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Tag: Hamas

  • Risk of famine in Gaza: World Food Programme

    Warnings of a possible famine in Gaza have been issued by the UN World Food Program (WFP), underlining that supplies are starkly inadequate to tackle the hunger levels reported by WFP staff in UN shelters.

    “It is highly likely that the population of Gaza, especially women and children are at high risk of famine if WFP is not able to provide continued access to food,” the WFP said in a statement on Tuesday.

    “The WFP delivered desperately needed food to more than 120,000 people in Gaza during the initial pause,” the statement read.

    “Thanks to the pause, our teams have been in action on the ground, going into areas we haven’t reached for a long time. What we see is catastrophic,” said Corinne Fleischer, the WFP’s director for the MENA and Eastern Europe Region.

    “Six days is simply not enough to provide all the assistance needed. The people of Gaza have to eat every day, not just for six days,” she added.

    The Israel-Gaza four-day truce was to end yesterday, but it has now been successfully extended for two more days in agreement to exchange more Israeli hostages from Gaza with Palestinian prisoners from Israel.

    Samer Abdeljaber, the WFP representative and country director in Palestine, reports that the program’s teams have seen “hunger, despair, and destruction” among people who have not received any aid for weeks.

    He further stated that the humanitarian pause has only provided a momentary relief, “which we hope will pave the way for long-term calm.”

    The humanitarian aid must continue, uninterrupted and without any hindrances, he added.

  • ‘My daughter considered herself a queen in Gaza,’ says Israeli hostage released by Hamas

    ‘My daughter considered herself a queen in Gaza,’ says Israeli hostage released by Hamas


    An Israeli hostage named Danielle Aloni held captive by Hamas for 49 days, has penned an emotional note, expressing gratitude to her captors for their remarkable kindness towards her daughter Emilia, TRT World has reported.


    The note reveals that she was doted upon by everybody in captivity. Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, shared the letter on its official Telegram account.


    “Children should not be in captivity, but thanks to you and other kind people we met along the way, my daughter considered herself a queen in Gaza and in general, acknowledges feeling like the centre of the world,” Danielle stated in her letter.


    She expressed her gratitude by stating, “Thank you, thank you, thank you for the countless hours you spent as caregivers.”
    Danielle acknowledges the challenging circumstances and substantial losses experienced by her captors in Gaza. However, she finds it within herself to express a desire for their health and well-being.


    “I wish in this world we could truly be good friends,” she wrote and added her well wishes to Gazans, “I wish you all health and well-being… health and love to you and your families’ children.”


    Danielle and Emilia Aloni were among 24 Israeli hostages released by Hamas on November 24. They were visiting Danielle’s sister and her family at Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel before being taken hostage.

  • Truce between Israel and Hamas extended for two days

    Truce between Israel and Hamas extended for two days

    Gaza Strip (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – A truce between Israel and Hamas will be extended by two days, mediator Qatar said hours before the pause was due to end Tuesday, as more hostages were freed from Gaza in exchange for the release of dozens of Palestinian prisoners.

    “The Palestinian and Israeli sides have reached an agreement to extend the humanitarian pause in Gaza for two additional days under the same conditions,” Qatar’s foreign ministry said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.

    Militant group Hamas also confirmed the extension and Israeli media reported the government had received a new list of 10 more hostages who would be freed. However there was no official word from Israel.

    The news of the extension came as 11 more hostages were freed from Gaza overnight, along with the release of another 33 Palestinian prisoners — the last exchange under the existing deal.

    The extension of the truce, which had been scheduled to end at 7:00am (0500 GMT), was welcomed internationally.

    UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called it “a glimpse of hope and humanity in the middle of the darkness of war”.

    The truce paused fighting that began when Hamas militants poured over the border into Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping dozens, according to Israeli officials.

    Israel’s retaliatory ground and air operation in Gaza has killed almost 15,000 people, mostly civilians, according to the territory’s Hamas government.

    Late Monday, 11 hostages arrived in Israel, the country’s military said.

    “Our forces will accompany them until they are reunited with their families,” it said in a statement, adding that the military “salutes and embraces the released hostages upon their return home”.

    Most of the group are dual nationals, with Argentinians, Germans and French among those released, and all 11 were from the Nir Oz kibbutz, the community said.

    The releases brought “a sigh of relief to our community, however we remain deeply concerned about our loved ones that are still held hostage,” kibbutz official Osnat Peri said.

  • Israel continues arresting Palestinians: What we know about day 52

    Israel continues arresting Palestinians: What we know about day 52

    3,200 arrested by Israel in West Bank since October 7

    Palestinian Commission for Detainees and Ex-Prisoners’ Affairs has released a report revealing that 3,200 Palestinians have been arrested by Israel since October 7 in the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem.

    Among the arrested are 41 journalists, 29 of whom are in detention.

    This means that the total number of arrested Palestinians has crossed 7,000 since October 7.

    The total includes more than 200 children, about 78 female prisoners plus “hundreds” of sick and wounded people, some of whom need “urgent medical intervention”, the report added.

    The recent arrests are also said to have been accompanied by “widespread raids and abuse, in addition to vandalising and destroying of citizens’ homes, and severe beatings of the families of detainees” as well as the shooting of unarmed Palestinians, resulting in deaths.”

    How many prisoners and captives have been released?

    A four-day long truce between Israel and Hamas started on Friday and so far, three captives exchanges have taken place.

    Al Jazeera reports that 175 people have been released which includes:

    • 39 Israeli citizens released by Hamas, in three groups of 13
    • 117 Palestinian prisoners released by Israel, in three groups of 39
    • 17 Thais released by Hamas
    • One Filipino released by Hamas
    • One Israeli-Russian released by Hamas
    • Hamas said that in total, 50 women and children are to be freed in return for 150 Palestinian women and children in Israeli jails under the truce deal.

    Netanyahu has stated that the extension of truce can be considered if more captives are released at a rate of 10 per day.

    Two-kilometre long lines for cooking gas in Gaza: UN

    The UN humanitarian agency in Palestine (UNOCHA) has said that people in Gaza are lining up through the night in a line that stretches for two kilometres (1.2 miles) to refill cooking gas canisters.

    These ques were outside a filling station in Khan Younis in southern Gaza after Israel allowed aid supplies – including cooking gas – into Gaza Strip for the first time since October 7.

    The UN, however, claims that the “amounts fall well below the needs” and that people are reportedly “burning doors and window frames to cook”.

  • Three Palestinian students studying in US shot for wearing keffiyah

    Three Palestinian students studying in US shot for wearing keffiyah

    Three Palestinian students were shot for wearing their country’s traditional keffiyeh scarves in Vermont, USA.

    The three boys – identified as Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid and Tahseen Ahmed – were in Burlington for Thanksgiving holidays when they were targeted and injured, leaving one critically wounded.

    The victims, aged 20, were students of Harvard University, Brown University and Trinity University.

    According to the police, they were walking while visiting the home of one of the victim’s relatives when they were confronted by a white man with a gun.

    “Without speaking, he discharged at least four rounds from the pistol and is believed to have fled,” Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said in a statement.

    “The fact is that we don’t yet know as much as we want to right now,” he added. “But I urge the public to avoid making conclusions based on statements from uninvolved parties who know even less.”

    According to a statement released by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, the victims were Palestinian American college students and that there is “reason to believe this shooting occurred because the victims are Arab.”

    It further revealed that a man shouted at and harassed the three young men, who were chatting in Arabic, and then shot them.

    The FBI Albany, New York, posted a statement on X (formerly Twitter) stating that they are
    “actively” investigating the case with the Burlington Police Department, ATF and other federal, state and local agencies.

  • Israel-Hamas issue is beyond war, it is ‘terrorism’: Pope Francis

    Israel-Hamas issue is beyond war, it is ‘terrorism’: Pope Francis

    Pope Francis has deemed the violence stemming from the Israel and Hamas issue as “terrorism”.

    “They suffer so much and I heard how they both suffer”, he said on Wednesday after meeting with Israeli families of captives held by Hamas and Palestinians who have family in Gaza

    “Wars do this, but here we have gone beyond wars. This is not war, this is terrorism,” he added.

    The head of the Catholic Church also called everyone to pray for peace so that both sides would “not go ahead with passions, which, in the end, kill everyone”.

    Jewish groups reacts

    Jewish groups, however, have criticised Pope Francis, demanding an explanation for accusing both Hamas and Israel of “terrorism.”

    The Council of the Assembly of Italian Rabbis (ARI) issued a statement on Thursday, pointing at “Church leaders” for not condemning the Hamas attack and of “putting the aggressor and the attacked on the same plane in the name of a supposed impartiality.”

    Similarly, American Jewish Committee (AJC) posted on X (formerly Twitter):

    “Later in the day, he described the Israel-Hamas war as ‘beyond war’ as ‘terrorism.’ Hamas’ butchering and kidnapping of civilians is terrorism. Israel’s self-defense is not. Vatican, please clarify.”

    The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a US-based Jewish human rights organisation, also called on the pope “not to forget that all the loss and suffering since October 7th stems from the intolerable actions of Hamas.”

    The statement added that the responsibility of all the suffering and loss of both the families of hostages and civilians in Gaza was “on the hands of the Hamas terrorists who, on October 7th, inflicted in the most brutal way, the worst mass murder of Jews since the defeat of Nazi Germany and World War II.”

    The Jerusalem Post also reports that Italian rabbis also questioned the worth of “decades of Jewish-Christian dialog” if when Jews are attacked the Vatican responds with “diplomatic acrobatics.”

  • Four-day Israel-Gaza truce: What to expect on day one?

    A four-day pause between Israel and Gaza is now in progress.

    The first group of Israeli hostages, reportedly including 13 women and children, are to be released today. They will be escorted by the Red Cross to the Rafah border crossing where the Israeli military will take them in and carry out the identification process.

    The hostages will then be taken to Tel Aviv for physical and psychological tests.

    On the other hand, 39 Palestinian prisoners will be released from Israel in exchange for the first day. They will be taken from two Israeli prisons in the southeast of Haifa and will be driven to the Ofer prison, south of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. They are then to be taken to the nearby crossing where their families will receive them.

    Humanitarian aid is also expected to be sent into Gaza from Egypt. Hamas has claimed that 200 aid trucks and additional fuel trucks will enter Gaza daily.

  • Israeli army arrests Al-Shifa Hospital director; Gaza Health Ministry blames WHO

    Israeli army arrests Al-Shifa Hospital director; Gaza Health Ministry blames WHO

    While the terms of a ceasefire deal are being finalized Israel and Hamas, the Israeli army has reportedly arrested the director of al-Shifa Hospital on Thursday.

    According to media reports, hospital director Muhammad Abu Salmiya and several other medical personnel have been detained as Israel continues its Gaza offensive.

    The arrest has been reported by Khalid Abu Samra, a department chief at the hospital via AFP news agency as well as the Israeli Broadcasting Authority.

    “Dr Muhammad Abu Salmiya, the director of al-Shifa medical complex, has been arrested by the Israeli occupation forces. And even earlier, two Palestinian paramedics had been arrested by the Israeli occupation forces,” said Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from southern Gaza.

    “This gives a clear sign that there is no immunity inside the Gaza Strip, neither for medical workers, civil defence crews or even journalists, as the attacks have reached all classes in the Palestinian community.”

    Al Jazeera has also revealed that according to spokesperson Ashraf al-Qudra, Gaza’s Health Ministry has decided to put a halt on coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO) in the evacuation of wounded people and medical staff.

    He claims that Israel and the UN are responsible for the arrest of medical personnel, further stating that Israeli forces have mistreated medical staff and patients.

  • Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus, removes Christmas decor ‘in solidarity’ with Gaza

    Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus, removes Christmas decor ‘in solidarity’ with Gaza

    The Christian leadership in Bethlehem have announced they will not have Christmas celebrations in the West Bank this year in light of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza which has resulted in killing more than 13,000 people.

    In a letter, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem have unanimously agreed to cancel the commemoration of Christmas to conform to the spiritual significance of the holiday while Palestinians are being brutally killed by Israeli forces.

    “Each year during the sacred seasons of Advent and Christmastide, our Christian communities throughout the Holy Land take great delight in their preparations for the commemoration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” the patriarchs wrote in a joint letter.

    “In addition to attendance in religious services, these celebrations have normally involved participation in numerous public festivities and the large-scale display of brightly lit and expensive decorations as a means of expressing our joy at the approach and arrival of the Feast of the Nativity.”, it further stated.

    “But these are not normal times. Since the start of the War, there has been an atmosphere of sadness and pain. Thousands of innocent civilians, including women and children, have died or suffered serious injuries,” the bishops continued. “Many more grieve over the loss of their homes, their loved ones, or the uncertain fate of those dear to them. Throughout the region, even more have lost their work and are suffering from serious economic challenges. Yet despite our repeated calls for a humanitarian ceasefire and a de-escalation of violence, the war continues.”

    City officials in Bethlehem have also been taking down Christmas decorations in solidarity with Palestinians.

    “Bethlehem Municipality crews announced the dismantling of Christmas decorations installed several years ago in the city’s neighbourhoods and removing all festive appearances in mourning for the martyrs and in solidarity with our people in Gaza,” the city posted on Facebook on November 14.

    Why Bethlehem is significant for Christians?

    Bethlehem is located 10 kilometres south of the city of Jerusalem. Since at least the 2nd century AD, people have believed that Jesus was born where now stands the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem.

  • Emirates suspends flights to Israel for an indefinite period

    Emirates suspends flights to Israel for an indefinite period

    Emirates announced the suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice on Wednesday, citing concerns related to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. This marks the first instance of Emirates indefinitely halting operations to Tel Aviv.


    An Emirates spokesperson while talking to Gulf News stated, “We are closely monitoring the situation in Israel and are in close contact with the relevant authorities. Customers with onward connections to Tel Aviv on Emirates flights will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until further notice.”


    The airline initially cancelled its Tel Aviv flights on October 12 due to safety concerns amidst the conflict, subsequently extending the suspension multiple times, with the latest extension lasting until November 30.


    In June 2022, the inaugural Emirates flight departed from Dubai International Airport to Tel Aviv, carrying 335 passengers. This milestone marked the initiation of a daily service connecting the two cities, a development spurred by the signing of the Abraham Accords.


    Separately, in a welcoming development, Israel and Hamas have brokered a four-day truce through the mediation of Qatar. As part of this agreement, 50 women and children held in Gaza will be released in exchange for 150 Palestinian women and children currently detained in Israeli jails.