So pleased to see hostages being released part 2

I’m in New Zealand at the moment visiting family and so getting very little news at all. The television in our rental only has a few channels with shows on, no news whatever, and anyway we’re busy with childcare. My friend posted on Facebook today that Hezbollah fired over 100 rockets into Israel yesterday. Can anyone update me on what’s happening in Israel now please?

Thanks for starting new thread susy.

I was watching Cameron attending a select committee recently, and the committee got him/the civil servant with him to admit that Israel are guilty of a war crime in turning off the water to Gaza.

When was this referring to Whitewave? Was it when the water was stopped for a few days after the massacre, or has it been turned off again now?

maddyone

When was this referring to Whitewave? Was it when the water was stopped for a few days after the massacre, or has it been turned off again now?

Now. Desalination plants have been destroyed by the bombing.

According to the committee, the water has never been turned back on since it was turned off. Cameron suggested that perhaps the Israelis might turn it on in the north - now that it has been destroyed.

We’re not hearing a great deal in Australia, either. Only comments about Biden really and a picture of many Jews praying at the western wall.

International Agencies believe that starvation is being used by the Israelis as a war weapon. Some extracts from Time magazine.

“Children and adults are coming to hospitals with serious malnutrition, and at the first hint of any infection, they lose weight rapidly, Professor Nick Maynard, a senior surgeon from Oxford University Hospital and the clinical lead of an emergency medical team said in a statement.
International agencies have repeatedly sounded the alarm that Gaza is starving. The U.N. has said that one in four people are starving and nine out of ten families in some areas spend a day and night without food. A December report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification predicted that by February, all 2 million people in Gaza would face crisis levels of acute food insecurity, with at least one in four households facing famine-like conditions.
After Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Oct. 9 ordered “a complete siege on the Gaza Strip,” saying “there will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed.” Then-Energy Minister Israel Katz said on Oct. 16 he opposed the opening of the blockade, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on Oct. 17 that no aid should enter Gaza as long as Hamas held hostages.
Israel began allowing aid in on Oct. 21 for the first time since the war started, but some human rights groups and legal experts have pointed to these statements and Israel’s actions that led to a hunger crisis as evidence that starvation is being used as a weapon of war in Gaza. International law that governs armed conflicts states that “intentionally using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare by depriving them of objects indispensable to their survival, including willfully impeding relief supplies” is a violation.”

I have read reports like this from a lot of sources, and believe that the situation is very serious.

Thanks Whitewave, your post has prompted me to read some ‘proper’ news.
Relief supplies are surely available, why impede delivery.

Iam64

Thanks Whitewave, your post has prompted me to read some ‘proper’ news.
Relief supplies are surely available, why impede delivery.

Because it is being used as a (completely illegal) weapon of war.

Yes I do understand that …. It’s beyond awful, disgusting, inhumane and guaranteed to create terrorists.

South Africa legal team presenting case of genocide against Israel at The Hague

Thank you for updates ladies. I did see a small item about SA on one channel, but not much else. I also saw about the Houthi rebels and the strikes against them online, but that’s the subject of another thread.
It’s difficult to imagine how much we are cut off from news on the other side of the world from here. I’m assuming many people in New Zealand buy into channels which give them news but this rental doesn’t have that, so we rely on the bits we see (plenty of cricket reported) and what we see online.

Amazingly we get Coronation Street twice a week, but about a month behind the UK!
We’re not actually here to watch/hear much news anyway as involved in childcare.

Here is the lawer from Ireland.
It's detailed and quotes others.
There are other Lawers on YouTube too of course but I heard this one yesterday.

youtu.be/yhsWyBWGoCU?si=nlbVp08IVaOvaKy8

I have listened the South African argument and Israeli reply.

I thought that the SA argument definitely had merit. Israeli - not so much.

I will watch the summary of the verdict with interest.

SA claimed the attack on Israel was being use as an excuse

This has merit ?

Anniebach

SA claimed the attack on Israel was being use as an excuse

This has merit ?

SA argues that the two although linked are not related to the stand alone charge of genocide.

It isn’t genocide.
SA have a cheek considering how they treated their own citizens until relatively recently.
Regarding the aid lorries, a lot are held up on the Egyptian side of the Rafha crossing.
I think I heard or read that aid and water were going to get into Gaza any day now including medical supplies.

Coming back to the hostages, I saw a report yesterday that said that the Israeli medics are concerned about the remaining female hostages, as from what has been indicated from some of the already released hostages, it is possible that they may have been raped and that some may therefore be pregnant as a result. I read that Israel allows abortion up to the birth date in some circumstances, including rape. The medics are wondering how this situation would be coped with should it arise. They are thinking of the psychological needs of the women as well as the medical needs, and what would happen to the children.
It made me wonder too. How will these women cope in such a situation?

maddyone yes our new zealand news are rubbish as are our free channels, they have very small budget to run on . Most people do have at subscription tv or use internet . I get a huge range of news channels from around the world so therefore get opinions from all sides .
(Also you can't abort a baby that's at term that has a different name and best left for a different thread of discussion)

oreowhy are the trucks being held up ? Do you think that they might get aid soon (, if that happens ), will make it right for all the people suffering over the past months --- it should have been allowed to come in all the time , there is no excuse or reasoning for that

It doesn’t matter what it’s called, I was discussing the trauma that the hostages, particularly young, female hostages, are thought to have been exposed to during their incarceration. Sadly only 65KL has thought this worthy of discussion, which is interesting given that women’s rights are frequently discussed on here. This thread is about the hostages but empathy for them seems to have dried up on the whole. I saw on another thread that people were demonstrating in England again recently in support of the Houthis, but little support for the forgotten hostages. What a world we live in!

Sadly when we are bombarded with images of horrific things day in day out we become normalised by the images .
I think we still have huge sympathy for both group of innocent people but all the talking about it dose not a bit of good . I dont actually beleve in 'the power of the people ' those up there dont give a damn .So therefore over time we are warn down - unless of course we are directly involved.