Latest news with #Gazans
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First Post
2 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
US-backed GHF chief denies evidence of deaths near aid centres, defends Gaza operation
Hundreds of Palestinians, including children, have died in the past weeks as they gathered at aid distribution centres to collect food after months of blockade imposed by Israel that cut off the region from aid. Most of these deaths were reported near distribution centres run by GHF read more Palestinian children shove to get a ration of hot food from a charity kitchen set up at the Islamic University campus in Gaza City. AFP The head of the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has defended the US and Israel-backed organisation's operation in the region despite the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians during aid collection. Johnnie Moore, the chief of GHF, told BBC that while he does not dispute the deaths of Gazans, the claim that '100 per cent of those casualties are being attributed to close proximity to GHF' is 'not true'. He also accused the United Nations and other international organisations of spreading unverified information. 'We spend an extended period of time trying to understand what actually happened, if anything actually happened and whether there's a way that we can make it less likely to happen,' Moore said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'People need to understand that it is disinformation that people going to GHF sites are being killed, we have no evidence of that happening in proximity to our sites,' he added. Hundreds of Palestinians, including children, have died in the past weeks as they gathered at aid distribution centres to collect food after months of blockade imposed by Israel that cut off the region from aid. Most of these deaths were reported near distribution centres run by GHF. IDF opens probe The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have opened an investigation into possible war crimes after more evidence points to the possibility of its troops deliberately opening fire at Palestinians receiving food at aid distribution centres across Gaza. Anonymous Israeli soldiers have told Israeli newspaper Haaretz that troops had been told to shoot at crowds of Palestinian citizens collecting aid near food distribution sites to keep them away from Israeli military positions. The soldiers added that they had reservations about launching an assault on people who appeared to pose no threat. IDF rejects media reports The Israeli military has rejected reports by Israeli media, saying no forces had been ordered 'to deliberately shoot at civilians, including those approaching the distribution centres'. It added, 'To be clear, IDF directives prohibit deliberate attacks on civilians." Late on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, similarly, rejected claims made in the Haaretz report in a joint statement. They accused the news outlet of 'malicious falsehoods designed to defame the IDF, the most moral military in the world'.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
U.S. to give $30M to Gaza aid group called a "death trap" by U.N.
The U.S. State Department announced Thursday that the Trump administration had approved $30 million in funding for the controversial, opaquely run private food distribution organization known as the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has been criticized by a United Nations agency as "a death trap" for hungry Palestinians in the war-torn enclave. It is the first U.S. government funding for the GHF confirmed by the Trump administration. Since it began operating in May, the GHF says it has distributed more than 46 million meals to Gazans, but its record has been marred by almost daily reports of civilians being killed trying to access its four "distribution hubs." The Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health said that as of Wednesday, 549 people had been killed near GHF hubs trying to access aid, and more than 4,066 others wounded. The United Nations has reported a lower death toll, saying that 410 people have been killed near the aid hubs. The GHF dismisses the Ministry of Health's figures as disinformation, and it says daily that nobody has been killed inside any of its hubs, while acknowledging incidents of violence outside the sites and referring to Israel's military for further information. "We call on other countries to also support the GHF," State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said during a media briefing on Thursday, adding that the U.S. support, "is simply the latest iteration of President Trump's and Secretary Rubio's pursuit of peace in the region." Pigott said he couldn't say whether the U.S. funds had already been handed over to the GHF. Asked about the pattern of near-daily reports of fatal shootings by Israeli forces around GHF distribution hubs, which the Israeli military says it is investigating, Pigott referred the reporter to the IDF to comment on its investigations, and added: "Many of these reports are based on Hamas propaganda." Given his emphasis on the Trump administration's priority being the provision of more aid in Gaza, Pigott was asked repeatedly whether the U.S. would push Israel to allow other, well established humanitarian organizations to operate more freely inside the strip. He responded to that question multiple times by repeating his call for other countries to support the GHF. After being pushed by multiple reporters on the accusations that the GHF hubs are "traps" for Israeli forces to fire on civilians, Pigott said it was "important to realize that Hamas bears sole responsibility for this conflict." Other humanitarian organizations, including U.N. agencies, have refused to work with the GHF, saying it operates in a way that dehumanizes Palestinians by forcing them to venture long distances for food, and citing repeated instances of violence around its distribution sites. "Now is the time for unity and collaboration," the GHF said Friday. "We look forward to other aid and humanitarian organizations joining us so we can feed even more Gazans, together." CBS News has requested in-person, on-camera interviews with GHF representatives repeatedly since the organization's creation was announced. GHF has yet to grant an interview. Criticism of GFH mounts, as it's labelled "a death trap" and a "U.S. proxy" The head of the U.N.'s agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, called the operation "a death trap" in a scathing statement earlier this week. There were new reports Friday of Palestinians being fired on near a GHF hub in southern Gaza, near the city of Rafah. An amateur video shared online by local Palestinian news organizations — which CBS News was not immediately able to independently verify — showed people laying on the ground for cover as bullets can be heard whizzing past. The video was shared with the caption: "We are besieged by hunger from behind and death from ahead." The international charity Doctors Without Borders added its voice on Friday to the list of non-governmental organizations decrying the GHF, calling the group a "Israeli-U.S. proxy" and a "slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid." "The four distribution sites, all located in areas under the full control of Israeli forces after people had been forcibly displaced from there, are the size of football fields surrounded by watch points, mounds of earth and barbed wire. The fenced entrance gives only one access point in or out," MSF emergency coordinator in Gaza, Aitor Zabalgogeazkoa, said in the statement. "If people arrive early and approach the checkpoints, they get shot. If they arrive on time, but there is an overflow and they jump over the mounds and the wires, they get shot. If they arrive late, they shouldn't be there because it is an 'evacuated zone', they get shot." "It's unfortunate that MSF has joined the misinformation smear campaign by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry," a GHF spokesperson told CBS News on Friday. "Many of these alleged incidents were falsely linked to GHF sites when in fact they occurred near other humanitarian convoys or distribution locations." The spokesperson did not reply to a CBS News' question about whether the GHF was created or operates in direct conjunction with the U.S. or Israeli governments. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz added further weight to the accusations about violence around GHF hubs in an article published Friday, saying it had been told by some anonymous IDF personnel of a deliberate policy to shoot at crowds near GHF distribution sites. One soldier was quoted as saying he had been deployed near a GHF hub, and he described the situation as "a killing field." "Where I was stationed, between one and five people were killed every day," the soldier told Haaretz, which has long been critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. "They're treated like a hostile force — no crowd-control measures, no tear gas — just live fire with everything imaginable: heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars. Then, once the center opens, the shooting stops, and they know they can approach. Our form of communication is gunfire." "We strongly reject the accusation raised in the article," the IDF told CBS News in a statement on Friday. "The IDF did not instruct the forces to deliberately shoot at civilians, including those approaching the distribution centers. To be clear, IDF directives prohibit deliberate attacks on civilians." The military said it was "operating to allow and facilitate the distribution of humanitarian aid by the American 'Gaza Humanitarian Foundation' (GHF), and to secure the routes leading to the distribution centers, in order to allow the aid to reach the civilians rather than Hamas." The IDF added that its forces were "conducting systematic learning processes aimed at improving the operational response in the area (around GHF hubs) and minimizing, as much as possible, potential friction between the civilian population and IDF forces. As part of this effort, IDF forces have recently taken steps to reorganize the area, including the installation of new fencing, signage, the opening of additional routes, and more." It said recent reports of civilians being harmed approaching GHF hubs were "being examined by the relevant IDF authorities" and that "any allegation of a deviation from the law or IDF directives will be thoroughly examined, and further action will be taken as necessary." In a joint statement on Friday, Netanyahu and Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz also said the "State of Israel strongly rejects the despicable blood libels published in the newspaper 'Haaretz.'" In response to the Haaretz article, a GHF spokesperson told CBS News on Friday that there had "been no incidents or fatalities at or in the immediate vicinity of any of our distribution sites. However, IDF is tasked with providing safe passage for aid-seekers to all humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza, including GHF. GHF is not aware of any of these incidents but these allegations are too grave to ignore and we therefore call on Israel to investigate them and transparently publish the results in a timely manner." GHF boss dismisses criticism as "disinformation" GHF executive chairman Johnnie Moore, an evangelical preacher twice appointed by President Trump as a White House adviser on religious freedoms, told Britain's Sky News on Friday that there was a "disinformation campaign" that is "meant to shut down our efforts" in the Gaza Strip. "Hamas is intentionally harming people for the purpose of defaming what we're doing," he said, adding that the "U.S. endorsement of the effort is Exhibit A that it is actually working, despite the disinformation campaign that is very, very deliberate, meant to shut down our efforts." Moore suggested that violence could not be avoided around its hubs in Gaza, as the small, densely populated Palestinian territory remains an active warzone. Sky cited a U.N. figure of 410 people killed near aid hubs in Gaza, slightly lower than the figure provided by the health ministry. In a social media post after his interview with Sky, Moore said that "some associated with the UN (& others) are knowingly sharing info that cannot be independently verified, & they're doing so solely for political purposes… while claiming impartiality. GHF is not political. It just has one mission: feed Gaza." "The key piece of disinformation is, every single day, some figure comes out from the Gaza Health Ministry. It's normally shared with a network like Al-Jazeera, and it sort of like, goes around the world," he told Sky, when asked specifically what disinformation he was referring to. Moore drew a distinction between the GHF's operations and those of the Israel military. "The difference between, you know, what happens when the IDF is involved in an incident — and we're not denying that there have been those incidents, there have been those incidents — but we're able to talk to the IDF, the IDF does an investigation, and the IDF is a professionalized military," Moore said. "Hamas is intentionally harming people for the purpose of defaming what we're doing." The IDF has issued repeated statements after reports of troops firing on unarmed Palestinian civilians seeking aid, saying it has launched investigations. The results of any investigations related to incidents near GHF hubs have yet to be made public by the IDF. "They go to get food, but end up being killed." A number of Palestinians have told CBS News' team in Gaza about experiences of violence near GHF distribution sites. In early June, the family of Reem Akhras, a mother of eight, told CBS News' team in Gaza at her funeral that she was shot on her way to retrieve an aid parcel from a GHF hub. "You went to get us food, Mom," Akhras' young daughter cried, sobbing over her body. "We will never forgive them." "They go to get food, but end up being killed," a man at Gaza's Nasser Hospital — where many of the injured were taken after an incident near a GHF hub in southern Gaza this week — told CBS News. "They come with empty bags, and the American security company along with the Israeli army, they shoot these young men." The man said 30 people were killed on that day trying to reach the GHF hub. "I tell everybody: Don't go. I send a message to all those young men: Do not go. Families should not send their children. Those who go will die. It's a trap. Stop going there. And if your son insists on going, break his legs. Do not go there." Another man at the hospital told CBS News that people have died "in every family. They were just going to get food. They are hungry, grieving. They've got nothing to eat. Nothing to drink. There's no life. No safety. There's none of that in Gaza." The man said he wished the rest of the world could understand the suffering of people in Gaza. "Young men in their prime are dying. What brings these youngsters to go to the aid sites? It's hunger. The fire of hunger has ravaged the people." GHF declines to reveal other backers Asked why the GHF was not being more transparent about its funding, organization and management, Moore declined to give further information about those matters, instead noting the group's daily press release to news organizations that lists the number of meals it says it has distributed and other "operations on the ground." The GHF has been surrounded by controversy from the moment it commenced operations in mid-May. Just days after it launched its operation in Gaza, the group's first executive director, American Jake Wood, announced his resignation, saying it had become clear the foundation would not be allowed to operate independently. GHF then said it was winding down its operation in Switzerland after Swiss authorities said it was breaching rules for foundations registered in that country. GHF told CBS News at the time that henceforth, its only operations would be based out of the United States. "We're saying everything we can, every single day, and by the way, we promise to do more of that," Moore said on Friday when pressed by Sky News about where the organization's funding comes from and what other entities it works with directly. "One of the reasons we haven't released some pieces of information is because of this amazing, amazing opposition to any effort whatsoever to do this differently." Moore repeated the GHF's insistence that only its method of aid distribution in Gaza was viable, as the only other way meant that "virtually every piece of aid that comes into the Gaza Strip is immediately taken by armed gangs, by Hamas." Other aid agencies, and officials in the Hamas-run enclave, acknowledge that looting does happen, but they refute claims of large-scale aid theft or diversion, saying the primary challenge to distributing food in Gaza is Israeli forces not permitting those operations. On June 11, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee was asked by CBS News' partner network BBC News if the State Department was funding GHF. "It is not currently being funded largely by the U.S.," he said at the time. "There are other countries, there are NGOs, there are humanitarian funds, and there are private individuals who have funded it, all of which have requested to remain anonymous. I think they don't want to become the targets of the hate that has befitted those who have tried to do something positive in what is a very difficult situation." Hegseth slams Iran strikes initial assessment that contradicts Trump's take Young Cuban girl asks Trump to lift travel ban stopping her from joining mom in U.S. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez set for star-studded wedding in Venice
Canada News.Net
15 hours ago
- Health
- Canada News.Net
Gazans have to burn plastic waste to cook in makeshift shelters: UN
OCHA said Israeli authorities continue to restrict the delivery of fuel into and throughout Gaza Strip. The rapid depletion of remaining fuel stocks jeopardizes efforts to maintain Gaza's lifelines. UNITED NATIONS, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Alongside hunger, gunfire and bombardment, civilians in Gaza now face another deadly hazard: burning plastic waste just for cooking, UN humanitarians said on Wednesday. "Shelling and bombing across the (Gaza) Strip continue to have a devastating impact on civilians, reportedly killing and injuring scores of people, many of whom were seeking aid," said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). "Partners report that in the absence of fuel, cooking gas and electricity, people are burning plastic waste." OCHA said that when such fires occur in makeshift shelters or tents, poor ventilation poses tremendous safety and health risks to vulnerable family members, including children and older individuals. The office said Israeli authorities continue to restrict the delivery of fuel into and throughout the strip, effectively choking off life-saving services for deprived and starving individuals. The rapid depletion of remaining fuel stocks jeopardizes efforts to maintain Gaza's lifelines. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that on Tuesday, the Red Cross Field Hospital in Rafah received a mass casualty influx of 149 cases. "All responsive patients reporting they were wounded while on their way to an aid distribution site," the ICRC said. "Sixteen people were declared dead on arrival, and three more died of their wounds shortly after. The vast majority of patients reportedly suffered gunshot injuries." The casualties among food-seeking Gazans usually occur at distribution centers of the non-UN, U.S.-operated and Israeli-approved militarized Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The ICRC said it has had to activate its mass casualty procedures 20 times since May 27, adding, "The scale and frequency of these incidents is an alarming testament to the intolerable dangers civilians face as they attempt to access assistance." The UN Population Fund reported that 80 percent of critical care units, including those used for childbirth, risk shutting down when there is a daily average of 130 births in Gaza. Fuel for Gaza is a matter of life and death. The humanitarian office said that community kitchens were able to prepare more than 200,000 meals every day this week. However, compared with the over 1 million meals distributed daily at the end of April, it represents a reduction of about 80 percent, a trickle offered to people on the brink of famine. OCHA said that to address the massive deprivation in Gaza meaningfully, the Israeli authorities must allow higher volumes of supplies and more varied types of food, as well as cooking gas, fuel and shelter items, into the strip. "To facilitate the orderly distribution of aid, supplies must be channeled daily through multiple crossings and land routes simultaneously, thereby ensuring people that the flow of essential support is steady, sufficient and reliable," the office said. OCHA said the world body and its partners attempted to coordinate 15 humanitarian movements inside Gaza on Tuesday, but only four were fully facilitated by the Israeli authorities. Seven other attempts were denied outright, preventing teams from trucking water, retrieving broken trucks or repairing roads. The office said that another three missions were initially approved but then impeded on the ground,although one was ultimately accomplished on Wednesday. Another mission had to be canceled by the organizers. OCHA said tens of thousands of students were unable to sit for this year's general secondary examination this week due to insecurity, displacement orders and internet connectivity challenges across Gaza. Last year, about 39,000 high school students in Gaza were reportedly unable to sit for the exam.
Observer
15 hours ago
- General
- Observer
On Palestinian cooking and cultural preservation
The ongoing war in Gaza has destroyed much of its cultural heritage. But amidst the rubble, at least one Palestinian staple endures: the common mallow plant. This spinach-like leaf, which forms the basis of a traditional stew called 'Khubeze' that has helped many Gazans stave off hunger, is one of many native plants at the centre of Palestinian cuisine. Sami Tamimi, the acclaimed Palestinian chef who comprises half of the duo behind the popular Ottolenghi deli and restaurant empire, pays tribute to this culinary tradition of 'farming and foraging and eating what is growing in your backyard' in his forthcoming cookbook 'Boustany,' or 'My Garden' in Arabic, which will be released in the US on July 15. Tamimi emphasised the importance of promoting and preserving the Palestinian people's rich culinary heritage — not only amidst the destruction of Gaza, but in the face of what he sees as the longstanding appropriation of traditional Palestinian dishes. Palestinian cuisine has surged in popularity in recent years, in part because chefs like you have made it more accessible. What do you make of its rise? It wasn't deliberate. I just wanted to promote our food, the culture, the stories behind it, where it all comes from, the whole connection to the land — all which I felt, amidst all the war, was getting slightly lost. The thing that really winds me up is seeing so many Israeli restaurants opening in the UK and Europe and America that are basically selling our food in the name of Israeli new cuisine. What they do is take a dish and take it out of context. They don't have any backstory about where this dish comes from, what kind of tradition is behind it. It gets worse when they don't even bother to change the name of the dish. So, maklouba appears on menus as maklouba; mujadara (a popular Levantine dish of lentils, rice and crispy onions) is mujadara. I'm not saying all these dishes are Palestinian, but they have their own history and heritage and rituals; and claiming all of that. FILE PHOTO: Palestinian-British chef, food-writer and restaurateur Sami Tamimi prepares a dish from his new cookbook during an interview with Reuters at his home in London, Britain, June 3, 2025. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Do you see the growing prominence of Palestinian cuisine as part of an effort to preserve Palestinian culture, or assert ownership? We have some really talented chefs that are pushing the boat towards preserving and putting our food under the limelight in a good way. But it took a long time because, coming out of trauma, people are focusing on other things to rebuild and preserve. Food was the last bit. Were you always drawn to Palestinian food, specifically? From a young age, I wanted to learn other cuisines. Later, when I moved to Tel Aviv, I realised that the food that was important to me is Palestinian food. But I didn't want to do traditional Palestinian food because, first of all, it takes hours to make. And there's no market for it. It sounds horrible, but when you do traditional food like this in a restaurant, it's a bit like peasant food. People don't appreciate it. I worked in a Californian grill place for a few years and I started to combine bases of Palestinian food into new ingredients. It was fun because I could stay true to a dish but kind of elaborate on it and this became my style. Was your intention with your 2020 cookbook 'Falastin' to provide that backstory? With 'Falastin', I wanted to give thanks. I've been cooking for so many years and borrowing dishes from our repertoire as a Palestinian and I wanted to stop and say thank you. In the '90s, we had a lot of books that talked about Mediterranean food and Middle Eastern food; and it's a vast chunk of the world. Nowadays, the focus is really about a certain place and its culture and the food. It's a wonderful way to convey a lot of what I wanted to say about modern-day Palestine. What I wanted to achieve from it was to interview real people that really inspire me and who I thought will inspire other people. How does 'Boustany' differ from 'Falastin'? Apart from it being your first solo cookbook, it's comprised of vegetarian recipes, right? Vegan and vegetarian. The whole idea started from the Covid-19 lockdown. When you're in a situation like lockdown, you really get homesick because you want to be with your family and eat the food that brings you comfort. I wanted, in a way, to transport myself to being with my family back home. But because I couldn't, I started cooking simple dishes like Khubeze. It started with me just writing these recipes and, six months later, I had 300. — Reuters
The National
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Kneecap playing 'satirical characters' on stage, Mo Chara says
In an interview with The Guardian – the only official interview the group have given ahead of their much-contested Glastonbury performance – Ó hAnnaidh called his on-stage persona a character after he was asked if he regrets holding a Hezbollah flag, which led to him being charged with terror offences. The singer said: 'It's a joke. I'm a character. Shit is thrown on stage all the time. If I'm supposed to know every fucking thing that's thrown on stage, I'd be in Mensa, Jesus Christ. READ MORE: 'Stop the Genocide': Kneecap release film with Gaza surgeons ahead of Glastonbury set 'I don't know every proscribed organisation – I've got enough shit to worry about up there. I'm thinking about my next lyric, my next joke, the next drop of a beat.' Ó hAnnaidh described Kneecap as 'satirical' when pressed about an old video from a Kneecap gig that resurfaced after their Coachella set, showing the group saying things "the only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP". He told The Guardian: 'Why should I regret it? It was a joke – we're playing characters, it's satirical, it's a fucking joke. And that's not the point. 'The point is, that [video] wasn't an issue until we said 'Free Palestine' at Coachella. That stuff happened 18 months ago, and nobody batted an eyelid. 'Everybody agreed it was a fucking joke, even people that may have been in the room that didn't agree – it's a laugh, we're all having a bit of craic. 'The point is, and the context is, it all [resurfaced] because of Coachella. That's what we should be questioning, not whether I regret things.' READ MORE: IDF soldiers ordered to shoot deliberately at unarmed Gazans waiting for aid The trio are set to perform at Glastonbury on Saturday June 28, though the BBC are unlikely to broadcast their performance. On Thursday, they announced the release of a film ahead of their performance titled Stop the Genocide, which features testimony from medics working on the ground in the enclave and Palestinians directly affected by the genocide. Kneecap have repeatedly pointed out that they 'are not the story', the genocide is, after a leaked letter showed a number of music execs echoing Keir Starmer's views that the group should not be allowed to perform at the festival.
