International
Baby freezes to death overnight in Gaza as ceasefire delays
Baby freezes to death overnight in Gaza as ceasefire delays
JERUSALEM: A baby girl froze to death overnight in Gaza, while Israel and Hamas accused each other of complicating ceasefire efforts that could wind down the 14-month war.
The 3-week old baby was the third to die from the cold in Gaza’s tent camps in recent days, doctors said, deaths that underscore the squalid conditions, with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians crammed into often ramshackle tents after fleeing Israeli offensives.
Israel’s bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza has killed over 45,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The offensive has caused widespread destruction and displaced some 90 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million people, often multiple times. Hundreds of thousands are packed into tent camps along the coast as the cold, wet winter sets in. Aid groups have struggled to deliver food and supplies and say there are shortages of blankets, warm clothing and firewood.
Israel has increased the amount of aid it allows into the territory, reaching an average of 130 trucks a day so far this month, up from around 70 a day in October and November. Still, the amount remains well below than previous months and the United Nations says it is unable to distribute more than half the aid because Israeli forces deny permission to move within Gaza or because of rampant lawlessness and theft from trucks.
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The father of 3-week-old Sila, Mahmoud Al-Faseeh, wrapped her in a blanket to try and keep her warm in their tent in the Muwasi area outside the town of Khan Younis, but it wasn’t enough, he told The Associated Press. He said the tent was not sealed from the wind and the ground was cold, as temperatures on Tuesday night dropped to 9 degrees Celsius (48 degrees Fahrenheit.) Muwasi is a desolate area of dunes and farmland on Gaza’s Mediterranean coast.
“It was very cold overnight and as adults we couldn’t even take it. We couldn’t stay warm,” he said. Sila woke up crying three times overnight and in the morning they found her unresponsive, her body stiff.
“She was like wood,” said Al-Faseeh. They rushed her to a field hospital where doctors tried to revive her, but her lungs had already deteriorated. Images of Sila taken by the AP showed the little girl with purple lips, her pale skin blotchy.
Ahmed Al-Farra, director of the children’s ward at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, confirmed that the baby died of hypothermia. He said two other babies — one 3 days old, the other a month old — had been brought to the hospital over the past 48 hours after dying of hypothermia.
Meanwhile, hopes for a ceasefire looked complicated Wednesday, with Israel and the militant Hamas group that runs Gaza trading accusations of delaying an agreement. In recent weeks, the two sides appeared to be inching toward a deal that would bring home dozens of hostages held by the militants in Gaza, but differences have emerged.
Although Israel and Hamas have expressed optimism that progress was being made toward a deal, sticking points remain over the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, people involved in the talks say.
On Wednesday, Hamas accused Israel of introducing new conditions related to the withdrawal from Gaza, the prisoners and the return of displaced people, which it said was delaying the deal.
Israel’s government accused Hamas of reneging on understandings that have already been reached.” Still, both sides said discussions are ongoing.
Israel’s negotiating team, which includes members from its intelligence agencies and the military, returned from Qatar on Tuesday evening for internal consultations, following a week of what it called “significant negotiations.”
During its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, Hamas and other groups took about 250 people hostages and brought them to Gaza. A previous truce in November 2023 freed more than 100 hostages, while others have been rescued or their remains have been recovered over the past year.
Israel says about 100 hostages remain in Gaza — at least a third whom it believes were killed during the Oct. 7 attack or died in captivity.
Sporadic talks have taken place for a year, but in recent weeks there’s been a renewed push to reach a deal.
President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office next month for his second term, has demanded the immediate release of Israeli hostages, saying on social media that if they’re not freed before he is sworn in, there will be “HELL TO PAY.”
Families of the hostages are becoming increasingly angry, calling on the Israeli government for a ceasefire before Trump is sworn in.
After Israel’s high-level negotiation team returned from Doha this week, hostage families called an emergency press conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, pleading for a ceasefire and a complete end to the war.
Shir Siegel, the daughter of Israeli-American Keith Siegel, whose mother was released after more than 50 days in captivity, said every delay could endanger their lives. “There are moments when every second is fateful, and this is one of those moments,” she said.
Families of the hostages marked the first night of Hannukah with a candle lighting ceremony in Tel Aviv as well as by the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
The agreement would take effect in phases and include a halt in fighting, an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, and a surge in aid to the besieged Gaza, according to Egyptian, Hamas and American officials. The last phase would include the release of any remaining hostages, an end to the war and talks on reconstruction.
Baby freezes to death overnight in Gaza as ceasefire delays
ARAB NEWS
International
Indonesia Flood Disaster: Death Toll Exceeds 900 as Search for Hundreds Continues
Indonesia Flood Disaster: Death Toll Exceeds 900 as Search for Hundreds Continues
The death toll from the catastrophic Indonesia floods has risen to more than 900, with hundreds still missing as rescuers struggle to reach communities cut off by last week’s rare and powerful cyclone over the Malaca Strait. The storm unleashed torrential rain and severe landslides, destroying over 100,000 homes across multiple regions.
Authorities say relief efforts remain extremely challenging, with aid being air-dropped into isolated areas where roads and bridges have been washed away. The deadly floods form part of a chain of recent extreme weather disasters across Asia, bringing the combined regional death toll — including in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam — close to 2,000.
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In Aceh Tamiang, among the worst-hit districts, survivors described entire villages being swept away by surging waters. Residents of Lintang Bawah Village told the BBC Indonesian service that many families survived only by taking refuge on rooftops.
Fitriana, a survivor, recounted how some villagers endured three days without food or water as they clung to their homes: “Ninety percent of the houses in our village were destroyed,” she said, leaving 300 families displaced.
Another survivor described fleeing twice — first from his own home as floodwaters reached the second floor, and then again from a nearby village inundated overnight:
“While we were sleeping, water soaked the mattresses. There was no higher ground. We survived by climbing to the second floor of my daughter-in-law’s house.”
Indonesian authorities continue emergency operations as hopes fade for those still unaccounted for. The government has pledged expanded humanitarian support as the scale of the disaster becomes clearer.
Indonesia Flood Disaster: Death Toll Exceeds 900 as Search for Hundreds Continues
BBC
International
Russia Intensifies Airstrikes on Ukraine as Zelensky, Trump Envoys Advance Peace Talks
Russia Intensifies Airstrikes on Ukraine as Zelensky, Trump Envoys Advance Peace Talks
Russia has intensified its overnight aerial attacks on Ukraine, striking multiple regions just hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky described his discussions with Donald Trump’s negotiating team as “very constructive.” The renewed assaults come amid a fresh push for a US-led peace framework aimed at ending the nearly three-year-old war.
The mayor of Kremenchuk, a key industrial city in central Ukraine, confirmed the area suffered a “massive combined strike”, damaging critical infrastructure and leaving residents without water, electricity, and heat. No fatalities have been reported so far.
Russia’s defence ministry claimed it intercepted 77 Ukrainian drones across several locations during the same period, underscoring the ongoing intensity of the conflict despite diplomatic efforts.
Zelensky said he is “determined” to continue working closely with the US after three days of detailed negotiations in Miami involving Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and the former US president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Talks focused heavily on ensuring Russia’s compliance with any future peace agreement.
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The US has been mediating a multi-point peace plan, though progress remains limited as Kyiv, Moscow, and European allies differ on key proposals. European leaders have pushed for additional security guarantees for Ukraine, including the possibility of a multinational peacekeeping force, an idea Russia has rejected.
French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Zelensky are set to meet in London on Monday to coordinate Europe’s position on the evolving peace framework. Macron reiterated France’s commitment to achieving de-escalation and a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, the US and Ukraine have jointly urged Moscow to demonstrate “a serious commitment to long-term peace.” The appeal came after Witkoff returned from Kremlin talks with Vladimir Putin, which ended without a breakthrough.
Ukraine’s new chief negotiator Rustem Umerov said he and Witkoff have “agreed on the framework of security arrangements” and discussed deterrence measures needed to secure a durable peace.
The latest wave of Russian airstrikes — following a wider barrage a day earlier condemned by European leaders — underscores the gulf between diplomatic negotiations and realities on the ground as the war grinds on.
Russia Intensifies Airstrikes on Ukraine as Zelensky, Trump Envoys Advance Peace Talks
BBC
International
25 Dead in Goa Nightclub Fire After Suspected Gas Explosion in Arpora
25 Dead in Goa Nightclub Fire After Suspected Gas Explosion in Arpora
A devastating inferno at a popular nightclub in Goa has left 25 people dead, with authorities confirming that most of the victims were employees of the establishment located in Arpora, North Goa. Several tourists are also among the casualties.
Officials say the blaze, which erupted around midnight on Saturday, was triggered by a suspected gas cylinder explosion in the club’s kitchen. The fire quickly tore through the premises, leading to scenes of panic in the bustling nightlife district.
Goa Director General of Police Alok Kumar confirmed that the fire was concentrated on the ground-floor kitchen area and has since been brought under control. Most bodies were recovered near the kitchen, reinforcing concerns that staff members bore the brunt of the tragedy.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant stated that three victims died from burn injuries, while others succumbed to suffocation. He also revealed that “three to four” tourists had been confirmed dead, though their identities and nationalities remain unknown.
According to The Indian Express, the incident occurred at Birch by Romeo Lane, a well-known club near Baga Beach, one of Goa’s busiest tourist hubs. The area is lined with nightlife venues that typically draw large crowds on weekends.
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Witnesses described chaotic moments as screams filled the air moments after the explosion. One bystander told the BBC: “It was a normal Saturday night. Suddenly there were screams, and then we realized a massive fire had broken out. The scenes were horrific.”
Fire crews worked through the night, combing through charred debris to determine the full extent of damage and finalize victim identification. The remains of burnt furniture and décor were visible at the site on Sunday morning, now sealed off by security officials.
Victims’ bodies have been transferred to Goa Medical College in Panaji, where identification is underway before notifying families.
Chief Minister Sawant has ordered a formal inquiry into the cause of the blaze, promising that “those found responsible will face the most stringent action.” He expressed “deep grief” and extended condolences to affected families.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the incident as “deeply saddening”.
Goa, a former Portuguese colony famed for its beaches, nightlife, and resorts, attracts millions of visitors annually. Government figures show 5.5 million tourists visited the state in the first half of the year, including 270,000 international travelers.
The tragedy adds to a growing list of fatal fires in entertainment venues across India, including recent incidents in Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Gujarat, often linked to poor safety standards and overcrowding.
25 Dead in Goa Nightclub Fire After Suspected Gas Explosion in Arpora
BBC
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