Middle East crisis Gaza war

186 aid workers killed in Gaza last year

907 aid workers around the world were killed, injured or kidnapped last year, according to a new report from the UN agency Ocha. That number has never been higher. For the third year in a row, the Gaza Strip was the place on earth where the most aid workers were killed, 186 people.

Over a thousand aid workers have been killed around the world in the past three years. Completely unacceptable, says Tom Fletcher, the UN's under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, according to AFP.

- But just pointing this out does not protect the next aid worker. States must uphold international humanitarian law and use all available means to protect civilians and our colleagues.

Germany demands sanctions after Ben-Gvir's statement

Several German politicians are demanding EU sanctions against Israel's Itamar Ben-Gvir, writes TT, citing German media. This is in reaction to the weekend's remarks by the ultra-conservative security minister, in which he said that Palestinians "are not even human beings".

- These are statements that the government cannot accept in any way, says Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil to the television channel Sat 1.

According to Tagesschau, he has the support of all parties in the Bundestag, from the AFD to Die Linke.

Sweden's Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M) was on the same track in a comment at the beginning of the week.

“I react with disgust to this terrible statement. The Swedish government has been absolutely right to take the initiative to introduce EU sanctions against extremist Israeli ministers – such as Ben-Gvir,” she wrote on X.

Israel investigates fatal shooting of five-year-old Hind Rajab

In a last desperate call, five-year-old girl Hind Rajab pleaded for help after her family’s car was shot at while they were trying to escape Israeli attacks in Gaza. More than two years later, the Israeli military is now opening a criminal investigation into the incident, several media outlets report.

– I am so scared. Please, call someone who can pick me up, the girl said in a call to the Palestinian Red Crescent after the attack in January 2024.

But the medical staff who came to help her were killed and two weeks later the girl’s body was found next to her dead relatives. The girl's fate attracted widespread attention in early 2024, but the Israeli military has previously denied involvement in her death. In a statement, it now says that a criminal investigation will be opened "after a review of the circumstances."