Latest news with #Palestinians'
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Gaza is ‘hungriest place on Earth' with all its people at risk of famine, says UN
Gaza is 'the hungriest place on Earth', according to the UN, which has warned that the Palestinian territory's entire population is at risk of famine. Jens Laerke, a spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said the territory was 'the only defined area – a country or defined territory within a country – where you have the entire population at risk of famine. One hundred per cent of the population at risk of famine,' he said on Friday. 'Gaza is the hungriest place on Earth.' Laerke detailed the difficulties faced by the UN in delivering humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. Nine hundred trucks of humanitarian aid had been authorised by Israel to enter the strip since the blockade was partially lifted, but so far only 600 had been off-loaded on the Gaza side of the border, and a smaller number of shipments had then been picked up for distribution within the territory because of security considerations, he said. Laerke said the mission to deliver aid was 'in an operational straitjacket that makes it one of the most obstructed aid operations not only in the world today, but in recent history'. Once truckloads entered Gaza, they were often 'swarmed by desperate people', he said. Daniel Meron, Israel's UN ambassador, rejected the claim, saying UN agencies 'cherrypick the facts to paint an alternative version of reality and demonise Israel'. 'In a desperate effort to remain relevant, they lambast the best efforts of Israel and its partners to facilitate delivery of humanitarian aid to the civilian population. UN feeds Hamas, we make sure aid gets to those in need,' he wrote on X. In a reflection of the increasingly dire conditions inside the territory, a UN spokesperson said late on Friday that 'armed individuals' had raided a warehouse at a field hospital in Deir al-Balah, 'looting large quantities of medical equipment, supplies, medicines, nutritional supplements that was intended for malnourished children'. Hamas said on Friday it was 'thoroughly reviewing' Israel's response to a US proposal for a Gaza ceasefire deal, although one of the militant group's officials said the plan did not meet any of the Palestinians' 'just and legitimate demands'. Related: One afternoon in Gaza, two family tragedies: the childhoods cut short by Israeli airstrikes Hamas has described the latest proposal as more biased in favour of Israel than previous versions. It said it was consulting other 'Palestinian factions', a term referring to other groups operating under Hamas's rule in Gaza, such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Late on Thursday, Benjamin Netanyahu told the families of hostages held in Gaza that Israel had accepted the draft deal presented by Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump's Middle East envoy. Deep differences between Hamas and Israel have stymied previous attempts to restore a ceasefire that broke down in March after only two months when Israel renewed its offensive. Israel has insisted that Hamas disarm completely and be dismantled as a military and governing force, and that all 58 hostages still held in Gaza be returned before it will agree to end the war. The Israeli government fears a lasting ceasefire and withdrawal would leave Hamas with significant influence in Gaza, even if it surrenders formal power. The Israelis are concerned that with time Hamas may be able to rebuild its military might and eventually launch more 7 October-style attacks. On the other hand, Hamas fears Israel could break the ceasefire again and resume the war, which the Israeli government would be permitted to do after 60 days under the deal. The militant group has rejected the demand to give up its weapons and says Israel must pull its troops out of Gaza and commit to ending the war. Netanyahu also faces political constraints: his far-right coalition partners have threatened to bring down his government if he ends the war too soon. That would leave the prime minister more vulnerable to prosecution on longstanding corruption charges and to investigations into the failures surrounding the Hamas attack in 2023. The far-right security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said on Friday it was time to use 'full force' in Gaza. 'Mr Prime Minister, after Hamas rejected the deal proposal again – there are no more excuses,' Ben-Gvir said on his Telegram channel. 'The confusion, the shuffling and the weakness must end. We have already missed too many opportunities. It is time to go in with full force, without blinking, to destroy, and kill Hamas to the last one.' The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a private logistics group backed by the US and endorsed by Israel, expanded its food distribution to a third site on Thursday. Heavily criticised by the UN and other aid groups as inadequate and flawed, the group's operation began this week in Gaza after Israel's 11-week blockade on aid entering the territory. Laerke said that by having people collect aid rather than delivering it to them where they are, they become a target for looters once they leave the site. 'It is so desperate and tragic and frustrating, and wildly unhumanitarian,' he said. The launch was marred by tumultuous scenes on Tuesday when Israeli troops opened fire on a large crowd, killing at least one civilian and injuring dozens. The chaotic start to the operation has raised international pressure on Israel to get more food in and halt the fighting in Gaza. GHF says it has so far supplied about 1.8m meals, and plans to open more sites in the coming weeks. Netanyahu has faced growing criticism from key international allies in recent days. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, said on Friday that abandoning war-torn Gaza to its fate and giving Israel a 'free pass' would kill the west's credibility with the rest of the world. 'If we abandon Gaza, if we consider there is a free pass for Israel, even if we do condemn the terrorist attacks, we will kill our credibility,' Macron told a top defence forum in Singapore, adding: 'And this is why we do reject double standard.' Israel responded by accusing the French president of undertaking a 'crusade against the Jewish state'. 'There is no humanitarian blockade. That is a blatant lie,' Israel's foreign ministry said in a statement, defending its efforts to allow in aid. 'But instead of applying pressure on the jihadist terrorists, Macron wants to reward them with a Palestinian state. No doubt its national day will be October 7.' Macron said recognition of a Palestinian state with conditions was 'not only a moral duty, but a political necessity'. A 'hardened stance' would mean dropping an assumption that human rights were being respected, and applying sanctions, he said. Israeli jets continued to pound Gaza on Friday, killing at least 14 people in Jabaliya refugee camp, according to medics who received the bodies at al-Shifa hospital in northern Gaza. The previous day, Israeli strikes killed 45 people, including 23 in the Bureij camp in central Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical workers said. Israel launched its campaign in Gaza in response to the devastating Hamas attack in southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 hostages taken into Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. The campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, Gaza health officials say, and left the territory in ruins.
The National
a day ago
- General
- The National
SNP slam Labour over MP lobbying trip to Israel amid Gaza genocide
The National previously reported that the party's most prominent pro-Israel group, Labour Friends of Israel (LFI), sent a delegation of parliamentarians to the country last week. This included LFI chair Jon Pearce, as well as fellow Labour MPs Cat Eccles, Kevin McKenna, Peter Prinsley, Mark Sewards and Labour peer Luciana Berger. READ MORE: Jeremy Corbyn brings in bill for public inquiry into UK complicity in Gaza genocide Israel's actions in Gaza have been described as genocide by leading international experts including Amnesty International, UN special rapporteur to the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese, and the UN special committee investigating Israel's action in Palestine. The International Court of Justice has also said that there is a plausible risk of Palestinians' right to be protected from genocide being violated. But this didn't stop the Labour MPs from smiling and being pictured with a host of Israeli officials over the course of the four-day delegation (below), including president Isaac Herzog. (Image: LFI/Twitter) Herzog has previously been criticised after photographs showed him signing Israeli bombs set to be dropped on Gaza. His comments in the wake of the October 7 attack were also cited in South Africa's International Court of Justice case as expressing genocidal intent. Meanwhile, they also met with deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel, Israel's Leader of the Opposition, Yair Lapid, as well as with Yair Golan, leader of Labour's sister party, the Democrats. Golan said in October 2023: 'I think that in this battle, it is forbidden to allow a humanitarian effort. We need to say to them: listen, until the [captives] are released, from our side, you can die from starvation. It's totally legitimate.' Now, the SNP have hit out at Labour over the trip, saying it is a 'new low' for the party. "The Labour Party has repeatedly found themselves on the wrong side of the appalling destruction and slaughter of Gaza and the Palestinian people. But Labour MPs posing for pictures with these individuals is a new low,' the party's Middle East spokesperson Brendan O'Hara said. "Children are starving to death in Gaza and the Labour Government continues to allow the sale of component parts for the jets that bomb them to pieces - all the while too many Labour MPs sit silent and now we see some of them all smiles with the very state dropping the bombs.' He added: 'It is brutally and blatantly clear that the Netanyahu Government will continue to act with impunity unless and until there are consequences for their actions - smiling for pictures with these men does exactly the opposite and people in Scotland will be appalled." Labour have been approached for comment.
Middle East
a day ago
- General
- Middle East
AP calls on int'l community to take urgent action to bring war of extermination in Gaza to halt
CAIRO, June 4 (MENA) - The Arab Parliament (AP) called on the international community and the UN Security Council to take urgent and immediate action to stop the war of extermination in the Gaza Strip, provide international protection for the Palestinian people and support Palestinians' legitimate struggle to establish their independent, sovereign state In a statement issued Wednesday - on the occasion of the 58th anniversary of the June 5, 1967, setback - the AP called on rejecting all illegal unilateral measures aimed at changing the geographic and demographic character of the Palestinian territories, particularly in Al-Quds (East Jerusalem). This painful event in the history of the Arab nation represents a turning point that left deep marks on the conscience of the Arab peoples and embodies the magnitude of the challenges facing the nation in its pursuit of regaining its legitimate rights, the statement read. The AP said the Palestinian cause will remain the primary and central issue of the Arab nation and that achieving security, stability, development and social justice in the region and the world as a whole requires resolving the Palestinian issue and ensuring that the Palestinian people attain their legitimate rights of freedom, independence and establishment of their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital. The AP held Israeli occupation fully responsible for the continued conflict in the region, as a result of its aggressive and systematic policies, the genocidal war in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the statement said. It also referred to horrific Israeli crimes against civilians, Israeli policy of starvation and siege and repeated incursions into Palestinian cities and Al-Aqsa Mosque. The statement also drew light on Israeli occupation escalation of its settlement activities to impose a new reality on the ground violating international law and international legitimacy resolutions. The AP affirmed its continued parliamentary and diplomatic efforts in regional and international forums to support the Palestinian cause, expose the practices of the occupying entity and bring perpetrators of crimes into account before international courts. (MENA) S A S
The National
2 days ago
- General
- The National
Irish pro-Palestine activist detained by Israeli police in West Bank
70-year-old Máire ní Mhurchú, who is known as D Murphy, was detained by Israeli police on Saturday in Masafer Yatta in the occupied West Bank, according to the International Solidarity Movement. Living in Swansea but originally from Cork, Murphy was arrested with 48-year-old Swedish activist Susanne Björk, apparently for being in a closed military zone. Meanwhile, on Monday, Murphy reportedly refused to be put on a plane at Tel Aviv airport by police and called for a court trial instead. READ MORE: New poll shows Scots overwhelmingly back indy over Westminster direct rule The activist group she is a part of, which supports Palestinian residents in the West Bank, said Murphy is 'fighting the unjust deportation order and is facing time in jail', after being arrested, adding: 'We demand action now.' She told Nation Cymru: 'When most governments all around the world are ignoring the genocide in Gaza and the ethnic cleansing of the West Bank, ordinary people like me are answering the Palestinians' call to come and be a witness to these events being carried out by the Zionist Israeli entity. 'It's not about politics, it's about justice and freedom for all people.' (Image: Ahmad Gharabli / AFP via Getty Images) Her son, Dale Ryan, said meanwhile: 'As far as I can see her only crime was observing crimes against Palestinian people. D has always had a strong sense of justice and I know she could not sit at home while she knew her friends in Masafer Yatta and all of Palestine were suffering unnecessarily. 'I am very proud of my mother for sticking up for the basic human rights of her friends and trying to raise awareness of the injustices the Palestinian people are experiencing.' A spokesperson for Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said they are aware of the case and providing consular assistance. 'As with all consular cases, the department does not comment on the details of individual cases,' they added.
Extra.ie
2 days ago
- Politics
- Extra.ie
70-year-old Irish woman arrested by Israelis in West Bank
A 70-year-old Irish woman has been arrested in the occupied West Bank and is detained in Israel, fighting a deportation order. Deirdre 'D' Murphy is volunteering with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), an activist group helping Palestinian residents in the occupied West Bank. ISM said Ms Murphy, who is originally from Cork, was arrested in the village of Khalet AlDaba'a in Masafer Yatta in the southern part of the occupied West Bank. West Bank. Pic: Nedal Eshtayah/Anadolu via Getty Images) She and another volunteer, Susanne Björk, 48, were ordered to leave the village by the Israeli military on Saturday. She said as they were complying with the order they were arrested by Israeli settlers, who were wearing military uniform as they are reservists, who then called police and detained Ms Murphy and Ms Björk. They were interrogated in a police station, accused of being in a military zone, as parts of Masafer Yatta have been designated a closed military zone since the 1980s. Irish Woman Deirdre 'D' Murphy. Pic: File ISM's website quoted Ms Murphy as saying: 'When most governments all around the world are ignoring the genocide in Gaza and the ethnic cleansing of the West Bank, ordinary people like me are answering the Palestinians' call to come and be a witness to these events being carried out by the Zionist Israeli entity. It's not about politics, it's about justice and freedom for all people.' Her son, Dale Ryan, said: 'I am writing this as my mother is being detained by the Israeli authorities. As far as I can see her only crime was observing crimes against Palestinian people. 'D has always had a strong sense of justice, and I know she could not sit at home while she knew her friends in Masafer Yatta and all of Palestine were suffering unnecessarily. 'I am very proud of my mother for sticking up for the basic human rights of her friends and trying to raise awareness of the injustices the Palestinian people are experiencing. 'Of course, I want her home safe with her family who love her, but I know a piece of her heart is in Palestine and she needs to be there, doing what she can.' The Department of Foreign Affairs said it 'is aware of the case and is providing consular assistance', it said it does not comment on 'the details of individual cases'. It comes as Micheál Martin and Simon Harris both said in the Dáil last week that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Mr Martin said: 'The focus must be relentlessly on the policies of Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Israeli Government, which is made up of extreme far-right elements, who are committing genocide in Gaza right now.'
