Israel's Cabinet approves plans to seize entire Gaza Strip
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Straits Times
a minute ago
- Straits Times
Germany says ‘very insufficient' aid entering Gaza
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Palestinians carrying bags of flour that they obtained from aid trucks which entered Gaza through the Zikim crossing point, in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on Aug 1. BERLIN - The amount of aid entering Gaza remains 'very insufficient' despite a limited improvement, the German government said on Aug 2 after ministers discussed ways to heighten pressure on Israel. The criticism came after Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul visited the region on July 31 and Aug 1 and the German military staged its first food airdrops into Gaza, where aid agencies say that more than two million Palestinians are facing starvation. Germany 'notes limited initial progress in the delivery of humanitarian aid to the population of the Gaza Strip, which, however, remains very insufficient to alleviate the emergency situation,' government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said in a statement. 'Israel remains obligated to ensure the full delivery of aid,' Mr Kornelius added. Facing mounting international criticism over its military operations in Gaza, Israel has allowed more trucks to cross the border and some foreign nations to carry out airdrops of food and medicines. International agencies say the amount of aid entering Gaza is still dangerously low, however. The United Nations has said that 6,000 trucks are awaiting permission from Israel to enter the occupied Palestinian territory. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $3b money laundering case: MinLaw names 6 law firms taken to task over involvement in property deals Singapore Police reopen access to all areas in Marina Bay after crowd congestion eases at NDP Preview area Singapore Opening of Woodlands Health has eased load on KTPH, sets standard for future hospitals: Ong Ye Kung Asia KTM plans new passenger rail service in Johor Bahru to manage higher footfall expected from RTS Singapore HSA investigating teen allegedly vaping on MRT train Asia 4 workers dead after falling into manhole in Japan Singapore New vehicular bridge connecting Punggol Central and Seletar Link to open on Aug 3 Singapore New S'pore jobs portal launched for North West District residents looking for work near home The German government, traditionally a strong supporter of Israel, also expressed 'concern regarding reports that large quantities of humanitarian aid are being withheld by Hamas and criminal organisations'. Israel has alleged that much of the aid arriving in the territory is being siphoned off by Hamas, which runs Gaza. The Israeli army is accused of having equipped Palestinian criminal networks in its fight against Hamas and of allowing them to plunder aid deliveries. 'The real theft of aid since the beginning of the war has been carried out by criminal gangs, under the watch of Israeli forces,' Mr Jonathan Whittall of OCHA, the United Nations agency for coordinating humanitarian affairs, told reporters in May. A German government source told AFP it had noted that Israel has 'considerably' increased the number of aid trucks allowed into Gaza to about 220 a day. Members of the German Air Force loading humanitarian aid onto an aircraft ahead of a planned airdrop over the Gaza Strip, at a military base in Jordan on Aug 1. PHOTO: EPA Berlin has taken a tougher line against Israel's actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank in recent weeks. The source said that a German security Cabinet meeting on Aug 2 discussed 'the different options' for putting pressure on Israel, but no decision was taken. A partial suspension of arms deliveries to Israel is one option that has been raised. Hamas militants launched an attack in Israel on Oct 7, 2023, that resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Israel's military offensive on Gaza since then has killed at least 60,249 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry. The UN considers the ministry's figures reliable. AFP
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Hamas says it won't disarm unless independent Palestinian state established
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Palestinians climb onto trucks as they seek for aid supplies that entered Gaza through Israel in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, August 1, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa/File Photo Hamas said on Saturday that it would not disarm unless an independent Palestinian state is established - a fresh rebuke to a key Israeli demand to end the war in Gaza. Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel aimed at securing a 60-day ceasefire in the Gaza war and deal for the release of hostages ended last week in deadlock. On Tuesday, Qatar and Egypt, who are mediating ceasefire efforts, endorsed a declaration by France and Saudi Arabia outlining steps toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and saying that as part of this Hamas must hand over its arms to the Western-backed Palestinian Authority. In its statement, Hamas - which has dominated Gaza since 2007 but has been militarily battered by Israel in the war - said it could not yield its right to "armed resistance" unless an "independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital" is established. Israel considers the disarmament of Hamas a key condition for any deal to end the conflict, but Hamas has repeatedly said it is not willing to lay down its weaponry. Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described any future independent Palestinian state as a platform to destroy Israel and said, for that reason, security control over Palestinian territories must remain with Israel. He also criticised several countries, including the UK and Canada, for announcing plans to recognise a Palestinian state in response to devastation of Gaza from Israel's offensive and blockade, calling the move a reward for Hamas' conduct. The war started when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza. Israel's subsequent military assault on Gaza has turned much of the enclave into a wasteland, killed over 60,000 Palestinians and set off a humanitarian catastrophe. Israel and Hamas traded blame after the most recent round of talks ended in an impasse, with gaps lingering over issues including the extent of an Israeli military withdrawal. REUTERS
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Excitement, concern at send-off for S'pore's Columbia-bound freshmen amid US political uncertainty
The campus protests and recent political turmoil had no impact on their decision to apply to Columbia, a few freshmen told The Straits Times. SINGAPORE - The wide-eyed Ivy League prospects milled about, exchanging pleasantries and exuberant hellos at a Columbia University send-off for Singapore freshmen on Aug 2. But this year's iteration of the annual tradition, held at the function room of the Horizon Towers condominium in Leonie Hill, differed slightly from past editions. It took place in the wake of a much-publicised crackdown by the US government on the country's elite universities over accusations of anti-Semitic behaviour on campuses and bias in diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI) initiatives. This followed a wave of pro-Palestinian protests on US campuses in 2024, prompted by the outbreak of the Gaza war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in October 2023. For Columbia, negotiations with the Trump administration ended on July 23, with the school agreeing to pay more than US$200 million (S$255 million) to the US government as settlement, in exchange for the re-instatement of federal funding which had been cancelled in March. But the campus protests and recent political and financial turmoil had no impact on their decision to apply to the New York school, a few students told The Straits Times at the event organised by the Columbia Singapore Students Association (SSA). The event had about 15 attendees. One outgoing freshman, who did not wish to reveal her name, said: 'I believe that a lot of institutions have recently had massive protests. But at the end of the day, you get the same quality education, world-class professors, and opportunities. 'In the grand scheme of things, these events don't impact your education to a degree that you would think they do.' Another remained upbeat, saying: 'I'm excited but also nervous about the whole idea of going to college. It's about exposing yourself to new things, new people, new friends, new activities, and stepping outside your comfort zone.' In May, the Trump administration asked its overseas missions to cease scheduling fresh appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants. The move, said Reuters, came as the administration sought to ramp up deportations and revoke student visas as part of its wide-ranging efforts to fulfil the US leader's hardline immigration agenda. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Opening of Woodlands Health has eased load on KTPH, sets standard for future hospitals: Ong Ye Kung Singapore New vehicular bridge connecting Punggol Central and Seletar Link to open on Aug 3 Singapore New S'pore jobs portal launched for North West District residents looking for work near home Singapore HSA investigating teen allegedly vaping on MRT train Asia KTM plans new passenger rail service in Johor Bahru to manage higher footfall expected from RTS Singapore Tengah facility with over 40 animal shelters, businesses hit by ticks Business Property 'decoupling' illegal if done solely to avoid taxes: High Court Singapore 60 years of building Singapore Part of those efforts also included tightening the vetting of foreign students' social media accounts in a bid to identify any who may pose a threat to the US' national security. Two freshmen told ST that they would be switching their Instagram accounts to 'public' before entering the US, to facilitate such checks. They added that they did not mind doing so. One SSA committee member who is a current Columbia student and did not wish to reveal his name, told ST that some of the matriculating students 'have shared some concerns, including visa and safety issues, and whether or not they may be able to express themselves freely'. He added that the club is hoping to support them as they navigate the transition to university abroad amid the current climate. Other American universities, including Duke University and several campuses in the University of California system, are still being investigated by the Trump administration. Even at Columbia, the environment remains somewhat cautious ahead of the new academic year which begins in September. The campus is gated and security forces are omnipresent, another SSA committee member who is also a current Columbia student, added. 'Most people know that the situation is very sensitive and tense,' he said. 'It's about juggling that tension, while still being at school and trying to live like a normal university student.'
