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☆ After Retreat, Ukraine Digs in to Repel New Russian Attacks in East
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 91 Images"The Ukrainian military has established itself on new lines of defence and is successfully repelling attempts by the Russian invaders to develop an offensive," Brigadier-General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi wrote on Telegram messenger. The capture of Avdiivka pushes Ukrainian forces further from the Russian-held bastion city of Donetsk, an important logistics hub used by Moscow to support its operations across partially-occupied eastern Ukraine, a region known as the Donbas. Serhiy Zgurets, director of the Kyiv-based Defence Express consultancy, predicted Russian forces would try to "straighten out" the front line around Mariinka and launch a fresh push around the town of Vuhledar, which is held by Kyiv. Pavel Mogila, commander of an armoured unit in a Russian militia force fighting for Ukraine, said they helped evacuate forces from the city using three vehicles. Moscow unilaterally declared it had annexed the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in 2022 despite not fully controlling any of them.

Persons: Pavel Polityuk, Tom Balmforth, Avdiivka's, Republicans scupper, rearm, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Dmytro Lykhoviy, Avdiivka, Serhiy Zgurets, Zgurets, Chasiv Yar, Vladimir Putin, Maksym Zhoryn, Pavel Mogila, Taran, Oleh, Putin, Yuliia Dysa, Peter Graff Organizations: Tom Balmforth KYIV, Kremlin, U.S, Republicans, Ukrainian, Defence Express, Kyiv, Third Assault Brigade, 110th Brigade Locations: Avdiivka, Russia, Bakhmut, Mariinka, Kyiv, Russian, Donetsk, Moscow, Ukraine, Vuhledar, Chasiv, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia

☆ Ukraine Must Find Innovative Ways to Fight, New Commander Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Max HunderKYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's armed forces must adapt and find innovative ways to fight to achieve victory over Russian invaders, Kyiv's new armed forces chief said on Friday, in his first public remarks since taking command. Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, previously commander of ground forces, was promoted on Thursday to overall command of Ukraine's 800,000-strong armed forces, the biggest shakeup of top brass since the war began, coming at a challenging time. The cautious, pragmatic tone was notably short of the soaring rhetoric used by Ukrainian politicians throughout the war. The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 91 ImagesDefence Minister Rustem Umerov said he had introduced Syrskyi to the General Staff, and promised "all possible support for the actions and decisions of the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine". In his announcement yesterday, Zelenskiy said Syrskyi would present his new team with the aim of "resetting" the military.

Persons: Max Hunder, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Syrskyi, Rustem Umerov, Umerov, Zelenskiy, Yuliia Dysa, Toby Chopra, Peter Graff Organizations: Max Hunder KYIV, General Staff, Armed Forces, Facebook Locations: Ukraine, United States, Avdiivka, Moscow, Bakhmut

☆ More Than 8,000 Killed During 2022 Mariupol Siege - Human Rights Watch
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Emma FargeGENEVA (Reuters) - At least 8,000 people were killed by fighting or war-related causes in Russia's months-long conquest of Mariupol, one of the biggest battles of the nearly two-year war between Russia and Ukraine, according to Human Rights Watch. The Human Rights Watch assessment, based on satellite and other images of grave sites, is one of the only independent estimates of the death toll so far. Human Rights Watch said the total could be significantly higher than its estimate since some graves have been known to contain multiple bodies and some sites might not have been identified. The full 224-page report 'Our City Was Gone: Russia's Devastation of Mariupol, Ukraine' compiled with NGO Truth Hounds and architecture practice SITU, also draws on some 240 interviews with mostly displaced Mariupol residents. "Russian forces' devastation of Mariupol stands out as one of the worst chapters of their full-scale invasion of Ukraine," said Ida Sawyer, crisis and conflict director at Human Rights Watch, calling for governments to investigate.

Persons: Emma Farge GENEVA, Mariupol, Ida Sawyer, Emma Farge, Thomas Balmforth, Peter Graff Organizations: Human Rights Watch, United Nations Locations: Mariupol, Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian

☆ Yemen Houthi Leader Says Group Will Further Escalate if Attacks on Gaza Do Not Stop
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI (Reuters) - The leader of Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Tuesday that the group will further escalate if the Israeli attack on Gaza does not stop. The Houthis, who control Yemen's capital and most populous areas, have attacked international shipping in the Red Sea since November in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians, drawing U.S. and British retaliatory strikes since last month. The attacks are disrupting maritime trade in one of the world's busiest corridors as freight firms reroute around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Suez Canal. The group fired naval missiles at two ships in the Red Sea on Tuesday, its military spokesman said, causing damage to Greek-owned Star Nasia and British-owned Morning Tide. War in Israel and Gaza View All 194 ImagesSpokesman Yahya Sarea identified the Greek-owned, Marshall Islands flagged Star Nasia as American.

Persons: Yemen's, Houthis, Abdul Malik al, Houthi, Yahya Sarea, Ahmed Elimam, Nayera Abdallah, Peter Graff Organizations: Reuters, Tide, Marshall Islands Locations: DUBAI, Yemen's Iran, Gaza, Red, Suez, Israel, India

☆ Living Among the Dead: Gaza Families Seek Shelter in Cemetery
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

"People were forced to come here to this safe place, which is the cemetery among the dead," said Amer, who is displaced from Al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza with 11 family members including children and grandchildren. Israel has threatened to storm the area with tanks when it finishes a battle in Khan Younis just north of it. The cemetery has neat rows of low cement graves that pre-date the war, with plants and flowers growing on them, inscriptions and peeling paint. "The dead are in comfort while we, the living, are in pain and going through very tough conditions. "I see the children, our children, playing among and above the graves," said Amer.

Persons: Mohammed Salem, Mahmoud Amer, Amer, Israel's, Khan Younis, Estelle Shirbon, Peter Graff Organizations: Al Locations: Mohammed Salem RAFAH, Gaza, Rafah, Israel, Egypt, Palestinian

☆ Hamas Unlikely to Reject Ceasefire but Will Demand Israeli Withdrawal -Source
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed not to pull troops out until "total victory", which he defines as eradicating Hamas. Hamas says it will not sign up to any temporary truce unless Israel commits to a withdrawal and permanent end to the war. "They haven’t entered deep into Al-Mawasi where we live but everyday they get closer," he told Reuters by phone, referring to the western district of Khan Younis along the Mediterranean Coast. Israel, which claims Hamas is using hospitals as command centres, has denied prior Red Crescent claims that it stormed the hospital. Palestinian health officials said medical teams had recovered 14 bodies of Palestinians who were killed near the centre of Khan Younis after some tanks retreated from there.

Persons: Nidal, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ismail Haniyeh, Khan Younis, Osama Ahmed, Amal, Israel's, Nidal al, Ari Rabinovitch, Sharon Singleton, Peter Graff Organizations: Hamas, Palestinian, Health, Reuters, Palestinian Red Crescent Society, Al, Crescent, U.S . Navy, U.S . military's, Command Locations: Gaza, Israel, United States, Paris, Cairo, Khan, Rafah, Gaza City, Al, Iran, Yemen, Red, Britain, Washington, U.S, Gulf, Aden, Mughrabi, Doha, Tala, Dubai, Jerusalem

☆ US Treasury Imposes Sanctions on Businesses Owned by Sudanese Warring Parties
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The businesses sanctioned are Alkhaleej Bank and Al-Fakher Advanced Works, controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, and Zadna International, controlled by the Sudanese army, according to a U.S. Treasury Department statement. The Rapid Support Forces are accused by the U.S. of participating in an ethnic cleansing campaign in West Darfur, along with war crimes and crimes against humanity. Meanwhile, Zadna International was described as a "top revenue-earner" for the Sudanese army. The U.S. Treasury Department said it continued to provide funding and was used for money-laundering. The sanctions were imposed under a U.S. executive order authorizing sanctions on individuals who are destabilizing Sudan and undermining the country's democratic transition, the Treasury Department said.

Persons: Brian E, Nelson, Daphne Psaledakis, Rami Ayyub, Peter Graff Organizations: Alkhaleej Bank, Al, Rapid Support Forces, Zadna, U.S . Treasury, U.S, Treasury, Terrorism, Financial, Alkhaleej, Sudanese Central Bank, Treasury Department, U.S . Treasury Department, U.S . Locations: WASHINGTON, CAIRO, United States, Sudan, Sudanese, U.S, West Darfur

☆ Italy, EU's Oldest Country, Plans More Spending for Elderly
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The government was set to present the package at the end of a cabinet meeting later on Thursday. With a median age of 48, Italy is the EU's oldest country, and also has the highest old-age dependency, defined as the ratio of people aged 65 and over to those of working age, according to statistics agency Eurostat. Pensions already eat up more than 15% of gross domestic product (GDP), and the Treasury expects spending to reach 17% of output in 2042. In its 2024 budget, the government earmarked around 1 billion euros for several measures aimed at addressing Italy's demographic crisis. One temporarily removes social contributions paid by working mothers with at least two children.

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Angelo Amante, Giuseppe Fonte, Alvise, Peter Graff Organizations: Italian, Reuters, Ageing, Pensions, Treasury Locations: ROME, Italy, Rome

☆ At Putin Campaign HQ, Soldier's Wife Says Bring Him Home
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

"Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has issued a decree that my husband has to be there (in Ukraine). I'm interested to know when he will issue a decree that my husband has to be home," Maria Andreyeva said as campaign workers looked on. She became involved in a heated exchange with a woman who told her that Russian soldiers in Ukraine were defending the motherland and she should pray for them. It showed the depth of anger and despair among some soldiers' families as the war grinds on, with no end in sight after nearly two years. Andreyeva said she did not detect any urgency from the authorities to address the concerns of soldiers' wives, and it was time to step up their campaign.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, I'm, Maria Andreyeva, Andreyeva, Putin, Mark Trevelyan, Peter Graff Organizations: Saturday, Ministry of Defense, Reuters Locations: MOSCOW, Russian, Ukraine, Russia

☆ US, Britain Carry Out Strikes Across Yemen in Retaliation for Houthi Attacks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

A U.S. official said more than a dozen locations were targeted in strikes that were not just symbolic but intended to weaken the Houthis' military capabilities. The United States and allies had deployed a naval task force to the area in December, and the situation had escalated in recent days. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who is in hospital due to surgery complications, said in a statement that the strikes targeted Houthi drones, ballistic and cruise missiles, costal radar and air surveillance. The United States also accused Iran of being involved operationally in the Houthi attacks, providing the military capabilities and intelligence to carry them out. The United States has troops on the ground in Syria and Iraq, and has previously retaliated for attacks there by Iran-backed groups.

Persons: Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Mohammed Ghobari WASHINGTON, Joe Biden, Houthis, Sanaa, Ali Ahmad, Mahmoud, James Heappey, Brent, Lloyd Austin, Tesla, Andreas Krieg, Andrew Mills, Maher Hatem, Jeff Mason, Kanishka Singh, Eric Beech, Peter Graff, Angus MacSwan Organizations: British, U.S, Hamas, U.S . Defense, Washington, King's College, United, West Bank Locations: ADEN, Yemen, Iran, Gaza, Sanaa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Hajjah governorate, United States, Israel, Europe, Asia, U.S, Britain, Africa, Germany, London . Saudi Arabia, U.N, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Washington, Doha, Dubai

The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, U.S., November 22, 2019. Brent crude futures were down 60 cents, or 0.7%, at $79.98 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures lost 68 cents, or 0.9%, to $74.86. OPEC+ is looking at deepening oil production cuts despite its policy meeting being postponed to this Thursday, an OPEC+ source said on Monday. The Middle East crisis had impacted oil prices as investors worried about impacts on supply.

Persons: Angus Mordant, Rebecca Babin, Goldman Sachs, Arathy Somasekhar, Paul Carsten, Florence Tan, Mohi Narayan, Peter Graff, Mark Potter, Tomasz Janowski, Cynthia Osterman, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, HOUSTON, Brent, . West Texas, Organization of, Petroleum, Reuters, Saudi, CIBC Private Wealth, ING, OPEC, United, International Energy Agency, Qatar, Hamas, U.S . Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Thomson Locations: Loving County , Texas, U.S, Saudi, Russia, OPEC, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Turkey, United States, Gaza, Houston, London

The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, U.S., November 22, 2019. Brent crude futures were down 60 cents, or 0.7%, at $79.98 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures lost 68 cents, or 0.9%, to $74.86. "We still expect an extension of the unilateral Saudi and Russia cuts through at least the first quarter of 2024," the bank added. Higher crude stockpiles in the United States have also put downward pressure on prices, analysts said. The Middle East crisis had impacted oil prices as investors worried about impacts on supply.

Persons: Angus Mordant, Rebecca Babin, Goldman Sachs, Arathy Somasekhar, Paul Carsten, Florence Tan, Mohi Narayan, Peter Graff, Mark Potter, Tomasz Janowski, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, HOUSTON, Brent, U.S, West Texas, Organization of, Petroleum, Reuters, Saudi, CIBC Private Wealth, ING, OPEC, United, International Energy Agency, Qatar, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Loving County , Texas, U.S, Saudi, Russia, OPEC, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Turkey, United States, Gaza, Houston, London

☆ In setback, Wilders' first post-election appointee resigns
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The swift departure of Gom van Strien, appointed on Friday by Wilders, underlines the difficulties ahead for coalition talks as Wilders seeks to form a government with himself as prime minister. "Therefore I have informed Geert Wilders and the chairwoman of parliament I will lay down my work as scout immediately," he said in a statement. Wilders' PVV booked major gains in the Nov. 22 election. Van Strien had been due to meet with VVD leader Dilan Yesilgoz on Monday. Newspaper NRC Handelsblad first reported on Saturday that Van Strien was sued in March by a subsidiary of Utrecht University over alleged fraud.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Wilders, Van Strien, Gom van Strien, PVV, Mark Rutte, Dilan Yesilgoz, Pieter Omtzigt, Toby Sterling, Peter Graff, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Freedom Party, VVD Party, NSC Party, NRC, Utrecht University, Thomson Locations: The Hague, Netherlands, AMSTERDAM, Dutch, Wilders

In the southern town of Khan Younis, which has been housing thousands of displaced families including from heavily bombarded northern Gaza, streets were packed with people on the move. "A four-day truce is not enough, those (in the north) of Gaza, may God give them patience. SOME PEOPLE STAYAlaa Al Moubachar, sitting outside a Khan Younis medical centre with her children, said the neighbourhood where she lived in Gaza City had been destroyed. "I just want to go back, even if just for an hour to see my house and the neighbourhood, to see Gaza (City) and what happened to it." Some Palestinians in Khan Younis say they will wait until the end of the war before returning home.

Persons: Khan Younis, Abu Mustafa, KHAN YOUNIS, Ahmad Wael, trudging, Souad Abou Nasirat, We're, Al Moubachar, Ahmad Kabalan, Israel, Timothy Heritage, Peter Graff Organizations: REUTERS, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, Khan, Gaza City, City

"We all hope that this truce will lead to a chance to start a wider work to achieve a permanent truce." A U.S. State Department official called the truce a "hopeful moment" but said work would continue to free all the hostages. Israel had received an initial list of hostages to be freed and was in touch with families, the prime minister's office said. Hamas said 30 people had been killed in an Israeli strike on a school affiliated with the UNRWA in Jabalia. Israel says Hamas fighters use residential and other civilian buildings, including hospitals, as cover.

Persons: Majed Al, Ansari, Joe Biden, Abu Ubaida, Daniel Hagari, Israel, U.N, Philippe Lazzarini, Abu Mustafa, Neighbour Khaled Hamad, Gilad Korngold, Khan Younis, Nasser, Al Shifa, Muhammad Abu Salamiya, Peter Graff, Andrew Heavens, Deepa Babington, William Maclean, Mark Heinrich, Jonathan Oatis, Diane Craft Organizations: Gaza Hamas, UNRWA, Hamas, Qatari, Doha, U.S . State Department, West Bank, UNRWA's, REUTERS, Gaza, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Palestinian, Gaza, DOHA, GAZA, Israel, Qatar, Gaza City, Massachusetts, Nantucket, U.S, Rafah, Jabalia, Indonesian, Gaza's

☆ Israel-Hamas war: Four-day truce agreed, 50 hostages to go free
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Hamas and allied groups captured around 240 hostages when Islamist gunmen rampaged through southern Israeli towns on Oct. 7. Beyond that, the truce could be extended day by day as long as an additional 10 hostages were freed per day. Hamas said the initial 50 hostages would be released in exchange for 150 Palestinian women and children imprisoned in Israel. The truce deal is a first small step towards peace in the most violent ruction of the 75-year-old Palestinian-Israeli conflict. To destroy Hamas, return all our hostages and ensure that no entity in Gaza can threaten Israel," Netanyahu said in a recorded message.

Persons: Guterres, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Foreign Ministry Mohammed Al, Alexander Ermochenko, Mona, Joe Biden, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Antonio Guterres, Netanyahu, James Mackenzie, Dan Williams, Emily Rose, Henriette Chacar, Andrew Mills, Steve Holland, Jonathan Landay, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Lincoln, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Peter Graff, Mark Heinrich, Cynthia Osterman, Stephen Coates, Simon Cameron, Moore, Nick Macfie Organizations: Hamas, Israeli, State, Foreign Ministry, Reuters, REUTERS, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Israel’s Defence Ministry, Saudi Foreign, Thomson Locations: GAZA, JERUSALEM, Israel, Gaza, Qatar, Israel ., Jabalia, U.S, Jerusalem, Doha, Washington, Cairo

☆ NATO's Stoltenberg concerned by secessionist rhetoric in Bosnia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Daria Sito-Sucic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg shakes hands with Bosnian Prime Minister Borjana Kristo during his visit to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, November 20, 2023. Bosnia emerged from a 1992-1995 war with a federal structure uniting a Serb-dominated republic with a federation of Croats and Bosniak Muslims. "We are concerned by secessionist and divisive rhetoric as well as .. foreign interference including Russia," Stoltenberg told reporters in Sarajevo, his first stop during a tour of the Western Balkans region. NATO has warned about risks for Bosnia from foreign interference, particularly from Russia, and agreed to help to shore up its ability to defend itself. Every country has the right to choose its security arrangements without foreign interference," Stoltenberg said after meeting the chairwoman of Bosnia's Council of Ministers, Borjana Kristo.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Borjana Kristo, Amel, Milorad Dodik, Stoltenberg, Christian Schmidt, " Stoltenberg, Borjana, Daria Sito, Toby Chopra, Peter Graff Organizations: NATO, Bosnian, REUTERS, Rights, Representative, UN Security Council, Bosnia's, Ministers, Thomson Locations: Sarajevo, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Rights SARAJEVO, Serbia, Russia, Western Balkans, Yugoslavia, masse, EU, Ukraine, Balkans, Bosnian, Russian Bosnian Serbs

☆ Israel's far-right finance minister demands expanded war cabinet
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attends an inauguration event for Israel's new light rail line for the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, in Petah Tikva, Israel, August 17, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Israel's far-right finance minister, who has so far been excluded from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet, called on Monday for lawmakers taking a harder line towards Hamas to be included in decisions about the war. "I think this grave mistake necessitates the expansion of the war cabinet," said Smotrich, arguing that letting in fuel gave Hamas a lifeline during the war. Smotrich, in a statement, said the war cabinet should include "opinions that until today have not been heard", including from those with a record of calling for Hamas to be eliminated. Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch and Steve Scheer Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bezalel Smotrich, Amir Cohen, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Netanyahu, Smotrich, Ari Rabinovitch, Steve Scheer, Peter Graff Organizations: Tel, REUTERS, Rights, Likud, Finance, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva, Israel, Israel's, U.S, Gaza

☆ Hungary's Orban erects billboards vilifying EU's von der Leyen
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUDAPEST, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Hungary's ruling party unveiled billboards vilifying European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen on Monday, the first time it has made her a personal target in a campaign similar to one against her predecessor that angered Brussels. The billboards, erected overnight to launch a campaign for next June's European parliamentary election, depict Von der Leyen alongside Alex Soros, the son of liberal Hungarian-born financier George Soros, a perennial target of hostility from Orban's Fidesz Party. Soros is Jewish and some critics view the central role he plays in Fidesz propaganda as evidence of anti-Semitism, which Fidesz strongly denies. Similar billboards showing Von der Leyen's predecessor Jean-Claude Juncker alongside the elder Soros drew a rebuke from Brussels in 2019. Orban sent out a survey on Friday to Hungarians asking whether the EU should allocate more funds to Ukraine or grant it membership.

Persons: Ursula Von der Leyen, Von der Leyen, Alex Soros, George Soros, Soros, Von der, Jean, Claude Juncker, Orban, Krisztina, Peter Graff Organizations: Fidesz Party, Jewish, Fidesz, EPP, Thomson Locations: BUDAPEST, Brussels, Hungarian, Hungary, Europe, Russia, Ukraine

With Al Ahli hospital shaking from Israeli tank fire and no more anaesthetics left to operate, British-Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu Sitta told his team it was time to leave the last fully functioning hospital in Gaza City. All northern hospitals have effectively ceased functioning. Abu Sitta said a message had been received at Al Ahli hospital saying it had been surrounded by Israeli tanks. He said patients needing treatment remained at Al Ahli, and that another hospital in northern Gaza had been unable to take them. "Basically, the whole of northern Gaza now has no functioning hospital," he said.

Persons: Ghassan Abu Sitta, it's, Abu Sitta, Israel, Al Ahli, Al Shifa, Nidal al, Abir Al, Timothy Heritage, Peter Graff Organizations: Reuters, Hamas, Maxar Technologies, REUTERS, Al, Thomson Locations: Gaza, GAZA, Ahli, Gaza City, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza's, Al Ahli, Hamas, Abir Al Ahmar, Dubai

Israel said its troops uncovered unspecified weapons and "terror infrastructure" inside the hospital compound after killing fighters in a clash outside. Once inside, they said there had been no fighting and no friction with civilians, patients or staff. Other photos showed Israeli troops in tactical formation walking past makeshift tents and mattresses. "We can confirm that incubators, baby food and medical supplies brought by IDF tanks from Israel have successfully reached the Shifa hospital. The Israeli troops dismounted and spread out in the yard, and began searching the basement and entering buildings.

Persons: Al Shifa, Israel, Dr Ahmed El Mohallalati, Martin Griffiths, Peter Lerner, Joe Biden, Thomas White, Nidal al, Maayan Lubell, James Mackenzie, Crispian Balmer, Abir Al Ahmar, Claudia Tanos, Peter Graff, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Al, Palestinian, Hamas, Military, UN, Reuters, Troops, Israel Defence Forces, United, Medical, Fourth Geneva Convention, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Gaza City, Israel, GAZA, Gaza's, Al, Gaza, United States, Rafah, Jerusalem, Dubai

☆ WHO: north Gaza hospitals are under bombardment
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Asked about the Gaza health ministry's allegation of an Israeli strike on the courtyard of Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City, WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris said: "I haven't got the detail on Al Shifa but we do know they are coming under bombardment." She said there was also "significant bombardment" on Rantissi hospital, the only hospital providing paediatric services in North Gaza. Gaza families have been sheltering at the hospital, the territory's largest, which is inside Gaza City encircled by Israeli troops. None of that aid can reach northern Gaza, he added. "If there is a hell on earth today, it's name is northern Gaza," he said.

Persons: Doaa, Israel, Margaret Harris, Al Shifa, Harris, Jens Laerke, Laerke, Emma Farge, Linda Pasquini, Peter Graff, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, WHO UN, U.N, World Health Organization, WHO, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Al Shifa, Israel, Gaza City, GENEVA, Gaza, North Gaza, Egypt, Palestinian

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attend an inauguration event for Israel's new light rail line for the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, in Petah Tikva, Israel, August 17, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Israel's finance ministry said on Friday it would divert to the war effort some 1.6 billion shekels ($440 million) this year out of billions earmarked for parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition government. They expressed alarm last month at the government's plan to transfer 9 billion shekels ($2.2 billion) to ultra-Orthodox and far-right-wing pro-settler parties, as part of an agreement Netanyahu made with them to secure his ruling coalition. The finance ministry's proposal would cut around 70% of 2.5 billion shekels of funding for coalition partners still due to be paid in the current 2023 budget. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in a letter on Friday that he planned to cut some 4 billion shekels ($1 billion) from the 2023 budget excluding war funding, and increase war funding by a further 9 billion, on top of 22 billion shekels already allocated.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Bezalel Smotrich, Amir Cohen, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Netanyahu, Maytaal, Peter Graff Organizations: Israeli Finance, Tel, REUTERS, Rights, Finance, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva, Israel

☆ German Military Exports to Israel up Nearly 10-Fold as Berlin Fast-Tracks Permits
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN (Reuters) - German defence export approvals to Israel so far this year have risen nearly tenfold from last year, with Berlin treating permit requests as a priority since Hamas militants attacked Israel last month, a German government source said on Wednesday. As of Nov. 2, the German government has approved the export of close to 303 million euros' ($323 million) worth of defence equipment to Israel. By comparison, 32 million euros' worth of defence exports were approved in all of 2022. The majority of individual export permits - 185 out of 218 - were granted after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. "Following the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, applications for the export of military equipment to Israel are being prioritised and approved by the federal government," said the source.

Persons: Ferenc Gaal, Miranda Murray, Peter Graff Organizations: BERLIN, dpa Locations: Israel, Berlin, Germany

Gaza City, the Hamas militant group's main bastion in the territory, is now surrounded by Israeli forces. The military said troops have advanced to the heart of the city, while Hamas says its fighters have inflicted heavy losses. Air strikes had also killed a Hamas weapons maker, Mahsein Abu Zina, and several fighters, the Israeli military said. The Israeli military had told them they should move south of the Wadi Gaza wetlands along the main Salah al-Din Road. Hamas's armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, said its fighters had destroyed an Israeli tank in Gaza City.

Persons: General Guterres, Khan Younis, Mohammed Abu Daqa, Daniel Hagari, Mahsein Abu Zina, U.N, General Antonio Guterres, Christian Lindmeier, Mohammed Al, Masri, Rights Israel, Salah, Al Shifa, Israel's, Yahya Sinwar, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Nidal al, Angel, Emily Rose, Maayan, Rami Amichay, Matt Spetalnick, Michael Perry, Angus MacSwan, Mark Heinrich, Simon Cameron, Moore, Peter Graff, Alex Richardson Organizations: Jihad, Reuters NEXT, REUTERS, Rights, Hamas, Reuters, ABC, U.S, Thomson Locations: Israel, GAZA, JERUSALEM, Gaza, Palestinian, Iran, Geneva, Beach, Gaza City, Wadi Gaza, al, Washington, Israeli, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv

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