29/05/2025

THURSDAY | MAY 29, 2025

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Israel devastating civilians, says UN HAMILTON: The United Nations (UN) warned on Tuesday that continued Israeli bombardment and new evacuation orders are devastating civilians in the Gaza Strip, with more than 40% of the territory under displacement directives. Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said: “We continue to stress that a meaningful scale-up of humanitarian operations is essential to stave off famine and meet the needs of all civilians, wherever they are.” Saying that Israel’s attacks are forcing thousands to flee, he said: “Yesterday, another Israeli displacement order was issued, covering about 155 square kilometres in Rafah, Khan Younis and central Gaza, and affecting more than 60 neighbourhoods. This represents over 40% of the Gaza Strip.” He noted that displacement sites in Beit Hanoun, Izbat Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya are nearly empty while people in Khan Younis remain exposed to the elements and physically exhausted after walking long distances without food. “Since the renewed escalation of hostilities in March, our partners estimate that more than 632,000 people have been forced to flee yet again.“ On deteriorating health services, he said: “Since last Monday, more than two dozen health centres and mobile clinics, and one hospital have suspended their services because of hostilities, attacks or displacement orders.” He reiterated calls for all border crossings to open for aid and commercial goods, and said: “International law must be respected and humanitarian operations must be enabled without further delay.” – Bernama-Anadolu MOSCOW: Russian authorities said they repelled almost 150 Ukrainian drones overnight on Tuesday in a major attack that forced at least three Moscow airports to suspend flights. On Telegram, the Defence Ministry posted that 112 Ukrainian drones had been “destroyed and intercepted” in six different regions. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 33 drones heading for the Russian capital had been shot down. Beyond Moscow, 59 drones targeted the southwestern region GAZA: Rescuers said eight people were killed yesterday in an Israeli strike in the north of Gaza. “Eight dead (were) transported as a result of an Israeli airstrike” on the home of a local journalist in the Al-Saftawi area at around 2am (2300 GMT Tuesday), civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told AFP. Israel has stepped up its offensive in Gaza this month, aiming for “the defeat of Hamas”. The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Monday at least 3,822 people have been killed in the territory since Israel ended a ceasefire on March 18, taking the war’s overall toll to 53,977, mostly civilians. – AFP RUSSIA CALLS GERMAN ARMY BUILDUP PLAN ‘WORRYING’ MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday called German plans to build the “strongest” army in Europe “very worrying”, citing the world wars of the 20th century. “The recent statement was made by Germany’s new chancellor, Mr (Friedrich) Merz, who has pledged to turn Germany back into, as he put it, Europe’s leading military,“ said Lavrov. “Many were immediately reminded about the periods of the previous century, when Germany twice became the leading military power and how much trouble this brought.” – AFP AIRPORTS DISRUPTED BY UKRAINE DRONE ASSAULT of Bryansk, the ministry said. – AFP EIGHT KILLED IN STRIKE ON GAZA

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump warned Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday that he was “playing with fire”, taking a fresh jab at his Russian counterpart as Washington weighs new sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine war. Trump’s latest broadside showed his frustration with stalled ceasefire talks and comes two days after he called the Kremlin leader “absolutely crazy” following a major drone attack on Ukraine. Moscow insisted that it was responding to escalating Ukrainian strikes on its own civilians and accused Kyiv of trying to “disrupt” peace efforts. Diplomatic efforts to end the war have intensified in recent weeks but Putin has been accused of stalling peace talks. “What Putin does not realise is that if it were not for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean really bad. He is playing with fire!” said Trump on Truth Social. The Wall Street Journal and CNN reported that Trump is considering fresh sanctions as early as this week. Trump told reporters on Sunday that he was “absolutely” weighing such a move. “Trump has been clear that he wants to see a negotiated peace deal. He has also smartly kept all options on the table,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told AFP in a statement. Trump’s recent rebukes mark a sharp change from his previous attitude towards Putin, who he often speaks of with admiration. His frustration at Putin’s failure to end a war that he says he could have solved within

Trump says Putin ‘playing with fire’

o Washington weighs new sanctions against Moscow over Ukraine war 24 hours boiled over after Russia’s drone barrage killed at least 13 people. “I have always had a very good relationship with Putin but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely crazy!” he posted. Russia has kept up attacks despite a phone call eight days ago in which Trump said Putin had agreed to immediately start talks. Moscow did not react to Trump’s comments on Tuesday but it earlier sought to blame Ukraine for the impasse. “Kyiv, with the support of some European countries, has taken a series of provocative steps to thwart negotiations initiated by Russia,” the Russian Defence Ministry said. Ukraine said it was Russia that had

targeted civilians. “We need to end this eternal waiting. Russia needs more sanctions,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak on Tuesday. US lawmakers have stepped up calls for Trump to slap sanctions on Russia. Veteran Republican Senator Chuck Grassley called for strong measures to let Putin know it was “game over”. Republican Senator Lindsay Graham and Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal, also called for heavy “secondary” sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil, gas and raw materials. Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg told Fox News that the next peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, if they happen, would likely take place in Geneva after Moscow rejected the Vatican as a venue. The aim would be to get Trump, Putin and Zelensky together “and hammer this thing out”, he said. The Swiss government would not confirm that it would host the talks. – AFP

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A serviceman of the Ukrainian Armed Forces attending a military drill as a recruit near a frontline in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine. – REUTERSPIC

Palestinians rush US-backed aid centre CAIRO: Thousands of Palestinians on Tuesday rushed an aid distribution site in Gaza operated by a foundation backed by the United States and Israel, with desperation for food overcoming concern about biometric and other checks Israel said it would employ. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said it has distributed about 8,000 food boxes, equivalent to 462,000 meals, after an 11-week Israeli blockade of the war-devastated enclave. In the southern city of Rafah, which is under full Israeli army control, thousands of people, some on foot or in donkey carts, flocked towards the foundation’s distribution sites to receive food packages. people remained missing. There has been no immediate Israeli comment on the allegation by Hamas. A GHF spokesperson said the information from Hamas was “totally false”. The foundation said at one point, the number of people seeking aid was so great that its team had to pull back to allow people to “take aid safely and dissipate“, and to avoid casualties. It said there were no casualties, no one opened fire and normal operations resumed. However, the United Nations human rights office yesterday said 47 people were injured due to gun shots while trying to receive food aid at GHF distribution sites. The office could not give a specific location of where people were injured.

to have heeded warnings, including from Hamas, about biometric screening procedures employed at the foundation’s aid distribution sites. The Israeli military said four GHF sites have been established. One of the sites is currently distributing aid, with a second site receiving stock, said GHF. Israeli officials said one of the advantages of the new aid system is the opportunity to screen recipients to exclude anyone found to be connected with Hamas. Israel accuses Hamas of stealing supplies and using them to entrench its position. Hamas denies the accusations. Humanitarian groups briefed on the foundation’s plans say anyone accessing aid would have to submit to facial recognition technology that many Palestinians fear will end up in Israeli hands to be used to track and potentially target them. Details of how the system will operate have not been made public. – Reuters

Israel and GHF said, without providing evidence, Hamas had tried to block civilians from reaching the aid distribution centre. Hamas denied the accusation. On Tuesday, the Hamas media office accused the Israeli military of killing at least three Palestinians and wounding 46 others near one of the distribution sites while seven

Earlier, the Israeli military said its troops fired warning shots in the area outside the compound and control was re-established. The foundation began aid deliveries on Monday but Palestinians appeared