Latest news with #PALESTINIAN
The Sun
12-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Israel says Hamas ‘weaponising suffering in Gaza' as aid workers killed
GAZA CITY, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: Israel charged on Thursday that Hamas was 'weaponising suffering in Gaza' after a US and Israeli-backed charity accused the Palestinian militant group of killing eight of its aid workers in the territory. The distribution of food and basic supplies in the blockaded and war-ravaged Gaza has become increasingly fraught and perilous, exacerbating the territory's deep hunger crisis. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said a bus carrying its staff to a distribution site near the southern city of Khan Yunis was 'brutally attacked by Hamas' around 10:00 pm (1900 GMT) on Wednesday. The GHF said: 'As of now, we can confirm at least eight fatalities, multiple injuries, and we fear that some of our team members have been taken hostage.' Israel's foreign ministry said 'Hamas is weaponising suffering in Gaza -- denying food, targeting lifesavers and forsaking its own people'. Asked to respond to the GHF accusation, the Hamas government media office in Gaza said GHF was a 'filthy tool' of Israeli forces and was being used to 'lure civilians into death traps'. It did not comment on the GHF's accusation. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed while trying to reach GHF distribution points since they began operating in late May, according to Gaza's civil defence agency. The agency said another 21 people were killed while waiting for aid on Thursday, adding that they were among 29 people across the territory who were killed by Israeli fire. Contacted by AFP about reports of a deadly incident near an aid distribution point close to the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza, the Israeli military said it had 'conducted warning shots hundreds of metres from the aid distribution site, prior to its opening hours.' Israeli restrictions on media in Gaza and the difficulties of access on the ground mean AFP is unable to independently verify the casualty tolls provided by the civil defence agency or the deaths reported by the GHF. - 'Died while waiting' - An officially private effort with opaque funding, the GHF began operating on May 26 after Israel cut off supplies into Gaza for more than two months, sparking international condemnation and warnings of imminent famine. During its first week of operations, the GHF said it distributed more than seven million meals' worth of food, but its operations were widely criticised even before the deadly shootings near its sites. The United Nations and major aid groups have refused to work with the GHF, citing concerns over its practices and neutrality. Gaza medics have said hospitals are being inundated with people wounded while trying to obtain food. At Gaza City's Al-Shifa Hospital on Wednesday, the emergency department said it had received dozens of people who had been killed or wounded while waiting for aid in recent days, including 200 in a single day. 'Many Gazans went to the Nabulsi and Netzarim areas to receive aid and were shot at and shelled with tanks,' said Mutaz Harara, head of Al-Shifa's emergency department. But with few medical supplies and no operating theatres, 'many patients died while waiting for their turn', he said. The war has caused major damage to infrastructure across Gaza, including water mains, telecommunication cables, power lines and roads. The Palestinian Authority said internet and fixed-line communication services were down in Gaza on Thursday following an attack on the territory's last fibre optic cable which it blamed on Israel. - Aid workers deported - Meanwhile, Israel's foreign ministry said six people detained aboard a boat attempting to breach Israel's Gaza blockade were put on a plane for deportation on Thursday afternoon. They included European parliamentarian Rima Hassan, it said. 'Bye-bye -- and don't forget to take a selfie before you leave,' the ministry wrote on X. The UN General Assembly on Thursday adopted 149-12 with 19 abstentions a non-binding resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and urging 'all necessary measures' to pressure Israel into ending the conflict. The US vetoed a similar push at the Security Council last week. Egyptian authorities meanwhile detained more than 200 pro-Palestinian activists in Cairo ahead of a planned march to the Gaza border, the organisers said. Egypt said while it backs efforts to put 'pressure on Israel' to lift its Gaza blockade, any foreign delegations seeking to visit the border area must obtain prior approval. The Gaza war was sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Israel said late on Wednesday that its forces had retrieved the bodies of two hostages from southern Gaza. Prior to the latest announcement, out of 251 taken hostage during the Hamas attack, 54 were still held in Gaza, including 32 the Israeli military has said are dead. Hamas's assault resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 55,207 people, the majority of them civilians. The United Nations considers the figures reliable.
The Sun
12-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Israel says Hamas ‘weaponising suffering in Gaza'
GAZA CITY, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: Israel charged on Thursday that Hamas was 'weaponising suffering in Gaza' after a US and Israeli-backed charity accused the Palestinian militant group of killing eight of its aid workers in the territory. The distribution of food and basic supplies in the blockaded and war-ravaged Gaza has become increasingly fraught and perilous, exacerbating the territory's deep hunger crisis. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said a bus carrying its staff to a distribution site near the southern city of Khan Yunis was 'brutally attacked by Hamas' around 10:00 pm (1900 GMT) on Wednesday. The GHF said: 'As of now, we can confirm at least eight fatalities, multiple injuries, and we fear that some of our team members have been taken hostage.' Israel's foreign ministry said 'Hamas is weaponising suffering in Gaza -- denying food, targeting lifesavers and forsaking its own people'. Asked to respond to the GHF accusation, the Hamas government media office in Gaza said GHF was a 'filthy tool' of Israeli forces and was being used to 'lure civilians into death traps'. It did not comment on the GHF's accusation. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed while trying to reach GHF distribution points since they began operating in late May, according to Gaza's civil defence agency. The agency said another 21 people were killed while waiting for aid on Thursday, adding that they were among 29 people across the territory who were killed by Israeli fire. Contacted by AFP about reports of a deadly incident near an aid distribution point close to the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza, the Israeli military said it had 'conducted warning shots hundreds of metres from the aid distribution site, prior to its opening hours.' Israeli restrictions on media in Gaza and the difficulties of access on the ground mean AFP is unable to independently verify the casualty tolls provided by the civil defence agency or the deaths reported by the GHF. - 'Died while waiting' - An officially private effort with opaque funding, the GHF began operating on May 26 after Israel cut off supplies into Gaza for more than two months, sparking international condemnation and warnings of imminent famine. During its first week of operations, the GHF said it distributed more than seven million meals' worth of food, but its operations were widely criticised even before the deadly shootings near its sites. The United Nations and major aid groups have refused to work with the GHF, citing concerns over its practices and neutrality. Gaza medics have said hospitals are being inundated with people wounded while trying to obtain food. At Gaza City's Al-Shifa Hospital on Wednesday, the emergency department said it had received dozens of people who had been killed or wounded while waiting for aid in recent days, including 200 in a single day. 'Many Gazans went to the Nabulsi and Netzarim areas to receive aid and were shot at and shelled with tanks,' said Mutaz Harara, head of Al-Shifa's emergency department. But with few medical supplies and no operating theatres, 'many patients died while waiting for their turn', he said. The war has caused major damage to infrastructure across Gaza, including water mains, telecommunication cables, power lines and roads. The Palestinian Authority said internet and fixed-line communication services were down in Gaza on Thursday following an attack on the territory's last fibre optic cable which it blamed on Israel. - Aid workers deported - Meanwhile, Israel's foreign ministry said six people detained aboard a boat attempting to breach Israel's Gaza blockade were put on a plane for deportation on Thursday afternoon. They included European parliamentarian Rima Hassan, it said. 'Bye-bye -- and don't forget to take a selfie before you leave,' the ministry wrote on X. The UN General Assembly on Thursday adopted 149-12 with 19 abstentions a non-binding resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and urging 'all necessary measures' to pressure Israel into ending the conflict. The US vetoed a similar push at the Security Council last week. Egyptian authorities meanwhile detained more than 200 pro-Palestinian activists in Cairo ahead of a planned march to the Gaza border, the organisers said. Egypt said while it backs efforts to put 'pressure on Israel' to lift its Gaza blockade, any foreign delegations seeking to visit the border area must obtain prior approval. The Gaza war was sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Israel said late on Wednesday that its forces had retrieved the bodies of two hostages from southern Gaza. Prior to the latest announcement, out of 251 taken hostage during the Hamas attack, 54 were still held in Gaza, including 32 the Israeli military has said are dead. Hamas's assault resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 55,207 people, the majority of them civilians. The United Nations considers the figures reliable.
News18
07-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
IDF Recovers Body of Thai Hostage from Rafah as it Faces a Manpower Crunch; Greta and Aid Near Gaza
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have recovered the body of Nattapong Pinta, a Thai agricultural worker abducted during Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz. His remains were found near Rafah in southern Gaza in a joint operation with Shin Bet. Pinta was the final Thai hostage confirmed dead; however, two other Thai nationals remain unaccounted for. Overall, 46 Thai nationals have been killed since the war began, many employed in agriculture due to a bilateral labor agreement between Israel and Thailand.00:00 INTRODUCTION03:40 MANPOWER SHORTAGE, NEED 10,000+ SOLDIERS: IDF05:15 PALESTINIAN SPOKESPERSON ABU OBEIDA LAUDS FRIDAY AMBUSH06:20 US CONSIDERS $500M AID TO DISPUTED GAZA FOUNDATION n18oc_crux
The Sun
06-06-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Hamas says ready for ‘serious' Gaza truce talks, as rescuers say 37 killed
GAZA CITY, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: Hamas's lead negotiator said the group was ready to enter a new round of talks aimed at sealing a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, where rescuers said Israeli strikes killed at least 37 people on Thursday. Negotiator Khalil al-Hayya made the declaration in a speech marking the start of Eid al-Adha festivities, typically a joyous date on the Muslim calendar, but one many Gazans say they will not be able to celebrate this year amid crushing shortages. 'We reaffirm that we are ready for a new, serious round of negotiations aimed at reaching a permanent ceasefire agreement,' Hayya said, adding the group was in contact with mediators. Talks aimed at brokering a new ceasefire have failed to yield a breakthrough since the last brief truce fell apart in March with the resumption of Israeli operations in Gaza. Israel and Hamas appeared close to an agreement late last month, but a deal proved elusive, with each side accusing the other of scuppering a US-backed proposal. - Stepped-up Gaza campaign - The Israeli military has recently stepped up its campaign in what it says is a renewed push to defeat Hamas, whose October 2023 attack sparked the war. Gaza civil defence official Mohammed al-Mughayyir said that '37 people have been martyred in Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip' as of Thursday afternoon, reporting attacks up and down the length of the territory. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. International calls for a negotiated ceasefire have grown in recent weeks, particularly as the humanitarian situation in the devastated Palestinian territory has worsened. The World Health Organization warned Thursday that Gaza's 'health system is collapsing', pointing to the risks faced by the Nasser and Al-Amal medical facilities -- the 'last two functioning public hospitals in Khan Yunis', where many displaced Gazans are sheltering. 'What is happening in Gaza is not a war. It's a genocide being carried out by a highly prepared army against women and children,' said Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has previously used the legal term to describe the conflict. French President Emmanuel Macron, who has declined to use the term himself, vowed at a joint appearance with Lula to 'ramp up pressure in coordination with the Americans to obtain a ceasefire'. France is due later this month to co-host with Saudi Arabia a United Nations conference in New York on a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday warned Israel of 'further concrete actions' over its Gaza offensive and restrictions on aid. - 'Rejoice over flour' - Israel has faced mounting international pressure to allow more aid into Gaza, after it imposed a more than two-month blockade that led to widespread shortages of food and other essentials. On a normal Eid al-Adha, Gazans would be preparing for large family gatherings, traditionally centred around the sacrifice and eating of a sheep. But this year, 'one kilo of meat has become a dream', said Mohammed Othman, 36. 'We just hope to find bread to feed our children on the day of Eid, and they will rejoice over flour as if it were meat.' Israel recently eased its aid blockade and has worked with the newly formed, US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) to implement a new distribution mechanism via a handful of centres in south and central Gaza. But since its inception, GHF has been a magnet for criticism from the UN and other members of the aid world -- which only intensified following a recent string of deadly incidents near its facilities. The United Nations and other aid groups have declined to work with GHF, citing concerns it serves Israeli military goals. GHF shut down its distribution centres on Wednesday for what it called 'reorganisation' to improve its work, but said it had reopened two of them on Thursday. The group said it had distributed more than 8.4 million meals' worth of food since opening a little over a week ago. Gaza rescuers and eyewitnesses implicated Israeli troops in instances of deadly gunfire near a GHF centre in Rafah. Israel's military has maintained it does not prevent Gazans from collecting aid, but army spokesperson Effie Defrin said after one such incident on Tuesday that soldiers had fired towards suspects who 'were approaching in a way that endangered' the troops. He added that the incident was under investigation. - Hostage bodies recovered - During their October 2023 attack, militants abducted 251 hostages, 55 of whom remain in Gaza, including 32 the Israeli military says are dead. On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the remains of two Israeli-Americans killed on October 7 -- Judy Weinstein Haggai and Gad Haggai -- had been recovered in 'a special operation' in Gaza and returned to Israel. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said their return was 'a stark reminder of the enduring cruelty' faced by the families of hostages still in Gaza. Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. According to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, at least 4,402 people have been killed since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 54,677, mostly civilians.
The Sun
06-06-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Hamas says ready for ‘serious' Gaza truce talks
GAZA CITY, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: Hamas's lead negotiator said the group was ready to enter a new round of talks aimed at sealing a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, where rescuers said Israeli strikes killed at least 37 people on Thursday. Negotiator Khalil al-Hayya made the declaration in a speech marking the start of Eid al-Adha festivities, typically a joyous date on the Muslim calendar, but one many Gazans say they will not be able to celebrate this year amid crushing shortages. 'We reaffirm that we are ready for a new, serious round of negotiations aimed at reaching a permanent ceasefire agreement,' Hayya said, adding the group was in contact with mediators. Talks aimed at brokering a new ceasefire have failed to yield a breakthrough since the last brief truce fell apart in March with the resumption of Israeli operations in Gaza. Israel and Hamas appeared close to an agreement late last month, but a deal proved elusive, with each side accusing the other of scuppering a US-backed proposal. - Stepped-up Gaza campaign - The Israeli military has recently stepped up its campaign in what it says is a renewed push to defeat Hamas, whose October 2023 attack sparked the war. Gaza civil defence official Mohammed al-Mughayyir said that '37 people have been martyred in Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip' as of Thursday afternoon, reporting attacks up and down the length of the territory. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. International calls for a negotiated ceasefire have grown in recent weeks, particularly as the humanitarian situation in the devastated Palestinian territory has worsened. The World Health Organization warned Thursday that Gaza's 'health system is collapsing', pointing to the risks faced by the Nasser and Al-Amal medical facilities -- the 'last two functioning public hospitals in Khan Yunis', where many displaced Gazans are sheltering. 'What is happening in Gaza is not a war. It's a genocide being carried out by a highly prepared army against women and children,' said Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has previously used the legal term to describe the conflict. French President Emmanuel Macron, who has declined to use the term himself, vowed at a joint appearance with Lula to 'ramp up pressure in coordination with the Americans to obtain a ceasefire'. France is due later this month to co-host with Saudi Arabia a United Nations conference in New York on a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday warned Israel of 'further concrete actions' over its Gaza offensive and restrictions on aid. - 'Rejoice over flour' - Israel has faced mounting international pressure to allow more aid into Gaza, after it imposed a more than two-month blockade that led to widespread shortages of food and other essentials. On a normal Eid al-Adha, Gazans would be preparing for large family gatherings, traditionally centred around the sacrifice and eating of a sheep. But this year, 'one kilo of meat has become a dream', said Mohammed Othman, 36. 'We just hope to find bread to feed our children on the day of Eid, and they will rejoice over flour as if it were meat.' Israel recently eased its aid blockade and has worked with the newly formed, US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) to implement a new distribution mechanism via a handful of centres in south and central Gaza. But since its inception, GHF has been a magnet for criticism from the UN and other members of the aid world -- which only intensified following a recent string of deadly incidents near its facilities. The United Nations and other aid groups have declined to work with GHF, citing concerns it serves Israeli military goals. GHF shut down its distribution centres on Wednesday for what it called 'reorganisation' to improve its work, but said it had reopened two of them on Thursday. The group said it had distributed more than 8.4 million meals' worth of food since opening a little over a week ago. Gaza rescuers and eyewitnesses implicated Israeli troops in instances of deadly gunfire near a GHF centre in Rafah. Israel's military has maintained it does not prevent Gazans from collecting aid, but army spokesperson Effie Defrin said after one such incident on Tuesday that soldiers had fired towards suspects who 'were approaching in a way that endangered' the troops. He added that the incident was under investigation. - Hostage bodies recovered - During their October 2023 attack, militants abducted 251 hostages, 55 of whom remain in Gaza, including 32 the Israeli military says are dead. On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the remains of two Israeli-Americans killed on October 7 -- Judy Weinstein Haggai and Gad Haggai -- had been recovered in 'a special operation' in Gaza and returned to Israel. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said their return was 'a stark reminder of the enduring cruelty' faced by the families of hostages still in Gaza. Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. According to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, at least 4,402 people have been killed since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 54,677, mostly civilians.
