Tag: Gaza

  • BBC slammed for misleading headline about Israeli army dogs attacking Palestinian man

    BBC slammed for misleading headline about Israeli army dogs attacking Palestinian man

    British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), known for its support of Israeli war crimes, is yet again under fire for a misleading headline that portrayed the killing of a Palestinian man with Down’s Syndrome as a “lonely death”.” In contrast, he died after being attacked by a dog trained by the Israeli Defence Forces.

    The details of the report outline Mohammed Bhar’s killing. His mother told BBC that he was left to die by Israeli soldiers after being brutally attacked by the IDF’s dog. His parents later found his decomposed body on the street.

    However, the caption on X said, “The lonely death of Gaza man with Down’s Syndrome.”

    Netizens lambasted the choice of words, morphing the whole incident into a mere lonely death instead of a murder.

    A user quoted Middle East Eye for its appropriate headline, saying, “Gaza: Palestinian with Down syndrome ‘left to die ‘ by Israeli soldiers after combat dog attack.” The tweet read, “This is the headline a real news organisation would write. Why would you try to sanitise a brutal attack on a disabled man?”

    Another user stressed that BBC is not a credible source anymore because it avoids at all cost to hold Israel accountable. “An embarrassment for a national broadcaster,” he asserted.

    This is not a lonely death; it is a violent murder, another user emphasized.

    “You mean he was separated from his family, deliberately mauled by an IDF attack dog within earshot of them and left to die. His parents found his decomposing body later. That’s called murder,” a user named Natalie Holme Elsberg tweeted.

    In one of the responses, BBC was criticised for the choice of words. “Lonely? Strange adjective to describe the death of someone who was murdered by an armed gang.”

  • 10-year-old chef in Gaza offers a taste of hope during genocide

    10-year-old chef in Gaza offers a taste of hope during genocide

    Amid Israeli military operations, the streets of Gaza have found a new star.

    Renad Attalah, a 10-year-old girl with a big smile and a love for cooking, has captured many hearts with her entertaining cooking videos.

    “One of her recipe videos is titled ‘War’s Lollipop by Chef Renad’,” reads a caption.

    Her recipes are always simple and creative, using ingredients obtained from aid sent into Gaza.

    “I have always loved cooking, but I didn’t realise I had this skill before the war started,” Renad tells Al Jazeera. Her passion for cooking has become a source of hope and joy, not only for herself but also for many who watch her.

    Thousands of people in northern Gaza are facing severe shortages of water and food since Israel’s attacks began on October 7, resulting in at least 38,011 deaths and 87,445 injuries.

    This grim reality contrasts sharply with Renad’s cheerful cooking videos, which depict the challenging conditions she works under. Despite the obstacles, she cooks using donated food and aid.

    “We have been searching for drinking water in Gaza for three days, but there is none,” she shares in one of her heartfelt videos.

    “Bombardments, warplanes, drones, and the lack of internet are all challenges. Whenever the internet service is restored, I occupy myself with creating content and posting,” she says.

    Renad strives to upload her recipes to social media as frequently as possible, despite numerous challenges.

    Nourhan, Renad’s sister, recalls how it all began: “It was a spontaneous idea. We had been confined at home since the start of the war. We wanted to do something to cheer Renad up, so we started filming her cooking randomly. After more than four months, when the internet was finally restored, I posted her first clip, and the response was immense.”

    The response has indeed been overwhelming. Renad has amassed over half a million followers on Instagram, becoming an instant sensation and an inspiration.

    Israel’s attacks on Gaza have had devastating effects, resulting in the deaths of over 14,000 children and injuries to tens of thousands more. Amidst this grim reality, Renad’s cooking videos provide a means of escape and a source of happiness for many. “I am trying to escape the agony of war, bring joy to myself, to make myself and others happy, and to alleviate grief and sadness,” she says.

  • Amid Gaza genocide, Israel aims to send Lebanon “back to Stone Age”

    Amid Gaza genocide, Israel aims to send Lebanon “back to Stone Age”

    Israel launched air strikes on Gaza Thursday after warning Hezbollah, Hamas’s ally in Lebanon, to avoid a large-scale war that would send the neighbouring country “back to the Stone Age”.

    Defence Minister Yoav Gallant made the comment during a visit to Washington, where he discussed the Gaza war, long-running efforts toward a truce, and ways to avoid a wider regional conflagration.

    As cross-border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have risen, Gallant stressed that “we do not want war, but we are preparing for every scenario”.

    Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during his visit to Washington this weekDrew ANGERER

    “Hezbollah understands very well that we can inflict massive damage in Lebanon if a war is launched,” he said of the fighter group.

    Israel and Hezbollah have traded near daily cross-border fire since October 7.

    But tensions have surged since Israel said this month that its Lebanon war plans are ready, sparking threats from Hezbollah that, in the event of all-out war, none of Israel would be safe.

    US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Gallant this week that a war with Hezbollah could have “terrible consequences for the Middle East” and urged a diplomatic solution.

    A Palestinian boy sits on a war-damaged road at al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on June 26, 2024Eyad BABA

    UN humanitarian coordinator Martin Griffiths warned that Lebanon was “the flashpoint beyond all flashpoints” and that a full war would be “potentially apocalyptic”.

    Germany has joined Canada in advising its citizens in Lebanon to leave the country, reiterating warnings first issued shortly after October 7.

    In the latest clashes on Wednesday, Lebanese media reported about 10 Israeli strikes near the border, while Hezbollah claimed six attacks against Israeli military positions.

    A US official said Washington was engaged in “fairly intensive conversations” with Israel, Lebanon and other actors and believed that no side sought a “major escalation”.

    Meanwhile, the Gaza war at the heart of regional tensions ground on, despite comments Sunday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the “intense phase” of the assault on Gaza was nearing an end.

    An Israeli Air Force F-16 Jet fighter aircraft flies over the border area between northern Israel and southern LebanonJACK GUEZ

    Israeli air strikes overnight and early Thursday killed at least five people in Gaza City, said Gaza’s civil defence agency and Al-Mamdani hospital medics.

    One person was killed when a warplane bombed a house in Beit Lahia, paramedics said.

    Heavy fighting, artillery shelling and helicopter fire were reported Thursday around northern Gaza’s Shujayia market, as well as approaching Israeli ground vehicles.

    Hamas’ press office in Gaza reported “a significant displacement of residents” there and said people “are fleeing to areas of refuge in Gaza City that are already overcrowded”.

    An anonymous witness told AFP the situation was “very difficult and frightening in Shujayia after the arrival of occupation (Israeli) vehicles and air fire.”

    “Residents are running through the streets in terror… a number of wounded and martyrs lie in the streets.”

    A handout picture released by the Jordanian army shows humanitarian aid being airdropped from a military aircraft over southern Gaza on June 25, 2024-

    Shelling also targeted Gaza City, sending plumes of smoke into the sky, and Israeli forces blew up several buildings in far-southern Rafah, witnesses said.

    The Israeli military also said it had “attacked terrorists who were in a school complex in Khan Yunis” in the south, where the civil defence agency said it had recovered several bodies.

    US officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have voiced hope a Gaza ceasefire could also lead to a reduction in hostilities on the Lebanese border.

    However, months of talks towards a truce and hostage release deal have so far failed as Israel has rejected Hamas’ demands for a permanent end to fighting and full troop withdrawal.

    Israel has killed at least 37,765 people, also mostly civilians, according to data from Gaza’s health ministry.

    This handout picture released by the Israeli army on June 25, 2024 shows an Israeli army tracked vehicle during operations in the Gaza Strip-

    The war and siege have triggered a dire humanitarian crisis, with Gaza hospitals struggling to function and food, drinking water and other essentials hard to come by.

    USAID officials said Wednesday that just 1,000 of the 7,000 tonnes of aid shipped from Cyprus to Gaza had been distributed, blaming looting and security problems.

    Gaza’s humanitarian crisis is intense, said US doctors and nurses returning from the territory, who reported patients in the few remaining hospitals were dying in large numbers.

    Israeli tanks seen in central Gaza, gunfire heard
    Israeli tanks seen in central Gaza, gunfire heard

    One of the volunteer medics, former US army combat surgeon Adam Hamawy, said he had worked in many war-torn and natural disaster-hit countries in the past 30 years.

    “But the level of civilian casualties that I experienced was beyond anything I’d seen before,” the 54-year-old told AFP.

    “Most of our patients were children under the age of 14,” he said. “This has nothing to do with your political views.”

  • Two American Air Force members to quit as US continues to back Israel

    Two American Air Force members to quit as US continues to back Israel

    Two officers currently serving in the United States Air Force are seeking to quit their military roles and declare themselves conscientious objectors in the light of their opposition to Washington’s backing of the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

    The two people in question are Larry Hebert and Juan Bettancourt who are critical of the US-backed genocide in Gaza that has killed over 37,400 Palestinians, predominantly women and children.

    They have formally requested to be recognized as conscientious objectors as per established military procedures — a status granted to individuals who object to engaging in military activities on moral or ethical grounds.

    Al Jazeera spoke to Hebert who is presently serving as a senior airman in the US Air Force. He pointed out that conscientious objection in the US military has historically been seen during protests against the Vietnam and Iraq wars.

    He intends to raise awareness that active-duty soldiers have the option to choose conscientious objection.

    In an earlier interview with NBC News, Hebert revealed the death of six-year-old Hind Rajab in February was a pivotal moment influencing his decision.

  • 21,000 children missing in Gaza since October 7

    21,000 children missing in Gaza since October 7

    As much as 21,000 children in Gaza are said to have gone missing since October 7, reports Save the Children, a leading humanitarian organisation for children.

    Israel launched fierce military operations against Palestinians following October 7 attacks which have killed at least 37,598 people and injured 86,032 in Gaza, according to Al Jazeera.

    More than 15,000 children have been killed by Israel in the genocide.

    Additionally, at least 3,000 children are reportedly amputated – the largest population of child amputees in the world.

  • Israeli military spokesman admits Hamas can’t be destroyed, enraging Netanyahu

    Israeli military spokesman admits Hamas can’t be destroyed, enraging Netanyahu

    Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari has acknowledged that the Palestinian resistance organization Hamas is an ideology that cannot be defeated. The statement has exposed the rift between the country’s political and military leadership, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently claimed that only the destruction of Hamas can bring an end to the war on Gaza.

    In an interview with CBS News, the spokesman of the Israeli army, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said that anyone who thinks that we will eliminate Hamas is mistaken. “Hamas is an idea, Hamas is a party. It’s rooted in the hearts of the people – whoever thinks we can eliminate Hamas is wrong,” Hagari was seen saying.

    The statement of Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari is being taken as proof of a conflict between the Israeli army and the government, an example of which is the replacement of the Israeli war cabinet with a reduced kitchen cabinet.

    However, Netanyahu’s office strongly denied the statement of the spokesman of the Israeli army and reiterated his determination to eliminate Hamas completely.

    Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut reported that Netanyahu’s office was “fuming” at Hagari’s remarks.

    “This just gives you an idea of what Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies are in this war, and the army on the ground saying it is actually not realistic,” she stressed.

    On the other hand, the Israeli military said that the statement of Admiral Daniel Hagari is being taken out of context, and he has clearly declared the elimination of Hamas as the ideology of the Israeli army, which we are determined to achieve.

    Hagari’s comments, the statement said, “referred to the destruction of Hamas as an ideology and an idea, and this was said by him very clearly and explicitly,” the military statement added. “Any other claim is taking things out of context.”

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said that it is impossible to end the war without eliminating Hamas, but even though the Zionist forces have martyred nearly 40,000 Palestinians in the ongoing genocide since October 7, they have failed to eliminate Hamas.

  • Israeli official confirms Netanyahu dissolves war cabinet

    An Israeli government spokesman on Monday said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had dissolved the war cabinet following the resignation earlier this month of centrist leader Benny Gantz.

    David Mencer, spokesman at the prime minister’s office, told reporters the war cabinet was a “prerequisite” for former army chief and defence minister Gantz to join a unity government.

    “So with Mr Gantz leaving government, there is no need for the cabinet. Its duties will be taken over by the security cabinet”, a pre-existing body, on matters regarding the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, he said.

    Israeli media said the move, which was not expected to trigger any major policy shift, was meant to counter pressure from far-right politicians seeking a greater say in decision-making.

    The war cabinet was formed after Gantz had left the opposition to join Netanyahu’s government following Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel.

    Another member of Gantz’ party, also a former military chief, Gadi Eisenkot, had also agreed to join the government on condition that a war cabinet be formed, according to Israeli officials.

    Eisenkot left the war cabinet along with Gantz.

    “It means that the security cabinet will meet more often. The security cabinet is the body responsible for making decisions (related to the war) anyway,” said an Israeli official on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the issue.

    Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who were all part of the war cabinet, also sit on the security cabinet — which ratifies decisions regarding the war including truce and hostage release negotiations.

    Gantz announced his resignation on June 9 after failing to get Netanyahu to approve a post-war plan for Gaza.

    Israeli media reported that Netanyahu dissolved the war cabinet to avoid including far-right coalition members in the sensitive forum, fearing harm to relations with Western allies such as the United States.

    Mencer declined to answer when asked if Netanyahu’s decision aimed to rebuff his far-right partners and tighten his grip over decision-making.

    National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who are both security cabinet members and opposed to a truce before Hamas is “eliminated”, had put pressure on Netanyahu to add them to the war cabinet.

    Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza has killed at least 37,347 people, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the territory.

  • UN probe accuses Israel of crimes against humanity

    UN probe accuses Israel of crimes against humanity

    A UN investigation concluded on Wednesday that Israel has committed crimes against humanity during the genocide in Gaza, including that of “extermination”, while saying Israeli and Palestinian armed groups have both committed war crimes.

    The independent Commission of Inquiry’s report is the United Nations’ first in-depth investigation into the events following October 7.

    It found that Israel had committed war crimes, crimes against humanity and violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL).

    The report noted “a widespread or systematic attack directed against the civilian population in Gaza.”

    “The commission found that the crimes against humanity of extermination; murder; gender persecution targeting Palestinian men and boys; forcible transfer; and torture and inhuman and cruel treatment were committed,” it added.

    Israel rejected the conclusions by accusing the UN commission of “systematic anti-Israeli discrimination”.

    Israel intensified its attacks in Gaza after Hamas’s October 7 attack.

    The commission found that in that attack, members of the military wings of Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups and Palestinian civilians committed war crimes, as well as violations and abuses of IHL and IHRL.

    Militants seized 251 hostages, of which 116 remain in Gaza, though the Israeli army says 41 of them are dead.

    The Israeli army launched a devastating offensive on the Gaza Strip that has left more than 37,000 people dead, the majority of them civilians, according to the territory’s health ministry.

    The unprecedented Commission of Inquiry was established by the UN Human Rights Council in May 2021 to investigate alleged violations of IHL and IHRL in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

    Since October 7, the three-member commission has focused on Israeli geocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

    “It is imperative that all those who have committed crimes be held accountable,” said the commission’s chair Navi Pillay, a former UN rights chief and an ex-International Criminal Court judge.

    “Israel must immediately stop its military operations and attacks in Gaza.

    “Hamas and Palestinian armed groups must immediately cease rocket attacks and release all hostages. The taking of hostages constitutes a war crime.”

    ‘War crimes’ in October attack

    The commission concluded that members of Hamas, other Palestinian armed groups and civilians participating in the October 7 attack “deliberately killed, injured, mistreated, took hostages and committed sexual and gender-based violence”.

    These acts were committed against civilians and members of the Israeli security forces.

    “These actions constitute war crimes and violations and abuses of IHL and IHRL,” it said.

    The commission further said it found “significant evidence on the desecration of corpses, including sexualised desecration, decapitations, lacerations, burning, severing of body parts and undressing”.

    “Women were subjected to gender-based violence during the course of their execution or abduction. Women and women’s bodies were used as victory trophies by male perpetrators.”

    Many children who witnessed their relatives being killed were “also filmed for propaganda purposes”, with the commission finding it “particularly egregious that children were targeted for abduction”.

    The report said Israeli authorities “failed to protect civilians in southern Israel on almost every front”.

    Israel’s ‘starvation’ of Gaza

    In their actions in Gaza, the commission found the Israeli authorities “responsible for the war crimes of starvation as a method of warfare, murder or wilful killing, intentionally directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects, forcible transfer, sexual violence, torture and inhuman or cruel treatment, arbitrary detention and outrages upon personal dignity”.

    Starvation will affect the Gaza population, particularly children, “for decades to come”, the report said, while “the siege it imposed… constitutes collective punishment and reprisal against the civilian population, both of which are clear violations of IHL.”

    In the West Bank, the commission found that Israeli forces committed acts of sexual violence, torture and inhuman or cruel treatment and outrages upon personal dignity, “all of which are war crimes”.

    Israel’s government and forces “permitted, fostered and instigated a campaign of settler violence against Palestinian communities” in the territory, the commission added.

    The report is based on interviews with victims and witnesses conducted remotely, and in Turkey and Egypt, and through studying thousands of verified open-source items, satellite imagery and forensic medical reports, the commission said.

    “Israel obstructed the commission’s investigations and prevented its access to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” it added.

    The report is due to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council next week.

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    © Agence France-Presse

  • Ceasefire agreement in Gaza coming close at hand?

    Ceasefire agreement in Gaza coming close at hand?

    The UN Security Council gave a green signal to a US-proposed ceasefire plan on Monday aimed at ending the Israeli attacks in Gaza.

    The proposition consists of a three-stage ceasefire and captive-release proposal laid out on May 31 by President Biden, prompting the “parties to fully implement its terms without delay and without condition”.⁠
    ⁠
    As per the plan, Israel will withdraw its military forces from Gaza’s populated areas, Hamas will release the remaining captives and humanitarian aid would be allowed into Gaza “at scale”.⁠

    A temporary ceasefire will be in effect for six weeks at first, with the possibility of extension as negotiators work towards a permanent cessation of hostilities.

    As per the resolution, Israel has agreed to the plan and urged Hamas to also agree to it as well.

    However, Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, have recently vowed to continue the operations until Hamas is completely eradicated, raising doubts about their commitment to the ceasefire agreement.

    Hamas has expressed approval of the resolution and signalled readiness to engage in indirect talks regarding the implementation of the agreement’s principles.

  • Wildfires in south Lebanon after Israeli bombardment: media, rescuer

    Wildfires in south Lebanon after Israeli bombardment: media, rescuer

    Beirut, Lebanon: Israeli strikes Saturday on southern Lebanon sparked massive wildfires, state media and a first responder said, the latest fallout from escalating cross-border violence involving Hezbollah.

    Hezbollah has traded near-daily fire with Israeli forces in the nine months since the Gaza genocide began.

    Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) said on Saturday that “Israeli artillery bombarded today the outskirts of the town of Alma al-Shaab with incendiary phosphorus shells, causing fires in the forests that spread to the vicinity of some homes”.

    Fire sweeps over fields targeted by Israeli artillery on the outskirts of the southern Lebanese village of Rmeish on June 4, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. Photo by Kawnat HAJU / AFP.

    It added that the fire had reached “large areas of olive trees”.

    Lebanese authorities and several international rights groups have accused Israel of using white phosphorus rounds in its strikes on its northern neighbour.

    White phosphorus, a substance that ignites in contact with oxygen, can be used as an incendiary weapon.

    Its use as a chemical weapon is prohibited under international law, but it is allowed for illuminating battlefields and can be used as a smokescreen.

    Rescuer Ali Abbas of the Risala Scout association, affiliated with Hezbollah ally the Amal movement, told AFP that “Israel deliberately bombs forested areas with phosphorus with the aim of starting fires.”

    According to him, rescuers on the grounds have been struggling to extinguish the flames, while the Lebanese military avoids sending helicopters to assist for fear of more Israeli attacks.

    Further east, the NNA reported that “a large fire broke out at positions belonging to the Lebanese army and UNIFIL”, the UN peacekeeping mission, in the area of the border village of Mais al-Jabal.

    It is located near the UN-demarcated Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel.

    A security source told AFP on condition of anonymity that fires broke out near military positions but have not reached them or caused any casualties.

    The UN peacekeepers in a statement reported a “bushfire near one of their positions in Hula”, which was put out with help from Lebanese troops and civil defence forces.

    “The fire didn’t cause any damage to UNIFIL assets or personnel,” it said.

    The NNA said, “Several landmines exploded, and firefighting operations are still continuing” in the area.

    The border violence, which began on October 8, has killed 456 people in Lebanon, primarily fighters but including about 90 civilians, according to an AFP tally.

    On the Israeli side of the border, at least 15 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed, according to the army.