Page 30 - Gaza

Israel confirms killing Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, warns Houthis

Israel's defense minister has confirmed that Israel assassinated Hamas' top leader last summer and is threatening to take similar action against the leadership of the Houthi rebel group in Yemen. The comments by Israel Katz appeared to mark the first time that Israel has acknowledged killing Ismail Haniyeh, who died in an explosion in Iran in July. Israel was widely believed to be behind the blast and leaders have previously hinted at its involvement. In a speech Monday, Katz said the Houthis would meet a similar fate as the other members of an Iranian-led alliance in the region, including Haniyeh. He also noted that Israel has killed other leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, helped topple Syria's Bashar Assad and destroyed Iran's anti-aircraft systems. We will strike (the Houthis') strategic infrastructure and cut off the head of the leadership, he said. Just like we did to Haniyeh, Sinwar and Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza and Lebanon, we will do in Hodeida and Sanaa, he said, referring t

Bethlehem plans another somber Christmas under the shadow of war in Gaza

The Nativity Store in Manger Square has sold handmade olive wood carvings and religious items to people visiting the traditional birthplace of Jesus since 1927. But as Bethlehem prepares to mark its second Christmas under the shadow of the war in Gaza, there are almost no tourists, leaving the Nativity Store and other businesses unsure of how much longer they can hold on. For the second straight year, Bethlehem's Christmas celebrations will be somber and muted, in deference to ongoing war in Gaza. There will be no giant Christmas tree in Manger Square, no raucous scout marching bands, no public lights twinkling and very few public decorations or displays. Last year before Christmas, we had more hope, but now again we are close to Christmas and we don't have anything, said Rony Tabash, the third-generation owner of Nativity Store. Israel's war against Hamas has been raging for nearly 15 months, and there still is no end in sight. Repeated ceasefire efforts have stalled. Since the wa

Will not let Hezbollah rebuild terror infrastructure: Israel minister

Under the terms of a two-month ceasefire that went into effect on November 27, Hezbollah is supposed to withdraw its armed presence from areas of southern Lebanon south of the Litani River

Fresh Israeli strikes across Gaza kill 22 as Vatican envoy visits region

Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip overnight and into Sunday killed at least 20 people, including five children, Palestinian medical officials said. Israeli authorities meanwhile allowed Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the leader of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, to enter Gaza and celebrate a pre-Christmas Mass with members of the territory's small Christian community. A strike on a school housing displaced people in Gaza City killed at least eight people, including three children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The Civil Defense, first responders affiliated with the Hamas-run government, had earlier said four children were among those killed. The Israeli military said it carried out a precise strike on Hamas militants sheltering there. A strike on a home in the central city of Deir al-Balah late Saturday killed at least eight people, including three women and two children, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which received the bodies. A man and his wife were .

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Over 2 million people remain trapped in Gaza's dire conditions: UNRWA

UNRWA reported that worsening weather conditions in recent days are expected to continue

Sweden's funding cut to UNRWA deepens Gaza's suffering, says UNRWA

Sweden had been a long-term and reliable partner to UNRWA, providing both political and financial support for decades

Israel debunks media claims of using water for acts of genocide in Gaza

Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of committing acts of genocide by denying clean water to Palestinians in Gaza

UN General Assembly asks court to say what Israel needs to provide in Gaza

The UN General Assembly approved a resolution on Thursday asking the UN's highest court to state what Israel's obligations are in Gaza and the West Bank to provide humanitarian assistance essential for the survival of Palestinian civilians. The vote on the Norwegian-sponsored resolution seeking an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice was 137-12, with 22 abstentions. The United States, Israel's closest ally, voted against the resolution. Resolutions in the 193-member General Assembly are not legally binding, though they do reflect world opinion. It follows the ICJ's condemnation of Israel's rule over lands it captured 57 years ago. In a non-binding opinion in July, the court said Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful and called on Israel to end its occupation and halt settlement construction immediately. Thursday's resolution also follows Israeli laws passed in late October, which take effect in 90 days, that effectively ban the UN

Families of hostages face uncertainty despite hopes for Gaza ceasefire

Ilana Gritzewsky is fighting a battle against time to save her boyfriend from Hamas captivity. While there appears to be progress toward a deal to free the remaining captives in phases, Matan Zangauker would likely not be released in the first stage since he is a young man. Gritzewsky is terrified a deal could break down or he could die in captivity before he's freed. Gritzewsky knows first-hand the perils facing her boyfriend, who turned 25 on Wednesday. She was kidnapped and held hostage for 55 days before being released during the only previous ceasefire deal a year ago. All the hostages need to get out, said Gritzewsky. If we don't release all of the hostages all the hostages in captivity they will be dead. Many relatives of people held in Gaza find no reprieve in reports that negotiations toward a deal are progressing. The renewed ceasefire talks are just the latest twist in what's been more than 14 months of anguish, despair and uncertainty about their loved ones' fates. ..

Palestinians sue US over 'human rights abuses' with support to Israeli Army

The lawsuit, announced on Tuesday, accuses the Department of State of failing to implement a US federal law that prohibits the transfer of funds to foreign military units engaged in gross violations

Hamas says still possible to reach ceasefire, hostage exchange in Gaza

Hamas said Tuesday that the militant group believes it's still possible to reach a Gaza ceasefire agreement and a hostage exchange deal that would end Israel's 14-months war in the enclave. The group said in a statement that such deal is still possible if Israel stops adding new conditions to the ceasefire proposal. A spokesperson with Hamas said he has no details about the alleged new conditions being referred to. Still, Hamas lauded the serious and positive meditation efforts by Egypt and Qatar to reach a ceasefire. Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said on X Tuesday morning that Israel wants to have security control over Gaza the same way it does in the West Bank after it dismantles Hamas' military and government capabilities. We will not allow any terrorist organisation against Israeli communities and Israeli citizens from Gaza. We will not allow a return to the reality of before October 7th, he wrote on the social media platform. Officials close to ceasefire negotiations .

Answer to stopping tragedy is to reach ceasefire: US on Israel-Hamas

Miller refused to offer comments on a report by Israeli Maariv Newspaper which said that Egypt has reached on an agreement with the Hamas

How Priyanka Gandhi's Palestine bag reignited Israel-Gaza debate in India

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra faces criticism and praise after carrying a Palestine bag, sparking renewed discussions on the Israel-Gaza conflict

Israel-Hamas war: Death toll in Gaza Strip exceeds 45,000 in 14 months

Health officials in the Gaza Strip say the death toll from the 14-month war between Israel and Hamas militants has topped 45,000 people. The Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but it has said that more than half of the fatalities are women and children. The Israeli military says it has killed more than 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The Health Ministry said 45,028 people have been killed and 106,962 have been wounded since the start of the war in October 2023. It has said the real toll is higher because thousands of bodies are still buried under rubble or in areas that medics cannot access. The latest war has been by far the deadliest round of fighting between Israel and Hamas, with the death toll now amounting to roughly 2 per cent of Gaza's entire prewar population of about 2.3 million. Israel claims Hamas is responsible for the civilian death toll because it operates from within civilian areas in the densely ...

Israel attacks hospital in northern Gaza, wounding 3 medical staff

Israeli attacks in and around a hospital in northern Gaza wounded three medical staff overnight into Friday and caused damage to the isolated medical facility, according to its director. Dr Hossam Abu Safiya said Israeli quadcopter drones carrying explosives deliberately targeted the emergency and reception area of Kamal Adwan Hospital, where one doctor was wounded for a third time. Abu Safiya said relentless drone and artillery strikes throughout the night exploded alarmingly close to the hospital, heavily damaging nearby buildings and destroying most of the water tanks on the hospital's roof and blowing out doors and windows. Kamal Adwan Hospital in the town of Beit Lahiya has been hit multiple times over the past two months since Israel launched a fierce military operation against Hamas in northern Gaza. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strikes. We demand international protection for the hospital and its staff, Abu Safiya said in

Israeli strike in Gaza kills 25 people as US makes new push for ceasefire

An Israeli airstrike has hit the central Gaza Strip, killing at least 25 Palestinians and wounding dozens more, Palestinian medics said, just hours after President Joe Biden's national security adviser raised hopes about a ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza. Officials at two hospitals in the Gaza Strip, al-Awda Hospital in the north and al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza, reported they received a combined total of 25 bodies from an Israeli strike on a multi-storey residential building in the urban Nuseirat refugee camp on Thursday. Palestinian medics also reported that over 40 people, most of them children, were receiving treatment at the two hospitals. The al-Aqsa Hospital said that the Israeli attack also damaged several nearby houses in Nuseirat. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the deadly strike. Israel is trying to eliminate Hamas, which led the attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that sparked the war in Gaza. The Israeli military says Hamas ..

India votes in favour of UN resolution for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

India voted in favour of a UN General Assembly resolution that demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and reiterated the demand for immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved resolutions demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and backing the UN agency for Palestinian refugees that Israel has moved to ban. The 193-member General Assembly voted Wednesday at the 10th emergency special session to adopt the draft resolution Demand for ceasefire in Gaza', introduced by Indonesia. India was among the 158 nations that voted in favour of the resolution while nine member states, including Israel and the US, voted against it. Among the 13 nations that abstained were Albania and Ukraine. The resolution demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire, to be respected by all parties, and further reiterates its demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. It demanded

Israeli airstrikes kill 28 in Gaza, including 7 children, say officials

Palestinian medical officials say Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 28 people in the Gaza Strip, including seven children and a woman, hours after the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. One of the strikes overnight and into Thursday flattened a house in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the nearby city of Deir al-Balah, where the casualties were taken. Two other strikes killed 15 men who were part of local committees established to secure aid convoys. The committees were set up by displaced Palestinians in coordination with the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. On Wednesday, the UN General Assembly approved resolutions demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and expressing support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees that Israel has moved to ban. General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, although they reflect world opinion. The war in Gaza began when ..

UNGA seeks ceasefire in Gaza, backs UN agency helping Palestinian refugees

The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved resolutions demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and backing the UN agency for Palestinian refugees that Israel has moved to ban. The votes in the 193-nation world body were 158-9, with 13 abstentions to demand a ceasefire now and 159-9 with 11 abstentions in support of the agency known as UNRWA. The votes culminated two days of speeches overwhelmingly calling for an end to the 14-month war between Israel and the militant Hamas group. Israel and its close ally, the United States, were in a tiny minority speaking and voting against the resolutions. While Security Council resolutions are legally binding, General Assembly resolutions are not, though they do reflect world opinion. There are no vetoes in the assembly. The Palestinians and their supporters went to the General Assembly after the US vetoed a Security Council resolution on November 20 demanding an immediate Gaza ceasefire. It was supported by the council's 14 other ...