Western nations call for immediate end to Gaza war as Israel expands offensive
After more than 21 months of fighting that have triggered catastrophic humanitarian conditions for Gaza's more than two million people, Israeli allies Britain, France, Australia, Canada and 21 other countries, plus the EU, said in a joint statement that the war "must end now".
"The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths," the signatories added, urging a negotiated ceasefire, the release of hostages held by Palestinian militants and the free flow of much-needed aid.
The plea came as Deir el-Balah came under intense shelling on Monday, after Israel's military warned of imminent action in an area where it had not previously operated.
The military a day earlier had ordered those in the central Gaza area to leave immediately as it was expanding operations, including "in an area where it has not operated before".
Between 50,000 and 80,000 people were in the area when the evacuation order was issued, according to initial estimates from the UN's humanitarian agency OCHA.
Deir el-Balah resident Abdullah Abu Saleem, 48, told AFP on Monday that "during the night, we heard huge and powerful explosions shaking the area as if it were an earthquake".
He said this was "due to artillery shelling in the south-central part of Deir el-Balah and the southeastern area".
"We are extremely worried and fearful that the army is planning a ground operation in Deir el-Balah and the central camps where hundreds of thousands of displaced people are sheltering," he added.
- 'Extremely critical' -
In their statement, the Western countries also denounced Israel's aid delivery model in Gaza, saying it was "dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity".
The UN has recorded 875 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food since late May, when Israel began easing a more than two-month aid blockade.
"We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food," the statement said.
In Deir el-Balah, AFP images showed plumes of dark smoke billowing into the sky.
The spokesman for Gaza's civil defence agency, Mahmud Bassal, told AFP that "we received calls from several families trapped in the Al-Baraka area of Deir el-Balah due to shelling by Israeli tanks".
The Israeli military did not provide immediate comment when contacted by AFP.
Since the start of the war, nearly all of Gaza's population has been displaced at least once by repeated Israeli evacuation orders.
According to OCHA, the latest order means that 87.8 percent of the territory is now under evacuation orders or within Israeli militarised zones.
Hamdi Abu Mughseeb, 50, told AFP that he and his family had fled northwards from their tent south of Deir el-Balah at dawn following a night of intense shelling.
"There is no safe place anywhere in the Gaza Strip," he said. "I don't know where we can go."
Mai Elawawda, communications officer in Gaza for the UK-based charity Medical Aid for Palestinians, said the situation was "extremely critical", describing shelling "all around our office, and military vehicles are just 400 metres (1,300 feet) away from our colleagues and their families".
- 'Shocked and alarmed' -
The families of hostages held in Gaza since Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war said they were "shocked and alarmed" by reports of evacuation orders for parts of Deir el-Balah.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum demanded political and military authorities "to clearly explain why the offensive in the Deir el-Balah area does not put the hostages at serious risk".
Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas's attack on Israel, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
Civil defence spokesman Bassal reported at least 15 people killed by Israeli forces across Gaza on Monday.
Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the agency and other parties.
Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed 59,029 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
Hamas's 2023 attack that sparked the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
bur-az-acc/smw Breaking News
At least 20 killed as Bangladesh fighter jet crashes into school NewsWire
A new report has revealed the extent of Australia's silent sleep epidemic, with one expert offering simple fixes for the nation's most common sleeping difficulties.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
27 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Ex-NSW Premier likens Israel's actions in Gaza to war crimes committed by Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin
Former Labor foreign minister Bob Carr has likened Israel's actions in Gaza to war crimes and humanitarian crisis committed by the Nazis, Joseph Stalin and People's Republic of China chairman Mao Zedong, urging tougher action on from the Australian government. Speaking to Radio National, the former NSW premier and Labor heavyweight said Israel was using 'mass starvation against the civilian population as a weapon of war'. 'There's a pattern of behaviour here that really demands comparison with the worst of the last 100 years, of Stalin's Ukraine, of the Warsaw Ghetto, of Mao's Great Leap Forward,' he said. 'Unspeakable cruelty is being visited against babies and children in the enforcement of something not seen in the modern world, that is an advanced state using mass starvation as a weapon of war and giving effect to a genocide.' Israel has started a 'tactical pause' to allow aid agencies to tackle the hunger crisis in Gaza, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government was not to blame for the situation, adding there were 'secure routes' for aid. While he welcomed stronger comments from Anthony Albanese that Israel had 'quite clearly' breached international law by withholding aid to civilians in Gaza, Mr Carr called for further action. He urged the Prime Minister to follow French President Emmanuel Macron to recognise Palestinian statehood when he attends the United Nations General Assembly in September. On Sunday, the Labor leader watered down the action, stating there needed to be more detail on how a Palestinian state would function, plus assurances there would be no involvement from Hamas. 'How do you exclude Hamas from any involvement there? How do you ensure that a Palestinian State operates in an appropriate way which does not threaten the existence of Israel?' Mr Albanese told the ABC. 'And so we won't do any decision as a gesture. We will do it as a way forward, if the circumstances are met.' However Mr Carr said Australia was 'giving the impression that we need the comfort of Britain' before recognising Palestine, and urged Mr Albanese to show leadership and act sooner. 'I just think Australians are ready to see our country to show a flash of independence, strength and maturity by moving with the French and not huddling and waiting for the sanction that Britain would give us when Downing Street finally gets round to it,' he said. Mr Carr's comments have been criticised internally, with Labor Friends of Israel co-convener Nick Dyrenfurth calling on Mr Carr to 'promptly apologise' for the overly provocative comments. Dr Dyrenfurth said that while he was 'gravely concerned with the Netanyahu government's actions in Gaza,' there is 'no genocide taking place'. 'Mr Carr is wilfully lying and deliberately stoking community tensions with extremist language and deliberately provoking his former friends in Australia's Jewish community with Nazi slurs,' he said. The first Muslim MP, and demoted Labor minister Ed Husic also called on Mr Albanese to commit to recognising Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly, stating France has made the decision without needing prior confirmation on the demilitarisation of Hamas. 'Hamas absolutely has to be held to account, but the Netanyahu government, in the way that they've held Hamas to account and impacted and killed nearly 60,000 innocent Palestinians. That is unacceptable,' Mr Husic told Sky. He said resolving the conflict in Gaza was also about recognising the 'humanity of Israelis and Palestinians,' Mr Husic added, stating that 'a lot of Israelis suffered deeply on October 7, and a lot of Palestinians have suffered ever since'. 'Bringing peace to them is something that we can all throw our weight behind.'
SBS Australia
an hour ago
- SBS Australia
Detained Australians on hunger strike after Israeli navy intercepted Gaza-bound aid boat
Two Australians detained by Israeli naval officers are on a hunger strike in solidarity with the people in Gaza, calling for an end to the aid blockade. Australian journalist Tan Safi and activist Robert Martin were with 19 others on board the vessel, dubbed Handala, attempting to break Israel and Egypt's blockade and deliver aid to Gaza. The pro-Palestinian group was intercepted roughly 57 nautical miles from Gaza, according to the organisers Freedom Flotilla Coalition, with a livestream of the boat showing the activists holding up their hands as armed soldiers boarded the vessel, before the feed was cut. SBS News has not been able to independently verify the vessel's location at the interception point. James Godfrey, a spokesperson for Freedom Flotilla Coalition and Free Gaza Australia, said they've made contact with Safi and Martin via lawyers from Adalah, a legal support organisation in Israel. The vessel called Handala departed from Italy one week ago, aiming to reach Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid and break the Israeli blockade. Source: Getty / Anadolu "They've been in touch with nearly everybody who was kidnapped on board Handala, including Robert and Tan," Godfrey told SBS News. Detainees were reportedly told to either accept "voluntary deportation" or remain detained and appear before a tribunal, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. "We're anticipating that they will be taken to some kind of Israeli court or tribunal today, our time," he said. "They're currently both on hunger strike in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza who are being starved by the Israeli government with the support of the Australian government." Israel's government denies it imposes a policy of starvation in Gaza, with its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying: "There is no starvation in Gaza". Following international pressure, Israel resumed airdropping aid to Gaza on Sunday, with the Israeli military announcing it would establish designated corridors to enable the movement of United Nations convoys to deliver aid. Three people on board the Handala, from Italy, France and the United States, have been reportedly deported, and a further two interrogated and released. Godfrey urged Israel to act in accordance with the International Court of Justice's ruling on aid and that it should be, "unhindered in being delivered to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, and they need to step up and do the work and deliver aid". "But as long as they keep failing, we'll have to keep sailing," he said. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed the two Australians were on the boat and were ready to assist, where possible. "Our officials in Tel Aviv are liaising with authorities, and consular officers stand ready to offer assistance to affected Australians," a spokesperson said on Sunday. 'We count on you': Australians call on the government to intervene In a letter, obtained by their lawyers, Safi and Martin have called on the government, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong, to intervene on their matter. "We demand you ensure our safe, immediate release from those same forces who have abducted us, and illegally intercepted our non-violent action to bring baby formula to starving Palestinian babies," they wrote. In the letter, Safi and Martin said Australia should stop trade with Israel, stop sending weapons components and "stop protecting Israel from any accountability or consequence". "We count on you to do better — now," they wrote. On Sunday, Albanese said international law stated innocent people should not be held responsible for the actions of the Hamas, which in its entirety is listed as a terrorist organisation by the European Union and seven other countries, including Australia. "I'm a supporter of Israel and Israel's right to defend itself, but that boy isn't challenging Israel's right to existence, and nor are the many who continue to suffer from the unavailability of food and water," the prime minister said.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Lunch Wrap: ASX jumps higher, but Boss Energy smoked and coal gets legal smack
Trump eases off trade war with EU WA flexes as national economic top dog again Coal cops a legal blow as ASX edges higher At Monday lunchtime in the east, the ASX was edging higher by 0.25%. And fair enough, because the spat that nearly boiled over between the US and Europe has been defused, at least for now. Donald Trump and EU boss Ursula von der Leyen have announced a fresh trade pact, but still slaps 15% tariffs on most European exports. But hey, at least it's not 50%, which is where Trump was originally pointing the bazooka. Markets loved the clarity, with Wall Street futures rising and the S&P 500 chalking up yet another record last Friday. Back to the ASX, and it was the steady-Eddie sectors doing the heavy lifting – telcos, healthcare, banks. Energy, meanwhile, was one of the market's laggards after a court overturned approval for a coal project in the Hunter Valley. MACH Energy's big coal expansion at Mount Pleasant has hit a wall after NSW's court of appeal overturned its approval. It's a major legal shift that could put the brakes on future coal and gas projects across the state. The ruling rattled coal stocks, with Whitehaven Coal (ASX:WHC) down 3.5% and Yancoal Australia (ASX:YAL) off 1.5%. In other large cap news, WiseTech Global (ASX:WTC) has officially named Zubin Appoo as permanent CEO. He's no stranger to the company, having worked alongside founder Richard White back in the early days and returning now after stints at InLoop, Flexischools and HICAPS. WTC's shares were down 0.4%. And, The Lottery Corporation (ASX:TLC) has named Wayne Pickup as its next CEO, taking over from Sue van der Merwe in November. Shares edged down 0.5%. ASX SMALL CAP WINNERS Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks for July 28 : Security Description Last % Volume MktCap AUK Aumake Limited 0.004 100% 10,943,487 $6,046,718 EEL Enrg Elements Ltd 0.002 100% 2,000,000 $3,253,779 JCS Jcurve Solutions 0.046 53% 755,433 $9,910,303 CZN Corazon Ltd 0.003 50% 16,815 $2,369,145 ENT Enterprise Metals 0.004 33% 185,000 $4,113,952 DGR DGR Global Ltd 0.009 29% 1,491,125 $7,305,872 MIO Macarthur Minerals 0.019 27% 2,631 $2,994,983 WBE Whitebark Energy 0.005 25% 1,652,800 $2,802,231 TR2 Tali Resources Ltd 0.635 25% 485,994 $19,127,550 HTG Harvest Tech Grp Ltd 0.017 21% 838,520 $12,726,256 CMB Cambium Bio Limited 0.320 21% 47,773 $4,844,906 SIX Sprintex Ltd 0.054 20% 5,656,968 $28,289,066 ZNC Zenith Minerals Ltd 0.036 20% 364,165 $15,883,665 AAU Antilles Gold Ltd 0.006 20% 178,623 $11,895,340 ADG Adelong Gold Limited 0.006 20% 25,356,918 $11,243,383 ALY Alchemy Resource Ltd 0.006 20% 100,000 $5,890,381 TEM Tempest Minerals 0.006 20% 5,968,892 $5,508,975 BDG Black Dragon Gold 0.051 19% 808,996 $13,672,541 CLA Celsius Resource Ltd 0.007 17% 220,101 $18,812,931 FRX Flexiroam Limited 0.007 17% 238 $9,104,392 VKA Viking Mines Ltd 0.007 17% 50,000 $8,063,692 PL3 Patagonia Lithium 0.044 16% 131,441 $4,537,594 IFG Infocusgroup Hldltd 0.019 16% 1,351,167 $4,671,027 RR1 Reach Resources Ltd 0.012 15% 7,280,085 $8,744,313 Cloud ERP provider JCurve Solutions (ASX:JCS) has locked in a $1 million strategic placement, issuing 20 million shares at 5 cents each to US-based investor Adam Riches. Riches is the founder of Netgain Solutions and a known name in the Oracle NetSuite space. As part of the deal, Riches can nominate a director, expected to be Chris Miller, pending approvals. Tali Resources (ASX:TR2) is gearing up to kick off drilling in August across five key targets at its West Arunta Project. Fresh geophysical modelling has confirmed strong anomalies at each site, with heritage and drilling approvals already locked in. The prospects show signs of potential copper and IOCG-style systems, especially near the known Pokali copper zone. Meanwhile, Bubs Australia (ASX:BUB) has tapped Joe Coote, ex-Darigold and Fonterra heavyweight, as its new CEO. Coote has more than 20 years in the dairy and infant nutrition game, and over $2 billion in regional sales under his belt. He replaces Reg Weine, who exits stage left after two years. Bubs' shares rose 1%. ASX SMALL CAP LOSERS Here are the worst performing ASX small cap stocks for July 28 : Code Name Price % Change Volume Market Cap BOE Boss Energy Ltd 1.955 -43% 53,930,006 $1,410,733,137 MOM Moab Minerals Ltd 0.001 -33% 44,000 $2,811,999 TMX Terrain Minerals 0.002 -33% 352,454 $7,595,443 MTB Mount Burgess Mining 0.005 -29% 2,887,613 $2,979,468 AOA Ausmon Resorces 0.002 -25% 4,330,025 $2,622,427 EDE Eden Inv Ltd 0.002 -25% 2,625,071 $8,219,762 HLX Helix Resources 0.002 -25% 2,140,006 $6,728,387 NIM Nimyresourceslimited 0.070 -23% 3,341,865 $21,883,752 AZL Arizona Lithium Ltd 0.007 -22% 5,018,025 $48,422,830 REZ Resourc & En Grp Ltd 0.015 -21% 3,357,968 $14,201,979 ERA Energy Resources 0.002 -20% 128,350 $1,013,490,602 MRD Mount Ridley Mines 0.002 -20% 100,000 $1,946,223 TMK TMK Energy Limited 0.002 -20% 5,125,666 $25,555,958 DAF Discovery Alaska Ltd 0.013 -19% 20,001 $3,747,755 GTE Great Western Exp. 0.013 -19% 3,323,194 $9,084,127 IS3 I Synergy Group Ltd 0.009 -18% 1,768,680 $18,769,299 ASM Ausstratmaterials 0.593 -18% 2,489,026 $145,689,194 SMM Somerset Minerals 0.015 -17% 10,316,361 $11,611,449 UNT Unith Ltd 0.005 -17% 2,643,048 $8,872,713 VEN Vintage Energy 0.005 -17% 94,260 $12,521,482 ALB Albion Resources 0.096 -17% 4,075,427 $15,172,333 SUM Summitminerals 0.041 -16% 1,055,178 $4,340,228 FTI Fortifai Ltd 0.140 -15% 150,871 $24,203,497 Boss Energy (ASX:BOE) got absolutely smoked, down 42% after waving a red flag over its Honeymoon uranium project. Recent drilling revealed patchy mineralisation and leachability issues, which could throw a spanner in its production targets. That overshadowed what was otherwise a decent finish to the financial year: 349,000 pounds of U₃O₈ produced (above guidance), $224 million in cash and inventory, and steady costs of US$36/lb. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Neurizon Therapeutics (ASX:NUZ) has submitted a formal response to the US FDA addressing a clinical hold on its investigational new drug application for lead drug NUZ-001. Octava Minerals (ASX:OCT) has an option to acquire the Federation copper-silver-zinc project in Tasmania where historical drilling returned significant intersections. Nova Minerals (ASX:NVA) Estelle gold and critical minerals project. LAST ORDERS QPM Energy (ASX:WPM) has applied for debt financing for the 112MW Isaac Power Station from the Australian government's Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility. The NAIF has completed the strategic assessment phase and has moved to the due diligence stage of the process. Magnetic Resources (ASX:MAU) has secured a new mining lease covering the entire area of the Lady Julie North 4 Deposit, the main 1.94Moz resource at the Lady Julie North gold project. Titanium Sands (ASX:TSL) is advancing environmental studies at the Mannar heavy mineral project in Sri Lanka, with the company's environmental consultants moving to complete field investigations, technical assessments and data collection on site. ClearVue Technologies (ASX:CPV) has promoted interim CEO Douglas Hunt to official global CEO, positioning him to lead the company's global commercialisation strategy. CPV also promoted Tao Zhang to chief operating officer, welcomed Lisa Dreher as global marketing director and tapped Christopher Cole as head of research and development. At Stockhead, we tell it like it is. While QPM Energy, Magnetic Resources, Titanium Sands and ClearVue Technologies are Stockhead advertisers, they did not sponsor this article.
