Page 12 - Gaza

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

Israel plans new phase of Gaza operation as ceasefire talks continue

Israel is preparing to launch an expanded military operation in Gaza City, possibly in the coming days, even as negotiators scramble to bring Israel and Hamas to a ceasefire to end 22 months of fighting. The Israeli military said Wednesday that the country's defence minister has approved plans to begin a new phase of operations in some of Gaza's most densely populated areas, and that it would call up 60,000 reservists and lengthen the service of an additional 20,000 reservists currently serving. It comes as human rights groups warn that a humanitarian crisis could worsen in Gaza, where most residents have been displaced, vast neighbourhoods lie in ruins, and communities are facing the threat of famine. A military official, speaking on the condition of anonymity in line with military regulations, said that the military will be operating in parts of Gaza City where the Israeli military has not yet operated and where it believes Hamas is still active. The official said that Israeli ..

Record 383 aid workers killed in global hotspots in 2024, half in Gaza: UN

A record 383 aid workers were killed in global hotspots in 2024, nearly half of them in Gaza during the war between Israel and Hamas, the UN humanitarian office said Tuesday on the annual day honouring the thousands of people who step into crises to help others. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said the record number of killings must be a wake-up call to protect civilians caught in conflict and all those trying to help them. Attacks on this scale, with zero accountability, are a shameful indictment of international inaction and apathy, Fletcher said in a statement on World Humanitarian Day. As the humanitarian community, we demand again that those with power and influence act for humanity, protect civilians and aid workers and hold perpetrators to account. The Aid Worker Security Database, which has compiled reports since 1997, said the number of killings rose from 293 in 2023 to 383 in 2024, including over 180 in Gaza. Most of the aid workers killed were national staff servin

Hamas agrees to ceasefire proposal in Gaza as Palestinian deaths exceed 62K

Hamas said Monday it has accepted a new proposal from Arab mediators for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip but Israel indicated its positions haven't changed, as Gaza's Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll from 22 months of war has passed 62,000. US President Donald Trump appeared to cast doubt on the long-running negotiations that Washington has mediated as well. We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!! The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be, he posted on social media. Israel announced plans to reoccupy Gaza City and other heavily populated areas after ceasefire talks appeared to break down last month, raising the possibility of a worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, which experts say is sliding into famine. Plans to expand the offensive, in part aimed at pressuring Hamas, have sparked international outrage and infuriated many Israelis who fear for the remaining hostages taken in th

Israel airdrops 161 food aid packages in Gaza with support from 9 countries

Also on Sunday, the Israeli military said tents and equipment to erect shelters will be provided to the Palestinians who have been displaced multiple times in 22 months of war

Israel's growing frustration over Gaza war sparks nationwide protests

Israeli police blasted crowds with water cannons and made dozens of arrests on Sunday as thousands of protesters demanding a deal to free hostages in Gaza aimed to shut down the country with a one-day strike that blocked roads and closed businesses. Groups representing families of hostages organised the demonstrations as frustration grows in Israel over plans for a new military offensive in some of Gaza's most populated areas, which many fear could further endanger the remaining hostages. Fifty hostages remain, and 20 of them are believed to still be alive. We don't win a war over the bodies of hostages," protesters chanted in one of the largest and fiercest protests in 22 months of war. Even some former Israeli army and intelligence chiefs now call for a deal to end the fighting. Protesters gathered at dozens of places including outside politicians' homes, military headquarters and on major highways. They blocked lanes and lit bonfires. Some restaurants and theaters closed in ...

20 yrs since Israel's landmark Gaza withdrawal, conflict still continues

Twenty years ago, Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip, dismantling 21 Jewish settlements and pulling out its forces. The Friday anniversary of the start of the landmark disengagement comes as Israel is mired in a nearly two-year war with Hamas that has devastated the Palestinian territory and means it is likely to keep troops there long into the future. Israel's disengagement, which also included removing four settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, was then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's controversial attempt to jump-start negotiations with the Palestinians. But it bitterly divided Israeli society and led to the empowerment of Hamas, with implications that continue to reverberate today. The emotional images of Jews being ripped from their homes by Israeli soldiers galvanised Israel's far-right and settler movements. The anger helped them organise and increase their political influence, accounting in part for the rise of hard-line politicians like National Security Minister ...

Netanyahu lists 5 principles to end Gaza war, including security control

The five principles are: Hamas must be disarmed, all hostages - the living and the deceased - are to be returned

Gaza boycotts batter American fast-food chains in Malaysia, Indonesia

Starbucks, KFC, Pizza Hut, and McDonald's suffer sales slumps as Gaza war boycotts continue across Asia, boosting local and Palestinian brands

Netanyahu hints truce talks now focus on release of all hostages at once

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday hinted that ceasefire efforts in Gaza are now focused on a comprehensive deal that would release the remaining hostages all at once, rather than in phases. Arab officials told The Associated Press last week that mediators Egypt and Qatar were preparing a new framework for a deal that would include the release of all remaining hostages in one go in return for a lasting ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. The long-running indirect talks appeared to break down last month. But a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo for ceasefire talks on Tuesday, Egypt's state-run Qahera news channel reported, a sign that efforts have not been abandoned after 22 months of war. Israel has threatened to widen its military offensive against Hamas to the areas of Gaza that it does not yet control, and where most of the territory's 2 million residents have sought refuge. Those plans have sparked international condemnation and criticism within ...

Israel in talks to possibly resettle Palestinians from Gaza in South Sudan

Israel is in discussions with South Sudan about the possibility of resettling Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to the war-torn East African country, part of a wider effort by Israel to facilitate mass emigration from the territory left in ruins by its 22-month offensive against Hamas. Six people familiar with the matter confirmed the talks to The Associated Press. It's unclear how far the talks have advanced, but if implemented, the plans would amount to transferring people from one war-ravaged land at risk of famine to another, and raise human rights concerns. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he wants to realise US President Donald Trump's vision of relocating much of Gaza's population through what Netanyahu refers to as voluntary migration. Israel has floated similar resettlement proposals with other African nations. Palestinians, rights groups, and much of the international community have rejected the proposals as a blueprint for forcible expulsion in violation of .

IDF attack kills 5 journalists in Gaza tent; Israel alleges Hamas link

The deceased journalists included two Al Jazeera correspondents, Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, along with camera operators Ibrahim Zaher and Mohammed Noufal, the outlet reported

UK police make over 500 arrests in largest Palestine Action protest

The Metropolitan Police on Sunday arrested more demonstrators, taking the previous figure of 474 to over 500 during a weekend that saw the UK's largest protests in support of Palestine Action, banned by the government recently, making it a criminal offence to show any backing for the group. While 522 of those arrested during a demonstration in London were detained under the UK's Terrorism Act for showing support for a proscribed group, others were held for other offences, including assaulting police officers. Meanwhile, hundreds of pro-Israel counter-protesters also marched through central London on Sunday, demanding the release of hostages still held in Gaza and in a show of solidarity with Israel in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Many of those arrested at the pro-Palestine demonstrations were displaying placards expressing support for Palestine Action. The average age of those arrested was 54, and the most arrests 147 of them were of people aged between 60 and 69. The