Palestinians fight for their lives and their stolen lands

[Anthea]

Stop the genocide or witness

end of life in Gaza

UN experts have warned that Israel’s escalating attacks in Gaza, marked by mass civilian casualties, widespread starvation, and the targeting of essential services, amount to potential genocide

UN experts warned today that the escalating atrocities in Gaza represent a critical moral turning point, urging states to act immediately to stop the violence or risk witnessing the destruction of Gaza’s Palestinian population, an outcome with irreversible consequences for humanity and the global order.

“While States debate terminology - is it or is it not genocide? - Israel continues its relentless destruction of life in Gaza, through attacks by land, air and sea, displacing and massacring the surviving population with impunity,” the experts stated.

“No one is spared - not the children, persons with disabilities, nursing mothers, journalists, health professionals, aid workers, or hostages. Since breaking the ceasefire, Israel has killed hundreds of Palestinians, many daily - peaking on 18 March 2025 with 600 casualties in 24 hours, 400 of whom were children.”

The experts called it "one of the most ostentatious and merciless manifestations of the desecration of human life and dignity."

Mounting death toll, siege tactics, and int'l accountability

The attack has turned Gaza into a desolate scene, with children accounting for over half of all deaths and many still homeless. As of May 4, 2025, the committee of specialists reported approximately 52,535 deaths, with 70% of those being women and children, and 118,491 injuries.

Since Israel reneged on the ceasefire, it has restored an even harder siege on Gaza, essentially isolating its inhabitants in misery, famine, and illness.

“Food and water have been cut off for months, inducing starvation, dehydration, and disease, which will result in more deaths becoming the daily reality for many, especially the most vulnerable," the experts noted.

They warned that amid this carnage, Israeli statements that alternate between outright blocking of aid and conditional releases contingent on other strategic goals demonstrate a clear intent to use starvation as a weapon of war.

“These acts, beyond constituting grave international crimes, follow alarming, documented patterns of genocidal conduct.”

The experts urged nations to move beyond rhetoric and take decisive steps to put a stop to the slaughter and hold criminals accountable.

Palestinian self-determination 'non-negotiable'

According to the experts, international laws were established precisely to prevent atrocities of this scale. Yet, despite global protests demanding justice and humanity, these voices are being ignored. "This situation conveys a deadly message: Palestinian lives are dispensable, and international law, if unenforced, is meaningless," they stated.

The experts reaffirmed that the Palestinian right to self-determination is non-negotiable and called on states to take urgent, concrete action to end the ongoing genocide, dismantle apartheid structures, and work toward a future where Palestinians and Israelis coexist in freedom and dignity.

They stressed the need for immediate enforcement of arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli leaders for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Additionally, they highlighted the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion, which mandates an end to the prolonged occupation by the UN General Assembly’s deadline of September 17, 2025.

Finally, the experts warned that continued political or material support for Israel, especially through arms transfers and the provision of private military or security services, risks rendering states complicit in genocide and other serious international crimes.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... un-experts

[Anthea]

World watches in silence as Gaza bleeds
under relentless bombardment

Over 100 Palestinians were killed in 24 hours as Israeli strikes hit homes, camps, and public sites across Gaza amid a worsening humanitarian catastrophe

The death toll in Gaza continues to climb rapidly as Israel escalates its aggression across the besieged Strip. At least 106 Palestinians were killed and 367 wounded in 24 hours alone, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Since October 7, 2023, the number of Palestinians killed has now surpassed 52,760, with more than 119,000 injured.

Concurrently, civil defence teams reported that many victims remain trapped beneath the rubble or stranded in areas inaccessible due to continuous bombardments.

The latest wave of attacks has devastated heavily populated civilian areas and shelters. In central Gaza, Israeli occupation forces shelled the vicinity of Al-Shuhada Mosque in the al-Nuseirat refugee camp, killing two Palestinians, including a young girl, and injuring at least 30 others, according to Al-Awda Hospital.

Southern, northern Gaza hit by intense airstrikes

Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that a nearby drone strike targeted a commercial site, killing four more Palestinians and wounding several others.

In Khan Younis, warplanes carried out multiple air raids on the Qdeih neighbourhood in Aabasan al-Kabira. A targeted strike on a motorcycle killed one man and injured two others, as per our correspondent. Artillery fire and gunshots were reported throughout the area, including direct hits on makeshift tents housing displaced families. One child was confirmed killed in the Israeli attack.

Further south in Rafah, residential buildings continued to be destroyed, worsening the displacement crisis. In northern Gaza, three people were killed in an airstrike on a home in Beit Hanoun, while in Beit Lahia, a drone strike on a house near Tal Al-Rabee School killed five.

Meanwhile, Gaza City saw renewed Israeli bombing as Israeli occupation forces struck the al-Shati refugee camp. The al-Shujaiya and al-Zaytun neighbourhoods were also hit by artillery and live fire, as per our correspondent.
Humanitarian crisis deepens amid stalled ceasefire talks

Since 18 March 2025, Gaza’s health authorities have recorded 2,651 Palestinians killed and 7,223 others injured, underscoring the enduring scale of devastation. Despite growing international concern, ceasefire negotiations remain stalled, and fears of regional spillover continue to grow.

Gaza is nearing total collapse

“This is hunger as never seen before,” said a UNRWA staff member in a recent dispatch from Gaza. “The siege must be lifted, supplies must flow in, the hostages must be released, and the ceasefire must resume.”

International legal pressure on "Israel" is mounting. Despite this, "Israel" continues to pursue a scorched-earth policy across Gaza, with scenes of displacement, rubble, and starvation increasingly defining the daily reality for its nearly 2 million besieged residents.

Rafah levelled: IOF flatten 80% of Southern Gaza City

Rafah, once a crowded haven for displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza, now lies in ruins. New satellite imagery published by Israeli Channel 12 reveals that nearly 80% of the city’s buildings have been obliterated by the Israeli military in what appears to be one of the most intense and destructive campaigns of the eight-month war.

The images, analyzed by the Geographic Information Systems Centre at the Hebrew University, underscore what observers have described as the near-total erasure of urban Rafah. The remaining 20% of structures, according to the report, are confined to the city's northern fringe.

This revelation follows Sunday’s approval by "Israel’s" Security Cabinet of an expanded war strategy, code-named “Gideon’s Chariots". The plan reportedly outlines long-term Israeli military control over Gaza, mass displacement of civilians, and the seizure of humanitarian aid systems, a vision that Israeli officials say will bring security but which international legal experts warn could amount to war crimes or ethnic cleansing.

“Thousands of homes have been destroyed,” Channel 12 stated, with particular devastation along the Philadelphi Corridor near the Egyptian border, a zone previously designated as a buffer. Other areas of Gaza, including Jabalia and Khan Younis, have reportedly suffered comparable levels of destruction.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... ntless-bom

[Anthea]

Israel targets Nour Shams camp

to raze 106 homes

Over 4,200 Palestinian families have been forcibly displaced, while more than 400 homes have been leveled completely and another 2,573 damaged

The Israeli occupation military intensified its aggression on Saturday by demolishing residential homes in Nour Shams refugee camp, east of the city of Tulkarm in the northwestern West Bank, in continuation of its ethnic cleansing policy. The destruction comes amid a relentless assault that has now entered its 91st consecutive day.

Palestinian sources confirmed that the occupation forces detonated three homes in the Al-Manshiya neighborhood. This brings the total number of buildings destroyed by Israeli forces in the past week alone to 15, according to local estimates.

The latest demolitions are part of a broader and systematic campaign by the occupation to erase entire neighborhoods within the camp. Israeli forces are targeting Al-Manshiya, Al-Maslakh, Al-Jami’, the UNRWA clinic area, and Al-Shuhada, as part of a plan announced 10 days ago to demolish 106 buildings across the Nour Shams and Tulkarm refugee camps

The campaign has already triggered a large-scale humanitarian crisis. Over 4,200 Palestinian families have been forcibly displaced, while more than 400 homes have been leveled completely, and another 2,573 damaged. The occupation has further choked the camps by sealing their entrances and alleyways with earth mounds, transforming them into ghost towns devoid of life and services.

This collective punishment and targeting of civilian infrastructure are drawing increasing international condemnation. The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has described the displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians from the northern West Bank as a case of mass forced displacement, warning that "the extensive demolition of property is a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and may amount to a war crime."

Despite these warnings, the Israeli occupation continues to pursue policies aimed at uprooting Palestinians and deepening its control over occupied Palestinian territory through destruction, siege, and intimidation.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... -106-homes

[Anthea]

Gaza baby sent back to war zone
after open-heart surgery in Jordan

In a makeshift tent in al-Shati refugee camp, in the north of the Gaza Strip, 33-year-old Enas Abu Daqqa holds her tiny baby daughter Niveen in her arms. A fan hums constantly behind her to break the morning heat

Enas worries that Niveen's health might deteriorate at any point. She is only seven months old, and was born during the war with a hole in her heart.

As her mother explains how she struggled to keep her alive amid a collapsing health system in Gaza, Niveen, with her big brown eyes and tiny frame, cries and fidgets.

"The war has been very tough for her," Enas tells the BBC. "She wasn't gaining any weight, and she would get sick so easily."

Niveen's only chance to survive was to receive urgent care outside Gaza. And in early March, Jordan made that possible.

As a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel held, 29 sick Gazan children, including Niveen, were evacuated to Jordan to receive treatment in the country's hospitals. Her mother and older sister were brought out with her.

They were the first children evacuated to Jordan after King Abdullah announced plans to treat 2,000 sick Gazan children in hospitals there during a visit to the US the previous month. These evacuations were co-ordinated with the Israeli authorities who do background checks on the parents travelling with their children.

Doctors in Jordan performed successful open-heart surgery on Niveen, and she was slowly beginning to recover.

But about two weeks into the children's treatment, the ceasefire in Gaza collapsed when Israel resumed its offensive against Hamas, and the war was back on, in full force.

For weeks, Enas followed the news from her daughter's hospital room in Jordan, worrying about the safety of her husband and other children who were still in Gaza.

And then late at night on 12 May, the Jordanian authorities told Enas they were sending her and her family back to Gaza the following day, as they said Niveen had completed her treatment.

Enas was shocked

"We left while there was a ceasefire. How could they send us back after the war had restarted?" she says, frustrated.

Enas is now reunited with her husband and children in Gaza. They say Niveen did not complete her treatment before she was sent back, and they worry that her condition could get worse.

"My daughter is in a very bad condition that could lead to her death," says Enas. "She has heart disease. Sometimes she suffocates and turns blue. She can't continue living in a tent."

On 13 May, Jordan announced that it had sent 17 children back to Gaza "after completing their treatment". And the next day, a new group of four sick children were evacuated from Gaza to Jordan.

The Jordanian authorities have told the BBC that all children sent back were in good medical condition, rejecting claims that they did not complete their treatment.

The authorities noted that the kingdom was clear from the beginning about its intention to send the children back once they were better, adding that this was necessary "for logistical and political reasons".

"Jordan's policy is to keep Palestinians on their land, and not to contribute to their displacement outside their territory," a foreign ministry statement sent to the BBC said. The return of the 17 children would also allow for more sick children to be evacuated from Gaza, it added.

But an official in the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza told the BBC the children still needed care, and that their return to the war endangered their lives.

This is exactly what worries 30-year-old Nihaya Bassel

Her son, Mohammed, who is just over a year old, suffers from asthma and serious food allergies. She believes her son did not receive the full treatment he deserved.

"We're back to living in fear and hunger, surrounded by death," Nihaya says as her eyes fill up with tears. "How can I get this child the milk that he needs to drink? He doesn't eat even though he's just over a year old, because if he eats, he will immediately get sick."

Israel imposed a strict siege on the Gaza Strip 11 weeks ago, cutting off all supplies including food, medicine, shelter and fuel. It said this and the resumed offensive were meant to put pressure on Hamas to release the hostages still held in Gaza.

International organisations warn that Palestinians living there are at "critical risk of famine". On Monday, Israel announced it would allow a "minimal" amount of food into Gaza following US pressure. The UN welcomed the crossing of five lorries carrying aid including baby food, but called it "a drop in the ocean".

Nihaya is now living in a small, tented area in al-Shati camp with her brother-in-law's family. Her husband and three other children had fled there from elsewhere in northern Gaza, escaping heavy Israeli strikes as the war restarted while she was in Jordan.

"I left my children here. I left my husband here. They went through hell while I was away," Nihaya says as she bursts into tears.

"My mind and heart were constantly with them in Gaza while I was in Jordan. All of this so that my child could get treated. Why force me back before finishing his treatment?"

As she speaks, the sounds of Israeli surveillance drones drown out her voice. Her toddler runs around next to her, at times almost stumbling into a smoky open fire in the tent that the family uses for cooking meals.

She struggles to contain her anger as she recounts her journey back to Gaza.

"We didn't leave [till] 04:00, and didn't arrive in Gaza till 22:45," she says. As they reached the border crossing, Nihaya says they were harassed by Israeli security forces.

"They started cursing at us. They threatened to beat us. They took all our money. They took our mobile phones, our bags and everything," she says, noting that they confiscated all the bags of anyone who had cash on them.

Enas said the same thing happened to her, noting that her medical supplies were confiscated too.

The Israeli army told the BBC that they confiscated "undeclared cash exceeding normal limits" from Gazans returning from Jordan due to suspicions that they would be "used for terrorism within Gaza". It notes that the money is being held while circumstances are investigated.

It has not given a reason for why other personal belongings were confiscated.

Nihaya says she has come back from Jordan "empty-handed"; even her son's medical records were in the bags that the Israeli security forces took away, she says.

Jordan says it has given children like Niveen and Mohammed the best healthcare it can offer, and both families acknowledge this.

But they worry that a life in one of the world's deadliest war zones for children will just undo all the progress their children have made over the past two months.

"I got my son to a point where I was very happy to see him like that," Nihaya says through her tears. "Now they want to bring him back to square one? I don't want my son to die."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crk22xm831ko

[Anthea]

Israeli forces open fire on Arab-European
diplomat delegation in Jenin

Israeli occupation forces opened fire on a delegation of 30 Arab and European diplomats visiting Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank

Palestinian sources reported that a joint Arab-European diplomatic delegation came under fire on Wednesday by Israeli occupation forces during a visit to the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank.

The delegation, comprising 30 ambassadors and consuls, was conducting a field tour to assess the humanitarian situation in Jenin, an area that has been the frequent target of Israeli military operations.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the incident, describing it as “an attack on a diplomatic mission” and holding the Israeli government “fully and directly responsible for this cowardly assault.”

Israeli violations intensify

The ministry emphasized that the incident would not go unpunished and called on the international community, particularly the countries represented in the targeted delegation, to take a clear and firm stance.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli occupation forces carried out a series of raids across several towns and cities in the occupied West Bank, including demolitions, arrests, and assaults on residents, further disrupting daily life and movement.

The incident in Jenin marks a significant escalation, as it directly endangered foreign diplomats during a humanitarian mission, drawing sharp criticism and increasing pressure on Israel from the international community.

Arrests, raids increase

Israeli occupation forces, in their continued attack on the West Bank, have demolished the home of martyr Abdul Qader al-Qawasmi in al-Khalil.

This is the second time the occupation has demolished the martyr's home following a previous demolition in January 2024.

Security sources in the occupied West Bank also reported that large numbers of occupation troops stormed several neighborhoods and took positions near the traffic circle area before blowing up the home. The occupation forces also detained several families, blocked access to the area, and set up a military checkpoint at the northern entrance to al-Khalil.

According to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, the occupation authorities carried out 73 demolitions in April, targeting 152 structures, including 96 inhabited homes, 10 uninhabited homes, and 34 agricultural facilities

The largest number of demolitions occurred in Tubas Governorate with 59 structures destroyed, followed by 39 in al-Khalil and 17 in the occupied al-Quds Governorate.

IOF storm Nablus, Salfit, and Silwad

At dawn on Wednesday, occupation troops raided multiple neighborhoods in Nablus, including the Old City, al-Basha Street, Ras al-Ain Street, al-Taawun Street, New Nablus, and al-Maajin Street.

Further south, Israeli forces stormed the village of Sarta west of Salfit and the town of Silwad northeast of Ramallah. They also continued to block the entrance to Turmus Ayya for the second consecutive day. Infantry troops were deployed in Silwad, where several homes were raided, forcing residents to take long detours to reach nearby towns.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... -delegatio

[Anthea]

Frustrated Trump wants Netanyahu to

wrap up war on Gaza

Amid rising civilian casualties in Gaza, Trump urges "Israel" to end its war, advance humanitarian aid, and pursue reconstruction, highlighting deepening policy divides with Netanyahu

US President Donald Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with the ongoing war On Gaza, particularly disturbed by images of suffering Palestinian children, and has instructed aides to urge Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring the aggression to a close, according to two White House officials speaking to Axios.

While both US and Israeli officials insist Trump is not abandoning Israel or applying intense pressure, they acknowledge growing policy rifts.

Trump is pushing for an end to the war, the release of Israeli captives, expanded humanitarian aid, and the beginning of Gaza’s reconstruction—priorities that contrast with Netanyahu’s continued military escalation.

Since Trump’s recent visit to the region, the US has been actively pressuring both Israel and Hamas to accept a new ceasefire captive release proposal put forward by White House envoy Steve Witkoff.

Witkoff has been engaging in direct talks with Netanyahu and his senior advisor, Ron Dermer, as well as Hamas leadership through a backchannel facilitated by Palestinian-American businessman Bishara Bahbah.

The deadlock in talks, coupled with the escalating situation on the ground, led Vice President JD Vance to cancel his planned visit to "Israel" this week, signaling the administration's dissatisfaction with the current approach in Gaza.

Trump frustrated by Gaza crisis

An Israeli official revealed to Axios that Netanyahu doesn’t currently feel significant pressure from Trump.

Other world leaders are also stepping up their pressure; the UK, France, and Canada issued a joint statement on Monday, threatening to take action against "Israel" in response to the ongoing war on Gaza, prompting Netanyahu to accuse them of "offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on October 7 while inviting more such atrocities."

A White House official revealed that Trump is frustrated by images of suffering children in Gaza and has urged Israel to reopen the border to allow humanitarian aid

While he views his Middle East trip as a success, Trump believes the ongoing war on Gaza is hindering his broader regional plans, seeing it as the last major war standing in the way of peace and prosperity. Another official described the war as a major distraction, expressing, "There is a lot of frustration by this crisis getting dragged on."

No chance of Trump abandoning Israel

The insider stated that Trump's decision to act unilaterally to obtain the release of American-Israeli captive Edan Alexander, rather than waiting for "Israel" to agree to a larger deal, stemmed from this impatience.

"The President may be saying, 'Hey, listen, let's try to end the war,' and he may speak strongly..." But his support is ironclad," Trump's hostage response envoy, Adan Boehler, told Fox News on Monday.

A US official has dismissed a report by The Washington Post alleging that the Trump administration warned it would abandon "Israel" if it continued its war on Gaza, calling the claim “preposterous.”

According to The Washington Post report, an unnamed source “familiar with the discussions” claimed that US officials had sent a warning to the Israeli leadership, stating, “Trump’s people are letting Israel know, ‘We will abandon you if you do not end this war.’”

The source suggested that while Netanyahu has the means to end the war, he lacks the political will to do so.

The Washington Post further quoted the source as saying, “Politically, as in the past, Netanyahu has a way to do that, with a huge majority in the Knesset and in Israel.”

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... on-gaza--a

[Anthea]

Gaza doctor’s last goodbye before
nine children killed in airstrike

In the early hours of Friday, as she did every day, Dr Alaa al-Najjar said goodbye to her 10 children before leaving the house. The youngest, Sayden, six months old, was still sleeping. And like every day, with war raging in Gaza and Israeli strikes landing just metres from her neighbourhood in Khan Younis, Najjar worried about leaving them at home without her

But Najjar, 35, had little choice. One of Gaza’s dwindling number of medics, a respected paediatrician at the Nasser medical complex, she had to go to work to care for injured babies who had barely survived Israeli attacks. She could never have imagined that that farewell to her family would be her last.

A few hours later, the charred bodies of seven of her children, killed by an Israeli airstrike on Khan Younis, arrived at her hospital. Two other bodies, including Sayden’s, remained under the rubble. Of her 10 children, only one had survived, along with their father, Hamdi al-Najjar, 40, also a doctor. Both are now in hospital.

“It’s one of the most heartbreaking tragedies since the beginning of the conflict,” Mohammed Saqer, the head of nursing at Nasser hospital, said. “And it happened to a paediatrician who dedicated her life to saving children, only to have her own motherhood stolen in a moment of fire and deafening silence.”

Footage shared by the director of Gaza’s health ministry and verified by the Guardian shows the burnt, dismembered bodies of children being pulled from the rubble of Najjar’s building near a petrol station as flames still engulfed what remained of the family’s home.

Ali al-Najjar, 50, the older brother of Hamdi, Alaa’s husband, said: “When I heard the house was bombed, I instinctively rushed to my car and headed to the place as I knew my brother and his children were inside. When I arrived, I was shocked. I found my nephew Adam, who survived, lying on the road under the rubble. He was covered in soot, his clothes were almost torn, but his soul was still inside him. My brother was lying on the other side, bleeding heavily from his head and chest, and his arm was cut off. He was still breathing with difficulty.”

Ali called the medical team and took the two survivors to the hospital. Then he began searching for his nine missing nieces and nephews.

“The house was very difficult to clear because the ceiling was stacked on top of itself. I started searching around the house hoping to find any of the children because I assumed the bombing might have thrown them outside the house,” he said. “But then, sadly, the first burnt body appeared. After completely putting out the fire, we found the rest of them – some were mutilated and all were burnt.”

Alaa al-Najjar rushed to the site of the explosion as rescuers pulled the body of her daughter Revan from the rubble. In tears, she begged the rescuers to let her hold her one last time.

“Her [Revan’s] body was completely burnt from the upper part, nothing remained of her skin or flesh,” Ali said. “There are still two bodies of my brother’s children we could not find: the oldest, 12-year-old boy, Yahya, and the six-month-old girl, Sayden.”

Najjar returned to the hospital to check on her son Adam, 11, and her husband. Sources at the Nasser hospital who transferred the children’s bodies one by one to the morgue said their mother was not able to identify them, so bad were the burns.

The children’s names were Yahya, Rakan, Ruslan, Jubran, Eve, Revan, Sayden, Luqman and Sidra.
A selfie taken by Hamdi with two of his children

“Alaa went to the morgue, held her children in her arms, recited the Qur’an over them and prayed for them,” said Dr Ahmed al-Farra, 53, the director of the children’s building at the Nasser medical complex. “Other female doctors around her collapsed from grief and rage, but Dr Alaa remained composed. God sent peace upon her heart. After they were buried, she went directly to check on her husband and son and began caring for them.”

Colleagues at the hospital described Najjar as a committed, polite and ethical doctor, capable of enduring immense pressure, treating dozens of children and patients daily, and at the same time caring for a large family.

“She was in constant worry for her children when she was at the hospital. When she heard a house had been bombed in the Qizan al-Najjar neighbourhood, her mother’s heart sensed something was wrong,” Farra said.

He said there were no words for her loss. “If anyone wants to share an opinion, let them first imagine it happening to them – to suddenly lose every person connected to you.”

After saying goodbye for the last time to the lifeless bodies of her seven children, Alaa went to the ward where her surviving child was being treated.

“Her husband was suffering from severe injuries – brain damage and fractures caused by shrapnel, along with shrapnel wounds and fractures in the chest. He was placed on a ventilator and fitted with medical tubes,” Farra said. ‘‘Her son’s condition was relatively better – his injuries ranged from moderate to severe.”

Najjar’s colleagues and friends said her children held Egyptian citizenship and that Alaa and Hamdi had been planning to leave for Egypt and enrol their children in Cairo’s Al-Azhar University.

The Israel Defense Forces said: “Yesterday, an IDF aircraft struck a number of suspects who were identified operating from a structure adjacent to IDF troops in the area of Khan Younis. The Khan Younis area is a dangerous war zone. Before beginning operations there, the IDF evacuated civilians from this area for their own safety. The claim regarding harm to uninvolved civilians is under review.”

The Gaza health ministry says nearly 54,000 Palestinians, including 16,503 children, have been killed in Israeli attacks across the territory

Farra said: “My only hope is that those who were killed are not just names on paper. We were created just like every other human being in this world. And like every other human, we have the right to live.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/ ... wtab-en-gb

[Anthea]

Israeli strike kills dozens
sheltering in Gaza school

At least 54 Palestinians have been killed - most of them in a school building sheltering displaced families - during Israeli air strikes on Gaza overnight, hospital directors have told the BBC

Gaza's Hamas-run Civil Defence said multiple bodies, including those of children, were recovered – many severely burned, after fires engulfed two classrooms serving as living quarters.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had targeted "a Hamas and Islamic Jihad command and control centre" there.

The IDF said the area was being used "by the terrorists to plan... attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops", and accused Hamas of using "the Gazan population as human shields".

Video footage shared online showed large fires consuming parts of the school, with graphic images of severely burned victims, including children, and survivors suffering critical injuries

Faris Afana, Northern Gaza ambulance service manager, said he arrived at the scene with crews to find three classrooms ablaze.

"There were sleeping children and women in those classrooms," he said. "Some of them were screaming but we couldn't rescue them due to the fires.

"I cannot describe what we saw due to how horrific it was."

Local reports said the head of investigations for the Hamas police in northern Gaza, Mohammad Al-Kasih, was among the dead, along with his wife and children.

Separately, a strike on a house in Jabalia in northern Gaza killed 19 people, according to the director of al-Ahli hospital Dr Fadel el-Naim. The Israeli military has not yet commented on what was being targeted.

The twin attacks are part of a broader Israeli offensive that has escalated in the northern part of the enclave over the past week.

The IDF said it hit 200 targets across Gaza in 48 hours as it continued its operations against what it called "terrorist organisations".

Meanwhile, a senior Hamas official told the BBC on Monday that the group had agreed to the latest ceasefire proposal offered by US special envoy Steve Witkoff.

However, Witkoff told Reuters that what he had seen was "completely unacceptable" and that the proposal being discussed was not the same as his.

A Palestinian official familiar with the talks said the plan agreed to by Hamas includes the release of 10 Israeli hostages held by the group in two phases.

In exchange, there would be a 70-day truce, a gradual partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the release of an agreed number of Palestinian prisoners, including several hundred serving long or life sentences.

The BBC has approached the Israeli government for comment on the proposal. Israeli media quoted anonymous Israeli officials as saying the plan would be rejected.

As mediation efforts continued, an Israeli strike on the home of a Palestinian doctor in Gaza killed nine of her 10 children on Friday. Dr Alaa al-Najjar's 11-year-old son was injured, along with her husband, Hamdi al-Najjar, who is in critical condition.

The nine children - Yahya, Rakan, Raslan, Gebran, Eve, Rival, Sayden, Luqman and Sidra - were aged between just a few months old and 12. The Israeli military has said the incident is under review.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said two of its staff were killed in a strike on their home in Khan Younis the following day.

The killing of Ibrahim Eid, a weapon contamination officer, and Ahmad Abu Hilal, a security guard at the Red Cross Field Hospital in Rafah "points to the intolerable civilian death toll in Gaza", the ICRC said, repeating its call for a ceasefire.

On Sunday, the head of a controversial US and Israeli-approved organisation planning to use private firms to deliver aid to Gaza resigned.

In a statement by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), executive director Jake Wood said it had become apparent that plans to set up distribution hubs would not meet the "humanitarian principles" of independence and neutrality.

The UN and various humanitarian organisations have said they will not co-operate with the GHF, accusing it of being discriminatory over who will receive food.

Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza on 2 March that lasted 11 weeks before it allowed limited aid to enter the territory in the face of warnings of famine and mounting international outrage.

The Israeli military body responsible for humanitarian affairs in Gaza, Cogat, said 107 lorries carrying aid were allowed into Gaza on Sunday. The UN says much more aid - between 500 to 600 lorries a day - is needed.

Meanwhile, 20 countries and organisations met in Madrid on Sunday to discuss ending the war in Gaza. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares called for an arms embargo on Israel if it did not stop its attacks.

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas's attack on occupied territories on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Fifty-seven are still being held, about 20 of whom are assumed to be alive.

At least 53,939 people, including at least 16,500 children, have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health ministry.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz9yjj54v3xo

[Anthea]

Israel enforces evacuation of
last operating hospital in north Gaza

IOF have forcibly evacuated Al-Awda Hospital in Tal al-Zaatar, the last operational medical facility in northern Gaza, amid critical shortages and rising civilian casualties, according to health officials and UN agencies

Israeli occupation forces have expelled patients and medical staff from Al-Awda Hospital in Tal al-Zaatar, the last functioning hospital in northern Gaza, according to a statement released by the hospital on Thursday.

The hospital, located in the northern governorate of the Gaza Strip, reported that 97 individuals remained inside the facility at the time of the expulsion, 13 of them patients and injured individuals, along with 84 medical personnel.

"This is a forced evacuation being carried out by Israeli occupation forces against the only remaining operational hospital in northern Gaza," Al-Awda Hospital stated.

The Health Ministry in Gaza confirmed that "Israel" demanded the full evacuation of the hospital, effectively rendering it out of service. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also confirmed ongoing efforts to evacuate the facility.

"The hospital is overwhelmed with injuries and critically low on supplies," OCHA noted, adding that "ongoing hostilities over the past two weeks have damaged the hospital, disrupted access, and caused widespread panic, deterring people from seeking care."

The IOF had besieged Al-Awda Hospital last week, trapping 160 Palestinians inside, including medical personnel and wounded civilians.

Hospitals in northern Gaza forced out of service

On May 18, the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia is now completely out of service, following the IOF siege.

This development marks a critical point in the ongoing Gaza hospital shutdown, as all public hospitals in northern Gaza are now non-operational. The ministry stated that continuous shelling around the hospital, as well as blocking access to patients, medical teams, and supplies, forced its closure.

With the destruction of Beit Hanoun Hospital, the shutdown of Kamal Adwan Hospital, and now the Indonesian Hospital, the healthcare system in northern Gaza has completely collapsed.

Earlier, the ministry revealed that the Israeli military was surrounding the Indonesian Hospital and firing live rounds at anyone moving within its vicinity.

94% of Gaza hospitals damaged

Israeli raids have targeted at least ten hospitals and clinics in the Gaza Strip in the previous week, prompting full or partial service shutdowns and overloading the remaining health-care facilities, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.

The attack on the European Hospital in Khan Younis signaled the beginning of "Israel's" escalated ground assault.

"These strikes severely increased pressure on Gaza's collapsing health system," it said, quoting the Gaza Health Ministry, which said that 400,000 Palestinians are now without access to medical care.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 28 attacks on hospitals in the strip last week, accounting for 4% of all hospital attacks since the onslaught began.

"Military assaults in Gaza are pushing the health system to collapse," the WHO said on X, stressing that 94% of hospitals had been severely damaged or destroyed.

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17 Palestinians killed in US-Israeli
designated aid zones in Gaza

UN and human rights groups continue to warn that the aid mechanism is linked to forced displacement efforts

The death toll from the US-Israeli aid mechanism has risen to 17, with 86 others injured, in addition to 5 people reported missing, the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced in a statement on X.

The Ministry detailed that one person was martyred on Thursday and five others on Friday, in areas designated by Israel and the US for aid distribution. It also reported that five people remain missing at the Rafah aid distribution center in the southern Gaza Strip.

Since May 27, the Israeli occupation has implemented what it calls a "humanitarian aid distribution plan" through the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Relief Foundation, a body supported by Israel and the United States, rejected by the United Nations, and not subject to supervision by international humanitarian organizations.

Aid distribution under this mechanism is being conducted in the so-called "buffer zones" in southern Gaza, far from the besieged northern areas.

UN, rights groups warn of forced evacuation

The Israeli Army Radio previously admitted that the plan is intended to expedite the evacuation of residents from northern Gaza by limiting aid to four distribution points in the south.

The Gaza government and several human rights organizations have denounced the plan as a prelude to the forced displacement of Palestinians, aligning with US President Donald Trump’s proposal, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has openly declared as an objective of the current war.

In this context, Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), criticized the aid mechanism, describing it as a "waste of resources and a distraction from the atrocities."

In its broader update, the Gaza Health Ministry reported that the total death toll from the ongoing Israeli genocide, which began on October 7, 2023, has now reached 54,381 martyrs, with 124,054 others wounded

The Ministry continues to warn of the deteriorating humanitarian situation as efforts to impose displacement through manipulated aid channels persist.

Earlier today, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that the Israeli military continued its devastating war on the Gaza Strip, killing at least 22 people in airstrikes across multiple areas since Saturday dawn.

Our correspondent confirmed the martyrdom of two people and the injury of others by occupation gunfire as they attempted to reach the aid center of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, west of Rafah, in the southern part of the enclave.

Several people were wounded when Israeli warplanes struck a home in the al-Saftawi area north of Gaza City, as the Israeli military issued new evacuation orders for Gaza City and much of northern Gaza, specifically the al-Zaytun, al-Tuffah, and Jabalia al-Balad neighborhoods, forcing residents to flee under ongoing bombardment.

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Israel destroys kidney dialysis center in Gaza

Gaza’s Health Ministry warns of an "unimaginable catastrophe" for kidney patients after Israeli forces destroyed the Noura al-Kaabi dialysis center in northern Gaza

Israeli occupation forces destroyed on Sunday the Noura al-Kaabi dialysis center in northern Gaza.

The facility was affiliated with the Indonesian Hospital, located in the northern part of the Strip, which has been repeatedly besieged by Israeli forces who have opened fire on anyone moving within its grounds.

Earlier this month, the Government Media Office in Gaza had warned that the territory's hospitals were on the verge of collapse.

Health of patients at risk of 'unimaginable catastrophe'

The Ministry of Health in Gaza stated that the destruction of the dialysis center puts "the health of kidney patients at risk of an unimaginable catastrophe."

It highlighted that "41% of kidney patients have died during the war due to being denied access to dialysis centers and the destruction of facilities and departments designated for them."

The Ministry accused the Israeli occupation of pursuing a dangerous strategy aimed at emptying northern Gaza of hospitals and specialized care centers.

Israel destroyed 240 housing units in recent days

In a related development, the Director of the Government Media Office in Gaza, Ismail al-Thawabta, told Turkey’s Anadolu Agency on Sunday that Israeli forces had destroyed 240 housing units across various parts of Gaza in recent days.

He stressed that these buildings housed entire families and did not contain any military targets, as the occupation claims.

Al-Thawabta said the repeated Israeli massacres carried a clear message: “surrender and total collapse, or annihilation and complete destruction.”

Israeli plans shall not pass

However, he underscored that the message of the occupation “is rejected and shall not pass,” affirming, “Our Palestinian people, who have endured for decades, will not be broken by the occupation's bulldozers or missiles.”

The Palestinian official called on the international community to take immediate action to put an end to the ongoing bloodshed in Gaza.

The genocidal war on Gaza continues to claim dozens of lives daily. On Sunday, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that the death toll had risen to 54,418 martyrs, with 124,190 injured since October 7, 2023.

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UK condemns Israeli strikes

on Gaza aid centers

Despite Israeli claims that militants may have used the area for attacks, humanitarian organizations have rejected the justification, insisting the victims were not combatants

The United Kingdom has intensified its condemnation of Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip, calling for an urgent, independent investigation into a series of deadly attacks on humanitarian aid distribution points. Addressing the House of Commons on Wednesday, Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer voiced outrage over what he described as repeated "mass casualty incidents," in which Palestinians were killed while attempting to access food and essential supplies.

"We are appalled by repeated reports of mass casualty incidents, in which Palestinians have been killed when trying to access aid sites in Gaza," Falconer stated, labeling "Israel's" aid policy "inhumane" and calling for full accountability.

Since late May, the Health Ministry in Gaza has reported at least 75 fatalities and over 400 injuries from Israeli strikes near humanitarian delivery areas. These sites, many operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), have become flashpoints amid the ongoing blockade and escalating military operations. On June 3 alone, at least 27 Palestinians were killed near a GHF site in Rafah—a location where 31 others were reportedly killed just days earlier. Witnesses say victims were unarmed civilians waiting for food.

Despite Israeli claims that militants may have used the area for attacks, humanitarian organizations have rejected the justification, insisting the victims were not combatants. Widely circulated footage also appears to show Israeli forces firing into large crowds gathered for aid.

Attacks near Gaza aid sites are war crimes

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, called the repeated assaults "unconscionable," warning that they may constitute war crimes. "Palestinians have been presented the grimmest of choices: die from starvation or risk being killed while trying to access the meager food being made available through Israel's militarised humanitarian assistance mechanism," he said. Türk urged an immediate and impartial investigation, stressing the need for accountability.

The backlash follows a May 19 announcement by "Israel's" Security Cabinet to resume humanitarian aid deliveries through existing channels. However, the implementation has remained tightly controlled by the Israeli military, with aid funneled to a limited number of militarized distribution points, mainly in southern Gaza. Human rights experts argue this framework endangers civilians and violates basic humanitarian norms.

Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), accused Israeli authorities of weaponizing aid to forcibly displace Palestinians. "Aid must not be used as a bargaining chip," he warned, adding that restricting access to life-saving resources under military oversight transforms humanitarian relief into a mechanism of coercion.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also weighed in, calling the situation in Gaza "appalling, counterproductive, and intolerable." His remarks echo growing international pressure on "Israel" to revise its aid strategy and ensure civilian protection, particularly as starvation looms and Gaza's health infrastructure collapses under the weight of sustained attacks.

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Israel engineers starvation

Famine and shortages of basic necessities in Gaza persist, alongside skyrocketing prices, with aid being weaponized as a political tool

The partial reopening of Israeli crossings has yielded no meaningful relief in Gaza. Its markets remain devoid of essential goods, especially food, and prices have soared, especially that of flour despite its poor quality.

Although repeated claims of aid delivery have been made, only a few trucks have entered Gaza, far from the 600 needed daily to meet basic needs. After over 80 days of complete closure, a few bakeries reopened briefly before shutting again due to depleted flour and fuel, while famine deepens, particularly in the north, which humanitarian relief does not reach.

The crisis is unfolding amid the Israeli aggression, still ongoing since October 7 and escalating after the March 18 truce collapse, and the expanded ground invasions and mass evacuations, pushing civilians to eat animal feed, spoiled flour, or use legumes as a substitute for flour.

Empty markets and deceptive statements

In this context, Palestinian Nasser Ayash told Al Mayadeen Net that “the occupation claims to be bringing in aid trucks to promote in the media the idea that Gaza is living in prosperity, while the reality on the ground is completely different; commercial shops are empty of essential goods, and prices are unreasonably high, and most residents cannot afford them due to the severe deterioration in their economic conditions and the continuous loss of sources of income.”

Ayash added that Palestinians in Gaza "are facing worsening famine, unable to secure daily sustenance, with sharp shortages of essentials like rice, sugar, and flour, forcing them to buy tiny quantities at unaffordable prices.”

Palestinian Adnan Tafesh confirmed that the occupation’s aid claims are deceptive, meant to evade international pressure. He explained that he went to the markets over the past two days, hoping to see a difference, but found that "they were still empty, their goods scarce, and prices unjustifiable.”

He added, in his statement to Al Mayadeen Net, “We are facing an unprecedented humanitarian disaster. Even the charitable food kitchens that I relied on have completely stopped due to a lack of essential supplies.” He explained that “the talk about the opening of the crossings has become just an illusion promoted far from our bitter reality, which is being exploited to implement the occupation’s military plans and control over the Strip.”

Tafesh stressed his absolute rejection of the occupation’s cooperation with the new US company distributing aid, which violates the rights of Palestinians and seeks to impose a harsh reality on Gaza residents. He demanded a ceasefire and an end to the genocide, in addition to the opening of crossings and the entry of humanitarian aid.

Collapse of commercial activity

For his part, food vendor Shadi Mansour expressed his deep anger over the shortage of goods and the continued closure of the crossings, accusing the occupation of stealing trucks that it claims to be protecting for the benefit of international organizations.

Mansour explained in his statement to Al Mayadeen Net that the occupation allowed flour to enter bakeries for only one day, before the World Food Programme announced its halt of operations due to a shortage of flour and fuel, noting that “talk about the entry of aid is nothing more than throwing dust in the eyes and is used as cover to implement the criminal plans of the occupation, carried out under the guise of humanitarian work.”

Meanwhile, Rashid al-Hindi, a confectioner in the al-Sahaba market in Gaza City, confirmed to Al Mayadeen Net that his work has completely stopped after he closed his shop due to the shortage of goods and the unprecedented rise in prices. The price of a kilo of sugar rose from 8 shekels (about $2) to 160 shekels (about $45) in just two months, making the production of sweets nearly impossible.

Al-Hindi warned that the continued blockade and the strict restrictions on the entry of goods and aid will lead the Strip to a total collapse of commercial activity, deepening the humanitarian crisis and worsening the famine afflicting the population.

Aid as tool of blackmail, displacement

Although the occupation allowed a very limited number of trucks to enter, the head of the Private Transport Association in Gaza, Nahid Shehibar, described this as “aimed at easing international pressure and a media tactic,” expressing hope that quantities would increase later to end the famine.

The conflict over the “management of humanitarian aid” in Gaza is intensifying, amid accusations of turning it into a tool for political pressure as part of an US-Israeli plan to distribute aid through four points in the southern part of the Strip, supervised by a private company and protected militarily, raising widespread rejection from the United Nations and international organizations for violating humanitarian standards.

For his part, Amjad Shawa, director of the NGO Network in Gaza, expressed his rejection of this plan, considering that it exposes security objectives aimed at imposing forced displacement and violates the principles of humanitarian work through a mechanism supervised by occupation forces and security companies, without considering actual need.

Shawa warned in his statement to Al Mayadeen Net of the absence of safety guarantees and the overcrowding of the population at limited distribution points, stressing that the plan is part of a scheme of establishing “humanitarian bubbles” to divide the Strip and forcibly displace the population.

Meanwhile, economic analyst Ahmad Abu Qamar confirmed to Al Mayadeen Net that “Israel” is systematically managing the starvation of Gaza by allowing in aid that covers only 5% of the population’s needs, despite the Strip’s need for 800 trucks daily. He also noted that the ceasefire agreement, which stipulated the entry of 600 trucks daily, has not been implemented.

Abu Qamar pointed out that the occupation’s plan, in cooperation with the US company, is based on distributing aid through four crowded points serving 2.4 million people, as part of a plan aimed at forcibly displacing the population into camps, warning that “Israel” is using aid as a tool of blackmail and collective punishment.

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Israel hijacks Madleen humanitarian ship

The Israeli occupation navy overtakes the humanitarian ship Madleen en route to Gaza, towing it to the occupied Isdud port

The Israeli occupation Navy has confirmed that the Madleen, a ship carrying desperately needed humanitarian aid headed to Gaza, is being towed to Israel's Isdod port, after troops boarded the vessel.

The Madleen ship, launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was about 100 nautical miles (185km) from Gaza when it was captured.

Israeli drones encircled the ship at about 3:00 am local time. The drones began spraying it with a white, paint-like substance before the Israeli commandos eventually took hold of the ship. The nature of the sprayed substance remains unclear

Israel’s Foreign Ministry stated that the boat is en route to Israeli-occupied shores, with passengers expected to return to their home countries.

There were no reports of injuries among the 12 pro-Palestinian activists on board, who had been sailing to Gaza to raise awareness and deliver aid. However, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which organized the trip, has lost contact with the vessel. They shared pre-recorded videos from those aboard, asking for assistance from their home countries.

The Madleen departed Sicily on June 1, one month after Israeli drones bombed another aid ship headed for Gaza. Climate activist Greta Thunberg is among the 12 activists now being illegally held by Israel

The Israeli ministry published a video showing detained activists being escorted, along with an X post saying, "The show is over."

Earlier, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition reported on Telegram that Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have boarded the activist ship Madleen.

The group mentioned that they lost connection with the vessel, and a photo shared by the coalition shows passengers aboard the ship with their hands raised and wearing lifejackets.
Crew attacked with unidentified substance

Yusuf Ajiyseh, deputy head of the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza, said the Israeli military attacked the crew with unidentified chemical substances.

"We do not know the nature of the chemical materials used against the Madleen crew," Ajiyseh told Al Mayadeen, vowing that the international coalition would not be deterred: “We will not stop sending ships to break the siege on Gaza.”

Zaher Birawi, head of the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza, issued an urgent appeal to the “free world” to pressure the Israeli occupation to ensure the safety of the activists aboard the ship and to put an end to the aggression.

Israeli media confirmed that the navy had taken control of the ship and was towing it to Isdod port, where the activists would be processed for deportation.

'Gaza is not alone'

Hamas called the action “organized state terrorism,” and “a flagrant violation of international law and an attack on civilian volunteers.” The group lauded the activists from various nationalities who “stood firm in the face of threats” and reiterated that “Gaza is not alone.” Hamas held the Israeli regime fully responsible for the activists’ safety and urged the United Nations and international bodies to condemn the act.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad also condemned the interception, stating that the activists had “exposed the silence and cowardice” of governments and international institutions. “Those abducted and forcibly disappeared answered the call of conscience and humanity, daring to confront one of the world’s most criminal armies,” the group said, adding that the act constituted “international kidnapping and a clear breach of international law.”

The Madleen is part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, a global network of activists and organizations working to challenge the maritime blockade imposed on Gaza. Despite repeated Israeli interventions, the coalition continues to organize missions aimed at delivering humanitarian aid and highlighting the humanitarian crisis in the besieged territory.

Israel makes flagrant threats

On Sunday, Israeli Minister of Security Israel Katz announced that he had instructed the military to immediately prevent the Madleen from reaching Gaza. In a statement that carried a tone of provocation, Katz declared that the ship “must return to where it came from,” and that the Israeli occupation forces “will not allow the vessel to reach Gaza’s shores,” threatening to use “all necessary means” to stop it.

The Israeli provocations drew sharp criticism from various states, with Iran, Turkiye, and France denouncing the move as a violation of international law and an attack on civilian activists.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry described the interception as an “act of piracy.” Speaking in Tehran on Monday, ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei stated: “The assault on this flotilla, since it happened in international waters, is considered a form of piracy under international law.”

Turkiye condemns

Turkiye also condemned the act, labeling the Israeli occupation “a terrorist state” following the navy’s interception of the ship, which was carrying aid to the besieged Gaza Strip. Turkish officials condemned the operation as a “clear violation of international law,” warning that Israel's actions threaten maritime security and freedom of navigation.

In a strongly worded statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said: “This heinous attack by Netanyahu’s government, which also threatens the freedom of navigation and maritime safety, once again proves that Israel is a terrorist state.”

Turkish diplomatic sources told Middle East Eye that Ankara’s embassy in Tel Aviv had taken immediate steps to secure the release of two Turkish nationals who were aboard the vessel. The ship was intercepted early Monday morning and prevented from reaching Gaza.

The two Turkish citizens aboard were identified as Yasemin Akar, who holds both Turkish and German citizenship, and Suayb Ordy.

France calls for 'swift' release of volunteers

The French presidency announced that President Emmanuel Macron had called for the “immediate release” of six French citizens who were detained by the Israeli occupation while participating in the flotilla.

A statement from the Elysee Palace, cited by French broadcaster BFM TV, said: “The President of the Republic has demanded the swift return of six of our citizens whose ship was intercepted by Israeli authorities off the coast of Gaza.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot added that Paris had requested consular protection and access to the detained citizens to ensure their safe and expedited return to France. Among those detained is European Parliament member Rima Hassan.

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Jon Snow in Gaza: full coverage

10 Jul 2015

Jon Snow reports on the aftermath of the Gaza conflict one year on - questioning Hamas and Israeli spokespersons

https://youtu.be/jvrIjqI_rIo?feature=shared