Page 15 - Gaza

Hamas says it's ready for ceasefire but wants complete end to war in Gaza

Hamas suggested Wednesday that it was open to a ceasefire agreement with Israel, but stopped short of accepting a US-backed proposal announced by US President Donald Trump hours earlier, insisting on its longstanding position that any deal bring an end to the war in Gaza. Trump said Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. The US leader has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to broker a ceasefire, and hostage agreement and bring about an end to the war. Trump said the 60-day period would be used to work toward ending the war something Israel says it won't accept until Hamas is defeated. He said that a deal might come together as soon as next week. But Hamas' response, which emphasised its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could materialise into an actual pause in fighting. Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said that the militant gro

74 killed in Gaza as Israeli forces strike cafe, fire on crowd seeking food

Israeli forces killed at least 74 people in Gaza on Monday with airstrikes that left 30 dead at a seaside cafe and gunfire that left 23 dead as Palestinians tried to get desperately needed food aid, witnesses and health officials said. One airstrike hit Al-Baqa Cafe in Gaza City when it was crowded with women and children, said Ali Abu Ateila, who was inside. Without a warning, all of a sudden, a warplane hit the place, shaking it like an earthquake, he said. Dozens were wounded, many critically, alongside at least 30 people killed, said Fares Awad, head of the Health Ministry's emergency and ambulance service in northern Gaza. Two other strikes on a Gaza City street killed 15 people, according to Shifa Hospital, which received the casualties. A strike on a building killed six people near the town of Zawaida, according to Al-Aqsa hospital. The cafe, one of the few businesses to continue operating during the 20-month war, was a gathering spot for residents seeking internet access a

Trump urges Gaza ceasefire deal amid signs of possible breakthrough

US President Donald Trump on Sunday pleaded for progress in ceasefire talks in the war in Gaza, calling for a deal that would halt the fighting in the 20-monthlong conflict as the sides appeared to be inching closer to an agreement. An Israeli official said plans were being made for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to travel to Washington, D.C., in the coming weeks, a sign there may be movement on a new deal. The official declined to discuss the focus of the visit and spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss plans that had not yet been finalized. MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!! Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social early Sunday between posts about a Senate vote on his tax and spending cuts bill. Trump raised expectations Friday for a deal, saying there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters, he said, We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of. Trump has repeatedly called for Israel and Ha

IDF claims to have killed Hamas mastermind behind October 2023 attack

The Israel Defense Forces has announced that they eliminated Hakham Muhammad Issa Al-Issa--one of the founders of Hamas' military wing.The IDF in a late Saturday night post said that Issa was one of the masterminds of the October 7, 2023 attack.In a post on X, the IDF said, "ELIMINATED: eliminated Hakham Muhammad Issa Al-Issa--one of the founders of Hamas' military wing. Issa led Hamas' force build-up, training, and planned the October 7 massacre. As Head of Combat Support, he advanced aerial & naval attacks against Israelis. The IDF & ISA will continue to locate and eliminate all terrorists involved in the October 7 massacre."Meanwhile, as per Al Jazeera, Israel continued its attacks across the Gaza Strip, including an attack that killed at least 20 people, including nine children, in Gaza City's Tuffah neighbourhood.Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said he believes a ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas could be reached within a week.Trump came out with the ...

Trump signals Gaza ceasefire 'close,' likely in a week amid renewed talks

Trump signals a possible ceasefire in Gaza within days, though Israel and Hamas remain at odds as US and regional efforts to end hostilities intensify

Netanyahu denies claim that troops have orders to shoot Gazans seeking aid

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz emphatically rejected a report in the left-leaning Israeli daily Haaretz on Friday, which claimed Israeli soldiers were ordered to shoot at Palestinians approaching aid sites inside Gaza. They called the report's findings malicious falsehoods designed to defame the military. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid in the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on the roads heading toward the sites. Reacting to the Haaretz piece, Israel's military confirmed that it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites. It rejected the article's allegations of deliberate fire toward civilians. The foundation, which is backed by an American private contractor, h

Israeli strike kills 18 in Gaza as turmoil mounts over food distribution

An Israeli strike hit a street in central Gaza on Thursday where witnesses said a crowd of people was getting bags of flour from a Palestinian police unit that had confiscated the goods from gangs looting aid convoys. Hospital officials said 18 people were killed. The strike was the latest violence surrounding the distribution of food to Gaza's population, which has been thrown into turmoil over the past month. After blocking all food for 2 1/2 months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May. Efforts by the United Nations to distribute the food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys. The strike in the central town of Deir al-Balah on Thursday appeared to target members of Sahm, a security unit tasked with stopping looters and cracking down on merchants who sell stolen aid at high prices. The unit is part of Gaza's Hamas-led Interior Ministry, but includes members of oth

Trump backs Netanyahu, says Israeli PM must not be tried during war

Trump praised Netanyahu and his govt as the nation launched 'Operation Rising Lion' on June 13 and targeted nuclear sites in Iran to stop the latter from advancing its nuclear programme

MIT sued by student, instructor over alleged antisemitism on campus

Lior Alon, a Jewish Israeli mathematics instructor, and William Sussman, a Jewish former PhD student, sued the Cambridge-based research university in Boston federal court

Trump admin to provide $30 mn to Israeli group distributing food in Gaza

The Trump administration is providing USD30 million to an Israeli-backed group distributing food in Gaza, a US official said Tuesday. The request is the first known US government funding for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's aid distribution efforts amid the Israel-Hamas war. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive diplomatic issue involving a controversial aid programme, confirmed that the US authorised the funding. The Associated Press reported Saturday that the American-led group had asked the Trump administration for the initial funding so it can continue its aid operation, which has been criticised by the UN, humanitarian groups and others.

Violence against children in conflict at unprecedented levels in 2024: UN

Violence against children caught in multiple and escalating conflicts reached unprecedented levels" last year, with the highest number of violations in Gaza and the West Bank, Congo, Somalia, Nigeria and Haiti, according to a United Nations report released late Thursday. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' annual report on Children in Armed Conflict detailed a staggering 25% surge in grave violations against children under the age of 18 from 2023, when the number of such violations rose by 21%. In 2024, the UN chief said, Children bore the brunt of relentless hostilities and indiscriminate attacks, and were affected by the disregard for ceasefires and peace agreements and by deepening humanitarian crises. He cited warfare strategies that included attacks on children, the deployment of increasingly destructive and explosive weapons in populated areas, and the systematic exploitation of children for combat. Guterres said the United Nations verified 41,370 grave violations against ...

Türkiye extends support to Iran; Erdogan says Netanyahu surpassed Hitler

Türkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the images from World War II seem innocent compared to those coming out of Gaza

At least 51 killed and 200 wounded while waiting for aid trucks in Gaza

At least 51 Palestinians were killed and more than 200 wounded in the Gaza Strip while waiting for UN and commercial trucks to enter the territory with desperately needed food, according to Gaza's Health Ministry and a local hospital. Palestinian witnesses told The Associated Press that Israeli forces carried out an airstrike on a nearby home before opening fire toward the crowd in the southern city of Khan Younis. The Israeli military said soldiers had spotted a gathering near an aid truck that was stuck in Khan Younis, near where Israeli forces were operating. It acknowledged several casualties as Israelis opened fire on the approaching crowd and said authorities would investigate what happened. The shooting did not appear to be related to a new Israeli- and US-supported aid delivery network that rolled out last month and has been marred by controversy and violence. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian affairs, or OCHA, said the people killed were waiting for food .

Trump in dilemma as Israel seeks more US help to crush Iran's nuclear prog

President Donald Trump in about eight hours Monday went from suggesting a nuclear deal with Iran remained achievable to urging Tehran's 9.5 million residents to flee for their lives as he cut short his visit to an international summit to return to Washington for urgent talks with his national security team. He was expected to arrive at the White House early Tuesday at a moment of choosing in his presidency. Israel, with four days of missile strikes, has done considerable damage to Iran and believes it can now deal a permanent blow to Tehran's nuclear programme particularly if it gets a little more help from Trump. But deepening American involvement, perhaps by providing the Israelis with bunker-busting bombs to penetrate Iranian nuclear sites built deep underground or offering other direct US military support, comes with enormous political risk for Trump. He appears to be gradually building the public case for more direct American involvement. Iran should have signed the deal' I t

Abstaining on Gaza ceasefire resolution at UN misaligned with policy: Pawar

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said India's decision to abstain from voting on a Gaza ceasefire draft resolution is not in sync with its foreign policy and it will create confusion about the country at the global level. India has abstained in the UN General Assembly from a vote on a draft resolution that demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Addressing a meeting of the party workers from Mumbai, the former Defence Minister said India has always taken a stand to protect humanity and opposed the killing of innocents. "The present decision is not in line with the country's (foreign) policy. It will create confusion about India on the global stage," Pawar said. Pawar, meanwhile, said the NCP (SP) cadre is strong and determined to struggle despite political setbacks. He appealed to the party workers to gear up for the upcoming elections to local bodies. He said local leaders of the party would decide on whether to contest the elections either sol

DG Shipping asks seafarers in Iran ports to exercise due caution

The Directorate General of Shipping on Friday advised all Indian seafarers and Indian-flagged vessels operating in Iranian ports or transiting through the Strait of Hormuz to exercise due caution, following Israel's launch of an attack on Iran. India's maritime regulator, in an advisory, also said seafarers should remain vigilant, avoid unnecessary movement, and follow local safety protocols. Shipping companies, RPSL agencies, and maritime stakeholders (INSA, FOSMA, MASSA) are requested to actively monitor crew safety and stay updated via official channels, it added. According to international reports, Israel has carried out strikes at various places in Iran. "We are deeply concerned at the recent developments between Iran and Israel. We are closely monitoring the evolving situation, including reports related to attacks on nuclear sites," the MEA said in the statement As the situation in West Asia escalated, India urged "both sides to avoid any escalatory steps". The MEA said, ..

India abstains on UNGA draft resolution seeking permanent ceasefire in Gaza

India has abstained in the UN General Assembly from a vote on a draft resolution that demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The 193-member UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to adopt the resolution introduced by Spain that demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire, to be respected by all parties and recalled its demand for the immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups. India was among the 19 nations that abstained, while 12 nations voted against the resolution, which got 149 votes in favour. Among the nations abstaining were Albania, Cameroon, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Malawi, Panama, South Sudan and Togo. In the explanation of vote on the resolution titled Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish said the resolution comes against the backdrop of worsening humanitarian situatio

Egypt detains at least 200 activists planning on marching to Gaza in Cairo

Egypt blocked activists planning to take part in a march to Gaza, halting their attempt to reach the border and challenge Israel's blockade on humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory before it could begin. Egyptian authorities and activists both said Thursday that people planning to march across the Sinai Peninsula were deported. To draw attention to the humanitarian crisis afflicting people in Gaza, marchers have for months planned to trek about 50 km from the city of Arish to Egypt's border with the enclave on Sunday to create international moral and media pressure to open the crossing at Rafah and lift a blockade that has prevented aid from entering. Saif Abu Keshek, one of the activists organising the march, said that about 200 activists mostly Algerians and Moroccans were detained or deported. But those arriving to the Cairo International Airport on Thursday afternoon were allowed into Egypt, the Spain-based activist added. Organisers have not received approval from ..

Hamas claims killing 12 fighters, Israeli group says they were aid staff

A unit of the Hamas-run police force said it killed 12 members of an Israeli-backed militia after detaining them early Thursday in the Gaza Strip. Hours earlier, an Israel-supported aid group said Hamas attacked a bus carrying its Palestinian workers, killing at least five of them. The militia, led by Yasser Abu Shabab, said its fighters had attacked Hamas and killed five militants but made no mention of its own casualties. It also accused Hamas of detaining and killing aid workers. It was not immediately possible to verify the competing claims or confirm the identities of those killed. The Israeli military circulated the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation 's statement on its social media accounts but declined to provide its own account of what happened. Aid initiative already marred by controversy and violence The aid group's operations in Gaza have already been marred by controversy and violence since they began last month, with scores of people killed in near-daily shootings as crowds

Israeli forces recover bodies of two hostages after 613 days in captivity

One of the hostages was killed while defending his family during the Hamas-led abduction of Nir Oz residents on October 7. The identity of the second hostage has not been disclosed