Latest news with #Palestini
The Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Israel blames UN for Gaza aid delays amid soaring death toll
ISRAEL accused the United Nations Wednesday of seeking to 'block' Gaza aid distribution, as the global body said it was doing its utmost to gather the limited assistance greenlighted by Israel's authorities. The humanitarian situation in Gaza, where Israel has imposed a two-month aid blockade, is dire, with food security experts saying starvation is looming for one in five people. 'While the UN spreads panic and makes declarations detached from reality, the state of Israel is steadily facilitating the entry of aid into Gaza,' Israel's United Nations Ambassador Danny Danon told the Security Council. He said the assistance was entering by trucks -- under limited authorization by Israel at the Kerem Shalom crossing since last week following the blockade -- and via a 'new distribution mechanism developed in coordination with the US and key international partners.' Danon was referring to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private, US-backed aid group that has established its own distribution system, one the United Nations considers contrary to its humanitarian principles. A chaotic distribution of aid at a GHF center Tuesday left 47 people wounded. Israel's ambassador blamed Hamas for the tumult, saying the Palestinian group set up roadblocks and checkpoints to block access to the distribution center. He accused the UN of 'trying to block' the aid. The United Nations 'is using threats, intimidation and retaliation against NGOs that choose to participate in the new humanitarian mechanism,' Danon added. 'Will not participate' Danon specifically accused the United Nations of having removed these nongovernmental organizations from a database listing groups working in Gaza, an accusation rejected by the UN. 'There are no differences between the current list and the one from before the launch of the GHF,' Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told AFP. But the UN reiterated its opposition to coordinating with GHF. 'We will not participate in operations that do not meet our humanitarian principles,' insisted Dujarric. He also said the UN was doing all it could to gather the aid arriving through Kerem Shalom. Since last week 800 truckloads were approved by Israel but fewer than 500 made it into Gaza, according to Dujarric. 'We and our partners could collect just over 200 of them, limited by insecurity and restricted access,' he said. 'If we're not able to pick up those goods, I can tell you one thing, it is not for lack of trying.' Danon had said 'more than 400 trucks' full of aid were already on the Gaza side of the crossing and that Israel had provided 'safe routes' for the distribution. 'But the UN did not show up,' the Israeli envoy said. 'Put your ego aside, pick up the aid and do your job.' Israeli military operations in Gaza have killed at least 54,804 people, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry there. The UN considers the figures reliable. The punishing offensive has reduced much of the Palestinian territory to rubble -- including hospitals, schools and other basic infrastructure -- and resulted in the displacement of almost all of its roughly two million people. Israel launched its operations in response to the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, which killed 1,218 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
The Hill
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
2 staff members of Israeli Embassy killed in shooting near Jewish museum in DC
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington were shot and killed Wednesday evening while leaving an event at a Jewish museum, and the suspect yelled, 'Free, free Palestine' after he was arrested, police said. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. Lischinsky was a research assistant, and Milgrim organized visits and missions to Israel. They were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum when the suspect approached a group of four people and opened fire, Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said at a news conference. The suspect, identified as Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, was observed pacing outside the museum before the shooting, walked into the museum after the shooting and was detained by event security, Smith said. When he was taken into custody, the suspect began chanting, 'Free, free Palestine,' Smith said. She said law enforcement did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the community. The stunning attack prompted Israeli missions to beef up their security. The shooting comes as Israel has launched another major offensive in the Gaza Strip in a war with Hamas that has heightened tensions across the Middle East and internationally. 'These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!' President Donald Trump posted on social media early Thursday. 'Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's office said Thursday that he was 'shocked' by the 'horrific, antisemitic' shooting. 'We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against Israel,' he said in a statement. Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter said the two people killed were a young couple about to be engaged, saying the man had purchased a ring this week with the intent to propose next week in Jerusalem. Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Mike Herzog told Israeli Army Radio that the woman killed was an American employee of the embassy and the man was Israeli. Attorney General Pam Bondi said she was at the scene with former judge Jeanine Pirro, who serves as the U.S. attorney in Washington and whose office would prosecute the case. The statement from Netanyahu's office said he spoke to Bondi, who told him Trump was 'involved in managing the incident' and the U.S. would bring the perpetrator to justice. It was not immediately clear whether Rodriguez had an attorney who could comment on his behalf. A telephone number listed in public records rang unanswered. Dan Bongino, deputy director of the FBI, wrote in a post on social media that 'early indicators are that this is an act of targeted violence.' The influential pan-Arab satellite channel Al Jazeera aired on a loop what appeared to be mobile phone footage of the alleged gunman, wearing a suit jacket and slacks, being pulled away after the shooting, his hands behind his back. The war in the Gaza Strip began with the Palestinian militant group Hamas coming out of Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, to kill 1,200 people and take some 250 hostages back to the coastal enclave. In the time since, Israel's devastating campaign in Gaza has killed more than 53,000 people, mostly women and children, according to local health authorities, whose count doesn't differentiate between combatants and civilians. The fighting has displaced 90% of the territory's roughly 2 million population, sparked a hunger crisis and obliterated vast swaths of Gaza's urban landscape. The violence occurred following the American Jewish Committee's annual Young Diplomats reception at the museum. 'This is a shocking act of violence and our community is holding each other tighter tonight,' Ted Deutch, American Jewish Committee's chief executive, said in a statement early Thursday. 'At this painful moment, we mourn with the victims' families, loved ones, and all of Israel. May their memories be for a blessing.' Yoni Kalin and Katie Kalisher were inside the museum when they heard gunshots and a man came inside looking distressed, they said. Kalin said people came to his aid and brought him water, thinking he needed help, without realizing he was the suspect. When police arrived, he pulled out a red keffiyeh and repeatedly yelled, 'Free Palestine,'' Kalin said. 'This event was about humanitarian aid,' Kalin said. 'How can we actually help both the people in Gaza and the people in Israel? How can we bring together Muslims and Jews and Christians to work together to actually help innocent people? And then here he is just murdering two people in cold blood.' Last week, the Capital Jewish Museum was one of the local nonprofits in Washington awarded funding from a $500,000 grant program to increase its security. The museum's leaders were concerned because it is a Jewish organization and due to its new LGBTQ exhibit, according to NBC4 Washington. 'We recognize that there are threats associated with this as well,' Executive Director Beatrice Gurwitz told the TV station. 'And again, we want to ensure that our space is as welcoming and secure for everybody who comes here while we are exploring these stories.' In response to the shooting, the museum said in a statement that they are 'deeply saddened and horrified by the senseless violence outside the Museum this evening.' The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington CEO Gil Preuss said in a statement that he was horrified by the shooting and mourned the loss of the two people killed. 'Our hearts are with their families and loved ones, and with all of those who are impacted by this tragic act of antisemitic violence,' he said. Israeli diplomats in the past have been targeted by violence, both by state-backed assailants and Palestinian militants over the decades of the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict that grew out of the founding of Israel in 1948. The Palestinians seek Gaza and the West Bank for a future state, with east Jerusalem as its capital — lands Israel captured in the 1967 war. However, the peace process between the sides has been stalled for years. — AP writers Alanna Durkin Richer, Hallie Golden and Jon Gambrell contributed.
Al Jazeera
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
A timeline of Israel's weaponisation of aid to Gaza
Israel has repeatedly used food and international humanitarian aid as a tool of collective pressure against Palestinians over 17 months of its devastating war on the Gaza Strip. Civilians in the enclave have been subjected to extreme food shortages and famine-like conditions throughout the war. Dozens of children have died of starvation, and countless others have succumbed to wounds or preventable illnesses during a deteriorating man-made humanitarian disaster. Israeli authorities continue to starve Palestinians in the besieged enclave, which is home to 2.3 million people, after having blocked the entry of desperately needed humanitarian aid once again in early March. And on March 18, Israel unilaterally broke a ceasefire that had held since January, relaunching attacks across Gaza, and killing hundreds more Palestinians. The combination of the bombs and debilitating humanitarian situation is rapidly worsening conditions for the people of Gaza, but it has been a constant since the beginning of the war in October 2023. Here's a closer look at how Israel has used aid to punish Gaza: October 2023 Then-Defence Minister Yoav Gallant promises action against 'human animals', and orders a 'complete siege'. Thirteen months later, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issues an arrest warrant against Gallant and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges that include the 'war crime of starvation as a method of warfare'. The Israeli military eventually allows an extremely limited number of aid trucks to enter the enclave after international pressure. The United Nations and international aid agencies report that the amount of aid entering Gaza is highly inadequate to meet the needs of the population, most of whom are children. The temporary cessation of attacks enables several limited exchanges of captives held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, but there is no promise for an end to the war or for the return of Palestinians forced out of their homes as a result of the fighting. The Gaza truce then ends a week after it started, and relentless Israeli attacks restart, killing more civilians, journalists, aid workers and doctors along with Hamas figures. The Israeli military carries out numerous similar attacks on life-saving aid convoys, often saying 'terrorists' are being targeted but without providing evidence. The UN and other international agencies and aid workers repeatedly report that the Israeli authorities intentionally block many aid trucks meant to enter the enclave. Israeli attacks along with blocked aid and dire conditions created by Israeli ground offensives and destruction across Gaza also lead to aid convoys being attacked and looted. Far-right Israelis also on numerous occasions either attack aid convoys or try to stop them from entering Gaza. April 2024 The WCK is forced to halt its humanitarian operations, similar to many other international aid organisations that temporarily or permanently stop their assistance to Palestinians. An investigation by Al Jazeera's Sanad verification agency finds that the three WCK vehicles were intentionally hit, adding to a record death toll of hundreds of mostly Palestinian aid workers killed since the start of Israel's war on Gaza. The siege on the north, which is accompanied by Israeli attacks across other parts of Gaza, lasts until a ceasefire with Hamas comes into effect on January 19, 2025. The entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza is heavily restricted by Israel throughout the winter amid low temperatures. Far-right Israeli government ministers, chief among them Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, call for the blockage of all humanitarian aid and for a military occupation of Gaza, preferring this to the option of a ceasefire. Israel allows more trucks to enter Gaza in the days after the truce comes into effect, but the volume of aid is much less than what had been agreed upon in the ceasefire. As babies die from the cold, the Israeli government prevents the entry of thousands of mobile homes meant to shelter displaced Palestinians along with heavy equipment required to clear the rubble of destroyed homes and infrastructure.
NBC News
26-01-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Qatar says deal is in place to release Israeli hostage and allow Palestinians into northern Gaza
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Qatar announced early Monday that an agreement has been reached to release an Israeli civilian hostage and allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, easing the first major crisis of the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The statement from Qatar, a mediator in ceasefire talks, said Hamas will hand over the civilian hostage, Arbel Yehoud, along with two other hostages before Friday. On Monday, Israeli authorities will allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement said the hostage release — which will include soldier Agam Berger — will take place Thursday, and it confirmed that Palestinians can move north on Monday. Israel's military said people can start crossing on foot at 7 a.m. Under the ceasefire deal, Israel on Saturday was to begin allowing Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, but it put that on hold because of Yehoud, who it said should have been released that day. Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement. The release of Yehoud and two others is in addition to the one already set for next Saturday, when three hostages should be released. In addition, Hamas in a statement said the militant group had handed over a list of required information about all hostages to be released in the ceasefire's six-week first phase. The Israeli prime minister's office confirmed it had received it. Thousands of Palestinians have gathered, waiting to move north through the Netzarim corridor bisecting Gaza. Local health officials on Sunday said Israeli forces fired on the crowd, killing two people and wounding nine. U.S. President Donald Trump meanwhile suggested that most of Gaza's population be at least temporarily resettled elsewhere, including in Egypt and Jordan, to 'just clean out' the war-ravaged enclave. Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinians rejected that amid fears that Israel might never allow refugees to return. Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim said Palestinians would never accept such a proposal, 'even if seemingly well-intentioned under the guise of reconstruction.' He said the Palestinians can rebuild Gaza 'even better than before' if Israel lifts its blockade. Dispute and shootings test fragile ceasefire Israeli forces fired on the waiting crowds on three occasions overnight and into Sunday, killing two people and wounding nine, including a child, according to Al-Awda Hospital, which received the casualties. Israel's military in a statement said it fired warning shots at 'several gatherings of dozens of suspects who were advancing toward the troops and posed a threat to them.' Israel has pulled back from several areas of Gaza under the ceasefire, which came into effect last Sunday. The military has warned people to stay away from its forces, which still operate in a buffer zone inside Gaza along the border and in the Netzarim corridor. Hamas freed four female Israeli soldiers on Saturday, and Israel released some 200 Palestinian prisoners, most of whom were serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks. But Israel said Yehoud should have been released ahead of the soldiers. Hamas said it had told mediators — the United States, Egypt and Qatar — that Yehoud was alive and provided guarantees that she would be released. Frustration grew among the Palestinians waiting to go north as some warmed around bonfires against the winter cold. 'We have been in agony for a year and a half,' said Nadia Qasem. Fadi al-Sinwar, also displaced from Gaza City, said 'the fate of more than a million people is linked to one person,' referring to Yehoud. 'See how valuable we are? We are worthless,' he said. Ending the war will be difficult The ceasefire is aimed at ending the 15-month war triggered by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack and freeing hostages still held in Gaza in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Around 90 hostages are still in Gaza, and Israeli authorities believe at least a third, and up to half, have died. Itzik Horn, the father of hostages Iair and Eitan Horn, called any resumption of fighting 'a death sentence for the hostages' and criticized government ministers who want the war to go on. The ceasefire's first phase runs until early March and includes the release of 33 hostages and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The second — and far more difficult — phase, has yet to be negotiated. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining hostages without an end to the war, while Israel has threatened to resume its offensive until Hamas is destroyed. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 attack, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250. More than 100 were freed during a weeklong ceasefire in November 2023. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages and recovered the remains of dozens more, at least three of them mistakenly killed by Israeli forces. Seven have been freed in the latest ceasefire. Israel's military campaign has killed over 47,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry. It does not say how many of the dead were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence. Israeli bombardment and ground operations have flattened wide swaths of Gaza and displaced around 90% of its population of 2.3 million people. Many who have returned home since the ceasefire began have found only mounds of rubble.
Sky News
26-01-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Lebanon says 22 killed by Israeli forces as residents try to return home
Israeli forces have killed 22 people in southern Lebanon and injured more than 120 as residents try to return home, Lebanese authorities say. According to Lebanon's health ministry, citizens were attacked while they were trying to enter their still-occupied towns. Under a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, the Israeli military was supposed to have withdrawn by a Sunday deadline. But on Friday, Israel said it would keep troops in the south of the country beyond the deadline. It said Lebanese forces were not deploying quickly enough, while Lebanon said its forces cannot move into areas until Israeli troops leave. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people remain blocked from returning to northern Gaza after Israel accused Hamas of breaching a ceasefire agreement and refused to open checkpoints to allow crossings into the north. A day after a second exchange involving four Israeli women hostages held in Gaza for 200 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, scores of stranded Palestinians waited along the main roads leading north. Cars, trucks and rickshaws were overloaded with mattresses, food, and tents that served as shelters for over a year for those in the central and southern areas of the enclave. "A sea of people is waiting for a signal to move back to Gaza City and the north," said Tamer al Burai, a displaced person from Gaza City. "This is the deal that was signed, isn't it? Many of those people have no idea whether their houses back home are still standing. But they want to go regardless, they want to put up the tents next to the rubble of their houses, they want to feel home," he told the Reuters news agency via a chat app. Donald Trump has said Jordan and Egypt should take in Palestinians from war-ravaged Gaza. The US president called on the two nations to take in people either temporarily or permanently, adding: "We should just clear out the whole thing." "It's literally a demolition site, almost everything is demolished and people are dying there," he told reporters after a call with Jordan's King Abdullah. 2:40 The ceasefire deal - mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt - allows for thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to their communities. However, not long after the Israeli female soldiers were released on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would not allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza until civilian hostage Arbel Yehud was released. Israel had reportedly demanded she be on the list of the hostages released yesterday. However, she was not included by Hamas. It is thought she might be held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another militant group in the Gaza Strip. A Hamas official told Reuters she was alive and well and would be released next Saturday. The militant group later issued a statement blaming Israel for the delay and accusing it of stalling. Reacting to Mr Trump's suggestion, an official of Hamas echoed longstanding Palestinian fears about being driven permanently from their homes. Palestinians "will not accept any offers or solutions, even if [such offers] appear to have good intentions under the guise of reconstruction, as announced in the proposals of US President Trump," Basem Naim, a member of the Hamas political bureau, told the Reuters on Sunday.
