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The death toll has exceeded 40,000 since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct 7, 2023.
GAZA -- At least 35 Palestinians were killed and dozens of others injured in an Israeli air strike targeting a school housing displaced people in the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported on Thursday.
An Israeli fighter jet bombed at least three classrooms with several missiles, medical sources told Xinhua.
Hamas-run media office in Gaza condemned Israel's attack on the school as a "terrible massacre" in a statement, calling it "clear evidence of the crime of genocide committed against civilians."
The office said that Israel and the United States "should bear full responsibility for these crimes that endanger humanity and violate international law."
Israel Defense Forces attacked a Hamas compound inside a school in the Nuseirat area during the night, eliminating many saboteurs who participated in an attack on Oct. 7, 2023, said Avichay Adraee, Israeli military spokesperson, in a statement on Thursday.
GAZA/JERUSALEM -- Israeli fighter jets targeted Hamas positions in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, with ground forces simultaneously operating in the area based on intelligence, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on Tuesday.
In a separate statement, Adraee reported that Israeli forces conducted a "precise raid operation" in Gaza City's Sabra neighborhood last week, discovering rocket warheads hidden in bags belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The UN agency, which plays a critical role in providing humanitarian aid in Gaza, has not commented on the Israeli claims.
Adraee also announced the completion of the destruction of a 1.5-kilometer-long and 23-meter-deep underground tunnel on Monday. The tunnel, used by Hamas, bypassed areas where Israeli forces are stationed. The exact location of the tunnel was not disclosed.
On May 7, the Israeli military expanded its operations in Rafah, directing over 1.5 million Palestinians to move to Khan Younis and other central Gaza areas. The UNRWA estimates that these areas now shelter approximately 1.7 million people.
Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza in retaliation for the group's October assault on southern Israel, which resulted in around 1,200 deaths and over 200 hostages taken.
RAFAH/JERUSALEM — Fresh strikes were reported across the Gaza Strip overnight into Monday, as doubts were growing about a plan for a Gaza cease-fire and hostage release deal outlined by the United States.
US President Joe Biden on Friday presented what he labeled an Israeli three-phase plan that would end the conflict, free all hostages and the reconstruction of the devastated Palestinian territory.
Israeli media have questioned to what extent Biden's speech and some crucial details were coordinated with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's team, including how long any truce would hold and how many captives would be freed when.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir accused Netanyahu on Monday of trying to "whitewash" the deal to wind down the Gaza assault and repeated a threat to quit the government.
Mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States said they called "on both Hamas and Israel to finalize the agreement".
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Sunday that "we have every expectation that if Hamas agrees to the proposal … that Israel would say yes".
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken "commended" Israel on the plan in a phone call with War Cabinet member Benny Gantz and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the State Department said.
Hamas has said it "views positively" the deal while the Palestinian National Liberation Movement on Sunday expressed its hope that the proposal will end Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
But the bombardments and combat show no sign of easing, with the conflict soon entering its ninth month.
On Monday, the Israeli military said over the past day its forces had struck "over 50 targets in the Gaza Strip".
Fighting has continued to rock Gaza, with hospitals there reporting at least 19 killed in overnight strikes into Monday morning.
Airstrikes and shelling were reported in Gaza City as well as in Rafah.
Crossing reopening talks
Egyptian state-linked Al-Qahera News said a Sunday meeting in Cairo with Israeli and US officials to discuss reopening the crossing had ended, without saying whether an agreement was reached.
Quoting a senior official, Al-Qahera said Egypt reiterated its demand that "Israel withdraw from the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing so it can resume operations".
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said Sunday that all 36 of its shelters in Rafah "are now empty" after at least a million people fled the city.
Adding to the region's tension, Israeli airstrikes after midnight Monday killed 12 pro-Iranian militias in Syria's northern province of Aleppo, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The attack hit several sites in the countryside of Aleppo. Several explosions were heard across the area.
Meanwhile, the Maldives government will ban Israelis from the Indian Ocean archipelago, the office of the president said on Sunday, announcing a national rally in "solidarity with Palestine".
Israel's Foreign Ministry said in response that the ministry recommends Israelis avoid any travel to the Maldives, including those with foreign passports, and those currently there to consider leaving.
Agencies - Xinhua
CAIRO -- The foreign ministers of Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday stressed the importance of dealing seriously and positively with the US President's proposal leading to a deal that guarantees a permanent ceasefire and the adequate delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip.
In a joint statement issued after a virtual meeting, the foreign ministers of the five Arab countries said they had discussed developments in the mediation efforts undertaken by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States that will lead to a permanent ceasefire, the release of hostages and detainees, and the adequate entry of aid into Gaza.
The foreign ministers of Jordan, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia affirmed their support for the mediation efforts, according to a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry.
The ministers also highlighted the need to stop the aggression against Gaza and end the humanitarian catastrophe it has triggered, the return of the displaced to their homes, and the complete withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from the Gaza Strip.
They reaffirmed that achieving the two-state solution is the only way to achieve security and peace for the entire region, and to this end, implementing relevant UN Security Council resolutions with clear timelines and binding guarantees.
The international community has slammed Israel's plan to designate the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, or UNRWA, as a "terrorist organization", calling the proposal "outrageous" and warning that it would have "terrible consequences" in worsening the already dire situation in Gaza.
The Knesset, the unicameral parliament of Israel, on May 29 passed a preliminary reading of a bill designating UNRWA a terrorist organization. The bill will abolish immunity and privileges for UNRWA personnel, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Further, if the bill passes the final reading, the Anti-Terrorism Law will also apply to UNRWA, enabling Israel to cease all ties with the UN agency, and leading to closure of the humanitarian agency's operations in Israeli territory.
Mohammad Abualrob, director of the Palestinian Government Communications Center in the West Bank, told China Daily that Israel's allegations against UNRWA "are fundamentally baseless".
"Most donor countries supporting UNRWA have resumed their funding after recognizing the inaccuracy of Israel's claims. However, the Israeli Knesset's vote to designate the UN agency as a 'terrorist organization' will undoubtedly impact its operations in the Palestinian territories," said Abualrob.
This designation, he said, would affect the entry of UNRWA's foreign staff into Palestine, as "their access is controlled through Israeli crossing points".
"It will also hinder the agency's ability to pay salaries to its staff, procure aid, and distribute it to the 2.5 million Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem who rely on this support," he added.
Christopher Lockyear, secretary general of Medicins Sans Frontieres International (MSF), said in a statement that the bill is an "outrageous attack on humanitarian assistance" and an act of collective punishment against the Palestinian people.
"Not only is humanitarian aid being obstructed, but if the bill passes a final reading, it will also be criminalized under Israel's Anti-Terrorism Law, in contradiction with international humanitarian law," said Lockyear.
He said it would have terrible consequences as it could amount to a "free license" to attack UNRWA facilities and its humanitarian personnel, and would further endanger civilians seeking the protection of the UN agency.
The MSF urged Israel's allies, which "are all members of the UN", to "stop the bloodshed" and "stand against this move to criminalize humanitarian assistance and ensure that UNRWA can continue its essential work".
Saudi Arabia and Qatar condemned the Israeli parliament's move, with the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying in a statement that such classification "aims to lift the diplomatic immunity of UNRWA employees who are doing their duty to alleviate the severity of the humanitarian catastrophe that the Palestinian people are going through".
"The Kingdom stresses that Israel, as an occupying state, must abide by international humanitarian law and stop obstructing the work of international organizations," the Saudi ministry said.
Qatar's foreign ministry said in a statement that attempting to classify the UNRWA as a terrorist organization is "an extension of the systematic campaign aimed at dismantling the agency" at a time when the need for its humanitarian services is dire "due to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip".
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs renews the State of Qatar's call for the international community to stand firmly in the face of Israeli plans aimed at liquidating the agency and depriving millions of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon of its necessary services," the statement said.
Also weighing in was the European Union, which said it was deeply concerned about the terrorist designation and the Israeli Land Authority ordering UNRWA to vacate its East Jerusalem premises within the next 30 days.
"We recall the crucial and irreplaceable role of UNRWA in the humanitarian response in Gaza. UNRWA provides vital services to millions of people in Gaza, the West Bank, as well as across the region, including in Lebanon and Jordan," the EU said in a statement on May 31.
"The EU is a firm supporter of the United Nations, and the multilateral and rules based global governance system, of which UNRWA, as a UN agency, is a part. We urge the Israeli authorities to allow UNRWA to continue carrying out its crucial work in line with its mandate," it added.
Last month, the International Crisis Group designated Gaza as "currently the most dangerous place for aid workers in the world". This was after the Aid Worker Security Database (AWDS) - a platform that tracks attacks on aid workers globally - documented a staggering 308 incidents that targeted aid workers in Gaza, causing 234 deaths since Oct 7 last year.
RAFAH/JERUSALEM — Qatari, Egyptian and US mediators called on Israel and Hamas on Saturday to "finalize" a truce deal as Israeli forces pounded Rafah in southern Gaza.
Fighting has raged in the besieged Gaza Strip since US President Joe Biden said Israel was offering a new road map toward a full cease-fire.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has since insisted his country would pursue the war until it has achieved all its aims.
An aide to Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel had accepted the proposal, though he called it flawed.
In an interview with Britain's Sunday Times, Ophir Falk, chief foreign policy adviser to Netanyahu, said Biden's proposal was "a deal we agreed to — it's not a good deal but we dearly want the hostages released, all of them".
Hamas said it "views positively" the plan.
In a joint statement, Qatar, the United States and Egypt said that "as mediators in the ongoing discussions to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages and detainees", they "call on both Hamas and Israel to finalize the agreement" based on the principles of the US proposal.
Biden delivered a speech on Friday, in which he revealed a three-phase Israeli proposal that would lead to an end to the Gaza conflict and the release of all hostages.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "strongly hopes" the latest development "will lead to an agreement by the parties for lasting peace", a spokesman said.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, leaders of the two extreme-right parties in parliament, said they would leave the government if it endorses the truce proposal.
Israel sent tanks and troops into Rafah in early May, ignoring concerns for displaced Palestinian civilians sheltering in the city on the Egyptian border.
On Saturday, residents reported tank fire in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood in west Rafah, while witnesses in the east and center described intense shelling.
Netanyahu has faced growing domestic and international pressure over the fate of hostages and the dealings in the conflict, with Israelis rallying again on Saturday near military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
Chile's President Gabriel Boric said on Saturday the country was joining South Africa in its case at the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of "genocide" in the Gaza conflict.
Speaking to the National Congress, Boric decried the "catastrophic humanitarian situation" in Gaza and called for "a firm response from the international community".
Growing protests
Dozens of students protesting the conflict walked out of the University of Chicago's commencement on Saturday as the school withheld the diplomas of four seniors over their involvement with a pro-Palestinian encampment.
US students have walked out of commencements at Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other schools as protest camps have sprung up across the US and in Europe in recent weeks.
The students have demanded their universities stop doing business with Israel or companies they say support the conflict in Gaza.
Israel has launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 36,379 people, in retaliation to Hamas' attack on Oct 7, during which about 1,200 people were killed.
The Palestinian leadership emphasized on Saturday the necessity for the Israeli army to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and to open and hand over all Gaza border crossings to the Palestinian Authority.
It said that opening and handing over the crossings would enable the regular arrival of relief aid and all necessities for the people of Gaza.
Yemen's Houthi group said on Saturday night it had launched fresh attacks on the US aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, another US warship and four commercial cargo vessels in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea.
That marks the group's second strike against Dwight D. Eisenhower in less than 24 hours, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said.
There was no immediate comment from the US Navy or the targeted shipping companies.
Sarea vowed further attacks until "Israel stops its war and blockade against the Palestinians in Gaza".
Agencies—Xinhua
DOHA -- Qatar, the United States, and Egypt have jointly called on Hamas and Israel to finalize an agreement based on the principles of a US proposal, according to a statement from the Qatari foreign ministry on Saturday.
The three countries jointly call on both Hamas and Israel to do so "as mediators in the ongoing discussions to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages and detainees."
"These principles brought the demands of all parties together in a deal that serves multiple interests and will bring immediate relief both to the long-suffering people of Gaza as well as the long-suffering hostages and their families," the statement said.
"This deal offers a roadmap for a permanent ceasefire and ending the crisis," it added.
US President Joe Biden delivered a speech on Friday, in which he revealed a three-phase Israeli proposal that would lead to an end to the ongoing Gaza conflict and the release of all hostages.
CAIRO -- Officials from Egypt, Israel and the United States are scheduled to hold a meeting on Sunday in Cairo to discuss the reopening of the Rafah crossing in Gaza, Egypt's Al-Qahera News TV channel reported.
China and Arab states have adopted a joint declaration calling for a cease-fire in Gaza as soon as possible as well as a "comprehensive, just and lasting" solution to the Palestine question amid ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza.
In the joint declaration on the Palestine question released on Friday, one day after the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum was held in Beijing, both sides condemned Israel's attacks on Gaza.
They also condemned Israel's military offensive in Rafah, a city on the southwestern border of Gaza, days after an Israeli airstrike reportedly killed more than 40 people at a camp for displaced Palestinians in the area.
This round of the Palestine-Israel issue has dragged on for nearly eight months. Gaza has seen as many as 125,000 casualties of Palestinian civilians, most of whom are women and children, according to the joint declaration.
Palestinians in Gaza are subject to "fatal famines and blockades", and Israel is responsible for the humanitarian plight there, it said.
Both China and Arab states said they oppose the implementation of any plan, intention and behavior forcing Palestinian people to move from their land.
They urged the United Nations Security Council to adopt resolutions that are more binding to achieve an immediate, comprehensive and lasting cease-fire, stop the forced migration of Palestinian people and guarantee the provision of rescue supplies to Gaza.
Niu Xinchun, executive director of the China-Arab Research Institute of Ningxia University, said the joint declaration reflects the consistent position shared by China and Arab states over the conflict in Gaza.
The international community has been concerned by the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Niu said, adding that "an unconditional ceasefire is the most important way" to solve the crisis.
"China is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a major country, while the Arab world is among the most influential external forces over the Gaza conflict," Niu said. Such a joint declaration will serve to place "great pressure on Israel", thus helping to promote a cease-fire, he said.
In the declaration, both sides voiced their support for Palestine becoming an official member state of the UN, and condemned the United States for using its veto power to stop it from becoming a UN member state.
They also welcomed the recent trend in which many countries have recognized as the State of Palestine, and urged countries that haven't made the recognition to do so as soon as possible.
Norway, Spain and Ireland formally recognized the State of Palestine on Tuesday, less than three weeks after the UN General Assembly convened an emergency special session and overwhelmingly adopted a resolution urging the Security Council to reconsider Palestine's full UN membership.
The two-state solution is receiving increasingly extensive support in the world, Niu said, adding that more than 140 of the 193 UN member states have recognized Palestine as a sovereign state.
China stands on the side of justice by always calling for an implementation of the two-state solution and decrying all forms of violence against civilians, he said.
The country has played "a leading role" in the international community's efforts to promote an immediate cease-fire in Gaza by making its voice heard at many multilateral and bilateral occasions, including in the UN General Assembly, the UN Security Council and BRICS summits, Niu added.
JERUSALEM/GAZA -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has authorized the Israeli negotiation team to present an outline for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, according to a statement by Netanyahu's office on Friday.
The statement was issued following U.S. President Joe Biden's speech, in which Biden revealed a three-phase Israeli proposal that would lead to an end to the ongoing Gaza conflict and the release of all hostages.
"The Israeli government is united in the will to return our hostages as soon as possible and is working to achieve this goal," the Israeli statement said.
It added that "the prime minister authorized the negotiation team to present an outline for achieving this goal while insisting that the war will not end until all of its goals are achieved, including the return of all our hostages and the elimination of Hamas' military and governmental capabilities."
The statement noted that the outline, including the "conditional transition from phase to phase," allows Israel to "maintain these principles."
According to Biden, the first phase of the Israeli proposal includes a six-week "complete" ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli military forces from populated areas of Gaza, and the release of women, the elderly and the wounded being held hostage in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
At the same time, the Palestinian civilians will return to their homes and neighborhoods in "all areas of Gaza," including in the north, and 600 aid trucks will enter the enclave daily, according to the U.S. president.
During the first phase, the second phase will be discussed, and terms of a permanent end to hostilities will be negotiated. Biden said the six-week ceasefire will last as long as negotiations continue.
In the second phase, all living hostages will be released, and the temporary ceasefire will become permanent, while the third phase will see the return of the bodies of the deceased hostages to their families and the start of a major reconstruction plan in Gaza.
In his remarks on Friday, Biden also noted that the Israeli proposal had been transmitted by Qatar to Hamas.
On Friday night, Hamas, in response, confirmed its readiness to deal positively and in a constructive manner with any proposal for a permanent ceasefire.
The Gaza-ruling Palestinian faction said in a statement that it held a positive view of Biden's speech while stressing that the truce proposal should be based on the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the reconstruction of the strip, and the return of the displaced to their places, along with the fulfillment of a genuine prisoner swap deal if Israel clearly announces commitment to such deal.
"They understand us and know what's the solution for us, giving us more resilience," said Palestinian Ambassador to China Fariz Mehdawi, sharing his takeaway with China Daily reporter Peng Yixuan during the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, adding, "these days are very, very tough".
GAZA - The Israeli army has withdrawn from the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip after nearly three weeks of military operation there, Palestine TV reported on Friday.
The civil defense agency in Gaza said that rescuers found a large number of bodies in the area from which the Israeli army has withdrawn, and the search and rescue work is still ongoing.
The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 36,224, according to a statement released by health authorities in the Palestinian enclave on Thursday.
GAZA -- Hamas announced on Thursday that it has informed mediators of its readiness to reach a "full agreement," including a comprehensive hostages-prisoners exchange deal, if Israel stops its war in the Gaza Strip, according to a statement from the Gaza-ruling Palestinian faction.
Hamas said it has showed flexibility and positivity in response to the efforts of the mediators throughout all previous indirect negotiating rounds, but Israel used these negotiations "as a cover for the continuation of aggression" against the Palestinian people, citing military operations in Rafah and seizure of the crossing as evidence.
Hamas and other Palestinian factions will not accept to be part of this policy by continuing negotiations in light of "aggression, killing, siege, starvation and genocide of our people," it added.
Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported on Tuesday that Israel had handed over a document with the Israeli proposal to Qatar and Egypt to resume negotiations for the exchange of detainees with Hamas and a ceasefire in Gaza.
The last round of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, hosted by Egypt for two days earlier this month, stalled after the Israeli attack on Rafah city in southern Gaza Strip.
Hamas's inclination to seek an agreement came amid continued fighting in Rafah city despite international condemnations of the Israeli attack.
Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.
JERUSALEM, May 29 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army announced on Wednesday that it has gained full operational control of the Philadelphi Corridor, a strip of land along the border between Egypt and the southern Gaza Strip.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari said the corridor served as Hamas's "oxygen tube" through which they smuggled weapons into the Gaza Strip.
During the operation, the forces located along the corridor dozens of loaded launchers ready to fire rockets and launch pits from which Hamas fired rockets and mortar bombs into Israel, Hagari said.
"Hamas took advantage of the Philadelphi area and built these infrastructures just tens of meters away from the border with Egypt so that we wouldn't attack them," Hagari said.
He added that the Israeli forces also located about 20 tunnels in the corridor area, which are being investigated and neutralized.
The Philadelphi Corridor, spanning 14 kilometers in length and several hundred meters in width, was established following the return of the Sinai Peninsula from Israel to Egypt in 1982, as stipulated by the peace agreements between the two countries.
It was under Israeli supervision until 2005 when the IDF left the Gaza Strip, and its control passed to the Palestinian Authority. After two years, Hamas took over the corridor until the current conflict.
RAMALLAH - Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for the Palestinian presidency, blamed the US administration on Tuesday for the ongoing escalation in Rafah, the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip.
"We hold the US administration fully responsible for the situation in Rafah and across Gaza," Abu Rudeineh told reporters in Ramallah, adding that the Israeli side ignored the ruling of an international court and has turned the city "unlivable".
He criticized the US administration's silence on Israeli actions, calling it an endorsement of what he termed as a "genocidal war" against Palestinians.
Abu Rudeineh also pointed out the continued political, financial, and military support provided by the United States to Israel, despite widespread international opposition to Israeli aggression.
He warned of the potential complete reoccupation of Gaza with "unprecedented American support" for the Israeli government's plans, urging immediate compliance with the International Court of Justice (ICJ)'s ruling.
Israel has been persisting in its assault on Rafah, where over 1 million displaced Palestinians are taking refuge, despite the recent ruling by ICJ ordering a halt to its attacks.
Additionally, Abu Rudeineh saw the recognition of Palestine by Spain, Norway, and Ireland as a sign of growing European support, with ongoing efforts from Palestine and other Arab states to persuade more countries to recognize the Palestinian state.
More than 50 international rights groups have called for an official declaration of famine in Gaza, blaming Israel's alleged use of starvation as a "weapon", which contravenes international law.
They made their demand on Sunday in a collective statement published on the website of the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, a nonprofit organization for the protection of human rights.
The statement said food insecurity is increasing throughout Gaza due to Israel's "crimes of starvation", which are being used as a weapon against the Palestinians and are "part of a larger crime of genocide".
It said food security levels have significantly declined "as a result of the Israeli army's ground operation in Rafah", which began on May 7. Israel blocked the entry of humanitarian aid trucks at the southern city's border crossing with Egypt on May 6.
According to the United Nations, starvation of the civilian population is illegal under International Humanitarian Law and in direct breach of UNSC Resolution 2417.When the UN General Assembly adopted The Right to Food Resolution on Dec 16, 2021, with 186 yay and two nay votes — Israel and the United States were the only ones against it.
About 80 percent of Gaza's 2.3 million people have fled their homes. Severe hunger is widespread, and UN officials said parts of the territory are experiencing famine.
"Israel must be pressured to act immediately to implement the precautionary measures announced by the International Court of Justice regarding the opening of the Rafah crossing," the statement read.
The ICJ on Friday ordered Israel to stop its military offensive in Rafah with immediate effect, noting that the situation had deteriorated since its previous rulings on Jan 26 and March 28, where Israel had been asked to take all measures to prevent genocidal acts and ensure unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government said in response to the ruling: "The charges of genocide brought by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague are false, outrageous and morally repugnant."
In a post on X, Israel's Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories said 360 trucks were transferred to Gaza on Sunday, including 124 aid trucks that arrived at the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem border crossing from Egypt. It also said 37 pallets of aid were airdropped over Gaza and six tankers of fuel entered the territory.
The joint statement also noted that the majority of goods entering Gaza through the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing are for merchants and that the people living there — the majority of whom have lost their means of support — must pay for them.
'Not enough'
"This means that even with the very limited aid that Israel has provided, the amount of relief needed to address the growing number of displaced people in the south is insufficient," the statement said.
The goods are "completely blocked" from getting to areas north of the Gaza Valley, including Gaza City and North Gaza governorates, where people are experiencing a severe shortage of vegetables, meat and other foods.
The aid groups blamed Israel for leading Gaza to this "catastrophic humanitarian and food crisis".
Ahmad Ghouri, a senior lecturer in the School of Law, Politics and Sociology at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom, said Israel "has not fulfilled its obligations".
It "has failed and, in fact, refused to comply with the ICJ orders leading to ongoing violations of human rights", he told China Daily.
On Tuesday, 19 NGOs, including ActionAid and Oxfam, demanded that all permanent and elected members of the Security Council enforce the ICJ's orders on Israel's actions in Rafah and return to talks with Palestine for peace.
Agencies contributed to this story.
jan@chinadailyapac.com
Editor's note: As Spain, Ireland and Norway formally recognize the State of Palestine, China Daily looks at the impact it could have on the Gaza conflict as well as the plight of the Palestinians in light of continued Israeli attacks.
Spain, Norway and Ireland formally recognized the State of Palestine on Tuesday in a coordinated effort by the three western European nations designed to mount international pressure on Israel, which slammed the diplomatic move that will have no immediate impact on its assaults in Gaza.
With the number of European countries recognizing the State of Palestine continuing to grow, Israel and its staunch ally, the United States, are becoming more isolated than ever in the face of increasing acceptance of a two-state solution as the only route to peace.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told his nation in a televised address from Madrid that "this is a historic decision that has a single goal, and that is to help Israelis and Palestinians achieve peace".
Ireland and Norway joined Spain in formalizing a decision they had jointly announced the previous week.
Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz quickly lashed out at Spain on X, saying Sanchez's government was "being complicit in inciting genocide against Jews and war crimes".
Last week's announcement by Spain, Ireland and Norway triggered an angry response from Israel, which summoned the nations' ambassadors in Tel Aviv to the foreign ministry.
Several other European countries, including Malta and Slovenia, have also signaled their intent to recognize a Palestinian state. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said last week that Belgium was waiting for the "right moment".
Slovenia's Prime Minister Robert Golob said on Monday his government will decide on the recognition of a Palestinian state on Thursday and forward its decision to parliament for final approval, The Associated Press reported.
Shada Islam, a Brussels-based commentator on EU affairs, suggested that the recognition by Norway, Ireland, and Spain is "almost certainly" going to be followed by Belgium, Malta and Slovenia in the coming weeks, Xinhua reported.
"The move by Spain, Ireland and Norway will further isolate Israel in the UN … Their decision sends a strong message to Palestinian people that at least some EU member states have retained their moral compass," Islam told Xinhua.
In March, Slovenia and Malta signed a statement with Spain and Ireland expressing their willingness to recognize a Palestinian state.
Awni Khattab, a displaced Gazan, said he hoped the recognition would lead to territorial sovereignty for Palestinians. "We hope this decision will be implemented and that a Palestinian state will be established along the (June) 1967 borders," he told Agence France-Presse.
Increasingly isolated
Despite angry reactions from Israel, which has found itself increasingly isolated after more than seven months of conflict in Gaza, calls are growing louder for a two-state solution to the crisis in the Middle East.
The two-state solution and the establishment of a "credible Palestinian state" will serve "not just the interest of the Palestinians that delivers their right to self-determination", said Saudi Arabian Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, who was in Brussels.
The two-state solution adopted in UN resolutions has met resistance from Israel and the US for decades.
The White House said on May 22 that US President Joe Biden believes a Palestinian state should be achieved through negotiations, rather than unilateral recognition, Reuters reported. The Palestinian Authority has slammed the US for its blind support of Israel.
Agencies and Xinhua contributed to the story.
Contact the writers at jan@chinadailyapac.com.
GAZA - At least 21 Palestinians were killed and dozens injured on Tuesday in an Israeli bombardment of displaced persons' tents in the Al-Mawasi area in the west of Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian security and medical sources.
Security sources told Xinhua that Israeli artillery bombed tents for the displaced in the Al-Mawasi area on the seashore west of Rafah.
Al-Mawasi was a humanitarian zone where residents in Gaza used to take refuge in based on the Israeli army's order.
Local medical sources told Xinhua that the Israeli bombing led to the killing of at least 20 people, including women and children, and dozens of injuries.
CAIRO - Egypt has warned against the safety risks facing its army personnel deployed on the border with the Gaza Strip, Egypt's Al-Qahera News TV channel reported Monday, citing a high-ranking security source.
Commenting on the killing of an Egyptian soldier near the Rafah crossing earlier in the day, the source said investigation committees have been formed to find out the details of the incident to determine responsibilities and prevent its future recurrence.
The Egyptian army announced on Monday the killing of an Egyptian border guard in the Rafah border area with Gaza in a shooting incident.
The Israel Defense Forces also confirmed that a "shooting incident" occurred "on the Egyptian border", after Israeli media reported an exchange of fire between Israeli and Egyptian soldiers near the Rafah crossing on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian security source said initial investigations into the incident indicated that a shooting incident erupted between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants, leading to gunfire from several directions and prompting the Egyptian soldier to take "protective measures".
The source affirmed that the international community must bear its responsibilities regarding the seriousness of the situation on the Egyptian border with Gaza, not only for security purposes but also for the entry of humanitarian aid into the war-torn enclave.
BRUSSELS — Relations between Europe and Israel took a nosedive on the eve of diplomatic recognition of a Palestinian state by Ireland, Spain and Norway.
Even though the European Union has been steadfast in condemning the Oct 7 Hamas attack in Israel, the bloc has been equally critical of Israel's ensuing offensive, The Associated Press reported.
The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell threw his full weight to support the International Criminal Court, whose prosecutor is seeking an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others, including the leaders of Hamas.
"The prosecutor of the court has been strongly intimidated and accused of antisemitism," Borrell said. "The word antisemitic, it's too heavy. It's too important."
Angry words abounded on Monday, with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz accusing Spain of "rewarding terror" by recognizing a Palestinian state, and saying that "the days of the Inquisition are over".
Spain's foreign minister condemned a "scandalous and execrable" video posted by his Israeli counterpart suggesting that Hamas would be grateful to Spain.
Katz posted a short video on X on Sunday, with the label "Hamas: Gracias Espana", or "Hamas: Thanks Spain".
The video shows the Spanish flag and then a couple dancing to flamenco music. Footage of Hamas fighters is interspersed in the video, including people fleeing during the Oct 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel.
"We are not going to fall into provocations. The video is scandalous and execrable," Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told a news conference in Brussels. "It's scandalous because all the world knows, including my colleague in Israel, that Spain condemned the actions of Hamas from the first moment. And execrable for the use of one of those symbols of Spanish culture."
Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said on Saturday that the conflict in Gaza is a "real genocide", echoing a comment by Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz who last week also described the conflict as a genocide.
The Israeli embassy in Madrid "regrets" Robles' comments in a statement posted on Saturday on X.
Spain, along with Ireland and Norway, declared last week it would recognize a Palestinian state on May 28.Israel said this amounted to a "reward for terrorism" and recalled its ambassadors from the three countries.
Attacks urged to stop
The United Nations' top court, the International Court of Justice, on Friday demanded that Israel immediately halt its offensive on Rafah, even if it stopped short of ordering a cease-fire for the Gaza enclave.
Israel has strongly rejected accusations by South Africa at the ICJ that it is committing genocide against Palestinians, arguing that it is acting to defend itself and fighting Hamas.
The latest attacks have centered on Rafah, where Palestinian health workers said Israeli airstrikes killed dozens of people on Sunday.
An exchange of fire has erupted between Egyptian soldiers and the Israeli army at the Rafah crossing, according to media reports.
Meanwhile, moves are underway to try to establish conditions for lasting peace and a hostage release deal.
A "strong" Palestinian Authority is needed to bring peace in the Middle East, Borrell said just before going into the meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa.
An Israeli official said on Saturday that "there is an intention to renew these talks this week" after negotiations involving US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators stalled in early May.
Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed over 36,050 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials on Monday.
Hamas' surprise attack on Israel on Oct 7 killed about 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.
Agencies via Xinhua
