Israeli gunfire kills 10, wounds over 100 near aid point, Gaza rescuers say
'At least 10 Palestinians were killed and more than 100 others... were wounded due to gunfire from Israeli vehicles towards thousands of citizens' approaching a US aid site west of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
39 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
Israel agrees to Gaza truce talks, Netanyahu says to send delegation to Qatar Sunday
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was sending a team to Qatar Sunday for talks on a truce and hostage release in Gaza, after Hamas said it was ready to start negotiations 'immediately.' But Netanyahu, who is due to meet with President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, said the Palestinian group's proposals for changes to a draft US-backed ceasefire deal were 'unacceptable.' Trump has been making a renewed push to end nearly 21 months of war in Gaza, where the civil defense agency said 42 people were killed in Israeli military operations on Saturday. Hamas said Friday it was ready 'to engage immediately and seriously' in negotiations, and was sending its responses to the truce proposal. 'The changes that Hamas is seeking to make in the Qatari proposal were conveyed to us last night and are unacceptable to Israel,' said a statement from Netanyahu's office. 'In light of an assessment of the situation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed that the invitation to proximity talks be accepted and that the contacts for the return of our hostages -- on the basis of the Qatari proposal that Israel has agreed to -- be continued,' the statement added. Hamas has not publicly detailed its responses to the US-sponsored proposal, which was transmitted by mediators from Qatar and Egypt. Two Palestinian sources close to the discussions told AFP the proposal included a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and several bodies in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel. However, they said, the group was also demanding certain conditions for Israel's withdrawal, guarantees against a resumption of fighting during negotiations, and the return of the UN-led aid distribution system. Trump, when asked about Hamas's response aboard Air Force One, said: 'That's good. They haven't briefed me on it. We have to get it over with. We have to do something about Gaza.' The war in Gaza began with Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, which sparked a massive Israeli offensive in the territory that aimed to destroy the group and bring home all the hostages seized by Palestinian militants. Two previous ceasefires mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States secured temporary halts in fighting and the return of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Of the 251 hostages taken by Palestinian militants during the October 2023 attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. 'Comprehensive deal' The Egyptian foreign ministry said Saturday that top diplomat Badr Abdelatty held a phone call with Washington's main representative in the truce talks, Steve Witkoff, to discuss recent developments 'and preparations for holding indirect meetings between the two parties concerned to reach an agreement.' Meanwhile, at a weekly protest demanding the return of the hostages, Macabit Mayer, the aunt of captives Gali and Ziv Berman, called for a deal 'that saves everyone,' without exception. But recent efforts to broker a new truce have repeatedly failed, with the primary point of contention being Israel's rejection of Hamas's demand for a lasting ceasefire. The war has created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip. Karima al-Ras, from Khan Younis in southern Gaza, said people were 'happy that Hamas responded positively, and we hope that a truce will be announced' to allow in more aid. 'People are dying for flour, and young people are dying as they try to provide flour for their children,' she said. A US- and Israel-backed group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, took the lead in food distribution in the territory in late May, when Israel partially lifted a more than two-month blockade on aid deliveries. The group said two of its US staff members were wounded 'in a targeted terrorist attack' at one of its aid centers in southern Gaza's Khan Younis on Saturday. The Israeli military said it had evacuated the injured. UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said Friday that more than 500 people have been killed waiting to access food from GHF distribution points. Civil defense says 42 killed Civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said Israeli military operations killed 42 people across Gaza on Saturday. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defense agency. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it could not comment on specific strikes without precise coordinates. The Hamas attack of October 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 57,338 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers the figures reliable.
Arab News
8 hours ago
- Arab News
Israel to send delegation to Qatar for Gaza ceasefire talks
Israel has decided to send a delegation to Qatar for talks on a possible Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, an Israeli official said, reviving hopes of a breakthrough in negotiations to end the almost 21-month war. Palestinian group Hamas said on Friday it had responded to a US-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal in a 'positive spirit,' a few days after US President Donald Trump said Israel had agreed 'to the necessary conditions to finalize' a 60-day truce. The Israeli negotiation delegation will fly to Qatar on Sunday, the Israeli official, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters. But in a sign of the potential challenges still facing the two sides, a Palestinian official from a militant group allied with Hamas said concerns remained over humanitarian aid, passage through the Rafah crossing in southern Israel to Egypt and clarity over a timetable for Israeli troop withdrawals. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is due to meet Trump in Washington on Monday, has yet to comment on Trump's announcement, and in their public statements Hamas and Israel remain far apart. Netanyahu has repeatedly said Hamas must be disarmed, a position the militant group, which is thought to be holding 20 living hostages, has so far refused to discuss. Israeli media said on Friday that Israel had received and was reviewing Hamas' response to the ceasefire proposal. The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Gaza's health ministry says Israel's retaliatory military assault on the enclave has killed over 57,000 Palestinians. It has also caused a hunger crisis, displaced Gaza's entire population internally and prompted accusations of genocide and war crimes. Israel denies the accusations.
Leaders
11 hours ago
- Leaders
Palestinian Bedouins Flee West Bank out of Settler Violence
Thirty Palestinian families were forced to leave their homes in a remote area of the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Friday due to the mounting violence of Israeli settlers, according to Reuters. Escalating Violence Members of the Bedouin Mleihat tribe started to dismantle homes built with iron sheets and wooden boards, after years of escalating harassment and attacks by settlers. 'The settlers are armed and attack us, and the (Israeli) military protects them. We can't do anything to stop them. We can't take it anymore, so we decided to leave,' said Mahmoud Mleihat, a 50-year-old father of seven from the community. Palestinian Bedouins Flee West Bank out of Settler Violence Crucially, Israeli human rights group B'Tselem has documented persistent acts of violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in Mu'arrajat, near Jericho. In 2024, Israeli settlers armed with clubs attacked a Palestinian school. Meanwhile, they blocked the path of vehicles carrying Palestinians either by firing into the air or hurling stones at the vehicles in 2023. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated that any acts of violence by civilians were unacceptable. A Call for Annexing West Bank Palestinian Bedouins Flee West Bank out of Settler Violence However, Fifteen Israeli Cabinet Ministers from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party have recently pushed him to immediately annex the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The lawmakers have signed a petition requesting the administration 'to apply sovereignty over Judea and Samaria (West Bank) before the end of the Knesset summer session,' which ends on July 27. They also implied that the current moment is appropriate for the annexation thanks to strong US-Israeli relations and the recent military gains. Palestinian Bedouins Flee West Bank out of Settler Violence Crucially, the petition noted that Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, stands out as a living proof of the dangers of establishing a Palestinian state. Furthermore, it described the two-state idea as a threat to Israel's national security. Consequently, it claimed that annexation would prevent future attacks on Israel. Katz's Remarks In May, Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Israel planned to build a 'Jewish Israeli state' in the occupied West Bank, according to Al-Arabiya. Katz's remarks followed Israel's announcement of the creation of 22 new settlements in the West Bank. 'This is a decisive response to the terrorist organizations that are trying to harm and weaken our hold on this land,' Katz said. Palestinian Bedouins Flee West Bank out of Settler Violence Katz also noted that the new settlements would be a clear message to French President Emmanuel Macron and his associates: they will recognize a Palestinian state on paper – but Israel will build the Jewish Israeli state here on the ground. Related Topics: Western Allies Impose Sanctions on Israeli Ministers Over West Bank Violence Saudi FM Slams Israeli 'Extremism' after West Bank Delegation Blockade Arab Ministers Condemn Israel's Ban on West Bank Visit Short link : Post Views: 14
