Latest news with #Israel
SBS Australia
15 minutes ago
- General
- SBS Australia
'Good opportunity': Opposition says Anthony Albanese should visit Israel
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is being pressured to visit Israel as Australia strengthens its language against the Middle Eastern nation for blocking aid into Gaza. Albanese was publicly invited to visit Israel by President Isaac Herzog after he criticised a blockade of food and medical supplies into Gaza. The new Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Michaelia Cash said Albanese should take up the invitation and travel as soon as possible, when there were no domestic issues like the NSW flood recovery. Australia has joined a growing chorus of nations strengthening rhetoric against Israel as the death toll in Gaza eclipses 54,000, according to the local health authority. More than two million people face starvation with a lack of basic supplies, and the strip largely reduced to rubble following the nearly 20-month-long war. Aid was stopped to pressure Hamas into releasing more hostages after a ceasefire broke down earlier this year. Albanese branded Israel's blockade as unacceptable and said its explanation for blocking aid was "completely untenable and without credibility". "Australia and Israel have always had a very strong relationship, which has deteriorated significantly under the Albanese government since Hamas's terrorist attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023," Cash told AAP. "This is a good opportunity for the prime minister to reset the relationship." Cash is set to meet Israeli ambassador Amir Maimon in the next week. Federal Labor president and former treasurer Wayne Swan said he was sure Albanese would consider Herzog's invitation. "But you know, the behaviour of Israel at the moment is pretty outrageous when it comes to the blockage of aid into Gaza," he told Nine's Today Show on Friday. "Now, of course, we've got additional settlements going into the West Bank, so the behaviour of the Israeli government is pretty provocative at the moment. "But I'm sure the prime minister will do everything he can constructively to work with all those involved for a swift end to this conflict." Canada, France and the UK have warned of "further concrete action" if Israel doesn't halt its military campaign and lift aid restrictions. A ceasefire deal brokered by the White House and signed off by Israel has renewed hope. The proposal hasn't been fully detailed publicly and has been submitted to Hamas. It comes ahead of a major international summit, which will debate Palestinian statehood in New York in June. Australia hasn't confirmed who it will send as a representative. Israel has criticised any push for Palestinian statehood as rewarding Hamas' terrorism, a point that has been reiterated by some Jewish groups in Australia as well as the Opposition.
SBS Australia
29 minutes ago
- Health
- SBS Australia
Opposition urges Albanese to take up any invitation to visit Israel
Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts . The federal opposition's newly-installed Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Michaelia Cash is urging Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to take up any invitation by the Israeli President to visit the country. Israeli President Isaac Herzog says he'd like Mr Albanese to visit, after Mr Albanese issued stronger criticism of Israel this week for some of its actions in Gaza pertaining to access for humanitarian aid. Ms Cash says Mr Albanese should visit as soon as reasonably possible, in order to try and reset the relationship between Australia and Israel. Ms Cash is due to meet the Israeli Ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, within the next week. This all comes ahead of a major summit on Palestinian statehood in New York next month, for which Australia has not yet confirmed a representative. Extensive raids have reportedly been conduced by the anti-war crimes agency probing the involvement of ex-Special Air Service soldiers in executions in Afghanistan. The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting the raids, which took place in Perth, are considered a major escalation of the Office of the Special Investigator's [[OSI]] almost five-year inquiry into civilian deaths at the hands of Australian soldiers. It's not yet clear if they are connected to the O-S-I's examination of disgraced former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler says the government has no plans to introduce a sugar tax on certain food and drink to fight obesity. The Public Health Association of Australia has this week called on the government to introduce the tax on high-sugar food and drink, citing support from a survey of 2,800 adults. The Association's President, Caroline Miller, says obesity has overtaken smoking as the number one cause of preventable disease in Australia, and this is a way to combat it, as several other countries have done. She says it's produced successful health results in the United Kingdom, since that country introduced the tax in 2018. Mr Butler has told the Seven Network he agrees that obesity is a serious problem in Australia, but that a sugar tax isn't the way to fight it. "We're focused more on educating shoppers with good front-of-pack labelling about the things they are thinking about buying at the supermarket. There is no plan in our government for a sugar tax. We're instead focusing on education, and also working with food manufacturers to reduce the amount of sugar that they put into their products." King Charles and Queen Camilla have shared a message of concern following the New South Wales Hunter and Mid North Coast floods – the worst since 1978 – which left five people dead. In a statement, the Royals said they were sending special prayers, and the deepest possible sympathy to those mourning. They also expressed admiration for the emergency services, volunteer, and disaster recovery agencies who are now charting the long road to recovery. The New South Wales government has passed legislation banning the use of privately arranged and funded electronic monitoring for people on bail. It comes amid concerns about the ability of the justice system to oversee private providers after private monitoring company BailSafe collapsed without notifying the government. The legislation allows for a three-month transition period where existing private electronic monitoring conditions will continue to apply. During this period, a magistrate or judge will be required to decide whether bail concerns can be addressed through other conditions. People will be remanded in custody if they pose what is considered to be an unacceptable risk. An Australian man has been charged with directing live streamed abuse of five children and an adult in the Philippines, where they have been removed from harm. The 68-year-old Darwin man had been arrested on 3 January when Australian Border Force officers allegedly found child abuse material on his phone. Authorities found video calls from the man to facilitators in the Philippines, telling them to live stream the sexual abuse of children as young as six. Australian investigators referred their findings to relevant authorities in the Philippines where two police operations on April 9 and 23 led to the arrest of two suspected female traffickers. Groups alleging abuse from a dissolved Catholic organisation have called on Pope Leo to make public an investigation launched into its practices. The main leaders of Sodalitium Christian Vitae – a lay group that runs schools and spiritual retirement centres in several South American countries – have been accused of committing sexual abuses against children. Those alleging abuse already have a history with Pope Leo, who while acting as priest and bishop in Peru, heard their cases and took them to Pope Francis. Francis then dissolved the organisation in January [[2025]], after a high level Vatican commission to Peru found sadistic sexual and spiritual abuses and financial mismanagement. Peruvian investigative journalist Paola Ugaz played a role in exposing the group's wrongdoing. She says Pope Leo making the investigation public would be an important step for healing. IN LANGUAGE (Spanish) TRANSLATED: "This is the request they are doing to this Peruvian Pope (Leo XIV), so that the Catholic church and the state finally take responsibility for so much pain caused for over more than 50 years." A Canadian province has declared a state of emergency due to raging wildfires. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says that 17 wildfires are currently active – with 15 communities so far evacuated. He's also warning of deteriorating weather conditions. "It is a very serious situation that we're faced with in Saskatchewan. We do need some rainfall. We need that sooner rather than later. And in light of that not being in the forecast, we most certainly are putting in place every measure possible to prepare our province, prepare our communities and prepare those that live in our northern communities that are threatened by these wildfires in the days ahead." The neighbouring province to the east, Manitoba, has also declared a state of emergency, and is urging thousands of people in the northern and eastern parts of the province to evacuate. Australian Alex de Minaur has joined calls for the men's tennis tour to be shortened after his elimination in the second round of the French Open. De Minaur has fallen from a two sets to love lead to to lose 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 to Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan. The number nine seed says, while it is not an excuse for his defeat here, many players are exhausted from the frenetic pace of the tour, and careers will be shortened as a result if something is not done. "Once you start, you don't finish until November 24th, right? So it's just never ending. That's the sheer fact of it. And the solution is you shorten it, because what's going to happen is players' careers are going to get shorter and shorter because they're just going to burn out mentally. There's just too much tennis." Earlier in the week, another of the world's best men's players, Casper Ruud of Norway, likened the men's rankings system to a rat race, saying that it made players obligated to feel like they had to play in events, even if they were injured.
Globe and Mail
35 minutes ago
- General
- Globe and Mail
Trump administration says Israel has accepted its proposal for temporary ceasefire in Gaza
The Trump administration said Thursday that Israel has accepted a new U.S. proposal for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump submitted a ceasefire proposal to Hamas that Israel had supported. She said that Hamas has not yet accepted the proposal but talks are continuing. A Hamas official told Reuters that the group 'is studying the amended Witkoff proposal with a high sense of responsibility, stemming from interest to achieve the interests of our people and ensure an end to the aggression.' The ceasefire development comes at an intense time in Gaza where people are desperate to obtain food. UN agencies have been warning that people there are at risk of famine. Last Friday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that 'Palestinians in Gaza are enduring what may be the cruellest phase of this cruel conflict.' He said that after a nearly 80-day blockade, Israel had allowed 'finally, a trickle' of aid to cross over. It wasn't enough. The World Food Program said Wednesday that 'hordes of hungry people' broke into its warehouse in central Gaza searching for food. The agency said that according to initial reports, two people died and several were injured. However, the Associated Press, citing hospital staff, reported that four people were killed. 'Humanitarian needs have spiralled out of control after 80 days of complete blockade of all food assistance and other aid into Gaza,' the WFP said in a statement. It added that it has warned of 'alarming and deteriorating conditions' in Gaza and the risks imposed by limiting humanitarian aid to hungry people who are desperate for help. The agency called for food assistance to be scaled up, saying it's the only way to reassure people 'that they will not starve.' Last week, Israel ended its blockade on humanitarian goods and allowed trucks carrying life-saving aid to enter the enclave. This week, a new controversial U.S.-backed private company called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which has the support of Israel, set up aid distribution sites in Gaza. Israel has repeatedly claimed that Hamas steals aid, something aid groups have denied. International aid organizations have condemned the new system of distributing aid in Gaza, accusing the state of politicizing the process. Jens Laerke, a spokesperson for the UN's aid co-ordination office, has said that Israel is trying to bypass its system run by 15 UN aid organizations and 200 NGOs and partners. He warned before the new aid distribution system was launched that it appeared to be 'a deliberate attempt to weaponize the aid.' He said aid should be provided based on need. Jonathan Whittall, the head of the UN aid co-ordination office for the Palestinian territories, said Wednesday that in Gaza 'people are being starved and then drip-fed in the most undignified way possible.' He said the new distribution scheme was 'engineered scarcity: four distribution hubs located in central and southern Gaza, secured by private U.S. security contractors, where those Palestinians who can reach them will receive rations.' Humanitarian aid organizations held a press conference on Parliament Hill Thursday criticizing the new aid distribution method, saying it politicizes an already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. Oxfam Canada's director of international programs, Erin Kiley, said the new mechanism gives Israel power over who receives aid, where and from whom, turning relief into a tool of coercion. 'These actions undermine international humanitarian law and set a precedent for occupying powers to dictate the terms of aid based on political agendas and military goals,' she said. The UN said this week its human-rights office received information that at least 47 people were injured Tuesday while trying to obtain aid. A spokesperson for GHF said the report of injuries is 'completely false' and that GHF 'has had no major injuries or deaths since we started operations on Tuesday.' GHF said that 'misinformation' is circulating online and sought to clarify that no shots have been fired at Palestinian crowds at their distribution sites, nor have there been casualties. The company said in a statement that it continued its operations Thursday at three distribution sites and that they have plans to build more across Gaza, including in the north. Danny Glenwright, president and chief executive officer of Save the Children Canada, said that none of the chaos unfolding in Gaza is necessary. 'This is a crisis that Israel has created because it is bypassing systems that have been in place that work for us, that have worked for us in every conflict setting, in every humanitarian setting in which we've worked for many, many decades,' he said. Mr. Glenwright said that humanitarian principles exist to ensure that those who need aid the most are able to get it, and aid must be delivered independently. Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International, said Israel is trying to alleviate the political pressure it is facing from global allies. 'They want to relieve political pressure, but they don't necessarily want to address the underlying humanitarian crisis,' he said. He said pressure from the international community needs to continue, and Israel needs to allow experienced humanitarian organizations long established in Gaza to resume their work at scale. 'This is not going to work,' he said of the new aid distribution model. 'This is not how you do famine relief. Famine relief is not about making people walk very, very long distances carrying very heavy boxes of food.' With reports from Abyssinia Abebe and Reuters
NHK
an hour ago
- General
- NHK
US Middle East envoy optimistic about new Gaza ceasefire plan
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has expressed optimism about a new US ceasefire proposal for the Gaza Strip. Multiple Israeli media report that the proposal includes the release of ten living Israeli hostages in two stages in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire. Witkoff said on Wednesday that he has some very good feelings about getting to a temporary ceasefire and a long-term resolution. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday that Israel had signed off on the proposal. She said the discussions are continuing and the US hopes that a ceasefire will take place so all of the hostages can return home. Hamas has consistently sought a permanent ceasefire. Attention is focused on whether the proposal will lead to a breakthrough in the stalled negotiations. Health authorities in Gaza said on Thursday that 67 people had been killed during the previous 24 hours. The death toll has topped 50,000 since the conflict began in October 2023. The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation expanded its aid distribution to a third site on Thursday. Officials said the group had delivered about one million meals across Gaza. The United Nations has criticized the US-led operation on humanitarian grounds as it forces residents to relocate to receive aid. UN officials are calling for the expansion of deliveries through the world body.
The National
an hour ago
- General
- The National
Can Israel be trusted to distribute aid in Gaza?
Chaotic scenes unfolded in Gaza this week as large crowds gathered at aid hubs set up by a US and Israeli-backed organisation, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. After three months of an Israeli-imposed blockade on the enclave, hungry, desperate Palestinians stood behind fences, waiting to receive their share. Reports and videos quickly emerged showing people overrunning a hub in Rafah, the southernmost part of Gaza. At least four people died on the first day and dozens were injured, mostly by Israeli gunfire. The Israeli army said it fired warning shots in the area outside the compound. Within two days, the foundation had temporarily paused its operations. The organisation has been heavily criticised by the UN and other humanitarian agencies for what they say is a weaponisation of aid that breaches their principles of neutrality and impartiality. Israel says the new mechanism will stop the looting of supplies by Hamas, but critics fear it will be used discriminately to deny aid to certain people. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at the efficacy and ethics of aid distribution by a party to the conflict and asks, what happens if this is the only option for Palestinians in Gaza? She speaks to UNRWA's external relations and communications director Tamara Alrifai, international human rights lawyer Saul Takahashi and Knesset member Ofer Cassif.
