Latest news with #Gaza
The National
27 minutes ago
- Politics
- The National
UN chief says those seeking food in Gaza must not face 'death sentence'
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Friday that any operation that funnels desperate civilians seeking aid into militarised zones in Gaza is 'inherently unsafe', and that 'it is killing people'. While Mr Guterres did not identify any organisation, his comments were seemingly directed at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an entity backed by the US and Israel that has circumvented traditional aid distribution networks to the alarm of the UN and international NGOs. He added that UN-led humanitarian efforts are being ' strangled ', aid workers themselves are starving and Israel – as the occupying power – is required to enable aid deliveries throughout the Palestinian enclave. 'People are being killed simply trying to feed themselves and their families. The search for food must never be a death sentence,' Mr Guterres said. Gaza's 2.3 million people face widespread hunger, with many having been displaced several times by the conflict. His comments come after the head of the GHF, Johnnie Moore, said he had sent a letter to the UN chief asking for collaboration through its aid delivery model. In the letter, sent earlier this week, Mr Moore called on the UN to engage 'immediately and directly' with the GHF to deliver food without the use of 'intermediaries, but through a model that has already proven its capacity to reach those in need'. Israel eased a months-long blockade on Gaza last month, but it has allowed only a limited amount of humanitarian aid into the enclave by way of the UN and the GHF. The UN and aid agencies say the GHF is militarising aid, with the sites it has set up for distribution guarded by armed private security contractors. The US and Israel have accused Hamas and other groups of looting aid meant for desperate Palestinians. Despite the presence of the private security contractors, local authorities say that hundreds of people have been killed, most reportedly by Israeli fire, as they approached distribution sites or queued for aid. Israel and the GHF have dismissed reports of widespread violence as a 'disinformation campaign'. The US announced on Thursday that the State Department will allocate $30 million to the GHF's efforts in Gaza. The organisation says it has distributed almost 50 million meals in the enclave so far.
The Guardian
43 minutes ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on annihilation in Gaza: the deaths mount, but the pressure has ebbed
'We cannot be asking civilians to go into a combat zone so that then they can be killed with the justification that they are in a combat zone.' It defies belief that the Unicef spokesperson, James Elder, should have needed to spell that out this week. And yet each day Palestinians continue to be killed while attempting to collect aid for their families from food hubs in Gaza, forced to make a lethal choice between risking being shot and letting their families slowly starve. More than 500 have died around the centres since the system was introduced – yet, with attention fixed on Israel's attacks on Iran, there has been little to spare for recent deaths. The Israeli military has sought to shrug off accountability with shifting accounts of events. But officers and soldiers have told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that commanders ordered troops to shoot at crowds that clearly posed no threat. Médecins Sans Frontières has accurately described the system as 'slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid'. Meanwhile, Israel has closed crossings into the north. Overall, Gaza's health ministry says that 56,331 people have died in Israeli attacks since war began. Researchers who assess war casualties suggested this week that, far from being exaggerated, this undercounts the toll. They estimated that violent deaths had reached 75,000 by this January, with another 8,500 excess deaths due to the war. The toll of hunger has yet to be reckoned. The ceasefire with Iran has prompted talk that Benjamin Netanyahu may be contemplating an early election, hoping to ride to victory on the glory. That would be tough without the release of hostages and at least the impression of an end to the war in Gaza. Yet it remains unclear whether there is actual movement towards a deal with Hamas. Donald Trump's hazy vision of a grand deal for the Middle East is built upon a fantasy of Arab state acquiescence without any concrete offer for Palestinians. Without a proper agreement, the threat of strikes resuming would loom large, there would be no promise that proper aid would follow, and recovery would be impossible. The far-right coalition partners upon whom Mr Netanyahu depends want the 'day after' to bring not a resurgence of life but the disappearance of Palestinians from Gaza – and beyond. The surging violence and mass displacements in the occupied West Bank, which have seen 943 Palestinians killed by settlers or security forces since 7 October 2023, have been described as 'Gazafication'. Meanwhile, Israel entrenches its control politically. As Israel's allies stand by – or, like Mr Trump, spur on horrors such as the food scheme – the necessary destination of a two-state solution is becoming a mirage. Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, has suggested openly that the US no longer sees an independent Palestinian state as a goal. European nations, including the UK, which had edged towards recognising one, have backed off since Israel attacked Iran. A review by the diplomatic service of the EU – Israel's biggest trading partner – found that the country was probably breaching human rights duties under their trade deal, yet the bloc has not acted accordingly. The Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, rightly urged the EU to suspend the accord. While the arms and trade still flow, Israel's allies are complicit in the destruction of lives in Gaza. They must instead make themselves central to building a future for Palestinians in a state of their own. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
The National
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Bassem Youssef to headline major Gaza fundraiser in London
Egyptian comedian Bassem Youssef and Jordanian-Palestinian singer Zeyne will headline a fundraising event for Gaza in London in July. The evening of comedy, spoken word, theatre and music aims to raise $1 million in donations to the Palestinian Medical Relief Society and the Ghassan Abu Sittah Children's Fund. The goal is to support life-saving healthcare delivery and long-term Palestinian-led rebuilding work, according to its organisers. Youssef is a former heart surgeon who has become a widely heard voice on the Gaza war, after his interview with British TV presenter Piers Morgan went viral in the early weeks of the conflict. Zeyne is a rising star who combines R&B with traditional Arabic music forms including dabke. She and Youssef will be joined by British singer-songwriter and actress Paloma Faith, who has been outspoken in her support of the Palestinian cause. Voices of Solidarity, at the Troxy in east London on July 19, is the second event co-organised by Health Workers 4 Palestine (HW4P). The organisation formed in 2023 to mobilise NHS workers who opposed the war and wanted to support colleagues in Gaza. Its first event, co-organised with British actress Juliet Stevenson at the Roundhouse in north London last year, sold out and raised £200,000 for Medical Aid for Palestinians. More than half of the 2,000 tickets for the July event have already sold out. British-Egyptian actor Khalid Abdalla – known for his role as Dodi Fayed in The Crown – will play his debut single A Simple Song, which is dedicated to the children of Gaza. Abdalla has been a regular speaker at marches for Palestine since the war began after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. He hopes the event will commemorate the more than 1,400 Palestinian health workers who have been killed in Israeli air strikes since 2023. 'Healing begins with those who care for others, many of whom have paid the ultimate price for a vision of a better world,' he said. 'This night will celebrate the Palestine solidarity movement through joy, culture and community, bringing together powerful voices from the arts and front-line medics who embody resistance and hope.' Stevenson, who is also performing at the forthcoming fundraiser, praised the 'selfless professionalism' of Palestinian medics 'in the face of unspeakable brutality and violence has shown the world what bravery and dedication is as a lived reality.' 'Many have been killed or injured, some kidnapped and tortured, all have stared this genocide in the face,' she added. The funds raised will go to HW4P's Solidarity Fund, which will then disburse the donations to the two medical charities. HW4P was founded by the London paediatric neurologist Dr Omar Abdel-Mannan. 'Like so many others, I found myself doom-scrolling as the devastation in Gaza unfolded, feeling helpless – until I realised that sustaining a movement also requires spaces for joy, connection, and remembrance,' he said. The organisation held a candle-lit vigil in November 2023 with other medics in London demanding an end to the war. Since then, the movement had grown to 'global networks of resisting censorship, mobilising aid, and demanding justice'. 'This event is the culmination of that journey – a moment to remember, to resist, and to recommit,' he said.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Prince of Wales hosts Palestinian aid workers
The Prince of Wales has hosted Palestinian aid workers, after revealing concern over suffering in the Middle East. The Prince met with representatives from the British Red Cross and Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) on Thursday. The ongoing conflict in Gaza, which is at the forefront of both charities' operations, is likely to have been a key topic of conversation. The Prince, who is increasingly positioning himself as a global statesman, has closely followed developments in Israel and Gaza since the Hamas terror attack on Oct 7 2023. A Kensington Palace spokesman said on Friday: 'The Prince of Wales continues to follow the humanitarian situation in the Middle East closely.' More than 1,600 staff and volunteers from the PRCS have been working to provide life-saving support in Gaza, distributing emergency relief items, and providing medical support to more than 100,000 people. In March, eight PRCS medics were killed while on duty in Gaza, and one of their colleagues is still missing. The charity has warned that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is 'unbearable' and rapidly deteriorating. In February 2024, the Prince called for an end to the fighting in a strongly-worded intervention that risked sparking a diplomatic rift with Israel. The Prince's statement was released as he met British Red Cross aid workers involved in the humanitarian effort and spoke to their colleagues working on the ground in the region. He explained that the violence had left him ' deeply moved as a father '. He warned that ' too many have been killed ', urging more humanitarian aid and the release of hostages as he called for 'an end to the fighting as soon as possible'. 'Brighter future' Invoking Sir Winston Churchill, he said: 'Even in the darkest hour, we must not succumb to the counsel of despair. I continue to cling to the hope that a brighter future can be found, and I refuse to give up on that.' His intervention was backed by No 10, which said the nation should speak with 'one voice'. The Prince previously joined a synagogue discussion with young campaigners against hatred, in the wake of a sharp rise in anti-Semitism caused by the ongoing violence. In October 2023, the Prince and Princess of Wales condemned Hamas's 'appalling terrorist attack upon Israel', warning that all Israelis and Palestinians would be 'stalked by grief, fear and anger' as 'Israel exercises its right of self defence'. The King condemned the 'barbaric acts of terrorism', and was said to be 'extremely concerned' about the conflict, asking to be kept abreast of developments. Later that month, the monarch, who is president of the British Red Cross, hosted representatives from five charities operating in the Middle East, including Gaza, to 'discuss the acute humanitarian situation'. He also held talks with Sir Ephraim Mirvis, the UK's chief rabbi, to discuss the impact on the Jewish population in the UK. The British Red Cross said at the time that the King had made a 'generous donation' to its Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territory fundraising appeal. In 2018, The Prince of Wales made a four-day visit to Israel and Palestine, expressing his own hopes for 'lasting peace' in the region. It was the first official trip by a member of the monarchy to Israel and the Occupied West Bank and, during his visit, he sat down for separate talks with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, and Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president.
Arab News
an hour ago
- Politics
- Arab News
UN chief says Gazans seeking food must not face ‘death sentence'
NEW YORK CITY: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday that hungry people in Gaza seeking food must not face a 'death sentence' as controversy swirls around a new US- and Israeli-backed distribution system. 'People are being killed simply trying to feed themselves and their families. The search for food must never be a death sentence,' Guterres told reporters, without explicitly naming the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, whose operations have led to near-daily reports of Israeli forces firing on people desperate to get food. 'Any operation that channels desperate civilians into militarized zones is inherently unsafe. It is killing people,' Guterres added. The health ministry in the Hamas-run territory says that since late May, more than 500 people have been killed near aid centers while seeking scarce supplies. GHF has denied that fatal shootings have occurred in the immediate vicinity of its aid points. Starting in March, Israel blocked deliveries of food and other crucial supplies into Gaza for more than two months, leading to warnings of that the entire population of the occupied Palestinian territory is at risk of famine. The United Nations says Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza is illegal under international law. The densely populated Gaza Strip has been largely flattened by Israeli bombing since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas. Israel began allowing food supplies to trickle in at the end of May, using GHF — backed by armed US contractors, with Israeli troops on the perimeter — to run operations. 'The problem of the distribution of humanitarian aid must be solved. There is no need to reinvent the wheel with dangerous schemes,' Guterres said. The UN and major aid groups have refused to work with the GHF, citing concerns it serves Israeli military goals and that it violates basic humanitarian principles by working with one of the sides in a conflict. 'We have the solution — a detailed plan grounded in the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence. We have the supplies. We have the experience. Our plan is guided by what people need,' said the UN chief. He said a 'handful' of medical crossed into Gaza this week, the first shipment in months. 'A trickle of aid is not enough. What's needed now is a surge — the trickle must become an ocean,' said Guterres. Guterres said that as the world focuses on the conflict between Israel and Iran, the suffering of Palestinians must not be 'pushed into the shadows,' calling for 'political courage for a ceasefire.'
