More hunger deaths in Gaza as fuel trucks reach border
The new deaths raised the toll of those dying from what international humanitarian agencies say could be an unfolding famine to 175, including 93 children, since the war began, the ministry said on Sunday.
Egypt's state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV said two trucks carrying 107 tons of diesel were set to enter Gaza, months after Israel severely restricted aid access to the enclave before easing it somewhat as starvation began to spread.
Gaza's health ministry has said fuel shortages have severely impaired hospital services, forcing doctors to focus on treating only critically ill or injured patients.
There was no immediate confirmation whether the fuel trucks had indeed entered Gaza.
Fuel shipments have been rare since March, when Israel restricted the flow of aid and goods into the enclave in what it said was pressure on Hamas militants to free the remaining hostages they took in their October 2023 attack on Israel.
Israel blames Hamas for the suffering in Gaza but, in response to a rising international outcry, it announced steps last week to let more aid reach the population, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas, approving air drops and announcing protected routes for aid convoys.
United Nations agencies have said that airdrops of food are insufficient and that Israel must let in far more aid by land and open up access to the war-devastated territory where starvation has been spreading.
COGAT, the Israeli military agency that co-ordinates aid, said 35 trucks have entered Gaza since June, almost all of them in July.
The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said on Sunday almost 1600 aid trucks had arrived since Israel eased restrictions late in July.
However, witnesses and Hamas sources said many of those trucks have been looted by desperate displaced people and armed gangs.
More than 700 trucks of fuel entered the Gaza Strip in January and February during a ceasefire before Israel broke it in March in a dispute over terms for extending it and resumed its major offensive.
Palestinian local health authorities said at least 40 people had been killed by Israeli gunfire and air strikes across the coastal enclave on Sunday.
Deaths included persons trying to make their way to aid distribution points in southern and central areas of Gaza, Palestinian medics said.
Among those killed was a staff member of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which said an Israeli strike at their headquarters in Khan Younis in southern Gaza ignited a fire on the first floor of the building.
The Gaza war began when Hamas killed more than 1200 people and took 251 hostage in a cross-border attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures.
Israel's air and ground war in densely populated Gaza has since killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to enclave health officials.
According to Israeli officials, 50 hostages now remain in Gaza, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
Six more people have died of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza in the past 24 hours, its health ministry says, underlining the enclave's humanitarian emergency as Egyptian state TV says two trucks are set to make a rare delivery of fuel.
The new deaths raised the toll of those dying from what international humanitarian agencies say could be an unfolding famine to 175, including 93 children, since the war began, the ministry said on Sunday.
Egypt's state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV said two trucks carrying 107 tons of diesel were set to enter Gaza, months after Israel severely restricted aid access to the enclave before easing it somewhat as starvation began to spread.
Gaza's health ministry has said fuel shortages have severely impaired hospital services, forcing doctors to focus on treating only critically ill or injured patients.
There was no immediate confirmation whether the fuel trucks had indeed entered Gaza.
Fuel shipments have been rare since March, when Israel restricted the flow of aid and goods into the enclave in what it said was pressure on Hamas militants to free the remaining hostages they took in their October 2023 attack on Israel.
Israel blames Hamas for the suffering in Gaza but, in response to a rising international outcry, it announced steps last week to let more aid reach the population, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas, approving air drops and announcing protected routes for aid convoys.
United Nations agencies have said that airdrops of food are insufficient and that Israel must let in far more aid by land and open up access to the war-devastated territory where starvation has been spreading.
COGAT, the Israeli military agency that co-ordinates aid, said 35 trucks have entered Gaza since June, almost all of them in July.
The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said on Sunday almost 1600 aid trucks had arrived since Israel eased restrictions late in July.
However, witnesses and Hamas sources said many of those trucks have been looted by desperate displaced people and armed gangs.
More than 700 trucks of fuel entered the Gaza Strip in January and February during a ceasefire before Israel broke it in March in a dispute over terms for extending it and resumed its major offensive.
Palestinian local health authorities said at least 40 people had been killed by Israeli gunfire and air strikes across the coastal enclave on Sunday.
Deaths included persons trying to make their way to aid distribution points in southern and central areas of Gaza, Palestinian medics said.
Among those killed was a staff member of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which said an Israeli strike at their headquarters in Khan Younis in southern Gaza ignited a fire on the first floor of the building.
The Gaza war began when Hamas killed more than 1200 people and took 251 hostage in a cross-border attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures.
Israel's air and ground war in densely populated Gaza has since killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to enclave health officials.
According to Israeli officials, 50 hostages now remain in Gaza, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
Six more people have died of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza in the past 24 hours, its health ministry says, underlining the enclave's humanitarian emergency as Egyptian state TV says two trucks are set to make a rare delivery of fuel.
The new deaths raised the toll of those dying from what international humanitarian agencies say could be an unfolding famine to 175, including 93 children, since the war began, the ministry said on Sunday.
Egypt's state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV said two trucks carrying 107 tons of diesel were set to enter Gaza, months after Israel severely restricted aid access to the enclave before easing it somewhat as starvation began to spread.
Gaza's health ministry has said fuel shortages have severely impaired hospital services, forcing doctors to focus on treating only critically ill or injured patients.
There was no immediate confirmation whether the fuel trucks had indeed entered Gaza.
Fuel shipments have been rare since March, when Israel restricted the flow of aid and goods into the enclave in what it said was pressure on Hamas militants to free the remaining hostages they took in their October 2023 attack on Israel.
Israel blames Hamas for the suffering in Gaza but, in response to a rising international outcry, it announced steps last week to let more aid reach the population, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas, approving air drops and announcing protected routes for aid convoys.
United Nations agencies have said that airdrops of food are insufficient and that Israel must let in far more aid by land and open up access to the war-devastated territory where starvation has been spreading.
COGAT, the Israeli military agency that co-ordinates aid, said 35 trucks have entered Gaza since June, almost all of them in July.
The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said on Sunday almost 1600 aid trucks had arrived since Israel eased restrictions late in July.
However, witnesses and Hamas sources said many of those trucks have been looted by desperate displaced people and armed gangs.
More than 700 trucks of fuel entered the Gaza Strip in January and February during a ceasefire before Israel broke it in March in a dispute over terms for extending it and resumed its major offensive.
Palestinian local health authorities said at least 40 people had been killed by Israeli gunfire and air strikes across the coastal enclave on Sunday.
Deaths included persons trying to make their way to aid distribution points in southern and central areas of Gaza, Palestinian medics said.
Among those killed was a staff member of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which said an Israeli strike at their headquarters in Khan Younis in southern Gaza ignited a fire on the first floor of the building.
The Gaza war began when Hamas killed more than 1200 people and took 251 hostage in a cross-border attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures.
Israel's air and ground war in densely populated Gaza has since killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to enclave health officials.
According to Israeli officials, 50 hostages now remain in Gaza, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
Six more people have died of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza in the past 24 hours, its health ministry says, underlining the enclave's humanitarian emergency as Egyptian state TV says two trucks are set to make a rare delivery of fuel.
The new deaths raised the toll of those dying from what international humanitarian agencies say could be an unfolding famine to 175, including 93 children, since the war began, the ministry said on Sunday.
Egypt's state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV said two trucks carrying 107 tons of diesel were set to enter Gaza, months after Israel severely restricted aid access to the enclave before easing it somewhat as starvation began to spread.
Gaza's health ministry has said fuel shortages have severely impaired hospital services, forcing doctors to focus on treating only critically ill or injured patients.
There was no immediate confirmation whether the fuel trucks had indeed entered Gaza.
Fuel shipments have been rare since March, when Israel restricted the flow of aid and goods into the enclave in what it said was pressure on Hamas militants to free the remaining hostages they took in their October 2023 attack on Israel.
Israel blames Hamas for the suffering in Gaza but, in response to a rising international outcry, it announced steps last week to let more aid reach the population, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas, approving air drops and announcing protected routes for aid convoys.
United Nations agencies have said that airdrops of food are insufficient and that Israel must let in far more aid by land and open up access to the war-devastated territory where starvation has been spreading.
COGAT, the Israeli military agency that co-ordinates aid, said 35 trucks have entered Gaza since June, almost all of them in July.
The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said on Sunday almost 1600 aid trucks had arrived since Israel eased restrictions late in July.
However, witnesses and Hamas sources said many of those trucks have been looted by desperate displaced people and armed gangs.
More than 700 trucks of fuel entered the Gaza Strip in January and February during a ceasefire before Israel broke it in March in a dispute over terms for extending it and resumed its major offensive.
Palestinian local health authorities said at least 40 people had been killed by Israeli gunfire and air strikes across the coastal enclave on Sunday.
Deaths included persons trying to make their way to aid distribution points in southern and central areas of Gaza, Palestinian medics said.
Among those killed was a staff member of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which said an Israeli strike at their headquarters in Khan Younis in southern Gaza ignited a fire on the first floor of the building.
The Gaza war began when Hamas killed more than 1200 people and took 251 hostage in a cross-border attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures.
Israel's air and ground war in densely populated Gaza has since killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to enclave health officials.
According to Israeli officials, 50 hostages now remain in Gaza, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Dozens killed in Gaza as Israel weighs military action
At least 38 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip while seeking aid from United Nations convoys and sites run by an Israeli-backed American contractor, according to local health officials. The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots when crowds approached its forces. Another 25 people, including several women and children, were killed in Israeli air strikes, according to local hospitals in Gaza. The military said it only targets Hamas militants. The latest deaths came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to announce further military action — and possibly plans for Israel to fully reoccupy Gaza. Experts say Israel's ongoing military offensive and blockade are already pushing the territory of some two million Palestinians into famine. A new UN report said only 1.5 per cent of Gaza's cropland is accessible and undamaged. Another escalation of the nearly 22-month war could put the lives of countless Palestinians and around 20 living Israeli hostages at risk, and would draw fierce opposition both internationally and within Israel. Netanyahu's far-right coalition allies have long called for the war to be expanded, and for Israel to eventually take over Gaza, relocate much of its population and rebuild Jewish settlements there. US President Donald Trump, asked by a reporter on Tuesday whether he supported the reoccupation of Gaza, said he wasn't aware of the "suggestion" but that "it's going to be pretty much up to Israel". Of the 38 Palestinians killed while seeking aid, at least 28 died in the Morag Corridor, an Israeli military zone in southern Gaza where UN convoys have been repeatedly overwhelmed by looters and desperate crowds in recent days, and where witnesses say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire. The Israeli military said troops fired warning shots as Palestinians advanced toward them, and that it was not aware of any casualties. Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies, said another four people were killed in the Teina area, on a route leading to a site in southern Gaza run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor. The Al-Awda Hospital said it received the bodies of six people killed near a GHF site in central Gaza. GHF said there were no violent incidents at or near its sites. Two of the Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza City, in the north of the territory, killing 13 people there, including six children and five women, according to the Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the bodies. The Israeli military says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its militants are entrenched in heavily populated areas. UN experts say Israeli-backed aid group should be dismantled. Israel facilitated the establishment of four GHF sites in May after blocking the entry of all food, medicine and other goods for 2.5 months. Israeli and US officials said a new system was needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off humanitarian aid. The United Nations, which has delivered aid to hundreds of distribution points across Gaza throughout the war when conditions allow, has rejected the new system, saying it forces Palestinians to travel long distances and risk their lives for food, and that it allows Israel to control who gets aid, potentially using it to advance plans for further mass displacement. The UN human rights office said last week that some 1400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid since May, mostly near GHF sites but also along UN convoy routes where trucks have been overwhelmed by crowds. It says nearly all were killed by Israeli fire. This week, a group of UN special rapporteurs and independent human rights experts called for the GHF to be disbanded, saying it is "an utterly disturbing example of how humanitarian relief can be exploited for covert military and geopolitical agendas in serious breach of international law". At least 38 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip while seeking aid from United Nations convoys and sites run by an Israeli-backed American contractor, according to local health officials. The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots when crowds approached its forces. Another 25 people, including several women and children, were killed in Israeli air strikes, according to local hospitals in Gaza. The military said it only targets Hamas militants. The latest deaths came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to announce further military action — and possibly plans for Israel to fully reoccupy Gaza. Experts say Israel's ongoing military offensive and blockade are already pushing the territory of some two million Palestinians into famine. A new UN report said only 1.5 per cent of Gaza's cropland is accessible and undamaged. Another escalation of the nearly 22-month war could put the lives of countless Palestinians and around 20 living Israeli hostages at risk, and would draw fierce opposition both internationally and within Israel. Netanyahu's far-right coalition allies have long called for the war to be expanded, and for Israel to eventually take over Gaza, relocate much of its population and rebuild Jewish settlements there. US President Donald Trump, asked by a reporter on Tuesday whether he supported the reoccupation of Gaza, said he wasn't aware of the "suggestion" but that "it's going to be pretty much up to Israel". Of the 38 Palestinians killed while seeking aid, at least 28 died in the Morag Corridor, an Israeli military zone in southern Gaza where UN convoys have been repeatedly overwhelmed by looters and desperate crowds in recent days, and where witnesses say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire. The Israeli military said troops fired warning shots as Palestinians advanced toward them, and that it was not aware of any casualties. Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies, said another four people were killed in the Teina area, on a route leading to a site in southern Gaza run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor. The Al-Awda Hospital said it received the bodies of six people killed near a GHF site in central Gaza. GHF said there were no violent incidents at or near its sites. Two of the Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza City, in the north of the territory, killing 13 people there, including six children and five women, according to the Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the bodies. The Israeli military says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its militants are entrenched in heavily populated areas. UN experts say Israeli-backed aid group should be dismantled. Israel facilitated the establishment of four GHF sites in May after blocking the entry of all food, medicine and other goods for 2.5 months. Israeli and US officials said a new system was needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off humanitarian aid. The United Nations, which has delivered aid to hundreds of distribution points across Gaza throughout the war when conditions allow, has rejected the new system, saying it forces Palestinians to travel long distances and risk their lives for food, and that it allows Israel to control who gets aid, potentially using it to advance plans for further mass displacement. The UN human rights office said last week that some 1400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid since May, mostly near GHF sites but also along UN convoy routes where trucks have been overwhelmed by crowds. It says nearly all were killed by Israeli fire. This week, a group of UN special rapporteurs and independent human rights experts called for the GHF to be disbanded, saying it is "an utterly disturbing example of how humanitarian relief can be exploited for covert military and geopolitical agendas in serious breach of international law". At least 38 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip while seeking aid from United Nations convoys and sites run by an Israeli-backed American contractor, according to local health officials. The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots when crowds approached its forces. Another 25 people, including several women and children, were killed in Israeli air strikes, according to local hospitals in Gaza. The military said it only targets Hamas militants. The latest deaths came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to announce further military action — and possibly plans for Israel to fully reoccupy Gaza. Experts say Israel's ongoing military offensive and blockade are already pushing the territory of some two million Palestinians into famine. A new UN report said only 1.5 per cent of Gaza's cropland is accessible and undamaged. Another escalation of the nearly 22-month war could put the lives of countless Palestinians and around 20 living Israeli hostages at risk, and would draw fierce opposition both internationally and within Israel. Netanyahu's far-right coalition allies have long called for the war to be expanded, and for Israel to eventually take over Gaza, relocate much of its population and rebuild Jewish settlements there. US President Donald Trump, asked by a reporter on Tuesday whether he supported the reoccupation of Gaza, said he wasn't aware of the "suggestion" but that "it's going to be pretty much up to Israel". Of the 38 Palestinians killed while seeking aid, at least 28 died in the Morag Corridor, an Israeli military zone in southern Gaza where UN convoys have been repeatedly overwhelmed by looters and desperate crowds in recent days, and where witnesses say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire. The Israeli military said troops fired warning shots as Palestinians advanced toward them, and that it was not aware of any casualties. Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies, said another four people were killed in the Teina area, on a route leading to a site in southern Gaza run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor. The Al-Awda Hospital said it received the bodies of six people killed near a GHF site in central Gaza. GHF said there were no violent incidents at or near its sites. Two of the Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza City, in the north of the territory, killing 13 people there, including six children and five women, according to the Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the bodies. The Israeli military says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its militants are entrenched in heavily populated areas. UN experts say Israeli-backed aid group should be dismantled. Israel facilitated the establishment of four GHF sites in May after blocking the entry of all food, medicine and other goods for 2.5 months. Israeli and US officials said a new system was needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off humanitarian aid. The United Nations, which has delivered aid to hundreds of distribution points across Gaza throughout the war when conditions allow, has rejected the new system, saying it forces Palestinians to travel long distances and risk their lives for food, and that it allows Israel to control who gets aid, potentially using it to advance plans for further mass displacement. The UN human rights office said last week that some 1400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid since May, mostly near GHF sites but also along UN convoy routes where trucks have been overwhelmed by crowds. It says nearly all were killed by Israeli fire. This week, a group of UN special rapporteurs and independent human rights experts called for the GHF to be disbanded, saying it is "an utterly disturbing example of how humanitarian relief can be exploited for covert military and geopolitical agendas in serious breach of international law". At least 38 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip while seeking aid from United Nations convoys and sites run by an Israeli-backed American contractor, according to local health officials. The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots when crowds approached its forces. Another 25 people, including several women and children, were killed in Israeli air strikes, according to local hospitals in Gaza. The military said it only targets Hamas militants. The latest deaths came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to announce further military action — and possibly plans for Israel to fully reoccupy Gaza. Experts say Israel's ongoing military offensive and blockade are already pushing the territory of some two million Palestinians into famine. A new UN report said only 1.5 per cent of Gaza's cropland is accessible and undamaged. Another escalation of the nearly 22-month war could put the lives of countless Palestinians and around 20 living Israeli hostages at risk, and would draw fierce opposition both internationally and within Israel. Netanyahu's far-right coalition allies have long called for the war to be expanded, and for Israel to eventually take over Gaza, relocate much of its population and rebuild Jewish settlements there. US President Donald Trump, asked by a reporter on Tuesday whether he supported the reoccupation of Gaza, said he wasn't aware of the "suggestion" but that "it's going to be pretty much up to Israel". Of the 38 Palestinians killed while seeking aid, at least 28 died in the Morag Corridor, an Israeli military zone in southern Gaza where UN convoys have been repeatedly overwhelmed by looters and desperate crowds in recent days, and where witnesses say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire. The Israeli military said troops fired warning shots as Palestinians advanced toward them, and that it was not aware of any casualties. Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies, said another four people were killed in the Teina area, on a route leading to a site in southern Gaza run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor. The Al-Awda Hospital said it received the bodies of six people killed near a GHF site in central Gaza. GHF said there were no violent incidents at or near its sites. Two of the Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza City, in the north of the territory, killing 13 people there, including six children and five women, according to the Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the bodies. The Israeli military says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its militants are entrenched in heavily populated areas. UN experts say Israeli-backed aid group should be dismantled. Israel facilitated the establishment of four GHF sites in May after blocking the entry of all food, medicine and other goods for 2.5 months. Israeli and US officials said a new system was needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off humanitarian aid. The United Nations, which has delivered aid to hundreds of distribution points across Gaza throughout the war when conditions allow, has rejected the new system, saying it forces Palestinians to travel long distances and risk their lives for food, and that it allows Israel to control who gets aid, potentially using it to advance plans for further mass displacement. The UN human rights office said last week that some 1400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid since May, mostly near GHF sites but also along UN convoy routes where trucks have been overwhelmed by crowds. It says nearly all were killed by Israeli fire. This week, a group of UN special rapporteurs and independent human rights experts called for the GHF to be disbanded, saying it is "an utterly disturbing example of how humanitarian relief can be exploited for covert military and geopolitical agendas in serious breach of international law".
The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
I worked as a doctor on the ground in Gaza. Here's how Australia could change lives
The 25,000 in Melbourne and 100,000 in Sydney, who, on Sunday all marched for Palestine - can't be wrong. Add in those elsewhere across Australia who massed to support Palestine, to end the hunger and death there, and you have an idea of the strength of people's commitment to ending the conflict. The situation in Gaza is now as potent and widespread a political issue as it was when the "Free David Hicks" campaign saw his face in windows and on lawns across the country. The only Australian to ever be incarcerated in Guantanamo Bay on terrorism charges, the public outcry over his imprisonment saw the then prime minister, John Howard, face enormous pressure to bring him home, and he did. Our PM, Anthony Albanese, is facing similar pressure now that countries like the UK, Canada and France have all committed to recognise Palestine as a state. He wants to wait, and he and the Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, have their reasons. But regardless, it is clear that the Australian public will continue to push for stronger action against what is happening in Gaza than pure rhetoric. Perhaps there is an answer to that, a way to make Australians feel that their government reflects their frustration with the Gaza situation, and one which promotes Australia's global leadership, without being overly political, in this most politicised of situations. There is currently in Jordan, just across the border with Gaza, a fully functioning mobile maternity and neonatal hospital. Set up by the charity, Pious Projects USA, the hospital would take a mere seven days from the moment it sets down to when it is operational, staffed by Jordanian healthcare workers. It's a hospital that even the Israelis can't or shouldn't object to. It has its plumbing incorporated into its above-ground structure, so there are no tunnels that the Israeli Defence Forces often cite as a fear for harbouring militants. And - way more importantly - the hospital offers real hope to the 50,000 pregnant women who, according to ActionAid Palestine, have no access to functioning hospitals, prenatal care, basic medicines, ultrasounds and safe deliveries. Many of them are having caesarean sections without anaesthesia. In some cases, women bleed to death during childbirth, and there are no incubators for babies born prematurely. The Israelis may prevent food and water from crossing into Gaza from Jordan, because of fears insurgents will hijack it - but surely allowing the set-up of a fully operational maternity hospital, with Jordanian staff, would be an apolitical act, and one that would resonate with pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups globally. But consider an even greater act - and one that is led by Australia. The same template for the maternity hospital could be translated into a Children's Hospital in Gaza with Pious Projects USA ready to roll out just such a venture. Imagine an Australian Children's Hospital, in Khan Younis, in Southern Gaza. The facility could be operational within months - with 100 beds, designated neonatal and paediatric intensive care units, emergency and surgical care departments, rehabilitation, and trauma-informed care services. It would be run by a consortium of countries including the UK, Canada, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and New Zealand, and led by Australia. The Indonesian government has already offered support due to their experience in building and operationalising the Indonesian Hospital in Bait Lahia in the Gaza Strip. A Children's Hospital in Gaza must be run by a number of countries as custodians of the hospital. With the imprimatur and support of nation states like Australia, a Children's Hospital would surely be safe from bombing, if for no other reason than the global outrage against Israel would be enormous if it did so. Recently the UK Foreign Minister, David Lammy, pledged his government's support on the floor of the UK Parliament and the Irish government has given its commitment to a children's hospital. Conversations are happening at levels with the Canadian and New Zealand governments as well. Australia as the chance to join, even lead this. Remember a children's cospital in Gaza is not just for now - it will be part of the rebuilding process when peace comes to the region, a training hub for the next generation of Palestinian doctors, attracting healthcare workers to a region where Palestinian health care workers, those that remain alive, are exhausted. On Sunday, Australians showed they want their government to assist in the peace process. Leading a push for a children's hospital is surely a start. The 25,000 in Melbourne and 100,000 in Sydney, who, on Sunday all marched for Palestine - can't be wrong. Add in those elsewhere across Australia who massed to support Palestine, to end the hunger and death there, and you have an idea of the strength of people's commitment to ending the conflict. The situation in Gaza is now as potent and widespread a political issue as it was when the "Free David Hicks" campaign saw his face in windows and on lawns across the country. The only Australian to ever be incarcerated in Guantanamo Bay on terrorism charges, the public outcry over his imprisonment saw the then prime minister, John Howard, face enormous pressure to bring him home, and he did. Our PM, Anthony Albanese, is facing similar pressure now that countries like the UK, Canada and France have all committed to recognise Palestine as a state. He wants to wait, and he and the Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, have their reasons. But regardless, it is clear that the Australian public will continue to push for stronger action against what is happening in Gaza than pure rhetoric. Perhaps there is an answer to that, a way to make Australians feel that their government reflects their frustration with the Gaza situation, and one which promotes Australia's global leadership, without being overly political, in this most politicised of situations. There is currently in Jordan, just across the border with Gaza, a fully functioning mobile maternity and neonatal hospital. Set up by the charity, Pious Projects USA, the hospital would take a mere seven days from the moment it sets down to when it is operational, staffed by Jordanian healthcare workers. It's a hospital that even the Israelis can't or shouldn't object to. It has its plumbing incorporated into its above-ground structure, so there are no tunnels that the Israeli Defence Forces often cite as a fear for harbouring militants. And - way more importantly - the hospital offers real hope to the 50,000 pregnant women who, according to ActionAid Palestine, have no access to functioning hospitals, prenatal care, basic medicines, ultrasounds and safe deliveries. Many of them are having caesarean sections without anaesthesia. In some cases, women bleed to death during childbirth, and there are no incubators for babies born prematurely. The Israelis may prevent food and water from crossing into Gaza from Jordan, because of fears insurgents will hijack it - but surely allowing the set-up of a fully operational maternity hospital, with Jordanian staff, would be an apolitical act, and one that would resonate with pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups globally. But consider an even greater act - and one that is led by Australia. The same template for the maternity hospital could be translated into a Children's Hospital in Gaza with Pious Projects USA ready to roll out just such a venture. Imagine an Australian Children's Hospital, in Khan Younis, in Southern Gaza. The facility could be operational within months - with 100 beds, designated neonatal and paediatric intensive care units, emergency and surgical care departments, rehabilitation, and trauma-informed care services. It would be run by a consortium of countries including the UK, Canada, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and New Zealand, and led by Australia. The Indonesian government has already offered support due to their experience in building and operationalising the Indonesian Hospital in Bait Lahia in the Gaza Strip. A Children's Hospital in Gaza must be run by a number of countries as custodians of the hospital. With the imprimatur and support of nation states like Australia, a Children's Hospital would surely be safe from bombing, if for no other reason than the global outrage against Israel would be enormous if it did so. Recently the UK Foreign Minister, David Lammy, pledged his government's support on the floor of the UK Parliament and the Irish government has given its commitment to a children's hospital. Conversations are happening at levels with the Canadian and New Zealand governments as well. Australia as the chance to join, even lead this. Remember a children's cospital in Gaza is not just for now - it will be part of the rebuilding process when peace comes to the region, a training hub for the next generation of Palestinian doctors, attracting healthcare workers to a region where Palestinian health care workers, those that remain alive, are exhausted. On Sunday, Australians showed they want their government to assist in the peace process. Leading a push for a children's hospital is surely a start. The 25,000 in Melbourne and 100,000 in Sydney, who, on Sunday all marched for Palestine - can't be wrong. Add in those elsewhere across Australia who massed to support Palestine, to end the hunger and death there, and you have an idea of the strength of people's commitment to ending the conflict. The situation in Gaza is now as potent and widespread a political issue as it was when the "Free David Hicks" campaign saw his face in windows and on lawns across the country. The only Australian to ever be incarcerated in Guantanamo Bay on terrorism charges, the public outcry over his imprisonment saw the then prime minister, John Howard, face enormous pressure to bring him home, and he did. Our PM, Anthony Albanese, is facing similar pressure now that countries like the UK, Canada and France have all committed to recognise Palestine as a state. He wants to wait, and he and the Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, have their reasons. But regardless, it is clear that the Australian public will continue to push for stronger action against what is happening in Gaza than pure rhetoric. Perhaps there is an answer to that, a way to make Australians feel that their government reflects their frustration with the Gaza situation, and one which promotes Australia's global leadership, without being overly political, in this most politicised of situations. There is currently in Jordan, just across the border with Gaza, a fully functioning mobile maternity and neonatal hospital. Set up by the charity, Pious Projects USA, the hospital would take a mere seven days from the moment it sets down to when it is operational, staffed by Jordanian healthcare workers. It's a hospital that even the Israelis can't or shouldn't object to. It has its plumbing incorporated into its above-ground structure, so there are no tunnels that the Israeli Defence Forces often cite as a fear for harbouring militants. And - way more importantly - the hospital offers real hope to the 50,000 pregnant women who, according to ActionAid Palestine, have no access to functioning hospitals, prenatal care, basic medicines, ultrasounds and safe deliveries. Many of them are having caesarean sections without anaesthesia. In some cases, women bleed to death during childbirth, and there are no incubators for babies born prematurely. The Israelis may prevent food and water from crossing into Gaza from Jordan, because of fears insurgents will hijack it - but surely allowing the set-up of a fully operational maternity hospital, with Jordanian staff, would be an apolitical act, and one that would resonate with pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups globally. But consider an even greater act - and one that is led by Australia. The same template for the maternity hospital could be translated into a Children's Hospital in Gaza with Pious Projects USA ready to roll out just such a venture. Imagine an Australian Children's Hospital, in Khan Younis, in Southern Gaza. The facility could be operational within months - with 100 beds, designated neonatal and paediatric intensive care units, emergency and surgical care departments, rehabilitation, and trauma-informed care services. It would be run by a consortium of countries including the UK, Canada, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and New Zealand, and led by Australia. The Indonesian government has already offered support due to their experience in building and operationalising the Indonesian Hospital in Bait Lahia in the Gaza Strip. A Children's Hospital in Gaza must be run by a number of countries as custodians of the hospital. With the imprimatur and support of nation states like Australia, a Children's Hospital would surely be safe from bombing, if for no other reason than the global outrage against Israel would be enormous if it did so. Recently the UK Foreign Minister, David Lammy, pledged his government's support on the floor of the UK Parliament and the Irish government has given its commitment to a children's hospital. Conversations are happening at levels with the Canadian and New Zealand governments as well. Australia as the chance to join, even lead this. Remember a children's cospital in Gaza is not just for now - it will be part of the rebuilding process when peace comes to the region, a training hub for the next generation of Palestinian doctors, attracting healthcare workers to a region where Palestinian health care workers, those that remain alive, are exhausted. On Sunday, Australians showed they want their government to assist in the peace process. Leading a push for a children's hospital is surely a start. The 25,000 in Melbourne and 100,000 in Sydney, who, on Sunday all marched for Palestine - can't be wrong. Add in those elsewhere across Australia who massed to support Palestine, to end the hunger and death there, and you have an idea of the strength of people's commitment to ending the conflict. The situation in Gaza is now as potent and widespread a political issue as it was when the "Free David Hicks" campaign saw his face in windows and on lawns across the country. The only Australian to ever be incarcerated in Guantanamo Bay on terrorism charges, the public outcry over his imprisonment saw the then prime minister, John Howard, face enormous pressure to bring him home, and he did. Our PM, Anthony Albanese, is facing similar pressure now that countries like the UK, Canada and France have all committed to recognise Palestine as a state. He wants to wait, and he and the Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, have their reasons. But regardless, it is clear that the Australian public will continue to push for stronger action against what is happening in Gaza than pure rhetoric. Perhaps there is an answer to that, a way to make Australians feel that their government reflects their frustration with the Gaza situation, and one which promotes Australia's global leadership, without being overly political, in this most politicised of situations. There is currently in Jordan, just across the border with Gaza, a fully functioning mobile maternity and neonatal hospital. Set up by the charity, Pious Projects USA, the hospital would take a mere seven days from the moment it sets down to when it is operational, staffed by Jordanian healthcare workers. It's a hospital that even the Israelis can't or shouldn't object to. It has its plumbing incorporated into its above-ground structure, so there are no tunnels that the Israeli Defence Forces often cite as a fear for harbouring militants. And - way more importantly - the hospital offers real hope to the 50,000 pregnant women who, according to ActionAid Palestine, have no access to functioning hospitals, prenatal care, basic medicines, ultrasounds and safe deliveries. Many of them are having caesarean sections without anaesthesia. In some cases, women bleed to death during childbirth, and there are no incubators for babies born prematurely. The Israelis may prevent food and water from crossing into Gaza from Jordan, because of fears insurgents will hijack it - but surely allowing the set-up of a fully operational maternity hospital, with Jordanian staff, would be an apolitical act, and one that would resonate with pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups globally. But consider an even greater act - and one that is led by Australia. The same template for the maternity hospital could be translated into a Children's Hospital in Gaza with Pious Projects USA ready to roll out just such a venture. Imagine an Australian Children's Hospital, in Khan Younis, in Southern Gaza. The facility could be operational within months - with 100 beds, designated neonatal and paediatric intensive care units, emergency and surgical care departments, rehabilitation, and trauma-informed care services. It would be run by a consortium of countries including the UK, Canada, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and New Zealand, and led by Australia. The Indonesian government has already offered support due to their experience in building and operationalising the Indonesian Hospital in Bait Lahia in the Gaza Strip. A Children's Hospital in Gaza must be run by a number of countries as custodians of the hospital. With the imprimatur and support of nation states like Australia, a Children's Hospital would surely be safe from bombing, if for no other reason than the global outrage against Israel would be enormous if it did so. Recently the UK Foreign Minister, David Lammy, pledged his government's support on the floor of the UK Parliament and the Irish government has given its commitment to a children's hospital. Conversations are happening at levels with the Canadian and New Zealand governments as well. Australia as the chance to join, even lead this. Remember a children's cospital in Gaza is not just for now - it will be part of the rebuilding process when peace comes to the region, a training hub for the next generation of Palestinian doctors, attracting healthcare workers to a region where Palestinian health care workers, those that remain alive, are exhausted. On Sunday, Australians showed they want their government to assist in the peace process. Leading a push for a children's hospital is surely a start.
SBS Australia
a day ago
- SBS Australia
Netanyahu says his resolve to topple Hamas has been strengthened
"You see your child, nothing much to add, you see your child dying before your eyes and you can't do anything. It drives you crazy, it's unbearable, there's nothing you can do. It's hard, very hard." That's the father of hostage Rom Braslavski, Ofir, reacting to seeing a video of his son appearing unwell and emaciated. He says as a parent, it breaks his heart to see his son in such poor health. Fifty hostages remain in Gaza, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive. The images of emaciated Israeli hostages held in Gaza have horrified Israelis and added pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire agreement with Hamas. Tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets on Saturday night to demand a ceasefire deal, in one of the largest turnouts for the weekly protests in recent months. Mr Netanyahu says he will convene his cabinet later this week to discuss the next steps for Israel's military. He says the videos have strengthened his resolve to topple Hamas. "We must continue to stand together and fight together to achieve the war goals we have set, all of them; the defeat of the enemy, the release of our hostages, and the assurance that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel. Later this week, I will convene the cabinet to instruct the IDF on how to achieve these three goals, all of them, without exception." Meanwhile, Gaza's humanitarian crisis continues, with Gaza's Health Ministry saying five more people have died from malnutrition in the last 24 hours, raising the toll of those dying from hunger to 180 since the war began. 62-year-old Hassan Abu Zayed told Reuters he had been waiting outside a makeshift soup kitchen in Khan Younis since early morning for a meal to feed the children in his family. He says that for many like him, aid remains out of reach. "It is terrible famine. People who do not die because of the war, die because of hunger. There is no food for people. People are done. Enough. Enough." Anthony Aguilar is a former contractor for UG Solutions, a company paid to provide security for aid deliveries in Gaza. He says the aid distribution operation he worked on, where 20 people were killed in a stampede in mid-July, is like the dystopian survival movie 'The Hunger Games'.** "We would place all of the aid on a site in piles and rows, kind of like, imagine, if you will, the Hunger Games. When distribution happened, the Israeli Defence Force would release the large crowd, and the building crowd of Palestinians from a security line about a kilometre away, respectively, to each site, depending on which site we were using. And then that would turn into only what I could describe as like the Gaza Olympics or the survival of the fittest, that it just became an all-out race to the sites to get the aid." The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which runs the aid distribution sites, and UG Solutions, which provided security on its behalf, deny any wrongdoing. They say Mr Aguilar is a disgruntled ex-employee who was fired for poor performance. A spokesperson for the Israeli Defence Force, Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshan, says the Israeli army is committed to the effort of bringing humanitarian aid into Gaza. He says the war against Hamas in Gaza could end today, if Hamas puts down its weapons and releases Israeli hostages. "We are working alongside international organisations. This is something we've been doing since the beginning of the war in a joint war room, daily conversations with the different organisations and the international community on how to improve aid distribution in Gaza. Obviously, the IDF is in charge of facilitating the entrance. But also we do everything we can to make sure that we help the international organizations, that we make the adjustments to help them distribute the aid. So we've put in place designated routes that are agreed and known to both sides. We've put out tactical ceasefires in different locations that can help them distribute aid. And we're communicating with them every day, finding new ways to improve distribution and find solutions to the problems." He insists Israel is not putting a limitation on the amount of aid trucks going in. But Hassan Abu Zayed - who was queuing at the soup kitchen in Khan Younis - says the system isn't working. "This aid does not reach us. We do not see it. People like us do not get aid. Most of the people do not get the aid. We hear about it in the news but we do not see it. We do not see it on the ground. I hope that the crossings open and the food enters and the flour and aid enters for people and that this big crisis that we are living ends." The Israeli military agency that coordinates aid says during the past week, more than 23,000 tons of humanitarian aid in 1,200 trucks has entered Gaza, but much of that aid has yet to be driven to aid distribution hubs. Meanwhile, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has spoken to President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. Mr Albanese reiterated Australia's call for the immediate entry of aid to meet the needs of people in Gaza, a permanent ceasefire, and the release of all hostages. He also reinforced Australia's commitment to a two-state solution because, he says, a just and lasting peace depends upon it.
