Latest news with #PalestinianCivilDefense
UPI
21-07-2025
- Politics
- UPI
At least 3 killed as Israel launches ground offensive in central Gaza
Palestinian Civil Defense personnel work in Gaza city work to rescue people from a building razed by Israeli shelling on Saturday. Photo by Palestinian Civil Defense/UPI | License Photo July 21 (UPI) -- At least three people were killed Monday as Israel launched a fresh air and ground offensive in Gaza, attacking the central area of the enclave for the first time, where tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have been sheltering. The casualties came after Israeli forces shelled Deir al-Balah and the Bureij refugee camp. They were among 17 people killed across the strip, including in the Al Mawasi area west of Khan Younis and Jabalia in the north. With aircraft and artillery providing covering fire, tanks, armored vehicles and infantry advanced into Deir al-Balah from the Kisufim checkpoint on the Gaza-Israel boundary early Monday. Giving warning of the offensive on an area it said it had not previously targeted, the Israel Defense Forces earlier ordered Palestinians to "immediately evacuate south toward Al Mawasi "for your safety." "To all those present in the southwestern area of Deir al-Balah, in blocks 130, 132-134, 136-139, 2351, including those inside the tents located in the area, The Defense Army continues to operate with great force to destroy the enemy's capabilities and terrorist infrastructure in the area, as it expands its activities in this region to operate in an area it has not operated in before," IDF spokesman Adraee Avichay wrote in a post on X. While most of Gaza is in complete ruins, Deir al-Balah has seen a massive influx of displaced people, drawn by the relative safety and still functioning infrastructure and services, which in turn has made it a hub of operations for the U.N. and other agencies. The IDF, for its part, has until now avoided attacks of any significance for fear of harming hostages who are believed to be held by Hamas in the area. The United Nations' humanitarian affairs office condemned the order for at least 50,000 Palestinians to move again, warning it would have a devastating impact on efforts to stop people from dying. "OCHA warns that today's mass displacement order issued by the Israeli military has dealt yet another devastating blow to the already fragile lifelines keeping people alive across the Gaza Strip. Today's order covers more than two square miles of Deir al Balah, spanning four neighbourhoods," it said in a news release. "Initial estimates indicate that between 50,000 and 80,000 people were in the area at the time the order was issued, including some 30,000 people sheltering in 57 displacement sites. At least 1,000 families have fled the area in recent hours." The U.N. added that the order split Deir al-Balah in two, saying it would further fragment and hamper the ability of the U.N. and other NGOs to move safely and effectively within Gaza, cutting off humanitarian access at a time when it was badly needed. The agency vowed that its staff would remain in place across multiple U.N. sites in Deir al-Balah and, having shared their coordinates with relevant bodies, called for the locations to be protected along with the civilian sites. Monday's offensive came a day after the Hamas-run health ministry said at least 67 people were killed as they were waiting for aid from the United Nations in northern Gaza. The U.N. World Food Program said its 25-truck convoy "encountered massive crowds of hungry civilians, which came under gunfire" after the trucks had cleared checkpoints. They were among 94 people killed on Sunday, according to the Gaza civil defense agency. The Gaza Health Ministry said another 19 died of starvation.
UPI
14-07-2025
- UPI
Israel admits 'technical error' in airstrike that kills 6 children
1 of 2 | Medics at Specialized Field Kuwaiti Hospital rush to evacuate and treat a number of wounded, including children, after Israeli airstrikes targeted an area sheltering displaced families in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday. Six children were killed Sunday by an errant Israeli strike while collecting water. Photo by Palestinian Civil Defense/UPI | License Photo July 13 (UPI) -- Ten people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza on Sunday, including six children who were waiting to fill water containers near a refugee camp, emergency service workers said. The victims' bodies were taken to Nuseirat's al-Awda Hospital, where 16 other people, including seven children, were treated for their inquiries sustained in the attack, the BBC reported a doctor at the hospital having said. Witnesses reported seeing a drone fired into a crowd lining up with empty yellow cans next to a water tanker parked about 260 feet from the Nuseirat Jr. High School. A kindergarten also sits nearby. The Israeli military admitted there had been what it called a "technical error" related to a strike on what it said was an Islamic jihad "terrorist" that caused the explosive to fall yards away from its intended target. The Israel Defense Forces said it is investigating the error. The IDF acknowledged a "claim regarding casualties in the area" and said it works to minimize civilian casualties to the fullest extent possible, and that it "regrets any harm to uninvolved civilians." The incident came amid an increasing number of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza in recent weeks. At least 19 other Palestinians were killed in separate attacks on Sunday in three airstrikes on residential buildings in central Gaza and Gaza City, a spokesperson for Gaza's Civil Defense Agency said. In another attack Sunday, at least nine people were killed in an airstrike, and at least 31 others were shot near an aid distribution site on Saturday, The death doll in the conflict has surpassed 58,000.
Days of Palestine
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Israeli Settlers Torch Hundreds of Olive Trees Near Nablus
Israeli settlers set fire to hundreds of olive trees on Tuesday in the village of Duma, south of Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank. According to local sources, settlers from the illegal settlement of Yitzhar ignited flames across dozens of dunams along a bypass road, resulting in the destruction of hundreds of olive trees. Residents and Palestinian Civil Defense teams rushed to extinguish the fire, but settlers and Israeli forces obstructed their efforts—reportedly preventing fire trucks from accessing water from a village well near the Al-Murabba checkpoint. Settler attacks in the occupied West Bank have escalated sharply in parallel with Israel's ongoing war on Gaza. In May alone, Israel's Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission documented 415 settler attacks on Palestinians and their property. These included armed assaults, land bulldozing, vandalism, and the uprooting of trees.
Days of Palestine
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Palestinian Civil Defense Chief, His Wife Killed in Israeli Strike
DaysofPal — Colonel Ashraf Hassan Abu Nar, director of Central Operations in the Palestinian Civil Defense, and his wife were killed Sunday morning when an Israeli airstrike struck their home in the Nuseirat refugee camp, the Civil Defense Directorate announced. In an official statement, the Civil Defense described Colonel Abu Nar as 'a disciplined and dedicated humanitarian professional' who had led emergency operations across Gaza Governorate, Central Gaza, Khan Younis, and most recently the directorate's Central Operations. 'He devoted his career to saving lives under the harshest conditions,' the statement read. Local reporters confirmed that the bombing also tore through the family courtyard, killing Colonel Abu Nar's wife instantly. The killing of such a high-ranking civil defense official underscores a broader pattern: Israeli forces continue to target emergency responders, medical teams, and humanitarian infrastructure across Gaza. On Sunday alone, more than 22 civilians were killed and dozens injured by relentless airstrikes in central and southern Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Meanwhile, Israel's tightening blockade remains in place. All border crossings into Gaza are closed, with only a handful of aid trucks allowed through in recent days—an amount relief agencies have called 'a drop in the ocean' for a population of two million facing starvation and siege. Shortlink for this post:
Shafaq News
16-05-2025
- Health
- Shafaq News
Hundreds dead in Gaza as Israeli bombardment intensifies
Shafaq News/ Intense Israeli airstrikes, artillery shelling, and naval bombardments struck northern Gaza early Friday, as the humanitarian situation in the besieged enclave reached new levels of urgency, according to medical and civil defense sources. Medical teams in Gaza reported over 136 Palestinians killed in the last 24 hours alone, many of them women and children, amid ongoing attacks targeting residential homes in Beit Lahia, Jabalia, and displacement camps across the strip. The Palestinian Civil Defense said its crews have been operating without pause since midnight, 'rushing from one strike site to another' due to the intensity of the shelling, particularly in the north. According to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, the situation around Khan Younis remains dire, especially in Al-Fukhari and the vicinity of the European Hospital, where communications have been cut and the fate of numerous families trapped inside their homes remains unknown. Medical sources report that hundreds of injured continue to arrive as airstrikes persist, pushing healthcare facilities beyond their operational limits. Many victims are critically wounded, and the death toll is expected to rise due to severe shortages of medicine and equipment. The World Food Programme (WFP) warned that 'families in Gaza are starving,' with desperately needed aid stuck at border crossings. It said the latest food security analysis confirms the territory is 'racing against time to avoid famine.' In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised alarms, stating that 'time is running out to save lives in Gaza', pointing to the collapse of the healthcare system under the ongoing siege. Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, warned that Israel is fully aware of the scale of the crisis, urging the global community to act swiftly. 'We must not repeat the mistake of failing to prevent genocide,' he said, calling on the UN Security Council to intervene. Amid this escalation, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday about the situation, expressing concern over the humanitarian crisis. Since October 7, the Israeli military campaign has resulted in approximately 173,000 Palestinians killed or wounded, the majority of them women and children, with more than 11,000 people still missing, according to local health authorities.
