Hamas says it shot dead 12 fighters of Israel-backed Gazan militia
©Associated Press
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A unit of Gaza's Hamas-run police force says it has killed 12 members of an Israeli-backed Palestinian militia after detaining them, but an Israel-supported aid group said the dead were its workers.
It was not immediately possible to verify the competing claims or confirm the identities of those killed.
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The Irish Sun
33 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Dad who endured 484 days in Hamas hands reveals horror sight of captors torturing woman with pole will haunt him forever
A GRANDAD tortured and abused by Hamas terrorists while held hostage for 484 days has told of the one thing that will haunt him forever. Keith Siegel and his wife Aviva were brutally kidnapped from kibbutz Kfar Aza near the Gaza border on October 7, 2023. 6 Keith Siegel was held hostage for 484 days Credit: keith & aviva siegel 6 The moment Keith was reunited with his family, including wife Aviva, centre Credit: keith & aviva siegel 6 Aviva Siegel said she cannot get her life back on track until the remaining hostages are freed Credit: AFP Between 10 and 15 vicious, armed Hamas terrorists broke into their home, dragging them out of their safe room at gunpoint. Both were injured as the brutes forced the couple to take them to their car, which they used to drive the terrified pair across the border. Keith and Aviva, who have been married for more than 40 years and share four children, were then pushed into an extremely cramped tunnel for three days. Before Aviva's release 51 days later, they were moved 13 times, while Keith was relocated 33 times before he was freed earlier this year. More on Israel Speaking of her harrowing experience in captivity, Aviva said: "Most of the time, I just wanted to die. "It was too much for me, a human being, going through what I went through and to see what the Hamas terrorists did to Keith and the girls [other hostages]". American-Israeli Keith, 65, spent a shocking 484 days in captivity before he was finally released on February 1. At the Israeli Embassy in London yesterday, brave Keith recounted his agonising experience. Most read in The Sun "I was held for 484 days, out of which six months I was alone," he said. "I was locked up in a room by myself. I was disconnected totally from any media and I had no idea what was going on a lot of the time. Moment last known living US hostage kidnapped on Oct 7 is reunited with his family after finally being released by Hamas "Terrorists kicked me, spat on me and cursed me for no reason. "I was threatened with death several times. I had guns pointed at me, rifles and pistols. And they threatened to kill me. "I said nothing. I was instructed to lie down on the floor on my back, and that's what I did." But despite his horrifying ordeal at the hands of merciless Hamas terrorists, the dad said it was their treatment of a female hostage that disturbs him the most. Keith added: " I witnessed a woman being tortured. And when I say torture, I say it in a literal sense. "This woman, they had tied her hands together at her wrists. They had tied her feet together at her ankles. "They had covered her face with tape. They had put her down on her back on the floor. "They called me to come into this room where the woman was lying, and there were three terrorists in the room. "Two of them were taking turns beating her with a rod. And the third one was holding a metal rod with a sharp pointed end, which he put on her forehead. 6 The couple were abducted from their home in kibbutz Kfar Aza Credit: keith & aviva siegel 6 Keith and Aviva in happier times Credit: keith & aviva siegel 6 The couple share four children and five grandchildren Credit: keith & aviva siegel "He was standing behind this woman, holding the rod and applying pressure to her forehead with the sharp end. "It haunts me to this day." Aviva, meanwhile, detailed the heartbreaking toll her time in captivity continues to take on her life - which she says she can't get back on track until the final hostages are freed. The mum said: "One time, the Hamas terrorists took us underneath the ground and I was sure I was going to die. "Keith looked at me and said 'I don't have any air'. We were left there to die. "They didn't care about us. Everything was taken away from us. "There wasn't a minute that I could say to myself okay, relax. I ahd the feeling they were going to kill me all the time or they were going to kill Keith. "I was worried about him all the time. "I was starving all the time. I had to beg for water. Still today, I need water next to me all the time. "I cannot lock myself in a bathroom because I am scared after I was locked in rooms there and taken underground." It comes as 50 hostages dragged into Gaza on October 7 remain trapped. Israel believes at least 27 are dead. What happened on October 7? ON October 7 2023, militants of Hamas and other Palestinian nationalist groups launched co-ordinated armed attacks in the Gaza Envelope of southern Israel. The perpetrators had managed to bypass Israeli defences to para-glide across the border, in what became the first invasion of the territory since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The horror coincided with the Jewish celebration of Simchat Torah, and initiated the ongoing Israel-Hamas War. A barrage of around 4,300 rockets were launched on Israel from the Gaza Strip in the early hours of October 7 before vehicles and powered paragliders crossed the border. The Hamas fighters attacked military bases and massacred civilians in 21 communities, including Be'eri, Kfar Aza, Nir Oz, Netiv Haasara, and Alumim. The first civilian attack started at 6.29am at the Nova Music Festival site at Re'im, just three miles from Gaza. More than 360 revellers were cut down as they desperately tried to flee. Across October 7, an estimated 1,139 people were massacred and another 250 civilians and soldiers were taken hostage into Gaza. Aviva and Keith, who are grieving the deaths of 64 people from their kibbutz killed during the atrocity, continue to battle for their freedom - travelling the world to campaign and share their testimonies. "We haven't come back to life because we worry about the hostages that are still there," Aviva said. "We know what they're going through. "We come from a community that are peacemakers and we've always been like that. "We know of so many hostages... treated like they're not human beings. "And we are here as witnesses to tell the world that if we leave the situation to be like that and the hostages there, that means anybody in the world can do whatever they want to. "They can rape. They can burn. They can starve. They can do whatever they want to. "This war needs to stop and the world needs to stand for humanity. "I can't go back to my life. All I do is think about all these hostages that are innocent, that just need to come home." It comes as Donald Trump continues to push for a peace deal between Israel and Hamas - including the release of the hostages. US Envoy for Hostages Adam Boehler this week argued a deal to free the final captives is "closer than it's ever been".
The Journal
3 hours ago
- The Journal
UK police conclude review of Kneecap's Glastonbury set and are taking no further action
POLICE IN ENGLAND have concluded their review of footage and audio recordings from Belfast rap trio Kneecap's gig at Glastonbury last month and have decided not to take any further action. The conclusion of the review and the end of the investigation was confirmed by Avon and Somerset Police and the band this afternoon. Shortly after Kneecap packed out the West Holts stage at the music festival at the end of June, a spokesperson for the police agency confirmed that it had launched a review of the concert. Posting online today , the Belfast band expressed confidence. It claimed that everyone who 'saw our set knew no law was broken' and accused the investigation of being politically-charged, 'targeted' and a form of 'state intimidation'. Avon and Somerset Police said detectives, following advice from public prosecutors, have decided to take no further action 'on the grounds there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence'. One element of the political policing intimidation attempt is over. We played a historic set at Glastonbury. Whole area closed an hour before due to crowds. A celebration of love and solidarity. A sea of good people at the world's most famous festival. Shortly afterwards we… — KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) July 18, 2025 Kneecap, as well as fellow rap group Bob Vylan, expressed pro-Palestine and anti-Israeli military sentiments on stage at the music festival this year. Both groups were criticised for their vocal condemnation of Israel's actions in Gaza. Throughout the gig, the band made a number of statements regarding the British media's critical coverage of their stance on the war in Gaza and Israel. The criticism came after one band member Mo Chara, real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, appeared before a judge in London and charged under the Terrorism Act for allegedly displaying a flag of militant group Hezbollah at a gig of theirs last year. Kneecap also used their platform at Glastonbury to respond to political leaders, including the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, for condemning them in the press and calling for them to be removed from the event. London's Met Police last month announced it would not to prosecute the band after conducting a review following complaints made against the band's statements during a gig in November 2023 . Ó hAnnaidh is due to appear before a judge again in August . His defence team signalled that they will be contesting the charges , and the band has said the accusations are politically-motivated. During the set before Kneecap, Bob Vylan frontman, Bobby Vylan, led a chant calling for 'death to the IDF' (Israel Defence Forces). It caused uproar among politicians, who called on the BBC to investigate and review its broadcasting standards . The BBC refused to broadcast Kneecap's set live, and chose to instead upload the concert to its in-house on-demand service at a later time . It later explained that it had come to this decision following a risk assessment, which it said it carries out for every live event. Earlier this month, the British broadcaster announced it would no longer show events it deemed as 'high risk' live, following the backlash it received for transmitting Vylan's on-stage remarks, which the BBC said it should have 'pulled' off-air. Advertisement Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Sunday World
a day ago
- Sunday World
French town drops music festival funding over Kneecap booking
The Irish rap trio's presence on the line-up has seen funding cut by the local authorities. Kneecap have been extremely vocal about the Israel-Gaza conflict The booking of Kneecap for the Rock-en-Seine music festival has led to the local municipal authority withdrawing their funding for the event. The annual festival takes place between August 21 and August 24 in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Cloud, located to the west of the French capital. Their presence on the line-up has resulted in the Saint-Cloud city hall confirming that they have dropped their €40,000 subsidy that had been ear-marked for the event organisers. In a statement released on Wednesday, the authorities confirmed that the figure had been agreed but the decision was made to cut their funding following the final line-up of the festival being confirmed earlier this month. The local authority said it respected the festival's programming freedom and did not 'enter into any negotiations with a view to influencing the programming'. Kneecap have been extremely vocal about the Israel-Gaza conflict Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 17th The statement added: 'On the other hand it does not finance political action, nor demands, and even less calls to violence, such as calls to kill lawmakers, whatever their nationality.' The Belfast trio have seen a number of their recent gigs cancelled following backlash over the group's comments about Israel's destruction of Gaza. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was among those to criticise the rappers' appearance at Glastonbury late last month. A criminal investigation was launched by British police following Kneecap's performance at the English festival, with local police stating there is 'no place in society for hate'. The group led the packed crowed in chants of 'f**k Keir Starmer' with the BBC opting not to live stream the performance. Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was previously charged with a terrorism offence for allegedly displaying the flag of Hezbollah at a gig in London last November. The rapper, who performs under the name Mo Chara, appeared before a court in London over the charge, which he denies. The Kneecap star could make legal history if he opts to use an Irish language interpreter at his next appearance before the British court in August. Ó hAnnaidh has indicated he'll ask for a translator at his next court appearance, and Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) director Daniel Holder says it could make legal history. Irish is recognised in UK law as a minority language, and the rapper could argue he wants to use Irish as his right to freedom of expression without discrimination. 'If you have a case where someone is charged with a criminal offence and they do not understand English it is part of their right to a fair trial that they have an interpreter,' the legal expert recently told Sunday World.
