Gaza rescuers say Israeli forces kill 34 as ceasefire nears
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a day earlier that his country's 'victory' over Iran had created 'opportunities', including for freeing hostages held by fighters in Gaza.
His comments raised hopes for a new ceasefire in the conflict that has created dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
Key mediator Qatar said on Monday that 'momentum' had been created by the Iran-Israel ceasefire.
"We won't hold our breath for this to happen today and tomorrow, but we believe that the elements are in place to push forward towards restarting the talks," foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari told journalists.
Meanwhile, on the ground, Gaza's civil defence agency said that 34 people had been killed by Israeli strikes or gunfire since midnight.
Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said that "11 people (were) killed near aid distribution points in the central and southern parts of the territory."
Eyewitnesses and local authorities have reported repeated killings of Palestinians near distribution centres over recent weeks.
Samir Abu Jarbou, 28, said by phone that he had gone with four relatives to pick up food aid in an area of central Gaza around midnight.
"Suddenly the (Israeli) army opened fire, and drones started shooting. We ran away and got nothing," he said.
"The situation is catastrophic. We are suffering from terrible hunger. My only wish is to succeed in getting a bag of flour to feed my seven siblings."
Bassal said 23 people were killed in at least seven separate strikes across the territory, mainly in the north. When asked for comment, the Israeli military said it needed more information to look into the reports. Restrictions on media in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean the news agency is unable to independently verify the full tolls and details provided by rescuers.
Israel's military issued a fresh evacuation order on Monday, for several areas in and around Gaza City.
"For your safety, immediately evacuate further westward and southward toward Al Mawasi," the military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on X.
Despite being declared a safe zone by Israel, Al Mawasi has been hit by repeated strikes. Of the 251 hostages seized during the assault, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. - AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
31 minutes ago
- Observer
Serbia protesters accuse police of abuse, warn of 'spiral of violence'
BELGRADE: Serbian anti-government protesters accused police on Tuesday of beating and threatening detained activists, fuelling fears of a spiralling crackdown after a week of violent clashes. Almost daily protests have gripped Serbia since November, sparked by the collapse of a railway station roof that killed 16 people. The tragedy became a symbol of deep-rooted corruption in the Balkan nation, with demands for a transparent investigation morphing into calls for early elections. But in the past week, the mostly peaceful demonstrations have erupted into street violence over several nights, with loyalists of President Aleksandar Vucic attacking protesters. Nikolina Sindjelic, a student activist, said she was dragged along with another student and several other protesters into a government garage in central Belgrade by officers in a special police unit on Thursday night. "The commander of the unit brutally beat both him and me," the 22-year-old political science student said. The Ministry of Internal Affairs "strongly denied" the allegations. It said Sindjelic was arrested for being part of a group that had attacked government buildings and police. "Throughout the entire procedure, no means of coercion, handcuffing, insults, or any form of mistreatment were applied," it said. Hundreds gathered in front of the accused commander's police building in Belgrade on Tuesday to support Sindjelic and decry widespread reports of police brutality. While the protests have so far led to the resignation of the prime minister and the collapse of the government, Vucic has remained defiant. He has repeatedly rejected calls for early elections and recently threatened a "strong response" to the demonstrations. "This is an attempt at a foreign-funded colour revolution, in which no means are spared, and violence is used in a bid to seize power," he said on Monday night. He has frequently decried the movement as a "colour revolution" — a term favoured by the Kremlin and its allies to smear protest movements as illegitimate. — AFP
Observer
9 hours ago
- Observer
Hamas accepts proposed deal for 60-day ceasefire
Israel is studying Hamas' response to a Gaza ceasefire proposal for a 60-day truce and the release of half the captives still held in the enclave, two Israeli officials said on Tuesday, although one source reiterated that all Israeli captives must be freed for the war to end. Efforts to pause the fighting gained new momentum over the past week after Israel announced plans for a new offensive to seize control of Gaza City at the heart of the enclave. Mediators Egypt and Qatar have been pushing to restart indirect talks between the sides on a US-backed ceasefire plan. The proposal includes the release of 200 Palestinian convicts jailed in Israel and an unspecified number of imprisoned women and minors, in return for 10 living and 18 deceased captives from Gaza, according to a Hamas official. Two Egyptian security sources confirmed the details, and added that Hamas has requested the release of hundreds of Gaza detainees as well. Israel says a total of 50 captives remain in Gaza, 20 of them still alive. 'Israel's policy is consistent and has not changed. Israel demands the release of all 50 captives in accordance with the principles established by the cabinet for ending the war. We are in the final decisive stage of Hamas and will not leave any captive behind,' an Israeli political source said. The comment, while adamant, fell short of an outright rejection of the proposal on the table. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to convene discussions about the ceasefire proposal soon, the two Israeli officials said. A response was expected in the coming two days, said a Palestinian source close to the talks. Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed al Ansari said the 60-day truce deal would include 'a pathway to a comprehensive agreement to end the war.' The proposal includes a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces, which presently control 75 per cent of Gaza and the entry of more humanitarian aid into the enclave, where a population of 2.2 million people is increasingly facing famine. Israel had previously agreed to the outline, advanced by US special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, but negotiations faltered over some of its details.
Observer
a day ago
- Observer
Killing of aid workers surges during Gaza war
GENEVA: Aid worker killings rose nearly a third to almost 400 last year, the most deadly year since records began in 1997, and the conflict in Gaza is continuing to cause high death rates for humanitarian staff in 2025, U.N. and other data showed. In 2024, 383 aid workers were killed, nearly half of them in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories, the UN said on Tuesday, citing a database. "Attacks on this scale, with zero accountability, are a shameful indictment of international inaction and apathy," said Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, in a statement. So far this year, 265 aid workers have been killed, according to provisional data from the Aid Worker Security Database, a US-funded platform that compiles reports on major security incidents affecting aid workers. Of those, 173 were in Gaza in Israel's near two-year offensive against the Palestinian enclave, launched after the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attacks, the provisional data showed. This year, 36 aid workers have so far been killed in Sudan and three in Ukraine, the database showed. In one incident in Gaza that drew international condemnation, 15 emergency and aid workers were killed by Israeli fire in three separate shootings in March, before being buried in a shallow grave. Israel's military said in April that the incidents resulted from an "operational misunderstanding" and a "breach of orders". There had been "several professional failures" and a commander would be dismissed, it said. Aid workers enjoy protection under international humanitarian law but experts cite few precedents for such cases going to trial, with concerns about ensuring future access for aid groups and difficulty proving intent cited as impediments. "It is catastrophic, and the trend is going in the opposite direction of what it should," said Jens Laerke, UN humanitarian office spokesperson. Meanwhile, Cyprus has dispatched 1,200 metric tonnes of humanitarian aid for Gaza by sea via Ashdod in Israel, its foreign ministry said on Tuesday. The pre-screened cargo would be transferred without additional security checks on arrival in Ashdod and with international humanitarian organisation World Central Kitchen the final contractor and distributor, the Cyprus Foreign Ministry said. "The entire undertaking is under the auspices of the UN delivery mechanism," it said. Gaza has been devastated by Israel's nearly two-year-long military assault, which has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities who do not distinguish between fighters and civilians. The ground and air war has also created a hunger crisis, with aid encountering significant delays. More than 200 Gazans have died of malnutrition or starvation in the war, according to health authorities. Cyprus and Malta contributed the bulk of aid, and there were contributions from organisations from the United States, Italy, the Sovereign Order of Malta and Kuwait. Input of the United Arab Emirates to the operation was essential, Cyprus said. The east Mediterranean island has been used to transit aid to Gaza in the past. Facilities on the island remained at the disposal of the international community as an additional humanitarian channel, the foreign ministry said. Discussions are currently underway for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza after previous talks ended in deadlock in late July. On the ground, there were no signs of a ceasefire nearing as Israeli gunfire, tank shelling and air strikes killed at least 20 Palestinians on Tuesday, according to Gaza health officials. Tanks completed taking control of the Zeitoun suburb, an eastern neighbourhood on Gaza City's outskirts, and continued to pound the nearby area of Sabra, killing two women and a man, medics said. Local health authorities said dozens of people had been trapped in their houses because of the shelling. The Israeli military said it was checking the report. — Reuters
