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Al Arabiya
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Gaza rescuers say Israeli bombardment kills 10, wounds dozens
Israel bombarded Gaza and pressed its ground operations on Thursday after issuing what it called a 'last warning' for Palestinians to return hostages and remove Hamas from power. The renewed offensive shattered a relative calm that had pervaded since a truce took hold in mid-January. Heavy airstrikes began strafing Gaza early Tuesday, killing more than 400 people, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. Gaza rescuers said at least 10 more people were killed in a pre-dawn bombing near Khan Yunis on Thursday. On Wednesday, the Israeli military announced it had resumed ground operations 'in the central and southern Gaza Strip to expand the security perimeter and create a partial buffer between the north and south.' As Israel defied calls from foreign governments to preserve the ceasefire, Gazans were left to once again comb through rubble to find the bodies of their loved ones. 'We're digging with our bare hands,' said a man trying to dislodge a child's body from a heap of concrete in Gaza City. After Israel urged civilians to leave areas it described as 'combat zones,' families with young children filled the roads leading out of northern Gaza. Fred Oola, senior medical officer at the Red Cross field hospital in Rafah, said the renewed strikes shattered the relative calm of the past two months. 'Now, we can feel the panic in the air... and we can see the pain and devastation in the faces of those we are helping,' he said. Addressing the 'residents of Gaza'—governed by Hamas since 2007—Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a video: 'This is the last warning.' 'Take the advice of the president of the United States. Return the hostages and remove Hamas, and other options will open up for you—including the possibility of leaving for other places in the world for those who want to.' He was referring to a warning earlier this month by US President Donald Trump, who said: 'To the people of Gaza: A beautiful future awaits, but not if you hold hostages. If you do, you are DEAD!' Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack, 58 are still held by Gaza militants, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead. Hamas says it is willing to negotiate and has called on the international community to act to bring the war to an end. An official from the group rejected, however, Israeli demands to renegotiate the three-stage deal agreed with Egyptian, Qatari, and US mediators. 'Hamas has not closed the door on negotiations, but we insist there is no need for new agreements,' Taher al-Nunu told AFP. Talks have stalled over how to proceed with the ceasefire after the first phase expired in early March. Israel and the United States have sought to change the terms of the deal by extending phase one. Hamas wants negotiations for phase two, meant to establish a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza while the remaining hostages are exchanged for Palestinian prisoners. 'Moving to the second phase seems to be a non-option for Israel,' said Ghassan Khatib, a political analyst and former Palestinian Authority minister. 'They don't like the second phase because it involves ending the war without necessarily achieving their objective of ending Hamas.' Israel and Washington have portrayed Hamas's rejection of a phase one extension as a refusal to release more hostages. The renewed Israeli bombardment sent a stream of new casualties to the few hospitals still functioning in Gaza. A UN Office for Project Services employee was killed and at least five other people wounded when a UN building in the central city of Deir el-Balah was hit by 'explosive ordnance,' the agency said. 'This was not an accident,' UNOPS chief Jorge Moreira da Silva said, adding that 'attacks against humanitarian premises are a breach of international law.' At least 280 UN employees have been killed since the start of the war, according to the UN chief. UK Foreign Minister David Lammy said on X he was 'appalled' by the incident, which the NGO Mines Advisory Group said injured a British aid worker. The health ministry in the Hamas-run territory blamed Israel, which denied striking the compound and later said the circumstances were being investigated. Thousands of Israeli protesters massed in Jerusalem, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of resuming strikes on Gaza without regard for the safety of the remaining hostages. 'We want him to know that the most important issue is to get the hostages back,' said 67-year-old Nehama Krysler. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Israel's raids on Gaza 'are shattering the tangible hopes of so many Israelis and Palestinians of an end to suffering on all sides.' The war began with Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in 1,218 deaths, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures. The Gaza civil defense agency's spokesman, Mahmud Bassal, said Wednesday that at least 470 people had been killed in the territory since Israel resumed large-scale airstrikes overnight from Monday to Tuesday. The agency reported 14 members of the same family killed in an Israeli strike in the north. As of Monday, before the intense strikes resumed, the overall death toll in Gaza since the start of the war stood at more than 48,570, according to the territory's health ministry.
Arab News
20-03-2025
- Health
- Arab News
Gaza rescuers say Israeli strikes kill 10, wound dozens
GAZA CITY: Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli strikes early Thursday morning killed at least 10 people, as intense military operations resume in the Palestinian territory. 'At least 10 civilians were killed and dozens more injured in Israeli air strikes that targeted six homes east of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip,' the agency's spokesman Mahmud Bassal said. Israel resumed ground operations in Gaza on Wednesday and issued what it called a 'last warning' for Palestinians to return hostages and remove Hamas from power. The operation followed Israel's most intense air strikes on Gaza since a truce took hold in January, killing more than 400 people, according to the territory's health ministry. The Israeli military said it had 'begun targeted ground operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip to expand the security perimeter and create a partial buffer between the north and south.' As Israel defied calls from foreign governments to preserve the ceasefire, Gazans were left to once again comb through rubble to find the bodies of their loved ones. 'We're digging with our bare hands,' said a man trying to dislodge a child's body from a heap of concrete in Gaza City. After Israel urged civilians to leave areas it described as 'combat zones,' families with young children filled the roads leading out of northern Gaza. Fred Oola, senior medical officer at the Red Cross field hospital in Rafah, said the renewed strikes shattered the relative calm of the past two months. 'Now, we can feel the panic in the air... and we can see the pain and devastation in the faces of those we are helping,' he said. Addressing the 'residents of Gaza' — governed by Hamas since 2007 — Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a video: 'This is the last warning.' 'Take the advice of the president of the United States. Return the hostages and remove Hamas, and other options will open up for you — including the possibility of leaving for other places in the world for those who want to.' He was referring to a warning earlier this month by US President Donald Trump, who said: 'To the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD!' Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack, 58 are still held by Gaza militants, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead. Israel rejects deal Hamas agreed bwith Egyptian, Qatari and US mediators Hamas says it is willing to negotiate and has called on the international community to act to bring the war to an end. An official from the group rejected, however, Israeli demands to renegotiate the three-stage deal agreed with Egyptian, Qatari and US mediators. 'Hamas has not closed the door on negotiations but we insist there is no need for new agreements,' Taher Al-Nunu told AFP. Talks have stalled over how to proceed with the ceasefire, after the first phase expired in early March. Israel and the United States have sought to change the terms of the deal by extending phase one. Hamas wants negotiations for phase two, meant to establish a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza while the remaining hostages are exchanged for Palestinian prisoners. 'Moving to the second phase seems to be a non-option for Israel,' said Ghassan Khatib, a political analyst and former Palestinian Authority minister. 'They don't like the second phase because it involves ending the war without necessarily achieving their objective of ending Hamas.' Israel and Washington have portrayed Hamas's rejection of a phase one extension as a refusal to release more hostages. 280 UN employees killed in Israeli strikes The renewed Israeli bombardment sent a stream of new casualties to the few hospitals still functioning in Gaza. A UN Office for Project Services employee was killed and at least five other people wounded when a UN building in the central city of Deir el-Balah was hit by 'explosive ordnance,' the agency said. 'This was not an accident,' UNOPS chief Jorge Moreira da Silva said, adding that 'attacks against humanitarian premises are a breach of international law.' At least 280 UN employees have been killed since the start of the war, according to the UN chief. UK foreign minister David Lammy said on X he was 'appalled' by the incident, which the NGO Mines Advisory Group said injured a British aid worker. The health ministry in the Hamas-run territory blamed Israel, which denied striking the compound and later said the circumstances were being investigated. Thousands of Israeli protesters massed in Jerusalem, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of resuming strikes on Gaza without regard for the safety of the remaining hostages. 'We want him to know that the most important issue is to get the hostages back,' said 67-year-old Nehama Krysler. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Israel's raids on Gaza 'are shattering the tangible hopes of so many Israelis and Palestinians of an end to suffering on all sides.' The war began with Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in 1,218 deaths, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures. The Gaza civil defense agency's spokesman Mahmud Bassal said Wednesday that at least 470 people had been killed in the territory since Israel resumed large-scale air strikes overnight from Monday to Tuesday. The agency reported 14 members of the same family killed in an Israeli strike in the north. As of Monday, before the intense strikes resumed, the overall death toll in Gaza since the start of the war stood at more than 48,570, according to the territory's health ministry.
Jordan Times
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Israel announces ground operations, issues 'last warning' to Gazans
In this photo, taken from Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip, smoke rises over destroyed buildings in northern Gaza on Wednesday (AFP photo) GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories — Israel announced renewed ground operations in Gaza on Wednesday and issued what it called a "last warning" to residents of the Palestinian territory to return hostages and remove Hamas from conducted this week the deadliest wave of air strikes since the start of a truce in January, killing hundreds of people according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza military said it had "begun targeted ground operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip to expand the security perimeter and create a partial buffer between the north and south".As Israel kept up its renewed bombardment despite a chorus of calls from foreign governments to preserve the ceasefire, long lines of fleeing civilians filled the roads of Gaza on with young children fled northern Gaza for areas further south, fearing for their lives after Israel urged civilians to leave areas it described as "combat zones".Fred Oola, senior medical officer at the Red Cross' field hospital in Rafah, said the renewed strikes had shattered the relative calm of the past two months."Now, we can feel the panic in the air... and we can see the pain and devastation in the faces of those we are helping," he said in a the "residents of Gaza" -- ruled by Hamas since 2007 -- Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said in a video statement that "this is the last warning"."Take the advice of the president of the United States. Return the hostages and remove Hamas, and other options will open up for you -- including the possibility of leaving for other places in the world for those who want to."He was referring to a warning earlier this month by US President Donald Trump, who said: "To the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD!"Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the war, 58 are still held by Gaza militants, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead. Impasse So far, Hamas has not responded militarily to the strikes, and an official from the group said it was open to talks on getting the ceasefire back on rejected, however, Israeli demands to renegotiate the three-stage deal agreed with Egyptian, Qatari and US mediators."Hamas has not closed the door on negotiations but we insist there is no need for new agreements," Taher al-Nunu told AFP, demanding Israel "begin the second phase of negotiations".Talks have stalled over how to proceed with the ceasefire, whose first phase expired in early and the United States have sought to change the terms of the deal by extending phase one -- a stance rejected by would delay the start of phase two, which was meant to establish a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza while the remaining hostages are released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners."Moving to the second phase seems to be a non-option for Israel," said Ghassan Khatib, a political analyst and former Palestinian Authority minister."They don't like the second phase because it involves ending the war without necessarily achieving their objective of ending Hamas." 'Shattering' hopes Israel and its ally the United States have portrayed Hamas's rejection of an extended phase one as a refusal to release more intense Israeli bombardment sent a stream of new casualties to the few hospitals still functioning in Gaza and triggered fears of a return to full-blown war after two months of relative calm.A UN Office for Project Services employee was killed and at least five other people were wounded when a UN building in the central city of Deir El Balah was hit, the agency health ministry in the Hamas-run territory blamed Israel, while the Israeli military denied striking the Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was "shocked" by the staff member's death and called for "a full investigation", said spokesman Farhan called the incident "part of (Israel's) systematic policy of targeting civilians and aid workers, aiming to terrorise them and prevent them from fulfilling their humanitarian duty".Thousands of Israeli protesters massed in Jerusalem, accusing Netanyahu of resuming strikes on Gaza without regard for the safety of the remaining hostages."We want him to know that the most important issue is to get the hostages back," said 67-year-old Nehama Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Israel's raids on Gaza "are shattering the tangible hopes of so many Israelis and Palestinians of an end to suffering on all sides".European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the new strikes on Gaza "unacceptable". The war began with Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in 1,218 deaths, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures.
