Hamas is the ‘most evil' organisation on the planet
Mr Kelly told Sky News Australia that it is an evil terror group which 'must be confronted'.
'Until we see them lay down their arms and hostages released, we shouldn't be talking about recognising a Palestinian state in this moment in this context,' he said.
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ABC News
3 hours ago
- ABC News
At least 58 killed in Gaza seeking aid, US envoy Steve Witkoff arrives in Israel for talks
US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has arrived in Israel to discuss ways to end the crisis in Gaza. The visit comes amid growing international pressure on Israel and after 58 people, gathered around aid trucks, were killed by Israeli fire. Mr Witkoff met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to talk humanitarian aid and the "next steps" on Gaza. He may also visit a US-backed humanitarian group distributing food in Gaza, according to Israeli reports. This week, UN aid agencies warned that deaths from starvation had begun. Mr Witkoff has been the top US representative in indirect ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, but the discussions broke down last week when Israel and the US recalled their delegations from Doha. Israel is under mounting international pressure to agree to a ceasefire and allow the entry of food aid. Canada and Portugal are the latest in a string of countries to announce plans to recognise a Palestinian state. Mr Trump criticised Canada's decision and, in a post on his Truth Social network, placed the blame for the ongoing conflict squarely on Hamas. "The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!!" he declared. In an incident Wednesday night, Gaza's civil defence agency said gunfire killed at least 58 people in a crowd gathered around a humanitarian aid convoy in the north of the territory. According to an AFP correspondent and witnesses, the trucks had entered Gaza through the Israeli military checkpoint at Zikim, on their way to World Central Kitchen and the World Food Programme warehouses in Gaza City. Thousands of people rushed to stop the trucks before they continued to the warehouses, and shooting erupted. The Israeli military confirmed having fired "warning shots" as Gazans gathered around aid trucks, but said it did not know of casualties in the incident. An AFP correspondent saw the bullet-riddled corpses of Palestinians in Gaza's al-Shifa hospital. Jameel Ashour, who lost a relative in the shooting, told AFP at the overflowing morgue that Israeli troops had opened fire after a crowd surged towards the convoy. "When people saw thieves stealing and dropping food, the hungry crowd rushed in hopes of getting some," he said. Separately, the Hamas-led Gaza government's health ministry issued a statement Thursday begging Palestinians not to loot a new aid convoy, warning that it contained no food but instead medical supplies for the territory's hard-pressed hospitals. Another 32 people were reported killed by the civil defence on Thursday in Israeli attacks across Gaza. Mr Trump has been Israel's staunchest international defender at a time when concerns about the campaign in Gaza have left Mr Netanyahu increasingly isolated on the world stage, but the two leaders have occasionally found themselves at odds of late. Earlier this week, Mr Trump promised to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza, warning that the territory faces "real starvation" — directly contradicting Mr Netanyahu's insistence that reports of hunger were exaggerated. UN-backed experts, meanwhile, have reported "famine is now unfolding" in Gaza, with news images of sick and emaciated children drawing outrage and powers like France, the UK and now Canada lining up to support Palestinian statehood. Israel has also been under pressure to resolve the crisis from other traditional supporters. Germany's top diplomat Johann Wadephul was expected in Jerusalem on Thursday for talks with Mr Netanyahu and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. In Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney warned that the worsening suffering of civilians in Gaza left "no room for delay in coordinated international action to support peace". Israel blasted Canada's announcement as part of a "distorted campaign of international pressure", while Mr Trump warned that trade negotiations with Ottawa could be hurt by what Washington regards as a premature bid to back Palestine. The fighting in Gaza has lasted for almost 22 months, triggered by Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which left 1,219 people dead, according to a tally based on official figures. Of the 251 Israelis kidnapped that day, 49 are still held in Gaza, 27 of them declared dead by the Israeli military. The Israeli campaign has since killed 60,249 Palestinians, according to a tally from the Hamas government's health ministry. AFP has not been able to verify the death toll due to media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing many areas. AFP
7NEWS
3 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Trump ramps up trade war with Canada over Palestine as deadline looms
US President Donald Trump intensified his trade war with Canada a day before his August 1 deadline for a tariff agreement, saying it will be 'very hard' to make a deal with Canada after it gave its support to Palestinian statehood. Trump is set to impose a 35 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods not covered by the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement if the two countries do not reach an agreement by the deadline. 'Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them,' Trump said on Truth Social. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney previously said tariff negotiations with Washington had been constructive, but the talks may not conclude by the deadline. Talks between the two countries were at an intense phase, he added, but a deal that would remove all US tariffs was unlikely. Meanwhile, the global tariff regime is facing a crucial court challenge. From 2am Friday (AEST), eleven judges in Washington DC will hear arguments from the Trump administration and two small businesses who say that many of his import duties are illegal. The businesses sued the president over his enacting the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977. All of the White House's tariffs on major trading partners have been enacted under that law. Canada is the second-largest US trading partner after Mexico, and the largest buyer of US exports. It bought $US350 billion ($540b) of US goods last year and exported $US413b to the US, according to US Census Bureau data. Canada is also the top supplier of steel and aluminium to the United States, and faces tariffs on both metals as well as on vehicle exports. In June, Carney's government scrapped a planned digital services tax targeting US technology firms after Trump abruptly called off trade talks saying the tax was a 'blatant attack'. Carney followed France and Britain as he said on Wednesday that his country was planning to recognise the State of Palestine at a meeting of the United Nations in September. In announcing the decision, Carney spoke of the reality on the ground, including starvation in Gaza. 'Canada condemns the fact that the Israeli government has allowed a catastrophe to unfold in Gaza,' he said. Israel and the United States, Israel's closest ally, both rejected Carney's comments.
Sky News AU
4 hours ago
- Sky News AU
'Shameful and has to stop': French Foreign Minister condemns US, Israel-backed Gazan aid body as Trump envoy meets Benjamin Netanyahu
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has branded the United States and Israel-backed aid distribution system in Gaza shameful, just hours before Trump administration envoy Steve Witkoff met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks over the growing humanitarian crisis. International outcry over the mass starvation in Gaza has grown in recent weeks, with European leaders joining United Nations and international aid groups in calling for a greater supply of food and water into the embattled region. Even US President Donald Trump, who has largely sided with Israeli narratives about conditions in the strip, told press in Scotland earlier this week there was "real starvation" in Gaza and suggested his administration would step up relief efforts. However, speaking to media on Thursday, local time, Mr Barrot called out the US' most likely method of providing aid, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation jointly founded with Israel, claiming it had resulted in the death of civilians. "I want to call for the cessation of the activities of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the militarised distribution of humanitarian aid that has generated a bloodbath in distribution lines in Gaza, which is a scandal, which is shameful, and has to stop," he said. The GHF, which distributes aid with support from the Israel Defence Force and armed private security contractors, has come under scrutiny after widespread reports of chaos in distribution lines and the killings of Gazans clamouring for food. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry claimed on Thursday, local time, 111 people had been killed and 820 injured while queuing for aid in the past 24 hours. While the organisation does not differentiate between civilian and militant casualties, multiple verified reports of soldiers firing at those seeking aid have still prompted outcry from world leaders and humanitarian groups. Mr Witkoff is expected to visit and aid distribution site as part of his visit to Israel. Publicly, Israel has attempted to dismiss criticism of aid distribution within Gaza, with Mr Netanyahu even going as far as claiming there was no starvation among the millions living in the strip. President Trump also remains supportive of Israel's aim of completely eliminating Hamas from the region, posting: "The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!!" to his Truth Social platform on Thursday. Privately, however, Israel may face pressure from Mr Witkoff to make progress in ceasefire negotiations, which have largely stalled in recent months. Recent declarations from France, the United Kingdom and Canada they would acknowledge a Palestinian state should talks continue to falter could complicate US-led proposals for peace, with critics of the move arguing recognition would also embolden Hamas. However, a recent decision from the US could also complicate ceasefire efforts, with the State Department on Thursday moving to impose sanctions on Palestinian Authority officials and members of the Palestine Liberation Organization. The Palestinian Authority exercises limited control over the Israel-occupied West Bank and is generally regarded as the strongest contender to form government in a fully-realised Palestinian state. Despite this, US officials have been critical of the body, arguing it has done little to combat Hamas and prevent Iran from exerting influence over Gaza. "It is in our national security interests to impose consequences and hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments and undermining the prospects for peace," the State Department said.
