Latest news with #BASHARTALEB
The Star
5 days ago
- Health
- The Star
30 killed, over 150 injured as Israeli forces fire on aid seekers in Southern Gaza
Smoke billows following an Israeli strike on a house west of Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on Saturday, June 1, 2025, amid the war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas militant movement. -- Photo by BASHAR TALEB / AFP ANKARA, June 1 (Bernama-Anadolu): At least 30 Palestinians were killed and more than 150 others wounded on Sunday after Israeli forces opened fire on civilians seeking aid in Al-Mawasi, west of Rafah in southern Gaza, Anadolu Ajansi reported. According to eyewitnesses, large crowds had assembled early in the morning at the aid distribution centre of the "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation'. As people approached the site, Israeli military vehicles opened fire and drones dropped explosives, resulting in mass casualties, they added. Medical sources confirmed that the bodies of at least 30 people and dozens of injured were transported to Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis and to the International Committee of the Red Cross field hospital in the city. In a preliminary report, the Gaza Health Ministry stated that a total of 179 people were brought to local hospitals, including 21 confirmed dead, five in a state of clinical death, and 30 in critical condition, after Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd gathered at an aid distribution point in the Al-Alam area of Rafah. A medical official described the situation around the distribution centre as "extremely dangerous,' noting that ambulances had difficulty reaching the wounded due to ongoing gunfire. Some victims were evacuated using carts. Simultaneously, Israeli forces also opened fire on civilians approaching another American aid centre near the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza. According to medical sources at Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat camp, at least one Palestinian was killed and 20 others were injured when Israeli forces fired on crowds near the entrance to Al-Bureij camp. The Government Media Office in Gaza said on Sunday that Israel is "using humanitarian aid systematically and maliciously as a weapon of war to blackmail starving civilians and forcibly gather them in exposed killing zones.' Sunday's deaths bring the number of Palestinians killed near aid distribution sites to 39 in less than a week, with over 220 injured during the same period, according to an Anadolu tally based on Palestinian sources. The American aid initiative, launched under the name "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation' about a week ago, has faced widespread criticism and rejection from Palestinian communities and international humanitarian organisations. Many have questioned the motives behind the project, which operates outside the UN aid framework and fails to meet international humanitarian standards. Since March 2, Israel has kept all border crossings shut, cutting off the entry of food, medicine, fuel, and other essential supplies for Gaza's 2.4 million residents. Israel has pursued a devastating offensive in Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 54,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Aid agencies have warned about the risk of famine among the enclave's more than 2 million population. -- BERNAMA-ANADOLU
Toronto Sun
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Israeli strikes kill at least 82 in Gaza as Trump wraps up Middle East visit
Published May 16, 2025 • 4 minute read Palestinians carry their belongings as they flee Gaza City on May 16, 2025. Photo by BASHAR TALEB / AFP via Getty Images DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — At least 82 people were killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza on Friday, as U.S. President Donald Trump wrapped up his regional trip. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Strikes overnight and into Friday hit across Gaza, including the outskirts of Deir al-Balah and the city of Khan Younis. At least 66 people were killed according to the Indonesian hospital, where most of the bodies were taken. A further 16 bodies were taken to Nasser hospital, said health officials. The widespread attacks across come as Trump finishes his visit to Gulf states but not Israel. There had been widespread hope that his regional trip could usher in a ceasefire deal or renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza. An Israeli blockade of the territory is now in its third month. Speaking to reporters at a business forum in Abu Dhabi on the final day of his trip, Trump said he was looking to resolve a range of global crises, including Gaza. 'We're looking at Gaza,' he said. 'And we've got to get that taken care of. A lot of people are starving. A lot of people are — there's a lot of bad things going on.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Israel said Friday it was continuing its operations against militants in Gaza and that it struck 150 targets in the past day, including anti-tank missile posts and military structures. In northern Gaza, it eliminated several militants who were operating in an observation compound, it said. The strikes lasted for hours into Friday morning and sent people fleeing from the Jabaliya refugee camp and the town of Beit Lahiya. They followed days of similar attacks that killed more than 130 people, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. After the strikes, dark smoke was seen rising over Jabaliya as people grabbed what they could of their belongings and fled on donkey carts, by car and foot. 'The army entered upon us, bombing, killing. … We got out of the house with difficulty, killing and death, we did not take anything,' said Feisal Al-Attar, who was displaced from Beit Lahiya. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Netanyahu vows to step up war Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed earlier in the week to push ahead with a promised escalation of force in Israel's war in the Gaza Strip to pursue his aim of destroying the Hamas militant group, which governs Gaza. In comments released by Netanyahu's office Tuesday, the prime minister said Israeli forces were days away from entering Gaza 'with great strength to complete the mission … It means destroying Hamas.' An Israeli official said the strikes on Friday were preparatory actions in the lead-up to a larger operation and to send a message to Hamas that it will begin soon if there isn't an agreement to release hostages. The official was not authorized to brief media and spoke on condition of anonymity. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The same official said that Cabinet members were meeting Friday to assess the negotiations in Qatar, where ceasefire talks are taking place, and to decide on next steps. Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told The Associated Press on Friday that Israel's military is intensifying its operations as it has done since Hamas stopped releasing hostages. 'Our objective is to get them home and get Hamas to relinquish power,' he said. He said Israel will continue pressuring Hamas while negotiating, saying that it's getting results. On Friday, families of the hostages said they awoke up with 'heavy hearts' to reports of increased attacks and called on Netanyahu to 'join hands' with Trump's efforts to release the hostages. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Missing this historic opportunity for a deal to bring the hostages home would be a resounding failure that will be remembered in infamy forever,' the families said in a statement released by the hostage forum, which supports them. On Friday, families of the hostages said they awoke up with 'heavy hearts' to reports of increased attacks and called on Netanyahu to 'join hands' with Trump's efforts to release the hostages. 'Missing this historic opportunity for a deal to bring the hostages home would be a resounding failure that will be remembered in infamy forever,' the families said in a statement released by the hostage forum, which supports them. The war began when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in an Oct. 7, 2023, intrusion into southern Israel. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. Almost 3,000 have been killed since Israel broke a ceasefire on March 18, the ministry said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Hamas still holds 58 of the roughly 250 hostages it took during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel, with 23 believed to still be alive, although Israeli authorities have expressed concern for the status of three of those. Gaza blockade enters third month The attacks come as Israel enters its third month of blockading Gaza, preventing food, fuel medicine and all other supplies from entering, worsening a humanitarian crisis. Israel says the blockade aims to pressure Hamas to release the hostages it still holds and that it won't allow aid S Earlier this week, a new humanitarian organization that has U.S. backing to take over aid delivery said it expects to begin operations before the end of the month — after what it describes as key agreements from Israeli officials. A statement from the group, called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, identified several U.S. military veterans, former humanitarian coordinators and security contractors that it said would lead the delivery effort. Many in the humanitarian community, including the U.N., said the system does not align with humanitarian principles and won't be able to meet the needs of Palestinians in Gaza and won't participate it.
Toronto Sun
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
54 people killed in overnight airstrikes on southern Gaza city, hospital says
Published May 15, 2025 • 4 minute read Palestinians wait for food rations outside a distribution centre in Beit Lahia in the Gaza Strip on May 15, 2025. Photo by BASHAR TALEB / AFP via Getty Images KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Multiple airstrikes hit Gaza's southern city of Khan Younis overnight into Thursday, killing more than 50 people in a second consecutive night of heavy bombing, while another airstrike in the north of the Palestinian territory left more than a dozen people dead, authorities said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The strikes come as U.S. President Donald Trump visits the Middle East, visiting Gulf states but not Israel. There had been widespread hope that Trump's regional visit could usher in a ceasefire deal or renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza. An Israeli blockade of the territory is now in its third month. An Associated Press cameraman in Khan Younis counted 10 airstrikes on the city overnight into Thursday, and saw numerous bodies taken to the morgue in the city's Nasser Hospital. It took time to identify some of the bodies due to the extent of their injuries. The hospital's morgue confirmed 54 people had been killed. The dead included a journalist working for Qatari television network Al Araby TV, the network announced on social media, saying Hasan Samour had been killed along with 11 members of his family in one of the strikes in Khan Younis. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the strikes. It was the second night of heavy bombing, after airstrikes Wednesday on northern and southern Gaza killed at least 70 people, including almost two dozen children. Another strike in Jabaliya in northern Gaza hit a complex including a mosque and a small medical clinic, killing 13 people, said the Civil Defense, a first responder agency operating under Gaza's Hamas-run government. Israel has vowed to escalate the war Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed earlier in the week to push ahead with a promised escalation of force in Israel's war in the Gaza Strip to pursue his aim of destroying the Hamas militant group, which governs Gaza. In comments released by Netanyahu's office Tuesday, the prime minister said Israeli forces were days away from entering Gaza 'with great strength to complete the mission … It means destroying Hamas.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. International rights group Human Rights Watch said Thursday that Israel's stated plan of seizing Gaza and displacing hundreds of thousands of people 'inches closer to extermination,' and called on the international community to speak out against it. RECOMMENDED VIDEO The war began when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in an Oct. 7, 2023 intrusion into southern Israel. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. Almost 3,000 have been killed since Israel broke a ceasefire on March 18, the ministry said. The Health Ministry said Thursday morning that the bodies of 82 people killed in Israeli strikes, including the 54 in Khan Younis, had been brought to hospitals in the past 24 hours. The overall Palestinian death toll rose to 53,010, with another 119,998 people wounded. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Hamas still holds 58 of the roughly 250 hostages it took during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel, with 23 believed to still be alive, although Israeli authorities have expressed concern for the status of three of those. Gaza's only hospital providing cancer treatments out of service due to Israeli strikes Gaza's Health Ministry said Thursday that Israeli strikes have rendered the European Hospital Khan Younis — the only remaining facility providing cancer treatments in Gaza — out of service due to severe damage to its infrastructure and access roads. The shutdown halts all specialized treatments, including cardiac surgeries and cancer care, the ministry added. The Israeli military conducted two airstrikes against the European Hospital Tuesday, saying it was targeting a Hamas command center beneath the facility. Six people were killed in the strike. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. European Hospital director Imad al-Hout told AP there had been 200 patients in the hospital at the time of Tuesday's strikes. They were all gradually evacuated, with the last 90 transferred to other hospitals, including Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, on Wednesday morning. Efforts were now underway to coordinate repairs to the facility, he added. Israeli blockade of aid into Gaza in its third month Israel's offensive has obliterated vast swathes of Gaza's urban landscape and displaced 90% of the population, often multiple times. It halted the entry of all aid, including food and medication, into the territory on March 2, and international food security experts have warned that Gaza will likely fall into famine if Israel doesn't lift its blockade and stop its military campaign. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Nearly half a million Palestinians are facing possible starvation while 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to findings by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises. Human Rights Watch said Israel's plan to seize Gaza and remain there, coupled with the 'systematic destruction' of civilian infrastructure and the block on all imports into the territory, were cause for signatories to the Genocide Convention to act to prevent Israel's moves. Israel vehemently denies accusations that it is committing genocide in Gaza. The group also called on Hamas to free the hostages it still holds. Toronto Maple Leafs Relationships Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Olympics
Toronto Sun
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Israeli airstrikes in Gaza kill 60 people, including 22 children, Health Ministry says
Published May 14, 2025 • 3 minute read Palestinians check the site of an Israeli strike in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on May 14, 2025. Photo by BASHAR TALEB / AFP via Getty Images DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — At least 22 children were killed early Wednesday in a punishing series of Israeli airstrikes across Gaza, according to local hospitals and health officials. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The strikes killed at least 60 people in total, Gaza's Health Ministry reported, including almost 50 people around Jabaliya in northern Gaza and 10 others in the southern city of Khan Younis. The strikes came a day after Hamas released an Israeli-American hostage in a deal brokered by the United States, and as President Donald Trump was visiting Saudi Arabia. On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there was 'no way' Israel would halt its war in Gaza, dimming hopes for a ceasefire. The Israeli military refused to comment on the strikes, but had warned residents of Jabaliya to evacuate late Tuesday night due to militant infrastructure in the area, including rocket launchers. In Jabaliya, rescue workers smashed through collapsed concrete slabs using hand tools, lit only by the light of cellphone cameras, to remove bodies of some of the children who were killed. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Israel threatens to escalate operations in Gaza In comments released by Netanyahu's office Tuesday, the prime minister said Israeli forces were just days away from a promised escalation of force and would enter Gaza 'with great strength to complete the mission. … It means destroying Hamas.' The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in a 2023 intrusion into southern Israel. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed over 52,800 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants or civilians. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Israel's offensive has obliterated vast swathes of Gaza's urban landscape and displaced 90% of the population, often multiple times. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The strikes came amid hopes that Trump's visit to the Middle East could usher in a ceasefire deal or renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza. France condemns Israeli blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza International food security experts issued a stern warning earlier this week that the Gaza Strip will likely fall into famine if Israel doesn't lift its blockade and stop its military campaign. French President Emmanuel Macron strongly denounced Netanyahu's decision to block aid from entering Gaza as 'a disgrace' that has caused a major humanitarian crisis. 'I say it forcefully, what Benjamin Netanyahu's government is doing today is unacceptable,' Macron said Tuesday evening on TF1 national television. 'There's no medicine. We can't get the wounded out. Doctors can't get in. What he's doing is a disgrace. It's a disgrace.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Macron, who visited injured Palestinians in El Arish hospital in Egypt last month, called to reopen the Gaza border to humanitarian convoys. 'Then, yes, we must fight to demilitarize Hamas, free the hostages and build a political solution,' he said. Nearly half a million Palestinians are facing possible starvation, living at 'catastrophic' levels of hunger, while 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to findings by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises. Israel has banned all food, shelter, medicine and any other goods from entering the Palestinian territory for the past 10 weeks, even as it carries out waves of airstrikes and ground operations. Gaza's population of around 2.3 million people relies almost entirely on outside aid to survive, because Israel's 19-month-old military campaign has wiped away most capacity to produce food inside the territory. Sunshine Girls NHL Columnists Sunshine Girls Editorials
Express Tribune
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Amnesty International accuses Israel of 'live-streamed genocide' in Gaza
Amnesty said 90 percent of Gaza's population was displaced © BASHAR TALEB PHOTO: AFP Listen to article Amnesty International has accused Israel of committing a 'live-streamed genocide' in Gaza, forcibly displacing nearly the entire population and engineering a humanitarian catastrophe, according to its annual human rights report released Tuesday. The watchdog's Secretary General, Agnes Callamard, stated that since October 7, 2023, the world has witnessed 'a live-streamed genocide,' claiming Israel acted with 'specific intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza.' The report cited massive civilian casualties, widespread destruction, and systemic deprivation of essential services like water, fuel, and healthcare. Amnesty said 90 percent of Gaza's population—around 1.9 million people—has been displaced, with many facing hunger, disease, and lack of medical access. The group documented what it described as war crimes by Israel, including indiscriminate attacks and targeting of civilian infrastructure. However Israel continues to reject these allegations, claiming its actions as necessary. The Gaza Health Ministry reports over 52,000 Palestinian deaths since Israel's military attacks began. On Tuesday, Gaza's civil defence reported four more deaths in an air invasion on a tent camp for displaced persons near Al-Iqleem in southern Gaza. Amid growing humanitarian concerns, a Palestinian envoy at International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearings accused Israel of using humanitarian aid as a 'weapon of war' as famine conditions spread under blockade. Israel's foreign minister has dismissed the hearings, which examine its obligations under international humanitarian law in occupied Palestinian territory. Amnesty also criticized Israeli operations in the West Bank and reiterated its classification of Israel's policies as apartheid It condemned the international community's failure to act decisively, describing global responses as 'powerless' and 'politically unwilling.' The Israeli government has yet to formally respond to Amnesty's latest report.
