Latest news with #YounisAl-Khatib
The Advertiser
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Advertiser
Israel allows trucks into Gaza, but supplies still low
The head of the Palestinian Red Crescent says its operations in Gaza may stop within days in the absence of fresh supplies and its ambulance fleet was running at only one-third of capacity due to fuel shortages. Flour and other aid began reaching some of Gaza's most vulnerable areas on Thursday after Israel let some trucks through, but nowhere near enough to make up for shortages caused by an 11-week Israeli blockade, Palestinian officials said. Israel said it let in 100 trucks carrying baby food and medical equipment on Wednesday, two days after announcing its first relaxation of the blockade under mounting international pressure amid warnings of starvation in Gaza. Asked how long his organisation could continue operating in Gaza, Palestine Red Crescent Society President Younis Al-Khatib told reporters in Geneva: "It's a matter of time. It could be days. "We are running out of fuel. The capacity of ambulances we work with now is one third," he added, saying its gasoline-powered ambulances had already halted but it had some that were running on solar power provided by the United Nations. The PRCS is part of the world's largest humanitarian network, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and provides medical care in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Al-Khatib criticised the small amount of aid Israel has allowed into Gaza so far, warning of the risk of mob attacks. "I think that is an invitation for killing. These people are starving," he said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late on Thursday the construction of a "distribution zone" would be completed in the coming days with US companies distributing food in areas controlled by the Israeli military. "Ultimately, we intend to have large safe zones in the south of Gaza. The Palestinian population will move there for their own safety while we conduct combat in other zones, and receive humanitarian aid there without Hamas interference," he said in a video statement released by his office. Israel imposed the blockade on all supplies in March, saying Hamas was seizing deliveries for its fighters - a charge the group denies. The United Nations has said one quarter of the Gaza Strip's 2.3 million people are at risk of famine. The Palestinian health minister said 29 children and elderly people had died from starvation-related reasons in the enclave in recent days and many thousands more were at risk. Israel has repeatedly defended its controls on aid in the Gaza Strip, saying reports from aid groups of famine-like conditions were exaggerated and denying accusations of causing starvation. On Wednesday night, boys and young men gathered after one vehicle arrived in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis but kept back as men, some holding guns, watched over the unloading of sacks. The International Committee of the Red Cross said it had got one truck of medical supplies through to replenish its field hospital in Rafah but more was needed. Israel has stepped up its military operation in the Gaza Strip since early May, saying it is seeking to eliminate Hamas' military and governing capabilities and bring back remaining hostages seized in October 2023. Israel launched its campaign in the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 which killed 1200 people by Israeli tallies and resulted in 251 hostages being abducted. The campaign has since killed more than 53,600 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and devastated the coastal strip, where aid groups say signs of severe malnutrition are widespread. The head of the Palestinian Red Crescent says its operations in Gaza may stop within days in the absence of fresh supplies and its ambulance fleet was running at only one-third of capacity due to fuel shortages. Flour and other aid began reaching some of Gaza's most vulnerable areas on Thursday after Israel let some trucks through, but nowhere near enough to make up for shortages caused by an 11-week Israeli blockade, Palestinian officials said. Israel said it let in 100 trucks carrying baby food and medical equipment on Wednesday, two days after announcing its first relaxation of the blockade under mounting international pressure amid warnings of starvation in Gaza. Asked how long his organisation could continue operating in Gaza, Palestine Red Crescent Society President Younis Al-Khatib told reporters in Geneva: "It's a matter of time. It could be days. "We are running out of fuel. The capacity of ambulances we work with now is one third," he added, saying its gasoline-powered ambulances had already halted but it had some that were running on solar power provided by the United Nations. The PRCS is part of the world's largest humanitarian network, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and provides medical care in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Al-Khatib criticised the small amount of aid Israel has allowed into Gaza so far, warning of the risk of mob attacks. "I think that is an invitation for killing. These people are starving," he said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late on Thursday the construction of a "distribution zone" would be completed in the coming days with US companies distributing food in areas controlled by the Israeli military. "Ultimately, we intend to have large safe zones in the south of Gaza. The Palestinian population will move there for their own safety while we conduct combat in other zones, and receive humanitarian aid there without Hamas interference," he said in a video statement released by his office. Israel imposed the blockade on all supplies in March, saying Hamas was seizing deliveries for its fighters - a charge the group denies. The United Nations has said one quarter of the Gaza Strip's 2.3 million people are at risk of famine. The Palestinian health minister said 29 children and elderly people had died from starvation-related reasons in the enclave in recent days and many thousands more were at risk. Israel has repeatedly defended its controls on aid in the Gaza Strip, saying reports from aid groups of famine-like conditions were exaggerated and denying accusations of causing starvation. On Wednesday night, boys and young men gathered after one vehicle arrived in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis but kept back as men, some holding guns, watched over the unloading of sacks. The International Committee of the Red Cross said it had got one truck of medical supplies through to replenish its field hospital in Rafah but more was needed. Israel has stepped up its military operation in the Gaza Strip since early May, saying it is seeking to eliminate Hamas' military and governing capabilities and bring back remaining hostages seized in October 2023. Israel launched its campaign in the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 which killed 1200 people by Israeli tallies and resulted in 251 hostages being abducted. The campaign has since killed more than 53,600 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and devastated the coastal strip, where aid groups say signs of severe malnutrition are widespread. The head of the Palestinian Red Crescent says its operations in Gaza may stop within days in the absence of fresh supplies and its ambulance fleet was running at only one-third of capacity due to fuel shortages. Flour and other aid began reaching some of Gaza's most vulnerable areas on Thursday after Israel let some trucks through, but nowhere near enough to make up for shortages caused by an 11-week Israeli blockade, Palestinian officials said. Israel said it let in 100 trucks carrying baby food and medical equipment on Wednesday, two days after announcing its first relaxation of the blockade under mounting international pressure amid warnings of starvation in Gaza. Asked how long his organisation could continue operating in Gaza, Palestine Red Crescent Society President Younis Al-Khatib told reporters in Geneva: "It's a matter of time. It could be days. "We are running out of fuel. The capacity of ambulances we work with now is one third," he added, saying its gasoline-powered ambulances had already halted but it had some that were running on solar power provided by the United Nations. The PRCS is part of the world's largest humanitarian network, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and provides medical care in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Al-Khatib criticised the small amount of aid Israel has allowed into Gaza so far, warning of the risk of mob attacks. "I think that is an invitation for killing. These people are starving," he said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late on Thursday the construction of a "distribution zone" would be completed in the coming days with US companies distributing food in areas controlled by the Israeli military. "Ultimately, we intend to have large safe zones in the south of Gaza. The Palestinian population will move there for their own safety while we conduct combat in other zones, and receive humanitarian aid there without Hamas interference," he said in a video statement released by his office. Israel imposed the blockade on all supplies in March, saying Hamas was seizing deliveries for its fighters - a charge the group denies. The United Nations has said one quarter of the Gaza Strip's 2.3 million people are at risk of famine. The Palestinian health minister said 29 children and elderly people had died from starvation-related reasons in the enclave in recent days and many thousands more were at risk. Israel has repeatedly defended its controls on aid in the Gaza Strip, saying reports from aid groups of famine-like conditions were exaggerated and denying accusations of causing starvation. On Wednesday night, boys and young men gathered after one vehicle arrived in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis but kept back as men, some holding guns, watched over the unloading of sacks. The International Committee of the Red Cross said it had got one truck of medical supplies through to replenish its field hospital in Rafah but more was needed. Israel has stepped up its military operation in the Gaza Strip since early May, saying it is seeking to eliminate Hamas' military and governing capabilities and bring back remaining hostages seized in October 2023. Israel launched its campaign in the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 which killed 1200 people by Israeli tallies and resulted in 251 hostages being abducted. The campaign has since killed more than 53,600 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and devastated the coastal strip, where aid groups say signs of severe malnutrition are widespread. The head of the Palestinian Red Crescent says its operations in Gaza may stop within days in the absence of fresh supplies and its ambulance fleet was running at only one-third of capacity due to fuel shortages. Flour and other aid began reaching some of Gaza's most vulnerable areas on Thursday after Israel let some trucks through, but nowhere near enough to make up for shortages caused by an 11-week Israeli blockade, Palestinian officials said. Israel said it let in 100 trucks carrying baby food and medical equipment on Wednesday, two days after announcing its first relaxation of the blockade under mounting international pressure amid warnings of starvation in Gaza. Asked how long his organisation could continue operating in Gaza, Palestine Red Crescent Society President Younis Al-Khatib told reporters in Geneva: "It's a matter of time. It could be days. "We are running out of fuel. The capacity of ambulances we work with now is one third," he added, saying its gasoline-powered ambulances had already halted but it had some that were running on solar power provided by the United Nations. The PRCS is part of the world's largest humanitarian network, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and provides medical care in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Al-Khatib criticised the small amount of aid Israel has allowed into Gaza so far, warning of the risk of mob attacks. "I think that is an invitation for killing. These people are starving," he said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late on Thursday the construction of a "distribution zone" would be completed in the coming days with US companies distributing food in areas controlled by the Israeli military. "Ultimately, we intend to have large safe zones in the south of Gaza. The Palestinian population will move there for their own safety while we conduct combat in other zones, and receive humanitarian aid there without Hamas interference," he said in a video statement released by his office. Israel imposed the blockade on all supplies in March, saying Hamas was seizing deliveries for its fighters - a charge the group denies. The United Nations has said one quarter of the Gaza Strip's 2.3 million people are at risk of famine. The Palestinian health minister said 29 children and elderly people had died from starvation-related reasons in the enclave in recent days and many thousands more were at risk. Israel has repeatedly defended its controls on aid in the Gaza Strip, saying reports from aid groups of famine-like conditions were exaggerated and denying accusations of causing starvation. On Wednesday night, boys and young men gathered after one vehicle arrived in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis but kept back as men, some holding guns, watched over the unloading of sacks. The International Committee of the Red Cross said it had got one truck of medical supplies through to replenish its field hospital in Rafah but more was needed. Israel has stepped up its military operation in the Gaza Strip since early May, saying it is seeking to eliminate Hamas' military and governing capabilities and bring back remaining hostages seized in October 2023. Israel launched its campaign in the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 which killed 1200 people by Israeli tallies and resulted in 251 hostages being abducted. The campaign has since killed more than 53,600 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and devastated the coastal strip, where aid groups say signs of severe malnutrition are widespread.
DW
22-05-2025
- Health
- DW
Some aid reaches Gaza as Israeli lets some trucks through – DW – 05/22/2025
Aid deliveries to Gaza have resumed, but they are failing to reach civilians, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. The stalled relief effort has sparked fears of looting and a deepening crisis. The Palestinian Red Crescent on Thursday warned that aid trucks allowed into Gaza this week have not yet reached civilians and that the limited number of deliveries risks fueling chaos and violence. Israel announced this week it would begin allowing aid into the Palestinian territory after a nearly three-month blockade of food and supplies. However, the UN has expressed frustration with the scale and pace of deliveries as most trucks stuck are at the border crossing or awaiting Israeli permission to distribute supplies. UN agencies and aid groups have been struggling to retrieve and distribute the aid, blaming complicated Israeli military procedures and the breakdown of law and order inside the territory. A UN spokesperson said about 90 trucks of aid were transported to multiple destinations within Gaza on Wednesday, and the World Food Program reported that a "handful of bakeries" in southern and central Gaza had resumed bread production. What is happening with Gaza aid deliveries? "I can prove that nobody has received [aid]. No civilian has received anything yet," said Younis Al-Khatib, President of the Palestine Red Crescent Society. "In fact, most of these trucks are still in Karem Shalom at the border, inspected, but not into Gaza." Al-Khatib described the modest aid shipments as an "invitation for killing," citing fears of mobbing, looting, and unrest as desperate residents await food and medical supplies. The warning follows reports that about 90 trucks' worth of humanitarian aid have been collected by agencies out of nearly 200 that entered Gaza in recent days, but distribution remains stalled due to insecurity and logistical hurdles. Meanwhile, Palestinian health authorities say starvation-related deaths have begun to rise, with at least 29 children and elderly individuals reported dead in recent days. Aid officials continue to stress that current deliveries are far below what is needed to prevent further humanitarian catastrophe. Hopes of limited aid on the way Palestinian officials said flour and other food aid would start to reach some of Gaza's most vulnerable people on Thursday, but they added this would be nowhere near enough to compensate for shortages caused by an 11-week blockade. "Some bakeries will begin receiving flour to produce bread, and we expect the distribution of bread to begin later today," Amjad al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network in Gaza, told the Reuters news agency on Thursday. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Thursday, citing the International Committee of the Red Cross, that Gazans began receiving items such as flour and baby food and that a field hospital has received medical equipment. "In close touch with team in Gaza. Today will be crucial. Truckloads of lifesaving aid finally on move again," UN aid chief Tom Fletcher posted on X. "I'm in awe of [the] courage of our humanitarians," he added. "They continue to face huge challenges getting goods out of the crossing to where it is needed. Vital, lifesaving work." Israel's three-stage aid plan faces criticism Facing global pressure to ease the blockade and end fighting in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he is open to a "temporary ceasefire" but emphasized that the military aims to bring all of Gaza under Israeli control. Israel has said the blockade was necessary because the Islamist militant group Hamas diverts humanitarian aid. Israeli officials have also said they plan to implement a new aid distribution system within days. Initially, Israel says it will permit basic food supplies into the coastal enclave to avert a humanitarian crisis. The second phase would involve opening food distribution points by US companies. Israel faces criticism over Gaza aid plan To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In the final step, a "sterile zone" free from Hamas in the south of Gaza would be created to facilitate humanitarian assistance for displaced Palestinians. In an address on Thursday, Netanyahu said construction of the first humanitarian aid distribution zones in Gaza would be complete in the coming days. UN agencies and aid groups have been warning that the proposed system would not meet growing humanitarian needs and could force large numbers of people to relocate to reach aid sites. They said the plan violates humanitarian principles by requiring people to move to access aid, rather than delivering assistance based on need where they currently live. Edited by: Sean Sinico
DW
22-05-2025
- General
- DW
Red Crescent warns Gaza aid still undelivered – DW – 05/22/2025
Aid deliveries to Gaza have resumed, but they are failing to reach civilians, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. The stalled relief effort has sparked fears of looting and a deepening crisis. The Palestinian Red Crescent on Thursday warned that aid trucks allowed into Gaza this week have not yet reached civilians and that the limited number of deliveries risks fueling chaos and violence. Israel announced this week it would begin allowing aid into the Palestinian territory after a nearly three-month blockade of food and supplies. However, the UN has expressed frustration with the scale and pace of deliveries as most trucks stuck are at the border crossing or awaiting Israeli permission to distribute supplies. UN agencies and aid groups have been struggling to retrieve and distribute the aid, blaming complicated Israeli military procedures and the breakdown of law and order inside the territory. What is happening with Gaza aid deliveries? "I can prove that nobody has received [aid]. No civilian has received anything yet," said Younis Al-Khatib, President of the Palestine Red Crescent Society. "In fact, most of these trucks are still in Karem Shalom at the border, inspected, but not into Gaza." Al-Khatib described the modest aid shipments as an "invitation for killing," citing fears of mobbing, looting, and unrest as desperate residents await food and medical supplies. The warning follows reports that about 90 trucks' worth of humanitarian aid have been collected by agencies out of nearly 200 that entered Gaza in recent days, but distribution remains stalled due to insecurity and logistical hurdles. Meanwhile, Palestinian health authorities say starvation-related deaths have begun to rise, with at least 29 children and elderly individuals reported dead in recent days. Aid officials continue to stress that current deliveries are far below what is needed to prevent further humanitarian catastrophe. Hopes of limited aid on the way Palestinian officials said flour and other food aid would start to reach some of Gaza's most vulnerable people on Thursday, but they added this would be nowhere near enough to compensate for shortages caused by an 11-week blockade. "Some bakeries will begin receiving flour to produce bread, and we expect the distribution of bread to begin later today," Amjad al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network in Gaza, told the Reuters news agency on Thursday. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Thursday, citing the International Committee of the Red Cross, that Gazans began receiving items such as flour and baby food and that a field hospital has received medical equipment. "In close touch with team in Gaza. Today will be crucial. Truckloads of lifesaving aid finally on move again," UN aid chief Tom Fletcher posted on X. "I'm in awe of [the] courage of our humanitarians," he added. "They continue to face huge challenges getting goods out of the crossing to where it is needed. Vital, lifesaving work." Israel's three-stage aid plan faces criticism Facing global pressure to ease the blockade and end fighting in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he is open to a "temporary ceasefire" but emphasized that the military aims to bring all of Gaza under Israeli control. Israel has said the blockade was necessary because the Islamist militant group Hamas diverts humanitarian aid. Israeli officials have also said they plan to implement a new aid distribution system within days. Initially, Israel says it will permit basic food supplies into the coastal enclave to avert a humanitarian crisis. The second phase would involve opening food distribution points by US companies. In the final step, a "sterile zone" free from Hamas in the south of Gaza would be created to facilitate humanitarian assistance for displaced Palestinians. UN agencies and aid groups have been warning that the proposed system would not meet growing humanitarian needs and could force large numbers of people to relocate to reach aid sites. They said the plan violates humanitarian principles by requiring people to move to access aid, rather than delivering assistance based on need where they currently live. Edited by: Sean Sinico
Straits Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Gaza ambulance fleet down to a third, Palestinian Red Crescent says
A view of an aid truck entering from Israel into Gaza, near the Kerem Shalom crossing near the Israeli-Gaza border, May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen GENEVA - The head of the Palestinian Red Crescent said on Thursday its operations in Gaza may stop within days in the absence of fresh supplies and its ambulance fleet was running at only a third of capacity due to fuel shortages. Flour and other aid began reaching some of Gaza's most vulnerable areas on Thursday after Israel let some trucks through, but nowhere near enough to make up for shortages caused by an 11-week Israeli blockade, Palestinian officials said. Israel said it let in 100 trucks carrying baby food and medical equipment on Wednesday, two days after announcing its first relaxation of the blockade under mounting international pressure amid warnings of starvation in Gaza. Asked how long his organisation could continue operating in Gaza, Palestine Red Crescent Society President Younis Al-Khatib told reporters in Geneva: "It's a matter of time. It could be days. "We are running out of fuel. The capacity of ambulances we work with now is one third," he added, saying its gasoline-powered ambulances had already halted but it had some that were running on solar power provided by the United Nations. The PRCS is part of the world's largest humanitarian network, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and provides medical care in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Al-Khatib criticised the small amount of aid Israel has allowed into Gaza so far, warning of the risk of mob attacks. "I think that is an invitation for killing. These people are starving," he said. Israel, at war with Gaza's dominant militant group Hamas since October 2023, has repeatedly defended its controls on aid in the enclave, saying there is enough food there and denying accusations of causing starvation. He added his voice to criticism of a U.S.-backed organisation that aims to start work in Gaza by the end of May overseeing a new model of aid distribution. "It's not up for discussion. No, no, no," he said. "The world should not give up on the system as we know it." The U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation intends to work with private U.S. security and logistics firms to provide aid to 300,000 people from distribution hubs in Gaza's south. Gaza's total population is 2.3 million, most of it displaced. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Express Tribune
21-04-2025
- Express Tribune
Israel admits killing of Gaza medics
The paramedics and other rescue workers were shot dead on March 23 near the southern Gaza city of Rafah. PHOTO: FILE The head of an Israeli military probe into the killing of 15 Palestinian emergency workers in Gaza acknowledged on Sunday a "mistake" on the part of troops involved in the incident. The military also confirmed detaining one medic since the incident on March 23. The Israeli military probe into the killing of 15 Palestinian emergency workers in Gaza on Sunday acknowledged operational failures and said a field commander would be dismissed. The medics and other rescue workers were killed when responding to a distress call near the southern Gaza city of Rafah in the early hours of March 23, just days after Israel launched a renewed offensive in the Hamas-run territory. The incident has drawn international condemnation, including concern about possible war crimes from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. Those killed included eight Red Crescent staff members, six from the Gaza civil defence rescue agency and one employee of UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, according to the UN humanitarian agency OCHA and Palestinian rescuers. Their bodies were found about a week later, buried in the sand alongside their crushed vehicles near the site of the shooting in Rafah's Tal al-Sultan area, in what OCHA described as a mass grave. Younis Al-Khatib, president of the Palestinian Red Crescent in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has said an autopsy of the victims revealed that "all the martyrs were shot in the upper part of their bodies, with the intent to kill". A video recovered from the cellphone of one of the slain aid workers, released by the Red Crescent, shows ambulances travelling with their headlights on and emergency lights flashing. "The examination identified several professional failures, breaches of orders and a failure to fully report the incident," Israeli army said. It added that a deputy commander "will be dismissed from his position due to his responsibilities as the field commander in this incident and for providing an incomplete and inaccurate report during the debrief". Meanwhile, Gaza's civil defence agency reported that Israeli air strikes since dawn on Sunday have killed at least 25 people across the Gaza Strip, including women and children. Israel resumed its aerial and ground assault on Gaza on March 18, reigniting fighting after a two-month ceasefire that had paused more than 15 months of war in the coastal territory. "Since dawn today, the occupation's air strikes have killed 20 people and injured dozens more, including children and women across the Gaza Strip," Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for the civil defence agency told AFP. In a separate statement later, the agency reported that five people were killed in an Israeli drone strike on a group of civilians in eastern Rafah. Since Israel resumed its offensive last month, at least 1,827 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The overall death toll in the Gaza war has reached 51,201, the majority of them civilians, according to the ministry, figures the UN considers reliable.
