MIDDLE EAST
2 HOURS AGO
Live blog: Gaza face dire hunger emergency as Israeli strikes continue
Israel’s war on Gaza, now in its 264th day, has killed at least 37,658 Palestinians — mostly women, children and infants –– and wounded 86,237, with 10,000+ believed to be buried under debris of bombed homes and 9,500 abducted by Tel Aviv.
Half million Palestinians at ‘worst hunger level’ due to Israel’s Gaza war, UN says. / Photo: AA
AA
Half million Palestinians at ‘worst hunger level’ due to Israel’s Gaza war, UN says. / Photo: AA
Wednesday, June 26, 2024
0540 GMT — At least 96 percent of Gaza’s population – 2.15 million people – face high levels of acute food insecurity through September, according to a newly published report.
The latest analysis projects fewer people will face catastrophic levels of hunger in the coming months – 495,000 compared to the previously projected 1.1 million. However, there remains a high risk of famine amidst a deteriorating health and humanitarian situation across Gaza.
As long as Israel’s war on the enclave continues and humanitarian access is restricted, the IPC acute food security report warns, the dire situation in Gaza is unlikely to improve.
More updates 👇
At least four Palestinians are killed after Israeli air strikes target a house in the north of Gaza pic.twitter.com/WYGaCqUVAC
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) June 26, 2024
0537 GMT — Suspected Houthi attack targets a ship in the Gulf of Aden, while Iraq-claimed attack targets Eilat
Suspected attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeted a ship in the Gulf of Aden, while a separate attack claimed by Iraqi militants allied with the rebels targeted the southern Israeli port city of Eilat, authorities have said.
The attacks follow the departure of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower after an eight-month deployment in which the aircraft carrier led the American response to the Houthi assaults.
Those attacks have reduced shipping drastically through the route crucial to Asian, Middle Eastern and European markets in a campaign the Houthis say will continue as long as Israel’s brutal war on Gaza continues.
0500 GMT — Norwegian fund blacklists Caterpillar over Gaza fears
Norway’s largest pension fund has said it had divested from US industrial group Caterpillar because of the risk its equipment was being used by the Israeli army in Gaza.
“For a long time, Caterpillar has supplied bulldozers and other equipment that has been used to demolish Palestinian homes and infrastructure to clear the way for Israeli settlements,” Kiran Aziz, head of responsible investments at KLP, said in a statement.
“It has also been alleged that the company’s equipment is being used by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) in connection with its military campaign in Gaza following the Hamas operation on October 7 last year,” she added.
READ MORE
Every day, 10 Gaza children lose one or both legs due to Israel’s war — UN
0238 GMT — Large fire breaks out near Israeli military base in occupied East Jerusalem
A large fire has broken out near an Israeli military base on Mount Scopus in occupied East Jerusalem.
Israel’s Army Radio said firefighters worked to contain it. Authorities are investigating the suspected arson, it added.
Police in a separate statement confirmed their collaboration with firefighting teams following the outbreak of the blaze in an open area near the Ofrit base and Hebrew University.
At this stage, there is no danger to residents of the area, the military base, road users or university buildings, the police said.
0223 GMT — German FM warns of regional war during visit to Lebanon
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has warned that a “miscalculation” could trigger a full-blown war between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah and called for restraint during her visit to Beirut, where she met her Lebanese counterpart, Abdallah Bou Habib.
Baerbock expressed “Germany’s concern about the current tensions in the area and cautioned against reaching a deadlock, particularly if both Hezbollah and Israel reject a ceasefire.”
She warned that “failure to reach an agreement on a ceasefire would pose a danger to everyone, as it could escalate into a regional war, affecting not only Lebanon and Israel but the entire region.”
READ MORE
Palestine man recounts being shot and used as human shield by Israeli army
0043 GMT — Palestine says Armenia’s recognition a step to end Israeli occupation
Armenia’s decision to recognise the State of Palestine “represents progress in acknowledging the Palestinian people’s right to their land and the necessity of ending the Israeli occupation,” Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said.
Abbas expressed his gratitude to Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan for the significant step in a letter he sent to his Armenian counterpart, according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.
Armenia’s recognition “reflects its commitment to achieving justice, belief in human rights, and the depth of the friendly and respectful relations between the Palestinian and Armenian peoples,” Abbas added.
Abbas expressed hope that other countries that have not yet recognised an independent State of Palestine would follow Armenia’s lead to achieve security, peace and coexistence in the region.
2225 GMT — US military invites reporters to Gaza pier project
After several fits and starts, the $230 million pier is up and running again.
The US military invited reporters for a tour of it, marking the first time international media has witnessed its operations firsthand.
As journalists looked, US soldiers with machine guns directed the pier’s operations. US vessels carrying trucks loaded with humanitarian aid docked at the pier.
Israel has barred foreign journalists from covering the Gaza war and most of the coverage has been led by local Palestinians journalists. Israel has killed more than 150 local journalists and wounded dozens others since October last year.
READ MORE
Netanyahu’s wife alleges coup plot by army bosses against Israel’s PM
2139 GMT — WFP economist pleads for action to help Gaza’s dire food crisis
The UN food agency’s chief economist has said designations about whether there’s a famine in besieged Gaza miss the point, because the situation is dire, with nearly all 2.3 million Palestinians facing acute hunger.
The world needs to take action now, said Arif Husain of the World Food Program, citing the example of Somalia’s massive famine in 2011, where 250,000 people died.
“Half of those people died before famine was declared,” Husain said.
He stressed to reporters that averting famine requires more than food — it requires clean water, sanitation, health care and medicine on a sustained basis.
2123 GMT — Houthis claim ‘accurate’ hit on Israeli ship in Arabian Sea
Yemen’s Houthis have said that they used a new ballistic missile to hit the MSC Sarah V vessel in the Arabian Sea, claiming responsibility for an attack reported a day earlier.
Yahya Sarea, the Yemeni group’s spokesperson, claimed an “accurate and direct” hit on the ship, describing the vessel as “Israeli.”
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations has said the crew were reported safe and that the vessel was heading to its next port of call.
For our live updates from Tuesday, June 25, 2024, click here.
SOURCE: TRTWORLD AND AGENCIES
