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Senator questions Australian government contract with Israeli drone manufacturer
Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe has questioned an Australian government contract with Elbit Systems amid media reports the Israeli company manufactured the drone that killed an Australian and six other aid workers in Gaza.
“Flowers are an insult when Labor is handing $917m (Australian dollars) [$600m] of public money to Elbit Systems, the company whose drones killed Zomi Frankcom and so many others in Gaza,” said Thorpe.
Thorpe said Australia’s Labor government “should look in a mirror” when calling for accountability over Frankcom’s death.
“Stop feeding the war machine and cancel this contract,” she said in a post on social media
Flowers are an insult when Labor is handing $917m of public money to Elbit Systems, the company whose drones killed Zomi Frankcom & so many others in Gaza.
Labor are talking accountability – they should look in a mirror.
Stop feeding the war machine & cancel this contract.
— Senator Lidia Thorpe (@SenatorThorpe) April 5, 2024
Biden is finally putting his foot down (a little), it only took one of his friends to nearly get killed with his own bombs. José Andrés was supposed to be their with the team when the convoy got attacked. Lucky for him he couldn't be there.
Israel announces ‘temporary’ opening of aid route into Gaza
Netanyahu’s office says it will allow “temporary” aid deliveries via its border with the northern Gaza Strip.
“Israel will allow the temporary delivery of humanitarian aid through Ashdod and the Erez checkpoint,” the statement from the prime minister’s office said, referring to a port about 40km (25 miles) north of Gaza and the Beit Hanoon land crossing.
“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,” it added.
Of course it still just delay tactics. I doubt it will be enough and it's just an excuse to keep the war going. Ceasefire is the only thing that will work to avert imminent famine.
How much of a difference will crossing opening make?
This decision [to open a second crossing] is being framed as a way to complete Israel’s war aims.
The [Beit Hanoon] Erez is the crossing in the north, and Ashdod is an Israeli port further north. Aid is going to come through the Ashdod port and then through the Erez crossing into northern Gaza – the first part of Gaza devastated by Israel in its assault on the strip.
How much difference will it make? This is in the hands of the Israelis and how much aid they will let through it.
Any increase will be a benefit to the starving people of Gaza as what has entered so far has not even begun to meet people’s needs.
No change when it comes to killing more people
Overnight air raids, shelling pounds Gaza
Israeli forces launched air raids and shelled numerous areas of the Gaza Strip overnight, killing and wounding “many civilians”, including women and children, reports the Wafa news agency.
These are the areas hit by the latest Israeli attacks, according to Wafa:
- Sheikh Zayed City, northern Gaza
- Tal al-Hawa, southwest of Gaza City
- east of Maghazi refugee camp, central Gaza
- central, western and eastern parts of Khan Younis
- eastern part of Rafah city
Israeli artillery units hit Rafah, Khan Younis
Within the past few hours, the Israeli military had been focusing on using artillery units stationed on the outskirts of the Gaza Strip bordering the eastern areas of Rafah – they have been attacking these areas massively in the last few hours.
Also, artillery units had been hitting the southern part of the city of Khan Younis.
