Displaying items by tag: Gaza Conflict

The Muslim Vote, a grassroots campaign with backing from several organisations, has issued 18 demands to Labour's Sir Keir Starmer to regain support from disillusioned voters over his Gaza stance. These demands include apologising for his past comments on the conflict, severing military ties with Israel, enabling Muslim prayer in schools, and banning travel for Israeli politicians who support the war. The group has warned it will direct its supporters to vote for the Greens or Lib Dems unless these demands are met. Additional demands focus on domestic policies like recognising Palestine as a state, imposing sanctions on businesses in occupied territories, and implementing Sharia-compliant pensions. The campaign, which does not reveal its leaders or funding sources, gained traction as pro-Gaza activists recently won various council seats. The Muslim Vote describes itself as a broad initiative supported by organisations such as Mend, which contests the government's extremism labels. Their influence is aimed at constituencies where the Muslim vote can sway election outcomes, emphasising their role in shaping policy discussions.

Israel claims it discovered an operational command center, along with guns and ammunition belonging to Hamas, at Gaza's largest hospital, Al-Shifa. This discovery reportedly includes weapons found inside the hospital's MRI building. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have long maintained that Hamas uses hospitals as cover for its fighters, with Al-Shifa alleged to house their main command. Both Hamas and Al-Shifa staff refute these allegations. About two and a half weeks after Israeli forces entered northern Gaza, they accessed the hospital. The IDF states they found technological assets and military equipment in the hospital, transferring these items for further examination. During this operation, IDF soldiers reportedly engaged and killed a number of Hamas militants. Footage from Al-Shifa shows soldiers carrying boxes and equipment from the hospital. Mohammed Zaqout, director of hospitals in Gaza, noted that Israeli tanks were inside the medical compound, and soldiers had entered key departments including emergency and surgery, which contain intensive care units. Al-Shifa hospital has become a symbol of Palestinian civilian suffering during the Israel-Hamas conflict, which escalated following a surprise attack into southern Israel on October 7.