Latest news with #humanitarianaid
Fox News
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
President Trump predicts Gaza ceasefire ‘within the next week'
President Donald Trump predicted there will be a ceasefire in Gaza sometime "within the next week." Speaking with reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump called the situation in Gaza a "terrible situation" but expressed optimism there could soon be a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. "I think it's close. I just spoke with some of the people involved," said the president, adding, "We think within the next week we're going to get a ceasefire." Trump also addressed the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying, "we're supplying, as you know, a lot of money and a lot of food to that area because we have to, I mean, you have to. In theory we're not involved in it, but we're involved because people are dying." He called on other countries to also send humanitarian aid to Gaza. "You see the the lines of people just to get one meal, essentially. But it's too bad other countries aren't helping out," he said. "Nobody's helping out where we're doing that because I think we have to on a humanitarian basis," he went on. "I look at those crowds of people that have no food, no anything. And, you know, we're the ones that are getting it there. Some of it's being taken by some bad people, you know, as you give it and you give it out, and they're supposed to be taking care of the people, and they end up stealing the food and selling it. But we have a pretty good system now, so we're helping with that." "We're working on Gaza, trying to get it taken care of and again, you know, a lot of lot of food has been sent there. And other countries throughout the world should be helping also," he said. This comes after Trump authorized U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear development sites and subsequently declared a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, ending what he called "the Twelve Day War." President Trump also took a number of questions on other matters, including one on Ukraine weapons, where he said he "may" authorize Patriot missiles for Ukraine's air defenses.
Arab News
3 hours ago
- General
- Arab News
KSrelief distributes 1,100 food baskets in Sudan
NORTH KORDOFAN: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has distributed 1,100 food baskets to displaced families in Sudan's North Kordofan State, benefiting 6,383 individuals. The distribution is part of the third phase of the 2025 Food Security Support Project and the Kingdom's ongoing efforts through KSrelief to support Sudanese people amid the crisis. Meanwhile, KSrelief continues to implement its water supply and environmental sanitation project in the Yemeni districts of Midi, Haradh, Hayran, and Abs in the Hajjah governorate, as well as the Razih district in the Sadah governorate. In May, KSrelief delivered 4,561,000 liters of potable water and 47,412,000 liters of usable water in Hajjah. Additionally, 244 waste removal operations were conducted in displacement camps, and 4,048 water transport containers were distributed. The initiative is part of Saudi Arabia's ongoing humanitarian efforts to meet essential needs and improve living conditions in regions affected by conflict.
News24
7 hours ago
- Health
- News24
Doctors without borders slams Gaza relief effort as ‘slaughter masquerading as aid'
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) called on Friday for a controversial Israel- and US-backed relief effort in Gaza to be halted, branding it "slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid". The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which began operating last month, "is degrading Palestinians by design, forcing them to choose between starvation or risking their lives for minimal supplies", MSF said in a statement. It said more than 500 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip while seeking food in recent weeks. Starting in March, Israel blocked deliveries of food and other crucial supplies into Gaza for more than two months, leading to warnings of that the entire population of the occupied Palestinian territory is at risk of famine. The United Nations says Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza is illegal under international law. READ | 'Dramatic escalation in violence': MSF slams Israel over military action on West Bank healthcare The densely populated Gaza Strip has been largely flattened by Israeli bombing since the 7 October attack on Israel by Hamas. Israel began allowing food supplies to trickle in at the end of May, using GHF - backed by armed US contractors, with Israeli troops on the perimeter - to run operations. The latter have been marred by chaotic scenes and near-daily reports of Israeli forces firing on people desperate to get food. There are also concerns about the neutrality of GHF, officially a private group with opaque funding. The UN and major aid groups have refused to work with it, citing concerns it serves Israeli military goals and that it violates basic humanitarian principles. READ | More than 20 000 wounded people still in Gaza after initial evacuations, says MSF The Gaza health ministry says that since late May, nearly 550 people have been killed near aid centres while seeking scarce food supplies. "With over 500 people killed and nearly 4 000 wounded while seeking food, this scheme is slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid and must be immediately dismantled," MSF said. Surge in gunshot wounds GHF has denied that fatal shootings have occurred in the immediate vicinity of its aid points. On Tuesday, the UN condemned what it said was Israel's "weaponisation of food" in Gaza and called it a war crime. MSF said the way GHF distributes food aid supplies "forces thousands of Palestinians, who have been starved by an over 100 day-long Israeli siege, to walk long distances to reach the four distribution sites and fight for scraps of food supplies". Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images "These sites hinder women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities from accessing aid, and people are killed and wounded in the chaotic process," it said. Aitor Zabalgogeazkoa, MSF's emergency coordinator in Gaza, said the four sites were all under the full control of Israeli forces, surrounded by watch points and barbed wire. "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," he said in the statement. "If they arrive late, they shouldn't be there because it is an 'evacuated zone' - they get shot." MSF said that its teams in Gaza were seeing patients every day who had been killed or wounded trying to get food at one of the sites. It pointed to "a stark increase in the number of patients with gunshot wounds". MSF urged "the Israeli authorities and their allies to lift the siege on food, fuel, medical and humanitarian supplies and to revert to the pre-existing principled humanitarian system coordinated by the UN".
Arab News
9 hours ago
- Health
- Arab News
MSF slams Gaza aid scheme as ‘slaughter masquerading' as aid
GENEVA: Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) called on Friday for a controversial Israel- and US-backed relief effort in Gaza to be halted, branding it 'slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid.' The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which began operating last month, 'is degrading Palestinians by design, forcing them to choose between starvation or risking their lives for minimal supplies,' MSF said in a statement. It said more than 500 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip while seeking food in recent weeks. Starting in March, Israel blocked deliveries of food and other crucial supplies into Gaza for more than two months, leading to warnings of that the entire population of the occupied Palestinian territory is at risk of famine. The United Nations says Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza is illegal under international law. The densely populated Gaza Strip has been largely flattened by Israeli bombing since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas. Israel began allowing food supplies to trickle in at the end of May, using GHF — backed by armed US contractors, with Israeli troops on the perimeter — to run operations. The latter have been marred by chaotic scenes and near-daily reports of Israeli forces firing on people desperate to get food. There are also concerns about the neutrality of GHF, officially a private group with opaque funding. The UN and major aid groups have refused to work with it, citing concerns it serves Israeli military goals and that it violates basic humanitarian principles. The Gaza health ministry says that since late May, nearly 550 people have been killed near aid centers while seeking scarce food supplies. 'With over 500 people killed and nearly 4,000 wounded while seeking food, this scheme is slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid and must be immediately dismantled,' MSF said. GHF has denied that fatal shootings have occurred in the immediate vicinity of its aid points. On Tuesday, the United Nations condemned what it said was Israel's 'weaponization of food' in Gaza and called it a war crime. MSF said the way GHF distributes food aid supplies 'forces thousands of Palestinians, who have been starved by an over 100 day-long Israeli siege, to walk long distances to reach the four distribution sites and fight for scraps of food supplies.' 'These sites hinder women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities from accessing aid, and people are killed and wounded in the chaotic process,' it said. Aitor Zabalgogeazkoa, MSF's emergency coordinator in Gaza, said the four sites were all under the full control of Israeli forces, surrounded by watch points and barbed wire. '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,' he said in the statement. 'If they arrive late, they shouldn't be there because it is an 'evacuated zone' — they get shot.' MSF said that its teams in Gaza were seeing patients every day who had been killed or wounded trying to get food at one of the sites. It pointed to 'a stark increase in the number of patients with gunshot wounds.' MSF urged 'the Israeli authorities and their allies to lift the siege on food, fuel, medical and humanitarian supplies and to revert to the pre-existing principled humanitarian system coordinated by the UN.'
Al Jazeera
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
AI is fuelling a new wave of border vigilantism in the US
In Arizona's borderlands, the desert is already deadly. People crossing into the United States face blistering heat, dehydration, and exhaustion. But for years, another threat has stalked these routes: Armed vigilante groups who take it upon themselves to police the border – often violently, and outside the law. They have long undermined the work of humanitarian volunteers trying to save lives. Now, a new artificial intelligence platform is actively encouraging more people to join their ranks. recently launched in the United States, offers cryptocurrency rewards to users who upload photos of 'suspicious activity' along the border. It positions civilians as front-line intelligence gatherers – doing the work of law enforcement, but without oversight. The site opens to a map of the United States, dotted with red and green pins marking user-submitted images. Visitors are invited to add their own. A 'Surveillance Guidance' document outlines how to capture images legally in public without a warrant. A 'Breaking News' section shares updates and new partnerships. The platform is fronted by Enrique Tarrio – a first-generation Cuban American, far-right figure and self-styled 'ICE Raid Czar', who describes himself as a 'staunch defender of American values'. I have been researching border surveillance since 2017. Arizona is a place I return to often. I've worked with NGOs and accompanied search-and-rescue teams like Battalion Search and Rescue, led by former US Marine James Holeman, on missions to recover the remains of people who died attempting the crossing. During that time, I've also watched the region become a laboratory for high-tech enforcement: AI towers from an Israeli company now scan the desert; automated licence plate readers track vehicles far inland; and machine-learning algorithms – developed by major tech companies – feed data directly into immigration enforcement systems. This is not unique to the United States. In my book The Walls Have Eyes: Surviving Migration in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, I document how similar technologies are being deployed across Europe and the Middle East – from spyware in Greek refugee camps to predictive border enforcement by the EU's border agency, Frontex. These tools extend surveillance and control. They do not bring accountability or safety. Since Donald Trump's re-election in 2024, these trends have accelerated. Surveillance investment has surged. Private firms have flourished. ICE has expanded its powers to include unlawful raids, detentions and deportations. Military units have been deployed to the US-Mexico border. Now, ICERAID adds a new layer – by outsourcing enforcement to the public. The platform offers crypto rewards to users who upload and verify photographic 'evidence' across eight categories of alleged criminal activity. The more contributions and locations submitted, the more tokens earned. Surveillance becomes gamified. Suspicion becomes a revenue stream. This is especially dangerous in Arizona, where vigilante violence has a long history. Paramilitary-style groups have detained people crossing the border without legal authority, sometimes forcing them back into Mexico. Several people are known to have died in such encounters. ICERAID does not check this behaviour – it normalises it, providing digital tools and financial incentives for civilians to act like enforcers. Even more disturbing is the co-optation of resistance infrastructure. ICERAID's URL, is nearly identical to the website of People Over Papers, a community-led initiative that tracks ICE raids and protects undocumented communities. The similarity is no accident. It is a deliberate move to confuse and undermine grassroots resistance. ICERAID is not an anomaly. It is a clear reflection of a broader system – one that criminalises migration, rewards suspicion, and expands enforcement through private tech and public fear. Public officials incite panic. Corporations build the tools. Civilians are enlisted to do the job. Technology is never neutral. It mirrors and amplifies existing power structures. ICERAID does not offer security – it builds a decentralised surveillance regime in which racialised suspicion is monetised and lives are reduced to data. Recognising and resisting this system is not only necessary to protect people on the move. It is essential to the survival of democracy itself. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.
