Latest news with #Gisha
Khaleej Times
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Israeli soldiers describe clearance of 'kill zone' on Gaza's edge
Israeli troops flattened farmland and cleared entire residential districts in Gaza to open a "kill zone" around the enclave, according to a report on Monday that quoted soldiers testifying about the harsh methods used in the operation. The report, from the Israeli rights group Breaking the Silence, cited soldiers who served in Gaza during the creation of the buffer zone, which was extended to between 800-1,500 metres inside the enclave by December 2024 and which has since been expanded further by Israeli troops. Israel says the buffer zone encircling Gaza is needed to prevent a repeat of the October 7, 2023 attack by thousands of Hamas-led fighters and gunmen who poured across the previous 300 metre-deep buffer zone to assault a string of Israeli communities around the Gaza Strip. The attack, which killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, was one of the worst security disasters in Israel's history. "The borderline is a kill zone, a lower area, a lowland," the report quotes a captain in the Armored Corps as saying. "We have a commanding view of it, and they do too." The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. The testimony came from soldiers who were serving in Gaza at the end of 2023, soon after Israeli troops entered the enclave, until early 2024. It did not cover the most recent operations to greatly enlarge the ground held by the military. In the early expansion of the zone, soldiers said troops using bulldozers and heavy excavators along with thousands of mines and explosives destroyed around 3,500 buildings as well as agricultural and industrial areas that could have been vital in postwar reconstruction. Around 35 per cent of the farmland in Gaza, much of which is around the edges of the territory, was destroyed, according to a separate report by the Israeli rights group Gisha. "Essentially, everything gets mowed down, everything," the report quoted one reserve soldier serving in the Armored Corps as saying. "Every building and every structure." Another soldier said the area looked "like Hiroshima". Breaking the Silence, a group of former Israeli soldiers that aims to raise awareness of the experience of troops serving in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, said it had spoken to soldiers who took part in the operation to create the perimeter and quoted them without giving their names. One soldier from a combat engineering unit described the sense of shock he felt when he saw the destruction already wrought by the initial bombardment of the northern area of the Gaza Strip when his unit was first sent in to begin its clearance operation. "It was surreal, even before we destroyed the houses when we went in. It was surreal, like you were in a movie," he said. "What I saw there, as far as I can judge, was beyond what I can justify as needed," he said. "It's about proportionality." 'Just a pile of rubble' Soldiers described digging up farmland, including olive trees and fields of eggplant and cauliflower as well as destroying industrial zones including one with a large Coca Cola plant and a pharmaceutical company. One soldier described "a huge industrial area, huge factories, and after it's just a pile of rubble, piles of broken concrete". The Israeli operation has so far killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health authorities, which do not distinguish between civilians and armed fighters. The Israeli military estimates it has killed around 20,000 fighters. The bombardment has also flattened large areas of the coastal enclave, leaving hundreds of thousands of people in bomb-damaged buildings, tents or temporary shelters. The report said that many of the buildings demolished were deemed by the military to have been used by Hamas fighters, and it quoted a soldier as saying a few contained the belongings of hostages. But many others were demolished without any such connection. Palestinians were not allowed to enter the zone and were fired on if they did, but the report quoted soldiers saying the rules of engagement were loose and heavily dependent on commanders on the spot. "Company commanders make all kinds of decisions about this, so it ultimately very much depends on who they are. But there is no system of accountability in general," the captain in the Armored Corps said. It quoted another soldier saying that in general adult males seen in the buffer zone were killed but warning shots were fired in the case of women or children. "Most of the time, the people who breach the perimeter are adult men. Children or women didn't enter this area," the soldier said.
Al Arabiya
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Israeli soldiers describe clearance of ‘kill zone' on Gaza's edge
Israeli troops flattened farmland and cleared entire residential districts in Gaza to open a 'kill zone' around the enclave, according to a report on Monday that quoted soldiers testifying about the harsh methods used in the operation. The report, from the Israeli rights group Breaking the Silence, cited soldiers who served in Gaza during the creation of the buffer zone, which was extended to between 800-1,500 meters inside the enclave by December 2024 and which has since been expanded further by Israeli troops. Israel says the buffer zone encircling Gaza is needed to prevent a repeat of the October 7, 2023 attack by thousands of Hamas-led fighters and gunmen who poured across the previous 300 meter-deep buffer zone to assault a string of Israeli communities around the Gaza Strip. The attack, which killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, was one of the worst security disasters in Israel's history. 'The borderline is a kill zone, a lower area, a lowland,' the report quotes a captain in the Armored Corps as saying. 'We have a commanding view of it, and they do too.' The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. The testimony came from soldiers who were serving in Gaza at the end of 2023, soon after Israeli troops entered the enclave, until early 2024. It did not cover the most recent operations to greatly enlarge the ground held by the military. In the early expansion of the zone, soldiers said troops using bulldozers and heavy excavators along with thousands of mines and explosives destroyed around 3,500 buildings as well as agricultural and industrial areas that could have been vital in postwar reconstruction. Around 35 percent of the farmland in Gaza, much of which is around the edges of the territory, was destroyed, according to a separate report by the Israeli rights group Gisha. 'Essentially, everything gets mowed down, everything,' the report quoted one reserve soldier serving in the Armored Corps as saying. 'Every building and every structure.' Another soldier said the area looked 'like Hiroshima'. Breaking the Silence, a group of former Israeli soldiers that aims to raise awareness of the experience of troops serving in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, said it had spoken to soldiers who took part in the operation to create the perimeter and quoted them without giving their names. One soldier from a combat engineering unit described the sense of shock he felt when he saw the destruction already wrought by the initial bombardment of the northern area of the Gaza Strip when his unit was first sent in to begin its clearance operation. 'It was surreal, even before we destroyed the houses when we went in. It was surreal, like you were in a movie,' he said. 'What I saw there, as far as I can judge, was beyond what I can justify as needed,' he said. 'It's about proportionality.' 'Just a pile of rubble' Soldiers described digging up farmland, including olive trees and fields of eggplant and cauliflower as well as destroying industrial zones including one with a large Coca Cola plant and a pharmaceutical company. One soldier described 'a huge industrial area, huge factories, and after it's just a pile of rubble, piles of broken concrete.' The Israeli operation has so far killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health authorities, which do not distinguish between civilians and armed fighters. The Israeli military estimates it has killed around 20,000 fighters. The bombardment has also flattened large areas of the coastal enclave, leaving hundreds of thousands of people in bomb-damaged buildings, tents or temporary shelters. The report said that many of the buildings demolished were deemed by the military to have been used by Hamas fighters, and it quoted a soldier as saying a few contained the belongings of hostages. But many others were demolished without any such connection. Palestinians were not allowed to enter the zone and were fired on if they did, but the report quoted soldiers saying the rules of engagement were loose and heavily dependent on commanders on the spot. 'Company commanders make all kinds of decisions about this, so it ultimately very much depends on who they are. But there is no system of accountability in general,' the captain in the Armored Corps said. It quoted another soldier saying that in general adult males seen in the buffer zone were killed but warning shots were fired in the case of women or children. 'Most of the time, the people who breach the perimeter are adult men. Children or women didn't enter this area,' the soldier said.
Arab News
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan condemns Israel for cutting off Gaza's power supply, blocking aid
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday criticized Israel for cutting off Gaza's power supply and blocking aid to the densely populated area, warning the 'repressive measures' would endanger the lives of millions of Palestinians. Israeli officials confirmed on Sunday that the Jewish state had cut off electricity supply to Gaza, with its move affecting a desalination plant producing drinking water for part of the arid territory. Hamas sharply reacted to the move, calling it part of Israel's 'starvation policy.' The move came at the back of Israel's decision to suspend supplies of goods to the territory last week. Israel is pressing Hamas to accept an extension of the first phase of their ceasefire, which ended earlier this month. Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. 'We strongly condemn Israel's latest suspension of humanitarian aid, including food and medicines from entering Palestinian Territories and cutting off power supply that threatens to limit water supplies in the area,' Sharif wrote on social media platform X. 'Such repressive measures during the holy month of Ramadan are highly condemnable as they endanger the lives of millions of innocent Palestinians including women and children.' We strongly condemn Israel's latest suspension of humanitarian aid, including food and medicines from entering Palestinian Territories and cutting off power supply that threatens to limit water supplies in the area. Such repressive measures during the holy month of Ramadan are… — Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) March 11, 2025 The desalination plant affected by Israel's suspension of power supply was providing 18,000 cubic meters of water per day for central Gaza's Deir Al-Balah area, according to Gisha, an Israeli organization dedicated to protecting Palestinians' right to freedom of movement. Israel's war on Gaza, which began from Oct. 7, 2023, and lasted till the uneasy ceasefire was brokered in January 2025, caused the deaths of over 48,000 Palestinians during the 15-month period. Pakistan is among several countries who have raised concerns that the recent escalating tensions may lead to resumption of armed hostilities between Hamas and Israel. Hamas wants to start negotiations on the ceasefire's more difficult second phase, which would see the release of remaining hostages from Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and a lasting peace. Hamas is believed to have 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 others. Pakistan, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, has repeatedly called for the United Nations to ensure implementation of its resolutions affirming the two-state solution in the Middle East. It demands an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al- Sharif as its capital.
Boston Globe
09-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Israel cuts off electricity supply to Gaza, affecting a desalination plant producing drinking water
Hamas instead wants to start negotiations on the ceasefire's more difficult second phase, which would see the release of remaining hostages from Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and a lasting peace. Hamas is believed to have 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 others. The militant group — which has warned that discontinuing supplies would affect the hostages — said Sunday that it wrapped up the latest round of ceasefire talks with Egyptian mediators without changes to its position. Advertisement Israel has said it would send a delegation to Qatar on Monday in an effort to 'advance' the negotiations. Israel had warned when it stopped all supplies that water and electricity could be next. The letter from Israel's energy minister to the Israel Electric Corporation tells it to stop selling power to Gaza. The territory and its infrastructure have been largely devastated, and most facilities, including hospitals, now use generators. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassam said that Israel has 'practically' cut off electricity since the war began and called the latest decision part of Israel's 'starvation policy, in clear disregard for all international laws and norms.' The desalination plant was providing 18,000 cubic meters of water per day for central Gaza's Deir al-Balah area, according to Gisha, an Israeli organization dedicated to protecting Palestinians' right to freedom of movement. Executive director Tania Hary said that it's expected to run on generators and produce around 2,500 cubic meters per day, about the amount in an Olympic swimming pool. Israel's restrictions on fuel entering Gaza have a larger impact, Hary said, and water shortages are a looming issue, because fuel is needed for distribution trucks. Advertisement Israel has faced sharp criticism over suspending supplies. 'Any denial of the entry of the necessities of life for civilians may amount to collective punishment,' the U.N. human rights office said Friday. The International Criminal Court said there was reason to believe Israel had used 'starvation as a method of warfare' when it issued an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last year. The allegation is central to South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide. Israel has denied the accusations, saying it has allowed in enough aid and blaming shortages on what it called the United Nations' inability to distribute it. It also accused Hamas of siphoning off aid. The leader of the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, warned Friday that attacks against Israel-linked vessels off Yemen would resume within four days if aid doesn't resume to Gaza. The Houthis described their earlier attacks as solidarity with Palestinians there. The ceasefire has paused the deadliest and most destructive fighting ever between Israel and Hamas, sparked by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The first phase allowed the return of 25 living hostages and the remains of eight others in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli forces have withdrawn to buffer zones inside Gaza, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have returned to northern Gaza and hundreds of trucks of aid entered per day until Israel suspended supplies. US envoy describes talks with Hamas The White House on Wednesday made the surprise confirmation of direct U.S. talks with Hamas. On Sunday, envoy Adam Boehler told Israeli broadcaster Kan that Hamas has suggested a truce of five to 10 years while it would disarm. The militant group has previously called disarming unacceptable. Advertisement A senior Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss contacts with the U.S., said that the group had expressed its longstanding position that it would lay down its arms in return for a 'fair and just solution' that includes an independent Palestinian state. Boehler also told CNN that 'I think you could see something like a long-term truce, where we forgive prisoners, where Hamas lays down their arms, where they agree they're not part of the political party going forward. I think that's a reality. It's real close.' When asked if he would speak with the militant group again, Boehler replied, 'You never know.' He added: 'I think something could come together within weeks,' and expressed hope for a deal that would see all hostages released, not only American ones. Boehler has said four of the five American hostages in Gaza are dead, with Edan Alexander alive. Hamas on Sunday didn't mention the talks, but reiterated its support for a proposal for the establishment of an independent committee of technocrats to run Gaza until Palestinians hold presidential and legislative elections. Hamas' attack in October 2023 killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, inside Israel and took 251 people hostage. Most have been released in ceasefire agreements or other arrangements. Israel's military offensive has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't say how many of the dead were militants. With the cutoff of supplies to Gaza, Palestinians are reporting sharp price increases for dwindling items during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Advertisement 'Since the ceasefire began, the situation has improved a little. But before that, the situation was very bad,' said Fares al-Qeisi in the southern city of Khan Younis. 'I swear to God, one could not satisfy their hunger.' Magdy reported from Cairo.
