Latest news with #KhalilAlDeqran
Observer
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Observer
Israel start "extensive ground operations" in Gaza
The Israeli military said on Sunday it had begun "extensive ground operations" in northern and southern Gaza, stepping up a new campaign in the enclave where Palestinian health authorities said Israeli strikes killed dozens overnight. Israel made its announcement after sources on both sides said there had been no progress in a new round of indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Qatar. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the latest Doha talks included discussions on a truce and hostage deal as well as a proposal to end the war in return for the exile of Hamas fighters and the demilitarisation of the enclave — terms Hamas has previously rejected. The substance of the statement was in line with previous declarations from Israel, but the timing, as negotiators meet, offered some prospect of flexibility in Israel's position. A senior Israeli official said there had been no progress in the talks so far. Israel's military said it conducted a preliminary wave of strikes on more than 670 targets in Gaza over the past week to support its ground operation, dubbed "Gideon's Chariots". Palestinian health authorities say hundreds of people have been killed including many women and children. Asked about the Doha talks, a Hamas official said: "Israel's position remains unchanged, they want to release the prisoners (hostages) without a commitment to end the war." He reiterated that Hamas was proposing releasing all Israeli hostages in return for an end to the war, the pull-out of Israeli troops, an end to a blockade on aid for Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners. Israel's declared goal in Gaza is the elimination of the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas, which attacked Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and seizing about 250 hostages. The Israeli military campaign has devastated the enclave, pushing nearly all residents from their homes and killing more than 53,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities. Israeli strikes killed at least 130 Palestinians across Gaza overnight, health officials said on Sunday, as Israel said talks with Hamas included a proposal to end the war but sources on both sides said there had been no progress in the talks. The overnight airstrikes on Gaza hit as Israel prepares for a new ground offensive aimed at achieving "operational control" in parts of Gaza. Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 464 Palestinians were killed in the week to Sunday as a result of Israel's escalated bombardment. The deaths of at least 130 Palestinians overnight are in addition to that figure. "Complete families were wiped off the civil registration record by (overnight) Israeli bombardment," Khalil Al Deqran, Gaza health ministry spokesperson, told Reuters by phone. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the casualties. Israel has blocked the entry of medical, food and fuel supplies into Gaza since the start of March to try to pressure Hamas into freeing Israeli hostages and has approved plans that could involve seizing the entire Gaza strip and controlling aid. "Hospitals are overwhelmed with a growing number of casualties, many are children," health ministry spokesman Deqran said. Gaza's healthcare system is barely operational because of repeated Israeli bombardment and raids on hospitals. The blockade on aid supplies has compounded its difficulties and worsened widespread hunger. Israel blames Hamas for stealing aid, which Hamas denies. Staff at Shifa Hospital, Gaza's largest, urged people to donate blood. Hospital officials said they received 40 dead and dozens of wounded overnight because of continued Israeli strikes. The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service said 75% of its ambulances had stopped operating because of fuel shortages. It warned that unless fuel is allowed in within 72 hours, all vehicles may stop. The Israeli military campaign has devastated the enclave, pushing nearly all residents from their homes and killing more than 53,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities. — Reuters
Free Malaysia Today
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Strikes kill at least 100 Palestinians in Gaza as negotiators seek truce
One of Israel's overnight strikes hit a tent encampment housing displaced families in Khan Younis. (AP pic) CAIRO : Israeli airstrikes killed at least 100 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip overnight, local health authorities said today, as mediators hosted a new round of ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which has expanded its strikes on the enclave, killing hundreds of people since Thursday, in preparation for a new ground offensive to achieve 'operational control' in parts of Gaza. 'We have at least 100 martyrs since overnight. Complete families were wiped off the civil registration record by Israeli bombardment,' Khalil Al-Deqran, Gaza health ministry spokesman, told Reuters by phone. Israel has blocked the entry of medical, food and fuel supplies into Gaza since the start of March to try to pressure Hamas into freeing Israeli hostages and has approved plans that could involve seizing the entire Gaza Strip and controlling aid. Hamas says it will only free the hostages in return for an Israeli ceasefire. Mediators Egypt and Qatar, backed by the US, began a new round of indirect ceasefire talks between the two sides yesterday, but sources close to the negotiations told Reuters there had been no breakthrough. Britain's Sky News Arabica and the BBC both reported overnight that Hamas had proposed releasing about half its Israeli hostages in exchange for a two-month ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Contacted by Reuters, a Hamas official said: 'Israel's position is unchanged, they want their prisoners released, without a commitment to end the war'. Potentially complicating the ceasefire talks further, reports in Israeli and Arab media said Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar may have been killed. Hamas neither confirmed nor denied the reports. Israel's defence ministry had no immediate comment. In Israel, Einav Zangauker, the mother of Hamas hostage Matan Zangauker, said prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was refusing to end the war in exchange for Hamas releasing the remaining hostages because of his political interests. 'The Israeli government still insists on only partial deals. They are deliberately tormenting us. Bring our children back already! All 58 of them,' Zangauker said in a post on the X social media platform. Tents ablaze The Israeli military's campaign across the Gaza Strip has devastated the Palestinian enclave. (AP pic) One of Israel's overnight strikes hit a tent encampment housing displaced families in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, killing women and children, wounding dozens and setting several tents ablaze. Hamas described the strike as a 'new brutal crime' and blamed the US administration for the escalation. Among the dozens killed earlier today were five journalists, some with their families. Zakaria Al-Sinwar, the brother of the Hamas leader, and three of his children were killed in an Israeli airstrike on their tent in central Gaza, medics said. He was a history lecturer at a Gaza university. Both men are the brothers of former Hamas chief Yehya Al-Sinwar, who was killed by Israel last October. Gaza's healthcare system is barely operational because of repeated Israeli bombardment and raids on hospitals. The blockade on aid supplies has compounded its difficulties, and worsened widespread hunger, for which Israel blames Hamas. 'Hospitals are overwhelmed with a growing number of casualties, many are children,' Deqran said. Later today, the Gaza health ministry said the Indonesian Hospital, one of the largest partially functioning medical facilities in north Gaza, had ceased operating because of Israeli fire near and at the vicinity. The Israeli military had no immediate comment. Staff at Shifa Hospital, Gaza's largest, urged people to donate blood because of the overwhelming number of casualties. Hospital officials said they received 40 dead and dozens of wounded overnight because of the continued Israeli strikes. The Palestinian civil emergency service said 75% of its ambulances had stopped operating because of fuel shortages amid Israel's ban on imports. It warned that unless fuel is allowed back within 72 hours all vehicles may stop. Israel's declared goal in Gaza is the elimination of the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas, which attacked Israeli communities on Oct 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and seizing about 250 hostages. The Israeli military campaign has devastated the enclave, pushing nearly all residents from their homes and killing more than 53,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel airstrikes kill at least 100 in Gaza as negotiators seek ceasefire
Israeli airstrikes killed at least 100 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip overnight, local health authorities said on May 18, as mediators hosted a new round of ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which has expanded its strikes on the enclave, killing hundreds of people since Thursday, in preparation for a new ground offensive to achieve "operational control" in parts of Gaza. "We have at least 100 martyrs since overnight. Complete families were wiped off the civil registration record by Israeli bombardment," Khalil Al-Deqran, Gaza health ministry spokesperson, told Reuters by phone. Israel has blocked the entry of medical, food and fuel supplies into Gaza since the start of March to try to pressure Hamas into freeing Israeli hostages and has approved plans that could involve seizing the entire Gaza strip and controlling aid. Hamas says it will only free the hostages in return for an Israeli ceasefire. Mediators Egypt and Qatar, backed by the United States, began a new round of indirect ceasefire talks between the two sides on Saturday, but sources close to the negotiations told Reuters there had been no breakthrough. Britain's Sky News Arabica and the BBC both reported overnight that Hamas had proposed releasing about half its Israeli hostages in exchange for a two-month ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Potentially complicating the ceasefire talks further, reports in Israeli and Arab media said Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar may have been killed. Hamas neither confirmed nor denied the reports. Israel's Defence Ministry had no immediate comment. In Israel, Einav Zangauker, the mother of Hamas hostage Matan Zangauker, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was refusing to end the war in exchange for Hamas releasing the remaining hostages because of his political interests. "The Israeli government still insists on only partial deals. They are deliberately tormenting us. Bring our children back already! All 58 of them," Zangauker said in a post on the X social media platform. One of Israel's overnight strikes hit a tent encampment housing displaced families in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, killing women and children, wounding dozens and setting several tents ablaze. Hamas described the strike as a "new brutal crime" and blamed the U.S. administration for the escalation. Among the dozens killed earlier on May 18 were five journalists, some with their families. Zakaria Al-Sinwar, the brother of the Hamas leader, and three of his children were killed in an Israeli airstrike on their tent in central Gaza, medics said. He was a history lecturer at a Gaza university. Both men are the brothers of former Hamas chief Yehya Al-Sinwar, who was killed by Israel last October. Gaza's healthcare system is barely operational because of repeated Israeli bombardment and raids on hospitals. The blockade on aid supplies has compounded its difficulties, and worsened widespread hunger, for which Israel blames Hamas. "Hospitals are overwhelmed with a growing number of casualties, many are children," Deqran said. Later on May 18, the Gaza Health Ministry said the Indonesian Hospital, one of the largest partially functioning medical facilities in north Gaza, had ceased operating because of Israeli fire near and at the vicinity. The Israeli military had no immediate comment. Staff at Shifa Hospital, Gaza's largest, urged people to donate blood because of the overwhelming number of casualties. Hospital officials said they received 40 dead and dozens of wounded overnight because of the continued Israeli strikes. The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service said 75% of its ambulances had stopped operating because of fuel shortages amid Israel's ban on imports. It warned that unless fuel is allowed back within 72 hours all vehicles may stop. Israel's declared goal in Gaza is the elimination of the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas, which attacked Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and seizing about 250 hostages. The Israeli military campaign has devastated the enclave, pushing nearly all residents from their homes and killing more than 53,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israel airstrikes kill at least 100 in Gaza amid ceasefire talks
Irish Times
18-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Gaza ceasefire talks continue as Israel carries out fresh wave of strikes
Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have been continuing in Qatar for a second day as Israeli warplanes and artillery launched a fresh wave of strikes across Gaza , killing at least 103 people, according to health officials in the Palestinian territory. The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, signalled on Sunday that Israel was open to a deal with Hamas that would include 'ending the fighting' in Gaza, but laid out conditions that have been repeatedly refused by the militant Islamist organisation. 'Even at this very moment, the negotiation team in Doha is working to exhaust every possibility for a deal ... which would include the release of all the hostages, the exile of Hamas terrorists and the disarmament of the Gaza Strip,' his office said in a statement. In Gaza, medical officials said they could not cope with the casualties from the most recent strikes. READ MORE 'Hospitals are overwhelmed with the growing number of casualties, many are children, several cases of amputations and the hospitals, which have been hit repeatedly by the occupation, are struggling with shortages of medical supplies,' Khalil al-Deqran, the territory's health ministry spokesperson, told Reuters. In northern Gaza, a strike on Sunday on a home in the Jabaliya area killed nine people from a single family, according to the health ministry's emergency services. Another strike in Jabaliya, killed 10, including seven children and a woman, civil defence officials said. At least 12 people were killed in three separate strikes in central Gaza, hospitals said. More than 48 people were killed in air strikes in and around the southern city of Khan Younis, some of which hit houses and tents sheltering displaced people, according to medics at Nasser hospital, which added that more than half of the dead were women and children. There was no independent confirmation of the death tolls and the Israeli military had no immediate comment on the overnight strikes. Israeli officials have described the fresh attacks as the beginning of a major new offensive, codenamed Operation Gideon's Chariots, which they say could lead to the seizure of swathes of Gaza and the displacement of much of the population to its south. Israel's offensive in Gaza has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to the territory's Hamas-controlled health Ministry. Israel accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields – a charge the group denies – and says it has attacked 'terrorist targets'. Hamas took about 250 hostages during its October 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people. Fifty-seven of the hostages are still held by Hamas, though most of these are thought to be dead. [ Israelis hail Eurovision second-place performance through prism of Gaza war Opens in new window ] The indirect talks in Qatar are reportedly focusing on securing a two-month truce, with Hamas freeing about half the 20 or so living hostages it is still holding. In return, Israel would release hundreds of Palestinians from its jails and end the tight blockade it has placed on Gaza since early March. The US would offer strong guarantees to ensure talks about a permanent end to the war took place. In March, Israel refused to engage in talks about a second phase of a fragile two-month ceasefire that could potentially have led to an end to the conflict and the release of remaining hostages. It then imposed a tight blockade on Gaza and relaunched its air offensive. Mr Netanyahu has been repeatedly accused of prolonging the war for domestic political reasons – charges which he denies – and has frequently promised that Israel will continue to fight until Hamas is 'crushed'. Hamas, which released an US-Israeli hostage last week as a goodwill gesture before Donald Trump travelled to the Middle East for a four-day visit, has previously insisted on a deal that definitively ends the war and leads to the withdrawal of Israel's forces. It has also refused to disarm or to accept the exile of its leaders. Israel, which claims Hamas systematically loots aid to fund its military and other operations, has put forward a plan to distribute humanitarian assistance from a series of hubs in Gaza run by private contractors and protected by Israeli troops. The US has backed the plan, which has been described as unworkable, dangerous and potentially unlawful by aid agencies because it could lead to the forced mass transfer of populations. Food security experts have warned that any delay will cost lives, and that cases of acute malnutrition, particularly among young children, are soaring. Some of the heaviest Israeli strikes earlier this week were aimed at Mohammed Sinwar, the current commander of Hamas in Gaza, who, Israeli officials said, was sheltering in tunnel systems under a hospital complex in Khan Younis. The Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, reportedly suggested on Sunday that he had been killed. The prospect of a massive new offensive, the recent strikes and the tight blockade imposed on Gaza in March by Israel have prompted a growing wave of international concern and anger. The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, on Friday said the bombing campaign aimed at bringing about a 'permanent demographic shift in Gaza' that was in 'defiance of international law' and was equivalent to ethnic cleansing. His comments were also echoed by the UN secretary general, António Guterres, who called for a permanent ceasefire while speaking at an Arab League summit in Baghdad on Saturday. – Guardian
Malay Mail
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Israeli bombardment escalates in Gaza, killing at least 100 overnight as ceasefire talks stall
Strikes kill at least 100 Palestinians in Gaza, medics say Unconfirmed media reports say Hamas leader may have been killed Hamas, Israel hold indirect ceasefire talks with little progress Gaza healthcare system barely operational CAIRO, May 18 — Israeli airstrikes killed at least 100 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip overnight, local health authorities said today, as mediators hosted a new round of ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which has expanded its strikes on the enclave, killing hundreds of people since Thursday, in preparation for a new ground offensive to achieve 'operational control' in parts of Gaza. 'We have at least 100 martyrs since overnight. Complete families were wiped off the civil registration record by Israeli bombardment,' Khalil Al-Deqran, Gaza health ministry spokesperson, told Reuters by phone. Israel has blocked the entry of medical, food and fuel supplies into Gaza since the start of March to try to pressure Hamas into freeing Israeli hostages and has approved plans that could involve seizing the entire Gaza strip and controlling aid. Hamas says it will only free the hostages in return for an Israeli ceasefire. Mediators Egypt and Qatar, backed by the United States, began a new round of indirect ceasefire talks between the two sides on Saturday, but sources close to the negotiations told Reuters there had been no breakthrough. Britain's Sky News Arabica and the BBC both reported overnight that Hamas had proposed releasing about half its Israeli hostages in exchange for a two-month ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Contacted by Reuters, a Hamas official said: 'Israel's position is unchanged, they want their prisoners released, without a commitment to end the war.' Potentially complicating the ceasefire talks further, reports in Israeli and Arab media said Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar may have been killed. Hamas neither confirmed nor denied the reports. Israel's Defence Ministry had no immediate comment. In Israel, Einav Zangauker, the mother of Hamas hostage Matan Zangauker, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was refusing to end the war in exchange for Hamas releasing the remaining hostages because of his political interests. 'The Israeli government still insists on only partial deals. They are deliberately tormenting us. Bring our children back already! All 58 of them,' Zangauker said in a post on the X social media platform. Charred debris is scattered on the ground at the site of Israeli strikes on a displacement tent camp, in the Mawasi area west of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on May 18, 2025. — AFP pic Tents ablaze One of Israel's overnight strikes hit a tent encampment housing displaced families in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, killing women and children, wounding dozens and setting several tents ablaze. Hamas described the strike as a 'new brutal crime' and blamed the US administration for the escalation. Among the dozens killed earlier on Sunday were five journalists, some with their families. Zakaria Al-Sinwar, the brother of the Hamas leader, and three of his children were killed in an Israeli airstrike on their tent in central Gaza, medics said. He was a history lecturer at a Gaza university. Both men are the brothers of former Hamas chief Yehya Al-Sinwar, who was killed by Israel last October. Gaza's healthcare system is barely operational because of repeated Israeli bombardment and raids on hospitals. The blockade on aid supplies has compounded its difficulties, and worsened widespread hunger, for which Israel blames Hamas. 'Hospitals are overwhelmed with a growing number of casualties, many are children,' Deqran said. Later on Sunday, the Gaza Health Ministry said the Indonesian Hospital, one of the largest partially functioning medical facilities in north Gaza, had ceased operating because of Israeli fire near and at the vicinity. The Israeli military had no immediate comment. Staff at Shifa Hospital, Gaza's largest, urged people to donate blood because of the overwhelming number of casualties. Hospital officials said they received 40 dead and dozens of wounded overnight because of the continued Israeli strikes. The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service said 75 per cent of its ambulances had stopped operating because of fuel shortages amid Israel's ban on imports. It warned that unless fuel is allowed back within 72 hours all vehicles may stop. Israel's declared goal in Gaza is the elimination of the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas, which attacked Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and seizing about 250 hostages. The Israeli military campaign has devastated the enclave, pushing nearly all residents from their homes and killing more than 53,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities. — Reuters Palestinians clear the rubble from a house that was hit in Israeli strikes at the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip May 18, 2025. — AFP pic
