Latest news with #PalestineRedCrescent
New York Times
3 days ago
- General
- New York Times
More Than 20 Killed Near Aid Distribution Site in Gaza, Palestinian Health Officials Say
More than 20 people were killed in southern Gaza on Sunday near an American-Israeli aid distribution site, according to Palestinian health officials, as hungry Palestinians gathered en masse hoping to receive some food from the facility. It was not immediately clear who had opened fire in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said its paramedics had evacuated at least 23 killed and 23 wounded from the area, all with gunshot wounds. The Israeli military said it was not aware of any injuries caused by Israeli fire 'within the humanitarian aid site,' but did not immediately rule out shooting nearby. Hamas accused Israeli forces of attacking people who had gathered to seek food. The New York Times could not verify the circumstances of the attack. Over the past week, Israel has launched a contentious plan to overhaul aid distribution in Gaza. Israeli officials say the new system run mainly by American contractors of four sites in southern Gaza would prevent Hamas from seizing the food, fuel and other goods, but aid agencies have criticized the initiative. Huge crowds of Gazans have headed for the new aid sites, hoping to receive a box of food supplies. While some days have gone relatively smoothly, there have also been chaotic scenes, including one instance in which Israeli forces fired what they described as warning shots. The United Nations and other major humanitarian relief groups have boycotted the sites, accusing Israel of wielding aid as part of its military strategy. U.N. officials said there was little evidence that Hamas systematically diverted relief. Critics in Israel have warned the effort could be the first step toward establishing formal Israeli rule over Gaza. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Al Jazeera
27-05-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Israeli forces raid foreign exchange shops in occupied West Bank; one dead
Israeli forces have raided money exchanges across the occupied West Bank, using live fire and tear gas as they stormed the city of Nablus, killing at least one Palestinian and wounding more than 30. Exchange shops in the cities of Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron Arrabeh, el-Bireh, Bethlehem, Jenin and Tubas were attacked on Tuesday, residents said. In the northern city of Nablus, Israeli soldiers raided a foreign exchange belonging to the Al-Khaleej company and a gold store, according to local media reports. They also fired smoke bombs in the centre of Jenin, and streets were closed in Tubas and Bethlehem in the occupied Palestinian territory. The Ramallah-based Ministry of Health said one man was killed and eight injured by live ammunition during a raid in Nablus. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said it treated 20 people for tear gas inhalation and three injured by rubber bullets. The raids on foreign exchanges came as Israel continued its intensified military campaign in Gaza, killing more than 54,000 Palestinians since the war began on October 7, 2023, as tens of thousands of people starve in the besieged enclave. Israeli Army Radio on Tuesday said Israel conducted the raids on foreign exchanges on suspicions that the shops supported 'terrorism'. The radio station also said the operation resulted in the confiscation of large amounts of money designated for 'terrorism infrastructure' in the West Bank. 'Israeli forces are taking action against Al-Khaleej Exchange Company due to its connections with terrorist organisations,' a leaflet left by Israeli forces at the company's Ramallah location read. Al Jazeera's Hamdah Salhut said Israeli authorities have not released an official statement yet but an official talked to the Israeli media about the raids. 'This official said earlier that Israel 'believes' – not that it has any evidence or proof – but 'believes' that these cash exchange places are funnelling money to what they call terror organisations,' said Salhut, who was reporting from Amman, Jordan, because Israel has banned Al Jazeera from reporting from Israel and the West Bank. 'The people who own these shops say they were not given any sort of proof by the Israeli military,' she added. Salhut said it was the fourth time such raids have taken place since the start of the Israeli genocide in Gaza. 'The first time was in December of 2023 when five different cash exchange places were raided by the Israeli military and they seized nearly $3m,' she said. 'It happened again in August 2024 and again in September of that same year.' Hamas denounced the Israeli raids, saying they 'constitute a new chapter in the occupation's open war against the Palestinian people, their lives, their economy, and all the foundations of their steadfastness and perseverance on their land'. 'These assaults on economic institutions, accompanied by the looting of large sums of money and the confiscation of property, are an extension of the piracy policies adopted by the [Israeli] occupation government,' the Palestinian group said in a statement, adding that the targeted companies were 'operating within the law'. Hamas urged the Palestinian Authority to take measures against the Israeli attacks. Separately, the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement said the raids are 'part of the open war against our people, targeting their very existence and cause'. The group also urged the Palestinian Authority to 'defend' Palestinians from such attacks and 'halt its policy of security coordination' with Israel.
Reuters
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Medic survived Gaza shootings by pleading in Hebrew, Palestinian Red Crescent says
GENEVA, May 22 (Reuters) - The head of the Palestinian Red Crescent said on Thursday that a paramedic who survived an attack that killed 15 aid workers was spared because he asked Israeli soldiers for mercy in Hebrew, adding that he hoped the man's testimony would help win justice. Assad Al-Nassasrah, a Red Crescent paramedic, survived shootings that killed 15 emergency and aid workers on March 23 in southern Gaza in an incident that drew international condemnation. Their bodies were found buried in a shallow grave a week later by Red Crescent and U.N. officials who accused Israeli forces of killing them. Al-Nassasrah went missing and then was freed from Israeli detention on April 29 and has not yet publicly commented. One other paramedic survived. Younis Al-Khatib, president of the Palestine Red Crescent Society, told reporters in Geneva that Al-Nassasrah was spared after he pleaded in Hebrew and said his mother was a Palestinian citizen of Israel. "What does Assad say in Hebrew? 'Don't shoot. I am Israeli.' And the soldier got a bit confused," he told reporters. "That confusion ... made him survive." "Assad will be a witness that can put all the Israeli stories in shambles," he added. Israel's prime minister's office and its diplomatic mission in Geneva did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Israeli military initially said its soldiers had opened fire on vehicles that approached their position "suspiciously" in the dark without lights or markings. It said they killed six militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad who were travelling in Red Crescent vehicles. But video recovered from the mobile phone of one of the dead men and published by the PRCS showed emergency workers in their uniforms and clearly marked ambulances and fire trucks, with their lights on, being fired on by soldiers. On April 20, the Israeli military said a review into the incident had found there had been "several professional failures". It said a deputy commander, a reservist who was the field commander, would be dismissed. The military advocate general is conducting its own investigation and criminal charges could be pursued, according to the military. Asked how Al-Nassasrah was treated in custody, Al-Khatib said: "like a Palestinian". He said Al-Nassasrah had been interrogated and that he had mental health issues, but did not elaborate further. Social media footage shared by the Palestinian Red Crescent dated the day after his release showed Al-Nassasrah crying as he hugged medics and looking dazed while being examined in a Gaza hospital. Eight of those killed were from the PRCS, which provides medical aid in Gaza and is part of the world's largest humanitarian network. Al-Khatib said the organisation was working with lawyers and considering formal submissions to international courts and to the U.N. Security Council. "We think the international community is responsible to provide justice to those killed," he said. "We don't train our people to go and die."
Days of Palestine
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Six-Year-Old Hind Rajab's Killer Identified
DaysofPal- After a year-long investigation, the Hind Rajab Foundation has reportedly identified the Israeli occupation unit and its commanding officer responsible for the killing of six-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, along with her family members and two medics who attempted to rescue her. The foundation, established in memory of the young victim, released a detailed statement holding the unit accountable for targeting a civilian vehicle and deliberately destroying a Palestine Red Crescent ambulance dispatched to save Hind. According to the foundation's findings, an Israeli tank unit operating under the direction of the identified commander attacked on January 29, 2024. The strike targeted the civilian car carrying Hind and six of her family members. All but Hind were killed instantly. For hours, the critically injured child remained alive, whispering into a phone connected to ambulance dispatchers, 'I'm so scared… please come.' Tragically, the ambulance sent to rescue her met the same fate as the family's vehicle. The Israeli occupation forces fired on the medical team, killing two medics inside the ambulance and leaving Hind stranded until she succumbed to her injuries. A Call for Accountability The Hind Rajab Foundation vowed to pursue justice relentlessly, stating that they would hold every individual involved in the incident accountable—'those who gave the orders, those who fired, those who covered it up, and those who let it happen.' In their statement, the organization urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants against those implicated. 'This was not an accident or a mistake,' the foundation emphasized. 'It was a calculated act of violence against unarmed civilians and humanitarian workers. We demand full accountability for this crime.' The Attack and Its Aftermath Eyewitness accounts and investigative reports compiled by the foundation paint a chilling picture of the events leading up to Hind's death. On the day of the attack, Hind's family had been traveling in their private vehicle when Israeli tanks opened fire without warning. The vehicle was reduced to rubble, trapping the family inside. While most perished immediately, Hind survived long enough to make contact with emergency services, pleading for help in heartbreaking detail. When the ambulance arrived at the scene, witnesses reported seeing it clearly marked with the emblem of the Palestine Red Crescent Society—a universally recognized symbol of medical neutrality. Despite this, Israeli occupation forces allegedly targeted the ambulance, obliterating any chance of survival for Hind and murdering the two medics aboard. The foundation's investigation included testimonies from survivors, analysis of satellite imagery, and cross-referencing communications between Israeli military units during the time of the attack. These efforts led them to pinpoint the specific tank unit and its commander responsible for the operation. International Outcry and Calls for Justice The identification of the unit and commander has reignited calls for accountability amid widespread condemnation of Israeli crimes in Gaza. Human rights organizations have repeatedly accused Israeli occupation forces of systematically violating international law by targeting civilians and obstructing humanitarian aid. Hind's case has become emblematic of the broader atrocities faced by Palestinians in Gaza, where thousands of children have been killed or maimed since the escalation of hostilities in October 2023. Her story has drawn global attention, with activists and advocacy groups demanding action from international bodies such as the ICC and the United Nations. In response to the foundation's findings, Amnesty International issued a statement calling for an independent inquiry into the incident. 'This is yet another example of Israeli disregard for human life and its blatant violations of international humanitarian law,' the statement read. 'The international community must act decisively to ensure justice for Hind Rajab and countless others like her.' Hind's Legacy The Hind Rajab Foundation continues to honor her memory through advocacy and education initiatives aimed at raising awareness about the plight of Palestinian children living under occupation. Their work underscores the urgent need for accountability and systemic change to prevent future tragedies. As Hind's final words echo in the minds of those fighting for justice—'I'm so scared… please come'—her story serves as both a reminder of the horrors endured by innocent civilians in Gaza and a rallying cry for humanity to hold perpetrators of war crimes accountable. Shortlink for this post:
Roya News
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
Palestine Red Crescent says 'Israel' army probe into medics' killing full of lies
The Palestine Red Crescent rejected the findings of an 'Israeli' military investigation that blamed operational failures for the killing of 15 Gaza emergency service workers, denouncing the report as "full of lies". "The report is full of lies. It is invalid and unacceptable, as it justifies the killing and shifts responsibility to a personal error in the field command when the truth is quite different," Nebal Farsakh, spokesperson for the Red Crescent, told AFP. Earlier on Sunday, the head of an 'Israeli' military probe into the killing of 15 Palestinian emergency workers in Gaza acknowledged a "mistake" on the part of troops involved in the incident. "We're saying it was a mistake, we don't think it's a daily mistake," Major General Yoav Har-Even told journalists when asked if he thought the incident represented a pervasive issue within the 'Israeli' military. The military also confirmed detaining one medic since the incident on March 23.
