Hamas launches war on Israel

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

Houthis vow to resume attacks on Israeli ships over Gaza aid

GAZA CITY:The Houthi militant group in Yemen said it would resume attacks on Israeli ships for the first time in about two months after demanding the country ended a ban on aid entering Gaza.

The decision, which the Houthis said would take effect immediately, will likely further deter container ships and tankers — including non-Israeli ones — from sailing through the Suez Canal and southern Red Sea.

The militants began maritime attacks in late 2023, ostensibly in solidarity with Hamas following the outbreak of its war with Israel in Gaza. The assaults led to most Western shippers avoiding the area and going around southern Africa instead — a much longer route for vessels traveling between Asia and Europe. Global freight rates rose.

“Any Israeli ship that tries to defy the ban in the announced operation areas will be targeted,” Yahya Saree, a Houthi spokesman said late on Tuesday. Israeli vessels will be targets until aid, including food and medicine, is allowed into the Palestinian territory, he added.

The Houthis are, like Hamas, backed by Iran and designated as terrorists by the US.

“The Houthi threat to resume attacks on Israel is credible,” said Jack Kennedy, an analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence. “A resumption of Houthi maritime attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden would represent a severe risk to all vessels in transit, regardless of affiliation with Israel, due to uncertainties around targeting selection.”

Late last week, the group gave a four-day ultimatum to Israel to allow aid into Gaza. That announcement led to a rise in the shares of shippers such as A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S and Hapag-Lloyd on Monday, with traders anticipating an increase in freight rates. The stocks pared most of their gains on Tuesday.

After a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict started in January, the Houthis suggested they would pause attacks on Israeli as well as US- and UK-linked vessels. All three countries have carried out airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen since early 2024 in an effort to stop their assaults on ships and on Israel. Those strikes have been halted since the truce in Gaza began.

Despite the pause in maritime attacks, most major Western shipping companies said they would need more reassurance before sailing through the region again. Traffic through the Suez Canal has changed little since January, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

The latest Houthi announcement will also be a setback for Egypt. Revenue collected from traffic through the Suez Canal is a key source of hard currency for the government. The waterway’s receipts have dropped by about 60% as a result of the assaults. Egypt says losses will be around $7 billion for the current financial year ending in June.

Israel said its stopped aid and power supplies to Gaza to put pressure on Hamas to disarm and release the roughly 65 Israeli hostages it’s still holding. The war was triggered by Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people. Israel’s air and ground assault on Gaza has killed more than 48,000 people, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

If the Houthis do attack Israeli or other ships again, that’s likely to lead to a resumption of US-lead strikes on the group in Yemen, according to Kennedy of S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Hamas praised Houthis after they announced they would resume attacks on Israeli-linked shipping, calling it a demonstration of “true commitment” to the Palestinian cause.

“It is a true commitment of support for our Palestinian people and their resistance, and it exerts real pressure to break the unjust siege on Gaza,” Hamas said in a statement.

Hamas welcomed the statement, saying it “reflects the genuine stance of the Yemeni people”.

“We call on the nations of the Arab and Muslim world, as well as all free people around the globe, to intensify their effective actions to pressure the Zionist occupation and its supporters until the aggression ends, the siege on Gaza is lifted and humanitarian aid reaches our besieged people,” Hamas said.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...04496f01&ei=29

[Exocet25fr]

Hamas welcomes Trump’s pullback from Gaza mass displacement plan !

quack quack... says ‘nobody is expelling Palestinians from Gaza’, reversing earlier comments on emptying the war-torn territory of its population.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem has welcomed United States President Donald Trump’s apparent RETREAT from his proposed permanent displacement of more than two million Palestinians from Gaza.

“If US President Trump’s statements represent a retreat from any idea of ​​displacing the people of the Gaza Strip, they are welcomed,” Qassem said in the statement.

“We call for this position to be reinforced by obligating the Israeli occupation to implement all the terms of the ceasefire agreements,” he added.

The 42-day first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal expired earlier this month without agreement from Israel on subsequent stages meant to secure a lasting end to its war on Gaza.

Israel has since imposed a complete blockade on Gaza, which has entered a 12th day and includes preventing the entry of food, fuel and medicines to the territory in what has been described as an act of collective punishment and Israel’s “weaponisation of humanitarian aid” to pressure Hamas.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/...placement-plan


Israel’s attacks on reproductive healthcare in Gaza ‘genocidal’: UN probe

UN experts say Israel ‘intentionally attacked and destroyed’ the Palestinian territory’s main fertility centre.


Israel has carried out “genocidal acts” against Palestinians by systematically destroying women’s healthcare facilities during its war on Gaza and using sexual violence as a war strategy, United Nations experts have said.

On Thursday, the Geneva-based Independent International Commission of Inquiry said in a new report that Israel “intentionally attacked and destroyed” Gaza’s main fertility centre while simultaneously blocking medicine for pregnancies, deliveries and neonatal care from entering the enclave.

For its part, “Israel categorically rejects the unfounded allegations”, its mission in Geneva said in a statement.

Israel had targeted civilian women and girls directly, “acts that constitute the crime against humanity of murder and the war crime of wilful killing”.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/...a-genocidal-un

[Jimbuna]

UN experts accuse Israel of sexual violence and 'genocidal acts' in Gaza

UN experts have accused Israel of increasingly using sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinians and carrying out "genocidal acts" through the systematic destruction of maternal and reproductive healthcare facilities.

A report commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council documents alleged violations, including rape, in Gaza and the occupied West Bank since Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war.

It also says the destruction of maternity wards in Gaza and embryos at a fertility clinic could indicate a strategy to prevent births among a particular group - one of the legal definitions of genocide.

Israel said it "categorically rejects the unfounded allegations".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded angrily, calling the Human Rights Council "an antisemitic, rotten, terrorist-supporting and irrelevant body".

Instead of focusing on war crimes committed by Hamas, he said, it was attacking Israel with "false accusations".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyr154314vo

[Jimbuna]

[Exocet25fr]

Acute child malnutrition in northern Gaza doubles in one month, UNICEF says

The UN agency warns malnutrition crisis worsens across Gaza, with dramatic rises in affected children under two and under five.

One in three children under the age of two in the northern Gaza Strip suffers from acute malnutrition, the United Nations’ children agency has warned, as Israel’s total blockade of aid enters its third week.

“The speed at which this catastrophic child malnutrition crisis in Gaza has unfolded is shocking, especially when desperately needed assistance has been at the ready just a few miles away,” said Catherine Russell, UNICEF’s executive director.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/...th-unicef-says

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

Hamas says American-Israeli hostage will only be freed if ceasefire is implemented

The Hamas terrorist group said Saturday that it will only release Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander if Israel implements the existing ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

Alexander, 21, is the last living American hostage in captivity in the Gaza Strip.

A senior Hamas official told the Associated Press that long-delayed talks over the ceasefire’s second phase would need to begin the day of the release and last no longer than 50 days. Israel would also need to stop barring the entry of humanitarian aid and withdraw from a strategic corridor along Gaza’s border with Egypt.

Hamas called it an "exceptional deal" aimed at getting the truce back on track, per the official, who spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity.

Hamas is also demanding the release of more Palestinian prisoners in exchange for hostages, the official said.

Hamas on Friday agreed to release Alexander along with the bodies of four other hostages following a deal offered by mediators. He has now been held captive for 526 days as of Saturday, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said.

It comes as talks are ongoing in Qatar to establish the next phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, the first phase of which ended on March 1.

The office of Steve Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East, and the National Security Council said in a joint statement that "President Trump has made it clear that Hamas will either release hostages immediately, or pay a severe price."

Witkoff and Eric Trager, National Security Council senior director for the Middle East and North Africa, presented a ‘bridge’ proposal to extend the ceasefire beyond Ramadan and Passover and allow time to negotiate a framework for a permanent ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to convene his ministerial team on Saturday to receive a detailed report from negotiators and decide on the next steps for the release of the hostages.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/hamas-...re-implemented

[mapuc]

Trump Orders Attacks on Militant Sites in Yemen and Issues a Warning to Iran
The air and naval strikes on targets controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi fighters were intended to open up international shipping lanes in the Red Sea.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/15/u...k-houthis.html

Markus

[Jimbuna]

US launches wave of air strikes on Yemen's Houthis

The US has launched a "decisive and powerful" wave of air strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen, President Donald Trump has said, citing the armed group's attacks on shipping in the Red Sea as the reason.

"Funded by Iran, the Houthi thugs have fired missiles at US aircraft, and targeted our Troops and Allies," Trump wrote on his Truth social platform, adding that their "piracy, violence, and terrorism" had cost "billions of dollars" and put lives at risk.

The Houthi-run health ministry said at least 31 people were killed and 101 others were injured in the strikes.

The group - which began targeting shipping in response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza - said its forces would respond to US strikes.

The Houthis reported a series of explosions on Saturday evening in Sanaa and in the northern province of Saada - the rebels' stronghold on the border with Saudi Arabia.

The Iranian-backed rebel group, which considers Israel its enemy, controls Sanaa and the north-west of Yemen, but it is not the country's internationally-recognised government.

Unverified images show plumes of black smoke over the area of Sanaa's airport - which includes a military facility.

In a statement, the Houthis blamed the US and the UK for "wicked" aggression targeting residential areas in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa.

The UK did not participate in Saturday's US strikes against the Houthi targets but it did provide routine refuelling support for the US.

These attacks, Trump said, "will not be tolerated".

He added: "We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective."

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the US government had "no authority, or business, dictating Iranian foreign policy".

"End support for Israeli genocide and terrorism," he posted on X on Sunday. "Stop killing of Yemeni people."

The Houthis have said they are acting in support of the Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and have claimed - often falsely - that they are targeting ships only linked to Israel, the US or the UK.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c05mvr3j3yro

[Jimbuna]

British daughter of Gaza hostage says burying father 'incredibly meaningful'

A British-Israeli woman whose father died in captivity after being taken hostage by Palestinian gunmen on 7 October has said the return of his body last month has been "incredibly meaningful".

"Bringing back my dad and being able to bury him was one of the most profound things," Sharone Lifschitz said, after the family were finally able to hold a funeral for 83-year-old Oded Li********z.

Both her father and her mother were taken hostage from their home by Palestinian gunmen, but while her 85-year-old mother, Yocheved, was released in late October 2023, Oded was held for 503 days.

When his body was returned in February the Israeli government said he had been murdered in captivity over a year earlier.

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office said Oded "was murdered in captivity by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization."

"It's not the outcome we were hoping for," Sharone told the BBC on Sunday.

"But it's a relief to know that he is not suffering. We were so worried about his well being and his suffering, and he suffered before he died, and he died in the most horrific circumstances possible."

Sharone spoke to BBC News at a memorial event at the JW3 Community Centre in London.

Hundreds of people came to pay their respects, including MPs, Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer, the Chief Rabbi and other British-Israeli families whose relatives were murdered on 7 October or taken hostage.

Sharone said that "being able to say goodbye" showed how important it was that all families were reunited with their relatives, both those still alive and the bodies Hamas is still holding.

The first phase of a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas ended on 1 March and saw Hamas release 25 living Israeli hostages and eight dead hostages that it had captured during its attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023.

In return, Israel released about 1,900 prisoners and detainees from Gaza.

Talks to extend the ceasefire and release more hostages have so far failed to reach an agreement.

"Receiving my father's remains back, and being able to say goodbye to him has really has been incredibly meaningful to me, more than I could ever imagine, to bring him back to us, away from such horrific events that he was part of in his last days," Sharone said.

"It's very hard to reconcile the fact we weren't there for him. But at least we know now that he is back with us. I hope he knows how much we love him.

"Experiencing what it is to close it, to know that my father is dead and buried, really brings to the fore how important it is to return everybody, the living and the dead hostages, so that all the families can bury their loved ones."

She said he had been held alive and injured in Gaza for a few weeks after he was captured but that "he didn't give up on his humanity."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yrv2v4zg6o

[Exocet25fr]

Genocide is Growing...........!

Israel strikes Gaza, breaking ceasefire: Israeli warplanes launched a massive assault across the Gaza Strip early on Tuesday morning, killing at least 404 people, including many children, and injuring numerous others.

Israeli attacks targeted various areas across the Gaza Strip, from north to south, including Jabalia, Beit Hanoon, Gaza City, Nuseirat, Deir el-Balah, Khan Younis and Rafah. Areas that had been designated as safe humanitarian zones, including the al-Mawasi zones, were also attacked.

Israel violated the ceasefire numerous times from January 19 to March 17, killing at least 170 people in Gaza, averaging nearly three deaths a day. Gaza authorities have documented more than 350 violations by Israel, including military incursions, gunfire, air raids, intensified surveillance and the obstruction of aid. The latest attacks come during the second half of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

More than 60,000 killed, 112,000 wounded, On February 3, the Government Media Office updated the death toll to more than 61,700, noting that thousands of Palestinians missing under the rubble were presumed dead.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/18/gaza-tracker

[Jimbuna]

Israel launches waves of strikes on Gaza with more than 400 reportedly killed

The Israeli military says it is carrying out "extensive strikes" in the Gaza Strip, with the Hamas-run health ministry reporting more than 400 Palestinians have been killed.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was attacking what it called "terror targets" belonging to Hamas. The strikes are continuing and the IDF has issued fresh evacuation orders for many areas.

Mahmoud Abu Wafah, deputy interior minister in Gaza and the territory's highest-ranking Hamas security official, is among the dead. Three other senior officials were later reported killed.

This is the largest wave of air strikes in Gaza since the ceasefire began on 19 January. Talks to extend it have failed to reach an agreement.

Many people were having their pre-dawn meal, part of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, when explosions started in Gaza, witnesses say.

They described a nightmarish situation, with fires and bodies everywhere, and wounded people desperate for treatment.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Israel Katz ordered the strikes on Tuesday morning, a statement from the prime minister's office said.

"This follows 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," it added.

Israel says Hamas is still holding 59 hostages - all but one who were taken on 7 October 2023. Twenty-four of the hostages are believed to still be alive.

Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, warned Hamas to release all the hostages, stating "we will show no mercy on our enemies".

But a group representing hostages' families said the Israeli government "chose to give up the hostages".

The statement by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum expressed shock and anger at what it called the "deliberate dismantling of the process to return our loved ones".

The group later issued an emergency call for a protest in Jerusalem, saying the hostages were "in grave danger".

The Israeli air force attacked targets in Gaza City, Rafah and Khan Younis in the early hours of Tuesday.

Ramez Alammarin, 25, told AFP news agency how he carried children to hospital south-east 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".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9vy3k4dpz0o

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

UN says worker killed in Gaza as Israeli air strikes resume

The UN says that one of its workers has been killed and others injured after a compound in Gaza was damaged on Wednesday, adding that the circumstances of the incident remain unclear.

The Palestinian territory's Hamas-run health ministry blamed an Israeli strike and said five critically injured foreign workers had arrived in hospital. Israel's military denied striking the UN compound in Deir al-Balah.

It comes after Israel said it was resuming fighting in Gaza following a two-month ceasefire - launching a wave of strikes that killed more than 400 people, according to Gaza's health ministry.

On Tuesday, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it had "resumed combat in full force".

A day later, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was extending ground operations in Gaza up to the Netzarim corridor, which divides the north and south of the strip.

Troops moved into the area "to create a partial buffer between northern and southern Gaza", the military added.

The UN initially said two of its workers had been killed but later clarified that the second person was not a staff member.

The UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) said an "explosive ordnance was dropped or fired" at the building, which was in an "isolated" location.

It added there was no confirmation on the nature of the incident or the type of artillery used.

UNOPS executive director Jorge Moreira da Silva described the incident as "not an accident" and added that "UN personnel and its premises must be protected by all sides".

In a statement, a spokesperson for UN Secretary General António Guterres said two guesthouses were hit and called for a full investigation.

Footage verified by the BBC showed injured people - two still wearing blue UN flak jackets - arriving at a hospital in an ambulance and a UN car.

Separately, at least 20 people were killed in air strikes across Gaza overnight, after Israel said it was resuming fighting in the Palestinian territory.

Two civilians were killed and five others injured when an Israeli drone hit a tent near the al-Mawasi humanitarian zone, the Palestinian Wafa news agency reports, citing Red Crescent medics.

Israel's army said it had targeted what it called a Hamas military site, from where the group was preparing to fire into Israel. Vessels controlled by Hamas were also hit, the army said.

The bombing is not of the same scale as it was on Tuesday - but it shows no let-up in Israel's fresh assault.

Tom Fletcher, the UN's under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief, said of Tuesday's strikes that "the intensity of the killings is now off the scale".

Wafa says a woman and child were killed in an air strike north of Khan Younis overnight into Wednesday, while four others were killed in a strike in Gaza City.

Gaza's health ministry said that 436 people had been killed in strikes since Tuesday, including 183 children.

Tuesday's strikes constituted the heaviest bombardment since a fragile ceasefire and hostage exchange deal came into effect on 19 January, and came after Israel and Hamas failed to agree how to take it beyond an initial phase.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce8mpl4mk4go