are "expensive, inefficient and can even kill starving civilians". He said they won't reverse the increasing starvation or prevent aid diversion. Israeli air strikes and gunshots have killed at least 25 people, according to Palestinian health officials and the local ambulance service, as ceasefire talks appear to have stalled and Gaza faces famine. Gunfire killed the majority of people as they waited for aid trucks close to the Zikim crossing with Israel, said staff at Shifa hospital, where the bodies were taken. Israel's army didn't respond to a request for comments about the shootings. Those killed in strikes included four people in an apartment building in Gaza City, hospital staff and the ambulance service said. Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas were at a standstill after the US and Israel recalled negotiating teams on Thursday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday his government was considering "alternative options" to ceasefire talks. A Hamas official, however, said negotiations were expected to resume next week and described the recall of the Israeli and US delegations as a pressure tactic. Egypt and Qatar, which mediate the talks alongside the United States, called the pause only temporary and said talks would resume. They did not say when. The United Nations and experts say Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, with reports of increasing numbers of people dying from causes related to malnutrition. And now children with no pre-existing conditions have begun to starve to death. Israel on Saturday said over 250 trucks carrying aid from the UN and other organisations entered Gaza this week. About 600 trucks were entering per day during the latest ceasefire that Israel ended in March. The latest Zikim crossing shootings come days after at least 80 Palestinians were killed trying to reach aid entering through the crossing. Israel's military at the time said its soldiers shot at a gathering of thousands of Palestinians who posed a threat. During the shootings late Friday, Sherif Abu Aisha said people started running when they saw a light that they thought was from the aid trucks, but as they got close, they realised it was from Israel's tanks. He said his uncle, a father of eight, was among those killed. "We went because there is no food ... and nothing was distributed," he said. Men carried the latest bodies through the rubble on Saturday. A small boy wailed over a corpse. Israel faces growing international pressure to alleviate Gaza's catastrophic humanitarian crisis. More than two dozen Western-aligned countries and over 100 charity and human rights groups have called for an end to the war, harshly criticising Israel's blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out. For the first time in months, Israel said it is allowing airdrops, requested by neighbouring Jordan. A Jordanian official said the airdrops will mainly be food and milk formula. Britain plans to work with partners such as Jordan to airdrop aid and evacuate children requiring medical assistance, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said Saturday. The office did not give details. But the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, warned on social media that airdrops are "expensive, inefficient and can even kill starving civilians". He said they won't reverse the increasing starvation or prevent aid diversion. Israeli air strikes and gunshots have killed at least 25 people, according to Palestinian health officials and the local ambulance service, as ceasefire talks appear to have stalled and Gaza faces famine. Gunfire killed the majority of people as they waited for aid trucks close to the Zikim crossing with Israel, said staff at Shifa hospital, where the bodies were taken. Israel's army didn't respond to a request for comments about the shootings. Those killed in strikes included four people in an apartment building in Gaza City, hospital staff and the ambulance service said. Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas were at a standstill after the US and Israel recalled negotiating teams on Thursday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday his government was considering "alternative options" to ceasefire talks. A Hamas official, however, said negotiations were expected to resume next week and described the recall of the Israeli and US delegations as a pressure tactic. Egypt and Qatar, which mediate the talks alongside the United States, called the pause only temporary and said talks would resume. They did not say when. The United Nations and experts say Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, with reports of increasing numbers of people dying from causes related to malnutrition. And now children with no pre-existing conditions have begun to starve to death. Israel on Saturday said over 250 trucks carrying aid from the UN and other organisations entered Gaza this week. About 600 trucks were entering per day during the latest ceasefire that Israel ended in March. The latest Zikim crossing shootings come days after at least 80 Palestinians were killed trying to reach aid entering through the crossing. Israel's military at the time said its soldiers shot at a gathering of thousands of Palestinians who posed a threat. During the shootings late Friday, Sherif Abu Aisha said people started running when they saw a light that they thought was from the aid trucks, but as they got close, they realised it was from Israel's tanks. He said his uncle, a father of eight, was among those killed. "We went because there is no food ... and nothing was distributed," he said. Men carried the latest bodies through the rubble on Saturday. A small boy wailed over a corpse. Israel faces growing international pressure to alleviate Gaza's catastrophic humanitarian crisis. More than two dozen Western-aligned countries and over 100 charity and human rights groups have called for an end to the war, harshly criticising Israel's blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out. For the first time in months, Israel said it is allowing airdrops, requested by neighbouring Jordan. A Jordanian official said the airdrops will mainly be food and milk formula. Britain plans to work with partners such as Jordan to airdrop aid and evacuate children requiring medical assistance, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said Saturday. The office did not give details. But the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, warned on social media that airdrops are "expensive, inefficient and can even kill starving civilians". He said they won't reverse the increasing starvation or prevent aid diversion.

Israeli forces kill at least 25 seeking aid in Gaza
Israeli forces kill at least 25 seeking aid in Gaza

West Australian

time2 hours ago

  • West Australian

Israeli forces kill at least 25 seeking aid in Gaza

Israeli air strikes and gunshots have killed at least 25 people, according to Palestinian health officials and the local ambulance service, as ceasefire talks appear to have stalled and Gaza faces famine. Gunfire killed the majority of people as they waited for aid trucks close to the Zikim crossing with Israel, said staff at Shifa hospital, where the bodies were taken. Israel's army didn't respond to a request for comments about the shootings. Those killed in strikes included four people in an apartment building in Gaza City, hospital staff and the ambulance service said. Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas were at a standstill after the US and Israel recalled negotiating teams on Thursday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday his government was considering "alternative options" to ceasefire talks. A Hamas official, however, said negotiations were expected to resume next week and described the recall of the Israeli and US delegations as a pressure tactic. Egypt and Qatar, which mediate the talks alongside the United States, called the pause only temporary and said talks would resume. They did not say when. The United Nations and experts say Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, with reports of increasing numbers of people dying from causes related to malnutrition. And now children with no pre-existing conditions have begun to starve to death. Israel on Saturday said over 250 trucks carrying aid from the UN and other organisations entered Gaza this week. About 600 trucks were entering per day during the latest ceasefire that Israel ended in March. The latest Zikim crossing shootings come days after at least 80 Palestinians were killed trying to reach aid entering through the crossing. Israel's military at the time said its soldiers shot at a gathering of thousands of Palestinians who posed a threat. During the shootings late Friday, Sherif Abu Aisha said people started running when they saw a light that they thought was from the aid trucks, but as they got close, they realised it was from Israel's tanks. That's when the army started firing on people, he told The Associated Press. He said his uncle, a father of eight, was among those killed. "We went because there is no food ... and nothing was distributed," he said. Men carried the latest bodies through the rubble on Saturday. A small boy wailed over a corpse. Israel faces growing international pressure to alleviate Gaza's catastrophic humanitarian crisis. More than two dozen Western-aligned countries and over 100 charity and human rights groups have called for an end to the war, harshly criticising Israel's blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out. For the first time in months, Israel said it is allowing airdrops, requested by neighbouring Jordan. A Jordanian official said the airdrops will mainly be food and milk formula. Britain plans to work with partners such as Jordan to airdrop aid and evacuate children requiring medical assistance, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said Saturday. The office did not give details. But the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, warned on social media that airdrops are "expensive, inefficient and can even kill starving civilians". He said they won't reverse the increasing starvation or prevent aid diversion.

Israeli forces kill at least 25 seeking aid in Gaza
Israeli forces kill at least 25 seeking aid in Gaza

Perth Now

time2 hours ago

  • Perth Now

Israeli forces kill at least 25 seeking aid in Gaza

Israeli air strikes and gunshots have killed at least 25 people, according to Palestinian health officials and the local ambulance service, as ceasefire talks appear to have stalled and Gaza faces famine. Gunfire killed the majority of people as they waited for aid trucks close to the Zikim crossing with Israel, said staff at Shifa hospital, where the bodies were taken. Israel's army didn't respond to a request for comments about the shootings. Those killed in strikes included four people in an apartment building in Gaza City, hospital staff and the ambulance service said. Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas were at a standstill after the US and Israel recalled negotiating teams on Thursday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday his government was considering "alternative options" to ceasefire talks. A Hamas official, however, said negotiations were expected to resume next week and described the recall of the Israeli and US delegations as a pressure tactic. Egypt and Qatar, which mediate the talks alongside the United States, called the pause only temporary and said talks would resume. They did not say when. The United Nations and experts say Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, with reports of increasing numbers of people dying from causes related to malnutrition. And now children with no pre-existing conditions have begun to starve to death. Israel on Saturday said over 250 trucks carrying aid from the UN and other organisations entered Gaza this week. About 600 trucks were entering per day during the latest ceasefire that Israel ended in March. The latest Zikim crossing shootings come days after at least 80 Palestinians were killed trying to reach aid entering through the crossing. Israel's military at the time said its soldiers shot at a gathering of thousands of Palestinians who posed a threat. During the shootings late Friday, Sherif Abu Aisha said people started running when they saw a light that they thought was from the aid trucks, but as they got close, they realised it was from Israel's tanks. That's when the army started firing on people, he told The Associated Press. He said his uncle, a father of eight, was among those killed. "We went because there is no food ... and nothing was distributed," he said. Men carried the latest bodies through the rubble on Saturday. A small boy wailed over a corpse. Israel faces growing international pressure to alleviate Gaza's catastrophic humanitarian crisis. More than two dozen Western-aligned countries and over 100 charity and human rights groups have called for an end to the war, harshly criticising Israel's blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out. For the first time in months, Israel said it is allowing airdrops, requested by neighbouring Jordan. A Jordanian official said the airdrops will mainly be food and milk formula. Britain plans to work with partners such as Jordan to airdrop aid and evacuate children requiring medical assistance, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said Saturday. The office did not give details. But the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, warned on social media that airdrops are "expensive, inefficient and can even kill starving civilians". He said they won't reverse the increasing starvation or prevent aid diversion.

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