Page 32 - Palestine

Israeli village near Gaza border lies in ruin, filled with bodies

On the road approaching this rural village, the bodies of militants lie scattered between the shells of burned-out cars. Walls and doors of what used to be neatly kept stucco homes are blasted wide open. As bags holding the bodies of slain residents await identification, the smell of death hangs thick in the hot afternoon air. This is the scene confronting Israel's military as it battles to beat back a sweeping assault launched by Hamas from the Gaza Strip, in fighting that has killed hundreds in this country left reeling and the adjoining Palestinian enclave under heavy Israeli bombardment. You see the babies, the mothers, the fathers in their bedrooms and how the terrorists killed, Maj. Gen. Itay Veruz, a 39-year veteran of the Israeli army who led forces that reclaimed the village from militants, said Tuesday as he stood amid the wreckage. It's not a battlefield. It's a massacre. The Israeli military led a group of journalists, including an Associated Press reporter, on a tour of

Palestinians scramble for safety as Israel pounds sealed-off Gaza Strip

Israeli warplanes hammered the Gaza Strip neighbourhood by neighbourhood Tuesday, reducing buildings to rubble and sending people scrambling to find safety in the tiny, sealed-off territory now suffering severe retaliation for the deadly weekend attack by Hamas militants. Humanitarian groups pleaded for the creation of corridors to get aid into Gaza and warned that hospitals overwhelmed with wounded people were running out of supplies. Israel has stopped entry of food, fuel and medicines into Gaza, and the sole remaining access from Egypt shut down Tuesday after airstrikes hit near the border crossing. The war, which has claimed at least 1,900 lives on both sides, is expected to escalate. The weekend attack that Hamas said was retribution for worsening conditions for Palestinians under Israeli occupation has inflamed Israel's determination to crush the group's hold in Gaza. New exchanges of fire over Israel's northern borders with militants in Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday pointed to

Few good options as Israel weighs a ground assault on the Gaza strip

The public and the national security establishment in Israel are demanding retribution for the attacks by Hamas militants that claimed more than 1,000 Israeli lives over the weekend

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At least 40 babies killed, as Israel-Hamas violence turns ghastly

This came after several soldiers were called up for reserve service, and had arrived already expecting the worst, but the scenes were beyond imagination

Israel-Hamas violence: Over 770 Palestinians including 140 children killed

The Health Ministry in Gaza said that at least 770 Palestinians have been killed and 4,000 wounded in Israeli air raids. Among the dead are 140 children and 120 women, a ministry spokesperson said

India well-placed to play role to defuse crisis: Palestine envoy Alhaija

India's solidarity with the Palestinian cause dates back to Mahatma Gandhi's time and its rising global stature and influence over all key players in West Asia make it well-placed to play a crucial role in defusing the crisis arising out of the Israel-Hamas conflict, Palestine Ambassador Adnan Abu Alhaija said on Tuesday. In an interview to PTI, Alhaija particularly noted that India is a "friend" for both Israel and Palestine and it is "qualified" to work towards bringing down the tensions and contribute towards a solution to the Palestine issue. The multi-pronged attacks against Israel by Hamas militants from Gaza since Saturday and the subsequent Israeli retaliation have left over 1,600 people dead in the last four days, triggering mounting global concerns and confabulations among key players. Alhaija said India can get in touch with the European countries, the US, countries in West Asia and build "pressure" on the Israelis to work towards peace, which, he said, is refusing so ...

EU reverses earlier announcement that it was suspending aid to Palestinians

The European Union on late Monday reversed an earlier announcement by an EU commissioner that the bloc was immediately suspending aid for Palestinian authorities and instead said it would urgently review such assistance in the wake of the attacks on Israel by Hamas. There will be no suspension of payments at the moment, a terse European Commission statement said late Monday, five hours after EU Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi had said that all payments from the development programme for Palestinians would be immediately suspended. All projects put under review. All new budget proposals postponed until further notice. No immediate explanation for the reversal was given. A full European Commission statement always trumps a statement from an EU commissioner, but the reversal on a 691 million-euro ($730 million) programme capped an embarrassing day at the EU's executive at a time of extreme geopolitical sensitivities.

No electricity, food, fuel, and water: Israel orders 'complete Gaza siege'

Israel's response to the unprecedented surprise attack by Hamas from the Gaza Strip will "change the West Asia," the country's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said

Israel-Palestine war: Here's a look at the history of the conflict

Here's a timeline of the moments of the world's most acrimonious conflict

Israel-Hamas war: What is Hamas and why did it launch an attack on Israel?

The clash between Israel and Hamas, prompted by the militant group's attack on the Jewish nation, has left over 1,100 people dead. What is Hamas? Let us understand

Situation very dire, military working hard to secure border area: Israel

Israel Defense Forces spokesperson called Hamas a "terror organisation" and added that they have been regularly intending to wipe Israel off the map

China calls on Israel, Palestine to end hostilities to protect civilians

China on Sunday called on Palestine and Israel to immediately end the hostilities, exercise restraint, and remain calm to protect civilians to avoid further deterioration of the situation. China is deeply concerned over the current escalation of tensions and violence between Palestine and Israel, and calls on relevant parties to remain calm, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in response to questions on the fierce conflicts between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip resulting in massive casualties on both sides. Hamas launched a wave of rocket attacks on Saturday, killing over 200 people in Israel in the biggest escalation in decades. Israel has responded with a wave of air strikes on Gaza, killing more than 230 people, according to media reports. The spokesperson said the recurrence of the conflict shows once again that the protracted standstill of the peace process cannot last. The fundamental way out of the conflict lies in implementing th

Palestinians say 198 killed in Gaza after Israeli response to Hamas

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza says at least 198 people have been killed and at least 1,610 wounded in the territory in Israel's retaliation after a wide-ranging Hamas assault into Israel. The toll came as Israel has carried out a number of airstrikes in Gaza and has clashed with gunmen at the border fence around the coastal territory. The ruling Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land and sea, catching the country off guard on a major holiday. Several hours after the invasion began, Hamas militants were still fighting gunbattles inside several Israeli communities in a surprising show of strength that shook the country. Israel's national rescue service said at least 40 people have been killed and hundreds wounded, making it the deadliest attack in Israel in years. At least 561 wounde

Israel strikes Gaza for second time in two days after Palestinian violence

Israeli airstrikes hit a militant site in Gaza on Saturday for the second time in as many days, the Israeli army said, after Palestinian militants sent incendiary balloons into Israeli farmland and Palestinian protesters threw stones and explosives at soldiers at the separation fence. There were no reported casualties from the strikes in Gaza. Earlier Saturday, the Israeli military shot and wounded three Palestinians who were rallying at the separation fence along the Israeli frontier with the crowded enclave. It's a familiar tactic for Palestinians in Gaza protesting a 16-year blockade imposed by Israel with Egypt's help. Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent the ruling Hamas militant group from arming itself. It was the latest in a series of violent protests over the past week that has raised the specter of an escalation for the first time since a brief round of conflict last May between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group. It comes at a fraught time, ..

Israel criticises UN vote to list ruins in Palestine as World Heritage Site

A UN committee voted Sunday to list prehistoric ruins near the ancient West Bank city of Jericho as a World Heritage Site in Palestine, a decision that angered Israel, which controls the territory and does not recognize a Palestinian state. Jericho is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities on earth, and is in a part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank that is administered by the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority. The listing refers to the Tell es-Sultan archaeological site nearby, which contains prehistoric ruins dating back to the ninth millennium B.C. and is outside the ancient city itself. The decision was made at a meeting of the U.N. World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, under the auspices of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO. Israel's foreign ministry released a statement Sunday that said the listing was a cynical ploy by the Palestinians to politicize UNESCO, and that Israel will work with its allies to reverse

Over 200 Palestinians, nearly 30 Israelis killed in 2023, says UN

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has killed over 200 Palestinians and nearly 30 Israelis so far this year already surpassing last year's annual figures and the highest number since 2005, the U.N. Mideast envoy said Monday. Tor Wennesland told the U.N. Security Council that the upswing in violence is being fueled by growing despair about the future, with the Palestinians still seeking an independent state. The lack of progress towards a political horizon that addressed the core issues driving the conflict has left a dangerous and volatile vacuum, filled by extremists on all sides, he said. While Israelis and Palestinians have taken some actions toward stabilizing the situation, Wennesland said unilateral steps have continued to fuel hostilities. He pointed to the unabated expansion of Israeli settlements which are illegal under international law and a substantial obstacle to peace as well as Israel's demolition of Palestinian houses, its operations in the West Bank area under ...

Biden's inaction as Middle East violence surges is weak: Palestine minister

The Palestinian foreign minister on Thursday attacked the Biden administration as weak and passive in the Middle East, as violence between Israel and the Palestinians surges to its highest levels in nearly two decades. The comments by Riad Malki reflected the Palestinian frustration with US. President Joe Biden, who initially won plaudits from the Palestinians when he rejected the Trump administration's unabashedly pro-Israel stance. But Biden so far has done little to follow through on that vision I'm frustrated, Malki told members of the Foreign Press Association, an organisation representing international media outlets in Israel and the Palestinian territories. It seemed that (Biden) wanted to change all policies Trump has taken, but not when it comes to Palestine. Pressured by Israel's far-right government, increasingly isolated in the Arab world and running out of money, the Palestinian Authority is confronting what analysts say could be its greatest threat to its ...

Israeli army fire kills Palestinian man during clashes at West Bank shrine

Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian man near a shrine in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, Palestinian health officials said, in the latest bloodshed in a cycle of violence that has gripped the region. The months of fighting with rising fatalities have shown no signs of abating and has become the worst violence between Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank in nearly two decades. Thursday's shooting took place as Israeli forces escorted Israeli worshippers, including the Israeli police chief and the head of the local Jewish settler council, to a site known as the biblical Joseph's Tomb in the Palestinian city of Nablus. The shrine has long been a flashpoint for clashes between Palestinians and Israeli troops. Nablus has also become a central point of violence in the current escalation. The Israeli military said that during the visit, suspects opened fire and threw explosives, rocks and burning tires at troops, who returned fire. Palestinian news agency Wafa identi

Israeli forces kill 3 Palestinians in West Bank, days after major offensive

Israeli forces killed three Palestinians, including two militants shot dead in a gunbattle, in new West Bank violence on Friday, days after Israel concluded a major two-day offensive meant to crack down on militants. The persistent violence raised questions about the effectiveness of the raid earlier this week in the Jenin refugee camp, which saw Israel launch rare airstrikes on militant targets, deploy hundreds of troops and cause widespread damage to roads, homes and businesses. Twelve Palestinians and one Israeli soldier were killed in the operation. In the nearby city of Nablus, the West Bank's commercial capital and a flashpoint city, two militants were killed in a gunbattle with Israeli forces. Israel's Shin Bet security agency said the men were behind a shooting attack this week on a police vehicle. Later Friday, Palestinian health officials said a man was fatally shot in the chest by Israeli forces during a demonstration in Umm Safa, a town in the central West Bank. The army