Israel’s war in Gaza a ‘slow motion, mass murder of children,’ Jordan’s Queen Rania tells CNN 

Israel’s war in Gaza a ‘slow motion, mass murder of children,’ Jordan’s Queen Rania tells CNN 
Jordan’s Queen Rania in a CNN interview with Christiane Amanpour. (CNN)
Short Url
Updated 12 March 2024
Follow

Israel’s war in Gaza a ‘slow motion, mass murder of children,’ Jordan’s Queen Rania tells CNN 

Israel’s war in Gaza a ‘slow motion, mass murder of children,’ Jordan’s Queen Rania tells CNN 
  • Queen Rania said the widespread hunger in Gaza is “not a natural disaster,” but rather “deprivation by design"

LONDON: Israel’s war in Gaza has been “a slow motion, mass murder of children, five months in the making,” Jordan’s Queen Rania said on Monday in a CNN interview with Christiane Amanpour.

Speaking about the ongoing crisis in the region, the queen said: “Since the beginning of this war, Israel has cut off everything that is required to sustain a human life — food, fuel, shelter, medicine, water — and it has been going on now for four or five months, and allowed the people of Gaza to completely rely on outside assistance.

“And actually it has systematically denied and delayed a lot of that assistance, occasionally bombing some of the convoys that bring this assistance and bombing some of the people, shooting some of the people who are trying to get whatever scarce resources they can get.”

Queen Rania reflected on the meaning of Ramadan in the midst of Israel’s war in Gaza, in which innocent civilians are struggling to survive with a lack of basic necessities.

She added: “Ramadan for us is a month of worship, charity and compassion for our fellow human beings. And I think this year we're welcoming these holidays with very heavy hearts.”

The queen cited UN reports of a widespread food crisis in Gaza, in which every resident is facing hunger and with more than 550,000 people on the brink of famine.

She said: “I'm hearing of people just eating whatever they can get their hands on, including grass, or they’re having to grind bird feed or animal feed just to make bread.

“And in the north of Gaza, people are not on the verge of starvation but are actually dying of starvation.

“It is absolutely shameful, outrageous, and entirely predictable, what’s happening in Gaza today, because it was deliberate.”

Pointing out the tonnes of food in trucks just miles away from people who are starving, Queen Rania said the widespread hunger in Gaza is “not a natural disaster,” but rather “deprivation by design.”

Explaining the reason for Jordan’s humanitarian airdrops, the queen said: “We found that after trying so hard in vain to persuade Israel to open the land access points, that we had to do something. We couldn’t just sit idle and watch people starving.”

She added that airdrops were “desperate measures” to address a “desperate situation,” describing them as “drops in an ocean of unmet needs.” 

Queen Rania, echoing King Abdullah’s comments, said that these efforts were far from sufficient and could not replace large-scale humanitarian access to deal with the issue.

She called for an immediate and sustained ceasefire, the opening of all access points into Gaza, the streamlining of inspection processes, and the safe distribution of aid within the region.

However, she said: “I think now we’re past the stage of trying to talk Israel into doing those things. We need to actually start using measures and political leverage to get them to do those things.”
 


Two Egyptian pilots killed in helicopter crash in Suez: army

Updated 3 sec ago
Follow

Two Egyptian pilots killed in helicopter crash in Suez: army

Two Egyptian pilots killed in helicopter crash in Suez: army
The Egyptian air force operates aircraft from various countries

CAIRO: Two Egyptian air force officers were killed on Tuesday when a helicopter crashed during a training exercise, the military said.
The helicopter went down near a key air base in the town of Shalufa, in Suez province, “due to a technical malfunction,” military spokesman Gharib Abdel Hafez said in a post on his official Facebook page.
He did not specify the manufacturer or model of the aircraft.
The Egyptian air force operates aircraft from various countries, including France, Russia and the United States.
In November 2022, the military said a fighter jet had crashed during a military exercise but it reported no casualties.
In December 2019, an aircraft crashed during a training exercise. The pilot ejected safely.

US soldier injured during Gaza pier operation has died: military

US soldier injured during Gaza pier operation has died: military
Updated 15 min 57 sec ago
Follow

US soldier injured during Gaza pier operation has died: military

US soldier injured during Gaza pier operation has died: military
  • “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Sgt. Quandarius Davon Stanley,” Captain Shkeila Milford-Glover said
  • In addition to the injuries, the project faced other problems starting in May, when the pier was damaged by bad weather and had to be removed for repairs

WASHINGTON: An American soldier has died after being injured during Washington’s problem-plagued operation to establish a temporary aid pier on the coast of Gaza, the US military said Tuesday.
The pier effort aimed to boost deliveries of desperately needed humanitarian assistance into the war-wracked Palestinian territory as Israel held up shipments by land.
But the effort ran into repeated weather issues and the United States ended it in mid-July, some two months after its installation.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Sgt. Quandarius Davon Stanley, a recently retired motor transport operator,” Captain Shkeila Milford-Glover, spokesperson for the 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, said in a statement.
She did not say when Stanley died or what kind of injury he had sustained, specifying only that the soldier had been receiving treatment in a long-term care facility.
He was one of three US military personnel who suffered non-combat injuries at sea during the pier operation.
The two others suffered minor injuries, a sprained ankle and a hurt back, the military said in May.
In addition to the injuries, the project faced other problems starting in May, when the pier was damaged by bad weather and had to be removed for repairs.
It was then reattached on June 7, but was moved to Ashdod on June 14 to protect it from anticipated high seas — a situation that was repeated later in the month.
US President Joe Biden announced the pier project during his State of the Union address in March as Israel held up deliveries of assistance by land, and the Pentagon has said it helped push the Israeli government to open more aid routes.


Japanese prime minister praises Saudi Arabia’s role in addressing the Gaza crisis

Japanese prime minister praises Saudi Arabia’s role in addressing the Gaza crisis
Updated 31 min 35 sec ago
Follow

Japanese prime minister praises Saudi Arabia’s role in addressing the Gaza crisis

Japanese prime minister praises Saudi Arabia’s role in addressing the Gaza crisis
  • PM Ishiba made the remarks during a telephone summit with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
  • Ishiba stated that he would like to strengthen the strategic partnership between Japan and Saudi Arabia

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba hailed “Saudi Arabia’s leadership on Gaza” and expressed his determination to continue working with the Kingdom to bring stability to the Middle East.

Ishiba made the remarks during a telephone summit with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday, during which he expressed his hope that Saudi Arabia would continue to play a leading role in stabilizing the global oil market.

The Foreign Ministry in Tokyo said the crown prince expressed his wish to deepen cooperation with Japan in various fields, including politics, economics, security, and potentially technology transfer and cultural exchange.

Ishiba said he would like Japan and Saudi Arabia to expand cooperation to areas including clean energy, advanced technology, and entertainment.

With 2025 marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Ishiba reiterated his commitment to peace and stability in the region. He stated that he would like to strengthen the strategic partnership between Japan and Saudi Arabia and work even more closely together to promote these values. The crown prince also affirmed his commitment to these goals, stating that Saudi Arabia attaches great importance to its relations with Japan and welcomes further cooperation.

The Foreign Ministry added that both leaders shared their concerns about conflicts in the Middle East and the need for all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint. Ishiba said he appreciated Saudi Arabia’s leadership on Gaza, and the two leaders agreed to continue working closely together to achieve stability in the Middle East.


Syrian state media: Israel attacked town near Lebanon border

Syrian state media: Israel attacked town near Lebanon border
Updated 32 min 42 sec ago
Follow

Syrian state media: Israel attacked town near Lebanon border

Syrian state media: Israel attacked town near Lebanon border

DAMASCUS: An Israeli strike hit a Syrian town near the border with Lebanon on Tuesday, Syrian state media said, less than a week after deadly strikes on the same area.
“An Israeli aggression targeted the industrial zone in Al-Qusayr” in Homs province, the official SANA news agency said. There was no immediate news of casualties or damage.

Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria mainly targeting army positions and Iran-backed fighters including from Hezbollah.
The Israeli military has intensified its strikes on Syria since it launched its war on Hezbollah in neighbouring Lebanon.
Israeli authorities rarely comment on the strikes, but have repeatedly said they will not allow arch-enemy Iran to expand its presence in Syria.


Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says war death toll at 43,391

Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says war death toll at 43,391
Updated 05 November 2024
Follow

Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says war death toll at 43,391

Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says war death toll at 43,391
  • The toll includes 17 deaths in the previous 24 hours

GAZA STRIP: The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Tuesday that at least 43,391 people have been killed in the year-old war between Israel and Palestinian militants.
The toll includes 17 deaths in the previous 24 hours, according to the ministry, which said 102,347 people have been wounded in the Gaza Strip since the war began when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.