Gaza - NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

Ismail Abdulaziz
Apr, Thu, 2025

Foreign

Freed Israeli hostage feared many ways to die in Gaza

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Whether the threat was abusive Hamas guards, hunger, illness or Israeli strikes, there were moments during Tal Shoham’s 505 days of captivity in Gaza.

This was when he didn’t think he would be alive the next morning.

There were many times that I separated from life and tried to accept death, the 40-year-old Israeli, who also holds Austrian citizenship, told The Associated Press.

“There are so many ways to die there.”

Shoham was one of dozens of hostages released from Gaza in February as part of a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel that has since been broken.

His wife, two children and three other family members were also kidnapped on Oct. 7, 2023, and were freed a month later.

Shoham said he had spent half his captivity in apartments and the rest in underground tunnels.

He was sometimes bound, starved, beaten and threatened with death, and initially didn’t know if his family was alive.

After his wife was released, Shoham said that someone identified himself as a member of Hamas called to warn her not to talk about what she’d been through or they’d kill her husband.

So as he recounted his own experience, Shoham said there were details he wouldn’t discuss, fearful of endangering remaining hostages.

With ceasefire talks at a standstill, Israel is vowing to advance deeper into Gaza until Hamas releases the 59 hostages still there, more than half of whom are believed dead.

The resumption of fighting has inflamed debate in Israel over the course of the war and the hostages’ fate.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under mounting domestic pressure for his handling of the hostage crisis.

But he also faces demands from his hard-line allies not to accept any deal that falls short of Hamas’ destruction. (AP/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Cecilia Odey/Mark Longyen

Ismail Abdulaziz
Feb, Thu, 2025

Foreign

S/Arabia rejects Trump’s U.S. Gaza takeover proposal

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By Mark Longyen

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia says it has “unequivocally rejected” Trump’s proposal for the U.S. to take over the Gaza Strip, a Palestine territory.

A statement from the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Saudi Arabia was vehemently opposed to the idea, and would rather continue its efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state.

Saudi Arabia stressed that Palestinians would “not move” from their land and it would not normalise ties with Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s position on the establishment of a Palestinian state is firm and unwavering.

“His Royal Highness, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, clearly and unequivocally reaffirmed this stance during his speech at the opening of the first session of the ninth term of the Shura Council on Sept. 18, 2024.

“His Royal Highness emphasised that Saudi Arabia will continue its relentless efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that,” the statement said.

It further said that the Crown Prince and Prime Minister also reiterated this firm position during the extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit held in Riyadh on Nov. 11, 2024.

The ministry emphasised the continuation of efforts to establish a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, demanding an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands.

The Saudi government also urged more peace-loving countries to recognise the State of Palestine, noting the importance of mobilising the international community to support the Palestinian people’s rights.

According to the ministry, this is in line with the United Nations General Assembly resolutions, recognising Palestine’s eligibility for full UN membership.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also reaffirms its unequivocal rejection of any infringement on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, whether through Israeli settlement policies, land annexation, or attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land.

“The international community has a duty today to alleviate the severe humanitarian suffering endured by the Palestinian people, who will remain steadfast on their land and will not move from it.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia emphasises that this unwavering position is non-negotiable and not subject to compromises,” the statement further said.

“Achieving lasting and just peace is impossible without the Palestinian people obtaining their legitimate rights in accordance with international resolutions, as has been previously clarified to both the former and current U.S. administrations.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Trump had told reporters at the White House on Tuesday, alongside the visiting Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that the U.S. was mulling the takeover of Gaza.

“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a good job with it too.

“We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site, and get rid of the destroyed buildings.

“Palestinians living in Gaza would have to be relocated to create the ‘Riviera of the Middle East,’ as they will be housed in Jordan, Egypt and other countries,” he said.

Most of Gaza’s 2.1 million population has been displaced by the 15-month war between Israel and Hamas.

NAN also reports that Trump’s proposal, which was his first major remarks on his Middle East foreign policy has shattered decades of U.S. thinking on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Maureen Atuonwu

Ismail Abdulaziz
Nov, Thu, 2024

General News

Saudi Arabia ramps up humanitarian efforts in Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan

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By Mufutau Ojo

As conflict, economic hardship and displacement continue to impact millions of people in Gaza, Lebanon and Sudan,

Saudi Arabia is intensifying its humanitarian efforts to deliver critical aid.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Saudi Arabia is delivering critical assistance through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief).

NAN reports that in Gaza, where humanitarian needs have reached critical levels due to ongoing war, KSrelief has launched one of its most extensive relief campaigns to date.

A statement issued by the Saudi Arabian embassy in Abuja said over 54 aid planes and eight ships were dispatched to the three locations.

It stated that the planes and ships were loaded with emergency food, medical supplies, shelter materials and other support items.

It added that the specific aid resources were 20 ambulances, 30 electricity generators and 10 water tanks, aimed at

providing immediate relief to those affected by the war in Gaza.

The embassy noted that KSrelief had distributed 39,200 ready-to-eat meals to help meet immediate nutritional needs for families facing severe food shortages.

It explained that the operation included specialised provision and support for displaced individuals, while offering comprehensive response to the urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The embassy statement also said that Saudi Arabia had allocated over 80 million dollars to support long-term aid projects in Gaza, channeled through partnerships with international organisations such as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees.

Others, it noted, were the World Food Programme, World Health Organisation and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

It also listed the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and the International Committee of the Red Cross as partners.

The statement added that in Lebanon where an economic collapse had placed immense pressure on innocent civilians, KSrelief had increased its humanitarian outreach to alleviate hardship.

It also said that KSrelief’s 20 aid planes arrived in Beirut, carrying essential food, medical and shelter supplies to provide relief to vulnerable communities.

The statement said Saudi Arabia’s aid to Lebanon, managed through KSrelief, also included targeted support for medical facilities.

It also said that KSrelief had sent 13 planes and 31 relief vessels, loaded with vital resources to Sudan.

It indicated that the aid, totalling over 118 million dollars, underscored Saudi Arabia’s dedication to supporting Sudanese families affected by instability.

It added that KSrelief had implemented programmes designed to address Sudan’s food security and health infrastructure needs.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu