Some 110,000 people have left Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip since the Israeli army started advancing on the city, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) says. “@UNRWA estimates around 110,000 people have now fled Rafah looking for safety,” the UN agency for Palestinian refugees […]
Read MoreIsrael-Hamas war: UN’s grim Gaza forecast as aid halted
UN chief Antonio Guterres has warned that Gaza risked an “epic humanitarian disaster” as Israeli military operations around its far-southern city of Rafah effectively halted aid operations. Earlier this week, Israeli ground troops seized eastern areas of the city, including the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, but they have […]
Read MoreOn the frontline of a humanitarian disaster, aid workers in Gaza say the situation is getting worse
In short: Aid agencies operating in Gaza say the international community has not put enough pressure on Israel to ensure humanitarian aid is safely delivered to Palestinians. Doctors Without Borders are calling for independent investigations into all aid worker deaths in Gaza. What’s next? The international community is urging Israel to avoid an invasion of […]
Read MoreWagga Wagga’s Sundays for Peace protesters find hope in weekly call for Gaza ceasefire
Mahmood mingles with the other protesters, holding a sign that says, “Ceasefire now”. Wearing a traditional keffiyeh, he appears subdued. His energy is low given it’s the first week of Ramadan, he says. But Mahmood, whose real name the ABC has agreed not to use, is also tormented by worry for his family in Gaza. […]
Read MoreGaza conflict: snapshot of a population being starved into submission
Israel has banned the UN aid-coordinating agency, Unrwa, from accessing the population of northern Gaza where a major famine is now believed to be imminent. The country has accused UNWRA staff of involvement in the October 7 Hamas attack but has provided no evidence this was the case and the agency denies the allegations. Across […]
Read MoreFirst aid ship reaches Gaza coast as Israel rejects Hamas truce
The first ship carrying food aid has begun offloading its cargo in the Gaza Strip, where hopes for a ceasefire suffered a new blow after Israel rejected the latest truce counter-proposal from Hamas. The Open Arms vessel, carrying 200 tonnes of food, arrived early Saturday Australian time after being towed from Cyprus. The charity World […]
Read MorePalestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas names adviser Mohammed Mustafa as Prime Minister
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has appointed Mohammed Mustafa, a long-trusted adviser on economic affairs, as prime minister. Mustafa’s appointment comes less than three weeks after his predecessor, Mohammed Shtayyeh, resigned, citing the need for change after the Hamas attack of October 7 triggered war with Israel in Gaza. The 69-year-old now faces the […]
Read MoreIsraeli military denies attack on starving families in Gaza
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says Israeli fire killed 20 people and wounded 155 waiting to receive desperately needed aid in the besieged territory, but Israel said the reports were “erroneous”. Efforts mounted on Thursday to get more aid into the devastated Palestinian territory, where fighting still rages after mediators failed to reach a truce for […]
Read MoreISRAEL TO DEPLOY THOUSANDS OF POLICE TO JERUSALEM
Israel’s police force said it will deploy thousands of officers across Jerusalem’s Old City for Ramadan’s first Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque, with tensions high amid the Gaza war. “We are prepared for Friday prayers with more police officers. Thousands of them will be in the area of Temple Mount,” police spokeswoman Mirit ben […]
Read MoreIsrael-Hamas war: First aid vessel sails from Cyprus; Qatar says truce is ‘complicated’
Israel and Hamas are not close to a deal to halt the fighting in Gaza and free hostages, mediator Qatar said, warning that the situation remained “very complicated”. Despite weeks of talks involving US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan began without the start of a truce and hostage exchange they […]
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