Israel Says its Armed Forces Mistakenly Killed 3 Hostages in Gaza

 

Israeli soldiers operate in the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing conflict with Hamas. (Israel Defense Forces via Reuters)December 16, 2023 11:25 JST
(Reuters) --The Israeli military mistakenly killed three hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas during an incident which is "under review," a military spokesperson said on Friday.

The military said the hostages were killed during combat with militants in Gaza and expressed its condolences to the families while saying there would be "full transparency" in the investigation into the incident.

A statement from the military said that during an intense battle in Gaza it "identified three Israeli hostages as a threat." It said, "As a result, the troops fired toward them and they were killed."

The military named the dead hostages as Yotam Haim, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar, Samer Talalka, who was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Am, and Alon Shamriz, who was taken from Kibbutz Kfar Aza. All were abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7, it said.

The Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum, which represents the families of hostages, expressed its condolences and confirmed the names of the three hostages.

It said, "Yotam was a gifted musician and dedicated metal music fan who idolized the band Megadeth" and "Samer was an avid motorcyclist who loved to ride around the countryside and spend time with friends." The forum said, "Alon's family and friends described him as a lover of life and a dedicated basketball fan."

In recent days Israel has engaged in intense battles with Hamas militants, who often wear casual civilian clothing, and on Wednesday announced its worst combat losses with 10 soldiers killed in 24 hours.

Hamas rampaged through Israeli towns killing 1,200 people and capturing 240 hostages on Oct. 7. Israel then launched a counterattack, during which Gaza health authorities say close to 19,000 people have been confirmed killed, with thousands more feared buried under rubble.

During a week-long truce in late November, Hamas released more than 100 women, children and foreigners it was holding in Gaza in exchange for the release of 240 women and teenagers. They had been arrested for such offences as attempted stabbings, stone throwing at Israeli soldiers or having contact with hostile organisations, and many were held under administrative detention, meaning Israel held them without trial.

"Together with the entire people of Israel, I bow my head in deep sorrow and mourn the death of three of our dear sons who were kidnapped," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. "My heart goes out to the grieving families in their difficult time."

Thousands of people protested outside Israel's central military base in Tel Aviv with signs saying "We demand a deal now!" and "Not going to sleep -- protesting all night," Israel's Channel 12 news reported.

More than 100 hostages still remain in Gaza. Some have been declared dead in absentia by Israeli authorities.

Earlier on Friday, the Israeli military said it had recovered the bodies of three Israelis -- a civilian and two soldiers -- who had been held in the Gaza Strip by Hamas.

Sources:https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Israel-Hamas-war/Israel-says-its-armed-forces-mistakenly-killed-3-hostages-in-Gaza

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Malaysia's Anwar Slams 'Hypocrisy' Over Gaza Crisis

 

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, pictured in Tokyo on Dec. 17, argues that some countries that promote democracy and human rights are engaging in "hypocrisy" when it comes to Gaza. (Photo by Yuki Kohara) 

NORMAN GOH, Nikkei staff writerDecember 17, 2023 22:28 JST

TOKYO -- Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday criticized what he termed international "hypocrisy" over the crisis in the Gaza Strip, urging the world to do more to achieve a humanitarian cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.

In an exclusive interview with Nikkei Asia in Tokyo, on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Japan summit meetings over the weekend, Anwar argued that some countries are not practicing what they preach as the civilian death toll in Gaza mounts.

"I'm sick of this hypocrisy. It's not politics," he said. "These are humanitarian issues. I would say such hypocrisy is [happening in] many of the so-called countries that promote democracy and human rights."

The Malaysian leader did not single out specific governments. But he has long been a staunch advocate of Palestinian rights, while the U.S. has largely supported Israel since the war broke out on Oct. 7.

That morning, Hamas militants stormed from Gaza into Israel, killing an estimated 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking hundreds of hostages. The Hamas-run Health Ministry says around 19,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel's retaliation in the strip, including large numbers of women and children.

United Nations members have overwhelmingly demanded a halt to the fighting, with the U.S. and a handful of other countries standing out as exceptions.

Like Anwar himself, Malaysia has consistently expressed support for the Palestinian cause for decades. This stance -- insisting on Palestinian rights and the establishment of an independent state of Palestine -- has held steady across multiple governments in the Muslim-majority country.

During the interview, Anwar conceded that the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations has faced criticism over a humanitarian crisis in one of its own member states, Myanmar.

Myanmar's military seized power in February 2021, ousting the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Anwar said the Five-Point Consensus -- a peace restoration roadmap agreed between ASEAN leaders and Myanmar's army chief in April 2021 -- will continue to be implemented, even though little progress has been made.

Anwar speaks to Nikkei during an interview on Dec. 17 in Tokyo. (Photo by Yuki Kohara) 

Among ASEAN members, Malaysia has taken a relatively firm stance on Myanmar, calling on member states to pressure the military to abide by the consensus and demanding the army stop violence against civilians.

"I concede, I made a very tough line. We have more than 200,000 refugees from Myanmar. ... We can't let them drown in the sea, as some countries choose to do. So we will have to deal with the problem, but what else do we do?" Anwar said.

While Myanmar's military leadership has been excluded from high-level ASEAN meetings, Anwar did say that the bloc has made room for some members to engage with the regime, outside of the Five-Point Consensus process. "We have given some space or latitude to neighboring countries that are quite close to Myanmar to engage in the low-key manner, taking into account or within the parameters of ASEAN."

Commenting on tensions in the South China Sea, another pressing regional issue for ASEAN, Anwar said Malaysia's view is that the country need not escalate the matter in a hostile manner that could affect bilateral relations with China. Malaysia is one of several ASEAN states whose claims in the sea overlap with China's.

Anwar stressed that no country can unilaterally decide on such matters, calling for mutual respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity. "I see there is a discrepancy in terms of treating border issues between countries with China. But do I compromise with China on the issue of borders? No. We must negotiate this with ASEAN or bilaterally," Anwar said.

With respect to U.S.-China friction in Southeast Asia, Anwar said that taking sides would not benefit Malaysia in any way. He added that countries should make their own decisions based on their respective interests, but he emphasized the notion of ASEAN centrality in regional affairs and stressed the bloc should be a zone of peace.

Anwar said ASEAN leaders have strengthened their shared commitment to those principles, resisting efforts to pull them to one side of the geopolitical divide or the other.

Malaysia's basic position is to "be friends and engage with all parties and not to be perceived as being pawns of any power," Anwar said. "We are a small country, we do have big ambitions, and we do what we can, as best as we can."

Sources:https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/Interview/Malaysia-s-Anwar-slams-hypocrisy-over-Gaza-crisis

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Antisipasi Peningkatan Covid-19, Kemenkes Imbau Masyarakat Kembali Pakai Masker

 

Ilustrasi orang-orang menggunakan masker di keramaian. (ABC NEWS/SIMON WINTER via ABC INDONESIA)

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Kementerian Kesehatan (Kemenkes) mengajak masyarakat untuk kembali menerapkan protokol kesehatan guna mengantisipasi peningkatan kasus Covid-19.

Direktur Surveilans Kekarantinaan Kesehatan Kemenkes, Ahmad Farchanny mengingatkan Masyarakat untuk kembali memakai masker, khususnya ketika sedang berada di kendaraan umum serta keramaian.

“Protokol kesehatan ini juga kita sampaikan kepada masyarakat untuk kembali masyarakat dengan kesadarannya mulai kembali pakai masker khususnya di alat angkutan, ketika sudah berada di alat angkut,” kata Ahmad dalam konferensi pers virtual, Jumat (15/12/2023) Lebih lanjut, Ahmad juga mengingatkan agar masyarakat tetap menerapkan Perilaku Hidup Bersih dan Sehat (PHBS).

Dia juga mengimbau masyarakat untuk segera memeriksakan diri ke fasilitas pelayanan kesehatan terdekat jika mengalami gejala seperti batuk, pilek, demam, hingga nyeri tenggorokan.

“Ketika melakukan pemeriksaan di fasilitas kesehatan itu juga jangan ragu-ragu dan mengikuti petunjuk dan saran dari dokter untuk mau diperiksa spesimennya, untuk diambil swab-nya baik itu melalui antigen maupun dengan pemeriksaan PCR,” ujar Ahmad.

Sementara itu, menurut Ahmad, pihaknya juga sudah mulai menyampaikan surat edaran yang ditujukkan kepada jajaran Dinas Kesehatan tingkat provinsi/kabupaten/kota serta Rumah Sakit, Puskesmas, serta Kantor Kesehatan Pelabuhan terkait kewaspadaan terhadap Covid-19.

Dalam edaran itu seluruh fasilitas pelayanan kesehatan diminta meningkatkan uji atau testing terhadap Covid-19.

Ahmad juga mengatakan, para tenaga kesehatan diminta menyampaikan promosi kesehatan dan petunjuk-petunjuk kesehatan kepada masyarakat sekitarnya.

“Dan untuk kita petugas kesehatan ketika kita sudah mendapatkan kasus Covid-19 ini jangan lupa untuk melakukan kegiatan pelacakan kontak, tracing,” kata Ahmad.

“Untuk teman-teman sejawat yang dinas kesehatan dan di Puskesmas itu tolong untuk tetap melakukan tracing pelacakan kotak erat pada kasus-kasus yang kita temukan positif Covid-19,” ujarnya lagi.

Sebelumnya, Presiden Joko Widodo (Jokowi) mengatakan, dirinya sudah memerintahkan kepada Menteri Kesehatan (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin untuk terus mengamati perkembangan kasus Covid-19 di Tanah Air.

Hal ini dilakukan mengingat adanya kenaikan kasus Covid-19 yang kembali terjadi dan bertepatan dengan pergerakan masyarakat saat libur Natal dan tahun baru (Nataru).

"Iya saya sudah memerintahkan kepada Menkes untuk diikuti dan diamati betul secara detail perkembangannya seperti apa," ujar Jokowi saat memberikan keterangan pers di kawasan Monumen Nasional (Monas) Jakarta Pusat, Jumat.

"Ya sampai sekarang dari Menkes menyampaikan masih dalam kondisi baik," katanya lagi.

Saat ditanya lebih lanjut apakah perlu diterapkan wajib pakai masker kembali selama masa Nataru, Presiden menyampaikan belum sampai ke sana. Sebab, perkembangan penularan Covid-19 masih terus dipantau.

"Belum sampai ke sana, selalu diikuti dan diamati oleh Menkes dan jajaran. Ya sampai saat ini masih terus diikuti dan diamati terus," ujar Jokowi.

Source : Kompas

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