logo
Controversial aid group starts operations in Gaza: "Not a viable solution", expert says

Controversial aid group starts operations in Gaza: "Not a viable solution", expert says

France 2426-05-2025
Controversial aid group starts operations in Gaza: "Not a viable solution", expert says
Middle East
To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. Accept Manage my choices
One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Try again
12:38
A PROPOS
© FRANCE 24 in
12:38 min
From the show
France 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks to Scott Lucas, Professor at the University College Dublin about the controversy surrounding a U.S.- and Israel-backed group tasked with delivering aid to Gaza. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says it has began its operations on Monday despite opposition from the UN and most humanitarian groups, as well as the unexpected resignation of its executive director over the weekend. This all comes in the wake of deadly Israeli airstrikes, including one on a school shelter, as Gaza's humanitarian crisis deepens.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Taliban registers 1,800 unemployed Afghan refugees for jobs in Qatar
Taliban registers 1,800 unemployed Afghan refugees for jobs in Qatar

Euronews

time2 hours ago

  • Euronews

Taliban registers 1,800 unemployed Afghan refugees for jobs in Qatar

The Taliban registered 1,800 unemployed Afghans expelled from neighbouring countries for the chance to work in Qatar on Wednesday, the latest round of a labour agreement with the Gulf nation, a Labor Ministry spokesperson said. The programme is aimed at easing unemployment in Afghanistan and the Taliban has said talks are also underway to send workers to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Turkey and Russia. Last month, 3,100 Afghans were registered for jobs in Qatar, including in the food and hospitality industries. Wednesday's one-day registration period was open only to Afghans who had been expelled from Iran and Pakistan and took place in four major cities. At least 2 million Afghans have left Iran and Pakistan this year after both governments launched separate campaigns to expel foreigners they said were living there illegally. They deny targeting Afghans, but most of those forcibly returned have been Afghan nationals. People with refugee certificates were able to visit registration centres in Kabul, Kandahar, Herat and Nangarhar for the chance to work in Qatar, Labor Ministry spokesperson Samiullah Ibrahimi said. "These work visas cover 22 different job categories and the 1,800 visas available are for these jobless Afghan returnees," he said. Dozens of men waited in long lines outside a registration centre in the capital Kabul. Poyan Ahmadi, who left Iran, said he wanted the Taliban government to talk to other countries. "Here in Afghanistan, there is no work, and there is a shortage of job opportunities," he said. Warnings from the UN But a UN report last month said that the Taliban had tortured and threatened Afghan nationals who were forcibly returned from Iran and Pakistan because of their identity or personal history. Afghan authorities have urged nationals to return, pledging amnesty for anyone who left after the Taliban returned to power in 2021. But rights groups and the UN have repeatedly warned that some of those returning are at risk of persecution because of their gender, profession or links to the former Western-backed administration. The violations include torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary arrest and threats to personal security at the hands of the Taliban, according to the report. And also in July, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) warned that forced deportations from Pakistan could violate the international principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the return of individuals to a country where they face serious threats to their life or freedom. Repatriations on such a massive scale have the potential to destabilise the fragile situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban government came into power in 2021, the agency said.

Israeli military says approved plan for new Gaza offensive
Israeli military says approved plan for new Gaza offensive

LeMonde

time3 hours ago

  • LeMonde

Israeli military says approved plan for new Gaza offensive

The Israeli military said on Wednesday, August 13 that it had approved the framework for a new offensive in the Gaza Strip, as Hamas condemned what it called "aggressive" Israeli ground incursions in Gaza City. The approved plan for the expanded offensive comes days after Israel's security cabinet called for the capture of the Palestinian territory's largest city following 22 months of war that have created dire humanitarian conditions. Israeli armed forces chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir "approved the main framework for the IDF's operational plan in the Gaza Strip," a statement released by the army said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has not provided a precise timetable for when Israeli troops will enter Gaza City, where thousands have taken refuge after fleeing previous offensives. Ismail Al-Thawabta, director general of the Hamas government media office in Gaza, told AFP on Wednesday that "the Israeli occupation forces continue to carry out aggressive incursions in Gaza City." "These assaults represent a dangerous escalation aimed at imposing a new reality on the ground by force, through a scorched-earth policy and the complete destruction of civilian property," he added. Sabah Fatoum, 51, who lives in a tent in the city's Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood, told AFP by phone that "the explosions are massive" in the area. "Many air strikes and tanks are advancing in the southern area of Tal al-Hawa with drones above our heads," she said. Abu Ahmed Abbas, 46, who lives in a tent in the Zeitoun neighbourhood, said that tanks had been advancing into the southeastern part of Zeitoun and southern Tal al-Hawa "for several days" and demolishing houses. "The air strikes are extremely intense, they have intensified, and sometimes there is artillery shelling since last Sunday," he said. 'Just escaped death' Gaza's civil defense agency also reported intensified Israeli air strikes on residential neighborhoods of Gaza City in recent days. Agency spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told AFP that Israeli attacks had killed at least 40 people across the territory on Wednesday. AFP footage from Gaza City on Tuesday showed Palestinians fleeing Israeli strikes on the Zeitoun and Asqoola neighborhoods using overloaded carts, vans and bikes. Israel's plans to expand its offensive into Gaza City come as diplomacy aimed at securing an elusive ceasefire and hostage release deal has been stalled for weeks, with the latest round of negotiations breaking down in July. Egypt said Tuesday it was still working with fellow Gaza mediators Qatar and the United States to broker a 60-day truce "with the release of some hostages and some Palestinian detainees, and the flow of humanitarian and medical assistance to Gaza without restrictions." Hamas said early Wednesday that a senior delegation had arrived in Cairo for "preliminary talks" with Egyptian officials. Israel's plans to expand the fighting have sparked international outcry as well as domestic opposition. Reserve and retired pilots who served in the Israeli air force rallied on Tuesday in Tel Aviv to demand an end to the conflict. UN-backed experts have warned of widespread famine unfolding in the territory, where Israel has drastically curtailed the amount of humanitarian aid it allows in.

'Israel's domestic political struggle: Not a call to end war, not a call against ethnic cleansing'
'Israel's domestic political struggle: Not a call to end war, not a call against ethnic cleansing'

France 24

time4 hours ago

  • France 24

'Israel's domestic political struggle: Not a call to end war, not a call against ethnic cleansing'

07:11 13/08/2025 Israel army approves new framework for offensive Middle East 13/08/2025 Israel military says it has approved plan for expanded Gaza offensive Middle East 13/08/2025 Israeli air strikes rock Gaza as Hamas chief arrives in Cairo for ceasefire push Middle East 13/08/2025 IDF Reservists protest demanding truce to Israel Middle East 13/08/2025 At least 89 Palestinians killed as Israeli tanks continue to pound Gaza Middle East 12/08/2025 Growing rift between Netanyahu and army chief of staff Middle East 12/08/2025 UN condemns targeted Israeli attack that killed five Al Jazeera journalists Middle East 11/08/2025 Killing of Al Jazeera journalists is '100% a war crime', CPJ Regional Director says Middle East 11/08/2025 UN slams Israel's killing of five journalists in Gaza, calling it a "breach of humanitarian law" Middle East

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store