Israel-Hamas war rages in Gaza

GAZA STRIP, Mar 10 (AFP/BBC): Deadly fighting raged on in Gaza on Sunday, with no truce in sight on the eve of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and a dire humanitarian crisis gripping the besieged Palestinian territory.

A Spanish charity ship carrying food aid was expected to soon set sail from the Mediterranean island-nation of Cyprus to help alleviate the suffering in the coastal Gaza Strip, now in its sixth month of war.

The non-governmental group Open Arms said its boat would carry 200 tonnes of food, which its partner the US charity World Central Kitchen would then unload on the shores of Gaza where it had constructed a basic dock.

As famine looms in parts of besieged Gaza, US, Jordanian and other planes have also airdropped food aid there, but UN agencies warn this falls far short of the needs of its 2.4 million people.

The war, started by the October 7 attack on Israel, has killed more than 31,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, where vast swathes have been reduced to a bombed-out wasteland.

Weeks of talks involving US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators have aimed for a six-week truce and the release of many of the about 100 hostages Hamas is still holding in return for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, with no result so far.

The widely shared target had been to halt the fighting by the start of Ramadan, which is expected to begin Monday depending on the first sighting of the crescent moon.

Both sides have blamed each other for failing to reach a ceasefire deal so far, after Israel had demanded a full list of surviving hostages, and Hamas had called for Israel to pull out all its troops from Gaza.

Israel's government accused Hamas of "entrenching its positions like someone who is not interested in a deal and is striving to inflame the region during Ramadan".

US President Joe Biden reiterated Saturday that Israel has "a right to continue to pursue Hamas", but also stressed his growing impatience with Israel's right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

As the civilian death toll has surged, Biden told broadcaster MSNBC Netanyahu "must pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost as a consequence of the actions taken".

At this stage, said Biden, Netanyahu's approach to the war was "hurting Israel more than helping Israel".

The comments came after Israeli protesters again took to the streets of Tel Aviv in growing anti-government rallies, joined by some of the desperate families and friends of the remaining captives.

Biden also signalled he would be willing to speak directly to the Israeli people through an address to the Knesset legislature, but without revealing any further plans or details.

US military ship heading

to Gaza to build port

A US military ship is sailing towards the Middle East, carrying equipment to build a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza, the army says. The support ship, General Frank S Besson, set sail from a military base in the state of Virginia on Saturday.

It comes after President Joe Biden said the US would build the floating harbour to help get aid into Gaza by sea. The UN has warned that famine in the Gaza Strip is "almost inevitable" and children are starving to death.

Aid deliveries by land and air have proved difficult and dangerous. The World Food Programme had to pause land deliveries after its convoys came under gunfire and looting. And on Friday, there were reports that five people had been killed by a falling aid package, when its parachute failed to open properly.

The US ship departed "less than 36 hours" after Mr Biden made his announcement, US Central Command wrote on X. It is "carrying the first equipment to establish a temporary pier to deliver vital humanitarian supplies" to Gaza, the statement continued.

The Pentagon has said it could take up to 60 days to build the pier with the help of 1,000 troops - none of whom would go ashore. Charities have said those suffering in Gaza cannot wait that long.