Israel-Hamas war latest: Israeli airstrikes kill 16 in Gaza, including 4 children, Palestinians say

Palestinian officials say Israeli airstrikes killed 16 people Monday in the Gaza Strip, including five women and four children. Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in the territory since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack triggered the Israel-Hamas war nearly a year ago. US ambassador to the UN criticizes Israeli attacks on schools and civilians UNITED NATIONS — The United States ambassador to the United Nations criticized Israel’s military for attacking schools, humanitarian workers and civilians in Gaza in a sign of growing frustration with its close ally Monday as the war in Gaza approaches its first anniversary. Linda Thomas-Greenfield also reiterated to the U.N. Security Council her and President Joe Biden’s outrage at the death of Turkish-American activist Aysenur Eygi, who was shot and killed Sept. 6 during a protest in the West Bank “simply for attending a protest.” “This horrific tragedy should never have happened,” the U.S. envoy said. “We will continue to demand details and continue to demand access into Israel’s investigation, and press for accountability, regarding the circumstances that led to Aysenur’s death.” The Israeli military said it likely killed Eygi by mistake, and the government has launched a criminal investigation. Israel has repeatedly said it targets Hamas militants who use civilians as human shields in retaliation for their Oct. 7 attacks in southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people. Thomas-Greenfield was unusually outspoken against the Israeli military in her briefing to the council after the top U.N. humanitarian official in Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, told members the territory has been turned into “an abyss.” Calling the situation in Gaza “catastrophic,” Thomas-Greenfield said many of the numerous attacks in recent weeks, where U.N. personnel and humanitarian workers were injured or killed, were preventable. US official warns Netanyahu that a full-scale war in Lebanon would risk sparking broader conflict WASHINGTON — White House senior adviser Amos Hochstein told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials that intensifying the conflict with Hezbollah on the Israeli-Lebanon border would not help achieve the goal of getting Israelis forced to evacuate back in their homes, according to a U.S. official. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to lack of authorization to discuss the private talks, said Hochstein stressed to Netanyahu during Monday’s talks that the Israeli leader risked sparking a broad and protracted regional conflict if he moved forward with a full-scale war in Lebanon. Hochstein also underscored to Israeli officials that the Biden administration remained committed to finding a diplomatic solution to the tensions on Israel’s northern border in conjunction with a Gaza deal or on its own, the official said. Netanyahu told Hochstein that it would “not be possible to return our residents without a fundamental change in the security situation in the north.” The prime minister said Israel “appreciates and respects” US support but “will do what is necessary to maintain its security and return the residents of the north to their homes safely.” ___ Aamer Madhani contributed to this report. “Time is slipping away as a man-made humanitarian crisis has turned Gaza into the abyss,” Sigrid Kaag, the U.N. senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, told the U.N. Security Council. Kaag said humanitarian operations are impeded by lawlessness, Israeli evacuation orders, fighting and operating conditions for aid workers. She cited Israeli denials of access, delays, a lack of safety and security, and “poor logistical infrastructure.” Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon insisted the country’s humanitarian efforts during the war in Gaza “are unparalleled.” He told the council over 1 million tons of aid have been delivered via more than 50,000 trucks. “We’re way, way off what people need, not only daily, but also what we would all consider a dignified human life.” Israeli protesters gather after reports that Netanyahu will fire his defense minister TEL AVIV, Israel — Hundreds of Israeli protesters have reportedly gathered in central Tel Aviv in a show of anger following reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing to fire his popular defense minister. In recent weeks, the pair have clashed over Gallant’s call for Israel to reach a temporary cease-fire with Hamas and to seek a diplomatic solution to end daily fighting with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Protesters held signs that said, “Saar, values before politics,” as they marched through the streets. White House envoy meets with Israeli leaders TEL AVIV, Israel — A key White House Mideast envoy is meeting with Israeli leaders in hopes of lowering tensions between Israel and Lebanon. During his meeting with U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein, Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that time is running out for a political settlement and that Israel is moving toward taking tougher action against Hezbollah. Gallant warned “the only way left to ensure the return of Israel’s northern communities to their homes will be via military action,” his office said. Hamas leader says Yemen rebels’ missile attack sent a message SANAA, Yemen — The leader of Hamas Yahya Sinwar has told Yemen’s Houthi rebels that their recent missile attack has sent a message to Israel. Yahya Sinwar’s letter to Abdul-Malek al-Houthi was published by the Houthis’ al-Masirah news channel Monday, a day after a missile fired by the Iran-backed rebels landed in an open area in central Israel and triggered air raid sirens at its international airport. “I congratulate you for succeeding in making your missile reach the depth of the enemy’s entity after surpassing all defense systems,” Sinwar’s letter read, according to al-Masirah. Sinwar said that Hamas carried out the Oct. 7, attack on southern Israel and has since been fighting “a defensive war that has exhausted the enemy.” He added that Hamas had prepared for “a long war of attrition that will break” Israel’s political will. Shortly after the Israel-Hamas war started, Iran-backed groups in Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq have claimed responsibility for scores of attacks against Israel saying they are backing their allies in Hamas. Israeli settlers storm a West Bank school and beat staffers, Palestinians say. Israeli troops later arrest school’s principal and 2 others RAMALLAH, West Bank — Palestinians say Israeli settlers wielding sticks stormed a Palestinian school in the occupied West Bank, beating staff members and tying up the principal. The Israeli military said Palestinians had attacked an Israeli nearby, inflicting a head injury, before fleeing to the school on Monday. He says the Israeli army arrived about two hours later and arrested three staff members, including the principal. There has also been a rise in car-ramming, stabbing and shooting attacks carried out against Israelis by Palestinian militant groups and lone attackers. Israel captured the West Bank, along with Gaza and east Jerusalem, in the 1967 Mideast war — lands the Palestinians want for a future state. The 3 million Palestinians in the West Bank live under Israeli military rule, with the Western-backed Palestinian Authority exercising limited autonomy in some areas. Turkish autopsy indicates American-Turkish activist killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank died from a gunshot wound to the head ANKARA, Turkey — Initial findings from an autopsy by Turkish authorities indicate that Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi who was killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank died from a gunshot wound to the head. The 26-year-old activist from Seattle, who held dual U.S. and Turkish citizenship, was killed on Sept. 6 during a demonstration against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said in a post on the social media platform X, that Israel and Palestinian militants had largely observed humanitarian pauses to allow the campaign to proceed. The campaign was launched after the detection of Gaza’s first polio case in 25 years and sought to reach some 640,000 children under the age of 10. Health workers faced a host of challenges, including damaged roads, gutted health facilities and ongoing fighting nearly a year into the Israel-Hamas war. Israeli defense minister says time is running out for agreement with Hezbollah to halt fighting along Israel-Lebanon border JERUSALEM — Israel’s defense minister has told his United States counterpart that time is running out for an agreement with Hezbollah to halt the fighting along the Israel-Lebanon border. Yoav Gallant told Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that “the possibility for an agreed framework in the northern arena is running out as Hezbollah continues to ‘tie itself’ to Hamas.” “The trajectory is clear,” Gallant added, according to a statement released from his office on Monday. Hezbollah began firing rockets and drones into northern Israel after the outbreak of the war in Gaza, which was ignited by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. Hezbollah has said it will halt its attacks if there is a cease-fire in Gaza, but months of talks brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt have repeatedly stalled. Gallant told Austin that “in any possible scenario, Israel’s defense establishment will continue to operate with the aim of dismantling Hamas and ensuring the return of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza — by any means.” – This Summarize was created by Neural News AI (V1). Source: https://apnews.com/a794f441dbfddebe87fd9b95c28008fb