Latest news with #TaniaHary
Sky News
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Satellite images reveal thousands of new tents near Gaza border area under Israeli evacuation order
The Israeli army has ordered the evacuation of large swathes of Gaza after a series of deadly overnight strikes, including areas that satellite images show are densely populated. The evacuation map was issued by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Tuesday, just hours after the military said it was launching a "large-scale attack" on "terror targets" in Gaza after talks to extend the ceasefire failed. Officials said the operation is expected to expand, amid speculation that a ground operation in Gaza could follow. Over 400 people were killed in the attacks, according to the Gaza health ministry, as a medic described scenes he witnessed on Tuesday morning as "utter carnage". The evacuation map covers most of the perimeter of the Gaza Strip, an area that amounts to 37% of Gaza's land, which experts have told Sky News is estimated to be more than double the size of a previously designated "buffer zone". In the northern city of Beit Hanoun, satellite imagery taken on 3 March by Planet Labs shows the presence of over 2,000 tent structures in the area, now under evacuation according to the new orders. Thousands of civilians had returned to northern Gaza earlier this year after Israel launched an offensive into the north last October that forced tens of thousands of Gazans to flee south. Similarly, just south of Gaza City, other satellite images show areas with tent camps that are now under evacuation. Academic experts who have closely studied the IDF's maps say the evacuation zone includes and is almost double the size of the area previously marked as an Israeli buffer zone along the edge of the Gaza Strip. In December, Israel reportedly informed a number of Arab states including Egypt that it wants to carve out a buffer zone on the Palestinian side of the Gaza border to prevent future attacks as part of proposals for the enclave after the war ends. Yaakov Garb, Professor of Environmental Studies at Ben Gurion University, said the evacuation zone is more than twice the size of the buffer zone. He said it was unclear whether the IDF's evacuation area is directly related to the existing buffer zone, "or if it signals some similarly durable and more extensive land take. If so, [it] would constitute more than a third of the Gaza strip." Throughout the war, the IDF has published hundreds of evacuation maps on its Arabic X account. Officials released a grip map in December 2023 that split Gaza into hundreds of zones, which Israel said it would use among other methods to help civilians evacuate to reduce civilian harm. However, the evacuation zones and notices issued by Israel have come under scrutiny by organisations including human rights groups like Human Rights Watch which has said previously that these orders did not consider the needs of children and adults with disabilities. The map issued on Tuesday ordered civilians to flee "known shelters in western Gaza City" and Khan Yunis. It is unclear exactly where these shelters are located. Tania Hary, executive director of Israeli human rights organisation Gisha, said the existing facilities in areas near where the strikes took place don't have the capacity to house even more displaced people. "The places where people are taking shelter are not equipped to handle that kind of influx," said Hary, who estimates that hundreds of thousands of people are currently sheltering in the areas outlined in the IDF's evacuation orders. "Airstrikes are occurring all throughout the strip in a way that civilians don't know where to actually be safe." Attacks launched after ceasefire talks stall The city of Khan Yunis, located in southern Gaza, was among the locations hit overnight. The strikes were ordered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Israel said Hamas refused demands to change the ceasefire agreement. The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, condemned the attack and said he was "horrified". Areas struck during the operation include Khan Younis, Gaza City, Nuseirat and Jabalia camps. Videos posted online showed multiple injured and lifeless children taken to hospitals in Gaza, as burnt tents where displaced Palestinians live showed the aftermath of the airstrikes. Multiple videos filmed at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis showed piles of body bags in the hospital's mortuary, while relatives of people killed in the strikes were seen mourning. Injured Gazans were also taken to al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Dr Feroze Sidhwa, who is working at the Nasser Medical Complex, described the scenes he witnessed on Tuesday morning as "utter carnage". "I did six operations overnight... Half of them were small children, probably six and below, I wasn't exactly sure. Most of them are going to die, unfortunately," he added. The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said that at least 413 people were killed in the recent strikes and at least 660 people have been wounded. Hamas said that at least four of its senior officials were killed in Israeli airstrikes including two top police officers. Hostage families criticise Netanyahu The families of Israeli hostages in Gaza have also criticised the strikes, after the Israeli government claimed they were carried out due to Hamas's "refusal" to release hostages. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum asked why the government chose to pull out of the previously agreed ceasefire deal. "The claim that the war is being renewed for the release of the hostages is a complete deception - military pressure endangers the hostages and soldiers," the statement read. Israel believes 59 hostages are being held by Hamas in Gaza, with 24 thought to be alive. The Data and Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News. We gather, analyse and visualise data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite images, social media and other open-source information. Through multimedia storytelling we aim to better explain the world while also showing how our journalism is done.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel cuts off electricity supply to Gaza, affecting a desalination plant producing drinking water
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel cut off the electricity supply to Gaza, officials said Sunday, affecting a desalination plant producing drinking water for part of the arid territory. Hamas called it part of Israel's 'starvation policy." Israel last week suspended supplies of goods to the territory of more than 2 million Palestinians, an echo of the siege it imposed in the earliest days of the war. Israel is pressing the militant group to accept an extension of the first phase of their ceasefire. That phase ended last weekend. Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. Hamas instead wants to start negotiations on the ceasefire's more difficult second phase, which would see the release of remaining hostages from Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and a lasting peace. Hamas is believed to have 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 others. The militant group — which has warned that discontinuing supplies would affect the hostages — said Sunday that it wrapped up the latest round of ceasefire talks with Egyptian mediators without changes to its position. Israel has said it would send a delegation to Qatar on Monday in an effort to 'advance' the negotiations. Israel had warned when it stopped all supplies that water and electricity could be next. The letter from Israel's energy minister to the Israel Electric Corporation tells it to stop selling power to Gaza. The territory and its infrastructure have been largely devastated, and most facilities, including hospitals, now use generators. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassam said that Israel has 'practically' cut off electricity since the war began and called the latest decision part of Israel's 'starvation policy, in clear disregard for all international laws and norms." The desalination plant was providing 18,000 cubic meters of water per day for central Gaza's Deir al-Balah area, according to Gisha, an Israeli organization dedicated to protecting Palestinians' right to freedom of movement. Executive director Tania Hary said that it's expected to run on generators and produce around 2,500 cubic meters per day, about the amount in an Olympic swimming pool. Israel's restrictions on fuel entering Gaza have a larger impact, Hary said, and water shortages are a looming issue, because fuel is needed for distribution trucks. Israel has faced sharp criticism over suspending supplies. 'Any denial of the entry of the necessities of life for civilians may amount to collective punishment,' the U.N. human rights office said Friday. The International Criminal Court said there was reason to believe Israel had used 'starvation as a method of warfare' when it issued an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last year. The allegation is central to South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide. Israel has denied the accusations, saying it has allowed in enough aid and blaming shortages on what it called the United Nations' inability to distribute it. It also accused Hamas of siphoning off aid. The leader of the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, warned Friday that attacks against Israel-linked vessels off Yemen would resume within four days if aid doesn't resume to Gaza. The Houthis described their earlier attacks as solidarity with Palestinians there. The ceasefire has paused the deadliest and most destructive fighting ever between Israel and Hamas, sparked by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The first phase allowed the return of 25 living hostages and the remains of eight others in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli forces have withdrawn to buffer zones inside Gaza, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have returned to northern Gaza and hundreds of trucks of aid entered per day until Israel suspended supplies. US envoy describes talks with Hamas The White House on Wednesday made the surprise confirmation of direct U.S. talks with Hamas. On Sunday, envoy Adam Boehler told Israeli broadcaster Kan that Hamas has suggested a truce of five to 10 years while it would disarm. The militant group has previously called disarming unacceptable. A senior Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss contacts with the U.S., said that the group had expressed its longstanding position that it would lay down its arms in return for a 'fair and just solution' that includes an independent Palestinian state. Boehler also told CNN that 'I think you could see something like a long-term truce, where we forgive prisoners, where Hamas lays down their arms, where they agree they're not part of the political party going forward. I think that's a reality. It's real close.' When asked if he would speak with the militant group again, Boehler replied, 'You never know.' He added: 'I think something could come together within weeks,' and expressed hope for a deal that would see all hostages released, not only American ones. Boehler has said four of the five American hostages in Gaza are dead, with Edan Alexander alive. Hamas on Sunday didn't mention the talks, but reiterated its support for a proposal for the establishment of an independent committee of technocrats to run Gaza until Palestinians hold presidential and legislative elections. Hamas' attack in October 2023 killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, inside Israel and took 251 people hostage. Most have been released in ceasefire agreements or other arrangements. Many Israelis are pressing for a deal to bring everyone home. 'We are here to send a clear message to the Israeli government: stop stalling,' Zahiro Shahar Mor, nephew of slain hostage Avraham Munder, said in front of tents set up outside Israel's defense ministry in one demonstration. Israel's military offensive has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't say how many of the dead were militants. With the cutoff of supplies to Gaza, Palestinians are reporting sharp price increases for dwindling items during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. 'Since the ceasefire began, the situation has improved a little. But before that, the situation was very bad,' said Fares al-Qeisi in the southern city of Khan Younis. ___ Magdy reported from Cairo. ___ Follow developments at
Boston Globe
09-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Israel cuts off electricity supply to Gaza, affecting a desalination plant producing drinking water
Hamas instead wants to start negotiations on the ceasefire's more difficult second phase, which would see the release of remaining hostages from Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and a lasting peace. Hamas is believed to have 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 others. The militant group — which has warned that discontinuing supplies would affect the hostages — said Sunday that it wrapped up the latest round of ceasefire talks with Egyptian mediators without changes to its position. Advertisement Israel has said it would send a delegation to Qatar on Monday in an effort to 'advance' the negotiations. Israel had warned when it stopped all supplies that water and electricity could be next. The letter from Israel's energy minister to the Israel Electric Corporation tells it to stop selling power to Gaza. The territory and its infrastructure have been largely devastated, and most facilities, including hospitals, now use generators. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassam said that Israel has 'practically' cut off electricity since the war began and called the latest decision part of Israel's 'starvation policy, in clear disregard for all international laws and norms.' The desalination plant was providing 18,000 cubic meters of water per day for central Gaza's Deir al-Balah area, according to Gisha, an Israeli organization dedicated to protecting Palestinians' right to freedom of movement. Executive director Tania Hary said that it's expected to run on generators and produce around 2,500 cubic meters per day, about the amount in an Olympic swimming pool. Israel's restrictions on fuel entering Gaza have a larger impact, Hary said, and water shortages are a looming issue, because fuel is needed for distribution trucks. Advertisement Israel has faced sharp criticism over suspending supplies. 'Any denial of the entry of the necessities of life for civilians may amount to collective punishment,' the U.N. human rights office said Friday. The International Criminal Court said there was reason to believe Israel had used 'starvation as a method of warfare' when it issued an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last year. The allegation is central to South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide. Israel has denied the accusations, saying it has allowed in enough aid and blaming shortages on what it called the United Nations' inability to distribute it. It also accused Hamas of siphoning off aid. The leader of the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, warned Friday that attacks against Israel-linked vessels off Yemen would resume within four days if aid doesn't resume to Gaza. The Houthis described their earlier attacks as solidarity with Palestinians there. The ceasefire has paused the deadliest and most destructive fighting ever between Israel and Hamas, sparked by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The first phase allowed the return of 25 living hostages and the remains of eight others in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli forces have withdrawn to buffer zones inside Gaza, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have returned to northern Gaza and hundreds of trucks of aid entered per day until Israel suspended supplies. US envoy describes talks with Hamas The White House on Wednesday made the surprise confirmation of direct U.S. talks with Hamas. On Sunday, envoy Adam Boehler told Israeli broadcaster Kan that Hamas has suggested a truce of five to 10 years while it would disarm. The militant group has previously called disarming unacceptable. Advertisement A senior Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss contacts with the U.S., said that the group had expressed its longstanding position that it would lay down its arms in return for a 'fair and just solution' that includes an independent Palestinian state. Boehler also told CNN that 'I think you could see something like a long-term truce, where we forgive prisoners, where Hamas lays down their arms, where they agree they're not part of the political party going forward. I think that's a reality. It's real close.' When asked if he would speak with the militant group again, Boehler replied, 'You never know.' He added: 'I think something could come together within weeks,' and expressed hope for a deal that would see all hostages released, not only American ones. Boehler has said four of the five American hostages in Gaza are dead, with Edan Alexander alive. Hamas on Sunday didn't mention the talks, but reiterated its support for a proposal for the establishment of an independent committee of technocrats to run Gaza until Palestinians hold presidential and legislative elections. Hamas' attack in October 2023 killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, inside Israel and took 251 people hostage. Most have been released in ceasefire agreements or other arrangements. Israel's military offensive has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't say how many of the dead were militants. With the cutoff of supplies to Gaza, Palestinians are reporting sharp price increases for dwindling items during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Advertisement 'Since the ceasefire began, the situation has improved a little. But before that, the situation was very bad,' said Fares al-Qeisi in the southern city of Khan Younis. 'I swear to God, one could not satisfy their hunger.' Magdy reported from Cairo.
Associated Press
09-03-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Israel cuts off electricity supply to Gaza, affecting a desalination plant producing drinking water
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel cut off the electricity supply to Gaza, officials said Sunday, affecting a desalination plant producing drinking water for part of the arid territory. Hamas called it part of Israel's 'starvation policy.' Israel last week suspended supplies of goods to the territory of more than 2 million Palestinians, an echo of the siege it imposed in the earliest days of the war. Israel is pressing the militant group to accept an extension of the first phase of their ceasefire. That phase ended last weekend. Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. Hamas instead wants to start negotiations on the ceasefire's more difficult second phase, which would see the release of remaining hostages from Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and a lasting peace. Hamas is believed to have 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 others. The militant group — which has warned that discontinuing supplies would affect the hostages — said Sunday that it wrapped up the latest round of ceasefire talks with Egyptian mediators without changes to its position. Israel has said it would send a delegation to Qatar on Monday in an effort to 'advance' the negotiations. Israel had warned when it stopped all supplies that water and electricity could be next. The letter from Israel's energy minister to the Israel Electric Corporation tells it to stop selling power to Gaza. The territory and its infrastructure have been largely devastated, and most facilities, including hospitals, now use generators. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassam said that Israel has 'practically' cut off electricity since the war began and called the latest decision part of Israel's 'starvation policy, in clear disregard for all international laws and norms.' The desalination plant was providing 18,000 cubic meters of water per day for central Gaza's Deir al-Balah area, according to Gisha, an Israeli organization dedicated to protecting Palestinians' right to freedom of movement. Executive director Tania Hary said that it's expected to run on generators and produce around 2,500 cubic meters per day, about the amount in an Olympic swimming pool. Israel's restrictions on fuel entering Gaza have a larger impact, Hary said, and water shortages are a looming issue, because fuel is needed for distribution trucks. Israel has faced sharp criticism over suspending supplies. 'Any denial of the entry of the necessities of life for civilians may amount to collective punishment,' the U.N. human rights office said Friday. The International Criminal Court said there was reason to believe Israel had used 'starvation as a method of warfare' when it issued an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last year. The allegation is central to South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide. Israel has denied the accusations, saying it has allowed in enough aid and blaming shortages on what it called the United Nations' inability to distribute it. It also accused Hamas of siphoning off aid. The leader of the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, warned Friday that attacks against Israel-linked vessels off Yemen would resume within four days if aid doesn't resume to Gaza. The Houthis described their earlier attacks as solidarity with Palestinians there. The ceasefire has paused the deadliest and most destructive fighting ever between Israel and Hamas, sparked by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The first phase allowed the return of 25 living hostages and the remains of eight others in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli forces have withdrawn to buffer zones inside Gaza, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have returned to northern Gaza and hundreds of trucks of aid entered per day until Israel suspended supplies. US envoy describes talks with Hamas The White House on Wednesday made the surprise confirmation of direct U.S. talks with Hamas. On Sunday, envoy Adam Boehler told Israeli broadcaster Kan that Hamas has suggested a truce of five to 10 years while it would disarm. The militant group has previously called disarming unacceptable. A senior Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss contacts with the U.S., said that the group had expressed its longstanding position that it would lay down its arms in return for a 'fair and just solution' that includes an independent Palestinian state. Boehler also told CNN that 'I think you could see something like a long-term truce, where we forgive prisoners, where Hamas lays down their arms, where they agree they're not part of the political party going forward. I think that's a reality. It's real close.' When asked if he would speak with the militant group again, Boehler replied, 'You never know.' He added: 'I think something could come together within weeks,' and expressed hope for a deal that would see all hostages released, not only American ones. Boehler has said four of the five American hostages in Gaza are dead, with Edan Alexander alive. Hamas on Sunday didn't mention the talks, but reiterated its support for a proposal for the establishment of an independent committee of technocrats to run Gaza until Palestinians hold presidential and legislative elections. Hamas' attack in October 2023 killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, inside Israel and took 251 people hostage. Most have been released in ceasefire agreements or other arrangements. Israel's military offensive has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't say how many of the dead were militants. With the cutoff of supplies to Gaza, Palestinians are reporting sharp price increases for dwindling items during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. 'Since the ceasefire began, the situation has improved a little. But before that, the situation was very bad,' said Fares al-Qeisi in the southern city of Khan Younis. 'I swear to God, one could not satisfy their hunger.'
