Italian MPs protest at Egypt's Gaza border against war
At least 15,000 children have been killed since the Gaza war began. (AP pic)
RAFAH : Italian parliamentarians protested today in front of Egypt's Rafah border crossing with Gaza, calling for aid access and an end to the war in the devastated Palestinian territory.
'Europe is not doing enough, nothing to stop the massacre,' Cecilia Strada, an Italian member of the European parliament, told AFP.
The group – including 11 members of the Italian parliament, three MEPs and representatives of NGOs – held signs reading 'Stop genocide now', 'End illegal occupation' and 'Stop arming Israel'.
'There should be a complete embargo on weapons to and from Israel and a stop to trade with illegal settlements,' Strada said.
The protesters laid toys on the ground in solidarity with Gaza's children, who the UN warns face 'a growing risk of starvation, illness and death' more than two months into a total Israeli aid blockade.
At least 15,000 children have been killed in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, according to the United Nations.
Israel has faced mounting pressure to lift its aid blockade, as UN agencies warn of critical shortages of food, clean water, fuel and medicines.
It resumed its offensive on March 18, ending a two-month truce in its war against Hamas triggered by the Palestinian resistance group's October 2023 attack on Israel.
Yesterday Israel announced an expanded military campaign, killing dozens of people in new strikes.
'We hear the bombs right now,' Walter Massa, president of Italian non-profit organisation Associazione Ricreativa Culturale Italiana, told AFP near the crossing.
'The Israeli army continues to do what it believes is right in the face of an international community that does not intervene, and in Gaza, beyond the Rafah crossing border, people continue to die,' he said.
UN chief Antonio Guterres said yesterday said he was 'alarmed' at the escalation and called for 'a permanent ceasefire, now'.
Italy's government yesterrday reiterated its calls to Israel to stop attacking Gaza, with foreign minister Antonio Tajani saying: 'Enough with the attacks.'
'We no longer want to see the Palestinian people suffer,' Tajani said.
Gaza's health ministry said today 3,193 people have been killed since Israel resumed its strikes on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 53,339.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
4 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Mercedes sees itself as ‘sounding board' in tariff talks, says CEO
Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kaellenius said negotiations take place at the EU level because trade policy falls within the EU's remit. (EPA Images pic) BERLIN : Mercedes-Benz views itself as a 'sounding board' that contributes ideas in tariff negotiations between the EU and the US, CEO Ola Kaellenius told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper today. 'As a company, we hold talks with political decision-makers – in the EU as well as in China and the US,' said Kaellenius. 'However, negotiations take place at EU level because trade policy falls within the EU's remit. 'We are available as a sounding board, contributing ideas and presenting scenarios showing how certain decisions would affect us,' he added. Mercedes-Benz, as well as BMW and Volkswagen, are in talks with Washington over a possible import tariff deal, sources told Reuters late last month. 'Under one proposal on the table, German carmakers would get credits for cars they export from the US, which could then be deducted from tariffs,' one of the sources said. Kaellenius' interview was published hours before Germany's new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, will hold his first face-to-face talks with US President Donald Trump as Europe seeks to stave off looming US tariffs.
The Sun
6 hours ago
- The Sun
Malaysia committed to strengthening strategic cooperation with UNDRR
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is committed to strengthening strategic cooperation with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) to address increasingly complex disaster challenges, particularly those related to climate change and community resilience, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Ahmad Zahid, who is leading the Malaysian delegation to the eighth session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) in Geneva on June 4 and 5, said the matter was discussed during his meeting with UN assistant secretary-general Kamal Kishore, who is also head of UNDRR, at the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG) today. 'This meeting is highly significant for Malaysia, particularly in our efforts to strengthen strategic collaboration with UNDRR in facing increasingly complex disaster challenges, closely linked to climate change and community resilience,' he said in a statement on his official Facebook page. He said the discussions also touched on the potential development of a National Disaster Risk Reduction Act, smarter early warning systems, more accurate flood risk mapping, as well as strategic investments in education and community awareness. Ahmad Zahid shared Malaysia's experience in dealing with the severe floods at the end of last year, which affected over 150,000 people in nine states, stressing the importance of long-term planning and science- and data-based preventive measures. Meanwhile, Kishore praised Malaysia's swift action through the SMART team in its recent humanitarian and search-and-rescue mission in Myanmar, which he said reflected Malaysia's leadership in the ASEAN context. Ahmad Zahid said Malaysia had expressed its readiness to take on a greater role within the framework of regional cooperation under the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) during its ASEAN chairmanship, particularly in enhancing regional disaster preparedness and resilience. 'God willing, through smart partnerships with UNDRR and global partners, we will continue striving to ensure that this country's policies protect lives, safeguard the well-being of the people, and build a more resilient future,' he said.
Free Malaysia Today
8 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
TotalEnergies on trial in landmark greenwashing case in France
Since 2021, TotalEnergies advertised its goal of 'carbon neutrality by 2050' and touted gas as 'the fossil fuel with the lowest greenhouse gas emissions'. (AFP pic) PARIS : French oil and gas giant TotalEnergies goes on trial in Paris today over allegations of misleading climate claims, an unprecedented 'greenwashing' case against a fossil fuel firm in France. The civil case stems from a March 2022 lawsuit by three environmental groups accusing the French energy giant of 'misleading commercial practices' for saying it could reach carbon neutrality while continuing oil and gas production. Starting in May 2021, TotalEnergies advertised its goal of 'carbon neutrality by 2050' and touted gas as 'the fossil fuel with the lowest greenhouse gas emissions'. At the time, the company had also changed its name from Total to TotalEnergies to emphasise its investments in low-carbon energy, such as electricity. The plaintiffs have logged around 40 'false advertisements' in their lawsuit. The ads 'don't sincerely reflect the reality of TotalEnergies' operations', Apolline Cagnat, a legal counsel at Greenpeace, told AFP. Cagnat said the NGOs want the court to send a 'strong signal' to fossil fuel companies by ordering 'an immediate stop, under penalty, of the misleading commercial practices'. TotalEnergies disputes the charges, insisting the messages are part of its institutional communication, regulated by financial authorities – not consumer law. It argues no consumer organisation is party to the case, and that the NGOs are misusing consumer protection rules to challenge its corporate strategy. Environmental groups in recent years have turned to the courts to establish case law on companies misleading consumers by appearing more eco-friendly than they are. In Europe, courts ruled against Dutch airline KLM in 2024 and Germany's Lufthansa in March over misleading consumers about their efforts to reduce the environmental impact of flying. In Spain, utility Iberdrola failed to secure a conviction against Spanish oil and gas company Repsol over similar allegations of 'false' environmental claims. A greenwashing case against Australian oil and gas producer Santos, challenging its claim to be a 'clean fuels' company, has been ongoing since 2021. Based on a EU directive targeting unfair commercial practices, the TotalEnergies lawsuit is the first time a French court has heard such a case against a fossil fuel company. The NGOs said the Paris court will rule, for the first time in the world, on the legality of ads presenting gas as essential to the energy transition. Climate experts say methane leaks from the gas industry have a powerful warming effect on the atmosphere. TotalEnergies maintains it has not engaged in misleading commercial practices. The company says it plans to show that its messages 'about its name change, strategy and role in the energy transition are reliable and based on objective, verifiable data'.
