In an Attack at Sunset, Israelis Set a Palestinian Village Ablaze
That calm was shattered soon afterward when scores of Israelis, many masked, descended on the village by foot and in vehicles, according to witnesses and local officials.
The attackers hurled Molotov cocktails and set homes and cars on fire, the witnesses and local officials said. The Israeli military said in a statement that dozens of Israeli civilians had set Palestinian property ablaze.
The violence in Kafr Malik, northeast of Ramallah, last week comes amid a sharp rise in settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank, where about half a million Israelis live among three million Palestinians. Settler attacks injured more than 220 Palestinians during the first five months of 2025, the highest rate in years, according to the United Nations. Settlers killed a Palestinian man on June 19, the U.N. says.
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News24
15 minutes ago
- News24
Hamas says it's discussing proposals after Trump Gaza ceasefire push
Hamas is discussing a ceasefire proposal mediated by Egypt and Qatar, with support from Donald Trump, to address the Gaza conflict. Israeli airstrikes in Gaza continue to kill civilians, including children, amid worsening humanitarian conditions in the region. Trump stated that Israel supports a 60-day ceasefire and urged Hamas to finalise the deal to end the war. Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Wednesday it was discussing proposals for a Gaza ceasefire received from mediators, after US President Donald Trump said Israel backed a 60-day ceasefire in the war-ravaged territory. Nearly 21 months of war have created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has recently expanded its military operations against Hamas militants. The civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 33 people on Wednesday. Trump urged Hamas on Tuesday to accept a 60-day ceasefire, saying Israel had agreed to finalise such a deal. The Israeli government has not commented on that claim. Hamas said in a statement on Wednesday it was "conducting national consultations to discuss what we received from the proposals of the... mediators". READ | Israel steps up campaign in Gaza ahead of Netanyahu's US visit It said it aimed "to reach an agreement that guarantees ending the aggression, achieving the withdrawal (of Israel from Gaza) and urgently aiding our people in the Gaza Strip". Without directly mentioning Trump's remarks, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that "a large majority within the government and the population is in favour" of a deal to free hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. "If the opportunity arises, it must not be missed!" Saar wrote on X. Out of 251 hostages seized by Palestinian militants during Hamas' 2023 attack that triggered the war, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Images On the ground in southern Gaza, civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told AFP that five members of the same family were killed in an Israeli air strike on Wednesday that hit a tent housing displaced people in the Al-Mawasi area. Despite being declared a safe zone by Israel in December 2023, Al-Mawasi has been hit by repeated Israeli strikes. Children covered in blood AFP footage from the area showed makeshift tents blown apart as Palestinians picked through the wreckage, trying to salvage what was left of their belongings. One man held a pack of nappies, asking: "Is this a weapon?" Another resident, Maha Abu Rizq, against a backdrop of destruction, said: They came here thinking it was a safe area and they were killed... What did they do? AFP footage from nearby Khan Yunis city showed infants covered in blood being rushed into Nasser Hospital. One man carrying a child whose face was smeared with blood screamed: "Children, children!" Some appeared terrified while others lay still on hospital beds in bloodied bandages and clothes as medics treated them. Further north, Bassal said four people from the same family were killed in a pre-dawn Israeli air strike on a house in Gaza City, and another five in a drone strike on a house in the central Deir el-Balah area. Bassal later reported seven killed in a strike in Gaza City, five more killed by Israeli army fire near an aid distribution site close to the southern city of Rafah, and a further death following Israeli fire near an aid site in the centre of the territory. They are the latest in a string of deadly incidents that have hit people waiting for food. Bassal said a further four people were killed in an air strike on a tent for displaced people southwest of Gaza City and two in an air strike on a school housing displaced people in Gaza City's Zeitun neighbourhood. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it "is operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities" in line with "international law, and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm". On Tuesday, the military said that in recent days its forces had expanded operations across Gaza. Ceasefire push After months of stalled mediation efforts to bring an end to the war, Trump said on social media on Tuesday that a new ceasefire push has Israel's support. "Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalise the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War," Trump said. He added that Qatari and Egyptian mediators, who have been in direct contact with Hamas throughout the war, would deliver "this final proposal". I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better - IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE. Trump is due to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House next week. Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamas' 7 October 2023 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1 219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 57 012 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers its figures reliable.
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
IDF securing GHF sites critical for stifling Hamas control of population in Gaza
This comes amid fierce allegations and footage of live bullets shot at Palestinians at the GHF sites, which the UN has called a humanitarian catastrophe, where hundreds have been reportedly killed. TheIDF's operations in southern Gaza to secure the food distribution sites run by the American-run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation are to break the grip of Hamas on the local population, and to provide Palestinians with an opportunity to eat from another hand that isn't the terrorist group, the IDF said on Monday. This comes amid fierce allegations and footage of live bullets shot at Palestinians at theGHF sites, which the United Nations has called a humanitarian catastrophe, where hundreds have reportedly been killed. Haaretz on Sunday quoted unnamed IDF soldiers who said they were told to fire at crowds to keep them back. The IDF said it does not intentionally shoot at civilians; rather, it is only focused on maintaining order in a chaotic situation, while a GHF spokesperson said there have been no deaths at or near any of the GHF aid distribution sites. The IDF did note one case where bullets were shot into a crowd, and 30 people were injured, but the military maintained that it knows which bullets are its own, it investigates each case, and that the numbers coming out of Gaza are littered with Hamas's influence, are unreliable, and get bolstered by international organizations, which have representatives on the ground. Reports have swarmed regarding the fate of the food once it enters the enclave. Israel and the United States have accused Hamas of stealing aid from the UN-led operations, and there have been reports of armed clans getting there first; the military said that from what it has seen, these gangs get to the food before Hamas can. The IDF said that Hamas has killed some in the groups coming to get food, shot at others, and threw them down the stairs of Nasser Hospital inKhan Yunis, with instructions to withhold care from them. One of the issues facing the Israeli forces on the ground is that there is no comprehensive way to vet the people showing up, and the chaos can induce fear among the soldiers. The IDF tries to maintain order by giving instructions about when and when not to arrive at the sites, but the chaos reigns, and the work is not done. Should a ceasefire be signed in the next few weeks, the IDF would be prepared to continue humanitarian aid. As part of this operational effort, the IDF has recently taken several measures to reorganize access routes and improve the functionality of aid distribution centers. These actions include erecting fences, installing directional and warning signs, and opening additional access routes. The IDF has also set up barriers and checkpoints to regulate vehicle movement and modified the layout of the centers to allow for external observation of remaining aid packages at the end of each day. These adjustments are designed to ensure the smooth passage of Gazan civilians, facilitate the orderly distribution of aid, and maintain the continuity of the IDF's security operations in the area. The IDF reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the humanitarian effort while ensuring the safety and security of all those involved.
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Turkey arrests 4 satirical magazine staff for inciting ‘public hatred' with cartoon
ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish authorities on Wednesday arrested four staff members of a satirical magazine on charges of inciting 'public hatred and enmity' over a controversial cartoon that officials claim depicts the Prophet Muhammad, Turkish state television reported. The cartoon, published in the weekly LeMan magazine, sparked a backlash from government officials and religious groups, culminating in protests outside the magazine's Istanbul offices. Authorities claim that the cartoon violates laws against provoking hostility and social divisions. The magazine denies the allegations. In a statement, LeMan said the illustration portrays a Muslim named Muhammad, not the Prophet, and was intended to highlight the suffering of Muslims during armed conflict. On Wednesday, a court in Istanbul ordered four staff — LeMan's cartoonist Dogan Pehlevan, Editor-in-Chief Zafer Aknar, graphic designer Cebrail Okcu, and manager Ali Yavuz — be detained in custody pending a trial, TRT television reported. Authorities have also issued warrants for two editors believed to be abroad, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Footage released by the Interior Ministry earlier this week showed some of the detainees, including Pehlevan and Yavuz, being forcibly taken from their homes with their hands cuffed behind their backs. The pro-government Yeni Safak newspaper said the cartoon showed 'two figures alleged to be Prophet Muhammad and Prophet Moses — with wings and halos — shaking hands in the sky, while a war scene unfolds below with bombs raining down.' The independent Birgun newspaper said the winged figures hovering in the sky were interpreted by some as Prophets Muhammad and Moses. LeMan has apologized to readers for any offence caused by the cartoon, but maintains that the drawing was misinterpreted. It has also asked judicial authorities to defend freedom of expression and shield its staff from ongoing threats. The cartoon triggered protests outside the magazine's Istanbul office, with demonstrators — reportedly from an Islamist organization -- throwing rocks at the building. Tensions flared again Tuesday, with dozens staging a demonstration following noon prayers at a mosque in central Istanbul. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called the cartoon a 'clear provocation disguised as humor' and vowed that 'those who insult the Prophet and other messengers will be held accountable before the law.' Ozgur Ozel, the leader of Turkey's main opposition, however, expressed support to the magazine, stating that he does not consider the cartoon to be depicting the prophet. 'I see an angel who died in a bombardment in Gaza, with a halo and wings, who encounters another angel also killed by a bomb. They meet each other in the sky,' he said. Ozel added: 'I will not allow any disrespect to the Prophet Muhammad, but I won't remain silent toward a social lynching based on a non-existent disrespect.' The incident has reignited debate about press freedom in Turkey, which ranks 159th out of 180 countries in the 2025 Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index. Critics argue that laws intended to curb hate speech are increasingly being used to silence dissenting voices. __ Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey.
