Latest news with #humanitarianlaw
Irish Times
15-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Gaza: More than 700 killed by Israeli army while collecting water since war began, say authorities
More than 700 Palestinians , mainly children, have been killed by the Israeli army while trying to collect water since the war began 21 months ago, according to Gazan authorities. The Israeli army destroyed 720 wells and obstructed 12 million litres of fuel needed monthly to operate a minimum number of wells and sewage and waste collection plants, said the media office of the Gaza government, which is run by Hamas . On Monday, the director of the United Nations children's agency, Unicef, Catherine Russell, called for the Israeli army to 'urgently review the rules of engagement and ensure compliance with international humanitarian law' after seven children and four adults were killed on Sunday while waiting for water at a distribution hub. The Israeli military said there had been a 'technical error' with a strike targeting an Islamic Jihad 'terrorist' that caused the munition to fall dozens of metres from the target. The incident is under review, it said. READ MORE Ahmed – a Gazan who lives in Cyprus but speaks to his family daily – said: 'There is no water in the pipes, no electricity, no fuel. A litre of diesel costs 100 Israeli shekels (€25.60).' People depend on two types of tanker trucks: one delivers potable water and the other provides water for washing and cleaning. Some wells have solar panels or generators to purify water. But even this can remain saline, causing kidney damage, or polluted, resulting in stomach ailments. [ Gaza's last hospitals battle to save patients amid severe depletion of life-saving medical items Opens in new window ] Fortunately, he said his father and brother live in Gaza City in a 'repaired flat in a damaged building where there is a well for bathroom water'. Although he said 'nowhere is safe in Gaza', they, along with most other Gazans, have to fetch 'drinking water in 20-litre plastic jerry cans and pay for it'. He said these tanker trucks and Palestinians, largely children, gathering near them to get water, have been targeted by Israeli strikes. Some critics have called this Israel's 'water war'. [ 'Famine is spreading and people are dying': UN urges Israel to allow fuel into Gaza Opens in new window ] Shortly after Israel imposed its blockade on March 2nd, power supplies were cut to the main desalination plants, the chief source of drinking water for Gazans, and dozens of privately owned, unregulated, small-capacity brackish water desalination plants. Since then, the United Nations reported that Israeli attacks have destroyed 70 per cent of Gaza's desalination plants, pipelines and wells in a campaign dubbed the 'water war'. Gaza's coastal aquifer, the strip's sole natural source of water, has been polluted for decades by seawater, sewage and fertilisers.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Ten children among at least 15 killed waiting for Gaza health clinic to open, says aid group
Ten children and two women are among at least 15 killed in an airstrike near a Gaza health clinic, according to an aid organisation. Project Hope said it happened this morning near Altayara Junction, in Deir al Balah, as patients waited for the clinic to open. The organisation's president called it a "blatant violation of international humanitarian law, and a stark reminder that no one and no place is safe in ". "No child waiting for food and medicine should face the risk of being bombed," added the group's project manager, Dr Mithqal Abutaha. "It was a horrific scene. People had to come seeking health and support, instead they faced death." Operations at the clinic - which provides a range of health and maternity services - have been suspended. Some of the children were reportedly waiting to receive nutritional supplements, necessary due to the dire shortage of food being allowed into Gaza. 's military is investigating and said it was targeting a militant who took part in the 7 October terror attack. The deaths come as an agreement over a 60-day truce hangs in the balance - with President Trump . Elsewhere in Gaza, the Nasser Hospital reported another 21 deaths in airstrikes in Khan Younis and in the nearby coastal area of Muwasi. It said three children and their mother were among the dead. Israel said its troops have been dismantling more than 130 infrastructure sites in Khan Younis over the past week, including missile launch sites, weapons storage facilities and a 500m tunnel. On Wednesday, a soldier was shot dead when militants burst out of a tunnel and tried to abduct him, the military added. Eighteen soldiers have been killed in the past three weeks - one of the deadliest periods for the Israeli army in months. A 22-year-old Israeli man was also killed on Thursday by two attackers in a supermarket in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said the Magen David Adom emergency service. People on site reportedly shot and killed the attackers but information on their identity has so far not been released. Read more: Negotiations over a proposed 60-day ceasefire are ongoing and reportedly , who visited the US this week. A major sticking point is said to be the status of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) inside Gaza during the 60-day ceasefire and beyond, should it last longer. However, Sky News understands the Israeli government . More than 57,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war - more than half are women and children, according to Gaza's Hamas-controlled health ministry. Its figure does not differentiate between civilians and fighters. The war began in October 2023 after Hamas killed around 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 251 others. Some of them remain In Gaza and are a crucial part of ceasefire negotiations, which also include a planned surge in humanitarian aid into the strip.
Free Malaysia Today
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
US strikes on Iran risk ‘war with irreversible consequences', says Red Cross chief
The International Committee of the Red Cross has delegations in both Iran and Israel. (EPA Images pic) GENEVA : The military escalation in the Middle East risks sparking warfare with irreversible consequences, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross today, following US strikes on Iran. ICRC president Mirjana Spoljaric called for civilians and medical personnel to be spared after the US military hit three Iranian nuclear sites, joining its ally Israel's bombing campaign. 'The intensification and spread of major military operations in the Middle East risk engulfing the region – and the world – in a war with irreversible consequences,' Spoljaric said in a statement. 'The world cannot absorb limitless war.' 'Upholding international humanitarian law is not a choice – it is an obligation. Civilians must be spared from the conduct of hostilities.' She said medical personnel and first responders must be allowed to carry out their life-saving work safely, including colleagues at the Iranian Red Crescent Society and at Israel's Magen David Adom. Spoljaric said the ICRC had delegations in both Iran and Israel and was mobilising teams and supplies to scale up to increasing needs. However, 'no humanitarian response can substitute for political will to prioritise peace, stability and human life', she said.
Arab News
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
UN rights chief condemns civilian toll of Israel-Iran escalation, warns of regional conflagration
NEW YORK CITY: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Thursday condemned the mounting civilian toll in the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran, and warned that the conflict risks plunging the wider region into war. In a strongly worded statement he said the 'wide-scale, continuing attacks' by Israel on Iranian territory and the retaliatory missile and drone strikes by Iran were having 'severe human rights and humanitarian impacts' on civilians. 'The extensive airstrikes and missile and drone attacks have already caused significant harm beyond military objectives,' Turk said, citing attacks that have killed civilians and damaged critical infrastructure including hospitals, homes, water supply systems and energy facilities. According to the latest official figures from Tehran, 224 people have been killed in the attacks on Iran, though human rights groups estimate the toll to be more than twice that number. In Israel, government figures report at least 24 dead and more than 840 wounded. Displacement is surging, particularly in the Iranian capital, where evacuation orders have prompted the large-scale flight of people from affected areas. Turk urged both nations to adhere to the principles of international humanitarian law, emphasizing the in particular the legal obligation to distinguish between military and civilian targets, and to refrain from indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks. 'It is appalling to see how civilians are treated as collateral damage in the conduct of hostilities,' he said. 'Threats and inflammatory rhetoric by senior officials on both sides suggest a worrying intention to inflict harm on civilians.' He called for 'maximum restraint,' respect for international law, and a return to the negotiating table as the only way to halt the 'spiraling illogic of escalation.' The latest flare-up, which began when Israel launched attacks on Iran on June 13, follows months of rising tensions and tit-for-tat strikes that have drawn concern from regional powers and global leaders who fear a wider escalation of war in the Middle East.
CNA
06-06-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Commentary: Why Singapore PM Wong's recent comments on Israel actions in Gaza are significant
SINGAPORE: Last week, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that Israel's restriction of aid into Gaza may be a ' likely breach of international humanitarian law ' that 'cannot be justified'. The comments were the strongest so far by Singapore's leadership since the Hamas terrorist attack on Oct 7, 2023, and Israel's response. Beyond the language, the fact that Mr Wong made those comments at a joint press conference with visiting French President Emmanuel Macron was significant: Of late, Mr Macron had himself emphasised that Europe should 'harden its collective position' on Israel, including affording official recognition for a Palestinian state. This has come on the back of steps taken by the United Kingdom and Canada to denounce Israel's latest military offensive in Gaza, including the threat of 'concrete actions'. Perhaps what has raised eyebrows the most was German Chancellor Friedrich Merz 's recent comment that he could 'no longer understand' what goal Israel was aiming to achieve with its latest Gaza offensive. It was a clear break from Germany's longstanding 'reason of state' – a special responsibility for Israel on account of the horrors perpetrated against European Jews by the Nazis. These actions point to a growing consensus internationally – even in the West – that Israel should not be given carte blanche in Gaza. But where do statements end, and actions begin? HAS SINGAPORE'S POSITION SHIFTED? Following Mr Wong's remarks, Acting Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim said he agreed with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who wrote in the newspaper Haaretz that Israel is committing war crimes in Gaza. Prof Faishal took pains to note Israel's contributions to 'Singapore in our early years', but said he thought it was time 'to be frank'. But while the Singapore leaders' remarks received much attention, they should not be seen as a shift in our position. Just four months after Israel began retaliating for Hamas' attacks, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told Parliament during the Committee of Supply debates on Feb 29, 2024 that its ' military response has gone too far '. This followed his speech in November 2023, which outlined the three principles of Singapore's position: zero tolerance towards terrorism; the right of self-defence dictated by international law; and that necessity and proportionality should be accounted for if military action is required for self-defence. Put simply, Singapore's position that Israel was using disproportionate force was arrived at quickly. What is less talked about is Singapore's longstanding support for Palestinian aspirations, including its voting record in the United Nations on the issue, and its constant backing for a two-state solution. After the Gaza war began, the government and people have backed their support with actions: The Republic of Singapore Air Force has delivered seven tranches of humanitarian aid to Gaza, totalling over S$19 million, including via air drop operations. The Singapore Armed Forces, together with the Ministry of Health, deployed a medical contingent in April to treat Palestinians in Egypt. When compared to the likes of China, whose aid delivery so far amounted to US$2.75 million – broken down into six shipments of food parcels – Singapore has again punched above its weight in the international arena. AN INCREASINGLY ISOLATED ISRAEL INTERNATIONALLY What is also significant about Mr Wong's remark is that it mirrors the increasing daylight between support for Israel and for the Netanyahu government, around the world, particularly in the West. What began with robust Spanish support for the Palestinians grew into recognition (alongside Ireland and Norway) of a Palestinian state in May 2024, and has now broadened into criticism of Israeli conduct among Israel's closest European friends. The European Union has even moved to review the EU-Israel Association Agreement – the basis for trade relations. Trouble for Israel is brewing across the Atlantic, too. United States President Donald Trump's has reportedly expressed frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, owing to a divide between the former's desire to see an end to the war and the latter's defiance. Mr Trump has blindsided Mr Netanyahu on several other occasions thus far, including negotiating a new nuclear deal with Iran, and brokering direct agreements with Hamas and the Houthis that left Israel sidelined and vulnerable. The US president's high-profile trip to the Middle East just two weeks ago omitted Israel, which spoke volumes – and that is before one accounts for his decision to lift sanctions on Syria. To rub salt in the wound, Vice President JD Vance scrapped a planned visit to Israel, too, reportedly over concerns that such a trip would validate its renewed offensive into Gaza. It must be said, however, that the current wave of criticism remains just that. Whether the US, Europe, or others will apply more than vocal and symbolic pressure on Israel in order to change the situation on the ground remains to be seen. INTRANSIGENCE LEADS TO IMMOBILITY Nevertheless, prospects for ending the war remain bleak for one reason: Neither side in Gaza has come down from their hardline positions. For every move made by Israel that prolongs the conflict, Hamas has one of its own. It recently torpedoed a US-backed ceasefire proposal with additional demands. As US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said, the Hamas response 'only takes us backward', when the original intention was build momentum with 'substantive negotiations in good faith to try to reach a permanent ceasefire'. If external pressure is not working, perhaps domestic concerns will force a rethink, as discontent continues to percolate. In Israel, public letters by reservists denouncing the continuation of war and poll findings that indicate a lack of trust (at 70 per cent) in the government, point to Mr Netanyahu's precarious position. The latest survey conducted by the Pew Research Center reveals that 53 per cent of Israelis view the prime minister unfavourably. Likewise, in Gaza, support for Hamas has dwindled. Findings released by the Palestinian Center for Policy Survey Research show a significant drop in Gazan support for Hamas, from 64 per cent in June 2024 to 39 per cent in September 2024. In March this year, Palestinians also took to the streets in the Strip to demonstrate against Hamas, with chants of 'we want an end to the war'. This should make both sides realise that an off-ramp is needed quickly. If this is to happen sooner rather than later, consistent messages from Israel's friends – like the ones from Singapore – rather than hopping between unconditional support and shrill warnings, will be key.
