Palestinian Hamas militants and the Israeli army have traded fresh rocket fire and airstrikes in the worst violence since the 2014 conflict. Intense fighting continued overnight as the UN’s Middle East envoy warned the two sides were heading towards a full-scale war
Continue reading...Category Archives: Gaza
Israel vows not to stop Gaza attacks until there is ‘complete quiet’
Defence minister rules out ceasefire as Israeli military says it has killed four senior Hamas commanders
Israel will not stop its military operation in Gaza until “complete quiet” has been achieved, the country’s defence minister has said, as airstrikes and rocket fire continued throughout Wednesday.
The Israeli military said it had killed four senior Hamas commanders and a dozen more Hamas operatives in a series of strikes. It said it had undertaken a “complex and first-of-its-kind operation” jointly with the Shin Bet security service.
Continue reading...Gaza weapons boast may come back to haunt Hamas
Analysis: attacks will challenge Israeli establishment to deal with a threat made suddenly very real
In the rounds of fighting and violence between Hamas and Israel in Gaza in the last dozen years, one thing has always appeared baked into the proposition. For all their industriousness and attempts at innovation in developing weapons and ways of attacking, Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been at best largely ineffectual when it comes to targeting Israel from inside the Gaza Strip.
From the early rocket systems to labour-intensive attack tunnels and incendiary balloons, the efforts were crude. Even when the rockets became more sophisticated by the time of the 2014 conflict, flying further and with bigger warheads, most of them were shot out of the sky.
Continue reading...Jerusalem: hundreds injured as violence at al-Aqsa mosque sparks heightened tensions – video
Tensions between Israel and the Palestinians escalated dramatically on Monday as militant groups in Gaza fired rockets into Israel and Israel responded with strikes on the Palestinian territory following a police raid on the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem that left hundreds injured.
- Israel launches airstrikes on Gaza strip after Hamas rocket attacks
- Jerusalem seethes as the rockets begin on day of rising tension
Israel launches airstrikes on Gaza Strip after Hamas rocket attacks
Gaza health ministry says 20 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes after Palestinian groups fired rockets into Israel
Tensions between Israel and the Palestinians escalated dramatically on Monday as militant groups in Gaza fired rockets into Israel and Israel responded with strikes on the Palestinian coastal territory following a police raid on the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem that left hundreds injured.
The rocket attacks were launched just minutes after the passing of a Hamas-issued ultimatum for Israel to withdraw security forces from both the Jerusalem compound that is home to the al-Aqsa mosque and the Old City’s Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood.
Continue reading...Gaza militants fire rockets after clashes flare in Jerusalem
Rockets seen as response to unrest in mostly Palestinian east Jerusalem, including far-right Jewish groups chanting ‘death to Arabs’
Militants in Gaza have fired at least 35 rockets into Israel in one of the most intense flare-ups in months, seemingly triggered by days of tensions in Jerusalem in which far-right Jewish groups and the Israeli police have clashed with Palestinians.
Hours of sustained rocket launches early on Saturday – and Israel’s retaliatory strikes on the strip using fighter jets and attack helicopters – broke a months-long lull along the frontier with the coastal enclave.
Continue reading...Gaza’s Covid vaccine doctors: ‘If there is a power outage, what can we do?’ – video
The Covid vaccination programme has begun in the Gaza Strip amid daily power cuts, and supply and capacity problems in the health system. Dr Ayman Rahma is part of the team responsible for the distribution of vaccines. The territory has only received 62,000 doses so far for a population of more than 2 million. With Israel disputing that it bears responsibility for vaccinating Gazans or for letting vaccines enter Gaza, Rahma explains how the political situation is impacting the health sector
Continue reading...Three Palestinian fishermen killed ‘when Israeli drone exploded in nets’
- Hamas says drone probably in water since 22 February attack
- Palestinian militants have also test-fired rockets into sea
Three Palestinian fishermen who died in an offshore blast had encountered an explosive-laden Israeli drone that had fallen into the sea and blew up in their nets, the Hamas-run interior ministry in Gaza said on Thursday.
An Israeli military spokeswoman had no immediate comment. At the time of the blast on Sunday, the Israeli military had denied it had any involvement in the incident.
Continue reading...Green pass: how are Covid vaccine passports working for Israel?
As hotels and gyms reopen in Israel, governments elsewhere are considering a similar certificate scheme – raising ethical concerns
- Four key questions on a Covid certification scheme in England
- Coronavirus – latest updates
- See all our coronavirus coverage
As the UK and other governments consider whether to give Covid-vaccinated people certificates that allow entry to bars, hotels, and swimming pools, one country, Israel, has already deployed its “green pass”.
The state of 9 million, which has administered jabs to half its population, released an app a week ago that shows whether people have been fully inoculated against the coronavirus or if they have presumed immunity after contracting the disease.
Continue reading...Women need male guardian to travel, says Hamas court in Gaza Strip
Rollback in women’s rights could spark backlash as Palestinians plan elections later in the year
A Hamas-run Islamic court in the Gaza Strip has ruled that women require the permission of a male guardian to travel, further restricting movement in and out of the territory that has been blockaded by Israel and Egypt since the militant group seized power.
The rollback in women’s rights could spark a backlash in Gaza at a time when the Palestinians plan to hold elections later this year. It could also solidify Hamas’s support among its conservative base at a time when it faces criticism over living conditions in the territory it has ruled since 2007.
Continue reading...Israeli jets strike Gaza after rockets fired across border
Israeli army says it targeted three Hamas sites in Palestinian territory, including a rocket-manufacturing facility
Israel has targeted a number of sites in Gaza after the army said Palestinian militants had fired rockets into the south of the country.
The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) said Israeli aircraft had struck three Hamas targets including a rocket manufacturing facility, underground infrastructure and a military post.
Continue reading...Barefoot in thorns: Gaza through the eyes of a Palestinian photographer
My Gaza by Jehad al-Saftawi is a personal account of peoples’ suffering as they go about their lives under Israeli blockade
Working as a journalist in Gaza, says Palestinian photographer Jehad al-Saftawi, is like walking barefoot in a field of thorns. “You must always watch where you step. Each neighbourhood is composed of its own intimate social network, and travelling through them with a camera makes you a significant suspicion.
“You’re caught between the two sides of the conflict: the rulers of Gaza limit what you can photograph and write about, imprisoning and torturing those who disobey. At the same time, the Israeli army sees you as a potential threat that must be eliminated, as has been the fate of many Palestinian journalists.”
Continue reading...France to ease Covid rules as Asian countries consider stricter action
WHO says Europe faces third wave early in 2021 if nations repeat their failures to prepare
France is preparing to ease its Covid-19 lockdown rules in the weeks leading up to Christmas with new daily caseloads falling and pressure building from retailers to allow the annual shopping season to go ahead.
But parts of east Asia that were thought to be controlling the disease have raised the possibility of new restrictions.
Continue reading...Israel strikes Hamas targets in Gaza
Defence forces say Israel’s air force hit two rocket ammunition manufacturing sites
Israel says its military struck Hamas targets in Gaza in response to a rocket attack launched from the Palestinian enclave.
The Israeli air force struck two rocket ammunition manufacturing sites, a military compound and “underground infrastructures”, the Israel Defence Forces said on Sunday.
Continue reading...People in Gaza sifting through rubbish for food, UN head says
Palestinians across Middle East suffering unprecedented poverty, says Philippe Lazzarini
People in Gaza are searching through rubbish to find food as Palestinians battle unprecedented levels of poverty, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has said.
Across Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Gaza and elsewhere, Palestinian refugees are suffering at new depths because of the pandemic, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency chief, Philippe Lazzarini. “There is despair and hopelessness,” he said in an interview.
Continue reading...Islamic Relief is a charity, not a terrorist group. We’re going to court to prove it | Naser Haghamed
Israel has banned us from helping Palestinians in need. Next month, we will defend our work in the country’s supreme court
• Naser Haghamed is chief executive of Islamic Relief Worldwide
As chief executive of Islamic Relief, it is my privilege to preside over one of the UK’s leading international aid charities, widely respected for operating effectively in some of the world’s most difficult and dangerous places. For the Ministry of Defense in Israel, however, Islamic Relief is a supporter of terrorism – a charge that we categorically refute and will be appealing against in Israel’s supreme court next month.
The Israeli authorities designated us as a terrorist organisation as long ago as 2014, claiming that we were a front for Hamas. It has taken six long years for us to pursue a legal challenge to this designation. Our case will finally be heard on 12 October.
Continue reading...Hamas and Israel agree end to cross-border bombing in Gaza
A Qatari-brokered truce commits Israel to easing its 13-year-old blockade of the Palestinian territory
Gaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas have announced they have reached a Qatari-mediated deal with Israel to end more than three weeks of cross-border exchanges of fire.
After talks with Qatari envoy Mohammed al-Emadi, “an understanding was reached to rein in the latest escalation and end [Israeli] aggression against our people,” said the office of the Palestinian territory’s Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar.
Continue reading...France records post-lockdown record of 6,111 daily cases – as it happened
France records highest level of daily cases since lockdown ended and the second-highest ever; Italy records most daily cases since 6 May. This blog is now closed. Follow our new blog below.
This blog has now closed. You can stay up to date on all the latest news on our new blog below.
Related: Coronavirus live news: Tour de France in doubt, WHO to review emergency alert rules
Here’s a quick recap of the latest coronavirus developments across the world over the last few hours:
Continue reading...Coronavirus live news: Europe sees increase in infections among younger people, says WHO chief
Regional director warns of increase in hospitalisations and deaths as winter comes; India records daily rise in cases of 75,000
- EU trade commissioner Phil Hogan resigns after flouting Covid rules
- Obesity increases risk of Covid-19 death by 48%, study finds
- Up to 30 UK teenagers may have Covid-19 after Greek holiday
- UK coronavirus updates - live
- Australia – coronavirus live
Germany plans to keep fans out of stadiums until at least the end of the year and get tougher on mask-wearing to combat a worrying rise in coronavirus infections, under a draft seen by AFP.
The chancellor Angela Merkel is holding talks with the leaders of Germany’s 16 federal states to officially agree a package of new measures, which will apply nationwide.
The goal of the federal government and the states is to work together to reduce the infection numbers as much as possible.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen warned top officials to take special care to comply with coronavirus rules after the shock resignation of EU trade boss Phil Hogan.
Her words of caution came just hours after Hogan stepped down after a week of pressure over a breach of coronavirus guidelines in his home country of Ireland.
Related: EU trade commissioner Phil Hogan resigns after flouting Covid rules
[As] Europeans make sacrifices and accept painful restrictions, I expect the members of the college to be particularly vigilant about compliance with applicable national or regional rules or recommendations.
Tonight Commissioner @PhilHoganEU submitted his resignation. I respect his decision. I am grateful for his work as a Trade Commissioner and a member of my team. https://t.co/xPcdLX3kmy
Continue reading...Palestinians stage surprise ‘thank you’ event for Banksy in Bethlehem
Photographs of works go on display in Manger Square to celebrate British street artist’s contribution to diversifying tourism
Photographs of 20 pieces of Banksy’s artwork in Palestine have been displayed in the centre of Bethlehem as a thank you to the anonymous British street artist for helping diversify tourism in the city.
The images were collated by Palestinian photographers for the surprise exhibition in Manger Square.
Continue reading...