Airdrops continue over Gaza Strip as Israel faces growing condemnation over military expansion plan
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
24 minutes ago
- Fox News
Tammy Bruce: Putin peace talks 'wouldn't be possible without Trump'
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce joins 'MediaBuzz' to weigh in on President Donald Trump's push for peace in Ukraine and Gaza.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Benjamin Netanyahu vows to defeat Hamas as he condemns 'global campaign of lies' over starving Gazans
Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel has "no choice but to finish the job" against Hamas due to the militant group's "refusal to lay down its arms". The Israeli prime minister made the comment in a news briefing for foreign journalists on Sunday, where he also denied starving Gazans and claimed there is a "global campaign of lies" against . "Given Hamas's refusal to lay down its arms, Israel has no choice but to finish the job and complete the defeat of Hamas," he said. Mr Netanyahu said there are "two remaining [Hamas] strongholds" in that he intends to "dismantle", claiming this is "the best way to end the war". Israel's security cabinet approved of Gaza City on Friday. It already controls around 75% of Gaza and has largely sealed its borders. Gaza latest: Mr Netanyahu also addressed global concerns about a lack of aid being allowed into Gaza - alleging some photographs of starving children are fake. The Israeli PM said: "The purpose of this news conference is to puncture the lies and spread the truth." Singling out three recent photographs, Mr Netanyahu claimed the Gazan children in them appear emaciated because they have medical conditions. "I'm looking right now into the possibility of a governmental suit against the New York Times because this is outrageous," he said. Many aid organisations have said the enclave is on the verge of famine and Palestinian officials at least 100 people have died of malnutrition, including 80 children. Mr Netanyahu said: "If we had a starvation policy, no one in Gaza would have survived after two years of war." He also repeated the allegation that Hamas has been looting aid trucks and claimed uncollected food has been "rotting" at the border, blaming the UN for not distributing it. Responding to a question from , Mr Netanyahu said "hundreds" of aid trucks are entering Gaza to relieve "deprivation". He said the price of food in Gaza is now "plummeting" due to Israel's "humanitarian surge". The Israeli PM called on other countries to carry out more aid drops, despite the United Nations . Read more: The war in Gaza began on 7 October 2023 when Hamas killed about 1,200 people - mostly civilians - and abducted 251 others in its attack. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals. It is believed Hamas is still holding 50 captives, with 20 believed to be alive. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, which does not differentiate between militants and civilians in its count.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Israel PM says new plan for Gaza 'best way to end the war'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that his new plan to expand the war and take control of Gaza City was "the best way to end the war", defying growing calls to stop the fighting. Defending his plan in a press conference in Jerusalem, the premier said the new operation would be implemented on "a fairly short timetable because we want to bring the war to an end". More than 22 months into the war, sparked by Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel, the country is gripped by a yawning divide pitting those demanding an end to the conflict and a deal for the release of the hostages against others who want to see the Palestinian militants vanquished once and for all. Criticism both at home and abroad has only intensified after Netanyahu's security cabinet announced plans Friday to expand the conflict and capture Gaza City. But Netanyahu was defiant on Sunday, telling journalists gathered for a rare press conference: "This is the best way to end the war, and the best way to end it speedily." "I don't want to talk about exact timetables, but we're talking in terms of a fairly short timetable because we want to bring the war to an end," he added. The premier said the new operation's aim was "to dismantle the two remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza City and the central camps", while establishing secure corridors and safe zones to allow civilians to leave the area. "Israel has no choice but to finish the job and complete the defeat of Hamas. Now we've done a great deal. We have about 70 to 75 percent of Gaza under Israeli control, military control," he said. "But we have two remaining strongholds, OK? These are Gaza City and the central camps in Al Mawasi." - 'Just another plan' - The press conference came ahead of a UN Security Council meeting called to discuss the situation in Gaza and the new Israeli plan. It also came a day after thousands of people took to the streets in Tel Aviv to protest the security cabinet's decision. "The new plan is just another plan that is gonna fail, and it could very well be the end of our hostages, and of course, it will take probably more lives of our soldiers," protester Joel Obodov told AFP. The premier has faced regular protests over the course of the war, with many rallies calling for the government to strike a ceasefire and hostage-release deal after past truces saw captives exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody. Netanyahu, however, has also come under pressure from the far right to go harder on Hamas, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich slamming the new plan as half-hearted. "They decided once again to repeat the same approach, embarking on a military operation that does not aim for a decisive resolution," Smotrich said in a video posted online. The far-right members of Netanyahu's cabinet, including Smotrich, have maintained considerable influence in the premier's coalition government throughout the war -- with their support seen as vital to holding at least 61 seats for a parliamentary majority. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, also of the far right, told Kan radio on Sunday: "It is possible to achieve victory. I want all of Gaza, transfer and colonisation. This plan will not endanger the troops." - 'We will win' - Meanwhile, the cabinet's decision to expand the war in Gaza has touched off a wave of criticism across the globe. On Sunday, the UN Security Council met to discuss the latest development. "If these plans are implemented, they will likely trigger another calamity in Gaza, reverberating across the region and causing further forced displacement, killings and destruction," UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca told the Security Council. Foreign powers, including some of Israel's allies, have been pushing for a negotiated truce to secure the hostages' return and help alleviate a humanitarian crisis in the territory following repeated warnings of famine taking hold. Despite the backlash and rumours of dissent from Israeli military top brass, Netanyahu has remained firm. "We will win the war, with or without the support of others," he told the press on Sunday. "Our goal is not to occupy Gaza, but to establish a civilian administration in the Strip that is not affiliated with Hamas or the Palestinian Authority," he said. Out of 251 hostages captured during Hamas's 2023 attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the military says are dead. Israel's offensive has killed at least 61,430 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, figures the United Nations says are reliable. According to Gaza's civil defence agency, at least 27 people were killed by Israeli fire across the territory Sunday, including 11 who were waiting near aid distribution centres. Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the war, resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. ds-ser/smw Solve the daily Crossword
