AFP Asia Business

The top US envoys to the Middle East conflict arrived in Israel on Monday to inspect progress on the Gaza plan after weekend violence threatened to wreck the hard-won ceasefire.Israel reopened the Kerem Shalom border crossing in to Gaza for aid shipments, a security official and a humanitarian source said, after it was closed briefly on Sunday following the killing of two Israeli soldiers.In response, Israel carried out dozens of strikes targeting Hamas across Gaza, accusing the militant group of carrying out “a blatant violation” of the truce.But both sides insisted that they remained committed to the ceasefire and US President Donald Trump, who helped broker the deal, told reporters in Washington that as far as he was concerned, it was still in effect.- Deadly strikes -“We want to make sure that it’s going to be very peaceful with Hamas,” Trump told reporters. “It’s going to be handled toughly, but properly.”Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser son-in-law Jared Kushner arrived in Israel on Monday for further talks on the plan, a US embassy spokesperson confirmed to AFP.Gaza’s civil defence agency, which operates under Hamas authority, said Israeli strikes killed at least 45 people across the territory on Sunday alone.Four hospitals in Gaza confirmed the death toll to AFP, while Israel’s military said it was looking into the reports of casualties.Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls provided by the civil defence agency or the Israeli military.The army said that, after carrying out air strikes in response to a deadly attack on its soldiers, it had “renewed enforcement of the ceasefire” late Sunday but vowed to “respond firmly to any violation of it”.Hamas denied the accusations, and one official from the militant group accused Israel of fabricating “pretexts” to resume the war.- ‘Blood has returned’ -The ceasefire, which began on October 10, halted more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas.The deal established the outline for hostage and prisoner exchanges, and proposed an ambitious roadmap for Gaza’s future. But it has quickly faced challenges to its implementation. Palestinian witnesses told AFP clashes erupted in the southern city of Rafah in an area still held by Israel.Abdullah Abu Hasanin, 29, from Al‑Bureij camp in central Gaza where Israel launched strikes, said: “The situation is as if the war has returned anew.”We had hoped the agreement would hold, but the occupation respects nothing — not an agreement, not anything.”He said he had rushed to the site of the bombing to help, adding: “The scene is indescribable. Blood has returned again.”- ‘Security illusion’ -AFP images from Bureij showed Palestinians running for cover from the strikes, as well as the dead and wounded arriving at Deir al-Balah hospital, accompanied by grieving relatives.On Sunday, US Vice President JD Vance called on Gulf Arab countries to establish a “security infrastructure” to ensure that Hamas disarmed — a key part of the peace deal.Under Trump’s 20-point plan, Israeli forces have withdrawn beyond the so-called Yellow Line. Israeli troops have fired on Gazans “approaching” these positions several times since the ceasefire was declared, often with deadly results.  On Monday, troops equipped with earth movers were lifting into place a line of yellow concrete blocks to mark this new frontier within Gaza, according to videos shared by the Israeli defence ministry.The withdrawal to the Yellow Line leaves Israeli forces in control of around half of Gaza, including the territory’s borders but not its main cities.- Bodies returned -Hamas has released 20 surviving hostages and is in the process of returning the remaining bodies of those who have died.Israel returned the bodies of 15 Palestinians to Gaza on Sunday, bringing the total number handed over to 150, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.Israel has linked the reopening of the Rafah crossing — the main gateway into Gaza from Egypt — to the recovery of all of the deceased.Hamas has said it needs time and technical assistance to recover the remaining bodies from under Gaza’s rubble.The war, triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, has killed at least 68,159 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures the United Nations considers credible.The data does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but indicates that more than half of the dead are women and children.Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.burs-dc/ser

A cargo plane veered off a runway Monday during landing in Hong Kong, hit a security patrol car and then skidded into the sea, leaving two men in the vehicle dead, authorities said.Officials said an investigation would aim to determine what caused the Boeing aircraft to leave the tarmac at Hong Kong International Airport, the world’s busiest for cargo last year, according to an industry ranking.The plane’s damaged fuselage was left partly submerged in the seawater that borders the airport, with its emergency evacuation slides extended, following one of the most serious incidents since the airport began operations in 1998.Steven Yiu, executive director of airport operations at Airport Authority Hong Kong, said the cargo plane from Dubai “went off from the north runway upon landing and crashed through the fence and into the sea” at around 4 am (2000 GMT Sunday).Yiu said the patrol car was not on the runway at the time of the accident, and that “it was the aircraft that veered off the runway to hit the patrol car, which was outside the fence” and pushed it into the water.A 30-year-old man aboard the ground vehicle was confirmed dead at the scene while another, aged 41, died after being rushed to hospital.Both men were retrieved from the sunken car by divers around five metres (16 feet) from the shore.Emirates airlines said the plane’s crew were confirmed to be safe and there was no cargo on board.Emirates added the involved plane was on a temporary short-term, or “wet”, lease from the Istanbul-headquartered Act Airlines, which operated the aircraft.- Abrupt turn -Hong Kong’s airport handled 4.9 million tonnes of cargo in 2024 and was ranked the world’s busiest cargo airport by Airports Council International (ACI) World in April.Monday’s incident happened at the airport’s northernmost and newest runway, part of a HK$142 billion ($18 billion) expansion project that was completed last year.The cargo plane’s visibly cracked fuselage was seen floating on the water with its green tail section torn off, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.Police patrol boats moved around the wreckage as authorities used cranes and tow trucks to search for the aircraft’s “black box”, which contains recording devices that may shed light on how the incident occurred.Yiu said that “weather and runway conditions were safe and meet all conditions for runway operation” at the time of the incident.Officials provided a diagram that showed the plane abruptly turning left halfway down the length of the runway.The aircraft did not send an emergency signal and gave no reply when radioed by the airport, officials added.The airport’s north runway was temporarily closed on Monday, while the other two runways remained operational.The incident was not expected to impact airport operations, Yiu said.A spokesman for the Transport and Logistics Bureau expressed deep concern over the incident, adding that the Air Accident Investigation Authority will “actively investigate the cause of the accident”.Police said they would not rule out launching a criminal investigation.

China’s economy grew at its slowest pace in a year last quarter, official data showed Monday, as high-ranking leaders kicked off a closely watched meeting in Beijing focused on long-term policy planning.The data was released just hours before state media announced the start of the four-day conclave, where top brass from the ruling Communist Party …

China posts lacklustre Q3 economic data as key Beijing conclave starts Read More »

The reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, part of US President Donald Trump’s plan for the Palestinian territory, remains on hold despite calls from the UN and aid groups.Here are five things to know about this crucial crossing:- Crucial access point -The Rafah crossing into Egypt is a crucial entry point for humanitarian workers and for lorries transporting aid, food and fuel, which is essential for daily life in a territory deprived of electricity.For a long time, the crossing was the main exit point for Palestinians from Gaza who were authorised to leave this narrow strip of land, under Israeli blockade since 2007.From 2005 to 2007, it was the first Palestinian border terminal controlled by the Palestinian Authority.It then became one of the symbols of Hamas’s control over the Gaza Strip. – Under Israeli control – On May 7, 2024, the Israeli army took control of the Palestinian side, claiming that the crossing was being “used for terrorist purposes”, amid suspicions of arms trafficking. Access points have since been mostly closed, including those used by the United Nations.Rafah briefly reopened during a brief ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that took effect on January 19, initially allowing the passage of people authorised to leave Gaza, and later of trucks.- Reopening soon? -After the ceasefire spearheaded by Trump took effect, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar mentioned plans for a reopening, but the Israeli prime minister’s office ultimately announced that the crossing would remain closed “until further notice”.The crossing must be open for the “movement of people only”, according to COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body that oversees civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories.Trump’s plan, which underpins the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, stipulates that the territory would once again become accessible to international humanitarian aid and that the Rafah crossing would open. But since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, Israeli authorities have stalled on the matter, citing Hamas’s failure to return the bodies of all hostages, then the need for coordination with Egypt, before conducting air strikes on Sunday over alleged Hamas violations. – Kerem Shalom – International aid generally arrives in Egypt via the ports of Port Said or El-Arish, the city closest to the Gaza Strip, where hundreds of humanitarian aid trucks are waiting to cross the border. According to drivers’ accounts, once through the Rafah checkpoint, the trucks are directed to the Israeli crossing of Kerem Shalom, a few kilometres (miles) away.There, the drivers disembark their vehicles for inspection.After strict checks, the goods authorised for entry are unloaded and then reloaded onto other vehicles authorised to enter Gaza.- Other crossings – The agreement brokered by Trump provides for the entry of 600 trucks per day. For now, Israel is allowing the delivery of humanitarian aid in smaller quantities, three quarters of it through the Kerem Shalom crossing, and the rest through the Kissufim crossing, according to the UN. The Erez, or Beit Hanoun, crossing, between Gaza and southern Israel, was destroyed by Hamas gunmen during their attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.Briefly reopened in early 2025, it is currently closed, with no reopening date set. Other access points have operated in the past, but Israeli authorities have not communicated on whether they will reopen.

A cargo plane veered off a runway Monday during landing in Hong Kong, hit a security patrol car and then skidded into the sea, leaving two men in the vehicle dead, authorities said.Officials said an investigation would aim to determine what caused the Boeing aircraft to leave the tarmac at Hong Kong International Airport, one of the busiest in the world for air cargo.The plane’s damaged fuselage was left partly submerged in the sea water that borders the airport, with its emergency evacuation slide extended following one of the most serious incidents since the hub began operations in 1998.Steven Yiu, executive director of airport operations at Airport Authority Hong Kong, said the cargo plane from Dubai “went off from the north runway upon landing and crashed through the fence and into the sea” at around 4 am (2000 GMT Sunday).Yiu said the patrol car was not on the runway at the time of the accident, and that “it was the aircraft that veered off the runway to hit the patrol car, which was outside the fence” and pushed it into the water.A 30-year-old man aboard the ground vehicle was confirmed dead at the scene while another, aged 41, died after being rushed to hospital.Both men were retrieved from the sunken car by divers around five metres (16 feet) from the shore.Emirates airlines said the plane’s crew were confirmed to be safe and there was no cargo onboard.Emirates added the involved plane was on a temporary short-term, or “wet”, lease from Act Airlines, which operated the aircraft.- Abrupt turn -Yiu said that “weather and runway conditions were safe and meet all conditions for runway operation” at the moment of the incident.Officials provided a diagram that showed the plane abruptly turning left halfway down the length of the runway.The aircraft did not send an emergency signal and gave no reply when radioed by the airport, officials added.The airport’s north runway was temporarily closed on Monday, while the other two runways remained operational.The incident was not expected to impact airport operations, Yiu said.A spokesman for the Transport and Logistics Bureau expressed deep concern over the incident, adding that the Air Accident Investigation Authority will “actively investigate the cause of the accident”.Police said they will not rule out launching a criminal investigation.Helicopters from the Government Flying Service and vessels from the Fire Services Department have been deployed, according to media reports.Hong Kong began flight operations on its third runway last November, with the city’s airport being among the busiest in the world.The expansion project cost HK$142 billion ($18 billion) and took eight years of construction, with officials saying it would keep the city’s airport competitive as an aviation hub.