Latest news with #Mohammedal-Mutawaq
Newsweek
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Arab World Tells Hamas to End Gaza Rule, Lay Down Weapons
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Arab world has condemned Hamas, telling the group to end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority. Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt joined 14 other countries in signing a declaration at a U.N. conference that condemned the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel and gave "unwavering support" to a two-state solution. "In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority," the declaration said. "In line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian State." Why It Matters The declaration marks the first condemnation of Hamas by Arab nations. Hamas launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 that killed about 1,200, mainly Israeli civilians. Militants took about 250 people hostage, around 50 of whom are still being held. The declaration also condemns Israel's attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza, citing Israel's "siege and starvation, which have produced a devastating humanitarian catastrophe and protection crisis." Israel's offensive against Hamas has killed over 60,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants. What to Know The "New York Declaration" has laid out a phased strategy to resolve the nearly eight-decade-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the ongoing war in Gaza. The plan envisions the creation of an independent, demilitarized Palestine, coexisting peacefully alongside Israel. The declaration called for all hostages to be released: "Only by ending the war in Gaza, releasing all hostages, ending occupation, rejecting violence and terror, realizing an independent, sovereign, and democratic Palestinian State, ending the occupation of all Arab territories and providing solid security guarantees for Israel and Palestine, can normal relations and coexistence among the region's peoples and States be achieved." The declaration comes amid reports of widespread starvation and famine in Gaza, fueling global outrage over Israeli policies that have limited food access to Palestinians. Israel has denied these allegations and says it has begun a series of measures to address the humanitarian crisis. Hidaya, a 31-year-old Palestinian mother, carries her sick 18-month-old son Mohammed al-Mutawaq, who is also displaying signs of malnutrition, inside their tent at the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24, 2025.... Hidaya, a 31-year-old Palestinian mother, carries her sick 18-month-old son Mohammed al-Mutawaq, who is also displaying signs of malnutrition, inside their tent at the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24, 2025. More than 100 aid organizations and human rights groups warned on July 23, that "mass starvation" was spreading in Gaza, as the United States said its top envoy was heading to Europe for talks on a possible ceasefire and aid corridor. More OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images Initially scheduled for two days, the meeting has been extended into Wednesday as representatives from around 50 nations have yet to deliver their statements. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes a two-state solution. He rejected the U.N. meeting on both nationalistic and security grounds. What People Are Saying Jean-Noel Barrot, France's foreign minister, praised what he described was a "historic and unprecedented" declaration. "For the first time, Arab countries and those in the Middle East condemn Hamas, condemn Oct. 7, call for the disarmament of Hamas, call for its exclusion from Palestinian governance, and clearly express their intention to normalize relations with Israel in the future," he said. Tammy Bruce, the U.S. State Department spokesperson, said: "This week, the U.N. will serve as host to an unproductive and ill-timed conference on the two-state solution in New York City. This is a publicity stunt that comes in the middle of delicate diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. Far from promoting peace, the conference will prolong the war, embolden Hamas, and reward its obstruction and undermine real-world efforts to achieve peace." Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon criticized the some 125 countries participating in the conference, saying: "There are those in the world who fight terrorists and extremist forces and then there are those who turn a blind eye to them or resort to appeasement." This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
US Must Recognize Palestine Amid Gaza Starvation Horror, Says Jill Stein
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The U.S. must immediately follow French President Emmanuel Macron's lead and recognize a Palestinian state as a "famine-made-in-Israel" sweeps Gaza, Jill Stein has said. The humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated in recent months, with mounting international pressure on Israel and warnings of mass starvation. Images released last week of emaciated children have shocked the world. "Of course Palestine deserves statehood, as long declared by the United Nations," Stein told Newsweek. "But this is not the first order of business as famine-made-in-Israel sweeps the Gaza Strip. Israel is conducting the fastest starvation campaign in modern history, according to the U.N. Rapporteur on Food. Over 2 million lives are in immediate peril, over half of them children." Hidaya, a 31-year-old Palestinian mother, carries her sick 18-month-old son Mohammed al-Mutawaq, who is also displaying signs of malnutrition, inside their tent at the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24, 2025.... Hidaya, a 31-year-old Palestinian mother, carries her sick 18-month-old son Mohammed al-Mutawaq, who is also displaying signs of malnutrition, inside their tent at the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24, 2025. More than 100 aid organizations and human rights groups warned on July 23, that "mass starvation" was spreading in Gaza, as the United States said its top envoy was heading to Europe for talks on a possible ceasefire and aid corridor. More OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images The Green Party 2024 presidential candidate said the crisis "is the intended consequence of Israel's genocidal ban blocking food, water, electricity and fuel from reaching the 'human animals' of Gaza, as announced by then Defense Minister Gallant in October 2023 and ramped up 80 days ago." The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has denied what it called "the false claim of deliberate starvation" in Gaza. On Sunday, the Israeli military began a limited pause in fighting in three parts of Gaza for 10 hours a day as part of a series of measures announced to address the humanitarian crisis. Israel said the military carried out several aid airdrops into Gaza over the weekend and would establish humanitarian corridors. Naeema, a 30-year-old Palestinian mother, carries her malnourished 2-year-old son Yazan as they stand in their damaged home in the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 23, 2025. More than 100 aid... Naeema, a 30-year-old Palestinian mother, carries her malnourished 2-year-old son Yazan as they stand in their damaged home in the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 23, 2025. More than 100 aid organizations and human rights groups warned on Wednesday that "mass starvation" was spreading in Gaza, as the United States said its top envoy was heading to Europe for talks on a possible ceasefire and aid corridor. More OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images Why It Matters Palestinians have long campaigned for an independent state comprising the occupied West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza. Israel has occupied these territories since the 1967 Six-Day War. Israel is largely opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state, and even more so after the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attack by Hamas militants, which left around 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage. Israel's subsequent war against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, over half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Israel has restricted aid into Gaza, stating, without evidence, that Hamas was using shipments to bolster its position. It has also accused the U.N. of failing to cooperate on the distribution of aid. The World Food Program warned in a statement that a third of Gaza's population of around 2 million were not eating for days. It said that nearly half a million people were enduring famine-like conditions. Mohammed al-Mutawaq, an 18-month-old Palestinian boy suffering from medical issues and displaying signs of malnutrition, lies on a mattress inside a tent in the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24, 2025.... Mohammed al-Mutawaq, an 18-month-old Palestinian boy suffering from medical issues and displaying signs of malnutrition, lies on a mattress inside a tent in the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24, 2025. More than 100 aid organizations and human rights groups warned on July 23, that "mass starvation" was spreading in Gaza, as the United States said its top envoy was heading to Europe for talks on a possible ceasefire and aid corridor. More OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images What to Know Macron announced Thursday that France will recognize Palestine as a state, expressing outrage at the Palestinian death toll and starvation in Gaza. It was a bold, but largely symbolic, diplomatic move. Once formalized at the U.N. General Assembly in September, France will become the biggest Western power to call for a Palestinian state. More than 140 countries recognize Palestine as a state. Stein, who placed the war in Gaza at the forefront of her 2024 presidential election campaign, said the U.S. must immediately follow suit. "Having provided 80% of weapons, funding and diplomatic cover for this genocidal assault, the US fully shares responsibility with Israel," she said. "We must stop blocking Palestinian statehood, which is supported by at least 75% of U.N. members. But for Palestinians to survive to populate this state, we must first adopt an immediate ban on military and economic aid to Israel until it complies with international law, ends its siege, allows aid to flow, and agrees to a cease fire and an end to genocide and occupation." Israel denies it is committing genocide in Gaza. It says it is prepared to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile. Hamas has rejected these demands. People gather as a C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft drops humanitarian aid on the northern Gaza Strip on July 27, 2025. Two Jordanian and one Emirati plane on dropped 25 tonnes of humanitarian aid over... People gather as a C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft drops humanitarian aid on the northern Gaza Strip on July 27, 2025. Two Jordanian and one Emirati plane on dropped 25 tonnes of humanitarian aid over the Gaza Strip, Jordanian state television reported on July 27. More BASHAR TALEB/AFP via Getty Images What People Are Saying Stein told Newsweek: "In short, the world is recoiling in horror as we witness the utter dismantling of international law, human rights and basic decency. This is a threat not just to Palestine, but also to the people of Israel, whose future in a full-blown apartheid authoritarian state is bleak, as noted by Holocaust scholar Omer Bartov. It is also a threat to people of the world including Americans, whose position as top dog in the global order is shakier by the day. We too will be vulnerable in a world ruled by the law of the jungle, rather than the law of nations currently under attack." Macron wrote in his statement on X on Thursday: "The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved." Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, condemned Macron's decision, saying in a statement: "Such a move rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became. A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launchpad to annihilate Israel—not to live in peace beside it." President Donald Trump, responding to Macron's announcement on Friday said: "What he says doesn't matter. He's a very good guy. I like him, but that statement doesn't carry weight." Palestinian children shove to receive a meal at a charity kitchen in the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on July 22, 2025. The head of Gaza's largest hospital said 21... Palestinian children shove to receive a meal at a charity kitchen in the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on July 22, 2025. The head of Gaza's largest hospital said 21 children have died due to malnutrition and starvation in the Palestinian territory in the past three days, amid a devastating assault by Israeli forces. More AFP via Getty Images Israeli Permanent Representative to the U.N. Danny Danon said in a statement shared with Newsweek: "Neither international conferences disconnected from reality nor unilateral statements at the U.N. will lead to peace. "Macron's decision to recognize a Palestinian state after the massacre of Oct. 7 and precisely at a time when Hamas is still holding hostages is a disgraceful reward for terrorism. Anyone who ignores the reality on the ground—that Israel has no partner for peace—harms not only Israel but the stability of the entire region." Tom Cotton, a Republican Senator from Arkansas, responded to Macron's statement by saying on X: "This is a shameful endorsement of terrorists. The best way for this conflict to end is to back Israel in its righteous mission of rescuing the hostages and defeating Hamas." Palestinian walk carrying sacks of flour near Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on July 27, 2025, after trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered into northern Gaza coming from the Zikim border crossing. Jordanian and Emirati... Palestinian walk carrying sacks of flour near Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on July 27, 2025, after trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered into northern Gaza coming from the Zikim border crossing. Jordanian and Emirati planes dropped food into Gaza on July 27, as Israel began a limited "tactical pause" in military operations to allow the UN and aid agencies to tackle a deepening hunger crisis. More BASHAR TALEB/AFP via Getty Images What Happens Next Israel said the "tactical pause" in the heavily-populated areas of Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and will increase humanitarian aid to Gaza. However, wider ceasefire efforts remain in doubt. Israel and the U.S. on Thursday withdrew negotiating teams from Qatar, where talks had been taking place. They blamed Hamas for the breakdown, with Israel saying "alternative options" were being considered to talks.
Al-Ahram Weekly
6 days ago
- Health
- Al-Ahram Weekly
(⚠️Graphic Content) PHOTO GALLERY: A Palestinian mother comforts her starving 18-month old boy!
Hidaya, a 31-year-old Palestinian mother, cradles her sick 18-months old son Mohammed al-Mutawaq, who is also displaying signs of malnutrition, inside their tent at the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24, 2025. AFP Hidaya, a 31-year-old Palestinian mother, cradles her sick 18-months old son Mohammed al-Mutawaq, who is also displaying signs of malnutrition, inside their tent at the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24, 2025. AFP Hidaya, a 31-year-old Palestinian mother, cradles her sick 18-month-old son Mohammed al-Mutawaq, who is also displaying signs of malnutrition, inside their tent at the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24, 2025. AFP Hidaya, a 31-year-old Palestinian mother, cradles her sick 18-month-old son Mohammed al-Mutawaq, who is also displaying signs of malnutrition, inside their tent at the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24, 2025. AFP Hidaya, a 31-year-old Palestinian mother, holds her her sick 18-month-old son Mohammed al-Mutawaq, who is also displaying signs of malnutrition, inside their tent at the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24, 2025. AFP Hidaya, a 31-year-old Palestinian mother, holds her her sick 18-month-old son Mohammed al-Mutawaq, who is also displaying signs of malnutrition, inside their tent at the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24, 2025. AFP Hidaya, a 31-year-old Palestinian mother, sits wit her sick 18-month-old son Mohammed al-Mutawaq, who is also displaying signs of malnutrition, inside their tent at the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24, 2025. AFP Hidaya, a 31-year-old Palestinian mother, sits wit her sick 18-month-old son Mohammed al-Mutawaq, who is also displaying signs of malnutrition, inside their tent at the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24, 2025. AFP TOPSHOT - Hidaya, a 31-year-old Palestinian mother, cradles her sick 18-month-old son Mohammed al-Mutawaq, who is also displaying signs of malnutrition, inside their tent at the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24, 2025. AFP TOPSHOT - Hidaya, a 31-year-old Palestinian mother, cradles her sick 18-month-old son Mohammed al-Mutawaq, who is also displaying signs of malnutrition, inside their tent at the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24, 2025. AFP TOPSHOT - Hidaya, a 31-year-old Palestinian mother, carries her sick 18-month-old son Mohammed al-Mutawaq, who is also displaying signs of malnutrition, inside their tent at the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24, 2025. AFP TOPSHOT - Hidaya, a 31-year-old Palestinian mother, carries her sick 18-month-old son Mohammed al-Mutawaq, who is also displaying signs of malnutrition, inside their tent at the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24, 2025. AFP Hidaya, a 31-year-old Palestinian mother, carries her 18-month-old sick son Mohammed al-Mutawaq, who is also displaying signs of malnutrition, inside their tent at the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24, 2025. AFP Hidaya, a 31-year-old Palestinian mother, carries her 18-month-old sick son Mohammed al-Mutawaq, who is also displaying signs of malnutrition, inside their tent at the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24, 2025. AFP
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Health
- The Citizen
Children starve in Gaza as EU powers push ceasefire talks
Doctors Without Borders and UN agencies report growing hunger, with one in five children suffering from malnutrition. Hidaya, a 31-year-old Palestinian mother, carries her sick 18-month-old son Mohammed al-Mutawaq, who is also displaying signs of malnutrition, inside their tent at the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24, 2025. Picture: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP Aid groups warned of surging numbers of malnourished children in war-ravaged Gaza as a trio of European powers prepared to hold an 'emergency call' Friday on the deepening humanitarian crisis. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said that a quarter of the young children and pregnant or breastfeeding mothers it had screened at its clinics last week were malnourished, a day after the United Nations said one in five children in Gaza City were suffering from malnutrition. Push for ceasefire With fears of mass starvation growing, Britain, France and Germany were set to hold an emergency call to push for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and discuss steps towards Palestinian statehood. 'I will hold an emergency call with E3 partners tomorrow, where we will discuss what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need while pulling together all the steps necessary to build a lasting peace,' British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said. The call comes after hopes of a new ceasefire in Gaza faded on Thursday when Israel and the United States quit indirect negotiations with Hamas in Qatar. US envoy Steve Witkoff accused the Palestinian militant group of not 'acting in good faith'. France to recognise Palestinian state President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that France would formally recognise a Palestinian state in September, drawing a furious rebuke from Israel. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Friday welcomed the announcement, calling it a 'victory for the Palestinian cause'. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long opposed a Palestinian state, calling it a security risk and a potential haven for 'terrorists'. ALSO READ: More than 100 NGOs warn 'mass starvation' spreading across Gaza On Wednesday, a large majority in Israel's parliament passed a symbolic motion backing annexation of the occupied West Bank, the core of any future Palestinian state. 'Mass starvation' More than 100 aid and human rights groups warned this week that 'mass starvation' was spreading in Gaza. Israel has rejected accusations it is responsible for the deepening crisis, which the World Health Organization has called 'man-made'. Israel placed the Gaza Strip under an aid blockade in March, which it only partially eased two months later. The trickle of aid since then has been controlled by the Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, replacing the longstanding UN-led distribution system. Aid groups have refused to work with the GHF, accusing it of aiding Israeli military goals. The GHF system, in which Gazans have to travel long distances and join huge queues to reach one of four sites, has often proved deadly, with the UN saying that more than 750 Palestinian aid-seekers have been killed by Israeli forces near GHF centres since late May. An AFP photographer saw bloodied patients, wounded while attempting to get humanitarian aid, being treated on the floor of Nasser hospital in the southern city of Khan Yunis on Thursday. Israel 'weaponising' food Israel has refused to return to the UN-led system, saying that it allowed Hamas to hijack aid for its own benefit. ALSO READ: Israeli strikes kill children collecting water in Gaza Accusing Israel of the 'weaponisation of food', MSF said that: 'Across screenings of children aged six months to five years old and pregnant and breastfeeding women, at MSF facilities last week, 25 per cent were malnourished.' It said malnutrition cases had quadrupled since May 18 at its Gaza City clinic and that the facility was enrolling 25 new malnourished patients every day. 'High risk of dying' On Thursday, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said that one in five children in Gaza City were malnourished. Agency chief Philippe Lazzarini said: 'Most children our teams are seeing are emaciated, weak and at high risk of dying if they don't get the treatment they urgently need.' He also warned that 'UNRWA frontline health workers, are surviving on one small meal a day, often just lentils, if at all'. Lazzarini said that the agency had 'the equivalent of 6,000 loaded trucks of food and medical supplies' ready to send into Gaza if Israel allowed 'unrestricted and uninterrupted' access to the territory. Death toll Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed 59,587 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Hamas's October 2023 attack that triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Of the 251 hostages taken during the attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. NOW READ: Dirco calls for global action to stop Israel's 'genocide' in Gaza [VIDEO]
Toronto Star
6 days ago
- Health
- Toronto Star
Carney's statement on aid in Gaza + The premiers want powers to issue work permits
Hidaya, a 31-year-old Palestinian mother, cradles her sick 18-month-old son Mohammed al-Mutawaq, who is also displaying signs of malnutrition, inside their tent at the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24, 2025. OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP
