Israel's Bigotry
Live Reporting
Ben-Gvir threatens to withdraw support unless Israel attacks Rafah
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir warned Netanyahu if he decides to end the war on Gaza without “an extensive attack on Rafah” to defeat the Palestinian group Hamas “he will not have a mandate to continue serving as prime minister”.
The far-right minister is a key member of the Netanyahu-led coalition government. Without the support of Ben-Gvir’s party, the prime minister would lose the majority in the Knesset.
Ben-Gvir’s comment came on X after renewed negotiations for a potential ceasefire and the release of captives in Cairo. There are conflicting reports on how the talks went. Some sources said progress was made, while a Hamas official told Al Jazeera and the Reuters news agency the gap between the warring sides is still wide.
How will Iran respond to Israel’s attack on its Syria consulate?
Iran has a lot of options – but none very good – after a suspected Israeli strike killed seven IRGC personnel in Damascus last week, including two top generals.
Even though Iran may be willing to tolerate the risk of an accidental regional war, it has repeatedly shown it does not want direct conflict with Israel or the US and will try to keep violence below that threshold.
Khan Younis ‘destroyed beyond recognition’
The moment people heard the Israelis would withdraw from the city of Khan Younis, Palestinians who were displaced in Rafah city and the central area of the Strip rushed back to inspect their homes and to check on remaining family members who were trapped.
We’re looking at more than 90 percent of the city destroyed, not only residential homes but also public facilities, the roads – entire areas have been destroyed beyond recognition.
We were told by some residents of the eastern part of Khan Younis they could not recognise the streets where they lived all their lives.
US military support for Israel: What does it provide?
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has prompted calls for Washington to put conditions on the billions of dollars in military funding and other assistance it provides to Israel, which has received more US foreign aid since World War Two than any other country.
The following are details of US support for Israel as it fights Hamas in Gaza.
UN Security Council to consider Palestine’s request for UN membership
The UN Security Council will meet to consider Palestine’s request to become a UN member state today, Monday October 8.
The council will hold closed consultations in the morning before a public meeting to discuss Palestine’s formal application for full UN membership begins at midday New York time [4pm GMT].
The Palestinian Authority has held non-member observer status at the UN since 2012 and supporters say about 140 of the UN’s 193 members already recognise Palestine as a state.
But the application could still be vetoed by a permanent member of the Security Council, with US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller last week saying the question of Palestinian statehood should be determined by “direct negotiations” and “not at the United Nations”.
Protests in Cyprus – ‘stop funding genocide’
Protesters lie on the ground to mark a moment of silence outside the Nicosia Municipal Theatre during a demonstration in the centre of the southern side of Cyprus’s divided capital Nicosia on Sunday [Etienne Torbey/AFP]
A protester stands with a sign condemning Israel at the protest, marking six months of Israel’s war on Gaza [Etienne Torbey/AFP]
German civil servants demand ‘immediate’ end to Israeli arms supplies
About 600 German civil servants have written to Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other senior ministers calling on the government to “cease arm deliveries to the Israeli government with immediate effect”.
The civil servants sent the statement via email to ministries last week, with the disclaimer that “due to the sensitive content and the excessive state repression that criticism in this area is met with, we want to remain anonymous”.
In 2023, Germany approved arms exports to Israel worth 326.5 million euros ($354m), a tenfold increase compared with the previous year. Researchers also found that 99 percent of Israel’s arms come from the United States and Germany, with the latter being the second-biggest supplier.
The letter comes as Germany is set to face the International Court of Justice (ICJ) today in a case brought by Nicaragua over Germany’s support for Israel’s war on Gaza.
Israeli forces beat worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque: Wafa
Israeli forces raided the Bab al-Rahma prayer hall in the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, beating worshippers and arresting two of them, the Wafa news agency is reporting quoting witnesses.
Tensions have been running high at the site as Israeli authorities have denied entry to the mosque to the vast majority of Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank during Ramadan.
Search for survivors after Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon
Local news outlets have posted videos, verified by Al Jazeera, showing rescue workers searching through the rubble for survivors after Israeli air strikes hit the town of Sultaniya, in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah has traded fire with Israel across Lebanon’s southern border since October.
Israeli shelling has killed about 270 Hezbollah fighters and 50 civilians. In southern Lebanon, some 90,000 people have been displaced, while more than 96,000 Israelis have been forced to flee the northern border area.
Progress towards agreement in Cairo truce talks: Report
Progress has been made towards all parties agreeing on basic points at truce talks in Cairo, Egypt’s Al Qahera news outlet is reporting, citing a senior Egyptian source.
The report added that delegations from Hamas and Qatar have now left Cairo and will return within two days to agree on terms of a final agreement, while delegations from Israel and the US are expected to leave Cairo within hours. Consultations will continue over the next two days, the report added.
Earlier, Israeli news outlet Haaretz reported that senior Israeli officials were participating in the talks in Cairo on Sunday, with a delegation from Hamas, the US’s CIA Director William Burns and Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani also present.
Netanyahu says Israel 'one step from victory' in Gaza
JERUSALEM (AFP) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday (Apr 7) said Israel was "one step away from victory" in the Gaza war and vowed there would be no truce until Hamas frees all hostages.
He was speaking in a Cabinet meeting marking six months of the war that broke out on Oct 7 after an unprecedented attack on Israel by Hamas militants.
Israel reduces troops in south Gaza, Egypt to host new talks
JERUSALEM/CAIRO (Reuters) - Israel said on Sunday (Apr 7) it had withdrawn more soldiers from southern Gaza, leaving just one brigade, as it and Hamas sent teams to Egypt for fresh talks on a potential ceasefire in the six-month conflict.
Israel has been reducing numbers in Gaza since the start of the year to relieve reservists and is under growing pressure from its ally Washington to improve the humanitarian situation, especially after last week's killing of seven aid workers.
Aid agencies decry 'shocking' toll six months into Gaza war
GENEVA (AFP) – The United Nations and international aid organisations decried Sunday the devastating toll of six months of war in Gaza, warning that the Palestinian territory had become "beyond catastrophic".
"Six months is an awful milestone," the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said, warning that "humanity has been all but abandoned".
