Latest from Saudi Gazette
Saudi Gazette
16 minutes ago
- Health
- Saudi Gazette
Israeli military kills 23 Palestinians near aid site in Gaza, witnesses and medics say
GAZA — Israeli forces have killed 23 Palestinians after opening fire on crowds gathered near an aid distribution site, witnesses and medics say. Tanks and drones fired at thousands of people near a distribution centre in central Gaza run by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the witnesses and medics said. A spokesperson for al-Awda hospital in Nuseirat confirmed they received 23 bodies and more than 100 wounded. Images from the hospital showed bodies on the floor. The Israeli military is yet to comment. The GHF denied a shooting occurred near their sites. The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 400 Palestinians have been killed in similar incidents since late May. That is when the GHF took over most aid distribution in Gaza in an attempt by Israel to bypass the UN as the main supplier of aid. The move followed a complete three-month Israeli blockade during which no food entered the territory, putting the entire population at critical risk of famine according to a UN-backed assessment. In almost all incidents, witnesses have said that Israeli troops opened fire, although there have also been reports of local armed gunmen shooting at people. The UN children's agency Unicef said the Israel- and US-backed food distribution system run by GHF was "making a desperate humanitarian situation worse". Unicef spokesperson James Elder said a lack of public clarity on when the sites, some of which are in combat zones, were open was leading to mass casualty events. "There have been instances where information (was) shared that a site is open, but then it's communicated on social media that they're closed, but that information was shared when Gaza's internet was down and people had no access to it," he told reporters in Geneva. He said many women and children had been wounded while trying to receive food aid, including a young boy who was wounded by a tank shell and later died. On Thursday, at least 12 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces while waiting for aid, according to rescuers and medics. The GHF denied there were any incidents near its site. The Israeli military told Reuters that "suspects" had attempted to approach forces in the area of Netzarim, and that soldiers had fired warning shots. On Tuesday witnesses said more than 50 people were killed when Israeli forces opened fire and shelled an area near a junction to the east of Khan Younis, where thousands of Palestinians had been gathering in the hope of getting flour from a World Food Programme (WFP) site, which also includes a community kitchen nearby. The Israeli military said "a gathering" had been identified "in proximity to IDF troops operating in the area" and the incident was under review. Unicef also warned that Gaza was facing a man-made drought as its water systems were collapsing. Just 40% of rinking water production facilities were still functioning, Mr Elder said. "Children will begin to die of thirst," he said, adding: "We are way below emergency standards in terms of drinking water for people in Gaza." In a separate Israeli attack on Friday, a medic with the Palestinian Red Crescent told the BBC that 11 Palestinians were killed and others injured in an Israeli airstrike targeting a home in the al-Ma'sar area west of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. Eyewitnesses said Israeli warplanes struck a two-storey house belonging to the Ayash family. Hamas-run civil defence officials say Israel has carried out a wave of deadly air strikes on Gaza in recent days, following a brief lull in air operations that coincided with the escalation between Israel and Iran. They reported on Thursday that at least 77 Palestinians had been killed in such strikes, which heavily targeted the Shati area in western Gaza City. Local sources speculated that the renewed strikes may be linked to the targeting of Hamas security elements who have recently re-emerged across parts of Gaza, attempting to reassert control amid a breakdown in law and order. These movements appear to have been timed with the temporary easing of Israeli aerial surveillance due to the simultaneous military focus on Iran. The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. At least 55,706 people have been killed in Gaza since then, including more than 15,000 children, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. — BBC
Saudi Gazette
16 minutes ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Pro-Palestinian activists break into RAF airbase
LONDON — Pro-Palestinian activists in the UK have broken into RAF Brize Norton and sprayed two military planes with red paint in a major security breach. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has condemned the action as "disgraceful", saying that it was an "act of vandalism". Footage posted online by Palestine Action on Friday showed two people inside the Oxfordshire airbase in darkness, with one riding on a scooter up to an Airbus Voyager and spraying paint into its jet engine. The Ministry of Defense, which has also condemned the move, is now expected to conduct a review of security at UK military bases. It is working with Thames Valley Police, which is leading the investigation. Palestine Action said the activists evaded security and claimed they had put the air-to-air refuelling tankers "out of service". However, RAF engineers are assessing the damage and a defence source told the BBC they did not expect the incident to affect operations. In a statement, a Palestine Action spokesperson said: "Despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US and Israeli fighter jets." RAF Brize Norton serves as the hub for UK strategic air transport and refuelling, including flights to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. The air force has conducted reconnaissance flights over Gaza out of the Cyprus base. The base is encircled by a large perimeter fence, with security camera and sensors in the area in addition to manned security checkpoints. Patrols around the base are also carried out from time to time. But a defense source said these measures would not have been able to provide complete cover around the large airbase. Palestine Action has engaged in similar activity since the start of the current war in Gaza, predominantly targeting arms companies. In May, it claimed responsibility for the daubing of a US military plane in Ireland. The group said the activists who entered RAF Brize Norton used repurposed fire extinguishers to spray red paint into the planes' engines. It also said they caused "further damage" using crowbars — though this is not visible in the bodycam footage it provided. Video shows the activists then roaming around the airbase. The protesters did not spray paint on the Vespina aircraft - used by the prime minister for international travel - which was also on the base. An MoD spokeswoman said: "Our armed forces represent the very best of Britain. They put their lives on the line for us, and their display of duty, dedication and selfless personal sacrifice are an inspiration to us all. "It is our responsibility to support those who defend us." Thames Valley Police confirmed it had received a report about people gaining access to the base and causing criminal damage. "Inquiries are ongoing to locate and arrest those responsible," the force said. Lord West, Labour minister for UK security and former head of the Royal Navy, said earlier that while he was not aware of the full details, the break-in was "extremely worrying". "We can't allow thing like this to happen at all," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, adding that breaches like it were "really a problem" for national security. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the security breach was "deeply concerning". "This is not lawful protest, it is politically motivated criminality," she said in a statement. "We must stop tolerating terrorist or extremist groups that seek to undermine our society." Shadow armed forces minister Mark Francois told the BBC any attempt to interfere with the engines of large aircraft was "totally reprehensible". He added there were "serious questions for the MoD to answer" about how protesters were able to "gain access to what is supposed to be a secure RAF airbase". — BBC
Saudi Gazette
26 minutes ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
China sends dozens of planes across central line in Taiwan Strait
BEIJING — China dispatched 74 military aircraft towards the Taiwan Strait between late Thursday and early Friday, with 61 of them crossing its median line, the Taiwanese defence ministry has said. The incursion, which represents one of the largest in recent months, began a day after the UK sailed a navy ship across the strait, in a move welcomed by Taipei but condemned by Beijing. The Chinese planes were sent in two separate waves, with six naval vessels also accompanying the maneuvers, according to Taiwan. Beijing regards the democratically governed island as part of its own territory and has stepped up such deployments to demonstrate its readiness to encircle and potentially invade Taiwan. Analysts say the moves are also aimed at intimidating Taiwan's population and exhausting its military resources and morale. Taiwan responded by scrambling its own fighter jets, deploying naval ships and activating land-based missile systems to monitor the incursion. The incident came after the British patrol vessel HMS Spey passed through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcome the patrol, saying it 'once again (reaffirmed the Strait's) status as international waters". 'Such transits by the UK and other like-minded countries are encouraged to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific,' it added. Britain's de facto embassy in Taipei said the HMS Spey was legally within its rights to sail through the strait. 'Wherever the Royal Navy operates, it does so in full compliance with international law and exercises its right to Freedom of Navigation and overflight,' it stated. However, Beijing condemned the Royal Navy's actions, with the Chinese army saying the British vessel had 'deliberately disturbed the situation and undermined the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait". While the timing raised speculation, it remains unclear whether China's large-scale aerial deployment was a direct response to the British naval transit. The Taiwan Strait is an important international waterway, but Beijing routinely objects to the presence of foreign military vessels in the area. — Euronews
Saudi Gazette
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
US president meets with Pakistan army chief
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump met with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, at the White House. Also present were US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Special Representative for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and Pakistan's National Security Advisor, Lieutenant General Asim Malik. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade, economic development, minerals and mining, artificial intelligence, energy, and emerging technologies. The two sides affirmed their commitment to continuing cooperation in the field of combating terrorism, in addition to exchanging views on the escalating tensions between Iran and Israel. — SG
Saudi Gazette
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Israelis face daily fears amid missile attacks as conflict with Iran escalates
TEL AVIV — On Thursday, Jimmy, a volunteer paramedic and one of the first respondents on site during the 7 October Hamas attack, rushed to action when a series of sirens sounded across Holon, a city south of Tel Aviv. "When the sirens sound, first respondents have to get into their vehicles and wait for the calls from the control hub to start coming in," Jimmy, a 36-year-old Arab-Israeli, who grew up in Jordan and East Jerusalem, told Euronews. "As we headed to the impacted site, I realised that we were nearing my building. When we got there, I discovered that yes — it was my building which had been destroyed by a missile." "I had only moved in the day before, because the apartment I had been living in for four years in Revohot — south of Tel Aviv — was destroyed by an Iranian missile earlier this week," explained Jimmy. "All the remaining clothes I own are ruined, as is the few bits of furniture I had left." "I've been through — and seen — a lot in the last few years, but with time I have learned to disconnect my feelings, because otherwise I would just sit and cry at this never-ending war," said Jimmy, who runs a delivery business, alongside his volunteering activities. "The hardest part for me is that I have an eight-month-old son who I haven't seen for months now, because my wife and he are in Eilat, in the south of Israel, where it's much safer than here." "The thing is, I have to keep working when I can, and I also feel that I am needed as a volunteer," added Jimmy. Although the country has been on standby since Wednesday — the sixth day of Israel and Iran's open conflict — restrictions on civilians were eased, and workplace activities, as well as small gatherings, were allowed to resume. Despite this, schools remain shut and the streets are empty. For many in Israel, raising children in this climate is tough. "I wouldn't be so worried if I didn't have her", 30-year-old Emma from the US told Euronews. She lives in Jaffa in southern Tel Aviv, with her husband and their 10-month-old son. "We don't have a bomb shelter in our building because we live in an Arab neighborhood, my husband is an Arab Israeli. Many of the affordable apartments in Israel are not equipped, so at night we take our baby and go sleep at my mother-in-law's house," Emma told Euronews. For Emma, there is a clear reason that Israel finds itself in this situation. "I think my morale is better than most Israelis' and that's because I don't believe that what the government is doing is right — so I understand why we are in this position." Nitzan, 34, is a tech entrepreneur and father-to-be who usually resides in Tel Aviv. But since Israel's escalating conflict with Iran, he and his wife have relocated to Haifa, in the north of the country, to stay with her family. 'The noises we are hearing from the shelter are very different to those we hear when there are missiles fired from Hamas or by Hezbollah. Even with the Iron Dome, it sounds like a truck is going through a tunnel right over your head," Nitzan told Euronews. Many in Israel fear being caught out by a missile when they are out doing essential things like heading to the shops or driving to pick up supplies, as the conflict remains particularly hard on civilians. According to health officials, some 24 Israelis were killed by Iranian rocket salvos in the first week of the conflict, while more than 2,400 have received medical treatment for injuries. All were civilians. Meanwhile, Iranian rights groups based abroad have reported that at least 657 people were killed in Iran by Thursday. "If you are out, the instructions are to just lay on the ground with your hands above your head — but I don't think that really does much. On the evening of Iran's first attack, we were driving to Haifa and we saw the sky light up with so many missiles." "We weren't sure whether to stop because there are alarms all over the country, and you don't know if it's for the area. If it's safer to go on, or to stop on the side of the road," added Nitzan. As a business owner, Nitzan manages his team remotely, despite workplace restrictions having been lifted. "I run a business of 12 people. Every morning I get worried calls from my colleagues, who tell me they have children who are scared because of a nearby missile or something, it's hard for them to focus", explained Nitzan. "I feel misunderstood by people living in Europe. Israel escalated the conflict because Iran has repeatedly stated they want to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth." "However, the success of this open conflict will of course be measured by whether this fighting between Israel and Iran continues long-term", concluded Nitzan. Oriella, a teacher who lives in Tel Aviv, told Euronews that she feels "exhausted." "There are no nights, your head is filled with worries and insecurities, because you are mentally exhausted, because we have been at war for years," she said. "In my apartment block we have a shelter, people share small talk, but they don't really want to speak — they are tired of having to converse in the middle of the night. They want to sleep. The children in the shelter are either chatting or crying", said Oriella, 59. "I don't like wars, I believe in diplomatic solutions — I think that is what we should be working towards with Iran. People are experiencing so much suffering and for what? To have wars again, and again, and again," sighed Oriella. 35-year-old Zohran lives in Tel Aviv and works in the nightlife industry. However, his work has been placed on hold, and he is now waiting to see whether he will receive any financial compensation from the government, he explained. "I would say I am used to having my life on hold", Zohran told Euronews. Not having a shelter in his building is a major worry, he added. "Two minutes away from my flat there is an underground parking lot. So I run there, with many other people." "Although I am a strong opponent of Netanyahu, with this war against Iran's regime, most of us are with the government. This is a war with a country, where the leaders say they want to destroy us", concluded Zohran. — Euronews
