Latest news with #PALESTINIANS
The Journal
06-07-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Israeli air strikes kill 33 Palestinians in Gaza as Netanyahu prepares to fly to Washington
AT LEAST 33 PALESTINIANS in Gaza have been killed in Israeli air strikes, hospital officials said, as Israel's military said it had struck more than 100 targets in the embattled enclave in the past day. The fighting came as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was preparing to fly to Washington for talks at the White House aimed at pushing forward ceasefire efforts. US president Donald Trump has floated a plan for an initial 60-day ceasefire that would include a partial release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for an increase in humanitarian supplies allowed into Gaza. The proposed truce calls for talks on ending the 21-month war altogether. Some 20 people were killed and 25 wounded after Israeli strikes hit two houses in Gaza City, according to Mohammed Abu Selmia, the director of Shifa Hospital that services the area. In southern Gaza, 13 Palestinians were killed by strikes in Muwasi, an area on Gaza's Mediterranean where many displaced people live in tents, officials at Nasser Hospital in nearby Khan Younis told The Associated Press. Five of the dead belonged to the same family, according to the hospital. Advertisement Smoke from an Israeli bombardment rises over the Gaza Strip, seen from southern Israel today. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo The Israeli military made no immediate comment on the individual strikes, but said it had struck 130 targets across the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours. It said the strikes targeted Hamas command and control structures, storage facilities, weapons and launchers, and that they had killed a number of militants in northern Gaza. The ministry, which is under Gaza's Hamas government, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. The UN and other international organisations see its figures as the most reliable statistics on war casualties. The strikes occur as efforts to reach a ceasefire deal appeared to gain momentum. Netanyahu's office said his government would send a negotiating team to Qatar on Sunday to conduct indirect talks, adding that Hamas was seeking 'unacceptable' changes to the proposal. The planned talks in Qatar come ahead of Netanyahu's scheduled visit to Washington on Monday to meet Trump to discuss the deal. It is unclear if an agreement will be reached ahead of the Israeli prime minister's White House meeting. Hamas has sought guarantees that the initial truce would lead to a total end to the war and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Previous negotiations have stalled over Hamas demands of guarantees that further negotiations would lead to the war's end, while Netanyahu has insisted Israel would resume fighting to ensure the militant group's destruction.
The Journal
18-06-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Gaza's civil defence agency says 30 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire
THIRTY PALESTINIANS HAVE been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza, including 11 who were seeking aid, according to the territory's civil defence agency. It comes after 51 people were killed and more than 200 were wounded yesterday while waiting to receive flour from the United Nations near a distribution site in Khan Younis. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that 11 people were killed and more than 100 wounded 'after the occupation forces opened fire and launched several shells… at thousands of citizens' who had gathered to queue for food in central Gaza. In early March, Israel imposed a total aid blockade on Gaza amid deadlock in truce negotiations, only partially easing restrictions in late May. Since then, chaotic scenes and a string of deadly shootings have occurred near areas where Palestinians have gathered in hope of receiving aid. The civil defence agency said another 19 people were killed in three Israeli strikes today, which it said targeted houses and a tent for displaced people. When asked for comment by AFP, the Israeli military said it was 'looking into' the reports. Israeli restrictions on media in the Gaza Strip and difficulties in accessing some areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency. Advertisement The UN humanitarian office OCHA said on Monday that its partners 'continue to warn of the risk of famine in Gaza, amid catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity'. The civil defence agency reported that at least 53 people were killed on Tuesday, as they gathered near an aid centre in the southern city of Khan Younis hoping to receive flour. After Israel eased its blockade, the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began distributing aid in late May, but its operations have been marred by chaotic scenes and dozens of deaths. In a statement on Tuesday, the organisation said that 'to date, not a single incident has occurred at or in the surrounding vicinity of GHF sites nor has an incident occurred during our operating hours'. UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the foundation over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. The Gaza Strip has been ravaged by more than 20 months of Israeli siege, bombardment and widespread destruction caused by fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups. The health ministry said yesterday that 5,194 people have been killed since Israel violated the ceasefire on 18 March. The overall death toll in Gaza since the war broke out in October 2023 has reached 55,493 people, according to the health ministry. With reporting from © AFP 2025 Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Journal
31-05-2025
- General
- The Journal
Palestinians block and empty dozens of UN food lorries in Gaza Strip following Israeli blockade
PALESTINIANS IN THE Gaza Strip blocked and emptied dozens of lorries, the UN World Food Programme said, as desperation mounts following Israel's months-long blockade and air strikes. The WFP said that 77 trucks carrying aid, mostly flour, were stopped by hungry people who took the food before the vehicles were able to reach their destination. A nearly three-month Israeli blockade on Gaza has pushed the population to the brink of famine. While the pressure slightly eased in recent days as Israel allowed some aid to enter, organisations said there still is not nearly enough food getting in. Hamas said on Saturday that it had responded to a US proposal for a temporary ceasefire, which Israeli officials have approved, but details of the response were not immediately known. US President Donald Trump said negotiators were nearing a deal. A ceasefire would pause the fighting for 60 days, release some of the 58 hostages still held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and much-needed food aid and other assistance, according to Hamas and Egyptian officials. The WFP said the fear of starvation in Gaza is high despite the food aid that is entering now. 'We need to flood communities with food for the next few days to calm anxieties and rebuild the trust with communities that more food is coming,' said agency said in a statement, adding that it has more than 140,000 metric tons of food — enough to feed Gazans for two months — ready to be brought in. A witness in the southern city of Khan Younis told The Associated Press that the UN convoy was stopped at a makeshift roadblock and unloaded by thousands of desperate civilians. Most people carried bags of flour on their backs or heads. He said at one point a forklift was used to offload pallets from the stranded trucks. Advertisement Palestinian women get food at a food distribution kitchen in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip yesterday. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo The United Nations said earlier this month that Israeli authorities have forced them to use unsecured routes within areas controlled by the Israeli military in the eastern areas of Rafah and Khan Younis, where armed gangs are active. An internal document shared with aid groups about security incidents, seen by the AP, said there were four incidents of facilities being looted in three days at the end of May, not including the convoy on Saturday. The UN said it been unable to get enough aid in because of fighting. On Friday, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said it only picked up five truckloads of cargo from the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing, and the other 60 trucks had to return due to intense hostilities. A new US and Israeli-backed foundation started operations in Gaza this week, distributing food at several sites in a chaotic rollout. Israel says the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation will eventually replace the aid operation that the UN and others have carried out during nearly 20 months of war. It says the new mechanism is necessary, accusing Hamas of siphoning off large amounts of aid. The UN denies that significant diversion takes place. The GHF works with armed contractors, which it says are needed to distribute food safely. Aid groups have accused the foundation of militarising aid. Meanwhile, Israel is continuing its military campaign across Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry said that at least 60 people were killed by Israeli strikes in the last 24 hours. The ministry said three people were killed by Israeli gunfire early Saturday in Rafah; three others were killed — parents and a child — when their car was struck in Gaza City; an Israeli strike hit another car in Gaza City, killing four; and an Israeli strike hit a tent sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis, killing six, said Weam Fares, a spokesperson for Nasser Hospital. On 7 October 2023, Hamas attacked Israel, killing around 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking 250 hostages. Of those taken captive, 58 remain in Gaza but Israel believes 35 are dead and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there are 'doubts' about the fate of several others. Israeli strikes have killed more than 54,000 Gaza residents, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The Hill
18-03-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
DC Bureau: US Attempts Peace Deals in Two Wars
DC_US Attempts Peace Deals in Two Wars {ANCHOR} {INTRO} {PKG} PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S DEAL MAKING SKILLS ARE BEING PUT TO TEST ON THE GLOBAL STAGE. WEEKS AFTER A FIERY SIT DOWN WITH UKRAINE'S PRESIDENT... TUESDAY HE HELD A HIGH-STAKES CALL WITH RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN... TO PUSH FOR A 30-DAY CEASEFIRE WITH UKRAINE. THE CALL ENDED WITH A PROMISE FROM PUTIN NOT TO TARGET UKRAINE'S ENERGY SECTOR FOR 30 DAYS. " Securing peace through strength" AHEAD OF TALKS... NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE DIRECTOR TULSI GABBARD SAID SHE'S CONFIDENT PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL BRING THE THREE YEAR CONFLICT TO AN END... EVEN AS PUTIN HOLDS OUT ON A BROADER CEASEFIRE. "NAT POP" UKRAINE PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY IS URGING THE U-S TO STAND STRONG. THE PRESIDENT'S DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY SAYS... "President Trump is well on his way to achieving world peace. He's doing that in Eastern Europe, he's also doing that in the Middle East" BUT OVERNIGHT IN GAZA... "NAT POP" ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES SHATTERED NEARLY TWO MONTHS OF PEACE... "Israel is operating with full force against the Hamas terrorist" THE STRIKES KILLED MORE THAN 400 PALESTINIANS ISRAELI OFFICIALS BLAME HAMAS FOR THE BREAKDOWN "Repeatedly refused proposal to extend ceasefire and to release our hostages." FAMILIES OF HOSTAGES ARE URGING ISRAEL TO RESUME NEGOTIATIONS AND STOP THE BLOODSHED. "Please, we are begging you. The hostages cannot wait any longer" {TAG} {Q: PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU ALSO WEIGHED IN THIS AFTERNOOON. WHERE DO THINGS GO FROM HERE?}
Jordan Times
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Reuters acknowledges misquoting King during meeting with Trump
AMMAN — Reuters acknowledged it made a mistake misquoting His Majesty King Abdullah during his meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington DC on February 11. Reuters said the news alert it published on February 11 during the meeting between the two leaders at White House was "misleading" and "withdrawn." In a media advisory on Monday, a copy of which was sent to The Jordan Times, Reuters said the "following alert published on February 11 and headlined "JORDAN'S KING, ASKED ABOUT TAKING IN PALESTINIANS, SAYS WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND HOW DO WE MAKE THIS WORK THAT IS IN EVERYONE'S BEST INTEREST ", is misleading and is withdrawn. No substitute alert will be published." Reuters said the alert was based upon the following remark from the King when asked about a US, proposal for his country to take in Palestinians from Gaza: "We have to keep in mind that there is a plan from Egypt and the Arab countries. We've been invited by Mohammed bin Salman to have discussions in Riyadh. I think the point is, is how to make this work in a way that is good for everybody. Obviously, we have to look at the best interests of the United States, of the people in the region, especially to my people of Jordan." Reuters said the February 11 alert did not contain his prefacing comment about an Arab proposal for Gaza. A separate Reuters story (Trump presses Jordan to take in Palestinians from Gaza; king opposes displacement) contained the same remark but with the correct context.
