The Chhattisgarh

Tag: Gaza

  • Israel Orders Over 4,00,000 Gazans To Move South, Expands Military Operations In North: UN | world news

    UNITED NATIONS: In recent days, Israeli authorities once again ordered more than 400,000 people who remain north of Wadi Gaza in the Gaza Strip to move south while at the same time tightening access restrictions and expanding military operations in the north, UN humanitarians said. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Wednesday said it continues to be deeply concerned about the situation in the northern areas of Gaza.

    The office said crossing points into northern Gaza remain largely closed to both humanitarian and commercial supplies, and checkpoints inside Gaza are only permitting civilians to move south and allowing just a trickle of humanitarian movement into the north, according to Xinhua news agency. OCHA warned that these developments are forcing services critical for people’s survival to shut down one by one. According to UNRWA, the UN relief agency for Palestinians, seven schools sheltering displaced people are being evacuated, and only two of eight water wells in the Jabalya refugee camp remain functional.

    “The north is also facing severe shortages of bread and food supplies,” the office said. Explosive munitions burned down the only bakery supported by the World Food Program (WFP) in the Jabalya refugee camp. OCHA and the World Health Organization tried to reach northern Gaza on Wednesday to support the Kamal Adwan Hospital after Israeli authorities ordered its immediate evacuation. After receiving a green light from the Israeli authorities for the mission, the team was forced to wait at a holding point for many hours. Ultimately, the mission had to be aborted.

    “Despite these challenges, aid workers are seizing any opportunity to support people in northern Gaza,” said OCHA. It added that UNRWA is utilizing limited stocks already in the north to distribute high-energy biscuits from WFP to children in designated shelters and delivering bread bundles to families in certain areas. Hot meals are being distributed by its partners to newly displaced families, some of which are also receiving tents, and water is being delivered using trucks.

  • Seven Palestinians Killed In Israeli Airstrike In Gaza | world news

    At least seven Palestinians, including three children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a home in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said.

    Palestinian security sources told Xinhua news agency that the airstrike on Tuesday evening targeted at least one residential home belonging to the Abu Nadda family in the camp.

    The Israeli army has not commented on the incident yet.

    Meanwhile, the Israeli army has killed a Palestinian man during clashes that erupted after the soldiers blew up two apartments owned by prisoners in the West Bank on Tuesday.

    Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and West Bank to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 were taken hostage.

  • UK’s New PM Keir Starmer Urges Israel For ‘Clear And Urgent’ Need For Gaza Ceasefire |

    Amid the Israel-Gaza war, the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, stressed on ceasefire and a two-state solution in calls with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, Al Jazeera reported. This comes as Israel continues to escalate, resulting in a significant loss of life, with over 38,000 people killed so far. Keir Starmer spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over phone call on Sunday and urged for a “clear and urgent need for a ceasefire, the return of hostages, and an immediate increase in the volume of humanitarian aid reaching civilians.” When in opposition, Starmer was accused of not calling for a ceasefire and taking the same line as Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. However, he eventually reversed his stance in February, urging a ceasefire after intense public pressure. Starmer has also been accused of denying party tickets to pro-Palestinian members of Labour, including former party leader Jeremy Corbyn. At least five pro-Palestinian candidates, including Corbyn, won the elections as independents. Starmer faced backlash last October for comments he made on an LBC podcast, where he stated that Israel “has the right” to cut off water and electricity supplies to Gaza. Although, a Labour Party spokesperson later clarified Starmer’s remark, saying his comment was in response to a question on Israel’s right to defend itself. According to Al Jazeera, the ongoing Israeli military offensive in Gaza has resulted in a devastating toll on the Palestinian population. Since the conflict began on October 7, over 38,000 Palestinians have lost their lives, with women and children making up a significant majority of the fatalities. Additionally, more than 87,000 people have been injured and thousands are missing. According to a statement by the new British government, the prime minister added that “it was also important to ensure the long-term conditions for a two-state solution were in place, including ensuring the Palestinian Authority had the financial means to operate effectively. ” Starmer assured Netanyahu that the UK wishes to continue its “vital cooperation to deter malign threats” with Israel. Netanyahu’s office did not put out a statement after the phone call on Sunday. Starmer also spoke with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to reiterate the same priorities.

  • Israel Weighs Hamas’ Latest Response To Gaza Cease-Fire Proposal |

    TEL AVIV: Israel’s Cabinet was set to convene Thursday to discuss Hamas’ latest response to a US-backed proposal for a phased cease-fire in Gaza, as diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the nine-month war stirred back to life after a weekslong hiatus . Fighting, meanwhile, intensified between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, with the militant group saying it fired more than 200 rockets and exploding drones into northern Israel to avenge the killing of a senior commander in an Israeli airstrike the day before.

    The relatively low-level conflict has literally set the border ablaze and raised fears of a potentially even more devastating war in the Middle East. Hezbollah has said it will halt its attacks if there is a cease-fire between Hamas — a fellow Iran-backed ally — and Israel. The United States has rallied world support behind a plan that would see the release of all of the scores of hostages still held by the militant group in return for a lasting truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. But until now, neither side appears to have fully embraced it.

    Hamas suggested “amendments” to the proposal last month, some of which the US said were unworkable, without providing specifics. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed that the original proposal was an Israeli one, but has raised doubts over whether it would end the war — a key Hamas demand.

    Hamas confirmed Wednesday that it had sent another response to Egypt and Qatar, which are mediating the talks, without providing details. A US official said the Biden administration was examining the response, calling it constructive but saying more work needed to be done. The official, who wasn’t authorised to comment publicly, spoke on condition of anonymity.

    An Israeli official said Netanyahu would convene a Cabinet meeting Thursday to discuss the latest developments surrounding the negotiations. The official, who wasn’t authorised to discuss the meeting with media, spoke on condition of anonymity. Israel would likely hold additional consultations before making a final decision on any amended proposal.

    As cease-fire talks appeared to be gaining new steam, the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the death toll in the war had climbed past 38,000. Hamas political official Bassem Naim said that the group has neither accepted nor rejected the American proposal, and has “responded with some ideas to bridge the gap” between the two sides, without elaborating. Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ top political leader, has shared suggestions with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish officials, the group said in a statement late Wednesday.

    US officials have said the latest proposal has new language that was proposed to Egypt and Qatar on Saturday and addresses indirect negotiations that are set to commence during the first phase of the three-phase deal that US President Joe Biden laid out in a May 31 speech . The first phase calls for a “full and complete cease-fire,” a withdrawal of Israeli forces from all densely populated areas of Gaza and the release of a number of hostages, including women, older people and the wounded, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

    The proposal called for the parties to negotiate the terms of the second phase during the 42 days of phase one. Under the current proposal, Hamas could release all of the remaining men, both civilians and soldiers, during the second phase. In return, Israel could free an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees. The releases wouldn’t occur until “sustainable calm” takes effect and all Israeli troops withdraw from Gaza. The third phase would see the return of the remains of hostages.

    The transition from the first to the second phase has appeared to be the main sticking point. Hamas is concerned that Israel will restart the war after the first phase, perhaps after making unrealistic demands in the talks. Israeli officials have expressed concern that Hamas will do the same, drawing out the talks and the initial cease-fire indefinitely without releasing the remaining captives.

    In a lengthy television interview last month, Netanyahu said that he was prepared to make a “partial deal,” but was committed to continuing the war “after a pause” in order to annihilate Hamas. Later, speaking before Israel’s parliament, he said Israel remains committed to the deal outlined by Biden.

    The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on October 7 into southern Israel, attacking multiple army bases and farming communities and killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. They abducted another 250 people, more than 100 of whom were released during a weeklong cease-fire in November. Militants are still holding around 80 hostages and the remains of 40 others.

    Israel launched a major offensive in response to the October 7 attack that has killed more than 38,000, according to health officials in Gaza, who don’t say how many were civilians or militants. The war has caused vast destruction across the territory, displaced most of its population of 2.3 million — often multiple times — caused widespread hunger and raised fears of famine.

  • Israeli strike on UNRWA school in Gaza ‘kills at least 40’ Palestinians |

    New Delhi: Israeli Air Force fighter jets conducted a strike directed at a Hamas compound inside a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) school in the area of ​​Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip overnight, the IDF confirmed on Thursday.

    The Israeli strike reportedly killed at least 40 people in the early hours of this morning, Al Jazeera reported, citing Gaza’s government statement.

    Israeli armed forces said that the airstrike was directed by IDF intelligence and the Israel Security Agency and it eliminated terrorists who took part in the attack in southern Israel on October 7.

    According to IDF, “Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists who belonged to the Nukhba Forces were operating in the compound.”

    As per IDF, the terrorists used thr UNRWA school it as a shelter. Several terrorists who planned to carry out terror attacks and promote terrorist activities against IDF troops in the immediate time frame were eliminated in the strike.

    Before the strike, several steps were taken to reduce the risk of harming uninvolved civilians during the strike, including conducting aerial surveillance and providing additional intelligence information.

    Hamas has condemned the “massacre” committed by Israeli forces against civilians at an UNRWA school in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, and said that it was a premeditated crime.

    Al Jazeera reported, citing Gaza’s government reports, that it has released a statement with more details on the victims of the Israeli air attack on Nuseirat.

    According to their statement, out of the 40 people confirmed killed in the attack on a UN-run school there, fourteen were children and nine were women. Out of 74 wounded from the attack, 23 are children and 18 are women, Al Jazeera reported.

    More than 36,654 people have been killed and 83,309 have been wounded in Israeli military attacks on Gaza since October 7, the enclave’s Health Ministry says. Some 68 Palestinians were killed and 235 wounded in the past 24 hours, the ministry added.

    The ministry said in a statement that the number of sick and wounded Palestinians who need to leave the Gaza Strip for treatment has reached 25,000 but since May 12, about the time Israel seized the Rafah border crossing with Egypt and it closed, “no sick or wounded person has been able to leave the Gaza Strip,” as per Al Jazeera. Only 4,895 people were able to leave when the Rafah crossing was open, the ministry added.

    “This exposes the lives of thousands to avoidable complications and death, and these are cases that can be treated and saved if they were allowed to go to specialised centres outside the Gaza Strip,” the statement said.

  • Explained: All You Need To Know About Pro-Palestine Protests By Students At US Universities | world news

    In recent weeks, protests in support of Palestinians over the conflict in Gaza have rocked America, leading to clashes between police and demonstrators, resulting in the removal of protest camps multiple times. However, students are still continuing to protest at some places.

    What do Pro-Palestinian Protesters Want?

    At protest sites, students have demanded a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the cessation of American military aid to Israel, divestment from arms suppliers to universities, and companies profiting from war. Demonstrating students have also demanded apologies for those students and faculty members expelled for participating in protests.

    Who are the Pro-Palestinian Protesters?

    Protests in support of Palestine have seen participation from students, faculty members, as well as external activists from Jewish and Muslim communities. Organizing groups include organizations like Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace. Some Jewish students have expressed feeling unsafe on campus and intimidated by alleged ‘anti-Semitic’ chants.It’s interesting to note that in Texas University, Austin, among the 79 individuals arrested on April 29, 45 had no affiliation with the university.

    Who are the Anti-Protest demonstrators?

    In response to Pro-Palestinian demonstrators, Israeli-American and Zionist groups, along with members of the Jewish-American community, have been protesting. In Los Angeles, hundreds participated in a counter-rally organized by the Israeli Advocacy Group and the Israeli American Council. On May 1, a scuffle broke out between members of a Zionist group and Pro-Palestinian demonstrators at the University of California, Berkeley. At Mississippi University, hundreds of students protested against Pro-Palestinian demonstrators on May 2. Some displayed American flags and banners in support of former President Donald Trump.

    What has been the administration’s response?

    Some university administrations have relied on local police to arrest demonstrators and clear camps and protest sites. Others have allowed protests to continue or reached compromises. At Manhattan Campus, police were sent to disband a camp set up by students the day after it was established on April 18. On April 30, police again raided the camp and the occupied building, resulting in dozens of arrests. California University, Berkeley has permitted the Pro-Palestinian campus camp to remain as long as it does not disrupt campus operations or pose a threat of violence.

    Northwestern University, Brown University, and Rutgers University are among colleges that have agreed to dismantle camps. Brown is considering divestment from companies linked to Israel. Rutgers has agreed to establish an Arab cultural center and consider the creation of a Middle East studies department.

    What’s the impact on daily campus life?

    Columbia University has had to switch to virtual classes several times. Southern California University canceled its main stage graduation ceremony. This decision followed the cancellation of a Muslim student’s closing speech and the removal of the Pro-Palestinian camp by police, leading to dozens of arrests.

    California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, canceled personal classes after students locked themselves in an administrative building.

    Michigan University has said it will allow freedom of expression and peaceful protest at its May graduation ceremonies but will enforce ‘adequate disruptions’.

    Political Leaders’ Reactions

    Democratic President Joe Biden said on Thursday that Americans have the right to protest but not to spread violence. However, demonstrators have criticized his administration for funding Israel with money and weapons. Republican candidate Trump for the 2024 election termed the protests on campus as ‘forceful hatred.’ He did not comment on the police raid on Columbia on April 30, calling it a ‘beautiful thing to watch.’

  • US ‘Outraged’ By Israeli Airstrike Killing Aid Workers In Gaza, UK Summons Envoy | world news

    Washington: The Joe Biden Administration is outraged and has expressed deep dismay over an Israeli airstrike that resulted in the tragic deaths of seven aid workers in Gaza, a White House official said on Tuesday. President Joe Biden also spoke with Jose Andres, the founder of the affected organization and conveyed his condolences. “We were outraged to learn of an IDF strike that killed a number of civilian humanitarian workers yesterday from the World Central Kitchen, which has been tirelessly working to get food to those who are hungry in Gaza, and quite frankly, around the world,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said at a news briefing Tuesday, adding, “We send our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones.”

    Kirby emphasized that both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli Defense Forces have pledged to conduct an investigation “in a swift and comprehensive manner.” “We hope that those findings will be made public and that there is appropriate accountability held,” Kirby said. He noted that an initial inquiry had already been completed. Furthermore, Kirby highlighted that one of the victims was a dual-national United States citizen.

    President Biden, in a post on Incidents like yesterday’s simply should not happen…”


    US President Joe Biden tweets, “I am outraged and heartbroken by the deaths of seven humanitarian workers from World Central Kitchen, including one American, in Gaza yesterday. Incidents like yesterday’s simply should not happen…” pic.twitter.com/WoWT0BtLt1 — ANI (@ANI) April 3, 2024


    An Israeli military strike on Monday night resulted in the tragic deaths of seven aid workers from the non-profit organization World Central Kitchen as they were delivering food to starving civilians in Gaza. The workers were traveling in two armored cars marked with the charity’s logo and another vehicle, CNN reported. Among those killed were three British nationals, a dual US-Canadian citizen, individuals from Australia and Poland, and a Palestinian.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged the incident, stating that “innocent people” were “unintentionally struck” by the military. The Israel Defense Forces pledged to “at the highest levels.”

    Meanwhile, World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres slammed the Israeli government, saying it “needs to stop this indiscriminate killing.” Israeli President Isaac Herzog apologized to Andres and expressed condolences to the families of the aid workers. He assured a thorough investigation into the tragedy.

    Herzog “expressed his deep sorrow and sincere apologies over the tragic loss of life of WCK staff in the Gaza Strip last night, and sent his condolences to their families and loved ones,” according to a post on X from the presidency. “The President reiterated Israel’s commitment to ensuring a thorough investigation of the tragedy,” the post read.

    UK Summons Israeli Ambassador

    Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has taken a firm stance following the tragic killing of World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza, including three British nationals, summoning the Israeli ambassador to London for a decisive discussion, CNN reported. British Minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, summoned Israel’s ambassador to set out the government’s “unequivocal condemnation of the appalling killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, including three British nationals,” he said in a Foreign Office press release.

    Israel-Hamas Conflict

    The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has proven particularly deadly for aid workers, with this incident marking one of the deadliest in over two decades, according to the Aid Worker Security Database. In less than six months, nearly 200 aid workers have been killed in Gaza, surpassing casualties in other conflicts such as Afghanistan, Syria, and South Sudan over the past 20 years, as reported by CNN.

    The Aid Worker Security data encompasses workers from various humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations. Since October 7, more than 170 UN staff members have been reported killed, marking the highest number of casualties among UN personnel in history.

    Additionally, fifteen Palestine Red Crescent Society workers and volunteers have lost their lives, as reported by the UN on March 29, CNN reported.

  • 18 Hamas Terrorists Killed In Gaza, Israeli Airstrikes Pound Hezbollah Overnight

    Soldiers Identified and Directed an Air Strike against Four Terrorists Operating Adjacent to The Forces

  • Who Was Aaron Bushnell? US Air Force Personnel Who Set Himself Ablaze For ‘Free Palestine’

    According to reports, Aaron Bushnell walked up to the Israel embassy around Sunday afternoon and live-streamed on the video streaming platform Twitch.

  • Israel To Directly Deliver Humanitarian Aid Via Northern Gaza, Bypassing Hamas | world news

    To bypass Hamas, Israeli humanitarian aid to Gaza will be delivered through a reopened crossing on the northeastern side of the Strip, Israel’s War Cabinet decided.

    Till now, humanitarian aid has passed through either the Kerem Shalom crossing or Egypt’s Rafah crossing. Both are on the southern end of Gaza, next to Rafah, where Hamas reportedly has four battalions. Hamas has been hijacking trucks carrying food, water, medicine, fuel and other aid.

    In the coming days, deliveries to areas of Gaza under Israeli control will be routed through the site of the old Karni crossing, near Kibbutz Nahal Oz. Karni was a cargo terminal that opened in 1994 after the signing of the Oslo Accords.

    It was closed in 2011 for security reasons as deliveries were increasingly routed through the larger and more modern Kerem Shalom crossing. Israel demolished Karni’s remaining structures in 2022.

    Humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza are unpopular among Israelis.

    For weeks, protesters chanting “Don’t feed Hamas” have tried to disrupt the aid trucks at the Kerem Shalom crossing and other points where the deliveries are inspected.

    Netanyahu has defended the aid transfers, saying a degree of aid is necessary to continue the war to free hostages and remove Hamas from control of Gaza.

    At least 1,200 people were killed and 240 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the remaining 134 hostages, Israel recently declared 31 of them dead.