Red Crescent

2024-05-07

The United Nations called on Israel to immediately open the Kerem Shalom and the into Gaza to allow for the entry of humanitarian assistance on Tuesday. UN and other international aid agencies said the closures had virtually isolated the enclave from outside aid, and very few stores were available inside. Red Crescent sources in Egypt said shipments had halted entirely. In addition to beinga critical entry point for aid, the Rafah crossing was the only exit point for those needing to leave Gaza for medical treatment that is no longer available in the enclave. The UN warned that Gaza could run out of fuel unless action was taken, which is needed to sustain communications networks and transportation. Smoke rises after an Israeli strike as Israeli forces launch a ground and air operation in the eastern part of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip May 7, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled) “The closure of both the Rafah and Karem Shalom crossings is especially damaging to an already dire humanitarian situation,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters in New York on Tuesday. “They must be re-opened immediately,” he stressed. closed the Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel to Gaza, the main entry point for commercial goods into Gaza after a Hamas rocket attack killed four soldiers in that area on Sunday. The Rafah Crossing was shut down after Israel seized the Palestinian side of the passageway between Egypt and Gaza. promised US President Joe Biden on Monday that he would reopen Kerem Shalom. Still, according to the UN, no action had been taken on that as of Tuesday. Guterres said he wanted to “remind Israel of its obligation to facilitate the safe and unimpeded access of humanitarian aid and staff into and across Gaza.” Andrea De Domenico, who heads the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Palestinian territories, said that Israel has told the crossings would be reopened but had not given a date for the resumption of aid. Reuters contributed to this report. ...قراءة المزيد

الكلمات المفتاحية المذكورة في المقال:

2024-04-23

There’s a high risk of famine in northern Gaza despite steps Israel has taken to improve the entry and distribution of humanitarian assistance into that enclave, US Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues told reporters in Washington on Tuesday. “More must be done though to ensure that assistance is effectively and efficiently moved” not just in southern and central Gaza, but also “in the north,” Satterfield said. “The population in the North is in particular threat of malnutrition, wasting famine, and there, all too little aid had come in until the last several weeks,” he said. Nearly 100 trucks a day have been moving into the north, he said, as he assessed the overall humanitarian situation.There has been a dramatic improvement in the number of and the distribution of the aid they carry, he said. “Israel has taken significant steps in these last two and a half weeks,” Satterfield said, explaining that the land crossings into Gaza would be augmented within weeks by a sea route, with the help of a floating maritime port that the US is building. Egyptian Red Crescent members and volunteers gather next to a truck carrying humanitarian aid as it drives through the Rafah crossing from the Egyptian side, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, Egypt October 22, 2023 (credit: REUTERS/STRINGER) The UN, he said, has also been able to get more trucks into Gaza to help with distribution, and improvements have been made in the communication systems between the Israeli army and organizations working in Gaza.The US has worked intensely with Israel to set up “a mechanism that works in real time between humanitarian actors on the ground” and the IDF, he said. He noted that a problematic communication system had contributed to the IDF strike that accidentally killed seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen earlier this month. The WCK “did not have the types of communications systems that could have provided redundancy during that terrible event.  “It is essential those redundant systems with different technical operating parameters be provided,” Satterfield explained, adding that an improved system had been authorized. After the WCF deaths at the start of this month, the Biden administration had warned Israel that it would change its Gaza policy unless took steps to vastly improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. When pressed as to whether Israel had done enough to meet the US demands, Satterfield said he had no intention of placing a grade on the situation. “This isn’t a gotcha test,” he said, “progress is being made, but I am not going to stand here and give you a grade on that, more needs to be done.” Satterfield also dismissed a question about how he would compare Hamas’s humanitarian policy to that of Israel.“Excuse me,” he asked, in response to the question. "Hamas's humanitarian policy is the opposite of humanitarian. It is to use innocent civilians as shields, as presumed protection for their own facilities, for their own terrorist military forces," he said, as he appeared startled by the comparison.  “The fundamental actor responsible for the suffering here is a terrorist group — Hamas,” explained Satterfield, who is specifically tasked with humanitarian issues relating to Gaza. “The fighting in Gaza, the suffering of the Palestinian people could end tonight, if Hamas chose to accept the deal for the release of hostages in the establishment of a cease-fire. And that ceasefire could with further releases be sustained. Satterfield said that as someone who has been working for 40 years on Arab-Israeli and Palestinian-Israeli issues, it was clear to him that Hamas could have chosen to accept the principles of peace first laid under the Oslo Accords and then by the Quartet. “Hamas for its own ideological and political reasons” has favored violence as a method to pursue its own ambitions, he said. “The greatest victims of this had been Palestinians themselves, not just the Israelis who were massacred on October 7 in that paroxysms of bestial violence. Hamas still has a choice,” he said. “Hamas has spent 17 years in expending every resource provided for the people of Gaza for its own purposes in constructing a network of military facilities, tunnels, embedded in, under [and] around humanitarian facilities as a deliberate act of preservation and advancement of their interests.  “Hamas has sacrificed thousands of innocent Gazans,” Satterfield said, adding that it “first and foremost victimizes Palestinians and their future,” which is why they are considered to be a terror organization. ...قراءة المزيد

الكلمات المفتاحية المذكورة في المقال:

2024-04-15

Two Palestinians were with settlers between the Jewish town of Gitit and the Palestinian town of Aqraba in the eastern West Bank, according to a report by the army radio on Monday. The army informed the Palestinian authorities that the two killed were Abdalrahman Maher, 30, and Muhammad Ashraf Bani Jama, 21, with a third person having received upper body wounds during the fight. There are from both settlers and Palestinians as to the cause and nature of the brawl.  According to a report received by the army, the settlers arrived in the area after around 50 Palestinians reportedly assaulted a Jewish shepherd with clubs and stones. The scene quickly devolved into mutual stone-throwing.  On the other hand, Palestinian sources say that the fighting broke out in a Palestinian-owned agricultural area and that a group of around 50 settlers quickly descended on the area. The Palestinian Red Crescent said that the army had prevented it from reaching the area.A Palestinian man inspects the damage to a house after Israeli settlers attacked the village of al-Mughayyer, in the West Bank, April 13, 2024 (credit: MOHAMAD TOROKMAN/REUTERS) Settlers claimed they were not responsible for killing the Palestinians, saying that the army arrived and found itself in a "life-threatening situation," which led to the shooting. The army denies this and claims it was not present in the area when the deadly confrontation occurred but that when it arrived on the scene, a number of settlers fled immediately. Troops then fired a few shots into the air to disperse the crowd and specified that at no point did they feel threatened. Following the dispersal, troops claim to have heard more gunshots in areas where they were not present. They rushed to the scene and found the two Palestinians lifeless on the ground, having been shot. Police have opened an investigation but have not arrested any suspects. This is the latest incident in the recent flair-up in violence between settlers and Palestinians in the West Bank. The latest flair-up was started when 14-year-old shepherd on Friday. Later that day, there was some violence when groups involved in the search for Binyamin clashed with Palestinians in the nearby town of Al Mughayyir. The nearby caused another flash of violence in the Palestinian town of Duma, where settlers set cars on fire, and one person was killed by settler gunfire, according to Palestinian sources. President Isaac Herzog pushed for calm and cessation of violence, calling on Israelis to be lawful and not impede the security services operations. ...قراءة المزيد

الكلمات المفتاحية المذكورة في المقال:

2024-04-13

There are some concerns in Israel that the murder of the 14-year-old boy Binyamin Achimair will ignite the entire West Bank and lead to violent disturbances. After news of the discovery of Achimair's body, violent clashes and car fires reported in the village of Duma and Al-Mughayyir on Saturday. Tensions in the West Bank are rising as farmer Binyamin Achimair's body was found in the West Bank on early Saturday. Palestinians claim of one dead by settler gunfire in Al-Mughayyir near Ramallah. According to another report, settlers attacked a photographer near the village of Duma, broke his hand, and burned his equipment. There were also reports of shooting at a Palestinian car. In Al-Mughayyir, Jihad Abu Alia, who was shot dead yesterday during disturbances between residents and Israelis following the disappearance of the boy, was brought for burial. The mourners called for support for Hamas and Ismail Haniyeh. According to reports, throughout Saturday, calls have been made on Arab social networks to mobilize and protect villages from "mass attacks by settlers." The Red Crescent reports 16 Palestinians injured and in need of medical treatment.Binyamin Achimair, Missing 14-year-old boy from Samaria, Police are requesting help in searching, April 12, 2024. (credit: ISRAEL POLICE) In the villages of Kusra and Beit Furiq, a series of houses and vehicles were set on fire by settlers. In the area of Yitzhar, a Palestinian was attacked with stones while driving his car. Attacks by settlers have also been reported in  more Palestinian villages at the West Bank. An IDF spokesperson issued a statement saying: "In recent hours, clashes have erupted between Israeli citizens and Palestinians in several locations in Judea and Samaria, during which they threw stones and fired. Dozens of Israelis and Palestinians were injured in various ways. Numerous IDF and Border Police forces were deployed in various areas and used means to disperse demonstrations. At this time, all events have ended. In addition to the forces deployed in the field, it was decided to reinforce several IDF battalions and additional Border Police forces. Security forces continue to pursue the terrorists who murdered Binyamin Achimair." Yesterday, the shepherd, the boy Binyamin Achimair, 14, left the farm at Mlachi Hashalom in the Binyamin Regional Brigade. A few hours later, the shepherd returned to the farm without the boy, and then concern arose for his fate. The information was passed on to the police and the IDF, who began extensive searches. In the afternoon, violent disturbances developed in which Israelis arrived in the area near Al-Mughayyir, set cars on fire, threw stones, and fled. Around midday Saturday a combat collection team located the boy's body using a drone within the farm's premises. From preliminary reports, it appears that Achimair was probably murdered with a cold weapon, and according to the suspicion, the background to the event is not criminal. The investigation of the event has been transferred to the Israel Police for handling, which has already collected details from the scene by a forensic lab and the Shin Bet. At this stage, the assessment is that a terrorist ambushed the boy while he was grazing in the open area and surprised him at close range. The treatment was transferred to the intelligence sphere. Defense Minister Yoav Galant wrote in X: "I am saddened by the death of the boy Binyamin Achimair, who was murdered in cold blood by a despicable terrorist. The security system will reach the murderer and deal with him according to the law, as we have done with every terrorist and murderer. I appeal to the public, let the security forces act quickly in pursuit of the terrorists - retaliatory actions will only exacerbate our fighters in their mission - it is forbidden to take the law into your own hands." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote an offcial statement, saying "The heinous murder of the boy Binyamin Achimair, is a serious crime. I send condolences from the bottom of my heart to his family." He further added that the IDf and Shin Bet are investigating the incident, and that they are conducting intelligence and operational activities in the region and villages. Netanyahu urges Israeli citizens "to allow the secuty forces to do their work with interference." ...قراءة المزيد

الكلمات المفتاحية المذكورة في المقال:

2024-04-12

Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinians, including a member of the armed wing of Hamas, in raids in the occupied West Bank on Friday and the reported at least one person was killed in an Israeli settler rampage near Ramallah. The Israeli military said Mohammad Omar Daraghmeh, whom it described as the head of Hamas infrastructure in the Tubas area of the Jordan valley was killed during an exchange of fire with security forces. It said several weapons and military-style equipment, including automatic rifles, were found in his vehicle. Hamas confirmed Daraghmeh's death and his membership of its armed . The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said another man was killed by Israeli forces conducting a raid on the Al-Far'a refugee camp in Tubas. Hamas mourned the man's death but did not claim him as a member. The military said forces carrying out the operation opened fire on Palestinians who threw explosive devices and killed one man it said was attempting to attack them. IDF soldiers operating overnight in the West Bank, March 27, 2024. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT) Israel has stepped up since launching an unrelenting assault on Gaza following a Hamas-led October 7 attack on its southern communities and military bases. On Friday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said one person was shot dead in al-Mughayyer near the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah as residents reported dozens of Jewish settlers rampaging through their village. It was not immediately clear whether he was shot by Israeli forces or settlers. The Palestine Red Crescent said at least 10 people were wounded, most of them by live fire, and that some ambulances trying to reach the area were shot at. In unverified videos circulating on social media, gunshots could be heard, and heavy smoke was seen rising from a car set ablaze as residents called for help. The Israeli military and police said forces put up roadblocks and launched a search for a 14-year-old Jewish resident of Jerusalem who had gone missing in the area. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, condemned Friday's settler attack and demanded urgent international intervention, particularly by the United States. Since the start of the Gaza war, Palestinian Health Ministry records show at least 460 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers, among them armed fighters from militant groups. In the same period, at least 13 Israelis, among them two members of Israeli forces, have been killed by Palestinians in the West Bank, according to an Israeli tally. ...قراءة المزيد

الكلمات المفتاحية المذكورة في المقال:

2024-04-10

Defense Minister on Wednesday announced what he called “new major breakthroughs” which would jump the humanitarian aid going into Gaza from around 200 trucks per day last week to well over 500 trucks per day. Gallant said that the increase in aid would come as part of five new initiatives. The new initiatives include: 1. Implementing the government’s decision on Thursday of last week to open up the Ashdod Port to increase the entry of goods and streamline security checks. 2. Implementing the last Thursday government decision to open up the new Northern Crossing (reportedly Erez) – which will provide a route to bring aid directly to northern Gaza and reduce pressure on Kerem Shalom. 3. Boosting aid through Jordan – two routes, including cooperation with the Jordanian Air Force (150 trucks total). This will set the foundation for future “hubs." 4. Establishing the Coordination and Deconfliction Mechanism – this is part of a wider effort to increase cooperation with international organizations, implement lessons learned, such as the World Central Kitchen incident, and work with new partners. 5. Other Major Projects: working with the US on the JLOTS artificial island for absorbing and distributing maritime aid, COGAT working on infrastructure projects, such as water lines, and other meetings with new aid organizations. Egyptian Red Crescent members and volunteers gather next to a truck carrying humanitarian aid as it drives through the Rafah crossing from the Egyptian side, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, Egypt October 22, 2023 (credit: REUTERS/STRINGER) “These breakthroughs have a direct impact on the flow of aid – we plan to flood Gaza with aid and we are expecting to reach 500 trucks per day,” very soon. “It will also streamline security checks and strengthen our work with international partners,” said the defense minister. Gallant also discussed how humanitarian aid has already spiked dramatically since last week. He said that on Tuesday, “we saw a record number of 467 trucks and air-dropped 303 packages. Last month, the daily average was 213, and before that, it was 170.” “Our policy has evolved to facilitate more and more aid as we improved work with partners and created the operational conditions to enable such work,” he said. Although Gallant said that he was pushing for many of these new initiatives since his meetings in Washington DC on March 25-26, he has received much stronger backing from since US President Joe Biden threatened the prime minister last Thursday. Going forward, there will be four land crossings for aid: Nitsana, Kerem Shalom, Crossing 96, and “the Northern Crossing” (reportedly Erez.) To date, Gallant said Israel has facilitated the delivery of 407,400 tons of aid on over 21,638 trucks. There have been 62 air-drop missions that have delivered 3,608 packages. Next, there are seven working field hospitals and two in the planning stages (IMC and Red Cross) Despite these improvements, Gallant said increasing aid will face challenges “in terms of securing and distributing aid. This is the result of Hamas threats and also the issue of planning for the day after Hamas.” “There are three bad options for the day after Hamas controlling Gaza, Israel controlling Gaza, and total anarchy. We need to create another option – to empower a local alternative. The humanitarian effort is key in empowering a local alternative,” said Gallant. Defense sources have in the past accused Netanyahu of blocking initiatives to build such local alternatives based on Fatah-affiliated forces in Gaza, including having the US train them in Jordan. There are still no confirmations that Netanyahu has reversed himself on this issue, given his general preference to weaken, or at least not strengthen the Palestinian Authority. ...قراءة المزيد

الكلمات المفتاحية المذكورة في المقال:

2024-03-24

The IDF on Sunday denied that it was involved in an in Khan Yunis, despite Palestinian reports. Rather, the IDF acknowledged that it was fighting terrorists nearby the hospitals, and said it was not impossible that some indirect impact was affecting the hospitals. Critically, the IDF said that there was also no plan to later Sunday the way it has gone after terrorists for more than a week at Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza. Earlier Sunday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said that Israeli forces were besieging two more Gaza hospitals on Sunday, pinning down medical teams under heavy gunfire, The Palestinian Red Crescent said one of its staff was killed when Israeli tanks suddenly pushed back into areas around Al-Amal and Nasser hospitals in the southern city of Khan Younis amid heavy bombardment and gunfire. It was unclear where this occurred or whether it was connected to an ongoing fight between Israel and Hamas. Smoke rises during an Israeli raid at Al Shifa hospital and the area around it, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Gaza City, March 21, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo) Reuters reported on Sunday that Israeli armored forces sealed off Al-Amal Hospital and carried out extensive bulldozing operations in its vicinity, with the Red Crescent issuing a statement, adding: "All of our teams are in extreme danger at the moment and are completely immobilized." It said Israeli forces were now demanding the complete evacuation of staff, patients, and displaced people from Al Amal's premises and were firing smoke bombs into the area to force out its occupants. The Israeli military said its forces were hitting "infrastructure" in Khan Yunis, used as gathering points and denied issuing evacuation orders to the hospitals. Reuters has been unable to access Gaza's contested hospital areas and verify accounts by either side. In Rafah, Gaza's southernmost town on the Egyptian border town that has become a place of refuge for half of Gaza's uprooted population. An Israeli air strike on a house killed seven people, Hamas health officials claimed. The IDF did not issue a specific statement regarding that claimed attack, but there have been ongoing limited targeted strikes on Hamas in Rafah. Meanwhile, IDF and Shin Bet forces continued targeted operations in the area of Shifa Hospital, the military said on Sunday. Troops of the 401st and Shayetet 13 under the command of the 162nd Division continued fighting in the area while seeking to avoid harming civilians, patients, medical teams, and medical equipment, the IDF added. The fighters has affiliated with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad over the course of the week as well as  finding weapons and terror infrastructure. In the north and center of the Gaza Strip, air force jets attacked some 65 targets between Saturday and Sunday, including  an attack tunnel, armed terrorists in military positions , and other military infrastructure. In the Beit Hanoun area, IDF aircraft attacked Hamas assets that threatened IDF ground forces operating in the area. In the center of the Strip, troops of the Nahal Brigade killed several terrorists. IDF forces identified two terrorists in their sector and eliminated them via sniper fire, the military noted. Furthermore, troops found and raided a drone manufacturing laboratory. IDF forces confronted the terrorists outside the building and eliminated them, the IDF added. In southern Gaza, troops of the 7th Brigade killed several terrorists via sniper fire. Under the direction of the brigade's fighters, engineering forces found and destroyed a pit for launching rockets. In Khan Yunis, an aircraft attacked terror assets that served as a meeting point for several terrorists who were in the building at the time of the attack. It was unclear if these Khan Yunis operations overlapped with the reports of fighting nearby the hospitals. ...قراءة المزيد

الكلمات المفتاحية المذكورة في المقال:

2024-03-24

Israeli forces besieged two more Gaza hospitals on Sunday, pinning down medical teams under heavy gunfire, the Palestinian Red Crescent said, and Israel said it had captured 480 militants in continued clashes at Gaza's Israeli forces say hospitals in the Palestinian enclave where war has been raging for over five months have frequently been used as strongholds of Hamas militants harboring bases and weapons. Hamas and medical staff deny this. The Palestinian Red Crescent said one of its staff was killed when Israeli tanks suddenly pushed back into areas around Al-Amal and Nasser hospitals in the southern amid heavy bombardment and gunfire. Israeli armored forces sealed off Al-Amal Hospital and carried out extensive bulldozing operations in its vicinity, the Red Crescent said in a statement, adding: "All of our teams are in extreme danger at the moment and are completely immobilized." It said Israeli forces were now demanding the complete evacuation of staff, patients, and displaced people from Al Amal's premises and were firing smoke bombs into the area to force out its occupants. Smoke rises during an Israeli raid at Al Shifa hospital and the area around it, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Gaza City, March 20, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/DAWOUD ABU ALKAS) The Israeli military said its forces were hitting "infrastructure" in Khan Younis, used as gathering points. Hamas denies using hospitals for military ends and accuses Israel of war crimes against civilian targets. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said dozens of patients and medical staffers had been detained by Israeli forces at Al Shifa in Gaza City in the enclave's north, which has been under Israeli control for a week. Al Shifa is one of the few healthcare facilities even partially operational in north Gaza, and - like others - had also been housing some of the nearly 2 million civilians - over 80% of Gaza's population - displaced by the war. Reuters has been unable to access Gaza's contested hospital areas and verify accounts by either side. Khan Younis residents said Israeli tanks also advanced in a western neighborhood near Nasser Hospital under cover of heavy fire from the air and ground. Gaza's southernmost town on the Egyptian border town that has become a place of refuge for half of Gaza's uprooted population. An Israeli air strike on a house killed seven people, health officials said. Concerted mediation by Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, has so far failed to secure a Hamas-Israel ceasefire, prisoner releases, and unfettered aid to Gaza civilians facing famine, with each side sticking to core demands. Hamas wants any truce deal to include an Israeli commitment to end the war and withdraw forces from Gaza. Israel has ruled this out, saying it will keep fighting until Hamas is eradicated as a political and military force. ...قراءة المزيد

الكلمات المفتاحية المذكورة في المقال:

2024-03-13

In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday, discussed the war in Gaza from a humanitarian perspective, claiming that airdrops and the current volume of aid are not enough. The Queen added that, “aid under bombardment does not stop the destruction, the death, and the heartbreak. We cannot save people from hunger only then to bomb them to death.” She continued, “There are no victories to be had as long as this war continues.” Christiane Amanpour asked the Jordanian Queen what it means to be marking with the continuation of the war in Gaza. The Queen said that these days, they’re “welcoming the holiday with very heavy hearts.”  The ADL responded to the interview on X, formerly Twitter, arguing, "Jordanian Queen Raina continues propagating false claims about Israel while diminishing the severity of Hamas’s attack on Israel. In no way is Israel’s war against Hamas - a vile terror org that uses human shields - equivalent to the unprecedented Oct 7 brutal massacre. Especially during the month of Ramadan, we hope Jordan will play a constructive role in de-escalating tensions." Throughout the interview, Queen Rania placed the for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, arguing that Israel is responsible for cutting the people of Gaza off from basic necessities such as food, fuel, and water.  Egyptian Red Crescent members and volunteers gather next to a truck carrying humanitarian aid as it drives through the Rafah crossing from the Egyptian side, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, Egypt October 22, 2023 (credit: REUTERS/STRINGER) She also said that as Israel has left the people of Gaza entirely reliant on outside aid efforts, they continue to bomb and attack the people of Gaza as they are starving. She says that the starvation of the people of Gaza is an Israeli-made disaster, arguing that it is “deprivation by design.” The IDF has claimed that Hamas terrorists beat civilians and steal the humanitarian aid that Gaza receives from international organizations. She commended France’s President Emmanuel Macron, as well as leadership in Spain, Belgium, Ireland, and South Africa, for calling for a ceasefire and supporting humanitarian aid efforts.  Queen Rania touted the aid Jordan is providing to Gaza. She sat for the interview in a warehouse with boxes of humanitarian aid behind her plastered with Jordanian flags. She said that although they are providing as much aid as possible, it is still insufficient for the people of Gaza, as reports from the UN indicate that the entire population of Gaza is going hungry. When the Jordanian Queen was pressed on October 7 by Amanpour, she said, “As devastating and as traumatic as October 7 was, it doesn't give Israel license to commit atrocity after atrocity. Israel experienced one October 7, since then, the Palestinians have experienced 156 October 7's.” Several times throughout the interview, she discussed "history" behind October 7, and argued that the “occupation” is to blame for the conflict.  She said, “I think a lot of people need to know more about this conflict to really understand the intricacies of it, to understand that this is one of the greatest historical Injustices, to understand what the root cause of this issue is, to understand that this conflict did not begin on October 7, that that it was a result of years of occupation, of settlement expansion, of human rights abuses, of disregard for international law, and this is what led us to this point.”  Within this discussion of history, there was no mention of the history of terror attacks Israel has experienced, nor the history of the conflict before 1967 when Israel claimed the West Bank and Gaza in the Six-Day War and Jews began reestablishing a presence in those areas.   Queen Rania believes that ending the occupation is the solution to the conflict. She argues that “Palestinians do not hate Israelis because of who they are, they hate them because of what they're doing to them.” Confronting the concept that Israel is unfairly singled out on the world stage, she argues that this is difficult to believe because critics of Israel only want Israel to do the “bare minimum, which is just abide by international law.”  Queen Rania claims that the “dehumanization” of Palestinians is “systematic” in Israel and that it is unjustifiably ingrained in Israeli society to believe “if we don't kill them, they're going to kill us” regarding the Palestinians. She says that she blames “hardline leaders for keeping their people in this perpetual state of fear of an existential threat that doesn't exist and making them feel like just killing Palestinians and killing Hamas is going to be the solution to the problem.” Queen Rania concluded the interview by saying, “We in this part of the world need to find a way to share these holy lands in peace.” ...قراءة المزيد

الكلمات المفتاحية المذكورة في المقال:

2024-03-08

The IDF announced on Thursday that they had rescued a girl trapped under the rubble in Khan Yunis two days prior. IDF Arabic Spokesperson published a series of videos and pictures showing a girl trapped under rubble to X on Thursday. قصة إنسانية واحدة هي أكبر من كل أكاذيبهم: لقد قامت قوات جيش الدفاع قبل يومين بانقاذ الطفلة الفلسطينية من قلب منطقة القتال بخان يونس، بعد ان حُوصرت بين أنقاض المبنى حيث تمكن جنودنا بعد أعمال شاقة من رصد موقع الطفلة بعد فقدان الاتصال بها، حيث قاموا بأعمال إنقاذها وسط… "One human story is bigger than all their lies," Adraee said. "Two days ago, IDF forces rescued a Palestinian girl from the heart of the combat zone in Khan Yunis after she was trapped in the rubble of the building," Adraee wrote on X. "Our soldiers were able, after arduous work, to monitor the child’s location after losing contact with her." The rescue was carried out during ongoing field operations and was coordinated with the Palestinian Red Crescent. She was given first aid at the scene and then transported to the hospital for further treatment. Adraee concluded by saying, "These are our soldiers - fighting like lions to dismantle Hamas and always relying on humanitarian principles." The rescue comes amid ceasefire discussions in Cairo between Hamas and Israel. Israel has regularly been accused of not doing enough to protect Gazan civilians during this conflict. Which led to the in the International Court of Justice. ...قراءة المزيد

الكلمات المفتاحية المذكورة في المقال:

2024-03-07

In a bid to help the ongoing humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, the Turkish Red Crescent has dispatched its largest aid shipment yet, consisting of 3,000 tons of essential supplies.  The shipment, which includes food, medicine, and equipment, departed for the Egyptian port of Al-Arish on Thursday. Turkey has been a vocal critic of Israel's military offensive in Gaza and has actively supported measures to hold Israel accountable for alleged atrocities. In response to the escalating violence, Turkey has repeatedly called for a ceasefire and urged international action to address the dire situation in Gaza. Ambassador Salih Mutlu Sen, Turkey's envoy to Cairo, expressed hope that the aid delivery would provide much-needed relief to Palestinians ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The aid will be delivered in cooperation with the Egyptian Red Crescent and will be distributed through the Rafah crossing. According to Fatma Meric Yilmaz, head of the Turkish Red Crescent, the aid shipment is the culmination of extensive fundraising efforts and donations from the Turkish public. The shipment includes vital supplies such as flour, hygiene products, ready-to-eat meals, ambulances, and portable kitchens. Yilmaz also announced plans for a second aid shipment in the coming weeks. She highlighted Turkey's previous aid efforts, noting that thousands of tons of aid have already been sent to Gaza via Egypt. Unlike some Western nations and Gulf states, Turkey does not classify Hamas, the governing authority in Gaza, as a terrorist organization. Instead, Turkey views Hamas as a legitimate political entity. In addition to Turkey's efforts, the United States, the Netherlands, France, and other countries have also contributed aid to Gaza. While the U,S. has initiated air drops of aid, Turkey has opted to continue its aid efforts through traditional channels via Egypt and Jordan, according to Turkish defense officials. ...قراءة المزيد

الكلمات المفتاحية المذكورة في المقال:

2024-03-04

In the early hours of the morning on Thursday, February 29, Israeli forces accompanied the arrival of 30 trucks loaded with to the northern Gaza Strip, which had entered the Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing. The idea was to deliver the content of the trucks directly to the civilian population, without Hamas gaining control over the consignment for its own purposes. The well-intentioned operation ended tragically in complete havoc, as stormed the trucks, with (allegedly) over 100 of them being killed and over 700 wounded in the process. Today, there are two basic versions of what actually took place. According to the Palestinians, opened fire on the crowd. According to the IDF, most of those killed were trampled by the vast crowd that stormed the trucks. Israel admitted that a group of Palestinians were shot at by the Israeli forces that accompanied the trucks when the group started moving in their direction in a threatening manner. Israel also suggested that most of the shots might have been fired by Palestinians (Hamas?) trying to prevent the crowd from grabbing provisions from the trucks. As yet, we have no knowledge of what exactly happened, though it seems unlikely that Israel was directly responsible for most of the deaths last Thursday. Deliberately killing Gazan civilians is certainly not one of Israel’s war aims, unlike Hamas, which sent its terrorists across to the Gaza border communities on October 7 to torture, rape, and kill as many Israeli civilians as possible. Egyptian Red Crescent members and volunteers gather next to a truck carrying humanitarian aid as it drives through the Rafah crossing from the Egyptian side, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, Egypt October 22, 2023 (credit: REUTERS/STRINGER) One of the problems is that neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah is willing to admit what the Hamas terrorists actually did on October 7. They even had the gall to accuse the IDF of the carnage that took place around the Supernova music festival, in which 364 persons – participants in the festival, staff members, and policemen – were brutally slaughtered while women were raped. Nevertheless, pessimists fear that Thursday’s tragic incident will serve as an excuse for a further delay in reaching an agreement between Israel and Hamas on the return of the 134 remaining hostages, and that no matter what the facts of the event, Israel will be accused of full responsibility for its tragic results. THOUGH ISRAEL’S intentions were undoubtedly positive, the results reflect at least one basic fallacy in its approach to the situation, and will further aggravate its efforts to influence world public opinion. The basic fallacy in Israel’s modus operandi is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to start preparing for the day after the fighting ends. There is no doubt that from an Israeli perspective the goal of destroying the Hamas as a fighting force and a governing body is totally justified. However, while it makes sense that at least in the first stage the IDF and other Israeli security agencies will be responsible for all the military aspects of the situation in the Strip, some alternative force or mechanism must be prepared and equipped to take over the everyday governing and policing functions and the provision of services. For the time being, Netanyahu refuses to hold talks in Israel on the issue, despite intensive prodding by US President Joe Biden. In the case of the catastrophe that occurred before dawn on Thursday, what seemed to be missing was a realistic and practical plan for the orderly delivery and distribution of the trucks’ contents to those for whom the provisions were intended. Who was supposed to do all of that? Certainly neither Hamas nor UNRWA, nor the PA, nor the IDF, nor the Palestinian truck drivers for that matter. It has been suggested that in the event that no Arab or international body will agree to undertake the job once the fighting will end, Israel (i.e. Netanyahu) is counting on the cooperation of local Gazan clans to undertake the task. But who exactly are these clans? What are their qualifications to administer and provide services to over two million impoverished and largely homeless families and individuals, many of whom are traumatized, helpless, and hopeless? And who guarantees that there are no crime families among these clans? But back to the events of February 29. Do we know what finally happened to the humanitarian aid that was on the 30 trucks? Did it finally reach its designated destination? Did Hamas gain control over it? Were Gazan clans involved? At any rate, Israel’s good intentions were dissipated. The second worrying corollary of whatever actually took place on February 29 is that Israel’s hasbara (public diplomacy) efforts abroad are confronting ever growing difficulties in getting Israeli messages across. Part of the problem has to do with the fact that pro-Palestinian forces in the US and Europe, accompanied by traditional antisemites, are carrying out an aggressive battle against anyone representing the Israeli cause – irrespective of what they say. Hard facts play a marginal part in this battle, and ignorance is rampant. The photographs that came out of the Strip on Thursday indicated that the Gazan crowd was desperate enough, for lack of food and other basic commodities, to act as it did, and that irrespective of whether Israel was or was not directly responsible for the deaths and wounding of hundreds of Palestinian civilians on that day, basically it is Israel that is responsible for the current reality of massive destruction, displacement, and malnutrition/starvation in Gaza. Though it cannot be denied that the first step that gave rise to the horrific developments that followed was taken by Hamas, and that Israel’s acts were, and continue to be, a reaction to what Hamas committed on October 7, the way that much of the civilized world – and not only pro-Palestinians and antisemites – sees it, Israel exaggerated in its reaction, and is therefore responsible for the current fate of over two million hapless Palestinians, irrespective of whether or not they support/ed Hamas. Besides Biden’s differences with Netanyahu over the latter’s refusal to deal seriously with the question of the “day after,” he also differs with him over the issue of humanitarian aid for the inhabitants of the Strip. Let us not forget that Israel’s official policy at the beginning of the war was not to let any aid enter the Gaza Strip, and that Israel was forced into cooperating with the international humanitarian aid effort, while Biden continues to demand a significant increase in this aid. Thursday’s events have apparently convinced the US administration that Israel’s performance in this field is lacking, and it reacted already on Saturday by starting to perform airdrops of cooked meals along the beach in the southern Gaza Strip, in cooperation with the Royal Jordanian Air Force. This action, apparently performed with Israel’s prior knowledge but not necessarily with its approval, certainly does not make Israel’s hasbara efforts any easier. In a way, it is a unilateral act of no confidence in Israel by its greatest ally. How Netanyahu will react is yet to be seen. Biden’s move might actually increase Netanyahu’s hopes for a Trump victory in the US presidential elections in eight months’ time. The writer worked in the Knesset for many years as a researcher, and has published extensively both journalistic and academic articles on current affairs and Israeli politics. Her most recent book, Israel’s Knesset Members – A Comparative Study of an Undefined Job, was published by Routledge. ...قراءة المزيد

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2024-02-16

Defense Minister announced on Friday the details of 12 employees who are members of Hamas and participated in the October 7 massacre. Gallant told reporters that Israel has intelligence that more than 30 of the organization's employees actively participated in the murder spree, assisting in the kidnapping of civilians and soldiers. He presented data, according to which 12% of the 13,000 UNRWA employees are connected to terrorist organizations in Gaza, and 1,468 of the employees are even active in them. Gallant presented a video to the reporters taken by security cameras at the Erez crossing on October 7, in which you can see how the medics of the Palestinian "Red Crescent" helped to evacuate a wounded . Everyone, please meet the Nazi terrorist supporters of the Red Crescent:They won't help kidnapped Jewish victims, men, women, kids, and babies in captivity, but they mist certainly will provide aid for terrorists heading to mass slaughter Jews.WATCH The UNRWA employees hold various innocuous positions in the organization from social worker to school counselor, to maths teacher. With regard to the video circulating showing a wounded fighter receiving medical assistance, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) affirms that the medical team and the ambulance shown in the video are not of PRCS. The PRCS teams and volunteers are committed to abiding by… The Palestine Red Crescent (PRCS) responded to Gallant's claims and to the video saying that the people visible in the video were not part of a PRCS medical team, but that PRCS said that medical treatment is a right for everyone. ...قراءة المزيد

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2024-02-16

Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant said on Friday that Israel has no intention of evacuating Palestinian civilians to Egypt as he revealed the identities of UNRWA employees who are members of the Hamas terror group. There is further damning evidence, the official said, that over 30 UNRWA staffers participated in the October 7 atrocities. This post can't be displayed because social networks cookies have been deactivated. You can activate them by clicking manage preferences. Speaking to foreign journalists at the Israeli military headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israel's Defense Minister revealed the identity of 12 UNRWA employees who are members of the Hamas terror group and provided proof of the use of Palestinian Red Crescent staff and ambulance in the attack on the Erez base which serves as a humanitarian crossing.  This post can't be displayed because social networks cookies have been deactivated. You can activate them by clicking manage preferences. Gallant added that in addition to the 12 workers, Israel has significant indications based on intelligence, that over 30 UNRWA workers participated in the massacre, facilitated the taking of hostages, looted and stole from Israeli communities and more. According to Gallant, out of 13,000 UNRWA workers, 12% are affiliated with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. “1468 workers are known to be active in Hamas and PIJ. 185 UNRWA workers are active in the military branches of Hamas and 51 are active in the PIJ military branch,” he said.  “UNRWA has lost legitimacy and can no longer function as a UN body. I have instructed the defense establishment to begin transferring responsibilities related to the delivery of aid, to additional organizations,” he added.  As the IDF continues its operation to take over the Hamas stronghold of Khan Younis, Gallant says the Israeli military has already dismantled 18 of battalions of the terror group in the strip and that "now, Rafah is the next Hamas center of gravity.” Gallant went on to address the Hamas massacre which, four months on, he felt was fading from the view of some.  “October 7th feels like a distant memory for some. But we will not let the world forget. Babies, women, Holocaust survivors, entire families were burned alive, slaughtered, beheaded, sexually assaulted or kidnapped,” he saidl “It’s my life’s mission to win this war. We have set clear goals for this war: the destruction of Hamas’ military and governing capabilities, bringing the hostages homes, and safely returning our citizens and communities to the north and to the ‘Kibbutzim’ and cities in the south.” He placed Israel's war against the Gaza-based jihadist group in the larger context of the West's fight against Islamist extremism. “We are fighting for the same values – nobody in the free world would just accept the brutal attack we experienced on October 7 – an attack so severe, we haven’t seen anything like it since medieval times,” he said. “We are on the frontline of the free world. Our fight against the Hamas terrorist organization is a clash between civilizations.” ...قراءة المزيد

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