Page 41 - Gaza Conflict

67 Palestinians killed in Gaza as Ramadan begins amid food shortage

With no end to fighting sight, Palestinians in Gaza began fasting Monday for the holy month of Ramadan as hunger worsens across the strip and pressure grows on Israel over the growing humanitarian crisis. The United States, Qatar and Egypt had hoped to broker a cease-fire ahead of the normally joyous month of dawn-to-dusk fasting that would include the release of dozens of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of a large amount of humanitarian aid. However, the cease-fire talks stalled last week. Gaza's Health Ministry said the bodies of 67 people killed by Israeli strikes were brought to hospitals over the past 24 hours, bringing the Palestinian death toll to more than 31,112 since the war began. The ministry doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count, but says that women and children make up two-thirds of the dead. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, killing some 1,200 people, mostly ...

NSA Ajit Doval, Netanyahu discuss war in Gaza, humanitarian assistance

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel on Monday to discuss regional developments and the urgent need to address the issue of humanitarian assistance in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and updated him on recent developments in the fighting in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Prime Minister posted on X from his official handle. The sides also discussed the effort to release the hostages and the issue of humanitarian assistance, he said. Doval also met his Israeli counterpart Tzakhi Hanegbi, who was also present during the meeting with Netanyahu. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been constantly in touch with the important leaders in the region, such as the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan, and is actively involved in discussions to promote peace and stability in the region. India has supported efforts to provide necessary humanitarian assistance to the ...

Protest-vote movement over US' handling of Hamas war spreads across states

The protest-vote movement over President Joe Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war has spread to several states and raised more questions about whether a small but significant number of Democrats angry at Biden might abandon him in November. A week after 101,000 Michigan voters chose uncommitted on their ballots, so did roughly 263,000 voters in the five Super Tuesday states where similar ballot options were available. Minnesota, which had the most organized effort outside of Michigan, saw 1 in 5 Democratic voters mark the uncommitted option, a higher percentage than the 13% who voted uncommitted in Michigan. Organizers are watching the state of Washington's primary on Tuesday to see how many voters select uncommitted. And a Leave It Blank campaign has formed for Georgia's Tuesday primary that's intended to have the same effect, as is a uninstructed vote in Wisconsin's April 2 primary. Supporters of the protest argue anger over the war could endanger Biden's chances in swing stat

US will work towards 6-week immediate, sustained ceasefire in Gaza: Biden

Greeting the Muslim community across the world on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, US President Joe Biden on Sunday reiterated that the United States will continue working non-stop to establish an immediate and sustained ceasefire for at least six weeks as part of a deal that releases hostages. While we get more life-saving aid to Gaza, the United States will continue working non-stop to establish an immediate and sustained ceasefire for at least six weeks as part of a deal that releases hostages. And we will continue building toward a long-term future of stability, security, and peace. That includes a two-state solution to ensure Palestinians and Israelis share equal measures of freedom, dignity, security, and prosperity. That is the only path toward an enduring peace, Biden said. The United States will continue to lead international efforts to get more humanitarian assistance into Gaza by land, air, and sea, he said. Earlier this week, I directed our military to lead an

Effort to get aid to Gaza by sea halted as first ship still waits in Cyprus

A US Army vessel carrying equipment to build a temporary pier in Gaza was heading to the Mediterranean on Sunday, after US President Joe Biden announced plans to increase aid deliveries by sea to the besieged enclave where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are going hungry. The new push for aid came as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan was set to begin Monday in much of the world after officials in Saudi Arabia saw the crescent moon. Hopes for a new cease-fire by Ramadan faded days ago with negotiations apparently stalled. The opening of the sea corridor, along with airdrops by the US, Jordan and others, reflected growing alarm over Gaza's deadly humanitarian crisis and a new willingness to bypass Israeli control over land shipments. But aid officials say that air and sea deliveries can't make up for a shortage of land routes. Aid trucks entering Gaza daily are far below the 500 entering before the war. A ship belonging to Spanish aid group Open Arms and carrying 200 tons of food

Muslims welcome the holy month of Ramadan with a mix of joy, deep concern

Muslims around the world are welcoming the arrival of Ramadan, a month of dawn-to-dusk fasting, intense prayer, charity and feasts. But as they savour the traditions of their own diverse communities from holiday treats to evening diversions the tribulations faced by fellow Muslims are never far from anyone's mind. This year, war and starvation in the Gaza Strip casts an especially dark shadow on the festivities. Many are also struggling to buy food as inflation remains high in many countries and has worsened in some. Still, even Muslims who are struggling economically or otherwise look forward to what are widely seen as the true blessings of the holy month prayer and reflection, nurtured by the daylong fast, and time spent with loved ones. IN PAKISTAN, A CITY THAT DOESN'T SLEEP No one does Ramadan better than the people of Karachi, at least according to Maulana Tanveer Ul Haq Thanvi, an Islamic scholar in the city in southern Pakistan. The congregation at his family-run mosque

Sweden to resume funding UN agency for Palestinians as Gaza hunger grows

Another top donor to the UN agency aiding Palestinians said on Saturday that it would resume funding, weeks after more than a dozen countries halted hundreds of millions of dollars in support in response to Israeli allegations against the organisation. Sweden's reversal came as a ship bearing tons of humanitarian aid was making preparations to leave Cyprus for Gaza after international donors launched a sea corridor to supply the besieged territory facing widespread hunger after five months of war. Sweden's decision followed similar ones by the European Union and Canada as the UN agency known as UNRWA warns that it could collapse and leave Gaza's already desperate population of more than 2 million people with even less medical and other assistance. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is devastating and the needs are acute, development minister Johan Forssell said in Sweden's announcement, adding that UNRWA had agreed to increased transparency and stricter oversight and controls. Swede

UNSC urges Sudan's warring parties to halt hostilities during Ramadan

The U.N. Security Council urged Sudan's warring parties on Friday to immediately halt hostilities during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and allow aid to get to 25 million people in desperate need of food and other assistance. Ramadan is expected to begin on or around Monday, depending on the sighting of the crescent moon. The 15-member council voted overwhelmingly in favor of the British-drafted resolution, with 14 countries in support and only Russia abstaining. Sudan plunged into chaos in April, when long-simmering tensions between its military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary commanded by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo broke out into street battles in the capital, Khartoum. Fighting spread to other parts of the country, especially urban areas, but in Sudan's western Darfur region it took on a different form, with brutal attacks by the Arab-dominated Rapid Support Forces on ethnic African civilians. Thousands of people have been killed. U.N.

After months of warnings of famine in Gaza, children succumb to starvation

After months of warnings over the risk of famine in Gaza under Israel's bombardment, offensives and siege, children are starting to die. Hunger is most acute in northern Gaza, which has been isolated by Israeli forces and has suffered long cutoffs of food supply deliveries. At least 20 people have died from malnutrition and dehydration at the north's Kamal Adwan and Shifa hospitals, according to the Health Ministry. Most of the dead are children including ones as old as 15 as well as a 72-year-old man. Particularly vulnerable children are also beginning to succumb in the south, where access to aid is more regular. At the Emirati Hospital in Rafah, 16 premature babies have died of malnutrition-related causes over the past five weeks, one of the senior doctors told The Associated Press. The child deaths we feared are here, Adele Khodr, UNICEF's Middle East chief, said in a statement earlier this week. Malnutrition is generally slow to bring death, striking children and the elderly

Biden to announce aid port on Gaza's coast as cease-fire talks stall

President Joe Biden will announce Thursday that he is directing the U.S. military to help set up a temporary port off the Gaza coast to establish a sea route for food and other direly needed aid for Palestinian civilians trapped in the Israel-Hamas war, senior U.S. administration officials said. The announcement signals further deepening U.S. involvement in the war and the escalating conflicts and tensions in the region. The move also shows the Biden administration resorting to a highly unusual workaround to deliver aid to Gaza's 2.3 million civilians, in the face of restrictions that U.S. ally Israel has placed on overland aid deliveries. Meanwhile, hopes for reaching a cease-fire before the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which starts in the coming days, stalled Thursday when Hamas said its delegation had left Cairo, where talks were being held. The outline for the cease-fire would have including a wide infusion of aid into Gaza. A widening humanitarian crisis across Gaza .

S Africa asks ICJ to impose emergency measures on Israel over Gaza 'famine'

The health officials in Gaza reported that over 30,000 people have died in the strip during the five-month conflict

Ceasefire deal is in Hamas' hands as Ramadan nears, says Prez Biden

He said any exchange of prisoners cannot take place except after a ceasefire, reflecting Hamas' view that a ceasefire must, above all, be a step towards a settlement of the conflict

Biden's allies add pressure on White House to control violence in Gaza

More of President Joe Biden's top Senate allies are demanding that the U.S. act directly to ease Palestinian civilian suffering in Gaza and are joining calls to cut military aid if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refuses to change course. What had been dissent from independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and a small group of progressive Democrats has swelled in response to the soaring death toll in Gaza. Now even Biden's closest confidant in Congress, Chris Coons, says it is time to get tougher with Netanyahu's government on how it conducts the war. Israel continues to enjoy bipartisan support in Congress, and the prospect of military aid being reduced is uncertain despite the clout that these more mainstream Democrats wield. But tensions could be evident Thursday as Biden speaks to Congress about the conflict in his State of the Union address. The war in Gaza isn't the only Mideast issue creating dissent within the party. Some Democrats are pursuing legislation to compel the ...

India deeply troubled by loss of civilian lives in Gaza: Ambassador Kamboj

India is "deeply troubled" by the conflict in Gaza that has raged on for nearly five months now, the country's envoy to the UN has said, asserting that the loss of civilian lives and the resulting humanitarian crisis is "clearly unacceptable". India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador, Ruchira Kamboj, said this while addressing a UN General Assembly meeting on the 'Use of Veto' on Monday. The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to large scale loss of civilian lives, especially women and children.this has also resulted in an alarming humanitarian crisis. This is clearly unacceptable, Kamboj told the UNGA. She said that India has been "deeply troubled by the conflict in Gaza that has been raging for nearly five months now." "The humanitarian crisis has deepened, and the region and beyond have seen rising instability, India's top diplomat to the UN said. The General Assembly held the plenary debate on the Use of the veto' after the US cast a veto in the UN .

One Indian killed, two injured in anti-tank missile attack in Israel

An Indian national was killed and another two were injured on Monday when an anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon struck an orchard near Israel's northern border community of Margaliot, officials said. All three victims hail from the southern state of Kerala. The missile hit a plantation in Margaliot, a moshav (collective agricultural community), in the Galilee region in the north of Israel around 11 am on Monday, Zaki Heller, spokesperson for rescue services Magen David Adom (MDA), told PTI. Patnibin Maxwell from Kollam in Kerala was killed in the attack. His mortal remains were identified in Ziv hospital, official sources said. Bush Joseph George and Paul Melvin were injured and taken to hospitals for treatment, they said. "George was taken to the Beilinson hospital in Petah Tikva after suffering injuries on face and body. He underwent an operation, is recovering well, and has been kept under observation. He could speak with his family in India," an official source told PTI. M

Israel criticises UN in Gaza, says 450 of its workers are militants

Israel ramped up its criticism of the embattled UN agency for Palestinian refugees Monday, saying 450 of its employees were members of militant groups in the Gaza Strip, though it provided no evidence to back up its accusation. Major international funders have withheld hundreds of millions of dollars from the agency, known as UNRWA, since Israel accused 12 of its employees of participating in the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel that killed 1,200 people and left about 250 others held hostage in Gaza, according to Israeli authorities. The UN envoy focusing on sexual violence in conflict, Pramila Patten, said Monday there were "reasonable grounds" to believe Hamas committed rape, "sexualized torture," and other cruel and inhuman treatment of women during the attack. The attack sparked an Israeli invasion of the enclave of 2.3 million people that Gaza's Health Ministry says has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians. Aid groups say the fighting has displaced most of the territory's ...

Kamala Harris calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza for next six weeks

US Vice President Kamala Harris has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for at least the next six weeks, as she called on the Israeli government to "do more" to increase the flow of aid in the war-ravaged enclave. Harris made the ceasefire call on Sunday during a speech in Selma, Alabama, to commemorate the 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the annual remembrance of the landmark civil rights movement. The threat Hamas poses to the people of Israel must be eliminated, and given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate ceasefire for at least the next six weeks, which is what is currently on the table, Harris, 59, said. This will get the hostages out and get a significant amount of aid. This would allow us to build something more enduring to ensure Israel is more secure and to respect the right of the Palestinian people to dignity, freedom, and self-determination, the Indian-American leader said amidst applause from the audience. Hamas claims it wants

Israel opts out of Cairo discussions on Gaza ceasefire, hostage release

A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Sunday, expressing hope that the discussions would lead to a cessation of hostilities

Highlights of the day: 400 farmer unions to be at 'Mahapanchayat' in Delhi

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Fresh ceasefire calls after Israel attacks Palestinians awaiting food

International leaders said the disaster reinforced the need for an immediate halt in fighting to alleviate the human suffering that has no parallel in recent memory