Dozens more killed awaiting aid in Gaza
Israeli tank shellfire killed at least 51 Palestinians as they awaited aid trucks in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, the territory's health ministry said, adding that dozens of others were wounded.
And the World Health Organization (WHO) said it had received reports of further 20 also killed while waiting for food supplies.
Earlier on Tuesday, medics said residents had seen Israeli tanks firing shells at crowds of desperate Palestinians awaiting aid trucks along the main eastern road in Khan Younis.
They said at least 51 people were killed and 200 wounded, with at least 20 of them in critical condition.
Witnesses said Israeli tanks fired at least two shells at thousands of people awaiting aid trucks. Nasser Hospital wards were crowded with casualties, and medical staff had to place some on the ground and in corridors due to the lack of space.
Later, a WHO trauma surgeon and emergency officer Thanos Gargavanis said there were reports of a second mass casualty: "This is again the result of another food distribution initiative."
Israel's military has made no immediate comment on the incident, the latest in nearly daily mass deaths of Palestinians who were seeking aid in past weeks, including near sites operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
"There's a constant correlation with the positions of the four announced food distribution sites and the mass casualty incidents," Gargavanis said, saying the trauma injuries in recent days were mostly from gunshot wounds.
Local health officials said at least 23 people were killed by Israeli gunfire on Monday as they approached a GHF aid distribution site in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
The GHF stated in a press release late on Monday that it had distributed more than three million meals at its four distribution sites without incident.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military about Monday's reports of shootings. In previous incidents, it has occasionally acknowledged troops opening fire near aid sites, while blaming militants for provoking the violence.
Israel has put responsibility for distributing much of the aid it allows into Gaza into the hands of the GHF, which operates sites in areas guarded by Israeli troops.
The United Nations has rejected the plan, saying GHF distribution is inadequate, dangerous and violates humanitarian impartiality principles.
The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered in October 2023, when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli allies.
U.S. ally Israel's subsequent military assault on Gaza has killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, while internally displacing nearly Gaza's entire population and causing a hunger crisis.
Half a million people in the Gaza Strip face starvation, a global hunger monitor said last month.
The escalation is taking place as Palestinians in the Gaza Strip watch the exchange of attacks between Israel and Iran, which began with Israel launching major strikes on Friday.
Residents of the Gaza Strip have circulated images of wrecked buildings and charred vehicles hit by Iranian missiles in Israeli cities, and some were hopeful the wider conflict could eventually bring peace to their ruined homeland.
"We live these scenes and pain daily. We are very happy that we saw the day when we saw rubble in Tel Aviv, and they are trying to get out from under the rubble and the houses that were destroyed on top of their residents," said Gaza man Saad Saad.
Others said Iran's response was greater than many, including Israel, had expected.
"We saw how Iran ... lost patience and the time has come for Iran to teach the Israeli occupation state a lesson," said another Gaza man, Taysseir Mohaissan.
With Israel saying its operation could last weeks, fears have grown of a regional war dragging in outside powers.
Israeli tank shellfire killed at least 51 Palestinians as they awaited aid trucks in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, the territory's health ministry said, adding that dozens of others were wounded.
And the World Health Organization (WHO) said it had received reports of further 20 also killed while waiting for food supplies.
Earlier on Tuesday, medics said residents had seen Israeli tanks firing shells at crowds of desperate Palestinians awaiting aid trucks along the main eastern road in Khan Younis.
They said at least 51 people were killed and 200 wounded, with at least 20 of them in critical condition.
Witnesses said Israeli tanks fired at least two shells at thousands of people awaiting aid trucks. Nasser Hospital wards were crowded with casualties, and medical staff had to place some on the ground and in corridors due to the lack of space.
Later, a WHO trauma surgeon and emergency officer Thanos Gargavanis said there were reports of a second mass casualty: "This is again the result of another food distribution initiative."
Israel's military has made no immediate comment on the incident, the latest in nearly daily mass deaths of Palestinians who were seeking aid in past weeks, including near sites operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
"There's a constant correlation with the positions of the four announced food distribution sites and the mass casualty incidents," Gargavanis said, saying the trauma injuries in recent days were mostly from gunshot wounds.
Local health officials said at least 23 people were killed by Israeli gunfire on Monday as they approached a GHF aid distribution site in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
The GHF stated in a press release late on Monday that it had distributed more than three million meals at its four distribution sites without incident.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military about Monday's reports of shootings. In previous incidents, it has occasionally acknowledged troops opening fire near aid sites, while blaming militants for provoking the violence.
Israel has put responsibility for distributing much of the aid it allows into Gaza into the hands of the GHF, which operates sites in areas guarded by Israeli troops.
The United Nations has rejected the plan, saying GHF distribution is inadequate, dangerous and violates humanitarian impartiality principles.
The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered in October 2023, when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli allies.
U.S. ally Israel's subsequent military assault on Gaza has killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, while internally displacing nearly Gaza's entire population and causing a hunger crisis.
Half a million people in the Gaza Strip face starvation, a global hunger monitor said last month.
The escalation is taking place as Palestinians in the Gaza Strip watch the exchange of attacks between Israel and Iran, which began with Israel launching major strikes on Friday.
Residents of the Gaza Strip have circulated images of wrecked buildings and charred vehicles hit by Iranian missiles in Israeli cities, and some were hopeful the wider conflict could eventually bring peace to their ruined homeland.
"We live these scenes and pain daily. We are very happy that we saw the day when we saw rubble in Tel Aviv, and they are trying to get out from under the rubble and the houses that were destroyed on top of their residents," said Gaza man Saad Saad.
Others said Iran's response was greater than many, including Israel, had expected.
"We saw how Iran ... lost patience and the time has come for Iran to teach the Israeli occupation state a lesson," said another Gaza man, Taysseir Mohaissan.
With Israel saying its operation could last weeks, fears have grown of a regional war dragging in outside powers.
Israeli tank shellfire killed at least 51 Palestinians as they awaited aid trucks in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, the territory's health ministry said, adding that dozens of others were wounded.
And the World Health Organization (WHO) said it had received reports of further 20 also killed while waiting for food supplies.
Earlier on Tuesday, medics said residents had seen Israeli tanks firing shells at crowds of desperate Palestinians awaiting aid trucks along the main eastern road in Khan Younis.
They said at least 51 people were killed and 200 wounded, with at least 20 of them in critical condition.
Witnesses said Israeli tanks fired at least two shells at thousands of people awaiting aid trucks. Nasser Hospital wards were crowded with casualties, and medical staff had to place some on the ground and in corridors due to the lack of space.
Later, a WHO trauma surgeon and emergency officer Thanos Gargavanis said there were reports of a second mass casualty: "This is again the result of another food distribution initiative."
Israel's military has made no immediate comment on the incident, the latest in nearly daily mass deaths of Palestinians who were seeking aid in past weeks, including near sites operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
"There's a constant correlation with the positions of the four announced food distribution sites and the mass casualty incidents," Gargavanis said, saying the trauma injuries in recent days were mostly from gunshot wounds.
Local health officials said at least 23 people were killed by Israeli gunfire on Monday as they approached a GHF aid distribution site in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
The GHF stated in a press release late on Monday that it had distributed more than three million meals at its four distribution sites without incident.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military about Monday's reports of shootings. In previous incidents, it has occasionally acknowledged troops opening fire near aid sites, while blaming militants for provoking the violence.
Israel has put responsibility for distributing much of the aid it allows into Gaza into the hands of the GHF, which operates sites in areas guarded by Israeli troops.
The United Nations has rejected the plan, saying GHF distribution is inadequate, dangerous and violates humanitarian impartiality principles.
The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered in October 2023, when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli allies.
U.S. ally Israel's subsequent military assault on Gaza has killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, while internally displacing nearly Gaza's entire population and causing a hunger crisis.
Half a million people in the Gaza Strip face starvation, a global hunger monitor said last month.
The escalation is taking place as Palestinians in the Gaza Strip watch the exchange of attacks between Israel and Iran, which began with Israel launching major strikes on Friday.
Residents of the Gaza Strip have circulated images of wrecked buildings and charred vehicles hit by Iranian missiles in Israeli cities, and some were hopeful the wider conflict could eventually bring peace to their ruined homeland.
"We live these scenes and pain daily. We are very happy that we saw the day when we saw rubble in Tel Aviv, and they are trying to get out from under the rubble and the houses that were destroyed on top of their residents," said Gaza man Saad Saad.
Others said Iran's response was greater than many, including Israel, had expected.
"We saw how Iran ... lost patience and the time has come for Iran to teach the Israeli occupation state a lesson," said another Gaza man, Taysseir Mohaissan.
With Israel saying its operation could last weeks, fears have grown of a regional war dragging in outside powers.
Israeli tank shellfire killed at least 51 Palestinians as they awaited aid trucks in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, the territory's health ministry said, adding that dozens of others were wounded.
And the World Health Organization (WHO) said it had received reports of further 20 also killed while waiting for food supplies.
Earlier on Tuesday, medics said residents had seen Israeli tanks firing shells at crowds of desperate Palestinians awaiting aid trucks along the main eastern road in Khan Younis.
They said at least 51 people were killed and 200 wounded, with at least 20 of them in critical condition.
Witnesses said Israeli tanks fired at least two shells at thousands of people awaiting aid trucks. Nasser Hospital wards were crowded with casualties, and medical staff had to place some on the ground and in corridors due to the lack of space.
Later, a WHO trauma surgeon and emergency officer Thanos Gargavanis said there were reports of a second mass casualty: "This is again the result of another food distribution initiative."
Israel's military has made no immediate comment on the incident, the latest in nearly daily mass deaths of Palestinians who were seeking aid in past weeks, including near sites operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
"There's a constant correlation with the positions of the four announced food distribution sites and the mass casualty incidents," Gargavanis said, saying the trauma injuries in recent days were mostly from gunshot wounds.
Local health officials said at least 23 people were killed by Israeli gunfire on Monday as they approached a GHF aid distribution site in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
The GHF stated in a press release late on Monday that it had distributed more than three million meals at its four distribution sites without incident.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military about Monday's reports of shootings. In previous incidents, it has occasionally acknowledged troops opening fire near aid sites, while blaming militants for provoking the violence.
Israel has put responsibility for distributing much of the aid it allows into Gaza into the hands of the GHF, which operates sites in areas guarded by Israeli troops.
The United Nations has rejected the plan, saying GHF distribution is inadequate, dangerous and violates humanitarian impartiality principles.
The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered in October 2023, when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli allies.
U.S. ally Israel's subsequent military assault on Gaza has killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, while internally displacing nearly Gaza's entire population and causing a hunger crisis.
Half a million people in the Gaza Strip face starvation, a global hunger monitor said last month.
The escalation is taking place as Palestinians in the Gaza Strip watch the exchange of attacks between Israel and Iran, which began with Israel launching major strikes on Friday.
Residents of the Gaza Strip have circulated images of wrecked buildings and charred vehicles hit by Iranian missiles in Israeli cities, and some were hopeful the wider conflict could eventually bring peace to their ruined homeland.
"We live these scenes and pain daily. We are very happy that we saw the day when we saw rubble in Tel Aviv, and they are trying to get out from under the rubble and the houses that were destroyed on top of their residents," said Gaza man Saad Saad.
Others said Iran's response was greater than many, including Israel, had expected.
"We saw how Iran ... lost patience and the time has come for Iran to teach the Israeli occupation state a lesson," said another Gaza man, Taysseir Mohaissan.
With Israel saying its operation could last weeks, fears have grown of a regional war dragging in outside powers.
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The Advertiser
9 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Senior Hamas figure behind Oct 7 attack killed: Israel
The Israeli military says it has killed a senior Hamas commander in an airstrike on the Gaza Strip. Hakham al-Issa, described as one of the founders of the Palestinian Islamist group and a leading figure in its military wing, was said to have been involved in planning and executing the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. The attacks triggered Israel's ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza. More than 56,400 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in the sealed-off territory, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry. According to the Israeli military, al-Issa was one of the last remaining high-ranking Hamas commanders in Gaza. He most recently served as chief of staff for the group's "combat and administrative support division". Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed at least 72 people across Gaza overnight into Saturday local time, health workers said, as ceasefire prospects were said to be improving after 21 months of war. Three children and their parents were killed in an Israeli strike on a tent camp in Muwasi near the southern city of Khan Younis. They were struck while sleeping, relatives said. "What did these children do to them? What is their fault?" said the children's grandmother, Suad Abu Teima, as others knelt to kiss their bloodied faces and wept. Some placed red flowers into the body bags. Also among the dead were 12 people near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more in apartments, according to staff at Shifa Hospital. More than 20 bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, according to health officials. A midday strike killed 11 people on a street in eastern Gaza City, and their bodies were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital. US President Donald Trump says there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters, he said, "We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of." Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have been on again, off again since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the territory's dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half believed to still be alive. They were among 251 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1200 people, according to Israeli authorities. Meanwhile, hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza. After blocking all food for two-and-a-half months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid in the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on roads heading toward the sites. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots and it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites. Thousands of Palestinians walk for hours to reach the sites, moving through Israeli military zones. Separate efforts by the United Nations to distribute limited food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys. The latest death toll included two people killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting to receive aid near the Netzarim corridor, a road that separates northern and southern Gaza, according to Al-Shifa and Al-Awda hospitals, which each received one body. There was no immediate Israeli military comment. With AP The Israeli military says it has killed a senior Hamas commander in an airstrike on the Gaza Strip. Hakham al-Issa, described as one of the founders of the Palestinian Islamist group and a leading figure in its military wing, was said to have been involved in planning and executing the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. The attacks triggered Israel's ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza. More than 56,400 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in the sealed-off territory, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry. According to the Israeli military, al-Issa was one of the last remaining high-ranking Hamas commanders in Gaza. He most recently served as chief of staff for the group's "combat and administrative support division". Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed at least 72 people across Gaza overnight into Saturday local time, health workers said, as ceasefire prospects were said to be improving after 21 months of war. Three children and their parents were killed in an Israeli strike on a tent camp in Muwasi near the southern city of Khan Younis. They were struck while sleeping, relatives said. "What did these children do to them? What is their fault?" said the children's grandmother, Suad Abu Teima, as others knelt to kiss their bloodied faces and wept. Some placed red flowers into the body bags. Also among the dead were 12 people near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more in apartments, according to staff at Shifa Hospital. More than 20 bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, according to health officials. A midday strike killed 11 people on a street in eastern Gaza City, and their bodies were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital. US President Donald Trump says there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters, he said, "We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of." Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have been on again, off again since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the territory's dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half believed to still be alive. They were among 251 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1200 people, according to Israeli authorities. Meanwhile, hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza. After blocking all food for two-and-a-half months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid in the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on roads heading toward the sites. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots and it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites. Thousands of Palestinians walk for hours to reach the sites, moving through Israeli military zones. Separate efforts by the United Nations to distribute limited food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys. The latest death toll included two people killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting to receive aid near the Netzarim corridor, a road that separates northern and southern Gaza, according to Al-Shifa and Al-Awda hospitals, which each received one body. There was no immediate Israeli military comment. With AP The Israeli military says it has killed a senior Hamas commander in an airstrike on the Gaza Strip. Hakham al-Issa, described as one of the founders of the Palestinian Islamist group and a leading figure in its military wing, was said to have been involved in planning and executing the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. The attacks triggered Israel's ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza. More than 56,400 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in the sealed-off territory, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry. According to the Israeli military, al-Issa was one of the last remaining high-ranking Hamas commanders in Gaza. He most recently served as chief of staff for the group's "combat and administrative support division". Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed at least 72 people across Gaza overnight into Saturday local time, health workers said, as ceasefire prospects were said to be improving after 21 months of war. Three children and their parents were killed in an Israeli strike on a tent camp in Muwasi near the southern city of Khan Younis. They were struck while sleeping, relatives said. "What did these children do to them? What is their fault?" said the children's grandmother, Suad Abu Teima, as others knelt to kiss their bloodied faces and wept. Some placed red flowers into the body bags. Also among the dead were 12 people near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more in apartments, according to staff at Shifa Hospital. More than 20 bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, according to health officials. A midday strike killed 11 people on a street in eastern Gaza City, and their bodies were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital. US President Donald Trump says there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters, he said, "We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of." Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have been on again, off again since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the territory's dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half believed to still be alive. They were among 251 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1200 people, according to Israeli authorities. Meanwhile, hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza. After blocking all food for two-and-a-half months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid in the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on roads heading toward the sites. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots and it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites. Thousands of Palestinians walk for hours to reach the sites, moving through Israeli military zones. Separate efforts by the United Nations to distribute limited food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys. The latest death toll included two people killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting to receive aid near the Netzarim corridor, a road that separates northern and southern Gaza, according to Al-Shifa and Al-Awda hospitals, which each received one body. There was no immediate Israeli military comment. With AP The Israeli military says it has killed a senior Hamas commander in an airstrike on the Gaza Strip. Hakham al-Issa, described as one of the founders of the Palestinian Islamist group and a leading figure in its military wing, was said to have been involved in planning and executing the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. The attacks triggered Israel's ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza. More than 56,400 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in the sealed-off territory, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry. According to the Israeli military, al-Issa was one of the last remaining high-ranking Hamas commanders in Gaza. He most recently served as chief of staff for the group's "combat and administrative support division". Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed at least 72 people across Gaza overnight into Saturday local time, health workers said, as ceasefire prospects were said to be improving after 21 months of war. Three children and their parents were killed in an Israeli strike on a tent camp in Muwasi near the southern city of Khan Younis. They were struck while sleeping, relatives said. "What did these children do to them? What is their fault?" said the children's grandmother, Suad Abu Teima, as others knelt to kiss their bloodied faces and wept. Some placed red flowers into the body bags. Also among the dead were 12 people near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more in apartments, according to staff at Shifa Hospital. More than 20 bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, according to health officials. A midday strike killed 11 people on a street in eastern Gaza City, and their bodies were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital. US President Donald Trump says there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters, he said, "We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of." Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have been on again, off again since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the territory's dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half believed to still be alive. They were among 251 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1200 people, according to Israeli authorities. Meanwhile, hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza. After blocking all food for two-and-a-half months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid in the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on roads heading toward the sites. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots and it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites. Thousands of Palestinians walk for hours to reach the sites, moving through Israeli military zones. Separate efforts by the United Nations to distribute limited food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys. The latest death toll included two people killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting to receive aid near the Netzarim corridor, a road that separates northern and southern Gaza, according to Al-Shifa and Al-Awda hospitals, which each received one body. There was no immediate Israeli military comment. With AP
West Australian
13 hours ago
- West Australian
Israel kills senior Hamas commander in Gaza airstrike: war continues, amid ceasefire talks
The Israeli military says it has killed a senior Hamas commander in an airstrike on the Gaza Strip. Hakham al-Issa, described as one of the founders of the Palestinian Islamist group and a leading figure in its military wing, was said to have been involved in planning and executing the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. The attacks triggered Israel's ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza. More than 56,400 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in the sealed-off territory, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry. According to the Israeli military, al-Issa was one of the last remaining high-ranking Hamas commanders in Gaza. He most recently served as chief of staff for the group's 'combat and administrative support division'. Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed at least 72 people across Gaza overnight into Saturday local time, health workers said, as ceasefire prospects were said to be improving after 21 months of war. Three children and their parents were killed in an Israeli strike on a tent camp in Muwasi near the southern city of Khan Younis. They were struck while sleeping, relatives said. 'What did these children do to them? What is their fault?' said the children's grandmother, Suad Abu Teima, as others knelt to kiss their bloodied faces and wept. Some placed red flowers into the body bags. Also among the dead were 12 people near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more in apartments, according to staff at Shifa Hospital. More than 20 bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, according to health officials. A midday strike killed 11 people on a street in eastern Gaza City, and their bodies were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital. US President Donald Trump says there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters, he said, 'We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of.' An official with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer will arrive in Washington next week for talks on a Gaza ceasefire, Iran and other subjects. Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have been on again, off again since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the territory's dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half believed to still be alive. They were among 251 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1200 people, according to Israeli authorities. Meanwhile, hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza. After blocking all food for two-and-a-half months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid in the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on roads heading toward the sites. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots and it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites. Thousands of Palestinians walk for hours to reach the sites, moving through Israeli military zones. Separate efforts by the United Nations to distribute limited food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys. The latest death toll included two people killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting to receive aid near the Netzarim corridor, a road that separates northern and southern Gaza, according to Al-Shifa and Al-Awda hospitals, which each received one body. There was no immediate Israeli military comment. With AP
The Age
13 hours ago
- The Age
Ozempic in a pill? The next generation of weight-loss drugs emerges
'The development of GLP-1 and incretin-based drugs has revolutionised the space. It has carved out the biggest class of drugs ever. And it has the power to truly revolutionise our health-span,' said Associate Professor Garron Dodd, head of the Metabolic Neuroscience Research Laboratory at the University of Melbourne and founder of Gallant Bio, which is developing its own obesity drugs. 'It's a glorious dawn, but it's just the start.' Weight loss in a pill Much as our eyes and ears sense the world and send data to our brains, our digestive tracts need ways of sending back data on what they are eating, and how much. They do this, in part, by secreting various chemical signals – hormones. Glucagon-like peptide-1 is secreted by the intestines and triggers the pancreas to produce insulin. The first GLP-1 drugs took advantage of this to become powerful treatments for diabetes. But GLP-1 has much wider effects beyond blood-sugar control. Receptors for the hormone spread throughout the body, even in the brain, where they trigger a feeling of fullness and decrease appetite. A once-weekly dose of semaglutide, plus lifestyle changes, led volunteers in a phase 3 trial to lose 14.9 per cent of their body weight over 15 months. GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy essentially copy that human hormone. That makes them fragile. They need to be kept refrigerated, and injected subcutaneously rather than taken by mouth – as the stomach's acid would quickly break them down. An oral version of semaglutide has been developed, but only 1 per cent of the drug actually makes its way to the target receptors, and it appears less effective than the injectable version for weight loss. Loading Researchers at Japan's Chugai Pharmaceutical Co figured out a way around this problem. They designed a small molecule that can bind to the same receptor as GLP-1 and trigger it. It mimics the effect without mimicking the structure. 'It's a development I never would have thought feasible,' said Professor Michael Horowitz, a University of Adelaide researcher who authored a commentary on the drug in the Lancet. Chugai licensed the molecule to US-based Eli Lilly in 2018. Last week, the company reported participants on the highest dose in a clinical trial lost 7.9 per cent of their body weight over 40 weeks. The full details of the trial have not yet been reported, and whether the weight loss is maintained over the longer term is unclear. More than a quarter of patients reported diarrhoea, 16 per cent nausea and 14 per cent vomiting. The preliminary results are 'close enough to broadly call it similar' to semaglutide, said Professor Jonathan Shaw, who led the Australian arm of Lilly's trial at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne. 'I don't think we can confidently say it's better or worse. It's definitely in the same ballpark.' It's also not known if the drug will offer the range of other benefits that GLP-1 inhibitors provide in addition to weight loss, like reductions in cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's risk (and maybe even addictive behaviours). Horowitz said the efficacy data was promising, but he wanted to see more information about adverse effects, which he said were understated generally across semaglutide trials because they relied on patients to report their own side effects. 'It hasn't served the interests of pharma to quantify how well this is tolerated.' Pfizer was developing a similar once-daily GLP-1 pill but cancelled the program in April after a patient in a clinical trial suffered liver damage. A pill should, theoretically, be cheaper and easier to make than an injector – Novo Nordisk, maker of Wegovy and its diabetes drug antecedent Ozempic, has struggled to keep up with demand for semaglutide – and dramatically easier to transport. At present, the drug must be kept refrigerated right from European factories to a patient's home. 'That all adds to the cost,' said Shaw. There could also be cost benefits from increased competition as more drugs are approved – possibly pushing the price down far enough for governments to consider subsidising it. Lilly expects to apply for regulatory approval for the drug later this year. While orforglipron has attracted the most excitement – Eli Lilly's shares have surged since they announced the trial results – it is just one of several new drugs in late-stage development. These drugs might be of particular value to 15 per cent or so of people whose bodies do not seem to respond to semaglutide. And people don't seem to stay on the injectable drugs – less than half are still using them a year later, per a study 2024 study – despite the fact weight rebound is likely if you stop using them. 'Is it the injection? Is it the cost? Or is it due to adverse effects? We don't know,' said Horowitz. The new drugs might also offer weight-loss benefits. Mounjaro, for example, mimics both GLP-1 and the gastric inhibitory polypeptide, which increases metabolism and appears to lead to better weight-loss results. The new drugs, like Lilly's retatrutide, target even more receptors, with the hope of even greater effects. It's all good news for Rochelle McDonald. She does not mind taking a weekly injection – 'the stabby-stab' – now she's found ways of coping with the side effects. But paying $240 a month for her current dose of the medicine is 'a commitment in itself'. 'I think a daily pill would be good,' she said. 'If it comes in at a good price point.'
