Tag: Hamas

  • 1.8 million Palestinians internally displaced, have no where to escape

    1.8 million Palestinians internally displaced, have no where to escape

    With about 1.8 million Palestinians already displaced across Gaza, the Israeli military has now called to evacuate areas in Khan Younis.

    On October 13th, Israel directed one million Gazans in the north to move south. But now, the internally displaced as well as the local residents have been asked to evacuate the south with no place to escape to for protection.

    Israeli air raids have been targeting refugee camps and residential buildings, having killed more than 15,500 people and injuring more than 41,300 since October 7.

  • Elon Musk thinks visiting Gaza “seems a bit dangerous”

    Elon Musk thinks visiting Gaza “seems a bit dangerous”

    Elon Musk was invited by Hamas to witness the destruction in Gaza, in the light of his visit to Israel earlier in the week. The controversial owner of X (former Twitter) responded to the invitation by posting online that it “seems a bit dangerous there right now, but I do believe that a long-term prosperous Gaza is good for all sides.”

    The invitation from senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan came on Tuesday. Hamdan called on Musk, who recently met Israel’s prime minister and president, to also visit Palestine and acquire a more rounded perspective.

    “We invite him to visit Gaza to see the extent of the massacres and destruction committed against the people of Gaza, in compliance with the standards of objectivity and credibility,” Hamdan said in a press conference in Beirut. “Within 50 days, Israel dropped more than 40,000 tonnes of explosives on the homes of defenceless Gazans,” the official added.

    Elon went to Israel and met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Herzog earlier in the week. “It was jarring to see the scene of the massacre,” said Musk later in an X Spaces conversation with Netanyahu, adding Israel has “no choice” but to eliminate Hamas.

    Musk’s Israel visit was roundly criticised by users of his platform, coming on the heels of what was perceived as an anti-Semitic tweet he had posted earlier.

  • Israel resumes attacks in Gaza as truce ends

    Israel resumes attacks in Gaza as truce ends

    The additional one-day truce between Israel and Gaza has ended on Friday while the deadline to further extend the truce has passed in vain.

    Israeli Defense Forces wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that IDF has “resumed combat” against Hamas in Gaza because they “violated the operational pause, and in addition, fired toward Israeli territory.”

    As of yet, Al Jazeera has reported that according to witnesses in Gaza City and the north of the Gaza Strip, “heavy clashes are taking place between Palestinian fighting groups and Israeli troops,” while in the central Gaza Strip, Israeli tanks are also firing near Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps. Additionally, air raids have also resumed.

  • Avoid calling the Hamas’ people ‘terrorists’, Voice of America tells staff

    Avoid calling the Hamas’ people ‘terrorists’, Voice of America tells staff

    One of the editors of the US state run broadcasting agency Voice of America, has sent an email to staff and journalists, asking that they should avoid using the word ‘terrorists’ for Hamas while reporting on the ongoing siege of Gaza by Israel.

    Washington Post has reported that Republicans are criticising the news organization for deviating from the official government narrative, stating that the government-funded news organization should not shy away from using the word ‘terrorist’.

    The mail suggested, “In covering the Israel-Gaza war — or any other conflict — we need to remember VOA’s commitment to fairness, neutrality and balance. We cannot favor one side over another or do anything that feeds even the perception of bias. The October 7 attacks on Israel may be described as terrorist attacks or acts of terror, but avoid calling Hamas and its members terrorists, except in quotes.”

  • Hamas claims responsibility for West Jerusalem shooting after Israeli forces kills two children in West Bank

    Hamas claims responsibility for West Jerusalem shooting after Israeli forces kills two children in West Bank

    Hamas has claimed responsibility for a West Jerusalem shooting, stating that the two gunmen were their members, one day after Israeli forces killed four Palestinians, including two children, in the occupied West Bank.

    The attack was carried out at a bus stop on Thursday, killing three people and wounding several.

    The shooters, too, have been killed.

    “The operation came as a natural response to unprecedented crimes conducted by the occupation,” Hamas said in a statement, highlighting Israel’s military operation in Gaza and their behaviour towards Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.

    On Wednesday, two Palestinian children, both boys, aged eight and 15, were shot and killed by Israeli soldiers in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank.

  • Day-long extension of Israel-Hamas truce agreed

    A truce between Israel and Hamas was extended on Thursday just before it was due to expire, the two sides announced, with mediator Qatar reporting it would continue for one day under the same conditions that saw hostages exchanged.

    Minutes before the halt in fighting in the Gaza Strip was due to expire at 05:00 GMT, Israel’s military said the truce would be prolonged.

    “In light of the mediators’ efforts to continue the process of releasing the hostages and subject to the terms of the framework, the operational pause will continue,” it said.

    The prime minister’s office subsequently confirmed the extension, saying it had received a new list of hostages.

    “A short time ago, Israel was given a list of women and children in accordance with the terms of the agreement, and therefore the truce will continue,” it said, without specifying the number of captives to be freed.

    Hamas said there was an agreement to “extend the truce for a seventh day”, without further details. It had earlier said Israel initially refused to extend the truce after it offered to hand over seven hostages and the bodies of three more.

    Qatar, which has led the truce negotiations supported by Egypt and the United States, confirmed the pause had been extended for a day “under the same previous conditions”.

    The announcement came hours after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Wednesday night, and with growing pressure for an extension of the pause.

    The truce agreement has brought a temporary halt to fighting in Gaza, where authorities say almost 15,000 people have been killed in Israel’s military campaign. Israeli authorities say some 1,200 people were killed and around 240 taken hostage in Hamas’s surprise 7 October attack inside Israel.

    The truce agreement allows for extensions if Hamas can release another 10 hostages a day, but earlier both sides warned they were ready to return to fighting.

  • 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”.