Targeting the last lifeline': Israel strikes Red Crescent compound
Three separate strikes all but destroyed the Red Crescent buildings, killed one worker, and wounded two others. The strikes triggered a widespread fire in the compound. A civilian who was helping extinguish the fire was wounded as well when Israeli forces struck again, for the third time. "The repeated strikes during evacuation and rescue operations clearly demonstrate that the shelling was deliberate and systematic," the PRCS statement said.
"Despite being clearly marked with the internationally recognized Red Crescent emblem, the building was deliberately tageted by Israeli forces," the statement reaffirmed.
The society not only blamed the Israeli military for the attack, but the world for its silence over what is going on in Gaza.
"PRCS holds the international community fully responsible for its continued silence in the face of ongoing violations targeting its personnel, facilitirs, and ambulances, despite the emblem's clear proitection under law," the PRCS statement said.
The Red Crescent worker killed on Saturday night, named as Omar Isleem, was the 51st staff member or volunteer killed since the Israeli attacks began on 7 October 2023, following the Hamas-led attacks in Israel on that day.
The International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) condemned the attack on its Red Crescent headquarters. "I am outraged and devastated by the horrific news from Gaza," IFRC President Kate Forbes said Sunday in a statement.
IFRC Secretary General, Jagan Chapagain, said: "I am horrified and appalled by news of this attack. I cannot stress enough that humanitarian workers and facilities must be protected. It's a moral and legal imperative."
For almost two years, the PRCS has been providing ambulance services and critical healthcare under relentless and extremely dangerous conditions in Gaza, caring for the many wounded amidst continuous hostilities. With the healthcare system on the brink of collapse and medical resources nearly depleted, PRCS teams remain a lifeline for civilians in desperate need of life-saving support. Any attack on their facilities or personnel is an attack on humanitarian assistance itself, the IFRC statement said.
This incident is a stark reminder of the dire and unacceptable conditions facing humanitarian workers and civilians in Gaza, the statement added.
Saturday night's attack coincides with intensified Israeli operations in Gaza and follows the UN's warning of "full-blown famine" in the enclave. Human rights groups accuse Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war—a charge Israel denies.
Historical Parallel: "Cast Thy Bread" and the Policy of Starvation
The current humanitarian crisis in Gaza has drawn comparisons to lesser-documented atrocities during the 1948 Nakba, including Operation Cast Thy Bread. Declassified Israeli archives reveal that biological warfare units poisoned water wells in Palestinian villages and bread supplies in Gaza, sickening thousands to force mass displacement. Historians like Benny Morris (The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem) and research by Haaretz (2013) confirm these acts, though they remain excluded from mainstream Israeli narratives.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Montreal Gazette
7 hours ago
- Montreal Gazette
Letters: Thanks for the good-news story; Insp. Gamache would approve
Thank you for your refreshing article on Louise Penny's Café Three Pines. It is a welcome diversion for readers from the usual mean-spirited, misleading and discriminatory rhetoric of certain politicians and their enablers north and south of the border. As Inspector Armand Gamache would say: Goodness exists, light will banish the shadows and kindness is more powerful that cruelty. Brian Burke, Montreal West Parade no place for foreign flags Re: ' Jewish LGBTQ2+ group excluded from Pride parade ' (The Gazette, Aug. 1) If the presence of the Israeli flag at Montreal's Pride parade would be 'unacceptable,' as claimed by singer-songwriter Safia Nolin, then perhaps all national flags should be banned from the parade except those of Canada and Quebec. Many nations are guilty of injustices against their own citizens or their neighbours, and banning all foreign flags would achieve neutrality. Bruce Couchman, Toronto A wealth tax could backfire Raphaël Melançon notes that one of Transition Montréal's 'main promises is to further tax the city's so-called 'ultra-wealthy' — those who own a single-family home or luxury condo worth more than $3.5 million. Craig Sauvé, the leader of the new municipal party, 'wants to use the resulting revenue to fund homelessness initiatives, saying it could double the current funding for such programs,' Melançon writes. While a wealth tax would appeal to some citizens, I expect it would probably raise only a pittance. Net result: Such a tax might backfire because rich people can simply sell and move to cities that provide better services at lower tax rates. Gary Bernstein, N.D.G. Invest in students, not legal battles Re: 'English boards will fight for education funding ' (The Gazette, July 29) and ' Province pledges $540M for student services ' (The Gazette, July 18) Condescending remarks aimed at Education Minister Bernard Drainville and threats of a lawsuit spearheaded by the Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA) are not particularly helpful in addressing the current education funding issue, in my view. In contrast, consider the joint announcement issued by the presidents of the Fédération des comités de parents du Québec (FCPQ, Mélanie Laviolette) and the English Parents' Committee Association (EPCA, Katherine Korakakis), which expressed relief when the province decided to allocate 'up to' $540 million for student services. They took a positive outlook, noting that the changes are 'less dire than expected.' I believe QESBA should reassess its approach and adopt the parents' constructive response, which reflects a shared hope for ongoing collaboration in the education sector. Moreover, by investing education tax dollars in classrooms instead of expensive court battles, we can genuinely improve the quality of education and build a brighter future for our students. Chris Eustace, Pierrefonds Submitting a letter to the editor Letters should be sent by email to letters@ We prioritize letters that respond to, or are inspired by, articles published by The Gazette. If you are responding to a specific article, let us know which one. Letters should be sent uniquely to us. The shorter they are — ideally, fewer than 200 words — the greater the chance of publication. Timing, clarity, factual accuracy and tone are all important, as is whether the writer has something new to add to the conversation. We reserve the right to edit and condense all letters. Care is taken to preserve the core of the writer's argument. Our policy is not to publish anonymous letters, those with pseudonyms or 'open letters' addressed to third parties. Letters are published with the author's full name and city or neighbourhood/borough of residence. Include a phone number and address to help verify identity; these will not be published. We will not indicate to you whether your letter will be published. If it has not been published within 10 days or so, it is not likely to be.
Winnipeg Free Press
7 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
France and Saudis vow to keep up momentum for ‘two-state solution' to Israel-Palestinian conflict
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — After decades of inaction and frozen negotiations, the issue of an independent Palestinian state living in peace with Israel returned to the spotlight at a high-level U.N. conference — and France and Saudi Arabia, which spearheaded the effort, are determined to keep up the momentum. But hurdles for a two-state solution that would see Israel living side-by-side with an independent Palestine are very high. War in Gaza — a crucial part of a hoped-for Palestinian state — drags on with escalating violence in the West Bank, the other main component. And Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing government vehemently oppose an independent Palestinian state, which the Israeli leader says would be a reward for terrorism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attacks against his country. 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.'
Toronto Star
8 hours ago
- Toronto Star
A father's agony over video of his emaciated son, a hostage in Gaza, adds pressure for a ceasefire
JERUSALEM (AP) — Ofir Braslavski watched as his emaciated son, Rom, writhed in anguish on a dirty mattress somewhere inside the Gaza Strip, in video footage released by Palestinian militants in recent days showing the agony of Israeli hostages. 'You see your child dying before your eyes, and you can't do anything,' he told The Associated Press on Monday from his home. 'It drives you crazy, it's unbearable.'
