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UPI
19-05-2025
- Politics
- UPI
Netanyahu says latest Gaza military offensive making progress toward 'full control'
Israeli tanks and Armored Personnel Carriers massed on the border with Gaza on Sunday amid a major new military offensive to take control of the strip, defeat Hamas and recover 58 hostages, live and dead, still being held. Photo by Jim Hollander/UPI | License Photo May 19 (UPI) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that a four-day-old military ground offensive in Gaza was succeeding in bringing Israel closer to controlling the Palestinian enclave. "Intensive and large-scale military activity in Gaza" meant the Israeli military was "moving toward full control of the entire Strip," Netanyahu said as he hit back at criticism from Israel's far-right of his decision to end an 11-week aid-blockade. Netanyahu said he understood their concerns but warned that people starving in Gaza would only derail Israel's war aims of defeating Hamas and getting back the remaining hostages abducted from southern Israel in the Oct. 7 attacks. "It's important to know the facts. We must avoid a situation of famine, both in substance and in perception. If there is famine, we will lose international support and won't be able to achieve victory," Netanyahu said. While this had been the case whenever Israel halted humanitarian aid to prevent it falling into the hands of Hamas, he said Israel was "approaching the red line", with its allies and friends letting him know they "cannot handle images of starvation, of mass starvation." The iron grip delivered by Israel's massive military offensive, codenamed Operation Gideon's Chariot, would, in turn, allow the Israeli military to stop Hamas from stealing the aid being brought in, he added. Netanyahu announced Sunday that Israel would allow in minimal aid, "just enough to prevent hunger." His comments came amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes overnight targeting the Indonesian Hospital and the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza and the city of Khan Yunis in the south, with hospitals saying more than 100 people had been killed in the past day. Israel Defense Forces confirmed it had five divisions, around 50,000 troops, fighting for "complete control" and that it was moving the population out of harm's way. Evacuation orders were issued to residents of Khan Yunis, Bani Suhaila and Abasan governorates Monday morning, warning of an "unprecedented attack to destroy the capabilities of terrorist organizations in this area." "You must evacuate immediately west to the Mawasi [designated humanitarian] area. From this moment, Khan Yunis Governorate will be considered a dangerous combat zone. Terrorist organizations have brought you disaster. For your safety, evacuate immediately," IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee wrote in a post in Arabic on X. The 2.1 million Palestinians living in Gaza were at "critical risk" of famine, according tp the United Nations, while other aid agencies said Israel's aid blockade constituted a starvation policy which could be a war crime.
UPI
18-05-2025
- Health
- UPI
Hamas leader's body found as peace talks with Israel pick back up
1 of 3 | Smoke rises from inside the Gaza Strip as seen near an Israeli field of sunflowers in full bloom inside southern Israel on Sunday. Photo by Jim Hollander/UPI | License Photo May 18 (UPI) -- Israel reported Sunday it found the body of Hamas' de facto leader, Muhammad Sinwar, in a tunnel in Khan Younis after he was killed in a series of airstrikes last week. At least 100 people have been killed in the latest series of airstrikes, and Sinwar's body was found as Hamas has offered to release nine hostages in exchange for a 60-day military stand down in an effort to slow down the fighting in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Sinwar was the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, the former Hamas leader in Gaza. Another brother, Zakaria Sinwar, was killed in an airstroke Saturday night, other reports claimed. It's the third Sinwar brother to be killed in the ongoing battle. Israeli forces overtook a hospital in northern Gaza Saturday as an offensive to seize territory on the Gaza Strip continues, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Forces seized the Indonesian hospital in Beit Lahia, preventing patients, staff and medical supplies from arriving, the ministry said on Sunday, according to the BBC, leaving the medical facility inoperable. Hamas made its hostage release offer on Saturday following a new round of peace negotiations in Qatar. Officials said there could also be a larger deal in the works to end the fighting that would include a Hamas withdrawal.
New York Post
18-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Israel launches new major ground offensive in Gaza Strip, claims to have killed ‘dozens of terrorists'
The Israeli military has launched a large-scale ground operation across the Gaza Strip over the weekend as part of a major new offensive against Hamas. 'Over the past day, IDF troops in the Southern Command, both the standing army and reserves, began a broad ground operation throughout the northern and southern Gaza Strip, as part of the start of Operation Gideon's Chariots,' the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. Smoke rises from inside the Gaza Strip as seen near an Israeli field of sunflowers in full bloom inside southern Israel. Jim Hollander/UPI/Shutterstock Israeli soldiers work on preparing their Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) in a forward staging area near the Gaza Strip border. Jim Hollander/UPI/Shutterstock The latest assault is aimed at destroying Hamas' weapons deports, terror cells, tunnel network and anti-tank launch sites, the IDF said. So far, the IDF claims to have killed 'dozens of terrorists' and dismantled many of Hamas' bases above and below ground. This is a developing story. Please check back for more information.
New York Post
27-04-2025
- Business
- New York Post
DeepMind UK staff to unionize and challenge deals with Israel links, FT reports
Google DeepMind staff in Britain plan to unionize to challenge the company's decision to sell its artificial intelligence technologies to defense groups with ties to the Israeli government, the Financial Times reported on Saturday. About 300 London-based staff of Google DeepMind have been seeking to join the Communication Workers Union in recent weeks, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. Media reports suggesting Google is selling its cloud services and AI technology to the Israeli Ministry of Defense have caused disquiet among employees, according to the Financial Times. Getty Images Advertisement Israeli army soldier work on repairing an IDF tank in a staging area inside southern Israel near the southern Gaza Strip border on April 3, 2025. Jim Hollander/UPI/Shutterstock Google, Google DeepMind, and the CWU did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment. Advertisement Media reports that suggest Google is selling its cloud services and AI technology to the Israeli Ministry of Defense have caused disquiet among employees, according to the report. Google has run into trouble previously regarding its connections to Israel when it dismissed 28 employees last year who protested against the tech giant's cloud contract with the Israeli government.
