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Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- Health
- Al Jazeera
US-backed GHF says Gaza aid sites remain shut as Israeli attacks kill 22
At least 22 people have been killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza, medical sources told Al Jazeera, as the US-backed group distributing aid in the Palestinian territory said all its centres were closed until further notice. In northern Gaza, at least 10 people were killed in Israeli tank fire in Jabalia, local health authorities said. At least five people were killed in Khan Younis in southern Gaza when Israeli drones struck tents housing displaced people, medical sources said. A journalist who was wounded in an Israeli strike on Ahli Hospital on Thursday succumbed to their injures, raising the number of journalists killed in Gaza since the beginning of the war to 226, Gaza's Government Media Office said on Friday. The office called on 'all journalistic bodies in all countries of the world to condemn these systematic crimes against Palestinian journalists and media professionals in the Gaza Strip'. 'We also call on them to exert serious and effective pressure to stop the crime of genocide, protect journalists and media professionals in the Gaza Strip, and halt their killing,' it added. The attacks come as the US-backed group tasked with distributing aid in Gaza said its hubs would remain closed until further notice, despite a growing hunger crisis in the territory. Aid agencies have warned that all residents in Gaza face the threat of famine after Israel imposed a severe blockade on the territory in March, blocking the entry of food, medicine and fuel. Amid international pressure, Israel allowed some aid to enter Gaza last month, but aid groups have warned the amounts are inadequate. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a previously unknown group that is overseeing the aid distribution effort, advised people to stay away from the aid distribution hubs 'for their safety'. GHF, which began distributing aid last week, said in a Facebook post on Friday that details about reopening would be announced later. Operations at the group's aid distribution hubs were halted earlier this week following several incidents of deadly violence near the sites, in which Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian aid seekers. Only two sites distributed aid on Thursday. On Sunday, thousands of people headed towards the distribution site hours before dawn. As they approached, Israeli forces ordered them to disperse and come back later. When the crowds reached the Flag Roundabout, 1km (0.6 mile) away, at about 3am, Israeli forces opened fire, witnesses said. 'There was fire from all directions, from naval warships, from tanks and drones,' said Amr Abu Teiba, who was in the crowd. Goher Rahbour, a surgeon working in Gaza's Khan Younis, told Al Jazeera that the bullets extracted from victims of the shooting near the aid distribution centre on Sunday were from M16 assault guns, consistent with those used by the Israeli military. 'I operated on two patients and we removed M16 bullets from abdominal injuries,' Rahbour told Al Jazeera. 'When I spoke to these patients, they were very clear to say they came from Israeli forces.' The surgeon also said hospitals were operating with little or no resources. 'There is a lack of everything – antibiotics, swabs, surgical instruments,' he said. The GHF's approach has been fiercely criticised by humanitarian organisations, including the United Nations. The GHF says private security contractors guarding its sites have not fired on crowds. Israel's military has acknowledged firing warning shots on previous occasions. Israel's war on Gaza has killed at least 54,677 Palestinians and wounded 125,530, Gaza's Health Ministry said on Thursday. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, and more than 200 were taken captive. On Thursday, mediators Qatar and Egypt announced renewed efforts to secure a ceasefire deal based on a US-backed proposal for a 60-day truce and the entry of humanitarian aid. Previous ceasefire efforts have, however, repeatedly broken down over Israel's rejection of key terms. In past rounds of negotiations, Israel has walked back commitments related to a permanent halt to the war and a full withdrawal of its troops from Gaza.
The Sun
30-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Gaza is now ‘the hungriest place on Earth' with entire region at risk of famine, warns United Nations
GAZA has become 'the hungriest place on Earth', the United Nations warned yesterday. It said the territory's entire population was now at risk of famine. Displaced Palestinians living in tents were handed food by aid agencies yesterday. Women and children were among those gathered in Khan Yunis holding pots and pans. Jens Laerke, of the UN's humanitarian agency, said it was the only area on the planet where 100 per cent of the population was at risk of famine. He added: 'Gaza is the hungriest place on Earth.' Israel resumed military operations in March, ending a six-week truce. Deliveries into Gaza are still limited, despite Israel easing a blockade in the face of criticism. Gaza's population of more than 2 million people relies almost entirely on outside aid to survive because Israel's military offensive wiped out most capacity to produce food inside the territory. Israel said it imposed the blockade to pressure Hamas into releasing the hostages it still holds and because it accuses Hamas of siphoning off aid. 1
The Guardian
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Israel-Gaza war: US-backed aid group starts operations despite UN objections
Update: Date: 2025-05-27T07:58:26.000Z Title: US-backed aid group says Gaza operations have begun despite fears scheme breaches international law Content: We are continuing our live coverage of the latest developments in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Israel's war on Gaza. A US-backed foundation tasked with supplying aid to Gaza said it had begun operations on Monday, delivering truckloads of food to designated distribution sites a day after its executive director resigned because the operation could not fulfil its mission in a way that adhered to 'humanitarian principles'. The aid plan, which has been endorsed by Israel but rejected by the UN, unfolded amid uncertainty about whether any assistance had actually reached civilians. Palestinians reported no sign of aid deliveries earlier on Monday, but the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) later said truckloads of food – it did not say how many – had been delivered to its hubs, and distribution had begun. It was not clear where the hubs were located or how those receiving supplies were chosen. The GHF is taking over the handling of aid despite objections from the UN. The new aid plan has been described as unworkable, dangerous and potentially unlawful by aid agencies because it could lead to the forced mass transfer of populations. Under the GHF plan, Palestinians, many of whom have been injured by Israeli airstrikes or exhausted from constantly moving in response to evacuation threats, would collect aid boxes weighing up to 20kg (44lbs) from four distribution points in southern Gaza. The UN's humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, said it would force further displacement and make 'starvation a bargaining chip'. On Sunday the GHF's head, Jake Wood, resigned, saying it had become clear the foundation would not be allowed to operate independently. The organisation could not adhere 'to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, which I will not abandon,' Wood said as he called for Israel to allow the entry of more aid. You can read more on this story here. Israel imposed its total aid blockade in early March, cutting off all supplies including food, medicine, shelter and fuel in what has been widely condemned as the collective punishment of the civilian population in Gaza. Israel claimed the blockade was to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages, but in effect it left most of the 2.1 million Palestinians in the territory on the brink of starvation, with medicine and fuel supplies exhausted. In some other developments: At least 81 people have been killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza since early Monday, including 53 in Gaza City, Al Jazeera is reporting, citing medical sources. The Israeli military said this morning it had intercepted a missile and a projectile in separate launches from Yemen toward Israel. Yemen's Houthi rebels have regularly launched attacks they say are in response to Israel's assault on Gaza. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, said Israel's forced displacement of Palestinian people is treating Gaza's population 'like pinballs'. 'In Gaza, people continue to be treated like pinballs forced to flee in search of safety that doesn't exist,' the agency said in a post on X. 'With nearly 20 months of war, people are exhausted, disoriented, grieving, and constantly in fear.'
Al Jazeera
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to launch aid deliveries despite losing chief
An NGO backed by Israel and the United States has announced that it is set to start distributing aid in besieged Gaza, despite its chief walking out, citing concerns over its independence. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said in a statement on Monday that it is set to launch direct aid delivery in the battered enclave, hours after its executive director, Jake Wood, announced his resignation. GHF, which has been tapped to distribute food, medicine and other vital supplies that have been blocked by the Israeli military for two months, said that it aims to deliver aid to 1 million Palestinians in the territory by the end of the week. The NGO said it then plans to 'scale rapidly to serve the full population in the weeks ahead'. Israel said last week it would allow 'minimal' aid deliveries into Gaza, where aid agencies warn of widespread famine and multiple deaths from starvation, but reports suggest that the few supplies that have entered the enclave have reached Gaza's starving population of 2.3 million. The United Nations and other aid agencies have refused to work with GHF, warning that the conditions under which it will work, including requiring Palestinians to gather at centralised aid points, will put people at risk and undermine other aid efforts. Wood announced his resignation on Sunday, citing concerns over GHF's independence. The organisation could not adhere 'to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, which I will not abandon,' he said in a statement, and called for Israel to allow the entry of more aid. The GHF board, in a statement, said it was 'disappointed' by the resignation but remained committed to expanding aid efforts across the Strip. A spokesperson for the US State Department also said it remained supportive of the NGO. Wood's departure follows growing criticism of GHF's operational structure and independence. The NGO, which claims it has been based in Geneva since February, emerged from 'private meetings of like-minded officials, military officers and business people with close ties to the Israeli government', according to The New York Times. The UN and major humanitarian organisations have raised concerns that the GHF's operations could undermine existing relief efforts, as well as restrict food access to limited areas of Gaza, which would force civilians to walk long distances to access aid and cross Israeli military lines. There is also a worry that the GHF's distribution plans, which the US and Israel say are designed to prevent Hamas from controlling aid, could be used to advance an Israeli objective of depopulating northern Gaza by concentrating aid in the south. The controversy over the GHF unfolds against a backdrop of a worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, 1.95 million people – 93 percent of Gaza's population – are facing acute levels of food insecurity, or not having enough to eat. Aid agencies have described the crisis as a man-made famine, and have accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war. Robert Patman, a professor of international relations at the University of Otago in New Zealand, told Al Jazeera that Wood's resignation reflected the lack of support from established humanitarian bodies for GHF. 'It's no secret that major aid donors had not been convinced by this proposal, which is essentially a start-up,' he said. Patman also noted that many humanitarian actors argue that there is 'no need for a new humanitarian organisation', stressing that the international community should instead focus on lifting the Israeli blockade on Gaza.
Irish Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Growing call from EU states to review EU trade deal with Israel
A proposal to review the European Union 's trade agreement with Israel in light of its blockade stopping humanitarian aid getting into Gaza is believed to have the support of up to 10 EU states. France, Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Finland, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden and several other EU states support the EU reviewing its relationship with Israel, in response to growing concerns about the worsening conditions in Gaza. Humanitarian organisations and aid agencies have warned of the dire consequences of what has been a near three-month blockade, where Israel has prevented food and other supplies getting into the Gaza Strip, sparking fears of a possible famine. For weeks aid agencies have been warning that the enclave of more than two million Palestinians is on the verge of having food, fuel and medical supplies run out. READ MORE The blocking of vital supplies getting into Gaza, which Taoiseach Micheál Martin said amounted to a war crime , has seen renewed impetus within the EU to exert political pressure on Israel. Foreign ministers from the 27 EU states are expected to discuss ordering a review into the EU's agreement that governs the bloc's relations with Israel, known as the 'association agreement'. It is understood about 10 of the 27 national capitals have indicated their support for a review, to determine if Israel has breached a clause in the agreement to uphold human rights. The governments of Ireland and Spain first called for a review of the EU's trade agreement with Israel in February 2024. At the time the proposal gained little traction. In a letter earlier this month, Dutch foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp retabled the proposal to review the EU-Israel deal, given the aid blockade was 'exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation' in Gaza. It is understood Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign affairs chief who chairs the meeting, will gauge support for the proposal when ministers meet in Brussels on Tuesday. Dutch diplomats have been attempting to convince other EU states to support the proposal. Officials hope if a majority of states – at least 14 of the 27 – back the call for a review, the European Commission will be pressured to act. The commission, the EU's executive arm that proposes laws and sets trade policy, has to date resisted calls to review the association agreement. Some around the table are expected to continue to row in behind Israel. Germany, Austria, Hungary and Czechia have been the most vocal supporters of Israel within the EU. More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed during the bombardment and invasion of Gaza by Israel's military, according to Hamas-run health authorities. The Israeli assault followed the October 7th, 2023 attacks by Hamas militants which killed 1,200 people, according to Israelis tallies. Under growing international pressure, Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said this week a basic amount of aid would be allowed into Gaza.
