Page 20 - Gaza

Our food stocks in Gaza have run out under Israel's blockade: WFP

The World Food Programme says its food stocks in the Gaza Strip have run out under Israel's nearly 8-week-old blockade, ending a main source of sustenance for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the territory. The WFP said in a statement that it delivered the last of its stocks to charity kitchens that it supports around Gaza. It said those kitchens are expected to run out of food in the coming days. Some 80% of Gaza's population of more than 2 million relies primarily on charity kitchens for food, because other sources have shut down under Israel's blockade, according to the UN. The WFP has been supporting 47 kitchens that distribute 644,000 hot meals a day, WFP spokesperson Abeer Etefa told the Associated Press. It was not immediately clear how many kitchens would still be operating in Gaza if those shut down. But Etefa said the WFP-backed kitchens are the major ones in Gaza. Israel cut off entry of all food, fuel, medicine and other supplies to Gaza on March 2 and then resu

Deleted condolence after Pope's death exposes Israel-Vatican tensions

Hours after Pope Francis' death was announced, Israel's Foreign Ministry posted a short message on X: Rest in peace, Pope Francis. May his memory be a blessing." Several hours later, it was deleted without explanation. Coming at a time of effusive global mourning over Francis' death, the decision to delete the post appeared to reflect the tensions that have emerged between Israel and the Vatican over Francis' frequent criticism of Israel's conduct during the war in Gaza. The Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the deletion. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is usually quick to issue statements on the passing of major international figures. But he has been silent on the pope's death, as has Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. The only official condolences came from Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, who holds a largely ceremonial role and who praised Francis for being a man of deep faith and boundless compassion. For most of Francis' papacy, ties between Israel and the Vatican steadily

West Asia latest: Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 28 people

Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 28 people, mostly women and children, the territory's Health Ministry said on Thursday. Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas and renewed its air and ground war over a month ago. It has sealed off Gaza's 2 million Palestinians from all food and other imports since the beginning of March to pressure Hamas to release hostages. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining 59 captives, 24 of whom are believed to be alive, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 hostages. Most have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's offensive has killed over 51,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say

Palestinian president slams Hamas as 'sons of dogs', urges hostage release

Palestinian President Abbas demands release of Israeli hostages, disarmament, and Gaza handover to Palestinian Authority amid deepening factional rift

UN to review impact of its agency helping Palestinian refugees in Gaza

The United Nations chief appointed a British human rights activist on Tuesday to carry out a strategic review of the UN agency helping Palestinian refugees to assess its impact under the"present political, financial, security and other constraints. Israel has banned the agency, known as UNRWA, from operating on its territory, but its Palestinian staff have still been key to delivering aid and running medical clinics in Gaza, even though Israel has cut off all humanitarian deliveries since March 2. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who announced the review, said Ian Martin, a former head of Amnesty International, would also be looking at the consequences and risks for Palestinian refugees of UNRWA's operations. UNRWA was established by the UN General Assembly in 1949 to provide relief for Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes before and during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, which followed the establishment of Israel, as well as their descendants, until there is a politica

Israel admits 'professional error' in Gaza strike that killed 15 medics

An Israeli investigation into the killings of 15 Palestinian medics last month in Gaza by Israeli forces said Sunday it found a chain of professional failures and a deputy commander has been fired. The shootings outraged many in the international community, with some calling the killings a war crime. Medical workers have special protection under international humanitarian law. The International Red Cross/Red Crescent called it the deadliest attack on its personnel in eight years. Israel at first claimed that the medics' vehicles did not have emergency signals on when troops opened fire but later backtracked. Cellphone video recovered from one medic contradicted Israel's initial account. The military investigation found that the deputy battalion commander acted under the incorrect assumption that all of the ambulances belonged to Hamas militants. Video footage obtained shows the ambulances had lights flashing and logos visible as they pulled up to help another ambulance that earlier

Israel has 'no choice' but to continue fighting in Gaza, says Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced again Saturday that Israel has no choice but to continue fighting in Gaza and will not end the war before destroying Hamas, freeing the hostages and ensuring that the territory won't present a threat to Israel. The prime minister also repeated his vow to make sure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon. Netanyahu is under growing pressure at home not only from families of hostages and their supporters but also from reservist and retired Israeli soldiers who question the continuation of the war after Israel shattered a ceasefire last month. In his statement, he claimed that Hamas has rejected Israel's latest proposal to free half the hostages for a continued ceasefire. The prime minister spoke after Israeli strikes killed more than 90 people in 48 hours, Gaza's Health Ministry said Saturday. Israeli troops have been increasing their attacks to pressure Hamas to release the hostages and disarm. Children and women were among the 15 people

Hezbollah says it won't disarm while Israeli troops stay in south Lebanon

The leader of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group said on Friday that its fighters will not disarm as long as Israeli troops remain in southern Lebanon and the Israeli air force regularly violates Lebanese air space. Naim Kassem addressed supporters in a speech broadcast on Hezbollah's television station. Kassem took over Hezbollah after Israeli airstrikes killed longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah, his successor Hashem Safieddine and other top Hezbollah figures last year, decimating the group's leadership. Kassem said Hezbollah had implemented its commitments related to the US-brokered ceasefire that halted the fighting in Hezbollah's latest, 14-month war with Israel. Since the ceasefire went into effect in late November, Israeli airstrikes have killed scores of people in Lebanon including civilians and Hezbollah members. Israel says it's targeting Hezbollah holdouts in southern Lebanon. On Tuesday, the office of the UN high commissioner for human rights said that at least 71 civilian

Ready to release all remaining hostages to end Gaza war, says Hamas

Khalil Al-Hayya, Hamas's Gaza chief and lead negotiator, said the group seeks a comprehensive deal including a full ceasefire, release of Palestinian prisoners, and Gaza's reconstruction

Gaza 'annexation' part of military strategy, says Israeli defence minister

Defence Minister Israel Katz said the Israeli military will continue to block humanitarian aid from entering Gaza in order to pressure Hamas to surrender

'Harvard has lost its way': Trump renews threats over aid, 'woke' policies

US President Donald Trump has intensified his clash with Harvard, accusing the university of ideological bias, threatening its tax status, and declaring it has 'lost its way' under its current leaders

Troops to stay in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria indefinitely, says Israeli minister

Israel's defence minister said Wednesday that troops will remain in so-called security zones in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria indefinitely. Unlike in the past, the (Israeli military) is not evacuating areas that have been cleared and seized, Israel Katz said in a statement. The military will remain in the security zones as a buffer between the enemy and (Israeli) communities in any temporary or permanent situation in Gaza as in Lebanon and Syria. Israeli forces have taken over large areas of Gaza in recent weeks in a renewed campaign to pressure Hamas to release hostages after Israel ended their ceasefire last month. Israel has also refused to withdraw from some areas in Lebanon following a ceasefire with the Hezbollah militant group last year, and it seized a buffer zone in southern Syria after the overthrow of President Bashar Assad. Israel says it must maintain control of such territories to prevent a repeat of Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack, in which thousands of militants ...

'Letters from Gaza' offers a ringside view of the human cost of endless war

Each piece of prose or poetry conjures images of a complete lack of normalcy in any form. But they are beautifully written, evocatively descriptive and emotionally rich

EU pledges $1.8 bn aid package to Palestinian Authority to rebuild Gaza

The European Union on Monday unveiled a financial aid package of up to 1.6 billion euros (USD 1.8 billion) to support the beleaguered Palestinian Authority and fund projects in the West Bank, Jerusalem and war-ravaged Gaza. The offer came as Israel expanded its offensive across Gaza over the weekend. More than a third of the money, to be provided over two years, will come as direct budget support to the Palestinian Authority and it's aimed at improving financial sustainability, democratic governance and services to help the private sector develop. Our programme aims to support the Palestinian people in building a sustainable future," said EU Mediterranean Commissioner Dubravka uica. It's about the governing capacity. It's about advancing economic recovery. It's about strengthening the resilience of the private sector. Speaking to reporters after talks in Luxembourg with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, she said "a well-functioning and reformed Palestinian Authority must

Israel intensifies strikes near Gaza hospital, kills 21 as Holy Week begins

A wave of Israeli strikes across Gaza on Sunday hit a hospital and other sites, killing at least 21 people, including children, as Israel vowed to expand its security presence in the small coastal strip. The predawn strike on Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City was the latest of several attacks on northern Gaza's last major hospital providing critical health care. Hospital director Dr. Fadel Naim said the emergency room, pharmacy and surrounding buildings were severely damaged, affecting over 100 patients and dozens of staff. One patient, a girl, died during the evacuation following an Israeli warning because staff were unable to provide urgent care, Gaza's Health Ministry said. Israel said it struck a Hamas command and control center at the hospital, without providing evidence. Hamas denied the allegations. Al-Ahli Hospital is run by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, which condemned the attack, saying in a statement it happened on Palm Sunday, the start of the Holy Week, the most sacr

IDF dismantles 'underground terrorist route' in Gaza, strikes militants

In a post on X, the IDF said a weapons cache near the tunnel held around 20 explosive devices, an anti-tank guided missile, and other arms

Israel strikes hospital in Gaza, forcing evacuation as attacks intensify

Israel struck a hospital in northern Gaza early Sunday, forcing patients to evacuate as attacks intensified. The pre-dawn strike hit Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, after Israel issued an evacuation warning, according to Gaza's ministry of health. One patient died during the evacuation because medical staff were unable to provide urgent care, it said. The hospital, run by the Diocese of Jerusalem, was attacked on Palm Sunday, which commemorates Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. Hours later, a separate strike on a car in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, killed at least seven people six brothers and their friend according to staff at the morgue of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which received the bodies. Israel said it struck a command and control centre used by Hamas at the hospital to plan and execute attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers, without providing evidence. It said prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate harm, including issuing warnings, and using precise ...

Israel targets Gaza hospital, forcing evacuation as strikes intensify

Israel struck a hospital in northern Gaza early Sunday, forcing patients to evacuate as attacks intensified across the Strip. The pre-dawn strike hit Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, after Israel issued an evacuation warning, according to Gaza's ministry of health. One patient died during the evacuation because medical staff were unable to provide urgent care, it said. The hospital, run by the Diocese of Jerusalem, was attacked on Palm Sunday, which commemorates Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. Hours later, a separate strike on a car in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, killed at least seven people, according to staff at the morgue of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which received the bodies. Israel said it struck a command and control centre used by Hamas at the hospital to plan and execute attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers. It said prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate harm, including issuing warnings, and using precise munitions and aerial surveillance. The strike

Pro-Palestinian protesters at Stanford charged with felony offences

A dozen pro-Palestinian demonstrators who were arrested at Stanford University last year after they occupied and allegedly caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to a campus building are now facing charges. The twelve people, current and former Stanford students, have been charged with felony vandalism and felony conspiracy to trespass, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office said Thursday in a news release. Those charged range in age from 19 to 32, the DA's office said. They will be arraigned later this month at the Hall of Justice in San Jose. A student journalist, who was arrested with the protesters but was not accused of participating in the vandalism, was not charged. The Stanford takeover began around dawn on June 5, 2024, the last day of spring classes at the university in California's Silicon Valley. Some protesters barricaded themselves inside the building, which houses the university president's office. Others linked arms outside, The Stanford Daily

Pressed for evidence, US cites power to deport Mahmoud Khalil for beliefs

Facing a deadline from an immigration judge to turn over evidence for its attempted deportation of Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil, the federal government has instead submitted a brief memo, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, citing the Trump administration's authority to expel noncitizens whose presence in the country damages US foreign policy interests. The two-page memo, which was obtained by The Associated Press, does not allege any criminal conduct by Khalil, a legal permanent US resident and graduate student who served as spokesperson for campus activists last year during large demonstrations against Israel's treatment of Palestinians and the war in Gaza. Rather, Rubio wrote Khalil could be expelled for his beliefs. He said that while Khalil's activities were otherwise lawful, letting him remain in the country would undermine US policy to combat anti-Semitism around the world and in the United States, in addition to efforts to protect Jewish students from ..