Latest news with #HouthiRebels
The National
3 days ago
- General
- The National
Israel attacks Yemen; broadcaster Morgan speaks out on Gaza
Israel launched strikes on Yemen on Wednesday, a day after Houthi rebels fired missiles towards it. Pro-government militias have killed six people in an attack on a tribal farming community in Syria. British broadcaster Piers Morgan has called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow international journalists into Gaza, and Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam says normalisation with Israel is conditional on Palestinian statehood. On today's episode of Trending Middle East: This episode features Thomas Helm, Jerusalem Correspondent, Khaled Yacoub Oweis, Jordan Correspondent, and Foreign Editor Mohamad Ali Harisi.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
One killed, 48 wounded when crowd was fired upon at chaotic Gaza aid site, health officials say
Palestinians carry boxes containing food and humanitarian aid packages delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.-backed organization approved by Israel, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — AAt least one Palestinian was killed and 48 others wounded when a crowd was fired upon while overrunning a new aid distribution site in the Gaza Strip set up by an Israeli and U.S.-backed foundation, Gaza's Health Ministry said Wednesday. Crowds of Palestinians on Tuesday broke through fences around the distribution site where thousands had massed. An Associated Press journalist heard Israeli tank and gun fire, and saw a military helicopter firing flares. It was not yet known whether the death and injuries were caused by Israeli forces, private contractors or others. The foundation said its military contractors had not fired on the crowd but 'fell back' before resuming aid operations. Israel said its troops nearby had fired warning shots. In a separate development, Israel carried out airstrikes Wednesday on the international airport in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, destroying the last plane belonging to the country's flagship carrier. The strikes came after Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired several missiles at Israel in recent days, without causing casualties. The Israeli military said it destroyed aircraft used by the rebels. It was not immediately clear if anyone was killed or wounded in the strikes. Chaos at a new aid hub The distribution hub outside Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah was opened the day before by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has been slated by Israel to take over aid operations. The UN and other humanitarian organizations have rejected the new system, saying it won't be able to meet the needs of Gaza's 2.3 million people and allows Israel to use food to control the population. They have also warned of the risk of friction between Israeli troops and people seeking supplies. Palestinians have become desperate for food after nearly three months of Israeli border closures pushed Gaza to the brink of famine. 'What we saw yesterday is a very clear example of the dangers of distributing food under (these) circumstances,' Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN Human Rights Office for the Palestinian territories, told reporters in Geneva. He said the new system is 'exposing people to death and injury when they have faced 19 months of this brutal war.' Israel says it helped establish the new aid mechanism to prevent Hamas from siphoning off supplies, but it has provided no evidence of systematic diversion and UN agencies say they have mechanisms in place to prevent it while delivering aid to all parts of the territory. GHF says it has established four hubs, two of which have begun operating in the now mostly uninhabited southern city of Rafah. They are guarded by private security contractors and have chain-link fences channeling Palestinians into a what resemble military bases surrounded by large sand berms. Israeli forces are stationed nearby in a military zone separating Rafah from the rest of the territory. The UN and other aid groups have refused to participate in GHF's system, saying it violates humanitarian principles. They say it can be used by Israel to forcibly displace the population by requiring them to move near the few distribution hubs or else face starvation, a violation of international law. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that 'there was some loss of control momentarily' at the distribution point, adding that 'happily, we brought it under control.' He repeated that Israel plans to move Gaza's entire population to a 'sterile zone' at the southern end of the territory while troops fight Hamas elsewhere. Netanyahu has also vowed to facilitate what he refers to as the voluntary emigration of much of Gaza's population to other countries, a plan for what Palestinians and others view as forcible expulsion. Israel says it destroyed the Houthis' last plane The Israeli strikes on the main airport in Yemen destroyed the last plane belonging to the country's flagship carrier Yemenia, according to the airport. Yemenia had a total of four aircraft registered, according to the plane tracking website FlightRadar24. Israel destroyed three of the planes in a May 6 airstrike on the airport, which also riddled the runway with craters. Footage released by the airport on Wednesday showed a smoking Yemenia plane shorn in half with debris cluttering the runway. Yemenia said the plane was scheduled to fly Muslim pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. It did not say if anyone was wounded. The carrier also announced the temporary suspension of flights to and from the airport. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the strikes on Wednesday destroyed the last plane used by the Houthis. The Houthis have targeted Israel throughout the war in Gaza in solidarity with Palestinians, raising their profile at home and internationally as the last member of Iran's self-described 'Axis of Resistance' capable of launching regular attacks on Israel. The Houthi missiles have mostly been intercepted, although some have penetrated Israel's missile defense systems, causing casualties and damage. Israel has frequently struck back against the rebels in Yemen, especially around the vital Hodeida port. Netanyahu said that Israel would continue to strike as long as the Houthis continued launching missiles towards Israel. 'Whoever doesn't understand it by force — will understand it by more force,' he said. The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Hamas still holds 58 hostages, around a third of them believed to be alive. Most of the rest were released in ceasefire deals or other agreements. Israeli forces have rescued eight and recovered dozens of bodies. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It says women and children make up most of the dead but does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tally. ___ Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy And Melanie Lidman, The Associated Press Magdy reported from Cairo and Lidman from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writer Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed to this report. An earlier version of this story was corrected to remove a reference to Israeli forces firing on the crowd. It's unclear if it was Israeli forces, private contractors or others who opened fire.
Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Globe and Mail
At least one dead, 48 wounded after crowd was fired upon at Gaza aid site, health officials say
At least one Palestinian was killed and 48 others wounded when a crowd was fired upon while overrunning a new aid distribution site in the Gaza Strip set up by an Israeli and U.S.-backed foundation, Gaza's Health Ministry said Wednesday. Crowds of Palestinians on Tuesday broke through fences around the distribution site where thousands had massed. An Associated Press journalist heard Israeli tank and gunfire, and saw a military helicopter firing flares. It was not yet known whether the death and injuries were caused by Israeli forces, private contractors or others. The foundation said its military contractors had not fired on the crowd but 'fell back' before resuming aid operations. Israel said its troops nearby had fired warning shots. In a separate development, Israel carried out air strikes Wednesday on the international airport in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, destroying the last plane belonging to the country's flagship carrier. The strikes came after Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired several missiles at Israel in recent days, without causing casualties. The Israeli military said it destroyed aircraft used by the rebels. It was not immediately clear if anyone was killed or wounded in the strikes. The distribution hub outside Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah was opened the day before by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has been slated by Israel to take over aid operations. 'We're dying of hunger': Family forced to search through garbage for food as Gaza faces famine The UN and other humanitarian organizations have rejected the new system, saying it won't be able to meet the needs of Gaza's 2.3 million people and allows Israel to use food to control the population. They have also warned of the risk of friction between Israeli troops and people seeking supplies. Palestinians have become desperate for food after nearly three months of Israeli border closures pushed Gaza to the brink of famine. 'What we saw yesterday is a very clear example of the dangers of distributing food under (these) circumstances,' Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN Human Rights Office for the Palestinian territories, told reporters in Geneva. He said the new system is 'exposing people to death and injury when they have faced 19 months of this brutal war.' Israel says it helped establish the new aid mechanism to prevent Hamas from siphoning off supplies, but it has provided no evidence of systematic diversion and UN agencies say they have mechanisms in place to prevent it while delivering aid to all parts of the territory. GHF says it has established four hubs, two of which have begun operating in the now mostly uninhabited southern city of Rafah. They are guarded by private security contractors and have chain-link fences channelling Palestinians into a what resemble military bases surrounded by large sand berms. Israeli forces are stationed nearby in what Israel refers to as the Morag corridor, a military zone separating Rafah from the rest of the territory. The UN and other humanitarian groups have refused to participate in GHF's system, saying it violates humanitarian principles. They say it can be used by Israel to forcibly displace the population by requiring them to move near the few distribution hubs or else face starvation, a violation of international law. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that 'there was some loss of control momentarily' at the distribution point, adding that 'happily, we brought it under control.' He repeated that Israel plans to move Gaza's entire population to a 'sterile zone' at the southern end of the territory while troops fight Hamas elsewhere. Netanyahu has also vowed to facilitate what he refers to as the voluntary emigration of much of Gaza's population to other countries, a plan for what Palestinians and others view as forcible expulsion. The Israeli strikes on the main airport in Yemen destroyed the last plane belonging to the country's flagship carrier Yemenia, according to the airport. Yemenia had a total of four aircraft registered, according to the plane tracking website FlightRadar24. Israel destroyed three of the planes in a May 6 air strike on the airport, which also riddled the runway with craters. Footage released by the airport on Wednesday showed a smoking Yemenia plane shorn in half with debris cluttering the runway. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the strikes on Wednesday destroyed the last plane used by the Houthis. The Houthis have targeted Israel throughout the war in Gaza in solidarity with Palestinians, raising their profile at home and internationally as the last member of Iran's self-described 'Axis of Resistance' capable of launching regular attacks on Israel. The Houthi missiles have mostly been intercepted, although some have penetrated Israel's missile defence systems, causing casualties and damage. Israel has frequently struck back against the rebels in Yemen, especially around the vital Hodeida port. Netanyahu said that Israel would continue to strike as long as the Houthis continued launching missiles towards Israel. 'Whoever doesn't understand it by force – will understand it by more force,' he said. The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Hamas still holds 58 hostages, around a third of them believed to be alive. Most of the rest were released in ceasefire deals or other agreements. Israeli forces have rescued eight and recovered dozens of bodies. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It says women and children make up most of the dead but does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tally.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Live updates: Chaos and gunfire at a new Gaza aid distribution hub leave 1 dead and 48 hurt
Gaza 's Health Ministry said on Wednesday that at least one Palestinian was killed and 48 were wounded when gunshots were fired on a crowd that overran a new aid distribution site in the war-battered enclave that was set up by an Israeli and U.S.-backed foundation. Chaos erupted as crowds of Palestinians broke through the fences around the distribution site on Tuesday. It was not immediately clear who opened fire, Israeli forces, private contractors or others. Israel has vowed to seize control of Gaza and fight until Hamas is destroyed or disarmed and exiled, and until the militant group returns the remaining 58 hostages seized in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 people in the 2023 attack. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed around 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. Here's the latest: Israel hits the airport in Yemen's capital held by Iran-backed rebels Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday's strikes destroyed the last plane used by the Houthi rebels, while the rebel-run al-Masirah TV said they had targeted a plane from the country's flagship carrier Yemenia. The strikes came after Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired several missiles at Israel in recent days, without causing casualties. The Houthis have targeted Israel throughout the war in Gaza in solidarity with Palestinians. The Houthi missiles have mostly been intercepted, although some have penetrated Israel's missile defense systems, causing casualties and damage. Israel last struck the airport in Sanaa on May 6, destroying the airport's terminal and leaving its runway riddled with craters. Some flights resumed to Sanaa on May 17. A controversial new aid distribution system The distribution hub outside Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah were chaos erupted on Tuesday was opened by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The foundation is taking over the handling of desperately needed aid under a new, U.S. and Israeli-backed system despite concerns raised about the group from the United Nations and the recent resignation of its executive director. The U.N. and other humanitarian organizations have rejected the new system, saying it won't be able to meet the needs of Gaza's 2.3 million people and allows Israel to use food as a weapon to control the population. They have also warned of the risk of friction between Israeli troops and people seeking supplies. Spokesman says the UN has nothing to do with the new aid system Stephane Dujarric says the United Nations has not nothing to do with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's aid distribution because its plan does not comply with U,N. humanitarian principles of neutrality, independence and impartiality in delivering aid — which apply from Gaza to Sudan to Myanmar and dozens of other countries. Dujarric said on Tuesday that it is 'an arduous process' to coordinate with Israeli authorities to get U.N. trucks to the loading area to pick up aid, and to determine if roads for the trucks to traverse are safe. 'We're still trying — desperately trying — to deliver aid based on our system that has worked … and it's very challenging,' he said
Associated Press
3 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Live updates: Chaos and gunfire at a new Gaza aid distribution hub leave 1 dead and 48 hurt
Gaza's Health Ministry said on Wednesday that at least one Palestinian was killed and 48 were wounded when gunshots were fired on a crowd that overran a new aid distribution site in the war-battered enclave that was set up by an Israeli and U.S.-backed foundation. Chaos erupted as crowds of Palestinians broke through the fences around the distribution site on Tuesday. It was not immediately clear who opened fire, Israeli forces, private contractors or others. Israel has vowed to seize control of Gaza and fight until Hamas is destroyed or disarmed and exiled, and until the militant group returns the remaining 58 hostages seized in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 people in the 2023 attack. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed around 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. Here's the latest: Israel hits the airport in Yemen's capital held by Iran-backed rebels Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday's strikes destroyed the last plane used by the Houthi rebels, while the rebel-run al-Masirah TV said they had targeted a plane from the country's flagship carrier Yemenia. The strikes came after Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired several missiles at Israel in recent days, without causing casualties. The Houthis have targeted Israel throughout the war in Gaza in solidarity with Palestinians. The Houthi missiles have mostly been intercepted, although some have penetrated Israel's missile defense systems, causing casualties and damage. Israel last struck the airport in Sanaa on May 6, destroying the airport's terminal and leaving its runway riddled with craters. Some flights resumed to Sanaa on May 17. A controversial new aid distribution system The distribution hub outside Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah were chaos erupted on Tuesday was opened by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The foundation is taking over the handling of desperately needed aid under a new, U.S. and Israeli-backed system despite concerns raised about the group from the United Nations and the recent resignation of its executive director. The U.N. and other humanitarian organizations have rejected the new system, saying it won't be able to meet the needs of Gaza's 2.3 million people and allows Israel to use food as a weapon to control the population. They have also warned of the risk of friction between Israeli troops and people seeking supplies. Spokesman says the UN has nothing to do with the new aid system Stephane Dujarric says the United Nations has not nothing to do with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's aid distribution because its plan does not comply with U,N. humanitarian principles of neutrality, independence and impartiality in delivering aid — which apply from Gaza to Sudan to Myanmar and dozens of other countries. Dujarric said on Tuesday that it is 'an arduous process' to coordinate with Israeli authorities to get U.N. trucks to the loading area to pick up aid, and to determine if roads for the trucks to traverse are safe. 'We're still trying — desperately trying — to deliver aid based on our system that has worked … and it's very challenging,' he said
