Israeli strike on aid delivery point kills 26 in Rafah, Hamas-linked media say
An Israeli strike on an aid distribution point run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) killed at least 26 in Rafah, Palestinian and Hamas-affiliated media said on Sunday.
There was no immediate comment from Israel on the reported strike.
The GHF, also backed by Israel, recently started operating in Gaza.
While some Palestinians expressed concern over its neutrality and biometric and other checks Israel said it would employ, Israeli officials said it allowed screening of recipients to exclude anyone found to be connected with Hamas.
On May 28, Hamas accused Israel of killing at least three Palestinians and wounding 46 near one of the GHF's distribution sites, an accusation the aid group denied.
The Israeli military also said its troops fired warning shots in the area outside the compound to re-establish control, as thousands of Palestinians rushed to an aid distribution site.
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Daily Maverick
an hour ago
- Daily Maverick
EU's growing resolve: Sanctions on Israel now discussed amid mounting atrocities in Gaza
The EU is losing patience with Benjamin Netanyahu's Israel. After months of mounting atrocities in Gaza, it is finally reaching a turning point in its tolerance for the rogue Israeli state. Israel's relentless military campaign, flagrant disregard for international law, and spiralling settler violence in the West Bank have triggered a political shift in Europe. What once seemed unthinkable — European sanctions on Israel — is now being openly discussed. With the blocking of humanitarian aid and open calls for ethnic cleansing, Israel's actions have become too severe to ignore, deny or justify. In recent weeks, a cascade of unusually strong statements, diplomatic rebukes and threats of sanctions has emerged from European capitals — and the momentum is growing. On 20 May 2025, 17 of the EU's 27 foreign ministers triggered a formal review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement — citing concerns over serious human rights violations. The UK has suspended trade negotiations, while Norway's sovereign wealth fund has blacklisted two Israeli companies due to their operations in the West Bank settlements. And most crucially, last week the leaders of France, Canada and the UK jointly warned of sanctions on Israel unless humanitarian access to Gaza was urgently improved. Perhaps most symbolically, Germany — consistently Israel's most steadfast ally in Europe — has spoken out. The recently elected chancellor Friedrich Merz — a conservative politician and staunch supporter of Israel — publicly condemned Israeli actions in Gaza as unjustifiable. His statement marks an unprecedented step in post-war German foreign policy, which has long been anchored by its staatsraison, which sees Israel's existence and defence as a cornerstone of the very meaning of a German democratic state. That sanctions on Israel now would be too little, too late is hard to argue. The contrast with the swift and deeply economically damaging sanctions levied on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 is glaring. The West's selective application of international law has exposed deep-seated hypocrisy in its ongoing acquiescence of Israel that is rooted in geopolitical alliances, historical guilt and economic interests. However, failure to act now would not correct past failings on this issue but rather compound them. The United Nations and countless human rights organisations have presented recurring evidence of widespread war crimes in Gaza. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former foreign minister. At the International Court of Justice, South Africa's case of genocide against Israel is gathering momentum. Clearly, if the EU wants to preserve its credibility as a foreign actor and defender of human rights and international law, it cannot waste any more time. Furthermore, Israel's expanding settlements and open declarations of ' cleansing ' Gaza of Palestinians are not only morally indefensible — they are a security threat to Europe and other mid-sized liberal democracies by setting an existentially dangerous precedent. If Netanyahu is allowed to get away with seizing the West Bank and Gaza, why should Putin or Trump not do the same on their flanks in Europe and Canada? What Europe can — and must — do The question is what it can do. First, it is obvious that if Europe opts for sanctions it will have to do so without the US. That will mean banking and financial sanctions are likely to be ineffective, as the EU cannot control the USD international financial system run out of Wall Street. Rather, the EU should immobilise any foreign exchange reserves that reside in the EU. This would impose a huge economic cost on Israel. As Martin Sandbu has shown in the Financial Times, the Bank of Israel invests about a quarter of its relatively large stock of reserves in Europe. A freeze would make this unavailable for stabilising the Israeli economy and currency, which have already been hard hit by the costs of funding the war. In time, these could also be put towards compensation due to Palestinians and the astronomical cost of clearing and rebuilding Gaza. Second, the EU should hit Israel even harder with sanctions on trade and travel. Israel sources nearly half of its goods imports from Europe and sends more than a third of its exports to the continent. A significant share of its imports consists of fuels, which would be hard hit by restrictions on Europe's dominance of shipping-related services. According to its statistics bureau, at least a quarter of Israel's critical services trade is with Europe. Restrictions on business services and tourism would be highly disruptive, both economically and reputationally. Overcoming EU gridlock Critics of the EU would argue that discussions on sanctions towards Israel is a moot point; foreign policy, and by extension the imposition of sanctions, require EU council unanimity. There are enough stooges of Israel within the EU to sabotage any discussions, most obviously Victor Orban's Hungary. Orban has already defied international law by welcoming Netanyahu to Budapest, despite the ICC arrest warrant. This, however, is precisely why the EU must reform its decision-making processes. It cannot continue to allow its foreign policy to be hijacked by a single illiberal leader, as they have been with Hungary repeatedly holding up sanctions on Russia. Actions on Israel should serve as the catalyst for moving decision-making on foreign policy from unanimity to qualified majority voting. The EU must also be prepared for retaliation from Washington. Already the US has attacked the ICC over its case against Israeli leaders. The feelings of Donald Trump towards Europe are clear, having labelled the bloc a 'foe', its leaders as 'parasites', and the whole of the EU being 'formed to screw over America'. He recently threatened the bloc with 50% tariffs. But appeasing US hostility is not a strategy, it is surrender. Taking the lead on actions against Israel would also serve to build a coalition of the willing, to which Canada, Australia and South Africa, among others, would be able to join. For countries like South Africa, stuck between China and the 'West', there are now two Wests — the liberal one in Brussels and the illiberal one in Washington. By sanctioning Israel, Europe would send a message that no state is above the law. It would shift the dynamic of international opprobrium of Israel to materially threaten the stability and sustainability of the Israeli economic model. 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It is the EU that must pick up the mantle, and wield its influence where it counts. Then, after taking the lead, other similarly minded nations will be able to follow. DM
TimesLIVE
3 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
At least 27 Palestinians killed near Gaza aid site: UN demands investigation
At least 27 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded by Israeli fire near a food distribution site in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, health officials said, in a third day running of chaos and bloodshed to blight the aid operation. The Israeli military said its forces had opened fire on a group of people who had left designated access routes near the distribution centre in Rafah and approached their positions. 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 had received 184 casualties, adding that 19 of those were declared dead upon arrival, and eight died of their wounds shortly after. Video showed injured people, including at least one woman, being rushed to a medical centre on carts drawn by donkeys, before being transferred onto stretchers or into ambulances.
IOL News
5 hours ago
- IOL News
The world needs peace, stability and security
Mohamed Sabry Soliman allegedly used incendiary devices to torch protesters rallying in support of Israeli hostages, injuring at least eight people in the US state of Colorado Image: AFP A few weeks ago, when the world focused on South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa's visit to his counterpart, Donald Trump, in the Oval Office, two staffers from the Israeli embassy in the US lost their lives most brutally. Some happy-trigger Elias Rodriguez shot dead Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky as they were leaving the event at the Capital Jewish Museum in downtown Washington, DC. It is reported that the couple were to be engaged, tragic ending for the lovely young couple. This past Sunday, another tragic shooting targeting Jews took place in America. This time in Colorado, where a suspect made it clear that he was shooting as a sign of solidarity with the people of Gaza, the Palestinian Territories. Mohamed Sabry Soliman was charged this week with one hate crime charge by the federal prosecutors. Rodriguez was not showing any remorse from the beginning as he was being arrested by the FBI, as he kept on shouting ''Free, Free Palestine'', and he made it clear that he killed the duo as a means of advancing the struggle for the Palestinians by killing two innocent staffers. The offence constitutes a hate crime against the Jewish community and acts of terrorism. He told the authorities, 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza'. What is clear is that Rodriguez did not know whether his victims were Jews or not, but what he fully understood was that they were from a Jewish event, and that was his target. This horrific incident, which took place some 6000 miles away from the actual war zone in Gaza, sent shockwaves throughout the world, especially to the Jewish communities whose safety and security are of priority to them at the moment. The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) National Director, Wendy Kahn, stated that this attack underscored the ongoing vulnerability of Jewish communities around the world. 'Antisemitism across the world has increased, including in South Africa, where we are seeing more attacks on our community members, including physical assault. It is for this reason that the SAJBD takes seriously all acts of incitement, and we call out every politician and thought-leader that has used the tragic war between Israel and Hamas as an opportunity to demonise the Jewish community,' Kahn said. Political and thought leaders must avoid any verbal provocation or instigation of violence against the Jewish community or any other community, for that matter. We have seen some incidents where prominent politicians would instigate violence against the Jewish community for example, more recently on May 14, 2025, the Economic Freedom FIghter (EFF) member of parliament, Nazier Paulsen, posten on X (formerly Twitter), 'Shoot the Zionists!'. Again on the same day, May 14, 2025, the City of Joburg MMC for community development, a councillor from the Pan Africanist Congress, Tebogo Nkokou, threatened during the heated council meeting to wear a Hitler T-shirt in protest against the pro-Israel DA councillor. For those who understand the world history, Adolf Hitler became the German chancellor in 1933 and started to enact laws targeting Jews (stripping them off their properties) and eliminating them in what would be known today as Holocaust where a total of more than 6 million people were killed, mostly Jews and other minority groups. All countries should be careful of these kind of incidents as they may spread due to intention of others to 'globalize intifada', that is to millitarise people across the world on the notion that by hating or carrying out violence against the Jewish people it will be a symbol of support to the Palestinians and attack against Israel. The world needs peace, stability and security to address socio-economic challenges such as hunger, energy poverty, unemployment, environmental crisis, crime and corruption, HIV/AIDS and many others. It is impossible to address all these challenges when a country is in the middle of a war or conflict. Governments throughout the world should call for peace and help to restore it, and not become part of the conflict which has affected the livelihoods of the people. Kenneth Moeng Mokgatlhe Joburg
