RSS
Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Says Hamas Killed, Abducted Aid Workers
Palestinians collect aid supplies from the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, June 9, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
Several aid workers from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation were killed Wednesday night when Hamas gunmen attacked a bus transporting local staffers, according to the US- and Israeli-backed organization.
The group, which operates food distribution in Gaza outside of Hamas control, said the vehicle was targeted as it carried more than 20 workers to a distribution site near the city of Khan Younis at approximately 10:00 pm local time.
In a statement Thursday, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) updated its initial casualty toll to five dead, with additional staff injured and concerns that some may have been taken hostage. “We are still gathering facts, but what we know is devastating,” the organization said. A spokesperson added that the investigation was ongoing and provided no further details on the identities of those killed.
The bus attack followed days of threats from Hamas directed at the foundation and its workers.
“This attack did not happen in a vacuum. For days, Hamas has openly threatened our team, our aid workers, and the civilians who receive aid from us. These threats were met with silence,” the GHF said.
Despite the assault, the foundation continued its operations Thursday, opening three distribution centers and delivering more than 45,000 boxes of food aid.
Pro-Israel commentator and influencer Hen Mazzig condemned the lack of response from the international community – including the UN and humanitarian activists – to Wednesday’s attack, highlighting what some have described as a double standard. In recent weeks, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has faced global criticism, including from the UN and human rights groups, after soldiers opened fire near GHF distribution points, killing or wounding Palestinians who approached through unauthorized routes.
“Hamas executed aid workers in Gaza – Palestinians whose only mission was to feed their own people,” Mazzig told The Algemeiner.
“The silence around this from so-called human rights champions is deafening. If you care about Palestinian lives, you need to care when Hamas ends them too,” he said.
BREAKING: After days of threatening GHF workers, Hamas has followed through with violence.
At around 10 pm last night, Hamas attacked a bus carrying over two dozen members of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) — including local Palestinians working alongside U.S. personnel.… pic.twitter.com/8BZqMwo2zr
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) June 12, 2025
Hamas has not publicly commented on the incident. However, Hamas-linked social media channels claimed responsibility for what they described as an attack against members of the Abu Shabab clan, whom they accused of collaborating with Israel. A Facebook page run by the Abu Shabab family denied the claim, stating its members were not targeted by Hamas.
The GHF was created because Hamas routinely steals humanitarian aid, leaving civilians facing severe shortages. Documents released by the IDF this week showed that Hamas operatives violently took control of approximately 25 percent of incoming aid shipments, which they then resold to civilians at inflated prices.
“Hamas records show their aid hoarding is a plan, not a glitch,” Mazzig said on X. “Their whole business model relies on extortion. Exploiting Gazans during wartime is how they stay afloat. That’s why we need a new aid distribution plan. That’s where the GHF comes in: the only model that’s been able to keep aid out of the hands of Hamas.”
The GHF operates independently from UN-backed mechanisms, which Hamas has sought to reinstate, arguing that these frameworks are more neutral. Israeli and American officials have rejected those calls, saying Hamas previously exploited UN-run systems to siphon aid for its war effort. The UN has denied those allegations while expressing concerns that the GHF’s approach forces civilians to risk their safety by traveling long distances across active conflict zones to reach food distribution points.
Since the GHF launched operations on May 26, there have been reports of Palestinians being shot near distribution sites. The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry and the Red Cross have documented shooting incidents involving civilians attempting to reach food aid, while the IDF has acknowledged targeting what it believed to be armed Hamas operatives using civilians as cover.
On Wednesday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said it continued to receive reports from Gaza “of people being killed and injured while trying to access food,” without specifying locations. “OCHA reiterates in the strongest terms possible that no one should be forced to risk their lives to receive aid, as people across Gaza are at risk of famine,” the agency said.
John Acree, the GHF’s interim executive director, said the organization weighed shutting down operations after the attack but opted to continue. “We carefully considered closing our sites today given the heightened security risks and safety concerns, but we decided that the best response to Hamas’s cowardly murderers was to keep delivering food for the people of Gaza who are counting on us. We will not be deterred from our mission towards providing food security for the Palestinian people in Gaza.”
The post Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Says Hamas Killed, Abducted Aid Workers first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Israeli Cruise Ship Targeted Again as Pro-Palestinian Protests Escalate in Greece
Greek riot police clash with pro-Palestinian protesters near the port of Rhodes during a demonstration targeting an Israeli cruise ship. Photo: Screenshot
Pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with Greek riot police on Monday on the island of Rhodes as they attempted to block an Israeli cruise ship from docking at the island’s main port.
The MS Crown Iris — operated by Israeli cruise line Mano Maritime — was once again targeted by anti-Israel activists this week.
Demonstrations against the war in Gaza took place during the ship’s scheduled stop on the island, where more than 600 passengers were set to disembark.
According to videos circulating on social media, riot police can be seen confronting a group of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered near the dock, who shouted antisemitic slogans like “Freedom for Palestine.”
As authorities worked to control the crowd, tensions escalated and brief clashes broke out.
Ένταση στο λιμάνι της Ροδου με την άφιξη Ισραηλινών τουριστών, πολλες προσαγωγές.
Συνελήφθη υποψήφια βουλευτής της Πλεύσης ελευθερίας. pic.twitter.com/gAPnUnxu1A
— Ακροκεντρώος (@akrokentrwos_2) July 28, 2025
However, unlike a previous incident, passengers were able to disembark from the cruise ship without any major interruptions.
Last week, approximately 1,600 Israeli passengers expecting a peaceful stop on their cruise were unable to disembark from a ship docked on the island of Syros after a pro-Palestinian protest erupted at the port, raising safety concerns.
Around 300 protesters had gathered at the dock to protest against the war in Gaza, while Syros Port Authority police guarded the area and intervened to prevent violence until the ship departed.
Amid the large anti-Israel protest, the cruise company chose to divert the ship to Limassol, Cyprus.
In videos circulating on social media, protesters were seen waving Palestinian flags and holding banners with slogans such as “Stop the Genocide” and “No AC [Air Conditioning] in Hell,” while chanting antisemitic slogans.
Since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, antisemitic incidents have surged to alarming levels across Europe. This recent incident appears to be just one of the latest in a wave of anti-Jewish hate crimes that Greece and other countries have witnessed in recent months.
Earlier this month in Athens, a group of pro-Palestinian activists vandalized an Israeli restaurant, shouting antisemitic slurs and spray-painting graffiti with slogans such as “No Zionist is safe here.”
The attackers also posted a sign on one of the restaurant’s windows that read, “All IDF soldiers are war criminals — we don’t want you here,” referring to the Israel Defense Forces.
Last month, an Israeli tourist was attacked by a group of pro-Palestinian activists after they overheard him using Google Maps in Hebrew while navigating through Athens.
When the attackers realized the victim was speaking Hebrew, they began physically assaulting him while shouting antisemitic slurs.
The post Israeli Cruise Ship Targeted Again as Pro-Palestinian Protests Escalate in Greece first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Ritchie Torres Says Netanyahu Has Done ‘Irreparable’ Harm to Democratic Party Relationship With Israel
US Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) standing at the US Capitol in February of 2023. Photo: Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), one of Israel’s most vocal supporters in Congress, delivered pointed criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, saying the longtime leader has “done harm” to Israel’s relationship with the Democratic Party and called for an end to the war in Gaza.
“If you’re a Democrat, and if you’re a Democrat of color and if you’re a Black Democrat, you take immense pride in Barack Obama. He represents one of the greatest achievements in politics. We take great pride in his presidency,” Torres said in an interview with . “To see a foreign leader visibly disrespect him in the manner that Bibi Netanyahu did, I feel did irreparable damage to the relationship with the Democratic Party.”
Torres offered a gloomy assessment of Netanyahu’s relationship with the Democratic party, arguing that “the damage may be irreparable.” He also cautioned that support for the Jewish state is rapidly “eroding” according to various polls.
Furthermore, Torres stated that despite his strident support for Israel, he does not “consider myself having a good relationship with the Israeli government.”
Torres said that Netanyahu “made a terrible mistake” in establishing a cozy relationship with President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, arguing that the Israeli premier politicized the US-Israel relationship. The progressive lawmaker said that there is a “legitimate perception that the present Israeli government is just aligned with the Republican Party.”
The remarks represent a notable shift from Torres, a New York Democrat who has historically defended Israel amid bipartisan divisions over the war. While maintaining his commitment to Israel’s security, Torres said Netanyahu’s government has failed to articulate a clear endgame in Gaza and warned that the ongoing military campaign is undermining both humanitarian values and strategic interests.
“There’s a real need to end the war, secure the release of the hostages, bring humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in distress.”
Torres cited prominent Israeli journalists and media figures that have warned that Gaza has approached “catastrophic” levels of hunger and that famine might be looming without a rapid policy shift.
Torres’s comments come amid growing pressure from the Democratic base on centrist and progressive Democrats alike to take a firmer stance on Israel’s military operations, which have resulted in the deaths of more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. Israel launched its campaign following the October 7 Hamas attack that killed approximately 1,200 people and took over 200 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
Torres’s comments underscore a growing divide within the Democratic Party over the U.S.-Israel relationship. While the party remains broadly supportive of Israel’s right to defend itself, a significant faction ,including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) condemned the war in Gaza and called for a suspension of U.S. military aid to Israel.
The post Ritchie Torres Says Netanyahu Has Done ‘Irreparable’ Harm to Democratic Party Relationship With Israel first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Israeli Defense Firm Lands Huge Deal With Germany
An Elbit Systems Ltd. Hermes 900 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is seen at Elbit’s drone factory in Rehovot, Israel, June 28, 2018. Photo: REUTERS/Orel Cohen
On Monday, Elbit Systems Ltd., a military contractor based in Israel, announced it had received a $260 million government contract from Germany to spend six years installing Directional Infrared Counter Measures (DIRCM) self-protection systems for defending Germany’s A400M aircraft fleet.
The contract is just the latest in a string of blockbuster deals between Israeli defense firms and international militaries. Israeli defense exports to Europe jumped to 54% of overall defense exports last year, up from just over 33% in 2023, according to the Israeli media outlet Globes.
Elbit’s defense system works to counter infrared-guided missiles, with a focus on mobile anti-aircraft weapons. It offers the ability to track missile threats as they happen and also provides automatic protection without needed human action.
Other countries which have deployed the system include Israel, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Brazil. In February, Morocco announced plans to purchase 36 Atmos 2000 self-propelled artillery systems from Elbit, making Israel the country’s third largest weapons supplier.
“This contract further strengthens Elbit Systems’ position as a leading global provider of DIRCM solutions,” Elbit president and CEO Bezhalel Machlis said. “Our systems are already trusted by numerous air forces and defense organizations around the world, and we are proud to support Germany in enhancing the protection of their strategic air assets. Our successful collaboration with Airbus DS on this important program is highly valued, and we are pleased that our advanced self-protection systems will contribute to the safety and operational readiness of the German A400M fleet.”
The announcement prompted Elbit’s share price to jump 1 percent on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE).
Since Israel’s 12-day war against Iran, Israel’s financial markets have been buoyed by significant foreign investment and renewed investor confidence. Over the past year, the TASE has repeatedly broken past its all-time highs, despite Israel’s multi-front wars.
On Friday, Germany announced that it would not join France in recognizing a Palestinian state. A government spokesperson said “Israel’s security is of paramount importance to the German government” and that “the German government therefore has no plans to recognize a Palestinian state in the short term.”
On Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the country had no plans to sanction Israel and that “for now, we want to await the foreign minister’s trip and the talks that will be held with the Israeli government in the coming days.”
The post Israeli Defense Firm Lands Huge Deal With Germany first appeared on Algemeiner.com.