Latest news with #IslamistPalestinian
Al-Ahram Weekly
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Israel alleges Gaza rescuer spokesman linked to Hamas, claim denied - War on Gaza
Israel's army on Sunday accused the spokesman for Gaza's civil defence, a rescue group operating in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, of being a Hamas "terrorist" -- an allegation he denied. Citing documents found during its forces' Gaza offensive, the military said Mahmud Bassal was "an active terrorist" in the Islamist Palestinian militant group. It issued copies of what it said were Hamas membership lists to the media, without clarifying where or how the undated documents were obtained. The Israeli military accused Bassal of serving Hamas's objectives by spreading false and unverified information about its operations in Gaza. "This is a false accusation," Bassal told AFP. "I do not work for any military organisation," he said, adding that the agency's mission was guided by international law. The civil defence agency has operated in the Gaza Strip for decades, deploying rescuers to rush victims of Israeli air strikes to the hospital. The organisation is often cited by international media outlets. With access restricted and conditions on the ground chaotic, it remains nearly impossible to independently verify casualty figures or the circumstances of deaths reported by the agency. The army's accusation comes as it faces criticism from the civil defence, which alleges Israeli forces recently killed civilians near food distribution centres. The Israeli war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023, and has killed 54,772, the majority civilians. The UN considers these figures reliable. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Bloomberg
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Your Guide to Understanding the Roots of the Israel-Hamas War
The struggle between Arabs and Jews over ownership of the Holy Land dates back more than a century and has given rise to seven major wars. The latest broke out on Oct. 7, 2023 when the Islamist Palestinian group Hamas, which is dedicated to Israel's destruction and which the US and European Union have designated a terrorist organization, attacked southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing 1,200 people in towns, kibbutzim, army bases and a music festival in the desert. More than 53,000 people have died in Gaza since the start of Israel's military response, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza. Israeli officials have said some 20,000 of the dead were fighters. Here's your guide to understanding the conflict between the US-backed Israel and the Iran-backed Hamas. Nationalism grew among both Arabs and Jews in the Holy Land — which encompasses what today is Israel, the West Bank and Gaza — after the World War I-era collapse of the Ottoman Empire, which had ruled the territory for centuries. In 1920, the war's victors gave the UK a mandate to administer what was then called Palestine. Intercommunal fighting in the territory was exacerbated by resistance among Arabs to Jewish immigration, which rose in the 1930s; in the face of Nazi persecution, increasing numbers of Jews from abroad sought sanctuary in their ancient homeland, where Jews have lived for nearly 4,000 years. In an effort to stop Arab-Jewish violence, a British commission in 1937 proposed partitioning the territory to create a state for each group. A decade later, the United Nations endorsed a different division.
Arab News
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Israel's war on Gaza poised for dangerous new phase
Since Israel suddenly and unilaterally ended the ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza on March 18, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed there — and this tragic figure is constantly rising. Schools and medical centers have also not been spared by the bombardments and, as a consequence, the familiar scenes of displaced Palestinians, most of whom have already been displaced multiple times, have also returned. Israel's decision to go back to war, and with such intensity, raises the questions: why now and for what purpose? The answer to both has more to do with Israel's domestic politics and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's unrelenting quest for survival in power than his country's security or strategic interests. From the outset of the ceasefire deal back in January, which was largely due to the encouragement of then-US President-elect Donald Trump, there were deep concerns that the three-phase agreement would not last beyond the first phase unless the mediators continued to pressurize the two sides. In Israel's case, it was mainly Washington that could do the persuading. Despite some setbacks and hiccups during the six weeks of the first phase, both sides fulfilled their main commitments, even if they did not always act in the spirit of defusing tensions and building trust. The fighting stopped, which saved many lives, humanitarian aid was allowed into Gaza, 33 of the Israeli and foreign hostages held in Gaza returned home in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli jails, and many of the displaced in Gaza returned to what survived of their homes in the north of the Strip. On the Israeli side, there has never been a genuine yearning to end the war. In fact, the exact opposite is the case Yossi Mekelberg A successful conclusion of the first phase could not guarantee moving on to the second one, or even starting serious negotiations over it, without which the release of the remaining 59 hostages still in Gaza could not be guaranteed and the resumption of hostilities was just a matter of time. On the Israeli side, there has never been a genuine yearning to end the war. In fact, the exact opposite is the case. Its government set as its top priority the complete elimination of Hamas before it would agree to end the war. And the fact that this Islamist Palestinian movement is still playing a part in Palestinian society and politics clearly demonstrates that this aim — set by the Israeli government after the deadly attack of Oct. 7, 2023 — is unrealistic. Moreover, should the remaining hostages be released by an agreement, this would also contradict the government's claim that only military pressure could achieve such a result. Hamas might well want an end to the war, but it also knows that this would not stop Israel from going after those who were involved in the Oct. 7 attack, and this time Hamas would lack the advantage of holding hostages. There are also signs of growing anger among Palestinians who consider the group to be as responsible as Israel for the current suffering. So, this might be the moment for Palestinian society to hold it to account, as is also the case with Israeli society with regard to its own government. For a short while, the ceasefire held, despite the completion of the first phase without agreement on the second. Nevertheless, the fragility of the country's domestic politics, together with Washington's objectionable idea of emptying the Gaza Strip of its Palestinian residents, has emboldened the far right in Israel, including those in the governing coalition. They pressured Netanyahu to go back to war so they could realize their war crime fantasy of permanently occupying a Gaza without Palestinians and building Jewish settlements there. Meanwhile, Netanyahu's cynicism in abusing his position to remain in power indefinitely reaches a new low with every passing week, as does his recklessness regarding human lives, whether Palestinian or Israeli. Resuming the war has been a lifeline for the stability of Netanyahu's governing coalition. When he initially agreed to the ceasefire deal, the religious ultranationalist faction in government, led by Itamar Ben-Gvir and the Otzma Yehudit party, left the government, leaving it with a razor-thin majority in the Knesset. Meanwhile, the religious ultranationalist party of Bezalel Smotrich, Religious Zionism, put Netanyahu on notice, only agreeing to stay in government on condition that the second phase never materializes. The fragility of the country's domestic politics has emboldened the far right in Israel, including those in the governing coalition Yossi Mekelberg By resuming the bombardment of Gaza, Netanyahu was immediately rewarded by the return of Otzma Yehudit to the government, while Religious Zionism's threat was not tested. The great tragedy, of course, is that keeping Netanyahu in power and pulling all possible tricks to make a mockery of his corruption trial and of the rule of law generally resulted, in the first night of Israel's return to war, in more than 400 Palestinians killed. The numbers have kept rising since, with a reported 322 children now killed. If, by now, we are no longer shocked by Netanyahu and his coalition of right wingers' complete disregard for Palestinian lives, most Israelis cannot get their head around his utter indifference to the lives of his own people, and in this case the hostages too. Netanyahu and his political partners are insulting the intelligence of the Israeli public and everyone else by claiming that military pressure will bring back the hostages. If you want the truth, all you need to do is listen to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who stated last week that Tel Aviv was looking for a major expansion of the military operation in Gaza in order to seize large areas of land that would be 'incorporated into Israel's security zones.' In his statement, Katz said the operation would also involve a 'large-scale evacuation of Gaza's population from combat zones.' Unless there is an intervention, first and foremost by Washington, there is a real risk that the war in Gaza will enter a new phase in which Israel makes the lives of the residents there utterly impossible, believing that it can achieve the twin objectives of victory over Hamas and the expulsion of Palestinians. However, the most likely outcome of such an approach is a never-ending and costly war.
Khaleej Times
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Hamas officials reject latest Israeli proposal on Gaza truce
Hamas has rejected the latest Israeli proposal on a Gaza truce, two officials from the movement told AFP on Wednesday. "Hamas has decided not to follow up on the latest Israeli proposal presented through the mediators," said one of the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity. They accused Israel of "blocking a proposal from Egypt and Qatar and trying to derail any agreement". Confirming the Islamist Palestinian movement's refusal to negotiate based on the latest Israeli proposal, the second Hamas official called on "the mediators and the international community to force (Israel) to commit to the mediators' proposal". After two months of truce in Gaza and several weeks of unsuccessful negotiations to extend it, Israel resumed its bombings and military offensive in Gaza on March 18, claiming that military pressure was the only way to force Hamas to release the roughly 60 hostages, dead or alive, it still holds. Egypt, Qatar and the United States are attempting to broker a new ceasefire and secure the release of the remaining Israeli hostages. A senior Hamas official said on Saturday that the group had approved a new ceasefire proposal, while Netanyahu's office said Israel had submitted a counteroffer. The details remain undisclosed. According to one of the Hamas officials, the Egyptian-Qatari proposal includes a 50-day ceasefire during which Hamas would release five Israeli soldiers, including one who holds US citizenship, in exchange for the release of 250 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, including 150 serving life sentences. Israel would also release 2,000 Palestinians captured by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, the date of Hamas's deadly attack that triggered the war. The same source said the proposal accepted by Hamas on Saturday also included the withdrawal of the Israeli army from areas of Gaza where it redeployed since March 18, and the influx of humanitarian aid. The first phase of the truce, which began on January 19, led to the return of 33 Israeli hostages, eight of whom were dead, in exchange for the release of approximately 1,800 Palestinian detainees. Of the 251 hostages abducted during the October 7 attack, 58 remain in Gaza, 34 of whom are dead, according to the Israeli army.
Al Arabiya
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Hamas officials reject latest Israeli proposal on Gaza truce
Hamas has rejected the latest Israeli proposal on a Gaza truce, two officials from the movement told AFP on Wednesday. 'Hamas has decided not to follow up on the latest Israeli proposal presented through the mediators,' said one of the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity. They accused Israel of 'blocking a proposal from Egypt and Qatar and trying to derail any agreement.' Confirming the Islamist Palestinian movement's refusal to negotiate based on the latest Israeli proposal, the second Hamas official called on 'the mediators and the international community to force (Israel) to commit to the mediators' proposal.' After two months of truce in Gaza and several weeks of unsuccessful negotiations to extend it, Israel resumed its bombings and military offensive in Gaza on March 18, claiming that military pressure was the only way to force Hamas to release the roughly 60 hostages, dead or alive, it still holds. Egypt, Qatar, and the United States are attempting to broker a new ceasefire and secure the release of the remaining Israeli hostages. A senior Hamas official said on Saturday that the group had approved a new ceasefire proposal, while Netanyahu's office said Israel had submitted a counteroffer. The details remain undisclosed. According to one of the Hamas officials, the Egyptian-Qatari proposal includes a 50-day ceasefire during which Hamas would release five Israeli soldiers, including one who holds US citizenship, in exchange for the release of 250 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, including 150 serving life sentences. Israel would also release 2,000 Palestinians captured by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, the date of Hamas's deadly attack that triggered the war. The same source said the proposal accepted by Hamas on Saturday also included the withdrawal of the Israeli army from areas of Gaza where it redeployed since March 18 and the influx of humanitarian aid. The first phase of the truce, which began on January 19, led to the return of 33 Israeli hostages, eight of whom were dead, in exchange for the release of approximately 1,800 Palestinian detainees. Of the 251 hostages abducted during the October 7 attack, 58 remain in Gaza, 34 of whom are dead, according to the Israeli army.
