Hamas says it will allow aid for hostages in Gaza if Israel halts air strikes
Hamas said any co-ordination with the Red Cross is contingent upon Israel permanently opening humanitarian corridors and halting air strikes during the distribution of aid.
According to Israeli officials, 50 hostages now remain in Gaza, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Hamas, thus far, has barred humanitarian organizations from having any kind of access to the hostages and families have little or no details of their conditions.
On Saturday, Hamas released its second video in two days of Israeli hostage Evyatar David. In it, David, skeletally thin, is shown digging a hole that, he says in the video, is for his own grave. The arm of the individual holding the camera, which can be seen in the frame, is a regular width.
The Editorial Board: Israel must stop helping Hamas to win
The video of David drew criticism from Western powers and horrified Israelis. France, Germany, the UK and the U.S. were among countries to express outrage and Israel's Foreign Ministry announced that the UN Security Council will hold a special session on Tuesday morning on the issue of the situation of the hostages in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he had asked the Red Cross to give humanitarian assistance to the hostages during a conversation with the head of the Swiss-based ICRC's local delegation.
A statement from The Hostages Families Forum, which represents relatives of those being held in Gaza, said Hamas' comments about the hostages cannot hide that it 'has been holding innocent people in impossible conditions for over 660 days,' and demanded their immediate release.
'Until their release,' said the statement, 'Hamas has the obligation to provide them with everything they need. Hamas kidnapped them and they must care for them. Every hostage who dies will be on Hamas's hands.'
Six more people died of starvation or malnutrition in Gaza over the past 24 hours, its health ministry said on Sunday as Israel said it allowed a delivery of fuel to the enclave, in the throes of a humanitarian disaster after almost two years of war.
The new deaths raised the toll of those dying from what international humanitarian agencies say may be an unfolding famine to 175, including 93 children, since the war began, the ministry said.
Egypt's state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV said two trucks carrying 107 tons of diesel were set to enter Gaza, months after Israel severely restricted aid access to the enclave before easing it somewhat as starvation began to spread.
COGAT, the Israeli military agency that co-ordinates aid, said later in the day that four tankers of UN fuel had entered to help in operations of hospitals, bakeries, public kitchens and other essential services.
There was no immediate confirmation whether the two diesel fuel trucks had entered Gaza from Egypt.
Gaza's health ministry has said fuel shortages have severely impaired hospital services, forcing doctors to focus on treating only critically ill or injured patients.
Fuel shipments have been rare since March, when Israel restricted the flow of aid into the enclave in what it said was pressure on Hamas militants to free the remaining hostages they took in their October, 2023 attack on Israel.
Israel blames Hamas for the suffering in Gaza but, in response to a rising international uproar, it announced steps last week to let more aid reach the population, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas, approving air drops and announcing protected routes for aid convoys.
UN agencies say airdrops are insufficient and that Israel must let in far more aid by land and open up access to the territory to prevent starvation among its 2.2 million people, most of whom are displaced amidst vast swathes of rubble.
COGAT said that during the past week over 23,000 tons of humanitarian aid in 1,200 trucks had entered Gaza but that hundreds of the trucks had yet to be driven to aid distribution hubs by U.N. and other international organizations.
Meanwhile, Belgium's air force dropped the first in a series of its aid packages into Gaza on Sunday in a joint operation with Jordan, the Belgian defence ministry said.
France on Friday started to air-drop 40 tons of humanitarian aid.
Israeli forces kill over 20 Palestinians seeking food in Gaza, health officials say
The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said on Sunday that nearly 1,600 aid trucks had arrived since Israel eased restrictions late in July. However, witnesses and Hamas sources said many of those trucks have been looted by desperate displaced people and armed gangs.
More than 700 trucks of fuel entered the Gaza Strip in January and February during a ceasefire before Israel broke it in March in a dispute over terms for extending it and resumed its major offensive.
Palestinian local health authorities said at least 80 people had been killed by Israeli gunfire and air strikes across the coastal enclave on Sunday. Deaths included persons trying to make their way to aid distribution points in southern and central areas of Gaza, Palestinian medics said.
Among those killed was a staff member of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which said an Israeli strike at its headquarters in Khan Younis in southern Gaza ignited a fire on the first floor of the building.
The Gaza war began when Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostage in a cross-border attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures. Israel's air and ground war in densely populated Gaza has since killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to enclave health officials.
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Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
France and Saudis vow to keep up momentum for ‘two-state solution' to Israel-Palestinian conflict
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Nonetheless, after eight decades of conflict between Israel and Palestinians, pressure is growing for a two-state solution, as last week's high-level U.N. conference co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia demonstrated — even if it was boycotted by Israel and its close ally, the United States. The conference illustrated that many believe a political solution is possible The French U.N. ambassador, Jerome Bonnafont, conceded in an Associated Press interview that without a Gaza ceasefire and massive humanitarian aid for over 2 million Palestinians sliding toward famine, 'it will be extremely difficult to move forward to define a new way of administering Gaza as part of Palestine' – and he said these are priority issues. But the conference demonstrated that a majority of the U.N.'s 193 member nations are 'convinced that there is a possibility of a political solution,' he said, and that is 'what its follow-up will continue to promote.' About 160 of the U.N.'s 193 member nations participated, 125 spoke in support of a two-state solution (forcing the meeting into an unexpected third day), and between 40 and 50 were represented by a government minister. An independent state of Palestine is recognized by over 145 countries, and the meeting sparked new pledges of recognition by three of the seven members of the powerful Group of Seven — France, United Kingdom and Canada — as well as Malta. A statement by seven others, including Australia, New Zealand, Finland and Portugal, expressed 'positive consideration' of following suit. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farham are determined not to let the spotlight fade. They are planning 'an event' during the annual gathering of world leaders at the General Assembly, which starts Sept. 23, when the new pledges are expected to be officially announced. The conference was notable for being co-chaired by an Arab and Western nation, and for setting up eight working groups with diverse chairs to make proposals on key issues for a two state solution — security for Israel and an independent Palestine, political reforms, legal problems, humanitarian assistance, economic development and Gaza reconstruction, to name some. The result was a seven-page 'New York Declaration.' The French and Saudi foreign ministers sent the declaration, with a lengthy annex of recommendations from the working groups, to all 193 U.N. members and asked them to endorse it by early September, before the world leaders' gathering. The declaration, which also was endorsed by the European Union and Arab League, urges Israel to commit to a Palestinian state, and urges further recognitions as 'an essential and indispensable component of the achievement of the two-state solution.' The declaration contains some stronger language For the first time, the Arab League's 22 member nations condemned 'the attacks committed by Hamas against civilians' in southern Israel on Oct. 7, and agree that 'Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority.' It sets out a plan to then move to an independent, demilitarized Palestine, including deployment of a U.N. Security Council-mandated 'temporary international stabilization mission' supported by the Palestinian Authority. It would protect civilians, help build support for a Palestinian state and its security forces, and provide 'security guarantees for Palestine and Israel.' Richard Gowan, the International Crisis Group's U.N. director, gave French President Emmanuel Macron credit 'for raising the level of ambition for the conference,' and helping make it 'more symbolically significant than many diplomats expected.' The meeting gave weighty states including France, Britain and Canada the opportunity 'to signal their discontent with Israeli policy,' he said, and it gave Palestinians seeking a peaceful road to statehood 'some political ammunition.' Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who hosted a Hamas delegation in Istanbul last week to discuss Gaza's humanitarian crisis and stalled ceasefire talks, noted growing global support for the Palestinians and a Palestinian state — and Israel's increasing isolation. Bonnafont, the French ambassador, had messages for Israel's opponents and Israelis seeking more territory. 'We say to those who are hostile to Israel, the way to peace is certainly not to deny the right of existence to Israel. This is the way to perpetual war,' Bonnafont said. 'And the real way to defend the Palestinians is to give them a state, and the only way to give them a state is a two-state solution — and we have demonstrated concretely that this solution exists and is feasible.'
Montreal Gazette
5 hours ago
- Montreal Gazette
Montreal Pride chair resigns amid backlash for barring Jewish LGBTQ2+ group from parade
The chairman of the board of Montreal Pride resigned Monday as the organization continued to face mounting criticism for banning a Jewish LGBTQ2+ group from its annual parade. In a statement, the organization said Bernard Truong informed the board of directors he was stepping down 'for personal reasons.' His resignation came as the group faced national backlash for excluding Ga'ava, a Jewish LGBTQ2+ organization, from the event. In response to his resignation, the board said it 'quickly convened' to ensure a smooth transition and appointed Marlot Marleau as the new chair. 'This change within the board has no impact on the activities of the Montreal Pride Festival, which are currently underway,' the statement reads. 'All teams, staff and volunteers remain deeply committed to delivering a unifying festival, true to its mission of amplifying the voices of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and creating inclusive, safe and meaningful spaces.' The organization insisted the leadership change was unrelated to the controversy over the barring of Ga'ava from the parade. 'No, Truong's resignation is not related to that,' said Michael Grégoire from the festival's press relations team when asked about the timing. 'Bernard Truong is leaving the board of directors for personal reasons.' As of Monday afternoon, the board of directors webpage had been removed from Montreal Pride's website. According to his LinkedIn profile, Truong works as a senior director at Desjardins. On Friday, five federal MPs signed a joint letter condemning the decision to exclude Ga'ava, calling it 'profoundly hurtful' and urging organizers to reverse it. 'Ga'ava has long provided a vital space for queer Jews to express both their sexual and religious identities with pride,' the MPs wrote. 'Its exclusion sends a message that Jewish identity is not welcome in LGBTQ+ spaces.' Fierté Montréal has since confirmed the group was barred from marching after a complaint led the event's ombudsperson to intervene. Carlos Godoy, Ga'ava's president, told The Gazette that organizers accused the group of hate speech for labelling its critics 'pro-terror' and 'pro-Hamas.' He called the charge 'outlandish and ludicrous.' The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs was also reportedly excluded, although Fierté Montréal organizers have not publicly acknowledged that decision.
Canada News.Net
5 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
Israel says to achieve war objectives in Gaza "without exception"
JERUSALEM/AMMAN, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday he will direct the Israeli army later this week on achieving three war objectives "without exception" in Gaza, where more deaths of starvation and malnutrition are recorded despite days of aid deliveries. During his weekly Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said he will convene the Security Cabinet later this week to "direct the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) how to achieve the three war objectives -- all of them, without exception," listing the goals as "defeating the enemy, releasing our hostages, and ensuring that Gaza will never again threaten Israel." Speaking on condition of anonymity, an Israeli official told Xinhua that Netanyahu is expected to convene a security discussion on Tuesday to deliberate "a total reoccupation" of Gaza. Meanwhile, the Israeli military said in a statement that 120 aid packages containing food were airdropped over Gaza on Monday by the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Germany, Belgium, and Canada. Monday marked the first time Canada joined the airdrop operations. The Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO) said in a statement that its new convoy of 38 trucks, carrying humanitarian aid, crossed into Gaza via the King Hussein Bridge on Monday. JHCO Secretary-General Hussein Al-Shebli told Xinhua that 294 Jordanian aid trucks have entered Gaza over the past two weeks, out of a planned 452, due to continued Israeli restrictions at border crossings under the pretext of official working hours. Medical equipment and devices have been denied entry, while inspection and clearance procedures have been prolonged, he said, noting that a single convoy now takes some 38 hours to reach Gaza. Earlier in the day, the Hamas-run government media office said in a statement that only 80 aid trucks entered Gaza on Sunday, bringing the total number of aid trucks entering the enclave since Israel's aid entry permission on July 27 to 674, much less than the 4,800 trucks supposed to enter Gaza in the same period. At least 600 trucks need to enter the enclave every day to meet the minimum requirements of life, it said, accusing Israel of "perpetuating a policy of starvation and chaos." Also on Monday, Gaza-based health authorities said at least 9,440 Palestinians have been killed and 37,986 others injured since Israel renewed its intensive strikes in Gaza on March 18, bringing the total death toll since October 2023 to 60,933, and injuries to 150,027. Five new deaths due to starvation and malnutrition were recorded in the past 24 hours, bringing the overall death toll of that kind since October 2023 to 180, including 93 children, the authorities said.
