Latest news with #KajaKallas
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- General
- Yahoo
Ignore the Left-wing naysayers, Israel is winning this necessary war
The EU's foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas, says 'Israeli strikes in Gaza go beyond what is necessary to fight Hamas'. Perhaps she should head to Jerusalem and give precise instructions to the IDF on what they should be doing to eliminate the Hamas terrorist regime – assuming that's what she actually wants. She can tell them how you kill terrorists entwined into the population, hiding in tunnels beneath schools, hospitals and houses, protected by the most comprehensively booby-trapped terrain in the history of warfare, all while minimising harm to civilians. Of course, like so many other blowhard Western politicians, she doesn't have a clue. Fortunately the IDF does and has been waging this hugely complex war for 19 months with a combination of fighting prowess and humanitarian restraint that no other army could match. That is the true picture that I have witnessed with my own eyes, unlike the vast array of armchair commentators and rabble-rousers with their lies and distortions intended to break Israel or signal their own non-existent virtues or both. And Israel has had unparalleled success. They have killed something like 20-25,000 Hamas terrorists, including many senior commanders. The latest of these is Mohammed Sinwar, Hamas's leader in Gaza, blown apart in an air strike earlier this month as he was skulking in a tunnel beneath a hospital in Khan Younis. His older brother Yahya, from whom he took over the reins of Hamas, met his maker last October. Shortly before that Mohammed Deif, Hamas's military commander, saw the same fate. The list goes on, and many more would have joined it had the IDF not been so determined to avoid killing the hostages and where possible to avoid harm to civilians in line with their scrupulously observed obligations under International Humanitarian Law. Those who have been dispatched have been replaced, though by less experienced and less able terrorists, but I'm not sure how long the list of applicants will be for the Sinwar brothers' uniquely hazardous job. Kallas also rejects Israel's latest efforts to get aid to Gazan civilians while preventing it from falling into the hands of Hamas. While she pontificates from her headquarters in Brussels with its lavish restaurants, Gazans have been enthusiastically queuing up in their thousands to collect food and even camping out overnight. But Kallas is in good company. Hamas also rejects this aid system and has been threatening Gazans against using it. Nor does the UN like it one little bit, despite the outrageously fake assertion last week that 14,000 babies would die of malnutrition in 48 hours. Hamas's position is understandable. It is focused on survival and pretty much its only source of funds now is from hijacking and selling aid at premium prices. But what about Kallas, the UN and even our own Government which also does not support this new initiative? It is hard to escape the conclusion, with the growing chorus of condemnations against Israel, that these people are terrified Jerusalem will win this war. That's the last thing they want as it would undermine any leverage they might have in pursuit of the holy grail of a 'two state solution'. Lacking insight, or terrified of being seen to have been wrong all along, they utterly fail to recognise that a two state solution is permanently interred after Hamas hammered the final nail into its coffin on October 7 2023. Unfortunately for the unholy alliance against its victory, Israel is going to prevail – and not just in Gaza. Prime minister Netanyahu launched a dazzling operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon last year that eliminated its overlord Hassan Nasrallah and took out much of its leadership by using explosive-laden pagers. Meanwhile the IDF shattered much of its military capability, especially the long-range missiles that existed to threaten Israel. Hezbollah is not finished but its potential to cause harm has been dramatically degraded. It will have difficulty rebuilding as it has lost the vital terrain of Assad's Syria, again as a direct result of Israeli action. Iran itself, the mastermind of the jihadist plan to suffocate Israel using region-wide terror proxies, was humiliated by its failure to damage Israel with hundreds of missiles and drones, not to mention an inability to protect Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh who was taken out right next to the president's official residence in Tehran. Even worse, the Islamic Republic is now badly exposed, following the Israeli Air Force's evisceration of its Russian-supplied air defences. The likes of Kallas and her faint-hearted fellow travellers have no power to stand in Israel's path, but their words and threatened actions certainly encourage Hamas. Apart from the hostages it holds, its only card is the vilification of Israel by the international community and the accompanying weaponisation of legal warfare. Hamas could end all the bloodshed and the deprivation overnight by laying down its arms and releasing the hostages. If the EU, the UN and those governments so eager to condemn the Jewish state actually wanted to achieve peace, they would support Israel in words and actions, and condemn Hamas at every turn. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- General
- Telegraph
Ignore the Left-wing naysayers, Israel is winning this necessary war
The EU's foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas, says 'Israeli strikes in Gaza go beyond what is necessary to fight Hamas'. Perhaps she should head to Jerusalem and give precise instructions to the IDF on what they should be doing to eliminate the Hamas terrorist regime – assuming that's what she actually wants. She can tell them how you kill terrorists entwined into the population, hiding in tunnels beneath schools, hospitals and houses, protected by the most comprehensively booby-trapped terrain in the history of warfare, all while minimising harm to civilians. Of course, like so many other blowhard Western politicians, she doesn't have a clue. Fortunately the IDF does and has been waging this hugely complex war for 19 months with a combination of fighting prowess and humanitarian restraint that no other army could match. That is the true picture that I have witnessed with my own eyes, unlike the vast array of armchair commentators and rabble-rousers with their lies and distortions intended to break Israel or signal their own non-existent virtues or both. And Israel has had unparalleled success. They have killed something like 20-25,000 Hamas terrorists, including many senior commanders. The latest of these is Mohammed Sinwar, Hamas's leader in Gaza, blown apart in an air strike earlier this month as he was skulking in a tunnel beneath a hospital in Khan Younis. His older brother Yahya, from whom he took over the reins of Hamas, met his maker last October. Shortly before that Mohammed Deif, Hamas's military commander, saw the same fate. The list goes on, and many more would have joined it had the IDF not been so determined to avoid killing the hostages and where possible to avoid harm to civilians in line with their scrupulously observed obligations under International Humanitarian Law. Those who have been dispatched have been replaced, though by less experienced and less able terrorists, but I'm not sure how long the list of applicants will be for the Sinwar brothers' uniquely hazardous job. Kallas also rejects Israel's latest efforts to get aid to Gazan civilians while preventing it from falling into the hands of Hamas. While she pontificates from her headquarters in Brussels with its lavish restaurants, Gazans have been enthusiastically queuing up in their thousands to collect food and even camping out overnight. But Kallas is in good company. Hamas also rejects this aid system and has been threatening Gazans against using it. Nor does the UN like it one little bit, despite the outrageously fake assertion last week that 14,000 babies would die of malnutrition in 48 hours. Hamas's position is understandable. It is focused on survival and pretty much its only source of funds now is from hijacking and selling aid at premium prices. But what about Kallas, the UN and even our own Government which also does not support this new initiative? It is hard to escape the conclusion, with the growing chorus of condemnations against Israel, that these people are terrified Jerusalem will win this war. That's the last thing they want as it would undermine any leverage they might have in pursuit of the holy grail of a 'two state solution'. Lacking insight, or terrified of being seen to have been wrong all along, they utterly fail to recognise that a two state solution is permanently interred after Hamas hammered the final nail into its coffin on October 7 2023. Unfortunately for the unholy alliance against its victory, Israel is going to prevail – and not just in Gaza. Prime minister Netanyahu launched a dazzling operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon last year that eliminated its overlord Hassan Nasrallah and took out much of its leadership by using explosive-laden pagers. Meanwhile the IDF shattered much of its military capability, especially the long-range missiles that existed to threaten Israel. Hezbollah is not finished but its potential to cause harm has been dramatically degraded. It will have difficulty rebuilding as it has lost the vital terrain of Assad's Syria, again as a direct result of Israeli action. Iran itself, the mastermind of the jihadist plan to suffocate Israel using region-wide terror proxies, was humiliated by its failure to damage Israel with hundreds of missiles and drones, not to mention an inability to protect Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh who was taken out right next to the president's official residence in Tehran. Even worse, the Islamic Republic is now badly exposed, following the Israeli Air Force's evisceration of its Russian-supplied air defences. The likes of Kallas and her faint-hearted fellow travellers have no power to stand in Israel's path, but their words and threatened actions certainly encourage Hamas. Apart from the hostages it holds, its only card is the vilification of Israel by the international community and the accompanying weaponisation of legal warfare. Hamas could end all the bloodshed and the deprivation overnight by laying down its arms and releasing the hostages. If the EU, the UN and those governments so eager to condemn the Jewish state actually wanted to achieve peace, they would support Israel in words and actions, and condemn Hamas at every turn.
The National
3 hours ago
- Business
- The National
EU states considering new sanctions against violent Israeli settlers, says senior official
Some EU member states are considering proposing new sanctions against violent Israeli settlers accused of breaching human rights, a senior official from the bloc has said, as international pressure mounts on Israel. Last year, the EU imposed sanctions on five Israeli individuals and three entities, saying they were responsible for "serious and systematic human rights abuses" against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel today is facing growing diplomatic isolation due to its war on Gaza, the chaotic nature of its humanitarian aid scheme and its expansion of settlements in the West Bank. This has all led major European partners to become more critical of it. 'The pressure is increasing, but unfortunately, we have not yet seen the kind of response from Israel that we would expect,' Olof Skoog, deputy secretary-general for political affairs at the European External Action Service, told The National. Last week, in a milestone development, the EU launched a review to assess whether Israel is in compliance with the human rights provisions laid out in its association agreement with the bloc – a move supported by 17 of its 27 member states. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday that Brussels would present formal options in June for foreign ministers to consider. However, suspending the EU-Israel accord outright would require unanimity among all member states, something diplomats say is highly unlikely. 'There's no lack of consensus within the EU in support of the Palestinian people and outrage over the unacceptable humanitarian crisis in Gaza caused by some measures, including the blockade from Israel,' said Mr Skoog. 'That's why there has been strong backing for a review of the association agreement, which is based on mutual respect for human rights and international law. 'The review has now begun, but it's too early to say where it will lead. Some of our member states have very close ties with Israel for historical and other reasons. They believe that maintaining direct dialogue is the best way to influence policy changes in Gaza. Others believe it's better to use our association agreement.' While most European countries continue to affirm Israel's right to self-defence, there is horror at the scale of devastation in Gaza. It is the deadliest conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in decades. The Hamas -led attacks on October 7, 2023, killed about 1,200 people, with about 240 taken hostage. Israel's military response has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, health authorities in Gaza have said. 'We've made it clear at the highest levels, including heads of state and government, that Israel has legitimate security concerns, but it must also abide by international humanitarian law,' said Mr Skoog. Growing criticism This week, Germany, which has long been one of Israel's staunchest allies, sharply increased its criticism of the country. Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned the scale of Israel's air strikes on Gaza, while Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul described the situation in the enclave as an 'unbearable'. Spain and Ireland continue to push for EU-wide recognition of a Palestinian state. France could also formally recognise Palestinian statehood, with President Emmanuel Macron considering the timing of such an announcement ahead of a June peace conference his country is to co-host with Saudi Arabia. France, along with Britain and Canada, this month warned Israel they could impose targeted sanctions if it continued to broaden its war on Gaza and expand settlements in the West Bank. But Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Thursday that 22 new settlements had been approved in the occupied region. 'We know that international pressure has prompted some gestures. For example, last weekend Israel opened limited channels for humanitarian supplies [into Gaza],' said Mr Skoog. 'However, these steps fall far short of what is needed and do not meet the standards of international humanitarian law, including those set by the UN.' Under international pressure, Israel ended an 11-week aid blockade on the enclave 10 days ago. Since then, it has permitted a limited flow of humanitarian supplies through two channels – the UN and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a controversial US and Israeli-backed private organisation that is overhauling the aid distribution system in the embattled strip. The UN has lambasted the involvement of the foundation, warning that it undermines humanitarian principles. Middle East visit Mr Skoog's remarks came during a visit to the UAE, where he co-chaired the fourth high-level political dialogue between the EU and the Emirates alongside Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE's Assistant Minister for Political Affairs and the Foreign Minister's Envoy for the EU. The meeting addressed co-operation between the sides and discussed regional and international developments, including the Gaza war, the situations in Lebanon, Syria, Iran and Yemen, Red Sea security, the conflict in Sudan and the war in Ukraine, the UAE's Ministry for Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Syria's recovery EU countries on Wednesday passed legislation to lift all economic sanctions on Syria, except those based on security issues. The move is intended to enable the rapid reconstruction of the country after 14 years of civil war. Under the policy, the Syrian Central Bank and other financial institutions will regain access to European financial markets. 'We acted earlier than the US and many others because we believe the developments in Syria are highly significant and could open the door to a better future for the Syrian people,' said Mr Skoog. 'We recognised early on the need to engage with Syria's new leadership to press for our demands – inclusive governance, accountability, reforms, human rights, reconciliation and democratic processes. 'At the same time, we acknowledge their legitimate calls for economic breathing room. To advance our political objectives, we also had to create economic space. 'This doesn't mean that we now leave everything to go its own way. On the contrary, it gives us a platform for dialogue with the Syrian leadership, and a basis for holding them accountable.' He added that, while the EU believes Syria's new leaders are committed to reform, sanctions "can be reimposed – this is not a one-way street". Russia-Ukraine war On the war in Ukraine, the EU official said the US was 'now seeing what we have been seeing for a long time – that it's Russia that can end this war tomorrow, if it wants to". But to reach that point, "we need to maintain pressure on Russia", he added. US President Donald Trump has recently issued sharp criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, warning him that he is ' playing with fire '. The comments came after Mr Trump called the Russian leader ' absolutely crazy ' at the weekend following a major Russian air strike on Kyiv. Mr Trump also warned that Moscow could face new sanctions. Observers say that, while the US President has complained about continued attacks on Ukrainian cities and the killing of civilians, he has not yet imposed even modest penalties on Mr Putin. Moscow has, meanwhile, proposed a second round of peace talks in Istanbul next week. 'We're already moving ahead with the next sanctions package, and we're doing so because we see it's making an impact,' said Mr Skoog. 'Russia is being forced to pay an increasingly high price to keep its war machinery running. At the same time, we're supporting Ukraine so it can defend itself and enter any peace process from a position of strength.'
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
How the West is helping Russia to fund its war on Ukraine
Russia has continued to make billions from fossil fuel exports to the West, data shows, helping to finance its full-scale invasion of Ukraine – now in its fourth year. Since the start of that invasion in February 2022, Russia has made more than three times as much money by exporting hydrocarbons than Ukraine has received in aid allocated by its allies. Data analysed by the BBC show that Ukraine's Western allies have paid Russia more for its hydrocarbons than they have given Ukraine in aid. Campaigners say governments in Europe and North America need to do more to stop Russian oil and gas from fuelling the war with Ukraine. Proceeds made from selling oil and gas are key to keeping Russia's war machine going. Oil and gas account for almost a third of Russia's state revenue and more than 60% of its exports. In the wake of the February 2022 invasion, Ukraine's allies imposed sanctions on Russian hydrocarbons. The US and UK banned Russian oil and gas, while the EU banned Russian seaborne crude imports, but not gas. Despite this, by 29 May, Russia had made more than €883bn ($973bn; £740bn) in revenue from fossil fuel exports since the start of the full-scale invasion, including €228bn from the sanctioning countries, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). The lion's share of that amount, €209bn, came from EU member states. EU states continued importing pipeline gas directly from Russia until Ukraine cut the transit in January 2025, and Russian crude oil is still piped to Hungary and Slovakia. Russian gas is still piped to Europe in increasing quantities via Turkey: CREA's data shows that its volume rose by 26.77% in January and February 2025 over the same period in 2024. Hungary and Slovakia are also still receiving Russian pipeline gas via Turkey. Despite the West's efforts, in 2024 Russian revenues from fossil fuels fell by a mere 5% compared with 2023, along with a similar 6% drop in the volumes of exports, according to CREA. Last year also saw a 6% increase in Russian revenues from crude oil exports, and a 9% year-on-year increase in revenues from pipeline gas. Russian estimates say gas exports to Europe rose by up to 20% in 2024, with liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports reaching record levels. Currently, half of Russia's LNG exports go the EU, CREA says. The EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, says the alliance has not imposed "the strongest sanctions" on Russian oil and gas because some member states fear an escalation in the conflict and because buying them is "cheaper in the short term". LNG imports have not been included in the latest, 17th package of sanctions on Russia approved by the EU, but it has adopted a road map towards ending all Russian gas imports by the end of 2027. Data shows that money made by Russia from selling fossil fuels has consistently surpassed the amount of aid Ukraine receives from its allies. The thirst for fuel can get in the way of the West's efforts to limit Russia's ability to fund its war. Mai Rosner, a senior campaigner from the pressure group Global Witness, says many Western policymakers fear that cutting imports of Russian fuels will lead to higher energy prices. "There's no real desire in many governments to actually limit Russia's ability to produce and sell oil. There is way too much fear about what that would mean for global energy markets. There's a line drawn under where energy markets would be too undermined or too thrown off kilter," she told the BBC. In addition to direct sales, some of the oil exported by Russia ends up in the West after being processed into fuel products in third countries via what is known as "the refining loophole". Sometimes it gets diluted with crude from other countries, too. CREA says it has identified three "laundromat refineries" in Turkey and three in India processing Russian crude and selling the resulting fuel on to sanctioning countries. It says they have used €6.1bn worth of Russian crude to make products for sanctioning countries. India's petroleum ministry criticised CREA's report as "a deceptive effort to tarnish India's image". "[These countries] know that sanctioning countries are willing to accept this. This is a loophole. It's entirely legal. Everyone's aware of it, but nobody is doing much to actually tackle it in a big way," says Vaibhav Raghunandan, an analyst at CREA. Campaigners and experts argue that Western governments have the tools and means available to stem the flow of oil and gas revenue into the Kremlin's coffers. According to former Russian deputy energy minister Vladimir Milov, who is now a diehard opponent of Vladimir Putin, sanctions imposed on trade in Russian hydrocarbons should be better enforced - particularly the oil price cap adopted by the G7 group of nations, which Mr Milov says "is not working". He is fearful, though, that the US government shake-up launched by President Donald Trump will hamper agencies such as the US Treasury or the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which are key for sanctions enforcement. Another avenue is continued pressure on Russia's "shadow fleet" of tankers involved in dodging the sanctions. "That is a complex surgery operation. You need to periodically release batches of new sanctioned vessels, shell companies, traders, insurers etc. every several weeks," Mr Milov says. According to him, this is an area where Western governments have been much more effective, particularly with the introduction of new sanctions by Joe Biden's outgoing administration in January 2025. Mai says that banning Russian LNG exports to Europe and closing the refining loophole in Western jurisdictions would be "important steps in finishing the decoupling of the West from Russian hydrocarbons". According to Mr Raghunandan from CREA, it would be relatively easy for the EU to give up Russian LNG imports. "Fifty percent of their LNG exports are directed towards the European Union, and only 5% of the EU's total [LNG] gas consumption in 2024 was from Russia. So if the EU decides to completely cut off Russian gas, it's going to hurt Russia way more then it's going to hurt consumers in the European Union," he told the BBC. Experts interviewed by the BBC have dismissed Donald Trump's idea that the war with Ukraine will end if Opec brings oil prices down. "People in Moscow are laughing at this idea, because the party which will suffer the most… is the American shale oil industry, the least cost-competitive oil industry in the world," Mr Milov told the BBC. Mr Raghunandan says that Russia's cost of producing crude is also lower than in Opec countries like Saudi Arabia, so they would be hurt by lower oil prices before Russia. "There is no way that Saudi Arabia is going to agree to that. This has been tried before. This has led to conflict between Saudi Arabia and the US," he says. Ms Rosner says there are both moral and practical issues with the West buying Russian hydrocarbons while supporting Ukraine. "We now have a situation in which we are funding the aggressor in a war that we're condemning and also funding the resistance to the war," she says. "This dependence on fossil fuels means that we are really at the whims of energy markets, global energy producers and hostile dictators."
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Israel faces growing condemnation as Gaza aid distribution devolves into chaos
Israel is facing growing international pressure as aid distribution efforts in Gaza devolved into chaos during the first days of a controversial new mechanism backed by the United States and Israel. According to the Palestinian health ministry, 11 people have been killed and dozens injured as crowds of desperate people arrived at distribution sites in southern Gaza since they opened earlier this week. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which runs the new sites, said on Thursday that no one was killed or injured during the distribution of aid. Tens of thousands of Palestinians, pushed towards famine after an 11-week Israeli blockade, descended on both the sites belonging to the GHF, as well as a warehouse run by the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) over the past three days, grabbing bags of food and bags of flour. Food scarcity in Gaza has sparked scenes of desperation and widespread looting in recent days. The start of the new aid mechanism comes as some of Israel's closest allies have grown increasingly vocal in their condemnation of its conduct in Gaza, and their threats of action should the bombardment and restrictions on aid continue. On Wednesday, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said, 'Israel's strikes in Gaza go beyond what is necessary to fight Hamas.' She also criticized the new aid mechanism run by GHF, saying the EU does not support 'any kind of privatization of the distribution of humanitarian aid.' Recent comments by officials from Germany, one of Israel's staunchest defenders in Europe, have also put support for Israel under the spotlight. 'The Israeli government must not do anything that its best friends are no longer prepared to accept,' Chancellor Friedrich Merz said this week. Last week, the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Canada threatened to take 'concrete action,' including targeted sanctions, if Israel does not stop its renewed military offensive and continues to block aid from entering Gaza. But even as Israel's allies issue warnings, the desperation of starving Palestinians persists – while the GHF presses on with its push to become the enclave's primary aid provider. On Tuesday, a massive throng of Palestinians overran the first GHF aid site in southern Gaza, tearing down some of the fencing and climbing over crowd control barriers. The rush forced the private contractors manning the site in Tel al-Sultan to 'fall back to allow a small number of Gazans to take aid safely,' GHF said, even as videos from the scene showed masses of people grabbing boxes of aid and leaving. GHF asserted that 'there have been no deaths at any GHF location. Reports to the contrary originated from Hamas and are inaccurate.' A day later, 'hordes of hungry people' broke into a UN warehouse in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza, in search of food, according to the WFP. Sounds of gunfire were audible in videos from the scene. According to WFP, initial reports indicated that two people were killed and several were injured in the incident. WFP said humanitarian needs had spiraled out of control after '80 days of complete blockade' by Israel, which was only been partially relieved in the past week. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Wednesday that the humanitarian situation in Gaza was 'at its darkest point yet.' It criticized the new framework, saying that 'a new militarized distribution system has just been launched' that 'puts people at risk, and it will not meet people's needs, or dignity, across Gaza.' 'The conditions for us to deliver aid safely and at scale are absent,' OCHA said in a statement. For now, the new GHF mechanism and the established UN distribution are concurrently operating in Gaza. But little aid is coming into the territory, and some areas, especially in northern Gaza, appear to be receiving nothing. Geolocated video on Thursday also showed crowds looting a street market in Zeitoun, northern Gaza, an area where even less aid is arriving than in the south. On Thursday, three of four GHF sites distributed boxes of food, including the first such site in central Gaza, as the organization tries to reach its stated goal of providing food for 1.2 million Palestinians by the end of the month, just days away. Yet GHF remained confident, saying 'we are well on our way' to providing enough food – along with UN distribution – for the entire population of more than 2 million Palestinians in the besieged enclave. UN officials have cast doubt on GHF's projections. Omar Abd Rabbo, a Gaza resident, went to the new site in the center of the enclave for food as it opened. In a series of videos, he said, 'The place was filled with chaos and random jostling, a scene that reflects the extent of the suffering and hunger experienced by the people of Gaza.' He took a short video with one of the US security contractors manning the site and said, 'Thank you.' But many did not get the food for which they desperately waited. Video from the scene showed security inside the site throwing what appeared to be stun grenades at Palestinians waiting for food outside. GHF said 'non-lethal means' were used, including 'smoke and warning shots,' when the crowd would not disburse. Witnesses said people who didn't get aid took the tables and chairs from the site. Yousef Hammad, another resident, said a huge crowd numbering tens of thousands approached the newly opened site, but he told CNN that very few got boxes. 'This is a big lie, a trap and betrayal, and this is only for thieves and merchants… People do not benefit anything,' Hammad said. 'There is no aid or any humanity. This is humiliating and insulting. This is lack of dignity for our people and children.'
