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Israel vows to fight on in Gaza after deadliest strikes since truce

Israel vowed on Tuesday to continue fighting in Gaza until all hostages are returned as it unleashed its most intense strikes since a ceasefire, with the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory reporting more than 400 people killed.Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of deciding to “resume war” after an impasse in truce negotiations, and warned that the return to fighting could be a “death sentence” for hostages still alive in Gaza.The strikes were by far the biggest and deadliest since a truce took effect in January. Hamas has not responded to the strikes so far.Netanyahu warned Hamas this month of consequences it “cannot imagine” if it does not free hostages still in Gaza, and Israeli media reported on plans aimed at ramping up pressure on Hamas dubbed the “Hell Plan”.The White House said Israel consulted US President Donald Trump’s administration before launching the wave of strikes, which the health ministry in Gaza said killed mostly women and children.Netanyahu’s office said the operation was ordered after “Hamas’s repeated refusal to release our hostages, as well as its rejection of all of the proposals it has received from US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and from the mediators”.”Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” the statement said.”We will not stop fighting as long as the hostages are not returned home and all our war aims are not achieved,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said.Apart from the release of the remaining hostages, Israel’s other main war aim is to crush Hamas.In a statement, Hamas said Israel had “decided to overturn the ceasefire agreement”.”Netanyahu’s decision to resume war is a decision to sacrifice the occupation’s prisoners and impose a death sentence on them,” it said.Hamas said the head of its government in Gaza, Essam al-Dalis, was among several officials killed in the strikes.A Hamas official said the group was “working with mediators” to stop the bombardment, while the movement blamed what it described as “unlimited” US support for Israel for the deadly strikes.- ‘Fire of hell’ -In Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, AFP footage showed people rushing stretchers with wounded people, including young children, to the Nasser Hospital. Bodies covered with white sheets were also taken to the hospital’s mortuary.Mohammed Jarghoun, 36, was sleeping in a tent near his destroyed house in Khan Yunis when he was woken by huge blasts.”I thought they were dreams and nightmares, but I saw a fire in my relatives’ house. More than 20 martyrs and wounded, most of them children and women.”Ramez Alammarin, 25, described carrying children to hospital southeast of Gaza City.”They unleashed the fire of hell again on Gaza,” he said of Israel, adding that “bodies and limbs are on the ground, and the wounded cannot find any doctor to treat them.”Families of Israeli hostages in Gaza pleaded with Netanyahu to “stop the killing and disappearance” of their loved ones, and called for a protest in front of the premier’s residence.- ‘Hundreds of wounded’ -Brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, the initial phase of the ceasefire took effect on January 19, largely halting more than 15 months of fighting in Gaza triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.That first phase ended in early March, and the two sides have been unable to agree on the next steps.The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the bodies of 413 people had been received by Gaza hospitals.”A number of victims are still under the rubble and work is underway to recover them,” it added.Israel ordered all schools near the Gaza border to shut for fear of attack.US envoy Witkoff told CNN on Sunday he had offered a “bridge proposal” that would see five living hostages, including Israeli-American Edan Alexander, released in return for freeing a “substantial amount of Palestinian prisoners” from Israel jails.Hamas had said it was ready to free Alexander and the remains of four others.Witkoff said Hamas had provided “an unacceptable response” and that “the opportunity is closing fast”.- Deadlock -During the first phase of the truce, Hamas released 33 hostages, including eight deceased, and Israel freed around 1,800 Palestinian detainees.Since then, Hamas has consistently demanded negotiations for the second phase.Former US president Joe Biden had outlined a second phase which would involve the release of remaining living hostages, the withdrawal of all Israeli forces left in Gaza and the establishment of a lasting ceasefire. Israel, however, seeks to extend the first phase until mid-April, insisting any transition to the second phase must include “the total demilitarisation” of Gaza and the removal of Hamas.The talks have been deadlocked, and Israel has cut aid and electricity to the territory.Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack resulted in 1,218 deaths on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, while before the overnight strikes, Israel’s retaliatory response in Gaza had killed at least 48,577 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the two sides.Of the 251 hostages seized during the attack, 58 are still held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.UN chief Antonio Guterres was “shocked” by the renewed strikes, a spokeswoman said, while UN rights chief Volker Turk said he was “horrified”.Both Russia and China warned against an escalation, while Egypt and Turkey condemned the violence.

Hong Kong leader says concerns over Panama ports deal warrant ‘attention’

Hong Kong leader John Lee on Tuesday said criticism of city conglomerate CK Hutchison’s sale of its Panama Canal ports deserved “serious attention”, after Beijing authorities repeatedly slammed the deal.The business empire of Hong Kong’s richest man, Li Ka-shing, sold most of its port operations — including those in the canal — to a US-led …

Hong Kong leader says concerns over Panama ports deal warrant ‘attention’ Read More »

Huthis claim new attack on American warships, report new US strikes

Yemen’s Huthis on Tuesday claimed their third attack on American warships in 48 hours, despite US strikes on the Iran-backed rebels that have sparked mass protests organised by the group.The rebels also condemned Israel’s wave of strikes on Gaza, which the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said killed at least 330 people, vowing to escalate their own operations in support of ally Hamas.The Huthis had targeted ships in the Red Sea after the start of the Gaza war and until a January ceasefire, claiming solidarity with Palestinians. But last week, they threatened to renew attacks on Israeli shipping over Israel’s aid blockade on the battering Palestinian territory, triggering US backlash and tit-for-tat retaliation.The Huthis said on Telegram they had targeted the USS Harry S. Truman carrier group with missiles and drones, making the attack the “third in the past 48 hours” in the northern Red Sea.A US defence official said the Huthis “continue to communicate lies and disinformation,” adding the Iran-backed group is “well known for false claims minimising the results of our attacks while exaggerating the successes of theirs”.US Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich earlier told reporters it was “hard to confirm” the attacks claimed by the Huthis as the rebels were missing their targets “by over 100 miles” (160 kilometres).- No Huthis ‘without Iran’ -Huthi media said fresh US strikes hit the Hodeida and Al-Salif regions Monday and the capital Sanaa early Tuesday — after tens of thousands demonstrated, chanting “Death to America, death to Israel!” in Sanaa.There were also large crowds in Saada, the birthplace of the Huthi movement, and demonstrations in Dhamar, Hodeida and Amran.The protests came after Washington launched a fresh campaign of air strikes on Yemen beginning Saturday, aiming to pressure the Huthis into ending their attacks on Red Sea shipping.The US strikes killed 53 people and wounded 98 on Saturday, according to the Huthi-run health ministry. Washington has vowed to keep hitting Yemen until the Huthis stop attacking shipping, with US President Donald Trump warning he will hold Iran accountable for any further attacks carried out by the Tehran-backed group. “Every shot fired by the Huthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible,” Trump posted on social media.Iran called his statement “belligerent”.In a televised interview with Fox News, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Huthis do “not exist” without Iran.”Without Iran, there is no Huthi threat of this magnitude,” he said. “They created this Frankenstein monster, and now they got to own it.”Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the US strikes and said Washington had “no authority” to dictate Tehran’s foreign policy.- ‘Hell will rain down’ -Just two days ago, the Huthi-controlled capital was hit by heavy strikes, including in northern districts frequented by the rebels’ leadership.They were the first US strikes since Trump returned to office in January.US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz told ABC News that Saturday’s strikes “targeted multiple Huthi leaders and took them out”. The Huthis have not responded to Waltz’s claim.The Pentagon said on Monday it had struck 30 targets in its ongoing campaign in Yemen.The United Nations urged both sides to “cease all military activity”, while expressing concern over Huthi threats to resume their Red Sea attacks.Before this weekend’s targeting of the US carrier group, the Huthis had not claimed any attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since January 19, when the ceasefire in Gaza began.Trump has warned the Yemeni group that “hell will rain down upon you” if it does not stop its attacks.- Costly detour -While the Red Sea trade route normally carries around 12 percent of world shipping traffic, Huthi attacks have forced many companies into costly detours around southern Africa.A database set up by ACLED, a non-profit monitor, showed more than 130 Huthi attacks against warships, commercial vessels and Israeli and other targets since October 19, 2023.The United States had already launched several rounds of strikes on Huthi targets under president Joe Biden.Israel has also struck Yemen, most recently in December, after Huthi missile fire towards Israeli territory.The rebels control large swathes of Yemen after ousting the internationally recognised government from Sanaa.They have been at war with a Saudi-led coalition backing the government since 2015, a conflict that has triggered a major humanitarian crisis.Fighting has largely been on hold since a UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022, but the peace process has stalled since the Huthis began their attacks.burs-aya/kir