Ship carrying military cargo, including explosives, has been denied entry to Namibia’s port due to concerns about its destination and the potential implications for the conflict in Gaza.
Namibia blocks Israeli-bound ship carrying explosives Read More »
Egypt, along with the United States and Qatar, has played a central role in the ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire
Mediators meet in Cairo to address Gaza truce proposal Read More »
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the Qatari capital Doha on Tuesday evening after coming from Egypt as part of ongoing consultations aimed at achieving a cease-fire in Gaza. Egypt is expected to host a new round of talks before the end of the week focusing on prisoner exchanges and halting the conflict. Blinken’s visit comes following indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group Hamas which took place in Doha on Aug.15 and 16. The discussions are set to continue in Cairo. Hamas has rejected recent claims by US President Joe Biden that the group “backed away” from a cease-fire agreement, asserting its commitment to ending the conflict. The Qatar-based Al Jazeera channel reported that Blinken arrived in Doha, with footage of his arrival broadcast. The network did not provide details on the duration or agenda of his visit, which is part of his ninth regional tour since the conflict in Gaza began last October. On Tuesday, Blinken discussed the progress of Gaza negotiations with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency. The meeting followed Blinken’s arrival in the new city of El Alamein, located northwest of Cairo, after visiting Israel. On the same day, Hamas dismissed Biden’s recent comments about the group’s alleged withdrawal from a cease-fire agreement as “misleading claims,” reaffirming its commitment to ending the conflict. The Israeli public broadcaster KAN later cited unnamed sources from the Israeli negotiating team who claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is attempting to “blow up” the negotiations and obstruct reaching a deal with Hamas. On Sunday, Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to maintaining military control over the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border, while Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid accused him of stalling and undermining the negotiations. For months, the US, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a prisoner exchange and cease-fire and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. But mediation efforts have been stalled due to Netanyahu’s refusal to meet Hamas’s demands to stop the war. Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. The conflict has resulted in over 40,170 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and more than 92,740 injuries, according to local health authorities. The ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins. Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.
Blinken arrives in Qatar for Gaza cease-fire talks Read More »
The Israeli army killed 34 more Palestinians in attacks in the Gaza Strip, taking the overall death toll to 40,173 since last Oct. 7, the Health Ministry in the enclave said on Tuesday. A ministry statement added that some 92,857 others have been injured in the ongoing assault. “Israeli forces killed 34 people and injured 114 others in three ‘massacres’ against families in the last 24 hours,” the ministry also said. “Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added. Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian group Hamas. Over 10 months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine. Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
Gaza death toll rises to 40,173, as Israeli army kills 34 more Read More »
Marking World Humanitarian Day, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Monday that aid workers on the frontlines of the world’s conflicts are being killed in unprecedented numbers. With 280 aid workers killed in 33 countries last year, 2023 marked the deadliest year on record for the global humanitarian community, with Gaza exacting a heavy toll. “This outrageously high number represents a 137 percent increase compared to 2022, when 118 aid workers were killed,” said OCHA in a statement. And the agency warned that 2024 may be on track for an even deadlier outcome. “The normalization of violence against aid workers and the lack of accountability are unacceptable, unconscionable, and enormously harmful for aid operations everywhere,” said Joyce Msuya, the acting under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator. “Today, we reiterate our demand that people in power act to end violations against civilians and the impunity with which these heinous attacks are committed.” As of Aug. 7, at least 172 aid workers have been killed, according to the provisional count from the UN Aid Worker Security Database. In 2023, more than half of the fatalities were recorded in the three months of the hostilities in Gaza — October to December — mainly due to airstrikes. Since October last year, more than 280 aid workers – the majority of them staff members of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) – have been killed in Gaza alone. Extreme levels of violence in Sudan and South Sudan have contributed to the tragic death toll, both in 2023 and in 2024, said the UN. In all these conflicts, most of the casualties have been among national staff. Many humanitarian workers also continue to be detained in Yemen. The UN said that on this World Humanitarian Day, aid workers and those supporting their efforts worldwide have organized solidarity events to spotlight the horrifying toll of armed conflicts, including on humanitarian staff. Also, a joint letter from leaders of humanitarian organizations will be sent to the member states of the UN General Assembly, asking the international community to end attacks on civilians, protect all aid workers, and hold perpetrators to account.
Unprecedented number of aid workers killed in conflicts worldwide Read More »
Hamas says mediators’ truce offer aligns with Israeli demands hindering progress toward peace.
Hamas criticizes Gaza truce proposal, blames Netanyahu for delay Read More »
Pope Francis on Wednesday renewed his appeal to avoid escalation of conflict in the Middle East, Vatican News reported. “I reiterate my appeal to all parties involved to ensure that the conflict does not spread and to immediately cease fire on all fronts, starting from Gaza where the humanitarian situation is extremely serious and unsustainable,” the pontiff said while addressing the weekly general audience. “I pray that the sincere search for peace will extinguish strife, love will overcome hatred and revenge will be disarmed by forgiveness,” he added. Israel has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas incursion. The relentless military campaign has levelled much of the territory and left most of the people homeless, and hungry. Tensions have grown after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran’s capital Tehran on July 31. Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel, which has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility. The pope also asked the faithful to join his prayers for the “war-torn peoples” of Ukraine, Myanmar and Sudan.
Pope Francis renews appeal to avoid escalation in Middle East Read More »
Abbas, set to visit Moscow from August 12-14, condemned the killing as a “cowardly act” intended to escalate the war and hinder peace negotiations
Abbas: Killing of Hamas leader aims to prolong Gaza war Read More »
Egyptian and Turkish foreign ministers met in Cairo to discuss the Gaza crisis, emphasizing the need for immediate cessation of hostilities and unrestricted aid delivery.
Egypt calls for unconditional humanitarian aid access to Gaza Read More »
Diplomatic tensions rise as Israel rejects a China-brokered deal that includes Hamas in Gaza’s governance.
Israel unhappy with Hamas-Fatah deal in China Read More »
