Latest news with #starvationcrisis
The Guardian
18 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Afternoon Update: PM says denying Gaza starvation ‘beyond comprehension'; five dead in NYC shooting; and black-market Labubus
Welcome, readers, to Afternoon Update. Anthony Albanese says it is 'beyond comprehension' that Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the country's embassy in Canberra have claimed there is no starvation crisis in Gaza. The prime minister referred to comments from Netanyahu as well as comments reported from a Monday briefing from the deputy Israeli ambassador, Amir Meron, that Israel believed photos of starving Palestinians were 'false pictures' from a 'false campaign that is being [led] by Hamas', adding: 'We don't recognise any famine or any starvation in the Gaza strip.' Albanese noted that while there should be a 'caveat' on any health information shared by Hamas, Israel had blocked many journalists from entering Gaza to report firsthand on the conflict and the humanitarian situation on the ground. The Israeli embassy in Canberra was contacted for comment. The Greens have called for Australia to implement additional sanctions on Israel, matching the measures applied over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Pro-Palestine group vows to march across Sydney Harbour Bridge as potential court battle with NSW government looms New York shooting: gunman kills four people at Manhattan skyscraper Albanese government substantially expands renewable energy scheme amid 2030 target concerns Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire comes into effect as opposing military chiefs to meet Australia end West Indies tour unbeaten after completing T20 series clean sweep After 21 stages and 3,338km, this year's Tour de France came to an end in Paris. Here are our favourite images from the last three weeks of blood, sweat and gears. 'We're irrelevant right now, who cares what it looks [like] right now.' While some are waiting for Sussan Ley to come out and state her position on net zero, Matt Canavan, one of the Coalition's loudest climate action critics, said today that there's 'no particular rush', adding that the party has a bigger issue to face. Sign up to Afternoon Update Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Having grown up allergic to bees, Pip Harry was naturally concerned when a swarm found refuge in her home. However, after weeks living with a 'constant low hum' and learning more about their behaviour and habits, Harry's long-held fear and anxiety began to dissipate. And once the bees were gone, the house felt too quiet, she writes. Labubus, the 'ugly-cute' elf sold by Chinese company Pop Mart, have become a sensation. As a result, fake Labubus – also known as Lafufus – are flooding the hidden market. Authorities are aggressively cracking down on fakes – pushing production into the shadows. Today's starter word is: OOSE. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply. If you would like to receive this Afternoon Update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or start your day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know with our Morning Mail newsletter. You can follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Is this the tipping point in Gaza?
After days of international pressure, Israel has agreed to increase the amount of aid going into Gaza. It follows last week's pictures coming out of the besieged territory showing confronting scenes of emaciated children. But experts say much more is needed to reverse what's been described as a full-blown starvation crisis. The Guardian's William Christou speaks to Reged Ahmad from Jerusalem about whether this moment is a tipping point in the Israel-Gaza war
Al Jazeera
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
LIVE: Israel attacks Syria's Damascus amid fighting in Suwayda
The Israeli army has launched air attacks on the Syrian Defence Ministry and near the presidential palace in the capital, Damascus, killing at least three and wounding strikes come after Israel threatened to increase attacks if Syrian government forces are not withdrawn from the south of the country where there has been fighting between Druze and security the Gaza Strip, meanwhile, the Health Ministry says at least 21 people have been killed at a food distribution site of the controversial US- and Israeli-backed UN agency for Palestinian refugees says one in 10 children screened in its clinics in Gaza are malnourished as Israel's siege on the triggers triggers a man-made starvation war on Gaza has killed at least 58,573 people and wounded 139,607, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks, and more than 200 were taken captive. Update: Date: 6m ago (17:45 GMT) Title: WATCH: Severe malnutrition for 1 in 10 Gaza children Content: The UN's agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) says one in 10 children under the age of five screened at its clinics in Gaza suffer from severe malnutrition. The grim figure comes as hunger surges because of Israel's blockade on humanitarian aid. Update: Date: 21m ago (17:30 GMT) Title: Syria says Israeli attacks part of policy to 'ignite tension' Content: Syria's Foreign Ministry condemned Israeli attacks on Damascus and Suwayda in the 'strongest terms' as air strikes killed three people and wounded 34 others. 'The attack is part of a systematic Israeli policy to ignite tension and chaos and undermine security in Syria. The Israeli aggression represents a flagrant violation of the UN Charter and international humanitarian law,' a ministry statement said. Syria holds Israel responsible for the escalation and reserves its 'right to defend our land and people through international law'. It called on the international community and the UN Security Council to take 'urgent action' against repeated Israeli aggression. Update: Date: 31m ago (17:20 GMT) Title: Israeli air strikes, shelling continue across besieged Gaza Content: The Israeli military continues to attack Gaza from the north to the south of the besieged Palestinian enclave. As we reported earlier, at least 21 aid seekers were killed while searching for food. Here are some of the other attacks: Update: Date: 41m ago (17:10 GMT) Title: Attacks on Syria a pattern of Israeli aggression in the region Content: Israel's attack on Syria reflects the 'adventurous wars' it has launched in the Middle East over the past few years, an analyst says. 'It's a clear message to the Syrian government that the Israelis are not going to be silent. The Israelis are not going to allow the Syrian government to spread its authority all over the territory,' said Ammar Kahf, executive director of Omran Center for Strategic Studies, who is based in Damascus. With the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government and the infancy of a new one, Israel is trying to impose its will on the new leadership, he said. 'We are still in the early stages, but this requires all Syrians to come together. For a foreign government to come in and destroy public property and destroy safety and security is something that's unexplainable,' Kahf told Al Jazeera. Update: Date: 51m ago (17:00 GMT) Title: Turkiye 'avoiding' direct confrontation with Israel over Syria Content: Turkiye says it sees Israel's attacks as 'sabotage' against the new Syrian administration. This is a critical issue, not only because Ankara is collaborating with the new Syrian government, assisting it in many ways, but it's also the long border shared between the two countries. Some observers now speculate whether this will bring a potential direct confrontation between Turkiye and Israel. But Ankara has been avoiding direct conflict despite issuing harsh criticism of the Israeli government, which is why Turkiye would prefer to talk to the US administration for mediation and to cool down the tension. Update: Date: 1h ago (16:50 GMT) Title: Where do things stand on the Suwayda ceasefire? Content: Update: Date: 1h ago (16:40 GMT) Title: LISTEN: Why is Israel escalating its strikes against Syria? Content: Israel has attacked Syrian government forces in a wave of deadly air strikes, at the same time as violence has gripped the southern province of Suwayda. In the spotlight is Syria's Druze minority, also present in Israel. In its latest episode, our podcast series The Take examines what the fighting might be spelling for Syria's future. Listen below: In this episode: Update: Date: 1h ago (16:30 GMT) Title: At least 74 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza today Content: Medical sources in the Gaza Strip have told Al Jazeera the number of people killed so far today in Israeli attacks across the besieged and bombarded territory has risen to at least 74. As we reported earlier, the grim toll includes at least 21 aid seekers. Update: Date: 1h ago (16:20 GMT) Title: Photos: The aftermath of Israeli strikes on Syria's Defence Ministry Content: Update: Date: 1h ago (16:10 GMT) Title: Israeli air attacks reported in Syria's Deraa, Suwayda Content: We are getting reports of new Israeli air raids in the countryside of Deraa and Suwayda in Syria. We'll bring you more as soon as we have it. Update: Date: 1h ago (16:05 GMT) Title: US's Rubio expresses hope for 'real progress' to end Syria fighting soon Content: We have some comments from Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, at the White House where US President Donald Trump is hosting Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. 'It's complicated, obviously,' Rubio told reporters asking about the situation in Syria. 'These are historic longtime rivalries between different groups in the southwest of Syria – Bedouins, the Druze community – and it led to an unfortunate situation and a misunderstanding, it looks like, between the Israeli side and the Syrian side,' he said. Rubio added that the US has been 'engaged' with both sides. 'We think that we are on our way towards a real de-escalation and hopefully get back on track in helping Syria build a country and arriving at a situation there in the Middle East that's far more stable,' he said, expressing hope that in the next few hours there would be 'some real progress' to end the fighting. Update: Date: 1h ago (16:00 GMT) Title: Israeli Ultra-Orthodox party quits as Netanyahu loses majority Content: A key partner in Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition says it is quitting, leaving the Israeli prime minister with a minority in parliament. The Ultra-Orthodox Shas party said it's leaving the government in response to a long-running dispute over mandatory military service. Another ultra-Orthodox party resigned from the government earlier this week. Leading a minority government would make governing a challenge for Netanyahu. But Shas said it wouldn't work to undermine the coalition once outside and could vote with it on some laws. Read the full story here. Update: Date: 1h ago (15:55 GMT) Title: Netanyahu needs war to appease coalition, disrupt corruption trial Content: Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu is 'infatuated' with his wartime role and 'wants to maintain and perpetuate an atmosphere of war' for his political survival, an analyst says. 'There's Gaza, there's no ceasefire, there's Iran… Now there is Syria in the background,' said columnist and former Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas. Fighting a war on many fronts also helps appease far-right members of his coalition and adds another disruption to his ongoing corruption trial. 'Today he was testifying and asked the judges, which they agreed to, to suspend the trial because he had important national security issues to deal with,' Pinkas told Al Jazeera. Update: Date: 2h ago (15:49 GMT) Title: Death toll in Israeli attacks on Damascus rises Content: Syria's Health Ministry says the number of people killed in the Israeli attacks on the capital has now risen to at least three, up from one earlier. At least 34 other people were wounded, it added. Update: Date: 2h ago (15:45 GMT) Title: Israel doesn't want Syrian forces at 'deconfliction line' Content: Haid Haid, consulting fellow at Chatham House, says Israel's attack on Damascus is 'not a complete surprise,' but targeting the Defence Ministry and the presidential palace is an escalation not seen before. 'Israel has been quite clear since the fall of the [Bashar al-Assad] regime in December that they don't want the forces affiliated with the new state in Syria to be deployed to the deconfliction line in southern Syria. And they have been trying to use different tactics in order to advance that objective,' Haid told Al Jazeera. One way Israel is trying to advance that plan is to present itself as the 'protectors' of the Druze community, Haid said. Syria is currently not in a position to retaliate against the attacks, he added, noting that when the interim government came to power, it said it wouldn't 'cause trouble for any of the actors in the region', and would instead focus on domestic issues. Update: Date: 2h ago (15:40 GMT) Title: WATCH: Who are the Druze and why is Israel bombing Syria to 'protect' them? Content: You might have heard Israel has attacked Syria, saying that it wants to 'protect' the Druze minority community. So who are the Druze and what do they mean for Israel? Our colleague Osama Bin Javaid explains it all in the video below: Update: Date: 2h ago (15:30 GMT) Title: No ceasefire with Syrian government, says another Druze leader Content: We have a statement by Hikmat al-Hijri, a top Druze leader in southern Syria, rejecting the reported ceasefire. 'We affirm the continuation of the fight until the entire territory of As-Suwayda Governorate is liberated,' the statement said. 'There is no agreement, negotiation, or mandate with the Syrian government.' Update: Date: 2h ago (15:25 GMT) Title: Israel has not yet commented on reported Syria ceasefire Content: Al Jazeera is reporting from Jordan because it has been banned from Israel and the occupied West Bank. There is no word from the Israelis yet on the new ceasefire that was announced after the initial one on Tuesday collapsed. But what Israeli officials have been saying over the last several days, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defence Minister Israel Katz, is that they are doing this essentially to protect the Druze community in Syria. But that's not all. They want this area in southern Syria, near their border, to be completely demilitarised. Back in 2024 and early 2025 after the fall of Bashar al Assad's regime, the Israelis conducted pretty intricate and intense air strikes on all sorts of military positions, military munitions – anything the Syrian armed forces could potentially use moving forward, because they said they wanted the areas on their border to have no sort of military presence whatsoever. But now, with these air strikes on Damascus, what Israeli officials are saying is they want to send a message to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa that they're not going to tolerate any violence towards the Druze. Update: Date: 2h ago (15:20 GMT) Title: Number of wounded people in Israeli attacks on Damascus rises Content: The number of casualties continues to rise after the Israeli attacks earlier on Damascus. According to Syria's Health Ministry, one person was killed and 28 others were wounded in the attacks. Update: Date: 2h ago (15:17 GMT) Title: Syria's Interior Ministry releases details on Suwayda ceasefire deal Content: Syria's state media has published an Interior Ministry statement about the ceasefire deal, announcing:
