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Year: 2025

Israeli attacks, forced starvation kill more than 70 Palestinians in Gaza

Israeli attacks, forced starvation kill more than 70 Palestinians in Gaza

The Israeli military has killed dozens of people in Gaza as the starvation crisis in the territory deepens amid an international outcry, with more Palestinians dying of malnutrition. Medical sources told Al Jazeera that Israeli attacks killed at least 71 people across Gaza on Saturday, including 42 desperately seeking aid. The Ministry of Health in Gaza also said that hospitals have recorded five more deaths due to hunger caused by the Israeli blockade of the enclave, bringing the total death toll from malnutrition to 127 since the war began. The victims include 85 children. With anger across the world mounting over the crisis, Israel announced late on Saturday that it would implement a pause to its assault “in civilian centers and in humanitarian corridors to enable the distribution of aid supply” on Sunday. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not specify which specific areas would see a “humanitarian pause”. The ministry also again blamed the United Nations for failing to distribute assistance in Gaza, a claim that has been rejected by both the UN and multiple aid and rights groups. UN officials have said that this Israeli talking point is false, stressing that they have not received the necessary permits to safely distribute aid in the besieged enclave. Airdrops’ effect is ‘equivalent to none’ The Israeli military also said it carried out airdrops of international aid over Gaza. The United Arab Emirates, which has close economic and diplomatic ties with Israel, also said it will begin airdropping aid into Gaza “immediately”. Advertisement But humanitarian experts have been warning since last year that airdrops are dangerous to people on the ground and cannot serve as a substitute for safe land routes to distribute food and medical supplies. Earlier on Saturday, Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, called airdrops an expensive, inefficient “distraction” that would “not reverse the deepening starvation”. Lazzarini called for Israel to “lift the siege, open the gates [and] guarantee safe movements [and] dignified access to people in need”. Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud raised questions over the newly announced Israeli steps. He said the airdrops’ effect is “equivalent to none”. “We’re talking about only seven pallets of aid filled with flour and other basic necessities. That’s almost the load of one truck, or half of a truck, coming from the crossings into the Gaza Strip,” Mahmoud said. He cited witnesses who said the airdrops took place near a restricted military area in northern Gaza, making retrieving them in the dark especially difficult. Equally, Israel’s plan to allow for so-called “humanitarian pauses” in Gaza starting on Sunday will have no major effect on the starvation crisis, Mahmoud said. “Again, this is not a solution when we talk about passing the tipping point of this enforced starvation, and according to medical sources we spoke to earlier today, they confirmed that at this point we’re going to see mass scale starvation mortality,” he said. As starvation spreads, Israel has pressed on with its daily bombardment of Gaza. At least six people were killed in an Israeli drone attack on a tent camp in al-Mawasi near Khan Younis on Saturday. The area designated as a safe zone by Israel has come under constant deadly attack by its forces. Meanwhile, the Civil Defence agency in Gaza says none of its vehicles will be able to offer lifesaving services soon due to disrepair and lack of fuel, calling on the international community to act. “We stress the need for an urgent intervention to pressure the Israeli occupation authorities to allow fuel and repair parts for vehicles to enter,” the Civil Defence said in a statement. While some Western countries have made strongly-worded statements against Israel’s policies in Gaza, advocates have been calling for real consequences to ensure accountability and deter further Israeli abuses. Punitive sanctions against Israel have been raised as possibilities. Handala ship intercepted Shortly after making its airdrops announcement, the Israeli military raided a ship of international activists carrying baby formula, food and medical supplies to Gaza. Advertisement A livestream showed Israeli soldiers boarding and intercepting the Handala vessel with 19 activists onboard. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which organised the aid ship, said the vessel was violently seized in international waters. “The unarmed boat was carrying life-saving supplies when it was boarded by Israeli forces, its passengers abducted, and its cargo seized,” the coalition said in a statement. “The interception occurred in international waters outside Palestinian territorial waters off Gaza, in violation of international maritime law.” #handala has been intercepted by the israeli occupation forces pic.twitter.com/0Mw1gZUNyi — Freedom Flotilla Coalition (@GazaFFlotilla) July 26, 2025 It is not clear what will happen to the advocates. Last month, Israel intercepted the Madleen aid ship and towed it to an Israeli boat before detaining the activists, and then interrogating and deporting them. Ann Wright, a member of the Freedom Flotilla Steering Committee, called for the protection of the international activists by their home countries. “Protect innocent international people who are merely accompanying a small amount of aid – medical and food – as a symbol of the international outrage at what Israel is doing,” Wright told Al Jazeera. The Gaza Government Media Office called the interception of Handala a crime of piracy. “This blatant aggression represents a major violation of international law and the rules of maritime navigation, and it shows once more that the [Israeli] occupation acts like a bully outside the authority of the law,” the office said in a statement. Adblock test (Why?)

Nigeria beat Morocco to claim WAFCON title and complete Mission X

Nigeria beat Morocco to claim WAFCON title and complete Mission X

Nigeria claim their tenth WAFCON title, ‘Mission X’, as they come from behind to beat Morocco 3-2 in Rabat. Substitute Jennifer Echegini scored the 88th-minute winner as Nigeria came from two goals behind to beat hosts Morocco 3-2 in a dramatic Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final. The triumph in Rabat on Saturday confirmed the West Africans as the queens of women’s football in Africa as they pulled off a record-extending 10th title in 13 editions – “Mission X”, as they dubbed their efforts – to win the 2025 edition. It was the second successive final loss for Morocco, who led by two goals after 24 minutes, only to concede three in the second half. Esther Okoronkwo played a key role in the Super Falcons’ victory: scoring the first goal, creating the second and delivering the free-kick that Echegini finished to stun the home crowd. Morocco, backed by a vibrant capacity crowd at the 21,000-seat Stade Olympique in the capital, took the lead on 12 minutes as Nigeria conceded for the first time in open play at the tournament. Nigeria fluffed several chances to clear the ball, and it fell just outside the area to Chebbak, whose perfectly placed, rising shot gave goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie no chance. Nigeria’s goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie fails to save a shot during the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final [Abdel Majid Bziouat/AFP] The lead doubled 12 minutes later as the ball flew across the Nigerian goalmouth to Sanaa Mssoudy, who ended a five-match goal drought by steering a low shot into the far corner of the net. Nigeria had more possession in the opening half than the host nation, but managed only one shot on target, and it did not trouble goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi. Advertisement But the Moroccan lead halved after 64 minutes as Okoronkwo sent Er-Rmichi the wrong way from a penalty after a VAR review showed a Folashade Ijamilusi cross striking Nouhaila Benzina’s hand. The goal lifted the spirits of increasingly assertive Nigeria, and they equalised seven minutes later, when Okoronkwo turned creator with a pull-back that Ijamilusi pushed into the net from close range. CHAMPIONS OF AFRICA FOR THE 10TH TIME! 🏆🇳🇬 Tell your neighbors, tell the world — the Super Falcons reign supreme again!#MissionX #SoarSuperFalcons #WAFCON2024 #Champions #MORNGA pic.twitter.com/tiUQZleMEy — NGSuper_Falcons (@NGSuper_Falcons) July 26, 2025 On Friday, Ghana finished third, winning a penalty shootout 4-3 against outgoing champions South Africa after a 1-1 playoff draw in regular time in Casablanca. After two weakly struck spot kicks in a row by South Africa were saved to give Ghana the advantage, 19-year-old Nancy Amoh converted the decisive penalty with a low shot into the corner of the net. A blunder by Ghana goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan gifted South Africa the lead on 45 minutes as she lost control of the ball just outside the box, and Nonhlanhla Mthandi struck it into the net. Persistent Ghanaian pressure finally paid off on 68 minutes when an Alice Kusi header came off the crossbar and long-serving South Africa shot-stopper Andile Dlamini conceded an own goal. Victory was particularly sweet for the Black Queens as they were outplayed when losing 2-0 to Banyana Banyana (The Girls) in the group stage. Ghana have won the four third-place playoffs they qualified for, while South Africa have lost four of five bronze medal matches. The next Women’s Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled for March 2026, also in Morocco, and will double as a qualifying competition for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. Adblock test (Why?)

De Ridder beats Whittaker in split decision at UFC Abu Dhabi

De Ridder beats Whittaker in split decision at UFC Abu Dhabi

Reinier de Ridder survives a brutal knockdown to narrowly win against Robert Whittaker in the main event at Etihad Arena in the UAE. Reinier de Ridder secured the biggest win of his Octagon career at UFC Abu Dhabi, narrowly securing a hard-fought split decision over former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker at the Etihad Arena in the United Arab Emirates. De Ridder (21-2) earned his third win of 2025 by defeating the Australian by split decision; two of the three judges scored the 84kg (185-pound) bout 48-47 for de Ridder, while a third had it 48-47 for Whittaker. “I don’t want to fight like this [Whittaker], man, this guy was too tough,” de Ridder said in a post-fight interview on Saturday. “I expected to take him down. He was so tough, so durable. Heavy f****** hands.” The Dutch fighter had to survive a brutal knockdown in round three when Whittaker dropped him with a right hand to the chin in the opening minute. De Ridder managed to survive the attack, and consolidated his overall superiority in strikes – de Ridder landed 169 in total, compared with 100 for Whittaker, according to official UFC statistics – and recovered to win the final two rounds by wearing down the 34-year-old with repeated knees to the body and constant grappling. Throughout the five-round fight, there was little to separate the pair. When the final bell sounded, the split decision reflected the closeness of the contest. De Ridder’s victory was his fourth Ultimate Fighting Championship career victory. Whittaker (27-9) has now lost two straight and three of his five most recent fights. Following his victory, de Ridder, ranked 13th heading into the Whittaker fight, called for a title shot against the winner of the middleweight championship bout between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 on August 16. Advertisement “I want to finish a guy in the first round, so maybe it would be better if I fought Khamzat [Chimaev] or Dricus [Du Plessis]. Give me my title shot.” Whittaker, left, and de Ridder fight during the bout [Fatima Shbair/AP] [Fatima Shbair/AP] In the co-main event, former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan defeated Marcus McGhee by unanimous decision. Yan outpaced his opponent in total strikes, significant strikes, control and takedowns. In the middleweight match, Shara Magomedov bounced back from his first professional loss, which came against Michael Page in February, to win over Marc-Andre Barriault by unanimous decision. Magomedov earned a 30-27 score from all three judges. Adblock test (Why?)