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Sabtu, 16 Desember 2023

Israeli hostages killed mistakenly in Gaza were holding white flag - The Straits Times

JERUSALEM - Three Israeli hostages killed mistakenly in Gaza by Israeli forces had been holding up a white flag, a military official said on Dec 16, citing an initial inquiry into the incident that has shaken the country.

A soldier saw the hostages emerging tens of metres from Israeli forces on Friday in Shejaiya, an area of intense combat in northern Gaza where Hamas militants operate in civilian attire and use deception tactics, the official said.

“They’re all without shirts and they have a stick with a white cloth on it. The soldier feels threatened and opens fire. He declares that they’re terrorists. They (forces) open fire. Two (hostages) are killed immediately,” the official told reporters in a phone briefing.

The third hostage was wounded and retreated into a nearby building where he called for help in Hebrew, the official said.

“Immediately the battalion commander issues a ceasefire order, but again there’s another burst of fire towards the third figure and he also dies,” said the official. “This was against our rules of engagement,” he added.

The military on Dec 15 identified the three hostages killed in Shejaiya, an eastern suburb of Gaza City, as Mr Yotam Haim and Mr Alon Shamriz, abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, and Mr Samer Talalka, abducted from nearby Kibbutz Nir Am.

Hamas militants rampaged through Israeli towns, killing 1,200 people and capturing 240 hostages on Oct 7. Israel then launched a counter-attack, during which Gaza health authorities say close to 19,000 people have been confirmed killed.

Around 300 people turned out to mourn Mr Al-Talalka, 25, at his funeral on Dec 16 in his hometown of Hura, in southern Israel.

“We had so many hopes, expectations, that he would come back to us,” his cousin, Mr Alaa Al-Talalka told Israel’s public broadcaster Kan from his Bedouin community’s mourning tent.

“We’re not going to start pointing fingers, who is guilty and who is not. It is just not the time,” Mr Al-Talalka said.

“The families are thinking only of how to bring the hostages back alive. This is the time to ask for the war to end,” he said.

More than 100 hostages remain in Gaza, held incommunicado despite Israeli calls for Red Cross access.

More than 100, women, children, teens and foreigners were released in a deal struck in late November. Others have been declared dead by Israeli authorities.

The news on Dec 15 that three had been killed by Israeli forces prompted a late-night protest outside Israel’s defence headquarters in Tel Aviv, where hostage families were expected to deliver a statement later on Dec 16.

One father said each day left families guessing whether they will be next to receive bad news.

“We’re in a kind of Russian roulette,” Mr Ruby Chen, whose son Itay is captive in Gaza, told reporters as he held up an hour glass. “Israel’s government needs to get a grip and bring back the hostages.” REUTERS

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2023-12-16 14:00:29Z
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Hamas turns Gaza streets into deadly maze for Israeli troops - CNA

JERUSALEM: The Israeli army's death toll in Gaza is already almost twice as high as during a ground offensive in 2014, a reflection of how far it has pushed into the enclave and of Hamas' use of guerrilla tactics and an expanded arsenal.

Israeli military experts, an Israeli commander and a Hamas source described how the Palestinian group has used a big weapons stockpile, its knowledge of the terrain and a vast tunnel network to turn Gaza's streets into a deadly maze.

At their disposal, they have arms ranging from drones rigged with grenades to anti-tank weapons with powerful twin charges.

Since Israel's ground campaign began in late October, about 110 Israeli soldiers have been killed as tanks and infantry thrust into the cities and refugee camps, based on official Israeli figures. About a quarter were tank crew.

That compares with 66 in the 2014 conflict, when Israel launched a more limited three-week ground incursion, but the goal then was not to eliminate Hamas.

"There is no comparing the scope of this war to 2014, when our forces mostly operated no deeper than a kilometre inside Gaza," said Yaacov Amidror, a retired Israeli major-general and former national security adviser who is now at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA).

He said the army "has yet to find a good solution for the tunnels", a network hugely expanded in the past decade.

Israel's offensive was launched after the Oct 7 rampage by Hamas gunmen who Israel said killed 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostage - some of them now freed.

Since the war began, close to 19,000 people have been killed in Gaza, sparking international demands for a ceasefire and even calls from Israel's staunch ally the United States for a shift in strategy and more precise strikes.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday Israel would wage war "until absolute victory". Israeli officials have said it could take months before being complete.

"It has been a challenge from day one," Ophir Falk, foreign policy adviser to Netanyahu, told Reuters, saying the offensive had come with a "huge price" in Israeli soldiers.

"We know that we're going to probably have to pay an additional price to complete the mission."

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2023-12-16 09:36:00Z
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Japan, ASEAN to boost security ties with eye on China - CNA

With Malaysia, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Saturday that he had agreed with counterpart Anwar Ibrahim to deepen strategic ties and provide 400 million yen (US$2.8 million) for "warning and surveillance" equipment.

Kishida said that with the world "at a historical turning point, Japan places great importance on promoting cooperation with ASEAN, including Malaysia, to maintain and strengthen a free and open international order based on the rule of law and to ensure a world where human dignity is protected".

Malaysia, along with the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan, have overlapping claims in the South China Sea.

JOINT DRILLS

In September, militaries from ASEAN nations held their first-ever joint exercises, although host Indonesia insisted they were non-combat drills, focusing on areas such as disaster relief and maritime patrols.

Asked about the ASEAN summit, China's foreign ministry said Friday that Beijing "believed that any cooperation should be conducive to advancing mutual trust among regional countries and promoting common development".

"We hope that relevant countries can truly do things conducive to regional peace and stability. At the same time, any cooperation should not target third parties," spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular briefing.

"ZERO EMISSION COMMUNITY"

Japan is also expected to use the summit to push energy cooperation, with a meeting of its Asian Zero Emission Community (AZEC) initiative scheduled for Monday that will be attended virtually by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, officials said.

Tokyo is boosting its renewables sector but has also come under fire from environmental groups for providing large-scale public financing for fossil fuel projects around Asia.

Japan has also been seeking to push the export of tech aimed at reducing emissions by coal plants, such as co-firing with ammonia and carbon capture. But critics say these methods are unproven and expensive.

"This push to lock in fossil fuel-based energy across the continent is delaying the transition from fossil fuels to renewables," the Climate Action Network said this month.

Ammonia "fails to meaningfully reduce emissions, jeopardises the decarbonization of Japan's energy and any possibility of phasing out fossil fuels", it said.

ASEAN's 10 member states are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar. The summit marks 50 years of ties with Japan.

While Myanmar is a member, the leaders of its junta have been banned from the bloc's high-level meetings since failing to implement an agreed five-point peace plan following the 2021 coup in which they took power.

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2023-12-16 07:00:29Z
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Jumat, 15 Desember 2023

EU vows Ukraine to get aid despite veto by Hungary's Orban - CNA

BRUSSELS: European Union leaders expressed confidence on Friday (Dec 15) that they would clear a large package of aid for Ukraine early in 2024, despite a veto by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

All 27 EU states except Hungary agreed on Thursday to start accession talks with Ukraine despite its invasion by Russia, bypassing Orban's grievances by getting him to leave the room.

However, they could not overcome his resistance to revamping the EU budget to channel €50 billion to Kyiv and provide more cash for other tasks such as managing migration.

Kyiv is reliant on foreign assistance as Russia's war in Ukraine rages on, and US President Joe Biden has so far been unable to get a US$60 billion package for Kyiv through Congress.

EU leaders, who would prefer a deal backed by all members but also have a plan B, are expected to revisit the issue at an emergency summit at the end of January or early in February.

"We are working very hard to have an agreement by 27 member states," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, adding: "But I think it is now also necessary to work on potential alternatives to have an operational solution in case that an agreement by 27, so unanimity, is not possible."

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron were among those expressing optimism on getting the aid to Kyiv, which is part of a broader multi-year EU budget plan.

"We have other ways of helping Ukraine, but we have not given up on the goal of finding a solution here," said Scholz, who diplomats and officials said played a big role in getting Orban to leave the room to clear the way for a decision on starting accession talks.

Macron said the EU was "not blocked" from providing aid next year, adding he felt Orban had an incentive to reach a deal.

The EU could continue to help with a workaround that involved a deal between 26 members and Ukraine, which would also deny Budapest access to linked EU funds, such as on migration.

The Kremlin praised Orban, who maintains close ties to Russia, and said the EU decision to open accession talks with Kyiv was politicised and could destabilise the bloc.

Orban, who has a history of trying to use disagreements with other EU leaders for his electoral benefit, told state radio he had blocked the aid to ensure Budapest gets EU money that is frozen over concerns about the rule of law in Hungary.

"It is a great opportunity for Hungary to make it clear that it must get what it is entitled to," he said.

The EU restored Hungary's access to €10.2 billion of frozen funds this week, but €21.1 billion remain locked.

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2023-12-15 19:17:49Z
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Kamis, 14 Desember 2023

50 years of Asean-Japan ties: Singapore PM Lee among leaders to attend special Tokyo summit - The Straits Times

TOKYO – Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is among nine Asean leaders who will gather in Tokyo at the weekend to celebrate a half-century of Asean-Japan ties.

The three-day event, starting on Dec 16, will culminate in a joint statement that sets out a “new vision for the future”, as well as a plan spelling out the steps for a wide range of cooperation, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said.

Among other things, Japan and Asean are likely to deepen their cooperation in areas such as supply chains, artificial intelligence and maritime capacity-building.

The commemorative summit comes as Japan and Asean mark 50 years of friendship and cooperation, having also upgraded their relationship to the highest-tier Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in September.

Singapore’s Prime Minister’s Office said on Dec 14 that Japan and Asean will discuss ways to deepen and broaden their dialogue partnership, including in such areas as the digital and green economies.

Leaders will also discuss “regional and global issues of mutual concern”, the statement added.

PM Lee, who arrives in Tokyo on Dec 15, will meet Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for what will be their fifth bilateral summit in two years.

During his four-day visit ending Dec 18, he will be accompanied by Mrs Lee – who will take part in a Spouse Programme hosted by Mr Kishida’s wife Yuko – as well as Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean will be Acting Prime Minister in his absence.

Leaders will attend a dinner hosted by Mr and Mrs Kishida on Dec 16, before the commemorative summit on Dec 17.

On Dec 18, they will attend a meeting of the Asia Zero Emission Community, a framework launched by Japan to promote decarbonisation across Asia by tailoring energy transition measures to each country’s circumstances.

Relations between Asean and Japan have come a long way since 1973, when distrust towards Tokyo was rife. Memories of wartime aggression were still raw, while Japan’s synthetic rubber exports posed a grave threat to Asean’s natural rubber produce.

Both sides sought to soothe tensions by establishing dialogue channels, first through a synthetic rubber forum in 1973. This set the stage for the Fukuda Doctrine four years later, promulgated by then Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda.

The doctrine spelt out three tenets that would serve as Japan’s lodestar for its ties with Asean: It would never be a military power, it would establish “heart-to-heart” relations with Asean, and it would forge an equal partnership with Asean.

Today, Japan consistently ranks as Asean’s “most trusted” partner in the annual State of South-east Asia survey by Singapore’s ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.

Economic ties are also strong. In 2022, Japan was Asean’s fourth-largest trading partner and second-largest source of foreign direct investment.

Asean comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Myanmar, which has been under military rule since a coup against the civilian government in 2021, was not invited.

Timor-Leste will join as an observer, with Asean having agreed “in principle” in 2022 to admit the country as its 11th member.

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2023-12-15 04:18:39Z
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