Latest news with #AqsaRadio
Japan Times
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Israeli onslaught kills scores in Gaza as Trump visits Gulf
Israeli military strikes killed at least 85 people in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, Palestinian medics said, as the United States and Arab mediators pushed for a ceasefire deal and U.S. President Donald Trump visited the Middle East. Most of the victims, including women and children, were killed in Khan Younis in southern Gaza in airstrikes that hit homes and tents, they said. The dead included journalist Hassan Samour, who worked for the Hamas-run Aqsa radio station and was killed along with 11 family members when their home was hit, the medics said. The Israeli military said its air force had struck 130 targets used by militant groups in Gaza over the past two days. Israel has intensified its offensive in Gaza as it tries to eradicate Hamas in retaliation for the deadly attacks the Palestinian militant group carried out on Israel in 2023. In Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, the health ministry said an Israeli strike on Al-Tawba medical clinic killed at least 15 people and wounded several others. It took Thursday's death toll to 85, medics said. Hamas said in a statement that Israel was making a "desperate attempt to negotiate under cover of fire" as indirect ceasefire talks take place, also involving Trump envoys and Qatar and Egyptian mediators in Doha. Palestinians on Thursday commemorated the "Nakba," or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands fled or were forced to flee their towns and villages during the 1948 war that gave birth to Israel. A military convoy maneuvers inside Gaza, as seen from Israel, on Thursday | REUTERS "What we are experiencing now is even worse than the Nakba of 1948," said Ahmed Hamad, a Palestinian in Gaza City who has been displaced several times. "The truth is, we live in a constant state of violence and displacement. Wherever we go, we face attacks. Death surrounds us everywhere." Palestinian health officials say the Israeli attacks have escalated since Trump started a visit on Tuesday to the Gulf states of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which many Palestinians had hoped he would use to push for a truce. Attacks on Gaza on Wednesday killed at least 80 people, local health officials said. Little has come of the indirect ceasefire talks. Hamas says it is ready to free all the remaining hostages it is holding in Gaza in return for an end to the war, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prefers interim truces, saying the war can only end once Hamas is eradicated. Israel invaded Gaza in retaliation for the Hamas-led attack on southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken as hostages to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's campaign has killed more than 52,900 Palestinians, according to local health officials. It has left Gaza on the brink of famine, aid groups and international agencies say. A U.S.-backed humanitarian organization will start work in Gaza by the end of May under an aid distribution plan, but has asked Israel to let the United Nations and others resume deliveries to Palestinians now until it is set up. No humanitarian assistance has been delivered to Gaza since March 2, and a global hunger monitor has warned that half a million people face starvation in Gaza. Hamas said it had expected that aid would flow back into Gaza after it freed American-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander on Monday from captivity in Gaza, according to what it said was an understanding reached with U.S. officials. "Failing to achieve these steps, and specially allowing humanitarian aid for our people, will cast negative shadows over efforts to conclude prisoner swap negotiation," said Hamas.
The Independent
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Israeli strikes kill 60 in Gaza as Trump renews call for ‘freedom zone'
Israeli military strikes killed at least 60 people in Gaza on Thursday, Palestinian medics said, as Donald Trump continued his Middle East tour by repeating his promise to take over the area and 'make it a freedom zone.' Most of the victims, including women and children, were killed in Khan Younis in southern Gaza in airstrikes that hit homes and tents. The dead included local journalist Hassan Samour, who worked for the Hamas-run Aqsa radio station and was killed along with 11 family members when their home was struck, the medics said. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which has intensified its offensive in Gaza as it tries to eradicate Hamas in retaliation for the deadly attacks the Palestinian militant group carried out on Israel in 2023. With most of the 2.3 million people in Gaza internally displaced, some residents of the tiny enclave say suffering is greater now than at the time of the 1948 Nakba. 'The truth is, we live in a constant state of violence and displacement,' said Ahmed Hamad, a Palestinian in Gaza City who has been displaced multiple times. 'Wherever we go, we face attacks. Death surrounds us everywhere." Palestinian health officials say the Israeli attacks have escalated since Trump started a visit to the Gulf states of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates that many Palestinians had hoped he would use to push for a truce. Little has come of new indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas led by Trump's envoys and Qatar and Egyptian mediators in Doha. No humanitarian assistance has been delivered to Gaza since March 2, and a global hunger monitor has warned that half a million people face starvation in Gaza. In Abu Dhabi, the US president removed his shoes for a tour of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. 'It's beautiful,' Trump said. He sidestepped a reporter's question on whether Israel has been an obstacle to peace talks in Gaza. Instead, Trump said 'we're working very hard on Gaza,' which he described as 'a territory of death and destruction for many years.' He added: 'I'd be proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone, let some good things happen.' Sheikh Zayed, founder of the UAE, is buried in the mosque's main courtyard.
ABC News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Israeli military strikes in Gaza kill at least 70 people, including local journalist and his family members
Israeli military strikes in Gaza have killed at least 70 people, including a local journalist, Palestinian medics said. Hassan Samour, who worked for the Hamas-run Aqsa radio station, was killed along with his 11 family members on Thursday when their home was struck during Israel's second consecutive night of heavy bombing. The death of Mr Samour came after air strikes on Tuesday at a hospital in Khan Younis that killed a well-known Palestinian journalist, Hassan Aslih. The Hamas-run health ministry said most of the victims, including women and children, were killed in Khan Younis in southern Gaza in air strikes that hit homes and tents. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which has intensified its offensive in Gaza as it tries to eradicate Hamas in retaliation for the deadly attacks the Palestinian militant group carried out on Israel in 2023. Hamas said in a statement that Israel was making a "desperate attempt to negotiate under cover of fire" as indirect ceasefire talks take place between Israel and Hamas, involving Trump envoys and Qatar and Egyptian mediators in Doha. Israel carried out the latest strikes on the day Palestinians commemorate the "Naqba", when hundreds of thousands of people fled or were forced to flee their hometowns and villages during the 1948 Middle East war that gave birth to the state of Israel, Reuters reported. Ahmed Hamad, a Palestinian in Gaza City who has been displaced multiple times, told Reuters that what Gazans were experiencing was worse than the Nakba of 1948. "The truth is, we live in a constant state of violence and displacement. Wherever we go, we face attacks. "Death surrounds us everywhere," he said. The latest strikes follow attacks on Gaza on Wednesday that killed at least 80 people, local health officials said. In its latest statement, Hamas has lashed out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to escalate the violence against Gaza. "Netanyahu wants an endless war, he doesn't care about the fate of his prisoners, and he is the last to care about their lives and their return to their families," the Islamic militant group said. "Netanyahu, with his mentality obsessed with killing and destruction, has proven that he is not only a danger to our people, but has become a real danger to the region and the entire world." Hamas stated that the world "wants to see an eventual cessation of war". On Tuesday, Hamas released and handed over American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander to Israeli forces in effort to ensure aid is allowed into Gaza and secure a ceasefire deal. The group said the development was a result of discussions with Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye. Reuters reported that Hamas said it was ready to free all the remaining hostages it was holding in Gaza in return for an end to the war. However, Mr Netanyahu has vowed to keep fighting against Hamas until his country achieves its goals of destroying the militant group and freeing all hostages it holds. According to the Palestinian health ministry, more than 52,900 people in Gaza have been killed and 119,846 injuries since the seventh of October 2023. The UK's permanent representative to the UN, Barbara Woodward, has urged Israel to lift the blockade on aid entering Gaza. "Humanitarian aid must never be used as a political tool or a military tactic," Ms Woodward said when delivering a joint statement on behalf of Denmark, France, Greece, Slovenia, and the UK. "Blocking aid as a 'pressure lever' is unacceptable. "We have two clear messages for the Government of Israel: lift the block on aid entering Gaza now and enable the UN and all humanitarians to save lives," she said. Ms Woodward has also criticised Israel's plans to expand its military operations in Gaza, approved by the Israeli Security Cabinet last week. A US-backed humanitarian organisation is set to start work in Gaza by the end of May under an aid distribution plan and has also asked Israel to let the United Nations and others resume aid deliveries to Palestinians now until it is set up. Israel's aid blockade in Gaza has entered a third month, with food kitchens forced to close and warehouses lying empty. ABC/Reuters
Irish Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Israeli military strikes kill dozens in Gaza as Trump visits region
Israeli military strikes killed at least 60 people in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, Palestinian medics said, as the United States and Arab mediators pushed for a ceasefire deal and US president Donald Trump visited the Middle East. Most of the victims, including women and children, were killed in Khan Younis in southern Gaza in air strikes that hit homes and tents, they said. The dead included local journalist Hassan Samour, who worked for the Hamas-run Aqsa radio station and was killed along with 11 family members when their home was struck, the medics said. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which has intensified its offensive in Gaza as it tries to eradicate Hamas in retaliation for the deadly attacks the Palestinian militant group carried out on Israel in 2023. READ MORE Hamas said in a statement that Israel was making a 'desperate attempt to negotiate under cover of fire' as indirect ceasefire talks take place between Israel and Hamas, involving Trump envoys and Qatar and Egyptian mediators in Doha. Israel carried out the latest strikes on the day Palestinians commemorate the 'Nakba', or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands of people fled or were forced to flee their hometowns and villages during the 1948 Middle East war that gave birth to the state of Israel. With most of the 2.3 million people in Gaza internally displaced, some residents of the tiny enclave say suffering is greater now than at the time of the Nakba. 'What we are experiencing now is even worse than the Nakba of 1948,' said Ahmed Hamad, a Palestinian in Gaza City who has been displaced multiple times. 'The truth is, we live in a constant state of violence and displacement. Wherever we go, we face attacks. Death surrounds us everywhere.' Palestinian health officials say the Israeli attacks have escalated since Mr Trump started a visit on Tuesday to the Gulf states of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates that many Palestinians had hoped he would use to push for a truce. The latest strikes follow attacks on Gaza on Wednesday that killed at least 80 people, local health officials said. Little has come of new indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas led by Mr Trump's envoys and Qatar and Egyptian mediators in Doha. Hamas says it is ready to free all the remaining hostages it is holding in Gaza in return for an end to the war, while Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu prefers interim truces, saying the war can only end once Hamas is eradicated. 'At a time when mediators are exerting intensive efforts to put the negotiation back on the right track, the Zionist occupation [Israel] responds to those efforts by military pressure on innocent civilians,' the group said in a statement. 'Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants an open-ended war and he doesn't care about the fate of his hostages,' it said. A Palestinian official close to the talks said 'no breakthrough has been reached in the Doha talks so far because of Israel's insistence to pursue the war.' Israel invaded Gaza in retaliation for the Hamas-led attack on southern Israeli communities on October 7th, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken as hostages to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 52,900 Palestinians, according to local health officials. It has left Gaza on the brink of famine, aid groups and international agencies say. A US-backed humanitarian organisation will start work in Gaza by the end of May under an aid distribution plan, but has asked Israel to let the United Nations and others resume deliveries to Palestinians now until it is set up. No humanitarian assistance has been delivered to Gaza since March 2, and a global hunger monitor has warned that half a million people face starvation in Gaza. – Reuters
ABC News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Israeli military strikes in Gaza kill at least 60 people, including local journalist and his family members
Israeli military strikes in Gaza have killed at least 60 people, including a local journalist, Palestinian medics said. Hassan Samour, who worked for the Hamas-run Aqsa radio station, was killed along with his 11 family members on Thursday when their home was struck during Israel's second consecutive night of heavy bombing. The death of Mr Samour came after air strikes on Tuesday at a hospital in Khan Younis that killed a well-known Palestinian journalist, Hassan Aslih. The Hamas-run health ministry said most of the victims, including women and children, were killed in Khan Younis in southern Gaza in air strikes that hit homes and tents. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which has intensified its offensive in Gaza as it tries to eradicate Hamas in retaliation for the deadly attacks the Palestinian militant group carried out on Israel in 2023. Hamas said in a statement that Israel was making a "desperate attempt to negotiate under cover of fire" as indirect ceasefire talks take place between Israel and Hamas, involving Trump envoys and Qatar and Egyptian mediators in Doha. Israel carried out the latest strikes on the day Palestinians commemorate the "Naqba", when hundreds of thousands of people fled or were forced to flee their hometowns and villages during the 1948 Middle East war that gave birth to the state of Israel, Reuters reported. Ahmed Hamad, a Palestinian in Gaza City who has been displaced multiple times, told Reuters that what Gazans were experiencing was worse than the Nakba of 1948. "The truth is, we live in a constant state of violence and displacement. Wherever we go, we face attacks. "Death surrounds us everywhere," he said. The latest strikes follow attacks on Gaza on Wednesday that killed at least 80 people, local health officials said. In its latest statement, Hamas has lashed out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to escalate the violence against Gaza. "Netanyahu wants an endless war, he doesn't care about the fate of his prisoners, and he is the last to care about their lives and their return to their families," the Islamic militant said. "Netanyahu, with his mentality obsessed with killing and destruction, has proven that he is not only a danger to our people, but has become a real danger to the region and the entire world." Hamas stated that the world "wants to see an eventual cessation of war". On Tuesday, Hamas released and handed over American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander to Israeli forces in effort to ensure aid is allowed into Gaza and secure a ceasefire deal. The group said the development was a result of discussions with Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye. Reuters reported that Hamas said it was ready to free all the remaining hostages it was holding in Gaza in return for an end to the war. However, Mr Netanyahu has vowed to keep fighting against Hamas until his country achieves its goals of destroying the militant group and freeing all hostages it holds. According to the Palestinian health ministry, more than 52,900 people in Gaza have been killed and 119,846 injuries since the seventh of October 2023. The UK's permanent representative to the UN, Barbara Woodward, has urged Israel to lift the blockade on aid entering Gaza. "Humanitarian aid must never be used as a political tool or a military tactic," Ms Woodward said when delivering a joint statement on behalf of Denmark, France, Greece, Slovenia, and the UK. "Blocking aid as a 'pressure lever' is unacceptable. "We have two clear messages for the Government of Israel: lift the block on aid entering Gaza now and enable the UN and all humanitarians to save lives," she said. Ms Woodward has also criticised Israel's plans to expand its military operations in Gaza, approved by the Israeli Security Cabinet last week. A US-backed humanitarian organisation is set to start work in Gaza by the end of May under an aid distribution plan and has also asked Israel to let the United Nations and others resume aid deliveries to Palestinians now until it is set up. Israel's aid blockade in Gaza has entered a third month, with food kitchens forced to close and warehouses lying empty. ABC/Reuters
