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Israel’s Gaza invasion - Day 175

  • Israel’s deadly siege of Gaza Strip continues nearly six months after Hamas’ Oct 7 attack

  • UN says half of Gaza population experiencing “catastrophic” hunger as threat of famine looms

  • Push for Ramazan ceasefire continues as some 101 Israeli hostages remain in Hamas custody

  • Israel plans ground operation in overcrammed Rafah refugee camps

Published 29 Mar, 2024 05:36pm

Pakistan to send more relief goods, President Zardari says in meeting with Palestinian envoy

President Asif Ali Zardari has said that Pakistan will send additional relief goods, including food and medicine, to the Palestinian people.

A statement from the Presidency said that in a conversation with Ambassador of Palestine to Pakistan Ahmed Jawad Rabei, the president said that it was painful to see the tragic sufferings of Palestinians at the hands of Israeli forces

He said that Pakistan had historic ties with Palestine and would continue to stand by Palestinians and raise its voice at all forums for them.

Zardari lauded the bravery and resilience of Palestinians “waging a long struggle against Israeli occupation”.

The president urged the international community to make efforts for the free flow of humanitarian assistance to Gaza by lifting all the barriers and ensuring the protection of civilians in the Gaza Strip.

Published 29 Mar, 2024 05:45pm

PHOTOS: 125,000 Palestinian worshippers perform prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque

Muslim devotees attend Friday noon prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in the Old City of Jerusalem on March 29, 2024.—AFP
Muslim devotees attend Friday noon prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in the Old City of Jerusalem on March 29, 2024.—AFP

Muslim devotees attend Friday noon prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in the Old City of Jerusalem on March 29, 2024.—AFP
Muslim devotees attend Friday noon prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in the Old City of Jerusalem on March 29, 2024.—AFP

Palestinians await permission to cross at an Israeli checkpoint in Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank on March 29, 2024, as worshippers head to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound for Friday Noon prayer during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.—AFP
Palestinians await permission to cross at an Israeli checkpoint in Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank on March 29, 2024, as worshippers head to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound for Friday Noon prayer during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.—AFP

Published 29 Mar, 2024 03:49pm

Israeli strike kills Hezbollah official in Lebanon: security source

A military security source has said that an Israeli strike on a car in south Lebanon has killed a Hezbollah official, AFP reports.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reports “a raid by an enemy drone targeted a car” in Bazuriyeh in south Lebanon’s Tyre district, reporting at least one dead.

The source, requesting anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media, has said the person killed was “a Hezbollah official”.

Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the strike but announced it carried out attacks on Israeli positions.

An AFP correspondent reports that the targeted vehicle was destroyed and debris scattered nearby, and said authorities had cordoned off the area.

Published 29 Mar, 2024 02:37pm

Israeli forces kill 12 Palestinians in strike north of Rafah

An air strike on a residential building in Hayy al-Nasr, north of Rafah, has killed 12 people and injured several in the early morning hours, Al Jazeera Arabic has reported.

The casualties have been transferred to the European Hospital in Khan Younis. Several injured children have arrived at the medical facility.

Published 29 Mar, 2024 02:10pm

Death toll from Israeli strike in Syria rises to 42: monitor

The death toll from an Israeli air strike on northern Syria’s Aleppo province earlier today has risen to 42, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Al Jazeera reports.

“Forty-two killed, including six from Lebanon’s Hezbollah group” and 36 Syrian soldiers in the Israeli strike targeting a Hezbollah weapons depot, the war monitor reported.

Published 29 Mar, 2024 01:50pm

US seeks probe into video of Israeli army burying people alive

The US has said it is deeply disturbed by the “alarming” contents of a video showing Israeli forces shooting two apparently unarmed Palestinians and burying them with a wheel loader and called for an investigation, TRT World reports.

When asked about the video, a State Department spokesperson told Anadolu they were not able to independently verify the footage, adding they would urgently seek more information from the Israeli government.

“We expect this incident to be thoroughly investigated and, if appropriate, seek accountability,” the spokesperson said.

“Moreover, we have been clear that Israel has an obligation to investigate credible allegations of law of war violations, ensure appropriate accountability, and institute measures to prevent any violations from recurring,” the spokesperson added.

Published 29 Mar, 2024 01:33pm

Deadly air attack hits car in southern Lebanon

The official Lebanese National News Agency has said that one person was killed in “a hostile air strike” on a car heading towards to the town of Al-Bazouriyeh in the Tyre district in the south of the country, Al Jazeera reports.

Ambulances rushed to the scene to transport the wounded, the agency said, adding that the car was engulfed in fire.

The agency, quoting civil defence officers, said a second person was in the car without confirming his or her health status. The Lebanese media shared videos, showing the car on fire.

Published 29 Mar, 2024 01:05pm

Obama defends White House’s handling of Gaza crisis

As President Joe Biden and his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, headlined a star-studded fundraiser with former President Bill Clinton, offering a robust defence of the White House’s handling of the Gaza crisis — protesters interrupted the event, Reuters reports.

“It’s a lonely seat,” Obama said. “One of the realities of the presidency is that the world has a lot of joy and beauty, but it also has a lot of tragedy and cruelty.”

People “understandably, oftentimes, want to feel a certain purity in terms of how those decisions are made,” he said. “But a president doesn’t have that luxury.”

When a protestor inside the theatre interrupted Obama, the former president snapped back: You can’t just talk and not listen…That’s what the other side does.“

The pair of former presidents also defended Biden’s handling of the economy, which gets low ratings in national polls. Clinton said Biden’s economic numbers have significantly outpaced Trump’s administration.

Published 29 Mar, 2024 12:38pm

Israeli strikes on Syria kill 38, security sources say

Israeli strikes on the northern Syrian city of Aleppo earlier today have killed 38 people, including five members of Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, Reuters quoted two security sources as saying.

The Syrian defence ministry said that a number of civilians and military personnel were killed after Israel and militant groups launched attacks against Aleppo.

The Israeli airstrikes targeted several areas in Aleppo’s countryside at about 1:45am local time (10:45pm GMT), the ministry said in a statement.

The airstrikes coincided with drone attacks carried out from Idlib and western rural Aleppo that the ministry described as having been conducted by “terrorist organisations” targeting civilians in Aleppo and its surroundings.

Published 29 Mar, 2024 12:25pm

Protesters interrupt Biden, Obama, Clinton at $25m New York fundraiser

President Joe Biden and his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, headlined a star-studded fundraiser with former President Bill Clinton on Thursday, offering a robust defence of the White House’s handling of the Gaza crisis as protesters interrupted the event, Reuters reports.

Biden, who travelled with Obama on Air Force One to New York, took part in a discussion with Clinton moderated by “The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert at the iconic Radio City Music Hall in front of thousands of guests. Organisers say the event raised more than $25 million for Biden’s US reelection campaign.

But the fundraiser was punctuated by several protests inside the massive auditorium, with attendees rising at several different moments to shout over the discussion, referencing Biden’s backing of Israel in the Gaza offensive that has killed more than 30,000 people.

“Shame on you, Joe Biden!” one yelled.

Obama and Clinton offered a presidential perspective of the Gaza crisis that stressed the political realities of being in the White House. A president needs to be able to support Israel at the same time as fighting for Palestinians to have more access to food, medical supplies and a future state, they said.

 US President Joe Biden, former US Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton participate in a discussion moderated by Stephen Colbert, during an event at Radio City Music Hall in New York, US on March 28. — Reuters
US President Joe Biden, former US Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton participate in a discussion moderated by Stephen Colbert, during an event at Radio City Music Hall in New York, US on March 28. — Reuters

Published 29 Mar, 2024 12:01pm

‘Soul-crushing’: Melissa Barrera recalls getting fired from ‘Scream’

The directing duo of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett brought Melissa Barrera to new levels of fame when they tapped her to lead the 2022 franchise reviver Scream.

But then, Spyglass, the production company behind Scream, fired her from the franchise over social media posts she had shared to Instagram Stories after Hamas’ Oct 7 attack, The Hollywood Reporter states.

“My problem was with the press that came out that just felt mean-spirited toward the film. That was my first big studio movie, and everybody was telling us, ‘Your life is going to change.’ Then it doesn’t happen, so it was very heartbreaking and soul-crushing,” says Barrera, who declined to specifically address the colourism debate.

“But I’m grateful for how it happened. It taught me a lot about the industry, about myself, about expectations, about not letting the noise outside put a stain on my experience.”

 Melissa Barrera — Sarah Krick via Hollywood Reporter
Melissa Barrera — Sarah Krick via Hollywood Reporter

One, posted just two weeks after the Hamas attack, read, “Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp. Cornering everyone together, with nowhere to go, no electricity no water … This is genocide and ethnic cleansing.”

In another post, Barrera had written that she was having trouble finding information supporting the Palestinian side and added, “Western media only shows the other side. Why they do that, I will let you deduce for yourself.” Spyglass had characterised her posts as anti-Semitic in a Nov 21 statement announcing her firing.

Published 29 Mar, 2024 11:23am

Dozens killed overnight in Israeli bombardment in Gaza: health ministry

Heavy fighting and sustained bombardments have continued to rock the Gaza Strip despite the UN Security Council’s adoption of a resolution earlier this week calling for an “immediate ceasefire”, AFP reports.

“Dozens” were killed overnight, including 12 in a home in the southern city of Rafah, the health ministry said on Friday. The offensive has turned much of the territory into a wasteland and shattered the health system.

The Israeli military (IDF) has conducted sieges on three major hospitals, accusing Hamas and Islamic Jihad of hiding inside and using patients, medical staff and displaced people for cover — charges the Palestinian groups have denied.

Palestinian Abed Radwan, 63, said he had to flee when “Israeli forces stormed all buildings and homes in the Al-Rimal area, arrested several people and forced the rest to walk south”.

“I walked with them,” he said. “I saw many decomposing bodies in the streets and several houses flattened. They left nothing intact, they destroyed everything.”

 Smoke rises during an Israeli strike in the vicinity of the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on March 28. — AFP
Smoke rises during an Israeli strike in the vicinity of the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on March 28. — AFP

Published 29 Mar, 2024 10:52am

Japan to resume funding to UN Palestinian refugee agency

Japan is preparing to resume funding to the UN’s crisis-hit Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), which coordinates nearly all aid to Gaza, the government has said.

According to AFP, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa met UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini in Tokyo on Thursday to discuss measures taken by the agency to strengthen governance and transparency.

“Japan and the UNRWA confirmed that they will advance final coordination about necessary efforts to resume Japan’s contribution,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Japanese media reports said the resumption of funding, which was suspended in January, was expected to come in the first half of April.

Kamikawa on Thursday “pointed out the importance of ensuring transparency and traceability of fund flows and the neutrality of UNRWA staff”, the ministry said.

 Men transport a water container past a destroyed building in Gaza City on March 28, 2024. — AFP
Men transport a water container past a destroyed building in Gaza City on March 28, 2024. — AFP

Published 29 Mar, 2024 10:18am

Israeli strike kills 36 Syrian soldiers near Aleppo: war monitor

An Israeli air strike on Syria’s Aleppo province killed at least 36 Syrian soldiers on Friday, according to a war monitor, which added that Hezbollah weapons depots were located in the area.

The Israeli attack targeted an area “near rocket depots belonging to Lebanese group Hezbollah”, said the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has an extensive network of sources in Syria. “At least 36 soldiers were killed and dozens wounded,” it said.

It also said that the targeted area is located near Aleppo’s international airport. Syrian state news agency Sana said the pre-dawn strike killed and wounded civilians, as well as military personnel.

A Syrian military source told Sana that “at approximately 1:45 am, the Israeli enemy launched an air attack from the direction of Athriya, southeast of Aleppo”, adding that “civilians and military personnel” had been killed and wounded in the strike.

Contacted by AFP from Jerusalem, the Israeli military said it would “not comment on reports in the foreign media”.

Published 29 Mar, 2024 10:00am

‘Stop starving children’: Belgian minister tells Israel

Caroline Gennez, Belgium’s minister of development cooperation and urban policy, said international pressure must be maintained on Israel to ensure “sufficient” humanitarian aid enters Gaza.

Re-posting a statement on social media from the International Court of Justice ordering Israel to avert the “spread of famine and starvation” in Gaza by ensuring the “unhindered delivery” of aid and basic services, Gennez said, “Israel must stop starving civilians and children.”

The Israeli use of “hunger as weapon of war” is a “flagrant violation of international law”, Gennez said.

Published 29 Mar, 2024 09:21am

Israel has not received everything it has asked for, top US general says

The United States’ top general has said that Israel had not received every weapon it has asked for, in part because some of it could affect the US military’s readiness and there were capacity limitations, Reuters reports.

Washington gives $3.8 billion in annual military assistance to Israel, its longtime ally.

“Although we’ve been supporting them with capability, they’ve not received everything they’ve asked for,” said General Charles Q. Brown, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.

 US General Charles Q. Brown Junior. — Reuters
US General Charles Q. Brown Junior. — Reuters
“Some of that is because they’ve asked for stuff that we either don’t have the capacity to provide or not willing to provide, not right now,” Brown added, while speaking at an event hosted by the Defense Writers Group.

A spokesperson for Brown later on Thursday said his comments were in reference to “a standard practice before providing military aid to any of our allies and partners.”

“There is no change in US policy. The United States continues to provide security assistance to our ally Israel as they defend themselves from Hamas,” Navy Captain Jereal Dorsey said in a statement.

Published 29 Mar, 2024 08:31am

WFP says to ‘surge’ food aid into Gaza or there will be starvation

The choice is clear, either “surge” humanitarian relief into Gaza or there will be starvation, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) said, Al Jazeera reports.

WFP warned in a post on social media that famine is “imminent” in the north of the Gaza Strip, and malnutrition among children is already “soaring”.

“The is nowhere else in the world where so many people face imminent famine,” WFP’s Palestine country director Matthew Hollingworth said.

Gaza City is the “epicentre of the crisis”, he said. Only 11 convoys of WFP food aid have reached the north of the Palestinian territory since the start of this year, the UN agency said.

Published 29 Mar, 2024 08:29am

Israeli military carries out arrests, raids across the occupied West Bank

The Israeli military has arrested Amal Barghouth, the wife of the detained Palestinian lawyer Tariq Barghouth, on the pretext of entering occupied East Jerusalem without a permit, Al Jazeera reports, citing the Wafa news agency.

Israeli forces have also arrested a man from the town of Kafr Laqif, east of Qalqilya city.

Raids have also been reported in different locations across the occupied West Bank, including the city of Nablus, the town of Surif and the Qayzoun neighbourhood in Hebron, and the town of Habla, southeast of Qalqilya.

Wafa also reports that Israeli forces have forcefully removed worshippers from courtyards in the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the first night of seclusion marking the last 10 days of Ramadan.

Published 29 Mar, 2024 08:06am

Jordanians protest against peace treaty with Israel in fresh rallies

Thousands of Jordanians rallied near the Israeli embassy on Thursday in a fifth day of large protests against Israel, calling for an end to Jordan’s unpopular peace treaty with its neighbour to the west, Reuters reports.

The protesters in an affluent neighbourhood of Amman carried Palestinian flags and chanted: “They said Hamas is terrorist. All of Jordan is Hamas.” “No Zionist embassy on Jordanian land,” protesters also cried, demanding that authorities close the embassy and end a 1994 peace treaty that normalised ties with Israel.

Placards declared “Amman-Gaza one destiny”, while other posters depicted Hamas’ masked military spokesman, Abu Obaida, who has become a folk hero for many in the Arab world.

The Israeli embassy, where protesters have gathered for five straight days, has long been a flashpoint when violence has escalated between Palestinians and Israel.

Hundreds of demonstrators, however, defied police orders to disperse and sat on the streets saying they would remain until the early hours of Friday morning.

People protest in support of Palestinians in Gaza near the Israeli embassy in Amman, Jordan, March 28, 2024. — Reuters
People protest in support of Palestinians in Gaza near the Israeli embassy in Amman, Jordan, March 28, 2024. — Reuters

Published 28 Mar, 2024 10:55pm

Palestinian foreign ministry condemns Israeli attacks on Bedouin community

The Palestinian foreign ministry has issued a statement calling attention to the repeated attacks on the occupied West Bank’s Bedouin community, Al Jazeera reports.

It says the violent attacks by settlers are an attempt to seize more areas of the occupied Palestinian territory, and cites the burning down of a Palestinian’s home in the Ma’rajat area and an Israeli settler’s attempt to bulldoze another home in the village of Jiftlik.

“The ministry observes this aggressive war with extreme seriousness and considers it an attempt by the settler associations to plunder and steal Palestinian land,” the statement reads.

It said Israeli far-right ministers are aware of the attacks and support them.

Published 28 Mar, 2024 10:22pm

Kuwait hands $2m to UNRWA for 2024

Kuwait has handed its annual $2 million contribution to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees, the Kuwaiti state news agency KUNA reports.

Published 28 Mar, 2024 10:03pm

‘Utmost importance’ for Israel, Lebanon to restore calm: US

The White House has called on Israel and Lebanon to put a high priority on restoring calm after new deadly border crossfire and Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah.

“Restoring calm along that border remains a top priority for President Biden and for the administration and it has to be of utmost importance, we believe, as well for both Lebanon and Israel,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters according to Al Jazeera.