Latest news with #MahmoudBassal
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Tens of thousands flee Gaza City after Israel warns of major offensive
Tens of thousands of Palestinians were fleeing eastern parts of Gaza City in the north of the territory on Sunday after Israel warned of a major offensive. The messages on social media from the Israel Defense Forces warned of 'military operations [that] will escalate, intensify, and extend westward to the city centre to destroy the capabilities of terrorist organisations' and directed those living in several crowded neighbourhoods to al-Mawasi, a coastal area much further south that is already overcrowded and has very limited facilities. Witnesses described scenes of chaos as entire families tried to pack their remaining belongings, tents and meagre stocks of foods on to donkey carts, bicycles, improvised pickup trucks and cars. Huge numbers of Palestinians displaced from homes or camps to the north of Gaza City moved there after renewed Israeli operations and clashes with Hamas since a fragile ceasefire collapsed in March. The warnings from Israel came after days of Israeli airstrikes and shelling across Gaza that have killed hundreds. Gaza's civil defence agency said 23 Palestinians had been killed on Sunday by Israeli strikes, including at least three children. Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesperson for the agency, said two children were killed in a strike on their home in Zaytun, just to the east of Gaza City, in the early morning. A resident in nearby Jabaliya, Ahmed Arar, 60, said his family's house had been destroyed after they received a warning it would be bombed from a person identifying himself as an Israeli army officer. The Israeli military said it was not able to comment on the reported incidents but said it was fighting 'to dismantle Hamas military capabilities'. The 20-month war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack, during which militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 250. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 56,500 people in Gaza, again mostly civilians. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Sunday that his country's 'victory' over Iran in their 12-day war had created 'opportunities', including for freeing hostages held in Gaza. 'Many opportunities have opened up now following this victory. First of all, to rescue the hostages,' Netanyahu said. 'Of course, we will also have to solve the Gaza issue, to defeat Hamas, but I estimate that we will achieve both goals.' Sign up to First Thing Our US morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The main group representing hostages' families welcomed 'the fact that after 20 months, the return of the hostages has finally been designated as the top priority by the prime minister'. Meanwhile there has been rising concern over how food is being distributed in Gaza. Hundreds of desperate Palestinians have been killed over the past month as they make their way to distribution sites and after gathering at points where they expect convoys of aid trucks will be forced to stop, local hospitals and officials have said. After claiming victory in the war against Iran that ended with a ceasefire on Tuesday, the Israeli military said it was focusing on the 'primary front' in Gaza, where Palestinian militants still hold 50 hostages, of whom more than half are thought to be dead. Donald Trump used social media on Sunday to call for a swift end to the war in Gaza. 'Make the deal in Gaza, get the hostages back,' the US president posted on his Truth Social platform. Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Qatar and Egypt, are continuing but without obvious sign of any breakthrough. Many analysts say only direct pressure from Trump or Netanyahu will bring about a new ceasefire as neither Israel nor Hamas currently look likely to make the necessary concessions.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Tens of thousands flee Gaza City after Israel warns of major offensive
Tens of thousands of Palestinians were fleeing eastern parts of Gaza City, the major city in the north of the territory, on Sunday after Israel warned of a major offensive. The messages on social media from the Israel Defense Forces warned of 'military operations [that] will escalate, intensify, and extend westward to the city centre to destroy the capabilities of terrorist organisations' and directed those living in several crowded neighbourhoods to al-Mawasi, a coastal area much further south that is already overcrowded and has very limited facilities. Witnesses described scenes of chaos as entire families tried to pack their remaining belongings, tents and meagre stocks of foods on to donkey carts, bicycles, improvised pickup trucks and cars. Huge numbers of Palestinians displaced from homes or camps to the north of Gaza City moved there after renewed Israeli operations and clashes with Hamas since a fragile ceasefire collapsed in March. The warnings from Israel came after days of Israeli airstrikes and shelling across Gaza that have killed hundreds. Gaza's civil defence agency said 23 Palestinians had been killed on Sunday by Israeli strikes, including at least three children. Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesperson for the agency, said two children were killed in a strike on their home in Zaytun, just to the east of Gaza City, in the early morning. A resident in nearby Jabalia, Ahmed Arar, 60, said his family's house was destroyed after they received a warning it would be bombed from a person identifying himself as an Israeli army officer. The Israeli military said it was not able to comment on the reported incidents but said it was fighting 'to dismantle Hamas military capabilities'. The 20-month war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack, during which militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 250. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 56,500 people in Gaza, again mostly civilians. There has also been rising concern over how aid is being distributed in Gaza. Hundreds of desperate Palestinians have been killed over the past month as they make their way to distribution sites and after gathering at points where they expect convoys of aid trucks will be forced to stop, local hospitals and officials have said. Sign up to First Thing Our US morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion After claiming victory in the 12-day war against Iran that ended with a ceasefire on Tuesday, the Israeli military said it was focusing on the 'primary front' in Gaza, where Palestinian militants still hold 50 hostages, of whom more than half are thought to be dead. President Trump used social media on Sunday to call for a swift end to the war in Gaza. 'Make the deal in Gaza, get the hostages back,' Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Qatar and Egypt, are continuing but without obvious sign of any breakthrough. Many analysts say only direct pressure from Trump or Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, will bring about a new ceasefire as neither Israel nor Hamas currently look likely to make the necessary concessions.
Al Arabiya
4 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Israeli forces kill 17, including children, Gaza rescuers say
Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli air strikes and gunfire killed at least 17 people including three children in the war-stricken Palestinian territory on Sunday. Civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal told AFP that 16 people died in air strikes at five locations around the Gaza Strip, and another from Israeli fire near an aid distribution center. The Israeli military told AFP it was not able to comment on the reported incidents but said it was fighting 'to dismantle Hamas military capabilities' in a campaign launched in 2023 against the militant group whose attack on Israel triggered the war. Restrictions on media in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers. Bassal said two children were killed in an air strike on their home in Gaza City's Zeitun neighborhood in the early morning, and 'the house was completely destroyed.' A member of the family, Abdel Rahman Azzam, 45, told AFP he was at home and 'heard a huge explosion at my relative's house.' 'I rushed out in panic and saw the house destroyed and on fire,' he added. 'We evacuated more than 20 injured people, including two martyrs -- two children from the family. The screams of children and women were non-stop,' Azzam said. 'They bombed the house with a missile without any prior warning. This is a horrific crime. We sleep without knowing if we will wake up.' Elsewhere, Bassal said a drone strike on a tent housing displaced people near the southern city of Khan Younis killed five people including a child. He said that other casualties included a young man killed 'by Israeli fire this morning while waiting for aid' near a humanitarian distribution centre in the southern city of Rafah. Evacuation order The Israeli military issued an evacuation order on Sunday for parts of Gaza City and nearby areas in the territory's north, warning of imminent action there. The military 'will operate with intense force in these areas, and these military operations will intensify and expand... to destroy the capabilities of the terrorist organizations,' military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a statement posted on X. He told residents to 'evacuate immediately south' to al-Mawasi area on the coast. The civil defense agency later said an Israeli air strike hit a house in Gaza City, killing three people. Israel launched its offensive in October 2023 in response to the deadly Hamas attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 56,412 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers these figures to be reliable. After claiming victory in a 12-day war against Iran that ended with a ceasefire on Tuesday, the Israeli military said it would refocus on its offensive in Gaza, where Palestinian militants still hold Israeli hostages.
Al-Ahram Weekly
4 days ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Israeli strikes and gunfire kill at least 14 in Gaza, including children - War on Gaza
Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli air strikes and gunfire killed at least 14 people including three children in the war-stricken Palestinian territory on Sunday. Civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal told AFP that 13 people died in air strikes at four locations around the Gaza Strip, and another from Israeli fire near an aid distribution centre. Bassal said two children were killed in an air strike on their home in Gaza City's Zeitun neighbourhood in the early morning, and 'the house was completely destroyed.' A member of the family, Abdel Rahman Azzam, 45, told AFP he was at home and 'heard a huge explosion at my relative's house'. 'I rushed out in panic and saw the house destroyed and on fire,' he added. 'We evacuated more than 20 injured people, including two martyrs -- two children from the family. The screams of children and women were non-stop,' Azzam said. 'They bombed the house with a missile without any prior warning. This is a horrific crime. We sleep without knowing if we will wake up.' Elsewhere, Bassal said a drone strike on a tent housing displaced people near the southern city of Khan Yunis killed five people including a child. He said that other casualties included a young man killed 'by Israeli fire this morning while waiting for aid' near a humanitarian distribution centre in the southern city of Rafah. Gaza evacuation order The Israeli military issued an evacuation order on Sunday for parts of Gaza City and nearby areas in the territory's north, warning of imminent action there. The military 'will operate with intense force in these areas, and these military operations will intensify and expand', military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a statement posted on X. He told residents to 'evacuate immediately south' to Al-Mawasi area on the coast. Since the start of its war on Gaza in October 2023, Israel has killed at least 56,412 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children. This story was edited by Ahram Online. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Nahar Net
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Gaza rescuers say Israeli forces killed 46 people waiting for aid
by Naharnet Newsdesk 24 June 2025, 16:36 Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli forces killed 25 people waiting for aid in the south of the Palestinian territory in the second such incident on Tuesday, bringing the number of aid seekers killed to 46. Civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal told AFP that 25 people were killed and dozens wounded when "Israeli forces targeted civilian gatherings near Al-Alam and Al-Shakoush areas with bullets and tank shells as they attempted to reach an aid center in northwest Rafah, about two kilometers from a U.S.-backed aid distribution point."
