Tag: Herzog

  • Israeli President apologises for deaths of Gaza aid workers

    Israeli President apologises for deaths of Gaza aid workers

    Israeli President Isaac Herzog apologised Tuesday for the air strike that killed seven aid workers in Gaza.

    Herzog said he spoke to Jose Andres, the US-based celebrity chef who heads the aid group World Central Kitchen, to express his “deep sorrow and sincere apologies over the tragic loss of life”.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier stopped short of apologising for the deaths, which he described as a “tragic case” that would be investigated “right to the end”.

    “It happens in war… we will do everything so that this thing does not happen again,” he added.

    AFPTV footage showed the roof of a white vehicle emblazoned with the group’s logo punctured with a blackened hole, alongside the mangled wreckage of other vehicles.

    World Central Kitchen had earlier said a “targeted attack” by Israeli forces on Monday had killed its staff, which included Australian, British, Palestinian, Polish and US-Canadian citizens.

    The charity, which has been delivering food aid to Gaza’s starving population, said its convoy was clearly marked and it had coordinated with the Israeli military to avoid any danger.

    Since October 7 attack, Gaza has been under a near-complete siege, with the United Nations accusing Israel of preventing deliveries of humanitarian assistance to the 2.4 million Palestinians in the devastated territory.

    UN agencies have repeatedly warned that northern Gaza is on the verge of famine, calling the situation a man-made crisis.

    But Herzog said Israel was committed to “delivering and upgrading humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza”.

    The Israeli military also said Tuesday they were looking at ways to coordinate safe aid deliveries.

    The bloodiest-ever Gaza war erupted with the October 7 attack, which resulted in about 1,160 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

    Israeli genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, has killed at least 32,916 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.

  • ‘I grieve with you and stand with you’; British PM visits Israel

    ‘I grieve with you and stand with you’; British PM visits Israel

    British prime minister Rishi Sunak landed in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Thursday morning to meet his counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu and President Herzog.

    He wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “I am in Israel, a nation in grief. I grieve with you and stand with you against the evil that is terrorism. Today, and always.”

    During his meeting with Herzog, he said that it is vital to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, stating, “Palestinians are victims of what Hamas has done. It’s important that we continue to provide humanitarian access,”

    He, nonetheless, stressed on his full support to Israel to “defend” itself, “to bring security back” in the country to its people, and “to ensure the safe return of the hostages that have been taken”.

    As per reports of the meeting by Al Jazeera, “The Prime Minister and President Herzog stressed the imperative need to avoid further escalation of violence in the region. They agreed to continue working together to that end.”

    Later, PM Netanyahu, during his meeting with his British counterpart, said Hamas’ attack on October 7 was carried out to “destroy Israel’s regional peace moves in the region”.

    PM Sunak stated that the UK will provide increased aid to the region.

    “I’m proud to stand here with you in Israel’s darkest hour. As your friend, we will stand with you in solidarity, we will stand with your people, and we also want you to win,” Sunak said.

    In a short press conference, PM Netanyahu said, “This is not merely our battle, it’s the battle of the entire civilised war, the battle of Israel, the battle of moderate Arab countries, the battle of the free world, the battle for the future,

    “We have two forces – one is an axis of evil run by Iran and supported by Hezbollah, Hamas and others that want to bring back the Middle East to the Middle Ages … to the age of war and slavery.

    “The other forces [are those] of progress and humanity who want to push for a world of peace and prosperity.”

    PM Rishi Sunak will depart for Saudi Arabia today to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.