Israel announces daily pauses in Gaza fighting as aid airdrops begin
Israel has been facing growing international criticism, which the government rejected, over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and indirect ceasefire talks in Doha between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas have broken off with no deal in sight.
US President Donald Trump, on a visit to Scotland, said Israel would have to make a decision on its next steps in Gaza, and said he did not know what would happen after the collapse of ceasefire and hostage release negotiations with Hamas.
Military activity will stop daily from 10am to 8pm until further notice in Al-Mawasi, a designated humanitarian area along the coast, in central Deir al-Balah and in Gaza City.
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IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
The hypocrisy of South Africa's arms trade: Job creation or genocide?
IOL As South Africa grapples with its legacy of apartheid, the arms trade raises profound ethical questions. This article explores how economic arguments for job creation mask a troubling complicity in global atrocities, argues EFF MP, Carl Niehaus Image: File By Carl Niehaus As a proud South African and a staunch member of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), I am compelled to speak out against the grotesque hypocrisy embedded in our nation's arms manufacturing industry. Companies like Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM), a joint venture between German arms giant Rheinmetall and South Africa's state-owned Denel, are churning out weapons of death—155mm Assegai artillery shells, high-explosive munitions, and components linked to incendiary horrors like white phosphorus bombs. These are exported to NATO countries, only to be funnelled onward to conflict zones where they fuel atrocities. In Ukraine, they bolster a grinding war; in Gaza, they enable a wanton genocide against Palestinians. And let's not forget shipments to places like Sudan, where human rights abuses are rampant. This is not economic progress—it's blood money, and the tired excuse of 'job creation' is a morally bankrupt shield that crumbles under scrutiny, much like the defences of German companies complicit in Nazi crimes after World War II. RDM's operations exemplify this depravity. As recently as July 2025, Rheinmetall announced a massive order for 155mm artillery ammunition from a European NATO member, with production heavily reliant on its South African subsidiary. Similar deals have poured in: Sweden signed a $526 million contract with RDM for ammunition, and multiyear frameworks supply NATO states with Assegai 155mm projectiles. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading These aren't benign exports—they feed into a shadowy supply chain. NATO allies, including Germany, have ramped up arms transfers to Ukraine, with Rheinmetall directly involved in delivering 155mm rounds to Kyiv under Bundeswehr frameworks. But the trail doesn't stop there. Rheinmetall's global network has been implicated in arming Israel, whose military operations in Gaza have drawn well documented accusations of war crimes from bodies like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Apartheid Israel has repeatedly used white phosphorus munitions—incendiary weapons that burn through flesh and cause excruciating, long-term suffering—in densely populated areas of Gaza and Lebanon, violating international humanitarian law when deployed against civilians. While Rheinmetall publicly disavows certain 'controversial' weapons like cluster munitions, their denial rings hollow amid reports of phosphorus use in ongoing conflicts, and their ammunition often ends up in the hands of those who wield it indiscriminately. This isn't speculation; it's a pattern of complicity. Rheinmetall's secretive factory expansions cater to 'friendly' NATO countries while parallel businesses arm volatile regions. Exports have reached Sudan, where civil war rages with documented atrocities, and Malaysia, a market for RDM's munitions amid regional tensions. But the most egregious is the indirect flow to Israel. German arms exports to Israel surged in recent years, including Rheinmetall components, enabling the bombardment of Gaza that has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions, and razed infrastructure in what the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has termed genocidal acts. South Africa's own history of apartheid should make us viscerally opposed to such enablement—yet here we are, manufacturing the tools of oppression in our factories, exporting them under the guise of legitimate trade, and watching as they rain down terror on innocents. The defenders of this industry—corporate executives, government officials, and even some economists—invariably trot out the 'job creation' argument. They claim that RDM's operations in South Africa provide employment for thousands, boosting local economies in a country plagued by unemployment rates hovering above 30%. Yes, factories hum with activity, workers earn wages, and supply chains ripple through communities. But this is a deeply flawed, ethically void rationale. Manufacturing weapons that enable mass murder cannot be justified by economic gains, no matter how desperate our nation's need for growth. The EFF is unapologetically committed to job creation and economic liberation— we fight for land redistribution, nationalization of mines, and policies that uplift the black majority disenfranchised by centuries of colonialism and apartheid. But we draw a red line: prosperity cannot come at the expense of human rights, nor can it rationalize the production of instruments of genocide and war crimes. This principle isn't novel; it's etched in the annals of history, particularly in the aftermath of World War II when German companies like Mercedes-Benz (then Daimler-Benz) and BMW faced reckoning for their collusion with the Nazis. During the Third Reich, Daimler-Benz transformed into a pillar of the Nazi war machine, producing vehicles, aircraft engines, and tanks while exploiting forced labor from concentration camps, prisoners of war, and Jewish slaves under barbaric conditions. Adolf Hitler himself favoured Mercedes vehicles for propaganda parades, and the company donated cars and funds to the regime. BMW, meanwhile, manufactured aircraft engines for the Luftwaffe and motorcycles for the Wehrmacht, with its founding Quandt family amassing fortunes through expropriated Jewish businesses and slave labor that claimed lives at an appalling rate—up to 80 deaths per month in factories. These companies weren't passive; they actively profited from the Holocaust, enforcing racial hierarchies and supplying the machinery of genocide. Post-war, the Allies imposed denazification, stripping Nazi-affiliated executives and seizing assets under the Potsdam Agreement. Factories were dismantled, foreign holdings lost, and production halted temporarily. While not dissolved outright—due to the need for West Germany's reconstruction—these firms faced investigations, management purges, and later, voluntary reparations. Daimler-Benz paid $12 million in 1988 to forced labor survivors, and BMW contributed to a 2000 industry fund totaling $5 billion for victims. Crucially, neither could hide behind 'job creation.' Their employment of thousands didn't absolve them; it compounded their guilt, as jobs were sustained through slave labor and war profiteering. The Nuremberg trials targeted industrialists like those from IG Farben for similar crimes, establishing that economic arguments don't excuse complicity in atrocities. BMW's Günther Quandt was classified a 'collaborator' and was forced to issue a public acknowledgement and apologies and also pay restitution to the families of the victims of the Nazis, but the moral stain lingers up to today. South Africa must learn from this. RDM's exports mirror that era's moral failure: producing arms that end up in genocidal hands, all while claiming economic benefits. In Gaza, white phosphorus shells—linked to suppliers like Rheinmetall—have caused horrific burns and environmental devastation, with Israel admitting use in past operations. In Ukraine, incendiary weapons have been deployed amid accusations of war crimes. Sudan and Malaysia add layers of instability, where munitions exacerbate conflicts. The EFF rejects this unequivocally. We demand an end to such exports, sanctions on complicit firms, and a pivot to ethical industries—renewable energy, agriculture, manufacturing for peace. Jobs yes, but not built on graves. Our nation's soul is at stake. We overthrew apartheid; we cannot now arm modern equivalents. Let history judge us not as enablers of evil, but as warriors for justice. The EFF stands firm: no rationalization of the indefensible. Stop any arms trade with enablers of genocide and war crimes now, before more blood stains our hands. *** Carl Niehaus is an EFF member of Parliament ** The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Independent Media or IOL IOL Opinion
IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
The AI race is getting serious on the global stage and it's time to pick a side
Global leaders have entered the AI race. Last week, the US President Donald Trump announced the US AI Action plan. He described it as, 'An industrial revolution, an information revolution, and a renaissance—all at once.' A few days later China proposed a framework to govern AI development. What these superpowers have said and plan about AI is important for all of us who will be affected by this technology. The US plan proposed the 'cutting regulations to spur AI innovation and adoption, speeding up the buildout of AI data centers, exporting AI 'full technology stacks' to US allies and partners, and ridding AI systems of what the White House calls 'ideological bias'. The plan makes it clear that the US will use AI to achieve its political goals. If the plan gets implemented it seems what gets said by AI will matter a lot. The plan has great focus on AI ideological bias. On the other hand, China's proposal suggests that it's concerned about fragmentation in AI governance. More importantly, China is keen to develop an AI environment that moves away from AI dominance by just a few countries. To that effect it proposes that its AI development tool should be shared with others. Knowing about the AI approaches of both these super powers is important for South Africa. Going forward it will be impossible for South Africa to be non-aligned (in theory). The situation is forcing South Africa to choose a friend. China is planning to build an AI foundation that will enable countries in the South to be independent and not dependent on China. On the other hand, the US is building an AI foundation that will maintain the status quo that will mean global tech leadership by the US. If South Africa chooses to adopt AI platforms from the US it will have to also accept that it will be an AI slave. The China promise, however, seems to be an option that could allow South Africa to maintain its sovereignty. We are at a point where we all need to make up our mind about AI tools that we use. It's becoming clear that AI tools are not neutral tools. Most of them are aligned with their countries of origin. Understanding these developments should assist all in making informed decisions. Adopting AI is not just about adopting a tool that solves a problem. An AI tool that we will adopt will also inform how we live. We all need to choose wisely very fast. We need to always remember that for now the newly released AI blueprint from the US is aimed at vastly expanding the US AI exports to allies in a bid to maintain the American edge over China in the critical technology. According to a US Think Tank, the US AI Action Plan's strongest message is that the United States should meet, not curb, global demand for AI. To achieve this, the plan suggests a novel and ambitious approach: full-stack AI export packages through industry consortia. On the other hand, China wants AI to be openly shared and for all countries and companies to have equal rights to use it. The sooner nations choose their AI partners the sooner they master their AI destiny.
IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
Come on poepols, let's get SA working
Letters to the Editor. Image: Supplied Mandela foundation hijacked by radicals I am deeply troubled by the Nelson Mandela Foundation's (NMF) recent launch of the 'Solidarity in Action Awards,' which explicitly invites proposals to challenge Christian Zionism – a move that many South African faith communities are viewing as an attack on religious freedom. Christian Zionism, supported by nearly 50% of South Africa's Christian population, is rooted in biblical belief and a peaceful vision for Israel and Palestine coexisting. Yet this new initiative by the NMF seeks to delegitimise that belief, vilifying a theology that millions of South Africans hold dear. The NMF has clearly been hijacked by radicals with political agendas and it is no coincidence that it has been steered in this horrific ideological direction following the recent appointment of Naledi Pandor as its chairperson. Pandor has demonstrated profound hostility towards Israel and is notoriously known to have friendly relations with Hamas, a designated terrorist group that has been actively pursuing genocide against the LGBTQ+ community, Christians, Israelis and Jews since its cannot ignore the role she is playing in the growing trend of the silencing of Christian voices, especially those who support Israel. At a time when Christians across Africa face violent persecution, it is disheartening to see South African institutions promote narratives that distort biblical truth and undermine is not colonialism. Support for Israel is not extremism. It is time for the Foundation to return to Mandela's principles of inclusion and dialogue. | Daniel Jacobi Executive Director of the South African Friends of Israel Come on poepols, let's get SA working Let's take a step back and see where we are. The GNU is a year old; it is time for its gender reveal party. The nappies must come off now. It can stop crawling and take its first strides into finding real-life plans to get the country working again. What should we do? If there is to be a national dialogue, what should we be talking about? How should it be said? Who should be having it? Let's start with what we all agree on. Turns out South Africans concur on the important issues: Employment should be our first priority, followed by safety. Race should not be a policy priority. Most South Africans don't want BEE to continue being enforced.(Sources: IRR, SRF, and Ipsos polls and research). By all accounts and surveys, the indications are that while we are a country of many cultures and colours, we share a largely conservative and family-oriented approach to life. We are concerned about the same things – jobs and safety, bread and butter issues remain at the top of our minds. These are potent sentiments our political leaders, elite, and thought instigators should take note of. It means we don't have to harp on and on about race, no matter how much fun it is and how the righteous indignation feels so good. We don't have to take the people in the red berets, nor the bearded groups in deep khaki, or the suited government officials seriously when they start banging their fists on about race. These are foolish actions by foolish people, and we can tell them that. We can go: 'Oi, mampara! Move it along. How are you going to create more jobs for more people and more economic growth for the country?' (Did you know, other words for 'fool' in South Arica are mampara, isiphukuphuku, moegoe, poepol, or leoatla.) Don't be afraid to use these words when addressing the government or the elite. Shake your head, feel the word softly, but say it out loud. Allow yourself to think the thought, then say the word then do a deed that shows your feelings. As ordinary South Africans, we need our voices to be heard, not only at the voting stations but all the time. It is not an expression of hate or revolution; it is a course correction. It is an 'aikona' spoken politely but firmly. We must learn how to be more persuasive with our top classes. Remember what we did with e-tolls? We just refused to pay. OUTA (Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse) showed us the facts and how to say: 'No.' There was no violence, and there were no riots, but our voices shouted so loudly it broke the system. We did it again with the recent VAT increase. Absolutely, some opposition parties objected to the increase, and there was much political posturing, but that was a hasty reaction to a mighty rumbling in the population. That energy of collective discontent amongst all groups gathered speed and became a wind of change, invisible, but powerful. We did that by twittering and tweeting and complaining and cautioning. The results were politicians scurrying in the whirlwind and doing their jobs for once. We did that. We know how to do did loadshedding stop so suddenly, after years of our torment? The political will brought about by tear of political consequence on the part of the ANC played a big part. The nation's shared outrage at having their families disrupted during basic tasks like preparing your children for school or their businesses damaged because of the government's lack of maintenance became the most pressure you can put on a government. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading We called their bluff because they knew what would happen at the voting booths if they didn't fix it. No revolt, just small ripples of voices becoming a tsunami of resolute anger: 'Fix this or lose at the polls.' I did interviews across various spheres of our society at the time and while people used different words, they all said the same thing. A businessman in Sandton would say of the electricity crisis: 'The rampant corruption and mismanagement at Eskom is exacerbating the situation. We might also be over-reliant on coal. We need our government to step in, or it will be a disaster for the ANC the next time people vote.' I spoke to a security guard in the checkout queue of a supermarket in Bloubergstrand. He phrased it thus, while rubbing his stomach: 'It is not because the coal is wet, it is because they (the government) are eating that money. They will eat and eat until we say: 'Aikona!' We will open their eyes. You will see that coal will suddenly be dry before the elections.' These are the narratives our media outlets should be publishing. Our nation has a collective intelligence that is smart and calculated and often homogenous. Governments listen when the people figure out how to talk to them. We need think tanks, lobby groups, and media companies that publish the stories of our sameness and our aspirations more clearly. The government should hear that South Africans are more united than we are being led to believe. We are united enough. What we need now is economic growth. We need a Government of National Economic Growth. A GNEG. This is how the nappies come off. The populace in turn must learn how to demand more course corrections. We must stamp our feet for fewer restrictions on trade, whether that comes in the form of BEE or registration of spaza shops. We can tell the government that their plan for BEE was a valid idea, but it had unintended consequences. The people won't tolerate it anymore: like e-tolls, the VAT increase, and load-shedding. Bad laws can simply 'now. The R290 billion a year it costs us to enforce BEE policy can be applied where it matters – fixing infrastructure and creating a stable economy. We must focus on publishing stories of our sameness and our common goals. The real national dialogue is already happening on the street level, amongst real people who understand its real-life consequences. Put that online, in print and on radio. The race-baiting has gone on long enough. Stop it! Aikona! Come on poepols, let's get this country working. | Vivienne Vermaak Free Market Foundation Donald Trump holds the world hostage While Hamas, hangs on for dear life to the 20+ hostages they still hold, fully realising that the treacherous Tel Aviv terrorists would immediately push the total annihilation button and send what's left of the two million citizens into instant martyrdom as soon as these hostages are released, the world conveniently forgets about another living organism that is being held as a giant hostage. This huge hostage is all the countries of the world except the US. And, of course, the one that has captured the major part of the planet as perpetual hostage is the madman, US President Donald Trump. Demanding extraordinary hefty payments in hectically high ransom figures as trade tariffs is but one of his one-sided bargaining weapons. He has a whole Pandora's Box of others in his golf kit bag: Sanctions placed if any country wishes to join BRICS for instance: Amputate diplomatic ties; jump off helping to fund UNESCO and other UN humanitarian organisations; demolish the UN building in New York; deport and excommunicate naturalised US citizens that originate from 'erring' countries; restrict visas to 'enemy' governments; refuse loans and subsidies to African countries. And another few thousand openly and clearly-worded ransom notes that seem to be conjured every weekend in the heartless head of this mammoth megalomaniac. Meantime , the other cheek of the same bum – Netanyahu – continues to use the most flimsy excuse of heavily clichéd single-track monologues that go ad-nauseam: 'Remember October 7; dismembered babies; the Holocaust; remember Hamas?And so Israel continues with it's mission statement; of demolishing each and every trace of what Gaza once was; to grind and bury the bones of every Palestinian, man woman, child and foetus into the rubble, the very minute after the last hostage living or dead is released. Then they can themselves and their like-minded allies in Washington and Tel Aviv can help themselves to the wealth of gas buried off Gaza in the Mediterranean. | Ebrahim Essa Durban DAILY NEWS
