Latest news with #OperationGideonsChariots
LBCI
2 days ago
- General
- LBCI
As Gaza assault widens, criticism mounts in Israel over stalled deal
Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian Israel responded to Hamas' demand to amend the "Witkoff proposal"—specifically the call for a ceasefire in Gaza—by doubling down on its military campaign and expanding the ongoing Operation "Gideon's Chariots." In a closed security meeting, Israel decided to increase military pressure, particularly in the northern Gaza Strip, following intelligence reports indicating that Hamas' Gaza Brigade commander, Ezz al-Din al-Haddad, may be present in the area. As families of Israeli hostages and critics of the government blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for obstructing a potential deal, sources familiar with the negotiations said the United States is continuing efforts to draft a new proposal acceptable to both sides. However, ministers in Israel's ruling coalition have rejected any new or previous proposals. Meanwhile, as the Israeli military continues its large-scale mobilization—reaching 450,000 reservists—an Israeli report said the army has established a one-kilometer-wide buffer zone along the length of the Gaza Strip. Civilians are now barred from entering areas up to three kilometers from this zone. The army has announced control over 80% of the Gaza Strip, where homes, factories, and farmland have been systematically destroyed. Even fishermen have been prohibited from returning to work.
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
How Netanyahu finally lost Europe
Less than two years after the Hamas October 7 terror attack on Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu has lost Europe. The continent's most influential leaders rallied behind Israel's right to defend itself and the subsequent war on the terrorist group, but new military tactics involving massive air strikes, food and aid shortages have sapped that goodwill. Operation Gideon's Chariots aims, for the first time, to seize and hold huge swathes of the Gaza Strip, rather than attacking Hamas in a given area, then moving on. It involves ordering the entire civilian population to a 'humanitarian zone' in the south, and follows, until last week, a two-and-half-month block on aid. Now there are increasingly loud European calls for an arms embargo to end the relentless prosecution of a war many see as already won. The starkest sign of the estrangement came on Monday, when Germany, Israel's strongest ally in Europe, warned it would not export weapons used to break humanitarian law. Friedrich Merz, the centre-Right Chancellor, attacked the air strikes as 'no longer comprehensible'. Such words carry extra significance because of the legacy of the Holocaust. Germany has a policy of special responsibility for Israel, which means it almost always backs it to the hilt. It is also its second-largest global arms supplier behind the United States. But public opinion is shifting, and there are calls from Mr Merz's coalition partners to impose the arms embargo or risk German complicity in war crimes. The rebuke from Israel was furious. Foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar warned that any attempt to block weapons from getting to Israel would result in the country's destruction and 'another Holocaust'. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is a member of Mr Merz's Christian Democrats. The German politician was criticised for freelancing after travelling to Israel after October 7 and giving a full-throated endorsement of its right to defend itself, in breach of EU convention. On Monday, she accused Israel of using 'disproportionate force' in an 'abhorrent' escalation and called for an immediate ceasefire. The EU is now reviewing its trade agreement with Israel, after a request by the Netherlands, which was backed by 17 of the bloc's 27 member states. Britain shelved trade talks with Israel last week, condemning Israel's refusal to allow thousands of aid trucks access to Palestinians. On this, as on Russia's illegal war in Ukraine, London is working in coordination with Berlin and Paris. Ireland and Spain faced accusations of anti-Semitism after they formally recognised Palestine in May last year. Once outliers in Europe, they are seeing other countries move closer to their position. Earlier this week, Spain hosted an international meeting in Madrid, attended by Britain, Germany, Italy and others, and called for an arms embargo on Israel. Ireland has begun work on a ban on Israeli imports from occupied Palestinian territories and said it hopes to convince its EU allies to follow suit. Unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state probably ranks second in Israel's list of diplomatic nightmares after a weapons embargo. France, home to the largest Jewish population in Europe, is currently leading this effort. This has prompted behind-the-scenes accusations of betrayal in Jerusalem, with sources claiming they had been assured that Emmanuel Macron's government would not do this. The great moment of danger for Israel is a conference Mr Macron is convening along with the Saudis next month, beginning on June 17 at which, it is feared, more European declarations of Palestinian state recognition might emerge. Germany, it is thought, still opposes a move that would expose Israel's growing international isolation. The EU is Israel's largest trading partner, but its most important ally remains the US, by far its largest arms supplier. What started as a honeymoon period in US-Israel relations at the start of Donald Trump's second term has, if not soured, then certainly cooled since January. Mr Netanyahu is frustrated that Mr Trump is prioritising a nuclear deal with Iran, which prevents Israeli strikes on the Iranian nuclear programme. Mr Trump is frustrated by the quagmire in Gaza and the lack of progress on hostages. But few seriously believe the Republican establishment, with its evangelical Christian core, will allow Mr Trump to drift too far from Israel. So Mr Netanyahu remains unrepentant and on the offensive. Last week, the UK, France and Canada warned they would take 'concrete actions' against Israel unless it allowed aid back in. Mr Netanyahu hit back, accusing the three leaders of being on the wrong side of history. One Israeli diplomatic source told The Telegraph: 'There was a real feeling of betrayal about Keir Starmer's involvement. 'There is a view here that France is unpredictable and just does what it does and Canada isn't that important. However, Britain is important, particularly because it's been such an ally in the past in the fight against terrorism and given such tangible support.'
The National
23-05-2025
- Health
- The National
Patients stranded as northern Gaza's last hospitals shut down
Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza All hospitals in northern Gaza have ceased operations after days of intense Israeli assaults, leaving hundreds of patients and displaced people with no access to life-saving care. Israeli tanks entered the courtyard of Al Awda Hospital at dawn on Thursday, firing shells that hit the surgery wing, said Dr Raafat Al Majdalawi. Gaza's Indonesian Hospital – the only other infirmary that was still offering services in the north – was forced to shut down earlier this week. The tanks at Al Awda also fired at the main hospital building, hitting water tanks and fuel reserves, starting fires that spread throughout the complex, said Dr Al Majdalawi, director general of the Al Awda Health and Community Association. He said 130 people were inside at the time – patients, medical staff and administrators. Although the Israeli tanks withdrew by morning, Al Awda remained under heavy fire and is no longer operational. "It is deeply tragic that northern Gaza is now without medical services," said Khalil Al Daqran, a spokesman for the Ministry of Health in Gaza, told The National. "Thousands still need treatment but due to the relentless military operations, hospital sieges and targeted bombardments, medical care has become inaccessible. This is not just a violation of international law, it is a deliberate act of cruelty." Israel has this month launched a new military offensive known as Operation Gideon's Chariots, under which it plans to take control of the entire Gaza strip, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The war has devastated Gaza's health sector and led to a critical shortage of supplies. Israel this week allowed limited aid deliveries to resume after a two-month blockade, but as of Thursday the UN said fewer than 200 aid lorries had arrived, compared to thousands each week during a ceasefire from January to March. The situation is especially dire given that Al Awda and the Indonesian Hospital were the last medical complexes standing in northern Gaza. Patients at a third hospital, Kamal Adwan, were placed under an Israeli eviction notice in December before troops stormed the building. It had continued to function as a basic first aid station, offering limited emergency services despite sustaining severe damage. However, last Friday and Saturday, the remaining medical teams were forced to evacuate due to intense bombardment and gunfire in the area. Israeli military vehicles then approached the Indonesian Hospital on Sunday, demolishing part of a wall after arriving at its northern perimeter. The following morning, Israeli forces set fire to the hospital's generators, completely cutting power and stranding staff and patients inside. At Al Awda, Israeli tanks "roamed the hospital grounds for hours" before withdrawing, Dr Al Majdalawi told The National. "During the incursion, they set fire to the tents of the outpatient clinics. Several staff members and volunteers suffered minor injuries. "We hold the Israeli occupation fully responsible for their safety and well-being. We urgently call on the international community and the World Health Organisation to intervene and protect the hospital." Amjad Shawa, director of the Palestinian NGO Network, told The National the health system had "completely collapsed". He said thousands of civilians in northern Gaza would now be left without any access to medical care. "All hospitals are out of service. This is a humanitarian catastrophe," he said. "What we are witnessing is a calculated and systematic campaign to eliminate the healthcare infrastructure in northern Gaza." He accused the Israeli military of committing war crimes by targeting hospitals, medical personnel and patients. Israel says Hamas uses hospitals as military bases and command centres. Health officials are urging the UN, the WHO and international human rights groups to take immediate action to protect medical services and ensure the safety of healthcare workers and civilians. Without international intervention, health officials warn more lives will be lost, not just from air strikes, but from the total collapse of Gaza's ability to care for its sick and wounded.
The Guardian
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
If aid doesn't enter Gaza now, 14,000 babies may die. UN peacekeepers must step in
On Monday, Israel launched an intensive ground offensive named Operation Gideon's Chariots as part of its plan to cause as much pain and damage as possible to everyone in Gaza. Israel has announced its intent to gain full indefinite control over Gaza, in effect aiming for annexation. This was after the international court of justice found Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and demanded it end its occupation as rapidly as possible and provide full reparations to Palestinians. Israel's increased violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory also comes after it denied all food, water and supplies from entering Gaza for over 75 days. In March, child acute malnutrition increased by more than 80%. The price of wheat flour has increased by 3,000% since February. The World Food Programme ran out of food for kitchens in Gaza on 25 April and the World Central Kitchen closed its operations on 7 May. If adequate aid does not enter Gaza immediately, 14,000 Palestinian babies may die. None of this is new, since Israel has been using hunger as a weapon against civilians in Gaza since 2000. When Benjamin Netanyahu announced on 1 March that the 'entry of all goods & supplies to the Gaza Strip [would] be halted', he was flagrantly defying international law – snubbing the international criminal court warrant calling for his arrest for the war crime of starvation and the international court of justice provisional measures in March 2024 recognizing that famine and starvation was rampant in Gaza, creating a risk of genocide. Israeli officials, along with the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, have conditioned the provision of humanitarian relief to Palestinian civilians on Hamas's release of hostages. While hostage-taking is banned under international law, there is no situation in which humanitarian aid to civilians can be used as a bargaining chip. Last week, Hamas released Edan Alexander, the last living US citizen that they held. Soon after, on Monday, with Israel's permission, the UN arranged for nine trucks to go to Gaza, followed by another 93 trucks on Tuesday. This is welcome but still amounts to almost nothing. Before October 2023, 50% of people in Gaza were hungry and 80% relied on humanitarian relief – and this was when 500 trucks of supplies were coming in every day. After 19 months of a starvation campaign, Palestinians in Gaza need a lot more than 500 trucks a day. Israel has put forward an aid plan for Gaza that has been described by the UN secretary general as not based on international legal principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality but rather a system of 'controlling and callously limiting aid down to the last calorie and grain of flour'. Israel's aid plan is designed to forcibly displace and concentrate Palestinians into southern Gaza all under the close screening and surveillance of mercenaries or Israeli armed forces. The UN has described the plan as a 'military strategy' and a 'deliberate attempt to weaponize aid'. Unicef has said that Israel is using aid as 'bait' to lure civilians into militarized zones, forcing civilians to choose between 'displacement and death'. Last week, Tom Fletcher, under secretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, briefed the UN security council on the humanitarian situation and the protection of aid workers in Gaza. Fletcher was very clear: 'Israel is deliberately and unashamedly imposing inhumane conditions on civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.' He described the Israeli-designed aid plan plainly: 'It practically excludes many, including people with disabilities, women, children, the elderly, the wounded … It makes aid conditional on political and military aims. It makes starvation a bargaining chip. It is cynical sideshow. A deliberate distraction. A fig leaf for further violence and displacement.' The US may be taking over the aid plan in Israel. The US government operation will be run by a private foundation, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, and supported by Israeli military protection. This private foundation is opaque with no clear details about its source of funding or how it will operate in Gaza. Regardless of who runs it, this 'made in Israel' plan has been rejected by the UN and has been determined by UN-supported experts to be a plan that will not prevent famine. All this while hundreds of UN humanitarian trucks are at the Gaza borders ready to enter and take advantage of the long-standing relief networks. Recently, when an unarmed civilian ship tried to bring humanitarian aid into Gaza, it was bombed by a drone in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. While Israel's brutality and the US's callousness aligns with their public statements, the international response has been slow and ghastly. On Monday, the UK, France, and Canada stated: 'If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response.' On Tuesday, the UK suspended trade negotiations with Israel. For 19 months I have closely followed the situation in Gaza, bearing witness to how 1 million children in Gaza have been starved by Israel. At this point, unsubstantiated political threats and suspended trade negotiations ring hollow. Fletcher called upon the security council to act now to prevent genocide. But the security council is predictably debilitated by the US veto. What is to be done? When the security council fails to act to a threat of peace or security because of veto, the UN charter empowers the UN general assembly to step in through what's called the 'Uniting for Peace' provision. Under this provision, the general assembly can pass a resolution calling for UN peacekeepers to accompany humanitarian convoys and deliver the necessary aid into Gaza, regardless of Israel's plans and permissions. The UN general assembly must break the illegal blockade and stop the starvation of 2.3 million Palestinians. Michael Fakhri is a UN special rapporteur on the right to food
The National
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Hamas's Mohammed Sinwar 'probably killed' by Israel
Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza Israel has 'probably killed' prominent Hamas figure Mohammed Sinwar, brother of the group's former leader Yahya Sinwar, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said. Mohammed Sinwar was believed to wield effective control over Hamas's military wing. Rumours of his death had abounded after an air strike on a hospital in Gaza this month, but neither Israel nor Hamas had confirmed them. Defending Israel's conduct of the war on Wednesday, Mr Netanyahu said his troops had 'got rid of dozens of terrorists' as he named Mohammed Sinwar as one of those believed dead. Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader believed to have masterminded the October 7 attack on Israel in 2023, was killed in Gaza last year after a months-long manhunt by the Israeli military. In a press conference after two days of intense criticism over the war in Gaza, Mr Netanyahu said Israel was prepared to enter a 'temporary ceasefire' to allow for hostages to return. He said there were 20 Israeli hostages who were 'certainly alive'. 'If there is an option for a temporary ceasefire to free hostages, we'll be ready,' he said. A previous truce ran from January to March, before Israel began seizing large parts of territory in a resumed assault on Gaza. Mr Netanyahu said all of Gaza would be under Israeli control by the time his troops end their new offensive in the strip, known as Operation Gideon's Chariots. The prolonged conflict – and an 11-week blockade on aid entering Gaza – has eroded Israel's support among its last remaining allies. The UN says no humanitarian aid has yet been distributed in Gaza since limited deliveries resumed this week after a two-month Israeli blockade. So far 'none of the supplies have been able to leave the Karam Abu Salem loading area', said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. He said the delay was because Israeli authorities had only allowed access within Gaza 'that we felt was insecure', and where looting was likely due to prolonged deprivation. Israel says 98 lorries entered Gaza through the crossing on Monday and Tuesday, carrying goods such as baby food, flour and medicine.
