Greta Thunberg sets sail for devastated Gaza
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Climate campaigner Greta Thunberg and 11 other activists set sail on Sunday afternoon for Gaza on a ship aimed at "breaking Israel's siege" of the devastated territory , organisers said. The sailing boat Madleen – operated by activist group Freedom Flotilla Coalition — departed from the Sicilian port of Catania, in southern Italy. It will try to reach the shores of the Gaza Strip in an effort to bring in some aid and raise "international awareness" over the ongoing humanitarian crisis, the activists said at a press conference on Sunday, ahead of departure. Climate activist Greta Thunberg is headed towards Gaza on an aid boat. (AP) "We are doing this because, no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying," Thunberg said, bursting into tears during her speech. "Because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity. And no matter how dangerous this mission is, it's not even near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the live-streamed genocide," she added. Israel, which was founded in the aftermath of the Holocaust, has adamantly rejected genocide allegations against it as an antisemitic "blood libel." Activists of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition board the Madleen boat ahead of setting sail for Gaza. (AP) In mid-May, Israel slightly eased its blockade of Gaza after nearly three months, allowing a limited amount of humanitarian aid into the territory. Experts have warned that Gaza is at risk of famine if more aid is not brought in. UN agencies and major aid groups say Israeli restrictions, the breakdown of law and order, and widespread looting make it extremely difficult to deliver aid to Gaza's roughly two million Palestinians. Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham is also on board. Among those joining the crew of the Madleen are Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent. She has been barred from entering Israel due to her active opposition to the Israeli assault on Gaza. The activists expect to take seven days to get to their destination, if they are not stopped. Thunberg, who became an internationally famous climate activist after organising massive teen protests in her native Sweden, had been due to board a previous Freedom Flotilla ship last month. The group hopes to reach Gaza in a week. (AP) That attempt to reach Gaza by sea, in early May, failed after another of the group's vessels, the "Conscience", was attacked by two alleged drones while sailing in international waters off the coast of Malta. The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the front section of the ship, in the latest confrontation over efforts to send assistance to the Palestinian territory devastated by nearly 19 months of war. The Israeli government says the blockade is an attempt to pressure Hamas to release hostages it took during the October 7, 2023, attack that triggered the conflict. Hamas-led militants assaulted southern Israel that day, killing some 1200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Hamas is still holding 58 hostages, 23 of whom are believed to be alive. In response, Israel launched an offensive that has killed over 52,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians. Israel's bombardment and ground operations have destroyed vast areas of the territory and left most of its population homeless. The Flotilla group was only the latest among a growing number of critics to accuse Israel of genocidal acts in its war in Gaza. Israel vehemently denies the allegations, saying its war is directed at Hamas militants, not Gaza's civilians. "We are breaking the siege of Gaza by sea, but that's part of a broader strategy of mobilisations that will also attempt to break the siege by land," said activist Thiago Avila. Avila cited the upcoming Global March to Gaza – an international initiative also open to doctors, lawyers and media – which is set to leave Egypt and reach the Rafah crossing in mid-June to stage a protest there, asking Israel to stop the Gaza offensive and reopen the border. Israel Hamas Conflict
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7NEWS
an hour ago
- 7NEWS
Dozens of Palestinians killed near Gaza aid distribution point, health officials say, in third day of shooting
Palestinians on their way to receive aid from a distribution site in southern Gaza have come under fire for a third consecutive day, with nearly 30 people killed and dozens wounded, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health and Nasser hospital. The ministry said Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians as they made their way to the distribution site in Tel al-Sultan in Rafah early Tuesday. The Israeli military said its forces opened fire multiple times after identifying 'several suspects moving toward them, deviating from the designated access routes.' 'The troops carried out warning fire, and after the suspects failed to retreat, additional shots were directed near a few individual suspects who advanced toward the troops,' the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement, which also said they are looking into reports of casualties. At least 27 people were killed and dozens injured, according to the Palestinian health ministry and the director of Nasser hospital in Gaza. Footage obtained by CNN showed people arriving at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, many on stretchers. Marwan al-Hams, the head of field hospitals in Gaza, said Nasser has been overwhelmed by the number of casualties coming in. 'Only if someone dies inside the intensive care units, only then can we make availability for the next patient,' he told CNN. Al-Hams said the injuries he was seeing were primarily the result of gunfire and concentrated in patients' upper bodies. The hospital called for urgent blood donations. Nawal Al-Masri, whose young son was injured as he approached the area to get aid, said the site is a 'trap.' 'Is this what they call aid? This aid is to kill people,' Al-Masri told CNN. 'What are we supposed to do when a child like this goes and tried to get a bag of flour of two kilos? Is this right by any definition?' The United Nations' human rights chief, Volker Turk, said in a statement that 'deadly attacks on distraught civilians trying to access the paltry amounts of food aid in Gaza, are unconscionable… There must be a prompt and impartial investigation into each of these attacks, and those responsible held to account.' Turk added that Palestinians have been given 'the grimmest of choices: die from starvation or risk being killed while trying to access the meagre food that is being made available through Israel's militarised humanitarian assistance mechanism.' The gunfire on Tuesday occurred west of Rafah in the area surrounding the Al-Alam roundabout, according to paramedics from the Palestine Red Crescent Society, near the same location as shooting incidents the last two days. The area is part of an Israeli military operation across Khan Younis, according to a diplomat who monitors developments in Gaza, who said Israeli forces fired toward a large group of Palestinians they perceived as 'an imminent threat' as the Palestinians tried to reach the aid distribution site. Early Tuesday morning, a Facebook page which the controversial US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has used to publicise information about the opening of distribution sites said one location would be open in southern Gaza and warned residents to adhere to a designated corridor starting at 5am. 'The IDF will be in the area to secure the safe passage,' the statement said. But approximately one hour later, the page said the site will be closed. The site ultimately opened and distributed 21 truckloads of food boxes, according to GHF. The aid was distributed 'safely and without incident at our site today,' the organization said, adding that the area beyond its security perimeter is 'well beyond our secure distribution site and control.' Israel's deputy foreign minister, Sharren Haskel, defended the distribution effort and said Israel would continue to support it. 'This direct aid, bypassing Hamas, is changing the situation on the ground and weakening Hamas's grip on the population,' Haskel said at a news conference. Tuesday's incident marks the third day in a row that people have been killed on their way to the GHF distribution point west of Rafah while attempting to secure food as famine conditions worsen in Gaza following an 11-week blockade by Israel. Three Palestinians were shot dead and dozens wounded as they were on their way to access aid from the site on Monday morning, Palestinian and hospital authorities said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that Israeli forces fired warning shots approximately 1km from the aid distribution site and that it was looking into the details of the incident. On Sunday, dozens of Palestinians were shot dead by the Israeli military in the same area, according to Palestinian officials and eyewitnesses. Israel's military denied that its troops fired 'within or near' the aid distribution site. Palestinian officials said 31 people had been killed and scores wounded in Sunday's incident. An Israeli military source acknowledged that Israeli forces fired toward individuals about 1km away before the aid site opened.
The Advertiser
6 hours ago
- The Advertiser
At least 27 Palestinians killed near Gaza aid site
At least 27 Palestinians have been killed and dozens wounded by Israeli fire near a food distribution site in the southern Gaza Strip, local health authorities say. The Israeli military said its forces had opened fire on a group of individuals who had left designated access routes near the distribution centre in Rafah. It added it was still investigating what had happened. The deaths came hours after Israel said three of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip, as its forces pushed ahead with a months-long offensive against Hamas militants that has laid waste to much of the enclave. Reuters could not independently verify the reports in northern and southern Gaza. The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation launched its first distribution sites last week in an effort to alleviate widespread hunger amongst Gaza's war-battered population, most of whom have had to abandon their homes to flee fighting. The Foundation's aid plan, which bypasses traditional aid groups, has come under fierce criticism from the United Nations and established charities which say it does not follow humanitarian principles. The private group, which is endorsed by Israel, said it distributed 21 truckloads of food early Tuesday and that the aid operation was "conducted safely and without incident within the site". However, there have been reports of repeated killings near Rafah as crowds gather to get desperately needed supplies. Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip opened fire as people headed toward an aid distribution site a kilometre away, killing at least three people and wounding dozens, health officials and a witness say. The military said it fired warning shots at "suspects" who approached its forces. UN Secretary General António Guterres called for an independent investigation into alleged Israeli strikes near aid centres, prompting a sharp rebuke from the Israeli government. Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein called Guterres' statement a "disgrace" and criticised the UN chief for failing to mention Palestinian Islamist group Hamas or its rejection of ceasefire and hostage release proposals. "Not a word about the fact that Hamas is the one shooting civilians and trying to prevent them from collecting aid packages," Marmorstein wrote in a post on X. In a separate incident on Monday, an Israeli strike on a residential building in northern Gaza killed 14 people, according to health officials. The Shifa and al-Ahli hospitals confirmed the toll from the strike in the built-up Jabaliya refugee camp, saying five women and seven children were among those killed. The military said it had struck "terror targets" across northern Gaza, without elaborating. A Red Cross field hospital received 50 wounded people, including two declared dead on arrival, after the shooting in southern Gaza, according to Hisham Mhanna, a Red Cross spokesperson. with dpa At least 27 Palestinians have been killed and dozens wounded by Israeli fire near a food distribution site in the southern Gaza Strip, local health authorities say. The Israeli military said its forces had opened fire on a group of individuals who had left designated access routes near the distribution centre in Rafah. It added it was still investigating what had happened. The deaths came hours after Israel said three of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip, as its forces pushed ahead with a months-long offensive against Hamas militants that has laid waste to much of the enclave. Reuters could not independently verify the reports in northern and southern Gaza. The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation launched its first distribution sites last week in an effort to alleviate widespread hunger amongst Gaza's war-battered population, most of whom have had to abandon their homes to flee fighting. The Foundation's aid plan, which bypasses traditional aid groups, has come under fierce criticism from the United Nations and established charities which say it does not follow humanitarian principles. The private group, which is endorsed by Israel, said it distributed 21 truckloads of food early Tuesday and that the aid operation was "conducted safely and without incident within the site". However, there have been reports of repeated killings near Rafah as crowds gather to get desperately needed supplies. Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip opened fire as people headed toward an aid distribution site a kilometre away, killing at least three people and wounding dozens, health officials and a witness say. The military said it fired warning shots at "suspects" who approached its forces. UN Secretary General António Guterres called for an independent investigation into alleged Israeli strikes near aid centres, prompting a sharp rebuke from the Israeli government. Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein called Guterres' statement a "disgrace" and criticised the UN chief for failing to mention Palestinian Islamist group Hamas or its rejection of ceasefire and hostage release proposals. "Not a word about the fact that Hamas is the one shooting civilians and trying to prevent them from collecting aid packages," Marmorstein wrote in a post on X. In a separate incident on Monday, an Israeli strike on a residential building in northern Gaza killed 14 people, according to health officials. The Shifa and al-Ahli hospitals confirmed the toll from the strike in the built-up Jabaliya refugee camp, saying five women and seven children were among those killed. The military said it had struck "terror targets" across northern Gaza, without elaborating. A Red Cross field hospital received 50 wounded people, including two declared dead on arrival, after the shooting in southern Gaza, according to Hisham Mhanna, a Red Cross spokesperson. with dpa At least 27 Palestinians have been killed and dozens wounded by Israeli fire near a food distribution site in the southern Gaza Strip, local health authorities say. The Israeli military said its forces had opened fire on a group of individuals who had left designated access routes near the distribution centre in Rafah. It added it was still investigating what had happened. The deaths came hours after Israel said three of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip, as its forces pushed ahead with a months-long offensive against Hamas militants that has laid waste to much of the enclave. Reuters could not independently verify the reports in northern and southern Gaza. The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation launched its first distribution sites last week in an effort to alleviate widespread hunger amongst Gaza's war-battered population, most of whom have had to abandon their homes to flee fighting. The Foundation's aid plan, which bypasses traditional aid groups, has come under fierce criticism from the United Nations and established charities which say it does not follow humanitarian principles. The private group, which is endorsed by Israel, said it distributed 21 truckloads of food early Tuesday and that the aid operation was "conducted safely and without incident within the site". However, there have been reports of repeated killings near Rafah as crowds gather to get desperately needed supplies. Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip opened fire as people headed toward an aid distribution site a kilometre away, killing at least three people and wounding dozens, health officials and a witness say. The military said it fired warning shots at "suspects" who approached its forces. UN Secretary General António Guterres called for an independent investigation into alleged Israeli strikes near aid centres, prompting a sharp rebuke from the Israeli government. Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein called Guterres' statement a "disgrace" and criticised the UN chief for failing to mention Palestinian Islamist group Hamas or its rejection of ceasefire and hostage release proposals. "Not a word about the fact that Hamas is the one shooting civilians and trying to prevent them from collecting aid packages," Marmorstein wrote in a post on X. In a separate incident on Monday, an Israeli strike on a residential building in northern Gaza killed 14 people, according to health officials. The Shifa and al-Ahli hospitals confirmed the toll from the strike in the built-up Jabaliya refugee camp, saying five women and seven children were among those killed. The military said it had struck "terror targets" across northern Gaza, without elaborating. A Red Cross field hospital received 50 wounded people, including two declared dead on arrival, after the shooting in southern Gaza, according to Hisham Mhanna, a Red Cross spokesperson. with dpa At least 27 Palestinians have been killed and dozens wounded by Israeli fire near a food distribution site in the southern Gaza Strip, local health authorities say. The Israeli military said its forces had opened fire on a group of individuals who had left designated access routes near the distribution centre in Rafah. It added it was still investigating what had happened. The deaths came hours after Israel said three of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip, as its forces pushed ahead with a months-long offensive against Hamas militants that has laid waste to much of the enclave. Reuters could not independently verify the reports in northern and southern Gaza. The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation launched its first distribution sites last week in an effort to alleviate widespread hunger amongst Gaza's war-battered population, most of whom have had to abandon their homes to flee fighting. The Foundation's aid plan, which bypasses traditional aid groups, has come under fierce criticism from the United Nations and established charities which say it does not follow humanitarian principles. The private group, which is endorsed by Israel, said it distributed 21 truckloads of food early Tuesday and that the aid operation was "conducted safely and without incident within the site". However, there have been reports of repeated killings near Rafah as crowds gather to get desperately needed supplies. Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip opened fire as people headed toward an aid distribution site a kilometre away, killing at least three people and wounding dozens, health officials and a witness say. The military said it fired warning shots at "suspects" who approached its forces. UN Secretary General António Guterres called for an independent investigation into alleged Israeli strikes near aid centres, prompting a sharp rebuke from the Israeli government. Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein called Guterres' statement a "disgrace" and criticised the UN chief for failing to mention Palestinian Islamist group Hamas or its rejection of ceasefire and hostage release proposals. "Not a word about the fact that Hamas is the one shooting civilians and trying to prevent them from collecting aid packages," Marmorstein wrote in a post on X. In a separate incident on Monday, an Israeli strike on a residential building in northern Gaza killed 14 people, according to health officials. The Shifa and al-Ahli hospitals confirmed the toll from the strike in the built-up Jabaliya refugee camp, saying five women and seven children were among those killed. The military said it had struck "terror targets" across northern Gaza, without elaborating. A Red Cross field hospital received 50 wounded people, including two declared dead on arrival, after the shooting in southern Gaza, according to Hisham Mhanna, a Red Cross spokesperson. with dpa
ABC News
7 hours ago
- ABC News
At least 27 Palestinians killed near Gaza aid site, health authorities say
At least 27 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded by Israeli fire near a Gaza aid site for the third day in a row, local health authorities say. The Israeli military (IDF) said its forces had opened fire on a group of people who 'posed a threat to them' after they left designated routes near the US and Israeli backed food distribution site in Rafah on Tuesday. The IDF said they fired warning shots half a kilometre from the aid site. It added it was still investigating what had happened. The deaths came hours after Israel said three of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip, as its forces pushed ahead with a months-long offensive against Hamas militants that has laid waste to much of the enclave. Reuters could not independently verify the reports in northern and southern Gaza. A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross told Reuters that its field hospital in Rafah received 184 casualties, adding that 19 of those were declared dead upon arrival, and eight died of their wounds shortly after. More than 35 patients required immediate intervention, the spokesperson added. The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation launched its first distribution sites last week in an effort to alleviate widespread hunger amongst Gaza's war-battered population. The Foundation's aid plan, which bypasses traditional aid groups, has come under fierce criticism from the United Nations (UN) and established charities which say it does not follow humanitarian principles. The private group, which is endorsed by Israel, said it distributed 21 truckloads of food early on Tuesday and that the aid operation was "conducted safely and without incident within the site". However, there have been reports of repeated killings near Rafah as crowds gather to get desperately needed supplies. On Sunday, Palestinian and international officials reported that at least 31 people were killed and dozens more injured. On Monday, three more Palestinians were reportedly killed by Israeli fire. The Israeli military has denied targeting civilians gathering for aid and called reports of deaths during Sunday's distribution "fabrications" by Hamas. On Tuesday, it said IDF forces had identified "a number of suspects" moving towards them while deviating from the access routes. "The forces fired evasive shots, and after they did not move away, additional shots were fired near the individual suspects who were advancing towards the forces," it said. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday he was "appalled" by reports of Palestinians killed and wounded while seeking aid and called for an independent investigation. The Israeli military issued new evacuation orders to residents of several districts in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip late on Monday, warning that the army would act forcefully against militants operating in those areas. The military told residents to head west towards the Mawasi humanitarian area. Palestinian and UN officials said there were no safe areas in the enclave, and that most of its 2.3 million population has become internally displaced. The new evacuation orders could halt work at the Nasser Hospital, the largest, still-functioning medical facility in the south, endangering the lives of those being treated there, the territory's health ministry said. Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 assault in which Hamas-led gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, by Israeli tallies. In the subsequent fighting, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, local health authorities say.
