Latest news with #humanitarianAid
Al Mayadeen
11 hours ago
- Al Mayadeen
Massacre in Deir al-Balah: ‘Israel' kills women, children in aid queue
A brutal massacre unfolded in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, after Israeli occupation forces targeted a crowd of starved Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid. According to Al Mayadeen's correspondent, the devastating airstrike killed 16 civilians, including 10 children, as desperate parents stood in line to receive nutritional supplements for their little ones. The Israeli attack reportedly struck near the al-Bashir laundry, in the vicinity of the al-Zuwari junction, where mothers and children had gathered in hopes of securing basic sustenance. Eyewitnesses described a chilling scene: lifeless bodies strewn across the street, many of them young children, an atrocity captured in graphic footage widely circulated by local Israeli tanks opened fire on tents housing forcibly displaced families in the al-Maslakh area, west of Khan Younis, causing numerous injuries and widespread destruction. The families had sought shelter in the area after being displaced by earlier bombardments. Elsewhere, heavy machine gun fire from Israeli military vehicles was reported in the al-Tuffah neighborhood in eastern Gaza City. In both the eastern and southern parts of the city, Israeli forces also carried out widespread demolitions, blasting residential blocks and reducing Palestinian homes to rubble. This massacre is part of a broader pattern of daily atrocities committed by Israeli occupation forces against the people in Gaza. Despite repeated appeals from humanitarian organizations and human rights groups, the international community, particularly the United Nations, has failed to stop the ongoing genocide. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has issued a grave warning over the dire conditions faced by tens of thousands of pregnant and breastfeeding women in Gaza, as extreme hunger continues to jeopardize their health and the survival of their newborns. In a statement shared by UNFPA's Arab States Regional Office on X, the agency revealed that approximately 50,000 women in Gaza 'haven't eaten for days.' Malnourishment is preventing mothers from breastfeeding, while baby formula remains unavailable due to ongoing shortages. This has resulted in a spike in premature and underweight births. 'Babies are born too soon, too small,' the post read. 'Newborns are at risk of death or lifelong health issues.' Labeling the crisis as preventable, UNFPA called for immediate humanitarian access, urging: '#OpenUpGaza Let aid in.' UN agencies continue to report severe restrictions on humanitarian access, compounding the suffering of women, children, and other vulnerable groups. Aid organizations have consistently appealed for unimpeded delivery of essential life-saving assistance. Since the genocide began in October 2023, nearly 57,600 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israeli occupation forces, the majority of whom are women and children. Constant bombardment has devastated infrastructure, triggered famine-like conditions, and contributed to the spread of disease. In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Security Minister Yoav Gallant over charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Separately, "Israel" is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice. Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF) released new data this week pointing to a drastic increase in child mortality across Gaza. According to a retrospective mortality survey conducted by its epidemiological unit, Epicentre, the death rate for children under five has increased tenfold since the war began. The survey covered 2,523 individuals, including MSF staff and their families. It found that the overall death rate was five times higher than pre-war levels, while mortality among newborns under one month rose sixfold. 'The children of Gaza are being decimated,' said Amande Bazerolle, deputy manager of MSF's emergency department. 'Forty-eight percent of the people who died from blast injuries among our colleagues' households were children, and 40 percent were under 10 years old.' According to the report, over 2% of those surveyed have died since October 7, 2023, and 7% have sustained injuries. Around 75% of deaths were war-related, mainly due to explosions. The survey also underscored the collapse of Gaza's healthcare system. Two-thirds of chronically ill patients reported interruptions in treatment. Even among MSF families, who had relatively better access to care, 20% experienced at least one injury from blasts or gunfire within their household. 'This is the result of the Israeli campaign to systematically destroy the health system and the means of survival of the whole population,' MSF stated. The organization called on "Israel" to halt what it described as a 'genocidal campaign,' lift the blockade, and enable urgent medical evacuations, particularly for children. Read more: 'Skin and bones': Gaza's infants starve under Israeli siege
Al Mayadeen
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
Gaza aid line targeted: Dozens killed, UN confirms 798 dead at sites
Israeli occupation forces launched widespread bombardment across the Gaza Strip on Friday, killing at least 15 Palestinians since dawn, including 10 individuals waiting for humanitarian aid in the al-Shakoush area, northwest of Rafah in southern Gaza, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported. Emergency services also reported over 60 people wounded in the same attack, as people gathered to collect food and basic supplies. In southern Gaza, Israeli occupation forces withdrew from the southwestern outskirts of Khan Younis after a two-day incursion that left behind a trail of destruction, as per our correspondent. Tents sheltering forcibly displaced families were bulldozed, and a mass grave containing dozens of unidentified bodies previously kidnapped by "Israel" was razed. Reports indicate that additional graves were deliberately unearthed during the operation, further underscoring the pattern of desecration and collective punishment, not to mention reports of organ theft. Earlier on Friday, two more Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike on Al-Satar Al-Gharbi, northwest of Khan Younis. Artillery fire also targeted areas in Kanis, Batn Al-Samin, and other parts of the city's western and southwestern regions, as per our correspondent. In central Gaza, Israeli forces struck a crowd waiting near a food distribution point south of Wadi Gaza, causing several casualties, our correspondent reported. This is one of several recent incidents in which Palestinians gathering for humanitarian assistance have been targeted. In Gaza City, Israeli artillery shelled the eastern neighborhoods, including al-Tuffah, where a residential home was bombed, resulting in fatalities and injuries. Another home near Al-Yarmouk Mosque in the city's west was also struck. In the al-Zaytoun and al-Sabra neighborhoods, Israeli drones launched strikes on civilians, including a group of people bombed while standing in a street. At least five people were injured near the al-Nazla roundabout in northern Gaza when an Israeli quadcopter dropped explosives. Naval units also opened fire along Gaza's coastline, while airstrikes hit a historic building in downtown Gaza. The UN human rights office reported Friday that it has documented at least 798 Palestinian fatalities linked to aid distribution points in Gaza, including those operated by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), as well as sites near humanitarian convoys run by other relief agencies, including the United Nations. The GHF, which began "distributing aid" in late May, relies on private US logistics and security contractors to deliver supplies into Gaza, bypassing the UN-coordinated aid system that "Israel" has accused of being vulnerable to diversion by Palestinian Resistance groups. The UN, however, has strongly criticized this parallel framework, calling it 'inherently unsafe' and a violation of humanitarian neutrality principles. "Up until the seventh of July, we've recorded now 798 killings, including 615 in the vicinity of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites, and 183 presumably on the route of aid convoys," said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), during a press briefing in Geneva.
Asharq Al-Awsat
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Hamas Sources: Gaza Ceasefire Talks Ongoing Despite Israeli Obstacles
Despite accusations from Hamas that Israel is deliberately placing hurdles in the way of indirect negotiations in Doha aimed at securing a two-month ceasefire, sources within the movement confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that there are ongoing consultations. Hamas sources said Israel continues to obstruct progress in the Qatar-hosted negotiations, which have been underway for over a week with only limited breakthroughs. 'Each time there is partial progress on some provisions, the Israeli delegation delays discussions on other points and refuses to engage until it receives fresh instructions from officials in Tel Aviv,' the sources explained. Palestinian negotiators believe this approach is designed to buy time and apply pressure on the Palestinian factions' team, while ultimately blaming them for any failure of the talks, which are dragging on due to Israel's contradictory positions. Humanitarian Aid a Major Sticking Point The most significant obstacle, according to Hamas, remains Israel's refusal to commit to a comprehensive withdrawal plan, as well as its insistence on maintaining the current aid delivery mechanism, which Hamas describes as a 'death trap' for civilians in Gaza. The sources said Israel has agreed in principle to allow aid into areas it withdraws from through international organizations. However, the Palestinian delegation is demanding that assistance be delivered under the humanitarian protocol negotiated in January. This protocol is broader than Israel's proposals and includes not only food and medical supplies, but also construction materials, equipment to repair hospitals and schools, and goods for the private sector to sell in local markets. Israel has informed mediators that it reached an understanding with the European Union to allow 500 trucks per day into Gaza, which the Palestinian negotiators welcomed. Still, they insisted on clear guarantees that the deliveries would follow the January protocol without manipulation. Maps and Withdrawal Timelines Maps of military positions remain another major sticking point. The Hamas delegation is demanding that any Israeli withdrawal be based on the maps set out in the previous ceasefire agreement and implemented gradually according to a clear timetable. That January agreement had allowed Israeli forces to remain temporarily in buffer zones around Gaza, ranging from 500 to 1,000 meters wide. The Palestinian side is adamant that troops must not remain inside Gaza itself and that the withdrawal must lead to a complete pullout in a second phase of the agreement. According to the sources, the negotiators want precise language in each clause to prevent Israel from delaying or avoiding implementation, as has occurred in past agreements. Waiting for US Pressure Negotiations have not broken down, and the Hamas delegation believes American pressure will be critical to moving Israel off its current positions. On Sunday evening, US President Donald Trump expressed hope that the ceasefire discussions would yield concrete results within days. Later that night, a senior Hamas delegation met with Islamic Jihad leaders to coordinate positions and underscore that any deal must fulfill Palestinian aspirations, above all, ending the war, securing a full Israeli withdrawal, reopening crossings, and launching reconstruction. Flexibility on the Morag Corridor Meanwhile, Israel's Security Cabinet convened Sunday evening to review the possibility of a prisoner swap. According to Channel 12, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told ministers he was interested in reaching an agreement on the hostages, even as Hamas continues to reject Israel's terms. He warned that fighting could resume after any temporary ceasefire if Hamas does not accept Israel's conditions for ending the war. Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Netanyahu, once firmly opposed to any pullback from the Morag Corridor. a strategic strip that bisects Rafah and separates it from Khan Younis - is now willing to show some flexibility. Israeli control of the 12-kilometer corridor would allow it to further fragment Gaza and expand its security buffer zones.
Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Divided EU weighs action against Israel over Gaza war
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she had struck a deal with Israel to open more entry points and allow in more food. (AP pic) BRUSSELS : EU foreign ministers on Tuesday will discuss a raft of options for action against Israel over the war in Gaza – but likely will not agree on any. The bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has put forward 10 potential steps after Israel was found to have breached a cooperation deal between the two sides on human rights grounds. The measures range from suspending the entire accord or curbing trade ties to sanctioning Israeli ministers, imposing an arms embargo and halting visa-free travel. But despite growing anger over the devastation in Gaza, EU states remain divided over how to tackle Israel and diplomats say there appears to be no critical mass for any move. 'I was asked to give the inventory of the options that could be taken and it's up to the member states to discuss what do we do with these options,' Kallas said Monday. The tone of discussions will be shaped strongly by how Israel is implementing a promise to the EU to improve humanitarian access to Gaza. Kallas said Thursday she had struck a deal with her Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar, to open more entry points and allow in more food. Gaza's two million residents are facing dire humanitarian conditions as Israel has severely limited aid during its devastating war with the Palestinian group Hamas. 'We see some good signs of more trucks getting in,' Kallas said Monday. 'But of course we know that this is not enough and we need to push more (so) that the implementation of what we have agreed also happens on the ground.' At a meeting of EU and neighbouring countries in Brussels on Monday, Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi said the situation in Gaza remained 'catastrophic'. 'No justification' Israel's Saar, speaking at the same meeting, sounded confident his country would avoid further EU action. 'I'm sure not any of them will be adopted by the EU member states,' said the foreign minister. 'There's no justification whatsoever.' While the EU appears unable for now to take any further moves against Israel, just getting to this stage has been a considerable step. The bloc only agreed to review the cooperation deal after Israel relaunched its devastating operation in Gaza following the collapse of a ceasefire in March. Until then deep divisions between countries backing Israel and those more favourable to the Palestinians had hamstrung any move. The war was sparked by Hamas's Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which led to 1,219 deaths, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Of the 251 people taken hostage by militants that day, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry says that at least 58,386 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in Israel's retaliatory campaign. The UN considers those figures reliable.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Veteran broadcaster Michael Buerk slams 'white saviour' criticism of Live Aid: 'If you're dying of starvation, you're not really that concerned about the colour of the person saving you'
Michael Buerk hit out at 'white saviour' criticism of the Live Aid concerts yesterday, branding the controversy 'obscene'. The veteran broadcaster – whose heart-rending reports on the Ethiopian famine in 1984 led to musicians Bob Geldof and Midge Ure organising the event – rejected accusations that the West was being 'paternalistic'. It came as the global charity fundraiser marked its 40th anniversary yesterday. The BBC presenter told Radio 4's Broadcasting House current affairs programme: 'If you were one of the women picking through donkey dung trying to find undigested seeds or one of the children whose eyes were rotting through vitamin deficiency, if you were a guy... have you seen somebody dying from starvation? The body eats itself from inside. 'If you're one of those people... you're not really that concerned about whether your saviour is white or black and I think The Guardian thinks we're being paternalistic. 'It's rather obscene that people should go around talking about white saviours. Any saviour in that context is very welcome indeed.' The veteran broadcaster – whose heart-rending reports on the Ethiopian famine in 1984 led to musicians Bob Geldof and Midge Ure organising the event – rejected accusations that the West was being 'paternalistic' The 79-year-old, who now presents Radio 4's Moral Maze, added he thought the wave of compassion generated by his reports, on the then BBC Ten O'Clock News, was no longer possible to achieve today. 'There were ten million audiences for the main evening news and fewer distractions. People weren't on their phones all the time. 'I think we live in a more selfish, more cynical and more stupid world.' Buerk admitted he had misgivings when he 'first heard what Geldof was up to'. 'I thought what are these prancing stars, for goodness' sake? But now I take the opposite view about Geldof and what happened then.' Live Aid, which was seen by about 1.5billion people in more than 150 countries, helped in raising around £150 million for famine relief. But since then some have questioned the symbolism of white people in the West coming to the rescue of a helpless and impoverished Africa. Mail photographer Murray Sanders' incredible unseen photographs of Live Aid are featured in a new book, Live Aid Relived. Order a copy at
