UN aid in Gaza
We compare and contrast Benjamin Netanyahu's claim that Hamas steals aid in Gaza with a New York Times report quoting Israeli officers, who say there is no evidence to support that accusation.
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Al Jazeera
36 minutes 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.
Al Jazeera
4 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Syria signs $14bn infrastructure deals, will revamp Damascus airport
Syria has signed a series of investment deals with international companies, covering 12 major strategic projects in infrastructure, transportation and real estate valued at a total of $14bn, the latest lifeline aimed at reviving its war-ravaged economy. The plans included a $4bn investment project for Damascus airport signed with Qatar's UCC Holding and a $2bn deal with the United Arab Emirates national investment corporation to establish a metro in the Syrian capital, Talal al-Hilali, head of the Syrian Investment Authority, said during the ceremony at the presidential palace in Damascus on Wednesday. It's a welcome development for President Ahmed al-Sharaa's new government as it has been grappling with the heavy fallout from sectarian violence that broke out on July 13 in the southern province of Suwayda between Bedouin and Druze fighters. Government troops were deployed to quell the conflict. The bloodshed worsened, and Israel carried out strikes on Syrian troops and also bombed the heart of the capital Damascus, under the pretext of protecting the Druze. Other major developments on the investment front destined for Damascus include the $2bn Damascus Towers project signed with the Italian-based company UBAKO, a $500m deal for the Baramkeh Towers project and another $60m agreement for Baramkeh Mall. Since the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December in a lightning rebel offensive, Syria's new authorities have worked to attract investment for the reconstruction of infrastructure destroyed in the country's devastating, nearly 14-year-long civil war. The projects 'will extend across Syria and represent a qualitative shift in infrastructure and economic life', al-Hilali said on Wednesday, adding that the agreements were 'a turning point' for Syria's future. Al-Sharaa and United States special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack were both present at the signing ceremony, Syria's official SANA news agency reported on Wednesday. Barrack congratulated Syrian authorities on 'another great accomplishment', saying they will witness the rise of a 'new hub' in 'trade and prosperity'. The United Nations has put Syria's post-war reconstruction costs at more than $400bn. Several deals have already been announced. Last month, Saudi Arabia signed major investment and partnership deals with Syria, valued at $6.4bn. Also in July, Syria signed an $800m deal with UAE-based company DP World to develop the port of Tartous, state media reported. In May, Syria signed a $7bn energy deal with a consortium of Qatari, Turkish and US companies as it seeks to revive its crippled power sector. The US and European Union have recently lifted sanctions on Syria in the wake of al-Assad's ouster, opening the nation to further investment and trade deals.
Al Jazeera
5 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Israel pushes for more illegal settlements in occupied West Bank amid raids
Israeli authorities are moving forward with plans to dramatically expand illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, despite growing international condemnation and warnings that the move would destroy already moribund prospects for a two-state solution. The Israeli government has set Wednesday as the date to discuss building thousands of new housing units in the E1 area, east of occupied East Jerusalem. The proposed expansion would link the large and illegal Ma'ale Adumim settlement with Jerusalem, effectively bisecting the West Bank and isolating Palestinian communities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government also appears on the cusp of announcing its intention to occupy all of Gaza as its genocidal war on the besieged enclave rages on. The E1 plan in the West Bank has long been criticised by the international community, including the European Union and successive United States administrations. In 2022, Israel postponed the plan following US pressure, but in recent months, the government approved road-widening projects in the area and began restricting Palestinian access – a move rights groups say indicates a renewed push to entrench control. Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are illegal under international law. The International Court of Justice, the top United Nations tribunal, reaffirmed that position last year, saying that Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful and must end 'as rapidly as possible'. On Monday, Germany reiterated its strong opposition to the E1 project. 'We, as the federal government, strongly reject the E1 settlement project,' Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kathrin Deschauer said. 'What we are concerned about is that a two-state solution is possible in the long term.' The plan would see nearly 1,214 hectares (3,000 acres) of Palestinian land stolen to build more than 4,000 settlement units, as well as hotels and roads connecting Ma'ale Adumim to West Jerusalem. Palestinians say the project is part of broader efforts to 'Judaise' East Jerusalem and entrench Israeli control over occupied territories in violation of international law. Palestinian leaders seek the entirety of the West Bank, along with the Gaza Strip, and as a capital, East Jerusalem – areas Israel captured in the 1967 war – for their future state. Currently, more than 500,000 settlers are living in the West Bank, and some 220,000 others in East Jerusalem. Al Jazeera's Nida Ibrahim said the plan has been in the works since 'the early 90s'. 'The plan has been described by US officials … as devastating and a disastrous plan,' Ibrahim said, as it threatens 'the unity' of a potential Palestinian state. According to Ibrahim, the Israeli objective is to ensure there is 'no Palestinian state on the ground' by the time Western and European countries recognise Palestine as a state. Israel would be 'cutting the West Bank into so many different sections, fragmenting them, creating what Palestinians have been calling as cantons,' she said, predicting that his would push Palestinians into 'very small, caged communities'. Widening crackdown in the West Bank The move comes amid a broader Israeli crackdown in the occupied West Bank. At least 30 Palestinians were arrested overnight across multiple cities including Hebron, Nablus, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Tulkarem, according to the Palestinian Authority's Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs. Among those detained were two women, a female journalist, and several former prisoners. The commission said more than 18,500 Palestinians have been arrested in the West Bank since Israel began its genocidal assault on Gaza in October 2023. In Bethlehem, residents of Beit Iskaria village received forced displacement notices this week as Israeli forces moved to seize more land for settlement expansion in the Gush Etzion bloc. According to village council head Muhammad Atallah, soldiers ordered him and his family to vacate grapevine-covered farmland within 10 days. Separately, Israeli forces carried out demolitions in the agricultural suburb near Jalazone refugee camp north of Ramallah, with reports that soldiers were accompanied by settlers. In Dar Salah, east of Bethlehem, a building under construction was demolished by Israeli military vehicles. According to rights groups, July alone saw 75 demolitions in the West Bank targeting 122 structures, including 60 homes and dozens of agricultural and livelihood facilities. Along with arrests and demolitions, Palestinians have also seen a rise in settler attacks in recent months. Armed settlers, often backed by Israeli soldiers, have rampaged through Palestinian villages, torched crops, vandalised homes, and assaulted residents with impunity, resulting in several Palestinian deaths. Rights groups and United Nations officials have warned that settler violence has reached record levels, part of what they describe as a coordinated campaign to forcibly displace Palestinians from key areas of the West Bank. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities issued a six-month ban on Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, the grand mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian territory, from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque. According to the Wafa news agency, the Jerusalem governorate, quoting lawyer Khaldoun Najm, said the ban on Hussein follows the expiration of his eight-day ban. This most recent ban was imposed after his Friday sermon, where he condemned Israel's starvation policy against Palestinians in Gaza. Last week, Hussein was handed an initial eight-day expulsion order from the mosque.
