Results for: Gaza

Mortars have landed near a staging area for humanitarian aid delivery in the Gaza Strip, according to the Pentagon. Spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder stated that the attack caused minimal damage and occurred before US forces began moving supplies. The USNS Benavidez is currently constructing a temporary pier and causeway at sea, which will connect to a causeway on land and serve as the staging area for aid. The Defense Secretary has yet to discuss reports of mass graves in Gaza with Israeli counterparts, while the State Department faces criticism for supporting Israel’s self-investigation of alleged war crimes.

Israel has announced that it is continuing with its planned operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, despite international concerns over the potential impact on the 1.5 million Palestinians sheltering there.

A memorial service will be held at the National Cathedral in Washington on Thursday to honor the seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers killed in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza earlier this month. The service will include speeches from celebrity chef and philanthropist José Andrés, founder and executive director of WCK, and renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Senior Biden administration officials, including Douglas Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, and Assistant Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, will also attend the service.

Nearly 282 million people in 59 countries are facing acute hunger in 2023, a sharp increase from 2022. The Global Report on Food Crises warns that 705,000 people in five countries are at Phase 5, the highest level of hunger, with over 80% of these cases occurring in war-torn Gaza. Conflict and climate change continue to drive food insecurity, with South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Somalia, and Mali also facing catastrophic hunger. The report urges urgent action to address the underlying causes of hunger and malnutrition.

A video has been shared on social media claiming to show an International Court of Justice (ICJ) judge ordering Germany to withdraw its support for Israel in a genocide case brought by Nicaragua. However, this video has been taken out of context. The person in the video is not a judge but a registrar who read out Nicaragua’s request for provisional measures, which the court has not yet ruled on.

The United States has demanded answers from Israel after Hamas officials in Gaza claimed to have discovered a mass grave at a hospital that was targeted by a recent Israeli raid. The Hamas-run Civil Defense agency said that health workers uncovered nearly 340 bodies of people allegedly killed and buried by Israeli forces at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. However, evidence suggests that this claim is false, as the bodies had previously been buried at that same location by Palestinians amid the fighting between Israeli forces and terror operatives in the area.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has denounced Representative Jared Moskowitz’s (D-FL) comments about Senator Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) stance on antisemitism as “shameful.” Moskowitz had questioned Sanders’ commitment to opposing antisemitism in the wake of Sanders’ criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. In response, Ocasio-Cortez highlighted Sanders’ family’s experience during the Holocaust and his dedication to protecting the innocent. She also emphasized that Sanders and other Jewish leaders deserve respect, not accusations of antisemitism.

Students at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, have joined a growing movement of college campuses across the United States in demanding that their institutions sever ties with Israel. The protests have been sparked by the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas, which has resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people in Gaza. Students at Emerson College have set up an encampment in an alleyway on campus, where they are calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for the college to disclose all of its financial ties to Israel. The students have been joined by supporters from other universities, including MIT and Harvard. The protests have been peaceful, but Emerson College officials have warned students that they may face disciplinary action if they continue to violate city ordinances.

President Joe Biden met on Wednesday with Abigail Edan, the 4-year-old American girl who was held hostage in Gaza for several weeks at the start of the war. The meeting was a reminder of the ongoing work to secure the release of dozens of people still believed to be held captive in Gaza by Hamas. Israel claims that Hamas is holding around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others. The meeting was bittersweet for Biden, as Abigail’s parents were killed in the October 7 attack that led to her captivity. Despite the trauma she endured, Abigail was able to be returned safely to her family. The meeting came the same day that Hamas released a video of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli American who remains in their custody. Goldberg-Polin was seen in the video with part of his left arm missing. U.S. law enforcement officials are assessing the video.

Palestinian civil defense workers have discovered nearly 400 bodies in mass graves near the territory’s two largest hospitals, raising concerns about serious human rights violations. The bodies, including those of women and the elderly, were found with their hands bound and gunshot wounds to the head. The location of the mass graves in hospitals, which are entitled to special protection under international law, raises further alarms. The United Nations Human Rights Chief has called for an independent investigation into the matter.