Israel faces growing condemnation over military expansion in Gaza
Ceasefire efforts appeared to be reviving with Israel's announcement. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff was expected to meet with Qatar's prime minister in Spain on Saturday to discuss a new proposal to end the war, according to two officials familiar with the talks, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak with the media.
Mediators Egypt and Qatar are preparing a new ceasefire framework that would include the release of all hostages -- dead and alive -- in one go in return for the war's end and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, two Arab officials have told The Associated Press.
Health officials said that 20 Palestinians seeking aid were shot dead Saturday and 11 adults died of malnutrition-related causes in the past 24 hours, as the criticism of Israel came with pleas to allow far more food to reach people in the besieged enclave.
'Shut the country down'
Hostages' families pressured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government amid new fears for the 50 remaining hostages, with 20 of them thought to be alive and struggling.
Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is held in Gaza, called on Israelis including the powerful Histadrut labor union to "help us save the hostages, the soldiers and the state of Israel" and appeared to call for a general strike: "Shut the country down."
A joint statement by nine countries including Germany, Britain, France and Canada said that they "strongly reject" Israel's decision for the large-scale military operation, saying it will worsen the "catastrophic humanitarian situation," endanger hostages and further risk mass displacement. They said any attempts at annexation or settlement in Gaza violate international law.
A separate statement by more than 20 countries including ceasefire mediators Egypt and Qatar along with Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates called Israel's decision a "dangerous and unacceptable escalation." Meanwhile, Russia said Israel's plan will aggravate the "already extremely dramatic situation" in Gaza.
The U.N. Security Council planned an emergency meeting Sunday.
Killed while seeking aid
Officials at Nasser and Awda hospitals said that Israeli forces killed at least 11 people seeking aid in southern and central Gaza. Some had been waiting for aid trucks, while others had approached aid distribution points.
Israel's military denied opening fire and said that it was unaware of the incidents. The military secures routes leading to distribution sites run by the Israeli-backed and U.S.-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Two witnesses told the AP that Israeli troops fired toward crowds approaching a GHF distribution site on foot in the Netzarim corridor, a military zone that bisects Gaza. One witness, Ramadan Gaber, said that snipers and tanks fired on aid-seekers, forcing them to retreat.
In the north, Israeli fire killed at least nine and wounded over 200 as people sought aid entering Gaza through the Zikim crossing, said Fares Awad, head of the Health Ministry's ambulance and emergency service in the area. There was no immediate Israeli comment.
In Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, some aid-seekers cheered the latest airdrops of aid. Hundreds of people rushed to grab what they could. Aid organizations have called airdrops expensive, insufficient and potentially dangerous for people on the ground.
Israel's military said that at least 106 packages of aid were airdropped Saturday as Italy and Greece joined the effort for the first time. Footage from Italy's defense ministry showed packages parachuted over Gaza's dry and devastated landscape.
Barefoot children collected rice, pasta and lentils that spilled from packages onto the ground.
"This way is not for humans, it is for animals," said one man, Mahmoud Hawila, who said he was stabbed while trying to secure an airdropped package.
Israel alleges, without giving evidence, that Hamas systematically diverts aid from the existing U.N.-led system, which denies it. That system has called for more of the trucks waiting outside Gaza to be allowed not just into the territory, but safely to destinations inside it for distribution.
With temperatures reaching above 32 degrees C in Gaza, families fanned themselves with pieces of cardboard or metal trays and slept on the ground outside their tents, while some women collected water well before dawn.
"My children cry day and night. My son scratches his body because of the heat," said Nida Abu Hamad, whose displaced family shelters in Gaza City.
More deaths from hunger
Gaza's Health Ministry said the new adult deaths from malnutrition-related causes over the past 24 hours brought the total to 114 since it began counting such deaths in June. It said that 98 children have died of malnutrition-related causes since the war began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, with militants killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251.
Israel is "forcing Palestinians into a state of near-starvation to the point that they abandon their land voluntarily," Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told a news conference in Egypt.
The toll from hunger isn't included in the ministry's death toll of 61,300 Palestinians in the war. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, doesn't distinguish between fighters or civilians, but says around half of the dead have been women and children. The U.N. and independent experts consider it the most reliable source on war casualties.
Israel disputes the ministry's figures, but hasn't provided its own.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Today
8 hours ago
- Japan Today
Japan concerned about Israeli plan to take control of Gaza City
Mounted police disperse demonstrators blocking a highway during a protest demanding the release of all hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and calling for an end to the war, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Saturday night. Japan is "strongly concerned" about Israel's decision to take control of Gaza City, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said. The minister's statement came after Israel's security cabinet approved a plan to take over the northern city of the war-torn Gaza Strip, drawing criticism from other countries and the United Nations. "Japan is strongly concerned that this decision will further exacerbate the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza," Iwaya said, urging "all parties to return to negotiations" and to work toward a ceasefire and the release of hostages. "Japan opposes any actions, such as this plan, that undermine the realization of a two-state solution" for Israel and Palestine, Iwaya said. The conflict in the Palestinian region began after the militant group Hamas launched an attack in Israel and took hostages in October 2023, prompting massive Israeli retaliation. Many people in the Gaza Strip are facing starvation as the conflict continues. © KYODO
The Mainichi
8 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Japan concerned about Israeli plan to take control of Gaza City
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan is "strongly concerned" about Israel's decision to take control of Gaza City, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said Saturday. The minister's statement came after Israel's security cabinet approved a plan to take over the northern city of the war-torn Gaza Strip, drawing criticism from other countries and the United Nations. "Japan is strongly concerned that this decision will further exacerbate the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza," Iwaya said, urging "all parties to return to negotiations" and to work toward a ceasefire and the release of hostages. "Japan opposes any actions, such as this plan, that undermine the realization of a two-state solution" for Israel and Palestine, Iwaya said. The conflict in the Palestinian region began after the militant group Hamas launched an attack in Israel and took hostages in October 2023, prompting massive Israeli retaliation. Many people in the Gaza Strip are facing starvation as the conflict continues.
The Mainichi
10 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Armenians and Azerbaijanis greet US-brokered peace deal with hope but also caution
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) -- Residents and politicians in Armenia and Azerbaijan responded Saturday with cautious hope -- and skepticism in some cases -- after their leaders signed a U.S.-brokered agreement at the White House aimed at ending decades of hostilities. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed the agreement on Friday in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump, who stood between the leaders as they shook hands -- a gesture Trump reinforced by clasping their hands together. While the agreement does not constitute a formal peace treaty, it represents a significant diplomatic step toward normalization of relations. The two countries remain technically at war, and the deal does not resolve the longstanding dispute over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. It does, however, reflect the shifting power dynamics following Azerbaijan's 2023 military victory, which forced the withdrawal of Armenian forces and ethnic Armenians from the region. Among the agreement's provisions is the creation of a new transit corridor, dubbed the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity," highlighting a changing geopolitical landscape amid declining Russian influence in the South Caucasus. Nagorno-Karabakh has been at the heart of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict since the Soviet Union's collapse. Although internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, the mountainous region was controlled for decades by ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia. Two wars -- in the early 1990s and again in 2020 -- left tens of thousands dead and displaced. In 2023, Azerbaijan regained control of most of the territory in a swift offensive. Hopeful for peace and a weaker Moscow Ali Karimli, head of the opposition People's Front of Azerbaijan Party, wrote on Facebook that the signing of the agreement "has undoubtedly brought Azerbaijan and Armenia significantly closer to peace," and noted that it delivered "another blow ... to Russia's influence in the South Caucasus," while deepening ties with the U.S. Arif Hajili, chairman of Azerbaijani opposition party Musavat, said he believed that "the most positive aspect of the initialing in Washington was the absence of Russia from the process." He said lasting stability in the region hinges on the continual dwindling of Russian power, which "depends on the outcome of the Russian--Ukrainian war." Hajili also warned of lingering challenges, including Armenia's economic dependence on Russia and some 2 million Azerbaijanis living in Russia. "Russia will continue to use these factors as levers of pressure," he said. Hope on the streets of Azerbaijan's capital "We have been waiting for a long time for this agreement to be signed," a resident of Baku, Gunduz Aliyev, told The Associated Press. "We did not trust our neighbor, Armenia. That's why a strong state was needed to act as a guarantor. Russia couldn't do it, but the United States succeeded." "The U.S. is taking full responsibility for security. This will bring peace and stability," said another, Ali Mammadov. "Borders will open soon, and normal relations with Armenia will be established." Abulfat Jafarov, also in Baku, expressed gratitude to all three leaders involved. "Peace is always a good thing," he said. "We welcome every step taken towards progress." More divided views in the Armenian capital Some people in Yerevan were unsure of the meaning of the agreement. "I feel uncertain because much still needs clarification. There are unclear aspects, and although the prime minister of Armenia made some statements from the U.S., more details are needed," Edvard Avoyan said. But entrepreneur Hrach Ghasumyan could see economic benefits. "If gas and oil pipelines pass through Armenia and railway routes are opened, it would be beneficial for the country," he said. "Until now, all major routes have passed through Georgia, leaving Armenia sidelined and economically limited." Others were skeptical that peace could be achieved, and expressed discontent with the terms of the agreement. "That declaration is unlikely to bring real peace to the region, and we are well aware of Azerbaijan's stance," Ruzanna Ghazaryan said. "This initial agreement offers us nothing; the concessions are entirely one-sided."
