Gaza civil defence says Israeli forces kill 28 people
Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that five people were killed in a strike on Gaza City that hit a school building sheltering Palestinians displaced by the war, now in its 22nd month.
Bassal said five others were killed when an Israeli strike hit a tent used by displaced Palestinians also in Gaza City, in the territory's north.
The Israeli military said that strike was carried out late Thursday, targeting "a key terrorist in the Islamic Jihad terrorist organisation", a militant group that has fought alongside Hamas in Gaza.
According to the civil defence agency, more than a dozen other Palestinians were killed in several strikes in Gaza's north, centre and south on Friday.
The toll includes at least eight people killed by Israeli fire while waiting to collect humanitarian aid, Bassal said.
Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military did not comment on the agency's reports.
Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency and other parties.
The Israeli campaign has killed 59,676 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
25 minutes ago
- First Post
Gaza receives emergency food drops from Jordan, UAE, and Israel as UN warns of mass starvation
Jordanian and Emirati planes dropped food into Gaza on Sunday as Israel launched a limited 'tactical pause' in military operations to address a worsening hunger crisis. The UN has warned of famine-like conditions affecting hundreds of thousands. read more Jordanian and Emirati planes dropped food into Gaza on Sunday, as Israel began a limited 'tactical pause' in military operations to allow the UN and aid agencies to tackle a deepening hunger crisis. The Israeli military said it had also begun airdropping food into the Palestinian territory – making one drop of seven palettes – while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected what he characterised as UN 'lies' that his government was to blame for the dire humanitarian situation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The army also dismissed allegations that it had been using starvation as a weapon, saying it had coordinated with the UN and international agencies to 'increase the scale of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip'. UN emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher welcomed the tactical pauses, saying he was in 'contact with our teams on the ground who will do all we can to reach as many starving people as we can in this window'. But the UN's World Food Programme said a third of the population of Gaza had not eaten for days, and 470,000 people were 'enduring famine-like conditions' that were already leading to deaths. The Israeli decision came as international pressure mounted on Netanyahu's government to head off the risk of mass starvation in the territory. Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz joined the chorus of concern on Sunday, urging Netanyahu 'to provide the starving civilian population in Gaza with urgently needed humanitarian aid now.' Accusing the UN of fabricating 'pretexts and lies about Israel' blocking aid, Netanyahu said in remarks at an airbase that 'there are secure routes' for aid. 'There have always been, but today it's official. There will be no more excuses,' he added. Since Israel imposed a total blockade on aid entering Gaza on March 2, the situation inside the territory has deteriorated sharply. More than 100 NGOs warned this week of 'mass starvation'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Though aid has trickled back in since late May, the UN and humanitarian agencies say Israeli restrictions remain excessive and road access inside Gaza is tightly controlled. 'Life's wish' The Jordanian military said its planes, working with the United Arab Emirates, had delivered 25 tonnes of aid in three parachute drops over Gaza on Sunday. Truckloads of flour were also seen arriving in northern Gaza through the Zikim area crossing from Israel, according to AFP journalists. The charity Oxfam's regional policy chief Bushra Khalidi called Israel's latest moves a 'welcome first step' but warned they could prove insufficient. 'Starvation won't be solved by a few trucks or airdrops,' she said. 'What's needed is a real humanitarian response: ceasefire, full access, all crossings open, and a steady, large-scale flow of aid into Gaza. 'We need a permanent ceasefire, a complete lifting of the siege.' In general, humanitarian officials are deeply sceptical airdrops can deliver enough food safely to tackle the hunger crisis facing Gaza's more than two million inhabitants. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In Gaza City's Tel al-Hawa district, 30-year-old Suad Ishtaywi said her 'life's wish' was to simply feed her children. She spoke of her husband returning empty-handed from aid points daily. Chaotic scenes broke out at the site where Israel conducted its first food drop, witnesses told AFP. Samih Humeid, a 23-year-old from the Al-Karama neighbourhood of Gaza City, said dozens of people had gathered to rush towards the palettes of supplies parachuted onto the area. 'It felt like a war, everyone trying to grab whatever they could. Hunger is merciless. The quantities were extremely limited, not enough even for a few people, because hunger is everywhere. I only managed to get three cans of fava beans,' he said. In a social media post, the Israeli military announced it had 'carried out an airdrop of humanitarian aid as part of the ongoing efforts to allow and facilitate the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip'. AFP journalists saw Egyptian trucks crossing from Rafah, with cargo routed through Israel's Kerem Shalom checkpoint for inspection before entering Gaza. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Israeli army's daily pause from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm will be limited to areas where its troops are not currently operating – Al-Mawasi in the south, central Deir el-Balah and Gaza City in the north. Israel said 'designated secure routes' would also open across Gaza for aid convoys carrying food and medicine. The military said the measures should disprove 'the false claim of deliberate starvation'. Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, citing 'reasonable grounds' to suspect war crimes including starvation – charges Israel vehemently denies. Activists intercepted On Sunday, according to the Gaza civil defence agency, Israeli army fire killed 27 Palestinians, 12 of them near aid distribution areas. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency and other parties. Separately, the Israeli navy brought an activist boat, the Handala operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, into the part of Ashdod, after intercepting and boarding it late Saturday to prevent it attempting to breach a maritime blockade of Gaza. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The legal rights centre Adalah told AFP its lawyers were in Ashdod and had met with 19 of the 21 detained activists and journalists from 10 countries. The other two detainees, dual US-Israeli nationals, had been transferred to Israeli police custody, the group said. Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. The Israeli campaign has killed 59,733 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
Economic Times
28 minutes ago
- Economic Times
US tariff deadline of August 1 is firm, no extensions: Commerce secretary
The United States will implement tariffs on August 1. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed no extensions will be granted. Customs will collect the money from the mentioned date. This decision sends a message to trading partners. They must meet commitments to strike trade deals with the Trump administration. Earlier, President Trump had mentioned the deadline could be extended or not. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Rising tariff floor: Trump sets 15% as the starting point Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The United States will not offer any extensions to its August 1 tariff deadline , Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed on Sunday, according to AFP. This rules out any possibility of a second extension from the initial July 9 deadline set by President Trump.'So no extensions, no more grace periods. August 1, the tariffs are set. They'll go into place. Customs will start collecting the money, and off we go,' Lutnick told Fox News announcement sends a firm and final message to US trading partners: the deadline is real, and time-bound commitments must now be met. This is particularly relevant for countries, including India, still hoping to strike trade agreements with the Trump administration ahead of the so-called "reciprocal tariff" Donald Trump had earlier left the door open to a possible delay, saying the deadline 'could or could not' be extended. But Lutnick's remarks eliminate that uncertainty, cementing August 1 as the date when the new tariff regime will officially come into days before the deadline, the two-time Republican President indicated that the baseline tariff rate would be no lower than 15%, up from the 10% figure initially floated in at an AI summit in Washington on July 24, he said, 'We'll have a straight, simple tariff of anywhere between 15% and 50%. We have 50 because we haven't been getting along with those countries too well.'Earlier this month, Trump said that letters were being sent to more than 150 countries, informing them of the tariff hike. 'Probably 10 or 15%, we haven't decided yet,' he said at the time. But with the president now confirming a 15% floor and a possible ceiling of 50%, the scope of these levies appears to be Secretary Lutnick added further clarity during a separate interview with CBS News, stating that smaller nations—particularly in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa—would face a baseline tariff of 10%, slightly lower than the new floor, but still significant compared to pre-April norms.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Israel's daily pauses fall short of easing Gaza suffering, says UK's foreign minister
Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Israel's plan to pause its military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza is not enough to meet the urgent needs of civilians caught in the conflict, Reuters reported. In a statement on Sunday, Lammy said the announcement was 'essential but long overdue' and called for faster delivery of aid and a broader political solution. 'This announcement alone cannot alleviate the needs of those desperately suffering in Gaza,' Lammy said, according to Reuters. 'We need a ceasefire that can end the war, for hostages to be released and aid to enter Gaza by land unhindered.' Israel said the daily pauses would allow more humanitarian aid to enter through designated corridors. But aid groups say conditions on the ground remain dire, with food, water, and medical supplies running low. As per reports more than 38,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began last October, after Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel. The war has displaced hundreds of thousands and caused a deep humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. The United Nations and international agencies have warned that many people in Gaza are at risk of starvation. Access to aid remains limited, with repeated calls for Israel to fully open land crossings and ensure the safety of humanitarian workers. Lammy said the UK would continue to push for increased access and support efforts for a lasting ceasefire. (With inputs from agencies)
