Gaza's hunger crisis prompts new fears for lives of hostages
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Montreal Gazette
2 hours ago
- Montreal Gazette
Montreal Pride chair resigns amid backlash for barring Jewish LGBTQ2+ group from parade
The chairman of the board of Montreal Pride resigned Monday as the organization continued to face mounting criticism for banning a Jewish LGBTQ2+ group from its annual parade. In a statement, the organization said Bernard Truong informed the board of directors he was stepping down 'for personal reasons.' His resignation came as the group faced national backlash for excluding Ga'ava, a Jewish LGBTQ2+ organization, from the event. In response to his resignation, the board said it 'quickly convened' to ensure a smooth transition and appointed Marlot Marleau as the new chair. 'This change within the board has no impact on the activities of the Montreal Pride Festival, which are currently underway,' the statement reads. 'All teams, staff and volunteers remain deeply committed to delivering a unifying festival, true to its mission of amplifying the voices of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and creating inclusive, safe and meaningful spaces.' The organization insisted the leadership change was unrelated to the controversy over the barring of Ga'ava from the parade. 'No, Truong's resignation is not related to that,' said Michael Grégoire from the festival's press relations team when asked about the timing. 'Bernard Truong is leaving the board of directors for personal reasons.' As of Monday afternoon, the board of directors webpage had been removed from Montreal Pride's website. According to his LinkedIn profile, Truong works as a senior director at Desjardins. On Friday, five federal MPs signed a joint letter condemning the decision to exclude Ga'ava, calling it 'profoundly hurtful' and urging organizers to reverse it. 'Ga'ava has long provided a vital space for queer Jews to express both their sexual and religious identities with pride,' the MPs wrote. 'Its exclusion sends a message that Jewish identity is not welcome in LGBTQ+ spaces.' Fierté Montréal has since confirmed the group was barred from marching after a complaint led the event's ombudsperson to intervene. Carlos Godoy, Ga'ava's president, told The Gazette that organizers accused the group of hate speech for labelling its critics 'pro-terror' and 'pro-Hamas.' He called the charge 'outlandish and ludicrous.' The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs was also reportedly excluded, although Fierté Montréal organizers have not publicly acknowledged that decision.
Canada News.Net
2 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
Israel says to achieve war objectives in Gaza "without exception"
JERUSALEM/AMMAN, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday he will direct the Israeli army later this week on achieving three war objectives "without exception" in Gaza, where more deaths of starvation and malnutrition are recorded despite days of aid deliveries. During his weekly Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said he will convene the Security Cabinet later this week to "direct the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) how to achieve the three war objectives -- all of them, without exception," listing the goals as "defeating the enemy, releasing our hostages, and ensuring that Gaza will never again threaten Israel." Speaking on condition of anonymity, an Israeli official told Xinhua that Netanyahu is expected to convene a security discussion on Tuesday to deliberate "a total reoccupation" of Gaza. Meanwhile, the Israeli military said in a statement that 120 aid packages containing food were airdropped over Gaza on Monday by the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Germany, Belgium, and Canada. Monday marked the first time Canada joined the airdrop operations. The Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO) said in a statement that its new convoy of 38 trucks, carrying humanitarian aid, crossed into Gaza via the King Hussein Bridge on Monday. JHCO Secretary-General Hussein Al-Shebli told Xinhua that 294 Jordanian aid trucks have entered Gaza over the past two weeks, out of a planned 452, due to continued Israeli restrictions at border crossings under the pretext of official working hours. Medical equipment and devices have been denied entry, while inspection and clearance procedures have been prolonged, he said, noting that a single convoy now takes some 38 hours to reach Gaza. Earlier in the day, the Hamas-run government media office said in a statement that only 80 aid trucks entered Gaza on Sunday, bringing the total number of aid trucks entering the enclave since Israel's aid entry permission on July 27 to 674, much less than the 4,800 trucks supposed to enter Gaza in the same period. At least 600 trucks need to enter the enclave every day to meet the minimum requirements of life, it said, accusing Israel of "perpetuating a policy of starvation and chaos." Also on Monday, Gaza-based health authorities said at least 9,440 Palestinians have been killed and 37,986 others injured since Israel renewed its intensive strikes in Gaza on March 18, bringing the total death toll since October 2023 to 60,933, and injuries to 150,027. Five new deaths due to starvation and malnutrition were recorded in the past 24 hours, bringing the overall death toll of that kind since October 2023 to 180, including 93 children, the authorities said.
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Israeli government votes to dismiss attorney general, escalating standoff with judiciary
Israel's Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara listens on as she attends a cabinet meeting at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. (Gil Cohen-Magen/Pool Photo via AP) JERUSALEM — The Israeli cabinet on Monday voted unanimously to fire the attorney general, escalating a long-running standoff between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the judiciary that critics see as a threat to the country's democratic institutions. The Supreme Court froze the move while it considers the legality. Netanyahu and his supporters accuse Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara of exceeding her powers by blocking decisions by the elected government, including a move to fire the head of Israel's domestic security agency, another ostensibly apolitical office. She has said there is a conflict of interest because Netanyahu and several former aides face a series of criminal investigations. Critics accuse Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, of undermining judicial independence and seeking to concentrate power in the hands of his coalition government, the most nationalist and religious in Israel's history. Netanyahu denies the allegations and says he is the victim of a witch hunt by hostile judicial officials egged on by the media. An attempt by Netanyahu's government to overhaul the judiciary in 2023 sparked months of mass protests, and many believe it weakened the country ahead of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack later that year that triggered the war in the Gaza Strip. The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, a prominent watchdog group, said it filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court following Monday's vote. It said more than 15,000 citizens have joined the petition, calling the dismissal 'illegal' and 'unprecedented.' In a statement, the group accused the government of changing dismissal procedures only after failing to legally remove Baharav-Miara under the existing rules. It also cited a conflict of interest related to Netanyahu's ongoing trial. 'This decision turns the role of the attorney general into a political appointment,' the group said. 'The legal battle will continue until this flawed decision is overturned.' The Associated Press
