Bundestag President Julia Kloeckner’s visit to Gaza under Israeli military escort has drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers who called it a one-sided tour that excluded Palestinian perspectives.
The conservative politician traveled on Thursday with the Israeli army into what is known as the “Yellow Line” – an area occupied by Israeli forces for months that international observers fear could become permanent.
Adis Ahmetovic, foreign policy spokesman for the Social Democratic Party (SPD), criticized the visit in remarks to public broadcaster ARD, saying it sent the wrong message just days after Israel announced plans for de facto annexation of the occupied West Bank.
“This must not be legitimized,” the lawmaker said. “And such a visit to the Gaza Strip with the Israeli army does not help to clarify or criticize these plans, but may even give them further support.”
Ahmetovic noted that Kloeckner’s itinerary included no meetings with high-ranking Palestinian representatives. “No visit to the West Bank, no visit to East Jerusalem, and during her planned visit to Gaza, she didn’t listen to a single voice,” he said. “That’s something that’s difficult to explain.”
Franziska Brantner, co-leader of the oppostion Greens party, echoed the criticism in an interview with Der Spiegel magazine.
“It is good that Bundestag President Julia Kloeckner wants to see Gaza for herself,” she said.
“But if she does so without even listening to the Palestinian side, she must accept the criticism that she only wants to perceive reality in this region from one perspective,” she said.
Kloeckner’s Israel trip began on Tuesday. She visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial on Wednesday, followed by a red carpet reception at the Knesset. She dismissed the criticisms, saying she raised the humanitarian situation in Gaza in meetings with Israeli officials and discussed the developments with opposition representatives and nongovernmental organizations. Anadolu
As the Islamic holy month of Ramadan set to start next week, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are preparing to mark the fasting month by reviving the tradition of making Qatayef on makeshift wood-fired stoves.
In Gaza, the arrival of the holy month is not counted in days, but sensed in the aroma of this classic Palestinian dessert once again filling the markets after two years of devastating war.
In the “Garage Rafah Market” in the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, which used to be crowded with shoppers before the Israeli war, a number of shop owners are trying to revive their businesses as the fasting month approaches. Among them are Qatayef makers who have returned to lighting wood stoves amid the rubble.
In the middle of widespread destruction and near areas still occupied by Israel east of the city, shop owners continue their work under difficult conditions, including shortages of fuel and gas.
Deep-rooted Ramadan tradition
With more than 20 years of experience, Salim Al-Bayouk — known as the “King of Qatayef” in the market — continues to prepare the dessert by hand despite scarce resources and the lack of basic materials.
Bayouk, 54, told Anadolu that he began the business in the city of Rafah before moving to Khan Younis after Israel occupied the city, expressing his determination to continue despite the difficult circumstances.
Qatayef is considered “the queen of Ramadan desserts” among Palestinians, distinguished by its ease of preparation and low cost. It consists of a small pancake filled with nuts, cheese, or dates, then baked and soaked in sugar syrup.
Bayouk said during Ramadan, his work primarily depends on cooking gas, requiring about 25 kg daily. However, supply shortages have forced him to rely on wood in order to continue his profession.
Since a ceasefire agreement came into effect in October, Israel has allowed limited quantities of cooking gas into Gaza, while the enclave needs 20 truckloads daily, according to local officials.
Despite shortages and rising operating costs, Palestinians insist on continuing, rejecting displacement and holding fast to Ramadan traditions they refuse to let disappear from their city.
Bayouk said he reduced the price per kilogram to 10 shekels (about $3) and provides work for 10 to 15 workers during the season, emphasizing his commitment to remain despite the damage to his shop and his reliance on makeshift repairs.
Hundreds of other Palestinians across different parts of the Gaza Strip also continue this seasonal profession among tents, narrow alleys, and crowded camps.
They set up makeshift stoves and light wood fires to compensate for gas shortages, attempting to revive a Ramadan ritual they are accustomed to despite the restrictions.
Basic dish
For his part, Saeed Khalaf, 38, said that the street where the market is located used to be packed with shoppers before the war, and it was nearly impossible to walk through due to the crowding.
“Qatayef remains a basic dish on every family’s Ramadan table,” Khalaf said, expressing hope for the restoration of normal life, and the actual implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire deal.
The ceasefire ended an Israeli offensive that began in October 2023 and lasted two years, killing over 72,000 Palestinians and wounding over 171,000 others, while destroying about 90% of Gaza’s infrastructure.
Despite the ceasefire deal, the Israeli army has continued to violate it, killing at least 591 Palestinians and injuring more than 1,578 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry
The US announced in mid-January the launch of the second phase of the agreement after delays, saying the plan includes further Israeli troop withdrawals, transitional governance arrangements for Gaza, and the start of reconstruction efforts.
As World Cancer Day is marked on Wednesday, thousands of patients in Gaza face worsening illness, untreated pain and closed crossings – despite the limited opening of the vital route through Rafah this week.
“We are dying. Every day, between two and three patients die inside this hospital,” says Munther Abu Foul, a cancer patient lying on his bed in Gaza’s largest hospital. “I can’t get out of bed because of the pain. We want a solution – open the crossings.”
His words capture the reality facing thousands of cancer patients across the Strip, where access to specialist care has collapsed and evacuation for treatment abroad remains out of reach for many.
Local health organisations warn that around 11,000 patients are currently deprived of specialised or diagnostic cancer treatment inside Gaza.
Some 4,000 patients who received medical referrals to hospitals outside the Strip have been waiting for more than two years to travel.
UN News visited Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, documenting the dire conditions inside its oncology department. Patients crowd corridors and wards, waiting for consultations or treatments that are no longer available.
Essential medicines and equipment are in short supply, while many patients endure chronic pain that leaves them barely able to move.
UN News
A man takes care of his brother, a cancer patient at Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City.
‘Every day, two or three patients die’
Mr. Abu Foul flips through his medical transfer papers, issued long ago for treatment outside Gaza. He has not been able to travel for more than two years.
“The health situation in the Gaza Strip is dilapidated,” he says. “There is no treatment or medicines, and we are dying. Every day, two to three patients die here inside this hospital. I can’t get out of bed because of the pain.”
He appeals directly for help. “We want a solution. Open the crossings properly so that God will release us from this suffering. Everyone will be held accountable.”
Nearby, Mohamed Hammou tends to his elderly mother, who is also battling cancer. He says families are forced to watch loved ones deteriorate without care.
We want a solution. Open the crossings properly so that God will release us from this suffering – Abu Foul
“This is how we stand in front of a patient who is dying, without treatment or any medical facilities that help them recover,” he says. “This does not please God and it does not satisfy people. We call on Islamic, Arab and international nations to look at the sick with mercy.”
A brother in pain
In another ward, Raed Abu Warda cares for his brother Hamid, whose cancer has worsened after long delays in treatment. What began as a small, benign illness has become a life-threatening condition.
“He has been suffering from cancer for two years,” Raed explains. “He waited all this time for the crossing to open so he could be treated outside. His pain has increased, as you can see.”
He gestures towards a wound that has opened beneath his brother’s chin. “The disease has created this wound, and his condition is getting worse every day. I stand watching my brother and mourning his condition because of the pain.”
UN News
The health situation in the Gaza Strip is deteriorating for those suffering from life-threatening cancers, despite the limited opening of the Rafah crossing.
The number of patients seeking care at Gaza’s oncology departments continues to rise, even as hospitals face severe shortages of medicines, equipment and specialised staff. For newly diagnosed patients, the future is increasingly uncertain.
Evacuations far short of needs
With the limited reopening of the Rafah crossing, the World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting the evacuation of patients and their companions from Gaza, focusing on ensuring safe transport. Yet the scale of need far outstrips what is currently possible.
All we ask for is a way to live
More than 18,000 patients – including around 4,000 children – are waiting to be evacuated abroad for medical treatment, according to WHO.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported last week that Gaza’s Ministry of Health had recorded more than 1,200 patient deaths while people were waiting for medical evacuation. Around 4,000 cancer patients remain on critical waiting lists, trapped between closed crossings and a health system pushed beyond its limits.
For patients like Munther Abu Foul, time is running out. “We are dying,” he repeats. “All we ask for is a way to live.” – UN News
The woman described her journey through the Israeli checkpoints as “like death”. She said this while fighting back tears as her sojourn was filled with fear and suffering.
She and her mother, along with another lady, faced humiliation and insults, and subjected to arbitrary arrest, blindfolding, and the confiscation of her personal belongings and threatened and intimidated during their detention, she added.
Ordeal at Israeli Checkpoints
In other shocking testimonies from women returning through the Rafah Crossing, one lady said the Israeli army tried to arrest her and detained her for about an hour-and-a-half, then released her with difficulty. She said what she experienced in her detention was among the harshest moments she had ever endured.
Another elderly woman recounted her suffering with anguish and pain, saying about 50 people were preparing to enter Gaza, but the Israeli army allowed only 12 to cross and turned the rest back. She added: “They humiliated us terribly, and there was a long wait.”
She added the bus they were traveling on was escorted by two jeeps, one in front and one behind, before being taken to an area where the army was deployed. There, they were subjected to an interrogation that lasted two to three hours.
The returnees arrived on a bus carrying only 12 passengers, including three children and the rest women, at the Nasser Medical Complex, which had been prepared to receive those returning from outside the Gaza Strip. Their harrowing journey lasted approximately 20 hours, during which they were subjected to thorough searches and lengthy interrogations by the Israeli army.
These testimonies come amidst a limited return of travelers through the Rafah Crossing, under tight security measures and, according to the returnees, severe humanitarian hardship.
Anger and Resentment on Social Media
Their testimonies sparked widespread anger among Gaza residents on the social media who expressed their dismay at the suffering endured by the returnees. They emphasized their journey epitomized the ordeal and suffering experienced by residents of the Gaza Strip.
Social media users described the humanitarian situation at the crossing as extremely harsh, citing harrowing accounts from those who returned during its partial opening. These accounts detailed the abuse and violations they suffered at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces.
Others described the limited number of travelers as a microcosm of the entire situation, emphasizing that the partial opening of the crossing was merely symbolic, while the suffering was far greater than the number of people allowed to cross.
They pointed out the phrase “No one is allowed to leave Gaza” encapsulates all the forms of death and suffering endured by Palestinians simply for being Palestinian.
They also described what happened on the first day the crossing was opened as a complete farce, with only about 10 people crossing, compared to the hundreds or thousands who crossed before or at the beginning of the war.
Social media users pointed out that the Israeli-established crossing in the center of Gaza has become a point of interrogation, extortion, arrest, and recruitment. Returnees are subjected to lengthy searches and threats of detention for hours, in addition to strict restrictions on their belongings. This will deprive hundreds of thousands of people of their right to leave or return, jeopardizing their future.
Several users added that these measures are leading to widespread fear and constant anxiety among Gaza residents. They noted that families now dread any attempt to cross, and that opening the crossing in such a symbolic manner has not alleviated their suffering but rather exacerbated their sense of injustice and humiliation.
Last Monday, the Rafah land crossing was officially opened in both directions for the first time since May 2014, following a trial period on Sunday. This comes as part of the implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. – Al Jazeera
Israeli forces killed at least 31 Palestinians in Gaza on Saturday as airstrikes and shelling continued across the besieged enclave, despite a Trump-brokered ceasefire.
The Ministry of Health said dozens of civilians were killed or wounded in new attacks by the Israeli army, while Hamas stated that Israel is deliberately undermining the ceasefire agreement and committing fresh massacres across the strip.
Hospital sources said Israeli fire killed 31 Palestinians outside Israeli deployment zones in Gaza City and Khan Younis, in central and southern Gaza, since dawn on Saturday. At least 24 of the victims were reported in Gaza City and northern areas of the enclave.
Al-Shifa Hospital said the death toll rose after Israel attacked a police headquarters in Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City. Emergency and ambulance services also confirmed that two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike on Al-Nasr neighborhood in western Gaza City.
Field reports showed that Israeli attacks focused on residential neighborhoods and areas sheltering displaced families. These areas included Al-Tuffah and Sheikh Radwan in Gaza City, as well as displacement camps and tents in Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis.
The latest strikes triggered large fires in displacement tents at “Ghaith” camp west of Khan Younis, according to Gaza Civil Defense. Rescue teams said the fires added a heavy burden as they responded to bombardment and widespread blazes at the same time.
Gaza’s Interior Ministry said the Israeli attack on Sheikh Radwan police headquarters showed clear disregard for the ceasefire and the international mediators backing it. The ministry said the strike killed five police officers and injured 15 others, in addition to civilians and displaced people who were near the site.
The ministry urged mediators to take responsibility and pressure Israel to stop its violations and spare civilians and civilian facilities from continued attacks.
Earlier on Saturday, hospital sources said Israeli fire killed 12 Palestinians, including six children, in Gaza City and Khan Younis.
In southern Gaza, an Israeli airstrike on “Ghaith” displacement camp in Al-Mawasi killed seven members of one family after their tent was hit in a densely populated area for displaced civilians. The Civil Defense said several others were wounded in separate strikes that targeted tents sheltering displaced families.
Israeli artillery shelling in areas inside Israeli troop deployment zones in Al-Tuffah neighborhood, northeast of Gaza City. Ambulance services also said Israeli strikes hit a residential apartment in Gaza City, killing and injuring several Palestinians.
Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said most of Saturday’s victims were children. He said Israeli strikes do not distinguish between civilians and fighters and described the situation as a systematic humanitarian catastrophe. He added that Israeli forces used high-explosive missiles, causing widespread destruction and fires.
Palestinian Red Crescent spokesperson Raed Al-Nims said ambulance crews face unprecedented challenges as Israeli attacks continue to hit homes and displacement camps, while most medical facilities remain damaged. He called on the international community to pressure Israel to halt its violations and allow medical teams to work without obstruction according to the Quds News Network.
Israeli Claims and Palestinian Response
The Israeli newspaper Maariv quoted the Israeli army as claiming that its air assaults in Gaza would continue, claiming it responds to alleged “serious incidents” that allegedly violated the ceasefire. The army claimed that it targeted Hamas and Islamic Jihad commanders, weapons depots, and military infrastructure.
Hamas rejected the Israeli claims and said the continued targeting of displaced people’s tents marks a dangerous escalation and a deliberate collapse of the ceasefire. The resistance movement described the attacks as a new massacre and a blatant violation of the agreement.
Hamas said Israeli actions confirm the continuation of a war of destruction against Gaza and a disregard for mediation efforts. It called on guarantor states and the US administration to intervene and stop policies that undermine the ceasefire.
The movement also demanded an immediate transition to the second phase of the agreement, including opening the Rafah crossing in both directions and enabling the national committee to operate freely in Gaza.
Since the ceasefire took effect in October, Israeli forces have killed 524 Palestinians and wounded 1,360 others.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said continued Israeli bombardment places extreme pressure on Gaza’s collapsed health system. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry also condemned repeated Israeli violations of the ceasefire, warning they pose a direct threat to the political process.
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