Benjamin Netanyahu delivers address on the war in Gaza
Mr Netanyahu emphasised principles for concluding the war including the disarmament of Hamas, release of hostages, demilitarisation of Gaza, overriding security control by Israel, and establishing a peaceful civilian administration.
The Israeli PM defended Israel's humanitarian efforts, stating nearly two million tons of aid have been delivered to civilians despite Hamas' interference.
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Perth Now
26 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Gaza Strip suffering unimaginable: foreign ministers
The humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip has reached "unimaginable levels," according to Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and several of their European allies, with the countries calling on Israel to allow in unrestricted aid. "Famine is unfolding before our eyes. Urgent action is needed now to halt and reverse starvation," the foreign ministers of 24 countries said in a joint statement. "We call on the government of Israel to provide authorisation for all international NGO (non-governmental organisations) aid shipments and to unblock essential humanitarian actors from operating," the statement said. "All crossings and routes must be used to allow a flood of aid into Gaza, including food, nutrition supplies, shelter, fuel, clean water, medicine and medical equipment." Israel has denied responsibility for hunger spreading in the Gaza Strip, accusing Hamas militants of stealing aid shipments - which Hamas denies. However, in response to a rising international uproar, Israel late last month announced steps to let more aid into the enclave, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. Some governments, however, say much more aid is needed. The statement was signed by the foreign ministers of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. The European Union later on Tuesday sent an updated statement to include EU members Italy and Latvia as signatories of the statement. The EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, and two other members of the European Commission also signed the statement. Some EU member countries, including Germany and Hungary, did not sign it. Israeli planes and tanks bombarded eastern areas of Gaza City, killing at least 11 people, witnesses and medics said on Tuesday, with Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya due in Cairo for talks to revive a US-backed ceasefire plan. The latest round of indirect talks in Qatar ended in deadlock in late July with Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas trading blame over the lack of progress on a US proposal for a 60-day truce and hostage release deal. Israel has since said it will launch a new offensive and seize control of Gaza City, which it captured shortly after the war's outbreak in October 2023 before pulling out. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to expand military control over the Gaza Strip, expected to be launched in October, has increased a global outcry over the widespread devastation, displacement and hunger afflicting the enclave's 2.2 million people. It has also stirred criticism in Israel, with the military chief of staff warning it could endanger surviving hostages and prove a death trap for Israeli soldiers. It has also raised fears of further displacement and hardship among the estimated one million Palestinians in the Gaza City region.
West Australian
26 minutes ago
- West Australian
Gaza Strip suffering unimaginable: foreign ministers
The humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip has reached "unimaginable levels," according to Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and several of their European allies, with the countries calling on Israel to allow in unrestricted aid. "Famine is unfolding before our eyes. Urgent action is needed now to halt and reverse starvation," the foreign ministers of 24 countries said in a joint statement. "We call on the government of Israel to provide authorisation for all international NGO (non-governmental organisations) aid shipments and to unblock essential humanitarian actors from operating," the statement said. "All crossings and routes must be used to allow a flood of aid into Gaza, including food, nutrition supplies, shelter, fuel, clean water, medicine and medical equipment." Israel has denied responsibility for hunger spreading in the Gaza Strip, accusing Hamas militants of stealing aid shipments - which Hamas denies. However, in response to a rising international uproar, Israel late last month announced steps to let more aid into the enclave, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. Some governments, however, say much more aid is needed. The statement was signed by the foreign ministers of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. The European Union later on Tuesday sent an updated statement to include EU members Italy and Latvia as signatories of the statement. The EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, and two other members of the European Commission also signed the statement. Some EU member countries, including Germany and Hungary, did not sign it. Israeli planes and tanks bombarded eastern areas of Gaza City, killing at least 11 people, witnesses and medics said on Tuesday, with Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya due in Cairo for talks to revive a US-backed ceasefire plan. The latest round of indirect talks in Qatar ended in deadlock in late July with Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas trading blame over the lack of progress on a US proposal for a 60-day truce and hostage release deal. Israel has since said it will launch a new offensive and seize control of Gaza City, which it captured shortly after the war's outbreak in October 2023 before pulling out. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to expand military control over the Gaza Strip, expected to be launched in October, has increased a global outcry over the widespread devastation, displacement and hunger afflicting the enclave's 2.2 million people. It has also stirred criticism in Israel, with the military chief of staff warning it could endanger surviving hostages and prove a death trap for Israeli soldiers. It has also raised fears of further displacement and hardship among the estimated one million Palestinians in the Gaza City region.
News.com.au
26 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Gaza mediators 'working very hard' to revive truce plan: Egypt
Egypt said Tuesday it was working with fellow Gaza mediators Qatar and the United States to broker a 60-day truce, as part of a renewed push to end the Israel-Hamas war. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty made the announcement at a press conference in Cairo, as two Palestinian sources told AFP that a senior Hamas delegation was due to meet Egyptian officials for talks on Wednesday. Diplomacy aimed at securing an elusive ceasefire and hostage release deal in the 22-month-old war has stalled for weeks, after the latest round of negotiations broke down in July. Abdelatty said that "we are working very hard now in full cooperation with the Qataris and Americans", aiming for "a ceasefire for 60 days, with the release of some hostages and some Palestinian detainees, and the flow of humanitarian and medical assistance to Gaza without restrictions, without conditions". One of the Palestinian sources earlier told AFP that the mediators were working "to formulate a new comprehensive ceasefire agreement proposal" that would include the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza "in one batch". Mediation efforts led by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have failed to secure a breakthrough since a short-lived truce earlier this year. The Hamas delegation expected in Cairo, led by the group's chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, is scheduled to meet Egyptian officials on Wednesday to "discuss the latest developments" in negotiations, said the second Palestinian source. News of the potential truce talks came as Gaza's civil defence agency said Israel has intensified its air strikes on Gaza City in recent days, following a government decision to expand the war there. - Intensified strikes - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has not provided an exact timetable on when forces may enter the area, but civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said on Tuesday that air raids had already begun increasing over the past three days. Bassal said the neighbourhoods of Zeitun and Sabra have been hit "with very heavy air strikes targeting civilian homes". "For the third consecutive day, the Israeli occupation is intensifying its bombardment" using "bombs, drones, and also highly explosive munitions that cause massive destruction", he said. Bassal said that Israeli strikes across the territory, including on Gaza City, killed at least 33 people on Tuesday. "The bombardment has been extremely intense for the past two days. With every strike, the ground shakes," said Majed al-Hosary, a resident of Gaza City's Zeitun. "There are martyrs under the rubble that no one can reach because the shelling hasn't stopped." An Israeli air strike on Sunday killed five Al Jazeera employees and a freelance reporter outside a Gaza City hospital, with Israel accusing one of the slain Al Jazeera correspondents of being a Hamas militant. Israel has faced mounting criticism over the war, which was triggered by Palestinian militant group Hamas's October 2023 attack. UN-backed experts have warned of widespread famine unfolding in the territory, where Israel has drastically curtailed the amount of humanitarian aid it allowed in. Netanyahu is under mounting pressure to secure the release of the remaining hostages -- 49 people including 27 the Israeli military says are dead -- as well as over his plans to expand the war. The Israeli premier has vowed to keep on with or without the backing of Israel's allies. Hamas's 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's offensive has killed at least 61,599 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, whose toll the United Nations considers reliable.
