LIVE: Israeli forces kill 106 Palestinians in one day of attacks on Gaza
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said 12 people were killed and 90 were injured when Israeli forces targeted civilians who had gathered to wait for aid trucks southwest of Gaza City.
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Al Jazeera
4 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Are sovereign wealth funds dumping Israeli investments?
The Norwegian government on Tuesday said it would review its sovereign wealth fund's investment in Israel after the Scandinavian country's leading newspaper revealed that the nearly $2 trillion fund had a stake in an Israeli company aiding Israel's war in Gaza. The newspaper, Aftenposten, identified the company as the Bet Shemesh Engines Ltd (BSEL) group, which provides parts to Israeli fighter jets that are being deployed in its devastating war on Gaza. In recent weeks, Israeli-induced starvation deaths have caused a global outcry, with Western countries ramping up pressure on Israel to end the war that has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians and ravaged Gaza – home to 2.3 million people. More than 200 people have died of starvation as Israel has obstructed the entry of humanitarian aid despite its so-called 'tactical pause' in its nearly two years of war. So, what did Norway say, and are Israeli atrocities in Gaza and the rest of occupied Palestinian territory turning the tide of public opinion against it? What did Norwegian leaders say? Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said that the investment in the Israeli firm was 'worrying'. 'We must get clarification on this because reading about it makes me uneasy,' Stoere told public broadcaster NRK. Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg, who manages the world's largest fund, ordered the central bank to conduct a review of the fund portfolio to make sure Israeli companies aiding the occupation of the West Bank or the war in Gaza are barred from investments. 'The war in Gaza is contrary to international law and is causing terrible suffering, so it is understandable that questions are being raised about the fund's investments in Bet Shemesh Engines,' Stoltenberg, a former NATO chief, said, referring to the growing public and political pressure. The decision came weeks after Norway's parliament rejected a proposal for the fund to divest from all companies with activities in the occupied Palestinian territory. 'In light of … the deteriorating situation in Gaza and the West Bank, I will today ask Norges Bank and the Council on Ethics to conduct a renewed review of the fund's investments in Israeli companies and Norges Bank's work on responsible management,' Stoltenberg said. Norges Bank is Norway's central bank. The independent ethics council, which provides recommendations on which companies should be banned from the oil fund's portfolio, has since 2009 suggested excluding nine Israeli groups. How much investment is at stake? Norges Bank, which manages the $1.9 trillion wealth fund, took a 1.3 percent stake in BSEL in 2023 and raised this to 2 percent by the end of 2024, holding shares worth $15m, the latest available NBIM records show. The fund held shares in 65 Israeli companies at the end of 2024, valued at $1.95bn, its records show. The value of its stake was more than four times higher than it was at the end of 2023, shortly after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. At least 1,139 people were killed in that attack. The sovereign fund, which owns stakes in 8,700 companies worldwide, has sold its stakes in an Israeli energy company and a telecom group in the last year, and its ethics council has said it is reviewing whether to recommend divesting holdings in five banks. In May, the sovereign fund decided to divest from Israel's Paz Retail and Energy for its involvement in supplying infrastructure and fuel to illegal Israeli settlements. In December 2024, the fund sold all its shares in the Israeli company, Bezeq, for its services provided to the illegal settlements, which are considered the biggest impediments in the realisation of a sovereign Palestinian state as part of the so-called two-state solution. Moreover, Norway's largest pension fund has decided to sever its ties with companies doing business with Israel. KLP, which manages a fund worth about $114bn, said in June that it will no longer do business with two companies – the US Oshkosh Corporation and ThyssenKrupp from Germany, which sell equipment to the Israeli military that is possibly being used in the war in Gaza. According to the pension fund, it had investments worth $1.8m in Oshkosh and almost $1m in ThyssenKrupp until June 2025. Last year, KLP also divested from US-based Caterpillar, which makes bulldozers. Which other funds and companies have severed ties with Israel? French insurance giant AXA last August reportedly divested from its remaining investments in Israeli banks for funding illegal settlements, according to a report by advocacy group Eko. Norwegian asset manager Storebrand has also sold shares in some Israeli firms. The move came after sustained campaigning by human rights groups, who highlighted Israeli rights violations against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Another major pension fund from Denmark, its largest, divested from several Israeli banks and companies last February over fears that the investment could be used to fund the illegal Israeli settlements. The fund has sold its stocks and shares to the tune of 75 million krone ($7.4m) in value. Last month, Ireland's sovereign wealth fund divested shareholdings worth more than 1 million euros ($1.2m) from two accommodation companies linked to Israeli settlements. The two companies have been identified as Expedia Group and TripAdvisor, according to media reports. The Irish government, which has been vocal against Israel's war on Gaza, divested 2.95 million euros ($3.43m) worth of shares from six other Israeli companies. Amid pressure from campaigners and activists from Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), several corporations have been forced to sever ties with Israel. Shipping giant Maersk was forced to cut ties with companies linked to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank in June. The BDS, a grassroots organisation inspired by the anti-apartheid South Africa movement, calls for economic pressure on the Israeli government to end its occupation of Palestinian lands. Several of Europe's biggest financial firms have cut back their links to Israeli companies or those with ties to the country, a Reuters analysis of filings shows, as pressure mounts from activists and governments to end the war in Gaza. Which countries have taken action against Israel's genocidal war on Gaza? Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in July, banned exports of coal to Israel until the genocide stops. 'We cannot allow Colombian coal to be turned into bombs that help Israel kill children,' the left-wing president said. He has also pledged to cease all arms trade with Israel. Under Petro, Colombia has helped set up the Hague Group of 12 countries aimed at pressuring Israel to end its war on Gaza and the occupation of the Palestinian territory. Spain's left-wing coalition government in June cancelled a contract for antitank missiles from Israeli company Rafael over the war atrocities in Gaza. The decision will affect a deal worth an estimated 285 million euros ($325m). Few months earlier, Spain halted a controversial $7.5m deal to buy ammunition from an Israeli company, following criticism from far-left allies within the coalition government. Madrid has also called for sanctions and an arms embargo on Israel over its Gaza war. Several Western countries have sanctioned Israeli settlers in the West Bank amid record violence against Palestinians. In July 2024, Australia sanctioned Israeli settlers, joining France, the UK. The sanction came after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a nonbinding opinion that all Israeli settlement activity on Palestinian land is illegal and must stop as soon as possible. In June, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom formally sanctioned far-right Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, for 'incitement of violence' against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. In the same month, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia called for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Sweden has also asked the European Council to adopt sanctions 'against Israeli ministers who promote illegal settlement activities and actively work against a negotiated two-state solution'. The EU provides millions of dollars in funds to Israel as part of its Horizon Europe research projects, while Western leaders have defended Israel for its war atrocities in Gaza and also shielded it from the United Nations resolutions critical of its abuses. Western countries have also been criticised for failing to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who face warrants from the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Gaza. Last month, the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, released a new report mapping the corporations aiding Israel in the displacement of Palestinians and its genocidal war on Gaza, in breach of international law.
Al Jazeera
8 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Call for end to forced starvation, targeted killing of journalists in Gaza
To Governments, International Organisations, Media Institutions, and Civil Society: We, the undersigned press freedom organisations, media organisations, journalists' unions, and advocates of truth and transparency, demand an end to the forced starvation and targeting of journalists in Gaza by Israel. Journalists in Gaza are being starved to death. Not metaphorically. Not slowly. But deliberately, and in real time, while the world watches. One in three people in Gaza now goes days without food. Among the starving are journalists, the last independent voices still reporting from inside Gaza. These are the individuals whose courage keeps the world informed of the sheer humanitarian impact of Israel's war on Gaza. Now, they are being forced to die from hunger. This is not incidental. This is a tactic. The suffering of journalists is not an accident; Israel is employing deliberate tactics to silence the truth by starving them. Since October 2023, over 230 journalists and media workers in Gaza have been killed. Those who remain, and their families, are subjected to constant targeting, intimidation, and denied their basic needs, and are now forced to choose between death by air strike or starvation. Their situation is dire and worsening day by day. Without immediate intervention by the international community, their lives are under serious threat, and they may not be able to continue reporting; their voices may fall silent. The journalistic community and the world bear an immense responsibility; it is our duty to raise our voices and mobilise all available means to support our colleagues in this noble profession. If the international community fails to act, the death of these journalists will not only be a moral catastrophe, but it will also be the death of truth itself in Gaza. Our inaction will be recorded in history as a monumental failure to protect our fellow journalists and a betrayal of the principles that every journalist strives to uphold. We, the undersigned, demand: Immediate Food and Medical access: Urgent delivery of food, clean water and medical supplies to all journalists in Gaza through protected humanitarian corridors. International Media Access: End the blockade on foreign press entry into Gaza and allow global journalists to operate freely and independently. Accountability: Investigate and prosecute those responsible for the starvation and killing of journalists in accordance with international law. Sustained Protection and Aid: Commit to long-term protection mechanisms for journalists operating in conflict zones, with specific support for those reporting under siege. We refuse to stand by while truth dies. We refuse to let our colleagues perish from hunger. Signed: Al Jazeera Media Network Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK Aidan White, Founder, Ethical Journalism Network Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ) Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor Federation of African Journalists Geneva Global Media Center (GGMC) International Press Institute (IPI) International Media Support (IMS) Index on Censorship James Foley Foundation John Williams, Executive Director, The Rory Peck Trust National Press Club (NPC) & NPC Media Freedom Center National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) Reporters Without Borders (RSF) We call for immediate action. Now. #justice4journalists
Al Jazeera
10 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Israeli captive families confront police outside army headquarters
Physical confrontations have taken place outside Israel's Ministry of Defence in Tel Aviv between security forces and family members of captives held in Gaza during a rally calling for their release, as the Israeli government appears on the verge of escalating its genocidal war to full occupation of the besieged enclave. Protesters surrounding the Kirya, Israel's central military headquarters, demanded on Wednesday that the Israeli government not go ahead with its plan, and they were pushed back by police. 'Time is running out – our loved ones can't wait any longer,' the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement. 'We either bring them home now, or we lose them for good. There are moments in history when we must stand up and do what's right – this is that moment.' The families of Israeli captives have intensified their criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent months amid large protests across the country, as the expanded military ground offensive and deadly bombardment in the Palestinian territory continue to put the release of their loved ones at risk. Protesters, including the father of captive Guy Illouz, tried to force their way into the entrance of military headquarters as seen in this video verified by Al Jazeera. שוטרים תוקפים באלימות מחוץ לשערי הקריה מפגינים למען שחרור החטופים 📌*חדר מלחמה* • עדכונים שוטפים בווטסאפ 🪖 > מלחמת אחים — ישפנסיון לכלבים (@sari12222) August 6, 2025 Translation: Police violently attack protesters outside the Kirya gates demonstrating for the release of the hostages. An estimated 1,139 people were killed during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks on southern Israel, and more than 200 were taken captive. Some 50 captives remain in Gaza, at least 20 of whom are believed to still be alive. In Israel's ensuing war on Gaza, at least 61,158 Palestinians have been killed and 151,442 wounded. The families also addressed a message directly to Israeli army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir on Wednesday: 'You know this war has run its course, and the only path to real victory is a single deal that brings everyone home.' The local police chief requested that family members of captives speak to him, saying, 'We understand your frustration.' He acknowledged they could protest, but asked that they leave the police alone. Protesters were attempting to enter the headquarters, demanding that military action not be taken in areas where the captives are suspected to be located in Gaza. Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Wednesday that Itzik Horn, the father of Israeli captive Eitan Horn, said the families of the captives being held in Gaza were against the expansion of the war on Gaza. He reportedly questioned Netanyahu's motives, as Israel's defence establishment said an expansion would endanger the lives of the captives. 'I expect the prime minister to speak to the public, to explain the implications of this idea to the country and the price we'll pay,' Itzik Horn said, according to Haaretz. 'We are the people. I want the prime minister to explain why he wants to kill my son.' Meanwhile, there were minor clashes at the anti-war demonstration organised by Standing Together, the largest Arab-Israeli grassroots movement in Israel, in the Gaza Envelope, situated 7km (4.3 miles) from the Gaza border. A protester was arrested and flour was scattered on the police from the display brought by the protesters. An earlier video recorded from the Yad Mordechai Junction, a kibbutz in southern Israel, showed Standing Together activists gathering to march to the Gaza border.
