logo
Israeli forces push into parts of a Gaza city that the war had largely spared

Israeli forces push into parts of a Gaza city that the war had largely spared

Yahoo21-07-2025
Israeli ground troops for the first time on Monday pushed into areas of a central Gaza city where several aid groups are based, in what appeared to be the latest effort to carve up the Palestinian territory with military corridors.
Deir al-Balah is the only Gaza city that has not seen major ground operations or suffered widespread devastation in 21 months of war, leading to speculation that the Hamas militant group holds large numbers of hostages there.
The main group representing hostages' families said it was 'shocked and alarmed' by the incursion, which was confirmed by an Israeli military official, and demanded answers from Israeli leaders.
Israel says the seizure of territory in Gaza is aimed at pressuring Hamas to release hostages, but it is a major point of contention in ongoing ceasefire talks.
The UN food agency, meanwhile, accused Israeli forces of firing on a crowd of Palestinians seeking humanitarian aid over the weekend.
Gaza's Health Ministry called it one of the deadliest attacks on aid-seekers in the war that has driven the territory to the brink of famine.
In the latest sign of international frustration, the United Kingdom, France and 23 other Western-aligned countries issued a statement saying 'the war in Gaza must end now'.
They harshly criticised Israel's restrictions on humanitarian aid and called for the release of the 50 hostages remaining in Gaza.
Tens of thousands of people have sought refuge in Deir al-Balah during repeated waves of mass displacement in Gaza.
Associated Press reporters heard explosions and saw smoke rising from parts of the city that were ordered evacuated on Sunday.
The Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said it was the first time ground troops had operated in the area.
A man living in the evacuation zone, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said Israel dropped pamphlets at dawn ordering people to evacuate. Two hours later, tanks rolled into the area.
He said his 62-year-old father, who had spent the night elsewhere, fled from house to house as Israeli forces moved in and saw them flattening structures with bulldozers and tanks. Both men managed to leave the evacuation zone.
The military declined to say if it had ordered the evacuation of aid groups based in the city, saying only that it maintains continuous contact with them and facilitates their relocation when necessary.
Israel has taken over large areas of Gaza and split the territory with corridors stretching from the border to the sea as it seeks to pressure Hamas to release more hostages.
In response to the Deir al-Balah incursion, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum warned in its statement that 'the people of Israel will not forgive anyone who knowingly endangered the hostages — both the living and the deceased. No one will be able to claim they didn't know what was at stake'.
Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people in the October 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war and killed around 1,200 people.
Less than half of the 50 hostages still in Gaza are believed to be alive.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Thailand and Cambodia dispute whether ceasefire is holding
Thailand and Cambodia dispute whether ceasefire is holding

Associated Press

time2 minutes ago

  • Associated Press

Thailand and Cambodia dispute whether ceasefire is holding

SURIN, Thailand (AP) — Thailand and Cambodia disputed whether their ceasefire was holding Tuesday, the morning after they agreed to stop fighting in a deal reached in Malaysia under U.S. pressure. The Thai army said Cambodia launched attacks in multiple areas after the ceasefire was supposed to take effect at midnight, but Cambodia said there was no firing in any location. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai had agreed to an 'unconditional' halt in fighting Monday after five days of border clashes that have killed dozens of people and displaced tens of thousands. Along the border area, it was unclear if fighting was continuing but signs of calm returned in places. Some families displaced by the fighting began returning to their homes. A Thai military spokesperson said Thailand halted all military activities as agreed upon but that Cambodian troops continued strikes and the Thai army responded with defensive action. 'Such actions represent a deliberate violation of the ceasefire and a serious breach of trust,' Major Gen. Vithai Laithomya said in a statement. The Cambodian Defense Ministry denied the Thai account. 'After the ceasefire became effective, there has been no armed conflict on all front lines. This is the firm determination of the Cambodian leadership to implement the ceasefire,' ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata said. Military commanders from both sides are scheduled Tuesday to hold their first meeting after the ceasefire as agreed under the pact, she said. The meeting between the two national leaders Monday was hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as annual chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and held under U.S. pressure. Anwar called the ceasefire a 'vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security.' Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. applauded the ceasefire declaration. 'President (Donald) Trump and I are committed to an immediate cessation of violence and expect the governments of Cambodia and Thailand to fully honor their commitments to end this conflict,' Rubio said in a statement. The fighting began Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes, which have killed 35 people and displaced 260,000 people on both sides. Trump had warned that the U.S. might not proceed with trade deals with either country if hostilities continue, giving both sides a face-saving justification for halting the clashes. The 800-kilometer (500-mile) frontier between Thailand and Cambodia has been disputed for decades, but past confrontations have been limited and brief. The latest tensions erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and roiled Thailand's domestic politics. ___ Sopheng Cheang reported from Samrong, Cambodia.

Albanese slams Israel's denial of starvation in Gaza
Albanese slams Israel's denial of starvation in Gaza

Yahoo

time30 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Albanese slams Israel's denial of starvation in Gaza

Anthony Albanese has strongly rejected Israel's claims that there's no starvation in Gaza as "beyond comprehension". The prime minister was responding to statements made by his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, and Israel's deputy ambassador to Australia, during a Labor caucus meeting on Tuesday. "While there is a caveat on any health information which is provided by Hamas, it is Israel that has prevented journalists from getting in," he told the meeting in Canberra. There is no starvation in Gaza, no policy of starvation in Gaza, and I assure you that we have a commitment to achieve our war goals. We will continue to fight till we achieve the release of our hostages and the destruction of Hamas' military and governing capabilities. They… — Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) July 28, 2025 It comes after Mr Albanese on Friday declared Israel's retaliation in Gaza following the October 7 attack on the nation state by Hamas had "gone beyond the world's worst fears". Then on Sunday, he warned Israel had "quite clearly" breached international law by limiting food deliveries to starving civilians in Gaza, escalating his criticism of the Jewish state. The prime minister spoke of his emotional response to images of gaunt and dying children in the Palestinian territory, while acknowledging increased airdrops of aid by Israel was "a start". "It just breaks your heart," he told ABC's Insiders on Sunday. Overnight on Monday, US President Donald Trump contradicted the Israeli prime minister by stating many people were starving in the Gaza Strip and suggested more could be done to improve humanitarian access. Mr Netanyahu has said "there is no starvation in Gaza, no policy of starvation in Gaza ..." Israel's deputy ambassador to Australia Amir Meron told journalists on Monday "we don't recognise any famine or any starvation in the Gaza Strip". The number of Palestinians believed to have been killed is nearing 60,000 people, according to local health authorities. While air drops of aid have been carried out into Gaza, humanitarian agencies say they aren't enough to deal with worsening levels of starvation in the area. At the caucus meeting, Mr Albanese was also asked about Palestinian statehood. He referenced a Nelson Mandela quote, saying "it always seems impossible until it's done". The prime minister has previously said any resolution on the issue would need to guarantee that Hamas, the de facto ruling authority in Gaza, which Australia has designated a terrorist group, plays no part in the future nation. There would also need to be agreements on the rebuilding of Gaza and the West Bank, and a resolution of issues over the expansion of Israeli settlements. Recognition of Palestinian statehood has been part of Labor's national platform since 2018. Labor is facing intensifying pressure to follow France in recognising a Palestinian state at a United Nations General Assembly meeting in September. The Greens are calling on the government to impose the same sanctions on Israel as it had done so for Russia. The minor party is also seeking a ban on buying items that can help fund the war, pointing to sanctions on pearls and truffles for Russia.

Thai army accuses Cambodia of breaking truce
Thai army accuses Cambodia of breaking truce

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Thai army accuses Cambodia of breaking truce

Thailand's army accused Cambodia Tuesday of violating an hours-old truce, saying clashes continued despite a deal meant to end the bloody fighting that engulfed their jungle-clad frontier. Following peace talks in Malaysia on Monday, both sides agreed an unconditional ceasefire would start at midnight to end fighting over a smattering of ancient temples in disputed zones along their 800-kilometre (500-mile) border. "At the time the agreement took effect, the Thai side detected that Cambodian forces had launched armed attacks into several areas within Thai territory," said Thai army spokesman Winthai Suwaree. "This constitutes a deliberate violation of the agreement and a clear attempt to undermine mutual trust, he added in a statement. "Thailand is compelled to respond appropriately, exercising its legitimate right to self-defense." Cambodia's defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata insisted there had been "no armed clashes against each other in any regions". However, both sides said morning meetings scheduled between opposing regional commanders along the border as part of the truce pact had either begun or were still scheduled to start. In Cambodia's Samraong city -- 20 kilometres from the border -- an AFP journalist said the sound of blasts stopped in the 30 minutes leading up to midnight, with the lull continuing until dawn. "The frontline has eased since the ceasefire at 12 midnight," Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said in a Tuesday morning message on Facebook. Jets, rockets and artillery have killed at least 38 people since last Thursday and displaced nearly 300,000 more -- prompting intervention from US President Donald Trump over the weekend. The flare-up was the deadliest since violence raged sporadically from 2008-2011 over the territory, claimed by both because of a vague demarcation made by Cambodia's French colonial administrators in 1907. "When I heard the news I was so happy because I miss my home and my belongings that I left behind," Phean Neth told AFP on Monday evening at a sprawling camp for Cambodian evacuees on a temple site away from the fighting. "I am so happy that I can't describe it," said the 45-year-old. - 'Good faith' - A joint statement from both countries -- as well as Malaysia which hosted the peace talks -- said the ceasefire was "a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security". A spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a statement Monday evening that "he urges both countries to respect the agreement fully and to create an environment conducive to addressing long-standing issues and achieving lasting peace". Both sides are courting Trump for trade deals to avert his threat of eye-watering tariffs, and the US State Department said its officials had been "on the ground" to shepherd peace talks. The joint statement said China also had "active participation" in the talks, hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister and ASEAN bloc chair Anwar Ibrahim in his country's administrative capital Putrajaya. Hun Manet thanked Trump for his "decisive" support, while his counterpart, Thai acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, said it should be "carried out in good faith by both sides". "If they say they'll stop firing, they must stop completely," said 43-year-old Thai evacuee Prapakarn Samruamjit in the city of Surin. - Post-truce tariff deals - Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn marked his 73rd birthday on Monday, but a notice in the country's Royal Gazette said public celebrations scheduled for Bangkok's Grand Palace had been cancelled amid the strife. Each side had already agreed to a truce in principle, while accusing the other of undermining peace efforts and trading allegations about the use of cluster bombs and targeting of hospitals. Thailand says 11 of its soldiers and 14 civilians have been killed, while Cambodia has confirmed only eight civilian and five military deaths. More than 138,000 people have fled Thailand's border regions, while around 140,000 have been driven from their homes in Cambodia. burs-jts/fox

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store