‘Catastrophic': People flee neighbourhoods after plan to conquer Gaza City approved
One resident, Anis Daloul, 64, said the Israeli military had 'destroyed most of the buildings in Zeitoun and displaced thousands of people'.
Israel's security cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the plan to conquer Gaza City in early August, sparking fears it would worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
According to Israeli media reports, Netanyahu has not yet called a security cabinet meeting to discuss any response to the latest truce proposal.
His office said in a statement Wednesday that the premier 'has directed that the timetables for seizing control of the last terrorist strongholds and the defeat of Hamas be shortened', without indicating a specific timeframe.
Permanent war
Netanyahu has come under growing pressure at home and abroad to end the war, with the German government saying that it 'rejects the escalation' of Israel's campaign.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under pressure to end the war but has yet to publicly comment on the truce plan. Photo / Getty Images
French President Emmanuel Macron said the offensive 'can only lead to a complete disaster for both peoples', warning it would 'drag the region into a permanent war'.
Katz's approval of plans to conquer Gaza City came days after Hamas said it had accepted the latest proposal from mediators for a ceasefire to halt almost two years of devastating war.
Sources from Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad told AFP that the proposal envisages the release of 10 hostages and 18 bodies from Gaza.
The remaining captives would be released in a second exchange within the 60-day period, during which negotiations for a permanent ceasefire would take place, the sources said.
Israel and Hamas have held on-off indirect negotiations throughout the war, resulting in two short truces during which Israeli hostages were released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas' October 2023 attack that triggered the war, 49 are still in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
Qatar, one of the mediators in the talks, said the latest proposal was 'almost identical' to an earlier version agreed by Israel.
Netanyahu has yet to publicly comment on the truce 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'.
Gradual operation
An Israeli military official told journalists this week that the new phase of combat would involve 'a gradual precise and targeted operation in and around Gaza City', including some areas where forces had not previously operated.
Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli strikes and fire killed at least 25 people across the territory on Wednesday.
When contacted by AFP, the Israeli military asked for coordinates and specific timeframes to comment on the reports, but said it would look into reports of eight people killed by Israeli fire near an aid site in the centre of Gaza.
Israeli military official confirms 'a gradual precise and targeted' approach in and around Gaza City. Photo / Bashar Taleb, AFP
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.
The Israeli military said it killed 10 Hamas militants in southern Gaza on Wednesday while repelling an attack by the armed wing of the Islamist group, which claimed it killed several Israeli soldiers.
Hamas' October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Israel's offensive has killed at least 62,122 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, which the United Nations considers reliable.
In the West Bank, Israel on Wednesday approved a major settlement project in an area that the international community has warned threatens the viability of a future Palestinian state.
The Palestinian Authority swiftly condemned the approval 'in the strongest terms', saying it entrenched division in the territory.
-Agence France-Presse
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NZ Herald
3 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Israel begins invasion of Gaza City
Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the army to 'shorten the timelines for seizing the last terror strongholds and for the defeat of Hamas,' he said in a statement. It did not specify the new timelines. Last week, the Israeli Prime Minister said his plan to expand military action in the war-torn enclave was the 'best way to end the war'. He insisted Israel had 'no choice' but to 'finish the job' and 'defeat' Hamas in its last two strongholds: Gaza City and the camps in the al-Mawasi area along the coast. He compared invading Gaza City to Israel's military operations in Rafah last year, when more than a million civilians were evacuated from the border town. Gaza death toll surpasses 62,000. Photo / Getty Images The army has called up 60,000 reservists as the Gaza war looks set to continue amid flailing ceasefire talks. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, warning of the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of Israel's newly launched military operation in Gaza City. Speaking at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development in Japan, Guterres said: 'It is vital to reach immediately a ceasefire in Gaza... [this is] necessary to avoid the death and destruction that a military operation against Gaza City would inevitably cause.' The Secretary-General also urged Israel to reverse its decision to expand settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, a move long condemned by the UN. He reiterated his call for the release of all hostages still held by Hamas. World leaders have strongly condemned the Israeli security cabinet's decision to send forces into the city because of the potential to worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian situation for the Gazan people. But Israel Katz, the Israeli Defence Minister, rejected the criticism and said on Wednesday that plans had been approved to push into the city, which would include extending the service of an additional 20,000 reservists currently serving. 'We now call on our heroic soldiers in the reserves, permanent and regular ranks, to stand up in order to bring about the release of the hostages, the subjugation of Hamas, and the end of the war on the terms set by Israel,' said Katz. 'I instruct you to use all tools and all power to strike the enemy until it is subdued, and to protect IDF soldiers. This is the supreme consideration, and anyone who has any complaints should contact me.' Israeli troops clashed on Wednesday with more than 15 Hamas terrorists who emerged from tunnel shafts and attacked with gunfire and anti-tank missiles near Khan Younis, south of Gaza City, severely wounding one soldier and lightly wounding two others, an Israeli military official said. Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades confirmed carrying out a raid on Israeli troops south-east of Khan Younis and engaging Israeli troops at point-blank range. It said one fighter blew himself up among the soldiers, causing casualties, during an attack that lasted several hours. Hamas agreed on Monday to a 60-day ceasefire in return for releasing around half of the hostages it took in its raid on Israel on October 7. Israel's Government spokesman hinted that it would reject the proposal, saying it was not interested in 'partial deals'. The new plan to invade Gaza City will look to further pile pressure on Hamas to bend towards Israel's demands, but recruiting so many reservists after nearly two years of war could be difficult. One mental health counsellor for the soldiers told The Telegraph: 'These guys are exhausted – they can't fight any more. They're broken.' Many of those extending their service are already suffering from PTSD with little time to recover, said the counsellor. Some have been sent to military prisons for refusing to return to the fighting. 'We are literally running out of soldiers and the physical and mental toll is enormous,' the counsellor added, saying that at least 16 soldiers had committed suicide this year, unable to deal with the trauma. According to Israeli army radio, the military is preparing for a 'prolonged operation of several months that will run into 2026'. However, many in Israel have had enough of the conflict and have increased pressure on the Government to end the war and bring home the hostages. Thousands of people carried out a nationwide strike earlier this week, blocking major roads and refusing to work. The call-up came as the country approved a controversial settlement project on Wednesday that would effectively divide the occupied West Bank, a move that Palestinians and human rights groups said could destroy plans for a future Palestinian state. Settlement development in E1, an open tract of land east of Jerusalem, has been under consideration for more than two decades, but was frozen as a result of US pressure during previous administrations. Petitions against the development were rejected on August 6. UN warns of humanitarian disaster as IDF launches assault on Gaza City. Photo / Getty Images Construction of homes could begin in around a year, with 3500 apartments planned to expand the settlement of Maale Adumim. Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's far-right Finance Minister, said: 'This reality finally buries the idea of a Palestinian state, because there is nothing to recognise and no one to recognise. 'Anyone in the world who tries today to recognise a Palestinian state will receive an answer from us on the ground.' His comments followed announcements by Britain, France, Germany, Australia and Canada that they would recognise a Palestinian state. Israel has stepped up airstrikes this week despite the mounting pressure that it end the war and alleviate the suffering of the Gaza Strip's remaining inhabitants. Already at least 62,064 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in the fighting, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, which the United Nations considers reliable. On Tuesday, Israel said it had killed the terrorist who kidnapped former hostage Yarden Bibas, the father of Kfir and Ariel and husband of Shiri, who were killed in Hamas captivity. The IDF said on Tuesday that Jihad Kamal Salem Najjar died in an airstrike on August 10. The terrorist kidnapped Bibas, who was released as part of a temporary ceasefire deal in February, from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. 'A small part of my closure happened today,' he said in a statement, telling security forces: 'Thanks to you, he will be unable to hurt anyone else.'
NZ Herald
3 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Netanyahu orders talks to release remaining hostages as Israel plans Gaza offensive
Mediators have been waiting for days for an official Israeli response to their latest ceasefire proposal, which Hamas accepted earlier this week. A displaced Palestinian woman sits with her belongings after an Israeli strike on at a camp for internally displaced people in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. Photo / Eyad Baba, AFP Palestinian sources have said the new deal involves staggered hostage releases, while Israel has insisted that any deal see all the captives freed at once. Israel's plans to expand the fighting and seize Gaza City have sparked international outcry as well as domestic opposition, with the Red Cross joining the condemnation on Thursday, calling the moves 'intolerable'. Before the offensive, the Israeli military said the call-up of the reservists would begin in early September, adding the second phase of operation 'Gideon's Chariots' had begun. Earlier, Gaza City residents described relentless bombardments overnight. 'The house shakes with us all night long - the sound of explosions, artillery, warplanes, ambulances, and cries for help is killing us,' Ahmad al-Shanti told AFP. Another resident, Amal Abdel-Aal, said she watched the heavy strikes on the area, a week after being displaced from her home in Gaza City's Al-Sabra neighbourhood. This picture taken from a position on Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, shows smoke billowing during an Israeli strike on the besieged Palestinian territory. Photo / Jack Guez, AFP 'No one in Gaza has slept - not last night, not for a week. The artillery and air strikes in the east never stop. The sky flashes all night long,' she added. 'We are advancing' A group of AFP journalists near Israel's border with Gaza witnessed an air strike by a fighter jet on the northern outskirts of Gaza City on Thursday afternoon, with a massive explosion followed by a large plume of smoke rising into the sky. Several sporadic explosions were heard afterward but it was not possible to determine their origin. Strikes increased in pace later in the afternoon with several large explosions heard near the border. 'We are advancing with the efforts toward operations in Gaza City,' military chief Eyal Zamir told troops on Thursday. 'We already have troops operating on the outskirts of the city, and more forces will join them later on.' An elderly Palestinian woman waits with children to receive food from a charity kitchen, in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. Photo / AFP The UN humanitarian agency has warned that the Israeli plan to expand military operations in Gaza City would have 'a horrific humanitarian impact' on an already exhausted population. The Israeli military said this week it had also begun informing medical personnel and aid groups in northern Gaza to start making evacuation plans and transferring their equipment to the south. The Gaza health ministry, however, rejected that call on Thursday, saying it would not agree to 'any step that would undermine what remains of the health system after the systematic destruction carried out by the occupation authorities'. Awaiting a response Israel and Hamas have held indirect negotiations throughout the nearly two-year conflict, paving the way for a pair of short ceasefires during which Israeli hostages were freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas' October 2023 attack on southern Israel that triggered the war, 49 are still in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Sources from Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad told AFP that the latest ceasefire proposal calls for the release of 10 hostages and 18 bodies from Gaza. The remaining hostages would be released in a second phase alongside talks for a wider settlement. Gaza's civil defence agency said at least 48 people were killed on Thursday by Israeli attacks in various areas across the Palestinian territory, including several casualties in an air strike in Gaza City. Hamas' October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's offensive has killed over 62,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, which the United Nations considers reliable. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency or the Israeli military. – Agence France-Presse
Otago Daily Times
3 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Israeli-made drones not ruled out by NZDF
By Phil Pennington of RNZ The NZ military has not ruled out buying drones from Israel during the Gaza conflict. Many countries are shopping for drones, and Israel has some of the most advanced and lethal in the world. In 2019, the NZ Defence Force bought bomb-clearing robots from Israeli firm Roboteam, well before drones went off as a warfighting essential. A few days ago, Roboteam talked about the Gaza war letting loose an "orchestra" of drones. "We connect the drones with the unmanned ground vehicles [UGVs], and then you get a new orchestra of UGVs talking with each other and shooting." This was a "huge change" from when weaponising drones was banned before the war, it said. The military here said government procurement rules did not allow bans on firms based on country of origin. "The NZDF will exclude a supplier from the tender process, if it has sufficient grounds to believe there is evidence of human-rights violations by the supplier or in the supplier's supply chain," it said. It had "no specific process" to assess that, but concerns might be raised during due diligence checks (listed below). "Accordingly, the NZDF would not exclude Roboteam based on the fact they are an Israeli-owned company, unless this was a central government direction (for example, if a supplier's country of origin is on a relevant sanctions list)." No doctrine, no strategy As drones rapidly become more crucial to warfare and more lethal, the questions around buying and using them increase in significance. However, the Defence Force admitted it had neither a doctrine nor a strategy for drone development. "The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) does not have drone development strategies nor does it have doctrines around drone development," it said in response to an OIA. Asked what documents it had about drone rules of engagement in warfare, it provided nothing. It also lacked any centralised purchasing system for drones - individual units bought their own "as needs require", it said. It followed the government's "approach to drone regulation and development", but the force last briefed Defence Minister Judith Collins about drones 19 months ago. 'I hope we are buying from New Zealand' On Thursday, Collins unveiled plans to buy $2.7 billion of US maritime helicopters and large planes from Europe, as signalled in the Defence Capability Plan in April. Asked later if it would get some drones next up, she said: "Oh, absolutely." Asked if she would rule out buying them from Israel, given the Gaza war, Collins said: "You know, what I can really say, I hope we are buying from New Zealand." During the media conference, Collins stressed she wanted a more lethal defence force. Tauranga company Syos makes surveillance and cargo drones used in the Ukraine war, while other companies also make non-weaponised drones. Before October 2019, government procurement rules contained no specific reference to human rights issues, the NZDF said. Budget 2025 provided unspecified funding for counter-drone systems. There are many such systems, including Israeli ones, that shoot drones using roboticised rifles, which can themselves be mounted on drones as an offensive weapon. The $12b defence capability plan envisages New Zealand buying many more air and sea drones by 2029. Defence's most recent purchase of four types of surveillance drones did not include any Israeli ones, it said. Asked how it applied the procurement rules for these, it said: "In accordance with the government procurement rules, the NZDF has not excluded Roboteam from tendering for any of its procurements on the basis of Roboteam's country of origin." It emphasised to RNZ Roboteam's civilian credentials. "Roboteam is an entrepreneurial business run from Israel, which is built upon the company's core expertise in design of mobility systems and controls. Much of its business is involved in personal mobility solutions for disabled persons and medical applications," it said. Roboteam supplies many countries' militaries. RNZ contacted Roboteam for comment. Australia buys Israeli drones On Thursday, Collins re-iterated New Zealand wanted to buy the same military systems as Australia to stay interoperable. A few days ago, the Australian government laid out plans to spend more than a billion dollars on drones and counterdrones in the next decade. It launched Project LAND 156, which had already granted more than $50m in contracts for counterdrones to local firms. The project adopted a "continuous modernisation model" critical to ensure investments today would be useful in future, it said. . Canberra stressed it would buy local, if it could, but in 2022, the Australian army bought Skylark drones from Israeli firm Elbit. An Elbit Skylark reconnaissance drone crashed in a street in Gaza city last weekend, before an assault by the Israel Defence Force on the city. The Jerusalem Post reported that Skylarks could help co-ordinate artillery fire. Last year, Australia did a controversial deal with Elbit to buy turrets worth about a billion dollars. Reuters has reported on "many" Israeli firms getting "a boost from Israel's war needs". "Unfortunately, war is good for business and Israel has been a major partner," it quoted Boeing Israel growth and innovation head Ayal Somech on a panel at a conference. NZDF said due diligence could include, but was not limited to: reference checks Companies Office checks analysis of financial and audited accounts validated insurances compliance certificate/s checks accreditation checks police checks security clearances capacity, capability and demonstrated experience/expertise (physical and documented) health and safety quality control subcontractors' capacity and capability (physical and documented) Code of Conduct compliance physical premises checks IT infrastructure/security
