Latest news with #Gazans
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why are Gazans not getting sorely needed aid?
Gazans are in desperate need of essentials after more than 21 months of war, but efforts to get aid into the Palestinian territory -- and to its hungry residents -- face major obstacles. UN agencies and aid organisations cite Israeli restrictions, safety issues and the establishment of a US- and Israeli-backed mechanism that has sidelined the humanitarian system in place. Israel says international organisations have failed, and that the previous UN-led system had allowed Hamas militants to loot aid trucks. On the ground, meanwhile, more than 100 aid and human rights groups warned this week that "mass starvation" was spreading. - GHF: few sites, deadly incidents - Israel's chosen aid distributor, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), began operations on May 26 after a more than two-month total aid blockade. Now the main channel for distributing food to Gaza's more than two million people, GHF has faced chaos and deadly violence at its few distribution points. The United Nations and aid groups have refused to work with GHF, saying it was created to serve Israeli military interests. "They are not a humanitarian organisation... You don't deliver humanitarian aid in areas that have been completely flattened and militarised," said Arwa Damon, founder of INARA, a US-based NGO offering medical and mental health support to children. She noted the GHF's site locations -- along two military corridors in southern and central Gaza -- rather than being spread out across the territory. With only four GHG sites and huge crowds trying to reach them, there have been repeated reports of deadly fire near them. According to UN figures, Israeli forces have killed some 800 Palestinian aid-seekers near GHF sites since late May. Israel has rejected calls to restore the UN-led system, citing concerns that Hamas looted trucks and resold aid meant to be distributed free of charge. - Aid organisations sidelined - International aid groups say vast quantities of aid are stockpiled outside Gaza but require Israeli military clearance to enter. Inside Gaza, coordination with the military is also essential, as fighting and air strikes rage on. Damon accused Israel of preventing aid delivery by refusing to coordinate with NGOs to grant safe passage through combat zones. "Getting that coordination approved is incredibly challenging," she told AFP. "Not to mention Israel's lack of willingness to provide humanitarian organisations with a safe route to be able to ensure a secure pickup." The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said on Wednesday it had "thousands of trucks in neighbouring countries waiting to enter Gaza –- banned by Israeli authorities from entering since March". - 'Encountered death' for flour - Israel screens all goods entering Gaza, but COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body overseeing civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, denies limiting the number of humanitarian trucks. On Thursday it said "around 70 food trucks were unloaded at aid crossings, and over 150 were collected by the UN and international organisations from the Gazan side". But more than 800 trucks remained uncollected, and Israel's military posted footage online of hundreds of trucks loaded with food aid "sitting idle inside Gaza". UN agencies and international NGOs reject Israeli claims that they lack the capacity to distribute food. They note that aid was distributed effectively in the past, including during the last ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war that ended in March. In Khan Yunis, in Gaza's south, resident Yousef Abu Shehla said this week he had "encountered death" to get his hands on a bag of flour for his family. "We shall feed our children even if we die," he told AFP. glp/phz/acc/ami/dv Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why are Gazans not getting sorely needed aid?
Gazans are in desperate need of essentials after more than 21 months of war, but efforts to get aid into the Palestinian territory -- and to its hungry residents -- face major obstacles. UN agencies and aid organisations cite Israeli restrictions, safety issues and the establishment of a US- and Israeli-backed mechanism that has sidelined the humanitarian system in place. Israel says international organisations have failed, and that the previous UN-led system had allowed Hamas militants to loot aid trucks. On the ground, meanwhile, more than 100 aid and human rights groups warned this week that "mass starvation" was spreading. - GHF: few sites, deadly incidents - Israel's chosen aid distributor, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), began operations on May 26 after a more than two-month total aid blockade. Now the main channel for distributing food to Gaza's more than two million people, GHF has faced chaos and deadly violence at its few distribution points. The United Nations and aid groups have refused to work with GHF, saying it was created to serve Israeli military interests. "They are not a humanitarian organisation... You don't deliver humanitarian aid in areas that have been completely flattened and militarised," said Arwa Damon, founder of INARA, a US-based NGO offering medical and mental health support to children. She noted the GHF's site locations -- along two military corridors in southern and central Gaza -- rather than being spread out across the territory. With only four GHG sites and huge crowds trying to reach them, there have been repeated reports of deadly fire near them. According to UN figures, Israeli forces have killed some 800 Palestinian aid-seekers near GHF sites since late May. Israel has rejected calls to restore the UN-led system, citing concerns that Hamas looted trucks and resold aid meant to be distributed free of charge. - Aid organisations sidelined - International aid groups say vast quantities of aid are stockpiled outside Gaza but require Israeli military clearance to enter. Inside Gaza, coordination with the military is also essential, as fighting and air strikes rage on. Damon accused Israel of preventing aid delivery by refusing to coordinate with NGOs to grant safe passage through combat zones. "Getting that coordination approved is incredibly challenging," she told AFP. "Not to mention Israel's lack of willingness to provide humanitarian organisations with a safe route to be able to ensure a secure pickup." The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said on Wednesday it had "thousands of trucks in neighbouring countries waiting to enter Gaza –- banned by Israeli authorities from entering since March". - 'Encountered death' for flour - Israel screens all goods entering Gaza, but COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body overseeing civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, denies limiting the number of humanitarian trucks. On Thursday it said "around 70 food trucks were unloaded at aid crossings, and over 150 were collected by the UN and international organisations from the Gazan side". But more than 800 trucks remained uncollected, and Israel's military posted footage online of hundreds of trucks loaded with food aid "sitting idle inside Gaza". UN agencies and international NGOs reject Israeli claims that they lack the capacity to distribute food. They note that aid was distributed effectively in the past, including during the last ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war that ended in March. In Khan Yunis, in Gaza's south, resident Yousef Abu Shehla said this week he had "encountered death" to get his hands on a bag of flour for his family. "We shall feed our children even if we die," he told AFP. glp/phz/acc/ami/dv
LeMonde
2 hours ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
Israeli government openly aims to depopulate Gaza
Driven by hunger, thirst and fear of dying under the unpredictable fire of the Israeli army, are the inhabitants of Gaza being systematically pressured to give in to the regime and ultimately leave the enclave? While the idea of a Gaza without Palestinians has circulated among far-right circles since October 7, 2023, promoted by those who support the complete colonization of Gaza, the government had not taken concrete measures to organize the departure of the enclave's inhabitants. Now, as all conditions of life and survival for Gazans have deteriorated to an extreme degree, the possibility of depopulation has taken on a concrete framework. Defense Minister Israel Katz formalized the outlines of this plan on July 7, announcing the government's intention to create a "humanitarian city" on the ruins of Rafah in the south of the enclave. Around 600,000 people are expected to be initially concentrated in this facility, which would be set up in an area that has been almost entirely razed. Once inside, there would be only one way out: to leave Gaza for a destination abroad. The destruction of Gaza and the possibility of expelling its Palestinian residents are now advancing hand in hand. "I don't think there was, from October 7 onward, a defined strategy aimed at expelling Gaza's population," said Israeli political analyst Dahlia Scheindlin. "But the policy the government has pursued throughout the war seems inevitably to be leading to this situation. Versions of this idea have been put forward by political and military leaders, alongside [military] operations in Gaza whose goal was to make certain areas uninhabitable."
The Hill
2 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump admin considering ‘alternative plans' after Gaza ceasefire talks fall apart
The Trump administration said Thursday it was leaving Gaza ceasefire talks, blaming Hamas for failing to engage in good faith. Steve Witkoff, now named President Trump's special envoy for peace missions, said the administration is considering alternative plans to secure the freedom of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and the future governance of the territory. 'We have decided to bring our team home from Doha for consultations after the latest response from Hamas, which clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza,' Witkoff wrote in a post on the social media site X. 'We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza. It is a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way. We are resolute in seeking an end to this conflict and a permanent peace in Gaza.' The Israeli government will review military plans in the event of Hamas's refusal to accept a deal, Israel's Ambassador to the U.N. told reporters in Washington, D.C., in early July. Israeli officials have also backed Trump's call for Palestinians to leave the Gaza Strip. Trump in February called for the U.S. to take over Gaza and for Palestinians to be relocated, likely permanently. While Trump has called for rebuilding the strip, he has also shared an AI-generated video showing Gaza as a resort destination and the president sipping cocktails and lying on the beach with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 'President Trump has come up with an innovative plan for the future of Gaza,' David Mencer, spokesman in the office of the Israeli Prime Minister, said in a briefing with reporters on Wednesday. 'People that want to leave voluntarily, we make this clear, voluntarily, should be allowed to leave. There are countries which have already expressed their interest to take in Gazans so they can get away from the fighting.' The U.S. announcement likely serves as a major blow to an already horrific humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, where death due to starvation is increasing amid chaotic and dangerous efforts to distribute food and aid. The failure of the talks also throws into question the fate of 20 living hostages and the bodies of 30 others still held by Hamas. American and Israeli officials blame Hamas for stealing and profiting off aid entering the strip, after its Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack against Israel put Gaza in the crosshairs. The Israeli government said 895 soldiers have been killed over the course of the war. The fighting has claimed the lives of nearly 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Hamas, which does not distinguish between civilians and militants, and injured more than 130,000. Hamas said in a statement last week that 69 children have died from severe malnutrition. On Monday, more than 30 countries issued a joint statement calling for an immediate end to the war and the release of the hostages, and criticized Israel's aid distribution as dangerous, fueling instability and depriving Gazans of human dignity. In a briefing to the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday, U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Khaled Khiari, said the war had become 'a nightmare of historic proportions.' The Hostages Families Forum, a grassroots organization advocating for a ceasefire and hostage release, urged Thursday for Trump to push harder for a deal. 'Another missed opportunity to bring all 50 hostages back would be inexcusable. It would be yet another moral, security, and diplomatic failure in an endless chain of failures,' the group said in a statement. 'President Trump, you've already brought 39 hostages home. The window is still open – please don't let it close. Your leadership can make the difference.'
Int'l Business Times
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Why Are Gazans Not Getting Sorely Needed Aid?
Gazans are in desperate need of essentials after more than 21 months of war, but efforts to get aid into the Palestinian territory -- and to its hungry residents -- face major obstacles. UN agencies and aid organisations cite Israeli restrictions, safety issues and the establishment of a US- and Israeli-backed mechanism that has sidelined the humanitarian system in place. Israel says international organisations have failed, and that the previous UN-led system had allowed Hamas militants to loot aid trucks. On the ground, meanwhile, more than 100 aid and human rights groups warned this week that "mass starvation" was spreading. Israel's chosen aid distributor, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), began operations on May 26 after a more than two-month total aid blockade. Now the main channel for distributing food to Gaza's more than two million people, GHF has faced chaos and deadly violence at its few distribution points. The United Nations and aid groups have refused to work with GHF, saying it was created to serve Israeli military interests. "They are not a humanitarian organisation... You don't deliver humanitarian aid in areas that have been completely flattened and militarised," said Arwa Damon, founder of INARA, a US-based NGO offering medical and mental health support to children. She noted the GHF's site locations -- along two military corridors in southern and central Gaza -- rather than being spread out across the territory. With only four GHG sites and huge crowds trying to reach them, there have been repeated reports of deadly fire near them. According to UN figures, Israeli forces have killed some 800 Palestinian aid-seekers near GHF sites since late May. Israel has rejected calls to restore the UN-led system, citing concerns that Hamas looted trucks and resold aid meant to be distributed free of charge. International aid groups say vast quantities of aid are stockpiled outside Gaza but require Israeli military clearance to enter. Inside Gaza, coordination with the military is also essential, as fighting and air strikes rage on. Damon accused Israel of preventing aid delivery by refusing to coordinate with NGOs to grant safe passage through combat zones. "Getting that coordination approved is incredibly challenging," she told AFP. "Not to mention Israel's lack of willingness to provide humanitarian organisations with a safe route to be able to ensure a secure pickup." The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said on Wednesday it had "thousands of trucks in neighbouring countries waiting to enter Gaza -- banned by Israeli authorities from entering since March". Israel screens all goods entering Gaza, but COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body overseeing civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, denies limiting the number of humanitarian trucks. On Thursday it said "around 70 food trucks were unloaded at aid crossings, and over 150 were collected by the UN and international organisations from the Gazan side". But more than 800 trucks remained uncollected, and Israel's military posted footage online of hundreds of trucks loaded with food aid "sitting idle inside Gaza". UN agencies and international NGOs reject Israeli claims that they lack the capacity to distribute food. They note that aid was distributed effectively in the past, including during the last ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war that ended in March. In Khan Yunis, in Gaza's south, resident Yousef Abu Shehla said this week he had "encountered death" to get his hands on a bag of flour for his family. "We shall feed our children even if we die," he told AFP.
