Latest news with #BushraKhalidi
Days of Palestine
4 days ago
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Oxfam: Israel's Campaign Aims to ‘Erase Gaza' Through Mass Displacement
DaysofPal- Oxfam International has accused Israel of waging a calculated campaign to 'erase Gaza itself' by forcibly displacing Palestinians and fragmenting the territory, rather than solely targeting Hamas. The global aid organization called on world powers to take concrete action to end Israel's ongoing siege of Gaza. In a statement released by the UK-based charity, Oxfam condemned Israel's military offensive and its sweeping evacuation orders, which have pushed civilians into five overcrowded zones that now constitute less than 20 percent of Gaza's land. Rather than a military strategy focused on combatants, Oxfam argued that Israel is executing 'a deliberate campaign to dismantle and depopulate Gaza,' calling the forced displacement a war crime under international law. 'For over 600 days, Israel has been saying it's targeting Hamas, but it is civilians who have been corralled, bombed and killed en masse every day,' said Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam's policy lead in the occupied Palestinian territory. Khalidi described the mass displacement orders as part of 'a clear and calculated pattern: using the threat of violence to herd civilians into ever-shrinking zones of confinement.' The group said the areas where Palestinians are being driven are dusty, overcrowded encampments lacking protection and frequently struck by Israeli attacks. Meanwhile, Israel has expanded its military footprint through five so-called 'security corridors' that now divide Gaza into isolated sections. 'This isn't counterterrorism, as Israel alleges – it's the systematic clearing of Gaza through militarized force into enclaves of internment,' Oxfam stated. The organization urged international actors to go beyond statements of concern and apply real pressure on Israel to lift the blockade and end the displacement of Gaza's civilian population. Shortlink for this post:
ABC News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Oxfam condemns ‘trickle' of aid flowing into Gaza
The United Nations says more than 90 truck loads of humanitarian aid have been collected by UN teams inside the Gaza Strip, three days after Israel eased an 11-week-long blockade. Several bakeries began producing bread overnight after aid, including flour, baby food and medical equipment, was brought in and taken to warehouses for distribution. The UN said the delays were due to a lack of security along the single access route which the Israeli military had approved. Israel stopped all deliveries of aid and commercial supplies to Gaza in March and resumed its military offensive two weeks later, ending a two-month ceasefire with Hamas. It said the steps were meant to put pressure on the armed group to release the 58 hostages still held in Gaza, up to 23 of whom are believed to be alive. ABC NewsRadio's Sarah Morice spoke with Policy Lead in the Occupied Palestinian Territory at Oxfam, Bushra Khalidi.
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Business Standard
17-05-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
Gaza faces famine threat as Israel blocks aid, crisis grows. What to know
The crisis in Gaza has reached one of its darkest periods, as Israel blocks all food and supplies from entering the territory and continues an intensifying bombardment campaign. Humanitarian officials caution that famine threatens to engulf the strip. Doctors say they are out of medicine to treat routine conditions. Israeli leaders are threatening an even more intense ground offensive. The military is preparing for a new organization with US backing to take over aid delivery, despite alarms raised from humanitarian groups that the plans won't meet the massive need and could place restrictions on those eligible. It's unclear when operations would begin or who would fund them. This is the deadliest and most destructive phase of Israel's war on Gaza, yet the world has turned away," said Bushra Khalidi, policy lead for Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory at the humanitarian nonprofit Oxfam. "After 19 months of horror, Gaza has become a place where international law is suspended, and humanity is abandoned. Here's what to know about the state of affairs in Gaza. Casualties soar from increased Israeli bombardment Israel ended a six-week ceasefire in mid-March and resumed its attacks in Gaza, saying military pressure against Hamas was the best way to push the militant group into freeing more hostages. But ceasefire talks remain deadlocked, and scores of civilians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes. On Friday, Israeli airstrikes killed 108 raising the death toll over the past three days to more than 200 Palestinians. Those numbers come from the Palestinian Health Ministry, a body directed by the Hamas government that does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The strikes often at night, as people sleep in their tents have directly targeted hospitals, schools, medical clinics, mosques, a Thai restaurant-turned shelter. The European Hospital, the only remaining facility providing cancer treatments in Gaza, was put out of service. Israel says it targets only militants and accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields. But the death toll has reached the same level of intensity as the earliest days of the war, when Israel pounded Gaza with airstrikes in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, said Emily Tripp, executive director of Airwars, an independent group in London that tracks recent conflicts. She says preliminary data indicate the number of incidents where at least one person was killed or injured by Israeli fire hovered around 700 in April. It's a figure comparable only to October or December 2023 one of the heaviest periods of bombardment. In the last 10 days of March, UNICEF estimates that an average of 100 children were killed or maimed by Israeli airstrikes every day. Almost 3,000 of the estimated 53,000 dead since Oct. 7, 2023, have been killed since Israel broke the ceasefire on March 18, the ministry said. Among those killed in recent days: A volunteer pharmacist with the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, killed with her family in a strike on Gaza City on May 4. A midwife from Al Awda Health and Community Association, killed with her family in another strike on May 7. A journalist working for Qatari television network Al Araby TV, along with 11 members of his family. Motaz Al-Bayyok, age 1. His older brother, Yusuf, 11, screamed as a shroud was parted to expose young Motaz's face. Israeli officials threaten new ground operation Israel shows no sign of slowing its operation in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised this week to use even more force against Hamas, against the objections of families of hostages begging him to agree to a deal instead. An Israeli official said the strikes Friday were preparatory actions for a larger operation, intended 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. The war began when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in an Oct. 7, 2023, intrusion into southern Israel. Hamas still holds 58 of the roughly 250 hostages it took during its attack, with 23 believed to still be alive, although Israeli authorities have expressed concern for the status of three. No food has entered Gaza for 75 days, and Palestinians go hungry Israel has blocked food, water and supplies from reaching Gaza where the U.N. says the entire population is reliant on aid for more than two months. Most community kitchens have shut down. The main food providers inside Gaza the U.N.'s World Food Program and World Central Kitchen say they are out of food. Vegetables and meat are inaccessible or unaffordable. Palestinians queue for hours for a small scoop of rice. Food security experts said in a stark warning Monday that Gaza would likely fall into famine if Israel doesn't lift its blockade and stop its military campaign, Nearly half a million Palestinians face possible starvation living in catastrophic levels of hunger and 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises. Israel is preparing south Gaza for a new aid program Satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press show what appear to be Israeli preparations for a new aid distribution program in Gaza, one that has come under heavy criticism from aid workers. Satellite photos from May 10 show four bases in southern Gaza two that are newly built in the last month and two that have been enhanced. One, at the southwestern corner of Gaza, has been fortified with new walls. A new road connects the base to a sandy expanse of newly bulldozed land. Another base, in the center of Gaza, appears to have been fortified with new defensive sand berms. Adjacent is a newly bulldozed lot. The photos appear to correspond to a new aid distribution program being developed by a new group supported by the US The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation made up of American security contractors, former government officials, ex-military officers and humanitarian officials says it would initially set up four distribution sites, guarded by private security firms. Each would serve 300,000 people, covering only about half of Gaza's population. The GHF proposal said subcontractors will use armored vehicles to transport supplies from the Gaza border to distribution sites, where they will also provide security. It said the aim is to deter criminal gangs or militants from redirecting aid. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Winnipeg Free Press
17-05-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
The crisis in Gaza is only growing. Here's what to know
JERUSALEM (AP) — The crisis in Gaza has reached one of its darkest periods, as Israel blocks all food and supplies from entering the territory and continues an intensifying bombardment campaign. Humanitarian officials caution that famine threatens to engulf the strip. Doctors say they are out of medicine to treat routine conditions. Israeli leaders are threatening an even more intense ground offensive. The military is preparing for a new organization with U.S. backing to take over aid delivery, despite alarms raised from humanitarian groups that the plans won't meet the massive need and could place restrictions on those eligible. It's unclear when operations would begin or who would fund them. 'This is the deadliest and most destructive phase of Israel's war on Gaza, yet the world has turned away,' said Bushra Khalidi, policy lead for Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory at the humanitarian nonprofit Oxfam. 'After 19 months of horror, Gaza has become a place where international law is suspended, and humanity is abandoned.' Here's what to know about the state of affairs in Gaza. Casualties soar from increased Israeli bombardment Israel ended a six-week ceasefire in mid-March and resumed its attacks in Gaza, saying military pressure against Hamas was the best way to push the militant group into freeing more hostages. But ceasefire talks remain deadlocked, and scores of civilians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes. On Friday, Israeli airstrikes killed 108 — raising the death toll over the past three days to more than 200 Palestinians. Those numbers come from the Palestinian Health Ministry, a body directed by the Hamas government that does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The strikes — often at night, as people sleep in their tents — have directly targeted hospitals, schools, medical clinics, mosques, a Thai restaurant-turned shelter. The European Hospital, the only remaining facility providing cancer treatments in Gaza, was put out of service. Israel says it targets only militants and accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields. But the death toll has reached the same level of intensity as the earliest days of the war, when Israel pounded Gaza with airstrikes in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, said Emily Tripp, executive director of Airwars, an independent group in London that tracks recent conflicts. She says preliminary data indicate the number of incidents where at least one person was killed or injured by Israeli fire hovered around 700 in April. It's a figure comparable only to October or December 2023 — one of the heaviest periods of bombardment. In the last 10 days of March, UNICEF estimates that an average of 100 children were killed or maimed by Israeli airstrikes every day. Almost 3,000 of the estimated 53,000 dead since Oct. 7, 2023, have been killed since Israel broke the ceasefire on March 18, the ministry said. Among those killed in recent days: A volunteer pharmacist with the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, killed with her family in a strike on Gaza City on May 4. A midwife from Al Awda Health and Community Association, killed with her family in another strike on May 7. A journalist working for Qatari television network Al Araby TV, along with 11 members of his family. Motaz Al-Bayyok, age 1. His older brother, Yusuf, 11, screamed as a shroud was parted to expose young Motaz's face. Israeli officials threaten new ground operation Israel shows no sign of slowing its operation in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised this week to use even more force against Hamas, against the objections of families of hostages begging him to agree to a deal instead. An Israeli official said the strikes Friday were preparatory actions for a larger operation, intended 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. The war began when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in an Oct. 7, 2023, intrusion into southern Israel. Hamas still holds 58 of the roughly 250 hostages it took during its attack, with 23 believed to still be alive, although Israeli authorities have expressed concern for the status of three. No food has entered Gaza for 75 days, and Palestinians go hungry Israel has blocked food, water and supplies from reaching Gaza — where the U.N. says the entire population is reliant on aid — for more than two months. Most community kitchens have shut down. The main food providers inside Gaza — the U.N.'s World Food Program and World Central Kitchen — say they are out of food. Vegetables and meat are inaccessible or unaffordable. Palestinians queue for hours for a small scoop of rice. Food security experts said in a stark warning Monday that Gaza would likely fall into famine if Israel doesn't lift its blockade and stop its military campaign, Nearly half a million Palestinians face possible starvation — living in 'catastrophic' levels of hunger — and 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises. Israel is preparing south Gaza for a new aid program Satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press show what appear to be Israeli preparations for a new aid distribution program in Gaza, one that has come under heavy criticism from aid workers. Satellite photos from May 10 show four bases in southern Gaza — two that are newly built in the last month and two that have been enhanced. One, at the southwestern corner of Gaza, has been fortified with new walls. A new road connects the base to a sandy expanse of newly bulldozed land. Another base, in the center of Gaza, appears to have been fortified with new defensive sand berms. Adjacent is a newly bulldozed lot. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The photos appear to correspond to a new aid distribution program being developed by a new group supported by the U.S. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — made up of American security contractors, former government officials, ex-military officers and humanitarian officials — says it would initially set up four distribution sites, guarded by private security firms. Each would serve 300,000 people, covering only about half of Gaza's population. The GHF proposal said subcontractors will use armored vehicles to transport supplies from the Gaza border to distribution sites, where they will also provide security. It said the aim is to deter criminal gangs or militants from redirecting aid. ___ Sam Mednick contributed from Tel Aviv.
Arab News
17-05-2025
- Health
- Arab News
The crisis is Gaza is only growing. Here's what to know
JERUSALEM: The crisis in Gaza has reached one of its darkest periods, as Israel blocks all food and supplies from entering the territory and continues an intensifying bombardment campaign. Humanitarian officials caution that famine threatens to engulf the strip. Doctors say they are out of medicine to treat routine conditions. Israeli leaders are threatening an even more intense ground offensive. The military is preparing for a new organization with US backing to take over aid delivery, despite alarms raised from humanitarian groups that the plans won't meet the massive need and could place restrictions on those eligible. It's unclear when operations would begin or who would fund them. 'This is the deadliest and most destructive phase of Israel's war on Gaza, yet the world has turned away,' said Bushra Khalidi, policy lead for Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory at the humanitarian nonprofit Oxfam. 'After 19 months of horror, Gaza has become a place where international law is suspended, and humanity is abandoned.' HERE'S WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE STATE OF AFFAIRS IN GAZA Casualties soar from increased Israeli bombardment Israel ended a six-week ceasefire in mid-March and resumed its attacks in Gaza, saying military pressure against Hamas was the best way to push the militant group into freeing more hostages. But ceasefire talks remain deadlocked, and scores of civilians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes. On Friday, Israeli airstrikes killed 108 — raising the death toll over the past three days to more than 200 Palestinians. Those numbers come from the Palestinian Health Ministry, a body directed by the Hamas government that does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The strikes — often at night, as people sleep in their tents — have directly targeted hospitals, schools, medical clinics, mosques, a Thai restaurant-turned shelter. The European Hospital, the only remaining facility providing cancer treatments in Gaza, was put out of service. Israel says it targets only militants and accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields. But the death toll has reached the same level of intensity as the earliest days of the war, when Israel pounded Gaza with airstrikes in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, said Emily Tripp, executive director of Airwars, an independent group in London that tracks recent conflicts. She says preliminary data indicate the number of incidents where at least one person was killed or injured by Israeli fire hovered around 700 in April. It's a figure comparable only to October or December 2023 — one of the heaviest periods of bombardment. In the last 10 days of March, UNICEF estimates that an average of 100 children were killed or maimed by Israeli airstrikes every day. Almost 3,000 of the estimated 53,000 dead since Oct. 7, 2023, have been killed since Israel broke the ceasefire on March 18, the ministry said. Among those killed in recent days: A volunteer pharmacist with the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, killed with her family in a strike on Gaza City on May 4. A midwife from Al Awda Health and Community Association, killed with her family in another strike on May 7. A journalist working for Qatari television network Al Araby TV, along with 11 members of his family. Motaz Al-Bayyok, age 1. His older brother, Yusuf, 11, screamed as a shroud was parted to expose young Motaz's face. Israeli officials threaten new ground operation Israel shows no sign of slowing its operation in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised this week to use even more force against Hamas, against the objections of families of hostages begging him to agree to a deal instead. An Israeli official said the strikes Friday were preparatory actions for a larger operation, intended 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. The war began when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in an Oct. 7, 2023, intrusion into southern Israel. Hamas still holds 58 of the roughly 250 hostages it took during its attack, with 23 believed to still be alive, although Israeli authorities have expressed concern for the status of three. No food has entered Gaza for 75 days, and Palestinians go hungry Israel has blocked food, water and supplies from reaching Gaza — where the UN says the entire population is reliant on aid — for more than two months. Most community kitchens have shut down. The main food providers inside Gaza — the UN's World Food Program and World Central Kitchen — say they are out of food. Vegetables and meat are inaccessible or unaffordable. Palestinians queue for hours for a small scoop of rice. Food security experts said in a stark warning Monday that Gaza would likely fall into famine if Israel doesn't lift its blockade and stop its military campaign. Nearly half a million Palestinians face possible starvation — living in 'catastrophic' levels of hunger — and 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises. Israel is preparing south Gaza for a new aid program Satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press show what appear to be Israeli preparations for a new aid distribution program in Gaza, one that has come under heavy criticism from aid workers. Satellite photos from May 10 show four bases in southern Gaza — two that are newly built in the last month and two that have been enhanced. One, at the southwestern corner of Gaza, has been fortified with new walls. A new road connects the base to a sandy expanse of newly bulldozed land. Another base, in the center of Gaza, appears to have been fortified with new defensive sand berms. Adjacent is a newly bulldozed lot. The photos appear to correspond to a new aid distribution program being developed by a new group supported by the US. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — made up of American security contractors, former government officials, ex-military officers and humanitarian officials — says it would initially set up four distribution sites, guarded by private security firms. Each would serve 300,000 people, covering only about half of Gaza's population. The GHF proposal said subcontractors will use armored vehicles to transport supplies from the Gaza border to distribution sites, where they will also provide security. It said the aim is to deter criminal gangs or militants from redirecting aid.
