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Business Standard
6 days ago
- General
- Business Standard
Israel targets Hamas in Gaza, rejects UN criticism over aid distribution
Israeli soldiers continued operations against Hamas across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday while brushing off criticism over humanitarian aid distribution methods. The Israel Defence Forces said troops eliminated multiple terrorists and destroyed weapons depots, ammunition storage facilities, and underground terror infrastructure throughout Gaza over the past 24 hours. In one incident, forces struck a Hamas operative positioned near a weapons depot, triggering secondary explosions that confirmed the presence of stored munitions. Separately, an Israeli combat team dismantled a Hamas compound containing ambush positions and improvised explosive devices. Israeli Air Force jets conducted dozens of strikes against terror targets, including military structures, tunnel networks, and terrorist operatives who posed threats to ground forces operating in the area. Also on Tuesday, Col. Avichai Adraee, the IDF's Arabic-language spokesperson, confirmed that Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian suspects deviating from an established pathway to a humanitarian aid distribution point and approached the soldiers. After initial warning shots failed to deter the individuals, forces fired toward the suspects. Adraee said the incident took place approximately a half-kilometer away from the distribution center. The IDF on Sunday denied allegations that its troops fired on civilians in Khan Yunis, citing a preliminary probe that found no Israeli gunfire in the area at the time. In response to reports accusing Israel of killing dozens near a US aid site, the military released drone footage showing masked Palestinian gunmen firing at civilians. The IDF said the footage was captured during the alleged incident and reaffirmed that its forces were not responsible for the violence. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called Israel's current aid distribution model "unacceptable" and demanded an immediate independent investigation into civilian casualties. Israel Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein accused the UN of deliberately ignoring Hamas's role in blocking aid distribution. "The real investigation that needs to be opened is why the U.N. continues to resist any attempt to provide aid directly to the people of Gaza," Marmorstein tweeted. He criticized Guterres for failing to mention Hamas in his statement, noting the terror group's efforts to intercept aid shipments. The controversy centers around Israel's decision to work with the US-operated Global Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) rather than UN agencies. The GHF, which began operations May 27, operates independently with security provided by American military contractors and remote IDF monitoring. The foundation has distributed over 4.7 million meals to Gaza residents in its first six days of operation. The initiative bypasses Hamas' efforts to seize and resell humanitarian aid. At least 1,180 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 58 remaining hostages, 35 are believed to be dead.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Here's why the US is picking a fight with Denmark over Greenland — and what Greenland thinks about it
Donald Trump says he wants to annex Greenland. JD Vance last week visited a US-controlled base in Greenland, where he chided Denmark. Vast, untapped natural resources in Greenland are at stake. Danish officials have repeatedly told President Donald Trump that Greenland is "not for sale." Trump doesn't seem to care. The president continues to promote his vision for taking over Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark, arguing the island is needed to bolster US security and its stocks of strategic resources. During his joint address to Congress earlier this month, the president said the United States would take control of Greenland "one way or the other." And recently, Trump declined to rule out military force. Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, arrived in Greenland on Friday, embarking on a scaled-back trip that included a stop at the US-operated Pituffik Space Base on the island's northwest coast. But even before the US delegation arrived, they were met with broad opposition to Trump's annexation plans. Here's why the United States has shown so much interest in Greenland amid the territory's own push for independence. Before Vance's trip to Greenland, Trump said the island was needed for "international safety and security." "We need it. We have to have it," he told podcaster Vince Coglianese during a recent interview. "I hate to put it that way, but we're going to have to have it." The feeling isn't mutual. A recent survey by the pollster Verian, commissioned by the Danish newspaper Berlingske and the Greenlandic daily Sermitsiaq, found that 85% of Greenlanders do not want to be a part of the United States. Only 6% of respondents said they wanted to join the United States, and 9% of respondents said they were undecided. Denmark gave Greenland and its population of about 57,000 people broad self-governing autonomy in 2009, which included the right to declare its independence from Denmark through a referendum. Before Vance's arrival, Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede told Sermitsiaq that the visit was "very aggressive," especially with the presence of national security advisor Michael Waltz. "What is the national security advisor doing in Greenland? The only purpose is to demonstrate power over us," Egede, who has boosted a push for Greenland's independence, told the newspaper. "His mere presence in Greenland will no doubt fuel American belief in Trump's mission — and the pressure will increase." After arriving in Greenland, Vance criticized Denmark, accusing it of leaving the island vulnerable to China and Russia. Vance argued that Greenland would benefit from being under the "security umbrella" of the United States — as opposed to Denmark. "Our message to Denmark is very simple — you have not done a good job by the people of Greenland," he said. "You have under-invested in the people of Greenland, and you have under-invested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful land mass." In recent weeks, protesters have assembled in Nuuk, Greenland's capital and most populous city, to rail against Trump's rhetoric. With independence potentially within sight, many of its citizens are apprehensive about Trump's efforts to annex the island. But Trump sees an opportunity and isn't letting go. The United States sees a future where global powers jockey for Greenland's untapped mineral resources — particularly oil and gas — given that much of the island is within the Arctic Circle. And with melting ice transforming parts of the island, strategic shipping channels could open up. That makes Greenland a major target for Trump's America-first agenda. Read the original article on Business Insider
Egypt Independent
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
JD Vance will visit Greenland, but a controversial US trip just got a lot more low-profile
CNN — US Vice President JD Vance has now said he will join his wife Usha on her US Vice President JD Vance has now said he will join his wife Usha on her highly contentious visit to Greenland later this week, a decision that added fuel to the diplomatic fire while revealing major changes to the United States' itinerary on the Arctic island. Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Tuesday accused the US of putting 'unacceptable pressure' on Greenland, the autonomous Danish territory coveted by the Trump administration. The White House had previously said that the second lady would visit the island to attend one of the world's foremost dog-sledding races. Vance then appeared to ramp up that pressure by announcing that he would accompany Usha to Greenland because he 'didn't want her to have all this fun by herself.' But beneath the bravado lay a significant change of plan. The second lady had been set to watch Greenland's national dogsled race and visit several parts of the island, but the Vances are now only set to travel to the Pituffik Space Base, a US military facility on the island's western fringe on Friday. 'I'm going to visit some of our guardians in the space force on the northwest coast of Greenland, and also just check out what's going on with the security there of Greenland,' Vance said in a video on X. Whereas the White House said earlier that Usha Vance's trip would 'celebrate Greenlandic culture and unity,' a statement from the vice president's office Tuesday only made mention of the Pituffik base, saying that the Vances would be receive a briefing on Arctic security issues and meet with US service members. Also absent from the later statement was mention of Mike Waltz, the national security adviser who had been set to join the second lady on her visit. Waltz has since become embroiled in an extraordinary security breach after it emerged he had added the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine to a Signal group chat where senior officials planned military strikes in Yemen. On Wednesday, Danish foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen welcomed the change of plans from the US. 'I actually think it's very positive that the Americans are canceling their visit to Greenlandic society. Instead, they will visit their own base, Pituffik, and we have nothing against that,' Rasmussen told Danish public radio, DR. The Vances will visit Pituffik Space Base, a US-operated base in northwest Greenland. Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP/Getty Images 'The short of it is that… there will be no visit from the US Vice President's wife and their security advisor to the Greenlandic community,' Rasmussen said. The foreign minister said the US was attempting to make it appear it was ramping up pressure on Greenland by sending the vice president, when the trip is now much more marginal. 'I have to speak diplomatically here, but in many ways it's a masterful spin to make it look like they're escalating when really they're de-escalating,' he said. The White House did not explain the change of plans for a visit that many Greenlanders have said they do not want. US President Donald Trump said Monday that 'people from Greenland are asking us to go there,' but the island's prime minister, Mute B. Egede, called the trip 'highly aggressive,' and Greenlanders have staged protests outside the US consulate in the capital, Nuuk. Greenland's government – called the Naalakkersuisut – said 'It has not extended any invitations for any visits, neither private nor official.' The island's lawmakers are currently undertaking tricky negotiations to form its next governing coalition after an election earlier this month. The US has operated the Pituffik base under a NATO framework since 1951, following a defense agreement with Denmark, a founding member of the military alliance. In his video, Vance said the Trump administration wants to 'reinvigorate the security of the people of Greenland,' accusing Denmark and previous US presidents of 'ignoring' the island 'for far too long.'
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
South Korean fighter jet mistakenly drops eight bombs on town and injures civilians
At least eight people were injured when a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped eight bombs on a town close to a firing range on Thursday morning. Four civilians have sustained serious injuries, local emergency services reported. Two houses, a church and a number of vehicles were badly damaged when eight MK-82 bombs were dropped on the town of Idong by the Republic of Korea Air Force FK-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft shortly after 10am local time (1am GMT), Air Force officials told local media. The town is about 25 miles northeast of Seoul and a similar distance from the tense Demilitarised Zone that divides the Korean Peninsula. The aircraft had been taking part in joint live-fire exercises with US air units simulating a sudden attack, officials said, and apparently released its weapons outside the US-operated Rodriguez Live Fire Complex. The facility is also used for artillery and tank live-fire drills. The exercise required the aircraft to neutralise mobile surface-to-air missile systems and anti-aircraft guns with bombs before carrying out evasive manoeuvres to avoid heat-seeking missiles. Around 30 bombs were dropped on the correct targets as part of the exercise, officials said. The MK-82 bomb is designed to destroy buildings, bridges and other infrastructure and can leave a crater 25 feet wide and 8 feet deep. Typically, a single bomb can kill anyone within an area of about the size of a football pitch. 'We deeply regret the unintended release of the bombs, which resulted in civilian casualties, and wish those injured a swift recovery,' an air force official told Yonhap News. 'We will actively implement all necessary measures, including providing compensation for damage.' The Air Force has already set up a committee to look into the accident and to assess the damage caused, the official added. Military and civilian emergency services are operating in Idong, close to the larger town of Pocheon, with television footage showing badly damaged buildings and other infrastructure. The joint South Korea-US Freedom Shield military exercises are scheduled to begin next week. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Taliban accuses Trump of spreading misinformation
The Taliban has accused Donald Trump of spreading misinformation in a pointed retort over claims of Chinese influence at Bagram air base. The former US base was abandoned by American forces when they withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021. The Taliban – which is designated as a terrorist organisation by the US – seized control of the country shortly afterward. It took control of Bagram and the $7 billion worth of US-funded military equipment left behind. Mr Trump said last week: 'Bagram air base is one of the biggest air bases in the world. It has one of the biggest and most powerful runways. And we gave it up. And you know who is occupying it at the moment? China. Because Biden gave it up.' In response, the Taliban said: 'There is not a single armed Chinese individual here, nor do we have any such agreement with any country. Why is he spreading such misinformation at such a high level? The United States is a major country, and its leader should speak with great accuracy.' During his election campaign, Mr Trump repeatedly claimed that China had taken control of Bagram. He reiterated the allegation during his first cabinet meeting of the new administration last Wednesday and criticised Joe Biden, the former US president, for relinquishing the military hub. He added that he wanted to recover the weaponry left behind. After the withdrawal of US troops, Beijing has strengthened ties with the Taliban but has denied any military presence in Afghanistan. Afghanistan shares a border with China and Bagram is only about 400 miles away from a Chinese military base. Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, said: 'Now [Trump] claims that Bagram is in the hands of the Chinese, whereas Bagram is under the control of the forces of the Islamic Emirate. We request that Trump's team explain to him and correct his information about Afghanistan.' He called the idea of Mr Trump reclaiming Bagram a 'dream and fantasy' and said that the leftover American stockpile was in the possession of the Taliban as spoils of war. On July 6 2021, the American troops and their Western allies departed the former US-operated base with little fanfare and no public ceremony as Taliban advances grew. Ashraf Ghani's government collapsed quickly and 13 US service members were killed as American forces left Kabul. In August 2021, the Taliban returned to power and enforced a strict version of Sharia, severely curbing free speech and women's rights. Women face strict dress codes, bans on education beyond the age of 11, and exclusion from work. Public flogging and stoning to death for adultery are common. Last week, the Taliban held a public execution of a man convicted of murder in front of thousands of people at a sports stadium. It was the third such death sentence to be carried out in five days. Richard Bennett, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, said that the Taliban had publicly flogged at least 128 people, including 27 women, in recent months. No country recognises the Taliban government due to these abuses. The group withdrew from membership of the International Criminal Court in February after prosecutor Karim Khan sought arrest warrants for Hibatullah Akhundzada, the reclusive Taliban supreme leader, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the interim Afghan chief justice. Mr Khan accused both of being 'criminally responsible for persecuting Afghan girls and women'. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
