Current Final

Tag: Hamas

  • Seven water facilities ‘directly hit’ in Gaza: What we know about day 31

    In the month that has passed since Israel declared war on Gaza following the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7, almost 9,800 Palestinians have been killed.

    200 people in Gaza killed in a night

    Palestinian Health Ministry revealed that last night’s Israeli air raids killed more than 200 people.

    Palestinian activist Saleh al-Jafarawi shared a video from one of the areas attacked by Israel.

    450 Hamas positions targeted, Israel claims

    Since October 7, Israel has claimed to have hit about 450 Hamas targets which include fighters, military compounds, observation posts, antitank missile launch posts and tunnels.

    According to Al Jazeera, the army has also claimed to have tracked down an opening to Hamas’s tunnels close to the Sheikh Hamad Hospital in Gaza.

    And while schools and hospitals have been targeted by Israel on assertion that Hamas is using these facilities and civilian infrastructure as a means to defend its underground operations, Hamas has, time and again, denied the claims.

    Thousands of civilian casualties have resulted in the attacks on UN-run facilities, refugee camps, schools, mosques and churches, resulting in the killing of civilians.

    Joint statement by humanitarian organisations

    The heads of 18 humanitarian organisations, including the UN, have issued a rare joint statement calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Israel and Palestine.

    “Enough is enough,” the statement said. “This must stop now.”

    The letter signed by the heads of the 18 organisations is known by Inter-Agency Standing Committee.

    175 medical staff killed since October 7

    Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila has reported that since October 7, 175 medical personnel and 34 civil defence workers have been killed in the Gaza Strip.

    Additionally, 16 out of 36 hospitals and 51 out of 72 clinics are no longer in service after they have either been attacked by Israel or they are out of fuel and medicine to keep the centres running.

    70 Palestinians arrested in occupied West Bank

    At least 70 Palestinians have reportedly been arrested during raids in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Commission and the Prisoner’s Society.

    Since October 7, more than 2,000 people have been arrested including 49 women and 17 journalists.

    Water facilities destroyed

    The UN relief agency has revealed that seven water facilities in the Gaza Strip were “directly hit and sustained major damage” on Saturday and Sunday.

    Credits: Al Jazeera

  • Journalists embedded with IDF slammed

    Journalists embedded with IDF slammed

    CNN’s Fareed Zakaria has revealed the process journalists have to comply with for coverage while being embedded with the Israeli military in its ground fight with Hamas in Gaza.

    A CNN journalist went into Gaza on an IDF embed. The journalists embedded with the IDF Gaza operate under the observation of Israeli commanders in the field and are not permitted to move unaccompanied within the Gaza Strip.

    “As a condition to enter Gaza under IDF air support, outlets have to submit all materials and footage to the Israeli military for review prior to publication. CNN has agreed to these terms….”

    People slammed the revelation on X (formerly Twitter).

    Some considered it to be the norm in war journalism due to security concerns of the army.

    However, many journalists stated that complete control is avoidable inspite the element of security.

  • Israel attacked 2,500 targets in Gaza since Oct 7: What we know about day 30

    Israel attacked 2,500 targets in Gaza since Oct 7: What we know about day 30

    Blinken meets Abbas

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

    Abbas called for an “immediate ceasefire” and allowing humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

    While Blinken reassured America’s commitment to ensure humanitarian assistance and resuming essential services in the besieged Gaza, he did not call for a ceasefire.

    Arab world versus the US on ceasefireA press conference was held in Amman on Saturday where US Secretary of State Blinken dismissed his Jordanian and Egyptian counterparts, Ayman Safadi and Sameh Shoukry, calling to urge Israel for an immediate ceasefire.

    “We don’t accept that this is self-defence,” Safadi said. “It cannot be justified under any pretext and it will not bring Israel security, it will not bring the region peace.”

    But Blinken believes that a ceasefire would “leave Hamas in place to regroup and repeat attacks”.

    Attack on Maghazi refugee camp

    According to Wafa news, 51 Palestinians have been killed as Israel bombed Gaza’s Maghazi refugee camp.

    Infectious diseases reported in UNRWA shelter

    The UN’ has revealed that overcrowding in UNRWA shelters is leading to diseases.

    “Overcrowding conditions continue to create severe health and protection risks,” the UN stated.

    More than 530,000 Palestinians are said to be seeking refuge.

    A number of cases of acute respiratory infections, diarrhoea and chicken pox have been reported in UNRWA shelters.

    Additionally, due to overcrowdedness in the shelters, people are sleeping in the streets around UNRWA shelters.

    Israel bombs Azhar University in Gaza

    Israel has bombed Al-Azhar University in Gaza.

    A video was posted by Palestine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Amal Jadou on X (formerly Twitter).

    Israeli army attacked 2,500 targets in GazaThe Israeli army has claimed to have attacked more than 2,500 targets inside the Gaza Strip since October 7.

    Chad cuts ties with Israel

    Chad is the latest country to recall its ambassador from Israel in the light of “the unprecedented tide of deadly violence” inside Gaza.

    “In front of such tragedy, Chad condemns the loss of numerous innocent civilians and calls for a ceasefire for a durable solution to the Palestinian issue,” the statement read.

    Thousands take to streets in Washington DC

    On Saturday, tens of thousands of people gathered in Washington DC to protest against US President Joe Biden’s support for Israel’s attacks on Gaza.

    “Biden, Biden, you can’t hide; we charge you with genocide,” the protesters chanted on Saturday.

  • Israel Minister Reprimanded Over Gaza Nuclear ‘Option’ Comment

    Israel Minister Reprimanded Over Gaza Nuclear ‘Option’ Comment

    An Israeli minister was suspended from government meetings “until further notice” Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said, after suggesting in an interview dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza.

    The comments by Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu advocating a fierce military response to Hamas’s October 7 attacks even at the cost of the lives of hostages believed to be held in Gaza also drew rebuke from families of the captives.

    Eliyahu, an ultranationalist politician part of Netnayahu’s ruling coalition, told Israel’s Kol Barama radio he was not entirely satisfied with the scale of Israel’s retaliation in the Palestinian territory after Hamas fighters carried out their deadly attacks inside southern Israel.

    The attacks killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians, Israeli officials say.

    Israel’s military campaign in Gaza since October 7 has killed 9,488 people, most of them women and children, the Hamas-run health ministry says.

    When the interviewer asked whether the Israeli minister advocated dropping “some kind of atomic bomb” on the Gaza Strip “to kill everyone”, Eliyahu replied: “That’s one option”.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office quickly responded in a statement, describing Eliyahu’s remarks as “disconnected from reality” and adding that Israel was trying to spare “non-combatants” in Gaza.

    In a follow-up question about the estimated 240 hostages held in Gaza, Eliyahu said that “in war we pay a price.”

    “Why are the lives of the hostages… more important than the lives of the soldiers?” he said.

    “International law, along with fundamental principles of human morality and common sense, strictly prohibits the use of mass destruction weapons,” it said in a statement, calling for the release of all the hostages.

    Following the outcry over his remarks, Eliyahu said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that his statement about the atomic bomb was “metaphorical”.

    He also said that Israel was “committed to doing everything possible to return the hostages safe and sound”.

    Israel has never admitted to having a nuclear bomb.

    The Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum, representing relatives of people snatched to Gaza by Hamas militants, slammed Eliyahu’s “reckless and cruel” statement.

  • Attacks on hospitals, camps continue: What we know about day 29

    Attacks on hospitals, camps continue: What we know about day 29

    Entrance of Al-Nasser Children’s Hospital bombed

    Israel has bombed the entrance of Al-Nasser Children’s Hospital, resulting in several casualties, according to local media outlets.

    Israeli forces targeting solar panels

    While solar panels have been the only source of power for some in Gaza, Israeli air strikes have destroyed the ones on al-Wafa Hospital.

    The attack led to a power outage in the facility.

    2,200 people buried under debris

    About 2,200 people are still buried in the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli attacks, including 1,250 children, reveals the Health Ministry’s spokesperson.

    UN school attack

    Dozen of people have been reportedly killed in the Israeli attack on al-Fakhoora school. The total number is yet to be confirmed. “The number [of people killed] is expected to rise,” Reuters quoted Muhammad Abu Silmeyeh as saying.

    The largest facility in the north, Al-Fakhoora school had been sheltering displaced people in the Jabalia refugee camp.

    Since October 7, the refugee camp has been targetted three times.

    Shelters under attack

    While the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has been sheltering hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, they have been under attack by Israeli targets.

    They have revealed that since October 7, nearly 50 buildings and assets of the agency have been affected, some being directly hit including UNRWA buildings sheltering about 700,000 people.

    As of yet, at least 72 UNRWA staff members have been killed, some alongside their families.

    Netanyahu ‘no longer someone we can talk to’: Erdogan

    The Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced to cut ties with the Israeli prime minister following Israel’s attacks in Gaza.

    “Netanyahu is no longer someone we can talk to. We have written him off,” Turkish media quoted Erdogan as stating.

    Hezbollah’s Nasrallah calls for ceasefire

    While calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, on Friday, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah announced to hold off any escalation with Israel.

    He also asserted Hezbollah or Iran had no prior knowledge of the October 7 attack on Israel.

  • 1,200 children still buried under rubble: What we know about day 28

    1,200 children still buried under rubble: What we know about day 28

    Israel disconnects with Gaza

    The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office has announced that Israel has cut off all contact with Gaza, and that Palestinian workers will no longer be employed in the country.

    “Those workers from Gaza who were in Israel on the day of the outbreak of the war will be returned to Gaza,” it stated in a post on X.

    The Security Cabinet has also planned on cutting down all funds for the besieged enclave from the Palestinian Authority funds.

    US drones fly over Gaza to track captives

    According to Al Jazeera, two US officials told the Reuters news agency that surveillance US drones have been flying over Gaza to search for hostages taken by Hamas on October 7.

    The surveillance has reportedly been going on since more than a week now.

    US officials believe the 10 Americans who remain “unaccounted” may be among the 200 plus hostages in Gaza.

    Gaza workers in Israel

    Gisha, an Israeli NGO, published a statement on the Israeli cabinet’s decision on Friday to return Palestinian workers in Israel since October 7 back to Gaza.

    Gisha, HaMoked and other human rights groups had submitted “Letters, petitions and individual inquiries to Israeli authorities regarding hundreds of Gaza residents, including both workers and people who had entered Israel with permits to receive medical treatment, who were present in Israel on October 7 and had since been unlawfully, secretly detained by Israeli authorities”.

    They are reportedly detained in Israeli military bases in the occupied West Bank, disconnected from the world and without access to legal representation.

    “Israel refused to disclose the names and whereabouts of all the people it was holding, as well as the legal grounds for their detention. We have reason to believe that the holding conditions in these facilities were extremely dire, and that detainees were subjected to extensive physical violence and psychological abuse, as well as being held in inhumane conditions,” the statement said.

    1,200 children still buried under rubble

    Gaza Ministry of Health spokesperson Ashraf al-Qudra reported on the latest statistics: 1,200 children are still buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings, 136 paramedics have been killed, 25 ambulance vehicles have been completely destroyed, and 126 hospitals and another 50 medical centres have been targeted.

    Tear gas aimed at worshippers in Al-Aqsa

    Al Jazeera correspondents have reported that Israeli forces have used tear gas against Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem’s Wadi al-Joz neighbourhood after stopping them from Friday prayers in Al-Aqsa Mosque.

    Cross-border fire between Israel-Lebanon border continue

    The Israeli army claims to have killed a group of Hezbollah fighters on Thursday in Lebanon and targeted one of their sites.

    The army reportedly struck in response to an attack from Lebanese territory towards a military position in northern Israel near the border.

    Credits: Al Jazeera

  • Hamas reportedly sent texts to families of Israeli captives

    Hamas reportedly sent texts to families of Israeli captives

    Families of Israeli civilians who are under Hamas’s captivity have reportedly received text messages in Hebrew from senders claiming to be Hamas, asking recipients to click on a link to access information on the hostages.

    “We offered your government a prisoner exchange, but it did not accept,” the text read.

    “This is our message: the release of all prisoners in exchange for the release of all Palestinian prisoners.

    To know the condition of all your prisoners, stay in touch with us.”

    ”
  • “It’s inhumane”: Dr Tanya Haj-Hassan describes conditions Gaza doctors are working in

    “It’s inhumane”: Dr Tanya Haj-Hassan describes conditions Gaza doctors are working in

    Dr Tanya Haj-Hassan, a paediatric intensive care doctor for Doctors Without Borders and a co-founder of the GazaMedicVoices social platform, reflects in an interview on the on-going struggle of doctors in Gaza who are working under dearth of basic medical supplies.

    “I refuse to let my imagination go to the places where reality has taken us in these last three weeks.” she said.

    “Everyday I feel like things can’t get worse, and then they seem to get worse.”

    Dr. Tanya asserted Gaza doctors are “World class experts in the field of medicine and in the field of mass casualties” but she goes on to remark that having to carry out medical procedures without pain control or anaesthesia “makes it sound very barbaric.”

    With “hands tied” and being “stripped of every tool” used in modern medicine — from anaesthesia to ventilators and monitors — it is an unfathomable place to be in, she described.

    “I can’t fathom being in the position that they are in,” she stated, highlighting that the doctors in Gaza are working every day despite the trauma they are seeing, despite fear for their family’s well being, despite fear for their own life, and constantly being threatened to be bombed in the health facility because they “refuse to leave” their patients and evacuate.

    “I’ve never been in that position and I don’t know many people that have been in that position to be honest. The conditions that we’re seeing in the Gaza strip right now are unthinkable.” she added, calling it “unprecedented in modern times”.

    She further highlighted in her interview that the children there are coming in with 70-90 per cent of their bodies burned, stressing that doctors would normally and “obviously” give them immediate pain control. And a regular change of dressing would be carried out under sterile conditions; and if the burns are extensive, they are put to sleep for the process because it is so “exquisitely painful”.

    But in Gaza, pain relief is not an option.

    Dr. Tanya also quoted the doctors currently serving in Gaza who, to describe their situation, used words like “inhumane”, “intolerable”, “unbearable”.

    “They are crying out to the outside world and many of them are giving up. They’re saying the world has come together to eliminate us,” she reiterated.

    Others say, “They are deaf and blind to our suffering. All we have is God.”

  • Death toll crosses 9,000: What we know about day 27

    Death toll crosses 9,000: What we know about day 27

    Biden finally calls for a ‘pause’ in war

    For the first time since October 7, US President Joe Biden has called for a humanitarian “pause” to Israel’s war in Gaza, asserting the eimportance of evacuation of all citizens in Gaza.

    “I think we need a pause,” he said on Wednesday when a heckler referred to an immediate ceasefire during a campaign speech.

    Biden was asked what he meant by “pause” to which he responded, “Time to get the prisoners out.”

    The White House later clarified that the reference was of captives under Hamas.

    Almost 200 killed, over 100 missing in Jabalia bombing

    According to a report by Gaza’s Government Media Office, more than 1,000 people have been affected by bombing on Jabalia refugee camp which includes 195 killed, 120 missing and at least 777 wounded.

    The Israeli military attacked the camp on Tuesday as well as Wednesday promoting the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to deem the attacks “appalling”, while the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said the “disproportionate attacks” could amount to “war crimes”.

    Israel, on the contrary, claimed to have targeted a Hamas commander.

    12,000 targets in Gaza attacked

    Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari has stated that more than 12,000 targets have been attacked since October 7.

    Eleven bakeries destroyed

    UN relief agency UNOCHA has reported on the destruction of 11 bakeries in Gaza that were struck by Israel since October 7.

    Now, only nine bakeries are reportedly left in Gaza as of Wednesday.

    While UNOCHA is supplying the bakeries with flour, they are, nonetheless, struggling to operate due to fuel shortages and additionally, people have to wait in long queues.

    Israel-Lebanon conflict continues

    Al Jazeera reported that the Israeli army claimed that one of its drones was shot down by a surface-to-air missile fired from Lebanon.

    The military responded by attacking the squad and the site from where the rocket was launched.

    Egypt to help evacuate ‘about 7,000’ foreign nationals

    The Foreign Ministry released a statement saying that Egypt will help evacuate “about 7,000” foreigners and dual nationals from Gaza through Rafah border.

    These 7,000 people consist of “more than 60” nationalities.

    At least 60 people detained across the occupied West Bank

    In an overnight raid by the Israeli forces, at least 60 people have been detained across the occupied West Bank.

    The total number of Palestinians detained since October 7 now crosses 1,800.

    Additionally, 132 people have been killed in the occupied West Bank while more than 2,100 are wounded.

    Israeli agricultural sector struggling

    The Ministry of Labor reported that Israel’s agricultural sector is reportedly affected with “significant damage” as thousands of foreign workers have left since October 7.

    More than a quarter of about 30,000 foreign workers working in Israel have departed while about 20,000 Palestinian agricultural workers have not been allowed to enter Israel.

    The ministry has now given a green signal to 5,000 foreign workers to overcome the shortage in the agriculture sector.

    Credits: Al Jazeera

  • Biden calls for humanitarian ‘pause’ in Israel’s war in Gaza

    Biden calls for humanitarian ‘pause’ in Israel’s war in Gaza

    Washington (AFP) – President Joe Biden, when responding to a heckler at a Minnesota campaign event Wednesday night, said he thinks there should be a humanitarian “pause” in the Israeli-Hamas war to get “prisoners” out of Gaza.

    The 80-year-old Democrat was delivering remarks to some 200 supporters in the northern US state when a member of the audience shouted out to him.

    “As a rabbi, I need you to call for a ceasefire right now,” she said, referring to the deadly conflict between Israel and Hamas.

    The president responded: “I think we need a pause. A pause means giving time to get the prisoners out.”

    Asked about his remarks, the White House later clarified that by “prisoners” the president was referring to hostages held by Hamas.

    Biden engaged further with the woman, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by the nickname Bibi.

    “I’m the guy that convinced Bibi to call for a ceasefire to let the prisoners out. I’m the guy that talked to (Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-)Sisi to convince him to open the door” along Gaza’s border with Egypt to allow freed hostages to leave.

    Biden indicated that he was discussing the recent release of two US hostages formerly held by the Palestinian Islamist group.

    The White House has previously called for “humanitarian pauses” to allow aid to be delivered into Gaza or to carry out evacuations, but has so far refused to discuss a ceasefire, believing it would exclusively play into the hands of Hamas.

    The war between Israel and Hamas entered its 26th day on Wednesday.

    In retaliation for the bloody attack by Hamas on October 7, the Israeli army has relentlessly bombed the Gaza Strip, and has launched an increasingly extensive ground operation into the territory.