Israeli military says it killed local Hamas commander in West Bank

Israeli military says it killed local Hamas commander in West Bank
A Palestinian youth lifts his t-shirt up to show Israeli troops that he is unarmed during a military operation in Jenin in the north of the occupied West Bank on August 29, 2024.(AFP)
Short Url
Updated 31 August 2024
Follow

Israeli military says it killed local Hamas commander in West Bank

Israeli military says it killed local Hamas commander in West Bank
  • Two other Hamas gunmen who tried to escape the car they were all traveling in were killed by a drone
  • Weapons, explosives and large sums of cash were found in the vehicle

JERUSALEM: Israeli forces killed a local commander of the militant group Hamas in the flashpoint city of Jenin on Friday as they pressed a major operation in the occupied West Bank for a third day, the Israeli military said.
The military said Border Police forces had killed Wassem Hazem, who it said was the head of Hamas in Jenin and was involved in shooting and bombing attacks in the Palestinian territory.
Two other Hamas gunmen who tried to escape the car they were all traveling in were killed by a drone, it said. Weapons, explosives and large sums of cash were found in the vehicle, it said. There was no immediate comment from Hamas.
In the village of Zababdeh, just outside Jenin, a burnt-out car riddled with bullet holes stood against a wall where the driver crashed the vehicle after being pursued by an Israeli special forces unit, residents said.
Villager Saif Ghannam, 25, said one of the two other men who escaped from the vehicle was killed just outside his house by a small drone strike that shattered the windows, while a second man was killed a short distance away.
Ghannam said Israeli forces had removed the bodies but large pools of blood lay on the ground where he said the men were killed.
The incident occurred as Israeli forces kept up a large-scale operation involving hundreds of troops and police that was launched in the early hours of Wednesday morning in Jenin and Tulkarm, another volatile city in the northern West Bank, as well as the Jordan Valley.
Israeli armored personnel carriers backed by helicopters and drones pushed into Jenin and Tulkarm on Friday while armored bulldozers plowed up roads to destroy roadside bombs planted by the militant groups.
The escalation in hostilities in the West Bank takes place as fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas militants still rages in the Gaza Strip nearly 11 months since it began, and clashes with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement in the Israel-Lebanon border area have intensified.
In the first two days of the West Bank operation, at least 17 Palestinians were killed, including the local commander of the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad forces in Tulkarm.
Since the Hamas attack on Israel last October that triggered the Gaza war, more than 660 Palestinians — combatants and civilians — have been killed in the West Bank, according to Palestinian tallies, some by Israeli troops and some by Jewish settlers who have carried out frequent attacks on West Bank Palestinian communities.
Israel says Iran provides weapons and support to militant factions in the West Bank — under Israeli occupation since the 1967 Middle East war — and the military has as a result cranked up its operations there.
The British government said on Friday it was “deeply concerned” by Israel’s operation in the West Bank and said there was an urgent need for de-escalation.
“We recognize Israel’s need to defend itself against security threats, but we are deeply worried by the methods Israel has employed and by reports of civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure,” a Foreign Office statement said.

 


Sudan army govt accuses paramilitaries of causing 120 civilian deaths in 2 days

Updated 3 sec ago
Follow

Sudan army govt accuses paramilitaries of causing 120 civilian deaths in 2 days

Sudan army govt accuses paramilitaries of causing 120 civilian deaths in 2 days
The Janjaweed militia (paramilitaries) committed a new massacre in the town of Hilaliya

PORT SUDAN: The Sudanese foreign ministry accused paramilitaries late Thursday of causing at least 120 civilian deaths over two days in Al-Jazira state, reportedly in attacks involving gunfire, food poisoning and lack of medical care.
“The Janjaweed militia (paramilitaries) committed a new massacre in the town of Hilaliya in Al-Jazira state over the past two days, resulting in 120 martyrs so far, killed either by gunfire or due to food poisoning and lack of medical care affecting hundreds of civilians,” the ministry of the army-backed government said in a statement obtained by AFP.

Yemen’s Houthi militants shoot down what they say was a US drone as American military investigates

Yemen’s Houthi militants shoot down what they say was a US drone as American military investigates
Updated 52 min 31 sec ago
Follow

Yemen’s Houthi militants shoot down what they say was a US drone as American military investigates

Yemen’s Houthi militants shoot down what they say was a US drone as American military investigates
  • The US military acknowledged the videos circulating online showing what appeared to be a flaming aircraft dropping out of the sky
  • The Houthis claimed to have downed an American MQ-9 Reaper drone

DUBAI: Yemen’s Houthi militants shot down what they described as an American drone early Friday, potentially the latest downing of a US spy drone as the militants continue their attacks on the Red Sea corridor.
The US military acknowledged the videos circulating online showing what appeared to be a flaming aircraft dropping out of the sky and a field of burning debris in what those off-camera described as an area of Yemen’s Al-Jawf province. The military said it was investigating the incident, declining to elaborate further.
It wasn’t immediately clear what kind of aircraft was shot down in the low-quality night video. The Houthis, in a later statement, claimed to have downed an American MQ-9 Reaper drone.
The Houthis have surface-to-air missiles — such as the Iranian missile known as the 358 — capable of downing aircraft. Iran denies arming the militants, though Tehran-manufactured weaponry has been found on the battlefield and in sea shipments heading to Yemen for the Shiite Houthi militants despite a United Nations arms embargo.
The Houthis have been a key component of Iran’s self-described “Axis of Resistance” during the Mideast wars that includes Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Hamas and other militant groups.
Since Houthis seized the country’s north and its capital of Sanaa in 2014, the militants have shot down MQ-9 Reaper drones in Yemen in 2017, 2019, 2023 and 2024. The US military has declined to offer a total figure for the number of drones it has lost during that time.
Reapers, which cost around $30 million apiece, can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet (15,240 meters) and have an endurance of up to 24 hours before needing to land. The aircraft have been flown by both the US military and the CIA over Yemen for years.
The Houthis have targeted more than 90 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip started in October 2023. They seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign that has also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have also included Western military vessels.
The militants maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the US or the UK to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran. The tempo of the Houthi sea attacks also has waxed and waned over the months.
In October, the US military unleashed B-2 stealth bombers to target underground bunkers used by the Houthis.


Israeli defense minister officially steps down

Israeli defense minister officially steps down
Updated 08 November 2024
Follow

Israeli defense minister officially steps down

Israeli defense minister officially steps down
  • Israel has been rocked by Gallant’s dismissal, with the news setting off mass protests across the country
  • Israel Katz, his replacement, currently serves as foreign minister and is a longtime Netanyahu loyalist and veteran Cabinet minister
Israel has been rocked by Gallant’s dismissal, with the news setting off mass protests across the country
Israel Katz, his replacement, currently serves as foreign minister and is a longtime Netanyahu loyalist and veteran Cabinet minister

TEL AVIV: Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant officially stepped down Friday in a ceremony that replaced him with Israel Katz, the former foreign minister, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Gallant earlier this week.
Israel has been rocked by Gallant’s dismissal, with the news setting off mass protests across the country. Many in Israel view Gallant as the sole moderate voice in a far-right government, and see his removal as a sign that the far-right government of Benjamin Netanyahu has lost interest in returning hostages still held in Gaza.
Israel Katz, his replacement, currently serves as foreign minister and is a longtime Netanyahu loyalist and veteran Cabinet minister.
Also Friday, the Israeli military body handling aid to Gaza, COGAT, said it is preparing to open a new aid crossing into Gaza as the deadline for a US deadline to increase desperately-needed aid into the war-ravaged territory approaches. But the body did not say when the crossing will open nor if aid will be delivered to north of Gaza, where the UN and aid groups say the humanitarian situation is most dire.
The United Nations humanitarian office says Israel’s monthlong offensive in northern Gaza is preventing the estimated 75,000 to 95,000 Palestinians in the north from receiving essential items for their survival.
On Thursday, the Israeli military says it will allow 300 truckloads of humanitarian aid supplied by the United Arab Emirates to enter the Gaza Strip in the coming days. That’s less than the 350 trucks per day that the United States said it wants to see enter the war-ravaged territory.
The Israel-Hamas war began after militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducting 250 others. Israel’s military response in Gaza has killed more than 43,000 people, Palestinian health officials say. They do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but say more than half of those killed were women and children.
Hezbollah began firing into Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, in solidarity with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Since the conflict erupted, more than 3,100 people have been killed and some 13,800 wounded in Lebanon, the health ministry reported.

Turkiye, Greece must work together to resolve host of issues, Turkish minister says

Turkiye, Greece must work together to resolve host of issues, Turkish minister says
Updated 08 November 2024
Follow

Turkiye, Greece must work together to resolve host of issues, Turkish minister says

Turkiye, Greece must work together to resolve host of issues, Turkish minister says
  • Issues between NATO allies Turkiye and Greece are not limited to disagreements over maritime boundaries and jurisdiction in the eastern Mediterranean

ANKARA: Issues between NATO allies Turkiye and Greece are not limited to disagreements over maritime boundaries and jurisdiction in the eastern Mediterranean, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday, adding the historic rivals must work together to resolve them.
Speaking at a press conference in Athens alongside his Greek counterpart, Fidan also repeated Ankara’s view that a federation model to resolve the dispute over the ethnically-split island of Cyprus was no longer viable, calling for a two-state solution.
He also said Turkiye wanted to deepen cooperation with Greece on irregular migration and counter-terrorism, while increasing cooperation on tourism and cultural affairs.


HRW urges immediate action on incendiary weapons amid Gaza, Lebanon wars

HRW urges immediate action on incendiary weapons amid Gaza, Lebanon wars
Updated 08 November 2024
Follow

HRW urges immediate action on incendiary weapons amid Gaza, Lebanon wars

HRW urges immediate action on incendiary weapons amid Gaza, Lebanon wars
  • Weaponry ‘among cruelest in modern warfare’: Human Rights Watch
  • ‘A complete ban on incendiary weapons would undoubtedly have the greatest humanitarian benefits’

LONDON:Countries must work to prohibit the use of incendiary weapons amid growing evidence of their harm on civilians in Gaza and Lebanon, Human Rights Watch has said.

The organization released a 28-page report examining the recent use of the weaponry, which can inflict “excruciating burns, respiratory damage and psychological trauma.”

The report draws on HRW interviews with survivors of incendiary weapons, medical professionals and members of civil society.

It comes ahead of a UN meeting in Geneva next week of states party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

HRW urged those countries to condemn the use of incendiary weapons and commit to redressing two loopholes in the treaty’s Protocol III that undermine the protection of civilians.

Since October 2023, Israel has widely deployed airburst and ground-launched white phosphorus munitions in populated areas of Gaza and Lebanon, photographic evidence has shown.

Bonnie Docherty, senior arms adviser at HRW, said: “Incendiary weapons are being used in several conflicts, endangering civilian lives and livelihoods.

“Governments need to take immediate action to protect civilians, civilian infrastructure and the environment from the horrific effects of these weapons.”

HRW described incendiary munitions as “among the cruelest weapons in modern warfare.” As well as harming people, the weapons also cause socioeconomic and environmental damage by burning homes and crops, it said.

Israel has used white phosphorus munitions, a type of incendiary weapon, in at least 17 Lebanese municipalities, including five cases of illegally deployed airburst weapons over southern Lebanon, between October 2023 and June this year.

CCW Protocol III, signed by 117 countries, contains loopholes permitting white phosphorus and features weaker regulations for ground-launched munitions than air-launched weaponry, HRW said.

Hundreds of Lebanese civilians have been displaced following Israeli white phosphorus attacks, with survivors suffering respiratory damage months after exposure.

Lebanese olive groves, a crucial source of income for many, have also come under attack, with white phosphorus able to start wildfires and cause long-term damage to soil quality.

Internationally, pressure has mounted in recent years to address the proliferation of incendiary weapons.

At the most recent CCW meeting last November, more than 100 countries condemned the humanitarian consequences of the weaponry.

HRW urged countries at next week’s Geneva meeting to “initiate informal consultations” that address the loopholes in Protocol III.

Docherty said: “Governments should seize the moment to reiterate their concerns about incendiary weapons and discuss ways to strengthen the law to better protect civilians.

“A complete ban on incendiary weapons would undoubtedly have the greatest humanitarian benefits.”