Headline

Israel-Gaza War: Death Toll Rises Above 1,000 As Fighting Intensifies

Published

7 months ago

October 8, 2023

…countries divided over attack, India, Germany, Italy Support Israeli, Iran, others, Palestinian

Israel, reeling from the deadliest attack in half a century, formally declared war on Hamas Sunday as the conflict’s death toll surged above 1,000 after the Palestinian militant group launched a massive surprise assault from Gaza.
Israel, reeling from the deadliest attack in half a century, formally declared war on Hamas Sunday as the conflict’s death toll surged above 1,000 after the Palestinian militant group launched a massive surprise assault from Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu steeled the shocked and grieving nation for a “long and difficult” war after Hamas fired a barrage of rockets at Israel on Saturday and sent a wave of fighters who gunned down civilians and took at least 100 hostages.

The bloody escalation sharply heightened Middle East tensions and killed more than 600 people on the Israeli side, the country’s worst losses since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war when it came under attack from a coalition led by Egypt and Syria.

“Israel was caught flat-footed by the unprecedented attack,” said Jonathan Panikoff, director of the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative. “I’ve heard multiple comparisons to 9/11, and many Israelis are struggling to understand how this could have happened.”

In Gaza — which was hammered by Israeli air strikes on 800 targets ahead of what many feared may be a looming ground invasion — officials reported at least 413 deaths, with thousands more wounded across the war zone.

US President Joe Biden ordered “additional support for Israel in the face of this unprecedented terrorist assault by Hamas,” the White House said.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Washington “will be rapidly providing the Israel Defense Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions”.

Austin also said he had directed the USS Gerald R. Ford, an aircraft carrier, and its accompanying warships to the eastern Mediterranean, and that Washington was augmenting fighter aircraft squadrons in the region.

Several foreign countries have reported nationals killed, abducted or missing in the fighting, among them Brazil, Britain, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Nepal, Thailand, Ukraine and the United States.

Tens of thousands of Israeli forces were deployed to battle holdout Hamas fighters in the south, where the bodies of civilians had been found strewn on roads and in town centres.

“The enemy is still on the ground,” said military spokesman Daniel Hagari as a second night fell after the attack, adding that Israel was reinforcing its military strength near the Gaza Strip.

Gun battles raged as the Israeli army sought to secure desert regions near the coastal enclave, rescue Israeli hostages and evacuate all areas near Gaza.

“We’ll reach each and every community until we kill every terrorist in Israel,” vowed Hagari, a day after Hamas fighters launched their shock offensive and surged into Israel using vehicles, boats and motorised paragliders.

Countries around the world have condemned a wave of Palestinian attacks by land, sea and air that Israel’s army says left more than 600 dead.

Israeli jets carried out “intense” airstrikes on targets in Gaza Sunday afternoon, shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the security cabinet had voted Saturday evening to put the country officially at war, meaning it can carry out “significant military activities.”

Some countries also called for a de-escalation of the conflict, after Israel launched air strikes and other military operations targeting Gaza that Palestinian .

“We are at war,” Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said when he vowed severe retaliation after Hamas’s surprise assault.

Here is a roundup of the reactions:
United States

President Joe Biden said US support for Israel was “rock solid and unwavering”.

“The United States stands with Israel,” Biden said in a televised statement at the White House, flanked by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“We will not ever fail to have their back.”

A White House official said talks with Israel on military aid were “very much under way”.

Iran

A senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressed support for the attack, calling it a “proud operation”.

“We support this operation,” Yahya Rahim Safavi said, quoted by ISNA news agency.

Safavi expressed backing for the Palestinian militants “until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem”.

At a parliament session on Saturday, Iranian lawmakers chanted “Down with Israel”, “Down with America” and “Welcome Palestine”, according to a video published by the Tasnim news agency.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said: “The Kingdom calls for an immediate halt to the escalation between the two sides, protection of civilians, and self-control”.

“The Kingdom is reminded of its repeated warnings of the dangers of an explosive situation as a result of the continued occupation and deprivation of the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights,” it added.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged diplomatic efforts in the Middle East in order to prevent wider conflict, saying Saturday that “only through negotiation leading to a two-state solution can peace be achieved.”

The UN’s human rights chief Volker Turk said: “I call for an immediate stop to the violence, and appeal to all sides and key countries in the region to de-escalate to avoid further bloodshed.”

He said he was “deeply concerned at reports that Israeli civilians have been taken hostage”.

European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen said: “I unequivocally condemn the attack carried out by Hamas terrorists against Israel.”

“It is terrorism in its most despicable form. Israel has the right to defend itself against such heinous attacks,” she said.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said “This horrific violence must stop immediately. Terrorism and violence solve nothing. The EU expresses its solidarity with Israel in these difficult moments.”

He added: “News of civilians taken as hostages in their homes or to Gaza are appalling. This is against international law. Hostages must be released immediately”.

Brazil

Brazil, which holds the UN Security Council presidency, condemned the attacks on Israel.

A statement from its foreign ministry urged “all parties to exercise maximum restraint in order to avoid escalating the situation”.

Shortly after, it said it would call an emergency UN Security Council meeting on the crisis. The Council announced they would meet Sunday.

China

China said it was “deeply concerned” by the weekend’s dramatic escalation of violence between Israel and the Palestinians, urging all sides to show “calm”.

“China is deeply concerned about the current escalation of tension and violence between Palestine and Israel,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said, adding it “calls on all parties concerned to remain calm and exercise restraint, cease fire immediately, protect civilians and prevent further deterioration of the situation”.

Russia

Russia’s foreign ministry called for an “immediate ceasefire”.

“We call on the Palestinian and Israeli sides to immediately cease fire, renounce violence, show the necessary restraint and — with the help of the international community — establish a negotiation process aimed at establishing a comprehensive, lasting and long-awaited peace,” ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose country is fending off a Russian invasion, said Israel had an “indisputable” right to defend itself.

“Terror is always a crime, not just against one country or specific victims, but against humanity as a whole,” he said.

Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Israel and Palestinians to avoid further escalation.

“We invite all parties to act reasonably and to stay away from impulsive steps that raise tensions,” said Erdogan, who strongly supports the Palestinian cause.

France

France expressed “full solidarity with Israel and the victims” and underscored “its absolute rejection of terrorism and its commitment to Israel’s security”.

President Emmanuel Macron said he “firmly condemns” the attacks.

Germany

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Israel “has our full solidarity” and “the right, guaranteed by international law, to defend itself against terrorism”.

Britain

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was “shocked” by the attacks.

“Israel has an absolute right to defend itself,” he said.

He went further in a post later on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“As the barbarity of today’s atrocities becomes clearer, we stand unequivocally with Israel,” he wrote.

“This attack by Hamas is cowardly and depraved.”

Italy

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke by telephone on Sunday with Netanyahu, to whom she “reaffirmed Rome’s full solidarity” following the offensive launched by Hamas.

“The Italian government will work with international partners to coordinate support” for Israel, Rome said in a statement.

“Italy stands by the Israeli people at this difficult time”.

Japan

Japan “strongly condemns” the cross-border attacks, foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa said.

Tokyo also criticised the kidnapping of a number of Israelis, including several civilians, she said in a statement.

“Meanwhile, we are seriously concerned about the large number of casualties in the Gaza Strip as a result of attacks by the Israel Defence Forces,” her statement continued.

“Japan once again calls on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint to prevent further damage.”

South Africa

South Africa’s foreign ministry expressed its “grave concern over the recent devastating escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”.

“The region is in desperate need of a credible peace process that delivers on the calls of a plethora of previous UN resolutions for a two-state solution and a just and comprehensive peace between Israel and Palestine,” it added.

India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his country stood “in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour”.

“Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel,” Modi said.

Venezuela

Venezuela’s government expressed its “deep concern” over the clashes.

In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, it said the fighting was “the result of the impossibility of the Palestinian people to find in multilateral international legality a space to assert their historic rights”.

Yemen

In Yemen, Huthi rebels who control the capital Sanaa expressed their support for “the heroic jihadist operation”.

In a statement published on the website of the Huthi-controlled SABA news agency, the Iran-aligned militant group said the attack “revealed the weakness, fragility and impotence” of Israel.

It added that this operation “is a battle of dignity, pride, and defence”.

AFP

Headline

400 Bodies Found In Mass Grave In Gaza Hospital

Published

5 hours ago

April 28, 2024

Editor

The government in Gaza have concluded their search of mass graves at a hospital in the south of the strip and said they have uncovered a total of 392 bodies, including some still wearing surgical gowns.

Speaking at a Thursday news conference at Rafah, on April 25, an official from the Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza said workers have identified 165 bodies at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area earlier this month.

According to Mohammed Al Mighayyer, they are still examining the remaining 227 bodies to determine their identities.

“We found three mass graves, the first in front of the morgue, the second behind the morgue, and the third north of the dialysis building,” he added.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said any suggestion that it had buried Palestinian bodies in mass graves was false, and that a grave at the Nasser complex was dug by Palestinians in Gaza some months ago.

The Gaza Civil Defense acknowledged that around 100 bodies were buried in graves at the Nasser hospital before the IDF operation there.

CNN reports that people had buried the bodies of family members who had been killed on the grounds of the hospital as a temporary measure in January but when they returned after the Israeli military withdrew on April 7, they discovered the bodies had been dug up and then placed in at least one collective grave, not all in the initial spots they were buried in.

The Palestinian Civil Defense also showed graphic images on a TV screen at the news conference showing several almost unrecognizable bodies at the complex and bodies of decomposed children.

Al Mighayyer said the Civil Defense “witnessed the presence of children’s bodies in the mass graves at the Nasser Medical Complex, which proves crimes of genocide.” While the group says it is still examining the bodies, they suspect at least 20 civilians were buried alive in the complex, but it did not explain how it knows this, or offer proof.

Al Mighayyer also claimed there had been cases of executions of patients who had been receiving treatment at the hospital. He said several bodies were found with gunshot wounds to their heads and injuries to their bodies.

Al Mighayyer said at the news conference that the Palestinian Gaza Civil Defense in Gaza “discovered torture marks on [some] bodies.” CNN cannot independently verify these claims.

“Israeli forces buried several bodies in plastic bags at a depth of three meters, which made them decompose quickly.”

“The occupation deliberately concealed evidence of its crimes in the Nasser Complex by changing the plastic shrouds more than once,” he claimed. Video recorded by CNN shows bodies wrapped in three different coloured shrouds: white, black and blue.

Amnesty International has also called for an investigation into the mass graves at the two Gaza hospitals.

I’m response, the Israeli Defense Forces, IDF said:“During the IDF’s operation in the area of Nasser Hospital, in accordance with the effort to locate hostages and missing persons, corpses buried by Palestinians in the area of Nasser Hospital were examined. The examination was conducted in a careful manner and exclusively in places where intelligence indicated the possible presence of hostages.”

The IDF continued: “At the end of February, IDF forces conducted a precise and targeted operation against the terrorist organization Hamas in the Nasser Hospital area. During the operation, about 200 terrorists who were in the hospital were apprehended, medicines intended for Israeli hostages were found undelivered and unused, and a great deal of ammunition was confiscated. The activity was done in a targeted manner and without harming the hospital, the patients and the medical staff.”

Headline

Watch Of Richest Titanic Passenger Sells For £1.17m

Published

7 hours ago

April 27, 2024

Editor

A gold watch found on the body of the richest passenger on the Titanic was auctioned in England for £1.17 million ($1.46 million) on Saturday.

It was a record sum for an object linked to the notorious 1912 shipping disaster, said auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son.

A US buyer won the bidding war, smashing the auctioneer’s pre-sale estimate of between £100,000 and £150,000.

The watch, engraved with the initials JJA, belonged to the US business magnate John Jacob Astor.

Astor was 47 when he died as the Titanic sank in the early hours of April 15, 1912. He was reputed to be one of the richest men in the world at the time.

He died after having helped his wife, Madeleine, on board one of the lifeboats. She survived the disaster.

Astor’s body was found a week after the disaster, with the watch among his personal belongings.

“The watch itself was completely restored after being returned to Colonel Astor’s family and worn by his son,” said a statement from the auction house.

Headline

Popular Iraqi TikToker Umm Fahad Gunned Down Outside Baghdad Home

Published

7 hours ago

April 27, 2024

Editor

Popular Iraqi social media star Ghufran Sawadi, better known as Umm Fahad, was shot dead outside her home in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, on Friday night.

According to CNN, a Baghdad police source disclosed that the attack occurred in the Zayouna area east of Baghdad.

The source added that the tragic incident was captured on video by a surveillance camera and shared on social media.

The video showed a gunman riding a motorcycle shooting and killing Sawadi on the spot. A Baghdad police source confirmed the authenticity of the video to CNN.

The country’s Interior Minister announced on Friday that it was “forming a specialized work team to find out the circumstances of the killing of a woman known on social media by unknown assailants.”

Sawadi was popular on TikTok, where she shared videos of herself dancing to pop music in form-fitting clothes. In the past, these videos were deemed inappropriate by Iraq’s judiciary.

Sawadi was sentenced to six months in prison for “the crime of producing and publishing several films and videos containing obscene and indecent language, violating public decency and morals,” an Iraqi judiciary statement said.

Other Iraqi social media personalities have previously been targeted in deadly attacks.

Most recently, another popular Iraqi TikTok personality, Noor Alsaffar, known as Noor BM, was shot dead in Baghdad in September 2023, an Iraqi security source told CNN at the time.

Alsaffar, who had over 370,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok, posted short videos about fashion, hair, and makeup, also often dancing to music.

Following news of the shooting, many posted comments lamenting Alsaffar’s death, though others applauded it, celebrating the man who fired the shot.

Alsaffar’s killing came as Iraq cracked down on LGBTQ expression and moved to criminalize it in law.