Latest news with #CivilDefenseAgency
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
What is an emergency alert?
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Cellphone users across the state received a test emergency alert, but the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency said that a live emergency alert went out to some users during the test, despite there not being an emergency. The test was initially sent out shortly after 11 a.m., and it appears that the test was not intended to be released to the public, but was meant for internal use. Honolulu introduces new emergency alert system This is not the first time an accidental emergency was declared, following the 2018 false ballistic missile warning. But with the prevalence of emergency alerts, it can be difficult to understand the different types of alerts and how they vary throughout the islands. According to the state, there are different regions for alerts, with each region consisting of multiple separate types of alerts. Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, Maui and Kauaʻi Counties each have their own alert system, with the state having their own system that alerts all residents. There are numerous alerts that can reach any of the islands, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's weather alerts, which is helpful especially during hurricane season. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news Alongside those alerts, the state can send out messages relation to their Earthquake Notification Service, Maile Amber Alert and more. While most county-specific alerts require a manual registration to receive them, many statewide alerts do not require registration and will automatically be sent to mobile devices in the area. For Honolulu, there are four different types of alerts that go out to mobile devices. The most broad of them is HNL Alert, which is a recently-debuted emergency system that the state describes as 'a one stop site for all city services. Where you can stay informed about traffic situations, beach/ocean alerts, weather advisories and more.' HNL Alerts can be sent to your mobile phone, as well as your email, allowing you to customize where is the best place to receive your information. The Department of Transportation also issues their own lane closure alerts for the island of Oʻahu. TheBus also sends alerts pertaining to issues regarding routes or services to those who utilize the transit service. While not necessarily an alert, the City and County of Honolulu also offers live traffic flow information with the help of traffic cameras, which can be used in tandem with traffic and emergency alerts to better plan your Hawaiʻi Island, there is a series of outdoor warning sirens, which can be found on the county's Civil Defense Agency's website. While not a mobile alert, the in-person alert can be just as helpful. Mobile emergency alerts, also through the Civil Defense Agency, can also be received to your phone or email. Those interested in staying in-the-know can sign up online for the alerts. The Hawaiʻi Police Department also issues alerts regarding public safety on their Nixle page, where residents may sign up to receive those alerts straight to their devices. Kauaʻi County has the fewest county-specific alerts, with their main form being the Kauaʻi County Alerts system which, similarly to other islands, can go to your mobile device or email. To sign up up for alerts, fill out the online opt-in form. For Maui County, residents can sign up for the main alert system for messages directly to them. For registration instructions, visit the sign-up website. For the complete list of state and county-wide alerts, visit the State of Hawaiʻi's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
More than 19,000 Palestinians displaced amid Israel's 'Gideon's Chariots' operation
May 16 (UPI) -- Officials with the United Nations said Friday that more than 19,000 Palestinians had been displaced amid Israel's latest war offensive to seize increased control of Gaza, as human rights groups alleged that Israel is targeting civilians. The blitz by Israel caused the death toll in Gaza to top 53,000 by Friday morning, the Hamas-run Civil Defense Agency said earlier in the day. "Over 19,000 people forced to flee again since Thursday afternoon, according to the Site Management Cluster," the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration shared on social media. "Many with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Nowhere is safe in Gaza." The Israeli Defense Forces said on social media that the extensive attacks to seize control of areas in Gaza is necessary to achieve "all the goals of the war," as it moves further from the ceasefire with Hamas that was intended to move into its second phase earlier this year. The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, a human rights group, said Friday that Israel has adopted a "scorched earth policy" while "committing massacres," including "deliberate targeting of Palestinian civilians in their homes, shelters, and vital facilities." The human rights group said its field team documented the killing of more than 115 Palestinians in North Gaza alone in less than 12 hours on Friday, including civilians who were killed as they tried to seek shelter from the bombardment. "This was due to Israeli shelling that targeted at least 10 homes in Tal al-Zaatar in Jabalia and the al-Sultan neighborhood in Beit Lahia, completely destroying them over the heads of their residents," the human rights group said. "This resulted in the deaths of dozens of civilians, including children and women, in mass massacres that confirm the escalation of the systematic pattern of mass killing against Palestinian civilians in the Strip." The U.N.'s agency for Palestinian relief said last week that at least 22 displacement orders had been issued by the IDF since March 18, leaving at least 70% of Gaza under the control of the Israeli military. About 1.9 million Palestinians have been displaced amid Israel's war. The news comes as it was revealed more than 10,100 Palestinians are still detained in Israel, even with hundreds being released amid prisoner swaps with Hamas, according to the Palestinian Commission of Detainees Affairs. Those captives include 37 female prisoners and more than 400 children, as well as some 1,846 detainees from Gaza who were classified as "illegal combatants." Those numbers are mostly from the West Bank and don't fully include all people detained in Gaza. Meanwhile, Defense for Children International Palestine -- a civil rights group operating in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza -- alleged Friday that Israeli forces carried out an attack the previous day in which they used a girl as a "human shield." The organization said Israeli forces on Thursday morning had besieged a three-story residential building in the West Bank city of Tammoun. killing everyone in the building and then demolishing it over their bodies. "During the attack, Israeli special forces entered nearby houses and detained many Palestinians, including women and children, in the courtyard of a house opposite the besieged building. Israeli soldiers positioned themselves behind the group of Palestinians, firing their weapons toward the building over their heads," the rights group said. One of the people allegedly detained during the operation was an 11-year-old girl.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Palestinian death toll tops 53,000 after Israel airstrikes pummel Gaza overnight
May 16 (UPI) -- At least 50 people were killed in airstrikes overnight in Gaza after Israel stepped up its military offensive in the north, the Hamas-run Civil Defense Agency said, with the 19-month-long conflict marking another grim milepost as the number of Palestinians killed surpassed 53,000. The agency said the fatalities were in addition to more than 120 on Thursday, prompting Hamas to describe the move as "barbaric escalation" by Israel and urge the international community to hold Israel to account. Israel Defense Forces said it was conducting ongoing, intelligence-based strikes against "terror targets," hitting 150 sites in the past day, "dismantling terrorist infrastructure sites" and "eliminating terrorists" preparing to carry out attacks against its troops. Figures published on the Hamas-run Ministry of Health's Facebook account on Friday put the total number of Palestinians killed since Oct. 7, 2023, at 53,119 and the number injured at 120,214. However, Gaza's Government Media Office put the real figure of people killed at 61,700, due to the thousands of other residents who are missing -- buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings -- presumed dead. The BBC said Israel was engaged in the largest ground offensive since it resumed its military campaign in mid-March after cutting off aid to Gaza at the beginning of March and terminating a two-month-long cease-fire and hostage/prisoner release agreement with Hamas two weeks later. Following the airstrikes, the Israeli military launched a major assault early Friday on Beit Lahia in the northwest, close to the border with Israel, with ground forces and from the sea and air, according to residents. They said nearby Israeli positions rained artillery fire down on the town shortly after the attack began, which began with smoke barrages. Tanks then began advancing toward the Al-Salateen neighbourhood of Beit Lahia, encircling hundreds of displaced people sheltering in a school. The IDF also said troops had destroyed Hamas "terrorist infrastructure" in the south of Gaza, "including structures and [tunnel] shafts," killing "several terrorists who it said were planning to lay an explosive booby trap. Israel had tied its plans to U.S. President Donald Trump's four-day visit to the region, which was scheduled to end Friday, threatening to intensify its military offensive and permanently occupy Gaza if Hamas failed to sign onto a proposal for a temporary cease-fire and the return of remaining hostages by then. Speaking to reporters en route back to Washington aboard Air Force One, Trump declined to support or condemn Israel's plans. "We'll see what happens," but said the United States needed to "help out the Palestinians" because "a lot of people are starving," due to the aid blockade. "We're going to look at everything, but we want to get the hostages back, Trump said, referencing a deal for Hamas to relinquish power brokered by his special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
UPI
16-05-2025
- Politics
- UPI
Palestinian death toll tops 53,000 after Israel airstrikes pummel Gaza overnight
Beit Lahia in northern Gaza was one of a number of locations across the Palestinian enclave that came under attack from Israeli forces Friday, after a night of airstrikes that killed at least 50 people. File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo May 16 (UPI) -- At least 50 people were killed in airstrikes overnight in Gaza after Israel stepped up its military offensive in the north, the Hamas-run Civil Defense Agency said, with the 19-month-long conflict marking another grim milepost as the number of Palestinians killed surpassed 53,000. The agency said the fatalities were in addition to more than 120 on Thursday, prompting Hamas to describe the move as "barbaric escalation" by Israel and urge the international community to hold Israel to account. Israel Defense Forces said it was conducting ongoing, intelligence-based strikes against "terror targets," hitting 150 sites in the past day, "dismantling terrorist infrastructure sites" and "eliminating terrorists" preparing to carry out attacks against its troops. Figures published on the Hamas-run Ministry of Health's Facebook account on Friday put the total number of Palestinians killed since Oct. 7, 2023, at 53,119 and the number injured at 120,214. However, Gaza's Government Media Office put the real figure of people killed at 61,700, due to the thousands of other residents who are missing -- buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings -- presumed dead. The BBC said Israel was engaged in the largest ground offensive since it resumed its military campaign in mid-March after cutting off aid to Gaza at the beginning of March and terminating a two-month-long cease-fire and hostage/prisoner release agreement with Hamas two weeks later. Following the airstrikes, the Israeli military launched a major assault early Friday on Beit Lahia in the northwest, close to the border with Israel, with ground forces and from the sea and air, according to residents. They said nearby Israeli positions rained artillery fire down on the town shortly after the attack began, which began with smoke barrages. Tanks then began advancing toward the Al-Salateen neighbourhood of Beit Lahia, encircling hundreds of displaced people sheltering in a school. The IDF also said troops had destroyed Hamas "terrorist infrastructure" in the south of Gaza, "including structures and [tunnel] shafts," killing "several terrorists who it said were planning to lay an explosive booby trap. Israel had tied its plans to U.S. President Donald Trump's four-day visit to the region, which was scheduled to end Friday, threatening to intensify its military offensive and permanently occupy Gaza if Hamas failed to sign onto a proposal for a temporary cease-fire and the return of remaining hostages by then. Speaking to reporters en route back to Washington aboard Air Force One, Trump declined to support or condemn Israel's plans. "We'll see what happens," but said the United States needed to "help out the Palestinians" because "a lot of people are starving," due to the aid blockade. "We're going to look at everything, but we want to get the hostages back, Trump said, referencing a deal for Hamas to relinquish power brokered by his special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
