Page 11 - Gaza

EU Commission President seeks sanctions against Israel over war in Gaza

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday said she plans to seek sanctions and a partial trade suspension against Israel over the war in Gaza. The 27-nation EU is deeply divided in its approach to Israel and the Palestinians, and it's unclear whether a majority will be found to endorse the sanctions and trade measures. Von der Leyen added that the commission will set up a Palestine donor group next month, part of which will focus on Gaza's future reconstruction. Von der Leyen said that the events in Gaza and the suffering of children and families has shaken the conscience of the world. Man-made famine can never be a weapon of war. For the sake of the children, for the sake of humanity. This must stop, she added, to applause in the European Parliament at its meeting in Strasbourg, France.

Israel expands list of Hamas officials, allies killed in past 2 years

Israel has killed multiple senior officials with Hamas and its regional allies since the deadly October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas-led militants in southern Israel that triggered the war in Gaza. On Tuesday, Israel struck the energy-rich nation of Qatar, which has been mediating ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Israel targeted a gathering of Hamas political leaders who were discussing the latest ceasefire proposal in Doha. Hamas said in a statement that six people were killed, but that all of the targeted officials survived. From Gaza to Lebanon to Iran, Israel has killed leaders with Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iranian military leaders. Here is a list of top officials who have been assassinated by Israel during the war: Saleh Arouri The deputy political head of Hamas and a founder of the group's military wing, Saleh Arouri was killed January 2, 2024, in a drone strike in a southern suburb of Beirut. Accused of masterminding attacks against Israel in the West

Israel urges full evacuation of Gaza City ahead of military escalation

The Israeli military urged a full evacuation of Gaza City on Tuesday morning ahead of its planned expanded offensive in the northern city, where hundreds of thousands of people struggle under conditions of famine. The announcement was the first warning for a full evacuation of the city in the current round of fighting. Previously, the military has warned specific sections of Gaza City to evacuate ahead of concentrated operations or strikes. Associated Press reporters saw more cars and trucks than in previous days passing from northern to southern Gaza on Tuesday, laden with supplies and people, but no widespread evacuation. Israel says multiple towers were destroyed in Gaza City. Defence Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday said Israel had demolished 30 high-rise buildings in Gaza, which it accused Hamas of using for military infrastructure. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel destroyed at least 50 terror towers that he said are used by Hamas. It was unclear if

Israel urges full evacuation of Gaza City ahead of expanded operations

The Israeli military urged a full evacuation of Gaza City on Tuesday morning, ahead of its planned expanded military operation in the city in northern Gaza. This is the first warning for a full evacuation of the city in the current round of fighting. Also on Tuesday, Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel had demolished 30 high-rise buildings in Gaza, which it accused Hamas of using for military infrastructure. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel plans to destroy at least 50 towers of terror that he said are used by Hamas. Over the past days, Israel has destroyed multiple high-rise buildings in Gaza City, warning that Hamas has installed surveillance infrastructure in them. The demolitions are part of Israel's ramping up its offensive to take control of what it portrays as Hamas' last remaining stronghold, urging Palestinians to flee parts of Gaza City for a designated humanitarian zone in the territory's south. There are around 1 million Palestinians i

Trump issues 'last warning' to Hamas on hostages, eyes Gaza deal 'soon'

Notably, the remarks by the US President come shortly after on Saturday, CENTCOM's Admiral Brad Cooper concluded his visit to Israel where he held a situational assessment

France, Saudi to co-chair conference on two-state solution for Palestine

Macron also set priorities for the conference that include permanent ceasefire, hostage release, large-scale aid to Gaza, and a stabilisation mission in the Gaza Strip

UK outraged at Israel restricting aid, works to evacuate sick Gaza children

British officials are working to get critically sick and injured children out of Gaza so they can receive specialist treatment in UK hospitals, the British foreign secretary said Monday, adding that the first patients will arrive in coming weeks. David Lammy said he was outraged by Israel not allowing enough aid to enter Gaza as he announced USD 20 million more for medical assistance for Gaza and the region. This is not a natural disaster, it's a manmade famine in the 21st century, he said. I'm outraged by the Israeli government's refusal to allow in sufficient aid. We all know there is only one way out an immediate ceasefire, Lammy added. He told lawmakers that British officials are also supporting students from Gaza who have been granted scholarships at UK universities so that they can start their studies in the fall. Lammy said a massive humanitarian response was needed to prevent more Palestinians from dying and starving after the world's leading authority on food crises said

Israel kills Hamas spokesperson as hospitals report dozens killed in Gaza

Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz announced Sunday that Abu Obeida, a spokesperson for Hamas' armed wing, was killed in Gaza over the weekend. Obeida's last statement was on Friday as Israel began the initial stages of a new offensive in Gaza City, declaring the area a combat zone. Hamas has not commented on Israel's claim.

Israeli airstrike kills Houthi rebel prime minister in Yemen's Sanaa

An Israeli airstrike killed the prime minister of the Houthi rebel-controlled government in Yemen's capital Sanaa, the Houthis said Saturday. He was the most senior Houthi official killed in the Israeli-U.S. campaign against the Iranian-backed rebels. Ahmed al-Rahawi was killed in Thursday's strike in Sanaa along with a number of ministers, the rebels said in a statement. Other ministers and officials were wounded, the statement added without providing details. The premier was targeted along with other members of his Houthi-controlled government during a routine workshop held by the government to evaluate its activities and performance over the past year, the Houthi statement said. Thursday's strike took place as the rebel-owned television station was broadcasting a speech by Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the secretive leader of the rebel group, in which he was sharing updates on the latest Gaza developments and vowing retaliation against Israel. Senior Houthi officials used to gather to .

Israel may halt or slow aid to northern Gaza as military offensive grows

Israel will soon halt or slow humanitarian aid into parts of northern Gaza as it expands its military offensive against Hamas, an official said Saturday, a day after Gaza City was declared a combat zone. The decision was likely to bring more condemnation of Israel's government as frustration grows in the country and abroad over dire conditions for both Palestinians and remaining hostages in Gaza after nearly 23 months of war. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, told The Associated Press that Israel will stop airdrops over Gaza City in the coming days and reduce the number of aid trucks arriving as it prepares to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people south. Israel on Friday ended daytime pauses in fighting to allow aid delivery, describing Gaza City as a Hamas stronghold and alleging that a tunnel network remains in use. The United Nations and partners have said the pauses, airdrops and other recent measures fel

US revokes visas of Palestinian president, other officials ahead of UNGA

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has revoked the visas of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other officials ahead of next month's annual high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly, where the Palestinians previously have been represented. A State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss visa issues that are normally confidential, disclosed Friday that Abbas and other officials from the Palestinian Authority were among those affected. The move is the latest in a series of steps the Trump administration has taken to target Palestinians with visa restrictions and comes as the Israeli military declared Gaza's largest city a combat zone. The State Department also suspended a program that had allowed injured Palestinian children from Gaza to come to the US for medical treatment after a social media outcry by some conservatives. The department said in a statement earlier that Rubio also ordered some new visa applications from Palestinian officials, ...

Israel declares Gaza's largest city combat zone, halts humanitarian pauses

Israel's military on Friday said it was suspending mid-day pauses to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza City, calling it a a dangerous combat zone. The city was among the places that Israel paused fighting last month to allow food and aid supplies to enter from 10 am to 8 pm. The tactical pauses lasted applied to Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi, three places where hundreds of thousands of displaced people are sheltering. The pivot comes as Israel prepares to broaden its offensive, mobilising tens of thousands of troops to seize Gaza City. Israel's military did not say whether they had notified residents or aid groups about the plans to resume daytime hostilities. Israel has said in the past that Gaza City is a Hamas stronghold, with a network of tunnels that remain in use by militants after several previous large-scale raids. The city also is home to some of the territory's critical infrastructure and health facilities. The United Nations said Thursday that the ...

Turkiye foreign minister says country's airspace closed to Israeli flights

Turkiye has closed its airspace to Israeli planes in protest at the war in Gaza, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Friday. We have completely cut off our trade with Israel. We do not allow Turkish ships to go to Israeli ports. We do not allow their planes to enter our airspace, he told a special parliamentary debate on Gaza in Ankara. Turkiye severed direct trade ties with Israel in May last year, demanding a permanent ceasefire and the immediate entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza. In 2023, the two countries carried out USD 7 billion in trade. Turkish media reported last week that a ban on maritime traffic linked to Israel had been imposed, although there was no official statement. According to reports, Israeli vessels were banned from docking in Turkiye, and Turkish-flagged ships were not allowed to enter Israeli ports. Ankara has been a harsh critic of Israeli attacks on Gaza, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeatedly referring to Israel's actions as genocide and likening Pri

India calls killing of journalists in Gaza 'shocking, deeply regrettable'

Among the journalists killed were Al Jazeera's Mohammad Salama, Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri, and Mariam Abu Daqqa, a freelance journalist working for AP at the time

Microsoft to probe Israel tech use, condemns protest at Brad Smith's office

An employee group called 'No Azure for Apartheid' says that by selling software and AI tools to Israel's military, the company's Azure cloud service is profiting from the deaths of civilians

AP freelancer among 4 journos killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza hospital

Israeli strikes on a hospital in southern Gaza killed four journalists on Monday, including a freelancer who worked for The Associated Press, according to health officials. Mariam Dagga, 33, a visual journalist, freelanced for the AP during the war, as well as other news outlets. The AP said in a statement that it was shocked and saddened to learn of Dagga's death, along with those of other journalists. Two missiles hit Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, medical officials said. In all, 19 people were killed, according to Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Gaza Health Ministry's records department. The Israel-Hamas war has been one of the bloodiest conflicts for media workers, with at least 192 journalists killed in Gaza in the 22-month conflict, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Comparatively, 18 journalists have been killed so far in Russia's war in Ukraine, according to the CPJ. Dagga, who has a 12-year-old son who was evacuated from Gaza earlier in the war, frequently .

Israeli forces intensify strikes on Gaza outskirts, expand ops in north

Tens of thousands of reservists are expected to report for duty on September 2, with the large-scale operation anticipated to follow in the coming weeks

UN body declares first famine in Gaza as ceasefire demands rise

More than 640,000 people in the Palestinian territory will face "catastrophic levels of food insecurity" by the end of September

Israeli defence minister warns Gaza may face destruction over Hamas row

Israel's defence minister warned on Friday that Gaza City could be destroyed unless Hamas accepts Israel's terms, as the country prepares for an expanded offensive in the area. A day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would authorise the military to seize Gaza City, Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that the enclave's largest city could turn into Rafah and Beit Hanoun, areas reduced to rubble earlier in the war. The gates of hell will soon open on the heads of Hamas' murderers and rapists in Gaza until they agree to Israel's conditions for ending the war, Katz wrote in a post on X. He restated Israel's cease-fire demands: the release of all hostages and Hamas' complete disarmament. Hamas has said it would release captives in exchange for ending the war, but rejects disarmament without the creation of a Palestinian state.

18 arrested as Microsoft staff protest Israel military tech ties review

Worker-led protests erupted at Microsoft headquarters this week as the tech company promises an urgent review of the Israeli military's use of its technology during the ongoing war in Gaza. A second day of protests at the Microsoft campus on Wednesday called for the tech giant to immediately cut its business ties with Israel. The police department began making arrests after Microsoft said the protesters were trespassing. We said, Please leave or you will be arrested,' and they chose not to leave so they were detained, said police spokesperson Jill Green. Microsoft late last week said it was tapping a law firm to investigate allegations reported by British newspaper The Guardian that the Israeli Defense Forces used Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform to store phone call data obtained through the mass surveillance of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Microsoft's standard terms of service prohibit this type of usage," the company said in a statement posted Friday, adding