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Tag: Gaza Strip

  • Israeli president calls for world support in fight against enemies

    Israeli president calls for world support in fight against enemies

    Israeli President Isaac Herzog has called on the world to support Israel in the fight against its enemies, as he spoke during a ceremony to mark one year since the Hamas terrorist attack.

    ‘This is a scar on humanity. This is a scar on the face of the Earth,’’ he said on Monday at the 2023 Nova music festival near the Gaza border.

    Terrorists from the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and other extremist groups stormed across the border exactly one year ago, killing more than 1,200 people at the festival.

    Herzog said that the world has to realise and understand that in order to change the course of history and bring peace, it must support Israel in its battle against its enemies.

    “We are fighting the battle of the free world” he added.

    The attack provoked the Israeli bombardment and invasion of the Gaza Strip.

    Tensions since then have rocketed and brought the Middle East region to the brink of a wider conflict.

  • Israel – Hamas: US President, Joe Biden apologizes to Muslim leaders

    Israel – Hamas: US President, Joe Biden apologizes to Muslim leaders

    US president, Joe Biden has tendered his apologies to some prominent Muslim-American leaders over his public questioning of the Palestinian death number reported by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health.

    It was gathered that Biden was in the gathering of five Muslim American leaders the day after his October 25 comments about reported Gaza deaths roiled the Islamic community, vowing to “do better.” According to the New York Post.

    In the said meeting which was initially billed for 30 minutes but lasted more than an hour, Biden heard the leaders describe individuals they knew who were personally affected by the conflict, and told the group, “I’m sorry. I’m disappointed in myself.”

    Before the press conference, Biden was seen openly questioning the accuracy of the casualty figures from Gaza, given Hamas’ terror track record.

    He was smeared with criticism at home, as he made great efforts to pressure Israel to minimize civilian casualties. He was smeared with criticism at home, as he made great efforts to pressure Israel to minimize civilian casualties.

    “I have no notion that the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many people are killed. I’m sure innocents have been killed, and it’s a price of waging war,” he added.

    Reports say that more than 14,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including many women and children, have been killed in the conflict, according to data from the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health.

    Israel has suffered more than 1,200 fatalities — mostly also civilians, who were killed when the terror group launched a massive attack on Israel on October 7.

     

     

    The Muslim-American leaders who met with Biden urged him to display more empathy for the Palestinians.

  • Tell Aviv march for hostages heads to Netanyahu’s Jerusalem residence

    Tell Aviv march for hostages heads to Netanyahu’s Jerusalem residence

    Relatives and friends to some 240 people being held hostage in the Gaza Strip by the militant Palestinian organisation Hamas are marching almost 70 kilometres to push for their release.

    They began their protest march on Tuesday in Tel Aviv and plan to arrive in Jerusalem, almost 70 kilometres away, on Saturday.

    There, they are to march to the official residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to organisers, who called on Netanyahu to meet with them.

    “Meet us and explain what conditions Israel has set for an exchange of hostages,” said a statement on behalf of the hostages’ relatives.

    All Israelis were called upon to join the march and demand the release of the abductees.

    On Oct. 7, Hamas fighters and other groups killed about 1,200 people in massacres and attacks in the Israeli border area and abducted around 240 hostages who were taken into Gaza.

    Four were later released and one was freed in a military operation.

    It is unclear how many of the others are still alive.

  • War: Israel military announces massive ground bombardments in Gaza

    War: Israel military announces massive ground bombardments in Gaza

    In a bid to fulfill its goals in the war with Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces, IDF on Friday announced that they “expanding ground operations” in the Gaza Strip

    The development comes as airstrikes, bombardments continue in Gaza Strip.

    Earlier Friday, Israel’s military conducted “targeted raids” for a second night in northern Gaza, after vowing to continue ground raids over the coming days, and amid growing humanitarian concerns about the fate of civilians in the enclave.

    However, the international community has continued to appeal to Israel to allow desperately needed aid into Gaza.
    While the initial aid deliveries have provided food, water and medicine, they have not included fuel, which the United Nations has said is “paralyzing” its aid operations.

    Israel said Hamas is stockpiling fuel for its own use and has called on the militant Palestinian group that governs Gaza to share it.

    Recall that crisis between Israel Military and Palestinian fighters escalated on October 7 resultings to attacks from both sides.

    Over 1.4 million people are internally displaced in Gaza while more than 1,400 people in Israel and 7,000 Palestinians have been killed amid fighting between Israel and Hamas.
  • WHO to send 100 aid trucks to Gaza strip daily

    WHO to send 100 aid trucks to Gaza strip daily

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) plans to send up to 100 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing daily after Egypt agreed to open the lifeline.

    Richard Brennan, regional emergency director for the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean regional office on Thursday said U.S. President, Joe Biden announced that he had secured agreement from Israel and Egypt to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza via Rafah following his solidarity trip to Israel on Wednesday.

    Brennan said up to 20 trucks would enter the sealed-off exclave but is likely to reach Gaza only by Friday as the roads must be repaired first.

    “We hope to get up to a 100 trucks a day. So, we have got to rapidly scale up that assistance. This is not a sprint, this is just the start, this is a marathon,’’ Brennan told CNN.

    The official added that there were many factors complicating the aid delivery operation such as guaranteeing workers security, repairing roads and making sure the parties to the conflict respect the convoys.

    Israel has confirmed that it will not prevent humanitarian assistance from Egypt as long as it is only food, water and medicine for the civilian population located in the southern Gaza Strip or for those evacuating to the area, adding that any supplies that reach Hamas will be blocked

  • Complete closure of the Gaza Strip violates international law – UN

    Complete closure of the Gaza Strip violates international law – UN

    The United Nations has criticised Israel’s decision to stop all deliveries of food, water, electricity, and fuel to the Gaza Strip.

    UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said in Geneva on Tuesday that it was forbidden under international humanitarian law to deprive people of what they needed to survive.

    “The imposition of sieges that endanger the lives of civilians by depriving them of goods essential for their survival is prohibited under international humanitarian law.

    “Any restrictions on the movement of people and goods to implement a siege must be justified by military necessity or may otherwise amount to collective punishment,” said Türk.

    Israel said it was imposing a “complete siege” on the Palestinian territory in response to the large-scale Hamas attack that left around 900 people dead in Israel.

    Several hundred people have been killed in Gaza in retaliatory strikes by the Israeli air force.

  • Hamas threathen to kill Israel hostage if attacks on Gaza civilians continue

    Hamas threathen to kill Israel hostage if attacks on Gaza civilians continue

    The Hamas versus Israel crisis has taken a new twist as the militant group in Palestine has threatened to kill one Israeli hostage every time Israel bombs a Palestinian home without warning as Israel mobilised some 300,000 reservists and imposed a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, denying the enclave’s millions of residents access to food, water and fuel.

    Hamas warned Israel on Monday after the death toll from the armed group’s surprise weekend attack climbed to 900 in Israel and revenge attacks by Israeli forces on the besieged Gaza Strip killed more than 700 people and left some 3,700 others wounded.

    Residential apartment blocks, hospitals, schools and a mosque have been among the sites attacked by Israeli fighter jets, artillery and drones, according to media reports and witnesses.

    Gallant said Israel would impose a “complete siege” on Gaza. “No electricity, no food, no water, no gas – it’s all closed.”

    United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply distressed” by the siege announcement and warned that Gaza’s already dire humanitarian situation will now “only deteriorate exponentially”.

    Guterres also said some 137,000 people were taking shelter with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) at schools across Gaza.

    Nearly half a million people have also not received food rations this week in Gaza as UN food distribution centres have been forced to remain closed amid the Israeli onslaught, UNRWA said.

  • WAR: Seven interesting facts about Israel – Palestine crisis

    WAR: Seven interesting facts about Israel – Palestine crisis

    Hamas

    Hamas is an Islamist militant group in Palestine which rules the Gaza Strip. The group has been at war with Israel since it took power in 2027.

    After winning the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections, Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007 following a violent conflict with its rival, Fatah. Since then, Hamas has been the de facto authority in Gaza, while Fatah governs the West Bank.

    Hamas has fired or allowed other groups to fire thousands of rockets at Israel, and carried out other deadly attacks. Israel has also repeatedly attacked Hamas with air strikes, and, together with Egypt, has blockaded the Gaza Strip since 2007 in what it says is for its security.

    The United States, the European Union and the UK, as well as other powers have labelled Hamas a terrorist group.

    However, there are reports that Hamas has the backing, of Iran. It’s believed that Iran funds  and provides weapons and training for the group.

    Gaza Strip

    The Gaza Strip is a 41km (25-mile) long and 10km-wide territory between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. It is home to about 2.3 million people and has one of the highest population densities in the world.

    Governed by Hamas, the territory is largely cut off from the rest of the world by an Israeli blockade of Gaza’s land, air and sea dating back to 2007. Egypt controls Gaza’s southern border crossing, Rafah. Israel has placed heavy restrictions on the freedom of civilian movement and controls the importation of basic goods into the narrow coastal strip.

    Israel controls the air space over Gaza and its shoreline and restricts who and what goods are allowed in and out through its border crossings. Similarly, Egypt controls who passes in and out through its border with Gaza.

     Israel largely provides and controls Gaza’s water supply, electricity and communications infrastructure

     

    Disput Between Israel and Palestine

    Fighting between the two sides has surged in the last two years. The violence has been driven by frequent Israeli military raids in Palestinian towns and cities, which Israel has said are a necessary response to a rising number of attacks by Palestinian militants on Israelis.

    The West Bank and Gaza, which are known as the Palestinian territories, as well as East Jerusalem and Israel all formed part of land known as Palestine since Roman times.

    These were also the lands of Jewish kingdoms in the Bible, and are seen by Jews as their ancient homeland.

    Palestine enjoys partial recognition as a nation states whilst Israel is given recognition as a state in the United Natons.

    Israel was declared a state in 1948, though the land is still referred to as Palestine by those who do not recognise Israel’s right to exist. Palestinians also use the name Palestine as an umbrella term for the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.

    There is constant tension between Israel and Hamas, but the attack by the militants on Saturday came without warning. Hamas fired thousands of rockets at Israel while dozens of fighters breached the border and invaded Israeli communities, killing dozens of civilians and taking others captive.

    Israel launched immediate air strikes, saying it was targeting militant sites in Gaza.

    Renewed Hostilities

    Shocked Israelis woke on the last day of the Jewish high holidays to the wail of sirens as Hamas and Islamic Jihad fired thousands of rockets from Gaza and armed militants broke down the hi-tech barriers surrounding the strip to enter Israel, shooting and taking hostages. Militants in boats also tried to enter Israel by sea.

    It was a staggering and unprecedented offensive by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and a catastrophic intelligence failure by Israel – and both will have long-lasting repercussions and consequences. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, declared that Israel was at war and that Palestinians would pay a heavy price.

    Militants infiltrated Jewish communities near the border with Gaza, killing and seizing civilians and soldiers. Unverified videos showed terrified Israelis covered in blood, and with hands tied behind their backs, being taken by Palestinian gunmen. Many people rushed to safe rooms in their homes as the carnage unfolded around them.

    Hundreds of young people at an all-night dance festival in southern Israel found themselves under fire. “They were going tree by tree and shooting. Everywhere. From two sides. I saw people were dying all around,” said one survivor. Authorities later said that 260 bodies had been recovered.

    By nightfall on Saturday, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) estimated there were still 200-300 Palestinian militants inside Israel. There were eight “points of engagement” where the IDF was trying to regain control from militants.

    Israel has indicated it may launch a ground invasion, although this would carry huge risks both for IDF troops and for Israeli hostages being held in the territory.

    Israel has cut off electricity and fuel supplies to Gaza, which may soon affect the strip’s medical facilities that are already under extreme pressure from people injured in the bombardment.

    Reasons for Hostilities

    The exact reasons for the attack are not clear, but there has been growing violence for months between Israeli soldiers and settlers and Palestinians in the West Bank. Armed settlers have attacked Palestinian villages; militants in the West Bank have attacked soldiers and settlers, and there have been repeated IDF raids on Palestinian cities.

    Declaration of War

    Israel has formally declared war on Hamas, setting the stage for a major military operation in Gaza as fighting continues to rage on Israeli soil.

    Tanks and personnel carriers could be seen on the move near the Israel-Gaza border on Sunday, after Hamas – an Islamist militant group – launched an unprecedented and highly coordinated surprise assault this weekend that has so far killed over 700 Israelis.

    Saturday was the deadliest day in decades for Israel and came after months of surging violence between Palestinians and Israelis, with the long-running conflict now heading into uncharted and dangerous new territory.

    Netanyahu vows revenge after surprise Hamas attack

    Israel Prime Minister, Netanyahu told his stunned nation in a televised address that the war against the militant group Hamas will “take time.”

    Israel has carried out a number of airstrikes in Gaza and has clashed with gunmen at the border fence around the coastal territory.

    Netanyahu said the Israeli military will use all of its strength to destroy Hamas’ capabilities. He also vowed to extract a heavy price if “even a single hair” is harmed on the Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity.

     

    TNG with additional information from BBC, Al Jazeera

  • Over 250 killed as Israel declares war following Hamas assault

    Over 250 killed as Israel declares war following Hamas assault

    In a fresh escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Hamas fighters crossed the border into Israel following an early morning barrage of rockets from the Gaza Strip, resulting in over 250 casualties.

    The armed wing of Hamas, in a move termed “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” launched over 5,000 rockets, marking the first strike.

    Israel responded by calling up reservists and striking targets in Gaza, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring, “we are at war” in a statement released on his social media channels.

    The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) engaged in confrontations with Hamas in various locations and while Palestine reported at least 198 casualties in Gaza, Israel confirmed 70 deaths within its territory.

    As the conflict escalated, at least 985 Israelis were injured as confirmed by the country’s health ministry. Health officials in the Gaza Strip reported at least 1,610 Palestinians sustaining injuries.

    Retaliatory attacks from Israel also resulted in injuries and damage to critical infrastructure in Gaza, including an oxygen station, reported Medecins Sans Frontieres.

    In the midst of this crisis, the United States President Joe Biden, has expressed unwavering support for Israel’s security.

    President Biden said that the U.S. administration’s commitment to Israel’s security remains “rock solid and unwavering.”

    India, through its embassy in Israel, urged its citizens to exercise caution, avoid unnecessary movement, and stay close to safety shelters. The country set up a helpline and email address to support its citizens during this crisis.

    The conflict has caused widespread fear and displacement, with haunting visuals of people fleeing their homes in the Gazan border areas emerging online.

    The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has a history of violence, and the latest escalation reflects the deep-rooted tensions and challenges faced in the region.

    Both sides have experienced significant loss of life, including fighters and civilians, and urgent international intervention is needed to seek a peaceful resolution to this ongoing crisis.