GAZA: Holding his teddy bear, Gazan mother Asmaa Al-Wasifi mourned her 10-year-old son, who was killed in an Israeli strike before he could take his second polio shot.
The United Nations began the second round of its polio campaign in central areas of the enclave on Monday, though many Gazans said the effort was futile given the ongoing Israeli campaign to crush Hamas.
“The time for second vaccine was here, but the (Israeli) occupation did not let them live to continue their lives and their childhood,” said Asmaa, crying as she went through her son’s clothes and schoolbooks.
Yamen, along with four of his cousins — the oldest of whom was 10 — were killed when Israel hit their family home on Sept. 24 in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza.
The children had received their first polio vaccines three weeks earlier in a UN campaign that prompted rare daily pauses of fighting between Israel and Hamas militants in pre-specified areas.
The campaign began after a baby was partially paralyzed by the type-2 polio virus in August, in the first such case in the territory in 25 years.
Yamen’s grandmother Zakeya, who lost at least 10 of her family members, called for the war that has ravaged the tiny enclave of 2.3 million people for more than a year to end.
“We don’t want any drinks or any aid. We want them to give us safety and security — for the war to end,” she said.
Efforts to secure a ceasefire so far have faltered, with Israel and Hamas unable to agree on key demands.
Her son Osama, 35, said his wife’s body was unrecognizable after the strike that also killed their four children.
The children had just had fresh haircuts to get ready for school, he added.
“They were happy like butterflies... Ten minutes later, the targeting happened. I found them all in pieces,” he said.
Israeli strikes hit children in Gaza before receiving second polio vaccines, family says
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Israeli strikes hit children in Gaza before receiving second polio vaccines, family says
- “The time for second vaccine was here, but the (Israeli) occupation did not let them live to continue their lives and their childhood,” said Asmaa
- Yamen, along with four of his cousins — the oldest of whom was 10 — were killed when Israel hit their family home on Sept. 24 in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza
Israel says Lebanon negotiations will only be held ‘under fire’
- “Hezbollah is in great distress,” Gallant said near the border
JERUSALEM: Israel will not stop fighting a now weakened Hezbollah before it can safely return its citizens to their homes near the Lebanese border and any ceasefire negotiations will be held “under fire,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Wednesday.
“Hezbollah is in great distress,” Gallant said near the border, according to a statement from his office. “We will hold negotiations only under fire, I said this on day one, I said it in Gaza and I am saying it here.”
Iran warns of ‘decisive’ response if Israel strikes, urges UN action
- Tehran fired about 200 missiles at Israel on Oct. 1 in revenge for the killing of two of its closest allies
- Israeli defense minister warned last week retaliation will be ‘decisive, precise and surprising’ for Iran
TEHRAN: Iran’s top diplomat has warned UN chief Antonio Guterres that Tehran is ready for a “decisive and regretful” response if Israel attacks his country in retaliation for a missile attack.
The Islamic republic fired about 200 missiles at Israel on October 1 in revenge for the killing of two of its closest allies, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, as well as an Iranian general.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowed last week that his country’s retaliatory measure would be “deadly, precise and surprising.”
“Iran, while making all-out efforts to protect the peace and security of the region, is fully prepared for a decisive and regretful response to any adventures” by Israel, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said during a phone call with Guterres, according to a statement from his office on Wednesday.
During the call on Tuesday evening, Araghchi also appealed to the United Nations to use its resources “to stop the crimes and aggressions of the Israeli regime and to send humanitarian aid to Lebanon and Gaza.”
Over the past week, the Iranian foreign minister has visited Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq and Oman in an effort to ease tensions.
Araghchi arrived in Jordan on Wednesday before traveling to Egypt and Turkiye, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said in a post on social media platform X.
The developments come against the backdrop of a war between Israel and Iran-allied Palestinian militant group Hamas that has been raging for more than a year and has expanded to include Lebanon in recent weeks.
Iran atomic agency says Israeli attack on nuclear sites ‘unlikely’
- The agency spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said: “In the event of an attack on a key site: be sure it will not succeed”
- His remarks came ahead of an expected Israeli response to Iran’s firing of around 200 missiles at Israel on Oct. 1
TEHRAN: Iran’s atomic energy agency said Wednesday an Israeli attack on key nuclear sites was “very unlikely” and the country would be able to “quickly compensate” for any potential damage.
“It is very unlikely to happen,” said the agency spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi in a video interview with the Nournews agency.
“In the event of an attack on a key site: be sure it will not succeed,” he said.
“And if they (Israel) do such a stupid thing, it is very unlikely that they will cause serious damage to us and even if we assume that they can cause some damage, the country can quickly compensate for it,” he added.
His remarks came ahead of an expected Israeli response to Iran’s firing of around 200 missiles at Israel on October 1.
Tehran said it was a retaliation for the killing of Iran-aligned militant leaders in the region and a general in its Revolutionary Guards.
The missile barrage came after an Israeli air raid killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and IRGC top general Abbas Nilforoushan in Beirut on September 27.
It also followed the killing of Palestinian group Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on July 31 in Tehran in an attack widely blamed on Israel.
Israel has since vowed to retaliate, with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowing that Israel’s response will be “deadly, precise and surprising.”
US President Joe Biden, whose government is Israel’s top arms supplier, has warned Israel against striking Iran’s nuclear or oil facilities.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel — and not its top ally the United States — would decide how to strike back.
“We listen to the opinions of the United States, but we will make our final decisions based on our national interest,” it said Tuesday.
Iran has warned that any attack on its “infrastructure” would provoke an “even stronger response,” while Revolutionary Guards General Rassul Sanairad said an attack on nuclear or energy sites would cross a red line.
Jordan marks World Food Day with call for global effort to combat hunger and malnutrition
AMMAN: Jordan’s Princess Basma bint Talal led Jordan’s observation of World Food Day on Wednesday in conjunction with the 79th anniversary of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.
This year’s theme, “The Right to Food, for a Better Life and a Better Future,” highlighted the urgent global need to combat hunger and malnutrition.
In her recorded address, Princess Basma underscored the disparity between the one-third of global food production wasted annually and the nearly 10 percent of the world’s population that suffers from hunger, the Jordan News Agency reported.
“The world must address this crisis,” Princess Basma said, calling for a unified and integrated approach involving governments, private sector entities, civil society, and academic institutions to safeguard food systems.
She advocated for innovation within the agricultural sector and stressed the importance of encouraging farmers to adopt sustainable practices.
She said this would preserve land fertility, enhance global food security, and create more efficient food systems. She also urged for rational consumption patterns to ensure the sustainability of the food supply, especially for vulnerable populations.
Praising the FAO’s ongoing efforts, Princess Basma acknowledged the role that international, regional, and local bodies play in addressing hunger crises and improving food security.
Jordan’s Minister of Agriculture Khaled Hneifat echoed her sentiments.
He emphasized the kingdom’s recognition of food security as a cornerstone of national resilience through the establishment of the Food Security Council, which provides essential data on food security and oversees the implementation of Jordan’s National Food Security Strategy 2021–2030.
Hneifat noted the ministry’s ongoing efforts to reduce food loss and waste while maximizing the benefits of local agricultural production.
These initiatives are designed to ensure that basic food items remain available and affordable to all Jordanians.
FAO representative in Jordan Nabil Assaf also spoke on the global hunger crisis, noting that around 730 million people suffer from hunger worldwide, while more than 2.8 billion cannot afford a healthy diet.
Assaf called for collective global action to ensure access to diverse, nutritious, and affordable food.
He stressed the need for agricultural food systems that are inclusive, sustainable, and resilient, while also respecting both traditional food cultures and scientific knowledge.
UNRWA ‘very near’ possible breaking point in Gaza operation, head says
- UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini says agency facing a combination of a financial and political threats to its existence
- It has long had tense relations with Israel but ties have deteriorated sharply since the start of the war in Gaza
BERLIN: The UN Palestinian refugee agency is close to a possible breaking point for its operations in the Gaza Strip due to increasingly complicated conditions, its head said on Wednesday.
“I will not hide the fact that we might reach a point that we won’t be able anymore to operate,” UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini told journalists at a news conference in Berlin.
“We are very near to a possible breaking point. When will it be? I don’t know. But we are very near of that,” he said.
He said the agency was facing a combination of a financial and political threats to its existence, in addition to difficulties in day-to-day operations, as aid is even more desperately needed against the threat of disease and famine.
He said there was a real risk, heading into winter, with people’s immune systems weakened, that famine or acute malnutrition could become a likelihood.
UNRWA provides education, health and aid to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
It has long had tense relations with Israel but ties have deteriorated sharply since the start of the war in Gaza.
Israel launched the offensive against Hamas after the Palestinian militant group led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which 1,200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage to Gaza, by Israeli tallies. More than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in the offensive, according to Gaza’s health authorities.
Israeli leaders in January accused UNRWA staff of collaborating with Hamas militants in Gaza, leading some donors to suspend funding, although many of those decisions have since been reversed. The UN launched an investigation into Israel’s accusations and dismissed nine staff.
