Israel to open routes for humanitarian aid into Gaza – after being urged to by Joe Biden
Israel has announced it is opening new routes for humanitarian deliveries into Gaza.
The Erez Crossing into northern parts of the Gaza Strip will be opened for the first time since the Hamas attacks of October 7 – and aid will temporarily be allowed to flow through Ashdod Port.
Israeli officials have also said they are planning to increase the amount of aid from Jordan moving through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
The Erez Crossing into northern parts of Gaza will be accessible for the first time since October 7. File pic: AP
“This increased aid will prevent a humanitarian crisis and is necessary to ensure the continuation of the fighting and to achieve the goals of the war,” a spokesman for the Israeli government said.
During a call on Thursday, Joe Biden had told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to immediately let more trucks carrying humanitarian aid into Gaza, according to two US officials.
The White House said that Mr Biden “underscored that an immediate ceasefire is essential to stabilise and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians” in the call.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Israel “must meet this moment” – and told reporters: “If we don’t see the changes that we need to see, there’ll be changes in our policy.”
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‘This is humiliation’
Routes must be ‘rapidly implemented’
The US National Security Council has welcomed Israel’s plans to increase aid flowing into Gaza.
However, it is unclear when these humanitarian routes will open – with American officials calling for this to be “fully and rapidly implemented”.
Spokesperson Adrienne Watson warned: “US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these and other steps, including steps to protect innocent civilians and the safety of aid workers.”
She also expressed hope that there will be a “significant increase in humanitarian assistance reaching civilians in dire need throughout Gaza over the coming days and weeks”.
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UK ‘will hold Israel to account’
The deaths of seven aid workers earlier this week – including three British nationals – had led some charities to suspend their operations.
Lord Cameron also told the Mail that Mr Netanyahu and other senior ministers “know how serious this issue is and how they have got to get to the bottom of it and frankly make sure it never happens again”.
‘We will hold Israel to account,” the foreign secretary added. “That is what the transparent full inquiry is all about. When these things happen even on a battlefield … they have consequences.”
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He declined to say if the UK is confident Israel is acting within international law – or if arms sales might be suspended.
Israel Defence Forces is due to offer an update on their investigation into that airstrike later today.
“Super high-IQ revolutionaries” who are willing to work 80+ hours a week are being urged to join Elon Musk’s new cost-cutting department in Donald Trump’s incoming US government.
The X and Tesla owner will co-lead the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
And in a post on X, the official DOGE account put out a call to arms for people to sign up and help “dismantle government bureaucracy”.
The post said: “We are very grateful to the thousands of Americans who have expressed interest in helping us at DOGE.
“We don’t need more part-time idea generators.
“We need super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting.
“If that’s you, DM this account with your CV. Elon & Vivek will review the top 1% of applicants.”
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Elon Musk speaking at an event held at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Pic: AP Photo/Alex Brandon
In a reply to an interested party, Mr Musk suggested the lucky applicants would be working for free.
“Indeed, this will be tedious work, make lost of enemies & compensation is zero,” the world’s richest man wrote.
“What a great deal!”
When announcing the new department, President-elect Donald Trump said Mr Musk and Mr Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies”.
Mr Musk has previously made clear his desire to see cuts to “government waste” and in a post on his X platform suggested he could axe as many as three-quarters of the more than 400 federal departments in the US, writing: “99 is enough.”
At least 10 people have been killed after a fire broke out at a retirement home in northern Spain in the early hours of this morning, officials have said.
A further two people were seriously injured in the blaze at the residence in the town of Villafranca de Ebro in Zaragoza, according to the Spanish news website Diario Sur.
Two people remain in a critical condition following the blaze. Pic: AP
They remain in a critical condition, while several others received treatment for smoke inhalation.
Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at the residence – the Jardines de Villafranca – at 5am (4am UK time) on Friday.
Several residents were treated for smoke inhalation. Pic: AP
Those who were killed in the fire died from smoke inhalation, Spanish newspaper Heraldo reported.
The residence is home to 82 elderly residents.
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The blaze started in one of the rooms, Fernando Beltran, the national government’s top official in the region, told reporters.
All of the victims were elderly residents, he added.
Relatives wait for news outside the care home. Pic: AP
Fire crews, paramedics and police officers remain on site, said a spokesperson for the regional government of Aragon who confirmed the fatalities.
It took firefighters several hours to extinguish the blaze, they said.
The cause of the fire is unknown and is being investigated.
At least 10 people have been killed after a fire broke out at a retirement home in northern Spain in the early hours of this morning, officials have said.
A further two people were seriously injured in the blaze at the residence in the town of Villafranca de Ebro in Zaragoza, according to the Spanish news website Diario Sur.
Two people remain in a critical condition following the blaze. Pic: AP
They remain in a critical condition, while several others received treatment for smoke inhalation.
Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at the residence – the Jardines de Villafranca – at 5am (4am UK time) on Friday.
Several residents were treated for smoke inhalation. Pic: AP
Those who were killed in the fire died from smoke inhalation, Spanish newspaper Heraldo reported.
The residence is home to 82 elderly residents.
Read more from Sky News:
Mass displacement in Gaza – people unsure where to go
Donald Trump picks vaccine sceptic as health secretary
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The blaze started in one of the rooms, Fernando Beltran, the national government’s top official in the region, told reporters.
All of the victims were elderly residents, he added.
Relatives wait for news outside the care home. Pic: AP
Fire crews, paramedics and police officers remain on site, said a spokesperson for the regional government of Aragon who confirmed the fatalities.
It took firefighters several hours to extinguish the blaze, they said.
The cause of the fire is unknown and is being investigated.
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