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Israel-Hamas war: More than 50 people killed in latest Israeli strikes, say Gaza officials

Israel-Hamas war: More than 50 people killed in latest Israeli strikes, say Gaza officials

CNA26-05-2025
More than 50 people have been killed in Israeli air strikes across Gaza overnight, including one that hit a school sheltering displaced Palestinians. It is the latest in an expanded assault by the Israeli military aimed at defeating Hamas. The IDF said the school compound was housing terrorists. Rescuers say 33 people were killed in the strike, many of them women and children. Trent Murray reports from Tel Aviv.
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Gaza war protesters arrested at offices of US Senators Schumer and Gillibrand
Gaza war protesters arrested at offices of US Senators Schumer and Gillibrand

Straits Times

time2 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Gaza war protesters arrested at offices of US Senators Schumer and Gillibrand

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox More than 100 protesters, who were organised by anti-war group Jewish Voice for Peace, chanted and banged pots and pans in the lobby of the Third Avenue building where the two senators have office space. – Dozens of demonstrators protesting against Israel's war in the Gaza Strip were arrested on Aug 1 at the midtown Manhattan offices of New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, days after they broke with many of their fellow Democrats by voting against a resolution to halt US arms sales to Israel. Pressure has mounted on Democratic lawmakers to press Israel to end its military activity in Gaza, where famine and starvation have spread in recent weeks, and allow in a flood of aid. On Aug 1, more than 100 protesters, who were organised by anti-war group Jewish Voice for Peace, chanted and banged pots and pans in the lobby of the Third Avenue building where Mr Schumer, the Senate minority leader, and Ms Gillibrand have office space. 'New Yorkers are heartbroken, America is heartbroken,' said City Council member Alexa Aviles, who protested on Aug 1. 'We want an end to the war, we want peace.' The traditional bipartisan consensus in support of Israel among US lawmakers has collapsed over the course of Israel's nearly two-year war in Gaza, which has killed more than 60,000 people, according to Gaza officials. Support for the war has plunged into the single digits among Democratic voters, and on July 30, 27 Democratic senators voted to halt US weapons transfers to Israel in protest against the war and the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. On Aug 1, two elected Democrats, City Council member Tiffany Caban and Assembly member Claire Valdez, were arrested outside Mr Schumer and Ms Gillibrand's offices. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Opening of Woodlands Health has eased load on KTPH, sets standard for future hospitals: Ong Ye Kung Singapore New vehicular bridge connecting Punggol Central and Seletar Link to open on Aug 3 Singapore New S'pore jobs portal launched for North West District residents looking for work near home Singapore HSA investigating teen allegedly vaping on MRT train Asia KTM plans new passenger rail service in Johor Bahru to manage higher footfall expected from RTS Singapore Tengah facility with over 40 animal shelters, businesses hit by ticks Business Property 'decoupling' illegal if done solely to avoid taxes: High Court Singapore 60 years of building Singapore Gaza has teetered on the brink of famine since the early months of the war, which began after a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that killed more than 1,000 people on Oct 7, 2023, but the crisis has exploded since March, when Israel blocked the entry of humanitarian goods into the enclave in a bid to squeeze concessions from Hamas. Israel later established a new aid distribution system. But the Gaza Ministry of Health reported more than 40 hunger-related deaths in July, including 16 children, and at least 111 since the beginning of the war, 81 of them children. The data could not be independently verified. NYTIMES

How Gaza exasperation pushed 3 Israel allies towards recognising Palestinian state, World News
How Gaza exasperation pushed 3 Israel allies towards recognising Palestinian state, World News

AsiaOne

time8 hours ago

  • AsiaOne

How Gaza exasperation pushed 3 Israel allies towards recognising Palestinian state, World News

OTTAWA/PARIS/LONDON - When Spain, Ireland and Norway announced in May 2024 that they would recognise a Palestinian state, Israel's closer allies dismissed the move as unhelpful to solving the crisis in Gaza. While France, Britain and Canada stressed their support for establishing two states with recognised borders as the long-term solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, they were wary of being seen to reward Hamas, of damaging relations with Israel and Washington, and of squandering diplomatic capital. "I will not do an 'emotional' recognition," French President Emmanuel Macron said at the time. But as Israeli restrictions on aid escalated Gaza's humanitarian crisis and a two-month truce ended in March, talks began in earnest that would lead three of the Group of Seven major Western economies to set out plans to recognise a Palestinian state in September. Fears for two-state solution boost recognition drive "The possibility of a two-state solution is being eroded before our eyes ... that has been one of the factors that has brought us to this point to try to reverse, with partners, this cycle," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday (July 31). France and Saudi Arabia formed a plan to have more Western countries move towards Palestinian recognition while Arab states would be pushed to take a stronger line against Hamas. The pair wanted their proposals to gain acceptance at a United Nations conference in June, but they struggled to gain traction and the meeting was then postponed due to Israeli airstrikes on Iran and amid intense US diplomatic pressure. The strikes led to a pause in public criticism of Israel from Western allies, and Arab states were hard to win round, but discussions continued behind the scenes. Macron, Carney and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer were communicating with each other regularly by phone and texts during June and July, according to a Canadian source with direct knowledge of the events. Canada was wary of acting alone and Britain wanted to ensure any move would have maximum impact, but Macron was more strident. Alarm was growing about images of starving children, and fears were mounting that Israel's Gaza offensive, combined with settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, would further undermine any chance of creating a sovereign Palestinian state. On July 24, Macron made a surprise announcement that France would recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. Neither Britain nor Canada followed immediately. But the relatively muted reaction by US President Donald Trump - saying the statement carried no weight but that Macron was still a "great guy" - brought some reassurance that the diplomatic fallout would be manageable if others went the same way. Macron, Starmer, Merz and Carney Macron spoke with Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz two days later to discuss a "sustainable route to a two-state solution", according to Starmer's spokesperson, just before the prime minister was due to meet Trump in Scotland. [[nid:720799]] With Trump, Starmer pressed the case to do more to help Gaza, although, according to Trump, he never explicitly said a recognition plan was on the cards, though Trump has since criticised such moves as "rewarding Hamas". With Trump still in Britain on Tuesday, opening a golf course, Starmer recalled his cabinet from their summer break to get approval for his recognition plan. Britain would recognise a Palestinian state in September unless there was a ceasefire and a lasting peace plan from Israel. Like Macron, Starmer gave Carney a few hours' warning. Once Britain and France had moved, Canada felt it had to follow suit, according to the Canadian source. "International co-operation is essential to securing lasting peace and stability in the Middle East and Canada will do its best to help lead that effort," Carney said on Wednesday, six days after Macron's announcement. In practical terms, the three countries' move will not change much. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed the recognition as "irrelevant" while its other major Group of Seven allies - Germany, Italy and Japan - have given no indication they will follow suit. More than three-quarters of the 193 members of the UN General Assembly already independently recognise a Palestinian state. But the opposition of the US, with its veto power on the UN Security Council, means the UN cannot admit Palestine as a full member - a move that would effectively recognise a Palestinian state at global level. However, Richard Gowan, UN director at the International Crisis Group, said the declarations mattered "precisely because we are seeing some big US allies catching up with the bulk of the Global South on the Palestinian question at the UN". "That makes it a little harder for Israel to write off the pro-recognition camp as irrelevant."

Commentary: Why we need to be wary of AI as an enabler of terrorism
Commentary: Why we need to be wary of AI as an enabler of terrorism

CNA

time15 hours ago

  • CNA

Commentary: Why we need to be wary of AI as an enabler of terrorism

SINGAPORE: Terrorism presents a persistent danger to Singapore. The latest Singapore Terrorism Threat Assessment Report, released on Tuesday (Jul 29), attributed this threat to a 'volatile global landscape' fuelled by global developments such as the Gaza conflict and a growing range of extremist ideologies, some of which have already manifested in Singapore. The continued risk should not come as a surprise, nor should the growing influence of technology and digital platforms in enabling terror threats. But what stood out in this year's report was the emergence of innovations in artificial intelligence as a factor in the growing complexity of the local and global terrorist threat. Not that this was surprising either, given the rapid development and adoption of AI. But we are only beginning to see the impact of AI on everything from jobs and education to the way we form human connections – and its emerging role in terrorism is concerning. The Internal Security Department (ISD) said that new technology like AI and 3D printing have thus far not been proven to have been used in any terror attack plot in Singapore, but they have featured in the self-radicalisation of local youths. A 17-year-old Islamic State supporter detained in September 2024, for example had used an AI chatbot to generate a bai'ah or pledge of allegiance to ISIS, as well as a declaration of armed jihad against non-Muslims to inspire other Muslims in Singapore to engage in armed violence. In another case, a 17-year-old supporter of far-right extremist ideologies detained in March this year had searched for instructions on an AI chatbot on how to produce ammunition, and considered 3D-printing his own firearms as part of his plans to conduct attacks locally. ISD said that, given the increased sophistication and ease of access to these and other emerging technologies, potential terror activities and plots in the future can be expected to feature such technologies going forward. EVOLVING TACTICS AND TECHNIQUES There are a number of ways that new and evolving technology like AI can be harnessed by terrorist organisations to advance their aims. First, in accelerating radicalisation and recruitment. AI has been used to generate disinformation at a scale and speed much faster than what could be achieved by manual means alone. Many extremists misappropriate, misinterpret or manipulate religious prophecies or social narratives to suit their ideologies and win more supporters to their cause. In that vein, AI would be able to make such efforts, which bear significant similarities to disinformation operations, more effective and efficient. AI-powered chatbots tap into our human need for companionship, but have also been shown to be easily manipulated. Isolated individuals may find seemingly empathetic connections and be nudged toward extremist ideology. Another risk is how AI could be deployed by terror organisations in ever more innovative ways to create chaos and confusion. A recent investigation by the BBC unearthed evidence that identities of British public sector workers had been cloned using AI by a Russian-linked disinformation campaign. For example, an emergency medical adviser in the UK had his voice faked in a video campaign spreading fear ahead of Poland's presidential election earlier this year. In the recent Israel-Iran conflict, AI-driven disinformation such as fake videos and images showing the purported prowess and success of both sides were shared widely in the online space, with the aim of bolstering support for each side's campaign. Third, AI could be used by radicalised individuals to generate and suggest plans and strategies to conduct terror attacks, which would be especially appealing to younger, more vulnerable individuals who may not have been exposed to formal training or direct contact with terror organisations. Combined with existing trends such as using AI to produce deepfake videos, and the other tactics detailed in the report, these present a complex and complicated environment that can only increase the chances of terrorism threats permeating across the world. WHAT CAN BE DONE While the report makes clear that there is currently no specific intelligence of an imminent terrorist attack against Singapore, it is important to not take such relative peace for granted. All eight Singaporeans dealt with under the country's Internal Security Act since last July were self-radicalised by extremist materials they found online. ISD said that such platforms have accelerated the time taken between individuals' first encounter with terrorist and radical elements, and their subscription to violent extremist ideologies. Statistics show that the time taken for self-radicalisation for cases detected in Singapore has essentially halved from 24 months prior to 2015, to an average of 12 months between 2021 and 2025. Some cases took mere weeks. In particular, the vulnerability of the youth to radicalisation remains a pressing concern. Much of ISD's prescribed efforts to counter the risk of terrorism and violent extremism are focused on enhancing counter-terrorism capabilities, beefing up border security, and working with social and education agencies to address the threat early. However, given the potential for emerging and evolving technologies such as AI to be used by terrorist organisations to enable and enhance their efforts and operations, equal emphasis should be placed on identifying such threats as early as possible. This will require close collaboration between the government and security agencies and technology counterparts in the private sector, while also ensuring the people are educated and kept up to date on such threats as soon as they are detected, whether at home or abroad.

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