International

Israeli strike killed nearly 100 in Gaza school refuge – Civil defence officials

Published

2 years ago

August 11, 2024

Israeli strike killed nearly 100 in Gaza school refuge – Civil defence officials

CAIRO: An Israeli airstrike on a Gaza City school compound housing displaced Palestinian families killed around 100 people, the Gaza Civil Emergency Service said on Saturday, while Israel said the toll was inflated and 19 militants were among the dead.

Video from the site showed body parts scattered among rubble and more bodies being carried away and covered by blankets. Empty food tins lay in a puddle of blood, and burned mattresses and a child’s doll lay in the debris.

In another video, men prayed over a dozen body bags laid on the ground of the Tabeen school complex.

The Israeli strike drew condemnation from Arab states, Turkiye, France, Britain and the European Union and an expression of deep concern from the US, which has been working with partners to prevent the 10-month-old Gaza conflict from escalating into a regional war.

“Yet again far too many civilians have been killed,” US Vice President Kamala Harris, said during a campaign stop in Phoenix when asked for her reaction to the Gaza City strike.

Reiterating US calls, Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate running for election in November, told reporters: “We need a hostage deal and a ceasefire.”

Gaza’s Civil Emergency Service, which has a credible record in stating casualty numbers, and the Hamas-run government media office said in separate statements that the complex had been attacked while its occupants were performing dawn prayers.

“So far, there are more than 93 martyrs, including 11 children and six women. There are unidentified remains,” Palestinian civil defense spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal told a televised press conference.

Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought shelter in Gaza’s schools, most of which have been closed since Israel’s war against Hamas began.

Around 350 families had been sheltering at the compound, Bassal said — some of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced by Israel’s onslaught on Gaza.

The upper floor housing families and the lower floor, used as a mosque, were both hit, he said.

The Israeli military said the death toll was inflated.

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“The strike was carried out using three precise munitions, which can not cause the amount of damage that is being reported,” the military said in a statement.

It added that no severe damage was caused to the compound, and provided aerial photos and videos which it said proved this.

The compound, and the mosque that was struck within it, served as an active Hamas and Islamic Jihad military facility,” Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said on X, without providing evidence.

An Israeli army official said the part of the mosque that was struck was reserved for men.

Israel says Palestinian militants embed themselves among Gaza’s civilians, operating from within schools, hospitals and designated humanitarian zones — which Hamas and its allies deny.

Hamas said the strike was a horrific crime and a serious escalation. Izzat El-Reshiq of Hamas’ political office said the dead did not include a single combatant.

A separate strike on Saturday killed three Palestinians in Al-Nuseirat in central Gaza and another killed one person in nearby Deir Al-Balah, medics said.

Later in the day an Israeli strike killed three Palestinians in Rafah, near the border with Egypt, medics said.

Separately, the Israeli military said the head of general security in Hamas’ military wing, Walid Alsousi, had been killed in southern Gaza. There was no immediate Hamas comment.

NEW ROUND OF CEASEFIRE TALKS

With regional tensions high after the July 31 assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, US President Joe Biden urged Iran not to attack Israel. Iran, which supports Hamas, has blamed Israel and vowed to “punish” it. Israel has not confirmed or denied responsibility.

When a reporter asked on Saturday for his message to Iran, Biden mouthed the word “don’t.”

The Iranian-backed Hezbollah armed group in Lebanon said it launched a drone attack against military positions in northern Israel. Israel’s military said unspecified damage was reported but no casualties and that it struck several Hezbollah military structures in southern Lebanon.

The White House said it was “deeply concerned” about the Gaza school compound strike and asked Israeli officials for further details.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on X that he was horrified by the images from the school.

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A spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, urged Israel’s ally Washington to end “blind support that leads to the killing of thousands of innocent civilians, including children, women, and the elderly.”

A Hamas official told Reuters the group was studying a new ceasefire proposal for discussion but did not elaborate.

Speaking to Al-Jazeera television, Khalil Al-Hayya, the head of the Hamas team for the indirect ceasefire talks with Israel, said statements of condemnation were no longer sufficient.

“Dismiss (Israeli) ambassadors, close down embassies and sever ties with the occupation,” he said.

Egypt, the United States and Qatar have scheduled a new round of ceasefire negotiations for Thursday, as fears grow of a broader conflict involving Iran and Hezbollah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has said he will not end the war until Hamas no longer poses a threat to Israelis, said he would send a delegation.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich pushed back against the White House’s accusation on Friday that he was “dead wrong” in asserting that the ceasefire deal on the table would be a surrender to Hamas.

In a post on X, Smotrich, one of Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners, thanked the US for its support for Israel but insisted it “will not submit to any external pressure that would harm Israel’s security.”

Israel launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas fighters stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and capturing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Since then, nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive in Gaza, according to the health ministry.

Gaza health officials say most of the fatalities have been civilians but Israel says at least a third are fighters. Israel says it has lost 329 soldiers in Gaza.

Israeli strike killed nearly 100 in Gaza school refuge – Civil defence officials

ARAB NEWS

International

BREAKING: One Killed, Four Injured As Gunman Opens Fire Near White House

Published

23 minutes ago

November 12, 2026

Trends Admin

BREAKING: One Killed, Four Injured As Gunman Opens Fire Near White House

WASHINGTON, D.C. — One person has been killed and four others injured after a gunman opened fire at and around a fitness centre in Washington, D.C., triggering a massive security operation in the US capital.

The shooting occurred on Thursday morning, November 12, 2026, in the Logan Circle neighbourhood, approximately one mile from the White House.

The suspected gunman also died after barricading himself inside a nearby apartment and apparently shooting himself, according to police.

Authorities said the first emergency call came in at about 8 a.m. from people inside VIDA Fitness, a gym located around 15th Street and P Street Northwest.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) reportedly arrived within 30 seconds and discovered a man who had been shot inside the fitness facility.

Additional emergency calls subsequently reported more gunfire and victims in the surrounding area, bringing the total number of people shot to five, including the deceased.

Police said four other victims sustained gunshot injuries, with one reportedly in critical condition, while the remaining three suffered injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

Following the shooting, the suspect reportedly left the immediate scene and barricaded himself inside an apartment on the seventh floor of a nearby residential building.

Police officers and tactical teams subsequently surrounded the building as negotiators attempted to persuade him to surrender.

However, officers reportedly heard a gunshot during the negotiations. Upon entering the apartment, they discovered that the suspect had died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Interim Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery Carroll confirmed the development during a briefing, although authorities had yet to publicly disclose the identities of the victims or the suspected gunman.

The shooting prompted an extensive security operation involving local and federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Several surrounding streets were cordoned off, while residents and people working in the neighbourhood were advised to remain indoors as officers secured the area.

Nearby schools also implemented precautionary security measures during the emergency response.

Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the attack, including whether the suspect knew any of the victims.

Preliminary information from police indicated that the suspect may have been involved in a dispute with the homeowners’ association of the residential building where he barricaded himself. However, investigators have yet to establish a definitive motive for the shooting.

The incident has renewed concerns about gun violence in the United States, with the attack unfolding in a busy residential neighbourhood within close proximity to the White House.

The investigation is ongoing.

BREAKING: One Killed, Four Injured As Gunman Opens Fire Near White House

International

New York Police Arrest 17-Year-Old Over Murder of Ghanaian Student

Published

11 hours ago

November 12, 2026

Trends Admin

Javits Badu Nkansah

New York Police Arrest 17-Year-Old Over Murder of Ghanaian Student

Police in New York City have arrested a 17-year-old boy in connection with the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Ghanaian student, Javits Frimpong, who was killed while walking to school in the Bronx.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) announced the arrest on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, saying the suspect had been taken into custody and charged with murder over the October 29 killing.

The suspect, whose identity has not been disclosed because he is a minor, is also reportedly facing manslaughter and firearm-related charges.

Frimpong was shot in the abdomen near Crotona Park, close to East 171st Street and Crotona Place, while making his way to DreamYard Preparatory School in the Bronx.

He was rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital but was later pronounced dead.

According to police reports, the teenager was walking to school when he was attacked. Investigators have not established the motive for the shooting or confirmed whether the suspect knew the victim.

The arrest followed weeks of investigations and growing demands for justice from Frimpong’s family, members of the Ghanaian community and civil rights advocates.

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Police had previously indicated that three people might have been involved in the shooting and had been investigating possible motives, including robbery and alleged bullying at the victim’s school.

Frimpong’s father, Thomas Frimpong, had earlier said his son complained about being bullied by fellow students at DreamYard Preparatory School. Two students were reportedly suspended over the alleged harassment.

However, investigators have not established a connection between the alleged bullying and the fatal shooting.

The arrest was announced as the victim’s parents, civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, Reverend Al Sharpton and Ghana’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Samuel Yao Kumah, gathered at a news conference in New York to demand justice.

Frimpong’s mother, Doris Adu Gyamfi, broke down in tears during the event as she appealed for justice for her son.

She reportedly travelled from Ghana following her son’s death, while New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani had earlier appealed to US President Donald Trump to facilitate arrangements for her to travel to the United States to mourn with her family.

Frimpong had moved from Ghana to the United States about a year before his death to reunite with his father and pursue better educational opportunities. He was a Grade 10 student and reportedly aspired to become a doctor.

The killing sparked protests and public demonstrations in New York, with demonstrators calling for accountability under the campaign slogan, “Justice for Javits!”

Crump, who is representing the family, acknowledged the arrest but said several questions surrounding the teenager’s death remained unanswered.

He called for a thorough investigation to establish why Frimpong was killed and whether the tragedy could have been prevented.

Ghanaian authorities have also been engaging with their American counterparts over the case. Ghana’s government has engaged Crump to assist in seeking justice for its nationals killed in the United States.

The NYPD said investigations were continuing, with the possibility of other arrests not ruled out.

The arrest marks a significant development in the case, although the circumstances and motive behind the killing remain under investigation.

New York Police Arrest 17-Year-Old Over Murder of Ghanaian Student

International

Canada Announces Permanent Residency Plan for 100,000 Foreign Workers, Families

Published

11 hours ago

November 12, 2026

Trends Admin

Canada Announces Permanent Residency Plan for 100,000 Foreign Workers, Families

Canada has announced plans to provide permanent residency opportunities for up to 100,000 foreign workers and their eligible family members already living in the country under a new immigration measure scheduled for 2027.

The initiative is part of the Canadian government’s efforts to address labour shortages, reduce immigration application backlogs and provide greater certainty for migrant workers who have established themselves in Canadian communities.

According to details released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the programme will create additional permanent residency admission spaces for eligible workers living outside Quebec, alongside their family members.

The measure is expected to benefit workers whose skills are needed in local economies, particularly in smaller communities, as the government works with provincial and territorial authorities to identify eligible applicants.

However, the announcement does not establish a new immigration pathway open to every foreign worker. It is designed to accelerate permanent residency for people who already meet specified eligibility conditions under existing immigration programmes.

Under the proposed arrangement, workers may qualify through two main routes. They must either be awaiting a decision on a permanent residency application submitted under selected immigration programmes that are now closed to new applicants, or be eligible to apply through Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

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The selected programmes include the Start-Up Visa Programme, Self-Employed Persons Programme, Agri-Food Pilot and Home Care Workers (Caregivers) immigration programme.

The government said the additional admission spaces would cover workers living outside Quebec and their eligible family members.

The initiative is intended to recognise the contributions of foreign workers who have established roots in Canadian communities, paid taxes and helped address labour shortages.

Beyond the workers’ initiative, Canada is also setting aside additional permanent residency spaces for other categories of applicants.

These include up to 45,000 spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are already in Canada and awaiting decisions on their applications.

Another 12,600 applicants whose permanent residency cases have already received approval in principle on humanitarian and compassionate grounds are expected to benefit.

The government is also targeting outstanding applications under special immigration arrangements for Hong Kong residents and Ukrainians with family members in Canada.

According to IRCC, the measures are designed to provide stability for people who are already contributing to Canadian society while reducing outstanding immigration applications and improving processing times.

The department clarified that applicants do not need to submit separate applications or take additional steps to be considered under the temporary measures.

The 2027 initiative is time-limited and will operate outside Canada’s regular immigration admission targets. It is not a permanent expansion of immigration programmes.

The announcement is part of Canada’s wider effort to reform its immigration system, balance labour market requirements with sustainable population growth and prioritise applicants who are already living and working in the country.

The government said the additional admission spaces would help eligible migrants and their families secure greater certainty about their future in Canada.