Latest news with #humanitarianGroups
The National
5 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Trump signs order banning travel from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran and Yemen
President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation banning people from 12 countries from entering the US, drawing criticism from humanitarian groups and his political opponents. The decision follows the attack in Boulder, Colorado, on a march in support of Israeli hostages. The travel ban covers Afghanistan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The measure also partially limits entry of people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. The alleged attacker, Mohamed Soliman, is from Egypt, which is not on the list. 'We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen,' Mr Trump said in a video posted on social media. The decision comes after he ordered Secretary of State Marco Rubio to review 'high-risk regions' that should have restrictions imposed. The list is subject to revision, Mr Trump added. The list includes countries deemed to have inadequate screening and vetting processes as well as high rates of visa overstays. It also includes nations that have historically refused to accept back their deported citizens, as well as those that have high instances of terrorist activity. Afghanistan, Iran, Libya and Somali were flagged as being high-risk for the amount of extremist activity there, with Tehran accused of being a state sponsor of terrorism. Burma, Haiti and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were accused of having high visa overstay rates. The countries facing the total ban were found 'to be deficient with regards to screening and vetting and determined to pose a very high risk to the United States", the White House said. Mr Trump said the travel ban from his first term was one of his most successful policies and 'key' to preventing terrorist attacks on American soil. Mr Trump enacted a so-called Muslim ban during his first term, barring citizens of several Muslim-majority countries and others from entering the US. Travellers from Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen were barred from entry. The policy went through several iterations before it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. Mr Trump has blamed the immigration policies of former president Joe Biden for rising crime in the country, and he has been swift to issue executive orders cracking down on people entering the country illegally. Democratic senator Adam Schiff said the administration's latest move will only further isolate the US on the world stage. "Bigotry is not a national security strategy," he said in a post on X.
CBC
28-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Shots fired in southern Gaza after crowds charge food distribution site
Crowds rushed a food distribution site in southern Gaza before scattering when shots were fired in what the UN called a 'heartbreaking' scene. Humanitarian groups say the new Israel-backed effort to get aid into Gaza falls far short of what's needed.
Al Jazeera
27-05-2025
- General
- Al Jazeera
Humanitarian groups slam Gaza's new US-Israeli aid operation
NewsFeed Humanitarian groups slam Gaza's new US-Israeli aid operation The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says it has started sending limited aid into Gaza, after Israel's three-month siege. But humanitarian groups have condemned the new process, as politicised and a potential breach of international law.
CTV News
18-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Israel has launched a new offensive in blockaded Gaza. Here's what to know
Palestinians inspect the house of the Jabr family after it was hit earlier by an Israeli army strike killing at least 10 people, in Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) JERUSALEM — The war in the Gaza Strip has reached one of its darkest periods, as Israel's blockade of all food and supplies enters its 12th week and the military wages another major offensive against Hamas. Hundreds have been killed in recent days, experts have warned of a looming famine and doctors say overwhelmed hospitals are running out of medicine to treat even routine conditions. The military is preparing for a new organization with U.S. backing to take over aid delivery, despite alarms raised by humanitarian groups that say the plans won't meet the massive need and could weaponize food deliveries. It's still unclear when operations would begin or who would fund them. Talks are underway in Qatar on a new ceasefire and hostage exchange, but the sides still seem far apart, with Hamas demanding an end to the war and Israel vowing to keep fighting even after the hostages are freed, until Hamas has been destroyed, or disarmed and sent into exile. Here's what to know about the state of the 19-month-old war. Casualties soar from increased Israeli bombardment Israel ended a six-week ceasefire in mid-March and resumed its attacks in Gaza, saying military pressure is needed to get Hamas to free hostages abducted in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack that ignited the war. On Sunday alone, Israeli strikes killed more than 100 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The strikes forced the closure of the Indonesian Hospital, the main health facility serving northern Gaza. The strikes — often at night, as people sleep in their tents — have directly targeted hospitals, schools, medical clinics, mosques, and a Thai restaurant-turned shelter. The European Hospital, the only remaining facility providing cancer treatment in Gaza, was put out of service last week. Israel says it targets only militants and accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields. The UN children's agency estimates that an average of 100 children were killed or maimed by Israeli airstrikes every day in the last 10 days of March. Almost 3,000 of the more than 53,000 dead since the start of the war have been killed since Israel broke the ceasefire on March 18, the Health Ministry said. No food has entered Gaza since early March Israel has blocked all supplies, including food, fuel and medicine, from reaching Gaza since the beginning of March. Its military campaign, which has destroyed vast areas and driven around 90 per cent of the population from their homes, has left the territory almost entirely reliant on international aid. Most community kitchens have shut down. The main food providers inside Gaza — the UN's World Food Program and World Central Kitchen — say they are out of food. Vegetables and meat are inaccessible or unaffordable. Crowds queue for hours for a small scoop of rice. Food security experts said in a stark warning last week that Gaza would likely fall into famine if Israel doesn't lift its blockade and stop its military campaign. Nearly half a million Palestinians face possible starvation — living in 'catastrophic' levels of hunger — and 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises. Satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press show what appear to be Israeli preparations for the new aid distribution program. The photos from May 10 show four bases in southern Gaza. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — made up of American security contractors, former government officials, ex-military officers and humanitarian officials — says it would initially set up four distribution sites, guarded by private security firms. Each would serve 300,000 people, covering only about half of Gaza's population. The proposal said subcontractors will use armored vehicles to transport supplies from the Gaza border to distribution sites, where they will also provide security. It said the aim is to deter criminal gangs or militants from redirecting aid. Many Israelis fear the new offensive endangers hostages Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to use even greater force to achieve the two main war aims of returning all the hostages and dismantling Hamas. Hamas abducted 251 hostages in the 2023 attack and killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. It is still holding 58 hostages, around a third of whom are believed to be alive, after releasing most of the rest in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Hamas has refused to release the remaining hostages without a deal that ensures a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. It has also demanded the release of more Palestinian prisoners. Families of many of the hostages, and their supporters, have held mass protests for months demanding a deal to return their loved ones, and fear that the renewed offensive puts them in grave danger. Hamas is believed to be holding the hostages — its only bargaining chip — in different locations, including tunnels, and has said it will kill them if Israeli forces try to rescue them. No indication that Trump is putting pressure on Israel Despite skipping Israel on his Mideast tour last week, U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has voiced full support for Israel's actions in Gaza and he has shown no public sign of pressuring it over the aid cutoff or the deaths of civilians. Hamas released an Israeli-American soldier ahead of Trump's visit to Gulf Arab countries last week in what it said was a goodwill gesture aimed at getting the long-stalled ceasefire talks back on track. Trump has said he wants to get the the rest of the hostages out but has not called on Israel to end the war. Instead, he has proposed resettling much of Gaza's population of some 2 million Palestinians in other countries and redeveloping the territory for others. Israel has embraced the proposal, which has been condemned by Palestinians, Arab countries and much of the international community. Experts say it would likely violate international law. Associated Press writer Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report. Julia Frankel, The Associated Press
