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The Hindu
24 minutes ago
- The Hindu
UN to use 'humanitarian pauses' to try to reach Gaza's starving
The United Nations said it would try to reach as many starving people as possible in Gaza after Israel announced it would establish secure land routes in for humanitarian convoys. The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) said it had enough food in, or on its way to, the region to feed the 2.1 million people in the Gaza Strip for almost three months. UN emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher said on X he welcomed the announcement of "humanitarian pauses". "In contact with our teams on the ground who will do all we can to reach as many starving people as we can in this window," he said. WFP said the pauses and corridors should allow emergency food to be safely delivered. "Food aid is the only real way for most people inside Gaza to eat," it said in a statement. It said a third of the population had not been eating for days, and 470,000 people in Gaza "are enduring famine-like conditions" that were leading to deaths. WFP said more than 62,000 tonnes of food assistance was needed monthly to cover the entire Gaza population of two million. The agency noted that, on top of Sunday's "pause" announcement, Israel had pledged to allow more trucks to enter Gaza with quicker clearances along with "assurances of no armed forces or shootings near convoys". "Together, we hope these measures will allow for a surge in urgently needed food assistance to reach hungry people without further delays," it said. 'Dystopian landscape' UN rights chief Volker Turk said Israel, as the occupying power in Gaza, was obliged to ensure sufficient food was provided to the population. "Children are starving and dying in front of our eyes. Gaza is a dystopian landscape of deadly attacks and total destruction," he said in a statement. He criticised a U.S. and Israel-backed outfit, called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), that in late May began distributing foodstuffs when UN-organised efforts were blocked. Mr. Turk said the GHF's "chaotic, militarised distribution sites were "failing utterly to deliver humanitarian aid at the scope and scale needed". His office says Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians trying to get food aid in Gaza since the GHF started operations -- nearly three-quarters of them in the vicinity of GHF sites. 'Starvation crisis' "The starvation of people in Gaza must end now," UN refugees chief Filippo Grandi said on X. "Standing with UN and NGO colleagues ready to deliver desperately-needed, lifesaving aid to hundreds of thousands at risk of death." Fletcher's UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned on Friday that conditions on the ground in Gaza were "already catastrophic" and deteriorating. "The starvation crisis is deepening," it said. OCHA said UN teams were in place to ramp up deliveries into the Palestinian territory as soon as they were permitted to do so. "If Israel opens the crossings, lets fuel and equipment in, and allows humanitarian staff to operate safely, the UN will accelerate the delivery of food aid, health services, clean water and waste management, nutrition supplies, and shelter materials," it said.
News18
33 minutes ago
- News18
‘Not A US Problem': Trump Assures Help For Gaza But Wants Others To Pitch In
Last Updated: US President Donald Trump urged countries to aid Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, noting the US gave $60 million but received no thanks. US President Donald Trump on Sunday called out other countries to contribute to Gaza region, which is battling a catastrophic humanitarian situation and ongoing hostilities due to Israel-Hamas war. The US President, who is on a visit to Scotland, was sitting next to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, when he was asked for his response to the images of starving children in Gaza. Trump said that Washington has done a lot for Gaza and would send more aid but he suggested other countries also to contribute saying that it's an international problem. 'It's not a US problem, it's an international problem. If we weren't there. I think people would have starved, frankly," he told the reporters as quoted by The Hill. Trump further claimed that the US gave $60 million in aid for Gaza two weeks ago, but 'nobody even acknowledged it." 'Nobody acknowledged it, nobody talks about it, and it makes you feel a little bad when you do that, and no other countries give anything," he said. The US President further accused the Hamas militant group of stealing food that was meant for people in Gaza. 'When I see the children and when I see, especially over the last couple of weeks people are stealing the food, they're stealing the money, they're stealing the money for the food. They're stealing weapons, they're stealing everything," he added. Meanwhile, Trump emphasised that Israel would have to make a decision on next steps in Gaza, adding that he did not know what would happen after moves by Israel to pull out of ceasefire and hostage-release negotiations with the militant group. Trump underscored the importance of securing the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, saying they had suddenly 'hardened" up on the issue. 'They don't want to give them back, and so Israel is going to have to make a decision," he said as quoted by news agency Reuters. The Trump administration last week said it was leaving Gaza ceasefire talks, blaming Hamas for failing to engage in good faith. Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy for peace missions, said the administration is considering alternative plans to secure the freedom of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and the future governance of the territory. Previous talks over a ceasefire and hostage release scheme in Qatar came to a halt this week after the US and Israel withdrew their negotiating teams. Israel is facing mounting pressure from many of its allies, with aid agencies warning of mass starvation having previously criticised plans to drop supplies into Gaza by air. Trump's Plan For Gaza Earlier this year in February during Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the US, Trump had suggested that the US could 'take over" and 'own" Gaza, resettling its population in the process. He had also said that all Palestinians currently living in Gaza — around two million people — should leave and be placed in other countries in the Middle East. 'The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too. We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings," Trump had said. 'Create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area, do a real job, do something different," he had added. The proposal had drawn condemnation, including from across the Middle East, close US allies and the United Nations. Netanyahu, however, welcomed the 'revolutionary vision" for Gaza. Gaza Crisis At least 127 people in Gaza have died from malnutrition since the war began, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Israel cut off all supplies to Gaza at the start of March in an 11-week blockade. It resumed distributing aid on 27 May with the new and controversial US-Israeli backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed trying to retrieve food aid from GHF sites since it began, according to the UN. Israel claimed that the new distribution system stopped aid from reaching Hamas. The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. top videos View all At least 59,676 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. (With inputs from agencies) view comments Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: July 27, 2025, 23:14 IST News world 'Not A US Problem': Trump Assures Help For Gaza But Wants Others To Pitch In Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
33 minutes ago
- News18
Israel ‘Succumbed To Global Pressure', Says Ex-IDF Spokesperson On Gaza Ops Pause
Last Updated: The IDF announced a daily "tactical pause" in parts of Gaza for humanitarian aid amid international pressure. Military operations continue elsewhere. After the Israel Defence Force on Sunday announced a 'tactical pause" in military operations in some parts of Gaza for humanitarian purposes, former IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus believed that this move indicates Israel has succumbed to international pressure. 'It tells us that Israel has succumbed to international pressure", Sky News quoted Conricus as saying. This comes after Israel began a daily 'tactical pause" in parts of the territory to allow humanitarian aid to flow more freely, under growing international pressure and rising concerns over famine in Gaza. 'The pause will begin in the areas where the IDF (Israeli military) is not operating: Al-Mawasi, Deir el-Balah, and Gaza City, every day until further notice," the IDF said in a statement on Telegram. The Israeli military said the pause in fighting would take place from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time each day in three densely populated areas. According to the military, the goal is to 'increase the scale of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip." Israel strongly refuted claims that it is using starvation as a weapon of war, a charge levelled by some international critics as images of malnourished children in Gaza continue to circulate globally. It said the latest aid steps were made in coordination with the UN and other humanitarian agencies. The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed the pause in military operations, but emphasised that more action is needed to address Gaza's dire food crisis. With a third of the population going without food for days and approximately 500,000 people facing famine-like conditions, delivery remains a significant challenge despite having enough food stockpiled to support the entire population for nearly three months. Despite the pause, Israel's military operations continue in other areas. Palestinian health officials reported at least 27 people killed in separate Israeli strikes around the same time the pause began. The conflict began after Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel says it will only agree to a full ceasefire if Hamas surrenders, disarms, and goes into exile, terms the militant group has rejected. Ceasefire negotiations have hit a roadblock, with both Israel and the US withdrawing their negotiators last week. view comments First Published: July 27, 2025, 23:16 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
