Month: December 2023

Egypt floats ambitious plan to end Israel-Hamas war Canberra Times / AAP | Samy Magdy, Najib Jobain, Melanie Lidman | December 25 2023 Egypt has put forward an ambitious, initial proposal to end the Israel-Hamas war with a ceasefire, a phased hostage release and the creation of a Palestinian government of experts. Some details of… Continue reading Egypt floats ambitious plan to end Israel-Hamas war | The Canberra Times | Canberra, ACT

Israeli PM vows no let-up in war against Hamas Canberra Times / AAP | December 26 2023 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep up the fight against Hamas militants while Palestinians have mourned more than 100 people who Gaza health officials say were killed in Israeli airstrikes. Netanyahu visited Israeli troops in… Continue reading Israeli PM vows no let-up in war against Hamas | The Canberra Times | Canberra, ACT

The Age/Melanie Lidman https://www.theage.com.au/world/middle-east/no-christmas-lights-or-tree-in-bethlehem-as-festivities-are-cancelled-20231224-p5etjr.html Bethlehem, West Bank: The normally bustling biblical birthplace of Jesus resembled a ghost town on Sunday as Christmas Eve celebrations in Bethlehem were called off due to the Israel-Hamas war. The festive lights and Christmas tree that normally decorate Manger Square were missing, as were the throngs of foreign tourists and… Continue reading No Christmas lights or tree in Bethlehem as festivities are cancelled

The Age/Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy https://www.theage.com.au/world/middle-east/israel-launches-one-of-the-war-s-deadliest-strikes-in-central-gaza-20231225-p5etjy.html Deir Al-Balah/Jerusalem: Dozens were killed in Gaza overnight in one of the deadliest strikes of the war, while Israel’s leaders acknowledged the “very heavy price” after 15 soldiers were killed in combat over the weekend. The strike hit the Maghazi refugee camp, east of Deir al-Balah. Gaza Health… Continue reading Israel launches one of the war’s deadliest strikes in central Gaza

The Age/ Reuters | Michelle Nichols | 24.12.23 The United Nations Security Council has approved a toneddown bid to boost humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and called for urgent steps ‘‘to create the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities’’ after a week of vote delays and intense negotiations to avoid a veto by… Continue reading UN resolution avoids ceasefire call

ABC | Olivia Ralph | 23.12.23 Earlier this week, Human Rights Watch accused Israel of “using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in the Gaza Strip”. The Israeli government rejected the claims and instead blamed Hamas for hijacking aid intended for civilians. There have been many references to “rules of war” being broken,… Continue reading Human Rights Watch alleges Israel is breaching the rules of war in Gaza — what are they?

ABC | Brad Ryan in Washington DC | 24.12.23 Eleven days after 1,200 people were killed in the brutal October 7 attacks, the American president was in Tel Aviv with a message for grieving Israelis. “Israel, you are not alone,” he promised. “The United States stands with you.” In the weeks since, the world’s watched… Continue reading The gap between Biden’s words and deeds on Gaza is growing — and there are two words the US president can’t shake

The Age/Najib Jobain, Jack Jeffery and Colleen Barry Rafah, Gaza Strip: Health officials in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip say more than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war between Israel and Hamas. The figure, amounting to nearly 1 per cent of the territory’s prewar population, is a new reflection of the staggering cost of… Continue reading Gaza death toll passes 20,000 as US says it will support watered-down aid resolution

The Age/Bassam Massoud and Maggie Fick In the morgue of the Nasser Hospital, in southern Gaza, workers wrap the corpses of people killed in Israeli airstrikes in white cloth amid the stench of death. They record whatever basic facts they can about the dead: name, identity card number, age, sex. Some of the bodies are… Continue reading The fight to keep counting the dead in Gaza

The Age/Michelle Nichols The United Nations Security Council on Friday approved a toned-down bid to boost humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and called for urgent steps “to create the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities” after a week of vote delays and intense negotiations to avoid a veto by the United States. Amid… Continue reading UN resolution calls for Gaza aid but shies away from backing ceasefire