23/05/2025

FRIDAY | MAY 23, 2025

9

Outrage at ‘warning shots’ during diplomat tour

Foundation to provide assistance GENEVA: A private US-backed foundation set up to distribute aid in Gaza said on Wednesday it would start handing out supplies in “the coming days”, adding that its aim is to complement rather than replace the United Nations (UN). The UN has said it would not take part in the operation being prepared by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), that opponents among private aid groups have said is working closely with Israel. The foundation, which has been based in Geneva since February, said it “will be operational in the coming days and will deliver aid to the people of Gaza without delay, diversion or discrimination”. It said its “new secure delivery mechanism” is “the only mechanism to get aid into Gaza on a sustainable basis”. “The success of the GHF plan relies on close partnership and collaboration with the UN and traditional aid organisations. “GHF will restore the logistics, security and access that traditional aid organisations have lost. Traditional aid groups can utilise GHF’s new secure delivery mechanisms to deliver their assistance. “This new model protects aid workers, who too often were caught in the crossfire, and allows these groups to perform their work without fear or aid being stolen or misused.” Israel said it has enforced the blockade because Hamas diverted humanitarian supplies delivered by the UN and other groups. The UN has denied the allegations. The latest statement said four initial “Secure Distribution Sites” would be set up, three in south Gaza and one in central Gaza. “To ensure aid is not diverted to Hamas or criminal organisations, GHF will use security contractors to transport aid from border crossings to the Secure Distribution Sites. “Once the aid is at the sites, it will be distributed directly to the people of Gaza by civilian humanitarian teams. To be clear, security contractors will not be interfacing with the people of Gaza.” The foundation insisted that the Israeli military would have“no operational control”over its work. – AFP YEMEN MISSILE INTERCEPTED JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said yesterday it has downed a missile fired from Yemen, from where Houthi rebels have regularly launched attacks that they say are in response to Israel’s offensive in Gaza. “Following the sirens, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted,“ a military statement said. Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service said no one was hurt by the launch itself but a man was hurt while seeking shelter. The Houthis paused their attacks during a two-month ceasefire in the war but resumed after Israel restarted its campaign in the besieged territory. The rebels warned on Monday that they would impose a “naval blockade” on the Israeli port of Haifa after the country’s military intensified its offensive in Gaza. – AFP DRONE ATTACKS HALT FLIGHTS MOSCOW: Air traffic around Moscow was disrupted yesterday as the Russian capital came under a heavy drone attack, the city’s mayor and the civil aviation authority said. Russia has intercepted 23 drones flying towards Moscow since midnight (2100 GMT), said mayor Sergei Sobyanin. “Emergency services specialists are working at the site of the fallen debris.“ The attack came a day after 27 drones were launched towards the city, according to him. Russia deployed a record number of drones against Ukraine over the weekend, Kyiv said on Sunday. Flights were halted at multiple Moscow airports yesterday, Russia’s aviation authority Rosaviatsiya said. Planes have been grounded at the city’s main Sheremetyevo airport, as well as at Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky, Rosaviatsiya said. – AFP

BR I E F S

o Israeli military says ‘inconvenience’ regretted

of “all diplomatic norms” while Turkiye demanded an immediate investigation. Turkiye’s Foreign Ministry said: “This attack must be investigated without delay and the perpetrators must be held accountable.” Palestinian Foreign Ministry political adviser Ahmad al-Deek, who accompanied the delegation, condemned “this reckless act by the Israeli army”. Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that the delegation included diplomats from more than 20 countries, including Britain, China, Egypt, France, Japan, Jordan, Turkiye and Russia. Japan’s government confirmed yesterday that its diplomatic staff participated, adding that it “deeply regrets” the incident. “The Japanese government has protested to the Israeli side, and requested an explanation and the prevention of a recurrence,” said government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi in Tokyo. The incident comes as anger mounts over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Palestinians are scrambling for basic supplies after weeks of near-total isolation. – AFP

Stephane Dujarric, called the incident “unacceptable”. “Diplomats who are doing their work should never be shot at, attacked in any way, shape or form. Their safety, their viability must be respected at all times. “These diplomats, including UN personnel, were fired at, warning shots or whatever, which is unacceptable.” Several countries that had representatives in the group voiced outrage and demanded an investigation. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged Israel to hold those responsible “accountable”. Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Uruguay summoned Israel’s ambassadors or said they would raise the issue directly. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called the incident “totally unacceptable” and pressed for an “immediate explanation”. He added that Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand has summoned Israel’s ambassador to Ottawa. Egypt denounced the shooting as a breach

JENIN: Several nations that have backed Israel voiced outrage on Wednesday after Israeli troops fired what they called “warning shots” as foreign diplomats visited the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Authority accused troops of “deliberately” shooting at the delegation near the flashpoint city of Jenin. The Israeli military said it regretted the “inconvenience”. A European diplomat said the envoys went to the area to see the destruction caused by Israeli military raids. The Israeli military said the diplomatic convoy strayed from the approved route and entered a restricted zone. Troops fired “warning shots” to steer the group away and no one was wounded, it said. Spokesperson for United Nations (UN) secretary-general Antonio Guterres,

90 aid trucks despatched to Gaza, says UN GAZA: The United Nations (UN) said on Wednesday it has despatched around 90 trucks carrying aid into Gaza. freedom of operational action” in Gaza. Umm Talal al-Masri, 53, a displaced Palestinian in Gaza City, described the situation as “unbearable”. Humanitarian groups have said the amount of aid entering Gaza falls far short of what is required to ease the crisis. – AFPPIC

Germany defended a key European Union-Israel cooperation deal as “an important forum that we must use in order to discuss critical questions” over the situation in Gaza. Israel resumed its operations in Gaza on March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire. Netanyahu said Israel would be ready “if there is an option for a temporary ceasefire to free hostages”, noting that at least 20 held by Hamas and its allies are still believed to be alive. Gaza’s Health Ministry said at least 3,509 people have been killed since Israel resumed strikes, taking the war’s overall death toll to 53,655. In neighbouring Lebanon, authorities said Israeli strikes killed three people on Wednesday as Israel said it targeted Hamas’s allies Hezbollah in the south, the latest in a series of attacks despite a ceasefire with the Iran-backed militant group there. – AFP

The first aid distribution in Gaza since early March came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was open to a “temporary ceasefire” but reaffirmed that the military aims to bring the entire territory under its control. Three days after Israel announced it would allow in limited aid, the United Nations “collected around 90 truckloads of goods from the Kerem Shalom crossing and despatched them into Gaza”, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN chief Antonio Guterres. In Gaza, the Hamas government media office reported the arrival of 87 aid trucks, which it said were allocated to international and local organisations to meet “urgent humanitarian needs”. Netanyahu said it is necessary to “avoid a humanitarian crisis in order to preserve our

“No one is distributing anything to us. Everyone is waiting for aid but we have not received anything. We barely manage to prepare one meal a day.” Humanitarian groups have said the amount of aid entering Gaza falls far short of what is required to ease the crisis. Israel has faced mounting pressure, including from traditional allies, to halt its expanded offensive and allow aid into Gaza. European Union foreign ministers on Tuesday ordered a review of its cooperation accord with Israel. Israel’s Foreign Ministry has said the European Union action “reflects a total misunderstanding of the complex reality Israel is facing”.