Latest news with #al-Khatib
Al Etihad
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Etihad
Israel says Gaza medics' killing a 'mistake,' to dismiss commander
20 Apr 2025 23:43 Tel Aviv (AFP) An Israeli military probe into the killing of 15 Palestinian emergency workers in Gaza admitted on Sunday that mistakes led to their deaths and that a field commander would be dismissed. The medics and other rescue workers were killed when responding to distress calls near the southern Gaza city of Rafah early on March 23, just days into Israel's renewed offensive in the Hamas-run incident has drawn international had called for an urgent investigation and "accountability of the perpetrators.""The examination identified several professional failures, breaches of orders and a failure to fully report the incident," the summary of the investigation Major General Yoav Har-Even, who led the investigation, accepted that troops involved in the incident had committed an 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 bodies were found about a week later, buried in the sand alongside their crushed vehicles near the shooting scene in Rafah's Tal al-Sultan area. OCHA described it as a mass al-Khatib, president of the Palestine Red Crescent in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has said an autopsy of the victims revealed that "all were shot in the upper part of their bodies, with the intent to kill".The military rejected his accusation."The IDF (military) regrets the harm caused to uninvolved civilians," the probe added, but did not provide evidence that six of the men were acknowledged that no weapons were found on the dead men. 'No attempt to conceal' Days after the incident, the army said its soldiers fired on "terrorists" approaching them in "suspicious vehicles", with a spokesman later adding that the vehicles had their lights a video recovered from the cellphone of one of the slain aid workers, released by the Red Crescent, appears to contradict the Israeli military's account. The footage shows ambulances travelling with their headlights on and emergency lights flashing. The military acknowledged operational failure on the part of its troops to fully report the military said 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".The military said there were three shooting incidents in the area on that probe determined that the fire in the first two incidents resulted from an "operational misunderstanding by the troops.""The third incident involved a breach of orders during a combat setting," it UN said in early April that after the team of first responders was killed, other emergency and aid teams were hit one after another over several hours while searching for their missing Abed, a medic from the Red Crescent Society who survived the attack, told AFP earlier he was beaten and interrogated by Israeli troops. Another medic also survived and the military confirmed Sunday he was in its custody.
Ya Libnan
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
There is absolutely no justification for Hezbollah or its arms in Lebanon
FILE PHOTO: Demonstrators wave Lebanese flags during protests near the site of a blast at Beirut's port area, Lebanon where 220 people were killed , 7000 were injured and 300, 000 became homeless after hundreds of tonnes of ammonium nitrate that were illegally stored there by Hezbollah for use in bombs by its ally Syria's dictator Bashar Al Assad were detonated on August 4, 2020. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic/File Photo By Ali Hussein In a recent televised interview, Sheikh Ali al-Khatib, Vice President of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council, claimed that the justification for Hezbollah's weapons persists as long as the Lebanese state does not fulfill its role in liberating occupied territory and deterring aggression. He pointed to ongoing Israeli aggression as the primary concern, warning that such aggression must not become a fait accompli. But Sheikh al-Khatib is mistaken . Before demanding that the Lebanese state 'liberate' land occupied by Israel, he should ask Hezbollah why it has failed to regain the five strategic hills currently under Israeli control. In fact, Hezbollah has repeatedly lost ground, not gained it. After provoking the 2006 war with Israel, Lebanon lost the northern part of the town of Ghajar. And after igniting another conflict in 2023, Lebanon ended up losing even more territory—those five hills. Sheikh al-Khatib also claimed that Hezbollah has implemented UN Resolution 1701. But all credible reports show that Hezbollah has not fully honored the resolution. The Lebanese Army has not yet taken full control of the border areas, and Hezbollah continues to operate independently, undermining the state's sovereignty. Let's be clear: Hezbollah has become a catastrophic burden on Lebanon. It is because of Hezbollah that Lebanon's economy has collapsed. It is because of Hezbollah that Lebanon ranks as the third most miserable country in the world—trailing only war-torn Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. Lebanon was once known as the 'Switzerland of the East.' Under Hezbollah, it has been reduced to a satellite of Iran. To Iran, Hezbollah is not a Lebanese resistance—it is Iran in Lebanon . The only authority who should decide Lebanon's future is the state, led today by President Joseph Aoun. In his oath of office, President Aoun made it clear: only the state should bear arms in Lebanon. He also emphasized that while dialogue with Hezbollah may occur, the final word rests with the state. But Hezbollah has never respected dialogue: Let us be truthful about Hezbollah's purpose. It was never created to defend Lebanon or liberate Palestine. Its mission has always been to serve Iran's regional ambitions. And Iran has never been interested in liberating Palestine—it has used the Palestinian cause as a tool to destabilize the region and extend its control through armed proxies like Hezbollah. Now, with Assad weakened and Iran's influence fading, Hezbollah stands more isolated than ever. This is Lebanon's moment. President Joseph Aoun is no ordinary leader. As a former Army Commander, he is respected, trusted, and uniquely qualified to guide Lebanon through this critical transition. His credibility with the Lebanese people gives him the moral authority to act, and his military experience gives him the strategic insight to address the Hezbollah issue. Instead of defending Hezbollah's weapons, Sheikh al-Khatib should turn his attention to our beloved Shiite community—our brothers and sisters—who have suffered more than anyone from Hezbollah's reckless decisions. It's time to focus on rebuilding the tens of thousands of Shiite homes destroyed in wars Hezbollah provoked. It's time to shift allegiance from Iran to Lebanon, from perpetual conflict to lasting peace. Sheikh al-Khatib must recognize this reality: No international friend of Lebanon will help rebuild our nation so long as Hezbollah remains armed. It is time for peace. It is time for prosperity. It is time to bury the culture of death and rise together as one Lebanese people.
Express Tribune
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Red Crescent calls deaths of aid workers in Gaza strike a ‘war crime'
Members of the Palestine Red Crescent Society carry the bodies of their fellow paramedics who were killed by Israeli forces in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. PHOTO: REUTERS Listen to article The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has called for an independent international investigation after 15 medical and humanitarian workers were killed by Israeli forces in Gaza's Rafah region on March 23. 'This constitutes a full-fledged war crime,' the organisation said in a statement, citing what it called a 'dangerous pattern' of violations against international humanitarian law. PRCS President Younis al-Khatib urged the formation of a commission 'to establish the facts and hold those responsible accountable'. The medics were in ambulances responding to an earlier Israeli strike when they came under sustained fire. Video recovered from one of the victims' phones reportedly shows the team in reflective uniforms and clearly marked rescue vehicles before the shooting began. PRCS said the convoy came under fire for five minutes, with communication records confirming the gunfire continued for two hours until contact with one of the medics was lost. A survivor reported that the ambulances were targeted without warning and alleged he was used as a 'human shield' by Israeli troops before managing to escape. 'It is no longer sufficient to speak of respecting the international law and Geneva Convention,' al-Khatib said at a press conference in the West Bank. 'It is now required from the international community and the UN Security Council to implement the necessary punishment against all who are responsible.' The PRCS confirmed that eight of its staff were killed in the attack, along with six members of the Palestinian Civil Defence agency and one employee of the UN refugee agency UNRWA. The Israeli military denied targeting ambulances indiscriminately, saying it fired on 'terrorists' in 'uncoordinated vehicles' that approached troops without lights or emergency signals. Al-Khatib dismissed the claim, stating the vehicles had their emergency lights on and labelling Israel's version 'false allegations and fabricated stories'. PRCS stated the area was not designated a 'red zone' at the time, meaning no coordination was needed for rescue access. Days later, limited access was granted, and rescue teams recovered bodies—14 of them from what was described as a 'mass grave in a brutal and degrading manner'. The attack has drawn condemnation from Gaza's Civil Defence, the Government Media Office, Hamas, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, who said the incident raises serious concern over potential war crimes. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said Israeli strikes since the ceasefire was broken on March 18 have hit densely populated areas, with 'patients killed in their hospital beds, ambulances shot at, first responders killed'. According to UNRWA, over 408 aid workers, including more than 280 of its own staff, have been killed since the war began on October 7. Gaza's Health Ministry says at least 921 people have died since March 18, bringing the total death toll to over 50,000—most of them women and children. In response to the rising toll, six UN agency heads jointly urged for an immediate ceasefire and the resumption of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Al Arabiya
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Red Crescent says Israeli troops shot Gaza crew ‘with intent to kill'
The Palestine Red Crescent Society said on Monday that 15 medics and rescuers killed by Israeli forces last month in Gaza were shot in the upper body with 'intent to kill.' The killings occurred in the southern Gaza Strip on March 23, days into a renewed Israeli offensive in the Palestinian territory, and have since sparked international condemnation. Younis al-Khatib, president of the Red Crescent in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, told journalists in Ramallah: 'There has been an autopsy of the martyrs from the Red Crescent and civil defense teams. We cannot disclose everything we know, but I will say that all the martyrs were shot in the upper part of their bodies, with the intent to kill.' Al-Khatib called for an international probe into the killings, which the Israeli military has separately announced it was investigating. 'We call on the world to form an independent and impartial international commission of inquiry into the circumstances of the deliberate killing of the ambulance crews in the Gaza Strip,' al-Khatib said. The Israeli military has said its soldiers fired on 'terrorists' approaching them in 'suspicious vehicles,' with a spokesman later adding that the vehicles had their lights off. But a video recovered from the cellphone of one of the slain aid workers, released by the Red Crescent, appears to contradict the Israeli military's account. The footage shows ambulances travelling with their headlights on and emergency lights flashing. Those killed included eight Red Crescent staff, six members of the Gaza civil defense agency and one employee of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. The bodies were found buried near the site of the shooting in the Tal al-Sultan area of Rafah city, in what the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) described as a mass grave. 'Why did you hide the bodies?' al-Khatib said of the Israeli forces involved in the attack.
Al Jazeera
31-03-2025
- Health
- Al Jazeera
Palestine Red Crescent says 15 bodies found in search for missing Gaza crew
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) says 15 bodies have been found in Rafah, southern Gaza, a week after its first responders came under heavy fire from Israeli forces. The PRCS said on Sunday that eight of the bodies have been identified as PRCS members, six as members of the Civil Defence, and one as a UN agency employee. One PRCS first responder is still missing. The group said the those killed 'were targeted by the Israeli occupation forces while performing their humanitarian duties as they were heading to the Hashashin area of Rafah to provide first aid to a number of people injured by Israeli shelling in the area'. 'The occupation's targeting of Red Crescent medics … can only be considered a war crime punishable under international humanitarian law, which the occupation continues to violate before the eyes of the entire world.' In an earlier statement the Red Crescent said the bodies 'were recovered with difficulty as they were buried in the sand, with some showing signs of decomposition'. PRCS President Younis al-Khatib condemned Israel for targeting its paramedics as they 'fulfil their humanitarian mission'. 'Those souls are not mere numbers. If this incident [happened] anywhere else, the whole world would have moved heaven and earth to expose this war crime,' al-Khatib said on Sunday. Last week, the Israeli military told the AFP news agency that it had fired on ambulances and fire trucks – calling them 'suspicious vehicles' – that arrived at a scene where it was carrying out attacks. Hamas political bureau member Basem Naim slammed the attack on the ambulance and said the 'targeted killing of rescue workers – who are protected under international humanitarian law – constitutes a flagrant violation of the Geneva Conventions and a war crime'. OCHA chief Tom Fletcher said since Israel broke the ceasefire in Gaza on March 18 and resumed its war on the enclave, Israeli air attacks have hit 'densely populated areas', with 'patients killed in their hospital beds, ambulances shot at, first responders killed'. Gaza's Ministry of Health announced on Saturday that since Israel resumed its attacks, at least 921 people have been killed in the territory, adding to the more than 50,000 killed since October 7, 2023. Israel launched its war after the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, during which 1,139 people died and about 250 were taken captive into Gaza.
