Hamas faces financial crisis amid ongoing conflict with Israel: Report
The London-based newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat has reported that Hamas is facing a severe and unprecedented financial crisis as the ongoing war with Israel continues to erode both its leadership and operational capabilities. Citing unnamed sources within the organization, the report revealed that the group is struggling to pay salaries to its members and operatives.Hamas has only been able to distribute 900 shekels, nearly USD 240 USD, over the past four months which sparked anger and dissatisfaction among its ranks, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported citing sources.advertisementThe economic collapse is said to be the worst in the group's history, leaving many operatives unpaid and raising questions about its ability to maintain internal cohesion.
The report also highlights the impact of the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) ongoing targeted operations against Hamas leadership. The systematic elimination of key figures has reportedly created a leadership vacuum within the group's so-called governing structure, further weakening its control and coordination abilities.Meanwhile, in the Gaza Strip, tensions remain high as the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. On Saturday, Gaza's civil defence agency reported that an Israeli airstrike in Khan Yunis killed nine children from the same family. The victims were the children of two married doctors. The Israeli military responded that it had targeted "several suspects" near its troops and is reviewing the incident.advertisementIsrael has intensified its military operations in Gaza in recent days, prompting renewed international criticism and calls for increased humanitarian aid. While Israel partially eased its total blockade on March 2, aid groups have warned that the flow of essential supplies remains insufficient for the population's needs.As both the humanitarian and political crises deepen, the future of stability in Gaza remains uncertain.Must Watch
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Indian Express
14 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Israel detains Gaza Flotilla, deports Greta Thunberg: Recalling the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident
Israel's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday (June 10) announced it had deported Swedish activist Greta Thunberg a day after seizing the Madleen, the ship she was on. In a post on X, the Foreign Ministry wrote, 'Greta Thunberg just departed Israel on a flight to Sweden (via France).' Greta Thunberg just departed Israel on a flight to Sweden (via France). — Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 10, 2025 A British-flagged vessel, the Madleen set sail from Italy last week and carried aid for the people of war-torn Gaza. Twelve passengers, including Thunberg, were on board. It was backed by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), an international movement aiming to end 'the illegal Israeli blockade of Gaza'. Israel's relative restraint in detaining the passengers and moving to deport them marks a sharp contrast to what ensued when another FFC-backed ship, the Conscience, set out to deliver aid to Gaza last month. The ship faced a drone attack in international waters near Malta on May 2, and held Israel responsible. These actions are not unprecedented. In 2010, Israeli commandos shot dead 10 activists aboard the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, part of a 'freedom flotilla' carrying aid to Gaza in a similar effort. The news triggered international condemnation and strained relations between Israel and Turkey, who were allies at the time. Turkey condemned the Israeli detention of the Madleen on Monday, calling Israel a 'terrorist state', and the move a 'clear violation of international law'. The Mavi Marmara was one of six civilian ships which had set sail towards Gaza as part of the 'Gaza Freedom Flotilla': three of these, including the Mavi Marmara, were passenger ships carrying 748 people of 40 nationalities. The other three carried aid meant for Palestine, aiming to breach an Israeli and Egyptian blockade on Gaza. (The flotilla originally included two more ships, which faced engine issues ahead of their start, spurring rumours of Israeli sabotage.) The Israeli blockade has existed since the '90s, but these restrictions were intensified after Hamas gained control of Gaza in 2007. Egypt closed the Rafah crossing with Gaza that year. Physical barriers were erected around the 365 sq km Gaza Strip in Palestine's southwestern region. Additionally, Israel had maintained a naval blockade, preventing international ships from entering Gaza or local vessels from leaving the coastal waters. This was intensified in October 2023, following the Hamas attacks on Israel. Soon, Israel stopped the supply of food, water, fuel and electricity into Gaza. Israel briefly loosened the blockade this January following a US-brokered ceasefire, only to reinstate it in March, alleging ceasefire violations by Hamas. The Freedom Flotilla carried 10,000 tonnes of goods, including school supplies, building materials and two large electricity generators, according to a BBC report. This defied an Israeli directive banning the entry of a wide variety of goods to keep the pressure on Hamas. The flotilla sought to draw international attention to the blockade, which it described as illegal. The effort was spearheaded by the Free Gaza Movement, a coalition of pro-Palestinian groups challenging the Israeli blockade of Gaza, as well as the Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH). Notably, Israel had identified the IHH as a terrorist organisation, closely linked to Hamas. Turkey refuted this view, treating it as a bona fide charity, and had urged Israel to allow the flotilla passage. Israel also wished to verify that the ships did not carry construction materials, weapons or cash. It reportedly asked the flotilla to dock at the Israeli port of Ashdod, and offered to transport all approved goods by road, according to the BBC report. So what happened on May 31, 2010? Before dawn broke on May 31, 2010, Israeli naval forces descended on the flotilla from helicopters and warships in international waters between Cyprus and the Gaza Coast. While the timeline is disputed, Israeli officials claimed their troops opened fire after first being attacked by some of the passengers, who 'charged them with knives and sticks and allegedly fired live rounds,' according to a 2010 report of the Financial Times. In the ensuing melee, nine activists aboard the Mavi Marmara were shot dead, and at least 50 other passengers were wounded, according to the 2010 UN Human Rights Council report, which investigated the incident. One of the wounded remained in a coma for four years before dying. All the deceased were Turkish nationals. Ten commandos were also reportedly injured in the attack. Israel-Turkey relations After Israel was carved out of then-Mandatory Palestine in 1948, Turkey became the first Muslim-majority country to recognise the nation a year later. However, the relations between the two have progressed in waves, with Turkey periodically expressing its support for Palestine's right to self-determination. The 2010 attack came during a fraught diplomatic period and saw bilateral relations devolve within just hours. Turkey recalled its ambassador from Israel, while Recep Tayyip Erdogan, then the Prime Minister, accused Israel of overseeing 'inhuman state terror'. Both countries hurled accusations over the following years, with Turkey demanding an apology from Israel, and Israel claiming it had a right to defend itself. However, efforts towards normalising relations unexpectedly commenced in 2013, with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu tendering an apology, and the two countries agreeing to a system of compensation for the victims' families. Relations were normalised in 2016. The two countries have since faced a very rocky relationship, with Israel's policy on Palestine remaining a flashpoint. In 2024, Turkey severed all diplomatic ties with Israel over its unwillingness to end its war in Gaza.
Time of India
17 minutes ago
- Time of India
Greta Thunberg accuses Israel of "kidnapping" her in Gaza aid boat seizure
Greta Thunberg on Tuesday accused Israeli forces of forcibly detaining her and a group of fellow pro-Palestinian activists in international waters. The Swedish climate campaigner said she refused to sign a document stating she had entered Israel illegally, following her deportation. 'I was very clear in my testimony that we were kidnapped on international waters and brought against our own will into Israel,' Thunberg said at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport after her return from Israel. The 22-year-old was one of 12 individuals on board the Madleen, a British-flagged aid vessel operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), when it was seized by the Israeli navy on Monday morning. The group had set out to deliver symbolic humanitarian supplies—rice and baby formula—to Gaza and draw international attention to the ongoing blockade and humanitarian crisis. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Costco Shoppers Say This Wrinkle Cream Is "Actually Worth It" The Skincare Magazine Undo Israeli authorities dismiss claims, detain and deport passengers Israel's foreign ministry confirmed that the intercepted vessel had docked at Ashdod port by Monday evening. The passengers, who came from Sweden, Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Turkey, were taken into custody, underwent medical checks, and were slated for deportation via Ben-Gurion airport. 'All the passengers of the 'selfie yacht' are safe and unharmed. They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over,' Israel's foreign ministry posted on social media. Live Events The ministry also released a video showing the activists wearing life jackets and seated calmly while being served refreshments. Thunberg was visible near the front. Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, accused Thunberg and the rest of the group of turning a blind eye to Hamas atrocities. He said the detained activists were shown a screening of footage from the 7 October Hamas attack : 'When they saw what it was about, they refused to continue watching.' Katz added, 'They prefer to close their eyes to the truth.' Freedom Flotilla calls it an illegal assault The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which organised the voyage, said the boat had been 'unlawfully boarded' in international waters. The group claimed that quadcopters sprayed the deck with a white substance, communications were jammed, and disruptive noises were broadcast over the radio. A livestream from the boat showed activist Yasemin Acar displaying a chalky substance and saying it was affecting her eyes. Another video posted later showed passengers with their hands raised in a gesture of non-resistance. In a pre-recorded message released once contact was lost, Thunberg said: 'If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by Israeli occupational forces or forces that support Israel. I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible.' The Freedom Flotilla said their intent was peaceful and their goal was to spotlight the humanitarian emergency in Gaza, which is facing severe shortages due to an 11-week total blockade following more than 600 days of conflict. Trump renews feud with Thunberg US President Donald Trump weighed in, mocking Thunberg's claim of kidnapping. 'I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg,' he said. Reviving his long-standing feud with the Swedish activist, Trump added, 'She's a young, angry person. I don't know if it's real anger; it's hard to believe, actually. But I saw what happened. She's certainly different. Anger management. I think she has to go to an angry management class. That's my primary recommendation for her.' When asked at the Paris airport about Trump's remarks, Thunberg responded dryly: 'I think the world needs a lot more young angry women to be honest, especially with everything going on right now.' Symbolic aid mission or "selfie stunt"? Israel's foreign ministry labelled the Madleen a 'selfie yacht', implying that the voyage was more about publicity than aid. But Thunberg rejected that characterisation. She recalled a previous flotilla attempt using a larger ship that was bombed, suggesting the reduced scale of this mission was a security compromise, not a stunt. 'This is not a PR move,' she insisted. 'The mission is to deliver aid and to make people aware of what's going on.' The passengers included Rima Hassan, a French Member of the European Parliament, and Omar Faiad, a French journalist working with Al Jazeera. What's next for the activists? Following their release, the deported individuals are expected to return to their respective countries. Thunberg, when asked about her next steps, said she needed 'a shower and sleep' and was unsure whether she would return to Sweden or continue elsewhere. The incident has stirred fresh debate over Israel's enforcement of its naval blockade and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. It has also once again placed Thunberg in the international spotlight—not for her climate activism, but for her outspoken political stance in one of the world's most polarised conflicts. The FFC continues to call for the immediate release of any activists still in Israeli custody and maintains that their actions were legal, moral, and urgent.
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
Robert Vadra skips ED summons in PMLA case linked to Sanjay Bhandari
Robert Vadra , the businessman husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra , on Tuesday skipped an ED summons for questioning in a money laundering case linked to UK-based alleged arms consultant Sanjay Bhandari , official sources said. The sources said Vadra sought an adjournment of Tuesday's summons, and he will now be given a fresh date. The ED wants to record Vadra's statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and then file a chargesheet against him before the court, sources said. The federal probe agency had questioned the 56-year-old businessman for three consecutive days in April in a separate money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in a 2008 land deal in Haryana. Bhandari (63) fled to London in 2016, soon after the Income Tax Department raided him in Delhi. Live Events A UK court earlier this month refused an application filed by the Indian government seeking permission to appeal in Britain's Supreme Court against the discharge of Bhandari in an extradition case , virtually ruling out chances of him being brought to the country to face the law. The ED filed a chargesheet in this case in 2023, alleging that Bhandari acquired the 12, Bryanston Square house in London in 2009 and got it renovated "as per the directions of Robert Vadra, who provided the funds for the renovation". Vadra has denied that he owns any London property directly or indirectly. Terming the charges a "political witch hunt", Vadra said he was being "hounded and harassed" to subserve political ends. The ED is also investigating Vadra in a separate money laundering case linked to alleged financial irregularities in a land deal in Rajasthan's Bikaner. The federal probe agency had previously questioned Vadra and his mother, Maureen, in this case.
