Israel's former ambassador to Ireland takes up Spain embassy role amid growing tensions
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RTÉ News
24 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Israel not letting in enough supplies into Gaza to avert widespread starvation, says UN
Israel is letting some supplies into Gaza but not enough to avert widespread starvation, the United Nations human rights office has said. "In the past few weeks, Israeli authorities have only allowed aid to enter in quantities that remain far below what would be required to avert widespread starvation," UN human rights office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told a Geneva press briefing. He added that the risk of starvation in Gaza was a "direct result of the Israeli government's policy of blocking humanitarian aid. Israel's military agency that coordinates aid, COGAT, said Israel invests "considerable efforts" in aid distribution to Gaza.
Irish Independent
5 hours ago
- Irish Independent
‘I will not enlist in an army that is committing genocide': Israeli teens refusing Benjamin Netanyahu's war
As Israel plans to expand its offensive in Gaza, a growing number of young people are choosing jail terms over military conscription Demonstrators block a road near Jerusalem, Israel, during a protest calling for the Israeli government to reverse its decision to take over Gaza City. Photo: AP Yona (19), an Israeli activist, burned her military conscription papers knowing she would be immediately sentenced to jail. She is blunt in her reasoning for doing so. 'I am refusing because my country is committing genocide and I will not enlist into an army that's committing genocide,' she said. 'I have no doubts in my mind that this is the right thing to do.' She is part of a growing movement of Israeli teenagers refusing the draft and taking a stand against the Israeli government's 22-month devastating bombardment of Gaza. Shortly after burning her papers outside the enlistment centre in Haifa at the weekend, she was sentenced to 30 days in prison. Speaking to The Independent just before being incarcerated, Yona, a transgender woman, said she knew prison wouldn't be easy: the last transgender woman 'refusenik' was held in solitary confinement. But she remains determined. 'I think it's a very simple moral and political question,' she said. "The imperative is that we withhold ourselves as a resource from the state. That we do everything in our power to resist and end this horrible crime.' She is part of a movement of youth, most of them members of Mesarvot – or 'refusers' in Hebrew – that supports conscientious objectors, that are horrified by Israel's war in Gaza. They have staged regular protests, publicly burning their papers and marching towards the border crossing with Gaza to break Israel's blockade on the besieged strip. Demonstrators block a road near Jerusalem, Israel, during a protest calling for the Israeli government to reverse its decision to take over Gaza City. Photo: AP Alongside the refuseniks, there has also been a parallel surge in soldiers reusing to show up to reserve duty – with reports in Israeli media saying in the last major offensive that as many as 100,000 have effectively deserted. Fury over the war increased inside Israel after Benjamin Netanyahu and his security cabinet controversially recently green-lit an expansion of the current offensive in Gaza. The Israeli government has repeatedly denied there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza or that the military has committing any crimes in the enclave. But it is facing growing backlash internationally and from inside Israel. Palestinian health officials say Israel's bombardment and blockade has now killed over 62,000 people. The United Nations says the war has sparked unfolding famine and seen more than 90pc of the 2.3 million strong population forced to flee their homes. On Saturday night, hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Tel Aviv and other cities, demanding an end to the war and the immediate ceasefire deal to secure the return of the remaining 50 hostages and captives held by Hamas in Gaza. At the protests, family members of the hostages are publicly calling for reservists to refuse to serve in the upcoming military escalation. For the youth, they are protesting about even joining the army in the first place. The death toll among IDF soldiers is now nearing 900. At least 20 refuseniks have served prison time since October 2023, explained Iddo Elam (19), another Israeli activist who refused to enlist in November and was jailed before being handed an exemption on mental health grounds. We are almost two years into this genocide – or war, as many Israelis call it – but nothing has been achieved. Nothing has changed. Nothing He had a strong message for his fellow teenagers: 'It'll be on your record that you were an IDF soldier, or that you were a refusenik... 'Think whether or not you want to go around the world as a former IDF soldier. We are almost two years into this genocide – or war, as many Israelis call it – but nothing has been achieved. Nothing has changed. Nothing. 'We cannot stop terrorism. We cannot stop attacks on the Israeli state as long as we participate in – and basically live with – the occupation and oppression of millions of [Palestinian] people.' While Iddo and Yona admit those refusing to fight because of the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza is a relatively small number, it is growing. Tal Mitnik, another activist from Tel Aviv, turned 18 shortly after war erupted and so was the first public conscientious objector. He spent six months in prison, which was 'nothing like what the Palestinian prisoners are dealing with'. He said he was on his own at the beginning but that has changed: 'I think an important thing to say is that what we lose with Israeli society is what we gain with Palestinian society.' Earlier this month, Netanyahu and his security cabinet pushed through a controversial plan to expand the war in Gaza, stating that the ultimate goal was to disarm Hamas, return the hostages and to exert 'Israeli security control' over the besieged strip – a boots-on-the-ground occupation. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: Reuters It has faced fierce resistance from the international community, as well as opposition from within. Sources said even the army's chief of staff Eyal Zamir rejected the plan. Many in Israel fear it will not only embroil the Israeli military in a costly, protracted and unwinnable conflict, but also serve as a 'death sentence' for the 20 remaining hostages who are still believed to be alive. It could also crush the hopes of retrieving the bodies of 30 more slain captives who remain in the hands of militants. The Israeli military declined to comment on the numbers of those who have refused reserve service or their conscription papers. They said the military 'cherishes' all of its soldiers, expressing 'deep appreciation for their great contribution'. 'In this challenging security reality, the contribution of the reservists is essential to the success of missions and to maintaining the security of the country,' they said in a statement. According to Kan, Israel's national broadcaster, during the last offensive in May, over 40pc of soldiers did not show up to reserve duty – a stark contrast to the start of the conflict, when Israeli media reported that 135pc of people showed up. Ishai Menuchin, spokesperson for Yesh Gvul – an Israeli movement that also supports refuseniks and reservists who do not want to fight – said their hotline, which usually only gets 30 calls a year, has received more than 200 calls since January alone. It's the highest wave of refusal since we were founded at the start of the 1982 Lebanon war 'It's the highest wave of refusal since we were founded at the start of the 1982 Lebanon war,' he said, explaining how he himself spent 35 days in prison for refusing service. He said the true number of refusniks is difficult to calculate as the military is now pushing through exemptions: 'There is a policy not to deal with ideological refusal – they are afraid of the numbers.' Iddo agreed, saying they are now exempting refuseniks on mental health grounds rather than jailing them, as they 'would rather give young people exemptions than to deal with hundreds of people in prisons'. He had a strong message for Israel's western allies, including the UK and the US, to take a stand against the Israeli military and impose arms embargoes. 'At the end of the day, the butterfly effect to stop this genocide will just start with one phone call from each leader – and one phone call from Trump telling Netanyahu to stop,' he said. 'We cannot do it alone. We have to have international help.'
Irish Independent
5 hours ago
- Irish Independent
‘Fifty Palestinians must die for every October 7 victim, even if they're children' – audio of former IDF intelligence chief leaked
Aharon Haliva can be heard in newly released audio clips saying that, for every person who died during October 7, '50 Palestinians must die', even if they are children. The audio clips were aired by Israeli broadcaster Channel 12. 'The fact that there are already 50,000 dead in Gaza is necessary and required for future generations. OK, you humiliated, you slaughtered, you murdered, everything is true,' the former military chief said. It is unclear when the statements were made, but Gaza's health ministry has reported that more than 62,000 Palestinians have been killed since the October 7 attacks in 2023, when Hamas massacred around 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostage. 'The price, I said before the war... for everything that happened on October 7, for every person on October 7, 50 Palestinians must die,' Mr Haliva said in a translation reported by the Jerusalem Post and other media. 'It doesn't matter now if they are children. I'm not speaking out of revenge, I'm speaking out of a message to future generations. They need a Nakba every now and then to feel the price.' The term 'Nakba' translates to 'catastrophe' in Arabic and is used to describe the 1948 war which led to the expulsion of 700,000 Palestinians during the establishment of the Israeli state. Mr Haliva was the IDF's head of military intelligence when the October 7 attacks happened. He resigned from his position in April last year over his 'leadership responsibility', becoming the first senior IDF officer to do so. It remains unclear who Mr Haliva was speaking to in the lengthy recordings, as Channel 12 does not identify them. He claims throughout the recordings that the Israeli military is not the only organisation responsible for the failures that led to the attacks. He pointed fingers at Israel's political leadership and the country's home security service, Shin Bet, for believing Hamas would not carry out an attack. The Independent has contacted the IDF for comment. Mr Haliva responded to Channel 12's reporting by expressing his regret for the recorded conversations. 'The leaked recordings were published from things said in a closed forum, and I can only regret that,' he said. He called the recordings 'fragments of partial things, which cannot reflect the full picture – certainly when it comes to complex, detailed issues, most of which are highly classified.' 'The October 7 disaster occurred on my watch as head of the Intelligence Division', he said, adding: 'I bear ultimate responsibility for what happened.'
