#Israel #IsraelGazaWar

Over in #Cyprus, #EUCommission president #UrsulaVonDerLeyen is holding talks with local leader #NikosChristodoulides in the latest fine-tuning of plans to create a maritime corridor from the east Mediterranean island to #Gaza.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/mar/08/middle-east-crisis-live-updates-israel-gaza-palestine-hamas-war-state-of-the-union-biden?page=with:block-65eadb5d8f08480e4918ba5c#block-65eadb5d8f08480e4918ba5c

#Israel #IsraelGazaWar

#MaritimeCorridor to #Gaza from #Cyprus could start this weekend, says #VonDerLeyen
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/mar/08/middle-east-crisis-live-updates-israel-gaza-palestine-hamas-war-state-of-the-union-biden?page=with:block-65eae7ee8f087d93d3c5fb35#block-65eae7ee8f087d93d3c5fb35

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#Israel #IsraelGazaWar

#SigridKaag, the #UN senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for #Gaza, told reporters late on Thursday that air and sea deliveries cannot make up for a shortage of supply routes on land.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/mar/08/middle-east-crisis-live-updates-israel-gaza-palestine-hamas-war-state-of-the-union-biden?page=with:block-65ead4658f087d93d3c5fa6e#block-65ead4658f087d93d3c5fa6e

#Israel #Gaza

Israeli war cabinet member #GadiEisenkot said #Hamas was under “very serious pressure” from mediators to make a “counter-offer”. “Then it will be possible to advance it and take a position,” he said.

A Hamas official told AFP that ceasefire negotiations were not over, on Friday
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/mar/08/middle-east-crisis-live-updates-israel-gaza-palestine-hamas-war-state-of-the-union-biden?page=with%3Ablock-65eafb5f8f0839a0970b5d07#block-65eafb5f8f0839a0970b5d07

A #US charity said it was loading aid for #Gaza on to a boat in #Cyprus, which will be the first shipment to the war-ravaged territory along a maritime corridor the #EuropeanCommission hopes will open this weekend. #OpenArms #WorldCentralKitchen #Israel

Aid ship expected to leave Cyprus and head to Gaza
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/09/aid-ship-expected-to-leave-cyprus-and-head-to-gaza

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#Israel #Gaza

#Sweden said on Saturday it would resume suspended payments to the UN Relief and Works Agency (#UNRWA), with a grant of 200m crowns ($20m/£16m), reports Reuters.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/mar/09/middle-east-crisis-live-gaza-port-for-aid-could-take-up-to-60-days-says-us-ceasefire-by-ramadan-looking-tough-says-biden?page=with:block-65ec21648f0839a0970b6778#block-65ec21648f0839a0970b6778

#Israel #Gaza

#Canada has confirmed it will restore funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency (#UNRWA), reports the Canadian public broadcaster CBC.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/mar/09/middle-east-crisis-live-gaza-port-for-aid-could-take-up-to-60-days-says-us-ceasefire-by-ramadan-looking-tough-says-biden?page=with:block-65ec436d8f08eae6a386276e#block-65ec436d8f08eae6a386276e

#Israel #Gaza

The #UN’s top aid official has renewed his call for a ceasefire in #Gaza and outlined six priorities in the humanitarian response.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/mar/09/middle-east-crisis-live-gaza-port-for-aid-could-take-up-to-60-days-says-us-ceasefire-by-ramadan-looking-tough-says-biden?page=with:block-65ec2b708f08bce210001f41#block-65ec2b708f08bce210001f41

The charity ship, #OpenArms, was seen sailing out of #LarnacaPort in #Cyprus, towing a barge containing about 200 tonnes of flour, rice and protein. #Israel #WorldCentralKitchen

Aid ship loaded with 200 tons of food sets sail from Cyprus to #Gaza
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/mar/12/middle-east-crisis-live-israel-gaza-houthis-ramadan-yemen-latest-news-updates?page=with%3Ablock-65f003d78f0885723260386c#block-65f003d78f0885723260386c

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US Central Command (#Centcom) said it carried out six strikes on Monday, claiming it destroyed an unmanned underwater vessel and 18 anti-ship missiles in #Houthi controlled areas.

Despite reprisals from the #US,# UK and other coalition partners, the Houthis have escalated their campaign of attacks on commercial vessels in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. #RedSea #Israel #Gaza

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/11/yemen-airstrikes-us-uk-coalition

#Palestinians observe #Ramadan, the holiest month on the #IslamicValendar, in Rafah in the southern #GazaStrip on March 11, 2024. The month of fasting and prayer takes place this year amid a war between #Israel and #Hamas, with millions dislocated from their homes and food and other necessities in short supply. Ramadan runs through April 9.

Palestinians observe Ramadan in war-torn Gaza
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/palestinians-observe-ramadan-in-war-torn-gaza/ss-BB1jIh8u?ocid=emmx-mmx-feeds&PC=EMMX01

A ship carrying aid is nearing #Gaza about 48 hours after it left #Cyprus, with further aid preparations being made aboard a second “much bigger” vessel. It came as the #EU foreign policy chief said starvation was being used as a weapon of war.

After the 240-mile voyage, the ship will dock at a jetty being built by the #WorldCentralKitchen (WCK), the organisation that will distribute the aid. #Israel #OpenArms

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/13/ship-carrying-aid-gaza-to-reach-shore-thursday-morning

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Straight to the Israeli public. And he's Jewish - they can't call him anti-Semitic can they?
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In remarks from the #Senate floor, Schumer said he had a longstanding relationship with #Netanyahu but believed he “has lost his way by allowing his political survival to take precedence over the best interests of #Israel”. #Gaza

Schumer calls Netanyahu obstacle to peace and urges new Israeli elections | #ChuckSchumer
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/14/chuck-schumer-israel-speech

🙄

Schumer’s comments are his, not Biden administration’s: State Department #Israel #Gaza
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/3/14/israels-war-on-gaza-live-rafah-attack-coming-soon-despite-pressure?update=2772975

The foreign minister, #PennyWong, announced the decision to unfreeze $6m in emergency funding for #UNRWA on Friday, as part of a broader package of support.

Wong also announced that #Australia would support airdrops by #Jordan and the #UnitedArabEmirates. #Israel

Australia reinstates funding to UNRWA to provide aid in #Gaza
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/mar/15/unrwa-funding-australia-reinstates-gaza-aid-october-7-hamas-claims

Mustafa faces a huge task of management and diplomacy. Swathes of #Gaza are now rubble and most of its 2.3 million people have been displaced and need aid. In addition to overseeing billions in expected international aid, Mustafa will need both political buy-in from #Hamas and its supporters and cooperation from #Israel, which wants to eradicate Hamas.

Who is #MohammadMustafa, the new Palestinian PM?
https://www.msn.com/en-my/news/world/who-is-mohammad-mustafa-the-new-palestinian-pm/ar-BB1jUWin

This has got to *stop*. Innocent ship crewmen have already been maimed or killed by these attacks

Their #RedSea attacks have disrupted global shipping, forcing firms to take longer and more expensive journeys around southern #Africa, and stoked fears that the #Israel-#Hamas war could spread and destabilise the wider #MiddlEast. #RedSeaCrisis

Merchant vessel struck by missile west of #Yemen's al Hudaydah
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/merchant-vessel-struck-by-missile-west-of-yemen-s-al-hudaydah/ar-BB1jVxqE?ocid=emmx-mmx-feeds&PC=EMMX01

#AFP video footage and photographs showed the Spanish aid vessel visible off #Gaza coast towing a barge which the Spanish charity (#WorldCentralKitchen) operating it says is carrying 200 tonnes of food for #Palestinians threatened with #famine after more than five months of war. #Israel

#MiddleEast crisis live: Spanish aid vessel visible off Gaza coast, say reports
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/mar/15/middle-east-crisis-live-rows-over-hamas-gaza-ceasefire-proposal-israel?page=with:block-65f40c4e8f081c54654f35fe#block-65f40c4e8f081c54654f35fe

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Why it matters: #Biden's backing of #Schumer's remarks is another sign of the growing divide between the president and #Netanyahu over the war in #Gaza, and will likely give backwind to other #Democrats to publicly criticize the Israeli government more forcefully. #Israel #Gaza #Netanyahu

Biden backs Schumer's criticism of Bibi
https://www.axios.com/2024/03/15/biden-schumer-israel-netanyahu-speech

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Images and videos have been coming through #WorldCentralKitchen offloading food aid to #Gaza on Thursday as part of WCK’s #OperationSafeena (boat in Arabic).

The WCK is expected to deliver 37 million meals to Gaza where about 2 million Palestinians have been forcibly displaced by Israeli attacks across the narrow strip. #Israel

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/mar/15/middle-east-crisis-live-rows-over-hamas-gaza-ceasefire-proposal-israel?page=with:block-65f4758e8f08d86e4257d894#block-65f4758e8f08d86e4257d894

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The chaos in the #RedSea due to the #Israel-#Gaza war has spread further.
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An Indian navy warship has intercepted the hijacked cargo ship #MVRuen and demanded the #SomaliPirates on board surrender, a navy spokesperson said on Saturday.

Until the Ruen was seized, there had been no successful hijacking of a merchant ship by Somali pirates since 2017. #India #Somalia #GulfOfAden

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/indian-navy-intercepts-somali-pirates-on-cargo-ship-ruen/ar-BB1k0iBD?ocid=emmx-mmx-feeds&PC=EMMX01

Happy ending for this one. No one killed, thank god. #India #GulfofAden #IndianOcean #Somalia #SomaliPirates #Israel #Gaza

The #IndianNavy has freed the hijacked ship #MVRuen and detained 35 #pirates

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The #MVAbdullah, which had 23 crew members and was transporting coal, was on its way to the #UAE from #Mozambique when pirates in the #IndianOcean captured it on Tuesday.The MV's location changed on Thursday after it anchored approximately seven nautical miles off the coast of Garacad, #Somalia. #Bangladesh #GulfOfAden #Israel #Gaza #SomaliPirates

Anchored in hope: Govt promises swift action to save MV Abdullah, crew
https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/274169882/anchored-in-hope-govt-promises-swift-action-to-save-mv-abdullah-crew?utm_source=bignewsnetwork&utm_medium=referral

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Sources close to #Hamas said its leaders now recognise that they need to show #Palestinians “a big victory” to avoid a popular backlash after the immense destruction and loss of lives in five months of war.

“They know now that they need to demonstrate that they are really on the side of the people,” said one source.

#GazaCeasefire hopes rise after Hamas abandons key demands | #Israel-#Gaza war
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/16/gaza-ceasefire-hopes-rise-after-hamas-abandons-key-demands

“It’s like we are stuck in 6 October, but with the pictures from 7 October in our mind,” Shita said. “We were naive, or maybe it was hubris … They took everything we thought about reality and shook it.” #Lebanon #Gaza

‘I can’t drink my coffee and see the #Hezbollah flag’: calls for a wider war on #Israel’s border
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/17/calls-wider-war-israel-border-hezbollah

The nuances reflect the tightrope the #US is still trying to walk, seeking to claw back leadership on the issue at the #UN, while keeping pressure on #Hamas to agree a limited deal that would exchange 40 of the most vulnerable hostages for a six-week pause.

The US finally backs a ceasefire, but the nuances in its UN resolution show the tightrope it walks | #Israel-#Gaza war
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/21/us-un-ceasefire-gaza

Representatives of the Yemeni #Houthi movement have engaged in discussions with Russian and Chinese diplomats to secure safe passage for their fleets through the #RedSea. The agreement entails that the #Houthis ensure their ships will not be targeted for attacks. #Israel #Gaza

Houthi rebels negotiate safe Red Sea passage with #Russia and #China
https://essanews.com/houthi-rebels-negotiate-safe-red-sea-passage-with-russia-and-china,7008404510406273a

#US Secretary of State #AntonyBlinken landed in #Israel Friday for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin #Netanyahu, ahead of a #UNSecurityCouncil vote on a US draft resolution noting the need for an "immediate" #ceasefire that would allow in more aid.

Blinken in Israel ahead of #UN vote on #GazaCeasefire plan
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240322-blinken-heads-to-israel-to-press-for-immediate-truce-in-gaza-war

A #US effort to ramp up political pressure on #Israel by casting an international spotlight on its concerns failed Friday in the #UnitedNations #SecurityCouncil when #Russia, #China and #Algeria voted against it.

US-sponsored #UN resolution calling for immediate cease-fire in #Gaza fails
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-set-introduce-resolution-calling-immediate-cease-fire/story?id=108360065

#UN #SecurityCouncil passes resolution calling for #ceasefire in #Gaza after #US abstains. #Israel

For the first time the UN security council has voted for a call for a ceasefire in Gaza, after the US abstained, rather than using its veto as it has done on previous occasions. #Russia and #China have also previously vetoed texts.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/mar/25/israel-gaza-live-unrwa-aid-north-gaza-un-security-council-vote-ceasefire-middle-east-latest?page=with:block-66018d788f0806e0c1f1cce6#block-66018d788f0806e0c1f1cce6

The #US abstained and the 14 other council members all voted in favour of the #SecurityCouncil #ceasefire resolution, put forward by the 10 elected council members who voiced their frustration with more than five months of deadlock between the major powers. Applause broke out in the chamber after the vote.

#Israel isolated as #UN security council demands immediate ceasefire in #Gaza | #UnitedNations
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/25/un-gaza-ceasefire-vote

In the #Hebrew-language newspaper Ma’ariv, #BenCaspit described the approach of the Israeli prime minister as “delusional”, “madness” and “terrifying”, adding: “This man is putting us all at risk: our future, our children’s future, the strategic alliance that is the keystone of Israeli national security.” #Israel #Gaza

‘Madness’: #Netanyahu’s handling of #US relations under scrutiny after #UN vote
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/26/benjamin-netanyahu-handling-us-relations-un-israel-gaza-ceasefire-vote

Announcing the move, Foreign Minister #MichealMartin said that while it was for the #WorldCourt to decide whether #genocide is being committed, he wanted to be clear that #Hamas' Oct. 7 attack and what is happening in #Gaza now "represents the blatant violation of international #HumanitarianLaw on a mass scale."

#Ireland to intervene in #SouthAfrica genocide case against #Israel
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ireland-to-intervene-in-south-africa-genocide-case-against-israel/ar-BB1kDyWr?ocid=emmx-mmx-feeds&PC=EMMX01

#Corsight, a Tel Aviv-based company, built the tool to identify #Hamas members. But officers say it’s often inaccurate. #Israel #Gaza

#Israel quietly rolled out a mass #FacialRecognition program in the #GazaStrip
https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/27/24114043/israel-facial-recognition-gaza-strip-corsight

A panel of judges at the #UN’s top court, which is already considering a complaint from #SouthAfrica that #Israel is committing #genocide in the #Palestinian territory, issued the ruling after an emergency measure in January obliging Israel to admit emergency aid. Under international law, using starvation as a weapon of war is explicitly prohibited

‘#Famine is setting in’: UN court orders Israel to unblock Gaza food aid
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/28/famine-is-setting-in-icj-orders-israel-to-unblock-gaza-food-aid

#Lazzarini told Switzerland’s Keystone-ATS news agency on Tuesday that #UNRWA had secured funding until the end of May after previously warning the agency could be forced to halt operations in March. #Israel #Gaza

#Japan to resume funding to #UNRWA, following #Sweden, #Finland and #Canada
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2024/3/29/japan-to-resume-funding-to-unrwa-following-sweden-finland-and-canada

“If the families knew how small the gap is, which #Netanyahu is refusing to close in negotiations with #Hamas, they would explode,” said #AmosMalka, a former head of the #IsraelDefenseForces’ military intelligence directorate who was among the speakers at the rally in #TelAviv. “This is more evidence of his unsuitability to serve.”

Thousands of Israeli protesters call for Netanyahu’s removal | #Israel
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/31/israeli-protesters-call-benjamin-netanyahu-removal

The investigation determined that a colonel had authorized the series of deadly #DroneStrikes on the convoy based on one major’s observation — from grainy drone-camera footage — that someone in the convoy was armed. That observation turned out to be untrue. #WorldCentralKitchen #Gaza

#MiddleEast crisis live: #Israel military sacks two senior officers over killing of aid workers and says strikes were ‘a tragedy’
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/apr/05/middle-east-crisis-live-us-welcomes-israeli-plan-to-reopen-erez-crossing-for-gaza-aid?page=with%3Ablock-660fd4c98f089f4ce52084a3#block-660fd4c98f089f4ce52084a3