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GMA Network
2 days ago
- Health
- GMA Network
Israeli minister hints at annexing parts of Gaza
Smoke rises in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border, July 30, 2025. REUTERS/ Ronen Zvulun JERUSALEM/CAIRO/GAZA — Israel could threaten to annex parts of Gaza to increase pressure on the militant group Hamas, an Israeli minister said on Wednesday, an idea that would deal a blow to Palestinian hopes of statehood on land Israel now occupies. The comment by security cabinet member Zeev Elkin came a day after Britain said it would recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel takes steps to relieve suffering in Gaza and agrees to a ceasefire in the war with Hamas. France, which said last week it would recognize a Palestinian state in September, and Saudi Arabia issued a declaration on Tuesday, backed by Egypt, Qatar and the Arab League, outlining steps toward implementing a two-state solution. As part of an end to the Gaza war, they said Hamas "must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority." Israel has denounced moves to recognize a Palestinian state as rewarding Hamas for its October 2023 attack that precipitated the war. Possible ultimatum to Hamas Accusing Hamas of trying to drag out ceasefire talks to gain Israeli concessions, Elkin told public broadcaster Kan that Israel may give the group an ultimatum to reach a deal before further expanding its military actions. "The most painful thing for our enemy is losing lands," he said. "A clarification to Hamas that the moment they play games with us they will lose land that they will never get back would be a significant pressure tool." Mediation efforts aimed at reaching a deal that would secure a 60-day ceasefire and the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas ground to a halt last week, with the sides trading blame for the impasse. Israel is facing mounting international pressure over the situation in Gaza, where a global hunger monitor has warned that a worst-case scenario of famine is unfolding. The Gaza health ministry reported seven more hunger-related deaths on Wednesday, including a two-year-old girl with an existing health condition. 'Monstrous' Though recognition of a Palestinian state is largely seen as a symbolic move, Gazan man Saed al-Akhras said he hoped it marked a "real shift in how Western countries view the Palestinian cause." "Enough! Palestinians have lived for more than 70 years under killing, destruction, and occupation, while the world watches in silence," he said. Meanwhile, families of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza appealed for no recognition of a Palestinian state to come before their loved ones were returned. "Such recognition is not a step toward peace, but rather a clear violation of international law and a dangerous moral and political failure that legitimizes horrific war crimes," the Hostages Family Forum said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said Britain's decision "rewards Hamas' monstrous terrorism." Israel made similar comments last week after France's announcement. Two Hamas officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the demand for the group to hand its weapons to the PA, which now has limited control of parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Hamas has previously rejected calls to disarm, while Israel has ruled out letting the PA run Gaza. Netanyahu said this month he wanted peace with Palestinians but described any future independent state as a potential platform to destroy Israel, so control of security must remain with Israel. His cabinet includes far-right figures who openly demand the annexation of all Palestinian land. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Tuesday that reestablishing Jewish settlements in Gaza was "closer than ever," calling Gaza "an inseparable part of the Land of Israel." Aid going in, but not enough A 2-year-old girl being treated for a build-up of brain fluid died overnight of hunger, her father told Reuters on Wednesday. "Mekkah, my little daughter, died of malnutrition and the lack of medication," Salah al-Gharably said by phone from Deir Al-Balah. "Doctors said the baby has to be fed a certain type of milk ... but there is no milk," he said. "She starved. We stood helpless." The deaths from starvation and malnutrition overnight raised the toll from such causes to 154, including at least 89 children, since the war's start, most in recent weeks. On Sunday the Israeli military announced steps to ease the supply of food into Gaza, including daily pauses in military operations in some areas and corridors for aid. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the United Nations and its partners had been able to bring more food into Gaza in the first two days of pauses, but the volume was "still far from enough." "Most aid is still being offloaded by crowds before reaching where it is supposed to go. But market monitoring shows prices for basic goods are starting to drop—which could point to better operating conditions if aid flows further increase," it said in an update. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked communities in southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking another 251 hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 60,000 people and laid waste to much of the territory, the Gaza health ministry says. — Reuters
Straits Times
15-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Israeli strikes kill 12 in Lebanon, including 5 Hezbollah fighters, source says
FILE PHOTO: Defence Minister Israel Katz, then Israel's foreign minister, looks on, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, in Jerusalem, November 7, 2024. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/File Photo JERUSALEM/BEIRUT - Heavy Israeli airstrikes killed 12 people, including five Hezbollah fighters, in eastern Lebanon on Tuesday, a security source in Lebanon said, in what Israel said was a warning to the Iran-backed group against trying to re-establish itself. The Israeli military said the airstrikes targeted training camps used by elite Hezbollah fighters and warehouses it used to store weapons in the Bekaa Valley region of eastern Lebanon. The airstrikes were the deadliest on the area since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel last November. Bachir Khodr, governor of the Bekaa region, said seven of the dead were Syrian nationals. Israel dealt Hezbollah heavy blows in last year's conflict, killing its leader Hassan Nasrallah along with other commanders and destroying much of its arsenal. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday's strikes sent a "clear message" to Hezbollah, accusing it of planning to rebuild the capability to raid Israel through the elite Radwan force. Israel "will respond with maximum force to any attempt at rebuilding", he said. He added that strikes were also a message to the Lebanese government, saying it was responsible for upholding the ceasefire agreement. There was no immediate public response from Hezbollah or from the Lebanese government to the latest Israeli strikes. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Las Vegas Sands' new development part of S'pore's broader, more ambitious transformation: PM Wong Singapore Current economic headwinds do not dampen outlook for new MBS building: Las Vegas Sands president Business MAS records net profit of $19.7 billion, fuelled by investment gains Singapore $3b money laundering case: MinLaw acts against 4 law firms and 1 lawyer over seized properties Singapore Man charged with attempted murder of woman at Kallang Wave Mall Singapore Ex-cleaner jailed over safety lapses linked to guard's death near 1-Altitude rooftop bar Singapore Singapore CDL's long-time director Phillip Yeo to depart after boardroom feud Singapore 'Nobody deserves to be alone': Why Mummy and Acha have fostered over 20 children in the past 22 years The United States has submitted a proposal to the Lebanese government aimed at securing Hezbollah's disarmament within four months in exchange for Israel halting air strikes and withdrawing troops from positions they still hold in south Lebanon. Under the terms of the ceasefire brokered by the U.S. and France, Lebanon's armed forces were to confiscate "all unauthorized arms", beginning in the area south of the Litani River - the zone closest to Israel. REUTERS
Straits Times
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Israeli defence minister says strikes underway in Lebanon are 'clear message' to Hezbollah
Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: Defence Minister Israel Katz, then Israel's foreign minister, looks on, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, in Jerusalem, November 7, 2024. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/File Photo JERUSALEM - Israel's ongoing military strikes in Lebanon send a "clear message" to Hezbollah, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday, accusing the Iran-backed Islamist group of seeking to rebuild its forces in violation of a ceasefire agreement. The Israeli military said earlier on Tuesday it had begun striking targets belonging to Hezbollah's elite unit, the Radwan Force, in the Bekaa region of eastern Lebanon. The Lebanese health ministry said at least six people were injured in the Israeli strikes. "The Israel Defence Forces' strikes currently underway in Lebanon are a clear message to the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which is plotting to rebuild raid capabilities against Israel through the Radwan Force," Katz said in a statement. The strikes are also a message to the Lebanese government, which is responsible for upholding the ceasefire agreement, he added. There was no immediate public response from Hezbollah or from the Lebanese government to the latest Israeli strikes. Israel and Hezbollah reached a ceasefire deal in November ending more than a year of fighting that had spilled over from Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza. The agreement calls for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon and says that all "unauthorized arms" and military infrastructure should be dismantled, starting with southern Lebanon. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business MAS records net profit of $19.7 billion, fuelled by investment gains Business Singapore financial sector growth doubles in 2024, assets managed cross $6 trillion in a first: MAS Singapore $3b money laundering case: MinLaw acts against 4 law firms and 1 lawyer over seized properties Singapore Man charged with attempted murder of woman at Kallang Wave Mall Singapore Ex-cleaner jailed over safety lapses linked to guard's death near 1-Altitude rooftop bar Singapore SJI International resumes overseas trips amid ongoing probe into student's death in Maldives in 2024 Singapore Sengkang-Punggol LRT gets 15.8 per cent capacity boost with new trains Singapore 'Nobody deserves to be alone': Why Mummy and Acha have fostered over 20 children in the past 22 years However, Hezbollah says the agreement applies exclusively to southern Lebanon. REUTERS
The Standard
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Standard
Netanyahu in tight spot after party quits Israeli coalition
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walks in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, on the day of a vote over a possible expulsion of Ayman Odeh from parliament, in Jerusalem, July 14, 2025. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
Straits Times
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Israel will strike Iran again if threatened, defence minister says
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, then Israel's foreign minister, looks on, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, in Jerusalem, November 7, 2024. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/File Photo JERUSALEM - Israel will strike Iran again if it is threatened by Tehran, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday. "Israel's long arm will reach you in Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan, and anywhere you try to threaten or harm Israel. There is no place to hide", Katz said at an air force graduation ceremony, according to a statement from his office. "If we must return, we will do so with greater force." Israel launched a 12-day air war against Iran in June that raised fears of a broader regional conflict. The two sides agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, announced by President Donald Trump on June 23, to end hostilities. Israel struck Iranian nuclear sites during the campaign, citing concerns that Tehran was nearing the development of a nuclear weapon, which Iran denies. The United States joined the campaign with strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. REUTERS
